When the governor said at Tuesday’s Covid press briefing that state inspectors had “bent over backwards” to help businesses comply with state-mandated restrictions, he wasn’t exaggerating.
Leslie Turk
A founding editor of both The Independent and ABiz and senior editor at The Times of Acadiana in the 1990s, Leslie Turk has worked in the newspaper business in Lafayette for almost three decades. Her work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Acadiana Advocate, Baton Rouge Business Report and Gambit. Email her at [email protected]
Guillory leaves fighting Covid up to undermanned medical community and state authorities
The gist: Early signs of another surge are spurring warnings from health officials and the governor, who have renewed calls for Louisiana to take the pandemic seriously. But in Lafayette, Mayor-President Josh Guillory has stood down mitigation efforts, leaving undermanned state and health personnel to deal with the problem without local help.
7 min read
High drama in court over Pope sentencing
The gist: While disgraced former City Marshal Brian Pope was saying his good-byes to his family this morning ahead of reporting to the Lafayette Parish jail to begin serving his year-long sentence for malfeasance in office, his attorney was back in court maneuvering for more special treatment.
4 min read
A month later, Pellerin family’s statement on body cam viewing offers window into likely lawsuit
Hedging that they saw video from only one officer, the Pellerins’ attorneys said in a previously unpublished statement it nonetheless shows “crystal clear” evidence Pellerin posed no threat to officers and should not have been shot.
8 min read
Confusion won the day at Pope resentencing
The gist: There’s still zero clarity on whether suspended Lafayette city marshal/convicted felon Brian Pope will serve his time behind bars.
3 min read
Dirt turning at proposed Amazon site in Carencro
At least tens of thousands of dollars of earth work and soil stabilization is underway, evidenced by photographs taken this week.
3 min read
COVID-19 hits mayor’s office, administration won’t discuss details
The gist: A key member of Mayor-President Josh Guillory’s staff has tested positive for COVID-19, but the administration is not divulging what it has done to protect others the employee was in contact with.
7 min read
Sources: Amazon eyeing old Evangeline Downs for massive fulfillment complex
The gist: Tech giant Amazon has set its sights on the remaining portion of the old Evangeline Downs property in Carencro for an expansive fulfillment center with the potential to create hundreds of jobs for Lafayette Parish, according to sources with knowledge of the project.
5 min read
Forensic audit in hand, Guillory administration turned to FBI on LUS investigation
The gist: City-parish attorneys kicked the findings of a forensic auditor’s report into suspect transactions between LUS and LUS Fiber to the FBI, according to email correspondence with council members. Based on the same evidence in that forensic audit report, and other documents previously handed over, the district attorney declined to prosecute crimes alleged by the Guillory administration.
6 min read
No evidence of malfeasance, records destruction or other crimes by former LUS director, district attorney finds
The gist: Despite persistent efforts, the Guillory administration failed to mount a compelling ad hoc criminal case against longtime LUS and LUS Fiber Director Terry Huval, the district attorney concludes in a pair of letters to LCG’s legal department and the mayor-president obtained by The Current through a public records request. Further, District Attorney Keith Stutes insists what LCG alleged […]
7 min read
Family will see redacted video of Trayford Pellerin’s shooting, no timeline set
The gist: A legal path has been cleared for the family of Trayford Pellerin to see the body-worn camera footage documenting the 31-year-old’s fatal encounter with Lafayette police. After a lengthy parlay among lawyers representing Pellerin’s family, Lafayette Consolidated Government and the three media organizations on one hand and the officers involved in the shooting on the other, a temporary […]
4 min read
Guillory vetoes City Council ordinance to hire its own attorney
The gist: Over the objections of City-Parish Attorney Greg Logan, who called the ordinance “illegal,” the Lafayette City Council voted 3-1 last week to hire Baton Rouge attorney Lea Anne Batson to represent its interests in determining how city tax dollars are spent.
2 min read