12-31-21
MORE THAN SEVENTY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DISPLACED AFTER A FIRE DAMAGED THEIR APARTMENT COMPLEX. CAROLINE MARCELLO REPORTS.
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STATE POLICE SAY THE DRIVER WHO CAUSED A HEAD ON COLLISION EARLIER THIS MONTH THAT KILLED THRE SIBLINGS FROM JEANERETTE HAD A BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL THAT WAS NEARLY THREE TIMES THE LEGAL LIMIT. FIFTY-FOUR-YEAR-OLD JOHN LUNDY OF GEORGIA WAS TRAVELING NORTH IN THE SOUTHBOUND LANES OF I-FORTY-NINE AND STRUCK ANOTHER VEHICLE HEAD-ON. TWENTY-YEAR-OLD LINDY RAE SIMMONS, FOURTEEN-YEAR-OLD KAMRYN SIMMONS AND SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD CHRISTOPHER SIMMONS WERE KILLED ALONG WITH LUNDY. A GOFUNDME ACCOUNT FOR THE SIMMON’S FAMILY RAISED MORE THAN SEVEN HUNDRED SIXTY THOUSAND DOLLARS.
Louisiana’s governor says the state is setting records for new COVID-19 diagnoses, and the omicron variant surge is just beginning. Gov. John Bel Edwards says Thursday’s 24-hour total of 12,467 new cases was more than one-third above Wednesday’s total of 9,378, and that had broken a record set in August, during the delta variant surge. Edwards says the number of people hospitalized with the virus has risen 268% since Dec. 17, to 762. He and other state and hospital officials repeatedly urged Louisiana residents to take precautions recommended since the start of the pandemic.
CALCASIEU AND CAMERON PARISH RESIDENTS HAVE JUST A FEW DAYS REMAINING TO SUBMIT IDEAS FOR HOW THEY WOULD LIKE THE REGION TO GROW. THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA IS ASKING FOR INPUT ON A FIFTY YEAR RESILIENCE PLAN CALLED JUST IMAGINE SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA. THE GOAL IS TO IMPLEMENT A PLAN BY NEXT SUMMER. THOSE WISHING TO SUBMIT IDEAS MUST DO SO BY THE END OF THIS WEEKEND. THE WEBSITE IS JUST IMAGINE S-W-L-A-DOT-ORG.
A SUSPECT IN A DECEMBER EIGHTH HOMOCIDE IN BROUSSARD SURRENDERED YESTERDAY TO THE UNITED STATES MARSHAL’S TASK FORCE. POLICE FOUND TWENTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD DIONDRE WILLIAMS IN A HOME IN THE AREA OF GUSTAVE AND LEON STREETS. HE HAD BEEN SHOT TO DEATH. EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD JAMIAH XAVIER CELESTINE WAS BOOKED INTO THE LAFAYETTE PARISH CORRECTIONAL CENTER AND HIS BOND WAS SET AT THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
THE NEW IBERIA CITY COUNCIL IS DRAFTING AN ORDINANCE BANNING SMOKING INDOORS AT BUSINESSES. THREE OF THE SEVEN CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE MAYOR HAVE SAID THEY ARE OPPOSED TO THE PROPOSAL. ONE OF THOSE COUNCILMEN, DUSTIN SUIRE, SAYS HE DOESN’T BELIEVE GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE TELLING PRIVATE BUSINESSES WHAT THEY SHOULD DO. COUNCILWOMAN DEIDRE LEDBETTER INTRODUCED THE ORDINANCE, NOTING THAT A NUMBER OF OTHER CITIES IN LOUISIANA HAVE THE SMOKING BAN INCLUDING LAFAYETTE AND ABBEVILLE.
Louisiana will expand its Medicaid program in January to include more children with developmental disabilities whose parents made too much money to qualify under prior eligibility rules. Federal officials approved the plan to broaden the program’s eligibility standards to include certain children under 19 years old with disabilities. Louisiana lawmakers unanimously approved the widened Medicaid coverage in 2019 to give more children access to home- and community-based services. The Louisiana Department of Health says the new program is estimated to cost $54 million for the first year, with $9.5 million coming from state dollars and the rest paid with federal financing.
THE ACADIA PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE LITTER ABATEMENT PROGRAM ISSUED THEIR FINAL UPDATE FOR THE YEAR. FOR DECEMBER, CREWS WITH THE PROGRAM WORKED SEVENTEEN DAYS. THEY COLLECTED ENOUGH TRASH TO FILL THREE HUNDRED FIFTY-NINE BAGS. THEY ALSO COLLECTED THIRTY-THREE TIRES AND A MATTRESS. THE PROGRAM IS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ACADIA PARISH POLICE JURY.
