Baton Rouge news

• Baton Rouge mayor vows police reform despite Justice Department changes

  02-03-2017 22:29
  
  President Donald Trump's attorney general backs off aggressive oversight of local police
  
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• Pastor's faith restored after huge donation following tool theft

  02-03-2017 21:59
  
  BATON ROUGE - A local church was broken into for a second time in a week, but the pastor is in good spirits after a strong show of support and donations from the community.After News 2 shared the original story, calls and emails from viewers hoping to help out flooded in.
  Pastor H. Louis Jones said trust in people is necessary in his position. After a break-in at the Hope Community United Methodist Church, with many tools stolen from inside, that trust was put in jeopardy. His faith, however, wa
  
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• Pence used a private email account to conduct state business

  02-03-2017 21:28
  
  WASHINGTON - A newspaper is reporting that Vice President Mike Pence used a private email account to conduct public business as Indiana's governor.
      
  The Indianapolis Star reports that emails provided through a public records request show that Pence communicated with advisers through his personal AOL account.
      
  Public officials are not barred from using personal email accounts under Indiana law. The law is interpreted to mean that any o
  
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• WBRZ Crawfish Index: boiled price per pound starts at $4.58

  02-03-2017 21:05
  
  BATON ROUGE – With Mardi Gras revelry all over, today marks the first Friday of Lent. Hundreds of residents across south Louisiana and Baton Rouge will choose start pinching crawfish tails this weekend.Friday, WBRZ launched its first Crawfish Price Index to track the average price for a pound of boiled crawfish in the Baton Rouge area.The index includes a survey of 10 locations submitted by WBRZ viewers through social media. Each Friday, we will update the Crawfish Price Index with new
  
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• EPA withdraws Obama-era request for data on oil, natural gas

  02-03-2017 20:43
  
  WASHINGTON - The Environmental Protection Agency is withdrawing an Obama-era request that oil and natural gas companies provide information on methane emissions at oil and gas operations.
      
  EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt says the withdrawal is effective immediately, adding that he wants to assess the need for the information the agency has been collecting under a directive issued in November.
      
  Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and eight other
  
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• Crews extinguish blaze at flood-damaged home

  02-03-2017 19:57
  
  CENTRAL - Firefighters put out a blaze at a house on Greenwell Springs Road that was under construction following the August flood.Central Fire Department officials say they responded to the blaze in the 14100 block of Greenwell Springs Road shortly after 7:30 p.m.When firefighters arrived, they say they found a single story vacant home with heavy fire burning through the roof.Crews were able to put the fire under control at 7:44 p.m.No injuries were reported. Investigators are now working to de
  
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• Crews battling house fire near Greenwell Springs Road

  02-03-2017 19:57
  
  CENTRAL - Firefighters are extinguishing a blaze at a house on Greenwell Springs Road.Sources say the fire is at a vacant home in the 15000 block of Greenwell Springs Road near Sullivan Road.Greenwell Springs Road is partially shut down while crews work to extinguish the fire.Details are limited at this time.Check back for updates.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Checks in mail soon, attorneys in Katrina-Rita case say

  02-03-2017 18:22
  
  NEW ORLEANS - Letters have gone out to inform nearly 125,000 New Orleans-area residents and businesses that checks will be mailed soon in a 2009 settlement over flood damage from hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005.The money won't be major in most cases: Joseph Bruno, an attorney representing plaintiffs in the suit told Nola.comThe Times-Picayune that payments will range from $2.50 to $3,700.The $20 million settlement came in a lawsuit involving the East Jefferson, Orleans and Lake Borgne Basin
  
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• Lawmakers discuss ways to reduce state's prison population

  02-03-2017 18:17
  
  BATON ROUGE – Governor John Bel Edwards' criminal justice task force has made recommendations to lawmakers on how to reduce Louisiana's prison population.The task force discussed the topic of violent crimes on Thursday and made recommendations that included granting parole hearings for juveniles sentenced to life in prison and for adults who are 50 years old and have already served thirty years.
  "The problem is we have an overcrowding problem, we have a fiscal problem and we're trying
  
