Baton Rouge news

• IMF: Greece's debts are still unsustainable despite progress

  06-02-2017 21:49
  
  WASHINGTON - The International Monetary Fund says Greece, which has been struggling for years with high debts and painful rates of unemployment, is making progress toward reducing its massive budget problems and restoring economic growth.But the IMF says the country's debts remain "unsustainable" over the long term.The IMF predicts Greece's economy will reach long-run growth of just under 1 percent a year, unimpressive but an improvement on years when the economy was shrinking. And Greece will m
  
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• Experts: Fewer than 30 vaquita porpoises remain

  06-02-2017 21:25
  
  MEXICO CITY - International experts studying Mexico's endangered vaquita porpoise have determined that fewer than 30 remain in the upper Gulf of California, the only place they live.The experts and the Mexican government have drawn up plans to catch the few remaining vaquitas and enclose them in pens for protection and possible breeding.The World Wildlife Fund says that is not the answer. The fund said Monday that "the only way to save the vaquita from extinction is for the Mexican government to
  
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• Gibson woman ejected from vehicle in deadly crash

  06-02-2017 20:39
  
  GIBSON- A woman was ejected from her vehicle and killed in a crash in Terrebonne Parish Monday afternoon.According to Louisina State Police, 46-year-old Amy MacDougall was traveling east on North Bayou Black Drive when she entered a curve on the roadway. MacDougall tried to steer with the curve and lost control of her vehicle and struck an embankment.Police say Macdougall was not wearing her seatbelt and was ejected when her vehicle flipped over. She was pronounced dead at the scene&
  
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• White House issues list of 78 attacks

  06-02-2017 20:23
  
  WASHINGTON - The White House has released a list of 78 attacks it describes as "executed or inspired by" the Islamic State group.The White House says most did not get sufficient attention.The list includes incidents like a truck massacre in Nice that killed dozens and received widespread attention, as well as less high-profile incidents in which nobody was killed.The AP could not verify that each of the incidents had connections to the Islamic State group.President Donald Trump claimed during a
  
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• Mississippi man has 130-pound tumor removed in Bakersfield

  06-02-2017 19:57
  
  BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - A Mississippi man who was told he was simply fat has had a 130-pound tumor removed during an operation in Bakersfield.Roger Logan of Gulfport had the surgery on Jan. 31. He's staying at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital for another week or so.His surgeon says the tumor probably began as an ingrown hair on his abdomen that became infected. It grew so large that when he sat it reached the floor. He spent most of his time in an armchair in a room.Logan tells KERO-TV that at first,
  
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• Super Bowl generates mixed results for Nevada oddsmakers

  06-02-2017 19:47
  
  LAS VEGAS - Las Vegas betting oddsmakers thought they might be headed for a big payday Sunday. But the New England Patriots and a two-point conversion that led to the first-ever Super Bowl overtime left them with mixed results.Sportsbook director Frank Kunovic of the Caesars Palace hotel-casino says Caesars raked in a decent amount of money from bettors.But he says the take would have been better if the Patriots had missed the conversion that tied the game.The favored Patriots went on to beat th
  
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• Remains confirmed as those of missing Texas college student

  06-02-2017 19:37
  
  ALPINE, Texas - Human remains found in a shallow West Texas grave last week have been identified conclusively as those of a missing college student.Brewster County Sheriff Ronny Dodson told reporters Monday that dental records helped confirm the identity of Sul Ross State University student Zuzu Verk. The 22-year-old Fort Worth woman had been missing since Oct. 12.Her boyfriend, 26-year-old Robert Fabian of Alpine, is jailed on a charge of tampering with evidence by concealing a human corpse. Ve
  
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• Police: Ankle monitor helps tie suspect to house burglary

  06-02-2017 19:29
  
  SLIDELL - Louisiana police say a bail bond company's ankle monitor helped make a burglary case against a New Orleans man.Police in Slidell say the GPS device showed that 56-year-old John Davis spent 16 minutes in and around a house where jewelry, electronics and firearms had been stolen.A news release Monday says information from the monitor let detectives arrest Davis on a burglary charge.Police spokesman Chad Olivier says detectives began investigating Davis on a tip.He says they learned that
  
