Baton Rouge news

• Governor considers religious exemption in Louisiana LGBT order

  01-04-2016 23:29
  
  Louisiana's two most recent Democratic governors -- Blanco and Edwin Edwards -- put orders in place to protect state workers and contractors in same-sex relationships. But those did not include a religious exception.
  
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• Car crash on Groom Road injures three people

  01-04-2016 21:25
  
  BAKER – An accident on Groom Road in Baker injured three people.EMS says they are transporting three people to the hospital, and at least one of them had serious injuries.According to EMS, two people needed to be cut out of their car.This is a developing story. Stay tuned to this story for updates.Permalink| Comments
  
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• BREAKING: I-10 in Ascension Parish will close late Friday

  01-04-2016 20:59
  
  ASCENSION PARISH – Part of I-10 will close in both directions Friday night in Ascension Parish so workers can clean up storm damage and restore power.Entergy reports around 500 outages off Cornerview Road, and power lines that cross the interstate have to be repaired. According to State Police, the closure will be in both directions from exit 173 (Hwy 73) to exit 175 (Hwy 30). Troopers expect the closure to last from 10 p.m. to midnight.
  Drivers heading west should exit at Gon
  
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• Greg Gilmore thinks LSU D-line ready to bust out

  01-04-2016 18:39
  
  Tigers move to 3-man line going smooth.
  
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• Bill aimed to stop peeping Toms using drones

  01-04-2016 18:27
  
  BATON ROUGE- The increasing popularity of unmanned flying drones equipped with cameras has raised privacy concerns. State Representative Marcus Hunter wants to expand Louisiana's video voyeurism law to include these remote controlled devices."What we want to do is create the crime where someone uses the drone to be a Peeping Tom or for video voyeurism," said the Monroe Democrat.Many agree current laws cover this crime, but Hunter's bill is aimed at closing any legal loopholes.C
  
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• Reports reveal Kalamazoo suspect's comments to police

  01-04-2016 17:38
  
  KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Police say a man accused in a shooting rampage in Kalamazoo, Michigan, told detectives that he shot a woman outside a restaurant after she declined his request for a dollar.The Kalamazoo Gazette reported Friday that 45-year-old Jason Dalton told detectives that he had asked the woman "if she could spare a dollar to make America great again." Dalton said he was going to leave after shooting her, but he heard other people screaming, so he turned his gun on them.Four peo
  
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• LAPD: Knife found at O.J. Simpson's home not murder weapon

  01-04-2016 16:59
  
  LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles police detectives have concluded a knife found at the former estate of O.J. Simpson was not the murder weapon used to kill Simpson's ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.Police Capt. Andy Neiman said Friday that investigators ruled out the knife after weeks of forensic investigation.Simpson was acquitted of stabbing to death his wife and Goldman outside her condominium on June 12, 1994.A knife linked to the killings has never been found.Police reve
  
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• Gov. Edwards announces board and commission appointments

  01-04-2016 16:55
  
  BATON ROUGE- Governor John Bel Edwards announced his appointments to several Louisiana boards and commissions on Friday.Edwards announced the following appointments:State Board of Commerce and IndustryJeffery J. Arnold, of New Orleans, is a former Louisiana State Representative and is currently the Director of Institutional Banking and Senior Vice President at First NBC Bank in New Orleans.Glenn L. Brasseaux, of Carencro, is the Mayor of the City of Carencro and was nominated by the Louisiana Mu
  
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• Rides inspected ahead of first Denham Springs Fair

  01-04-2016 16:54
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS - State Fire Marshals spent Friday inspecting carnival rides before the first ever Denham Springs Fair kicked off.Fire marshals combed over all 13 rides at South Park on Vincent Road to ensure safety. Marshals are required to inspect rides at some point during a fair or festival, but they often try to do so before the event begins, according to State Fire Marshal Butch Browning."These are mechanical devices so they require constant maintenance and constant upkeep," said Browning.
  
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• Perfect shot: As storms leave BR, rainbow captured under New Bridge

  01-04-2016 16:50
  
  BATON ROUGE - Off and on showers and thunderstorms gave way to a sunlight-bathed drive home Friday.One person captured a rainbow under the New Bridge from West Baton Rouge. Pictures of rainbows were also shared by people in Ascension Parish, too.Kim Richardson of Prairieville shared this photo with WBRZ Friday afternoon The image of the rainbow under the bridge was snapped at 4:15 Friday. The rainbow was captured on camera after a storm moved across Baton Rouge.As the storm passed, the
  
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• 5 parishes open disaster assistance recovery centers for businesses

  01-04-2016 16:30
  
  BATON ROUGE - The U.S. Small Business Administration and Louisiana Economic Development encourage flood-impacted businesses to visit any of the five Business Recovery Centers established after severe weather and flooding struck the state in March.The centers opened Mar. 23 in Bossier, Ouachita, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Washington parishes. The Business Recovery Centers and other SBA sites in the state have approved 223 loans totaling more than $11 million in disaster recovery assistance.Busin
  
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• State Dept suspends review into 'top secret' Clinton emails

