1-11-17
THE ECONOMY APPEARS TO BE STABILIZING IN LAFAYETTE PARISH AFTER TWO YEARS OF RETAIL SALES DECLINES THAT BEGAN IN THE SUMMER OF 2014, WHEN OIL PRICES DROPPED. THE LAFAYETTE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY RELEASED FIGURES THAT SHOW NOVEMBER SALES WERE UP NEARLY THREE PERCENT OVER NOVEMBER OF 2015, THE THIRD CONSECUTIVE MONTH THAT SALES HAVE BEEN UP OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR. HOWEVER, YEAR-TO-DATE SALES AT THE CLOSE OF NOVEMBER WERE STILL DOWN FOUR-POINT-4 PERCENT. THE AUTHORITY’S PRESIDENT AND C-E-O GREGG GOTHREAUX SAYS THE THREE MONTH INCREASE IS TIED TO FLOOD RECOVERY, ESPECIALLY IN FURNITURE AND BUILDING MATERIAL SALES.
THE CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE HAS RELEASED THE IDENTITY OF THE 19-YEAR-OLD MAN, WHO WAS SHOT BY A DEPUTY MONDAY NIGHT AT THE MOSSWOOD ESTATES MOBILE HOME PARK IN CARLYSS. AUSTIN L. RACKLEY OF SULPHUR WAS SHOT IN THE NECK AND IS STILL HOSPITALIZED AT A LAFAYETTE HOSPITAL. SHERIFF TONY MANCUSO SAYS RACKLEY WAS HOLDING A GUN WHILE ARGUING WITH HIS MOTHER, AND WHEN COMMANDED BY DEPUTIES TO DROP THE WEAPON, HE RAISED IT AT THEM, AND WAS THEN SHOT. MANCUSO HAS REQUESTED AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE INCIDENT BY STATE POLICE.
CROWLEY POLICE OFFICERS ARRESTED A DENHAM SPRINGS MAN FOR ALLEGEDLY PLANNING TO ROB SEVERAL BANKS IN ACADIA PARISH. POLICE CHIEF JIMMY BROUSSARD TOLD KATC TV THAT SEVERAL BANK EMPLOYEES FILED COMPLAINTS ABOUT 40-YEAR-OLD SEAN MICHAEL TURNER, WHO HAD VISITED DIFFERENT BANKS TO SCOPE OUT THE AREA. POLICE SPOTTED TURNER IN HIS VEHICLE AND PULLED HIM OVER BECAUSE OF NO LICENSE PLATE. THEY FOUND A SMALL B-B GUN WITH A SILENCER IN HIS VEHICLE, THAT LOOKED LIKE A HANDGUN, ALONG WITH TWO NOTES DEMANDING MONEY IN FIFTY’S AND HUNDRED’S, AND WITH THE THREAT THAT HE HAD A GUN.
A state appeal court ruling could endanger funding for more than 30 of Louisiana’s 148 public charter schools. Charter schools are public schools operated by independent organizations under agreements approved by state or local education officials. The schools in question were granted charters by Louisiana’s Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. But they were funded through a state education formula that distributes money to individual local school districts.
The challengers said it’s unconstitutional to fund the state-chartered schools with money meant for local systems and the state 1st Circuit Court of Appeal in Baton Rouge agreed Monday.
LAFAYETTE MAYOR PRESIDENT JOEL ROBIDEAUX IS CREDITING A NEW POLICY WITH DRAMATICALLY DECREASING THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS EUTHANIZED AT THE ANIMAL CONTROL SHELTER ON WEST PONT DES MOUTON ROAD. THE NEW POLICY ALLOWS ANIMAL RESCUE GROUPS TO TAKE AS MANY ANIMALS AS THEY WANT, WHICH THEY TAKE TO OTHER STATES WITH FEWER DOGS AND CATS FOR ADOPTION. THE ANIMAL SHELTER USED TO LIMIT THE AMOUNT THE RESCUE GROUPS COULD TAKE BECAUSE THE CITY WOULD LOSE OUT ON ANIMAL ADOPTION FEES. ROBIDEAUX SAYS HE PLANS ON INTRODUCING AN ORDINANCE IN FEBRUARY THAT WOULD TRANSITION THE SHELTER TO A NO-KILL SHELTER.
LOUISIANA STATE POLICE TROOP D IN LAKE CHARLES IS MOURNING THE LOSS OF A TROOPER, WHO DIED OF AN APPARENT HEART ATTACK WHILE AT WORK. 51-YEAR-OLD SERGEANT TRACY MORGAN, WHO WORKED IN THE GAMING ENFORCEMENT DIVISION, WAS WALKING FROM A PARKING GARAGE TO THE CAPITAL ONE TOWER WHEN HE COLLAPSED. STATE POLICE SPOKESMAN SERGEANT JAMES ANDERSON SAYS TROOPERS AND MEDICAL PERSONNEL ADMINISTERED C-P-R UNTIL ACADIAN AMBULANCE ARRIVED, BUT, DESPITE THEIR BEST EFFORTS, HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT CHRISTUS ST. PATRICK HOSPITAL. BEFORE BECOMING A STATE TROOPER IN 1994, MORGAN SERVED IN THE U-S MARINES AND WAS A LAKE CHARLES POLICE OFFICER.
TV-10’S JEFF HORCHEK HAS THE LATEST ON SOME RECENT BOIL ADVISORIES IN ACADIANA.
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IF A RECENTLY RELEASED FEDERAL FORECAST ON OIL PRICES ARE CORRECT, IT WOULD MEAN MORE THAN 100 MILLION DOLLARS ADDED TO STATE COFFERS FOR THIS YEAR. THE U-S ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION IS PREDICTING AN AVERAGE CRUDE PRICE OF 52-50 PER BARREL FOR THIS YEAR, WHICH WOULD BE A MORE THAN NINE DOLLAR A BARREL INCREASE OVER 2016. THEY ARE ANTICIPATING OIL PRICES TO AVERAGE 55 DOLLARS AND 18 CENTS A BARREL FOR NEXT YEAR. THE HEAD OF L-S-U’S CENTER FOR ENERGY STUDIES, DAVID DISMUKES, SAYS USUALLY THE U-S ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION’S FORECASTS ARE NOT AT ALL ACCURATE, BUT, BASED ON CURRENT CONDITIONS, IT COULD PROVE CORRECT.
