Baton Rouge news

• Would-be rescuer 1 of 2 dead after car goes into water

  06-12-2017 21:38 via wbrz.com
  NEW ORLEANS - Two people - the driver of an automobile and a would-be rescuer - died after the car plunged into water at a restaurant overlooking Louisiana's Lake Pontchartrain.
   The accident happened Tuesday night in New Orleans. The driver died after being pulled from the submerged car. A passenger was hospitalized in stable condition.
   A body was pulled from the water Wednesday afternoon. New Orleans media reported that it was 50-year-old Frank Williams, a restaurant employ
  
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• High school students buy puppy for teacher who lost his dog

  06-12-2017 20:35 via wbrz.com
  ALABAMA- A high school teacher is spending this holiday season with a new puppy thanks to the generosity of his students.Troy Rogers, a history teacher at Clements High School in Athens, was surprised at school last month with a golden retriever puppy.Around 90 students in the senior class raised $700 through donations from themselves and Rogers' fellow teachers to buy the puppy. After learning that Rogers' golden retriever, Chip, had gone missing, the students started the fundraiser."Coach Rog
  
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• Domestic violence deaths on the rise in Baton Rouge

  06-12-2017 19:58 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE - Domestic violence-related deaths have doubled in East Baton Rouge Parish compared to this same time last year.The Parish has already seen 12 domestic homicides this year. Four of those cases have been murder-suicides, with another six attempted murders.The most recent case occurred Tuesday, when a man shot a woman on Banyan Trace Drive before turning the gun on himself. The victim survived that shooting, but was still in the hospital with serious injuries Tuesday afternoon.Just ou
  
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• Teen indicted in random slaying of out-of-town trucker

  06-12-2017 19:38 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE - A grand jury has indicted a teenager on one count of murder after he killed an out-of-town truck driver in what appeared to be a completely random attack.Landry Carter, 18, was arrested in connection with the death of Keith Odom in early August. Odom, from Tennessee, was murdered in a robbery while he was with his 18-wheeler in the parking lot of a strip mall on the 12000 block of Florida Boulevard.Police say Carter was also the suspect in a number of robberies of dollar
  
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• City of Gonzales and City's Police Chief slapped with federal lawsuit

  06-12-2017 17:56 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE- A former police officer with the Gonzales City Police Department filed a federal lawsuit in Baton Rouge against the City of Gonzales and the City's Police Chief, Sherman Jackson.
  Moses Black alleges he was retaliated against by Jackson when he blew the whistle on his colleagues. He claims he witnessed two officers severely beat an elderly man while he was in custody. After reporting the incident, Black said the focus shifted to him.
  "You (Chief Jackson) disregard it and an officer
  
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• Louisiana sees more flu cases than other states

  06-12-2017 17:44 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE - Winter is here and so is the flu. Medical experts say the season has arrived earlier than usual and they've seen more cases in Louisiana than in other states.The Louisiana Department of Health tells News 2 the flu is "widespread" and the risk is "high".Dr. Mindy Calandro of the Baton Rouge Clinic recommends the flu shot to prevent patients from catching the virus, even though it's not always effective."The flu vaccine is never going to be perfect," said Calandro,
  
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• Gulf rig worker killed in apparent equipment accident

  06-12-2017 17:17 via wbrz.com
  NEW ORLEANS- Authorities say a worker was killed in what appears to be an equipment-related accident on a drillship in the Gulf of Mexico.The federal Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said in a news release Wednesday that the incident happened Sunday aboard the Petrobras 10,000 drillship, owned by Transocean Ltd.The safety bureau said the deceased worker was employed by Spencer Ogden Ltd. as a floorhand and was engaged in pipe-handling operations when he was injured. The statement
  
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• WATCH: Holiday shopping gift guide

  06-12-2017 17:15 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE - It's the 2017 holiday season, which means it's time to get your shopping list together.With only 18 shopping days left before Christmas and six before Hanukkah, here are some of the hot items that won't break your bank this year.A bigger shopping list can be found here.Permalink| Comments
  
