Baton Rouge news

• Bar owners prepare for huge LSU football weekend

  03-11-2016 21:32
  
  BATON ROUGE - Tigerland bars are spending the days before the LSU-Alabama game stocking up, expecting a gigantic turnout.Fred's, argualby one of the most popular stops on a Baton Rouge gameday for students, used the most of their time Thursday to unload cases of alcohol and set up a huge tent space for people looking for a spot to hang out after the game.The tent they're using for Saturday's game is twice the size of two weekends ago. A ninty foot bar is set up, and three times the normal amount
  
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• Harvard suspends men's soccer team over sexual comments

  03-11-2016 20:43
  
  BOSTON - Harvard University is suspending its men's soccer team for the rest of the season over sexual comments made about members of the women's soccer team.
     University President Drew Faust said in a statement Thursday night that an investigation into the 2012 team found that their "appalling" comments were not isolated and have continued through the current season.
   
  The 2012 document uncovered by The Harvard Crimson student newspaper rated the attractive
  
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• Vegas Strip resort closed, guests evacuated after power outage

  03-11-2016 20:30
  
  LAS VEGAS - A hotel official says the darkened Paris Las Vegas resort could remain closed overnight, displacing thousands of guests and gamblers, while work crews repair its damaged main power line.
      
  Caesars Entertainment Corp. spokesman Rich Broome says authorities decided at nightfall Thursday that it was getting too late to promise to let guests back in.
      
  Broome says it's possible power can be restored at some point overnight, but
  
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• All of the most unstable compound at Camp Minden destroyed

  03-11-2016 17:50
  
  CAMP MINDEN - The Louisiana National Guard says all remnants of the most dangerously unstable compound at Camp Minden have been destroyed.A statement released late Tuesday said the last bits of nitrocellulose were burned that day.The guard also released aerial video of 57 tons of nitrocellulose , also called "clean-burning igniter," set ablaze Saturday, and the ignition Monday of 42.5 tons of igniter and 20 tons of M6 artillery propellant.Saturday's video showed flames shooting out, followed by
  
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• Medicaid expansion expected to cost $376M more than budgeted

  03-11-2016 16:19
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana's Medicaid expansion program is costing $376 million more than expected this year, as older and costlier uninsured people sign up for the free coverage.That's according to the latest data released by Louisiana's health department.The higher-than-expected cost boosts the estimated price tag for the program to $2.3 billion this fiscal year. The Louisiana Department of Health says the shortfall will be covered entirely by federal Medicaid financing.Jeff Reynolds, chief finan
  
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• Juban Crossing Kohl's store closed permanently after flood

  03-11-2016 16:10
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS – The Kohl’s department store in the Juban Crossing shopping center will not reopen after being damaged in August’s flooding.A spokesperson for the department store confirmed that the Crossing Way location will be closed permanently. Lyra O’Brien said customers can still find great value at the Baton Rouge store located on North Mall Drive.O’Brien said all Kohl’s associates have been offered positions at other ar
  
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• Wildfire risks remain elevated; residents urged to take caution

  03-11-2016 16:06
  
  BATON ROUGE – Citizens are urged to use caution as wildfire risks remain elevated due to dry conditions across the state.
  Parishes currently under outdoor burning ban orders include: Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Caldwell, Concordia, Franklin, Grant, Jefferson Davis, LaSalle, Madison, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Ouachita, Rapides, Richland, Sabine, Winn, Union and West Carroll. 
  Residents are encouraged to take the following precautions to help prevent wildfires:- Do not park veh
  
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• Kim Kardashian, Kanye West take photo with Alton Sterling's son Cameron

  03-11-2016 15:43
  
  A photo appears to show the teen standing with the couple backstage at Kanye West's "Saint Pablo" concert.
  
