Baton Rouge news

• 1 man in custody after fleeing from police, hitting another car

  16-06-2016 20:15
  
  BATON ROUGE - Police have a suspect in custody after they say he refused to stop before crashing into another car.Police tell News 2, the suspect fled on foot following the wreck near the 3200 block of Hollywood Street.EMS is on the scene. Police say they are treating a passenger in the car that was hit.We will update this story when information becomes available.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Baton Rouge high school name debate: Any leeway on a Lee, absent the Robert E.?

  16-06-2016 19:56
  
  East Baton Rouge Parish School Board members will meet Thursday night (June 16) to close the book on the brouhaha that is the Lee High name debate.
  
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• Heat advisory for southeast Louisiana through Friday, 7 p.m.

  16-06-2016 19:50
  
  Dangerous heat index values of 105 to 110 degrees possible
  
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• Officials: Boy grabbed by gator died by drowning

  16-06-2016 18:05
  
  ORLANDO - The medical examiner's office in Orlando says a 2-year-old Nebraska boy died from drowning and traumatic injuries after being grabbed by an alligator at Walt Disney World.The District 9 Medical Examiner's Office finished the autopsy of Lane Graves on Thursday and issued the cause of death.Authorities recovered the boy's body intact Wednesday afternoon, less than 24 hours after he was snatched from the shore of a lake.His family was vacationing at the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa at W
  
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• McCain: Obama 'directly responsible' for Orlando shooting

  16-06-2016 18:01
  
  WASHINGTON - Republican Sen. John McCain said Thursday that President Barack Obama is "directly responsible" for the mass shooting in Orlando, Florida, because of the rise of the Islamic State group on the president's watch. But he later issued a statement saying that he "misspoke.""I did not mean to imply that the president was personally responsible. I was referring to President Obama's national security decisions, not the president himself," McCain said in his statement, issued as his initial
  
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• Gunman tried to buy body armor before attack

  16-06-2016 17:57
  
  ORLANDO - The owner of a gun shop in Florida says the gunman in the Orlando nightclub shootings came to his shop to buy body armor and 1,000 rounds of ammunition about five weeks before the rampage.Robert Abell, co-owner of Lotus Gunworks in Jensen Beach, says the shop declined the sale because the customer raised suspicions by requesting a high grade of body armor typically used by law enforcement.Abell says the young man left empty-handed and that the shop alerted the FBI, but since n
  
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• Restraining order against Depp to stay in place until August

  16-06-2016 17:54
  
  LOS ANGELES - A Los Angeles Superior Court spokeswoman says the temporary restraining order Amber Heard obtained against Johnny Depp will remain in effect until Aug. 15.The matter originally was set to be heard Friday, but court spokeswoman Mary Hearn said Thursday the hearing has been postponed. She says such delays aren't unusual.Heard was granted a temporary restraining order against her estranged husband May 27 after submitting a sworn declaration in which she alleged Depp threw her cellphon
  
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• Tim Williamson, Idea Village founder and CEO, named President of NOLA Media Group

  16-06-2016 17:45
  
  "As a native New Orleanian, it's an incredible honor to be entrusted to carry the 179-year tradition of The Times-Picayune and NOLA.com into the future," Williamson said.
  
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• Man sentenced to 45 years in prison for car wash burglaries

  16-06-2016 17:40
  
  PRAIRIEVILLE – A man responsible for several Ascension Parish car wash burglaries last year was sentenced today to 45 years in prison, according to the District Attorney's office.Hubert Bourgeois, 53, was sentenced after several similar burglaries of car washes in Ascension and East Baton Rouge parishes last year.Bourgeois confessed to committing burglaries at AAA Car wash in Prairieville, Bay Wash Car wash on Airline Highway and Sail Away Car wash on Hwy 44 in Gonzales.
  Ascension Pari
  
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• Stroke victim waits 18 min for EMS, wants solution

  16-06-2016 17:19
  
  WEST FELICIANA PARISH - Every second counts when it's a matter of life or death, and for one St. Francisville man, waiting 18 minutes for the paramedics to arrive, is a problem.Last year, when Ewen Ritchie had a mini-stroke, firefighters arrived 10 minutes after the call was placed, while EMS could not find the home."That had to be the most terrifying experience of my entire life, and I didn't know if I would get help," said his wife, Jessie Ritchie.Several home addres
  
