Mandeville Mayor Clay Madden announced that city officials have temporarily halted CLECO’s tree-cutting work after residents raised concerns about the utility’s vegetation maintenance along power line rights-of-way. CLECO, which is conducting a six-year maintenance cycle to improve service reliability, uses “ground to sky” clearance protocols of 30 or 50 feet depending on line voltage. During a Sept. 16 meeting, CLECO agreed to provide the city with detailed maps and maintenance plans and to delay further work until officials can review the data, inventory protected trees, and develop a plan to preserve or carefully trim them. The city expects to complete its review within weeks before CLECO resumes scheduled maintenance.
–Brad J. Cascio, a lifelong Hammond resident and conservative Republican, has announced his candidacy for District Attorney of the 21st Judicial District, pledging to continue his record of tough but fair prosecution. An Assistant District Attorney for more than a decade under current DA Scott Perrilloux, Cascio has handled over 4,000 cases since 2013, including violent felonies and child protection matters, and was responsible for Louisiana’s first court-ordered physical castration of a sex offender. Emphasizing both accountability and redemption, Cascio also serves as City Prosecutor for Denham Springs and French Settlement, sits on multiple law enforcement and community boards, and volunteers as a youth coach. A graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University and LSU Law, he campaigns with the support of his wife, Katie, and their three children.
–The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office says a tip from the public led to the arrest of 67-year-old James Rodgers Jr. of Ponchatoula, accused of running a drug operation across the street from a church. After several days of surveillance at a home on the 41000 block of S Range Road, deputies and Hammond Police Narcotics officers executed a September 12 search warrant and reported finding cocaine, a crack cocaine/fentanyl mix, a digital scale, and more than $8,600 in cash. Rodgers, a convicted felon and registered sex offender, was booked on multiple charges including possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia, obstruction of justice, and possessing a controlled substance in a drug-free zone. Investigators say the case remains active.
–The Slidell Police Department invites the community to Olde Towne on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, for Chief Randy Fandal’s Wild Game, Seafood, and BBQ Cook-Off benefiting Community Christian Concern of Slidell. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., cooking teams will compete in six categories for trophies and bragging rights while guests enjoy live music from Rhythm Chasers and DJ Cowboy, a live auction, and an Artisan Alley craft fair. Advance tickets are $30 for adults and $5 for children ages 6–12 (free for children under 6), with day-of admission $35 for adults and $10 for children. Proceeds support Community Christian Concern’s four-decade mission to provide food, clothing, and housing assistance to those in crisis. For details or to become a sponsor, cook team, or vendor, visit www.cccslidell.org/wild-game-seafood-bbq-cook-off.
–District Attorney Collin Sims announced that Judge William H. Burris has sentenced 37-year-old Tomarcus Porter of New Orleans to life in prison for battering a correctional officer at B.B. “Sixty” Rayburn Correctional Center in Angie. A jury found Porter guilty on June 10, 2025, after hearing testimony that he ignored a guard’s instruction, reached into his toilet, and threw a handful of human feces, striking one officer in the face, arm, and leg and a second officer on the head and shoulder. Porter, who was subdued by additional staff, was already serving 20 years on multiple Orleans Parish convictions, including manslaughter—originally charged as second-degree murder—aggravated battery, and other violent crimes. Prosecutors Le’Anne Malnar and Amanda Gritten handled the case, which was investigated by Major Tylan Self of the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections.
–Southeastern Louisiana University’s accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program has been ranked seventh in the nation for 2026 by RegisteredNursing.org, placing it among the Top 10 accelerated BSN programs alongside universities such as Georgetown and Ohio State. Southeastern is the only Louisiana school to make the Top 25, earning recognition for its strong NCLEX-RN exam pass rates and long-standing record of producing industry-ready graduates. University President William S. Wainwright praised the program’s more than 5,600 nursing alumni since 1964, while College of Nursing and Health Sciences Dean Ann Carruth credited students’ prior degrees and life experience for their consistent success. The program, which also partners with St. Tammany Parish Health System for a dedicated north shore cohort, recently received its seventh Nightingale Award for Nursing School of the Year.
