Baton Rouge news

• Bayou Bridge Pipeline opponents open new battlefront: worker safety

  14-02-2017 23:33
  
  Industry says 162-mile project safer than moving oil by other means
  
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• Man initially held on $4 billion bond freed on reduced bond

  14-02-2017 21:24
  
  BELTON, Texas - A murder suspect who had been booked into a Central Texas jail with bond initially set at $4 billion bond has been released after he posted a reduced bond of $151,000.The Bell County Sheriff's Office says Antonio Marquis Willis of Killeen was released Monday afternoon.Bell County Justice of the Peace Claudia Brown said Friday that she set the multibillion-dollar bond as a protest to exorbitant bonds, which she said force too many people to remain in jail until trial.A state distr
  
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• Flood-damaged home bakery bounces back for Valentine's Day

  14-02-2017 20:41
  
  BATON ROUGE - A flood victim isn't letting damage to her home keep her from running her small business. Kennedy Myers' home bakery has received a jump start since the flood. Myers and her son were trapped in their home with chest-level waters during last August's flood.After she was rescued, she had little hope for her start-up business, Creme and Crumble Confections. "It was the longest boat ride of my life," Myers said. But now she's starting from s
  
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• Repairing California dam could cost up to $200 million

  14-02-2017 20:39
  
  OROVILLE, Calif. - The head of California's water agency says repairs to the damaged concrete spillway at Oroville Dam will cost between $100 million and $200 million.Department of Water Resources Acting Director Bill Croyle said Tuesday that teams are already working on plans for repairing the dam's main spillway.Croyle says the preliminary cost estimate is based on limited information. He says long-term repairs will likely begin after the spring runoff season, when crews can close the floodgat
  
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• Feds: At least 6 tornadoes cause damage southwest of Houston

  14-02-2017 20:18
  
  DALLAS - Residents of a coastal area southwest of Houston are cleaning up debris after severe storms, including at least six tornadoes, swept through the area.At least six people were injured in Van Vleck, about 70 miles southwest of Houston, by a weak tornado rated by a federal survey team as of EF1 strength with winds of 86 to 110 mph. An EF2 tornado with winds of 111-135 mph caused extensive damage to subdivisions 27 miles southwest of Houston. A weak tornado also was confirmed in Wharton.Els
  
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• Arrest made after bacon strips left at California mosque

  14-02-2017 20:13
  
  DAVIS, Calif. - Authorities say a 30-year-old woman is being charged with hate crimes after police say she broke windows and left bacon at a Northern California mosque.The Sacramento Bee reports that the Yolo County District Attorney's Office announced the arrest of Lauren Kirk-Coehlo of Davis on Tuesday.She is charged in the vandalism of the Davis Islamic Center last month. The vandal broke six windows and two bicycles and put bacon strips on door handles.Muslims are prohibited from eating pork
  
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• Piglet presumed dead in SACS store fire found alive

  14-02-2017 19:58
  
  GONZALES - A piglet that was presumed dead in a fire at SACS Western Store Sunday has reportedly been found alive found alive. According to a Facebook post, employees found the piglet wandering behind the store Tuesday afternoon. The piglet doesn't appear to have suffered any major injuries.Investigators determined the cause of the fire to be a heat lamp used to keep the piglet warm in the animal sales area. Permalink| Comments
  
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• 2 live men found tied to bridge in Mexican border city

  14-02-2017 19:58
  
  CIUDAD VICTORIA, Mexico - In a rare occurrence, two men found beaten and tied to a bridge in the Mexican border city of Reynosa turned out to be alive.Reynosa and other border cities wracked by drug turf battles have seen the lifeless bodies of drug gang victims hung by their necks from bridges.But this time, the bound men were tied to a bridge's railing Tuesday but apparently not by their necks. Accompanying the men was a banner signed by a reputed drug capo promising to catch common criminals
  
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• Ex-Saints WR Robert Meachem jailed for unpaid child support

  14-02-2017 19:30
  
  GRETNA - Former New Orleans Saints wide receiver Robert Meachem is behind bars after failing to pay nearly $400,000 in child support and alimony.State District Judge Adrian Adams sent Meachem to jail in Jefferson Parish on Monday for 30 days. Adams said Meachem could be released once he pays his ex-wife, Andrea Rhodes, $100,000. According to court clerk minutes, if that doesn't happen, he will remain in jail until March 15.NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune reports Adams also denied Meachem's motion fo
  
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• Here's what 15 Louisiana legislators said about Gov. John Bel Edwards' deficit plan

