8-31-18
THE CAJUNDOME SUFFERED A MAJOR LOSS WITH LAGCOE 2019 BEING MOVED TO THE ERNEST MORIAL CONVENTION CENTER IN NEW ORLEANS. THE BI-ANNUAL LOUISIANA GULF COAST OIL EXPOSITION HAS BEEN A MAINSTAY IN LAFAYETTE SINCE 1953, WHEN IT WAS FIRST HELD IN THE PARKING LOT OF THE PETROLEUM CENTER. BEN BERTHELOT OF THE LAFAYETTE CONVENTION AND VISITORS COMMISSION SAYS THE 2019 EVENT WOULD HAVE CREATED A TWO-POINT-5 MILLION DOLLAR ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR LAFAYETTE. LAGCOE BOARD CHAIRMAN GREG STUTES TELLS THE ADVOCATE THAT HOLDING THE EVENT AT A LARGER VENUE WILL ALLOW THEM TO HAVE MORE EXHIBITORS AND A LARGER ATTENDANCE BASE.
IN CALCASIEU PARISH, JESSIE JEFFERSON HAS PLEADED GUILTY TO TWO COUNTS OF DISTRIBUTION OF SYNTHETIC MARIJUANA. DISTRICT ATTORNEY JOHN DEROSIER TELLS KPLC TV THAT IT’S A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION BUT THERE’S STILL A PROBLEM. HE SAYS HE’S TALKING TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES WHO ARE DOUBLING DOWN ON TRYING TO GET SYNTHETIC MARIJUANA DEALERS OFF THE STREETS. HE SAYS THE STATE LEGISLATURE HAS MADE THEIR JOBS TOUGHER BY REDUCING THE PENALTIES WHICH FRUSTRATES THOSE WHO ARE WORKING HARD TO APPREHEND THE PEOPLE SELLING THIS “POISON.”
POLICE IN OPELOUSAS ARE INVESTIGATING A SHOOTING. GERALD GREUNIG REPORTS.
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Louisiana’s attorney general joined 15 other Republican leaders asking the U.S. Supreme Court to rule that companies can fire workers based on their gender identity. Attorney General Jeff Landry signed onto a legal brief seeking to overturn a lower court decision that determined a Michigan funeral home unlawfully fired a transgender employee. The appeals court ruled that federal anti-discrimination laws protected her and an employer’s religious beliefs cannot be used to justify her firing. NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune reports Thursday that 13 attorneys general, including Landry, and three governors disagree.
JOHN BILLIOT, WHO WAS ONE OF THREE VOTED OFF THE SMILE COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY BOARD, SAYS RACE PLAYED A FACTOR IN HIS DISMISSAL. BILLIOT IS WHITE WHILE MOST OF THE BOARD MEMBERS ARE BLACK AND SAYS BOARD SECRETARY GERI BROWN HAS MADE RACIALLY-BIASED COMMENTS TO HIM. HE SAYS HE ALSO WAS VOTED OFF BECAUSE HE DID NOT VOTE TO HIRE CRAIG MATHEWS AS C-E-O. MATHEWS DISAGREED, SAYING THE PROBLEM WAS BILLIOT AND ANOTHER BOARD MEMBER VOTED OFF, AFRICA ARCENEAUX, WHO WERE ADVERSARIAL RATHER THAN SEEKING TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS.
A LAKE CHARLES ATTORNEY, CHRIS CHESSON, HAS BEEN FOUND GUILTY OF FRAUD. THE JUDGE FOUND THAT EMPLOYEES AT CHESSON’S FIRM IMPERSONATED DEBTORS DURING CREDIT COUNSELING, LEADING TO THE FILING OF FALSE PLEADINGS. CHESSON WILL HAVE TO PAY A FIVE THOUSAND DOLLAR FINE, RETURN MONEY TO CERTAIN CLIENTS, BE SUSPENDED FROM PRACTICING IN BANKRUPTCY COURT AND THE JUDGE HAS RECOMMENDED HE BE BARRED FROM U-S DISTRICT COURT FOR A YEAR. CHESSON’S ATTORNEY JOHN GREEN TELLS KPLC TV THAT THE JUDGE DID NOT FIND THAT HE DIRECTED ANY EMPLOYEE TO TAKE THESE ACTIONS BUT THAT HE WAS RESPONSIBLE BECAUSE HE SIGNED OFF ON THEIR PAPERWORK. HE SAYS THEY’VE NOT DECIDED WHETHER TO APPEAL.
THE VILLAGE OF PARKS IS GETTING A NEW VILLAGE HALL. THE MAYOR, KEVIN KATELY, AND COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE ON SITE FOR A GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY YESTERDAY. KATELY SAYS CONSTRUCTION SHOULD BEGIN SOMETIME NEXT WEEK. HE SAYS THIS IS ONE OF SEVERAL IMPROVEMENTS THEY ARE MAKING TO THE TOWN.
TEN LOUISIANA RESIDENTS WILL BE HONORED AT THE THIS YEAR’S ANGEL AWARD CERMONY FOR THE EXTRAORDINARY GOOD THEY HAVE DONE FOR THE STATE’S CHILDREN. ONE OF THOSE HONORED IS RETIRED SCHOOL TEACHER AUDREY SPENCER OF CROWLEY. SHE USED HER OWN MONEY TO START A FREE COMMUNITY-BASED AFTER-SCHOOL TUTORING PROGRAM IN A FIVE THOUSAND SQUARE FOOT BUILDING WITH NINE CLASSROOMS AND A COMPUTER LAB. EACH OF THE ANGELS STORIES WILL BE TOLD AT A CEREMONY THAT WILL BE HELD ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 15TH AT THE HILTON BATON ROUGE CAPITOL CENTER.
