Evangeline Parish Sheriff Arrests October 30, 2020 Evangeline Parish Sheriff Charles Guillory released the following news to KVPI. On Thursday, October 29, the sheriff's office criminal patrol unit stopped a vehicle at East Washington and Chataignier following a traffic violation. The Sheriff's office K9 drug sniffing vehicle, Diego was brought in and was alerted. Authorities arrested Shanie Rider age 28 of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bond is pending. Martin Peter Johnson age 41 of Opelousas charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. His bond is pending. Also arrested was Craig Hunter Vidrine age 32 of Opelousas charged with switched license plate, driving under suspension and no insurance. In another case, a traffic stop by a sheriff's deputy on Tuesday on LA 10 Oakdale road for a traffic violation. The sheriff's office K-9 drug sniffing dog, Diego was brought in and alerted to the presence of narcotics. The driver of the vehicle, Calem Kirk Fontenot, age 42 of Pitkin. He was charged with possession of marijuana. Sheriff Charles Guillory and the sheriff's office is seeking information on criminal activity and urges the public to contact their investigation department at 363-2161. All information will remain anonymous

The Ville Platte Rotary Club today (Tuesday) heard from Social Worker Holly Fontenot and Program Administrator Mitch Pellerin with Freedom Behavioral. Holly Fontenot discussed with club members the effects of Covid-19 on our mental health. She said there is a feeling of helplessness caused by the pandemic. She said some of the signs that many people are stressing over Covid-19: depression, guilt, anxiety , fear and anger. She suggested to club members to do the following: turn off the news media and social media, spend more time with family and friends and focus on things you can control. Freedom Behavioral has a unit located inside Mercy Regional Medical Center in Ville Platte. The speakers were the guests of Rotarian Eric Gil. Club President Peter Strawitz announced that the club has scheduled a Fall Social November 10 at the Nob Hill Hunting Lodge with special guest District Governor Yvonne Norman.

Turkey Creek Police arrest suspects in two separate traffic and drug cases October 24, 2020 Turkey Creek Police Chief Shawn Eckhart reported to KVPI News that two separate traffic stops resulted in drug arrests. Thursday night at 10:30, officers from the Turkey Creek Police Department made a traffic stop on a GMC Yukon. It was determined that the driver's license of the driver was suspended. After a search of the vehicle, police discovered a medicine bottle and a clear plastic baggie both believed to be containing Crystal Meth. The driver, Jody Thrasher age 45 of Oakdale was issued a traffic citation for the traffic violation and charged with possession with Schedule 2 controlled dangerous substance and possession of a controlled dangerous substance within a drug free zone. The subject was transferred to the Evangeline Parish jail with no bond set at the time of the booking. On Saturday October 17, just before 11:00pm, Turkey Creek police made a traffic stop on a Lincoln Town car. The officer smelled the odor of marijuana inside the vehicle. Police searched the vehicle and discovered a tin can of marijuana in the driver side door. The driver of the vehicle. James Thomas, age 58 of Alexandria, was issued a citation for the traffic violation and charged with possession of marijuana second or subsequent offense and possession of a controlled dangerous substance in a drug free zone. It was revealed the suspect has previously been convicted of possession with intent to distribute Schedule One controlled dangerous substance. He was booked in the Evangeline Parish Jail with bond set at $15,000 by 13th Judicial District Court Judge Chuck West. Chief Eckhart would like to thank the general public for their continued support and to report all suspicious activity by calling 337-363-3345 or 9-1-1 for emergencies.

