6-25-24
LAFAYETTE POLICE HAVE IDENTIFIED THE MAN SHOT AND KILLED ON JUSTIN STREET SUNDAY NIGHT AS THIRTY-YEAR-OLD KENDRICK GREEN. GERALD GRUENIG REPORTS.
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VERMILLION PARISH HAS A NEW ALERT SYSTEM TO KEEP RESIDENTS INFORMED DURING A HURRICANE OR OTHER EMERGENCY. THE DIGITAL MEDIA ASSISTANT FOR ABBEVILLE, CRISTIAN LEJEUNE, SAYS THE NEW SYSTEM, CALLED RAVE, ALLOWS AN APP THAT CAN BE DOWNLOADED TO A PHONE. RESIDENTS CAN ALSO SIGN UP TO GET PARISH-WIDE ALERTS BY TEXTING VERMILLION TO 77295. IT ALSO PROVIDES TOWN-SPECIFIC ALERTS SUCH AS LETTING RESIDENTS KNOW OF A BOIL ADVISORY.
Civil liberties groups have filed a lawsuit challenging Louisiana’s new law mandating that the Ten Commandments must be displayed in every public school classroom. Plaintiffs in the suit filed Monday include parents of Louisiana public school children, represented by attorneys with the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Opponents argue that the law is a violation of separation of church and state and that the display will isolate students, especially those who are not Christian. Proponents say the measure is not solely religious and has historical significance.
THE CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE IS SEARCHING FOR AN INMATE WHO WAS INADVERTENTLY RELEASED ON JUNE TWELFTH. ON THAT DAY, THIRTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD XAVIER JOHNWELL OF LAKE CHARLES WAS RETURNED TO THE CALCASIEU CORRECTIONAL CENTER FROM EAST CARROLL PARISH FOR A COURT HEARING. CALCASIEU PARISH CORRECTIONAL DEPUTIES RELEASED HIMI IN ERROR AND HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING SEVERAL LEADS IN ORDER TO FIND HIM AND RETURN HIM TO CUSTODY. JOHNWELL HAS BEEN SERVING TIME FOR POSSESSION OF A FIREARM BY A CONVICTED FELON AND ILLEGAL CARRYING OF WEAPONS.
A MOTORCYCLIST WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL IN CRITICAL CONDITION AFTER LOSING CONTROL OF THE BIKE ON I-TEN AT UNIVERSITY AVENUE IN LAFAYETTE JUST AFTER SEVEN A-M. THE MOTORCYCLE CRASH LED TO A TRUCK HITTING ANOTHER VEHICLE, WHICH CAUSED IT TO HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE IN ANOTHER LANE. SERGEANT ROBIN GREEN SAYS A PERSON IN ONE OF THOSE VEHICLES WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL AND IS IN STABLE CONDITION. TRAFFIC ON I-TEN WAS BACKED UP FOR MILES FOR MORE THAN TWO HOURS AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENTS.
A SUSPECT WANTED FOR QUESTIONING IN THE DISAPPEARANCE OF A VILLE PLATTE WOMAN IS IN CUSTODY. KEKE DOUCET HAS BEEN MISSING FOR MORE THAN A WEEK AFTER SHE DIDN’T ARRIVE TO PICK UP HER DAUGHTER FROM A SLEEPOVER ON JUNE FIFTEENTH. THE SUSPECT, JERRY VERRETTE, WAS ARRESTED BY VILLE PLATTE POLICE AND HE’S BEING HELD IN THE EVANGELINE PARISH JAIL ON A CHARGE OF SOLICITING FOR PROSTITUTES. KEKE’S COUSIN, RENEE GRIFFITH, TELLS KLFY TV THAT THEY ARE STILL SEARCHING FOR HER AND THEY HAVE SOME LEADS.
THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH HAS LAUNCHED SOME NEW RESOURCES AT THEIR WEBSITE TO HELP LOUISIANA RESIDENTSSTAY SAFE DURING THE HOT SUMMER MONTHS. THOSE RESOURCES INCLUDE AN EXPANDED HEAT-RELATED ILLNESS DASHBOARD WHICH KEEPS TRACK OF EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS BROKEN DOWN BY REGION, PARISH, AGE, SEX AND RACE. LAST SUMMER THERE WERE MORE THAN SIX THOUSAND EMERGENCY ROOM VISITS DUE TO HEAT-RELATED ILLNESSES AND THE DEPARTMENT TRACKED EIGHTY-EIGHT HEAT-RELATED DEATHS. THERE IS ALSO A COLLECTION OF NEW HEAT-RELATED HEALTH GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS AVAILABLE AT LDH-DOT-LA-DOT-GOV.
IBERIA PARISH FIRE CHIEF GUY BONIN SAYS HIS DEPARTMENT IS STRUGGLING WITH LOW RECRUITMENT, A PROBLEM THAT IS A NATIONAL ISSUE. HE SAYS THE TREND OF LOW RECRUITMENT HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR YEARS THAT GOT WORSE AFTER THE PANDEMIC. BONIN SAYS HIS DEPARTMENT IS CAPABLE OF HOLDING UP TO THIRTY-TWO FIREFIGHTERS, BUT NOW THEY ONLY HAVE TWENTY-SEVEN. HE TELLS KLFY TV THAT, DESPITE THE RECRUITMENT PROBLEM, THE IMMEDIATE RESPONSE TIME AND THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY MORE THAN MAKES UP FOR IT.
