Welcome to Good 2 Eat, sponsored by Supreme Rice, where every Thursday, 2une In will be cooking with Chef Kevin Belton to show you a new and delicious recipe to try at home!

Broccoli Beer Cheese Soup

3 Tbsp. butter
5 celery ribs, finely chopped
3 carrots, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cups fresh broccoli florets, chopped
1/4 cup sweet red pepper, chopped
8 cups chicken stock
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cold water
3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed
12 oz. beer or nonalcoholic beer
Optional toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, chopped green onions, sour cream and salad croutons

In a Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add celery, carrots and onion; sauté until crisp-tender. Add broccoli and red pepper; stir in stock and pepper. Combine flour and water until smooth; gradually stir into the pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until soup is thickened and vegetables are tender, 25-30 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low. Stir in cheeses and beer until cheeses are melted. Top with additional shredded cheese, green onions, sour cream and croutons as desired.

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Welcome to your Team 2 Traffic morning commute guide. This story will be updated as traffic occurs in and around the capital area to help you know what to expect on the roads each day.

The main Plaquemine ferry is in service 4:30am- 7:45pm. A second ferry runs from 5:15- 9am and 3:15- 7pm

5:40a: Accident. Right lane blocked in Baton Rouge on Airline Hwy NB after Barringer- Foreman

6:45a: Stall in on ramp in Port Allen on I 10 EB on-ramp from NB LA-1/Port Allen/Plaquemine/Exit 153

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BATON ROUGE - As basketball season approaches, the Southwestern Athletic Conference has put out their preseason predictions and honors. Both Southern Jaguar teams were picked to be at or near the top of the conference.

After losing in the SWAC Tournament Championship last season, the Jaguar men's team has been picked to finish second in the conference's predicted order of finish.

The Jags will start their season on the road at SMU on Nov. 2 at 7 p.m.

The women's team is coming off of back-to-back conference tournament titles and two straight NCAA Tournament appearances. They were picked to win the conference for the third year in a row.

Junior guard Jocelyn Tate was selected as the SWAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and was selected to the All-SWAC second team. Tate finished her sophomore campaign with 125 defensive rebounds, 19 blocks and 66 steals.

Junior forward DeMya Porter was selected to the preseason All-SWAC first team. Last season, Porter averaged 9.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.

The Lady Jags will open their season on the road at Oklahoma State on Nov. 2.

Both Southern basketball teams will host Louisiana Christian for their home openers. The women's team will host the Wildcats on Nov. 13 at 11 a.m., while the men's team hosts LCU on Nov. 17 at 11 a.m.

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BATON ROUGE — Voters in East Baton Rouge Parish had a direct opportunity to engage with the 14 candidates running for the local school board during a community forum aimed at shaping the future of public education across the district.

Hosted by the Baton Rouge Alliance for Students Action, the event allowed each candidate to present their vision for public schools and answer questions directly from residents on key education issues.

Organizers hope the forum helps community members make informed decisions when casting their ballots in the upcoming election on November 3.

"We hope that people cast a more informed vote on election day and that they know how they can get engaged and what their expectations are for people who are going to represent them and work on behalf of Baton Rouge's kids," said the CEO of the Baton Rouge Alliance for Students.

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BATON ROUGE — The People of Hope Museum is coming to Baton Rouge for a free interactive stop at the St. George Catholic Church & School Fair.

The museum is scheduled for 6 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24 and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 25.

The interactive museum will let visitors walk in someone else's shoes and get facts about poverty in Louisiana.

The museum also focuses on how serving neighbors can bring hope, purpose and lasting impact. More information is available at bethehope.us.

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ST. GABRIEL — An inmate at Elayn Hunt Correctional Center was found guilty of attacking a correctional officer by throwing liquid feces on the officer.

A six-member jury found Vincent Cartillo, 56, guilty after 18 minutes of deliberation in a one-day trial tonight in district court in Iberville Parish. District Judge Elizabeth Engolio set sentencing for Dec. 16.

“This kind of disgusting behavior against correctional officers will not be tolerated,” said Tony Clayton. “He was in prison until 2031. This will extend his stay behind bars,” Clayton said.

The battery happened at the prison on April 17, 2025. Cartillo was serving a 20-year sentence at the time after being adjudicated a habitual offender, officials said.

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PLAQUEMINE - Jermaine Robinson Jr. led the Plaquemine Green Devils to victory against Brusly in week five after throwing for 246 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 109 yards and another touchdown.

However, Robinson was not the Green Devils starting quarterback at the beginning of the 2026 season. The young sophomore waited his turn.

