11-3-23
A BALLOON RELEASE WAS HELD LAST NIGHT IN SAINT MARTINVILLE IN HONOR OF A LOCAL WOMAN WHO WAS STRUCK AND KILLED BY A DRUNK DRIVER WHILE TRYING TO CROSS SOUTH MAIN STREET. THE BALLOON RELEASE WAS NOT FAR FROM WHERE FORTY-NINE-YEAR-OLD TRISHA WILLIS JOHNSON WAS KILLED. THE DRIVER, TWENTY-FOUR-YEAR-OLD JADE PORRCIAUX, IS BEING HELD IN THE SAINT MARTIN PARISH JAIL ON A CHARGE OF VEHICULAR HOMOCIDE, AND HER BOND IS SET AT ONE HUNDRED FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS. JOHNSON’S LONG-TIME FRIEND, SHANTELE JONES VITTO, SAYS JOHNSON SHOULD BE REMEMBERED AS A LOVING, CARING AND VIBRANT PERSON AND SHE HOPES JUSTICE IS SERVED.
SCOTT FIRE CHIEF CHAD SONNIER IS REMINDING RESIDENTS THAT LAFAYETTE PARISH IS STILL UNDER A BURN BAN, THIS AFTER FIREFIGHTERS RESPONDED TO TWO ILLEGAL TRASH FIRES IN A TWELVE HOUR SPAN. SYLVIA MASTERS REPORTS.
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The federal government has officially postponed a sale of Gulf of Mexico oil and gas leases amid legal fights over protections for an endangered species of whale. Bidding on the leases had been set for next Wednesday. President Joe Biden’s administration announced the sale earlier this year, but it was scaled back by millions of acres as part of an agreement to protect the endangered Rice’s whale. Oil companies and the state of Louisiana objected to the reduction, setting off a still-brewing legal battle.
A HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL GAME IN LAKE CHARLES WAS STOPPED LAST NIGHT AFTER REPORTS OF A SHOOTING NOT FAR FROM COUGAR STADIUM. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FOURTH QUARTER OF THE GAME BETWEEN LAKE CHARLES COLLEGE PREP AND KINDER, THE STADIUM WAS EVACUATED AS A PRECAUTION AFTER SHOTS WERE HEARD. LAKE CHARLES POLICE CONFIRMED THEY WERE INVESTIGATING A SHOOTING IN THE SIXTEEN HUNDRED BLOCK OF SECOND STREET BUT COULD NOT CONFIRM IF ANYONE WAS INJURED OR ARRESTED. THE FOOTBALL GAME WILL RESUME AT A LATER DATE, POSSIBLY THIS SATURDAY.
TWO JUVENILES WERE ARRESTED FOR STEALING MORE THAN TWENTY FIREARMS FROM A GUN SHOP ON SUGARMILL ROAD IN NEW IBERIA. THE SHOP WAS FORCEFULLY BROKEN INTO AND POLICE DETERMINED THE WEAPONS WERE TAKEN IN JUST OVER A MINUTE. THE TWO JUVENILES WERE FOUND IN A HOME ON NORTH LANDRY DRIVE. ALL BUT THREE OF THE FIREARMS WERE RECOVERED.
OWNTOWN LAFAYETTE LEADERS AND ELECTED OFFFICIALS WERE ON HAND FOR A GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY AT PARC SAN SOUCI. THE NEARLY ONE MILLION DOLLAR PLAYGROUND PROJECT BY DOWNTOWN LAFAYETTE UNLIMITED IS FUNDED BY SUPPORTERS AND BUSINESS LEADERS. OFFICIALS ARE HOPING IT WILL DRAW MORE FAMILIES TO THE DOWNTOWN AREA. THE PLAYGROUND PROJECT, WHICH IS STILL ABOUT TWELVE THOUSAND DOLLARS SHORT OF ITS FUNDING GOAL, IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF MARCH.
STARTING TODAY, LOUISIANA VOTERS CAN CAST THEIR BALLOTS EARLY AHEAD OF ELECTION DAY. SYLVIA MASTERS HAS THE DETAILS.
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RAYNE POLICE HAVE MADE FIVE ARRESTS IN CONNECTION TO VANDALISM. THE FIVE MEN WERE BETWEEN THE AGES OF EIGHTEEN AND NINETEEN. THE VANDALISM HAPPENED LAST FRIDAY NIGHT AT THE HOPE RECOVERY CENTER ON SOUTH BRADFORD STREET. ALL FIVE WHO WERE ARRESTED WERE BOOKED INTO THE ACADIA PARISH JAIL AND WERE RELEASED THE FOLLOWING MORNING AFTER POSTING BOND.
