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• Seniors accused in Comeaux High vandalism

  May 21, 2013 8:59 AM

  LAFAYETTE- Police say 19 Comeaux High seniors face misdemeanor charges after they allegedly vandalized the school over the weekend. Lafayette police Cpl. Paul Mouton says the students received misdemeanor summonses for criminal mischief and criminal trespassing for vandalizing the school grounds. Comeaux High Principal Joe Craig tells The Advocate the... more »

• Off-duty Lafayette police officer killed in Iberville crash

  May 18, 2013 6:45 PM

  IBERVILLE PARISH - An off-duty Lafayette Police Lieutenant died in a motorcycle crash Saturday on LA Highway 3000, according to Louisiana State Police Tpr. Stephen Hammons. Around 2:00 p.m. 45-year-old Richard "Ricky" Rees was driving a 2013 Harley Davidson north on LA 3000. Rees was entering a sharp right... more »

• Cleveland story sparks hope for missing La. teen

  May 9, 2013 8:46 AM

  LAFAYETTE- A volunteer who has helped in the search for a missing Lafayette Parish teenager says she has drawn hope from the sight of three young kidnap victims being reunited with their families in Cleveland. The Lafayette girl, Keiosha Felix, has been missing since April of 2012. Volunteer organizer Tammy... more »

• Mother pleads not guilty in death of 3-year-old

  April 30, 2013 11:28 AM

  LAFAYETTE - A Lafayette mother has pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from the death of her 3-year-old son. The Advertiser reports 22-year-old Laura Smith waived formal arraignment and entered her plea last week at the Lafayette Parish Courthouse. A grand jury earlier this month indicted Smith on a charge... more »

• U.S. Marshals join hunt for Lafayette fugitive

  April 5, 2013 12:57 PM

  LAFAYETTE - U.S. Marshals are joining the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office in the hunt for a man who walked away from his vehicular homicide trial last week. Wade Lohse, 43, is charged with vehicular homicide, felon in possession of a firearm and burglary. His trial was underway March... more »

• ULL, Southern to face off in 2014 season opener

  March 27, 2013 10:48 AM

  LAFAYETTE - Officials at ULL have released the Ragin Cajuns' football schedules through 2016. The team is set to face off against the Southern Jaguars this August in their season opener at home. The Cajuns also secured home-and-home series against Boise State and Louisiana Tech. Athletic director Scott... more »

• Lafayette school board to revamp attendance policy

  March 25, 2013 8:55 AM

  LAFAYETTE- Lafayette Parish School Board members would be able to miss up to five meetings in a calendar year before facing penalties under a revised attendance policy recommended by the board's executive committee. The revisions, which come after some board members have faced criticism for their absences, would clarify some... more »

• Master plan for UL Lafayette athletics facilities unveiled

  March 22, 2013 10:17 AM

  LAFAYETTE - The University of Louisiana at Lafayette could start work on $115 million in new construction and improvements of its athletic facilities as early as this summer. Athletics Director Scott Farmer said Thursday the projects to improve facilities for student-athletes and fans are outlined in a master plan for... more »

• Co-ed's killer unhappy with prison

  March 6, 2013 11:03 PM

  ANGOLA- Convicted killer Brandon Scott Lavergne is not happy with his situation at the state penitentiary. Lavergne is in prison for killing two women: Mickey Shunick in Lafayette in 2012, and another woman a decade earlier. KATC TV reported Lavergne is on a hunger strike. He also said... more »

• LSU ULL Baseball square up on diamond in Lafayette Play Video

  February 25, 2013 11:21 PM

  LAFAYETTE - The LSU Tigers say they will conduct themselves with nothing but professionalism when they hit the road to the ULL Ragin Cajuns for their first away game of the season. Although there has been bad blood in the past, LSU head coach Paul Mainieri says he doesn't... more »

• Maryland man sentenced in child porn case

  February 21, 2013 8:46 AM

  LAFAYETTE- A 30-year-old Maryland man was sentenced in Lafayette, La., to eight years in prison for possessing child pornography. U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley tells The Advertiser Phillip Sessa Jr., of Essex, Md., was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Richard T. Haik. Prosecutors say an acquaintance of Sessa alerted... more »

