Baton Rouge news

• LSU hires Bryan Benchoff to lead its academic fundraising efforts

  18-04-2017 23:08
  
  LSU Foundation upgrading fundraising operations, preparing $1.2 billion capital campaign
  
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• Investigation underway into Army chopper crash; victim ID'd

  18-04-2017 21:17
  
  LEONARDTOWN, Md. - Army investigators have arrived at the scene of a Black Hawk helicopter crash in Maryland that left one crew member dead and two injured.The U.S. Army Military District of Washington said in a statement Tuesday night that investigators arrived earlier in the day to begin looking into the cause of the crash.The helicopter went down Monday on a golf course in Leonardtown, about 60 miles southeast of Washington.The statement says 22-year-old Spc. Jeremy Darrell Tomlin, originally
  
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• Trump: NKorean leader's desire for peace a deciding factor

  18-04-2017 20:57
  
  WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump says that how much North Korea's leader desires peace will be a deciding factor in easing tensions between it and the United States.In an interview with TMJ4-TV in Wisconsin, Trump complains that his predecessors should have dealt with North Korea's pursuit of a nuclear arsenal. But he adds that he's in the position now where he is "going to have to do something about it."Trump says the U.S. wants peace and he hopes North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un wants peace.
  
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• Trump: N. Korean leader's desire for peace a deciding factor

  18-04-2017 20:57
  
  WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump says that how much North Korea's leader desires peace will be a deciding factor in easing tensions between it and the United States.In an interview with TMJ4-TV in Wisconsin, Trump complains that his predecessors should have dealt with North Korea's pursuit of a nuclear arsenal. But he adds that he's in the position now where he is "going to have to do something about it."Trump says the U.S. wants peace and he hopes North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un wants peace.
  
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• Live video feed that showed giraffe birth to be taken down

  18-04-2017 20:38
  
  HARPURSVILLE, N.Y. - A livestreamed video of a pregnant giraffe that has enthralled millions of YouTube viewers since February is coming to an end.Animal Adventure Park in rural upstate New York says the giraffe cam showing April the giraffe and her new baby will go dark by the end of the week.The park made the announcement on its Facebook page late Monday amid a flurry of messages from fans concerned April had a slight limp. The park says April's leg injury was minor and was much better Tuesday
  
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• Alabama Senate votes to allow concealed carry without permit

  18-04-2017 20:26
  
  MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The Alabama Senate has voted to allow people to carry a concealed handgun without a getting a permit.Senators approved the bill on a 25-8 vote Tuesday. It now moves to the Alabama House of Representatives.The bill has been heavily criticized by some law enforcement officers who say the permits are needed for public safety. Republican Sen. Gerald Allen of Tuscaloosa, the bill's sponsor, said that people shouldn't have to pay to exercise their Second Amendment rights.According t
  
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• Man who killed ex-Saints star seeks new trial

  18-04-2017 19:50
  
  NEW ORLEANS - Defense lawyers for the man who killed former New Orleans Saints star Will Smith have filed a motion for a new trial based on "new evidence."Court records show the motion was filed Tuesday afternoon. The records don't spell out what the evidence is. The motion is expected to be argued Wednesday, the same day Hayes is scheduled to be sentenced. It was unclear whether the motion might lead to a sentencing delay.The New Orleans district attorney has said Hayes deserves to be imprisone
  
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• California shooting suspect fired 16 rounds in 1 minute, killing 3

  18-04-2017 19:47
  
  FRESNO, Calif. - Authorities say the man accused of shooting and killing three people in central California fired 16 rounds in one minute.Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer says 39-year-old Kori Ali Muhammad was armed with a revolver and reloaded at one point. He opened fire at four locations within a block.Muhammad was arrested shortly after the shooting. He also was wanted for a separate killing from last week, in which a motel security guard in Fresno was gunned down.Dyer has said Muhammad told p
  
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• EBRSO: Juveniles set fire at Glen Oaks High School

  18-04-2017 19:37
  
  BATON ROUGE - Crews responded to Glen Oaks High School after two juveniles reportedly started a fire on campus Tuesday.According to the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, the fire was started by an 11-year-old and a 13-year-old who were setting electronic equipment on fire at the school. Multiple fire departments responded to the scene. The juveniles were released to the District 6 fire department for an arson investigation. The East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office is assisting in the inve
  
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• Juvenile life sentences debated at Louisiana Capitol

