Funeral arrangements announced for Southern University student killed in Mississippi - Baton Rouge news - NewsLocker (2024)

BAKER— The body of a Southern University student who was lured to Mississippi and killed will be laid to rest on Saturday.According to his family, funeral services for Steven Harris will be held 11:00 a.m. Saturday morning at Bethany Church on Plank Road. Last month, Harris' body was found in Wilkinson County, Mississippi days after he was reported missing. West Feliciana Parish Sheriff Brian Spillman told WBRZ evidence suggests a trio of suspects lured Harris there to kill h

Three Hammond men arrested for slew of drug, firearm charges

HAMMOND - Three men were arrested for various drug and firearm charges after a week-long investigation and multiple search warrants. The Hammond Police Department said officers with the narcotics division partnered with SWAT to conduct the warrants in Lincoln Park, Smith Square, and Mooney Park neighborhoods. Three people were arrested following the searches: 36-year-old Christopher McGee, 30-year-old Efrem Fields Jr., and 28-year-old Javokia McCaleb. The three men were arrest

Capital region goes back to school - Go behind the scenes with several campuses to see how their first days look!

BATON ROUGE - It's that time of year again: time to welcome a new group of students to campuses in and around the capital area as we start the 2024-25 school year!WBRZ has been taking you inside the schools starting back up as part of our Back 2 School team coverage this week. Take a look - we've had reporters go from Livingston to Iberville Parishes previewing what this year will look like. Below are links to the videos we aired while visiting several schools for their first days.&amp

Grandmother of 3-year-old shot and killed in his bed hosting prayer ahead of new school year

BATON ROUGE - With a new school year ahead of us, members of the community are coming together to pray for the safety of students and teachers alike amid an environment filled with gun violence. Cathy Toliver, whose grandson Devin Page Jr. was killed by a stray bullet while sleeping in his bed in April of 2022, is hosting a back to school prayer to bless the new school year. The prayer will be held at the 100 Black Men headquarters on North Foster Drive this Saturday at noon.&

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New Orleans boil water advisory caused by Mylar balloon hitting power line to continue into Thursday

NEW ORLEANS - Some residents in New Orleans will have to go another day without water as after a Mylar balloon hit a power line Tuesday afternoon, which caused an electrical malfunction and knocked the drinking water pumps offline. The New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board said they are in the middle of testing, which should wrap up Thursday afternoon. If all of the samples pass inspection, the boil water advisory will be lifted. The SWBNO said after the balloon hit the power l

Mayor-President candidates kick earnings into high gear for second financial report

BATON ROUGE – Three months from the November election, the numbers are in for the most recent quarter’s campaign finance reports for the East Baton Rouge Mayor-President race. Candidates report all campaign donations since May.While political experts say the total money earned doesn't tell who will win the race, it gives an idea of who’s supporting each candidate.
Political analyst James Hartman says over the next three months, campaign donations will continue to g

Detectives searching for person who allegedly shoplifted $4,000 in merchandise from stores

BATON ROUGE - Detectives with the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office are searching for a person who allegedly stole around $4,000 worth in merchandise from retail stores.Investigators believe this individual is responsible for numerous thefts from retail stores throughout the parish.Anyone with information should contact 225-344-7867.Permalink| Comments

West Baton Rouge kicks off first day of school Thursday, leaders say these are things students should know

WEST BATON ROUGE - The school year starts Thursday, Aug. 8 for students in West Baton Rouge, and Superintendent Chandler Smith says many parents and students ought to know before the morning bell rings.“We’ve been waiting all summer for their return,” Superintendent Smith said. “We’ve done a ton of professional development”Heading back to school will come with a few policy changes. The legislative session focused on classroom and handb

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EBR Schools makes upgrades to buses, better accommodating drivers and students

BATON ROUGE — East Baton Rouge Parish students who are riding the bus for the first day of school on Thursday can expect some changes on their way to school.Last year several issues within the bus system caused drivers to go on strike leading to a day of classes being canceled. One reason was several buses did not have air conditioning.Office clerk and occasional bus driver Lee Cosey said he believes this year will be better than last year.“Having a more comfortable bus make

Zachary Community School District welcomes students back with bank to teach students financial skills

ZACHARY — The Zachary Community School District welcomes students back on Thursday.This year, the high school has something that no other school in the state has: A bank.The new bank, called the Bank of Zachary Bronco Branch, is a partnership between the school and the Bank of Zachary. The bank inside the school will teach kids financial literacy and even employ students."We have opened a student-led, for the students branch with our retail staff that will be here with them helping th

Plans to build grain export facility in historically Black town in St. John the Baptist Parish fall apart

