12-13-19
INCOMING LAFAYETTE MAYOR PRESIDENT JOSH GUILLORY HAS ASKED THE HUB CITY’S POLICE CHIEF TO RESIGN. MEGAN KELLY HAS MORE.
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THE DEFENSE FOR AN ACCUSED MURDERER WANTS THE DISCIPLINARY RECORDS OF SOME LAKE CHARLES POLICE OFFICERS TO BE UNSEALED. THOSE POLICE OFFICERS MAY BE WITNESSES IN THE TRIAL OF JOEY JULIAN, WHO IS ACCUSED OF THE MURDER OF ERNEST MILLER IN DOWNTOWN LAKE CHARLES TWO YEARS AGO. JUDGE RON WARE HAS AGREED WITH THE DEFENSE THAT THEY SHOULD BE UNSEALED, BUT WILL KEEP THEM SEALED UNTIL THE PROSECUTION HAS A CHANCE TO APPEAL TO THE THIRD CIRCUIT. JULIAN’S TRIAL IS SET FOR APRIL.
IN A SURPRISE MOVE, THE VERMILLION PARISH SCHOOL BOARD VOTED TO BEGIN THE PROCESS OF TERMINATING THE CONTRACT OF SUPERINTENDENT JEROME PUYAU. THEY NOTIFIED PUYAU THAT HIS SERVICES AS SUPERINTENDENT WOULD END ON MARCH THIRTEENTH. PUYAU AND THE BOARD HAVE BEEN IN CONSTANT CONFLICT OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS WITH INVESTIGATIONS LAUNCHED AGAINST PUYAU AND HE’S BEEN PUT ON LEAVE TWICE. PUYAU’S ATTORNEY SAYS HE WILL ADVISE HIS CLIENT TO SUE THE BOARD.
Louisiana’s income forecasting battles are continuing into Gov. John Bel Edwards’ next four-year term. The House’s Republican budget committee chairman Cameron Henry refused Thursday to boost the state’s revenue projections as sought by the Democratic Edwards administration. Henry says the state faces too much financial uncertainty. The three other members sought to increase this year’s forecast by $170 million and next year’s by $103 million, but decisions by the conference must be unanimous.
ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT, THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD VOTED FIVE-TO-THREE TO ADD TWO PORTABLE BUILDINGS TO THE SOUTHSIDE HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUS. THE TWO BUILDINGS WILL ADD FOUR NEW CLASSROOMS. THE PRICE TAG FOR THE BUILDINGS IS 735 THOUSAND DOLLARS, MOST OF WHICH WILL BE COVERED BY U-S DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FUNDS THAT WERE EARMARKED FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AT SOUTHSIDE HIGH, WHICH MUST BE USED BY 2021. THE CURRENT STUDENT ENROLLMENT AT SOUTHSIDE IS NEARLY SEVENTEEN HUNDRED AND THE SCHOOL WAS BUILT TO ACCOMMODATE FOURTEEN HUNDRED STUDENTS.
A LAKE CHARLES MAN WAS ARRESTED YESTERDAY AFTER TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH OF DRUGS WERE FOUND IN HIS HOME. A SEARCH WARRANT WAS EXECUTED AT THE HOME OF 33-YEAR-OLD LANCE WILSON ON CLOVER DRIVE BY THE CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE COMBINED ANTI-DRUG TASK FORCE. THEY FOUND SEVEN-AND-A-HALF POUNDS OF HIGH GRADE MARIJUANA, FOURTEEN PINTS OF PROMETHAZINE AND SEVERAL HYDROCODONE PILLS. THEY ALSO SEIZED TWO FIREARMS, ONE OF WHICH WAS REPORTED STOLEN BY THE SULPHUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
DISTRICT ATTORNEY BO DUHE AGREED TO DISMISS HUNDREDS OF MOTIONS FILED TO RECUSE IBERIA PARISH JUDGE LORI LANDRY FROM CASES HIS OFFICE WAS PROSECUTING. DUHE’S OFFICE HAD FILED MORE THAN THREE HUNDRED RECUSAL MOTIONS AGAINST LANDRY FOR CRIMINAL CASES IN IBERIA, ST. MARTIN AND ST. MARY PARISHES, AND A HEARING ON THE MOTIONS BEGAN THIS WEEK. DUHE AND JUDGE LANDRY BOTH RECOMMITTED TO WORKING TOGETHER AND THEN HUGGED. THE MOTIONS WERE FILED BECAUSE DUHE AND HIS ASSISTANT D-A’S CLAIMED JUDGE LANDRY WAS BIASED AND PREJUDICED AGAINST THE OFFICE AND COULD NOT BE FAIR OR IMPARTIAL.
The secrecy that shrouds competition for Louisiana’s legislative leadership jobs is drawing new criticism, as deals are being brokered behind closed doors ahead of the new term. A secret ballot process to choose the Senate president is under fire from a government watchdog organization, and a private meeting among House Republicans to discuss the House speaker’s race is provoking disputes among GOP lawmakers. The majority-Republican Legislature is exerting newfound independence from a tradition that once gave governors a heavy hand in selections of legislative leaders, and that’s changing the dynamics of the backroom negotiating.
