Baton Rouge news

• Severe weather, tornadoes possible Thursday afternoon, evening

  03-03-2016 22:27
  
  A cold front sweeping through the area, combined with Gulf of Mexico moisture and today's sunny skies, could produce severe weather.
  
  Read more

• Louisiana House passes cigarette tax hike to $1.08 per pack

  03-03-2016 21:58
  
  The prices of cigarettes will go up from 86 cents per pack to $1.08 per pack.
  
  Read more

• LSU spring football, what to expect: Podcast

  03-03-2016 20:23
  
  Quarterback battle still in the spotlight.
  
  Read more

• LSU 66-1 to win NCAA Tournament, according to sportsbook

  03-03-2016 18:17
  
  Tigers odds were 33-1 one month ago. Ben Simmons 15-1 to win Player of the Year honor.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Gladys Knight sings 'Happy Birthday' during traffic stop

  03-03-2016 18:14
  
  SALT LAKE CITY - Police in Utah say an officer who pulled over soul singer Gladys Knight was treated to an impromptu rendition of "Happy Birthday."Pleasant Grove Police Capt. Mike Roberts says Knight was a passenger in the car stopped for speeding about 40 miles south of Salt Lake City on Wednesday night.Officer Paul Rogerson was checking the driver's license when the woman said she was with Gladys Knight on the way to a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints choir performance. Knight is a
  
  Read more

• Hotly contested Baker Police Chief election to conclude on Saturday

  03-03-2016 17:57
  
  BAKER - While the presidential election is garnering most of the public's attention, there are some key local elections coming up this weekend including in Baker.Election signs have been all over and the race between two candidates running for Baker Chief of Police has really picked up. While campaign signs line the street, social media and word of mouth have been the conduits for a fair share of political mudslinging.Daryl Rainwater and Carl Dunn both have long careers in law enforcement, and b
  
  Read more

• Tech industry groups, security experts back Apple

  03-03-2016 17:37
  
  SAN FRANCISCO  - A slew of tech industry groups and civil liberties advocates are filing legal arguments backing Apple in its fight with the FBI, including security experts worried about hacking and independent app-makers who fear more burdens on their business.These "friends of the court" briefs aim to bolster Apple's challenge of a court order that would force it to help FBI agents hack an encrypted iPhone used by a San Bernardino mass shooter. The government must file its response ne
  
  Read more

• Should Leonard Fournette sit more during LSU spring practice? Tell us

  03-03-2016 17:07
  
  LSU coaches may want to reduce his workload for final season.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Virginia daycare teacher convicted of cruelty in 'baby fight club'

  03-03-2016 17:06
  
  MANASSAS, Va. - A second daycare teacher has been convicted of child cruelty and other counts for abusive behavior toward a classroom of 2-year-olds that a prosecutor described as a "baby fight club."Twenty-six-year-old Kierra Spriggs of Woodbridge was convicted on nine counts after a two-week jury trial in Prince William County. She was acquitted on fourteen others.She is the second teacher convicted. Sarah Jordan was previously found guilty on similar charges. At Jordan's trial, prosecutor Ash
  
  Read more

• Albany firefighters pushing for tax renewal Saturday

  03-03-2016 16:53
  
  ALBANY - Livingston Fire Protection District 1 is asking voters to renew a fire tax Saturday to keep the district operating.District 1 covers around 10,000 people in the town of Albany and surrounding area. The tax has been on the books for nearly 20 years. With the state budget crisis and talks about new taxes to raise money, District 1 Chief Joe Foster says taxes are a touchy topic."That three letter word tax is just a terrible word right now you know with the budget cuts," he said. "So here a
  
  Read more

• Deputies searching for third suspect in year-old double murder

  03-03-2016 16:49
  
  DONALDSONVILLE - In an effort to speed up the arrest of a man who has been wanted for a double murder for the last year, deputies in Ascension Parish went on Facebook.Demond Foley is wanted on two counts of first degree murder. Deputies believe he had a role in the deaths of 37-year-old Chad Nichols and 29-year-old Benny Booker. They were found shot dead on Latino Road in January 2015.Deputies used surveillance video from a home nearby, showing two cars speeding away from the scene, to track dow
  
