NEW ROADS - A man who was lawfully carrying a firearm and was arrested in New Roads due to an error is suing the town's police department and two of its officers. 

According to the lawsuit, Maddox Livingston was stopped Feb. 3 by Officer Kyle Powell and Officer Quincy Lathers for a burnt headlight and license plate light. 

Officers asked to search his car, which he consented to, and notified them that there was a firearm inside. The officers did a database search on the weapon. 

The lawsuit says the officers incorrectly submitted the gun's patent number instead of its serial number. When the incorrect number was used, the results came back as stolen. 

Livingston was handcuffed, taken to jail and booked for illegal possession of a stolen gun. He spent 24 hours in the Pointe Coupee Parish Jail before he was released. 

According to the lawsuit, District Attorney Tony Clayton refused the charges the next day because Livingston
"had committed no crime, and the firearm was not stolen."

The lawsuit says the officers didn't have probable cause to arrest Livingston, and his detention was unlawful. 

Along with wiping Livingston's record, the lawsuit is seeking damages for loss of liberty, mental pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life and the psychological trauma associated with being arrested. 

WBRZ has previously reported on issues with the New Roads Police Department and Officer Lathers, who was arrested for selling drugs while wearing a department-issued uniform. 

Currently, the police department is without a leader after Chief Louis Hamilton stepped down. Assistant Chief John Chambliss, who was the de facto head of the department, tendered his resignation for the second time on Feb. 18. Chambliss shot a man having a mental health crisis in October. 

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BATON ROUGE — This week in WBRZ history, the downtown Baton Rouge skyline drastically changed when multiple buildings were imploded. 

On Dec. 13, 2003, the old Department of Insurance building that once stood right next to the State Capitol came down. Two weeks earlier, the old education and natural resources buildings were imploded. 

Thousands poured into downtown Baton Rouge to see the buildings collapse. 

"The crowd was unbelievable. We got here about 7:30, and there really wasn't anybody here. And by the time it got ready to blow, it was exactly like a Tiger game," one spectator told WBRZ at the time. 

The plan to implode the buildings started months earlier, but crews ran into several problems, including weather delays and one building catching fire. 

In their place, two new highrises — the Bienville and Iberville buildings — were built, but not without their own problems. 

A high-rise crane collapsed after bumping into another building.

But in 2006, the finishing touches were put on the buildings that forever altered the downtown skyline.

Watch more WBRZ history here: 

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DENHAM SPRINGS - Denham Springs picked up its fourth straight district win Friday night over Prairieville. 

The Yellowjackets offense was on fire all night en route to 51-13 win over the Hurricanes.

Denham Springs quarterback Da'Jean Golmond tossed a handful of first half touchdowns, starting with a pass to Hayden Ray in the first quarter to make it a 10-0 game.

Prairieville's Skylar Kelly would answer right back with a long rushing touchdown, but Golmond and the Yellowjackets owned the second quarter. Golmond found his brother Da'Sean for two touchdowns and Trey Seals for another.

Denham Springs is now 6-2 this season and 4-1 in district play.

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NEW ORLEANS — Former District Attorney of Orleans Parish Jim Garrison's investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, an event he said was the result of a conspiracy between the CIA, the FBI, the Mafia and the Department of Defense. 

Garrison launched his investigation into the Kennedy assassination in 1967, denouncing the official findings of the Warren Commission that said Lee Harvey Oswald acted as a lone gunman. 

"He had zero role in the assassination," Garrison told WBRZ's John Pastorek. "He was a patsey in the most total sense. He was as involved as you or I were." 

Garrison, who died in New Orleans at the age of 70 in 1992, wrote a book on the Kennedy assassination that would later become the basis of Oliver Stone's film "JFK," which featured Kevin Costner as Garrison.

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BATON ROUGE - Lutcher and Brusly started week three of the high school football season with wins.

Lutcher 27, Liberty 20

Lutcher picked up its first win of the season. The Bulldogs will host Assumption next Friday, September 26.

Brusly 48, Tara 0

Brusly moves to 3-0 so far in 2025. The Panthers will start district play next week at home against Plaquemine.

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BATON ROUGE - ESPN's College Gameday is one of the most watched sports shows on television, and one Baton Rouge resident takes his interest in the show to the next level.

Andrew Williams, who is just 14-years old, has been enamored with College Gameday since he was six-years-old. 

"We kind of noticed his passion when he was about six, he would hang out at the coffee table and make notes and have his helmet set up and it continued ever since for eight years," said Daniel Williams, Andrew's father.

