NUSSMEIER RECOUNTS FRUSTRATING SEASON AT LSU 1C
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ADVOCATE T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M
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BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
T h u r s d ay, J a n u a ry 29, 2026
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EBR council member Dunn indicted
He faces nine felony counts in corruption case BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER
Staff writer
East Baton Rouge Parish Metro Council member Cleve Dunn Jr. was indicted Wednesday on multiple felony counts, including bribery and public contract fraud, in a Baton Rouge corruption probe that prosecutors say could lead to more charges as a grand jury continues its investigation.
According to an arrest warrant, Dunn allegedly used his position on the Metro Council to help steer a $50,000 Capital Area Transit System contract to Supreme Solutions, a consulting firm he had previously owned. Investigators say he collected more than 90% of the contract’s proceeds through his own company, Core Group LLC, while concealing his involvement from bus
system officials and the public. “Evidence discovered … disclosed that Dunn abused his elected position of power and participated in a scheme to defraud the Capital Area Transit System,” wrote Louisiana Bureau of Investigation agent Phillip Vitter. In total, Dunn was indicted on nine counts: Public bribery, conspiracy to commit public bribery, conspiracy to commit theft over
$25,000, theft of $25,000, money laundering, conspiracy to commit money laundering, public contract fraud, prohibited splitting of profits and malfeasance in office. Dunn’s indictment follows charges earlier Dunn this month against former CATS Chief Administrative Officer Pearlina Thomas and contractors Jarian “Jay” Colar,
AWashington FESTIVE START Mardi Gras — a party with a
purpose — kicks off despite some travel snags
Terral “TJ” Jackson and Erica Jackson following an investigation that dates back to 2022. Attorney General Liz Murrill’s office said it expects additional indictments as the grand jury continues its investigation into alleged misuse of public funds at the parish transit agency. Dunn did not respond to requests for comment on Wednesday. Prosecutors allege that Dunn was at the forefront of a scheme
ä See DUNN, page 9A
Iberville residents report vibrations VLS Environmental Solutions faces community scrutiny
BY AIDAN McCAHILL Staff writer
STAFF PHOTOS By CHRIS GRANGER
Queen Sarah Heebe, from left, and King Gray Stream stand with House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, during the Wednesday kickoff to Washington Mardi Gras at the home of France’s ambassador to the United States. BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer
WASHINGTON — Despite icy streets and slippery sidewalks, Louisiana folks streamed into the Washington Hilton — the state’s 65th parish for now — as the 77th edition of the Washington Mardi Gras got underway Wednesday. The traditional kickoff for the four days of festivities hit a weather-related snag as Carnival officials reacted to delayed flights and continued cleanup from the winter storm that hit earlier in the week. But, at a slightly later time than planned, the traditional toast to this year’s Washington Mardi Gras
WEATHER HIGH 59 LOW 39 PAGE 6B
King Gray Stream and Queen Sarah Heebe took place at the home of France’s ambassador to the United States, Laurent Bili. “It’s good to see you,” said U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, referring to the travel woes. “It’s so cold. Traffic is such a delight. It’s like we’re in Baton Rouge.” In lighthearted remarks in which he occasionally went into his wellknown imitation of President Donald Trump, Johnson paid tribute to the long-standing friendship between France and the U.S. — Louisiana in particular. Johnson, who is from Benton,
Mardi Gras decorations adorn the door of the office of Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, as he hosts an open ä See FESTIVE, page 8A house Wednesday.
Business ......................3D Commentary ................5B Nation-World ................2A Classified .....................7D Deaths .........................3B Opinion ........................4B Comics-Puzzles .....4D-6D Living............................1D Sports ..........................1C
For Kyte Aymond, the rumbling started in the summer of 2024. Windows, cabinets and doors in his Plaquemine City home began rattling. It was intermittent, but sometimes up to a week straight, forcing countless sleepless nights. “It pierces your head,” Aymond said. “It’s not really loud when you’re outside. But when you get on the porch, you begin to hear it really intensely.” After talking with his neighbors — most sandwiched between Railroad Street and the Mississippi River in the downtown historic district — Aymond realized they were all dealing with the same thing. What seemed like low-frequency vibrations were affecting their sleep, knocking over picture frames and even sinking some of their homes’ foundations. A schoolteacher and chair of the Plaquemine Historic Board, Aymond took the lead, pressing thenPlaquemine Mayor Ed Reeves, Sheriff Brett Stassi, council members and Parish President Chris Daigle for answers. The vibrations began the same year that VLS Environmental Solutions, a private-equity-owned company specializing in waste management and marine services, began cleaning barges directly across the Mississippi River at Plaquemine Point in St. Gabriel. Flares from its thermal oxidizers glowed visibly from Plaquemine levees across the river. Residents eyed a possible suspect. Answers remain elusive nearly two years after the first complaints began. Residents aired their frustration publicly for the first time at an Iberville Parish Council
ä See IBERVILLE, page 9A
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