8-29-24
A MAN WHO STARTED A FIRE AT JEANERETTE CITY HALL WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY YESTERDAY. THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL’S OFFICE SAYS FORTY-FOUR-YEAR-OLD DESMOND EUGENE ARRIVED AT THE BUILDING AND TRIED TO GET IN THE PART WHERE THE MAYOR’S OFFICE IS LOCATED. HE WAS UNSUCCESSFUL AND THEN ALLEGEDLY STARTED THE FIRE USING A DELAYED INCENDIARY DEVICE BEFORE LEAVING THE SCENE ON HIS BIKE. AUTHORITIES SAY THERE WAS MINIMAL DAMAGE AND NO ONE WAS INJURED.
AT A COURT HEARING YESTERDAY, JUDGE STUART BOWIE RULED THAT THE OWNERS OF HIMBOLA MANOR APARTMENTS IN LAFAYETTE SHOULD BE FINED, BUT HE DID NOT SPECIFY HOW MUCH IT WOULD BE. BOWIE CALLED THE LIVING CONDITIONS AT THE COMPLEX ATROCIOUS AND THEY WARRANTED A FINE. ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-TWO OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-SIX APARTMENTS HAVE BEEN IN VIOLATION BUT THE OWNERS HAVE ONLY ADDRESSED NINE OF THE VIOLATIONS SO FAR. JUDGE BOWIE ORDERED ANOTHER HEARING ON SEPTEMBER EIGHTEENTH TO LOOK AT THE ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS.
ICE INDUSTRIES OF OHIO PLANS TO BUILD A PRODUCTION FACILITY IN THE LACASSINE INDUSTRIAL PARK, ACCORDING TO LOUISIANA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICIALS. IT WILL SUPPLY THE PLANNED FIRST SOLAR PLANT IN IBERIA PARISH AND EMPLOY SEVENTY WITH AN AVERAGE SALARY OF FIFTY-THREE THOUSAND. STATE OFFICIALS ESTIMATE THE PROJECT COULD PRODUCE OVER ONE HUNDRED INDIRECT JOBS. TO WIN THE PROJECT L-E-D OFFERED ICE INDUSTRIES A THREE HUNDRED EIGHTY THOUSAND DOLLAR FORGIVEABLE LOAN AND AN OFFER TO PARTICIPATE IN THE STATE’S INDUSTRIAL TAX EXEMPTION AND QUALITY JOBS PROGRAM.
FOR THE FOURTH YEAR IN A ROW, LOUISIANA WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE TOURNAMENT OF ROSES PARADE IN PASADENA, CALIFORNIA. THE THEME OF THIS YEAR’S FLOAT WILL BE “LOUISIANA SATURDAY NIGHT.” IT WILL FEATURE AN ALLIGATOR WITH BEADS, A CAJUN MUSIC DANCE HALL AND POTS OF BOILED SEAFOOD. LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR BILLY NUNGESSER SAYS THE STATE’S PARTICIPATION IN THE PARADE HAS REACHED BILLIONS OF VIEWERS AND GENERATED WELL OVER FORTY MILLION DOLLARS IN EARNED MEDIA COVERAGE.
SOME RESIDENTS IN IBERIA PARISH WERE IN SHOCK AFTER A BODY WAS FOUND IN THE FRONT YARD OF A NEIGHBORHOOD HOME. SYLVIA MASTERS REPORTS.
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U-L HAS REMOVED THE GUN-FREE ZONE FROM THE AREA AROUND THE LAFAYETTE SCIENCE MUSEUM IN DOWNTOWN LAFAYETTE. SCHOOL OFFICIALS SAY THE GUN-FREE ZONE SIGNS HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY ONES THAT SAY WEAPON’S FREE FACILITY. THAT MEANS NO WEAPONS ARE ALLOWED IN THE MUSEUM BUT IT DOES NOT EXTEND BEYOND THE BUILDING. THE GROUP GUN OWNERS OF AMERICA HAD THREATENED A LAWSUIT IF THE GUN FREE ZONE HAD BEEN ENFORCED.
A HORSE THAT WAS RESCUED IN ALLEN PARISH IS MAKING GOOD PROGRESS AND GAINING WEIGHT BUT STILL HAS A WAY TO GO, ACCORDING TO BRITTANY WARE OF HAYDEN’S HOOFBEAT HAVEN, AN ANIMAL RESCUE GROUP. THE HORSE, NAMED KNOX, WAS FOUND LAST WEEK TIED TO A TREE WITHOUT FOOD OR WATER IN EXCESSIVE HEAT AND THE OWNER WAS CITED FOR CRUELTY TO ANIMALS. WARE SAYS CASES LIKE THIS ARE NOT UNCOMMON. IN THE LAST THREE OR SO YEARS, SHE SAYS, THEY’VE ENCOUNTERED BETWEEN TWELVE AND THIRTEEN HORSES BEING NEGLECTED THAT THEY HAD TO SEIZE.
A NEW SCHOOL SPEED ZONE GOES INTO EFFECT NEXT WEEK IN KAPLAN. ON AUGUST TWENTIETH, THE KAPLAN BOARD OF ALDERMEN APPROVED THE SCHOOL ZONE, WHICH IS FOR KAPLAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ON WEST SIXTH STREET, BETWEEN ELEAZAR STREET AND MONTGOMERY AVENUE. POLICE CHIEF JOSHUA HARDY SAYS THERE WERE OTHER SCHOOL ZONES ON SIXTH STREET FOR OTHER SCHOOLS BUT KAPLAN ELEMENTARY DIDN’T HAVE ONE. HARDY SAYS ANYONE CAUGHT SPEEDING IN THE SCHOOL ZONE WILL BE CITED.
