Baton Rouge news

• Millennials many things, including the bridge to a more racially diverse Louisiana

  29-06-2016 22:16
  
  Smart. Creative. Entitled. Opinionated. Demanding to be heard. Won't leave their parents' home. Say whatever you want about the millennial generation -- and people say plenty -- but what they are more than anything else is diverse. Millennials are rapidly...
  
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• 4 things John Bel Edwards wants higher ed officials to know

  29-06-2016 21:40
  
  Tuition and TOPS appear to be on his mind.
  
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• Mid City residents say something's attacking their cats

  29-06-2016 21:30
  
  BATON ROUGE - Some residents in mid-city say there's something terrorizing their cats at night.Since the first of the year, in the Ogden Park neighborhood off S. Acadian Thwy. and Government St. there have been multiple reports about cats being attacked and even killed.Marsanne Golsby, who has lived in Ogden Park for about 10 years says her cat was killed a couple of weeks ago."She was a member of the family," said Golsby.Her cat was found in a neighbor's yard, attacked at the neck. Golsby poste
  
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• YouTube star arrested for lying about assault, injuries

  29-06-2016 21:10
  
  LOS ANGELES - A YouTube personality who said he was assaulted outside a West Hollywood club has been charged with filing a false police report and faking his injuries.
      
  The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department says London-native Calum McSwiggan was seen hitting himself with a jail payphone after his arrest early Monday. McSwiggan had claimed he was assaulted by three men outside a gay club, but deputies said they could not substantiate his claims and took him into cust
  
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• Miss Teen USA pageant drops swimsuit competiton

  29-06-2016 20:50
  
  LAS VEGAS - The Miss Teen USA pageant is dropping the swimsuit portion of its competition.
      
  The Miss Universe organization announced Wednesday that the pageant will replace the bathing suit section with an athletic wear competition. The 2016 Miss Teen USA pageant will be held in Las Vegas on July 30.
      
  "This decision reflects an important cultural shift we're all celebrating that empowers women who lead active, purposeful lives and enc
  
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• U.S. officials look for more time to discuss military transgender policy

  29-06-2016 20:33
  
  WASHINGTON - U.S. officials say senior military leaders are expressing deep concerns that the launch of new Pentagon rules allowing transgender service members to serve openly in the military is moving too quickly.
      
  The Pentagon plans to unveil the new regulations in the next day or two. Under those rules, transgender individuals will be allowed to serve, and can no longer be forced to leave based on their gender identity.
      
  Officials
  
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• Rice farmers hope Cuban trade could spur local boost

  29-06-2016 18:38
  
  BATON ROUGE – Rice is a big part of Louisiana’s culture, and the state grows more than almost every other state in the country.Now, state leaders are hoping to expand the industry even more, by trading with Cuba.Just west of Baton Rouge, rice farms are working diligently providing the food we all know and love. This year, rice industry leaders have their eye on Cuba, a nation that imports about the same amount of rice that Louisiana grows.But exporting that rice to Cuba has b
  
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• Disney limits fishing after alligator attack on toddler

  29-06-2016 18:31
  
  LAKE BUENA VISTA - Walt Disney World is placing limits on fishing after an alligator killed a toddler at the park earlier this month.
      
  "No fishing" signs have been erected at areas including Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, the Fort Wilderness campground and Old Key West Resort. Fishing at Disney World is now limited to excursions.
      
