Baton Rouge news

• Louisiana flood: The state climatologist's 5 takeaways

  29-08-2016 23:55
  
  Rain fell for 32 hours without stopping in Baton Rouge.
  
  Read more

• Louisiana flood survivors put their possessions outside

  29-08-2016 23:11
  
  On Sunday morning, Aug. 28 in Baton Rouge, I drove through the valley of the shadow of people's lost possessions.  At a slow speed I could pick out mattresses and chests of drawers and refrigerators and dressers and end tables...
  
  Read more

• A new set of Louisiana flood survivors put their possessions outside

  29-08-2016 23:11
  
  On Sunday morning, Aug. 28 in Baton Rouge, I drove through the valley of the shadow of people's lost possessions.  At a slow speed I could pick out mattresses and chests of drawers and refrigerators and dressers and end tables...
  
  Read more

• FEMA answers questions at community meeting

  29-08-2016 21:55
  
  BATON ROUGE - A Town Hall meeting took place Friday at St. Thomas More Catholic Church to discuss and answer questions regarding flood relief. State Representatives Paula Davis and Ted James hosted the meeting with the Sherwood Forest Citizens Association and Crime and Improvement District. Rep. James said it was important to keep the community informed in a time like this."In the wake of such devastation to our community, it is of the utmost importance that w
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Early morning crash on LA 1 leaves one dead, one injured

  29-08-2016 20:55
  
  GOLDEN MEADOW - A head-on crash this morning involving two vehicles on LA 1 near Celestin Drive has left one person dead and another injured.According to Louisiana State Police, around 5 a.m. this morning Taylor Fontenot was traveling northbound on LA 1. Fontenot then crossed the center lane into the southbound lane where Dalton Creppel of Golden Meadow was driving, and struck Creppel's vehicle head-on.Creppel was transported to Lady of the sea General Hospital where he later succumb to his inju
  
  Read more

• 11 years later, New Orleans remembers Katrina

  29-08-2016 20:01
  
  NEW ORLEANS - It's been 11 years since the wind, rain and subsequent levee breaks associated with Hurricane Katrina deluged New Orleans.On Monday, officials marked the occasion with wreath-laying ceremonies to remember those who lost their lives to the flooding and celebrations to commemorate those who survived.Mayor Mitch Landrieu joined state Sen. Wesley Bishop, state Rep. John Bagneris, city councilmembers James Gray and Nadine Ramsey and other officials for an event at the newly built multip
  
  Read more

• Family that survived Katrina rebuilds again after recent flood

  29-08-2016 18:47
  
  BATON ROUGE – Many of the New Orleans residents who survived Hurricane Katrina moved to the Baton Rouge area to start over, however many did not think they would find themselves starting over again 11 years later.Jonathan and Lindsey Sumich were newlyweds when the eye of Hurricane Katrina wiped out their town of Buras."That's kinda when panic set in again," Lindsey said.The couple lost their home and grocery store business to 24 feet of water."We knew it was going to be bad we just did
  
  Read more

• U.S. Rep. Mica, Congressman Graves critique FEMA's response efforts

  29-08-2016 18:33
  
  BATON ROUGE – U.S. Representative John Mica of Florida and Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves toured flood damaged neighborhoods in South Louisiana from the sky on Monday.Mica, who chairs the U.S. House subcommittee that oversees FEMA, said that the relief agency has been pitiful in dealing with the recovery efforts.
  "This is one of the biggest displacement of people I've ever seen in the country and the response is pitiful," Mica said.Mica says that it is taking too long f
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• BR Congressman and U.S. Representative tour flood damaged areas, critique FEMA's response efforts

  29-08-2016 18:33
  
  BATON ROUGE – U.S. Representative John Mica of Florida and Baton Rouge Congressman Garret Graves toured flood damaged neighborhoods in South Louisiana from the sky on Monday.Mica, who chairs the FEMA Oversight Committee in Washington said that the relief agency has been pitiful in dealing with the recovery efforts.
  "This is one of the biggest displacement of people I've ever seen in the country and the response is pitiful," Mica said.Mica says that it is taking too long for FEMA to get
  