  18-04-2017 19:30
  
  BATON ROUGE- Republican Senator Dan Claitor presented his bill to eliminate life sentences for juveniles without parole Tuesday.Hearing it in his Senate Judiciary Committee, Claitor argued to grant the possibility of parole after the juvenile serves 30 years of their sentence.Claitor is attempting to bring Louisiana law in compliance with two rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court which found it unconstitutional to sentence juveniles for life with
  
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• CATS to bring new bus hub to north Baton Rouge

  18-04-2017 18:12
  
  BATON ROUGE – The Capital Transit System is trying to implement some changes so riders can spend less time on the bus and to get to their destinations faster.
  Every day riders take extra time and energy to get to a bus hub. For some people like Monica Williams, their commute takes up half the day."I've been riding the bus everyday for two and half years, I use it to get to work," Williams said."Everybody ain't always as fortunate," she said.Most use the buses to make multiple stops and
  
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• Police: Mississippi murder suspect told friends he set his girlfriend on fire

  18-04-2017 18:10
  
  GAUTIER, Miss. - Police say a 56-year-old man who is charged with killing his live-in girlfriend told people he set her on fire in the woods behind a church.The burned body of 37-year-old Amanda Hicks was found March 18 behind the Pine Grove United Methodist Church in coastal Mississippi's Jackson County. Her body was identified by dental records.The Sun Herald reports James Vanlaningham is charged with first-degree murder. He appeared in court Monday and is being held without bail. The case wil
  
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• Contractors facing fraud charges, still working

  18-04-2017 17:46
  
  GONZALES - Some Louisiana contractors are still open even after employees or company owners been arrested for fraud. Their customers don't think that's right.Mark and Deb Landry say they're angry because the company they've filed charges against is still up and running."TWG is still running around, in operation," said Deb Landry.The owner of TWG Contractors, Michael Simmers faces fraud charges in Livingston and Ascension Parishes. He's currently awaiting arraignment in Ascension. The Landry's hi
  
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• Former President George H.W. Bush hospitalized in Houston

  18-04-2017 17:30
  
  HOUSTON - Former President George H.W. Bush has been hospitalized in Houston with a recurrence of a case of pneumonia he had earlier in the year.Bush spokesman Jim McGrath says the 92-year-old former president and father of former president George W. Bush has been in Methodist Hospital in Houston since Friday for observation because of a persistent cough. He said doctors determined he had a mild case of pneumonia which he said in a statement Tuesday has been treated and resolved.McGrath said the
  
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• IPSO: Man arrested with $100,000 worth of marijuana in pickup truck

  18-04-2017 17:24
  
  IBERIA PARISH - Deputies recovered what they believe to be $100,000 worth of marijuana during a traffic stop on US 90 Monday.According to the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office, agents conducted a traffic stop on a pickup truck traveling on Highway 90 in relation to a moving violation. During the stop, officers recovered 11.65 pounds of marijuana with an estimated street value of $100,000.Agents arrested the driver, 53-year-old James Asbury of Delcambre, for possession with the intent to di
  
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• Governor Edwards to deliver keynote address at LSU graduation ceremony in May

  18-04-2017 16:23
  
  BATON ROUGE – Governor John Bel Edwards will deliver the keynote address at LSU's commencement ceremony on Friday, May 12, the university announced Tuesday.
  "We are pleased to welcome Gov. Edwards to campus to speak to our May graduates," LSU President F. King Alexander said. "Gov. Edwards has a long history of service to Louisiana, and we look forward to hearing the message he delivers to our graduates as they embark on the next stage of their lives."
  The ceremony will be held in the
  
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• Proposal would shorten divorce wait for parents in Louisiana

  18-04-2017 15:21
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana lawmakers are considering whether to shorten the wait for divorces when the couple has children under 18.Currently, such couples have to live apart one year before they can get a divorce, unless there are special circumstances like domestic abuse.A proposal advanced to the full House for debate Tuesday would shorten that wait period to six months. That would match the 180-day wait allowed for childless couples and couples with children 18 and older.Supporters of the longe
  
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• Baker Police: Man wanted for robbery of Whitney Bank

  18-04-2017 14:54
  
  BAKER – The Baker Police Department is searching for a man wanted for robbing a Whitney Bank in the 3000 block of Weiland Drive. The robbery occurred on April 14 around 11 a.m..Detectives learned that a man entered the bank, approached a teller window and handed the teller a note demanding $5,000. Additionally, the note instructed the teller not to make eye contact with him and that he was armed with "an illegal weapon" and "not to make him use it."Police say when the teller w
  
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• Council on Aging gives vague response to demand for an inquiry after WBRZ reports

