4-10-23
STATE POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING AN OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING THAT TOOK PLACE IN LAFAYETTE SUNDAY NIGHT. DANIELLE JOHNSON REPORTS.
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A FIRE DESTROYED A RESTAURANT AND LOUNGE IN FRANKLIN ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON. THE FIRE AT JOE’S LOUNGE IS BELIEVED TO HAVE STARTED NEAR AN ICEMAKER, ACCORDING TO MAYOR EUGENE FOULCARD. HIS FAMILY OWNS JOE’S LOUNGE, WHICH HAS BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR MORE THAN SEVENTY YEARS. FOULCARD TELLS KLFY TV THAT IT IS A HISTORIC LANDMARK FOR MANY PEOPLE IN FRANKLIN AND THEY ARE HEARTBROKEN.
IT WAS EASTER OF LAST YEAR THAT GERALD “DOC” LAFLEUR WAS SHOT AND KILLED AT JUICY’S LOUNGE IN LAKE CHARLES, AND POLICE ARE STILL TRYING TO DETERMINE WHO WAS THE SHOOTER. DEPUTY CHIEF FRANKLIN FONDEL SAYS THEY KNOW, THROUGH THEIR INVESTIGATION, THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO WITNESSED THE SHOOTING AND, HE’S HOPING, THEY WILL FIND IT IN THEIR HEARTS TO COME FORWARD. KPLC TV SAYS LAFLEUR’S MOTHER BORE WITNESS TO THE SIGHT OF HER SON AND DOZENS OF POTENTIAL WITNESSES WHO WERE STANDING AROUND. SHE SAYS SHE CAN’T BELIEVE IT’S BEEN ONE YEAR AND NOBODY HAS SAID ANYTHING.
Louisiana lawmakers return to the state Capitol today to take up the state budget and bills governing abortion, the state insurance crisis, teacher pay and curbs on LGBTQ rights. Every other year, the state Constitution requires lawmakers to focus on fiscal and budgetary matters. This year is one of them. Gov. John Bel Edwards is proposing a $45 billion budget that would use $2.2 billion of extra revenue forecast for one-time transportation projects, teacher pay raises and paying off disaster-related debt.
STATE REPRESENTATIVE WILFORD CARTER OF LAKE CHARLES HAS PROPOSED A BILL THAT WOULD FORM THE NORTH LAKE CHARLES REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. IT WOULD WORK TO CLEAN-UP DEPRESSED AREAS, REVITALIZE VACANT PROPERTIES, AND HELP MAKE THE CITY GROW. HE SAYS THE AUTHORITY WOULD HAVE THE POWER TO CONTRACT WITH ANYONE, INCLUDING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, TO ASSIST PEOPLE IN LOCATING TO NORTH LAKE CHARLES. THE AUTHORITY WOULD CONSULT WITH THE LAKE CHARLES CITY COUNCIL, BUT FINAL DECISIONS WOULD BE UP TO THE BOARD.
HEAVY RAINS CAUSED FLOODING IN CARENCRO ON FRIDAY. FIREFIGHTERS HAD TO RESCUE THREE PEOPLE STRANDED IN DEEP WATER. ALL THREE ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE THROUGH FLOOD WATERS.
A VILLE PLATTE MAN WAS SENTENCED LAST WEEK TO SIX-AND-A-HALF YEARS IN PRISON FOR POSSESSION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY. FIFTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD CHARLES DIRK LAFLEUR PLED GUILTY LAST OCTOBER TO THE CHARGE AND WAS SENTENCED BY FEDERAL JUDGE ROBERT SUMMERHAYS ON THURSDAY. A TIP TO THE LOUISIANA BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION CYBER CRIMES UNIT IN TWENTY-EIGHTEEN LED TO THE INVESTIGATION OF LAFLEUR. SUMMERHAY’S ALSO SENTENCED LAFLEUR TO THREE YEARS OF SUPERVISED RELEASE WHEN HIS PRISON SENTENCE IS COMPLETED.
JUDGE SUMMERHAYS ALSO HANDED DOWN A SENTENCE OF SIXTY-EIGHT MONTHS IN PRISON TO A YOUNGSVILLE MAN FOR ILLEGAL POSSESSION OF A FIREARM. THIRTY-NINE-YEAR-OLD NATHON ZENON JUNIOR PLED GUILTY TO THE CHARGE IN NOVEMBER. VERMILLION PARISH SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES ATTEMPTED TO SERVE ZENON WITH AN OUTSTANDING WARRANT ALMOST SIX YEARS AGO AT A YOUNGSVILLE RESIDENCE AND FOUND HIM IN POSSESSION OF DRUGS AND A FIREARM. ZENON HAD DRUG CONVICTIONS DATING BACK TO TWO THOUSAND SIX AND KNEW HE WAS PROHIBITED FROM POSSESSING A FIREARM, WHICH LED TO HIS PLEADING GUILTY.
