12-15-15
Lafayette Consolidated Government is providing funds to add paid firefighting positions to each municipality outside of Lafayette. The Advocate reports the allocated funds will provide one new part-time fighter position to the Broussard, Carencro, Scott and Youngsville departments. Judice and Milton will each add two firefighters. Duson is also funding a second new part-time position on its own dime as part of the town’s funding agreement with the city-parish government.
MOST OF THE WATER THAT FLOODED GLAD TIDINGS CHURCH ON SUNDAY WAS PUMPED OUT FROM THE FIRST FLOOR YESTERDAY. THERE WAS MORE THAN FOUR FEET OF WATER, WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY THOUGHT TO HAVE COME FROM WATER PIPES BURSTING. PASTOR STEVE PERRY TELLS KPLC TV THAT AN ASSESSMENT BY SERVPRO AFER THE WATER WAS PUMPED OUT LEADS THEM TO BELIEVE IT WAS A WATER PIPELINE UNDER THE SPRINKLER ROOM, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN UNDER HIGH WATER PRESSURE. CHURCH STAFF SAY THEY WERE ABLE TO GET THE LIGHTS AND AIR CONDITIONING RUNNING IN THE SANCTUARY AGAIN.
LAST NIGHT THE ST. MARTIN PARISH SCHOOL BOARD REJECTED THREATS FROM THE U-S JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AND VOTED 5-TO-4 TO KEEP CATAHOULA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OPEN. IF THEY HAD AGREED TO CLOSE IT, THEY WOULD BE CLOSER TO ENDING A 1965 DESEGREGATION LAWSUIT, WHICH WOULD FREE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM FROM FEDERAL OVERSIGHT. ABOUT 100 PEOPLE FROM CATAHOULA ATTENDED LAST NIGHT’S MEETING URGING THE SCHOOL BOARD TO KEEP THE SCHOOL OPEN. THE U-S JUSTICE DEPARTMENT WILL LIKELY GO TO FEDERAL COURT WITH THE GOAL OF CLOSING CATAHOULA ELEMENTARY, WHICH HAS A STUDENT POPULATION THAT IS 92 PERCENT WHITE.
REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN CHARLES BOUSTANY FORMALLY ANNOUNCED HE WILL BE RUNNING FOR THE U-S SENATE SEAT CURRENTLY HELD BY DAVID VITTER, WHO WILL NOT BE SEEKING REELECTION. BOUSTANY MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT YESTERDAY ON THE GROUNDS OF HIS BOYHOOD HOME IN LAFAYETTE BEFORE APPROXIMATELY 240 SUPPORTERS. BOUSTANY IS THE THIRD PERSON TO ANNOUNCE HIS INTENTIONS FOR THE U-S SENATE SEAT. THE OTHER TWO ARE REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN JOHN FLEMING OF MINDEN AND RETIRED AIR FORCE COLONEL ROB MANESS, ALSO A REPUBLICAN.
A LAFAYETTE SCHOOL BUS DRIVER HAS BEEN CITED AFTER AN ACCIDENT THAT LEFT ONE PERSON WITH MINOR INJURIES. JULIE DARCE HAS MORE.
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LAST NIGHT THE SULPHUR CITY COUNCIL APPROVED GUIDELINES FOR TEMPORARY HOUSING BECAUSE OF POTENTIAL WORKER CAMPS BEING BUILT INSIDE CITY LIMITS. AMONG THE REQUIREMENTS IS THE COMPANY BUILDING THE TEMPORARY HOUSING MUST PUT UP THREE MILLION DOLLARS BOND, IN CASE THEY PULL UP STAKES AND THE CITY HAS TO CLEAN UP THE AREA. THEY ALSO HAVE TO INCLUDE SECURITY MEASURES SUCH AS A SIX FOOT HIGH FENCE AND SUBMIT TO RANDOM INSPECTIONS BY THE CITY. ON JANUARY 11TH, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL CONSIDER A PROPOSAL TO GRANT PROPERTY BETWEEN I-TEN AND SWISCO ROAD TO SEALY-RATCLIFF SWISCO ROAD L-L-C FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING.
MORGAN CITY POLICE ARE STILL INVESTIGATING THE CAUSE OF A FATAL CRASH THAT HAPPENED SUNDAY MORNING AT AROUND 7 A-M ON THE EAST BOUND OFF RAMP AT MARTIN LUTHER KING BOULEVARD. A VEHICLE OVERTURNED ON THE ROAD, AND 25-YEAR-OLD KANEESHA WILLIAMS OF PATTERSON WAS EJECTED. SHE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE. THERE ALSO WAS A CHILD IN THE CAR THAT SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES.
A STATE JUDGE IN BATON ROUGE TOSSED A LAWSUIT BY THE LOUISIANA CHEMICAL ASSOCIATION. THE SUIT CHALLENGED THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF A MEASURE APPROVED RECENTLY THAT SUSPENDED ONE CENT OF A FOUR CENT SALES TAX EXEMPTION ON THE PURCHASE OF POWER BY BUSINESSES SUCH AS CHEMICAL PLANTS. THE TAX EXEMPTION ROLLBACK IS EXPECTED TO GENERATE 103 MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE STATE. THE L-C-A SAYS THE MEASURE SHOULDN’T HAVE GONE THROUGH BECAUSE IT WASN’T APPROVED BY TWO THIRDS OF THE LEGISLATURE, BUT HOUSE SPEAKER CHUCK KLECKLY OF LAKE CHARLES SAYS A SIMPLE MAJORITY WAS ALL THAT WAS REQUIRED.
