Baton Rouge news

• John Bel Edwards: Climate change may not be man-made

  21-09-2016 23:15
  
  The governor's doubt about whether humans cause climate change puts him at odds with President Barack Obama and national Democrats.
  
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• 1 shot, critically injured in Charlotte protest

  21-09-2016 20:40
  
  Charlotte, NC – A protest in Charlotte turned violent after someone started shooting outside the city’s Omni Hotel. At least one of the bullets struck a protester in the head. The city orginally reported the injured protester died, but in a later update, said the man had been placed on life-support. A state of emergency was declared in the city Wednesday night.Charlotte Police turned to tear gas and riot gear Wednesday, trying to break up a protest that escalated in
  
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• State officials begin process of returning disturbed graves

  21-09-2016 18:58
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS – At Plainview Cemetery near Denham Springs, more than half of the graves here have been disturbed.Dozens of caskets have been unearthed. Concrete vaults that weigh thousands of pounds have been forced out of the ground.“This is by far the biggest disturbance we’ve seen,” Cemetery contractor Arbie Goings said. “We have reports of over 50 cemeteries in eight parishes, but this one is probably the worst.”Goings has been hir
  
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• Residents desperately try to fight the bite against mosquitoes

  21-09-2016 18:08
  
  BATON ROUGE- Aerial mosquito spraying will begin tonight at 7:30pm from Siegen Lane to Phillips Road in East Baton Rouge Parish as Mosquito Control workers try to fight the bite.Since the record flooding in August, there has been standing water that has not moved in the Spanish Lake Basin.  Along Ridge Road, people like Annie Jung are keeping her kids inside to prevent them from getting bitten."Even if we spray the kids down, they still get bit," Jung said. "So we just have to keep them
  
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• Report questions Louisiana fish safety testing

  21-09-2016 18:00
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana auditors say Gulf oil spill recovery money intended for testing to ensure Louisiana fish were safe for consumers instead paid for unnecessary iPads, cameras, boats and now-missing fishing equipment.The Louisiana Legislative Auditor's Office describes the safety program as so mismanaged by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries that it couldn't even declare if the catch was fit to eat.Energy giant BP gave Louisiana millions of dollars for the program aimed at restoring c
  
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• Blue Bell voluntarily recalls two flavors due to Listeria concerns

  21-09-2016 16:53
  
  ALABAMA – Blue Bell Ice Cream is voluntarily recalling two flavors of its ice cream produced in its Sylacauga, Alabama, plant due to Listeria concerns.The two flavors are chocolate chip cookie dough and cookie two step.
  Blue Bell Ice Cream Half Gallons:Blue Bell Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
  Code Dates: 082618226Blue Bell Cookie Two Step
  Code Dates: 080418222, 081818224
   
  Blue Bell Ice Cream Pints:Blue Bell Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
  Code Dates: 081518242, 082
  
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• Five wanted for skipping court date in Ascension Parish

  21-09-2016 16:39
  
  GONZALES – Deputies in Ascension Parish say they are looking for five individuals who failed to appear in court after being arrested on criminal charges.Major Kevin Hanna said the efforts are part of the ongoing initiative “Operation No Show” that targets individuals that bonded out of jail but do not show up for their court date. After an individual fails to appear, a bench warrant is issued for their arrest.Matthew Collins, 37, of 2321 Ellis Merchant Road, Moss Po
  
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• Current Baker ordinance would not allow FEMA units on property

  21-09-2016 16:29
  
  BAKER – Currently, it is not legal for Baker residents to have mobile housing units on their property, but the mayor is trying to get residents displaced by last month's flood temporary housing.According to Mayor of Baker Darnell Waites, getting residents back in their homes has been tricky since FEMA mobile homes have not arrived and even if they did, setting them up would be against the law.“To make sure to clarify, what we're doing we have to modify the ordinance,&rdqu
  
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• AG says Baker police chief salary difference does not violate consitution

  21-09-2016 16:16
  
  BAKER –The difference in pay between the current and previous Baker police chiefs does not violate the state constitution, according to an attorney general's opinion.Harold Rideau, who was mayor at the time of the election, requested the opinion after complaints that the new chief was being treated unfairly. Police Chief Carl Dunn has said the plan that has led to his being paid less than prior chief Mike Knaps is unfair. The council voted to give hi
  