  A Disney spokeswoman confirmed that netting has been added to the rope fences that were installed aft
  
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• Despite reports of flesh-eating bacteria, only one MS beach flagged with warning

  29-06-2016 16:49
  
  GULFPORT, Mississippi - Data available on the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality website indicates only one beach on the Mississippi Gulf Coast is flagged with an advisory due to probable high bacteria levels.Scientists said the Gulfport Harbor Beach near Pratt Avenue is under a water contact advisory due to potentially high bacteria levels. The beach extends from 20th eastward to Thornton Avenue.A man from Baton Rouge was hospitalized this week with flesh-eating bacteria a
  
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• Before the weekend vacation check beach bacteria conditions here

  29-06-2016 16:49
  
  GULFPORT, Mississippi - Data available on the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality website indicates only one beach on the Mississippi Gulf Coast is flagged with an advisory due to probable high bacteria levels.Scientists said the Gulfport Harbor Beach near Pratt Avenue is under a water contact advisory due to potentially high bacteria levels. The beach extends from 20th eastward to Thornton Avenue.A man from Baton Rouge was hospitalized this week with flesh-eating bacteria a
  
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• Internet sales tax proposal opposed by GOP Senate candidates

  29-06-2016 16:33
  
  BATON ROUGE - Three of the main Republican contenders for Louisiana's U.S. Senate seat say they oppose pending federal legislation to require companies to collect sales taxes on Internet purchases.U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany, U.S. Rep. John Fleming and state Treasurer John Kennedy participated Wednesday in a candidate forum hosted by small business groups.Supporters of the online sales tax collection proposal describe it as an issue of fairness that involves treating online retailers the same as
  
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• Film academy invites 683 new members to join

  29-06-2016 15:02
  
  LOS ANGELES - Six months after announcing intentions to double the number of female and minority members in its ranks by 2020, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has invited 683 new members to join the organization.The academy says its invitees are 46 percent female, 41 percent minority and represent 59 countries.Idris Elba, Chadwick Boseman, Eva Mendes, America Ferrera and Anika Noni Rose are among the actors invited to membership. Other potential new members helping to increase th
  
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• Foreign officials say Trump appealing for funds

  29-06-2016 15:00
  
  WASHINGTON - Foreign officials are complaining that they're being "bombarded" by fundraising appeals from U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump. And now, two watchdog groups are filing complaints against the Republican's campaign saying the practice breaks the law.Sir Roger Gale, a member of the British Parliament, complained in the House of Commons Tuesday that his fellow lawmakers are getting flooded with appeals from "somebody called Donald Trump." He says he does not think his co
  
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• Lanes now open after accident blocked center lane of I-12 East at Juban Road

  29-06-2016 14:56
  
  BATON ROUGE – All lanes are now open after an accident on I-12 East at Juban Road had the center lane of the interstate blocked on Wednesday around 3 p.m.According to DOTD, traffic has backed up to Range Avenue.Stay with WBRZ on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Governor asks colleges to skip tuition hikes next year

  29-06-2016 14:54
  
  BATON ROUGE - Gov. John Bel Edwards is urging Louisiana's public colleges against boosting tuition costs on students, after the schools largely escaped budget cuts in the financial year that begins Friday.The governor made his request Wednesday to Louisiana's Board of Regents.Edwards supported the 2016-17 budget passed by lawmakers, which gives the schools a less than 1 percent reduction from the money they received this year. In exchange for the protection, Edwards requested "zero or minimal in
  
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• Cleveland relaxes rules on protest marches at GOP convention

  29-06-2016 14:21
  
  CLEVELAND - Cleveland has relaxed its rules on protest marches and rallies at the Republican National Convention after a federal judge determined last week that the city's regulations violated the right of free expression.Cleveland's Board of Control amended the rules Wednesday, changing the parade route in downtown Cleveland and reducing the size of a designated "event zone." In the zone, the public is prohibited from carrying everyday items like bottles and cans and aren't allowed to stand abo
  
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• Buick introduces 1st convertible in US in 25 years

  29-06-2016 14:19
  
  Buick's first convertible for the U.S. market in 25 years is a stylish, comfortable, soft-top cruiser that's reasonably priced, seats up to four people and has an expandable trunk.The starting manufacturer's suggested retail price, including destination charge, for the Buick Cascada is just $33,990 - a base price that includes a 200-horsepower, turbocharged four-cylinder engine, leather-trimmed seats and steering wheel, rear vision camera, dual-zone climate control, onboard navigation system and
  
