Baton Rouge news

• Well-known Alexandria shoplifter arrested for 62nd time: report

  13-04-2017 18:19
  
  Latest arrest was Ellis Kitchen's fifth this year.
  
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• HHGregg customer out thousands, not happy with limited returns

  13-04-2017 18:17
  
  BATON ROUGE - A woman bought thousands of dollars in appliances at HHGregg, but since the company filed for bankruptcy everything's gone south.Alarice Walker says she won't be seeing those appliances or her money."Without the appliances we can't go back home," she said.In February, Walker purchased a refrigerator, dishwasher, microwave, stove, washer and dryer for a total of $10,238.61. It was one of her final purchases made with her flood insurance money she received following the Augu
  
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• Fire official: 24 passengers stuck on Maryland roller coast

  13-04-2017 18:16
  
  BALTIMORE - Authorities say 24 people are stuck in midair on a stalled roller coaster at an amusement park outside of Washington, D.C.Prince George's County Fire/EMS spokesman Mark Brady said on his Twitter account that the riders became stuck around 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Six Flags America in Largo, Maryland.The Berwyn Heights volunteer fire department said in a tweet that the cars of Joker's Jinx are 100 feet (30 meters) off the ground. Helicopter video from WJLA-TV shows six cars.Brady says th
  
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• Louisiana considering whether to end use of death penalty

  13-04-2017 17:10
  
  BATON ROUGE - A trio of state legislators with law enforcement backgrounds is suggesting Louisiana should end its use of the death penalty.Rep. Terry Landry, a Democratic former state police superintendent, thinks the penalty is barbaric, unevenly applied, with too many cases overturned.Sen. Dan Claitor, a Republican former prosecutor, cites moral objections because of his Catholic faith.And Rep. Steve Pylant, a Republican former sheriff, says if Louisiana can't get the execution drugs to carry
  
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• 1 dead, 3 wounded in Atlanta transit station shooting

  13-04-2017 17:00
  
  ATLANTA - A spokesman for Atlanta's public transit system says one person is dead after a multiple shooting.Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority spokesman Erik Burton tells The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that four people were shot Thursday afternoon at the West Lake MARTA station and one of them has died.Burton says the shooting happened about 4:30 p.m. and a suspect is in custody. Authorities have not released the man's name but say he's in his 30s.No other details were relea
  
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• One injured in shooting on Cannon Street

  13-04-2017 16:48
  
  BATON ROUGE – Authorities say that shooting on Cannon Street at Smiley Street has left one person injured.The shooting happened on Thursday around 4:30 p.m.Authorities say the person was shot in the arm and is in stable condition at this time.This story will be updated as more information becomes available.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Man accused of failing to complete repairs on home after paid $36,000

  13-04-2017 16:19
  
  BATON ROUGE – The East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office arrested a man after a woman says that he never completed repairs on her home that was damaged by a fire when he was paid $36,000 to do so.Deputies arrested 40-year-old Leonel Alexander Carbajal for charges of residential contractor fraud, misapplication of payments and engaging in the business of contracting without a license.The victim told deputies that she hired Carbajal to perform construction on her home that had been d
  
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• Schedule for Bayou Country Superfest 2017 in Superdome announced

  13-04-2017 15:46
  
  NEW ORLEANS – Organizers of the Bayou Country Superfest 2017 announced the music schedule for the event on Thursday.The event is being held for the first time in New Orleans at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Superfest will be held May 26, 27 and 28 and will feature performances by Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert and Brooks & Dunn and others.The festival will kick off with a free Friday night party as Easton Corbin and others perform in Champions Square. The concert schedule is as
  
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• University of Michigan unveils 1,500-pound Rubik's Cube

  13-04-2017 15:09
  
  ANN ARBOR - Some past and present University of Michigan mechanical engineering students have unveiled a 1,500-pound tribute to one of the all-time great brain teasers.The oversized Rubik's Cube was unveiled Thursday during a ceremony inside the G.G. Brown engineering building on the university's campus in Ann Arbor.The cube consists of nine colored squares on each of its six sides, just like its much smaller counterpart that became a worldwide phenomenon in the 1980s.Senior Ryan Kuhn says he an
  
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• Trump: Atlanta collapse shows need for strong infrastructure

  13-04-2017 14:56
  
  WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump says last month's bridge collapse near downtown Atlanta is a "painful reminder" of the importance of strong infrastructure.Trump welcomed to the White House police, fire and other personnel who responded to the collapse that forced the closure of a portion of Interstate 85. Authorities have said a fire under the bridge caused the collapse. A homeless man has been charged with setting the blaze.Trump commended the first responders. He says their fast action, sk
  
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• CIA director calls WikiLeaks 'hostile intelligence agency'

