Baton Rouge news

• School bus crash sends 23 children, 1 adult to hospitals

  05-04-2017 21:38
  
  LUMBERTON, Texas - Twenty-four people - 23 of them fourth-graders - were sent to Southeast Texas hospitals after an accident involving their school bus, a pickup truck and an 18-wheeler.
      
  The Wednesday afternoon crash happened on U.S. 69 in Lumberton, about 15 miles north of Beaumont, as the Beaumont school district bus was taking 44 Charlton-Pollard Elementary School students and four adults back to school from a Big Thicket field trip.
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• Louisiana's flooding response blasted by GOP congressmen

  05-04-2017 20:56
  
  BATON ROUGE - Gov. John Bel Edwards tangled with Republican members of Congress over Louisiana's response to damaging flooding last year.The Advocate reports GOP congressmen from Utah, Kentucky, Georgia and other states took turns blasting Louisiana's effort Wednesday, in combative exchanges with the Democratic governor.U.S. House Oversight Committee members also questioned the Federal Emergency Management Agency and contractor CB&I about an 84-year-old blind man found dead inside a FEMA-iss
  
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• EBRSO-sponsored races benefiting deputies shot in July ambush

  05-04-2017 20:55
  
  ZACHARY - This year's Motorman 5K and One Mile Deputy Dash will benefit Cpl. Nick Tullier and Sgt. Bruce Simmons., who were shot during the Airline Hwy. ambush in July 2016.East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office officials say the Reserve Deputies and Officers Foundation is coordinating with the race to donate all proceeds to the deputies' families."This will be a wonderful event," Cpt. Lisa Blackman of the EBRSO Community Policing Division said. "Not only is the foundation raising funds to support tw
  
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• Weather Service counts 17 tornadoes in Louisiana outbreak

  05-04-2017 20:52
  
  NEW ORLEANS - The National Weather Service has confirmed that at least 17 tornadoes struck Louisiana during a severe weather outbreak that began Sunday and ended Monday.A Sunday morning storm flipped a Breaux Bridge mobile home, killing 38-year-old Francine Gotch and her 3-year-old daughter, Nevaeh Alexander. It's rated EF-1 on the enhanced Fujita scale, with top winds of 110 mph (175 kph) and a path less than a mile long.One storm, with top winds of 105 mph (170 kph) ran 5.4 miles (8.7 kilomete
  
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• EBRSO seeking suspect for obscenity at local library

  05-04-2017 20:35
  
  BATON ROUGE - The East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office is seeking a suspect involved in an obscenity case at a local library. According to the sheriff's office, the incident occurred Monday at 12:20 p.m. Details are limited at this time.Anyone with information is asked to call 389-5000.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Traffic in Walker forcing drivers to make dangerous decisions

  05-04-2017 20:22
  
  WALKER - No one wants to sit in traffic. But out in Walker, it's become a dangerous situation.The I-12 Walker off ramp that merges onto Walker South has become a driver's nightmare."You know it's a problem and it's scary for everybody," Police Chief John Sharp said. "People are frustrated, they're concerned, they're scared."The Walker Police Department is well aware of the situation as they constantly receive posts on Facebook describing the situation as "dangerous and scary". Others complain ab
  
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• Attorney General Jeff Landry announces plan to combat opioid abuse

  05-04-2017 18:01
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry today announced a new initiative to help educate the public on dangers and responsibilities associated with opioids. Partnering with the Louisiana Ambulance Alliance, Attorney General Landry created the Opioid Abuse Prevention Fund. The fund will pay for the “End the Epidemic LA” informational campaign.“Opioid abuse has taken the lives of too many of our children, parents, neighbors, and co-worke
  
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• As case goes cold, double murder victim's legacy honored Monday

  05-04-2017 17:54
  
  LAKE CHARLES – A high-profile murder victim will be memorialized through her high school's football program.LaShuntae Benton was one of two people killed in a shooting at The Cottages apartment complex last year. Benton was gunned down in an exchange of gunfire between two shooters – no one was ever indicted for killing Benton or a second victim, Annette January.January and Benton both attended Southern University and were visiting the off-campus apartment near the corner of
  
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• Crews fight fire behind Frostop on France Street

  05-04-2017 17:07
  
  BATON ROUGE - Firefighters responded to a building on fire behind the Frostop on France Street Wednesday afternoon.The fire was reported around 5 p.m. in the 400 block of France Street. There is currently no word any injuries or the extent of the damage.A WBRZ News 2 unit is at the scene. We will update this story with more information as it becomes available.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Paula Deen plans new seafood restaurant in Savannah area

