6-6-19
Plans for opening a Mississippi River spillway in Louisiana have been cut back dramatically because the river is rising more slowly than expected. The Army Corps of Engineers says it plans to release 20 percent of the water originally planned through the Morganza Spillway. Its opening is scheduled Sunday.
Spokesman Ricky Boyett says crews will release about 30,000 cubic feet per second.
THE CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE IS ENFORCING A PARISHWIDE CURFEW FOR MINORS. THEY’VE SEEN AN INCREASE IN CRIME SINCE SCHOOL GOT OUT, ESPECIALLY IN VEHICLE BURGLARIES. COMMANDER GENE PITTMAN TELLS KPLC TV THAT, WHEN JUVENILES ARE OUT AFTER CURFEW, THEY ARE LIKELY UP TO NO GOOD. THE CURFEW IS FROM ELEVEN P-M TO FIVE A-M FOR THOSE UNDER 16 YEARS OLD, BUT IT DOESN’T START UNTIL MIDNIGHT ON WEEKENDS.
THE PARK PLACE MEDICAL CENTER IN THE OIL CENTER, WHICH HAS BEEN VACANT FOR MORE THAN NINE YEARS, HAS BEEN BOUGHT BY TWO DOCTORS. DR. DAVID ALLIE OF THE LOUISIANA CARDIOVASCULAR AND LIMB SALVAGE CENTER AND DR. RAGHOTHAM PATLOLA BOUGHT THE BUILDING FROM OUR LADY OF LOURDES AT A COST OF FOUR-POINT-ONE MILLION DOLLARS. IT’S EXPECTED TO TAKE ABOUT NINE MONTHS TO TRANSFORM THE BUILDING INTO A SPECIALTY MEDICAL CENTER. IT WILL BECOME A ONE STOP SHOP FOR OUTPATIENT CORONORY, VASCULAR, LIMB DISEASE AND WOUND CARE AND WILL ALSO HAVE OUTPATIENT ACUTE SURGERY.
Louisiana lawmakers entered the final two days of their legislative session with disputes raging about sports betting and minor skirmishes about next year’s budget needing resolution. The 60-day session must end today by 6 p.m. Negotiations continued behind the scenes Wednesday between the House and Senate about a final version of next year’s $30 billion-plus state operating budget. But the largest disagreement, over public school financing, was resolved days ago, promising teachers a $1,000 pay raise and districts new discretionary money for operations.
Louisiana voters will decide whether to rewrite the state constitution to ensure it doesn’t offer protections for abortion rights, but not until the November 2020 presidential election. A 79-20 House vote and 33-5 Senate vote Wednesday gave final passage to the legislation , after the Democratic sponsor changed the ballot date. Rep. Katrina Jackson says more voters turn out for presidential elections. Republicans wanted it on the October ballot with the governor’s race.
THERE WAS A FIRE OVERNIGHT IN KAPLAN. GERALD GRUENIG HAS MORE.
VOICER P :16
THE SULPHUR POLICE DEPARTMENT YESTERDAY RECOGNIZED PARAMEDICS AND E-M-T’S WITH ACADIAN AMBULANCE FOR THEIR EXCELLENT WORK TREATING INJURED OFFICERS AFTER AN ACCIDENT. ONE SULPHUR OFFICER AND TWO CALCASIEU PARISH DEPUTIES WERE INJURED IN A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT LAST MONTH WHILE HELPING WITH PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S MOTORCADE. SULPHUR POLICE OFFICER A-J POWELL SAYS THE RESPONSE FROM ACADIAN AMBULANCE WAS “SECOND TO NONE.” EIGHT E-M-T’S AND PARAMEDICS RECEIVED CERTIFICATES OF COMMENDATION AND CHALLENGE COINS FOR THEIR WORK.
AN ALLIGATOR WAS SEEN YESTERDAY WANDERING INSIDE AND AROUND THE NORTHGATE APARTMENT COMPLEX ON NORTH AVENUE I IN CROWLEY. IT APPEARED TO BE ABOUT SEVEN FEET LONG. THE CROWLEY POLICE DEPARTMENT SAYS THE DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES TRAPPED THE GATOR, WHICH WILL BE RELEASED BACK INTO THE WILD. IT’S NOT CLEAR IF THE GATOR ENDED UP AT THE APARTMENT COMPLEX BECAUSE OF THE HEAVY RAINS.
