July 2020

Trump deploys more federal agents under ‘law-and-order’ push

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he will send federal agents to Chicago and Albuquerque, New Mexico, to help combat rising crime, expanding the administration’s intervention into local enforcement as he runs for reelection under a “law-and-order” mantle.

Using the same alarmist language he has employed to describe illegal immigration, Trump painted Democrat-led cities as out of control and lashed out at the “radical left,” which he blamed for rising violence in some cities, even though criminal justice experts say it defies easy explanation.

LDEQ accepting comments on cotton mill permit renewal

LACASSINE —The state is taking public comments on a permit renewal for a cotton mill here.

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ), Office of Environmental Services, is accepting written comments on a draft Louisiana Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (LPDES) permit prepared ZAGIS USA, LLC, ZAGIS USA, 21095 South Frontage Road, Lacassine, Louisiana 70650.

The facility is located at 21095 South Frontage Road in Lacassine.

Upon the effective date of the final permit, the LPDES permit shall replace the previously issued LPDES permit.

Shreveport mayor enters race against US Sen. Bill Cassidy

BATON ROUGE (AP) — Republican U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy drew the first high-profile challenger to his reelection bid Wednesday, when Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins announced his last-minute entrance into Louisiana’s Senate race as the candidate signup period began.

All of Louisiana’s incumbent members for Congress who are running for a new term drew challengers on the Nov. 3 ballot by the end of the first day of qualifying.

Perkins planned to file his registration paperwork Thursday.

Alexandria city council votes to remove Confederate monument

ALEXANDRIA (AP) — A Louisiana city has voted to remove a more than 100-year-old Confederate monument from its location in front of a courthouse.

The Alexandria City Council voted 6-0 on Tuesday to approve an ordinance to remove the statue, which sits on the Rapides Parish Courthouse’s front lawn, news outlets reported.

White House, GOP agree to virus testing but aid bill shifts

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans and the White House reached tentative agreement late Wednesday for more testing funds in the next COVID-19 relief package, but deep disagreements over the scope of the $1 trillion in federal aid have forced a shift in strategy.

Facing a GOP revolt, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was preparing to roll out a “handful” of COVID-19 aid bills instead of a single package, according to a top lawmaker involved in the negotiations. The legislation is now expected as soon as Thursday.

US ratchets up China tensions, closing Houston consulate

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States ordered China to close its consulate in Houston, escalating tensions between the world’s largest economies as President Donald Trump ramps up punitive measures against China ahead of the November U.S. election. Beijing denounced the order Wednesday as “outrageous” and said it would draw a firm response if not reversed.

Tesla picks Texas site for second US vehicle assembly plant

(AP) - Electric car maker Tesla Inc. has picked the Austin, Texas, area as the site for its largest auto assembly plant employing at least 5,000 workers.

The new factory will build Tesla’s upcoming Cybertruck pickup and will be a second U.S. manufacturing site for the Model Y small SUV, largely for distribution to the East Coast.

Corps adds a month to crawfishing at Indian Bayou area

PORT BARRE (AP) — The Army Corps of Engineers says it’s adding a month to the crawfish season in 28,500 acres (11,500 hectares) of Louisiana’s Atchafalaya Basin because a slow drop in the Atchafalaya River is making for great crawfishing there.

About 140 people have the special use permits needed for crawfishing in the Indian Bayou area and permits are still available, Atchafalaya Basin Floodway System park manager Steve Stone said in an email Tuesday.

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The simplicity of a smile

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"A meeting was held quite far from Earth, ‘It’s time for another birth.’ Said the Angels to the Lord above, ‘This special child will need much love.’

His progress may seem very slow, accomplishments he may not show. And he’ll require much extra care from the folks he meets way down there.

He may not run or laugh or play, his thoughts may seem quite far away. In many ways he won’t adapt, and he’ll be known as handicapped.