2-16-15
LAFAYETTE HAS A NEW PROGRAM FOR THIRD OR FOURTH OFFENSE DRUNK DRIVERS THAT BEGAN IN OCTOBER AND IS EXPECTED TO HAVE THE MAXIMUM TWENTY PARTICIPANTS BY MARCH. THE SOBRIETY COURT REQUIRES PARTICIPANTS TO COMPLETELY ABSTAIN FROM ALCOHOL, THEY WEAR AN ANKLE BRACELET THAT DETECTS ALCOHOL, THEY ARE REGULARLY DRUG TESTED, AND, IN EXCHANGE, THEY GET TO STAY OUT OF JAIL. 15TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT JUDGE THOMAS DUPLANTIER SAYS THAT PARTICIPANTS HAVE A TOUGH JAIL SENTENCE HANGING OVER THEIR HEAD IF THEY FALL OFF THE WAGON. THE SPECIALTY COURT DIRECTOR FOR THE 15TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT, JACOB CORBELL, SAYS IT WILL TAKE A YEAR OR TWO TO DETERMINE IF THE SOBRIETY COURT IS EFFECTIVE.
CITGO, AXIALL, AND OXY USA HAVE AGREED TO REMEDIATE 700 ACRES ALONG BAYOU D’INDE, A MAJOR TRIBUTARY IN THE CALCASIEU ESTUARY. THE THREE COMPANIES WILL REMEDIATE 700 ACRES OF THE BAYOU FROM ITS UPPER REGIONS TO LOCKPORT MARSH. THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY FOUND CONTAMINANTS IN THE BAYOU DURING AN INVESTIGATION AROUND THE TURN OF THE CENTURY, AND DETERMINED THE CONTAMINATION WAS COMING FROM FIVE COMPANIES ALONG THE BAYOU. PERCY HARRIS OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY SAYS, AFTER THE REMEDIATION, THEY WILL MONITOR THE BAYOU FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS AND, IF IT DIDN’T WORK, THEY WILL LOOK FOR ANOTHER ALTERNATIVE.
THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN IN MAURICE WILL CONSIDER A PROPOSAL TO CLOSE BARS AT TWO A-M, WHICH IS ONE HOUR EARLIER. MAURICE HAS KEPT THE THREE A-M CLOSING TIME FOR A LONG TIME NOW, EVEN AS BARS IN LAFAYETTE AND VERMILLION PARISH HAVE HAD TO CLOSE AT TWO A-M. POLICE CHIEF WARREN ROST SAYS HE WANTS THE EARLIER CLOSING TIME BECAUSE OF CONCERNS ABOUT SOME PEOPLE TRAVELING TO MAURICE BECAUSE OF THE LATER CLOSING HOUR. THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN REJECTED THE TWO A-M CLOSING TIME IN 2012, BUT TWO OF THE THREE ALDERMAN ARE NEW, AND ROST IS HOPING TO GET A DIFFERENT RESULT THIS TIME.
The state labor department says first-time claims for unemployment insurance in Louisiana for the week ending Feb. 7 increased to 2,939 from the previous week’s total of 2,676. For the comparable week a year earlier, there were 2,392 initial claims, officials said Friday. The four-week moving average, a less volatile measure, decreased to 2,783, from the previous week’s average of 2,949. Continued unemployment claims for the week ending Feb. 7 decreased to 21,325 compared to 21,755 the previous week.
POLICE HAVE MADE AN ARREST AFTER A MAN WAS MURDERED AT A LAFAYETTE MCDONALDS SATURDAY. JULIE DARCE REPORTS.
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A WESTLAKE MAN HAS BEEN BOOKED INTO THE CALCASIEU CORRECTIONAL CENTER FOR ATTEMPTED SECOND DEGREE MURDER. 58-YEAR-OLD ABRAHAM HANDY WAS ARRESTED FRIDAY ON PRATER ROAD. HIS BOND WAS SET AT 250 THOUSAND DOLLARS. THERE ARE NO DETAILS ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT LED TO HIS ARREST.
A Baton Rouge attorney has been arrested following an investigation by the St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office. WAFB-TV reports 63-year-old Stanley “Stephen” Spring allegedly stole several items from a client, an elderly St. Martin Parish man.
Spring was arrested Friday by the U.S. Marshals Task Force at his Baton Rouge law firm. He is being held in the East Baton Rouge Parish Jail without bond and is awaiting extradition to St. Martin Parish where he will be booked for theft over $500.
As Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration looks to balance next year’s budget, Louisiana’s health care programs are threatened with even steeper cuts than the higher education slashing that has caused such worry. Cuts for services that take care of the poor, elderly and disabled could reach up to $800 million in lost state and federal funding for the year that begins July 1, under scenarios being considered. But the state Department of Health and Hospitals won’t provide any details about what the cuts could mean and which services might be on the chopping block. DHH refused to provide any documents about possible cut scenarios, in response to a public records request filed by The Associated Press.
