Baton Rouge news

• Downtown Baton Rouge police memorial to be moved Friday

  09-03-2017 21:18
  BATON ROUGE - A memorial dedicated to Baton Rouge police officers will be moved to it's temporary location at police headquarters Friday.Sgt. Craig Russell with the Baton Rouge Fraternal Order of Police said parts of the memorial will be moved starting Friday morning at 9:00 a.m.Two statues portraying Baton Rouge Police officers will be displayed in a temporary spot at police headquarters, located at 9000 Airline Hwy. Russell said he expects the statues to arrive at headquarters around 9:15 a.m.
  
  Read more

• NTSB: Fatal rail crossing not on tour bus route

  09-03-2017 19:51
  
  A National Transportation Safety Board member says the Texas tour bus hit by a freight train was not supposed to have taken the road where it got stuck at a rail crossing.
      
  WLOX-TV reports that Robert Sumwalt told a news conference the driver may have followed a GPS set for commercial vehicle use rather than directions from a Florida-based tour company. Sumwalt is a member of the National Transportation Safety Board.
      
  He said two othe
  
  Read more

• 5 injured in ax attack at German station; 1 arrest

  09-03-2017 19:32
  
  BERLIN - A man was arrested after injuring five people with an ax at Duesseldorf's main train station late Thursday, police said, correcting earlier police reports of two arrests.
      
  A spokeswoman for Duesseldorf police Anja Kynast told The Associated Press that the man arrested was also injured. She was unable to say how serious any of the injuries were.
      
  Earlier, a spokesman for federal police, who are usually in charge of policing tr
  
  Read more

• Sleeping driver hits several cars on I-12

  09-03-2017 18:29
  
  BATON ROUGE - A sleeping driver hit several cars on the interstate Thursday evening.
  According to BRPD, the man was driving about 80 miles per hour while asleep at the wheel and struck several cars. The man then got off I-12 at Essen Lane and turned into the emergency side of Our Lady of the Lake Hospital where he was taken into custody.
  The man also struck several vehicles in the hospital parking lot.Brian Culpepper called 911 while his daughter captured the event with an iPad."He looked like h
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Man arrested for falling asleep while driving on interstate

  09-03-2017 18:29
  
  BATON ROUGE - A man has been arrested for falling asleep while driving on the interstate. According to BRPD, the man was driving about 80 miles per hour while asleep at the wheel and struck several cars. The man then got off the interstate at Essen Lane and turned into the emergency side of Our Lady of the Lake Hospital where he was taken into custody.
  The man also struck several vehicles in the hospital parking lot.This story will be updated as more information becomes available.Permal
  
  Read more

• Ascension to begin using GPS devices on parish equipment

  09-03-2017 18:23
  
  ASCENSION – Ascension Parish officials will begin using tracking devices on all parish-owned vehicles to track their resources, however some are confused about its true intentions.Some council members say the GPS policy is not fully ironed out. The vehicles were installed with the GPS's, but some have not been used."I think some of them were turned off or not installed at all, under the previous administration," Martin McConnell, of the Ascension Parish government, said.
  However the ru
  
  Read more

• Mother's condition improving after home invasion

  09-03-2017 17:50
  
  BATON ROUGE- A mother of three children is improving Thursday in an area hospital after she was shot along with her fiancée the night before. The woman, 26-year-old Tanachia Victorian, and her partner, 28-year-old Decoty Joseph, were inside their home on Lorraine Street with their three children when a home invasion happened.Joseph was killed while Victorian's injuries were not life threatening, their children were in another room and did not witness the shooting, according t
  
  Read more

• 33-year-old man dies in four-vehicle crash on US 61

  09-03-2017 17:43
  
  GONZALES – A 33-year-old man has died following a four-vehicle crash on US 61 near LA 30 in Ascension Parish.
  Louisiana State Police responded to the crash on Mar. 7 around 7 p.m. The investigation revealed that the crash occurred as Kevin Campbell was traveling northbound on US 61 in a Dodge Charger. For unknown reasons, Campbell struck the rear of another vehicle going northbound. The impact triggered a chain reaction involving three other vehicles. As a result, Campbell's vehicle st
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Minister's prayers answered following call to 2 On Your Side

  09-03-2017 17:13
  BATON ROUGE - The last few months have been difficult for John Green. He lost his wife in a car accident and then his car insurance company gave him the run around after he filed a claim.The back and forth went on for weeks, but came to a screeching halt when Green called 2 On Your Side."I had asked the Lord that day before, "Make them total the car,'" he said.The Buick LaCrosse was a gift for his wife, Saundra. She was in a car accident Dec. 20, 2016. Green says his wife had breast cancer and w
  
  Read more

• INVESTIGATIVE UNIT: Gov't boss suspended for using "n word" shows back up for work Thurs.

