6-17-25
A CHURCH POINT MAN HAS BEEN ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH AN ALLEGED DOGFIGHTING AND COCKFIGHTING RING. FORTY-FOUR-YEAR-OLD NICHOLAS DAIGLE IS CHARGED WITH COCKFIGHTING, CRUELTY TO ANIMALS, POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA AND INTERFERENCE WITH A LAW ENFORCEMENT INVESTIGATION. CHURCH POINT POLICE, WHILE INVESTIGATING ALLEGATIONS OF CHICKEN AND DOG FIGHTING, CAME UPON A COCKFIGHT IN PROGRESS AT THE END OF SAINT JUDE STREET. SEVERAL CHICKENS AND A DOG WERE FOUND DEAD AT THE SCENE.
LAFAYETTE ENTREPRENEUR JACOBY LANDRY HAS PURCHASED THE NORTHGATE MALL FOR TWO-POINT-EIGHT MILLION DOLLARS. HE PLANS A MAJOR TRANSFORMATION FOR THE MALL. IT INCLUDES SMALL RETAILERS, A BOUTIQUE MEDI-SPA, A FITNESS CENTER AND INDOOR PICKLEBALL COURTS. LANDRY SAYS HE SEES WHAT THE NORTHGATE MALL CAN BE, AN ENERGIZING HUB WHERE SMALL BUSINESS THRIVES, PEOPLE GATHER, AND NORTH LAFAYETTE SHINES AGAIN.
THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE ANNOUNCED A MONTHS LONG INVESTIGATION INVOLVING MULTIPLE AGENCIES CALLED OPERATION VAPE OUT. THE OBJECTIVE WAS TO CONFISCATE ILLEGAL VAPE PRODUCTS SOLD BY BUSINESSES AND ARREST SUSPECTS. MORE THAN A MILLION DOLLARS IN PRODUCTS WERE SEIZED AND TEN PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED. PERMITS WERE SUSPENDED FOR SIX BUSINESSES IN LOUISIANA INCLUDING TWO IN LAFAYETTE, THE CANDLE HOOKAH SMOKE SHOP AND OLD SMOKEY.
HUMAN REMAINS WERE FOUND YESTERDAY MORNING IN A WOODED AREA NEAR VINTON. SOMEONE WHO FOUND THE REMAINS NEAR GUM GULLY CALLED LAW ENFORCEMENT AT AROUND SEVEN A-M. CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF’S DETECTIVES ASSISTED VINTON POLICE IN PROCESSING THE SCENE. THE REMAINS WERE SENT TO THE CALCASIEU CORONER’S OFFICE FOR TESTING AND IDENTIFICATION.
THE TOWN OF GRAND COTEAU WAS WITHOUT RUNNING WATER SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING DUE TO A POWER BLACKOUT. ALDERMAN DEVIN THOMAS SAYS ONLY ONE OF THE MAIN WATER WELLS HAD A GENERATOR AND IT WASN’T WORKING BECAUSE THEY WERE WAITING FOR PARTS. THOMAS SAYS THERE IS A PLAN TO MAKE SURE OTHER WELLS WILL HAVE GENERATORS TO AVOID A SITUATION LIKE SUNDAY NIGHT. A BUDGET MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR LATER THIS MONTH TO ADDRESS THE GENERATOR ISSUE.
COMPLAINTS OF SUSPECTED PROSTITUTION AT A YOUNGSVILLE BUSINESS LED TO ONE ARREST. AN INVESTIGATION TOOK PLACE YESTERDAY AT RELAX SPA MASSAGE ON SAVOY ROAD. A WOMAN, WHOSE IDENTITY HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED, WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY. POLICE CHIEF JEAN PAUL BROUSSARD SAYS THE WOMAN WAS CHARGED WITH UNLAWFUL ENTRY OR REENTRY INTO THE STATE OF LOUISIANA BY AN ALIEN.
A PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT FOR LOUISIANA RECEIVED FINAL PASSAGE IN THE LEGISLATURE THURSDAY, WHICH WOULD PERMANTLY RAISE THE SALARIES OF TEACHERS AND SUPPORT STAFF. TEACHER SALARIES WOULD RISE BY TWO THOUSAND, TWO HUNDRED, FIFTY DOLLARS WHILE SUPPORT STAFF SALARIES WOULD GO UP BY ONE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS. IT MUST BE APPROVED BY LOUISIANA VOTERS. IF IT PASSES, THE RAISES WILL GO INTO EFFECT FOR THE TWENTY-TWENTY-SIX TWENTY-SEVEN SCHOOL YEAR.
A MAN, WHO ALLEGEDLY TRIED TO ROB A CONVENIENCE STORE ON CENTER STREET IN NEW IBERIA LATE THURSDAY NIGHT, HAS BEEN ARRESTED. INVESTIGATORS SAY THE ROBBERY SUSPECT WENT INTO THE STORE WITH A CUTTING INSTRUMENT AND ATTEMPTED TO ROB THE CLERK, WHICH LED TO A STRUGGLE AND THE SUSPECT BEING SHOT. THE SUSPECT, FIFTY-SEVEN-YEAR-OLD ERIC JAMES FRANCIS, IS BEING HELD IN THE IBERIA PARISH JAIL ON CHARGES OF ATTEMPTED FIRST-DEGREE MURDER, ARMED ROBBERY AND POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA. BOND DETAILS HAVE NOT BEEN RELEASED.
