5-15-18
A CHEMICAL PIPELINE LEAK IN THE BALDWIN AND FRANKLIN AREAS PRODUCED A DANGEROUS VAPOR CLOUD. IT HAPPENED AFTER A TRACTOR HIT AN ABOVE GROUND VALVE IN A FIELD CONNECTED TO AN UNDERGROUND PIPELINE. ABOUT 45 RESIDENTS IN THE AREA WERE EVACUATED AND HIGHWAY 90 IN BOTH DIRECTONS WAS CLOSED FOR A FEW HOURS UNTIL THE PIPELINE COULD BE SEALED. LAGRANGE ELEMENTARY AND FRANKLIN HIGH SCHOOLS CLOSED EARLY BECAUSE THE ELECTRICITY HAD BEEN SHUT OFF AS A PRECAUTION.
LAKE CHARLES POLICE CHIEF DON DIXON ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY THAT HE WILL RETIRE EFFECTIVE IN JANUARY. DIXON HAS BEEN THE CITY’S POLICE CHIEF FOR 17 YEARS. MAYOR NIC HUNTER, ALONG WITH THE HELP OF A SPECIAL COMMITTEE, WILL APPOINT A NEW POLICE CHIEF THROUGH A PROCESS THAT COULD TAKE UP TO SIX MONTHS. HUNTER SAYS THAT HE HOPES THE NEXT POLICE CHIEF WILL HAVE THE FORTITUDE AND KNOWLEDGE THAT DIXON HAS TO KEEP THE CITY MOVING FORWARD.
TONIGHT THE LAFAYETTE CITY PARISH COUNCIL WILL TAKE UP THE ISSUE OF NEW PROPERTY TAXES. COUNCILMEN JAY CASTILLE, BRUCE CONQUE, KENNETH BOUDREAUX AND KEVIN NAQUIN HAVE ALL SPOKEN OUT IN FAVOR OF PUTTING THREE NEW PROPERTY TAXES ON THE NOVEMBER SIXTH BALLOT. THEY WOULD RAISE ALMOST 16 MILLION DOLLARS ANNUALLY FOR THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY, DISTRICT COURTS AND THE PARISH JAIL, AND LESSEN THE STRAIN ON THE GENERAL FUND. HOWEVER, AS OF YESTERDAY IT WAS UNCLEAR IF THEY COULD PERSUADE ONE OTHER COUNCILMEN TO JOIN THEM IN MOVING FORWARD WITH THE BALLOT PROPOSALS.
YESTERDAY GOVERNOR JOHN BEL EDWARDS CALLED A SPECIAL SESSION. JEFF HORCHAK HAS MORE.
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LAST NIGHT A GROUP OF PEOPLE PRAYED OVER CROWLEY. IT’S BEEN HAPPENING ON THE SECOND MONDAY OF EACH MONTH. THE MONTHLY PRAYERS WERE STARTED BY COUNCILWOMAN EZORA PROCTOR AND IT’S CALLED PUSH, OR PRAY UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS. THE AIM IS TO BRING COMMUNITY MEMBERS TOGETHER TO PRAY BELIEVING PRAYER CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
THE LAKE CHARLES PLANNING AND ZONING COMMITTEE VOTED FOUR TO ONE AGAINST A REZONING REQUEST THAT WOULD HAVE ALLOWED A MANSION ON SHELL BEACH DRIVE TO BE TRANSFORMED INTO A RESTAURANT AND EVENT CENTER. RESIDENTS IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD CAME OUT IN OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSAL. REALTOR DAN FLAVIN, REPRESENTING THE APPLICANT MAZEN HIJAZI, SAYS THE MANSION WOULD SEAT UP TO 150 PEOPLE WITH PARKING IN THE BACK AND IT COULD HOST BANQUETS OR WEDDING RECEPTIONS. THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMITTEE’S VOTE IS FINAL BUT THE DECISION COULD BE APPEALED AND THE PROPOSAL VOTED ON BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU OF ACADIANA IS WARNING OF A SCAM TARGETING DESPERATE HOMEOWNERS. THE SCAMMERS TELL THE HOMEOWNERS THAT THEY CAN GET THEM MORE AFFORDABLE MORTGAGE PAYMENTS THAT WILL HELP PREVENT FORECLOSURE. THE BUREAU SAYS THAT, ONCE A PERSON IS HOOKED, THE SCAMMER WILL CONFIRM THE MORTGAGE PAYMENT REDUCTION AND DIRECT THEM TO PAY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN CLOSING COSTS. THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU SAYS A LENDER MAY NOT AGREE TO MODIFY A LOAN.
It appears likely that Louisiana voters will have a chance this fall to strike a Jim Crow-era law that lets divided juries settle criminal cases. The House on Monday approved the constitutional amendment by a vote of 82-15, putting the proposal one small step from a public vote. Currently, serious felony trials in Louisiana can be decided when 10 of 12 jurors agree on a person’s guilt. The Senate has already backed the proposal but must approve minor amendments before the measure can go to the public in November.
