11-30-18
OPELOUSAS POLICE ARE SEARCHING FOR THE PERSON WHO STOLE A POLITICAL SIGN BELONGING TO MAYORAL CANDIDATE TYRONE GLOVER. SURVEILLANCE VIDEO SHOWS SOMEONE DRIVING UP TO A LOT ON PULFORD STREET YESTERDAY MORNING AT 12:40 AND HOOK UP TO A UTILITY TRAILER WITH A RAMP GATE THAT CONTAINED THE SIGN. GLOVER NEVER AUTHORIZED ANYWAY TO TAKE THE TRAILER AWAY. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION ON WHO STOLE IT IS ASKED TO CONTACT THE OPELOUSAS POLICE DEPARTMENT.
A Houston-based liquefied natural gas company is making a $250,000 donation to a technical community college in southwest Louisiana, and launching a new apprenticeship program with the school. Cheniere Energy and SOWELA Technical Community College announced the plans Thursday in Lake Charles. In a news release, they said the apprenticeship program will give 22 SOWELA students a chance to use their training in jobs at Cheniere Energy’s Sabine Pass operation.
The apprenticeship partnership is to begin in January.
The waiting game to learn if Republican U.S. Sen. John Kennedy is entering the 2019 Louisiana governor’s race will continue a few days longer than expected.
Kennedy intends to announce Monday whether he will challenge Democratic incumbent John Bel Edwards in next year’s election. That’s two days later than a prior deadline Kennedy set to release his decision. Senator’s spokesman Preston Robinson cited a change in Kennedy’s travel schedule as the reason for the delay.
FIVE OF THE NINE ORIGINAL CHARTER COMMISSION MEMBERS WHO PROPOSED CONSOLIDATING THE LAFAYETTE CITY AND PARISH GOVERNMENTS HAVE SIGNED A LETTER IN SUPPORT OF AN AMENDMENT THAT WOULD SPLIT THE COUNCIL. THE AMENDMENT WOULD CREATE SEPARATE FIVE PERSON COUNCILS FOR THE CITY AND PARISH. THE FIVE FORMER COMMISSION MEMBERS SAY IN THE LETTER THAT THE AMENDMENT WOULD IMPROVE TAXPAYER REPRESENTATION WHILE PRESERVING THE BENEFITS OF CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT. THE ELECTION IS NEXT SATURDAY DECEMBER EIGHTH. EARLY VOTING IS GOING ON THIS WEEK, ENDING TOMORROW.
LAFAYETTE PARISH VOTERS WILL HAVE ANOTHER DECISION TO MAKE ON ELECTION DAY…WHETHER TO APPROVE A NEW HALF CENT SALES TAX FOR THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE. SHERIFF MARK GARBER SAYS THE FUNDS FROM THE NEW TAX WILL ALLOW HIM TO HIRE FIFTY MORE DEPUTIES FOR PATROLS AND AN ADDITIONAL FORTY MORE DEPUTIES TO MAN THE CORRECTIONAL CENTER. HE SAYS REVENUES FROM THE TAX WOULD BE SHARED WITH ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT ACROSS THE PARISH. IF APPROVED, A ONE CENT SALES TAX IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS WOULD BE REDUCED TO A HALF CENT AND SPREAD TO ALL AREAS OF THE PARISH.
A woman and two other people are charged with second-degree murder in the death of her neglected 25-year-old daughter, who had special needs. News outlets report Louisiana authorities were called to a reported natural death on Friday and determined the woman from Elizabeth had died from severe intentional neglect. Authorities on Tuesday arrested 47-year-old Karen Harrison Johnson, 52-year-old Marilyn Sue Maricle and 55-year-old Glen E. Maricle in the death of Johnson’s daughter. Johnson and her daughter had been staying with the Maricles in what Rapides Parish Sheriff’s deputies called “deplorable living conditions.”
FIRST NATIONAL BANK IS DONATING MONEY TO TWO NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN CROWLEY. THEY ARE GIVING 16 THOUSAND DOLLARS TO CROWLEY MAIN STREET. ANOTHER 22-HUNDRED DOLLARS IS GOING TO EMPOWERING THE COMMUNITY FOR EXCELLENCE. THAT’S AN EFFFORT STARTED BY DIRECTOR AUDREY SPENCER TO PROVIDE TUTORING SERVICES FOR UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN.
THE U-S HOUSE AND SENATE HAS GIVEN THEMSELVES ANOTHER WEEK TO DEAL WITH THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM, WHICH WAS SET TO LAPSE THIS WEEK. THE PROGRAM, WHICH IS BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN DEBT, UNDERWRITES MOST FLOOD INSURANCE AND COVERS A HALF-MILLION HOMES IN LOUISIANA. THE U-S SENATORS FROM LOUISIANA, JOHN KENNEDY AND BILL CASSIDY, ARE PUSHING FOR A SIX MONTH EXTENSION OF THE PROGRAM. THE TWO SENATORS HELPED PUSH THE APPROVAL FOR A SIX MONTH EXTENSION IN THE SENATE, WHICH THE HOUSE HAS NOT YET CONSIDERED.
