Latest news with #IbervilleParish
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
‘Lemon' leaves family stranded and ignored
OPELOUSAS, La () — Usually, when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. However, that isn't the case for an Opelousas woman, who was given a lemon when she purchased a car as a graduation gift for her son. Now her mother is speaking out after the dealership she says her daughter purchased the vehicle from, stopped all communication once they were made aware of the car not working. Abbie Young says her daughter purchased a vehicle out of Iberville Parish on May 6. It wasn't until May 17 that the car was delivered to her home when the dealership drove the actual vehicle without any paperwork, title or license plate. It was then discovered she was sold a lemon when it stopped running twenty minutes after it was delivered. 'This vehicle should have never been sold,' said Young. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Young says the night of her grandson's graduation, family and friends gathered around to witness her grandson drive off in his new car. But, when the car started there was a strange noise. 'My brother was the one who noticed it,' she said. 'That's why he told him to take it around the block, to check it out and see.' Jerry Freeman, Abbie's brother says he told his nephew to take the car around the block to test it out after hearing a continuous knock with the motor. After a few moments, it stopped in the middle of the street and had to be pushed back into the driveway. 'The motor just wasn't right. I'm no full-blown mechanic, but I know enough when something ain't right,' he said. In addition to the vehicle not running, Young says the radio they were told would be replaced never was. She says her daughter saved nearly $9,000 to purchase the vehicle, only to have expired tags and no paperwork other than a receipt as proof of purchase. She says her daughter was taken advantage of. 'They found out what she wanted to pay, and they gave her a lemon,' she said. Young says it's unfortunate what her daughter is dealing with and wants the issue resolved now. She says all her daughter wants is to be refunded the nearly $9,000 so she can purchase a working vehicle for her son. 'All this business has to do is pick up the phone, talk to her, come get the vehicle, see what's going on with it, and then offer her another one, or give her money back,' said Young. News 10 contacted the dealership and was able to speak with an administrative assistant who transferred us to a voicemail. As of news time we have not heard back from a representative of the dealership. Miles Perret celebrates 25-years of service with Birthday Bash, Games of Acadiana 'Lemon' leaves family stranded and ignored Disney offering Disney+, Hulu subscribers new perks, discounts Cat who survived 400-foot Utah canyon fall adopted by rescuing pilot Abbeville addresses weekend noise and safety complaints on St. Peter Avenue Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox News
17-05-2025
- General
- Fox News
America's largest remaining antebellum mansion burns down in devastating fire
Historic Nottoway Plantation, the largest antebellum mansion in the U.S., burned to the ground this week after a fire broke out on Thursday. There have been no reports of injuries or deaths connected to the fire. Fire crews worked to extinguish the flames with water reportedly being poured onto the rubble as long as 18 hours after the fire started, according to Fox 8. As of Saturday, the cause of the fire was still under investigation. "Some staff members stated they had gone into the museum and there was smoke. When they returned, the whole room was in flames," Iberville Parish President Chris Daigle told Fox 8, adding that it was "a total loss." Daigle noted in a post on the Iberville Parish Government's Facebook page that "The loss of Nottoway is not just a loss for Iberville Parish, but for the entire state of Louisiana. It was a cornerstone of our tourism economy and a site of national significance." The 64-room mansion was built by John Hampden Randolph in the late 1850s, according to multiple sources. It sat on more than 53,000 square feet and — in addition to the dozens of rooms — it contained 365 doors and windows and 22 white columns, Fox 8 reported. The property overlooked the Mississippi River. Randolph first arrived in Louisiana in 1841 and began by planting cotton, but ultimately shifted to sugar cane, according to the LSU Scholarly Repository. The scholarly repository article also notes that the mansion was named "Nottoway" after the county in Virginia where his ancestors lived. U.S. Department of the Interior records cited by Axios show that Randolph owned 155 slaves and 6,200 acres of land by 1860. In addition to the luxurious mansion, the property also featured several trees that are over 100 years old, several of which are more than 120 years old, according to Nottoway Plantation's website. In modern times, the mansion and the surrounding property functioned as a museum, resort and wedding venue. Nottoway Plantation's website states that it sat on 31 acres, which included 40 overnight rooms, a bar, a restaurant, event space, a pool, tennis courts and more. "While its early history is undeniably tied to a time of great injustice, over the last several decades it evolved into a place of reflection, education, and dialogue," Daigle wrote in the Facebook post. "Since the 1980s, it has welcomed visitors from around the world who came to appreciate its architecture and confront the legacies of its era. It stood as both a cautionary monument and a testament to the importance of preserving history — even the painful parts — so that future generations can learn and grow from it."