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• West Feliciana attorney accused of molesting teen more than 10 years ago

  06-12-2017 16:42 via wbrz.com
  ST. FRANCISVILLE - An area lawyer has been arrested after he was accused of molesting a teenage girl more than ten years ago.According to the West Feliciana Parish Sheriff's Office, 55-year-old David Opperman was arrested Wednesday after a complaint was filed against in late November. That complaint alleges that Opperman molested a girl in 2003, when she was just 13 years old.Deputies issued a warrant for Opperman's arrest Tuesday and he turned himse
  
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• In the wake of allegations, governor establishes task force to review state sexual harassment policies

  06-12-2017 16:26 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE - Governor John Bel Edwards has announced plans to establish a task force to review the current sexual harassment and discrimination within state agencies.The governor made the announcement Wednesday in the wake of allegations directed at one of Edwards' former deputy chiefs of staff, Johnny Anderson. Last month, Anderson resigned after the governor's office began reviewing a sexual harassment complaint reportedly filed against him.The seven-member board is tasked with revi
  
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• Insurance claims total $9B for California fires

  06-12-2017 16:06 via wbrz.com
  SACRAMENTO, Calif.- Officials say $9 billion in insurance claims have been filed following wildfires that ravaged Northern California two months ago.  That's up from $3.3 billion in losses announced by the state in late October.  Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said Wednesday that the $9 billion includes residential, commercial and automobile losses.  The wildfires that ripped through Northern California were the deadliest in state history
  
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• Lee Price Road bridge to close in Clinton Thursday

  06-12-2017 15:30 via wbrz.com
  CLINTON - Officials have announced that the Lee Price Road bridge in Clinton will be shut down starting Thursday.  The East Baton Rouge City-Parish Department of Transportation and Drainage Traffic Engineering Division announced the bridge crossing over Whitten Creek would be closed Dec. 7, but didn't specify when it would reopen.The detour will be Lee Price Rd to Greenwell Springs Rd to Pride-Baywood Rd to Jim Price Rd to Price Rd to Lee Price Rd.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Lyft now testing self-driving car rides

  06-12-2017 15:13 via wbrz.com
  BOSTON - The ride-hailing company Lyft is now sending self-driving cars to pick up passengers in a Boston neighborhood.  The cars will have backup human drivers at the wheel and will be limited to short routes within the city's Seaport District, a burgeoning tech startup hub.  Lyft and its Boston-based partner nuTonomy, which builds self-driving software, announced Wednesday that the pilot project has begun.  Boston city officials approved t
  
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• Woman sentenced for trafficking teen tattooed with bar code

  06-12-2017 15:11 via wbrz.com
  BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - A Connecticut woman won't serve any more time behind bars for her involvement in the sex trafficking of a teenager who was tattooed with a bar code to show that she was property.  Neshaya Dozier was sentenced Wednesday to the nine months she spent in federal prison and the seven months she has lived in a reintegration facility since her arrest.  Dozier pleaded guilty to a sex trafficking charge in September.  Prosecutors
  
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• House votes to kill resolution to impeach Trump

  06-12-2017 15:08 via wbrz.com
  WASHINGTON - The House has overwhelmingly voted to kill a resolution from a Democratic lawmaker to impeach President Donald Trump.  The vote Wednesday was 364-58.  Democratic Rep. Al Green of Texas says Trump has associated his presidency with causes rooted in bigotry and racism.  After his resolution was read, Republicans held a vote to table it. Democratic leaders announced beforehand they were opposed to Green's resolution. &
  
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• 'Johnny Reb' Confederate statue has new home in Florida

