9-26-18
THE TRIAL FOR LAFAYETTE CITY MARSHAL BRIAN POPE CONTINUED ON TUESDAY. JEFF HORCHAK HAS MORE.
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LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS RAMPED UP SECURITY AT CALCASIEU PARISH SCHOOLS AFTER TWO SEPARATE THREATS WERE MADE BY JUVENILES. CHIEF DEPUTY GARY STITCH GUILLORY WITH THE CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAYS THE TWO WERE BOOKED INTO THE JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER. HE SAYS THEY WERE FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO TRACK DOWN THE PERSONS AND MAKE THE ARRESTS. IF FOUND THE GUILTY, THEY COULD GET ANYWHERE FROM PROBATION TO JAIL TIME UNTIL THEY TURN 21 AND A 15 THOUSAND DOLLAR FINE.
A FORMER SERGEANT IN THE IBERIA PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE’S K-9 UNIT WAS SENTENCED TO 30 MONTHS IN PRISON FOR ABUSING A PRETRIAL INMATE. PROSECUTORS SAY THAT DURING A SHAKEDOWN IN 2012 AT THE IBERIA PARISH JAIL, SERGEANT DAVID PREJEAN BECAME ENRAGED BY A COMMENT MADE BY AN INMATE AND ORDERED HIS DOG TO BITE HIM. THEY SAY PREJEAN THEN PUNCHED THE INMATE IN HIS UPPER BODY AND KNEED HIM IN THE SIDE. PROSECUTORS SAY HE THEN TRIED TO COVER UP THE ABUSE BY FILING A FALSE REPORT.
The Louisiana Legislature’s chief economist sought to temper suggestions that an estimated $300 million-plus state surplus is the sign of a booming economy or an indication the state will be awash in extra cash this year. Greg Albrecht told the Board of Regents, the top higher education board, Tuesday that Louisiana’s economy has seen “modest improvement.” But he doesn’t expect economists to recommend this year’s income forecast be boosted by anywhere close to a similar $300 million amount. The surplus is left over from the budget year that ended June 30, tied to better-than-expected personal income and corporate tax collections and a slight uptick from oil prices.
YOUNGSVILLE POLICE CHIEF RICKY BOUDREAUX SAYS THE DEPARTMENT PURCHASED 21 NEW IN-CAR AND BODY CAMERAS. HE SAYS THAT MEANS EVERYTHING THEY DO IS NOW RECORDED. BOUDREAUX SAYS OTHER POLICE DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE THE NEW CAMERAS HAVE SEEN A DRAMATIC DROP IN THE NUMBER OF CITIZEN COMPLAINTS. THE FUNDS FOR THE NEW CAMERAS HAVE COME FROM THE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM.
LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AROUND CALCASIEU PARISH WORKED TOGETHER TO HAVE AN OFFICER ON THE TRAIN DETAIL. THE DETAIL GIVES OUT TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS TO DRIVERS WHO IGNORE THE WARNING SIGNALS FOR ONCOMING TRAINS. THE GOAL IS TO GET DRIVERS TO TAKE WARNING SIGNALS MORE SERIOUSLY. THE OFFICER ON THE TRAIN DETAIL HAS GIVEN OUT 47 TICKETS REGARDING RAILROAD CROSSING VIOLATIONS.
A CONSTRUCTION CRANE FELL ON AN S-U-V YESTERDAY MORNING ON I-TEN NEAR HENDERSON. THE CRANE WAS BEING USED IN THE WIDENING OF THE INTERSTATE TO THREE LANES. THE DRIVER OF THE S-U-V SUFFERED MODERATE INJURIES. AS SOON AS THE DRIVER WAS SAFELY REMOVED, ANOTHER CONSTRUCTION CRANE WAS USED TO REMOVE THE COLLAPSED CRANE AND TRAFFIC, THAT HAD BACKED UP FOR MILES, CLEARED IN ABOUT 45 MINUTES.
The U.S. Interior Department says the next Gulf of Mexico oil and gas lease sale will offer about 78 million acres— about the same amount as the sale in August.
The sale will be held in March, and will be livestreamed from New Orleans. It’s the fourth such sale under an Obama administration plan for 2017 through 2024. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke wants to expand offshore drilling starting next year, but his plan may not affect Gulf lease sales.
