4-26-18
THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE HAS RELEASED IMAGES OF A PERSON OF INTEREST THAT DEPUTIES BELIEVE IS CONNECTED TO THE THREAT THAT FORCED A LAFAYETTE DISTRICT COURTHOUSE TO BE EVACUATED YESTERDAY.
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OVER NINETY HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL TEAMS FROM ACROSS THE STATE ARE IN SULPHUR THIS WEEK FOR THE STATE TOURNAMENT. HOTELS AROUND THE AREA, INCLUDING IN LAKE CHARLES, ARE SOLD OUT. TEAMS ARE HAVING TO PREPARE FOR EXTRA TIME TO GET TO THE TOURNAMENT BECAUSE OF CONGESTION CAUSED BY WORK ON THE I-TEN BRIDGE IN LAKE CHARLES. ERIC ZARTLER WITH THE CONVENTION AND VISITOR’S BUREAU TELLS KPLC TV THAT TRAFFIC IS A CONCERN FOR MANY BUT HE BELIEVES FANS WILL DO WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO TO MAKE IT TO SULPHUR.
THE ST. LANDRY PARISH SCHOOL BOARD IS CONSIDERING WHAT THEY WILL DO AFTER A 99 MILLION DOLLAR TAX PROPOSAL WAS REJECTED BY VOTERS LAST MONTH. BOARD MEMBER ANTHONY STANDBERRY SAYS SOME OF THE DISCUSSION HAS INCLUDED CLOSING SCHOOLS AND CONSOLIDATING. HE SAYS IT WOULDN’T ENTAIL DRASTIC CHANGES FOR THE STUDENTS WHO WOULD MAYBE HAVE TO GO ACROSS TOWN RATHER THAN ACROSS THE PARISH. HE SAYS THE PARISH HAS A REAL FUNDING PROBLEM AND ENCOURAGED RESIDENTS TO SUPPORT THE SCHOOLS BY SPENDING THEIR MONEY IN THE PARISH, WHICH WOULD HELP RAISE TAX COLLECTIONS.
A House Republican leader’s push to enact hourly requirements on cabinet secretaries and restrict their outside work could tangle Louisiana’s health secretary in its crosshairs. Rep. Lance Harris, who heads the House GOP delegation, said his ethics legislation wasn’t targeted at anyone. But he acknowledged the measure could affect Gov. John Bel Edwards’ health secretary, Rebekah Gee. Under the bill, pending on the House floor, anyone appointed by the governor or lieutenant governor to lead a department would be barred from receiving “anything of economic value” for outside employment from entities regulated by or seeking money from their department. Gee practices medicine in New Orleans.
Nursing home opposition hasn’t slowed a proposal to let Louisiana families install video camera systems in their loved ones’ nursing home rooms. Instead, some state senators seemed incredulous Wednesday at the objections raised by the Louisiana Nursing Home Association. Supporters of the House-backed bill say it would give family members the ability to monitor their loved ones from afar. The Senate health committee advanced the measure without changes sought by nursing home owners.
LAFAYETTE CITIZENS AGAINST TAXES HAS COME OUT AGAINST A LIBRARY TAX RENEWAL BECAUSE THE LIBRARY SYSTEM HAS A FUND BALANCE OF ABOUT 39 MILLION DOLLARS. LIBRARY SYSTEM DIRECTOR TERESA ELBERSON SAYS THAT MONEY HAS BEEN SET ASIDE FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN PLANNED SINCE 2012 AND FOR EMERGENCIES. SHE SAYS THREE SEPARATE LIBRARY MILLAGES PAY FOR 98 PERCENT OF THEIR OPERATING EXPENSES. VOTERS WILL DECIDE WHETHER TO RENEW ONE OF THE TAXES THIS SATURDAY.
A GROUNDBREAKING WAS HELD FOR AN EXPANSION PROJECT AT THE GATOR CHATEAU TOURIST SPOT IN JENNINGS. MARION FOX OF THE JEFF DAVIS PARISH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURIST COMMISSION SAYS THE EXPANSION WILL ALLOW FOR MORE ROOM FOR TOURS. MAYOR HENRY GUINN SAYS GATOR CHATEAU IS A HUGE TOURIST ATTRACTION FOR THE CITY AND THEY ARE BEHIND PROJECTS THAT WILL ATTRACT MORE TOURISTS. THE CONSTRUCTION ON THE NEW BUILDING IS EXPECTED TO TAKE ABOUT NINE MONTHS, DURING WHICH TOURISTS WILL STILL BE ABLE TO COME AND HOLD BABY ALLIGATORS.
A PEDESTRIAN WHO WAS STRUCK BY A VEHICLE IN BREAUX BRIDGE TUESDAY NIGHT IS EXPECTED TO RECOVER. ASSISTANT POLICE CHIEF TERRY LATIOLAIS SAYS THEY ARE STILL INVESTIGATING THE ACCIDENT, WHICH HAPPENED ON THE GRAND POINT HIGHWAY. HE SAYS THE VICTIM WAS STILL IN SERIOUS CONDITION, BUT FAMILY MEMBERS SAY HE IS EXPECTED TO LIVE. THE DRIVER HAS NOT BEEN CITED AT THIS TIME.
