8-17-15
ONE PERSON WAS KILLED IN A SINGLE VEHICLE CRASH ALONG WEST BAYOU PARKWAY IN LAFAYETTE. THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED AT AROUND THREE A-M SUNDAY. 29-YEAR-OLD SAMUEL B. HUDSPETH WAS TRAVELING NORTH WHEN, FOR UNKNOWN REASONS, HE LEFT THE ROADWAY NEAR THE DOUCET INTERSECTION AND FLIPPED THE VEHICLE. HUDSPETH WAS EJECTED AND WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL, WHERE HE LATER DIED.
CALCASIEU PARISH SHERIFF TONY MANCUSO SAYS A SEARCH BY DEPUTIES ALONG WITH MEMBERS OF THE F-B-I AND DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY BENEATH THE I-TEN BRIDGE IN LAKE CHARLES HAS BEEN CALLED OFF. THEY WERE SEARCHING FOR THE REMAINS OF A RAPE VICTIM, WHO WAS ALLEGEDLY KILLED IN MARCH OF LAST YEAR. MANCUSO SAYS 35-YEAR-OLD GAMMION MCCLOUD OF PHOENIX, ARIZONA IS ACCUSED OF RAPING AND TORTURING HIS DOMESTIC PARTNER AT A LOCAL HOTEL OVER AN 18 DAY PERIOD IN MARCH OF 2014. MCCLOUD’S IN JAIL AND HIS BOND HAS BEEN SET AT ONE-POINT-2-5 MILLION DOLLARS.
THE ABBEVILLE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS INVESTIGATING TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF A FIRE THAT DESTROYED A HOME THURSDAY NIGHT. NO ONE WAS AT HOME WHEN THE FIRE STARTED AT THE HOUSE, LOCATED IN THE 16-HUNDRED BLOCK OF GRACELAND AVENUE. IT TOOK FIREFIGHTERS ABOUT 20 MINUTES TO GET THE FIRE UNDER CONTROL. PATHRINA PETRY OWNED THE HOME AND TWO CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN ALSO LIVED THERE.
Louisiana’s education department is sharing in more than $16 million that the U.S. Department of Education is providing to develop leaders who can improve low-performing schools. A news release from the federal department says Louisiana’s department is getting $2.2 million. The rest is being divided among seven programs in six other states. The grants are aimed at developing what the U.S. department calls a “leadership pipeline” that selects, prepares, places, supports and retains school leaders or leadership teams at low-performing schools.
THE MOST STATE HIGHWAY TRAFFIC DEATHS SO FAR THIS YEAR HAVE OCCURRED IN LAFAYETTE PARISH. SO FAR, THERE HAVE BEEN 18 FATALITIES ON LAFAYETTE PARISH HIGHWAYS THIS YEAR, WHICH IS MORE THAN TWICE THE RATE OF ANY OTHER PARISH IN THE STATE. THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND DEVELOPMENT WILL HOPEFULLY HELP REDUCE THE RATE BY INSTALLING A CABLE BARRIER ALONG I-TEN IN LAFAYETTE AND ACADIA PARISH, DESIGNED TO KEEP VEHICLES FROM DRIFTING INTO THE MEDIAN. INSTALLATION OF THE BARRIER IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN NEXT SPRING.
A VIDEO OF AN IOWA FIREFIGHTER DURING A TRAINING EXERCISE HAS GONE VIRAL. AFTER TWO ATTEMPTS AND ENCOURAGEMENT FROM FELLOW FIREFIGHTERS, SONNY COFFEY, WHO IS 325 POUNDS, WAS ABLE TO GET THROUGH A SMALL TWELVE BY 16 INCH OPENING. THE VIDEO WAS UPLOADED ONTO FACEBOOK AND HAS NOW BEEN VIEWED MORE THAN 150 THOUSAND TIMES. COFFEY TELLS KPLC TV THAT IF YOU GET ACCURATE TRAINING AND PUSH YOURSELF, YOU CAN GO A LOT FARTHER WITH YOURSELF.
IT’S BEEN A VERY DIFFICULT COUPLE OF YEARS FOR KEISHA LEVIER OF OPELOUSAS. JEFF HORCHEK EXPLAINS.
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LSU agriculture experts estimate that the yield from this year’s rice harvest in south Louisiana will be down 10 to 15 percent from last year. A news release on the rice crop from the LSU AgCenter says the harvest is just getting under way in north Louisiana but hot, dry weather could affect grain quality in that part of the state.
Steve Linscombe, director of the LSU AgCenter Rice Research Station and Dustin Harrell, an AgCenter rice specialist, both listed heavy rainfall from March until May, and frequent overcast skies as major reasons for lower yields. Disease was also a factor in lower yields.
