9-21-17
U-L LAFAYETTE HAS A RECORD NUMBER OF STUDENTS ENROLLED AT THE UNIVERSITY, FOR THE FOURTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR. 19,291 STUDENTS ARE ENROLLED FOR THE FALL SEMESTER, WHICH IS UP BY MORE THAN A HUNDRED STUDENTS OVER LAST YEAR. SOME OF THE INCREASE IS ATTRIBUTED TO THE UNIVERSITY’S GRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAM, WHICH HAS SEEN A SEVEN PERCENT RISE OVER LAST FALL. DEWAYNE BOWIE, THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT, SAYS THE UNIVERSITY HAS STUDENTS FROM EVERY PARISH IN THE STATE, FROM 48 STATES AND FROM OVER 70 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES.
SOME PARENTS OF SCHOOL CHILDREN IN IOWA WERE UPSET WHEN THE SCHOOL BOARD INITIALLY ANNOUNCED THEY WERE STOPPING SCHOOL BUS SERVICE TO STUDENTS WHO ATTEND J-I WATSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND WHO LIVE IN THE DOGWOOD SUBDIVISION. THE PARENTS WERE NOTIFIED TUESDAY THAT THE BUSES WOULDN’T STOP ON WEDNESDAY. HOWEVER, THE SCHOOL BOARD DECIDED INSTEAD TO CONTINUE THE BUS SERVICE FOR NOW, BUT IT WILL BE DISCONTINUED NEXT YEAR. THE DECISION WAS MADE BECAUSE OF A SEVERE LACK OF SCHOOL BUSES AND DRIVERS IN CALCASIEU PARISH, AND STATE LAW DOES NOT REQUIRE BUS SERVICE FOR STUDENTS WHO LIVE WITHIN A MILE OF THEIR SCHOOL.
A GROUP OF SUGAR CANE FARMERS ARE TRYING TO PRESERVE THE PAST. AN ASSOCIATION MADE UP OF GENERATIONS OF SUGAR CANE FARMERS, CALLED TECHE GROWERS, IS WORKING NOW TO RESTORE OLD TRACTORS AND OTHER FARMING EQUIPMENT. MEMBER LANE BLANCHARD TELLS KLFY TV THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO PRESERVE WHERE THE SUGAR INDUSTRY STARTED, WHERE IT IS NOW, WHILE KEEPING AN EYE ON THE FUTURE. LOCAL FARMER ERROL DOMINGUES SAYS THE FUTURE IS AUTOMATION AND FARMERS HAVE TO EVOLVE IF THEIR GOING TO KEEP THEIR INDUSTRIES VIABLE.
Louisiana has a rare bit of good budget news: The governor’s chief financial officer says the state ended the last budget year with a surplus topping $100 million.
Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne outlined the better-than-expected finish to the 2016-17 budget year in an interview Wednesday with The Associated Press. He says Louisiana collected more money than projected from sales taxes and personal income taxes in the year that closed June 30. Surplus dollars, under Louisiana’s constitution, can only be spent on one-time expenses, like debt payments and construction work.
THERE’S NEW INFORMATION ON THE MURDER OF 22-YEAR-OLD JALEEL BONHAM OF LAFAYETTE. HERE’S JEFF HORCHAK.
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TONIGHT THE JEFF DAVIS PARISH SCHOOL BOARD WILL CONSIDER FILLING A VACANCY ON THE BOARD. DISTRICT TEN BOARD MEMBER DAVID BULLER PASSED AWAY EARLIER THIS MONTH. THE BOARD WILL DECIDE WHETHER TO APPOINT HIS WIFE, VICKIE, TO SERVE IN HIS PLACE UNTIL A SPECIAL ELECTION IS HELD. IT’S EXPECTED THAT THE SPECIAL ELECTION WILL BE SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 24TH.
OPELOUSAS MAYOR REGGIE TATUM SAYS HE DID NOTHING WRONG IN HIRING ROD SIAS AS HIS CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER. SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS CLAIM THEY DID NOT KNOW ABOUT IT UNTIL THEY HEARD ON SOCIAL MEDIA OR THROUGH OTHER OUTLETS. TATUM TELLS KATC TV THAT IS FALSE, THAT HE DID LET THEM KNOW AND HE INTRODUCED SIAS TO EVERYONE AS HIS NEW HIRE. HE SAYS THE POSITION WAS NEVER ADVERTISED BECAUSE IT WAS AN APPOINTMENT AND NOT SOMETHING THAT HE WAS REQUIRED TO BRING BEFORE THE COUNCIL.
Gov. John Bel Edwards has held a statewide symposium aimed at working on strategies to combat human trafficking in Louisiana. Edwards and his wife Donna attended the event Wednesday, saying that combating human trafficking is one of their top priorities. The governor’s office says more than 1,000 human trafficking cases have been reported to the Louisiana State Police over the past three years, with the number of cases rising 25 percent last year. The event sought to bring together state leaders and stakeholders fighting human trafficking in Louisiana.
