Baton Rouge news

• Louisiana legislators want to spare higher education, but budget problem getting worse

  18-11-2016 22:32
  
  Louisiana's has a $312 million budget deficit already, but the financial hole is expected to grow substantially in January.
  
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• Bond denied to former children's show host

  18-11-2016 18:13
  
  ALEXANDRIA - A state district judge has denied bond for a former Louisiana children's show host accused of child abuse.Judge Mary Lauve Doggett issued the ruling late Friday involving 76-year-old Frank Selas III, weeks after a bail hearing that included testimony from Selas' four children, who all guaranteed their father's court appearances.Selas was known as Mr. Wonder while at Monroe's KNOE-TV in the 1970s. He's accused of molesting at least one boy during a Rapides Parish camping trip in 1979
  
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• Nov. 18 last day for flood victims to receive tax reduction in Livingston Parish

  18-11-2016 18:09
  
  LIVINGSTON – Friday was the last day for owners of flood damaged property to get a tax break on their Livingston Parish tax bill.If flood victims showed their proof of damage, they could get a 20 percent property tax reduction.One property owner, Sonya Beadle, said that the flood caused $500,000 in damages to her day care center in Denham Springs that has been closed since August."It was so horrible. The pictures didn't describe what it was. When I walked through, I walked back out and
  
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• State planning financial cuts to higher education, health care

  18-11-2016 17:17
  
  BATON ROUGE – The state is currently $300,000 million short and in order to fill the gap, the governor's office is proposing big cuts and, once again, higher education and health care may not be spared.Students at LSU are worried."It will be more difficult to get through now," Aisha Ortiz, LSU student, said.The governor's team is proposing a budget cut of $18 million for now. Higher education leaders say they can afford it and it will not cost students a dime, however there is still co
  
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• Health contracts stalled in dispute over LGBT-rights order

  18-11-2016 16:34
  
  BATON ROUGE - Contracts to provide health insurance next year for 10,000 state employees, retirees and their families are stalled because of the dispute over Gov. John Bel Edwards' LGBT anti-discrimination order.House lawmakers allied with Attorney General Jeff Landry refused Friday to approve contracts for the Office of Group Benefits that contained LGBT-rights language required by Edwards. Landry is challenging the constitutionality of an Edwards order banning discrimination against LGBT peopl
  
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• Leaking fire suppression agent creates foam sea outside airport

  18-11-2016 15:51
  
  SAN JOSE - A sea of foam has spilled out of a hangar at Mineta San Jose International Airport in California and onto an adjacent street.San Jose Fire Capt. Mitch Matlow tells The Mercury News the foam is a chemical used as a fire supression agent and is coming from the hangar's fire prevention system. Matlow says the agent discharged accidentally.By Friday afternoon, the foam had surrounded two tanker trucks and spilled onto the street. Crews were on the scene.Fire alarm malfunction at San Jos&a
  
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• Trump University lawsuits settled for $25M

  18-11-2016 15:24
  
  NEW YORK- New York's attorney general says President-elect Donald Trump has agreed to a $25 million settlement to resolve three lawsuits over Trump University, his former school for real estate investors.The deal announced Friday by Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (SHNEYE'-dur-muhn) would settle two class-action lawsuits in California and a civil suit filed by Schneiderman.The suits had alleged that Trump University failed to deliver the quality real estate investing education it promised.Sch
  
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• Louisiana budget cuts revealed: 3 things to know

  18-11-2016 15:15
  
  Higher education is expected to be slashed.
  
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• Elderly, disabled to get priority in flood recovery plan

  18-11-2016 15:11
  
  BATON ROUGE - Fixing flood-damaged homes owned by thousands of elderly or disabled residents would be Louisiana's first priority under a plan for spending the state's initial allocation of $400 million in federal flood recovery funds.Only a fraction of the state's flood victims can benefit from the spending plan endorsed Friday by a task force formed by Gov. John Bel Edwards.Edwards' administration estimates more than 112,000 homes were damaged or destroyed by floods in March and August. Pat For
  
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• Small brush fire seen at BREC park near the City-Brooks golf course

  18-11-2016 13:37
  
  BATON ROUGE – The fire department responded to a small brush fire at the BREC park at the City-Brooks golf course.Just grew a bit @WBRZ pic.twitter.com/HMNlrWqH9g— Trey Schmaltz (@treyschmaltz) November 18, 2016The fire was located along the rail road tracks that run near the course. The fire department arrived on the scene shortly after the fire started, but the truck get stuck on the course.Fire crew is here... Stuck .. But they'll get up the embankment soon @WBRZ
  
