9-14-23
LAFAYETTE POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING A SHOOTING THAT OCCURRED JUST AFTER ONE A-M IN THE TWO HUNDRED BLOCK OF MADELINE AVENUE. SYVLIA MASTERS REPORTS.
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OVER HALF AN OUNCE OF FENTANYL WAS DISCOVERED INSIDE AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ZONE BY THE OPELOUSAS CITY MARSHAL’S OFFICE. ASSISTANT CITY MARSHAL LOUIS ARMSTRONG SAYS THE DISCOVERY CAME DURING A TRAFFIC STOP AND THE INDIVIDUALS IN THE CAR HAD OUTSTANDING COURT WARRANTS. ARMSTRONG SAYS IT IS ALARMING THAT THE FENTANYL WAS DISCOVERED IN A SCHOOL ZONE, WHICH, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A SMALL AMOUNT, WAS ENOUGH TO KILL A LARGE GROUP OF PEOPLE. HE SAYS THE FENTANYL WAS PUT IN FALL PACKETS WHICH, HE SUSPECTS, THEY INTENDED TO SELL.
U-S DISTRICT JUDGE SHELLY DICK HAS REFUSED TO HALT HER ORDER TO REMOVE ALL TEENS FROM THE LOUISIANA STATE PENITENTIARY IN ANGOLA BY FRIDAY. THE STATE REQUESTED THE STAY PENDING THEIR APPEAL TO THE U-S FIFTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEAL. THEIR MOTION ARGUED THAT YOUTH AT ANGOLA WERE PRONE TO VIOLENCE AND COULD NOT BE SAFELY CONTAINED AT OTHER YOUTH DETENTION FACILITIES. JUDGE DICK CRITICIZED THE OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE FOR, WHAT SHE CALLED, THEIR INTOLERABLE USE OF SOLITARY CONFINEMENT, HANDCUFFS, MACE AND A LACK OF EDUCATIONAL AND MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMMING AT THE FACILITY RESERVED FOR HIGH-RISK YOUTH.
THE CAMERON PRAIRIE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE EAST COVE UNIT WILL BE CLOSED TEMPORARILY BEGINNING SEPTEMBER TWENTY-SECOND. THAT’S SO CREWS CAN COMPLETE WATER CONTROL STRUCTURE REPAIRS, LEVEE REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE PROJECTS ALONG THE CALCASIEU LAKE PERIMETER LEVEE. THE AREA WILL BE CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC UNTIL JANUARY THIRTY-FIRST, ALTHOUGH IT COULD BE EXTENDED BECAUSE OF WEATHER DELAYS. THE U-S FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE ASKS VISITORS TO BE PATIENT AND OBEY AREA CLOSURES FOR THE DURATION OF THE PROJECT.
MOST OF THE SCHOOL BUSES IN THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM DO NOT HAVE AIR CONDITIONING. ASSOCIATE SUPERINTENDENT MARK RABALAIS SAYS THE NEWER BUSES HAVE A-C SO THEY ARE LOOKING AT WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO EQUIP OLDER BUSES WITH AIR CONDITIONING. LAST NIGHT THE SCHOOL BOARD DIRECTED INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT FRANCIS TOUCHET JUNIOR TO LOOK INTO THE COSTS AND FEASIBILITY OF DOING THAT AS WELL AS THE POTENTIAL TIMELINE. THE SCHOOL BOARD IS HOPING TO INCLUDE THIS PROJECT IN THE TWENTY-TWENTY-FOUR FISCAL YEAR BUDGET.
VERMILLION PARISH DEPUTIES ARE SEARCHING FOR A WOMAN WHO HAS BEEN MISSING SINCE THREE-FORTY-ONE MONDAY MORNING. FORTY-NINE-YEAR-OLD BOBBIE JO SALTZMAN WAS LAST SEEN IN INDIAN BAYOU DRIVING A PICKUP THAT WAS LATER FOUND CRASHED ON PRESSLY ROAD IN MAURICE. SALTZMAN, WHO IS FIVE FEET, FOUR INCHES TALL AND ABOUT THREE HUNDRED POUNDS, HAS SEVERAL TATOOS INCLUDING DAVID ON ONE ARM AND A BLOOMING ROSE ON THE OTHER. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION IN REFERENCE TO SALTZMAN SHOULD CONTACT THE VERMILLION PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE.
THE SEARCH CONTINUES IN SAINT MARTIN PARISH FOR FIFTY-EIGHT-YEAR-OLD WILLARD DASPIT JUNIOR, WHO WAS LAST SEEN SUNDAY GOING DOWN A ROAD TO WORK ON A DIRT BIKE AT A CAMP. HIS WIFE, LARA DASPIT, TELLS KLFY TV SHE BELIEVES HE’S STILL ALIVE. SHE SAYS HER FAMILY FOUND HIS BELONGINGS INCLUDING GLASSES IN A DITCH ALONGSIDE A ROAD, AND HE’S BEEN SPOTTED ON SECURITY CAMERA VIDEO AT BROUSSARD’S GROCERY STORE AND A LOCAL FIRE STATION. LARA ASKS ANYBODY WHO RECOGNIZES HIM TO STOP HIM AND BRING HIM TO A HOSPITAL AND CONTACT HER.
THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IS LAUNCHING A NEW MARKETING CAMPAIGN TO MAKE MORE PEOPLE AWARE OF LOUISIANA NINE-EIGHT-EIGHT, WHICH HAS COUNSELORS TO HELP PEOPLE DEALING WITH MENTAL HEALTH AND EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS. SECRETARY STEPHEN RUSSO SAYS THERE’S A STIGMA AND EVEN FEAR THAT DETERS PEOPLE FROM SEEKING SUPPORT FROM NINE-EIGHT-EIGHT. HE SAYS, WITH THE NEW MARKETING INITIATIVE, THEY HOPE TO REACH A WIDER AUDIENCE SO ALL LOUISIANANS KNOW HOW TO UTILITZE NINE-EIGHT-EIGHT AND WHAT TO EXPECT. THE CAMPAIGN INCLUDES A PAID MEDIA STRATEGY STARTING WITH SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING AND A NEW WEBSITE, LOUISIANA NINE-EIGHT-EIGHT-DOT-ORG.
