Local Forecast for the Next Few Days

For an extended forecast and more details, go to our weather page. 

Today   A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 4pm. Sunny, with a high near 94. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight   A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 7pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. Calm wind.

Tuesday   A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Sunny, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph in the morning.

Tuesday Night   A 30 percent chance of thunderstorms before 7pm. Mostly clear, with a low around 72. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm. 

Wednesday   A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Sunny and hot, with a high near 95. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph.

Wednesday Night   A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. Calm wind.

Tropical Disturbances Today

An area of low pressure is located about 600 miles east of Bermuda. Environmental conditions are still marginally favorable for further development, and a short-lived tropical depression could form today.  By Tuesday, this system is expected to encounter less favorable environmental conditions, ending its opportunity for development.  The system is forecast to move northeastward around 10 mph, remaining over the open central Atlantic. Formation chance through 48 hours...high...70 percent and formation chance through 7 days...high...70 percent.

Obituary

Larkin Woodrow Smitherman, Jr.

November 26, 1948 - June 20, 2025

Local Forecast for the Next Few Days

For an extended forecast and more details, go to our weather page. 

Today   A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 2pm and 5pm. Increasing clouds, with a high near 94. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Tonight   A 10 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7pm. Mostly clear, with a low around 72. Calm wind.

Monday   A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Sunny, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph in the afternoon. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Monday Night   Mostly clear, with a low around 73. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Tuesday   A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Sunny, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph in the morning.

Tuesday Night   A 30 percent chance of thunderstorms before 7pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. 

Tropical Disturbances Today

A trough of low pressure is located about 500 miles east-southeast of Bermuda. Some slow development of this system is possible during the next couple of days before it moves into a region of strong upper-level winds. This system is expected to move northeastward over the central Atlantic during the next few days. Formation chance through 48 hours...low...10 percent and formation chance through 7 days...low...10 percent.

Man Wanted for Obscenity in St. Tammany Parish

Here's how the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office reported on their Facebook page.

We’re going to keep this as straightforward as possible…because honestly, we wish we weren’t having to post it at all.

The individual pictured arrived at a Slidell area business around 9 p.m. on Father’s Day in a black mid-size SUV. He entered the store, got a bottle of water from the clerk who was closing up for the night, and then stepped back outside and allegedly decided it was the perfect time for a solo magic show. 🪄🙄

𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙧: 𝙄𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨𝙣’𝙩.

This man is now wanted for 𝐨𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 after reportedly engaging in a very inappropriate and illegal act…yes, that one…right there in the parking lot. Not in a private space, not behind closed doors… just out there like it was his own personal stage.

We say this with love: 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭. 𝐃𝐨. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭.

𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐧, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐞 𝐚𝐭 (𝟗𝟖𝟓) 𝟕𝟐𝟔-𝟕𝟖𝟐𝟗 𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐭 (𝟗𝟖𝟓) 𝟖𝟗𝟖-𝟐𝟑𝟑𝟖.

Let’s work together to keep our public spaces safe, respectful, and free of unsolicited... performances.

***All persons are innocent until proven guilty***

St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office Reports “Fentanyl, Foot Races & Bad Decisions" Incident

Here's how the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office reported a recent incident on their Facebook page.

Michael Daigrepont thought he could outrun the law (𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩'𝙨 𝙘𝙪𝙩𝙚☠️) with a pocket full of syringes, a handful of fentanyl, and a whole lot of bad life choices.

On June 10, this 47 year old Lacombe man decided the best move was to flee from our STPSO Proactive Enforcement Unit🚔 when they tried to stop him near the Lacombe traffic circle. Lights? Sirens? Legal obligations? Nah…he punched it.

The pursuit ended with Daigrepont driving like a fool through a residential neighborhood, blowing past stop signs, plowing through a ditch, and eventually bailing out on foot. Because nothing says “𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩” like launching hypodermic needles and fentanyl tablets out of your pockets as you sprint into the woods into a knee deep bayou.

Spoiler alert: We brought him down, despite the mud, the fight, and the chaos.

He’s now cooling off at Club St. Tammany, booked on:

• 🔹 Possession of fentanyl
• 🔹 Possession of drug paraphernalia
• 🔹 Aggravated flight from an officer
• 🔹 Obstruction of justice
• 🔹 Resisting arrest
• 🔹 Driving like Grand Theft Auto is a documentary.

