Louisiana news

• California fire now second-largest in state history

  19-12-2017 21:51 via wbrz.com
  LOS ANGELES - A wildfire that's burned hundreds of homes in coastal mountains northwest of Los Angeles is now the second-largest blaze in California history.  State fire officials say the 425-acre Thomas fire burning in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties is slightly larger than the 2012 Rush fire in Lassen County.  The fire, which is only 55 percent contained Tuesday night, is only about 1,200 acres smaller than the state's largest fire. That blaze, the 2003
  
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• New Orleans Saints land six players in 2018 Pro Bowl

  19-12-2017 21:49 via wbrz.com
  NEW ORLEANS - Six players were selected from the The New Orleans Saints to play in the 2018 NFL Pro Bowl.On Tuesday, Quarterback Drew Brees, running back Mark Ingram, running back Alvin Kamara, wide receiver Michael Thomas, defensive end Cameron Jordan and cornerback Marshon Lattimore were all named to the NFC's Pro Bowl roster.The Pro Bowl is set for Jan. 28 in Orlando, Fla.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Federal suit filed in killing by Louisiana sheriff's deputy

  19-12-2017 21:38 via wbrz.com
  NEW ORLEANS - A Louisiana sheriff's deputy faces a federal lawsuit over a fatal shooting in July.  The lawsuit Tuesday comes after a state grand jury declined to indict Evangeline Parish Sheriff's Deputy Holden Lafleur in the death of DeJuan Guillory.  The fatal confrontation happened after Lafleur stopped an all-terrain vehicle ridden by Guillory and his girlfriend, Dequince Brown. A state police investigation says Guillory complied with an order to lie on t
  
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• Arson investigators called to vehicle fire on St. Peter Ave

  19-12-2017 20:18 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE- Authorities say a vehicle fire occurred Monday evening near Brownfields.According to fire officials, the incident happened around 7:45 p.m. in the 11000 block of St. Peter Avenue under a carport.Arson investigators were called to the scene.This is a developing story. Check back for updates.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Bicyclist taken to hospital after reported hit-and-run on Hooper Road

  19-12-2017 20:05 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE- Authorities say a bicyclist was struck by a vehicle Monday evening.The incident happened around 7 p.m. Monday in the 11000 block of Hooper Road. Officials believe the fleeing vehicle is a dark-colored SUV with a missing passenger side mirror.The victim was transported with non-life-threatening injuries.This is a developing story. Check back for updates.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Amber Alert issued for missing baby after mother found stabbed to death in Houston

  19-12-2017 19:33 via wbrz.com
  HOUSTON, Tex. - Authorities say an 11-month-old is missing after her mother was found stabbed to death in Houston.An Amber Alert was issued for Shanally Flores after she was nowhere to be found when police were called to her home Tuesday. Flores' mother was found dead inside.Houston police believe the baby may be with her father Thomas Bernardez, who is also a suspect in the woman's death.Bernardez is described as a black Honduran male and may be driving a 2000 Toyota
  
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• Grocery store employee belts out 'O Holy Night', leaves customers in awe

  19-12-2017 17:59 via wbrz.com
  WATERTOWN, Mass.- An employee at a grocery store stopped customers in their tracks when he began singing classical Christmas carols on Friday.23-year-old Gilly Assuncao, from Brazil, has always been passionate about music. When he stepped in to help the musical act the store hired with their sound check, shoppers were stunned."I heard this incredible operatic sound coming from the greenhouse." an employee said. "I kept walking closer and I thought it was definitely some kind of tape re
  
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• Shortage of homicide detectives felt as EBR surpasses homicide record

  19-12-2017 17:58 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE- As East Baton Rouge Parish grapples with one of the worst years for homicides in the parish's history, there's a shortage of homicide detectives at the Baton Rouge Police Department.
  According to the East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner's Office, there have been 118 homicides since January 1, 2017 to date. That number includes homicides that have been classified as justifiable and breaks records for the parish, according to the coroner.
  In the city limits of Baton Rouge, there have been
  
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• Kentwood police investigating first murder since 2010

  19-12-2017 17:53 via wbrz.com
  KENTWOOD - Police in Kentwood are investigating their first murder in seven years.According to a report from WWL, 60-year-old Wesley Housely was found shot to death inside his home.Police say two armed men entered the home and attempted to rob Housley. He was shot multiple times after fought back against the robbers.“This is a senseless tragedy,” Chief Michael Kazerooni told WWL. “To the cowardly criminals who committed this horrific act, the men and women
  
