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HOME SALES IN LAFAYETTE DURING THE MONTH OF OCTOBER WERE SO GOOD THAT THE PARISH IS NOW AHEAD OF LAST YEAR’S RECORD PACE. HOME SALES DURING THE YEAR HAVE LAGGED BEHIND 2013, BUT THERE WERE 325 HOMES SOLD IN OCTOBER, A 37 PERCENT INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR. THERE WERE 147 HOME SALES IN OCTOBER FOR ACADIANA PARISHES OUTSIDE OF LAFAYETTE, WHICH WAS AN 11-POINT-3-6 PERCENT COMPARED TO LAST YEAR. STEVEN HEBERT OF COLDWELL BANKER IN LAFAYETTE TELLS THE DAILY ADVERTISER THAT IT’S A REFLECTION OF THE BRISK GROWTH AND LOW UNEMPLOYMENT IN ACADIANA.
THE LOUISIANA COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE SYSTEM BOARD HELD THEIR MONTHLY MEETING AT SOWELA TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN LAKE CHARLES. THE BOARD UNANIMOUSLY PASSED A RESOLUTION IN WHICH THEY DEEMED SOWELA A CENTER OF WORKFORCE EXCELLENCE. SEVERAL INDUSTRY LEADERS SPOKE TO THE BOARD ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF PROVIDING A STEADY WORKFORCE FOR THE YEARS TO COME IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA. SOWELA CHANCELLOR NEIL ASPENWALL GAVE A PRESENTATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL’S NEW INDUSTRIAL AND PROCESS TECHNOLOGY CENTER OF WORKFORCE EXCELLENCE.
A GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY WAS HELD YESTERDAY AFTERNOON AT A SUGAR CANE FIELD OFF OF L-A HIGHWAY 31 IN ST. MARTINVILLE WHERE A NEW 9-POINT-2 MILLION DOLLAR SOUTH LOUISIANA COMMUNITY COLLEGE CAMPUS WILL BE BUILT. ST. MARTIN PARISH PRESIDENT GUY CORMIER SAYS HE BELIEVES IT’S THE MOST MONEY EVER SPENT ON A STATE PROJECT IN THE PARISH. S-L-C-C CHANCELLOR NATALIE HARDER SAYS THE NEW CAMPUS SHOULD OPEN EITHER NEXT FALL OR IN THE SPRING OF 2016. THE SCHOOL WILL OFFER GENERAL EDUCATION COURSES AS WELL AS SPECIALIZED TRAINING IN NURSING, AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR AND WELDING.
The House and Senate will vote in coming days on legislation to build the Keystone XL pipeline in a high-stakes political poker game. The two candidates in the Dec. 6 runoff for a Louisiana Senate seat are both pushing the bills. They are three-term Democrat Mary Landrieu in the Senate and Republican Rep. Bill Cassidy in the House. The House is virtually certain to approve the bill on Thursday. Landrieu says she has the votes to pass it in the Senate next Tuesday.
LAFAYETTE CITY PARISH COUNCILMAN KENNETH BOUDREAUX CALLED FOR AN END TO USING LETTER GRADES WHEN JUDGING THE PERFORMANCE OF SCHOOLS. KENNETH BOUDREAUX SAYS SCHOOLS THAT RECEIVE AN “F” GRADE, LIKE NORTHSIDE HIGH SCHOOL, HAVE THEIR REPUTATION DAMAGED AND IT DOESN’T REFLECT THE POSITIVE ASPECTS OF THE SCHOOL. BOUDREAUX SAYS HE’D LIKE TO SEE THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM CREATE A SUPERVISOR POSITION THAT WOULD DEAL DIRECTLY WITH LOW-PERFORMING SCHOOLS. HE PRESENTED HIS IDEAS AT A MEETING HELD BY THE ADVOCACY GROUP, POWER OF PUBLIC EDUCATION LAFAYETTE.
THE SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA INDEPENDENCE CENTER OPENED A LOANER CLOSET A FEW YEARS AGO THAT IS FILLED WITH FREE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT. MARKETING DIRECTOR GWYNN HOUSTON SAYS MANY AREA RESIDENTS ARE NOT EVEN AWARE OF IT. THE LOANER CLOSET RUNS OFF OF DONATED MEDICAL EQUIPMENT THAT PEOPLE NO LONGER NEED, AND ITS GIVEN AWAY, TO THOSE WHO NOW HAVE A NEED, AT NO COST. THE LOANER CLOSET, WHICH IS LOCATED AT 2016 OAK PARK BOULEVARD IN LAKE CHARLES, IS OPEN WEEKDAYS FROM EIGHT TO FOUR.
FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS ARE NOW SET FOR A LEGENDARY RAGIN’ CAJUN FOOTBALL PLAYER WHO PASSED AWAY THIS WEEK. JULIE DARCE HAS MORE.
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As students and teachers adjust to Common Core, a group of lawmakers is trying to build grassroots support for stripping the education standards from classrooms.
The lawmakers are holding town hall meetings across Louisiana, looking to gain momentum for a planned push in next year’s legislative session to undo Louisiana’s decision to use Common Core. Earlier this year, the Legislature refused to strip the multi-state standards from public schools. Rep. Brett Geymann, a Lake Charles Republican, said he hopes new pressure from parents and teachers can persuade his colleagues to change their minds.
