Louisiana news

• Thief burglarizes animal control truck, steals tranquilizer gun

  13-02-2019 21:11 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE – Smash and grabs seem to be hitting neighborhoods all across Baton Rouge. The crime is pretty common, but what was taken after one Tuesday night is rare. Someone smashed the window of a locked EBR Animal Control and Rescue truck and left with a tranquilizer gun."It's destruction of government property, which is a no no,” said EBR Animal Control Director Hilton Cole. “But also, there's the aggravation of garden-variety crime.”The gun was a 197
  
  Read more

• Baton Rouge waterway pollution becoming a problem for local wildlife

  13-02-2019 19:31 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE - Trash and debris has become a problem for wildlife in Dawson Creek, so teams of volunteers are working to do something about it.Volunteers with BREC and the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries spent Wednesday morning cleaning the waterway."It's not just polluting here," Buddy Baker of LDWF told WBRZ. "It's polluting all the way down the waterway, and it's not just Dawson Creek. It's all of our major waterways in Baton Rouge."Baker, the Chief of Wildlife with LDWF, says the litter
  
  Read more

• Creator of King Cake Baby mascot files $200M lawsuit against Universal Studios over 'Happy Death Day'

  13-02-2019 18:36 via wbrz.com
  NEW ORLEANS - The designer behind the nightmarish New Orleans sports mascot the King Cake Baby has filed suit over a mask used in the 'Happy Death Day' horror film franchise.WWL reports designer Jonathan Bertuccelli filed the civil suit claiming the villain's appearance featured in the films is a rip-off of his King Cake Baby design he created in 2009. The mascot is infamous for prowling up and down the sidelines during the Pelicans'(formerly the Hornets) home games around Mardi Gras."Since KCB
  
  Read more

• Zachary woman crafts special lanterns for fallen officer's family

  13-02-2019 17:46 via wbrz.com
  ZACHARY - One local woman is making sure the memory of fallen Corporal Shane Totty continues to shine bright. She made a special gift for both his family and the Baton Rouge Police Department.The sounds of a paper shredder take over Tiffany Parker's lantern workshop, but the sounds go far beyond shredding paper."I am actually creating memories for people or families that have lost loved ones," Parker said. "In the past, I've given them to families in a bittersweet moment."Black and blue ribbon,
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Source of fall romaine outbreak a mystery, US regulators say

  13-02-2019 17:44 via wbrz.com
  NEW YORK (AP) - U.S. food regulators say they weren't able to identify a contamination source for a food poisoning outbreak that prompted them to warn people to avoid romaine lettuce this fall.  The Food and Drug Administration says it wasn't able to determine how a water reservoir on a Santa Barbara County, California, farm became contaminated with E. coli. It also says the water reservoir doesn't explain how lettuce from other farms may have been contaminated. &
  
  Read more

• LDEQ advisory map tells you where not to fish or swim

  13-02-2019 17:41 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE - There's a new way to tell if an area is safe to swim in or eat fish out of. The interactive map posted lets people know if a Louisiana waterway is polluted in some way and an advisory is posted.The map allows visitors to click on icons to reveal information including advisory type, meal recommendations, and advisory issue date for that area.The multi-agency initiative was agreed upon in 2012. The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality with the Louisiana Department of Health
  
  Read more

• Head of FEMA resigning, questioned over use of vehicles

  13-02-2019 17:33 via wbrz.com
  WASHINGTON (AP) - The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency is resigning, months after an investigation found he misused government vehicles to travel to his home in North Carolina.  Brock Long said in a letter Wednesday to agency employees that he was resigning to spend more time with his family.  Long was under investigation by the Homeland Security Department's watchdog, and word of it leaked just as Hurricane Florence struck last fall. Officials
  
  Read more

• Neighbors credit union contributed more than $400K to BR community in 2018

  13-02-2019 17:09 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE - Neighbors Federal Credit Union says its members and staff put hundreds of thousands of dollars back into the Greater Baton Rouge community this past year.According to a breakdown of the business contributions, the union's members and employees donated a total of $406,289 back into the community through cash donations, sponsorships, service hours and donated goods.More than $140,000 of those donations were put toward education while tens of thousands more were put into areas like c
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• One person critically injured after shooting on Gus Young Avenue

