Baton Rouge news

• Statue of 'Pistol Pete' clears another hurdle

  08-02-2016 21:00
  
  BATON ROUGE - The LSU Athletic Hall-of-Fame gave its approval on building a Pete Maravich statue to honor the hoops legend.Two weeks ago, the LSU revised its policies so a monument to "The Pistol" could be built. Otherwise, Maravich would have been inelgible since he didn't accrue enough credit hours to earn a degree.Monday the Hall-of-Fame unanimously agreed, clearing the way for a statue. Details about where it will be and what it will look like are expected to be released in the next few mont
  
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• Capital Heights considers crime prevention district

  08-02-2016 20:46
  
  BATON ROUGE - There are about 20 crime districts in East Baton Rouge Parish and Capital Heights is hoping to create one, too. Capital Heights Neighborhood Association has already begun the process by getting feedback from residents.Of the people who have replied to a questionnaire posted online, 70% say they are concerned about crime in Capital Heights and are interested in a crime district."A lot of people are afraid to go to the grocery store at night," Tyler Hicks says. "A lot of res
  
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• 2015 sets record for most shark attacks, with 98 worldwide

  08-02-2016 18:10
  
  GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Experts say 2015 saw a record-setting 98 unprovoked shark attacks worldwide, including 30 in Florida alone.The Florida Museum of Natural History released the numbers Monday. Scientists say the previous record was 88 attacks in 2000. International Shark Attack File curator George Burgess says attacks are expected to continue to increase as human populations grow and shark populations recover.Of the six fatalities last year, two happened off the Indian Ocean island of Reunion;
  
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• During wind advisory, tree toppled onto house

  08-02-2016 17:42
  
  BATON ROUGE - Crews were called to the scene of a tree that fell on a house in the Merrydale area of the city Monday as high winds continued to gust into the evening hours.
  High winds just caused part of this tree to fall on a home in N. Baton Rouge. Family inside is ok. @WBRZ pic.twitter.com/qmc9HhXubo— Brett Buffington (@BrettBuffington) February 8, 2016The woman inside the home on Matthews Street, off Greenwell Street, said she believes high winds knocked part of the tree down. The
  
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• Legislatures consider special protections for gun industry

  08-02-2016 17:21
  
  TOPEKA, Kan. - A gun-dealers trade group is pushing legislation in several conservative states to restrict what it says is discrimination by financial institutions.The National Shooting Sports Foundation initiated legislation in Kansas, Georgia, Alabama and Missouri over the last year after hearing from gun businesses that allege they've been unfairly denied financial services, including by insurance companies.Robert Hartwig, president of the Insurance Information Institute, called the effort a
  
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• The Adventure to Bring Baby Koch Home

  08-02-2016 17:19
  
  BATON ROUGE - Cary and Tyler Koch went through almost a year of paperwork in order to bring their baby girl Isabelle home from her birthplace in Georgia. With a 10 hour car ride, The Koch's got into their vehicle knowing that it would be the last time it would be the two of them, but when they returned to Louisiana, they would be starting their new lives as parents to a new born baby.  The Koch family raised money for months in order fund their adoption process, which
  
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• State, defense rest at hearing for 'Serial' case

  08-02-2016 17:11
  
  BALTIMORE - The state and the defense rested their cases after four days of testimony in a hearing for the man convicted of the killing at the center of the "Serial" podcast.Adnan Syed, now 35, was convicted of killing his high school girlfriend Hae Min Lee in 2000. He is asking for a new trial on the grounds that his attorney was ineffective by failing to contact an alibi witness, and that cell tower data given to jurors linking Syed to the burial site was misleading.The final witness to take t
  
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• Attorney General seeks to take over Jindal Common Core suit

  08-02-2016 17:01
  
  NEW ORLEANS - Louisiana's new attorney general has moved to take over a lawsuit that former Gov. Bobby Jindal filed against the federal government over the Common Core Education Standards.It's a lawsuit the new governor, John Bel Edwards, was ready to drop, saying new federal law renders the costly lawsuit moot. But Attorney General Jeff Landry says he should be the one to make that decision.Jindal had accused President Barack Obama's administration of manipulating federal grants and policy to i
  