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• Officials to give away mosquito traps to flood victims

  21-09-2016 16:01
  
  BATON ROUGE – State Senator Regina Barrow is partnering with Councilwoman Tara Wicker to give away equipment to flood victims in assisting them with climbing mosquito outbreaks.Senator Barrow and Council member Wicker have also teamed up with local ministry groups and Dr. Gadget, who has appeared on The View, HGTV and other shows to promote the DynaTrap insect trap.The trap assists in dealing with mosquitoes and will be available to eligible flood victims. Recipients must pre-register
  
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• One Cottages apartment shooter indicted on assault charge

  21-09-2016 15:22
  
  BATON ROUGE – A grand jury chose to take no action against the man accused of killing two Southern University Students caught in the crossfire of a shootout at the Cottages Apartment in April.According to District Attorney Hillar Moore, the jury considered second-degree murder, illegal use of a weapon, attempted second-degree murder and obstruction of justice charges against 23-year-old Ernest Felton.The jury pretermitted, or took no action, on those charges. That move means prosecutor
  
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• EBR to conduct aerial mosquito spraying Wednesday night

  21-09-2016 15:19
  
  BATON ROUGE – The East Baton Rouge Parish Mosquito Abatement and Rodent Control will be conducting aerial spraying in the southeast portion of the parish on Wednesday night.The spray time with be at 7:40 p.m., weather permitting, according to officials. The area sprayed with include Siegen Lane to Phillips Road.Officials say the spraying is in response to mosquitoes continuing to emerge in standing water in the area and adjacent to Ascension Parish.The map below shows the area where th
  
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• Allegiant to add flight between Cleveland and New Orleans

  21-09-2016 14:34
  
  NEW ORLEANS - Allegiant Air will add a new year-round nonstop service from Cleveland to New Orleans early next year.The airline said in a news release Wednesday the flight is the fifth new route Allegiant has announced at Louis Armstrong International Airport this year.The Las Vegas-based airline will start twice weekly flights from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport to New Orleans starting in February 2017. Flights between the two cities will run on Mondays and Fridays.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Governor Edwards announces ER in north BR, Council member slams plans

  21-09-2016 14:23
  
  BATON ROUGE – Governor John Bel Edwards detailed Wednesday on Our Lady of the Lake’s plans to bring a new emergency room to north Baton Rouge.The new emergency room is set to be built at the LSU Health Baton Rouge North Clinic on Airline Highway. OLOL plans to staff the facility with emergency physicians 24 hours a day with a full service lab.Edwards said returning emergency room services to north Baton Rouge has been a priority since he was elected as governor.“As
  
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• Abrupt resignations at scandal-plagued, state-run veterans home

  21-09-2016 14:13
  
  JACKSON, La. - Two top administrators of the veterans assisted living center in East Feliciana Parish abruptly resigned this week.Jon Salter, the long-term care hospital administrator, and Melissa Stewart, the director of nursing, both resigned Monday. In a letter announcing his resignation, Salter said his last day October 3. Stewart's hand-written note said she was leaving the facility effective the day she wrote it – September 19th. Specifics surrounding the resignations have not be
  
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• 8 Louisiana airports getting nearly $39.5M in federal grants

  21-09-2016 14:03
  
  NEW IBERIA - The U.S. Department of Transportation says eight Louisiana airports are getting grants totaling nearly $39.5 million.The largest announced this month is $19 million to build an apron at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in Kenner. Lafayette Regional Airport is getting $13 million to improve the runway safety area and $2.2 million for noise mitigation.Four runway rehabilitation grants were announced this month: $3.8 million for Hammond Northshore Regional, $430,700 fo
  
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• Lawsuit: Transgender inmate raped at New Orleans' new jail