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• Find the hazardous liquid, gas pipelines in your community

  03-11-2016 15:15
  
  Maps show 17 southeast Louisiana parishes, thousands of miles of pipe, 778 accidents
  
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• WATCH: Trucker snags tree, nearly crashes passing car

  03-11-2016 14:53
  
  BATON ROUGE - A winding street around City-Brooks Park and the nearby dog park was closed for a part of Thursday afternoon after an 18-wheeler drove off with a large limb from one of the oak trees in the Hundred Oaks area.Video recorded by a WBRZ Twitter follower, @msvirdure, showed the truck driving down the street with the tree hanging off the trailer.  The truck stopped as it drove toward a car, part of the tree dangling over the small sedan next to the rig.Video shot by WBR
  
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• USA Gymnastics doing independent review of sexual misconduct

  03-11-2016 14:05
  
  INDIANAPOLIS - USA Gymnastics is turning to a former federal prosecutor to spearhead an independent review of the way the organization deals with allegations of sexual misconduct.Its president, Steve Penny, announced Thursday that Deborah Daniels will look into USA Gymnastics' bylaws, policies, procedures and practices related to sexual misconduct.Daniels, who served as both a U.S. attorney and U.S. assistant attorney general before going into private practice, will meet with experts and organiz
  
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• Year-long bicentennial celebration to kick-off on New Year's Eve

  03-11-2016 13:28
  
  BATON ROUGE – Mayor Kip Holden announced that the city will kick-off a year-long Bicentennial celebration on New Year's Eve.The Baton Rouge Bicentennial will kick-off at the 2016 Red Stick Revelry New Year's Eve celebration at The Crest Stage in Glavez Plaza and the North Boulevard Town Square when the Red Stick drops at midnight.Holden appointed a Bicentennial Committee, with honorary co-chairs Andre Moreau and actress Lynn Whitfield, to plan ways to recognize and celebrate the city's
  
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• BR woman wins $1 million Powerball prize

  03-11-2016 13:14
  
  BATON ROUGE – One Baton Rouge woman won the $1 million Powerball Prize from the Oct. 29 drawing.38-year-old Tung Le matched five of six numbers to win $1,000,004 which she claimed Monday at Louisiana Lottery headquarters. Le received $700,002 after state and federal tax withholdings.The winning ticket was sold at Hi Nabor Supermarket located on Jones Creek Road in Baton Rouge. The store received a one-time selling bonus of $ 10,000, one percent of the prize.For more information about P
  
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• Mortgage rules frustrating flood victims

  03-11-2016 13:12
  
  INDEPENDENCE - A flood victim says his mortgage company held onto his insurance money, instead of issuing it to him to help repair his home. Jeremy Anthony says he's been taking money out of his pocket and dipping into savings to repair his Independence home.He called 2 On Your Side for help, which got the ball rolling and shortly after got Anthony some of the money he was looking for.Anthony says he got just enough water in his home to ruin everything."We had to rip it out from the top
  
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• Melania Trump hits the campaign trail for first solo event

  03-11-2016 13:10
  
  PHILADELPHIA - Donald Trump's wife, Melania, is making a rare appearance on the campaign trail Thursday, delivering a get-out-the-vote speech in the Philadelphia suburbs with less than a week to go before Election Day.Mrs. Trump will headline her first solo event with a speech outlining her husband's vision for American women, children and families, and laying out her priorities as first lady if her husband is elected to the White House.According to Trump's campaign, Mrs. Trump "will speak from
  
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• Zachary schools lockdown lifted; police search called off

  03-11-2016 11:47
  
  ZACHARY - Most community schools were placed on lockdown Thursday morning as police searched for a suspect in a police chase.The lockdown was lifted after about an hour and a half Thursday morning. The pursuit involved a man, identified by police as 47-year-old Andrew Thompson, driving a car with a child inside.  It's not clear if Thompson was related to the child.  The child was safely recovered.  According to police, Thompson fled
  
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• Casino: Woman shown $43M jackpot actually won $2.25

  03-11-2016 11:39
  
  NEW YORK - A New York City casino says its hands are tied after a malfunctioning penny slot machine displayed a nearly $43 million jackpot to a woman who actually won $2.25.Katrina Bookman was playing the machine at Resorts World Casino in August when it displayed the big money payout. She says the casino later told her the machine had malfunctioned and offered her a steak dinner instead.The maximum payout for the machine is $6,500. Resorts World tells The Associated Press that the state gaming
  
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• Lawsuit dropped after man chokes on Popeyes chicken

  03-11-2016 11:26
  
  GULFPORT, Miss - A Mississippi attorney has dropped his lawsuit filed against Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen after he says he choked on a piece of chicken when the fast-food restaurant failed to provide him a knife in the drive-thru.
      
