6-30-17
FLOODING WAS A FACTOR YESTERDAY IN LAFAYETTE PARISH CAUSING NEARLY 20 VEHICLES TO STALL. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD TO RESCUE SEVERAL PEOPLE FROM THEIR VEHICLES. THE ENVIE SUBDIVISION IN CARENCRO FLOODED AGAIN, DESPITE NOT BEING IN A DESIGNATED FLOOD ZONE. YESTERDAY’S FLOOD BROUGHT WATER INTO GARAGES AND SOME CARS, BUT WASN’T CLOSE TO THE 2012 FLOOD THAT GOT INTO MANY HOMES.
PORTIONS OF CALCASIEU PARISH RECEIVED 8 TO 10 INCHES OF RAIN YESTERDAY CAUSING 20 HOMES TO FLOOD IN CARLYSS. ONE RESIDENT SAID HIS 40 YEAR OLD HOME NEVER FLOODED BEFORE THE AUGUST FLOOD LAST YEAR, AND YESTERDAY WAS THE 4TH TIME HE’S HAD WATER IN HIS HOME.
A MAN FROM LONGVILLE WAS HIT BY A CAR WHILE CHASING A DOG ON HWY 171 NEAR SOUTH BEAUREGARD HIGH SCHOOL YESTERDAY MORNING AROUND 10:30. HE WAS BROUGHT TO A LAKE CHARLES HOSPITAL AND IS RECOVERING WITH MODERATE INJURIES. THE DRIVER OF THE CAR WASN’T HURT OR TICKETED.
COREY KENNEDY, 37 OF GRETNA, WAS INDICTED OF FIRST DEGREE MURDER. KENNEDY IS CHARGED WITH KILLING MICHAEL TODD LEWIS, 50 OF OPELOUSAS IN APRIL. LEWIS’ BODY WAS FOUND AT THE ECONOMY INN MOTEL IN CARENCRO AND HIS VEHICLE WAS FOUND IN OPELOUSAS. KENNEDY IS BEING HELD WITHOUT BOND AT THE LAFAYETTE PARISH CORRECTIONAL CENTER.
JOSE ISRAEL AYALA III, 27 OF NEW LLANO, CASSANDRA WARD, 25 OF LEESVILLE, MATTHEW DAVID ANDREWS, 28 OF NEW LLANO AND ROBERT VINCENT WORTH, 25 OF LEESVILLE WERE SENTENCED YESTERDAY MORNING FOR THEIR PART IN KILLING JAMES STEPHENS. AYALA WAS SENTENCED TO 40 YEARS FOR MANSLAUGHTER, 40 YEARS FOR OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE AND AN ADDITIONAL 10 YEARS FOR ATTEMPTED AGGRAVATED ESCAPE WITH NO CHANCE FOR PAROLE. WARD WAS SENTENCED TO 30 YEARS FOR OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE, WITH NO CHANCE FOR PAROLE. ANDREWS WAS SENTENCED TO 12 AND HALF YEARS FOR OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE. AND WORTH WAS SENTENCED TO 5 YEARS FOR ACCESSORY AFTER THE FACT AND 7 YEARS FOR POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA WITH INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE. ALL FOUR WERE CONVICTED DESPITE THE GUN USED IN THE MURDER NEVER BEING FOUND. THE CASE BROKE WHEN WARD REVEALED INFORMATION ABOUT THE CRIME TO A FAMILY MEMBER, WHO THEN CONTACTED LOUISIANA STATE POLICE AND THE VERNON SHERIFF’S OFFICE. ANDREWS ALSO LATER CAME FORWARD AND LED POLICE TO WHERE STEPHENS’ BODY WAS BURIED.
A GRAND JURY INDICTED ELWOOD BILLIOT, 34 OF HOUMA, ON A FIRST DEGREE MURDER CHARGE FOR KILLING SIDNEY TOUCHET, 73 OF LAFAYETTE. TOUCHET’S BODY WAS FOUND DURING A HOUSE FIRE ON SUNSET DRIVE IN LAFAYETTE IN APRIL OF 2012. BILLIOT HAS BEEN IN THE DIXON STATE CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTE SINCE NOVEMBER AND IS BEING HELD WITHOUT BOND.
STATE SOLAR TAX CREDITS ARE BEING FINALLY ISSUED AFTER A 2015 ERROR TO OVER 1,200 LOUISIANA RESIDENTS. JULIE DARCY HAS MORE
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ACCORDING TO THE LOUISIANA WORKFORCE COMMISSION’S MONTHLY JOB REPORT, LAKE CHARLES LEADS THE STATE FOR THE 71ST CONSECUTIVE MONTH WITH AN OVER THE YEAR INCREASE OF JOBS. LAKE CHARLES GAINED MORE JOBS IN MAY, OVER MAY OF LAST YEAR, ADDING 1,500 JOBS IN MAY AND 5,400 FOR THE YEAR, A PERCENT INCREASE FOR THE YEAR. THE BIGGEST JOB GAINS IN LAKE CHARLES WERE IN THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR. THE SECOND BIGGEST GAINS WERE IN THE TRADE, TRANSPORTATION AND UTILITIES SECTOR. LOCAL LEADERS HAVE TRIED TO PROMOTE JOB DIVERSIFICATION, REALIZING THAT THE CONSTRUCTION JOBS ARE TEMPORARY, BY STARTING THE SEED CENTER BUSINESS INCUBATOR, WHICH IS WHERE THE WAITR APP STARTED.
