Three Rivers Art Fest This Weekend

–Louisiana State Police Detectives are continuing to investigate a multi-agency officer-involved shooting that occurred early November 12, 2025, in Tangipahoa Parish. According to preliminary findings, the incident began just before 3 a.m. when a Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s deputy attempted to stop a 2016 Chevrolet Trax on Highway 51 for an equipment violation. The driver, identified as 34-year-old Trey Ramey of Brusly, fled, leading to a pursuit during which he allegedly fired multiple shots at responding officers, injuring an Independence Police Department officer as a Tickfaw Police officer returned fire. Investigators say Ramey then carjacked two people, fled in their Toyota Camry, crashed, and ran into a wooded area, where a Louisiana State Trooper discharged a service weapon before Ramey was taken into custody. Ramey, who police later learned had several active warrants, remains hospitalized for injuries related to the incident and will face additional charges once released. The investigation is ongoing in coordination with the Tangipahoa Parish District Attorney’s Office.

–Southeastern Louisiana University student Aidan Hidalgo, a health sciences major from Luling, has been named the 2025 John J. Hanigan Scholarship recipient in recognition of his academic excellence, campus leadership, and service. Since joining the Honors Program, Hidalgo has been active in the Honors Living Learning Community, served as an honors ambassador, participated in the Honors Student Association, and maintained a 4.0 GPA while pursuing Senior Honors Distinction and the Honors Diploma. He currently serves as president of the Interfraternity Council and pro-tempore in student government, roles in which he has advocated for student needs and strengthened collaboration among campus organizations. Hidalgo has also taken on leadership positions in Tau Kappa Epsilon and the Spanish Club, recorded more than 70 service hours in the past year, and worked as both a Medical Assistant and Resident Assistant. As this year’s scholarship honoree, he will represent Southeastern at the NCHC Conference, continuing a commitment to service and integrity that reflects the values of John J. Hanigan.

–For the first time in nearly a decade, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has evaluated Louisiana’s infrastructure, giving the state an overall grade of C-, citing aging systems, recent natural disasters, and insufficient funding and policies to maintain and modernize roads, bridges, water systems, and more. Released on November 12, 2025, the report shows no category received higher than a C+, with roads and bridges graded D and D+ respectively, while six of ten categories remained the same or declined since the 2017 assessment. Louisiana Report Card chairman Kirk Lowery noted that the state’s grade has improved over the past decade—from a D in 2012 to a D+ in 2017—thanks in part to federal funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which supported projects including rural water system upgrades, airport repaving, and road widening. While Louisiana is near the national infrastructure average of C, Lowery emphasized the ongoing need for sustained investment to ensure safe, modern infrastructure across the state.

–Louisiana DOTD Secretary Glenn Ledet joined state and local leaders this week for a ribbon-cutting marking the completion of the $56.2 million I-12 widening project between LA 21 and LA 1077 in St. Tammany Parish, a major expansion finished several months ahead of schedule thanks to favorable weather and construction conditions. The 3.5-mile addition completes the third phase of a series of projects totaling $170 million that have expanded I-12 to at least six lanes across the Mandeville–Covington area, addressing traffic growth that now exceeds 100,000 vehicles daily. Officials including State Sen. Patrick McMath, State Rep. Mark Wright, Parish President Mike Cooper, and Parish Councilman Rick Smith praised the project for improving safety, easing congestion, and supporting regional economic development, noting that future traffic increases are expected to continue. DOTD is also working on a second major upgrade in the area—the $30 million US 190 to LA 434 widening and bridge project set for completion later this year.

–District Attorney Collin Sims visited Rayburn Correctional Center this week to meet with incarcerated veterans, speaking candidly with them about accountability, the choices that led to their imprisonment, and the potential for change. Sims encouraged the men to draw on the discipline and purpose they developed during military service and to take full advantage of the educational, vocational, and counseling programs available to them. As the week of Veterans Day observances concludes, officials emphasized that many veterans carry significant service-related trauma that can influence decision-making, noting that while such trauma does not excuse wrongdoing, it highlights the importance of rehabilitation and support. The visit also included appreciation for the staff who work daily to help veterans rebuild their lives and pursue a more positive path forward.