Next time, maybe just pull over. Or don’t…gives us a workout and we sometimes need the cardio.

***All persons are innocent until proven guilty***

Washington Parish Jail Bookings for June 19-20, 2025

Candise Breshaers (age 36 with Angie, La. address) was booked on the charges of Failure to Appear and
Fugitive Other Jurisdiction by the Bogalusa Police Department. No bond set at this time.

Eleysecia Bonner (age 30 with Angie, La. address) was booked on the charges of Contempt of Court and Fugitive Other Jurisdiction by the Washington Parish Sheriff's Office. No bond set at this time.

Jessica Brown (age 32 with Bogalusa, La. address) was booked on the charges of Possession of Schedule II Drugs, Possession of Marijuana, and Possession of Schedule IV Drugs by the Washington Parish Sheriff's Office. Bond set at $20000.00.

Keldric Harry (age 18 with Bogalusa, La. address) was booked on the charges of 1st Degree Murder, Illegal Possession of a Handgun by a Juvenile, Illegal Use of Weapons or Dangerous Instrumentalities, Attempted 1st Degree Murder (2 counts), Intimidation and Interference in the Operation of Schools, Hit and Run (2 counts), and No Drivers License. No bond set at this time.

Payton Lewis (age 19 with Franklinton, La. address) was booked on the charges of Domestic Abuse Battery, Disturbing the Peace/Violent & Tumultuous Manner, Simple Assault, Resisting an Officer, Self Mutilation by a Prisoner, and Intimidating of a Witness by the Bogalusa Police Department. Bond set at $5000.00.

Ashton Greely (age 26 with Bogalusa, La. address) was booked on the charge of Bond Surrender by the Washington Parish Sheriff's Office. Bond set at $6000.00.

Valerie Carroll (age 39 with Franklinton, La. address) was booked on the charge of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia by the Bogalusa Police Department. Bond set at $2500.00.

Michael Weary (age 42 with Bogalusa, La. address) was booked on the charges of Possession of Schedule II Drugs, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Possession of Marijuana by the Bogalusa Police Department. Bond set at $5000.00.

***All persons are innocent until proven guilty***

LSU AgCenter's Weekly Message

Killing Unwanted Woody Plants

People occasionally inquire about how to kill woody vines or unwanted shrubs or trees that keep regrowing in spite of being cut back severely.

An easy option that minimizes risk to nearby plants is to make what’s called a “cut stump” treatment using an herbicide that contains the active ingredient triclopyr.

When this type of application is made, the woody stem is cut near the ground, and the herbicide is applied to the freshly cut surface of the stump. Triclopyr moves down into the roots through the plant’s vascular tissue.

A number of triclopyr-containing products are labeled for cut stump application. BioAdvanced Brush Killer Plus Concentrate, Bonide Stump-Out Stump and Vine Killer, Fertilome Brush Killer Stump Killer, Ortho GroundClear Poison Ivy and Tough Brush Killer1, Pathfinder II, and Stump Stop are examples of products that are applied full-strength, without dilution, when used in this manner. (Look for products that are 8 to 13.6% triclopyr. Some products have similar names but much lower concentrations.)

There are also products with higher concentrations of triclopyr that can be used for stump treatment after being diluted.

The phloem tissue that carries the chemical to the roots is along the inner edge of the bark. So, make sure you get the herbicide along the outer edge of the stump surface and not just in the middle.

Triclopyr-containing products will kill or damage many types of plants, so be sure not to get them on plants you don’t want to kill. Also be aware that, if the treated plant shares a root system with another plant (for example, if one is a sucker of the other, or if roots have grafted together), the herbicide can kill or damage the other plant, too.

Be sure to read and follow label instructions when using any herbicide or other pesticide.

Let me know if you have questions.

Click here for previous LSU AgCenter's Weekly Messages

Dr. Mary Helen Ferguson is an Extension Agent with the LSU AgCenter, with horticulture responsibilities in Washington and Tangipahoa Parishes. Contact Mary Helen at mhferguson@agcenter.lsu.edu or 985-277-1850 (Hammond) or 985-839-7855 (Franklinton).