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• Edwards delays budget cuts amid worry about hit to colleges

  18-11-2016 13:25
  
  BATON ROUGE - Gov. John Bel Edwards has agreed to delay budget cuts for another month, as lawmakers push for him to find a way to spare college campuses from the slashing.As part of his proposal to close a more than $300 million deficit, the Democratic governor had planned an $18 million cut to higher education. That would be about two percent of colleges' general state financing.Lawmakers urged the Edwards administration Friday to reconsider that cut, citing years of state financing reductions
  
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• Thieves wanted for stealing packages from Ascension Parish doorsteps

  18-11-2016 12:55
  
  GONZALES – Deputies are searching for two people who they say stole numerous packages from front doors in Ascension Parish last weekend.According to APSO, Kenneth Rogers and Megan Hale are wanted for felony theft, misdemeanor theft and two counts of criminal trespassing.Investigators say the two suspects drove a U-Haul van across Ascension Parish and stole packages from doorsteps on Nov. 12. Deputies say the investigation revealed that departments in surrounding parishes are receiving
  
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• LSU student charged after sending lewd video to 15-year-old

  18-11-2016 12:46
  
  BATON ROUGE – An LSU student faces child pornography charges after police say he recorded lewd videos in an LSU dorm and sent it to a 15-year-old via Snapchat.According to arrest documents, the 15-year-old victim told a friend that 18-year-old Tyler Braud sent videos of himself masturbating to photos of the victim. The friend reported the incident to LSU Police on Oct. 28 after the victim shared the images.The friend told police that the video was recorded in
  
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• Woman arrested for threatening to bomb hair salon, started fire inside

  18-11-2016 12:38
  
  BATON ROUGE – A woman has been arrested after she threatened to bomb a hair salon and intentionally started a fire there while people were inside.The incident occurred when 51-year-old Debra Frank Leger went into the Simply Savonote' Beauty Salon on Sept. 10 in the 6100 block of Florida Boulevard and announced that she was going to bomb the building.Leger had a 12 ounce Coca Cola can in her hand which she pointed to as the bomb device. Leger then went to the shampoo area of the salon a
  
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• Chipotle restaurant to open in Tanger Outlets

  18-11-2016 12:11
  
  GONZALES – Chipotle Mexican Grill will open a new location at the Tanger Outlets in Gonzales.The restaurant will open on Monday, Nov. 28 from 10:45 a.m. to 10 p.m. On opening day, the Tanger Outlets will donate 50 percent of all fund raiser sales to APAWS, a no-kill rescue and non-profit dedicated to helping animals in need in the Baton Rouge area. When customers eat at the new location and mention the fund raiser at the register, Chipotle will donate 50 perc
  
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• Officials report 8,000 homes repaired through Shelter at Home

  18-11-2016 12:03
  
  BATON ROUGE – State officials report that almost 8,000 homes have been repaired through the Shelter at Home Program following August’s historic flooding.“We are vigorously attempting to bring families back to their homes by the holidays,” a statement released Friday said.Officials report that another 1,900 homes are under construction through the program.Residents who withdrew from the program but want to reactive their case have until Nov. 23.The Shelter
  
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• Diabetes Expo, walk to be held Nov. 19

  18-11-2016 11:52
  
  BATON ROUGE – The City-Parish is hosting a Diabetes Expo on Nov. 19 at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center.The expo is an educational event that will provide diabetic health screenings and information, according to organizers. The event will also feature the city's locally owned and well-known restaurants featuring diabetic-friendly menu items."We hope to educate participants about Type I and Type II Diabetes Mellitus to include preventative medicine as well as disease state mana
  
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• Louisiana closes oyster harvest in Hackberry Bay

  18-11-2016 11:34
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana wildlife and fisheries officials say all oyster harvest will close at one-half hour after sunset on Sunday on the Hackberry Bay Public Oyster Seed Reservation in Jefferson and Lafourche parishes.The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says the closure is necessary because recent harvest pressure has depleted the limited supply of oyster resources in that area. The department says closure will protect the remaining oyster resources, which is in the long-term bes
  
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• Cake with inuendo causes turmoil at Louisiana capitol