  18-04-2017 14:39
  
  BATON ROUGE – The board of directors of the East Baton Rouge Council on Aging promises stricter oversight following numerous reports by the WBRZ News 2 Investigative Unit.WBRZ was first to report issues at the Council on Aging surrounding a deceased woman naming Council on Aging employees in her will. The woman was a client of the city's elderly agency. Following reports by the Investigative Unit, the Louisiana Governor's Office of Elderly Affairs asked the council's governing body to
  
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• LSU Gymnastics, Golf to host NCAA Regional Championships

  18-04-2017 14:35
  
  BATON ROUGE – The LSU gymnastics program along with the men's and women's golf programs will host NCAA regional Championships between 2019 and 2021, the NCAA announced on Tuesday.The 2019 NCAA Baton Rouge Gymnastics Regional will be held on Saturday, April 6 inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. The two top teams out of the regional will move on to the NCAA Championships on April 19-20 in Fort Worth, Texas. The event will be the 11th time LSU has hosted an NCAA GymnasticsRegional w
  
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• Dead body found lying in roadway in St. Mary Parish

  18-04-2017 14:30
  
  BALDWIN - Deputies say they found a dead body lying in a roadway in St. Mary Parish early Tuesday morning.According to the St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office, deputies received a report about an unresponsive man with gunshot wounds lying in the 600 block of Labau Street around 3 a.m. Tuesday morning. Deputies pronounced the man dead at the scene.The sheriff's office is investigating this incident as a homicide.Anyone with information on the crime can contact the St. Mary Parish Sheriff&am
  
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• Sonic employee arrested for firing weapon after fight with co-worker

  18-04-2017 14:24
  
  BATON ROUGE – A Sonic employee is in custody following reports of shots fired on Government Street Tuesday morning.The shooting took place around 10 a.m. at the Sonic Drive-in in the 5300 block of Government Street.Officers arrested 20-year-old Maya Blanton after she got into a physical altercation with a co-worker and shot a firearm into the air at the restaurant. Authorities say Blanton bit the victim on the eyebrow before retrieving a .38 cal. firearm and leaving the area i
  
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• One hospitalized in crash on Harding Boulevard

  18-04-2017 14:11
  
  BATON ROUGE - Authorities are responding to a crash on Harding Boulevard that left one vehicle overturned Tuesday.The crash occurred near the RaceTrac gas station on Harding Boulevard around noon. Sources say one victim was transported to the hospital in stable condition.This is a developing story. We will update it with more information as it becomes available.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Faulty light fixture leads to $450,000 in damage at Bellagio mall

  18-04-2017 13:59
  
  LAS VEGAS - Fire officials in Las Vegas say a faulty light fixture on an exterior wall of the Bellagio shopping complex sparked a fire on the roof last week that tourists stopped to watch near the iconic fountain show on the Strip.Clark County Fire Chief Greg Cassell said Tuesday that the fire has been ruled accidental. The blaze caused an estimated $450,000 in damage to the Via Bellagio shops, but it didn't reach inside the building.No injuries were reported in the Thursday night blaze. Gusty w
  
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• Oklahoma police chief issues himself a speeding ticket

  18-04-2017 13:51
  
  SPERRY, Okla. - The police chief of a small northeast Oklahoma community says he issued himself a citation for speeding, but only after being caught on video.Sperry Police Chief Justin Burch posted an apology on the department's Facebook page Saturday, saying he was "wrong in traveling at 75 and 80 mph." Sperry is about 10 miles north of Tulsa.Burch admits he's not sure he would have issued the ticket if not for the video, and that he had a "reason for being in a hurry." Nonetheless, he admits h
  
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• Man accused in Atlanta interstate collapse fire pleads not guilty

  18-04-2017 13:46
  
  ATLANTA - The man accused of starting a fire that caused a section of interstate in Atlanta to collapse has pleaded not guilty.Local media report a judge ordered Basil Eleby released on a $10,000 signature bond, which means he only has to pay if he doesn't show up for court. The judge told Eleby on Tuesday not to go near the collapsed overpass except with his attorneys.Eleby faces charges of arson and criminal damage to property. He's been in jail since March 31, the day after the collapse.Polic
  
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• APSO: Suspect in custody following deadly shooting in Gonzales; one still at large

  18-04-2017 13:12
  
  GONZALES – The Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office has located a man who was wanted by deputies following a fatal shooting that occurred on Country Drive in Gonzales.Deputies have located 27-year-old Donovan Darville and he is now in custody. According to the sheriff's office, the shooting occurred around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday when Darville shot the victim and then fled the scene in a 4-door 2011 maroon Honda Accord with a Louisiana license plate XKS974. Deputies say the v
  
