Baton Rouge news

• Saints pick Ohio State cornerback Lattimore

  27-04-2017 20:38
  
  PHILADELPHIA - The New Orleans Saints have selected Ohio State cornerback Marshon Lattimore with the 11th pick in the NFL draft.
      
  Coach Sean Payton made no secret that improving the Saints' defense was his priority. New Orleans led the league in offense but still finished 7-9 for a third straight season.
      
  The Saints ranked 27th in defense last season, allowing 375.4 yards per game, and ranked last in yards allowed passing.
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• Update: Three former LSU Tigers selected in first round of NFL Draft

  27-04-2017 20:22
  
  PHILADELPHIA - Three LSU Tigers were selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, marking the second most players selected.  Overall there have been 43 LSU players picked in the first round of the NFL Draft.The Jacksonville Jaguars have selected LSU running back Leonard Fournette with the fourth overall pick in the NFL draft, giving Tom Coughlin the bruising back he craves in his return to the floundering franchise.
      
  Fournette should boost one of the
  
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• Police officer facing arrest in case involving sheriff's son

  27-04-2017 20:21
  
  BAKER - The WBRZ Investigative Unit has learned the son of East Baton Rouge Sheriff Sid Gautreaux has been issued a misdemeanor citation for illegal discharge of a firearm following a shooting incident outside the Baker Walmart April 14.Benjamin Gautreaux, another adult and a minor were cited.Sources tell WBRZ a Baker Police sergeant will also be arrested for malfeasance in office and obstruction of justice for allegedly trying to cover up details of the shooting.Baton Rouge Judge Mike Erwin sig
  
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• 2 dead, 3 injured in crash on Hwy 190 in Livonia

  27-04-2017 18:44
  
  LIVONIA - Two people are dead following a crash on Hwy 190 in Livonia.Sources say the 3-car crash happened just east of the city limits around 6:30 p.m.Two people were killed in the crash. Three others are being transported to the hospital.Crash happened at the Livonia city limits sign, at the entrance to Not Your Mama's Cafe. @WBRZ pic.twitter.com/i6SE90cHsV— Brett Buffington (@BrettBuffington) April 28, 2017
  Sources on scene say one vehicle was attempting to turn left onto Hwy 190 wh
  
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• Attempts to force big industry off Baton Rouge water

  27-04-2017 18:33
  
  BATON ROUGE- Salt water is seeping into the drinking water aquifers below Baton Rouge and big industry is at least partially to blame. "It's a localized phenomena that we feel we're getting a handle on," said Tony Duplechin, executive director of the Capital Area Ground Water Conservation District.Fifty years ago salt water intrusion was first noticed in the area of the Interstate 10-12 split. Now it's spread to downtown in the direction of the Exxon refinery.Wells have been dr
  
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• BRPD: Man wanted for rape of woman near Spanish Town Road in 2016

  27-04-2017 18:18
  
  BATON ROUGE – A man is wanted for the alleged rape of a woman that took place in November 2016 near Spanish Town Road.Baton Rouge Police detectives are searching for 41-year-old Alvin Weeks. Weeks is accused of raping a 25-year-old woman after offering her a ride home.According to police, the woman stated that she was driven to a dead end street off of Spanish Town Road where she was raped inside the vehicle.On April 24, investigators learned that DNA from the Louisiana State Police Cr
  
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• Storage unit renters refunded following 2 On Your Side report

  27-04-2017 17:42
  BATON ROUGE - A storage company decided to reimburse two renters after their contents were destroyed.Both Lynette Elps and Donnis White reached out to 2 On Your Side last week. White was the focus of a 2 On Your Side report last Thursday. Following the report, each woman has been notified they will be reimbursed of their rental fees, while White will also be reimbursed for her moving expenses.Last week, Life Storage told 2 On Your Side it is not responsible for contents.Elps rented a st
  
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• 5 miles of traffic on Perkins Road due to power outage