  13-04-2017 14:55
  
  WASHINGTON - CIA Director Mike Pompeo is denouncing WikiLeaks, calling the anti-secrecy group a "hostile intelligence agency."In his first public speech since becoming director of the agency, the former Republican congressman says WikiLeaks "walks like a hostile intelligence agency and talks like a hostile intelligence agency."Last month, WikiLeaks released nearly 8,000 documents that it says reveals secrets about the CIA's cyberespionage tools for breaking into targeted computers, cellphones an
  
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• WBRZ Crawfish Index: boiled price on the rise before Easter

  13-04-2017 14:15
  
  BATON ROUGE – Crawfish prices in the Baton Rouge area are on the rise for the last week before Easter Sunday.According to the WBRZ Crawfish Price Index, the average price for a pound of boiled crawfish sits at $3.92, an increase of 14 cents compared to last week.Driving the price increase: Jones Creek Café returned to $4.99 per pound. Last week, the location had slashed prices by nearly $1.50.Click here to go to the WBRZ Crawfish Price IndexWith the final week of the WBRZ Cr
  
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• Federal judge ordered to rehab for alcoholism, records show

  13-04-2017 13:48
  
  BATON ROUGE- A federal judge whose unusual behavior preceded her mysterious removal from a string of cases was ordered to get treatment for alcoholism so severe a colleague believes she cannot take care of herself.Court records released Thursday say the chief judge for the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi of Louisiana to complete at least 90 days of substance abuse treatment due to the severity of her alcoholism.Minaldi has been on medical leave sinc
  
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• Louisiana picks contractor to manage flood aid program

  13-04-2017 13:45
  
  BATON ROUGE - The company chosen to manage Louisiana's $1.3 billion flood aid program for homeowners is the same firm that was earlier selected for the work and then saw its contract scrapped and the bid process redone.Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Thursday that IEM was selected to oversee the program.The governor says reopening the bid process resulted in lower contract costs - though Edwards' office didn't immediately say what the contract's estimated price tag will be.Money for the homeowne
  
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• Good news, procrastinators: Tax deadline pushed to Tuesday

  13-04-2017 13:39
  
  WASHINGTON - Don't freak out if you haven't finished your taxes. The IRS is giving last-minute filers a reprieve until Tuesday.The usual April 15 deadline falls on Saturday this year. That would normally push the deadline to Monday. But Monday is a holiday in the District of Columbia, so by law, the filing deadline is extended until Tuesday.Monday is Emancipation Day in the nation's capital. It marks the day in 1862 in which 3,100 slaves living in the capital were freed.All the states that usual
  
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• Boil water advisory lifted in East Feliciana after well broke

  13-04-2017 13:39
  
  EAST FELICIANA – The boil water advisory for residents in Bluff Creek has been lifted.The advisory was issued on Monday after a well broke.About 600 residents were without running water due to the broken well, WBRZ reported earlier this week. Crews were seen repairing the well's motor on Tuesday.Upon completion of the repairs, a boil water advisory was issued. The Department of Health and Hospitals has now approved water samples and considers the water safe to consume.The Investigative
  
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• BRPD: Man sought for shooting on Dawson Avenue

  13-04-2017 13:38
  
  BATON ROUGE – The Baton Rouge Police Department is searching for a man believed to be connected to a shooting that occurred in the 4000 block of Dawson Avenue.The shooting occurred on March 21 around 1 a.m. Detectives believe that 21-year-old Gerald Dewayne Jones and another man fired shots during an altercation at a Dawson Ave. home. Three people were hurt, according to BRPD.Anyone with information on Jones' whereabouts are urged to call the BRPD Vi
  
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• EBRSO extends deadline for property tax payments

  13-04-2017 13:32
  
  BATON ROUGE – The East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office is extending the deadline for property tax payments for all residents until April 21, 2017.The Sheriff’s Office said the extension was due to technical issues at AT&T.“The phones as well as the ability to pay online at the tax division are down until further notice,” EBRSO said. “We are currently working with AT&T to resolve the issue.”Taxpayers will have until April
  
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• Sheriff: man to be charged for 89-year-old's murder

  13-04-2017 13:20
  
  HAMMOND – Deputies in Tangipahoa Parish say a 26-year-old will be charged for the murder of an 89-year-old woman Sunday night.Sheriff Daniel Edwards said Timothy Rouchon will face charges of second-degree murder, obstruction of justice, theft of a vehicle and aggravated arson.Rouchon turned himself into the East Feliciana Parish Sheriff’s Office Tuesday after learning that he was wanted as a person of interest in the murder investigation. He was transported to Livingston Pari
  
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• White House: Trump to meet with Italian PM next week

  13-04-2017 13:10
  
  WASHINGTON - The White House says President Donald Trump will welcome Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni to the White House next week.White House press secretary Sean Spicer says Trump will meet with Gentiloni on April 20 to discuss the upcoming Group of Seven industrialized nations meeting in Italy and a "range of issues" between the two allies.The G-7 nations have urged Russia to pressure the Syrian government to end the six-year civil war and have blamed President Bashar Assad's military
  
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• Group: Truck-stop tiger may be ill; Owner: Old, arthritic

  13-04-2017 13:05
  
  NEW ORLEANS- An animal rights group says video and photos indicate that a tiger kept at a Baton Rouge-area truck stop may be ill.
      
