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THE LOUISIANA SEAFOOD COOKOFF IS MOVING FROM NEW ORLEANS TO LAFAYETTE. LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR BILLY NUNGESSER MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT AT A NEWS CONFERENCE FRIDAY TO REVEAL THE LIST OF TWELVE CHEFS STATEWIDE WHO WILL COMPETE IN THE EVENT. NUNGESSER SAYS HE WANTED TO MOVE IT TO LAFAYETTE AS A WAY OF HELPING STIMULATE THE ECONOMY THAT HAS BEEN HARD HIT BECAUSE OF THE OIL FIELD SLUMP. THE LOUISIANA SEAFOOD COOKOFF WILL TAKE PLACE JUNE 20TH AT THE CAJUNDOME CONVENTION CENTER.
RESIDENTS AND COMMUNTY LEADERS IN WELSH ARE POINTING TO THE LACASSIE BAYOU AS THE CAUSE OF THE RECENT FLOODING THERE. DEBRIS AND PLANT LIFE IN THE BAYOU CAUSES IT TO FILL QUICKLY WHENEVER THERE ARE HEAVY RAINS. JOHN MCCORQUODALE TOLD KPLC TV THAT HIS HOME HAD 16 INCHES OF WATER IN IT BECAUSE OF FLOODING THIS WEEK. MAYOR CAROLYN LOUVIERE SAYS SHE’D LIKE THE U-S ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS TO DREDGE THE LACASSSINE BAYOU SAYING IT WILL NOT ONLY HELP WELSH, BUT OTHER COMMUNITIES ALONG THAT WATERWAY.
THERE WAS A SHOOTING IN NEW IBERIA LATE LAST NIGHT. JULIE DARCE REPORTS.
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As House Republicans crafted their version of next year’s budget, they built the spending plan off a central premise: Louisiana’s income projections are always wrong, and for nearly a decade those missed forecasts have forced repeated cuts across government. GOP leaders anticipated the projections would be off again — and used 2.5 percent less than the full forecast of what Louisiana is expected to collect in general state tax dollars next year. House Democrats and Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards say leaving $235 million on the table could force damaging and unnecessary cuts across government for the financial year that begins July 1. Republicans say the Edwards administration is using scare tactics to describe the impact of stripping out money the governor had proposed to spend next year.
An Alabama staffing company and the federal government are settling a lawsuit over allegations of hiring discrimination in Louisiana. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says Automation Personnel Services Inc. will pay $50,000 under the agreement. The federal agency say Andrea Williams went to a career fair in Lafayette in 2012 and tried to apply for a shipping job that Automation Personnel was attempting to fill for a company. A statement says the woman was told the position was meant for men and wasn’t suitable for women.
TWO PEOPLE WERE WOUNDED IN A SHOOTING IN WESTLAKE LAST NIGHT. IT HAPPENED AROUND NINE P-M AT PINDEROSA PARK. ONE PERSON WAS AIRLIFTED TO A LAFAYETTE HOSPITAL WHILE THE OTHER WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL. THE IDENTITIES OF THE VICTIMS HAVE NOT BEEN RELEASED AND POLICE HAVE NOT SAID WHETHER ANY ARRESTS HAVE BEEN MADE.
A VILLE PLATTE WOMAN HAS BEEN ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY THREATENING TO FILE A FALSE RAPE CLAIM AGAINST A VILLE PLATTE POLICE OFFICER. 29-YEAR-OLD MARIA RICHARD JOSEPH WAS IN THE COMMUNITY OF FENTON AND, ACCORDING TO THE JEFF DAVIS PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE, SHE SENT A TEXT TO THE VILLE PLATTE POLICE OFFICER THAT, IF HE DIDN’T COME PICK HER UP AND GIVE HER A RIDE HOME, SHE WOULD FILE THE FALSE CLAIM. JEFF DAVIS PARISH SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES FOUND A SMALL AMOUNT OF MARIJUANA ON HER AND A GRINDER. SHE WAS BOOKED INTO THE JEFF DAVIS PARISH JAIL ON SEVERAL CHARGES INCLUDING PROSTITUTION AND POSSESSION OF A SCHEDULE ONE DRUG AND DRUG PARAPHERNALIA.
The number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. rose by seven this week to 877. A year ago, only 415 rigs were active amid a slump in energy prices.
Houston oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. said Friday that 703 rigs sought oil and 173 explored for natural gas this week. Louisiana gained four rigs.
