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• St. Helena schools to offer buyouts

  May 12, 2013 10:29 AM

  GREENSBURG, La. - The St. Helena Parish School Board has approved a plan to offer early retirement buyouts to some staff members. The Advocate reports certified employees would be offered $5,500 to take early retirement, and noncertified employees would be offered $3,000. School system officials say six certified and three... more »

• Strip club talk tabled

  May 1, 2013 10:15 PM

  GREENSBURG- Leaders in St. Helena Parish tabled discussion about changing parish laws dealing with strip clubs. Wednesday night, the police jury was set to talk about outlawing alcohol at establishments where there is nudity or certain physical contact. But, jurors pushed the talk back another two weeks. Leaders... more »

• Nudity ordinance concerning strip clubs pushed back Play Video

  April 23, 2013 10:14 PM

  GREENSBURG - Strip clubs are turning up the heat in St. Helena, where some are calling for a ban on the adult business. Tuesday, the parish police jury was supposed to discuss an ordinance that would prohibit nudity and certain physical contact at establishments where alcohol is sold. The... more »

• Baton Rouge man dies in St. Helena car crash

  January 18, 2013 6:43 AM

  MONTPELIER - State Police says a 33-year-old Baton Rouge man was killed in a single-vehicle wreck on La. Highway 16 in southeastern St. Helena Parish. Troopers say David Fontenot Jr.'s sport utility vehicle drifted off the road, hit a parked bulldozer and overturned. Fontenot, who was not wearing... more »

• Boil advisory lifted in St. Helena Parish

  December 27, 2012 10:55 AM

  ST. HELENA PARISH - Officials report the boil advisory for customers of Waterworks District #2 in St. Helena Parish has been lifted. People living in the Dennis Miller Community have been under a boil advisory since Christmas due to a burst water main damaged by lightning. more »

• Boil advisory issued after lightning damages water main

  December 25, 2012 4:48 PM

  ST. HELENA PARISH - Waterworks District #2 of St. Helena Parish customers west of Price Hill Cemetery loop in the Dennis Mills community are under a boil advisory due to a burst water main damaged by lightning. This advisory will be lifted as soon as the water quality is assured... more »

• St. Helena budget has surplus

  December 19, 2012 10:26 AM

  GREENSBURG - The St. Helena Parish Police Jury has adopted a budget for 2013 that would keep expenditures below projected revenue and add money back to the parish's fund balance for only the second time in four years. The Advocate reports general and special fund revenue for 2013 are projected... more »

• St. Helena board approves bid to revamp building

  November 30, 2012 8:41 AM

  GREENSBURG - St. Helena Parish high school students could be dining in a new cafeteria next school year. The school board approved a low bid Thursday for renovations of the former technical college building next to the high school campus. Blount Construction, of Walker, won the contract with... more »

• St. Helena Parish School District counting on tax vote

  October 30, 2012 10:19 AM

  ST.HELENA PARISH- A millage tax will be on the ballots next Tuesday in St. Helena Parish. If approved by voters the tax will help keep the ailing district funded and allow them to renovate their schools. News 2's Adrian Pittman will have more on News 2 at 6... more »

• St. Helena schools under review for accreditation

  October 22, 2012 10:07 AM

  GREENSBURG - An external review team for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools will be on campus at St. Helena Central Elementary and High schools this week. The team will interview administrators, observe teachers and speak with student and parent groups in a process school officials hope will... more »

• Body found in St. Helena now a homicide

  August 8, 2012 3:57 PM

  GREENSBURG - Sheriff's deputies in St. Helena Parish today said a person found dead in front of their burned home was murdered. Detective Joe Chaney with the parish sheriff's office said an autopsy found John Nelson Hornsby, 76, suffered blunt force trauma to his head. Hornsby was found... more »

• St. Helena school to stay under state control

  July 31, 2012 10:09 AM

  GREENBURG - A federal district judge says he has the authority to transfer the state-run St. Helena Central Middle School back into local school board control but he's not going to do so right now. The Advocate reports St. Helena Parish school system officials argued that the district's dramatic improvement... more »

