Baton Rouge news

• District attorney in north Louisiana retires after 25 years

  03-10-2016 21:38
  
  MONROE - A district attorney in north Louisiana is retiring after 25 years in office.Jerry Jones, district attorney for the Monroe-based 4th Judicial District, told The News-Star that he is retiring effective Nov. 1 for health-related reasons.Jones was elected to his fifth, six-year term in 2014 and hasn't had an opponent since winning his first term in 1991.Steve Tew will act as interim district attorney until a successor for Jones is elected.The primary for a special election is set for March
  
  Read more

• String of armed robberies, burglaries in Tigerland area over the weekend

  03-10-2016 21:34
  
  BATON ROUGE - A string of crimes committed in the Tigerland area over the weekend have police investigating to determine if the cases are connected.The list of crimes, including two armed robberies, left one LSU student with seven stitches after being robbed at gun point. That student, Hunter D'Arensbourg, said it happened by an apartment complex on East Boyd Drive, just walking distance from the bars."I didn't know what to think. I saw the gun in front of my face," D'Arensbourg said.D'
  
  Read more

• Mayor-president candidates participate in forum

  03-10-2016 20:29
  
  BATON ROUGE - East Baton Rouge mayor-president candidates met at a mayoral candidate forum Monday evening at the Louisiana State Archives Building on Essen Lane. The forum, hosted by The Louisiana Center for Health Equality along with the League of Women Voters of Louisiana, took place from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and was attended by five members running for the office.Former Sen. Sharon Weston Broom, Rep. C. Denise Marcelle, John Delgado, Darryl Gissel, and Bodi White all participated in the forum
  
  Read more

• John Bel Edwards, Jeff Landry come to compromise on abortion lawsuits, Medicaid fraud funding

  03-10-2016 20:02
  
  The details of the agreements are still hazy though.
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• 4 new West Nile virus cases bring Mississippi total to 26

  03-10-2016 19:43
  
  JACKSON - Mississippi health officials confirm four new cases of West Nile virus, bringing the state's total to 26 cases this year.The state Department of Health said in a news release Monday that the new cases of the mosquito-borne virus are in Forrest, Hinds, Jackson and Lamar counties.Seven cases, including one death from the virus, have been reported in Hinds County. Lamar County has had three cases. Copiah, Marion and Rankin counties have had two each. Calhoun, Chickasaw, Forrest, Grenada,
  
  Read more

• Northwestern State leader recommended as UL System president

  03-10-2016 19:41
  
  BATON ROUGE - The search committee looking for a new president for the University of Louisiana System has recommended one candidate to the full board for consideration.James Henderson, president of Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, was the only person submitted by the application review committee to the full board for an interview.The UL System's Board of Supervisors will consider whether to name Henderson as the system's next president at a special Thursday meeting.A search firm wa
  
  Read more

• Edwards reaches deal with north Louisiana hospital operator

  03-10-2016 19:37
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards' chief lawyer says the state has reached a renegotiated management deal with the operator of the LSU charity hospitals in Monroe and Shreveport.The governor's executive counsel, Matthew Block, said Monday that he hopes to have a signed agreement within days with the Biomedical Research Foundation of Northwest Louisiana, known as BRF.The reworked arrangement comes less than two weeks after Edwards moved to remove BRF as the hospitals' manager because
  
  Read more

• Audit: Corrections spent $3.6M on failed tracking system

  03-10-2016 19:33
  
  BATON ROUGE - A new audit finds Louisiana's corrections department paid $3.6 million over three years for a computer system to track inmates that never functioned properly and was shut down after a month.Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera's office released the findings Monday, saying the contract began in July 2012, aimed at updating an offender management system built in the 1980s.But the audit says the new computer system was a failure. Purpera's office says it went up on June 15, 2015, and was
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Springfield HS reopens after flood

  03-10-2016 18:20
  
  SPRINGFIELD - Students returned to Springfield High School Monday for the first time since the August flood."It's not complete, like I said we got a lot of boxes laying around, we got some classrooms without doors on them some... but we're at home cause we're here," principal Spencer Harris said.Some walls are unfinished, too, but it's nothing the students and staff can't work around. The school was flooded with about 18 inches of water."Everything had to be gutted," Harris said.Donations helped
  
