2-3-21
LAFAYETTE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER NANETTE COOK HAS WITHDRAWN HER SUPPORT FOR A LOCAL MASK ORDINANCE THAT INCLUDES LOCAL ENFORCEMENT. COOK AND GLENN LAZARD WERE PUSHING THE MASK MANDATE. COOK SAYS SHE HAS CHANGED HER MIND BECAUSE OF THE INFECTION RATE APPARENTLY RETURNING TO PRE-HOLIDAY LEVELS AND THE ONGOING VACCINE ROLLOUT, WHICH GIVES HER HOPE THAT THE WORST IS BEHIND US. LAZARD SAYS HE’S PRESSING FORWARD AND HE PLANS ON HOLDING A HEARING.
A STANDOFF WITH POLICE AT THE DOWN’S APARTMENTS ON CRESSWELL LANE IN OPELOUSAS ENDED WITH THE SUSPECT BEING TAKEN INTO CUSTODY. GERALD WASHINGTON HAD BEEN OUT ON BOND FOR A HOMOCIDE IN HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS AND HE TAMPERED WITH HIS ANKLE MONITOR. AN INVESTIGATION LED AUTHORITIES TO THE APARTMENT COMPLEX IN OPELOUSAS WHERE A STANDOFF TOOK PLACE LAST NIGHT. WASHINGTON WAS BOOKED INTO THE ST. LANDRY PARISH JAIL.
TWO PEOPLE WHO WERE ABOARD A SMALL PLANE THAT CRASHED NEAR HACKBERRY WERE KILLED. THE CAMERON PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE IDENTIFIED THE TWO AS ROCK PALERMO, A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, AND RICHARD DON CLEMENTS, WHO WAS A STUDENT. PALERMO ALSO WAS AN ATTORNEY AND WAS EMPLOYED BY THE CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE AS A PILOT. A TEAM FROM THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION AND ANOTHER TEAM FROM THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD ARE INVESTIGATING TO DETERMINE WHY THE PLANE CRASHED.
Louisiana will receive potentially thousands of extra doses of the coronavirus vaccine steered to Walmart pharmacies under a program announced by President Joe Biden’s administration. Louisiana’s health department said Tuesday that it has opted into the White House program to distribute 1 million doses directly to retail pharmacies. Louisiana will use 56 Walmart pharmacies around the state for the federal program. The pharmacy initiative starts Feb. 11.
COVID NINETEEN HOSPITALIZATIONS WENT DOWN BY FIFTY-FOUR IN TODAY’S REPORT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. THAT PUTS THE TOTAL BELOW FOURTEEN HUNDRED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN NEARLY TWO MONTHS. THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS ON VENTILATORS DECREASED BY NINE. THERE WERE FORTY-SIX MORE DEATHS STATEWIDE. LOUISIANA HAD ONE THOUSAND, TWO HUNDRED THIRTY NEW CONFIRMED CASES, PUTTING THE TOTAL PAST THREE HUNDRED FIFTY-THREE THOUSAND.
ACADIANA REPORTED FIVE MORE COVID-NINETEEN DEATHS…TWO IN ST. LANDRY PARISH AND THE REMAINING THREE IN LAFAYETTE, ST. MARTIN AND ST. MARY PARISHES. THERE WAS ONE MORE DEATH IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA WHICH WAS IN JEFF DAVIS PARISH. ACADIANA HAD ONE HUNDRED FORTY-SIX NEW CONFIRMED CASES INCLUDING SIXTY-FIVE IN LAFAYETTE PARISH. THERE WERE FIFTY-TWO NEW CASES IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA MOST OF WHICH WERE IN CALCASIEU PARISH, WITH FORTY-ONE.
THE ACADIANA LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMUNITY IS REMINDING OFFICERS THAT HELP IS AVAILABLE TO THEM AFTER A DEPUTY WITH THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE TOOK HIS LIFE IN HIS PATROL CAR OUTSIDE THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE ON MONDAY. EARLIER THAT MORNING, THE DEPUTY POSTED SEVERAL VIDEOS ON SOCIAL MEDIA ADDRESSING A NUMBER OF TOPICS INCLUDING MENTAL HEALTH FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT. LAFAYETTE CITY MARSHAL REGGIE THOMAS TELLS KATC TV THAT YEARS AGO YOU WERE CONSIDERED WEAK IF YOU WENT TO GET COUNSELING. HE SAYS MENTAL HEALTH IS BEING TALKED ABOUT MORE BUT IT’S STILL NOT ENOUGH.
THE ACADIA PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE IS TRYING TO FIND A SUSPECT WHO STOLE A UTILITY TRAILER LAST SATURDAY. THEY HAVE AN IMAGE OF THE SUSPECT WHO’S SEEN ON SURVEILLANCE VIDEO ENTERING THE PROPERTY LOCATED IN THE SIX THOUSAND BLOCK OF EGAN HIGHWAY AT AROUND ONE THIRTY A-M AND STEALING THE TRAILER USING A WHITE, OLDER MODEL G-M-C YUKON. THE TRAILER WAS LATER RECOVERED IN AN AREA SOUTH OF IOTA. IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION REGARDING THIS CRIME, YOU’RE URGED TO CALL ACADIA PARISH CRIME STOPPERS AT SEVEN-EIGHT-NINE-TIPS.