• Despite challenges, St. Helena test scores are up

  June 6, 2012 10:12 AM

  BATON ROUGE- Despite major challenges with budgets and buildings, test scores for St. Helena students are up. The district showed more improvement than any other district in the state. But some leaders say there is still a long way to go. Mike Steele will have more on what's... more »

• St. Helena Parish strip club fined

  April 13, 2012 6:57 AM

  GREENSBURG - The state Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control says The Oak Ridge Lounge, one of two strip clubs in St. Helena Parish, will be forbidden to sell liquor for eight weeks and must pay a $1,000 fine. In addition, the club must pass an ATC inspection before it... more »

• St. Helena hires legal expert to craft new sex law

  April 2, 2012 8:45 AM

  GREENSBURG - The St. Helena Parish Police Jury has hired Scott Bergthold, a Chattanooga, Tenn.-based lawyer whose practice specializes in helping local governments draft laws that regulate adult businesses. Police Jury Vice President Thomas Wicker tells The Advocate Bergthold was recommended to the police jury by the Moral Alliance of... more »

• St. Helena hires legal expert to craft new sex law

  April 2, 2012 7:12 AM

  GREENSBURG - The St. Helena Parish Police Jury has hired Scott Bergthold, a Chattanooga, Tenn.-based lawyer whose practice specializes in helping local governments draft laws that regulate adult businesses. Police Jury Vice President Thomas Wicker says Bergthold was recommended to the police jury by the Moral Alliance of St. Helena,... more »

• St. Helena considers longer school week

  February 24, 2012 6:08 AM

  GREENSBURG - Students and teachers in St. Helena Parish may have their workweek extended as the school board's Education Committee approved returning to a five-day school week for the 2012-13 school year. Schools in St. Helena have followed a four-day schedule with extended classroom hours Tuesday through Friday since October... more »

• Surveillance tape might hold clues on man found in sewage tank

  September 19, 2011 5:52 PM

  PINE GROVE - Detectives are combing through surveillance video they got Monday afternoon from two St. Helena casinos. They hope the footage holds clues about how Sam Lathers, Jr. died. Deputies found Lathers' body face-down in a sewage tank outside Silver Fox Casino early Sunday night. Right now,... more »

• Man found dead in St. Helena sewage tank

  September 18, 2011 10:31 PM

  PINE GROVE- St. Helena Sheriff's Deputies found the body of a missing man in a sewage tank near Pine Grove early Sunday night. Sam Lathers Jr.'s mother reported him missing Saturday night after she didn't hear from him. Sunday morning, workers at Silver Fox Casino called investigators because... more »

• St. Helena solar project at a stand-still

  September 16, 2011 6:12 PM

  GREENSBURG-- St. Helena is the first parish in Louisiana to install solar panels that will help power its jail. It could slash the electric bill by 35 percent by providing lighting and heating water for inmates. The only problem? The project is nearly done, but no one knows if there... more »

• Two teens flown to hospital after fall from Ferris wheel

  May 14, 2011 7:59 PM

  GREENSBURG - Two teens were flown to a hospital in Baton Rouge after falling from a fair ride at the St. Helena Parish High School, according to emergency officials. Chief Michael Martin said the teens fell from the Ferris wheel at the fair, and were flown to Our Lady... more »

• School district wants more time for fiscal fix

  April 24, 2011 9:49 AM

  GREENSBURG, La.- The St. Helena School Board plans to ask for another extension for submitting a plan to the state detailing how the troubled school system's finances will be fixed. School administrators already are operating under a 90-day reprieve so they could hire a new superintendent. School board member... more »

• St. Helena board extends superintendent search

  March 11, 2011 9:21 AM

  GREENSBURG- The St. Helena School Board has voted to reopen a search for superintendent candidates after receiving only five applications by its March 9 deadline. The Advocate reports that the board voted 5-1 on Thursday to accept applications until April 1. School officials say the board approved the extension... more »

• St. Helena Superintendent out of job this summer

  February 12, 2011 8:30 PM

  GREENSBURG, LA- St. Helena Schools Superintendent Dr. Daisy Slan will be out of job at the end of June. The School Board in St. Helena decided not to renew her contract earlier this week. Slan said she respects their decision to choose their own leadership. but added it's not just... more »