• Louisiana-Lafayette routs Louisiana-Monroe 90-66

  February 11, 2013 9:47 AM

  LAFAYETTE - Bryant Mbamalu scored 24 points, leading six Louisiana-Lafayette players in double figures, and the Ragin' Cajuns routed Louisiana-Monroe 90-66 Sunday night. Louisiana-Lafayette (9-16, 5-9 Sun Belt) never trailed, but it was mostly a close game until the Ragin' Cajuns went on a 24-0 run in a 6-minute stretch... more »

• Former police officer indicted on sex charge

  February 7, 2013 7:33 AM

  LAFAYETTE - A former Lafayette police corporal has been indicted by a Lafayette Parish grand jury on charges of sexual battery and malfeasance for allegedly sexually battering a woman while he was on duty. 34-year-old Jackie Hagan Jr., of Sunset, allegedly responded to a report of a crime in downtown... more »

• Man surrenders in Lafayette fatal crash

  January 24, 2013 6:44 AM

  LAFAYETTE - Lafayette police say a 23-year-old man suspected of driving drunk and causing a collision that killed a 2-year-old last week has surrendered to authorities. Jamuse Broussard, of Lafayette, has been booked Tuesday with vehicular homicide in the Jan. 16 crash in which Kylan Jackson was severely injured.... more »

• Lafayette board to appoint school tax committee

  January 22, 2013 8:51 AM

  LAFAYETTE- Lafayette Parish School Superintendent Pat Cooper is asking the school board to appoint a cross section of Lafayette residents to head a committee that will evaluate his recommendation for a $560 million tax proposal. The Advertiser reports the 30 members of the Community Education Plan Committee - set for... more »

• Lafayette Parish may end tax rebate

  January 22, 2013 7:10 AM

  LAFAYETTE- The Lafayette City-Parish Government is considering ending a sales tax rebate that helps area businesses cover accounting expenses related to collecting and paying the tax. A long-standing local law has allowed businesses to keep 2 percent of total collections for city-parish government sales taxes as long as the... more »

• Program to aid Lafayette pregnant teens

  January 7, 2013 9:55 AM

  LAFAYETTE- The Lafayette Parish School System plans to launch a program next school year for teen mothers and pregnant teens that would provide on-campus child care and support services for the young mothers. Schools Superintendent Pat Cooper says the program will be housed at Northside High School with a... more »

• Lafayette woman booked with attempted murder

  January 2, 2013 10:14 AM

  LAFAYETTE - Police say a 37-year-old Lafayette woman faces a charge of attempted second-degree murder for allegedly slitting a man's throat. Officers were dispatched to a home shortly before 11:30 a.m. Monday and found Chandra Hamilton standing outside. According to the arrest affidavit, Hamilton told officers that "the victim's... more »

• Road rage leads to highway stabbing

  December 27, 2012 7:32 AM

  LAFAYETTE - Lafayette police say a 42-year-old man was stabbed around 7 p.m. on Christmas after an altercation with another driver. Cpl. Paul Mouton says officers responded to the victim at the intersection of Interstate 49 and Pont des Mouton Road. Mouton says the victim was traveling on... more »

• State panel approves Lafayette parks tax election

  December 21, 2012 9:09 AM

  LAFAYETTE - The State Bond Commission has voted to approve an April 6 vote in the city of Lafayette on a property tax increase to support the struggling Parks and Recreation Department. The department stands to gain an estimated $6.5 million annually if voters approve the measure, which would... more »

• Parent arrested in school confrontation

  December 20, 2012 2:10 PM

  LAFAYETTE- Police say a parent was arrested Wednesday after a confrontation with a teacher at S.J. Montgomery School. Cpl. Paul Mouton tells The Advocate that Benjamin C. Phillips of Crowley was arrested for battery on a teacher. Mouton said police were called to respond to a disturbance at the school... more »

