Baton Rouge news

• Fundraiser hopes to provide new home for Devon Gales' family

  06-03-2017 21:30
  
  ATHENS - Devon Gales and his family had no idea they would be getting a surprise at a University of Georgia basketball game."I was so surprised," Devon said.The Triumph of Tragedy Foundation first announced the goal of building the Gales family a home back in February of 2016 at a special ceremony in Athens. Since then, donations have trickled in.The announcement from the University shows the commitment the school has to raise the $500,000 needed for the family's new home in Baton Rouge."I was j
  
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• US moves parts of controversial missile defense to SKorea

  06-03-2017 20:54
  
  SEOUL, South Korea - The U.S. military has begun moving equipment for a controversial missile defense system to ally South Korea.The announcement Tuesday by the U.S. military comes a day after North Korea test-launched four ballistic missiles into the ocean near Japan.The plans to deploy the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system, or THAAD, have angered not only North Korea, but also China, which sees the system's powerful radars as a security threat.Some South Korean liberal presidential ca
  
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• Trump offers Planned Parenthood funds if it halts abortions

  06-03-2017 20:45
  
  WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump has offered to maintain federal funding for Planned Parenthood if the group stops providing abortions. Its president has spurned the proposal and noted that federal money already is not allowed to be used for abortion.Trump confirmed there had been discussions after The New York Times inquired about what it described as an informal proposal. In a statement to the newspaper, Trump says "there is an opportunity for organizations to continue the important work th
  
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• Amazon shares data with Arkansas prosecutor in murder case

  06-03-2017 20:31
  
  BENTONVILLE, Ark. - Amazon dropped its fight against a subpoena issued in an Arkansas murder case after the defendant said he wouldn't mind if the technology giant shared information that may have been gathered by an Amazon Echo smart speaker.James Andrew Bates has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the death of Victor Collins, who was found dead in a hot tub at Bates' home. In paperwork filed Monday, Bates said Amazon could share the information and Amazon said it handed over material
  
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• Coast Guard: Fuel safely removed after tugboat partly sinks

  06-03-2017 20:27
  
  VIDALIA - The Coast Guard says all fuel has been safely removed from a tugboat that partly sank in the Mississippi River near Vidalia.A news release Monday says the "Sonny J" had 4,000 gallons of diesel fuel in its tanks when it took on water early Feb. 26.The Coast Guard says the boat's fuel tank vents remained above water, and were plugged.The boat was raised Sunday, and all of the fuel had been removed by Monday afternoon.The cause of the accident is being investigated.Petty Officer Lexie Pre
  
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• House GOP releases bill replacing Obama health care overhaul

  06-03-2017 19:38
  
  WASHINGTON - House Republicans have released their long-awaited bill dismantling much of former President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. The measure would roll back the government's health care role and is expected to result in fewer people having insurance coverage.House committees planned votes on the legislation Wednesday. That will launch perhaps the year's defining battle in Congress, and GOP success is by no means assured because of internal divisions.The plan would repeal the law's
  
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• DHS chief: Agency may separate parents, children at border

  06-03-2017 19:36
  
  WASHINGTON - Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly says his agency is considering separating children and parents caught crossing the Mexican border illegally.Kelly says such a move would be part of a broader effort to stop families from making the dangerous trek across Mexico to the United States border. He confirmed that he's considering the action during an interview with CNN Monday.Tens of thousands of parents and children mostly fleeing violence in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala have
  
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• US airstrikes kill former Guantanamo detainee in Yemen

  06-03-2017 19:31
  
  WASHINGTON - U.S. airstrikes against an al-Qaida-linked militant group in Yemen killed a former Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detainee who was released in 2009 despite earlier recommendations that he remain in custody because he was considered a high threat to America and its allies.The Pentagon says Mohammed Tahar, a Yemeni, was killed Thursday. Tahar was held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for seven years.A March 2008 memo from the detention center commander warned that Tahar would engage in extremist activ
  
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• Brusly to consider installing security cameras

