WVUE - FOX 8 Defenders

FOX 8 Defenders: Verdicts in "Hounded" trial

Shelley Brown — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:53:00 EDT

After two days of testimony, Lafourche Parish Judge Hugh LaRose rendered verdicts in the trial of a Thibodaux man accused of animal cruelty and noise code violations.

FOX 8 Defenders: Trial continues in case of Lafourche animal cruelty

FOX8Live.com Staff — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:26:00 EDT

The trial of a Lafourche Parish man facing animal cruelty charges and charges he violated the parish noise ordinance continues Wednesday in Thibodaux.

FOX 8 Defenders: "Hounded" trial postponed to May

Shelley Brown — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 17:06:00 EDT

The trial of a Thibodaux man facing animal cruelty charges and animal noise code violations has been postponed.

FOX 8 Defenders: Customers say national company fails to deliver products

Shelley Brown — Thu, 4 Apr 2013 22:30:00 EDT

A company that claims to be the nation's largest manufacturer of portable and modular buildings has some pretty frustrated customers in Louisiana. They say they've paid Morgan Buildings and Spas hundreds of dollars in down payments for products they've waited months for and still don't have.

FOX 8 Defenders: "Hounded" trial begins in Lafourche

Shelley Brown — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 21:08:00 EDT

The trial of a Lafourche Parish man accused of animal cruelty and animal noise code violations started Thursday afternoon. But after three and a half hours of testimony in the case against Chris Michot, the court continued the trial to April 16.

FOX 8 Defenders: Contractor left unfinished work, didn't have proper license

Shelley Brown — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 23:00:00 EST

A New Orleans homeowner says her contractor has delayed her potential disaster recovery fund reimbursements, and after investigating, the FOX 8 Defenders found he shouldn't have even worked on the renovation project.

FOX 8 Defenders: Prosecutors build bigger case against pastor

Shelley Brown — Wed, 6 Feb 2013 13:14:00 EST

Prepared to go to trial today, Pastor Elijah Mealancon got worked up when he heard prosecutors tell the judge they would be filing a new bill of information.

FOX 8 Defenders: Local Festiva dispute settled

Shelley Brown — Tue, 5 Feb 2013 11:20:00 EST

The FOX 8 Defenders started investigating the national resort rental company for alleged fraud a year and a half ago.

Metairie woman frustrated with multiple random power outages

Shelley Brown — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 23:21:00 EST

Kucera received help from the FOX 8 Defenders for after several requests to Entergy go unanswered

FOX 8 Defenders: Michot and animal waste complaints

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 16:55:00 EST

An update to an ongoing FOX 8 Defenders investigation involving a Lafourche Parish man, facing animal cruelty charges.

FOX 8 Defenders: Hounded

Shelley Brown — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 16:52:00 EST

A Lafourche Parish couple feels they're prisoners inside their own home. Even there, they say they can't escape the disturbing noise that plagues their property. Now the FOX 8 Defenders are on the case.

FOX 8 Defenders: Boat sinks, fishermen blame national retailer

Shelley Brown — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 15:45:00 EST

A fishing trip turned frightening for two New Orleans men over the weekend when their boat sank in Port Fourchon.

FOX 8 Defenders: Man accused of animal cruelty is arrested

Shelley Brown — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 12:11:00 EST

The Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office confirms that Warren "Chris" Michot was arrested Thursday for refusing to sign a citation for violating the animal noise code.

FOX 8 Defenders: `Hounded` update

Shelley Brown — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 12:14:00 EST

There are two new developments in a FOX 8 Defenders investigation surrounding a Lafourche Parish man accused of animal cruelty charges.

FOX 8 Defenders: Judge "disappointed" in public defender

Shelley Brown — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 13:18:00 EDT

Elijah Mealancon showed up at Orleans Criminal District Court Thursday morning for a bench trial, but his public defender called out sick. Judge Ben Willard said this case has been "rolled too many times."

FOX 8 Defenders get results in canceled concert refunds

Shelley Brown — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 12:33:00 EDT

A New Orleans woman and a large St. Bernard Parish venue have been refunded money they were owed after a concert got canceled at the last minute, but it wasn't until the FOX 8 Defenders got involved.

FOX 8 Defenders: Underground problem swallows Mid-City yard

Shelley Brown — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 16:30:00 EDT

A problem under the ground grew out of control and nearly swallowed a Mid-City front yard. After three years, the homeowner says work crews finally tracked down the source, but she says it wasn't until the FOX 8 Defenders jumped on the case.

FOX 8 Defenders: Man arrested in storm screen theft

Shelley Brown — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 23:00:00 EDT

A local man was arrested and is the subject of a second investigation after a FOX 8 Defenders report. In a follow-up, investigators on both sides of the river are focused on Cornelius Washington.

