10-29-24
THE TWENTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD MAN ACCUSED OF SHOOTING AND KILLING TWENTY-FOUR-YEAR-OLD DEION DRE BENJAMIN AT SAINT MARTINVILLE HIGH SCHOOL’S HOMECOMING GAME FRIDAY IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN A SHOOTING AT BENJAMIN’S HOME IN MAY. ACCORDING TO BENJAMIN’S FATHER, WENDELL BENJAMIN, SHOTS WERE FIRED AT THE HOME WITH CHILDREN INSIDE AND HIS SON WAS SHOT MULTIPLE TIMES AND ALMOST DIED. ZACKYRIC GARDNER OF SAINT MARTINVILLE WAS ARRESTED IN TEXAS AND HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH SECOND-DEGREE MURDER. POLICE CHIEF RICKY MARTIN SAYS THEY’VE IDENTIFIED TWO OTHER SUSPECTS IN THE HOMECOMING GAME SHOOTING AND ARE PREPARING ARREST WARRANTS FOR THEM.
THE NORTHSIDE HIGH SCHOOL CAFETERIA IN LAFAYETTE WAS PACKED LAST NIGHT WITH PEOPLE WANTING TO SHARE THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT POSSIBLE SCHOOL CLOSURES. CIVIC SOLUTIONS GROUP, A STRATEGIC PLANNING GROUP, EARLIER THIS MONTH, RECOMMENDED SEVERAL SCHOOL CLOSURES TO THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD. CSG SAID THE PURPOSE OF MONDAY’S MEETING WAS TO GATHER MORE INFORMATION TO UPDATE THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS. THEY PLAN TO PRESENT THEIR FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE SCHOOL BOARD ON NOVEMBER TWENTIETH.
Louisiana legislators will meet for a special session beginning Nov. 6 to consider Republican Gov. Jeff Landry’s ambitious attempt to overhaul the state’s tax structure. That’s according to a formal proclamation Landry issued Monday. He has been talking up his ideas for tax changes for months. His proposals have included reducing the income tax and charging sales taxes for more items and services.
A SWISS COMPANY, THAT SPECIALIZES IN REMOVING CARBON DIOXIDE FROM THE AIR, ANNOUNCED PLANS TO BUILD A ONE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLAR PLANT IN CALCASIEU PARISH. OFFICIALS WITH CLIMEWORKS AND THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SAID MONDAY THE FACILITY WILL BE BUILT ON PRIVATE LAND NEAR THE PORT OF VINTON. THE PLANT WILL EMPLOY ONE HUNDRED FORTY WITH AN AVERAGE SALARY OF ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS. EIGHT HUNDRED CONSTRUCTION JOBS ARE EXPECTED TO BUILD THE PLANT AND IT IS ANTICIPATED TO LEAD TO THE CREATION OF MORE THAN THREE HUNDRED INDIRECT JOBS.
THERE WERE TWO FATAL CRASHES HOURS APART FROM EACH OTHER IN ACADIANA EARLY MONDAY MORNING. THIRTY-EIGHT-YEAR-OLD ASHLEY CAMPBELL OF TEMPLE, TEXAS WAS A PASSENGER IN A HYUNDAI SANTA CRUZ THAT REAR-ENDED A COMMERCIAL VEHICLE AT AROUND ONE A-M ON I-TEN IN LAFAYETTE PARISH. CAMPBELL WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE WHILE THE DRIVER AND A JUVENILE PASSENGER SUFFERRED MODERATE INJURIES. THE DRIVER OF THE COMMERCIAL VEHICLE CONTINUED ON DRIVING AND STATE POLICE ARE SEEKING INFORMATION ON THAT VEHICLE.
THE SECOND CRASH HAPPENED ABOUT THREE HOURS LATER ON I-FORTY-NINE IN SAINT LANDRY PARISH. FORTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD MARKIS WILLIAMS OF STERLINGTON WAS TRAVELING SOUTH WHEN HE WENT OFF THE ROADWAY INTO THE MEDIAN AND HIS GMC SIERRA OVERTURNED, ACCORDING TO STATE POLICE. WILLIAMS, WHO WASN’T WEARING A SEATBELT, WAS EJECTED FROM THE VEHICLE AND PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE. BOTH CRASHES REMAIN UNDER INVESTIGATION.
HOMESCHOOLING GREW ACROSS THE COUNTRY DURING THE LAST SCHOOL YEAR, ACCORDING TO DATA FROM JOHN HOPKINS UNIVERSITY. THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN BEING HOMESCHOOLED SPIKED DURING THE COVID PANDEMIC. IN LOUISIANA, HOWEVER, THE NUMBER OF HOMESCHOOLED CHILDREN HAS CONTINUED TO GROW. RESEARCHERS ARE NOT SURE OF THE EXACT REASON, BUT THEY SAY IT IS NOT DRIVEN BY THE PANDEMIC OR A SUDDEN DISRUPTION TO TRADITIONAL SCHOOLING.
U-S SENATOR BILL CASSIDY WILL BE IN ACADIA PARISH TODAY. GEORGE FAUST EXPLAINS WHY.
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