Baton Rouge news

• Louisiana will face a $1.5 billion shortfall in 2018 after temporary taxes expire

  12-08-2016 22:30
  
  Most of the budget solutions put in place over the past few months weren't permanent.
  
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• Sen. Troy Brown calls critics 'political opportunists,' won't resign despite governor's request

  12-08-2016 21:38
  
  Brown says to no one should be climbing up on a "moral soap box" to criticize him.
  
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• Floods send residents on journey to find shelter for the night

  12-08-2016 18:48
  
  TANGIPAHOA - A few hundred residents of the Town of Tangipahoa who were rescued from their homes on Friday had to make several stops before they finally found a place to stay after double digit rainfall totals drenched the area.WWL-TV reported the residents said the rain started at nightfall Thursday day and didn’t let up from then on. By Friday morning, roads were starting to be covered by water, but they remain passable. However, by 10 a.m., road closures were starting to stack up an
  
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• Governor Edwards to discuss severe weather on Saturday

  12-08-2016 16:51
  
  BATON ROUGE – Governor John Bel Edwards has announced that a press conference will be held on Saturday, Aug. 13 to discuss the severe weather in the state.
  The press conference will take place after a briefing of the United Command Group at the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP).The press conference will be held at 10:30 a.m. at GOSHEP located at 7667 Independence Boulevard.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Boil water advisory issued for St. Helena Parish

  12-08-2016 15:44
  
  ST. HELENA – A boil water advisory has been issued for parts of St. Helena Parish.According to parish officials, customers who are serviced by the Highway 38 well site are under a boil water advisory until further notice.
  It is recommended that residents boil their water for one minute before consuming it including making ice, brushing teeth, or using it for food preparation.
  Waterworks District #2 will rescind the boil water advisory upon notification from the Louisiana Department of
  
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• La. National Guard dispatched for search and rescue operations

  12-08-2016 15:19
  
  NEW ORLEANS - With the Gov. Edwards declaring a state of emergency earlier in the day, the Louisiana National Guard has mobilized personnel and equipment to aid residents seeing flash flooding.Guardsmen will be dispatched to Iberia, Lafayette, St. Helena, Tangipahoa and West Feliciana parishes.39 high-water vehicles and five boat teams are currently en route to the affected parishes to carry out search and rescue operations. More than 40 people have already been rescued in Tangipahoa and another
  
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• Salvation Army on Airline Highway opens as shelter for residents

  12-08-2016 15:14
  
  BATON ROUGE – The Salvation Army on Airline Highway is open to residents in need of shelter due to severe weather.The emergency shelter will be open 24 hours and will have an expanded capacity for the night. Food will also be served at the Riverside Baptist Church in Denham Springs throughout the day and night.
  According to officials, in the event of power outages or excessive damage, The Salvation Army will dispatch a disaster unit to the affected areas. The disaster unit will dispatc
  
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• Senator rejects calls for resignation after abuse arrests

  12-08-2016 14:42
  
  BATON ROUGE - Despite urging from the governor and some colleagues, a state senator arrested twice on domestic violence charges is spurning calls for his resignation.Sen. Troy Brown, a Democrat from Geismar, issued a statement Friday saying that he's "made mistakes for which I am deeply sorry," but the issues are personal and won't keep him from doing his legislative work.Earlier this week, Gov. John Bel Edwards and some Democratic lawmakers said they don't believe Brown can continue to effectiv
  
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• EBR Coroner confirms man drowned in flood water

  12-08-2016 14:09
  
  ZACHARY - The EBR Coroner’s Office has confirmed that emergency crews recovered the body of a man who drowned after he was swept away by flood water during a rescue attempt.It happened in the 1700 block of Plank Road in Zachary. Early reports from first responders suggested that a 4-year-old child may have been washed away, but family members later confirmed that a 68-year-old man had fallen into a ditch and was swept away.The coroner said they recovered a body and officially declared
  
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• Body pulled from flooded pickup truck in St. Helena Parish

