10-23-17
THE SEARCH FOR A SIX-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN LAFAYETTE PARISH ENDED SAFELY SUNDAY MORNING. JEFF HORCHAK HAS MORE.
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STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WHICH MOVED THROUGH THE AREA YESTERDAY CAUSED POWER OUTAGES IN PARTS OF SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA AND ACADIANA. BECAUSE OF THE POWER OUTAGE, ONE SCHOOL IS CLOSING FOR TODAY. OUR LADY IMMACULATE CATHOLIC SCHOOL IN JENNINGS WILL BE CLOSED. AS OF LAST NIGHT, THE JEFF DAVIS ELECTRIC CO-OP WAS STILL WORKING TO REPAIR ISOLATED OUTAGES.
THERE ARE STILL SOME AREAS IN SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA THAT ARE WITHOUT ELECTRICTY THIS MORNING. ENTERGY STILL HAS MORE THAN FIFTY CUSTOMERS IN LAKE CHARLES WITHOUT POWER AS WELL AS ISOLATED OUTAGES ELSEWHERE. LAKE CHARLES POLICE ARE ADVISING MOTORISTS TO TREAT INTERSECTIONS WHERE TRAFFIC LIGHTS ARE OUT AS FOUR WAY STOPS. THE THUNDERSTORMS THAT MOVED THROUGH THE AREA YESTERDAY MORNING HAD WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF FIFTY MILES AN HOUR.
TWO TEENAGE BOYS WERE ARRESTED AFTER THEY WERE ALLEGEDLY SHOOTING FIREARMS IN THE PORT BARRE CITY LIMITS. POLICE CHIEF DEON BOUDREAUX SAYS THEY LATER DETERMINED THAT A PISTOL AND SHOTGUN THAT WERE RECOVERED HAD BEEN STOLEN FROM A NEARBY HOME, ALONG WITH A SAMSUNG TABLET, WHICH WERE RETURNED TO THE HOMEOWNER. POLICE SAY ONE OF THE JUVENILES HAS BEEN ARRESTED DOZENS OF TIMES SINCE JULY WHEN HE WAS RELEASED FROM JUVENILE DETENTION. HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE LAFAYETTE DETENTION CENTER, WHILE THE OTHER TEEN WAS RELEASED TO HIS PARENTS.
Louisiana has created a program for veterans, aimed at helping them start their own businesses. The Louisiana Veteran Entrepreneurship Program opened its inaugural boot camp Tuesday with 19 people in Baton Rouge. An estimated 108 veterans are expected to participate in the first year. The program involves the in-person training at boot camp, an online course and long-term small business counseling.
A PETITION HAS BEEN STARTED TO URGE THE LAFAYETTE CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT TO EXTEND LIFETIME HEALTH BENEFITS AT THE EMPLOYEE RATE TO THE WIDOW OF FALLEN LAFAYETTE POLICE OFFICER CORPORAL MICHAEL MIDDLEBROOK. ACCORDING TO KATC TV, THE WIFE OF MIDDLEBROOK, ADRIENNE, IS BEING OFFERED RETIREE BENEFITS, WHICH WOULD MORE THAN DOUBLE HER CURRENTLY MONTHLY PREMIUMS. ON FRIDAY, THE GOVERNMENT TOLD HER SHE HAD TO ACCEPT THE OFFER BY MONDAY OR RISK LOSING THAT OPTION FOREVER. MIDDLEBROOK WAS SHOT AND KILLED OCTOBER FIRST WHEN RESPONDING TO AN EMERGENCY CALL AT A CONVENIENCE STORE ON MOSS STREET.
FIREFIGHTERS IN NEW IBERIA RESPONDED TO REPORTS OF FIRE SATURDAY NIGHT AT MAGNOLIA ELEMENTARY, BUT THERE WAS NONE. SUPERINTENDENT DALE HENDERSON SAYS TWO AIR CONDITIONING UNITS MALFUNCTIONED. ONE OF THE AIR CONDITIONERS IS STILL OUT AND THERE IS A SLIGHT SMOKE ODOR IN THE LIBRARY. THE SCHOOL WILL BE OPEN FOR CLASSES TODAY.
The deadline is approaching for small businesses impacted by last year’s floods to apply for interest-free, partially forgivable recovery loans. The Restore Louisiana Small Business Program , financed by federal aid dollars, won’t take applications beyond Oct. 31. Loans range from $10,000 to $150,000 for small businesses and nonprofits in the 51 parishes that had damage from the March and August 2016 floods. Gov. John Bel Edwards’ administration extended the deadline for businesses to seek the assistance after receiving fewer applications than expected.
