3-17-21
DETENTION PONDS WERE DISCUSSED AT A LAFAYETTE CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT TOWN HALL AS A WAY TO REDUCE FLOODING FROM THE VERMILLION RIVER. WITHIN THE PAST YEAR, THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HAS IDENTIFIED NINETY SITES WHERE DETENTION OR RETENTION PONDS COULD BE LOCATED. ABOUT SEVENTY HAVE BEEN CHECKED HYDRAULICALLY AND TWENTY SHOW PROMISE, INCLUDING ONE AT HOMEWOOD DRIVE. SOME WHO LIVE NEAR THE HOMEWOOD DRIVE SIGHT EXPRESSED CONCERNS THAT THE POND COULD OVERFLOW AND FLOOD THEIR HOMES. THE LAFAYETTE CITY COUNCIL WILL BE VOTING ON AN ORDINANCE THAT WOULD FREEZE THOSE SITES FROM COMMERICAL DEVELOPMENT WHILE THEY STUDY THEM.
CHURCH POINT POLICE ARE SEARCHING FOR A MAN WANTED FOR TWO SEPARATE SHOOTINGS LAST MONTH. SYLVIA MASTERS REPORTS.
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Gov. John Bel Edwards is proposing more than $21 million in guard pay raises for Louisiana’s prison system next year as the state struggles with recruiting and retaining people for correctional officer jobs. The Department of Corrections says it has a prison guard vacancy rate of more than 36% and a year-over-year turnover rate of 73%. The pay raises are included in Edwards’ budget proposal for the year that begins July 1. Lawmakers will decide whether to fund it.
ACADIAN AMBULANCE HAS OPENED A NEW LOCATION IN LAKE CHARLES THAT WILL BE USED TO TRAIN AND DISPATCH EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN STUDENTS. IT TOOK NEARLY TWO MILLION DOLLARS TO TRANSFORM AN OLD CAR SHOP INTO THEIR NEW LOCATION. GOVERNOR JOHN BEL EDWARDS, WHO WAS AT THE RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY, SAID THE FACILITY IS AN EXAMPLE OF A GOOD THING HAPPENING IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME. SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES WILL BE PROVIDED TO THOSE INTERESTED IN BECOMING AN E-M-T AND BEING TRAINED BY ACADIAN AMBULANCE.
THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND DEVELOPMENT HELD A MEETING IN CARENCRO LAST NIGHT TO ADDRESS CONCERNS ABOUT POTENTIAL TRAFFIC PROBLEMS COMING WITH THE NEW AMAZON SORTING FACILITY OFF OF I-FORTY-NINE. THE FACILITY WILL HAVE FOURTEEN HUNDRED JOBS AND SOME RESIDENTS ARE CONCERNED THAT IT WILL CREATE TRAFFIC HEADACHES. D-O-T-D SECRETARY SHAWN WILSON SAYS THERE WILL BE CHANGES TO ADDRESS POTENTIAL PROBLEMS INCLUDING NEW STRIPING, NEW SIGNALIZATION, NEW SHOULDERS AND THEY WANT TO DOUBLE THE HECTOR CONNOLLY ROUNDABOUT. HE SAYS AMAZON IS ALSO DOING WORK TO ADDRESS ACCESS TO THE FACILITY.
THE EUNICE CITY COUNCIL DECIDED NOT TO FILL THE DEPUTY CHIEF POSITION IN ORDER TO SAVE MONEY. THE CURRENT DEPUTY CHIEF RETIRED CREATING THE VACANCY. POLICE CHIEF RANDY FONTENOT SAYS THE DECISION COMES AT THE EXPENSE OF SAFETY FOR THE CITY. ALDERMAN ERNEST BLANCHARD SAYS THE DECISION HASN’T BEEN FINALIZED AND NEGOTIATIONS ARE IN THE WORKS WHICH WILL BE DISCUSSED AT NEXT MONTH’S MEETING.
LOUISIANA ADDED FOURTEEN MORE COVID-NINETEEN CONFIRMED DEATHS, ACCORDING TO YESTERDAY’S REPORT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. THE STATE HAD SIX HUNDRED ELEVEN NEW CASES. HOSPITALIZATIONS WENT DOWN BY TWO FOR THE SECOND DAY IN A ROW. THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS ON VENTILATORS DECREASED BY FOUR.
ACADIANA HAD TWO CONFIRMED COVID-NINETEEN DEATHS YESTERDAY, WHICH WERE BOTH IN SAINT MARY PARISH. SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA HAD NO NEW DEATHS FOR THE THIRD DAY IN A ROW. ACADIANA REPORTED NINETY SIX NEW CASES. LAFAYETTE PARISH HAD THE MOST IN THE REGION WITH THIRTY-THREE. SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA ADDED SIXTY-TWO NEW CASES, INCLUDING FIFTY-ONE IN CALCASIEU PARISH.
NANCY LOEWER HAS BEEN SELECTED TO SERVE AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ACADIA PARISH TOURISM COMMISSION EFFECTIVE APRIL FIRST. LOEWER, A LONG TIME VOLUNTEER, WAS CHOSEN FROM AMONG FIVE FINALISTS.