  18-11-2016 11:32
  
  BATON ROUGE- What better way to celebrate a birthday than with a cake? At least that's what State Representative Mark Abraham thought Friday when he offered to share his bikini cake with his colleagues at the state capitol.The cake was shaped like a woman's body in a bathing suit and had a note attached that read: Happy Birthday Mark Abraham. He likes his cake and eats it too!!!!When asked if he thought it was inappropriate, Abraham didn't seem to understand the note was an innuendo. "Y
  
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• Cake with innuendo causes turmoil at Louisiana capitol

  18-11-2016 11:32
  
  BATON ROUGE- What better way to celebrate a birthday than with a cake? At least that's what State Representative Mark Abraham thought Friday when he offered to share his bikini cake with his colleagues at the state capitol.The cake was shaped like a woman's body in a bathing suit and had a note attached that read: Happy Birthday Mark Abraham. He likes his cake and eats it too!!!!When asked if he thought it was inappropriate, Abraham didn't seem to understand the note was an innuendo. "Y
  
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• Red Stick Store extended third time for flood victims to shop for free

  18-11-2016 11:18
  
  BATON ROUGE – Flood survivors will get another chance to shot for free clothes and items at the Red Stick Store in Cortana Mall.The program, organized by K.I.D.S/Fashion Delivers, State Representative "Ted" James and the Urban League of Louisiana, allows for flood victims to shop for free clothes and items.The program started from Oct. 27 to Oct. 30 and again on Nov. 4. This weekend, the store will open again on Nov. 18 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Nov. 19 from noon to 5 p.m.Flood victim
  
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• One man dead after apartment complex shooting

  18-11-2016 11:14
  
  BATON ROUGE – At least one person was found dead Friday morning at an apartment complex off Elm Grove Garden Drive in Baton Rouge.BRPD responded to Elm Grove Garden Apartments around 1 a.m. and found 45-year-old Eric Green lying between two vehicles suffering from multiple gun shot wounds.Green died at the scene.The motive for the shooting is unknown at the time of this post. Anyone with information on the incident is urged to call the Violent Crimes Unit at 225-389-4869.Permalink| Com
  
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• In letter to fans, Alleva writes LSU's new head football coach must win

  18-11-2016 11:10
  
  BATON ROUGE - In a letter to fans Friday, Joe Alleva wrote about the search for the next LSU head football coach.Alleva said the coach will need to create a culture of excellence and character in all aspects of the football program. Championship level play is expected every year, Alleva said.Recruiting will need to be second nature for the next coach; Alleva wrote: the coach must attract "the most gifted student-athletes" and instill "pride and confidence in parents who entrust their children to
  
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• After report, family of boy in gorilla pen again thanks zoo

  18-11-2016 09:49
  
  CINCINNATI - The family of the boy who slipped into a gorilla exhibit is expressing its appreciation to the Cincinnati Zoo in the aftermath of a federal report that found the exhibit hadn't been in compliance with standards.The zoo's dangerous-animal response team concluded the 3-year-old boy's life was in danger and fatally shot an endangered gorilla named Harambe, which led to mourning and criticism.In a statement, the boy's relatives say they appreciate the quick actions by zoo staff and "mou
  
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• Trump taps conservative Kansas congressman for CIA

  18-11-2016 09:47
  
  WASHINGTON - President-elect Donald Trump has offered the CIA director job to Mike Pompeo, a conservative Republican congressman from Kansas who has heavily criticized the Iran deal and was a member of the congressional committee that blasted Hillary Clinton over the attack in Benghazi, Libya.Pompeo is a member of the House intelligence committee, which oversees U.S. intelligence gathering efforts. In 2014, he was appointed to the House Select Benghazi Committee to probe the 2011 attack on the U
  
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• Prairieville man wanted for beating, raping woman

  18-11-2016 09:43
  
  PRAIRIEVILLE – A Prairieville man is on the run after he held a woman against her will then raped and abused her Thursday night, Sheriff Jeff Wiley said.Investigators with the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office are searching for 55-year-old Stephen Janis. Sherrif Wiley said Janis held a woman against her will, beat her and raped her.Janis is described as a white male, five foot nine inches tall and weighing approximately 175 pounds. Deputies say he may be driving a white 2002
  
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• Motorcyclist dies in Pointe Coupee Parish crash

