October 2021

State hunters can tag, validate deer, turkey by smartphone

BATON ROUGE (AP) — Hunters in Louisiana can now use their smartphones to tag and validate deer and turkey immediately after killing one, the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said.

This must be done before moving the deer or turkey, and either the tag itself or a picture of the hunter’s harvest tags on the smartphone is needed, according to a news release.

An account at https://LouisianaOutdoors.com is needed.

A process called E-tag can be used through a mobile device that has access to the internet.

Social Security checks getting boost as inflation rises

WASHINGTON (AP) — Millions of retirees on Social Security will get a 5.9 percent boost in benefits for 2022. The biggest cost-of-living adjustment in 39 years follows a burst in inflation as the economy struggles to shake off the drag of the coronavirus pandemic.

The COLA, as it’s commonly called, amounts to an added $92 a month for the average retired worker, according to estimates Wednesday from the Social Security Administration. It’s an abrupt break from a long lull in inflation that saw cost-of-living adjustments averaging just 1.65 percent a year over the past 10 years.

Unsupported ‘sickout’ claims take flight amid Southwest woes

DALLAS (AP) — When Southwest Airlines canceled more than 2,000 flights over the weekend, citing bad weather and air traffic control issues, unsupported claims blaming vaccine mandates began taking off.

Conservative politicians and pundits, including Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, alleged the flight disruptions resulted from pilots and air traffic controllers walking off their jobs or calling in sick to protest federal vaccination requirements.

The airline, its pilots’ union and the Federal Aviation Administration denied that.

NATIONAL BRIEFS

Ida-delayed Supreme Court arguments set for next week

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Louisiana Supreme Court arguments that were postponed last month due to Hurricane Ida have been set for next week.

The court issued a statement Tuesday saying oral arguments will be held Monday through Wednesday.

In the statement, Chief Justice John Weimer noted that the arguments will be held in person. During much of the COVID-19 pandemic, arguments at the state’s highest court were held during video conferences, although May’s arguments were held in person, prior to a summer surge.

William Shatner, TV’s Capt. Kirk, blasts into space

VAN HORN, Texas (AP) — Hollywood’s Captain Kirk, 90-yearold William Shatner, blasted into space Wednesday in a convergence of science fiction and science reality, reaching the final frontier aboard a ship built by Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin company.

The “Star Trek” actor and three fellow passengers hurtled to an altitude of 66.5 miles (107 kilometers) over the West Texas desert in the fully automated capsule, then safely parachuted back to Earth. The flight lasted just over 10 minutes.

Alabama loss creates potential for wild finish in SEC West

(AP) — With one Small kick and a rather sizable upset, Texas A&M caused quite a shakeup in the Southeastern Conference Western Division.

The Aggies’ 41-38 upset of then-No. 1 Alabama on Seth Small’s field goal opened the door for the Crimson Tide’s division rivals. It’s not just a parade of teams lining up neatly behind ‘Bama any more.

While Alabama (5-1, 2-1) seems to remain the team to beat and a playoff contender, it won’t be a weekly cakewalk for the Tide.

Coach Nick Saban had already warned his team of the potential pitfalls.

Louisiana- Lafayette uses 4 takeaways to beat App State 41-13

LAFAYETTE (AP) — Levi Lewis threw for one touchdown and ran for another, Chris Smith added two rushing scores and Louisiana-Lafayette eased by Appalachian State 41-13 on Tuesday night.

Louisiana-Lafayette (5-1, 3-0 Sun Belt Conference) scored a touchdown on its first three drives and led 20-6 at the break. Eric Garror intercepted a pass on Appalachian State’s opening possession of the second half, leading to Smith’s 21-yard run. The Louisiana-Lafayette defense entered with just three takeaways on the season, but came up with four against Appalachian State.

Anything can, and often does, happen in Florida-LSU rivalry

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — No one can truly predict what will happen when No. 20 Florida and LSU play Saturday. Anything is possible, everything is on the table and nothing is out of reach. Just look at the recent history of the Southeastern Conference rivalry.

Their matchup last December might have been the most bizarre one in the 50 years since they started playing annually.

Playoff series for the ages as Dodgers, Giants go to Game 5

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Everybody expected a playoff series for the ages between the century-old rival Dodgers and Giants, and now they’ve got it.

Anything less than a winner-take-all Game 5 would have been a baseball travesty, leaving the sport short-changed on the October stage. It’s the 107-win, NL West champion Giants vs. the defending World Series champ Los Angeles Dodgers for a place in the NL Championship Series against Atlanta starting Saturday night.

City, company join to build mapping system

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The city is currently working with CenterPoint Energy on a project that will benefit both the residents and city operations at no cost to the taxpayer.

At Tuesday’s council meeting, the city entered into a joint service agreement with Southwest Louisiana Regional Planning Commission formerly known as Imperial Calcasieu Regional Planning and Development (IMCAL). The agreement paves the way for Jennings to build a GIS mapping system using existing data and new data being captured by contractors currently performing work in the city’s rights-of-way.