Baton Rouge news

• Senate OKs 'ban the box' bill that bars asking criminal history for state jobs

  04-05-2016 22:44
  
  The bill would cover most new hires in state government.
  
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• Louisiana big business doesn't like John Bel Edwards' June special session

  04-05-2016 22:36
  
  The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry thinks a second special session on taxes and budget issues should start no earlier than the fall.
  
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• Bill to remove food stamp authority from governor dies in committee

  04-05-2016 21:32
  
  Gov. John Bel Edwards has issued an executive order that requires food stamp recipients to work, volunteer or attend job training.
  
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• TOPS-for-government contracts plan won't work, Edwards administration says

  04-05-2016 20:57
  
  Gov. John Bel Edwards administration said a plan to fully fund TOPS by cutting state contracts next year isn't viable.
  
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• Takata airbag inflator recall to grow by 35 million to 40 million

  04-05-2016 20:14
  
  So far, at least 11 deaths and more than 100 injuries have been reported worldwide.
  
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• State lawmaker makes bribe-like accusation

  04-05-2016 19:08
  
  BATON ROUGE- A state representative has accused a well respected lobbying firm of making him a shady offer.Representative Terry Brown (I-Colfax) said Wednesday a lobbyist with Southern Strategy Group in Baton Rouge offered to shower his district with corporate investments if he agreed to kill a bill he's co-sponsoring."We need a new sewer system in south Grant Parish and they offered to pay for it," said Brown.Such an arrangement may not be illegal or unethical under state law
  
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• La GOP releases statement about Trump's likely nomination

  04-05-2016 19:01
  
  BATON ROUGE - Donald Trump's path to the Republican Presidential nomination became a lot clearer Wednesday when his final opponent, Ohio Gov. John Kasich suspended his campaign. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) did the same Tuesday night after Trump won the primary in Indiana.Wednesday afternoon, the state Republican party released the following statement:
  "The Republican Party of Louisiana congratulates Donald Trump on becoming the presumptive Republican nominee. We urge all Republicans to now unite in
  
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• Time is running out for teens looking for summer jobs

  04-05-2016 18:44
  
  BATON ROUGE - If you are teen looking for a summer job, time is running out.As summer starts and kids get a break from the classrooms, Family and Youth Service Center Executive Director Roxson Welch is often concerned about the lack of positive activities during the summer-time.But summer work is sometimes hard to find, especially when 15 to 18-year-olds are competeing directly with adults for searsonal work. "They got to have a place to go that's healthy and safe," Roxson Welch said.&a
  
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• Police officer cited after crashing into Morgan City bar

  04-05-2016 17:37
  
  MORGAN CITY (KATC-TV) - New information and photos were released in a Friday night crash involving a police officer in Morgan City.A Patterson Police officer was cited with careless operation and placed on administrative after wrecking into three vehicles and a bar on 5th Street in Morgan City. According to Captain Teddy Liner with the Morgan City Police Dept., the officer, Jayln Grogan, was escorting an ambulance in a police unit when he took a wrong exit off of Hwy. 90. The o
  
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• Felon sentenced to more than 10 years for illegal gun

  04-05-2016 17:31
  
  BATON ROUGE- A Baton Rouge man has been sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm while being a convicted felon, according to U.S. Attorney Walt Green.On Nov. 14, 2014, the Baton Rouge Police Department responded to a home on Byron Street. The caller told police that Lands had a gun, fired a shot and was attempting to kill the occupants of the home.After police struggled with Lands, he was arrested. BRPD found two .40 caliber shell casings and a semi-automatic pi
  
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• Gonzales man accused of leaving malnourished dog tied up behind home

  04-05-2016 16:34
  
  GONZALES - Deputies in Ascension Parish say they arrested a man after he was accused of leaving his malnourished dog tied to a post behind a shed on his property.Deputies arrested 39-year-old John Green, of Gonzales, was arrested Tuesday and booked on animal cruelty charges.According to the APSO, the investigation began on Apr. 27 when deputies received information that a neglected dog was at a home on North Robert Wilson Road.Deputies attempted to make contact with the homeowner, but he could n
  
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• Donation website setup for malnourished dog tied up behind home

  04-05-2016 16:34
  
  GONZALES - Deputies in Ascension Parish say they arrested a man after he was accused of leaving his malnourished dog tied to a post behind a shed on his property.Deputies arrested 39-year-old John Green, of Gonzales, was arrested Tuesday and booked on animal cruelty charges.According to the APSO, the investigation began on Apr. 27 when deputies received information that a neglected dog was at a home on North Robert Wilson Road.Deputies attempted to make contact with the homeowner, but he could n
  
