Baton Rouge news

• Attack on law enforcement could become hate crime in Louisiana

  29-04-2016 21:12
  
  The Louisiana Legislature appears poised to qualify attacks on law enforcement officers, fire fighters and emergency medical services personnel as hate crimes.
  
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• Report suggests revisions to Louisiana's pre-K overhaul

  29-04-2016 21:10
  
  Changes include early performance guidelines for children from infants to age 3.
  
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• Changes to Louisiana's pre-K overhaul are recommended

  29-04-2016 21:10
  
  Changes include early performance guidelines for children from infants to age 3.
  
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• Jones first Tiger off the board; LB picked by Atlanta

  29-04-2016 21:00
  
  FLOWERY BRANCH, GA - The Atlanta Falcons have taken LSU linebacker Deion Jones in the second round of the NFL draft to shore up a pass rush that's been among the NFL's worst over the last three years.Jones joins Florida safety Keanu Neal, drafted 17th overall, as second-year coach Dan Quinn seeks upgrades in the front seven.Jones was a team captain last season, leading LSU in tackles and in stops for lost yardage. He added five sacks, two interceptions and three pass breakups.The Falcons moved d
  
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• EBRSO: Driver attempts to flee scene of crash, doesn't get far

  29-04-2016 19:58
  
  BATON ROUGE - A spokesperson for the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office says a driver attempted to flee a minor accident in a parking lot on Siegen Lane Friday night.He didn't get very far, however. There was something wrong with his vehicle, so when he tried to leave, he just burned out his rear tire until nothing was left but the rim. Units from the St. George Fire Department were on scene when a News 2 Photographer arrived, and deputies had part of the parking lot taped off.No
  
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• LA 1 to get new signs telling traffic info.

  29-04-2016 18:59
  
  BATON ROUGE- LA 1 is soon to get a new sign telling drivers how long it will take for them to be in traffic.The sign will tell drivers how long it will take to cross the river using the new bridge or the old bridge over Highway 190.The sign is a part of a $3.4 million project to improve the current signs around the city.Rodney Mallett, DOTD spokesperson, said the signs will give drivers more options on the road.“If its about a wreck, travel time, road construction, more information is
  
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• Students invade Capitol for 'Take our Daughters and Sons to Work Day'

  29-04-2016 18:39
  
  BATON ROUGE – Lawmakers took the day off Friday, so students, along with their parents and teachers, took over the Louisiana State Capitol building.It was all part of a new event that Governor John Bel Edwards called, “Take our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.” And that is exactly what state worker Terri Ricks did.“Bringing my children to work and see the Great State of Louisiana at work, they’re the future,” Ricks said. “If th
  
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• BR zoo takes WBRZ behind the scenes after animal deaths

  29-04-2016 18:39
  
  BATON ROUGE- Following reports of 18 animal deaths at the zoo in just four months, WBRZ’s Natalia Verdina went behind the scenes with BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo to see how they care for the animals.A few weeks ago a tiger cub died, and before that two giraffes. WBRZ also learned that a total of 50 animals died in 2015 as well.Zoo officials say the deaths are beyond their control, but that does not mean they do not care for them.Zoo keeper Krystal Phillips, that keeping t
  
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• Man accused of pointing gun at another driver, fleeing accident

  29-04-2016 17:53
  
  BATON ROUGE – Deputies arrested a Baton Rouge man Thursday after they say he caused an accident on Joor Road, pointed a firearm at the other driver and then fled the scene.East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Deputies charged 59-year-old Michael Mannino with aggravated assault with a firearm, reckless operation, following too close and hit and run.According to court documents, a victim told deputies that he was driving on Joor Road Wednesday morning when Mannino passed him in the media
  
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• Man arrested for beating three children

  29-04-2016 17:51
  
  BATON ROUGE- The East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office arrested 27-year-old James Major for three counts of cruelty to juveniles and three counts of simple battery.The incident occurred on Wednesday night in the 700 block of North 17th Street when Child Services called the EBRSO about three children with injuries.Child Services were taken to Our Lady of the Lake Hospital where they received medical attention due to several scratches and bruises on their bodies.
  Two of the children said tha
  
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• Should Louisiana require cursive writing?

