Baton Rouge news

• Louisiana Tax Commission member hasn't paid property taxes in 30 years, Fox 8 reports

  10-11-2016 21:39
  
  New Orleans resident Jimmie Thorns owes $140,000 in back taxes.
  
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• Donald Trump responds to protesters on Twitter

  10-11-2016 21:01
  
  WASHINGTON - President-elect Donald Trump is back on Twitter, taking on the protesters who have gathered in cities across the nation since his election.
      
  Trump tweets: "Just had a very open and successful presidential election. Now professional protesters, incited by the media, are protesting. Very unfair!"<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Just had a very open and successful presidential election. No
  
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• Singer-Songwriter and poet Leonard Cohen dead at age 82

  10-11-2016 20:35
  
  LOS ANGELES - Leonard Cohen, the gravelly-voiced Canadian singer-songwriter of "Hallelujah," ''Suzanne" and "Bird on a Wire," has died at age 82.
      
  Cohen's management said in a statement Thursday that he has passed away, and a memorial will take place in Los Angeles at a later date. No further details on his death were given.
      
  Cohen, also renowned as a poet, novelist and aspiring Zen monk, blended folk music with a darker, sexual edge
  
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• Mississippi's 1st flu case confirmed for 2016-17 season

  10-11-2016 20:04
  
  JACKSON, Miss. - Mississippi health officials are confirming the state's first case of the flu for the 2016-17 season.
      
  A state Department of Health news release says Thursday that the patient is from the central part of the state, but it did not mention which city or county.
      
  Individual flu cases are not reported to the health department. But, the agency monitors flu activity through a system in which health care providers report the
  
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• Trump's infrastructure plans excite Louisiana businesses, drivers

  10-11-2016 19:06
  
  BATON ROUGE - Excitement is growing in Baton Rouge, after President-Elect Donald Trump said he plans to invest $1 trillion to improve the country's infrastructure.Businesses like Ascenion Ready Mix concrete company in Ascension Parish are hoping work picks up once Trump takes office."I could always use more projects," employee T.J. Harris said. "I mean, we could always pour more concrete, we could always be busier."Harris echoed the thoughts of many Louisiana drivers."I think anybody who drives
  
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• Man allegedly posed as police, threatened arrest if minors didn't send nude photos

  10-11-2016 18:49
  
  NEW ORLEANS - The FBI arrested a man who they say pretended to be a police officer, and threatened female minors with arrest if they failed to send him nude photographs.18-year-old Tristion A. Grant was arrested Thursday morning, according to the FBI New Orleans Division's Violent Crimes Against Children/Human Trafficking Task Force.FBI officials say Grant contacted female minors online and coerced them into sending nude photos of themselves to him. They say he also intimidated them, telling the
  
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• Large cable bill broken down, adjusted for Cox customer

  10-11-2016 17:16
  
  BATON ROUGE - A Baton Rouge man says he's learned a lesson and he'll double check his bills from now on.Doug Haynesworth says he discovered he was billed $713.29 from Cox Communications for the month of September, but didn't notice it until he checked his bank statement.After a couple attempts to discuss the bill with Cox, he was concerned there was a problem with the bill and contacted 2 On Your Side for help."I don't do pay-per-view, I don't do none of that," said Haynesworth.Haynesworth was i
  
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• Edwards asking to speak with Trump about Louisiana flood aid

  10-11-2016 16:59
  
  BATON ROUGE - Gov. John Bel Edwards is reaching out to the nation's president-elect for help in Louisiana's recovery from mid-August flooding that heavily damaged southern parishes.The Democratic governor sent Donald Trump a letter Wednesday, congratulating him on his victory, thanking him for his August visit to see the flood damage and asking to speak with the incoming Republican president about Louisiana's recovery needs.Edwards' office released the letter Thursday.In his letter, Edwards cred
  
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• Iberia Parish disaster recovery center closing Nov. 14

  10-11-2016 16:13
  
  NEW IBERIA – The Iberia Pairsh disaster recovery center at the Fire Protection District Training Center will close at 6 p.m. on Nov. 14.The center is located at the Iberia Parish Fire Protection District Training Center at 2417 Darnall Road. Officials say that the need for the disaster recovery center in the area has diminished, leading to the facility's closure.Disaster survivors who have registered with FEMA may visit any other disaster recovery center for face-to-face help. Centers
  
