7-30-18
LAFAYETTE POLICE SAY THERE’S BEEN A RASH OF VEHICLE BURGLARIES IN CITY NEIGHBORHOODS RECENTLY. CORPORAL KARL RATCLIFF SAYS JUST LAST WEEK, FIVE HANDGUNS WERE TAKEN FROM VEHICLES. HE TELLS KLFY TV THAT THERE’S NO DOUBT THAT STOLEN GUNS ARE USED IN SHOOTINGS AND HOMOCIDES THAT THEY ARE INVESTIGATING. RATCLIFF SAYS THAT IF DRIVERS WOULD JUST LOCK THEIR VEHICLES, IT WOULD PREVENT MOST BURGLARIES.
THERE WAS A BOAT EXPLOSION ON THE CALCASIEU RIVER EARLY YESTERDAY MORNING. THREE MEN WERE WORKING ON THE BOAT WHEN IT EXPLODED AT A PRIVATE DOCK NEAR THE WEST FORK OF THE RIVER. THE MEN WERE RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL IN CRITICAL CONDITION, BUT SINCE THEN, THEY’VE BEEN UPGRADED TO STABLE. THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES AND THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL’S OFFICE ARE INVESTIGATING THE EXPLOSION.
DEPUTIES IN ST. MARTIN PARISH ARE INVESTIGATING WHY TWO MEN WERE LEFT SHOT IN A VEHICLE OVER THE WEEKEND. ONE OF THOSE VICTIMS LATER DIED. JEFF HORCHAK HAS MORE.
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IN THE RUSH TO BALANCE THE STATE’S BUDGET, LEGISLATORS ACCIDENTALLY CANCELLED ALL SALES TAX HOLIDAYS FOR THE NEXT SEVEN YEARS. ONE WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR THIS UPCOMING WEEKEND, A BACK TO SCHOOL SALES TAX WEEKEND. REPUBLICAN STATE REPRESENTATIVE JACK MCFARLAND OF JONESBORO TELLS THE ADVOCATE THAT IT WAS TWO WEEKS AFTER THE NEGOTIATIONS THAT HE REALIZED WHAT THEY HAD DONE, BUT HE SAYS HE WOULD PROBABLY STILL HAVE VOTED FOR THE FINALIZED BUDGET PLAN. THE TAX FOUNDATION AND THE PUBLIC AFFAIRS RESEARCH COUNCIL BOTH CONTEND THAT SALES TAX HOLIDAYS DO NOT SPUR ADDITIONAL RETAIL SALES.
BROUSSARD POLICE ARE ASKING THE PUBLIC’S HELP TO SOLVE A HOMOCIDE CASE THAT HAPPENED ON MAY 25TH. LEON WILLIAMS JUNIOR WAS SHOT TO DEATH AT THE PINES APARTMENTS ON LEON STREET, BUT EVIDENCE INDICATES THERE WAS A FIGHT BEFORE THE SHOOTING AND THE SUSPECT MAY HAVE SUFFERED INJURIES. A SILVER FOUR DOOR CAR WAS SEEN BY WITNESSES LEAVING THE SCENE AFTER THE SHOOTING. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION IS ASKED TO CALL CRIMESTOPPERS OF LAFAYETTE AT 232-TIPS.
A woman who pleaded guilty earlier this year to stealing money from the Louisiana law firm she once worked for has been sentenced to a year and 10 months in prison. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Lake Charles said in a Friday news release that 54-year-old Pamela Ann Fayko was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dee Drell. Prosecutors said Fayko was a bookkeeper and office manager for a Lake Charles law firm from 2008 until 2016. In February, she pleaded guilty to using the company credit card and checkbook in the theft of more than $332,000.
A small Louisiana town is trying to figure out what to do after no one volunteered to run for police chief. KATC-TV reports that the police chief in Palmetto, a village of about 170 people, moved away so he can’t run for re-election. But no one threw their hat in the ring to run for the job in the recent qualifying period.
Alderman Guyton Budden says the board of Alderman is looking at other options such as asking the sheriff’s office to patrol or seeing whether they can appoint a police chief.
VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS FROM BRANCH ARE MOURNING THE LOSS OF ONE OF THEIR OWN. 28-YEAR-OLD AZALIE “NICOLE” MECHE DIED AT HER HOME FRIDAY MORNING FROM CANCER. THE FUNERAL WILL TAKE PLACE THIS AFTERNOON AT THE DUHON FUNERAL HOME IN RAYNE. IN A FACEBOOK POST, THE BRANCH VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT THANKED NEIGHBORING FIRE DEPARTMENTS FOR STANDING WITH THEM, INCLUDING THE RICHARD FIRE DEPARTMENT, WHICH WASHED, WAXED AND DETAILED THEIR TRUCKS IN PREPARATION FOR TODAY’S FUNERAL CONVOY.