"When you're talking about putting a guy in at quarterback, you have to make sure everything fits," said Plaquemine head coach Donald Williams Jr. "You have to make sure he's comfortable, make sure it's a good game for him to come in, and that he can have a chance to learn."

Coach Williams has been sure Robinson is his guy for a while now, but he still tested him plenty to make sure he was up for the QB1 job. That testing included having Robinson practice with the defense at the cornerback position.

"It helped me understand football way more," said Robinson. "Seeing how the defenses play, like as a QB, I could see what coverage they were in now that I've played the position of cornerback."

All the testing Robinson went through led to Plaquemine's week four matchup against McKinley: Robinson's first career start.

"It was kind of stressful, but I know what I'm capable of," said Robinson. 

The Green Devils beat McKinley handily 41-8, as Robinson threw for two touchdowns. A week later against Brusly, his second career start, he threw for three touchdowns and ran in another one as Plaquemine took down the Panthers 42-36.

With Robinson as the starting quarterback, the Green Devils are 2-0, with both wins coming in district play, and sit at 3-2 on the season in total. The next test for Robinson will be the St. Michael Warriors.

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BATON ROUGE - The parents of a 17-year-old who was killed in a mass shooting at the Mall of Louisiana in April have sued the shopping center, alleging the owner's negligence in providing adequate security in the mall led to their daughter's death. 

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Martha Odom by her parents, Michael and Brooke Odom, and four other Ascension Episcopal School seniors who were with her at the mall on April 23, 2026. 

The group was on their senior skip day at the mall when Markel Lee, who is listed as a defendant in the suit, reportedly opened fire in the food court, killing Odom and injuring five others.

Two of her classmates, Rorie Williamson and Afif Lakhani, were shot: one was hit in the hand and the other was shot in the arm. The other two, Luke Harris and Shelby Godwin, said they feared for their life and suffered severe emotional distress from the shooting. 

The suit says the mall, owned by Brookfield Properties Retail Inc., had previous incidents of violence and failed to provide proper security standards for visitors. It cited a 2013 brawl in the food court and a 2022 drive-by shooting outside the mall as events that should have triggered mall owners to heighten security measures. 

Marksman Security, the company contracted by the mall for security services, is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit. It alleges the mall and security failed to protect patrons from "reasonably foreseeable" violence, didn't have security personnel stationed in the food court and did not effectively keep firearms out of the facility. 

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BATON ROUGE — A grand jury has indicted a Baton Rouge man who police say killed 15-year-old Ja'Derrius Minnieweather before dumping the teenager’s body in a garbage can, leading to a five-week search for Minnieweather's remains in the East Baton Rouge Landfill. 

Maurice Parms, 51, was arrested for first-degree murder after investigators searched multiple different locations in Baton Rouge. He was indicted on that charge, second-degree rape, trafficking and two counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile.

Parms was originally arrested in early June for indecent behavior with a juvenile and computer-aided solicitation of a minor. Police found messages between Parms and a 16-year-old girl while investigating Minnieweather’s disappearance.

According to arrest documents, Parms said he was in a relationship with the 16-year-old girl. Parms was booked for indecent behavior with juveniles and computer-aided solicitation of a minor on June 10 in that case.

After police searched Parms’ home, he was booked for first-degree murder, with officials alleging he killed Minnieweather after a fight on June 4. In August, he was booked for additional charges of forcible rape, trafficking and indecent behavior with a juvenile.

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CENTRAL — Ground has officially been broken on a major high-speed fiber-optic expansion project in Central. The initiative will deliver high-speed internet access to more than 2,800 homes and businesses across East Baton Rouge Parish.

The expansion is part of the federally funded Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program, administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Local provider REV Fiber is leading the deployment.

Louisiana made national headlines last year as the first state in the country to receive federal approval for its BEAD proposal. Since then, the state has positioned itself as a national leader in expanding high-speed infrastructure to underserved rural and suburban areas.

Governor Jeff Landry, who attended the event, said, "Right now, Louisiana is leading the country in bringing broadband to our rural communities. This actually closes the gap in the greater Baton Rouge metropolitan area, and as we've seen, opportunities just abound." 

Officials say the East Baton Rouge Parish project is designed to close the digital divide across the Greater Baton Rouge metropolitan area, opening up new opportunities for remote work, education, local business and essential services.

The Central site is one of many projects underway across the region. REV Fiber is currently executing 10 additional broadband expansion projects throughout South Louisiana under the BEAD program framework.

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BATON ROUGE — An East Baton Rouge Parish corrections lieutenant was charged with rape after a woman told investigators she did not consent to sex with him, according to arrest documents.

