Louisiana

Louisiana’s 2020 Teacher of the Year is trying to block the state’s Ten Commandments law – WTOP News

Published

1 year ago

October 23, 2024

Louisiana’s 2020 Teacher of the Year is trying to block the state’s Ten Commandments law – WTOP News

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana’s 2020 Teacher of the Year has filed a lawsuit against the state challenging a…

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana’s 2020 Teacher of the Year has filed a lawsuit against the state challenging a new law that requires the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom by Jan. 1.

It’s the second lawsuit filed against the law, which was enacted in June. The first lawsuit was filed in Baton Rouge soon after the law passed. The judge in that case has said he will try to rule on a motion to block the law by Nov. 15.

The second suit has drawn less attention. It was filed in New Orleans on Sept. 23 by Christopher Dier, a history teacher at Ben Franklin High School in New Orleans. Dier told The Associated Press in an interview last summer that he had no intention of displaying the Ten Commandments in his classroom.

U.S. District Judge Greg Guidry was to meet with attorneys in the case by telephone Wednesday to work out a schedule, including a possible trial date for Dier’s lawsuit. Defendants in the suit include Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, who signed the bill into law, Republican Attorney General Liz Murrill, Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley and members of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Dier’s suit says the law, referred to by its legislative bill number HB71, targets children with a religious message and “conscripts” teachers into displaying it in violation of First Amendment language forbidding government establishment of religion and guaranteeing religious liberty. Echoing other critics of the law, it says the version of the Ten Commandments required in the law is one favored by Protestant denominations and that forcing its display could isolate students who are not Christians.

“I don’t believe in doing something that is unconstitutional and harmful to students,” Dier told the AP in June.

State officials argue HB71 is not solely religious and that the Ten Commandments have historical significance in the foundation of U.S. law. They have filed a motion to dismiss Dier’s lawsuit.

A big part of their argument is that Dier has not yet suffered any harm for which he can sue.

“He challenges only some unspecified future H.B. 71 display that he presumes may violate his rights at some unspecified future time. But he does not know — and Defendants do not know — how his (or any) school will select its H.B. 71 display(s), what size they will be, where they will be located, what context will be included, and so on,” the motion to dismiss says.

Meanwhile, U.S. District Judge John deGravelles in Baton Rouge is considering motions argued Monday in the earlier lawsuit filed by several parents of Louisiana school children. The motions include one to block enforcement of the law.

The law will apply to all public school K-12 and state-funded university classrooms. It requires the Ten Commandments to be displayed on a poster or framed document at least 11 inches by 14 inches (28 by 36 centimeters) where the text is the central focus and “printed in a large, easily readable font.” Each poster must be paired with a four-paragraph context statement.

