7-11-19
OFFICIALS IN ACADIA PARISH DECLARED A STATE OF EMERGENCY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. MEGAN KELLY HAS MORE.
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OFFICIALS WITH THE TECHE VERMILLION FRESH WATER DISTRICT ARE TRYING TO LOWER THE WATER LEVEL IN THE VERMILLION RIVER SO IT CAN HANDLE MORE WATER, IF THERE IS A BIG RAIN EVENT THIS WEEKEND. THEY ARE DOING THAT BY STOPPING THE PUMPING OF FRESH WATER FROM BAYOU COURTABLEAU INTO BAYOU TECHE AND THE VERMILLION RIVER. LAFAYETTE CITY PARISH COUNCILWOMAN NANETTE COOK TELLS THE ADVOCATE THAT THEY ARE HOPING FOR A TWO FOOT DROP IN THE VERMILLION’S WATER LEVEL BE THE TIME THE RAIN STARTS. SHE SAYS IN AUGUST 2016, OFFICIALS WAITED TOO LATE TO STOP THE PUMPS , WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE OVERFLOWING AND MAJOR FLOODING.
YOUNGSVILLE WAS ONE OF THE HARDEST HIT AREAS DURING THE 2016 FLOODS AND THE CITY GOVERNMENT IS MAKING PREPARATIONS TO MAKE SURE THEY DON’T HAVE A REPEAT WITH THE POTENTIAL TROPICAL WEATHER THIS WEEKEND. THIS WEEK, THEY HAVE BEEN PUMPING OUT NEIGHBORHOOD PONDS TO ALLOW ROOM FOR THE RAIN WATERS. THEY’VE ALSO BEEN WORKING WITH FARMERS TO REMOVE CULVERTS THAT COULD PREVENT DRAINAGE. CITY WORKERS ARE ALSO RUNNING VIDEOS THROUGH DRAINAGE LINES TO CHECK FOR ANY BLOCKAGES.
THE SENTENCING OF A MAN, WHO SHOT AND KILLED A STATE TROOPER, IS NOT EXPECTED TO HAPPEN UNTIL SATURDAY OR LATER, DEPENDING ON THE WEATHER. 57-YEAR-OLD KEVIN DAIGLE SHOT AND KILLED STATE TROOPER STEVEN VINCENT IN 2015 NEAR BELL CITY IN CALCASIEU PARISH. THE TRIAL WAS MOVED TO LAFAYETTE PARISH AND A JURY ON TUESDAY CONVICTED DAIGLE ON A FIRST DEGREE MURDER CHARGE. THE JURY WILL REMAIN SEQUESTERED IN A HOTEL THROUGH THE SENTENCING AND IT WILL REQUIRE A UNANIMOUS VOTE FOR DAIGLE TO GET THE DEATH SENTENCE.
A RAYNE WOMAN HAS BEEN ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY SETTING A FIRE AT A DUPLEX ON LEE CROSSING ROAD EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. OFFICIALS LEARNED THERE WERE TWO FIRES AT THE DUPLEX, ONE LATE MONDAY NIGHT, WHICH WAS PUT OUT WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER, AND ONE THAT OCCURRED JUST AFTER TWO TUESDAY MORNING. 58-YEAR-OLD ANTOINETTE LEOPAUL WAS ARRESTED ON AN AGGRAVATED ARSON CHARGE AFTER AN INVESTIGATION. LEOPAUL HAS PREVIOUSLY SERVED PRISON TIME FOR A SIMPLE ARSON CONVICTION IN ACADIA PARISH IN 2006.
A NEW PILOT PROGRAM WILL ALLOW STUDENTS AT SAM HOUSTON HIGH SCHOOL IN LAKE CHARLES TO BRING THEIR CELL PHONES TO SCHOOL. THE PHONES WILL BE REQUIRED TO BE OFF AT CERTAIN TIMES BUT STUDENTS WILL BE ALLOWED TO USE THEM IN THE CLASSROOM FOR INSTRUCTIONAL PURPOSES AND DURING LUNCH AND DURING PASSING PERIODS. UNDER THE CURRENT NO-CELL PHONE POLICY, STUDENTS WERE PUNISHED OFTEN, WITH MORE THAN A THOUSAND SCHOOL DAYS LOST IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS DUE TO TIME SPENT IN IN-SCHOOL ISOLATION FOR VIOLATIONS. SAM HOUSTON HIGH SCHOOL IS THE ONLY SCHOOL IN CALCASIEU PARISH PARTICIPATING IN THE PILOT PROGRAM AND, AFTER NINE WEEKS, UPDATES WILL BE PROVIDED TO THE SCHOOL BOARD TO DECIDE IF ANY CHANGES NEED TO BE MADE.
AN OFFICER AT THE ST. MARTIN PARISH CORRECTIONAL CENTER HAS BEEN ARRESTED FOR FRAUDULENTLY OBTAINING FOOD STAMPS. 29-YEAR-OLD KANESHIA FRANCIS IS ACCUSED OF GIVING FALSE INFORMATION ON A DOCUMENT IN ORDER TO GET THE FOOD STAMPS. SHE WAS BOOKED INTO THE ST. MARTIN PARISH CORRECTIONAL CENTER ON TUESDAY ON A CHARGE OF GOVERNMENT BENEFITS FRAUD. SHE HAS BEEN FIRED FROM HER JOB AS WELL.
