Louisiana
Louisiana DOTD starts final pass for storm debris cleanup
MONROE, La. (KNOE) – The winter storm took a toll on North Louisiana, leaving debris scattered across roadways and yards.
Contracted debris removal for the storm began on Feb. 9, 2026, and has been mostly completed.
To ensure all hazards on the rights-of-way are picked up, crews will be doing one final pass to remove any final debris.
Crews will be going along state routes in the following parishes:
- East Carroll
- West Carroll
- Richland
- Morehouse
- Jackson
- Madison
Louisiana DOTD stresses that this pass is only for naturally occurring debris from the winter storm.
“We really don’t want people going into their backyards and finding debris to put out there. That’s not really the purpose of this, really is supposed to be naturally occurring storm debris. So, you know, don’t put your household debris and waste and things out on the right of way” said Erin Buchanan, Public Information Officer, Louisiana DOTD.
Crews will not be passing through local or parish-owned roads.
If you are unsure what the rights-of-way is on a state route, the best rule of thumb is to place it on the roadside of the utility pole.
Buchanan says she hopes the final pass will be finished by the end of April.
Any debris placed on state roadways after the completion of final pass will have to be removed through normal waste management means or by the property owner.
If you want to find out if your route is part of the final pass, Louisiana DOTD asks you to call their hotline at 850-849-6726.
Copyright 2026 KNOE. All rights reserved.
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – The Baton Rouge Police Department confirmed two people are in critical condition and multiple others have been hurt following a shooting at the Mall of Louisiana.
The shooting is believed to have happened near the food court.
Paramedics have been called to the scene. They are setting up a triage near JC Penney.
Police are looking for one to two shooters.
Right now, they are clearing out the drive to get in and out of the mall for emergency responders only.
Gov. Jeff Landry released a statement:
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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Copyright 2026 WAFB. All rights reserved.
DESTIN, Fla. — A North Carolina man allegedly headed to do a mass shooting at a large Louisiana festival was arrested in Okaloosa County Wednesday evening.
Federal authorities contacted the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office in regards to the man. The department was told the man would be in the area.
The man’s name has not been shared by authorities.
Deputies found the man at a Destin Hotel. They took him into custody as a “fugitive from justice.”
The man will be extradited to Louisiana to face state charges, deputies say.
Louisiana
Mom whose 3 children were killed in Louisiana mass shooting still has bullet lodged in face — and sometimes thinks kids are alive
The mother of three of the eight children massacred by deranged Army veteran dad Shamar Elkins in Louisiana still has a bullet lodged in her head and is struggling with her memory — sometimes believing her kids are still alive, according to a relative.
Christina Snow, the girlfriend of 31-year-old Shamar Elkins, was shot in the face early Sunday when the former National Guardsman went on a shooting rampage at two nearby homes in Shreveport.
Three of Snow’s children she shared with Elkins — Braylon Snow, 5, Khedarrion Snow, 6, and Sariahh Snow, 11 — were killed in their home.
Elkins fired a bullet through Snow’s nose which is lodged in her head, and doctors aren’t ready to risk surgery, according to her cousin Jamarckus Snow.
The mom is now dealing with heartbreaking memory loss about the fate of her kids.
“One day, she’ll remember they’re dead. I heard yesterday she woke up and was like, ‘I got to get my kids ready for school.’ She’ll lose memory of what happened,” he told NBC News.
“One day, she’ll know, and the next day, she’s thinking her kids is still there.”
Follow the latest updates on the Louisiana father who killed 8 children in Shreveport shooting:
Elkins fatally shot his seven children — the three he shared with Snow and his four daughters with his wife, Shaneiqua Pugh: Jayla Elkins, 3, Shayla Elkins, 5, Kayla Pugh, 6, and Layla Pugh, 7.
He also killed Mar’Kaydon Pugh, 10, the son of his wife’s sister, who was staying at their house.
The vet turned his gun on Pugh and Snow, too, severely wounding both women, who are still in the hospital.
Elkins shot himself in the driveway of his former military mentor as law enforcement closed in.
The motive for the shooting remains unclear, but Elkins was suffering from mental health issues and was scheduled to appear in court on Monday after Pugh asked him for a divorce.
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