Baton Rouge news

• Timeline of the Syrian civil war and US response

  06-04-2017 21:33
  
  The U.S. attack on a Syrian air base came after years of heated debate and deliberation in Washington over intervention in the bloody civil war.
      
  Chemical weapons have killed hundreds of people since the start of the conflict, with the U.N. blaming three attacks on the Syrian government and a fourth on the Islamic State group. One of the worst yet came Tuesday in rebel-held northern Idlib and killed dozens, including women and children.
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• Pedestrian hit by vehicle, killed on Florida Blvd.

  06-04-2017 20:46
  
  BATON ROUGE - A pedestrian was killed after being hit by a vehicle on Florida Blvd.Sources say the incident happened around 8:30 p.m. on Florida Blvd. near Wooddale Drive.According to police on scene, an SUV was traveling in the eastbound lanes of Florida Blvd. when a pedestrian stepped into the roadway.Police tell me SUV was traveling east bound on Florida when a pedestrian apparently stepped out into traffic. @WBRZ— Brett Buffington (@BrettBuffington) April 7, 2017Eastbound Florida B
  
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• LSU -- last in alumni giving, endowment -- overhauls fundraising operations

  06-04-2017 20:43
  
  LSU is the only SEC school that raises more money for athletics than academics.
  
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• Edwards: Congressman 'can no longer be trusted' on flood aid

  06-04-2017 19:35
  
  BATON ROUGE - Gov. John Bel Edwards is accusing a Baton Rouge congressman of spreading myths about flood recovery money and leading a partisan effort that could harm Louisiana's long-term rebuilding.
      
  The Democratic governor's office released a memo Thursday saying Republican U.S. Rep. Garret Graves "can no longer be trusted" to convey accurate information about Louisiana's recovery from last year's flooding.
      
  The memo came a day afte
  
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• Gonzales Police receive first batch of body cameras

  06-04-2017 19:03
  
  GONZALES – The Gonzales Police Department received a shipment of body cameras for officers to use.Chief Sherman Jackson said that the cameras could change how the department does business."Maybe this could make the difference and tell the story," Jackson said. "This will help us we'll use this as a tool."Jackson said that the cameras will help to hold everyone accountable."Not be put in a situation where I just have two people and I just have two words and I don't know who's telling th
  
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• Governor Edwards orders flags at half-staff for late Rep. Tinnerello

  06-04-2017 18:07
  
  BATON ROUGE – Governor John Bel Edwards has ordered that flags are to be flown half-staff over the State Capitol on Friday in honor of the late Representative Michael Tinnerello.
  Tinnerello was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1984 to 1988 to represent District 13 for the parishes of Jackson, Bienville and Winn. He remained an active figure in politics for the remainder of his life."Rep. Tinnerello was known for a commitment to his community that will leave a last
  
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• Man with sword arrested after bizarre altercations at LSU Thursday

  06-04-2017 18:05
  
  BATON ROUGE – LSU Police arrested a 31-year-old carrying a sword after bizarre altercations were reported on campus Thursday.Ronald Chenevert, Jr., was booked into jail after being questioned by university police. A campus spokesperson said Chenevert was booked with terrorizing, criminal trespass and illegal carrying of a weapon. As of this post, Chenevert's booking photo – commonly referred to as a “mug shot” – was not available; the booking pro
  
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• APSO: Suspect identified for theft of $1,200 worth of cigarettes

  06-04-2017 17:58
  
  ASCENSION – The Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office has identified a suspect wanted for the theft of $1,200 worth of cigarettes and a burglary at Dollar General locations.The sheriff's office is searching for 26-year-old Andrew Parms III, wanted for two counts of simple burglary and two counts of felony theft.The theft occurred on March 26 at the Dollar General Store on Airline Highway and the burglary occurred on April 2 at the Dollar General on Hwy. 42, according to the sheriff's offic
  
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• Girl found living with monkeys in forest in India

  06-04-2017 17:09
  
  Indian police are reviewing reports of missing children to try to identify a girl who was found living in a forest with a group of monkeys.The girl, believed to be 10 to 12 years old, was unable to speak, was wearing no clothes and was emaciated when she discovered in January and taken to a hospital in Bahraich, a town in Uttar Pradesh state in northern India.She behaved like an animal, running on her arms and legs and eating food off the floor with her mouth, said D.K. Singh, chief medical supe
  