  Read more

• Boustany files suit over book's prostitution claims

  03-10-2016 17:39
  
  LAFAYETTE - Congressman Charles Boustany filed a lawsuit Monday against the author of a new book and the book's publishers.Boustany's attorney, Jimmy Faircloth, said a newly-published book about the murder of eight prostitutes in Jennings, Louisiana, falsely accuses Boustany of having a relationship with the women. The suit said the book is defamation.The book, Murder in the Bayou: Who Killed the Women Known as the Jeff Davis 8?, is written by Ethan Brown and was published by Simon & Schuste
  
  Read more

• Post-flood fewer new students, but Ascension still sees increase in enrollment

  03-10-2016 17:30
  
  GONZALES - Despite significant flooding and damaged campuses, fall enrollment increased in the Ascension Parish Public School System.The system said it had 128 more students at the start of the 2016-2017 school year compared to 2015. The unofficial October 1 count is 22,311 students. Though, that's down from the usual 300 to 400 new student increases seen each year for the past five years."A logical explanation for the smaller upward trend is flood-related impacts. Part of our recovery efforts w
  
  Read more

• Few options after vehicles flood in repair shops

  03-10-2016 16:50
  
  BATON ROUGE - The owner of a pickup truck is caught in the middle of a fight after her truck was flooded at a mechanic shop in August. "I feel like [the business is ] financially responsible to replace the truck," said Mandi McKay.The gold, Mazda truck flooded along with about 30 others at the Elite Car Care Center. Water reached the dashboard and the truck is totaled.McKay said she brought her son's truck to Elite Car Care Center in July after it stopped running. The mechanic was refer
  
  Read more

• Man booked into jail after restaurant tirade

  03-10-2016 15:43
  
  BATON ROUGE - A 40-year-old man was arrested after attacking a restaurant worker who accused the suspect of not paying for food.Royce Glapion was booked into jail Monday on charges of battery and theft. Glapion was arrested after an altercation at the Piccadilly on Plank Road.A restaurant worker said he confronted Glapion about eating food without paying. The victim said Glapion hit him with two chairs before leaving the cafeteria. A police officer wrote in an arrest report, Glapion was found ne
  
  Read more

• REAL ID license now available in La., after years of dispute

  03-10-2016 14:27
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana residents can now get driver's licenses and identification cards that meet the standards of the federal REAL ID security law, after years of state refusal to follow the requirements.         The Office of Motor Vehicles started issuing REAL ID-compliant licenses and ID cards Monday. The move comes after Gov. John Bel Edwards and lawmakers this year agreed to scrap a 2008 state law prohibiting them.    &nbs
  
  Read more

• I-110 closure begins lunch hour snarl

  03-10-2016 13:26
  
  BATON ROUGE - I-110 Southbound was closed following a crash just before lunch Monday.Traffic quickly started backing up toward downtown exits.  The wreck was outside the view of traffic cameras, but cameras showed a significant slowdown headed toward I-10.The closure came amid slowdowns on I-10 through the downtown area.Click HERE to monitor traffic in real-time, using the WBRZ traffic tracking technology.************Follow the publisher of this post on Twitter: @treyschmaltzPermalink|
  
  Read more

• Grass fire, wreck slow traffic Monday

  03-10-2016 13:26
  
  BATON ROUGE - A grass fire and some vehicle crashes slowed the lunchtime commute through the city Monday.First, I-110 Southbound was closed following a crash just before lunch.  Traffic quickly started backing up toward downtown exits.  The wreck was outside the view of traffic cameras, but cameras showed a significant slowdown headed toward I-10.The closure came amid slowdowns on I-10 through the downtown area.After 2 p.m., fire crews had to put out a fire on the side of the i
  
  Read more

• $146 million paid so far in ongoing flood recovery

  03-10-2016 13:09
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana has received $146 million in disaster assistance from FEMA, the federal government announced Monday.The funds are for the state to use to reimburse local entities for expenses related to response and recovery efforts as a result of August’s severe storms and floods.The $146 million covers:- Nearly $40 million for debris removal expenses in East Baton Rouge Parish.
  - More than $6 million for debris removal expenses in Livingston Parish.
  - More than $5 million for
  
