Baton Rouge news

• From the Declaration of Independence to slavery: Lawmakers discuss (video)

  26-05-2016 23:57
  
  State Rep. Barbara Norton, D-Shreveport, objected to the legislation because African-Americans weren't "free" in 1776, when the document was written. She doesn't think children should have to recite it in school.
  
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• Watch a New Orleans senator advocate for LGBT workplace protections (video)

  26-05-2016 23:50
  
  Sen. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, pushed his colleagues to support legislation that would provide protections for LGBT employees on Wednesday (May 24).
  
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• Every TOPS scholarship could be cut -- and deeper than expected

  26-05-2016 22:19
  
  Both the Louisiana House and the Senate have approved a plan to take a cut from every scholarship distributed next fall and spring if the entire TOPS program ends up short of money.
  
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• Veterans take advantage of EmployBR job expo

  26-05-2016 18:09
  
  BATON ROUGE - EmployBR is not an ordinary hiring expo. Employers had to have openings to participate, and during the first two hours, it was only open for veterans."When they come home, they have sacrificed so much that they deserve to get to the front of the line," Penny LeDuff Collins with EmployBR said.EmployBR is a federally funded program that works alongisde the Mayor's Office and the city of Baton Rouge to help job seekers and employers come together.Former soldiers at the expo say the tw
  
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• Somebody needs to explain if Louisiana's investment in IBM is in jeopardy

  26-05-2016 18:09
  
  Louisiana and Baton Rouge officials couldn't stop talking when IBM announced three years ago it -- and 800 jobs -- was coming to Baton Rouge. Scores of politicians and economic development wonks went to every imaginable length -- including glomming into...
  
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• La. man pleads guilty to defrauding illegal immigrants

  26-05-2016 16:45
  
  LAFAYETTE - A Louisiana man has pleaded guilty to a charge that he preyed on dozens of illegal immigrants in federal detention facilities by promising them legal assistance but taking their money without providing any help.Edwin Zavala Jr., of Lafayette, pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to a wire fraud charge that carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. His sentencing date wasn't immediately set.Zavala isn't an attorney, but a court filing says he received
  
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• Darryl Gissel has right message in Baton Rouge mayor's race, but can he actually win?

  26-05-2016 16:44
  
  Darryl Gissel is right when he says the next mayor-president has to be someone who can bring together an increasingly fractured and parochial East Baton Rouge Parish. The question is whether he can use a grassroots campaign to convince enough...
  
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• Louisiana adds police protections to hate-crime laws

  26-05-2016 16:42
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana has become the first state in the nation to expand its hate-crime laws to protect police, firefighters and emergency medical crews.Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards, whose family includes four generations of sheriffs, signed the law on Thursday. He said it protects "men and women who put their lives on the line every day."Prosecutors can now seek stronger penalties when first responders are intentionally targeted becauise of their professions.That's a departure from the ot
  
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• Man pleads guilty to trafficking heroin on Megabus line

  26-05-2016 16:38
  
  NEW ORLEANS - A man pleaded guilty Thursday to trafficking heroin on a Megabus bound from Houston to New Orleans.32-year-old Thomas Gordon was one of eight defendants charged in an indictment on 21 narcotics-related charges in September 2015.WWL-TV reports the charges resulted from FBI investigation into a drug trafficking operation in New Orleans. Court documents said the individuals trafficking the drugs would travel on the Megabus to and from Texas, carrying half-kilogram amounts of heroin ba
  
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• Farm-to-school program bill sent to governor who supports it

  26-05-2016 16:30
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana lawmakers have sent to the governor's desk a bill to create a farm-to-school program that encourages locally-grown products in state public school cafeterias.With an 85-0 vote Thursday, the state House gave the Senate-supported measure final legislative passage. The bill by Sen. Francis Thompson, a Delhi Democrat, earned unanimous approval from each chamber.Gov. John Bel Edwards has included the measure in his legislative agenda and is expected to sign it into law.State e
  
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• Governor asking senators to strip all House budget changes

  26-05-2016 16:27
  
  BATON ROUGE - Gov. John Bel Edwards' administration is asking state senators to scrap all the changes made to next year's nearly $26 billion budget by their colleagues in the House.Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne told the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday he'd like the panel to strip the House changes "in their entirety."He asked senators to "consider starting over."Senators are planning Monday to rework the budget proposal for the financial year that begins July 1.Dardenne says t
  
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• House-backed cursive writing bill nears final passage