  06-03-2017 18:16
  
  BRUSLY – City leaders in Brusly are considering installing a series of security cameras around town in an effort to keep crime numbers low.Residents in Brusly say the community is quiet and tight-knit.Frederick Dupre said that he and his family have always felt safe in his neighborhood."I've been living here over 40 years and there never been any serious crime problems that know of," Dupre said.Town officials are considering placing security cameras to keep an eye on people 24/7."We wa
  
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• Cyclist hit by car on Cable Street

  06-03-2017 17:45
  
  BATON ROUGE – Crews are responding to a pedestrian hit by a car while riding their bicycle on Cable Street. Sources say that the cyclist was taken to the hospital in serious condition, however they have injuries that are not life-threatening. A News 2 crew is on the scene.This story will be updated as more information becomes available.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Court of Appeals rules city can remove Confederate statues in New Orleans

  06-03-2017 17:20
  
  NEW ORLEANS – The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in favor to remove three Confederate statues from their current spots around New Orleans.WWL reports that the court sided with the city of New Orleans in its efforts to remove the statues.The statues are of Robert E. Lee at Lee Circle, P.G.T. Beauregard near the entrance to City Park and Jefferson Davis on Jefferson Davis Parkway.No details about the removal of the statues has been released at the time of this post.Per
  
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• Call to 2 On Your Side fixes sinkhole

  06-03-2017 17:16
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS - Worry no more about a sinkhole in Arbor Walk. It's been taken care of by the Department of Public Works following a 2 On Your Side report.Less than two weeks after WBRZ met Richard Bigelow, a crew was at his home Monday morning fixing and filling the hole. Bigelow, grateful for help."News 2 has been able to help the people, and I reached out and I got help," he said.Since early last year, Bigelow says he's dealt with a sinking backyard and got Livingston Parish involved in May.&
  
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• ExxonMobil to invest $20 million in facilities along Gulf Coast

  06-03-2017 17:11
  
  BATON ROUGE – ExxonMobil is planning to invest $20 billion over the next 10 years to build and expand 11 manufacturing facilities along the Gulf Coast, with investments already implemented in Baton Rouge.Within the last year, the company has invested more than $1 billion in capital projects in the Baton Rouge area, which has led to more than 4,500 construction jobs.Investments included a recently-completed 90,000 square foot aviation lubricants blending, packaging and distribu
  
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• ExxonMobil to invest $20 billion in facilities along Gulf Coast

  06-03-2017 17:11
  
  BATON ROUGE – ExxonMobil is planning to invest $20 billion over the next 10 years to build and expand 11 manufacturing facilities along the Gulf Coast, with investments already implemented in Baton Rouge.Within the last year, the company has invested more than $1 billion in capital projects in the Baton Rouge area, which has led to more than 4,500 construction jobs.Investments include a recently-completed 90,000 square foot aviation lubricants blending, packaging and distribut
  
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• State blames clerical error for not locating warehouse permits

  06-03-2017 16:30
  
  BATON ROUGE- The State Department of Environmental Quality blamed a clerical error for not being able to track down permits for a warehouse in Walker.
  "That one got misplaced," Greg Langley with DEQ said.
  The Investigative Unit checked with the Department of Environmental Quality on multiple days last week after no permits showed up for the Martin Brower Food Distribution Center. None showed up for the warehouse's address, or the four names of companies tied to the project. DEQ couldn't locate a
  
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• Man arrested for leaving four-year-old in locked room

  06-03-2017 15:24
  
  BATON ROUGE – A man accused of leaving his four-year-old daughter alone in an apartment and tying a door shut to keep her inside has been arrested.The Baton Rouge Police Department arrested 29-year-old Alphonzo Cutler for child desertion.On Mar. 3, an individual called police after finding a four-year-old girl standing outside of an apartment in the 4300 block of Denham Street. According to BRPD, the girl told the individual that she was home alone. The girl's father, identified as Cut
  
