Baton Rouge news

• New Orleans Democrat blocks John Bel Edwards' key tax bill

  08-06-2016 23:53
  
  The feud between Neil Abramson and John Bel Edwards continues.
  
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• DHH secretary blasts predecessor on budget information

  08-06-2016 22:26
  
  DHH Secretary Rebekah Gee unexpectedly testified before the Ways and Means Committee.
  
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• Mike VI's lead cancer doctor says treatments at Cancer Center finished

  08-06-2016 21:55
  
  BATON ROUGE - Of all the patients Dr. Jonas Fontenot expected to take care of at Our Lady of the Lake Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center, Mike the Tiger was one he never could have imagined.Fontenot led the team at the Cancer Center when Mike VI received radiation treatment in late May.  He spoke exclusively with WBRZ about the uniqueness of this case."It was a bit of a surreal moment," Fontenot said.  "You know, a 420-plus pound Siberian bengal tiger lying on a hospital stretcher
  
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• Dangers of leaving child in hot car

  08-06-2016 21:12
  
  BATON ROUGE - Chances are you have forgotten something in your life, whether that be keys, your wallet or an important date, but eaving child in your car is something most people think could never happen to them. After a tragic event in Baton Rouge Wednesday leading to the death of an eight-month-old in a hot car, doctors say it often happens when there's a change in routine."Maybe a different parent brings the child to school or a grandparent's responsible or sleep-deprived pa
  
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• John Alario: 'Trust needs to be gained' with House

  08-06-2016 20:52
  
  There is definitely some grumbling about how lawmakers are going about their business.
  
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• Why isn't living within its means an option for Louisiana's state government?

  08-06-2016 18:55
  
  Gov. John Bel Edwards maintains every penny being spent in the state's nearly $26 billion budget is vital. Yet it's not enough. The governor says it will take another $600 million annually to fully fund all the important things state government...
  
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• Police investigating shooting on 74th Ave.

  08-06-2016 18:42
  
  BATON ROUGE - Police are investigating a shooting on 74th Avenue in Baton Rouge Wednesday afternoon.Baton Rouge Police responded to a home on the 2600 block of 74th Ave. around 6:20 p.m. Wednesday. WBRZ News 2's Brett Buffington reports that one man has been loaded into an ambulance at the scene.#DEVELOPING Police called to a reported shooting on the 2600 blck of 74th Ave. One man just loaded into ambulance pic.twitter.com/sn8EhZvAlb— BrettBuffingtonWBRZ (@BrettBuffington) June 8, 2016
  
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• I-10 buckled Wednesday

  08-06-2016 18:37
  
  METAIRIE - Two westbound lanes of I-10 closed Wednesday due to pavement buckling.State Police advised motorists via Facebook of the lane closures in Jefferson Parish at Power Boulevard. Troopers said the buckling closed left and center lanes of the Interstate in an area about ten miles west of downtown New Orleans and three miles east of the I-10 bridge over the spillway between Kenner and LaPlace.State Police said drivers headed toward Baton Rouge from New Orleans should consider using Airline
  
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• Four injured after three-car crash involving ATV

  08-06-2016 18:16
  
  CENTRAL – Firefighters say four people were injured after a three car crash involving an ATV Wednesday afternoon in Central.According to the Central Fire Department, the crash happened around 3:45 p.m. on the 17000 block of Blackwater Road. Three Central Fire Department units responded to help the Chaneyville Fire Department.At the scene, first responders found one pickup truck and an ATV overturned with another pickup truck heavily damaged.Four people were transporte
  
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• New fossils push 'hobbit' story back to 700,000 years ago

  08-06-2016 17:28
  
  NEW YORK - Scientists say new fossil finds on an Indonesian island have revealed ancestors of the "hobbits," our extinct, 3 ½ -foot-tall evolutionary cousins that gained fame more than a decade ago after their remains were found in a cave there.The fossils are about 700,000 years old, extending the hobbit story far backward from the original remains, which date to just 50,000 years ago.Scientists say the six isolated teeth and a jaw fragment come either from hobbits or a related spec
  
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• Democrat delivers blow to Gov. Edwards' tax plan

  08-06-2016 17:22
  
  BATON ROUGE - The Democratic chairman of the House tax committee sided with his Republican colleagues to kill one of the main money-raising tax bills sought by Gov. John Bel Edwards.Ways and Means Chairman Neil Abramson cast the tie-breaking vote Wednesday to stall the Democratic governor's proposal to lessen an income tax break given to upper-income earners. The committee voted 10-9 against the bill.The proposal by Republican Rep. Rob Shadoin would have raised $117 million to fill gaps in next
  
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• 8-month-old's death a tragic reminder of hot car danger

  08-06-2016 17:14
  
  BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission says Wednesday’s tragic death of an 8-month-old girl in a hot car highlights just how dangerous it can be to leave children in a parked vehicle."While we don't yet know all the details about the heartbreaking death of Raylee Mercer, we do know she had been left in a hot car for two hours," said John LeBlanc of the LHSC. "It is vitally important to understand that children are more vulnerable to heatstroke than adults. If anyone noti
  
