Baton Rouge news

• Louisiana early voting on pace to break records

  27-10-2016 23:12
  
  Close to 163,000 people voted Tuesday and Wednesday.
  
  Read more

• BRPD investigating shooting on Louise Street

  27-10-2016 21:46
  
  BATON ROUGE - One person is injured after a shooting on Louise Street.It happened around 9:45 p.m. Thursday. BRPD sources say they shooting occurred on the 200-block of Louise Street near Highland Road.Police say one man was shot and is being transported to a local hospital. Details of his condition are unknown.Police say the shooter is no longer on the scene.Details are very limited at this time. We will update this story when more information becomes available.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Controlled burn at Camp Minden scheduled Friday

  27-10-2016 21:07
  
  MINDEN - The Louisiana National Guard says the smallest of three burns to destroy unstable and potentially explosive material at Camp Minden is scheduled Friday, if weather permits.
      
  A news release Thursday says experts from Fort Hood, Texas, plan to set fire to about 820 pounds of clean-burning igniter - the compound used to touch off M6 propellant in artillery shells.
      
  If conditions remain favorable, the team will ignite 57 tons in
  
  Read more

• Attorneys in BP settlement with divide $555.2 million

  27-10-2016 19:57
  
  NEW ORLEANS - A judge has ruled a group of attorneys will divide $555.2 million for their work on behalf of people and businesses who suffered economic damages because of BP's 2010 Gulf oil spill.
      
  U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier of New Orleans issued a 42-page ruling spelling out reasons for the award, the result of work on a 2012 settlement that is expected to account for at least $13 billion of the energy company's spill-related costs.
     &
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Cristo Rey BR Franciscan High bids farewell to school president

  27-10-2016 18:20
  
  BATON ROUGE – The school president who led his Catholic High school through August’s historic flooding will retire at the end of this year.The Cristo Rey Baton Rouge Franciscan High School Board of Directors announced President James L. Llorens, Ph.D. retirement Thursday.Llorens was was one of the most influential people behind the school’s approval in June 2016. He stepped out of retirement to lead a feasibility study and the school’s first year.&ldqu
  
  Read more

• $135M boost going to LSU hospital managers under new deals

  27-10-2016 17:09
  
  BATON ROUGE - The private operators of LSU's charity hospitals are in line for a $135 million boost in their payments as part of new deals struck by Gov. John Bel Edwards' administration.State lawmakers are being asked Friday to increase financing for the privatization deals to nearly $1.3 billion in the current budget year.Part of the increase is coming from increased federal Medicaid financing.The state needs to put up some money to draw down the federal dollars. It is using money from LSU's N
  
  Read more

• Ex-NFL star sentenced in Nevada attempted sex assault case

  27-10-2016 17:07
  
  LAS VEGAS - A judge in Las Vegas has sentenced former NFL star Darren Sharper to as many as eight years in prison for attempted sexual assault as part of a four-state plea deal.Clark County District Judge Michelle Leavitt ordered Sharper on Thursday to serve the Nevada sentence concurrently with an 18-year sentence he's already started on state and federal charges in Louisiana.The former star with the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints is appealing his conviction and 18-year prison sentenc
  
  Read more

• Louisiana has $313M deficit from last year

  27-10-2016 17:05
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana closed the books on the last budget year with a $313 million deficit.That's the figure Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne says will be presented to lawmakers Friday.Dardenne says Gov. John Bel Edwards' administration hasn't yet decided how to deal with the shortfall, which is from the budget year that ended June 30.But state agencies and public colleges have been told to prepare for cuts that could reach as much as 7 percent to 10 percent of their state general f
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Police give safety tips for trick-or-treating on Halloween

  27-10-2016 15:23
  
  BATON ROUGE – The Baton Rouge Police Department and other agencies have a few safety tips for those who plan on trick-or-treating for Halloween this year.The safety tips for parents are as follows:- Do not leave home without a charged cell phone in case they have an emergency or in case a parent gets separated from their child.- Write a phone number and address on their child's arm or costume in case they are separated or get lost so another adult can help find them.- Parents should ta
  