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• New cameras catching litterbugs in Ascension

  04-05-2016 16:32
  
  ASCENSION PARISH - Four men from Ascension Parish and a Zachary woman were ticketed for littering over the past week in three separate incidents.The Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office says they responded to a complaint of trash dumping at the intersection of Saint Elmo Road and Stanford Levy Road in Darrow between Apr. 14 and Apr. 29. After deputies investigated the scene and found “deplorable conditions,” they opted to install video cameras to aid them in catching t
  
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• Ascension deputies crack down on littering, citing four

  04-05-2016 16:32
  
  ASCENSION PARISH - Four men from Ascension Parish and a Zachary woman were ticketed for littering over the past week in three separate incidents.The Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office says they responded to a complaint of trash dumping at the intersection of Saint Elmo Road and Stanford Levy Road in Darrow between Apr. 14 and Apr. 29. After deputies investigated the scene and found “deplorable conditions,” they opted to install video cameras to aid them in catching t
  
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• Ascension deputies crack down on littering, citing five

  04-05-2016 16:32
  
  ASCENSION PARISH - Four men from Ascension Parish and a Zachary woman were ticketed for littering over the past week in three separate incidents.The Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office says they responded to a complaint of trash dumping at the intersection of Saint Elmo Road and Stanford Levy Road in Darrow between Apr. 14 and Apr. 29. After deputies investigated the scene and found “deplorable conditions,” they opted to install video cameras to aid them in catching t
  
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• Blue Bell recalls Cookies 'n Cream mislabeled Rocky Road

  04-05-2016 16:25
  
  BRENHAM, Texas - Blue Bell Creameries is recalling select lots of Rocky Road pint packages mistakenly filled with Cookies n' Cream ice cream at its flagship Brenham plant.In a statement issued Wednesday, the Cookies 'n Cream ice cream contains soy and wheat not listed on the Rocky Road packages, which could cause serious and potentially life-threatening reactions to allergic consumers.The company says no illnesses have been reported so far.The affected packages are marked Rocky Road but are capp
  
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• TV personality who hid from sex abuse allegations will return to La.

  04-05-2016 15:54
  
  SAN DIEGO - A former Louisiana TV personality will return to the state for the first time in nearly four decades shackled and accused of sexually assaulting children on a camping trip in the 70s.Frank John Selas, 76, performed as "Mr. Wonder" on his TV show in northeast Louisiana. He disappeared after an arrest warrant was issued for him amid allegations he raped kids he took on a camping trip. In February, Selas was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of aggravated rape, three counts of sexu
  
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• Iberville K9 to get protective vest

  04-05-2016 15:44
  
  PLAQUEMINE - A K9 with the Iberville Parish Sheriff's Office will soon receive a bullet and stab protective vest.Exon, a four-year-oldGerman Shepherd who has been with the force for two years performs detection and patrol work. Thanks to a charitable donation by Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. Exon will have a vest in about two months.The vest is sponsored by the late Otto W. Vollenweider of Bolingbrook, IL and will be embroidered with "May you always be safe - Otto W. Vollenweider."Exon's handler,
  
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• Expert questions doctor's handling of Prince

  04-05-2016 15:28
  
  MINNEAPOLIS - An expert on treating addiction has questioned whether a California doctor responded appropriately when he was called to help Prince.Speaking without direct knowledge of Prince's case, addiction medicine expert Dr. Stuart Gitlow questioned why Dr. Howard Kornfeld sent his son, Andrew, on a flight to Prince's home in Minnesota rather than calling for emergency help.The Kornfelds' lawyer, William Mauzy, said Wednesday that Prince's representatives told Howard Kornfeld that t
  
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• Police: Stop calling drug dealer's phone so we can search it

  04-05-2016 15:22
  
  ALLIANCE, OH - Police in Ohio say their search of a suspected drug dealer’s phone was repeatedly interrupted as they couldn’t get prospective drug purchasers to stop calling the device.WCMH-TV reports Alliance Police arrested Steve Notman Tuesday night after they said he was captured on video selling methamphetamine.Detectives say they’re trying to search through texts and contacts on the man’s phone, but they say that the constant stream of calls and text
  
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• Baton Rouge veteran to receive Purple Heart Friday

  04-05-2016 14:35
  
  BATON ROUGE- Donald Barriner, U.S. Army Veteran, will receive the Purple Heart on Friday for injuries sustained during the Korean War.Barriner will also receive the Republic of Korea War Service Medal for his role in preserving the freedom of the Korean people.Barriner enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1950 as a Heavy Machine Gunner with the 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division.On May, 1951 he was wounded by missile fire as a result of action with enemy forces in Kumsong Valley Korea.
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• Retired U.S. soccer star Abby Wambach to join ESPN

