4-12-23
THE BODY OF A YOUNGSVILLE MAN WAS FOUND MONDAY IN A SUGARCANE FIELD OFF OF L-A THREE-THIRTY-EIGHT IN VERMILLION PARISH. SHERIFF’S DETECTIVES HAD BEEN SEARCHING FOR MOHOMED NABIL QASEM AFTER HIS TRUCK WAS FOUND ABANDONED AT LEBLANC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. DEPUTIES FOUND THE BODY IN A DOWN DRAIN IN THE FIELD AND WAS POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED AS QASEM. AN INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING BUT FOUL PLAY IS NOT SUSPECTED.
LAST NIGHT, THE OPELOUSAS CITY COUNCIL APPROVED A NINETY CENTS PER HOUR INCREASE FOR FIREFIGHTERS. THAT’S BRINGS THE PAY UP TO TEN DOLLARS, FORTY CENTS PER HOUR. INTERIM FIRE CHIEF RICHARD JOSEPH SAYS IT’S A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION BUT ITS STILL NOT COMPETITIVE WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS IN SAINT LANDRY OR LAFAYETTE PARISHES. HE TELLS KLFY TV THEY DESPERATELY NEEDED THE INCREASE AS TWO FIREFIGHTERS RESIGNED LAST MONTH.
Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin says he will not seek reelection in October. Ardoin has overseen elections in the state for the last five years. His departure marks another major shakeup in government leadership, as there will be five vacant state office seats without an incumbent on October’s ballot — the governor, secretary of state, attorney general, treasurer and insurance commissioner. So far, two Republicans — Public Service Commissioner Mike Francis and Brandon Trosclair, a grocery store owner — have entered the race.
THE JEFF DAVIS PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE MADE AN ARREST AFTER EXECUTING A SEARCH WARRANT AT A RESIDENCE WHERE THEY FOUND NARCOTICS. PLASTIC BAGS WITH HYDROCODONE AND A PURPLE GRINDER WERE SEIZED. THIRTY-THREE-YEAR-OLD CHARLES WOODS FACES DRUG POSSESSION CHARGES AND HAD TWO OUTSTANDING WARRANTS FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF FENTANYL. TWO CHILDREN, AGED TWO AND FIVE, WERE IN THE RESIDENCE WHEN DEPUTIES EXECUTED THE WARRANT.
A MAN DESCRIBED AS AN AGENT FOR THE FIFTEENTH JUDICIAL DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE HAS PLED GUILTY TO FEDERAL CHARGES OF CONSPIRACY AND BRIBERY. DUSTY GUIDRY OF YOUNGSVILLE IS ACCUSED OF CREATING TWO COMPANIES TO ACCEPT BRIBES FROM FOUR DIFFERENT VENDORS. IN THE PLEA AGREEMENT, GUIDRY ADMITTED TO ACCEPTING MORE THAN SEVEN HUNDRED THIRTY THOUSAND DOLLARS IN BRIBES. GUIDRY HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO REMAIN FREE UNTIL HE IS SENTENCED IN JULY.
THE EUNICE CITY COUNCIL IS CONSIDERING EXTENDING A CURFEW FOR JUVENILES BY ONE HOUR. THE CURFEW PROHIBITS JUVENILES FROM BEING ON THE STREETS FROM TEN P-M TO FIVE A-M. MAYOR SCOTT FONTENOT TELLS KLFY TV THAT THE POLICE CHIEF TOLD HIM THERE’S BEEN A SLIGHT DECREASE IN CRIME SINCE THE CURFEW WAS IMPLEMENTED. FONTENOT SAYS EVERYBODY’S ON THE SAME PAGE AS FAR AS GIVING THE CHIEF ANY TOOL NECESSARY TO FIGHT CRIME.
NINETY-SEVEN PERCENT OF TEACHERS AND NINETY-EIGHT PERCENT OF SCHOOL STAFF IN LOUISIANA SAY THEY ARE NOT PAID ENOUGH TO RAISE A FAMILY, ACCORDING TO A SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE LOUISIANA FEDERATION OF TEACHERS. THIRTY-SEVEN PERCENT OF TEACHERS SAY THEY ARE WORKING AT LEAST ONE OTHER JOB. THE AVERAGE STATEWIDE TEACHER SALARY IS ABOUT THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS LESS THAN THE AVERAGE PAY OF TEACHERS IN THE SOUTH. THE LOUISIANA LEGISLATURE WILL BE ADDRESSING TEACHER SALARIES IN THE REGULAR SESSION THAT BEGAN MONDAY.
A CROWLEY MAN WAS ARRESTED ON MULTIPLE CHARGES INCLUDING SEXUAL ASSAULT. IT HAPPENED AFTER THE SUSPECT FORCED HIS WAY INTO A HOME WITH A WEAPON. ACADIA PARISH SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES EXECUTED A SEARCH WARRANT AT THE HOME OF TWENTY-NINE-YEAR-OLD RYAN WILLIAMS, WHERE THEY FOUND SEVERAL ITEMS TAKEN FROM THE HOME OF THE VICTIM. WILLIAM’S BOND WAS SET AT EIGHT HUNDRED FIFTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS.
