1-18-21
LAFAYETTE POLICE ARE STILL SEARCHING FOR THE PERSON WHO FIRED A SHOT IN THE FOOD COURT OF THE ACADIANA MALL SATURDAY AFTERNOON. POLICE SPOKESPERSON CORPORAL BRIDGETTE DUGAS SAYS A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION INDICATES THAT AT LEAST ONE SHOT WAS FIRED IN THE AIR, WHICH LED PEOPLE TO RUN FROM THE MALL TOWARDS SAFETY. SHE SAYS THERE WERE NO INJURIES AT THE MALL AND, AFTER CALLING HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOMS, THEY FOUND NO ONE SHOWED UP WITH A GUNSHOT WOUND. ANYONE WHO HAS INFORMATION ON THE SHOOTING IS ASKED TO CALL LAFAYETTE CRIME STOPPERS AT TWO-THREE-TWO-TIPS.
TWO TEENAGERS SHOT AND KILLED EACH OTHER IN NEW IBERIA LAST NIGHT. CAROLINE MARCELLO REPORTS.
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The Louisiana Coastal Restoration and Protection Authority says restoration is underway at the state bird’s only breeding site in southwest Louisiana. Rabbit Island is also where hundreds of brown pelicans and other birds were released in 2010 after oil from the BP spill was washed off of them. Spill settlement money is paying for the $16.4 million project. Sediment dredged from the Calcasieu Ship Channel is being used to rebuild the island, which sits in a cove of Calcasieu Lake.
The Louisiana governor’s office says the state has identified its first case of the COVID-19 variant in a person in the New Orleans area. Officials say the variant, frequently referred to as the U.K. variant because it’s prevalent in the United Kingdom, spreads more easily than other viral strains currently in U.S. circulation. Gov. John Bel Edwards said it was just a matter of time before the new strain reached Louisiana. He urged residents to wear masks, wash their hands and “double down” on other mitigation measures that are effective in reducing the virus’ spread.
COVID-NINETEEN HOSPITALIZATIONS DROPPED BY SEVENTY-ONE IN LOUISIANA, ACCORDING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH’S REPORT YESTERDAY, WHICH COVERED A TWO DAY PERIOD. THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS ON VENTILATORS DECREASED BY FIVE. THERE WERE MORE THAN THIRTY-FIVE HUNDRED NEW CONFIRMED POSITIVE CASES IN THE STATE, MOVING THE TOTAL OVER THREE HUNDRED TWENTY-SIX THOUSAND. THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH REPORTED ONE HUNDRED ELEVEN DEATHS, WHICH COVERS A THREE DAY PERIOD.
KTHERE WERE FIFTEEN DEATHS DURING THAT TIME IN ACADIANA, INCLUDING FIVE IN LAFAYETTE PARISH. ST. LANDRY PARISH HAD THREE, THERE WERE TWO EACH IN ACADIA, EVANGELINE AND IBERIA PARISHES AND ONE IN ST. MARTIN PARISH. SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA HAD TWO MORE DEATHS. THERE WERE FOUR IN CALCASIEU PARISH AND TWO IN JEFF DAVIS PARISH, BUT BEAUREGARD PARISH HAD THEIR NUMBERS ADJUSTED DOWNWARD BY FOUR. THERE WERE SIX HUNDRED FORTY-FOUR NEW CASES IN ACADIANA AND ONE HUNDRED SIXTY-TWO IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA.
A FAMILY IN DUSON LOST EVERYTHING THEY HAD IN A HOUSE FIRE EARLY SATURDAY INCLUDING THEIR DOG. THE HOUSE WAS LOCATED IN THE TWO HUNDRED BLOCK OF AVENUE AUNORD. THE FAMILY, WHICH INCLUDED FIVE YOUNG CHILDREN, MANAGED TO ESCAPE. THEY ARE SEEKING DONATIONS OF CLOTHING AND HOUSEHOLD ITEMS AS THEY ATTEMPT TO RECOVER. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL TWO-FIVE-OH- ELEVEN-TWENTY-FOUR.
THREE PEOPLE WERE WOUNDED BY GUNSHOTS IN RAYNE SATURDAY MORNING. IT HAPPENED IN THE SIX HUNDRED BLOCK OF BELLA AVENUE JUST AFTER ONE A-M. WHEN OFFICERS ARRIVED THEY FOUND THE THREE GUNSHOT VICTIMS, WHO WERE TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE TO LAFAYETTE GENERAL HOSPITAL. ANYONE WHO HAS INFORMATION ON THE SHOOTING IS ASKED TO CALL ACADIA PARISH CRIME STOPPERS AT SEVEN-EIGHT-NINE-TIPS.