  04-05-2016 14:19
  
  Retired U.S. Women’s National Team soccer star Abby Wambach is joining ESPN.The network announced that Wamback will be an analyst and contributer. According to the network, she will cover the European Championships in France beginning in June and the Olympic Games in Rio in August.Wambach will contribute across multiple ESPN platforms including, “Outside the Lines” and will have her own podcast called, “Fearless Conversation with Abby Wambach.”Fo
  
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• Senators reject decision-making in food stamps work mandate

  04-05-2016 14:07
  
  BATON ROUGE - Senators have rejected a bid to give lawmakers authority to determine whether food stamp recipients should have to work to get federal assistance.Rep. Jay Morris, a Monroe Republican, had won House support for his proposal to require legislative approval to seek a federal waiver of the work requirements for able-bodied, childless adults who receive food stamps.But he was unable to persuade the Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee, which voted 4-2 against the bill Wednesday. Th
  
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• No Sympathy for The Donald: Stones ask Trump to stop using their music

  04-05-2016 13:52
  
  The Rolling Stones have asked presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump to stop playing their songs at his campaign events.In a statement Wednesday, the rock band said they have not given permission to the Trump campaign to use their songs and "have requested that they cease all use immediately."A Trump campaign spokeswoman didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.Trump, an avid music fan, has featured Rolling Stones songs at his rallies for months as part of a diverse
  
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• Baker High Concert Band wins national competition

  04-05-2016 13:49
  
  BAKER - The Baker High Concert Band announced Wednesday they recently won the top musicianship award at the national 2016 Spring Music Festival competition in Orlando.The band took home the High School Grand Champion Award for Instrumental Music in the competition. Baker High also received a Superior Rating and first place in the High School Class A Concert Band category. It was Baker’s first time participating in the event. “I wasn’t shocked at our scores,&rdqu
  
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• USS Kidd loses its captain; Juan resigned Wednesday

  04-05-2016 13:48
  
  BATON ROUGE - The USS Kidd Veterans Museum will once again be searching for a chief since Alex Juan, the executive director, announced she's leaving her post Wednesday."It is with a very heavy heart, that I submit my resignation," Juan posted on her personal Facebook page before lunch. "I've decided to do what's best for the well-being of my family," she wrote. Juan has been the steward of the ship and its land-based museum for three years. Juan was able to polish the image of the museum followi
  
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• Deputies say drunk man stole school bus

  04-05-2016 13:41
  
  CHACKBAY -  A man from Thibodaux was arrested Wednesday and charged with stealing a school bus and driving it while intoxicated.Jordan Molaison, 21, is charged with theft of a motor vehicle, simple criminal damage to property and 2nd offense DWI.The Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office says a bus driver in Chackbay realized her bus was missing around 6 a.m. Wednesday morning. On the way to her home, deputies spotted the bus and pulled it over. Deputies say Molaison hot-wired the bus and al
  
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• Lawmakers halt reworked wrongful conviction payout bill

  04-05-2016 13:37
  
  BATON ROUGE - A House committee halted a Shreveport lawmaker's bid to relax the legal definition under which a person wrongfully convicted of murder in Louisiana could receive state compensation.The panel struggled with the proposal to rework the definition of "factual innocence" in current compensation law. Those against the measure said it could allow someone who committed, but was not charged with, a serious crime to sue for state money.Democratic Rep. Cedric Glover said not making a change c
  
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• Houston man sues Justin Bieber, says star smashed his phone

  04-05-2016 13:25
  
  HOUSTON - A Houston man is seeking $75,000 in damages from Justin Bieber, alleging that the Canadian pop singer destroyed his cellphone as he videotaped Bieber unsuccessfully gulping from a beer bong at a club following a concert last month.Robert Earl Morgan said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Harris County that Bieber, who played a show in Houston on April 9, scolded him, grabbed the phone and smashed it into pieces. Morgan, a sales director for an unidentified company, says he lost photos and
  
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• 2 men robbed at gunpoint over 35 cents

  04-05-2016 13:21
  
  NEW ORLEANS - New Orleans police are investigating an armed robbery of two men where the bandit walked away with 35 cents.The robbery happened early Wednesday morning in the city's Carrollton area.Police said in a news release a 33-year-old man and a 29-year-old man were robbed by a man armed with a semi-automatic gun.No one was injured.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Assumption Parish interim sheriff to resign, makes way for sheriff elect

