Baton Rouge news

• Johnson, Auburn drop LSU to 14th straight loss, 98-75

  21-02-2017 21:45
  
  BATON ROUGE - Ronnie Johnson scored 17 points and Auburn snapped a three-game skid with a 98-75 victory over reeling LSU on Tuesday night.LSU (9-18, 1-14 Southeastern Conference) tied a school record with its 14th straight loss. LSU allowed 90 points for the 10th time this season as coach Johnny Jones' fifth season with the program continued to unravel - with athletic director Joe Alleva and two top assistants looking on together directory across from the LSU bench. LSU trailed by as many as 26
  
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• No penalty for furling Confederate-themed Mississippi flag

  21-02-2017 21:10
  
  JACKSON, Miss. - The Mississippi House has rejected an effort to punish universities for not flying the state flag that prominently features the Confederate battle emblem.All eight of the state's public universities have furled the flag in recent years amid criticism that it's racially insensitive in a state with a 38 percent black population.Republican Rep. William Shirley of Quitman, who is white, offered an amendment Tuesday saying any university that refuses to fly the Mississippi flag could
  
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• IDs stolen from jailed, arrested people used in tax fraud

  21-02-2017 21:02
  
  NEW ORLEANS - Federal prosecutors say a southeast Louisiana woman has acknowledged filing phony tax returns using identification stolen from people who had been jailed or arrested.U.S. Attorney Kenneth Polite says in a news release that 41-year-old Alicia Washington of Tangipahoa Parish pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiracy and aggravated identity theft.She faces at least two years in prison for the identity theft conviction, and up to five years for conspiracy. Sentencing is scheduled May 31.Pro
  
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• Three arrested in theft of truckload of diapers

  21-02-2017 20:58
  
  PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Rhode Island police have arrested a third person in the theft of a truckload of diapers worth about $90,000.Rodney Dalzon was ordered held without bail after an arraignment on larceny, theft and conspiracy charges Tuesday.He surrendered to police earlier Tuesday. It's unclear if he has a lawyer who could comment for him.State police say Dalzon leased the Providence storefront where detectives found 800 boxes of diapers last week. Another 600 diapers were later found in a Crans
  
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• Graffiti found at 4 popular monuments in Washington, DC

  21-02-2017 20:57
  
  WASHINGTON - The National Park Service says graffiti has been found at four memorials in Washington.U.S. Park Police officials said Tuesday that messages written in permanent marker were discovered over the holiday weekend on the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, the World War II Memorial and the D.C. War Memorial.A spokeswoman says the message written on the Washington Monument references President John F. Kennedy's assassination and the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.Officials say the simila
  
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• Judge blocks Texas cutting Medicaid to Planned Parenthood

  21-02-2017 20:53
  
  AUSTIN, Texas - A federal judge has stopped Texas from cutting off Medicaid dollars to Planned Parenthood over secretly recorded videos taken by anti-abortion activists in 2015.The decision by U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks on Tuesday preserves what Planned Parenthood says are non-abortion services to nearly 11,000 low-income women. Texas originally intended to defund Planned Parenthood in January, but Sparks told the state to wait pending his ruling.Federal courts have consistently thwarted Rep
  
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• Former Auburn coach eyes Alabama governor's mansion

  21-02-2017 20:47
  
  MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville is considering running for Alabama governor in 2018.The 62-year-old Arkansas native tells the Associated Press that he's discussing his options with potential backers. Tuberville says he's awaiting poll results that will gauge public support.Tuberville coached at Auburn from 1999 to 2008 before finishing his career at Texas Tech and Cincinnati. He's among the most successful coaches in Auburn history, but spent part of h
  
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• Person shot near convenience store on Florida Blvd.