  06-12-2017 15:06 via wbrz.com
  ORLANDO, Fla. - A Confederate statue removed from the downtown park of a major Florida city now has a new home.  WFTV-TV reported Wednesday that the statue nicknamed "Johnny Reb" now stands in Orlando's Greenwood Cemetery.  The 106-year-old memorial was removed in July after public complaints that the monument is a symbol of racism and white supremacy.  The Greenwood Cemetery already has a section set aside for Confederate soldiers.&nbsp
  
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• Traffic stop leads to over $800,000 worth of heroin being seized

  06-12-2017 14:36 via wbrz.com
  COVINGTON- Authorities say a traffic stop on Interstate 10 in Calcasieu Parish led to the arrest of a woman for multiple narcotics and weapons charges.Louisiana State Police seized over $825,000 in heroin and $9,614 in cash. The suspect was identified as 35-year-old Mai Ly Thuy Johnson.Authorities say the investigation began Monday when deputies with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by 36-year-old Dujuan Jerel Johnson on Interstate 10.During the
  
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• WATCH: Holiday burglar tries (and fails) to trick security camera with towel

  06-12-2017 14:35 via wbrz.com
  SLIDELL - The search for a burglar on the Northshore shouldn't prove too difficult for police after a surveillance camera got a nice, clear look at his face.According to the Slidell Police Department, the less-than-stellar criminal broke into a home on Park Drive while the occupants were away Monday. A surveillance camera set up inside the home filmed the thief as he crept through a hallway.In the video, the burglar stops in his and tracks and stares dead-on into the camera af
  
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• Cajun Navy to host 'Boatload of Toys' Christmas drive for Hurricane Harvey victims

  06-12-2017 14:33 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE- The Cajun Navy will be hosting a Christmas toy drive for victims still recovering from Hurricane Harvey.The non-profit organization announced on Wednesday that the drive will be called "A Boatload of Toys." The Cajun Navy is asking the community to assist in filling up boats with toys to be delivered to children of families affected by the devastating storm.Patrons are asked to drop off new, unwrapped toys to either of the following locations:Baton Rouge- Sat., Dec. 9 from 10 a.m.
  
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• Slain deputy one of two officers involved in 2016 shooting of Terrell Walker

  06-12-2017 14:11 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE - Authorities have released the names of two deputies involved in the deadly shooting of Terrell Walker, who allegedly murdered his girlfriend and opened fire on law enforcement.According to the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, deputies Benjamin Friedman and Shawn Anderson were the two called to the scene after Walker allegedly murdered his girlfriend in November 2016. The sheriff's office says Walker shot his girlfriend, April Peck, and pushed her out of a car at United
  
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• Man allegedly kills neighbor after ongoing property line dispute

  06-12-2017 13:59 via wbrz.com
  LAFOURCHE PARISH- Deputies from the Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office arrested a man they say shot his neighbor Tuesday.Keith Trosclair, 60, has been charged with second-degree murder after killing 46-year-old Christopher Saunders.Deputies received a call of a shooting at 11:54 a.m. Tuesday. At the scene, deputies found Trosclair kneeling on the ground with his hands raised in the air and Saunders lying on the ground. Authorities found a rifle on the ground between Trosclair and the victim. Dep
  
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• Senator says Franken expected to resign Thursday

  06-12-2017 13:58 via wbrz.com
  WASHINGTON - A top Senate Democrat says he expects Sen. Al Franken to resign Thursday over allegations of sexual misconduct. Another woman has come forward with accusations against the Minnesota Democrat of sexual misconduct.  In a tweet on Wednesday, Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon said: "I expect that Senator Franken will announce his resignation tomorrow." Wyden tweeted that "It is the right thing to do given this series of serious allegations."  More than a doze
  
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• Lawmaker's 'I don't like men' comment stirs protest

  06-12-2017 13:56 via wbrz.com
  HARRISBURG, Pa. - An outspoken and conservative Pennsylvania state lawmaker is the target of calls to resign or be demoted after he interrupted a committee meeting to accost his Democratic counterpart for touching his arm and suggest the man might be gay.  Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday called Rep. Daryl Metcalfe's comments offensive and discriminatory. Wolf's spokesman says the governor doesn't think Metcalfe should chair a committee that handles civil rights legislati
  