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• City-parish to begin demolishing abandoned, flood-damaged homes

  06-02-2017 18:05
  
  BATON ROUGE – Abandoned, flood-damaged homes will be torn down soon, the city-parish said in a news release late Monday.Officials will start to condemn and demolish housing units flooded and let behind by owners. The mayor's office said structures that cause significant blight, public health and safety concerns will be targeted first. Demolition will begin on some houses in the coming weeks, the city said.Also, the city was approved to extend its debris removal process until A
  
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• Flood debris still clogging neighborhoods, deadline extended

  06-02-2017 17:30
  
  BATON ROUGE - Some areas are still living with piles of post-flood debris outside their homes.One homeowner says she's called to have it collected but it's been sitting out front of her home since November. A dozen or so of her neighbors have the same issue.Judy Collins lives in the ZIP code area of 70810 along Meadowview Avenue off Perkins Road in Baton Rouge. She tells 2 On Your Side she thought she was on a list to have the debris collected but she's still waiting."I guess we were just forgot
  
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• Ascension to move forward on street widening and intersection projects

  06-02-2017 17:08
  
  ASCENSION – The Ascension Parish Department of Public Works will begin prioritizing Parish President Kenny Matassa's recommendations for street widening and intersection improvements on several parish roads. The following roadways are recommended priorities:- Beco Road
  - C. Braud Road
  - Cannon Road
  - Duplessis Road
  - Germany Road
  - Henry Road
  - Leo Lambert Road
  - Roddy Road
  - Swamp Road
  - Tiggy Duplessis RoadAdditional roads may be added as the parish council and administratio
  
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• Baton Rouge man arrested for robbing six men with airsoft pistol

  06-02-2017 16:57
  
  BATON ROUGE- East Baton Rouge Sheriff's deputies arrested a man after he robbed six people with an airsoft pistol Sunday. Deputies responded to the report of an armed robbery at 1346 Jade Ave. around 10 p.m. Sunday night.According to the victims, three men in a white SUV circled around them while they were standing outside of a gathering. Jervon Nelson, 26, of Baton Rouge then exited the vehicle and approached the victims with a handgun pointed at the
  
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• Man arrested for exposing himself at Cortana Place Walmart

  06-02-2017 16:47
  
  BATON ROUGE – A man was arrested on Sunday after he exposed his penis to two women and a 15-year-old girl at Walmart in the 9000 block of Cortana Place.The East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office arrested 37-year-old Glen Ellerbe on charges of obscenity and indecent behavior with juveniles.
  One of the women told deputies that Ellerbe was watching her as she waited for a taxi inside the store. According to the arrest report, Ellerbe attempted to talk to her and stated, "I want you." When the
  
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• Police investigating possible murder-attempted suicide at New Roads home

  06-02-2017 16:11
  
  NEW ROADS- Police are investigating a possible murder-attempted suicide Monday afternoon in New Roads.Police say two victims were found at a home on St. Mary's Street. According to New Roads Police Chief Kevin McDonald, a child who was getting off of a nearby school bus witnessed the shooting.This story will be updated as more information becomes available. Permalink| Comments
  
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• Free college financial aid application help available Sunday

  06-02-2017 15:54
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana's Office of Student Financial Assistance is offering free professional help with financial aid forms to students and their families.The College Goal Sunday events will be held at 15 locations around Louisiana on Sunday, providing assistance in filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as FAFSA.That form is the first step to receive most types of federal student aid, like Pell Grants, low-interest federal student loans or the federal work study progra
  
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• State launches #OnlyLouisiana campaign

  06-02-2017 15:03
  
  BATON ROUGE – The state's launching a social media campaign aimed at getting Louisianans involved in promoting the state on the internet.The #OnlyLouisiana ambassador program asks people to take pictures and share them on various accounts – Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Tourism officials hope people will share sights, sounds and good eats with the world using the hashtag.Members of the so-called “Bayou Krewe” will get a special sticker in the mail.Click
  
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• LSU Law Center to host panel on travel ban

