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Remains found in search for NJ father who went missing on geocaching trip in Louisiana forest

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Remains found in search for NJ father who went missing on geocaching trip in Louisiana forest


Badly decomposed human remains that authorities believe belong to a New Jersey father and avid geocacher were found in Louisiana woods Wednesday, sheriff officials said.

The apparent body of Robert Owens Jr., 58, was discovered around 9 a.m. in a densely wooded area near a creek about a half-mile from a Kisatchie National Forest trailhead, the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

The Millville, New Jersey, resident was reported missing on July 17 after he hadn’t been in touch with family since July 9.

“Due to the severe decomposition of the remains, positive identification is pending,” the sheriff’s office said.

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But officials noted that based on clothing description and other physical traits, investigators believe it is Owens’ body.

The Rapides Parish coroner took possession of the remains to perform an autopsy, where a cause of death and positive identification is expected to be determined.

The Millville native disappeared during a geocaching trip, which is an outdoor activity where participants use a Global Positioning System receiver or cellphone and other navigational techniques to hide and locate containers.

New Jersey father Robert Owens Jr. went missing earlier this month.
Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office

The containers are called geocaches or caches and are placed at certain spots marked by coordinates throughout the world.  

Sheriff’s detectives are also seeking two hikers captured in surveillance footage at the head of the Azalea Trail to see if they passed by Owens while he was alive, the department said.

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One of Owens’ children posted on Instagram about the discovery, noting their father last saw his family on July 7, when he left for his trip, and last contacted them on July 9.


Human remains were found Wednesday morning.
Human remains were found Wednesday morning.
Wikipedia

“I genuinely don’t even know what to say. It breaks me trying to process this all. You were and still are the best dad you could be,” they wrote. “You were more than the best.

“And though this time is extremely devastating and unexpected, you were doing something you loved. And I know how much you were looking forward to the trip. Geocaching always made you such a happy camper. Literally. I love you, Dad. Rest in peace. 🫶”

The search, conducted by multiple agencies, heated up after Owens’ car was found with the help of another geocacher, authorities said.  



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Louisiana

U.S. reports first human death from bird flu in Louisiana 

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U.S. reports first human death from bird flu in Louisiana 


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The U.S. recorded its first human bird flu death. The patient lived in Louisiana, was over 65 and had underlying medical conditions. Dr. Kavita Patel details the risk and explains what people can do to protect themselves.



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Nussmeier, Weeks Named Louisiana Players of the Year

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Nussmeier, Weeks Named Louisiana Players of the Year


BATON ROUGE – LSU’s quarterback Garrett Nussmeier and linebacker Whit Weeks were top honorees on the 2024 edition of the All-Louisiana College Football Team announced by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.

Nussmeier was named the Offensive Player of the Year, while Weeks was named the state’s Defensive Player of the Year.

Running back Ahmad Hardy of ULM was named the freshman of the year. Tulane wide receiver Mario Williams, was named the newcomer of the year for first-year Louisiana players. Coach Michael Desormeaux, who led the Ragin Cajuns to the Sun Belt Conference championship game, was named the state’s top coach in 2024.

The team was chosen by a group of voters from state media relations and communications office and selected media based on nominations made by each University. School media relations voters could not vote for players from their own school.

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Nussmeier, who finished his junior season Tuesday with an MVP performance in the Texas Bowl, through for 3,735 yards and 26 touchdowns during the regular season. His 312 completions ranked No. 2 in LSU history, while with his bowl game his over 4,000 yards passing also ranked second. He topped the 300-yard mark eight times, including a career best 409 yards versus South Alabama. The Lake Charles product had five games with three TDs or more.

Weeks, a sophomore linebacker from Watkinsville, Georgia, earned defensive honors after a first-team All-SEC season that saw him lead the Tigers in tackles with 119. He was ranked No. 3 in the SEC and No. 11 nationally in total tackles and tackles per game (9.92). He had a career best 18 tackles in the overtime win over Ole Miss and 17 tackles versus both Oklahoma and Alabama.

Will Campbell was a first team offensive line selection, with Kyren Lacy named a first-team wide receiver.

On the second team offense was lineman Emery Jones and tight end Mason Taylor. The second team defense for LSU was represented by lineman Savion Jones, linebacker Bradyn Swinson and defensive back Zy Alexander.

Damian Ramos was named the second team kicker.