  09-03-2017 16:33
  
  CLINTON- Embattled East Feliciana Parish Manager Barbara Vail showed back up for work today, despite being suspended yesterday after she admitted to using the "n word" in text messages on her parish phone.
  That infuriated elected officials who believe she had no business being there.
  "It really hurt me because I knew she had been suspended," Police Juror Eddie Brooks said. "She knew she had been suspended. She should have never been on the grounds."Brooks says Vail apologized for sending the mes
  
  Read more

• Governor Edwards, First Lady to host equal pay summit

  09-03-2017 16:26
  
  BATON ROUGE – Governor John Bel Edwards and First Lady Donna Edwards will host the Louisiana Equal Pay Summit.The summit will be held in collaboration with the Governor's Office on Women's Policy.
  According to officials, the summit is an expression of Governor Edwards' commitment to advancing equal pay for women and families in the state.Edwards said that equal pay for equal work is the "right thing to do" and will also be a positive factor for state businesses and economies.
  "With our
  
  Read more

• Woman arrested for trying to cash fraudulent checks, using fraudulent bank accounts

  09-03-2017 16:07
  
  BATON ROUGE – A woman was arrested for attempting to cash fraudulent checks from bank accounts that she opened using a 60-year-old's identity. The East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office arrested 31-year-old Lacey Bonaventure for forgery, bank fraud, attempted monetary instrument abuse and theft of assets from an aged/disabled person.On Wednesday around 11:45 a.m., the sheriff's office responded to complaints of a woman attempting to cash checks at the Chase Bank in the 1300 block o
  
  Read more

• Woman arrested for trying to cash fraudulent checks, using fake bank accounts

  09-03-2017 16:07
  
  BATON ROUGE – A woman was arrested for attempting to cash fraudulent checks from bank accounts that she opened using a 60-year-old's identity. The East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office arrested 31-year-old Lacey Bonaventure for forgery, bank fraud, attempted monetary instrument abuse and theft of assets from an aged/disabled person.On Wednesday around 11:45 a.m., the sheriff's office responded to complaints of a woman attempting to cash checks at the Chase Bank in the 1300 block o
  
  Read more

• FEMA extends hotel stay program until April 11

  09-03-2017 15:09
  
  BATON ROUGE – FEMA says the Transitional Housing Assistance program has been extended by one month for Louisiana flood survivors.Eligible residents can stay in participating hotels/motels until Tuesday, April 11. Those hotel stay bills are then sent directly to FEMA.FEMA says the program is a short-term housing option and survivors should be actively looking for long term housing solutions.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Ghoulish wiring likely cause of fire at The Myrtles Wednesday

  09-03-2017 14:45
  
  ST. FRANCISVILLE – Bad wiring is likely the cause of a fire that destroyed the restaurant on the grounds of the historic and haunted Myrtles Plantation but an exact cause will be hard to ever figure out.State fire investigators took over the investigation after the blaze Wednesday. Investigators said the fire started in an office after someone left the area ahead of the lunch rush. Workers nearby heard sounds and someone saw flames in the office. Attempts to deal with the fire with a f
  
  Read more

• Mother accused of leaving newborn at New Roads Walmart indicted

  09-03-2017 14:44
  
  NEW ROADS – The mother accused of leaving her newborn infant in a New Roads Walmart bathroom was indicted by a grand jury Thursday.The Pointe Coupee Parish Clerk of Courts confirmed that Kyandrea Thomas was indicted on attempted second-degree murder and second degree cruelty to a juvenile charges.Thomas is accused of giving birth in a Walmart bathroom, then dumping her newborn baby in a bathroom trash can before leaving the store. Thomas was arrested after she checked herself in to Lan
  
  Read more

• Trump administration announces steps to avoid debt default

  09-03-2017 14:40
  
  WASHINGTON - The Trump administration is letting Congress know that it will begin taking steps next week to keep the government from an unprecedented default on the national debt.Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says in a letter to lawmakers that he will employ measures to avoid breaching the borrowing limit once the current suspension of the limit expires on March 16.Once that happens, Treasury will use a variety of bookkeeping maneuvers to continue to finance government operations, including
  
