3-9-21
THE TOP TWENTY-EIGHT BOYS BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT IS RETURNING TO THE CAJUNDOME. IT’S THE FIRST TIME SINCE TWO THOUSAND EIGHT THAT THE TOURNAMENT WAS HELD AT THE CAJUNDOME, WHICH BROUGHT MORE THAN FIFTY THOUSAND VISITORS TO THE CITY. CITY OFFICIALS ARE HOPING THAT THIS YEAR’S TOURNAMENT WILL BRING A MUCH NEEDED BOOST TO LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE PANDEMIC. BEN BERTHOLOT OF THE LAFAYETTE CONVENTION AND VISITOR’S BUREAU SAYS THERE HAVE BEEN NO MAJOR EVENTS AT THE CAJUNDOME OVER THE LAST NINE MONTHS AND NONE ARE PLANNED FOR THE FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS AFTER THE TOURNAMENT.
AN OPELOUSAS HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH SIMPLE BATTERY ON A STUDENT. POLICE CHIEF MARTIN MCCLENDON SAYS THE TEACHER, PATRICIA BRIGNAC, CONFRONTED A STUDENT WEARING A BLACK LIVES MATTER SWEATSHIRT, SAYING IT HAD TO BE REMOVED BECAUSE IT WAS NOT ALLOWED ON CAMPUS. AFTER THE STUDENT TOLD BRIGNAC THAT A SCHOOL STAFF MEMBER HAD GIVEN PERMISSION, BRIGNAC ALLEGEDLY GRABBED THE SHIRT AND PUSHED HIM. MCCLENDON SAYS BRIGNAC WAS ISSUED A SUMMONS AND MUST APPEAR BEFORE A JUDGE.
Louisiana public school students will resume their traditional standardized tests in math, science, English and social studies in the spring. The testing restart comes a year after those exams were canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. The state hasn’t settled whether those LEAP 2025 test results will be used to assign letter grades to schools and districts and determine school performance scores. The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education will discuss the test plans Tuesday, though it’s not clear members will reach conclusions on how the results will be used.
LAKE CHARLES POLICE ARRESTED FOUR PEOPLE FROM EUNICE ON DRUG CHARGES. THE DEPARTMENT’S COMMUNITY POLICING UNIT RECEIVED INFORMATION THAT THE GROUP, WHICH HAD BEEN ALLEGEDLY INVOLVED IN A DRIVE-BY SHOOTING, WERE IN THE AREA. THEIR CAR WAS SPOTTED ON FRANKLIN STREET AND, AFTER A SHORT PURSUIT, THE FOUR WERE ARRESTED. THE HOME THEY LEFT FROM WAS SEARCHED AND POLICE FOUND DRUGS, WEAPONS AND CASH.
THE LAFAYETTE ANIMAL SHELTER AND CARE CENTER HAS REACHED NO-KILL STATUS, MEANING THEY’VE SAVED THE LIVES OF NINETY PERCENT OR MORE OF ANIMALS THAT COME TO THE SHELTER. A NO KILL SHELTER ONLY EUTHANIZES TERMINALLY ILL OR AGGRESSIVE ANIMALS THAT CANNOT BE ADOPTED. DIRECTOR SHELLY DELAHOUSSAYE SAYS STRATEGIC, INNOVATIVE METHODS WERE PUT IN PLACE TO HELP THE SHELTER ACHIEVE THIS GOAL. THEIR NEW CENTER IS NEAR COMPLETION AND IS EXPECTED TO OPEN SOMETIME NEXT MONTH.
A CHURCH POINT POLICE OFFICER HAS BEEN RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL FOLLOWING A CHASE THAT ENDED IN A CRASH SUNDAY NIGHT. CAROLINE MARCELLO HAS MORE.
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LOUISIANA RECORDED ELEVEN MORE CONFIRMED COVID-NINETEEN DEATHS IN YESTERDAY’S REPORT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. HOSPITALIZATIONS EDGED UP SLIGHTLY WITH TWO MORE. THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS ON VENTILATORS ROSE BY THREE. THERE ARE THREE HUNDRED TWENTY-NINE NEW CONFIRMED CASES IN THE STATE.
THERE WAS ONE ADDITIONAL COVID-NINETEEN CONFIRMED DEATH IN BOTH ACADIANA AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA. THEY WERE IN VERMILLION AND ALLEN PARISHES. THERE WERE TWENTY-SEVEN NEW CONFIRMED CASES IN ACADIANA, INCLUDING TEN EACH IN IBERIA AND ST. MARY PARISHES. SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA RECORDED TWENTY-FIVE NEW CASES INCLUDING TWENTY IN CALCASIEU PARISH.