  29-04-2016 16:45
  
  There was once a time -- not too long ago -- when every elementary student had to learn to write in cursive. Now, approaching 30 percent of school districts in Louisiana don't teach it.
  
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• Major sinkhole on Canal Street near site of old underground tunnel

  29-04-2016 15:45
  
  NEW ORLEANS - A major sinkhole has now formed near the foot of Canal Street in between Harrah's and Canal Place near where an underground tunnel was built in the 60s.The extremely large hole seemingly will now likely exacerbate the problems of traffic flow in the area, already hindered by a road closure. The hole has been created as part of Canal Street has caved in at that spot.According to The New Orleans Advocate, the Landrieu administration was saying that it was evaluating
  
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• BRPD: Man accused of burning toddler in custody

  29-04-2016 15:43
  
  BATON ROUGE - Police reported the arrest of a man accused of severely burning a toddler last week.According to BRPD, 22-year-old Jamal Ackerson was taken into custody Thursday evening by 1st District officers and booked into the EBR Parish Prison on a count of second-degree cruelty to juveniles.On Thursday, Baton Rouge Police issued an arrest warrant for the man after he was accused of injuring a 2-year-old with second-degree burns on the hips and buttocks on the night of Apr. 21.Permalink| Comm
  
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• IPSO: Husband of woman found in Whiskey Bay arrested

  29-04-2016 15:31
  
  PLAQUEMINE - Iberville Parish Deputies have made an arrest in connection to the death of a woman whose body was found in Whiskey Bay last weekend.According to Iberville Parish Sheriff Brett Stassi, the woman's husband, 28-year-old Jonathan Allee, has been arrested in connection to the murder of his wife, Elizabeth Ferrell.The arrest is in the death of 28-year-old Elizabeth Ferrell. She is from Humble, TX. Her coworkers there said she didn't show up for work on Friday, April 22nd. The ne
  
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• Student hospitalized after fight at school Friday

  29-04-2016 14:56
  
  BATON ROUGE - A fight at a school required emergency personnel and police Friday afternoon.First responders were called to McKinley High School around 2:30 for a brawl involving students.  The fight involved multiple people who were hurt, those who reported the incident advised authorities.  Police cars and fire trucks were on the scene when a WBRZ news crew arrived. One person was seen being transported to the hospital.Hearing from students that the fight broke out in the scho
  
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• WBR deputies searching for Antonio Plantation subdivision burglar

  29-04-2016 14:54
  
  PORT ALLEN – Deputies in West Baton Rouge Parish say the driver of a newer model Nissan Pathfinder is responsible for two mid day burglaries in the Antonio Plantation subdivision.According to the West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, the driver appears to be a slender built man, wearing a dark colored top and light colored bottoms.Security cameras captured the driver entering and leaving the neighborhood driving a 2013-2016 white or silver Nissan Pathfinder with dark tinted wind
  
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• Sunnier skies for New Orleans' music festival

  29-04-2016 14:44
  
  NEW ORLEANS - Music fans going to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival should have sunnier skies.This Friday is the fifth day of the seven-day music festival that draws thousands of people to New Orleans over two weekends.Concert-goers on Thursday wore their galoshes and ponchos though as heavy rains turned parts of the site - the infield of a racehorse track - into a soggy mess. But the weather was expected to be much better Friday.The headliners Friday include Paul Simon, My Morning Ja
  
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• Governor sets May 15 target for tax study recommendations

  29-04-2016 14:42
  
  BATON ROUGE - Gov. John Bel Edwards is urging a study group looking at state budget and tax policy to give him preliminary recommendations by May 15 for ways to raise money to fill financial gaps.A report from the task force, created by state lawmakers, is due in September. But Edwards says the state can't wait that long and needs some ideas sooner to avoid deep budget cuts.Task force members say they received the letter Friday from the Democratic governor. They've been working since March and q
  
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• Obama announces new steps to reduce gun violence

  29-04-2016 14:22
  
  WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama is announcing new steps to reduce gun violence, mainly by helping manufacturers understand what law enforcement agencies need from so-called smart guns.
  Smart guns are firearms that use technology designed to prevent accidental shootings or help find a missing gun.
  In a Facebook post Friday, Obama also announced a new rule to ensure that federal mental health records about people who shouldn't have a gun are shared with the background check system.
  Obama unvei
  
