The Calcasieu Parish Police Jury proclaimed Louisiana Flood Awareness Week and a State of Emergency due to current drought conditions at its Thursday meeting. It also gave its official nod to the parish-wide burn ban imposed by Police Jury President Chris Landry on Aug. 8.

The National Weather Service designates Flood Safety Awareness Week to promote preparedness and awareness. This week, the proclamation coincided with major fires in Beauregard Parish. The fire began in the Northwest portion of the parish late Monday. Fire fighters from Calcasieu parish have responded as well as personnel from the state’s Emergency Operations Center and Calcasieu Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.

The Town of Merryville was given the mandatory order to evacuate at 5 p.m. on Thursday. Buses were stationed at Merryville Town Hall for those who needed transportation, and shelters set up in DeRidder. The Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office stated that the Tiger Island wildfire could reach town limits within one or two hours.

A representative from the Calcasieu Parish OHSEP reported to Jurors at the Thursday meeting that the fire has consumed 18,000 acres, and it is 80 percent contained. He said that Calcasieu Parish deployed its emergency communication device to Merryville to maintain communications for the evacuation. 40 individuals from Singer also had to evacuate. No homes had been lost. However, 14 camps on Tiger Island were.

Seventeen properties were slated for demolition at the Thursday Calcasieu Parish Police Jury meeting. Property owners will owe the parish for the demo work. Or, the parish will put a lien against the property.

Three property owners will receive buyouts using funding from the FEMA Home Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), to cover the cost, including the appraisal, demolition and closing: 1845 Crawford Drive, Lake Charles, District 1, $202,000; 969 Terry Lane, Lake Charles, District 5, $146,000;  6450 Arron Drive, Lake Charles, District 10, $200,000.

Adjudicated property will be offered for sale by the Director of the Division of Planning and Development on Tuesday, September 26, 2023. Those properties are at the 7600 and 7828 Block of Mississippi Avenue, 1103 14th St., and 2454 13th St. in Lake Charles.

In Westlake, 706 Niel Road. In DeQuincy,  2541 Big Woods/Edgerly Road, 700 Block of Yoakum Avenue. 1100 Block of D. Williams Road and 300 Block of North Frazier St. In Hayes, 7828 Mississippi Avenue.

Police Juror Ron Hayes was presented with a certificate in recognition of receiving the Southland Conference’s Louis Bonnette Sports Media Award.

Hays was awarded for his outstanding contribution to the field of sports information journalism, broadcasting or other media focused on the Southland Conference or member institutions.

“When Ron began broadcasting McNeese sports, Jimmy Carter was the president. Terry Bradshaw was winning Super Bowls and starting linebacker for the McNeese Cowboys was an undersized but hard-hitting youngster named Daryl Burckel,” Tom Hoefer said. Hoefer is communications director for the parish and a fellow broadcaster.

Hays has represented McNeese State University in more than half of the US. states.

Hays said it was Janet Laborde who asked him to do sports broadcasting. He wasn’t sure what she meant, and she told him he’d be able to sit in the best seat in the house and watch sports. Since he was doing that anyway, he took her up on the suggestion. That was 46 years ago.

“Louis is a longtime sports information director at McNeese,” Hays said. He’s been around McNeese since ‘52 or something like that, and just to see him operate was worth it. To be honored by this is something that humbles me.”