Baton Rouge news

• Stolen laptop had info of thousands of hospital patients

  16-01-2017 20:48
  
  LOS ANGELES - Officials at Children's Hospital Los Angeles say a laptop stolen from a physician's car last year may have contained personal health information for nearly 3,600 patients.The Los Angeles Daily News reports Monday thousands of families whose children were treated at the hospital will receive letters this week notifying them that their personal health information may have been breached.The laptop stolen on Oct. 18 was protected with a password, but officials say it's unclear if it wa
  
  Read more

• AP Source: GM to announce $1B factory investment, new jobs

  16-01-2017 20:33
  
  DETROIT - A person briefed on the matter says General Motors will announce a $1 billion investment in its factories that will create or keep around 1,000 jobs.The investment will be announced Tuesday. The person tells The Associated Press that the investment is part of the normal process of equipping factories to build new models, and it's been planned for months. The person didn't want to be identified because the announcement hasn't been made yet.The person also says multiple factories will se
  
  Read more

• Inaugural committee releases parade detail

  16-01-2017 20:11
  
  NEW YORK - Military bands and units from all branches of the service, high school bands and even the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts will join newly sworn-in President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence in Friday's Inaugural parade.More than 8,000 people are expected to follow the new president and vice president as they proceed 1.5 miles from the swearing-in ceremony on at the Capitol to the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue, continuing a tradition that began with Thomas Jefferson in 1801.T
  
  Read more

• Driver charged with second DWI after hitting parked car, car wash building

  16-01-2017 19:28
  
  BATON ROUGE - A driver was reportedly leaving a Dollar General on Hooper Rd. when he hit several objects, crashed into a car wash building and attempted to flee, according to a witness.The witness told News 2 that the man hit a parked car, a tree, then cross Hooper Rd. and hit a car wash building.He then reportedly turned around and attempt to flee the scene, according to the witness. The driver, later identified as 73-year-old Will Hall, was detained
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Driver attempts to flee after hitting parked car, car wash building

  16-01-2017 19:28
  
  BATON ROUGE - A driver was reportedly leaving a Dollar General on Hooper Rd. when he hit several objects, crashed into a car wash building and attempted to flee, according to a witness.The witness told News 2 that the man hit a parked car, a tree, then cross Hooper Rd. and hit a car wash building.He then reportedly turned around and attempt to flee the scene, according to the witness. Police responded to the scene and the driver was seen being taken b
  
  Read more

• US, Cuban Interior Ministry sign law-enforcement deal

  16-01-2017 18:52
  
  HAVANA - The Obama administration and Cuba's Interior Ministry have agreed to share information on international criminal activity such as terrorism, human trafficking and money laundering despite Republican objections to U.S. law-enforcement cooperation with President Raul Castro's government.The State Department signed the memorandum of understanding Monday with the Cuban Interior Ministry, which is responsible for internal security in Cuba, including crackdowns on political dissidents.In the
  
  Read more

• 81 false killer whales dead in stranding off Everglades

  16-01-2017 18:50
  
  MIAMI - Officials say dozens of false killer whales have died after stranding themselves in the Gulf of Mexico west of the Florida Everglades.Blair Mase of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's fisheries service told reporters that the Coast Guard had confirmed sightings Saturday of the black dolphins in the shallows on the western edge of Everglades National Park.Mase says efforts to herd the marine mammals into deeper waters failed. By Monday afternoon, 81 of the animals had di
  
  Read more

• Police: Officer fatally shoots man who shot 2, took hostage

  16-01-2017 18:46
  
  HERNDON, Va. - Police in Virginia say an officer shot and killed a man who shot two others and then kept a hostage barricaded inside a home even after it caught fire.Fairfax County Police Department spokeswoman Julie Parker told reporters Monday afternoon that after the home in Herndon, a suburb of Washington, went up in flames that firefighters were not able to enter because the man kept shooting inside.Parker says officers talked by phone with the suspect as the fire intensified. Police say wh
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Legally blind teacher works, can't get disability assistance

