Baton Rouge news

• Teenager struck by vehicle on East Pomona Drive in Baton Rouge

  14-09-2016 20:23
  
  BATON ROUGE - EMS is responding to an accident involving a teenager struck by a vehicle.It happened just before 8 p.m. BRPD Sgt. Don Coppola says a teenage girl was hit in the 9800 block of East Pomona Drive near Orlando Drive.EMS says the teenager is being transported to the hospital to be treated for non-life threatening injuries. They say the girl is in stable condition.This is a developing story. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Do you have unclaimed cash? Check here!

  14-09-2016 17:57
  
  BATON ROUGE – Louisiana residents can search for nearly $750 million in unclaimed property Saturday at the Mall of Louisiana, according to Treasurer John Kennedy.Employees from the Unclaimed Property Division will be stationed near the Dillard’s entrance on the first floor of the mall from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.Kennedy said there will be a separate line for victims affected by August’s historic flooding.To check to see if you have unclaimed cash, you w
  
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• Louisiana considers $400 million short-term loan until more tax revenue arrives

  14-09-2016 17:18
  
  State Bond Commission will vote on the plan Thursday (Sept. 15).
  
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• Congressman blasts rival as spreading prostitution claims

  14-09-2016 16:51
  BATON ROUGE - Republican U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany is blaming one of his GOP rivals in Louisiana's U.S. Senate race for spreading allegations that Boustany was involved with prostitutes who were later killed.The congressman held a call with reporters Wednesday to blast Treasurer John Kennedy and his campaign staff. Boustany says they've been engaged in a "smear campaign," sending around the allegations contained in a new book released this week."Murder In The Bayou" includes a chapter with the
  
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• Baton Rouge food bank returns to warehouse after last month's flood

  14-09-2016 16:28
  
  BATON ROUGE – The Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank lost about 600,000 pounds of food in last month's historic flood and moved to a temporary location, but now the organization is returning to its warehouse and beginning its normal operations.  The food that was able to be salvaged during the flood was moved to a different location and distributed to victims, leaving behind a gutted warehouse."We had a situation where we lost all of our offices all of our office furniture
  
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• Junior high football team receives money to replace equipment

  14-09-2016 16:03
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS – Football season was an uncertainty for Southside Junior High following last month's historic flooding, but with the help of one store and generous NFL players, the season is now a reality.
  Flood water destroyed Southside Junior High, along with the football team's equipment room.
  "Water actually backed up into our equipment room, and backed up five feet," Brett Chatelain, Southside Junior High football coach, said."Pretty much everything was destroyed, 90 percent of it
  
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• $5M gift will bring lions back to New Orleans' Audubon Zoo

  14-09-2016 15:47
  
  NEW ORLEANS - The largest private donation ever made to the Audubon Nature Institute will bring the lion's roar back to the Audubon Zoo.Shipbuilding philanthropists Boysie Bollinger and his wife, Joy, have donated $5 million to fund a new habitat for African lions. The donation marks the largest single gift the zoo has ever received from an individual or family.Multiple media outlets report the plan calls for a new 1.5-acre exhibit on a site that now houses the zoo's eland collection. The lions'
  
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• Appeal court: Louisiana can't block Planned Parenthood money

  14-09-2016 15:46
  
  NEW ORLEANS - The state of Louisiana has lost another legal round in its attempt to take Medicaid funding away from Planned Parenthood clinics.The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday upheld a lower court ruling ensuring that needy women can get Medicaid-funded non-abortion services at Planned Parenthood facilities in the state.A three-judge panel upheld a preliminary injunction blocking the state's move to cut off funding. That move began under former Gov. Bobby Jindal. His effort fol
  
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• CATS recommends interim CEO to serve as permanent CEO

  14-09-2016 14:52
  
  BATON ROUGE – The committee in charge of the search for the new CATS CEO recommends hiring interim CEO William 'Bill' Deville for the position, the agency announced Wednesday. Deville took over the role as interim CEO earlier this year and has more than 32 years of experience in transportation. Deville is the former CEO of the Regional Transit Authority in New Orleans. Deville's 22-year-career with the RTA also included being budget director and chief financial officer. He als
  
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• Senator Troy Brown pleads no contest to battery charge of 'side friend'