  Read more

• Shelter at Home expensive for tax payers

  03-10-2016 12:57
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS- Louisiana's Shelter at Home program spends an exorbitant amount of money on basic home repairs. For example, to purchase and install a $38 toilet, federal and state taxpayers are charged $344. $985 for a $200 window air conditioner and $850 for a $97 kitchen sink.The cost of each service is spelled out in state contracts negotiated with construction companies.The state calls this "emergency pricing," which includes the cost of items, warehousing, mobilization of
  
  Read more

• Ascension begins debris removal from behind right of way

  03-10-2016 12:18
  
  GONZALES – Ascension Parish is beginning debris removal from behind the parish right of way.Debris collectors will leave a note on doors of properties where debris is not curbside and on private property. Crews can only enter private property if the property owner signs a waiver. Typically, the right of way is between the road and the ditch.Waivers can be filed at the Parish Government Complex, Conference room 105 located at 1024 E. Ascension Complex Blvd.Also, the parish has asked pro
  
  Read more

• Man arrested for lewd behavior

  03-10-2016 12:04
  
  SLIDELL - Police have arrested a man for peeping and performing sexual acts on himself outside of a home.A woman was feeding her cat before going to bed and saw Craig Cipriano ,60, on the porch, authorities said.  She later hid and called 911. According to the woman, Cipriano was looking in her windows.The suspect left the scene before police arrived. However, police noticed a motion sensor light system turned on down the street. That's when police identified and arrested Cipriano.Cipri
  
  Read more

• All lanes now open on I-10 WB on Mississippi River Bridge

  03-10-2016 09:33
  
  BATON ROUGE - All lanes are now open on I-10 westbound.Monday morning,  the two right lanes were blocked on I-10 westbound at the top of the Mississippi River Bridge due to an accident.The delay from this incident remains to Essen Lane.News 2's Ashley Fruge is monitoring traffic. We will have updates on WBRZ.com and Twitter.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Outdoor giant Bass Pro to acquire rival Cabela's for $5.5B

  03-10-2016 08:42
  
  OMAHA, Neb. - Outdoor gear giants Bass Pro and Cabela's will combine in a $5.5 billion deal announced Monday.Bass Pro is paying Cabela's shareholders $65.50 cash per share. The deal creates uncertainty about jobs in Cabela's home state of Nebraska. The combined companies plan to keep some operations in Sidney and Lincoln, Nebraska, but it's not immediately clear how many jobs might be lost.Bass Pro CEO Johnny Morris says he hopes to continue growing the Cabela's brand alongside his own Springfie
  
  Read more

• Outdoor giant Bass Pro to acquire rival Cabela's for $4.5B

  03-10-2016 08:42
  
  OMAHA, Neb. - Outdoor gear giants Bass Pro and Cabela's will combine in a $4.5 billion deal announced Monday.Bass Pro is paying Cabela's shareholders $65.50 cash per share. The deal creates uncertainty about jobs in Cabela's home state of Nebraska. The combined companies plan to keep some operations in Sidney and Lincoln, Nebraska, but it's not immediately clear how many jobs might be lost.Bass Pro CEO Johnny Morris says he hopes to continue growing the Cabela's brand alongside his own Springfie
  
  Read more

• Port Fourchon to expand for deepwater rig operations

  03-10-2016 08:03
  
  PORT FOURCHON - The Greater Lafourche Port Commission says agreements have been reach that will advance a plan to develop the Gulf's first purpose-built, deepwater rig repair and refurbishment facility to service the oil and gas industry.Chett Chiasson, Port Commission executive director, said in a news release the agreement is with the Edward Wisner Donation, granting the commission a right of first refusal on more than 900 acres of property immediately south of the port.Under a memorandum of u
  
  Read more

• Breakdown blocks lane on I-10 EB on MS River Bridge

  03-10-2016 07:11
  
  BATON ROUGE - Commuters may want to take an alternate route Monday morning as there is a breakdown blocking the left lane on I-10 eastbound just beyond the I-110 split on the Mississippi River Bridge.The delay from this incident has reached LA 415.BREAKDOWN: Left lane blocked EB I-10 just past the 110. Delay to La 1— WBRZ Traffic (@WBRZtraffic) October 3, 2016News 2's Ashley Fruge is monitoring the roadways during Good Morning America. We will have updates on WBRZ.com and Twitter.Perma
  
