live le lot
Suspected Burglar Ring Arrested
November 23, 2016
Police arrested approximately ten members of a suspected burglary ring yesterday morning in Tulle and Brive. The ring is suspected of forty burglaries in the past year across seven departments in Southwest France, including Le Lot and Lot-et-Garonne.
The ring reportedly stole in teams of three or four, invading homes and stealing cars. The raid was carried out by 160 policemen in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Police are currently itemizing property recovered in the operation.
Suspected Drug Dealers Arrested in Figeac
November 29, 2016
La Depeche is reporting that Figeac police busted a drug smuggling network operating in Figeac, Aveyron and Decazeville. According to the report, the investigators surveilled the network for several months before moving in with the arrest. The Cahors prosecutor's office is alleging that the group supplied itself with drugs from Spain, nearly 10 kilograms of marijuana sold to the Figeacois and surrounding towns.
The alleged drug dealers were arrested on their return from Spain last Friday when a police search of their vehicle with a drug-sniffing dog led to the discovery of 400 grams of the Mary Jane. This led to the subsequent arrest of four additional persons. According to the La Depech report, the various searches resulted in the seizure of more than one kilo of marijuana resin, more than four kilograms of marijuana buds and 10 grams of heroin.
TALK OF THE TOWN
Murder in Salviac
November 21, 2016
Local law enforcement personnel organized a reenactment of last year's brutal murder of Jean-Claude Fitère today in the town of Salviac. Michel Duployé, age 67, is on trial for killing his brother-in-law with a blow to the head during a domestic dispute and the attempted murder of his wife's sister. Eighteen policemen reconstructed the facts of the crime under the supervision of Nicolas Septe, Le Lot's public prosecutor.
According to the prosecution, Mr. Fitère killed Mr. Duployé by striking him with a pistol in a fit of rage over mismanagement of family affairs. He then chased his wife's sister to a neighbor's house before fleeing the scene of the crime in a white Peugeot 306. The murder and ensuing three day manhunt for Mr. Duployé captivated Salviac, a sleepy town on the road of St. Jacques de Compostelle. Mr. Duployé was tracked down and apprehended three days after the murder in Brittany where his family owns a home.
Migrant Total Reaches 73
November 19
The migrant total in Le Lot for 2016 reached 73 this week. Figeac is now home to 18 migrants and Cahors 23. The majority of persons welcomed are of Sudanese nationality. The department currently has an 81 person sponsorship limit for migrants distributed primarily between Cahors and Figeac. A proposal for an additional 39 sponsorship opportunities is now under review for Gourdon. Local officials are pushing back against any further expansion of the program. Le Lot's prefect, Catherine Ferrier, is on record that "we will have a maximum of 120 seats, not one more."
Mechon
Lotois Head to the Polls
November 21, 2016
The Lotois threw their electoral support behind François Fillon in today's Primary election to select the leader of France's center-right party in next year's presidential election. Polls indication that Mr. Fillon received sizable support with 40 percent of votes cast, followed by Alain Juppe (33 percent) and Nicolas Sarkozy (20 percent). The vote reflects broad support for Mr. Fillon as a strong candidate to replace French President François Hollande who remains deeply unpopular. Mr. Fillon is likely to face-off with Marine Le Pen of the Nationalist Front who continues to Trumpet the results of the U.S. presidential election as a paradigm shift for France's right wing. Time will tell if the terrorist attacks of the past year will usher in Le Pen's anti-immigration furvor.
Salviac
Local Leaders Inaugurate Bridge
November 22, 2016
Local politicians and association leaders inaugurated the renovation of "le pont de l'union" bridging the communities of Mechmont and Ussel across le Vert river. Quercy Bouriane President Marie-Odile Delcamp joined the mayors of Mechmont et Ussel in the ribbon cutting ceremony. President Delcamp noted the historic symbolism of the bridge and deep ties between the two villages. The project had faced many years of delays and budget overruns. Reported final costs stand at 133,729 EURO.
Prefect Catherine Ferrier
Presidential Candidate François Fillon