• TB tests pending for people at LHS, Truman

  December 18, 2012 10:48 AM

  LAFAYETTE - About 200 students and faculty and staff members at Lafayette High School are awaiting the results of blood tests taken Monday that may indicate if they are positive for tuberculosis. Blood was drawn from those who had been identified as possibly having been exposed to an individual suspected... more »

• Renovations planned on La.-Lafayette campus

  December 10, 2012 8:56 AM

  LAFAYETTE - Work to replace the façade of Fletcher Hall on the University of Louisiana at Lafayette campus, repairing extensive water damage to the building, will get under way early next year. William Crist, the university's facilities director, says the major renovation involves resealing and refinishing the entire exterior... more »

• Lafayette jail construction under way

  November 19, 2012 10:31 AM

  LAFAYETTE, La. - By this time next year, the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office plans to move its road crew inmates and those in work release and rehabilitation programs from its downtown jail and annex into its public safety complex now under construction. Rob Reardon, corrections director, says road crew... more »

• School system considers plan to re-enroll dropouts

  November 9, 2012 9:06 AM

  LAFAYETTE - The Lafayette Parish School System may soon partner with a company that seeks dropouts and gives them a chance to finish high school anytime and anywhere. The company, The American Academy's No Dropouts program, works with school districts to bring dropouts back to school and provides educational... more »

• Police release confession video in Shunick case Play Video

  October 26, 2012 10:07 PM

  LAFAYETTE- Confessed killer Brandon Lavergne told police he accidentally hit Mickey Shunick in May, and at first, never planned to kill her. Lavergne's confession was recorded by police in Lafayette, and released to media. Lavergne said he had been drinking and was playing on his phone when he... more »

• Cajuns looking to rebound from N. Texas loss

  October 23, 2012 10:42 AM

  LAFAYETTE - The Louisiana Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns football team attempts to bounce back from their first Sun Belt Conference loss of the season when the Cajuns host defending SBC champion Arkansas State at 7:00 p.m. in Cajun Field tonight. The school is encouraging fans to wear white to the... more »

• Finally, I-10 opens again between Baton Rouge and Lafayette Play Video

  October 19, 2012 7:53 PM

  HENDERSON- All lanes of I-10 West have reopened, after a crash nearly 24 hours ago. Thursday night, two 18-wheelers crashed into each each other at the foot of the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge. The wreck caused a large fire, and one of the trucks spilled its load of drilling mud,... more »

• I-10W reopened after fatal wreck last night Play Video

  October 19, 2012 4:14 PM

  BATON ROUGE - State Police reopened one lane of I-10 West around 6:30 p.m., nearly 24 hours after a deadly 18-wheeler crash near Henderson. Barrels and caution signs will be placed to warn drivers on the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge of the one-lane area, and troopers warned drivers to expect... more »

• I-10 W closed in WBR because of crash near Lafayette

  October 18, 2012 10:20 PM

  LOBDELL- I-10 is closed; drivers headed west are being diverted off the interstate at Hwy. 415 in West Baton Rouge Parish. The closure is because of a wreck in St. Martin Parish- about 40 miles away. There, a fiery crash is causing traffic to build on the I-10... more »

• Ex-Leesville police chief gets prison in gun probe

  October 16, 2012 4:33 PM

  LAFAYETTE - A former Leesville police chief has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison for illegally possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number. U.S. District Judge Richard Haik on Tuesday sentenced 51-year-old Bobby Hickman to 46 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Federal... more »

• School bus changes made at Lafayette High

  September 27, 2012 8:45 AM

  LAFAYETTE - Lafayette High School has made several changes in the way buses run to keep students safe. The changes come after the Sept. 20 accident in which a student was struck by a bus. School system officials met with bus drivers and administrators to address the problems in... more »

• Police investigate student mouth-taping incident

  September 20, 2012 8:20 AM

  LAFAYETTE - Lafayette police are investigating an incident in which a substitute teacher at J. Wallace James Elementary School allegedly taped a student's mouth shut to keep the child from talking. Cpl. Paul Mouton says police received a formal complaint Wednesday. That complaint is active, and criminal charges are... more »