Ponchatoula Man Arrested - Accused of Setting House Fire With Three People Inside

The State Fire Marshal's Office reported Friday (June 20, 2025) that SFM deputies arrested 42 year-old Joshua John Lucas on outstanding warrants for setting fire to a house with three people inside. Lucas has been booked into the Tangipahoa Parish Jail on one count of Aggravated Arson and one count of Violation of a Protective Order.

On the afternoon of March 5, 2025, a fire was reported at a mobile home located in the 15000 block of East Hoffman Road in Ponchatoula. Three individuals were inside of the mobile home at the time of the fire, but were able to escape safely.

Following a request for SFM deputies to investigate the fire, it was determined that the origin of the fire was the exterior of the mobile home and that it was intentionally set. Through the investigation, Lucas was identified as the suspect.

The SFM would like to thank the Ponchatoula Fire Department, Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office for their extensive efforts to assist with closing this case.

Any information about this case, or any fire-related crime, can be shared with the SFM by calling our Arson Hotline at 1-844-954-1221 or by submitting an online tip form on lasfm.org. All information can be shared anonymously.

***All persons are innocent until proven guilty***

Convenience Store Owner and Employees Arrested in Tangipahoa Parish

The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office reported Friday (June 20, 2025) that TPSO, in collaboration with the Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control, has arrested a convenience store owner and his employees after a routine inspection uncovered dozens of illegal products on the shelves along with a larger-scale narcotics operation.

Earlier this week, an ATC agent, conducting a routine inspection, contacted TPSO after discovering a large amount of illegal products on the shelves of the Stop & Shop on Happywoods Road. The items included marijuana cigarettes and gummies suspected to contain THC, Kratom capsules, and bottles of a product known to replicate the effects of opioids.

As the team was leaving this location, deputies noticed two men running out of a different convenience store nearby, Best Stop Quick Mart #1, with their arms full of merchandise. Deputies responded to find more than $16,000 in cash as well as numerous THC vape pens, chewables, Hookah Lit vapes, Kratom capsules, and assorted other illegal substances in their vehicle. The investigation revealed the men were the store owner and his employee who were trying to hide the illegal products assuming the police activity they saw down the street came into this business. Both businesses are owned by Khuller. A final search at Khuller’s Ponchatoula-area home turned up more than $56,000.

Sunny Mehra, age 20, has been booked with two counts of Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana and THC, along with one count each of Conspiracy to Distribute a Schedule I Controlled Dangerous Substance and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Hallucinogenic Compound.

Paras Khullar, age 20, and Sat Pal, age 47, were booked on the same charges, but both received an additional charge of Obstruction of Justice.

***All persons are innocent until proven guilty***

Sheriff Gerald Sticker wants to thank the ATC for their partnership developing and closing this case.

Obituary

Aran May Carter Nicholson

September 30, 1934 - June 13, 2025

Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office Hiring School Resource Officer

Message from the WPSO

The Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office is currently looking to fill one full-time School Resource Officer position. 

School Resource Officers play a vital role in our organization, providing an invaluable connection between the students in our Parish and the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office. In addition to ensuring safety on our campuses, SRO’s are carefully selected and trained to build positive relationships with students, staff, and parents, fostering a peaceful and secure learning environment in our schools. Their presence acts as a deterrent to violence and crimes among students, and they serve as liaisons between the youth of our community and Law Enforcement. Their influence, mentorship, and guidance is something that students take home with them each day, and radiates far beyond the walls of our campuses.

The ideal candidate will be enthusiastic about becoming part of the SRO community, represent themselves and the Sheriff’s Office with honor and pride, and be willing to collaborate with students and staff on ways that Law Enforcement can help them through special programs and events. In order to apply for this position, you must already be POST-1 certified in the State of Louisiana.

To apply, please visit our website at www.wpso.la.gov and click on the “Join our Team” tab, or stop by one of our offices to apply in-person.  

Local Forecast for the Next Few Days

For an extended forecast and more details, go to our weather page. 

Today   A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 95. Heat index values as high as 106. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph.

Tonight   A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 7pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. Calm wind.