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• Schedule for 2nd round of I-10 Corridor improvements public meetings set

  08-02-2016 16:54
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development officials have announced times and locations for round two of public meetings to discuss proposed improvements to the I-10 Corridor in the Capital City.The second set of open meetings are designed to solicit public comment on the project and preliminary alternatives.While a feasibility study is being prepared, the project is still in the planning stage. The meetings are scheduled for three days at three different sites:Monday,
  
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• Neighbor arms herself with garden hose to help fight B.R. house fire

  08-02-2016 16:37
  
  BATON ROUGE - A conscientious neighbor armed herself with a garden hose and took on the role of self-appointed honorary firefighter early Monday evening at the scene of a fire on Aldrich Drive.Neighbors saw the house on fire, and that’s when one helpful resident took it upon herself to fight the blaze herself before the Baton Rouge Fire Department could arrive.The fire broke out at a house in the 4700 block of Aldrich Drive at around 4 p.m. Monday with firefighters arriving shortly aft
  
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• LSU moving forward with plans to redevelop 'back' of campus

  08-02-2016 16:31
  
  BATON ROUGE - The LSU Property Foundation is moving forward with plans to develop an outdated area of campus along Nicholson Drive.The group announced Monday, it is working on an agreement with RISE Real Estate to develop the property between West Chimes Street and Skip Bertman Drive. The area, pictured in this story, will feature new student residence halls and other amenities on a 28-acre site of the Nicholson Drive Corridor.LSU is not expected to assume any financing risk or place any capital
  
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• One man with a clear sign gets job opportunities

  08-02-2016 16:20
  
  BATON ROUGE - While waiting at the red light or a stop sign, you often times see people on the side with signs begging for money or donations, but one young man held a sign with a simple plea hoping to get something else.Jordan Morgan is 22 years old. He works full-time as a painter hoping to get back in school. 
  "I gave it a try, said Jordan Morgan. "I love it."However, just two weeks ago it was a different story."I didn't have a job for like two weeks and I was going broke," said Morg
  
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• Community mourns beloved teacher who was shot and killed

  08-02-2016 16:20
  
  PORT ALLEN- Residents in West Baton Rouge Parish are mourning the loss of a beloved teacher after she was killed in a shooting Friday.Monday, hundreds of people showed up to Holy Family School where Emiley Thibodeaux worked to pay their respects.  Thibodeaux, 23, was killed when, investigators said, her husband, Ivy "Trey" Thibodeaux was cleaning a gun and it went off.   The bullet hit his wife, and she died.Ivy Thibodeaux is a reserve police officer
  
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• UN agency proposes greenhouse gas emissions rules for planes

  08-02-2016 16:16
  
  WASHINGTON - A U.N. panel says it is proposing greenhouse gas emissions standards for planes that fly internationally beginning in 2020 for new aircraft designs and three years later for designs already in production.The International Civil Aviation Organization said the agreement reached by 170 international experts sets a cutoff date of 2028 for the manufacture of planes that don't comply with the standards.Environmental groups quickly condemned the new standards, which they said were not stri
  
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• Lundi Gras in Pointe Coupee a wash out this year

  08-02-2016 16:09
  
  BATCHELOR - Lundi Gras at the Old River Landing is an annual tradition, but it didn't happen this year.A parade, music and lots of gumbo all come together to make the event, but this year, none of that will happen because of area flooding.Two weeks ago, the flood water washed away everything that couldn't float.This was all dry land a month ago. It's finally going down. We'll have more tonight on @WBRZ pic.twitter.com/U6VsqngZwJ— Michael Vinsanau (@MVinsanau) January 25, 2016The water
  
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• Plans for reopening Istrouma to be released Wednesday

  08-02-2016 15:56
  
  BATON ROUGE - Future plans for Istrouma High School will be discussed at a community meeting Wednesday.The East Baton Rouge Parish School System is working to re-open the shuttered high school. After being taken over by the state, it was closed and the campus was recently given back to the local public school district. School system leaders in Baton Rouge have said re-opening Istrouma is a priority, but it will be expensive.At first, the school system estimated it would cost about $10 million to
  
