8-31-23
MULTIPLE FIRES SPREAD THROUGHOUT SAINT LANDRY PARISH WEDNESDAY. SYLVIA MASTERS HAS THE DETAILS.
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WITH HURRICANE IDALIA SLAMMING FLORIDA AND MOVING THROUGH THE CAROLINAS, IT’S MAKING THE WILDFIRE THREAT TO LOUISIANA THE WORST ITS EVER SEEN, AND THAT INCREASED THREAT WILL LAST FOR THE NEXT FORTY-EIGHT HOURS. HERE’S SYLVIA MASTERS WITH MORE.
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A WAREHOUSE CAUGHT FIRE YESTERDAY AT THE CORNER OF LACOUR AVENUE AND STEWART STREET IN LAFAYETTE. FIRE FIGHTERS WERE DISPATCHED TO THE SCENE SHORTLY BEFORE SEVEN P-M. THEY MANAGED TO CONTAIN THE FIRE AND STAYED AT THE SCENE TO MONITOR HOT SPOTS. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.
THE MAN WHO GOT INVOLVED IN A SHOOTOUT WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN CALCASIEU PARISH SATURDAY NIGHT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS THIRTY-FOUR-YEAR-OLD SPENCER J. WILSON OF JACKSONVILLE, TEXAS. ACCORDING TO AUTHORITIES, WILSON TRIED TO FLEE WHEN A DEPUTY ATTEMPTED TO PULL HIM OVER FOR AN EQUIPMENT VIOLATION ON L-A TWENTY-SEVEN NEAR HACKBERRY, AND THE PURSUIT ENDED WHEN HE CRASHED HIS VEHICLE INTO A DITCH ON ISLAND ROAD AND L-A ONE-OH-EIGHT. WILSON EXITED THE VEHICLE FIRING AT OFFICERS WHO RETURNED FIRE, AND HE WAS LATER FOUND IN A FIELD WITH A SELF-INFLICTED GUNSHOT WOUND. A SULPHUR POLICE OFFICER WAS TREATED AND RELEASED FOR A GUNSHOT WOUND TO THE HEAD.
A VERMILLION PARISH JURY FOUND TWO MEN GUILTY OF SECOND-DEGREE MURDER YESTERDAY EVENING. TWENTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD DONALD BRIGGS THE THIRD AND TWENTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD STEFAN BRIGGS WERE PRONOUNCED GUILTY FOR THE SHOOTING DEATH OF EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD JAZAYLON LEVY ON JULY FOURTEENTH OF LAST YEAR AT THE STONEBRIDGE APARTEMENT COMPLEX ON RODEO DRIVE IN ABBEVILLE. WHEN POLICE ARRIVED ON THE SCENE OF THE SHOOTING, THEY FOUND LEVY WITH A SERIOUS GUNSHOT WOUND TO THE HIP AND HE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL, WHERE HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD. AUTHORITIES BELIEVE LEVY, WHO RECENTLY MOVED TO ABBEVILLE, WAS AN INNOCENT BYSTANDER.
ENTERGY LOUISIANA IS ASKING THE STATE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION FOR PERMISSION TO RAISE ELECTRIC RATES BY MORE THAN FIVE PERCENT BEGINNING IN SEPTEMBER OF NEXT YEAR. THE UTILITY IS SEEKING TO INCREASE REVENUES BY ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY-THREE MILLION DOLLARS OVER A THREE-YEAR PERIOD. IF APPROVED, THE AVERAGE CUSTOMER’S ELECTRIC BILL WOULD INCREASE BY JUST OVER EIGHT DOLLARS A MONTH. THE ADVOCATE IS REPORTING THAT TWO MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION ARE PUSHING FOR A BROADER PROBE OF ENTERGY’S SPENDING, WHICH COULD LEAD TO CHANGES IN HOW THE STATE REGULATES ITS BIGGEST PROWER PROVIDER.
ROBERT JUDGE STEPPED DOWN AS PRESIDENT OF THE LAFAYETTE PARISH LIBRARY BOARD IN AN EMAIL SENT TO FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS MONDAY AFTERNOON. THE MOVE COMES AFTER THE RECENT SURPRISE FIRING OF LIBRARY DIRECTOR DANNY GILLANE. JUDGE WILL REMAIN A BOARD MEMBER AS HIS TERM EXPIRES IN TWO YEARS. SOME LAFAYETTE COMMUNITY LEADERS ARE CALLING FOR HIS REMOVAL FROM THE BOARD INCLUDING PARISH COUNCIL MEMBER A-B RUBIN, WHO SAYS HE WILL EXPLAIN HIS REASONING AT THE COUNCIL’S SEPTEMBER FIFTH MEETING.
CHURCH POINT POLICE WILL BEGIN STRICTLY ENFORCING CROSSWALK LAWS. POLICE CHIEF DALE THIBODEAUX SAYS THEY’VE BEEN GETTING COMPLAINTS ABOUT CARS NOT STOPPING FOR PEDESTRIANS USING THE CROSSWALKS. HE ESPECIALLY NOTED THE CROSSWALK ON MAIN STREET AT LUGAR, WHERE KIDS ARE TRYING TO GET TO AND FROM SCHOOL. HE SAYS OFFICERS WILL BE ISSUING CITATIONS TO DRIVERS WHO DO NOT ABIDE BY THE CROSSING SIGNS.
