St. Tammany Sheriff Randy Smith pleaded guilty today to one count of second-degree battery for attacking a critic of his at a restaurant near Madisonville on May 29th. District Attorney Collin Sims says as part of the plea deal, Smith is no longer the sheriff…
Cut 9 (13) “…protecting the public”
Smith served as the sheriff of St. Tammany for nearly a decade and was serving in his third term. Prior to his time as sheriff, Smith was the Slidell police chief from 2010 to 2016. He has spent 40 years in law enforcement.
An East Baton Rouge Parish pastor bonded out of jail yesterday after he was arrested on a second-degree battery charge. Authorities say the Reverend Tony Spell of Central beat up his neighbor’s 20-year-old son. There’s video of the incident that shows Spell and the victim throwing punches at each other along the side of the road. Spell previously gained national attention for holding church services in the early days of the COVID pandemic.
Republican Senators and President Trump meet behind closed doors today to discuss the Iran peace deal and the SAVE America Act. The election security bill would require proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. The President is demanding that Congress approve this legislation, but Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy says the votes are not there in the Senate.
Cut 10 (11) “…affordable for Americans.”
Early voting for Saturday’s U.S. Senate primary runoffs closed over the weekend. Secretary of State Nancy Landry says despite lower turnouts for early voting in this election, voters seemed more comfortable with the new closed party primary system.