5-16-24
FORMER KAPLAN POLICE CHIEF BOYD ADAMS WAS ARRESTED YESTERDAY AND IS IN THE KAPLAN JAIL. THE CURRENT POLICE CHIEF, JOSH HARDY, SAYS ADAMS WAS BOOKED ON MULTIPLE CHARGES INCLUDING FALSE IMPERSONATION OF A POLICE OFFICER. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME ADAMS HAS BEEN ARRESTED. SEVEN YEARS AGO, HE WAS CHARGED WITH MALFEASANCE IN OFFICE FOR ALLEGEDLY USING SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS IN DEPARTMENT FUNDS FOR PERSONAL USE.
LAFAYETTE MAYOR PRESIDENT MONIQUE BOULET IS CONSIDERING BRINGING BACK PARK POLICE. THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION ELIMINATED THE PARK POLICE FORCE. BOULET SAYS A DISCUSSION WILL OCCUR IF THE BUDGET PROCESS ALLOWS FOR A CHANGE. RETIRED PARK POLICE CHIEF OSCAR BENOIT SAYS HE’S CONFIDENT THAT BOULET AND HER ADMINISTRATION WILL DO WHAT IS BEST.
The Supreme Court has ordered Louisiana to hold congressional elections using a House map with a second mostly Black district, despite a lower-court ruling that called the map an illegal racial gerrymander. The order allows the use of a map that has majority Black populations in two of the state’s six congressional districts, potentially boosting Democrats’ chances of gaining control of the closely divided House of Representatives in the 2024 elections. The justices acted Wednesday on emergency appeals filed by the state’s top Republican elected officials and Black voters who said they needed the high court’s intervention to avoid confusion as elections approach. About a third of the Louisiana population is Black.
THE JEFF DAVIS PARISH POLICE JURY HAS SELECTED BEN BOUDREAUX TO BE THE FIRST PARISH ADMINISTRATOR. POLICE JURY PRESIDENT STEVE EASTMAN SAYS THE JURORS ARE PART-TIME AND THEY NEEDED SOMEONE DEDICATED FULL TIME. BOUDREAUX SAYS HE LOOKS FORWARD TO IMPROVING THE PARISH AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. HE SAYS HE WANTS TO BUILD ON PROGRESS ALREADY MADE BY THE POLICE JURY WITH A FOCUS ON INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, GETTING MORE ROADS PAVED AND GETTING AN ANIMAL SHELTER FOR THE PARISH.
EUNICE POLICE ARE SEARCHING FOR AN INMATE THAT ESCAPED WHILE BEING TREATED AT THE ACADIAN MEDICAL CENTER. THE INMATE, FORTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD ANDREW MORRISON IS BLACK, FIVE-NINE, TWO HUNDRED TEN POUNDS, BALD WITH TATTOOS ABOVE THE EYEBROWS AND ON THE RIGHT CHEEK. HE WAS WEARING AN ORANGE JUMPSUIT WHEN HE ESCAPED AND WAS HANDCUFFED. ANYONE WHO KNOWS WHERE MORRISON IS LOCATED IS ASKED TO CALL EUNICE POLICE OR SAINT LANDRY PARISH CRIME STOPPERS.
A BILL TO DO AWAY WITH THE NORTH LAFAYETTE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY WILL GET A HEARING IN THE STATE HOUSE TODAY. THE BILL BY STATE SENATOR GERALD BOUDREAUX OF LAFAYETTE HAS ALREADY PASSED IN THE SENATE. THE BILL, IF PASSED AND SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR, WOULD DESIGNATE LEDA AS THE AGENCY RESPONSIBLE FOR FUELING ECONOMIC GROWTH IN NORTH LAFAYETTE AS IT DOES IN OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY AND PARISH. LEADERS IN NORTH LAFAYETTE HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE YESTERDAY TO OPPOSE THE BILL AND TO ASK RESIDENTS TO VOICE THEIR OPPOSITION TO THE LEGISLATURE.
THE LATIOLAIS FAMILY IN HENDERSON LOST THEIR HOME TO A FIRE STARTED BY A DOWNED POWER LINE. CATHY LATIOLAIS SAYS ON MONDAY NIGHT, AFTER SEEING THE DOWNED POWER LINE, THEY TURNED OFF THE BREAKER BOX, PUT IN A SERVICE REQUEST WITH THEIR ELECTRIC PROVIDER AND SPENT THE NIGHT AT HER PARENT’S HOUSE. SHE SAYS A NEIGHBOR CALLED THE NEXT MORNING TELLING THEM THEY SAW FLAMES COMING OUT OF THE TRAILER. CATHY SAYS IT DOESN’T FEEL REAL BUT SHE THINKS THEY’LL MAKE IT THROUGH WITH GOD’S HELP. A GOFUNDME PAGE HAS BEEN SET UP TO HELP THE FAMILY.
A TWO THOUSAND EIGHTEEN HOMOCIDE HAS GONE COLD. AUTHORITIES IN ACADIA PARISH ARE ASKING FOR THE PUBLIC’S HELP. GERALD GRUENIG HAS MORE.
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