Baton Rouge news

• Disaster Loan Outreach Center established in Pointe Coupee Parish

  19-09-2016 21:49
  
  NEW ROADS - The FEMA disaster recovery center that was closed Friday in New Roads will now serve as a disaster loan outreach center for flood victims. The U.S. Small Business Administration reopened the center Monday for disaster loan outreach for businesses of all sizes. The center will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. until future notice. Representatives from the SBA will be available at the center to answer questions from business owners and residents.Those wishing to apply may visit the center
  
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• Caddo Parish school bus driver dies after hit crossing road

  19-09-2016 21:10
  
  KEITHVILLE - A Caddo Parish school bus driver has died after she was hit while walking across a busy highway.Shreveport's The Times reports that Joe Gomez Jr. of Logansport told deputies he didn't see Karen Scroggins as she was crossing Mansfield Road before sunrise Monday. Gomez hit her as she crossed the road from her mobile home park to her parked school bus.No charges have been filed. Caddo Parish sheriff's deputies are investigating.Gomez says he saw the 58-year-old Scroggins most mornings.
  
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• Audit: Agencies not complying with tax break reporting law

  19-09-2016 21:05
  
  BATON ROUGE - A new audit says four state agencies didn't comply with a 2013 state law aimed at better tracking of Louisiana's tax break programs.In a report released Monday, Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera's office says 46 of 79 tax incentive reports that agencies are supposed to submit under the law either didn't contain all the requirements - or weren't submitted at all.Purpera's office says that means that state lawmakers don't have the information to decide if the tax break programs are p
  
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• Stalemate emerges between state, north La. hospital operator

  19-09-2016 16:05
  
  BATON ROUGE - Gov. John Bel Edwards' administration appears to be in a stalemate with the manager of the state-owned charity hospitals in Monroe and Shreveport.The Biomedical Research Foundation of Northwest Louisiana has refused to sign off on renegotiated terms of its deal with the state, financing and other changes sought by the Edwards administration.A Friday deadline passed without the foundation, known as BRF, agreeing to the terms. The foundation's leadership hasn't responded to Associate
  
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• CATS to consider putting the brakes on riderless Garden District route

  19-09-2016 15:46
  
  BATON ROUGE - Tuesday, the board overseeing the public bus company will discuss the possibility of shuttering its Garden District trolley service.CATS created the route through the historic neighborhood about 18 months ago. Combustion engine buses built to look like trolleys run the route that drives through Downtown Baton Rouge, Mid City, Garden District and the Perkins Road Overpass area.Earlier this summer, The Advocate reported the route averages three riders per day.The CATS board will vote
  
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• Owners of mobile homes can qualify for state's Shelter at Home program

  19-09-2016 15:16
  
  BATON ROUGE - Some mobile homes, commonly referred to as "trailers," could qualify for the state's $15,000 flood damage renovation grant.The grant, known as the Shelter at Home program in Louisiana, will pay for basic repairs to a home so owners can return to safe living conditions following the flood. The state pays contractors to make homes safe and livable and it is up to the homeowner to continue additional repairs. According to the program website, very basic initial work will removing floo
  
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• Boil water advisory issued for Robins Road in East Feliciana Parish

  19-09-2016 15:03
  
  EAST FELICIANA – A boil water advisory has been issued for residents on Robins Road in East Feliciana.The advisory is effective immediately and has been issued because the water produced by Water District #7 is of questionable microbiological quality. The advisory is to remain into effect until rescinded by the water district.The advisory will be rescinded upon notification from the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals that additional water samples collected from the water supp
  
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• Chief: Man who stopped Minnesota mall stabbings 'right person'

  19-09-2016 14:58
  
  ST. CLOUD, Minn. - A Minnesota police chief says the part-time officer who fatally shot a man stabbing people at a St. Cloud mall was "the right person, at the right place, at the right time" to prevent the attack from getting worse.Avon Police Chief Corey Nellis said at a news conference Monday that Jason Falconer "was the person who needed to be there." Falconer was shopping at Crossroads Center on Saturday night when he shot a man who stabbed nine people and then lunged at Falconer with a kni
  
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• FAQs about the National Flood Insurance Program

  19-09-2016 14:54
  
  Q: I have a homeowner's insurance policy. Why would I buy flood insurance?A: Flood damage is not typically covered by a homeowner's insurance policy.Q: If my home is flooded, won't federal disaster assistance pay for my damages?A: Not necessarily. Most forms of federal disaster assistance require a presidential declaration. Plus, federal disaster assistance typically comes in the form of a low-interest loan to help cover flood damage, not compensation for your losses. Those loans must be repaid.
  