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• Postal Service anticipating busy week of deliveries

  19-12-2017 17:47 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE - Millions of packages are being shipped to their destinations this holiday season.The United States Postal Service expects to process and deliver three billion pieces of First-Class Mail this week. It also expects to deliver nearly 200 million packages this week. To keep up with the large volume of mail, the Postal Service has hired seasonal workers and has been delivering packages on Sundays.Tuesday was the last day to ship First-Class to make sure packages arrive in time for Chri
  
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• Police 'arrest' the Grinch after 5-year-old boy's 911 call

  19-12-2017 16:57 via wbrz.com
  BYRAM, Miss. - Thanks to the vigilance of 5-year-old TyLon Pittman from Byram, Mississippi, the Grinch will not be stealing anyone’s Christmas this year.On Monday night, with the help of Byram’s police department, TyLon "arrested" the Grinch after he made a 911 call over the weekend to report him.“I just want to tell you something. Watch for that little Grinch. Because the Grinch is gonna steal Christmas, okay?” TyLon said on the 911 call, which was obtai
  
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• Walk-On's sells catering branch to Wayne Stabiler Companies

  19-12-2017 16:08 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE- Popular Lousiana Sports Bar Walk-On's has announced announced plans to sell off it's catering business to another Louisiana company.According to a release, Walk-On's Catering will be acquired by Wayne Stabiler Companies in 2018. The company says day-to-day operations of Walk-On's Catering will remain the same. However the business will transition to a new namesake of Catering Cajun and Le Creole Catering. Walk-On’s currently ha
  
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• Kentwood man killed after two gunmen enter his home, attempt to rob him

  19-12-2017 15:41 via wbrz.com
  KENTWOOD- Police say one man has died after an attempted armed robbery.According to the Kentwood Police Department, 60-year-old Wesley Housley has died of multiple gunshot wounds after an alleged armed robbery.Authorities responded to a report of a person suffering from gunshot wounds in the 1200 block of Dumaine Street. Upon arrival, officers found Housley inside the residence. The Tangipahoa Parish Coroner's Office pronounced him dead on t
  
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• Actor J.K. Simmons to reign as King of Bacchus 2018

  19-12-2017 15:01 via wbrz.com
  NEW ORLEANS- The Krewe of Bacchus will welcome Academy Award winner J.K. Simmons as their reigning king this upcoming carnival season.Simmons won his first and only Oscar in 2015 for his supporting role in the film Whiplash. He's known for many other successful film and television roles, such as Justice League, Juno, Spider-Man, La La Land, and HBO's hit series Oz.Many may even recognize the actor from Farmer's Insurance commercials, a gig he's kept post-Osca
  
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• Authorities warn residents of scammer posing as law enforcement

  19-12-2017 14:32 via wbrz.com
  ASCENSION PARISH- The Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office is warning residents about a phone scam involving an individual claiming to be from the sheriff's office asking for money.The sheriff's office has received multiple complaints from residents that have been contacted by an individual identifying himself as Lieutenant Anderson, Lieutenant O'Neal or Lieutenant Nichols.Authorities say the individual advises residents they have an active warrant for missing jury duty that will result in an arre
  
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• Women charged after 5 hurt with glue gun at day care

  19-12-2017 14:23 via wbrz.com
  CHICAGO- Two women are facing charges after five children were injured with a hot glue gun at a Chicago day care where they worked.Police say five 2-year-olds were hurt earlier this month at the Children's Learning Place. Details about their injuries weren't immediately known.A judge on Monday ordered 32-year-old Lizandra E. Cosme held without bail. She was arrested Sunday and faces felony counts of aggravated battery to a child. She's due back in court Dec. 26.27-year-old Susana D. Gonzalez fa
  
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• California parents accused of trying to sell kids for drugs

  19-12-2017 14:15 via wbrz.com
  LANCASTER, Calif.- Los Angeles County authorities say two parents have been arrested on suspicion of trying to sell their two sons for drugs.  Sheriff's officials said Monday that deputies responded last week to a home in the Mojave Desert city of Lancaster following reports of possible child abuse.  Officials say investigators determined 38-year-old Vincente Calogero and 32-year-old Sarah Nilson attempted to exchange their two sons for money or drugs.&nb
  
