Louisiana

Louisiana Fire Marshal arrests man for allegedly setting fire to Monroe church

Published

7 months ago

April 10, 2025

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Louisiana Fire Marshal arrests man for allegedly setting fire to Monroe church

A fire occurred at St. Mary’s Number 2 Missionary Baptist Church in Monroe, Louisiana on March 30.
Nicky Lavelle Coleman, 49, was arrested and charged with simple arson of a religious building.
Surveillance footage allegedly shows Coleman setting the fire.

The Louisiana State Marshal’s Office has arrested a man who allegedly set fire to a Monroe church.

Monroe Fire Department was dispatched just before 2 p.m. March 30 to St. Mary’s Number 2 Missionary Baptist Church at 100 Williams St. on reports of a fire.

Upon arrival, firefighters discovered heavy smoke coming from the church. Within minutes, they extinguished the blaze.

Surveillance video from a business across the street shows Nicky Lavelle Coleman, 49, allegedly setting the church on fire. “We are hoping the public can help us identify and locate the person/persons responsible,” the fire marshal’s office said.

Coleman has been booked into Ouachita Correctional Center on one count of simple arson of a religious building.

Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com.

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Louisiana

Sunpie Barnes and his Hot Spots will play in Covington

Published

4 hours ago

November 11, 2025

Press Room

Sunpie Barnes and his Hot Spots will play in Covington

Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes and his Louisiana Sunspots band will fill Christ Episcopal Church with their distinctive fusion of zydeco, blues, gospel, jazz, Afro-Caribbean and African music on Nov. 16 as the Third Sunday Concert series continues in Covington.

Barnes’ powerful voice and the group’s distinctive sound are part of the rich soundtrack that defines New Orleans. It’s also a sound heard yearly at the city’s most significant music venues, including Jazz & Heritage Festival, as well as Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival and other major music events inside and outside of Louisiana.

But Barnes (born Bruce Barnes) and his band will curate and present a special hour of music for their 5 p.m. concert audience in Covington, and there’s plenty to choose from, having released six albums and played in more than 50 countries across Africa, Europe, Central America and South America.

Selections at Christ Episcopal are expected to include “Bunny Bread,” “Irene,” “Trouble In Mind” and “Island Man,” with Barnes on his accordion and harmonica; Matt Hampsey on guitar; Leroy Etienne on drums; and Kerry Lewis on bass.

In addition to the music, Barnes (who plays more than a half-dozen instruments) was a college All-American and NFL player; a book author and photographer who currently leads an iconic Mardi Gras Indian tribe in New Orleans and continues his longtime National Park Service employment as a ranger.

Come to the show for the music — this concert is just the latest concert in the church’s decades-long music ministry — and then meet Barnes and his band members in a reception immediately following the show.

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Louisiana

Mall of Louisiana Boulevard Project enters next phase under MOVEBR program

Published

2 days ago

November 9, 2025

Press Room

Mall of Louisiana Boulevard Project enters next phase under MOVEBR program

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — A major traffic improvement project is moving forward near one of Baton Rouge’s busiest shopping areas.

The MOVEBR program has officially broken ground on the railroad underpass phase of the Mall of Louisiana Boulevard project, a key part of the city’s effort to improve mobility and safety for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.

The $38 million project is the latest phase in a multi-step plan to ease congestion and enhance flood control in the area. Fred Raiford, East Baton Rouge Parish’s director of Transportation and Drainage, said the project is designed to give commuters more options and reduce bottlenecks near the Mall of Louisiana.

“We just feel like it’s a good connector to be able to tie the interstate in Perkins and provide more opportunity for drivers to use the vehicles to go where they want to go in that general vicinity,” Raiford said.

Phase One included the Backcourt Drive Bridge and the Dawson Creek twin bridges. This new phase focuses on building a railroad underpass and pump station, a critical addition to keep traffic flowing and reduce flooding during heavy rain.

Raiford said once this stage is complete, crews will move into roadway construction and signal installation.

“Our next phase will be the actual road construction, and the last thing is to look at putting the traffic signal at Perkins and the Mall of Louisiana Road,” he said.

Previously known as the Picardy-Perkins Connector, the Mall of Louisiana Boulevard project is being developed in coordination with the Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) Railroad to safely separate vehicle and train crossings. Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sid Edwards said it’s a major step toward modernizing local infrastructure.

“I think this roadway is going to be a fantastic asset for our parish, for today and for the future,” Edwards said.

Once completed in roughly three years, the four-lane roadway will feature a 10-foot-wide shared-use path connecting to BREC’s Trail at Dawson’s Creek, along with a privacy wall to buffer nearby neighborhoods.

Officials said the Mall of Louisiana Boulevard project is another milestone in MOVEBR’s mission to reduce congestion and create safer, more accessible routes throughout East Baton Rouge Parish.

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Louisiana

Louisiana Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 results for Nov. 8, 2025

Published

2 days ago

November 9, 2025

Press Room

The Louisiana Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Nov. 8, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Nov. 8 drawing

03-53-60-62-68, Powerball: 11, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Nov. 8 drawing

3-2-6

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 4 numbers from Nov. 8 drawing

5-6-0-2

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 5 numbers from Nov. 8 drawing

5-6-4-4-0

Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Easy 5 numbers from Nov. 8 drawing

06-17-22-30-35

Check Easy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto numbers from Nov. 8 drawing

16-17-19-23-30-31

Check Lotto payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Louisiana Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Louisiana Lottery offices. Prizes of over $5,000 must be claimed at Lottery office.

By mail, follow these instructions:

Sign and complete the information on the back of your winning ticket, ensuring all barcodes are clearly visible (remove all scratch-off material from scratch-off tickets).
Photocopy the front and back of the ticket (except for Powerball and Mega Millions tickets, as photocopies are not accepted for these games).
Complete the Louisiana Lottery Prize Claim Form, including your telephone number and mailing address for prize check processing.
Photocopy your valid driver’s license or current picture identification.

Mail all of the above in a single envelope to:

Louisiana Lottery Headquarters

555 Laurel Street

Baton Rouge, LA 70801

To submit in person, visit Louisiana Lottery headquarters:

555 Laurel Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70801, (225) 297-2000.

Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Louisiana Lottery.

When are the Louisiana Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5: Daily at 9:59 p.m. CT.
Easy 5: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.
Lotto: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Louisiana editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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