8-20-21
The leader of Louisiana’s largest hospital system, Ochsner Health, said its facilities have delayed more than 1,160 surgeries and medical procedures across the system over the past week because the hospitals are swamped with COVID-19 patients. Ochsner Health CEO Warner Thomas said the hospitals had too few beds and health care staff amid recent record-breaking numbers of COVID-19 hospitalizations statewide. Louisiana’s daily statewide hospital count was 3,013 in numbers released Thursday. That was down by nine from the previous day. That’s the first time since Aug. 2 that the hospitalization numbers didn’t set a record, but the number remains far higher than it was during three previous coronavirus surges.
ON THURSDAY, THE GOVERNOR VISITED THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA LAFAYETTE CAMPUS TO TOUR THEIR COVID-NINETEEN VACCINATION SITE. SYLVIA MASTERS HAS MORE.
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NEW IBERIA POLICE HAVE RELEASED THE IDENTITY OF THE MAN WHO WAS SHOT AND KILLED WEDNESDAY NIGHT. FORTY-YEAR-OLD TOMMY BOLONEY SUFFERED ONE GUNSHOT WOUND AND DIED AFTER ATTEMPTS TO SAVE HIM. THE SHOOTING HAPPENED JUST AFTER EIGHT WEDNESDAY NIGHT ON ANDERSON STREET IN NEW IBERIA AND THE GUNMAN FLED THE SCENE. ANYONE WHO HAS INFORMATION ON THE SHOOTING IS ASKED TO CALL IBERIA CRIME STOPPERS AT THREE-SIX-FOUR-TIPS.
PARENTS AND STUDENTS SPOKE OUT LAST NIGHT AT THE JEFF DAVIS PARISH SCHOOL BOARD MEETING AGAINST THE MASK MANDATE. THEY ASKED THE BOARD TO VOTE ON WHETHER SCHOOLS SHOULD FOLLOW THE GOVERNOR’S MASK MANDATE, BUT THE BOARD REFUSED. THE SCHOOL BOARD SAID THE DECISION HAS BEEN TAKEN OUT OF THEIR HANDS BECAUSE THE GOVERNOR ISSUED THE STATEWIDE MANDATE. ONE UPSET PARENT TOLD KLFY TV THAT THE BOARD ACTED LIKE IT DIDN’T MATTER.
CLECO SAYS THEY WILL WORK WITH CUSTOMERS WHO NEED HELP WITH THEIR BILLS. MANY CUSTOMERS ARE NOTICING HIGHER BILLS DUE TO SEVERAL FACTORS INCLUDING LAST YEAR’S HURRICANES, THE ICE STORM IN FEBRUARY AND RISING FUEL COSTS. CLECO PRESIDENT SHANE HILTON SAYS THE HIGHER FUEL CHARGES FROM FEBRUARY WILL ROLL OFF BILLS IN APRIL OF NEXT YEAR AND THEY ARE CLOSING A POWER STATION IN MANSFIELD, WHICH WILL ALSO RESULT IN SAVINGS FOR CUSTOMERS. THOSE WHO NEED ASSISTANCE WITH THEIR BILLS CAN CALL CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-622-65-37.
LAFAYETTE POLICE RESPONDED TO A SHOOTING AT AROUND ELEVEN-THIRTY LAST NIGHT. WHEN THEY ARRIVED AT THE CORNER OF EAST SIMCOE AND HINES STREETS, THEY FOUND A GUNSHOT VICTIM. THE VICTIM’S INJURIES WERE NOT LIFE-THREATENING AND THE VICTIM HAS BEEN HOSPITALIZED. THE CASE REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION. POLICE HAVE NOT RELEASED ANY ADDITIONAL DETAILS.
THE SAINT LANDRY PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE ANNOUNCED THE ARREST OF A EUNICE MAN FOR TWO ALLEGED CHILD MOLESTATIONS AND THE ALLEGED RAPE OF A WOMAN. THE ARREST OF THIRTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD JACOB RANDEL MOON ON AUGUST TWELFTH CAME AFTER AN INVESTIGATION THAT BEGAN IN JUNE. THE CHILDREN WHO WERE ALLEGEDLY MOLESTED WERE UNDER THE AGE OF NINE. MOON FACES TWO COUNTS OF AGGRAVATED CRIMES AGAINST NATURE AND THIRD DEGREE RAPE AND HIS BOND WAS SET AT ONE HUNDRED FIVE THOUSAND.
THE HIGHWAY ONE EIGHTY-TWO BRIDGE IN BERWICK WAS REPAIRED YESTERDAY MORNING. THE CONCRETE BARRIER WAS DAMAGED LAST MONTH AFTER A SINGLE VEHICLE ACCIDENT. IT HAD LED TO THE CLOSURE OF THE BRIDGE FOR SEVERAL DAYS.