  Read more

• Construction unearths centuries-old coffins in Philadelphia

  09-03-2017 14:37
  
  PHILADELPHIA - Construction crews working on an apartment building in Philadelphia's historic district have been finding coffins and unearthing fully intact human remains.The site was a burial ground that dates to 1707. All the remains were supposedly exhumed in the 1800s and moved to a different cemetery.But as PMC Properties, the general contractor and the site's owner, started work on the 10-story apartment building, it became apparent some remains weren't moved.In the fall, workers found a s
  
  Read more

• Settlement resolves race bias claims over salon inspections

  09-03-2017 14:28
  BATON ROUGE - A settlement agreement has been reached in a federal lawsuit that accuses Louisiana state regulators of racially discriminating against a group of Vietnamese-American nail salon owners.Court filings on Wednesday don't disclose any terms of the deal. Attorneys for the state and for four Vietnamese-American salon owners didn't immediately respond to messages seeking comment on Thursday.The plaintiffs said the Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology disproportionately targeted Asian-Amer
  
  Read more

• After 2 On Your Side report, another contractor arrested on fraud charges

  09-03-2017 13:59
  
  LIVINGSTON - Another contractor was arrested on fraud charges Thursday, WBRZ learned.Mike Simmers was charged with one count of residential contract fraud. Simmers owns TWG Contractors and was the focus of a 2 On Your Side report Wednesday. Sources said Simmers was reported by homeowners for taking payment and not finishing work on a number of jobs."We just want back in our house," the Baxter family said in an interview with Brittany Weiss recently. The Baxters said they hired TWG Contr
  
  Read more

• Walk-On's opens Zachary location Monday

  09-03-2017 13:42
  
  ZACHARY – Walk-On’s Bistreaux and Bar will officially open its Zachary location Monday.The new restaurant located on 1100 Americana Blvd. will open its doors for the first time at 11 a.m. The company says the first 25 dine-in customers will receive a mini football autographed by New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees.“Walk-On’s has been a huge hit ever since the very first restaurant opened here in Baton Rouge, and we’re excited to give Zachar
  
  Read more

• Man arrested for hitting 2-year-old son for using diaper

  09-03-2017 13:13
  
  BATON ROUGE – A man was arrested for hitting his two-year-old son each time he used his diaper.The East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office arrested 28-year-old Marcus Reed Wednesday and charged with cruelty to juveniles.On Nov. 23, deputies responded to an area hospital in reference to allegations of child abuse. A mother stated that her two-year-old son was treated for multiple bruises on his forehead and eye, along with bruises and welts on his back and shoulders.The mother said t
  
  Read more

• Man arrested inside sheriff's office for drug possession

  09-03-2017 11:58
  AMITE – Deputies say a registered sex offender was arrested Tuesday for drug possession inside the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office.Sheriff Daniel Edwards said Donn “DJ” Schillage arrived at the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office to update his sex offender registration requirements. A routine warrant check revealed that Schillage had two outstanding warrants on Feb. 14 for a drug and burglary charge.Edwards said he was taken into custody and deputies fou
  
  Read more

• DCFS announces child support payment option through MoneyGram

  09-03-2017 11:58
  
  BATON ROUGE – Parents who owe child support can now make payments through MoneyGram at Walmart, CVS and other MoneyGram locations throughout Louisiana, the Department of Children and Family Services announced.The department has collaborated with MoneyGram, a money transfer company, to electronically send payments to DCFS for transfer to parents.According to the department, the only payment option was a money order mailed to the Centralized Collection Unit in Baton Rouge.To make a payme
  
  Read more

• Greenwell Springs library reopens, plans 'major renovation'

  09-03-2017 11:46
  
  BATON ROUGE – Almost seven months after historic flooding decimated southeast Louisiana, the Greenwell Springs Library reopened its doors this week.The library officially reopened March 3 to its regular hours but staff says about 65 percent of the library is open to the public. Patrons are asked to be patient as the location is planning a “major renovation.”During the flood, the building suffered up to 6 inches of water. Officials say there was extensive damage to f
  
  Read more

• St. Gabriel residents concerned by water recycling plant expansion

  09-03-2017 11:30
  ST. GABRIEL - St. Gabriel City Council will soon decide if a water-recycling plant can expand, though may people are worried about it.Those people were not allowed to speak at a council meeting Thursday, however, since the project was just being introduced."Typically when we have an introduction of an item, there is no public forum on that item," Mayor Lionel Johnson said.Outside, retired United States Army General Russel Honore' encouraged residents to speak up about Adsorbent Solutions.The com
  
