7-26-18
THE PROPOSED LAFAYETTE CITY AND PARISH BUDGETS FOR 2018 AND 19 HAVE BEEN RELEASED AND L-C-G EMPLOYEES WILL NOT GET PAY RAISES. JEFF HORCHAK HAS MORE.
VOICER V :27
LOUISIANA STATE POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING A ROLLOVER CRASH IN SULPHUR THAT OCCURRED JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT. IT HAPPENED ON SOUTH BEGLIS PARKWAY NEAR THE INTERSECTION WITH HIGHWAY 108. ONE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED. THERE ARE NO OTHER REPORTS AT THIS TIME ON INJURIES OR HOW MANY WERE IN THE VEHICLE.
TODAY A JUDGE IS EXPECTED TO RULE ON WHETHER THE DETAILS OF A SETTLEMENT BY THE IBERIA PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE SHOULD BE UNSEALED. IN MARCH, THE IBERIA PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE AGREED TO PAY SHANDELL BRADLEY, THE MOTHER OF VICTOR WHITE THE THIRD’S SON, BUT THE AMOUNT WAS NOT RELEASED. THAT LED KATC AND THE ADVOCATE TO GO TO COURT TO ATTEMPT TO MAKE PUBLIC THE AMOUNT THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE SPENT TO SETTLE A CIVIL SUIT. BY BRADLEY. THE IBERIA PARISH CORONER RULED WHITE DIED OF A SELF INFLICTED GUNSHOT WOUND WHILE IN POLICE CUSTODY, BUT THE RULING WAS CONTROVERSIAL BECAUSE WHITE HAD HIS HANDS CUFFED BEHIND HIS BACK.
ON TUESDAY, THE LAFAYETTE CITY PARISH COUNCIL APPROVED THE CREATION OF A PUBLIC TRUST THAT WILL FOCUS ON BUILDING THE LOCAL TECH ECONOMY. MAYOR PRESIDENT JOEL ROBIDEAUX TELLS THE ADVOCATE THE MISSION OF THE LAFAYETTE PUBLIC INNOVATION ALLIANCE HAS NOT BEEN CLEARLY DEFINED YET, BUT ITS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AND RECRUIT TECH TALENT TO LAFAYETTE PARISH. HE’S NAMED FIVE PEOPLE TO BE TRUSTEES, ONE OF WHICH IS HIMSELF. HE SAYS WHEN HE TALKED TO THE OTHER TRUSTEES ABOUT COMING ABOARD, THEY EXPRESSED EXCITEMENT THAT LAFAYETTE IS LOOKING TO PROMOTE TECHNOLOGY.
AN ARGUMENT OVER A 16 DOLLAR DEBT LED TO A DOUBLE SHOOTING IN JENNINGS. THE FIGHT HAPPENED IN MARCUS CAIN PARK WHERE AN OFF DUTY OFFICER, AFTER BREAKING UP THE FIGHT, WAS TOLD BY THE TWO MEN THAT THEY HAD EACH BEEN SHOT. BOTH OF THEIR CARS WERE TAKEN TO IMPOUND AND ONE OF THE VEHICLES HAD A LARGE AMOUNT OF HEROIN, CRYSTAL METH, MARIJUANA AND PILLS. ONE OF THE MEN, WHO’S BEEN RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL, 27-YEAR-OLD JOSEPH BERNARD SHIRAH, HAS BEEN ARRESTED FOR ATTEMPTED FIRST DEGREE MURDER, WHILE THE OTHER MAN, WHO HAD DRUGS IN HIS VEHICLE, WILL BE ARRESTED ONCE HE’S RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL.
LANDRY PARISH SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES ARRESTED AN OPELOUSAS COUPLE FOR FORCING THEIR SON TO SLEEP IN AN UNAIR CONDITIONED SHED. THE 14-YEAR-OLD SON OF LARRY AND ANTOINETTE LEWIS HAD TOLD WITNESSES THAT HE LIVED IN THE SHED AND ATE SCRAPS OF FOOD FROM THE FAMILY. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THEY HAD SENT THE BOY TO THE SHED BECAUSE HE WAS STEALING AND REFUSING TO DO CHORES. SHERIFF BOBBY GUIDROZ SAYS THE PARENTS SHOULD HAVE FOUND A SAFER WAY TO DISCIPLINE THEIR SON.
THERE’S A PROPOSAL ON THE TABLE TO BUILD A BYPASS AROUND ST. MARTINVILLE. IT WOULD HELP KEEP LARGE TRUCKS OFF THE NARROW STREETS IN ST. MARTINVILLE, WHICH HAVE CAUSED DAMAGE TO ROADS AND BUILDINGS. ST. MARTIN PARISH PRESIDENT CHESTER CEDARS WILL HAVE TO DECIDE IF HE’LL RECOMMEND THE PARISH SPEND MONEY ON THE PROJECT. HE SAYS HE NEEDS TO FIRST SEE HOW MUCH A BYPASS WOULD BENEFIT THE PARISH.
THE MAN, CONVICTED OF THE MURDER OF JOSHUA TOUCHET LAST YEAR AT THE TWELVE PALMS R-V PARK IN LAKE CHARLES, WILL SERVE A LIFE SENTENCE. TOUCHET WAS SHOT TO DEATH DURING AN ATTEMPTED ARMED ROBBERY BY JOHNNIE HARDMAN. WHEN HARDMAN WAS FOUND GUILTY OF FIRST DEGREE MURDER IN MAY, HE BOLTED FROM THE COURTHOUSE AND TRIED TO ESCAPE. HARDMAN HAS PLEADED NOT GUILTY TO THE ESCAPE CHARGE AND HAS ASKED FOR A TRIAL BY JURY.