  Read more

• Man dies at boat launch, sheriff reports

  03-03-2016 16:30
  
  RAMAH - A man died after a medical emergency at a boat launch in Iberville Parish, the sheriff's office said Thursday.The unidentified man went to retrieve something that fell off a boat and never resurfaced. Investigators believe he had a medical condition that lead to his death in the water. They described the deceased as a good swimmer.A friend of the man jumped in to find him and bring him to shore, but was not able to revive him, authorities said. Shreff Brett Stassi said the man was a Viet
  
  Read more

• Fired LSU worker arrested for theft of laptops

  03-03-2016 16:20
  
  BATON ROUGE - A former LSU employee who was fired last year after he worked from home without permission for at least six months was arrested after he was accused of refusing to return university property after his termination.38-year-old Srinivas Thouta, of Irving, Texas, was booked on charges unauthorized use of a movable, malfeasance in office and theft.
  LSU Campus Police said Thouta was fired in December from his position as network manager for the LSU Manship School of Communication&rsq
  
  Read more

• EBRSO: Man robbed at gunpoint after he accepted offered ride home

  03-03-2016 15:37
  
  BATON ROUGE - Sheriff’s deputies in EBR Parish say they arrested a woman after a victim came forward to say she was part of a group that robbed him at gunpoint when they offered him a ride home from the convenience store.24-year-old Kecia Farley was booked on a charge of armed robbery following her arrest.Deputies said the victim reported he was walking from the Cracker Barrel in the 150900 block of Tiger Bend Road toward his residence when he heard a woman scream out his name. He said
  
  Read more

• 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' comes to home video in April

  03-03-2016 15:34
  
  LOS ANGELES - In just a few weeks, you won't have to travel to a galaxy - or a theater - far, far away to see "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."The blockbuster is set to be released on home video next month. It will be available for purchase On Demand beginning April 1 and on Blu-ray and DVD on April 5.Walt Disney Co. Chairman and CEO Bob Iger announced the plans at the annual shareholders meeting Thursday in Chicago.Special features on the home video release include behind-the-scenes looks at how
  
  Read more

• Stalemate thaws as House votes on more tax bills

  03-03-2016 15:13
  
  BATON ROUGE - After days of delays, the Louisiana House has started considering additional tax changes that could help balance the state budget.Republican leaders in the House had stalled action on taxes for several days, while waiting for the Senate to unveil its package of proposed budget cuts. GOP lawmakers in the House said they wanted to know what gap remained in the budget before deciding what tax increases to support.The Senate Finance Committee on Thursday advanced senators' pro
  
  Read more

• Governor orders flags at half-staff to honor Rep. Ronnie Edwards

  03-03-2016 14:55
  
  BATON ROUGE – Governor John Bel Edwards announced Thursday that he is directing U.S. and Louisiana flags to be flown at half-staff at all public buildings to honor state Representative Ronnie Edwards who recently died.Ronnie Edwards passed away on Feb. 24 at the age of 63.“Ronnie Edwards was a dedicated public servant who devoted herself to fighting for others,” Gov. Edwards said. “Her warm demeanor and steadfast spirit left an impression on the many lives
  
  Read more

• Pointe Coupee teen accused of first-degree murder

  03-03-2016 14:29
  
  LETTSWORTH – Deputies in Pointe Coupee Parish say they arrested a man in connection with a murder in Lettsworth, La. in February.Pointe Coupee Sheirff’s Office Captain Steve Juge said 19-year-old Eric Long Jr. was booked into the Pointe Coupe Detention Center for the first-degree murder of 25-year-old Terrell Davis.Davis was found shot in his car at the corner of Church and Johson Street in Lettsworth, located in the northern part of Pointe Coupee Parish.Jug
  
