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GE Drilling in Broussard is laying off 77 employees by June 30. The Louisiana Workforce Commission announced the layoffs in a press release Wednesday. The LWC says the affected employees will get a severance payment equal to 60 days of pay in lieu of the 60 day notice required by the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act. The Lafayette area has lost more than 10,000 energy industry jobs because of low oil prices over the past year.
A man arrested for his role in a shooting that left two Southern University students dead has been released from jail. The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office reports 22-year-old Ernest Felton posted $90,000 bond Wednesday. Investigators say he allegedly exchanged gunfire early Sunday with a 24-year-old man who was injured at a party outside an off-campus apartment complex. Two 19-year-old Southern University students, sophomore Lashuntae Benton of Lake Charles and freshman Annette January of Gary, Indiana, died in the crossfire.
ANOTHER PERSON HAS DIED FROM INJURIES RECEIVED IN AN ACCIDENT SUNDAY NIGHT IN RAYNE INVOLVING A RIDING LAWNMOWER AND A PICKUP TRUCK. 17-YEAR-OLD JOSHUA JAMES BOURQUE WAS IN A WHEELCHAIR BEING PULLED BY THE LAWNMOWER WHEN THEY WERE REARENDED BY A PICKUP TRUCK WHILE TRAVELING ON AMERICAN LEGION DRIVE, ACCORDING TO POLICE CHIEF CARROL STELLY. BOURQE WAS THE SECOND PERSON TO DIE. THE DRIVER OF THE LAWNMOWER, 41-YEAR-OLD WILBERT J. BOURQUE, ALSO WAS KILLED WHILE A THIRD PERSON WAS INJURED. THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE ACCIDENT IS CONTINUING.
An effort to let Louisiana gun owners carry concealed firearms without a permit has been rejected by a House committee. Rep. Barry Ivey, a Baton Rouge Republican, met unanimous disapproval Wednesday with no discussion from the House criminal justice panel, stalling his proposals. His primary proposal pushed for a state constitutional amendment to legalize “constitutional carry.” Ivey says the amendment would align Louisiana with 10 other states with similar laws.
138 HOMES AND TWO BUSINESSES, INCLUDING A DAY CARE, WERE EVACUATED YESTERDAY MORNING BECAUSE OF A TRAIN DERAILMENT NEAR SCOTT. THE EVACUATION ORDER WAS LIFTED AT AROUND 10:30 LAST NIGHT. THE DERAILMENT OCCURRED NEAR PECAN GROVE ROAD BETWEEN CAMERON AND WILLOW STREETS, AND ONE CAR CONTAINING PHOSPHORIC ACID WAS OFF THE TRACKS LISTING ON ITS SIDE, WHICH WAS THE REASON FOR THE EVACUATION. OFFICIALS DETERMINED THAT NONE OF THE CARS WERE LEAKING.
THE CITY OF SULPHUR IS PLANNING A NEW EXPANSION OF THE SULPHUR POLICE DEPARTMENT BUILDING. A NEW ONE-POINT-7 MILLION DOLLAR BUILDING WILL BE CONSTRUCTED IN FRONT OF THE CURRENT POLICE DEPARTMENT. SULPHUR CITY COUNCILMAN STUART MOSS SAYS IT IS NEEDED BECAUSE THE DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO EXPAND TO DEAL WITH THE CURRENT GROWTH THAT IS TAKING PLACE IN THE CITY. HE SAYS THEY HOPE TO BREAK GROUND ON THE NEW FACILITY WITHIN THE NEXT NINETY DAYS.
THE COMPUTERS AT OPELOUSAS CITY HALL ARE BACK UP AND RUNNING AFTER BEING DOWN FOR A FEW DAYS. MAYOR REGGIE TATUM TELLS KLFY TV THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ROUTERS SO THAT THE COMPUTERS WEREN’T TALKING TO THE SERVERS. A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO CAME TO PAY THEIR WATER BILLS OR TAXES HAD TO BE TURNED AWAY. TATUM SAYS ANYONE WHO MISSED A DEADLINE TO PAY THEIR BILLS BECAUSE OF THE COMPUTER PROBLEM WILL BE GIVEN A GRACE PERIOD.
GOVERNOR JOHN BEL EDWARDS SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER PROHIBITING DISCRIMINATION AGAINST PEOPLE BASED ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR GENDER IDENTITY. STATE CONTRACTORS WILL ALSO HAVE TO AGREE TO THE ANTIDISCRIMINATION TERMS BEGINNING JULY FIRST, THOUGH THE ORDER DOES NOT APPLY TO CONTRACTORS WITH A RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION. EDWARDS SAYS HIS EXECUTIVE ORDER SENDS A SIGNAL TO THE REST OF THE NATION THAT DISCRIMINATION IS NOT A LOUISIANA VALUE. THE LOUISIANA FAMILY FORUM WAS CRITICAL OF EDWARDS SAYING HE RENEGED ON A PROMISE NOT TO EXTEND PROTECTIONS TO TRANSGENDER PEOPLE.
