Donaldsonville man sentenced for 25 years for rape of two juveniles - Baton Rouge news - NewsLocker (2024)

DONALDSONVILLE - A man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of rape Friday.Layne Barras, 28, pled guilty to two counts of third-degree rape as a result of a plea agreement with prosecutors. In July 2021, Assumption Parish Sheriff's detectives received information indicating that Layne Barras had committed sexual acts with two juvenile victims. Upon receiving this information, detectives initiated an investigation into the allegations, and during

Two people arrested for throwing puppies in dumpster; dogs rescued by neighbor

OPELOUSAS - Deputies in St. Landry Parish arrested a woman accused of throwing two puppies in a dumpster and a man who was with her when she discarded of the animals. The sheriff's office shared a video of the pair, identified as Jasmine Mounton and Kendall Tyler, walking past a dumpster behind Sebastian Westend Seafood. The video shows Mounton carrying a puppy, opening a dumpster and tossing the dog in before grabbing another puppy and throwing it in as well. The woman left the dumpst

Louisiana lawmakers end 2024 session: even with supermajority, Landry doesn't get everything

BATON ROUGE — Gov. Jeff Landry took office with a conservative agenda and a Republican super-majority in the Legislature after eight years of a Democratic governor, promising sweeping changes in this year's legislative session.A major focus of Landry’s agenda was to reorganize the Louisiana Constitution by moving amendments into statutes. He  and conservative lawmakers made a big push for the Legislature to authorize a limited constitutional convention.But their eff

Still no body camera video released after alleged BRPD beating

BATON ROUGE - It's been two weeks since a man was hospitalized following an encounter with Baton Rouge police officers outside his grandmother's home. Despite repeated requests for the body camera footage, it has still not been released.Roderick Veal is charged with disarming a police officer, resisting arrest, and being a felon in possession of a gun. During his arrest, Veal says he was beaten so badly he had to go to the hospital.The WBRZ Investigative Unit finally received some details from

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Baton Rouge welcomes delegation from National League of Cities as it marks 100 years

BATON ROUGE — City Hall officials hosted a delegation from the National League of Cities on Monday as the group tours 100 cities to mark its 100th year."Today we were fortunate to have a visit from the National League of Cities," said Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome, the group's first vice president. "We were able to showcase Baton Rouge and some of the work we are doing here." Broome and others gave the delegation a tour along Government Street, showing recent work that

Hit-and-run crash victim's car totaled at dangerous intersection; family looking for justice

DENHAM SPRINGS — The parents of a 17-year-old girl whose car was totaled in a hit-and-run crash over the weekend are looking for justice.The Friday crash happened at the intersection of Arnold Road and Clinton Allen Road in Denham Springs. Isabella Duncan says she was extra careful while driving because the roads were slick."It just rained so the roads were super wet. So you have to be more cautious, but this road you have to really turn into it so I knew I had to slow down more," Dun

Louisianians a month away from permitless concealed carry

BATON ROUGE - On July 4, Louisiana will become the 29th state to allow residents to carry a concealed weapon without a permit. The new regulations, which were proposed by Senator Blake Miguez, R-New Iberia, during the second special session, let anyone over the age of 18 carry a gun without a permit unless they are not allowed to have any weapons due to previous felonies. Stipulations on the new regulation include: 
- No concealed handgun can be brought into a place w

LSU baseball to start Sam Dutton in winner-take-all Chapel Hill Regional championship

CHAPEL HILL - LSU baseball is set for the Chapel Hill Regional winner-take-all championship game with North Carolina.The Tigers take on the Tar Heels at 5 p.m. CT on ESPN2 Monday afternoon.Sam Dutton will start on the mound for LSU. Dutton’s last start came in the last game of the regular season against Ole Miss. Dutton only pitched one inning, but didn’t allow a run.Dutton pitched in Saturday’s loss to UNC, only getting one out while allowing two runs.Geaux Tigers

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WBRZ expanding reporting team, familiar faces moving to new positions

BATON ROUGE — WBRZ is expanding its reporting staff, as well as seeing certain on-air talent move to new roles at the station starting this week.Former weekend anchor Bess Casserleigh is transitioning into a role involving more reporting.  The LSU graduate from Connecticut is joining Brittney Weiss on the station's Investigative Unit. Weiss is well-known for her "On Your Side" consumer investigations. "It's been a wonderful five years on weekends but you'll be in gre

Louisiana senators OK Kenneth Loftin's controversial appointment to run Juvenile Justice

