8-29-18
A JURY HAS FOUND A LAFAYETTE MAN NOT GUILTY OF SECOND DEGREE MURDER IN THE DEATH OF DONALD RANDAL JUNIOR IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA. SAM BROWN THE THIRD WAS ACCUSED OF KILLING RANDAL IN A LATE-NIGHT GUNFIGHT AND WAS IN JAIL FOR 14 MONTHS AWAITING HIS TRIAL. DEFENSE ATTORNEY CLAY LEJEUNE SAYS ALMOST ALL OF THE PROSECUTION’S EYEWITNESSES CHANGED THEIR STORIES AND THE VIDEO FOOTAGE FROM SECURITY CAMERAS AND POLICE CAMERAS WERE NOT CLEAN. HE SAYS INITIAL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE SUSPECT DID NOT MATCH THE APPEARANCE OF RANDAL AND HIS D-N-A WAS NOT FOUND ON THE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE.
ONE YEAR AGO, HURRICANE HARVEY FLOODED THE GREINWICH TERRACE NEIGHBORHOOD IN LAKE CHARLES. RESIDENTS THERE TELL KPLC TV THAT MANY ARE STILL WAITING FOR WORK TO BE COMPLETED. THE NEIGHBORHOOD WAS NOT IN A FLOOD ZONE SO MANY DID NOT HAVE FLOOD INSURANCE AND CALCASIEU PARISH DID NOT QUALIFY FOR FEDERAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE. THE LAKE CHARLES CHAPTER OF THE LOUISIANA CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, FUNDED THROUGH GRANTS AND DONATIONS, REPORTS IT WORKED ON 126 CASES IN THE LAKE AREA AND 55 OF THOSES CASES ARE STILL OPEN.
THE OPELOUSAS CITY COUNCIL FAILED TO PASS A BUDGET FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR AGAIN. JEFF HORCHAK HAS MORE.
VOICER R :18
Louisiana is delaying contract negotiations with the winning bidder for the state’s voting machine replacement work, while it considers a protest of the contract award. Paula Tregre, director of the Office of State Procurement, has told Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin to refrain from conducting any contract talks until the outcome of the protest is settled. One of the losing bidders for the voting machine contract, Election Systems and Software, filed the protest last week, objecting to the choice of Dominion Voting Systems for the multimillion-dollar deal. Election Systems and Software said the process used to choose Dominion to replace 10,000 early voting and Election Day machines was mishandled by Ardoin, his office and the team that evaluated the bids.
SOME U-L STUDENTS WERE SHOCKED TO SEE THAT AN ONLINE ACCOUNTING BOOK WAS PRICED AT 999 DOLLARS. THE PRICE CAUSED QUITE A STIR AMONG STUDENTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE UNIVERSITY HAS RESPONDED SAYING THEIR INTENT WAS TO GET STUDENTS TO BUY THE LESS EXPENSIVE HARD COPY BOOK SO THEY WOULDN’T HAVE TO DO SO MUCH PRINTING. A TWEET FROM THE UNIVERSITY EXPLAINED THEY HAD GOOD INTENTIONS BUT THEY ARE NOW WORKING WITH THE PUBLISHER TO LOWER THE ONLINE PRICE TO MATCH THE HARD COPY COST. SOPHOMORE MARKETING MAJOR MADDIE MEAUX, WHO PUT OUT THE ORIGINAL POST, TELLS THE DAILY ADVERTISER THAT TEXTBOOKS SHOULDN’T BE SO EXPENSIVE WHEN STUDENTS ARE ALREADY PAYING A LOT FOR TUITION.
ACADIAN AMBULANCE REPORTED RUSHING 45 PEOPLE TO THE HOSPITALS IN LAKE CHARLES OVER THE WEEKEND. AUTHORITIES SAYS THEY HAD BEEN USING SYNTHETIC MARIJUANA, THAT LOOKS LIKE THE REAL THING BUT HAVE BEEN SPRAYED WITH DIFFERENT KINDS OF CHEMICALS. CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF TONY MANCUSO SAYS USERS HAVE LITERALLY PUT POISON INTO THEIR BODIES. LAKE CHARLES POLICE, THE CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE AND LAKE CHARLES MEMORIAL SAY THEY HAVE SEEN A MAJOR INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVING BAD REACTIONS AFTER USING SYNTHETIC MARIJUANA.
THE CROWLEY POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL BE GETTING SOME SHINY NEW WHEELS. DURING A SPECIAL MEETING TUESDAY, THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THE LEASE OF 22 NEW VEHICLES FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. CHIEF JIMMY BROUSSARD SAYS HE ORIGINALLY CAME TO THE COUNCIL ASKING FOR EIGHT NEW UNITS AND INSTEAD THEY GAVE HIM A WHOLE NEW FLEET. HE TELLS KLFY TV THAT THIS IS A WIN-WIN FOR BOTH THE OFFICERS AND THE RESIDENTS OF CROWLEY.
RICE FARMERS IN ACADIANA ARE HAVING GOOD CROPS THIS YEAR. ALAN LAWSON OF A&L LAWSON FARMS IN CROWLEY TELLS THE DAILY ADVERTISER THAT THE LOWER AMOUNTS OF RAIN THIS YEAR HAS TRANSLATED TO BETTER CROPS. HOWEVER THE PRICE OF A BARREL OF RICE IS DOWN ONE DOLLAR FROM LAST YEAR. FARMERS ARE EXPECTED TO FINISH THEIR HARVEST THIS WEEK BUT SOME WILL TRY FOR A SECOND HARVEST IN MID-SEPTEMBER.
