Baton Rouge news

• Walker woman killed in crash on LA 449

  24-07-2017 21:51 via wbrz.com
  WALKER - Police say a 67-year-old woman was killed in a Livingston Parish crash Monday afternoon.According to Louisiana State Police, troopers reported to the crash at the intersection of LA 449 and Varnodo Road in Walker around 2 p.m. Monday.Police say Deborah Cantrell of Walker was driving westbound on Varnado Road in 2017 Volkswagen Jetta when she failed to yield at a stop sign and drove into the path of a 2014 Hyundai Sonata passing through the intersection. The oncoming v
  
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• Snooty, oldest Florida manatee in captivity, dies at 69

  24-07-2017 21:20 via wbrz.com
  BRADENTON, Fla. - Snooty, Florida's longest living manatee in captivity, has died one day after a huge party to celebrate his 69th birthday.  The South Florida Museum posted a Facebook message Sunday saying that the beloved manatee had died in a heartbreaking accident. No other details were given about the cause of death, but the Bradenton museum says staffers are devastated and that the circumstances are being investigated.  Snooty had previously been in goo
  
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• Police: Fugitive wanted in Baltimore captured in Louisiana

  24-07-2017 21:18 via wbrz.com
  BALTIMORE - Authorities say federal and local law enforcement agents in Louisiana have arrested a Baltimore fugitive suspected in a killing on Maryland.  Baltimore Police spokesman T.J. Smith said in a statement that 18-year-old Cortez Wall, the agency's "Public Enemy No. 1," was arrested Monday at a Shreveport, Louisiana, home. It says agents with the U.S. Marshal's Office Fugitive Task Force, sheriff's deputies and police with a K-9 detained Wall as he tried to flee.&nbs
  
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• Denham Springs seeks assistance for drainage cleanup

  24-07-2017 21:01 via wbrz.com
  DENHAM SPRINGS - The city of Denham Springs is in the process of cleaning out ditches and culverts, but city officials say more needs to be done to keep the water away from people's homes.There's no quick fix to the drainage issue, and mayor Gerald Landry said more assistance is needed to help the current clean up effort."We're almost in the middle of hurricane season and we just can't wait any longer," Landry said.The city council unanimously agreed to look for companies to help improve the ci
  
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• McCain to come back to Senate Tuesday

  24-07-2017 20:23 via wbrz.com
  WASHINGTON - Arizona Sen. John McCain is returning to the Senate on Tuesday to vote on GOP health care legislation just days after being diagnosed with a brain tumor.  McCain's office made the dramatic announcement late Monday in a brief statement saying he looks forward "to continue working on important legislation including health care reform."  Republicans are holding the high-stakes vote on Tuesday to open debate on legislation to repeal and replace "Obam
  
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• Last orca calf born in captivity at a SeaWorld park dies

  24-07-2017 20:21 via wbrz.com
  ORLANDO, Fla. - The last killer whale born in captivity under SeaWorld's former orca-breeding program has died at the company's San Antonio park.  The Orlando-based company says 3-month-old Kyara died Monday. A SeaWorld news release says veterinarians were treating the calf for an infection last weekend, but Kyara's health continued to decline.  The release says a veterinary team will conduct a postmortem examination to determine the cause of death. That coul
  
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• Trump jokes about firing Price over Senate vote

  24-07-2017 20:17 via wbrz.com
  GLEN JEAN, W.Va. - President Donald Trump has jokingly threatened to fire his health secretary if a crucial vote to repeal "Obamacare" fails.  Trump told thousands of Boy Scouts at a national gathering in West Virginia that Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price "better get" the votes to begin debate on health care legislation Tuesday.  Otherwise, Trump said he'd repeat his tagline from "The Apprentice," the reality show he once starred in: "You're
  
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• Basement flood closes LSU dental school in New Orleans

  24-07-2017 19:54 via wbrz.com
  NEW ORLEANS - Louisiana State University's dental school in New Orleans is closed because the main building's basement flooded over the weekend, shutting down the computer network and phones.  LSU Health Sciences Center spokeswoman Leslie Capo says in a news release that heavy rains Saturday left 1½ feet of water in the basement. She said the school and main clinic would remain closed Tuesday but hope to reopen Wednesday.  Dean Henry Gremillion say
  
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• Fishing crew catches 926-pound shark off New Jersey coast

  24-07-2017 19:52 via wbrz.com
  BRIELLE, N.J. - A fishing crew has reeled in a 926-pound Mako shark, and New Jersey officials say it's the biggest shark catch in the state's history.  The boat's crew was fishing about 100 miles off the coast in an area known as Hudson Canyon on Saturday. The shark was weighed and displayed in Brielle later that day.  Kevin Gerrity, captain of the boat, says they didn't think they could manage to catch the shark. It took over two hours to pull it aboard.&
  
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• EBR Metro Council caught off guard by police chief's sudden exit

  24-07-2017 18:58 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE - Sharon Weston Broome said she would hire a new police chief while campaigning for Mayor-President last year. On a debate hosted by WBRZ just days before the election, the mayor made it clear that would make a change at BRPD if elected.“I believe we have to have someone new at the helm,” Broome answered when asked if she would seek a replacement chief.Still, members of the East Baton Rouge Metro Council said they were caught o
  
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• Mayor makes new tax pitch for transportation needs

  24-07-2017 18:47 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE – Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome launched her plan to improve traffic and road conditions hoping voters will approve a property tax increase. Broome announced her Better Transportation and Roads plan or BTR on Monday. She says the plan will utilize advanced technology. "A transportation center focused on data and technology that helps us get there that was not in the Greenlight program.That in and of itself is a game changer,” Broome said.
  
