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The State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating a fire that destroyed a boat and claimed the life of a man on board. Authorities were notified of the fire about 9:30 p.m. Saturday near Dunn Ferry Road, which crosses the Calcasieu West Fork — a tributary to the Calcasieu River near Sulphur. Firefighters said Sunday the 32-foot-long cabin cruiser was engulfed in flames upon their arrival. Neighbors told investigators the boat’s owner had recently acquired the craft and was working on it when they heard a small explosion.
The longtime alderman for the Town of Sunset’s District 2, Dalton Belson Jr., has died. He was 75. His family confirmed Belson, the district’s first black alderman, died Friday morning. Known by his nickname “Bulla,” Belson served six four-year terms beginning in 1991 before he retired just more than two months ago.
VOTERS WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FUND BIG CHANGES TO THE WAY ANIMAL CONTROL IS HANDLED IN LAFAYETTE PARISH. JULIE DARCE EXPLAINS.
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Oilfield services company Baker Hughes says the number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. fell by 75 this week to 1,192 amid depressed oil prices.
Baker Hughes said Friday 922 rigs were seeking oil and 268 were exploring for natural gas, with two listed as miscellaneous. The count is down from a year ago, when 1,792 rigs were active. The U.S. rig count peaked at 4,530 in 1981 and bottomed at 488 in 1999.
Authorities say a submerged car found near the Black Bayou Bridge was reported stolen. Louisiana State Police Sgt. James Anderson says boaters spotted the submerged vehicle Friday. The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office Marine Division Dive team was called out to investigate and found the car to be empty. KPLC-TV reports the vehicle since has been towed.
THE FOUR STATE LEGISLATORS, WHO REPRESENT ACADIA PARISH, WILL BE ATTENDING A SPECIAL LUNCHEON TODAY HOSTED BY THE CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE IN CROWLEY AND RAYNE. STATE SENATORS BLADE MORRISH AND JONATHAN PERRY AND STATE REPRESENTATIVES JACK MONTOUCET AND MICKEY GUILORY HAVE COMMITTED TO ATTEND THE ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE LUNCHEON, WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE LSU AGCENTER FROM 11:30 AM TO ONE P-M TODAY. THEY ARE EXPECTED TO DISCUSS A MAJOR BUDGET DEFICIT THAT THEY WILL HAVE TO ADDRESS IN THIS YEAR’S LEGISLATIVE SESSION, AND THE COMMON CORE CURRICULUM IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THE EVENT IS FREE TO THE PUBLIC AND LUNCH WILL BE PROVIDED.
A Carencro Catholic School student is headed to the National Spelling Bee in May.
The Advertiser reports Megan Lavergne was the grand champion of the 2015 Kiwanis Regional Spelling Bee and will now receive an all-expenses paid trip to the national bee. The Scripps National Spelling Bee will take place May 24-29 in Washington, D.C.
The state labor department says first-time claims for unemployment insurance in Louisiana for the week ending Feb. 28 increased to 2,559 from the previous week’s total of 2,144. For the comparable week a year earlier, there were 2,125 initial claims. The four-week moving average, a less volatile measure, decreased to 2,541 from the previous week’s average of 2,570. Continued unemployment claims for the week ending Feb. 28 increased to 21,273 compared to 20,939 the previous week.