Here is an important announcement from Evangeline Parish Police Jury President Ryan Williams: GOHSEP (Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness) in conjunction with FEMA is coordinating a mosquito abatement flyover for those parishes that have been inundated with mosquitoes due to Hurricanes Laura and Delta. This process will involve a C-130 flying over several parishes, including Evangeline, and using the chemical Naled (Dibrom). This chemical has been used in the past, and has had studies done on it by LSU, EPA and DEQ. This chemical is not harmful to people or animals. The study done by LSU a few years ago was specific to damage it may do to crawfish, and the study concluded that it is NOT harmful to crawfish. Beekeepers in the sprayed areas will be notified before the spraying, however, most of the foraging bees will be on the inside of the hive at the time of spraying and should not be harmed. Evangeline Parish officials are rushing to meet all the requirements needed by the CDC and FEMA to make sure we qualify and meet all criteria for this flyover for the spraying of the mosquitoes. One criteria is getting a surveillance, or mosquito count, from areas around the parish. This requires standing outside for one minute and counting the mosquitoes that "land" on you. We have already tasked personnel to perform this task. Once this and all paperwork is done, the information will be sent to the State, who will in turn send to CDC and FEMA for approval. The state is hoping to have this flyover done as early as this weekend. This will be at no cost to Evangeline Parish Police Jury. Thank you for your patience and understanding on this matter.

Ville Platte Traffic Stop Leads to Drug Arrest Sheriff Charles R. Guillory, of the Evangeline Parish Sheriff's Office releases the following: Ville Platte—Monday, October 20, 2020, Evangeline Parish Sheriff's Deputy on Criminal Patrol while driving on east main street headed to patrol the east zone of the parish, he observed a silver Mazda 6 cross over main street headed towards west Lasalle with a traffic violation. At that time the deputy immediately activated his blue emergency lights to conduct the traffic stop. The driver of the vehicle refused to stop traveling west on west LaSalle getting up to speeds of 80 mph in a 45-mph posted zone. The driver continued to travel recklessly nearly causing head on collisions when the fleeing vehicle got into a 50-mph zone, he was at 90 mph. The vehicle finally came to a stop at the intersection of West Main street and Highway 167 North, where the deputy conducted a felony stop. The suspect surrendered without further incident; the driver was identified shortly after the stop as a Mr. Kordell Weatherby. A Search of the vehicle was conducted after the search of the vehicle was complete the Deputies located and confiscated which appeared to be two large bags of green leafy Vegetable like substance believed to be Marijuana along with a digital scale was located. All Evidence was Seized and placed into evidence. The vehicle was towed by Sooners wrecker service located in Ville Platte La, He Was then arrested and transported and booked into the Evangeline Parish jail on the following charges LARS:40:966. C.1 Possession of Schedule I CDS (39 grams of Marijuana), LARS:32:898 No Insurance LARS: 14:108.1 Aggravated Flight. A bond has not been set at this time. As always, Sheriff Charles R. Guillory and the Evangeline Parish Sheriff's Office continues to seek out information on illegal drug trafficking. Please report any and all drug activity to EPSO's tip line or phone 363-2161 and ask for investigation Division.

Shooting in Mamou October 19, 2020 Mamou Police arrested two suspects in connection with a shooting incident that occurred on Monday October 19, according to a news release from Police Chief Brent Zackery. They were identified as Gabe Freeman age 19 of Ville Platte and a 14 year old juvenile. Freeman was arrested and charged with two counts of attempted second degree murder, one count of illegal carrying of a firearm, one count of illegal discharge of a firearm and one count of possession of a stolen firearm. The juvenile was charged with one count of principle to attempted second degree murder and one count of resisting an officer. The shooting incident occurred around the 200 block of Balfa Brothers road. Chief Zackery said the investigation revealed that the incident began as a verbal altercation between two groups of juveniles leading to one to request the help of his friends and the shooting apparently took place in retaliation. The firearm used in the shooting was recovered under a small shed with an extended magazine and 17 rounds of ammunition. In a statement to KVPI News, Chief Zackery stated "These kind of actions will not be tolerated in Mamou. I do not care who you are and I do not care who you know. You will be charged to the fullest extent of the law. There is crime all over the world and in every town. You cannot stop it all. We are not perfect but Mamou is a peaceful town to live in and I intend to keep it that way."

