8-17-23
A LAFAYETTE RESIDENT HAS FILED A PETITION QUESTIONING THE ELIGIBILITY OF ONE OF THE THREE CANDIDATES CHALLENGING LAFAYETTE MAYOR-PRESIDENT JOSH GUILLORY. PRISCILLA GONZALEZ IS ACCUSED OF NOT HAVING LIVED IN LAFAYETTE PARISH FOR ONE YEAR PRIOR TO QUALIFYING, WHICH IS A REQUIREMENT. THE PETITION ALSO CLAIMS GONZALEZ WAS NOT TRUTHFUL IN SAYING SHE FILED STATE AND FEDERAL PERSONAL INCOME TAXES OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS. A DEPOSITION WILL BE HELD TOMORROW AND A TRIAL DATE IS SET FOR MONDAY.
A HEARING HAS BEEN SET FOR FRIDAY MORNING IN OPELOUSAS TO DETERMINE IF JOHN LEWIS THE THIRD IS ELIGIBLE TO RUN FOR SAINT LANDRY PARISH PRESIDENT. THE INCUMBENT, JESSIE BELLARD, FILED THE CHALLENGE, SAYING LEWIS FAILED TO MEET THE REQUIREMENT OF FILING TAX RETURNS FOR FIVE YEARS PRECEEDING THE ELECTION. THE PETITION SAYS LEWIS DID NOT FILE HIS STATE TAXES IN TWENTY-TWENTY-ONE AND TWENTY-TWO AND DID NOT FILE FOR AN EXTENSION. LEWIS, WHO IS THE ONLY CHALLENGER TO BELLARD, TELLS KATC TV THAT HIS TAXES ARE ALL UP TO DATE.
Tim Temple, a Baton Rouge Republican who spent 20 years in the insurance industry, will be Louisiana’s next insurance commissioner after the only other candidate dropped out of the race Wednesday. Rich Weaver, a Democrat from Ascension Parish and the only other candidate for the position, withdrew his bid Wednesday, according to the Louisiana Secretary of State’s website. Weaver could not immediately be reached for comment. Temple will be tasked with finding solutions to lower skyrocketing property insurance costs — in some cases being unaffordable for Louisiana residents.
THERE WERE MULTIPLE BOMB THREATS AT SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT LOUISIANA YESTERDAY. LAKE CHARLES POLICE WERE DISPATCHED TO DOLBY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ON JEFFERSON DRIVE AFTER A NINE-ONE-ONE CALL REPORTING A BOMB THREAT. ALSO MORGAN CITY HIGH SCHOOL AND PESSON ELEMENTARY IN IBERIA PARISH RECEIVED THREATS. ALL SCHOOLS THAT RECEIVED THE THREATS WERE FOUND TO BE CLEAR AND SAFE. NO ARRESTS HAVE YET BEEN MADE.
LAFAYETTE UTILITIES SYSTEM IS URGING CUSTOMERS TO CONSERVE WATER AND MINIMIZE WATER CONSUMPTION ACTIVITIES. L-U-S SPOKESPERSON HEIDI TWEEDEL SAYS THE DECISION TO MAKE THE ANNOUNCEMENT COMES AFTER GOVERNOR JOHN BEL EDWARDS DECLARED A STATE OF EMERGENCY DUE TO THE EXTREME HEAT AFFECTING THE STATE. SHE SAYS THIS WILL HELP FIREIFIGHTERS HAVE ENOUGH WATER, ESPECIALLY WITH THE THREAT OF WILDFIRES. L-U-S STRESSES THAT THERE IS NO DANGER OF RUNNING OUT OF WATER BUT CONSERVING CAN HELP AVOID A SHORTAGE.
THE HEAT AND DRY WEATHER IS AFFECTING RICE FARMERS IN LOUISIANA. CHRISTIAN RICHARD OF RICHARD FARMS IN KAPLAN SAYS IT HASN’T RAINED IN NEARLY THREE MONTHS AND THEY’VE HAD WATER WELLS PUMPING DURING THAT TIME. HE SAYS LAST YEAR THE PROBLEM WAS EXCESSIVE RAIN AND HAVING TO DEAL WITH MUD. RICHARD TELLS KATC TV THAT, IF THE DROUGHT CONTINUES ACROSS THE STATE, CONSUMERS MAY BE SPENDING MORE MONEY ON RICE OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
THE FIFTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS IN NEW ORLEANS HANDED DOWN A MAJOR RULING WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR THE ABORTION PILL. SYLVIA MASTERS HAS THE DETAILS.
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THE BODY OF AN ACADIANA MAN, WHO WENT MISSING LAST SATURDAY, WAS FOUND IN A VEHICLE IN WEST BATON ROUGE PARISH TUESDAY. AUTHORITIES REVIEWED SURVEILLANCE VIDEO AND FOUND JEFFREY LEON WAS HEADED SOUTH ON L-A FOUR-FIFTEEN. THEY SEARCHED THE AREA AND FOUND A CRASH SITE ON I-TEN WESTBOUND NEAR MILE MARKER ONE FOURTY-FIVE. DETECTIVES DO NOT SUSPECT FOUL PLAY IN THE DEATH OF LEON, WHO IS A WELL-KNOWN D-J IN ACADIANA AND THE SURROUNDING AREA.
