9-19-16
THE BODY OF A MISSING AUTISTIC BOY WAS RECOVERED FROM A POND NEAR HIS HOME IN THE FORTUNE HILLS SUBDIVISION OF YOUNGSVILLE LAST NIGHT. SIX-YEAR-OLD KEATON JONES WENT MISSING AT AROUND ONE P-M. POLICE CHIEF RICKEY BOUDREAUX TOLD KLFY TV THAT THEY STARTED SEARCHING AREA PONDS WITH UNDERWATER SONAR SCANNERS AFTER LEARNING THE BOY LOVED WATER BUT DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO SWIM. THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE BOY’S DEATH IS CONTINUING.
THE FIRE CHIEF FOR IOWA HAS BEEN RELIEVED OF DUTY AFTER HER ARREST ON DRUG RELATED CHARGES THURSDAY. MAYOR CAROL PONTHIEUX SAYS SANDI MILLER WILL CONTINUE TO DRAW A PAYCHECK AND BENEFITS UNTIL A FINAL DECISION IS MADE ON HER FUTURE WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. PONTHIEUX SAYS SHE DOES NOT WANT TO MAKE A RUSH TO JUDGEMENT BUT WILL MAKE A FINAL DECISION THIS WEEK. IN THE MEANTIME, ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF PHIL MALLETT HAS BEEN APPOINTED ACTING CHIEF.
A HOUSE FIRE EARLY SUNDAY MORNING CLAIMED THE LIFE OF A MAN IN VILLE PLATTE. JULIE DARCE HAS MORE.
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Louisiana’s share of response costs to the August flooding could reach $81 million or more. While the federal government will pay for most of the response effort, Louisiana must cover a portion ranging from 10 percent to 50 percent depending on the type of aid. The Edwards administration estimates Louisiana’s share of state agency response costs will reach $49 million, which the state must pay before the budget year ends June 30. Transitional housing and other programs run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency are expected to cost Louisiana at least $31 million, though that bill can be paid in installments over years.
THE LAFAYETTE CITY PARISH GOVERNMENT PLANS TO MAKE ONE FINAL PASS TO COLLECT FLOOD DEBRIS IN THE CITY OF LAFAYETTE AND THE UNINCORPORATED PARTS OF THE PARISH. THEY HAVE NOT YET DETERMINED WHEN THAT THAT FINAL PASS WILL BE. CITY PARISH OFFICIALS ASK RESIDENTS WHO HAVE NOT DONE SO TO PILE FLOOD DEBRIS ON THE CURB OR IN THE RIGHT OF WAY ALONG STREETS. THE SPECIAL PICKUP WILL BE FOR FLOOD DEBRIS ONLY AS HOUSEHOLD TRASH AND RECYLING SHOULD BE KEPT SEPARATE.
THE COMMUNITY OF RAGLEY REACHED OUT TO HELP A LOCAL FAMILY THAT LOST TWO CHILDREN AND A HOUSE IN A FIRE IN LATE JULY. A BENEFIT ORGANIZED BY AREA CHURCHES WAS HELD TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE LISOTTA FAMILY. COORDINATOR SHANTELL HABETZ TELLS KPLC TV THAT THEY CAN’T REPLACE THEIR CHILDREN, “BUT THIS WILL KIND OF HELP THEIR LIVES.” GRANDMOTHER BARBARA LISOTTA SAYS THE RAGLEY COMMUNITY IS A BLESSING, WHERE EVERYONE LOVES AND HELPS EVERYBODY.
A PEDESTRIAN WAS HIT BY A CAR AND KILLED EARLY SUNDAY MORNING IN MORGAN CITY IN WHAT WAS LIKELY A HIT-AND-RUN. POLICE OFFICERS FOUND THE BODY IN THE ROAD ON L-A 182 AT AROUND 2:30 A-M. THEY HAVE NOT YET IDENTIFIED THE VICTIM. ANYONE WITH INFORMATION IS ASKED TO CALL THE MORGAN CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT.
Lawmakers are refusing to intervene in the latest budget dispute between Gov. John Bel Edwards’ administration and Attorney General Jeff Landry. Landry has complained to lawmakers that two of his budget requests have been stalled by the Edwards administration, rather than advanced to the joint budget committee for consideration. Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne said the requests were denied based on policy and legal decisions, not politics. Landry wants to beef up his office’s spending on Medicaid fraud investigations, and he’s seeking state money from another agency to defend Louisiana’s new abortion laws.
