5-31-23
LAFAYETTE POLICE ARE LOOKING FOR A SUSPECT WHO ROBBED A BANK YESTERDAY MORNING. AT AROUND NINE A-M, A MAN WEARING A FACE MASK APPROACHED A TELLER AT FIRST HORIZON BANK ON MOSS STREET AND HANDED OVER A NOTE SAYING HE HAD A BOMB IN HIS BAG AND DEMANDING MONEY. THE TELLER COMPLIED AND THE SUSPECT FLED THE BANK ON FOOT. SERGEANT ROBIN GREEN SAYS POLICE ARE ACTIVELY SPEAKING TO WITNESSES AND SEARCHING FOR THE SUSPECT.
IN AN EFFORT TO KEEP ROADWAYS CLEAR, THE ACADIA PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE AND THE POLICE JURY HAVE PARTNERED UP TO CREATE A LITTER ABATEMENT PROGRAM. SYLVIA MASTERS HAS MORE.
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JEFF DAVIS PARISH SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES ARRESTED A MAN FOR ALLEGEDLY STEALING A VEHICLE EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE HAD HER CELL PHONE IN THE CAR AND WAS ABLE TO TRACK THE CELL PHONE TO PERRY’S TRAILER PARK ON LAKE ARTHUR AVENUE IN JENNINGS. DEPUTIES SPOKE TO THE PEOPLE AT THE TRAILER WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND IDENTIFIED THIRTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD DANNY HEATH GUIDRY AS THE SUSPECT, WHO REPORTEDLY ADMITTED TO DRIVING THE VEHICLE TO THE TRAILER. HE WAS ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH ILLEGAL POSSESSION OF STOLEN THINGS.
A BILL TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO CONCEAL CARRY A FIREARM WITHOUT A PERMIT OR TRAINING HEADS TO THE FULL SENATE FOR A VOTE. THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE ADDED AN AMENDMENT RAISING THE ELIGIBILITY AGE FROM EIGHTEEN TO TWENTY-ONE. IF THE SENATE APPROVES THE BILL, IT WILL HEAD BACK TO THE HOUSE FOR APPROVAL OF THE AMENDMENT. THE BILL BY STATE REPRESENTATIVE DANNY MCCORMICK PASSED IN TWENTY-TWENTY-ONE BUT WAS VETOED BY GOVERNOR JOHN BEL EDWARDS.
THE HOUSE COMMERCE COMMITTEE YESTERDAY MOVED A BILL TO THE HOUSE FLOOR THAT WOULD REQUIRE AGE VERIFICATION FOR SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS LIKE FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM. THE SPONSOR OF THE BILL, REPUBLICAN SENATOR PATRICK MCMATH OF COVINGTON, SAYS IT ADDRESSES A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS OF CHILDREN AND TEENS SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME ON SOCIAL MEDIA, ENCOUNTERING DANGEROUS CONTENT AND PEOPLE. IF IT PASSES, IT WILL NOT TAKE EFFECT UNTIL JULY OF NEXT YEAR TO ALLOW LAWMAKERS ANOTHER SESSION TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE RULES. SEVERAL OTHER STATES ARE CONSIDERING SIMILAR LAWS.
THE LAFAYETTE CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT IS TAKING STEPS TO PUT A ROUNDABOUT AT THE VINCENT AND E BROUSSARD ROAD INTERSECTION. LAFAYETTE POLICE SERGEANT ROBIN GREEN SAYS THERE HAVE BEEN FIVE CRASHES IN THAT AREA IN THE PAST YEAR INCLUDING A FATAL CRASH ON SUNDAY NIGHT. L-C-G HAS BUDGETED THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR A TRAFFIC STUDY. FUTURE FUNDING WOULD BE NEEDED BEFORE CONSTRUCTION COULD BEGIN.
A FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT HAS RULED AGAINST THE SAINT MARTIN PARISH SCHOOL BOARD IN A DESEGREGATION CASE. THE COURT ORDERED THE SCHOOL BOARD TO ADOPT PROPOSALS PUT FORWARD BY PLAINTIFFS. THE RULING IMPLEMENTS A DECISION BY THE FIFTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS LAST YEAR, WHICH FOUND THEY HAD FAILED TO COMPLY WITH A SETTLEMENT DESIGNED TO ELIMINATE RACIAL DISCRIMINATION. LEGAL DEFENSE FUND ASSISTANT COUNSEL KEVIN JASON, WHO REPRESENTED THE PLAINTIFFS IN THE CASE, SAYS THE RULING IS AN IMPORTANT FIRST STEP IN REMEDYING THE DISTRICT’S PAST AND PRESENT DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES.
A GOFUND ME ACCOUNT HAS BEEN STARTED FOR THE GUIDRY FAMILY OF WESTLAKE, WHO LOST EVERYTHING IN A HOUSE FIRE. THE FIRE BEGAN IN THE LAUNDRY ROOM. NAOMI GUIDRY TELLS KPLC TV SHE WASN’T EVEN AWARE OF THE FIRE UNTIL HER HUSBAND CAME IN FROM DOING YARD WORK AND FRANTICALLY CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. BECAUSE OF THE FIRE, SMOKE AND WATER DAMAGE, SHE SAYS NOTHING IS SALVAGEABLE.