Sunday   A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Sunday Night   Mostly clear, with a low around 73. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Monday   A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Sunny, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Monday Night   Mostly clear, with a low around 72. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

This Week in Louisiana Agriculture

From Jell-O shots that fight hunger to Louisiana-style sushi bowls, this episode of TWILA is full of the people and stories that make our state one of a kind. LSU fans are leading the Jell-O Shot Challenge in Omaha while raising money for food banks back home. Hay producers in Red River Parish turn out for the wet but well-attended inaugural LSU AgCenter Hay Day. We introduce you to the final Louisiana Farm Bureau YF&R Achievement Award finalist, Laura Hebert — a fourth-generation farmer bringing bold ideas and a newborn baby to her family farm. Then we’re off to Ville Platte for a brand new Feasting on Agriculture featuring a Cajun surf and turf sushi bowl. Plus, we celebrate 111 years of 4-H University in this week’s TWILA Boost. 

Local Forecast for the Next Few Days

For an extended forecast and more details, go to our weather page. 

Today   A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 4pm and 5pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 94. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph.

Tonight   Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. Calm wind.

Saturday   A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Sunny, with a high near 94. Heat index values as high as 105. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph.

Saturday Night   A slight chance of thunderstorms before 7pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. Calm wind. Chance of precipitation is 10%.

Sunday   A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Sunny, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph in the afternoon.

Sunday Night   Mostly clear, with a low around 73. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Obituary

Rita Mae Spears Breland

May 30, 1947 - June 18, 2025

Obituary

Christopher Delano Matthews, Jr.

September 24, 1997 - June 10, 2025

Another 4,000 Tapentadol Pills Taken Off the Streets in St. Tammany

In response to the recent influx of illegally obtained and distributed Tapentadol pills, detectives with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Narcotics Division, Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Postal Inspection Service, conducted another investigation which led to a search warrant and an arrest.

Wilfred Cousin, age 31 and of Slidell, was arrested June 12, 2025 by detectives with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Narcotics Division after a search warrant was executed at a residence in Slidell. Detectives recovered more than 4,000 Tapentadol pills and more than $900 in cash believed to be proceeds from drug sales. Cousin was booked into the St. Tammany Parish Jail for the following offenses: Possession with the Intent to Distribute Schedule II CDS, Possession of a Schedule I CDS, and Transactions involving drug proceeds. Bond was set at $350,000.00.

***All persons are innocent until proven guilty***

Tapentadol is a powerful and dangerous opioid that is being sold illegally under street names like “Pandas” or “200s.”  They are sold on the street for $6-15 per pill. It is being marketed as a party pill and often comes in packaging that resembles over-the-counter medication and is especially dangerous when mixed with alcohol or other substances and has the potential to cause overdose or even death.

Sheriff Randy Smith would like to remind users and prospective users of “party drugs” that “When you purchase drugs off the street, you do not know truly what you are getting. The only safe drugs are those prescribed by a doctor or purchased from a reputable pharmacy.”

A Bogue Chitto River Rescue After 10 Year-Old Daughter's Call for Help - Multiple Agencies Assist

The Washington Parish Sheriff's Office reports that on Wednesday (June 18, 2025), WPSO received a request for assistance from the Franklinton Fire Department (FFD) after a man was reportedly injured while kayaking in the Bogue Chitto River about 8 miles north of Franklinton. The initial call came from the injured man’s daughter, aged 10, who stated that her father had hit his head and was bleeding badly. She had moved him to a nearby sandbar before kayaking downstream and finding high ground at the Warnerton Bridge on LA-438 to call 911.

Fire District 9 personnel arrived at the scene first and attempted to wade upstream with the daughter to find her father. They requested EMS and assistance from FFD, and shortly afterward had to abort their mission due to the strong currents and deep water. FFD then called on WPSO for a boat and a WPSO Captain quickly responded and launched into the river with the assistance of a WPSO Lieutenant. The injured man was found about ¼ mile upriver from the bridge and rescued from the sandbar before being handed over to EMS personnel for treatment.

During times of excess rain, the rivers and creeks of Washington Parish can become extremely dangerous as water levels rise and currents increase, often submerging logs that are visible when the water is low. Everyone should exercise caution on the waterways and if possible, carry emergency radios. Some of the more rural parts of our Parish have limited cell service, and having a radio that can reach nearby emergency response personnel makes it easier to find you when help is needed.