  Read more

• Donaldsonville woman wanted for failing to register as sex offender

  03-03-2016 13:58
  
  DONALDSONVILLE - Sheriff’s deputies in Ascension Parish have issued an arrest warrant for a woman who has failed to register as a sex offender in the parish.35-year-old LaKeisha Marshall, of 1305 McKinley Street in Donaldsonville, is a Tier II Sex Offender, according to Lt. Col. Bobby Webre of APSO.Deputies said Marshall failed to complete her semi-annual registration on Feb. 19, and detectives attempted to make contact with her on several occasions.A Tier II Sex Offender is classified
  
  Read more

• 1 arrested, 2 wanted in Denham Springs home invasion

  03-03-2016 13:34
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS - Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies are investigating a home invasion that happened in the Pine Meadows subdivision off Joe May Road Tuesday.Deputies say one arrest has been made in the case so far and others are expected. Investigators say they’ve learned three males were waiting in a vehicle for the victim near his residence. When he arrived home, the suspects approached the victim and followed him inside. Once inside, the three suspects proceeded t
  
  Read more

• Drillers: Oil well rules dire for business; others disagree

  03-03-2016 13:20
  
  NEW ORLEANS - An industry study warns of dire consequences if pending rules to prevent another catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico go into effect, but critics questioned that claim. The business research firm Wood Mackenzie says the safe-drilling regulations could raise drilling costs by 20 percent or more.In worst-case scenarios, the analysis says exploration could drop by as much as 55 percent; less drilling could translate to $70 billion in lost federal and state tax revenues by 2030
  
  Read more

• Senators outline budget balancing plan, calls for more taxes

  03-03-2016 13:14
  
  BATON ROUGE - State senators have unveiled their plan to rebalance Louisiana's short-term budget gap, seeking to lessen cuts proposed by the House and largely shield public colleges and health services from steep reductions.But the plan requires the House to back $83 million more in taxes than the $293 million in tax hikes House lawmakers have agreed to raise for this year's budget.The Senate Finance Committee reworked the main budget rebalancing bill Thursday, outlining senators' favored approa
  
  Read more

• Police say man sold drugs out of a portable toilet

  03-03-2016 13:05
  
  ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Police say an undercover drug bust netted an Albuquerque drug dealer who was doing business out of an adult video store's portable toilet.The Albuquerque Journal reports 22-year-old Aaron Gonzales was arrested in the Pussycat Video store's parking lot on Tuesday and is facing drug-trafficking charges. Andres Plata, an 18-year-old who is accused of leading an undercover officer to Gonzales, also was arrested.Court documents show Plata, who said he was Gonzales' brother, took t
  
  Read more

• Questions about soccer complex construction in Ascension

  03-03-2016 12:48
  
  GONZALES - Parents of children who play in a local soccer league are frustrated a soccer complex promised by parish officials more than a year ago is encountering too many delays.Last year, Ascension Parish approved a $4 million soccer complex at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center. "There were a lot of big trucks working there, but it stopped. I think before the holidays," said Karla Sotelo, a parent of two children who play soccer with the Gonzales Soccer Club.The same club sent an e
  
  Read more

• Yearlong spaceman back home in Houston with family, pool

  03-03-2016 12:19
  
  CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA space champ Scott Kelly is finally back home in Houston with his family and the swimming pool that he craved throughout his yearlong absence from Planet Earth.Before he could go home to his own bed Thursday, Kelly had to endure more medical tests to measure his body's adaptation to gravity.Kelly's girlfriend and his two daughters, ages 20 and 12, rushed into his arms after he exited the NASA jet that brought him back to Houston from Kazakhstan in the wee hours of Thur
  
  Read more

• Texas IHOP receipt identifies customers as 'BLACK PPL'

  03-03-2016 11:38
  
  AUSTIN, Texas - A Texas couple is outraged after they found the words “BLACK PPL” at the top of their International House of Pancakes receipt when they settled up for their meal early Monday morning.Rolman Sparkman and his girlfriend Arainia Brown said they were shock when they saw the bill.“My girlfriend came up to me and said ‘You see the receipt? It says black people on there.’ ‘I said what do you mean it says black people’
  
