Baton Rouge news

• Louisiana ranks second in the nation in law enforcement deaths

  26-07-2016 23:25
  
  Louisiana has had seven officers slain so far this year. Texas is first with 12 deaths.
  
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• Bill Clinton calls Hillary a 'change-maker' at DNC

  26-07-2016 21:57
  
  PHILADELPHIA - The "best darn change-maker I've met in my entire life."That's how former President Bill Clinton is describing his wife as he lays out her life story in a speech at the Democratic National Convention.He cites her work as first lady in winning congressional approval for a children's health insurance program and a bill that made it easy for parents to adopt children.The 42nd president tells the crowd that Hillary Clinton worked with Republican House leader and fierce Clinton critic
  
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• Donations sought to upgrade police ballistic vests

  26-07-2016 20:45
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS - More than a week after six officers were shot in the line of duty during a targeted ambush attack in Baton Rouge, one group says it is imperative to increase the amount of protection offered to men and women in the line of duty.Currently, it's a rule on the Denham Springs Police force that every officer be equipped with a uniform and ballistic vest, giving officers an extra layers of protection. In the last decade, the vests have made two saves in Denham Springs. Video from a 20
  
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• How John Bel Edwards' LGBT-friendly policies might bring New Orleans the NBA All-Star Game

  26-07-2016 20:26
  
  Edwards executive order protecting LGBT state workers and contracts is attractive to the NBA.
  
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• House Veterans' Affairs chairman seeks records on shooters

  26-07-2016 20:19
  
  DALLAS - The chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Veterans Affairs has broadened his request for information on two former soldiers involved in mass shootings in Texas and Louisiana.
  In a letter Tuesday to the secretary of Veterans Affairs, Florida Rep. Jeff Miller requested a briefing on all VA services received by Army reservist Micah Johnson, who shot and killed five Dallas cops and wounded nine other law enforcement officers in a July 7 attack on a peaceful downtown protest rally.
  Miller
  
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• Trayvon Martin's mom says Clinton can aid cause

  26-07-2016 20:02
  
  PHILADELPHIA - Trayvon Martin's mother is telling Democrats that she supports Hillary Clinton because the presidential nominee "is a mother who can assure our movement will succeed."Sybrina Fulton spoke Tuesday at the Democratic National Convention, along with a group of women who had lost their children to gun violence or after contact with police.They call themselves the Mothers of the Movement.Trayvon Martin was fatally shot in Florida by a neighborhood watch volunteer in 2012 at the age of 1
  
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• David Alexander is new Ascension Public Schools superintendent

  26-07-2016 19:04
  
  DONALDSONVILLE - The Ascension Parish School Board has selected David Alexander as its new superintendent.A native of Ruston, Alexander was formerly employed as a teacher at Lee High for nine years, principal of Dutchtown High School before eventually retiring as Ascension Parish director of high schools. Alexander is known not only for his prowess as an educational administrator, but also as a passionate coach on the football gridiron.Alexander and his wife have been married for 30 years and ha
  
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• Eight-year-old boy makes $2.2K donation to first responders fund

  26-07-2016 19:03
  
  BATON ROUGE – Restaurants, corporations and individuals have been donating money to help Baton Rouge Area Foundation's First Responders Fund, but one tremendous donation came from an unlikely source.One donator, eight-year-old Benjamin Chiasson, gave to the fund after he opened his own lemonade stand to raise money."I just wanted to raise money for the officers, and this is one thing I decided to do," Chiasson said.
  The response was magnetic.
  "I thought that he would raise about $200 a
  
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• Eight-year-old boy makes $20K donation to first responders fund

  26-07-2016 19:03
  
  BATON ROUGE – Restaurants, corporations and individuals have been donating money to help Baton Rouge Area Foundation's First Responders Fund, but one tremendous donation came from an unlikely source.One donator, eight-year-old Benjamin Chiasson, gave to the fund after he opened his own lemonade stand to raise money."I just wanted to raise money for the officers, and this is one thing I decided to do," Chiasson said.
  The response was magnetic.
  "I thought that he would raise about $200 a
  
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• 4,200 gallon oil spill in south Louisiana

