Baton Rouge news

• Got a spare $900 million to help Louisiana?

  19-02-2016 21:55
  
  One lawmaker wants people to be able to contribute to a "Payment Toward State Debt Fund" if they are interested.
  
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• Police offer to exchange gas cards for unwanted guns this weekend

  19-02-2016 21:02
  
  BATON ROUGE -  Police hope to get some dangerous weapons off the streets of Baton Rouge, Saturday.It's part of the department's "Guns for Gas" program. Police are asking the community to turn in guns they have in the home, no questions asked. In return, each donor will get a gift card to get gas. The effort is to get guns off the street, and stop the violence in Baton Rouge.The East Baton Rouge District Attorney, Hillar Moore, encourages everyone to participate in the event, hoping it w
  
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• Trains are the bane of my Baton Rouge existence: JR Ball

  19-02-2016 19:54
  
  Anyone who's met me for more than five minutes knows my list of pet peeves is a long one. And those who've stuck around for 10 minutes are more than aware that trains -- specifically long, slow moving ones carrying...
  
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• Library book club to go back in time this weekend

  19-02-2016 18:19
  
  BATON ROUGE - Saturday, the Baton Rouge library will start its One Book, One Community reading event that features Kingfish: The Reign of Huey P. Long.The book by Richard D. White, Jr., was selected as the novel for 2016. The One Book, One Community program was started in 1998 to bring people together to read and share a dialog.The book tells the story of Long's colorful life, his career as a Louisiana politician and assassination. White is an award-winning writer and the dean of LSU's EJ Ourso
  
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• Students rally at capitol

  19-02-2016 17:39
  
  BATON ROUGE - A small group of college students rallied at the capitol Friday protesting higher education cuts. They demanded state lawmakers take action in the current special session.
  The rally was completely organized by students, about fifty attended."I think this is amazing that we were able to turn out this many students for a student led protest in only seven days," said organizer Peter Jenkins.State colleges are facing $200 million in cuts. Governor Edwards is proposing tax increases to
  
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• State Trooper pulls pair of women from burning car on Causeway

  19-02-2016 17:07
  
  METAIRIE - A Louisiana State Police Trooper pulled two women from a burning car on the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, according to WWL-TV in New Orleans.The incident shut down the southbound lanes of the span for roughly an hour and a half Friday afternoon.A spokesperson with the Causeway Police said that around 1:30 p.m., a car with two women inside broke down in the right lane. Within minutes, a truck rear-ended them causing a fire to start in the women's car.State Police officer Steven Paulus o
  
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• 2 in custody after Southern Lab School lockdown

  19-02-2016 15:34
  
  BATON ROUGE - Southern University Lab School was briefly placed on lockdown early Friday afternoon after school personnel were notified by a pair of students that they saw a non-student woman on campus with a weapon.The school says Southern University Campus Police were notified immediately, and an officer was dispatched to the building while the school was secured. After clearing the scene, police determined that the imminent threat was no longer on campus and the lockdown was lifted.SU Lab Sch
  
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• Cruz jokes that Duck Dynasty star should get diplomatic post

  19-02-2016 15:24
  
  MYRTLE BEACH - Sen. Ted Cruz is jokingly proposing Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson for a top diplomatic post."Imagine just for a moment: Phil Robertson, ambassador to the United Nations," the Texas senator said at a Friday morning rally in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. "How much would you pay to see the Russian ambassador's face when Phil says: 'What is wrong with you people?"Cruz is campaigning Friday with the bearded reality television star on the eve of the South Carolina Republican pre
  
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• Vatican looks to clarify Pope's Trump comments

  19-02-2016 15:07
  
  MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.  - The papal spokesman is stressing that Pope Francis often says build bridges, not walls, and that his remark while flying back from Mexico wasn't targeting U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump.Francis said Thursday that a person who advocates building walls for solutions is "not Christian." Trump, who has repeatedly called for a wall to divide the United States and Mexico, retorted it was "disgraceful" to question a person's faith.The Rev. Federico Lomb
  
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• St. Louis archbishop seeks to cut ties with Girl Scouts