  21-09-2016 14:01
  
  NEW ORLEANS - A federal lawsuit says a transgender inmate was raped after being locked up with a male prisoner last year in the newly opened New Orleans jail.The lawsuit says the victim is a transgender woman arrested last September for failing to appear in court on a disturbing the peace charge. The suit names Sheriff Marlin Gusman, a jail warden and a deputy as defendants.The lawsuit claims she was put into a cell with a violent inmate who raped her. It also claims a guard didn't respond to sc
  
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• State treasurer's lead disappears in Louisiana Senate race

  21-09-2016 13:59
  
  BATON ROUGE - A new poll in Louisiana's U.S. Senate race shows Republican Treasurer John Kennedy's lead slipping after months as the front-runner in the competition.Republican U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany has closed the gap in the latest survey released Wednesday by Southern Media and Opinion Research.Kennedy leads the pack of contenders with 17 percent, and Boustany is close behind at 15 percent, within the poll's margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.Among the top-polling Democr
  
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• Edwards defends legal contract with top fundraiser

  21-09-2016 13:59
  
  BATON ROUGE - Gov. John Bel Edwards says there is nothing "untoward" or "improper" about his administration's legal contract with one of his political supporters to represent the state of Louisiana in litigation against oil and gas companies over coastal wetland loss.During a media briefing in his Capitol office Wednesday, Edwards accused Attorney General Jeff Landry of fabricating politically motivated reasons to reject the contact that his administration signed with Natchitoches attorney Taylo
  
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• Residents can file for temporary housing aid extension

  21-09-2016 13:48
  
  BATON ROUGE – Residents who need extended temporary housing assistance from FEMA must provide proper documents to make the request.According to FEMA, residents that are eligible for the extension can use the temporary housing assistance to pay for a place to live. To receive the extension, residents must demonstrate that they have a disaster related financial need, and complete the following paperwork:       &n
  
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• 19th JDC and BR City Court to hold Traffic Ticket Day

  21-09-2016 13:03
  
  BATON ROUGE – The 19th Judicial District Court and the Baton Rouge City Court announced that it will be holding a day where drivers can take care of their traffic tickets.The "Traffic Ticket Day" will be held on Saturday, Oct. 8 from 8 a.m. to noon.Drivers can:- Pay their traffic tickets. (Drivers can pay in full or in part)
  - Reset a court date (even if the court date has passed)
  - Have a case heard and adjudicated, by City Court only, by pleading not guilty.- Get assistance with a tr
  
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• Tesla updates software to improve radar

  21-09-2016 12:45
  
  DETROIT - Tesla Motors customers will get enhanced radar and other features in an over-the-air software update that starts Wednesday night.The update makes the Model S sedan and Model X SUV rely more reliant on radar than cameras when driving in Tesla's semi-autonomous Autopilot mode. Teslas made after October 2014 have radar.Tesla CEO Elon Musk says the change should help avoid crashes like the one that killed a Tesla driver in Florida in May. That driver - who was using Autopilot - crashed int
  
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• Democrats use IRS hearing to attack Trump

  21-09-2016 12:43
  
  WASHINGTON - Democrats are using a House Judiciary Committee hearing on whether to impeach the IRS chief to attack Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.With IRS commissioner John Koskinen at the witness table, New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler asked if people under an IRS audit can release their tax returns. Koskinen said they can.Trump has declined to release his tax returns, citing an audit.Nadler asked if it's proper to use money from a charitable foundation for a portrait of themselves
  
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• LSU reaches record enrollment for African American and Hispanic students

  21-09-2016 12:39
  
  BATON ROUGE – LSU's enrollment this fall has reached a new record in university history for the amount of African American and Hispanic students.According to university officials, there are 3,741 African American students enrolled, surpassing last year's record of 3,703. There are currently 1,820 Hispanic students enrolled, surpassing last year's record at 1,767."We are proud to welcome one of our most diverse student bodies ever to LSU," F. King Alexander, LSU president, said. "And we
  
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• Edwards, Landry to meet over latest budget disagreement

  21-09-2016 12:36
  
  BATON ROUGE - Gov. John Bel Edwards will sit down with Attorney General Jeff Landry next week to try to hash out their latest budget dispute.Representatives of the Democratic governor and Republican attorney general say a Sept. 30 meeting has been scheduled to discuss Landry budget requests that were stalled by the Edwards administration.The attorney general sought to boost spending in his budget on Medicaid fraud investigations and to take money from the health department to defend Louisiana ab
  
