News

Empty Chair

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A coffee club in Lake Arthur is mourning the loss of one of their most beloved members and “President” Curley Cormier, 87, of Lake Arthur.

The club meets daily at the Tiger Mart in Lake Arthur to kickstart their day with a little caffeine and good company.

For the last 15 years around 4:30 a.m. each morning, Tiger Mart employee April Lemaire said you could find Cormier at the store, visiting with the staff and taking it upon himself to prepare the coffee for the day’s gathering.

History of the Jaenke Bridge

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The Jaenke bridge on La. 97 was originally built around 1901, and has been helping Jeff Davis Parish residents safely cross Bayou Nezpique for almost 120 years. Local historian Dusty Chaisson found these pictures recently in the archives of the Jennings Carnegie Library, including the original structure, which was a drawbridge and featured ads for Stern’s Men’s Clothing on the rails (at right). The second picture (at left) is of the bridge with a horse and buggy crossing in 1903, and the last image is of the bridge in 1908.

Officials: Topsy murder motive may be drug-related

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Authorities now believe the motive in murder of a Topsy man to be drug-related.

Jeff Davis Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Christopher Ivey said that the suspect and victim knew each other and that interviews revealed David Wade Clark, 28, of Lake Charles, went to the residence on a drugrelated matter. Ivey said Clark broke into the residence by kicking down the door, before entering into an altercation with the victim, Devin Marc Sanders, of Topsy.

Local residents arrested for child pornography

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State Troopers arrested two Jennings residents Thursday for pornography involving juveniles.

In July, investigators assigned to the Louisiana State Police (LSP) Special Victim’s Unit began an undercover child exploitation investigation involving images of child sexual abuse, according to LSP Public Affairs Sgt. James Anderson.

As part of the investigation, a search warrant was served on Thursday at a residence in Jennings by LSP, Jefferson Davis Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Jennings Police Department.

Keeping the Lights On

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Global Entergy was in town recently to complete a cycle trim of branches growing too closely to power lines. Operations Coordinator Ronnie Toney said the cycle trim is completed every five years and that the company spends millions annually making sure the lines are safe and operating without interruption and keeping power on for customers in the event of a storm.

Losing bidder disputes state voting machine award

BATON ROUGE (AP) — One of the losing bidders for Louisiana’s voting machine replacement work wants a re-do, saying the bid process was “irresponsibly rushed and fundamentally flawed.”

Election Systems and Software filed a formal protest late Thursday with the state’s procurement office, objecting to the choice of another vendor for the lucrative contract.

Trump asks Pompeo to delay visit to NKorea

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday he has directed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to delay a planned trip to North Korea, citing insufficient progress on denuclearization.

The surprise announcement appeared to mark a concession by the president to domestic and international concerns that his prior claims of world-altering progress on the peninsula had been strikingly premature.

Medical examiner: Iowa student died from stab wounds

BROOKLYN, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa college student who was allegedly abducted by a stranger while running last month in a small town died from stab wounds, a medical examiner says.

Authorities announced Thursday that preliminary autopsy results from the state medical examiner’s office show 20-yearold Mollie Tibbetts was the victim of a homicide who died from “multiple sharp force injuries.”

McCain stopping medical treatment for his brain cancer

WASHINGTON (AP) — John McCain, the six-term Arizona senator and 2008 Republican presidential nominee, has chosen to discontinue medical treatment for his brain cancer, his family said Friday.

In a statement, the family said McCain had surpassed expectations for survival, but “the progress of disease and the inexorable advance of age render their verdict.” The family added, “With his usual strength of will, he has now chosen to discontinue medical treatment.”

Use containers for planting in outdoor landscapes

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Growing plants in containers outdoors is popular for a variety of reasons. In-ground beds are not always available where you would like to grow plants — as in the case