Rotary Board has virtual meeting with District Governor October 202020 Ville Platte Rotary Club President Peter Strawitz today (Tuesday) reported to club members that he and several members of the board held a "zoom" meeting earlier today with Rotary District Governor Yvonne Norman. Strawitz said Norman was interested in the club's public outreach to the community. He reported the club's activities include: the Christmas toy drive, LSUE scholarship, Choices Program, sending local students to Camp Rylla, and sponsoring two high school Interact clubs. It was noted the Ville Platte club is the only club in the district that sponsors two such clubs: at Ville Platte High and Sacred Heart. Board member Wayne Vidrine said the local club is fulfilling the value of Rotary. He said the District Governor was very complimentary in the club's commitment in giving back to the community. It was also noted that the local club has been a strong supporter of Chicot State Park through the years. Strawitz also reported that the club receives plenty of publicity through KVPI and the Ville Platte Gazette. The next District Conference is scheduled for April 15-17, 2021 to be held at the Opelousas Civic Center. The club is looking at possibly partnering with the Eunice Rotary club to help sponsor a Rotaract Club for students attending LSUE. In other business, it was announced that the club will be sponsoring a Fall social November 10 at 6:00pm at the Nob Hill Hunting Lodge in St. Landry.

Ville Platte City Council Meeting Tuesday,

13 October 2020

 

   On Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Ville Platte Mayor Jennifer Vidrine announced that there will be NO trick or treating in the city limits of Ville Platte. Additionally, there will be no haunted house at the Boys’ and Girls’ Place this year. Ville Platte’s homecoming is this Thursday. Only the homecoming court and sweethearts can ride in this year’s parade. There will be no candy thrown, no block parties, and no large congregations in the streets or at residences. These rules will also apply to the Sacred Heart homecoming later this month. Thankfully, no injuries or deaths occurred in Ville Platte due to Hurricane Delta. Mayor Vidrine would like to extend her thanks to the many city workers for their cleanup efforts. If you experienced damage during the hurricane, please visit the Evangeline Parish 9-1-1 Facebook page to fill out their survey. Please, DO NOT dispose of branches or debris in ditches. Police Chief Neal Lartigue’s request for tasers for the Ville Platte Police Department was unanimously approved pending two more price quotes. Additionally, Mayor Vidrine specified that proper training from the production company MUST come with the purchase of these tasers. Tasers are a less lethal way to control drug related arrests, which often quickly escalate. The department’s primary concern is the safety of all involved parties, as well as the safety of the citizens of Ville Platte. Additionally, the council: • Announced that mosquito spraying will occur this (Wednesday) evening. • Reminds people that city hall is open and fully functioning with COVID-19 precautions in place. • Presented Assistant Police Chief Chip Matte with a plaque commemorating his retirement after 25 years with the department.

The Mayor of Turkey Creek, Phillip Cavins, was the guest speaker at the Ville Platte Rotary Club meeting today (Tuesday). Cavins who has been mayor of Turkey Creek for the past two years, spoke about flooding and damages caused by the two recent hurricanes. While Laura caused more damage to homes and structures, Hurricane Delta brought more rain. He reported that two homes flooded with more than 6 inches of rain inside the homes. Overall, he announced that Delta brought about 13 inches of rain to Turkey Creek. The mayor said he and the Village Council have beefed up the law enforcement presence inside the village with four full time police officers and a K-9 drug sniffing dog. Arrests have increased especially in drug cases. Mayor Cavins announced that he was forced to cancel the annual Christmas in the Village event usually held at the Turkey Creek park because of concerns with Covid-19. However the annual Christmas parade will go on as scheduled. Mayor Cavins also discussed his hydroponic farm operation in Pine Prairie, Prairie Culture Farms that is providing fresh produce to stores, restaurants and to the general public. In other news, it was announced that Rotary District Governor Yvonne Norman will make a virtual appearance to the local club next week.