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• Both lanes blocked on I-10 west on Atchafalaya Basin Bridge

  21-09-2016 12:32
  
  RAMAH – All lanes are blocked on I-10 West on the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge due to an accident Wednesday morning.According to traffic officials, the accident happened near mile marker 123 just before 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. Traffic is passing through the right shoulder. Congestion from the incident has reached four miles.Stay tuned to WBRZ Traffic online and on Facebook and Twitter for updates as more information becomes available.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Ryan backs Louisiana flood aid in stopgap spending bill

  21-09-2016 12:16
  
  WASHINGTON - House Speaker Paul Ryan says he supports an immediate infusion of flood aid to Louisiana as part of a temporary government-wide spending bill that's atop the congressional agenda before lawmakers leave Washington for the fall campaign.The bill also provides more than $1 billion in long-delayed funding to battle the Zika virus. Ryan predicted that negotiations on the measure will be wrapped up this week.President Barack Obama has heeded calls by Louisiana's governor and congressional
  
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• La. Tech reaches record enrollment for fall 2016 classes

  21-09-2016 12:13
  
  RUSTON, La. - More students have enrolled at Louisiana Tech University this fall than at any time in its history.The university said in a news release Wednesday it had achieved a nearly 55 percent growth in first-time freshmen since fall of 2012.Louisiana Tech has enrolled 12,694 students for the fall quarter - a 2.3 percent increase over last year and eclipsing the previous record enrollment of 12,414 students set last fall.Along with the record number of students attending Louisiana Tech, the
  
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• Atlanta rapper Shawty Lo killed in fiery car crash

  21-09-2016 09:59
  
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• Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi rejects city's 2024 Olympic bid

  21-09-2016 09:52
  
  ROME - Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi has rejected the city's bid for the 2024 Olympics, effectively dooming the capital's candidacy.After campaigning for office on a "No" vote, Raggi made it official on Wednesday.Raggi said it would be "irresponsible" to pursue the bid any further, saying "in light of the data we have, these Olympics are not sustainable. They will bring only debt."Permalink| Comments
  
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• The Pledge of Allegiance: Chamberlin Elementary School

  21-09-2016 09:47
  
  BATON ROUGE- Today's Pledge of Allegiance comes from the Kindergarten class at Chamberlin 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
  
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• Lawyer: Bombing suspect needs access to attorney

  21-09-2016 09:40
  
  NEW YORK - A federal defender is complaining that bombing suspect Ahmad Khan Rahami has not had access to a lawyer since he was arrested in New Jersey on Monday.David E. Patton said in a letter to a federal judge Tuesday night that Rahami has been held and questioned by federal law enforcement agents since his arrest.Federal terrorism charges were filed against Rahami on Tuesday night.Authorities say Rahami planted bombs in New York City and New Jersey over the weekend.Rahami was wounded in a sh
  
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• Man wanted for breaking into N. Merchant Court business

  21-09-2016 09:16
  
  BATON ROUGE – East Baton Rouge Sheriff's detectives are looking for a man suspected of breaking into a business on North Merchant Court and stealing several items.According to EBRSO, detectives responded to an unauthorized entry at the Innovative Systems & Services, Inc. building located in the 6900 block of North Merchant Court. Detectives learned that the suspect drove his truck into the driveway and pried open the gate to the business. The suspect then entered the busin
  
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• Chipotle makes new push to convince people its food is safe

  21-09-2016 08:32
  
  NEW YORK - Chipotle is making another push to convince people that its food won't make them sick, with plans to run more newspaper and digital ads outlining the safety steps it has taken since last year's E. coli outbreak.The ads that begin Wednesday will be an open letter from co-CEO Steve Ells, who also recorded a video that will be promoted online. The move underscores the Denver-based burrito company's struggle to rebound from the series of food scares and extinguish people's worries.Mark Cr
  
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• Community and technical colleges see record breaking numbers

