Baton Rouge news

• No time frame to reopen Alligator Bayou Road

  17-10-2016 21:47
  
  ST. GABRIEL- Iberville Parish President Mitch Ourso isn't sure how long repairs will take on Alligator Bayou Road south of Baton Rouge. Iberville and Ascension Parishes made five flood relief cuts in it during the August floods."If we didn't make the road cuts then I'm scared to say this water would still be in and around our neighborhoods," said Ourso Monday.Rushing water cased serious structural damage to a 2000 foot stretch of the road. Asphalt and parts of the foundation were all wa
  
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• 4 new West Nile virus cases bring Mississippi total to 30

  17-10-2016 20:28
  
  JACKSON - Mississippi health officials confirm four new cases of West Nile virus, bringing the state's total to 30 this year.The state Department of Health says in a news release Monday that the new cases of the mosquito-borne virus are in Adams, Attala, Copiah and Marion counties.Seven cases, including one death, have been reported in Hinds County.Copiah, Lamar and Marion counties have had three each and Rankin County has had two.Counties with one each are Adams, Attala, Calhoun, Chickasaw, For
  
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• UN announces agreement on 72-hour Yemen cease-fire

  17-10-2016 20:23
  
  UNITED NATIONS - The United Nations' special envoy for Yemen says the warring parties in the Arab nation have agreed to a 72-hour cease-fire which will take effect just before midnight Wednesday.A U.N. statement released Monday evening said Special Envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed "welcomes the restoration of the Cessation of Hostilities, which will spare the Yemeni people further bloodshed and will allow for the expanded delivery of humanitarian assistance."Ahmed said he had received assurances f
  
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• NBC News fires Billy Bush after lewd Donald Trump tape airs

  17-10-2016 19:47
  
  NEW YORK - NBC News has fired "Today" show host Billy Bush, who was caught on tape in a vulgar conversation about women with Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump before an "Access Hollywood" appearance.Bush was suspended at the morning show two days after contents of the 2005 tape were reported on Oct. 7. NBC and Bush's representatives had been negotiating terms of his exit before Monday's announcement.On the tape, Bush is heard laughing as Trump talks about fame enabling him to grope an
  
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• Judge won't force AG to approve contracts with LGBT language

  17-10-2016 19:41
  
  BATON ROUGE - A judge has thrown out Gov. John Bel Edwards' lawsuit seeking to force Attorney General Jeff Landry to sign off on legal contracts that include anti-discrimination language to protect LGBT people.Judge Donald Johnson dismissed the case Monday, saying the law is unclear what the attorney general's authority is in reviewing the contracts.Edwards' lawyer Matthew Block says the governor intends to appeal the decision.The Democratic governor issued an executive order in April r
  
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• 17 Louisiana legislators back Jeff Landry blocking LGBT workplace protections

  17-10-2016 18:32
  
  Gov. John Bel Edwards and Attorney General Jeff Landry head to court Monday afternoon (Oct. 17) over LGBT workplace protections.
  
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• 2 On Your Side helps man fight little-known mortgage rule; Gets $45,000

  17-10-2016 17:44
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS - A flood victim caught in an expensive stalemate with his mortgage company received half of the insurance award after calling 2 On Your Side.Allen Landry's home flood with about 4 1/2 feet of water in August.  His insurance company valued damages and wrote a check for $91,000.  But, since the check was written to both Landry and Wells Fargo, Landry turned the check over to the bank.  He thought he'd be given the money back, but Wells Fargo said
  
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• New traffic light to be placed on on Millerville Road near I-12

  17-10-2016 17:26
  
  BATON ROUGE – Residents of the Country Ridge Subdivision near I-12 may soon get a relief from traffic issues with a new temporary traffic light.The city will put up a temporary light on Deer Ridge Avenue and Millerville Road.Right in front of the subdivision, on Millerville Road, drivers have experienced illegal u-turns and even accidents since a traffic light at the location was removed when the I-12 west ramp from Millerville opened up."This morning I came from the interstat
  
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• FEMA hotel program extended through mid-November