  14-02-2017 19:15
  
  House, Senate in nine-day special session to eliminate $304 million budget shortfall
  
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• DWI task force cracking down on drunk drivers

  14-02-2017 18:47
  
  BATON ROUGE – The DWI Task Force continues to crack down on drunk drivers, with 20 arrests made over the weekend.The task force is federally funded by the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission and covers the costs of overtime pay for officers. The department says that the extra work is welcomed as the task force is needed in the community."We're saving lives that's why were out there, we're trying to change the behavior of drivers," Baton Rouge Police Department Sgt. L'Jean McKneely said
  
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• Former Ascension deputy arrested for battery

  14-02-2017 17:55
  
  ASCENSION – A former Ascension Parish Sheriff's deputy was arrested for simple battery on Tuesday afternoon.The Gonzales Police Department reported the arrest of 34-year-old James Atkins, II for one count of simple battery.The arrest is a result of an investigation following a report taken by Gonzales Patrol Officer on Feb. 8. Officers responded to a disturbance call made by Atkins at his home on Janice Avenue.One of the individuals involved in the altercation, who left before officers
  
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• Man to plead guilty to aiding San Bernardino attack

  14-02-2017 17:44
  
  LOS ANGELES - Court records say a man accused of buying high-powered rifles used in the San Bernardino terror attack has agreed to plead guilty to federal criminal charges.The documents released Tuesday say Enrique Marquez Jr. has agreed to plead guilty to conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and one other charge.Prosecutors say Marquez acknowledged plotting with Syed Rizwan Farook in 2011 and 2012 to massacre college students and gun down motorists on a gridlocked freeway. Those
  
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• 24 arrested following operation in Magnolia Estates area

  14-02-2017 17:38
  
  LIVINGSTON – The Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office, with the assistance of the Louisiana Department of Probation and Parole, arrested 24 individuals following an operation in the Magnolia Estates area.The operation was conducted on Feb. 13 through Feb. 14. According to Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard, the purpose of the operation was to execute drug-related search warrants, serve active criminal warrants and assist Probation and Parole in compliance checks.Ard said the operation w
  
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• Vines worry homeowner, cleared following 2 On Your Side call

  14-02-2017 17:04
  
  BATON ROUGE - A homeowner says for the past couple of weeks she's felt like a hostage in her own home.Tracy Worsham lives off of Cedarcrest Avenue in Baton Rouge. She says an Entergy crew cut a vine off her lines and left the debris hanging over her backyard.She's concerned the hanging vines pose a danger to her family."I couldn't let my kids out of the house," said Worsham. "When we called they told us do not touch it, 'by any means do not touch it.'"The branches could be touching a live wire.
  
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• Prairieville man charged for beating, raping woman

  14-02-2017 17:01
  
  PRAIRIEVILLE - An Ascension Parish Grand Jury indicted a man Wednesday after he turned himself in for beating and raping a woman in November.According to District Attorney Ricky Babin, 55-year-old Stephen Janis was charged with first degree rape, false imprisonment with a dangerous weapon, aggravated assault with a firearm, and second degree battery.According to the sheriff's office, the woman was kept in Janis' home and was an acquaintance of his. The woman was able to escape from the home as J
  
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• Starbucks to test coffee and ice cream concoction

  14-02-2017 16:42
  
  NEW YORK - Starbucks plans to start testing concoctions that mix coffee and ice cream.The Seattle chain said it will serve "affogato" varieties of hot or cold coffee over ice cream at 100 stores in Orange County, California, starting Wednesday, with pricier versions sold at 10 locations with its "reserve" bars.Spokeswoman Holly Hart Shafer said the treats were first introduced at the company's Roastery store in Seattle, which is a pipeline for potential new menu items. She noted that "affogato"
  
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• 'Rainy day' fund legislation advances in Senate

  14-02-2017 16:32
  
  BATON ROUGE - Senators have started advancing legislation that would use Louisiana's "rainy day" fund to help close the state's $304 million budget deficit.The Senate Finance Committee moved the proposal Tuesday to the full Senate for debate without action, meaning committee members didn't vote in support or opposition of the idea.Whether to tap into the fund - and how much to use - is the central disagreement of the budget-rebalancing debate.Gov. John Bel Edwards wants to use the full one-third
  
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• Child cancer patient dies months after meeting his hero, Tom Brady