  16-01-2017 17:43
  
  GONZALES - An Ascension Parish school teacher has gone partially blind, it's a side effect from a brain aneurysm.Almost overnight the simple tasks Carla Duplechin performed on a daily basis, like getting dressed or driving, are now impossible to do by herself.Duplechin says she's been an active member of her community and helps others by volunteering, mentoring and donating to charities. The day roles were reserved she says help was nowhere to be found."You work, you get no assistance," she said
  
  Read more

• 8 people wounded in shooting at MLK park

  16-01-2017 17:39
  
  MIAMI - Miami-Dade police say eight people - five of them juveniles - have been wounded in a shooting at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park.Police Department spokesman Detective Daniel Ferrin says in a news release that two suspects are being questioned about the Monday afternoon shooting. He says two firearms were recovered and the active investigation is continuing.The Miami Herald reports that hundreds of people had gathered in the park after the annual MLK Day parade.Ferrin says the victim
  
  Read more

• Mosquitoes seen in BR earlier than usual time of year

  16-01-2017 17:30
  
  BATON ROUGE – Mosquitoes are out with a vengeance in Baton Rouge, even in January.January is not the usual time you see them buzzing around, but local experts say that the warm temperatures and August 2016 flood have contributed to the large population.One resident, Ashley Saucier, said that she has noticed them more as she spends time outside with her son."Even Christmas afternoon they were playing with their toys and we had to spray them with mosquito repellent because the m
  
  Read more

• UPDATE: Accident causes lane closure on I-10 East

  16-01-2017 16:36
  
  UPDATE: All lanes are now open on I-10 East at LA 415.BATON ROUGE - The right lane is blocked on I-10 East at LA 415 due to an accident.Traffic is still passing through the left lane. There is currently only minor congestion from this accident. Check WBRZ's advanced traffic tracker to keep up with Baton Rouge traffic.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Family fears possible healthcare changes could leave child without care

  16-01-2017 16:18
  
  BATON ROUGE- A family in Baton Rouge is worried that possible changes to the Affordable Care Act could leave their toddler without care.Caroline Hammatt has a lung condition that affects her heart. Her care is not cheap.
  From a distance, Caroline Hammatt looks like any other three-year-old her age. She loves to play outdoors, and play with their new Scotty Dog puppy, Maggie.
  "Her interests are the same," Caroline's mom, Kristi Hammatt said. "Her intellect is the same. Her milestones are the same
  
  Read more

• Garbage truck strikes power line, causes outages in Denham Springs

  16-01-2017 16:12
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS – First responders assisted a garbage truck driver who struck a power line on Monday afternoon.The truck hit a power line in the 24000 block of Homestead Drive in Denham Springs and caused some downed lines. The District 5 fire chief confirmed to WBRZ that units were on the scene and were able to get the driver out of the truck. According to sources, the driver was afraid to get out of the vehicle after striking the power line.The DEMCO outage map shows that 22 people ar
  
  Read more

• Gene Cernan, last astronaut on the moon, dies at 82

  16-01-2017 15:52
  
  Former astronaut Gene Cernan, the last man to walk on the moon, has died at age 82.NASA announced that Cernan died Monday surrounded by his family. NASA spokesman Bob Jacobs confirmed the death but had no immediately details.Cernan and Apollo 17 crewmate Harrison Schmitt spent three days on the moon in December 1972. As he followed Schmitt into the lunar lander for the return home, he offered a message of "peace and hope for all mankind."He also traced the initials of his 9-year-old daughter int
  
  Read more

• Green Bay vs Dallas most watched divisional playoff game in NFL history

  16-01-2017 15:32
  
  NEW YORK - Green Bay's 34-31 win over Dallas was seen by an average of 48.5 million on Fox, the most-viewed NFL divisional playoff game ever.The game Sunday had a 26.1 rating and 46 share, the network said Monday, the highest-rated NFC divisional game since 1997. The rating is the percentage of television households tuned to a program, and the share is the percentage watching a telecast among those homes with TVs on at the time.Pittsburgh's 18-16 victory over Kansas City, shifted to prime time S
  
