Baton Rouge news

• Major businesses stand against North Carolina ban on transgender protections

  24-03-2016 23:34
  
  North Carolina is the first in the nation to require public school and university students to use only those bathrooms that match their birth certificates.
  
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• Warning signs were missed before Brussels terror attack, officials acknowledge

  24-03-2016 23:19
  
  There is increasing evidence of intelligence and law enforcement failures to prevent this week's attacks by Islamic militants.
  
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• Old Spice deodorant sued over chemical burns, newspaper says

  24-03-2016 21:49
  
  Class-action lawsuit seeks more than $5 million in damages
  
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• Republicans passing tax increases is the fault of Gov. John Bel Edwards?

  24-03-2016 18:22
  
  So let's see if I have this correct: Republicans in the Louisiana Legislature gave wham bam approval to Bernie Sanders-sized tax hikes in the final, frantic minutes of last month's special session and now the state GOP is asking its...
  
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• New apartments causing competition in LSU student housing

  24-03-2016 17:57
  
  BATON ROUGE - Several large apartment complexes are under construction in the LSU area. About 4,600 new apartment units are expected to be completed this year. According to real estate appraiser Wesley Moore, that's more than twice as many as normal. "We are going to add a five-year supply in a two-year-span," Moore said. "That ammount of construction will have an adverse effect on all occupancies."Moore also says the newer complexes will be more attractive for tenants creating
  
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• Edwards requests St. Helena, 8 more parishes to disaster area

  24-03-2016 17:47
  
  BATON ROUGE – Governor John Bel Edwards asked Barack Obama to expand the federal disaster declaration to 9 more parishes Thursday.Edwards requested Catahoula, East Carroll, Franklin, Jackson, Lincoln, Rapides, Red River, Sabine and St. Helena parishes to be added to the disaster declaration area.Edwards said those parishes experienced high water as well as debris in streets and roadways which caused safety concerns.The federal declaration will provide residents with individual and publ
  
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• Obama's moves not limited to the tango: His legacy as a dancing president

  24-03-2016 17:17
  
  Sure, maybe the tango isn't the dance Obama's best at, but at least he never backs down from the chance to dance.
  
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• Tips for Spring Break activities from News 2 at 4-Mar. 24

  24-03-2016 17:04
  
  Joy Holden, a writer for Red Stick Moms Blog, stopped by News 2 at 4 p.m. on Thursday to share some family fun tips for Spring Break activities.Holden recommended some at-home ideas in case it's raining such as baking cookies and muffins together, creating an indoor obstacle course and creating an in-home scavenger hunt.Holden also recommended at-home outside ideas like planting seeds or work in the garden, camp in the backyard, do messy play with paint, shaving cream, and bubble bath with swims
  
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• False River nearing more improvements to enhance wildlife

  24-03-2016 16:34
  
  NEW ROADS - The next step toward improving wildlife on False River is in the works as engineers look into how to bring trophy fishing back.Phase two of the False River restoration project is expected to begin after the summer and will focus on limiting siltation from the M1 canal. Work will also begin to dredge silt out of the north flat. Over the years, the M1 canal has dumped silt into False River covering and killing vegetation.
  Rep. Major Thibaut, D-New Roads, says False River is the economi
  
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• Garry Shandling, comic, 'Larry Sanders Show' creator, dies

  24-03-2016 16:04
  
  NEW YORK - Garry Shandling, who as an actor and comedian pioneered a pretend brand of self-focused docudrama with "The Larry Sanders Show," has died.Las Angeles Police officer Tony Im said Shandling died Thursday in Los Angeles of an undisclosed cause. He was 66.The Chicago-born Shandling moved from a short stint in the advertising business to comedy writing and standup.Then in the 1980s he began to experiment with TV comedy with his first series, "It's Garry Shandling's Show," a Showtime sitcom
  
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• Edwards unveils $70M in state budget cuts, to close deficit

  24-03-2016 16:02
  
  BATON ROUGE - To rebalance this year's budget, Gov. John Bel Edwards is levying all of a $70 million spending reduction on the state health department and sparing Louisiana's public colleges.
      
  The Democratic governor announced Thursday the final pieces of budget rebalancing needed to get the state out of the red before June 30.
      
