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American Press
21 hours ago
- Health
- American Press
Senate Republicans hold hearing on Biden's mental fitness as Democrats boycott
President Joe Biden speaks to a crowd gathered at the Lake Charles Civic Center with the I-10 Bridge in the background during his May 6 visit to Lake Charles. (American Press Archives) Nearly six months after Joe Biden left the White House, Senate Republicans are still scrutinizing his presidency, kicking off the first in what's expected to be a series of congressional hearings this year on his mental fitness in office. Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee brought in three witnesses Wednesday — none of whom served in Biden's administration — to scrutinize his time in office, arguing that Biden, his staff and the media must be held accountable. Democrats boycotted the hearing and criticized Republicans for 'arm chair diagnosing' Biden when the committee could be looking into serious matters. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who co-chaired the hearing, said that they will aim to 'shine a light on exactly what went on in the White House during Biden's presidency.' 'We simply cannot ignore what transpired because President Biden is no longer in office,' Cornyn said. A spokesperson for Biden declined to comment on the hearing. It was the first in what could be several hearings about Biden in the coming months. Over in the House, the Oversight Committee has subpoenaed several of Biden's former staff members, along with his White House doctor, ordering him to testify at a June 27 hearing 'as part of the investigation into the cover-up of President Joe Biden's cognitive decline.' Questions about Biden's age and fitness erupted last summer after his disastrous performance in a debate against Donald Trump, which ultimately led to his withdrawal from the race.
American Press
6 days ago
- American Press
The Informer: Five killed in 1971 blast at chemical plant
1/3 Swipe or click to see more A fallen tank lies amid PPG blast debris on Dec. 23, 1971, as workers inspect damage at the plant. Sam Guillory / American Press Archives) 2/3 Swipe or click to see more The frame of the vinyl top of this convertable stands erect after an explosion at the PPG plant rocked employee cars in an adjacent parking lot. (Sam Guillory / American Press Archives) 3/3 Swipe or click to see more A worker uses a respirator while inspecting damage to the plant. (Sam Guillory / American Press Archives) Two days before Christmas in 1971, the unthinkable happened. Four men were killed instantly and another three were badly burned after an explosion ripped through the new solvents section of the Plate Glass Industries chemical plant. The explosion occurred at about 4:30 a.m. in the perchloroethylene and trichloroethylene unit, which manufactures solvents used for dry cleaning and degreasing, according to the Dec. 23, 1971, front page of the American Press. The unit had only been in operation 'a couple of days' when the explosion occurred, plant officials told the newspaper. A large area surrounding the complex was shaken by the blast. Residents in the Westlake area reported articles knocked from their shelves. 'When the explosion occurred, a distillation tower estimated to be about 100 feet in height toppled to the ground. The unit is located on the west side of Columbia Southern Road near the main entrance to the plant,' the newspaper reported. 'Metal parts of the unit weighing a ton or more were hurled more than a hundred yards from the center of the blast. The major force of the blast appeared to be in an easterly direction, directly toward the offices and the older units located across Columbia Southern Road.' A flash fire accompanied the blast, but was contained by plant employees on site. Several cars and trucks belonging to employees of the plant were damaged or destroyed by the explosion. The parking lot was located about 100 yards northeast of the destroyed unit. 'One car apparently exploded and went up in flames after its gasoline tank was struck by the hot metal,' the newspaper reported. 'The roof of a pickup truck was smashed flat by a portion of the unit which smashed into it. Windshields and windows in the cars were shattered or broken out.' Ceiling tile from offices across the road from the plant were also heavily damaged. Metal door frames were twisted and large windows were shattered. When a headcount of employees was conducted after the explosion, it was discovered that Lowell Laughlin was unaccounted for. 'Shortly before the explosion occurred, Laughlin climbed up a ladder to close a valve on a pipe through which chlorine was flowing,' manager A.T. Raetzsch told the American Press. The explosion occurred almost simultaneously with his closing the valve. 'Technical personnel at the plant stated that this could not have caused the explosion and, on the contrary, was a beneficial act in that the chlorine flow was cut out from the explosion area,' Raetzsch said. PPG employees, Boy Scouts, classmates of Laughlin's 1957 graduating class, a U.S. Army helicopter, and officers on horseback scoured the area around the plant in search of Laughlin — who they felt may have been dazed after the blast and suffering from amnesia-like symptoms. The search went on for 15 days before Laughlin's body was discovered in a drainage line. The discovery brought the death toll from the explosion to five.
