12-9-16
U-L LAFAYETTE SIGNED AN AGREEMENT YESTERDAY TO TAKE OVER MANAGEMENT OF THE LOUISIANA IMMERSIVE TECHNOLOGIES ENTERPRISE FACILITY, ALSO KNOWN AS THE LITE CENTER, BEGINNING JANUARY FIRST. THE AGREEMENT CALLS FOR THE EVENTUAL DISSOLUTION OF THE LITE COMMISSION, WHICH HAS MANAGED THE LITE CENTER, AND THE TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP OF THE CENTER TO THE UNIVERSITY. THE LITE CENTER WAS BUILT TEN YEARS AGO BY THE STATE AND, IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, THE LITE COMMISSION HAS HAD DIFFICULTIES COVERING BASIC OPERATING EXPENSES. U-L’S VICE PRESIDENT OF RESEARCH, INNOVATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RAMESH KOLLURU, SAYS THE AGREEMENT WILL ALLOW THE STAFF AT THE LITE CENTER TO WORRY LESS ABOUT EXPENSES AND FOCUS MORE ON THEIR CORE MISSION OF NURTURING THE AREA’S TECHONOLOGY SECTOR.
A MAN AND WOMAN WERE SHOT IN THE 14-HUNDRED BLOCK OF NORTH PRATER STREET IN LAKE CHARLES LAST NIGHT. THEY WERE BOTH TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL, AND ONE OF THEM HAD TO HAVE SURGERY. LAKE CHARLES POLICE SAY THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A THIRD VICTIM. THEY ARE INTO THE INITIAL INVESTIGATION AND HAVE NOT YET MADE ANY ARRESTS.
STATE POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING A SHOOTING WHICH HAPPENED LAST NIGHT IN FRANKLIN. IT HAPPENED AROUND TEN P-M AND THERE ARE NOT A LOT OF DETAILS AT THIS TIME. THE LOCATION OF THE SHOOTING WAS THE INTERSECTION OF CURTIS AND DONNA DRIVE. OFFICIALS HAVE NOT RELEASED THE CONDITION OF THE VICTIM.
Gov. John Bel Edwards is looking ahead to next year’s legislative session, saying the state needs to enact a tax structure that is fair, predictable and “sufficient” to pay for state services. The Democratic governor told lawmakers, business leaders and others at the Council for a Better Louisiana luncheon Thursday that Louisiana doesn’t have that type of tax structure today. Tax reform is being pushed by Edwards and lawmakers for the 2017 session, but the leaders who will craft the plans disagree on what “reform” means — and whether they want to raise more money for government as they rewrite tax laws. And before that debate, the governor and lawmakers have immediate budget shortfalls to close, gaps expected to top $600 million in the financial year that began July 1.
FREEZING TEMPERATURES HAVE LED TO AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CALLS FOR AREA FIREFIGHTERS. JEFF HORCHEK HAS MORE.
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ON WEDNESDAY, THE LAKE CHARLES CITY COUNCIL AGREED TO REZONE THREE ACRES NEAR THE CORNER OF SHATTUCK STREET AND THE I-TEN FRONTAGE ROAD. THE REZONING MAKES WAY FOR A 45 SPACE R-V PARK. THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY ALSO OWNS A NEIGHBORING SHELL GAS STATION. CITY OFFICIALS SAY IF ANY NEARBY RESIDENTS HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT TRAFFIC PROBLEMS CAUSED BY THE NEW PARK, THEY CAN REVISIT THE ISSUE.
A U-S MILITARY VETERAN, WHO’S WALKING ACROSS THE UNITED STATES TO RAISE AWARENESS OF POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER, MADE A STOP IN ST. LANDRY PARISH YESTERDAY. ELI SMITH SAYS HE DECIDED TO DO THIS BECAUSE TOO MANY OF HIS FRIENDS IN THE MILITARY WERE KILLING THEMSELVES. SMITH BEGAN HIS HIKE IN PENSACOLA, FLORIDA AND HOPES TO MAKE IT TO SAN DIEGO BY HIS BIRTHDAY, WHICH IS APRIL 23RD. SMITH POSTS ABOUT HIS JOURNEY AT 4CORNERSHIKE ON SEVERAL SOCIAL MEDIA SITES, AND SAYS, IF HE HELPS SAVE ONE LIFE, THE WALK WILL BE WORTH IT.
Louisiana’s two remaining U.S. House races on Saturday’s ballot couldn’t be more strikingly different. The two GOP candidates in the tight runoff for the Acadiana-based 3rd District seat — Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle and Clay Higgins, a former sheriff’s captain dubbed the “Cajun John Wayne” — have accused each other of lying and trash-talked each other’s records. By comparison, the northwest Louisiana-based 4th District race is downright gentlemanly. Republican Mike Johnson and Democrat Marshall Jones are largely running on their own backgrounds and personal stories, rather than swapping barbs.
The seats are open because Republicans Charles Boustany in the 3rd District and John Fleming in the 4th District ran unsuccessful campaigns for a U.S. Senate seat instead of seeking re-election. They are the nation’s last two undecided House seats.
