4-16-21
Families were anxiously awaiting news of the 12 people missing from a capsized oil industry vessel while divers searching for survivors got no response when they knocked on the ship’s hull Thursday. The lift boat flipped over Tuesday in hurricane-force winds and high seas off the Louisiana coast. Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Lally said Thursday that rescuers don’t know whether any of the missing might be caught inside. Six people from Seacor Power were rescued alive and one person’s body was recovered from the water Wednesday.
SAINT MARTIN PARISH OFFICIALS HAVE ISSUED A STATE OF EMERGENCY IN LOWER SAINT MARTIN PARISH BECAUSE OF FLOODING THAT IS GETTING WORSE WITH EACH STORM. PARISH PRESIDENT CHESTER CEDARS SAYS THE WORST IMPACTED AREAS ARE STEPHENSVILLE AND BELLE RIVER. HE SAYS THEY ARE DOING ALL THEY CAN TO STOP THE WATERS FROM RISING INCLUDING SETTING UP DOZENS OF PUMPING SYSTEMS TO PUMP WATER OUT OF THE STREETS AND USING SANDBAGS TO CREATE MAKESHIFT LEVEES. RESIDENTS TELL KLFY TV THE FLOODING IS ALSO CAUSING PROBLEMS WITH ALLIGATORS AND SNAKES COMING UP INTO THEIR YARDS.
THE LOUISIANA CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION, LED BY CONGRESSMAN CLAY HIGGINS, HAVE WRITTEN A LETTER TO U-S TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY PETE BUTTIGIEG ASKING FOR THE APPROVAL OF GRANT MONEY TO REPLACE THE CALCASIEU RIVER BRIDGE. THEY CITED THE REDUCTION OF LANES AT THE BRIDGE CAUSING A BOTTLENECK, RESULTING IN TRAFFIC CONGESTION. THE LETTER ALSO STATES THAT THE BRIDGE IS STRUCTURALLY SOUND BUT LACKS MODERN SAFETY FEATURES. THE DELEGATION SAYS AN INVESTMENT IN THE I-TEN CORRIDOR IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA WILL HELP UNLOCK ITS FULL POTENTIAL, WHICH WOULD BENEFIT THE ENTIRE NATION.
More than 1 million people in Louisiana have completed their coronavirus vaccine series. That’s about 22% of the state’s population. State officials hailed the benchmark, but that vaccination rate remains far below the threshold that scientists say is needed to stop the uncontrolled spread of the COVID-19 disease caused by the coronavirus. Louisiana has launched a broad statewide effort to try to overcome vaccine reluctance, that includes a vaccine hotline, an array of community vaccine events and other grassroots outreach work to encourage immunization.
HOSPITALIZATIONS FOR COVID-NINETEEN IN LOUISIANA WENT UP BY THIRTEEN IN YESTERDAY’S REPORT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. HOWEVER THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS ON VENTILATORS DECREASED BY FOUR. LOUISIANA HAD FIVE HUNDRED ELEVEN NEW CONFIRMED CASES PUSHING THE TOTAL OVER THREE HUNDRED EIGHTY-FOUR THOUSAND. THERE WERE JUST THREE DEATHS STATEWIDE, ACCORDING TO THE REPORT.
BOTH ACADIANA AND SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA HAD ONE DEATH EACH. THEY WERE IN ST. MARY AND CALCASIEU PARISHES. ACADIANA HAD SEVENTY-FOUR NEW CONFIRMED COVID-NINETEEN CASES YESTERDAY, INCLUDING THIRTY-THREE IN LAFAYETTE PARISH. THERE WERE FORTY-EIGHT NEW CASES IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA. CALCASIEU PARISH HAD THE MAJORITY WITH THIRTY-THREE.
THE FAMILY OF A MAN, SHOT AND KILLED IN LAFAYETTE PARISH IN TWENTY-EIGHTEEN, ARE SPEAKING OUT ABOUT ATTEMPTS BY THE SUSPECTS TO HAVE A BOND SET. SYLVIA MASTERS REPORTS.
VOICER C :16
A “PLEASE STOP THE VIOLENCE RALLY” IS TAKING PLACE IN RAYNE TOMORROW AFTERNOON. ONE OF THE ORGANIZERS, KAJN ANNOUNCER TIFFIANY BABINEAUX, SAYS IT’S IMPORTANT FOR RESIDENTS TO COME OUT AND BE A PART OF THIS MOVEMENT.
VOICER B :23
THE STOP THE VIOLENCE RALLY TAKES PLACE AT THE CORNER OF WEST JEFF DAVIS AND REYNOLDS AVENUES IN RAYNE BEGINNING AT ONE P-M TOMORROW.
