6-13-23
THERE WAS A SHOOTING IN THE ONE HUNDRED BLOCK OF JOHNSTON STREET IN LAFAYETTE SHORTLY BEFORE FOUR YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. SERGEANT MATTHEW BENOIT SAYS THE OCCUPANTS OF TWO VEHICLES FIRED SHOTS AT EACH OTHER. THEY HAD FLED BY THE TIME POLICE OFFICERS ARRIVED ON THE SCENE. THERE WERE NO REPORTS OF INJURIES AND POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING THE SHOOTING.
ANOTHER SHOOTING LATE SUNDAY NIGHT IN THE PALMETTO AREA LEFT ONE WOMAN DEAD. THE SAINT LANDRY PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE BEGAN RECEIVING NINE-ONE-ONE CALLS AT AROUND ELEVEN P-M ABOUT A SHOOTING ON SNOWS ROAD JUST OUTSIDE PALMETTO. BESIDES THE FEMALE VICTIM, WHOSE IDENTITY HAS NOT YET BEEN RELEASED, TWO OTHER PEOPLE WERE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL FOR INJURIES. A SUSPECT HAS NOT YET BEEN IDENTIFIED.
AN ONLINE JOB FAIR IS COMING SOON. SYLVIA MASTERS HAS THE DETAILS.
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AN IOWA MAN WAS KILLED WHILE WALKING ON THE I-TEN FRONTAGE ROAD IN JEFF DAVIS PARISH SHORTLY AFTER NINE-FIFTEEN SUNDAY NIGHT. FORTY-FOUR-YEAR-OLD JOSHUA CHANTEL LEWIS JUNIOR WAS COMING OUT OF A DITCH AND WAS STRUCK WHEN HE ENTERED A LANE OF TRAVEL. THE DRIVER OF THE NISSAN TITAN, WHICH HIT LEWIS, WAS NOT BELIEVED TO BE IMPAIRED, THOUGH A TOXICOLOGY SAMPLE WAS TAKEN. THIS IS THE SECOND PEDESTRIAN FATALITY IN JEFF DAVIS PARISH IN A TWO-DAY PERIOD.
AN AUDIT OF YOUNGSVILLE POLICE CHIEF RICKEY BOUDREAUX FOUND HE COLLECTED MORE THAN TWENTY-FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS IN TAXPAYER FUNDS FOR UNAUTHORIZED EXPENSES. IN SEPTEMBER OF TWENTY-SIXTEEN, THE COUNCIL AGREED TO GIVE BOUDREAUX A THOUSAND DOLLAR MONTLY VEHICLE ALLOWANCE AND IN EXCHANGE BOUDREAUX WOULD NO LONGER ITEMIZE EXPENSES. BUT, ACCORDING TO THE ADVOCATE, THE AUDIT FOUND HE GRADUALLY BEGAN AUTHORIZING EXPENSES AGAIN IN TWENTY-SEVENTEEN. LAST MONTH, THE COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY SUSPENDED THE MONTHLY ALLOWANCE FOR BOUDREAUX AND VOTED TO CONDUCT AN AUDIT.
Authorities in the St. Martin Parish school district have agreed to develop a magnet school in a historically Black school zone as part of an effort to draw students of all races from across the district. The agreement is a step toward resolving a desegregation lawsuit dating back to 1965. It was approved last week by U.S. District Judge Erny Foote in Lafayette. If implemented successfully, the agreement would lead the admission process at the St. Martin Parish schools after the 2026 school year to be declared free of the effects of historic desegregation.
THE ALLEN PARISH SCHOOL BOARD FAILED AGAIN TO SELECT A NEW SUPERINTENDENT FOR THE DISTRICT. LAST NIGHT THEY HELD THEIR FIFTH VOTE AND, ONCE AGAIN, NO SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER CHANGED THEIR VOTE RESULTING IN A TIE. KPLC TV REPORTS THAT THINGS GOT HEATED DURING THE BOARD MEETING. TODAY THE SCHOOL BOARD IS EXPECTED TO ASK QUESTIONS OF THE TWO FINALISTS AND MAKE A DECISION ON AN INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT TO REPLACE OUTGOING SUPERINTENDENT KENT REED.
A MAN WHO HELD TWIN SIX-MONTH OLD BABIES HOSTAGE IN A CHURCH POINT APARTMENT ON JUNE NINTH IS STILL ON THE LOOSE. WARRANTS HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR TWENTY-FOUR-YEAR-OLD ISIAH DUPREE OF OPELOUSAS ON SEVERAL CHARGES INCLUDING THREE COUNTS OF FALSE IMPRISONMENT WITH A FIREARM. DUPREE MANAGED TO ESCAPE THE APARTMENT AND THE TWINS WERE FOUND UNHARMED. CHURCH POINT POLICE BELIEVE DUPREE ESCAPED BEFORE THEY HAD SET UP A PERIMETER AT THE APARTMENT ON WILSON STREET.
