6-18-20
LAFAYETTE MAYOR PRESIDENT JOSH GUILLORY HAS TAKEN BACK A STATEMENT HE MADE TUESDAY THAT A RECENT SPIKE IN CORONAVIRUS CASES IS DUE SOLELY TO AN INCREASE IN TESTING. GUILLORY’S SPOKESMAN JAMIE ANGELLE APOLOGIZED FOR RELEASING THE STATEMENT BEFORE REVIEWING IT WITH THE HEALTH ADMINISTRATOR FOR ACADIANA, DOCTOR TINA STEFANSKI. SHE NOW SAYS THE RISE IN CASES IS NOT JUST DUE TO INCREASD TESTING BUT ALSO BECAUSE OF THE BEHAVIOR OF PEOPLE, WHO HAVE GOT COMPLACENT SINCE ENTERING PHASE TWO OF THE RECOVERY. STEFANSKI SAYS THAT IF THE INCREASE CONTINUES AT THE CURRENT LEVEL, THERE IS GOING TO BE A PROBLEM IN LAFAYETTE PARISH, WHICH HAS SEEN THE POSITIVE TEST RATE GO FROM FOUR-POINT-FOUR PERCENT ON MAY TWENTY-SECOND TO FIVE-POINT-TWO PERCENT.
THERE ARE NINE HUNDRED TWENTY-EIGHT NEW CORONAVIRUS CASES IN LOUISIANA. HOWEVER, THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SAYS THIS INCLUDES A BACKLOG OF ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-NINE CASES FROM EARLY APRIL. THERE ARE TWENTY MORE DEATHS FROM COVID-NINETEEN, BRINGING THE TOTAL TO TWO THOUSAND, NINE HUNDRED FIFTY. AFTER THREE DAYS OF AN INCREASE IN PATIENTS HOSPITALIZED WITH COVID NINETEEN, THE NUMBER WENT DOWN YESTERDAY BY NINE. BUT THERE ARE SIX MORE PATIENTS ON VENTILATORS.
ACADIANA HAD TWO HUNDRED THREE MORE CASES OF CORONAVIRUS, INCLUDING SIXTY IN ST. MARTIN PARISH AND FIFTY-NINE IN LAFAYETTE PARISH. THE TOTAL IS THREE THOUSAND, EIGHT-HUNDRED TWENTY-FOUR. THERE ARE TWO ADDITIONAL DEATHS IN THE REGION, BOTH FROM ST. MARY PARISH. THE TOTAL IS NOW TWO HUNDRED THIRTY.
AFTER FIVE DAYS WITH NO COVID NINETEEN DEATHS, SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA REPORTED ONE ADDITIONAL DEATH, WHICH WAS IN CALCASIEU PARISH. THAT PARISH NOW HAS A TOTAL OF FIFTY-ONE. THE TOTAL FOR THE REGION IS SEVENTY-FIVE. THERE ARE SIXTY-SEVEN MORE CORONAVIRUS CASES, FIFTY-TWO OF THEM FROM CALCASIEU PARISH. THE TOTAL IS ONE THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED EIGHTY.
TWO WOMEN FROM MEXICO HAVE FILED A FEDERAL COMPLAINT AGAINST A CROWLEY CRAWFISH PROCESSING PLANT, WHERE THEY WERE WORKING ON TEMPORARY VISAS. THE TWO SAY THEY CONTRACTED THE CORONAVIRUS AND WERE FIRED AFTER THEY WENT TO THE HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT. SCOTT BROUSSARD, WHO IDENTIFIED HIMSELF AS ONE OF THE OWNERS OF ACADIA PROCESSORS, SAYS NO ONE WAS FIRED, THOUGH SOME DID LEAVE AND DID NOT RETURN. REGIONAL HEALTH ADMINISTRATOR DOCTOR TINA STEFANSKI SAYS THAT THE COMPANY FOLLOWED THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS FULLY WHEN A NUMBER OF THEIR WORKERS WERE DIAGNOSED WITH THE CORONAVIRUS.
A Louisiana lawmaker’s effort to eliminate police officers’ wide immunity from civil lawsuits for damages for injury or death was shelved by Republicans on a state House committee. The House civil law committee voted 9-7 against the measure Wednesday from Democratic Rep. Edmond Jordan. Backers said the immunity is so sweeping it’s nearly impossible to hold officers accountable for excessive force when prosecutors refuse to bring criminal charges. Opponents said legal avenues exist to prosecute police for excessive force.
THE CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE HAS ARRESTED FOUR PEOPLE IN CONNECTION WITH THE THEFT OF ITEMS IN UNLOCKED VEHICLES AT AN R-V PARK ON HIGHWAY TWENTY-SEVEN IN SULPHUR ON JUNE FIFTH. USING SURVEILLANCE VIDEO, DEPUTIES IDENTIFIED A VEHICLE USED IN THE THEFTS, WHICH BELONGED TO NINETEEN-YEAR-OLD ALLISON F. VINCENT OF WESTLAKE. A SEARCH OF HER HOME LED TO THE DISCOVERY OF EIGHT GUNS, INCLUDING ONE REPORTED STOLEN, AND ILLEGAL NARCOTICS. THE THREE OTHER PEOPLE SUSPECTED IN THE THEFTS ARE FROM GRAMERCY AND NEW ORLEANS, AND IT WAS LEARNED ALL FOUR WERE INVOLVED IN OTHER VEHICLE BURGLARIES OUTSIDE OF CALCASIEU PARISH.
ONE MAN IS DEAD AND HIS NEIGHBOR IS IN CUSTODY IN OPELOUSAS. CAROLINE MARCELLO REPORTS.
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