Initial reports indicate nearly 125,000 Cleco customers are without power following Hurricane Delta Pineville, La., Oct. 10, 2020 (6 a.m. update) – Hurricane Delta made landfall yesterday and moved across the state overnight, leaving nearly 125,000 Cleco customers without power, according to initial reports. In addition to Cleco personnel, the company has a storm workforce of roughly 2,100 contractors, which includes damage assessors, distribution line mechanics, distribution and transmission vegetation specialists and transmission contractors, ready to assess damage, clear debris and restore power. "The safety of our crews, contractors and customers is priority in everything we do. Now that the storm has passed and conditions are improving, damage assessments will begin by land and air, and crews will begin making any necessary system repairs and restoring power," said James Lass," director of distribution operations and emergency management. "We follow our storm restoration plan, focusing our efforts on critical infrastructure such as water and sewage systems, hospitals and medical facilities, and then moving to the circuits with the largest number of customers until power is restored to all customers." Below are customer outages by parish as of 6 a.m. Parish Number of Customers Without Power Acadia 6,045 Allen 5,675 Avoyelles 9,644 Beauregard 5,065 Calcasieu 2,428 Catahoula 18 Desoto 15 Evangeline 13,089 Grant 5,957 Iberia 22,510 Jefferson Davis 39 Lasalle 15 Natchitoches 148 Rapides 23,742 Red River 20 Sabine 127 St. Landry 11,487 St. Martin 3,528 St. Mary 6,959 St. Tammany 3,210 Vermilion 9 Vernon 5,131 Total 124,861

Saturday, October 10, 2020 1:55 AM Effective immediately, the following road closures are in place due to obstruction or downed trees in the roadway in Evangeline Parish. The roads will be reopened as soon as conditions improve. • LA 106, between LA 3042 and LA 115 • LA 29 at Prudhomme Lane • LA 29 at Cabot Road • LA 106 at LA 115 The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) reminds motorists to take extra precautions should traveling be necessary. Call 511 or visit www.511la.org for additional information. Out-of-state travelers may call 1-888-ROAD-511 (1-888-762-3511). Motorists may also monitor the LA DOTD website at www.dotd.la.gov, by selecting MYDOTD, or by visiting the DOTD Facebook and Twitter pages.

Evangeline Parish School Board Meeting Wednesday, 7 October 2020 All public schools will be closed Thursday and Friday in anticipation of Hurricane Delta. At Wednesday's school Board meeting, the Evangeline Parish School Board's Technology Coordinator John Deranger announced that the long-awaited 1500 hotspots arrived last week and have been distributed to schools as requested. The Chromebooks were anticipated to arrive Thursday or Friday, but that has likely been delayed due to Hurricane Delta. Assistant Superintendent Michael Lombas discussed the personnel evaluation plan book for 2020-2021, which outlines custom-made job descriptions for virtual teachers and virtual facilitators. These are not new positions but are new job descriptions for preexisting filled positions. Superintendent Darwan Lazard recognized and congratulated former Basile teacher Jimi Bergeron for his newly published music book, Famous March Trios Set 1. Bergeron's former UL professor and mentor, Dr. Quincy C. Hilliard, was also present. In other news, the board: • Is planning homecomings for each school. Ville Platte's homecoming has been rescheduled for next Thursday, October 15th. • Reminds everyone that 30% of the 25% stadium capacities at sports events are allocated for visiting teams.

Due to the approaching hurricane, KVPI News has received the following: All Evangeline Parish Public Schools will be closed Thursday and Friday for teachers, students and certain employees. All campus administrators, custodians and cafeteria staff members,, pupil appraisal, maintenance staff and district office personel are expected to report at their regular time on Thursday. This according to School Supt. Darwan Lazard. Bishop Deshotel announced that all Catholic Schools in the Lafayette Diocese including Sacred Heart Schools will be closed Thursday and Friday. There will no High School Coach's show tonight at the Crawfish Barn. Also there will be no High School Football Game of the Week this week all because of cancelled football games.

