10-9-19
A NEW REPORT BY A WASHINGTON-D-C-BASED TRANSPORTATION NONPROFIT FINDS THAT 53 PERCENT OF LAFAYETTE ROADS ARE IN POOR CONDITION, WHILE NINETEEN PERCENT ARE MEDIOCRE. THE GROUP, KNOWN AS TRIP, ALSO FOUND TWELVE PERCENT OF THE CITY’S BRIDGES ARE IN POOR OR STRUCTURALLY DEFICIENT CONDITION. THE STUDY DETERMINED THAT MOTORISTS IN LAFAYETTE LOSE AS MANY AS 31 HOURS ANNUALLY SITTING IN TRAFFIC CONGESTION. THE NEW STUDY DETERMINED THAT DRIVING ON LAFAYETTE’S ROADWAYS COSTS THE AVERAGE DRIVER ABOUT 21-HUNDRED DOLLARS ANNUALLY.
A man has been appointed to fill a vacant police jury seat in Calcasieu Parish. The American Press reports the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury appointed Mark Senegal last week to replace Kevin White, who resigned Sept. 20 because he moved outside the district. State law requires police jurors to live in the district they represent. Senegal will represent the district for the rest of this year.
- MARTIN PARISH SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES ARE INVESTIGATING A ROBBERY AT A BUSINESS ON CECLIA SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL HIGHWAY. MEGAN KELLY HAS MORE.
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Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards is battling to hold onto the Democrats’ only governorship in the Deep South, with an onslaught of national GOP firepower aimed at ousting him. Republicans see Edwards’ 2015 victory as a fluke and believe they can recapture the governor’s mansion in a state with no other Democratic statewide elected officials. But Edwards is leading in the polls, within striking distance of outright victory in Saturday’s primary, when all candidates run against each other on the same ballot. National Republican leaders are barnstorming the state trying to energize GOP voters and keep Edwards from claiming enough cross-party support to top 50%.
CARLEE ALM-LABAR IS THE TOP FUNDRAISER IN THE FIVE PERSON FIELD SEEKING TO BE THE NEXT LAFAYETTE MAYOR PRESIDENT. ALM-LABAR WAS THE FIRST TO ANNOUNCE HER CANDIDACY WHICH WAS BEFORE HER FORMER BOSS, CURRENT MAYOR PRESIDENT JOEL ROBIDEAUX, ANNOUNCED HE WOULD NOT SEEK REELECTION. ALM-LABAR HAS RAISED ALMOST 400 THOUSAND DOLLARS SINCE MARCH THIRD, EASILY OUTDISTANCING THE SECOND HIGHEST FUNDRAISER, SIMONE CHAMPAGNE OF YOUNGSVILLE, WHO RAISED AROUND 77 THOUSAND DURING THAT SAME TIME PERIOD, ACCORDING TO FIGURES FROM THE ADVOCATE. POLITICAL SCIENTISTS EXPECT THE RACE TO GO TO A RUNOFF SINCE IT IS UNLIKELY THAT ANYONE IN A FIVE PERSON FIELD COULD GET FIFTY PERCENT OF THE VOTE.
A DeRidder couple has been accused of stealing more than $35,000 worth of timber. According to the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, enforcement agents received a complaint from a landowner who hired 51-year-old Ricky Cooley, of DeRidder, to harvest timber on their 50 acres of land in Vernon Parish. Department spokeswoman Veronica Mosgrove says during the investigation, agents found 34 loads of timber that Cooley and his wife, 48-year-old Priscilla Cooley, allegedly hid and did not pay the landowner for. The couple was arrested Oct. 2 on counts of theft over $25,000.
ATCHAFALAYA BASINKEEPER AND TWO OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS ARE ACCUSING BAYOU BRIDGE PIPELINE OF VIOLATING THE U-S CLEAN WATER ACT. THEY CLAIM THE PIPELINE HAS LEFT A MESS ACROSS AN AREA OF THE ATCHAFALAYA BASIN, THAT SECTIONS OF THE PIPELINE ARE POORLY COVERED AND MOUNDS OF DREDGED EARTH ARE PILED UP ACROSS THE LAND. THE GROUPS FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE U-S ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY. ALEXIS DANIEL, A SPOKESWOMAN FOR ENERGY TRANSFER L-P, THE MAJORITY PARTNER IN THE PIPELINE, SAYS THEY ARE STILL DOING RESTORATION WORK AND ARE COMMITTED TO FULL RESTORATION OF THE AREAS THROUGH WHICH THE PIPELINE PASSES.
Federal authorities have dramatically expanded detention of immigrants in Louisiana. Since last year, eight local jails have started holding asylum seekers and other migrants, making Louisiana an unlikely epicenter for immigrant detention under President Donald Trump. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says it’s now detaining about 8,000 migrants in Louisiana out of 51,000 nationally.
These new facilities are a mix of old state prisons and local jails and are several hours away from bigger cities.