  14-09-2016 14:04
  
  NEW ORLEANS -- Louisiana state Sen. Troy Brown pleaded no contest to simple battery Wednesday morning for punching a woman in the face last November who New Orleans Police called his 'side friend'.Brown was arrested at the Hyatt Regency hotel in downtown New Orleans after the 2015 Bayou Classic football game.Brown admitted to punching his girlfriend after Bayou Classic in the no contest plea and got inactive probation for 6 months and a $500 fine. Brown started anger management classes on July 2
  
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• Attorney seeks to revive lawsuit against Mississippi flag

  14-09-2016 14:01
  
  JACKSON - A Mississippi attorney is trying to revive his lawsuit challenging the Confederate battle emblem on the state flag.Carlos Moore filed notice Wednesday that he will appeal a federal judge's decision that dismissed the suit.Moore had argued the emblem is an unconstitutional vestige of slavery. While U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves wrote that the flag's history is inextricably tied to slavery, he ruled Thursday that Moore failed to show a "cognizable legal injury."Reeves considered pre
  
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• 'Trombone Shorty,' 4 others receive $250,000 Heinz Awards

  14-09-2016 13:49
  
  PITTSBURGH - Musician "Trombone Shorty," known for his work to preserve the musical heritage of New Orleans, is one of five people being honored Wednesday with $250,000 prizes from the Heinz Family Foundation.The Heinz Awards recognize innovative work in the arts, environment, human condition, public policy and economics categories.Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews started a foundation to provide New Orleans schools will musical instruments and a self-named music academy, where he created a music p
  
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• Snowden: Long prison term for me would erode democracy in US

  14-09-2016 13:46
  
  NEW YORK - National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden says it would "chill speech" and "erode the quality of our democracy" if he serves a long prison term in the U.S.Snowden spoke by video at a New York news conference Wednesday. Advocates, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, are launching a public campaign to persuade President Barack Obama to pardon him.Speaking from Moscow where he is in exile, Snowden said he performed a public service by giving thousands of classifi
  
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• Ford confirms small car production moving from US to Mexico

  14-09-2016 13:44
  
  DETROIT - Ford Motor Co. says it's moving all of its U.S. small car production to Mexico.Ford CEO Mark Fields confirmed the long-expected move Wednesday during an event for investors and Wall Street analysts.Ford currently makes its Fiesta subcompact in Mexico, but its Focus and C-Max small cars are made in suburban Detroit. Making them in Mexico would boost company profits because of low wages there.The company is building a new $1.6 billion assembly plant in San Luis Potosi, Mexico. It will ma
  
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• Mylan CEO to testify in hearing on EpiPen price increases

  14-09-2016 13:40
  WASHINGTON - The head of Mylan will face lawmakers' questions at a hearing next week on steep price hikes for the company's life-saving EpiPen injector device.Mylan CEO Heather Bresch and officials from the Food and Drug Administration will testify before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.The Republican chairman of the committee and the panel's top Democrat said in a statement that there is "justified outrage" from families and schools struggling to pay for the emergency allerg
  
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• Judge orders jail for teen who allegedly impersonated doctor

  14-09-2016 13:37
  
  WEST PALM BEACH - A Florida judge has revoked the bail of a 19-year-old man accused of impersonating a doctor after he was arrested in Virginia on charges he tried to illegally buy a car.Circuit Judge Krista Marx revoked Malachi Love-Robinson's $26,000 bond Wednesday and ordered him jailed if he is brought back to Palm Beach County.Love-Robinson was arrested last week in Stafford, Virginia, on charges he tried to buy a Lexus using a fake earnings statement. He remains jailed there.Love-Robinson
  
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• Inmate escapes Assumption deputies during transport

  14-09-2016 13:35
  
  MORGAN CITY – Deputies in Assumption Parish say an inmate escaped custody Wednesday morning while deputies were transporting him for mental health treatment.According to Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Office, 44-year-old Drake Domangue was being transported to St. Mary Parish when he escaped.Domangue was being held in Assumption Parish on charges of aggravated flight from an officer, resisting arrest by force or violence, narcotics related offenses and numerous traffic violation
  
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• Official: US goal to take in 110,000 refugees in coming year

  14-09-2016 13:32
  
  WASHINGTON - The United States will strive to take in 110,000 refugees from around the world in the coming year, a senior Obama administration official said Wednesday, in what would be a nearly 30 percent increase from the 85,000 allowed in over the previous year.The increase reflects continuing concern about the refugee crisis stemming from Syria's civil war and conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Yet it's still far short of what advocacy groups say is needed to address an unprecedented crisis t
  