  05-04-2017 16:55
  
  SAVANNAH, Ga. - Paula Deen is opening a new seafood restaurant on the same waterfront property outside Savannah where an eatery she co-owned with her brother closed three years ago.Local media outlets report the celebrity cook plans to open Paula Deen's Creek House in June on Whitemarsh Island. A press release said the menu will feature fried fish, shrimp and grits and other seafood dishes.It's the same location where another of Deen's business ventures, Uncle Bubba's Oyster House, closed in Apr
  
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• Ex-DA gets 4-year sentence for corruption convictions

  05-04-2017 15:54
  
  NEW ORLEANS - The former top prosecutor for two New Orleans area parishes has been sentenced to four years in prison in a federal corruption case.New Orleans media outlets report that Walter Reed received the sentence Wednesday from U.S. District Judge Eldon Fallon. Reed is the former district attorney for St. Tammany and Washington parishes.Reed was convicted last May on 18 counts of wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, lying on his income tax returns and conspiracy to commit wire fraud an
  
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• New Community Coffee blend sales help restore Louisiana's coast

  05-04-2017 15:42
  
  Company to give $25,000 to America's WETLAND Foundation, Coalition to Restore Coastal La.
  
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• Felon arrested after trying to fool officers with fake names

  05-04-2017 14:46
  
  BAKER - Police arrested a felon for illegal firearm possession after he tried to lie about his identity Tuesday.Police responded to a call about a man with a gun in the 3000 block of Baker Blvd. According to arrest records, an officer found a man matching the suspect's description and began to question him.According to the Baker Police Department, the man immediately told the officer that "the dude who just walked around the corner" had a gun. While he was speaking to
  
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• Amazon picks off NFL Thursday Night from Twitter

  05-04-2017 14:37
  
  NEW YORK - Amazon will stream NFL Thursday Night games this season, replacing Twitter.That means that technically, the games won't be free to stream, but they will be carried by broadcast networks.The games are available to members of Amazon Prime, which costs $99 per year. Prime, which comes with other perks like free videos, books and shipping, has an estimated 65 million members.A person with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press on Wednesday that it's a one-year deal worth clo
  
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• 46 new troopers graduate from 95th cadet class

  05-04-2017 13:55
  
  BATON ROUGE – State Police say 46 new troopers graduated from the 95th Cadet Class Wednesday.According to Louisiana State Police, the graduation ceremonies were held at the BREC Independence Park Theater and Cultural Center in Baton Rouge.The graduates began their journey to graduation on Nov. 5, 2016. The troopers received training in crash investigation, emergency vehicle operations, impaired driving detection, traffic incident management, and leadership.The 46 new cadets will be dep
  
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• Let DirecTV know to keep WBRZ programming

  05-04-2017 13:49
  
  BATON ROUGE – WBRZ is attempting to negotiate a fair deal with satellite provider DirecTV for the company's use of the free, over-the-air signal owned by channel 2's parent company.While WBRZ programming has always been – and will always be – free with an antenna, DirecTV takes the broadcast and sells it to subscribers. DirecTV must provide WBRZ with a small fee for charging customers for the use of free, over-the-air content. Every couple of years, the agreement be
  
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• Firefighters extinguish car fire on I-10 west near Bluebonnet Blvd.

  05-04-2017 13:44
  
  BATON ROUGE – First responders are investigating what caused a vehicle fire on I-10 west near the Bluebonnet Boulevard Wednesday morning.Firefighters extinguished the fire around 11:40 a.m. Traffic cameras show Louisiana State Police and other first responders at the scene. The fire caused a large amount of smoke in the area. First responders closed the entrance ramp to I-10 at the location.The entrance has reopened as of 12:38 p.m.Sources say one person was transported to the
  
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• Woman arrested after stealing thousands through delinquent loans

  05-04-2017 13:41
  
  BATON ROUGE - An ex-employee of a consumer finance and loan company has been arrested after she allegedly altered customers' loans.Deputies met with the manager of Delta Credit Inc. in December after he found that several loans prepared by an ex-employee had become delinquent loans.According to arrest records, 53-year-old Dell Lands worked at Delta Credit as a customer care representative from Dec. 2014 to April 2016.It was discovered that during her time there she had altered multiple loans wit
  
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• President Trump decries chemical attack in Syria

  05-04-2017 13:35
  
  WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump is denouncing the chemical attack on Syrian civilians, calling it an "affront to humanity."Trump said as he welcomed King Abdullah II of Jordan, "These are very troubled times in the Middle East."He calls the attack a "horrible thing, unspeakable" and says, "It's a terrible affront to humanity."Trump also thanked the king and his wife for visiting the White House, saying the two leaders will engage in some "very interesting discussions."Asked how he plans to r
  