  27-04-2017 17:40
  
  BATON ROUGE – A power outage cut power from traffic lights, creating a huge traffic jam during the evening commute Thursday.Entergy reported a power outage in the Southdowns area, which impacted the light on Perkins Road at the intersection with Balis Drive. An already congested highway started to quickly grow to a crawl – at one point Thursday evening, traffic headed toward Southdowns from the Kenilworth area was stopped or slow-going to Essen. Traffic coming headed toward S
  
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• Upscale homes possibly built on property of someone else

  27-04-2017 17:37
  
  BATON ROUGE- At least two property owners fighting a developer and a subdivision they say encroached on to their property received a big win at the First Circuit Court of Appeal. The landowners claim homes were built on their property.Their attorney, Alex St. Amant, said the ruling by the First Circuit means some brand new homes may need to be torn down.
  St. Amant said as many as five houses, possibly six may have to be removed. That's because St. Amant said the developer built on property he di
  
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• Veteran takes "Dream Flight" around BR

  27-04-2017 17:21
  
  BATON ROUGE – Veterans from World War II and the Korean War took off for a special flight on Thursday.A Boeing Stearman from the 1940's took off from the Baton Rouge Regional Airport with 86-year-old Bill Morgan on board.Morgan never flew when he served in the Korean War, but his father was a pilot in World War I. Morgan carried his father's pilot license on Thursday's flight."It was a wonderful opportunity to get a feeling for things he had experienced," Morgan said.The 15-minute flig
  
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• BRPD: Man wanted for robbing Family Dollar store on Plank Road

  27-04-2017 16:56
  
  BATON ROUGE – The Baton Rouge Police Department is searching for a man who they say robbed a Family Dollar store in the 3800 block of Plank Road.The robbery occurred on April 26 around 4:45 p.m. The man approached the front counter of the business with items posing as a customer.According to BRPD, as the employee was completing the sale of the items, the man reached across the counter and snatched an undisclosed amount of money from the register. The man also grabbed the items and left
  
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• APSO: Body found in water off of Highway 1

  27-04-2017 16:28
  
  ASCENSION – The Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office confirms that a body has been found off of Highway 1.The body was located in Bayou Lafourche near the Ascension/Assumption Parish line, according to an APSO spokesperson.Chief Deputy Bobby Webre said a truck driver travveling over a small bridge between LA 308 and LA 1 spotted the body in the water around 2 p.m. and immediately called the Sheriff's Office.Deputies and firemen were able to bring the body to shore, according to Webre.Inve
  
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• Alton Sterling shooting prompts new look at police training

  27-04-2017 15:19
  
  BATON ROUGE - Nearly a year after Baton Rouge police fatally shot a black man outside a convenience store, Louisiana lawmakers are considering an increase in training requirements for officers.The passage of Rep. Ted James' bill by a House judiciary committee Thursday came after the Baton Rouge Democrat agreed to stop pushing a separate proposal that would have officers under investigation go unpaid after 60 days.The full House will consider the training measure, which calls for officers to rece
  
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• Mississippi man raking clippings uncovers alligator in backyard

  27-04-2017 15:17
  SIMPSON COUNTY - A Mississippi man discovered an alligator while doing yardwork at his home.WAPT-TV reportsa Simpson County resident was raking up a flower bed when he found an 8-foot-7-inch alligator staring at him.Dr. Chip Holbrook says he was preparing for an after-prom party on Saturday when he spotted the large reptile and called the sheriff's department. He says his son was trimming hedges while the alligator was only inches away, but apparently it was undisturbed.The state wildlife depart
  
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• Physician who was dragged off flight settles with United

  27-04-2017 15:00
  
  CHICAGO - A Kentucky doctor who was dragged off a United flight after he refused to give up his seat to crew members has reached a settlement with the airline for undisclosed amount.David Dao's legal team announced the settlement Thursday in a brief statement. The agreement includes a provision that the amount will remain confidential.Cellphone video of the April 9 confrontation aboard a jetliner at Chicago's O'Hare Airport sparked widespread public outrage over the treatment of Dao.The footage
  
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• 2une-In 2 the weekend: local events guide

