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S T TA M M A N Y FA R M E R.N E T
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W e d n e s d ay, A p r i l 29, 2026
50¢N
152ND YEAR, NO. 29
Law enforcement memorial rededicated
Crowd gathers for ceremony at expanded Covington monument BY KIM CHATELAIN Contributing writer
When a monument to memorialize area law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty was erected at the St. Tammany Parish Justice Center in 2018, organizers made the ominous decision to leave space on the granite wall for additional names. “We believed there was room for a few more names and that it might take decades to fill,” said former Covington Police Chief Tim Lentz, who was part of the effort to build
the memorial. “We were wrong.” In the years that followed, Lentz said tragedy repeatedly struck the local law enforcement community. “We quickly reached a point where there was no space left.” But on April 20, dozens of law enforcement officers and dignitaries gathered outside the courthouse in downtown Covington — just as they had done eight years earlier — to dedicate an enlarged and updated version of monument. The wall dedicated in 2018 contained names of 11 St. Tammany law enforcement officers who lost
their lives serving the community since 1958. Not long after the original wall was built, Slidell Police Officer Jason Seals was killed in a crash as he escorted a funeral procession on his motorcycle; Mandeville Police Capt. Vinny Liberto was shot and killed following a chase; and Louisiana State Trooper George Baker was killed in Tangipahoa Parish during a 2020 vehicle pursuit. The three names were added to the memorial.
PHOTO BY GRANT THERKILDSEN
An honor guard unveils the new St. Tammany Parish Law Enforcement Memorial, recently expanded to ensure that all fallen officers will continue to be included in this legacy of honor at the St Tammany Parish ä See MEMORIAL, page 2A Justice Center in Covington.
Four arrested in 1982 murder of Roxanne Sharp
WHEELING AROUND
BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer
When 16-year-old Roxanne Sharp’s body was discovered by a group of trail riders near the St. Tammany Parish Fair Grounds in Covington in February 1982, it shocked the small northshore community. An initial investigation by the Covington Police Department determined Sharp, a young mother, had been murdered and raped. “It was just horrific news,” recalled St. Tammany Parish President Mike Cooper, whose father, Ernest, was mayor of Covington at the time. “Something we never thought would have happened in our town.” Sam O’Keefe, a former Covington City Council member who was 28 years old at the time Sharp’s body
PHOTOS BY GRANT THERKILDSEN
For those who like building and riding custom machines that are more bicycle than not, the Louisiana Bicycle Festival in Abita Springs on April 18 was the place to be. Fest sponsors did what they traditionally do and welcomed all things “wheeled, weird and wonderful” the more wackadoodle, the better.
ä See SHARP, page 2A
Special meeting set for April 30; public comment period scheduled
In the spirit of the day, Cole Barbier, Gavin Panepinto, Colton Calmette and Payton Carmouche spent the day popping wheelies around Abita Springs.
Staff report The St. Tammany Parish Council will hold a special meeting April 30 to discuss the financial state of the parish, gather insight from the community, and determine a fiscally responsible and transparent path forward. The parish president, Parish Council, district attorney, sheriff, judges and elected and community stakeholders have been
ä More
on Page 2A
working collaboratively to address funding challenges, while decreasing the financial burden on the citizens. The 2026 budget required a 30% reduction in funding for public safety. Deeper cuts will be required in 2027 and beyond if the shortage in the parish government’s general fund is not addressed. The Louisiana legislative auditor released an
ä See COUNCIL, page 2A
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was found, said that her murder, along with another murder a few years before, caused “shock and awe” in the small town. “We just didn’t have that. That was a really big thing — to have a murder in the city of Covington,” O’Keefe said.
Parish Council to discuss ways out of financial crisis
Sean Thompson came all the way from Jackson, Miss., to display bike he called Ab Flex that he made out of a workout bench.
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Roxanne Sharp
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