12-24-15
) The National Weather Service says two tornadoes hit central Louisiana, injuring a man whose travel trailer was flipped over. The Lake Charles office reports that surveys yesterday found that both were EF-1 twisters with peak winds of 95 mph. The agency says the unidentified man was injured by a tornado that hit about 5:30 p.m. Monday southeast of the community of Calcasieu, which is about 15 miles southwest of Alexandria. It says that tornado also uprooted trees and damaged the roof of a house and barn. The second tornado, about 6:40 p.m. Monday, touched down less than a mile from Louisiana State University’s Alexandria campus. The weather service said trees fell on a car and a house, and the house was destroyed. Several mobile homes received minor damage.
OFFICIALS AT THE LSU AG CENTER SAY THAT THE “SECOND RICE CROP” WAS EXCEPTIONAL. THE FIRST CROP DID NOT PRODUCE AS LARGE A YIELD AS LAST YEAR. WEATHER CONDITIONS IN BOTH THE SOUTH AND NORTH PART OF THE STATE WERE BLAMED FOR THE POOR YIELD FOR THE FIRST CROP. THE SECOND CROP PRODUCED NOT ONLY A GOOD YIELD, BUT GOOD QUALITY AS WELL.
LOUISIANA’S ENROLLMENT IN OBAMACARE MAY EXCEED LAST YEAR’S. AUTOMATIC RE-ENROLLMENTS AND A LAST MINUTE DEADLINE SURGE PUSHED THE NUMBER TO 179,014. THE HEALTH CARE COVERAGE TYPICALLY BEGINS ON JANUARY 1ST. THOSE WHO WERE AUTOMATICALLY RE-ENROLLED OR WHO PICKED A PLAN PRIOR TO THE DEADLINE COULD STILL MAKE A CHANGE IF THEY FIND A BETTER OPTION BEFORE JAN 31ST.
(AP) Family members of a 32-year-old mentally ill man killed by a sheriff’s deputy say authorities were serving an order for protective custody when he was shot inside his home. Barbara Noel is quoted by The Advertiser as saying her son Michael Noel was shot Monday after resisting deputies’ attempts to take him into protective custody. Noel said she had asked the deputies to take him in because he was showing signs of mentally unraveling. She says he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and paranoid schizophrenia. But she said he wasn’t a violent person, and she criticized the sheriff’s office for not sending a health professional along with the deputies. Louisiana state police are investigating. Spokesman Master Trooper Brooks David said he could not confirm details about the shooting.
ANOTHER 18 WHEELER ACCIDENT ON THE ATCHAFALAYA BRIDGE, JEFF HORCHEK HAS MORE.
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THE LOUISIANA LEGISLATIVE AUDITOR HAS SHARPLY CRITICIZED THE MANAGEMENT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HOSPITALS. ACCORDING TO THE ACADIANA ADVOCATE AUDITOR DARYL PURPERA LISTED 14 POINTS WHERE DHH FAILED TO FOLLOW LEGALLY REQUIRED PROCESSES, COSTING TAXPAYERS TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. DHH UNDERSECRETARY W. JEFF REYNOLDS SAID THE DEPARTMENT GENERALLY AGREED WITH THE AUDIT FINDINGS AND SAW THE REPORT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE THE WORKINGS OF AN AGENCY THAT ACCOUNTS FOR ABOUT ONE THIRD OF THE STATES BUDGET.
(AP) Louisiana State Police say investigators don’t yet know how a car with six occupants wound up in the path of an Amtrak train. The wreck killed the 70-year-old driver and two 12-year-old girls, and police say a 49-year-old man and two 12-year-old boys are in critical condition. Master Trooper Brooks David said in an email yesterday that the south Louisiana crossing had working gates. He says investigators don’t know whether Phyllis Leblanc drove around a gate or her 2006 Ford Taurus got stuck after the gates went down. He says all six occupants were from New Iberia. Amtrak spokesman Mike Tolbert says the crash about 6 p.m. Tuesday in New Iberia did not hurt anybody on the train, which was carrying 119 passengers from Los Angeles to New Orleans.
WELL WE ARE JUST GETTING OVER A HUGH MEDIA CAMPAIGN FOR GOVERNOR WITH GREAT INTEREST IN THE COMING CAMPAIGN FOR THE U.S. SENATE TO REPLACE SEN. DAVID VITTER. THE NEWEST NAME TO SURFACE IS LAKE CHARLES STATE REPRESENATIVE BRETT GUEYMAN. GUEYMAN HAS HOWEVER BEEN OPENLY CAMPAIGNING FOR THE 3RD DIST CONGRESSIONAL SEAT THAT WILL BE VACATED BY REP. CHARLES BOUSTANY, WHO IS RUNNING FOR THE SENATE .
