8-25-23
YESTERDAY THE LAFAYETTE PUBLIC LIBRABRY BOARD OF CONTROL VOTED ON AN INTERIM LIBRARY DIRECTOR TO TAKE OVER FOR DANNY GILLANE, WHO THEY FIRED MONDAY. DANIELLE DUNCAN HAS MORE.
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THE PRINCIPAL AT CENTRAL MIDDLE SCHOOL IN EUNICE WAS ARRESTED YESTERDAY FOR CONTRIBUTING TO THE DELINQUENCY OF JUVENILES. FORTY-EIGHT-YEAR-OLD BRETT SEMIEN ALLEGEDLY TRIED TO TEMPT TWO STUDENTS AT THE SCHOOL TO FIGHT. THAT’S WHEN ONE STUDENT STRUCK THE OTHER WITHOUT PROVOCATION. SEMIEN THEN SEPERATED THE TWO AND ENDED THE INCIDENT.
BECAUSE OF WILDFIRES, BEAUREGARD PARISH OFFICIALS ISSUED A MANDATORY EVACUATION FOR THE TOWN OF MERRYVILLE, WHICH HAS ABOUT ONE THOUSAND RESIDENTS. BUSES WERE STAGED AT TOWN HALL TO TAKE RESIDENTS OUT OF HARM’S WAY. ACCORDING TO STATE POLICE, A WILDFIRE IN VERNON PARISH NEAR PITKIN WAS BURNING OUT OF CONTROL, PROMPTING A MANDATORY EVACUATION THERE. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAYS AT LEAST ONE HOME WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE.
GOVERNOR JOHN BEL EDWARDS WILL BE CONDUCTING A FLYOVER OF THE WILDFIRE DAMAGE IN BEAUREGARD PARISH. DANIELLE DUNCAN REPORTS.
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CROWLEY FIREFIGHTERS ARE ON THE WAY TO BEAUREGARD PARISH TO HELP PUT OUT THE WILDFIRES. THE CROWLEY FIRE DEPARTMENT ASKED FOR PRAYER FOR THEM AND ALL EMERGENCY PERSONNEL DEALING WITH FIRES AROUND THE STATE. THE SCOTT FIRE DEPARTMENT IS THERE AS WELL HELPING BATTLE THE TIGER ISLAND FIRE IN BEAUREGARD PARISH. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME IN ABOUT A WEEK THEY HAVE BEEN CALLED TO HELP.
A COMPANY CALLED RIGID CONSTRUCTORS WAS TOLD TO STOP SETTING FIRES ALONG HIGHWAY THREE FIFTY-EIGHT IN CHURCH POINT. STATE FIRE MARSHALS ISSUED A WARNING TO THE MAN WHO OWNS THE LAND. THE LANDOWNER TOLD KATC TV THAT THE LAND WAS BEING CLEARED FOR GROWING RICE AND RAISING CRAWFISH. A STATEWIDE BURN BAN IS IN PLACE.
A NEW POLL SHOWS MORE SUPPORT FOR EXPANDING ABORTION ACCESS IN LOUISIANA. FIFTY PERCENT OF LIKELY VOTERS IN THE STATE SUPPORT EXPANDING A WOMAN’S RIGHT TO AN ABORTION WHILE FORTY-TWO PERCENT WANT TO KEEP STATE LAWS AS THEY ARE. THE NEW POLL DID NOT SHED LIGHT ON HOW MUCH VOTERS WANT TO SEE THE LAW EXPANDED. BEN CLAPPER OF LOUSIANA RIGHT TO LIFE SAYS RESPONSES IN THE POLL CANNOT BE TRUSTED BECAUSE WORDING ON THE SURVEY DID NOT INCLUDE EXCEPTIONS ALREADY ALLOWED IN THE LOUISIANA LAW.
LAST NIGHT THE YOUNGSVILLE CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO MAKE CODY LOUVIERE THE INTERIM POLICE CHIEF AFTER POLICE CHIEF RICKEY BOUDREAUX ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT EARLIER THIS MONTH FOR MEDICAL REASONS. LOUVIERE HAS SERVED IN SEVERAL ROLES AT THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SHERFF’S OFFICE, INCLUDING HIS LATEST WHICH WAS PATROL LIEUTENANT. THE YOUNGSVILLE POLICE OFFICERS SIGNED A PETITION ASKING THE COUNCIL TO APPOINT DEPUTY CHIEF GABRIEL THOMPSON AS THE INTERIM POLICE CHIEF. THOMPSON’S WIFE, LEXI, TOLD THE COUNCIL LAST NIGHT THAT THEY IGNORED THE WISHES OF THE OFFICERS, WHICH PROMPTED A LENGTHY APPLAUSE FROM THOSE IN ATTENDANCE.
