State Rep. Melerine’s attorney offers explanation for Caddo Parish ditch incident
The attorney for State Rep. Michael Melerine says Melerine had just come from a legislative committee meeting in Baton Rouge before his SUV was found in a ditch in Caddo Parish in July. Records confirm Melerine appeared at the committee meeting prior to the incident. The Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene. An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident is ongoing. Melerine serves a Bossier Parish-area district in the Louisiana House of Representatives.
CDL drivers will no longer need to submit their DOT Medical Certificate for CDL issuance
Starting September 15, 2026, commercial vehicle drivers will no longer need to submit a copy of their DOT medical certificate to the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles in connection with CDL issuance. DOT medical providers will upload the existence of a DOT medical certificate to Federal Motor Carrier.
Suspected impairment and seatbelt use factors in Ouachita Parish fatal crash
Ouachita Parish – On Friday, September 5, shortly after 7 p.m., Troopers with Louisiana State Police Troop F began investigating a two-vehicle fatal crash on Louisiana Highway 15, just south of Airline Drive. The crash claimed the life of 29-year-old Javier Hernandez of Farmerville.
The initial investigation revealed that a 2007 Toyota Avalon, driven by Hernandez, was traveling south on Louisiana Highway 15. At the same time, a 2014 Chevrolet Camaro was traveling north on Highway 15. For reasons still under investigation, the Toyota veered left, crossed the centerline, and struck the Chevrolet head-on in the northbound lane.
Hernandez, who was not properly restrained, suffered serious injuries and was transported to an area hospital for treatment. The driver of the Camaro, who was properly restrained, sustained moderate injuries. On September 6, 2026, Louisiana State Police Troop F was notified that Hernandez succumbed to his injuries.
2 More child predator arrests secured in Operation Bottom Dweller
Thirty-two-year-old Daquinncy James Stiner, of 18th Street in Lafayette, and 36-year-old Reginald James Tyler, of Adrienne Street in Lafayette, were arrested on charges of Indecent Behavior with a Juvenile and Computer-Aided Solicitation of a Minor.
Between August 26 and August 28, 2026, the Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, conducted a proactive undercover online operation aimed at identifying, investigating, and apprehending individuals who use electronic communications or internet-based platforms to solicit, entice, or attempt to exploit individuals they believe to be juveniles for sexual purposes.
As a result of the investigation – on September 2, 2026, Stiner and Tyler were taken into custody by Special Agents with the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, along with deputies from the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office. The two arrests were not connected to each other.
Both Stiner and Tyler were charged with the following:
• LA R.S 14:81- Indecent Behavior with a Juvenile
• LA R.S 14:81.3- Computer-Aided Solicitation of a Minor
The investigation remains ongoing, bringing the total number of arrests related to Operation Bottom Dweller to 12.
Elon Musk’s space company to build new rocket launching site in Louisiana
Elon Musk’s space company plans to spend $100 billion to build a massive new spaceport in Louisiana to launch rockets, state officials and the company announced last week.
The spaceport would be located on 125,000 acres (50,600 hectares) of land formerly owned by Exxon along Louisiana’s southern coast about 200 miles (322 km) west of New Orleans in Vermilion Parish. The location provides key advantages, state officials said, including access to abundant natural gas and the ability to launch to a wide range of trajectories.