BATON ROUGE — Louisiana's state senators on Monday approved Kenneth Loftin for the top spot in the Office of Juvenile Justice despite concerns over the way he led the Ware Youth Center in north Louisiana.Loftin had said that accusations that Ware staff members sexually abused children or engaged in psychological torture were "flat-out lies." The New York Times in 2022 published a lengthy article detailing a series of accusations detailing abuse and neglect.Senate President Pro Tem Reg

Louisiana legislature approves bill allowing surgical castration of those guilty of sex crimes against kids

BATON ROUGE (AP) — A person found guilty of a sex crime against a child in Louisiana could soon be ordered to undergo surgical castration, in addition to prison time.Louisiana lawmakers gave final approval to a bill Monday that would allow judges the option to sentence someone to surgical castration after the person has been convicted of certain aggravated sex crimes — including rape, incest and molestation — against a child younger than 13. Several states, includi

Louisiana won't renew deal to place float in Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, Nungesser says

BATON ROUGE — Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser said Monday that Louisiana will not send a float to this year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City because last year's appearance wasn't worth the cost.Speaking to the Baton Rouge Press Club on Monday, Nungesser said that state had far better results with its participation in the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California, on New Year's Day."We won't be in the Macy's parade this year," Nungesser said. "It was the end of a three-year contrac

East Baton Rouge residents, business owners eligible for 20% flood insurance discount in October

BATON ROUGE — Starting in October, East Baton Rouge Parish residents and business owners will be eligible for a 20% discount on their flood insurance premiums, Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome announced Monday.The discount stems from the parish's elevation to a Class 6 rating on the National Flood Insurance Program's Community Rating System. The FEMA-determined rating was elevated following their evaluation of the parish's floodplain management activities and commitment to reducin

Gonzales Police officer pleads guilty to anonymously sending harassing text messages

GONZALES — A Gonzales Police officer pleaded guilty to sending anonymous and threatening text messages to multiple people dating back to September 2023, court records show.Duane Carpenter, 48, pleaded guilty to three counts of improper telephone communication on May 22. According to court records, one of the charges, which he initially pleaded not guilty to when he was arraigned in March, was dropped.Carpenter will serve 30 days in the Ascension Parish jail and pay a fine of

Geismar volunteer firefighter passes away after fight with leukemia

GEISMAR - The captain of the Geismar Volunteer Fire Department, Arrington Beasley, passed away Monday after a fight with leukemia. Beasley was fighting the cancer and all the symptoms that came with it. "He will be sorely missed by his family, friends, fire department, and community," read a post from Ascension Parish Fire District #1. The Geismar Volunteer Fire Department had been planning to host a benefit plate lunch on June 22 as well as a raffle in August for Beasley's me

Geismar Fire captain passes away after fight with leukemia

GEISMAR - The captain of the Geismar Volunteer Fire Department, Arrington Beasley, passed away Monday after a fight with leukemia. Beasley was fighting the cancer and all the symptoms that came with it. "He will be sorely missed by his family, friends, fire department, and community," read a post from Ascension Parish Fire District #1. The Geismar Volunteer Fire Department had been planning to host a benefit plate lunch on June 22 as well as a raffle in August for Beasley's me

Bill increasing access to cardiac arrest training for student athletes, parents lands on governor's desk

BATON ROUGE - This week is CPR and AED awareness week, and a new bill would teach student athletes and their parents about sudden cardiac arrest prior to sports play.The organization who brought the bill, HB252, to Rep. Michael Johnson, R-Pineville, is Gray's Army Foundation. It was founded by Dale and Michelle Temple, who lost their 16-year-old son Grayson to sudden cardiac arrest in 2021."After Grayson passed we learned his cause of death, and started investigating, we learned that sudden car

Village of Tangipahoa well back up after water main break

TANGIPAHOA — The village of Tangipahoa was been put under a boil advisory after the village shut off its well Monday following a water main break.The town announced the shut down around noon on their Facebook page. According to town officials, the break came after landscapers with Tangipahoa Parish accidently hit the water line with their lawn equipment.The break was fixed and the well was back up by 3 p.m. Permalink| Comments

Village of Tangipahoa under boil advisory after shutting off well due to water main break

TANGIPAHOA — The village of Tangipahoa has been put under a boil advisory after the village shut off its well Monday following a water main break.The town announced the shut down around noon on their Facebook page. According to town officials, the break came after landscapers with Tangipahoa Parish accidently hit the water line with their lawn equipment.Updates will be posted on the Village Of Tangipahoa Facebook page, Mayor Shelia Martin said in a statementThere is currently no word

