Baton Rouge news

• Markets Right Now: Asian shares tumble as Trump gains

  08-11-2016 21:40
  
  HONG KONG - Share benchmarks are tumbling across Asia after Donald Trump gained the lead in electoral votes, with 137 to Hillary Clinton's 104 as of 9:30 p.m. EST (0230 GMT). Markets had opened solidly higher but quickly shed those gains, reflecting investor concern over what a Trump presidency might mean for the economy and trade.Japan's Nikkei 225 index dropped 2.4 percent to 16,777.85 as the U.S. dollar sank against the Japanese yen, a trend that would be unfavorable to exporters. Ho
  
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• Runoff in Clinton mayoral race

  08-11-2016 21:39
  
  BATON ROUGE - First-term Mayor Lori Ann Bell faces a runoff election in December.Bell failed to win enough votes in Tuesday's election to avoid a runoff.  Bell faces former mayor Don Reason, Sr.  Bell garnered 33% of the votes - about 292 cast in support of her.  Reason received 319 votes, or 36%.Reason lost the last mayoral election to Bell.  The third place finisher Melvin Spears, Jr. had a 278 votes.EDITOR'S NOTE: This version of the story corrects an inacc
  
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• Former Town of Clinton mayor recaptures job

  08-11-2016 21:39
  
  BATON ROUGE - There is a change in the Mayor's office in Clinton. The East Feliciana town elected Don Reason, Sr. Tuesday evening ousting first-term Mayor Lori Ann Bell.
  With three candidates in the race, the gap between the top two candidates was just 27 votes. Reason gets the position back after losing the 2012 Mayor's race to Bell. The third place finisher Melvin Spears, Jr. had a 278 votes.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Marco Rubio wins 2nd term in the Senate

  08-11-2016 19:31
  
  WASHINGTON - Marco Rubio failed in his bid to end up in the White House, but he's still going back to Washington. Florida voters elected him to a second term in the Senate on Tuesday.He had wavered for months before deciding to run for re-election. He beat back a challenge from Democratic Rep. Patrick Murphy, who has repeatedly tried to link Rubio to Donald Trump.The two Senate candidates differed starkly on a number of issues - including guns, health care, foreign policy, economic issues and ab
  
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• Louisiana voters sell Blue Dog stickers online

  08-11-2016 18:06
  
  OK, so forget those ballot box selfies. Bring on the "I voted" stickers!Stuck to noses, dogs and children, the stickers are front and center on social media, including many customized by cities and states. Others were served generic designs of stars and flags.One of the most impressive stickers may have belonged to Louisiana where stickers featured one of the famous Blue Dogs painted by New Iberia native George Rodrigue.With hours left before polls closed, Louisiana voters tried to take advantag
  
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• EBR Mayor challenges incumbent for 2nd congressional district

  08-11-2016 17:48
  
  BATON ROUGE - Voters will choose if East Baton Rouge Mayor Kip Holden will replace U.S. Representative Cedric Richmond as the U.S. Representative for the 2nd congressional district or if Richmond will remain.Holden announced that he would challenge Richmond in the race in July.Richmond and Holden have had some tension with one another in the past months. Holden was vocal about not being invited by Richmond, Governor Edwards and three local mayors went to Washington D.C. to talk to congr
  
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• John Bel Edwards goes to Washington to ask for flood reflief, again

  08-11-2016 17:32
  
  The governor leaves on Wednesday (Nov. 9) to advocate for more federal flood recovery money.
  
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• Louisiana's oddball U.S. Senate race expected to go to runoff

  08-11-2016 17:16
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana's U.S. Senate seat features an open seat, two dozen candidates, prostitution allegations and a white supremacist contender. Earlier this month, contenders struggled to break away from the pack in a race where only a few percentage points could determine who reaches a Dec. 10 runoff. About the only sure thing seems to be that the race won't be decided Nov. 8 with most of the nation's political contests.Among Republicans, U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany talks of "gettin
  
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• Gonzales voters re-elect Mayor Barney Arceneaux

  08-11-2016 17:15
  
  GONZALES – Voters have decided to re-elect Mayor of Gonzales Barney Arceneaux rather than choosing new leadership for the role.The two candidates, both Democrats, in the race were Mayor Barney Arceneaux and Councilman Terance Irvin.Arceneaux has been serving as mayor of the city since January 2009. Irvin was first elected to the council in 2000 and was also chosen as mayor pro tem that same year.Click here for WBRZ's election results page for a count of the votes after polls close at 8
  
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• Gonzales voters decide next mayor Tuesday

  08-11-2016 17:15
  
  GONZALES – Voters will decide either to re-elect the current Mayor of Gonzales or choose new leadership for the role.The two candidates, both Democrats, in the race are Mayor Barney Arceneaux and Councilman Terance Irvin.Arceneaux has been serving as mayor of the city since January 2009. Irvin was first elected to the council in 2000 and was also chosen as mayor pro tem that same year.Click here for WBRZ's election results page for a count of the votes after polls close at 8 p.m.Permal
  
