7-28-21
Louisiana’s health department has reported its second-highest total of new COVID-19 cases since early January. On Tuesday it also reported its highest hospitalization count since early February. The new figures come as state officials increasingly urge the public to get vaccinated as medical staffs again are stretched thin by the state’s fourth surge since the pandemic began. There were nearly sixty-four hundred new cases statewide in yesterday’s report, twenty more deaths, and hospitalizations are up to nearly fourteen hundred.
THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH RELEASED NEW GUIDELINES FOR INDOOR ACTIVITIES. CAROLINE MARCELLO HAS THE DETAILS.
VOICER X :29
YESTERDAY SAINT MARTIN PARISH PRESIDENT CHESTER CEDARS RELEASED A STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO THE CURRENT SURGE OF CASES AND LOW VACCINATION RATES. HERE’S CAROLINE MARCELLO AGAIN WITH MORE.
VOICER Y :18
THE ONLINE PUBLICATION, THE CURRENT, HAS FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE LAFAYETTE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT RELEASE THE LIST OF THIRTY-FIVE CANDIDATES TO BECOME THE NEXT PRESIDENT AND C-E-O. THE CURRENT IS ALSO SEEKING COURT COSTS, LEGAL FEES AND PENALTIES. THE CURRENT SENT AN EMAIL TO LEDA’S CO-FOUNDER CHAD CHANCELLOR AND CURRENT PRESIDENT AND C-E-O GREGG GOTHREAUX TO INFORM THEM ABOUT THE LAWS PERTAINING TO PUBLIC RECORDS IN LOUISIANA. CHANCELLOR ALLEGEDLY INVITED THE PUBLICATION TO SUE HIM, CLAIMING IT WOULD INCREASE THE RATINGS FOR HIS WEEKLY YOUTUBE SHOW.
LAKE CHARLES MAYOR NIC HUNTER SAYS TEN PERCENT OF THE CITY’S POPULATION IS DISPLACED, BECAUSE OF FOUR NATURAL DISASTERS THAT HAVE HIT THE AREA SINCE LAST AUGUST. TWENTY PERCENT OF THE PARISH POPULATION IS STILL UNABLE TO RETURN TO THEIR HOMES, ACCORDING TO CALCASIEU PARISH POLICE JURY PRESIDENT BRIAN ABSHIRE. HUNTER SAYS THEY’VE ONLY RECEIVED SIXTEEN MILLION DOLLARS FROM FEMA, WHICH IS NOT NEARLY ENOUGH. COMMUNITY LEADERS ARE URGENTLY PLEADING FOR FEDERAL LAW MAKERS AND REPRESENTATIVES TO HELP THEIR PEOPLE.
A CESSNA AIRPLANE CRASHED INTO FOURLEAGUE BAY SOUTH OF MORGAN CITY YESTERDAY SHORTLY AFTER EIGHT A-M. ONLY ONE PERSON WAS ON THE PLANE AND WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT OF MINOR INJURIES. A HELICOPTER CREW AND A SAINT MARY PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE BOAT CREW HOISTED THE PERSON FROM THE WATER. AN INVESTIGATION IS UNDERWAY TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE CRASH.
LAFAYETTE POLICE CHIEF THOMAS GLOVER SENIOR ISSUED A MEMO YESTERDAY DIRECTING HIS OFFICERS TO ENFORCE LAWS RESTRICTING PANHANDLING WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS. HE SAYS IN THE MEMO THAT OFFICERS WHO SEE PANHANDLING WHILE TAKING A CALL SHOULD CALL THE WATCH OFFICE WHICH WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING PROPER RESPONSE TO THE PANHANDLING. GLOVER CONCLUDED THE MEMO BY INFORMING POLICE OFFICERS THAT VIOLATIONS OF THE DIRECTIVE WILL RESULT IN PROPER DISCIPLINE. SOME ON SOCIAL MEDIA HAVE QUESTIONED THE TIMING OF THE MEMO ESPECIALLY WITH THE RECENT VIOLENT CRIMES, BUT GLOVER TELLS KATC TV THE DEPARTMENT IS NOT LIMITED IN ITS ABILITY TO ADDRESS OTHER VIOLATIONS OF THE LAW.
OPELOUSAS POLICE HAVE MADE AN ARREST IN CONNECTION WITH A SHOOTING LAST MONTH AT NORTH CITY PARK. POLICE LEARNED THE SHOOTING WAS BETWEEN OPPOSING GROUPS THAT HAD AN UNSETTLED DISPUTE. LITTLE CHILDREN WERE IN THE PARK AT THE TIME OF THE SHOOTING THOUGH NO ONE WAS INJURED. ONE OF THE SUSPECTS, NINETEEN-YEAR-OLD JOHN MORRIS LAMB JUNIOR, WAS ARRESTED AT A RESIDENCE ON INA CLAIRE DRIVE, AND HE’S BEEN CHARGED WITH TERRORIZING, ILLEGAL USE OF WEAPONS AND POSSESSION OF A FIREARM IN A FIREARM FREE ZONE.
