Tag: louisiana

Mystery as Gone With The Wind-style plantation that’s one of south’s oldest antebellum homes is destroyed by huge blaze

One of the oldest Antebellum-era plantations in the country was destroyed after a massive fire ripped through the historic mansion and completely engulfed it in flames.

The massive inferno erupted at Louisiana‘s historic Nottoway Plantation House shortly after 2pm Thursday.

A giant orange wall of fire consumed the 166-year-old home, which was located along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

The blaze, which started in the south wing of the building, devoured the upper portion of the rotunda and sent a plume of thick smoke into the sky. 

Officials claim the inferno quickly spread to the main house and left behind a trail of destruction. Footage from the property shows charred and collapsed remnants of the once beautiful house. 

The plantation’s northern wing and back wall were completely destroyed, with only the chimneys remaining on each side. The façade and upper balcony had also collapsed. 

Although authorities note it is too soon to determine the full extent of the damage, the mansion’s owner, Louisiana attorney Dan Dyess, said in a written statement that the fire had led to a ‘total loss’ after all the time and money he invested in the building.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation, Iberville Parish government officials said. No injuries were reported. 

Keep reading

Louisiana Lawmaker Proposes Marijuana Legalization Pilot Program As ‘Revenue Source’ For The State

Louisiana lawmakers are gearing up for another push to legalize marijuana in the state, with at least two proposals now filed to enact cannabis-related reform this session.

Rep. Candace Newell (D)—who has made repeated attempts to end criminalization—discussed her latest legislation in an interview with Louisiana First News that aired on Saturday, describing a proposed three-year pilot program that is “designed to test and evaluate parameters of the implementation of a permanent adult-use cannabis program,” according to a legislative analysis.

“Aside of just wanting to have legalized recreational marijuana, I’m also looking at another revenue source in the state of Louisiana,” Newell said. “I’m talking about statewide, across the board, education on the product—the use of the product, the dangers of it and how it can be beneficial.”

The sponsor added that, from her perspective, “what we’ve seen is the states where they’ve done just the full blanket legalization and regulation that that is failing.”

At the same time, she emphasized the potential revenue stream from legalizing and taxing cannabis for adults.

Keep reading

How one state is getting education RIGHT — by going back to basics

Another year, another nationwide education disaster laid out in the scores issued by the nation’s report card.

Math scores are down, reading scores are down, every year worse than the last, as measured by the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

Our kids can’t seem to recover from the school closures inflicted on them by the teachers’ unions and their weak politician friends during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What should American schools do to turn this around?

First they must face the reality of just how bad this problem has become. Even before COVID, our schools were on a slide to the bottom.

The pandemic just let American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten, with special powers awarded by the Biden administration, keep schools closed and give them that extra push down.

The disruption measurably hurt so many kids, the poorest most of all — but the collapse of American education has been in the works for decades, as schools became indoctrination factories instead of places of education.

We need to change course, and Louisiana gives us a roadmap.

Keep reading

Louisiana Democrat Mayor Arrested in Shocking Drug and Prostitution Scandal — Accused of Using Taxpayer Dollars to Fund Airbnb for Escort

Bogalusa, Louisiana, the city already grappling with the scourge of drug-related violence, was rocked this week by the arrest of its youngest-ever mayor, 25-year-old Tyrin Truong.

Truong, a Democrat hailed as a rising star in his party after unseating long-time Mayor Wendy Perrette in 2022, now faces a litany of criminal charges, including allegations of drug trafficking, unauthorized use of a moveable, and soliciting prostitutes — actions that reportedly involved the misuse of taxpayer funds.

The Louisiana State Police Narcotics/Violent Crime Task Force announced Tuesday that an extensive investigation into a local drug trafficking organization had led to the arrest of Truong and six others.

“On Tuesday, Jan 7, 2025 at approximately 8:30 AM, Bogalusa Mayor Tyrin Truong was booked into the Washington Parish Jail on one count of soliciting for prostitutes, one count of unauthorized use of a movable, and two counts of transactions involving proceeds from drug offenses. No bail has been set at this time,” the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office announced on Facebook.

Authorities allege that the organization distributed opioids, high-grade marijuana, THC products, and MDMA, using social media platforms to coordinate sales and payments.

