7-13-23
THE VERMILLION AND IBERIA PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICES ARE ASSISTING THE
U-S COAST GUARD IN THE SEARCH FOR A MISSING BOATER. FIFTY-THREE-YEAR-OLD MATT MONTZ SET OFF TUESDAY AFTERNOON FROM THE MAXIE PIERCE BOAT LAUNCH ON THE INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY BUT THE BOAT WAS LATER FOUND EMPTY NORTH OF CYPREMORT POINT IN VERMILLION BAY. MONTZ HAD SET OUT TO RETRIEVE CRAB BOATS IN VERMILLION BAY. AUTHORITIES SAY IT’S TOO EARLY TO DETERMINE IF THERE WAS FOUL PLAY.
THE AVERAGE SALE PRICE FOR NEWLY BUILT HOMES IN LAFAYETTE PARISH ARE ON THE RISE. ACCORDING TO DATA FROM BILL BACQUE OF MARKET SCOPE CONSULTING, THERE WERE 95 NEW BUILDS SOLD LAST MONTH FOR AN AVERAGE PRICE OF THREE HUNDRED FORTY-SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS, THE HIGHEST-MONTHLY AVERAGE IN THE PAST TWELVE MONTHS. THE HIGHER PRICES HAVE LED TO A SLOWDOWN IN ACTIVITY WITH FOUR HUNDRED FIFTY-THREE NEW BUILDS SO FAR COMPARED TO FIVE HUNDRED NINETY-SEVEN A YEAR AGO. OVERALL SALES YEAR-TO-DATE IN LAFAYETTE PARISH ARE DOWN TWENTY PERCENT BUT ONLY A NINE PERCENT DECREASE OUTSIDE THE PARISH.
JEFF DAVIS PARISH SUPERINTENDENT JOHN HALL SAYS THEY HAVE A NEED FOR MORE CERTIFIED TEACHERS. HE TELLS KLFY TV THAT THEIR PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT HAS DONE A GOOD JOB FILLING VACANCIES BUT TWENTY-FIVE TO THIRTY PERCENT OF THE TEACHERS ARE UNCERTIFIED. HALL SAYS THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND THE BOARD OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION HAVE COME UP WITH INCENTIVES FOR TEACHERS TO BECOME CERTIFIED. HE SAYS ONE THING THAT IS ATTRACTING TEACHERS ARE SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT HAVE FOUR DAY WORK WEEKS AND THE JEFF DAVIS PARISH SCHOOL BOARD IS CONSIDERING THAT.
LOUISIANA IS FLUSH WITH MONEY TO EXPAND BROADBAND ACCESS TO RURAL AREAS, BUT THE STATE WANTS MORE PEOPLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE AFFORDABLE CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM. SYLVIA MASTERS EXPLAINS.
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THE U-S ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND DEVELOPMENT AND THE PORT OF IBERIA ARE PARTNERING TOGETHER TO WIDEN AND DEEPEN THE PORT’S WATERWAY. THE PROJECT HAS BEEN IN THE MAKING FOR YEARS AND RECENTLY FEDERAL FUNDS WERE SECURED TO DO A VALIDATION REPORT OF THE ENTIRE PORT, WHICH WILL BE CONDUCTED OVER THE NEXT YEAR TO CONFIRM PROJECT COSTS AND BENEFITS. CORPS OF ENGINEERS SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER P-J VARNADO SAYS DEEPENING THE CHANNEL WILL ALLOW THE TYPES OF VESSELS IN THAT COULD TRANSPORT LARGER COMMODITIES. PORT OF IBERIA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CRAIG ROMERO TELLS KLFY TV THE CHANNEL PROJECT WILL CREATE MORE JOB OPPORTUNITES FOR LOCAL PEOPLE.
THE LAFAYETTE CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT IS NOW TAKING APPLICATIONS FOR THEIR ANNUAL GRANT PROGRAM THAT BENEFITS NONPROFIT AGENCIES. A PRESS RELEASE SAYS THAT FUNDS WILL SUPPORT THOSE AGENCIES THAT ENHANCE THE ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL WELFARE OF LAFAYETTE PARISH CITIZENS. THE GRANTS ARE FUNDED THROUGH THE CITY GENERAL FUND. THE WINDOW FOR AGENCIES TO APPLY FOR THE GRANTS IS NOW THROUGH AUGUST FOURTEENTH.
A POWER OUTAGE IS PLANNED BEGINNING TONIGHT IN PORTIONS OF WELSH. THE JEFF DAVIS PARISH OFFICE OF EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS ANNOUNCED THE OUTAGE WILL BEGIN AT TEN TONIGHT AND LAST UNTIL FOUR FRIDAY MORNING. THE AREAS AFFECTED ARE IN THE SOUTHEAST PORTION OF WELSH. NO REASON WAS GIVEN FOR THE PLANNED OUTAGE.
A RAYNE MAN WAS ARRESTED FOR INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR WITH TWO JUVENILES BETWEEN THE AGES OF TEN AND SIXTEEN. THE ACADIA PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE LAUNCHED AN INVESTIGATION JUNE TWENTY-EIGHTH, WHICH LED TO THE ARREST OF TWENTY-NINE-YEAR-OLD DUSTIN PRYOR ON FIVE COUNTS OF INDECENT BEHAVIOR WITH A JUVENILE AND ONE COUNT OF PORNOGRAPHY INVOLVING A JUVENILE. AUTHORITIES CONTINUED THEIR INVESTIGATION AND FOUND THERE WAS A SECOND VICTIM. NUMEROUS OTHER CHARGES AGAINST PRYOR WERE ADDED INCLUDING FIVE COUNTS OF FIRST-DEGREE RAPE.