  Read more

• Survey finds high percentage of female runners harassed

  27-10-2016 14:55
  
  BATON ROUGE - It's not uncommon to see a person running or jogging, especially on a beautiful day. Many people, both men and women don't think twice about venturing out alone.But when three women were murdered while running over the course of nine days earlier this year, discussion spurred about runner safety. While many runners say they feel safe while running, others began to feel vulnerable.A study performed by Runner's World found that 43 percent of women at least sometimes experien
  
  Read more

• General Mills to sell Girl Scout cookie cereal

  27-10-2016 14:23
  
  General Mills plans to launch a limited-edition Girl Scout cookie cereal, the company announced this week.The cereal will come in two flavors, Thin Mints and Caramel Crunch. Thin Mints are one of the 12 famous Girl Scout cookie flavors, while Caramel Crunch is not.However, both cereals will carry the Girl Scouts brand and logo.General Mills said the cereal will go on sale in stores nationwide in January, the start of the traditional cookie-selling season. The company said that some of the procee
  
  Read more

• Mississippi Mom: Son shook in fear after schoolmates put noose on him

  27-10-2016 14:14
  
  WIGGINS, Miss. - A black mother in Mississippi says her 15-year-old son was shaking in fear when he described white schoolmates putting a noose around his neck and pulling it tight.Stacey Payton tells The Associated Press her son bears no physical injury, but she believes the incident has permanently changed him.He continues attending classes and playing football at Stone High School in Wiggins. However, his mom says he's quieter than usual and the family fears retaliation for having brought att
  
  Read more

• La. agencies, colleges asked to draw up budget cut plans

  27-10-2016 14:10
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana's state agencies and colleges are being asked to prepare for budget cuts of as much as 10 percent of their state financing because of a deficit from last year that could reach $300 million.Gov. John Bel Edwards' administration notified departments this week of the possible cuts.Agencies say they've been asked to draw up scenarios for slashing 7 percent to 10 percent of their state general fund revenue. That's the money they get from general tax collections - not their fin
  
  Read more

• Three men arrested for more than 500 counts of child pornography

  27-10-2016 13:53
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS – Three Louisiana men have been arrested more than 550 counts of child pornography.31-year-old Michael Clark of Denham Springs was arrested on 300 counts on possession of child pornography, four counts of production of child pornography, three counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of molestation of a juvenile. Clark was booked on the above charges into the Livingston Parish Jail.66-year-old Darrell Ricks of Covington was arrested on 250 count
  
  Read more

• Twitter to shut down Vine video sharing app

  27-10-2016 13:52
  
  Twitter announced Thursday that it will be discontinuing its popular mobile app that allows users to share short snippets of video.In a statement Thursday afternoon, Twitter said that Vine will be discontinued “in the coming months.”The social media giant said that the website will remain online for now. Users can still view and download their videos.“We’ll be keeping the website online because we think it’s important to still be able to watch al
  
  Read more

• Iberville Parish man charged in decades old cold case murders

  27-10-2016 13:40
  
  BATON ROUGE – Investigators in Iberville Parish say an arrest has been made Thursday in two decades old cold case murders.According to Iberville Parish Sheriff Brett Stassi, 61-year-old Tommy Francise was arrested in Lafayette around 4 a.m. Thursday. He was transported to Iberville Parish and was later booked with two counts of second-degree murder.Stassi said the first homicide happened in 1991 when Francise allegedly had a confrontation with Curtis Smith over stolen equipment. Invest
  
  Read more

• Boy's family sues town over his fatal shooting by deputies

  27-10-2016 12:55
  
  BATON ROUGE - Relatives of a 6-year-old autistic boy who was shot and killed during a traffic stop last year are suing the central Louisiana town where two deputy city marshals opened fire on his father's car.The lawsuit filed Thursday in federal court claims Marksville city officials failed to properly train the deputies on use of deadly force.The deputies, Derrick Stafford and Norris Greenhouse Jr., are charged with murder in the shooting that killed Jeremy Mardis and critically wounded his fa
  