  13-02-2019 16:25 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE - Authorities are responding to a reported shooting in Baton Rouge Wednesday.The incident was reported around 4 p.m. outside St. Paul's Catholic Church on Gus Young Avenue. Authorities say one person was taken from the scene in with critical injuries.This is a developing story.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Popular restaurant, bar in Florida burns down

  13-02-2019 14:59 via wbrz.com
  GRAYTON BEACH, FL - A popular restaurant and bar in Florida was destroyed early Wednesday morning after a fire broke out.According to South Walton Fire Rescue, firefighters responded to the blaze at Red Bar just before 6 o'clock in the morning on Wednesday.Officials say crews were able to contain the fire to keep it from severely damaging near by structures. However, Red Bar was totally destroyed. Strong winds apparently made the fire difficult to fight.It's still unclear what exactly caused th
  
  Read more

• Texas children found in dog cage

  13-02-2019 14:25 via wbrz.com
  DECATUR, Texas (AP) - Bond has been set for two parents charged with child endangerment after authorities found two children locked in a dog cage and two more smeared with excrement in a North Texas barn.  The Wise County Sheriff's office says Andrew Joseph Fabila's bond was set at $60,000 on four child endangerment charges. Bond for Paige Isabow Harkings was set at $75,000 for the endangerment charges and another charge of aggravated assault. Both are 24 and being held in the
  
  Read more

• Authorities say suspect in suitcase death is in US illegally

  13-02-2019 14:06 via wbrz.com
  NEW YORK (AP) - Federal immigration authorities say a man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend and dumping her body in a suitcase in Connecticut is a citizen of Portugal and is in the U.S. illegally.  Officials with Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Wednesday that Javier Da Silva Rojas entered the United States in May 2017 through a visa waiver program and was supposed to leave the country later that year.  Da Silva is charged with kidnapping resulting
  
  Read more

• Emergency repairs on Sunshine Bridge expected to be completed in March

  13-02-2019 13:41 via wbrz.com
  DONALDSONVILLE - The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development says it expects emergency repairs to the Sunshine Bridge to be completed next month.According to a news release, crews have begun removing the access scaffolding and touching up paint along the structure. Completion on the emergency repairs, which consisted of installing a new replacement chord is estimated to be completed by mid-March.Periodic lane closures will continue into August after the repairs are completed to a
  
  Read more

• PHOTOS: Car smashes through wall at Livingston Parish post office

  13-02-2019 13:39 via wbrz.com
  SPRINGFIELD - Firefighters were called to a Livingston Parish post office after receiving reports that a car crashed into the side of the building.Crews are currently working to stabilize a portion of the Springfield post office after a sedan apparently smashed through the corner of the building.No injuries were reported. It's unclear what caused the crash at this time.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• High school first in Calcasieu Parish to get law enforcement kiosk

  13-02-2019 13:36 via wbrz.com
  LAKE CHARLES (AP) - A Louisiana high school is becoming this first in its parish to have a law enforcement kiosk.  The American Press reported Tuesday that Barbe High in Lake Charles will be the first school in Calcasieu Parish with the space. Officials say the one-way tinted glass enclosure will help school resource officers improve campus security and give students a place to interact with law enforcement.  The kiosk is a joint effort between the parish sch
  
  Read more

• Police recover rare Goeldi's monkey, stolen from Florida zoo

  13-02-2019 13:27 via wbrz.com
  WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Police in Florida have found Kali, the 12-year-old rare monkey stolen from the Palm Beach Zoo.West Palm Beach police said on Twitter Wednesday morning that "Kali is home!" Police say they'll provide additional details soon.Zoo President and CEO Margo McKnight said in a news release that detectives brought the Goeldi's monkey back to the zoo just before midnight and that she appears to be in good condition. The monkey weighs around one pound and requires a specialize
  
  Read more

• Feds: La. building inspector took bribes for favorable reports

  13-02-2019 13:25 via wbrz.com
  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A Louisiana building inspector is accused of soliciting bribes to ignore zoning violations and to falsify inspection reports.  News outlets report the U.S. attorney's office in New Orleans charged Alton McClinton with using the internet to commit a crime Tuesday.  Prosecutors say McClinton sought out and received bribe money from people he encountered in his job as an inspector for the Jefferson Parish's Inspection and Code Enforcement Depa
  
