Baton Rouge news

• Baton Rouge mayor's race officially begins with entry of Bodi White

  18-05-2016 22:43
  
  The race to become the next mayor of Baton Rouge and president of East Baton Rouge Parish is officially on now that state Sen. Bodi White has said he's running to replace the term-limited Kip Holden. White, surrounded by a who's...
  
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• Lafayette General overbilled Medicare by $4.4M, feds say

  18-05-2016 22:35
  
  A Washington nonprofit group says the overbilling is an example of a larger problem in Louisiana, which ranks first nationally for error payments.
  
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• License plate scanner bill passes panel on second try

  18-05-2016 21:00
  
  The bill passed despite concerns about privacy and funding for a company that will own the scanners.
  
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• "Medical village" could help North Baton Rouge

  18-05-2016 19:05
  
  BATON ROUGE- Community activist group Together Baton Rouge wants to create a medical complex in the northern part of the city.They call it a "medical village" where doctors and social workers can set up private practices in subsidized office space. The plan would require a property owner to donate an under-used building, like a shopping mall, in exchange for a tax write-off.The plan was pitched Wednesday to members of the metro-council as a way to fill the health care void in North Bato
  
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• Neighbors try to combat speeding in Prairieville neighborhood

  18-05-2016 18:52
  
  PRAIRIEVILLE- Neighbors are desperate to prevent drivers from speeding through their neighborhood on Little Prairie Road.Neighbors say it is a hot spot for speeders and are constantly calling law enforcement."We complain all the time," resident Barbera Allen said.The speed limit on the two-lane road is 35 miles an hour, however drivers ignore it."They hit, they floor it, doing 60 - 70 miles an hour," Allen said.A few days ago, Allen said that her mailbox was hit by a speeder. The hit caused mino
  
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• Neighbors concerned about protection along interstate

  18-05-2016 18:25
  
  BATON ROUGE- Residents in one area are concerned about the lack of protection along the interstate.
  It is a major concern because people cross the fence and they cause accidents as well as get killed.Kenneth Franklin lives right off the interstate near the Louise on ramp.Back in the 70's, he lost his 9-year-old brother Ellis who was trying to cross the interstate with other family members.
  "They were crossing the interstate ...Ellie was the fastest he ran straight and a car killed him,"Franklin
  
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• Neighbors concerned about interstate makeover

  18-05-2016 18:25
  
  BATON ROUGE- Neighbors are worried after a large number of trees have been cut by DOTD along the interstate.
  Complaints about the trash along the interstate, caused the clean up, however now a falling fence that leads into a neighborhood is exposed, resulting in people crossing the interstate.Kenneth Franklin, a neighbor who lives off the interstate near the Louise on ramp, said that he lost his brother after trying to cross with other family members."My brother, Elise, and Emmitt were together
  
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• More than 60k La. workers to be protected under new overtime rules

  18-05-2016 17:32
  
  BATON ROUGE- In 2014, President Barack Obama directed the Secretary of Labor to update the overtime regulations resulting in more money in state workers’ pockets.The new federal overtime rules, which take effect in December, will raise the salary threshold indicating eligibility from $455 a week to $913 ($47,476 per year). The new rules will extend protection to 4.2 million workers across the nation, 61,000 of those who work in Louisiana, according to the U.S.  Department of L
  
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• Troopers ID suspect in fatal Hammond hit and run

  18-05-2016 16:17
  
  HAMMOND - State Police have identified a person of interest in the fatal hit and run crash that took the life of a skateboarder in Hammond earlier this month.The suspect is described as a black male driving a dark-colored four-door sedan, possibly a Pontiac Grand Prix, according to Troopers. He was last seen at a gas station in the area shortly after the crash.The crash happened on University Avenue on May 11 west of US 51 around 10 p.m. The crash claimed the life 26-year-old Erin Gerha
  
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• Senators kill bill aimed at boosting student wellness exams

  18-05-2016 16:11
  
  BATON ROUGE - An attempt to boost wellness exams for public school students has failed to gain support in the state Senate.The House-approved bill by Rep. Walt Leger, a New Orleans Democrat, would have required the wellness exam before entering kindergarten and sixth grade - but would allow parents to opt out of the requirement in writing.Leger says the proposal was an effort to improve children's health, to catch health problems early.Opponents questioned whether the requirement - even with an
  
