Community Coordinators with the U.S. EPA South Central Region will host informal “office hours” to discuss the Roseland Incident Response, offering one-on-one conversations with residents on Friday, Sept. 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Amite Library and again on Saturday, Sept. 13, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Roseland City Hall.
–Thousands of visitors are expected in Tangipahoa Parish this weekend as Covey Rise Lodge in Husser hosts the 2025 NSCA South Central Regional Sporting Clay Tournament, a premier event on the national shooting calendar running September 9–14. Tangi Tourism Director Carla Tate says the multi-day competition will draw top clay shooters and spectators from across the region, providing a major boost to local hotels, restaurants, and shops. Covey Rise, known for its sporting clays course, lodge, and farm-to-table offerings, will serve as the backdrop for the high-profile tournament and one of the parish’s biggest fall attractions.
–Covington Mayor Mark Johnson announced that a new Tammany Trace Beautification Path is nearing completion behind the old Train Depot, connecting the Justice Center parking area to the Trailhead and downtown. The project, envisioned two years ago by Johnson and Senator Patrick McMath, received $200,000 in state funding secured by McMath and State Rep. Mark Wright, with St. Tammany Parish President Mike Cooper authorizing work on the parish-owned Trace. Weather permitting, the enhanced path is expected to open within the next several weeks.
–Tangipahoa Parish School Superintendent Melissa Martin Stilley announced during a live social media update that 1,099 students are currently on the district’s Truancy List, which includes children who have missed at least five days of school without a parent or doctor’s note. Stilley urged families to work with their schools to submit proper documentation and address attendance issues promptly so students can be removed from the list, emphasizing the importance of consistent attendance for academic success.
–The Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office quickly removed an online threat to Mount Hermon School on September 11 after a student posted a weapon-related message on social media. The FBI alerted deputies within minutes, prompting a rapid parish-wide response and a brief lockdown while faculty and staff followed safety protocols. No active threat was found, and Sheriff Jason Smith praised school employees for their swift action and noted that the sheriff’s office continues working with all parish schools to refine emergency policies and procedures.
–NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center reports a 71% chance of La Niña developing from October through December, which could influence both hurricane activity and winter weather. La Niña typically reduces wind shear in the Atlantic, creating conditions more favorable for tropical storms and potentially a busier end to the hurricane season. It also tends to bring warmer, drier winters to the northern Gulf Coast by shifting the jet stream northward, although occasional cold or wet outbreaks remain possible.
–In honor of Constitution Week, the Tangipahoa Parish Library will host a live reading of the U.S. Constitution featuring local students and League of Women Voters members. Attendees can hear sections of the historic document read aloud at three locations: September 15 at 4:30 p.m. at the Independence Branch, September 17 at 6 p.m. at the Hammond Branch, and September 24 at 6 p.m. at the Amite Branch.
–Slidell police say a Mississippi man’s bid to get home after a morning jail release ended with another arrest the same day. Officers tracked a Honda Accord stolen from a Baton Rouge used car lot to the Home Depot parking lot on Northshore Boulevard, where they waited until David Callahan, casually returned to the vehicle. Investigators say Callahan had posed as a cash buyer, then sped off during a test drive while the dealership employee pumped gas. The car was recovered undamaged, but Callahan—who had just been extradited to and freed from a Baton Rouge jail hours earlier—was taken back into custody and now faces new charges.
–The Advocate reported this week that a private firefighting company is suing Smitty’s Supply Inc. for $6.16 million, claiming the Tangipahoa Parish oil and lubricants plant refused to pay for at least seven days of emergency firefighting services during a massive August blaze. U.S. Fire Pump alleges its crews helped contain the fire, protecting Smitty’s property and nearby businesses, after being asked for assistance by parish officials and Smitty’s representatives. The fire caused extensive environmental damage, including chemical spills into the Tangipahoa River, destroyed at least one fire truck, and forced a one-mile evacuation. Smitty’s attorney contends the bill was too high and negotiations were ongoing, calling the lawsuit a surprise filing and suggesting the company may be trying to exploit the emergency situation. The suit is one of at least 17 legal actions filed against Smitty’s in Tangipahoa Parish related to the fire.
–Abnormally dry conditions are spreading across southeastern Louisiana and southern Mississippi, with the latest U.S. Drought Monitor placing much of the region in the “D0” category—signaling below-normal rainfall and dropping soil moisture that could slide into moderate drought if the pattern continues. Forecasters expect little or no rain for at least the next two weeks, and NOAA’s long-range outlook points to a developing La Niña that typically brings warmer, drier weather to the Gulf South through winter. Rainfall deficits of three to six inches over the past month are already being reported in parts of Tangipahoa Parish and neighboring counties, raising concerns for crops, pastures, and wildfire danger as September progresses.
–The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office reports that a 14-year-old male from the Tickfaw area has been identified and arrested in connection with a weekend spree of vehicle burglaries. He is booked into the Florida Parishes Juvenile Detention Center on 15 counts of vehicle burglary and two counts of possessing a stolen firearm, with additional charges expected as the investigation continues. Deputies say more than 15 vehicles were broken into overnight September 6–7 on Chapel Road in Tickfaw and Chandler Place in Hammond, and at least one stolen gun was recovered. Authorities ask anyone with further information to contact the Criminal Investigations Office at 985-902-2088 or provide an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers of Tangipahoa.
–The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ New Orleans District is progressing on the West Shore Lake Pontchartrain (WSLP) Contract 106 project, demonstrating large-scale excavation work for the I-10 West floodwall crossing. Spanning St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, and St. James parishes, the WSLP initiative includes 18.5 miles of levees, 11 floodwalls, seven drainage structures, five gates, two pump stations, and a bridge, providing vital flood risk reduction for communities across southeast Louisiana.
–Amtrak is adding a third car to its new Mardi Gras line between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, giving Saints fans 60 more seats for home game travel. The move comes in response to passenger requests and will cover all Sunday home games at the Caesars Superdome this season, including September 14, October 5 and 26, November 23, and December 14 and 21. Tickets are available on Amtrak’s website.
–Southern University went on lockdown Thursday after receiving a threat targeting students and staff, part of a wave of hoax threats sent to several Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Classes and campus activities were canceled through the weekend as a precaution, though the lockdown was lifted by 12:45 p.m. The FBI is investigating, emphasizing that while there is no indication of a credible threat, such calls put people at risk and should be reported immediately. The threat reportedly mentioned someone intending to harm multiple Black individuals, prompting the university to provide specific instructions and accommodations for on-campus students.