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• Students return to Galvez Primary School since flood

  02-03-2017 17:52
  
  ASCENSION – Galvez Primary School opened for the first time on Thursday since the August 2016 flood.
  Before students and staff returned, they were at two other school sites: Lakeside Primary and the old RPCC campus.
  "The hardest part was the travel, just because some of the children had to come from this area to across the parish," Principal Toni Hardy said.The two sites were used until temporary classrooms could be installed at the Galvez campus.Kindergarten teacher Jacqueline Gautrea
  
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• Carson sworn in as HUD secretary

  02-03-2017 17:22
  
  WASHINGTON - Ben Carson has been sworn in as the next secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.The retired neurosurgeon and Republican presidential candidate was confirmed by the Senate earlier Thursday.Vice President Mike Pence says he is confident that Carson will "open doors of opportunity" to some of the most vulnerable in the country.Carson's selection for the position raised eyebrows because he never held public office and has no experience in housing or development iss
  
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• Suspect identified in theft of $4,700 worth of headphones from Walmart

  02-03-2017 17:03
  
  WEST BATON ROUGE – The West Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office has issued a warrant for the arrest of a man who is wanted for stealing more than $4,000 worth of headphones from Walmart. Deputies believe that 36-year-old Terrence Hamilton is responsible for stealing $4,700 worth of Beats headphones from the electronics section of the Port Allen Walmart. The theft occurred on Feb. 27 around 2 a.m.
  Detectives believe that Hamilton has ties to Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Florida.Anyone
  
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• Greenwell Springs library to reopen following August flood

  02-03-2017 16:27
  
  BATON ROUGE – The Greenwell Springs Regional Branch Library is opening for the first time since the August 2016 flood on Mar. 3.The library will be open to about 65 percent of the public while repairs continue, according to library branch officials.The branch received four to six inches of water due to the flood. There was extensive damage to the floor, walls, millwork, cabinets, furniture, equipment and supplies. Additionally, 16,000 library books and items were lost in the floodwater
  
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• 19 horses killed when semi driver from La. flips rig

  02-03-2017 16:00
  
  GREENVILLE, Mississippi - A man from Louisiana was behind the wheel of a horse rig when it overturned, killing more than a dozen livestock in Mississippi.KNOE TV reported the driver is from Bastrop, Louisiana. Bastrop is in the Monroe area. The driver survived the crash, the TV station reported on its website.The station obtained a picture of the crash scene, which appeared to show multiple dead horses. The Mississippi Highway Patrol is investigating the crash in Greenville, a small com
  
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• Richmond faces backlash for Kellyanne Conway joke

  02-03-2017 15:36
  
  U.S. Representative Cedric Richmond is getting backlash for comments that he made about Kellyanne Conway, counselor to President Donald Trump.During the Washington Press Club Foundation Congressional Dinner, Richmond commented on a photo of Conway kneeling on the coach in the Oval Office, while Trump was meeting with a group of presidents from historically black universities and colleges.Richmond stated to Senator Tim Scott, "I really just want to know what was going on there, because I won't te
  
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• Sessions recuses himself from Russia probe

  02-03-2017 15:18
  
  WASHINGTON - Attorney General Jeff Sessions says he will recuse himself from a federal investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 White House election.Sessions faced mounting pressure from both Democrats and Republicans to step aside after revelations that he had twice talked with Moscow's U.S. envoy during the presidential campaign. Sessions' conversations with the ambassador seem to contradict his sworn statements to Congress during his confirmation hearings.The Justice Department sai
  
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• Oscar flub accountants get security protection guards

  02-03-2017 14:31
  
  LOS ANGELES - A spokeswoman for the PwC auditing firm says the company has hired protection for the two accountants responsible for the best-picture flub at the Oscars.Carey Bodenheimer said Thursday that PwC is providing security to Brian Cullinan and Martha Ruiz.They are the accountants who were dismissed by the film academy Wednesday for mishandling the winners' envelopes at Sunday's 89th Academy Awards.Bodenheimer said PwC hired security for the two partners after their home addresses and ph
  
