4-11-18
THE DIRECTOR OF LAFAYETTE UTILITIES SYSTEM AND L-U-S FIBER IS STEPPING DOWN LATER THIS YEAR. TERRY HUVAL HAS HEADED THE UTILITY COMPANY FOR 23 YEARS, THE LONGEST TENURE IN THE COMPANY’S 120 YEAR HISTORY. HUVAL SAID IN A RELEASE THAT IT’S NEVER EASY TO SAY GOODBYE BUT THAT HE’S CONFIDENT IN THE STRENGTH OF L-U-S AND L-U-S FIBER AND THE PEOPLE THERE. HUVAL IS EXPECTED TO SERVE MOST OF THE REMAINDER OF THE FISCAL YEAR, WHICH ENDS ON OCTOBER 31ST.
LAKE CHARLES MAYOR NIC HUNTER HAS SENT A LETTER TO THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND DEVELOPMENT ABOUT THE UPCOMING I-210 REDECKING PROJECT. HE NOTED THAT THE I-10 BRIDGE REPAIRS HAVE RESULTED IN MAJOR BACKUPS AND HE SAYS THE I-210 PROJECT COULD BE WORSE SINCE IT’S SCHEDULED TO TAKE A YEAR TO COMPLETE. HE URGED THE D-O-T-D TO CONSIDER INCENTIVES OR OTHER OPTIOSN TO SHORTEN THE LENGTH OF THE PROJECT. HE SAYS THAT IF SOMETHING ISN’T DONE, IT COULD HURT THE SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA ECONOMY, WITH PEOPLE DECIDING NOT TO TRAVEL IN THE AREA.
Louisiana wildlife officials say a 25-year-old man and a teenage boy are accused of killing two endangered whooping cranes nearly two years ago. Kaenon Constantin of Rayne and the juvenile were cited April 3 on charges of violating the Endangered Species Act, hunting from a public road and obstructing justice, according to a Department of Wildlife and Fisheries statement Tuesday. Total maximum penalties would be $65,000 in fines and 11½ years in jail. The dead cranes were found south of Rayne in May 2016.
Louisiana’s education department says a record number of public high school graduates have reached the benchmarks required to get taxpayer-financed college tuition through the TOPS program. More than 19,200 students who graduated in 2017 were eligible for a TOPS award, up from nearly 18,400 a year earlier. Fifty-two percent of last year’s graduating class qualified for TOPS, the first class in state history to have more than half its graduates reach that standard. TOPS covers tuition at a four-year school for any high school graduate who reaches a 2.5 grade-point average and 20 ACT college entrance exam score.
JEFF HORCHAK HAS NEW INFORMATION ON THREE HOUSES THAT CAUGHT FIRE OVER THE WEEKEND IN BROUSSARD.
VOICER O :22
WOODROW KAREY TOOK THE STAND IN HIS TRIAL YESTERDAY IN LAKE CHARLES AND ADMITTED THAT HE SHOT AND KILLED PASTOR RONALD HARRIS. KAREY CLAIMED THAT THE PASTOR HAD RAPED HIS WIFE AND SHE COULDN’T GET AWAY FROM HIM. KAREY WAS ON THE STAND FOR MORE THAN TWO HOURS TAKING QUESTIONS FROM HIS ATTORNEYS AND SAID HE WAS CONVINCED THAT HIS WIFE AND FAMILY WERE NOT SAFE FROM HARRIS. KAREY WILL TAKE THE STAND AGAIN AND BE QUESTIONED BY THE PROSECUTION.
A BICYCLIST WAS STRUCK AND KILLED ON L-A 82 IN PECAN ISLAND IN VERMILLION PARISH YESTERDAY MORNING. 24-YEAR-OLD MICHELLE HEBERT OF LAFAYETTE WAS STRUCK FROM BEHIND BY AN S-U-V WHILE RIDING ON THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY. STATE POLICE SAY HEBERT WAS NOT WEARING A HELMET. THE DRIVER OF THE S-U-V WAS CITED FOR IMPROPER PASSING OF A BICYCLE. POLICE DO NOT BELIEVE IMPAIRMENT WAS A FACTOR.
The Louisiana Senate has refused to ban the sale of assault rifles to people under the age of 21. Lawmakers voted down the measure 26-9 Tuesday. Democratic Sen. Troy Carter framed his bill as a common-sense gun restriction needed in the wake of mass shootings such as the February massacre at a Florida high school where 17 people were killed. Opponents said stopping the sale of some assault weapons wouldn’t stop people from killing each other.
