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• Father, son killed in Pointe Coupee crash Play Video

  May 10, 2013 4:50 PM

  CHENAL - A single-car crash claimed the lives of a father and son overnight in Pointe Coupee Parish. It happened just before 11:30 p.m. Thursday on Hwy. 415 near Hwy. 414. State troopers say 47-year-old Sidney R. Morel of Jarreau was heading south on Hwy. 415 when he... more »

• Security upgrades coming to Pointe Coupee schools

  March 28, 2013 8:55 AM

  NEW ROADS - The Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff's Office has submitted a school crisis response plan to the school board outlining new security recommendations to better protect the district's five campuses. Sheriff Bud Torres also handed the board a proposal on Wednesday to spend about $120,000 a year to hire... more »

• Pointe Coupee jury votes on drainage fee

  March 13, 2013 8:51 AM

  NEW ROADS - The Pointe Coupee Parish Police Jury has voted to impose a $2.50 drainage and maintenance fee on parish residents, but whether it actually passed won't be clear until the jury's next meeting. That's because the jury's attorney, John Wayne Jewell, said he will have to consult with... more »

• Tempers flare at police jury meeting Play Video

  February 26, 2013 10:49 PM

  NEW ROADS- Leaders in Pointe Coupee Parish lost their cool with each other and even with their significant others. What started out as a discussion about a part time employee's work schedule quickly escalated. It turned into a yelling match and caused quite a disruption of parish business. ... more »

• Leaders want parish to join trash pickup business Play Video

  February 25, 2013 2:15 PM

  NEW ROADS - For almost five years Progressive Waste Solutions has taken out the trash in Pointe Coupee Parish, but administrator Jim Bello is a part of a movement that wants the parish to handle the duties instead. "It's about $500,000 that we feel we can save if we... more »

• Highway back open after school bus wreck

  December 12, 2012 12:00 PM

  POINTE COUPEE - An overturned school bus closed a portion of La. 420 in Pointe Coupee Parish for a time this morning. According to the sheriff's office, only the driver was on board when it wrecked earlier this morning. They had minor injuries, and were taken to a nearby... more »

• Second La. black bear killed in a week

  December 5, 2012 5:12 PM

  POINTE COUPEE - Wildlife officials asked the public for help finding the people responsible for killing a black bear found in Pointe Coupee Parish. It's the second bear shot and killed in the past week in Louisiana, according to the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. According to... more »

• Teen accidentally shot by friend during duck hunting trip

  December 1, 2012 6:01 PM

  LIVONIA- A teenage boy is fighting for his life, after a duck hunting accident in Pointe Coupee Parish. It happened Saturday morning on Grosse Tete Bayou in Livonia. Sheriff Bud Torres says the 15-year-old was with two childhood friends the same age when the hunting trip went wrong.... more »

• U. S. 190 back open after truck wreck, fire

  October 22, 2012 6:04 PM

  LIVONIA - A section of U. S. 190 in Pointe Coupee Parish is back open, after an 18-wheeler closed it when it overturned and caught fire. DOTD said all lanes of traffic were back open at U. S. 190 West near La. 976. The wreck around 3 p.m.... more »

• Big rig wreck closes portion of U. S. 190

  October 22, 2012 4:04 PM

  LIVONIA - State Police said a big rig overturned this afternoon and caught fire, closing a portion of U. S. 190 West near Livonia. It happened just after 3 p.m. In Pointe Coupee Parish. There were no injuries. The wreck initially shut down both directions of traffic, but... more »

• FEMA center opens in Pointe Coupee Parish

  October 22, 2012 10:27 AM

  NEW ROADS - FEMA workers opened a Disaster Recovery Center in Pointe Coupee Parish this morning to help people there file for help dealing with damage caused by Hurricane Isaac. The center opens at 11 a.m. today at the Scott Civic Center in New Roads, with regular hours of... more »

• Task force holds river counterterrorism drill Play Video

  October 11, 2012 4:45 PM

  BATON ROUGE- The Joint Task Force 7 held a counterterrorism drill on the Mississippi River to test their inter-agency skills, while neutralizing a simulated terrorist threat. The drill had sheriff's deputies from seven different agencies working together to find a mock bomb strapped to a pillar on the Mississippi... more »

• Pointe Coupee considers trash collection proposal

  September 27, 2012 8:41 AM

  NEW ROADS - The Pointe Coupee Parish Police Jury has decided to pay a private consultant $5,000 to compile a comprehensive study detailing what it would take to initiate a parish-operated trash collection program. The jury voted 6-5 this week to take the step after an official with Progressive... more »

