3-26-21
A LAFAYETTE MAN SAYS MULTIPLE CORRECTIONS OFFICERS BEAT HIM AS HE WAS BEING RELEASED FROM THE RAPIDES PARISH JAIL. CAROLINE MARCELLO HAS THE DETAILS.
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TWO PEOPLE WERE SHOT AND KILLED NEAR THE TOWN OF WASHINGTON LAST NIGHT JUST AFTER EIGHT. ST. LANDRY PARISH SHERIFF BOBBY GUIDROZ SAYS THE SHOOTING HAPPENED JUST OUTSIDE THE TOWN LIMITS ON VETERAN’S MEMORIAL HIGHWAY. THE IDENTITIES OF THE VICTIMS HAVE NOT BEEN RELEASED. GUIDROZ SAYS THIS IS AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION AND NO OTHER DETAILS CAN BE REVEALED AT THIS TIME.
Louisiana has recovered fewer than half the 284,000 jobs lost during the coronavirus pandemic so far. But the state is seeing slow and steady employment gains as consumer confidence improves and businesses rebound amid the nation’s vaccination effort. That’s the assessment of the Legislature’s chief economist Greg Albrecht. Albrecht told the House Appropriations Committee he doesn’t expect the state to reach pre-pandemic job levels until the end of 2022 or later.
SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA’S COVID-NINETEEN POSITIVITY RATE IS OVER TEN PERCENT, WHICH IS FRUSTRATING TO A HEALTH CARE EXPERT AT LAKE CHARLES MEMORIAL. CHIEF OPERATING AND CHIEF NURSING OFFICER GERALD BRYANT TELLS KPLC TV HE EXPECTS TO SEE A SURGE IN CORONAVIRUS POSITIVITY FOLLOWING EASTER AND SPRING BREAK. HE SAYS THE PROBLEM IS THE PUBLIC NOT ACCEPTING MITIGATION MEASURES FROM GETTING VACCINATED TO MASKING AND SOCIAL DISTANCING. BRYANT SAYS SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA IS MORE AT RISK BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE COMING IN AND OUT OF THE REGION TO HELP WITH HURRICANE RECOVERY.
THE NUMBER OF COVID-NINETEEN DEATHS IN LOUISIANA INCREASED BY THIRTEEN, ACCORDING TO YESTERDAY’S LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH REPORT. THE STATE HAD TWO HUNDRED SEVENTY-SEVEN NEW CONFIRMED CASES. HOSPITALIZATIONS FOR COVID-NINETEEN DECREASED BY SEVENTEEN WHICH PUTS THE TOTAL BELOW FOUR HUNDRED. THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS ON VENTILATORS ALSO DECREASED BY SIX. THAT TOTAL IS DOWN TO SIXTY-NINE.
ACADIANA HAD THREE NEW DEATHS FROM COVID NINETEEN. THERE WAS ONE EACH IN EVANGELINE, LAFAYETTE, AND ST. MARY PARISHES. SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA HAD ONE DEATH IN ALLEN PARISH. ACADIANA HAD SEVENTY-EIGHT NEW CONFIRMED CASES, INCLUDING SEVENTEEN IN LAFAYETTE PARISH. SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA ADDED THIRTY-SEVEN NEW CASES, AND CALCASIEU PARISH HAD TWENTY-ONE OF THOSE CASES.
THE LAFAYETTE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT IS WORKING WITH CITY POLICE TO IMPROVE SECURITY AT CITY PARKS. LAFAYETTE POLICE ARE INCREASING PATROLS OF THE PARKS AND THERE ARE SOME PROJECTS UNDERWAY INCLUDING INSTALLING VIDEO CAMERAS, LIGHTING AND EMERGENCY PHONES. ALSO UNDER CONSIDERATION IS ESTABLISHING OPENING AND CLOSING HOURS FOR ALL PARKS. ACTING PARKS AND RECREATION DIRECTOR HOLLIS CONWAY TELLS KLFY TV THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS HAPPENING BUT SOME OF THE PROJECTS ARE NOT BEING PUBLICIZED.
A STOP THE VIOLENCE RALLY IS PLANNED FOR CHURCH POINT ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL SEVENTH FROM FOUR TO EIGHT. THE SPECIAL PROGRAM, WHICH IS TITLED “THE FUNERAL IS CANCELLED”, IS HOSTED BY PASTOR LAWRENCE LEVY AND INCLUDES SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKERS, SUPPORT VENDORS AND A BALLOON RELEASE. THE FEATURED SPEAKER IS DOCTOR DANNA ANDRUS, A MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL. IT ALL TAKES PLACE AT THE CHURCH POINT COMMUNITY CENTER ON EAST DARBONNE STREET.