CBS News
16-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Fire destroys Nottoway Plantation House in Louisiana
Flames ripped through a massive mansion in Louisiana, destroying much of the historic structure that was used as a plantation house when it was completed in 1859, authorities said. The fire that engulfed the Nottoway Plantation House on Thursday devastated the building along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Iberville Parish President Chris Daigle said on social media. Nearly a dozen fire departments from surrounding towns battled the blaze, he said. No injuries were reported. Fire crews mover a line around the now fully engulfed the Nottoway Plantation on Thursday, May 15, 2025 in White Castle, La. Michael Johnson / AP Its website describes it as "the South's largest remaining antebellum mansion." Daigle called it "a cornerstone of our tourism economy and a site of national significance." Nottoway Plantation was built in the 1850s by John Hampden Randolph and sits on a 31-acre property in White Castle, on the edge of the Mississippi River. The 53,000-square-foot home on a former sugar plantation about 65 miles northwest of New Orleans had a three-story rotunda adorned with giant white columns and hand-carved Italian marble fireplaces, according to a description on its website. Up until the fire, the mansion was used as a museum and wedding and event venue. The mansion's owner, Louisiana attorney Dan Dyess, said in a written statement that the fire had led to a "total loss" after all the time and money he invested in the building. "We are devastated and heartbroken for this loss," he said. "This was my dream that has now been dashed." The north wing of the Nottoway Plantation starts to collapse as crews battle the fire on Thursday, May 15, 2025 in White Castle, La. Michael Johnson / AP Photos from local news outlets showed a giant orange wall of fire consuming the upper portion of the rotunda and sending a plume of thick smoke into the sky. The fire has been contained, and no other properties were harmed, said Maj. Monty Migliacio of the Iberville Parish Sheriff's Office. Other structures on the grounds have been preserved, parish officials said. "We are at the beginning phases of the investigation, we don't know how the fire began and our objective is to determine how it started," Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal Public Affairs Director Ken Pastorick said. In a statement on Facebook, Daigle touched on the structure's history of racial injustice during a time when enslaved Black people helped build the home and operate the sugar plantation that surrounded it. In 1860, 155 enslaved people were held at the property, according to National Park Service records. Firefighters from Baton Rouge operate Aerial 3 as flames engulf the Nottoway Plantation on Thursday, May 15, 2025 in White Castle, La. Michael Johnson / AP "While its early history is undeniably tied to a time of great injustice, over the last several decades it evolved into a place of reflection, education, and dialogue," Daigle said. "Since the 1980s, it has welcomed visitors from around the world who came to appreciate its architecture and confront the legacies of its era," he added. "It stood as both a cautionary monument and a testament to the importance of preserving history — even the painful parts — so that future generations can learn and grow from it."
Daily Mail
16-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Mystery as Gone With The Wind-style plantation that's one of south's oldest antebellum homes is destroyed by huge blaze
One of the Antebellum-era plantations in the country was destroyed after a massive fire ripped through the historic mansion and completely engulfed it in flames. The massive inferno erupted at Louisiana 's historic Nottoway Plantation House shortly after 2pm Thursday. A giant orange wall of fire consumed the 166-year-old home, which was located along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. The blaze, which started in the south wing of the building, devoured the upper portion of the rotunda and sent a plume of thick smoke into the sky. Officials claim the inferno quickly spread to the main house and left behind a trail of destruction. Footage from the property shows charred and collapsed remnants of the once beautiful house. The plantation's northern wing and back wall were completely destroyed, with only the chimneys remaining on each side. The façade and upper balcony had also collapsed. Although authorities note it is too soon to determine the full extent of the damage, the mansion's owner, Louisiana attorney Dan Dyess, said in a written statement that the fire had led to a 'total loss' after all the time and money he invested in the building. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, Iberville Parish government officials said. No injuries were reported. Nearly a dozen fire departments from surrounding towns were called to Nottoway Plantation in White Castle on Thursday after a blaze broke out at the home. Flames ripped through a massive mansion, destroying much of the historic structure that was used as a plantation house when it was completed in 1859. Mansion staff discovered smoke around 2pm after walking into a room in the museum on the second floor of the home, WAFB reports. Firefighters initially extinguished the blaze, but it reignited Thursday evening, causing flames to shoot from the roof as it collapsed in. Officials suspect the fire broke out in a second-floor bedroom. The fire has been contained, and no other properties were harmed, said Maj. Monty Migliacio of the Iberville Parish Sheriff´s Office. Other structures on the grounds have been preserved, parish officials said. Before the fire, Nottoway Plantation was a resort and event venue, and its website described it as 'the South's largest remaining antebellum mansion'. Iberville Parish President Chris Daigle called it 'a cornerstone of our tourism economy and a site of national significance.' Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal Public Affairs Director Ken Pastorick said authorities are still in the 'beginning phases of the investigation'. 'We don't know how the fire began and our objective is to determine how it started,' he added. When the fire first broke out, authorities said the planation's owners were dedicated to rebuilding and repairing the home in line with historic preservation. But now the owners are reportedly unsure if they will move forward with that plan, officials told WAFB. The 53,000-square-foot home on a former sugar plantation about 65 miles northwest of New Orleans had a three-story rotunda adorned with giant white columns and hand-carved Italian marble fireplaces, according to a description on its website. 'We are devastated and heartbroken for this loss,' owner Dan Dyess said. 'This was my dream that has now been dashed.' In a statement on Facebook, Daigle touched on the structure's history of racial injustice during a time when enslaved Black people helped build the home and operate the sugar plantation that surrounded it. In 1860, 155 enslaved people were held at the property, according to National Park Service records. 'While its early history is undeniably tied to a time of great injustice, over the last several decades it evolved into a place of reflection, education, and dialogue,' Daigle said. 'Since the 1980s, it has welcomed visitors from around the world who came to appreciate its architecture and confront the legacies of its era,' he added. 'It stood as both a cautionary monument and a testament to the importance of preserving history - even the painful parts - so that future generations can learn and grow from it.'
The Guardian
16-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Fire engulfs much of Louisiana plantation house with deep legacy of slavery
Flames ripped through a massive mansion in Louisiana, destroying much of the historic structure that was used as a plantation house when it was completed in 1859 before eventually becoming 'a place of reflection, education and dialogue' given the more than 150 people who were enslaved there before the abolition of slavery in the US, authorities said. The fire that engulfed the Nottoway plantation house on Thursday devastated the building along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Chris Daigle, the president of Iberville parish (Louisiana's term for county), said on social media. Nearly a dozen fire departments from surrounding towns battled the blaze, he said. No injuries were reported. Before the fire, the mansion was a resort and event venue, and its website described it as 'the south's largest remaining antebellum mansion'. Daigle called it 'a cornerstone of our tourism economy and a site of national significance'. In a statement on Facebook, Daigle also made it a point to touch on the structure's history of racial injustice during a time when enslaved Black people helped build the site and operate the sugar plantation that surrounded it. In 1860, 155 enslaved people were held at the property, according to National Park Service records. 'While its early history is undeniably tied to a time of great injustice, over the last several decades it evolved into a place of reflection, education, and dialogue,' Daigle said. 'Since the 1980s, it has welcomed visitors from around the world who came to appreciate its architecture and confront the legacies of its era,' he added. 'It stood as both a cautionary monument and a testament to the importance of preserving history – even the painful parts – so that future generations can learn and grow from it.' The 53,000-sq-ft (4,900-sq-meter) home on a former sugar plantation about 65 miles (105km) north-west of New Orleans had a three-story rotunda adorned with giant white columns and hand-carved Italian marble fireplaces, according to a description on its website. The mansion's owner, Louisiana attorney Dan Dyess, said in a written statement that the fire had led to a 'total loss' after all the time and money he invested in the building. 'We are devastated and heartbroken for this loss,' he said. 'This was my dream that has now been dashed.' Photos from local news outlets showed a giant orange wall of fire consuming the upper portion of the rotunda and sending a plume of thick smoke into the sky. The fire has been contained, and no other properties were harmed, said Maj Monty Migliacio of the Iberville parish sheriff's office. Other structures on the grounds have been preserved, parish officials said. 'We are at the beginning phases of the investigation, we don't know how the fire began and our objective is to determine how it started,' said Ken Pastorick, the public affairs director for Louisiana's office of state fire marshal.