  Edwards says the Department of Health and Hospitals has $40 million in savings from lower-than-expected Med
  
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• Man says he was arrested for not returning VHS rental

  24-03-2016 15:56
  
  CONCORD, N.C. - A North Carolina man says he was arrested for failing to return a VHS tape that he rented in 2002.James Meyers says he was driving his daughter to school Tuesday when a police officer pulled him over for a defective tail light.He says the officer told him there was a warrant out for his arrest from 2002, because Meyers had rented the movie "Freddy Got Fingered" starring Tom Green and never returned it.Meyers says the officer let him take his daughter to school and go to work, as
  
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• Man shoots doctor, walks to nearby restaurant and shoots himself

  24-03-2016 15:18
  
  METAIRIE - A man shot and killed a doctor at his office next to East Jefferson General Hospital and then went to a nearby Wendy's restaurant and shot himself, according to reports.Gerry Cvitanovich, the Jefferson Parish Coroner, said the situation is a "murder-suicide" and that both victims were men. According to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office the doctor killed was Dr. Elbert Goodier.The perpetrator shot the Goodier in his office, which is attached to East Jefferson Hospital before walkin
  
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• Former DHH manager accused of laundering $100,000 from organizations and state

  24-03-2016 14:51
  
  BATON ROUGE – A former DHH director was arrested Thursday, accused of using his position to defraud almost $100,000 from the state and local organizations through bribery.Investigators with the Louisiana Department of Justice charged 52-year-old Curtis Mack with public bribery, malfeasance in office, theft, money laundering and criminal conspiracy.His arrest warrant says Mack, a former Department of Health and Hospitals Program Manager, used a scheme to get kickbacks from grant recipie
  
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• Ascension Parish debris cleanup to start next Tuesday

  24-03-2016 14:43
  
  ASCENSION - Ascension Parish President Kenny Matassa announced that debris removal will start next week due to the recent flooding that has occurred in the area.Parish crews will begin removing debris on Tuesday, Mar. 29
  Residents are asked to begin separating debris by type and move it to the roadside.To report debris location, residents must contact the parish’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.Residents can call the parish’s emergency operations cente
  
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• General Health System and Ochsner Health System to form partnership

  24-03-2016 13:40
  
  BATON ROUGE - General Health System and Ochsner Health System announced the signing of a Letter of Intent to form a partnership Thursday.The partnership will encompass all hospitals and clinics in the Greater Baton Rouge area including Baton Rouge General’s Mid-City and Bluebonnet campuses.
  Mark Styler, General Health System/Baton Rouge General president and CEO, said the partnership will transform health care in the city.“Combining our unparalleled track record with Ochsner&
  
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• Public record at center of Nakamoto arrest released

  24-03-2016 13:27
  
  WHITE CASTLE - The third part of a public records request that was not filed and lead to the arrest of WBRZ Chief Investigator Chris Nakamoto Wednesday was released to the station's news department Thursday morning.Just received part 3 of @ChrisNakamoto's public records request. The part he couldn't get Wed. before his arrest. pic.twitter.com/TNsswP75N3— Michael Shingleton (@ShingletonWBRZ) March 24, 2016WBRZ anchor and investigative reporter Michael Shingleton was given the file, whic
  
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• US official says Marines expanding combat role in Iraq

  24-03-2016 13:20
  
  WASHINGTON - A senior American official says U.S. Marines operating out of a small outpost in Iraq provided artillery and targeting support for Iraqi troops Thursday, expanding the American combat role as the operation to retake Mosul inched ahead.U.S. officials have insisted that the nearly 200 Marines at Fire Base Bell are only there to provide security for Iraqi forces and U.S. advisers at the nearby Iraqi base in Mokhmour.But the official says the Marines fired illumination and artillery rou
  
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• Woman arrested for DUI after driving to 'Coffee with a Cop'

  24-03-2016 13:07
  
  GREAT FALLS, Mont. - A Montana woman who police said was stumbling and smelled of alcohol was arrested after driving to a cafe hosting a "Coffee with a Cop" event.Great Falls Lt. Doug Mahlum says 66-year-old Charlene Kranitz walked by more than a dozen uniformed officers in Schulte's Coffeehouse on Wednesday to get to a frozen yogurt machine.The Great Falls Tribune reports Mahlum followed the woman to the parking lot, where he saw her vehicle resting against a light pole. He says he arrested Kra
  
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• UPDATE: Belaire High School students evacuated

  24-03-2016 12:39
  
  BATON ROUGE - Students at Belaire High School have been evacuated due to a reported fire at the school, however there was no fire, according to the Baton Rouge Fire Department.The BRFD was called to the scene and confirmed that there was no fire and all sutdents were cleared to return back to class.No further details have been released at this time.This is a developing story and will be updated once details become available.Follow on WBRZ.com, Facebook and Twiitter for updates.Permalink| Comment
  
