7-14-23
THE POLICE CHIEF OF GRAND COTEAU WAS BOOKED INTO THE SAINT LANDRY PARISH JAIL SHORTLY AFTER ONE THIS MORNING ON DRUG AND THEFT CHARGES. SHERIFF BOBBY GUIDROZ SAYS DEPUTIES RECEIVED INFORMATION ABOUT A WOMAN NAMED HEATHER LANDRY WHO WAS ALLEGEDLY INVOVED IN THE USE AND DISTRIBUTION OF ILLEGAL NARCOTICS WITH POLICE CHIEF JEFFERY GUILBEAU. NARCOTICS DETECTIVES DETAINED LANDRY AND CHIEF GUILBEAU, WHO AGREED TO TALK TO THE OFFICERS. GUILBEAU, WHEN CONFRONTED WITH INFORMATION THE OFFICERS HAD ALLEGEDLY DECIDED TO GIVE OFFICERS INFORMATION CONCERNING HIS ILLEGAL ACTIONS AND ACTIVITIES.
A MAN WHO ATTACKED A MELVILLE PRIEST WITH A MACHETE LAST NIGHT IS BEING CHARGED WITH HATE CRIMES IN ADDITION TO ATTEMPTED SECOND-DEGREE MURDER. WITNESSES TOLD POLICE THAT FIFTY-EIGHT-YEAR-OLD JOHNNY DWAYNE NEELY ATTACKED FATHER STEPHEN UGWU OF SAINT JOHN THE EVANGELIST CHURCH WHEN UGWU DENIED A REQUEST FOR FOOD. NEELY WAS REPORTED HEARD SAYING HE WANTED TO KILL A BLACK MAN TODAY. THE DIOCESE OF LAFAYETTE SAYS FATHER UGWU IS IN STABLE CONDITION.
THE BODY OF A MISSING BOATER WAS FOUND IN VERMILLION BAY THURSDAY MORNING AT AROUND TEN-TWENTY. FIFTY-THREE-YEAR-OLD MATT MONTZ HAD BEEN MISSING SINCE TUESDAY AFTERNOON WHEN HE WENT TO RETRIEVE CRAB BOATS IN VERMILLION BAY. COAST GUARD RESCUE CREWS SPENT AROUND TWENTY-SEVEN HOURS SEARCHING, COVERING AN AREA OF MORE THAN NINE HUNDRED FIFTY SQUARE MILES. THE PILOT OF AN AIRCRAFT NOTIFIED THE COAST GUARD AFTER SPOTTING A BODY MATCHING MONTZ’S DESCRIPTION.
A LAWSUIT HAS BEEN FILED AGAINST A LAFAYETTE POLICE OFFICER AND THE CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT. CHRISTY SPENCE LIPS ALLEGES THAT OFFICER TOMMY APHAIYARATH (uh PIE uh rath) CONTINUOUSLY SENT HER SEXUALLY CHARGED MESSAGES AFTER SHE WAS ARRESTED. THE PETITION SAYS APHAIYARATH ILLEGALLY USED POLICE DATABASES TO FIND LIPS PERSONAL INFORMATION BEFORE SHOWING UP AT HER PLACE OF WORK. LIPS IS SEEKING REPERATIONS FROM THE CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT FOR FAILING TO PROPERLY TRAIN THE OFFICER TO MEET THE APPROPRIATE STANDARD OF CONDUCT.
THE FORMER DALEY’S GROCERY STORE IN JENNINGS IS BEING RENOVATED BY THE SON OF THE LATE OWNER, DALEY MANUEL. IT IS ONE OF THE FIRST COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS IN JENNINGS, DATING BACK TO EIGHTEEN-NINETY-FIVE. RICKY MANUEL, WHO RAN THE STORE WITH HIS BROTHER AFTER HIS FATHER PASSED AWAY IN NINETEEN-NINETY-FIVE, SAYS HE PLANS TO RESTORE IT BACK TO WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE IN THE EIGHTEEN-HUNDREDS. MAYOR HENRY GUINN TELLS KPLC TV THEY ARE EXCITED TO PARTNER WITH RICKY AND TO COMPLEMENT THAT, THEY ARE GOING TO PUT BRICK PAVERS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET AND CONTINUE TO ENHANCE DOWNTOWN.
THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS RELEASED THEIR START DATES FOR THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR. THEY ARE USING A STAGGERED APPROACH WITH STUDENTS STARTING ON DIFFERENT DAYS BASED ON GRADE LEVELS AND ADDRESSES. THE START DATES RANGE BETWEEN AUGUST TENTH AND AUGUST EIGHTEENTH. THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM SAYS THE STAGGERED APPROACH HELPS TEACHERS AND STUDENTS ADAPT TO THEIR NEW CLASSROOMS.
A GROUP OF CONCRETE WORKERS, SEEKING SHADE ON ELMS STREET IN LAKE CHARLES, SAY A HOMEOWNER PULLED A GUN ON THEM. THE WORKERS, WHO WERE POURING CONCRETE AT A HOUSE ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE STREET, CROSSED THE STREET TO A SHADED AREA WHEN THE OWNER OF THE HOUSE, THEY WERE STANDING IN FRONT OF, PULLED UP AND TOOK OUT A GUN. THE HOMEOWNER, STEPHEN RYKER, WAS ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH TWO COUNTS OF AGGRAVATED ASSAULT. LIEUTENANT JEFF KEENUM WITH LAKE CHARLES POLICE SAYS THE INCIDENT ENDED PEACEFULLY.
STATE POLICE HAVE ISSUED A LEVEL TWO ENDANGERED MISSING CHILD ADVISORY FOR A NINETEEN-MONTH-OLD BOY THAT WAS REPORTED MISSING BY THE CROWLEY DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES. AUTHORITIES SAY LIAM JAMES WAS TAKEN BY HIS NONCUSTODIAL MOTHER, SAVANNAH JAMES. SAVANNAH WAS LAST SEEN DRIVING A TWO THOUSAND THREE SILVER DODGE CARAVAN WITH LOUISIANA LICENSE PLATE EIGHT-THREE-ONE-C-P-W. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION IS ENCOURAGED TO CALL CROWLEY POLICE OR NINE-ONE-ONE.
THE LOUISIANA LEGISLATURE WILL MEET IN A RARE VETO-OVERRIDE SESSION. SENATE PRESIDENT PAGE CORTEZ AND SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE CLAY SCHEXNAYDER ANNOUNCED IN A LETTER THAT ENOUGH LEGISLATORS FILED THEIR DECLARATIONS IN TIME TO HOLD THE SESSION. IT WILL TAKE PLACE AT NOON ON TUESDAY.