• Pointe Coupee 4H team wins national seafood cookoff

  September 4, 2012 5:11 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - For the first time since the Great American Seafood Cookoff was founded, a Louisiana team of high school students took home the top prize. Pointe Coupee high school students Grant Jourdan, Natalie Hardy, Annie Gosserand, and Katie Lacour won the top prize at the cookoff in... more »

• Pointe Coupee slated for millions in road improvements Play Video

  August 9, 2012 5:05 PM

  NEW ROADS - More than a thousand miles of roads in rural areas will get a facelift, including many in Pointe Coupee Parish. The project will cost an estimated $425 million over the next three years, and will be used for upgrades to roads that don't get federal money.... more »

• Pointe Coupee residents prepare for road repairs

  August 9, 2012 9:45 AM

  NEW ROADS - More than 1,000 miles of rural roads across the state are getting a facelift. The project comes after a new law was passed to help generate $425 million over three years to repair them. The repairs will cost around $150 million the first year, with... more »

• New Roads man help less fortunate "beat the heat" Play Video

  June 16, 2012 9:41 PM

  NEW ROADS - Several people in Pointe Coupee Parish have cool air for the first time in years. Nearly 100 fans and air conditioning units were given out for free to the less fortunate throughout the parish today. It's all part of an event called Beat the Heat.... more »

• Residents, businesses benefit from ExxonMobil oil spill

  June 5, 2012 5:54 PM

  LIVONIA- After an estimated 80,000 gallons of oil were cleaned up in Pointe Coupee Parish, residents and businesses are seeing a big benefit from ExxonMobil's cleanup effort. "I'm well pleased with Exxon and all their employees," said Melva Williams, who lives near the spill site, "If I had another... more »

• Pointe Coupee oil spill cleanup wrapping up

  June 5, 2012 10:40 AM

  TOLBERT- Cleanup efforts have completed at an oil spill site in Pointe Coupee Parish and now ExxonMobil is shifting to reclamation and remediation work. ExxonMobil says they've done everything they can to ensure a successful cleanup at the site where more than 80,000 gallons of oil reportedly spilled from... more »

• Pointe Coupee board lays groundwork for layoffs

  May 18, 2012 8:22 AM

  NEW ROADS - The Pointe Coupee Parish School Board has unanimously decided to post a reduction in force notice to district employees in the event that layoffs may be necessary to balance the 2012-13 fiscal year budget. But Superintendent Linda D'Amico said the board's action was simply a "just in... more »

• Audubon Bridge traffic less than expected

  May 7, 2012 8:44 AM

  ST. FRANCISVILLE- One year after it opened, the $409 million John James Audubon Bridge has not attracted a large number of motorists eager to cross the Mississippi River between West Feliciana and Pointe Coupee parishes near St. Francisville. The bridge opened on May 5, 2011, a month earlier than planned... more »

• Body found by boat operator in Red River Play Video

  April 2, 2012 2:38 PM

  NEW ROADS - Sheriff's deputies said they're waiting on autopsy results after a woman's body was found in the Red River in Pointe Coupee Parish this weekend. Capt. Steve Juge said a tugboat operator found the body and notified them just before 4 p.m. Sunday. It was in the... more »

• New law to prevent loose pets in Pointe Coupee Parish Play Video

  March 28, 2012 5:55 PM

  NEW ROADS- Carol Vincent, Director at Pointe Coupee Animal Shelter, says she hopes a new animal ordinance in the parish will keep dogs out of this shelter and in their owner's yards. "If people are responsible for their animals it will keep them from being hit by cars and... more »

• Animal ordinance will impound loose pets in Pointe Coupee

  March 28, 2012 10:01 AM

  NEW ROADS- The days of loose animals on the streets of Pointe Coupee Parish will soon come to an end, if the new animal ordinance works according to plan. Police Juror Cornell Dukes tells News 2 the Police Jury passed the pet ordinance Tuesday. "We want people to... more »

• Pointe Coupee authorities catch escaped inmate

  March 13, 2012 3:16 PM

  POINTE COUPEE - The Sheriff's office in Pointe Coupee reported Tuesday that an inmate who escaped after a vehicle crash was captured at around 3:30 p.m. Deljoati Smith took off as he was being brought back to the jail from a skills training facility in Lacassine. Smith was... more »