The Ville Platte Rotary Club heard from Richard Fontenot today (Tuesday) on the state of agriculture in our parish and state. Fontenot is a fourth generation farmer in the Vidrine area. His farming operation covers some 4000 acres with his brother Neal. He is currently Third Vice President with the Louisiana Farm Bureau and a member of the Louisiana Rice Research Board. Fontenot said as he was speaking, another category four storm is aiming at the Louisiana coast line this weekend. This would make the sixth named storm to hit Louisiana this year. He said Evangeline Parish was spared from Hurricane Laura. Fontenot said the after effects of storms such as mosquitos was a big problem to parish livestock owners. Over 100 head of cattle were lost locally due to the problem with mosquitos. In Evangeline Parish, 90 percent of the rice crop was complete when Laura hit while there was a minimal effect in soybeans. He said our neighbors to the west were hit hard. Timber is a 1.1 billion dollar industry in the state while agriculture brings in some $450 million dollars. Statewide, infrastructure was impacted including grain bins and rail cars. Some 70 percent of the Louisiana rice crop that is exported is shipped from the Port of Lake Charles. The port sustained significant damage. As far as ag prices, Fontenot said crawfish prices were fair despite the issue with Covid -19 impacting restaurants. Rice infrastructure was damaged while soybean farmers are hoping China will agree to the purchase of the promised crop. Fontenot was the guest of Rotarian Annie Fruge.

The Evangeline Parish Police Jury meeting on Monday, October 5th considered making changes to an ordinance to allow other ambulance services besides Acadian to operate parish wide. Representatives for MedExpress ambulance services argued that doing so would allow for better response times, bring more jobs to Evangeline parish, and decrease costs of ambulance services, among other benefits. They pointed out that similar ordinances in other parishes have produced positive results. MedExpress argued that long rollover times are because they are not allowed to operate in certain areas, resulting in possible confusion, while Acadian Ambulance argued that long rollover times are a result of multiple services operating in the same area. Acadian further pointed out that Medicare/Medicaid dictates how much patients pay for services, regardless of ambulance rates. They said that diluted the calls dilutes the quality of service, and that they currently average 13 ½ patients a day. Acadian urged the jury to sign their 5-year contract, which will automatically renew for 5 more years if both parties are satisfied. The contract ends in December of 2025. In the end, the jury agreed to sign the contract with Acadian Ambulance to remain as sole ambulance provider in rural areas of Evangeline Parish. In other news: • Trick-or-Treating in unincorporated areas of Evangeline Parish will take place on Saturday, October 31st (Halloween Night) from 6-8 p.m. • October has been declared Dysautonomia (diss-auto-nomia) Awareness Month. Dysautonomia is a rare neurological disorder with no cure that affects the parts of the body that cannot be consciously controlled, such as blood pressure or heart rate. • The city is considering another mosquito spray but will wait until after the coming storm to discuss further details.