  Paul Newton Jr. of Gulfport tells The Sun Herald he decided not to pursue the matter further citing "extreme comments" directed at his family.
      
  Newton says the only utensil he was given last November at the G
  
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• Knives needed, man says after choking on Popeyes chicken

  03-11-2016 11:26
  
  GULFPORT, Miss. - A Mississippi attorney is suing Popeyes after he says he choked when he had to eat a piece of fried chicken with his hands because a knife wasn't included in his drive-thru order.Paul Newton Jr., who filed the lawsuit this week, says the only utensil he was given last November at the Gulfport restaurant was a spork.The lawsuit states that because Newton didn't receive a plastic knife, his only option was to hold the chicken breast with his hands and tear off pieces with his tee
  
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• Livingston residents can get FEMA assistance for damaged graves

  03-11-2016 11:05
  
  LIVINGSTON – A community meeting will be held for residents with family members buried in Livingston Parish to get assistance for the reburial of caskets that were displaced by the August flood.According to the Livingston Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, 21 cemeteries have been damaged in the parish. Many cemeteries have already been fixed or in the process of being fixed, however there are still several that need assistance in the re-interment process.Tho
  
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• $150K-plus raised for torched black church

  03-11-2016 09:31
  
  GREENVILLE, Miss. - An online fundraiser has netted more than $150,000 for an African-American church in Mississippi that was torched Tuesday and spray-painted with the message, "Vote Trump."The GoFundMe page hosting the fundraiser was created Wednesday with a goal of bringing in $10,000 to repair the Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church in Greenville. By Thursday morning it had raised nearly $157,000 in donations.The organizer of the campaign says money has been coming in from people of different
  
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• Louisiana deputy kills man who points gun at him

  03-11-2016 09:26
  
  HOUMA - Louisiana authorities say sheriff's deputy killed a man who shot himself in the chest and then pointed a gun at the officer.The Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office identified the man as 59-year-old Wilton Henry, of Houma.Sheriff Jerry Larpenter said in a news release the deputy responded to a call Wednesday about a suspicious person in an SUV in the parking lot of a truck stop.After a deputy asked Henry for his identification, the sheriff says he picked up a handgun. He says the deputy or
  
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• Firefighters put out car fire, find burned body in trunk

  03-11-2016 09:15
  
  NEW ORLEANS - Authorities are investigating after a body was discovered inside the trunk of a burning vehicle in New Orleans.Local media outlets report that the New Orleans Fire Department says in a news release that firefighters were called to the scene of a car fire Wednesday night.After extinguishing the blaze, firefighters say they found the body inside the trunk. The body was burned to the point where the age or gender of the victim could not be recognized.Officials say both the cause of th
  
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• Rates going up next year under Affordable Care Act

  03-11-2016 09:08
  
  BATON ROUGE - Rate increases have been posted for "Obamacare" plans offered by three health insurers in Louisiana, with Blue Cross and Blue Shield boosting rates as much as 41 percent on average for 2017, although some customers may see premiums skyrocket by 54.7 percent.State Department of Insurance records show Vantage Health Plan is implementing a 31.5 percent increase and Humana an average increase of 29.5 percent.The increases don't mean everyone will pay more for coverage. Under the Afford
  
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• Flood debris costs top $13 million in Livingston Parish

  03-11-2016 09:03
  
  LIVINGSTON - Livingston Parish officials say the removal of August flood debris has topped the $13 million mark, with the final pickup set to begin.Mark Harrell, the parish's emergency preparedness director, says the parish's contractors had picked up about 660,000 cubic yards of debris, 17,000 white goods and about 15,000 pounds of putrid food.Finance Director Jennifer Meyers said the parish recently received about $4.2 million in reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for t
  