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Louisiana

Louisiana State Police investigating deadly hit-and-run involving bicyclist

Published

11 hours ago

April 14, 2026

Press Room

Louisiana State Police investigating deadly hit-and-run involving bicyclist

THE DRAFT STARTS AT 6:00. ALL RIGHT. ALSO WARM. TURNING TO WEATHER NOW A LIVE LOOK OUTSIDE ON YOUR MONDAY. WARM AND BREEZY. A COUPLE OF CLOUDS OUT THERE, BUT OVERALL A BEAUTIFUL START TO THE WORKWEEK. YEAH AND NO RAIN. LET’S GET STRAIGHT TO WDSU FIRST WARNING WEATHER METEOROLOGIST JIM SIREN. IT’S GOING TO BE PRETTY NICE ALL WEEK. YES IT IS. WE MAY SEE A COUPLE OF SPOTTY SHOWERS AS WE LOOK A LITTLE FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD, BUT MAYBE I’M OVERPLAYING THAT CHANCE FOR RAIN JUST BECAUSE WE NEED THE RAIN. HOWEVER, AS WE LOOK FARTHER DOWN THE ROAD, NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE A COLD FRONT, BUT WE HAVE A REAL GOOD CHANCE FOR RAIN, I THINK. BUT THAT’S IN THE EXTENDED EXTENDED FORECAST RIGHT NOW. SHORT TERM THINGS ARE LOOKING GOOD. PONTCHARTRAIN CONSERVANCY CAMERA SHOWING US MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES AND WITH THE SUNSHINE, WE’VE MADE IT TO THE MID 80S IN A COUPLE OF SPOTS. 85 BOGALUSA WE’RE AT 83 IN BATON ROUGE, 81 THE CURRENT TEMPERATURE IN SLIDELL. I ACTUALLY OVERHEARD A COWORKER SAY, IT’S KIND OF HOT TODAY AND I GUESS 85 DEGREES IF YOU’RE WORKING IN THE YARD. YEAH, THAT’S KIND OF HOT WINDS RIGHT NOW AT ABOUT TEN, 12, 15MPH. SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS BECOMING A BIT MORE SOUTHERLY BY MIDWEEK. THAT WILL BRING US A LITTLE MORE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE. THE DEW POINT TEMPERATURE IS GOING TO COME UP. WE’VE EVEN SEEN SOME WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 20MPH HERE OVER THE LAST HALF HOUR OR SO. SO A BREEZY DAY TODAY, A BREEZY DAY TOMORROW. OFFICIALLY RIGHT NOW AT LOUIS ARMSTRONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. WINDS BECOMING SOUTHERLY AT ABOUT 13 WITH A DEW POINT OF 61. THAT DEW POINT LIKELY COMING UP JUST A LITTLE BIT BY WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. IN THE SHORT TERM THOUGH, LET’S ENJOY THE NICE BREEZY WEATHER CLOUDS INCREASING TO THE WEST OF US, BUT IT’S REALLY HIGH PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE THAT’S GOING TO BRING US THE SOUTH TO SOUTHEASTERLY WIND TODAY, BECOMING MORE SOUTHERLY BY WEDNESDAY. THAT’S WHEN WE COULD SEE A FEW SPOTTY SHOWERS. BUT THE REAL THING THAT’S GOING TO CHANGE OUR WEATHER A LITTLE BIT IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE A COLD FRONT THAT’S GOING TO BE HERE THIS WEEKEND. WILL IT HOLD TOGETHER AS OF RIGHT NOW? I THINK SO. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS US THIS. A LOT OF DRY AIR THAT’S GOING TO BE MOVING IN. SO TOMORROW I THINK IS GOING TO BE ANOTHER DAY WITH PLENTY OF SUNSHINE. ANY CLOUD COVER, JUST LOW LEVEL CUMULUS CLOUDS THAT REALLY WON’T BUILD INTO ANYTHING. LET’S GO HOUR BY HOUR. AND FIRST OF ALL, SHOW YOU THE EVENING WALK AROUND THE BLOCK AFTER DINNER. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT. TEMPERATURES ARE GOING TO BE IN THE LOW 70S ON THE NORTH SHORE. ACTUALLY LOW 70S, JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE. CLOUD COVER, VERY LIMITED. STILL A LITTLE BIT BREEZY TOMORROW MORNING, BUT RATHER THAN THE 50S, WE WOKE UP IN THE 50S OVER THE WEEKEND. NOW WE’RE GOING TO BE IN THE LOW 60S ON THE NORTH SHORE, MID TO UPPER 60S IN THE METRO. A TOUCH MUGGY, BUT THAT BREEZE STILL AT ABOUT 5 TO 10MPH. TOMORROW, ANOTHER MOSTLY SUNNY DAY WITH A HIGH TEMPERATURE IN THE LOW TO MID 80S. BOGALUSA. LOOKS LIKE YOU’LL GET TO THE MID 80S AGAIN TOMORROW. NOW HERE COMES THE CHANGE ON WEDNESDAY. AND GRANTED, IT’S NOT A MAJOR CHANGE, BUT HERE’S A SOUTHERLY WIND. SO THIS MODEL IS ACTUALLY PICKING UP ON 1 OR 2 SHOWERS IN THE MORNING. I THINK THIS MODEL MAY BE A LITTLE AGGRESSIVE, BUT IN THE AFTERNOON A FEW MORE SHOWERS. WE’RE PUTTING A 20% CHANCE FOR SHOWERS IN THE FORECAST ON WEDNESDAY AS WELL AS THURSDAY. IF YOU SEE A SHOWER, COUNT YOURSELF AS ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES AND YOU’LL NOTICE THAT THOSE SHOWERS SHOULD BE VERY, VERY LIGHT AT BEST. SLIGHTLY BETTER CHANCE FOR RAIN THIS WEEKEND. LET’S TRACK THIS COLD FRONT. SATURDAY, 7 A.M. GETTING CLOSER TO US BY 7 P.M. CLOUDS STARTING TO INCREASE JUST A LITTLE BIT. IT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE THIS FRONT IS GOING TO BRING US A LOT OF RAIN IN 24 HOURS AGO, I THOUGHT THE FRONT WAS GOING TO WASH OUT BEFORE IT GOT HERE. NOW IT LOOKS LIKE THE FRONT IS ACTUALLY GOING TO MAKE IT. WE’LL PUT ABOUT A 20 TO 30% CHANCE FOR SHOWERS IN THE FORECAST ON SUNDAY. THIS MODEL REALLY DOESN’T HAVE MUCH SIGNIFICANT RAIN AT ALL, BUT THE FRONT SHOULD MAKE IT THROUGH. SO BY THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK, THINGS GETTING A LITTLE BIT COOLER, A LITTLE BIT DRIER FOR US, A LITTLE LESS HUMID AS WELL. SO YOUR FORECAST FOR THIS EVENING CALLING FOR MAINLY CLEAR SKIES, A LITTLE BIT MUGGY, TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW 60S ON THE NORTH SHORE MID TO UPPER 60S ELSEWHERE. TOMORROW WE’LL DO IT AGAIN A LOT LIKE TODAY. MOSTLY SUNNY, BREEZY AND WARM, 83 TO 86 FOR THE AFTERNOON HIGH. THERE’S THAT 20% CHANCE FOR SHOWERS ONCE WE GET TO WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. VERY SPOTTY SHOWERS AT BEST. COLD FRONT SHOULD BE MOVING THROUGH SUNDAY, MAYBE LATE MORNING EARLY AFTERNOON. SO BY LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON WE’LL NOTICE THE HUMIDITY DROPPING JUST A LITTLE BIT. I THINK THINGS ARE LOOKING GREAT FOR FRENCH QUARTER FEST. JUST BE PREPARED, YOU KNOW, TO GET THOSE $2 DISPOSABLE RAIN PONCHOS PUT IN YOUR BACK POCKET. IF YOU SEE ONE OF THE SHOWERS ON SUNDAY, IT’S NOT GOING TO LAST ALL THAT LONG. AND THEN WE’RE COOLER AND DRIER AND VERY PLEASANT ON MONDAY. A MUCH BETTER CHANCE FOR RAIN IN OUR EXTENDED EXTENDED FORECAST,