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• Fat finger: Typo caused Amazon's big cloud-computing outage

  02-03-2017 14:28
  
  NEW YORK - Amazon says an incorrectly typed command during a routine debugging of its billing system caused the five-hour outage of some Amazon Web Services servers on Tuesday.In a summary posted online, the Seattle company says a command meant to remove a small number of servers for one of its S3 subsystems was entered incorrectly and a larger set of servers was removed. A full restart was required, which took longer than expected due to how fast Amazon Web Services has grown over the past few
  
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• Lowe's donates supplies after thieves steal pastor's tools

  02-03-2017 14:14
  
  BATON ROUGE – A Capital City Lowe’s will donate “quite a few” tools to a pastor who lost his tools to thieves earlier this week.The national home improvement store will donate the tools to Pastor H. Lewis Jones and the United Methodist Church Thursday.The event is planned for 2 p.m. WBRZ will live stream the event on Facebook Live.Tuesday, Jones had to call police after someone broke in and stole the tools he was using to repair his flood damaged church.No
  
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• Five wanted for not appearing in court in Ascension Parish

  02-03-2017 13:35
  
  GONZALES – Deputies in Ascension Parish are looking for five individuals who failed to appear in court for felony charges.According to a statement from Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office, the following individuals ignored their court date and led to a bench warrant being issued for failure to appear.Joseph Babin, 31, is wanted on a felony bench warrant for second-degree cruelty to juveniles.Nicholas Massey, 36, is wanted on felony bench warrant for possession of scheduled 2 an
  
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• BRPD Chief Dabadie reads at local schools for Read Across America Day

  02-03-2017 13:06
  
  BATON ROUGE – Baton Rouge Police Chief Carl Dabadie celebrated Read Across America Day by reading at area public schools.Dabadie visited Twin Oaks Elementary, Broadmoor Elementary and Jefferson Terrace Thursday. He will also visit five other schools on Friday. He will visit the following schools:       8:30-9:15am LaSalle (Chief Dabadie)8:30am-9:00am Bridge Academy (Old Glen Oaks Middle)9:00-9:30am Villa del Rey Elem11-11:30am Melrose Elem1:00pm- 1:3
  
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• Deadline extended to apply for BR youth work program

  02-03-2017 12:58
  
  BATON ROUGE – Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome announced that the deadline has extended to apply for the EmployBR Young Adult Services Out-of-School Youth Program.The deadline has been extended until Mar. 3 at 5 p.m.The program, Making a Positive Step, runs for eight weeks starting March 13 through May 12. To be eligible applicants must be between the ages of 16 and 24 and currently not attending any school. The program is open to school dropouts, offender, youth who have aged out
  
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• Family holds balloon release to honor Deputy Brad Garafola

  02-03-2017 12:54
  
  BATON ROUGE – Family members and colleagues held a balloon release for one of the deputies killed in July’s police ambush.The ceremony was held Thursday on EBRSO Deputy Brad Garafola’s birthday. Those attending released black and blue balloons.Garafola and two Baton Rouge Police officers were killed in July in an ambush on Airline Highway."Brad was an everyday hero to his friends and family," Sheriff Sid Gautreaux said in July. "Deputy Brad Garafola died as he lived
  
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• Two people had to be cut of mangled wreck on Jefferson Hwy. Thursday

  02-03-2017 12:39
  
  BATON ROUGE – Jefferson Highway closed Thursday morning after a crash required people from two vehicles be cut from the mangled wreckage.Firefighters said those injured were rushed to an area hospital with moderate to severe injuries.The wreck happened around 10 a.m. in the 13000 block of Jefferson Highway. The street was closed between Tiger Bend and Baringer Foreman.Click HERE to access WBRZ's advanced traffic-tracking technology at any time.***********Follow the publisher of this po
  