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• Pregnant mom struts around in giraffe mask, mocks viral video

  06-03-2017 14:17
  
  MYRTLE BEACH – With social media users captivated recently by eagle and giraffe cams, one pregnant mom in South Carolina decided to get in on the action.Erin Dietrich donned a giraffe head and strutted around her bedroom for about eight minutes Sunday. She livestreamed the entire event on Facebook Live. The post, just like the wildlife cams, went viral. Dietrich's livestream received more than 14 million views on Facebook and was shared nearly 300,00
  
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• Gulf Shores alcohol ban in effect for Spring Break

  06-03-2017 14:09
  
  GULF SHORES, Ala. - A Spring Break alcohol ban went into effect in Gulf Shores over the weekend, meaning there's no alcohol allowed past the dunes at any Gulf Shores beaches. This year marks the second time the area has instituted the ban after last year's Spring Break got out of hand, leading to the arrest of several unruly college students.According to Local 15 News, an Oklahoma State student was run down and killed by a drunk driver on the beach road four years ago. Since th
  
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• Coast Guard's Twitter account hacked with sex invitation

  06-03-2017 13:49
  
  PORTSMOUTH, Va. - A U.S. Coast Guard spokesman says an invitation to meet for sex showed up on the mid-Atlantic region's Twitter account after it was hacked.Coast Guard spokesman Nate Littlejohn said that the account was compromised Monday morning. He says the profile photo and bio were changed to include an invitation to meet for sex, and that an image of a scantily clad woman was tweeted from the account.Littlejohn says officials were immediately alerted by a member of the news media and regai
  
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• Port Allen named one of the top five safest cities in Louisiana

  06-03-2017 13:33
  
  The National Council for Home Safety and Security put out a study Monday naming the top five safest cities in the state of Louisiana.The study compares the number of violent crimes per 1,000 people of each city to the statewide average. The study also factors property crimes into its findings.Harahan, nicknamed the "City of Friendship", was declared the safest city in the state with a safety rating 79 percent better than the state average.Patterson and Port Allen were ranked number two
  
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• Matt Damon to narrate Boston Marathon documentary

  06-03-2017 13:29
  
  BOSTON - The producers of the first full-length documentary film about the Boston Marathon say they've signed Matt Damon to narrate it."Boston" premieres in its namesake city on April 15, two days before the 121st running of America's most venerable footrace. It will be screened in 500 theaters nationwide starting April 19.Executive producer Frank Marshall says the Academy Award-winning actor - who grew up in Boston and cheered on the runners as a young man - "is the ideal narrator."The film dir
  
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• LSU to open spring practice on Mar. 11

  06-03-2017 13:15
  
  BATON ROUGE – The LSU football team will return to the field for spring practice on Saturday, Mar. 11.Saturday's practice marks the first of 15 workouts for the Tigers under head coach Ed Orgeron. Orgeron will preview LSU's spring practice at 11 a.m. on Tuesday to media members at the LSU Football Operations Facility.LSU returns with 12 starters from last year's team that posted an overall 8-4 record and beat Louisville in the Citrus Bowl.Next week, LSU will practice on Tuesday, Thursd
  
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• UPDATE: Missing 51-year-old woman with mental illness found safe

  06-03-2017 12:47
  
  UPDATE: Baton Rouge Police report that Anglia Sterling was found safe and unharmed in the Baton Rouge area Monday.BATON ROUGE – The Baton Rouge Police Department is looking for a missing woman who suffers from a mental illness.The missing woman has been identified as 51-year-old Anglia Sterling. She was reported missing on Mar. 2, however was last seen several days before. Sterling left behind her child with special needs, who is currently in the care of family.Sterling is des
  
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• Prosecutor: Major drug dealer gets 20 years in prison

  06-03-2017 12:38
  
  NEW ORLEANS - A Houma man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison on drug charges.The Courier reports prosecutors say 33-year-old Ryan Austin was sentenced after pleading guilty Wednesday to possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and oxycodone.Prosecutor Jason Lyons says Austin, who faced numerous drug charges, was a major dealer in the area who had been on law enforcement's radar for several years.Terrebonne Sheriff Jerry Larpenter says authorities searched Austin's home in J
  