  26-07-2016 18:53
  
  NEW ORLEANS - The Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator's office says a malfunctioning valve led to an oil spill in southeast Louisiana.The Coast Guard says the leak happened in an abandoned pipeline near marshland along Lake Grand Ecaille. The area of coastal marshes and open water is about 60 miles southeast of New Orleans in Plaquemines Parish.Hilcorp Energy of Houston owns the line. Spokesman Justin Furnace said in an email the leak was stopped and contained and cleanup has begun. The company esti
  
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• City employee accused of stealing $15,000 from parking meters

  26-07-2016 18:37
  
  BATON ROUGE - A former Baton Rouge city employee is accused of stealing $15,000 worth of coins from parking meters.27-year-old Bryant McConnell was fired from his job after it was discovered her pocketed the significant chunk of change instead of taking it to the bank. He has yet to be prosecuted.McConnell's family claims the accusations leveled against Bryant are false as the person in charge of depositing the change was always escorted by a police officer.Authorities said the thefts happened o
  
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• Clinton wins convention votes to make history

  26-07-2016 17:54
  
  PHILADELPHIA - Hillary Clinton has won the convention votes needed to capture the Democratic presidential nomination - and make history as the first woman to become the White House nominee of a major U.S. political party.
      
  The former first lady, New York senator and secretary of state had faced Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in a tough primary fight for the nomination.Vermont has passed in the roll call of states as the Democratic National Convention considers the par
  
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• Actress who played TV psychic Miss Cleo dies of cancer at 53

  26-07-2016 17:29
  
  FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The actress who became famous playing the Jamaican psychic Miss Cleo in television infomercials has died.
      
  Youree Dell Harris died Tuesday in Palm Beach, Florida, of cancer. She was 53. Her lawyer, William J. Cone Jr., confirmed the death.
      
  The Los Angeles-born Harris was a struggling actress when the Psychic Readers Network hired her in the late 1990s to play Miss Cleo. She adopted her family's Jamaican herita
  
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• Two men wanted for stealing $8K of Walmart merchandise in Port Allen

  26-07-2016 16:33
  
  WEST BATON ROUGE – West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office detectives are working to identify two men wanted for stealing more than $8,000 in merchandise from the Port Allen Walmart.The incident happened on Thursday, July 21 around 3:30 a.m. when one of the two men crawled behind the jewelry store counter, opened the display case and stole several items of jewelry.The two also stole a shopping basket of miscellaneous goods that they pushed out into the parking lot through a side do
  
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• Layoffs won't hit Gov. John Bel Edwards' office after all

  26-07-2016 16:14
  
  BATON ROUGE - Gov. John Bel Edwards' office won't be laying off staff after all.
      
  Earlier this month, some employees in the office had received layoff notifications. But on Tuesday, Edwards spokesman Richard Carbo said a different approach has been taken to reduce costs to cope with a $703,000 cut for the budget year that began July 1.
      
  Seven vacant jobs won't be filled. Contracts for legal and technology services are being reduced. A
  
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• Body found under bridge in Ascension Parish

  26-07-2016 15:48
  
  GONZALES - Deputies are investigating the discovery of a body under a private bridge over the New River canal Tuesday afternoon.Deputies said the body is of a male between 20 and 40-years-old.  The body was not identifiable, but authorities released specifics about clothing and other apparel in hopes someone could help with information.  The man was about average height and weight, the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office said.  The man was wearing sweatpants and
  
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• Rain causing heavy traffic and stalled cars during Tuesday commute

  26-07-2016 15:35
  
  BATON ROUGE – As thunderstorms are moving through the city, rain has caused multiple accidents and stalled cars during the Tuesday afternoon commute.DOTD reported four accidents since 2:47 p.m. and four stalled vehicles. One of those vehicles has caused the exit ramp to North Street on I-110 near N. 22nd Street to be blocked. Traffic is currently not passing through.Another stalled vehicle due to the heavy rain is at Wooddale Boulevard and Florida Boulevard. At Claycut and South Foster
  
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• WATCH: Lightning destroys Chicago telephone pole over weekend

  26-07-2016 14:46
  
  CHICAGO - Anja Englert was driving down the road in Chicago on Sunday night during a thunderstorm when she captured a wild weather video that took the web by storm on Monday.As she proceeded down Irving Park Road, a line of thunderstorms was moving across the northern part of Illinois. Her camera was rolling when a bolt of lightning descended from the sky and shattered a wooden telephone pole into a Michael Bay-esque explosion of flames and splintered wood.The Washington Post reports that 19 peo
  
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• Coast Guard: 4,200 gallon oil spill in Lake Grande Ecaille

  26-07-2016 14:33
  
  NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard says about 4,200 gallons of crude oil has leaked from an abandoned oil pipeline near marshland in southeast Louisiana.
      
