12-23-20
TODAY LAFAYETTE MAYOR PRESIDENT JOSH GUILLORY ANNOUNCED THAT THOMAS GLOVER SENIOR IS HIS CHOICE AS THE NEW POLICE CHIEF. GLOVER WAS MOST RECENTLY WITH THE DALLAS POLICE DEPARTMENT AND WAS PRESIDENT OF THE BLACK POLICE ASSOCIATION OF GREATER DALLAS. GLOVER, WHO TAKES OVER AS LAFAYETTE POLICE CHIEF ON DECEMBER THIRTY-FIRST, SAYS HE IS A BELIEVER IN COMMUNITY POLICING AND TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY POLICING. GLOVER SAYS HE WANTS TO REDUCE CRIME AND TO DO THAT THEY NEED TO BUILD TRUST WITH THE COMMUNITY.
Gov. John Bel Edwards is renewing his current COVID-19 restrictions on businesses and activities, and he’s warning the holidays threaten to exacerbate Louisiana’s latest coronavirus surge. The Democratic governor’s announcement Tuesday came as Louisiana reached its highest number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients since April. Edwards’ rules were toughened in late November. They were set to expire Wednesday, but Edwards is renewing them through Jan. 13.
LOUISIANA HAD SIXTY-FOUR MORE CONFIRMED COVID-NINETEEN DEATHS. THERE WERE JUST OVER TWO THOUSAND NEW CASES IN THE STATE, ACCORDING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. THE TOTAL IS NOW NEARING TWO HUNDRED SIXTY-NINE THOUSAND. HOSPITALIZATIONS ARE UP BY TWENTY-EIGHT AND THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS ON VENTILATORS INCREASED BY FIFTEEN.
THERE WERE FOURTEEN MORE CONFIRMED COVID-NINETEEN DEATHS IN TODAY’S REPORT, WHICH PUTS THE TOTAL ABOVE NINE HUNDRED. ST. LANDRY PARISH HAD THE MOST WITH SIX, LAFAYETTE PARISH HAD FOUR, THERE WERE TWO IN ACADIA PARISH AND ONE EACH IN ST. MARY AND VERMILLION PARISHES. SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA HAD NO ADDITIONAL DEATHS. ACADIANA HAD ALMOST THREE HUNDRED NEW CASES, INCLUDING ONE HUNDRED SEVEN IN LAFAYETTE PARISH. THERE WERE NINETY-FIVE NEW CASES IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA.
A NEW PARK FOR DOWNTOWN FRANKLIN IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT YEAR. POCKET PARK WILL COST ABOUT ONE HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS AND WILL BE FUNDED THROUGH THE SALES OF BRICKS WHICH WILL HAVE FAMILY NAMES PUT ON THEM. SPECIAL PROJECTS DIRECTOR GLENN TODD TELLS KLFY TV THAT THE BRICKS ARE HIGH QUALITY AND WILL LAST HUNDREDS OF YEARS. THE PARK WILL FEATURE A WINDING BRICK WALKING PATH LEADING TO THE BAYOU TECHE, A PERFORMING ARTS STAGE AND A MEMORIAL FOUNTAIN.
AN IOWA MAN WAS ARRESTED MONDAY AFTER HE KIDNAPPED HIS GIRLFRIEND’S EIGHT MONTH OLD BABY. DETECTIVES WITH THE CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAY THIRTY-NINE-YEAR-OLD MARCEL DUGER TOLD THEM HE ENTERED A MOSS BLUFF HOME THROUGH AN UNLOCKED WINDOW TO GET TO THE BABY. HE WAS FOUND A SHORT WHILE LATER AT A HOME IN LAKE CHARLES AND THE BABY WAS RETURNED TO THE MOTHER. MARCEL, WHO IS NOT RELATED TO THE BABY, WAS ON PAROLE FOR ARMED ROBBERY, AND NOW FACES CHARGES OF HOME INVASION AND AGGRAVATED KIDNAPPING OF A CHILD.
DETECTIVES WITH THE ACADIA PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE ARE INVESTIGATING A BURGLARY OF A BUILDING OFF OF EBENEZER ROAD, SOUTHEAST OF CROWLEY, WHICH HAPPENED SOMETIME BETWEEN DECEMBER NINTH AND TWELFTH. MORE THAN TWENTY-THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH OF ITEMS WERE STOLEN INCLUDING A FOUR WHEELER, A ZERO TURN LAWNMOWER, AND A GENERATOR. THE SUSPECTS GAINED ACCESS TO THE BUILDING BY CUTTING A LOCK ON THE GATE AND PULLING THE DOOR OFF THE BUILDING WITH A VEHICLE. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION IS ASKED TO CALL SEVEN-EIGHT-NINE-TIPS.
