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Sunday, January 22, 2017
Breaux Bridge man killed in Thursday morning crash
Galliano, LA – Shortly after 9:30 Thursday morning, Troopers with Troop C responded to a two-vehicle crash with serious injuries on LA 3235 just north of West 205th Street. The driver, 67-year old Lester Boudreaux of Breaux Bridge, later died of injuries sustained in the crash. W The preliminary investigation revealed Boudreaux was driving a 2010 Chevrolet Silverado and was exiting a private driveway onto LA 3235 when he crossed both southbound lanes to reach a turn-around in the median of the highway. See Crash Page 3-A
House Republican leader offers his plan for $304M in cuts By MELINDA DESLATTE Associated Press
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The leader of Louisiana’s House Republican delegation offered his proposal Thursday for slashing $304 million in state spending, to close a midyear deficit without needing the special legislative session Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards intends to call. See Budget Plan Page 3-A
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Americans say fix health care … it’s not working
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By LAURIE KELLMAN and EMILY SWANSON Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Sylvia Douglas twice voted for President Barack Obama and last year cast a ballot for V But when Hillary Clinton. S MATHEWS • GHEENS • LOCKPORT • VALENTINEDemocrat • LAROSE it comes to “Obamacare,” she now C • GALLIANO • GOLDEN MEADOW • LEEVILLE • GRAND ISLE sounds like President-elect Donald Trump. This makes her chuckle amid the serious choices she faces every month between groceries, electricity and paying a health insurance bill that has jumped by nearly $400. “It’s a universal thing, nobody likes it,” Douglas, a licensed practical nurse in Huntsville, Alabama, said of Obama’s signature law. “They need to fix it with whatever works, but not make more of a mess like they have now.” That Americans agree on much of anything is remarkable after a presidential race that ripped open the naStaff photo tion’s economic, political and cultural divisions. But on the brink of the Sometimes transforming something old, and what can be seen as trash to others, can be turned Trump presidency, a new poll finds into art for some. ample accord across those divisions This rusted front end of an old car sits against a tree along the bayouside in Larose. It’s truly a on the need to do something about work of art, turning an old, rusted, useless car into something positive and worth looking at. health care in the United States. More than 4-in-10 Republicans, Democrats and independents say health care is a top issue facing the country, The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll showed. That’s more than named any other issue in the survey, conducted Dec. 14-19. By JOSH LEDERMAN lief,” Neil Eggleston, Obama’s White House counBut there seems to be little agreeAssociated Press sel, said in an interview in his West Wing office. ment on what to do about it. “He saw the injustice of the sentences that were WASHINGTON (AP) — In a last See Healthcare Page 3-A imposed in many situations, and he has a strong major act as president, Barack view that people deserve as second chance.” Obama cut short the sentences of 330 federal inFor Obama, it was the last time he planned mates convicted of drug crimes on Thursday, to exercise his presidential powers in any signifbringing his bid to correct what he’s called a sysicant way. At noon on Friday, President-elect tematic injustice to a climactic close. Donald Trump was sworn in and Obama’s chapWith his final offer of clemency, Obama ter in history came to an end. brought his total number of commutations Even as Obama issued the commutations, the granted to 1,715, more than any other president White House had been mostly cleared out to make in U.S. history, the White House said. During his way for Trump. In between carrying out their last presidency Obama ordered free 568 inmates duties, the few remaining staffers were packing who had been sentenced to life in prison. up belongings as photos of Obama were taken “He wanted to do it. He wanted the opportudown from the walls of the West Wing corridors. nity to look at as many as he could to provide reSee Obama Page 5-A Getty Images t
Obama commutes 330 drug sentences on last day as president
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VOLUME 28 NUMBER 15
Cold, flu or stomach flu? How to know the difference
(StatePoint) While each year millions in the U.S. are sickened during flu season, many can’t distinguish between symptoms of the seasonal strain of the flu, a cold and the “stomach flu.” Knowing the difference, and how to properly treat each virus, can speed recovery. Similar yet different While cold symptoms come on slowly and are limited to the head and upper respiratory system, flu symptoms affect the whole body and come on quickly. Telltale signs of the flu are fever and body aches. However, these are also symptoms of stomach flu, which isn’t related to a flu virus at all. Common viruses that wreak havoc on the digestive system include the norovirus and the ro-
tavirus. Ironically, an immune system weakened by seasonal flu can leave you vulnerable to these so-called stomach flu viruses. What you need to know Although high fever and body aches occur with both seasonal flu and viruses that attack the gastrointestinal system, these symptoms are more prevalent and severe in seasonal flu cases, and are accompanied by fatigue and headache. See Flu Page 5-A
Bayou’s Best! King cakes 7114 Hwy. 1 - Lockport 13086 Hwy. 3235 - Larose 2113 S. Alex Plaisance Blvd. - G.M.
Coach “O” Day plans moving forward
Plans for honoring LSU Head Coach Ed “Ba Ba” Orgeron are well underway. Members of his hometown community are preparing to celebrate him being named head football coach of the LSU Tigers. There will be a banquet and program held at the Larose Civic Center to honor this Larose native while also celebrating the 40th anniversary of the 1977 State Champion South Lafourche High School Tarpon football team. See Coach “O” Page 2-A