  Read more

• Mississippi city renames 'Great Americans Day' to honor MLK

  16-01-2017 14:35
  
  BILOXI - A Mississippi city has decided to ditch "Great Americans Day" and rename it to honor Martin Luther King Jr.The Biloxi City Council voted 6-0 to make the change Monday. The Sun Herald reports the vote came moments before the beginning of an annual parade honoring the slain civil rights leader.Monday was a federal holiday and was recognized in most of the United States as MLK Day. In three states - Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas - the holiday has a dual designation honoring King and Co
  
  Read more

• LSU Gymnastics ranked second after two weeks

  16-01-2017 14:04
  
  BATON ROUGE - With two of the four highest team scores in the country two weeks into the 2017 season, the LSU gymnastics team is No. 2 in the latest RoadToNationals.com rankings released Monday.The Tigers are 2-0 overall after a 197.575 - 197.100 victory over No. 4 Alabama. The team score against the Crimson Tide was the highest in Tuscaloosa in school history.LSU ranks No. 1 on vault after an average score of 49.563 and an average team score of 197.700. The Tigers tot
  
  Read more

• Coast Guard, good Samaritans help burning ship in the gulf

  16-01-2017 13:23
  
  NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard and good Samaritans are responding to a vessel that caught fire 150 miles south of Southwest Pass Monday morning.Watchstanders at the Eighth Coast Guard District command center received a report at 3:28 a.m. from the National Command Center of an electrical fire in the engine room of the vessel Alliance St Louis.According to the U.S. Coast Guard, an Ocean Sentry crew launched and conducted an over flight to confirm that the crew extinguished the fi
  
  Read more

• AgCenter: OK strawberry season likely despite bad weather

  16-01-2017 13:14
  
  AMITE - The LSU AgCenter says some strawberry growers were hit by floods, wind and freezing temperatures, but others are optimistic about the season.AgCenter agent Whitney Wallace in Tangipahoa Parish says that overall, the damage is not too bad.Natalie Jones, farm manager of Faust Farms in Amite says tornado-force winds damaged her packing shed. But she says her 10 acres of strawberries suffered only minor damage from heavy rains and frigid temperatures.Most growers use cloth covers to keep the
  
  Read more

• Man fatally shoots person acting "erratically" in his yard

  16-01-2017 13:08
  
  SLIDELL - The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office is investigating a fatal shooting that occurred early Monday morning.According to police, a homeowner confronted a man behaving erratically in his front yard in the Ozone Woods subdivision. The homeowner fatally shot the man and remained at the scene until police arrived.Deputies were dispatched to the disturbance shortly after midnight. The homeowner is cooperating with police and no arrests have been made.The
  
  Read more

• FBI arrests widow of Orlando shooter

  16-01-2017 13:02
  
  SAN FRANCISCO, Ca. - A U.S. law enforcement official says the FBI has arrested the wife of the Orlando nightclub shooter.The official says Noor Salman was taken into custody Monday morning in the San Francisco area and is due in court Tuesday in California. She's facing charges in Florida including obstruction of justice.The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.Noor Salman moved to the San Francisco area after her husband, Omar Mateen, wa
  
  Read more

• Man arrested for 7th DWI in 10 years

  16-01-2017 12:59
  
  BATON ROUGE – Officers arrested a man on Saturday for his seventh DWI offense.The Baton Rouge Police Department arrested 54-year-old Ronald Sims on charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, reckless operation of a vehicle, careless operation and hit and run.On Saturday, Jan. 14, Sims was driving southbound on I-110 around 3 p.m. when he lost control and crashed his vehicle into the interstate wall. Sims then got out of his vehicle and began walking away from the crash.An office
  
  Read more

• Giant gator surprises visitors at Polk Nature Discovery Center

  16-01-2017 12:48
  
  POLK COUNTY - A video of an enormous alligator in Florida is garnering nationwide attention on social media.Visitors of the Polk Nature Discovery Center were captivated when the giant reptile walked right in front of them.Kim Joiner, one of the visitors, shared a video of the incident which has been shared on Facebook over 10,000 times. Twitter was abuzz with several users commenting on the video.Ummm no... that's a dinosaur. #kbyeLarge gator captivates audience at the
  
