8-28-25
LAFAYETTE POLICE HAVE MADE AN ARREST IN A SHOOTING THAT WOUNDED A SIX-YEAR-OLD GIRL. THE GIRL, RYLIEE WATSON, RECEIVED MULTIPLE GUNSHOT WOUNDS AT A VIGIL LAST WEEKEND AT DEBAILLON PARK. SHE IS IN CRITICAL CARE AT A BATON ROUGE HOSPITAL THOUGH LAFAYETTE POLICE HAVE SAID HER CONDITION IS STABLE. TWENTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD DAYLON ANDRUS FACES AN ATTEMPTED SECOND-DEGREE MURDER CHARGE AND HIS BOND IS SET AT FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
A JENNINGS WOMAN, WHO WAS REPORTED MISSING EARLIR THIS WEEK, WAS FOUND DEAD YESTERDAY, THE VICTIM OF AN APPARENT HIT-AND RUN. THE BODY OF FIFTY-THREE-YEAR-OLD BONNIE FONTENOT WAS FOUND IN THE MEDIAN ON THE I-TEN FRONTAGE ROAD, JUST EAST OF U-S ONE SIXTY-FIVE IN JEFF DAVIS PARISH. AN INVESTIGATION BY STATE POLICE DETERMINED THAT AN UNKNOWN VEHICLE TRAVELING ON THE I-TEN FRONTAGE ROAD STRUCK FONTENOT AND LEFT THE SCENE. FONTENOT HAD LAST BEEN SEEN FRIDAY NIGHT AT THE LOST SHOE R-V PARK.
CRIME STATISTICS IN OPELOUSAS ARE DECREASING AND PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER JOE ANDERSON CREDITS POLICE CHIEF GRAIG LEBLANC. ANDERSON TELLS KLFY TV LEBLANC BELIEVES IN BEING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND IT’S LEADING TO POSITIVE RESULTS. HE SAYS OPELOUSAS POLICE WILL BE POLICING HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL GAMES WITH THE HELP OF THE SAINT LANDRY PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE. ANDERSON SAYS A CLEAR BAG POLICY IS IN PLACE FOR THE GAMES IN ORDER FOR PEOPLE TO FEEL SAFE.
LOUISIANA ATTORNEY GENERAL LIZ MURRILL FILED A BRIEF IN A REDISTRICTING CASE THAT GOES BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT IN OCTOBER. SHE TAKES THE STANCE THAT THE CREATION OF A SECOND BLACK MAJORITY CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL. SHE SAYS RACE-BASED REDISTRICTING VIOLATES THE EQUAL PROTECTION CLAUSE BY USING RACIAL STEREOTYPES. DEFENDANTS IN THE CASE FILED A BRIEF AS WELL, SAYING SECTION TWO OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT IS CONSTITUTIONAL AND NECESSARY TO PREVENT RACIAL DISCRIMINATION.
FORMER LAFAYETTE ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY GARY HAYNES WAS DENIED IN HIS REQUEST TO EXCLUDE EVIDENCE IN HIS UPCOMING BRIBERY TRIAL. HE WANTED FILES SEIZED BY THE F-B-I DURING A RAID ON HIS OFFICE EXCLUDED. THE JUDGE DENIED HIS REQUEST. HAYNES’ TRIAL IS SET TO BEGIN ON SEPTEMBER EIGHTH.
REAL-TIME FOOTAGE FROM A STOLEN GAME CAMERA LED TO THE ARREST OF A SUSPECT. A CELLULAR GAME CAMERA SET UP AT A HOME ON SECTION STREET IN RAYNE CAPTURED IMAGES OF A MAN ENTERING THE HOME AND STEALING SEVERAL ITEMS INCLUDING ONE OF THE CAMERAS. TRANSMISSIONS FROM THE CAMERA SHOWED IT HAD BEEN MOVED TO A NEARBY RESIDENCE ON ARCENEAUX DRIVE. THIRTY-EIGHT-YEAR-OLD COURTNEY DERELL WHITE WAS ARRESTED ON A CHARGE OF SIMPLE BURGLARY AND BOOKED INTO THE ACADIA PARISH JAIL ON A FIVE THOUSAND DOLLAR BOND.
LOUISIANA TAXPAYERS HAVE UNTIL SEPTEMBER SIXTH TO CLAIM MILLIONS IN STATE TAX REFUNDS BEFORE THEY BECOME UNCLAIMED PROPERTY. LAYNE MILLER HAS MORE.
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THE CITY OF EUNICE HAS RECEIVED TWO-AND-A-HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN STATE FUNDING ALLOCATED FROM THE LOUISIANA APPROPRIATIONS BILL. ONE-POINT-THREE MILLION WILL GO TO RENOVATIONS TO CITY HALL AND THE CITY JAIL. THE FUNDS FOR THE JAIL WILL HELP INCREASE THE CAPACITY FROM THIRTY-SEVEN TO FIFTY-SIX INMATES. THE REMAINING ONE-POINT-TWO MILLION DOLLARS WILL BE USED TO REVITALIZE THE HISTORIC LIBERTY THEATRE.