• Man faces reconstructive surgery after hammer attack

  January 25, 2011 6:06 PM

  ST. HELENA - A man faces reconstructive surgery on his face Thursday after he was attacked with a hammer outside a St. Helena grocery store. Alvin "Mooney" Amacker walked out of the normally quiet M & M Grocery Store near Greensburg, when deputies say Charlie Morris, Jr. hit Amacker's... more »

• St. Helena man attacked with hammer after leaving store

  January 25, 2011 3:16 PM

  ST. HELENA - "Mooney" Amacker is waiting on reconstructive surgery at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge, after he was attacked with a hammer Saturday night outside the M & M Grocery Store near Greensburg. Deputies with the St. Helena Sheriff's Office are looking for Charlie... more »

• Finishing touches go on St. Helena Fire Alarms

  December 29, 2010 7:03 PM

  ST. HELENA - If a fire starts at St. Helena Central High School, 35 pull stations, more than 30 blaring lights, screaming sirens, and 15 smoke detectors are now there to hopefully save students' lives. FireQuest technicians are putting the final touches on a new fire alarm system at... more »

• Ten arrested after St. Helena drug investigation

  December 23, 2010 5:01 PM

  ST. HELENA – Ten people have been arrested after a three-month long investigation into drug trafficking through St. Helena Parish. Starting in October, narcotics agents held surveillance and undercover operations targeting people with a history of drug arrests in the parish. They recorded numerous drug buys and sales throughout the... more »

• St. Helena burglars strike six times in one day

  December 22, 2010 6:43 PM

  ST. HELENA - Burglars in St. Helena Parish struck not one or two, but six times, Tuesday. It's more of a streak that Chief Deputy Joe Chaney said has been going on since November, a streak that has cost folks in Hillsdale $30,000 in stolen items. "Somebody's going... more »

• Former St. Helena Sheriff dies

  December 15, 2010 12:07 PM

  ST. HELENA PARISH - Former St. Helena Parish Sheriff Eugene Holland has died. He was 76 years old. Investigator Joe Chaney said Holland died after he collapsed in his home last night. He was rushed to the hospital, where doctors said he had suffered a heart attack. Holland served as... more »

• Man wanted after groin stabbing in St. Helena Parish

  November 9, 2010 3:34 PM

  GREENSBURG – Authorities in St. Helena Parish are looking for a man accused of stabbing another man in the groin. 48-year-old Charles Thompson is wanted in suspicion of aggravated second-degree assault after the stabbing Monday evening. Investigators said the victim went to the home of Thompson’s sister to get some... more »

• St. Helena Schools working on "fix-it" list

  November 3, 2010 10:26 AM

  ST. HELENA - State fire marshals said St. Helena Schools are making progress in their extensive list of code violations. That comment came after an inspection of the school grounds earlier this morning. Last week fire marshals had told the school they had to immediately fix certain fire hazards,... more »

• Potential bi-racial school committee members named

  October 6, 2010 6:35 PM

  St. Helena School Board Attorney Nelson Taylor filed in federal court 22 names of potential bi-racial committee members Tuesday. A judge had asked for the submission after he said he got letters from parents who do not trust school leaders in the parish. Two of those members have ideas... more »

• St. Helena school officials say they fear bankruptcy

  September 27, 2010 7:26 PM

  St. Helena school leaders fear they may run out of money by the end of 2012. Today, the system's financial consultant told a judge the system will not be able to operate without federal money for the middle school. The system lost more than $2 million in federal funding... more »

• St. Helena board to form school panel

  September 24, 2010 8:49 AM

  The St. Helena School Board will form a parishwide committee to find solutions to the district's old and deteriorating buildings, low teacher salaries and students' lagging test scores. The decision to form a committee followed a lengthy discussion on calling elections to fund teacher pay increases and to finance construction... more »

• Man accused of murdering brother in St. Helena Parish

  September 23, 2010 5:04 PM

  A St. Helena man is in jail, accused of shooting and killing his brother during an argument. 35-year-old Datril Nichols was arrested Wednesday in suspicion of second degree murder in the death of his brother, Christopher Nichols. Detectives said Christopher Nichols was visiting his brother when the two... more »

