8-9-17
LAFAYETTE POLICE ARE STILL SEARCHING FOR A LAFAYETTE BUSINESSMAN, WHO IS WANTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE SUNDAY KIDNAPPING OF HIS ESTRANGED WIFE BY TWO MEN, WHOSE BODIES WERE LATER FOUND IN THE INTRACOASTAL CANAL. THE TWO MEN, WHO HAVE NOT YET BEEN IDENTIFIED, BARGED INTO A HOME, BELONGING TO LAWRENCE MICHAL HANDLEY, AND KIDNAPPED HIS WIFE. THE MEN FLED FROM POLICE INTO A SWAMP AREA AND ABANDONED THEIR VEHICLE, WITH THE WOMAN INSIDE AND UNHARMED. TWO BOYS SPOTTED THE BODIES OF THE MEN ON MONDAY IN THE INTRACOASTAL CANAL, AND THEIR CONNECTION WITH HANDLEY HAS NOT YET BEEN DETERMINED.
A CALCASIEU PARISH POLICE JUROR IS GETTING ATTENTION FOR HOW HE RESPONDED TO A CONSTITUENT IN AN EMAIL. JUROR JUDD BARES TOLD DAN RHODES, WHO USED TO BE IN THE FIREWORKS BUSINESS, TO GO BACK TO SELLING BOTTLE ROCKETS. THE REMARK WAS MADE IN FRUSTRATION BECAUSE RHODES HAS REPEATEDLY POSTED COMMENTS, PICTURES AND VIDEOS ABOUT THE DRAINAGE ISSUE IN CALCASIEU PARISH. BARES SAYS HE DOESN’T REGRET THE REMARK AND ON FACEBOOK COMPLAINED ABOUT THE NEGATIVE ENERGY OF RHODES, COMPARING IT TO BULLYING.
THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL YESTERDAY ANNOUNCED THAT A VOLUNTEER WITH A SOUP KITCHEN IN CROWLEY WAS MISDIAGNOSED AS HAVING TUBERCULOSIS. THE DIOCESE OF LAFAYETTE SAYS THE C-D-C NOW HAS DETERMINED THAT THE VOLUNTEER INSTEAD HAD A MILD CASE OF PNEUMONIA. THE ORIGINAL DIAGNOSIS OF TUBERCULOSIS LED THE C-D-C TO BEGIN TESTING ALL INDIVIDUALS WHO HAD COME INTO CONTACT WITH THAT VOLUNTEER ON MONDAY.
LOUISIANA IS SHOWING SIGNS OF COMING OUT OF AN 18 MONTH RECESSION. THE STATE HAD A ONE PERCENT ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE FIRST QUARTER AND JOB GROWTH WAS UP ONE PERCENT IN JUNE. LOUISIANA CHIEF ECONOMIST GREG ALBRECHT FIRST REPORTED A RECESSION FOR THE STATE IN MAY OF LAST YEAR WITH ACADIANA AMONG THE HARDEST HIT AREAS OF THE STATE BECAUSE OF LOW OIL PRICES. HE SAYS IT’S DEFINITELY BETTER THIS YEAR THAN LAST YEAR AND HE EXPECTS MORE POSITIVE JOB GROWTH AS THE YEAR GOES ON.
THE SUMMER BREAK IS OFFICIALLY OVER FOR LAFAYETTE PARISH STUDENTS AS THEY RETURN TO SCHOOL TODAY. JEFF HORCHAK HAS MORE.
VOICER Q :26
IT’S THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL ALSO IN ACADIA, ST. LANDRY AND ALLEN PARISHES.
IN NOVEMBER, JEFF DAVIS PARISH VOTERS WILL DETERMINE THE FATE OF SALES AND PROPERTY TAX RENEWALS. THE TWO TAXES GENERATE 6-POINT-7 MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. SUPERINTENDENT KIRK CREDEUR TELLS KPLC TV THAT HE HOPES RESIDENTS WILL LEARN ABOUT THE TAXES AND VOTE YES ON THEM, BECAUSE THEY ARE CRITICAL FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. HE SAYS WITHOUT THEM, THEY WOULD HAVE TO MAKE CRUCIAL CUTS, WHICH WOULD BE DEVASTATING FOR A SMALL SCHOOL SYSTEM LIKE THIERS.
A 24-YEAR-OLD OPELOUSAS MAN HAS BEEN ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE SHOOTING DEATH OF RODNEY SAVOY JUNIOR ONE YEAR AGO TODAY. SAVOY WAS SHOT MULTIPLE TIMES IN A MOBILE HOME IN A TRAILER PARK ON DELLA DRIVER IN NUBA, WHICH IS NEAR WASHINGTON. A WOMAN CALLED 9-1-1 ON THE NIGHT OF THE SHOOTING, TELLING THE OPERATOR THAT SHE WAS HIDING IN A CLOSET AND A MAN WAS SHOOTING A GUN INSIDE THE HOME. ON JUNE 14TH, D-N-A EVIDENCE IDENTIFIED TEVIN TEVONTE JENKINS AS A SUSPECT AND HE HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH SECOND DEGREE MURDER.
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR BILLY NUNGESSER AND HIS STAFF ARE TRAVELING ACROSS THE STATE THIS WEEK TO FIND OUT WHAT RURAL AREAS NEED TO IMPROVE TOURISM. YESTERDAY HE HELD A MEETING IN OPELOUSAS WHERE PEOPLE FROM ACROSS ACADIANA AND SOUTHWEST LOUSIANA CAME TO GIVE THEIR IDEAS. NUNGESSER SAYS THE OPPORTUNITY TO GROW RURAL TOURISM IS IN INTERNATIONAL TRAVELERS, WHO TEND TO STAY LONGER AND SPEND MORE MONEY. HE’S ASKING THOSE IN THE RURAL AREAS WHAT THEY CAN DO TO HELP THEM BE READY FOR THOSE TRAVELERS.