• School continues investigation into girl's suicide Play Video

  March 8, 2012 6:36 PM

  BATON ROUGE - School administrators said today an investigation into a Pointe Coupee Parish teen's suicide continues, but had no details to release. Tesa Middlebrook, 17, hanged herself at Pointe Coupee Central High School recently. Family members said she'd been the victim of bullying for some time. Advance Baton Rouge... more »

• Investigation continues into teen suicide in Pt. Coupee Parish

  March 7, 2012 3:11 PM

  MORGANZA - An investigation continues into the suicide of a teen in Pointe Coupee Parish. News 2's Chris Nakamoto searches for answers from leaders at Advanced Baton Rouge Charter, the group that runs Pointe Coupee Central High School. Seventeen-year-old Tesa Middlebrook was found hung from the stadium at... more »

• Sheriff not ruling out charges in suicide Play Video

  March 6, 2012 5:10 PM

  NEW ROADS - The sheriff of Pointe Coupee Parish said he's not ruling out criminal charges yet in the death of a 17-year-old girl. "Anyone that would take the law and go beyond the scope and actually break the law could be charged," Sheriff Bud Torres said. Now,... more »

• Candlelight vigil tonight for teen in Pt. Coupee Parish

  March 6, 2012 3:10 PM

  NEW ROADS - A candlelight vigil will be held tonight in Pt. Coupee Parish for Tesa Middlebrook. Middlebrook was found hung from the stadium at her high school on Friday. Middlebrook's family says Tesa was forced to kill herself after dealing with constant bullying. The vigil is... more »

• Investigation continues into teen bullied to death

  March 6, 2012 9:51 AM

  NEW ROADS- The Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff's Office continues to investigate the death of 17-year old Tesa Middlebrook. She hung herself along the side of the football stadium at Pointe Coupee Central High School. Family members say bullies pushed her over the edge Friday. Authorities are continuing the... more »

• Pointe Coupee raises garbage pickup fee to $18

  March 1, 2012 6:49 AM

  NEW ROADS - The Pointe Coupee Parish Police Jury has voted to increase monthly garbage pickup rates in a move intended to help defray the costs of cleaning up after future storms. Parish Administrator Jim Bello says the rate increase, from $14.50 to $18 per month, should also help the... more »

• Black bear found dead in Pointe Coupee Parish

  December 22, 2011 2:20 PM

  Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents are looking for leads into who may illegally killed a black bear that was found floating in the Mississippi River in Pointe Coupee Parish. Hunters in the area reported the bear to LDWF on Sunday, Dec. 11 near the old ferry landing.... more »

• Driver killed in single car crash in Pointe Coupee Parish

  December 16, 2011 2:58 PM

  LAKELAND, La. (AP) - State police are investigating a single-vehicle crash in Pointe Coupee Parish that claimed the life of a 20-year-old man. The crash occurred on La. Highway 413 north of U.S. 190 at 4:00 a.m. Friday. Troopers say Dylan Juge of Glynn was driving a pickup north on... more »

• Mississippi River threatens electricity in Pointe Coupee Play Video

  December 9, 2011 5:50 PM

  BONANZA LANDING - Pointe Coupee Electric leaders thought as many as 350 homes and camps could lose power before the end of next week because of the rising Mississippi River. That number dropped to about 50 homes and camps late Friday afternoon, according to Joseph Cotten, Jr., the general... more »

• Pedestrian killed in Pointe Coupee Parish

  October 17, 2011 8:49 AM

  New Roads - A Pointe Coupee Parish man is dead after being hit by a car. It happened Sunday evening just after 7 p.m. on LA 10 near LA 420 in New Roads. State Police say 76 year-old Jimmy Herring was driving east on LA 10, when he... more »

• 3 kids left in hot car, brain-damaged, blinded

  July 15, 2011 5:16 PM

  NEW ROADS - The Pointe Coupee Parish sheriff says a 26-year-old woman was booked with attempted second-degree murder and cruelty after allegedly leaving her three small children in a hot car so long they were blistered, brain-damaged and blind. Sheriff Beauregard "Bud" Torres III said Friday that one child... more »

• Civic Center in New Roads in limbo

  July 11, 2011 10:07 PM

  POINTE COUPEE PARISH- The City of New Roads says no more to keeping the Scott Civic Center operating. That leaves the parish holding the bag, with only half the money, putting closing on the table. The dual-ownership has gone on for almost 30 years at the building in New... more »

• Outage planned for 5,700 Pointe Coupee Electric users

  June 3, 2011 5:51 PM

  NEW ROADS - Thousands of people in Pointe Coupee Parish will lose electricity for a short time this coming Monday, according to the parish power company. Workers with the Pointe Coupee Electric Membership Corporation will have to interrupt service to 5,700 customers in order to do regular maintenance at... more »

