10-25-23
LAFAYETTE POLICE HAVE RELEASED THE IDENTITY OF THE PERSON BELIEVED TO HAVE SHOT HIS EX-GIRLFRIEND BEFORE TAKING HIS OWN LIFE. ACCORDING TO POLICE, SIXTY-THREE-YEAR-OLD JEFFERY EFAW OF LAFAYETTE BROKE INTO HIS EX-GIRLFRIEND’S RESIDENCE EARLY MONDAY MORNING WHERE HE SHOT HER BEFORE SHOOTING AND KILLING HIMSELF. THE SIXTY-YEAR-OLD VICTIM IS IN CRITICAL CONDITION. SHE HAD A TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER IN PLACE ON THE SUSPECT FROM A PRIOR DOMESTIC INCIDENT.
THE IBERIA PARISH SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS REMOVED A GRAPHIC NOVEL WITH LGBTQ PLUS THEMES FROM THE NEW IBERIA SENIOR HIGH LIBRARY TO REVIEW. THE DECISION COMES AFTER AN EMAIL WAS SENT TO THE SCHOOL’S PRINCIPAL BY THE GUARDIAN OF A STUDENT COMPLAINING ABOUT THREE BOOKS IN THE LIBRARY, ONE OF WHICH WAS THE GRAPHIC NOVEL, TITLED “FLAMER”. A DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVE SAYS IT’S THE FIRST TIME A COMPLAINT HAS BEEN FILED ABOUT A BOOK AT ONE OF THE SCHOOL LIBRARIES. THE BOOK WILL BE REVIEWED BY A COMMITTEE THAT INCLUDES DISTRICT LIBRARIANS AND THEIR FINDINGS WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE SUPERINTENDENT, WHO MAY CHOOSE TO GIVE THE REVIEW TO THE SCHOOL BOARD.
A LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE HAS REJECTED A FINANCING PLAN FOR A NEW I-TEN BRIDGE IN LAKE CHARLES BECAUSE IT RELIED HEAVILY ON TOLLS, WHICH WERE CRITICIZED BY TRUCKING COMPANIES. THE JOINT TRANSPORTATION, HIGHWAYS AND PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE VOTED EIGHT-TO-SIX TO KILL A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE STATE AND ITS CONTRACTOR, CALCASIEU BRIDGE PARTNERS, REPLACE THE BRIDGE. THE PLAN WAS DRAWN UP BY STATE OFFICIALS AND COMBINED FEDERAL AND STATE DOLLARS WITH TOLLING TO UNDERWRITE THE BRIDGE. TRANSPORTAION OFFICIALS HAVE SAID THAT REJECTING THE PLAN COULD ENDANGER FEDERAL GRANTS ALREADY SET ASIDE FOR THE PROJECT.
Republicans have chosen Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana as their latest nominee for House speaker. Johnson will face a floor vote today trying to unify the divided Republican majority. He is the fourth candidate Republicans have now nominated to replace Kevin McCarthy. Johnson had no opposition on a private tally though many were absent, and he will need almost all Republicans to win the gavel in a floor vote.
THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE NARCOTICS UNIT SEIZED A LARGE AMOUNT OF FENTANYL AND HEROIN WHILE EXECUTING A SEARCH WARRANT AT A RESIDENCE ON HANSEL DRIVE ON OCTOBER SEVENTEENTH. VALERIE PONSETTI WITH THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAYS THE SIX HUNDRED THIRTY GRAMS OF FENTANYL WAS ENOUGH TO BE FATAL TO ABOUT THREE HUNDRED EIGHTEEN THOUSAND PEOPLE. FORTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD TERRAL BLACKWELL WAS ARRESTED AND FACES MULTIPLE CHARGES INCLUDING THREE COUNTS OF POSSESSION WITH THE INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE CONTROLLED DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES. PONSETTI SAYS THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE HAS A ROBUST NARCOTICS UNIT THAT IS CONSTANTLY WORKING CASES AND DOING INVESTIGATIONS LIKE THIS ONE.
SOME OPELOUSAS RESIDENTS ARE UPSET ABOUT WATER BILLS THAT HAVE INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY. MAYOR JULIUS ALSANDOR SAYS THE HIGHER AMOUNTS ARE DUE TO A FOUR-POINT-TWO MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT TO REPLACE OLD METERS WITH NEW SMART METERS. HE SAYS CUSTOMERS WERE GETTING MINIMUM WATER BILLS BECAUSE THE OLD METERS WERE NOT READING THE WATER USAGE PROPERLY. HE SAYS CUSTOMERS ARE NOW BEING CHARGED FOR THE ACTUAL USAGE OF WATER GOING THROUGH THE METER.
ONE MAN WAS KILLED AND A WOMAN WAS CRITICALLY INJURED IN A SHOOTING AT A TRAILER OFF OF HIGHWAY TWENTY-SEVEN IN CARLYSS MONDAY AFTERNOON. CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES RESPONDING TO REPORTS OF A SHOOTING FOUND THE BODY OF THIRTY-NINE-YEAR-OLD COLE SANDIFER OF SULPHUR AND THE WOMAN WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL. DEPUTIES LEARNED THAT TWENTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD JONATHAN WAITE OF SULPHUR HAD FLED THE SCENE OF THE CRIME ON FOOT AND SET UP A PERIMETER TO CAPTURE HIM. HE IS CHARGED WITH SECOND-DEGREE MURDER AND ATTEMPTED SECOND-DEGREE MURDER.
A TOTAL OF TWENTY PARISHES HAVE OPTED OUT OF A STATEWIDE BURN BAN, WITH THREE OF THEM BEING IN ACADIANA. SYLVIA MASTERS HAS MORE.
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