8-22-23
THE LAFAYETTE PUBLIC LIBRARY DIRECTOR WAS FIRED YESTERDAY. AN ANNUAL EVALUATION FOR DANNY GILLANE WAS ON THE MONDAY MEETING AGENDA. THE BOARD ANNOUNCED DURING THE OPEN PUBLIC MEETING THAT GILLANE HAD BEEN TERMINATED. NO DETAILS ABOUT THE FIRING WERE PROVIDED.
A TRAIN DERAILED ON L-A ONE EIGHTY-TWO AND AIRPORT BOULEVARD IN IBERIA PARISH AFTER STRIKING AN EIGHTEEN-WHEELER THAT WAS STUCK ON THE TRACKS. OFFICIALS SAY THE DRIVER AND THE CONDUCTOR WERE BOTH OKAY, BUT THE CONDUCTER WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. STATE TROOPER THOMAS GOSSEN SAYS EIGHTEEN CARS DERAILED, BUT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A LEAK. HE SAYS THEY EVACUATED THE IMMEDIATE AREA OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION.
THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SPENT ONE HUNDRED TWELVE MILLION DOLLARS ON MEDICAID COVERAGE FOR NEARLY FOURTEEN THOUSAND PEOPLE WHO DIDN’T APPEAR TO LIVE IN LOUISIANA. THE AUDIT FOUND THAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT REIMBURSED HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS FOR TREATING PATIENTS ENROLLED IN MEDICAID THROUGH THE STATE OF LOUSIANA BUT WHO DIDN’T LIVE HERE AT THE TIME. HEALTH DEPARTMENT SECRETARY STEPHEN RUSSO SAYS IT BECAME HARDER TO KICK VIOLATERS OFF MEDICAID ROLLS DURING THE COVID NINETEEN PANDEMIC. HE SAYS NEW RULES FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FORCED THE STATE TO KEEP PATIENTS ON THE ROLLS UNLESS THEY EXPLICITLY TOLD THE STATE THEY HAD LEFT LOUISIANA.
A STUDENT AT LAGRANGE HIGH SCHOOL IN LAKE CHARLES WAS ARRESTED MONDAY FOR MAKING THREATS ON SOCIAL MEDIA. THE CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE WAS NOTIFIED OF A THREAT OF A SHOOTING AT LAGRANGE HIGH SCHOOL AND THEN OTHER CALLS CAME IN ABOUT THREATS TO OTHER SCHOOLS. THEY DISCOVERED THE THREATS WERE BEING MADE BY A FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD STUDENT. DETECTIVES LOCATED THE STUDENT AT SCHOOL ON MONDAY AND AFTER SPEAKING WITH HIM AND HIS GUARDIAN, HE WAS ARRESTED AND BOOKED INTO THE JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER ON SEVEN COUNTS OF TERRORIZING.
FORMER LAFAYETTE CITY MARSHAL EARL “NICKY” PICARD DIED PEACEFULLY AT HIS RESIDENCE YESTERDAY. HE WAS NINETY-TWO. PICARD WAS ELECTED CITY MARSHALL IN NINETEEN EIGHTY-FOUR AND SERVED A TOTAL OF THIRTY YEARS AFTER WINNING REELECTION FIVE TIMES. DURING HIS TENURE, HE DOUBLED THE NUMBER OF ARMED DEPUTY MARSHALS, EMBRACED NEW TECHNOLOGY AND PURSUED TRAINING THAT BROUGHT HIS OFFICE IN LINE WITH OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN LAFAYETTE PARISH.
IN ACADIA PARISH, POLICE SAY A PEDESTRIAN WAS KILLED AND ANOTHER PERSON WAS INJURED IN A CRASH ON HIGHWAY THREE SIXTY-SEVEN. DANIELLE DUNCAN REPORTS.
VOICER W :32
A federal appeals court is allowing Alabama to enforce a ban outlawing the use of puberty blockers and hormones to treat transgender children. Monday’s ruling is a victory for Republican-led states including Louisiana that are seeking to prohibit minors from receiving the medications. A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals lifted a judge’s ruling that had temporarily blocked the state from enforcing the ban. A trial is scheduled for April 2 on whether to permanently block the law, but the appellate decision is a boost for Alabama’s efforts to keep the ban in place.
THE RAYNE POLICE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED THE ARREST OF TWO MEN FROM HOUSTON AFTER AN INVESTIGATION INTO MAIL THEFT. MAIL WAS STOLEN FROM A COLLECTION BOX OUTSIDE THE RAYNE POST OFFICE LAST DECEMBER. RAYNE POLICE LEARNED THAT SIX OTHER MAIL COLLECTION BOXES IN LOUISIANA WERE TARGETED AS WELL. THE TWO MEN ARE IN THE HARRIS COUNTY JAIL AWAITING DISPOSITION OF CHARGES THERE BUT WHEN THEY ARE RELEASED, THEY WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO THE ACADIA PARISH JAIL.