  04-05-2016 13:20
  
  NAPOLEONVILLE- Assumption Interim Sheriff Bruce Prejean announced his upcoming resignation on Tuesday to make way for the new elected Sheriff, Leland Falcon.Prejean made the announcement of his resignation through a post on the Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Office Facebook page on Tuesday. He says that his resignation will go into effect on Monday, May 9 at midnight.Prejean took the position of Interim Sheriff when former Sheriff Mike Waguespack resigned in February after he lost his re-
  
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• Man shot at mobile home park, taken to hospital

  04-05-2016 13:14
  
  BATON ROUGE - A man was transported to the hospital after he was shot at a mobile home park in Baton Rouge Wednesday night.The shooting occurred just after 10:30 p.m. at Nelson's Mobile Home Village on Victoria Drive, off of Airline Highway.No details about the victim or any suspects have been released, but a News 2 Crew was on scene as the victim was loaded into the back of an ambulance. He appeared to be talking to first responders.Check back for updates.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Suit: Louisiana voter registration law is discriminatory

  04-05-2016 13:11
  
  BATON ROUGE - A federal lawsuit claims a Louisiana law discriminates against foreign-born, naturalized U.S. citizens by arbitrarily subjecting them to "heightened" voter registration requirements that don't apply to native-born citizens.Attorneys from the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Fair Elections Legal Network filed the suit Wednesday against Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler and state Commissioner of Elections Angie Rogers.The suit claims a state law on the books since 1874 is
  
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• Body of woman found in Bonnet Carre Spillway

  04-05-2016 13:09
  
  ST. CHARLES PARISH - Authorities say the body of a woman was found in Bonnet Carré Spillway early Wednesday morning.The St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office reports that morning work crews with the KCS Railroad contacted them shortly after 7 a.m. about in a body in Lake Pontchartrain. The woman’s body was located just west of the entrance canal to the lower section in the Bonnet Carré Spillway.Deputies say the body was in an advanced state of decompositio
  
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• Kasich ends White House bid; clears Trump's path

  04-05-2016 13:07
  
  WASHINGTON- John Kasich plans to end his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, making Donald Trump the presumptive Republican nominee.Three campaign officials who spoke to The Associated Press said the Ohio governor plans to announce his decision in a statement from his home state later Wednesday.The officials spoke anonymously because they are not authorized to disclose Kasich's decision.Kasich's decision to suspend his campaign comes after he failed to convert a win in his home state
  
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• 4 juveniles caught brawling in BREC Park

  04-05-2016 13:03
  
  BATON ROUGE - Witnesses told News 2 four juveniles were taken into custody Wednesday evening after police caught them brawling at BREC Park.They claim the four were fighting in the park on Evangeline Street but took off running when they heard police sirens.Cops caught up with them on Shelley Street, and a News 2 Crew was on scene as the juveniles were loaded into the back of police cruisers.Thursday night at 10 p.m., The Investigative Unit looks into a trend showing teens fighting at school. Th
  
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• 2016 Jazz Fest attendance drops after wet weekend

  04-05-2016 12:38
  
  NEW ORLEANS - Rain over the second weekend of this year's New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival caused overall attendance to drop from the previous year's total.Organizers say in a news release that approximately 425,000 people passed through the gates during the festival, which runs over two weekends.In 2015, Jazz Fest drew an estimated 460,000 attendees, the highest total since Hurricane Katrina devastated the city in 2005. Overall Jazz Fest attendance has still not rebounded to its pre-Katri
  
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• FEMA extends proof of loss form filing deadline

  04-05-2016 12:36
  
  BATON ROUGE - The Federal Emergency Management Agency has granted a 60-day extension for filing proof of loss forms by National Flood Insurance Program policyholders affected by storms across the state in March.The program normally requires policyholders to file that form within 60 days of suffering flood damage.Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon said in a news release filing the proof of loss is necessary even after filing a claim for flood damage. The proof of loss is a sworn statement of the
  
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• La. lawmakers try to cut state spending on office leases

  04-05-2016 12:34
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana lawmakers are trying to shrink state spending on office leases, sending a bill to Gov. John Bel Edwards that seeks to maximize available space in state-owned buildings.A 37-0 vote of the Senate on Tuesday gave final passage to the bill by Rep. John Schroder, a Covington Republican. The House already had unanimously supported the measure.Supporters say the bill would help track vacancies in state buildings and steer state agencies to use that space, rather than outside lea
  
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• Survey: Growth at US services firms strengthened in April

