News about John Bel Edwards

A Louisiana trucker has been charged with causing a 160-car pile-up that killed eight people by slowing down a highway in a'superfog' and slamming into cars in front of him. Ronald Britt, 61, was charged with negligent murder for his involvement in a fiery highway pileup last year, which killed eight people. According to a statement released Tuesday by Louisiana State Police, Britt was speeding on Interstate 55 west of New Orleans on October 23, when he slammed into the back of a vehicle that had stopped in the left lane behind many others.

In a move to reduce the massive prison population, John Bel Edwards, who will leave office in January, has pardoned 56 people in the last three months. 40 murderers were among those who were released. In the New Orleans suburb of Gretna, Anthony Riggins (top right) shot and killed an unarmed 68-year-old shopkeeper, Peter Davenhauer. In November 1977, Riggins was found guilty. Venson Dean Vampran (bottom right) was found guilty of murdering Mark Bass in October 1984 and raping his wife Susan Bass. He was 25 years old at the time.

Seven of the eight people killed in one of the deadliest interstate highway pileups has been identified by a Louisiana coroner's office. The St. John Parish Coroner's Office was able to identify seven people three days after a'super fog' of smoke from marsh fires and heavy fog caused massive pile-ups across the I-55 highway. The pileup left eight people dead and another 63 injured

In a statement released Monday evening, Louisiana State Police said another 25 people were wounded and the number of fatalities could rise as first responders shift into the night clearing the scene and searching for victims. On Interstate 55 near New Orleans, a montage video and footage of apocalyptic scene from the wrecks revealed a long stretch of mangled and scorched cars. Vehicles were smashed, rammed under one another, and some vehicles were completely destroyed by fires.

Attorney General Jeff Landry won over half of the Louisiana governor's election on Saturday, making him John Bel Edwards' replacement. The Republican, who was backed by former President Donald Trump, was able to beat a packed field of candidates for Louisiana's next governor. For the first time in eight years, the Republican regained the governor's mansion. Gov. Byron Landry, 52, will replace the current governor. John Bel Edwards, the only Democratic governor of the Deep South who was unable to run because of his term limits, who kept him out of contention. Shawn Wilson, a Democrat, was Landry's runner up, winning 26% of the vote relative to his opposition's 55%.

A saltwater intrusion in the water supply that has been pumped out of the Mississippi River is threatening nearly 900,000 people's drinking water, who now have to rethink everyday activities such as brushing teeth, washing dishes, and laundering clothes. The persistent drought in Louisiana and saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico's north are causing'saltwater intrusion,' and posing a danger to the water supply in the surrounding communities within the next weeks. If ingested, water with high salinity levels can pose significant health risks to human beings, and if contaminated, it could take months before fresh water returns if the drought persists.

Edwards (pictured left), a rare pro-life Democrat, has voiced his opposition to the death penalty in the past and has urged the overwhelmingly Republican legislature to ban the practice. After an advisory opinion released by state Attorney General Jeff Landy, a Republican who is considered the front-runner to replace the term-limited Edwards in November's election, the state's parole board dismissed all applications as non-viable. He appealed to the board as both a pro-life governor and someone worried about whether justice had been served in each case in his letter - both of whom had been appointed by Edwards.

After leaving an offensive voicemail to a Louisiana state senator, Marcus Venable, a LSU professor, has been barred from teaching at the university. Senator Mike Fesi of the United States voted in favour of a ban on gender-affirming healthcare for transgender children that avoids hormone therapy and puberty-blocking drugs. Venable voiced displeasure with Fesi's position and used offensive terms. Fesi reported the incident to the police, who immediately traced the call's source. Although no charges have been filed yet, LSU has quickly taken steps to prohibit Venable from teaching classes, although he will continue his studies on campus.

Justices refused to rule on the case in a short order published on Monday (June 26), leaving it to be decided by a lower court. Following a black vote accusing the Pelican State of discrimination, a senior Republican official asked for the support of America's top court. Kyle Ardoin, Louisiana's Secretary of State, wanted to debunk a federal judge's decision that the map delineating Louisiana's six congressional districts was done on racial grounds.

Missouri and Louisiana stepped closer to banning transitional care for trans youth, triggering a tsunami of state attempts to limit access to trans care. At least 17 states have outright banned it, but many others have severely restricted access to it, with some even levying financial fines on doctors who break the rules.

Louisiana has passed a law excluding children under the age of 18 from posting their own social media pages without parental permission. The bill is numbered HB61 and has been sent to state Governor John Bel Edwards to sign. If he does, the law will go into operation in August 2024. Video games, video-sharing services, and social media pages could use a third-party platform to request a parent's permission before the child could use it. The bill also includes 'interactive computer services,' which would exclude under 18s from playing Roblox and Fortnite, and Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube pages. Minors could even be forbidden from opening their own email accounts without parental permission, which might have to be deterred.

Angel Reese couldn't avoid doing the now-famous "you can't see me gesture" she used in the national championship's dying stages against Iowa as the LSU Tigers paraded around campus on Wednesday. Reese caused a lot of backlash when she made the move in front of Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark in the dying stages of the game before referring to her ring finger as well. After being named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player for a week, Reese brashly celebrated LSU's championship. She's been chastised for her behavior and even took aim at the First Lady.