  17-10-2016 17:02
  
  BATON ROUGE - FEMA will extend the time flood evacuees will be able to stay in rooms paid for by the federal government. Many people have been staying in area hotels since the August 2016 flood. FEMA is providing assistance through its disaster relief programs. The assistance was set to expire this week, but it has been extended.Last week, FEMA announced it would also provide reimbursement to others who were staying in hotels out-of-pocket. FEMA will continue to cover lodging expenses until Nove
  
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• Three wanted for using counterfeit money in Livingston Parish

  17-10-2016 16:30
  
  LIVINGSTON – The Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office is searching for three suspects wanted for using counterfeit money.On Oct. 3 around 8 p.m., two black men and one black woman entered into a Denham Springs business along Hwy. 16. Each of the suspects bought a pack of T-shirts using counterfeit $100 bills.On the same day, the same three suspects used the counterfeit money at another business located along Walker South Road and a third time at a separate business along Hwy. 16. The cas
  
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• Vice-principal accused in murder will be fired; Bail bond agency helped post bond

  17-10-2016 16:22
  
  BATON ROUGE - A vice-principal facing murder charges used a bail bonding agency to secure enough money to bond out of jail Friday.Robert Marks is facing charges in the death of Lyntell Washington just after school year 2015-2016 ended for the summer. Marks and Washington both worked at Brookstown Middle in Baton Rouge. Investigators believe Marks and Washington had a secret sexual relationship and Marks killed Washington to keep it quiet since she became pregnant. Washington's body was found in
  
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• City-Parish unveils 10 electric car charging stations in downtown BR

  17-10-2016 16:16
  
  BATON ROUGE – Mayor Kip Holden, City-Parish officials and others unveiled the installation of ten charging stations for electric cars around the city on Monday. The charging stations are a part of an initiative to encourage the use of electric cars in the city. Mayor Holden said that the charging stations are vital for the city's progression."It's going to be economical for many families, when you look at the fact, that the convenience is you'll have
  
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• Mayor-President forum produces few surprises

  17-10-2016 16:03
  
  BATON ROUGE - Five people vying to be the next mayor-president of East Baton Rouge Parish were dealt a round of questions at the Baton Rouge Press Club Monday, with some - but not striking differences - emerging from the candidates.Common themes such as traffic, crime, and early education topped the list of issues named by councilman John Delgado, real estate agent Darryl Gissell, state representative C. Denise Marcelle, former longtime state legislator Sharon Weston-Broom, and
  
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• Scott Angelle and who in Acadiana congressional race runoff?

  17-10-2016 15:54
  
  It less clear who will make the runoff with Angelle.
  
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• Tickfaw State Park closed indefinitely due to flood

  17-10-2016 15:36
  
  SPRINGFIELD - Tickfaw State Park is indefinitely closed, the park advised recently.The park was damaged by the August 2016 flood. All park structures received water damage, the state reported on the site's website.The popular park is southwest of Springfield along the Tickfaw River. About half of the 1,200 acres are undeveloped. Areas that are, though, are filled with playgrounds, cabins and boardwalks along the river and through a cypress/tupelo swamp, a bottomland hardwood forest, and a mixed
  
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• Anti-bullying text campaign launched in Ascension Parish

  17-10-2016 15:06
  
  DONALDSONVILLE – Ascension Public Schools and the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office have launched an anti-bullying campaign.The campaign, "Report Bullying!" features an anonymous text message reporting system that is monitored by the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office. To report bullying, students can text to 847411, type in "APSO" and then text their tip.The texting system is a way for students to report inappropriate behavior and bullying in a safe and anonymous way, David Alexander,
  
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• La. 10 repaired, reopened after flood

  17-10-2016 15:04
  
  GREEENSBURG - Flood-damaged Highway 10 in St. Helena reopened Monday.Westbound lanes reopened between Greensburg and the East Feliciana Parish line, DOTD said. Parts of the travel lane and shoulder washed out on August 12, 2016, when the Baton Rouge area experienced record flooding.It was along this stretch of newly-opened highway where a tanker truck infamously was pulled in the rapids. It was here, too, where a person died when their pickup truck was swept away.******************
  Follow the pu
  
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• LSU to host Ole Miss on Saturday

