5-30-23
EVANGELINE PARISH AUTHORITIES ARE SEARCHING FOR AN ESCAPED INMATE. FORTY-SEVEN-YEAR-OLD JODY THOMAS THRASHER WAS IN PRISON ON DRUG AND GUN CHARGES. HE’S DESCRIBED AS WHITE, FIVE FEET, FOUR INCHES, ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-TWO POUNDS WITH BLUE EYES AND GREY HAIR. IF YOU SEE HIM, YOU’RE ASKED TO CALL THE EVANGELINE PARISH SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT OR YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.
LAFAYETTE POLICE ARRESTED A MAN WHO ALLEGEDLY ROBBED A DOLLAR GENERAL STORE ON RENAUD STREET AT AROUND NINE-THIRTY YESTERDAY MORNING. THIRTY-YEAR-OLD DAMIEN RASHAD MONCRIEF OF LAFAYETTE IS ACCUSED OF DEMANDING MONEY FROM A CASHIER, WHO REFUSED, AND THEN PEPPER SPRAYING THE CASHIER BEFORE REMOVING THE REGISTER OFF THE COUNTER. WITNESSES CHASED THE SUSPECT OUT OF THE STORE AND PROVIDED POLICE WITH A DESCRIPTION THAT LED TO MONCRIEF’S ARREST LATER, WHEN HE WAS FOUND WITH AN UNDISCLOSED AMOUNT OF CASH. MONCRIEF FACES SEVERAL CHARGES INCLUDING ARMED ROBBERY.
THE LAKE CHARLES CITY COUNCIL IS GRAPPLING WITH HOW TO DEAL WITH HOMES DAMAGED BY HURRICANES LAURA AND DELTA IN TWENTY TWENTY-ONE THAT ARE LEFT BEHIND AND HAVE NOT BEEN REPAIRED. EVERY MONTH, DOZENS OF PROPERTIES FILL THE COUNCIL’S AGENDA AND THEY HAVE TO DECIDE IF THE STRUCTURE MUST BE DEMOLISHED. CITY ADMINISTRATOR JOHN CARDONE TELLS THE ADVOCATE THAT THE PROPERTIES CAN’T STAY IN THE DAMAGED CONDITION FOREVER BECAUSE IT’S NOT FAIR TO THE NEIGHBORS AND OTHER PROPERTY OWNERS IN THE AREA. CARDONE SAYS THEY ARE DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO WORK WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS TO TRY AND POINT THEM IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, BUT SOMETIMES THERE’S NOTHING THEY CAN DO.
TODAY IN BATON ROUGE, A GROUP OF LIBRARIANS WILL FACE OFF AGAINST LEGISLATORS IN THE STATE HOUSE WHO SUPPORT A BILL TO SET RESTRICTIONS ON LIBRARIES. SYLVIA MASTERS HAS MORE.
VOICER H :16
THE LOUISIANA SENATE YESTERDAY VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO EXCEED THE STATE SPENDING LIMIT. THE STATE HAS TWO-POINT-TWO BILLION DOLLARS IN EXTRA TAX COLLECTIONS BUT SPENDING RULES LIMIT LEGISLATORS TO ONLY ALLOCATING FOUR HUNDRED SIXTY MILLION MORE THIS YEAR AND FIVE HUNDRED MILLION MORE NEXT YEAR. HOUSE REPUBLICANS WANT TO STAY BENEATH THE CONSTITUTIONALLY IMPOSED LIMIT AND USE THE EXTRA CASH TO PAY DOWN STATE DEBT. THE SENATE AND GOVERNOR JOHN BEL EDWARDS WANTS TO SPEND THE ONE-TIME CASH ON INFRASTRUCTURE.
KAJN IMPACT NEWS PAGE TWO
A POTENTIAL LIFELINE FOR THOSE CONVICTED BY NONUNANIMOUS JURIES IS NO LONGER. SYLVIA MASTERS EXPLAINS.
VOICER I :27
LAFAYETTE POLICE HAVE RELEASED THE IDENTITY OF A MAN KILLED IN A CRASH SUNDAY NIGHT. HE IS FORTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD MARK S. DEVILLIER JUNIOR OF LAFAYETTE. HE WAS IN A TWO VEHICLE CRASH SUNDAY NIGHT JUST BEFORE NINE ON E. BROUSSARD ROAD. ANOTHER PERSON WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL WITH NON-LIFE-THREATENING INJURIES. THE CRASH REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION.
WITH THE SOARING RATES FOR HOME INSURANCE, MANY LOUISIANA HOMEOWNERS ARE SIGNING UP WITH SURPLUS LINES INSURERS. THESE INSURERS ARE NOT REGULATED BY THE STATE AND, THUS, WOULD NOT BE BACKED BY THE LOUISIANA INSURANCE BAILOUT FUND IF THE COMPANY GOES BANKRUPT. STILL MANY STATE RESIDENTS ARE WILLING TO TAKE THE CHANCE CONSIDERING THE STATE OF THE HOME INSURANCE MARKET. SOME OF THE SURPLUS LINE INSURERS ARE BACKED BY MAJOR CARRIERS LIKE STATE FARM AND ALL STATE AND ARE LESS LIKELY TO FAIL.
