Baton Rouge news

• Mississippi 'Back the Badge' bill passes House after emotional debate

  08-02-2017 21:04
  
  JACKSON, Miss. - The Mississippi House has voted to triple the penalties for committing violence against law enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency responders.
      
  The 85-31 vote came Wednesday only after several black representatives talked about how they or their loved ones had been racially profiled or treated harshly by the police.House Bill 645 is called the "Back the Badge Act of 2017."
      
  Judiciary B Committee Chairman And
  
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• Canada warns Trump administration over talk of US tariffs

  08-02-2017 20:22
  
  TORONTO - Canada's foreign minister has warned the Trump administration that Canada will retaliate if the U.S. applies new tariffs.
      
  Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said Wednesday from Washington that her government strongly opposes any new possible tariffs and would respond.
      
  She says they would be mutually harmful. More than 75 percent of Canada's exports go to the U.S. Of the 50 U.S. states, 35 count Canada as their lead
  
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• Sessions urges senators to 'get along better'

  08-02-2017 19:45
  
  WASHINGTON - Sen. Jeff Sessions, the nation's next attorney general, says he hopes the intensity of Senate debate will die down and "maybe somehow we get along better."
      
  Sessions spoke to his colleagues after a bruising confirmation battle. He was confirmed Wednesday by a vote of 52-47.
      
  Sessions is also thanking President Donald Trump for nominating him. He says Trump believes in the rule of law and in protecting the American people
  
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• Company to resume work on oil pipeline

  08-02-2017 19:33
  
  BISMARK, N.D. - The company building the Dakota Access oil pipeline says it plans to resume work immediately to finish the project.
      
  Dallas-based Energy Transfer Partners on Wednesday got final permission from the Army to proceed with a crossing of the Missouri River in southern North Dakota.
      
  The work on the $3.8 billion project had been stalled for months due to opposition by the Standing Rock Sioux, but President Donald Trump last
  
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• Residents struggle to recover after tornado rips through Livingston

  08-02-2017 18:39
  
  WATSON - Residents of a Livingston Parish town were terrified as a tornado wreaked havoc Tuesday morning.Neal and Jennifer Aucoin were home when the storm came through their neighborhood. They took cover in the bathroom as a tornado crossed their home Nan Wesley Road. "I was holding on to the faucet in the tub hopefully that pole would stay in the ground or whatever but it never got bad for us inside, it was scary though," Neal Aucoin said. Crews spent Wednesday cleani
  
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• Blimp spotted above BR as it makes its way from Texas to New Orleans

  08-02-2017 17:34
  
  BATON ROUGE – A blimp seen floating above Baton Rouge Wednesday was doing a little show on its way to New Orleans from Houston.The DirecTV blimp has spent the week traveling from Houston and the Super Bowl. It's next scheduled “appearance” is in New Orleans for the NBA All Star Game February 16-19.People reported seeing the blimp across south Louisiana this week. On a Facebook thread tied to a WBRZ live stream of the blimp in Baton Rouge, people commented they'd see
  
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• Assessment teams working through damaged neighborhoods

  08-02-2017 17:30
  
  DONALDSONVILLE - As people cleanup from the tornadoes that tore through Louisiana Tuesday, damage assessment teams are walking neighborhoods gauging the damage. There are some things homeowners should do to properly document what's happened.The Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness recommends victims contact their insurance company and their parish, to insure their property is included in damage assessment. Depending on the level of damage, homeowner
  
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• Prosecutors drop charges for 3 arrested on Inauguration Day

  08-02-2017 17:07
  
  WASHINGTON - Prosecutors have dropped felony rioting charges against three more people who were arrested after protesters broke windows and torched a limousine in Washington on Inauguration Day. That brings the total number of dropped cases to twelve.
      
