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LOUISIANA STATE POLICE SAY A LAFAYETTE POLICE OFFICER SHOT A MAN NEAR HEYMANN PARK. THE MAN WAS CARRYING A RIFLE WHILE WALKING TOWARD A CROWD OF PEOPLE WHO WERE CELEBRATING EASTER SUNDAY NIGHT. THE MAN’S WOUNDS WERE NOT LIFE-THREATENING AND STATE POLICE ARE CONDUCTING AN INVESTIGATION. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVEN OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTINGS IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA SO FAR THIS YEAR, INCLUDING FOUR IN LAFAYETTE PARISH.
A MAN, WANTED FOR A SHOOTING IN CROWLEY ON MARCH SEVENTH THAT INJURED A FIVE-YEAR-OLD GIRL, HAS TURNED HIMSELF INTO POLICE. EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD LINZY THOMAS OF CROWLEY WAS BOOKED INTO THE ACADIA PARISH JAIL ON FOUR COUNTS OF ATTEMPTED SECOND-DEGREE MURDER AND HIS BOND WAS SET AT THREE HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS. DETECTIVES SAY THOMAS WAS TRYING TO SHOOT A RIVAL GANG MEMBER WHEN HE HIT THE GIRL IN THE ARM. THE GIRL, JESSLYN HARMON, WAS WALKING HOME FROM THE SCHOOL BUS WITH HER FATHER.
A CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF’S DEPUTY, WHO WAS FIRED AFTER HIS ARREST LAST MONTH FOR INDECENT BEHAVIOR WITH A JUVENILE, WILL FACE ADDITIONAL CHARGES. FIFTY-SEVEN-YEAR-OLD BRIAN DUGAS IS NOW CHARGED WITH MALFEASANCE IN OFFICE, THIRD-DEGREE RAPE AND FOUR COUNTS OF POSSESSION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY. THE BOND ON HIS NEW CHARGES IS ONE-POINT-TWO MILLION DOLLARS. CHIEF DEPUTY STITCH GUILLORY SAYS DUGAS’ ACTIONS ARE DESPICABLE AND INTOLERABLE AND HE’S SORRY FOR THE VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILIES BUT PROUD OF THEIR COMING FORWARD.
GOVERNOR JEFF LANDRY IS BACKING A BILL THAT WOULD GRANT HIM THE POWER TO NAME THE CHAIRS OF EACH OF THE FIVE HIGHER EDUCATION BOARDS IN THE STATE. CURRENTLY THE GOVERNOR NAMES THE BOARD MEMBERS AND THEY SELECT THE CHAIR. A SPOKESPERSON FOR GOVERNOR LANDRY, KATE KELLY, SAYS THE BILL IS NOT ABOUT GETTING RID OF ANYBODY BUT IT ENSURES UNIVERSITIES ARE RESPONSIVE TO THE PEOPLE. A FORMER CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS, RICHARD LIPSEY, SAYS IT WOULD UNDERMINE THE INTEGRITY OF THE BOARD TO HAVE THE GOVERNOR APPOINT THE CHAIRS.
CURRENT STATE LAW REQUIRES EXTENSIVE IN-PERSON TRAINING TO BECOME A WILDLIFE REHABILITATOR. A BILL HAS MOVED OUT OF A COMMITTEE TO THE FULL HOUSE THAT WOULD MAKE CERTIFICATION MORE ACCESSIBLE BY GOING DIGITAL. THE BILL ALSO ELIMINATES THE REQUIREMENT FOR RANDOM INSPECTIONS OF REHAB FACILITIES. SUPPORTERS OF THE BILL BELIEVE IT WILL HELP WILDLIFE BUT WILDLIFE REHABILITATORS ACROSS THE STATE BELIEVE IT WILL DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD.
U-L LAFAYETTE YESTERDAY ANNOUNCED A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM. THE INITIATIVE WOULD PROVIDE A THOUSAND DOLLAR MONTHLY STIPEND FOR U-L STUDENTS COMPLETING THEIR TEN MONTH RESIDENCY PROGRAM BEGINNING WITH THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. IT’S HOPED THE STIPEND WILL ALLEVIATE FINANCIAL BURDENS AND IN TURN HELP ATTRACT AND RETAIN CERTIFIED TEACHERS IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. TO BE ELIGIBLE, THE STUDENTS MUST COMPLETE TWO YEARS EMPLOYMENT IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AFTER GRADUATION.
OPELOUSAS POLICE ARE SEARCHING FOR TWO ARMED ROBBERY SUSPECTS. DEONTE KNATT AND JARANDALL PROVOST ARE WANTED FOR AN ARMED ROBBERY ON SATURDAY BUT POLICE ARE NOT RELEASING DETAILS DUE TO THE SENSITIVE NATURE OF THE CASE. TWO OTHER SUSPECTS, BOTH WOMEN, HAVE BEEN ARRESTED ON THE ARMED ROBBERY CHARGE, AND THEY ARE NINETEEN-YEAR-OLD PRECIOUS RICHARD AND TWENTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD NATALIE ROSETTE, BOTH OF OPELOUSAS. ANYONE WHO KNOWS THE LOCATION OF KNATT AND PROVOST IS URGED TO CALL THE OPELOUSAS POLICE DEPARTMENT OR CRIME STOPPERS AT NINE-FOUR-EIGHT-TIPS.
ANOTHER ELECTION IS HAPPENING IN LOUISIANA LATER THIS MONTH AND ONE ITEM ON THE BALLOT COULD HELP TO IMPROVE ROADS IN IBERIA PARISH. SYLVIA MASTERS EXPLAINS.
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