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THERE ARE PLANS TO BUILD A ROUNDABOUT AT THE INTERSECTION OF KALISTE SALOOM AND E BROUSSARD ROAD. IT WOULD NOT BE BUILT AT THE CURRENT INTERSECTION, WHERE A TRAFFIC LIGHT IS, BUT A LITTLE FURTHER EAST, BETWEEN CUE ROAD AND GOSHEN LANE, WHICH WILL REQUIRE BUILDING BETWEEN SIX AND SEVEN HUNDRED FEET OF ROADWAY UP TO THE GRAND POINT APARTMENTS. IT’S PART OF A PROJECT TO WIDEN KALISTE SALOOM TO FIVE LANES BEWEEN E BROUSSARD AND AMBASSADOR CAFFERY. LAFAYETTE CITY PARISH PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR TOM CARROLL TELLS THE DAILY ADVERTISER THAT, IF THE D-O-T-D APPROVES THE ROUNDABOUT, CONSTRUCTION COULD BEGIN AS EARLY AS JULY.
LAKE CHARLES POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING A SHOOTING THURSDAY MORNING THAT LEFT ONE PERSON DEAD AND THREE OTHERS INJURED. POLICE WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE OF THE SHOOTING, THE TWO THOUSAND BLOCK OF TULIP STREET, SHORTLY AFTER 3:30 THURSDAY MORNING, AND FOUND THE FOUR VICTIMS, ONE OF WHOM WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE. ONE OF THE RESIDENTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, TEVIN ALFRED, TOLD KPLC TV THAT HE KNEW THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SHOT, AND, FROM WHAT HE HAD HEARD, A MAN WALKED UP TO THE CAR AND STARTED SHOOTING. HE SAYS HE HOPES TO SEE MORE PATROLS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND NEIGHBORS WORKING TOGETHER TO PROTECT THE AREA.
THE PORT BARRE POLICE CHIEF IS SPEAKING OUT ABOUT PROBLEMS AT PORT BARRE HIGH SCHOOL. JULIE DARCE HAS MORE.
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Gov. John Bel Edwards is accusing a Baton Rouge congressman of spreading myths about flood recovery money and leading a partisan effort that could harm Louisiana’s long-term rebuilding. The Democratic governor’s office released a memo Thursday saying Republican U.S. Rep. Garret Graves “can no longer be trusted” to convey accurate information about Louisiana’s recovery from last year’s flooding. Graves said Thursday that Louisiana has $1.6 billion in federal aid “at its disposal today” for flood victims that the Edwards administration isn’t spending.
Edwards spokesman Richard Carbo said Graves’ information is inaccurate and the federal government hasn’t yet released the money to the state.
THE LAFAYETTE CITY PARISH GOVERNMENT HAS SCHEDULED A SERIES OF MEETINGS NEXT WEEK TO GET THE PUBLIC’S INPUT ON PROPOSED CHANGES TO REGULATIONS GOVERNING ALCOHOL SALES. THE ADVOCATE IS REPORTING THAT THE PROPOSALS, RELEASED YESTERDAY, GENERALLY GIVE CITY PARISH OFFICIALS GREATER FLEXIBILITY IN DETERMINING PENALTIES FOR ALCOHOL SALES VIOLATIONS. ANOTHER PROPOSAL WOULD REDUCE THE BUFFER TO 150 FEET BETWEEN BUSINESSES THAT SELL ALCOHOL AND CHURCHES, SCHOOLS, PLAYGROUNDS AND LIBRARIES. THE FIRST MEETING IS SET FOR TUESDAY AT TEN A-M AT THE DOWNTOWN PUBLIC LIBRARY BRANCH.
A chemical manufacturer is moving its headquarters from Houston to Lake Charles. Gov. John Bel Edwards and Lotte Chemical USA announced Thursday its headquarters will be located with its $1.1 billion chemical plant under construction in the city. The two facilities will create 130 new jobs with an average annual salary of more than $80,000 plus benefits, according to the governor’s office. Fifty of the jobs are tied to the headquarters move.
THERE ARE REPORTS OF A MOTORCYCLIST SHOOTING AT A VEHICLE ON THE INTERSTATE TEN BASIN BRIDGE NEAR HENDERSON. THE DRIVER OF A VEHICLE TOLD ST. MARTIN PARISH SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES THAT HE WAS TRAVELING EASTBOUND AT AROUND 5:30 YESTERDAY MORNING, WHEN THE MOTORCYCLIST DROVE UP NEXT TO HIS CAR AND STARTED SHOOTING. THE DRIVER’S AND PASSENGER’S WINDOWS WERE SHOT OUT. THE VICTIM SAYS ONE OF THE BULLETS CAME CLOSE TO HIS HEAD.
Louisiana lawmakers, struggling with budget shortfalls, are again looking to restructure the TOPS college tuition program to lessen costs. Proposals include boosting the grade point average required to get the award or steering more of the money to needy students. Another measure would require students who receive TOPS to work in Louisiana after college or repay some money spent on their tuition. This year, for the first time, lawmakers didn’t fully fund TOPS, instead covering only 70 percent of tuition costs for eligible students.