• Psych report: Lavergne tearful during murder discussion

  September 12, 2012 9:26 PM

  LAFAYETTE- Brandon Lavergne, the man who confessed to kidnapping and killing Lafayette college student Mickey Shunick, became tearful during a discussion with a clinical psychologist. Larry Benoit performed a psychological report as part of a plea deal. In the report, Lavergne states he thought about suicide around the... more »

• Shunick celebration planned Sept. 29

  September 3, 2012 10:19 AM

  LAFAYETTE - Friends and family of Mickey Shunick say they will hold a community celebration to honor the University of Louisiana at Lafayette student who was kidnapped and killed in May. The Advertiser reports that friends will share memories of the 21-year-old woman, City-Parish President Joey Durel will speak, and... more »

• Council considers Cajundome subsidy increase

  August 24, 2012 9:09 AM

  LAFAYETTE - The Lafayette City-Parish Council is considering an increased subsidy to the Cajundome. The council this week briefly discussed City-Parish President Joey Durel's proposed $550,000 allocation to the Cajundome for the upcoming fiscal year, which marks a $50,000 increase from the current fiscal year. The Cajundome subsidy... more »

• Closed Lafayette hospital will be torn down

  August 23, 2012 2:52 PM

  LAFAYETTE - The old Our Lady of Lourdes hospital building will be torn down. KATC TV reports the building will not be imploded, because it's too close to neighborhoods and offices. The hospital is now accepting bids for demolition of the closed hospital, estimated to cost about 2-million dollars. A... more »

• ULL given preliminary OK for new degrees

  August 23, 2012 7:35 AM

  LAFAYETTE - The Board of Regents has voted conditional approval for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette to offer master of science degrees in criminal justice and kinesiology, both of which are in demand. The master of science degree in kinesiology would build on the current baccalaureate program on... more »

• Shunick's body released to family

  August 21, 2012 11:08 AM

  LAFAYETTE - The body of Mickey Shunick was returned to her family, according to the Lafayette Parish Coroner. Shunick's family plans to have a private funeral for friends and family and a public memorial to celebrate Mickey's life. The date of the public memorial has not been set. Shunick... more »

• Lavergne in Angola after pleading guilty to murders Play Video

  August 17, 2012 4:54 PM

  LAFAYETTE - Brandon Scott Lavergne arrived at Angola state prison this afternoon, beginning his life sentence for murdering Mickey Shunick and Lisa Pate. Lavergne pleaded guilty this morning to both murders in exchange for the life sentence. Prosecutors said inmates at the jail he had been booked into were... more »

• Houston man gets prison for online prostitution

  August 17, 2012 12:34 PM

  HOUSTON - A Houston man has been sentenced to more than nine years in prison in a prostitution case involving hotels and online advertisements. A federal judge in Houston on Thursday sentenced 30-year-old Jerald Bland. Bland in January pleaded guilty to transportation of a woman for commercial sex. Prosecutors say... more »

• Lavergne pleads guilty to murders, said Shunick stabbed him

  August 17, 2012 11:39 AM

  LAFAYETTE - Brandon Scott Lavergne pleaded guilty this morning to charges he murdered Mickey Shunick and Lisa Pate, according to a Lafayette TV station. Lavergne pleaded guilty in exchange for life in prison, according to KATC-TV. They said he was also required by police to show them where he... more »

• Businesswoman indicted on federal charges

  August 14, 2012 10:32 AM

  LAFAYETTE - A Lafayette businesswoman has been charged with wire fraud and money laundering. Federal authorities say Catherine Romero is accused of defrauding investors out of more than $1.2 million in a scheme involving plans to manufacture goods created from alligator hides from 2007 to 2008. A trial... more »

• Shunick family says they can begin healing process

  August 10, 2012 9:43 AM

  LAFAYETTE - The family of a university student who went missing in May say they can finally begin to grieve after police positively identified a body they found earlier this week. Police say the body discovered in Evangeline Parish was that of Michaela "Mickey" Shunick. Her family said Friday they... more »

• Police: Body identified as Mickey Shunick

  August 9, 2012 5:45 PM

  LAFAYETTE - Police in Lafayette said investigators have positively identified a body found in Evangeline Parish as that of missing college student Mickey Shunick. Cpl. Paul Mouton made the announcement Thursday evening, two days after the body was found buried in a cemetery off La. 10. "There will... more »