  21-02-2017 20:20
  
  BATON ROUGE - One person was wounded during a shooting near a convenience store on Florida Blvd. Tuesday evening.The incident occurred around 8 p.m. in the 12000 block of Florida Blvd. near Windsor Dr.The victim was shot in the leg, according to BRPD.Police are currently seeking a suspect. There is no description for the suspect, BRPD said.This is a developing story. More details to come.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Man shot near Florida Blvd., Police investigating

  21-02-2017 20:20
  
  BATON ROUGE - One person was wounded during a shooting near a convenience store on Florida Blvd. Tuesday evening.The incident occurred around 8 p.m. near the 12000 block of Florida Blvd. and Windsor Dr.The victim was shot in the leg, according to BRPD. He was transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries, according to authorities. Police said there is no current description of the suspect.This is a developing story. More details to come.Permalink|
  
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• Firefighters rescue barge worker from Miss. River

  21-02-2017 19:59
  
  PORT ALLEN - Firefighters rescued a barge worker after she fell into the Mississippi River Tuesday night.Sources say the woman fell into the water while loading a barge at the Louis Dreyfus loading dock in Port Allen. The woman allegedly clung to a life ring until firefighters were able to get her out of the water. EMS has been called to the loading dock on River Road.The worker's condition is currently unkown.A WBRZ news unit is on the scene. We will
  
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• Man sentenced to life in prison for killing deputy ex-girlfriend

  21-02-2017 19:18
  
  GRETNA  - A 49-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison for killing his ex-girlfriend, who was a deputy with a suburban New Orleans sheriff's department.James Darby was convicted Saturday of second-degree murder after a five-day trial in the death of Sgt. Tracey Marshall. The Jefferson Parish district attorney's office says Darby was sentenced Monday to the mandatory punishment of life in prison.In December 2015, 47-year-old Marshall was found dead in her pickup truck from mult
  
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• Man sentenced to life for killing deputy ex-girlfriend

  21-02-2017 19:18
  
  GRETNA  - A 49-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison for killing his ex-girlfriend, who was a deputy with a suburban New Orleans sheriff's department.James Darby was convicted Saturday of second-degree murder after a five-day trial in the death of Sgt. Tracey Marshall. The Jefferson Parish district attorney's office says Darby was sentenced Monday to the mandatory punishment of life in prison.In December 2015, 47-year-old Marshall was found dead in her pickup truck from mult
  
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• Man who smashed Trump star to pay damages, serve probation

  21-02-2017 18:19
  
  LOS ANGELES - A man who destroyed Donald Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame has been sentenced to three years of probation for vandalism.An attorney for James Otis says he pleaded no contest to the felony Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court.Attorney Mieke ter Poorten says Otis agreed to pay $4,400 for the damage and attorney's fees and perform 20 days of community labor.Otis used a sledgehammer and pickax to deface the star about a week before Trump was elected president.Otis said he o
  
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• Sewage smell, waste water treatment facility dangers worry residents

  21-02-2017 17:19
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS - Homeowners are voicing their complaints about another Mo-Dad Utilities wastewater treatment facility. Residents living in the South Haven subdivision of Denham Springs say they pay their bill but don't get any results when they report problems.Todd Ray says in addition to the terrible smell, he's concerned someone is going to get hurt."It's a safety issue," he said.For well over a year, Ray says there have been a number of safety issues involving one of the tow Mo-Dads
  
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• Racist video draws condemnation, is removed from YouTube

  21-02-2017 16:27
  
  NORFOLK, Va. - A civil rights group and officials at Old Dominion University are condemning a racist video that was circulating online until YouTube removed it.The Virginian-Pilot reports that the video shows a white woman in an ODU sweatshirt using expletives and racial slurs in a rap rant against black people. The video is titled "White Gal - White Power."YouTube posted on its website that the video had been removed Tuesday morning for violating the site's policy on hate speech.ODU President J
  
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• Police respond to shooting near Garden District

  21-02-2017 15:52
  
  BATON ROUGE - Police responded to a shooting off Government Street near the Garden District Tuesday.Shots were fired shortly before 4 p.m. at the intersection of South 16th and Oleander.  One victim has been taken to a hospital in stable condition.Check back with WBRZ for updates.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Milo Yiannopoulos apologizes for remarks, resigns from Breitbart

