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OPELOUSAS POLICE CHIEF GRAIG LEBLANC HAS ADMITTED HE WAS UNFAITHFUL TO HIS WIFE IN A LETTER HE WROTE AFTER A SHOOTING THAT LEFT HE AND HIS WIFE INJURED. IT HAPPENED AT THE HOME OF OFFICER SAVANNAH BUTLER, WHO WAS ARRESTED ON JANUARY FIRST IN CONNECTION TO THE SHOOTING. LEBLANC WROTE IN THE LETTER AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF HIS ROLE IN, WHAT HE CALLED, THE UNFORTUNATE SITUATION. HE APOLOGIZED TO HIS WIFE, FAMILY AND THE COMMUNITY, SAYING HE FAILED TO UPHOLD THE STANDARDS EXPECTED OF A POLICE CHIEF.
MONIQUE BLANCO BOULET MADE HISTORY YESTERDAY, AS SHE WAS SWORN IN AS THE FIRST FEMALE MAYOR-PRESIDENT OF LAFAYETTE. ALSO, NO WOMAN HAS BEEN ELECTED AS MAYOR OR PARISH PRESIDENT FOR LAFAYETTE. AT THE CEREMONY HELD AT THE CAJUNDOME CONVENTION CENTER YESTERDAY, BOULET SAID THAT “TODAY WE EMBARK ON THIS JOURNEY WITH A SENSE OF EXCITEMENT AND OPTIMISM AND A GENUINE SENSE OF HOPE FOR THE FUTURE OF LAFAYETTE PARISH.” THE ELECTED MEMBERS OF THE LAFAYETTE CITY AND PARISH COUNCILS WERE SWORN IN AS WELL.
Gov. John Bel Edwards has used his farewell speech to recount his administration’s accomplishments over the last eight years, including the state’s Medicaid expansion, climbing out of a historic budget deficit, advancing criminal justice reform, increasing teacher salaries and implementing coastal restoration plans. Edwards also reflected on historical crises while in office, including COVID-19, flooding, wildfires and hurricanes. The 57-year-old was first elected in 2015 and is leaving office after serving two terms. Edwards successor, Republican Gov.-elect Jeff Landry, will be inaugurated Monday.
EVERYTHING AT A LIBRARY BRANCH IN NORTH LAKE CHARLES IS A TOTAL LOSS AFTER IT CAUGHT FIRE SUNDAY, ACCORDING TO CALCASIEU LIBRARY DIRECTOR MARJORIE HARRISON. THE EPPS MEMORIAL LIBRARY WAS OPERATING OUT OF A TEMPORARY LOCATION ON NORTH MARTIN LUTHER KING HIGHWAY BECAUSE OF DAMAGE TO THE ORIGINAL BUILDING CAUSED BY HURRICANE LAURA. HARRISON SAYS THEY ARE WORKING NONSTOP TO FIND ANOTHER TEMPORARY LOCATION FOR THE LIBRARY BRANCH AND HOPES IT WILL BE DONE WITHIN SIXTY TO NINETY DAYS. SHE SAYS THEY ARE WAITING ON A REPORT FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AS TO THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE.
AN ARREST HAS BEEN MADE IN CONNECTION TO A DEADLY NEW YEAR’S EVE SHOOTING IN RAYNE. DANIELLE DUNCAN REPORTS.
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THE DRIVER OF A COMMERCIAL TRUCK HEAVILY DAMAGED TWO HOMES ON FIELDSPAN ROAD IN DUSON WEDNESDAY EVENING. SCOTT FIRE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS SAY THE DRIVER LEFT THE ROADWAY AND DROVE THROUGH A MOBILE HOME, WHICH WAS VACANT, AND INTO THE BEDROOM OF A SECOND HOME. THE DRIVER, WHO WAS TRAPPED, WAS REMOVED BY FIREFIGHTERS. HE HAD MINOR INJURIES AND A PERSON IN THE BEDROOM OF THE SECOND HOME WAS NOT INJURED. STATE POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING THE CRASH.
GOVERNOR-ELECT JEFF LANDRY HAS APPOINTED THREE NEW LEADERS IN HIS ADMINISTRATION. JACQUES THIBODEAUX, WHO SERVED IN THE LOUISIANA NATIONAL GUARD FOR MORE THAN THIRTY YEARS, WILL BE THE DIRECTOR OF THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS. TYLER GRAY, WHO EARNED AN M-B-A FROM L-S-U, WILL SERVE AS SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES. SUSANA SCHOWEN, WHO HAS WORKED WITH LOUISIANA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, IS THE NEW DIRECTOR OF THE LOUISIANA WORKFORCE COMMISSION.
A CROWLEY MAN WAS ARRESTED TUESDAY NIGHT AFTER AN ARGUMENT, WHERE HE ALLEGEDLY FIRED SHOTS AT FOUR PEOPLE INCLUDING A SMALL CHILD, THOUGH NO ONE WAS INJURED. POLICE ARRIVED ON THE SCENE IN THE ONE THOUSAND BLOCK OF WEST TENTH STREET AND LOCATED THE SUSPECT, FORTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD LESTER REED, WHO WAS ARRESTED AFTER A BRIEF STRUGGLE. A NINE MILLIMETER FIREARM, BELIEVED TO BE USED IN THE SHOOTING, WAS RECOVERED BY POLICE. REED WAS BOOKED INTO THE ACADIA PARISH JAIL ON SEVERAL CHARGES INCLUDING FOUR COUNTS OF ATTEMPTED SECOND-DEGREE MURDER.