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• Critically endangered baby bongo born at Audubon Survival Center

  19-12-2017 13:44 via wbrz.com
  NEW ORLEANS- A bouncing baby bongo has been born in New Orleans.It's from a highly endangered antelope subspecies, and is the first calf conceived at the Species Survival Center created by the Audubon Nature Institute and San Diego Zoo Global.Curator Michelle Hatwood says more baby antelope are on their way, including two or three more Eastern bongo.That's an excellent sign for a project to create large natural spaces where herds of antelope and giraffe can be comfortable and multiply.In additi
  
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• Space station gets 3 new astronauts, bringing crew back to 6

  19-12-2017 13:37 via wbrz.com
  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.- The International Space Station has three new residents, doubling its crew size.An American, Russian and Japanese arrived at the orbiting lab Tuesday, two days after launching from Kazakhstan. They received special greetings from America's new ambassador to Russia. Ambassador Jon Huntsman gathered with the astronauts' families at Mission Control outside Moscow to watch the new crew's entrance.Huntsman told newly arrived NASA astronaut Scott Tingle that he got a tear in his
  
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• Woman's act of kindness for cold, homeless man goes viral

  19-12-2017 13:33 via wbrz.com
  WATERBURY, Conn. - A woman's kind gesture toward a man she saw wandering the streets in sub-freezing temperatures has made waves on the internet.The video posted on Facebook this past weekend shows Christina Calvo's act of kindness for a complete stranger. In the accompanying post, Calvo said she was driving through Waterbury, Connecticut when she spotted what appeared to be a homeless man braving snow and temperatures as low as 18 degrees with nothing more than a pullover sweater."I s
  
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• House passes $1.5T tax bill in major win for GOP

  19-12-2017 13:33 via wbrz.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) - The House has passed the most sweeping rewrite of the nation's tax laws in more than three decades. The bill now goes to the Senate for an expected vote Tuesday evening.  The House approved the bill by a mostly party line vote of 227-203. The bill represents the first major legislative victory for President Donald Trump.  The $1.5 trillion package would provide steep tax cuts for businesses and the wealthy and more modest cuts for middle- an
  
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• Seat belt checkpoint slated for Thursday part of national campaign

  19-12-2017 12:57 via wbrz.com
  LAFOURCHE PARISH- The Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office will conduct a seat belt checkpoint on Thursday.The checkpoint will be conducted in conjunction with the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign which runs through the end of the month.Authorities said during the checkpoint, deputies will be checking motorists for seat belt and safety seat violations, as well as for proper inspection tags and insurance. Checkpoints are designed to help raise awareness for these types of violations and make
  
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• Authorities searching for woman accused of stealing over $6,000 from work

  19-12-2017 12:40 via wbrz.com
  GONZALES- Officers from the Gonzales Police Department are asking for the public's help in locating a woman wanted for felony theft and computer fraud.Jennifer Schlatre, 29, was an office manager for a health facility in Gonzales, according to authorities. Schlatre is accused of conducting numerous unauthorized refunds to her personal accounts from office accounts totaling in excess of $6,700.Authorities say Schlatre is also suspected of changing computer records in an effort to disguise the un
  
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• One transported to area hospital in critical condition after early morning Livingston crash

  19-12-2017 12:28 via wbrz.com
  LIVINGSTON PARISH- Authorities were on the scene of a crash this morning in Livingston Parish that sent one person to the hospital.The crash occurred around 9:30 a.m. on Highway 1036 near Magnolia Church.Authorities say a driver ran off the road and went into the woods. The patient had to be extricated, according to authorities. A medical helicopter was called but canceled due to weather conditions.The patient was transported in critical condition.Permalink| Comments
  
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• EMS adopts family for Christmas

  19-12-2017 12:00 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE- Employees with the East Baton Rouge EMS save lives all year long, but they also make time to help a needy family every Christmas.This year's family has four children. The children are 3, 5, 9 and 11 years old.The family's identity is a secret, but a photo of the presents the family will be given was provided. Permalink| Comments
  
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• Facebook improves how blind can "see" images using AI

  19-12-2017 11:43 via wbrz.com
  MENLO PARK, Calif.- Facebook is rolling out a new facial recognition feature so you can see photos of you that others have posted, even if they haven't "tagged" your name on them.If you don't like what you see, you can ask the poster to take it down or leave yourself untagged. You can also flag it to Facebook for violation of community standards.The move is an expansion of an existing policy that allows you to untag yourself from photos that others have tagged.The company is also adding such au
  
