• 2 arrested in drug raid at LaPlace apartment
St. John the Baptist Parish narcotics detectives arrested two LaPlace men Wednesday afternoon at a Cambridge Drive apartment after a drug raid yielded an assortment of drugs and drug paraphernalia used to sell illegal narcotics, sheriff's authorities said.

• Forum to host St. John hopefuls
New Wine Christian Fellowship is hosting a forum tonight for the five candidates seeking the St. John the Baptist Parish presidency.

• LaPlace father accused of battery
A 33-year-old LaPlace man was arrested late Tuesday evening and booked with sexual battery after he was found in bed with his partially clothed 8-year-old daughter by the child's mother, according to St. John the Baptist Parish sheriff's authorities.

• Reverse course, St. John judge told
State prosecutors have asked a St. John the Baptist Parish district judge to reverse her decision to vacate a murder indictment against an 8-year-old Reserve boy's stepfather, mother and stepbrother.

• Emergency center is on agenda
A new emergency operations center for St. Charles Parish should be built across the street from the parish courthouse in Hahnville, according to a proposal by Parish President V.J. St. Pierre Jr.

• St. John voters to weigh property tax
St. John the Baptist Parish residents will cast ballots starting Saturday to decide on a new parish president and whether to renew a 1-mill property tax that pays for housing juvenile offenders.

• Luling woman arrested on drug charges
St. Charles Parish sheriff's deputies arrested a 30-year-old Luling woman on charges of selling drugs out of her home, which abuts an elementary school, according to authorities.

• Luling woman arrested on drug charges
St. Charles Parish sheriff's deputies arrested a 30-year-old Luling woman on charges of selling drugs out of her home, which abuts an elementary school, according to authorities.

• St. John sees drops in crime
St. John the Baptist Parish crime decreased last year in all seven major crime categories reducing the parish's crime rate by 11 percent from 2008, according to statistics released Monday in Sheriff Wayne L. Jones' annual crime statistics report.

• Reserve man arrested in drug raid
Narcotics detectives in the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office, along with officers from the Special Operations Response Team, converged on a house in Reserve Thursday afternoon and arrested a man described by authorities as a "midlevel" drug dealer who sold from his home.

• Questions raised about principal policy
A discussion over the hiring of a new principal at West St. John Elementary School, who has no previous administrative experience, sparked questions from School Board members this week about whether the district could create an applicant pool to choose its future leaders.

• Railroad crossing to be closed today
A railroad crossing on Louisiana 640 between River Road and Louisiana 3127 near Edgard in St. John the Baptist Parish will be closed from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. today for repairs, according to the state Department of Transportation and Development.

• Thefts, assaults fuel crime stats
While reports of crime in most categories decreased last year in St. Charles Parish, significant increases in assaults and thefts spurred the parish's overall crime rate to increase by 17 percent over 2008, according to numbers released Tuesday in Sheriff Greg Champagne's annual crime report.

• Recreation lacking, candidates agree
St. John the Baptist Parish's recreation programs are not what they should be, candidates for parish president told the parish's Recreation Advisory Board earlier this week. But opinions vary among the candidates about how to address the issue.

• School Board delays vote on fees
The St. John the Baptist Parish School Board delayed action on a policy that would require all insurance agents and brokers to disclose all fees and fee-splitting agreements in the hopes of avoiding any conflicts of interest.

• Two try to cash check, cops say
A Luling man and a Boutte woman have been booked with forgery and bank fraud after the pair tried to cash a check they found at a local business, authorities said.

• Bid nullified by St. John board
The St. John the Baptist Parish School Board on Tuesday vacated a construction bid it awarded last month to a Norco company that was run by a convicted felon.

• School Board is urged to buy site
St. Charles Parish school administrators are asking School Board members to consider buying the shuttered Shoney's restaurant that sits in front of Hahnvile High School in Boutte.

• Official's credit card use raises eyebrows
The director of the St. John the Baptist Housing Authority used an agency credit card to make more than $2,000 in personal purchases last year, an analysis of the charge account statements has found.

• Cops: Local man rang up bogus refunds
A Marrero man has been arrested after allegedley making $900 in fraudulent refunds to himself from his place of employment, according to the St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office.

• Cops: Marrero man rang up bogus refunds on the job
A Marrero man has been arrested after allegedley making $900 in fraudulent refunds to himself from his place of employment, according to the St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office.

• Council comes up with wish list
The holidays are months away, but it's not too early for St. Charles Parish officials to write up their collective wish list for federal money.

• Engineer defends drainage pact
Engineer Rick Shread defended the length of the drainage contract that his company has held with St. John the Baptist Parish since 1994, saying the arrangement allowed the parish to present detailed proposals for public consideration on planned improvements.

• LaPlace man dies in single-car crash
A LaPlace man died in a single-car accident on Airline Highway in LaPlace Friday, according to State Police.

• Robber strikes LaPlace eatery
St. John the Baptist Parish sheriff's deputies are investigating an armed robbery that took place Thursday night at the Taqueria Tienda Latina Restaurant at 1036 W. Airline Highway in LaPlace.

• RIVER PARISHES POLICE BLOTTER
ST. CHARLES INCIDENTS

• LaPlace man accused of bursting son's eardrum
Deputies from the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office have arrested a LaPlace man for allegedly striking his 4-year-old son and bursting his eardrum, according to authorities.

• LaPlace man accused of injuring son
Deputies from the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office have arrested a LaPlace man for allegedly striking his 4-year-old son and bursting his eardrum, according to authorities.

• LaPlace man hurts son, 4, police say
Deputies from the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office have arrested a LaPlace man for allegedly striking his 4-year-old son and bursting his eardrum, according to authorities.

• Spillway Road is back in business
Spillway Road in St. Charles Parish reopened Thursday after being closed for more than two weeks because of high water in two areas of the road.

• Spillway Road opens after water recedes
Spillway Road in St. Charles Parish reopened Thursday after being closed for more than two weeks because of high water in two areas of the road.

• St. Charles Spillway Road back in business
Spillway Road in St. Charles Parish reopened Thursday after being closed for more than two weeks because of high water in two areas of the road.