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• 71-year-old Calhoun woman accused of pointing rifle at man, dog

  06-04-2017 16:44
  
  CALHOUN - A 71-year-old woman has been charged after being accused of pointing a rifle at a man and his dog.The Monroe News-Star reports Janet W. Smith of Calhoun is facing an aggravated assault charge in connection with what happened late Tuesday.Arrest records say the victim told deputies that Smith came outside and pointed the gun at the dog after the animal approached the fence around her property. Documents say the victim tried to calm Smith down, reminding her that the dog was not on her p
  
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• Twitter challenges US order for anti-Trump user records

  06-04-2017 16:20
  
  NEW YORK - Twitter defied a U.S. government request for records that could identify users behind an account opposed to President Donald Trump account, and is challenging the order in court.The company filed a lawsuit against the federal Department of Homeland Security and its Customs and Border Protection office, charging that their efforts to "unmask" the people behind the account violated the First Amendment.Twitter says its users have a constitutional right to disseminate such "anonymous and
  
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• WBRZ Crawfish Index: boiled price per pound falls 20 cents

  06-04-2017 16:06
  
  BATON ROUGE – The price for a pound of boiled crawfish fell 20 cents this week, dropping to the lowest point surveyed since the start of Lent.According to the WBRZ Crawfish Price Index, the average price sits at $3.78 a pound. While most locations chose to keep last week’s price, Jones Creek Café in Denham Springs slashed prices by nearly $1.50 a pound.Click here to go to the WBRZ Crawfish Price IndexPit-N-Peel continues to have the cheapest price per pound among t
  
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• AG: Man arrested for stealing more than $400,000 from teacher's retirement system

  06-04-2017 15:48
  
  BATON ROUGE – A man has been arrested after the Attorney General's office says that he took more than $400,000 from the Louisiana Teacher's Retirement System over a span of several years.Lester Joseph II, 42, was arrested on 201 counts of felony theft and two counts of identity theft. Joseph allegedly forged his father's signature on beneficiary checks and cashed them from 1999 – 2016, illegally collecting a total of $462,423.According to the report by the retirement system,
  
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• Afternoon house fire on Abraham Drive

  06-04-2017 15:35
  
  BATON ROUGE – Crews are working a house fire in the 13000 block of Abraham Drive.It appears the roof of the house has sustained significant damage.A News 2 crew is on the scene.This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available. Permalink| Comments
  
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• TOPS again a target in Louisiana session, budget negotiation

  06-04-2017 15:27
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana lawmakers, struggling with budget shortfalls, are again looking to restructure the TOPS college tuition program to lessen costs.Proposals include boosting the grade point average required to get the award or steering more of the money to needy students. Another measure would require students who receive TOPS to work in Louisiana after college or repay some money spent on their tuition.This year, for the first time, lawmakers didn't fully fund TOPS, instead covering only 7
  
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• Championship rings recovered after burglary arrest

  06-04-2017 14:50
  
  BATON ROUGE –  Deputies have made an arrest in an investigation into multiple residential burglaries across Baton Rouge earlier this year.According to the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, the crimes happened between January and April 2017 in the Jefferson Highway, Bluebonnet Blvd, and Perkins Rd area. During the investigation, the EBRSO Armed Robbery and Burglary Division arrested 36-year-old Taurus Jackson for the following:Three counts each of burglary, simple cr
  
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• Man confesses to deputies that he killed man in North Carolina

  06-04-2017 14:41
  
  LIVINGSTON PARISH – The Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office says that a man confessed to deputies that he murdered someone in 1993 in North Carolina.Allen Deaver told deputies that he killed his son-in-law, Sidney Maurice Gregory, by beating him and then setting his mobile home on fire with him inside.The Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office contacted the Wayne County Sheriff's Office and was able to discover an unsolved case that was similar to the description Deaver gave. The crime occu
  
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• California woman who fell off bridge during selfie won't be charged

  06-04-2017 14:16
  
  AUBURN - Authorities say a woman who fell 60 feet (18.2 meters) while taking a selfie on a Northern California bridge will not be charged for trespassing.The Placer County Sheriff's Office says the woman was airlifted to a hospital and is expected to survive.The woman, who hasn't been identified, and a group of friends were walking on a catwalk underneath the 730-foot (222.5-meter)-tall Foresthill Bridge near Auburn when she fell Tuesday while taking a photo. She landed on a trail below.Authorit
  
