1-8-21
A LAFAYETTE MAN IS BEHIND BARS FOR THEFTS IN TWO PARISHES, AND THERE ARE MORE THAN A FEW OF THEM ON HIS RAP SHEET. CAROLINE MARCELLO REPORTS.
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Gov. John Bel Edwards has officially called a March 20 special election for Louisiana voters to select two new members of the U.S. House, with an April 24 runoff if needed. The Democratic governor used dates already planned for municipal elections. The 2nd District seat centered in New Orleans and running up the Mississippi River to Baton Rouge is open because Democrat Cedric Richmond is leaving the job to work for President-elect Joe Biden’s administration. The 5th District seat representing a largely rural area across northeast and central Louisiana is vacant because newly-elected Republican Luke Letlow died of complications from COVID-19 before he could even be sworn into Congress.
YESTERDAY MORNING LAKE ARTHUR POLICE FOUND A BODY BEHIND A RESIDENCE OFF OF L-A FOURTEEN. THE BODY OF SIXTY-FIVE-YEAR-OLD RAVIS SMITH OF LAKE ARTHUR WAS PULLED FROM A POND, WHERE HE APPARENTLY DROWNED. INVESTIGATORS WITH THE JEFF DAVIS PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE FOUND NO OTHER INJURIES ON THE BODY. THEY ARE AWAITING THE RESULTS OF AN AUTOPSY.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CONFIRMED A TORNADO IN ST. MARTIN PARISH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THE TORNADO TOUCHED DOWN ON GRAND BOIS ROAD NEAR PARKS. THERE WERE REPORTS OF DAMAGE THAT SPREAD FROM PARKS TO BREAUX BRIDGE. THAT INCLUDES AN UNOCCUPIED SINGLE WIDE MOBILE HOME THAT WAS DESTROYED.
THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND THE LOUISIANA NATIONAL GUARD HAVE RELEASED THE LOCATIONS OF DRIVE THRU COVID-NINETEEN TESTING SITES IN ACADIANA FOR NEXT WEEK. ONE WILL BE AT THE LAFAYETTE PARISH HEALTH UNIT ON MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AND THE OTHER TWO SITES ARE THE ST. MARTIN PARISH HEALTH UNIT ON MONDAY AND THE IBERIA PARISH HEALTH UNIT ON TUESDAY. THEY WILL BE OPEN FROM EIGHT A-M TO THREE P-M EACH DAY. FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL TWO-SIX-TWO-FIFTY-THREE-ELEVEN.
LOUISIANA RECORDED THE MOST COVID-NINETEEN DEATHS IN ONE DAY. THERE WERE NINETY-TWO MORE CONFIRMED DEATHS ON TODAY’S REPORT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. THERE ARE TWO THOUSAND, FIVE-HUNDRED FIFTY-THREE NEW CASES, PUSHING THE TOTAL OVER THREE-HUNDRED SIX THOUSAND. HOSPITALIZATIONS IN THE STATE CONTINUE THEIR STEADY RISE WITH THIRTY-SIX MORE REPORTED TODAY. THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS ON VENTILATORS EDGED UP BY ONE.
ACADIANA HAD SEVEN MORE COVID-NINETEEN DEATHS. THREE WERE IN ST. MARTIN PARISH, TWO IN LAFAYETTE PARISH AND ONE EACH IN ACADIA, ST. LANDRY AND VERMILLION PARISHES. IBERIA PARISH’S TOTAL WAS ADJUSTED DOWN BY ONE. SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA REPORTED THREE NEW DEATHS INCLUDING TWO IN CALCASIEU PARISH AND ONE IN ALLEN PARISH. ACADIANA HAD TWO HUNDRED EIGHTY-THREE NEW CASES INCLUDING ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-TWO IN LAFAYETTE PARISH. THERE ARE NINETY-NINE MORE CASES IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA. CALCASIEU PARISH HAD THE MOST WITH FIFTY-ONE.
TWO MEN WERE SHOT WEDNESDAY NIGHT IN FRANKLIN. THE FRANKLIN POLICE DEPARTMENT RECEIVED REPORTS OF SHOTS FIRED AT AROUND NINE P-M ON WILLOW STREET, AND WHEN THEY ARRIVED THEY FOUND THREE MEN IN A CAR, WITH TWO OF THEM WOUNDED. THEIR WOUNDS WERE NOT LIFE THREATING AND THEY WERE TREATED AT A LOCAL HOSPITAL. FRANLIN POLICE CHIEF MORRIS BEVERLY ASKS ANYONE WITH INFORMATION TO COME FORWARD.
