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THE NINETEENTH ANNUAL VOICE FOR VICTIMS RALLY WAS HELD LAST NIGHT IN NEW IBERIA. DOZENS OF PEOPLE WHO LOST A LOVED ONE TO VIOLENT CRIME GATHERED UNDERNEATH THE STEAMBOAT WAREHOUSE PAVILION TO HONOR THEM. NUMEROUS FRAMES WITH PICTURES OF THOSE LOST TO VIOLENT CRIME WERE ON DISPLAY. MAYOR FREDDIE DECOURT WAS AT THE RALLY WHERE HE DECLARED THE WEEK OF APRIL TWENTY-FIRST AS CRIME VICTIMS RIGHTS WEEK.
ON THURSDAY, FORMER SAINT THOMAS MOORE HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER AND COACH ANGEL CARDONA WAS SENTENCED TO TEN YEARS IN PRISON. SYLVIA MASTERS EXPLAINS WHY.
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A SULPHUR MAN ACCUSED OF SEXUAL ABUSE WAS ALSO ARRESTED WEDNESDAY ON ANIMAL CRUELTY CHARGES. CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF’S DETECTIVES BEGAN AN INVESTIGATION AFTER RECEIVING A COMPLAINT BY A SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD, WHO PROVIDED DETAILS OF THE ABUSE THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO CORROBORATE. DURING THE INVESTIGATION, THEY FOUND A LARGE NUMBER OF ROOSTERS AND COCKFIGHTING PARAPHERNALIA AS WELL AS A DOG THAT WAS SUFFERING FROM INJURIES TO THE NECK. FIFTY-FIVE-YEAR-OLD DEREK THIBODEAUX WAS CHARGED WITH TRAFFICKING OF CHILDREN, AGGRAVATED CRUELTY TO ANIMALS AND COCKFIGHTING, AND HIS BOND WAS SET AT OVER A MILLION DOLLARS.
THE LOUISIANA HOUSE UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED A FORTY-SEVEN-POINT-FIVE BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. IT NOW MOVES TO THE STATE SENATE FOR APPROVAL. THE BUDGET INCLUDES ONE HUNDRED SIXTY-SIX MILLION DOLLARS IN TEACHER BONUS PAY. SCHOOL DISTRICTS WOULD DETERMINE HOW TO DIVVY UP THE BONUS PAY.
A BILL TO REDRAW THE STATE SUPREME COURT DISTRICTS IS ON THE WAY TO THE GOVERNOR’S DESK FOR HIS SIGNATURE. THE BILL CREATES A SECOND MAJORITY BLACK DISTRICT OUT OF THE SEVEN DISTRICTS. THE SENATE APPROVED THE BILL EIGHTY-FIVE TO NINE AND THE HOUSE HAD PASSED IT OVERWHELMINGLY DURING A SPECIAL SESSION EARLIER THIS YEAR. THE NEW MAP ELIMINATES A SEAT BASED IN SHREVEPORT WHICH WAS HELD BY A WHITE JUSTICE.
THE SAINT MARTIN PARISH INDUSTRIAL WATER PLANT SYSTEM WILL BE SHUTTING OFF WATER MONDAY MORNING STARTING AT NINE. IT WILL BE SHUT OFF FOR TWO TO FOUR HOURS FOR NECESSARY REPAIRS TO BE MADE. THE WATER SHUTOFF WILL AFFECT WATER WORKS DISTRICT FOUR CATAHOULA CUSTOMERS. A BOIL ADVISORY WILL GO INTO EFFECT AFTER REPAIRS ARE COMPLETE AND WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
THE FIRST-DEGREE MURDER TRIAL OF THIRTY-NINE-YEAR-OLD JOSHUA WILLIS OF LAFAYETTE IS CONTINUING. WILLIS IS ACCUSED OF SHOOTING AND KILLING TWENTY-THREE-YEAR-OLD ASHLEY METZ AND TWENTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD BROUKLYNN HILL NEARLY EIGHT YEARS AGO. ON WEDNESDAY, PROSECUTORS SHOWED VIDEO FOOTAGE OF HILL BEING INTERROGATED BY POLICE. THEY ALSO PLAYED A PHONE CALL BETWEEN WILLIS AND A WOMAN AFTER HE WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY.
A PICKUP TRUCK SLAMMED INTO THE DOLLAR TREE STORE ON PINHOOK ROAD NEAR WALMART YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. LAFAYETTE POLICE SAY THE DRIVER WAS AN ELDERLY WOMAN WHO WAS TRYING TO PARK THE TRUCK. THEY SAY SHE ACCIDENTALLY PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR WHEN SHE MEANT TO HIT THE BRAKE. NO ONE WAS INJURED AND NO CITATIONS WERE ISSUED.
