4-19-24
BOND HAS BEEN SET AT ONE-POINT-THREE MILLION DOLLARS FOR A MAN WHO WAS ARRESTED BY JENNINGS POLICE AFTER A FOURTEEN HOUR MANHUNT EARLIER THIS WEEK. THIRTY-SEVEN-YEAR-OLD DILLON CHAMPAGNE WAS ALLEGEDLY THE MAN SEEN WITH A FIREARM ON THE CAMPUS OF JENNINGS HIGH SCHOOL EARLY MONDAY MORNING, WHICH PROMPTED THE SCHOOL’S CLOSURE FOR THE DAY. POLICE CHIEF DANNY SEMMES SAYS PRIOR TO COMING ON CAMPUS, CHAMPAGNE STOLE A CRAWFISH TRUCK, ABANDONED IT AT A LOCAL GAS STATION, AND THEN STOLE A BMW OFF OF A TRANSPORT TRUCK. CHAMPAGNE FACES EIGHTEEN FELONY CHARGES AND IS STILL IN THE JEFF DAVIS PARISH JAIL.
A LAFAYETTE PARISH SHERIFF’S DEPUTY AND SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER, WHO WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL WEDNESDAY WITH A SELF-INFLICTED GUNSHOT WOUND, DIED YESTERDAY. THE SHOOTING HAPPENED IN DOWNTOWN LAFAYETTE NEAR FIRST BAPTIST CHRISTIAN SCHOOL. THE NAME OF THE DEPUTY HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED. THIS IS THE SECOND LAFAYETTE PARISH SHERIFF’S DEPUTY TO COMMIT SUICIDE IN THE PAST THREE YEARS.
FIVE NEW IBERIA POLICE OFFICERS WERE GIVEN LIFESAVING AWARDS FOR RESCUING A WOMAN FROM A BURNING HOME. OFFICERS MAREK MASON, EVAN DOWLING AND SERGEANT JACOB RICHARD FOUND A WOMAN UNRESPONSIVE IN THE HOME ON LOMBARD STREET. THEY GOT HER OUT OF THE HOUSE AND TO THE HOSPITAL, WHERE SHE IS IN STABLE CONDITION. COMMUNICATION OFFICERS LYRICAL ROBICHEAUX AND JADE HARTWICK WERE THE OTHER OFFICERS AWARDED FOR THEIR WORK BEHIND THE SCENES.
A LOUISIANA HOUSE COMMITTEE HAS ADVANCED A BILL TO THE FULL HOUSE THAT WOULD REMOVE THE REQUIREMENT FOR BUSINESSES TO GIVE LUNCH BREAKS TO CHILD WORKERS. ANOTHER BILL ADVANCED THAT WOULD REDUCE THE MAXIMUM PERIOD FOR WHICH PEOPLE CAN COLLECT UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS IN A GIVEN YEAR FROM TWENTY-SIX TO TWENTY WEEKS. IT WOULD ALSO REDUCE IT FURTHER TO TWELVE WEEKS IF THE STATE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IS FIVE PERCENT OR LESS. REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS SAY THE BILLS PASSED ARE THE RESULT OF GOVERNOR JEFF LANDRY’S COMMITMENT TO REFORM THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT AND TO REMOVE BUREAUCRATIC RED TAPE.
THREE BILLS HAVE MOVED TO THE FULL HOUSE THAT WOULD BENEFIT HOMESCHOOL FAMILIES. TWO OF THE BILLS WOULD LOWER THE TEST-SCORE MINIMUMS FOR APPROVED HOMESCHOOL STUDENTS TO RECEIVE TOPS SCHOLARSHIPS. THE OTHER BILL WOULD NO LONGER REQUIRE FAMILIES TO SUBMIT INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR PROGRAMS BUT HOMESCHOOL GRADUATES WOULD STILL BE ABLE TO RECEIVE A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA ACCEPTABLE TO STATE AGENCIES. CHRISTOPHER CHIN OF HOMESCHOOL LOUISIANA TELLS THE ADVOCATE THAT THESE BILLS LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD AND FINALLY CREATE EQUITY.
THE LOCAL CIVIL RIGHTS GROUP, VILLAGE THREE-THREE-SEVEN, HAS CALLED FOR THE RESIGNATION OF THE LAFAYETTE POLICE CHIEF. THE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR OF VILLAGE THREE-THREE-SEVEN, DEVON NORMAN, SAYS SHE HAS BEEN COMPLETELY INEFFECTIVE. HE HIGHLIGHTED THE DIFFERENT OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTINGS THROUGHOUT LAFAYETTE PARISH. NORMAN SAYS A NEW MAYOR-PRESIDENT HAS BEEN ELECTED TO LEAD THE PARISH INTO A NEW ERA AND THIS IS ONE OF THE LAST THINGS SHE CAN DO TO MAKE SURE THE COMMUNITY MOVES FORWARD WITH LESS CRIME AND MORE TRUST IN POLICE.
A FOURTH SUSPECT IN THE MURDER OF A VILLE PLATTE TEENAGER HAS BEEN ARRESTED. VILLE PLATTE POLICE WERE ASSISTED BY THE U-S MARSHAL’S SERVICE AND THE EVANGELINE PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE IN THE ARREST OF TWENTY-THREE-YEAR-OLD DALONZO ALFRED OF VILLE PLATTE, WHO IS CHARGED WITH ACCESSORY AFTER THE FACT TO SECOND-DEGREE MURDER. EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD VONSHONSKEE CHARLES WAS KILLED LAST AUGUST ON WEST BEAUREGARD STREET AND HIS BODY WAS MOVED JUST OUTSIDE THE VILLE PLATTE CITY LIMITS, ON COLT AVENUE. THE THREE OTHER SUSPECTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN ARRESTED INCLUDING JARED FREEMAN, WHO WAS FOUND IN LOS ANGELES AND EXTRADITED TO EVANGELINE PARISH.
JEANERETTE OFFICIALS ARE CLOSING CITY PARKS BEGINNING SATURDAY BECAUSE OF RECENT GUN VIOLENCE. POLICE LEARNED OF A VIOLENT GATHERING EXPECTED THIS WEEKEND AT KING JOSEPH PARK WHILE INVESTIGATING A RECENT SHOOTING. JEANERETTE OFFICIALS SAY THE PARKS WILL REMAIN CLOSED UNTIL POLICE DETERMINE IT’S SAFE TO REOPEN THEM. A SIMILAR DECISION WAS MADE BY OPELOUSAS OFFICIALS OVER THE EASTER WEEKEND, AS THEY ALSO CLOSED PARKS BECAUSE OF RECENT GUN VIOLENCE.
