7-14-15
A CITIZEN’S COMMITTEE IS CONSIDERING RECOMMENDING TO THE LAFAYETTE CITY PARISH COUNCIL THAT THEY ASK VOTERS TO APPROVE A NEW, TEMPORARY SALES TAX OR INCREASED PROPERTY TAXES. THE FUTURE NEEDS FUNDING SOURCES COMMITTEE BELIEVES THE NEW TAXES ARE NEEDED TO FUND ROAD AND BRIDGE PROJECTS. BUT THE COMMITTEE IS STRUGGLING WITH WAYS TO CONVINCE VOTERS OF THE CRITICAL NEEDS. PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR KEVIN BLANCHARD SAYS THEY MAY HAVE TO REVERT TO GRAVEL FOR SOME PARISH ROADS, AND SOME STAFFERS IN HIS DEPARTMENT ARE CONSIDERING CLOSING FOUR BRIDGES BEGINNING NOVEMBER FIRST, BECAUSE THERE IS NOT ENOUGH MONEY TO REPAIR THEM.
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE SCIENTISTS ARE PREDICTING AN ONGOING AND STRENGTHENING EL NINO SYSTEM FOR THE REMAINDER OF THIS YEAR, AND INTO NEXT SPRING. METEOROLOGIST DONALD JONES OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN LAKE CHARLES TELLS THE AMERICAN PRESS EL NINO’S TEND TO INHIBIT CYCLONE GROWTH, WHICH IS WHY THEY PREDICTED A LOWER THAN AVERAGE HURRICANE SEASON. HE SAYS THE EL NINO SYSTEM WOULD LIKELY PRODUCE A WINTER THAT WOULD BE MORE LIKE ONE YOU WOULD EXPECT IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON. HE SAYS THERE WILL BE MORE RAINFALL, BUT IT WILL BE SPREAD OUT.
WORK ON A NEW SOUTH LOUISIANA COMMUNITY COLLEGE CAMPUS IN ST. MARTINVILLE IS BEHIND SCHEDULE. THE COLLEGE BROKE GROUND FOR THE NEW 9-POINT-2 MILLION DOLLAR CAMPUS LAST NOVEMBER, WHICH IS LOCATED ACROSS FROM THEIR CURRENT BUILDING ON L-A 31. THE COLLEGE’S COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING DIRECTOR, CHRISTINE PAYTON, SAYS HEAVY RAINS DURING THE SPRING SLOWED CONSTRUCTION, WHICH IS NOW EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY NEXT JUNE. SHE SAYS CREWS ARE CURRENTLY PREPARING THE SITE FOR FOUNDATION WORK.
Retired state workers and public school teachers are trying to salvage a small increase in their pension checks. They are urging state lawmakers to hold a veto session, to override Gov. Bobby Jindal’s rejection of the retirement hike. But the idea is a long-shot. Lawmakers have never held a veto session under the current constitution, and it only takes a majority vote of either the House or Senate to scrap the session.
THE LAFAYETTE PUBLIC TRUST FINANCING AUTHORITY HAS AGREED TO SELL THE FORMER GREYHOUND TERMINAL TO FESTIVAL INTERNATIONALE. JULIE DARCE HAS MORE.
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TWO PEOPLE ARE DEAD BECAUSE OF AN ACCIDENT ON INTERSTATE TEN NEAR THE LACASSINE EXIT. INVESTIGATORS WITH STATE POLICE TROOP D SAY THE RIGHT REAR TIRE ON AN EASTBOUND PICKUP TRUCK DEFLATED, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL AND HEAD INTO THE MEDIAN. THE TRUCK ROTATED COUNTERCLOCKWISE AND ROLLED OVER. THE TWO PASSENGERS IN THE REAR, WHO WERE UNRESTRAINED, WERE EJECTED. ONE DIED AT THE SCENE AND THE OTHER DIED LATER AT THE HOSPITAL.
ST. MARY PARISH SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES ARRESTED AN AMELIA MAN SATURDAY FOR HAVING RELATIONS WITH AN UNDERAGE RUNAWAY GIRL FROM OKLAHOMA. ACCORDING TO A SHERIFF’S OFFICE PRESS RELEASE, 23-YEAR-OLD CHRIS TURNER JUNIOR MET THE GIRL ON FACEBOOK, WHERE SHE ALLEGEDLY LIED ABOUT HER AGE, AND HE HELPED HER GET TO HIS HOME IN AMELIA. THE GIRL WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY BY THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE AND THEN HANDED OVER TO THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES. TURNER WAS RELEASED FROM THE ST. MARY PARISH JAIL YESTERDAY AFTERNOON IN LIEU OF A RECOGNIZANCE BOND.
A study by the LSU AgCenter finds feral hogs have caused at least $30 million in damage to crops on Louisiana farms in 2013. AgCenter economist Shaun Tanger has been gathering data for more than a year from Louisiana farmers about hog activity and damage, which ranges from rooting up and eating crops to damaging farm equipment. The hogs can also spread fatal diseases to wildlife and livestock.
The study, released Monday, finds the 2013 Louisiana soybean crop suffered more than $9 million worth of hog damage.