  12-08-2016 13:56
  
  CLINTON - News 2's Mark Armstrong was on the scene when flood water washed a tanker truck into a ditch running alongside Highway 10.Truck swept off Hwy 10 east of Clinton. Driver on top waiting for rescue. He's been there 20mins now. @WBRZ #lawx pic.twitter.com/WTA4CjWHdY— Mark Armstrong (@TvMarkArmstrong) August 12, 2016The footage was captured just before noon on between Clinton and Greensburg.The driver of the truck could be seen exiting the vehicle by climbing on top of it as he wa
  
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• Curfew goes into effect in Livingston Parish at dusk

  12-08-2016 13:50
  
  LIVINGSTON PARISH - Parish officials in Livingston have put a curfew into place from dusk Friday until dawn on Saturday.Only essential personnel and those traveling to and from work will be allowed on Livingston Parish roadways.Weather conditions are expected to continue to be severe into the night.All waterways in the parish are closed immediately and will remain so until further notice in conjunction with Ascension Parish.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Curfew goes into effect in Livingston, Baker & Tangipahoa Parish at dusk

  12-08-2016 13:50
  
  LIVINGSTON PARISH - Parish officials in Livingston, Tangipahoa and Baker Parishes have put a curfew into place from dusk Friday (8 p.m.) until dawn (6 a.m.) on Saturday.Only essential personnel and those traveling to and from work will be allowed on roadways.Weather conditions are expected to continue to be severe into the night.All waterways in the parish are closed immediately and will remain so until further notice in conjunction with Ascension Parish.Permalink| Comments
  
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• The Olympics come to South Louisiana in viral video

  12-08-2016 13:10
  
  NEW IBERIA - A viral video shows a New Iberia resident making the most of flood conditions as he brings a little bit of Rio to Louisiana.
  Jo Guidry posted a video of himself swimming along a flooded street with the caption: Watching the Olympics + living in South Louisiana.”The video has already been shared more than 10,000 times since it was posted on Friday morning.Heavy rainfall came to the region overnight with some areas likely to receive more than 10 inches of rain before the wee
  
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• Gov. Edwards declares state of emergency after flooding

  12-08-2016 12:46
  
  BATON ROUGE - Gov. John Bel Edwards has declared a state of emergency for the entire state following Thursday and Friday’s bout of severe weather.The declaration remains in effect until Saturday, Sept. 10.“We are in constant contact with local officials and first responders, and assistance is already on the move to affected parishes,” said Gov. Edwards. “The most important thing to remember is to obey road signs and to constantly monitor the news for updat
  
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• Siegen Lane apartment residents face devastating flood damage

  12-08-2016 12:31
  
  BATON ROUGE - Residents at the Chateau Wein Apartments on Siegan Lane say the damage they experienced Friday is unlike anything they've seen."Tenants who have been here for years are saying this is the worst," Chateau Wein resident Kelly Vessel said. "I just recently moved here, but my heart is broken because htere are so many elderly here, and people who can't afford to replace their things. And the water is up to their waist, so that means their house is destroyed."In the midst of trying to ma
  
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• List of open shelters and sandbag locations

  12-08-2016 12:17
  
  With flood water rising, many viewers have contacted the station looking for locations where sandbags can be picked up and where shelters are located.As a general rule, fire stations will be the go-to location for getting set up. However, we're working on compiling a definitive list of sandbag distribution points:BATON ROUGEFire Station #7 - 5758 Claycut Street
  Fire Station #9 - 4025 Perkins Road
  Fire Station #13 - 835 Sharp Road
  Fire Station #14 - 4121 Harding Blvd
  Fire Station #31 - 646 Sulliv
  
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• Thousands without power in multiple parishes during floods

  12-08-2016 09:43
  
  BATON ROUGE - Thousands of Entergy customers are in the dark on Friday night as rain continues to pour in Southeast Louisiana.EBR Parish customer outage numbers have held constant at around 1,200 for the better part of the afternoon. Outages are fairly evently distributed throughout the city with the expected timeline for power returning set around 10 p.m. Friday for most customers.Numbers of outages in eastward parishes has increased rapidly throughout the afternoon. Numbers of residents in the
  
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• Thousands without power in multiple parishes as flooding continues

  12-08-2016 09:43
  
  BATON ROUGE - Power outages for Entergy customers have continued to pile up overnight into Saturday morning with several thousand customers waking up to no electricity.According to Entergy’s outage map, more than 4,000 customers in Tangipahoa Parish are without power as of 6:30 a.m. East Baton Rouge Parish is seeing just more than 2,000, and Livingston Parish customers are reporting 1,300 outages.Estimated restoration time for most customers within the Baton Rouge city limits is 2 p.m.
  