  21-02-2017 15:45
  
  NEW YORK - Breitbart News editor Milo Yiannopoulos has resigned after coming under fire from other conservatives over comments on sexual relationships between boys and men.Speaking to reporters in New York on Tuesday, the writer and provocative public speaker apologized for his remarks.Yiannopoulos says his experiences as a victim of sexual abuse as a teenager made him feel he could say outrageous things on the subject. He says that was a mistake. And he says he never intended to suggest sexual
  
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• Police responding to reports of gunfire at Houston hospital

  21-02-2017 15:08
  
  HOUSTON - Police in Houston are responding to reports of shots fired inside a hospital at Houston's Texas Medical Center.Houston police spokesman Kese Smith says authorities have no immediate word of anyone being wounded. He says authorities began receiving reports shortly after 2 p.m. Tuesday.Smith says officers and a SWAT team were responding to the scene at Ben Taub Hospital, one of the hospitals that's part of the Medical Center. Ben Taub is one of the major trauma centers in Houston.Televis
  
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• O'Neal Lane bridge over Jones Creek closed until further notice

  21-02-2017 14:43
  
  BATON ROUGE – Traffic officials announced Tuesday that the O’Neal Lane Extension Bridge over Jones Creek will be closed until further notice.The East Baton Rouge City-Parish Department of Transportation said the closure began Tuesday. According to the Department of Transportation and Drainage, inspectors found problems with timber pilings on the bridge.The bridge is located approximately a half mile north of George O’Neal Road. Officials say drivers should detour to
  
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• Judge refuses to toss bias claims over salon inspections

  21-02-2017 14:41
  
  BATON ROUGE - A federal judge has refused to dismiss a lawsuit that accuses Louisiana state regulators of racially discriminating against a group of Vietnamese-American nail salon owners.U.S. District Judge Brian Jackson's ruling Tuesday clears the way for a jury trial next month in Baton Rouge for the salon owners' case against the Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology and two agency inspectors.Inspectors check for stray hairs, make sure items are stocked and technicians are properly licensed. T
  
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• Louisiana floods in August affecting seed rice now

  21-02-2017 14:34
  
  NEW ORLEANS - The floods that inundated Louisiana in August also damaged rice harvested as seed for this year's planting.Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain says he's temporarily relaxed certification requirements to ensure farmers can buy enough for a chance at a good crop.Department seed programs director Lester Cannon says farmers will have to buy more of some lots to make up for the problem, but sellers will drop the price to make up for it.State certification for seed rice req
  
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• Louisiana budget deal negotiated, but will it pass in House?

  21-02-2017 14:32
  
  BATON ROUGE  - With time running short, Louisiana's lawmakers have moved the pieces of a budget-rebalancing deal into place.But final passage of the plan to close a $304 million deficit remained far from certain.The special legislative session called by Gov. John Bel Edwards to eliminate the gap must end Wednesday.The broad outlines of a negotiated deal between the House, Senate and governor were reached Monday by legislative leaders. But Republican House leaders acknowledged Tuesday th
  
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• Woman accused of robbing Baker store with stun gun

  21-02-2017 14:25
  
  BAKER – Police say a Baton Rouge teen has been arrested after she robbed a Baker Family Dollar and threatened a store manager with a stun gun.Baker Police report that Damecia Matthews, 19, was charged with armed robbery and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.The incident happened around 8:50 p.m. at the Family Dollar store located on Main Street on Jan. 11. An assistant store manager said three women entered the store accompanied by a young child between the ages of four to
  
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• Runaway cow leads police on wild chase in NYC

