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A man from Broussard has pleaded guilty to a federal charge involving his attempt to ship four pistols, two rifles, a shotgun and thousands of rounds of ammunition to his native Lebanon. U.S. Attorney Stephanie Finley of Lafayette said in a Wednesday news release that 54-year-old Joe Ali Youssef was arrested after customs and border protection officers discovered the guns and ammo — along with some body armor and other firearms accessories — in April of last year.
Authorities said the items were found in a random examination of two large containers purported to hold household goods. Youssef faces up to five years in prison.
SOME ROADS IN BEAUREGARD PARISH WERE FLOODED YESTERDAY. SHERIFF’S OFFICE SPOKESMAN JOE TOLER TELLS KPLC TV THAT ALL ROADS WEST OF L-A 109 AND L-A 389 WERE FLOODED. HE SAYS IT’S MAINLY THE SMALLER ROADS LEADING TO THE SABINE RIVER. THE BEAUREGARD PARISH POLICE JURY WILL RELEASE A LIST OF FLOODED ROADS THIS MORNING.
BISHOP MICHAEL JARRELL HAS ANNOUNCED MEMBERS OF A BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE WHO WILL TRY TO RESOLVE CONFLICTS AT SACRED HEART SCHOOL IN VILLE PLATTE. JULIE DARCE HAS MORE.
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The Louisiana House has agreed to the main planks of a Common Core compromise, appearing to quiet the controversy over the education standards for the legislative session. Near-unanimous votes Wednesday for the two bills came as Gov. Bobby Jindal announced his support for the deal. One bill would set in motion a review of the multistate English and math standards with public meetings, legislative oversight and an up-or-down vote from Louisiana’s next governor. The companion bill would place limits on the state’s use of standardized testing material from a consortium aligned with Common Core.
A LAFAYETTE GRAND JURY HAS DECIDED NOT TO INDICT LAW ENFOREMENT OFFICERS IN THE DEATH OF A SCOTT MAN. IN MARCH OF LAST YEAR, THIRTY-YEAR-OLD ROBERT MINJAREZ JUNIOR LOST CONSCIOUSNESS WHILE BEING PINNED TO THE GROUND BY THE OFFICERS, AND DIED FIVE DAYS LATER IN THE HOSPITAL. THE LAFAYETTE PARISH CORONER DETERMINED HE DIED FROM ASPHYXIA DUE TO THE PHYSICAL RESTRAINT USED BY THE OFFICERS, BUT COCAINE TOXICITY AND MUSCLE BREAKDOWN CONTRIBUTED TO HIS DEATH. THE MOTHER OF MINJAREZ’S TWO CHILDREN, HEATHER SCANLAN, FILED A WRONGFUL DEATH LAWSUIT IN MARCH, NAMING FOUR PEOPLE FROM THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE, ONE SCOTT POLICE OFFICER AND A CARENCRO POLICE OFFICER.
A FORMER MERMENTAU POLICE CHIEF WAS ARRESTED WEDNESDAY MORNING IN JENNINGS. JEFF DAVIS PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE SPOKESMAN CHRIS IVEY SAYS 26-YEAR-OLD AMBER DUBOIS LANGLINAIS JUST HAPPENED TO BE AT A HOME WHERE THEY WERE SERVING A SEARCH WARRANT, BUT THE MAIN SUSPECT WAS NOT AT THE HOME. LANGLINAIS HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA, HYDROCODONE, SOMA AND DRUG PARAPHERNALIA. SHE WAS THE POLICE CHIEF OF MERMENTAU IN 2010 UNTIL THE VILLAGE COUNCIL FIRED HER AFTER FINDING OUT SHE DIDN’T LIVE IN THE TOWN LIMITS.
IT TOOK AN OPELOUSAS JURY NEARLY THREE HOURS YESTERDAY TO FIND A LAFAYETTE MAN GUILTY OF ARMED ROBBERY AND POSSESSION OF A WEAPON BY A FELON. 47-YEAR-OLD LLOYD RICHARDSON WAS ON TRIAL FOR TWO SEPARATE ROBBERIES ON SOUTH RAILROAD AVENUE IN DECEMBER OF 2013. RICHARDSON WAS FOUND GUILTY FOR THE ROBBERY OF FLETCHER DUPLECHAIN, BUT THE OTHER VICTIM, PATRICK LAYSARD, TESTIFIED TUESDAY THAT IT WAS ANOTHER MAN WHO HAD ROBBED HIM. RICHARDSON COULD GET UP TO TWENTY YEARS IN PRISON FOR THE FIREARM POSSESSION CONVICTION WHEN HE IS SENTENCED ON JULY SECOND.
Only a year after a medical marijuana proposal stalled in its first hearing before state lawmakers, a bill that could get medical-grade pot to people suffering from cancer, glaucoma and a severe form of cerebral palsy is nearing final passage.
The House Health and Welfare Committee approved the proposal Wednesday, sending it to a vote before the full House. The Senate already has passed the measure. The bill by Sen. Fred Mills, a Parks Republican, would allow patients to consume refined forms of marijuana, but prohibits smoking the plant.