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• Danny Etling named SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year

  06-12-2017 13:50 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE- LSU's starting quarterback Danny Etling has been named the Southeastern Conference Scholar Athlete of the Year.On Tuesday, the league announced that Etling will join offensive lineman Rudy Niswanger as the only LSU players to be named the SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year in the 15-year history of the award.Graduating with a 3.74 GPA, Etling studied mass communication at LSU. He was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team in both 20
  
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• Colin Kaepernick accepts Sports Illustrated's Muhammad Ali Legacy Award

  06-12-2017 13:42 via wbrz.com
  Colin Kaepernick accepted Sports Illustrated's Muhammad Ali Legacy Award Tuesday night in New York City promising to work for the people “with or without the NFL’s platform.”Beyonce was brought on stage by "The Daily Show" host Trevor Noah as a surprise presenter. She praised Kaepernick for taking “action with no fear of consequence or repercussion, only hope to change the world for the better.”Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, last year’s Ali Awar
  
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• WANTED: Thieves make off with pants full of 'high dollar' liquor

  06-12-2017 13:26 via wbrz.com
  PART ALLEN - Authorities say they're looking for two thieves responsible for stealing nearly 30 bottles of "high dollar" liquor from a local Walmart over the course of two days.According to the West Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, the two suspects were spotted on surveillance video at the Port Allen Walmart. The sheriff's office says the men entered the store on Nov. 19 and stuffed 14 bottles of Grey Goose vodka into their pants. The pair returned the next night, and smuggled 13
  
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• Local homeless shelters enacting freeze plan

  06-12-2017 12:37 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE - A number of local shelters will be putting a freeze plan into effect in order to accommodate homeless men, women and children.The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is taking strides to ensure all of the homeless in the area have a warm place to ride out the cold weather. The society says it will be opening emergency spots as needed in order to fill the need.The society also plans to open a new facility before January, allowing for 40 more open beds.You can call 225-383-7837
  
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• Student arrested for bringing more than 20 bags of marijuana to school

  06-12-2017 12:29 via wbrz.com
  MORGAN CITY- Through a joint effort, one Morgan City High School student was arrested with over 20 bags of marijuana.The arrest was a joint effort between the Morgan City Police Department Canine Division, St. Mary Parish School Board and the St. Mary Sheriff's Office School Resource Office.K-9 Lady was alerted to the presence of illegal narcotics in a vehicle. Upon further examination of the vehicle, authorities found 22 individual cellophane bags of suspected marijuana.Authorities say evidenc
  
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• Some events canceled due to rainy weather this week

  06-12-2017 12:26 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE – Dreary, cold weather has forced some outdoor events to be canceled ahead of the weekend.Rainy and cold weather is forecast for Wednesday and Thursday – there is the possibility of colder and possibly winter-like precipitation for early Friday morning. Click HERE for the forecast.BREC canceled its annual Caroling in the Park event for Friday. The event was set for City-Brooks Community Park near the Garden District. BREC said due to weather conditions Wednesday
  
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• DOTD prepares salt for roads

  06-12-2017 12:03 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE- One million pounds of road salt is sitting on standby in a warehouse next to the Capitol. DOTD officials said they will make a decision Thursday whether to load it into trucks that will spread it on bridges and raised highways during any potential freezing weather later this week."For this event, if there even is an event, we are more than prepared," said DOTD spokesperson, Rodney Mallett.In January, DOTD shut down the Audubon Bridge across the Mississippi River near St. Francisvil
  
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• Woman admits to stabbing 85-year-old man