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• Police chase involving motorcycle ends in crash on I-12 West

  18-04-2017 13:05
  
  BATON ROUGE – A person trying to flee from police crashed on I-12 after a police pursuit started in Livingston Parish.Details about what initially started the pursuit have not been released yet. BRPD says the driver crashed in the grassy area at the I-12/Airline Highway split when the driver attempted to exit the interstate.Police say the driver was transported to the hospital with minor to moderate injuries.Earlier, authorities reported a police cha
  
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• Flint mayor wants to avoid water switch after lead crisis

  18-04-2017 12:45
  
  FLINT - Flint's mayor is recommending that the Michigan city continue getting its drinking water from a regional system, following a crisis that left the supply contaminated with lead.Karen Weaver's announcement Tuesday to stay with the Great Lakes Water Authority is a reversal. Last year, she said the city of 100,000 residents would stick with a plan to draw from a new pipeline to Lake Huron that is in the testing phase. But she reevaluated that decision as a condition of Flint receivi
  
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• Arrest warrant issued for contractor accused of fraud

  18-04-2017 12:27
  
  BATON ROUGE – Court documents say a Zachary based contactor is wanted for a felony count of residential contractor fraud.An arrest warrant was issued Monday for Joseph Blake Sequin, the owner of JBS Construction and Development, for a felony count of residential contractor fraud.According to court documents, the victim, an employee of JBS Construction, hired Seguin to perform restoration on her home after the August flooding.The victim told East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s deputies
  
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• EPA seeks to derail cleanup of coal power plant pollution

  18-04-2017 12:13
  
  WASHINGTON - The Trump administration is once again seeking to scuttle cuts to pollution from coal-fired power plants.The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday asked a federal appeals court in Washington to postpone consideration of 2012 rules requiring energy companies to cut emissions of toxic chemicals. The agency said it wants to review the restrictions, which are already in effect. A hearing over the rules is set for May.It is the latest in a string of moves by President Donald Trump's
  
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• Broadmoor residents voice concern over new combined school building

  18-04-2017 12:06
  
  BATON ROUGE - Residents of the Broadmoor neighborhood gathered at Tuesday night's meeting to learn about the community's new school.The East Baton School system plans to combine Broadmoor Elementary and Middle schools. It's part of the academic and efficiency initiative that will merge other EBR schools as well. School board superintendent Warren Drake said the need for improvement in EBR's school system is prevalent."We have to get better academically and we have to get better financially, econ
  
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• Southern vice chancellor named finalist for Georgia college president

  18-04-2017 09:38
  
  AUGUSTA – A vice chancellor for Southern University is one of two finalists for the new president of a historically black college in Georgia, according to Augusta media outlets.WRDW reports Brandon K. Dumas, the vice chancellor for Student Affairs and Enrollment at Southern University, was announced as one of two finalists for Paine College President Tuesday.He was promoted to his current position at Southern University in July 2014.  He became the y
  
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• Road-rage confrontation: Killer of ex-Saint faces sentencing

  18-04-2017 09:03
  
  NEW ORLEANS - The man who killed former New Orleans Saints star Will Smith in an argument following a traffic crash avoided a mandatory life sentence last year when a jury convicted him of manslaughter instead of second-degree murder.But 29-year-old Cardell Hayes may still be locked away for a very long time if prosecutors get their way at Wednesday's sentencing hearing.New Orleans District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro has said he believes Hayes deserves a 60-year sentence: the maximum of 40 years f
  
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• Space station supply ship at launch pad honors John Glenn

  18-04-2017 08:53
  
  CAPE CANAVERAL - One of NASA's delivery services is paying tribute to John Glenn, as it gets set to launch supplies to the International Space Station.A mighty Atlas rocket is providing Tuesday's lift, just as it did for Glenn 55 years ago.The unmanned rocket is poised to blast off at 11:11 a.m. from Cape Canaveral, Florida, carrying a commercial cargo ship named the S.S. John Glenn.Following Glenn's death in December, Orbital ATK asked his widow, Annie, for permission to use his name for the sp
  
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• Justice Department plans crackdown on violent street gangs

  18-04-2017 08:47
  
  WASHINGTON - Attorney General Jeff Sessions says the Justice Department will crack down on violent gangs.Sessions on Tuesday called out one organization in particular, the MS-13 street gang, members of which are suspected in the killings of four people last week in Long Island. Sessions says in prepared remarks that gangs like MS-13 "represent one of the gravest threats to American safety."He says tougher enforcement of immigration and border crimes will curb gang activity. And he says cities th
  