  Read more

• Man dies after single car crash on LA 40 in Livingston

  29-08-2016 18:13
  
  LIVINGSTON PARISH – State Troopers responded to a single-vehicle crash on LA 40 that took the life of a 51-year-old man.On Aug. 29 around 2 p.m. a crash occurred as 51-year-old Kevin Zeno of Montepelier was traveling westbound on LA 40 in a Chevrolet Silverado. For unknown reasons, Zeno's vehicle crossed the center line and ran off the left side of the roadway.Zeno's vehicle entered a ditch and began to overturn. The roof of Zeno's vehicle struck the edge of a private driveway causing
  
  Read more

• Denham Springs police searching for 5 stolen ATVs

  29-08-2016 17:35
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS – The Denham Springs City Police Department is currently seeking information about five stolen all-terrain vehicles (ATVs).On Monday, officers responded to a theft complaint at Outdoor Powerhouse in the 2300 block of Florida Boulevard.The ATVs were new but flood damaged and placed side by side outside of the business.The following are descriptions of the stolen ATVs:2016 Can Am Maverick Turbo VIN # 3JBPDAR23GJ0019892017 Can Am Maverick XMR VIN # 3JBPWAP21HJ00013
  
  Read more

• Louisiana flooding: How to apply for money to get back into your home quickly

  29-08-2016 17:25
  
  Grants to make quick and necessary repairs to your house are now available.
  
  Read more

• Louisiana flooding: How to apply for help to get back into your home quickly

  29-08-2016 17:25
  
  Grants to make quick and necessary repairs to your house are now available.
  
  Read more

• Fans reminded of Wisconsin's Lambeau Field policies before LSU season opener

  29-08-2016 17:00
  
  BATON ROUGE – As the Lambeau Field College Classic approaches, LSU and Wisconsin fans who plan on attending the season-opener football game are reminded of Lambeau Field's carry-in policy.No bags or purses will be allowed inside Wisconsin's Lambeau Field unless they are clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC. The bags can be no larger than 12'' by 6'' by 12''. Small clutches that do not exceed 4.5'' by 6.5'' are permitted.Stadium cushions are also not allowed, however stadium seats and pads that
  
  Read more

• USGS measuring water marks from catastrophic flooding

  29-08-2016 16:29
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS - The United States Geological Survey has a team of workers from all over the country going to areas that flooded in Louisiana to measure high water marks.
  The federal workers are zeroing in on areas in our community that took on high water. Nearly a dozen teams from USGS are traveling across the state inputting that data in high tech devices.
  Keith Duncan's Denham Springs home wasn't supposed to flood. It did. Tonight, 17 years of sentimental items and memories are full of mildew
  
  Read more

• Nearly 10,000 workers sue Chipotle for not paying them

  29-08-2016 16:28
  
  Former and current Chipotle employees have filed a lawsuit claiming that the company made them work extra hours "off the clock" without paying them.The suit was originally filed by a former Chipotle manager, Leah Turner, who claims she had to work without pay and was told to make workers under her do the same in order to meet budget goals."Chipotle routinely requires hourly-paid restaurant employees to punch out, and then continue working until they are given permission to leave," the lawsuit re
  
  Read more

• Plane on tour when it crashed in Lake Pontchartrain

  29-08-2016 16:24
  
  NEW ORLEANS - Authorities say a small plane that crashed in Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans had been chartered by a couple taking an aerial tour of the city.A woman survived Friday night's crash but two men remained unaccounted for Monday.The plane crashed as it neared New Orleans Lakefront Airport. The airport director, Ben Morris, said Monday that the plane hit a rainstorm about the time of the crash.The Federal Aviation Administration is looking into the cause. Morris said salvage of the wr
  
