4-7-26
JURY SELECTION GETS UNDERWAY THIS MORNING IN THE SECOND-DEGREE MURDER TRIAL OF JOHN MITCHELL NICHOLAS. IIN AUGUST OF TWENTY-TWENTY-THREE, NICHOLAS WAS INVOLVED IN A SHOOTING WITH LAFAYETTE POLICE. NINETEEN-MONTH-OLD KACI CYPRIAN WAS KILLED AND NICHOLAS’ AUNT, MARY PREJEAN, WAS WOUNDED IN THE CROSSFIRE. NICHOLAS ALSO FACES FIVE COUNTS OF ATTEMPTED FIRST-DEGREE MURDER.
THE SUSPECT IN A CRASH AT THE LOUISIANA LAOTIAN NEW YEAR’S FESTIVAL IN IBERIA PARISH ON SATURDAY WAS ARRAIGNED YESTERDAY. AT LEAST EIGHTEEN SPECTATORS WERE STRUCK BY A CAR THAT ENTERED A PARADE ROUTE. THE DRIVER, FIFTY-SEVEN-YEAR-OLD TODD LANDRY OF JEANERETTE, IS SUSPECTED OF BEING IMPAIRED. HIS BOND WAS SET AT TWO HUNDRED FORTY-SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS.
A CRASH IN JEFF DAVIS PARISH CLAIMED THE LIFE OF A THIRTY-YEAR-OLD ELTON MAN SUNDAY MORNING. GEORGE FAUST HAS MORE.
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FOUR TEENAGERS HAVE BEEN ARRESTED AFTER MULTIPLE FIGHTS THAT HAPPENED AT THE SKY ZONE TRAMPOLINE PARK ON AMBASSADOR CAFFERY. LAFAYETTE POLICE OFFICERS RESPONDING TO THE SCENE FOUND THE PARKING LOT FILLED WITH TEENS JUST AFTER EIGHT SATURDAY NIGHT. AS THEY TRIED TO BREAK UP A DISPUTE, TWO OTHER FIGHTS STARTED. IT REQUIRED MULTIPLE POLICE UNITS TO RESTORE ORDER.
SAINT LANDRY PARISH PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR BARRY SOILEAU SAYS LITTERING CONTINUES TO BE AN ISSUE ACROSS THE PARISH, AFFECTING NEIGHBORHOODS, SERVICE ROADS AND LOCAL BAYOUS. A MORE THAN ONE MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT WAS RECENTLY COMPLETED AT BAYOU MALLET. MORE THAN TWO HUNDRED TWENTY TIRES WERE REMOVED FROM THE BAYOU AND NEW DEBRIS WAS DISCOVERED SHORTLY AFTER THE PROJECT ENDED. SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED IN AREAS WHERE LITTERING IS COMMON BUT SOILEAU SAYS IT’S DIFFICULT TO IDENTIFY OFFENDERS BECAUSE THEY TAKE ACTIVE MEASURES TO AVOID THE CAMERAS.
A HOUSTON WOMAN WAS ARRESTED AFTER NEARLY THIRTY POUNDS OF COCAINE WERE FOUND IN HER VEHICLE DURING A TRAFFIC STOP MARCH THIRTY-FIRST. IT HAPPENED ON I-TEN NEAR MILE MARKER FORTY-TWO IN CALCASIEU PARISH. FIFTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD KIM HILL WAS CHARGED WITH POSSESSION OF SCHEDULE TWO DRUGS WITH THE INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE. SHE ALSO FACES A CHARGE OF CRUELTY TO A JUVENILE BECAUSE A FIVE-YEAR-OLD CHILD WAS SEATED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OF THE VEHICLE AND THAT CHILD WAS RELEASED TO A FAMILY MEMBER.
MULTIPLE BUSINESSES WERE DAMAGED BY AN EARLY MONDAY MORNING FIRE. IT BEGAN IN A NAIL SALON CALLED CHARMING NAILS LOCATED IN A SHOPPING CENTER ALONG HIGHWAY ONE EIGHTY-TWO. A FIREWALL HELPED CONTAIN THE BLAZE BUT SEVERAL BUSINESSES HAD SMOKE AND WATER DAMAGE. THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION.
THE TOWN OF MELVILLE IN SAINT LANDRY PARISH HELD A RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY FOR A WATER SYSTEM OVERHAUL. THE TOWN SECURED MORE THAN SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS IN STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING FOR THE PROJECT. MELVILLE’S WATER SYSTEM IS SIXTY YEARS-OLD AND DEPENDS ON A SINGLE WELL THAT HAS REPEATEDLY FAILED. ALL THE AGING WATER LINES WILL BE REPLACED AND MODERN RADIO-READ WATER METERS WILL BE INSTALLED TO PREVENT UNAUTHORIZED USE AND ENSURE ACCURATE BILLING.
