DOTD: Workers last repaired fence in November
Published 6:00 pm Sunday, April 15, 2018
Who is responsible for cleaning trash on the north side of College Street from Fifth Avenue to Common Street? Why are the fences always damaged?
The fence, which controls access to Interstate 210, serves as a boundary between areas of responsibility for litter cleanup and grass cutting, said Don Duberville, area engineer administrator for the state Department of Transportation and Development.
A DOTD contractor cuts grass and picks litter on I-210 up to the fence,” Duberville wrote in an email.
“DOTD has an agreement with the city of Lake Charles to cut grass and pick litter from the fence to back of curb along College Street between Ryan Street and Louisiana Avenue.”
The DOTD maintains other areas along College Street, he said, and the fencing — damaged by vandalism and crashes — “is repaired when priorities allow.”
The department last repaired the fence near Louisiana Avenue in November, Duberville said.
Online: www.dotd.la.gov.
State lawmakers OK’d plan in 1990s
When and why did the Legislature create DROP?
State lawmakers authorized public retirement systems to use DROP, the Deferred Retirement Option Plan, in the early 1990s to help retain workers.
But the first such program — which sets aside retirement benefits for a few years while an employee continues to work — was fashioned a decade earlier.
“The first DROP design began in East Baton Rouge Parish in 1981 and covered all groups of employees (police, fire and general employees). … After about three years a DROP feature was added to the Louisiana Municipal State Police plan and then to the state firefighters’ plan,” reads a 2003 report by the Society of Actuaries.
“There were a few other DROPs started in the 1980s. DROPs began to spread in a material fashion starting in the mid-1990s. Some of the earlier plans included: Louisiana, Oklahoma, Dallas and Hollywood, Fla. Many of the early DROP plans were limited to public safety employees.”
Online: www.legis.la.gov.
Offender referred back to regular court
Whatever became of the case of the Barbe High School resource officer being attacked by some students while he was trying to stop an altercation?
Nothing was ever printed or mentioned on the local news about an outcome.
Patsy Dugas, spokeswoman for the Calcasieu Parish District Attorney’s Office, said the offender, Traysean D. Marsh, was referred, with the victim’s approval, to a pretrial diversion program.
But Marsh failed to comply with the program’s requirement and has since been referred back to regular court, Dugas said.
The Informer answers questions from readers each Sunday, Monday and Wednesday. It is researched and written by Andrew Perzo, an American Press staff writer. To ask a question, call 494-4098 and leave voice mail, or email informer@americanpress.com.
