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IT’S EXPECTED THAT NEW FLOOD MAPS FOR LAFAYETTE PARISH WILL BE FINALIZED BY THE END OF THE YEAR. THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY HAS BEEN WORKING OVER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS TO REVISE THE FIRST DRAFT, ADDRESSING CHALLENGES TO IT MADE BY LOCAL OFFICIALS. THE NEW MAPS HAVE REDUCED THE NUMBER OF FLOODWAYS, WHICH ARE AREAS THAT HAVE STRINGENT GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPMENT. THE LAFAYETTE CITY PARISH FLOODPLAIN ADMINISTRATOR KEVIN WOODARD TELLS THE ADVOCATE THE NEW MAPS ARE BETTER FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE AND THEY ARE BASED ON BETTER DATA.
AN AUDIT OF THE LAKE ARTHUR HOUSING AUTHORITY FOUND THAT THEY SPENT ABOUT 72 THOUSAND DOLLARS MORE THAN THEY HAD BUDGETED, AND THEY ENDED THE YEAR WITH A 100 THOUSAND DOLLAR LOSS. ACCOUNTANT MIKE ESTES OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS SAYS THE MAJOR CULPRIT WAS MAINTENANCE EXPENSES, WHICH FINISHED THE LAST FISCAL YEAR ALMOST FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS OVER BUDGET. INTERIM DIRECTOR TONI KERSHAW SAYS THEY HAD TO REPLACE RUSTED AND LEAKING PIPES IN THE BATHROOMS AND KITCHENS IN THE APARTMENTS, WHICH ARE NEARLY SIXTY-YEARS-OLD. ESTES RECOMMENDED THAT THE AUTHORITY KEEP EXPENSES WITHIN BUDGETED AMOUNTS, BUT ACKNOWLEDGED UNANTICIPATED EXPENSES DO ARISE.
A RAYNE TEENAGER IS DEAD AFTER A FATAL HIT-AND-RUN IN CROWLEY AND AUTHORITIES ARE NOW SEARCHING FOR A SUSPECT. JULIE DARCE HAS MORE.
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Private hospitals say Gov. Bobby Jindal’s budget proposal would shutter a program that cares for sickly babies and cut money they’re paid for emergency room care for Medicaid patients. Louisiana Hospital Association President Paul Salles said Wednesday those $25 million in cuts are included in Jindal’s spending recommendations for the fiscal year that begins July 1. State health secretary Kathy Kliebert said the budget proposal would keep critical services intact. She said she’s willing to continue negotiations with the hospitals as lawmakers craft a final version of the budget over the next few months.
THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD LAST NIGHT UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED SPENDING UP TO 65 THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR FOUR ACRES OF PROPERTY BEHIND THE DAVID THIBODEAUX STEM ACADEMY. THERE ARE NO PLANS FOR THE PROPERTY AT THIS TIME, BUT IT’S ADJACENT TO THE SCHOOL AND COULD BE USED FOR ATHLETIC FIELDS IN THE FUTURE. THE SCHOOL BOARD ALSO APPROVED REVISIONS TO THE JOB DESCRIPTION FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT TO ADRESS ISSUES THAT LED TO THE FIRING OF FORMER SUPERINTENDENT DR. PAT COOPER LAST NOVEMBER. THEY WILL BEGIN ADVERTISING FOR JOB APPLICANTS LATER THIS MONTH TO REPLACE INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT BURNELL LEJEUNE, WHO IS RETIRING.
A RAYNE WOMAN WAS INDICTED YESTERDAY FOR FIRST DEGREE MURDER IN THE DEATH OF A FOUR-YEAR-OLD LAKE ARTHUR BOY. AN AUTOPSY BY THE CALCASIEU PARISH CORONER REVEALED THAT KEAGHYN PARSONS DIED LAST MAY FROM A PERFORATION IN HIS SMALL INTESTINE, THAT WAS CAUSED BY BLUNT TRAUMA TO THE ABDOMEN. 24-YEAR-OLD BRITTANY MARIE PREJEAN WAS ARRESTED ON JANUARY 21ST, AND HAS BEEN IN JAIL WITHOUT BOND SINCE THEN. SHE WAS ENGAGED TO KEAGHYN’S FATHER AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.
THE ACADIA CAREER CONNECTIONS EXPO HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FOR MARCH 26TH AT THE CROWLEY RICE FESTIVAL BUILDING. MORE THAN 15-HUNDRED TENTH AND TWELFTH GRADE STUDENTS FROM THROUGHOUT ACADIA PARISH WILL ATTEND THE EVENT. AREA BUSINESSES WILL HAVE EXHIBITS AND SHARE THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCES WITH THE STUDENTS. IF YOU’D LIKE TO RESERVE SPACE FOR YOUR BUSINESS, YOU CAN CALL THE CROWLEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AT 788-0177.
Two New Orleans-area lawmakers have opened conversations on scaling back Louisiana’s generous film tax credit program. Ideas presented Wednesday to an entertainment industry advisory commission would cap the program’s costs, reduce covered expenses and tweak rules to combat fraud. Tax credits for film and television productions helped cultivate a new industry in Louisiana. But the program costs significantly more to the state treasury than it returns.