  21-09-2016 08:28
  
  BATON ROUGE - More students than ever are either graduating from Louisiana's community and technical colleges or transferring from the two-year programs to traditional universities.The Louisiana Community and Technical College System released data Tuesday that says 28,853 students graduated from one of its programs in the 2015-2016 school year. That's up 26 percent over last year, and 46 percent more than graduates from 2014.However, LCTCS's definition of a graduate includes any student who got
  
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• Federal judge sentences man in embezzlement case

  21-09-2016 08:22
  
  BATON ROUGE - A federal prosecutor says a former executive of a shuttered Gonzales-based chain of Popeyes chicken restaurants will spend nearly four years in prison for embezzling funds from the business.U.S. Attorney Walt Green said in a news release Tuesday Judge John deGravelles ordered 46-year-old William Ros to pay $966,000 in restitution and forfeit the same amount in illegal proceeds.Green says Ros bought a pricey race car and renovating his Florida home with money.Ros pleaded guilty in F
  
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• 4 siblings killed, mother injured at Michigan home

  21-09-2016 08:13
  
  DEARBORN HEIGHTS, Mich. - Police in suburban Detroit say they've taken one person into custody after finding four siblings dead and their mother critically injured in an attack in their home.Police in Dearborn Heights say the family was found early today, and that the killings appear to have stemmed from "a domestic violence-type situation."The siblings were ages 19, 17, 6 and 4.Permalink| Comments
  
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• 19 dead in floods, landslides on Indonesia's Java island

  21-09-2016 08:12
  
  JAKARTA, Indonesia - Torrential rains on the Indonesian island of Java are triggering floods and landslides that have killed at least 19 villagers.A spokesman for the National Disaster Management Mitigation Agency says several people are still missing in West Java.Rains frequently caused landslides and widespread flooding across much of Indonesia.Permalink| Comments
  
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• 21 US states sue to block expansion of overtime pay law

  21-09-2016 07:19
  
  LAS VEGAS - A coalition of 21 states is suing the U.S. Department of Labor over a new rule that would make more higher-earning workers eligible for overtime pay.Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt filed the lawsuit in Texas on Tuesday, urging the court to block implementation before the regulation takes effect on Dec. 1.The measure would shrink the so-called "white collar exemption" and more than double the salary threshold under which employers must pay overtime to their workers.Laxalt said the
  
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• Judge: Parish council can have lawyers apart from DA

  21-09-2016 07:18
  
  COVINGTON, La. - A state judge has ruled that the St. Tammany Parish Council can continue to have its own staff attorneys, rejecting a challenge by the local district attorney.District Attorney Warren Montgomery, who took office last year, had argued that it was his right and responsibility to provide legal representation to parish government. He had said that the parish's decade-long practice of operating a legal department separate from the District Attorney's Office violated the parish charte
  
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• All lanes now open on the Sunshine Bridge

  21-09-2016 06:00
  
  SORRENTO - All lanes are now open on the Sunshine Bridge.Wednesday morning, all lanes of the Sunshine Bridge were closed westbound due to an accident with injury.There are several miles on delay on LA 44 southbound and LA 70 westbound. Commuters may take the Veterans Memorial Bridge in Gramercy as an alternate route.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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• Mylan CEO set to defend EpiPen prices amid public outcry

  21-09-2016 04:51
  
  WASHINGTON - The head of pharmaceutical company Mylan is defending the cost for life-saving EpiPens, signaling the company has no plans to lower prices despite a public outcry and questions from skeptical lawmakers.In prepared testimony for Congress, CEO Heather Bresch says she believes Mylan has struck a balance between price and access to the drug. The price of EpiPens has grown to $608 for a two-pack, an increase of more than 500 percent since 2007.Bresch says the company does not want to go
  
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• Court papers: FBI looked at Rahami 2 years ago

  21-09-2016 04:49
  
  NEW YORK - Federal court papers give a chilling glimpse into what authorities say motivated the man accused of last weekend's bombings in New York and New Jersey.The documents say that two years ago, the FBI looked into Ahmad Khan Rahami but came up with nothing tying him to terrorism.Authorities say the Afghan-born U.S. citizen bought bomb ingredients on eBay and recorded a video of himself igniting a blast in a backyard.Permalink| Comments
  
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