  27-04-2017 14:49
  
  BATON ROUGE - Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Your 2une-In crew has you covered.JAZZ FEST, WEEKEND 1:New OrleansApril 28-30
  $80 AT THE GATE
  Head to the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots for the first weekend of Jazz Fest! Headliners this weekend include, but are not limited to, Maroon 5, Alabama Shakes and Tom Petty.
  THE ZURICH CLASSIC:
  New OrleansApril 27-30
  $119-$1,175
  Some of the biggest names in golf will be on the greens at TPC Louisiana. Expect to see Olympic champions Jus
  
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• WBRZ Crawfish Index: boiled price per pound lowest since Mardi Gras

  27-04-2017 14:37
  BATON ROUGE – Lent may be over but crawfish season is still going strong. The WBRZ Crawfish Price Index is back by popular demand.According to the WBRZ Crawfish Price Index, the average price for a pound of crawfish sits at $3.62 per pound. That’s 30 cents lower than our last measurement two weeks ago on Good Friday.Several crawfish locations tracked by the survey slashed their prices after Easter Sunday. That means now is the best time to get the cheapest crawfish in months.
  
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• Man arrested after escaping police custody in Independence

  27-04-2017 13:44
  
  INDEPENDENCE – A man who escaped police custody in Independence on Wednesday has been captured and arrested.On Wednesday around 10:30 a.m., officers of the Independence Police Department were attempting to arrest 36-year-old Deangelo Robbins on a warrant from Texas for aggravated sexual assault of a child.Robbins escaped police custody and fled on foot in Independence.According to the Independence Police Department, he was arrested by Kentwood Police on Thursday morning and has been bo
  
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• Southwest Airlines to end practice of overbooking flights

  27-04-2017 13:07
  
  Southwest Airlines says it plans to stop overbooking flights - an industry practice implicated in an ugly incident on a United Airlines flight that has damaged United's reputation with the flying public.Last year Southwest bumped 15,000 passengers off flights, more than any other U.S. airline. Carriers say they sometimes sell more tickets than there are seats because often a few passengers don't show up.Beth Harbin, a Southwest spokeswoman, said Thursday that with better forecasting tools and a
  
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• Contractor calls out competition for taking credit for his work

  27-04-2017 13:06
  
  BATON ROUGE - A Baton Rouge contractor says one of his competitors is taking credit for work he did not do.Koby Ficklin said he was scrolling through Facebook when he noticed a photo of a shower and bathtub that he remodeled, posted by a different contractor."I work my butt off to find jobs and do things right and be honest to the community," Ficklin said, "and another contractor is going to take my work?"The post was uploaded by A&E Construction with a caption reading "free estimate ready t
  
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• Jazz Fest kicks off Friday; Connick, Aaron Neville on tap

  27-04-2017 12:56
  
  NEW ORLEANS - The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival kicks off its first weekend Friday with performances by native sons Harry Connick Jr., Aaron Neville and Kermit Ruffins whether the weather cooperates or not.The weekend forecast calls for cloudy skies on both the opening day and Saturday, with rain probable on Sunday. Still, producer Quint Davis said the show is going on and he's excited about the more than 500 performances on tap and the food on the menus.Davis says he's keeping his fi
  
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• Senate backs bill giving some juvenile lifers shot at parole

  27-04-2017 12:50
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana's state senators have agreed to give people convicted of murder as teenagers a chance at parole after serving 25 years of their life sentence.The 22-13 vote Wednesday came in response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down automatic no-parole life sentences for crimes committed by someone under the age of 18.Many lawmakers say they're only considering changes because they feel they have no choice.The prisoners would be eligible for a parole hearing - but not guar
  
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• St. Landry Parish elementary teachers charged with bullying student

  27-04-2017 12:46
  
  WASHINGTON - Two elementary school teachers are under arrest in Louisiana after being accused of bullying a child.St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz says the child's mother contacted his office in February and said 44-year-old Ann Marie Shelvin had threatened students who refused to bully her child. Shelvin also was accused of telling the child to "go and kill yourself."The sheriff tells local media that Shelvin was removed from Washington Elementary School, but then her replacement, 50-yea
  
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• Ethics exemption for state police leader's son wins House OK