  21-02-2017 14:09
  
  NEW YORK - A cow that apparently escaped from a slaughterhouse has led police on a wild chase through New York City streets.Police corralled the animal in a backyard in Jamaica, Queens, after a chase that lasted more than an hour.Footage airing on WABC-TV showed the black bull or steer trotting through a residential neighborhood with several tranquilizer darts stuck in its hide.The nimble bovine eluded attempts to box it in between police vehicles by squeezing through narrow openings.There were
  
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• Livingston mobile disaster recovery center closes Wednesday

  21-02-2017 13:46
  
  LIVINGSTON - The Livingston Parish mobile disaster recovery center at the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness on Government Blvd. will close this week.The center is set to close Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 6 p.m.FEMA announced that the need for center has diminished and parish needs have been served. FEMA added that while the mobile disaster recovery center will close, FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration assistance will still be available for t
  
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• Suspect wanted for deadly Killian stabbing in custody

  21-02-2017 13:32
  
  KILLIAN – The man responsible for a deadly stabbing in Killian Monday night has been captured.The incident happened on the 28000 block of Highway 444 late Monday night. Tuesday, Killian Police say that  Daniel Brooks got into an altercation and stabbed Lawrence Head, Jr. to death in his home.A spokesperson for the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office said Brooks was taken into custody in Maurepas.A second victim was taken to the hospital and is expecte
  
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• Killian police identify suspect in deadly stabbing

  21-02-2017 13:32
  
  KILLIAN – Police have identified a suspect in a deadly stabbing in a rural Livingston Parish home Monday night.The incident happened on the 28000 block of Highway 444 late Monday night. Killian Police believe that a man named Daniel Brooks is responsible for the crime. Authorities described Brooks as a black male in his mid 20s. LPSO considered Brooks as armed and dangerous. A second victim was taken to the hospital and is expected to live. The two victims' n
  
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• Man arrested for New Years Day murder in Baton Rouge

  21-02-2017 13:27
  
  BATON ROUGE - BRPD has arrested a suspect in connection to a fatal shooting that occurred on Jan. 1.Police say 29-year-old Thailand Brooks was arrested for fatally shooting of 29-year-old Asha Davis in her home on New Years Day. Investigators believe the shooting was a result of a domestic dispute between the two.Davis was found shot to death inside her home at 4115 Mohican Prescott Crossover the night of the shooting.Brooks will be booked in the East Baton Ro
  
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• Boil order issued for parts of Iberville Parish

  21-02-2017 12:25
  
  IBERVILLE PARISH– Iberville Parish Water District No. 3 says a broken line may be causing low water pressure for some customers.The break will impact customers from Hwy. 75 from Jack Miller’s Landing south to the end of Hwy 75 in Bayou Pidgeon and all intersecting streets. Streets west of Hwy 75 including Bayou Sorrel Road and Bayou Pigeon Road may also be affected.Officials say customers should disinfect their water before consuming it, making ice, brushing teeth or using it
  
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• From restaurants to reefs: recycling discarded oyster shells

  21-02-2017 12:02
  
  ON LAKE ATHANASIO - If you slurp oysters from the half-shell in New Orleans, you may be doing more than satisfying a culinary craving: You could be helping to construct reefs that environmental groups hope will save a bit of Louisiana's coastline.Since 2014, restaurants have contributed nearly 2,600 tons of shells to the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and The Nature Conservancy. About one-quarter of those shells now form a half-mile-long reef about 40 miles from New Orleans.Tiny oyster l
  
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• Special election set to fill Troy Brown's senate seat

  21-02-2017 11:44
  
  BATON ROUGE – Louisiana Senate President John A. Alario Jr. has issued a call for a special election to fill the seat vacated by Troy Brown.The general election is set for April 29, 2017. Qualifying for District 2 seat is from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on March 15-17.If a runoff is needed, it will be held on May 27, 2017.Senator Troy Brown announced his resignation as Senator of District 2 on Thursday afternoon, just one day after a Senate select committee discussed his expulsion.Br
  
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• DOTD proposes J-Turns along US 190 in Livonia