  06-02-2017 14:51
  
  BATON ROUGE – The LSU Law Center will host a panel discussion on the travel ban issued by President Donald Trump. The ban prohibits citizens from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen from entering the United States for 90 days, bans all refugees for 120 days and indefinitely bans refugees from Syria.  The panel will be held on Feb. 8 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the LSU Law McKernan Auditorium. The panel is co-sponsored by the LSU Law Center's Diversity and
  
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• Groups slam Louisiana's public defender system in lawsuit

  06-02-2017 14:24
  
  NEW ORLEANS - A lawsuit is slamming Louisiana's system to defend poor people, describing defendants waiting months in jail to see their lawyers, and lawyers who are woefully overworked.Two legal rights groups and two law firms filed the lawsuit Monday on behalf of 13 defendants currently in jail.They are suing Gov. John Bel Edwards, members of the Louisiana Public Defender Board and the state's chief public defender.The lawsuit claims public defenders are regularly carrying two to five times rec
  
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• Man wanted for armed robbery of Cash Cow on Coursey Boulevard

  06-02-2017 14:09
  
  BATON ROUGE – East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office detectives are searching for a man who robbed the Cash Cow business in the 14000 block of Coursey Boulevard.The incident occurred on Feb. 4 around 2:30 p.m. According to the sheriff's office, the man entered the business, asked about cash loan procedures and then left. He returned an hour later and sat in the waiting area as the employee assisted another customer. After the customer left, he approached the employee at th
  
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• Annette Bening to portray Blanco in upcoming Katrina TV series

  06-02-2017 14:03
  
  LAFAYETTE – Former Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco will be portrayed by Annette Bening in an upcoming cable show about Hurricane Katrina.Bening will star in Katrina: American Crime Story, the latest installment in FX's immensely popular series. The show previously portrayed the O.J. Simpson saga.According to reports, the Katrina show will focus on the response to the storm. Producers have said they'll focus on the neglect and inequality of the aftermath.The production will &ldqu
  
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• Three hurt after train crashes into 18-wheeler on Highway 1

  06-02-2017 13:29
  
  PLAQUEMINE- A train hit an 18-wheeler truck on Highway 1 at Industrial Boulevard around noon Monday.According to a witness, the train pushed the truck a quarter mile down the track before coming to a stop. Three were taken from the scene by EMS with moderate injuries. No other details are available at this time.WBRZ will update this story when more information is available.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Gunshots prompt lockdown at five Zachary schools

  06-02-2017 12:28
  
  ZACHARY – Five Zachary schools are on lockdown after a teacher heard gunshots near Zachary High School.Police Chief David McDavid said a teacher by the school’s football field heard two gunshots and a ricochet. Police later found a bullet hole near the training room in the athletic building. Zachary High, Northwestern Middle, Rollins Place Elementary, Rollins Place Early Learning Center and Northwestern Elementary are on lockdown.Zachary Police said no injuries have
  
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• Convicted felon busted trying to sell stolen guns to undercover police

  06-02-2017 11:54
  DENHAM SPRINGS – Denham Springs Police say a convicted felon was arrested for trying to sell stolen guns to undercover police officers.An investigation and undercover operation led to the arrest of 29-year-old Marcus Luster on Sunday afternoon. Police say two military-style semi-automatic guns, an HK 91 5.56mm rifle, an UZI 9mm rifle and methamphetamine were seized during the operation.Luster was booked on the following charges:- Two counts of illegal possession of stolen fire
  
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• Qatar Airways launches longest flight with Aukland route

  06-02-2017 11:36
  
  DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Qatar Airways has launched the world's longest scheduled commercial airline route with the arrival of its flight from Doha to Aukland, New Zealand.The Gulf carrier said flight QR920 touched down in Aukland early on Monday after covering a distance of 14,535 kilometers, or 9,032 miles.That is the furthest distance between any two cities linked by direct flights.The outbound journey is scheduled to take 16 hours and 20 minutes on the Boeing 777-200LR. That's relativel
  
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• All lanes open on I-10 W at Miss. River Bridge after multi-vehicle crash