According to the news release, “In April 2024, the Louisiana State Police Narcotics/Violent Crime Task Force (NVCTF) initiated a comprehensive investigation into a Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) operating in the Bogalusa area. This joint operation, conducted over several months in collaboration with the 22nd Judicial District Court District Attorney’s Office, the Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill’s Office, and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) revealed the DTO’s involvement in the distribution of various Controlled Dangerous Substances (CDS), including opioids, high-grade marijuana, THC products, and MDMA.”

“Investigators uncovered that members of the DTO were utilizing social media platforms to distribute CDS and manage payments, further expanding their reach and criminal activity. The investigation also determined that profits from drug sales were used to purchase firearms. Some of these firearms were funneled to individuals prohibited from legal possession, while others were linked to violent crimes in the Bogalusa area.”

Disturbingly, profits from these illegal activities were reportedly used to purchase firearms, some of which ended up in the hands of individuals prohibited from owning weapons and were linked to violent crimes in the region, CBS News reported.

Truong is accused of not only participating in these illegal activities but also using his position and public funds for personal gratification, according to Daily Mail.

Keep reading

Attorney General Liz Murrill Sues DHS Over Release of Illegal Chinese National in Louisiana with Rare, Aggressive, Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis

Louisiana has filed an emergency lawsuit against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and other federal entities.

This complaint is a reaction to ICE’s handling of a Chinese national carrying a severe, drug-resistant form of tuberculosis (TB) – pre-extensively drug-resistant TB (pre-XDR TB) – which was transported through various Louisiana detention facilities without sufficient medical isolation.

The federal government’s actions have exposed hundreds of detainees and potentially the broader Louisiana public to a significant health threat.

The lawsuit highlights the incompetence and disregard of ICE for state-mandated health safety measures. Louisiana’s Surgeon General, Ralph Abraham, alongside Attorney General Liz Murrill, has demanded that all detainees be medically cleared by the Louisiana Department of Health before being released.

According to Louisiana officials, this case underscores a critical public health emergency that places the state’s citizens in jeopardy.

The complaint calls for an immediate restraining order to prevent ICE from releasing detainees unless medically cleared.

Keep reading

Louisiana’s New Law Sparks First Amendment Showdown

Under Louisiana’s new, recently enacted law (HB 173), journalists and other citizens are limited in their right to film the police.

Anyone who finds themselves within 25 feet of an on-duty officer doing that – after being warned to stop or retreat – could face misdemeanor charges.

Now a group of Louisiana-based media companies is challenging the new legislation by suing the state – Attorney General Liz Murrill and two other officials – on First Amendment grounds, seeking an injunction.

The plaintiffs behind the Deep South Today v. Murrill case, brought before the US District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana, go into the importance of the media being able to cover police activity to ensure public scrutiny and avoid miscarriage of justice.

HB 173, the filing continues, “has grave implications for the ability of reporters and news organizations, including plaintiffs, to exercise their First Amendment rights.”

Although the lawsuit does not specifically mention the consequence the law could have on speech online, given that a majority of videos showing police at work get posted on the internet, the restrictions imposed by the act could also have indirect implications for that form of freedom of expression.

According to the plaintiffs, the law is unconstitutional and enables the police to prevent both journalists and the public from being close enough to document their work.

At the same time, officers are allowed to stop those filming them from approaching, either providing a reason or not, and that includes public gatherings, arrests, and reporting from the scene of an accident.

Keep reading

Mayor resigns amid allegations of child rape, turns herself in to police days later but maintains innocence

A now-former Louisiana mayor facing allegations that she sexually assaulted a minor while in office says she is innocent.

Misty Dawn Clanton Roberts, 42, stands accused of one count each of rape in the third degree and contributing to the delinquency of juveniles, according to law enforcement in the Pelican State.

The defendant was arrested by Louisiana State Police and booked into the Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office on Thursday.

On July 27, Roberts informally resigned as mayor of DeRidder, a small town roughly 50 miles north of Lake Charles. She was in the middle of her second term as the municipality’s executive, winning reelection with 60% of the vote in 2022.

Under Louisiana state election law, the secretary of state must receive a signed and notarized letter to formally process a resignation — which reportedly had not occurred as of late last week, city officials told Lake Charles-based newspaper American Press.

The mayor quitting midterm was a bit of a whirlwind.

On July 25, Roberts sent a relatively innocuous letter to the city council announcing she would be “out of the city” for two weeks and left DeRidder Fire Chief Ken Harlow in charge as acting mayor.

But after the resignation letter, rumors swirled across the bayous.

