Gonzales

A property owner in Gonzales stated that a business deal intended to revitalize his building instead resulted in financial losses. He claims that the arrangement left him dealing with thousands of dollars in damages and unpaid rent. The owner also noted that there remained several unanswered questions regarding the situation.

Ascension Parish is advancing the construction of Cara’s House Animal Welfare Center, with site work procurement set to begin soon. The new facility, designed to house 148 dogs and 164 cats, will be built two feet above flood elevation and funded by a 1-mill animal shelter tax approved in 2019. Construction is expected to start in 2027 and take 12–18 months.

Currency Bank has opened its first physical location in Ascension Parish, a Gonzales loan-production office focused on serving local businesses. Lindsey Duplessis, a lifelong Ascension resident, was named the bank’s Ascension market president to lead the expansion, emphasizing relationship banking and community economic growth.

Cajun Cookware, a Louisiana-based company known for aluminum cookware and outdoor equipment, has opened a 10,000-square-foot showroom and warehouse in Gonzales, expanding beyond its wholesale business. The facility supports retail partnerships, e-commerce growth, and direct consumer sales while increasing employees from three to seven.

Cajun Cookware, a family-owned company based in Louisiana, has expanded from a home-based wholesale operation to a 10,000-square-foot facility in Gonzales, including a retail showroom and warehouse. The move supports direct customer engagement and job growth, with the company hiring four additional employees since opening the new location.

A ±7,287 SF Class-A office in Gonzales, leased to an engineering firm for ±5,100 SF, offers additional ±1,625 SF for a second tenant or owner-user. The property includes a cleared, pad-ready lot zoned for office construction and is located near major amenities and highways.

Two men from Baton Rouge and Ascension Parish were convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. They were found guilty of scheming to defraud insurance companies.

Industrial investment in Ascension Parish is driving commercial real estate activity, with new projects like CF Industries and Hyundai creating demand for housing, retail, and services. Retail growth is concentrated in Gonzales and Prairieville, though residential expansion outpaces retail development in Prairieville. National retailers remain cautious, waiting for population growth from industrial projects to solidify.

Dantin Bruce Development’s Harvest Fields subdivision in Gonzales has cleared a major hurdle after the Ascension Planning Commission approved its preliminary plat. The approval followed a meeting lasting over three hours.

Marchand’s Interior and Hardware is expanding its Gonzales campus with a new 12,783-square-foot warehouse and drive-through project pickup service to improve home renovation convenience. The project includes a 3,600-square-foot flooring showroom expansion and aims to streamline operations by centralizing inventory and enhancing order fulfillment efficiency.

Marchand’s Interior and Hardware in Gonzales is expanding with a new warehouse, enlarged flooring showroom, and drive-through pickup service to streamline home renovation projects. The expansion aims to centralize inventory, improve operations, and simplify the customer experience, with the warehouse opening this summer and showroom expansion completing by year-end.

A 14-year-old was critically injured after a gun discharged during a handling incident with another teen at a home in Gonzales, as reported by deputies.

Jonathan Bates, a 9-year-old student from Gonzales, Louisiana, has been selected to attend the National Youth Leadership Forum Pathways to STEM at Vanderbilt University this summer.

Three people have been arrested in connection with the 2023 killing of Craig Haynes Jr. in Gonzales, following a two-year investigation. The incident is described as a deadly shooting.

Samuel Lane, 42, of Gonzales, Louisiana, pleaded guilty to multiple felony charges, including home invasion, attempted first-degree rape, and attempted first-degree robbery after targeting women in separate incidents in 2024.

Entergy crews will perform maintenance and upgrades to the electrical system in Gonzales on June 17, causing a planned power outage from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The outage will affect approximately 209 customers in the area.

A Gonzales woman now faces an accessory to second-degree murder charge following the death of a Baton Rouge man from shooting injuries. Jail records confirm the upgraded charge.

Reps. Cory Mills and Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick are facing calls for removal following the resignations of two other lawmakers, Reps. Swalwell and Gonzales. CBS News reporter Nikole Killion covers the development.

The House of Representatives has read resignation letters from two members, Gonzales and Swalwell. This marks their official departure from their respective roles in the legislative body.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is facilitating historic direct talks between Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors, marking the first such discussions in decades. The talks aim to secure a short-term ceasefire to prevent conflict involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran. The House of Representatives is also addressing internal upheaval related to Representatives Swalwell and Gonzales.