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• Voters pass property tax for EBR Council on Aging

  08-11-2016 16:34
  
  BATON ROUGE – Voters approved a property tax that would create more money for the East Baton Rouge Council on Aging.In a close vote, the measure was passed with 90,791 votes (51 percent). The tax would be a 2.25 mill property tax for 10 years that would create more than $7 million annually to operate the organization's programs that assists the elderly. Programs that would benefit from the tax are programs such as Meals on Wheels, wellness programs and personal care assistance
  
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• Voters decide on property tax for EBR Council on Aging

  08-11-2016 16:34
  
  BATON ROUGE – Voters will decide to approve/deny a property tax that would create more money for the East Baton Rouge Council on Aging.The tax would be a 2.25 mill property tax for 10 years that would create more than $7 million annually to operate the organization's programs that assists the elderly. Programs that would benefit from the tax are programs such as Meals on Wheels, wellness programs and personal care assistance programs.The East Baton Rouge Metro Council approved
  
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• Bodi White, Sharon Weston Broome enter runoff for EBR Mayor-President office

  08-11-2016 16:15
  
  UPDATE: Bodi White and Sharon Weston Broome will enter into a run off. A winner will be chosen Dec. 10. BATON ROUGE - Voters will decide between a dozen candidates, including local business leaders and local represenatives, for East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President.The winner, barring a December 10 runoff, will replace Kip Holden who is term-limited. Holden, a Democrat, has served as mayor of Baton Rouge since January 2005. He was elected in November 2004. Holden campaigned for Louisi
  
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• A dozen candidates battle for EBR Mayor-President office

  08-11-2016 16:15
  
  BATON ROUGE - Voters will decide between a dozen candidates, including local business leaders and local represenatives, for East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President.The winner, barring a December 10 runoff, will replace Kip Holden who is term-limited. Holden, a Democrat, has served as mayor of Baton Rouge since January 2005. He was elected in November 2004. Holden campaigned for Louisiana's Lieutenant Governor office in 2015 and U.S. Senator in 2016.Click here for WBRZ's election day res
  
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• Garret Graves wins re-election in 6th district

  08-11-2016 16:14
  
  UPDATE: WBRZ calls Garret Graves the winner of the 6th congressional district race with more than 65 percent of the vote. BATON ROUGE – Five candidates seek to unseat incumbent Republican representative Garret Graves Tuesday in Louisiana's sixth congressional district.Graves was originally elected to congress in 2014 to replace Bill Cassidy who successfully campaigned against incumbent Senator Mary Landrieu for her seat in the U.S. Senate.Click here for WBRZ'
  
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• Five candidates seek to unseat Garret Graves in 6th district

  08-11-2016 16:14
  
  BATON ROUGE – Five candidates seek to unseat incumbent Republican representative Garret Graves Tuesday in Louisiana's sixth congressional district.Graves was originally elected to congress in 2014 to replace Bill Cassidy who successfully campaigned against incumbent Senator Mary Landrieu for her seat in the U.S. Senate.Click here for WBRZ's election results page with detailed vote counts for each candidate after polls close at 8 p.m. Permalink| Comments
  
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• What do the six proposed La. constitutional amendments mean?

  08-11-2016 15:43
  
  BATON ROUGE – Along with voters casting their ballots for the presidential election, U.S. Senate and several local races, they will vote on six state constitutional amendments.Below are the proposed constitutional amendments that voters will see on their ballots and their meanings:Proposed Amendment No. 1Act 677 (2016 Regular Session) amends Article XI, Section 5. "Do you support an amendment to provide that the manner of appointment for the registrar of voters in each parish
  
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• Voters kill college tuition amendment; pass three of six proposed

  08-11-2016 15:43
  
  BATON ROUGE – Along with voters casting their ballots for the presidential election, U.S. Senate and several local races, they will vote on six state constitutional amendments.Below are the proposed constitutional amendments that voters will see on their ballots and their meanings:Proposed Amendment No. 1Act 677 (2016 Regular Session) amends Article XI, Section 5. "Do you support an amendment to provide that the manner of appointment for the registrar of voters in each parish
  
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• Steady crowd marks election day at Susan B. Anthony's grave

  08-11-2016 15:36
  
  ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Some voters are going from the polls to the cemetery in upstate New York to pay respects to women's suffrage leader Susan B. Anthony.Video from WROC shows a steady stream of people at Rochester's Mount Hope cemetery decorating Anthony's grave with "I Voted" stickers and American flags. Some are leaving yellow roses, which was a symbol of the women's suffrage movement.Among the visitors was Nora Rubel, the director of the Susan B. Anthony Institute at the University of
  
