Born in Lafayette and raised in St. Martinville, I am a Cajun in heart, mind and spirit. I dove into the news industry with my start at my hometown newspaper where I picked up some journalistic skills. I earned a degree in mass communications at UL Lafayette which prepared me for covering news in Acadiana and around the state. As a news reporter for KPEL, my news beats include, but are not limited to, Lafayette Consolidated Government and the Lafayette Parish School Board. Jumping from print media to broadcast has been an exciting move for me in the ever-changing multimedia environment of today's news world. When not covering news, I can often be found playing guitar or cooking at home, both usually being done with my daughter, Jolie, very near by.
Derek Albert
Lafayette PD Makes Massive, Historic Drug Bust
The Friday drug bust is the largest known cocaine seizure in the history of the Lafayette Police Department.
BREAKING: LPD Arrest Suspect In Connection With Jefferson St. Shooting
But investigators are still looking for the suspect who definitively fired the fatal shot.
LPSS Fires Back In Response To AG’s Statement
Dr. Donald Aguillard has issued an open letter in response to Attorney General Jeff Landry's opinion about wording of the LPSS tax resolution.
St. Landry Parish Teachers Arrested For Allegedly Bullying Student
One of the teachers was caught on school video footage pushing, pulling and yelling at an 11-year-old student.
LHS Marching Band Headed To NYC For Macy’s Parade
The Mighty Lion Marching Band is one of 10 to participate in the 2018 Thanksgiving Day parade.
US Forces Drop Masssive 21,000-pound Bomb in Afghanistan
This is reportedly the first time this massive ordinance has ever been used in combat.
Amtrak Passenger Train Collides With Big Rig In Lafayette
An Amtrak passenger train came to a screaching halt moments ago as it collided with a flatbed reailer in Lafayette.
KPEL listeners reported the crash that occurred around 1 p.m. near the SE Evangeline Thruway frontage road across from the Lafayette Regional Airport...
UPDATE: Missing Lafayette Teen Found Safe
Cemetria "Maggie" Bernard has been found and deemed safe.
Derrick Stafford Sentenced To 40 years In Shooting of Jeremy Mardis
A state district judge has sentenced former Marksville City Marshal Derrick Stafford in the death of 6-year-old Jeremy Mardis.
I-10 Traffic At A Crawl Near Butte La Rose Near Big Rig Crash
An 18-wheeler flipped over am I-10 WB guardrail near Butte LaRose.
Body Found In Scott Id’d As Man Evading Police
Two men fishing discovered the body floating in a pond near I-10 Wednesday.
Acadia Parish Deputies Bust Non-Compliant Sex Offenders
Acadia Parish Sheriff K.P. Gibson says his office has been aggressive when seeking out sex offenders.
Three Killed In Industrial Explosion In DeRidder
The explosion at the Packaging Corporation of America plant killed three and injured many more.
Hit-And-Run Driver Arrested After Crashing Into Emergency Vehicles
It's hard to keep away from police when you crash into emergency vehicles.
Lafayette PD Conducting OWI Checkpoint Friday
The checkpoint will be conducted within Lafayette Friday night.
Body Discovered On Lafayette’s South Side; Foul Play Not Suspected
Lafayette Police say the death is being investigated as an accident.
Alexandria Man Behind Bars After Massive Drug Bust
The loot of cash and drugs was valued at more than $2 million.
Armed Robber Leaves Scene Empty-Handed
An Arnaudville man was arrested after attempting to rob a Dollar General store.
Texas Man Arrested For Transporting 46 lbs. Of Cocaine
Louisiana State Police arrested a Texas man Wednesday for transporting a huge stash of cocaine along Interstate 10 in Acadia Parish.
State Police Find Nearly $500,000 Of Cocaine In Traffic Stop
The drug bust happened Wednesday, when troopers and a police dog found the cocaine after pulling over a Ford F-150 pickup truck.