9-20-18
LAFAYETTE CITY PARISH COUNCILMAN KENNETH BOUDREAUX IS ACCUSING COUNCILMAN WILLIAM THERIOT OF TELLING HIM TO GO BACK WHERE HE CAME FROM IN A MEETING BACK IN AUGUST. JEFF HORCHAK HAS MORE.
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SAM HOUSTON JONES STATE PARK IN MOSS BLUFF WILL BE GETTING A FACELIFT. LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR BILLY NUNGESSER IS ASKING FOR PUBLIC INPUT ON POSSIBLE PROJECTS AT THE PARK. SO FAR A FISHING PIER AND BOARDWALK HAVE BEEN PROPOSED, AS WELL AS A NEW COVERED PAVILION AND A SPLASH PAD. TWO-POINT-4 MILLION DOLLARS HAS ALREADY BEEN ALLOCATED FOR NEW CABINS AND RESTROOMS AND RENOVATING EXISTING ONES.
A VIGIL WAS HELD FOR A TEENAGER WHO WAS KILLED IN A HIT-AND-RUN ACCIDENT IN OPELOUSAS RECENTLY. EMOTIONS WERE HIGH AT THE CEREMONY WHICH HAPPENED ON WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN DIAMONESHA GUILLORY’S 18TH BIRTHDAY. GUILLORY’S BOYFRIEND WAS ALSO INJURED IN THE INCIDENT. 40-YEAR-OLD BRANDON GUILLORY, A ST. LANDRY PARISH ATTORNEY, WAS CHARGED WITH FELONY HIT-AND-RUN DRIVING.
Gov. John Bel Edwards says a teacher pay raise is his “number one priority” in next year’s legislative session. The Democratic governor, elected with the support of teacher unions, said Wednesday he’ll seek a $1,000 across-the-board pay raise for teachers in the 2019 session. He’ll also push a $500 raise for school support employees, such as cafeteria workers and classroom aides. The price tag, if lawmakers agree, would be $114 million.
ELEVEN ALLEGED VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ABUSE BY A PRIEST HAVE FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE DIOCESE OF LAFAYETTE AND THE ST. MARTIN DE TOURS CATHOLIC CHURCH. THE ONLY PERSON WHO’S PUBLICLY RELEASED HIS NAME IS DOUG BIENVENU, WHO SAYS HE, ALONG WITH OTHER ALTAR BOYS WERE ABUSED BY THE LATE FATHER KENNETH MORVANT. BIENVENU TELLS KLFY TV THAT THERE ARE 45 KNOWN VICTIMS OF FATHER MORVANT BUT ONLY ELEVEN PARTICIPATED IN THE LAWSUIT. HE SAYS HE’D LIKE THE ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGED ABUSE IN THE DIOCESE LIKE THEY DID IN PENNSYLVANIA.
THE LAKE CHARLES CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED AN ORDINANCE RAISING THE STANDARDS FOR RUNDOWN PROPERTIES. THE ORDINANCE GIVES OWNERS OF RUNDOWN PROPERTIES TWO YEARS TO GET THEM CLEARED UP OR SELL IT. MAYOR NIC HUNTER TELLS KPLC TV THEY ARE TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO GET PROPERTY OWNERS TO BE RESPONSIBLE. HE SAYS THEY WANT TO ELIMINATE BLIGHT AND MAKE PEOPLE PROUD OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.
VERMILLION PARISH SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT JEROME PUYAU IS CONSIDERING A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE SCHOOL BOARD. PUYAU WAS PUT ON PAID ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE IN AUGUST AND BANNED FROM SCHOOL BOARD PROPERTY AFTER SOME BOARD MEMBERS BROUGHT COMPLAINTS ABOUT HIS ATTITUDE AND MANAGEMENT STYLE. ON MONDAY, THE BOARD VOTED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE COMPLAINTS AGAINST HIM. PUYAU’S LAWYER, LANE ROY, SAYS IN THE LETTER THAT THEY ARE CONSIDERING SUING FOR DAMAGES AND FILING A FEDERAL RICO SUIT FOR VIOLATION OF THE LAW BY PUBLIC OFFICIALS.
A state appeal court is reviewing a judge’s order that state regulators reconsider the issuance of a permit for construction of part of the Bayou Bridge Pipeline in south Louisiana. Judge Alvin Turner said in April that the Department of Natural Resources violated state guidelines in issuing the permit. He returned the case to the department and said DNR must require Bayou Bridge Pipeline LLC to develop emergency evacuation plans in case of a spill. A state 5th Circuit Court of Appeal panel in Gretna heard arguments Wednesday. It’s unclear when it will rule.
