12-11-15
SIXTEEN LAFAYETTE TEACHERS HAVE BEEN NAMED FINALISTS FOR THE LAFAYETTE EDUCATION FOUNDATION TEACHER AWARDS. THE HIGH SCHOOL FINALISTS ARE SANDRA LABORDE BROUSSARD, MEL DIDIER AND CHARLES YOUNG, ALL OF COMEAUX HIGH, AS WELL AS SHAUNA LEBLANC OF LAFAYETTE HIGH SCHOOL. THE MIDDLE SCHOOL FINALISTS ARE VINCENT ROBERT HICKS OF THE STEM MAGNET ACADEMY, MICHAEL KARNATH OF YOUNGSVILLE MIDDLE, MONIQUE WALKER OF L-J ALLEMAN, AND TRUDIE WOLKING OF CATHEDRAL CARMEL. IN THE ELEMENTARY CATEGORY, THE FINALISTS ARE ASHLEY JOLET AND CHARLIE WEST OF KATHERINE DREXEL ELEMENTARY, MAYME SUIRE OF FAMILY LIFE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY AND DARMECIA CRANE OF MILTON ELEMENTARY.
THURSDAYS ARE A BIG DAY FOR A CHURCH IN LAKE CHARLES THAT PROVIDES FOOD TO THE HOMELESS. WATER’S EDGE GATHERING CHURCH OPENS ITS PANTRY THAT DAY PROVIDING MEALS FROM TEN A-M TO TWO P-M. AFTER THAT, THEY DELIVER MEALS IN REMOTE LOCATIONS TO BETWEEN 6 AND 700 PEOPLE ON AVERAGE. PASTOR TONY BOURQUE TELLS KPLC TV THAT THAT NUMBER IS GROWING AND THEY ARE SEEING MORE IN THE HOMELESS COMMUNITY SUFFERING FROM MENTAL ILLNESS.
THE ST. LANDRY PARISH SOLID WASTE COMMISSION HELD A CEREMONY TO CELEBRATE THE EXPANSION OF THEIR VEHICLE FUEL FACILITY AT THE PARISH LANDFILL IN BEGGS. THE EXPANSION WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY A FUEL PURCHASE AGREEMENT ENTERED INTO WITH PROGRESSIVE WASTE SOLUTIONS. THE FACILITY WILL PROVIDE COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS GENERATED BY GARBAGE AT THE LANDFILL TO PROGRESSIVE WASTE, WHICH PURCHASED TEN GARBAGE TRUCKS THAT ARE POWERED BY THE GAS. PROGRESSIVE AREA MANAGER BRUCE EMLEY TELLS THE DAILY ADVERTISER THAT THE GAS SYSTEM HAS BEEN PERFECT.
The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council has approved $52.2 million in Deepwater Horizon project money for coastal restoration projects. News outlets report that the federal-state Restore Act council approved the funds Wednesday for six coastal restoration projects and a study of the lower Mississippi River in Louisiana. The money comes from Clean Water Act fines paid by Transocean, the owner of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig that exploded during the BP oil spill disaster in 2010. Most of the projects included in the initial list will go toward planning, engineering and design, but the money will help advance shoreline protection, backfilling of oil and gas canals, and marsh creation projects in south Louisiana.
LAST NIGHT THE YOUNGSVILLE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED A PRELIMINARY PLAT FOR A NEW HIGH SCHOOL IN WHICH THE CITY WILL CONTRIBUTE THE WATER AND SEWERAGE. COUNCILWOMAN DIANE MCCLELLAND PROPOSED AN AMENDMENT TO THE PLAT IN WHICH THE CITY WOULD ASK THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD TO HELP PAY FOR THE WATER, SEWERAGE, AND ROADS. THE AMENDMENT FAILED BECAUSE NO OTHER COUNCIL MEMBER SECONDED THE MOTION. MAYOR KEN RITTER SAYS HE HOPES THE VOTE LAST NIGHT DOESN’T END THE DISCUSSION BECAUSE HE BELIEVES THEY NEED TO ASK THE DEVELOPER TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
A MOSS BLUFF COUPLE SAY THEY FACED EXTRA SCRUTINY WHEN THEY TRAVELED HOME FROM EUROPE DAYS AFTER THE ATTACKS IN PARIS. FRANK HARREL, A RETIRED SCHOOL TEACHER, AND HIS WIFE MARY TELL KPLC TV THAT THEY HAD TO ANSWER A LOT OF QUESTIONS AT THE BRUSSELS, BELGIUM AIRPORT AND IT CONTINUED, EVEN AT THE PHILADELPHIA AIRPORT. THEY SAY THEY’RE PRETTY SURE A MAN SITTING NEXT TO THEM WAS AN AIR MARSHAL. THE HARREL’S SAY THEY ARE GLAD SECURITY IS WORKING EXTRA HARD TO ENSURE PASSENGER SAFETY, BUT IT WAS SCARY AND THEY DON’T KNOW WHY THEY WERE TARGETED.
AN ACADIA PARISH JURY FOUND A RAYNE MAN GUILTY OF THE FORCIBLE RAPE OF A JUVENILE ON TWO OCCASIONS. 46-YEAR-OLD STEVEN BLUNT WAS ARRESTED IN JULY OF 2013 AND HE WAS ACCUSED OF FORCING THE VICTIM WITH THREATS OF PHYSICAL HARM. BLUNT WILL BE SENTENCED BY JUDGE KRISTIAN EARLES ON MONDAY. HE FACES A MAXIMUM SENTENCE OF UP TO FORTY YEARS OF HARD LABOR.
The governing board for the University of Louisiana System has named a temporary system president until it finds a permanent successor for Sandra Woodley, who is stepping down from the job. Dan Reneau was named Thursday as interim system leader during the transition. Reneau was president of Louisiana Tech University for 26 years before retiring in 2013. The UL System serves nearly 90,000 students at nine universities: including UL-Lafayette and McNeese State.