• Farmers: Water in Fordoche 16 feet deep in places

  May 31, 2011 4:50 PM

  FORDOCHE - Ted Glaser's fields in Pointe Coupee Parish should be full of waving soybean. Instead, they're full of just waves. Glaser's farm is under 16 feet of water in some places after the opening of the Morganza Spillway. A few weeks ago the fields were ready to be... more »

• Volunteers sign up for emergency flotilla in Pointe Coupee

  May 10, 2011 10:14 PM

  NEW ROADS- In Pointe Coupee Parish, leaders are counting on locals to get people out as the water rises. The sheriff was only calling for a hundred boats and volunteers to make up an emergency flotilla, but more showed because everyone wants to support each other, if needed. ... more »

• HS graduation moved up because of possible flooding

  May 9, 2011 5:50 PM

  MORGANZA - Concern about the possible opening of the Morganza Spillway has pushed up high school graduation in Pointe Coupee Parish. The Pointe Coupee Central High School will hold its commencement ceremonies Tuesday, May 10 at 6 p.m. School officials moved it up from Thursday, which is around... more »

• Pointe Coupee Central HS cancels activities due to weather

  April 4, 2011 4:51 PM

  MORGANZA - All after-school programs at Pointe Coupee Central High School have been canceled for this afternoon because of the possibility of severe weather. Principal Kathryn Price sent out an email this afternoon notifying people of the cancelations. "Our first priority is the safety of our students," said... more »

• Sheriff: Father says son shot him, then dies

  January 25, 2011 11:44 AM

  ROUGON – Shortly before he died, a Rougon man told authorities his son was the one who shot him, according to the parish sheriff. Sheriff Bud Torres said 18-year-old James Rogers was arrested in suspicion of this morning’s fatal shooting of his father, James Juge. According to Torres, Juge called... more »

• Hundreds of dead blackbirds found near New Roads

  January 3, 2011 4:30 PM

  LABARRE, La. - Around 500 dead blackbirds and starlings have been found in Pointe Coupee Parish, according to state wildlife officials. The birds were spotted lying in roads and ditches near Labarre Elementary School. The community is between Morganza and New Roads on Highway 10. Scientists from the... more »

• Audubon Bridge construction hits a milestone

  December 29, 2010 5:37 PM

  The last beams connecting the east and west spans of the John James Audubon Bridge are now in place on. There is now one continuous structure over the Mississippi River. The bridge will connect St. Francisville and New Roads once it opens next summer. Project engineers say it's... more »

• Audubon Bridge connected

  December 29, 2010 11:19 AM

  The longest cable-stayed bridge in the Western Hemisphere is officially connected, though not ready for commuters yet. The John James Audobon Bridge connects Pointe Coupee and West Feliciana parishes, stretching 1/3 a mile over the Mississippi River. Construction crews tell News-2 the bridge is about 92% complete but... more »

• Man arrested in deadly Christmas Day shooting

  December 27, 2010 2:47 PM

  LETTSWORTH – Authorities in Pointe Coupee Parish have arrested one person in a deadly Christmas Day shooting. 25-year-old Timothy Gordon is accused of Manslaughter in the shooting of his half-brother, 47-year-old Kevin Laneheart. Investigators say during an argument at a family gathering in Lettsworth, Laneheart threatened to kill several people... more »

• Attorneys compromise over Gosserand blood sample

  November 29, 2010 12:12 PM

  NEW ROADS - Attorneys in the Victoria Gosserand vehicular homicide case have reached a compromise over the accused's blood sample. Prosecutors say that sample shows Gosserand's blood was nearly four times the legal limit the night she crashed her vehicle into another car, killing 23-year-old Terri Parker and badly... more »

• Protestors rally against Melville ferry closure

  November 23, 2010 11:07 AM

  BATON ROUGE - About 50 people who use the Melville ferry that transports drivers from St. Landry to Pointe Coupee parishes have rallied at the Louisiana Capitol to protest the ferry's closure. The service across the Atchafalaya River is scheduled to end Dec. 31. Department of Transportation and Development officials... more »

• Pointe Coupee updates discipline policies

  November 19, 2010 5:46 PM

  NEW ROADS- The Pointe Coupee Parish School Board addressed two policies dealing with student discipline Thursday. The system updated its policy on corporal punishment to ensure parents gave consent before a child is paddled. The new policy says parents must give written consent or an administrator can call a... more »