  06-02-2017 11:35
  
  BATON ROUGE - All lanes have reopened on I-10 West at the Mississippi River Bridge after a multi-vehicle crash.All lanes were initially closed. The left lane was then reopened, allowing traffic to go by.State Police responded to the scene. This is a developing story. More details to come.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Kobe Bryant memorabilia stolen from ex-NBA star's alma mater

  06-02-2017 11:30
  
  ARDMORE - Authorities say memorabilia from Kobe Bryant's high school career have been stolen from a display case at the former NBA star's school near Philadelphia.Philly.com reports the theft from "Kobe's Shrine" outside the Bryant Gymnasium at Lower Merion High School was discovered by school officials on Sunday evening.The thief busted a lock on the display case and took Bryant's framed high school jersey, several pairs of signed Nike sneakers and the 1996 state championship trophy and net.Sch
  
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• VIDEO: Meteor over Lake Michigan lights up sky in several states

  06-02-2017 11:27
  
  GREEN BAY - A meteor over Lake Michigan lit up the sky Monday morning across several states in the Midwest.Dashcam video from police cruisers in Wisconsin and Illinois captured the fireball streaking through the dark sky about 1:30 a.m. In addition to Illinois and Wisconsin, the American Meteor Society lists sightings in Indiana, Michigan and other states as well.Meteorologist Jeff Last of the National Weather Service's office in Green Bay, Wisconsin, says the meteor was accompanied by a sonic b
  
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• Not guilty plea from man who shot ex-NFL player McKnight

  06-02-2017 11:21
  GRETNA - The man who fatally shot former NFL player Joe McKnight has pleaded not guilty to a second-degree murder charge.A lawyer for 55-year-old Ronald Gasser told reporters after Monday's arraignment in the New Orleans suburb of Gretna that McKnight's death was a case of justifiable homicide.Gasser, from Terrytown, had initially been arrested on a manslaughter charge. Last week he was indicted on a second-degree murder charge, which carries a mandatory life sentence. He's jailed on $750,000 bo
  
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• Driver trapped for hours after crashing into River Road levee

  06-02-2017 08:33
  
  BATON ROUGE – Police say a driver was trapped for hours overnight after crashing their vehicle into a levee on River Road.According to Baton Rouge Police, preliminary information indicates that the driver was speeding down Brightside Drive and crossed over River Road. The car then proceeded across the levee and came to rest in some trees late Sunday night or early Monday morning.The vehicle and the trapped driver was discovered hours later by drivers on River Road.Crews used t
  
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• Denham Springs man dead in crash that closed I-110 south

  06-02-2017 08:23
  
  BATON ROUGE – Baton Rouge Police say that a 20-year-old man is dead in a single vehicle crash that closed I-110 south Monday morning.The crash happened around 8:22 a.m. According to the Baton Rouge Police Department, a crane truck registered to Turner Industries was traveling southbound in the outside lane of I-110 near the North 22nd Street overpass curve. The driver, Jacob McGuff, lost control of the vehicle, crossed the center and inside lanes and struck the overpass support, BRPD s
  
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• Report: Jamie Lynn Spears' daughter airlifted after ATV crash in Tangipahoa

  06-02-2017 08:06
  KENTWOOD – Jamie Lynn Spears’ 8-year-old daughter was badly hurt in an ATV crash Sunday in Tangipahoa Parish, according to a TMZ report.The report says that Spears' daughter, Maddie, is in ‘extremely serious’ condition and was airlifted to a hospital nearby.Sources tell TMZ that Maddie was involved in a hunting expedition in Kentwood when she fell off a Polaris ATV when it flipped over.Read the report on TMZ.comPermalink| Comments
  
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• Report: Jamie Lynn Spears' daughter airlifted after ATV crash in Tangi

  06-02-2017 08:06
  
  KENTWOOD – Jamie Lynn Spears’ 8-year-old daughter was badly hurt in an ATV crash Sunday in Tangipahoa Parish, according to a TMZ report.The report says that Spears' daughter, Maddie, is in ‘extremely serious’ condition and was airlifted to a hospital nearby.Sources tell TMZ that Maddie was involved in a hunting expedition in Kentwood when she fell off a Polaris ATV when it flipped over.Read the report on TMZ.comPermalink| Comments
  
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• Lady Gaga follows up Super Bowl show with tour announcement

