2-13-20
LAST NIGHT THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD POSTPONED A PLAN TO PUT PORTABLE CLASSROOMS AT SOUTHSIDE HIGH SCHOOL. THE BOARD VOTED IN DECEMBER TO SET UP TWO NEW PORTABLE DOUBLE CLASSROOM BUILDINGS USING U-S-D-A FUNDS. BUT LAST NIGHT THEY LEARNED SOUTHSIDE ISN’T EXPECTED TO REACH CAPACITY UNTIL THE 2021-22 SCHOOL YEAR. THAT LED THE BOARD TO UNANIMOUSLY VOTED FOR A MOTION BY BOARD MEMBER JUSTIN CENTANI TO INDEFINITELY POSTPONE THE BUILDING OF THE NEW PORTABLE CLASSROOMS.
THE SECOND SCHOOL THREAT IN UNDER A WEEK FORCED ALL ERATH SCHOOLS TO EVACUATE YESTERDAY. MEGAN KELLY HAS MORE.
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ANOTHER GROCERY STORE HAS CLOSED IN LAKE CHARLES. THE CLOSURE OF THE SAVE-A-LOT ON HIGHWAY FOURTEEN IS THE FIFTH GROCERY STORE TO CLOSE IN THE LAKE AREA IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. IT’S AFFECTED THE OPTIONS FOR RESIDENTS IN NORTH AND CENTRAL LAKE CHARLES. CITY OFFICIALS SAY THEY ARE EXPLORING OPTIONS SUCH AS POP-UP FARMER’S MARKETS.
Gov. John Bel Edwards is hiring the leader of Texas’ health agency to be the Louisiana Department of Health’s new secretary. Courtney Phillips will take charge of Louisiana’s largest cabinet department with a multibillion-dollar budget that accounts for nearly half of annual state government spending. Phillips has led the Texas Health and Human Services Commission since October 2018. Phillips is a Louisiana native who worked in various roles at the state health department for 12 years previously.
DISTRICT ATTORNEY KEITH STUTES MAY LAUNCH AN INVESTIGATION INTO
L-U-S AND L-U-S FIBER. LAFAYETTE MAYOR PRESIDENT JOSH GUILLORY SAYS STUTES REQUESTED DOCUMENTS RELATED TO PRIOR INVESTIGATIONS AND AUDITS OF L-U-S AND L-U-S FIBER. LAST WEEK, GUILLORY SAID HE WAS REQUESTING A STATE POLICE INVESTIGATION AFTER A WHISTLEBLOWER ALLEGED THAT COMPUTER FILES WERE DELETED, POSSIBLY TO COVER UP A CRIME. STATE POLICE ARE STILL REVIEWING THE INFORMATION AND HAVE NOT ANNOUNCED A DECISION ON WHETHER THEY WILL INVESTIGATE.
THE DRIVER IN A DRUNK DRIVING CRASH IN IBERIA PARISH IN AUGUST OF 2018 HAS PLED GUILTY TO EIGHT CRIMES. TWENTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD DYLAN ANTHONY LEBLANC COULD GET UP TO ONE HUNDRED YEARS IN PRISON WHEN HE IS SENTENCED BY JUDGE KEITH COMEAUX ON MAY ELEVENTH. SECURITY VIDEO SHOWED LEBLANC DRIVING RECKLESSLY ON HIGHWAY NINETY IN EAST IBERIA PARISH WHEN HE LOST CONTROL OF HIS TRUCK, HITTING AN ONCOMING VAN DRIVEN BY TWENTY-TWO-YEAR-OLD ABBY SUIRE SINITIERE OF FRANKLIN. SHE WAS KILLED ALONG WITH HER ONE-YEAR-OLD SON AND AN UNBORN CHILD.
THE UNITED WAY OF SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA IS TRYING TO RAISE AWARENESS OF THEIR FREE INFORMATION AND REFERRAL SERVICE. YOU CAN CALL 2-1-1 TO BE CONNECTED TO THE SERVICE WHICH IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK AND TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY. PRESIDENT AND C-E-O DENISE DUREL TELLS KPLC TV THAT THEY RECEIVE A LITTLE OVER NINE THOUSAND CALLS A YEAR. SHE SAYS THE TOP CONCERNS THEY HELP PEOPLE WITH ARE FOOD INSECURITY AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
Louisiana lawmakers are sitting on $86 million in off-the-books surpluses in their agencies. The House and Senate’s new leaders say they haven’t decided how they want to spend the money that has been quietly amassing for years. The dollars aren’t regularly discussed in budget hearings. Top lawmakers say they would consider steering some of the cash to needed repairs on the exterior of the Louisiana Capitol.
