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W e d n e s d ay, au g u s t 27, 2025
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LAFAYETTE PARISH
Ex-school official facing charges Former construction director arrested in connection with forged bids
BY ASHLEY WHITE Staff writer
STAFF PHOTOS By BRAD KEMP
ABOVE: Students at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette cross the street at the intersection of St. Mary Boulevard and Rex Street on Monday, the first day of the fall semester. The students were greeted by school staff who handed out doughnuts, coffee and water. RIGHT: Interim university President Jaimie Hebert hands out donuts to students upon their return to campus Monday.
The former Lafayette Parish school system director who oversaw construction for the district was arrested and charged with injuring public records and filing false public records. Robert Gautreaux was arrested Tuesday afternoon and booked into the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center. The 46-year-old is being held on a $20,000 bail, $10,000 for each charge. The arrest comes as the Lafayette Police Department investigates possibly forged construction bids. Gautreaux stepped down from the director of construction, maintenance and facilities position in June. Associate Superintendent Mark Rabalais took over those duties after Gautreaux stepped down. Gautreaux is currently working at the district’s career center as an agriculture teacher with a focus on welding. He was previously an assistant principal there before he took the district position. He was not arrested while on school system property, a district spokesperson said. As of Tuesday afternoon, he was still employed with the district, but because it is a personnel matter, no additional information could be released, a spokesperson said. It is unclear what happens next for Gautreaux at Lafayette schools. Schools Superintendent Francis Touchet Jr. said the arrest was upsetting.
ä See CHARGES, page 6A
Embattled Fed governor fights to keep job BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP economics writer
WASHINGTON — Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook will sue President Donald Trump’s administration to try to prevent him from firing her, her lawyer said Tuesday. “President Trump has no authority to remove Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook,” said Abbe Lowell, a longtime Washington lawyer who has represented figures from Cook both major political parties. “His attempt to fire her, based solely on a referral letter, lacks any factual or legal basis. We will be filing a lawsuit challenging this illegal action.” Trump’s unprecedented effort to fire Cook is likely to end up at the Supreme Court and
ä See FED, page 6A
WEATHER HIGH 93 LOW 74 PAGE 8A
Explosion leaves many unemployed Smitty’s blast drives employees to visit workforce officials
BY DAVID J. MITCHELL Staff writer
Jessie Hughes saw a 15-foothigh flame shooting from the top of a tank and knew he had little time to escape. The 56-year-old had stepped out at midday on Friday to switch hoses on equipment at Smitty’s Supply Inc. near STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD Roseland, only to see the fire when he returned to his work Jaden Armstrong, a member of Mt. Canaan Baptist Church, area. pressure washes the swings at the church in Roseland after Hughes, an 11-year employsoot and residue coated the area following an explosion at ee of Smitty’s, said there was Smitty’s Supply on Friday. no time to find and use a fire
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extinguisher on the 10,000-gallon motor oil mixing tank. He began evacuating an estimated 50 people from his part of the large lubricants plant. “I told everyone to get out that was in my location. I told them to get out,” he said in an interview Tuesday. Hughes, who specialized in mixing additives into the various brands of motor oil packaged at Smitty’s, survived the harrowing moments of the fire and related explosions with his co-workers. But now he is among hundreds of employees out of a job and one of at least 160 who have visited state workforce officials in Hammond for help over the past two days. Hughes, a Greensburg
ä See EXPLOSION, page 7A
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