The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reported arrests connected to a Friday afternoon shootout in the LaGrange community. Deputies responded to the area of James Brown Avenue and LaGrange Road after receiving reports of gunfire at about 4:15 p.m. Friday.
Investigators said the incident began as an argument between 19-year-old Jadavius Galtney of Fayette and 36-year-old Robert Belton Jr. that escalated into a physical fight. According to the Sheriff’s Office, Galtney went to a home on Lotus Drive to get a gun and then returned to exchange gunfire with Belton. Deputies recovered 22 spent shell casings at the scene. The Sheriff’s Office said an arrest warrant for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon was issued for Belton, who remains at large. The Sheriff’s Office also stated it arrested one man following the incident.
Louisiana was ranked among the nation’s top 10 states for business competitiveness again. The publication Area Development ranked Louisiana 9th in its latest report, and the state’s placement marks the second consecutive year it has been in the top 10. The report ties the ranking to factors including the state’s tax environment and competitiveness.
In a separate development, Dr. Richard Holmes, described as Mississippi State University’s first Black student, died at age 82. A Starkville native, Holmes earned degrees from Mississippi State University including a liberal arts degree in 1969 and a master’s degree in microbiology in 1973. Investigators also reported that in 1977, Holmes earned a medical degree from Michigan State University and later worked as an emergency room physician in Birmingham, Alabama. He returned to Mississippi and joined MSU’s longest student health center in 2003 as a staff physician. The university dedicated the Dr. Richard E. Holmes Plaza in August 2026.
Up to 60 LSU football players will participate in a study focused on improving concussion detection. Researchers with FMOL Health said the study is designed to develop a sideline saliva test intended to detect concussions before symptoms are obvious. The approach is based on prior research indicating that certain proteins in blood can be indicative of concussions, with the study exploring whether similar markers can be found in saliva. A rapid saliva-based test, according to the report, could be used to detect brain injuries in the field.
At the Natchez Valley gauge, the Mississippi River was reported at 23.68 feet and falling.