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• Two wanted for attempted murder in Denham Springs stabbing

  06-03-2017 12:10
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS – Deputies in Livingston say one person has been arrested and two are on the run after a stabbing in Denham Springs Sunday night.Sheriff Jason Ard said three uninvited guests showed up at a get-together at a home on Bobby Gill Road around 6 p.m. Ard said an argument led to a fight and two people were hurt.Deputies say one victim is in stable condition. The second victim suffered non-life threatening injuries.Fabian Vidal Barreras was charged with disturbing the
  
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• Marksville Marshal murder trial begins Monday

  06-03-2017 11:46
  
  MARKSVILLE – The trial for Derrick Stafford, one of the two city marshal’s charged in the November 2015 shooting death of at six-year-old, will begin next Monday. Stafford, along with Norris Greenhouse Jr., is charged with second-degree murder, and second-degree attempted murder after the shooting that started as a car chase.The 2015 shooting followed a car chase. Six-year-old Jeremy Mardis was in the passenger seat as his father, Chris Few, attempted to flee from an
  
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• Coast Guard, multiple agencies locate missing hunter

  06-03-2017 11:20
  
  NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard concluded a search for a missing hunter after he was found near the Atchafalaya River Basin.The man was located around 7 p.m. Monday evening, according to the Coast Guard. He was then transported to emergency medical services by the St. Mary's Parish Sheriff's Office.The Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office first notified Coast Guard watchstanders that a male hunter was missing from Dog House Camp on the Atchafalaya River around 1 p.m. Monday afternoon.Coast Guard watchst
  
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• Emma Watson hits back at critics of provocative photo shoot

  06-03-2017 11:01
  
  LOS ANGELES - Emma Watson has hit back at critics who claimed her recent photoshoot for Vanity Fair betrayed her feminist ideals.In one image from the shoot, photographed by Tim Walker, Watson poses in a crochet white top that reveals part of her cleavage.The 26-year-old Watson told The Associated Press on Saturday that the controversy represented "a fundamental and complete misunderstanding of what feminism is." She says, "Feminism is about equality and it's about choice." She adds: "Feminism i
  
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• Audubon Zoo's 'King Zulu' the white tiger has died

  06-03-2017 09:32
  
  NEW ORLEANS – The Audubon Nature Institute’s aging white tiger “King Zulu” died over the weekend.The organization said the 20-year-old male white tiger had experienced a steep decline in health and staff made the decision to euthanize Sunday morning. The tiger had been receiving hospice style care to help maintain its quality of life.King Zulu was born at the Nashville Zoo in 1996 and had been a part of the Audubon family since 1999.“King Zulu wa
  
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• Trump privately signs revised travel ban

  06-03-2017 09:12
  
  President Donald Trump has signed a revised travel ban that temporarily halts entry to the U.S. for people from six Muslim-majority nations who are seeking new visas and suspends the country's refugee program.That's according to White House spokesman Michael Short, who says the signing was done privately.The new directive aims to address legal issues with the original order, which caused confusion at airports, sparked protests around the country and was ultimately blocked by federal courts.The r
  
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• Florida deputy, trappers pull big gator from swimming hole

  06-03-2017 09:04
  
  FORT MCCOY - People may want to think twice before going for a swim at the Silver Glen Springs Recreation Area in north Florida.The Marion County Sheriff's Office posted photos on its official Facebook account of a 13-foot alligator that had "taken residence" in a designated swimming zone in the recreation area near Ocala.Deputy David Christmas called the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on Saturday after getting a call about the gator. The wildlife agency called in local trappe
  
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• Interstate detour this weekend on I-10 east near Sorrento

