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S u n d ay, J u n e 21, 2026
Structural issues and safety a concern after hundreds of crashes on the Lake Charles I-10 bridge
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ELECTION 2026
Senate race could be closer than expected Polls show gap narrowing between Letlow, Fleming BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer
STAFF PHOTOS By LESLIE WESTBROOK
The Interstate 10 Calcasieu River Bridge is seen May 21 in Lake Charles. More than 100 people have been injured on the bridge in recent years. While it is rated structurally deficient, officials assure it remains safe due to regular inspections and timely repairs. BY MEGAN WYATT
Staff writer
First in a series Lolly Comeaux Sr. rarely wore a seat belt 20 years ago when he worked as a truck driver in Westlake. But he buckled up on the morning of May 23, 2006, while hauling sand in an 18-wheeler from Kinder. He was driving up the steep incline of Interstate 10’s Calcasieu River Bridge when he and another 18-wheeler collided to avoid a stalled taxi. Both tumbled 40 feet off the bridge’s pistol-lined guardrail. Now 73, Comeaux lived to tell the tale. “There’s a few other people that’ve went over the side of that bridge since then,” said Comeaux, who was born the same year the bridge finished construction. “I know what they went through.”
Lolly Comeaux Sr., 73, holds a photograph on May 21 of the wrecked 18-wheeler he was driving when he went off the side of the I-10 Calcasieu River Bridge in Lake Charles, seen behind him, 20 years ago. It was the kind of nightmarish wreck that those who frequently drive the bridge say they fear most on the imposing structure with a steep incline, narrow lanes and no shoulders. More than 100 people have
been injured in crashes on the bridge since 2018, The Advocate found in an analysis of state data that tracks bridge crashes, injuries and fatalities. Several factors make the bridge a concern — both
for drivers and for those in charge of maintaining it. It’s rated a 3 out of 9 by the Federal Highway Administration and considered to be in “poor condition,” based on annual inspections dating back to 2011. The rating, which the feds used to describe as “structurally deficient” before a 2017 classification change, means that structural components have started to deteriorate. Engineers base the ratings on inspections of a bridge’s deck where vehicles drive, along with its other structures and supports. Still, bridge engineers say the low rating does not mean it’s unsafe for drivers. “We at DOTD want to stress that the bridge is regularly inspected and it remains safe for travel,” said John Guidroz, a spokesperson for the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. “If
ä See BRIDGE, page 4A
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U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on use of six-person juries BY JOHN SIMERMAN Staff writer
Pope Leo warns priests to write their own homilies
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ä See SENATE, page 5A
Florida arguments lean on Lousiana case
For clergy, sermons come from the heart, not AI a stickler for the eight-minute rule. “But sometimes four is better,” DeRouen said. “C’mon, you know the listening capacity of most people. If you’re just makBY BOB WARREN ing one point, you don’t have to say it 16 times.” Staff writer Different clergy, different The Rev. Kurt Young says tips for inspiring congregations nothing is off-limits, but treads in the digital age. But each is clear on one thing: carefully around hot topics. Deacon Eddy Beckendorf When it comes to crafting a works to make it relatable, such homily, letting AI handle the as telling the story about the writing is not OK. time he got hit by a truck. And ä See SERMONS, page 6A Monsignor Keith DeRouen is
U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow appeared to hold an insurmountable advantage coming out of the Republican Senate primary on May 16 when she led state Treasurer John Fleming by 17 points and nearly won the election outright. But signs have emerged before the June 27 Republican Senate runoff that the outcome will be much closer, and a victory by Fleming is possible, even though Letlow’s side is badly outspending him, and she has President Donald Trump’s endorsement. In what will be a low-turnout election, Fleming appears to have supporters who are more Letlow committed to him, especially among Republicans who back him because of his vigorous opposition to carbon capture and sequestration. That’s a new technology where companies want to build pipelines to transport carbon dioxide from industrial plants to locations Fleming where it would be injected deep underground. A sign of Fleming’s support among the Republican base occurred last Saturday when Gov. Jeff Landry had to personally intervene to keep 150 members of the state central committee from endorsing Fleming over Letlow. One Fleming supporter said she was threatened by a surrogate of Landry’s with punishment by the governor if she voted to back Fleming. The committee voted to issue no endorsement. But it was striking to observers that, even though Letlow has the endorsement of Landry and Trump, the only question that day
STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD
The Rev. Kurt young teaches homiletics at Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans. young spends three semesters teaching seminarians the process of writing and delivering effective homilies during Mass. In February, Pope Leo XIV cautioned Catholic clergy to not use artificial intelligence to write the homilies for them.
In crimes where Louisiana’s criminal code does not specify hard labor upon a conviction, six-person juries can decide a defendant’s guilt. It’s been that way for well over a century. But last week, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear arguments in a Florida case that “six-pack” juries like those in Louisiana and a handful of other states are half what the U.S. Constitution requires, based on history. The petitioners in the Florida case lean heavily on the high court’s 2020 decision in Ramos v. Louisiana, banning nonunanimous jury verdicts in criminal cases. In that case, the Supreme Court broke with a 50-year ruling to find by a 6-3 majority that American juries were always meant to be
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ä See JURIES, page 9A
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