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• 19-year-old accused of raping 1st grader

  18-05-2016 15:44
  
  BATON ROUGE - Police reported the arrest of a man accused of raping a 1st grader.19-year-old Andres Pascual, of Baton Rouge, was booked on charges of first degree rape and sexual battery after he was arrested Wednesday.The 6-year-old victim told police that he was watching TV with Pascual at night on an unknown recent date when the man raped him and touched him inappropriately. The victim was able to use anatomical drawings to indicate the activities in which Pascual forced him to engage.Pascual
  
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• AG Jeff Landry calls transgender bathroom mandate unlawful

  18-05-2016 15:13
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry says he’ll “vigorously defend” the state and its citizens against what he calls threats brought about by the Obama administration’s recent mandate that public schools allow students to use bathroom and locker rooms of the opposite sex.On Wednesday, Landry issued a letter about the issue to leaders of several state education boards. In the letter, the Attorney General asserts that the Obama administration
  
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• Driver crosses median, hits parked cars in hotel parking lot

  18-05-2016 14:54
  
  BATON ROUGE- A driver going down Howell Boulevard crossed the median and skidded across the parking lot of a hotel and struck two parked cars on Wednesday afternoon.The driver who crashed into the two cars was in a white Dodge Truck. The driver was going down Howell Boulevard when, for unknown reasons, crossed over the median and went into the parking lot of a Springhill Suites parking lot and hit two parked cars in the lot.After hitting the cars, the truck slammed into an electric box and the h
  
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• Driver arrested after crossing median, hits parked cars

  18-05-2016 14:54
  
  BATON ROUGE- A fight with a mistress caused a driver going down Howell Boulevard to cross the median and skid into the parking lot of a hotel, striking two cars on Wednesday afternoon.The driver who crashed into the two cars was in a white Dodge Truck. The driver, identified by police as Joshua Earl Robertson, Jr., was going down Howell Boulevard while he and a mistress were breaking up, according to police.Robertson and the mistress got into a fight, causing him to hit the car's accele
  
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• New Burger King restaurant in Helsinki has sauna inside

  18-05-2016 14:40
  
  HELSINKI, Finland - In wacky fast food news, a Finnish Burger King recently opened with a 15-person sauna installed inside the restaurant.Also included inside of the Helsinki-based fast food restaurant is a shower room, locker room and media lounge with TV and gaming facilities, making the establishment a veritable home away from home for customers. And yes, food will be served in the sauna.It’s not a huge surprise that the franchise would make such a move considering that there is one
  
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• House advances license plate reader bill on its second try

  18-05-2016 14:17
  
  BATON ROUGE - A House committee has reversed course and backed a Lake Charles senator's proposed program that would allow law enforcement agencies to automatically scan motorists' license plates.The House criminal justice committee voted 8-3 Wednesday to advance the Senate-approved measure for full chamber consideration, a week after rejecting the bill.Republican Sen. Ronnie Johns said plate readers would help to enforce Louisiana's mandatory insurance law. Supporters said they would also help i
  
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• Duck Dynasty star on the Trump train

  18-05-2016 13:57
  
  “Duck Dynasty” star Phil Robertson revealed on Tuesday morning that he is on the Donald Trump train.In an interview with Fox and Friends, Robertson said that he was a fan of Ted Cruz being the Republican presidential nominee, but since he has dropped out of the presidential race, Robertson said he is now for Trump.“I was forced into the Trump train, but I am happily volunteering my services for Mr. Trump, mainly because the Republican party has spoken,” Ro
  
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• Health department withdraws ethics request on Medicaid plan

  18-05-2016 13:49
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana's health department is withdrawing a request for the ethics board to determine if donations helping to pay for the roll-out of Gov. John Bel Edwards' Medicaid expansion comply with state ethics laws.
  A private foundation is collecting donations from health providers to help cover the health department's administrative costs associated with the coverage expansion.
  The arrangement has been cleared by federal officials.
  When Health and Hospitals Secretary Rebekah Gee was ask
  
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• Twitter to stop counting 140 character limit for links and photos