Louisiana State Police investigating deadly hit-and-run involving bicyclist

Updated: 9:31 PM CDT Apr 13, 2026

Editorial Standards ⓘ

A Folsom man was killed in a hit-and-run in St. Tammany over the weekend.Louisiana State Police say Rodrigo Ornelas Jr., 24, of Folsom, was riding his bike on Sunday morning around 12:30 a.m. on LA Highway 40 at Blackwell Cemetery Road. At the same time, an unknown dark-colored sedan or small SUV was traveling east on LA Highway 40, struck Ornelas Jr., and left the scene.Police say the area was poorly lit and that he was not wearing a helmet but was dressed in light-colored clothing. Ornelas sustained serious injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment, where he later died. According to troopers, they have determined that the bicycle was equipped with reflectors but was not equipped with lights. The crash remains under investigation.

FOLSOM, La. —

A Folsom man was killed in a hit-and-run in St. Tammany over the weekend.

Louisiana State Police say Rodrigo Ornelas Jr., 24, of Folsom, was riding his bike on Sunday morning around 12:30 a.m. on LA Highway 40 at Blackwell Cemetery Road.

At the same time, an unknown dark-colored sedan or small SUV was traveling east on LA Highway 40, struck Ornelas Jr., and left the scene.

Police say the area was poorly lit and that he was not wearing a helmet but was dressed in light-colored clothing.

Ornelas sustained serious injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment, where he later died.

According to troopers, they have determined that the bicycle was equipped with reflectors but was not equipped with lights.

The crash remains under investigation.

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Louisiana

Raceland man charged in fatal March wreck, Louisiana State Police report

Published

23 hours ago

April 13, 2026

Press Room

Raceland man charged in fatal March wreck, Louisiana State Police report

A Raceland man has been charged with vehicular homicide for a March crash that left a Chauvin man dead.

Aljean Ledet, 58, of Chauvin died, March 25, after Michael Boudreaux, 21, of Raceland, rear-ended him at the intersection of LA 56 and Josie Court, according to a news release by the Louisiana State Police. Ledet was not wearing a seatbelt.

Police gathered toxicology samples from the two men at the time of the incident and later found that Boudreaux’s blood alcohol content was over the legal limit at the time of the crash. Boudreaux has been charged with vehicular homicide, DWI (first offense), reckless operation, no seatbelt and driving under suspension.