  21-02-2017 11:38
  
  LIVONIA - Suzanne Salter knows the toll a left turn can cost on US 190 in Livonia."It's something that you hope that no one else every has to go through," Salter said.In 2014, Salter's daughter died while attempting a left turn at an intersection on the highway. The gap in the guard rail at the intersection has claimed another life since then.Police are blaming the highway's unprotected turning lanes for the repeat crashes. On Tuesday, DOTD introduced a plan to fix the problem.DOTD says
  
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• Domestic homicide suspect arrested, family still in grief

  21-02-2017 11:20
  
  BATON ROUGE - Keisha Davis is still grieving from the loss of her sister Asha.Asha Davis was shot and killed inside of her home on The Mohican Prescott Crossover on New Year's Day.Almost two months later, Baton Rouge Police arrested 29-year-old Thailand Brooks. He is now charged with second-degree murder. Police said the incident stemmed from a domestic dispute.On Tuesday, Keisha Davis described her sister's relationship with the man who's accused of murdering her."Volatile, very toxic," Davis s
  
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• Trump: Threats against Jewish centers 'horrible and painful'

  21-02-2017 11:15
  
  WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump is calling recent threats against Jewish community centers "horrible and painful."Trump made the remarks Tuesday after touring the National Museum of African American History and Culture. He said the museum was a "meaningful reminder of why we have to fight bigotry, intolerance and hatred in all forms."The threats against JCCs are a "very sad reminder" of what still needs to be done, Trump said.Earlier, the White House denounced "hatred and hate-motivated viol
  
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• Malaysia: Suspects wiped toxin on Kim's brother

  21-02-2017 11:00
  
  KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Malaysia's police chief says the two female suspects in the killing of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's half brother at Kuala Lumpur's airport were trained to wipe toxin on his face, then wash their hands.Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar said Wednesday that North Koreans placed the toxin on the hands of the two women, one Indonesian and one Vietnamese. He was the North Korean suspect who gave them the toxin is in custody and Malaysian authorities are seeking
  
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• Man accused of pointing gun at sleeping kids, sending photo to mom

  21-02-2017 09:57
  
  BATON ROUGE – A Baton Rouge man is accused of pointing a gun at his sleeping children and sending threatening messages to the mother Monday morning.According to arrest records, Cecil Beals, 36, was charged with a felony count of aggravated assault and cyberstalking Monday.Documents allege that Beals took a photo while pointing a silver revolver at his two sleeping children and sending it to their mother along with the message, “that’s how I feel bout them. F&mda
  
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• 2nd orange alligator pops up in the Carolinas

  21-02-2017 09:09
  
  CALABASH - For the second time this month, a rust-colored alligator has turned up in the Carolinas.The Sun News of Myrtle Beach reports Tuesday that some residents of a Calabash, North Carolina, neighborhood have named the pumpkin-colored alligator "Donny."Earlier this month, residents joked that an orange alligator that turned up in a pond near Charleston had used too much self-tanning lotion. Jay Butfiloski with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources said the color may have come fr
  
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• Killian police investigating stabbing, one dead

  21-02-2017 08:41
  
  KILLIAN – Police investigators are working to find the person who stabbed at least two people in a home in rural Livingston Parish. It happened on the 28000 block of Highway 444, late Monday night.Sources confirm to News 2, one person was killed at the scene. A second victim was taken to the hospital. It’s unclear how seriously that person was injured.News 2 has a crew headed to the scene.Stay with WBRZ News 2, and WBRZ.com for updates.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Deputies identify victim in deadly Hammond shooting

  21-02-2017 08:28
  
  HAMMOND – Deputies in Tangipahoa Parish are investigating a deadly shooting outside an apartment complex in Hammond.According to Sheriff Daniel Edwards, the shooting happened around 12:30 a.m. at an apartment complex on Woodlands Drive. Neighbors reported hearing several gunshots.Deputies found 22-year-old Maurice Lloyd dead at the scene.Anyone with information is asked to contact CrimeStoppers at 800-554-5245.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Burger King, Tim Hortons parent company to buy Popeyes for $1.8 billion

