Baton Rouge news

• More than a million in donations unloaded at Cortana Mall for flood victims

  19-10-2016 21:51
  
  BATON ROUGE - Volunteers spent the day unloading more than a million dollars worth of donations, going towards flood victims at an event next Thursday.Three to four stores worth of clothes, shoes, toys, cribs and other items were brought to the mall through a special program created by two lawmakers.The Mayor of Columbia, South Carolina Steve Benjamin came together with State Representative Ted James, to discuss flood recovery."One phone call and you have over a million dollars worth of product
  
  Read more

• Millions in donations unloaded at Cortana Mall for flood victims

  19-10-2016 21:51
  
  BATON ROUGE - Volunteers spent the day unloading millions of dollars worth of donations, going towards flood victims at an event next Thursday.Three to four stores worth of clothes, shoes, toys, cribs and other items were brought to the mall through a special program created by two lawmakers.The Mayor of Columbia, South Carolina Steve Benjamin came together with State Representative Ted James, to discuss flood recovery."One phone call and you have over a million dollars worth of product that is
  
  Read more

• One man dead after shooting on Alaska Street

  19-10-2016 21:04
  
  BATON ROUGE - BRPD homicide detectives are investigating a Wednesday night shooting on Alaska Street that left one man dead.  According to a BRPD spokesperson, it happened on the 2700 block of Alaska Street near an apartment around 8:30 p.m. 27-year-old Demond Johnson was shot multiple times and died at the scene. A caller reported a person lying on the side of the road, but did not give a description of a shooter. BRPD says that a motive to the shooting in not known a
  
  Read more

• BRPD investigating shooting on Alaska Street

  19-10-2016 21:04
  
  BATON ROUGE - BRPD homicide detectives have been called to investigate a shooting on Alaska Street.According to a BRPD spokesperson, it happened on the 2700 block of Alaska Street near an apartment.A caller reported a person lying on the side of the road, but did not give a description of a shooter.The Baton Rouge Coroner's Office has been called to the scene.This is a developing story. Stay tuned to WBRZ News 2 on air and online for more details as they become available.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• One dead in single vehicle accident on River Road

  19-10-2016 18:45
  
  BATON ROUGE – One person is dead after her vehicle overturned on River Road Wednesday afternoon.A Louisiana State Police spokesperson confirmed the female victim was the only person involved in the crash, which occurred around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. Details are limited. Authorities have not yet released any detailed information about the crash at this time.A WBRZ News 2 crew is en route to the location.This is a developing story. Stay tuned to WBRZ News 2 online and on Facebook
  
  Read more

• EMS on scene of overturned car with possible fatalities

  19-10-2016 18:45
  
  BATON ROUGE – First responders are on the scene of the overturned vehicle with possible fatalities on River Road Wednesday afternoon.The crash happened at the intersection of Ben Hur Road and River Road around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. Sources tell WBRZ that the East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’s Office has been called to the scene.Details are limited. Authorities have not yet released any information about the crash at this time.A WBRZ News 2 crew is en route to the location.This
  
  Read more

• Denham Springs woman dead in single vehicle accident on River Road

  19-10-2016 18:45
  
  BATON ROUGE – A Denham Springs woman is dead after her vehicle overturned on River Road Wednesday afternoon.Louisiana State Police say 39-year-old Amy Fitzhugh's vehicle suddenly went off the left side of the roadway. Fitzhugh tried to correct herself and lost control of her vehicle. As a result the vehicle ran off the right side of the roadway and went down an embankment and overturned. She was partially ejected from the vehicle.Fitzhugh was not wearing a seatbelt at the time and sust
  
  Read more

• Tickfaw man killed after fleeing police, struck by dump truck

  19-10-2016 17:21
  
  TICKFAW – State police say one man is dead after fleeing Hammond Police then causing a crash on LA 1065 in Tickfaw Wednesday morning.According to Louisiana State Police, the crash happened on LA 1065 near Sims Lane just before noon Wednesday.Hammond Police attempted to initiate a traffic stop on a Ford Focus driven by 21-year-old Darious Rashaad Ashton. Police said Ashton fled from officers on the northbound lane before eventually turning onto Sims Lane.When trying to re-enter onto LA
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• 2016 Louisiana Senate debate: 5 takeaways

  19-10-2016 16:22
  
  The top five candidates in the Louisiana Senate race squared off in their first televised debate Tuesday (Oct. 18) in Ruston.
  