–The City of Covington reports that the long-running U.S. 190 bridge project is on track to finish by year’s end, with the possibility of additional lanes opening to traffic sooner. Crews are currently completing drainage improvements before widening Collins Boulevard through Lee Road, and the St. Tammany Trace is expected to reopen by the end of the project or in early 2026. Once complete, the new bridge will feature two full northbound lanes and a third merge lane, while the old bridge will carry two southbound lanes. At the Lee Road/Collins intersection, drivers will see major traffic-flow improvements, including a new right-turn curve lane onto northbound Collins. Future phases, including construction of a roundabout, are still in the design stage with funding sources being finalized. City officials are also scouting a local business parking lot to host a ribbon-cutting celebration.
–Hammond native and world-renowned BMX Flatland athlete Terry Adams is returning home for the premiere of his new documentary The Road Home on Saturday, September 20, in Downtown Hammond, where the $15 ticketed event includes a red carpet screening at the Columbia Theatre followed by a Q&A and an after party at Gnarly Barley Brewing; the day also features a free Flatland Jam at Zemurray Park Skate Area from 11 AM to 4 PM with pro riders, a live DJ, giveaways, and family fun—all part of a celebration honoring Adams’ global BMX career and hometown roots. Tickets are available now at www.downtownhammondla.com/theroadhome.
–WWL-TV reports that just weeks before Election Day, Slidell’s multi-million-dollar plan to buy the long-abandoned North Shore Square Mall has fallen through, leaving the 48-acre property’s future uncertain. Mayor Bill Borchert, who is seeking re-election, said he was blindsided after the mall’s owner pursued another buyer despite months of negotiations involving city staff, attorneys, and bond counsel. The once-bustling shopping center has sat mostly empty for nearly two decades, and while some residents were eager to see redevelopment, others objected to the proposed tax hike and lack of a public vote. Mayoral challenger Randy Fandal called the deal “financially irresponsible,” and Borchert acknowledged that while a partial purchase remains possible, the project is now on hold.
–Southeastern Louisiana University will celebrate a century of military history with its Centennial Military Banquet on Veterans Day, Monday, Nov. 11, hosted in partnership with the SLU ROTC. The evening will feature musical performances, historical displays from the university archives, a special guest speaker, and a catered dinner. Proceeds from a silent auction will support the Military and Veteran Success Endowed Scholarship Fund, which seeks to raise $4,000 more to begin awarding scholarships. Tickets are $25 and sponsorship opportunities, including monetary and in-kind donations, are available to help keep the event free for students. For details or to purchase tickets, visit www.southeastern.edu/foundation/giving/centennial-military-banquet.
–All eastbound lanes of Interstate 12 have reopened after a Wednesday morning crash near Walker that shut the highway for several hours and left five people injured, including two medics. Authorities say the wreck occurred around 7:30 a.m. just before Exit 15 when an 18-wheeler struck an ambulance that had stopped to assist a patient with chest pains. One medic suffered serious injuries and was rushed to a hospital by a Livingston Parish Sheriff’s deputy, while the second medic, the patient, a family member, and the truck driver were also hurt. State Police, Walker Police, the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, and other agencies responded to the scene.
–The Children’s Museum of St. Tammany will host its Clays for Kids Tournament on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, at Covey Rise Lodge in Husser, offering a sporting clay shoot to benefit the museum’s interactive learning programs for children. Registration begins at 8 a.m., with shooting from 9 to 11:30 a.m., followed by lunch, a raffle, and awards. Four-person teams can register for $650, with options for add-ons such as golf carts and ammunition rentals, and sponsorship levels ranging from $100 to $5,000. Proceeds support the museum’s mission to inspire children to imagine, explore, and create. For details or to become a sponsor, contact mchristensen@cmstkids.org.