  The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia made the announcement in a statement Wednesday. The office did not say why the cases were dismissed but prosecutors have said they're working with police to rev
  
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• Man arrested after traffic stop leads to discovery of 150 ecstasy tablets

  08-02-2017 16:43
  
  ST. TAMMANY - A man was arrested after deputies discovered 150 ecstasy tablets in his vehicle during a traffic stop.A St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Deputy pulled over 21-year-old Dominic Walker of Houston on Jan. 31 after the deputy noticed his vehicle swerving on the shoulder of I-12. The deputy searched the vehicle and found a small bag of marijuana under the center console along with two bags of ecstasy tablets hidden in a sock.Walker was arrested and booked into the St. Tammany Paris
  
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• Man arrested for contractor fraud after overcharging flood victims

  08-02-2017 16:13
  
  BATON ROUGE - A man was arrested Wednesday morning after committing contractor fraud in the wake of the August 2016 floods.According to Sheriff Jeff Wiley, 39-year-old Matthew Morris of Baton Rouge was arrested after the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office received multiple complaints regarding possible contractor fraud.To date, 13 victims have filed criminal complaints against Morris, six of whom are over the age of 60. The victims say they signed a contract with Morris' company, Complete Constru
  
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• Have storm damage? Here's what you need to know

  08-02-2017 16:05
  
  DONALDSONVILLE - The State of Louisiana is sending disaster assessment teams to the areas hit by Tuesday’s tornadoes.Several hundred homes and commercial buildings were either damaged or destroyed.For people who are now trying to figure out what they should do next, the Louisiana Department of Insurance has some suggestions:Contact your agent or insurance company promptly if you determine you need to file a claim.If you have lost your agent or insurance company’s contact info
  
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• FEMA extends hotel checkout deadline to March

  08-02-2017 15:12
  
  BATON ROUGE - FEMA announced Wednesday that the Transitional Sheltering Assistance (TSA) program will be extended for another month.According to a statement, FEMA says eligible Louisiana flood survivors may stay in hotels or motels through Thursday, March 11, but must check out by March 12, 2017.The TSA program allows survivors to stay in participating hotel rooms that are billed directly to FEMA.Roughly 2,000 families currently living in hotel and motel rooms must check out by March&am
  
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• Man arrested in attempted murder on West Chimes Street

  08-02-2017 14:19
  
  BATON ROUGE - A Mandeville man has been arrested in connection to an attempted murder and armed robbery on on West Chimes Street.According to the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, an unidentified male robbed the victim in his apartment at gunpoint around 12 a.m. Dec. 22, 2016. The victim says 20-year-old Kristopher Wild was with the unidentifed male at the time of the robbery. When the victim attempted to run from the two, the man fire multiple shots, hitting the victim. The two then g
  
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• Zoo staff feeding, warming 3 newborn Malayan tigers

  08-02-2017 13:45
  
  CINCINNATI - Three Malayan tiger cubs are being cared for in the Cincinnati Zoo's nursery.The zoo says the first-time mother's maternal instincts didn't kick in, raising the threat to the cubs that their body temperatures would get too low without their mother's warmth. The zoo says nursery staffers are keeping them warm and feeding them .Mammals curator Mike Dulaney says such reactions aren't uncommon for first-time tiger mothers, and that they can be aggressive and harm their cubs.The zoo expe
  
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• Three killed, one missing in DeRidder mill explosion

  08-02-2017 13:38
  
  DERIDDER- Three have reportedly been killed and another has gone missing in an explosion at Packaging Corporation of America in Beauregard Parish.Several others are injured as a result.Emergency crews were called to Packaging Corporation of America, on US 190 West, just after 11 a.m. Wednesday morning.According to Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Joe Toler, two tanks at the facility exploded. Investigators at the scene are still working to determine wha
  
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• Three killed in DeRidder mill explosion

  08-02-2017 13:38
  
  DERIDDER- Three have been killed in an explosion at Packaging Corporation of America in Beauregard Parish.Seven others were injured as a result. Another person was declared missing following the explosion but was found around 2:50 p.m. Wednesday.Emergency crews were called to Packaging Corporation of America, on US 190 West, just after 11 a.m. Wednesday morning.According to Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Joe Toler, two tanks at the facility exploded.
  