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• Ascension Parish teacher to be recognized at White House

  29-04-2016 13:50
  
  GONZALES -  An Ascension Parish public school teacher will be recognized at the White House with the distinction of being one of the “great educators across the country.”Duplessis Primary School master teacher Shaneka Burnett will travel to Washington D.C. to attend an event at the White House recognizing the National Teacher of the Year, State Teachers of the Year and other educators across the nation."I am grateful for the opportunities Ascension Public Schools, TA
  
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• Will Ferrell 'not pursuing' Reagan film, says spokesman

  29-04-2016 13:38
  
  LOS ANGELES - Will Ferrell is not pursuing a film project about President Ronald Reagan, a spokesman for the actor said Friday. The actor had read and considered the script for "Reagan" but had never committed to developing or starring in the comedic film, which had prompted a strong family backlash.The script for "Reagan" had been described in a Variety report as a political satire about the president falling into dementia at the start of his second term.Reagan's children Michael Reagan and Pat
  
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• 21 billboards in BR with Wesley Dale Morgan case information

  29-04-2016 13:15
  
  BATON ROUGE - 21 digital signs have been installed throughout the Capital City area by federal agents in hopes that a tip from the public can aid them in solving a reopened child abduction investigation.The FBI reopened the 15-year-old case on Wednesday, picking up the trail as they attempt to unravel what happened to Wesley Dale Morgan. Morgan was a 2-year-old when he vanished without a trace from his parents' home in the Clinton area off Highway 63 near Bluff Creek on May 15,
  
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• WATCH: Lightning strikes passenger jet

  29-04-2016 13:11
  
  LONDON - Two planes were struck by lightning Wednesday over West London.Passengers shared their stories of relief after the British Airways flight landed safely at London’s busy Heathrow airport. The other plane was an Icelandair flight.One passenger described a “white flash” while other people onboard said they felt a “crack” and “bang” as multiple bolts struck the aircraft.British Airways says their planes are built to cope
  
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• Franklinton 19-year-old killed in St. Helena Parish crash

  29-04-2016 12:47
  
  GREENSBURG - Troopers say a single-vehicle crash in St. Helena Parish took the life of a Franklinton man just after midnight on Friday.19-year-old Hunter Michael McGregor was pronounced dead on the scene on LA 38 north of LA 10 by the parish coroner.Investigators say physical evidence on the scene led them to determine that McGregor was driving a Chevrolet Cobalt westbound on LA 38 when he over-corrected after entering a curved portion of the highway. The man’s vehicle spun as
  
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• Sheriff: High profile cases have drawn killers to Whiskey Bay

  29-04-2016 12:36
  
  PLAQUEMINE - Iberville Parish Sheriff Brett Stassi believes high-profile murders have made Whiskey Bay a dumping ground for bodies.That's what he told News 2 Friday after a man from Texas was charged with killing his wife and leaving her body there.28-year-old Elizabeth Ferrell's body was found underneath I-10 by two fisherman last weekend. Her husband, Jonathan Alee, was arrested for her murder Friday.After conducting interviews with those who knew Ferrell and Allee, Sheriff S
  
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• Police: Hammond teen arrested for making threat at school

  29-04-2016 12:35
  
  HAMMOND - Authorities say a 15-year-old Hammond High Magnet School student has been arrested for writing a threat on a desk.
      
  Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Dawn Panepinto said the girl was taken into custody Thursday afternoon.
      
  She says the girl was taken to the Florida Parishes Juvenile Detention Center.
      
  Panepinto says the threat made reference to a future event.
    