  27-04-2017 12:31
  
  BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana House has agreed to carve out a special ethics exemption for the son of the state police superintendent.Under the proposal, Louisiana's anti-nepotism laws would be rewritten to let the son of Col. Kevin Reeves continue working as a state trooper even though he hadn't been with the agency for a full year as required by ethics law.The measure would move the employment requirement to four months for a trooper whose immediate family member becomes agency leader. The House
  
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• Kim Kardashian: Gunpoint heist 'meant to happen to me'

  27-04-2017 12:26
  
  LOS ANGELES - Kim Kardashian says that being held at gunpoint during a Paris jewelry heist last year "was meant to happen."Kardashian tells Ellen DeGeneres on Thursday's episode of the comedian's chat show that she's "such a different person" after the October robbery. She says she was "definitely materialistic" before being robbed, but now she says she doesn't care about things like jewelry.Kardashian also told DeGeneres that Caitlyn Jenner is not being honest about her marriage to Kardashian's
  
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• 2 US troops killed in eastern Afghanistan

  27-04-2017 12:21
  
  WASHINGTON - The Pentagon says two U.S. service members were killed in Afghanistan overnight Wednesday.Navy Capt. Jeff Davis says they were killed during an operation against the Afghanistan-based Islamic State group in Nangahar Province in the eastern part of the country. He says the U.S. is gathering further details.The U.S. has been battling the Islamic State Khorasan group in Afghanistan for months. About two weeks ago, the U.S. dropped what's called the "mother of all bombs" on an IS comple
  
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• US admiral says N. Korea crisis is at worst point he's seen

  27-04-2017 12:20
  
  WASHINGTON - The senior U.S. Navy officer overseeing military operations in the Pacific says the crisis with North Korea is at the worst point he's ever seen. But he declined to compare the situation to the Cuban Missile Crisis decades ago.Adm. Harry Harris Jr. is commander of U.S. Pacific Command. He tells a Senate committee, "It's real."Harris says he has no doubt North Korea intends to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of striking the United States.The admiral says there's uncertainty
  
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• Flynn was warned not to accept foreign payments in 2014

  27-04-2017 12:18
  
  WASHINGTON - Documents released by lawmakers show President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, was warned when he retired from the military in 2014 not to take foreign money without "advance approval" by Pentagon authorities.Also, the Defense Department inspector general's office confirms in a separate document that it is investigating whether Flynn failed to obtain prior approval.The chairman and senior Democrat on the House Oversight Committee say they want the Arm
  
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• House panel seeks charges for company in Clinton email case

  27-04-2017 12:15
  
  WASHINGTON - A congressional committee is asking the Justice Department to consider criminally prosecuting a technology company involved in maintaining a private email server for Hillary Clinton.The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee made the request on Thursday regarding Platte River Networks and its chief executive, Treve Suazo.The committee chairman - Texas Republican Lamar Smith - says the Colorado company withheld documents and obstructed the committee's investigation.The commit
  
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• Surprise! Johnny Depp appears as Jack Sparrow on Disney ride

  27-04-2017 12:13
  
  ANAHEIM - Some visitors to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at California's Disneyland got a surprise: Captain Jack Sparrow himself.Johnny Depp donned the getup of his swashbuckling alter ego and interacted with riders on Wednesday. Videos taken by park goers and shared on social media show Depp chatting with fans as they passed by on the ride's boats. He also spoke to a crowd outside.Depp returns to the big screen as Sparrow next month in the fifth film based on the ride. "Pirates of the Carib
  
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• Authorities: 1 killed after New Orleans area police chase

  27-04-2017 09:47
  HARVEY - Authorities in the New Orleans area they've arrested a man after he led police on a chase that ended with a collision that killed his passenger.News outlets report 36-year-old Royce James of Harvey was arrested Wednesday and charged with aggravated criminal damage to property and aggravated flight from an officer.Jefferson Parish Sherriff Newell Normand says the chase began when officers attempted to pull James over as part of a drug investigation.Normand says James rammed several sheri
  
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• State Licensing board talks contractor fraud

  27-04-2017 08:16
  
  BATON ROUGE - Yet another chance for flood victims to ask questions, but this time, the answerer is different.The Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors will be on hand Thursday at Dutch Physical Therapy in Denham Springs, to talk contractor fraud.Thursday is the second of a four part series being hosted at the PT facility. Last week, Denham Springs Mayor Gerard Landry spoke to an audience of 15. Officials hope they hope to top that at the second meeting.The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m.
  
