3-6-19
GOVERNOR JOHN BEL EDWARDS ANNOUNCED AT A HELI-EXPO EVENT IN ATLANTA YESTERDAY THAT A HELICOPTER ASSEMBLY OPERATION IS COMING TO LAFAYETTE, FILLING THE GAP THAT BELL HELICOPTERS LEFT LAST YEAR WHEN IT ABANDONED ITS OPERATIONS IN LAFAYETTE. THE SWISS-BASED KOPTER GROUP WILL HIRE 120 WORKERS WITH AN AVERAGE SALARY OF 55 THOUSAND DOLLARS PLUS BENEFITS. THE COMPANY WILL BEGIN MAKING THEIR HIRES LATER THIS YEAR AND THE FIRST COMPLETED S-H-0-9 HELICOPTERS WILL BE DELIVERED IN 2021. KOPTER WILL LEASE A NEARLY 85 THOUSAND SQUARE FOOT FACILITY AT THE LAFAYETTE REGIONAL AIRPORT THAT PREVIOUSLY HOUSED BELL HELICOPTERS OPERATIONS.
THE ANNUAL JUBILEE OF THE WORD MARATHON GETS UNDERWAY TODAY IN ST. MARTINVILLE. GERALD GRUENING HAS ALL THE INFORMATION.
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A 25-YEAR-OLD NEW IBERIA WOMAN AND HER 43-YEAR-OLD BOYFRIEND HAVE BEEN ARRESTED FOR THE ABUSE OF HER ONE-YEAR-OLD CHILD. INVESTIGATORS WITH THE NEW IBERIA POLICE DEPARTMENT DETERMINED THAT THE CHILD WAS ABUSED IN ST. MARTIN PARISH. THE CHILD WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL AND, ACCORDING TO ST. MARTIN PARISH SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES, WAS STILL THERE AS OF LAST NIGHT. THE INJURIES WERE ALLEGEDLY INFLICTED BY THE BOYFRIEND, TONY DOMINGUE, WHO HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH SECOND DEGREE CRUELTY TO JUVENILES, AGGRAVATED SECOND DEGREE BATTERY AND ONE COUNT OF HATE CRIMES.
THE LOUISIANA LEGISLATIVE SESSION FOR THIS YEAR WILL CONVENE IN FIVE WEEKS IN BATON ROUGE WITH THE FOCUS ON FINANCES THIS YEAR. IT’S EXPECTED THAT LAWMAKERS WILL SHY AWAY FROM CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS SINCE MOST OF THEM ARE UP FOR REELECTION IN THE FALL. HOWEVER, SOME RETIRING LAWMAKERS WILL BRING UP BILLS THAT COULD MAKE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT. WEST MONROE REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE FRANK HOFFMAN WILL INTRODUCE A BILL TO UP THE LEGAL SMOKING AGE TO 21, WHILE BATON ROUGE REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE STEVE CARTER WANTS TO GIVE LOCAL JURISDICTIONS MORE CONTROL OVER HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS.
THE ARCHITECT FOR THE NEW T-M LANDRY SCHOOL LOCATION ON MOSS STREET IN LAFAYETTE HAS SUBMITTED DOCUMENTS TO THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL’S OFFICE, ACCORDING TO THE SCHOOL’S BOARD CHAIRMAN GREG DAVIS. LAST WEEK, THE SCHOOL WAS BEING MOVED INTO A FORMER SKATING RINK FROM ITS PREVIOUS LOCATION ON REES STREET IN BREAUX BRIDGE, BUT THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL HALTED THE MOVE SAYING FIRE IMPROVEMENTS ARE NEEDED BEFORE THEY CAN OCCUPY THE BUILDING. DAVIS SAYS ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS ARE NEEDED TO THE REAR OF THE BUILDING BUT THEY ARE HOPING THAT THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING CAN BE OCCUPIED WHEN STUDENTS RETURN FROM MARDI GRAS BREAK ON THURSDAY. ASHLEY RODRIGUE WITH THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL’S OFFICE SAYS PLAN REVIEWS USUALLY TAKE FIVE DAYS TO COMPLETE UNLESS THERE ARE ISSUES OR COMPLICATIONS.
LAST WEEK, THE VERMILLION MUNICIPAL AND SHERIFF’S NARCOTICS TASK FORCE ARRESTED FOUR PEOPLE ON DRUG CHARGES. THE BIGGEST ARREST WAS AN ALLEGED DRUG DEALER, 28-YEAR-OLD JOHNATHAN SMITH OF MAURICE. HE WAS ARRESTED IN ABBEVILLE AND FACES MULTIPLE CHARGES INCLUDING POSSESSION WITH THE INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE SCHEDULE TWO METHAMPHETAMINE, SCHEDULE ONE MARIJUANA, SCHEDULE FOUR CLONAZEPAM AND ALPRAZOLAM. 49-YEAR-OLD TIMOTHY PERRO WAS ALSO ARRESTED IN ABBEVILLE FOR POSSESSION WITH THE INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE SCHEDULE TWO METHAMPHETAMINE. ARRESTED LAST WEEK ON DRUG POSSESSION CHARGES WERE 32-YEAR-OLD LINDSEY WILLIS OF KAPLAN AND 37-YEAR-OLD NICHOLAS ABSHIRE OF KAPLAN.
THE TOWN OF WASHINGTON IS FACING A BUDGET CRISIS BUT MAYOR JIM OLIVIER IS CONFIDENT THEY WILL OVERCOME IT. IT WAS REVEALED LAST SEPTEMBER THAT THE TOWN HAD PAST DUE LIABILITIES TOTALING 468 THOUSAND DOLLARS. OLIVIER SAYS THEY WILL HAVE TO BE FRUGAL WITH SPENDING, MAKE CUTS AND CHANGES MAY HAVE TO BE MADE TO UTILITY COSTS. HE SAYS HE’D ALSO LIKE TO SEE INCREASED PATROLS IN THE CITY AND ON I-49 TO INCREASE VIOLATION REVENUE.
THE MEMBERS OF THE LAFAYETTE METROPOLITAN EXPRESSWAY COMMISSION ARE HOPEFUL THAT A NEW TOLL LOOP AROUND LAFAYETTE CAN BE BUILT IN THE NEXT FIVE TO TEN YEARS. COMMISSION MEMBERS ESTIMATE THE TOLLS WOULD AVERAGE ABOUT 13 CENTS PER MILE. THE NORTHERN SECTION OF THE LOOP WOULD GO 15 MILES FROM I-TEN IN SCOTT AND DUSON TO I-49 IN CARENCRO, WITH THE SOUTHERN LOOP GOING 21 MILES FROM I-TEN TO L-A 88 IN IBERIA PARISH. THE COMMISSION IS ACCEPTING COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC UNTIL MONDAY, MARCH 18TH AND WILL SUBMIT THE COMMENTS AND DOCUMENTS TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR REVIEW.