• Jury finds Larry Snyder guilty

  November 17, 2010 10:35 PM

  A Pointe Coupee jury has found Larry Snyder guilty of 2nd degree murder in the death of Davina Chapman. Snyder was her boyfriend, and claims her death was an accident. Prosecutors argued Snyder kidnapped and murdered Chapman last year. They believe Snyder forced Chapman into his truck, and beat... more »

• Snyder murder trial going to the jury

  November 17, 2010 7:44 PM

  NEW ROADS – The state’s case against Larry Snyder in the murder of Davina Chapman is going to the jury late tonight, according to the Pointe Coupee Parish Clerk’s office. Earlier today, witnesses for the prosecution detailed how Davina Chapman was killed last year during the second-degree murder trial of... more »

• Gosserand attorney wants blood sample split

  November 10, 2010 2:00 PM

  POINTE COUPEE PARISH - An emotional Victoria Gosserand was in court for a motions hearing today, along with more than a dozen family members of the woman she's accused of killing in a drunken crash last December. Gosserand's attorney filed a motion asking that a blood sample taken from... more »

• UPDATE: Boat explosion sends 5 to hospital

  July 5, 2010 6:15 PM

  UPDATED INFORMATION: One person who was injured in the explosion is still in the hospital, four others are recovering. Investigators believe a spark ignited gas fumes near the gas tank causing the boat to explode. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has not released the names of... more »

• Boat accident in Pointe Coupee Parish

  July 4, 2010 7:53 PM

  Fourth of July celebrations in part of Pointe Coupee parish are on hold after a firey boat accident near the Innis area. According to Acadian Ambulance, multiple boats are involved, with at least one of them on fire. It happened this evening near the Old River Road Boat Landing... more »

• Fire destroys Simmesport truck stop

  April 28, 2010 6:21 AM

  Avoyelles Parish sheriff's deputies say a fire has destroyed a Simmesport truck stop. The fire at Maddie's Truck Plaza on La. Highway 1 started around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday and, firefighters from throughout Avoyelles Parish and from Point Coupee Parish fought the blaze through the afternoon. No one was injured. The... more »

• Pt. Coupee to take up banning pit bulls

  April 27, 2010 10:17 AM

  The police jury in Pointe Coupee Parish will take up the issue of banning pit bulls tonight at five p.m. Police Juror Russel Young proposed the ban at a meeting earlier this month. He says there is one bite a week from dangerous breeds in the parish. St.... more »

• Way of the Cross under way in Pointe Coupee

  April 2, 2010 12:23 PM

  More than 100 people are taking part in the 5th annual "Walk with Jesus" in Pointe Coupee parish this morning. The event started at 6:30a.m. in Lakeland, follows False River into New Roads and ends at St. Mary False River Catholic Church at 2:45p.m. Each participant takes turns... more »

• Suspected murderer out of jail

  March 26, 2010 11:19 AM

  A man accused of kidnapping and killing his girlfriend has bonded out of jail. Larry John Snyder allegedly kidnapped Davina Chapman from a bar in Krotz Springs in St. Landry Parish and later killed her in Pointe Coupee Parish. Snyder posted a $250,000 bond Thursday in Pointe Coupee Parish... more »

• Gosserand indicted in Pointe Coupee Parish

  February 22, 2010 2:06 PM

  A grand jury in Pointe Coupee Parish has indicted a woman accused in a deadly drunk driving crash last December. 23 year-old Victoria Gosserand was indicted on Vehicular Homicide and 1st degree Vehicular Negligent Injuring. Investigators say Gosserand ran a red light, and slammed into another car in... more »

• Three rescued from Atchafalaya River

  February 11, 2010 9:58 PM

  Three people have been rescued from a tugboat that sank on the Atchafalaya River between St. Landry and Pointe Coupee parishes. The Pointe Coupee Sheriff's Office says the tugboat hit the railroad bridge that crosses the river. The U.S. Coast Guard is also responding. No word yet on the... more »

• District attorney to remain on drunk driving case

  January 21, 2010 10:48 AM

  The district attorney for Pointe Coupee Parish will not recuse himself from a drunk driving case despite knowing the suspect's family well. Terri Parker's family filed a formal request last week to have Ricky Ward removed from the case. Parker died last month after investigators say a car she was... more »

• One dead, another injured in Christmas Eve crash

  December 24, 2009 7:44 AM

  Pointe Coupee Parish officials are investigating an early morning crash that claimed the life of one and injured another. It happened just after midnight Thursday on Hwy 1 in New Roads. At least three cars were involved in the crash. The victims names have not been released. News 2... more »