  18-05-2016 13:41
  
  Twitter users will soon have more space to send out tweets.According to a report from Bloomberg, photos and links will no longer be counted in 140-character limit the social media platform requires.The change, according to the report, could arrive in the next few weeks.Twitter chose the 140-character limit back when the platform first launched in 2006 so that tweets could resemble text messages.Earlier this year, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey hinted at expanding the character limit to 10,000, which is
  
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• Uber could come to Ascension Parish with council ordinance

  18-05-2016 13:37
  
  GONZALES - The Ascension Parish President says the Parish Council is to consider the introduction of an ordinance that would allow ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft to operate within the boundaries of the parish.The ordinance will be discussed at a Thursday meeting of parish officials.“This ride sharing ordinance will be great for Ascension Parish,” President Matassa said. “It not only provides residents with a cost-effective mode of transportation,
  
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• Trump unveils list of 11 potential Supreme Court justices

  18-05-2016 13:29
  
  JERSEY CITY, N.J. - Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has released a list of 11 potential Supreme Court justices he plans to vet to fill the seat of late Justice Antonin Scalia.Trump's picks include Steven Colloton of Iowa, Allison Eid of Colorado and Raymond Gruender of Missouri.Also on the list are: Thomas Hardiman of Pennsylvania, Raymond Kethledge of Michigan, Joan Larsen of Michigan, Thomas Lee of Utah, William Pryor of Alabama, David Stras of Minnesota, Diane Sykes o
  
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• Woman accused of fraudulently claiming $16,000 in SNAP benefits

  18-05-2016 13:25
  
  AMITE - The Department of Children and Family Services says a woman was arrested after she was accused of claiming more than $16,000 in food stamp benefits to which she was not entitled.39-year-old Conchita White, of Roseland, was booked on one count of felony theft by fraud before being booked into the parish jail.White is accused of defrauding the SNAP benefits program to claim thousands of dollars in goods for which she was ineligible. In total, she defrauded the program out $16,769 of benefi
  
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• 3 dead after train-truck collision in Mississippi

  18-05-2016 13:24
  
  FLORA, MS - Authorities say a father and two children were killed instantly when their pickup truck and an Amtrak train collided in a small Mississippi town.Amtrak spokeswoman Christina Leeds said in a statement the Chicago-bound train hit the vehicle around 6:11 p.m. Wednesday. The collision happened in Flora, about 25 miles northwest of Jackson.Madison County Coroner Alex Breeland tells The Clarion-Ledger a 35-year-old man and his two children, ages 7 and 1, died instantly of blunt-force traum
  
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• Russian official: Terror attack downed Egypt jet

  18-05-2016 13:16
  
  CAIRO, Egypt - Among passengers on missing EgyptAir Flight 804 was a student training at a French military school who was heading to his family home in Chad to mourn his mother. The protocol officer for Chad's embassy in Paris, Muhammed Allamine, said the man "was going to give condolences to his family." Allamine said the man, who wasn't identified, was a student at France's prestigious Saint-Cyr army academy.Another passenger on the flight was an Egyptian man returning home after medical treat
  
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• Plane carrying 69 passengers 'disappears' from radar

  18-05-2016 13:16
  
  CAIRO, Egypt - EgyptAir says an Airbus A320 carrying 59 passengers and 10 crew has disappeared from radar early Thursday morning.The airline said Flight 804 from Paris to Cairo vanished 2:45 a.m. Egypt time, 10 miles (16 kilometers) after it entered Egyptian air space.Check back for updates.Permalink| Comments
  
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• EgyptAir official: 'We have found the wreckage'

  18-05-2016 13:16
  
  CAIRO, Egypt - EgyptAir Vice President Ahmed Adel told CNN Thursday that searchers have found the wreckage of EgyptAir Flight 804.Officials say EgyptAir Flight 804 from Paris to Cairo crashed into the Mediterranean Sea early Thursday with 66 people on board.The head of Russia's top domestic security agency says the crashed Egyptian jet has apparently been brought down by a terror attack. Alexander Bortnikov said on Thursday that "in all likelihood it was a terror attack," according to Russian ne
  
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• EgyptAir crash victims include Chad student, Egypt man

