12-5-17
THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD HAS NOT RESPONDED TO A DEMAND LETTER SENT THREE WEEKS AGO ON BEHALF OF FORMER SUPERINTENDENT PAT COOPER, WHO WAS FIRED THREE YEARS AGO. THE LETTER FROM ATTORNEY LANE ROY SAID THEY WERE SEEKING FOUR-POINT-1 MILLION DOLLARS, AND THEY HOPED TO REACH A SETTLEMENT RATHER THAN GO TO COURT. ACCORDING TO THE ADVOCATE, COOPER IS NOW THREATENING TO SUE EACH SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER WHO FIRED HIM IN 2014 INDIVIDUALLY. AN APPEALS COURT RULED THE FIRING WAS ARBITRARY AND CAPRICIOUS AND THE STATE SUPREME COURT DECLINED TO HEAR AN APPEAL, EFFECTIVELY UPHOLDING THE APPEALS COURT DECISION.
THREE CALCASIEU PARISH SCHOOLS ARE FINALISTS IN A NATIONAL COMPETITION BY SAMSUNG TO ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS IN THEIR COMMUNITY. THE FINALISTS ARE SULPHUR HIGH SCHOOL, SAM HOUSTON HIGH SCHOOL AND F-K WHITE MIDDLE SCHOOL. SULPHUR HIGH SCHOOL IS LOOKING TO ADDRESS THE CITY’S TRAFFIC TROUBLES WHILE SAM HOUSTON HIGH SCHOOL IS LOOKING AT THE CHRONIC DRAINAGE PROBLEMS IN LAKE CHARLES. F-K WHITE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE DEVELOPING ELECTRONIC PROSTHETIC LIMBS FOR AMPUTEES.
ACADIA PARISH SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES ARE LOOKING FOR A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HELD UP A FED EX DELIVERY DRIVER IN CROWLEY FRIDAY EVENING. JEFF HORCHAK REPORTS.
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Louisiana’s legislative auditor says he hopes to complete a review of the state government policies for handling sexual misconduct allegations before the legislative session starts in March. Sen. Sharon Hewitt, a Slidell Republican, requested the performance audit from Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera’s office after a top aide to Gov. John Bel Edwards resigned following sexual harassment accusations. Purpera said Monday that he’ll follow the list of items sought by the senator, including a review of state agency policies for responding to such accusations and possible ways to strengthen those procedures. He said his office also will compare Louisiana’s sexual harassment policies for handling allegations to those of other states.
A RACKETEERING LAWSUIT BY IZZO’S ILLEGAL BURRITO AGAINST ROUSE’S MARKET STEMS FROM AN ALLEGED INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED IN LAFAYETTE. THE RESTAURANT CHAIN CLAIMS A FORMER EMPLOYEE STOLE A RECIPE FROM IZZO’S AND USED IT TO MAKE BURRITO’S AT THE ROUSE’S LOCATION ON BERTRAND, WHERE HE WORKED AS A MANAGER. THEY ALSO CLAIM IT WAS RETALIATION BY ROUSE’S FOR A BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP THAT DIDN’T WORK OUT AS PLANNED. IZZO’S IS SEEKING MORE THAN TEN MILLION DOLLARS IN DAMAGES, BUT ROUSE’S ON FRIDAY ASKED THE COURT TO DISMISS THE LAWSUIT, WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY FILED IN 2012.
A MAN FROM INDIA, WHO STARTED THREE YEARS AGO TO BIKE AROUND THE WORLD, MADE HIS WAY THROUGH LAKE CHARLES SUNDAY. ABHISHEK KUMAR SHARMA MET WITH MAYOR NIC HUNTER AS HE SEEKS TO RAISE AWARENESS FOR CLIMATE CHANGE AND WORLD PEACE. SHARMA, WHO STARTED THE BIKE RIDE ON NOVEMBER TENTH OF 2014, HAS COMPLETED 28 THOUSAND MILES BUT HAS MORE THAN 40 THOUSAND TO GO. HE SAYS HE HAS RECEIVED A LOT OF SUPPORT ON HIS JOURNEY ESPECIALLY FROM INDIAN COMMUNITIES AND CONSULATES.
THE OPELOUSAS BOARD OF ALDERMEN ARE HOLDING A SPECIAL MEETING TODAY TO DISCUSS THE BUDGET THAT WAS PASSED TWO MONTHS AGO. THE MEETING WAS CALLED AFTER IT WAS LEARNED THAT THE NUMBERS HAD NEVER BEEN PUT INTO THE SYSTEM BY STAFF AND WERE APPARENTLY FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS OF MAYOR REGGIE TATUM. SOME ALDERMEN ARE CONCERNED THAT, SINCE THE NUMBERS HAVE NOT BEEN PUT IN THE SYSTEM, THE CITY IS OPERATING ON FIFTY PERCENT OF LAST YEAR’S BUDGET. OPELOUSAS CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER ROD SIAS TELLS KATC TV THAT EVERYTHING IS FINE AND HE WILL EXPLAIN IT ALL AT THE SPECIAL MEETING TODAY.
The leader of the Louisiana State Police says his agency is facing some of the “darkest days” it’s ever had, rocked by scandals left behind by his predecessor.
Col. Kevin Reeves said Monday that morale has taken a hit in the department. But he said the controversies stem from “the actions of a few” and don’t reflect the conduct of the entire state police agency. Reeves became superintendent in March, after Mike Edmonson resigned amid controversy over troopers’ billing of taxpayers for overtime and expenses on a road trip in which they took sightseeing trips to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon.
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