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• Police: Clowns trying to talk to kids reported in Georgia

  14-09-2016 13:29
  
  LAGRANGE, Ga. - Police in west Georgia say they've received several calls about clowns trying to talk to children and are investigating an online threat to abduct children from local schools.LaGrange police said in a statement that officers will file charges if appropriate.LaGrange police Lt. Dale Strickland tells WXIA-TV someone started a Facebook page threatening to dress like a clown and drive a white van to five local schools and abduct children. He said police are working to track
  
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• AG Landry says Edwards' office stalling his budget request

  14-09-2016 13:16
  
  BATON ROUGE - Attorney General Jeff Landry says two of his budget requests to lawmakers are being bottled up by Gov. John Bel Edwards administration.One request, Landry says, would provide $850,000 needed to defend state abortion restrictions against a lawsuit.Landry sent a letter to members of the Legislature's joint budget committee complaining Edwards' Division of Administration has stalled budget adjustments he wanted lawmakers to consider Friday. In his letter, Landry suggested the delay wa
  
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• Disney's 'Healthy' gumbo recipe apparently pulled after Louisiana outcry

  14-09-2016 13:12
  
  NEW ORLEANS - It was viral, and many in Louisiana thought it was vile, so a recipe and video for 'healthy' gumbo has apparently bit the Internet dust.The post, from a Disney Facebook account, said it was Princess Tiana's recipe for a healthy gumbo.Princess Tiana, the main character in Disney's Princess and the Frog, which was set in New Orleans and featured references to beignets and gumbo, along with music by Dr. John, sets up her own New Orleans restaurant at the end of the f
  
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• GOP gains ground on Dems in voter registration in key states

  14-09-2016 12:14
  WASHINGTON - Republicans have gained ground on Democrats in registering voters in three battleground states and kept their razor-thin advantage in Iowa. That's encouraging news for Donald Trump eight weeks before Election Day.Data compiled by The Associated Press show that Republicans added hundreds of thousands of voters to the rolls since 2012 in states including Florida and Arizona, and narrowed the gap in North Carolina. In Iowa, Republicans prevented Democrats from surpassing them, aided by
  
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• Helpers or law breakers? Oregon standoff trial begins

  14-09-2016 12:11
  
  PORTLAND - The leaders of an armed standoff at a rural wildlife refuge say they came to Oregon's high desert country to help locals deal with an overreaching federal government that has abused people's land rights for decades.Occupier Ryan Bundy said as a federal trial began Tuesday that the protesters came to enforce the law, and that he wasn't anti-government. But in opening statements prosecutors said Bundy and the other protesters broke the law when they threatened and intimidated federal em
  
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• 18-wheeler submerged in water off of I-10 East near Irish Bayou

  14-09-2016 09:52
  NEW ORLEANS – Authorities are on the scene of a submerged 18-wheeler off of I-10 East at Irish Bayou.According to WWL, witnesses saw the 18-wheeler swerve off the road, drive across the median and crash into the canal before seeing it go into the water. Drivers pulled over and jumped into the water to try to rescue the driver but were unable to get into the cab of the truck.One witness said they, and others who dove into the water to help, tried to break the glass of the truck but were
  
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• Governor Edwards establishes flood recovery task force

  14-09-2016 08:52
  
  BATON ROUGE – Governor John Bel Edwards has announced the establishment of a task force for flood recovery in the state.The task force, Restore Louisiana Task Force, is charged with overseeing the state's recovery efforts from the recent historic flooding."The Restore Louisiana Task Force will help ensure that we are taking every necessary step as a state government to provide those critical resources to everyone in need and to make sound long-term investments in the recovery of our st
  
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• All lanes now open on I-10 EB

  14-09-2016 08:32
  
  BATON ROUGE - All lanes are now open on I-10 eastbound.Wednesday morning, the right lane was blocked on I-10 eastbound at the top of the bridge due to a breakdown.The delay from this accident remains at LA 415.News 2's Ashley Fruge is monitoring the roadyways. We will have updates on WBRZ.com and Twitter.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Lawsuit: Georgia voter registration process violates the law

  14-09-2016 08:29
  
  ATLANTA - A federal lawsuit claims Georgia's voter registration process violates the Voting Rights Act and has prevented tens of thousands of people from being able to register to vote - many of them minorities.The lawsuit filed Wednesday in Gainesville says a state policy causes voter registration applications to be rejected if the submitted information doesn't exactly match that in databases maintained by the Georgia Department of Driver Services or the Social Security Administration.The lawsu
  