• One arrested, two wanted in school copper theft

  September 23, 2010 4:12 PM

  One person has been arrested in connection with copper thefts at homes and a school in St. Helena Parish, and authorities say they know who else was involved. 17-year-old Daiquan Devontrae James of Amite was arrested in suspicion of stealing copper wiring from the St. Helena Central High School and... more »

• St. Helena officials tour East Feliciana schools

  September 22, 2010 7:32 PM

  School leaders in St. Helena Parish aren't cutting it, according to Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek. "I think that school board has been about as dysfunctional as it could be," said Pastorek about the system with the lowest test scores in the state. That's why Pastorek... more »

• Budget talks include St. Helena schools

  September 17, 2010 4:49 PM

  State lawmakers said they're tired of seeing the New Orleans Recovery School District receive the lion's share of federal grant money. State Representatives Bodi White and Mert Smiley criticized the process during a meeting of the joint budget committee. White said the state should consider taking over all of... more »

• Judge: Busing St. Helena students 'not an option'

  September 8, 2010 4:30 PM

  A federal judge said this afternoon that busing students out of the run-down St. Helena Schools and into other surrounding parishes is not going to happen. Judge James Brady told parties gathered in federal court today that busing students was "not an option... and will not be for the... more »

• Livingston schools can't take St. Helena students

  September 1, 2010 9:04 AM

  Livingston Parish school officials say they don't have enough room to handle a possible large influx of St. Helena Parish public school students, according to documents filed in federal court. Plaintiffs in a 57-year-old desegregation lawsuit against the St. Helena Parish School Board maintain St. Helena students face unsafe... more »

• St. Helena students could be in for long bus ride

  August 19, 2010 6:11 PM

  Students in St. Helena Parish could be bussed out of the parish for school in ten days. A motion argued at federal court this afternoon asked a judge to declare the two schools in the parish uninhabitable for students. The educators in St. Helena Parish said they're in desperate... more »

• Earthquake shakes several homes in Clinton

  August 2, 2010 9:03 PM

  A 3.0 magnitude earthquake rattled homes north of Baton Rouge just before midnight Sunday. It hit east of Clinton near the East Feliciana and St. Helena Parish line. Many people told News 2 they didn't feel the quake, but for Clinton resident Natalie Neck, it hit close to home.... more »

• Raid leads to 14 arrests in St. Helena Parish

  June 7, 2010 3:15 PM

  14 people are now under arrest, after authorities raided a club in St. Helena Parish. It happened at Club 38 on Highway 38. It was part of a two month investigation into illegal drug and gun use at the club. Those arrested were: 1. Denetta Patterson, b/f, 21, 3633... more »

• Amite woman dies in car crash

  May 30, 2010 10:23 AM

  Louisiana State Police say a woman from Amite died Saturday evening after her car ran into a tree. Troopers say Jeannice Davis, 29, was driving on LA 43 north of Greensburg in St. Helena Parish when she ran off the road at a curve and smashed into a large tree.... more »

• St. Helena Middle School turned over to the state

  May 19, 2010 4:32 PM

  News 2 has learned that St. Helena Middle School has been turned over to the state. We spoke to the St. Helena's superintendent, Dr. Daisy Slan. She said the paper work is being signed for the Recovery School District to take over the school. She says the school has... more »

• Roofing contractor seeks payment

  March 12, 2010 6:55 AM

  Roofing Enterprises Inc. operation manager Guy Huffine told the St. Helena Police Jury he will shut down work on the St. Helena Parish Hospital roof unless he is paid. Huffine told the police jury this week that the parish owes $213,590 for work completed to date. Jury President Thomas Wicker... more »

• St. Helena sheriff wants new jail

  February 25, 2010 7:34 AM

  St. Helena Parish Sheriff Nathaniel Williams wants a new jail and he would like to place it in the parish industrial park. Williams told St. Helena Parish police jurors Tuesday that the current 60-year-old parish jail in Greensburg is in need of much work. He said a new jail would... more »

• Boil order lifted for Darlington community

  January 13, 2010 1:41 PM

  The boil order for the St. Helena community of Darlington has been lifted. Water test results have come back from the Department of Health and Hospitals and officials say it's now safe to drink. Boil orders are still in effect for the West Bank of Ascension Parish and Darrow. more »