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• Mother accused of leaving baby in Walmart trash can faces court in March

  08-02-2017 13:30
  
  NEW ROADS – A mother who left her infant in a New Roads Wal-mart trash can hours after birth will be back in court next month.On Wednesday, a Pointe Coupee Parish judge said 34-year-old Kyandrea Thomas' new motions hearing will be set for March 15. Judge James Best said during this time, her bond may be reconsidered and possibly reduced.Thomas was charged with second-degree attempted murder charges last month. Her bond was set at $500,000.Assistant District Attorney Chad Aguillard said
  
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• Mississippi considers firing squad, gas chambers as alternative execution methods

  08-02-2017 13:26
  
  JACKSON, Miss. - Mississippi lawmakers are advancing a proposal to add firing squad, electrocution and gas chamber as execution methods in case a court blocks the use of lethal injection drugs.Republican Rep. Andy Gipson says House Bill 638 is a response to lawsuits by "liberal, left-wing radicals."The bill passed the House amid opposition Wednesday, and moves to the Senate.Lethal injection is Mississippi's only execution method. The state faces lawsuits claiming the drugs it plans to use would
  
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• New Roads mayor court date pushed to March

  08-02-2017 12:55
  
  NEW ROADS – New Roads Mayor Robert Myer’s court date has been continued until next month.His court date was originally scheduled for Wednesday. However, counsel agreed over the telephone to move that date to March 9 at 9 a.m.Myer is accused of charging thousands of dollars for personal purchases on a city credit card.The last time Myer was in court, Prosecutor Tony Clayton and Myer's defense attorney, Steven Moore, went back and forth as Judge James Best presided over the hea
  
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• US military looking for space in Trump Tower

  08-02-2017 12:44
  
  WASHINGTON - The U.S. military is looking to rent space at Trump Tower for use when President Donald Trump is working in New York City.Pentagon spokesman Army Lt. Col. J.B. Brindle says the Department of Defense is looking for the space "in order to meet official mission requirements."It's not immediately clear how much it would cost the Pentagon to rent space in the 58-story midtown Manhattan tower owned by the Trump Organization.Trump lives in the three-story penthouse. He hasn't retu
  
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• National Weather Service investigates intensity of Tuesday's tornadoes

  08-02-2017 12:27
  
  SLIDELL - The National Weather Service has sent three crews this morning to investigate damage from yesterday's tornadoes. Unlike hurricanes, tornado intensity is not known until after the storm has passed and damage is assessed.According to the weather service, the first crew has determined that an EF-3 tornado touched down in New Orleans East. The crew is trying to track it back to known damage in Jefferson Parish. This may actually be two separate tornadoes from the same storm.The se
  
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• 'Cash me ousside' girl got caught in an airplane, fight ensues

  08-02-2017 12:01
  
  LOS ANGELES – Danielle Bregoli, who became “internet famous” after appearing on an episode of Dr. Phil, was kicked off an airplane in California for fighting with another passenger.TMZ, the L.A.-based entertainment report, posted Wednesday, Bregoli and her mom were boarding a flight out of Los Angeles when the brawl happened. TMZ said Bregoli punched a woman who got upset Bregoli's mother was fumbling as she loaded a carry-on bag in an overhead locker.Bregoli is kno
  
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• Proposed pipeline provokes heated debate

  08-02-2017 11:29
  
  NAPOLEONVILLE - Discussions over a proposed Louisiana pipeline got heated as environmentalists and oil and gas workers weighed the pros and cons.The Bayou Bridge Pipeline would stretch from Lake Charles to St. James Parish, transporting crude oil. It would join dozens of other pipelines that already run through the Atchafalaya Basin and river parishes."It would be able to provide more crude," one proponent of the pipeline said.Before work can begin, the state has to approve the project. However,
  
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• Edwards returns to Washington D.C. to lobby for flood aid

