Louisiana

Two Louisiana High School Football Teams Cancel Games Amid Safety Concerns

Published

2 months ago

October 23, 2025

Two Louisiana High School Football Teams Cancel Games Amid Safety Concerns

Numbers can be tough in Louisiana’s Class 1A, the smallest football-playing classification. Two schools- Gueydan and Highland Baptist – canceled their games this week, citing the health and well-being of their student-athletes.

Gueydan (0-7) canceled its game against Westminster Christian-Lafayette, which was coming off a 49-14 win over Highland Baptist. Gueydan and Highland Baptist, which share the same mascot (Bears), are both members of District 6-1A. The two schools are scheduled to meet in Week 10.

Highland Baptist was set to face undefeated Ascension Episcopal tonight. The Bears, who have been shutout four times, played Berchmans Academy tough in Week 3 (lost 25-19). Last year, Highland Baptist recorded its one win with a 42-20 defeat of Gueydan.

Gueydan was coming off its closest loss of the season, a 30-20 setback to Trhive Academy. Located in rural western Vermilion Parish, Gueydan has a population of a little more 1,000 residents and is known for its annual duck festival.

District 6-1A is also home to Vermilion Catholic, which went undefeated in 2024 and won the Division IV select state championship. Vermilion Catholic blanked Highland Baptist 63-0 in Week 5 and is scheduled to host Gueydan next week.

Elsewhere in Class 1A, Oberlin forfeited its Week Six game against Elton, which affected the race for the state’s rushing leader. Elton’s Makelin Lemoine, who is second behind Trevin Simon (Ascension Catholic) has played one less game.

Oberlin (2-4) resumed play last week with a 51-48 win over Merryville. The Tigers from Allen Parish have 120 students. Gueydan has an enrollment of 125; Highland Baptist 134. Undefeated Hamiton Christian of Lake Charles has only 87 students.

By comparison, the largest non-football playing school in Class B (Choudrant) has 213 students.

The future should be brighter for Highland Baptist located in New Iberia, a city of approximately 30,000. The Bears have only a couple of seniors with six juniors and 13 sophomores. In 2021, the Bears finished 5-5 under retired coach Rick Hutson. Hopefully, both the Gueydan and Highland Baptist programs can return to action soon.

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Louisiana

Fed’s ‘Catahoula Crunch’ finished its first week in Louisiana

Published

12 hours ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

Federal immigration authorities are keeping a tight lid on key details as “Catahoula Crunch” closes its first week in southeast Louisiana, Verite writes.

The operation—one of Department of Homeland Security’s largest recent urban crackdowns—began with raids at home-improvement stores and aims for 5,000 arrests, according to plans previously reviewed by the Associated Press. While DHS publicly highlighted arrests of immigrants with violent criminal records, AP data shows fewer than one-third of the 38 detainees in the first two days had prior convictions.

Meanwhile, advocacy groups report widespread fear in Hispanic communities, with residents avoiding hospitals, schools, workplaces and even grocery stores amid sightings of federal agents.

Business impacts are already visible: restaurants and Hispanic-serving corridors like Broad Street appear unusually quiet, with staff shortages forcing menu cuts and temporary closures. School absenteeism has doubled in Jefferson Parish, and protests have spread across New Orleans and surrounding suburbs as local leaders demand transparency around federal tactics.

Read the full story.

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Louisiana

Louisiana State Police hosts open house to recruit new troopers

Published

24 hours ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

Louisiana State Police hosts open house to recruit new troopers

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — The Louisiana State Police is opening its doors throughout December, hosting open house events aimed at giving potential applicants a closer look at what it takes to become a state trooper.

Troop leaders said the goal is to recruit men and women who are prepared for the demands of the job and committed to serving their communities.

Troop A Public Information Officer Shelby Mayfield said the open houses are designed to make the application process more accessible.

“One of the reasons we generated these open houses was to allow our applicants to come in and get a look inside the troop, meet some state troopers from across the troop area, and ask whatever questions they may have to the recruiters who are present,” Mayfield said.

Along with information sessions, Mayfield said the events help future applicants better understand the daily responsibilities of law enforcement and the mindset troopers are expected to bring to the job.

“We want to make sure that that trooper knows how important officer safety is,” he said. “But more importantly, we want to make sure they go out there with a pure heart.”

The Louisiana State Police Training Academy is known for its rigorous curriculum that prepares cadets for real-world situations. From crash investigations to communication skills, instructors focus on developing well-rounded troopers who can serve safely and effectively.

Mayfield said applicants must be ready for a variety of interactions, not just emergencies.

“Not everything is going to be a high-intensity, rapidly evolving situation,” he said. “You need to be able to deal with the public to accomplish your job, and that’s why we preach not just getting the job done, but being able to relate to the public so you can meet their needs.”

The application deadline for Cadet Class 109 is Jan. 6, 2026. Mayfield encourages anyone who feels called to the profession to take the next step.

“If this is something you genuinely have in your heart to do, reach out to somebody when it’s convenient for you,” he said. “Even if you miss a deadline, never give up because it’s never too late.”

Open house events will continue throughout the month at troop locations across Louisiana. More information on Cadet Class 109 and the application process is available on the Louisiana State Police website.

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Louisiana

This Louisiana bank is planning to expand its Baton Rouge footprint

Published

2 days ago

December 10, 2025

Press Room

This Louisiana bank is planning to expand its Baton Rouge footprint

(iStock)

Houma-based Synergy Bank is planning to construct a second Baton Rouge location.

The bank is proposing a roughly 9,200-square-foot branch with a drive-thru on a 1.63-acre tract in the Towne Center Business Park, adjacent to Cadence Bank.

The Planning Commission is scheduled to review the final development plan at its January meeting. Rusty Bourg, Synergy Bank’s chief operating officer, filed the application. The property is owned by Summa Professional Office Park LLC. According to the development plan, the 9,236-square-foot building would sit on 1.07 acres, leaving about a half-acre of open space.

Formed in 1998 by a group of local business leaders in the Houma-Terrebonne area, Synergy entered the Baton Rouge market in 2023 after acquiring People’s Bank and its branches in Baton Rouge, New Roads, Central and Livonia. The bank’s Baton Rouge location is on Mourning Dove Drive near Jefferson Highway.

The bank also operates six branches in the Houma-Thibodaux area and reported assets of roughly $1.2 billion and deposits of $1 billion as of Sept. 30, according to the FDIC.

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