2-15-16
WHILE THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY IS EXPERIENCE STRUGGLES, ANOTHER INDUSTRY IS GROWING IN LAFAYETTE…THE HIGH TECH SECTOR. THREE HIGH TECH COMPANIES LOCATED IN LAFAYETTE IN 2014 – C-G-I, PERFICIENT AND ENQUERO. THE LAFAYETTE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY SAYS THE THREE COMPANIES WILL HIRE A TOTAL OF 920 EMPLOYEES, AND IT WILL RESULT IN 679 INDIRECT JOBS. LEDA PRESIDENT AND C-E-O GREGG GOTHREAUX TELLS THE ADVOCATE THAT IT’S NOT OFTEN A COMMUNITY WITNESSES THE BIRTH OF A NEW INDUSTRY SECTOR.
LAKE CHARLES IS THE MOST ROMANTIC CITY IN AMERICA. AT LEAST THAT’S ACCORDING TO REDBOX, THE MOVIE RENTAL KIOSK COMPANY. THEY DETERMINED THE TOP ROMANTIC CITIES BASED ON RENTALS OF ROMANCE AND ROMANTIC COMEDY MOVIES IN 2015. LAKE CHARLES WAS TIED FOR FIRST IN THE NATION WITH COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI.
EARLY SATURDAY MORNING, CHITIMACHA TRIBAL POLICE ARRESTED A MAN FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER AT THE CYPRESS BAYOU CASINO HOTEL IN CHARENTON. 55-YEAR-OLD ALFRED GABRIEL IS ACCUSED OF SHOOTING AT HIS EX-GIRLFRIEND AND HER BOYFRIEND WEDNESDAY IN THE HOTEL PARKING LOT. POLICE LATER FOUND HIS VEHICLE ABANDONED AT THE ST. MARY COOP SUGAR MILL IN JEANERETTE. GABRIEL HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH TWO COUNTS OF ATTEMPTED SECOND DEGREE MURDER, ILLEGAL GUN POSSESSION BY A FELON, AND UNAUTHORIZED USE OF A VEHICLE.
Gov. John Bel Edwards urged state lawmakers to set aside partisan fights to solve Louisiana’s budget problems, as he spoke on the opening day of a special legislative session. The Democratic governor called the session in hopes of persuading lawmakers to increase taxes to help plug some of the budget gaps. It began yesterday. This year’s shortfall must be closed by June 30.
Two of Louisiana’s prominent Republican politicians were targets in Gov. John Bel Edwards’ speech to open the legislative session. The Democratic governor never named former Gov. Bobby Jindal and state Treasurer John Kennedy directly. But he took digs at Jindal as helping to create the state’s financial troubles and at Kennedy for suggestions they could be fixed without taxes. Edwards is asking lawmakers to raise taxes to help close budget gaps.
THE LAFAYETTE CITY PARISH ZONING COMMISSION PLANS TO MEET TODAY TO DISCUSS A POSSIBLE END TO THE 13-YEAR-OLD BAN ON NEW BARS IN DOWNTOWN LAFAYETTE. JULIE DARCE HAS MORE.
VOICER H :25
A Jefferson Davis Parish sheriff’s deputy has rescued a woman who was pinned underneath an SUV in a muddy ditch. Sheriff’s Commander Chris Ivey tells local media that Deputy Brock Hymel responded to a crash on Louisiana 102 near Fenton around 5:30 a.m. Saturday. Ivey says Hymel found a female passenger had been ejected and was lying face down in a ditch. Ivey says the woman wasn’t breathing and that her mouth and nose were blocked with mud. Ivey says she began breathing after Hymel dug the woman from the mud and pulled her from underneath the SUV.
A EUNICE WOMAN WAS KILLED IN A SINGLE VEHICLE CRASH IN ST. LANDRY PARISH FRIDAY AFTERNOON. STATE POLICE MASTER TROOPER BROOKS DAVID SAYS 24-YEAR-OLD SHINEQUA ANDERSON WAS WESTBOUND ON HIGHWAY 190 WHEN, FOR UNKNOWN REASONS, SHE DROVE OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD NEAR L-A 758, AND THROUGH A DITCH, STRIKING A CULVERT. ANDERSON WAS EJECTED WHEN THE CAR BEGAN TO OVERTURN, AND WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE. TWO PASSENGERS IN HER VEHICLE SUFFERED MODERATE INJURIES AND WERE AIRLIFTED TO THE HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT.
