10-30-20
CALCASIEU PARISH DEPUTIES BELIEVE A DRIVER WAS INTOXICATED WHEN HE STRUCK AND KILLED A JOGGER IN MOSS BLUFF YESTERDAY MORNING AT AROUND FIVE-THIRTY. THE CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAYS TWENTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD GEORGE MCKINNEY JUNIOR WAS TRAVELING SOUTH ON OLD HIGHWAY 171 WHEN HE STRUCK THE JOGGER, THIRTY-YEAR-OLD JASON WEBB, WHO LATER DIED AT THE HOSPITAL FROM HIS INJURIES. DEPUTIES NOTICED SIGNS OF IMPAIRMENT WHEN TALKING TO MCKINNEY AND FOUND ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES IN HIS CAR. A BREATH INTOXILYZER TEST FOUND MCKINNEY TO BE TWO TIMES THE LEGAL LIMIT.
LAFAYETTE GENERAL AND U-L LAFAYETTE HAVE BOTH MADE INQUIRIES ABOUT PURCHASING THE HEYMANN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, ACCORDING TO MAYOR PRESIDENT JOSH GUILLORY. HE SAID IN A PRESS RELEASE THAT ANY AGREEMENT TO PURCHASE HEYMANN WOULD HAVE TO INCLUDE A PLAN FOR A REPLACEMENT PERFORMING ARTS CENTER FOR LAFAYETTE. HE SAID IT MUST CREATE NO ADDITIONAL BURDEN ON TAXPAYERS AND INCLUDE MECHANISMS TO OPERATE WITHOUT A GENERAL FUND SUBSIDY. GUILLORY SAYS THERE WILL BE A FULL AND TRANSPARENT PUBLIC AIRING OF ISSUES WELL BEFORE ANY POSSIBLE FUTURE ACTION IS TAKEN.
BREAUX BRIDGE CITY LEADERS HAVE ASKED THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND DEVELOPMENT TO INSTALL A TRAFFIC LIGHT AT THE REES AND REFINERY STREETS INTERSECTION. MANY DRIVERS AVOID THE INTERSECTION BECAUSE THERE IS NO TRAFFIC LIGHT THERE, BUT IT IS BEING USED MORE BECAUSE THE BAYOU TECHE BRIDGE IS CLOSED FOR RENOVATION. MAYOR RICKY CALAIS SAYS THE CONSTRUCTION IS EXPECTED TO TAKE UP TO FORTY WEEKS AND WON’T BE COMPLETED UNTIL NEXT SUMMER. HE SAYS IF YOU’RE PLANNING TO DRIVE FROM THE EAST SIDE OF BREAUX BRIDGE TO DOWNTOWN, EXPECT TO ADD THREE TO FOUR MINUTES TO YOUR DRIVE.
LOUISIANA HAS THE LOWEST INFECTION RATES IN THE COUNTRY THIS WEEK COMPARED TO LAST WEEK. CAROLINE MARCELLO HAS MORE.
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THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TODAY REPORTED ELEVEN MORE DEATHS FROM COVID-NINETEEN STATEWIDE. THAT MOVES THE TOTAL PAST FIVE THOUSAND, SEVEN HUNDRED. THERE ARE FOUR HUNDRED THIRTY-THREE NEW CASES IN LOUISIANA. THE TOTAL HAS SURPASSED ONE HUNDRED EIGHT-TWO THOUSAND. THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH DID NOT HAVE AN UPDATE ON HOSPITALIZATIONS DUE TO DELAYS CAUSED BY HURRICANE ZETA.
ACADIANA AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA EACH HAD ONE MORE DEATH DUE TO COVID-NINETEEN. THEY WERE IN LAFAYETTE AND JEFF DAVIS PARISHES. THERE ARE THIRTY-ONE NEW CASES IN ACADIANA, INCLUDING TWELVE IN LAFAYETTE PARISH. SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA HAD THIRTY NEW CASES. CALCASIEU PARISH ADDED TWENTY.
DEBRIS PICKUP EFFORTS ARE CONTINUING IN LAFAYETTE PARISH FROM HURRICANE DELTA. AS OF MONDAY, MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED THIRTY THOUSAND CUBIC YARDS OF DEBRIS HAD BEEN COLLECTED. REPUBLIC IS PICKING UP BAGS OF DEBRIS WHILE D-R-C COLLECTS THE LOOSE DEBRIS. ONCE THE VEGETATIVE DEBRIS IS REMOVED, THEY WILL CONCENTRATE ON CONSTRUCTION DEBRIS. THE LANDFILL WILL NOT ACCEPT THE TWO TYPES OF DEBRIS MIXED TOGETHER.
A FEMA MOBILE REGISTRATION INTAKE CENTER IS REOPENING IN CHURCH POINT TODAY. IT IS AT THE POINT CHURCH ON SOUTH MAIN STREET AND WILL BE OPEN FROM NINE A-M TO FOUR-THIRTY P-M TODAY, TOMORROW AND MONDAY. ANOTHER CENTER WILL BE OPEN TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY AT THE LOVE OF CHRIST CHURCH ON WEST HUTCHISON IN CROWLEY. FEMA PERSONNEL OPERATE THE CENTERS, WHICH SERVE AS A POINT OF INFORMATION FOR THOSE ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES WHO SUFFERED DAMAGE FROM HURRICANES LAURA AND DELTA.
