5-23-23
A FORMER TEACHER AT SAINT THOMAS MORE HIGH SCHOOL WAS INDICTED WEDNESDAY BY A FEDERAL GRAND JURY ON A CHARGE OF ATTEMPTED PRODUCTION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY. JACOB DE LA PAZ WAS ARRESTED AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS MONTH IN YOUNGSVILLE BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY. HE WAS ACCUSED OF ENTICING A MINOR TO PRODUCE CHILD PORNOGRAPHY IN JANUARY. IF CONVICTED, DE LA PAZ FACES A SENTENCE OF BETWEEN FIFTEEN AND THIRTY YEARS IN PRISON.
THE TWO-LANE HERMAN DUPUIS BRIDGE IN BUTTE LA ROSE, FORMERLY KNOWN AT THE PONTOON BRIDGE, REOPENS THIS MORNING AT EIGHT. THE BRIDGE WAS CLOSED LAST YEAR IN FEBRUARY TO REPLACE IT WITH A NINE MILLION DOLLAR BRIDGE. A SPOKESPERSON FOR THE SAINT MARTIN PARISH GOVERNMENT SAYS IT WILL BE CLOSED IN SEVERAL WEEKS TO DRIVE PILINGS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A FENDER WALL, BUT THAT WILL ONLY BE FOR A DAY. ANOTHER THREE-HOUR CLOSURE IS ANTICIPATED IN THREE TO FOUR MONTHS FOR THE INSTALLATION OF A SYSTEM THAT WILL ALLOW THE SWING FEATURE OF THE BRIDGE TO BE OPERATIONAL.
A BILL IN THE LOUISIANA LEGISLATURE THAT HAS ADVANCED TO THE FULL HOUSE WOULD ALLOW RAPE SURVIVORS TO TRACK THEIR RAPE KIT. THE SPONSOR OF THE BILL, REPUBLICAN STATE SENATOR BETH MIZELL OF FRANKLINTON, SAYS THERE IS A BACKLOG OF PROCESSING EVIDENCE AT THE STATE CRIME LAB. SHE SAYS HER BILL WOULD REQUIRE STATE POLICE TO CREATE A DATABASE WHERE SURVIVORS CAN TRACK WHERE THEIR KITS ARE IN THE PROCESS. MIZELL SAYS SHE HOPES THIS WILL ADD A LAYER OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND MAKE SURVIVORS FEEL COMFORTED KNOWING WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THEIR EVIDENCE.
THE JEFF DAVIS PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE IS TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH NEW WAYS TO SMUGGLE CONTRABAND INTO THE PARISH JAIL. CHIEF DEPUTY CHRIS IVEY SAYS HANDWRITTEN LETTERS LACED WITH NARCOTICS ARE BEING MAILED TO INMATES WHICH THEY CAN CHEW ON AND GET HIGH. AS A RESULT, NOTES AND LETTERS ARE BEING COPIED ON TO NEW PAPER TO PREVENT THE NARCOTICS FROM GETTING IN THE JAIL. IVEY SAYS THEY ALSO NOW HAVE AN X-RAY MACHINE LIKE THOSE SEEN IN AIRPORTS THAT ARE USED TO PREVENT CONTRABAND FROM BEING SMUGGLED UNDER CLOTHING.
AN INDEPENDENT C-P-A HAS RECENTLY COMPLETED AN AUDIT OF THE LAFAYETTE CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT. DANIELLE DUNCAN HAS MORE.
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THE IDENTITY OF A MOTORCYCLIST KILLED SUNDAY IN A CRASH ON I-FORTY-NINE NEAR THE GRAND COTEAU EXIT HAS BEEN RELEASED. BRANDON BREAUX WAS TRAVELING ON HIS MOTORCYCLE SOUTH ON I-FORTY-NINE WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE ENTERED HIS LANE CAUSING BREAUX TO VEER INTO THE MEDIAN AND INTO NORTHBOUND TRAFFIC. ONE OF THE NORTHBOUND VEHICLES HIT BREAUX, CAUSING HIM TO BE EJECTED FROM THE MOTORCYCLE AND HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE. THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER IN THE VEHICLE WERE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL WITH MAJOR INJURIES.
Former Louisiana House Speaker Jimmy Dimos has died. Mulhearn Funeral Home in Monroe says Dimos died last week at age 84. He grew up in Monroe, became a lawyer and eventually was elected to the state Legislature, serving from 1976 to 1999. He spent one term as speaker, elected to that post in 1988 with the backing of then-Gov. Buddy Roemer.
A CAJUN RESTAURANT LOCATED NEAR JEANERETTE IS CLOSING AFTER NINETY-FIVE YEARS. THE OWNERS OF THE YELLOW BOWL, LOCATED ON THE BAYOU TECHE IN SAINT MARY PARISH, ANNOUNCED THE RESTAURANT WILL BE CLOSING THIS SUNDAY IN A SOCIAL MEDIA POST. THEY CITED THE RISING COSTS FOR FOOD, MAINTENANCE, LABOR AND INSURANCE. THEY SAID THEY WILL NEVER FORGET THE WONDERFUL STAFF AND CUSTOMERS THEY HAVE MET ALONG THE WAY.