  04-05-2016 09:30
  
  WASHINGTON - A private survey says growth accelerated in April at U.S. services companies.The Institute for Supply Management's services index climbed to 55.7 in April, the highest level this year. The increase follows a reading of 54.5 in March. Any level above 50 signals growth.Business activity, new orders and employment measures all showed expansion last month.The services index suggests that the economy might be improving slightly after a weak start to 2016. The U.S. economy expanded at an
  
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• Trump would need to sway broader group of voters in November

  04-05-2016 09:17
  
  DENVER - Nomination within his grasp, Donald Trump would need to win over a broader group of voters in November beyond those who have helped clear the Republican presidential field for him.As a whole, voters in the general election will be younger, more likely to be female and vastly more diverse than the predominantly white groups of the Republican primaries. In recent elections, those sets of voters have leaned sharply toward the Democrats.To counter the Democrats' advantage among women, young
  
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• Aeropostale, one-time mall king, seeks bankruptcy protection

  04-05-2016 09:10
  
  NEW YORK - Aeropostale, once the vibrant epicenter of the U.S. mall scene, is seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.The New York company said Wednesday that it is closing 113 of its 739 U.S. stores and all 41 locations in Canada. Going-out-of-business sales at those U.S. stores will begin this weekend.Aeropostale expects to emerge from bankruptcy protection within six months as a smaller company after renegotiating contracts and resolving an ongoing dispute with the investment firm Sycamore P
  
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• Sept. 11 families seek answers in secret pages

  04-05-2016 08:47
  
  NEW YORK - Fifteen years after 9/11, some victims' families feel they still haven't been told the whole truth about who was responsible.They want to know what's in 28 classified pages that describe investigative leads about "specific sources of foreign support" for the terrorists. Lawmakers who have read the document say it sheds light on possible Saudi connections.Lorie Van Auken lost her husband. She says the families "want to stop guessing."They soon may. President Barack Obama has hinted tha
  
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• Craigslist spoof lists NOLA sinkhole as rental property

  04-05-2016 08:42
  
  NEW ORLEANS - With rents around the country through the roof, a Craigslist New Orleans user has decided to have a bit of fun by posting a listing for Canal Street’s recently opened sinkhole.The listing jokes that the sinkhole is now available for short or long term AirBnB rentals. Its proximity to the French Quarter caused the user to note that it is “convenient to public transportation and nocturnal wildlife.”Privacy is ensured by “your own police barrica
  
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• Electronic driver's license bill moves to Senate for hearing

  04-05-2016 08:25
  
  BATON ROUGE - State senators will consider whether Louisiana drivers should be permitted to carry electronic licenses, after the proposal met little resistance from the full House.Rep. Ted James, a Baton Rouge Democrat, said people could only use the licenses for driving and not for identification at private establishments, like bars. The House voted 88-8 Tuesday to move the bill to the Senate for a committee hearing.The proposal would give drivers the option to use a smartphone app from the sta
  
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• Survey: US businesses add jobs at slowest pace in 3 years

  04-05-2016 08:23
  
  WASHINGTON - U.S. companies added jobs at the slowest pace in three years in April, a private survey found, a sign that slower growth and volatile financial markets could weigh on hiring.
  Payroll processor ADP says that businesses added 156,000 jobs in April, down from 194,000 in March. Manufacturers shed 11,000 jobs, after losing 3,000 the previous month. Services firms added 166,000, down from 189,000.
  The slowdown was also driven by weaker hiring at medium and larger companies. Small business
  
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• May 4, 2016 Morning News Pop

  04-05-2016 07:06
  
  Here are today's top stories:After Miss USA moves on, mayor blames TrumpLa. can't open its front doorsMan spotted alligator outside of home in S.C.Gotta love thisUpdates all day, every day:FACEBOOK | TWITTERPermalink| Comments
  
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• Teen sex survey gets approval from Louisiana House for the first time

  04-05-2016 02:24
  
  The House passed a bill that authorizes the Department of Health and Hospitals and Department of Education to ask high school students anonymously about their sexual activity.
  
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• Lawmakers pass abortion waiting time extension, ban on sale of fetal tissue

  04-05-2016 02:04
  
  The two bills are part of an anti-abortion legislative package supported by Gov. John Bel Edwards.
  
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• 'Cajun John Wayne' posts video for input on possible public office run, TV station says

  04-05-2016 01:06
  
  Capt. Clay Higgins, the former St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office spokesman who was dubbed the "Cajun John Wayne" for his charismatic crime-fighting videos, released a new video Wednesday (May 3) to gauge interest in a possible run for public office. In a video published on...
  
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