News

Mermentau River search continues for missing Crowley man

The search for a missing 35-year-old Crowley man in the Mermentau River near the Jeff Davis Parish and Acadia Parish line continued Friday morning after being suspended for several hours Thursday night.

The man went missing in the Mermentau river near the intersection of Hwy. 90 around 4:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon, Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division Public Information Officer Adam Einck said.

Elton mayor: Water bill grace period to end April 10

ELTON- The extended grace period for paying bills will soon be up in the Town of Elton.

Mayor Tony Laughlin said the new, hard deadline for payment of water bills here is Tuesday, April 10.

“Me and the town council are very serious about these water bills,” he said. “Our plans for everybody come April 10. to be current, and if they are not services will be turned off.”

Laughlin said he has tried to be patient and understanding.

House OKs compromise $1.3T budget bill, Senate next

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House easily approved a bipartisan $1.3 trillion spending bill Thursday that pours huge sums into Pentagon programs and domestic initiatives ranging from building roads to combatting the nation’s opioid abuse crisis, but left Congress in stalemate over shielding young Dreamer immigrants from deportation and curbing surging health insurance premiums.

Jury: Hospital not liable in football player’s paralysis

GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) — A Montana hospital is not liable for the brain injury a 16-year-old Belt High School student suffered in a 2014 football game, a jury ruled Thursday.

Robert Back suffered a concussion on Sept. 5, 2014, and collapsed on the sidelines during a game he played seven days later, despite a physician’s instructions that he remain sidelined until at least Sept.

15. His brain injury has left him nearly paralyzed, unable to speak and in need of 24-hour care that has cost nearly $2 million so far.

Syrian rebels begin evacuating town in Ghouta enclave

BEIRUT (AP) — Hundreds of Syrian opposition fighters and their relatives began evacuating a key besieged town in eastern Ghouta on Thursday, marking the first such rebel surrender from the bombed-out region east of Damascus.

The departure of opposition fighters from the powerful Ahrar al-Sham group could serve as a blueprint for other rebels in other towns, bringing President Bashar Assad’s government closer to recapturing the entire territory following years of siege and relentless bombardment.

Budget bill likely would end Supreme Court email search case

WASHINGTON (AP) — The budget bill before Congress includes an update to federal law that makes clear that authorities with a warrant can obtain emails and other data held by American technology companies but stored on servers overseas. Passage of the Cloud Act probably would end a Supreme Court dispute between Microsoft and the Trump administration over emails the government wants as part of a drug trafficking investigation.

U.S. authorities obtained a warrant for the emails, but Microsoft has refused to provide the emails because they are kept on a Microsoft server in Ireland.

District 4 fire station nears completion

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LAKE ARTHUR - Residents of Jeff Davis Parish can rest a little easier knowing there will be a new base of operations for firefighters within the area.

Construction on the Dist. 4 fire station located on seven acres on La. 26 near La. 102 between Jennings and Lake Arthur is nearly completed.

Jeremy Kopnicky, the project manager with Trahan Construction, said the project is about 90 percent complete.

“All we have left is some final painting to do, with some cabinets and floors to finish,” he said. “We also just need to trim out the electrical system of the station.”

Fenton approves debt recovery, continues attorney services

FENTON – At the regular meeting held here Tuesday evening the board of aldermen voted to approve pursuing residents who owe the village money and to continue employing attorney Mike Holmes for additional services required by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor (LLA).

The board discussed partnering with a sub-organization of the Louisiana Municipal Association, which would try to recover debt owed to the village by its residents.

Mayor Eddie Alfred, Jr. said he approved of the plan.

Playtime as a Family

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Students and their mothers played soccer, football and T-ball for Mothers and Sons Sports Day at Head Start in Jennings on Thursday.

Kindness Rocks

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Shelly Benoit has brought the activity of painting rocks, writing inspirational phrases on them and placing them around the community to the City of Jennings.

For those who do not paint the rocks but do find one around town, the general rules dictate the person should relocate the rock for someone else to find. If the person chooses to keep the rock, it is suggested they paint a rock of their own to place in the city.

Benoit said she first heard of this activity in Eunice.