5-5-20
ANOTHER THREE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-THREE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH CORONOVIRUS IN LOUISIANA. THAT BRINGS THE TOTAL TO TWENTY-NINE THOUSAND, SIX HUNDRED SEVENTY-THREE. OF THAT TOTAL, MORE THAN TWENTY-THOUSAND HAVE BEEN PRONOUNCED RECOVERED, WHICH IS ABOUT SIXTY-FIVE PERCENT OF THE TOTAL CASES. MEANWHILE, ANOTHER ONE THOUSAND, NINE-HUNDRED NINETY-ONE HAVE DIED FROM THE DISEASE. THAT’S TWENTY-TWO MORE THAN ON SUNDAY. THE NUMBER OF CASES THAT ARE CURRENTLY HOSPITALIZED HAS DROPPED TO ONE THOUSAND, FIVE HUNDRED AND TWO.
THERE ARE FIFTEEN MORE CASES OF CORONAVIRUS IN ACADIANA. THE TOTAL IN THE REGION IS ONE THOUSAND, SIX HUNDRED FOURTEEN. THE GOOD NEWS IS THERE ARE NO MORE DEATHS IN ACADIANA. THE TOTAL IS AT ONE HUNDRED FORTY-ONE.
TEN MORE CASES ARE REPORTED IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA INCLUDING NINE IN CALCASIEU PARISH. THE TOTAL IS SIX HUNDRED SIXTY-FIVE. SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA ALSO HAS NO NEW DEATHS. THE NUMBER OF DEATHS IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA STANDS AT FORTY-NINE.
LAFAYETTE CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT LEADERS SAY THEIR BIGGEST CONCERN WITH MEETING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CRITERIA FOR REOPENING THE ECONOMY IS THE GROWING NUMBER OF COVID-NINETEEN CASES AND DEATHS INSIDE ACADIANA NURSING HOMES. GERALD GREUNIG HAS MORE.
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Louisiana lawmakers have resumed their legislative session and are trying to get their arms around the scale of the financial problems caused by the coronavirus outbreak. They’re struggling with the problem of how to craft a budget when economists say there’s little precedent for the type of disaster the world is facing. Economists outlined grim expectations to the House Appropriations Committee of a slow and painful recovery and an economic hit that will be greater than after hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The state faces a double whammy: The virus fallout from widespread unemployment and shuttered businesses and an international feud worsening the steep decline in oil prices.
THE CALCASIEU PARISH POLICE JURY ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY MORE SITES THAT ARE OPEN FOR TESTING OVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS. THERE IS NO MEDICAL REQUIREMENT TO BE TESTED AND NO FEE AND THOSE BEING TESTED MUST BE FROM CALCASIEU, JEFF DAVIS, ALLEN, BEAUREGARD AND CAMERON PARISHES. THE FOLLOWING SITES ARE OPEN FROM NINE A-M TO NOON EACH DAY…THE LAKE CHARLES CIVIC CENTER FOR TODAY AND THURSDAY, THE WEST CAL ARENA IN SULPHUR WEDNESDAY, AND FOR NEXT WEEK, VINTON CITY HALL ON MONDAY, DEQUINCEY CITY HALL ON TUESDAY, IOWA CITY HALL ON WEDNESDAY AND WESTLAKE CITY HALL ON THURSDAY. UP TO ONE HUNDRED THIRTY TESTS WILL BE PERFORMED EACH DAY.
A MOTORCYCLIST WAS KILLED LAST NIGHT AT AROUND SEVEN-THIRTY IN ACADIA PARISH. STATE POLICE SAY THIRTY-EIGHT-YEAR-OLD RICHARD JOHN KOCH OF RAYNE WAS TRAVELING SOUTH ON L-A THIRTY-FIVE WHEN HE RAN INTO A VEHICLE THAT WAS DRIVING ON STANDARD MILL ROAD AND FAILED TO YIELD TO KOCH. DESPITE WEARING A HELMENT, KOCH SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES AND WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE WHILE THE DRIVER OF THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL WITH MINOR INJURIES. THE ACCIDENT REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION AND TOXICOLOGY SAMPLES WERE TAKEN FROM BOTH DRIVERS.
A GROUP WANTING TO REDEVELOP THE FORMER TRAPPEY CANNING FACILITY IN LAFAYETTE HAS JOINED THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY IN OPPOSING A LAWSUIT THAT SEEKS TO ABOLISH FIVE NEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DISTRICTS. THE TRAPPEY RIVERFRONT REDEVELOPMENT IS ONE OF THE FIVE DISTRICTS APPROVED IN DECEMBER BY THE LAFAYETTE CITY PARISH COUNCIL, EACH OF WHICH CAN IMPOSE NEW SALES TAXES FOR THEIR DISTRICT. SIX CITIZENS SUED THE CITY IN DECEMBER TO KILL THE DISTRICTS, ARGUING THE COUNCIL DID NOT PROVIDE PROPER TIME TO ADVERTISE THEIR CREATION. MAYOR PRESIDENT JOSH GUILLORY OPPOSES THE DISTRICT AND ORDERED THE CITY PARISH ATTORNEY TO WITHDRAW A MOTION FOR A SUMMARY JUDGEMENT AGAINST THE LAWSUIT.
