6-14-18
FIVE CRUDE OIL STORAGE TANKS AT THE PURE OIL FACILITY IN GUEYDAN CAUGHT FIRE YESTERDAY. IT HAPPENED AT AROUND 1:40 YESTERDAY AFTERNOON AND TOOK FIREFIGHTERS HOURS TO PUT OUT. IT’S BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN STARTED BY LIGHTNING BECAUSE A LOUD BOOM WAS HEARD SHORTLY BEFORE THE FIRE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR EVACUATIONS ORDERED, AND THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE IS UNDER INVESTIGATION.
NEW SIDEWALKS AND CROSSWALKS WILL BE COMING TO DOWNTOWN LAKE CHARLES THANKS TO TWO GRANTS FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND DEVELOPMENT. A NEW MULTI-USE PATH WILL BE BUILT ALONG LAKESHORE DRIVE, WHICH WILL CONNECT BROAD STREET TO CLARENCE STREET. ALSO INCLUDED IN THE PROJECT IS AN IMPROVED SIDEWALK ALONG PART OF CLARENCE STREET AND IMPROVED PEDESTRIAN ACCESS ON LAKESHORE DRIVE. THE PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO TAKE 150 WORKING DAYS AND BE COMPLETED BY FEBRUARY.
U.S. Sen. John Kennedy says he’ll ask the federal government to keep Louisiana’s food stamp program up and running, if the state moves to eliminate it because of budget cuts. Kennedy says he’s introducing federal legislation to seek USDA administration of Louisiana’s food stamp program, distributing aid through food banks and faith-based groups. The Republican senator said Wednesday he doesn’t want Louisiana to lose $1.4 billion in federal food assistance it receives annually.
Gov. John Bel Edwards’ administration says a $34 million cut slated for the Department of Children and Family Services on July 1 will make it unable to administer food stamps, starting in January.
LAST NIGHT THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED AN AGREEMENT TO CREATE THE NEW SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER PROGRAM. BOARD PRESIDENT ERICK KNEZEK SAYS THE AGREEMENT WITH THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE AND MUNICIPAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS WILL INCREASE THE NUMBER OF POLICE OFFICERS IN SCHOOLS FROM 26 TO MORE THAN 66. TWO CITY PARISH COUNCIL MEMBERS, BRUCE CONQUE AND JAY CASTILLE, COMPLAINED THAT THEY WERE KEPT OUT OF THE DISCUSSIONS, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE TO SIGN OFF ON ANY PLANS INVOLVING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. KNEZEK SAYS IT’S POLICE CHIEFS, NOT THE SCHOOL BOARD, THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CONVEYING SUCH COMMITMENTS TO CITY COUNCILS.
THE LAFAYETTE SCHOOL BOARD HAS DECIDED TO RESTORE FIVE-AND-A-HALF SCHOOL LIBRARIAN POSITIONS THAT WERE SLATED TO BE CUT NEXT YEAR. IF THE LAY OFFS HAD HAPPENED, IT WOULD HAVE SAVED THE DISTRICT ALMOST 400 THOUSAND DOLLARS. SEVERAL BOARD MEMBERS SAID THEY’D LIKE TO SEE CHANGES IN SCHOOL LIBRARY OPERATIONS IN THE FUTURE. TOMMY ANGELLE NOTED THAT THE LIBRARY IS NOT OPENED FOR THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF THE SCHOOL YEAR AND THE LAST TWO WEEKS FOR RECORD-KEEPING, BUT HE’D LIKE THEM TO ARRANGE IT SO KIDS COULD GO TO THE LIBRARY.
THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND DEVELOPMENT SAYS IT’S NOW POSSIBLE THAT THE I-210 BRIDGE PROJECT COULD BE COMPLETED IN ONE YEAR. KIEWET LOUISIANA COMPANY HAS SUBMITTED A LOW BID IN WHICH, THEY SAY, THEY CAN COMPLETE THE PROJECT IN ONE YEAR, MUCH LESS THAN THE ORIGINAL ESTIMATE OF THREE YEARS. THE BID STILL NEEDS FINAL APPROVAL AND THERE’S NO WORD YET ON WHEN THE PROJECT WOULD BEGIN. THE D-O-T-D ALSO SAYS THEY ARE MAKING A THIRD LANE CLOSURE OPTION AVAILABLE TO CONTRACTORS WHICH WOULD IMPROVE ACCESS TO THE WORKSITE AND ENCOURAGE NIGHT WORK.
A CROWLEY MAN SAYS HE WAS UNJUSTLY ARRESTED BY POLICE ON A CHARGE OF AGGRAVATED ASSAULT WITH A WEAPON. BEN BERTRAND TELLS KLFY TV THAT HE GOT INTO A CONFRONTATION WITH A MAN ON HIS PROPERTY AND HE WAS DEFENDING HIMSELF. BERTRAND HAS SURVEILLANCE VIDEO THAT, HE SAYS, PROVES HIS CONTENTION. POLICE CHIEF JIMMY BROUSSARD SAYS THEY VIEWED THE VIDEO AND IT SHOWED BERTRAND PULLING OUT HIS WEAPON AFTER THE OTHER MAN HAD ALREADY WALKED AWAY AND WAS NO LONGER A THREAT.
A Democratic political group has launched a legal campaign to create additional majority-minority congressional districts in three Southern states, claiming the current maps discriminate against black voters. Attorneys filed separate federal lawsuits in Louisiana , Alabama, and Georgia on Wednesday, challenging congressional maps that lawmakers in each state approved in 2011. The lawsuits are backed by an affiliate of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, chaired by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. They ask the courts to block the three states from holding any more congressional elections under their current maps.