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• United Blood Services offers donors chance to win LSU v Missouri tickets

  19-09-2016 14:29
  
  BATON ROUGE – United Blood Services is offering blood donors a chance to win a pair of tickets to the LSU v University of Missouri football game on Oct. 1.Those who donate with United Blood Services on Sept. 18-24 will receive a t-shirt and one entry to win a pair of tickets to the game. One winner will be chosen from donors who donate at the United Blood Services donor center in Baton Rouge. The game is Saturday, Oct. 1 at 6:30 p.m. in Tiger Stadium. United Blood Services los
  
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• Walker hires attorneys in planned lawsuit over flooding

  19-09-2016 14:23
  
  WALKER - The city announced Monday, it hired attorneys for a planned lawsuit over the August flood.The city said Michael C. Palmintier, APLC and John Neale deGravelles, LLC of Baton Rouge will handle a possible lawsuit against state and federal government agencies related to the flood. Days after the deluge, Walker Mayor Rick Ramsey announced a planned lawsuit in a live TV interview with WBRZ.Monday, more than a month since the flood, the city said hiring the attorneys was "the first step for th
  
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• Man arrested after leading deputies on chase in Livingston Parish, swims in Amite River

  19-09-2016 13:44
  
  LIVINGSTON – Police arrested a man after he led them on a chase throughout Livingston Parish last week.
  According to the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office, 36-year-old Brandon Hoover was wanted for possession of stolen property and was seen by deputies in the southern part of the parish on Sept. 14. When deputies attempted to stop him, Hoover failed to do so and the chase ensued.Hoover went northbound on Highway 16 and pulled off on River Bend Road at the foot of the Amite River. He t
  
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• Saints' P.J. Williams recovering from concussion; to return to N.O.

  19-09-2016 13:35
  
  NEW ORLEANS – New Orleans Saints cornerback P.J. Williams will be returning to New Orleans Monday afternoon after suffering a concussion during Sunday's game against the New York Giants.
  Williams was taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation and was diagnosed with a concussion. Head coach Sean Payton said that Willaims stayed at the hospital overnight and will return home."All the news is positive, which is real encouraging," Payton said.
  Williams will have to go through the NFL's conc
  
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• EBR begins residential property debris removal Monday

  19-09-2016 13:11
  
  BATON ROUGE – Mayor-President Kip Holden and the City-Parish will begin its expanded curbside debris removal program on Monday.The program, the Private Property Debris Removal program developed with FEMA approval, authorizes the City-Parish to collect disaster-related debris from residential properties impacted by the recent flood.Through the program, City-Parish debris removal teams will now be able to enter residential property for flood-related debris purposes, provided that the deb
  
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• Louisiana farmers and ranchers have options for flood recovery assistance

  19-09-2016 09:57
  
  BATON ROUGE – Farmers and ranchers affected by last month's flooding could be eligible for assistance from several agencies.The U.S. Small Business Administration offers low-interest loans to farmers and ranchers for rebuilding or repairing their primary homes and replacing lost or damaged personal property. Victims can call the SBA at 916-764-9918.Victims can also begin the application process by calling FEMA at 800-621-3362 or online at at www.DisasterAssistance.gov.The U.S.
  
