10-19-21
A GRANT FROM THE C-D-C IS MAKING WEEKLY COVID-NINETEEN TESTING AVAILABLE TO ACADIANA SCHOOL DISTRICTS FOR FREE, BUT ONLY THREE PARISHES HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF IT; SAINT MARTIN, SAINT LANDRY AND EVANGELINE PARISHES. RACHAEL SLAUGHTER, PRESIDENT OF ORION LABORATORIES, WHICH HAS BEEN HIRED TO DO THE TESTING, SAYS THE GOAL IS TO KEEP STUDENTS AND STAFF OUT OF QUARANTINE AND IN SCHOOL AND IT’S WORKING. SHE SAYS TEACHERS AND STUDENTS AT THE SCHOOLS WHERE THEY DO TESTING TAKE A TEN SECOND SWAB EVERY WEEK. SHE SAYS THEY CAN OPT OUT OR TAKE IT EVERY OTHER WEEK, BUT THE BEST WAY TO DO IT IS CONSISTENT TESTING WEEKLY.
A TRAILER LOADED WITH FURNITURE CAUGHT FIRE JUST BEFORE DAWN YESTERDAY AT THE LOVE’S TRUCK STOP IN DUSON. FIRE CHIEF COBY DUHON SAYS THE SCOTT AND CARENCRO FIRE DEPARTMENTS ASSISTED BECAUSE OF THE SIZE OF THE FIRE. THEY HAD TO CUT THE SIDES OF THE TRAILER AND PULL OUT BURNING FURNITURE IN ORDER TO BRING IT UNDER CONTROL. THE DRIVER TRIED TO UNHOOK THE TRAILER BUT WAS UNABLE TO AND THE TRUCK CAUGHT FIRE AS WELL, BUT THERE WERE NO INJURIES.
A LAKE CHARLES MOTHER SAYS SHE IS STILL MOURNING THE DEATH OF HER DAUGHTER, WHO WAS KILLED BY A HIT-AND-RUN DRIVER ALMOST FIVE YEARS AGO. DONISHA STROMAN WAS GETTING SOMETHING OUT OF HER VEHICLE ON MCNEESE STREET WHEN SHE WAS STRUCK BY A VEHICLE THAT FLED THE SCENE. HER MOTHER, SANDRA MCCOY, SAYS SHE CONTINUES TO FIGHT FOR JUSTICE, CHECKING WITH THE LAKE CHARLES POLICE DEPARTMENT WEEKLY. THE FAMILY IS OFFERING A FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLAR CASH REWARD FOR TIPS THAT LEADS TO THE ARREST AND CONVICTION OF THE HIT-AND-RUN DRIVER. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION IS ASKED TO CONTACT THE LAKE CHARLES POLICE DEPARTMENT.
Louisiana collected enough business taxes during the last budget year to deposit the first $205 million into a never-used trust fund created to curb the state’s boom-and-bust cycles of budgeting. Voters agreed in 2016 to set up the Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund to siphon off a portion of the state’s oil and gas revenue and corporate taxes when those collections are high. Louisiana triggered the corporate tax collection provision in the budget year that ended June 30. Once the fund reaches $5 billion, up to 10% can be spent on construction projects and roadwork.
THE OPELOUSAS DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT HAS AWARDED GRANT MONEY FOR BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS FOR FIVE BUSINESSES. THE BUSINESSES ARE SEBASTIAN DUPRE JEWELRY, WILD CHILD BOUTIQUE, FRANK’S POBOYS, THE FORMER EMANUEL TEMPLE SYNAGOGUE, AND LA’BELLVUE PETITE CHATEAU. OPELOUSAS MAIN STREET DIRECTOR MELANIE LEBOUEF SAYS THE PROGRAM WILL PROVIDE RELIEF TO BUSINESSES AND MORE INVESTMENTS IN THE CITY. SHE SAYS SHE HOPES OTHER PEOPLE APPLY FOR IT IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
QUESTIONS ABOUT COMPLAINTS AGAINST A LAFAYETTE POLICE OFFICER HAVE BEEN PUT ON HOLD FOR A MONTH. THE MUNICIPAL FIRE AND POLICE CIVIL SERVICE BOARD MADE THE DEFERMENT BECAUSE OF THE RECENT TERMINATION OF POLICE CHIEF THOMAS GLOVER AND MICHAEL LUNSFORD OF THE GROUP, CITIZENS FOR A NEW LOUISIANA, AGREED. LUNSFORD SAYS BOTH COMPLAINTS INVOLVED RESPONDING OFFICER CAPTAIN MICHAEL BROWN. HE SAYS FORMER CHIEF GLOVER SAID THE MATTER WAS INVESTIGATED BY THE DEPARTMENT AND HE FOUND NO FURTHER NEED TO INVESTIGATE BUT THERE WAS NOTHING PUT IN THE FILE, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN THE CASE HAD THERE BEEN AN INVESTIGATION.
CAROLINE MARCELLO HAS INFORMATION ON AN ARREST IN RAYNE.
VOICER K :12
The chairman of the University of Louisiana System’s governing board is stepping down after the governor named him to another position. Chairman James Carter was named to the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans by Gov. John Bel Edwards. Carter’s exit from the UL board comes six years after he was first appointed to the panel in August 2015. Edwards has named Dana M. Peterson to fill Carter’s spot on the board for the remainder of the term, which ends December 2026.