  A Tuesday news release from the Coast Guard says the leak was reported and stopped Monday.
      
  The line belongs to Hilcorp Energy of Houston. A company spokesman said he would have more information on the leak later Tuesday. The Coast Guard says Hilcorp has contracted with an organization t
  
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• Entergy New Orleans looks to break away from parent company

  26-07-2016 14:23
  
  NEW ORLEANS - Entergy New Orleans is looking to break away from its parent company, the Entergy Corporation.Currently, Entergy New Orleans relies on the corporation for the funding required for infrastructure along with the gas and fuel needed to run their plants.The move, which came in the form of a filing with the City Council, would seek to break away because the parent company has to provide similar funding to their non-regulated businesses.Gary Huntley, Entergy New Orleans’ vice p
  
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• Cuba could be powerful trade ally for Bayou State

  26-07-2016 14:23
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M. just returned from a visit to the island nation of Cuba where he led a delegation to promote agricultural trade, economic development and tourism.“We accomplished a great deal during our short visit to Cuba, including opening a dialog with Cuban officials and developing business relationships,” Strain said. “Also, we have a better understanding of what the country&
  
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• Man arrested after beating his brother for gas money

  26-07-2016 14:14
  
  BATON ROUGE – The Baton Rouge Police Department arrested a man after he beat his bedridden brother for gas money.BRPD responded to the 3700 block of Eaton Street in reference to an assault on Monday around 2:45 p.m. The victim told police that he got into an argument with his brother, 26-year-old Edward Maurice Emery. Emery became irate and started hitting his brother in the face.The victim’s roommate attempted to intervene, but Emery began hitting him too. When Emery was lea
  
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• Man drowned after boat overturned in Denham Springs

  26-07-2016 13:51
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS – Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies are responded to a drowning on Plantation Lake Avenue in Denham Springs around 10 a.m. on Tuesday morning.Initial reports indicated that an adult male and juvenile were in a boat and fishing. The boat capsized and the juvenile was able to make it to safety however the adult male was not.The investigation continues and foul play is not suspected, according to Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard.More updates
  
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• LPSO responding to possible drowning in Denham Springs

  26-07-2016 13:51
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS – Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies are responding to a possible drowning on Plantation Lake Avenue in Denham Springs.Deputies identified the victim as a man. Foul play is not suspected, according to the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office. A News 2 crew is on the way to the scene to gather more details.More updates are expected soon.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Mother of July 17 gunman claims body ahead of Arkansas funeral

  26-07-2016 13:49
  
  BATON ROUGE - The body of the lone gunman that killed three Baton Rouge officers on July 17 was released to family on Tuesday.Gavin Long's remains were claimed by his mother, Corine Woodley, and were released to a funeral home in Covington.An Arkansas funeral home is handling the arrangements, but the body had to be released to a licensed facility in Louisiana before beginning its journey back to the shooter's hometown.Long previously served in the Marines. His mother claims the man suffered fro
  
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• #25onthe25th draws record-breaking restaurant crowds

  26-07-2016 13:31
  
  BATON ROUGE - Several area restaurants reported a stunning turnout as diners packed their establishments for a good cause on the day of 25 for the 25th.Restaurants throughout the Capital Area agreed to donate 25 percent of their sales from Monday to go toward the Baton Rouge Area Foundation’s First Responders Fund. On the day after the event, BRAF’s website already showed more than $143,000 in donations. All of those funds will go to the families of officers killed during Jul
  
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• #25onthe25th declared a success