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• Facebook's latest news feed tweak: This time, it's personal

  29-06-2016 14:15
  
  NEW YORK - Facebook has once again tweaked the formula it uses to decide what people will see in their news feed - and this time, it's personal.The social media giant says it updated the news feed so that people will see more posts from their friends and family and not, say, the New York Times or Buzzfeed.Facebook says it will now put posts from friends and family that users are "likely to care about" at the top of their news feed. Over time, the algorithm adapts and learns from your behavior. S
  
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• Health officials preparing for any locally transmitted Zika

  29-06-2016 14:12
  
  HOUSTON - Public health officials in Texas have spent months preparing for what they are certain will be at least some locally transmitted cases of mosquito-borne Zika.Major Texas cities have sophisticated mosquito screening programs and years of dealing with other mosquito-borne illnesses like dengue and West Nile virus. But most of the state has limited or no mosquito surveillance. The mosquitoes they do capture are typically sent to outside labs, and getting results back can take weeks. The s
  
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• Pointe Coupee police jury shaves 16 jobs to close deficit

  29-06-2016 13:53
  
  NEW ROADS - Council members in Pointe Coupee Parish agreed last week to shave 16 positions to close this year’s budget hole.Justin Cox, Chairman of the Finance Committee, said that this year’s projected parish sales tax revenue will be $580,000 less than last year.To make up for the loss of revenue, council members chose to cut 12 full-time positions and 4 part-time positions instead of raising fees.Cox said six of those full-time positions are currently sta
  
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• Delta Queen closer to cruising after Senate committee vote

  29-06-2016 13:46
  
  ST. LOUIS - An effort to get the legendary Delta Queen riverboat back up and running on the Mississippi River and its tributaries has gotten a boost from the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee.The committee on Wednesday agreed to reinstate an exemption for the 89-year-old vessel, which has been docked since 2009. The measure now goes to the full Senate.The Delta Queen is moving to the small St. Louis-area town of Kimmswick, Missouri, after repairs are made in Louisiana. Both of Missouri's senators s
  
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• Minnesota officials: Man decapitated acquaintance he suspected of rape

  29-06-2016 13:42
  
  MINNEAPOLIS - A northern Minnesota man is accused of decapitating another man after his girlfriend told him that the man had sexually assaulted her.Thirty-five-year-old Joseph Thoresen is charged with murder. According to charges in Itasca County, Thoresen ambushed 20-year-old David Haiman of Hibbing along a road near Ball Club.The complaint says Thoresen hit Haiman with a baseball bat and stabbed him in the back and abdomen before decapitating him with a machete and throwing his head into the w
  
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• Armed man tries to steal Pineville ambulance

  29-06-2016 13:28
  
  PINEVILLE - Police say a man armed with a gun tried to steal an ambulance in Pineville Wednesday morning.A spokesperson for Acadian Ambulance told KALB-TV that a man pulled into the parking lot at an Acadian Ambulance station on Highway 107 claiming that he worked for the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office. The man said he needed to take an ambulance to pick up someone.According to the KALB report, medics told the man that he could not take the vehicle. He then returned to his own vehicle
  
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• Acadiana's Pine Leaf Boys safe after Istanbul Bombings

  29-06-2016 13:20
  
  IZMIR - An Acadiana roots band who was touring Turkey at the time of the Istanbul bombings says they are safe and all accounted for.The Pine Leaf Boys arrived in Istanbul, Turkey on Monday as part of a State Department tour of the country. The band toured Izmir, Turkey Tuesday when news of the Istanbul bombings broke. The band took to Facebook on Tuesday just as chaos was breaking out around them.Officials say at least 50 people were killed in the attack Tuesday at the
  
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• West side judge taken off bench for one year

  29-06-2016 13:10
  PORT ALLEN – Judge Robin Free has been suspended without pay for one year the Louisiana Supreme Court has decided.Free was accused by the Judiciary Commission of inappropriate actions involving individuals that appeared before him in court. The commission has leveled accusations of interference in civil and criminals matters before the 18th Judicial District court where Free serves.In 2014, Free was suspended without pay for a month after he was found to have inappropriately taken a tr
  
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• Sheriff: Grizzly kills bicyclist near Glacier National Park

  29-06-2016 12:57
  
  HELENA, Mont.- Montana authorities say a grizzly bear attacked and killed a 38-year-old mountain biker riding just outside Glacier National Park.
      
  Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry says Brad Treat of West Glacier was killed Wednesday afternoon on a trail in the Halfmoon Lakes area of the Flathead National Forest.
      
  Curry says Treat was biking with another person when they surprised the bear, which knocked Treat off his bike. The seco
  
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• Chipotle adding chorizo to menu to win back customers

  29-06-2016 12:44
  
  NEW YORK - Chipotle is adding chorizo to its menu in yet another move intended to get people back in stores following an e. coli outbreak last year.The chain says the topping will be available in select cities including New York and San Diego starting Wednesday. It expects to introduce the chicken-and-pork sausage option nationally in the fall.Earlier this week, Chipotle also said it plans to launch a loyalty program for the summer that will reward customers with free meals for frequent visits.T
  
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• FDA has a few questions for makers of hand sanitizer

  29-06-2016 12:40
  
  WASHINGTON - Federal health officials want to know whether hand sanitizers used by millions of Americans work as well as manufacturers claim - and whether there are any health risks to their growing use.The Food and Drug Administration is asking for new studies on how the antiseptic gels and sprays fight germs and get absorbed into the body, with a particular focus on children and pregnant women. The proposal is part of an ongoing effort to review decades-old chemicals that have never had a comp
  
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• Microsoft readies Windows 10 update, answers critics

  29-06-2016 12:34
  
  SAN FRANCISCO - As Windows 10 approaches its first birthday, Microsoft is adding new features - giving its Cortana digital assistant more capabilities and offering people new ways to sign into websites and apps without passwords.The company is also changing the wording of notices it sends to users of previous versions, following complaints that it was too aggressive in pushing them to get the free Windows 10 upgrade.Microsoft's "Anniversary Update," scheduled for release Aug. 2, is free for anyo
  
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• Kellogg opening cereal cafe in NYC amid soggy sales

  29-06-2016 12:32
  
  NEW YORK - Kellogg is opening a cafe in New York as it pushes to reinvent cereal's soggy image.The company based in Battle Creek, Michigan, says bowls will cost $6.50 to $7.50 and combine cereals like Special K and Frosted Flakes with ingredients like pistachios and lemon zest.The move comes as Kellogg Co. has suffered declining cereal sales in the U.S., with people reaching for a growing array of breakfast options. To boost sales, it is also trying to market cereal as a night-time treat and on-
  
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• Sanders worries Trump is benefiting politically from Brexit

  29-06-2016 12:24
  
  WASHINGTON - Sen. Bernie Sanders is arguing that "the global economy is not working for the majority of people in our country and the world."Sanders, who hasn't yet abandoned his presidential campaign, writes in a New York Times op-ed Wednesday that Republican Donald Trump "could benefit from the same forces" that led Britain to vote to leave the European Union. He says that any political advantage flowing to Trump from this market-moving vote "should sound an alarm for the Democratic Party."San
  
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• Uber software tracks drivers for high speed, sudden stops

  29-06-2016 12:21
  
  SAN FRANCISCO - Using smartphone sensors to peek over its drivers' shoulders, Uber is promising to keep a closer eye on their behavior - while discouraging speeding or slamming on the brakes.The global ride-hailing company on Wednesday announced an extensive test of new software that aims to increase safety by analyzing data from individual drivers and sending them daily reports about things like sudden acceleration, braking and whether they're holding their phones when they drive.Trucking compa
  
