9-17-21
The total number of coronavirus cases statewide increased by more than sixteen-hundred , according to yesterday’s figures from the Department of Health, and there have been forty-eight new deaths. Hospitalizations continue to drop from a peak of more than 3,000. COVID-19 Hospitalizations totaled 1,431 in Thursday’s figures. About 44% of the state’s population is fully vaccinated.
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN TWO MONTHS, THE COVID-NINETEEN POSITIVITY RATE IN THE ACADIANA REGION HAS DROPPED BELOW TEN PERCENT. THE LOUISIANA HEALTH DEPARTMENT REPORTS THAT EIGHT-POINT-NINE PERCENT OF ALL TESTS COLLECTED BETWEEN SEPTEMBER SECOND AND EIGHTH WERE POSITIVE. THAT’S STILL IN THE HIGH RISK CATEGORY WITH IDEAL BEING BELOW FIVE PERCENT. HOSPITALIZATIONS FOR COVID-NINETEEN IN ACADIANA WERE STILL HIGH WITH ONE HUNDRED SEVENTY-NINE ON WEDNESDAY, BUT FAR BELOW THE NUMBERS ON AUGUST SEVENTEENTH AND NINETEENTH, WHEN FOUR HUNDRED NINE PEOPLE WERE HOSPITALIZED.
TREATMENT FOR CORONAVIRUS PATIENTS IS BECOMING MORE WIDELY AVAILABLE IN ACADIANA. SYVLIA MASTERS EXPLAINS.
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THREE LAKE CHARLES MEN, WHO WERE FOUND IN POSSESSION OF FIREARMS DESPITE BEING PROHIBITED BECAUSE OF PAST FELONY CONVICTIONS, HAVE ALL BEEN SENTENCED. THIRTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD BRANDON ANTONIO CARTER WAS SENTENCED TO FIFTEEN YEARS IN PRISON, TWENTY-THREE-YEAR-OLD JEREMIAH DEVON RICHARD WILL SERVE FOUR YEARS IN PRISON AND FORTY-SEVEN-YEAR-OLD JERRELL K. MALONE GOT TWO-AND-A-HALF YEARS. THE THREE WERE SEPARATE CASES. THE CASES WERE PART OF PROJECT SAFE NEIGHBORHOODS, WHICH DIRECTS U-S ATTORNEY’S OFFICES TO WORK WITH FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TO TARGET VIOLENT CRIMINALS.
Louisiana’s health department says owners of private water wells that may have flooded during Hurricane Ida should have their water tested for contamination. The department said in a news release Thursday that the wells must be disinfected and thoroughly flushed, then a sample should be collected for analysis by the state Office of Public Health. While waiting for test results, water from the wells should not be consumed. Supplies for sampling the water, along with instructions on disinfecting, flushing and collecting the sample can be picked up at a temporary laboratory the state has established in Berwick.
THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD HAS RELEASED ITS ACCIDENT DOCKET CONCERNING THE TWENTY-NINETEEN PLANE CRASH IN LAFAYETTE IN WHICH FIVE PEOPLE, WHO WERE ON THEIR WAY TO AN L-S-U FOOTBALL GAME, WERE KILLED. A FINAL INVESTIGATIVE REPORT INTO THE CAUSE OF THE CRASH IS STILL PENDING. ONE OF THE FACTORS IN THE CRASH, ACCORDING TO INVESTIGATORS, APPEARS TO BE A LARGE AMOUNT OF DRAG ON THE PROPELLERS FOLLOWING A SUDDEN REDUCTION OF POWER TO THE ENGINES. THE DOCKET INCLUDES MORE THAN THREE HUNDRED PAGES OF MATERIALS, INCLUDING A WEATHER STUDY, WITNESS REPORTS, AS WELL AS A DRONE VIDEO OF THE CRASH SITE AND THE DEBRIS PATH.
THE VERMILLION PARISH SCHOOL BOARD LAST NIGHT APPROVED A PAY RAISE FOR SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS, THE FIRST ONE SINCE TWO THOUSAND SIX. THE PAY RAISE REQUEST WAS MADE BECAUSE OF THE DIFFICULTY IN FINDING SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS. ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT PAUL HEBERT SAYS THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN EXACERBATED BY COVID-NINETEEN. HE SAYS IT WILL COST ABOUT ONE HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS TO FUND THE PAY RAISES.
A LAFAYETTE WOMAN SAYS HER MOTHER, WHO DIED OF COVID-NINETEEN, WAS BURIED AT THE WRONG SPOT AT THE CALVARY CEMETARY IN LAFAYETTE. VENESSE FERRELL SAYS SHE PAID A LOT OF MONEY TO MAKE SURE HER MOM WAS BURIED NEXT TO HER SON, BUT INSTEAD HER BODY WAS BURIED ACROSS THE CEMETARY FROM HER SON. SHE TELLS KLFY TV THE FAMILY IS FIGHTING TO HAVE HER MOM MOVED TO HER RIGHTFUL SPOT. THIS COMES TWO MONTHS AFTER A KAPLAN WIDOW SAYS ANOTHER MAN WAS BURIED ON TOP OF HER HUSBAND’S BODY AT THE SAME CEMETARY.