  18-05-2016 13:16
  
  CAIRO, Egypt - Among passengers on missing EgyptAir Flight 804 was a student training at a French military school who was heading to his family home in Chad to mourn his mother. The protocol officer for Chad's embassy in Paris, Muhammed Allamine, said the man "was going to give condolences to his family." Allamine said the man, who wasn't identified, was a student at France's prestigious Saint-Cyr army academy.Another passenger on the flight was an Egyptian man returning home after medical treat
  
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• From cop to Congress? 'Cajun John Wayne' launches campaign

  18-05-2016 13:12
  
  LAFAYETTE - Tough-talking cop Clay Higgins, who became a viral sensation in videos that earned him the moniker "Cajun John Wanye" could have a new title soon- U.S. Congressman.Higgins announced he was running for the 3rd Congressional District seat being vacated by Rep. Charles Boustany (R), who's running for David Vitter's seat in the U.S. Senate."I'm not running for office, I'm descending," Higgins said in his usual, fiery manner. "Descending into the belly of the beast. The leviathan
  
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• Stuck on hot: Earth breaks 12th straight monthly heat record

  18-05-2016 13:05
  
  WASHINGTON - Earth's heat is stuck on high. Federal scientists said the globe shattered monthly heat records for an unprecedented 12th straight month as April smashed the old record by half a degree.The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Earth's average temperature in April was 56.7 degrees (13.7 degrees Celsius). That's 2 degrees (1. 1 degrees Celsius) warmer than the 20th century average and well past the old record set in 2010.The first four months of 2016 were 2.05 degrees
  
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• FOLLOW UP: Musician turns private eye after his trombones are stolen

  18-05-2016 12:37
  
  BATON ROUGE - Police are closing in on a suspect who stole 2 trombones from an LSU band member, although the student has done some pretty handy detective work on his own.Since we told you about this story last Friday night at 10 p.m., Thomas McKee has gotten one of his trombones back and gathered evidence that he says proves who stole it."I was really unsure of how I was going to track him down in the first place," he told News 2's Brett Buffington. "All my friends and music acquaintances&nb
  
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• Phone scammers target Entergy customers

  18-05-2016 12:03
  
  BATON ROUGE - Officials say an old phone scam has reemerged, and Entergy customers are the new targets.Myron Goldberg, who owns a clothing store in New Orleans, says he’s already been a target. Goldberg reported that his wife received a frightening phone call from someone claiming to represent Entergy who said a truck was en route to disconnect their business’ power. Knowing he’d already paid the bill, Goldberg said he called the number his wife gave him to find out
  
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• Surrogacy legal framework bill meets strong Senate support

  18-05-2016 09:53
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana senators have strongly supported a bid to create a state regulatory framework governing surrogacy births.The Senate voted 30-6 Tuesday to support the bill. The House must approve minor technical changes before sending it to the governor, who has said he'll sign it.Currently, contracts for surrogacy, the arrangement in which a woman carries and gives birth to a baby for another couple, are unenforceable in state courts.Supporters say regulations would protect all involved
  
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• Air monitoring measure rejected by the Louisiana House

  18-05-2016 09:46
  
  BATON ROUGE - Lawmakers in the Louisiana House have rejected a proposal that would require facilities that break state and federal environmental guidelines to line their fences with air monitors to detect leaked pollutants.Supporters of the bill by Rep. Patrick Connick, a Marrero Republican, said they've been sickened by chemicals released into their communities. Connick told his colleagues: "We have a right to know what we're breathing."But House members raised concerns about costs.The bill was
  
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• Fine for texting and driving could jump to $500 for first offense

  18-05-2016 09:27
  
  NEW ORLEANS - Fines for texting while driving could see a dramatic increase in the near future.While there’s already a state law against texting and driving, Senator Yvonne Colomb is looking to have the associated fine raised from $175 to $500 for the first offense. The maximum fine would also go up from $500 to $1,000 for second offenses.Beth Inbau of the National Safety Council of South Louisiana says the risk of serious injury from a crash increases fourfold when drivers are on the
  
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• Bull shark caught in Lake Pontchartrain