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• Walker drainage work begins

  08-02-2016 15:46
  
  WALKER - Crews for the city of Walker in Livingston Parish have started work on infrastructure improvements.Walker leaders plan to spend $1.2 million to improve roads, sewer, gas and drainage in the city. Smith Drive is one of the roads that will get drainage improvements. Work began there February 1 to improve drainage."Well I think it's good for the people where the water won't be so bad for the houses where the water won't go up in their driveways and back up and all of that," said resident C
  
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• Ahead of special session, governor's site solicits budget ideas from voters

  08-02-2016 15:46
  
  BATON ROUGE - Governor John Bel Edwards' administration is seeking the advice of a different kind of expert in how to deal with the state's looming budget crisis.Monday, the state posted a special web page soliciting comments from Louisiana citizens. The site provides information on the governor's plan to deal with the budget gap and gives people a place to provide feedback. Feedback does not appear to be automatically listed in a public setting where others can comment like a Facebook or Twitte
  
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• Biodegradable Mardi Gras beads in the works

  08-02-2016 15:37
  
  BATON ROUGE - A Baton Rouge man is trying to tackle the waste problem that comes along with 25 million pounds of Mardi Gras beads being thrown each year.Marcus Ciko, a bead fanatic, wants to create a biodegradable Mardi Gras bead. In 2014, the city of New Orleans cleaned up more than 1,700 tons of trash during Mardi Gras. That's 10 times the weight of an average house."They contain lead, cadmium, phthalates and other endocrine disruptors," said Ciko. "This is getting in our waterways. It's getti
  
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• Gusting winds knock out power to thousands across the area

  08-02-2016 15:19
  
  BATON ROUGE - A few thousand people lost power Monday due to high winds.Outages were across the city, but clustered in many spots around Old South Baton Rouge, Merrydale, Broadmoor, and east of Santa Maria along Airline Highway. There were also small clusters of outages in Livingston and Ascension, too.Outages in East Baton Rouge are scheduled to be fixed by 7:00 p.m. Monday. In Ascension, Entergy reported outages could be fixed by 6:00 p.m. Monday.DEMCO reported fewer than 100 outages in its co
  
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• Remaining occupiers release defiant videos mocking FBI

  08-02-2016 14:00
  
  PORTLAND, Ore. - The last four occupiers of an Oregon wildlife refuge have posted a series of defiant videos in which one of them calls FBI agents losers, shows defensive barricades they have erected and takes a joyride in a government vehicle.The videos were posted Sunday on a YouTube channel called Defend Your Base, which the armed group has been using to give live updates. The holdouts are among 16 people charged with conspiracy to interfere with federal workers.David Fry says the FBI told hi
  
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• Auditors concerned over ticketing procedure at area police department

  08-02-2016 13:59
  
  SPRINGFIELD - The town police department needs to do a better job of tracking traffic ticketing procedures, auditors found in a recent state audit.Ticket booklets are not organized or managed in a systematic way, leading to a lapse in assurances that all tickets are returned and accounted for, auditors reported. The audit suggests a breakdown in the checks and balances of ticket writing at the police department.The audit comes in the wake of a ticket-fixing scandal that cost the mayor his job an
  
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• Gov't creates new student aid enforcement office

  08-02-2016 13:54
  
  WASHINGTON - The Obama administration is taking new steps to protect students amid increased scrutiny of for-profits colleges and other schools.The Education Department is creating a new student aid enforcement unit that it says will "respond more quickly and efficiently to allegations of illegal actions by higher education institutions."Critics have complained that the government didn't move swiftly enough to take action against for-profits like Corinthian Colleges, which filed for bankruptcy p
  
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• St. Helena high school sees second break-in over weekend

  08-02-2016 13:33
  
  GREENSBURG - Police are investigating a break-in that happened over the weekend at St. Helena College and Career Academy. It's the second time the new school has been broken into in just two months.Investigators say minor damage to the school’s office doors and door frames in the front administrative area of the new building was observed. Greensburg PD said money was taken out of a safe in the office area, but they've yet to determine how it was removed from the locked safe. School adm
  
