6-16-22
NEW IBERIA POLICE HAVE RELEASED DETAILS IN THE ARREST OF JASON PROVOST, THE MAN ACCUSED OF SHOOTING AND KILLING MARY ELIZABETH FAULK OF LAFAYETTE, WHOSE BODY WAS FOUND ON GILMAN ROAD LAST FRIDAY. PROVOST WAS FOUND BY NEW IBERIA POLICE TUESDAY AFTERNOON WHILE HE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF AN ALLEGED BURGLARY AT A HOME ON JULIA STREET. POLICE, RESPONDING TO REPORTS OF A BURGLARY IN PROCESS, SURROUNDED THE HOUSE WHEN THEY FOUND PROVOST INSIDE, AND, AFTER ABOUT FIVE MINUTES, HE SURRENDERED. DURING PROCESSING, PROVOST ASKED POLICE ABOUT THE HOMOCIDE LAST FRIDAY IN LAFAYETTE AND THEY LEARNED LAFAYETTE POLICE HAD AN ARREST WARRANT OUT FOR PROVOST ON A CHARGE OF SECOND-DEGREE MURDER.
Louisiana lawmakers have returned to the Capitol amid mounting frustration to redesign political maps that a federal judge threw out for violating the Voting Rights Act. The Republican-dominated legislature and Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, have been fighting over the boundaries since February. It was then that lawmakers approved a congressional map with white majorities in five of six districts. Lawmakers have until June 20 to remap the political boundaries under court order and create a second majority Black district.
WATER AND SEWER RATES ARE GOING UP IN THE TOWN OF ELTON. BEGINNING JULY FIRST, WATER BILLS WILL GO UP BY BETWEEN SIXTEEN AND TWENTY-SEVEN DOLLARS AND THE PRICE ON SEWERAGE WILL INCREASE BETWEEN FIVE AND TEN DOLLARS. THE WATER PRICE INCREASE IS DESIGNED TO REVERSE THE DEFICIT FROM WASTWATER TREATMENT AND IS PROJECTED TO IMPROVE SUSTAINABILITY IN ELTON. RESIDENTS WILL SEE THE NEW INCREASE STARTING AUGUST FIRST.
OVER THE LAST MONTH OR SO, THE IBERIA PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE HAS SEIZED SIX-POINT-ONE GRAMS OF FENTANYL. SHERIFF TOMMY ROMERO SAYS THAT’S ENOUGH TO KILL MORE THAN SIX THOUSAND PEOPLE. HE SAYS HIS DEPARTMENT IS WORKING TO REMOVE FENTANYL IN THE PARISH, A DRUG THAT IS FIFTY TO ONE HUNDRED TIMES MORE POTENT THAN MORPHINE. ROMERO SAYS HIS DEPUTIES ARE BEING CONTINUALLY TRAINED IN THE USE AND HANDLING OF FENTANYL AND ARE EQUIPPED WITH NARCAN TO COUNTERACT EXPOSURE TO THE DRUG.
THE SAINT LANDRY PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE HAS RECEIVED A FORTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLAR GRANT TO FIGHT THE FENTANYL CRISIS AND OTHER VIOLENT CRIMES. SHERIFF BOBBY GUIDROZ SAYS IT WILL HELP WITH UNDERCOVER OPERATIONS AND TO PURCHASE TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT. HE SAYS THE MAIN GOAL OF THE OPERATION IS TO STOP DRUG AND WEAPON OFFENDERS FROM TERRORIZING SMALLER MUNICIPALITIES AND COMMUNITIES. GUIDROZ SAYS IT’S THROUGH COMMUNITY SUPPORT AND INFORMATION THAT THE OPERATIONS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL.
A LAFAYETTE POLICE OFFICER HAS FILED A LAWSUIT IN FEDERAL COURT AGAINST THE LAFAYETTE CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT, INTERIM POLICE CHIEF MONTE POTIER AND THREE PREVIOUS POLICE CHIEFS. DAVID STANLEY, THE FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE POLICE ASSOCIATION OF LAFAYETTE UNION SAYS HE WAS DEMOTED AS RETALIATION FOR A POST HE PUT ON THE UNION’S SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT. STANLEY SAYS HIS FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS WERE INFRINGED UPON WHEN HE WAS INVESTIGATED FOR VIOLATING THE SOCIAL MEDIA POLICIES OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND MOVED FROM THE K-9 DIVISION TO UNIFORM PATROL. STANLEY’S ATTORNEYS SAY HE POSTED A VIDEO ON SOCIAL MEDIA WHILE OFF-DUTY AND WHILE IN HIS POSITION AS UNION PRESIDENT.
President Joe Biden has nominated a New Orleans magistrate to become the first minority woman on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. U.S. Magistrate Dana Douglas was selected by Biden for the open seat on the federal appeals court that oversees district courts in Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi. She awaits U.S. Senate confirmation. Douglas was appointed federal magistrate judge in 2019 and is a former president of the New Orleans Bar Association.
A MAINTENANCE WORKER AT AN APARTMENT COMPLEX IN RAYNE HAS BEEN ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY STEALING CHECKS THAT HE CASHED AND ISSUED TO OTHERS. FIFTY-YEAR-OLD JAMIE BOUDOIN IS ACCUSED OF USING HIS POSITION TO ENTER AN APARTMENT WHERE HE STOLE THE CHECKS. BOUDOIN WAS ARRESTED TUESDAY. HE’S BEEN CHARGED WITH FELONY FORGERY AND FELONY EXPLOITATION OF THE INFIRMED.