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• Man accused of falsely renting rooms, getting deliveries

  19-12-2017 09:59 via wbrz.com
  SHREVEPORT- Authorities say a former hotel clerk is accused of using information obtained through his job to fraudulently rent rooms and receive food deliveries.News outlets reported that on Friday 28-year-old Delvin Darrell Raphiel used a friend's information to setup a hotel honors account, and reserved rooms in 2017.A Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office statement says he paid for the rooms with account information obtained from guests while working at a Bossier City hotel. Detectives say he sold t
  
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• 'Glee' actor Mark Salling pleads guilty in child porn case

  19-12-2017 09:10 via wbrz.com
  LOS ANGELES- Former "Glee" star Mark Salling has pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography.Salling entered the plea in a downtown Los Angeles federal court on Monday and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 7.The actor reached a plea agreement with prosecutors in October in which he admitted he possessed images of prepubescent children. The agreement states a search warrant found more than 50,000 images of child porn on Salling's computer and a thumb drive.Prosecutors and Salling have
  
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• Gov. Edwards appoints former state senator to wildlife and fisheries commission

  19-12-2017 08:43 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE- Gov. John Bel Edwards has appointed William J. "Joe" McPherson to the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission.McPherson will serve as an at-large commissioner. The self-employed business owner and developer is a former Louisiana State Senator. During his six terms as a state senator, McPherson authored several bills for outdoor causes, including the creation of three wildlife management areas. In 2005, McPherson was honored with the Governor's Award for Conservation Ac
  
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• Amtrak train going more than twice speed limit when it derailed in Washington state

  19-12-2017 08:05 via wbrz.com
  Investigators are zeroing in on speed as a cause of Monday morning's train derailment that killed three passengers in Washington state, ABC News reports.The National Transportation Safety Board said the Amtrak train was traveling 80 mph in a 30 mph zone, according to the black box recovered from the accident. The crash killed at least three people and injured over two dozen more when it derailed going over a bridge near Dupont, Washington. The crash sent train cars hurtling off the bri
  
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• Cancer center falls short on reaching federal status

  19-12-2017 07:02 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE- Fifteen years after its creation, a cancer center in New Orleans has received $237 million in state financing but still hasn't achieved a critical federal designation for research and training.Those are the findings of a report released Monday by the Legislative Auditor's office about the Louisiana Cancer Research Center.The center, created by lawmakers, is a consortium of the LSU Health Sciences Center, Tulane University Health Sciences Center, Xavier University and Ochsner Health
  
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• Deputy doubling as daiquiri shop worker arrested for pulling badge on customers

  19-12-2017 06:41 via wbrz.com
  NEW ORLEANS- Authorities arrested an Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office Deputy after she pulled out her badge at her other job.Dernisha Harvey, 26, was arrested Sunday for malfeasance by abuse of office after pulling out her badge and threatening to arrest a pair of customers during a dispute over a bill, according to WWL-TV.Harvey was working as a "shot girl" at a daiquiri shop on Bourbon Street when two customers argued with her about a $40 tab over drinks, according to the police report. Author
  
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• Experts say 85 percent of young kids believe in Santa

  19-12-2017 06:18 via wbrz.com
  A study has revealed that a sizeable percentage of young children in the U.S. believe that Santa Claus will be stopping by their house Christmas Eve.According to CNN, researchers say that 85 percent of 4 and 5-year-old children believe in Santa. The number fades as children get older, with experts saying reality likely sets in for the children when they turn 8-years-old.One researcher noted that a child's belief in Santa starts when they are 3 or 4-years-old.CNN states, that in a 2013 study nea
  
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• Yorkie scalded, put in freezer; man arrested

  19-12-2017 05:50 via wbrz.com
  WEST MONROE- Louisiana police say a man who'd been left with a Yorkshire terrier scalded its face, then briefly shut it in his hostess' freezer.Twenty-four-year-old Samuel Smith of West Monroe was arrested Thursday on a felony count of animal cruelty.Sara Durbin of West Monroe says she went to work Wednesday, leaving someone she considered a friend in her apartment with her 3½-pound pet.She says Smith told her Bitty Boo got out and came back hurt. She later found dog hair in her free
  
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