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• Deadline to file federal tax returns is today

  18-04-2017 08:08
  
  BATON ROUGE - The clock is ticking to get those tax returns filed. All federal returns must be electronically filed, or postmarked and mailed by midnight Wednesday. This year's return could pose a problem for victims of the flood. For instance, if you paid off your 2016 property tax in 2017, then you can't deduct that from your 2016 return. Your 2017 will have two deductions.Tax professionals are advising all flood victims to take an extra look, or have a professional look over
  
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• Teen arrested after high speed chase in stolen Camaro

  18-04-2017 07:44
  
  BATON ROUGE – Deputies say an 18-year-old was arrested after he led authorities on a high-speed chase in a stolen vehicle Monday afternoon.Malik Keyon McDonald, 18, was charged with aggravated obstruction of a public highway, resisting an officer, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and possession of schedule 2 drugs. He was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison Monday.According to the probable cause form, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s deputies patrolling in the Sherwoo
  
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• In or out? Trump aides to huddle on climate accord Tuesday

  18-04-2017 07:10
  
  WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump's top aides will huddle Tuesday to discuss whether or not the U.S. should remain part of the Paris Climate accord.Officials will be discussing their options on the global effort to cut down on climate-warming carbon emissions. Their goal will be providing a recommendation to the president about the path forward. That's according to an administration official.The non-binding international agreement went into effect last November after it was ratified by countri
  
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• Videos show desperation of suspect in Facebook video killing

  18-04-2017 07:01
  
  CLEVELAND - A multistate manhunt for the suspect in a random killing that Cleveland police say he recorded and posted to Facebook is entering its third day.Authorities say it's now a nationwide search for 37-year-old Steve Stephens, who's wanted on an aggravated murder charge in the shooting death of a 74-year-old retired man in Cleveland on Sunday.Videos Stephens shared show him talking about his despair over gambling debts and trouble with his girlfriend.On Monday evening, Facebook announced t
  
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• Alligator captured after crawling out of Metairie storm drain

  18-04-2017 06:58
  
  METAIRIE - An alligator has been wrangled after crawling out of a storm drain in Louisiana.WWL reports a 7-foot (2.13-meter) alligator emerged from a drain in Jefferson Parish on Monday after heavy rains.The drain was located behind an elementary school that wasn't holding class because of spring break.The alligator did move around, but Bucktown resident Hazel Porter described it as mainly "just chilling."Video obtained by WWL shows a group of Bucktown residents detaining the alligator by lassoi
  
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• Along with music, some how-to advice at a Jazz Fest event

  18-04-2017 06:53
  
  NEW ORLEANS - The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation has announced plans for its 10th annual Sync Up event, which coincides with the annual Jazz and Heritage Festival.Sync Up is a series of panel discussions, interviews, screenings and social events. It's designed to bring together music, film and digital leaders for meetings and educational programs.Topics will include the amount of money aspiring artists should expect to spend to produce indie records; what talent buyers are looking for
  
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• Pedestrian struck and killed by drunk driver on LA 24

  18-04-2017 06:28
  
  TERREBONNE - State Police say one man is dead and another has been charged with vehicular homicide after a vehicle struck a pedestrian in Terrebonne Parish Monday night.According to Louisiana State Police, the crash happened before 9 a.m. on LA 24 near Clendenning Road. Investigators say a 2007 Dodge Caliber driven by 62-year-old Albert Williams Jr. drove into the southbound shoulder on LA 24 and struck a 43-year-old Byron Acosta. Police say Acosta suffered fatal injuries and w
  
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• Day two of nationwide manhunt for accused Facebook killer leaves law enforcement puzzled

  18-04-2017 06:08
  
  Day two in the manhunt for a social services worker from the Greater Cleveland area accused of gunning down a 74-year-old stranger and then posting a gruesome video of the deed on Facebook ended with almost no new clues in the wanted man's whereabouts.
  
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• Three-alarm fire damages First Baptist Church in Cullen

  18-04-2017 05:50
  
  CULLEN, La. - A community church is damaged after a late night fire in Cullen, local media reports.According to KTBS, witnesses say the fire started around 10 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Cullen, located in the 1000 block of Henrietta White Boulevard.Sources say the church may be a total loss.No other information is immediately available. KTBS reports that fire crews remained on the scene as of 11 p.m.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Cleveland Facebook killing: Why more criminals are using social media to share their actions

  18-04-2017 03:56
  
  Some seek revenge. Others underestimate the reach of their social media posts. Most of them are looking for attention.
  
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