Those notes turned into a real show. Andrew has is own version of College Gameday where he breaks down matchups every Saturday morning.

"We used to just do it with me and my dad on the coffee table, but then as I as I got the desk I said 'oh, we should have guest speaker every Saturday,' so now we invite different people to come over, Saturday mornings, we've probably done like 40 to 50 different shows," Andrew Williams said.

Williams has a replica desk of the one ESPN uses, which was gifted by former LSU star Herb Tyler and his company MAPP Maintenance. 

"It's encouraging for parents to see their child so passionate about something and work hard towards it and see himself have a future, and it helps us to support him and hope that he has big things to come," said Daniel.

Andrew's weekly show is posted on YouTube at Andrew's College Gameday.

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GONZALES - This weekend, head to the Gonzales Civic Center to enjoy an entertainment show centering around hair and beauty!

Flipp the Runway, a Barber and Beauty Expo, is being held from noon to 5 p.m. in Gonzales. There will be entertainment, barber and beauty battles, hair fashion, vendors and food trucks. 

You can get tickets to the event here. 

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MAMOU - WBRZ's Joe Collins and Angelica Butine were live from the Mamou parade 2025!

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BATON ROUGE - One of the Lundi Gras parades in the capital city is the Krewe of Shenandoah running Mar. 3!

Members of the krewe stopped by on 2une In Monday morning to preview what the parade has in store for its second run. 

You can watch the parade run at 6:30 p.m. Mar. 3 with the theme "May the Course be with you." 

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BATON ROUGE - This Wednesday, Feb. 26, join the Baton Rouge Alliance for Students for a discussion on education as a civil right and how society can bridge gaps to reach those without access to a classroom. 

The event will take place at the Independence Park Theatre at 5 p.m. and aims to help attendees further understand the educational climate of the capital city. 

Tickets are limited; you can RSVP here. 

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BATON ROUGE - The University High boys and girls soccer teams have worked their way back to Hammond to play for state titles in their sports.

That's nothing new as both programs have been there before and both programs have had success bringing home multiple state titles in the past.

There's also nothing new between the head coaches of both programs, because both Melissa Ramsey and Chris Mitchell have been coaching at U-High for a combined 37 years.

These two coaches are not only familiar with one another because of their years coaching together at the same school, but also because they're brother and sister.

Ramsey and Mitchell both share a passion for soccer having played it growing up and in college and now they're passing that love onto their players.

The boys Cubs team will face Loyola Prep on Wednesday afternoon at 5:00 p.m. while Ramsey and the girls team will take on Parkview's girls team at 7:30 p.m. in Strawberry Stadium in Hammond on Southeastern's campus.

Ramsey says that the girls Cubs team has gotten to the edge of a state title in large part due to their defense while Mitchell credits team leadership as the reason his team is looking to win its fourth state title.

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BATON ROUGE - The LSU Tiger gymnastics team is testing itself early in their season as they head to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to face three of the top six teams in the national rankings.

Jay Clark joined WBRZ for an exclusive interview previewing the match-up that will be seen on WBRZ-TV on Saturday afternoon at 3:00 p.m..

Watch the exclusive interview on WBRZ+ here.

The twenty minute broadcast can be seen most of Friday night on WBRZ Plus and again on Saturday morning starting at 9:30 a.m.. 

LSU won the programs first national title last season behind some tremendous efforts from star gymnasts but this year they're starting anew with some of those same athletes but also some new freshmen who are already making an impact.

In their opening meet against Iowa State, the Tigers earned the second highest score in the country with a 197.300.

LSU will face No. 1 Oklahoma, who opened with a 197.550 along with No. 4 Utah and No. 6 California. 

Senior Aleah Finnegan and freshman Kailin Chio led the Tigers to victory in the all-around on Friday. Finnegan made her first all-around appearance since March 15th, 2024 and posted a 39.725 on the night, which was the highest all-around score by an LSU Gymnast on an opening night.

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JEANERETTE - A 15-year-old was arrested for murder after allegedly killing a 23-year-old on Saturday. 

The Jeanerette Police Department said officers found Jamul Sparrow Jr. shot to death in a vehicle on St. Charles Street. 

Officers said they determined that the 15-year-old, who was not named, was responsible for Sparrow's death. The teenager was arrested and booked for second-degree murder, illegal possession of a gun by a juvenile and illegal use of weapons. 

No more information was immediately available. 