Turkey Creek Chief of Police Shawn Eckhart released the following arrests to KVPI News: On Thursday October 1, 2020, Officers with Turkey Creek Police Department observed a gold Toyota driving with a burnt headlamp in violation of state laws. Officers conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the driver, Kenneth Thomas age 63 of Alexandria, and immediately noticed the smell of marijuana emitting from the vehicle and observed an open alcoholic container in the console. Officers obtained verbal consent to search and located several burnt marijuana cigarettes and one hand rolled cigarette containing a green leafy material presumed to be marijuana. A small clear plastic Ziplock bag, containing a green leafy material, presumed to be marijuana, was located in the ashtray. Thomas admitted to the Officers that the cigarettes did contain marijuana and that he had just purchased the bag of marijuana. Thomas was cited for several traffic violations and a warrant for his arrest was issued for possession of marijuana and 40:981.3 violation of drug free zone. Thomas was booked in the Evangeline Parish Jail with a $3000 bond, issued by 13th Judicial Judge Chuck West. (2) On Friday October 2, 2020, Officers with Turkey Creek Police Department received a phone call from a concerned citizen of a truck parked in front of the residence of 1378 Pine St, located within the jurisdiction of Turkey Creek. Officers responded to the location and observed a grey Dodge pickup in the roadway, partially blocking a driveway. Contact was made with the driver James Fontenot who stated that he was waiting on a girl to get her belongings from a residence down the road. Fontenot did not have identification and verification through Central Dispatch revealed that Fontenot had a suspended license and the vehicle was not insured. While conducting the field interview, Shanie Riderage 28 of Rollins Road, Ville Platte arrived on scene carrying two luggage type bags. Rider presented her identification and Central Dispatch advised she had an active warrant out of Acadia Parish for forgery and theft. Mrs. Rider was advised of her rights per Miranda and placed under arrest. The vehicle was searched incident to arrest where several illegal items of drug paraphernalia were located, one green clear plastic baggie containing rock like substance presumed to be Crystal Meth , and green vegetable material presumed to be Marijuana . The items were located in a brown purse on the passenger side belonging to Rider. Rider placed her bags in the bed of the truck where numerous additional items of drug paraphernalia were located. These violations occurred within two thousand feet of a drug free zone. Mr. Fontenot was issued a citation for numerous traffic violations and the vehicle was towed. Rider was booked in the Evangeline Parish Jail for an outstanding warrant for Acadia Parish. An additional warrant of arrest was issued for possession schedule II, meth amphetamine, violation of a drug free zone and 7 counts of possession of drug paraphernalia. Bond was set at $25,000, issued by 13th Judicial Judge Chuck West. (3) On Saturday October 3, 2020, Officers with Turkey Creek Police Department observed a dark colored Toyota four door car with its fog lights illuminated and the driver's side light was burnt. Officers made contact with the driver, Douglas Brown age 35 who did not have a driver's license in possession. While speaking with Brown the passenger Daphanie Cooperage 35 of Vidalia handed the Officers a laminated commission card and stated she was told that to present it to the police officer if she was ever stopped. The card indicated that she is a commissioned dispatcher with the Vidalia Police Department. She also stated that she was employed with Vidalia Police Department, presented a badge and said she was waiting to go on the road as a patrolman. Officers believed Cooper was attempting to use these credentials for special privilege or advantage. Officers contacted Vidalia Police Department to verify employment, and were informed she was no longer employed with the department and has not been employed for approximately two weeks, in violation for false impersonation of a peace officer. The badge and credentials were confiscated. Douglas Brown was issued a citation for his traffic violations and a warrant for arrest was issued on Daphanie Cooper for false impersonation of a peace officer by 13th Judicial Judge Chuck West with a $2500 bond. (4) On Sunday October 4, 2020 Officers with the Turkey Creek Police Department were conducting traffic control on Cemetery Road located within the jurisdiction of Turkey Creek when they observed a Ford F150 with a burnt tail light. A traffic stop was conducted and contact was made with the driver, Sagar Hoque. During the field interview officers observed the odor of Marijuana emitting from the vehicle. Hoque gave verbal permission to search his vehicle. As the passengers exited the vehicle, Officers observed an open alcoholic container in the doorway where, the passenger, Johnlee King age 24 was seated. King admitted to the beverage being his. K-9 Ice , a drug dog, was deployed and gave a positive alert to the odor of illegal narcotics on the vehicle's passenger side door. After a thorough search of the vehicle Officers located a rolled up Marijuana Cigar under the rear passenger seat. King admitted ownership and stated he hid it to avoid detection from Police. These violations occurred within two thousand feet of a drug free zone. Mr. Hoque was issued a citation for traffic violations and released. King was issued a citation for open container and a warrant for the arrest of Johnlee King was issued for possession of marijuana and possession of illegal narcotics within a drug free zone, by 13th Judicial Judge Chuck West with a $5000 bond. Chief Shawn Eckhart would like to thank Evangeline Parish 911 Dispatchers for their dedication and professionalism and remind the public to report all suspicious activity. All callers will remain anonymous.

