Lake Charles

A heated exchange between Fitzgerald Darbone of the African American Chamber of Commerce-Lake Charles and Councilman Ronnie Harvey outside Lake Charles council chambers ended without criminal charges. Surveillance video of the incident, which occurred after a June 23 city council meeting, was released following an investigation by the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office. Both parties declined to comment to 7News.

Baton Rouge’s three casinos generated $28.8 million in May 2025, an 8.6% increase from April and 2.7% higher than May 2024. L’Auberge Baton Rouge led with $14.7 million, Bally’s Baton Rouge saw 22.7% monthly growth to $6.2 million, and the Queen Baton Rouge reported $7.8 million. Louisiana’s 15 riverboat casinos collectively earned $187.2 million, with Lake Charles ($69.5 million) and Shreveport-Bossier ($60.6 million) as top performers.

Tropical Storm Arthur's remnants caused historic rainfall in Louisiana, setting a new 24-hour record of 29.06 inches measured by a CoCoRaHS observer near Cottonport in Avoyelles. The National Weather Service in Lake Charles confirmed the record.

Tropical Storm Arthur, the first named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, formed in the Gulf of Mexico near the Middle Texas coast. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and was moving northeast, prompting a tropical storm warning from High Island, Texas to Morgan City, Louisiana.

Potential Tropical Cyclone One is forming near the Texas coast, prompting a Tropical Storm Watch for parts of Louisiana and Texas. The system is expected to bring 4-8 inches of rain, causing dangerous flooding and potential tornadoes across Louisiana, Texas, and surrounding regions.

A volunteer coach in the Lake Charles area has been charged and detained for producing child pornography involving local minor boys. The incident highlights a serious criminal case involving the exploitation of minors.

Louisiana Judge Kendrick J. Guidry initially ruled against a state law allowing old abuse claims to proceed, favoring the Catholic Church despite a state supreme court upholding the law. He later recused himself after it was revealed he sits on the church's finance committee, creating a conflict of interest.

Jose Lopez-Montoya, a 41-year-old Honduran illegal immigrant in the U.S. since 2011, pleaded guilty to raping and impregnating his 12-year-old relative over two years. He faces 25 to 99 years in prison and an immigration detainer.