American Press
08-06-2025
- General
- American Press
The Informer: Courthouse dome eludes exact engineering details
The octagon-shaped dome atop the Calcasieu Parish Courthouse — pictured on June 12, 1977 — is 32-feet wide and about 25-feet tall. The top of the flag pole pedestal adds another seven feet. (American Press Archives) For years, the assumption in Lake Charles was that the green dome atop the Calcasieu Parish Courthouse was solid — and tarnished — copper. Turns out, it's not. The question of how a solid copper dome that is 32-feet wide could have been lifted onto a three-story building in 1911 led to a startling discovery in 1977. Wesley Guidry, a draftsman with the parish's engineering office, found old photostatic copies of the courthouse's original blue prints 48 years ago and found drawings of steel beams in a hollow dome. 'The blueprint showed that the inside of the dome was made of an arched ribbed construction and steel braces were angled under the roof to give support to the dome,' Guidry told the American Press for its June 12, 1977, issue. Guidry took it upon himself to climb inside the dome to see firsthand if the steel braces were solid copper. To his surprise, he found tin. Guidry said the arched construction and metal underneath the copper roof gives both shape and support to the dome. He also said the shape of the dome is deceiving to those looking at it from ground level. It's not round, it's octagon-shaped. Guidry told the American Press the only recorded data on the historic landmark are the blueprints, he said. The dome was built by piece work. Thin sheets of copper, varying in size, were pieced together side by side without any overlap, he said. 'Inside the dome, there are cat walks that the men stood on when they were laying the copper sheets on top of the tin framework,' Guidry told the American Press. He told the newspaper he believes the seams of the copper sheets were soldered together. Guidry said its about 25 feet from the roof of the courthouse to the top of the round part of the dome. An additional seven feet is added by the flag pole pedestal. The shiny copper dome that was put in place in 1911 eventually tarnished over the years and turned pale green. Salt in the air oxidized the copper and turned it into sodium sulfate. Calcasieu Parish Administrator-Engineer Rodney Vincent told the American Press in 1977 that to clean the dome and restore its natural shine would cost a 'tremendous amount of money.' Vincent said at one time the Police Jury 'fancied' the idea of shining up the copper dome. 'But the estimates received were more than the Police Jury could afford.' The courthouse is a replica of the Villa Cora in Vicenza, Italy known as the Rotunda and was added to the Federal Register of Historic Buildings in 1989. The east front has a large Roman Doric portico with four high columns rising to a pediment at the roof line. There are north and south wings. A white colored balustrade runs along the edge of the flat roof.
American Press
29-05-2025
- General
- American Press
Historical walking tour focuses on the story of Lake Charles
Lake Charles' first City Hall was constructed in 1903. Before that, city council members met at homes, hotels or the second floor of the city's then-fire station at the corner of Iris and Cole streets. (American Press Archives) T he Imperial Calcasieu Museum is stepping beyond its walls to highlight and preserve Lake Charles' rich history this weekend. Starting at 2 p.m. Friday, ICM will host the first of three guided historical walking tours through Downtown Lake Charles. The 'Story of Lake Charles: Historical Walking Tours' will bring the city's history to the forefront in the locations of landmark events. The tours offer locals and tourists alike an opportunity to learn about landmark events and showcase influential figures who helped shape Lake Charles into what it is today. Ashley Royer, interim executive director, said the tours are a continuation of ICM's undertaking to preserve the area's history and culture, and will allow the museum to take this mission out of the confines of the building and into the area it honors. 'It is a way to take them out and about and just travel within the footsteps,' Royer said. The museum, which has operated since 1963, has curated the tour using precious — and scarce — primary sources such as Maude Reid's scrapbooks, as well as oral histories and input from area historians, to script the tour. Anna Alamond, an ICM creative specialist, will serve as docent for the tour. Royer said the walking tour is a chance for people to hear the accurate history of Lake Charles in a digital world of misinformation. 'If you imagine 20 years ago, everything's in the newspaper, everything's in a paper format, and we've moved to a digital format and part of it is that we're losing,' she explained. 'There's been mistranslations of the history that's going out.' History requires one to look backward and forward. And this is an important practice, Royer said, especially considering recurring themes the area is experiencing. The 1910 fire consumed the downtown area, but Lake Charles became a more developed city after the tragedy. Now, Lake Charles is in recovery from an onslaught of natural disasters, coupled with a pandemic. 'We think it's important because it's not just knowing what happened before, but what's happening currently,' Royer said. 'And I think it's important that history is a two-way street. You have to look back and forward. 'And there are just some really unique individuals who played a part in our development. I feel like you should know their stories.' The tour begins and ends at the Historic City Hall Arts and Cultural Center, 1001 Ryan St., and will last about two hours. Two more guided history tours will be offered in June. Tickets can be purchased on ICM's website. The cost is $20 for adults and $15 for seniors, military and children. Children ages 4 and younger admitted free.