  Read more

• Baton Rouge cop told to remove 'HMFIC' patch from uniform

  19-10-2016 15:48
  
  BATON ROUGE - A police lieutenant was asked to remove a patch he added to his uniform after appearing in a national magazine and then on a local news website in Chicago.Baton Rouge Police Lt. Robert McGarner was profiled by People Magazine about being a black cop patrolling the streets in a city embroiled in controversy over the shooting death of Alton Sterling by police and then the ambush and murder of three lawmen in the weeks following Sterling's death. It was a picture of McGarner in unifor
  
  Read more

• Jury clears NBA's Derrick Rose in rape lawsuit

  19-10-2016 15:47
  
  LOS ANGELES - Jurors have cleared NBA star Derrick Rose and two friends in a lawsuit that accused them of gang raping his ex-girlfriend when she was incapacitated from drugs or alcohol.The jury reached the verdict Wednesday in Los Angeles federal court after hearing dramatically different accounts of the August 2013 sexual encounter.Neither side denied the three men had sex with the woman, but the issue was whether she consented or was too intoxicated to do so.Defense lawyers tarred the
  
  Read more

• Edwards says he's not rescinding anti-discrimination order

  19-10-2016 15:10
  
  BATON ROUGE - Gov. John Bel Edwards says he won't change his order requiring most state contracts to contain LGBT rights protection language, despite a loss in court on the issue.On his monthly radio show Wednesday, the Democratic governor said he is exploring his legal options - but won't rescind the requirement.Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry has blocked dozens of contracts to let state agencies and boards hire outside lawyers that contain the anti-discrimination language. Landry says
  
  Read more

• Camp Minden igniter disposal waiting on Army explosives team

  19-10-2016 15:09
  
  MINDEN - The Louisiana National Guard says they're waiting for an Army team to arrive at Camp Minden to deal with nearly 100 tons of an unstable chemical compound.Col. Ed Bush of the National Guard says an Army explosive ordinance disposal team will come up with a plan on destroying the clean burning igniter. Bush said Wednesday they're working with the Army to get them to Camp Minden as soon as possible.A bunker of igniter exploded on Sept. 29 at the camp. A contractor abandoned about 160 tons
  
  Read more

• Neiman Marcus unveils 90th edition of iconic Christmas Book

  19-10-2016 14:59
  
  DALLAS – Neiman Marcus unveiled its 90th edition of its iconic Christmas Book marking the official start of the holiday shopping season.The book, first published in 1926 as a 16-page booklet, was initially intended as Christmas card to the store's best customers.Neiman Marcus, as in previous years, will donate a portion of the proceeds from the majority of fantasy gifts to The Heart of Neiman Marcus Foundation, whose goal is to bring enriching art experiences to youth in communities na
  
  Read more

• DOTD to begin final passes for flood debris along state routes

  19-10-2016 14:47
  
  HAMMOND – The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development will be making their final passes to remove flood debris along state routes in Livingston, St. Helena and Tangipahoa parishes next week.Crews will begin to make their final passes along state routes in the above parishes on Monday, Oct. 24 until Friday, Nov. 4.DOTD advises residents to move flood debris to the side of the roadway for pick up as the department is responsible for picking debris on all routes in the stat
  
  Read more

• Governor, mayor laud @Highland project as high tech job creator

  19-10-2016 14:18
  
  BATON ROUGE – Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards joined other community leaders Wednesday to highlight a new technology park being constructed on Highland Road.Edwards along with East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Kip Holden lauded the new @Highland technology park as a job creator for the Baton Rouge area.The $20 million capital investment by General Informatics will include a 52,000 square foot three-story office building, a restaurant, retail and residential space at the corner of Hi
  
  Read more

• Gallup: Record high 60 percent of Americans back legal pot

  19-10-2016 13:50
  
  NEW YORK - A record high 60 percent of American adults support legalization of marijuana, according to a new Gallup poll released three weeks before voters in nine states decide whether to expand legal access to pot.When Gallup first asked about this issue in 1969, 12 percent of Americans supported legalization. By 2000, support had increased to 31 percent and has continued climbing since then, reaching 58 percent last year.Recreational use of marijuana is legal in Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Wash
  
  Read more

• A look at US role against IS as Mosul offensive takes off

  19-10-2016 13:49
  
  WASHINGTON - As Iraqi tanks charge across the country to purge the city of Mosul of the Islamic State group, the United States has just as much to gain from the operation as the Iraqis themselves. Wresting Iraq's second largest city from the extremists is key to eventually defeating it militarily, a major U.S. objective. Still, President Barack Obama's strategy to engage in this war without the use of combat forces has been received with some skepticism; critics say this approach allowed IS to e
  