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• Economist: Louisiana job numbers down, hitting state coffers

  10-11-2016 15:01
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana's $315 million deficit from last year was mainly driven by continuing dips in private sector employment that are driving down personal income and business tax collections.That's the grim assessment delivered Thursday to the state's income forecasting panel, the Revenue Estimating Conference.The Legislature's chief economist, Greg Albrecht, has described the state as in a recession. He told the forecasting panel the number of private sector jobs has been falling since last
  
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• New Orleans mayor condemns vandalism during anti-Trump march

  10-11-2016 14:49
  
  NEW ORLEANS - The mayor of New Orleans is condemning vandalism that occurred during a protest of Donald Trump's election to the presidency.Media reported that windows were broken at one downtown building during an anti-Trump march involving several dozen people Wednesday night.Anti-trump and anti-Ku Klux Klan slogans were spray-painted on some structures, including the base of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.Mayor Mitch Landrieu, a Democrat, supported Hillary Clinton in the election.
  
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• NCAA announces New Orleans will host 2022 Final Four

  10-11-2016 13:57
  
  NEW ORLEANS - The NCAA has announced that New Orleans will host the 2022 men's basketball Final Four.The announcement, made Thursday, means New Orleans is set to host college basketball's men's semifinals and championship game for the sixth time - each time in the Superdome.Dan Gavitt, who is the NCAA's president for men's basketball championships, says officials were eager to grant the 2022 event to New Orleans because it comes on the 40th anniversary of the 1982 Final Four, which also was held
  
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• Double-shooting unusual in quiet town; Prompts elementary school lockdown

  10-11-2016 12:38
  
  MARINGOUIN – The Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff's Office is responding to a double-shooting on Valverda Road near Fontaine Road.According to sources, Valverda Elementary School located near the area was on lockdown. Helicopters could be heard flying over the school.Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff Bud Torres said that upon arrival, a vehicle was found in the ditch and two victims were found inside. One had a gunshot wound to the chest and the other had a gunshot wound in the leg.&am
  
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• Public meetings on second phase of Green Light Plan to be held

  10-11-2016 12:11
  
  BATON ROUGE – A series of nine public meetings will be held in November and December for the next phase on the Green Light Plan.The Green Light Plan proposal calls for a parish-wide, 5-mill property tax over 30 years to fund an estimated $452-million in road and street improvements. An estimated $260 million of the project funding would come from bond sales and the other $192 million would come in the form of pay-as-you-go revenue.The Green Light Plan property tax would free up the exi
  
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• Governor's office emails reveal concerns about Shelter at Home

  10-11-2016 12:11
  
  BATON ROUGE- Emails from the staff of Governor Jon Bel Edwards show the administration had concerns about the Shelter at Home program just two weeks after its launch. The emails reveal how officials struggled to manage the emergency program and rectify complaints from victims of the August flood."The program has the Governor's name on it and it's not working, for a lot of people," wrote Deputy Chief of Staff Johnny Anderson on September 19th.Read all the emails here:interoffice_emails_g
  
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• High heel wearing, pot smoking musician did better than some politicians Tuesday

  10-11-2016 12:03
  
  LAFAYETTE - Perhaps the loudest message voters sent came in the quiet loss of Jacob "Dorian Phibian" Hebert's congressional bid for the Lafayette area Tuesday night.While his political career is over for now - maybe forever, as he wrote before the election he doesn't "ever want to talk about politics again" - you can't count out what happened to him. Hebert, an eccentric, acknowledged pot smoker, garnered more votes than some well-known candidates in Louisiana's 3rd Congressional District.Hebert
  
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• Police: Student says man wearing "Trump" hat attacked her

  10-11-2016 11:11
  
  LAFAYETTE - A Louisiana college student told police she was assaulted and robbed of her wallet and hijab by two men, one of whom was wearing a white "Trump" hat.Police said the 18-year-old woman told investigators she was walking near the University of Louisiana at Lafayette's campus Wednesday morning - hours after Donald Trump's presidential victory - when she was accosted by two white men who drove up in a car.The student said the men struck her with a metal object, knocking her down, and stol
  