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• Medicaid expansion enrollment in Louisiana tops 300,000

  19-09-2016 09:31
  
  BATON ROUGE - The number of people who have signed up for Louisiana's Medicaid expansion program continues to grow, surpassing 300,000.The Louisiana Department of Health released the latest figures Monday, saying more than 304,000 people are enrolled for the coverage that began July 1.The department says nearly 12,000 Medicaid expansion enrollees have received preventive services through the government-finance insurance program so far, like cancer screenings, colonoscopies and mammograms.Adults
  
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• Police say bombings in NYC, New Jersey connected; man wanted

  19-09-2016 08:55
  
  NEW YORK - Police have connected the New York City and New Jersey shore town bombings and say the same man is being sought for questioning in both.New Jersey State Police say that information comes from the FBI.Authorities are seeking 28-year-old Ahmad Khan Rahami, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Afghanistan. His last known address was in Elizabeth, New Jersey, where the FBI executed a search warrant on Monday morning.An explosion in Manhattan on Saturday injured 29 people. A pipe bomb also expl
  
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• NY, NJ bombing suspect in custody after shootout with police

  19-09-2016 08:55
  
  NEW YORK - Ahmad Khan Rahami, the man suspected in bombings in New York and New Jersey, is now in custody after a shootout with police, sources said.The shootout happened Monday in Linden, New Jersey, a local and federal law enforcement official said.Police have connected the New York City and New Jersey shore town bombings and said that was sought for questioning in both.New Jersey State Police say that information comes from the FBI.28-year-old Rahami is a naturalized U.S. citizen fro
  
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• Body of janitorial worker found in closet at ExxonMobil refinery

  19-09-2016 08:36
  
  BATON ROUGE – The body of a janitorial worker was found in a supply closet of a building on the ExxonMobil refinery property Monday. According to EMS, the body was found in a building in the 4000 block of Scenic Highway around 8 a.m. An Exxon employee told WBRZ News 2 that the body was that of a female janitorial worker and had been in a supply closet since Friday.  The East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner's Office confirmed all but the time of death pending a fur
  
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• Livingston school attendance at 94.5 percent after flood

  19-09-2016 08:01
  
  LIVINGSTON - Livingston Parish officials say less than 6 percent of students missed their first day back in the classrooms last week as classes resumed following widespread flooding in August.Superintendent Rick Wentzel tells The Advocate more than 24,500 students, or roughly 94.5 percent of last year's Oct. 1 enrollment count, returned to classes.The Oct. 1 enrollment count helps determine how much state funding each school district receives.Wentzel said there has been some discussion about Liv
  
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• Red flag warning in SCal

  19-09-2016 07:04
  LOS ANGELES - A red flag warning of extreme fire danger is in effect until noon Monday in Southern California.On Sunday, downtown San Francisco hit 86 degrees - the second warmest day so far this year.And in Los Angeles, nearly 160 were treated for heat-related illnesses during the Los Angeles Rams' first regular-season home game.Fourteen of them were taken to the hospital after baking in 90-degree weather.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Colonial announces construction of temporary pipeline

  19-09-2016 07:00
  
  ATLANTA - Colonial Pipeline says it is beginning construction of a temporary pipeline that will bypass a leaking section of its main gasoline pipeline in Shelby County, Alabama.According to AL.com, Colonial gave no timetable Saturday as to when that bypass line would be completed or what path it would take, according toFuel supplies in at least five states - Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas - were threatened by the spill, and the U.S. Department of Transportation ordered the company
  
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• Police question several in NYC bombing

  19-09-2016 06:59
  
  NEW YORK -New York police are looking for a 28-year-old man for questioning in the New York City bombing.The NYPD identifies the man as Ahmad Khan Rahami. He's a naturalized citizen from Afghanistan. Mayor Bill de Blasio describes Rahami as possibly "armed and dangerous."An explosion in Manhattan on Saturday injured 29 people. Gov. Andrew Cuomo had said earlier that it didn't appear to be linked to international terrorism. A pressure cooker device was also found blocks away, but it didn't explod
  
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• France remembers victims of terror attacks in Paris ceremony

  19-09-2016 06:48
  PARIS - Hundreds of families and those left injured have gathered Monday in Paris to remember those killed in terror attacks.The names of those killed last year in Paris and in Nice in July were read, but the ceremony also remembered those killed by Islamic extremists in Brussels and in three countries in western Africa.French President Francois Hollande (frahn-SWAH' oh-LAWND') said "Our country had never been attacked to this extent, with such destructive rage, with such barbarian cruelty."Perm
  
