4-29-15
BELL HELICOPTERS ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY THAT THEY WILL BE CUTTING 11-HUNDRED JOBS, BUT IT’S NOT EXPECTED TO AFFECT THEIR NEW PLANT IN LAFAYETTE. THE COMPANY IS CURRENTLY CONSTRUCTING A HELICOPTER ASSEMBLY PLANT OFF OF HIGHWAY 90 IN LAFAYETTE, AND THEY PLAN ON HIRING 115 EMPLOYEES FOR THE FACILITY. DAVID SYLVESTRE, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS FOR TEXTRON, WHICH OWNS BELL HELICOPTERS, SAYS THE NEW PLANT WILL BUILD THE 505 JET RANGER X HELICOPTER, AND THEY HAVE 350 ORDERS. HE SAYS MOST OF THE PLANNED LAYOFFS ARE FOR MANUFACTURING PLANTS IN TEXAS AND CANADA.
THE UNITED ARTISTS THEATRE ON DEREK DRIVE IN LAKE CHARLES CLOSED SUNDAY BECAUSE OF POOR SALES, BUT CINEMARK WILL BE TAKING IT OVER. THEY HAVE BEGUN RENOVATIONS OF THE THEATRE AND WILL REOPEN IT AS THE CINEMARK BISTRO NINE. THE NEW THEATRE WILL INCLUDE A FULL RESTAURANT MENU, INCLUDING WRAPS AND BURGERS. THE NEWLY RENOVATED THEATRE IS EXPECTED TO OPEN FOR BUSINESS THIS FALL.
A CHURCH POINT WOMAN PLED GUILTY MONDAY TO VEHICULAR HOMOCIDE FOR AN ACCIDENT THAT RESULTED IN THE DEATH OF A MOTORCYCLIST. 46-YEAR-OLD TINA J. TAYLOR WAS ACCUSED OF BEING UNDER THE INFLUENCE WHEN SHE CAUSED THE CRASH IN JANUARY OF 2012. 35-YEAR-OLD TONY JOE GUERRERO OF NEW IBERIA WAS THE MOTORCYCLIST WHO WAS KILLED. ACCORDING TO COURT RECORDS, TAYLOR WAS SENTENCED TO TEN YEARS HARD LABOR, THREE OF WHICH ARE TO BE SERVED WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE, PLUS FIVE YEARS OF SUPERVISED PROBATION.
The four major candidates to be Louisiana’s next governor have turned in their latest campaign finance reports, and no one has been able to outpace U.S. Sen. David Vitter. Vitter, a Republican, brought in $1.1 million from Jan. 1 through April 17. He ended the period with $4.2 million in his campaign account for the Oct. 24 election. The two other GOP contenders, Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne and Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle, outraised the race’s only major Democratic candidate, state Rep. John Bel Edwards.
THE BAYOU VERMILLION DISTRICT HAS CANCELLED ALL BOATING ACTIVITIES ALONG THE VERMILLION RIVER FOR NOW. JULIE DARCE HAS MORE.
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THE CALCASIEU PARISH SCHOOL BOARD’S CURRICULUM AND STUDY COMMITTEE LEARNED ABOUT INITIATIVES IN THE JUMP START PROGRAM, WHICH IS A NEW ALTERNATIVE DIPLOMA OFFERED TO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH CAREER CHOICES AND WORKPLACE EXPERIENCES. CURRICULUM DIRECTOR TAMMY HEBERT AND THE DIRECTOR OF CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION TONY MCCARDLE, WHO GAVE THE PRESENTATION, SAY THEY ARE DEALING WITH CHANGES TO THE PROGRAM CONSTANTLY. THEY SAY ONE CHALLENGE THEY FACE IS STUDENTS COULD BE IN HIGH SCHOOL FOR FIVE YEARS IF THEY SWITCH FROM COLLEGE PREP TO THE JUMP START DIPLOMA, OR VICE VERSA. MCCARDLE SAYS THEY ARE GOING TO BE OFFERING COURSES AT THE COLLEGE STREET T&I CENTER AND AT THE LAKE CHARLES BOSTON ACADEMY CENTER AFTER SCHOOL AND DURING THE SUMMER THAT COULD GET THEM CAUGHT UP.
THE ST. LANDRY PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE HELD A GRAND OPENING YESTERDAY FOR THEIR NEW FIVE ACRE PUBLIC SAFETY COMPLEX, LOCATED AT THE FORMER ACADIANA PREPARATORY ACADEMY NEAR THE I-49 AND HIGHWAY 190 INTERSECTION. MOST OF THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE DEPARTMENTS, WHICH WERE SCATTERED AROUND THE PARISH, WILL MOVE INTO THE NEW COMPLEX. IT TOOK 2-POINT-1 MILLION DOLLARS AND ABOUT TWO YEARS TO COMPLETE THE RENOVATION PROJECT, WHICH SHERIFF BOBBY GUIDROZ SAYS IS PAID IN FULL USING FUNDS THAT HAVE BEEN SET ASIDE SINCE HE TOOK OFFICE NINE YEARS AGO. SPACE HAS BEEN MADE AVAILABLE FOR AN EXPANSION OF THE PARISH JAIL, BUT GUIDROZ SAYS ANY PLANS WOULD HAVE TO BE APPROVED BY THE PARISH COUNCIL.
A measure that would allow victims of domestic abuse to move out of their homes without penalty for violating a lease has received approval from a Senate committee. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Sharon Weston Broome, a Baton Rouge Democrat, would also bar landlords from evicting abuse victims for calling the police to their home. Advocates say the bill is needed because abused women have been evicted after police visits stemming from domestic violence. They also say women fleeing domestic violence often find themselves impoverished and homeless.