  Read more

• Suspect arrested in destruction of Trump's Hollywood star

  27-10-2016 12:39
  
  LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles police have arrested a man suspected of using a sledgehammer to destroy Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.Officer Andrew Chambers says Jamie Otis was arrested early Thursday on suspicion of felony vandalism. It wasn't immediately known if Otis has an attorney.The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which maintains the popular tourist attraction, says it will take several days to repair Trump's star.Otis told several media out
  
  Read more

• Fox's Megyn Kelly to guest-host 'Live' day after election

  27-10-2016 12:37
  
  NEW YORK - She may be a little bleary-eyed, but Fox News' Megyn Kelly is booked to co-host the morning talk show "Live" with Kelly Ripa on the day after the election.The show said it will be Kelly's first time as a co-host. "Live" has been looking for a partner for Ripa since last spring, when Michael Strahan left to join "Good Morning America."It's an intriguing booking. Although Fox is anxious to keep her, Kelly will soon become a free agent able to look for other broadcasting jobs.Kelly has b
  
  Read more

• Twitter debates rages over photo of shiny or painted legs

  27-10-2016 12:31
  
  Forget the debate about "The Dress." Twitter is abuzz about "The Legs."The controversy swirling now is whether a photo of a pair of legs shows them shiny or streaked with white paint.A Twitter user ignited the debate by posting the photo with a question Tuesday: "Are these legs shiny and oily or are they legs with white paint on them?"are these legs shiny and oily or are they legs with white paint on them pic.twitter.com/7Z8e8F1JCZ— kayden ?? (@kingkayden) October 26, 2016
  The photo se
  
  Read more

• Driver wanted for fatal hit and run on Florida Blvd.

  27-10-2016 12:27
  
  BATON ROUGE – Baton Rouge Police Traffic Homicide detectives are investigating a fatal hit and run crash that occurred on Florida Boulevard on Wednesday afternoon.The crash occurred on Oct. 26 around 4 p.m. in the 10000 block of Florida Boulevard near Sharp Road. 31-year-old Sam Edward Williams was driving a motorcycle when he was struck by a white, lifted, Chevrolet 1500 pickup truck.Williams was ejected from the motorcycle and transported to an area hospital where he later succumbed
  
  Read more

• Former GOP congressman: Grabbing my musket if Trump loses

  27-10-2016 12:24
  
  CHICAGO - A former Republican congressman from Illinois says he plans to grab his musket if GOP nominee Donald Trump loses the presidential election.Former U.S. Rep. Joe Walsh tweeted Wednesday afternoon : "On November 8th, I'm voting for Trump. On November 9th, if Trump loses, I'm grabbing my musket. You in?"On November 8th, I'm voting for Trump.On November 9th, if Trump loses, I'm grabbing my musket.You in?— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) October 26, 2016
  Walsh later said on Twitter that
  
  Read more

• Early voting: More good signs for Clinton in key states

  27-10-2016 12:21
  
  WASHINGTON - Millions of votes that have been cast already in the U.S. presidential election point to an advantage for Hillary Clinton in critical battleground states. Data compiled by The Associated Press also show signs of Democratic strength in traditionally Republican territory.The strong early-voting turnout by those likely to support Clinton could leave Donald Trump with virtually no path to the 270 electoral votes needed for victory.Clinton is showing strength in Florida and North Carolin
  
  Read more

• Police: 3 men in clown masks attack Rhode Island woman

  27-10-2016 12:18
  
  PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Police in Rhode Island say they're searching for three suspects who attacked a woman while wearing clown masks.Police say the three men showed up at the woman's Providence home Tuesday night and were calling her name. The woman was attacked after she opened her door.A police report says the woman fought off her attackers and they fled. A clown mask and a baseball hat left at the scene were seized as evidence by police.The woman suffered minor injuries.The investigation is ongo
  