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• Atlanta to consider allowing Uber, other services at airport

  19-09-2016 06:45
  
  ATLANTA  - The Atlanta City Council is set to consider a plan to regulate Uber and other ride-booking services at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which would legalize the services to operate at the world's busiest airport.After months of negotiations to craft the rules, the city council will take up the plan at its meeting on Monday.As in several other U.S. cities, the issue of criminal background checks for drivers was among the most contentious as Atlanta's plan was
  
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• 2 dead, 7 hurt in shooting at community event

  19-09-2016 06:41
  WASHINGTON - Police say two people have been killed and seven injured after a shooting at a community event in the nation's capital.The shootings occurred Saturday a little after 8 p.m. during a community concert in the Anacostia/Barry Farm area of Southeast Washington.Metropolitan Police on Sunday identified the two men killed as 31-year-old Scorpio-Rodney Alonzo Phillips and 18-year-old Zoruan Otto Harris, both of Southeast Washington. Both were declared dead at the scene.The injured include a
  
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• Clinton acknowledges more work needed to woo young voters

  19-09-2016 04:03
  
  WASHINGTON - Hillary Clinton is wooing younger voters in Philadelphia as her campaign acknowledges they need to do more to get millennials on board.Campaign communications director Jennifer Palmieri says Clinton will use the Monday morning event at Temple University to "speak directly to millennial voters about how they have the most at stake in this election." She added that the campaign recognizes younger voters are a key demographic and "it's clear that the campaign must do more to earn their
  
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• 5 devices found in backpack in NJ

  19-09-2016 04:01
  
  ELIZABETH, N.J. - The mayor of Elizabeth, New Jersey says authorities have found five devices in a bag that was discovered Sunday night in a trash can.One of the devices exploded as a bomb squad was trying to disarm it with a robot.The bag was found near a New Jersey train station, prompting officials to suspend some transit service.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Deputies in Florida search for owner of 600-pound hog

  19-09-2016 03:37
  
  GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Deputies in Florida are searching for the owner of a 600-pound hog that was found roaming around.Local news organizations report that Alachua County deputies found the domestic hog Sunday after getting reports of the animal running at large.Deputies caught the hog using a rope and took it to the Alachua County Sheriff's Office Livestock Impound.The sheriff's office said in a news release that the 600-pound Hampshire hog appeared to be in good health.The animal will be put up
  
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• Lawyer: Robert Durst assigned to medical prison in Indiana

  19-09-2016 03:26
  
  NEW ORLEANS - A defense attorney says real estate heir Robert Durst has been assigned to an Indiana prison's medical unit, rather than the California prison requested because he faces a murder trial in Los Angeles.Dick DeGuerin says the Bureau of Prisons assigned the 72-year-old to the prison in Terre Haute.He said in an email Sunday that Durst's legal team doesn't know when he'll be moved, but expects to learn more Monday.Durst is serving seven years after pleading guilty in New Orleans to a fe
  
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• Damage to Great Barrier Reef costs ship owner $30 million

  19-09-2016 03:04
  
  CANBERRA, Australia - The Australian government says it has reached a 39.3 million Australian dollar ($29.6 million) settlement with the owners of a Chinese coal carrier to pay for environmental damage caused when the ship ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef six year ago.The government had sued Shenzhen Energy Transport for at least AU$120 million in the Australian Federal Court after the fully laden ship Shen Neng 1 went off course and grounded on Douglas Shoal, 60 miles east of the town of R
  
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• MDs strengthen advice against codeine for kids' coughs, pain

  19-09-2016 03:01
  
  CHICAGO - A drug once commonly used in over-the-counter cough syrups is a subject of growing concern.The American Academy of Pediatrics has strengthened its warnings about prescribing codeine for children because of reports of deaths and risks for dangerous side effects.The academy's advice is contained in today's edition of the medical journal, Pediatrics. It mirrors warnings from the Food and Drug Administration about using codeine for kids' coughs or pain.Studies suggest codeine is still comm
  
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