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• UNHCR says up to 240 dead in wrecks off Libya

  03-11-2016 07:39
  
  CALAIS, France - The U.N. refugee agency says survivor accounts indicate as many as 240 people have died in two shipwrecks off Libya. No bodies have been recovered.UNHCR spokeswoman in Italy Carlotta Sami says 31 survivors of two shipwrecks who arrived on Thursday on the Italian island of Lampedusa reported that their boats capsized in heavy seas.Sami said 29 people survived the first wreck, reporting that about 120 people had gone missing. And in a separate operation, two women found swimming a
  
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• Police: 26 civilians dead in Afghan raid killing 2 US troops

  03-11-2016 06:56
  
  KABUL, Afghanistan - An Afghan police official says 26 civilians are dead after an assault that killed two U.S. service members.The general of Kunduz province says some of the dead after the assault today included members of a Taliban fighter's family.He says the raid by U.S. and Afghan forces killed 65 Taliban fighters, including two commanders for the insurgency.NATO earlier announced the killing of two U.S. service members and the wounding of two others in the raid.Both NATO and the Pentagon
  
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• Pakistani officials: Train crash kills 19 in Karachi

  03-11-2016 06:54
  
  KARACHI, Pakistan - Pakistani officials say a train crash has killed 19 people in the southern port city of Karachi.Railways official Nasir Nazeer says another 50 people were injured in the accident, which happened when one of the trains crashed into the back end of another on the city's outskirts.Dr Seemi Jamali says two women and a child are among those killed. She also says that five of the injured people are in critical condition.Pakistan has one of the world's worst rail infrastructures, an
  
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• Chicago area native Clinton buoyed by Cubs Series victory

  03-11-2016 06:52
  
  TEMPE, Ariz. - Hillary Clinton cheered her hometown Chicago Cubs on to victory in the World Series.With the game going to extra innings, Clinton was able to catch the final moments after finishing a presidential campaign rally in Arizona. She watched on an aide's iPad as she stood by her idling motorcade.Reporters in vans further back in the motorcade could hear cheers from the direction of Clinton's vehicle after the final out. An aide said Clinton staffer and Cubs fan Connolly Keigher pulled o
  
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• For Cubs fans, it's the win of the century

  03-11-2016 06:50
  
  CLEVELAND - Cubs fans can now forget about billy goats and Bartman. The Curse has been laid to rest by Ben Zobrist.The Cubs are World Series champions for the first time in 108 years after Zobrist delivered a tiebreaking double off losing pitcher Brian Shaw in the 10th inning to lead an 8-7 victory over the Indians in Cleveland. Zobrist is now the toast of Chicago and the World Series MVP, less than 11 months after signing a free-agent contract and one year after helping the Royals win the Fall
  
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• All lanes now open I-10 WB

  03-11-2016 05:43
  
  BATON ROUGE - All lanes are now open on I-10 westbound.Thursday morning, two major accidents closed the multiple lanes of traffic on I-10 westbound on the Mississippi River Bridge.The delay from this incidents remains beyond Bluebonnet on I-10 westbound and Airline on I-12 westbound.News 2's Ashley Fruge is monitoring the roadways on 2une In. We will have updates on WBRZ.com and Twitter.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Accident closes lanes on I-10 WB on MS River Bridge

  03-11-2016 05:43
  
  BATON ROUGE - Commuters may want to take an alternate route Thursday morning as the center and right lanes are closed on I-10 westbound at the top of the Mississippi River Bridge due to an accident.The delay from this incident has reached Acadian.News 2's Ashley Fruge is monitoring the roadways on 2une In. We will have updates on WBRZ.com and Twitter.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Louisiana's new tax recommendations look a lot like previous tax recommendations

  03-11-2016 03:02
  
  "There no surprises." - Gov. John Bel Edwards
  
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