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• Broome proposes plan to improve transportation

  24-07-2017 18:47 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE – Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome launched her plan to improve traffic and road conditions hoping voters will approve a property tax increase. Broome announced her Better Transportation and Roads plan or BTR on Monday. She says the plan will utilize advanced technology. "A transportation center focused on data and technology that helps us get there that was not in the Greenlight program.That in and of itself is a game changer,” Broome said.
  
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• Veteran officer shot for 3rd time; in good condition

  24-07-2017 18:15 via wbrz.com
  NEW ORLEANS - A New Orleans police officer is recovering from a leg wound after being shot for the third time in his law enforcement career.  Police say Officer Christopher Abbott was in uniform working an off-duty private security patrol early Monday when someone fired a single round into the privately owned car he was in. The shooter was in a light colored SUV and was still at large.  Spokesman Aaron Looney says Abbott was in good condition. &n
  
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• 92-year-old WWII veteran attacked trying to defend US flag

  24-07-2017 18:07 via wbrz.com
  KAUFMAN, Texas - A 92-year-old Marine veteran has been injured while trying to defend the U.S. flag outside his Texas home.   Howard Banks fought in World War II and was left legally blind by a flare on Iwo Jima.After hearing noises outside his Dallas-area home earlier this month, Banks says he went outside and found someone trying to pull his flag down from its pole. The would-be thief knocked him down before running off, and neighbors rushed to help. Banks was left with bump
  
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• Congressman Scalise phones in to House GOP meeting from hospital

  24-07-2017 17:49 via wbrz.com
  WASHINGTON - House Republican whips heard from a special caller at their meeting Monday night - Majority Whip Steve Scalise.  The Louisiana Republican is recovering from a gunshot wound at a Washington hospital. He phoned in to thank everyone for their hard work and tell them he looked forward to working through his recovery.  The congressman's spokesman Chris Bond says Scalise is in good spirits.  Scalise expressed his appreciation for the
  
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• Homeowner says contractor forged her signature to get money

  24-07-2017 17:22 via wbrz.com
  DENHAM SPRINGS - A family hired a contractor who knocked on their door a few weeks after the August flood. They thought the construction would be finished by now, but it's far from it.Joycelin Ebbers says her contractor did something without her permission and it involves forging her signature."I thought that we were becoming friends, you know, I really did," Ebbers said.But a friend wouldn't leave you with a busted electrical panel, no bathrooms, nor floor or kitchen cabinets."It was
  
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• Area restaurants participating in #25onthe25th to donate to families of fallen officers

  24-07-2017 16:53 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE – Several area restaurants will donate a percentage of their sales to the families of the fallen Baton Rouge officers. Restaurants will donate 25 percent or more of their sales on July 25 to the families. Donations will be mailed to the Baton Rouge Area Foundation fund for the families. 
   Restaurants participating as of July 24 are listed below:Agave Blue Tequila and Taco BarBistro Byronz (Mid City)Bistro Byronz (Willow Grove)Bogie's Bar and Gril
  
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• Baton Rouge receives federal funding to replace police vehicles, repair schools

  24-07-2017 16:32 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE - The federal government has granted Louisiana more $9 million in additional funding to reimburse costs to assist public services and help schools recover from the August 2016 floods.According to FEMA the city of Baton Rouge will receive $2.9 million for the replacement of 92 police vehicles damaged in last year's flood. The amount also covers the extra equipment in the vehicles.The $9 million also includes funding for two Baton Rouge schools damaged in th
  
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• Road closure on Government Street at Independence to cause traffic delays, officials say

  24-07-2017 15:30 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE – Drivers can expect significant traffic delays on Government Street at the Independence/Lobdell intersection, due to an upcoming road closure at the location, officials say.
   The closure will begin on Tuesday, July 25 at 6 a.m. until Monday, July 31 at 6 a.m., according to the Traffic Engineering Division of the City-Parish Department of Transportation and Drainage.Officials say the closure is necessary for work to improve the road's condition.Additionally, begin
  
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• EBRSO: 66-year-old woman traveling to New Orleans now missing

  24-07-2017 15:13 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE – East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office detectives say a woman who was traveling to New Orleans is now missing.Detectives are searching for 66-year-old Jerry Hilton Brown, who was last heard from by her cousin on July 13. According to EBRSO, Brown was on her way to New Orleans in order to visit family members.Since then, her family members have not been in able to contact Brown. Brown is described as a black woman, 5'6'' in height and weighing 98 pounds. Anyo
  
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• 18-year-old arrested after live streaming deadly crash on Instagram