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• Trump says Mexico, Canada opposed NAFTA pull-out

  27-04-2017 08:10
  
  WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump says the leaders of Canada and Mexico called him asking the United States to remain a partner in the North American Free Trade Agreement and that he agreed.But in a post Thursday morning on his verified Twitter account, the president said his positive response was "subject to the fact that if we do not reach a fair deal for all, we will then terminate NAFTA."He said relationships between the U.S. and Mexico and Canada are "very good - deal very possib
  
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• White House backs off as lawmakers work to avert shutdown

  27-04-2017 07:17
  
  WASHINGTON - Lawmakers are nearing agreement on sweeping spending legislation to keep the lights on in government, after the White House backed off a threat to withhold payments that help lower-income Americans under the Affordable Care Act.It was the latest concession by the White House, which had earlier dropped a demand for money for President Donald Trump's border wall. Even with Republicans in control of both chambers of Congress and the White House, the Trump administration is learning tha
  
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• Coulter's Berkeley speech canceled, police prep for violence

  27-04-2017 07:15
  
  BERKELEY - Conservative pundit Ann Coulter says that while her speech at the University of California, Berkeley was canceled, she may still show up to say hello to her supporters.Police and university officials say they're bracing for trouble Thursday whether or not she decides to show.They say intelligence and online chatter by groups threatening to instigate violence over the acid-tongued Coulter has them on edge.Coulter said in an email to The Associated Press that she might stroll across cam
  
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• Suspected arsonist in custody after 2 fires in Trump Hotel

  27-04-2017 07:14
  
  LAS VEGAS - Officials say one person is injured and a suspect is in custody after two separate fires were discovered at the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas.The Clark County Fire Department released a statement saying toasters, towels and various other materials were used to ignite the fires at the hotel bearing President Donald Trump's name.One blaze was located in the women's restroom, on the pool deck level, and the other was in the hallway of the 17th floor.A county spokesman says a ho
  
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• Mysterious drop in prized bait worms threatens a way of life

  27-04-2017 07:11
  WOOLWICH, Maine - A mysterious drop in the harvest of two of the most popular worms for sport fishermen is proving expensive for anglers and threatening a way of life in Maine.Maine harvesters are by far the largest suppliers of bloodworms and sandworms in the U.S. Harvesters called wormers dig the wriggling creatures out of coastal muck so they can be sold to fishermen all over the world.But the harvest is in decline. Maine's catch of bloodworms has dropped from more than 600,000 pounds in 2004
  
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• United raising limit on payments to bumped flyers to $10,000

  27-04-2017 07:05
  
  DALLAS - United Airlines says it will raise the limit - to $10,000 - on payments to customers who give up seats on oversold flights. It's also increasing training for employees as it deals with fallout from the video of a passenger being violently dragged from his seat.United is also vowing to reduce, but not eliminate, overbooking - the selling of more tickets than there are seats on the plane.The airline made the promises Thursday as it released a report detailing mistakes that led to the Apri
  
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• Man accused of raping 13-year-old in 2014

  27-04-2017 06:23
  
  BATON ROUGE - A man has been arrested following the alleged rape of a 13-year-old girl that happened in July 2014.The Baton Rouge Police Department arrested 30-year-old Elmer Castillo Wednesday on the charge of forcible rape.According to arrest documents, the victim told police she was leaving her bathroom when Castillo pulled her into his bedroom where he raped her. After the incident, Castillo got up and told the victim that no one would believe her if she told anyone, arrest documents note.Th
  
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• Texas takes big step toward banning 'sanctuary cities'; penalties could include jail

  27-04-2017 02:43
  
  Texas Republicans were poised Wednesday to take a big step toward banning "sanctuary cities" in their state, debating a bill through which police chiefs and sheriffs could even be jailed for not cooperating fully with federal immigration authorities.
  
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