  19-02-2016 14:59
  
  ST. LOUIS - St. Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson is urging priests to sever ties with the Girl Scouts, saying the organization promotes values "incompatible" with Catholic teachings.The open letter to priests, scout leaders and other Catholics was posted on the archdiocese website Thursday. It urges parishes that host Girl Scout meetings to consider alternative programs that are more Catholic- or Christian-based.Carlson's letter says Girl Scouts USA and affiliated organizations promote role model
  
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• Utah woman says she found a snake head in canned green beans

  19-02-2016 14:51
  
  SALT LAKE CITY - A food distribution company has halted shipments of some canned green beans after a Utah woman says she found a snake head in a can.KSL-TV in Salt Lake City reports that Troy Walker of Farmington, Utah, says she made the unsettling discovery while she and fellow church members were preparing meals Wednesday night for neighbors.Walker says she first thought it was a burnt bean until she spotted eyes. Walker says she took the snake head and empty can back to the grocery s
  
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• Lawmakers have yet to settle on budget rebalancing approach

  19-02-2016 13:46
  
  BATON ROUGE - As Louisiana's special legislative session nears the end of its first week, no consensus has emerged for how to rebalance the budget.The Senate is in a holding pattern, because most budget and tax bills must begin in the House. And the House hasn't settled on its approach yet.Lawmakers are negotiating behind the scenes, with Republicans showing resistance to Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards' tax proposals and pushing for deeper cuts.The House tax and budget committees have held dai
  
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• Lawsuit accuses officials of racial bias in water project

  19-02-2016 13:29
  
  BATON ROUGE - A federal lawsuit accuses officials in a north Louisiana parish of discriminating against black residents for decades by allegedly failing to provide them with clean water and other services that their white neighbors get.
  Two black Winnsboro residents sued the Franklin Parish Police Jury on Thursday, claiming its members have ignored their need for safer drinking water, paved roads and adequate sewer service.
  The lawsuit says the state Office of Community Development awarded nearl
  
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• Mourners pay respects to late Justice Scalia

  19-02-2016 13:25
  
  WASHINGTON - Two federal judges who have been discussed as possible replacements for Justice Antonin Scalia are among those paying their respects to the late jurist on Friday.Judges Sri Srinivasan and Patricia Millett of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit paused briefly before Scalia's casket in the Supreme Court's Great Hall. They also stopped to look at the portrait of Scalia by artist Nelson Shanks that was displayed nearby.Srinivasan was confirmed to the
  
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• Lawyer: Last of 'Angola Three' inmates released

  19-02-2016 13:21
  
  ST. FRANCISVILLE - The last of the "Angola Three" inmates still behind bars has been released after more than four decades in prison.Albert Woodfox was released Friday after pleading no contest to manslaughter and aggravated burglary in the 1972 death of a prison guard.Woodfox and two other men became known as the "Angola Three" for their decades-long stays in isolation at the Louisiana Penitentiary at Angola and other state prisons.Prison officials said they were kept in solitary because their
  
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• Government says it will go after hoverboard makers, sellers

  19-02-2016 13:06
  
  NEW YORK - The government is cracking down on hoverboards.In a letter to manufacturers, importers and retailers, U.S. regulators said they will seize or recall any of the of the two-wheeled, self-balancing scooters, which were a huge hit this holiday season, if they fail to meet federal safety standards.The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in a letter issued Thursday noted 52 reports of fires that users say were caused by hoverboards in 24 states. Those fires led to $2 million in property
  
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• EBRSO: Man beat 12-year-old daughter as punishment for online video

  19-02-2016 13:06
  
  BAKER - Deputies in Baker say they arrested a man accused of hitting his daughter in the face as punishment for a sexual video of her that surfaced online.38-year-old Frankie Jordan was booked on charges of domestic abuse battery and cruelty to juveniles after he was arrested Wednesday.Investigators responded to the scene at an apartment complex in the 5300 block of Groom Road where they observed redness and swelling in both eyes of the 12-year-old victim. The victim told deputies that her live-
  
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• Upcoming meetings to discuss I-10 improvements, BR streetcar