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• Police: 2 guns used in Miss. parade shooting that killed 2, wounded 4

  08-02-2016 13:00
  
  PASS CHRISTIAN - Police say two guns were used in a shooting that killed two men and injured four people after a Mardi Gras parade in Mississippi.But Pass Christian Police Chief Tim Hendricks says investigators don't know whether one or two people shot those guns.During a news conference Monday broadcast live by WLOX-TV, Hendricks said two of the wounded remain hospitalized. One was hit in a knee; the other in a leg.He says investigators have a flood of information about Sunday night's shooting
  
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• Man charged with disturbing the peace after Robin Street fight

  08-02-2016 12:55
  
  BATON ROUGE - Police arrested a man at a Baton Rouge residence Sunday evening after he interfered with officers attempting to break up a fight.28-year-old Ronald Douglas was booked on charges of disturbing the peace and interfering with an officer following the incident in the 1700 block of Robin Street at around 6:30 p.m.Officers responded to the scene after they received reports that two brothers were outside engaged in a fight. When officers made contact with one of the brothers, Ronald Dougl
  
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• Woman facing charges after overnight crash into building

  08-02-2016 12:36
  
  BATON ROUGE - The driver of a car that crashed into a pawn shop overnight was booked into jail on DWI charges, authorities released Tuesday.WBRZ was first to break the story on WBRZ.com after the crash late Monday.  Then, it appeared at least one person was injured and taken to the hospital.#BREAKING 2 car crash on Florida St. One car ran into the Pelican Pawn building. @BRPD on scene. @WBRZ pic.twitter.com/wrNW5f11U6— BrettBuffingtonWBRZ (@BrettBuffington) February 9, 2016The
  
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• At least 1 injured when car crashes into pawn shop

  08-02-2016 12:36
  
  BATON ROUGE - At least one person was injured and taken to the hospital Monday night following an accident that ended with a car crashing into a pawn shop in Baton Rouge.The wreck happened just after 11 p.m. on Florida St. near N. Eugene. The crash involved two vehicles, one of which crashed into Pelican Pawn.Few other details are known at the time of this post. Baton Rouge Police are still investigating and a News 2 Crew is on scene. We'll have any updates Tuesday morning on 2une In, beginning
  
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• 'Special inspection' underway at River Bend power plant

  08-02-2016 12:15
  
  ST. FRANCISVILLE - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced they've begun a special inspection at the River Bend Station nuclear power plant following an unplanned shutdown of the reactor Jan. 9th.According to a press released issued Monday, a lightning strike caused a "momentary surge" at the plant's offsite power supply, forcing the shutdown. The NRC will be investigating onsite for a week and publish the results within the next 45 days.This isn't the plant's first trouble with unplanned sh
  
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• Stocks fall sharply as technology sector takes a beating

  08-02-2016 12:09
  
  NEW YORK - Stocks are moving broadly lower on Wall Street, putting the market on track for its second sizable loss in a row.Technology companies, banks and consumer companies were among the biggest decliners in midday trading Monday.Cognizant Technology Solutions sank 7 percent after forecasting earnings and revenue that were well below what analysts were expecting.The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 357 points, or 2.2 percent, to 15,844 as of 11:45 a.m. Eastern time.The Standard & Poor
  
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• Bill would stop removal of Alabama Confederate, historic markers

  08-02-2016 11:48
  
  MONTGOMERY, Ala. - As some cities make the decision to shed Confederate monuments, some Alabama lawmakers want to prohibit those removals unless legislators say it is OK.The Senate Governmental Affairs Committee on Tuesday will hold a public hearing on the bill titled the "Alabama Heritage Protection Act."The bill would ban the removal of any historic monument, marker or school name from public property unless a waiver is obtained from the Legislative Council, a committee of lawmakers.Local gove
  
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• State monitoring oil spill in Mississippi River

  08-02-2016 11:12
  
  NATCHEZ, Miss. - The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality is on the ground monitoring the site where a damaged barge may have leaked oil slurry last month.
  The Natchez Democrat reports the leak happened after a barge carrying oil slurry struck one of the Mississippi River bridge's support piers Jan. 21, resulting in a rupture of the barge's hull.
  The barge ended up at a site south of the Natchez port near St. Catherine Creek. Coast Guard crews who responded to the site were able to re
  