  Read more

• Ascension Parish waives permit fees for flood damage repairs

  29-08-2016 15:59
  
  GONZALES – Ascension Parish President Kenny Matassa announced that parish residents and business owners who are repairing damage from the flood will not be charged for a permit."If you've had flood damage and you have work to do that does require a permit, there will be no charge for that permit or inspection," Jerome Fournier, parish planning and development director, said.According to parish officials, minimal work that typically does not require a permit will continue to not require
  
  Read more

• Troopers arrest wanted sex offender, locate 4 missing children

  29-08-2016 15:09
  
  ACADIA PARISH - State Police reported they located four missing children and arrested a wanted sex offender from California Sunday morning.At around 3 a.m. on Sunday, the Marshals Service reported to Troopers that the sex offender, 37-year-old Joseph Moreno, was believed to be traveling through the state with 37-year-old Penny Rascon and her four children, aged between four and eight years old. Moreno was wanted on charges of sexually assaulting a child, and the four children were all listed as
  
  Read more

• Man's charges upgraded to homicide after wife falls from car during argument

  29-08-2016 15:01
  
  BATON ROUGE – A man's charges have been upgraded to negligent homicide in the death of his wife after she fell from his car during a heated argument.On July 30 around 8 p.m. 39-year-old Calvin Hawkins had an argument with his wife, Shadelle, when the argument escalated as she got into the driver's seat of Calvin's car, according to BRPD. Calvin pulled her out of the vehicle and began to drive away as Shadelle grabbed the driver-side door.While driving, Calvin tried to
  
  Read more

• Nephew: Gene Wilder, star of Mel Brooks movies, dies at 83

  29-08-2016 14:27
  
  Gene Wilder, the star of such comedy classics as "Young Frankenstein" and "Blazing Saddles," has died. He was 83.Wilder's nephew said Monday that the actor and writer died late Sunday in Stamford, Connecticut from complications from Alzheimer's disease.The frizzy-haired actor was a master at playing panicked characters caught up in schemes that only a madman such as Mel Brooks could devise, whether reviving a monster in "Young Frankenstein" or bilking Broadway in "The Producers."But he also knew
  
  Read more

• Government forecast: 600K commercial drones within the year

  29-08-2016 14:26
  
  WASHINGTON - Federal aviation officials estimate there will be 600,000 commercial drone aircraft operating in the U.S. within the year as the result of new safety rules that opened the skies to them on Monday.Michael Huerta, head of the Federal Aviation Administration, said at a news conference that the rules governing the operation of small commercial drones are designed to protect safety without stifling innovation.Commercial operators initially complained that the new rules would be too rigid
  
  Read more

• 1 dead, 1 critical after shooting at Denham Springs birthday party

  29-08-2016 14:00
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS - One man is in custody after shots rang out at a birthday party in Denham Springs over the weekend, leaving one man dead and another in critical condition.39-year-old Ryan Calderon was apprehended without incident and booked on charges of second degree murder and attempted second degree murder after the Sunday night incident.Deputies said they responded to the scene in the 13100 block of Alysha Drive after they received reports at around 9 p.m. Sunday that two men had been shot a
  
  Read more

• Outside experts absolve BR Zoo of wrongdoing in animal deaths

  29-08-2016 13:53
  
  EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH - Reports from several outside experts have concluded that BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo is not at fault for recent high-profile animal deaths.The conclusion was arrived at after an extensive audit by the American Association of Zoos, the United States Department of Agriculture and a long-time veterinarian. Each audit was conducted independently at the request of the Baton Rouge Zoo, according to BREC.Since the start of 2016, eighteen animals have died at the zoo with
  
  Read more

• FEMA criticized as slow on disaster housing aid in Louisiana

  29-08-2016 13:46
  
  BATON ROUGE - The first out-of-state congressman to survey Louisiana's damage from catastrophic flooding says the Federal Emergency Management Agency response has been "pitiful."U.S. Rep. John Mica, a Florida Republican, toured the destruction Monday with U.S. Rep. Garret Graves, a Republican who represents much of the most heavily damaged region.Mica chairs a subcommittee with jurisdiction over FEMA and blasted the federal agency's response. He says housing aid has been sluggish and FEMA has be
  