Boudreaux turned himself in to Troopers, April 9, 2026, and was booked into the Terrebonne Parish jail.

On March 25, Ledet was traveling north on LA 56 in a 2008 Chevrolet Colorado. At the same time Boudreaux was in a 2006 Pontiac G6 also traveling north, the release said. Boudreaux failed to slow down and struck the rear of Ledet’s Chevrolet.

After the impact, Ledet’s vehicle was sent off the road on the right and overturned. He was unrestrained and sustained fatal injuries.

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Louisiana

No. 10 Southern Miss Burned By Mistakes in Upset Series Loss to Louisiana

Published

1 day ago

April 13, 2026

Press Room

No. 10 Southern Miss Burned By Mistakes in Upset Series Loss to Louisiana

For three straight weekends prior to this one, No. 10 Southern Miss managed to escape with series wins despite giving its opponents several opportunities to win. After playing with fire for a fourth consecutive weekend, though, the Golden Eagles finally got burned badly, as they lost Sunday’s rubber match and the series to the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns at Russo Park in Lafayette.

The Golden Eagles (25-11, 8-7 Sun Belt) spent much of the weekend walking a tightrope, undone by the same issues that had lingered beneath the surface in recent series. Free passes proved especially costly in Sunday’s finale, including a bases-loaded walk that allowed Louisiana to push its lead to 6-4 in the bottom of the fifth inning. That run proved to be the difference, as the Cajuns ultimately held on to win 6-5.

It’s Gut-Check Time for the Eags

@SouthernMissBSB

Head coach Christian Ostrander, who was ejected in the game in the bottom of the fourth inning for arguing balls and strikes with the umpire, has to be left wondering what has happened to his Golden Eagles team that started the year on fire with a 15-2 record and several wins over high-quality opponents. Southern Miss has gone just 10-9 since that point, despite still remaining fairly high in the national rankings.

With a big midweek game against Ole Miss in Pearl coming up on Tuesday, and a big weekend series at home against a very good Texas State team starting on Friday, it is officially gut-check time for the Golden Eagles. Hosting a regional is still not out of the question for this ballclub, but losing a second Sun Belt series certainly doesn’t help its case.

How the Rubber Match Loss Happened

@SouthernMissBSB

The Golden Eagles had 10 hits on Sunday, with six of those coming from junior shortstop Seth Smith and senior outfielder Joey Urban (three each). Smith connected on his second home run of the year–a solo shot to right field in the top of the sixth to bring Southern Miss within 6-5.

In the top of the ninth, senior second baseman Kyle Morrison got on base from the lead-off spot with a walk, but junior outfielder Davis Gillespie, who had been on fire lately, cooled off in this one and hit into a double play on the very next at-bat. Senior first baseman Matthew Russo got the last chance to tie the game with two outs, but he grounded out to first base to end the game and the series. Overall, the Golden Eagles left nine runners on base.

Junior RHP Thomas Crabtree got the start for the Golden Eagles but only made it 1.2 innings before being replaced by senior LHP Kros Sivley. Sivley lasted one-third of an inning before being replaced by junior RHP Josh Och (L, 3-1), who pitched for 1.1 innings before giving the ball up to sophomore RHP McCarty English for two-thirds of an inning. Altogether, Crabtree, Sivley, Och and English surrendered five hits, six earned runs, six walks, and four hit batters while registering six strikeouts.

Senior RHP JW Armistead and senior RHP Colby Allen, who made his second appearance of the weekend, came in for the final four innings (two each) and gave up zero hits or runs. However, it was a case of too little, too late, as the Golden Eagles were unable to score in the final three frames.

The Sky Isn’t Falling… Yet

Josh House

As bad as things might feel right now for the Golden Eagles, the sky isn’t falling… at least not yet. Although it doesn’t necessarily mean that things will end up going the same way, this year’s ballclub is still out-pacing the 2024 and 2025 teams in the win/loss column. Southern Miss was 22-14 by this point in 2024 and 24-12 in 2025. This team has the talent to turn things up a notch or two; Coach Oz and his staff will just have to find the right buttons to push to make that happen.

Nothing would help wash away the bad taste of an upset series loss to the Ragin’ Cajuns quite like a big midweek win over an in-state rival that is coming off a weekend sweep of LSU. Southern Miss will take on Ole Miss at Trustmark Park on Tuesday at 6 p.m., looking to bounce back from its latest gut-punch. Stay tuned to Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI for more baseball coverage throughout this coming week.

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