  Read more

• Our Lady of the Lake Physician Group reopens pre-flood location

  16-01-2017 12:27
  
  BATON ROUGE - Our Lady of the Lake Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Group in Baker reopens it location at 6516 E. Myrtle Ave. Monday.The clinic took on roughly 10 inches of water and closed for five months after the Baton Rouge area experienced major flooding in August. The building has since undergone a full renovation that includes new flooring, furnishings, cabinetry and an expanded reception area.The clinic's providers operated out of other Physician Group locations in Cent
  
  Read more

• Two in "Felony Lang Gang" arrested for several vehicle burglaries, fraud crimes

  16-01-2017 12:17
  
  BATON ROUGE – Two women who are affiliated with a Florida gang have been arrested for multiple vehicles burglaries that have occurred around Baton Rouge in the last month.The East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office arrested 44-year-old Tina Eggleston and 20-year-old Erin Brown on several burglary, theft, forgery and fraud charges.While investigating several vehicle burglaries and fraud crimes, deputies learned that the crimes were being committed by members of the "Felony Lang Gang." Accordi
  
  Read more

• Mayor Broome to participate in MLK Day activities

  16-01-2017 11:23
  
  BATON ROUGE – Mayor Sharon Weston Broome, along with community member and leaders, will participate in several events to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day.Broome participated in a block party with residents of the Gus Young area on Saturday to kick off celebrations, as well as announce the Community Change Center coming to the area soon.On Monday morning, Broome spoke at Mount Zion First Baptist Church. The program was also followed by a march.Broome will speak at 2 p.m. on Monday a
  
  Read more

• 3 Shreveport museums get reprieve and will stay open for now

  16-01-2017 09:41
  
  SHREVEPORT - Authorities say three Shreveport historical museums that were set to be shut down by the end of 2016 have been given a few weeks of new life.The Shreveport Times reports that the museums have been granted approval to stay open through February.Secretary of State Tom Schedler had said that due to budget constraints, state funding for the museums would cut off on Dec. 31, 2016.The museums are the Spring Street Museum, the Shreveport Water Works museum and the Shreveport Railroad Museu
  
  Read more

• Oklahoma City firefighters rescue cow stuck in swimming pool

  16-01-2017 09:23
  
  OKLAHOMA CITY - Think it's hard for firefighters to rescue a cat in a tree? Try a cow in a swimming pool.Firefighters in Oklahoma City were summoned Sunday morning after a homeowner reported hearing some sort of "snorting" coming from his swimming pool area. Emergency responders arrived and discovered a hole in the swimming pool's liner and a cow trapped in the water.Oklahoma City Fire Department Battalion Chief Benny Fulkerson says firefighters used their pumps to remove about 5 feet of water f
  
  Read more

• The Pledge of Allegiance: 1st Presbyterian Mother's Day Out and Preschool

  16-01-2017 09:05
  
  BATON ROUGE- Today's Pledge of Allegiance comes from the Pre-K class at 1st Presbyterian Mother's Day Out and Preschool.Be sure to watch The Daily Pledge every weekday on 2une In at 5:58 a.m. to see if your child's school is featured!Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• 6 tourists injured in hot-air balloon crash in UAE desert

  16-01-2017 07:38
  
  DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Investigators in the United Arab Emirates are looking into what caused a hot-air balloon to abruptly drop from the sky, injuring six tourists onboard.Police in the emirate of Sharjah say that the balloon struck the ground Saturday morning as it flew over the desert near the small town of al-Madam.Police say the six European and Asian tourists suffered moderate to serious injuries and were being treated in a hospital. The nationalities of the victims were not release
  
  Read more

• Kyrgyzstan Health Ministry says cargo plane crash kills at least 37

  16-01-2017 07:36
  
  BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan - The death toll is up to at least 37 in the Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan, where a cargo plane crashed into a residential neighborhood.The Turkish Boeing 747 crashed just outside an airport, south of the capital Bishkek. Emergency officials say many of those killed were on the ground.The country's deputy prime minister says 15 homes were destroyed.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• South Korea seeks arrest of Samsung heir as bribery suspect