  26-05-2016 16:24
  
  BATON ROUGE - A proposal to require the teaching of cursive writing in Louisiana's public schools is near final legislative passage, after receiving overwhelming support from the state House.The House voted 88-1 Thursday for the bill to require students to learn cursive reading and writing by the third grade. The Senate earlier had unanimously supported the proposal. It returns to the chamber for a vote on a House addition to the bill.The proposed change would delay the requirement one year to a
  
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• Mississippi gov intends to join transgender bathroom lawsuit

  26-05-2016 16:22
  
  JACKSON - Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant says he intends to join 11 states in suing the Obama administration for telling U.S. public schools to let transgender students use bathrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity.Republican Bryant says in a statement Thursday that his staff has spoken to the Texas attorney general's staff and he intends to join the suit as soon as possible. Bryant says the bathroom guidance is an example of "federal overreach."The lawsuit announced Wednesday in
  
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• Paychex announces 100-job expansion in Baton Rouge

  26-05-2016 14:53
  
  BATON ROUGE - Payroll and HR services company Paychex has announced a 100-job expansion for its operations in Baton Rouge.Gov. John Bel Edwards and Paychex Senior Vice President of Service John Gibson made the announcement Thursday. Paychex is a provider of human capital management solutions for payroll, human resources, retirement and insurance services.Gibson says Paychex will retain 60 existing jobs and add 100 new direct jobs at its Baton Rouge location over the coming five years.Hiring for
  
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• Man arrested for forcing 8-year-old to smoke weed

  26-05-2016 14:22
  
  BATON ROUGE – Police say a Baton Rouge man was arrested after he forced an 8-year-old to smoke marijuana.According to Baton Rouge Police, on Feb. 25 around 3 p.m., officers responded to a public assistance call for an 8-year-old. The child told officers that he saw 29-year-old Jason Taylor return from an apartment with a clear baggie with marijuana.The child also told officers that Taylor placed marijuana in a cigar and told the child to smoke it.Arrest records say the child led police
  
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• Les Miles shares tender moment with Mike the Tiger

  26-05-2016 14:13
  
  BATON ROUGE – LSU football coach Les Miles shared a tender moment Thursday with the university's live tiger mascot, Mike VI. Miles shared a picture on his official Facebook page of him touching the glass at Mike’s habitat as the Tiger swam in his pool.“Coach Miles is thinking about his buddy Mike as our beloved Tiger is going through a tough time,” Mile’s post reads. “Coach and Mike have always had a special bond!”LSU
  
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• Mother of 'Affluenza' teen charged with hindering apprehension, money laundering

  26-05-2016 14:08
  
  FORT WORTH, Texas - Tonya Couch, the mother of "affluenza" teen Ethan Couch, has been indicted by a grand jury in Texas on charges of hindering apprehension of a known felon and money laundering, court documents show."The defendant did harbor or conceal Ethan Couch, or provide or aid Ethan Couch with the means of avoiding arrest or effecting escape by financing and transporting Ethan Couch in his flight from the jurisdiction of the court and the state of Texas," the indictment stated.Couch was a
  
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• Louisiana AG Jeff Landry loses battle to control his budget

  26-05-2016 14:00
  
  "I just think the AG's budget is too interconnected to the rest of the state budget," said Sen. Jim Fannin, R-Jonesboro.
  
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• Louisiana AG Jeff Landry loses battle in effort to control his budget

  26-05-2016 14:00
  
  "I just think the AG's budget is too interconnected to the rest of the state budget," said Sen. Jim Fannin, R-Jonesboro.
  
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• Congestion after dump truck strikes Burbank Drive traffic light

  26-05-2016 13:44
  
  BATON ROUGE – Congestion is starting to form at the intersection of Bluebonnet Boulevard and Burbank Drive after a dump truck struck a traffic light Thursday morning.WBRZ Viewers reported heavy traffic, police at the scene and traffic lights not working near the intersection around 11:15 a.m. Thursday. Photos from the scene show debris in the road and a dump truck blocking a traffic lane.@LSUCheckpoint @wbrz Traffic on intersection of Bluebonnet and Burbank after a dump truck struck a
  
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• CVS to begin selling opioid overdose reversal drug over-the-counter

  26-05-2016 13:33
  
  BATON ROUGE- CVS announced on Thursday that it will begin selling an over-the-counter opioid and heroin overdose reversal drug in its pharmacies in Louisiana, along with six other states.According to the company, the drug, called naloxone, will be available to individuals without an individual prescription.Tom Davis, RPh,Vice President of Pharmacy Professional Practices at CVS Pharmacy, said that expanding the drug’s availability to more pharmacies can save lives.“Naloxone is
  
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• Louisiana man dies after 1,000 bee stings in Arizona park

  26-05-2016 13:30
  
  MESA, AZ.- Authorities say a man visiting from Louisiana has died after being stung by bees more than 1,000 times while hiking in a Phoenix-area.
      