  19-02-2016 13:02
  
  BATON ROUGE - Traffic improvement plans will be discussed at a series of meetings next week in the Greater Baton Rouge area.Planners and engineers will discuss two projects at separate meetings. The state will hold open house public meetings about improvements to the I-10 corridor from Essen Lane to La. 415 in Port Allen. The city of Baton Rouge will hold two informational sessions about plans to build a streetcar line from downtown to LSU.On Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, the state will talk abo
  
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• Source: Apple has 1 week to respond to iPhone order

  19-02-2016 12:21
  
  WASHINGTON - A person familiar with the case says Apple Inc. now has until next Friday to respond to a U.S. magistrate's order that it help the FBI hack into an iPhone in a terrorism case.U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym's order initially required Apple to file paperwork by Tuesday if it wanted to challenge it for being "unreasonably burdensome."The person spoke on condition of anonymity to describe ongoing, private legal discussions in the case.It wasn't immediately clear why Apple was given mor
  
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• Man accused of sexual battery of juvenile for 'sexual energy'

  19-02-2016 12:12
  
  BATON ROUGE - Deputies say a Baton Rouge man was arrested last week after they say he inappropriately touched a juvenile because he needed “sexual energy.”According to the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, the incident happened on Feb. 8. Deputies say 52-year-old Michael Curry picked up a juvenile at his home so he could wash Curry’s cars in exchange for money.The victim told investigators that once they got to the home, Curry said he needed the boy&r
  
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• BRPD: Man wanted for beating, threatening wife considered armed and dangerous

  19-02-2016 12:00
  
  BATON ROUGE - Detectives are looking for a suspect accused of attacking his estranged wife, threatening her life and damaging her vehicle in a Baton Rouge parking lot.32-year-old John Hicks is wanted by Baton Rouge Police on active warrants for domestic abuse battery with child endangerment, violation of a protective order, simple assault and criminal damage to property.Police say on Dec. 24 Hicks attacked his estranged wife, hitting her in the face. On Feb. 10, he threatened his estranged wife'
  
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• New Orleans woman arrested at Belle casino for blackjack cheating

  19-02-2016 11:48
  
  BATON ROUGE - State Police arrested a New Orleans woman at the Belle of Baton Rouge Casino after surveillance footage revealed she was illegally placing bets at the blackjack table.44-year-old Rose Powell was booked on one count of cheating and swindling following her arrest Thursday.While reviewing security camera recordings, investigators say they observed Powell "past posting" bets on at least six occasions. Past posting a bet is a form of casino cheating that involves placing a bet after the
  
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• Poll finds voters favor cigarette tax to close budget gap

  19-02-2016 11:29
  
  BATON ROUGE - A new poll of Louisiana voters reveals strong support for raising the state's cigarette tax by $1.25 a pack as part of an effort to end the state's budget crisis.The poll also finds that 75 percent of voters are more likely to support a candidate who supports a tobacco tax increase, according to state health officials.“As Louisiana legislators address the state’s dire $1.6 billion budget deficit, these poll findings show that voters have a rather clear message f
  
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• Harper Lee, 'To Kill a Mockingbird' author, has died at 89

  19-02-2016 11:25
  
  Harper Lee, the elusive author whose "To Kill a Mockingbird" became an enduring best-seller and classic film with its child's-eye view of racial injustice in a small Southern town, has died. She was 89.HarperCollins spokeswoman Tina Andreadis confirmed the author's death to The Associated Press on Friday.For most of her life, Lee divided her time between New York City, where she wrote the novel in the 1950s, and her hometown of Monroeville, which inspired the book's fictional Maycombe."To Kill a
  
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• Safety advocate asks gov't to reopen Jeep fire investigation

  19-02-2016 11:15
  
  DETROIT - An auto safety advocate wants the government to reopen an investigation of rear-crash fires in older Jeep SUVs after finding at least 11 more deaths since the vehicles were recalled.Center for Auto Safety head Clarence Ditlow says the deaths show that the recall repair - a trailer hitch to protect gas tanks in low-speed crashes - hasn't been effective.He sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx seeking the investigation. It says a remedy should be developed that saves liv
  