• Police: Lavergne taken out of jail before body found Play Video

  August 8, 2012 12:32 PM

  LAFAYETTE - Police confirmed to News 2 that the man accused of kidnapping and killing Lafayette college student Mickey Shunick was taken out of jail shortly before police found a body believed to be Shunick's. Cpl. Paul Mouton said yesterday that a "credible witness" gave them information which led... more »

• WEB EXTRA: Press release from Lafayette Police, issued late Tuesday

  August 7, 2012 10:27 PM

  LAFAYETTE PD PRESS RELEASE: Lafayette, LA - On the morning of August 7, 2012, investigators involved in the Mickey Shunick case received credible information as to the location of Mickey Shunick's body. Investigators were directed to a section of property off of Louisiana Highway 10, near its intersection with... more »

• Lafayette PD: confident body found is Mickey Shunick Play Video

  August 7, 2012 10:09 PM

  EVANGELINE PARISH- Lafayette Police said they're confident, remains found about an hour from Lafayette, are those of Mickey Shunick. Police were notified about the remains early Tuesday morning. "The information was that... Mickey Shunick's body was buried about 100 yards beyond LA 10 down this roadway beyond a... more »

• Chief: Police "believe" remains are Shunick's Play Video

  August 7, 2012 3:55 PM

  MAMOU - Lafayette Chief of Police Jim Craft said tonight that they believe remains found in an Evangeline Parish cemetery are those of missing college student Mickey Shunick. Craft made the statements at the Lafayette Parish Council meeting, according to The Advertiser newspaper. "Today, we developed information on... more »

• Cajun football gets underway with UL reporting day

  August 1, 2012 10:49 AM

  LAFAYETTE - The 2012 football season will officially get underway on Wednesday when second-year UL head coach Mark Hudspeth welcomes 105 student-athletes back to campus for the start of preseason practice. After checking into the dormitories in the morning, the annual team photo will be taken in the afternoon... more »

• Mickey Shunick's father: "it certainly doesn't look very good" Play Video

  July 18, 2012 10:17 PM

  LAFAYETTE- The father of missing college student Mickey Shunick questions if his daughter will be found alive after the man accused of killing her was also indicted for another murder where a woman was killed. Brandon Lavergne was indicted Wednesday by a grand jury for Shunick's murder and kidnapping... more »

• Lavergne indicted for two murders

  July 18, 2012 6:12 PM

  LAFAYETTE - A grand jury indicted Brandon Scott Lavergne today for the murder of missing Lafayette college student Mickey Shunick, as well as a 13-year-old murder. According to KATC-TV in Lafayette the indictment also accused Lavergne of killing Lisa Pate, who was found dead in 1999 near Church Point.... more »

• Grand jury to hear Lavergne case Wednesday

  July 17, 2012 12:59 PM

  LAFAYETTE - A grand jury will hear evidence tomorrow in the case against Brandon Scott Lavergne. Lavergne is accused of kidnapping and murdering U.L. Lafayette student Mickey Shunick, who disappeared May 19 after leaving a friend's home on her bike. A tip led Lafayette police to arrest Lavergne... more »

• UL Lafayette gay studies minor under fire

  July 13, 2012 11:52 AM

  LAFAYETTE - The head of a prominent conservative Christian group in Louisiana is critical of the University of Louisiana-Lafayette for offering a new minor in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender studies. The Advocate reports that the area of study was first offered in the spring. Louisiana Family Forum President Gene... more »

• Possible grave sites examined in Shunick search Play Video

  July 12, 2012 5:15 PM

  OPELOUSAS- A tip call lead investigators to a site near the Swords community in Saint Landry Parish. Investigators found no new information in the search for Mickey Shunick. A farmer reported seeing something that looked like a shallow grave. Authorities checked the site but found nothing. They also checked... more »

• Police: Possible graves in Shunick search "nothing"