  18-11-2016 09:28
  
  POINTE COUPEE – State Police say one man is dead after his motorcycle ran off the road and struck a mailbox in Pointe Coupee Parish Thursday.According to Louisiana State Police, the crash happened shortly after 11 p.m. on LA 1 south of LA 978 in Pointe Coupee Parish.Investigators say 34-year-old Anthony Freeman was driving northbound on LA 1 when “for unknown reasons” failed to negotiate a curve and ran off the roadway. Freeman’s motorcycle struck a mailbo
  
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• Trump said to pick Sen. Jeff Sessions for AG

  18-11-2016 09:12
  
  NEW YORK - President-elect Donald Trump is offering the post of attorney general to Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, one of the Trump's closest and most consistent allies.That's according to a senior Trump official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the conversation.The official on Friday wouldn't say whether Sessions had accepted the job, which left open the possibility that the arrangement was not finalized.Sessions was the first senator to endorse Trump and was a close advise
  
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• Trump takes credit for keeping Kentucky Ford plant from moving to Mexico

  18-11-2016 09:09
  
  LOUISVILLE - President-elect Donald Trump took credit Thursday for convincing Ford Motor Company to keep a manufacturing plant in Louisville, Kentucky, from relocating to Mexico -- but the automaker says it never planned to relocate the entire plant.Trump tweeted, "Just got a call from my friend Bill Ford, Chairman of Ford, who advised me that he will be keeping the Lincoln plant in Kentucky -- no Mexico. I worked hard with Bill Ford to keep the Lincoln plant in Kentucky. I owed it to the great
  
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• Daily fantasy sports rivals DraftKings and FanDuel to merge

  18-11-2016 08:49
  
  BOSTON - Daily fantasy sports rivals DraftKings and FanDuel have agreed to merge after months of speculation and increasing regulatory scrutiny.The two companies made the announcement Friday but didn't release financial terms. The deal isn't expected to be finalized until later in 2017 and still requires federal approval.Industry experts say the merger will likely raise anti-trust concerns with regulators since the companies control nearly 90 percent of the market.Company officials say the merge
  
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• Man charged in Auburn tree fire seeks return to Germany

  18-11-2016 08:32
  
  OPELIKA, Ala. - The German man charged with setting fire to one of the oak trees at Toomer's Corner in Auburn wants to return to his home country.The Opelika-Auburn News reports that an attorney for 29-year-old Jochen Wiest filed the request in Lee County Circuit Court.The motion says Wiest can't support himself financially in the United States and needs to go back to Germany. The request says Wiest may be in violation of his immigration status since he is no longer working.Wiest was arrested af
  
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• Kanye West says if he'd voted, he would've voted for Trump

  18-11-2016 08:10
  
  SAN JOSE - Kanye West says he didn't vote in the presidential election, but if he had, he would have voted for Republican President-elect Donald Trump.Fan video shows West making the comments on stage at a concert in San Jose, California, on Thursday night. The announcement was mostly met with boos from the crowd. West told fans that "sometimes you might have to not get your way in order to really understand what to do in the future to be able to get your way."West has a long history of being po
  
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• 1 killed in shooting at child's birthday party in Tennessee

  18-11-2016 06:51
  
  DYERSBURG, Tenn. - Authorities say at least seven people have been shot, including one fatally, during a child's birthday party at a home in western Tennessee.Dyersburg Mayor John Holden, who's been in contact with police, told Memphis station WHBQ-TV a female was killed in the shooting around 6:30 p.m. Thursday. Holden says others, including a 6-year-old, were hospitalized. The child's condition wasn't immediately knowDYERSBURG, Tenn. (AP) - Authorities say at least seven people have been shot,
  
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• Volkswagen to shed 30,000 jobs, cutting costs after scandal

  18-11-2016 06:49
  
  FRANKFURT, Germany - Volkswagen announced plans Friday to cut 30,000 jobs in a wide-ranging restructuring of its namesake brand as it tries to recover from a scandal over cars rigged to cheat on diesel emissions tests.The German company said the job cuts are part of a long-term plan to improve profitability and shift resources and investment to electric-powered vehicles and digital services.Company officials at a news conference at its headquarters in Wolfsburg said 23,000 of the job cuts will c
  
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• Higher education is a loser again in Louisiana's latest budget battle

  18-11-2016 02:28
  
  Gov. John Bel Edwards and legislators were able to spare universities from cuts -- for five months.
  
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