11-7-23
THREE PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN TWO SEPARATE SHOOTINGS IN SAINT LANDRY PARISH, INCLUDING A BOYFRIEND, WHO SHOT AND KILLED HIS GIRLFRIEND IN SUNSET AND THEN DROVE TO THE BASIN BRIDGE, WHERE HE TOOK HIS OWN LIFE. IN THE SECOND SHOOTING IN OPELOUSAS, A MAN AND HIS DAUGHTER’S BOYFRIEND EXCHANGED GUNFIRE. THE FATHER WAS KILLED WHILE THE BOYFRIEND WAS SHOT IN THE HEAD. HE MANAGED TO DRIVE HIMSELF TO THE HOSPITAL AND POLICE SAY HE WILL BE ARRESTED ONCE HE’S RELEASED. THE IDENTITIES OF THOSE INVOLVED IN THESE TWO SHOOTINGS HAVE NOT BEEN ANNOUNCED.
AN ORDINANCE TO PROVIDE MORE FUNDING TO EXTEND LOUISIANA AVENUE IS EXPECTED TO BE INTRODUCED AT A COUNCIL MEETING THIS WEEK IN LAFAYETTE. THE PROJECTED EIGHT-POINT-TWO MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT WOULD EXTEND LOUISIANA AVENUE FROM BUTCHER SWITCH TO GLORIA SWITCH. WARREN ABADIE, THE DIRECTOR OF TRAFFIC, ROADS AND BRIDGES, SAYS DRAINAGE WORK WILL NEED TO BE DONE FIRST, WHICH SHOULD TAKE AROUND SIX MONTHS. A NOTICE TO PROCEED WITH CONSTRUCTION IS NOT EXPECTED UNTIL MID-JANUARY.
GOVERNOR JOHN BEL EDWARDS ANNOUNCED AN AGREEMENT THAT WILL HELP THE STATE IN THE EFFORT TO GET A PRESTIGIOUS NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE DESIGNATION. UNDER THE TERMS OF THE DEAL, L-S-U HEALTH NEW ORLEANS WILL TAKE THE LEAD IN APPLYING FOR THE DESIGNATION AND WILL WORK WITH L-C-M-C HEALTH, TULANE UNIVERSITY AND THE LOUISIANA CANCER RESEARCH CENTER. THE DESIGNATION, WHICH IS AWARDED BY THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH, TYPICALLY BRINGS WITH IT RESEARCH DOLLARS, BIOMEDICAL JOBS AND PATIENTS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY SEEKING TOP-QUALITY CANCER CARE. STATE LEADERS HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET THE DESIGNATION FOR MORE THAN TWO DECADES AND COMMISSIONER OF ADMINISTRATION JAY DARDENNE SAYS THAT TODAY THEY ARE AS CLOSE AS THEY’VE EVER BEEN.
A WOMAN WAS WOUNDED IN A SHOOTING THAT HAPPENED AT AROUND THREE-THIRTY SUNDAY MORNING IN LAKE CHARLES. OFF-DUTY SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES, WHO WERE WORKING AT A BAR ON COMMON STREET, HEARD THE SHOTS ACROSS THE STREET, BUT WHEN THEY ARRIVED ON THE SCENE, THEY LEARNED THE WOMAN HAD ALREADY BEEN TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. DETECTIVES WITH THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE, WHO WERE INVESTIGATING THE CASE, WENT TO A HOME ON NORTH PRATER STREET, WHERE THEY FOUND THE GUN BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN USED IN THE SHOOTING. NO ARRESTS HAVE BEEN MADE AT THIS TIME, AND THE CONDITION OF THE WOMAN IS UNKNOWN.
IBERIA MEDICAL CENTER’S NORTH CAMPUS IN NEW IBERIA UNVEILED NEW TECHNOLOGY, A PET-C-T SCANNER WITH ADVANCED IMAGING CAPABILITIES. THE DEVICE WILL HELP WITH DIAGNOSING AND TREATING CANCER. BRENNAN LEBLANC, THE DIRECTOR OF CANCER SERVICES, SAYS THEY ARE VERY EXCITED TO PROVIDE THIS DEVICE TO THE COMMUNITY, WHICH GIVES LOCALS ACCESS TO CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY. HE SAYS THE SCANNER CAN ALSO HELP WITH CARDIAC AND BRAIN IMAGING.
NEARLY FOUR THOUSAND PEOPLE CAST BALLOTS IN THE FIRST TWO DAYS OF EARLY VOTING IN LAFAYTTE PARISH. THAT COMPARES TO JUST OVER THIRTY-THREE HUNDRED IN THE FIRST TWO DAYS OF EARLY VOTING IN THE PRIMARY LAST MONTH. THERE ARE A FEW STATEWIDE RUNOFFS ON THE BALLOT AS WELL AS A HEATED RACE FOR LAFAYETTE MAYOR PRESIDENT BETWEEN INCUMBENT JOSH GUILLORY AND MONIQUE BLANCO BOULET. THE LAST DAY OF EARLY VOTING IS SATURDAY AND NO VOTING WILL TAKE PLACE ON FRIDAY BECAUSE OF VETERAN’S DAY.
THE FORMER SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND DEVELOPMENT KAM MOVASSAGHI DIED THURSDAY AT THE AGE OF EIGHTY-THREE. FORMER GOVERNOR MIKE FOSTER NAMED MOVASSAGHI TO THE POSITION IN NINETEEN-NINETY-EIGHT AND HE SERVED UNTIL TWO THOUSAND FOUR. MOVASSAGHI WAS ALSO A FORMER CHAIR OF THE LAFAYETTE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. MOVASSAGHI’S HOME COUNTRY WAS IRAN, BUT HE FLED IN NINETEEN SEVENTY-EIGHT DURING THE REVOLUTION THAT BROUGHT THE AYATOLLAH KHOMEINI TO POWER.
THE NEW HOME FOR THE NONPROFIT CASA OF SAINT LANDRY AND EVANGELINE IS NEARING COMPLETION. CASA WAS FORCED TO LEAVE THEIR OLD OFFICE IN OPELOUSAS WHEN THE LANDLORD SOLD THE BUILDING. GOAL DIRECTOR MADELYN ROSETTE SAYS THE AGENCY THAT ADVOCATES FOR CHILDREN WAS HELPED BY BUSINESSES AND CHURCHES IN THEIR EFFORTS TO RELOCATE INCLUDING USING TEMPORARY OFFICES AT EPIPHANY EPISCOPAL CHURCH. ROSETTE SAYS THERE ARE JUST A FEW DETAILS THAT REMAIN AND THEY’LL BE ABLE TO MOVE IN SOON TO THEIR NEW LOCATION ON BELLEVUE STREET.
