9-13-17
TWO OF THE THREE CANDIDATES TO REPLACE SCOTT ANGELLE AS PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSIONER APPEARED AT A FORUM YESTERDAY HOSTED BY THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH. DAMON BALDONE OF HOUMA AND CRAIG GREENE OF BATON ROUGE, BOTH REPUBLICANS, WERE QUESTIONED ABOUT THEIR LOYALTY TO THE PARTY. BALDONE WAS APPOINTED INTERIM COMMISSIONER BY GOVERNOR JOHN BEL EDWARDS, A DEMOCRAT, AND GREENE SUPPORTED EDWARDS OVER DAVID VITTER IN THE LAST ELECTION. BALDONE AND GREENE ALONG WITH LENAR WHITNEY, ALSO A REPUBLICAN, FACE OFF IN THE OCTOBER 14TH PRIMARY TO BECOME COMMISSIONER OF DISTRICT TWO, WHICH INCLUDES LAFAYETTE, MORGAN CITY AND ST. MARTINVILLE.
LAST NIGHT THE LAKE CHARLES CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED A BUDGET FOR THE 2017-18 FISCAL YEAR. SOME WHO ATTENDED THE MEETING COMPLAINED THAT NOT ENOUGH TIME WAS GIVEN FOR ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BUDGET. SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS FELT THE PUBLIC WAS GIVEN ENOUGH OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS AND MAKE COMMENTS. MAYOR NIC HUNTER AND SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS SAID THEY WOULD MAKE AN EFFORT TO HOLD MORE PUBLIC MEETINGS IN THE FUTURE ON THINGS LIKE THE BUDGET.
SHERIFF’S OFFICIALS IN ST. MARTIN PARISH ARE LOOKING FOR TWO PERSONS OF INTEREST IN CONNECTION WITH THE DEATH OF A 24-YEAR-OLD PREGNANT WOMAN. JEFF HORCHAK HAS MORE.
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Louisiana is borrowing $341 million to refill the account that pays for state-financed construction work. The Bond Commission, which oversees construction spending, approved the general obligation bond sale Tuesday. The sale involves borrowing money by selling bonds to investors for upfront cash. Without an influx of cash, Louisiana was expected to soon start running out of money for items in the state construction budget like building repairs, economic development projects, roadwork and lawmakers’ local projects.
TOMORROW IS CONSTITUTION DAY AND THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA LAFAYETTE IS PLANNING A CELEBRATION. IT STARTS WITH A NATURALIZATION CEREMONY WHERE FOREIGNERS WILL BECOME U-S CITIZENS. FOLLLOWING THAT IS A SPEECH BY THE INTERIM CHAIR OF THE POLITICAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT, RICK SWANSON, TITLED “CELEBRATING OUR CONSTITUTION”, AND THERE WILL BE OTHER PRESENTATIONS AND PANEL DISCUSSIONS. IT BEGINS TOMORROW MORNING AT ELEVEN AT U-L’S CONSTITUTION PARK.
THE BEAUREGARD PARISH POLICE JURY UNANIMOUSLY PASSED A RESOLUTION ASKING THE LOUISIANA CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION FOR HELP IN CHANGING THE GUIDELINES FOR THE FLOOD GATES AT TOLEDO BEND. THE FLOOD GATES WERE OPENED AT ONE FOOT ON AUGUST 30TH AND, A DAY LATER, AT SIX FEET, CAUSING FLOODING ALONG THE SABINE RIVER OF HOMES, CAMPS, CARS AND BUSINESSES. THE POLICE JURY WOULD LIKE THE GUIDELINES TO BE CHANGED TO ALLOW A GRADUAL RELEASE OF WATER IN ANTICIPATION OF HEAVY RAINS, RATHER THAN WAITING UNTIL THE LAKE GETS TO A CERTAIN LEVEL. THE BEAUREGARD POLICE JURY WILL BE SENDING THE RESOLUTION TO CALCASIEU AND VERNON PARISHES IN HOPES THOSE POLICE JURIES WILL JOIN THEM IN THE REQUEST.
THE ACADIA PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE IS ASKING THE PUBLIC’S HELP IN LOCATING A WANTED FUGITIVE. 39-YEAR-OLD REID THIBODEAUX OF RAYNE IS WANTED FOR FORGERY. SHERIFF’S OFFICE SPOKESPERSON RACHEL TRAHAN SAYS THIBODEAUX IS WHITE, FIVE-SIX, 175 POUNDS, WITH BLACK HAIR. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION ON THE WHEREABOUTS OF THIBODEAUX IS ASKED TO CALL CRIME STOPPERS OF ACADIA PARISH AT 789-TIPS.
FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR, LOUISIANA RANKED NUMBER FIVE IN AREA DEVELOPMENT MAGAZINE’S ANNUAL TOP STATES FOR DOING BUSINESS SURVEY, WHICH WAS RELEASED YESTERDAY. IT’S THE HIGHEST RANK THE STATE HAS REACHED AND THE SEVENTH YEAR IN A ROW THAT LOUISIANA HAS BEEN IN THE TOP TEN. AREA DEVELOPMENT SURVEYS THE NATION’S TOP SITE SELECTION CONSULTANTS IN PUTTING TOGETHER THE RANKINGS. LOUISIANA WAS NUMBER ONE IN SPEED OF PERMITTING AND NUMBER TWO IN LEADING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS.
