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Leesville Leader
Sheriff: ‘Situation better, but we are not out of the woods yet’
Voluntary evacuations remain in place for the Junction community, north of Merryville, as firefighters spent their Labor Day — and the past 14 days — battling the Tiger Island Fire, which has now consumed 31,342 acres. Beauregard Parish Sheriff Mark Herford said the voluntary evacuations of Ragle and Hauser roads, north of Longville, have been […]
La. Guard aviation assets drop over 1 million gallons of water to combat persistent wildfires
Special to the News Leader NEW ORLEANS – Since Louisiana National Guard aviation assets began water-drop missions on August 23, 2023, LANG and Emergency Management Assistance Compact helicopter crews have dropped more than 1.1 million gallons of water in support of the effort to combat wildfires that have affected several parishes in western Louisiana. As with […]
Fort Johnson honors National Airborne Day
By Keith Morrow / Fort Johnson Air Officer Aug. 16 may be just another day to some, but to a paratrooper it’s National Airborne Day, which celebrates the birthday of the airborne. On that date in 1940, a soldier stepped out of a plane and into the skies for the first time. It was the birth of […]
Crews continue to battle Tiger Island Fire as it reaches pine plantations
By Emily Burleigh The Tiger Island Fire — located east of Merryville — is burning in pine plantations of multiple ages, according to an update given by the Southern Area Red Incident Management team on Wednesday. Accessing this area is difficult, and the fuel amounts in the pine plantations are high, which can “contribute to […]
Wildfire victims may be eligible for SNAP replacements
By Emily Burleigh Families and individuals on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that have been affected by the Tiger Island Fire can apply for replacement. Gov. John Bel Edwards spoke at a news conference alongside Terri Ricks, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services, to give Louisiana an update on the […]
BREAKING: Governor visits Vernon Parish, thanks first responders for ‘heroic work’
Gov. John Bel Edwards conducted a flyover of wildfire damage in Sabine and Vernon parishes Saturday afternoon, thanking first responders for their “heroic work” in Southwest Louisiana. “People are doing a tremendous job — and have been for a long time — keeping the people of our state safe and protecting property,” Edwards said. “Yes, […]
Broadband meeting Aug. 25 in Leesville
By Emily Burleigh Later this month, Vernon Parish residents will have the opportunity to get clarity on upcoming broadband upgrades. State Rep. Charles Owens spoke briefly about the public meeting at the Leeseville City Council meeting on Monday. “With the proliferation of federal and state money coming to our parish to get internet … there […]
Weather watchers monitoring disturbance in Gulf of Mexico
The National Hurricane Center is monitoring an area in the Gulf of Mexico and two other areas in the tropical Atlantic. The center said a broad area of low pressure could form in the Gulf by the beginning of next week. “Some slow development of this system is possible thereafter as it moves generally westward, […]
Governor declares state of emergency for extreme heat
A slight bit of rest is in store for a heat-weary Southwest Louisiana as a weak cold front is expected to move into the region today, allowing temperatures and humidity to fall slightly through Wednesday. Relative humidity is expected to dip in the 20% range generally north of Interstate 10 during that time period. Isolated […]
Vernon sheriff runs unopposed for re-election
Vernon Parish Sheriff Sam Craft, Assessor Michael Bealer and Coroner Shawn Granger, all Republicans, ran unopposed for re-election. State Sen. Mike Reese, a Republican, also ran unopposed and will begin his new term on Jan. 8, 2025. Rep. Rodney Schamerhorn of Leesville has one opponent — Clarence Beebe of Hornbeck. Both are Republicans. Republican Rep. […]
Leesville man sentenced to 25 years on drug charges
Vernon Parish District Attorney Terry Lambright reports the recent sentencing of Delon Q. Swafford 43 of Leesville. In March 2023 Swafford was convicted by a 12-person jury of possession with the intent to distribute over 28 grams of methamphetamine, possession of more than 2 grams but less than 28 grams of Fentanyl, possession of less […]
Former Vernon teacher guilty of sexual conduct with student
A former Vernon Parish teacher pleaded guilty last week for sexual conduct with a student. On Aug. 1, Brittany Green appeared before 30th Judicial District Court Judge Scott C. Westerchil to enter her guilty plea to three counts of prohibited sexual conduct between an educator and a student. She was subsequently sentenced to six months in […]
Rural health task force ready to ‘bombard’ lawmakers with bills
By Victor Skinner | The Center Square A task force focused on rural health disparities met Thursday to discuss progress over the last year and plans to take action following legislative approval for another year. Karen Wyble, chair of the Health Disparities in Rural Areas Task Force, highlighted minor changes in House Concurrent Resolution 100 approved […]
Landry laps gubernatorial field with $9M campaign war chest
By Victor Skinner | The Center Square Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry continues to hold a significant fundraising lead over his competition for governor in 2023, with millions more cash on hand than the rest of the field combined between April and July. Landry, the endorsed candidate of the state Republican Party, reported more than […]
Audit finds La. elderly affairs agency struggled to investigate abuse
By Steve Wilson | The Center Square Low staff, high caseloads and an ineffective data system plague the Governor’s Office of Elderly Affairs, according to a report by the state legislative auditor. The report by Louisiana Legislative Auditor Mike Waguesback’s office found the agency might not be receiving all reports of elder abuse; hasn’t devised a […]
Dangerous heat expected to linger over SW La.
Dangerous heat is returning to the area over the coming days, with maximum heat index values approaching or exceeding 110 degrees across portions of Southwest Louisiana. “High pressure aloft will be building over the area the next several days,” said the National Weather Service’s Lake Charles office. “This will mean less of a risk for severe […]
Audit finds issues with Louisiana’s Road Home program
By Victor Skinner | The Center Square Louisiana Road Home Corporation’s lack of internal control over financial reporting for a third year led to numerous errors with cash flows, wages, operating grants, and other issues in 2022. The Louisiana Legislative Auditor outlined several problems at the Road Home Corporation, also known as the Louisiana Land Trust, […]
Three states start programs to get people on food stamps to eat healthier
By Shirleen Guerra | The Center Square Washington, Colorado and Louisiana will be among the first to participate in the United States Department of Agriculture’s $25 million grant for incentivizing fruit and vegetable purchases among participants for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The USDA food and nutrition service recently announced a $25 million grant to […]
Lawmakers examine $100M reduction for state Department of Health
By Victor Skinner | The Center Square A $100 million reduction in increased funding for the Louisiana Department of Health could result in cuts for nursing homes, pediatric services, psychiatric beds and other Medicaid services, officials told lawmakers on Tuesday. The Senate Health and Welfare Committee heard from LDH officials and others on Tuesday about the […]
As Hurricane Laura uprooted trees in Kisatchie, it also unearthed ancient artifacts
By Emily Burleigh Digging 10 millimeters at a time, a team of archeologists are uncovering artifacts dating back 12,000 years at an undisclosed location in Kisatchie National Forest. Twenty years ago, the site was a part of a larger scale survey 100 acres — comprising smaller probes throughout the forest, said Matt Helmer, forest archeologist […]
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