  14-02-2017 16:25
  
  SIMSBURY, Conn. - A 10-year-old cancer patient, who in December lived out his dream of meeting New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, has died.Logan Schoenhardt's story gained national attention during a social media campaign that brought the Connecticut boy's wish to the attention of the Patriots and Brady. He died Monday, according to Ray Lagan, the head of the Masters School in Simsbury, where Logan was a fourth-grade student.Logan visited with Brady at the team's facility in Foxborough,
  
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• Man pleads guilty to making threats against Boston mosque

  14-02-2017 16:16
  
  WASHINGTON - A Massachusetts man has pleaded guilty to threatening to burn down New England's largest mosque and making other threats against Muslims.Patrick Keogan, of Wilmington, entered guilty pleas Tuesday to four federal charges, including threatening to injure and intimidate another person and to damage and destroy a building.Prosecutors say Keogan posted an image depicting a mosque in flames on the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center's Facebook page in 2015 with the message: "Burn y
  
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• Judge Erwin says he 'never' used racial slur at bar

  14-02-2017 14:03
  
  BATON ROUGE - Judge Mike Erwin released a statement Tuesday addressing accusations that he uttered a racial slur during an altercation at an eatery.Kaneitra Johnson alleged that Erwin called her "n****r" multiple times during a fight over a stool at Sammy's Bar and Grill.  According to Erwin, a sheriff's follow-up report did not come up with any witnesses that could corroborate the story.In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, Erwin said he delayed making comments a
  
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• Ethics office recommends Conway investigation

  14-02-2017 13:39
  
  WASHINGTON - The government's ethics watchdog is recommending that the White House investigate and possibly discipline President Donald Trump's counselor Kellyanne Conway.In a letter made public Tuesday, the Office of Government Ethics wrote to White House attorneys that there's reason to believe that Conway violated the standards of ethical conduct for executive employees by endorsing Ivanka Trump's fashion line during a television interview last week.The letter notes lawyers for the W
  
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• Scientists looking to alter genes to fight disease

  14-02-2017 13:37
  
  WASHINGTON - Altering human heredity sounds sci-fi, but a major new ethics report is leaving open the possibility that one day scientists might try that to fight some serious genetic diseases.Powerful technology is allowing scientists to precisely edit genes inside living cells in the quest for new therapies. The National Academy of Sciences says the science isn't ready for a huge next step - altering sperm, eggs or embryos so that babies don't inherit a disease that runs in the family.But if sc
  
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• Atlanta zoo names cockroach after Patriots QB Tom Brady

  14-02-2017 13:34
  
  ATLANTA - More than a week after the Falcons fell victim to the biggest comeback in Super Bowl history, an Atlanta zoo has named a cockroach after Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.Zoo Atlanta says on its Facebook page that it had a bet with Rhode Island's Roger Williams Park Zoo that called for the loser to name a baby animal after the winning team's star quarterback. Both zoos figured the loser would be pretty bitter about the game, so they agreed the animal in question would be a Madagascar hiss
  
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• NOPD: College student fell from 11th-floor window to death

  14-02-2017 12:39
  
  NEW ORLEANS - New Orleans police say a University of Southern Mississippi student fell through a closed 11th-story hotel window onto a hotel's fourth-floor pool deck and died.An email from the coroner's office identifies the dead man as 20-year-old Cole Whaley, and says he died at the DoubleTree Hotel.The University of Southern Mississippi told Hattiesburg news outlets that Whaley was a student from Mobile, Alabama, and was in New Orleans for an off-campus function of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity
  
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• Republicans block Dem effort to get Trump's tax returns

  14-02-2017 12:33
  
  WASHINGTON - House Republicans have blocked an attempt by Democrats to use an obscure law to obtain President Donald Trump's tax returns from the IRS.Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee tried to frame the issue as a matter of national security. They questioned whether Trump has any investments in Russia, though they offered no proof.The committee has legal authority to obtain confidential tax records. The committee could then vote to make them public.Shunning decades of tradition, Tr
  
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• Disney ends deal with YouTube star over anti-Semitic stunt

  14-02-2017 12:29
  
  NEW YORK - Disney's Maker Studios and Google's YouTube are distancing themselves from a top YouTube star after he made jokes construed as anti-Semitic and posted Nazi imagery in his videos.Felix Kjellberg, known online as PewDiePie, has the most popular YouTube channel, with more than 53 million subscribers.Disney says he crossed the line with some of his videos. In one video, from January, Kjellberg shows two Indian men he paid to hold up a sign that says "Death to all Jews." Kjellberg said the
  
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• Disney drops YouTube's PewDiePie over offensive videos

