High school sweethearts were killed by a suspected impaired driver near the LSU campus. Andrew Greenstein reports.
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The latest campaign finance reports show Republican Julia Letlow with a slight fundraising edge over Democrat Jamie Davis in the U-S Senate race. Jeff Palermo has the story…
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Tragedy in Baton Rouge as a young engaged couple from Jefferson Parish is killed after being hit by an SUV early Sunday morning. Baton Rouge Police Lieutenant L’Jean McKneely says 21-year-olds Shane Hirstius (HERSE-tus) and Leah Fonte were walking on the shoulder along Nicholson Drive, near Tigerland, when they were hit.
Cut 3 (11) “…of his injuries.”
McKneely says 20-year-old Mia Dawson drove about a mile away before stopping at a business. She was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on several charges, including vehicular homicide and, despite being under the limit, DWI because she’s under 21. McKneely says the crash happened in an unlit section of Nicholson Drive.
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Hirstius and Fonte were high school sweethearts from Metairie. Fonte was a senior at LSU who was studying biological sciences, while Hirstius was a firefighter with the Third District Volunteer Fire Department in Jefferson Parish.
Hirstius played one season of college baseball at Delgado Community College in New Orleans in 2024. Delgado Head Coach Joe Scheuermann (“sherman”) says Hirstius’ high school coach at Archbishop Rummel, Frank Cazeaux, called him with the tragic news.
Scheuermann says Hirstius had his future plans clearly in focus, and that meant giving up baseball. He recalled the conversation Hirstius had with him when he said he was leaving baseball behind.
Hirstius and Fonte got engaged last year and had planned on getting married in March of 2028.
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A Webster Parish homeowner fatally shoots a man who was breaking into his home. Investigators say 44-year-old Billy McFarland got into an argument with a woman as she was driving along U.S. Highway 80; and during the argument, McFarland jumped on top of her, causing her to crash while the vehicle was going more than 100 miles an hour. Sheriff Jayson Parker says after the crash, McFarland walked to a nearby mobile home and broke into it.
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Sheriff Parker says the homeowner had no idea who McFarland was.
The homeowner shot McFarland several times, killing him. Parker says homeowners have every right to defend themselves inside their own homes; and especially since the homeowner in this instance feared for his life, there will be no charges filed against him.
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The latest campaign finance report shows that Republican Julia Letlow has 476-thousand dollars more in cash on hand than her Democratic opponent Jamie Davis. Doctor Pearson Cross, who teaches political science at ULM, says you would think Letlow would have a more sizable fundraising advantage…
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Letlow has raised nearly seven million dollars. But Cross says that’s a far cry from what has been raised by the winners of Louisiana’s last two U-S Senate races…
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Cross says Davis has done well in raising money despite never having ran for a statewide office before…
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Early voting for the November 3rd election begins Tuesday.
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LSU campus police removed a student who tried to question members of the LSU Board of Supervisors about the university’s handling of rape allegations against LSU football player Damien Shanklin. Ziad Eissa raised the issue during public comment at a meeting where comments were limited to LSU men’s basketball coach Will Wade’s contract.
An LSU student alleges Shanklin raped her last October. The university initially banned Shanklin from campus for two semesters, but reduced the punishment to probation shortly before the start of football season. Shanklin has not been criminally charged. East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore says he is reviewing the case.
Eissa and several other students were also escorted out of the meeting room. As they left, they chanted, “Shame on you.”
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Board of Supervisors Chairman Lee Mallett said his office contacted Eissa before the meeting and offered to discuss his concerns privately. Mallett said Eissa did not show up for that meeting.