  06-03-2017 08:38
  
  SORRENTO – Parts of I-10 east in Ascension Parish will be closed starting Monday as crews work to a repair a bridge section.According to DOTD, both eastbound lanes of I-10 will be closed at the US 61 exit starting Friday, March 10 at 9 p.m. The lanes will remain closed through Monday, March 13 at 5 a.m.Motorist driving eastbound on I-10 must exit onto US Hwy 61 then proceed to LA 641 to get back onto the interstate.This project was originally scheduled for January but was postponed.&am
  
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• Both lanes I-10 east will close near Sorrento this weekend

  06-03-2017 08:38
  
  SORRENTO – Parts of I-10 east in Ascension Parish will be closed starting Monday as crews work to a repair a bridge section.According to DOTD, both eastbound lanes of I-10 will be closed at the US 61 exit starting Friday, March 10 at 9 p.m. The lanes will remain closed through Monday, March 13 at 5 a.m.Motorist driving eastbound on I-10 must exit onto US Hwy 61 then proceed to LA 641 to get back onto the interstate.This project was originally scheduled for January but was postponed.&am
  
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• Man accused of threats to congressman's staff due in court

  06-03-2017 06:47
  
  ATLANTA - An Atlanta man accused of threatening the staff of U.S. Rep. John Lewis is set to appear in court for a hearing to decide whether he'll continue to be held in custody.The detention hearing for 42-year-old Dante Antoine Rosser is set for 11 a.m. Monday in Atlanta.Newly unsealed court records say Lewis' Atlanta-based staff members expressed "grave concerns" for their safety after Rosser visited their office, and also made repeated phone calls.The FBI says he made 46 calls over a two-day
  
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• Adele confirms marriage to partner Simon Konecki

  06-03-2017 06:45
  
  Adele has officially announced she and longtime partner Simon Konecki are married, weeks after hinting at a wedding.Adele casually dropped the news while chatting with the audience at her show in Brisbane, Australia, on Saturday. She was discussing her song, "Someone Like You," which describes her feelings following a breakup. She told the crowd that she's "addicted" to the "feeling when you first fall for someone." She says she can't have that feeling because she's "married now."The announcemen
  
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• Marines being investigated for sharing nude photos

  06-03-2017 05:11
  
  WASHINGTON - The Defense Department is investigating reports that some Marines shared naked photographs of female Marines, veterans and other women on a secret Facebook page, some of which were taken without their knowledge.The photographs were shared on the Facebook page "Marines United," which had a membership of active-duty and retired male Marines, Navy Corpsman and British Royal Marines. Along with identified female military members were photographs of unidentifiable women in various stages
  
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• TRAFFIC ALERTS: Monday morning commute

  06-03-2017 05:05
  
  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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• North Korea fires 4 ballistic missiles into ocean

  06-03-2017 03:47
  
  SEOUL, South Korea -North Korea has fired four banned ballistic missiles.South Korean and Japanese officials say the missiles flew about 620 miles, with three of them landing in waters that Japan claims as its exclusive economic zone.It's not clear the exact type of missiles fired, but the tests will be viewed as a provocation by the Trump administration, which is working on its policy for North Korea.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Congress to probe Trump wiretap claim, FBI disputes it

  06-03-2017 03:41
  
  WASHINGTON- Key members of Congress say they will honor President Donald Trump's request to investigate his unsubstantiated claim that Barack Obama overstepped his authority as president and had Trump's telephones tapped during the election campaign.A U.S. official said the FBI has asked the Justice Department to dispute Trump's allegation, though no such statement has been issued.Obama's intelligence director also said no such action was taken.Trump made his startling claim of presidential abus
  
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• Trump expected to sign new travel ban order

  06-03-2017 01:41
  
  WASHINGTON- President Donald Trump is preparing to sign a revised executive order barring the entry of people from certain Muslim-majority countries and halting the nation's refugee program.A White House official saWASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump is preparing to sign a revised executive order barring the entry of people from certain Muslim-majority countries and halting the nation's refugee program.A White House official says plans to roll out the order are on track for Monday.The offic
  
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