The Bossier Educational Excellence Fund, or BEEF, started with just $500,000 in 1985, but as a result of gaming tax revenue, the fund has grown to over $50 million. Kevin Barnhart has the story.
Cut 1 (31) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”
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The traffic death of a Sterlington officer in 2016 has yielded a 15 year sentence for a 46-year-old Louisianan. Jeff Palermo has the story.
The man who struck and killed a Sterlington police officer, David Elahi with his car in 2016 was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor. 46-year-old Tracy Govan was found guilty of vehicular homicide and vehicular negligent injury in February. Govan’s Attorney, Louis Scott, says it’s a shocking sentence considering his client’s clean record and the fact that the crime was an accident.
Elahi was standing behind the fog line conducting a traffic stop when Govan’s vehicle crossed over the marker and struck three officers. Prosecutors say Govan was intoxicated, because two hours later he blew a .062 blood alcohol level, but Scott says thats not above the legal limit.
Elahi says it’s a gross over sentencing of his client, considering the sentences handed out for similar crimes in Judge Carl Sharp’s courtroom.
District Attorney Steve Tew praised the sentence, saying “We hope the family of the officer can now find a way to heal from this horrific tragedy.”
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The fiscal cliff is officially gone as the Revenue Estimating Conference recognized 500-million dollars in revenue that will be used to shield TOPS, public colleges and most state agencies from cuts after July 1st. Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne led the meeting, one day after the governor signed a new sales tax bill into law…
Most of the new revenue comes from the legislature’s decision to renew nearly half of an expiring one-cent sales tax. The Revenue Estimating Panel heard from the state’s legislative economist and then Dardenne called for a vote to recognize the money…
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The Pope has appointed a new Bishop to preside over the Diocese of Baton Rouge. Bishop Michael Duca will be transferred from Shreveport, where he’s been for the last ten years. He’s replacing Bishop Robert Muench, who’s held the position since 2002. Duca says he didn’t see it coming, but he’s looking forward to serving the people of Baton Rouge.
Duca, who previously served in Texas, as well as Shreveport, says he’s got a lot to learn about the culture of the southern portion of the boot.
The state, and nation, has seen a rash of recent incidents involving misconduct from Catholic priests, including a recent confession from a father in Acadiana who admitted to sexual misconduct with a minor. Duca says if something like that were to happen under his watch, he wouldn’t hide it.