  01-04-2016 16:16
  
  WASHINGTON - The State Department has suspended its internal review into whether former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton or her top aides mishandled emails containing information now deemed "top secret."Spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said Friday the department had paused the review to avoid complicating or impeding an ongoing FBI investigation into Clinton's use of a private server while she was America's top diplomat. She said the review would remain "on hold" pending completion of the FBI pro
  
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• Former downtown headquarters of sheriff's office set to be demolished

  01-04-2016 15:34
  
  BATON ROUGE - Demolition will begin soon on the former home of the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office in downtown.Already, fencing has been put up around the cream brick building opposite city hall and in between the new District Courthouse and City Court buildings. The sheriff's office moved from the downtown building in 2013 to a larger building near Parish Prison by the airport on Jimmy Wedell Drive.A sign outside the old sheriff's office headquarters lists information about the demolit
  
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• DOTD advises drivers of heavy congestion on I-10, I-110 and I-12 until 7 p.m.

  01-04-2016 15:21
  
  BATON ROUGE - DOTD advises drivers to expect heavier than normal congestion on Friday afternoon leading into the night.I-10, I-110, and I-12 are expected to receive heavy congestion until 7 p.m. Friday night, according to DOTD.This post will be updated as new information becomes available.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Missing Texas mom found dead in SUV; 3 children alive

  01-04-2016 14:39
  
  FRISCO, Texas - A Texas mother reported as missing with her children for three days has been found dead in her car with the three children alive beside her.Frisco police spokesman Colby Hill says detectives are trying to determine how long the children had been in the SUV with the body of Christine Thi Woo before being discovered in a Target department store parking lot in the Dallas suburb of McKinney on Thursday.Hill said Friday that surveillance footage is being reviewed to establish a timeli
  
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• BR locations of Hancock Fabrics to close, part of corporate shutdown

  01-04-2016 14:39
  
  BATON ROUGE - The two locations of Hancock Fabrics in the capital area will close as the fabrics and crafts chain shutters all of its stores.There are six locations scattered between Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Houma. All will close, the Associated Press reported Friday. There are 185 stores total.A bankruptcy court approved a sale of the business to another company, which offered about $65 million for Hancock Fabrics' assets. Great American already had begun the process of closing 70 stores id
  
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• LSUs Freshman Antonio Blakeney to test the NBA draft without agent, could return for second season

  01-04-2016 14:36
  
  BATON ROUGE- LSU guard Antonio Blakeney has announced that he will try the new NBA draft system and will not hire an agent.Under the new rules this year by the NCAA, NBA, and National Association of Basketball Coaches Blakeney has the opportunity to return to the university for his sophomore season.“After meeting with my mom and the LSU Coaching Staff, I’ve decided to enter my name into the 2016 NBA Draft with the hopes of pursuing my dream of playing the game I love with the
  
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• Clinton tries to win New York with her congressional record

  01-04-2016 14:33
  
  WASHINGTON - Hillary Clinton will release a $10 billion plan aimed at revitalizing manufacturing in Syracuse on Friday, part of an effort to highlight her work as a senator from New York ahead of that state's primary later this month.The Democratic presidential candidate plans to set off on a nostalgia-infused campaign tour designed to remind primary voters of her deep connection to their state.She's preparing for a drag-out fight in New York. Rival Bernie Sanders grew up in Brooklyn. He is targ
  
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• Family asks judge to declare Robert Durst's missing ex dead

  01-04-2016 14:30
  
  NEW YORK - Family of the ex-wife of troubled New York real estate heir Robert Durst have asked a judge to declare her legally dead 34 years after she was last seen.In affidavits filed in Manhattan Surrogate's Court this week, Kathleen Durst's sisters and mother ask a judge to issue a death certificate.They need a judge's declaration to pursue a wrongful death lawsuit against Robert Durst.The family believes the 72-year-old millionaire killed Kathleen Durst in 1982. He hasn't been charged in conn
  
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• Re-entry bills part of bipartisan push for prison overhaul

  01-04-2016 14:26
  
  BATON ROUGE - State legislators and advocates are spearheading a bipartisan push to lower Louisiana's leading incarceration rate.Baton Rouge Reps. Patricia Smith, a Democrat, and Rick Edmonds, a Republican, say they are confident legislators across the political spectrum will support their efforts to lower recidivism.Three proposals aimed at easing prisoners' re-entry into society are scheduled for House debate next week and were touted by prison reform advocates Thursday.The bills would give fo
  
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• Louisiana's highest-in-the-nation sales taxes (and more) start April 1

  01-04-2016 14:09
  
  Here's a rundown of all the new and higher taxes that start in Louisiana April 1.
  