On September 29, 2020 Officers with Turkey Creek Police Department conducted a traffic stop after observing a Gray Chevrolet truck traveling northbound at a speed faster than the posted speed limit. Contact was made with the driver, Donovan Soileau, age 22 of Eunice. During the field interview with Soileau, Officers observed the smell of Marijuana emitting from the vehicle, at which time, the passenger, Justin Roy, age 19 of Eunice, admitted to being in possession of marijuana and a firearm. An additional passenger, Matthew Boone age 20 of Eunice, stated he was also in possession of a firearm. Boone was under the legal age to possess the firearm. After a thorough search of the vehicle, one clear baggie and one a white baggie of green vegetable material presumed to be Marijuana was located in the back-passenger side of the truck, where Roy was seated. The illegal narcotics, and two handguns were confiscated and submitted into evidence. The driver Donovan Soileau was issued a citation for speeding and released. Justin Roy was booked in Evangeline Parish jail for 1 Count of ILLEGAL CARRYING OF WEAPONS, 1 Count POSESSION OF MARIJUANA and 1 Count of VIOLATION OF CDS (Drug free Zone). Matthew Boone was booked in Evangeline Parish Jail for 1 Count of ILLEGAL CARRYING OF WEAPONS. Turkey Creek Chief Shawn Eckhart would like to thank the public for their continued support and to report all suspicious activity. All callers will remain anonymous.

Evangeline Parish Bars Permitted to Reopen by Police Jury October 1, 2020 In a proclamation signed by Evangeline Parish Police Jury President Ryan Williams, all bars and taverns in Evangeline Parish are permitted to reopen. The declaration follows options given to parishes by Governor John Bel Edwards to opt-in to allow on -premises consumption of food and alcoholic beverages. The opt-in provisions require parishes to show a positivity rate of 5 percent or less for two consecutive weeks. Police Jury president Williams announced the positivity rate for the last two weeks have been 5% and 3% for the last two weeks.

TRAFFIC STOP LEADS TO DRUG ARREST Sheriff Charles R. Guillory, of the Evangeline Parish Sheriff's Office releases the following: Bayou Chicot--Wednesday, September 29, 2020, Evangeline Parish Sheriff's Deputy conducted a Traffic Stop near the area of Highway 106 and US Highway 167N when he observed a vehicle travelling without an illuminated license plate light after it excelled pass his unit. The vehicle was observed was a 1999 blue 4 door Nissan Sentry Sedan registered to Harley John Montalvo (owner/passenger). The driver was identified as Robert H. Lee. During the stop the Deputy learned the driver was driving without insurance coverage on the vehicle. After further investigation the Deputy located a glass pipe containing residue of a crystal-like rock substance along with an unknown amount of a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana on the person of Robert Lee. A vehicle search was conducted as well in which it led to the confiscating of a brown Ruger 10/22 .22 caliber rifle with scope. All evidence was seized and placed into Evidence. The vehicle was impounded for no insurance and sent with Sooner's Towing for storage. The driver Robert Lee was arrested and booked into the Evangeline Parish Jail on the charges of No Tail Lamps, Possession of Schedule I CDS, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Bond was set at $75,250.00 by 13th Judicial District Judge Gary Ortego. The passenger Harley J Montalvo was arrested and booked into the Evangeline Parish Jail on the charge of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Bond was set at $65,000.00 by 13th Judicial District Judge Gary Ortego. As always, Evangeline Parish Sheriff's Office is constantly seeking information on criminal activity and urges the Public to contact their Investigation Department via phone at 337-363-2161 or through the agency's website at www.evangelineparishsheriff.org. Any person reporting information will always remain anonymous.

The Evangeline Chamber of Commerce held a general membership meeting and a business after hours meeting Wednesday. Connie Lamke representing the Acosta foundation addressed the chamber members. The Foundation has been helping organize food drives in areas where COVID or the recent hurricanes have affected the communities. They're helping small businesses and individuals by giving food, donating masks and supplies, as well as other actions. The Chamber announced that it will be reaching out to local businesses to discuss the potential revitalization of the downtown Ville Platte area. They are currently researching grant resources and opportunities to help fund this goal. The plan is to propose a step-by-step plan with renderings of revitalization ideas for the downtown buildings and businesses. The chamber is planning to hire a part-time executive position for about 20 hours per week. If you or someone you know is interested, you can find more information on their website or on indeed.com. In other news: • Main Street Recovery Grant applications are now closed—anyone who already turned in an application will still be considered. • About 100 out of 120 businesses renewed their memberships so far this year, with 6 band-new members joining • Shop Evangeline Christmas, an event to help promote local shopping in support of small businesses, is planned for the 3rd weekend in November.