Rashie McDowell was arrested Tuesday and is no longer employed by the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, which said he had worked there since 2018.

Arrest documents obtained by the WBRZ Investigative Unit say McDowell met the woman Sunday afternoon during a day party at Club Raggs. The documents say the woman was there for a birthday party and had multiple drinks before talking with McDowell.

According to the documents, the woman told investigators she remembers being outside the club and later being in a vehicle with McDowell. She said she does not remember leaving the club or getting into the vehicle. Surveillance video showed both of them leaving the club together.

McDowell told investigators the two had sex in his vehicle. The woman told investigators she had no recollection of that and did not consent.

Text messages between the two hours after the alleged rape appear to show the woman did not know they had sex. The woman wrote, "Don't get no bright ideas!" McDowell responded, "You took care of me already." The woman replied, "How so?" McDowell answered, "Don't worry about it."

McDowell was booked Tuesday on one count of third-degree rape. His bond was set at $150,000. 

According to WBRZ Investigative Unit records, six other East Baton Rouge Parish deputies have been arrested for various crimes in the past 2 years.

In 2025, Julius Conner, Elijah Christopher and Noah Jenkins, all corrections deputies, were arrested for beating an inmate and recording it. Christopher pleaded guilty last month and got probation.

Another corrections deputy, Tybracia Gibson, pleaded guilty this year to smuggling contraband into a penal facility for her inmate boyfriend. Otis Williams, an East Baton Rouge deputy in training, was arrested for arson with intent to defraud after paying someone to set his car on fire.

In 2024, Nicholas Locicero was indicted for rape involving children.

All six are no longer employed with EBRSO. 

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BATON ROUGE — East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore on Wednesday afternoon released a statement addressing what he says are concerns raised from a photograph at a recent event.

Saying he wanted to address concerns directly, Moore in a prepared statement said he had never met the individuals pictured with him and did not know who they were or their connection to a pending case with his office when the photograph was taken.

It’s currently unclear who Moore took a photo with or exactly where—Moore was unavailable for comment Wednesday afternoon—but Moore emphasizes in his statement that racism and intimidation have no place in East Baton Rouge Parish.

His office has not offered a plea deal in this case and is prosecuting the case to the fullest extent of the law, he says.

In his statement, Moore writes that he does not publicly discuss details of pending prosecutions, and that no photograph, political affiliation or personal relationship has ever influenced how his office handles cases.

“As district attorney, I attend events throughout our parish and meet thousands of people nearly every week,” Moore writes. “Taking a photograph with someone does not mean I know or endorse them.

“The allegations in this case are serious, and my Office is treating them with the seriousness they deserve. Our responsibility is to seek justice for the victim, and that commitment has not changed.”

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LIVINGSTON — The annual Livingston Parish Fair continues into day two at the fairgrounds Wednesday.

Gus Mitchell with Mitchell Brothers Amusements spoke with WBRZ about what it takes to make the fair happen.

"I think of the word dedication here. There's a lot of qualified people and trained, a lot of folks involved, a lot of moving pieces and the word dedication, professional people out here doing a job that they just love," said Gus Mitchell.

Mitchell also described the work that happens before the fair opens.

"Well, for us, it's got more to do with the fair association preparing the grounds and preparing the elements for us to be able to arrive and support this type of an event. Livingston Parish Fairgrounds has been here for a number of years," said Mitchell. "They've done a lot of improvements over the years and it's amazing what the grounds they have. A lot of events don't have this, what we have here."

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COVINGTON — Five St. Tammany Parish residents were arrested in a Medicaid fraud case, according to investigators.

Officials said the suspects and their families underreported income between 2021 and 2025 to receive Medicaid benefits, causing more than $224,000 in combined losses to the Louisiana Medicaid Program. On Sept. 15, all five suspects were arrested and booked into the St. Tammany Parish Jail, investigators said.

Abdel Adhami, 35 and his wife, Iman H. D. Srour, 29, face five counts of government benefits fraud and one count of theft of more than $25,000 tied to an estimated loss of $113,344. Authorities said Omar Adhami, 33 and his wife, Amani Abu Zenah, 28, face three counts of government benefits fraud and one count of theft of more than $25,000 tied to an estimated loss of $81,099.

Mohammad I. Adhami, 32, the brother of Omar and Abdel Adhami, faces three counts of government benefits fraud and one count of theft of more than $25,000 tied to an estimated loss of $30,197, officials said.

Two of the suspects also face federal charges for providing more than $100,000 to a terrorist financing network that funneled more than $1.7 million to help fund Hamas, according to investigators. The FBI led the joint federal and state investigation that found Abdel Adhami and Omar Adhami, both of Covington, participated in a campaign to help fund Hamas.

