8-16-23
VILLE PLATTE POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING A HOMOCIDE THAT THEY SAY IS THE FOURTH MURDER OF THIS YEAR. SYLVIA MASTERS REPORTS.
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THE LAFAYETTE MUNICIPAL FIRE AND POLICE CIVIL SERVICE BOARD REJECTED AN APPEAL FROM A FIRED POLICE OFFICER SEEKING TO GET HIS JOB BACK. ALEX RITTER WAS FIRED IN APRIL OF TWENTY-TWENTY-ONE FOR EXCESSIVE USE OF FORCE AND VIOLATING PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT STANDARDS. RITTER WAS ARRESTED FOR REPEATEDLY PUNCHING A HANDCUFFED SUSPECT OUTSIDE THE LAFAYETTE PARISH CORRECTIONAL CENTER. A GRAND JURY DECIDED AGAINST PRESSING CHARGES AGAINST RITTER, WHO NOW LIVES IN NORTH CAROLINA.
STATE AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER MIKE STRAIN HAS OFFICIALLY WON REELECTION BECAUSE NO ONE QUALIFIED LAST WEEK TO RUN AGAINST HIM. STRAIN TOOK OVER THE OFFICE IN TWO THOUSAND EIGHT AFTER UNSEATING THE INCUMBENT BOB ODOM. STRAIN SAYS HE FULFILLED A CAMPAIGN PLEDGE TO SHAKE THE DEPARTMENT DOWN TO ITS ROOTS AND REBUILD IT FROM THE GROUND UP. STRAIN SAYS, DURING HIS TENURE, HE HAS REDUCED THE BUDGET FROM ONE HUNDRED SIX TO EIGHTY-FOUR MILLION DOLLARS AND SHRUNK THE NUMBER OF FULL TIME EMPLOYEES FROM ONE THOUSAND TO SIX HUNDRED SIXTEEN.
A DRIVER WAS KILLED IN A SINGLE-VEHICLE CRASH IN CALCASIEU PARISH MONDAY NIGHT. AT AROUND NINE THAT NIGHT, THIRTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD BRITTANY LYNN SLUSHER OF SULPHUR WAS TRAVELING WEST ON HIGHWAY NINETY WHEN SHE LOST CONTROL OF HER VEHICLE NEAR EDGERLY CUTOFF, AND WENT OFF THE ROAD, STRIKING A TREE. SLUSHER WAS TAKEN TO A LAKE CHARLES HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT BUT LATER THAT NIGHT, SHE DIED. THE CRASH REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION BY STATE POLICE.
A SHRIMPER FROM DELCAMBRE WAS RESCUED SATURDAY AFTERNOON AFTER BEING STRANDED IN VERMILLION BAY FOR THREE DAYS. GEORGE ROMERO’S BOAT WAS HIT BY AN OUTRIGGER AND HE USED A BROKEN PIECE OF HIS BOAT AS A FLOTATION DEVICE AND A FIBERGLASS SHIELD TO PROTECT HIM FROM THE SUN. LORRIE ARDOIN, THE OWNER OF VERMILLION BAY CHARTERS, WAS TAKING A GROUP OUT FISHING SATURDAY AFTERNOON WHEN HE SPOTTED ROMERO, WALKING BAREFOOT ON OYSTER SHELLS. ARDOIN TELLS KLFY TV THAT GOD DEFINITELY PUT HIM THERE TO GET ROMERO.
THE EXTREMELY HOT SUMMER IS AFFECTING HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAMS IN THE AREA AND THEIR PRACTICES. TOMMY COURVILLE, WHO COACHES THE CARENCRO HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAM, IS USING AN APP RECOMMENDED BY THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM CALLED ZELUS. IT USES WET BULB GLOBE TEMPERATURE TO DETERMINE IF THE CURRENT HEAT STRESS WILL AFFECT A PLAYER. COURVILLE TELLS KATC TV THAT IF IT READS AT NINETY-THREE OR BELOW, THEY CAN PRACTICE, BUT ABOVE THAT, THEY DON’T PRACTICE.
A hearing over whether to remove incarcerated youths from a temporary lockup at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, a remote maximum-security adult prison with a notorious history of violence, began Tuesday. For months, youths have alleged that they are being held in harmful conditions, suffering through dangerous heat waves, extended containment to their cells, foul water and inadequate schooling. On Tuesday, the court heard testimony from facility staff about the operation of and day-to-day life at Angola. In addition, the federal judge overseeing the hearing — who recently visited the former death row building where juvenile detainees are held — described seeing at least four youths in handcuffs during her visit.
THE ACADIA PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE IS INVESTIGATING A SHOOTING AT THE MEADOWS APARTMENTS LAST FRIDAY. YONA TEZENO TELLS KLFY TV THAT HER TWENTY-EIGHT-YEAR-OLD SON WAS SITTING OUTSIDE HER APARTMENT WHEN HE WAS SHOT. SHE SAYS HER SON HAS BEEN IN CRITICAL CONDITION SINCE THE SHOOTING. TEZENO SAYS HER FAMILY HAS BEEN IMPACTED BY SEVERAL SHOOTINGS IN CROWLEY AND WONDERS WHEN JUSTICE WILL BE SERVED.
