8-29-16
IT’S BEEN MORE THAN TWO WEEKS SINCE THE HISTORIC RAINS HIT LOUISIANA, AND SOME PARTS OF THE DERBY HEIGHTS SUBDIVISION IN NORTH LAFAYETTE ARE STILL INACCESSIBLE AS OF SATURDAY. ONE RESIDENT GREG DAVIS JUNIOR USED A FLAT BOTTOM BOAT TO HELP RESCUE HIS NEIGHBORS WHEN THE FLOODS CAME. HE TELLS THE DAILY ADVERTISER THAT HE EVACUATED AN ESTIMATED 85 PEOPLE. RESIDENT DINETTE HILLMAN SAYS THE NEIGHBORHOOD HASN’T SEEN ANY GARBAGE TRUCKS IN WEEKS OR MOSQUITO TRUCKS, EVEN THOUGH THE WATER HAS RECEDED FROM MOST OF THE AREA.
MEMBERS OF THE RED CROSS SPENT THE WEEKEND DELIVERING SUPPLIES TO VICTIMS OF THE FLOOD. OVERALL, 32 THOUSAND SUPPLIES WERE TAKEN TO FLOOD VICTIM’S HOMES. RED CROSS SPOKESMAN ERIC OUBRE SAYS THE SUPPLIES INCLUDED PACKS OF WATER, MOPS, GLOVES, AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT COULD HELP WITH THE CLEANUP. THEY WILL CONTINUE TO HELP FLOOD VICTIMS THROUGHOUT THE CLEANUP PROCESS.
ROBERT’S PEST CONTROL HAS YET TO CAPTURE AN ALLIGATOR THAT’S BEEN SEEN AROUND THE KAYAK LAUNCH AT PRIEN LAKE PARK IN LAKE CHARLES. WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES HIRED ROBERT’S PEST CONTROL TO REMOVE THE EIGHT TO NINE FOOT LONG ALLIGATOR FROM THE PARK. OWNER ROBERT SONNIER SAYS THE ALLIGATOR HAS BECOME COMFORTABLE AROUND PEOPLE, AND THERE ARE REPORTS THAT SOME PEOPLE HAVE FED IT, MAKING IT A POTENTIAL DANGER. HE SAYS THEY ATTEMPTED TO WRANGLE THE GATOR ON FRIDAY, BUT THE LINE SNAPPED.
ON WEDNESDAY, THE LOUISIANA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION WILL DECIDE IF A 140 MILLION DOLLAR MISTAKE AT ENTERGY’S NUCLEAR POWER PLANT CAN BE PASSED ON TO CUSTOMERS. ENTERGY WAS REPLACING TWO AGING STEAM GENERATORS AT THEIR NUCLEAR PLANT AT A PROJECTED COST OF 511 MILLION DOLLARS BUT FOUND A PROBLEM THAT HAD TO BE CORRECTED BECAUSE IT WAS CAUSING VISIBLE CRACKS AND DISTORTIONS. THE FINAL COST ENDED UP BEING 651-POINT-4 MILLION DOLLARS. ENTERGY FEELS IT’S THE COST OF BUSINESS THAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN CUSTOMER’S RATES, BUT MOST OF ITS LARGEST CUSTOMERS, INCLUDING WALMART AND SEVERAL PETROCHEMICAL COMPANIES, HAVE OBJECTED.
A 23-YEAR-OLD LAFAYETTE MAN WAS FOUND DEAD IN HIS CAR AFTER A SATURDAY MORNING SHOOTING. JULIE DARCE REPORTS.
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Evangeline Parish Sheriff Eddie Soileau (SWAH’-loh) says he’s examining a budget shortfall in his office that led him to lay off 14 employees and cut salaries for remaining workers by 10 percent. KATC-TV reports the shortfall is so severe that there’s only one deputy on patrol duty at any time. In a Friday statement, Soileau says his staff and an accounting firm are examining the problem and will release information publicly when they’re done. Evangeline Parish Police Jury members say they don’t have any additional money they can give to the sheriff’s office.
A FORMER MCNEESE STATE UNIVERSITY QUARTERBACK WAS ARRESTED SATURDAY IN CONNECTION WITH A HOME INVASION. 23-YEAR-OLD DANIEL SAMS OF LAKE CHARLES FACES CHARGED OF ACCESSORY AFTER THE FACT TO ARMED ROBBERY AND HOME INVASION AS WELL AS ACCESSORY AFTER THE FACT TO FIRST AND SECOND DEGREE MURDER. HIS BOND WAS SET AT 200 THOUSAND DOLLARS. FORMER MCNEESE DEFENSIVE BACK AARON JAVONE SAM WAS KILLED DURING THE AUGUST 12TH HOME INVASION, AND POLICE BELIEVE HE WAS PART OF THE GROUP INVOLVED IN THE HOME INVASION.
First-time claims for unemployment insurance in Louisiana for the week ending Aug. 20 increased from the previous week’s total. The state labor department figures released Friday show the initial claims rose to 4,984 from the previous week’s total of 2,704. For the comparable week a year earlier, there were 2,414.
The four-week moving average, which is a less volatile measure of claims, increased to 3,337 from the previous week’s average of 2,811.