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• Photos show vandalism at Runnels School

  06-04-2017 14:09
  
  BATON ROUGE - Runnels School administrators say someone spray painted vulgar images on its campus earlier this week.School officials say the vandalism happened on April 3 was confined to the high school. Photos show spray painted lockers and stairways including a slur.“It is painful and disappointing that our school family should have to face yet another challenge after making such a strong recovery from the flood,” a statement from the school said.Administrators say
  
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• Syphilis far more common in gay man in US South

  06-04-2017 13:46
  
  NEW YORK - A new U.S. report shows the spread of syphilis is far worse in gay men in Southern states.North Carolina, Mississippi and Louisiana have the highest rates. In North Carolina, as many as 1 in 134 gay and bisexual men were diagnosed with the most contagious forms of syphilis in 2015.The South has long had higher rates of diseases spread through sex. Thursday's report is the first breakdown for syphilis by sexual orientation for 44 states.In all states, the rates for straight men are far
  
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• Local students raise awareness about animal adoption

  06-04-2017 13:38
  
  Fifth graders at Hammond Eastside Elementary Magnet School hosted an animal food drive from March 27-31 after being tasked with tackling a social action issue. To raise awareness about animal adoption, students achieved their goal of collecting 1,000 items.On Wednesday, the kids donated the food to the Tangi Humane Society which currently houses 6 horses, 29 dogs, 4 cats and one pig. The students hope that their efforts will lead to the adoption of some of these animals.The effort was coordinate
  
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• Woman found dead inside Caddo Parish well identified

  06-04-2017 13:37
  
  SHREVEPORT- The Caddo Parish Coroner's office has identified a woman whose remains were found in a well late last month.The Times reports investigators used fingerprint comparisons to identify the woman as 59-year-old Catherine Holmes.Holmes' body was found in a water well just after 10 p.m. March 30, after a woman called deputies to say her sister had gone there to cut the grass and was not answering her phone.Deputies had been to the residence at least twice earlier that day regarding a civil
  
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• WATCH: California man attacks cashier after debit card declined

  06-04-2017 13:27
  
  CALIFORNIA – Police say a man attacked a cashier after his credit card was declined at a California convenience store.Police in Santa Ana say the man was trying to buy M&M's when his debit card was declined. Surveillance video released by the investigators shows the man striking the cashier in the head, pushing over store equipment and throwing bananas at another cashier. The department says that the incident resulted in about $700 worth of damage done to the store.The man has not
  
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• Power outage at Mall of Louisiana caused heavy traffic

  06-04-2017 13:23
  
  BATON ROUGE –  A power outage at the Mall of Louisiana caused a major traffic problem on Thursday afternoon.
  The outage caused the traffic lights to go out on Bluebonnet Boulevard in front of the mall.Entergy workers were on the scene working to fix the issue. Officials at the mall said about half of the stores inside were without electricity for about an hour.
  However, shoppers say the outage lasted longer than that.
  "It's horrible. that we come all the way here across town.
  
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• Entergy working to restore power at Mall of Louisiana

  06-04-2017 13:23
  
  BATON ROUGE –  Property managers say half of the Mall of Louisiana is without power on Thursday afternoon due to a nearby outage.A spokesperson for the mall property management company says Entergy is working to restore power to the impacted stores by 12:30 p.m.Drivers in the area reported that traffic lights in the area are not working properly. Baton Rouge Police are responding to the area.TRAFFIC ALERT: Heavy traffic on Bluebonnet... traffic lights out by the mall&mdash
  
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• Fourth person dies after St. Louis boiler explosion

  06-04-2017 13:14
  
  ST. LOUIS - The St. Louis medical examiner says a fourth person has died from injuries suffered when a boiler exploded at a St. Louis business.The medical examiner's office says 53-year-old Clifford Lee died Wednesday at St. Louis University Hospital.The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Lee was with two friends Monday filling out new employee paperwork at Faultless Linen Company when the boiler exploded at Loy-Lange Box Co. The one-ton boiler flew about 500 feet through the air and crashed t
  
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• A slice for the stranded: Delta buys pizza for passengers

  06-04-2017 13:12
  
  ATLANTA - Delta Air Lines bought pizza for stranded passengers after canceling about 300 flights in the Southeast because of severe weather.The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports the Atlanta-based airline ordered more than 450 pies for passengers in states including Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Florida after storms on Wednesday caused flights to be canceled or delayed. The storms produced strong winds and pounded the region with hail.Delta communications manager Michael Th
  