–U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), visited the Shops at Jax Brewery in New Orleans on Monday for the unveiling of a plaque recognizing his support of the federal Historic Tax Credit (HTC), which helped fund the site’s 2024 renovation and supported more than 400 jobs. Cassidy noted that the HTC has played a major role in revitalizing historic structures across the city, including the former Jax Brewery—originally opened in 1890 and later transformed into a shopping center—as well as buildings like the Hibernia Bank Building and sites throughout the Warehouse District. The HTC, initially removed in the U.S. House version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, was ultimately preserved through Cassidy’s efforts in the Senate. He was joined at the event by representatives of The Berger Company, which renovated the building, and Historic Tax Credit Coalition Chair Albert Rex, who praised Cassidy’s leadership and highlighted the credit’s national impact, including more than 6,700 projects and $41 billion in investment since 2017, with over 600 projects and $1.7 billion invested in Louisiana alone.

–A First Circuit Court of Appeals panel has ruled that a trial judge abused their discretion by ordering the courtroom closed to the public during the adult victim’s testimony in the upcoming retrial of Melanie Curtin. The judges found the court lacked a “substantial reason” to bar public access. Curtin, whose case stems from the broader high-profile investigation involving former Livingston Parish deputy Dennis Perkins and his wife Cynthia, was previously convicted in 2021, but the First Circuit later overturned that verdict, citing improper evidentiary rulings. After the Louisiana Supreme Court declined to review the appeal earlier this year, the case returned to the 22nd Judicial District, where Judge Brian K. Abels is preparing to preside over Curtin’s new trial.

–Richard Meek of AN17 writes that Independence officials say the Tangipahoa Parish School System may owe the city money from a 2004 millage that residents approved to fund a new middle school, and they are seeking an opinion from Attorney General Liz Murrill to determine whether those funds were improperly spent. At this week’s Board of Aldermen meeting, Alderman Larry Cardaronella and Fire Chief John Polito argued that Independence and Sumner were the only areas required to pass a local tax to build schools, yet the resulting middle school was constructed without the originally promised gym and cafeteria. They contend that revenue from the millage was instead used to help build new high schools—and additional gyms—in Ponchatoula and Hammond, while the Independence facility was later converted into a career center. Polito said that if the Attorney General finds the school system misused the millage, any owed funds should be reinvested into Independence schools.

–Congress on Wednesday night approved a measure by Congresswoman Julia Letlow securing $2 million for an Amite River Basin Commission project aimed at restoring natural features of the upper Amite River to help reduce flood risk across the basin. ARBC President John Clark and parish leaders from Livingston and Ascension praised the funding as a key step in restoring the river’s flood storage capacity, improving sediment flow, and supporting broader regional flood protection plans. The project, included in H.R. 5371—the continuing appropriations bill that reopened the federal government—will be carried out in partnership with the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service and focuses on areas historically degraded by industrial activity. Once funds are released, the ARBC will begin planning and design work while continuing coordination with state officials and regional legislators to advance ongoing restoration and flood mitigation efforts.

–Kurt Wall was sworn in on October 14, 2025, as the 12th United States Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana following his appointment by President Donald J. Trump, bringing more than three decades of prosecutorial experience to the role. Wall previously served 13 years as an Assistant District Attorney in East Baton Rouge Parish, spent over seven years as Director of the Criminal Division at the Louisiana Department of Justice, and later returned to trial work as Chief Felony Prosecutor in the 21st Judicial District. Over his career, he has prosecuted a wide range of cases, including capital murders, sex offenses, robberies, child pornography, white-collar crimes, and public corruption. A Texas native, Wall earned his education degree from Texas Christian University—where he played on two conference championship basketball teams—before working on Capitol Hill and later receiving his law degree from LSU’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center. As U.S. Attorney, he says he remains committed to public service, public safety, and strengthening security throughout the Middle District of Louisiana.