Village of Tangipahoa shuts down well after water main break

TANGIPAHOA — The village of Tangipahoa has shut off its well Monday following a water main break.The town announced the shut down around noon on their Facebook page. According to town officials, the break came after landscapers with Tangipahoa Parish accidently hit the water line with their lawn equipment.There is currently no word on how long the shut down will last, or if the shut down requires a water advisory or any other precautions.Permalink| Comments

DOTD announces overnight closure on I-12 eastbound

BATON ROUGE - As part of the College flyover project on I-10 and I-12, I-12 eastbound will be closed overnight on Friday. I-12 eastbound at the split will be closed for construction starting Friday at 10 p.m. and will be reopened on Saturday at 5 a.m..Drivers will have to continue on I-10 eastbound and exit at Essen Lane, make a left turn and continue to the I-12 eastbound ramp to bypass the segment closed for construction. Permalink| Comments

Former LSU star Justin Jefferson inks new $140 million deal with Vikings, becomes highest paid non-QB in NFL

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Former LSU wide receiver and current Minnesota Viking Justin Jefferson agreed Monday to a four-year extension, reportedly the richest contract in the NFL for a non-quarterback.According to ESPN, Jefferson will get $110 million guaranteed in the deal that’s worth as much as $140 million, with more than $88 million at signing. The highest paid quarterback is Jefferson's former teammate Joe Burrow. According to ESPN, Burrow's Cincinnati Bengals contract is wo

2une In Previews: LA Night Jam

ZACHARY - Spend the weekend in Zachary watching Louisiana's only extreme water sports competition!This morning on 2une, JP spoke with representatives from the Louisiana Night Jam, a competition and exhibition for extreme water sports this Saturday in Zachary. For more information, visit the event website here, and watch the video above. Permalink| Comments

Monday marks end of regular legislative session

BATON ROUGE - Monday marks the end of the regular legislative session in the capitol, which means dozens of bills are heading to the governor's desk to be signed. One of those bills would allow parents to use public funds to send their children to private schools in the form of the La. Gator Scholarship, which will go into effect in 2025. Other bills include two that would give the governor more control over the boards of commission and ethics, respectively. A bill th

Sunday Journal: Hurricane Season 2024

BATON ROUGE - This week on Sunday Journal, JP talked hurricane season with officials and residents of the capital area. See how different organizations and preparing while looking back on past hurricane seasons in the Sunday Journal above. Permalink| Comments

St. George firefighters save duckling that fell into drain

BATON ROUGE - St. George firefighters sprung into action Saturday when a duckling fell into a drain and was left behind by its family. The fire department said the crew was coming back from a call and waiting on a family of ducks to cross the street before proceeding. As they crossed the road, one ducking fell into a drain while its parents and siblings marched on. Firefighters got into the drain and saved the baby animal. The duckling was taken to a bird wildlife rehabilitato

Saturday's storms leave Walker residents without power for roughly 24 hours

WALKER - Residents in Livingston Parish dealt with severe weather that may be a preview of what scientists say could be an active hurricane season.Saturday night's storm hit residents of Collins Place subdivision in Walker. Residents reported seeing hail, fallen trees, debris and experienced power outages."I don't think we were prepared for how bad it was going to be, with the trees and everything else," resident Sandra Griscom said.Griscom says she went to a hotel after losing power and not ow

LSU baseball holds off North Carolina, forces winner-take-all Chapel Hill Regional championship game

CHAPEL HILL - LSU baseball’s hot bats helped the Tigers beat North Carolina on Sunday and forced a winner-take-all Chapel Hill Regional Championship.After scoring 13 runs in an elimination game against Wofford earlier Sunday, LSU put eight more on the board in an 8-4 win over the Tar Heels Sunday night.The Tiger victory forces another Chapel Hill Regional Championship game Monday because the game was North Carolina’s first loss.Josh Pearson got LSU going with a two-run home

Baton Rouge General celebrates survivors on National Cancer Survivors Day

BATON ROUGE - Baton Rouge General celebrated their patients who beat the odds Sunday on National Cancer Survivors Day, The event celebrated those who have survived cancer, as well as the community who has supported them during their journey."Cancer touches almost everybody in some way, so having a day to celebrate and take advantage of some of the positive feelings we're having is important,” said Meghan Parrish, BRG's Vice President of Marketing & Communications.&nbs

Denham Road in Central closed due to culvert failure

CENTRAL - Drivers in Central will need to take detours as Denham Road west of Four Oaks Drive is completely closed Sunday afternoon.The City of Central announced the closure at 4:45 p.m. Sunday after a day of heavy storms Saturday and scattered showers Sunday morning. The city said the road was closed due to a culvert failure and it will be a long-term closure. Central Police Chief Roger Corcoran said there are barricades up to stop drivers from using the road. Anyone who moves them wi