6-21-18
A Lafayette high school has a new weight room thanks to former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal. Lafayette High School’s Mighty Lions will be working out in a new, state-of-the-art weight room beginning today. The Advertiser reports the school’s athletics staff put together the new equipment yesterday after it arrived. The Lafayette Parish School Board had committed to matching funding for the weight room at $21,000.
EFFORTS TO BRING A RESTAURANT TO SHELL BEACH DRIVE IN LAKE CHARLES ARE APPARENTLY OVER. MAZEN HIJAZI WANTED TO TRANSFORM A MANSION ON THE STREET INTO A RESTAURANT AND EVENT CENTER BUT RESIDENTS IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD PROTESTED OVER CONCERNS ABOUT TRAFFIC AND SAFETY. THE PLANNING AND ZONING BOARD REJECTED HIS REZONING REQUEST BUT HIJAZI APPEALED TO THE CITY COUNCIL. HOWEVER, HIJAZI CHANGED HIS MIND AND REVOKED THE APPEAL JUST BEFORE HE WAS SET TO APPEAR BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL LAST NIGHT.
BREAUX BRIDGE POLICE ARE SEARCHING FOR TWO SUSPECTS IN A TUESDAY SHOOTING. JEFF HORCHAK REPORTS.
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Lawmakers on the Louisiana House’s tax committee have advanced three sales tax proposals to lessen state budget cuts that hit in fewer than two weeks. Action Wednesday from the Ways and Means Committee keeps negotiations ongoing in the special session that must end by Thursday. It remains unclear whether any tax bill can win enough support from Democrats and Republicans on the House floor to reach the two-thirds vote needed. Lawmakers on the majority-GOP committee rejected the favored sales tax approach of Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards.
If new tax dollars are raised, House Republican leaders have outlined their priorities for spending it. The House Appropriations Committee voted 18-4 Wednesday evening for a plan to spend $420 million in additional sales tax money. The plan would shield college campuses from cuts, stop elimination of the food stamp program and fund the TOPS tuition program at 90 percent. The budget proposal, advanced to the full House for debate, assumes lawmakers would renew 0.4 percent of a 1 percent state sales tax that expires July 1.
THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE OIL CENTER IN LAFAYETTE COULD GET UNDERWAY SOON. THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, ONE ACADIANA AND STAKEHOLDERS IN THE OIL CENTER HAVE COMPLETED PLANS FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT. GEOFF DYER OF THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY SAYS THE PLANS PROVIDE A FIVE TO TEN YEAR STRATEGY FOR MOVING THE OIL CENTER INTO THE NEXT GENERATION. HE TELLS KLFY TV THAT IT WILL HELP DIVERSIFY THE ECONOMY WHILE CREATING MORE DESTINATIONS FOR PEOPLE TO GO.
THE LAKE CHARLES CITY COUNCIL HAS APPROVED THREE NEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DISTRICTS ALONG THE I-TEN CORRIDOR, THE LAKEFRONT AND ENTERPRISE BOULEVARD. IN THOSE DISTRICTS, THE CITY CAN IMPOSE AN ADDITIONAL ONE PERCENT SALES TAX THAT WOULD GO TOWARD ADDITIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THE GOAL IS TO GET TRAVELERS ON I-TEN TO STOP AND SPEND MONEY, HELPING THE AREA TO GROW. AROUND 85 THOUSAND VEHICLES TRAVEL THE I-TEN CORRIDOR EVERY DAY.
A RAYNE NEIGHBORHOOD IS HAVING TO DEAL WITH THE SMELL OF ROTTING FISH. THE FISH IN A POND INTHE COUNTRY LAKES SUBDIVISION ARE DYING FROM A LACK OF OXYGEN, WHICH IS BRINGING COMPLAINTS FROM RESIDENTS. MATTHEW REY OF THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION SAYS THEY ARE LOOKING AT GETTING A FOUNTAIN THAT WOULD CIRCULATE THE WATER, BUT IT IS EXPENSIVE AND NOT EVERYONE IS PAYING THEIR DUES. HE SAYS THEY ARE TRYING TO REARRANGE THE CURRENT BUDGET TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THE PURCHASE.
