12-18-20
THERE WILL BE NO SUNBELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP TOMORROW. SYLVIA MASTERS EXPLAINS WHY.
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THERE ARE SIXTY MORE COVID-NINETEEN DEATHS IN LOUISIANA, ACCORDING TO YESTERDAY’S REPORT FROM THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. THE TOTAL IS NOW SIX THOUSAND, SIX HUNDRED THIRTY-SEVEN. THE STATE HAS ADDED MORE THAN FIVE THOUSAND POSITIVE CASES. HOSPITALIZATIONS ARE UP BY FIVE. MEANWHILE, THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS ON VENTILATORS INCREASED BY SEVENTEEN.
The number of people in Louisiana hospitalized with COVID-19 has reached heights exceeding the state’s summer surge of the coronavirus disease. Thursday’s sobering statistic of more than 1,600 hospitalizations mutes some excitement surrounding this week’s first virus vaccinations. Dr. Catherine O’Neal at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center says the Baton Rouge hospital admitted the largest number of COVID-19 patients over 24 hours than it’s seen in a similar period since July. Gov. John Bel Edwards says at least 7,000 of Louisiana’s hospital workers have received vaccines so far.
ACADIANA HAD EIGHT MORE COVID-NINETEEN DEATHS. LAFAYETTE AND ST. LANDRY PARISHES HAD TWO EACH, WHILE THERE ARE ONE EACH IN ACADIA, EVANGELINE, ST. MARY AND VERMILLION PARISHES. THERE ARE SIX DEATHS IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA, INCLUDING FOUR IN CALCASIEU PARISH AND ONE IN BOTH CAMERON AND JEFF DAVIS PARISHES. ACADIANA HAD SEVEN HUNDRED NINETEEN NEW CASES, WHILE SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA ADDED TWO HUNDRED NINETY NEW CASES.
A MIDLAND WOMAN, WHO SURVIVED COVID-NINETEEN AND SPENT MONTHS IN A COMA, HAS RETURNED HOME. SIXTY-THREE-YEAR-OLD LISA SHAMSIE WAS RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL IN EARLY JULY AND PUT IN A MEDICALLY INDUCED COMA. HER NIECE, MIRANDA TRAHAN, TELLS KLFY TV THAT, THREE TIMES, THE FAMILY REFUSED DOCTOR’S RECOMMENDATIONS TO TAKE HER OFF LIFE SUPPORT BECAUSE OF NO BRAIN ACTIVITY, AND ONE DAY SHE OPENED HER EYES. SHE SAYS THERE WAS A LOT OF EMOTION DURING THAT PERIOD WITH FAMILY MEMBERS BEGGING GOD TO LET HER LIVE. SHE CALLS IT A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE.
LAUREN DAIGLE HAS COME OUT WITH A STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO HER PARTICIPATION IN A WORSHIP RALLY LAST MONTH THAT ANGERED THE MAYOR OF NEW ORLEANS BECAUSE IT WAS NOT PERMITTED AND VIOLATED COVID-NINETEEN HEALTH REGULATIONS. DAIGLE SAYS HER PARTICIPATION HAS BECOME PART OF THE POLITICAL DISCOURSE AND SHE’S SADDEND BY THE DIVISIVE AGENDAS OF THESE TIMES. DAIGLE SAYS SHE AND HER FRIEND WERE RIDING BIKES AND CAME UPON THE RALLY. THEN SHE ASKED IF SHE COULD SING. DAIGLE SAYS SHE WOULD STILL BE HONORED TO REPRESENT NEW ORLEANS DURING A TELEVISED NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION THOUGH AN OFFER WAS NEVER MADE.
BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER, THE CHRISTMAS IN JENNINGS EVENT HAS BEEN MOVED FROM SATURDAY TO TONIGHT. A CHRISTMAS PARADE IS SCHEDULED FOR FIVE-THIRTY THIS EVENING. THERE WILL BE A FOOD AND CRAFTS FESTIVAL AS WELL AS THE JENNINGS HALL OF TREES FROM FIVE THIRTY TO EIGHT. AT EIGHT THIRTY TONIGHT, FIREWORKS WILL BE SET OFF AT THE JENNINGS AIRPORT.
SHERRI MCGOVERN WAS SWORN IN YESTERDAY AS THE NEW ASSESSOR FOR ST. LANDRY PARISH. SHE WAS ELECTED TO OFFICE A YEAR AGO, BUT A NEW ASSESSOR CAN’T TAKE OFFICE IN A REASSESSMENT YEAR, WHICH WAS THE CASE FOR TWENTY-TWENTY. AN INAUGURATION CEREMONY WAS HELD YESTERDAY AFTERNOON AT THE ST. LANDRY PARISH COURTHOUSE IN OPELOUSAS. MCGOVERN SAYS IT’S IMPORTANT TO HAVE FAIR AND EQUAL ASSESSMENTS AND FOR THE PARISH TO GET THE RIGHT DIRECTION FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH.