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• Pets in 70805 zip code can get free vaccinations this weekend

  16-06-2016 16:48
  
  BATON ROUGE - Free rabies and basic vaccinations will be offered for free to dogs and cats this Saturday in Baton Rouge.A licensed veterinarian will be on hand to administer the shots at the Charles R. Kelly Community Center, located at 3535 Riley Street, from 8 a.m. to 12 noon this Saturday.The free shots will only be available for residents living in the 70805 zip code. Pre-registration is not required. There is a minimal cost for an EBR tag and license, according to a city spokesperson.Dog ow
  
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• Pets can get free vaccinations in Baton Rouge this weekend

  16-06-2016 16:48
  
  BATON ROUGE - Free rabies and basic vaccinations will be offered for free to dogs and cats this Saturday in Baton Rouge.A licensed veterinarian will be on hand to administer the shots at the Charles R. Kelly Community Center, located at 3535 Riley Street, from 8 a.m. to 12 noon this Saturday.Pre-registration is not required. There is a minimal cost for an EBR tag and license, according to a city spokesperson.Dog owners must bring dogs on a leash and cats must be safely contained in a carrier. Mo
  
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• Man, 13-year-old arrested for possession of stolen guns

  16-06-2016 16:33
  
  BATON ROUGE – Police say a Baton Rouge man and a 13-year-old were arrested Wednesday night for possession of stolen guns.According to Baton Rouge Police detectives, officers made contact with 46-year-old Reggil Harris and an unnamed 13-year-old in the Banks subdivision after receiving information that the teen had robbed someone with a handgun.Police say the 13-year-old took detectives into Harris’ house to find the gun used in the robbery. At the home, officers foun
  
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• LSUPD: Ex-frat member, accomplice urinate on Sigma Chi house, steal chair

  16-06-2016 16:29
  
  BATON ROUGE - The LSU Police Department says they arrested two men after they were caught on surveillance camera urinating on a door of the Sigma Chi fraternity house before stealing a chair.20-year-old Alexander McCollam and 21-year-old Logan McCaughey were booked on charges of simple burglary and criminal mischief.LSU PD said they were contacted by the house mother of the Sigma Chi house on the university’s campus after she said she’d discovered the gate on the western side
  
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• Coroner: Body found near Grosse Tete is missing school administrator

  16-06-2016 15:49
  
  BATON ROUGE - The East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner's Office says they have identified a badly decomposed body found in Grosse Tete as missing school administrator Lyntell Washington.The coroner released a statement just before 4 p.m. Thursday that said Washington's body was identified through forensic odonotology and dental comparison films.The autopsy was performed Wednesday, but the coroner said results were inconclusive pending further testing. The initial autopsy did confirm the then unidenti
  
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• Grand jury: More evidence needed in deadly 2014 hit-and-run case

  16-06-2016 15:45
  
  BATON ROUGE - A Thursday grand jury verdict means more evidence will have to be presented in court in order to prosecute a Vacherie man involved in a hit-and-run crash that took the life of an LSU student in 2014.Investigators believe 37-year-old Janneh Trench was behind the wheel of a vehicle when it struck and killed 21-year-old Eric Fabre in the 9700 block of Airline Hwy. Police said Trench fled after the crash and later attempted to burn his vehicle in an abandoned lot. He was arrested in Ge
  
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• 2 alligators removed from area near boat launch in Kenner

  16-06-2016 15:08
  
  KENNER - Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents removed two alligators - one 6-feet long and the other 8-feet long - from the area near a pump station in Jefferson Parish, according to WGNO-TV in New Orleans.“Because of the national news regarding alligators, we didn’t want anyone to panic if they saw one in the water close to a pump station,” East Jefferson Levee District Director Derek Boese said. “This is not uncommon, and the only message we want
  
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• Sorrento council member and BR attorney indicted on theft and forgery charges

  16-06-2016 14:55
  
  SORRENTO – Sorrento Council member Randy Anny and Baton Rouge attorney Roy Maughan Jr. have been indicted on theft and forgery charges.According to District Attorney Ricky Babin, Council member Anny was indicted on one count of theft, three counts of forgery, one count of malfeasance and one count of profit splitting.Maughan was indicted on three counts of forgery and one count of theft. According to Babin, the charges deal with public contracts.Anny bonded out from t
  