WALLACE — Plans to build a 250-acre grain export facility in a historically black town in St. John the Baptist Parish have gone up in smoke.After a nearly three-year battle, Greenfield Louisiana says they are no longer moving forward with the project, which WBRZ originally reported on in February.“It just was so appropriate that in that moment we were standing there together and we heard Greenfield pulled out, and we let out shouts of joy,” Jo Banner, who has been

Appeals court rejects plea from Port Allen administrator to enter mayor's race

PORT ALLEN — A Louisiana appeals court has upheld a decision saying Port Allen's municipal administrator cannot run for mayor because he enjoys a property tax exemption on a house he owned in Plaquemine.In a 3-2 decision Wednesday, the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal said Lance Joseph was ineligible to serve as Port Allen's mayor because he is not a resident of the West Baton Rouge city. An 18th Judicial District judge last week ruled that an Iberville Parish homestead exemption that has

15-year-old arrested for attempted first-degree murder after shooting on Washington Avenue

BATON ROUGE - A 15-year-old was arrested for attempted first-degree murder after a shooting on Washington Avenue.According to the Baton Rouge Police Department, the shooting took place on July 25 around 2:47 a.m., and a female juvenile suffered non-life-threatening injuries as a result of the shooting. The shooting occurred as a result of a verbal altercation, BRPD said.A 15-year-old male was identified as a suspect and was booked into the East Baton Rouge Juvenile Detention Center without inci

Man sentenced to 7 years in prison for beating death outside of Splash Nightclub

BATON ROUGE - A man was sentenced to seven years in prison two years after beating another person to death outside of an LSU-area nightclub. Court documents say that Edmond Revelle pleaded guilty to manslaughter for the killing of Hayes Sellers in May 2024 and was sentenced Tuesday. In May 2022, WBRZ reported that Sellers died in a hospital after he was beaten while trying to calm a drunken man who was picking fights outside a Baton Rouge club. According to arrest doc

Deputies searching for two people wanted for attempted murder after shooting

PLAQUEMINE - Two people are wanted for attempted murder after a shooting that took place Tuesday, according to the Iberville Parish Sheriff's Office.Brayden Hollins, 19, of Plaquemine and Laron Richard, 24, of Plaquemine are wanted on two counts of attempted second-degree murder.Anyone with information as to their whereabouts is urged to contact the IPSO at 225-687-3553.Permalink| Comments

Deputies searching for two suspected of stealing from multiple Dollar General locations in Ponchatoula

PONCHATOULA — Tangipahoa Parish deputies are searching for two people suspected of a series of thefts at multiple Dollar General stores.On July 25, a man and a woman were seen on surveillance footage going into a Dollar General store on La. 22. Once inside, they filled a white trash can with miscellaneous items, including laundry detergent, then walked out without paying, deputies said.Five days later, the same pair, traveling in the same black Kia Optima, went to a different La. 22 D

Peeping Tom violating tenant privacy in Garden District

BATON ROUGE - Police are looking into a "Peeping Tom" wandering around at night in the Rittiner Terrace area of the Garden District.One tenant has captured video of a person or persons walking around after dark through yards, between houses, and looking into windows. It started the first week of July.Fearful, Danielle did not want her full identity revealed by WBRZ. She has been logging video on her Ring cameras and sending the evidence to police. The chimes on her phone go off nightly as someo

Prairieville High receives grant for upgraded ventilation system in welding, pipefitting labs

PRAIRIEVILLE — The newly opened Prairieville High School is set to receive more than $100,000 in grant money to outfit the school's welding and pipefitting labs with an exhaust ventilation system, the Louisiana Construction Education Foundation announced Wednesday. The grant of $110,400 will help Prairieville High School to supplement existing workforce training programs by offering fundamentals classes in the two crafts at the school's campus, giving students a solid foundat

Dow Chemical donates dozens of ballistic shields to Assumption Parish Sheriff's Office

NAPOLEONVILLE— Dow Chemicals donated 30 ballistic shields to Assumption Parish Sheriff's deputies Wednesday. Sheriff Leland Falcon says the shields are valued at $18,000. He thanked the company for the donation, which he called a contribution towards the safety of his deputies. "This kind act goes to protecting our men and women who face constant dangers everyday while protecting the residents of Assumption Parish”, Falcon said.Permalink| Comments

St. Gabriel Police officer accused of pulling a gun on a woman, domestic abuse suspended without pay

ST. GABRIEL — A St. Gabriel Police officer who was arrested for allegedly pulling a gun on a woman has been suspended without pay by the department.St. Gabriel police officer Ronald Monroe Jr. was arrested Friday on charges of aggravated assault domestic abuse, as well as domestic abuse battery and resisting an officer. Monroe, who has a history of domestic abuse charges, was originally recommended for termination, Chief Kevin Ambeau said, but the city council voted 4-1 to su