  July 12, 2012 10:38 AM

  LAFAYETTE - Authorities said they found nothing of interest from a search this morning of possible gravesites related to the disappearance of Lafayette college student Mickey Shunick. Police searched an area of Brandon Lavergne's property today in St. Landry Parish. Lavergne was arrested and accused of murder and kidnapping... more »

• Police: Tip connected Lavergne to truck, led to arrest Play Video

  July 6, 2012 1:46 PM

  LAFAYETTE - Police said a tip led them to connect Brandon Lavergne, a registered sex offender in St. Landry Parish, to the disappearance of Mickey Shunick and eventually arrest him. Chief Jim Craft of the Lafayette Police Department said the tip from a "concerned citizen" linked Lavergne and his... more »

• Truck found in Texas now part of Shunick investigation

  July 6, 2012 12:14 PM

  COLDSPRING, Tex. - Investigators in Texas confirmed to News 2 that a truck found there is part of the investigation into college student Mickey Shunick's disappearance from Lafayette. An investigator with the San Jacinto County Sheriff's Office said a white pickup matching the description of one sought in connection... more »

• Sex offender arrested in connection with Shunick disappearance Play Video

  July 5, 2012 10:24 PM

  LAFAYETTE- A 33-year-old sex offender has been arrested and charged with murder and kidnapping in connection with the disappearance of college student Mickey Shunick. Brandon Lavergne was arrested Thursday and his home in St. Landry Parish was searched later in the afternoon. Authorities spent hours there, but have... more »

• Reports: sex offender arrested in connection with disappearance of South Louisiana college student

  July 5, 2012 7:28 PM

  LAFAYETTE- Reports suggest Brandon Scott Lavergne, 33, has been arrested in connection with the disappearance of college student Mickey Shunick. Shunick vanished while riding her bike near downtown Lafayette in May. Her bike was found, damaged, in Whiskey Bay under the I-10 Basin Bridge. Sources tell News2, authorities... more »

• Arrest made in Mickey Shunick case

  July 5, 2012 5:07 PM

  LAFAYETTE- Police say they have arrested a person in connection with the disappearance of college student Mickey Shunick. Shunick vanished May 19th, riding her bike in downtown Lafayette. The bike was found, damaged, in Whiskey Bay under the I-10 Basin Bridge in Iberville Parish. Police say they will... more »

• Teen dead, man wounded in Lafayette shooting

  July 2, 2012 1:18 PM

  LAFAYETTE - Lafayette police are investigating a shooting that left a New Iberia teenager dead and a 23-year-old man injured. Police say the shooting occurred about 2:30 a.m. Sunday in a Taco Bell parking lot. Cpl. Paul Mouton says the victims were standing in the parking lot when the suspect... more »

• P.I. has "credible information" about Shunick case

  June 7, 2012 6:34 PM

  LAFAYETTE- A private investigator says he has credible information about two people who may be involved in the disappearance of Mickey Shunick. Shunick went missing on May 19th, riding her bicycle home from a friend's house. The bike was found about a week later in Whiskey Bay, under the... more »

• Police: Shunick tips slowing down

  June 1, 2012 1:33 PM

  LAFAYETTE - Investigators searching for a missing college student in Lafayette say the number of tips they're receiving are slowing down enough that they're going to make some changes. Starting tonight, the tip line at the Lafayette Police Department won't be staffed at all hours by investigators. Instead, an... more »

• 2 vehicles of interest ruled out in Shunick search

  May 30, 2012 11:24 AM

  LAFAYETTE - Police have ruled out two vehicles of interest in their search for Mickey Shunick. Lafayette Police say they have identified the operators and occupants of both the older model 4-door car and the white 4-door pickup truck with the bed cover, which were captured on surveillance video... more »

• New details released in search for student Play Video

  May 29, 2012 4:09 PM

  LAFAYETTE - Investigators in Lafayette released new details this afternoon in their search for missing college student Michaela "Mickey" Shunick. Cpl. Paul Mouton with the Lafayette Police Department said detectives sent Shunick's bike to the State Police Crime Lab for further testing. It was found Sunday submerged in water... more »