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• Former mail carrier pleads to stealing mail

  14-09-2016 08:26
  
  LAKE CHARLES - A Lafayette woman has pleaded guilty to stealing mail while she worked as a contract postal carrier.U.S. Attorney Stephanie A. Finley says 72-year-old Helen J. Nelson pleaded guilty Thursday before U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi to one count of theft of mail matter by a postal service employee.Nelson faces five years in prison, three years supervised release, a $250,000 fine and restitution when sentenced Dec. 15.The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General hotline re
  
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• Consultant to oversee Ascension Parish school rebuilding

  14-09-2016 08:21
  
  GONZALES - The Ascension Parish School Board has picked CSRS, a Baton Rouge firm, to oversee rebuilding flood-damaged school buildings and seeking FEMA reimbursement dollars.Chad Lynch, director of planning and construction for Ascension Parish schools, told board members at a special meeting Tuesday, CSRS was recommended by a selection panel of school district administrators.A contract with CSRS will be negotiated in the coming weeks.About $6 million of flood-remediation work by three national
  
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• Twitter to launch app on Apple TV, others to stream NFL

  14-09-2016 08:06
  
  SAN FRANCISCO - A new Twitter app is coming to Xbox One, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV, where viewers will be able to watch NFL games on Thursday nights.The short-messaging service secured the rights to stream 10 Thursday night games this year as it attempts to broaden its appeal. It's hoping that live video of sports and other events will help stimulate more interest in its service.It's a crucial time for the faltering company that is trying to improve stagnating user growth, not to mention boost
  
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• Trial starts for man in George Zimmerman road-rage case

  14-09-2016 07:25
  
  SANFORD, Fla. - Opening statements are underway in the case of a Florida man accused of shooting at former neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in a road-rage case.Testimony is expected to begin Tuesday in Matthew Apperson's attempted second-degree murder trial. Authorities say he shot at Zimmerman during a traffic incident last year.Zimmerman told officers he had been driving in the Orlando suburb of Lake Mary when Apperson got behind his truck, yelled and fired a gun at his car a shor
  
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• Accident closes lane on I-10 W

  14-09-2016 07:10
  BATON ROUGE - Commuters may want to take an alternate route Wednesday morning as the left lane is blocked on I-10 West just before College Drive. An accident involving multiple vehicles caused the closure.The delay from this incident is beyond Bluebonnet Boulevard.News 2's Ashley Fruge is monitoring the roadways during Good Morning America. We will have updates on WBRZ.com and Twitter.Permalink| Comments
  
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• BRFD investigating vacant house fire on St. Katherine

  14-09-2016 05:44
  
  BATON ROUGE - Firefighters are searching for clues whether a fire was intentionally set in a vacant home on the 5600 block of St. Katherine Avenue Wednesday morning.Fire crews responded to a call shortly after 3:30 a.m. and were able to control the fire briefly afterwards. When firefighters arrived on the scene, the living area of the home was on fire. They contained the fire in the living room, but the rest of the house received heat at smoke damages.Permalink| Comments
  
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• White House: Snowden should return to US to face charges

  14-09-2016 05:12
  
  WASHINGTON - The White House says President Barack Obama continues to believe that former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden should return to the United States to face charges for leaking classified information. Snowden's supporters are pushing for Obama to pardon Snowden. A new movie about the case, directed by Oliver Stone, is coming out Friday.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Tropical Storm Julia bringing heavy rain to Florida, Georgia

  14-09-2016 04:50
  
  MIAMI - Tropical Storm Julia is bringing heavy rain to the northeast coast of Florida and southeast Georgia.The National Hurricane Center in Miami some areas could get up to 6 inches of rain through Friday.And forecasters say an isolated tornado is possible today across coastal Georgia and southern South Carolina.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Poll: Americans favor slightly higher bills to fight warming

  14-09-2016 02:58
  
  WASHINGTON - A new poll finds that most Americans are willing to pay a little more each month to fight global warming - but only a tiny bit. Still, environmental policy experts hail that as a hopeful sign.A poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago says 71 percent of those surveyed want the federal government to do something about global warming.If the cost of fighting climate change is only an addi
  
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• John Bel Edwards will meet with Barack Obama Friday

  14-09-2016 00:40
  
  The governor is also meeting with several members of Congress while in Washington D.C.
  
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