5-27-26
ONE PERSON IS DEAD AND ANOTHER IS IN CRITICAL CONDITION FOLLOWING A SHOOTING IN OPELOUSAS. GEORGE FAUST REPORTS.
VOICER Y : 18
A LAFAYETTE MAN WAS HOSPITALIZED SUNDAY AFTER HE WAS SHOT WHILE CONFRONTING TWO PEOPLE TRYING TO BREAK INTO HIS VEHICLE. POLICE RESPONDED TO THE VICTIM’S HOME ON WEST BUTCHER SWITCH ROAD AT AROUND ONE-FORTY-FIVE SUNDAY MORNING WHERE THEY FOUND HIM SUFFERING FROM A GUNSHOT WOUND. CORPORAL TYLER MITCHAM WITH LAFAYETTE POLICE SAYS SECURITY CAMERAS NOTIFIED THE VICTIM THAT SOMEONE WAS IN HIS DRIVEWAY AND, WHEN HE CONFRONTED THEM, MULTIPLE SHOTS WERE FIRED AT HIM AND HE WAS STRUCK ONCE. THE INVESTIGATION IS ONGOING BUT NO ARRESTS HAVE BEEN MADE.
YESTERDAY AT A PRESS CONFERENCE, A TEACHER PAY RAISE TASK FORCE WAS UNVEILED BY GOVERNOR JEFF LANDRY, SENATE PRESIDENT CAMERON HENRY AND HOUSE SPEAKER PHILLIP DEVILLIER. THE TASK FORCE WILL CONDUCT A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE STATE’S MINIMUM FOUNDATION PROGRAM TO FIND A SUSTAINABLE FUNDING SOURCE TO GIVE PERMANENT RAISES FOR TEACHERS AND SUPPORT STAFF WITHOUT RAISING TAXES. LANDRY SAYS, FOR TOO LONG, LOUISIANA EDUCATORS HAVE WAITED FOR LASTING SALARY INCREASES. THEY’RE HOPING TO FINALIZE A LONG-TERM TEACHER PAY RAISE PLAN BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
A PROPERTY TAX RENEWAL IS ON THE JUNE TWENTY-SEVENTH BALLOT IN BEAUREGARD PARISH THAT COULD DETERMINE THE FUTURE OF FIRE DISTRICT THREE. THE PROPERTY TAX RENEWAL WAS DEFEATED BY FIFTY-THREE VOTES LAST NOVEMBER AND THE CHIEF OF THE DISTRICT, LEE WILLIAMS, BLAMES A LACK OF OUTREACH FOR THE DEFEAT. HE SAYS THE DEPARTMENT HAS ENOUGH FUNDS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR, BUT, IF THE RENEWAL FAILS AGAIN, THE DEPARTMENT WOULD BE FORCED TO SHUT DOWN. WILLIAMS SAYS THAT WOULD RESULT IN HOMEOWNER’S INSURANCE RATES RISING BY FIFTEEN HUNDRED TO TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS PER YEAR.
FOUR NEW IBERIA RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN ARRRESTED FOR AN ALLEGED INSURANCE FRAUD SCHEME. TWENTY-NINE-YEAR-OLD RAYSHONTE OPPENHEIMER, THIRTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD BRIANNIE BUTLER, TWENTY-FOUR-YEAR-OLD PASSION KEAL AND THIRTY-THREE-YEAR-OLD QUANDALYN BERNARD ALL FACE CHARGES OF FELONY AUTO INSURANCE FRAUD. THE SUSPECTS ALLEGEDLY MADE FALSE STATEMENTS DURING AN INSURANCE CLAIMS PROCESSS FOLLOWING A CRASH LAST YEAR INVOLVING A PELICAN WASTE AND DEBRIS GARBAGE TRUCK. IF THE CLAIM HAD BEEN SUCCESSFUL, THE SUSPECTS WOULD HAVE COLLECTED AROUND FOUR MILLION DOLLARS.
A SIXTH-GRADER AT EDGAR MARTIN MIDDLE SCHOOL IN LAFAYETTE HAS ADVANCED AT THE SCRIPPS NATIONAL SPELLING BEE. ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD NAYAN JANUMPALLY CORRECTLY SPELLED CAESIOUS AND CORRECTLY CHOSE THE DEFINITION OF RETROGRADE. ONE HUNDRED SIXTY-SEVEN KIDS OUT OF TWO-HUNDRED FORTY-SEVEN REMAIN. NAYAN SAYS HE WATCHES THE NATIONAL SPELLING BEE EVERY YEAR WITH HIS PARENTS AND NOW HE HAS OWN CHANCE.
THIS MORNING GOVERNOR JEFF LANDRY WILL HOLD A PRESS CONFERENCE TO DISCUSS THE LOUISIANA FORTIFY HOME PROGRAM. UNDER THE PROGRAM, ELIGIBLE HOMEOWNERS CAN APPLY FOR GRANTS TO COVER THE COSTS OF STRENTHENING THEIR HOME’S ROOF AGAINST HURRICANE FORCE WINDS. NEARLY FIVE THOUSAND GRANTS HAVE BEEN APPROVED THROUGH THE PROGRAM SO FAR. THE GOVERNOR WILL ALSO SIGN BILLS DURING THE PRESS CONFERENCE.
SEVERAL UPGRADES ARE CURRENTLY UNDERWAY OR RECENTLY COMPLETED AT CHICOT STATE PARK IN EVANGELINE PARISH. A NEW ACCESSIBLE PLAYGROUND HAS BEEN COMPLETED IN THE PARK’S DAY-USE AREA AND CONSTRUCTION ON A BRIDGE IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY LATE THIS SUMMER. ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS ARE HAPPENING AT THE NORTH LANDING CAMPGROUND INCLUDING A PERMANENT SEWER CONNECTION UPGRADE PROJECT. ADDITIONAL ELECTRICAL UPGRADES AND ASPHALT ROAD OVERLAYS FOR THE CAMPGROUND, COSTING ABOUT THREE-AND-A-HALF MILLION DOLLARS, ARE EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY NEXT YEAR.
