City not allowed to provide charter bus service

Published 6:00 pm Monday, April 30, 2018

Is it legal or possible for a citizen to rent a city transit bus for a private event?

No, said Lake Charles city spokesman Matt Young.

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“The city of Lake Charles’ transit division is partially funded by the Federal Transit Authority and is subject to their guidelines regarding use of the buses,” Young wrote in an email.

“Local transit agencies are prohibited from operating chartered services for private events. These regulations were implemented to ensure that transit agencies, subsidized with federal funds, do not unfairly compete with privately owned bus companies.”

The city’s five fixed-route buses and two para-transit buses run 5:45 a.m.-5:45 p.m. Monday-Friday and on off hours remain parked in the public works yard, at 4331 East Broad St., Young said.

Online: www.cityoflakecharles.com.


 

Arthropod museum offers bug ID service

Is there somewhere where you can have insects identified?

The Louisiana State Arthropod Museum offers an insect identification service. The cost is $20.

“The LSAM serves the needs of the citizens of Louisiana as a source of insect and related arthropod identifications and information,” reads the museum’s website.

“LSAM staff typically identify over 2000 specimens each year for the faculty, staff, and graduate students of LSU, the Cooperative Extension Service, branch research stations, other universities, museums and institutions, state and federal agencies, pest control operators, agricultural consultants, businesses, and the general public.”

Researchers will identify the insect and provide a summary about it within three to five working days of receiving the sample, the site says. People can submit photos of insects or actual specimens.

“For physical samples, package the specimen(s) securely and please do not mail glass containers in soft packages or envelopes,” reads the site.

“A cotton ball dipped in rubbing alcohol can be used to capture and preserve small insects, then sealed in a ziplock bag. Dried specimens should be padded between layers of tissue and protected in small boxes. Do not mail live insects.”

The address is Louisiana State Arthropod Museum Department of Entomology, LSB 404, Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, LA 70803-1710.

The submission should include the date the insect was collected or observed, along with the location and the circumstances involved and the contact information of the person submitting the sample.

For more information, call 225-578-1634.

Online: http://lsuinsects.org/public_services.html.

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.

      48c50f94-e0b5-11e8-a9c4-5cb9017bdfe02018-11-05T04:43:04Znews/localLake Charles lady tells her story

      https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/1a247c9de2d1eb71dcdfe14070a90e72?s=100&d=mm&r=gI am writing my article for people to see what I have gone through in my personal life, please. I was hoping that if someone could see what I had gone through and been experiencing in my personal life, then perhaps someone could help me to job placement in the town of Lake Charles, working in any type of company in an office setting please. I do have some experience working in an office and had some medical back ground experience working with people, like patients and medical insurance providers and been known to help my co workers and supervisors.

       I have always been known to have a kind heart and sweet nature of a great personality with many people who have met me and worked with me, because I always helped my co workers, supervisors and customers. I was hoping if someone was reading my article, then  they could help me with job placement, because I have been without an income for a very long time and I have not been able to recover from some health conditions in trying to walk much better for my own good, because I have not had the best medical care in the past and my foot has been a problem for me. I have been in need of therapy again, but it has been very expensive with no job or medical insurance. I do not receive the best things in many situations with the way I have been living and it has been real hard on me to keep living without an income and not being able to afford things for myself. I cannot afford decent medical care most times for my foot condition nor can I receive good therapy from most places, because they have charged me alot of  money and I have nearly lost all my savings, due to a  foot problem never fixed and giving money to places who never had helped me in the past with therapy., 

      I have seen medical doctors that have been expensive if I was sick, but I have not been able to see someone if I needed constant medical care, because I have been without an income for more than several years now and cannot afford medical insurance with no income. 

      I believe what I am trying to write on my post for other people to read is that I cannot believe that in this town that people could have been so cruel to have left a widowed lady suffer without an income for more than several years now. I cannot believe that with my past medical history and with the way I have been living with a disability with hardly any energy left to go on with these days and  from my past sickness to Sepsis ,I have been feeling down and depressed,  because of my foot condition  having problems medically in other ways, that some of the people in this town have not treated me like a human being and left me with no income to live like this to not  being able to walk better by now than I should had long ago, in the past, because therapy in the past never helped me gain my independence back for myself to walk again. 

      I do not know where the morals lie with most people these days, but I am not directing this at many people, but to those who have not been there for me through many obstacles I have gone through in my personal life and with the stress and worries I have suffered from each day worried how there has been no income for myself, I have wondered what my future has held for me. I do not know how many people would have left someone like me in my condition with no income, but it has been one of the most cruelest  actions I have ever seen in my life that some other people could have done to an innocent individual. If someone had been sick in the past and been with a disability that she has been having a hard time to overcome then it has made hard for her to make a new life, because of the limitations always placed on her in not receiving the best medical care to see life never improved in walking. 

      I do not believe that no one has the right to limit another person from having an income or making problems at some therapy places in charging a person money and  not helping that person gain their walking ability back to normal again, because to me it has been one of the most hateful and cruel actions I have ever seen in my life, but then again I have seen people be able to visit their medical doctors with jobs and medical insurance to be able to receive respectful and decent medical care, not to be treated like some animal who was left stranded without things. 

      I do not know what my future holds for me, but I do not believe that other people would liked to sit ideally by and watch their family members go without income who had previous medical problems and have to sit without decent foot to eat and live in older places, compared to other people who could move and afford to buy another place, compared to me. I have faced many limitations in my life, because I do stay in an older place that has not been equipped for someone like me with medical conditions in her home, because of the constant unemployment problems in this town. I just cannot believe in my wildest notions that people could leave a widowed lady who has been down on her luck in the past from a serious sickness could struggle even at her age to many things, with a disability, because she has been left constantly with no income. I do not believe that most people I have met would liked to had seen someone in their family facing neglect with no income and with some past and current medical problems, because this has been a very serious problem with this town in how they have left some people without income and if it does not change, then how will someone like me overcome a disability who does need some medical care and decent living conditions, be able to stay alive and have a lengthy life like most people. I am only writing my thoughts and do hope things could improve for me in the future.  I hope people might can see my article and help me with job placement and consider me for things outside the house more often than what I have been treated, so terribly through in my personal life.  I appreciate any help.