6-5-23
A HENDERSON WOMAN WAS KILLED IN A SINGLE VEHICLE CRASH THAT HAPPENED SHORTLY BEFORE TWELVE-THIRTY A-M SATURDAY. FIFTY-FIVE-YEAR-OLD MELISSA DEJEAN WAS TRAVELING NORTH ON HIGHWAY SEVENTY-ONE NORTH OF LEBEAU WHEN, FOR REASONS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION, SHE WENT OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD. SHE STRUCK AN EMBANKMENT AND HER VEHICLE OVERTURNED. DEJEAN, WHO WASN’T RESTRAINED, WAS EJECTED FROM THE VEHICLE, AND SHE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE.
A STUDY RELEASED LAST WEEK BY U-L LAFAYETTE SHOWS THE UNIVERSITY HAD A STATEWIDE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF TWO-POINT-SEVEN BILLION DOLLARS STATEWIDE IN THE LAST FISCAL YEAR. THE STUDY, CONDUCTED BY THE GLOBAL CONSULTING FIRM LIGHTCAST, FOUND THAT ONE IN SEVENTY-EIGHT JOBS IN THE STATE ARE SUPPORTED BY THE ACTIVITY OF U-L LAFAYETTE AND ITS STUDENTS. IN ACADIANA, THE ECONOMIC IMPACT WAS ONE-POINT-SEVEN BILLION AND IT SUPPORTED ONE IN EVERY FIFTEEN JOBS. U-L PRESIDENT JOSEPH SAVOIE, WHO COMMISSIONED THE STUDY, SAYS IT UNDERSCORES THE UNIVERSITY’S STATUS AS A POWERFUL, VITAL ENGINE FOR ECONOMIC AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
Louisiana lawmakers are adding teeth to a recently enacted law that requires pornography websites verify users are at least 18 years old. The Senate gave unanimous final passage to a bill Saturday that would allow the Louisiana attorney general to investigate and fine — up to $5,000 a day — pornographic websites that do not comply with the age verification law. The bill says for entities that “knowingly failed” to follow the law, they face an additional civil penalty of $10,000 per violation. The bill will now be sent to Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards, who is expected to sign it into law.
An evacuation order has been lifted for residents near a southwest Louisiana refining company where lightning is believed to have sparked a fire at a chemical storage tank. The fire at a Lake Charles refinery started Saturday afternoon as a storm moved through. Louisiana State Police said it was extinguished early Sunday. The tank contained the volatile chemical naphtha.
OPELOUSAS POLICE HAVE MADE A SECOND ARREST IN CONNECTION WITH A SHOOTING LAST WEDNESDAY NEAR CANE AND SOUTH STREETS. TWENTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD TEVIN HUBBARD WAS THE SUSPECT WHO WAS ARRESTED. HE AND THIRTY-YEAR-OLD KENNIE “MICHIGAN” BELVIN BOTH FACE CHARGES OF ILLEGAL USE OF A WEAPON. THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE SHOOTING IS CONTINUING.
DANIELLE DUNCAN HAS AN UPDATE ON AN OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING IN ACADIA PARISH THAT HAPPENED ON MAY 19TH.
VOICER Q :40
The chairman of Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority is resigning, effective July 3. WBRZ-TV reports Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Chairman Chip Kline’s resignation on Wednesday. The governor named Bren Haase to serve as chair of CPRA. Haase had served as the agency’s executive director.
THE GROUP CITIZENS AGAINST BLIGHT IS PARTNERING WITH CROWLEY CITY OFFICIALS AND VOLUNTEERS TO ELIMINATE NEGLECTED BUILDINGS IN THE CITY. CHAIRWOMAN EMILY STOMA SAYS THEY’VE PICKED UP FIVE HUNDRED EIGHTY BLIGHTED PROPERTIES AND, IN TWO-AND-A-HALF YEARS, ADDRESSED ONE HUNDRED FORTY. STOMA TELLS KATC TV THEIR GOAL IS TO HELP CROWLEY THRIVE, ATTRACTING MORE PEOPLE AND BUSINESSES. SHE SAYS BLIGHTED PROPERTIES LEAD TO EVERYTHING BAD IN A CITY, INCLUDING DRUG ABUSE AND PROSTITUTION.