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• Parish wants to boost tourism with youth sports tournaments

  08-02-2016 11:09
  
  COLYELL - Livingston Parish officials want to boost tourism by creating regular youth sports tournaments.Parish officials are looking into scheduling tournaments in the parish every weekend during the March through July season.
  Area director for the Fastpitch America Softball Association Sherry Jacob says she has begun looking into hosting tournaments in the parish.
  Assistant director of the Livingston Parish Convention & Visitor's Bureau J.T. Taylor says some tournaments may be moving to Co
  
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• Feds find Fiat Chrysler gear shifters can confuse drivers

  08-02-2016 09:08
  
  DETROIT- U.S. auto safety investigators have determined that electronic gear shifters in some newer Fiat Chrysler SUVs and cars are so confusing that drivers have exited the vehicles while they are in gear, causing 121 crashes and 30 injuries.
      
  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has doubled the number of vehicles in the investigation to more than 856,000. But it stopped short of calling for a recall.
      
  The probe now cov
  
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• Guest-worker program helps Louisiana seafood facilities

  08-02-2016 07:37
  
  BATON ROUGE- Congress' decision to quadruple the size of a guest-worker program might be described as a gift to Louisiana's seafood processing industry, which struggles to fill the seasonal jobs each year.
      
  The LSU AgCenter says about 60 Louisiana seafood processing facilities hire more than 2,000 guest workers each year to peel crawfish and shrimp, shuck oysters and filet fish. Most of the workers come from Mexico and Central America and work 60 hours a week for a
  
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• February 8, Morning News Pop

  08-02-2016 06:45
  
  Here are today's top stories:Shots fired on Bacchus parade route in New Orleans Spanish Town parade signals an end to Mardi Gras in Baton RougeTrump to visit Baton Rouge ThursdayMonday: Sunny, windy with gusts over 30mphUpdates all day, every day:FACEBOOK | TWITTERPermalink| Comments
  
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• 2 dead in shooting after parade in Mississippi

  08-02-2016 04:22
  
  PASS CHRISTIAN, MS.- South Mississippi police say a shooting after a Mardi Gras parade in Pass Christian has claimed two lives and left four wounded.
      
  Celeste Plaisance says she heard about 12 shots Sunday afternoon and thought it was fireworks at first. She says the victims were near her mother's home off the parade route.
      
  On Saturday, parade accidents in south Louisiana injured a man and a woman. Police in Lafayette, Louisiana, tol
  
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• 2 dead, 4 injured after Mississippi Mardi Gras parade

  08-02-2016 04:22
  
  PASS CHRISTIAN - Police are questioning witnesses to a shooting that left two men died and four others injured after a Mardi Gras parade in Mississippi.Pass Christian Deputy Police Chief M.Y. Carbine told the Associated Press Monday no suspects are in custody.Harrison County Coroner Gary Hargrove identified the victims as 29-year-old Carlos Bates, of Gulfport, and 43-year-old Isiah Major III, of Bay St. Louis.Police Chief Tim Hendricks told local news outlets four other people were hospitalized.
  
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• Biodegradable Mardi Gras beads under development, TV station says

  08-02-2016 03:57
  
  Baton Rouge businessman says his will be friendly to environment
  
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• Chipotle stores to open later on Monday for worker meeting

  08-02-2016 03:25
  
  NEW YORK- Chipotle restaurants across the U.S. are opening later than usual Monday so workers can attend a meeting about the chain's recent food safety scares.
      
  The company says stores will open at 3 p.m. in their local time zones, instead of the usual 11 a.m. Chipotle expects about 50,000 employees to go to more than 400 locations, such as movie theaters and hotel conference rooms, where remarks by company executives will be shown live.
     &n
  
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• Cool, dry, a bit windy for Lundi Gras and Mardi Gras

  08-02-2016 00:42
  
  Arctic clipper to drive cooler air into New Orleans area, but without rainfall
  
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