12-17-20
Authorities say two people died when a ceiling in a salt mine fell in Iberia parish. A section of ceiling in a part of the underground mine on Avery Island came down on Monday. Sixteen employees were evacuated with no injuries reported. The mine operator, Cargill Deicing Technology, said rescuers found the two victims the next day, identified as 27-year-old Lance Begnaud of Broussard and 41-year-old Rene Romero of New Iberia.
FEMA IS OPENING UP THREE NEW APPEALS CENTERS FOR PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THE HURRICANE WHO WANT TO APPEAL THE DECISIONS MADE BY FEMA. THE APPEALS CENTER WILL FEATURE OUTDOOR SITTING AREAS WHERE STAFF CAN EXPLAIN THE APPEALS PROCESS, DISCUSS DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTSAND PROVIDE HELP MAKING AN APPEAL LETTER. THE FIRST APPEAL CENTER WILL OPEN FRIDAY AT THE RAPIDES COLISEUM IN ALEXANDRIA, ANOTHER ONE WILL OPEN MONDAY AT THE JEFFERSON DAVIS FAIRGROUNDS IN JENNINGS AND ANOTHER WILL OPEN TUESDAY AT BROWNS PARK IN LAFAYETTE. THE CENTERS WILL BE OPEN MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY FROM EIGHT TO FIVE AND SATURDAY FROM TEN TO THREE. NO APPOINTMENT IS NECESSARY.
Southwest Louisiana lawmakers are criticizing the insurance industry’s handling of claims from Hurricanes Laura and Delta. Lawmakers at a House and Senate insurance committee hearing Wednesday described slow responses, low-balled damage estimates and drones used to assess destruction instead of people. Louisiana’s insurance department says nearly 237,000 claims have been filed for the two storms. Industry representatives say insurers after a catastrophic event are overwhelmed and have to work through the claims.
Gov. John Bel Edwards says “it’s well past time” for people to accept President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. The Democratic governor’s comments came on his radio show Wednesday. Edwards says Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry’s support of a Texas lawsuit seeking to overturn Biden’s election win was “unfortunate.” Only one of the seven Republican members of Louisiana’s congressional delegation has acknowledged Biden’s victory: U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy.
THE BREAUX BRIDGE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS ASKING FOR THE PUBLIC’S HELP IN IDENTIFYING VEHICLE BURGLARS IN TOWN. SYLVIA MASTERS HAS MORE.
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THE CARENCRO MARDI GRAS ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY THEY ARE CANCELLING THE TWENTY-TWENTY-ONE PARADE. SPOKESMAN DAVID BERNARD SAYS IT WAS CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND THEIR CONTROL THAT LED TO THAT DECISION. HE SAYS THEY COULD NOT ENSURE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL PARTIES INVOLVED. SCOTT AND YOUNGSVILLE EARLIER ANNOUNCED THEY WERE ALSO CANCELLING THEIR MARDI GRAS PARADES FOR NEXT YEAR.
THERE WERE THIRTY MORE COVID-NINETEEN DEATHS IN LOUISIANA, ACCORDING TO YESTERDAY’S REPORT FROM THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. THE TOTAL IS NOW ABOVE SIX THOUSAND, SIX HUNDRED. THE STATE HAS ADDED MORE THAN TWO THOUSAND POSITIVE CASES. HOSPITALIZATIONS ARE DOWN BY THIRTEEN. MEANWHILE, THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS ON VENTILATORS INCREASED BY FIFTEEN.
ACADIANA HAD SIX MORE COVID-NINETEEN DEATHS. ST. LANDRY PARISH HAD TWO, WHILE THERE WAS ONE EACH IN ACADIA, LAFAYETTE, ST. MARY AND VERMILLION PARISHES. THERE WERE THREE DEATHS IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA, INCLUDING IN CALCASIEU, CAMERON AND JEFF DAVIS. ACADIANA HAD THREE HUNDRED EIGHTY-FIVE NEW CASES, WHILE SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA ADDED ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-TWO.