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• Report: comedian Don Rickles dead at age 90

  06-04-2017 13:08
  
  LOS ANGELES – Legendary comedian Don Rickles has died at age 90.According to ABC News, Rickles died Thursday morning of kidney failure at his home in Los Angeles. Rickles would have turned 91 on May 8. His publicst says funeral services will be private and the family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Larry Rickles Endowment Fund at Children's Hospital Los Angeles.Rickles is survived by his wife of 52 years, Barabara, his daughter, Mindy M
  
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• Facebook launches tool to help users spot false news

  06-04-2017 13:07
  
  NEW YORK - Facebook is launching a resource to help you spot false news and misinformation that spreads on its service.The feature is similar to previous efforts around privacy and security and is basically a notification that will pop up on top of your news feed for a few days. Clicking on it takes you to tips and other information on how to spot false news and what to do about it.Tips to spot false news include looking closely at website addresses to see if they are trying to spoof real news s
  
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• Family gathers for private send-off of astronaut John Glenn

  06-04-2017 12:56
  
  WASHINGTON - Family and invited guests have gathered at Arlington National Cemetery to say their final goodbyes to astronaut and Sen. John Glenn.Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth, died Dec. 8 at age 95. He was mourned and celebrated at public events in his home state of Ohio at the time. Thursday's memorial was meant to be a more personal event for his wife and children and was closed to the public and news media.The military provided a livestream of a portion of the graveside service. Gl
  
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• Senate votes to 'go nuclear' on high court pick

  06-04-2017 12:37
  
  WASHINGTON - The Senate has voted to "go nuclear" and eliminate the filibuster for President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee and future court picks.The move could change the Senate and court for generations. It came Thursday on a procedural motion.The change is dubbed "the nuclear option." It removes a 60-vote filibuster requirement for Neil Gorsuch. The Senate is expected to confirm the appellate court judge on Friday.Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell raised a point of order to change
  
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• Gallery owner working to rebuild after lightning sparked fire

  06-04-2017 12:36
  
  ST. HELENA - R.C. Davis Art Gallery went up in flames after Monday morning's severe thunderstorm.
  The owner of an art gallery that sits in rural St. Helena Parish, Davis said he has been in business for more than 20 years. He's thankful for the firefighters who responded and stop the fire in time to save his paintings.
  "They stopped the fire, I would say by looking at the paintings. I would say in a minute, in one minute, the fire would have probably damaged my biggest piece--the Spirit of New O
  
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• Rip currents causing spring break problems on coast

  06-04-2017 09:58
  
  GULF SHORES - Dangerous surf conditions are causing problems on the Alabama coast during spring break.Red flags are flying to warn people about hazardous rip currents that can quickly pull swimmers out to sea.But in Gulf Shores, lifeguards still have had to rescue at least five people since Saturday. Beach safety director Scott Smothers tells WALA-TV that one man had to be resuscitated but is doing OK.Lifeguard Jordan Russell says he had to help a 6-year-old boy and the boy's sister on Tuesday a
  
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• CSU: hurricane season to have slightly below average activity

  06-04-2017 09:56
  
  In an annual extended Atlantic Basin hurricane season forecast, tropical experts at Colorado State University are projecting slightly below normal activity for the 2017 season. The forecast is calling for 11 named storms, 4 hurricanes and 2 major hurricanes.The research team cites a weak to moderate El Nino and cooling north Atlantic Ocean waters as reasons for the expectation. Furthermore, a below average probability for a landfall in the United States and the Caribbean is given. Of course, wit
  
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• Contractor accused of not completing work on flood damaged home

  06-04-2017 09:37
  
  BATON ROUGE – A Baton Rouge contractor faces fraud charges after deputies say he agreed to repair a flood damaged home then never completed the work.Sargent Pitcher was charged with a felony count of residential contractor fraud. He was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison Wednesday.According to arrest documents, the victim said he gave Pitcher $52,000 in exchange for home repairs between Sept. 16 through Jan. 9. The victim told investigators Pitcher did not return to complet
  
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• House intelligence committee chair steps aside

