10-11-21
OUSTED LAFAYETTE POLICE CHIEF THOMAS GLOVER SAYS HE WAS NOT EXPECTING TO GET FIRED BECAUSE HE WAS DOING WHAT HE WAS ASKED TO DO WHEN HE TOOK THE JOB, INSTITUTING REFORMS. GLOVER SAYS MANY OFFICERS WERE SHOCKED WHEN HE FIRED A FELLOW OFFICER FOR PUNCHING SOMEONE IN HANDCUFFS AND, HE BELIEVES, THAT’S WHEN THE POLICE UNION BECAME FIXATED ON REMOVING HIM FROM OFFICE. UNION ATTORNEY ALLISON PREJEAN CALLS GLOVER’S ALLEGATION UNEQUIVOCALLY FALSE, SAYING THE POLICE UNION DOES NOT CONTROL THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OR THE MAYOR PRESIDENT. GLOVER SAYS HE RECEIVED PUSH BACK FROM ABOUT TWENTY OFFICERS ON THE REFORMS HE WAS IMPLEMENTING.
A NINETEEN-YEAR-OLD MAN IS BEING REGARDED AS A HERO AFTER RESIDENTS OF THE CYPRESS GARDENS APARTMENT COMPLEX IN SAINT MARTINVILLE MADE IT OUT SAFELY DURING A FIRE. A MOTHER AND HER TWO CHILDREN AS WELL AS TWO OTHER RESIDENTS WERE DISPLACED BECAUSE OF THE FIRE. SEVERAL RESIDENTS TOLD KLFY TV THAT THEY DIDN’T KNOW THERE WAS A FIRE UNTIL THE NINTEEEN-YEAR-OLD CAME BANGING ON THEIR DOOR, AND THEY NOTED THE SMOKE ALARMS DIDN’T WORK. THE NINTEEN-YEAR-OLD, WHO WISHED TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS, SAYS HE WAS GETTING READY FOR WORK AT AROUND FIVE A-M WHEN HE HEARD HIS GRANDMOTHER SCREAMING FOR HELP, AND THAT’S WHEN HE NOTICED THE SMOKE IN THE APARTMENT.
A DERIDDER WOMAN WAS KILLED IN A SINGLE VEHICLE CRASH ON HIGHWAY ONE-SEVENTY-ONE AT AROUND THREE-FORTY-FIVE SUNDAY MORNING. THE DRIVER OF A VEHICLE DROVE OFF THE ROAD INTO THE MEDIAN, BACK ONTO THE HIGHWAY AND THEN BACK INTO THE MEDIAN, WHERE THE VEHICLE OVERTURNED. TWENTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD CHANIYA PIPER, WHO WAS A PASSENGER IN THE VEHICLE,WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE, DESPITE WEARING HER SEATBELT. THE DRIVER WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL WITH MODERATE INJURIES WHILE TWO OTHER PASSENGERS SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THE CRASH IS UNDER INVESTIGATION.
Louisiana’s problem of wasted COVID-19 vaccine shots continues to balloon. The latest data provided to The Associated Press by the Louisiana Department of Health shows about 224,000 doses have been thrown out across the state as health providers can’t find enough residents willing to roll up their sleeves. The number of trashed doses has nearly tripled since the end of July, even as Louisiana grappled with a fourth, deadly surge of the coronavirus pandemic during that time that led to increased interest in the vaccines. More than 2.1 million people in Louisiana are fully vaccinated.
THE ADMINISTRATOR AT OPELOUSAS GENERAL SAYS THE BATTLE WITH COVID-NINETEEN IS TRENDING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AFTER A SURGE OF PATIENTS IN JULY. TIM MARKS SAYS THEY HAD UP TO FORTY-FIVE COVID PATIENTS BUT IT BEGAN TO TREND DOWNWARD IN SEPTEMBER. HE SAYS THEY HAVE ONLY ONE COVID PATIENT CURRENTLY. MARKS TELLS KLFY TV THEY ARE STILL CAUTIOUS WITH TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT OF E-R VISITS COVID-RELATED.
A MAN WAS SHOT AND KILLED FRIDAY AFTERNOON AT A CAR WASH LOCATED AT THE CORNER OF ERASTE LANDRY AND CAJUNDOME BOULEVARD. WITNESSES TELL KLFY-TV THAT MULTIPLE GUSHOTS WERE HEARD AT AROUND TWO P-M AND ONE MAN SAYS HE SAW SOMEONE FACE DOWN IN ONE OF THE CARWASH STALLS. THE IDENTITY OF THE VICTIM HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED AND POLICE ARE INTERVIEWING RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES IN THE AREA AND LOOKING AT SURVEILLANCE VIDEO IN ORDER TO FIND A SUSPECT. ANYONE WHO HAS INFORMATION IS ASKED TO CALL LAFAYETTE CRIME STOPPERS AT TWO-THREE-TWO-TIPS.
A CROWLEY MAN WAS KILLED FRIDAY NIGHT WHILE RIDING HIS BIKE ON HIGHWAY NINETY ABOUT A MILE EAST OF ESTHERWOOD. IT WAS AT AROUND SEVEN-FORTY-FIVE FRIDAY NIGHT WHEN FORTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD DEXTER LEE LEJEUNE WAS STRUCK FROM BEHIND BY A PICKUP TRUCK AND WAS EJECTED FROM HIS BICYCLE. LEJEUNE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL WHERE HE DIED. LEJEUNE WAS WEARING DARK COLORED CLOTHING AND HAD NO LIGHTS OR REFLECTIVE MATERIALS ON HIS BICYCLE.
Louisiana’s statewide book festival will be held virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic. Programs are planned each weekend from Oct. 30 through Nov. 14. This year marks the 17th annual free event to celebrate readers and writers. The festival draws tens of thousands of people and usually takes place in and around the Louisiana State Capitol, but its 40 programs and more than 80 authors and presenters are moving online this year.
