Devices 4-4A provide All-District emergency team released alerts Page 6 Page 2 The Eunice News VOL. 117 NO. 35 SUNDAY, MAY 2, 2021 $1.00 Lindsay Smythe, director of École St. Landry, a public charter school at Sunset. (Photo by Harlan Kirgan) French- immersion school to open Eunice Mayor Scott Fontenot, right, and this August Alicia Mire, director of Tourism and Main Street, were staging a photo to promote By Harlan Kirgan The side of Brownie’s was the scene of a shoot- and Lt. Ryan Young are shown by a pickup truck the Keep Eunice Beautiful Community Editor ing on Thursday. From left, are Eunice Police where the shooting occurred. (Photo by Harlan Cleanup Day on May 8, but it turned real École St. Landry, a pub- Lt. Michael Dunn, City Marshal Terry Darbonne Kirgan) with available litter in front of the Eunice lic charter school, is the Depot Museum on Thursday. The Com- newest school in the St. munity Cleanup day is scheduled from Landry Parish school dis- 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. with registration at trict. the City Hall. Anyone interested in as- While the Title I char- Man shot multiple times sisting with the cleanup is asked to call the Mayor’s Office at 337-457-7389 or ter school operates inde- email [email protected]. pendently, it is officially (Photo by Harlan Kirgan) part of the parish school system and will begin in drug deal gone sour classes in August. The school’s director, Lindsay Smythe, reported A man was shot three to foot and was located minutes survive. Community to the School Board at five times in the chest in aftera the shooting, Fontenot The shooting occurred with an Academic Committee drug deal gone bad at South said. Bell in the front seat of the meeting on April 27 that 2nd Street and West Maple A second suspect from Ville pickup and the shooter in 67 students had enrolled on Thursday, Eunice Police Platte is being sought, he the back seat. There was a Cleanup Day out of a goal of 96. Chief Randy Fontenot said. said. struggle over the gun during The new school will The shooting occurred in A person described as a a drug transaction and Bell have kindergarten and a pickup truck on the side of witness was seen on video was shot three to five times, planned first grade in the coming Brownie’s, a popular conve- picking up a bag at the scene. Fontenot said. school year. nience store on West Maple The bag containing drugs Fontenot characterized the “We are about 34 short after 1 p.m. was recovered on Friday. incident as an attempted rob- By Harlan Kirgan of maximum capacity,” she The victim was identified Fontenot did not say what bery. Editor said. as Jeremiah Bell of Eunice. kind of drugs were recovered. A weapon had not been re- Keep Eunice Beautiful is back with Two students have ap- His age was not available. The witness told police he covered as of noon Friday. a cleanup day after more than a year plied from Eunice. A suspect in the shoot- was instructed to get rid of While Poullard left on foot, where such events were suspended due The largest number of ing, Bryson Poullard, 19, of the bag, which police found at there was another vehicle in- to the pandemic restrictions. students is 14 from the Eunice, was arrested and his residence. volved, he said. The Community Cleanup Day is Cankton area, she said. charged with attempted first- Bell underwent surgery The Eunice City Marshal’s scheduled from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. May degree murder. at a Lafayette hospital and Office assisted in the arrest 8. (See French, Page 11) Poullard fled the scene on Fontenot said it seems he will and investigation. “This is really important not only to beautify and clean up up your city and take pride in it, but also to bring aware- ness to the situation that we have,” Eu- nice Mayor Scott Fontenot said. “Litter is a problem in every com- munity across the country, but when it is your community we need to take a stance against it and get out and tackle it ourselves,” he said. “I don’t think it is a problem that should fall on city government. I think is a problem we all should take upon ourselves to eliminate,” he added. Donna Baltakis, director of Keep Eunice Beautiful, noted the annual Leaders Against Litter and Great American Cleanup were not held due to COVID-19 restrictions that started in March 2020. “We thought the weather is a little better and people are easing off with masks and more people are getting vaccines. We thought it would be safe,” she said of the planned cleanup. Volunteers are asked to register with the city by calling the Mayor’s Office at 337-457-7389 or email eunicemain- [email protected]. Volunteers may register the morning of the cleanup at City Hall. Volunteers can pickup grabbers, gar- bage bags, gloves, masks and t-shirts Students at Eunice High School enjoyed plenty of line dancing to music during the 24th annual Renaissance Pep Rally Friday. while they last at City Hall, she said Grabbers should be returned. “From our Community Litter In- dex we highlight areas that need to It’s ‘Renaissance Magic!’ at Eunice High School be cleaned. We have some streets and Eunice High School celebrated its 24th excellence celebration and its focus is are awarded for their excellent grades neighborhoods that you can go to,” Bal- annual Renaissance Pep Rally Friday on students who go above and beyond in throughout the year. takis said. morning. academic performance. Students earn- This year’s theme was, “Renaissance The event is considered an academic ing a 3.0 grade point average and above (See Rally, Page 11) (See Cleanup, Page 11) Farmers Feed the World & We Are Here to Support All of You! Ben Marcantel www.wsbankla.com Agriculture Lender 1020 West Laurel Ave • Eunice • 337-457-8952 2 Sunday, May 2, 2021 News The Eunice News www.eunicetoday.com Lafayette-based company lands USGS ShakeAlert license for earthquake alert System to provide warnings for all types of pending disasters A Lafayette-based com- TV. They’ll get informa- aging waves. pany’s radio broadcast tion from that and they’ll Matthew Straeb, ex- technology has earned a use their cell phone. But ecutive vice president and U.S. Geological Survey then what happens? chief technology officer, license for earthquake “Basically, there is a said, “That can give you alerts delivered within 5 cascading effect of de- 20 to 25 seconds upfront seconds. struction. That cell net- to take cover or leave a The ALERT FM system work gets knocked out. building.” uses FM radio technology The power goes out. So, He added, “We are the to send emergency alerts you are really left with ra- first radio broadcast plat- The ALERT FM portable device runs on one AA battery. The device provides weather, for pending disasters such dio at that point.” form to be ShakeAlert li- earthquake and other disaster alert. The device is available at www.alertfm.com/store. as earthquakes, hurri- Adams started his com- censed to operate. We’ve (Photo courtesy of ALERT FM) canes, floods, tornadoesmunication career de- been able to demonstrate and fires. veloping pager systems we can deliver the mes- quake and other alert sit- The system developed around existing radio sage in less than 5 sec- uations,” Straeb said by Global Security Sys- towers. onds.” A key feature of the tems LLC, of Lafayette, “We are able to continue In the coming months, devices is they process was born out the 911 at- to provide alerts through- ALERT FM will inte- targeted warnings called tacks and Hurricane Ka- out a disaster. We’re the grate automated actions polygon alerts, Straeb & Huge Yard Sale trina, which crippled oth- ones that survive all of to accompany earthquake said. That means instead er communications. these different scenarios early warnings for sirens, of the cone alerts that cov- The alerts are obtained — the doomsday scenar- accessible devices such er wide areas, the ALERT 1101 West Walnut Ave • Eunice by users on ALERT FM’s ios as we call them,” Ad- as bed-shakers and other FM’s capability pinpoints two battery-operated de- ams said. consumer electronic de- an area facing a potential May 7 & 8 • 8am - 6pm vices. One is a portable Adams described vices. earthquake disaster. device and the other is ALERT FM as offering a “We will be seeking The portable devices Furniture Sets & Chairs, Household items wall-mounted and offers robust redundancy. There partners to integrate our can function nationwide & Tools; Blankets - $2, Sheets - $1, Pillow strobe/siren notification about 14,000 radio sta- low-cost FM technology in delivering alerts where of an alert. The portable tion towers in the United to control emergency gen- the ALERT FM coverage Cases 2/$1, China, Shoes; 2500 pieces of device, with a four-year States and ALERT FM’s erators, door openers, pro- is deployed. clothing - Men and Women sizes Small to 4X battery life, includes au- messages are also sent by duction machinery, and The FM platform is our dio, text and Bluetooth satellite to be broadcast other sensitive equipment key, it works when inter- & Newborn to 4T ranging from 25¢ to $2.00 connectivity. The wall- from the radio towers. in concert with alert mes- net, cell and power are out 1st of 2 Blowout Sales mounted device is suitable In April, ALERT FM sages.