  Read more

• Man with severely deformed skull faces arson, murder charges

  19-10-2016 13:45
  
  MIAMI - Police say a 31-year-old man with a severely deformed skull faces arson and attempted first-degree murder charges.Miami police officers wrote in an incident report that Carlos Rodriguez was sitting in his backyard on Monday when they arrived to investigate a fire inside a duplex attached to a house on the property.Investigators say Rodriguez told them he set a mattress on fire, adding he wanted to burn the house down so he could build a new, "two-story house."Police say two people were i
  
  Read more

• Man with deformed skull charged with arson, attempted murder

  19-10-2016 13:45
  
  MIAMI - Police say a 31-year-old man with a severely deformed skull faces arson and attempted first-degree murder charges.Miami police officers wrote in an incident report that Carlos Rodriguez was sitting in his backyard on Monday when they arrived to investigate a fire inside a duplex attached to a house on the property.Investigators say Rodriguez told them he set a mattress on fire, adding he wanted to burn the house down so he could build a new, "two-story house."Police say two people were i
  
  Read more

• Federal investigators release final report on 2013 plant explosion

  19-10-2016 13:45
  
  GIESMAR – Federal investigators released their final report on the 2013 William Olefins plant explosion Wednesday morning.The Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board said flammable propane built up in one of the plant’s backup reboilers over a 16-month period. When crews activated the reboiler, hot water heated the propane, causing a dangerous amount of pressure to build up.Investigators say due to a reconfiguring of the boilers in 2001, there was no way for t
  
  Read more

• Business owner and doctor sentenced in Medicare fraud scheme

  19-10-2016 13:42
  
  NEW ORLEANS - The owner of a New Orleans medical service company and a doctor who served as the company's medical director have been sentenced to prison for their involvement in a $34 million Medicare fraud scheme.The Department of Justice said in a news release Wednesday 60-year-old Elaine Davis, of New Orleans, was sentenced to 96 months in prison and 67-year-old Dr. Pramela Ganji, of Harahan, received 72 months prison sentence. Chief U.S. District Judge Kurt D. Engelhardt imposed the sentence
  
  Read more

• Transportation report reveals congestion costing drivers money

  19-10-2016 13:39
  
  BATON ROUGE – CRISIS, the Baton Rouge coalition for transportation improvements, released a report on the city's transportation infrastructure that reveals traffic is costing drivers on average more than $1,000 on gas due to congestion and an additional $700 in car repairs and maintainance due to poor roads.The report states: Our road congestion and condition are costing us money.  According to the Texas A&M Transportation Institute report, commu
  
  Read more

• T-Mobile fined $48M over slowing 'unlimited' data plans

  19-10-2016 13:08
  
  NEW YORK - T-Mobile, the country's No. 3 wireless carrier, will pay $48 million for not clearly telling customers how "unlimited" data plans weren't really, well, unlimited.The Federal Communications Commission said Wednesday that T-Mobile had a policy to slow down the speeds of customers who were the heaviest data users. But the company didn't let customers know how much data use would trigger the lower speed.The FCC says T-Mobile started doing a better job with disclosures in June 2015.The car
  
  Read more

• Mom and children arrested after officers attacked in Port Barre, officers hospitalized

  19-10-2016 13:03
  
  PORT BARRE – Two police officers were hospitalized after they were attacked in a neighborhood while trying to investigate a hit-and-run crash.Police were called to the 100 block of East Courtableau in Port Barre in reference to a person driving recklessly. The driver lost control, struck a tree and a parked vehicle and then drove off. Officers were able to find the vehicle at a nearby home.Lybeth Hardy and her 15-year-old son answered the door of the home, but started cursing at office
  
  Read more

• Location proposed for new Washington Street exit

  19-10-2016 12:45
  
  BATON ROUGE- Conceptual drawings presented Wednesday show where state transportation officials hope to build a new Washington Street exit near Interstate 10. The proposed exit would actually begin on I-110 south just after the Government Street exit and end on Terrace Avenue a few blocks short of Washington Street.Even with the new exit, I-10 east would still shrink to one lane as the existing exit will remain open. But officials say the new exit will reduce bottlenecking created when drivers me
  
  Read more

• Man charged with terrorizing after DCFS threats

  19-10-2016 12:42
  
  BATON ROUGE – A Baton Rouge man was charged with terrorizing after police said he made threats to shoot everyone in a DCFS office in September.According to arrest documents, 21-year-old Daniel Lewis became upset when he was not allowed to see his nephew during an arranged parental visit at the Department of Children and Family Services on Sept. 21.Four witnesses told investigators that Lewis started yelling and made numerous threats that he would go get a gun and shoot everyone in the
  
