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EXTERRAN IS GOING TO BE SHUTTING DOWN A PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING PLANT IN BROUSSARD. EXTERRAN EMPLOYS ABOUT SIXTY PEOPLE AT THE FACILITY. THE COMPANY NOTIFIED THE LOUISIANA WORKFORCE COMMISSION THAT THEY WILL LAY OFF 46 EMPLOYEES ON AUGUST 28TH, WITH SUBSEQUENT LAYOFFS IN NOVEMBER OR DECEMBER. COMPANY SPOKESWOMAN SUSAN MOORE SAYS EXTERRAN HAS THREE OTHER SITES IN BROUSSARD THAT WILL NOT BE AFFECTED BY THE LAYOFFS.
A JENNINGS MAN AGREED TO A PLEA DEAL IN THE SHOOTING DEATH OF RUSTON REED ON DECEMBER 31ST, 2013, WHOSE BODY WAS DUMPED ALONG RACCA ROAD. 22-YEAR-OLD KEEGAN DREW REON PLED GUILTY TO MANSLAUGHTER AND OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE. ON SEPTEMBER 28TH, REON WILL BE SENTENCED TO THE MAXIMUM OF TWENTY YEARS FOR THE MANSLAUGHTER CHARGE AND TEN YEARS FOR OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE. ANOTHER MAN ACCUSED IN THE KILLING OF REED, 23-YEAR-OLD JULES PATRICK BATISTE, PLED GUILTY ON FRIDAY TO OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE, AND HE WILL RECEIVE A TEN YEAR SENTENCE ON AUGUST 17TH.
THREE PEOPLE WERE SHOT AND KILLED LAST NIGHT IN BREAUX BRIDGE AND A FOURTH PERSON WAS CRITICALLY WOUNDED. KATC TV SAYS THE DECEASED ARE 58-YEAR-OLD CLIFTON BLANCHARD, A FORMER ST. MARTIN PARISH PARISH CORRECTIONS OFFICER, 72-YEAR-OLD LEOLA BLANCHARD, AND THREE-YEAR-OLD ASHLYNN BLANCHARD. INVESTIGATORS SAY THE SHOOTING IS DOMESTIC AND THEY ARE NOT LOOKING FOR A SUSPECT. THE BODIES WERE DISCOVERED BY ST. MARTIN PARISH SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES, WHO WERE RESPONDING TO A DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE CALL ON LA RUE ANGELLE SHORTLY BEFORE EIGHT
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Gov. Bobby Jindal isn’t seeking to have the Confederate battle flag stripped from a Louisiana-issued license plate for the Sons of Confederate Veterans. While governors in some Southern states are suggesting redesigns or an outright end to the issuance of similar specialty plates, Jindal didn’t join them Tuesday. The Republican governor, expected to announce his presidential bid today, said in a statement: “Certainly it’s possible that the Legislature will look at this issue next time they are in session. But the bottom line is that states need to decide these issues.”
THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM MAY HAVE FOUND A TENANT FOR PROPERTY AT THE CORNER OF RIDGE ROAD AND AMBASSADOR CAFFERY, WHERE A GAS STATION HAS SAT VACANT FOR SEVEN YEARS. THE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT AND BOARD PRESIDENT ARE NEGOTIATING A LEASE AGREEMENT WITH DON’S WHOLESALE AUTOMOTIVE GROUP. IF ACCEPTED BY BOTH GROUPS, THE LEASE WOULD GENERATE 66 THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM FOR EACH OF THE FIRST TWO YEARS, AND THEN INCREASE INCREMENTALLY IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS. THE SCHOOL SYSTEM’S FINANCE DIRECTOR SAYS DON’S WHOLESALE IS REVIEWING THE CONTRACT.
LAST NIGHT THE LAKE CHARLES CITY COUNCIL LEARNED DETAILS ABOUT A PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR THE OLD HARRAH’S PROPERTY, WHICH HAS BEEN VACANT FOR YEARS. THE PLAN, PRESENTED BY STEVE OUBRE OF ARCHITECTS SOUTHWEST, WOULD INCLUDE COMMERCIAL AND RETAIL PROPERTIES AS WELL AS RESIDENTIAL HOUSING. COUNCILMAN RODNEY GEYEN SAID IT IS SOMETHING THAT COULD JUMP START LAKE CHARLES TO A LEVEL THEY CAN’T IMAGINE. THE COUNCIL COULD CONSIDER A RESOLUTION FOR THE PLAN AT THEIR JULY FIRST MEETING.
A TWO-YEAR-OLD BOY DIED MONDAY NIGHT AS THE RESULT OF A SINGLE CAR CRASH IN ACADIA PARISH. JULIE DARCE HAS MORE.
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Louisiana’s next scheduled execution has been stalled for at least another year.
U.S. District Judge James Brady agreed Tuesday to the state’s request to delay a trial about the constitutionality of Louisiana’s execution protocol. A new status conference in the lawsuit was set for July 11, 2016, to set a trial date. The state’s method of lethal injection has changed as the drugs used in executions have become more difficult to acquire.
