6-21-16
A FIVE MILLION DOLLAR SOLAR GENERATOR LAB WILL BE BUILT ON THE U-L CAMPUS, AND IT’S BEING TOUTED AS THE LARGEST RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECT IN THE STATE. U-L’S PARTNER IN THE PROJECT IS LOUISIANA GENERATING L-LC, A SUBSIDIARY OF N-R-G ENERGY, WHICH WILL FINANCE THE PROJECT AND PROVIDE AN ENDOWMENT THAT WILL FUND THE LAB’S OPERATIONS FOR 25 YEARS. THE DIRECTOR OF THE PROJECT, PROFESSOR TERRY CHAMBERS, SAYS IT WILL PROVIDE UP TO TEN PERCENT OF THE CAMPUS’S ELECTRICITY WHILE REDUCING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS. HE SAYS HE EXPECTS CONSTRUCTION TO BEGIN THIS FALL AND BE COMPLETED BY CHRISTMAS.
IT’S BEEN NEARLY SEVEN WEEKS SINCE THE BODY OF TWO-YEAR-OLD WILLOW RAIN RENTERIA OF VERNON PARISH WAS FOUND IN BEAUREGARD PARISH, BUT NO ARRESTS HAVE BEEN MADE EVEN THOUGH HER DEATH WAS RULED A HOMOCIDE. HOWEVER, THE CAREGIVER OF RENTERIA THE DAY SHE DIED IS FACING FIVE NEW CHARGES RELATED TO ILLEGAL POSSESSION OF DRUGS, WEAPONS AND A STOLEN CAR. ALL THE CHARGES AGAINST RODNEY “DONNIE” BAILEY JUNIOR ARE RELATED TO OFFENSES THAT OCCURRED ON MAY SIXTH, THE DAY THE TODDLER WAS REPORTED MISSING. BAILEY’S BOND HAS BEEN SET AT 120 THOUSAND DOLLARS AND A PRELIMINARY COURT HEARING IS SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST SECOND.
The Chitimacha Tribe’s chairman has been arrested on a charge of felony theft.
Louisiana State Police say 44-year-old O’Neal J. Darden Jr. surrendered to authorities Monday and was released after posting $5,000 bond. It was unknown if he has an attorney who could comment on his behalf. Darden was named in a January complaint that also included Cypress Bayou Casino Hotel General Manager Anthony Patrone and Chief Financial Officer Montie Spivey.
Lawmakers in the House have agreed on a plan to divvy up the $284 million estimated to be raised by tax changes approved in the special session for next year’s budget.That was after they agreed Monday to raise $70 million more for next year’s budget by lessening business tax breaks. Given priority in the plan were the TOPS college tuition program, college campuses and the safety-net hospitals that care for the poor. But it still wouldn’t be enough to cover all gaps in the financial year that begins July 1. TOPS students would have about 70 percent of their tuition costs covered. The safety-net hospitals would get the level of financing sought by Gov. John Bel Edwards administration, though not the amount wanted by hospital operators. Public schools and health services would still face cuts. The House voted 75-25 for the budget proposal Monday, sending it to the Senate for consideration.
THE LOUISIANA BOARD OF ETHICS FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF WRONGDOING BY LAFAYETTE CITY PARISH COUNCILMAN KENNETH BOUDREAUX. THEY BEGAN AN INVESTIGATION IN MARCH TO DETERMINE IF BOUDREAUX HAD BEEN IMPROPERLY PAID FOR HIS WORK AS YOUTH DIRECTOR WITH THE 15TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE FOR VERMILLION PARISH. THE LOUISIANA LEGISLATIVE AUDITOR QUESTIONED WHETHER BOUDREAUX VIOLATED STATE LAW BECAUSE FORMER DISTRICT ATTORNEY MIKE HARSON REIMBURSED THE VERMILLION PARISH POLICE JURY FOR BOUDREAUX’S SALARY. A LETTER FROM THE BOARD OF ETHICS SAYS THEY FOUND NO CLEAR AND CONVINCING PROOF THAT BOUDREAUX RECEIVED A SALARY TO WHICH HE WAS NOT ENTITLED.
MCALISTER’S DELI ON WEST PRIEN LAKE ROAD IN LAKE CHARLES HAS CLOSED. THEY POSTED A SIGN ANNOUNCING THE CLOSURE ON THE FRONT DOOR. IT CITED THE COST OF THE LEASE OR RENT AS A FACTOR IN THEIR DECISION AND THANKED THE COMMUNITY FOR ELEVEN GREAT YEARS. TWO OTHER MCALISTER DELI’S IN BATON ROUGE HAVE ALSO CLOSED THIS YEAR.
A FIRE DESTROYED A MOBILE HOME IN OPELOUSAS MONDAY AFTERNOON. JULIE DARCE HAS MORE.
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