7-12-19
LAFAYETTE PARISH DECLARED A STATE OF EMERGENCY THURSDAY EVENING IN PREPARATION FOR BARRY. MEGAN KELLY HAS MORE.
VOICER T :16
ACADIA PARISH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS OFFICIALS AND RESIDENTS ARE PREPARING FOR THE STORM. HERE’S MEGAN KELLY AGAIN TO EXPLAIN.
VOICER U :24
President Donald Trump has put out a federal declaration of emergency for Louisiana ahead of Tropical Storm Barry’s expected landfall early Saturday along the state’s coast. The declaration late Thursday authorizes the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency, to coordinate all disaster relief efforts. Gov. John Bel Edwards had asked the Trump administration in a letter that the state receive supplementary federal resources as soon as possible should they be needed.
GOVERNOR EDWARDS WILL BE MEETING WITH HIS UNIFIED COMMAND GROUP AT ELEVEN THIS MORNING. THEY WILL BE DISCUSSING THE LATEST ON THE STORM AND THE STATE’S PREPARATION EFFORTS. THE MEETING IS CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC . EDWARDS WILL BE HOLDING A PRESS CONFERENCE AT 12:30 THIS AFTERNOON.
ALL LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM FACILITIES ARE CLOSED TODAY DUE TO THE THREAT OF TROPICAL STORM BARRY. ALL SUMMER PROGRAMS ARE CANCELED INCLUDING THE SUMMER FEEDING PROGRAM. ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL ARE NOT REQUIRED TO REPORT TO WORK BUT SHOULD BE ON STANDBY. IBERIA PARISH SUMMER SCHOOL IS CLOSED TODAY AND THE SCHOOL BOARD OFFICE BUILDINGS WILL ALSO BE SHUT DOWN.
TESTIMONY IN THE MURDER TRIAL OF KEVIN DAIGLE, WHO SHOT AND KILLED A STATE TROOPER IN CALCASIEU PARISH, CONTINUES TODAY IN LAFAYETTE. DAIGLE HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF FIRST DEGREE MURDER, BUT THE JURY MUST DETERMINE HIS SENTENCE OF EITHER LIFE IN PRISON OR THE DEATH PENALTY. IF THE TRIAL CONTINUES INTO SATURDAY, IT WILL BE MOVED TO LAKE CHARLES BECAUSE OF TROPICAL STORM BARRY. DAIGLE SHOT AND KILLED TROOPER STEVEN VINCENT IN 2015 WHEN VINCENT STOPPED TO HELP DAIGLE, WHOSE VEHICLE WAS STUCK IN A DITCH.
STUDIES ARE UNDERWAY TO DETERMINE THE POSSIBLE IMPACT ON DREDGING THE VERMILLION RIVER. THE RIVER HAS NOT BEEN DREDGED IN SIXTY YEARS AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ALLOCATED 240 THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THE STUDY. PROPONENTS OF DREDING SAY IT WILL ALLOW THE VERMILLION RIVER TO HANDLE MORE RAINWATERS, REDUCING THE POSSIBLITY OF FLOODING, AND INCREASE THE CAPACITY FOR BOAT TRAFFIC. OPPONENTS ARE CONCERNED THAT IT WOULD LEAD TO SALT WATER INTRUSION INTO THE RIVER FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO.
A LAKE CHARLES MAN WAS ARRESTED FOR FAILING TO REGISTER AS A SEX OFFENDER ON EIGHT DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. DETECTIVES WITH THE CALCASIEU PARISH SEX OFFENDER UNIT DISCOVERED THE VIOLATIONS BY FREDERICK A. LEMIEUX. HE ALSO WAS FOUND TO HAVE FAILED TO ACQUIRE A SEX OFFENDER REGISTRATION CARD AND PAY HIS ANNUAL FEES. LEMIEUX WAS BOOKED INTO THE CALCASIEU CORRECTIONAL CENTER ON NINE COUNTS OF FAILURE TO REGISTER AS A SEX OFFENDER AND HIS BOND WAS SET AT 450 THOUSAND DOLLARS.