  Read more

• Former deputy featured in Nakamoto report booked on theft charges

  13-02-2019 13:20 via wbrz.com
  NEW ORLEANS - A disgraced West Baton Rouge deputy who was fired last year has been arrested on theft charges in New Orleans.According to the Orleans Parish Jail, Michael Lafayette was booked with theft Tuesday and released from the jail.Dr. Kam Zaheri told WBRZ last week that he sold a pool table to Lafayette. During that sale, Zaheri recalled Lafayette being interested in sentimental prayer statues that were inside his house.When Lafayette left, the statues were gone and a check of the surveil
  
  Read more

• Teen wanted by police & deputies for multiple armed robberies

  13-02-2019 12:33 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE - Deputies are searching for a teen accused in multiple armed robberies.According to the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, 17-year-old Javier Brown is wanted by both the sheriff's office and BRPD for two separate robberies.Brown is described as a black male, roughly 6'2" and 158 lbs.Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact the sheriff's office at 225-389-5064.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Deputies arrest teen wanted for multiple armed robberies

  13-02-2019 12:33 via wbrz.com
  UPDATE: The sheriff's office says Brown has been apprehended.*****BATON ROUGE - Deputies and city police are searching for a teen accused in multiple armed robberies.According to the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, 17-year-old Javier Brown is wanted by both the sheriff's office and BRPD for two separate robberies.Brown is described as a black male, roughly 6'2" and 158 lbs.Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact the sheriff's office at 225-389-5064.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• LHSAA wants parents to "cool it"

  13-02-2019 12:18 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana High School Athletic Association asked for calm Wednesday among parents and fans at sporting events. It issued an open letter as part of a national push to recruit and retain referees in an atmosphere on growing animosity."Be a fan not a fanatic," said LHSAA Executive Director Eddie Bonine.The letter included a list of recent fights and attacks on officials throughout the state, particularly at basketball games were fans sit much closer to players. As recently as Tue
  
  Read more

• Leak, electrical issues shut down courthouse Wednesday morning

  13-02-2019 12:14 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE - Officials cleared out the 19th Judicial District Courthouse due to an electrical issue caused by a water leak Wednesday morning.The incident was reported just after 10 a.m. Wednesday. According to the Advocate, courthouse employees were told the leak caused certain systems in the building to fail, including elevators, access cards, and metal detectors.Crews are working to repair the problem.The court is expected to reopen Thursday.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Deputies: ''Hamburglar'' who smashed drive-thru windows caught red-handed in Baton Rouge

  13-02-2019 12:03 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE - Officials say a man who went on a crime spree targeting fast food restaurants in the capital area was caught in the middle of his latest burglary.According to the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, the so-called "Hamburglar" has been hitting fast food spots, including multiple McDonald's, since late January. The sheriff's office said the intruder would make his way into the businesses by shattering the drive-thru window and then clean out the registers and safes inside.Deputies we
  
  Read more

• Krewe of M.A.C. cancelling 2019 parade, citing violence in the community

  13-02-2019 11:49 via wbrz.com
  LUTCHER - The Krewe of M.A.C. announced their decision to cancel their 2019 Mardi Gras parade in St. James Parish.According to a news release, despite support from local law enforcement and government, the burden regarding public safety is too much.Click here for the official announcement.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Love on the rocks: Penguins celebrating Valentine's Day

  13-02-2019 11:20 via wbrz.com
  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Penguins made a love connection at a San Francisco aquarium.In what has become an annual Valentine's Day tradition, biologists handed out red felt hearts Tuesday to African penguins at the California Academy of Sciences. The birds grabbed the hearts in their beaks and waddled around their rocky enclosure toward their nests.Spokeswoman Kelly Mendez says it's often the male penguin who retrieves the heart and carries it back to his mate. The penguins use the felt for material
  
  Read more

• La. company ordered to pay more than $25,000 in back wages at Miss. facility

  13-02-2019 11:02 via wbrz.com
  JACKSON - A Hammond-based company will have to pay $25,032 in back wages to 21 employees at its Jackson, Mississippi terminal.After an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division, it was determined that Statewide Transportation Inc. violated overtime and record-keeping requirements.According to a news release, the company misapplied the Fair Labor Standards Act motor carrier exemption and subsequently failed to pay drivers of smaller delivery vehicles overtime when th
  
  Read more

• Company recalls toddler unicorn boots due to possible choking hazard

  13-02-2019 09:28 via wbrz.com
  MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - Target is recalling more than 33,000 units of Cat & Jack Unicorn "Chiara" Boots due to a potential choking hazard.According to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, the unicorn horn can detach and could be harmful to children. The recall includes boot sizes 5-13 and size 1. The boots are white with silver shimmer, a white zipper, and white faux fur lining. Four consumers reported the unicorn’s horn detached, but no injuries have been reported.T
  
