12-21-21
THE MOTHER OF THREE CHILDREN, KILLED IN A TWO VEHICLE CRASH FRIDAY NIGHT, LEARNED OF THEIR FATE YESTERDAY. FIFTY-SEVEN-YEAR-OLD DAWN SIMMONS OF JEANERETTE WAS ALSO IN THE CRASH THAT KILLED HER THREE CHILDREN, TWENTY-YEAR-OLD LINDY SIMMONS, SEVENTEEN-YEAR-OLD CHIRSTOPHER SIMMONS, AND FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD KAMRYN SIMMONS. THE FOUR WERE RETURNING FROM THE SON’S BASKETBALL GAME IN MONROE WHEN THE CRASH HAPPENED. ANOTHER SIBLING, SHEA SIMMONS, TELLS KLFY TV THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF DONATIONS TO THE FAMILY’S GO FUND ME PAGE, AND THAT HAS GIVEN SOME RELIEF KNOWING THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO DO CARE.
A LAFAYETTE MAN HAS BEEN ARRESTED AFTER HE ALLEGEDLY ATTEMPTED TO KIDNAP A FOUR-YEAR-OLD BOY, WHO WAS WITH HIS GRANDMA WHILE SHE SHOPPED AT A BUSINESS ON WESTGATE ROAD IN SCOTT. VIDEO SURVEILLANCE SHOWED A MAN, LATER IDENTIFIED AS THIRTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD MICHAEL STEVEN PLACEK, TALKING TO THE FOUR-YEAR-OLD AND, WHEN THE GRANDMOTHER’S BACK IS TURNED, PICKING UP THE CHILD AND TAKING HIM OUT OF THE BUSINESS TO A VEHICLE WAITING FOR HIM IN THE PARKING LOT. WHEN THE GRANDMOTHER REALIZED WHAT HAPPENED, SHE WENT OUTSIDE AND FOUND PLACEK, WHO RELEASED THE CHILD AND DROVE AWAY. AUTHORITIES FOUND THE VEHICLE AND PLACEK WAS ARRESTED AND BOOKED INTO THE LAFAYETTE PARISH CORRECTIONAL CENTER ON A CHARGE OF ATTEMPTED AGGRAVATED KIDNAPPING OF A CHILD.
PUJO STREET BETWEEN BILBO AND RYAN IN LAKE CHARLES WILL HAVE ROAD CLOSURES THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT, JANUARY THIRD. THAT’S BECAUSE LIGHT POLES ARE BEING REPLACED THAT WERE DAMAGED BY HURRICANE LAURA. KATIE HARRINGTON OF THE CITY OF LAKE CHARLES SAYS THEY WILL TRY TO KEEP A LANE OPEN, BUT, AT TIMES, BOTH LANES WILL BE CLOSED AND DRIVERS WILL HAVE TO DETOUR. SHE SAYS BUSINESSES ALONG THAT STRETCH AND CITY HALL WILL BE OPEN DURING CONSTRUCTION AND RESIDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO PATRONIZE THEM.
Louisiana again is starting to see growing numbers of COVID-19 cases, and an infectious disease expert says the state is entering another spike as the omicron variant of the virus spreads. Data released Monday by the Louisiana Department of Health shows the number of new cases of the coronavirus illness reached more than 4,800 over the past week. That’s more than double the amount of new cases from the prior week. The health department warned those numbers are expected to balloon as fast-spreading omicron has been confirmed in Louisiana.
FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE FOR FORMER EUNICE POLICE CHIEF GARY GOOSE FONTENOT. HE PASSED AWAY FRIDAY AT HIS HOME WITH FAMILY AT HIS SIDE. FONTENOT, WHO WAS SIXTY-NINE, SERVED AS EUNICE POLICE CHIEF FROM NINETEEN-NINETY-NINE THROUGH TWO THOUSAND TEN, THREE TERMS. THE FUNERAL SERVICE WILL TAKE PLACE TOMORROW AFTERNOON AT ONE AT THE ARDOIN FUNERAL HOME CHAPEL IN EUNICE.
THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE HAS CONFIRMED REPORTS OF A WOMAN DRESSED IN BLACK WHO WAS STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF RICELAND ROAD DURING A THICK FOG AT AROUND MIDNIGHT SATURDAY. THE WOMAN APPEARED DESPONDENT TO MANY PEOPLE WITH HER HEAD BOWED DOWN. ONE PERSON TOLD KLFY TV THAT THEY HAD TO HIT A DITCH TO AVOID HER AND THAT PERSON’S DAUGHTER, WHO WAS A PASSENGER IN THE CAR, HAS BEEN HAVING NIGHTMARES SINCE THEN. SHERIFF’S OFFICE SPOKESPERSON VALERIE PONSETTI SAYS DETECTIVES DID FIND THE WOMAN AND TOOK HER TO A HOSPITAL, BUT SHE DID NOT ELABORATE FURTHER.
APPLICANTS WHO FILED FOR PANDEMIC UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE AND WERE DENIED WILL BE RECONSIDERED FOR BENEFITS. CAROLINE MARCELLO HAS MORE.
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THE BOOK ON ANIMAL CONTROL IN IBERIA PARISH IS BEING REVISED. CAROLINE MARCELLO HAS THE DETAILS.
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