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• One killed in wreck on Jefferson Hwy. Thursday

  02-03-2017 12:39
  
  BATON ROUGE – One person died in a crash on Jefferson Highway Thursday morning.When firefighters arrived at the scene, they had to cut two people from two different vehicles involved.  Firefighters said those injured were rushed to an area hospital with moderate to severe injuries.  One person later died.  Their name has not been released.  The wreck happened around 10 a.m. in the 13000 block of Jefferson Highway. The street was closed between Tiger
  
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• City-Parish launches new Open Neighborhood BR platform for residents

  02-03-2017 12:35
  
  BATON ROUGE – Mayor-President Sharon Weston Bend announced the launch of a new digital resource for residents called Open Neighborhood BR.The platform, located at my.brla.gov, provides residents with up-to-date, map-based information on recent incidents involving City-Parish agencies, such as police, fire, traffic incidents, 311 requests for service and building permits.The platform allows users to search by using maps, dates, addresses, neighborhoods ZIP codes or Metro Council Distric
  
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• Report: Law enforcement raiding Caterpillar Inc. headquarters

  02-03-2017 12:20
  
  PEORIA – There is a heavy police presence outside the Caterpillar Inc. headquarters in Peoria, Illinois, local media is reporting.According to WEEK.com, law enforcement are searching the building looking for tax documents. The company’s human resources department is telling employees that law enforcement are executing a search warrant.Viewer photos from the scene show investigators wearing IRS jackets entering the company’s headquarters.Read the full report on WEEK.
  
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• Snapchat parent rockets higher in Wall Street debut

  02-03-2017 12:13
  
  NEW YORK - The company behind Snapchat is trading sharply higher in its Wall Street debut.Snap Inc. jumped $7, or 41 percent, to $24 a share.It had priced its initial public offering of 200 million non-voting shares at $17 each on Wednesday. That's above the expected range of $14 to $16.Snap's IPO is one of the most anticipated for a technology company since Twitter's in 2013. That, in turn, had created the biggest stir since Facebook took its first bow on Wall Street in 2012. Twitter is now val
  
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• HH Gregg closing Mall of La. location

  02-03-2017 11:44
  
  BATON ROUGE – The electronics store on the Mall of Louisiana's Boulevard, HH Gregg will close the company announced officially."We are strategically exiting markets and stores that are not financially profitable for us," said Robert J. Riesbeck, the company's president and CEO.Also closing are two other locations in Louisiana: in the New Orleans suburbs Metairie and Harvey.HH Gregg is undergoing a turnaround, in hopes of improvement business."We have determined that the economics of th
  
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• LSU Police investigating dating site sextortion

  02-03-2017 11:43
  
  BATON ROUGE - LSU Police are investigating a sextortion incident that happened on Valentine's Day.According to court documents, the incident happened on Feb. 14. A male victim said he was using an online dating site and had agreed to have "webcam sex" with another user. The victim then used his webcam to livestream while he fondled himself.The victim said the other user, who identified herself as Nathalie Smith, demanded $400 or she would post a recording of the act online. After the victim said
  
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• Elvis Presley's Graceland opening new entertainment complex

  02-03-2017 08:38
  
  MEMPHIS - A $45 million entertainment complex featuring exhibits and restaurants focused on the life and career of Elvis Presley is scheduled to open at Graceland in Memphis.Priscilla Presley, the former wife of the late rock 'n' roll icon, is scheduled to appear at the grand opening of the complex in Tennessee on Thursday.The 200,000-square-foot complex is located across the street from Graceland, Presley's longtime home. It features a comprehensive Presley exhibit, a showcase of the cars he ow
  
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• Next up in the Senate: Ben Carson, slated for HUD vote