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• Ex-officer pleads not guilty in daughter's hot car death

  08-11-2016 15:15
  
  BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. - A former Mississippi police officer accused in the alleged hot-car death of her 3-year-old daughter has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter.Cassie Barker's attorney, George Blair, argued for a preliminary hearing Tuesday, but prosecutor Olin Anderson said the former Long Beach officer was not entitled to one because she is already out of jail on bond.Justice Court Judge Tommy Carver agreed. He ruled there was enough evidence in the case to automatically send it to a grand j
  
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• Gov. Edwards going back to Washington for flood aid

  08-11-2016 14:51
  
  BATON ROUGE - Gov. John Bel Edwards is returning to Washington this week, as he tries to build the case that Louisiana needs more federal assistance to recover from the summer flooding.The Democratic governor is seeking $4 billion in federal aid to respond to the flooding that hit south Louisiana and March flooding that damaged north Louisiana. Louisiana received $438 million from Congress earlier this year.Edwards will travel to Washington for meetings Wednesday and Thursday with congressional
  
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• What to do when voting issues occur

  08-11-2016 14:35
  
  BATON ROUGE – As Election Day is in full swing and voters are making their way to the polls, sometimes issues can occur.The office of the Secretary of State wants to inform voters of what to do if they have complaints, feel something is wrong or voting violations are being performed.The Secretary of State asks voters with electioneering complaints to be bring them to the attention of the commissioners who are working at the precincts. The commissioners, along with local law enforcement
  
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• Family awarded $4.4 million for accident that killed 2 children on Bluff Road

  08-11-2016 13:53
  
  ASCENSION – An Ascension Parish jury awarded $4.4 million to a mother and father for the death of their two children who were struck and killed by an SUV in July 2014 on Bluff Road.The SUV was driven by 24-year-old Shawnette Taylor, who lost control when her vehicle's wheel veered off the road down an embankment. The embankment caused the vehicle to drive into a group of five people, including a six-year-old boy and a nine-year-old girl. The two children were killed and the th
  
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• Voodoo Fest iPhone theft yields seizure of 27 guns, $21K

  08-11-2016 13:51
  
  HARVEY - Authorities say a search for an iPhone stolen during a New Orleans music festival yielded a cache of drugs, 27 firearms and more than $21,000 in cash inside a Harvey home.Citing an arrest report, a woman used an app to track her iPhone to the home after the phone, a pair of sunglasses and a fanny pack were stolen Oct. 30 during the 2016 Voodoo Music + Arts Experience.On Wednesday, Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office deputies searched the home and found 27 firearms, nine doses of ecstasy,
  
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• Three companies selected to manage BR downtown parking

  08-11-2016 13:46
  
  BATON ROUGE – Mayor Holden announced on Tuesday that three companies have been selected to manage the City-Parish public parking downtown.The companies will help improve street and garage parking by providing better facility management, customer service and security along with modernizing the downtown parking system, according to City-Parish officials. The system will allow payment by credit cards and cell phones and using the latest technology to help drivers find available parking sp
  
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• Trump wins Louisiana's electoral votes

  08-11-2016 13:15
  
  Louisiana's eight presidential electoral votes are going to Republican Donald Trump.As expected, voters in the state Tuesday selected Trump over Democrat Hillary Clinton and 11 other third party contenders.Louisiana was considered so solidly in the Republican column for the presidential election that Trump and Clinton spent little time campaigning in the state.Both made appearances.Trump held rallies in the state early in the year, then returned to visit flood-ravaged areas of the state around B
  
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• Final flood debris collection pass in ZIP codes 70815 & 70817

  08-11-2016 13:10
  
  BATON ROUGE – City-Parish officials have announced that final flood debris collection pass efforts are underway in the 70815 and the 70817 ZIP code areas.Debris removal crews began their final pass efforts on Nov. 7, which involve the collection of all flood debris currently placed curbside across flood-affected ZIP codes in Baton Rouge.Once crews conduct a final pass for flood debris collection through each street in each active ZIP code, they will not return. As final pass efforts ar
  
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• Metro Council seats will be decided in a runoff

  08-11-2016 12:28
  
  BATON ROUGE - Runoff elections will be needed to determine final decisions in the East Baton Rouge Parish Metro Council election.Incumbents Chandler Loupe, Scott Wilson and Buddy Amoroso won enough votes to miss a runoff and were elected back to the council. Newcomer Matt Watson was elected to the council without a runoff, replacing Ryan Heck who did not run for re-election to the council.Incumbents Chauna Banks, Tara Wicker, Erika Green and LaMont Cole will enter a runoff.  Ba
  
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• Click here for election results

