12-23-16
THE STOCK FOR LAFAYETTE-BASED STONE ENERGY APPEARED TO STABILIZE YESTERDAY. THE STOCK HAS HAD MAJOR FLUCTUATIONS UP AND DOWN SINCE THE COMPANY FILED FOR CHAPTER ELEVEN BANKRUPTCY ON DECEMBER 14TH. YESTERDAY THE STOCK CLOSED AT 9 DOLLARS AND 36 CENTS, UP THREE CENTS FROM WEDNESDAY. STONE ENERGY IS MAKING PLANS TO REDUCE THEIR DEBTS BY ONE-POINT-2 BILLION DOLLARS BY THE TIME THEY COME OUT OF BANKRUPTCY, WHICH COULD HAPPEN BY THE MIDDLE OF 2017.
THE BEAUREGARD PARISH POLICE JURY VOTED TO GIVE THEMSELVES A 400 DOLLAR A MONTH PAY RAISE. THERE WAS NO OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSAL AT A PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE THE VOTE. BEGINNING JANUARY FIRST, THE POLICE JURORS WILL MAKE 19,200 DOLLARS PER YEAR. IT’S THE FIRST PAY RAISE FOR THE JURY SINCE 1997.
THE ST. LANDRY PARISH COUNCIL TOOK THE FIRST STEP WEDNESDAY TOWARD ESTABLISHING A FRENCH IMMERSION PROGRAM IN ARNAUDVILLE. THE COUNCIL ABOLISHED A HOSPITAL SERVICE DISTRICT THAT WAS USED TO FUND ST. LUKE HOSPITAL IN ARNAUDVILLE, WHICH CLOSED IN 2008. PARISH PRESIDENT BILL FONTENOT SAYS DISSOLVING THE HOSPITAL DISTRICT, WHICH BEGAN AS A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN ST. LANDRY AND ST. MARTIN PARISHES IN 1963, WILL ENABLE THE IMMERSION PROGRAM TO GO FORWARD. HE SAYS IF BOTH PARISH GOVERNMENTS AGREE TO DISBAND THE DISTRICT, THE TAXES COLLECTED AND CURRENT ASSETS ASSOCIATED WITH THE HOSPITAL WILL BE DIVIDED BETWEEN THE TWO PARISHES.
The federal government has scheduled its last oil lease sale to cover only the most active area in the Gulf of Mexico, with Gulf-wide sales to begin in 2018. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management says the next central Gulf lease sale will be March 22, offering 48 million acres off of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. It’s held separate western and central Gulf sales since 1983. Low oil prices have caused low interest recently.
A JUNIOR AT THE EPISCOPAL SCHOOL OF ACADIANA EARNED A PERFECT SCORE ON THE A-C-T EXAM. ASHLYN DRISKELL BECAME THE SECOND E-S-A STUDENT TO GET A 36 ON THE EXAM. IN THE SPRING, TOLSON FRANTZEN, A SENIOR, ALSO ACHIEVED A TOP SCORE. LESS THAN ONE PERCENT OF STUDENTS WHO TAKE THE COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAM GET A PERFECT SCORE.
A THREE-POINT-8 BILLION DOLLAR METHANE PROJECT THAT IS COMING TO THE PORT OF LAKE CHARLES WILL BE THE FIRST OF ITS KIND TO PRODUCE METHANOL THROUGH CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGY. RICK RICHARD, A CONSULTANT FOR LAKE CHARLES METHANOL, SAYS IT WILL TAKE A WASTE BYPRODUCT FROM REFINING CRUDE OIL, KNOWN AS PETROLEUM COKE, AND USE IT TO PRODUCE METHANOL AND C-O-2. THE PLANT WILL BE BUILT ON 70 ACRES ALONG THE CALCASIEU SHIP CHANNEL AND, ACCORDING TO RICHARD, SHOULD BE UP AND RUNNING BY 2020. THE PROJECT WILL PRODUCE ONE THOUSAND CONSTRUCTION JOBS, 200 PERMANENT POSITIONS AND AROUND 300 OIL INDUSTRY JOBS.
JULIE DARCE HAS A NOTICE FOR CECILIA RESIDENTS.
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A South African company has completed a two-year, $40 million project to get 2.5 miles of state highway and other roads ready for all the truckloads of heavy equipment needed to build an $11 billion plant in Westlake. Sasol Ltd. spokeswoman Kim Cusimano calls it a significant milestone. The American Press reports that in addition to the road work, Sasol relocated utilities, signs and fencing, and improved 2.8 miles of drainage. At one intersection, it also installed traffic signals that rotate to let tall equipment to pass through.