  Read more

• Man arrested for beating nine-year-old and four-year-old boys

  19-10-2016 12:12
  
  BATON ROUGE – A man was arrested after beating his girlfriend's nine-year-old and four-year-old sons.29-year-old Solomon Tramaine Commenia was arrested on two counts of cruelty to juveniles after the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office received a complaint about the physical abuse of two boys.The nine-year-old boy told police that Solomon sometimes chokes him, puts his hands on his face and squeezes it and threatens to kill the boy if he tells. The boy also stated that he and his four-ye
  
  Read more

• Baton Rouge Crisis Intervention Center getting more calls since flood

  19-10-2016 09:34
  
  BATON ROUGE – Phones are constantly ringing at the Baton Rouge Crisis Intervention Center since the August flood.Residents left dealing with anxiety, depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from the flood has caused them to reach out to the center's crisis intervention hot line.The crisis center receives roughly 24,000 callers in a regular period. Since the flood in August, at least 20,000 additional calls have come in. According to intervention specialists, even more calls are c
  
  Read more

• Unusual October warmth could break more US records

  19-10-2016 09:07
  
  The National Weather Service says more record warmth could be in store for parts of the U.S. as temperatures reach highs 10 to 20 degrees above average.Tuesday's 84-degree high at Maryland's BWI-Marshall Airport broke a 71-year-old mark for the day. Decades-old records also fell elsewhere in the mid-Atlantic, including in Wilmington, Delaware, and Trenton, New Jersey.Summer-like temperatures will return for the Northeast, Southeast and southern Plains Wednesday. National Weather Service observin
  
  Read more

• New Orleans looks to double traffic safety cameras in 2017

  19-10-2016 09:02
  
  NEW ORLEANS - The number of traffic safety cameras to catch drivers speeding or running red lights in New Orleans could nearly double next year.Mayor Mitch Landrieu has proposed adding another 55 such cameras to the 66 already in use in the city as part of his 2017 spending plan.Landrieu says the city was prompted to add the cameras following complaints from residents about safety at dangerous intersections.Deputy Mayor Jeff Hebert says the new cameras will be focused on school zones and problem
  
  Read more

• Ascension school district moves forward on temporary building

  19-10-2016 08:59
  
  GONZALES - Bids go out this week for suppliers of temporary buildings for the campuses of four flood-damaged schools in Ascension Parish.School officials said arrangements made after the August flood - to send displaced students to host campuses and split the school day, in the case of two high schools - is causing transportation and logistical strains.Superintendent David Alexander said at Tuesday's school board meeting the temporary buildings, would fill in the gap" while flood-damaged schools
  
  Read more

• All lanes open I110 N at Chippewa

  19-10-2016 08:20
  
  BATON ROUGE - All lanes on I110 North at Chippewa Street are now open after being closed during the Wednesday morning commute.Delays have reached beyond North 22nd Street.2une In's Ashley Fruge is watching the roads. Watch her latest traffic reports on Twitter.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Accident closes I110 N at Chippewa

  19-10-2016 08:20
  
  BATON ROUGE - An accident caused I110 North at Chippewa to close Wednesday morning.Traffic is being diverted off at the Chippewa exit. Delays have reached to N. 22nd overpass.2une In's Ashley Fruge is watching the roads. Watch her latest traffic reports during Good Morning America.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• 100 firefighters battle blaze in Los Angeles

  19-10-2016 07:06
  
  LOS ANGELES - Fire crews are battling a wildfire that broke out in Los Angeles' Aliso Canyon area near Porter Ranch.There have been no reports of evacuations or structures damaged, but crews are taking special care to protect the natural gas fields in that area.Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Erik Scott says the blaze was reported after 9 p.m. Tuesday.He says more than 100 firefighters are dealing with wind gusts of nearly 40 mph as they fight the 15-acre blaze early Wednesday.The Los Ange
  
  Read more

• NYC police probe why stun gun wasn't used in fatal shooting

  19-10-2016 07:04
  
  NEW YORK - A New York police officer shot and killed an emotionally disturbed, 66-year-old woman wielding scissors and a baseball bat, and investigators want to know why he didn't use his stun gun instead.Police say the sergeant had persuaded the woman to drop the scissors Tuesday night, but then fired after she swung the bat in a Bronx apartment.Assistant Chief Larry Nikunen says the sergeant had a Taser. He says the reason it was not deployed will be part of the investigation.Bronx Borough Pre
  
  Read more

• Soyuz rocket carrying crew of 3 blast off from Baikonur

  19-10-2016 06:59
  
  BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan - A Soyuz rocket carrying two Russians and an American has blasted off for the International Space Station.The crew of Roscosmos Sergey Ryzhikov and Andrey Borisenko and NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough lifted off as scheduled from the Russian-operated Baikonur launch facility in the steppes of Kazakhstan at 2:05 p.m. local time (0805 GMT) today.The Soyuz MS-02 space capsule is set to dock at the space outpost on Friday.The capsule successfully reached the designated orbit abo
  