  Read more

• EPA chief: Carbon dioxide not primary cause of warming

  09-03-2017 11:07
  
  WASHINGTON - The new chief of the Environmental Protection Agency says he does not believe that carbon dioxide is a primary contributor to global warming.EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt says measuring the effect of human activity on the climate is "very challenging" and says "there's tremendous disagreement about the degree of impact" of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.Pruitt told CNBC's "Squawk Box" Thursday that, "No, I would not agree that (carbon dioxide) is a primary contributor to
  
  Read more

• Deputies looking for BBQ pit stolen from Donaldsonville Rouses

  09-03-2017 09:52
  
  DONALDSONVILLE – Deputies are looking for any information to help find a barbecue pit that was stolen from a Rouses in Donaldsonville.According to the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office, the BBQ pit was stolen overnight Tuesday morning from the Rouses parking lot on Highway 1.Anyone with information is asked to contact APSO at 225-621-4636 or by texting the anonymous tip line at 847411.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Defense lawyer's pants catch fire during trial in Miami

  09-03-2017 09:12
  
  MIAMI - A Miami defense attorney is feeling the heat after his pants caught fire as he delivered closing arguments in an arson case.Witnesses told the Miami Herald 28-year-old Stephen Gutierrez was fiddling in his pocket Wednesday while addressing jurors when smoke started billowing from his pants. At the time, he was arguing that his client's car spontaneously combusted and wasn't intentionally set on fire.Gutierrez quickly left the courtroom. Jurors also were escorted out.When Gutierr
  
  Read more

• Mom who mocked pregnant giraffe livestream gives birth

  09-03-2017 08:46
  
  MYRTLE BEACH - A South Carolina mom whose impression of a livestreamed pregnant giraffe at an upstate New York zoo was viewed more than 30 million times on Facebook has given birth.Erin Dietrich posted a Facebook Live video of herself Saturday walking around a bedroom wearing a giraffe mask and showing of her pregnant belly. The video mocks the ongoing YouTube livestream of a pregnant giraffe named April at Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, New York. Millions of people have watched the stre
  
  Read more

• Man picked to fix AIG will step down after massive loss

  09-03-2017 08:42
  
  NEW YORK - Three weeks after AIG reported a massive loss, the person chosen to turn things around at one of the world's largest insurance companies is stepping down.AIG said Thursday that CEO Peter Hancock, appointed less than three years ago, will remain as the company's chief executive until a successor is found.AIG on Feb. 14 reported a loss of $3.04 billion for the fourth quarter, its worst performance since the New York company nearly collapsed in 2008 at the height of the financial crisis.
  
  Read more

• Conservationist Jane Goodall to speak at Tulane University

  09-03-2017 07:52
  
  NEW ORLEANS - Jane Goodall, the renowned conservationist, is scheduled to deliver a Tulane University lecture on her life's work.School officials say the talk is planned for 7 p.m. March 16 at the Dixon Hall auditorium. A question-and-answer session and a book signing are also planned.Tulane said in a statement that Goodall is the founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, which is marking its 40th anniversary this year.Goodall, 82, is known for her landmark study with wild chimpanzees in Tanzania,
  
  Read more

• Second suspect arrested in November shooting at Southern University

  09-03-2017 06:40
  
  BATON ROUGE – A second person was arrested Wednesday night in connection to a November shooting on Southern University’s campus.According to arrest records, Davone Malane Tyler was charged with attempted first degree murder, felon in possession of a firearm, illegal possession of a stolen firearm and violation of a firearm free zone.On November 17, officers were called to the university’s library after 9:40 p.m.. EMS confirmed that a 19-year-old was shot during a ro
  
  Read more

• Tracking showers once again as we warm up

  09-03-2017 06:20
  
  While showers are in the forecast to end the week, nothing significant is expected until the weekend.As temperatures rise through Saturday, Louisiana State Climatologist Barry Keim points out several Louisiana cities have experienced their warmest observations on record from January 1st through this past Tuesday--so there's that. These include Shreveport, Alexandria, Lake Charles, Baton Rouge, and Slidell.THE FORECAST: Today and Tonight: Just like that, mostly cloudy skies, southerly breezes and
  
  Read more

• LIVE UPDATES: Thursday traffic report

  09-03-2017 05:06
  
  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
  
  Read more

Follow @BatonRougeNews_ on Twitter!