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• Disaster Recovery Centers in place to help flood recovery

  24-03-2016 12:36
  
  BATON ROUGE – As cleanup and recovery begins after damaging rain and flooding, federal disaster officials have set up recovery centers across Louisiana to aid residents.FEMA says it has opened several Disaster Recovery Centers accross the state to help residents as cleanup efforts begin. Volunteers and represenatives from GOHSEP, FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration are set up at the centers to answer questions about disaster aid. These represenatives will also help resident
  
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• DOTD to conduct study on Livingston's LA 447 Corridor

  24-03-2016 12:29
  
  LIVINGSTON - The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development has authorized an environmental study for the LA 447 Corridor to evaluate ways to improve it. DOTD will also hold a public input meeting next week on the project.DOTD’s Stage 1 Environmental Assessment  will look at alternatives to improve the mobility and safety of car, pedestrian, and bicycle traffic along the corridor in Walker.The northern boundary of the study is at the railroad tracks near Keith Stre
  
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• Livingston Parish council approves next phase of road projects

  24-03-2016 12:16
  
  LIVINGSTON - The Livingston Parish Council signed off on a list of roads for Phase II of its Priority Roads List.The first phase of the multi-million dollar project is expected to wrap-up sometime this year. Once that happens, work will begin on 13 roads approved by the council. Those 13 were chosen by using a rating scale on all of the roads on the master list to determine which should be considered a 'priority'. Phase II calls for spending nearly $3 million on the following roads:Livingston: J
  
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• Crimes go unreported in Gardere because of language barrier

  24-03-2016 12:05
  
  BATON ROUGE - Catching criminals in the Gardere area of Baton Rouge has become a problem. Many residents don't speak English, creating a barrier with law enforcement that has crimes going unreported. The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office is hoping to break the silence.Several people told News 2 they either fear police or believe it's impossible to report something because they don't speak English. Deputies say changing that mindset is important to make the community safer.Noehmi Hernandez
  
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• Winnsboro house fire kills father and sons, leaves 3 others injured

  24-03-2016 12:04
  
  WINNSBORO - The Louisiana State Fire Marshal investigators are currently on the scene of a fire that killed a father and his sons in an early morning fire in Winnsboro.Three others were seriously injured in the fire, according to the State Fire Marshal. Investigators responded to a call around 2 a.m. Thursday in the 2000 block of Mike Street when a single-wide mobile home was engulfed in flames.Firefighters arrived before investigators and removed 31-year-old Derrick Boley, and his three-year-ol
  
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• Biden to point to record in Supreme Court fight

  24-03-2016 12:02
  
  WASHINGTON - Vice President Joe Biden is pointing to his years as Senate Judiciary Committee chairman to cast Republicans' election-year Supreme Court blockade as a dangerous new escalation of partisanship.In a speech at Georgetown Law School, Biden plans to take credit for moving eight Supreme Court nominees through the committee and to a vote on the Senate floor.The high-profile speech is Biden's latest attempt to explain and move past the 1992 remarks on the subject that have recently come ba
  
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• Judge gives VW month for diesel emissions fix

  24-03-2016 11:53
  
  SAN FRANCISCO - A federal judge is giving Volkswagen and regulators a month to provide a specific plan about how they will bring nearly 600,000 diesel cars into compliance with clean air laws following an emissions cheating scandal.Senior U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer said Thursday that he wants to know the timing of the fix and any planned payments to owners by April 21, among other details.Breyer says former FBI Director Robert Mueller told him Volkswagen, government regulators a
  
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• 'American Idol' MacKenzie Bourg to be feted in Lafayette

  24-03-2016 11:49
  
  LAFAYETTE - Lafayette native and "American Idol" contestant MacKenzie Bourg will lead a parade in downtown Lafayette Saturday afternoon and perform a concert in Parc International after the parade.KATC-TV reports Bourg, a Top 5 "American Idol" contestant who's also known for making the Top 20 a few seasons ago on "The Voice," finds out Thursday whether he has advanced to the final four. Organizers say, whether he makes it or not, the parade will happen Saturday.The parade will start at 5 p.m. on
  
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• DOTD: I-12 in Livingston to have lane shifts due to road work