  14-02-2017 12:29
  
  NEW YORK - YouTube star Felix Kjellberg, who goes by the name PewDiePie online, has been dropped from Disney's Maker Studios and YouTube has cancelled his reality series following a Wall Street Journal report that he made anti-Semitic videos.Kjellberg has amassed more than 53 million subscribers to his YouTube account and his videos routinely receive millions of views.Maker Studios says in a statement that Kjellberg has built his following by being "provocative and irreverent," but "clearly went
  
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• Couple accused of using fake cards to steal thousands

  14-02-2017 11:49
  
  BATON ROUGE – Police say a Florida couple is accused of using fake cards to make thousands of dollars in fraudulent purchases in Louisiana.According to police, a retired officer spotted Jayson Carter and Mardashia Harris swiping several credit cards to buy gift cards at the Cortana Place Lowe’s store. Police responded to the scene and stopped the suspects who were fleeing the scene in their vehicle.  Officer observed several access cards and newly purchased cell phon
  
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• LSU 2017 Spring game set for nighttime kickoff

  14-02-2017 11:34
  
  BATON ROUGE – LSU's annual Spring football game will be held at night on April 22 in Tiger Stadium, marking the first time the game has been held at night since 1995.The game is set for 7 p.m. Details for events and activities on campus are still being planned. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.Additionally, LSU opens its first practice under Coach Ed Orgeron on Saturday, March 11.More details about this year's game will be released as they become available.Permali
  
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• Times reports calls between Trump team, Russia

  14-02-2017 11:06
  
  WASHINGTON - The New York Times is reporting that U.S. agencies intercepted phone calls last year between Russian intelligence officials and members of Donald Trump's 2016 campaign team.The Times reports that the Russians made contact with Paul Manafort, who briefly served as Trump's campaign chairman. In late August, Manafort resigned from that job after disclosures by The Associated Press about his firm's covert lobbying on behalf of Ukraine's former pro-Russia governing party.Current and form
  
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• Governor, legislative leaders negotiate on 'rainy day' fund

  14-02-2017 11:06
  
  BATON ROUGE - Opening day formalities behind them, lawmakers and Gov. John Bel Edwards are trying to negotiate a deal to close Louisiana's $304 million deficit.The Democratic governor met Tuesday morning with top House and Senate leaders in closed-door talks, on the second day of a budget-rebalancing special session.The central point of contention is whether to use Louisiana's "rainy day" fund to help close the gap and if so, how much.Edwards wants to use the full one-third available, nearly $12
  
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• Trump says 'real story' is 'illegal leaks'

  14-02-2017 09:13
  
  WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump says the "real story" is the "illegal leaks" coming out of Washington.The tweet early Tuesday is Trump's first public comments since his national security adviser, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, resigned because of conversations he had with a Russian diplomat.Flynn apologized for giving Vice President Mike Pence and others "incomplete information" about his calls with Russia's Ambassador Sergey Kislyak (KEE-slee-ack), and whether Flynn addressed U.S. sanction
  
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• Auburn again replacing landmark oaks at Toomer's Corner

  14-02-2017 09:09
  
  AUBURN - Auburn University is once again replacing its landmark oak trees at Toomer's Corner.A university statement says workers will plant new trees on Saturday because of damage caused by a fire in September.The current trees were planted there after a University of Alabama fan poisoned the original Toomer's oaks.Toomer's Corner is a traditional gathering for Auburn fans to celebrate football victories by rolling the trees with toilet paper. A German man pleaded guilty last month to setting fi
  
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• Suspicious package outside courthouse was 'bag of clothes'

  14-02-2017 08:24
  
  BATON ROUGE - U.S. Marshals say a suspicious package that closed streets outside the federal courthouse downtown was just a bag of clothes left by a homeless man.Baton Rouge Police gave the all clear around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. There was a heavy police presence outside the courthouse. At one point law enforcement deployed a bomb robot to get closer to the package. Authorities briefly closed parts of Florida Street in both directions between I-110 and 7th Street as police
  
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• Ohio woman who livestreamed rape of teen gets 9 months in prison

  14-02-2017 08:06
  
  COLUMBUS - An Ohio woman accused of livestreaming images of a man raping a 17-year-old girl has been sentenced to nine months in prison.Nineteen-year-old Marina Lonina was sentenced Monday in Columbus after pleading guilty to one count of obstructing justice under a deal with prosecutors. She initially faced other charges, including rape and pandering sexual matter involving a minor.Authorities alleged that she used the social media app Periscope to livestream the assault last February.Defense a
  
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• Playboy magazine reverses position, brings back naked women