  21-02-2017 08:09
  
  NEW YORK - Restaurant Brands International says it's buying Popeyes for $1.8 billion, bringing the chicken chain under the same corporate umbrella as Burger King and Tim Hortons.The move fits with Restaurant Brands' approach of taking over well-known fast-food chains it sees as having the potential for significant expansion. The deal gives Popeyes shareholders $79 per share, representing a 27 percent premium from its average price on Feb. 10.Restaurant Brands was created after Burger King, contr
  
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• Yahoo salvages Verizon deal with $350 million discount

  21-02-2017 07:59
  
  NEW YORK - Yahoo is taking a $350 million hit on its previously announced $4.8 billion sale to Verizon in a concession for security lapses that exposed personal information stored in more than 1 billion Yahoo user accounts.The revised agreement announced Tuesday eases investor worries that Verizon Communications Inc. would demand a discount of at least $1 billion or cancel the deal entirely.The hacking bombshells, disclosed after the two companies agreed on a sale, represent the two biggest secu
  
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• Teen suicide attempts fell as same-sex marriage became legal

  21-02-2017 07:26
  
  CHICAGO - Teen suicide attempts in the U.S. declined after same-sex marriage became legal and the biggest impact was among gay, lesbian and bisexual kids, a study found.The research found declines in states that passed laws allowing gays to marry before the Supreme Court made it legal nationwide. The results don't prove there's a connection, but researchers said policymakers should be aware of the measures' potential benefits for youth mental health.Suicide is the second-leading cause of death f
  
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• Audit: More than $77,000 missing from Hammond landfill

  21-02-2017 06:55
  
  HAMMOND - A state financial report says more than $77,000 is missing from a public landfill in Tangipahoa Parish, and auditors suspect a former manager of taking the money.An audit by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor's Office says about $49,000 in dumping fee collections are missing from the Tangipahoa Parish landfill, along with more than $27,000 in money from scrap metal sales.The Daily Star in Hammond reports that the audit says former landfill manager Terrance Stewart may have violated laws
  
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• Newly hired officer fired from Elayn Hunt prison

  21-02-2017 06:51
  
  ST. GABRIEL - Officials say a newly hired officer at a Louisiana prison is being fired after allegedly hitting an inmate.A prison system spokesman says 23-year-old corrections cadet Eric Lands is charged with simple battery.Prison spokesman Ken Pastorick says a surveillance camera and several witnesses saw Lands repeatedly hit a prisoner while escorting him back to his cell on Sunday.Pastorick says witnesses told investigators that Lands struck the inmate after he spit in the cadet's face at Ela
  
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• DC panda fans bam-boo-hoo as US-born cub leaves for China

  21-02-2017 06:48
  
  WASHINGTON - The National Zoo in Washington is saying a final goodbye to its panda cub Bao Bao.The zoo is packing up the American-born panda for a one-way flight Tuesday to China, where the 3-year-old will eventually join a panda breeding program.Bao Bao is scheduled to leave the zoo Tuesday morning and fly from Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia to Chengdu, China, on Tuesday afternoon.The cub won't have to worry about finding overhead bin space or dealing with a talkative seatm
  
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• Circus lionized for cutting animal acts will bring them back

  21-02-2017 06:44
  
  BOSTON - A Massachusetts circus is under fire for bringing back animal acts a year after earning praise from animal rights groups for dropping them.The Melha Shrine Circus says performing elephants, tigers and dogs will return in May because that's what people want.The charitable circus says attendance dropped last year without the animals, and for the first time in its 63-year history, the circus lost money.Sheryl Becker is the daughter of a Shriner and an animal rights activist who started an
  
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• LIVE UPDATES: Tuesday's commute

  21-02-2017 05:44
  
  BATON ROUGE - News 2's Ashley Fruge has you covered with live updates for your Tuesday 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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