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• Undercover investigation leads to $33,000 meth bust

  08-06-2016 17:03
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana State Police Narcotics Detectives say they arrested a Baton Rouge man Wednesday afternoon with nearly a pound of crystal methamphetamine in his possession at the end of an undercover narcotics investigation.24-year-old Corey T. Gardner was booked into the parish prison on charges of possession with intent to distribute methampetamine and possession of a firearm with a CDS.Detectives said they were able to determine that Gardner was selling meth from his car in the Baton R
  
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• Apple to start showing ads in App Store

  08-06-2016 15:07
  
  SAN FRANCISCO - Apple says it will start showing paid ads when people search for apps in its popular mobile store.The ads are among several changes that Apple hopes will bring in more money for itself and independent software developers who want to promote apps for the iPhone or iPad.Users spent more than $20 billion in the App Store last year, but with more than 1.5 million apps available, developers say it's getting more difficult to compete for attention.Apple says it will show no more than o
  
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• Vigil planned for NOPD officer who died in car crash

  08-06-2016 14:36
  
  BATON ROUGE – A vigil has been planned for an NOPD officer that was struck and killed by a drunk driver on Sunday, June 3.31-year-old Natasha Hunter passed away Tuesday after succumbing to injuries she sustained after the car crash.Hunter suffered brain injuries after being inside her police vehicle when it was struck by a car driven by 33-year-old Chau Thai Nguyen. Police say Nguyen was drunk at the time of the crash.
  Nguyen faces vehicular homicide charge and has a bond set at $1 mil
  
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• Police rescue kitten from the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway

  08-06-2016 14:35
  
  NEW ORLEANS - Police have rescued and found a home for a kitten found stranded in the middle of a Louisiana bridge.Causeway General Manager Carlton Dufrechousays a commuter called the bridge authority Tuesday afternoon to report seeing the kitten on the northbound span of the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway about a half-mile from Metairie.Dufrechou says Officer Shenandoah Jones rescued the kitten, which seems to be OK except for a small bruise on its chin.Dufrechou thinks the animal must have been h
  
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• Louisiana joins more than 20 states in 'banning the box'

  08-06-2016 14:31
  
  BATON ROUGE - State employers will soon evaluate job applicants based on skills and interview conversations, not a checkmark.Gov. John Bel Edwards signed the "ban the box" legislation into law Monday to block state employers from asking about job applicants' criminal histories before interviews.The law will apply to the state's politically-appointed 30,000-plus "unclassified" employee positions when it takes effect Aug. 1.Louisiana joins 23 other states in adopting the hiring practice, and has n
  
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• Direct access to physical therapists has become state law

  08-06-2016 14:21
  
  BATON ROUGE - Gov. John Bel Edwards has agreed to let patients have direct access to physical therapists without needing a doctor's referral.The governor's office said Tuesday that Edwards had signed the bill that does away with a current requirement that patients obtain a referral from a licensed doctor to see a physical therapist.The change, sponsored by Republican Sen. Fred Mills, takes effect immediately.Supporters say the measure was aimed at improving access for patients.Opponents, includi
  
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• Alleged rape victim kicked attacker in face to escape

  08-06-2016 14:10
  
  BATON ROUGE - Investigators with the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office say a man was booked on a rape charge after the victim kicked him in the face and made her escape last month.34-year-old Samuel Barrera Jr. was booked on one count of third degree rape after he was arrested by deputies on Wednesday.Deputies said the victim encountered Barrera and two other men at around 3 a.m. on May 15 after she realized her phone’s battery was dead and she needed to make a call. The vict
  
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• New home, new car up for grabs with a St. Jude ticket

  08-06-2016 13:37
  
  BATON ROUGE - Time is running out for chances to win the 2016 St. Jude Dream Home.Tickets are $100. The house is valued at $525,000. Also, tickets purchased by Friday are also entered to win a new car from any All Star lot valued at $50,000.Each ticket purchased funds the operation of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital where doctors treat, research and hope to end childhood cancer.Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday the Dream Home is open for free tours between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. The home
  
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• Enrollment at 197,000 for Louisiana's Medicaid expansion

  08-06-2016 13:32
  
  BATON ROUGE - More than 197,000 people have been enrolled in Louisiana's Medicaid expansion program, ahead of the July 1 start of the insurance coverage.The Department of Health announced the figures Wednesday.Most of the enrollment is not from people actively signing up, however.Nearly 187,000 people who already receive a limited list of health services from the state were automatically signed up for the Medicaid expansion by the health department because they were deemed eligible.The remaining
  
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• LHSAA adds baseball, softball and basketball to split playoffs

  08-06-2016 13:20
  
  BATON ROUGE  – After a special June meeting, nothing will change regarding the LHSAAsplit playoffs system.LHSAA said 306 principals voted, and 56.5 percent wanted to keep the organization in split playoffs for football, baseball, softball, and basketball. Football was split in January 2013. Earlier this year principals voted to expand that system to include the other three sports.And to be clear, this vote not only keeps the split football, but adds
  
