4-2-18
HERE ARE A FEW TRAFFIC ALERTS YOU SHOULD BE AWARE OF IF YOU’RE DRIVING IN LAFAYETTE TODAY. JEFF HORCHAK HAS THE DETAILS.
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A Louisiana judge has convicted a 29-year-old man of beating a 50-year-old woman to death in 2010. Roman Lastrapes (luh-STRAPS) told Calcasieu Parish Judge Mike Canaday that he gave Linda Moore cocaine in exchange for sex, but did not kill her. The American Press reports that Canaday said he found Lastrapes’ testimony self-serving and not believable. He will sentence Lastrapes on June 4.
A Louisiana company has an $18 million contract to design and build a naval landing craft, and the Pentagon says likely options would add another $411 million. Swiftships LLC of Morgan City is to finish the first Landing Craft, Utility 1700 by July 2020. The Navy could take 31 craft through 2027. Most of the work will be in Morgan City, with 15 percent in Houston and 2 percent in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Louisiana’s failed special session on taxes, which didn’t raise any money to help close a state budget gap, cost taxpayers nearly $643,000. Information provided by the House and Senate to NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune showed the 15-day session, held from Feb. 19 through March 5, cost $42,865 per day. The spending was less than the range of $50,000 to $60,000 per day that is usual for special sessions. That could be because the House could not reach a consensus on taxes, leaving the Senate few reasons to meet.
THE CARENCRO POLICE DEPARTMENT IS ASKING THE PUBLIC’S HELP IN SOLVING A HOMOCIDE CASE. ON JANUARY THIRD, CARENCRO POLICE RECEIVED A CALL ABOUT A DISTURBANCE IN PROGRESS IN THE 200 BLOCK OF ANDRE STREET. WHEN THEY ARRIVED THEY FOUND THE BODY OF DAMARCUS GREENE, WHO HAD BEEN SHOT TO DEATH. IF ANYONE HAS INFORMATION ON THIS CRIME, YOU ARE ASKED TO CALL LAFAYETTE CRIME STOPPERS AT 232-TIPS.
THE VERNON PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE IS INVESTIGATING A SHOOTING INVOLVING ONE OF ITS DEPUTIES YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. THE DEPUTY, WHO WAS RESPONDING TO REPORTS OF A DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE IN NEW LLANO, WAS MET BY 60-YEAR-OLD BOBBY HINTON, WHO FIRED TWO SHOTS, ONE STRIKING THE DEPUTY IN THE FOREARM AND THE OTHER STRIKING HIS VEHICLE. THE DEPUTY RETURNED FIRE, STRIKING HINTON, WHO LATER DIED AT THE BYRD REGIONAL HOSPITAL IN LEESVILLE. THE DEPUTY WAS TAKEN TO A HOSPITAL IN ALEXANDRIA, WHERE HE IS LISTED IN STABLE CONDITION.
A LONG TIME NEW IBERIA BUSINESS IS CLOSING ITS DOORS.
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OIL PRICES HAVE BEEN RISING BUT THAT HASN’T LED TO INCREASED OFFSHORE OIL PRODUCTION. THE PRICE OF A BARREL OF OIL IS UP TO AROUND 65 DOLLARS, AN INCREASE OF 16 DOLLARS OVER THE LAST YEAR. BUT LAST MONTH, WHEN 77 MILLION ACRES OF THE GULF WERE PUT UP FOR AUCTION FOR OIL AND GAS DRILLING, ONLY A TINY FRACTION OF THE AVAILABLE ACREAGE WAS BID ON AND THE HIGH BIDS AVERAGED 35 PERCENT BELOW LAST YEAR’S LEVELS. DAVID DISMUKES OF THE LSU CENTER FOR ENERGY STUDIES TELLS THE ADVOCATE THERE’S BEEN A PARADIGM SHIFT IN THE INDUSTRY TOWARDS QUICKER EARNING SHALE OIL PRODUCTION, WHICH HAS LESS RISK.