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• Topping off ceremony for Urban Water Campus

  05-04-2017 13:03
  
  BATON ROUGE - The latest achritectural achievement in Downtown Baton Rouge is the third building of the water campus. It is the home for center for Coastal & Deltaic Solutions, The Water Institute of the Gulf, the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority as well as the LSU Center for River Studies.
  A $60 million facility in downtown Baton Rouge will host academic conventions, research conferences, as well as corporate events.
  City and state leaders held a topping off ceremony to celebrat
  
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• LPSO looking for wanted contractor accused of fraud

  05-04-2017 13:01
  
  LIVINGSTON PARISH - The Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office is looking for a contractor accused of fraud.LPSO officials say Michael Simmers of Prairieville is wanted on a charge of residential contractor fraud.Simmers is the owner of TWG Contractors.In March, Simmers was charged with one count of residential contractor fraud infollowing on 2 On Your Side report. Sources said Simmers was reported by homeowners for taking payment and not finishing work on a number of jobs.Anyone with information is
  
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• Fighter jet crash narrowly avoids Washington suburbs

  05-04-2017 13:01
  
  CLINTON, Md. - Residents of a suburban Washington neighborhood say their house shook when a fighter jet crashed nearby.Air Force officials said in a statement Wednesday that the D.C. Air National Guard F-16C was flying with other aircraft when it crashed southwest of Joint Base Andrews. Prince George's County fire department spokesman Mark Brady tweets that the pilot, who ejected from the plane, is in good condition.The plane went down in woods behind a small subdivision of two-story brick homes
  
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• Steve Bannon removed from National Security Council

  05-04-2017 12:57
  
  WASHINGTON D.C. -Steve Bannon, senior advisor to President Donald Trump, was removed from his position on the National Security Council Wednesday.According to ABC News, a senior administration official confirmed the move Wednesday morning. Bannon was appointed to the position in January. ABC News says Bannon had no objections to the move."He was there to babysit [former National Security Adviser Michael] Flynn, to watch him as he 'de-operationalized' the NSC from [Obama-era National Security Adv
  
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• LSU students launch website to help users avoid fake news

  05-04-2017 12:45
  
  BATON ROUGE – A group of LSU students launched a website to help users avoid “fake news”The website was designed and launched by Geaux Vote LSU, a student run civic engagement organization. The group said they want the website to be used as a tool readers can use to analyze the accuracy of news stories. Parker said she hopes the website stop fake news stories from being shared online.“It’s really tricky and you have to pay attention to i
  
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• Astronaut John Glenn to be interred at Arlington Cemetery

  05-04-2017 12:26
  
  COLUMBUS - Final funeral rites for astronaut John Glenn will take place Thursday at Arlington National Cemetery.His family and invited guests, including astronauts and dignitaries, will say goodbye to the first American to orbit Earth at a private service at the Old Post Chapel beginning at 9 a.m.The U.S. Marine Corps will begin a live stream at 9:40 a.m. that will include a processional to the graveside by caisson, a flyover, a graveside service and taps. The event ends at 10:25 a.m.Glenn died
  
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• EBR Metro Councilman wants to fix neighborhood's traffic troubles

  05-04-2017 12:08
  
  BATON ROUGE - An East Baton Rouge Metro Councilman is trying to fix a traffic issue in the Woodland Ridge neighborhood, but he says it could take a while.The city's traffic engineer said they have to first gather traffic data in the congested neighborhood to help narrow down the problem. The trouble is, that subdivision is not the only one with traffic issues, and there's only so much money."A lot of the neighbors are being terrorized by the volume of traffic and peopel's speed," Metro Councilma
  
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• Fence snags suspect after police chase in San Diego

  05-04-2017 09:51
  
  SAN DIEGO -  A man suspected of hitting another man in the head with a rock was caught with his pants down, literally.According to KGTV, the man was arrested after trying to run from police officers in San Diego Monday night. When officers ordered him to jump over a fence, his pants got stuck. Officers had to tear the man away from the fence before taking him into custody. Police tell KGTV that the victim was standing outside an apartment complex when a man walked up a
  
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• Principal resigns after student reporters raise concerns

  05-04-2017 09:32
  
  PITTSBURG - An incoming Kansas high school principal has resigned after student reporters raised questions about her credentials.The Pittsburg Morning Sun reports that school board members voted Tuesday to accept Amy Robertson's resignation as Pittsburg High School's principal.The main concern stemmed from her receiving her masters and doctoral degrees from Corlinns University, an unaccredited, online school. Robertson says she received her degrees before the university lost accreditation.Superi
  