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• 'Affluenza' teen's case moved to adult system

  19-02-2016 11:12
  
  FORT WORTH, Texas - A Texas judge says the case of a teenager who used an "affluenza" defense in a fatal drunken-driving wreck will be moved to adult court.Ethan Couch was 16 at the time of the 2013 crash that killed four people near Fort Worth. During his juvenile trial, a defense expert invoked the term "affluenza" while arguing Couch's wealthy parents had coddled him into a sense of irresponsibility.The Friday ruling means the 18-year-old could face 120 days in jail, then finish his 10-year p
  
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• Judge convicts former state fire inspector on battery count

  19-02-2016 11:10
  
  NEW ORLEANS - An Orleans Parish judge has found a former state Fire Marshal's Office captain guilty of second-degree battery for pistol-whipping a Jackson Square artist last summer outside a French Quarter bar.
  50-year-old Richard Abbott, who spent a dozen years with the Fire Marshal's Office, faces up to five years in prison.
  Criminal District Court Judge Arthur Hunter rendered the verdict Thursday following a bench trial held over two recent Fridays. Hunter ordered a pre-sentencing investigati
  
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• I-110 S reopens at I-10/110 split; delays remain

  19-02-2016 08:48
  
  BATON ROUGE- All lanes are now open on I-110 South at the I-10/110 split after an accident temporarily shut down the interstate.
  Traffic is passing through all lanes, but congestion on the road is stretching beyond Capitol Access Road.
  Stay up to date on Click HERE to see the WBRZ traffic page and watch live cameras.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Casino winnings drop in January statewide

  19-02-2016 08:03
  
  BATON ROUGE- Louisiana's 15 riverboats, four racetrack slots casinos and Harrah's New Orleans casino brought in a combined $207.1 million, a 5.8 percent drop from January 2015's $219.9 million.
      
  The biggest percentage decrease happened in Lake Charles, where the winnings at the city's three riverboats and Delta Downs racetrack were $71.3 million, an 8.9 percent drop from $78.2 million.
      
  State police released the revenue figures on Thu
  
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• February 19, 2016 Morning News Pop

  19-02-2016 07:18
  
  Here are today's top stories:EBRSO searching for missing toddlerLSU students plan to protest possible budget cuts College baseball starts Friday nightPop the tops Updates all day, every day:FACEBOOK | TWITTERPermalink| Comments
  
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• Playground coach indicted on rape, sexual battery charges

  19-02-2016 06:22
  
  NEW ORLEANS- A Jefferson Parish grand jury has indicted a former Metairie playground coach on charges including rape against his former players when they were young.
      
  James Prince Jr., 44, was indicted Thursday. He faces counts of aggravated rape of a victim under the age of 13, sexual battery, indecent behavior with a juvenile and production of pornography involving juveniles.
      
  Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office detectives say they ha
  
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• No more paper checks for unemployment benefits

  19-02-2016 04:27
  
  BATON ROUGE- Louisiana residents receiving unemployment benefits will no longer get paper checks.
      
  The Louisiana Workforce Commission says it will discontinue distributing unemployment insurance benefits by paper checks in March.
      
  The LWC has issued paper checks since October when JPMorgan Chase stopped providing debit cards for Louisiana state government purposes. The state of Louisiana has since negotiated a new contract with U.S. B
  
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• 2 guilty of fraudulently receiving federal housing funds

  19-02-2016 03:20
  
  BATON ROUGE- Federal prosecutors say a mother and daughter have pleaded guilty to theft of government funds.
      
  U.S. Attorney Walt Green says 68-year-old Louella Robertson and 47-year-old Rhoda Robertson, both of Baton Rouge, were convicted of stealing over $38,000 in U.S. Housing and Urban Development Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher funds between July 2011 and December 2014.
      
  Green's office said Thursday that the Robertsons submitted
  
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• LSU's Austin Thomas going to USC, website reports

  19-02-2016 00:05
  
  Was named personnel director of the year by Footballscoop.com.
  
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