American Press
17-05-2025
- General
- American Press
The Informer: Opening of port brought rejoicing to Lake Charles
Ships crowd the docks of the Lake Charles Port on Oct. 27, 1930. (American Press Archives) 'Only once before in the history of Lake Charles — Armistice Day, Nov. 11, 1918 — was there such general and genuine rejoicing in the city,' reads the Dec. 3, 1926, American Press. 'And never before has any one achievement meant so much to the popular mind in Lake Charles as are the formal port and water opening ceremonies here today.' Lake Charles had been a port of call since the early 1800s for sailing vessels navigating the shallow river to pick up cargoes of lumber. The Intracoastal Canal connecting the Calcasieu and Sabine rivers was later completed in 1915. It was 20.5 miles long and 12 feet deep, with a 90-foot bottom width. In 1922, voters in Calcasieu Parish approved a $2.75 million bond issue to deepen and widen the Calcasieu River from the Intracoastal Canal to Lake Charles. The intent was to provide a navigation route through the Intracoastal Canal to the Sabine River and to the Gulf of Mexico. From their, the vision became larger. On April 1, 1925, commissioners met with representatives of the three rail lines serving Lake Charles —Southern Pacific, Kansas City Southern and Missouri Pacific — to discuss facilities and the role the rail lines would play in the future of the Port of Lake Charles. A special election was called for July 7, 1925, for $500,000 to build wharves, docks, warehouses, railway facilities and elevators for use in connection with the construction of the port. On Dec. 3, 1926, the dream became a reality. The American Press said trains, yachts and tug boats brought delegations by the hundreds from distant cities just to partake in the opening festivities. Long before the 9 a.m. ceremony began, Lake Charles began to hum with activity and music from 'the finest bands in the South,' including the Magnolia Refining company group from Beaumont, Texas, and the Centenary Cadets from Shreveport. Gov. Oramel Simpson and representatives of Gen. Edgar Jadwin, who was then chief of Army Engineers in Washington, D.C., were among the celebrated guests. 'The day opened clear and crisp with not a cloud in sight to dampen any one's aspirations and enthusiasm, and on schedule time formal ceremonies began with the grand parade from the Kansas City Southern deport at 10:20 a.m.,' the newspaper reads. 'From that hour on during the remainder of the day, one big event has followed another with a swiftness and magnitude that have eclipsed any celebration ever before attempted in Lake Charles.' Mayor Henry J. Geary presided at the opening of the formalities and introduced the Rev. R.H. Wynn, pastor of the Broad Street Methodist Church, who gave the invocation. 'After delivering the address of welcome in which he extended the keys of the city and of the port to the distinguished guests and to the visitors, Mayor Geary expressed greetings on the occasion, which he said is the outstanding epoch in the history of Lake Charles.' Nearly 100 years later, the Port — more formally, the Lake Charles Harbor and Terminal District — accounts for a large percentage of local economic revenue and more than $34 million in annual Lake Charles tax revenue. It covers more than 200 square miles in Calcasieu Parish and operates 5,400-plus acres.
