4-15-16
PLAN TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL FOR LOWERING THE CITY’S FIRE RATING, WHICH WOULD LOWER INSURANCE RATES FOR RESIDENTS. BYRON KNOTT SAYS THE CONTINGENCY PLAN WOULD INCLUDE ADDING A SECOND AND, POSSIBLY, A THIRD FIRE STATION, A THIRD FIRE ENGINE AND A COST EFFECTIVE MAINTENANCE PLAN FOR THE CITY’S FIRE HYDRANTS. THE PLAN’S PRICE TAG IS ESTIMATED AT ONE-POINT-6 MILLION DOLLARS, WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CONTRIBUTING 425 THOUSAND DOLLARS. MAYOR KEN RITTER SAYS THEY ARE WILLING TO WORK WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, BUT THE CURRENT ECONOMY HANDICAPS THEIR ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO MEET ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS.
LOUISIANA RESIDENTS WHO LIVE IN PARISHES WHERE THERE WERE RECENT FLOODS HAVE BEEN GIVEN AN EXTENSION TO FILE THEIR TAXES. THE I-R-S IS EXTENDING THE DEADLINE FROM APRIL 18TH TO JULY 15TH. THIS APPLIES TO RESIDENTS LIVING IN THE 26 LOUISIANA PARISHES THAT WERE DECLARED DISASTER AREAS, INCLUDING CALCASIEU, BEAUREGARD, ALLEN AND VERNON PARISHES. HOWEVER, JACKSON HEWITT DISTRICT MANAGER JOHNNY OWENS TELLS KPLC TV THE APRIL 18TH DEADLINE STILL APPLIES FOR THOSE WHO OWE TAXES.
ABOUT SIXTY PEOPLE FROM ACADIANA’S NINE PARISHES TRAVELED TO BATON ROUGE YESTERDAY FOR ACADIANA DAY AT THE CAPITAL, AN EVENT ORGANIZED BY ONE ACADIANA AND THE ACADIANA REGIONAL ALLIANCE. THE MEMBERS OF THE CARAVAN GOT TO MEET WITH GOVERNOR JOHN BEL EDWARDS AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE, TAYLOR BARRAS, WHO HAILS FROM NEW IBERIA. EDWARDS AND BARRAS BOTH TOLD THE GROUP THAT THE EXTENSION OF INTERSTATE 49 IS A PRIORITY. EDWARDS SAYS AN APPLICATION HAS BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE U-S DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION FOR A 100 MILLION DOLLAR FASTLANE GRANT TO HELP FUND THE PROJECT, OF WHICH, HE BELIEVES, THEY’LL GET AT LEAST SIXTY MILLION DOLLARS.
Gov. John Bel Edwards wants your questions — and he’ll take them live on the radio. The Democratic governor’s office announced Thursday that Edwards will launch a monthly call-in radio show called “Ask the Governor.” The show will broadcast around the state. It will kick off next week, on Tuesday at 2 p.m., and will air the third week of each month.
THE CITY OF SCOTT IS MAKING PROGRESS IN THE EXTENSION OF APOLLO ROAD TO RUE DE BELLIER. THE EXTENSION WOULD PARALLEL AMBASSADOR CAFFERY AND CONNECT SCOTT TO THE SOUTHSIDE OF LAFAYETTE. THE FIRST PHASE OF THE PROJECT FOR WATER AND SEWAGE WAS AWARDED BY THE CITY COUNCIL LAST WEEK TO EXPERT MAINTENANCE SERVICES. CITY PLANNER PAT LOGAN SAYS THE PROJECT, WHICH IS ESTIMATED TO COST AROUND TWENTY MILLION DOLLARS, SHOULD BE COMPLETED BY 2019.
THE PARENTS OF A LAKE CHARLES WOMAN, WHO WAS MURDERED IN NOVEMBER OF 2012, HAVE STARTED AN ONLINE PETITION TO CHANGE WORK RELEASE REQUIREMENTS. DAVID AND DIANNA SLADE, THE PARENTS OF THE THEN 22-YEAR-OLD BRITTANY GROSSE, SAY THAT IF WORK RELEASE INMATES WERE REQUIRED TO WEAR ANKLE BRACELETS, THEY BELIEVE THEIR DAUGHTER WOULD STILL BE ALIVE. GROSSE WAS MURDERED BY DUSTIN PLEASANT AFTER SHE LEFT WORK AT BIG DADDY’S GRILL. IN JUST A FEW DAYS, THE ONLINE PETITION HAS RECEIVED SUPPORT ACROSS THE NATION.
A TWO MILE SECTION OF THE BAYOU TECHE IN ST. MARY PARISH HAS BEEN REOPENED TO VESSEL TRAFFIC. THAT SITE BETWEEN JEANERETTE AND CHARENTON WAS CLOSED ON MARCH 28TH BECAUSE OF AN OIL SPILL AT PSC INDUSTRIAL OUTSOURCING. ABOUT 12,500 GALLONS OF CRUDE OIL OVERFLOWED FROM ONE TANK INTO ANOTHER THAT HAD AN OPEN VALVE. THERE IS A NO-WAKE ZONE ORDER IN PLACE BY THE COAST GUARD, MEANING VESSELS TRAVELING THROUGH THAT STRETCH OF THE BAYOU TECHE MUST TRAVEL AT IDLE SPEED.
Budget debates always include uncertainty about how much money agencies will receive in the upcoming financial year and whether they might take cuts. But that uncertainty is worsened this legislative session, complicated by questions about whether lawmakers will consider raising taxes further and when they’d make those decisions. Looming over all the budget cut talks is the likelihood of a second special session on taxes. Lawmakers can’t raise taxes in their ongoing regular session that ends June 6.