  14-02-2017 07:59
  
  SAN FRANCISCO - Naked women are back in Playboy magazine, ending a year-old ban on the nudity that made the magazine famous.Playboy celebrated the reversal on Twitter and Facebook with the hashtag #NakedIsNormal.The about-face came Monday with the release of Playboy's March-April issue. The 63-year-old magazine had banished naked women from its print edition because it felt the content had become passe in an era of online porn that is just a click away on personal computers and smartphones.The d
  
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• Hugh Jackman shows off bandaged nose after cancer treatment

  14-02-2017 07:39
  
  Hugh Jackman has revealed another treatment for skin cancer.The 48-year-old star of the X-Men and Wolverine franchises posted a selfie on social media Monday showing off his bandaged nose. Jackman writes, "Another basal cell carcinoma. Thanks to frequent checks & amazing doctors, all's well. Looks worse w the dressing on than off!" He also offered his fans some advice to wear sunscreen.Jackman has been open about his battle against skin cancer in recent years. He also posted a selfie of his
  
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• Former wrestling executive Linda McMahon on track to SBA

  14-02-2017 06:35
  
  WASHINGTON - Former wrestling entertainment executive Linda McMahon is on track to secure Senate confirmation to be the next leader of the Small Business Administration.The Senate has been split mostly along party lines on most of President Donald Trump's Cabinet choices.But McMahon has faced little resistance after assuring lawmakers that she believes the SBA should continue as a Cabinet-level, stand-alone agency and she would be a strong advocate for small business within the new administratio
  
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• Former wrestling exec Linda McMahon confirmed to lead SBA

  14-02-2017 06:35
  
  WASHINGTON - The Senate has confirmed former wrestling entertainment executive Linda McMahon to lead the Small Business Administration.The vote was 81-19 on Tuesday.Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky says McMahon will "prioritize growing jobs over growing government bureaucracy" and calls that a welcome change from Washington.McMahon served as the chief executive officer at World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. before stepping down to run twice for the Senate in Connecticut. She los
  
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• NBA All-Star game spotlights NOLA as LGBT oasis in the South

  14-02-2017 06:33
  
  NEW ORLEANS - New Orleans has long enjoyed a reputation as a welcoming place for the lesbian and gay community.That reputation will be on display when the city hosts the NBA All-Star game next weekend.The game was awarded to New Orleans after the league decided to pull it from Charlotte, North Carolina, after that state passed legislation limiting legal protections for lesbian, gay and transgender people.Louisiana did not pass similar legislation - which Gov. John Bel Edwards touted while lobbyi
  
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• Rachel Lindsay named ABC's first black 'Bachelorette'

  14-02-2017 06:31
  
  LOS ANGELES - ABC has named a black woman as its "Bachelorette" for the first time in the show's history.Rachel Lindsay will lead the 13th season of "The Bachelor" spinoff. The announcement came Monday night on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live."The news is somewhat of a spoiler for fans of the ongoing season of "The Bachelor." The 31-year-old attorney from Texas has yet to be eliminated from the dating show, where she is competing for the affections of Nick Viall. Nevertheless, Lindsay told Kimmel on Mo
  
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• EBRSO responding to shooting in Glen Oaks area

  14-02-2017 05:12
  
  BATON ROUGE - The East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office is currently working a shooting on the corner of Maplewood Drive and Matthews Street.Deputies responded to the call in the Glen Oaks area around 2 a.m. The coroner's office was also called to the scene.Details are limited at this time. A WBRZ crew is on the scene now. We will keep you updated as more information comes available. Stay tuned to WBRZ News 2 online and on Facebook and Twitter.#BREAKING EBRSO &
  
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• 22-year-old man confirmed dead in Glen Oaks shooting

  14-02-2017 05:12
  
  BATON ROUGE - The East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office is currently working a shooting on the corner of Maplewood Drive and Matthews Street.Deputies responded to the call in the Glen Oaks area around 2:30 a.m., according to EBRSO. Marcus Holmes, 22, of Laplace, was found dead at the scene.Details are limited at this time. A WBRZ crew is on the scene now. We will keep you updated as more information comes available. Stay tuned to WBRZ News 2 online and on Facebook
  
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• LIVE UPDATES: Tuesday morning commute

  14-02-2017 05:03
  
  BATON ROUGE - News 2's Ashley Fruge has you covered with live updates for your Monday morning commute.Beat the traffic every time using WBRZ's advanced traffic tracking technology. Click here to go to our traffic center.Tweets by WBRZtrafficPermalink| Comments
  
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