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon’s latest report on UFOs has revealed hundreds of new reports of unidentified and unexplained aerial phenomena but no indications suggesting an extraterrestrial origin.

The review includes hundreds of cases of misidentified balloons, birds and satellites as well as some that defy easy explanation, such as a near-miss between a commercial airliner and a mysterious object off the coast of New York.

While it isn’t likely to settle any debates over the existence of alien life, the report reflects heightened public interest in the topic and the government’s efforts to provide some answers. Its publication comes a day after House lawmakers called for greater government transparency during a hearing on unidentified anomalous phenomena, or UAPs — the government’s term for UFOs.

Federal efforts to study and identify UAPs have focused on potential threats to national security or air safety and not their science fiction aspects. Officials at the Pentagon office created in 2022 to track UAPs, known as the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office, or AARO, have said there’s no indication any of the cases they looked into have unearthly origins.

“It is important to underscore that, to date, AARO has discovered no evidence of extraterrestrial beings, activity, or technology,” the authors of the report wrote.

The Pentagon’s review covered 757 cases from around the world that were reported to U.S. authorities from May 1, 2023, to June 1, 2024. The total includes 272 incidents that occurred before that time period but had not been previously reported.

The great majority of the reported incidents occurred in airspace, but 49 occurred at altitudes estimated to be at least 100 kilometers (62 miles), which is considered space. None occurred underwater. Reporting witnesses included commercial and military pilots as well as ground-based observers.

Investigators found explanations for nearly 300 of the incidents. In many cases, the unknown objects were found to be balloons, birds, aircraft, drones or satellites. According to the report, Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite system is one increasingly common source as people mistake chains of satellites for UFOs.

Hundreds of other cases remain unexplained, though the report’s authors stressed that is often because there isn’t enough information to draw firm conclusions.

No injuries or crashes were reported in any of the incidents, though a commercial flight crew reported one near miss with a “cylindrical object” while flying over the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of New York. That incident remains under investigation.

In three other cases, military air crews reported being followed or shadowed by unidentified aircraft, though investigators could find no evidence to link the activity to a foreign power.

For witnesses who provided visual descriptions, unidentified lights or round, spherical or orb-shaped objects were commonly reported. Other reports included a witness who reported a jellyfish with flashing lights.

During Wednesday’s hearing on UAPs, lawmakers heard testimony from several expert witnesses who have studied the phenomena, including two former military officers. The discussion included fanciful questions about alien intelligence and military research using alien technology as well as concerns that foreign powers may be using secret aircraft to spy on U.S. military installations.

Lawmakers said the many questions about UAPs show the need for the government to closely study the issue — and share those findings with Americans.

“There is something out there,” said Republican Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee. “The question is: Is it ours, is it someone else’s, or is it otherworldly?”

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Baton Rouge - Dunham's 5-0 start to the season can be credited to a great offense or a reliable defense, but no unit shined like special teams did last Friday in a win over Baker.

An unsung hero rose for a few shining moments for the Tigers. Senior linebacker Andy Dutruch scored his first career touchdowns by recovering two blocked punts.

"I mean, I don't think I've ever experienced two blocked punts returned for a touchdown in a game. Much less have the same player score the two touchdowns. That was like a once in a generation type thing. That was a really really special night," Head coach Neil Weiner said.

That game was special to Dutruch. He mostly plays on special teams and is not a full time starter on defense. However, he doesn't look at that as a bad thing. His main goal is to contribute to his team's success however he can, and he did just that in Dunham's first district win of the season.

"I try to make the most of every time I can get out there, and try to like not beat myself down for not like being a starter on defense or anything like that and make the most of my opportunities," Dutruch said.

His leadership on the team, work ethic to improve and his attitude sets the example for everyone else and that's what makes him valuable to the Tigers.

"Obviously with being a senior, you have all the younger guys that look up to you and if you don't like pout about the position you're in and you try to make the most of every play that you're in, the younger guys that are in the same position will do the same thing," Dutruch said.

"I was really excited for Andy. As soon as I saw 'Hey, that's 80 that picked it up,' I knew he wasn't going to be denied getting in the endzone. The guys were excited for him. When he scored, the sideline went nuts and really because of the person he is," Weiner said.

Dunham will look to improve to 6-0 on the season as they face Capitol High at Memorial Stadium Thursday night.

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BATON ROUGE - For the first time in the NHL's history, a Louisiana-born player made their debut.