Entergy offering Louisiana customers heavily discounted smart thermostats costing one cent

BATON ROUGE — Entergy customers can purchase a new thermostat for just one penny through a new energy efficiency program.Entergy Solutions is offering its customers access to heavily discounted smart thermostats through Sept. 1.Thermostats can be bought from multiple different brands, including Sensi, Honeywell and Amazon. The retail price of these range from $89.99 to $99.99.More information about the discounted thermostat program can be found here.Permalink| Comments

Donaldsonville High School hosts ribbon-cutting for new campus facilities

DONALDSONVILLE - Tuesday, officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of renovations at Donaldsonville High School. Members of the cheer team and school band welcomed the community into the school's new facilities. The renovations saw an expansion of the school's cafetorium, a new stage, new administration offices, an upgraded front exterior, and a new entrance to the gymnasium. Permalink| Comments

Secretary of State says judge kicked off 19th JDC bench will remain on ballot in appellate court race

BATON ROUGE— Despite being temporarily suspended from the bench by the Louisiana Supreme Court, the Secretary of State's office told WBRZ Judge Eboni Johnson Rose will remain on the ballot for a seat on the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal.In a statement to WBRZ, a spokesperson for the Secretary of State's office says Rose could only be removed from the ballot if an objection to her candidacy was filed. Under current state law, this can only be done within seven days after qualifying ends.

Callihan, prosecutors granted delay until September in case over death of Loranger woman and daughter

NEW ORLEANS — A judge on Wednesday said prosecutors can have 45 more days to consider charges against a man accused of killing a Loranger woman and her daughter and kidnapping another girl for use as a sex slave.Proceedings are delayed until Sept. 23.The government and lawyers for Daniel Callihan, 36, say they are working to determine which charges should be filed. In a filing in federal court in New Orleans, they said that presenting an indictment before a scheduled preliminary heari

Deputies ask for an end to harassment of those arrested for animal cruelty

PONCHATOULA - On the heels of three teenagers being arrested for a viral animal cruelty video, deputies have asked for an end to the harassment of one of alleged suspects in the case. The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office said dozens of boxes have been sent to the address of one of the suspects in the animal cruelty case. While they did not specify what was inside the boxes, deputies said they and other agencies wasted hundreds of dollars to make sure they were safe and did not contai

Tangipahoa sheriff fires deputy after no-warrant raid at Hammond home; says actions violated standards

HAMMOND — The Tangipahoa Parish sheriff said Wednesday he fired a deputy after seeing a video of a raid conducted at a local home without a search warrant.Randall Kelley had been placed on administrative leave, but following an investigation Sheriff Gerald Sticker fired him. Criminal charges could be filed against the former officer later. Video from a home on Monday show Kelley entering a house and later pushing a young man onto the ground. Sticker said no search warrant wou

Livingston Parish schools upgrading security and welcoming a new multi-million dollar project

LIVINGSTON - Livingston Parish Schools is ready to welcome back faculty and staff this Thursday.The district, which consists of 43 schools, 3,800 employees and over 27,000 students, is also welcoming Jody Purvis, a new superintendent.He says he is hoping to increase parental and community involvement during his time serving."I want us all to work together. I want us to have that clear communication. I want that student to come in and be excited to learn and I want to see those teachers showing

Charges dropped for Ascension Parish councilman accused of submitting requests in parish president's name

GONZALES - Several months after Ascension Parish councilman Aaron Lawler was accused of submitting document requests in the parish present's name, landing him charges of impersonation and identity theft, the attorney general's office said those charges were dropped.A spokesman with Attorney General Liz Murrill's office said that after officials had reviewed the evidence and met with witnesses, they "determined that Mr. Lawler’s actions did not meet the elements of the offense to be ab

Iberville Parish students return with new dress code, new safety protocols, broken Grosse Tete bridge

PLAQUEMINE - Iberville Parish schools are ready for students to start back on Thursday.Students are in for a much different year with a longer commute because the Grosse Tete bridge will be closed for months. Students have the option to take a ferry to school or a bus that will take them along the detour route.However, Superintendent Louis Voiron says there is nothing to worry about."Hey, we're ready to get the school year started. We're ready to get our students back and we've got a really ded

St. Helena Schools focusing on security improvements, new opportunities for students as school year starts

ST. HELENA - The new school year is about to begin in St. Helena Parish and officials say students can look forward to unique experiences designed to assist them after they graduate high school.St. Helena College & Career Academy students will get different business opportunities and have the chance to work in one of the stores inside the school for student internships and community service.Those include Neighbors Federal Credit Union, Otis Spunkmeyer, Papa Johns, Smoothie King and PJ's Cof