News

Port Barre man sentenced for child porn possession

A Port Barre man was sentenced to 24 months in prison for possessing child pornography on his computer and an external hard drive, a news release from U.S. Attorney David Joseph stated. John G. Bertrand, 35, of Port Barre, was sentenced on Jan. 2 by U.S. District Judge Dee. D.

Illegal alien pleads guilty to illegally re-entering U.S.

U.S. Attorney David C. Joseph announced that an illegal alien from Mexico arrested in Acadia Parish pleaded guilty Tuesday to illegally re-entering the country. Jose Melchor-Martinez, 49, of Mexico, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Carol B.

PAR to keep constitutional issues on front-burner

Legislation to pave the way for another constitutional convention in Louisiana failed to get approval from the House last year, but a respected public policy organization still intends to keep the issue on the front-burner in 2019.

Sittig is Rotary’s ‘Citizen of the Year’

Dale Sittig accepts the Eunice Rotary Club’s 2018 Citizen of the Year Award, presented to him by John Pucheu, chairman of the club’s Citizen of the Year committee. The Rotary Club was founded in 1924 and has given the Citizen of the Year award since 1942.

Experience Louisiana Festival discontinued

The Experience Louisiana Festival announced on its website and Facebook page that the four-year-old event held at LSUE has been discontinued. The festival, first held in 2015, offered an expansive vision of what a community festival could be.

$4.3M spent on activity funds in parish public schools

The St. Landry Parish School Board was cited for failing to provide proper oversight of school activity funds from which $4,252,231 was spent in the year ending June 30, 2018. The 33 schools in the system collected $315.86 per student and spent $322.56 per student in the audited period.

St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office arrests

The following are arrests reported by the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office. Jan. 29 Shelton Celestine, 17, 100 block of Rue Richard, Church Point. Possession of stolen firearm. Arrested by St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office. David Kyle Lee, 32, 4400 block of Opelousas Road, Ville Platte.

St. Landry Parish School Board committee assignments

St. Landry Parish School Board committee assignments for the newly elected members have been announced. One of the members, John Miller, died Monday. Chairmen of the Academic and Personnel committees were to be elected at meetings Tuesday.

Newly elected St. Landry Parish School Board member dies; Was guilty in bribery case

Newly elected St. Landry Parish School Board member John Miller died Monday. Miller was re-elected to the Board on Dec. 8, 2018, as the District 3 representative. He was 77 years old. Miller pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery on July 1, 2013.

Eunice Police dispatch radio logs

The following are excerpts from the Eunice Police Department radio dispatch logs. Jan. 28 07:52 Vandalism in the 100 block of East Dean. 08:29 Follow up investigation into stolen truck in the 300 block of Ulysse. 08:31 Break-in at Dairy Queen.