7-19-18
FOUR LAFAYETTE CITY PARISH COUNCILMEN, WHO ARE TERM LIMITED, COULD RUN AGAIN IF A PROPOSAL GOES FORWARD TO SPLIT INTO SEPARATE CITY AND PARISH COUNCILS. SEVERAL COUNCILMEN HAVE HEARD OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSAL BECAUSE OF THAT, AND VOTERS WOULD HAVE TO APPROVE IT IF THE COUNCIL GOES FORWARD WITH THE CHANGE TO THE HOME RULE CHARTER. THAT’S WHY ONE OF THOSE TERM LIMITED COUNCILMEN, KENNETH BOUDREAUX, SAYS HE’LL PROPOSE AN AMENDMENT THAT WOULD NOT ALLOW TERM LIMITED COUNCILMEN TO RUN FOR SEATS ON THE NEW COUNCILS. ALSO, UNDER THE AMENDMENT, THE CURRENT TIME SERVED ON THE CITY PARISH COUNCIL WOULD CARRY OVER IF THEY ARE ELECTED TO SEATS ON THE NEW COUNCILS.
GOVERNOR JOHN BEL EDWARDS THIS WEEK ANNOUNCED THAT SIXTY MILLION DOLLARS IN OIL SPILL RECOVERY MONEY WILL BE DIRECTED TO NEW COASTAL RECREATION PROJECTS, AND SOME OF THAT IS GOING TO CALCASIEU AND CAMERON PARISHES. SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS IS TARGETED FOR THE LAKE CHARLES SCIENCE CENTER, WHICH WILL INCLUDE PAYING FOR A YOUTH FISHING POND AND A PAVILLION. ANOTHER TWO-POINT-4 MILLION DOLLARS WILL BE SPENT ON IMPROVEMENTS TO SAM HOUSTON JONES STATE PARK. IN CAMERON PARISH, 690 THOUSAND DOLLARS WILL BE USED FOR NEW FISHING PIERS AND SIGNS AT THE ROCKEFELLER WILDLIFE REFUGE.
MAJOR ANTHONY GREEN HAS BEEN MADE WARDEN OF THE IBERIA PARISH JAIL. HE REPLACES PAUL SCOTT, WHO LEFT TO TAKE OVER AS WARDEN AT THE ST. MARY PARISH JAIL, WHICH HAD SOME INCIDENTS OF INMATES ESCAPING. ANOTHER PREVIOUS WARDEN AT THE IBERIA PARISH JAIL AND SEVERAL DEPUTIES ARE SERVING TIME IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR ASSAULTING INMATES. WARDEN GREEN TELLS KLFY TV THAT WON’T HAPPEN AGAIN BUT SAYS PART OF THE REASON IS BECAUSE SCOTT HAD PUT SOME THINGS IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT DOESN’T HAPPEN.
The first day of Louisiana’s election sign-up period has ended with candidates registered to run against most of the state’s incumbent congressmen. Four of the six U.S. House members drew challengers Wednesday for the Nov. 6 ballot: Republican Steve Scalise, Democrat Cedric Richmond, Republican Clay Higgins and Republican Garret Graves. No opponents have qualified yet to run for the seats held by Republican incumbents Mike Johnson in northwest Louisiana and Ralph Abraham in northeast Louisiana. Also on the ballot is a special election to choose a new secretary of state, after Republican Tom Schedler resigned amid sexual harassment allegations.
A BATON ROUGE JUDGE HAS DETERMINED THAT U-L LAFAYETTE DID NOT FIRE FORMER FOOTBALL COACH JERRY BALDWIN BECAUSE OF HIS RACE. BALDWIN FILED A DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT AFTER HE WAS FIRED IN 2001 BECAUSE OF A SIX-AND-27 RECORD OVER THREE YEARS, AND HE WAS PAID FOR THE FINAL YEAR OF HIS CONTRACT. THE CASE HAS BEEN GOING THROUGH THE COURTS FOR YEARS, UNTIL YESTERDAY WHEN STATE DISTRICT JUDGE TIM KELLEY RULED THERE WASN’T ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT BALDWIN’S CLAIMS. KARL BERNARD, BALDWIN’S ATTORNEY, EXPRESSED DISAPPOINTMENT IN THE DECISION AND SAID THEY WILL CONSIDER AN APPEAL.
A JENNINGS WOMAN IS BEING HAILED AS A HERO FOR HELPING HER BEDRIDDEN DAD GET OUT OF THEIR BURNING HOME. A FAULTY WATER HEATER IS BELIEVED TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FIRE THAT STARTED TUESDAY AFTERNOON AT THE HOME ON WEST DIVISION STREET. CHASITY MILLER GOT HER MOM AND TWO FOSTER KIDS OUTSIDE AND THEN WENT BACK IN TO GET HER DAD IN A WHEELCHAIR. THEY ESCAPED WITH MINOR BURNS.
CROWLEY POLICE HAVE ARRESTED A MAN IN CONNECTION WITH A WEEKEND HOMOCIDE. WITNESSES TOLD POLICE THAT RONALD JAMES POMIER ALLEGEDLY APPROACHED A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT WERE FIGHTING WITH THE VICTIM AND SHOT HIM IN THE HEAD. THE VICTIM LATER DIED AT THE HOSPITAL. POMIER HAS BEEN BOOKED INTO THE ACADIA PARISH JAIL ON A CHARGE OF SECOND DEGREE MURDER.
Louisiana’s Democratic governor and Republican attorney general are trading barbs over the recent extension of a court-order prohibiting executions in the state.
Attorney General Jeff Landry said in a statement Wednesday that his office is withdrawing from defending against a lawsuit challenging Louisiana’s lethal injection protocols. Landry claimed Gov. John Bel Edwards is a greater obstacle to carrying out executions than a drug shortage for lethal injections. Edwards accused Landry of “political grandstanding” and abdicating his duties.