  Read more

• Blinking stop signs make traffic stops easy for drivers to spot

  03-03-2016 11:28
  
  ASCENSION – Newly installed stop signs, equipped with flashing red lights, are hard to miss at four-way-stops in Ascension Parish.Lawmakers say the idea is to make the roads safer by lighting up stop signs. that otherwise. would have been hard to spot. Ascension Parish President, Kenny Matassa, said they installed eight blinking signs, and have two more portable units on hand. It was made possible with a $40,000 grant from the state. Now they are focusing on the roads, that would most
  
  Read more

• Who could pay? A look at tax bills advancing with lawmakers

  03-03-2016 11:18
  
  BATON ROUGE - Lawmakers in the House and Senate have supported varying measures to change Louisiana's tax laws. None has made it to final passage so far, with less than a week remaining in the special legislative session.Here's a look of what some of the proposals would do and where they stand:SALES TAX HIKE (House Bill 62)Increase Louisiana's 4-cent sales tax by another penny on every dollar spent, starting April 1, without many of the exemptions allowed on the other four pennies of the tax.Rev
  
  Read more

• All lanes open on I-110 S at Government

  03-03-2016 07:47
  
  BATON ROUGE- All lanes are now open on I-110 South at Government Street. Traffic officials shut down the interstate earlier this morning due to a wreck involving an 18-wheeler.According to EMS spokesperson Mike Chustz, upon responding to the incident, emergency crews requested an additional unit to help at the scene.The Florida Street and North Street entrance ramps have also reopened. Congestion from this incident has reached North 22nd Street.Drivers are advised to take an alternate route.Perm
  
  Read more

• March 3, 2016 Morning News Pop

  03-03-2016 07:17
  
  Here are today's top stories:Police cruiser involved in crash on Florida Blvd at Sherwood SUV plows through Mcdonald's lobbyBudget talks continue at the capitol Scattered showers followed by a warmer weekend Updates all day, every day:FACEBOOK | TWITTERPermalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• SUV plows through McDonald's lobby

  03-03-2016 07:10
  
  BATON ROUGE- Authorities responded to the McDonalds on Florida Boulevard at Wooddale Drive after a car drove through the lobby early Thursday morning.
  The wreck happened a little after 5 a.m. According to franchise owner John Valluzzo, EMS took the driver of the vehicle away shortly after the crash.A towtruck arrived on scene around 6:30 a.m. to take the vehicle out of the building. Valluzzo said he hopes to have the restaurant open by 9 a.m."We will be a drive-thru only until we get th
  
  Read more

• Romney calling Trump 'phony,' urging Republicans to shun him

  03-03-2016 05:30
  
  WASHINGTON, D.C.- Mitt Romney is telling Republican voters that Donald Trump is a "phony" who must be defeated to avoid profoundly negative consequences for the party and the country.
      
  Romney, the party's presidential nominee four years ago, is charging into the 2016 political theatrics Thursday with a morning speech set to be delivered at the University of Utah. The Associated Press obtained excerpts of the speech.
      
  In his prepared r
  
  Read more

• Louisiana Legislature hasn't broken its stalemate over the state budget yet

  03-03-2016 04:22
  
  In the last week, not much has happened to resolve Louisiana's fiscal crisis.
  
  Read more

• Clinton still faces struggle to win back younger voters

  03-03-2016 04:09
  
  FORT COLLINS, CO.- Hillary Clinton is continuing to struggle with a segment of the electorate she will need if she's to win the White House in November: young voters.
      
  Clinton lost six of 10 voters between the ages of 18 and 29 on Super Tuesday even as she racked up wins across the map. Millennials have consistently flocked to the insurgent campaign of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. His message of fighting income inequality and getting big money out of politics has r
  
  Read more

Follow @BatonRougeNews_ on Twitter!