8-22-25
A PROPERTY OWNER, WHO OWNS A JUNKYARD ON HUVAL STREET IN LAFAYETTE, SAYS HE FEELS UNFAIRLY TARGETED BY THE CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT AFTER HE WAS TOLD TO PAY NEARLY FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS IN FINES AND CLEANUP FEES. THE PROPERTY WAS FOUND TO BE IN VIOLATION OF CITY ORDINANCES AND, IN JULY, THEY SPENT OVER THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS TO CLEAN IT UP. THE PROPERTY OWNER, HAROLD DAVIS, SAYS TOOLS HE DEPENDS ON FOR WORK, WERE TAKEN DURING THE CLEANUP. A HEARING TO APPEAL THE REASONABLENESS OF THE CLEANUP COSTS IS SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER THIRD.
THE IBERIA PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE HAS MADE SEVERAL ARRESTS IN CONNECTION TO A VEHICLE THEFT RING. AN INVESTIGATION INTO NUMEROUS VEHICLE BURGLARIES AND AUTO THEFTS LED TO THE EXECUTION OF A SEARCH WARRANT IN THE FOUR HUNDRED BLOCK OF C-L SMITH ROAD. FIVE PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED INCLUDING TWO JUVENILES. ONE OF THOSE ARRESTED, EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD JASE DAVID OWENS, WHO FACES THEFT AND SIMPLE BURGLARY CHARGES, WAS ARRESTED IN JANUARY ON SIMILAR CHARGES.
LOUISIANA LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR BILLY NUNGESSER HAS RENEWED CALLS FOR A TEN CENT SEAFOOD INSPECTION FEE TO STRENGTHEN THE NATION’S FOOD SUPPLY. NUNGESSER SENT A LETTER REQUESTING THE FEE TO PRESIDENT TRUMP AND THE LOUISIANA CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION. HE SAYS IT’S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE DANGEROUS PRODUCTS CAUSE SERIOUS HARM TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. WALMART RECENTLY RECALLED FROZEN SHRIMP SOLD IN THIRTEEN STATES BECAUSE OF CONCERNS ABOUT POTENTIAL RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION.
A FORMER RESTAURANT OWNER IN SULPHUR WAS FOUND GUILTY BY A CALCASIEU PARISH JURY OF THREE COUNTS OF AGGRAVATED RAPE AND FOUR COUNTS OF MOLESTATION. THE CRIMES OF SIXTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD CHOY VAN LEO WERE REPORTED IN THE YEAR TWO THOUSAND, AND AN ARREST WARRANT WAS ISSUED, BUT VAN LEO LEFT THE AREA. HE REMAINED ON THE RUN UNTIL LAST YEAR WHEN HE WAS ARRESTED IN SPIRIT LAKE, IOWA, WHERE HE OPERATED A RESTAURANT. WHEN HE LIVED IN SULPHUR, VAN LEO OWNED LEO’S ASIAN AMERICAN RESTAURANT ON RUTH STREET.
PLANS ARE IN THE WORKS FOR A NEW AMPHITHEATRE AT HEYMANN PARK IN LAFAYETTE. THE MODERN OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE SPACE WOULD REPLACE ONE OF THE BASEBALL FIELDS. THERE ARE ALSO PLANS FOR A VENDOR PAVILION, A NEW PUBLIC PARKING LOT, RESTROOMS AND MORE. IF STATE FUNDING COMES THROUGH, CONSTRUCTION COULD BEGIN THIS YEAR AND BE COMPLETED TOWARDS THE END OF NEXT YEAR.
THE LOUISIANA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION HAS APPROVED A RATE INCREASE FOR MAGNOLIA WATER. THEY WILL BE ALLOWED TO RAISE THEIR WATE RATE BY SEVEN PERCENT AND SEWER RATES WILL INCREASE BY FIVE PERCENT. THE RATE INCREASE GOES INTO EFFECT ON SEPTEMBER FIRST. MAGNOLIA WATER IS OWNED BY A HOLDING COMPANY IN MISSOURI THAT SERVES CUSTOMERS IN ACADIA, IBERIA, JEFF DAVIS, LAFAYETTE, SAINT LANDRY, SAINT MARTIN, SAINT MARY, VERMILLION AND TWENTY-SIX OTHER PARISHES.
NEXT WEEK IS LOUISIANA’S VOTER REGISTRATION WEEK. IT’S AN INITIATIVE TO GET LOUISIANA CITIZENS TO REGISTER BEFORE THE OCTOBER ELEVENTH ELECTION. THE DEADLINE TO REGISTER IS SEPTEMBER TENTH BUT THOSE WHO USE THE GEAUX VOTE PORTAL HAVE UNTIL SEPTEMBER TWENTIETH. TO FIND OUT MORE, GO TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE’S WEBSITE AT S-O-S-DOT-L-A-DOT-GOV.
THIS WEEKEND, CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF ACADIANA IS INVITING YOU TO ATTEND A FREE HALF DAY DISASTER RESPONSE TRAINING EVENT IN VERMILLION PARISH. LAYNE MILLER HAS THE DETAILS.
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