  
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• St. Gabriel emergency sirens malfunctioned, rang Friday morning

  29-04-2016 12:34
  
  ST. GABRIEL - Emergency sirens malfunctioned, and rang for about twenty minutes on the eastern bank of Iberville Parish Friday.The alarm rang at the signal near the intersection of Bayou Paul Lane and Highway 30 Friday morning. Emergency officials in Iberville Parish said something was wrong with the alarm system at that one location and was able to disconnect it. No other alarms sounded.A technician was spending the day at the site Friday to get the alarm operational again.The alarm caused a st
  
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• Sex offender accused of trying to buy child for sex

  29-04-2016 12:26
  
  HOUMA - State Police detectives say they arrested a man who is registered as a sex offender in Michigan after he was accused of trying to locate and purchase a child for sexual purposes.30-year-old Wade Perkins, of Grand Isle, was booked on a charge of attempt and conspiracy to commit first-degree rape.Detectives said they received information that Perkins was attempting to locate and purchase a child between the ages of six and eight for sex. Detectives say they learned through investigative me
  
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• Car owners frustrated after CATS bus totals their car

  29-04-2016 12:19
  
  BATON ROUGE - A couple from Baton Rouge is frustrated tonight after their car was involved in a crash with a CATS bus.The CATS bus totaled the Charlats' Toyota, just before it hit a home in Baton Rouge two weeks ago. Now the Charlats say CATS is taking the settlement process, a little too slow."CATS does not want to take care of business," said Susan Charlat.The Transit System is following policies stating, it doesn't allow damages in excess of $10,000 to be handed out with out board approval. C
  
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• House votes to ban sex offenders as door-to-door salesmen

  29-04-2016 12:11
  
  BATON ROUGE - Convicted sex offenders would be barred from working as door-to-door salesmen in Louisiana under a proposal that sailed through the House.State representatives voted 86-0 Thursday to send the measure to the Senate.Rep. Lance Harris, an Alexandria Republican, says his bill would protect children left home without supervision. He says some offenders have sold meat products door-to-door.Violators would face prison sentences up to 10 years and a fine up to $10,000.A similar measure has
  
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• Bills aimed at cutting state consulting contracts advance to House

  29-04-2016 09:22
  
  BATON ROUGE - Bills aimed at cutting consulting contracts were advanced by the House Appropriations Committee this week, according to State Treasurer John Kennedy."We had $12.23 billion in contracts last year. State agencies will tell you every one of those contracts is necessary. I disagree," said Treasurer Kennedy. "We have to get our spending in check.”The two bills are focused on reining in the number of consulting contracts across state government.House Bill 454 would create a lay
  
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• Pedestrian killed in early morning LA 16 crash

  29-04-2016 09:10
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS - State Police have reported that a man died after he was hit by a pickup truck near Denham Springs in Livingston Parish early Friday morning.Troopers say the single-vehicle crash took the life of 46-year-old Jason Taylor, of Greenwell Springs. The crash happened on LA 16 south of Lockhart Road at around 4 a.m.The initial investigation by State Police reveals that the crash happened as Taylor was walking in the middle of the southbound lane of LA 16 while wearing dark clothing. As
  
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• BRPD investigating two overnight shootings

  29-04-2016 09:09
  
  BATON ROUGE - Baton Rouge Police officers are investigating a pair of overnight shootings.Police were called to an apartment complex at 12:50 a.m. on North Sherwoord Forest. Residents told News 2 they heard gunshots minutes before police arrived.There's no word on the injuries.While police were investigating the first shootimg, they were called another shooting on Sherwood St. near North Foster. It happened around 2:30 a.m. At least one person was taken to an area hospital with undisclosed injur
  
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• Coroner: Slidell man killed by lightning

  29-04-2016 09:01
  
  SLIDELL - A Louisiana coroner says a man working on a Slidell-area construction site died after being struck by lightning.
  St. Tammany Parish coroner Dr. Charles Preston said in a news release that 36-year-old Elvin Arturo Castro-Santiago was working Wednesday when he was struck. Preston says Castro-Santiago was taken to Ochsner Northshore where he later died.
  Preston says the tragedy underscores the deadly force of nature.Permalink| Comments
  
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• April 29, 2016 Morning News Pop

  29-04-2016 07:15
  
  Here are today's top stories:City officials to addres Earth Day event mayhem FridaySaints draft defensive lineman Rankins with 12th pickStart of 2nd weekend of Jazz Fest soaked by rainFriday dry, Saturday turns wetUpdates all day, every day:FACEBOOK | TWITTERPermalink| Comments
  
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