5-22-25
THE MAYOR OF DUSON IS ADVANCING HIS MISSION TO COMBAT BLIGHT. GEORGE FAUST HAS THE DETAILS.
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NEW IBERIA POLICE EXECUTED A SEARCH WARRANT AT A RESIDENCE IN THE SIX HUNDRED BLOCK OF EAST PETER STREET. THEY WERE ABLE TO OBTAIN THE WARRANT BECAUSE OF MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS OF AN OCCUPANT AT THE RESIDENCE DISTRIBUTING NARCOTICS. POLICE SEIZED SUSPECTED MARIJUANA, ECSTASY, CRACK COCAINE, CRYSTAL METH AND PRESCRIPTION PAINKILLERS AS WELL AS TWO FIREARMS. THIRTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD KWAYMAR MICHAEL WAS ARRESTED ON MULTIPLE DRUG AND WEAPON CHARGES.
THE FORMER SECRETARY OF THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES HAS BEEN INDICTED ON FEDERAL CHARGES INCLUDING CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT BRIBERY AND MONEY LAUNDERING. JACK MONTOUCET IS ACCUSED OF CONSPIRING WITH DUSTY GUIDRY AND LEONARD FRANQUES (FRAN kehs) THE FOURTH TO ACCEPT KICKBACKS IN EXCHANGE FOR AWARDING A CONTRACT TO FRANQUES’ COMPANY. THE CONTRACT INVOLVED PROVIDING ONLINE EDUCATIONAL COURSES FOR THE DEPARTMENT. IF CONVICTED, MONTOUCET FACES UP TO TWENTY YEARS IN PRISON AND UP TO A MILLION DOLLARS IN FINES.
CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF’S DETECTIVES ARRESTED A LAKE CHARLES MAN AFTER TALKING WITH AN ALLEGED VICTIM AT A LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL. SHE SAID SHE HAD BEEN RAPED BY TWENTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD GERARD BAZILE AND THE SEXUAL ABUSE HAD BEEN OCCURING OVER THE PAST EIGHT YEARS. WHEN CONFRONTED, BAZILE ALLEGEDLY CONFIRMED THE ALLEGATIONS. HE WAS CHARGED WITH AGGRAVATED CRIMES AGAINST NATURE AND HIS BOND WAS SET AT ONE-POINT-FIVE MILLION DOLLARS.
FORMER LAFAYETTE CITY MARSHAL BRIAN POPE WILL REMAIN IN JAIL FOR AT LEAST TWO MORE MONTHS. FOUR YEARS AGO, POPE WAS GIVEN PROBATION AFTER PLEADING GUILTY TO MALFFEASANCE IN OFFICE AFTER BEING ACCUSED OF TAKING ALMOST EIGHTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS IN FEES AND GARNISHMENTS FROM THE CITY MARSHAL’S OFFICE. HE WAS ARRESTED IN MARCH FOR A PROBATION VIOLATION. A BOND REVOCATION HEARING WAS SCHEDULED FOR YESTERDAY BUT THE JUDGE RESET IT FOR JULY TWENTY-FIRST.
A MAJOR DRAINAGE PROJECT IS UNDERWAY IN CHURCH POINT. CONSTRUCTION HAS BEGUN ON THE FIRST OF TWO DETENTION PONDS THAT ARE EXPECTED TO HELP REDUCE STORMWATER FLOODING IN THE AREA. OFFICIALS SAY THE POND WILL BE IN AN OPEN FIELD AND WILL SERVE AS A HOLDING AREA FOR RAINWATER, ALLOWING IT TO DRAIN SLOWLY AND PREVENTING HOMES AND ROADS FROM FLOODING. CHURCH POINT WAS ONE OF SEVERAL ACADIANA MUNICIPALITIES THAT APPLIED FOR AND RECEIVED GRANT FUNDING FROM THE STATE’S WATERSHED INITIATIVE.
A Louisiana bill that would have carved out a path for incarcerated people convicted by now-banned split juries to ask for a new trial has failed. The state Senate voted against the bill along party lines. The bill would have added non-unanimous jury verdicts to a list of claims for which an inmate can seek a retrial. An estimated 1,000 people behind bars in the Deep South state were convicted by non-unanimous juries, a practice deemed unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2020.
A SAINT LANDRY PARISH MAN GOT TO MEET THE SHERIFF’S DEPUTY WHO SAVED HIS LIFE. DONALD CAIN CRASHED HIS VEHICLE ON HIGHWAY ONE NINETY NEAR OPELOUSAS AND HE WAS TRAPPED INSIDE WHILE HIS VEHICLE BURST INTO FLAMES. HE SUFFERED BURNS ON THIRTY PERCENT OF HIS BODY AND HAD TO HAVE A LEG AMPUTATED, BUT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN WORSE IF CAPTAIN GISHA PALMER HADN’T BEEN DRIVING BY. SHE USED A FIRE EXTINGUISHER IN HER VEHICLE ON THE FIRE UNTIL FIRE FIGHTERS ARRIVED. CAIN SAID UPON MEETING HER THAT HE HAD MUCH JOY AND LOVE IN HIS HEART AND DESCRIBED HER AS HIS GUARDIAN ANGEL.