  08-11-2016 12:21
  
  BATON ROUGE - WBRZ is covering around seventy races as the country votes for president and regional elections are decided.State-wide, voters are electing a U.S. Senator and members of the U.S. House of Representatives along with constitutional amendments. Locally, voters are making decisions on city and parish leaders and taxes. WBRZ.com will monitor every race. Live election returns can be found on the WBRZ.com election result stream HERE. Data won't be available until polls close at 8 p.m.WBRZ
  
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• Bookmark WBRZ's election results page

  08-11-2016 12:21
  
  BATON ROUGE - WBRZ is covering around seventy races as the country votes for president and regional elections are decided.State-wide, voters are electing a U.S. Senator and members of the U.S. House of Representatives along with constitutional amendments. Locally, voters are making decisions on city and parish leaders and taxes. WBRZ.com will monitor every race. Live election returns can be found on the WBRZ.com election result stream HERE. Data won't be available until polls close at 8 p.m.WBRZ
  
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• Presidential candidates voted Tuesday morning

  08-11-2016 12:07
  
  NEW YORK - Both presidential candidates have voted in Tuesday's election.Republican hopeful Donald Trump cast his ballot in New York City. About forty miles away, Democratic hopeful Hillary Clinton cast her ballot. Clinton voted in Chappaqua, New York. Both Clinton and Trump will have election parties in New York City.In Louisiana, people were met with long lines at many voting precincts as they cast their vote for president and a handful of state-wide and local elections. Polls in Louisiana clo
  
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• Thieves hit Central neighborhood; Guns stolen from vehicles

  08-11-2016 11:38
  
  CENTRAL - Guns were among the items stolen in a rash of car burglaries in the Jackson Place neighborhood in the last week.The sheriff's office said it is looking for two men who deputies believe are responsible. The men were seen on security video burglarizing a vehicle on November 1 just before 4:00 a.m. Jackson Place is off of Joor Road.Multiple vehicles were targeted, deputies said. In addition to weapons, money was also stolen from vehicles. Video shows two guys breaking into the vehicles. O
  
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• Port Allen keeps Mayor Richard Lee

  08-11-2016 11:32
  
  BATON ROUGE - Port Allen voters have decided to keep Mayor Richard Lee at the helm of the city. Lah Slaughter lost with 22 percent of the vote.
  Lee filled the spot that was left open when former Mayor Deedy Slaughter was recalled.Click here for WBRZ's election day results page where you can find a breakdown of results for all candidates. Permalink| Comments
  
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• HK jury convicts British banker of murdering Indonesians

  08-11-2016 07:04
  
  HONG KONG - A Hong Kong jury has convicted a British banker in the 2014 killings of two Indonesian women in a gruesome case that shocked the Chinese financial hub.The nine-person jury returned their unanimous verdicts in the High Court on Tuesday.They found Rurik Jutting guilty of murder in the death of 23-year-old Sumarti Ningsih. Prosecutors said Jutting was using cocaine while he tortured her for three days and then slit her throat.Jurors were shown graphic smartphone video clips of the tortu
  
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• 5 Islamic State suspects arrested in Germany

  08-11-2016 07:01
  
  BERLIN - German prosecutors say that authorities have arrested five men on allegations they aided the Islamic State group in Germany, recruiting members and providing financial and logistical help.The federal prosecutor's office says the men were arrested by officers of the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia.Prosecutors say the suspects were focused on recruiting young Muslims in Germany, and raising funds to send them to Syria to join IS. They're also accused of providing logistical suppor
  
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• Parts of street collapse in southern Japan city; no injuries

  08-11-2016 06:58
  
  TOKYO - Parts of a main street have collapsed in the heart of a major city in southern Japan, creating a massive sinkhole and cutting off power, water and gas supplies to parts of the city.Authorities in Fukuoka say no injuries have been reported.The sinkhole is more than half the size of an Olympic pool.Today's incident prompted the evacuation of some residents in nearby buildings.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Orlando to buy Pulse nightclub, turn it into memorial

  08-11-2016 06:52
  
  ORLANDO, Fla. - The city of Orlando, Florida, has announced plans to purchase the Pulse nightclub and eventually convert the site of the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history into a memorial.Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer told the Orlando Sentinel on Monday that the city has reached a deal to buy the gay nightclub for $2.25 million.Dyer says the site should probably remain as-is for the next 12 to 18 months, as it has become a gathering place for mourners.He says the city will reach out to th
  
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• Prince Harry's office condemns media coverage of girlfriend

  08-11-2016 06:48
  
  LONDON - Prince Harry's office has confirmed that American actress Meghan Markle is his girlfriend, issuing a strongly worded statement accusing the media of harassing her.In the highly unusual statement, Harry says he is worried about her safety and "is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her."The relationship between Harry and Markle had been the subject of media rumors and gossip over the past few weeks.The palace said Tuesday that the past week has seen "a line crossed"
  
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