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• Dean Tower evacuated due to water in basement and electric discharge

  08-06-2016 12:49
  
  BATON ROUGE – A building on Florida Boulevard is being evacuated after water was found in the building's basement causing an electric panel to discharge.The Baton Rouge Fire Department was performing a pre-fire plan at the Dean Tower building in the 5700 block of Florida Boulevard when the department found two feet of water in the basement of the building causing an ongoing electric discharge from an electric panel.According to sources, the building is being evacuated until the issue i
  
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• Gator found holding human body in its mouth in Florida

  08-06-2016 12:27
  
  LAKELAND, Fla. - Officials in Florida said they were trying to trap an alligator on Tuesday afternoon after the animal was spotted holding a human body in its mouth as it swam across a lake.Lakeland Police said they first received a 911 call from a senior living community where someone reported seeing the alligator clutching an adult male body in its jaws. The caller estimated the gator to be between 8 and 10 feet in length.A spokesman for the senior living community said the body appeared to be
  
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• Senate blocks former lawmaker tapped by Edwards for board

  08-06-2016 12:12
  
  BATON ROUGE - Former lawmaker Jeff Arnold won't be making decisions about property tax breaks for businesses on the state board that oversees such things, after senators refused to confirm him for the position.The Senate rejected seven appointments to boards and commissions made by Gov. John Bel Edwards, including Arnold's nomination to the Board of Commerce and Industry.Arnold, a Democrat from New Orleans, was term-limited earlier this year and ran unsuccessfully for a Senate seat.Also rejected
  
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• Wildlife and Fisheries seeking new agents

  08-06-2016 12:01
  
  BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is looking for people who want to be field agents.It's taking applications through June for up to 23 cadets. The six-month class begins in September at the Waddill Outdoor Education Center in Baton Rouge.The Law Enforcement Division's head, Col. Joey Broussard, says they're looking for men and women who love the outdoors, want to enforce conservation laws and can make it through demanding physical and academic training.Cadets train
  
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• Governor requests SBA assistance in Assumption after strong winds

  08-06-2016 09:51
  
  BATON ROUGE - Gov. John Bel Edwards has officially filed a request that the U.S. Small Business Administration offer SBA Disaster Assistance loans for residents of Assumption Parish that were recently affected by severe weather.On May 19, the parish saw strong straight-line winds that caused damage to a number of homes and businesses in Assumption.A damage assessment was conducted by the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness and the SBA on May 31 to determin
  
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• Clinton leads Trump in ABC News' electoral ratings

  08-06-2016 09:42
  
  Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic nominee, would enter the general election with a decided advantage in the electoral college this November. But the possibility of a scrambled map -- particularly tossups in Florida, Iowa, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia -- leaves supporters of presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump hopeful.So ABC News dug through states’ voting history, demographic shifts and head-to-head polling to develop these electoral ratings. ABC N
  
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• Dad of Ohio girl found dead in crib guilty of corpse abuse

  08-06-2016 09:25
  
  MEDINA, Ohio - A judge in Ohio has convicted a father of corpse abuse after his daughter's decomposed body was found in a crib.Thirty-five-year-old Eric Warfel also was found guilty Wednesday of tampering with evidence.He was found competent to stand trial after pleading not guilty by reason of insanity.Ember Warfel's body was discovered last July by a cable company worker in a Medina (meh-DY'-nuh) apartment, south of Cleveland.Medical examiners couldn't determine how the 21-month-old girl died
  
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• Zachary man accused of stalking, violating protective order

  08-06-2016 09:14
  
  BAKER - Police said they arrested a man after he was accused of making multiple, harassing phone calls to an ex-girlfriend who had filed for a protective order in the wake of a domestic violence incident.21-year-old Morgan Lundy, of Zachary, was booked on charges of stalking and violation of a protective order after he was arrested on Tuesday.Police said they were contacted by the victim - Lundy’s former girlfriend of three years and mother of his child - after the ma
  
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• Soon you may be able to carry a digital driver's license in Louisiana

  08-06-2016 08:20
  
  NEW ORLEANS - Make room on your smartphone because you may be downloading a new app soon: A digital version of your driver’s license. Tuesday, the Louisiana House of Representatives passed House Bill 481 allowing the Office of Motor Vehicles to issue drivers licenses on smartphones.Office of Motor Vehicles Commissioner, Karen St. Germain, said the app could be used during times when you might not have your driver's license with you. “The application
  
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• Caddo Parish School Board approves virtual high school

  08-06-2016 08:07
  
  SHREVEPORT - A new virtual academy is coming to northwest Louisiana.
  The Times reports the Caddo Parish School Board unanimously voted to create a virtual high school at a special session Tuesday.
  According to board documents, the public high school would open this upcoming school year with an enrollment ranging from 50 to 70 students and will eventually allow students from other neighboring parishes to attend.
  District officials will review all students' academic history, before they're able to
  
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