• La. police don't see link to missing Ind. student

  May 29, 2012 1:24 PM

  LAFAYETTE - A Lafayette Police Department spokesman says investigators don't believe there are links between their investigation of a missing female college student and a case in Bloomington, Ind. Cpl. Paul Mouton told The Associated Press that police aren't releasing the details that make them believe the disappearance of Michaela... more »

• Police probe similarities between 2 disappearances

  May 28, 2012 11:07 AM

  BLOOMINGTON, Ind.- Police in Bloomington say they have contacted authorities in Louisiana about their search for a college student whose disappearance has similarities to that of an Indiana University student who has been missing for nearly a year. Twenty-one-year-old University of Louisiana student Michaela "Mickey" Shunick was last seen early... more »

• Search teams back out after Shunick's bike found

  May 28, 2012 10:48 AM

  LAFAYETTE - Search teams are back out again today in Iberville Parish after finding a bicycle that belonged to missing college student Mickey Shunick. Cpl. Paul Mouton with Lafayette Police said the bike was spotted by a fisherman under an Interstate 10 bridge about 25 miles away from where... more »

• Woman says man in white pick-up offered money for sex; questions connection to missing person case Play Video

  May 26, 2012 12:22 AM

  LAFAYETTE- TV reports Friday night suggested a woman may have had an encounter with a white truck, similar to the one Lafayette Police are looking for in connection with the disappearance of a college student. Mickey Shunick vanished Saturday morning sometime after 2. Nearly a week later, police released... more »

• Police: video shows missing college student and mystery "truck of interest" Play Video

  May 25, 2012 8:06 PM

  LAFAYETTE- Police have released the most groundbreaking information related to a missing person's case that's grabbed the country's attention. Late Friday, pictures from security cameras were released showing a white, newer model pick-up truck. The truck was seen on various video recordings, on two different streets were Mickey Shunick... more »

• Search continues for woman missing in Lafayette

  May 21, 2012 5:42 PM

  LAFAYETTE - The FBI has offered to help in the search for a missing Lafayette woman who disappeared over the weekend according to Lafayette station KATC-TV. Michaela "Mickey" Shunick went missing after leaving a friend's house around 2 a.m. Saturday. The Lafayette Police Department continued to search the... more »

• Lafayette agencies told to look for cuts

  May 8, 2012 6:43 AM

  LAFAYETTE - Lafayette city-parish department heads are being asked to comb their budgets for cuts as the administration prepares to trim at least $5 million from next year's budget. City-Parish Chief Administrative Officer Dee Stanley says the administration is just beginning to prepare the proposed budget, but under a best-case... more »

• Body found in burning Lafayette home

  April 12, 2012 7:39 AM

  LAFAYETTE - Lafayette police are investigating a death of a man found in a burning home. Police say firefighter responded to a structure fire at 12:30 a.m. Thursday and once the fire was out, they discovered a body. Police are investigating the death as a homicide. The identity... more »

• Board members oppose program changes

  April 6, 2012 6:41 AM

  LAFAYETTE - Two Lafayette Parish School Board members say they aren't happy with Superintendent Pat Cooper's plan to change the mission of the district's newest high school, Thibodaux Career and Technical High School. Board members Mark Allen Babineaux and Rae Trahan said Wednesday that they oppose Cooper's recommendation to move... more »

• Lafayette budget deficit stirs debate

  March 28, 2012 8:20 AM

  LAFAYETTE - Next year's Lafayette city-parish government budget might need to be $5 million leaner. A discussion on Tuesday about the need for two new fire stations expanded into a debate over how the administration and council will find the estimated $5 million in new revenue that might be needed... more »

• Former First Baptist Lafayette pastor dies at 84

  March 26, 2012 11:30 AM

  COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.- Dr. Perry Sanders, longtime pastor of First Baptist Lafayette, died Monday, March 26, 2012. He was 84. Sanders served First Baptist for 47 years before retiring in 2006. He previously served churches in other Louisiana cities including Baton Rouge and Jennings. He served two terms... more »

