Louisiana
57-foot-tall homemade Christmas tree lights up Kinder
LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) – Two Kinder men decided not to get a tree, but instead to build one of the largest Christmas trees the state of Louisiana has ever seen.
Kaleb Deaton and Donnie Domingue wanted a tree as big as they could imagine.
“Last year, we had a tree we built that was 20 feet, and this year we wanted to bring something special to the table. We came up with this 57-foot tree. We had all the supplies,” Deaton said.
The 57-foot-tall tree is lit up in their backyard, believed to be one of the largest man-made Christmas trees in Louisiana’s history
The tree is dressed with 20,000 bulbs connected to over a mile of wire and topped with an 8-foot star.
“I have some little girls, and I just love putting smiles on their faces,” Deaton said. “It’s just warming, and I wanted to do something special for them this year. Like I said, Donnie is a fabricator, and we put our heads together, and we just made it happen.”
They say they’ve been planning how big they were going to make the tree since last year.
“Our first plan was actually a 150-foot tree,” Domingue said.
It was a work in progress to be able to build the massive Christmas tree.
“It took an army to be able to put this thing up,” Deaton said. “I have a Treco in the back that has a lot of horsepower; it had to lift this baby up and Donnie’s welding machine.”
They say it looks like lots of welding, cutting, and grinding.
Since the Christmas tree has been up in Kinder, hundreds of people have come out to enjoy the holiday spectacle. They say being able to bring Christmas cheer to the area of Kinder is fulfilling.
“Oh, it’s great seeing people come line up down my driveway. I live on a dead-end road, and it’s awesome to come out and see everybody here with us. Having people talk on Facebook about what joy it’s brought to them, it’s been great,” Deaton said.
They’re already coming up with ideas on how to top next year’s tree
“We got something special, we are not going to let that out just yet, but we got something we talked about earlier. You’ll be here next year,” Deaton said.
The tree will be lit up and on display in Kinder until Jan. 6.
Copyright 2025 KPLC. All rights reserved.
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – A driver died from a gunshot wound after a Louisiana State Police car chase in New Orleans Saturday evening (June 20), but troopers say they did not fire the gun.
Troop NOLA confirmed the car chase ended near Franklin Avenue and North Miro Street Saturday. Troopers said they found the driver shot and brought them to the hospital, where that person died.
The driver’s identity has not been released.
A Troop NOLA spokesperson said he could not confirm if anyone else was in the car, if anyone has been arrested, or if troopers found a gun.
A spokesperson said more details will be released as a state police force investigation continues.
Troop NOLA is a special investigation unit tasked with proactive policing, traffic enforcement and crime reduction.
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Copyright 2026 WVUE. All rights reserved.
MONROE, La. (KNOE) – Shelby Bordelon of Iberville Parish was crowned Miss Louisiana 2026 Saturday night in Monroe, earning the title and a $15,000 scholarship. Bordelon, a graduate student at Southeastern Louisiana University, said the role is about more than pageantry, emphasizing the yearlong service mission tied to the crown.
“Part of the mission of this organization is the service behind it,” Bordelon said. “And the service is so important, you are serving your state for a year… having the opportunities to connect with others… to continue making an impact and leaving my mark on others as well.”
Bordelon, who finished first runner-up in last year’s competition, said the moment her name was called as the winner still hasn’t fully sunk in.
“It was every emotion you could think of that was running through my mind at that moment,” she said, adding she focused on preparation and perspective this year. “I really wanted to go into this year with no regrets… just really trusting in that mindset and that plan.”
Bordelon said she hopes to use her platform to raise awareness for her nonprofit, Claire’s Promise, which focuses on combating drunk driving.
You can learn more about the nonprofit here. She will now represent Louisiana at the Miss America Pageant, which begins in late August in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Copyright 2026 KNOE. All rights reserved.
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