6-8-26
A THIRTY-NINE-YEAR-OLD MAN WAS KILLED SATURDAY NIGHT IN A SHOOTING ON DAIGRE STREET IN NEW IBERIA. WHEN NEW IBERIA POLICE ARRIVED ON THE SCENE, SHOTS WERE STILL BEING FIRED. THEY SAY THE SHOOTING MAY HAVE STEMMED FROM AN ALTERCATION INVOLVING GROUPS OF PEOPLE THAT EXCALATED. TWO PEOPLE WERE DETAINED AT THE SCENE. THE NAMES OF THE VICTIM OR THE SUSPECTS HAVE NOT BEEN RELEASED.
THE FATE OF COMEAUX HIGH SCHOOL IS STILL UP IN THE AIR AND, THIS WEEK, THE SCHOOL BOARD IS SCHEDULED TO VOTE AGAIN ON WHETHER NOT TO CLOSE AND REPURPOSE THE CAMPUS. GEORGE FAUST HAS THE DETAILS.
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THE LOUISIANA SECRETARY OF STATE IS CALLING ON RESIDENTS TO SIGN UP TO WORK FOR THE JUNE TWENTY-SEVENTH AND NOVEMBER THIRD ELECTIONS. GEORGE FAUST HAS MORE.
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WORK CREWS WILL BE PERFORMING UNDERGROUND UTILITY REPAIRS NEAR MCNEESE AND EILEEN STREETS, BETWEEN HIGHLAND DRIVE AND EAST MEADOW LANE IN LAKE CHARLES. THE WORK BEGINS AT EIGHT THIS MORNING AND CONTINUES THROUGH MONDAY, JULY SIXTH, WEATHER PERMITTING. THE OUTSIDE LANE OF MCNEESE STREET AND THE NORTHBOUND LANE OF EILEEN STREET WILL BE PERMANENTLY CLOSED DURING THE PROJECT. DRIVERS ARE URGED TO USE CAUTION AND ALLOW EXTRA TIME WHEN TRAVELING THROUGH THE AREA.
THE TWO DRIVERS IN A CRASH IN CHURCH POINT IN APRIL WERE ARRESTED SATURDAY AND BOOKED INTO THE SAINT LANDRY PARISH JAIL AFTER TOXICOLOGY SAMPLES INDICATED BOTH WERE IMPAIRED. A PASSENGER IN ONE OF THE VEHICLES, EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD MARLEE NORSE OF OPELOUSAS, WAS KILLED IN THE CRASH. THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE NORSE WAS IN, TWENTY-YEAR-OLD ZAYD PARRA OF OPELOUSAS, IS FACING CHARGES OF VEHICULAR HOMOCIDE, TWO COUNTS OF VEHICULAR NEGLIGENT INJURING AND FAILURE TO YIELD AT A STOP SIGN. THE DRIVER OF THE OTHER VEHICLE, THIRTY-EIGHT-YEAR-OLD BENJAMIN DAIGLE, WAS CHARGED WITH FIRST OFFENSE D-W-I WITH CHILD ENDANGERMENT.
U-L LAFAYETTE HAS RELEASED A STATEMENT REGARDING THE PROPOSED PAYROLL TRANSITION WHICH WOULD HAVE REPORTEDLY LEFT SOME EMPLOYEES WITHOUT A PAYCHECK IN AUGUST. PRESIDENT RAMESH KOLLURU SAID IN THE STATEMENET THAT, BASED ON FEEDBACK THEY’VE RECEIVED, THEY’VE IDENTIFIED A SOLUTION. HE SAYS THE APPROACH UNDER CONSIDERATION WOULD ENSURE EVERY EMPLOYEE RECEIVES TWO CHECKS IN AUGUST. KOLLURU SAYS THE PLAN WOULD NOT INTERRUPT HEALTH COVERAGE, RETIREMENT AND OTHER BENEFITS.
THE GOVERNOR SIGNED A BILL LAST WEEK THAT SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASES THE PENALTIES FOR REPEAT D-W-I OFFENDERS. ANYONE CONVICTED OF A THIRD OFFENSE WOULD BE SENTENCED TO BETWEEN FIVE AND FIFTEEN YEARS. A FOURTH OFFENSE WOULD CARRY A TWELVE TO THIRTY YEAR PRISON SENTENCE. ALL SENTENCES WOULD HAVE TO BE SERVED WITHOUT THE BENEFIT OF PAROLE, PROBATION OR SUSPENSION.
THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND C-E-O OF SAINT LANDRY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIED THURSDAY. BILL RODIER WAS WITH THE LOUISIANA WORKFORCE COMMISSION WHEN HE WAS HIRED BY SAINT LANDRY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THIRTEEN YEARS AGO. DURING RODIER’S TIME, THE PARISH SAW SIGNIFICANT GROWTH ALONG THE I-FORTY-NINE CORRIDOR, EXPANDED ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES AND DEVELOPED STRUCTURES THAT BECAME RECOGNIZED IN THE STATE AS A MODEL FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ACCORDING TO THE ADVOCATE. OFFICIALS ISSUED AN ANNOUNCEMENT SAYING RODIER STRENGTHENED INFRASTRUCTURE, ENCOURAGED INVESTMENT, SUPPORTED LOCAL BUSINESSES AND ELEVATED THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR PARISH RESIDENTS.