• Lafayette officials: Flood cost over $2 million

  March 20, 2012 8:44 AM

  LAFAYETTE - Officials say the bill for debris cleanup and repairs of damaged roads and water systems from last week's flooding is expected to climb above $2 million in Lafayette Parish. That's in addition to the yet-to-be-tallied repair costs for an estimated 1,300 homes in the Acadiana region affected by... more »

• I-10 remains closed West of Lafayette

  March 8, 2012 9:34 AM

  I-10 West remains closed to traffic at LA 13 due to an accident at milepost 68. The accident involved two tractor trailers and caused a fire which burnt both vehicles. State Police Hazmat is on the scene. One of the trailers was carrying hay; the fire department... more »

• Overlay project planned for I-10

  February 9, 2012 9:01 AM

  LAFAYETTE - A project to overlay 13 miles of Interstate 10 in Lafayette and St. Martin parishes is expected to begin by the end of 2013. Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development officials say the estimated $76 million project is the largest on their 2012-2013 proposed priority list for the... more »

• FBI report shows steady drop in Lafayette crime

  February 3, 2012 9:04 AM

  LAFAYETTE - The Lafayette Police Department's latest crime statistics show a decline in crime from 2010 across the board. The Advertiser reports the FBI crime statistics shows there were decreases in all categories of the bureau's uniform crime report in 2011. According to the report: -Homicides decreased by 50 percent.... more »

• Lafayette housing project plans move forward

  January 31, 2012 7:28 AM

  LAFAYETTE - The Lafayette Public Trust Financing Authority has authorized actions needed to begin construction of its newest affordable housing development planned for downtown Lafayette. Earlier this month, the public trust group approved its acquisition of the development and other downtown property from the project's original sponsor, the nonprofit organization... more »

• Lafayette moving toward natural gas

  December 26, 2011 2:42 PM

  LAFAYETTE, La. - Two public fueling stations for natural gas-powered vehicles are set to open next year in Lafayette as part of initiatives that include new natural gas buses and the conversion of at least 40 city-parish vehicles to run on natural gas. The efforts come in a wider push... more »

• New degrees coming to BR universities

  December 12, 2011 7:04 AM

  BATON ROUGE - LSU and Southern University are expected to add new academic programs to their institutions following the end of the state's two-year suspension on degree creation. The Advocate reports that the Louisiana Board of Regents has approved a new bachelor's degree in athletic training at LSU. ... more »

• Instructor at Lafayette HS arrested, out on bail

  December 6, 2011 7:17 AM

  LAFAYETTE - A dance teacher at Lafayette High School was arrested after several reports of inappropriate contact with students. Lafayette police began investigating Katie Champagne in November after a 14-year-old female student claimed the teacher grabbed her breasts and hit her on the buttocks. Police retrieved surveillance video... more »

• Lafayette artist designs Louisiana's White House tree ornament

  November 27, 2011 5:01 PM

  LAFAYETTE- A Christmas ornament designed by Lafayette artist Tony Bernard will serve as Louisiana's official ornament for the White House tree. Bernard and students at Copper Mill Elementary School in Zachary decorated ornaments, along with Louisiana First Lady Supriya Jindal last week. This happened at the request of... more »

• State Police investigate officer shooting

  October 23, 2011 9:41 PM

  LAFAYETTE - Louisiana State Police say a Lafayette police officer shot and killed a driver who backed into him at a traffic stop. A news release identifies the dead man as 46-year-old Anthony J. Sonnier of Lafayette. Trooper Stephen Hammons says the officer pulled Sonnier over about 11:20 p.m. Friday.... more »

• La. school board suspends single-sex classes

  October 13, 2011 3:19 PM

  LAFAYETTE - A Louisiana school board has agreed to temporarily end single-sex classes at a middle school, resolving a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union. Thursday's settlement calls for the Vermilion Parish School Board to suspend single-sex classes at Rene A. Rost Middle School through at least... more »

• Police say man stabs woman, then stands in front of train

  August 7, 2011 10:09 AM

  LAFAYETTE - Authorities say a 29-year-old Duson man stabbed his girlfriend, then stood in front of an oncoming train and was killed. Kip Judice of the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office says Gregory Redondo never tried to avoid the train. Reports say Rayne police were called to a stabbing about 11... more »