4-10-24
EXPECTED SEVERE WEATHER HAS PROMPTED SCHOOL CLOSURES THROUGHOUT SOUTH LOUISIANA. IN ACADIANA, THE LAFAYETTE, ACADIA, IBERIA, SAINT LANDRY, EVANGELINE, VERMILLION AND SAINT MARY PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEMS HAVE SHUT DOWN SCHOOLS FOR TODAY. IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA, THE BEAUREGARD, ALLEN, CAMERON AND JEFF DAVIS PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEMS HAVE CLOSED. THE WILLOW AND ACADIANA RENAISSANCE CHARTER ACADEMIES HAVE ALSO CLOSED FOR TODAY AS WELL AS MANY PRIVATE SCHOOLS, INCLUDING LAFAYETTE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY, FIRST BAPTIST CHRISTIAN AND THE LAFAYETTE DIOCESE SCHOOLS.
THE OPELOUSAS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL COACH HAS FILED A LAWSUIT AFTER THE TEAM WAS FORCED TO FORFEIT ALL THEIR WINS LAST YEAR AS WELL AS THE STATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP. COACH JIMMY ZACHERY ALSO MUST SERVE A ONE YEAR SUSPENSION, IN A RULING HANDED DOWN BY THE LOUISIANA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION LAST MONTH. THE L-H-S-A-A HAS BEEN NAMED A DEFENDANT IN THE LAWSUIT AS WELL AS THE SAINT LANDRY PARISH SCHOOL BOARD. SUPERINTENDENT MILTON BATISTE THE THIRD SAYS THEIR LEGAL TEAM IS CURRENTLY EVALUATING THE LAWSUIT.
More than 200 chemical plants nationwide must reduce toxic emissions likely to cause cancer under a new Environmental Protection Agency rule. Officials say Tuesday’s rule advances President Joe Biden’s commitment to environmental justice with health protections for communities burdened by industrial pollution from chemicals. The ruling will effect fifty-one plants and refineries in Louisiana. The Louisiana Chemical Association is considering its next steps in stopping enforcement for plants that use ethylene oxide.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY AND SASOL HAVE REACHED A SETTLEMENT IN WHICH SASOL WILL PAY ONE-POINT-FOUR MILLION DOLLARS FOR ALLEGED VIOLATIONS AT THEIR WESTLAKE PLANT. THE SETTLEMENT ALSO REQUIRES SASOL TO IMPROVE SAFETY SYSTEMS. THE SETTLEMENT ADDRESSES VIOLATIONS FROM A FIRE IN TWENTY-TWENTY-TWO. SASOL ISSUED A STATEMENT SAYING THEY DO NOT AGREE WITH THE E-P-A ON SOME INTERPRETATIONS OF THE LAW BUT THEY DECIDED TO SETTLE TO BRING THE MATTER TO A CLOSE.
THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE HAS ARRESTED TWO WOMEN INVOLVED IN AN ALTERCATION SATURDAY NIGHT. SHOTS WERE FIRED IN THE ALTERCATION, WHICH HAPPENED IN THE TWENTY-SIX HUNDRED BLOCK OF MILLS STREET. TWENTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD KAVON BERNARD HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED SECOND-DEGREE MURDER, WHILE TWENTY-FOUR-YEAR-OLD PASSIONELLE GERARD FACES A CHARGE OF AGGRAVATED SECOND-DEGREE BATTERY. THE CASE REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION.
THE SAINT LANDRY PARISH LANDFILL IS WORKING ON A DEAL WITH EVANGELINE PARISH OFFICIALS TO TAKE IN RESIDENTIAL WASTE FROM EVANGELINE PARISH, WHICH WOULD RESULT IN MORE REVENUE FOR THE LANDFILL. THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR SAINT LANDRY PARISH SOLID WASTE, RICHCARD LEBOUEF, SAYS NEGOTIATIONS BEGAN WEEKS AGO AFTER THEY RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE EVANGELINE PARISH SOLID WASTE COMMISSION. HE SAYS THE COMMISSION’S CONTRACT WITH THE PRESENT DUMPS SITE IS EXPIRING IN JULY OF NEXT YEAR AS WELL THE CONRACT WITH THEIR WASTE HAULER. LEBOUEF SAYS THERE’S ROOM FOR ADDITIONAL WASTE AT THEIR LANDFILL AND THE ADDITIONAL MONEY WOULD PROVIDE OPPORTUNITY TO FUND PROJECTS.
Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene is escalating her criticism of House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana, and threatening his ouster. The Georgia Republican outlined her complaints in a lengthy letter Tuesday to colleagues and renewed threats of a snap vote that could remove him from the speaker’s office. It comes as lawmakers return to work from a two-week spring recess. If Johnson attempts to work with Democrats to pass big bills, Greene is threatening to hold a vote to remove him.
THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL’S OFFICE AND SOME ACADIANA FIRE DEPARTMENTS ARE ISSUING CONDOLENCES OVER THE PASSING OF THE FIRE CHIEF OF GRAND MARAIS IN IBERIA PARISH. RICKEY TURK OLIVIER DIED LAST WEEK AT THE AGE OF SIXTY-SIX. HE HAD BEEN THE FIRE CHIEF OF THE GRAND MARAIS VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR THIRTY-FOUR-YEARS. FUNERAL SERVICES WILL BE HELD AT ELEVEN A-M TOMORROW AT SAINT EDMOND ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.
