9-30-22
AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING A SCHOOL BUS YESTERDAY AFTERNOON NEAR LAWTELL LEFT FOUR STUDENTS WITH NON-LIFE-THREATENING INJURIES. SUPERINTENDENT PATRICK JENKINS SAYS THE BUS WAS TAKING STUDENTS HOME FROM LAWTELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. HE SAYS HIS UNDERSTANDING IS THE BUS DRIVER WAS NOT AT FAULT AS THE SCHOOL BUS WAS HIT FROM BEHIND. TWO OF THE STUDENTS WERE AIRLIFTED BY HELICOPTER TO THE HOSPITAL AND TWO OTHERS WERE TAKEN BY AMBULANCE.
A LAFAYETTE MAN, WHO’S ADMITTED USING A DATING APP TO TARGET GAY MEN FOR VIOLENT CRIMES, PLED GUILTY YESTERDAY TO ONE COUNT OF KIDNAPPING. THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE SAYS TWENTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD CHANCE SENECA ADMITTED HE INTENDED TO MURDER A MAN THAT HE WAS MEETING TO SATISFY HOMOCIDAL URGES, AND HE INTENDED TO CONTINUE MURDERING UNTIL HE WAS CAUGHT OR KILLED. U-S ATTORNEY BRANDON B. BROWN SAYS IT’S NOTHING SHORT OF MIRACULOUS THAT THE VICTIMS SURVIVED THE VICIOUS ATTACKS. SENECA, WHO FACES LIFE IMPRISONMENT, WILL BE SENTENCED JANUARY TWENTY-FIFTH.
GOVERNOR JOHN BEL EDWARDS ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY THE LAST STEP NECESSARY FOR HURRICANE RECOVERY MONEYS TO FLOW TO SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA HAS BEEN ACHIEVED. THE STATE’S OFFICE OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SAYS THE FUNDS COULD BE DISBURSED AS EARLY AS TODAY. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR PAT FORBES SAYS IT’S GREAT NEWS FOR SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA BECAUSE THE STATE CAN BEGIN PROVIDING THE ASSISTANCE PEOPLE NEED. THE STATE MUST NOW EFFECTIVELY DISTRIBUTE MORE THAN ONE BILLION DOLLARS AS THE LAKE CHARLES-AREA RECOVERS FROM TWO HURRICANES THAT HIT TWO YEARS AGO.
THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IS LAUNCHING A STATEWIDE EFFORT TO STOP THE CURRENT CRISIS OF FENTANYL-RELATED DEATHS. SYLVIA MASTERS HAS MORE.
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THE CHAIRMAN OF THE NEW IBERIA HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS RESPONDED TO ALLEGATIONS FROM BOARD COMMISSIONER RAYMOND LEWIS, WHO CHALLENGED HIS RESIDENCY AND SAID HE SHOULD RESIGN. BISHOP DARREN SOPHUS SAYS HE WILL RESIGN IF THE MAYOR ASKS HIM TO STEP DOWN, NOT BECAUSE LEWIS REQUESTED IT. HE THEN TOLD KLFY TV THAT LEWIS SHOULD RESIGN OR CHANGE HIS BEHAVIOR. SOPHUS ALLEGES THAT LEWIS HAS BEEN STRONGARMING FELLOW COMMISSIONERS AND HAS BEEN MISOGYNISTIC TOWARD FEMALE WORKERS.
SCOTT FIRE OFFICIALS SAY THEY ARE SEEING MORE FIELD FIRES DUE TO THE DRY, WINDY CONDITIONS. FIRE CHIEF CHAD SONNIER SAYS HIS DEPARTMENT HAS ALREADY SEEN A MORE THAN FIFTY PERCENT INCREASE IN FIELD FIRES THIS SEASON. SONNIER SAYS PEOPLE ARE LIGHTING FIRES THAT ARE GETTING AWAY FROM THEM. HE ADVISES RESIDENTS TO BE CAREFUL AROUND ANY FIRE THAT COULD SPREAD RAPIDLY.
THERE’S BEEN AN INCREASE IN FIGHTING AT JENNINGS HIGH SCHOOL THIS YEAR AND SUPERINTENDENT JOHN HALL ATTRIBUTES IT TO SOCIAL MEDIA. HE SAYS STUDENTS SEE SOMETHING ON SOCIAL MEDIA THAT UPSETS THEM AND THEY SHOW UP TO SCHOOL LOOKING TO CONFRONT THE PERSON. HALL SAYS THEY ARE TAKING AGGRESSIVE STEPS TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE INCLUDING EXPELLING STUDENTS AND GETTING LAW ENFORCEMENT INVOLVED. PARENTS TELL KPLC TV THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE FINES ENFORCED FOR THOSE INVOLVED IN FIGHTING AND MORE SAFETY OFFICERS ON CAMPUS.
THE SAINT MARTIN PARISH SCHOOL BOARD HAS STARTED AN INVESTIGATION INTO A SCHOOL THREAT FROM A STUDENT AT CECILIA HIGH SCHOOL. SYLVIA MASTERS REPORTS.
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