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• House, Senate disagreement over budget bill ends

  16-06-2016 14:52
  
  BATON ROUGE - House and Senate leaders have reached a deal on how to handle the budget bill to spend the tax dollars raised during the special legislative session.After a Thursday meeting, House leaders agreed to stop stalling the bill and are scheduling it for a Monday hearing.House leaders had said they didn't want to craft a plan to spend new tax dollars until the state's income forecasting panel formally recognizes the money as available for spending.But they gave up on that idea amid pushba
  
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• Sheriff: Charges unlikely after 2-year-old killed by gator

  16-06-2016 14:31
  
  LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - A Florida sheriff says charges are unlikely against the parents whose 2-year-old son was killed by an alligator at Walt Disney World.Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings tells The Associated Press there was no indication Matt and Melissa Graves of suburban Omaha, Nebraska, committed any crime that contributed to the reptile grabbing their son, Lane Graves.Demings says his department and the state wildlife agency would look into the issue of signs around Seven Seas Lagoon,
  
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• Security increased for New Orleans Pride celebrations

  16-06-2016 13:29
  
  NEW ORLEANS - City officials in New Orleans say they’re ramping up security plans for upcoming Pride celebrations in the city after the horrific events in Orlando last weekend.New Orleans Pride celebrations will kick off Friday. Mayor Mitch Landrieu, Superintendent Michael Harrison, FBI and Louisiana State Police have come together to discuss security measures."I want to assure the people of New Orleans that this team has worked on many, many major special events. I will recall for tha
  
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• Louisiana takes step to save coast and oyster industry

  16-06-2016 13:21
  
  NEW ORLEANS - Louisiana is taking a step it hopes will save both its coast and its oyster industry: It's renewing an oyster leasing program.
  The Louisiana Legislature recently passed two bills that lift a 14-year-old moratorium on new leases for oyster farmers.
  Lifting the moratorium will help oyster farmers because they'll be able to develop new oyster grounds out of the path of land-building diversions of Mississippi River water and sediment.
  Oyster farmers don't like the diversions because fr
  
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• Walmart employee arrested after using knife in fight at store

  16-06-2016 13:12
  
  BATON ROUGE - An employee at the Neighborhood Walmart on Coursey near Sherwood was arrested after a Wednesday altercation where the man allegedly cut a co-worker's boyfriend with a knife at the store.Sheriff's deputies say 28-year-old Claude Leduff was booked on aggravated battery and disturbing the peace charges.Deputies said Leduff got into a verbal altercation on Wednesday around 11:50 a.m. with a female co-worker. After the dispute unfolded, the female worker contacted her boyfriend
  
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• This is what a Rolls-Royce could look like in the year 2100

  16-06-2016 12:47
  
  LONDON - Rolls-Royce has unveiled their vision for what autonomous automotive luxury could look like a century from the present day in the form of the 103EX concept.The 2100 A.D. vehicle features is a Phantom Extended Wheelbase that brings the super-streamlined car to 19 feet in length. Retro touches in the grill are contrasted by a massive darkened glass canopy, laser head and tail lights, automatic suicide doors and 28-inch wheels.The canopy is designed to open in such a way that its future oc
  
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• Residents urged to use caution due to heat levels

  16-06-2016 12:47
  
  BATON ROUGE – Due to the dangerous heat levels in the state, a heat advisory has been issued for the Baton Rouge area until Friday at 7 p.m.According to WBRZ Meteorologist Josh Eachus, Thursday and Friday will have afternoon heat values from 105 to 110.The National Weather Service has also indicated that forecasts for the state are in the mid-90's to upper-90's. The temperature along with the dew points causes the heat index to exceed 100 degrees Farenheit. The combin
  
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• Pay raises suspended for Louisiana's state workers next year

  16-06-2016 12:40
  
  BATON ROUGE - Tens of thousands of Louisiana state workers won't be getting pay raises next year.The Civil Service Commission voted 4-1 Thursday to block annual "performance adjustments" for more than 38,000 government workers, called classified employees.The pay raise suspension covers the budget year that begins July 1.The commission's decision came in response to a request from Gov. John Bel Edwards.Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne, the governor's chief financial adviser, says the
  
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• Woman runs over boyfriend after she finds out he's HIV-positive