  Read more

• Man accused of harassment, calling in fake emergencies

  13-02-2019 08:58 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE - A man is facing several charges including criminal mischief and stalking after harassing two people.On March 1, 2018, firefighters investigated a falsely reported house fire on Ellerslie Drive. While speaking with the occupants of the home, it was discovered that Henry Williams had been harassing them.According to the arrest report, Williams showed up to the residence multiple times uninvited. Weeks before the incident, he was allegedly seen walking near the home with a gas can.Au
  
  Read more

• Louisiana minister sentenced for stealing federal benefits

  13-02-2019 08:37 via wbrz.com
  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A Louisiana minister has been sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay more than $202,000 in restitution for stealing government funds.U.S. Attorney Peter G. Strasser, in a news release, says U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey sentenced 59-year-old Otho Schilling, of Mt. Hermon, on Tuesday. Court records show Schilling, while pastor of a church in Bush, required the church to pay his personal expenses. These expenses included health and car insurance premiums,
  
  Read more

• Man who robbed bank slips and spills cash in front of cop

  13-02-2019 07:35 via wbrz.com
  WATERVILLE, Maine (AP) — Police say a man who had just robbed a bank in Maine ran across four lanes of traffic and a restaurant parking lot before slipping on ice and dropping his gun and the money in front of a state police special agent.Waterville Police Chief Joseph Massey tells the Morning Sentinel a gust of wind swept the greenbacks across the parking lot while the man was apprehended Tuesday. The special agent, Glenn Lang, had no idea a bank had just been robbed. But he was susp
  
  Read more

• Shoes pulled from Katy Perry line after blackface criticism

  13-02-2019 06:50 via wbrz.com
  LOS ANGELES (AP) - Katy Perry's fashion line has pulled two types of shoes after some people compared them to blackface.The Ora Face Block Heel and Rue Face Slip-On Loafers were released last summer in nine different colors. They included protruding eyes, nose, and red lips.Ok Katy Perry explain these shoes SMH #blackface #KatyPerry #gucci #gucciblackface #boycott pic.twitter.com/j0dswNOSoH— ChantillyCoco (@ChantillyCoco) February 11, 2019In a statement released Tuesday by the singer
  
  Read more

• Woman charged with prostitution following undercover operation

  13-02-2019 06:08 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE - Undercover officers with the Baton Rouge Police Department arrested a Milwaukee woman for prostitution Tuesday night.According to the arrest report, narcotics agents received numerous complaints of "blatant" drug use and prostitution in the area of Airline Highway and Harry Drive.Due to the complaints, detectives decided to conduct an undercover operation. At approximately 7 p.m. a detective posing as a "John" drove to the location and contacted a woman walking west on Harry Drive
  
  Read more

• Group sues corps over plastic plant permit info

  13-02-2019 05:33 via wbrz.com
  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - An environmental group has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over records related to a planned $9.4 billion plastics plant in rural Louisiana.The Center for Biological Diversity filed the lawsuit Tuesday in federal district court in Washington, D.C. The center says it has requested records related to the Clean Water Act permit application for Formosa Plastics Group's plant that is planned for St. James Parish.It says the corps has not fully complied wit
  
  Read more

• Man accused of shooting at vehicle, injuring one

  13-02-2019 05:27 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE - Police have arrested a man accused of shooting a woman last month.On January 22, officers were called to a location in the 10100 block of Avenue B in reference to a shots fired call. At the scene, authorities found a woman suffering from a gunshot wound in both legs.According to the arrest report, the victim was driving down the road when an unknown suspect shot at them from a porch of a residence. The bullet went through the door and struck the victim's right leg. The bullet then
  
  Read more

• No escape? El Chapo likely off to 'prison of all prisons'

  13-02-2019 05:02 via wbrz.com
  NEW YORK (AP) - Experts say there's little doubt as to where Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman will be serving his prison sentence in the United States: The ADX "Supermax" in Florence, Colorado, houses some of the most notorious criminals to set foot in an American courtroom.It's known as the "Alcatraz of the Rockies" and is home to Unabomber Ted Kaczynski and Sept. 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui. Inmates are kept in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day and get minimal human interaction.Inmates r
  
  Read more

Follow @NewsLouisiana_ on Twitter!