1-18-18
THERE WERE REPORTS OF ISOLATED OUTAGES YESTERDAY BY SLEMCO AND ENTERGY IN ACADIANA. ENTERGY REPORTS THAT AT THE HEIGHTH OF THE OUTAGES, ABOUT ONE THOUSAND PEOPLE WERE WITHOUT ELECTRICITY. SLEMCO SPOKESPERSON MARY LAURENT SAYS MOST OF THE OUTAGES THEY WORKED ON WERE BECAUSE OF TREES WEIGHED DOWN WITH ICE CAUSING WIRES TO FALL. L-U-S ALSO REPORTED A FEW OUTAGES ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY INCLUDING 28 CUSTOMERS AFFECTED WHEN AN UNDERGROUND CABLE FAILED YESTERDAY MORNING.
ENTERGY AND BEAUREGARD ELECTRIC CUSTOMERS ARE BEING ASKED TO CONSERVE ELECTRICITY TODAY. THAT’S BECAUSE ELECTRICITY COULD EXCEED AVAILABLE GENERATION, MEANING POWER OUTAGES WOULD BE NEEDED. ONE WAY TO SAVE ELECTRICITY IS BY LOWERING THE THERMOSTAT IN YOUR HOME. ALSO YOU COULD DELAY DOING LAUNDRY, DISH WASHING AND BATHING. LUS AND SLEMCO HAVE ALSO ASKED CUSTOMERS TO CONSERVE ELECTRICITY.
DURING THESE FRIGID TEMPERATURES, MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS ARE SEEING AN INCREASE IN COLD WEATHER RELATED ILLNESSES AND INJURIES. JEFF HORCHAK HAS MORE.
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LARRY MILLER SAYS HE PLANS TO REBUILD HIS ACCORDIAN SHOP, WHICH WAS DESTROYED BY A FIRE SUNDAY EVENING IN IOTA. HE SAYS FIRE OFFICIALS BELIEVE ELECTRICAL WIRING STARTED THE BLAZE. MILLER HAD RETIRED A YEAR-AND-A-HALF AGO FROM ACCORDIAN BUILDING BUT WAS STILL DOING REPAIRS. HE HAS USED THE SHOP FOR THE PAST 40 YEARS TO MAKE HIS SIGNATURE BON TEE CAJUN ACCORDIANS, WHICH ARE POPULAR WITH CAJUN AND ZYDECO MUSICIANS.
Winter weather in Louisiana has forced a delay in the release of Gov. John Bel Edwards’ budget proposal for next year. The Democratic governor intended to unveil his spending plan, including $1 billion in state funding cuts, Friday. That’s been pushed back to Monday because of concerns about lawmakers traveling to Baton Rouge on still-thawing roads. The presentation is a big deal at the Louisiana Capitol. It will be the first time anyone shows a roadmap for what $1 billion in cuts could look like.
LAKE CHARLES POLICE FOUND THE BURNED BODY OF A FEMALE NEAR AN APARTMENT COMPLEX LATE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. THEY ARE NOT RELEASING HER NAME UNTIL NEXT OF KIN ARE NOTIFIED, BUT THEY DO SAY SHE IS A RESIDENT OF THE ELMWOOD APARTMENT COMPLEX, LOCATED ON ELMS STREET. A GAS CAN WAS FOUND NEAR THE BODY. INVESTIGATORS ARE TRYING TO DETERMINE IF HER DEATH WAS ACCIDENTAL.
THE PARENTS OF A 19-YEAR-OLD FROM FRANKLIN ARE IN HOUSTON TRYING TO FIND HIM. THE MOTHER OF JARED CHAVIS LAST SPOKE TO HIM FRIDAY NIGHT AND HE WAS LAST SEEN IN A PHARMACY PARKING LOT. HIS CAR WAS LATER FOUND AT A NEARBY GATED APARTMENT COMPLEX WITH THE SEAT COVERS REMOVED. POLICE SAY THE CAR MAY HAVE BEEN USED IN A ROBBERY AND THAT MEANS CHAVIS MAY BE A SUSPECT. CHAVIS HAD BEEN IN HOUSTON FOR THE LAST TWO MONTHS WORKING AS A SATELLITE DISH INSTALLER.
GOVERNOR JOHN BEL EDWARDS IS ENGAGED IN CREATING WORK REQUIREMENTS FOR MEDICAID RECIPIENTS. HIS SPOKESMAN RICHARD CARBO SAYS THEY HAVE A MEETING PLANNED IN A MATTER OF DAYS WITH THE ADMINISTRATOR FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES, SEEMA VERMA. HOWEVER, U-S SENATOR JOHN KENNEDY SAYS HE DOUBTS WHETHER EDWARDS REALLY WANTS TO DO THAT. KENNEDY SAYS THAT, IF EDWARDS IS SERIOUS, HE WILL HELP EXPEDITE THE PROCESS.