  Read more

• All lanes now open on I-10 EB on MS River Bridge

  03-10-2016 07:11
  
  BATON ROUGE - All lanes are now open on I-10 eastbound.Monday morning, there was a breakdown blocking the left lane on I-10 eastbound just beyond the I-110 split on the Mississippi River Bridge.The delay from this incident remains to LA 415.BREAKDOWN: Left lane blocked EB I-10 just past the 110. Delay to La 1— WBRZ Traffic (@WBRZtraffic) October 3, 2016News 2's Ashley Fruge is monitoring the roadways. We will have updates on WBRZ.com and Twitter.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Activists want names, answers for fatal police shooting

  03-10-2016 06:58
  
  LOS ANGELES - Activists on Sunday called on Los Angeles police to publicly name the officers involved in the deadly shooting of an 18-year-old black man near his home and to conduct a quick and transparent investigation."We don't want to see a cover-up. We don't want to see a whitewash," Earl Ofari Hutchinson of the Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable said after meeting with the family of Carnell Snell Jr. "We have a family that's grieving. We have a community that's grieving."The shooting occur
  
  Read more

• 6 wounded in Minneapolis

  03-10-2016 06:50
  
  MINNEAPOLIS - Police say six people were wounded in two separate shootings in downtown Minneapolis early today. Authorities say two people were injured in the first shooting, four in the second. KSTP-TV reports the injuries to five of the victims are not believed to be life-threatening while the sixth person is in serious condition. Police are investigating whether the two shootings, about 15 minutes apart, are connected.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Spokeswoman: Kim Kardashian held up at gunpoint in Paris

  03-10-2016 06:49
  
  LOS ANGELES - A spokeswoman for Kim Kardashian West says the reality star was unharmed after being robbed at gunpoint inside a private residence in Paris Sunday night.Police say the robbers were two masked men dressed as police officers and that more than $10 million worth of jewelry was stolen. Police say the robbers tied up Kardashian and locked her in the bathroom before escaping on bikes.Husband Kanye West cut short a performance in New York after getting word.Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Pari
  
  Read more

• Nobel Prize announcements to kick off with medicine award

  03-10-2016 03:32
  
  STOCKHOLM - The Nobel Assembly at Stockholm's Karolinska Institute is getting ready to announce the first of this year's Nobel Prizes: the award in medicine or physiology.It will be the 107th award in that category since the first Nobel Prizes were handed out in 1905.The prize committee often awards discoveries that were made decades ago, to make sure that they're still relevant.Last year's prize was shared by three scientists who developed treatments for malaria and tropical diseases.The 2016 m
  
  Read more

• Facebook launches 'lite' version of Messenger overseas

  03-10-2016 03:20
  
  NEW YORK - Facebook is launching a "lite" version of it Messenger chat app. It is aimed at emerging markets, where many people use older phones that don't have enough room to store or ability to run the full-featured application due to slower internet speeds or other issues.Facebook said Monday "Messenger Lite" is launching on Android devices in Kenya, Tunisia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Venezuela. The company did not say when it would be available in other countries or on Apple devices.There is al
  
  Read more

• Justice Dept. to announce grants for hiring of new officers

  03-10-2016 03:13
  
  WASHINGTON - Attorney General Loretta Lynch is announcing Justice Department grants to help police departments across the country hire new officers.The $119 million in funding is being announced in Dallas on Monday at the start of National Community Policing Week. Other events during the week include a town hall discussion on diversity in policing and an awards ceremony.The grants are being awarded to 184 law enforcement agencies across the country and are intended to create or protect more than
  
  Read more

• Unusual start to new term: No arguments on Jewish New Year

  03-10-2016 03:06
  
  WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court is opening an unusual term in an unusual way.The justices meet in public Monday for the first time since June with one seat empty after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. It's the first time in 25 years the court has been at less than full strength at the start of a term, on the first Monday in October as prescribed by law.And the court will depart from its usual practice of hearing cases on its first day because of the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah. Three of t
  
  Read more

Follow @BatonRougeNews_ on Twitter!