  Read more

• Transgender inmate's rape lawsuit against jail set for trial

  27-10-2016 12:15
  
  NEW ORLEANS - A lawsuit in which a transgender inmate says she was raped after being locked up with a male prisoner last year in the newly opened New Orleans jail is expected to go to trial in June.A federal judge set a June 19 date in a Wednesday order.The lawsuit against jail officials was filed last month. It says the former inmate, who was born male but lives as a female, had just been transferred to the jail when a male armed robbery suspect raped her.The lawsuit, which seeks unspecified da
  
  Read more

• More than 5,000 homes receive repairs through Shelter at Home program

  27-10-2016 12:15
  
  BATON ROUGE – More than 5,000 homes have received temporary repairs through the Shelter at Home program, the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness announced.A total of 5,195 homes have been completed and another 4,480 repairs are taking place with 21,552 people signed up for the program."We are glad to see many families and individuals returning to their homes through Shelter at Home and other housing programs, but we realize there is still much left to be d
  
  Read more

• 28-year-old arrested for three rapes in October

  27-10-2016 09:52
  
  BATON ROUGE – A suspect has been arrested in connection with the rape of three people that occurred all in the month of October.28-year-old Bryan Leduff was arrested Wednesday night and charged with three counts of first degree rape, two counts of armed robbery, two counts of aggravated battery, two counts of false imprisonment and sexual battery.Leduff was arrested for the rape of an 18-year-old on Oct. 3, the rape of a 22-year-old on Oct. 17 and the rape of a 19-year-old on Oct. 26.D
  
  Read more

• Burn advisory issued for part of West Feliciana Parish

  27-10-2016 09:45
  
  WEST FELICIANA – A burn advisory has been issued for the Fire Protection District No. 1 of West Feliciana Parish.The advisory is in effect from noon, Oct. 27, until further notice. Weather conditions in West Feliciana Parish are contributing to an increased fire risk. Anyone planning to burn anything outside is advised to take precaution.If planning to burn, the following precautions should be taken:- Only burn small amounts at a time.- Burn after 8 a.m. and extinguish before
  
  Read more

• Search continues for fugitive in Oklahoma 'rage killings'

  27-10-2016 09:30
  
  OKLAHOMA CITY - The search for an Oklahoma man wanted in a string of killings, shootings and carjackings is entering its fourth day, and authorities say they have no idea where he is.Michael Dale Vance Jr. is wanted on multiple charges, including two counts of first-degree murder for the near-decapitations of two relatives in the town of Luther that Oklahoma County Sheriff John Whetsel described as "rage killings."The 38-year-old Vance was last seen early Monday about 30 miles from the Texas bor
  
  Read more

• 1 ticket purchased in Breaux Bridge wins $120K Easy 5

  27-10-2016 09:22
  
  BREAUX BRIDGE - Louisiana lottery officials say one ticket won the $120,000 Easy 5 drawing Wednesday night. It was purchased in Breaux Bridge.There were no jackpot winners in the multistate Powerball jackpot or the Louisiana Lotto.Louisiana Lotto players matching all six numbers drawn would have won or shared a $700,000 prize, which will rise to an estimated $725,000 for Saturday.Players matching all five numbers and the Powerball would have won or shared the $164 million jackpot. The prize goes
  
  Read more

• Twitter cuts 9 percent of its workforce worldwide

  27-10-2016 09:16
  
  NEW YORK - Twitter, seemingly unable to find a buyer and losing money, is cutting about 9 percent of its employees worldwide.Twitter Inc., which has struggled amid competition from the likes of Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram, said Thursday that it expects to book about $10 million to $20 million in workforce restructuring charges.Since the end of 2014, Twitter has picked up just 15 million monthly users to expand its audience to 313 million people through June. During the same stretch, Faceboo
  
  Read more

• Baton Rouge man sentenced on child porn convictions

  27-10-2016 09:02
  
  GONZALES - A 25-year-old Baton Rouge man who had faced 251 counts of child pornography possession has been given a five-year prison sentence after a recent guilty plea.Phillip Rome pleaded guilty to two counts of child pornography possession and was given two 10-year prison sentences with five years suspended and five years of supervised probationAscension Parish prosecutors said Tuesday the other 249 counts were dropped.State troopers arrested Rome in February 2015 after investigators searched
  