  Maricopa County Sheriff's officials say a large swarm of bees attacked Alex Bestler and a female friend Thursday morning while they were on a trail in Usery Mountain Park in Mesa, a Phoenix suburb.
      
  The woman was able to escape and ran for help.
      
  Park employee
  
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• Charter school restriction bill heads to governor's desk

  26-05-2016 13:30
  
  BATON ROUGE - Gov. John Bel Edwards has won one victory in his effort to put more limits on charter schools in Louisiana.With a 78-12 vote Thursday, the House gave final passage to a bill pushed by Edwards to remove an unused method for creating charter schools, which are public schools that run separately from local school board management.A law enacted in 2012 allows state-approved local groups to authorize the creation of charter schools. The measure from Sen. Dan "Blade" Morrish, a Republica
  
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• Lawmakers back call for US constitutional convention

  26-05-2016 13:22
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana is joining a call for the first U.S. constitutional convention since the nation's founding, under legislation backed by state lawmakers.The House voted 62-36 Wednesday to support the call, giving it final passage.Less than 10 states have signed onto the effort, which requires 34 states to consent to the call. Even more would be needed to ratify any constitutional amendments proposed.Supporters are pushing the constitutional convention as an effort to curb federal debt lev
  
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• Body of man reported missing found with gunshot wounds

  26-05-2016 13:19
  
  NEW ORLEANS - Police are investigating after they say the body of a man with multiple gunshot wounds was found in New Orleans.The city's police department said in a news release that the man has been identified as 24-year-old Sean Johnson.Johnson's body was found on Wednesday night near the intersection of I-10 West and Elysian Fields Avenue. Police say he had been reported missing earlier in the day.Johnson was last seen driving a silver Toyota Camry on Monday night. Police say the car was foun
  
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• $6.2 million awarded to Livingston and 2 other parishes for flood protection

  26-05-2016 13:11
  
  WASHINGTON- U.S. Senator David Vitter announced that FEMA will be awarding more than $6 million in grants to fund multiple safe room, drainage and acquisition projects for flood protection and hurricane preparedness in Livingston, Lafayette and Calcasieu parishes.Livingston Parish will receive $1,013,941 for safe room development projects, while Calcasieu Parish will receive $1,447,655 for the projects.The grants will fund the design and construction of hurricane safe rooms that will provide saf
  
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• Judge hears arguments on US women's soccer team strike rights

  26-05-2016 13:03
  
  CHICAGO - A federal judge in Chicago has heard arguments whether the world champion U.S. Women's National Soccer team has the right to strike for improved conditions and wages before this year's Olympics.
      
  Lawyers for the U.S. Soccer Federation told Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman at a Thursday hearing that a no-strike clause is implied in a still-valid 2013 memorandum with players.
      
  But a lawyer for the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team
  
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• Study finds out what each state Googles more than any other

  26-05-2016 12:45
  
  What’s on the minds of Louisiana residents when they go to Google the questions that really matter in life? German suplexes and Jim Ross apparently.It seems Louisianians love their pro wrestling, but they're also interested in scientology while being terrified of hurricanes (with good reason).Estately.com completed a study where they used the Google search form’s autocomplete feature along with Google Trends data to parse what the most common questions Americans bring to the
  
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• Feds: Opelousas hacker sentenced to 1 year in prison

  26-05-2016 12:43
  
  LAFAYETTE - Federal prosecutors say a 29-year-old Opelousas computer hacker has been sentenced to a year and a day in prison for stealing money, hacking computers and trying to sell information on a hacking forum.On Wednesday, U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that Rory Stephen Guidry was sentenced on a single count of obtaining information by computer from a protected computer.Prosecutors say Guidry pleaded guilty to taking part in July 2014 in an online hacking attack on a computer s
  
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• Lawmakers vote to increase fines for not wearing seatbelts

  26-05-2016 12:34
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana lawmakers have agreed to boost the fines against people caught not wearing seatbelts in a vehicle.The bill by Rep. Walt Leger, a New Orleans Democrat, would increase the fine for a first offense from $25 to $50. Violators would pay $75 each additional time.Supporters said they hoped the fine hike would encourage people to buckle up.The Senate gave final passage to the bill with a 22-14 vote Wednesday. The House earlier had supported it in a 62-34 vote. The proposal now go
  
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• Release of chemical vapor prompts overnight shelter in place order

