5-27-15
AT A BUDGET MEETING LAST NIGHT, THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD AGREED TO INVESTIGATE THE POSSIBILITY OF PURCHASING 128 SCHOOL BUSES INSTEAD OF LEASING THEM. CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER BILLY GUIDRY TOLD THE BOARD THAT PURCHASING THE BUSES WOULD SAVE 22-POINT-6 MILLION DOLLARS OVER TWENTY YEARS COMPARED TO LEASING. THE BOARD ALSO UNANIMOUSLY AGREED TO RAISE EMPLOYEE HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS BY NINE PERCENT. THE BOARD DECIDED TO CUT 14 TO 15 PHYSICAL EDUCATION POSITIONS AND NINE P-E ASSISTANTS, BUT DECIDED TO ADD NINE ENGLISH-AS-A-SECOND LANGUAGE TEACHERS.
SOME PARTS OF BEAUREGARD PARISH ARE DEALING WITH FLOODING. THE SABINE RIVER AT MERRYVILLE IS AT FIVE FEET ABOVE FLOOD STAGE. THAT’S LED AUTHORITIES TO CLOSE SOME SECONDARY ROADS, SUCH AS SAND LAKE AND ROBERT CLARK ROADS. THOSE ROADS WILL REMAINS CLOSED UNTIL THE RIVER GOES BELOW 35 FEET.
THE MAYOR OF JEANERETTE HAS PLACE THE POLICE CHIEF ON LEAVE BECAUSE OF HIS ARREST LAST FRIDAY. CAPTAIN DWAYNE PREJEAN OF THE LAFAYETTE METRO NARCOTICS TASK FORCE SAYS CHIEF MARVIN GROGAN WAS WEARING A POLICE BADGE AND HANDGUN WHILE WORKING SECURITY AT THE CLUB, BUT DID NOTHING WHILE DRUG USE AND PROSTITUTION WENT ON INSIDE THE CLUB. HE TELLS THE ADVOCATE THAT, EVEN THOUGH PREJEAN WAS OUTSIDE OF HIS JURISDICTION, HE HAD A RESPONSIBILITY TO NOTIFY LAFAYETTE AUTHORITIES ABOUT THE ILLEGAL ACTIVITY. GROGAN HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH THREE COUNTS OF COMPOUNDING A FELONY AND MALFEASANCE IN OFFICE.
A BILL, THAT WOULD BAN ABORTIONS IN LOUISIANA BASED ON THE GENDER OF THE BABY, STALLED IN A SENATE COMMITTEE. THE BILL EASILY PASSED IN THE HOUSE 81-TO-2, BUT RECEIVED A TIE VOTE, 2-TO-2, IN THE SENATE JUDICIARY B COMMITTEE. THREE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE WERE ABSENT. THE BILL’S SPONSOR, REPRESENTATIVE LENAR WHITNEY OF HOUMA, SAYS SHE’S NOT SURE IF SHE’LL TRY TO GET ANOTHER HEARING.
U-L LAFAYETTE’S ALLOTMENT OF TWO HUNDRED TICKETS FOR THE REGIONAL BASEBALL TOURNAMENT IN HOUSTON HAVE BEEN SOLD. BUT, THE SCHOOL WILL BE HOSTING A FREE COMMUNITY WATCH PARTY AT M-L TIGUE MOORE FIELD. THE GAMES WILL BE SHOWN ON THE SCOREBOARD AND CONCESSIONS WILL BE AVAILABLE INCLUDING FREE POPCORN WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. THE FIRST GAME IS FRIDAY AFTERNOON AT 2:30 ,WHEN U-L FACES RICE UNIVERSITY.
The Calcasieu Parish sheriff’s office says a 37-year-old man with his 5-year-old son in his car was arrested after he was so drunk he was falling asleep while a deputy spoke with him. The sheriff’s office said in a news release issued Tuesday that Miguel Mesa II was stopped after a deputy saw his car swerving side to side and crossing the center lane. Deputies say Mesa admitted to drinking before he got into his car. They also say he was unable to perform a field sobriety test due to his impairment.
A HOUSTON MAN WAS KILLED LATE MONDAY NIGHT IN A SINGLE VEHICLE ACCIDENT ON AN I-TEN SERVICE ROAD IN ACADIA PARISH. 27-YEAR-OLD SHAMEKA SEMERE OF HOUSTON FAILED TO NEGOTIATE A CURVE ON THE ROAD NEAR THE IOTA AND ESTERWOOD EXIT, AND STRUCK A DITCH EMBANKMENT, ACCORDING TO STATE POLICE. HER PASSENGER, 53-YEAR-OLD EDWIN JOHNSON, WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE. SEMERE’S BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL WAS MORE THAN TWICE THE LEGAL LIMIT, AND SHE WAS BOOKED INTO THE ACADIA PARISH JAIL FOR VEHICULAR HOMOCIDE AND CARELESS OPERATION.
THE LOUISIANA SENATE AGREED TO BAN HOSPITALS FROM BILLING RAPE VICTIMS FOR THE MEDICAL EXAMS, EDGING THE BILL CLOSE TO FINAL PASSAGE. JULIE DARCE HAS THE DETAILS.
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