News

Fla. Gov. Scott mum on if he’ll sign gun-control bill

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Three weeks after the fatal Parkland high school shooting, Florida Gov. Rick Scott faces a gun-control bill that falls short of what he and survivors of the massacre demanded, and he hasn’t said whether he’ll sign into law the legislation that challenges National Rifle Association orthodoxy.

“I’m going to take the time and I’m going to read the bill and I’m going to talk to families,” Scott said.

Uncertainty persists as Trump readies tariff plan rollout

WASHINGTON (AP) — After a week of hints and uncertainty, President Donald Trump is preparing to announce tariffs on imported steel and aluminum that would offer temporary exemptions to Canada and Mexico, a shift that could soften the blow amid threats of retaliation by trading partners. Opponents of the tariffs spent Thursday engaged in last-minute lobbying to blunt the impact.

Ag officials seek help solving cattle deaths

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry and the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office are seeking the public’s help in finding whoever’s responsible for the recent deaths of cow and three calves.

On March 3, agriculture inspectors received a complaint from a rancher in reference to cattle killed on the levee near Port Barre. The animals were found dead in the pasture portion of the levee. Inspectors say it appears the cattle were run over by a truck.

Teen pleads guilty in shooting at undercover state troopers

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A Louisiana prosecutor says a 17-year-old has pleaded guilty as an adult to attempted murder of three undercover state troopers in December 2015. Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro says Quincy Shaw pleaded guilty to three counts in exchange for a 25-year prison sentence. Conviction would have carried 10 to 50 years on each count, according to a news release from Cannizzaro.

The troopers had been in an unmarked car when they spotted a stolen pickup truck, according to the release.

Women strike, protest as the world marks International Women’s Day

MADRID (AP) — Women across Europe and Asia shouted their demands for equality, respect and empowerment Thursday to mark International Women’s Day, with protesters in Spain launching a 24-hour strike and crowds of demonstrators filling the streets of Manila, Seoul and New Delhi.

Spanish women were staging dozens of protests across the country against the wage gap and gender violence. In Barcelona, protesters disrupting traffic into the city center were pushed back by riot police.

Lobbyists get ethics waivers to work for Trump

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and his appointees have stocked federal agencies with ex-lobbyists and corporate lawyers who now help regulate the very industries from which they previously collected paychecks, despite promising as a candidate to drain the swamp in Washington.

A week after his January 2017 inauguration, Trump signed an executive order that bars former lobbyists, lawyers and others from participating in any matter they lobbied or otherwise worked on for private clients within two years before going to work for the government.

Mail mix-up delays utility bills

WELSH – Residents wondering why their utility bills haven’t appeared in their mailboxes are not alone. Welsh town officials say that though originally shipped to residents on time, the post office is responsible for losing some 2,000 utility bills.

“It’s been a hassle,” said Mayor Carolyn Louviere.

The town of Welsh contracts with utility providers of electric, water and garbage to service the needs of its residents. All utility bills are paid directly to the town.

Early voting starts tomorrow

Early voting to determine the next Dist. 10 representative for the Jeff Davis Parish School Board begins Saturday, March 10. Interim rep Vickie Buller and James Edward Tarver are the only two candidates on the ballot. Voters wanting to cast early ballots may do so at the parish registrar of voters office at 302 N. Cutting Avenue in Jennings from 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 10, and Monday, March 12, through Saturday, March 17. The office will be closed on Sunday, March 11. A valid picture ID is required to vote. The registrar’s office can be contacted at (337) 824-0834.

Whistle lives on

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The Steamer Trunk in Jennings will host a book signing by children’s author Patsy Moore from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. March 18. The book entitled “Whistle” is a fictional adventure story about a real-life horse once owned by Moore. The retired elementary school teacher and avid horse rider from the Lake Charles area said she wanted Whistle’s memory to live on in the mind’s of children.

LA board meeting to focus on police, audit

Lake Arthur held its monthly board of aldermen meeting Wednesday evening, with the focus falling primarily on law enforcement and the town’s accounts.

Notable items on the agenda were the hiring and firing of positions within the police department, as well as a summary of a recent town audit.

Along with the termination of Assistant Chief of Police Keith Broussard, three other part-time officers were hired or promoted. Coy Guidry and Joseph Marcantel were hired as full-time patrolman while Cru Delcambre was hired as a part-time auxiliary patrolman.