8-22-18
A LOCAL CHILDREN’S EVENT IS CAUSING CONTROVERSY ACROSS LAFAYETTE. JEFF HORCHAK HAS THE DETAILS.
VOICER J :33
AUTHORITIES IN TERREL, TEXAS ARE INVESTIGATING THE CAUSE OF A FIERY CRASH THAT KILLED THREE RESIDENTS OF CAMERON PARISH. THE THREE WERE IN A PICKUP TRUCK THAT WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH WITH A TRACTOR-TRAILER, SPARKING A FIRE THAT CONSUMED BOTH THE TRUCK AND THE CAB OF THE TRACTOR-TRAILER. KILLED IN THE CRASH WERE 77-YEAR-OLD BENJAMIN WELCH, 72-YEAR-OLD LINDA WELCH, AND 49-YEAR-OLD ALICE LITTLE, ALL OF CAMERON PARISH. INVESTIGATORS ARE TRYING TO DETERMINE WHAT CAUSED THE COLLISION.
A COUPLE WAS ARRESTED AFTER FOUR STOLEN VEHICLES WERE FOUND ON PROPERTY IN EASTERN ACADIA PARISH. 38-YEAR-OLD CHRISTOPHER BYERLEY OF BROUSSARD AND 37-YEAR-OLD APRIL VIGUERIE OF ERATH HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH FOUR COUNTS OF POSSESSION OF STOLEN PROPERTY. A SEARCH WARRANT WAS EXECUTED ON THE PROPERTY ALONG TANNER ROAD, AND A CHEVY TRUCK, YAMAHA MOTORCYCLE AND DIRT BIKE, AS WELL AS A RACING BICYCLE, WHICH HAD BEEN REPORTED STOLEN, WERE RECOVERED. POLICE ALSO FOUND ELEVEN FIREARMS, AND SINCE BYERLEY AND VIGUERIE ARE CONVICTED FELONS, THEY WERE SEIZED AS WELL.
With only a few doctors signing up to dispense medical marijuana, Louisiana regulators are considering whether to change rules limiting how many cannabis patients each doctor can treat. Louisiana’s State Board of Medical Examiners has set a limit of 100 medical marijuana patients per physician, with individual exemptions for more. Vincent Culotta, the board’s executive director, says the cap could be boosted higher at the panel’s September meeting amid concerns it’s too low. Only 40 doctors have submitted applications for the Louisiana permit required to offer medical-grade pot to patients, with 23 approved so far.
THE STATE HAS TERMINATED AN AGREEMENT WITH BELL HELICOPTERS WHICH OPERATES IN A STATE-FUNDED FACILITY IN LAFAYETTE. LOUISIANA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SECRETARY DON PIERSON SAYS THE COMPANY HAS UNDERPERFORMED AND FAILED TO PRODUCE THE AGREED UPON OPERATIONS. UNDER TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT ALLOWING FOR TERMINATION, THE STATE IS ENTITLED TO A 16 MILLION DOLLAR PAYMENT FROM BELL HELICOPTERS, ACCORDING TO STATE OFFICIALS. THE STATE ALSO IS EXPECTED TO PURSUE ADDITIONAL DAMAGES.
REVEREND J-L FRANKLIN IS STEPPING DOWN AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE N-DOUBLE-A-C-P IN LAKE CHARLES. SIX MONTHS AGO, HE TOOK OVER THE POSITION WHEN THE PRESIDENT AND FIRST VICE PRESIDENT RESIGNED. FRANKLIN SAYS HE FEELS HE CAN HAVE A BIGGER IMPACT AS PRESIDENT OF THE SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA COMMUNITY COALITION FOR ACTION. FRANKLIN SAYS HE’S THANKFUL FOR HIS ROLE WITH THE LOCAL N-DOUBLE-A-C-P AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE A MEMBER.
OPELOUSAS CITY OFFICIALS SAY WORK SHOULD BEGIN WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH TO REPLACE THE JUDSON WALSH BRIDGE. THE BRIDGE, WHICH IS A HALF MILE FROM OPELOUSAS HIGH SCHOOL, HAS STRUCTURAL DAMAGE IN THE WOODEN BEAMS. OPELOUSAS CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER ROD SIAS SAYS THEY WERE ABLE TO EXPEDITE THE WORK BECAUSE OF THE BRIDGE’S LOCATION NEAR THE HIGH SCHOOL AND I-49. MAYOR REGGIE TATUM SAYS THE BRIDGE ALLOWS PEOPLE EASIER ACCESS FROM THE INTERSTATE TO THE SCHOOL.
U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy was part of a recent congressional trip to Guatemala and Mexico that the Louisiana Republican said involved discussions of border security, drug trafficking and trade. Back in the United States on Tuesday, Cassidy said the group met with Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales and members of his cabinet and visited U.S. Marines working on a humanitarian mission in the country. In Mexico, the congressional delegation received a briefing from the U.S. Department of Defense and met with a Mexican foreign trade official to discuss ongoing trade negotiations between the United States and Mexico. The delegation members also spoke with the chief of staff to President-elect Andrés Manuel López.