  24-07-2017 15:10 via wbrz.com
  FRESNO, Calif. - An 18-year-old woman is in jail, accused of driving under the influence as she live streamed a deadly car crash that claimed the life of her teenage sister Friday.Obdulia Sanchez was streaming live on Instagram when she crashed her vehicle with two unrestrained teenagers in the passenger seats. The vehicle flipped over after it veered off the roadway, killing Sanchez's 14-year-old sister and seriously injuring the other passenger.The Instagram video c
  
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• Motorcade escorting remains of Marine killed in plane crash

  24-07-2017 14:29 via wbrz.com
  FREEHOLD, N.J. - A motorcade of veterans and motorcycle clubs is escorting the remains of a Marine killed in a military plane crash in Mississippi home to New Jersey.  The coffin bearing the body of 20-year-old Cpl. Dan Baldassare left Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Monday. It will be taken to a funeral home in Freehold, New Jersey, and his funeral will take place Tuesday at the Colts Neck High School football field.  Baldassare was among 15 Marines and
  
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• Mississippi has 10 confirmed cases of West Nile virus in 2017

  24-07-2017 14:28 via wbrz.com
  JACKSON- Mississippi health officials are reporting seven new cases of West Nile virus, bringing the state total to 10 this year.  The state Health Department says three of the new cases are in Hinds County and the others are in Covington, Humphreys, Leflore and Perry counties.  Two previous cases were in Forrest County and one was in Rankin County.  Dr. Paul Byers, the state epidemiologist, says in a news release Monday that Mississippi is
  
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• Deputy Bruce Simmons given $65,000 to help pay for medical expenses

  24-07-2017 13:51 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE - Organizers of the Motorman 5K fundraiser presented Deputy Bruce Simmons with $65,000 Monday to help with the wounded officer's medical bills.The fundraiser, which aimed to help Deputies Nick Tullier and Bruce Simmons pay for medical expenses, was held May 21. About a thousand people turned out at Zachary High School to run and raise money for the two East Baton Rouge deputies.The two deputies were both seriously wounded in an ambush that targeted law enforcement
  
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• Overturned 18-wheeler closes I-12 East near Livingston

  24-07-2017 13:32 via wbrz.com
  LIVINSTON - All lanes of I-12 East have reopened near Livingston after crews removed an overturned semi truck from the roadwayAccording to the Department of Transportation and Development, the interstate was blocked between the Holden rest area and South Frost Road near Livingston as crews attempt to remove the vehicle from the roadway.There is currently no word on any injuries in connection with the incident.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Overturned 18-wheeler causes delays on I-12 East near Holden

  24-07-2017 13:32 via wbrz.com
  HOLDEN - One eastbound lane of I-12 is currently blocked near Holden due to an overturned semi truck.According to the Department of Transportation and Development, the right lane of the interstate is blocked between the Holden rest area and South Frost Road near Livingston.DOTD is  reporting heavy traffic in the area.There is currently no word on any injuries in connection with the incident.This is a developing story. We will update it with more information as it beco
  
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• 10 people dead after left in hot truck in Texas; driver charged with human trafficking

  24-07-2017 13:22 via wbrz.com
  SAN ANTONIO - Federal authorities in Texas have charged the driver of a tractor-trailer with transporting immigrants in the U.S. illegally, an incident resulting in the death of 10 people.  A complaint filed Monday accuses James Matthew Bradley of driving a trailer packed with immigrants for "commercial advantage or private financial gain." The charge carries the possibility of the death penalty.  Bradley is expected to appear Monday morning in San Antonio.&a
  
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• Addis mayor pro-tempore arrested after alleged hit and run in parking lot

  24-07-2017 13:15 via wbrz.com
  ADDIS - Addis Mayor Pro-Tempore Russell 'Rusty' Parrish was arrested after he was accused of a hit and run in a parking lot Sunday.According to the Iberville Parish Sheriff's Office, the incident occurred in the parking lot behind a Taco Bell on Highway 1 Sunday afternoon. Upon their arrival, a woman told deputies Parrish had struck her with his vehicle in the parking lot.Detectives made contact with Parrish, an Addis council member who is s
  
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• 19-year-old tenant arrested for allegedly threatening apartment complex employee

  24-07-2017 13:12 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE – A man was arrested for threatening an apartment complex employee with a knife.The Baton Rouge Police Department arrested 19-year-old Andrew Metzger on charges of aggravated assault and possession with intent to distribute a schedule IV drug. On July 23, around midnight, officers responded to the Campus Crossings apartment complex in reference to a disturbance. The victim told officers that Metzger came into the leasing office, brandished a kitchen knife and repe
  
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• New Orleans police officer shot working paid detail

  24-07-2017 06:00 via wbrz.com
  NEW ORLEANS -- Police are looking for the gunman who wounded an officer during a drive-by shooting early Monday in Uptown.Police Superintendent Michael Harrison said the officer, who has not been identified, was working a private, off-duty neighborhood watch detail when he was struck in the leg.Harrison said the officer, who was dressed in his uniform, was sitting in his private vehicle when someone in a light-colored SUV fired on him about 1:20 a.m. at Jefferson and Camp streets.The officer wa
  
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