8-6-21
RISING COVID-NINETEEN CASES ARE CAUSING HOSPITAL RESOURCES TO STRETCH THIN. SYLVIA MASTERS HAS MORE.
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HERE’S SYLVIA MASTERS AGAIN WITH THE LATEST COVID-NINETEEN NUMBERS FOR LOUISIANA.
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ON WEDNESDAY, THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED A PANDEMIC REOPENING PLAN FOR SCHOOLS THAT INCLUDES A MASK MANDATE. IT ALSO REQUIRES TWICE DAILY CLEANING OF HIGH TRAFFIC SURFACES AND THE ONLY VISITORS ALLOWED ON CAMPUS ARE THOSE CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL. MANY PARENTS AND EDUCATORS SPOKE OUT AGAINST AND FOR THE MASK MANDATE. LAFAYETTE SCHOOLS OPEN TO STUDENTS BEGINNING THURSDAY.
LAKE CHARLES CONTINUES TO RECOVER FROM FOUR FEDERALLY DECLARED WEATHER DISASTERS OVER THE PAST TEN MONTHS, WHICH, ACCORDING TO MAYOR NIC HUNTER, HAS HAPPENED TO NO OTHER CITY IN AMERICAN HISTORY. NINETY-FIVE PERCENT OF ALL STRUCTURES WERE DAMAGED AND TEN THOUSAND PEOPLE WERE DISPLACED. NEARLY EIGHT HUNDRED BUSINESSES IN LAKE CHARLES DID NOT RENEW THEIR BUSINESS LICENSES. THIS WEEK THE U-S SENATE REJECTED AN AMENDMENT TO AN INFRASTRUCTURE BILL THAT WOULD HAVE HELPED PROVIDE AROUND ONE BILLION DOLLARS IN RECOVERY FUNDS FOR THE CITY.
THE MAYOR OF KAPLAN HAS APPOINTED A NEW FIRE CHIEF AND ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF, WHICH IS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. JAKE FAULK WILL BE THE NEW FIRE CHIEF WITH ROBBY POMMIER TAKING THE ROLE OF ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF. THE KAPLAN CITY COUNCIL WILL VOTE TO RATIFY THEIR APPOINTMENTS AT THEIR NEXT MEETING. FAULK IS REPLACING FORMER FIRE CHIEF JACOB MATHIEW FOR ALLEGED MALFEASANCE IN OFFICE, THOUGH THE TERMINATION WAS LATER RESCINDED BY THE CITY COUNCIL AND HE RESIGNED LAST MONTH.
The question of whether lawsuits blaming oil companies for loss of Louisiana coastal wetlands will be tried in state courts or federal courts has been revived by a federal appeals panel. Thursday’s ruling in New Orleans gave the oil companies what they wanted in at least some of the 42 pending lawsuits — another chance to argue that the cases belong in federal court. But a lead attorney in the lawsuits pitting six parishes against oil companies says the decision effectively means approximately 15 of the cases will still face trials in state courts; and the remainder still could wind up in state courts after further review by federal judges.
THE OWNER OF DEANO’S IN LAFAYETTE SAYS HIS SOUTH LOCATION ON KALISTE SALOOM WILL BE CLOSED FOR ABOUT A MONTH AS THEY MAKE REPAIRS AFTER A FIRE THAT HAPPENED THURSDAY SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT. THE LAFAYETTE FIRE DEPARTMENT PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER ALTON TRAHAN SAYS FIREFIGHTERS FORCED THEIR WAY INTO THE RESTAURANT AND FOUND THE FIRE ORIGINATING IN THE BATHROOM, AND THEY BROUGHT IT UNDER CONTROL. IT WAS DISCOVERED AN EMPLOYEE FROM A JANITORIAL COMPANY ACCIDENTALLY DISCARDED SMOLDERING MATERIAL IN THE TRASH CAN. TRAHAN SAYS THE MAJORITY OF THE DAMAGE WAS ISOLATED TO THE BATHROOM, KITCHEN AND CEILING AREAS.
THREE SUSPECTS USED CROWBARS AND A CHAIN ATTACHED TO A VEHICLE IN AN ATTEMPT TO BREAK INTO AN A-T-M MACHINE AT THE HANCOCK BANK ON THE I-FORTY-NINE SERVICE ROAD IN OPELOUSAS AT AROUND THREE A-M WEDNESDAY MORNING. POLICE CHIEF MARTIN MCLENDON SAYS OFFICERS NOTICED THE SUSPECTS LEAVING THE BANK BUT THEY TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE LIGHTS, DROVE IT INTO A WOODED AREA AND ABANDONED THE VEHICLE. IT WAS LATER LEARNED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN STOLEN. MCCLENDON IS ASKING ANYONE WITH INFORMATION ON THIS ATTEMPTED ROBBERY TO CALL THE OPELOUSAS POLICE DEPARTMENT OR THE TIPS LINE, NINE-FOUR-EIGHT-TIPS.
