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THREE MEN WERE INDICTED YESTERDAY IN A LAFAYETTE COLD CASE THAT DATES BACK TO 2007. A GRAND JURY INDICTED 32-YEAR-OLD KENDALL SMITH OF PLAIN DEALING, AND 29-YEAR-OLD MARCUS SMITH AND 33-YEAR-OLD EDWARD WOODS, BOTH OF ALEXANDRIA. THEY ARE ACCUSED OF BEATING TO DEATH 39-YEAR-OLD MALCOLM SMITH IN A GAS STATION PARKING LOT AT THE CORNER OF JEFFERSON STREET AND EVANGELINE THRUWAY AFTER DAVIS ALLEGEDLY SHOPLIFTED A CAN OF BEER. THE CASE HAD REMAINED UNSOLVED FOR TEN YEARS UNTIL A SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT WAS FORMED IN THE LAFAYETTE POLICE DEPARTMENT LAST YEAR TO REVISIT UNSOLVED CASES.
THE CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE HAS RELEASED THE IDENTITY OF A BODY FOUND IN A WOODED AREA OF STARKS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. SPOKESWOMAN KIM MYERS SAYS THE DEAD MAN IS 22-YEAR-OLD DUSTIN R. HAMMONS OF HOUSTON. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF TRAUMA TO THE BODY SO HIS DEATH IS BEING RULED A HOMOCIDE. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION ON THE HOMOCIDE OR WHO SAW SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY NEAR HIGHWAY 12 AND CREEK ROAD ON TUESDAY OR WEDNESDAY IS ASKED TO CALL THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE OR CRIME STOPPERS AT 439-2222.
A RAYNE MAN WAS SENTENCED YESTERDAY FOR TAKING EXPLICIT VIDEOS AND IMAGES OF A GIRL ON HIS CELL PHONE AND SENDING THEM TO HIS LAPTOP COMPUTER. 37-YEAR-OLD RAYLIN RICHARD WAS SENT TO PRISON FOR 17-AND-A-HALF YEARS AND 15 YEARS SUPERVISED RELEASE, AND WAS FINED TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS. THE MOTHER OF THE GIRL FOUND THE IMAGES AND VIDEOS ON RICHARD’S CELLPHONE AND CONTACTED AUTHORITIES IN MAY OF 2015. RICHARD TOOK THE IMAGES AND PHOTOS WHILE HE LIVED IN CROWLEY.
A NEW STUDY RANKS LOUISIANA AS THE STATE THAT CONSUMES THE MOST ENERGY. THE U-S ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION SAYS THE STATE USED 912 MILLION BRITISH THERMAL UNITS IN 2015, THE LAST YEAR FOR WHICH DATA IS AVAILABLE. MICKEY FRANCIS, WHO IS THE AUTHOR OF THE REPORT, SAYS ENERGY CONSUMED DOES NOT MEAN ENERGY WASTED “BY ANY MEANS.” LOUISIANA CONSUMED ABOUT 4-POINT-3 QUADRILLION B-T-U’S IN 2015, WHICH IS ABOUT 4-POINT-4 PERCENT OF THE U-S’ TOTAL.
SOME LAFAYETTE PARISH PARENTS ARE UPSET WHEN THEY’VE LEARNED WHERE THE NEW SATELLITE BUS STOPS ARE FOR STUDENTS WHO ATTEND SCHOOLS OF CHOICE. THE SCHOOL BOARD CUT ONE-POINT-7-5 MILLION DOLLARS FROM THE TRANSPORTATION BUDGET, MEANING THERE ARE MORE THAN TWENTY FEWER BUS ROUTES THIS YEAR. MORE THAN FOUR THOUSAND STUDENTS ATTEND SCHOOLS OF CHOICE ACADEMIES OUTSIDE THEIR ATTENDANCE ZONES, AND THERE WILL BE 115 SCHOOLS OF CHOICE OR GIFTED SATELLITE STOPS. SOME PARENTS HAVE TOLD THE DAILY ADVERTISER THAT THEY DON’T LIKE WHERE THOSE SATELLITE STOPS ARE LOCATED AND ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE STUDENTS.
THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND DEVELOPMENT WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE BY THE SPRING OF 2019 TO REPLACE THE I-TEN BRIDGE IN LAKE CHARLES. THE DEPARTMENT SAYS THE PRICE TAG FOR A NEW BRIDGE IS HALF A BILLION DOLLARS, AND THERE IS NO FUNDING PLAN YET, THOUGH TOLLS COULD BE AN OPTION. PLANS UNDER CONSIDERATION INCLUDE BUILDING A NEW BRIDGE JUST NORTH OF THE CURRENT BRIDGE OR A NEW BRIDGE THAT WOULD GO OVER LAKE CHARLES AND THE CONTRABAND BAYOU. THE D-O-T-D IS TAKING PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THE PROJECT UNTIL AUGUST 14TH.
A BREAUX BRIDGE MAN HAS BEEN ARRESTED AFTER A COMPLAINT WAS MADE ABOUT ALLEGED SEXUAL ABUSE OF A JUVENILE. 42-YEAR-OLD DANIEL DAVID HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH AN AGGRAVATED CRIME AGAINST NATURE. A SPOKESWOMAN WITH THE ST. MARTIN PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAYS THE ARREST STEMS FROM AN INVESTIGATION THAT BEGAN IN APRIL. DAVID WAS BOOKED INTO THE ST. MARTIN PARISH CORRECTIONAL CENTER AND, AS OF YESTERDAY EVENING, HIS BOND WAS NOT YET SET.
SEVEN ACADIANA PARISHES WILL BE RECEIVING THIRTY MILLION DOLLARS TO HELP REDUCE FLOODING. GOVERNOR JOHN BEL EDWARDS MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT IN LAFAYETTE YESTERDAY DURING THE KICKOFF OF THE LOUISIANA RESILIENT RECOVERY STUDY. EDWARDS CALLED THE LEADERS OF THE ACADIANA PARISHES COURAGEOUS FOR POOLING TOGETHER THEIR HAZARD MITIGATION FUNDS TO FOCUS ON IMPROVING DRAINAGE REGIONALLY RATHER THAN SPENDING THEIR MONEY ON SMALL PROJECTS THAT WOULD BENEFIT ONLY THAT AREA. HE SAYS A 25 PERCENT MATCH WILL BRING IT TO A TOTAL OF 37 TO 38 MILLION DOLLARS FOR FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT IN THE EIGHT PARISH ACADIANA REGION.
