11-8-22
A LAFAYETTE BUSINESSMAN WAS ARRESTED AFTER A SEARCH WARRANT WAS EXECUTED AT HIS BUSINESS, LOCATED IN THE ONE HUNDRED BLOCK OF SOUTHPARK DRIVE. THIRTY-SEVEN-YEAR-OLD HART ELSAMARAYI (EHL SAM UH RAY EE) WAS CHARGED WITH FELONY THEFT. THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE CONDUCTED AN INVESTIGATION THAT FOUND MULTIPLE INDIVIDUALS AND INSURANCE COMPANIES PAID THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR PARTS AND REPAIRS THAT WERE NEVER COMPLETED. SPOKESPERSON VALERIE PONSETTI SAYS ADDITIONAL CHARGES ARE EXPECTED.
ALL FOUR SUSPECTS IN THE HOMOCIDE OF FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD KENTRAVION GEORGE IN OPELOUSAS ARE IN CUSTODY. ONE OF THE SUSPECTS, DAYLEN WHEELER, WAS ARRESTED OVER THE WEEKEND AFTER A JOINT INVESTIGATION BY THE EVANGELINE AND POINT COUPEE PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICES. ONCE IT WAS LEARNED HE WAS A SUSPECT IN THE MURDER OF GEORGE, HE WAS TURNED OVER TO OPELOUSAS POLICE. THE FOURTH SUSPECT, DESMENT GREEN, TURNED HIMSELF INTO INVESTIGATORS YESTERDAY.
A HOUSTON-BASED FIRM FILED MORE THAN FOURTEEN HUNDRED INSURANCE LAWSUITS AT THE LAKE CHARLES FEDERAL COURTHOUSE RELATED TO HURRICANE LAURA. THOSE CASES ARE NOW UNDER REVIEW AND THE COMPANY FACES THE POSSIBILITY OF HEFTY FINES. JUDGE JAMES D. CAIN OF THE WESTERN DISTRICT TOLD LAWYERS FROM THE FRIM OF MCLENNEY, MOSELY AND ASSOCIATES THAT THEY HAD WASTED JUDICIAL RESOURCES HAVING TO DEAL WITH THEIR MESS. CAIN ORDERED EACH CASE FILED BY THE FIRM BE REVIEWED AND A TWO HUNDRED DOLLAR FINE BE ISSUED FOR EACH LAWSUIT THAT’S FOUND INELIGIBLE TO PROCEED.
TODAY IS ELECTION DAY. SYLVIA MASTERS HAS MORE.
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THE LOUISIANA REPUBLICAN PARTY’S EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE VOTED TO ENDORSE ATTORNEY GENERAL JEFF LANDRY IN HIS BID TO BE THE STATE’S NEXT GOVERNOR. THE DECISION WAS MADE NEARLY A YEAR BEFORE THE ELECTION WHICH BOTHERED SOME PARTY ACTIVISTS. REPUBLICAN MEGADONOR EDDIE RISPONE URGED THE PARTY TO ENDORSE LANDRY BEFORE THE PRIMARY, SAYING THEY NEEDED TO COALESE AROUND ONE CANDIDATE TO AVOID INFIGHTING. TWO POTENTIAL CANDIDATES, LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR BILLY NUNGESSER AND STATE TREASURER JOHN SCHRODER, BLASTED THE DECISION.
DETECTIVES WITH THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE HAVE IDENTIFIED A BODY FOUND JUST AFTER SEVEN A-M SUNDAY MORNING ON WINDWARD STREET. THE VICTIM IS IDENTIFIED AS RAUL DE JESUS ORTIZ. DETECTIVES HAVE ARRESTED A SUSPECT. TWENTY-FOUR-YEAR-OLD JOSE NICKOLAS VENTURE HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH SECOND-DEGREE MURDER.
A TWELVE-YEAR-OLD WAS ARRESTED FOR ALLEGELY MAKING THREATS ON INSTAGRAM IN OCTOBER AGAINST CECILIA HIGH AND JUNIOR HIGH, AN EMPLOYEE WITH THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE AND A LOCAL BUSINESS. SYLVIA MASTERS REPORTS.
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IN NEW IBERIA ON SATURDAY FROM TWO TO FOUR P-M, A SOFT OPENING WILL BE HELD FOR A NEW RESEARCH CENTER ESTABLISHED BY THE IBERIA AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY. THE SOCIETY WAS FOUNDED IN TWENTY-SEVENTEEN TO INSPIRE RESEARCH INTO THE HISTORY OF BLACK PEOPLE IN IBERIA PARISH. THE RESEARCH CENTER WILL BE LOCATED ON THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE SHADOWS VISITORS CENTER ON MAIN STREET IN DOWNTOWN NEW IBERIA. PHEBE HAYES, WHO FOUNDED THE SOCIETY, SAYS THEY WILL WORK WITH SEVERAL PARTNERS, INCLUDING THE BAYOU TECHE MUSEUM AND THE U-L HISTORY DEPARTMENT, TO COLLECT AND RECORD INFORMATION.