  16-01-2017 07:34
  
  SEOUL, South Korea - Prosecutors in South Korea have requested the arrest of the de facto head of Samsung, the country's biggest company, on bribery and other charges in the influence-peddling scandal that led to the impeachment of the country's president.A spokesman for the special prosecutors investigating the scandal says that Lee Jae-yong, the Samsung Electronics vice chairman, faces allegations of embezzlement and of lying under oath during a parliamentary hearing in addition to offering br
  
  Read more

• Central US ice storm falls short of dire forecasts

  16-01-2017 07:30
  
  KANSAS CITY, Mo.- It's still cold in the central U.S., where a winter storm brought sleet and freezing rain to parts of the region over the last few days.More than 11,000 electric customers were initially without power in Oklahoma, nearly all in the northwestern part of the state.The storm, which is moving into Nebraska and Iowa, left highways in many states glazed over with ice.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Storm damages more than 30 homes in small Texas city

  16-01-2017 07:28
  
  FRISCO, Texas - At least 30 homes have been damaged by a severe storm that rolled through parts of Texas.The fire department in Frisco, Texas, says windows in at least one home were blown out, a chimney blew over and trees and fences were damaged during last night's storm.No injuries were reported. About 33,000 homes and businesses were without power during the height of the storm.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Police: 5 killed in shooting at nightclub at Mexican resort

  16-01-2017 07:25
  
  CANCUN, Mexico - A Mexican police officer says a gunman has killed at least five people and wounded nine others at a nightclub in the Caribbean coast resort of Playa del Carmen.The shooting occurred outside the Blue Parrot nightclub, which was hosting an event that was part of the BPM electronic music festival. The festival posted a statement saying four people had been killed and 12 injured.The statement said the attack involved "a lone shooter." It said three security personnel were among thos
  
  Read more

• Who are the 8 richest people? All men, mostly Americans

  16-01-2017 07:18
  
  DAVOS, Switzerland - An Oxfam analysis released today underscores the stark gulf between the super-rich and everyone else.Presenting the data at the annual gathering of the global political and business elites in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, Oxfam says just eight men, from Bill Gates to Michael Bloomberg, own as much wealth as 3.6 billion people.It's urging leaders to do more than pay lip-service to the problem.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Several Democrats to skip inaguration

  16-01-2017 07:16
  
  NEW YORK - Several congressional Democrats are vowing to skip President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration this Friday.The charge that Russian interference in the election delegitimizes his Trump's presidency. Congressman John Lewis of Georgia is one of those Democrats who's skipping the swearing in.Incoming White House chief of staff Reince Priebus told ABC's "This Week" that Republicans did not question the legitimacy of President Barack Obama's victory eight years ago.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Gallup: Trump has low approval rating

  16-01-2017 07:12
  
  WASHINGTON - The pollster Gallup says Donald Trump is about to enter the Oval Office with a far lower approval rating than his three predecessors.Trump's approval rating is 42 percent.The previous lowest was George W. Bush, who won positive marks from 59 percent during his transition to office. Bush, like Trump, also lost the popular vote in a tightly contested race.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Trump fires back at CIA chief on Twitter

  16-01-2017 07:10
  
  NEW YORK - Donald Trump's people are pushing back after several congressional Democrats vowed to skip Friday's inauguration because they say Russian interference in the election delegitimizes Trump's presidency.Incoming White House chief of staff Reince Priebus fired back on ABC Sunday, saying Republicans didn't question the legitimacy of President Barack Obama's victory.After civil rights icon and Congressman John Lewis questioned the legitimacy of Trump's presidency, Trump tweeted Saturday tha
  
  Read more

• Baton Rouge flood victim lights cigarette, trailer explodes

  16-01-2017 02:45
  
  The man was severely burned, according to the Baton Rouge Fire Department.
  
  Read more

Follow @BatonRougeNews_ on Twitter!