  16-06-2016 12:26
  
  PHOENIX, Ariz. - A woman is in police custody after she was caught on camera running over the man she had been having a sexual relationship with after she found out he was HIV positive.43-year-old Misty Lee Wilke was indicted by a grand jury on May 10 on charges of attempted second degree murder, aggravated assault and leaving the scene of a serious injury accident.The incident happened in April, but home surveillance footage of the crash did not emerge until this month. The video of the hit-and
  
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• 98 dogs, 3 cats removed from Detroit-area home

  16-06-2016 09:58
  
  COTTRELLVILLE TOWNSHIP, Mich. - Officials say 98 dogs and three cats have been removed from a Detroit-area house following complaints about the smell and noise.St. Clair County Sheriff Tim Donnellon said Thursday that the animals taken out by Animal Control officers or turned over by the homeowners.Donnellon's office responded to complaints about odor and barking Tuesday at the Cottrellville Township home, 50 miles northeast of Detroit. Deputies found Norwegian buhunds and Norrbottenspets among
  
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• Sheriff: Traffic stop reveals drugs in man's boots

  16-06-2016 09:54
  
  COLFAX - A 40-year-old Dry Prong man pulled over for not using signals now is facing three drug charges.The Grant Parish Sheriff's Office said in a news release a deputy discovered crystal meth and marijuana in James Timothy Powell's car earlier this week.Powell was arrested and faces charge of possession of crystal meth, possession of marijuana and failure to use signals.The news release says the drugs were discovered in the vehicle, in Powell's pocket and in his boot.Online jail records do not
  
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• Westbound lanes of Skip Bertman Dr. closed due to roadway failure

  16-06-2016 09:27
  
  BATON ROUGE - Traffic officials in East Baton Rouge Parish say a failure in the roadway has resulted in a closure of part of Skip Bertman Drive near LSU effective immediately.The closure affects Skip Bertman Drive between River Road and Nicholson Drive. Both westbound lanes will be closed, and traffic will be diverted to the eastbound lanes.Questions about the closure can be directed to the Department of Environmental Services Waste Water Collection Division at 225-389-4858.Permalink| Comments
  
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• BREC City-Brooks Park struck by graffiti vandals overnight

  16-06-2016 09:15
  
  BATON ROUGE - The Parks and Recreation department says they’re working to clean up graffiti that appeared in Brooks Park on Dalrymple Drive overnight.A response from BREC concerning the vandalism says the community park has staff on-site from open to close, so normally issues like this one are caught more quickly than facilities that do not have 24-hour staff.The images above show the graffiti, which was sprayed onto a brick wall outside of a public restroom and a piece of playground e
  
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• Chinese tourist fined $1,000 after collecting hot springs water at Yellowstone

  16-06-2016 09:05
  
  YELLOWSTONE - A Chinese tourist was fined more than $1,000 after walking off the boardwalk in the Mammoth Hot Springs thermal area of Yellowstone National Park and collecting some spring water as a souvenir on Tuesday.A visitor said they saw the man walk on the terrace formations, collect thermal water and break through the crust of the fragile travertine crust at the hot springs.A park ranger took in the witness’ statement along with photos of the violation before forwarding the incid
  
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• No budget bill advancing so far, latest legislative dispute

  16-06-2016 08:51
  
  BATON ROUGE - While Louisiana's lawmakers continue to disagree on taxes, the House and Senate also are at odds over how to balance the budget with the dollars they do raise.
  The fissure risks causing a problematic time crunch in the special legislative session, with a week remaining.
  The dispute centers on how Louisiana develops the income projections used for budgeting.
  Budget bills must start in the House. But House leaders say they don't want to craft a plan to spend any new tax dollars until
  
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• BRAVE looks to nonprofit to maintain its anti-crime operations

  16-06-2016 08:36
  
  BATON ROUGE - The city-parish reports officials are taking steps to preserve its “highly successful” Baton Rouge Area Violence Elimination (BRAVE) project as federal funding is set to expire soon.In order to keep the BRAVE team on the streets, officials have established a nonprofit 501(c)3 corporation that is able to accept tax-deductible donations.That newly established nonprofit, BRAVE, Inc., recently held its first fundraiser, and officials are making a major push to ask f
  
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• Louisiana House considers 'short term loan' from taxpayers to state government

  16-06-2016 02:40
  
  The architect of the proposal described the measure as something that would go into place only as a last resort.
  
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