The Boston Bruins' Mason Lohrei played for the team Thursday night after being called up due to injuries on the roster. Lohrei earned an entry level contract with the Bruins' organization after playing for Ohio State for two years and playing through an amateur tryout contract with the AHL's Providence Bruins for a year.

Lohrei, a defenseman, registered an assist in his first game off Pavel Zacha's goal in the first period.

Lohrei was born in Baton Rouge on January 17, 2001, while his father, David, was the head coach of the ECHL's Baton Rouge Kingfish.

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DERIDDER - Fire crews from Zachary and Baton Rouge packed up supplies and headed to Beauregard Parish on Saturday to help firefighters battle the wildfires that are consuming the land. 

The groups are a part of a "strike force" that are working with many other fire departments across Louisiana to fight the wildfires in the state. 

On Monday, the fires were still burning. Zachary Fire said crews on the ground were working in coordination with planes dumping water. 

It is unclear how long it will take to get the fire contained and extinguished. 

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SATSUMA - A multiple-vehicle crash in Livingston Parish left 12 people injured and shut down I-12 in both directions.

According to traffic information, I-12 was closed both east and westbound in Satsuma to accommodate AirMed after a severe crash on the eastbound side past South Satsuma Road, but the Interstate has since been reopened.

According to emergency officials, all 12 of the injured people were brought to the hospital. Two of them were children and while three of the patients were listed to be in critical condition, Acadian Ambulance said none of the reported injuries were life-threatening. 

Law enforcement said Friday morning that it was still unclear as to what caused the crash. 

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BATON ROUGE - Two people are confirmed dead -- one of them after threatening police -- in an incident at Fairway View Apartments on College Drive Friday night.

Baton Rouge police were called there shortly before 10 p.m. -- a call that initially involved a child custody dispute, officers said 

Shortly after the first units arrived, 23-year-old Dantonior Stalling allegedly raised a weapon and pointed it at an officer. Despite repeated efforts to get Stalling to lower the gun, he refused -- and was shot.

The second person killed, 18-year-old Dyshon Williams, was discovered at the complex already suffering from critical gunshot wounds.

Witnesses told WBRZ they observed a fight that evening at the community's workout facility.

College Drive was closed off and traffic into and out of the apartments was restricted for much of the night.

No officers were hurt.

Fairway View Apartments is located on College Drive, just north of I-10. It is the same complex where three people, including a toddler, were shot to death on Memorial Day 2021.

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HAMMOND, La. – Defending Southland Conference champion Southeastern Louisiana University football team has entered into an agreement to face reigning FCS national champion South Dakota State in a home-and-home series beginning in 2024, SLU officials announced Friday. 

The two-game series will feature two of the three teams in FCS which have been ranked in the final FCS polls each of the past four years. The first meeting will see the Jackrabbits visit Hammond Sept. 21, 2024 with Southeastern returning the trip to Brookings, South Dakota Sept. 18, 2027. 

South Dakota State is the latest perennial FCS power to agree to a home-and-home with Southeastern. Last summer, SLU and Eastern Washington announced a home-and-home agreement for 2023 and 2024. 

“This series is great for not only both of our programs, but FCS football as a whole,” Southeastern head football coach Frank Scelfo said. “These home-and-home series between teams ranked consistently among the nation’s best brings added national exposure to both programs, but proves the top teams in FCS football are prepared to travel across the country to compete against the best competition.” 

Over the past decade, Southeastern has won three SLC championships and advanced to the NCAA FCS playoffs five times – including to the second round in three of the past four years. SLU has had at least one All-American on its roster for 11 consecutive seasons. 

South Dakota State won its first FCS national championship in 2022, finishing 14-1 overall. The Jackrabbits have made 12 trips to the FCS playoffs, including 10 straight from 2013-22. 

“South Dakota State has a rich history and is one of the premier FCS programs in the nation and we’re honored to play such a quality opponent,” Scelfo commented. “FCS home-and-home series like these give our program an opportunity to showcase who we are and test ourselves against the nation’s best.” 

The Lions report to campus Aug. 1 with fall practice officially opening Aug. 2. Southeastern opens the 2023 season with three straight nonconference road contests, beginning with a Sept. 2 trip to Mississippi State. The game versus the Bulldogs kicks off at 3 p.m. in Starkville, Mississippi and will be televised on SEC Network and can be heard on the Southeastern Sports Radio Network (Kajun 107.1 FM, The Highway 104.7 FM, The Boss 103.7 FM/WFPR 1400 AM).

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