A Slidell man was arrested Wednesday evening after fatally striking a 6-year-old boy with his SUV and fleeing the scene, according to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office. Deputies say the child was riding a scooter in his driveway on Northshore Lane when he was hit by a 2022 grey Chevrolet Suburban driven by 35-year-old Cody Michael Beaudette, who failed to stop. The boy was taken to a local hospital by his mother and later died. Beaudette was located on East Gause Boulevard, arrested, and booked on charges including vehicular homicide, felony hit and run, and operating with a suspended license. The investigation is ongoing.
–St. Tammany Parish officials say the intersection of Brewster Road and Ruelle du Chene Drive in Madisonville will be closed to traffic from 12 a.m. Friday, Aug. 22, through 5 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 24, for work on a $2.7 million gravity line installation. The project is part of the larger $20.2 million West St. Tammany Wastewater Consolidation Project, which will add new sewer lift stations aimed at improving service and quality of life for about 6,400 residents and families.
–The Ponchatoula Volunteer Fire Department has clarified that it is currently the only department in Tangipahoa Parish hosting the High School Firefighter Program, which is fully operational and recently kicked off its first week of classes with six students enrolled and more signing up. Open to high school seniors from across the parish—not just Ponchatoula—the program offers hands-on training in firefighting skills, though transportation to and from the department is not yet provided. Interested students are encouraged to apply while spots remain.
–On Tuesday, September 16, the Louisiana Department of Education, in partnership with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute, will host the state finals of the Ronald Reagan Oratory Competition at the Covington Trailhead Park near the Ronald Reagan statue, as part of Louisiana’s Celebrate Freedom Week. Student finalists from across the state will present their interpretations of a speech by President Ronald Reagan, with two winners earning an all-expense-paid trip to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California to represent Louisiana in the national competition.
–St. Tammany Fire District 4 in Mandeville credited quick-thinking teamwork between a Good Samaritan, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, and fire medics for a successful water rescue near the Causeway Bridge just after 10 a.m. Thursday. Officials say a man in a fishing boat pulled the individual from the water before emergency crews arrived, then transferred the patient to an STPSO marine unit, which brought them to Mandeville Harbor, where fire medics performed a full medical assessment. Authorities praised the citizen’s decisive actions and the seamless interagency coordination as a model of community and first responders working together.
–LABI’s Louisiana Free Enterprise Institute, in partnership with the Livingston, St. Tammany, and Tangipahoa Chambers of Commerce, will host a Leadership Bootcamp on Friday, August 22, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Shell Robert Training & Conference Center, 23260 Shell Lane, Robert, LA. The free, nonpartisan training is designed to equip pro-business leaders with the tools to launch and run effective campaigns, offering valuable insights for those considering a run for public office or already on the ballot. While there is no fee to attend, registration is required at www.labi.org/events.
–The Louisiana State Police has issued a Level II Endangered/Missing Child Advisory on behalf of the New Orleans Police Department for 12-year-old Bryan Vasquez, who was reported missing from his Beaucaire Street home in New Orleans at 10 a.m. on August 14, 2025. Vasquez, a Hispanic male with brown eyes and black hair, stands 5’1” tall, weighs between 86 and 100 pounds, and was last seen wearing an adult diaper. He suffers from a neurodevelopmental condition, is non-verbal, and does not understand English or Spanish. Anyone with information is urged to contact the New Orleans Police Department’s Seventh District at (504) 658-6070 or call 911.
–The Northlake Homeless Coalition will host a Community Prayer Gathering on Saturday, August 16, at 9 a.m., with Elder Carlese Brumfield leading a “Round Circle Prayer” around the Cornerstone Project at 42309 South Morrison Blvd. in Hammond. Organizers invite the public to join in unity and faith to pray over the project, the community, and the hope it represents, with entry through the Circle K and parking at the rear of the building.
–U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), announced the endorsement of Louisiana State Senator Beth Mizell, Chair of the Louisiana Legislative Women’s Caucus and representative for St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, and Washington parishes. Mizell, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and International Affairs, praised Cassidy’s strong conservative record and his collaboration with President Trump to deliver results for Louisiana, saying he has consistently listened to community concerns and provided real solutions. Cassidy, in turn, said he and Mizell work together to ensure rural Louisiana thrives. Mizell, a proven conservative endorsed by the Republican Parish Executive Committee and the Louisiana Committee for a Conservative Majority in 2023, is recognized as a key leader in state politics.
–As construction continues on the Louisiana International Terminal in St. Bernard Parish, Nunez Community College has launched a new Certificate of Technical Studies in Maritime Operations to train a skilled, safety-focused workforce for the port and its future tenants. Built with input from local employers, the program offers specialized study in areas such as equipment and transportation operations, maintenance and utilities, and safety and logistics, while embedding nationally recognized credentials like OSHA Maritime and NCCER Heavy Equipment. Port of New Orleans CEO Beth Branch said the initiative will ensure local talent is ready to fill critical roles when the terminal opens, driving economic growth and supporting global trade. Courses begin this fall through Nunez’s Workforce Division, ranging from one-day forklift training to a six-week heavy equipment course.
–Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has filed a lawsuit against Roblox, one of the world’s largest online gaming platforms, alleging it exposes children to sexually explicit content and fails to protect them from predators. Calling the lack of safeguards “disturbing” and likening the platform to “open season for sex predators,” Murrill claims Roblox lacks adequate parental monitoring tools, has loose account restrictions, and prioritizes user engagement over safety. With roughly half of its 380 million active players under age 16, Murrill is seeking a full shutdown of the site, citing violations of state law and a harmful environment for young users.
