10-13-17
THE LAFAYETTE ECONOMY HAS NOT REACHED BOTTOM YET, BUT IT’S GETTING CLOSE, ACCORDING TO L-S-U ECONOMIST LOREN SCOTT. HE RELEASED HIS LOUISIANA ECONOMIC OUTLOOK FOR 2018 AND 2019 YESTERDAY, AND IN IT, HE PREDICTS LAFAYETTE WILL CONTINUE TO LOSE JOBS IN 2018, BUT AT A MUCH LOWER RATE, AND THEN BEGIN TO GAIN SOME JOBS IN 2019. HE SAYS LAFAYETTE’S ECONOMIC HEALTH IS STILL TIED TO THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY AND IT NEEDS HIGHER PRICES. HE NOTES THAT BETWEEN AUGUST OF 2014, WHEN OIL WAS AT ITS HIGHEST PRICE, AND JANUARY OF 2016, WHEN IT HIT A LOW, LAFAYETTE, ST. MARTIN, VERMILLION, ACADIA AND IBERIA PARISHES LOST AROUND 23,500 JOBS, OR TEN-POINT-5 PERCENT.
A GRAND JURY HAS INDICTED FORMER LAKE CHARLES DEPUTY POLICE CHIEF T-J BELL ON ONE COUNT OF ABUSE OF OFFICE. BELL WAS FIRED IN 2015 FOR ALLOWING PUBLIC RECORDS CLERK JEANINE BLANEY TO BE PAID FOR REGULAR AND OVERTIME HOURS THAT SHE DIDN’T WORK. HE ALREADY FACES CHARGES OF PUBLIC PAYROLL FRAUD AND MALFEASANCE IN OFFICE FOR THAT. THE NEW CHARGE IS FOR ALLEGEDLY COMPELLING AND COERCING BELL TO DO HER UNIVERSITY HOMEWORK WHILE ON THE JOB.
THE ABBEVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS DEALT WITH FOURTEEN CASES OF SYNTHETIC MARIJUANA OVERDOSES IN THE PAST SIX DAYS. ABBEVILLE POLICE LIEUTENANT DAVID HARDY SAYS HE CAN’T REMEMBER SEEING ANYTHING LIKE THIS. HARDY SAYS PEOPLE FROM ALL RACES, GENDERS AND NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE DRUG, WHICH CAN CAUSE CONFUSION, HALLUCINATIONS, A RAPID HEART RATE AND SEIZURES. HARDY TELLS KLFY TV THAT THEY ARE INCREASING PATROLS IN NEIGHBORHOODS, AND THOSE CAUGHT USING THE DRUGS FACE CRIMINAL CHARGES.
TOMORROW VOTERS FROM ACROSS THE STATE WILL DECIDE WHO THEY WANT TO BE THE NEXT STATE TREASURER. THE POSITION BECAME VACANT IN JANUARY WHEN JOHN KENNEDY LEFT TO BECOME U-S SENATOR FOR LOUISIANA. ALSO ON THE BALLOT TOMORROW ARE THREE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS. VOTERS IN LAFAYETTE, ST. MARTIN AND PARTS OF IBERIA PARISH WILL BE VOTING ON A NEW PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSIONER TO REPLACE SCOTT ANGELLE, AND VOTERS IN NEW IBERIA WILL BE DECIDING ON A PROPOSED HALF CENT SALES TAX, WHICH WOULD HELP CREATE A NEW POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THE LAFAYETTE CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT IS LOOKING AT ADDING ANOTHER ROUTE ACROSS THE VERMILLION RIVER TO HELP WITH TRAFFIC. CURRENTLY THERE ARE FOUR BRIDGES THAT CROSS THE RIVER IN LAFAYETTE AND PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR MARK DUBROC SAYS THERE IS A PROPOSAL TO EXTEND SOUTHCITY PARKWAY FROM ROBLEY DRIVE TO KALISTE SALOOM. HE SAYS THE ESTIMATED PRICE OF THE MILE-AND-A-HALF FOUR LANE ROAD IS 23 MILLION DOLLARS, THOUGH THAT COULD CHANGE SINCE IT’S STILL EARLY. HE TELLS KLFY TV THAT, BECAUSE THE CITY WOULD HAVE TO OBTAIN RIGHTS OF WAY AND NEGOTIATE WITH PROPERTY OWNERS, IT’S STILL AT LEAST TEN YEARS AWAY FROM OPENING.
TWO MEN ROBBED A WHITNEY BANK IN WESTLAKE YESTERDAY MORNING. POLICE CHIEF CHRIS WILRYE SAYS THE TWO, WHO HAD BANDANAS ON THEIR FACE, ENTERED THE BANK BRANDISHING GUNS, AND DEMANDING MONEY. THEY TOOK AN UNDISCLOSED AMOUNT OF MONEY, EMPLOYEE’S WALLETS, AND STOLE AN EMPLOYEE’S TOYOTA CAMRY. THE MEN, WHO ARE STILL AT LARGE, LEFT IN THE CAMRY, BUT ABANDONED IT NEAR WOODS AT THE INTERSECTION OF ST. JOHN BOSCO AND HARRISON STREETS.
A 19-YEAR-OLD ST. MARTINVILLE MAN IS IN SERIOUS CONDITION AFTER HE WAS SHOT WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. MAJOR GINNY HIGGINS OF THE ST. MARTIN PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAYS THE MAN WAS DISCOVERED IN HIS CAR ALONG THE MAIN HIGHWAY, SUFFERING FROM A GUNSHOT WOUND. SHE SAYS A MAN WAS SEEN LEAVING THE VICTIM’S CAR AND FLEEING IN A BROWN CHEVY PICKUP. THE SUSPECT TRAVELED TO A POPEYE’S RESTAURANT ON NORTH MAIN STREET, LEFT HIS TRUCK AND GOT INTO A BLUE MAZDA OR KIA CAR, AND PROCEEDED TOWARD ST. MARTINVILLE.
U-S SENATOR JOHN KENNEDY OF LOUISIANA IS CRITICAL OF GOVERNOR JOHN BEL EDWARDS, SAYING HE HAS DONE “NOTHING, NADA, ZERO” TO ENACT POLICIES THAT WOULD SAVE THE STATE MONEY ON MEDICAID. HE SENT A LETTER TO THE GOVERNOR SUGGESTING AREAS WHERE MONEY COULD BE SAVED AND USING EXAMPLES FROM KENTUCKY, INDIANA AND ARKANSAS. THE GOVERNOR’S DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF RICHARD CARBO SAYS KENNEDY IS SPREADING MISINFORMATION AND HIS LETTER SUGGESTS HE LACKS ANY UNDERSTANDING OF THE MEDICAID SYSTEM. HE SAYS EDWARDS AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ARE ALREADY PURSUING EFFECTIVE, EVIDENCE-BASED POLICIES AND THE DEPARTMENT HAS REQUESTED 14 PERCENT LESS GENERAL FUND REVENUE THIS YEAR.