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• Senator ends marathon speech against Gorsuch

  05-04-2017 09:28
  
  WASHINGTON - Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley has ended his marathon speech on the Senate floor against President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch.The Oregon lawmaker yielded the floor at 10:15 a.m. Wednesday - 15 hours after he began highlighting his party's opposition to Gorsuch.During his attention-grabbing talk-a-thon, Merkley stood next to a blown-up, poster-style portion of the Constitution with the words "We the People" showing.Gorsuch is a 10-year veteran of a fede
  
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• Air Force: Pilot safe after F-16 crashes in Maryland

  05-04-2017 09:26
  
  CLINTON - The Air Force says a pilot is safe after an F-16 crashed in Maryland.The Air Force said Wednesday that the pilot was on a training mission in an F-16 from the Joint Base Andrews-based 113th Wing. Officials say the pilot ejected and is safe. The plane went down a few miles from Joint Base Andrews.Prince George's County fire department spokesman Mark Brady tells WRC-TV that one pilot parachuted out of the aircraft and was picked up by a military helicopter. He says the pilot was found in
  
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• Navy showcasing repairs to historic warship 'Old Ironsides'

  05-04-2017 09:24
  
  BOSTON - "Old Ironsides" is finishing up a two-year stint in dry dock.Navy officials on Wednesday are slated to offer a closer look at the restoration work on the USS Constitution as it nears completion at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston.The world's oldest commissioned warship afloat returns to the waters in late July. It enters dry dock for below-the-waterline repairs every 20 years.Nearly 100 white oak hull planks were replaced during this latest round. The lower hull also was re-caulked a
  
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• Man accused in Atlanta overpass fire could face federal charges

  05-04-2017 08:42
  
  ATLANTA - Investigators say the man accused of starting the raging fire that caused the collapse of a major Atlanta interstate bridge could face federal charges.Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives assistant special-agent-in-charge James Deir told WSB-TV on Wednesday that Basil Eleby could be charged with federal offenses after the U.S. attorney's office reviews the March 30 incident.Eleby is already charged with first-degree arson and first-degree property damage and remains in j
  
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• Pa. man in Drunk Lives Matter shirt charged with drunken driving

  05-04-2017 08:15
  
  NEWVILLE - Police in Pennsylvania say they arrested a man wearing a Drunk Lives Matter shirt for drunken driving.Police say 44-year-old Elwood Gutshall III's blood-alcohol content was about two and a half times the state's legal limit for drivers when he was pulled over early on March 19 in Newville. He was wearing a green St. Patrick's Day shirt with the saying on it.Online court records don't list an attorney for Gutshall, who faces a preliminary hearing May 26.Nobody answered the phone at his
  
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• Survey: US companies add 263K jobs in March, most in 2 years

  05-04-2017 07:37
  
  WASHINGTON - U.S. private businesses added the most jobs in more than two years last month, a private survey found, a third straight month of robust gains.Payroll processor ADP said Wednesday that businesses added 263,000 jobs in March, the most since December 2014. That is up from 245,000 in February, which was revised lower.The figure is much higher than economists' forecasts for the government's jobs report, to be released Friday. Analysts predict that report will show 178,000 jobs were added
  
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• White House, lawmakers adrift over reviving health bill

  05-04-2017 06:47
  
  WASHINGTON - The Trump administration and Republican lawmakers plan to continue their uphill effort to exhume the House GOP's all-but-buried health care bill.But the party seems adrift and divided for now over how to reshape it to attract enough votes to muscle it through the chamber.White House officials and leading legislators plan to resume talks Wednesday.They huddled for two hours in a Capitol basement meeting room. But they failed to cut a deal on a White House proposal to let states seek
  
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• McConnell claims votes to bust Supreme Court filibuster

  05-04-2017 06:44
  
  WASHINGTON - Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he has the votes to bust a planned Democratic filibuster of President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee as a showdown nears that could change the Senate, and the court, for generations.The Kentucky Republican says Democrats "seem determined to head into the abyss. They need to reconsider."Democrats are making clear they have no plans to do so, and are blaming Republicans for pushing them to attempt a nearly unheard-of filibuster of a qu
  
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• China summit gives Trump's Mar-a-Lago a presidential sheen

  05-04-2017 06:42
  
  PALM BEACH - For a president who happens to be an expert at branding, the transformation of his Mar-a-Lago resort into the "Winter White House" is the ultimate marketing ploy.This week President Donald Trump writes his members-only oceanfront property deeper into American history books by meeting at the Florida resort with Chinese President Xi Jinping.While the president and vice president are exempt from promotional prohibitions facing other government employees, there's an overarching principl
  
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