  Read more

• Assessing earthquake damage in Italy

  27-10-2016 07:03
  
  ISSO, Italy - Officials in central Italy have begun assessing the damage caused by a pair of strong earthquakes in the same region hit by a deadly quake in August.Thousands of people spent the night in their cars following the tremors that struck last night, sending residents into the streets in pouring rain.The tremors registered at magnitudes above 4.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Australian themepark defends safety record

  27-10-2016 07:01
  
  CANBERRA, Australia - The Australian theme park where four people died on a river rapids ride is defending its safety record as police have vetoed plans to reopen it to the public. Dreamworld park on Queensland state's Gold Coast has been closed as a crime scene since two men and two women died on Tuesday when their raft flipped on the Thunder River Rapids ride. Dreamworld had announced that it had planned to reopen Friday with a memorial service for the victims.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Grandson of Samsung founder takes the lead

  27-10-2016 06:51
  
  SEOUL, South Korea - The grandson of Samsung's founder is stepping up as its new leader after the failure of the company's flagship smartphone, the Galaxy Note 7. Shareholders of Samsung Electronics Co. voted today to appoint 48-year-old Lee Jae-yong, chairman Lee Kun-hee's only son, to its board of directors. Samsung says it's confirmed 140 cases of the Galaxy Note 7 overheating or catching fire.
  Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• MIchael Phelps, Nicole Johnson secretly married in June

  27-10-2016 06:49
  
  PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz. - Michael Phelps can add getting married to his long list of accomplishments this year.The Arizona Republic reports the 31-year-old Olympic swimming champion secretly married longtime girlfriend Nicole Johnson on June 13, a little more than a month after the former Miss California USA gave birth to their son, Boomer.The newspaper has posted a copy of a marriage license that shows Phelps and Johnson were married in Paradise Valley, Arizona. Neither Phelps, nor Johnson said
  
  Read more

• Official stresses urgency of rebuilding coastal wetlands

  27-10-2016 03:31
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana's senior coastal official has called the 2017 rewrite of the state's master plan for coastal restoration and storm surge protection "the issue of a lifetime," arguing that major restoration projects are urgently needed.NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune reports that Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Chairman Johnny Bradberry told dozens of participants in a discussion about the plan Monday at Louisiana State University that the current coastal situation will affect ev
  
  Read more

• Assessors lower values on flooded home, reduction in taxes

  27-10-2016 03:29
  
  BATON ROUGE - Assessors in East Baton Rouge and Livingston parishes have decided to move forward with across-the-board reductions in the value for structures damage in the August flood.In East Baton Rouge, flooded buildings will receive a 35 percent reduction in assessed value. In Livingston, the discount will be 20 percent.The Advocate reports state law requires property values to be reassessed after declared disasters such as the August flood. The evaluations determine how much property tax re
  
  Read more

• Arrieta, Schwarber allow Cubs to get even

  27-10-2016 03:25
  
  CLEVELAND - Jake Arrieta was back in 2015 form Wednesday in Cleveland. So was Kyle Schwarber as the Chicago Cubs earned a 5-1 victory over the Indians to even the World Series at a game apiece.Arrieta had a no-hitter until Jason Kipnis hit a one-out double in the sixth. Kipnis came around to score on a wild pitch, moments before Mike Napoli singled to end Arrieta's night after 5 2/3 innings.Arrieta struck out six and walked three in addition to allowing two hits.Schwarber was 2-for-4 with a pair
  
  Read more

• Modest gains, but US students still lag in science learning

  27-10-2016 03:05
  
  WASHINGTON - American students still have a ways to go when it comes to achieving a solid understanding of science.The 2015 National Assessment of Educational Progress, often called the Nation's Report Card, shows only about a third of fourth and eighth graders demonstrated strong academic performance in the sciences. Among 12th graders, just one in five were proficient or above in science.Results released Thursday show average scores were up four points in grades 4 and 8, and unchanged for 12th
  
  Read more

Follow @BatonRougeNews_ on Twitter!