  The Animal Legal Defense Fund has asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to investigate and ensure that Tony the tiger is getting proper care. Attorney Matthew Liebman quotes a veterinarian as saying a private investigator's photos and video show a limp and spinal curvature.
      
  Grosse Tete Truck Stop owner
  
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• Aide says San Bernardino shooter was 'out for blood'

  13-04-2017 12:45
  
  SAN BERNARDINO - A classroom aide who was just feet away during the fatal shootings of a teacher and a student at a San Bernardino elementary school says she believes the gunman was "out for blood."Jennifer Downing says she thinks Cedric Anderson would have killed others if he hadn't run out of bullets and stopped to reload Monday.Anderson fatally shot himself after killing his estranged wife, teacher Karen Smith, and an 8-year-old boy, Jonathan Martinez. Another student, a 9-year-old boy, was a
  
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• Unmarked BRPD vehicle burglarized overnight

  13-04-2017 12:41
  
  BATON ROUGE – Authorities say an unmarked police vehicle was burglarized overnight in Baton Rouge.According to Baton Rouge Police, the crime happened in the 3300 block of Joanne Drive. Police say no weapons were stolen and only miscellaneous items were taken.The officer was off-duty at the time of the crime. Police are still investigating how the burglar entered the vehicle.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Report: Fuel truck overturns, ignites on I-310 in Luling

  13-04-2017 09:57
  
  NEW ORLEANS – A fuel truck overturned and caught fire on I-310 in Luling, local media reports.According to WWLTV, both north and south bound lanes are closed near the Highway 3127 exit. Traffic is being diverted from the scene.St. Charles Parish Sheriff Greg Champagne told WWLTV that two other cars were involved in the wreck. The crash caused a large cloud of smoke that could be seen from miles away.St. Charles Parish officials are on the scene.Read more on WWLTV.com@WWLTV 310 fire pic
  
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• 8-year-old drives to McDonald's after watching Youtube tutorials

  13-04-2017 09:33
  
  A craving for a McDonald's cheeseburger apparently prompted an 8-year-old Ohio boy to take his 4-year-old sister for a ride in his dad's van, which he learned to drive on the internet.East Palestine police Officer Jacob Koehler tells WJW-TV in Cleveland the father went to bed Sunday and the mother fell asleep on the couch with the kids.Koehler says witnesses saw the boy driving and called police in the city, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) southeast of Cleveland. He says the boy drove a
  
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• Man hurt in Jefferson Avenue shooting

  13-04-2017 09:18
  
  BATON ROUGE – Police say a 26-year-old man is expected to live after he was hurt in a shooting on Jefferson Avenue in Baton Rouge Thursday morning.The shooting happened around 8:23 a.m. in the 2300 block of Jefferson Avenue. Details about the shooting are limited at this time.This is a developing story. Stay tuned to WBRZ News 2 online and on Facebook and Twitter for updates as new information becomes available.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Video captures horse battling gator at Florida park

  13-04-2017 09:14
  
  MICANOPY - Visitors to a state park in Florida got a dramatic glimpse at the wild kingdom when a wild horse attacked an alligator.Krystal Berry was one of several park goers who took video of the attack at Paynes Prairie State Park Wednesday. She tells Tampa's WTVT-TV that she was part of a group who spotted wild horses grazing alongside a path. She says the alligator came up beside them and stopped.Video she posted to Facebook shows one of the horses kicking the alligator, which then b
  
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• Police: one dead in River Road crash

  13-04-2017 08:45
  
  BATON ROUGE – Police say one person died in a single vehicle crash on River Road Thursday morning.Baton Rouge Police confirmed that the crash happened after 7 a.m. in the 7900 block of River Road. Photos from the scene show firefighters and the East Baton Rouge Coroner's Office at the scene.Details about the crash are limited at this time.This is a developing story. Stay tuned to WBRZ News 2 online and on Facebook and Twitter for updates. Permalink| Comments
  
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• WBRZs traffic reporter Ashley Fruge' to dance for Charity

  13-04-2017 08:08
  
  BATON ROUGE - Ashley Fruge’, WBRZ 2une-in traffic reporter, will dance in this year’s Dancing for Big Buddy fundraiser.The event is to raise money for the Big Buddy program, which has been helping the Baton Rouge community for over 30 years. The program matches adult role models with children that are looking for a special friend, or mentor in their lives.The gala and show will feature many of the community's leaders and prominent citizens as they perform a ballroom dance per
  
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• Michigan capital backs out of decision to become sanctuary city

  13-04-2017 08:05
  
  The Lansing City Council backed out of its decision to declare itself a sanctuary city Wednesday evening, holding a vote to rescind the barely week-old resolution.
  