  18-05-2016 08:54
  
  NEW ORLEANS - A shark was sighted and eventually caught on the north side of Lake Pontchartrain by a local charter fisherman last weekend.While bull shark sightings aren’t incredibly uncommon in the lake, a mild winter and large amounts of baitfish will make the lake a prime breeding spot for the sharks this year.Beau McCool, a local fisherman, said he had just made a cast with his feet in the water when he spotted a five foot bull shark just to the left of him. After screaming like &a
  
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• Child hospitalized after police drug dog bite

  18-05-2016 03:20
  
  JACKSON, Miss. - A 5-year-old child is in a Mississippi hospital after the boy was attacked by a police K-9 Sunday morning.The German Shepherd’s handler, Chris Picou, said K-9 Splinter was at his home when he escaped by digging under the backyard fence.Officer Picou went looking for the dog, found it and discovered that Splinter had bitten a 5-year-old child who was riding his bike. Police advised the boy’s parents to take him to a hospital.“There were bite marks on
  
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• PetSmart groomer arrested after dachshund in his care dies

  18-05-2016 02:56
  
  SAN MATEO, Calif. - A PetSmart dog groomer will be arraigned next month on a felony animal cruelty charge after police say he likely contributed to the death of a dachshund in his care.
  Police in San Mateo, California, say 38-year-old Juan Zarate was about three minutes into a grooming session Sunday when he brought the dachshund to its owner with a bleeding mouth and trouble breathing.
  An on-site veterinarian wasn't able to save the dog. An X-ray revealed two broken ribs and a punctured lung.
  P
  
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• Women behind graduation ceremony brawl released from jail

  18-05-2016 02:46
  
  GONZALES - The four women arrested in connection with a brawl that started during a recent graduation ceremony at East Ascension High School have been released from jail without posting bond, according to online records.17-year-olds Destiney Thompson and Delencia Williiams, 18-year-old Rodneisha Patterson and 20-year-old Travonshay Mills were released from the jail between 6 and 7 p.m. Tuesday.On Monday, a judge ordered the women undergo psychiatric evaluation after a bond hearing to determine w
  
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• Poll: Americans more upbeat about own finances than economy

  18-05-2016 02:33
  
  WASHINGTON - A new poll finds that Americans feel a whole lot better about their own situations than the economy as a whole in this election year.
  The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll finds just 42 percent of adults consider the U.S. economy to be good while two-thirds say their own households are faring well.
  But the anxiety shows on an individual basis too, with only one-third saying they'd be very confident of finding another job if they were laid-off. And despite
  
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• Charter school restriction headed to House floor for debate

  18-05-2016 02:29
  
  BATON ROUGE - Gov. John Bel Edwards' effort to remove an unused method for creating charter schools has passed its first hurdle in the House, after earlier winning Senate support.
  The House Education Committee voted 7-5 Tuesday to advance the bill to the House floor for debate, after previously rejecting similar legislation.
  A law enacted in 2012 allows state-approved local groups to authorize the creation of charter schools, which are public schools that run separately from the management of lo
  
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• Baton Rouge board debates marketing strategy for bus system

  18-05-2016 02:26
  
  BATON ROUGE - As the Baton Rouge bus system tries to decide its long-term marketing strategy, leaders have moved into a holding pattern.
  In September, the Capital Area Transit System hired public relations firm Covalent Logic on a one-year contract for $50,000. The company has created updated maps, logos, brochures and advertising campaigns, as well as provided advice on media relations, governmental affairs and other matters.
  Earlier this year, Covalent Logic laid out a more ambitious marketing
  
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• Senate votes to ban common abortion procedure

  18-05-2016 01:36
  
  Supporters of the bill have called the types of abortions "dismemberment" procedures.
  
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• May 18, 2016 Morning News Pop

  18-05-2016 01:26
  
  Here are today's top stories:Hurricane Prepardness Sales Tax Holiday cancelledGoing to Lambeau? The odds aren't in your favorEXCLUSIVE: Gales discusses doing what doctors, others thought he couldn'tForecast Update: fewer showers expected this afternoonUpdates all day, every day:FACEBOOK | TWITTERPermalink| Comments
  
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• Bill to move nursing homes into managed care dies in committee

  18-05-2016 00:32
  
  The bill was opposed by nursing homes.
  
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