FOX 8 Defenders: Family goes five days with no water

Shelley Brown — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 22:45:00 EDT

For days, she's had little to no water pressure inside her New Orleans East home. After calls to the Sewerage and Water Board, Patrice Lewis turned to the FOX 8 Defenders.

FOX 8 Defenders: Legal battle with national resort rental

Shelley Brown — Thu, 2 Aug 2012 22:45:00 EDT

The FOX 8 Defenders have an update on the legal battle that a group of New Orleans area residents is waging against Festiva Adventure Club.

FOX 8 Defenders: Solar panels & installer contracts

Shelley Brown — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 22:40:00 EDT

New solar panel payment options now offered by some companies makes this green living resource more affordable, but the FOX 8 Defenders found you should take a hard look at the contract before you hire an installer.

FOX 8 Defenders: Ticketed for someone else's vehicle, again

Shelley Brown — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 11:37:00 EDT

A St. Bernard man questions the City of New Orleans' traffic camera system after his vehicle was identified incorrectly, not once but twice in a matter of months.

FOX 8 Defenders:Homeowners fear they're victims of federal fraud

Shelley Brown — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 23:42:00 EDT

They received thousands of dollars in federal grant money to better protect their homes during the next big storm, but months after some homeowners paid for new window screens, the contractor who took their money is missing and hasn't even started the work.

FOX 8 Defenders: Ticketed for someone else's vehicle

Shelley Brown — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:30:00 EDT

A St. Bernard man gets a red light ticket in New Orleans, but the vehicle caught on camera is not even close to the car he drives. He turned to the FOX 8 Defenders for answers and Shelley Brown has the results.

FOX 8 Defenders: Old car owner receives new car owner's past due tickets

Shelley Brown — Fri, 11 May 2012 10:12:00 EDT

Imagine selling or trading in your car and years later you get parking tickets that the car's new owner racked up. That happened to a Metairie woman, who couldn't get answers for four years.

FOX 8 Defenders: Tax bill spiked thousands of dollars

Shelley Brown — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 22:30:00 EDT

For an Uptown homeowner, it was sticker shock when she opened her 2012 property tax bill, and it turns out it was thousands of dollars more than she had ever paid before.

FOX 8 Defenders: Sheriff's office takes months to pay for accident damage

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 21:50:00 EDT

An employee of a local law enforcement agency hit another vehicle in a parking lot, and although he admitted to causing the damage, the local sheriff's office took more than a year to pay for repairs.

FOX 8 Defenders: BBB warns of mortgage scams

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 17:58:00 EDT

Foreclosures are on the rise in Louisiana and so are the number of scams targeting troubled homeowners. In the past month, at least a dozen consumers have contacted the FOX 8 Defenders

FOX 8 Defenders: Renters dispute with landlords

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 17:58:00 EDT

The FOX 8 Defenders and The National Council of Jewish Women have been wrestling with a barrage of calls from tenants who are having issues with their landlords. The

FOX 8 Defenders: Home Elevation Program under the microscope

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 17:58:00 EDT

A local lawmaker warns there may be even deeper problems within Governor Bobby Jindal's Disaster Recovery Unit. The FOX 8 Defenders and the National Council of Jewish

FOX 8 Defenders:Pastor due back in court for theft charges

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 17:55:00 EDT

A pastor that the FOX 8 Defenders and The National Council of Jewish Women has investigated for alleged contractor fraud is due back in court for a hearing on theft charges in

FOX 8 Defenders: Travel company doesn't deliver on promises

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 14:02:00 EDT

Many of us are looking forward to vacations as summer kicks into high gear. But as we plan our getaways, others are plotting too.

FOX 8 Defenders: Abandoned property leaves unsafe conditions

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 14:00:00 EDT

A tall, wrought iron fence across the front of Chandra Woods' Hollygrove home is there to protect her kids, including an eight-year-old special needs son. However, she says for six months even inside that fence her family wasn't safe.

FOX 8 Defenders: Disturbing elevation grant program allegations

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 13:58:00 EDT

Charles Banks is rebuilding his Lower 9th Ward home stronger and higher, but nearly seven years after Katrina, he can't move home, and what he says has gotten in the way is disturbing.

FOX 8 Defenders: Whopping $7K water bill

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 13:57:00 EDT

Willard Echols' Louisa St. home filled with water during Katrina.

FOX 8 Defenders: Metairie homeowner left carpetless

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 13:53:00 EDT

Martha Guthrie hired a sub-contractor to re-carpet part of her Metairie home, but thousands of dollars and several months later, she said he left her carpet-less. Guthrie then turned to the FOX 8 Defenders and National Council of Jewish Women for help.

FOX 8 Defenders: Disabled man without special wheelchair for months

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 13:47:00 EDT

A specialized power wheelchair gives 32-year-old Reginald Martes mobility and independence. His movement and muscles are impaired because of the cerebral palsy disorder he's had since birth.