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• Louisiana band touring in Turkey safe after airport attack

  29-06-2016 12:20
  
  A Louisiana roots band is safe after a performance in Turkey, where terrorists killed more than 40 people at an airport.The Pine Leaf Boys are a bluegrass band based out of Louisiana.  As part of their fifth U.S. State Department tour, they performed in Izmir, which is nearly 300 miles from Istanbul."It's similar to the vibe you got after 9/11," a band member said during a Skype interview."Everything's okay," the and added. "It's unfortunate that these things happen, because Istanbul is
  
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• Alaska could end to oil checks paid to residents since 1982

  29-06-2016 12:19
  
  ANCHORAGE - As Alaska faces a multibillion dollar budget deficit, the oil fund wealth checks distributed yearly to nearly every Alaskan could be on the chopping block.It could mean the first time in more than 30 years that most Alaskans won't get a check from the government just for living in the state.Gov. Bill Walker will announce budget vetoes Wednesday morning. But the Juneau Empire reported earlier this month that he said all options are on the table when asked if he would veto all or part
  
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• 'Move on' from Benghazi? Republicans say it's unlikely

  29-06-2016 12:17
  
  WASHINGTON - Hillary Clinton says it's time to "move on" after a congressional report on the deadly 2012 Benghazi attacks accused the Obama administration of lethal mistakes, but produced no evidence of wrongdoing by the former secretary of state.Not likely, especially in an election year with presidential rival Donald Trump lashing out.An 800-page report by a special House committee makes no direct accusations against Clinton, who was secretary of state during the attacks that killed four Ameri
  
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• Puerto Rico financial rescue package wins Senate test vote

  29-06-2016 12:13
  
  WASHINGTON - A rescue package for debt-stricken Puerto Rico has survived a test vote in the Senate. The vote comes just two days before the island is expected to default on a $2 billion debt payment.The White House-backed measure would create a control board that would oversee the island's finances and could supervise some debt restructuring. The vote was 68-32.The House passed the legislation earlier this month. The Senate is expected to vote on final passage Wednesday or Thursday.Puerto Rico i
  
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• Clock ticking, but tweaks in play for N. Carolina LGBT law

  29-06-2016 12:10
  
  RALEIGH, N.C. - The window is small and the strategy tricky, but GOP legislative leaders in North Carolina say there's a chance to change the state law that sparked a clash over transgender rights nationally.The law limits anti-discrimination rules that protect LGBT people. It also directs transgender people to use public restrooms corresponding with the sex on their birth certificates. Changes to that aren't on the table.Talks instead center on the part preventing workers from suing for employm
  
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• The Pledge of Allegiance: Junior Master Gardeners Summer Camp

  29-06-2016 09:33
  
  BATON ROUGE- Today's Pledge of Allegiance comes from the Junior Master Gardeners Summer Camp at The LSU Hilltop Arboretum.Be sure to watch The Daily Pledge every weekday on 2une In at 5:58 a.m. to see if your child's summer camp is featured!Permalink| Comments
  
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• Film company accused of falsely claiming $1 million in tax credits

  29-06-2016 09:20
  
  NEW ORLEANS - A report from the State Inspector General is accusing a production company that worked on New Orleans Saints-related programming of charging rates inflated by millions of dollars in order to claim more than $1 million in state film tax credits.Horizon Entertainment was forced to submit records of expenditures to justify the $5 million the production company spent on a program called “Saintsational.” The company received tax credits for money spent in Louisiana d
  
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• Raising Cane's shift manager stabbed during armed robbery

  29-06-2016 08:17
  
  KENNER - Kenner police say a restaurant manager is in critical condition after being stabbed during an armed robbery.
  Lt. Brian McGregor said in a news release two men entered a Raising Canes just before 1:30 Wednesday morning and the 21-year-old female shift manager was stabbed multiple times during the robbery.
  McGregor says detectives believed a third suspect was outside in the getaway vehicle.Permalink| Comments
  
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