1-13-20
A LAFAYETTE MAN WAS KILLED IN A CAR CRASH IN VERMILLION PARISH YESTERDAY. MEGAN KELLY REPORTS.
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THE PASTOR OF GREATER UNION BAPTIST CHURCH IN OPELOUSAS DIED UNEXPECTEDLY OF, WHAT IS BELIEVED TO BE, CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. THE REVEREND HARRY RICHARD HAD BEEN ON A HUNTING TRIP AND, WHEN HE RETURNED TO HIS HOME, HE FELL ASLEEP IN HIS CHAIR IN HIS LIVING ROOM AND NEVER AWAKENED. THE GREATER UNION BAPTIST CHURCH WAS ONE OF THREE HISTORICALLY BLACK CHURCHES THAT WERE BURNED BY AN ARSONIST LAST SPRING. RICHARD HAD SERVED AS HEAD PASTOR AT GREATER UNION BAPTIST FOR SIXTEEN YEARS, AND WAS ASSISTANT PASTOR BEFORE THAT.
Gov. John Bel Edwards will be sworn in to a second term with the same pomp and circumstance of other inaugurations, but with much more sense of urgency to wrap it all up. After the swearing-in ceremony today, Louisiana officials are hightailing it to New Orleans for the college football national championship. The game features No. 1 LSU trying to cap off an undefeated, Heisman Trophy-winning season with a victory over No. 3 Clemson. The Democratic governor, other statewide elected officials and many of Louisiana’s lawmakers are planning to attend the game at the Superdome in New Orleans, 80 miles away from the Louisiana Capitol.
ABOUT FIVE THOUSAND ENTERGY CUSTOMERS IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA WERE WITHOUT POWER SATURDAY BECAUSE OF STORMS WITH HIGH WINDS. CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER MARGARET HARRIS SAYS THE WORST OF THE DAMAGES WERE IN JENNINGS ON HIGHWAY NINETY. SOME OF THE POWER LINES IN THAT AREA ARE EXPECTED TO BE REPAIRED TODAY. AROUND TWENTY CUSTOMERS WITHOUT POWER ARE AWAITING THOSE REPAIRS.
THERE WAS SOME MINOR DAMAGE FROM SATURDAY’S STORMS IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA, INCLUDING A HOME FIRE IN DERIDDER. A TREEE LIMB STRUCK AN ELECTRICAL LINE PULLING IT FROM A HOME ON SOUTH STEWART STREET, WHICH STARTED THE FIRE. IT WAS QUICKLY CONTAINED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. ALSO AT AROUND 2:30 SATURDAY MORNING, THE CANOPY AT THE LOVE’S TRAVEL STOP IN IOWA WAS BLOWN OVER, BUT THERE WERE NO INJURIES IN THAT INCIDENT.
SATURDAY’S STORMS CAUSED DAMAGE TO THREE BUILDINGS AT THE OPEN DOOR CHURCH IN LAFAYETTE. ONE OF THE BUILDINGS HAS A LARGE HOLE IN THE ROOF. PASTOR JEFFREY WILLIAMS SAYS THERE ARE QUITE A FEW AREAS WITH EXPOSED SPACES. THE CHURCH MOVED THEIR SUNDAY SERVICE TO THE FAMILY LIFE CHURCH, AND RESCHEDULED IT FOR THE AFTERNOON.
ONE PERSON WAS KILLED IN AN A-T-V ACCIDENT IN BREAUX BRIDGE SATURDAY AFTERNOON. ACCORDING TO ASSISTANT POLICE CHIEF TERRY LATIOLAIS, 28-YEAR-OLD JERRELL BATISTE WAS DRIVING A FOUR WHEELER ON LOUISE STREET AND, WHEN HE GOT TO THE INTERSECTION AT ANDERSON STREET, HE WENT OFF THE ROAD FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON. HE HIT A CULVERT AND WAS EJECTED WHEN THE VEHICLE FLIPPED. BATISTE DIED AT THE SCENE FROM HIS INJURIES.
THE NEW MEMBERS OF THE ACADIA PARISH POLICE JURY WILL TAKE THE OATH OF OFFICE THIS AFTERNOON AT A CEREMONY SCHEDULED FOR ONE O’CLOCK. JIMMY PELLERIN OF RAYNE IS THE ONLY RETURNING MEMBER OF THE JURY. THREE MEMBERS DID NOT SEEK REELECTION AND FOUR WERE DEFEATED BY CHALLENGERS IN THE FALL. FOLLOWING THE OATH, THE NEWLY SEATED JURY WILL SELECT A PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT AND APPOINT A SECRETARY TREASURER.