  26-05-2016 12:26
  
  GEISMAR - Ascension Parish officials have lifted a shelter in place notification for residents living within a one-mile radius of the Rubicon chemical plant after a leak was reported Thursday night.The shelter in place order was executed for all facilities within a one mile radius of the Rubicon facility at around 9:30 p.m. Parish officials say they’ve classified the incident as a “General Emergency.” The Rubicon facility is located in Ascension Parish on LA Hwy 75
  
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• Overnight emergency prompts shelter in place in Ascension Parish

  26-05-2016 12:26
  
  Geismar, LA - Officials in Ascension Parish have lifted a shelter in place for residents living within a one mile radius of the Rubicon Plant, at 9156 Highway 75. That's near the town of Geismar. According to a spokesperson for the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office, an emergency alert was issued from the plant, just after 10 p.m. Thursday night. Lt. Col. Bobby Webre tells WBRZ, the plant experienced a leak, and a haz-mat team has been called in. As a precaution, and due to wind conditions, a she
  
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• BREAKING: Shelter in place lifted near Rubicon plant in Ascension Parish

  26-05-2016 12:26
  
  Geismar, LA - Officials in Ascension Parish have lifted a shelter in place for residents living within a one mile radius of the Rubicon Plant, at 9156 Highway 75. That's near the town of Geismar. According to a spokesperson for the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office, an emergency alert was issued from the plant, just after 10 p.m. Thursday night. Lt. Col. Bobby Webre tells WBRZ, the plant experienced a leak, and a haz-mat team has been called in. As a precaution, and due to wind conditions, a she
  
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• Donald Trump has enough delegates to clinch Republican nomination for president

  26-05-2016 09:28
  
  Donald Trump on Thursday reached the number of delegates needed to clinch the Republican nomination for president, completing an unlikely rise that has upended the political landscape and sets the stage for a bitter fall campaign.Trump was put over the top in the Associated Press delegate count by a small number of the party's unbound delegates who told the AP they would support him at the convention. Among them is Oklahoma GOP chairwoman Pam Pollard."I think he has touched a part of our elector
  
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• Man crashes car during attempted kidnapping of wife-to-be

  26-05-2016 09:13
  
  BATON ROUGE - Sheriff’s deputies say they arrested a man early Thursday morning after he crashed his car while trying to kidnap his finacée during a domestic dispute.22-year-old Michael Chatman was booked on charges of domestic abuse, kidnapping, assault, reckless operation of a vehicle, possession of Xanax, prisoner self-mutilation and introducing narcotics into a penal institution early Thursday morning.Deputies said they were dispatched to a domestic disturbance in the 26
  
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• May 26, 2016 Morning News Pop

  26-05-2016 08:39
  
  Here are today's top stories:Neighbors concerned after teacher is arrested on sex chargesLSU wins thriller over top-ranked Florida in record setting game in SEC TourneyFormer BR councilwoman and philanthropist, Mary Frey Eaton, dies at 91Your Memorial Day Weekend weather plannerUpdates all day, every day:FACEBOOK | TWITTERPermalink| Comments
  
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• BRPD: Man in custody after stand off with police

  26-05-2016 07:50
  
  BATON ROUGE - The BRPD Special Response Team has a man in custody for a possible kidnapping on Evangeline Street off Longfellow Drive.Officers arrested and charged 41-year-old Frederick Harris for second degree kidnapping, domestic abuse battery, simple criminal damage to property and simple assault following an incident on Longfellow Drive.Police initially responded to a disturbance between a man and a woman on the 5300 block of Underwood Avenue around 2 a.m. on Thursday.According to Sgt. Don C
  
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• Declaration of Independence in schools bill shelved

  26-05-2016 04:08
  
  A Denham Springs lawmaker shelved her bill requiring Louisiana public school students to recite the Declaration of Independence daily, under pressure from her African-American colleagues.
  
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• Bid for REAL ID-compliant driver's licenses passes Louisiana House

  26-05-2016 03:48
  
  House lawmakers have unanimously agreed to allow Louisiana to issue driver's licenses that comply with federal identification law.
  
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• Louisiana Senate sends 'ban the box' bill to governor, who supports it

  26-05-2016 03:34
  
  State agencies would be prohibited from asking job applicants about their criminal histories before interviewing them, under a bill that has received final legislative passage.
  
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• John Bel Edwards was not told about Louisiana lawsuit against Obama over transgender policy

  26-05-2016 00:44
  
  "The attorney general did not consult with the governor on his involvement in this lawsuit." - Richard Carbo, Edwards' spokesman
  
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