4-23-24
THE FIRST-DEGREE MURDER TRIAL OF JOSHUA WILLIS HAS BEGUN IN LAFAYETTE. HE’S ACCUSED OF THE TWENTY-SIXTEEN MURDERS OF ASHLEY METZ AND HER BOYFRIEND, BROUKLYNN HILL, WHOSE BODIES WERE FOUND IN SEPARATE BURNED VEHICLES THAT WERE LOCATED IN SCOTT AND CARENCRO. A SECOND SUSPECT IN THE KILLINGS, JOSEPH SYLVESTER, TESTIFIED AGAINST WILLIS. SYLVESTER IS SERVING A FIFTY-YEAR PRISON SENTENCE IN EXCHANGE FOR HIS TESTIMONY.
CITY PARKS, WHICH HAD BEEN CLOSED IN JEANERETTE OVER THE WEEKEND DUE TO GUN VIOLENCE, HAVE BEEN REOPENED. THERE WAS SOME CONTROVERSY WHEN IT WAS LEARNED THAT A PARTY WAS HELD AT THE WARD EIGHT RECREATIONAL CENTER, LEADING SOME TO QUESTION IF ALL CITY PARKS WERE CLOSED FOR EVERYONE. MAYOR CAROL BOURGEOIS SAYS THERE WAS SOME MISCOMMUNICATION ON THEIR PART BECAUSE THE PEOPLE WHO HELD THE PARTY WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PARKS BEING CLOSED. POLICE CHIEF DUSTY VALLOT SAYS RESIDENTS SHOULD NOTIFY THE DEPARTMENT IF THEY ARE PLANNING TO HOLD EVENTS AT CITY PARKS MOVING FORWARD.
THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION CADE BRUMLEY HAS ADVISED SCHOOLS TO NOT CHANGE POLICIES TO COMPLY WITH NEW RULES ISSUED BY THE U-S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. THE RULES RELEASED FRIDAY SAY DISCRIMINATION AGAINST STUDENTS BASED ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY ARE PROHIBITED UNDER TITLE NINE, A NINETEEN-SEVENTY-TWO LAW. IN A LETTER TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS, BRUMLEY SAYS THE RULES WOULD FORCE SCHOOLS TO ALLOW TRANSGENDER GIRLS TO USE GIRL’S BATHROOMS AND LOCKER ROOMS AND WOULD REQUIRE TEACHERS TO USE THE PRONOUNS AND NAMES THAT DO NOT MATCH THE BIOLOGICAL SEX OF TRANSGENDER STUDENTS. STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL LIZ MURRILL HAS VOWED TO CHALLENGE THE RULES IN COURT.
FORMER DEQUINCY POLICE CHIEF MICHAEL SUCHANEK (SUH KUH NEK) HAS DIED AT THE AGE OF FIFTY-FIVE. HE PASSED AWAY FOLLOWING AN ILLNESS. SUCHANEK STEPPED DOWN FROM BEING POLICE CHIEF IN TWENTY-NINETEEN. MAJOR JERRY BELL CALLED SUCHANEK A GENTLE GIANT WHO WILL BE MISSED BY HUNDREDS OF FRIENDS WHO KNOW HIM AS BIG E.
STATE SENATOR GERALD BOUDREAUX OF LAFAYETTE HAS INTRODUCED A BILL IN THE SENATE THAT WOULD REPEAL THE NORTH LAFAYETTE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. BOUDREAUX SAYS THE AUTHORITY HAS BEEN STAGNANT SINCE IT WAS CREATED BY THE STATE SIXTEEN YEARS AGO. HE WANTS TO ROLL THE ORGANIZATION UNDER THE LAFAYETTE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY. RAVIS MARTINEZ OF THE LAFAYETTE CHAPTER OF THE N-DOUBLE-A-C-P IS OPPOSED TO THE BILL TELLING KLFY TV THEY JUST NEED TO GET THE RIGHT PEOPLE AT THE TABLE TO PUT THIS TOOL TO WORK FOR NORTH LAFAYETTE.
A PETITION WAS CREATED TO DEMAND THE RELEASE OF AN INCARCERATED ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD GIRL FROM NEW IBERIA. SYLVIA MASTERS HAS MORE.
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THE STATE OF LOUISIANA WAS AWARDED A ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-SIX MILLION DOLLAR GRANT TO DEPLOY SOLAR ENERGY TO HOMES AND APARTMENTS ACROSS THE STATE. THE U-S ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY SELECTED LOUISIANA AND FIFTY-NINE OTHER GRANTEES AS THEY HANDED OUT SEVEN BILLION DOLLARS IN TOTAL AWARDS. TYLER GRAY, THE HEAD OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES, CALLED THE GRANT A WIN FOR EFFORTS TO MAKE THE STATE MORE RESILIENT IN THE FACE OF HURRICANES. THERE’S AN EFFORT UNDERWAY TO CREATE SOLAR-POWERED HUBS THAT CAN HELP RESIDENTS WHEN A HURRICANE KNOCKS OUT THE POWER GRID.
A NEW ORDINANCE AIMS TO CLEAN UP THE TOWN OF MELVILLE IN SAINT LANDRY PARISH AND MAKE IT A PLACE FOR NEW RESIDENTS. MAYOR CARETTA ROBERTSON SAYS THE ORDINANCE GIVES TOWN OFFICIALS A CHANCE TO POINT OUT PROPERTIES THAT ARE UNSAFE AND THAT HAVE HAZARDS SUCH AS OVERGROWN GRASS. SHE TELLS KLFY TV THAT THEY’LL SPEAK TO THE OWNERS OF THE PROPERTIES TO SEE IF THEY WANT TO TURN THE PROPERTY TO THE TOWN SO IT COULD BE CLEARED. ROBERTSON SAYS, SO FAR, THIRTY TO THIRTY-FIVE PROPERTIES HAVE BEEN BROUGHT FORWARD AND, IF MORE PROPERTIES ARE PRESENTED, THEY CAN APPLY FOR A GRANT TO CLEAN UP THE PROPERTIES TO MAKE WAY FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION.