  26-07-2016 13:31
  
  BATON ROUGE - Restaurants throughout the Capital Area are donating 25 percent of their sales on July 25th with the cash going to help support the families of recently fallen Baton Rouge officers.Dozens of restaurants in the Baton Rouge area have connected with the effort, which propagated largely via social media via the #25onthe25th.All proceeds generated during the day will be forwarded to a Baton Rouge Area Foundation fund that has been set up for the families of Officers Matthew Gerald, Brad
  
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• Powerball jackpot $422 million after months without winner

  26-07-2016 13:20
  
  DES MOINES, Iowa - The Powerball jackpot has soared to $422 million thanks to nearly three months without a winner of the big prize.If anyone matches the five balls and red Powerball in Wednesday night's drawing, it will be the game's first jackpot winner since May 7.A jackpot winner could opt for a $422 million annuity paid out over 29 years or a $291 million lump sum. The prize would rank as the nation's 11th largest.The chance of winning Powerball is incredibly small, at 292.2 million to one.
  
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• Used car dealers in Lafayette arrested for fraud scheme

  26-07-2016 13:05
  
  LAFAYETTE – The co-owners of a used car dealership in Lafayette face felony charges for allegedly stealing thousands of dollars in state sales tax revenues.Shawn Calvit and Michael Laue own and operate Lauco Auto Sales in Lafayette. Investigators with the Louisiana Department of Revenue say the two under reported the sales price of more than one hundred vehicles, shorted the state on sales taxes and pocketed the difference.The investigation determined the value of the cars sold was mor
  
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• Donaldsonville man sentenced in manslaughter case

  26-07-2016 12:35
  
  GONZALES - A 28-year-old man has received a 12-year prison sentence in the shooting death of a Donaldsonville man.
      
  Shawn Broom, also of Donaldsonville, pleaded guilty April 26 to manslaughter in the fatal shooting of 21-year-old Michael Stewart on the porch of Donaldsonville home more than a year ago.
      
  Broom had been set for trial April 26 and faced a second-degree murder charge and a possible life sentence before his plea to the red
  
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• Man shot in head on Weller Street, in stable condition

  26-07-2016 12:31
  
  BATON ROUGE – Authorities responded to a shooting in the 2700 block of Weller Street near Aliquippa Street.According to authorities, a man at the location was grazed in the head by a gunshot. The man, according to authorities, was transported by EMS from the scene in stable condition.There is no information about a motive or arrest at the time of this post.On neighbor, who wished to remain unidentified, talked to WBRZ about the shooting and said that she is tired of people being killed
  
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• Iberville Parish courthouse to close amid upgrades

  26-07-2016 12:21
  
  PLAQUEMINE - The Iberville Parish Courthouse is shutting down for about 12 days beginning Tuesday as contractors make $3.1 million in upgrades to the building's air conditioning system.
      
  Parish officials have had to line up temporary quarters for several agencies now housed at the courthouse, including Parish President J. Mitchell Ourso and his staff and the sheriff's office.
      
  Ourso says the building's air conditioning system is about
  
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• BRAF's First Responders Fund has netted $200k+ in donations

  26-07-2016 12:18
  
  BATON ROUGE - The Baton Rouge Area Foundation’s First Responder Fund has gathered more than $200,000 as of Tuesday night.Director of Donor Services John K. Carpenter says the fund was originally created by BRAF in 1988 to help provide financial assistance to first responders who have been injured or killed while in the line of duty.The fund is overseen by a committee of the Sheriff, Chief of Police, Fire Chief and a representative from Louisiana State Police, according to BRAF.Donors f
  
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• NOLA doc threatens cops, references BR shooting

  26-07-2016 12:12
  
  NEW ORLEANS - A suburban doctor was charged with making heinous threats toward law enforcement officers and the medical board. Authorities said Dr. Shannon Ceasar, 43, referenced the recent shooting deaths of three officers, saying, "What I’ll do is make Baton Rouge look like a {expletive deleted} kindergarten." Ceasar was arrested Friday after being recorded on phone calls making the threats.Ceasar is accused of illegally dispensing oxycodone. WWL TV reported Ceasar worked in general
  
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• Baton Rouge gunman's VA record sought by congressional committee

  26-07-2016 05:10
  
  The chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Veterans Affairs has requested all VA medical records for the former Marine who killed three law enforcement officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
  
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