1-20-21
LAST NIGHT THE LAFAYETTE CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED THE CREATION OF A “PROTECT THE CITY” COMMITTEE, WHICH WILL GATHER INPUT FROM CITIZENS ON THE BENEFITS OF THE CITY PARISH CONSOLIDATION FOR THE CITY OF LAFAYETTE. COUNCILMAN PAT LEWIS PROPOSED THE COMMITTEE. HE TELLS KATC TV THAT SALES TAXES PAID AT STORES IN THE LAFAYETTE CITY LIMITS SHOULD GO TO LAFAYETTE AND NO WHERE ELSE. HE ALSO WANTS THE COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER WHETHER LAFAYETTE SHOULD HAVE IT’S OWN MAYOR.
THE CROWLEY POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS A SUSPECT IN LAST WEEK’S DEADLY SHOOTING. CAROLINE MARCELLO REPORTS.
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CAMERON PARISH OFFICIALS ARE MAKING HEADWAY IN RESTORING RUTHERFORD BEACH TO WHAT IT WAS BEFORE IT WAS HIT BY HURRICANE LAURA. BOBBY MILLER OF THE ROCKIN’ RUTHERFORD GROUP SAYS CAMERON DRIVE NEXT TO THE BEACH WAS COVERED BY THREE FEET OF SAND, BUT IT IS BEING CLEARED. HE TELLS KPLC TV THAT DITCHES ARE ALSO BEING CLEARED AND DEBRIS PICKED UP. MILLER SAYS RECOVERY WILL TAKE AWHILE BUT RUTHERFORD BEACH WILL BOUNCE BACK.
Louisiana’s chief public health officer is warning hospitals, pharmacies and clinics that they should not be steering their coronavirus vaccine doses solely to their own patients. Dr. Joe Kanter with the Louisiana Department of Health says the state has received reports of such favoritism. He sent a memo Tuesday to the vaccine providers that cautioned any found to be discriminating in favor of their patients and those denying vaccine appointments to nonpatients could face “adverse action.” The vaccine providers could face financial penalties, limits on future vaccine allocations, legal actions or other response from the state if found continuing to discriminate in its vaccine distribution.
AFTER TWO DAYS OF DROPPING, COVID-NINETEEN HOSPITALIZATIONS HAVE RISEN BY ELEVEN IN LOUISIANA, ACCORDING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS ON VENTILATORS INCREASED BY TEN. LOUISIANA HAD ONE THOUSAND EIGHT-HUNDRED AND SIX MORE POSITIVE CASES, WHICH PUTS THE TOTAL ABOVE THREE HUNDRED TWENTY-EIGHT THOUSAND. THERE WERE FORTY-NINE MORE DEATHS STATEWIDE.
ACADIANA REPORTED EIGHT MORE DEATHS DUE TO COVID-NINETEEN. THAT INCLUDES THREE IN VERMILLION PARISH, TWO IN ST. MARTIN PARISH, AND ONE EACH IN ACADIA, EVANGELINE, AND ST. LANDRY PARISHES. THERE ARE THREE MORE DEATHS IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA, ALL IN CALCASIEU PARISH. TWO HUNDRED EIGHTY-FOUR MORE CONFIRMED CASES OF COVID-NINETEEN WERE REPORTED IN ACADIANA, INCLUDING EIGHTY-FIVE IN LAFAYETTE PARISH. MEANWHILE, SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA HAD EIGHTY-EIGHT MORE CASES. CALCASIEU PARISH HAD THE MOST WITH FORTY.
YESTERDAY PARKING RATES IN DOWNTOWN LAFAYETTE DOUBLED FROM FIFTY CENTS TO A DOLLAR PER HOUR. ALSO ENFORCEMENT OF THE PARKING METERS WILL NOW BE TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. LAFAYETTE CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS SAY THE INCREASED REVENUE WILL HELP PAY FOR THE NEEDS OF DOWNTOWN LAFAYETTE INCLUDING SECURITY, MAINTENANCE AND INFRASTRUCTURE. MANY BUSINESS OWNERS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA ARE UPSET BECAUSE THEY THINK IT COULD KEEP CUSTOMERS AWAY.
AT LEAST TEN CARS WERE INVOLVED IN A CRASH LAST NIGHT ON HIGHWAY NINETY BETWEEN JEANERETTE AND BALDWIN. THE ST. MARY PARISH FIRE DEPARTMENT CLOSED THAT SECTION OF HIGHWAY FOR AWHILE IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. FIRE CHIEF CLARENCE CLARK SAYS THERE WAS LOW VISIBILITY IN THE AREA BECAUSE OF HEAVY FOG, WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE MULTIVEHICLE PILE UP. THE HIGHWAY WAS REOPENED IN THE OVERNIGHT HOURS.