  17-10-2016 14:13
  
  BATON ROUGE – Coming off of a second win under interim head coach Ed Orgeron, the LSU Tigers are gearing up to host Ole Miss in Tiger Stadium on Saturday.Kickoff between the Tigers and Rebels is set for 8 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN.LSU enters the game ranked No. 23 in the Amway Coaches Poll and No. 25 in the AP Poll. Ole Miss is No. 22 in the coaches poll and No. 23 in the AP Poll.Last week, LSU defeated Southern Miss 45-10. In the previous meeting in Tiger Stadium in 2014, LSU
  
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• LHSAA: Belaire HS penalized for plot to play ineligible player

  17-10-2016 14:11
  
  BATON ROUGE - Administrators, coaches and either the parent or an unidentified football player conspired to hide the player's ineligibility for high school football play at Belaire, the LHSAA ruled in a report released Monday.Belaire, a District 6-4A school, will forfeit its five winning games played between September 2nd and October 6th - the entire football season from jamborees to week 6. The school will be fined $2,000 and players involved will not be able to play pending a further ruling by
  
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• More than 30 cases of Zika and West Nile virus in Louisiana

  17-10-2016 13:49
  
  BATON ROUGE – The Department of Health has reported more than 30 cases of the Zika and West Nile virus in the state of Louisiana.According to state health officials, there are 34 confirmed cases of Zika virus, each of which are travel-related. Once a travel-related case is identified, public health officials and local mosquito control agencies are notified in order to take action to minimize the potential for local spread, according to health officials. There are no reported c
  
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• One dead, one arrested after shooting in Greensburg

  17-10-2016 12:50
  
  GREENSBURG- A shooting in St. Helena Parish left one victim dead and one suspect in custody. According to the St. Helena Parish Sheriff's Office, deputies arrived at a residents on Higginbotham Road around 7:30 in reference to a shooting. Upon arriving, deputies discovered the victim, Gary Porter, 54. Porter was deceased upon arrival, officials said.Through their investigation, officials said they believe there was an altercation between Porter and his son, Gavin Porter, 22, pr
  
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• Tips for residents to prevent delays in getting FEMA units

  17-10-2016 12:43
  
  BATON ROUGE – Louisiana flood victims can help prevent delays in the process of getting a Manufactured Housing Unit from FEMA.If residents are eligible for an MHU and have applied, FEMA will contact the applicant for a site inspection if they want to place the unit on their property.Below are steps to help prevent delays:- Be available.You must be present for a site inspection. FEMA will arrange to place an MHU on your property if the agency determines it is feasible. A FEMA representa
  
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• Former Louisiana congressman, Clyde Holloway, dies at 72

  17-10-2016 12:23
  
  BATON ROUGE - Clyde Holloway, a former congressman and chairman of Louisiana's utility regulatory agency, has died. He was 72.A member of the Public Service Commission since 2009, Holloway died at his home in Forest Hill on Sunday, according to his office. No cause of death was released.Holloway, a Republican who owned a nursery business, served three terms in the U.S. House from 1987 to 1993, when the seat was eliminated in congressional redistricting. Later efforts to return to Congress were u
  
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• Target pulls clown masks from shelves following clown sightings

  17-10-2016 12:11
  
  The creepy clown sightings that have been occurring around the nation has caused businesses  like Target to remove clown masks from its shelves.Just weeks before Halloween, the store's decision comes after several reported incidents of clowns trying to lure children into the woods, pranks of students wearing the masks at schools and even the masks being worn in public.According to a Target representative, last week the store began to pull their masks from its stores and online."We also
  
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• Aramark to lay off more than 200 employees at Lafayette Medical Center

  17-10-2016 09:38
  
  BATON ROUGE – Aramark Healthcare Services, LLC, stationed at the Lafayette Medical Center, has announced that more than 200 employees will be laid off later this year.Lafayette Medical Center did not renew its contract with the company and will result in Aramark ceasing operations at the hospital on Dec. 12.All of the Aramark employees assigned to the facility, 243 employees, will be laid off. According to the company, employees will have the opportunity to apply for positions with Laf
  
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• Aramack to lay off more than 200 employees at Lafayette Medical Center

  17-10-2016 09:38
  
  BATON ROUGE – Aramack Healthcare Services, LLC, stationed at the Lafayette Medical Center, has announced that more than 200 employees will be laid off later this year.Lafayette Medical Center did not renew its contract with the company and will result in Aramack ceasing operations at the hospital on Dec. 12.All of the Aramack employees assigned to the facility, 243 employees, will be laid off. According to the company, employees will have the opportunity to apply for positions with Laf
  
