A Louisiana mayor, who abruptly took a leave of absence before resigning last week, is accused of raping a minor during her time in office.
Former DeRidder Mayor Misty Roberts was charged with third-degree rape and contributing to the delinquency of juveniles, Louisiana State Police announced on Thursday.
An investigation into the 42-year-old mayor, who was in her second term, was opened on July 26, after the Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office requested the state police look into a complaint against Roberts.
Former DeRidder Mayor Misty Roberts Clanton was arrested and charged with raping a juvenile only a week after she resigned from office. Louisiana State Police
“As the investigation progressed, LSP SVU conducted interviews with two juveniles, one of which was the victim. Both juveniles confirmed Roberts had sexual intercourse with one juvenile victim while employed as Mayor,” a statement read.
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A warrant for Roberts’ arrest was issued on Wednesday before she surrendered herself to the police.
Roberts was booked into Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office Jail at 10:13 a.m. and released 77 minutes later on a $75,000 bond, jail records show.
Roberts’ attorney called his client innocent while calling out law enforcement for not talking with the former mayor before her arrest.
Roberts was booked into Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office jail on Aug. 1 at 10:13 a.m. before being released at 11:30 a.m. on a $75,000 bond, jail records show. NNOE 8
“It is my honor to represent Misty Roberts. My client learned late last night of a warrant, despite not being contacted to be interviewed prior to investigators obtaining the warrant,” Adam Johnson said, according to KPLC. “My client maintains her innocence and, as it stands, she is in fact innocent.”
“We trust the public will respect her constitutional presumption of innocence which is fundamental to our system of justice,” he added. “Misty and her family are very grateful for the support they have received from their friends and neighbors and we look forward to putting this unfortunate situation behind them.”
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Her arrest comes after she announced that she would step away from her office for two weeks on July 26, the same day police launched their probe, the outlet reported.
DeRidder Fire Chief Ken Harlow was appointed as her mayor pro tem.
But a day later, the disgraced former mayor submitted a letter of resignation to the city council.
“For nearly 15 years, my love and passion for DeRidder has been my foundation while serving as Mayor,” Roberts wrote.
“This role has rewarded me with many great relationships. I am humbled to have witnessed the hard work that took a community to come together and overcome through unprecedented times. However, I must adjust my focus and priorities,” she added.
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Roberts resigned in a letter to the city council on July 27, 2024. City of DeRidderA day before she resigned, Roberts told the city she would be away for two weeks and appointed a mayor pro tem. NNOE 8
The Louisiana Secretary of State’s office must make the resignation official, before City Council President Randy Larken begins serving as the city’s mayor pro tem until a new mayor is elected on March 29, 2025.
DeRidder, a city of just under 10,000 people, is situated on the west side of the state approximately 20 miles from the Texas-Louisiana border.
(KMDL-FM) You might not have realized it, but you’re on a roller coaster. No, not the kind of roller coaster you look forward to riding, but the kind of roller coaster only Mother Nature can devise in the form of Louisiana’s annual up and down weather conditions, also known as spring.
READ MORE: Louisiana Parishes That Have the Most Tornadoes
Much of Louisiana was affected by strong storms with heavy rains and gusty winds during the day on Saturday and extending into Sunday morning. By later afternoon yesterday, conditions had improved, and it looked as though the work and school week would be off to a much calmer start.
Heavy Rain Possible in Louisiana To Start the Work Week
The start of the work and school day will be much calmer; however, the ride home on this first day of “extra sunlight” thanks to Daylight Saving Time will include a decent chance of showers and storms. Oh, and there are already reports of thick fog.
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So, after a foggy start this morning, you could be picking up kids from school or driving yourself home from work in a torrential downpour. And you’ll get to do all of this while you’re mentally addled from the twice-a-year time change.
Rain chances are listed at 50% for this afternoon, but they do taper off quickly after the sun goes down. The Weather Prediction Center is forecasting a slight risk of an excessive rain event for portions of Louisiana later today. The area of concern is generally along and well north of US 190.
When Is The Next Threat of Severe Storms in Louisiana?
Tuesday should be a cloudy but breezy and warm day. Then on Wednesday, the rain chances and the next threat of severe storms will move into Louisiana.
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The Storm Prediction Center outlook for Wednesday’s severe weather potential suggests that the northern and central sections of the state might be more at risk for stronger storms than the I-10 corridor might be.
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READ MORE: Who Is Appearing at Patty in the Parc in Lafayette?
We will know more about that potential later this morning when the SPC updates its forecast. The outlook for the remainder of the week, including the Patty in the Parc Weekend event in Downtown Lafayette, looks to be spectacular.
RICHLAND — Tech companies could receive significant tax breaks in Louisiana as data centers break ground in the state.
According to a report by The Advocate, Meta officials told state officials in 2024 that they would need significant tax breaks while negotiating the $27 billion data center project currently being built in North Louisiana.
Based on projections of Louisiana’s tax exemptions and the expected expenditures of the companies, state and local governments could potentially give billions in tax breaks to the tech giants.
Several states, including Louisiana, have seen backlash to data centers as residents worry about potential rising electric costs and strain on water systems.
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Virginia is currently debating whether or not to repeal tax exemptions for the tech companies, as it has cost state and local governments in Virginia $1.9 billion in 2024 alone.
The tax break exempts data centers from state and local taxes for multiple things data centers require, including servers, chillers, electric infrastructure and construction costs.
The scale of the data center projects, which include tens of billions in spending, coupled with Louisiana’s sales tax of 10%, means tax breaks could be worth huge amounts.
Gov. Jeff Landry speaks at an event Monday, Feb. 23, 2026, at Shreveport Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport, La., held to announce that Amazon plans to build data centers in Caddo and Bossier Parishes. He is joined by Roger Wehner, left, vice president of Economic Development for Amazon, and Matt Vanderzanden, CEO of STACK Infrastructure.