According to the Louisiana Secretary of State records, the brothers own 4 Her Beauty Supply in Hammond. The FBI, alongside Hammond Police and other agencies, executed a search warrant on the store in September.

That information led the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation to work with the Louisiana Department of Health on possible Medicaid beneficiary fraud.

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BATON ROUGE —The annual Plant Fest at LSU's Hilltop Arboretum opened Wednesday for members-only sale, with the public invited to visit Saturday.

Shoppers can find more than 3,000 plants at the event.

"We have a variety of plants, from native to introduced plants, grasses, shrubs, trees, anything that will go nice in the fall garden. On Saturday and Sunday, we'll have the same plants for sale, but we also will have vendors. We have 18 vendors over in a vendor village," Tara Titone, the Hilltop Arboretum director, said. "We have a yard and garage sale, big hit for the public and we'll have a children's tent as well."

The public sale starts at 9 a.m. Saturday.

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GROSSE TETE - The United Cajun Navy is searching the Atchafalaya Basin near where Christin Munn-Holliday was last seen. 

WBRZ spoke with the woman's family, who said she was driving from Texas to Louisiana on Sept. 30 and got in a wreck on the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge near the Whiskey Bay exit. 

Law enforcement said that they found Munn-Holliday's car unoccupied at the crash site. 

The United Cajun Navy, State Police, Iberville Parish Sheriff's Office and Texas law enforcement are all looking for the woman. 

On Wednesday, United Cajun Navy Incident Commander Josh Gill said that volunteers were in boats and on the ground searching the area around the crash site. 

A status update from Tuesday shows a K9 group from Texas was contacted to bring dogs to search the basin. 

Anyone with information about Munn-Holliday's whereabouts should call law enforcement. 

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KENNER — A man who legally changed his name to Santa Claus was sentenced to five years in jail after a child exploitation sting.

Authorities say he was arrested in June after he sent explicit messages to an undercover officer posing as a 15-year-old boy.

WWL reports he will serve the sentence without parole or probation and will be banned from using the internet during his sentence.

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BATON ROUGE — Southern University Ag Center has reopened enrollment for its free virtual counseling program for Louisiana adults in rural and underserved communities.

According to the Southern University Ag Center, the Rural Connections for Rural Resilience program offers up to eight free virtual counseling sessions with licensed mental health professionals. The program is open to Louisiana residents ages 18 and older.

The Ag Center says the program aims to reduce barriers to mental health care with confidential support by phone, video or help from its Mobile Tech Unit. It also says the services come through a collaboration with Positive Transformation Health Services.

According to the National Rural Health Association, suicide rates are roughly 40 percent to nearly 50 percent higher in rural areas than in urban areas. The program will run through July 31, 2027.

Registration is available at https://form.jotform.com/252524937687067. 

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BATON ROUGE — The LSU Police Department is searching for a suspect in an aggravated assault that took place on campus, officials said in a text to students.

The text, sent at 4:15 p.m., says that a reported aggravated assault took place on South Quad Drive near the Business Education Complex.

LSU issued an update around 4:54 p.m., saying officers investigated the incident and determined there is no threat to campus at this time.

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GREENSBURG — Those involved in a video showing an employee of the St. Helena Parish Police Jury shooting a horse have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of a full investigation, the police jury said Wednesday.

Quanika Muse, President of the St. Helena Parish Police Jury, put out a statement saying after officials learned of the "deeply disturbing video circulating on social media," they referred the matter to the St. Helena Parish Sheriff's Office for an independent review of possible criminal violations.

"While an investigation is necessary to gather all the facts surrounding this incident, I want to make one thing completely clear: what is shown in that video was not done right, and it does not represent the standards, values, or protocols of St. Helena Parish government," Muse said.

Parish administration also said it is conducting a complete review of personnel policies and animal control procedures. 

Jeff Dorson, Director of the Humane Society of Louisiana, issued a statement saying that the "horrific incident is the inevitable symptom of a systemic, multi-year failure by parish leadership." Dorson cited the lack of basic animal control services and a public sheltering facility in the parish.

“The mistreatment, abandonment, and cruelty of animals in St. Helena Parish has been going on for years, often unchecked,” said Jeff Dorson, Director of the Humane Society of Louisiana. “While we appreciate President Muse’s swift response and her acknowledgment that this behavior does not represent parish values, a statement and an administrative leave policy are not enough. When the local government operates without animal control officers, proper oversight, or a facility to protect vulnerable creatures, it fosters a culture of impunity. This tragedy was waiting to happen.”

Officials said they will provide further updates when additional verified details become available.

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