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• Fire damages three mobile homes on Victoria Drive

  17-10-2016 09:05
  
  BATON ROUGE – The Baton Rouge Fire Department responded to a fire that damaged three mobile homes over the weekend. The fire took place on Saturday, Oct. 15 around 3 a.m. in the Big Oaks Mobile Home Park in the 3700 block of Victoria Drive. Once firefighters arrived on scene, three mobile homes were already engulfed in flames.According to BRFD, the fire is believed to have started in the mobile home located in the middle of the three homes and quickly spread to the ad
  
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• Rain reduces northern Nevada wildfire, prompts flood watch

  17-10-2016 07:00
  
  RENO, Nev. - Rainfall is helping temper a Nevada wildfire that has destroyed 22 homes north of Carson City but creating new concerns about flooding.Fire officials said Sunday that wet weather over the last two days has bolstered efforts to contain the blaze burning in the Washoe Valley.The 5.3-square-mile fire is now 20 percent contained. Crews say they have managed to keep the fire away from 480 homes. Still, 500 structures remain threatened and mandatory evacuations are still in place.The publ
  
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• Jia Jia, world's oldest-ever captive panda, dies at 38

  17-10-2016 06:59
  
  HONG KONG - A Hong Kong theme park says the world's oldest-ever panda in captivity has been euthanized because her health was deteriorating.HK 37-year-old panda Jia Jia set Guinness record of "oldest panda ever in captivity" (Lui Siu Wai) pic.twitter.com/kyXNuOEg6H— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) July 28, 2015
  Ocean Park says a veterinarian euthanized 38-year-old Jia Jia on Sunday evening to prevent further suffering and for ethical reasons.Guinness World Records recognized Jia Jia as the
  
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• Navy man arrested after truck fatally crushes 4

  17-10-2016 06:53
  
  SAN DIEGO - Police say a member of the U.S. Navy was driving a pickup truck that flew off the San Diego-Coronado Bridge and fatally killed four people who were at a festival at a park below.Authorities say 25-year-old Richard Anthony Sepolio, who suffered major injuries in Saturday's crash, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. He was stationed at a naval base in Coronado Island, across a bay from San Diego.The California Highway Patrol said Sepolio lost control of a GMC pick
  
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• Not-guilty pleas in Tyson Gay's daughter's death

  17-10-2016 06:50
  
  LEXINGTON, Ky. - Three men have pleaded not guilty and face an Oct. 25 court date on charges connected to the shooting death of Olympic sprinter Tyson Gay's 15-year-old daughter.The three appeared Monday via video before Fayette County, Kentucky, District Court Judge T. Bruce Bell, who will assign attorneys for them.Bell set bail at $5,000 each for 38-year-old Chazerae Taylor and his son, 19-year-old D'Markeo Taylor, on wanton endangerment charges. Twenty-one-year-old Dvonta Middlebrook
  
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• More arrests made in fatal shooting of Tyson Gay's daughter

  17-10-2016 06:50
  
  LEXINGTON, Ky. - A father and son are the latest arrests in the investigation into the fatal shooting of the 15-year-old daughter of Olympic sprinter Tyson Gay.Trinity Gay died at a Lexington, Kentucky, hospital Sunday after police say she was fatally shot in the neck around 4 a.m. during a shootout between people in two parked vehicles in the parking lot of a nearby restaurant.In a statement, Lexington police say 38-year-old Chazerae Taylor and his 19-year-old son D'Markeo are charged with want
  
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• Hoboken rail service fully restored after crash

  17-10-2016 06:48
  
  HOBOKEN, N.J. - Rail service has been fully restored at Hoboken Terminal less than three weeks after a commuter train crashed into the station in New Jersey, killing a woman on the platform and injuring more than 100 people.Six more tracks at Hoboken opened at 4 a.m. Monday, along with the station's ticket office. However, tracks 5 and 6 will remain closed as New Jersey Transit continues repairs.Trains entering the station will now reduce their approach speed from 10 mph to 5 mph for added safet
  
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