10-28-21
A tornado in Lake Charles damaged more than a dozen homes in a part of the state still struggling to recover from repeated weather disasters. The National Weather Service said in a preliminary report posted on Twitter that an EF-2 tornado caused “significant structural damage” to about a dozen homes when it touched down yesterday around midday. Several other homes also received minor damage. Two people were injured.
THE ACADIA PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS JOINED LAFAYETTE AND VERMILLION PARISH SCHOOLS IN MAKING MASKS OPTIONAL FOR STUDENTS. SUPERINTENDENT SCOTT RICHARD ANNOUNCED THE DECISION YESTERDAY IN A PRESS RELEASE THAT THEY ARE MAKING THE MASKS OPTIONAL AFTER THE GOVERNOR ANNOUNCED TUESDAY THE END OF THE MASK MANDATE. RICHARD SAYS STUDENTS WILL STILL BE REQUIRED TO WEAR MASKS ON BUSES AND FOLLOW LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH QUARANTINE GUIDELINES. THE OTHER ACADIANA PARISHES AND JEFF DAVIS PARISH HAVE NOT YET DECIDED ON WHEN OR IF THEY WILL MAKE MASKS OPTIONAL IN THE CLASSROOMS.
A LAFAYETTE PARISH GRAND JURY HAS INDICTED TWO PEOPLE ON FIRST DEGREE MURDER CHARGES IN THE DEATH OF CECIL GRAY. LAST MONTH, GRAY’S REMAINS WERE FOUND ON A BURN PILE IN THE THREE HUNDRED BLOCK OF BURBANK ROAD. THREE PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH GRAY’S DEATH, INCLUDING THIRTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD SARAH JAYNE JOHNSON AND FIFTY-EIGHT-YEAR-OLD MITCHELL DAVID LEMAIRE, THE TWO WHO WERE INDICTED YESTERDAY. THE THIRD PERSON ARRESTED, THIRTY-EIGHT-YEAR-OLD RANDALL FIGARD, WAS NOT ON THE LIST OF PEOPLE INDICTED BY THE GRAND JURY YESTERDAY.
Louisiana’s temporary housing program for people displaced by Hurricane Ida is increasing its pace of getting people into travel trailers nearly two months after the storm wrecked southeastern parishes. Gov. John Bel Edwards’ administration says the state has bought 2,000 trailers to distribute to storm victims. By Wednesday, 68 of those trailers have families living in them. That’s five times the number from a week earlier.
Families affected by Hurricane Ida now have until Nov. 29 to apply for FEMA disaster help. The Federal Emergency Management Agency says the deadline was set to occur on Thursday, but now homeowners and renters who live in 25 parishes have until next month to apply. The affected parishes include: Iberia, St. Martin, and St. Mary. FEMA’s disaster assistance can help pay for rental assistance, temporary housing and other expenses not covered by insurance.
THE LATEST GUN VIOLENCE IN ABBEVILLE HAPPENED TUESDAY NIGHT NEAR MAUDE AND SCHLESINGER STREETS WHERE SHOTS WERE FIRED. MANY RESIDENTS ARE UPSET WITH THE AMOUNT OF GUN CRIMES IN ABBEVILLE INCLUDING EARL HARRIS, WHO TOLD KLFY TV THAT ABBEVILLE HAS BECOME A SAD PLACE TO LIVE. IN RESPONSE, THE VERMILLION PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE HAS STARTED A VIOLENT CRIME SUPPRESSION UNIT, WHICH FOCUSES ON GETTING SPECIFIC VIOLENT CRIMINALS OFF THE STREET. THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE ALSO HAS BEGUN A CRIME STOPPERS LINE WHERE PEOPLE CAN SUBMIT TIPS ANONYMOUSLY.
FORMER LAFAYETTE POLICE CHIEF THOMAS GLOVER SENIOR IS APPEALING HIS OCTOBER SEVENTH FIRING. GLOVER SAYS HE NEVER RECEIVED HIS TERMINATION PAPERS, WHICH ARE REQUIRED WITHIN FIFTEEN DAYS OF TERMINATION, ACCORDING TO A LAFAYETTE CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT POLICY. GLOVER HAS APPEALED TO THE LAFAYETTE POLICE AND CIVIL SERVICE BOARD, BUT HE MAY APPEAL TO A CIVIL COURT IF HIS REQUEST IS NOT AFFIRMED. HE TELLS THE ADVOCATE NEWSPAPER THAT HE’S NOT SURE WHAT HE’LL DO AFTER THE APPEAL, BUT HE WILL CHECK ALL THE RULES AND REGULATIONS TO ENSURE HIS RIGHTS ARE PROTECTED.
SAINT LANDRY PARISH CRIME STOPPERS IS ASKING THE PUBLIC’S HELP IN IDENTIFYING THOSE WHO WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR A DRIVE BY SHOOTING IN THE LAWTELL AREA EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. AT AROUND ONE A-M, SHOTS WERE FIRED AT A RESIDENCE IN THE TWENTY-EIGHT-HUNDRED BLOCK OF HIGHWAY THIRTY-FIVE. DEPUTIES FOUND EIGHT BULLET HOLES ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE BUILDING. TIPS CAN BE SUBMITTED BY CALLING NINE-FOUR-EIGHT-TIPS OR BY DOWNLOADING THE P3 APP.