  06-04-2017 08:47
  
  WASHINGTON - The chairman of the House intelligence committee says he will temporarily step aside from the panel's probe into Russian meddling in the election.In a statement on Thursday, Republican congressman Devin Nunes of California says that several left-wing activist groups have filed accusations against him with the office of congressional ethics.Nunes says the charges are false and politically motivated. But he says it's in the best interest of the committee to have GOP congressman Mike C
  
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• Man accused of telling other man to shoot at group

  06-04-2017 08:38
  
  BATON ROUGE – A 19-year-old faces felony charges after deputies say he told another person to shoot a group of people on Yorkfield Drive last week.Ryndell Richard, 19, was charged with felony counts of aggravated assault with a firearm and principal to attempted first degree murder. He was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison Wednesday.According to arrest documents, the shooting happened in the 3400 block of Yorkfield Drive around 7:30 p.m. on March 29. A 15-year-old victim s
  
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• Flood recovery summit Thursday in Denham Springs

  06-04-2017 07:51
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS, La. - Countless people are still recovering from the August floods, with no end in sight. Local leaders are trying to change that tonight.The Flood Recovery Summit will play host to several speakers, who will try to answer questions, that will hopefully get some back on track.Insurance, contractor fraud, and upcoming deadlines are among the topics that will be discussed.The meeting will take place at North Park Recreational Center, on Eden Church Road in Denham Springs.There will
  
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• AP NORC Poll: Most Americans oppose funding border wall

  06-04-2017 07:31
  
  WASHINGTON - Most Americans oppose funding President Donald Trump's wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. That's according to a poll released Thursday by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.The poll shows even many supporters reject Trump's proposed budget cuts to scientific and medical research.The president gets higher marks for efforts to boost defense spending and beef up the border patrol.Congressional Republicans and Democrats are wrestling over whether to include a d
  
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• Another attempt planned to impose age limit on strippers

  06-04-2017 07:26
  
  NEW ORLEANS - Louisiana lawmakers soon will again be asked to approve what amounts to a minimum age of 21 for strippers.A law passed last year was blocked in March by U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier.Barbier said the law was unconstitutionally vague. And, he noted inconsistencies in state law defining a naked breast.NOLA.comThe Times-Picayune reports that state Sen. Ronnie Johns' new bill has language to eliminate the inconsistencies. It includes new definitions and would allow women ov
  
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• Prison van crash closes I-55 south of Ponchatoula

  06-04-2017 06:46
  
  MANCHAC – I-55 southbound was closed to traffic due to a crash south of Ponchatoula Thursday morning.According to DOTD, the crash happened near mile marker 17 near Manchac just after 6 a.m. Thursday morning. Officials say traffic is being diverted onto US 51.WWLTV reports a prison transport van carrying 16 prisoners to Orleans Parish Prison was involved in the crash. I-55 South closed to traffic at MM 17 (Manchac) due to an accident. Traffic is being diverted onto US 51. Conge
  
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• Murder suspect set to be released after making $35 million dollar bail

  06-04-2017 04:40
  
  SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A California woman accused of killing the father of her two children is expected to be released from jail after posting an unprecedented $35 million bail raised by wealthy friends, family and business associates with ties to China.Tiffany Li pleaded not guilty to murder and directing her boyfriend and another man to kill Keith Green and dispose of his body. Prosecutors say she feared losing custody of her children.Li was arrested in May in Hillsborough, a wealthy suburb 20 m
  
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• Intimate farewell for family of astronaut and Sen. John Glenn

  06-04-2017 04:34
  
  WASHINGTON- Family and invited guests are gathering at Arlington National Cemetery to say their final goodbyes to astronaut and Sen. John Glenn.Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth, died Dec. 8 at age 95. He was mourned and celebrated at public events in home state Ohio at the time, but those close to the family say Thursday's interment is closed to public and news media so his wife and children have the chance for a more personal memorial.In Glenn's honor, flags of federal entities and inst
  
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• Intimate farewell for family of astrnaut and Sen. John Glenn

  06-04-2017 04:34
  
  WASHINGTON- Family and invited guests are gathering at Arlington National Cemetery to say their final goodbyes to astronaut and Sen. John Glenn.Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth, died Dec. 8 at age 95. He was mourned and celebrated at public events in home state Ohio at the time, but those close to the family say Thursday's interment is closed to public and news media so his wife and children have the chance for a more personal memorial.In Glenn's honor, flags of federal entities and inst
  
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