FOX 8 Defenders: Lawsuit filed against national travel company

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 19:19:00 EDT

A group of New Orleans residents are now suing a national travel agency they say defrauded them. This comes after a series of FOX 8 Defender investigations delving into Festiva

FOX 8 Defenders: Investigation launched into travel company

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 19:19:00 EDT

After the FOX 8 Defenders first report featured three consumers who allege Festiva Adventure Travel scammed them, 15 more complaints, all mirroring the originals, came to the Defender's

Friends, family try to understand death of 5-year-old girl

Carolyn Scofield — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:59:00 EDT

Jefferson Parish Sheriff's investigators say a 13-year-old boy killed his young sister when he tried wrestling moves on the 5-year-old girl.

After child's death, media violence is called into question

Meg Gatto — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:57:00 EDT

The criminal investigation into the case continues, but already the teen suspect's claims have pushed questions about violent video programming and child behavior back into focus.

Methamphetamine lab arrest in Plaquemines Parish

FOX8Live.com Staff — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:53:00 EDT

Officers booked 28-year-old Loran Anthony Williams with operating the lab and a number of other drug-related offenses.

Police seeking missing 15-year-old girl from N.O. East

FOX8Live.com Staff — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:17:00 EDT

"Officers are asking the public's help in finding 15-year old Shanna Rodgers, who was last seen yesterday at about 10:00 P.M."

Three people shot in Hollygrove

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:14:00 EDT

Police responded Tuesday evening to a multiple shooting in Hollygrove.

School resumes camp after science experiment accident

Nancy Parker — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:37:00 EDT

A Covington science camp reopened a day after two students were hurt in an experiment that went wrong. Both are being treated for burns, one in Shreveport and the other in Baton Rouge.

Heat is already too much for some locals

Sabrina Wilson — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:30:00 EDT

Summer officially begins on June 21. But with temperatures already soaring into the 90's, locals say they hate to see what July and August will bring.

NOPD officer dismissed for violation of moral conduct

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:43:00 EDT

New Orleans Police Superintendent announced that an officer was dismissed for violating the Department's policy on moral conduct.

Construction at Tulane's new stadium running on schedule

Jennifer Hale — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:31:00 EDT

Green Wave fans and supporters have been willing to open their wallets to ensure the university finally gets back something it hasn't had since the old Tulane Stadium closed in 1974: an on-campus football experience.

Natural gas pipeline blast creates massive crater

Rob Masson — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:25:00 EDT

It was a blast that could be seen and heard for miles. A natural gas pipeline ruptured near Franklinton Tuesday morning, and dozens of residents were forced from their homes.

Woman unmasks robber to find grandson

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:59:00 EDT

Police say a New Mexico woman who confronted a masked intruder in her home stumbled upon a shocking discovery when she ripped off his disguise — the robber was her grandson.

Terrytown teen charged in murder of 5-year-old sister

FOX8Live.com Staff — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:30:00 EDT

The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office arrests a 13-year-old boy for the murder of his 5-year-old step-sister after the boy claimed he was practicing wrestling moves on the little girl.

Bieber behind wheel as car hits man in Hollywood

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:07:00 EDT

Video shows Justin Bieber running into a photographer with his white Ferrari in Hollywood, but police say there was no crime and the injuries aren't life-threatening.

Florida fishermen reel in $2.5 million bale of cocaine

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 15:56:00 EDT

Five fishermen on a commercial expedition 2-3 miles off the coast of Destin, Fla., on Wednesday found 25 kilograms (55 pounds) of cocaine floating in the water, worth an estimated $2.5 million, before handing it over to authorities.

Gas line explosion near Franklinton

FOX8Live.com Staff — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:10:00 EDT

A gas main exploded in Washington Parish around 5am. The explosion occurred in a rural area off Lee Road in Franklinton.

Crackdown planned on alcohol and tobacco sales

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:24:00 EDT

ATC plans random checks to make sure minors aren't being allowed to buy cigarettes or alcohol.

Lil Wayne defends trampling American flag while shooting new video

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:17:00 EDT

Rap star Lil Wayne was filmed trampling all over the American flag while shooting a new music video for the song "God Bless Amerika" in New Orleans this past weekend, but the rap star says anyone offended may want to change their tune.

Atlanta radio station fires 3 for Steve Gleason comments

FOX8Live.com Staff — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 18:32:00 EDT

"We suspended the three individuals involved immediately following their comments and have since terminated their employment," reads a statement from the general manager of 790 The Zone radio in Atlanta.

I-10 widening project to cause major changes starting Tuesday

Sabrina Wilson — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 19:20:00 EDT

When the project is completed at the end of the year, there will be five lanes instead of three in both directions for the 162,000 drivers who navigate that section of the interstate in Metairie daily.

Wedding ring mistakenly sold at yard sale gets returned

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:43:00 EDT

A diamond wedding ring that was mistakenly sold at a community yard sale has been returned to its owner.