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• Police say student lied about attack by Trump supporter

  10-11-2016 11:11
  
  LAFAYETTE - Police say a University of Louisiana at Lafayette student has admitted to lying about being attacked by two men, one of who was wearing a "Trump" hat, WBRZ's sister station KATC reports. The student originally told police she was assaulted and robbed of her wallet and hijab by two men, one of whom was wearing a white "Trump" hat.Police said the 18-year-old woman told investigators she was walking near the University of Louisiana at Lafayette's campus Wednes
  
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• Los Angeles freeway blocked by Trump protesters

  10-11-2016 09:51
  
  OAKLAND, Calif- Several hundred people flooded onto one of the busiest freeways in Los Angeles, causing a miles-long traffic backup in protest of the presidential election of Donald Trump.The protesters, who had remained peaceful and not overly disruptive for most of the night, poured on to U.S. 101, which links downtown LA to Hollywood, and stayed there for most of an hour. Drivers sat and waited. Many got out of their cars.The crowd was slowly starting to disperse as many of the demonstrators
  
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• WATCH: Trump says he looks forward to Obama's counsel following meeting at White House

  10-11-2016 09:40
  
  WASHINGTON - President-elect Donald Trump says he's looking forward to benefiting from President Barack Obama's "counsel" in the future.Trump was speaking at the end of his meeting Thursday with Obama in the Oval Office. He's suggesting he may turn to Obama for advice on governing.Trump said he looks forward to being with Obama "many, many more times." He said they discussed a host of topics.Trump said that Obama explained "some of the difficulties" but also "some of the really great things that
  
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• Trump arrives in White House for Obama meeting

  10-11-2016 09:40
  
  WASHINGTON - President-elect Donald Trump has arrived at the White House to discuss the transition with President Barack Obama.Trump arrived in Washington after flying from New York aboard his private jet.The meeting comes after Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton in Tuesday's election. It symbolically begins the transition of power from Obama, a Democrat, to Republican Trump.While Trump and Obama meet in the Oval Office, first lady Michelle Obama and Trump's wife, Melania, are to meet priva
  
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• Repairs to flood-damage graves completed in Ascension Parish

  10-11-2016 09:07
  
  GONZALES - Ascension Parish officials say a Gonzales-based tomb company has completed the restoration or re-interment of 60 graves disturbed in the August floods.The historic high water affected eight graveyards in the Prairieville, Sorrento, St. Amant and Galvez areas. Some caskets were sent floating into the water in St. Amant as firefighters had the grim task of gathering and tying them down.The repair job, which was finished last week, is expected to cost more than $34,000. Parish officials
  
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• Coroner: 1 of 2 Pennsylvania police officers shot has died

  10-11-2016 08:24
  
  CANONSBURG, Pa. - One of two western Pennsylvania police officers "ambushed" and shot while responding to a domestic situation has died, and police are searching for a suspect, authorities said Thursday.Washington County Coroner Tim Warco didn't immediately identify the slain Canonsburg officer pending notification of relatives.State police Trooper Melinda Bondarenka told reporters the incident began at 3:14 a.m. when the Canonsburg officers responded to a report of a domestic dispute.The office
  
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• 2 police officers shot in western PA

  10-11-2016 08:24
  
  CANONSBURG, Pa. - One of two western Pennsylvania police officers "ambushed" and shot while responding to a domestic situation has died, and police are searching for a suspect, authorities said Thursday.
      
  Washington County Coroner Tim Warco didn't immediately identify the slain Canonsburg officer pending notification of relatives.
      
  State police Trooper Melinda Bondarenka told reporters the incident began at 3:14 a.m. when the Canonsbu
  
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• Trump starts transition process

  10-11-2016 08:20
  
  WASHINGTON- President-elect Donald Trump and his senior team have begun the task of picking a Cabinet and tapping hundreds of appointees to senior roles in key departments such as State, Defense, Homeland Security, Commerce and Treasury.
      
  Trump goes to the White House today to get help from President Barack Obama in making the transition.Permalink| Comments
  
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