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• 1,700 without power in East Baton Rouge Parish

  12-08-2016 09:43
  
  BATON ROUGE - Power outage numbers remain in the thousands in East Baton Rouge Parish with numbers going up in surrounding parishes as rain continues to pound Southeast Louisiana.Last check of Entergy’s outage numbers show more than 1,700 EBR Parish residents without power. Livingston was now showing more than 200 outages with officials advising residents to be prepared for more.East Baton Rouge saw nearly twice the current number of outages earlier in the morning as the neighborhoods
  
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• 1,300 without power in East Baton Rouge Parish

  12-08-2016 09:43
  
  BATON ROUGE - Power outage numbers remain in the thousands in East Baton Rouge Parish with numbers going up in surrounding parishes as rain continues to pound Southeast Louisiana.Last check of Entergy’s outage numbers show more than 1,300 EBR Parish residents without power. Livingston was now showing more than 200 outages with officials advising residents to be prepared for more.East Baton Rouge saw nearly twice the current number of outages earlier in the morning as the neighborhoods
  
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• SLIDESHOW: Inclement weather brings flooding to Capital Area

  12-08-2016 08:37
  
  BATON ROUGE - Storms brought flash flooding to the Capital Area overnight and images have been pouring in via social media. Here's a collection of some of the pictures you've sent us.Permalink| Comments
  
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• State offices closed due to inclement weather

  12-08-2016 07:51
  
  BATON ROUGE - State offices in the WBRZ viewing area have announced closure due to severe weather Friday morning."Due to extreme weather, Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne is announcing that state offices are closed in the following parishes: Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberia, Lafayette, Livingston, St. Helena, St. James, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Washington," read a release from the Office of the Commissioner.State offices closed-Ascension, EBR, E Felic
  
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• I-110 is now open

  12-08-2016 07:02
  
  BATON ROUGE - I-110 is now open, but the right lane remains blocked.Both lanes of I-110 were closed past Florida Boulevard Friday morning due to high water and multiple incidents in the area. There were heavy delays.#BREAKING I-110 at Capitol Access closed due to high water. Traffic is not moving. @WBRZ pic.twitter.com/b1E4uibfQf— Chris Nakamoto WBRZ (@ChrisNakamoto) August 12, 2016News 2's Ashley Fruge is monitoring the roadway. We will have updates on WBRZ.com and Twitter.Permalink|
  
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• I-110 closed in both directions

  12-08-2016 07:02
  
  BATON ROUGE - Commuters may want to take an alternate route this morning as I-110 is closed in both directions past Florida Boulevard. There is high water and multiple incidents in the area. Expect heavy delays.#BREAKING I-110 at Capitol Access closed due to high water. Traffic is not moving. @WBRZ pic.twitter.com/b1E4uibfQf— Chris Nakamoto WBRZ (@ChrisNakamoto) August 12, 2016News 2's Ashley Fruge is monitoring the roadways during Good Morning America. We will have updates on WBRZ.com
  
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• Schools closed due to inclement weather

  12-08-2016 05:49
  
  BATON ROUGE - Schools in the WBRZ viewing area have announced closure or early dismissal due to severe weather Friday morning.The following schools are closing early:St. Mary Parish public schools (closing at noon) The following parish schools are closed: AscensionEast Baton RougeEast FelicianaLivingston ParishPointe Coupee Parish will close at 11 a.m.St. James ParishSt. Helena ParishTangipahoa ParishWest Baton Rouge Elementary schools will close at 11:30 a.m.West Baton Rouge middle and
  
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