4-6-16
LAST NIGHT THE LAFAYETTE CITY PARISH COUNCIL APPROVED A NEW FIVE YEAR RECYCLING CONTRACT WITH REPUBLIC SERVICES, WHICH KEEPS THE CURRENT RATE THE SAME THROUGH AT LEAST NOVEMBER OF NEXT YEAR. REPUBLIC SERVICES, WHICH ALREADY HAS THE TRASH PICKUP CONTRACT, WILL TAKE OVER FOR PROGRESSIVE WASTE SOLUTIONS BEGINNING NEXT MONTH. UNDER THE NEW CONTRACT, EACH HOME WITHIN THE LAFAYETTE CITY LIMITS WILL RECEIVE A 96 GALLON CART FOR RECYCLABLES BY MAY SECOND. GARBAGE AND RECYCLING WILL BE PICKED UP ON THE SAME DAY, AND GLASS WILL NO LONGER BE INCLUDED IN THE RECYCLING PICKUP.
INTERSTATE TEN IN CALCASIEU PARISH WILL LIKELY HAVE SOME TRAFFIC BACKUPS TODAY BECAUSE OF INSPECTIONS OF BRIDGES. THE I-TEN EASTBOUND RIGHT LANE WILL BE CLOSED ON THE CALCASIEU RIVER BRIDGE FROM EIGHT A-M TO THREE P-M TODAY. THERE’S ALSO A BRIDGE INSPECTION GOING ON WHERE I-TEN CROSSES U-S 165, WHICH MEANS THE RIGHT LANES IN BOTH THE EASTBOUND AND WESTBOUND SIDES WILL BE CLOSED AT THAT LOCATION FROM 10-30 TO 3-30 TODAY. THE EXIT RAMPS AT 165 WILL REMAIN OPEN.
VOTERS IN THE TOWN OF WASHINGTON WILL DECIDE THE FATE OF POLICE CHIEF BRUCE BROUSSARD, WHO IS THE SUBJECT OF A RECALL ELECTION. JACKIE MATT, WHO ORGANIZED THE RECALL, TELLS THE ADVOCATE THAT SHE STARTED IT BECAUSE HE’S NOT SHOWING UP TO WORK. BROUSSARD SAYS HE SUFFERED AN INJURY ON THE JOB AND HAS NOT BEEN TO WORK OVER THE LAST YEAR. HE SAYS HE’S HAD EIGHT SURGERIES AND A BACK SURGERY IS SCHEDULED FOR TOMORROW.
A proposal that would prevent adult entertainment venues from hiring dancers under the age of 21 has won support from a Louisiana Senate committee.
Lake Charles Sen. Ronnie Johns, a Republican, says his bill to raise the age from 18 would protect young women and combat human trafficking. He says trafficking has been a concern in Louisiana. A Senate judiciary committee sent the measure Tuesday to the full Senate for debate.
FRANK’S INTERNATIONAL HAS BEEN ORDERED BY THE U-S LABOR DEPARTMENT TO PAY BACK WAGES TO ITS EMPLOYEES. THE LABOR DEPARTMENT SAYS FRANK’S FAILED TO COMPUTE BONUS PAYMENTS WHEN CALCULATING OVERTIME WAGES. FRANK’S WILL HAVE TO PAY A TOTAL OF 555 THOUSAND DOLLARS TO MORE THAN 17-HUNDRED EMPLOYEES, WHO LIVE IN SEVERAL STATES INCLUDING LOUISIANA. BETTY CAMPBELL, THE REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE WAGE AND HOUR DIVISION IN THE SOUTHWEST, SAYS THEY CONTINUE TO FIND AN UNACCEPTABLY HIGH NUMBER OF VIOLATIONS IN THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY.
A VINTON CITY COUNCIL MEMBER ORGANIZED A TOWN HALL MEETING YESTERDAY AFTER RUMORS THAT ASSISTANCE FOR FLOOD VICTIMS WOULD END AFTER THIS WEEK. COUNCIL MEMBER KEVIN MERCHANT SAYS 500 TO 600 MEALS ARE GOING OUT PER DAY AND THAT SHOULD NOT BE CUT OFF NOW BECAUSE THERE IS STILL A NEED. RED CROSS SPOKESWOMAN BARBARA BEHLING SAYS THEY WILL STILL BE AROUND AS LONG AS NEEDED. RON TIBBITTS, THE PASTOR OF CROSSROADS BAPTIST CHURCH IN VINTON, WHICH IS ALSO PROVIDING MEALS WITH THE HELP OF SOUTHERN BAPTIST DISASTER RELIEF, SAYS HE KNOWS OF NO ONE, WHO WAS DISPLACED BY THE FLOOD WATERS, WHO HAS BEEN ABLE TO RETURN TO THEIR HOME YET.
MAURICE CITY PARK HAS BEEN CLOSED TEMPORARILY BECAUSE OF VANDALS WHO DROVE INTO THE PARK AND CUT DONUTS, LEAVING TRACKS THREE INCHES DEEP. IT’S THE SECOND TIME VANDALS HAVE HIT THE PARK, THE LAST TIME IN AUGUST, WHEN NEW PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT WAS INSTALLED. MAYOR WAYNE THERIOT SAYS THE VANDALS CAUSED AN ESTIMATED THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS IN DAMAGE. THE TRACKS ARE NEAR A PLAY AREA WHICH WILL BE CLOSED OFF UNTIL THE CITY CAN REPAIR AND RELEVEL IT.
Louisiana has taken another financial hit, with a second national rating agency downgrading the state’s credit rating. Treasurer John Kennedy said Fitch Ratings dropped the rating by one notch Tuesday. The decision comes only days before Louisiana planned a general obligation bond sale to finance construction projects. The borrowing could become more expensive with the rating downgrade.