  06-12-2017 11:59 via wbrz.com
  TERRYTOWN- Deputies from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office said a woman admitted to stabbing an 85-year-old man inside a home in Terrytown.Deputies went to check on the man whose relatives had not heard from him in days. They were greeted at the door by 46-year-old Krystal Behrens, according to WWL-TV.The man's lifeless body was found at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday in his home in the 600 block of National Avenue. Authorities say Behrens was the roommate of the man.The victim's name was not immediate
  
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• California fire grows and worst may be coming

  06-12-2017 11:35 via wbrz.com
  VENTURA, Calif. - The largest and most destructive wildfire in Southern California has grown to 140 square miles and fire officials say the worst may be yet to come.
   The 90,000-acre fire burning in Ventura County northwest of Los Angeles has swept through ridges and canyons to the sea and Santa Ana winds that drove it are expected to return with a vengeance overnight.
   State fire director Ken Pimlott says winds that eased in the afternoon could return with gusts up to 80 mph
  
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• Area restaurant asking for public's help in identifying suspect

  06-12-2017 11:11 via wbrz.com
  GONZALES- An "uninvited guest" tried to break into Leader's Fried Chicken restaurant on Dec. 4.According to a post on social media, the incident took place at 6:08 a.m. at the restaurant in Gonzales.Owners are asking anyone with information on the incident to contact the Gonzales Police Department at 225-647-7511.Permalink| Comments
  
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• New Jimi Hendrix album with unreleased songs coming in March

  06-12-2017 09:45 via wbrz.com
  NEW YORK- Unreleased songs recorded by Jimi Hendrix between 1968 and 1970 will be released next year.Experience Hendrix and Legacy Recordings announced Wednesday that they will release Hendrix's "Both Sides of the Sky" on March 9, 2018. The 13-track album includes 10 songs that have never been released.Hendrix died in 1970 at age 27. The new album is the third volume in a trilogy of albums from the guitar hero's archive. "Valleys of Neptune" was released in 2010, followed by "People, Hell and A
  
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• Authorities arrest 5 in undercover prostitution operations

  06-12-2017 08:57 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE- Deputies from the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office arrested five women in one day for prostitution during undercover operations.Undercover agents contacted women on various social media websites who were advertising sexual services based on money.At 2:08 p.m. on Nov. 5,  an undercover agent met with a woman identified as Myeshia Robinson at an undisclosed motel. Once inside the room, Robinson and the undercover agent negotiated sexual acts for a price. The agent ga
  
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• Silence Breakers named Time magazines Person of the Year

  06-12-2017 07:01 via wbrz.com
  NEW YORK — The silence breakers have been named Time magazine’s Person of the Year.Dozens of men and women have shared their stories since October about sexual misconduct by numerous high-profile men in entertainment, media, business and sports. The revelations also helped prompt millions worldwide to tweet about their experiences with sexual harassment and assault.The movement began spontaneously in October after actress-activist Alyssa Milano followed on a suggestion from
  
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• Report: Search resumes for good Samaritan after car crashes into Lake Pontchartrain

  06-12-2017 06:43 via wbrz.com
  NEW ORLEANS - The search continues for a good Samaritan who jumped into Lake Pontchartrain after witnessing a car crash into the water Tuesday night. According to WWL-TV, the New Orleans Police Department began investigating the crash around 7 p.m. Tuesday night. Investigators learned that two men were inside a vehicle at the Blue Crab restaurant when one of them drove the car into the lake. Witnesses and workers jumped in to save the two who were rescued and
  
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• 1 dead, rescuer missing after car goes into Lake Pontchartrain

  06-12-2017 06:43 via wbrz.com
  NEW ORLEANS- One person died and another was hospitalized after a car ran into Louisiana's Lake Pontchartrain - and a man who authorities say jumped in the water to help them is missing.The accident happened Tuesday night at a New Orleans lakeside restaurant. The search for the missing man resumed Wednesday morning in chilly, rainy weather. Relatives and an employer of the missing man identified him to New Orleans news outlets as 50-year-old Frank Williams, a restaurant employee.Police said the
  
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