  08-02-2017 11:28
  
  BATON ROUGE – Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards will travel to Washington again to lobby for additional flood relief aid.In a statement released Wednesday morning, Edwards said that the state remains $2 billion short of relief requested for the March and August floods.“Once again our state has faced another round of severe weather that has destroyed homes and communities, but we will rebuild,” Edwards said. “The recent tornadoes throughout South Louisian
  
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• EBRSO investigating armed robbery at Coursey Blvd. gas station

  08-02-2017 11:14
  
  BATON ROUGE - The East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office is investigating an armed robbery at a Coursey Blvd. gas station.An EBRSO spokesperson says a Shell gas station in the 11000 block of Coursey Blvd. near Sherwood Forrest Blvd. was robbed just before 9:30 p.m. Wednesday.Two black males wearing masks robbed the store with a weapon, according to EBRSO. They say one of the suspects was wearing blue jeans, and the other was wearing camouflage pants.Details are limited at this time. This is a develop
  
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• Bond set at $110,000 for Scotlandville High shooter

  08-02-2017 11:07
  
  BATON ROUGE – A judge ordered a $110,000 bond for the Scotlandville High School student accused of second-degree murder after shooting a gun on campus Monday.Juvenile Judge Adam Haney set three bonds for charges related to the situation: A $100,000 bond for attempted second degree murder, $5,000 for aggravated assault and $5,000 for carrying a gun on school property.The 14-year-old, identified as Jermaine Moore, is accused of firing multiple shots inside a school breezeway. Au
  
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• To declaw cats or not? New Jersey could be first with ban

  08-02-2017 09:53
  
  TRENTON - New Jersey could become the first state to prohibit veterinarians from declawing cats.The bill's sponsor, Democratic Assemblyman Troy Singleton, says declawing is "a barbaric practice" that more often than not is done for the sake of convenience.The American Veterinary Medical Association does not support having lawmakers tell doctors what to do. The group says declawing is not medically necessary in most cases or even that frequent these days.The group believes owners should try to mo
  
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• Trump: No tolerance for violence against police

  08-02-2017 09:37
  
  WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump is promising "zero tolerance" for violence against law enforcement officers.He tells a group of police chiefs that his administration will give their departments the resources to recruit and retain officers.Trump also says "no one in America should be punished" simply for growing up in a place where violence may be prevalent.And as he has done before, he's singling out Chicago, saying the level of violence in the city cannot be allowed to continue. He says "we
  
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• WATCH: DA recaps officer-involved shootings in first annual report

  08-02-2017 09:13
  
  BATON ROUGE – District Attorney Hillar Moore released his office's first annual report of office involved shootings Wednesday morning.At a 10:30 a.m. press conference, Moore detailed the report’s findings on the eight officer-involved shootings in Baton Rouge in 2016.“Taking the time annually to sit down and review what we have experienced with officer-involved shootings is necessary if we are going to find a way to reduce them,” Moore said.Moore said that
  
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• DA recaps 2016 officer involved shootings

  08-02-2017 09:13
  
  BATON ROUGE – District Attorney Hillar Moore will hold a press conference Wednesday to discuss a summary of 2016 officer involved shootings in Baton Rouge.A statement by Moore's office said the 10:30 a.m. press conference will not release new information about the Alton Sterling shooting investigation. Read the full press release by clicking here.Details are limited at this time. WBRZ will live stream the event online and on Facebook Live.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Lady Gaga tells critics 'I'm proud of my body'

  08-02-2017 08:45
  
  Lady Gaga has a message for critics of her body: "I'm proud of my body and you should be proud of yours too."Gaga responded on Instagram on Tuesday night to those who took shots at her physical appearance during Sunday's Super Bowl halftime show. She included a picture of herself in a bare midriff in her post. In the caption she writes: "I could give you a million reasons why you don't need to cater to anyone or anything to succeed. Be you, and be relentlessly you. That's the stuff of champions.
  
