Louisiana
Arrested: Louisiana Man Accused Of Sexually Abusing Children
A southwest Louisiana man who was arrested in July and again this month on allegations of abusing children is said to have been working as a teacher and a deacon at a Baptist church according to KPLC.
According to the Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office, they started an investigation into Andrew Guidry on July 22 after complaints came in about the man. They arrested him on two counts of Sexual Battery on a victim below the age of 15.
When he was arrested he was booked into the Beauregard Parish Jail on July 24, and his bond was set at $100,000.
Then during the month of August, another victim came forward claiming they were harmed. Guidry was arrested by Beauregard Sheriff’s detectives on August 5 for another Sexual Battery count. The Sheriff says the person was in charge at the time the incident happened.
KPLC then continued to investigate the 32-year-old man to discover that Guidry was a teacher at Beauregard High School between the years of 2022 and 2024. School officials say they do not believe that the victims involved in these crimes were students at the school. Checking other records they found that for six days at some point Guidry was a substitute teacher at
It was also discovered that Guidry was a deacon at Dry Creek Baptist Creek. Their Senior Pastor Charlie Bailey says Guidry is suspended from a leadership position within in the church while the authorities are continuing to investigate this man.
At the beginning of the case, and continuing now, officials with the Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office are asking anyone who might have been a victim to call them at 337-463-3281.
Guidry is currently being held in jail on a $50,000 bond after the latest victim has come forward.
As far as members of Dry Creek Baptist Church, Bailey says he does not think any of the victims were at the church in a related function but he also says that anyone who knows something should report it to law enforcement or talk to a church elder.
All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
This is a developing story, and the KPEL News Team is working to provide additional coverage for Acadiana. Updates will be shared as they become available, so download the KPEL News app via Google Play or in the App Store and subscribe to breaking news alerts to get the latest information sent directly to your mobile device.
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Louisiana
Louisiana to redraw congressional map after court ruling
A state lawmaker whose district includes Iberville and nine other parishes will lead the way on the drawing of a new congressional map when the committee convenes Friday.
Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter, R-Port Allen, will chair the hearings to draw a new congressional district map. He currently serves as chairman of the U.S. Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee.
On Wednesday, Kleinpeter said he has not worked on any maps. He is letting the committee members and the members of the Senate work on this with staff.
The move will come nine days after the U.S. Supreme Court on a 6-3 vote ruled one of Louisiana’s two majority-Black U.S. House districts unconstitutional.
“We can’t base it on race anymore, so the minority party is the Democrats,” he said. “The Democrats have migrated away from the New Orléans area, so we’re looking at Democrats versus Republicans, so the minority party — the Democrats — which means it’s more favored toward Baton Rouge.”
The move would work in favor of incumbent 6th District Congressman Cleo Fields, who was a candidate for the race which Gov. Jeff Lndry suspended in the wake of the Supreme Court decision.
The ruling stemmed from Louisiana vs. Callais – a consolidation of Robinson vs. Callais – that centered on racial gerrymandering and redistricting in the state of Louisiana following the 2020 United States census. The lead plaintiff, Phillip “Bert” Callais, is a resident of Brusly.
The Supreme Court vote came despite the African American population comprising nearly one-third of the state’s population.
According to the 2020 Census, the Black or African American population in Louisiana was approximately 1,464,023,representing 31.4%of the state’s total population. Louisiana has one of the highest percentages of Black residents in the United States, ranking second behind Mississippi.
The Baton Rouge district would likely be the area to undergo the remap, he said.
It amounts to an intricate balancing act.
“What far-right Republicans don’t understand is that with Congress maps, you have to be within 776, 280 votes – within 50 votes of the other districts,” Kleinpeter said. “It’s not like our legislative maps where you can be off by thousands … when you start changing a precinct, it can run down a rabbit hole chasing this precinct over here and over there.
“We can easily draw a really strong nine Republican and one strong Democrat, so if you start watering districts down you could wind up with a 4-2 map.”
Republicans currently have a two-vote super majority vote.
“But some Republican districts are strong and others are weak,” Kleinpeter said. “If you take 58 percent Democrats and put them in Republican districts, you could end up losing Republicans.
“Drawing congress maps is very difficult – you have the leader of the party, and you have the Speaker of the House you have to protect,” he said. “You don’t want to jeopardize their maps at hole.”
One other issue is looming for the state, Kleinpeter said.
“What people don’t understand is that we will have to do this all over again in five years, after the next census comes out,” he said. “Hopefully we’ll people by that time.”
The 2030 Census will play a key role in the process, but it still requires participation.
“I had plenty of next-door neighbors who didn’t want to fill out their census” he said. “I’m going to push to fill out their census. We miss out on federal money and potentially risk losing a seat. “
Louisiana
Neuty, the beloved Bucktown nutria rat that charmed Louisiana, has died
Neuty, the iconic Bucktown nutria visits the state capitol, with Myra Lacoste, Denny Lacoste, Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser, Dennis Lacoste Sr., and Louisiana state Senator J. Cameron Henry Jr. Neuty was an orphan, rescued by the Lacostes. In March 2023, LDWF agents attempted to confiscate the illegal pet.
Louisiana
Louisiana State Police arrest 18-year-old in Vidalia crash t…
VIDALIA, La. — Louisiana State Police arrested 18-year-old Gregory Steele early Sunday morning on two counts of vehicular homicide, one count of underage operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, one count vehicular negligent injuring and one count careless operation, according to Concordia Parish Jail records.
Steele, 18, a white male, was arrested in connection with an accident that occurred at approximately 1:54 a.m. on Sunday morning on Minorca Road in Vidalia. Two passengers in the vehicle were killed. Steele and another passenger were able to escape the vehicle.
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