5-15-20
AS OF TWELVE O’CLOCK THIS MORNING, THE STATE HAS ENTERED INTO PHASE ONE OF REOPENING THE ECONOMY. GERALD GREUNIG HAS MORE.
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LOUISIANA SAW ANOTHER MAJOR JUMP IN CORONAVIRUS CASES IN YESTERDAY’S REPORT FROM THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. THERE ARE EIGHT HUNDRED TWENTY-SEVEN NEW CASES FOR A TOTAL OF THIRTY-THREE THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED EIGHTY-NINE. SIX HUNDRED NINE OF THE NEW CASES ARE FROM LABS THAT ARE NEW TO REPORTING. THERE ARE THIRTY-SIX ADDITIONAL DEATHS, BRINGING THE TOTAL TO TWO THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED FIFTY-THREE. THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS HOSPITALIZED BY COVID-NINETEEN DROPPED BY JUST ONE, BUT THOSE ON VENTILATORS WERE REDUCED BY SEVEN.
THERE ARE NINE MORE DEATHS IN ACADIANA PARISHES INCLUDING SEVEN IN IBERIA PARISH, WHICH NOW HAS A TOTAL OF THIRTY-THREE. REGIONAL MEDICAL DIRECTOR DOCTOR TINA STEFANSKI SAYS SOME OF THOSE DEATHS OCCURRED OVER THE PAST THREE WEEKS BUT WERE JUST CONFIRMED. ACADIANA HAS A TOTAL OF ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY DEATHS. CORONAVIRUS CASES IN THE REGION ARE UP BY TWENTY-THREE TO ONE THOUSAND, NINE HUNDRED FIFTY-THREE. THE PARISH WITH THE MOST NEW CASES IS ACADIA PARISH WITH EIGHT MORE.
FOR THE SECOND DAY IN A ROW, THERE ARE NO NEW REPORTS OF DEATHS FROM CORONAVIRUS IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA. THE TOTAL STANDS AT SIXTY. MEANWHILE THERE ARE ONLY THREE MORE CASES OF CORONAVIRUS, ALL IN CALCASIEU AND BEAUREGARD PARISHES. THE TOTAL IS NOW AT SEVEN HUNDRED TWENTY-TWO.
LANDRY PARISH SHERIFF BOBBY GUIDROZ SAYS HIS OFFICE WILL BE CRACKING DOWN ON SPEEDING AND RECKLESS DRIVING IN THE PARISH. IN A PRESS RELEASE, GUIDROZ SAYS THAT HE’S FORMED A SPEED AND TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT DETAIL COMPRISED OF OFF-DUTY OFFICERS ON OVERTIME WHO WILL BE WATCHING FOR SPEEDING AND OTHER VIOLATIONS. HE SAYS THAT LAST YEAR HE INVESTED IN TWO SPEED MONITORING TRAILERS THAT KEEP TRACK OF THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES ON ROADWAYS AND THEIR SPEEDS. GUIDROZ SAYS THE DATA COLLECTED CONFIRMED WHAT DEPUTIES ALREADY SUSPECTED, THAT THERE ARE SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH SPEEDING, RECKLESS DRIVING AND OFF-ROAD VEHICLES CREATING SAFETY CONCERNS.
THE FIRST TRIAL FOR THE MAN ACCUSED OF KILLING LAFAYETTE POLICE OFFICER MICHAEL MIDDLEBROOK HAS BEEN MOVED BACK TO NOVEMBER NINTH BECAUSE OF THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. THE TRIAL WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR JULY THIRTEENTH BUT THE ATTORNEYS FOR IAN HOWARD SAID QUARANTINED STAFFERS PREVENTED THEM FROM CONDUCTING INTERVIEWS AND OTHER NECESSARY TASKS. IN HIS FIRST TRIAL, HOWARD WILL BE FACING THREE ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGES AND HE’LL BE TRIED AT A LATER DATE FOR THE KILLING OF MIDDLEBROOK.
McNeese State has decided to end its search for a new athletics director. In a news release Thursday, university President Dr. Daryl Burckel said a new search will begin during the 2020-21 academic year but an exact date has not been set. The delay was forced due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on spring sports and the resulting decline in revenue. Burckel said all applicants for the athletics director post have been encouraged to reapply.
CROWLEY MAYOR TIM MONCEAUX ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY THAT CITY HALL WILL REOPEN MONDAY. HE ANNOUNCED IN A PRESS RELEASE THAT THEY WILL BE FOLLOWING GUIDELINES THAT INCLUDE ALLOWING ONLY TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT OF THE BUILDING OCCUPANCY AND SOCIAL DISTANCING WILL BE OBSERVED. HE SAYS THEY LOOK FORWARD WITH EXCITEMENT AND ENTHUSIASM TO SERVING CITIZENS BUT IT’S IMPORTANT TO OBSERVE THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF SAFETY FOR THE CITIZENS AS WELL AS THE STAFF. RESIDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO USE ONLINE RESOURCES AS WELL AS TELEPHONE, EMAIL AND FAX.