  24-03-2016 11:47
  
  LIVINGSTON - The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development announced that there will be alternating lane shifts at the I-12 Eastbound/Westbound Exit/On Ramps at LA 441 (Exit 29) starting Monday, Mar. 28.The lane shifts will be until Thursday, Mar. 31, daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. due to crews doing concrete patching work.Traffic will be maintained through the work zone. No oversized loads greater than 11 feet wide will be allowed through the construction zone during work hours.Permal
  
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• Home health caretaker accused of stealing patient debit card

  24-03-2016 11:32
  
  BATON ROUGE – Police issued an arrest warrant Thursday for a home health caretaker accused of taking a patient's debit card and making purchases.According to Baton Rouge Police, 24-year-old Allison Monique Taylor is wanted for access device fraud, unauthorized use of an access card, theft and exploitation of the infirm.Police are asking anyone with information about Taylor’s whereabouts to call the BRPD Financial Crimes Division at 225-389-3871.Permalink| Comments
  
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• UPDATE: 2 escape from Avoyelles jail; both in custody

  24-03-2016 11:29
  
  MARKSVILLE - A second inmate who escaped from the Avoyelles Detention Center is back in custody.
      
  Lafourche Parish Sheriff Craig Webre said in a news release Wednesday that Kyron Folse was found in New Roads and taken in to custody. Folse had escaped the Avoyelles Parish jail earlier Wednesday along with another inmate, Frank Sneed.
      
  Avoyelles Parish Sheriff Doug Anderson tells KATC-TV the men were discovered missing from their cell a
  
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• Governor Edwards to discuss budget cuts Thursday

  24-03-2016 08:58
  
  BATON ROUGE - Governor John Bel Edwards will hold a press conference to discuss budget cuts for the current fiscal year.The press conference will be held on Thursday with Commissioner Jay Dardenne.It is set to begin at 3 p.m. at the State Capitol. Watch the live event on WBRZ.com at 3 p.m. Permalink| Comments
  
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• EBRSO: Teen arrested for assaulting teachers at school

  24-03-2016 08:29
  
  BATON ROUGE - The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office arrested 17-year-old Antonio Scott for assaulting his teachers while at school. An East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s officer was working extra duty at a local high school on Wednesday afternoon when the officer was contacted by a school administrator about Scott, according to the EBR Sheriff's Office.Scott entered the school office and walked behind the counter without permission. Scott was told that he was n
  
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• Man seeks new sentencing in heroin overdose death

  24-03-2016 07:44
  
  BATON ROUGE- A Denham Springs man sentenced to life in prison in the alleged heroin overdose death of his girlfriend in 2013 is asking a state judge to rethink the punishment.
      
  Jarret McCasland's attorney, Rodney Messina, contends in a motion for reconsideration of sentence that the life term without parole is cruel and unusual punishment. He also argues that 19-year-old Flavia Cardenas died of a "self-induced drug overdose" and that the case was a "misuse of prose
  
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• March 24, 2016 Morning News Pop

  24-03-2016 07:04
  
  Here are today's top stories:Leaders avoid questions; Nakamoto escorted away in handcuffs, issued summonsReport: Device error caused water problems in Donaldsonville BR Leaders to discuss zoo relocationUpdates all day, every day:FACEBOOK | TWITTERPermalink| Comments
  
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• Reports: 2nd suspect believed in Brussels subway attack.

  24-03-2016 06:19
  
  BRUSSELS- Belgian state broadcaster RTBF and France's Le Monde are reporting that a second attacker is suspected of taking part in the bombing this week of a Brussels subway train and may be at large.
      
  The media, citing unnamed sources, said Thursday the suspect was filmed by surveillance cameras in the Brussels metro on Tuesday carrying a large bag alongside Khalid El Bakraoui, whom prosecutors have identified as a suicide bomber. RTBF said it is not clear whether
  
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• Destrehan woman found guilty in illegal diet pill scheme

  24-03-2016 04:31
  
  BATON ROUGE- A Destrehan woman has been convicted of selling illegal drugs disguised as diet pills.
      
  A Baton Rouge jury found 54-year-old Darlene Krueger guilty Tuesday on three counts each of distributing a controlled substance and introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce.
      
  Prosecutor Walt Green said in a statement Wednesday that Krueger profited about $100,000 from selling the pills, which contained sibutramine.
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• Louisiana House decides not to override John Bel Edwards vetoes

  24-03-2016 00:50
  
  The House voted 99-1 to keep Edwards' vetoes of five budget cuts contained in House Bill 122 made by the Louisiana Legislature two weeks ago.
  
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