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• LIVE UPDATES: Wednesday morning commute

  08-02-2017 07:47
  
  BATON ROUGE - Drivers traveling into capital city should expect some delays after multiple breakdowns closed lanes on I-10 and I-12 Wednesday morning.According to DOTD, around 8:15 a.m., a stalled 18-wheeler closed the center lane of I-12 at Range. Delays from this incident reached Juban Road before roads reopened. In a separate incident, the left center lane of I-10 was closed due to a stalled vehicle near the College Drive exit. Tweets by WBRZtrafficBeat the traffic
  
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• Boy Scouts welcome first transgender member

  08-02-2017 07:42
  
  MAPLEWOOD - A New Jersey boy has become the first openly transgender member of the Boy Scouts.The Record reports 9-year-old Joe Maldonado put on a Cub Scout uniform and joined Pack 20 in Essex County on Tuesday following a decision by Boy Scouts of America to allow transgender scouts. Maldonado, who was born a girl, was banned from a Cub Scout group in Secaucus.He said it was fun and he was proud because he was accepted.The Boy Scouts changed their policy of referring to the gender on birth cert
  
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• Disney's Iger announces 2019 opening for Star Wars lands

  08-02-2017 07:26
  
  LOS ANGELES - Disney CEO Bob Iger says the company will open its Star Wars-themed lands at California's Disneyland and Florida's Walt Disney World in 2019.The 14-acre attractions were announced in 2015 and are under construction at the parks. Disney says the lands will include attractions and entertainment alongside aliens and droids. The attractions represent the parks' largest single themed land expansion ever.During the company's earnings call Tuesday, Iger also set an opening date of May 27
  
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• Sen. Sessions on track for confirmations as attorney general

  08-02-2017 07:24
  
  WASHINGTON - The Senate is working round-the-clock toward confirming President Donald Trump's close ally, Sen. Jeff Sessions, to become the nation's top law enforcement officer as attorney general.The Alabama Republican appears headed toward confirmation on Wednesday evening by a nearly party-line vote. Democrats harshly criticized Sessions for being too close to Trump, too harsh on immigrants, and too weak on civil rights.Republicans say Sessions has demonstrated over a long career in public se
  
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• GOP-backed measures seek to rein in science used at EPA

  08-02-2017 07:14
  
  WASHINGTON - Pondering new restrictions on how the Environmental Protection Agency can use scientific data, congressional Republicans are seeking advice from the chemical and fossil fuel industries.House Science, Space and Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith has alleged that the Obama administration relied on falsified data to justify new regulations, such as limiting carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants. The Texas Republican has been a frequent critic of climate science.Smith cal
  
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• Mayor: power will be restored in Donaldsonville by tonight

  08-02-2017 07:04
  
  DONALDSONVILLE –Crews in Donaldsonville worked through the night to restore power and clear streets for Wednesday morning.Entergy reports that more than 800 customers are still without power in Ascension Parish. Those without power are concentrated in the Donaldsonville area, where the National Weather Service confirmed a tornado touchdown Tuesday. Mayor Leroy Sullivan tells WBRZ that he estimates that power will be returned by 6 p.m. Wednesday.DEMCO reports that all customers in Ascen
  
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• Ascension Catholic HS, Ascension Head Start closed due to power outages

  08-02-2017 07:03
  
  ASCENSION – Two schools and the Ascension Parish School Board in Donaldsonville will be closed Wednesday due to power outages from Tuesday’s severe weather.Ascension Catholic High School and the Ascension Head Start as well as the school board office will be closed Wednesday, Feb. 8.Central office employees will be contacted by supervisors about options to work from alternative locations in the school district.All other Ascension Parish schools have power and will resume norm
  
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• Beaten boy invited to Wrigley by Cubs' Rizzo returns home

  08-02-2017 06:32
  
  SOUTH ELGIN, Ill. - A 12-year-old boy who was invited to Wrigley Field for a game by Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo after suffering a severe beating at his suburban Chicago middle school has returned home from the hospital.Students at Kenyon Woods Middle School in South Elgin, Illinois, have worn Cubs gear in support of Henry Sembdner since the attack. Rizzo tweeted his invitation to Sembdner to watch batting practice and a game, saying he'd heard the seventh-grader was a Cubs fan. He sent him
  
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