  Read more

• 3 inmates escape from detention center in Louisiana

  29-08-2016 13:39
  
  NATCHITOCHES - Authorities are searching for three inmates who escaped from a detention center in Louisiana.The Natchitoches Parish Sheriff's Office said in a news release that 34-year-old Willie E. Ethridge, 24-year-old Michael Elliot and 35-year-old Walshea Mitchell escaped from one of the dorms Saturday night and then apparently jumped over two rolls of razor-wire fence.Deputies say the inmates weren't armed at the time of the escape, but they should be considered dangerous.Ethridge was servi
  
  Read more

• FEMA recovery center opens in Lafayette

  29-08-2016 13:12
  
  LAFAYETTE - The Federal Emergency Management Agency has opened a disaster recovery center in Lafayette.FEMA says in a news release that the center, which opened Sunday, will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week, until further notice.Flood survivors will receive assistance and information about FEMA programs they may be eligible for, including individual assistance, transitional shelter assistance, rental assistance and low-interest loans.Lafayette Mayor-President Joel Robideaux says
  
  Read more

• Apple expected to show new iPhone at event next week

  29-08-2016 13:04
  
  SAN FRANCISCO - Apple is expected to show off a new iPhone next week when the company holds its fall product launch event in San Francisco.The tech giant announced the date for the Sept. 7 launch by sending out invitations to technology journalists and industry analysts on Monday.Apple didn't provide any details, in keeping with its usual practice, but it traditionally announces one or two new iPhone models at its annual September event. Apple may also show new models or features for other produ
  
  Read more

• Airline Highway at Scenic open after truck losing load caused morning closure

  29-08-2016 12:28
  
  BATON ROUGE – Airline Highway at Scenic Highway is now open after it was closed to drivers Monday morning.The closure was caused by a truck losing its load while driving along the roadway.According to BRPD, the truck was carrying a load of several appliances.Drivers were advised to take an alternative route as traffic backed up at I-110 at Airline. Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Airline Highway at Scenic closed due to truck losing load

  29-08-2016 12:28
  
  BATON ROUGE – Airline Highway at Scenic Highway is closed to drivers Monday morning.The closure was caused by a truck losing its load while driving along the roadway. According to BRPD, the truck was carrying a load of several appliances.Drivers are advised to take an alternative route as traffic is backed up at I-110 at Airline. Stay with WBRZ on Facebook and Twitter for updates as they become available.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Flooded car questions answered

  29-08-2016 12:21
  
  BATON ROUGE - As the clean-up effort continues around south Louisiana, people are trying to get back into their normal routine but that's difficult without a car.Thousands of cars flooded, but if your insurance does not cover storm-related damage, FEMA says you must verify that it happened as a result of the disaster.Alexis Wicker, says she's stuck at the moment and is relying on the help of others to get her to and from work. Her red Chevy Cobalt filled with water two weeks ago and aft
  
  Read more

• The Pledge of Allegiance: Brusly Elementary School

  29-08-2016 09:32
  
  BATON ROUGE- Today's Pledge of Allegiance comes from the 2nd grade at Brusly Elementary School.Be sure to watch The Daily Pledge every weekday on 2une In at 5:58 a.m. to see if your child's school is featured!Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Sales tax holiday for guns, hunting supplies

  29-08-2016 06:59
  
  BATON ROUGE - Hunters and other sportsmen won't have to pay sales tax when they buy guns, ammunition and an array of outdoor supplies.Louisiana's annual "Second Amendment Weekend Sales Tax Holiday" runs from Friday through Sunday.The legislature created the sales tax holiday in 2009 to exempt eligible purchases of guns, ammunition and hunting supplies from all state and local sales taxes.However, as amended during the 2016 First Extraordinary Session of the Louisiana Legislature, the state sales
  
  Read more

Follow @BatonRougeNews_ on Twitter!