The East Baton Rouge Coroner says fentanyl was involved in the death of Nathan Millard and sadly too many others. Brooke Thorington has more.
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A north Louisiana lawmaker is trying to make it legal for your pet’s remains to be buried with you if you wish. Brooke Thorington has more.
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Lawmakers will debate whether to approve a bill to eliminate the death penalty during the upcoming legislative session. Teiko Foxx has more.
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The autopsy for Nathan Millard, the Georgia businessman who went missing in Baton Rouge and was located almost two weeks later, indicates he died from a combination of cocaine, alcohol, and fentanyl. East Baton Rouge Coroner Dr. Beau Clark says fentanyl is the predominant cause of overdose deaths these days.
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A synergistic effect is when the effects of at least two substances make a more significant impact than they would have by themselves.
Clark says almost any illicit drug these days there’s an extremely high possibility that it is adulterated with fentanyl and often the consequences are fatal.
As to why a drug dealer would add fentanyl to their product, for example, cocaine, Clark says it gives the user a heightened sensation and most likely they’ll continue to buy from the same dealer to experience the identical high. Clark says it increases the chances of repeat business for the dealer.
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Fentanyl is practically undetectable to the naked eye and can be added to a variety of illicit drugs like counterfeit Xanax, counterfeit Adderall, and others.
Clark says fentanyl proves to be lucrative to dealers even though it’s responsible for the majority of overdoses.
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Most drug dealers are not trained chemists which means even a slight mistake in adding fentanyl can prove fatal.
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The state department of transportation says the final proposed location choices for a new Mississippi River Bridge in Baton Rouge have been reduced to three, all connecting the east and west banks of Iberville Parish. An exact location could be announced next spring. DOTD Spokesperson Rodney Mallett says there are numerous factors to be considered in the planning of locations.
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The $1.5 billion dollar project has received $300 million in state funding. Mallett says that’s a huge starting point but it’s not enough to complete the project, so tolls will be needed…
The tolls are expected to generate nearly $250-300 million dollars. The locations have to go through an extensive environmental phase to determine the safest and most effective route before being narrowed down to the preferred alternative.
Residents of Iberville Parish are concerned about the environmental impact of one of the sites that could put Cypress Forest at risk.
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Minden Representative Wayne McMahan is once again trying to make it legal for pet owners to have the cremated remains of their pet buried with them. McMahan, who’s also a retired veterinarian, says in the past three decades, pets have become part of the family. As the law stands now…
Last year McMahan says the Cemetery Association opposed the bill and said it’s too expensive for a pet’s remains to be buried with their owners. The bill allows for a cemetery to decide if they will permit it or not, the bill just makes it legal to do so.
And the bill clearly outlines that the cremated pet must have passed before the person who wishes to have the remains buried with them.
McMahan says while the practice is currently illegal, he suspects the law is broken routinely.
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Marrero Representative Kyle Green has filed a bill that would eliminate the death penalty in Louisiana. The proposed legislation says anyone found guilty of first-degree murder, first-degree rape, or treason would serve a life sentence without the possibility of parole. Green proposed the same bill in 2020 and 2022 but believes it is worth another debate.
Green says the legislation is based on morality and it’s extremely costly to house prisoners on death row.
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The legislation says anyone who commits first-degree murder, first-degree rape, and treason would receive a maximum life sentence. Green says it is also extremely difficult to carry out a death sentence.
Green’s bill will be heard in the legislative session that begins April 10th. Governor John Bel Edwards said in a recent interview that he also opposes the death penalty.
The legislation would not apply to individuals already on death row.
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The LSU women’s basketball team will face one-seeded Virginia Tech in the Final Four Friday. The Hokies are led by senior center Elizabeth Kitley who’s averaging 18 points and 11 boards a game and junior guard Georgia Amoore with 16 points a game. Lady Tigers Head Coach Kim Mulkey faced Virginia Tech in the 2021 NCAA Tournament with Baylor. The Bears won 90-48 but Mulkey says she could see the talent of the budding stars…
Mulkey has received a lot of attention for her flamboyant courtside fashion. While she’s happy to get more eyes on the sport, she says she doesn’t want to take away from the work she and her team have put in on the court and hopes those who come for her style stay for the game of basketball…
Mulkey has been to the Final Four six times as a player and coach, but it will be the first visit for LSU since 2008. In just her second season with the program, Mulkey says she and her team have helped to revitalize the program, and they’ve made exceeding expectations a habit…
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The Saints signed former Raiders wide receiver Bryan Edwards. Edwards was drafted by the Raiders in the third round of the 2020 draft and had his best season with new Saints quarterback Derek Carr in 2021. He was traded and appeared in seven games for the Falcons last year. Saints Coach Dennis Allen said they saw his talent coming out of the draft and liked his chemistry with Carr…
Edwards is the newest member of a New Orleans free agent class that has provided some much-needed help to the defensive line, secondary, and offensive weapons. He joins Abrams as the second former Raider to join their quarterback. Allen says Carr has been able to help recruit and rejuvenate the franchise…