5-26-15
AUTHORITIES SAY TWO LAFAYETTE MEN DROWNED IN LAKE ARTHUR PARK. JULIE DARCE REPORTS.
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MORE THAN 18-HUNDRED BEAUREGARD ELECTRIC CUSTOMERS ARE WITHOUT POWER THIS MORNING BECAUSE OF A LINE OF OVERNIGHT THUNDERSTORMS. ABOUT TWO-THIRDS OF THOSE AFFECTED ARE IN VERNON PARISH, WITH THE REMAINDER IN BEAUREGARD AND ALLEN PARISHES.
THE OPELOUSAS HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING BAND TOOK PART IN THE MEMORIAL DAY PARADE IN WASHINGTON D-C YESTERDAY. THE BAND MARCHED DOWN CONSTITUTION AVENUE WITH OTHER HIGH SCHOOL AND MILITARY BANDS TO HONOR THE NATION’S MILITARY. NEARLY SEVENTY MEMBERS OF THE BAND HAD TO RAISE A TOTAL OF 43 THOUSAND DOLLARS TO BE ABLE TO GO ON THE THREE DAY TRIP TO D-C. BAND ASSISTANT ALLISON HARDY TOLD THE ADVERTISER THAT IT’S A BIG DEAL AND HUGE COMPLIMENT TO BE INVITED TO TAKE PART IN THE PARADE.
State senators have agreed to lessen Louisiana’s penalties for simple possession of marijuana, to remove provisions that allow people to be jailed up to 20 years for repeatedly getting caught with small amounts of pot. The Senate voted 27-12 Monday for the proposal by Sen. J.P. Morrell, a New Orleans Democrat. Morrell worked with sheriffs and district attorneys on a compromise. The maximum penalty on later offenses would drop from 20 years in prison to eight years.
THE U-L LAFAYETTE BASEBALL TEAM LEARNED YESTERDAY THAT THEY WILL BE PART OF THE HOUSTON REGIONAL BEGINNING NEXT WEEKEND. U-L WON THE SUN BELT CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT ON SUNDAY TO ADVANCE TO THE N-C-A-A TOURNAMENT FOR THE THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR. THEY WILL FACE RICE UNIVERSITY ON FRIDAY AT TWO-THIRTY. EACH GAME IN THE HOUSTON REGIONAL WILL BE BROADCAST ON ESPN THREE.
A ROUNDABOUT WILL BE PUT IN AT THE INTERSECTION OF NELSON AND HAM REID ROADS IN LAKE CHARLES. THE CALCASIEU PARISH POLICE JURY LAST THURSDAY ACCEPTED A LOW BID OF TWO-POINT-6-6 MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE PROJECT FROM MERRICK CONSTRUCTION OF COTTONPORT. POLICE JURY ENGINEER TIM CONNOR SAYS CONSTRUCTION SHOULD BEGIN WITHIN TWO TO THREE MONTHS AND TAKE ABOUT SIX MONTHS TO COMPLETE. HE SAYS NELSON ROAD WILL REMAIN OPEN DURING CONSTRUCTION WHILE ONE SIDE AT A TIME OF HAM REID ROAD WILL BE CLOSED.
A HOUSE FIRE IN FRANKLIN IS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY A SQUIRREL WALKING ON POWER LINE. FRANKLIN ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF JEFF HILDRETH SAYS THE SQUIRREL TOUCHED THE POLE WHILE HIS OTHER FEET WERE ON THE LINE CAUSING AN ELECTRICAL ARC THAT SEVERED THE POWER LINE. HE SAYS IT LANDED ON A TELEPHONE WIRE HEADED TO THE HOME, WELDING THE TWO LINES TOGETHER. IT TOOK NEARLY TWO HOURS FOR FRANKLIN FIREFIGHTERS AND FIREMEN FROM NEIGHBORING TOWNS TO BRING THE FIRE UNDER CONTROL AT THE HOUSE, LOCATED AT WILLOW AND J-A HERNANDEZ STREETS.
Louisiana’s state senators have started digging into the details of the House version of next year’s budget, with holes mainly in the public health care budget that provides services for the poor and uninsured. Commissioner of Administration Kristy Nichols, the governor’s chief budget adviser, says the House-approved budget for next year has $155 million in identified gaps. Also, she says $8 million in shortfalls need to be closed before the current fiscal year end June 30. Most remaining gaps are in the health department, LSU hospital privatization deals and LSU medical schools.
