4-26-16
SUPERIOR ENERGY SERVICES HAS FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINST TWO FORMER EXECUTIVES OF THEIR SUBSIDIARY, STABIL DRILL SPECIALTIES OF LAFAYETTE. THEY ACCUSE MARTIN A. LEBLANC AND CHRISTOPHER J. RUSSO OF SETTING UP SHAM COMPANIES TO ROB SUPERIOR ENERGY OF TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. IN THE LAWSUIT, THEY PUT TOGETHER A COMPLEX SCHEME TO HAVE THE CORPORATE ENTITIES THAT THEY OWNED AND CONTROLLED PROVIDE GOODS AND SERVICES AND EXORBITANT PRICES TO STABIL DRILL. SUPERIOR ENERGY STARTED AN INTERNAL INVESTIGATION EARLIER THIS YEAR AFTER LEBLANC AND RUSSO SUBMITTED CORPORATE DISCLOSURES THAT LOOKED SUSPICIOUS.
Nearly 240 Louisiana and Texas residents have sued the Sabine River Authority over March flooding that inundated hundreds of homes and closed Interstate 10.
Communities in Southeast Texas and Louisiana were flooded by up to 20 inches of rain last month that forced evacuations along and near the Sabine River, which serves as a long border between the two states. The Beaumont Enterprise reports the lawsuit alleges water released from the Toledo Bend Reservoir by the river authority to relieve pressure on the reservoir’s banks and gates contributed to the flooding of homes and businesses. The reservoir extends through Louisiana and Texas.
A REPORT BY THE STATE LEGISLATIVE AUDITOR HAS FOUND THAT GRAND COTEAU HAS BEEN WRONGLY RUN AS A TOWN. IN 2010, THE U-S CENSUS BUREAU FOUND THAT GRAND COTEAU HAS A POPULATION OF 947, MAKING IT A VILLAGE INSTEAD OF A TOWN, WHICH REQUIRES AT LEAST ONE THOUSAND RESIDENTS. THAT MEANS THE GRAND COTEAU BOARD OF ALDERMEN, WHICH HAS FIVE MEMBERS, SHOULD ONLY HAVE THREE. MAYOR SHATERRAL JOHNSON SAYS GRAND COTEAU WILL CONDUCT A RECOUNT, WHICH IS ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY THE LEGISLATIVE AUDITOR.
Hunting in fluorescent pink could soon become a Louisiana trend. With a 36-0 vote Monday, state senators gave final legislative passage to add the fluorescent color “blaze pink” as an alternative to the traditional “hunter orange” that hunters are required to wear under state law. The Senate vote sent the measure by Rep. Malinda White, a Bogalusa Democrat, to the governor’s desk. White has said she thinks the addition will encourage more women to hunt.
Louisiana’s state senators are taking aim at last-minute pay raises by exiting governors. The Senate voted 36-0 Monday for a proposal that would require lawmakers on the joint House and Senate budget committee to sign off on certain state worker pay raises between a gubernatorial election and the governor’s inauguration day. New Orleans Sen. Wesley Bishop’s bill would cover the raises given to political appointees called “unclassified” employees.
Former Gov. Bobby Jindal’s cabinet secretaries gave out millions in raises only days or weeks before they exited office in January.
THE PRICE OF GASOLINE HAS RISEN EIGHT CENTS OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKS TO AN AVERAGE OF A DOLLAR-91 PER GALLON IN LOUISIANA. GREGG LASKOWSKI, A SENIOR PETROLEUM ANALYST FOR GAS BUDDY-DOT-COM, SAYS THE SWITCH TO SUMMERGRADE GAS AND A DEMAND FOR OIL HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE INCREASE. THE PRICE HAS ALSO GONE UP NATIONWIDE, WITH AN AVERAGE PRICE OF TWO-14 A GALLON. THE LOW PRICE FOR A GALLON OF GAS IN LAFAYETTE IS A DOLLAR-69 AT SAM’S AND COSTCO, WHICH MATCHES THE LOW PRICE IN THE STATE.
AFTER 13 YEARS OF DELAYS, THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN’S AFFAIRS WILL BUILD A NEW 24 THOUSAND SQUARE FOOT OUTPATIENT CLINIC IN LAKE CHARLES. THEY HAD SAID THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE LEASE FOR THE FOUR-AND-A-HALF ACRE SITE AND GAVE THE OWNER UNTIL THURSDAY TO RESPOND. ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON, THE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED THEY WILL BUILD THE FACILITY UNDER THE CURRENT CONTRACT. JIM JACKSON, A MEMBER OF THE MAYOR’S ARMED FORCES COMMISSION, CALLED IT A WIN FOR VETERANS IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA.
THE VERMILLION PARISH SCHOOL BOARD IS FACING A PROJECTED THREE-POINT-2 MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET SHORTFALL. SUZANNE BREAUX, PRESIDENT OF THE VERMILLION ASSOCIATION OF EDUCATORS, TOLD KLFY TV THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT HAS PROPOSED NOT FILLING 16 VACANT TEACHER POSITION, MOSTLY IN MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS, WHICH ARE OVERSTAFFED. THAT MOVE WOULD SAVE AROUND 900 THOUSAND DOLLARS. THE VERMILLION PARISH SCHOOL BOARD HAS SCHEDULED A SPECIAL MEETING FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