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• Murder suspect booked into jail overnight

  01-04-2016 14:06
  
  BATON ROUGE - A 19-year-old was booked into jail overnight on murder charges connected to the shooting death two years ago.Deandre Anthony was arrested after police located a witness to the shooting on Johnson Street. The witness identified Anthony in a line-up, police wrote in arrest documents filed at the East Baton Rouge Parish Jail.Investigators believe Anthony shot and killed Cornell Cummings while Cummings was standing in the front yard of a house on Johnson Street, near Highland Road in O
  
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• BRFD graduates 29 recruits Friday

  01-04-2016 14:05
  
  BATON ROUGE - The Baton Rouge Fire Department held its graduation ceremony for its 2016 academy on Friday morning.The ceremony was held at Zoar Baptist Church at 10 a.m. where 29 recruits completed six months of training at the fire academy.
  Upon graduation, each of them will have obtained national certifications in Hazardous Materials Awareness, Hazardous Materials Operations, Fire fighter 1, Fire Figher II, and Fire Equipment Driver Operator.The graduates also completed classes for Emergency M
  
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• Woman arrested for terrorizing inside of Popeyes

  01-04-2016 13:32
  
  BATON ROUGE- The East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office arrested 21-year-old Tyieesha Franklin for terrorizing a manager and patrons inside of a Popeyes Thursday afternoon.EBRSO officers responded to a call Thursday afternoon to a Popeyes in the 14000 block of Wax Road where Franklin threatened management.The manager asked a male with Franklin to pull up his pants in the business and after, Franklin started yelling and cursing at the manager.According to EBRSO, Franklin threatened the manag
  
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• Leonard Fournette's best tweets from March 2016

  01-04-2016 13:00
  
  Travel through the past month with the star LSU running back.
  
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• LSU softball plays SEC series Friday at Georgia

  01-04-2016 12:59
  
  BATON ROUGE- The LSU softball team will travel to Athens, GA this weekend for a 3-game series with the University of Georgia Bulldogs at Jack Turner Stadium.The Tigers go into the series after a 3-game loss against Florida in last week’s series at home. The losses dropped the Tigers to 26-8 overall in the season and 3-6 in conference play.The Tigers took away wins in the first league series against Alabama, but lost four of the last five games and five of the last seven games overall t
  
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• Baton Rouge looking for federal grant to beef up security in Tigerland

  01-04-2016 12:51
  
  BATON ROUGE - Security upgrades are heading for Tigerland, in Baton Rouge.Tigerland is a string of bars located of Nicholson Drive, close to LSU's campus.The city is applying for almost $750,000 in federal dollars to make the college bars safer.Business owners say they will upgrade security no matter what. Upgrades include LED lighting in the main parking lot, but this federal grant would bring much larger upgrades.On the shopping list is six license plate readers, new security cameras, and an a
  
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• April 1, 2016 Morning News Pop

  01-04-2016 06:54
  
  Here are today's top stories:New taxes go in effect on April 1st; that's no joke29 BRFD recruits to graduate todayBREC Splash Pads to open todayOff and on rain could fall heavily at times todayUpdates all day, every day:FACEBOOK | TWITTERPermalink| Comments
  
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• Police: Bus station gunman kills trooper; others shoot him

  01-04-2016 05:09
  
  RICHMOND, VA.- Virginia State Police say a trooper has died after a shooting at a Greyhound bus station in Richmond.
      
  Virginia State Police Superintendent Col. Steven Flaherty says the trooper, Chad Dermyer, died Thursday after being shot multiple times.
      
  State Police have said two civilians were also shot at the terminal. The gunman was shot dead by two other troopers.
      
  The Greyhound station is west of
  
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• Tornadoes hit 3 southern states as storm heads to Carolinas

  01-04-2016 04:18
  
  ATLANTA- Tornadoes swirled through Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama as the severe storms head toward the Carolinas.
      
  Emergency management officials Rita White and Harry Markham say one tornado touched down in Eldridge in central Alabama around 8 p.m. Thursday and another hit about hour before in Ardmore in the northern part of the state. There were no immediate reports of damage or any injuries.
      
  The National Weather Service confirm
  
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• Sentencing set in gunfight that killed Bourbon St. bystander

  01-04-2016 03:43
  
  NEW ORLEANS- A man convicted for his role in a gunfight that killed a bystander and left nine people injured on New Orleans' famous Bourbon Street is set to learn his sentence.
      
  Twenty-two-year-old Trung Le, from nearby Belle Chasse, was convicted of manslaughter Jan. 15 in the death of Brittany Thomas of Hammond. He was convicted of attempted manslaughter for firing at the other gunman - who has never been captured or identified. Sentencing is scheduled for Friday
  
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• John Bel Edwards will face difficulties getting equal pay, minimum wage passed

  01-04-2016 03:18
  
  The governor's challenges over moving his legislative agenda aren't necessarily in the Senate. His problems are likely in the Louisiana House.
  
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• Chicago schools to close as teachers launch one-day strike

  01-04-2016 02:56
  
  CHICAGO- Picket lines and protests will likely meet students and parents who show up at Chicago school buildings Friday.
      
  Teachers in the nation's third-largest district are launching an unprecedented one-day strike. They say it's aimed at getting lawmakers to adequately fund education and other programs.
      
  The walkout will close schools for nearly 400,000 students who will have the option of spending the day at one of the "contingency
  
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• Flash flood, severe weather threats continue through Friday

  01-04-2016 00:48
  
  2 to 4 inches of rain still possible on Friday, with some locations seeing 1 to 2 inches of rain an hour at times.
  
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