  Read more

• Gutter politics: DNC sorry after campaign bus dumps sewage

  19-10-2016 06:56
  
  LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. - The Democratic National Committee has apologized after one of its campaign buses was spotted dumping raw sewage along a road outside Atlanta.News outlets report a Lawrenceville auto shop employee alerted police Tuesday morning after witnessing the sewage getting dumped into a storm drain. The bus, which bears the slogan "Forward Together" and features the likenesses of presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and running mate Tim Kaine, was in town for an early voting event.Th
  
  Read more

• 4 shot outside San Francisco schools

  19-10-2016 06:52
  
  SAN FRANCISCO - One high school student is in critical condition in San Francisco, after she and three other students were shot and wounded Tuesday.Authorities say the four students were shot while in a shared parking lot of two high schools.Police say four male suspects wearing dark hoodies and jeans were seen running away from the area.Officials believe the critically injured student was the target.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Philippine police van rams protesters in front of US Embassy

  19-10-2016 06:51
  
  MANILA, Philippines - An anti-U.S. rally in the Philippines has turned violent after a police van repeatedly rammed into protesters, leaving several of them bloodied. Wednesday's demonstration was at the American embassy in Manila.Police later arrested 23 protesters who had gathered to demand an end to the presence of U.S. troops in the country and a dependence on the U.S.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Faculty on strike at Pennsylvania universities

  19-10-2016 04:38
  
  HARRISBURG, Pa. - Faculty members have gone on strike at 14 Pennsylvania state universities, impacting more than 100,000 students.Contract negotiations between the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and its faculty union hit an impasse late Tuesday night when the union says the state handed it its last, best offer and was done negotiating.The Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties announced on its Facebook page that faculty went on strike for 5 a.m. Wednesd
  
  Read more

• Lawmaker says she'll push for amendment

  19-10-2016 03:45
  
  LAFAYETTE - A Louisiana lawmaker who sponsored legislation that has prevented some foreign-born U.S. citizens without birth certificates from obtaining marriage licenses says she will push for an amendment.A federal lawsuit filed Tuesday claims a state marriage law that took effect in January is unconstitutional and discriminates against immigrants.After the suit's filing, Republican state Rep. Valarie Hodges told The Associated Press that she never intended for the 2015 measure to prevent legal
  
  Read more

• Soyuz rocket carrying crew of 3 blasts off from Baikonur

  19-10-2016 03:18
  
  BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan - A Soyuz rocket carrying two Russians and an American has blasted off for the International Space Station.The crew of Roscosmos Sergey Ryzhikov and Andrey Borisenko and NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough lifted off as scheduled from the Russian-operated Baikonur launch facility in the steppes of Kazakhstan at 2:05 p.m. local time (0805 GMT) Wednesday.Their Soyuz MS-02 space capsule is set to dock at the space outpost two days later.The launch was originally set for Sept. 23, bu
  
  Read more

• Want a self-driving car? Regulators consider public use

  19-10-2016 03:08
  
  SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Members of the public will get a chance to tell California regulators what they think about proposed regulations that would - eventually - permit self-driving cars that lack a steering wheel or pedals on public roads.The California Department of Motor Vehicles is hosting the hearing Wednesday in the state Capitol. Both representatives of companies developing these cars of the future and skeptics who worry regulators are being pushed to embrace a technology that is not ready
  
  Read more

• Clinton, Trump set for last debate as ugly race nears finish

  19-10-2016 03:07
  
  WASHINGTON - Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump's ugly and acrimonious battle for the White House is barreling toward the end, with the candidates taking the debate stage Wednesday night for one final primetime showdown.For Trump, the debate is perhaps his last opportunity to turn around a race that appears to be slipping away from him. His predatory comments about women and a flood of sexual assault accusations have deepened his unpopularity with women and limited his pathways to victory.Clinton
  
  Read more

• US Justice Department to dispatch fewer election observers

  19-10-2016 03:01
  
  WASHINGTON - Justice Department officials are warning that they will be dispatching fewer election observers Nov. 8 as a result of a Supreme Court opinion that gutted a key provision of the Voting Rights Act.The reduction is likely to diminish the department's ability to detect voter intimidation and other potential problems at the polls. It comes as more than a dozen states have adopted new voting and registration rules, and as Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump warns without eviden
  
  Read more

Follow @BatonRougeNews_ on Twitter!