  02-03-2017 08:04
  
  WASHINGTON - The next Trump administration Cabinet nominee up for a vote in the Senate is celebrated neurosurgeon Ben Carson.A vote is scheduled Thursday on President Donald Trump's choice to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and approval is expected.Carson has no government or housing policy experience, and Democrats were critical early on about his credentials. Despite that, he won unanimous support in a Senate committee vote in January.Carson has been praised by Republican
  
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• Carson wins confirmation as Housing secretary

  02-03-2017 08:04
  
  WASHINGTON - The Senate has confirmed retired neurosurgeon and former Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson as housing secretary.The vote was 58-41.Carson will lead an agency of some 8,300 employees and a budget of about $47 billion.Carson has no government or housing policy experience. Despite that, his nomination cleared a Senate committee in January on a unanimous vote. Republicans praised his life story as inspiring. Carson grew up in inner-city Detroit with a single mother who had a
  
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• Warmer winter could mean more mosquitos

  02-03-2017 07:15
  
  BATON ROUGE - This year's warm winter has the phone ringing off the hook at the East Baton Rouge Mosquito Abatement office.Hundreds of people have called in, asking for help doing away with the pesky bugs. On February 24th alone, 100 people called in.Experts say mosquitos are cold-blooded and prefer temperatures above 80 degrees. The bugs typically hibernate for the winter when temperatures drop less than 50 degrees. This winter (Dec. – Feb.) had a record 23 days over 80 degre
  
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• Former VP Joe Biden's son dating late son's widow

  02-03-2017 06:13
  
  Former Vice President Joe Biden's son is dating the widow of his other son, the late Beau Biden, according to a report.The New York Post reports that Hallie Biden and Hunter Biden began dating after Hunter separated from his wife. In a statement to the Post, Hunter Biden said the pair was "incredibly lucky" to have found love and support from one another during a difficult time.Beau Biden, the former Delaware attorney general, died from brain cancer in May 2015.The Post also quoted a statement f
  
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• Sessions denies allegations

  02-03-2017 06:05
  
  WASHINGTON - House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi is accusing Attorney General Jeff Sessions of "lying under oath" and is demanding that he resign. Sessions talked twice with Russia's ambassador to the United States during the presidential campaign season, but said nothing about those discussions during his confirmation hearing. Last night, Sessions said in a statement, "I never met with any Russian officials to discuss issues of the campaign. I have no idea what this allegation is about. It is
  
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• More Republicans say AG should recuse himself

  02-03-2017 06:05
  
  WASHINGTON - A Republican committee chairman says Attorney General Jeff Sessions should recuse himself from an investigation into Russian interference in the U.S. election.Utah's Jason Chaffetz chairs the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. He tells MSNBC that Sessions "is going to need to recuse himself at this point."The Justice Department has confirmed Sessions talked twice with Russia's ambassador to the United States during the presidential campaign, a seeming contradi
  
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• GOP chairman says Sessions should recuse himself

  02-03-2017 06:05
  
  WASHINGTON - A Republican committee chairman says Attorney General Jeff Sessions should recuse himself from an investigation into Russian interference in the U.S. election.Utah's Jason Chaffetz chairs the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. He tells MSNBC that Sessions "is going to need to recuse himself at this point."The Justice Department has confirmed Sessions talked twice with Russia's ambassador to the United States during the presidential campaign, a seeming contradi
  
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• Casey Anthony may have accidentally killed daughter

  02-03-2017 05:33
  
  ORLANDO, Fla. - The judge who presided over Casey Anthony's murder trial says the Florida mother may have killed her 2-year-old daughter by accident.In a Wednesday interview with the Orlando Sentinel (http://bit.ly/2mIK8SZ ), former Circuit Judge Belvin Perry Jr. said Anthony may have been trying to quiet the child, Caylee, with chloroform and accidentally used too much.Perry says it's a theory and if jurors in Anthony's 2011 trial had come to that conclusion, they might have convicted her of se
  
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• LIVE UPDATES: Thursday morning commute

  02-03-2017 05:05
  
  BATON ROUGE - News 2's Ashley Fruge has you covered with live updates for your Thursday 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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