A trail of ruins left by powerful tornadoes ripping through Mississippi was bare as dawn dawned over Mississippi; one town was obliterated by the devastating storm. At least 23 people were killed across many counties in the area, while four others are still missing, as emergency services begin the long process of assessing the impact left behind by the 24 twisters. According to AccuWeather, the bulk of the damage was caused by a storm that carved a ferocious path northeastward through Mississippi and Alabama.

A tornado that ripped through Mississippi killed at least seven people, including at least seven people. Since the twister tore through the Midwest, over 30 million people are under tornado warning. The storm has caused widespread flooding, including downing power lines that have left thousands in the dark. Authorities in the area have confirmed that golf ball-sized hail has smashed into the area, and officials have warned those in its path are in a 'life-threatening situation.'

A mile wide tornado blitzed Rolling Fork, Mississippi, before tearing a path of fire throughout the state on Friday night. As the massive storm cut a path through the rural state, homes were seen completely flattened, while automobiles were overturned like discarded toys. Forecasters had warned of violent storms, including eastern Arkansas, northeast Louisiana, central and northern Mississippi, and western Tennessee. A dip in the jet stream has fueled the storm system, with tornadoes first detected in California earlier this week. Residents are being encouraged to take precautions, including receiving weather alerts and making arrangements to protect themselves and their families.

Officer Jeffrey Vappie's conduct has been uncovered naked after the police launched an internal probe into her daughter-of-one after she was found spending time with her in the exclusive French Quarter. Vappie's wife has since been sued for divorce alleging an affair that dates back to May 2021. Cantrell's friendship was described as "fully professional." However, bodyguards who reported to the New Orleans Police Department as part of the investigation into Vaince described Cantrell as a fiery boss, demanding that she be able to act as her servants. Despite receiving cross-party support, it comes as an attempt to recall the Democratic lawmaker's failed on Tuesday. When Cantrell spent taxpayer money on first-class tickets to Switzerland, she angered constituents, who said the economy was'unsafe' for black women.

Since losing a multi-year discrimination lawsuit brought by a trans lifter, USA Powerlifting will now be required to allow transgender people to participate in the women's division. JayCee Cooper, a transgender person, first filed a lawsuit with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights in 2019, claiming that the department was prohibiting her from participating as a woman. In 2021, Cooper filed a federal lawsuit against USA Powerlifting, alleging that the organisation is discrimination-based. According to a court decision this week, the organizations were advised to 'cease and refrain from all unfair discriminatory activities' related to sexual orientation and gender identity. USA Powerlifting now has two weeks to change its old approach. 'The harm is in making someone appear to be something different,' the overt indication being that who they are is less than.' That is the essence of segregation and segregation, and it is what the MHRA has forbidden,' the ruling states.

After the virtual demise of the state's insurance industry as a result of a string of hurricanes and floods, homeowners in Louisiana are finding affordable property insurance. It's a problem in several southern states, but nowhere is it worse than Louisiana, where more than 20 insurance companies have gone under or left the state in the last two years. 'We are certainly in a mess,' Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon said.'

Five Louisiana officers have been charged with the 2019 death of black motorist Ronald Greene, who ycreamed 'I'm afraid,' as cops tasered, beat, and pulled him by his feet during the roadside arrest. In the indictment, Kory York, John Clary, Dakota DeMoss, John Peters, and Christopher Harpin were all listed. Authorities initially blamed the death of Greene, 49, on a car accident, but a long-suppressed body-camera video caught white officers firmly insulting the motorist. The crimes range from negligent murder to malfeasance (wrongdoing by a public official). Chris Hollingsworth, a former soldier who said, 'I beat the ever-living f*** out of him,' and was seen attacking Greene on film in 2020, just hours after being warned he would be killed for his part in the shooting.'

On Wednesday afternoon, the deadly 125mph storms wreaked havoc in Louisiana, killing Yoshiko Smith, 30, and her 8-year-old son, Nikolus Little (top right), in their Keithville home. Officials in Killona, just west of New Orleans, have reported the death of Allison Alexander, 56, who was discovered in the ruins of her destroyed house. Eight other people in the county were admitted to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries, according to St. Charles Parish County Sheriff Greg Champagne. The powerful storms that destroyed homes and businesses around the state, as well as the loss of life and injuries (left). So far on Thursday morning, three tornadoes have struck the city of New Orleans, after officials announced that at least 21 tornadoes had struck the state in the last 24 hours.

Nancy Davis, who was refused an abortion in Louisiana despite her fetus causing a rare condition that means the child will have no skull, spoke to the media on Friday about the legislation affecting her situation. Davis, who is 15 weeks pregnant, said she would go out of state for a "medically necessary" abortion because her baby is expected to be born in Acrania, a fetal abnormality that is fatal, unless the woman's pregnancy is continued. Davis was told that if she brought the pregnancy to full term and gave birth to a boy, it would most likely live for a short period of time, ranging from several minutes to a week.