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LAFAYETTE POLICE HAVE ARRESTED TWO MEN WHO ALLEGEDLY BROKE INTO A HOME LAST MONTH WHILE THE RESIDENTS WERE PRESENT. SURVEILLANCE VIDEO WAS USED TO IDENTIFY THE TWO MEN, 30-YEAR-OLD DAREMUS FILS AND 46-YEAR-OLD WILBERT CHAISSON JUNIOR, AND EVIDENCE WAS FOUND AT THE SCENE. POLICE SAY THAT ON MARCH 19TH AT 7:45, TWO MEN ARMED WITH A FIREARM FORCED THEIR WAY INTO A HOME ON BRUSHWOOD DRIVE AND STOLE SEVERAL VALUABLE ITEMS. THE TWO MEN ARRESTED HAVE A LENGTHY CRIMINAL HISTORY.
THE LAKE CHARLES CITY COUNCIL DEFERRED A VOTE ON A PROPOSED RV PARK UNTIL MAY SECOND. THE 242 SPACE RV PARK WAS APPROVED BY THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION BY A THREE-TO-ONE VOTE, BUT THE COUNCIL HAD SOME QUESTIONS THAT THEY WANTED TO GET ANSWERS ON BEFORE VOTING. THE PARK WOULD BE LOCATED IN THE 29-HUNDRED BLOCK OF HIGHWAY 90 AND INCLUDE BLACKTOPPED ROADS, A POOL, LAUNDRY, AND FITNESS CENTER. MANY RESIDENTS IN THE AREA ARE OPPOSED TO THE PARK INCLUDING TONY SCHLESINGER, WHO TOLD KPLC TV HE HOPES THE COUNCIL WILL CONSIDER THE SAFETY OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE, WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN MONEY FOR THE CITY.
THE CITY OF OPELOUSAS WAS JUST AWARDED A ONE-POINT-2 MILLION DOLLAR GRANT TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE CITY’S BIGGEST SEWAGE PLANT. JEFF HORCHAK HAS MORE.
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Louisiana lawmakers have rejected a proposal allowing teachers to carry guns at school. The House criminal justice committee Wednesday voted 9-7 against the measure after about two hours of debate. Republican Rep. Raymond Garofalo says his bill would have deterred people from attacking schools by having armed teachers on campus who are trained to deal with active shooters. But opponents argued the policy was bound to result in unintended shootings.
LAFAYETTE MAYOR PRESIDENT JOEL ROBIDEAUX WILL DELIVER HIS ANNUAL ADDRESS AT THE HEYMANN CENTER NEXT THURSDAY AND ITS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. ROBIDEAUX WILL GIVE AN UPDATE ON HIS CREATE INITIATIVE TO SUPPORT THE CULTURAL ECONOMY, WHICH HE SAYS IS THE SECOND LARGEST SOURCE OF JOBS IN LAFAYETTE. HE TELLS THE ADVOCATE THAT IF IT BECOMES NUMBER ONE, THAT WOULD BE GREAT BECAUSE IT’S MORE PREDICTABLE THAN THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY. AFTER HIS ADDRESS NEXT WEEK, THERE WILL BE A CULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY SHOWCASE.
JURY SELECTION IN THE MANSLAUGHTER TRIAL OF WOODROW KAREY OF LAKE CHARLES WAS PUT ON HOLD YESTERDAY BECAUSE THE D-A’S OFFICE DID NOT LIKE THE TRIAL JUDGE LIMITING QUESTIONS TO POTENTIAL JURORS. THEY SOUGHT AN ORDER FROM THE THIRD CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS, WHICH RULED LAST NIGHT AGAINST THEM, BUT THEY HAVE APPEALED TO THE STATE SUPREME COURT. JUDGE CLAYTON DAVIS DISMISSED THE JURORS YESTERDAY BUT SAID HE’S CONFIDENT THEY WILL FINISH JURY SELECTION TODAY. KAREY IS ON TRIAL FOR SHOOTING AND KILLING PASTOR RONALD HARRIS DURING A REVIVAL SERVICE AT THE TABERNACLE OF PRAISE CHURCH IN SEPTEMBER OF 2013.
THE IBERIA PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE HAS SETTLED A LAWSUIT WITH THE OWNERS OF A DOG THAT WAS SHOT TO DEATH BY DEPUTY LUCAS PLAUCHE IN AUGUST OF 2015. THEY AGREED TO PAY THE OWNERS 75 THOUSAND DOLLARS THOUGH WITHOUT AN ADMISSION OF LIABILITY. THE OWNERS TEDDY SONNIER AND HIS SON, BRANCE, SAY THEY SUED NOT FOR THE MONEY BUT IN HOPES THAT DEPUTIES WILL THINK TWICE BEFORE SHOOTING ANOTHER DOG. PLAUCHE WAS LATER FIRED FOR HIS UNTRUTHFULNESS IN AN UNRELATED INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED ON THE SAME DAY HE SHOT THE DOG.
Louisiana would shed its status as one of two states that don’t require unanimous juries in felony cases, under a proposal that won Senate support. Lawmakers approved Sen. J.P. Morrell’s constitutional amendment by a 27-10 vote Wednesday, sending it to the House. It cleared the Senate with one vote more than the two-thirds needed to pass. If successful in the House, the change would go before voters in the fall.
