DOTD Secretary Shawn Wilson continues to urge drivers to put down the cell phone.  Wilson says earlier this month, another DOTD employee, Dwayne Pitre, was seriously injured while picking up litter in a work zone near Carencro.  Once again, distracted driving was believed to be a factor.
Cut 4 (09) “…and his family.”
Two DOTD employees have died since 2016 due to distracted driving.

A Lafayette man is in jail for allegedly defrauding a Shreveport man over tickets to the National Championship game in New Orleans. Caddo Sheriff’s spokesperson Cindy Chadwick says the victim bought a pair of near field level tickets from Michael Simmons for 3,600 dollars, but…
Cut 6 (11) “less”
The actual value of the tickets for his nosebleed seats was 525 dollars, and Simmons refused to refund the money.

Multiple students at Many High School in Sabine Parish have been charged with illicit acts for their roles in an alleged sexual assault that was recorded on video and went viral on social media. Trooper Casey Wallace says seven juvenile students and one adult student face a variety of charges….
Cut 13 (05) “…juveniles.”
The video that reportedly shows a victim being held down by other students and sodomized with an object.

In celebration of Valentine’s Day, the Louisiana Family Forum is honoring what they believe to be the couple with the longest marriage in the state with the 2020 Marriage Hall of Fame.  Forum President Gene Mills says for the second year in a row, Wallace and Gladys Menard from Duson have that distinction with 81 years.

Cut 9 (11) “…covenant has brought.″

The couple met at a dance hall in Abbeville in 1937 and were married at ages 19 and 16 in 1938.