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• Auburn: White nationalist paying rent, security for speech

  13-04-2017 08:03
  
  AUBURN - Auburn University says a white nationalist is paying $700 to rent a room where he's scheduled to speak on campus next week.A school spokesman says Richard Spencer also must pay for security expenses such as police.Spencer operates the National Policy Institute and made waves last year by giving a Hitler salute and praising President Donald Trump during a speech. He announced his Auburn appearance in a video statement.Spencer supports the creation of an ethno-state that would be run for
  
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• Mother Nature to blame for the busy allergist's office.

  13-04-2017 07:47
  
  BATON ROUGE - Mother Nature is to blame for the busy lines at the allergist's office.The mild winter has allowed plants to grow earlier, and pollen generate quicker. One allergist said his office saw numbers of people in January, that normally isn't seen until March.Nasal sprays and allergy medicines are easy cures to symptoms for many, but doctors can combat symptoms with an allergy shot.If you do plan on spending the day in the garden or outside in general, try wearing a mask. You can also sho
  
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• Trump declares US-Russia relations may be at 'all-time low'

  13-04-2017 06:54
  
  WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump says U.S. relations with Russia "may be at an all-time low." His top diplomat has offered a similarly grim assessment from the other side of the globe after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.During a White House news conference Wednesday, Trump said flatly: "Right now we're not getting along with Russia at all." It was stark evidence the president is moving ever further from his campaign promises to establish better ties with Moscow.Only
  
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• Is Bannon in peril? Trump comments worry his populist base

  13-04-2017 06:53
  
  WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump has declared, "I am my own strategist." That would seem to bode poorly for his actual strategist, Steve Bannon.And Trump now appears to be publicly distancing himself.In an interview with The New York Post, the president said "I like Steve" and called his adviser "a good guy" - but one who wasn't really all that involved with his winning election campaign. In a second interview with The Wall Street Journal, he dismissively called Bannon "a guy who works for me
  
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• Uproar over United video imperils Chicago airport police

  13-04-2017 06:51
  
  CHICAGO - The video of a man being dragged off a United Express flight shined an unwanted spotlight on the police force that guards Chicago's two main airports and could threaten the agency's future.Alderman Chris Taliaferro says the cellphone footage has put the airport police at risk. He and other members of the city council were scheduled to grill United and the Chicago Aviation Department on Thursday about why a Kentucky physician was yanked out of his seat after he refused to get off the fu
  
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• Man dragged off plane has concussion, lost teeth

  13-04-2017 06:51
  
  CHICAGO - A lawyer for a man dragged off a United Express flight says he suffered a concussion and broken nose and lost two front teeth.Attorney Thomas Demetrio said at a news conference Thursday that Dr. David Dao has been discharged from a hospital but will need reconstructive surgery.Dao was removed from the plane Sunday after he refused to give up his seat on the full flight from Chicago to Louisville.His daughter says the family was "horrified, shocked and sickened" to learn and se
  
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• Million-dollar teachers: Cashing in by selling their lessons

  13-04-2017 06:49
  
  Teachers selling their lesson plans online has become a booming business, driven by higher standards and other teachers willing to pay out of their own pockets for classroom-tested material.Top sites include Teachwise, Teacher's Notebook and Teachers Pay Teachers, which says it has helped make millionaires out of about a dozen of its contributors since launching a decade ago.But some educators worry that the increasing monetizing of lesson plans will stifle the longstanding practice of teachers
  
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• 2 indicted for Lafayette pizza deliveryman slaying

  13-04-2017 06:45
  
  LAFAYETTE - A Lafayette Parish grand jury has indicted two men in the death of a pizza delivery man.News outlets report a grand jury indicted 22-year-old Ferris Martin and 30-year-old Kevin Morrison on Wednesday for first-degree murder in the death of 44-year-old William Kline in December 2016.Police say Kline worked for Papa John's and was delivering a pizza in when he was fatally shot. Authorities say when deputies arrived on scene, Kline was found lying face down outside of a building sufferi
  
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• Delta CEO says overbooking flights 'a valid business process' amid talk of banning it

  13-04-2017 03:16
  
  Federal rules allow airlines to sell more tickets than they have seats, and airlines do it routinely because they assume some passengers won't show up.
  
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