2-26-21
A BATON ROUGE WOMAN STOLE A CAR FROM AN OPELOUSAS DEALERSHIP YESTERDAY MORNING AND LED POLICE ON A CHASE DOWN I-FORTY-NINE TO LAFAYETTE PARISH AND BACK THAT REACHED UP TO ONE HUNDRED FORTY MILES AN HOUR. IT ENDED WITH SHOTS FIRED BY A GRAND COTEAU POLICE OFFICER, THE CAR BEING TOTALED AND THE WOMAN, REBEKAH NDUBUISI, BEING TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AND NOW FACING MULTIPLE CHARGES. ALCIDE DOMINIQUE, WHO OWNS DOMINIQUE AUTO SALES, SAYS HE HAD JUST FINISHED DETAILING THE WHITE FORD FUSION, WHICH HE HAD SOLD, WHEN A WOMAN JUMPED IN THE CAR, TOOK THE KEYS IN THE CUPHOLDER AND DROVE OFF AT TOP SPEEDS. THE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER FOR THE OPELOUSAS POLICE DEPARTMENT SAYS IT APPEARS NDUBUISI HAS SOME MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS.
A LAFAYETTE GRAND JURY HAS INDICTED AN EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD FOR HIS ALLEGED INVOLVEMENT IN A DEADLY SHOOTING LAST OCTOBER. CAROLINE MARCELLO REPORTS.
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Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards’ multibillion-dollar spending plan for next year is heading to lawmakers. The Democratic governor gave a glimpse Thursday of his recommendations for the financial year that begins July 1. He said the plan won’t include cuts and will propose small pay raises for teachers and new dollars for public colleges. The full details of the proposal will be unveiled today to the joint House and Senate budget committee by Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne.
TEACHERS AND STAFF WITH DIOCESE OF LAKE CHARLES SCHOOLS WILL BE ABLE TO GET THE COVID-NINETEEN VACCINE. OSCHNER CHRIST CLINIC, THROUGH THEIR WORKFORCE WELLNESS PROGRAM, WILL BE OFFERING THE VACCINE TO TEACHERS AND STAFF WITH THE DIOCESE SCHOOLS ALONG WITH THE CALCASIEU PARISH SCHOOL DISTRICT AND CHARTER SCHOOLS. THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE DIOCESE SCHOOLS, KIMBERLY GAZZOLO, SAYS SHE REALIZES THE VACCINE WILL NOT OFFER ONE HUNDRED PERCENT PROTECTION BUT IT DOES PROVIDE A LAYER OF SECURITY THAT WASN’T THERE BEFORE. SHE TELLS KPLC TV THAT AROUND FORTY-FIVE PERCENT ACROSS THE DIOCESE SCHOOLS WILL RECEIVE THE VACCINE IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
KATC INVESTIGATES SAYS THE INDICTMENT OF CROWLEY POLICE CHIEF JIMMY BROUSSARD WAS THE RESULT OF AN INVESTIGATION REQUESTED BY THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY LAST SEPTEMBER. THE INVESTIGATION WAS PROMPTED BY A CASE INVOLVING A CROWLEY POLICE OFFICER WHO WAS CHARGED WITH BATTERY AND MALFEASANCE IN OFFICE IN CONNECTION WITH A PERSON IN HER CUSTODY. BROUSSARD WAS INDICTED BY A GRAND JURY LAST WEDNESDAY ON SIX CHARGES THAT INCLUDED MALFEASANCE, OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE AND INJURING PUBLIC RECORDS. THE MAYOR OF CROWLEY SAID IN A PRESS CONFERENCE YESTERDAY THAT BROUSSARD WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE AS POLICE CHIEF WHILE HIS CASE WINDS THROUGH THE COURT SYSTEM.
THE LAFAYETTE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS IMPLEMENTING A POLICY THAT REQUIRES ALL TWO HUNDRED EIGHTY-SEVEN OFFICERS TO SPEND TIME EACH WEEK SERVING IN THE COMMUNITY. NO SPECIFIC AMOUNT OF TIME IS REQUIRED BUT THE OFFICERS MUST DOCUMENT THEIR SERVICE. POLICE CHIEF THOMAS GLOVER SAYS IT COULD BE ANYTHING FROM COACHING A LITTLE LEAGUE TEAM TO KNOCKING ON AN ELDERLY PERSON’S DOOR TO CHECK UP ON THEM. HE SAYS THIS NEW POLICY WILL GO A LONG WAY IN BUILDING TRUST WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MONTHS, THE NUMBER OF COVID-NINETEEN PATIENTS ON VENTILATORS HAS DROPPED BELOW ONE HUNDRED STATEWIDE, ACCORDING TO TODAY’S REPORT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. IT DROPPED BY FIVE TO NINETY-FIVE. THE NUMBER OF OVERALL HOSPITALIZATIONS IS DOWN BY TWENTY-EIGHT. THE NUMBER OF NEW CONFIRMED CASES IN LOUISIANA ROSE BY SIX HUNDRED EIGHTY-FOUR. LOUISIANA HAD TWENTY-ONE MORE DEATHS.
THERE ARE FOUR MORE COVID-NINETEEN CONFIRMED DEATHS IN ACADIANA…ONE EACH IN ACADIA, EVANGELINE, LAFAYETTE AND ST. LANDRY PARISHES. SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA HAD NO NEW REPORTED DEATHS. ACADIANA HAD SIXTY-FOUR NEW CASES, INCLUDING THIRTY IN LAFAYETTE PARISH. SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA REPORTED FORTY-EIGHT MORE, WHICH PUTS THE TOTAL FOR THE REGION ABOVE TWENTY-TWO THOUSAND FOR THE FIRST TIME.