Keep reading

Louisiana Parents Sue Over Law Mandating 10 Commandments Displays in Classrooms

Last month, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) signed a bill mandating that a copy of the Ten Commandments be displayed in all public school classrooms in Louisiana. The law, House Bill 71, requires that the religious scripture be displayed on a poster or frame sized at least 11 inches by 14 inches and in a “large, easily readable font.” 

Apparently anticipating a First Amendment challenge to the mandatory religious text, lawmakers included several provisions that attempt to strengthen the law against a constitutional challenge. For example, the law prohibits schools from using taxpayer funds to finance the posters, instead directing them to accept private donations.

The law further directs schools to display a context document that describes “the history of the Ten Commandments in American Public Education.” This requirement attempts to undermine the religious nature of the scripture, instead showing how the “historical role of the Ten Commandments accords with our nation’s history and faithfully reflects the understanding of the founders of our nation with respect to the necessity of civic morality to a functional self-government.”

While the text of the law attempts to dodge accusations that it prescribes public schools to display an openly Christian text in violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, Louisiana lawmakers openly argued that the law would put religion in Louisiana schools.

“I really believe that we are lacking in direction. A lot of people, their children, are not attending churches or whatever,” Rep. Sylvia Taylor (D–Laplace), a co-author and co-sponsor of the bill, said during a debate over the bill. “So what I’m saying is, we need to do something in the schools to bring people back to where they need to be.” Another sponsor state Rep. Dodie Horton (R–Haughton) said that the bill “seeks to have a display of God’s law in the classroom for children to see what He says is right and what He says is wrong.”

Keep reading

Louisiana Governor Signs Bill Authorizing Surgical Castration For Child Sex Offenders

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has signed into law a bill that would allow state judges to sentence those convicted of sex crimes against victims under the age of 13 to undergo surgical castration.

Senate Bill 371, sponsored by state Sen. Regina Ashford Barrow, is expected to take effect on Aug. 1 following the Republican governor’s signature on June 18.

The law allows Louisiana judges to punish offenders aged 17 and older with surgical castration if they are convicted of aggravated sex crimes against a victim under the age of 13.

The Department of Public Safety and Corrections will oversee the procedure, but it will not be performed if “not medically appropriate,” according to the bill.

Under the law, a court-appointed medical expert will need to determine whether the offender is “an appropriate candidate” for surgical castration within 60 days from the imposition of sentence.

“In all cases involving an offender sentenced to a period of incarceration or confinement in institution, the procedure shall be performed not later than one week prior to the offender’s release from the institution,” the legislation reads.

If an offender “fails to appear” as required by court order for surgical castration, the offender may be charged and sentenced to three to five years in prison without the “benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence,” according to the new law.

The bill garnered bipartisan support in the state legislature. During a committee hearing in April, Republican state Sen. Valarie Hodges described the measure as “a consequence” for offenders guilty of committing sex crimes against children.

“It’s a step over and beyond just going to jail and getting out,” Ms. Hodges said, according to The Associated Press.

Keep reading

Louisiana Governor Vetoes Bill That Would Have Let Him Pardon Past Marijuana Convictions

The governor of Louisiana has vetoed a bill that would have allowed him and future governors to issue pardons for people with past marijuana convictions.

Gov. Jeff Landry (R) rejected the legislation on Wednesday, about a month after it was approved in the legislature. It remains to be seen what he will do with separate proposals to decriminalize cannabis paraphernalia and regulate hemp products that have also been sent to his desk.

The pardon bill from Rep. Delisha Boyd (D) would have made people convicted of cannabis possession eligible for a gubernatorial pardon after paying all court costs associated with the offense, without the need for a recommendation from the Board of Pardons.

Individuals could have only received a pardon for their first possession offense, and anyone “who received such pardon shall not be entitled to receive another pardon by the governor pursuant to this Section,” the legislation says.

Kevin Caldwell, Southeast legislative manager for the advocacy group Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), said his organization is “saddened” by the governor’s veto of the bill.

“This legislation would have granted him the authority to pardon tens of thousands Louisianans who have a cannabis conviction on their records,” he told Marijuana Moment in an email. “This is a missed opportunity to help everyday citizens better their lives and economic opportunities.”

“This legislation was always about improving opportunities,” Caldwell added. “The strong bipartisan support this legislation achieved is a testament to the level of support sensible cannabis policy has in Louisiana.”

Meanwhile, the governor still has several other cannabis bills pending action.

Keep reading