7-27-21
CASES OF COVID-NINETEEN CONTINUE TO SURGE ACROSS THE STATE. CAROLINE MARCELLO HAS THE DETAILS.
VOICER V :32
COVID HOSPITALIZATIONS ARE CLIMBING BECAUSE OF THE DELTA VARIANT. HERE’S CAROLINE MARCELLO AGAIN WITH MORE.
VOICER W :28
OUR LADY OF LOURDES REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER AND OCHSNER LAFAYETTE GENERAL HAVE ACTIVATED THEIR SURGE PLANS TO MAKE ACCOMODATIONS FOR A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN COVID-NINETEEN HOSPITALIZATIONS. PATRICIA THOMPSON OF OCHSNER LAFAYETTE GENERAL SAYS THEY’VE SEEN A FOUR HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT INCREASE IN COVID HOSPITALIZATIONS OVER THE LAST THREE WEEKS. THOUGH SHE CALLS THE NUMBERS ALARMING, THOMPSON SAYS THEY HAVE THE STAFF AND SPACE TO ACCOMMODATE THE SURGE. ELIZABETH ARNOLD SAYS THEY HAD FIFTY-SEVEN COVID HOSPITALIZATIONS YESTERDAY MORNING, UP FROM SINGLE DIGITS ONE MONTH AGO, AND THEY ARE EVALUATING THEIR NEXT STEPS.
ELECTED OFFICIALS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS IN LAKE CHARLES ARE PLANNING A NEWS CONFERENCE TODAY TO DISCUSS HURRICANE RELIEF. THE CITY HAS BEEN THE VICTIM OF FOUR FEDERALLY DECLARED NATURAL DISASTERS OVER THE PAST TEN MONTHS. MAYOR NIC HUNTER SAYS THERE HAS BEEN A LACK OF URGENCY FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE. HE SAYS THE MOST EFFICIENT AND QUICKEST WAY TO GET THE ASSISTANCE IS FOR THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO MAKE A REQUEST OF CONGRESS, AND HE’S HOPEFUL THEY WILL DO THAT.
State education leaders cite multiple possible factors behind the high employee turnover at Louisiana’s Department of Education. The Advocate reports that in April, May and June a total of 43 of 529 employees left the department. State Superintendent Cade Brumley has been on the job a little over a year. The president of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, Sandy Holloway, says the turnover is likely part of natural attrition when an agency’s leadership changes.
THE FRANKLIN WOMAN, WHO WAS SET ON FIRE TWO WEEKS AGO BY HER BOYFRIEND AND DIED OVER THE WEEKEND, HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED BY THE SAINT MARY PARISH CORONER’S OFFICE AS FIFTY-FIVE-YEAR-OLD STEPHANIE JOSEPH. THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL’S OFFICE SAYS THE ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGE AGAINST DERWIN HAMILTON IS EXPECTED TO BE UPGRADED TO MURDER. HAMILTON ALSO FACES A MURDER CHARGE FOR THE DEATH OF HIS NEPHEW, FIVE-YEAR-OLD JOSHUA HAMILTON, WHO ALSO DIED IN THE MOBILE HOME FIRE ON NORTH PRAIRIE STREET IN FRANKLIN. JOSEPH WAS REMEMBERED BY FRIENDS AND FAMILY AS A GIVING PERSON, HAVING WORKED AT THE ZION COMMUNITY OUTREACH CENTER FOODBANK, ORGANIZING PARTIES FOR THE COMMUNITY AND HAVING OVER A DOZEN GODCHILDREN.
CARENCRO POLICE HAVE RELEASED THE IDENTITY OF THE PERSON WHO WAS THE VICTIM OF A DRIVE BY SHOOTING SUNDAY AFTERNOON AT THE WALGREENS ON WEST GLORIA SWITCH ROAD. POLICE CHIEF DAVID ANDERSON SAYS TWENTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD VONTRE BROUSSARD OF LAFAYETTE WAS SHOT AS HE WAS GETTING OUT OF HIS VEHICLE TO GO IN THE STORE. THE SUSPECT IN THE SHOOTING HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS NINETEEN-YEAR-OLD KENDALL LEOPAUL. ANYONE KNOWING THE WHEREABOUTS OF LEOPAUL ARE ASKED TO CALL CARENCRO POLICE OR TWO-THREE-TWO-TIPS.
THERE WAS A SHOOTING LAST NIGHT ON SAINT JOSEPH STREET IN NEW IBERIA. POLICE RESPONDED TO REPORTS OF SHOTS FIRED IN THE FIFTEEN HUNDRED BLOCK OF SAINT JOSEPH STREET JUST AFTER ELEVEN P-M. THERE WAS ONE VICTIM WHO WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL. HIS CONDITION HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED.
