6-20-16
THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM IS EXPANDING THEIR ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE PROGRAM FROM SIX TO TEN SCHOOLS, AND ADDING FIVE NEW TEACHERS. THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM INCREASED FROM AROUND 250 SIX YEARS AGO TO 475 LAST YEAR. MORE THAN TWO THIRDS OF THE E-S-L STUDENTS SPEAK SPANISH, WITH THE NEXT MOST COMMON BEING THE ARABIC AND VIETNAMESE LANGUAGES. MOST OF THE
E-S-L PROGRAMS ARE LOCATED IN CENTRAL LAFAYETTE PARISH AND IN THE AREAS OF SCOTT AND DUSON.
Lake Charles is enjoying a larger-than-expected surplus in its city budget. The American Press reports officials recently amended the 2015-16 budget to account for the quarter-cent sales tax that voters approved in October. New numbers show the city with a general fund surplus of about $500,000 after counting increased revenue and expenses. Collections on the 15-year tax began in January, and city officials said it is projected to accumulate $4.5 million during the current budget year.
State police are searching for a suspect after a hit-and-run accident left a pedestrian dead in Terrebonne Parish. A state police news release says 22-year-old William Boyne of Patterson was killed in the Friday night accident on Louisiana Highway 56, south of the Chauvin (SHOW’-van) Bridge. Investigators believe Boyne was walking north on the northbound shoulder of Highway 56. The suspect vehicle was traveling northbound, crossed the fog line, and struck Boyne.
Lawmakers in the Louisiana House have spurned a proposal sought by Gov. John Bel Edwards to scale back a tax break for people who itemize deductions on their state income tax forms. The bill would have raised $88 million to lessen budget cuts next year. With no debate, 55 House members voted Sunday night against the bill by Bogalusa Rep. Malinda White. It received 46 votes of support.
THE TSA CONFIRMED SATURDAY THEY CONFISCATED A LOADED NINE MILLIMETER FIREARM FROM A PASSENGER AT LAFAYETTE REGIONAL AIRPORT LAST WEEK. JULIE DARCE REPORTS.
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Schools in Jefferson Davis Parish are getting ready for a record enrollment of prekindergarten students. The American Press reports that the local school board has agreed to hire an additional pre-K teacher and an aide at one of the elementary schools to help with the projected growth this fall. Superintendent Brian Lejeune says if all the enrolled students show up, the district could be in a bind. The district’s pre-K classes average about 20 students per class.
South Louisiana Community College’s new $9.2 million campus in St. Martinville will welcome its first students this fall. The 36,000-square-foot facility off La. Highway 31 replaces a 1960s-era campus that now serves about 100 students.
Enrollment is expected to rise, and the new building was designed to allow for easy additions to meet future demand. The St. Martinville campus offers programs in business, general studies, patient care, practical nursing and welding.
First-time claims for unemployment insurance in Louisiana for the week ending June 11 decreased from the previous week’s total. The state labor department figures released Friday show the initial claims fell to 3,445 from the previous week’s total of 3,590. For the comparable week a year earlier, there were 2,888.
The four-week moving average, which is a less volatile measure of claims, increased to 3,335 from the previous week’s total of 3,216.
