Saronic Technologies is at the center of a major shift in naval warfare, a move toward autonomous vessels, artificial intelligence and faster defense manufacturing, The New York Times reports. 

That shift gained attention after a June rescue mission near the Strait of Hormuz, when a Saronic-built Corsair unmanned vessel helped recover two stranded military aviators after their helicopter was downed. Navy officials said the mission demonstrated how autonomous systems can reduce risk and save lives.

For Louisiana, the larger story is Saronic’s decision to establish a major manufacturing presence in Franklin. The Austin-based defense technology company acquired the former Gulf Craft shipyard and is expanding the facility as it works to move from prototype development into higher-volume production of autonomous vessels.

Saronic is also competing for a role in the Navy’s roughly $2.1 billion effort to build a new fleet of medium-sized unmanned surface vessels. The company was among seven firms selected to continue in the competition, but the process has sparked controversy. Some competitors argue that the Navy gave Saronic preferential treatment, while the Defense Department denies any political favoritism and says the selections were based on technical capability and readiness.

The competition reflects a broader transformation in defense contracting. Traditional military shipbuilders are now competing with newer defense technology companies that combine software, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and private investment. Saronic’s strategy has been to pair that technology approach with shipbuilding capacity, including its Louisiana facility.

The Franklin shipyard is a key part of that strategy. Saronic plans to expand the site to support production of larger autonomous surface vessels, including its Marauder platform, as the Pentagon increasingly looks for scalable systems that can complement traditional naval assets.

For Louisiana’s maritime industry, the investment highlights the state’s potential role in the next generation of defense manufacturing. The region’s existing shipbuilding workforce and industrial base provide a foundation for companies seeking to build advanced vessels, though expansion will depend on maintaining a pipeline of skilled workers such as welders, fabricators and marine technicians.

The New York Times has the full story.

Louisiana pastor Tony Spell must stay 50 yards from his neighbor’s home unless he’s checking the mail after a protection order was issued against him – as shocking bodycam appears to show him using a homophobic slur to describe his alleged assault victim, just two days after he was arrested.

Spell, 48, is banned from speaking with the neighbor either online and in person, according to the order issued  Friday, which has since been reported by The Advocate. 

“Mr Spell may walk over and check his mailbox; other than checking his mailbox, he is to be 50 yards away from the protected person’s property,” a note on the order says. 

Spell, the pastor of Baton Rouge’s Life Tabernacle Church, will appear in court in September after being charged with second degree battery over last month’s assault that unfolded opposite the church.

He claimed Scott Sherwin’s son had threatened to rape and kill his wife before delivering 35 blows.

But two days after the brawl Scott Sherwin reported Spell for allegedly mowing his lawn at 4 a.m., WBRZ reported.

“He’s doing this to intimidate my victim son,” Sherwin claimed in bodycam video seen by The Post. 

“Do you cut your grass at 4 in the morning?” he asked the responding officer.

“You gotta get him to stop man,” the furious dad said.

Sherwin claimed his family was unable to sleep – alleging Spell was carrying out “psychological warfare.”

An enraged Sherwin then swore at his neighbor, allegedly flipping him off, according to the bodycam.

“I was asleep when this started at four in the morning,” Sherwin stressed, aggressively pointing at his phone.

The cop then went over to Spell, who was sitting on his lawnmower, before asking for his name.

“Everybody in the world knows my name,” Spell brazenly replied to the cop.

Spell, who faces up to eight years in prison if convicted, then labeled Sherwin’s son a “f—-t” and seemed to take pride in the now-viral beatdown.

“He’s just sore because I beat the crap out of his f—-t boy,” he said.

“And he’s next if he comes over here and harasses these boys,” Spell said, speaking while a group of teens gathered nearby.

Spell then started his lawnmower up and told the boys “get to work,” essentially ordering them to clear off.

Spell strongly defended his actions after being released from jail over the assault.

“Number one, I’m a husband, number two, I’m a father, and number three, I’m a pastor who shepherds his flock,” he said. “I will not allow a man to murder my children when I’m gone,” he told reporters.

He revealed what Sherwin’s son allegedly said, which prompted the beatdown.

“He said, ‘Tony, I’m going to rape your wife, I’m going to rape all your grandchildren, and the next time you go out of town, I’m going to kill them,’” Spell said.

He addressed the altercation to his congregation and compared it to “domestic terrorism.” He also cited a Bible passage from Mark 16:18, WAFB reported.

“In my name, they shall lay hands on the sick. And they shall recover,” he said.

“So today, I fulfilled the scripture. I laid hands on the sick. I don’t know how much recovery they’re going to have, but I laid hands on the sick.”

Spell has been in a longstanding feud with Sherwin; the pastor filed a lawsuit during the pandemic in 2020 over surveillance cameras that were installed.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Spell was ticketed for holding in-person church services, defying Louisiana’s social distancing restrictions.

Spell claimed the cameras were installed to monitor him.

In April 2020, Spell was accused of attacking a protester outside his church. Police alleged that Spell backed his church bus in the direction of the protester, who was identified as Trey Bennett, according to news station WAFB-TV.

He was arrested for aggravated assault but never formally charged.