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Two teams representing offense, defense and specialists were selected with ties allowed for position allowed on the second team as necessary. The complete All-Louisiana selections:

LSWA ALL-LOUISIANA TEAM
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
POS/NAME/SCHOOL/CL/HOMETOWN/NOTES
OL/Landon Burton/Louisiana/Sr./Lafayette, La./First Team All-SBC
OL/Will Campbell/LSU/Jr./Monroe, La./First-Team AP, Walter Camp, AFCA All-America
OL/AJ Gillie/Louisiana/Sr./Natchitoches, La./First Team All-SBC, HM All-America (CFN)
OL/Shadre Hurst/Tulane/So./Cartersville, Ga./First Team All-AAC, HM All-America (CFN)
OL/Evan Roussel/Nicholls/Sr./Lutcher, La./SLC OL of Year, Second Team AP FCS A-A
TE/Terrance Carter/Louisiana/So./Killeen, Texas/First Team All-SBC; 48 rec., 4 TDs
WR/Tru Edwards/Louisiana Tech/Sr./Shreveport, La./First Team All-CUSA; 77 rec., 897 yds, 6 TDs
WR/Kyren Lacy/LSU/Sr./Thibodaux, La./Second Team All-SEC; 58 rec., 866 yds, 9 TDs
RB/Ahmad Hardy/ULM/Fr./Monticello, Miss./SBC Freshman of Year; 1,351 rush yds, 13 TDs
RB/Makhi Hughes/Tulane/So./Birmingham, Ala./AAC RB of Year; HM A-A (CFN); 1,372 yds, 13 TDs
QB/Garrett Nussmeier/LSU/Jr./Lake Charles, La./3,735 pass yards; 26 TDs; 3 rushing TDs
 
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
POS/NAME/SCHOOL/CL/HOMETOWN/NOTES
DL/David Blay/LA Tech/Jr./Levittown, Pa./First Team All-CUSA; 46 tackles, 10.5 TFL, 6.5 sacks
DL/Ckelby Givens/Southern/Jr./Shreveport, La./SWAC Co-Def. POY; Buchanan Award finalist; 28.5 TFL
DL/Patrick Jenkins/Tulane/Sr./New Orleans, La./First Team All-AAC; 30 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks
DL/Jordan Lawson/Louisiana/Jr./Brandon, Miss./Second Team All-SBC; 38 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 5.5 sacks
LB/Andrew Jones/Grambling/Jr./Marrero, La./SWAC Co-Def. POY; Buchanan Award finalist; 20.5 TFL
LB/K.C. Ossai/Louisiana/Sr./Conroe, Texas/First-Team All-SBC; 110 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1 INT
LB/Whit Weeks/LSU/So./Watkinsville, Ga./First Team All-SEC; 119 tackles, 10.0 FGL, 3.5 sacks, 1 INT
DB/Keydrain Calligan/Southeastern/Sr./New Iberia, La./All-SLC; 39 tackles, 1 INT
DB/Tyrone Lewis/Louisiana/Sr./Hammond, La./Second Team All-SBC; 2.5 TFL, 0.5 sacks, 4 INT, 1 FR
DB/Keyon Martin/Louisiana/Sr./Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Second Team All-SBC; 50 tackles, 2 TFL, 2 INT
DB/Wydett Williams/ULM/Jr./Lake Providence, La./Third Team All-SBC; 100 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, 2 FR, 3 INT

FIRST TEAM SPECIALISTS
P/Finn Lappin/McNeese/Fr./Melbourne, Australia/All-SLC 1st Team; 46.1 avg; 21 punts 50+; long 60+
K/Kenneth Almendares/Louisiana/Sr./Clute, Texas/Lou Groza Winner, First-Team A-A; 1st FBS 27 FGs
RS (tie)/Darius Lewis/Southeastern/Sr./New Orleans, La./First Team All-SLC; FCS leader 18.5 yds per ret. RS (tie)/Rayshawn Pleasant/Tulane/So./West Monroe, La./Second Team All-ACC specialist, 2 KR TDs

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
Vote – Nussmeier 10.5; Ben Wooldridge (UL) 8.5; Makhi Hughes (TU) 8; Ahmad Hardy (ULM) 1; no vote 1

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Whit Weeks, LSU
Vote – Weeks 14, Andrew Jones (GSU) 5, Eli Ennis (Nich) 3, K.C. Ossai (UL) 3, Tyler Grubbs (TU) 2, Ckleby Givens (SU) 1, no vote 1

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FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR – Ahmad Hardy, ULM
Vote – Hardy 14, Darian Mensah (TU) 9, Caden Durham (LSU) 5; no vote 1

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR – Mario Williams, Tulane
Vote – M. Williams 11; Wydett Williams (ULM) 9; Warren Peeples (SLU) 6; Vincent Paige (SU) 2; no vote 1

COACH OF THE YEAR – Michael Desormeaux, Louisiana
Vote – Desormeaux 14; Jon Sumrall (TU) 7; Terrance Graves (SU) 4; Bryant Vincent (ULM) 3; no vote 1
 
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
OL – Derrick Graham, Tulane (Jr., Lake Minneola, Fla.); Emery Jones, LSU (Jr., Baton Rouge, La.); Cole LeClair, McNeese (Sr., Middleburg, Fla.); Josh Remetich, Tulane (Sr., New Orleans, La.); Brockhim Wicks, Southeastern (Sr., Plaquemine, La.).
TE – Mason Taylor, LSU (Jr., Plantation, Fla.)
WR – Darius Lewis, Southeastern (Sr., New Orleans, La.); Mario Williams, Tulane (Sr., Tampa, Fla.)
RB – Joshon Barbie, McNeese (So., New Orleans, La.); Daylon Charles, La. Christian (Sr., Gueydan, La.); Collin Guggenheim, Nicholls (Sr., Kenner, La.)
QB – Ben Wooldridge, Louisiana (Sr., Pleasanton, Ca.

SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
DL – Logan Brimmer, La. Christian (Sr., Boutte, La.); Savion Jones, LSU (Sr., Vacherie, La.); Rasheed Lovelace, Nicholls (So., Pensacola, Fla.); Warren Peeples, Southeastern (Sr., Stone Mountain, Ga.)
LB – Eli Ennis, Nicholls (Jr. Ohatchee, Ala.); Blake Gotcher, Northwestern State (Sr., Little Elm, Texas); Bradyn Swinson, LSU (Sr., Douglasville, Ga.)
DB – Zy Alexander, LSU (Sr., Loreauville, La.); Bailey Despanie, Tulane (Jr., Lafayette, La.); Khamron Ford, Southeastern (Sr., Olive Branch, Miss.); Yusef Leak, McNeese (Sr., Orlando, Fla.); Tyree Skipper, Louisiana (Jr., New Orleans, La.); Jacob Wilson, Centenary (Fr., Shreveport, La.)

SECOND TEAM SPECIALISTS
P – Alex Mahler, Southeastern (So., Vacherie, La.)
K — Damian Ramos, LSU (Jr., Baltimore, Md.)

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Louisiana AG to launch full review of New Orleans security plan after Bourbon Street attack: report

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Louisiana AG to launch full review of New Orleans security plan after Bourbon Street attack: report


Louisiana’s top attorney plans to open a full review into the security planning that went into the Sugar Bowl and New Year’s Eve as concerns continue to mount about whether New Orleans officials could have done more to prevent the deadly attack on Bourbon Street that killed 14 people and injured dozens more, according to a report.

NOLA.com reported that Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said she plans to make a formal announcement on Monday about the full review, noting that New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick has pledged to provide her complete support and cooperation.

New Orleans locals and visitors have been questioning why a temporary barrier intended to prevent cars from entering Bourbon Street, where Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a truck through a New Year’s crowd in the early morning hours of Jan. 1, was set down instead of up, allowing vehicles to pass. 

The temporary metal barriers were installed on Bourbon Street and other areas of the French Quarter in mid-November as the city was in the process of removing old bollards and replacing them with stainless steel bollards. That work was expected to continue through January.

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NEW ORLEANS BARRICADE OVERSIGHT IN ‘TARGET AREA FOR TERRORISM’ DURING PRIME SEASON RAISES CONCERNS

Attorney General of Louisiana Liz Murrill speaks to the media during a press conference on January 1, 2025, in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Attorney General of Louisiana Liz Murrill )

Official recommendations for New Orleans’ security measures in the French Quarter, as part of a $2.3 billion infrastructure project that began in 2017, included the installation of new bollards on Bourbon Street to prevent mass casualty events that the FBI identified as a potential threat in the popular tourist area.

Security recommendations for the area included street cameras, a central command center, better lighting and high-quality bollards that are also used by the U.S. government near its official buildings.

NEW ORLEANS ATTACK: INVESTIGATION CONTINUES, AS FBI SAYS NO OTHER SUSPECTS INVOLVED

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Tourist walk past temporary barriers on Orleans and Bourbon Street

Tourist walk past temporary barriers on Orleans and Bourbon Street, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in New Orleans.  (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Former FBI official Bill Daly, a security and risk management adviser, told Fox News Digital that the “Achilles’ heel” in the Jan. 1 tragedy was that the temporary measures used on New Year’s Eve did not provide the same level of protection as was previously intended, designed and envisioned in the 2017 report. 

“Temporary barricades are used extensively. They’re used, for instance, by the New York City Police Department in Times Square, to close off all the side streets leading to Times Square,” Daly said. 

He explained that in New York City, authorities place cement blocks on the sidewalk and in the middle of the street as temporary barricades, and also use some vehicles like garbage trucks and dump trucks to block the road.

NEW ORLEANS TERROR SUSPECT’S BROTHER SAYS ATTACK IS SIGN OF ‘RADICALIZATION’: REPORT

A barricade on Bourbon Street (right) is back up on Jan. 2, the day after the terrorist attack, while a barrier on another street in the French Quarter (left) appears down on Jan. 2.

A barricade on Bourbon Street (right) is back up on Jan. 2, the day after the terrorist attack, while a barrier on another street in the French Quarter (left) appears down on Jan. 2. (Kat Ramirez for Fox News Digital)

Along with the investigation from Murrill, some city council members said they plan to conduct their own investigations into the security measures that were in place on the morning of the attack.

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Murrill told NOLA.com she has spoken with City Council member Helena Moreno as well as District Attorney Jason Williams and other officials, adding that she intends to speak with others about her plans for a full review into security.

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“Everyone is committed to getting a complete picture of what was done or not done and, importantly, what needs to change so we can prevent this from ever happening again,” she said.

Murrill’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the matter.

Fox News Digital’s Audrey Conklin, Garrett Tenney and Ashley Papa contributed to this report.

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