  06-02-2017 07:43
  
  HOUSTON - Fresh off a high-wire, crowd-pleasing halftime performance at the Super Bowl, Lady Gaga has announced plans for a world tour kicking off this summer.Gaga posted news of the tour on Twitter late Sunday night. The 48-date tour includes stops in North America, Europe and Brazil.Several of her U.S. dates include performances at baseball stadiums, including Chicago's Wrigley Field and Boston's Fenway Park.The tour begins on Aug. 1 in Vancouver and wraps up on Dec. 14 in Salt Lake City.Perma
  
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• Two states say reinstating travel ban would 'unleash chaos again'

  06-02-2017 07:18
  
  WASHINGTON - Lawyers for Washington state and Minnesota have told a federal appellate court it would "unleash chaos again" if it lifted an order temporarily halting President Donald Trump's ban on refugees and travelers from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States.In briefs filed early Monday morning with the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Washington state and Minnesota said Trump's travel ban harmed residents, businesses and universi
  
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• Georgia deputy inhales liquid nitrogen while rescuing woman

  06-02-2017 07:14
  
  AUGUSTA - Authorities say a sheriff's deputy in east Georgia has died after inhaling liquid nitrogen while trying to save a worker at a sperm bank in Augusta.The Richmond County Sheriff's Office says in a statement that 57-year-old Sgt. Greg Meagher died Sunday after inhaling a chemical substance. Augusta Fire Department spokeswoman Dee Griffin tells The Augusta Chronicle the substance was liquid nitrogen.Sheriff's Lt. Allan Rollins said three other deputies were injured, but they're expected to
  
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• 'Stranger Things' season 2 set to hit Netflix on Halloween

  06-02-2017 07:08
  
  LOS ANGELES - Netflix has used the Super Bowl to announce the return of "Stranger Things."Last summer's 1980s-set science-fiction hit for the streaming service will return for a second season on Halloween later this year.Netflix previewed the season in a trailer that debuted during Sunday night's Super Bowl. It opened with what looked like an eighties-era TV commercial before showing a montage of scenes from season two."Stranger Things" earned high praise from critics for its first season and re
  
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• Airbnb follows Super Bowl ad with call to house 100K in need

  06-02-2017 07:05
  
  Airbnb is following up its Super Bowl ad calling for acceptance with a campaign to provide short-term housing over the next five years for 100,000 people in need.An announcement on the rental service's website says it plans to start with refugees, disaster survivors and relief workers, but wants "to accommodate many more types of displaced people over time." The company also says it will donate $4 million over four years to the International Rescue Committee.Airbnb also touched on discrimination
  
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• Final El Faro investigative hearings to focus on black box

  06-02-2017 06:57
  
  JACKSONVILLE - The final round of U.S. Coast Guard investigative hearings looking into the sinking of the cargo ship El Faro is set to begin with testimony that will include a review of data and recordings captured by the ship's "black box."The Coast Guard's Marine Board of Investigation starts two weeks of testimony on Monday in Jacksonville, Florida.The 790-foot El Faro sank on Oct. 1, 2015 after losing propulsion and getting caught in a hurricane while traveling from Jacksonville to Puerto Ri
  
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• White House expresses confidence travel ban will be restored

  06-02-2017 06:48
  
  WASHINGTON - The White House says it expects the courts to restore President Donald Trump's ban on refugees and travelers from seven predominantly Muslim countries. Its argument for the executive order is founded on a claim of national security.The next opportunity for the president's team to argue in favor of the ban will come in the form of a response to a lawsuit by Washington state and Minnesota contending that Trump's order harms residents and effectively mandates discrimination.The 9th U.S
  
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• Trump tweets 'I call my own shots' Monday morning

  06-02-2017 06:48
  
  WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump is insisting "I call my own shots" and that any negative polling data is "fake news."It's unclear what prompted Trump's early morning tweets on Monday.The New York Times released an unflattering portrait of Trump's nights at the White House, suggesting Trump spends much of his time watching cable news and wasn't fully briefed before signing an executive order elevating Stephen Bannon to the National Security Council.Trump tweeted early Monday: "I call my own s
  
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