Baton Rouge news

• 2-year-old Tennessee girl dies after strong winds blow over goal post

  30-04-2017 19:57
  
  TENNESSEE - A 2-year-old girl in Tennessee has died after being struck by a heavy, metal soccer goal post that was blown over by high winds.The Metro Nashville Police Department posted on its Twitter page on Sunday evening that Melanie Espinoza Rodriguez was transported to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital where she was pronounced dead.Middle Tennessee was hit by a strong line of storms that knocked down trees and power lines earlier Sunday.Across the U.S., 11 people have been killed by tornadoes a
  
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• Jarrius Robertson's life-saving liver transplant 'went GREAT'

  30-04-2017 18:31
  
  NEW ORLEANS - After 14 years of waiting, a young Saints super fan finally has a new liver.Jarrius "JJ" Robertson, the smiling, trash talking, charismatic face of the Saints, underwent surgery Sunday for a full liver transplant. According to his father, Jordy, Jarrius' surgery "went GREAT!" and JJ is now resting with a new, working liver.According to a report from WWL-TV, the surgery was set for 8-10 hours but surgeons were able to complete it in about 6 hours. Jordy we
  
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• Woman charged with attempted murder after shooting at ex-boyfriend's truck

  30-04-2017 18:16
  
  BATON ROUGE - A woman has been arrested after she allegedly opened fire at her ex-boyfriend as he tried to drive away from a confrontation with her.According to the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, an offficer responded to the 5400 block of Summer Drive in reference to a shooting investigation April 21. The officer learned that the two victims were at the residence on Summer Drive when 25-year-old Denise Coleman pulled into the driveway, blocking them from leaving. Coleman then exited
  
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• Man arrested for raping woman near Spanish Town Road

  30-04-2017 17:38
  
  BATON ROUGE - Police have arrested a man after he allegedly raped a woman who was walking home from work.According to Baton Rouge Police, 41-year-old Alvin Weeks is charged with the rape of a 25-year-old woman which occurred in November 2016.The victim says she was walking home from work in the 5900 block of Plank Road around 4 p.m. when Weeks pulled up along side her and told her she "looked cold." Weeks asked if she needed a ride home and told her to get in the car. Weeks then alleged
  
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• Lawmakers find common ground on $1T plan to keep government open

  30-04-2017 17:04
  
  WASHINGTON - Top Capitol Hill negotiators are reporting progress toward a long-sought agreement on a massive $1 trillion-plus spending bill that would fund the day-to-day operations of virtually every federal agency through Oct. 1.Aides say lawmakers closely involved in the talks have worked through many sticking points in hopes of making the measure public as early as Sunday night. The House and Senate have until Friday at midnight to pass the measure to avert a government shutdown.The catchall
  
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• Florida woman arrested after agreeing to sex for $25 and chicken McNuggets

  30-04-2017 14:51
  
  BRADENTON, Fla. - Florida authorities have charged a woman with prostitution after she agreed to perform a sex act on an undercover detective for $25 and chicken McNuggets.The Miami Herald reports 22-year-old Alex Direeno was being held Sunday without bond at the Manatee County Jail on charges of prostitution, possession of drug paraphernalia and on outstanding warrants.Records show that the incident happened last week. An undercover detective told the woman he wanted oral sex and she agreed to
  
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• One dead, two injured in downtown Lafayette shooting following Festival International

  30-04-2017 14:36
  
  LAFAYETTE - One person is dead and two other are injured following a shooting in downtown Lafayette around midnight.According to KATC, Police said the shooting transpired among a crowd in the 400 block of Jefferson Street after Festival International activities had concluded for the evening.Investigators believe the shooting started from an isolated incident between two individuals. The two victims that were injured are expected to be okay.Anyone with information about this shooting or the indiv
  
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• Louisiana engineers call state roads, bridges 'embarrassing'

  30-04-2017 13:48
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana civil engineers have graded the state's roads and bridges, and they claimed the results were "embarrassing."The Advocate reports that roads were given a D grade and bridges a D-plus in the report card from the Louisiana chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers.The report card looked at the state of Louisiana's roads, bridges, aviation, dams and seven other areas. The grades are mostly unchanged since the same group issued a similar report in 2012.The study was r
  
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• Man struck by lightning in south Mississippi

  30-04-2017 13:38
  
  PRENTISS, Miss. - Authorities say a man has been struck by lightning in south Mississippi as a line of strong storms move across part of the state.Emergency Management Agency director Jocelyn Ragsdale says the condition of the man is unknown after he was struck Sunday afternoon near his home. The identity of the man has not been released.National Weather Service meteorologist Ed Tarber says strong winds have knocked down trees and power lines along with causing structural damage to homes includi
  
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• 1 killed in Arkansas in storms; 4 dead in Texas

  30-04-2017 13:28
  
  CANTON, Texas - Severe storms that moved across Arkansas are blamed for at least one death there.Police say 65-year-old Julia Schwede was killed when a tree was blown into her home Saturday night.The storms were among several in parts of the South and Midwest. In Texas, at least four people were killed in a series of tornadoes that left a trail of overturned vehicles, mangled trees and damaged homes. Rains killed at least one person in Missouri.The Missouri State Highway Patrol says a 72-year-ol
  
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• Box office: 'Furious' passes $1B, 'Latin Lover' surprises

  30-04-2017 13:24
  
  NEW YORK - "The Fate of the Furious" throttled past $1 billion globally and took No. 1 at the box office for the third straight week on a weekend where multicultural offerings dominated North American theaters.As expected, the eighth "Fast and the Furious" installment stayed atop the domestic box office with an estimated $19.4 million.The film also passed its predecessor, "Furious 7," to become the highest-grossing imported film in China, where the Universal release has grossed $361 million.In s
  
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• Pentagon: 45 civilians killed by coalition strikes

  30-04-2017 13:20
  
  BAGHDAD - The Pentagon says investigations conducted during the month of March reveal that coalition airstrikes killed 45 civilians, mostly in and around the city of Mosul.In a statement released Sunday, the Pentagon says in each incident "all feasible precautions were taken," but the strikes still resulted in "unintentional" loss of civilian life.The Pentagon acknowledges at least 362 civilians have been killed by coalition strikes in Iraq and Syria since the start of the air campaign against t
  
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• Pence acknowledges tax plan could raise deficit

  30-04-2017 13:17
  
  WASHINGTON - Vice President Mike Pence is acknowledging the Trump administration's proposal to cut taxes could increase the deficit initially. But he contends it will pay for itself eventually after spurring more economic growth.When asked about the likelihood of a higher deficit, Pence told NBC's "Meet the Press": "Maybe in the short term."Pence touted the Trump plan as "one of the largest tax cuts in American history." He says it's needed to get the economy growing at 3 percent and to pay for
  
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• McMaster: N. Korea a 'grave threat' to US, China

  30-04-2017 13:11
  
  SEOUL, South Korea - Trump's national security adviser, Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, says North Korea's most recent missile test represents "open defiance of the international community." He says North Korea poses "a grave threat" not just to the United States and its Asian allies, but also to China.Speaking on "Fox News Sunday," McMaster says it's important "for all of us to confront this regime, this regime that is pursuing the weaponization of a missile with a nuclear weapon. This is somethin
  
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• FIFA official Sheikh Ahmad resigning amid bribery claims

  30-04-2017 13:08
  
  ZURICH - FIFA Council member Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah of Kuwait is resigning from his soccer roles under pressure from allegations in an American federal court that he bribed Asian officials.Sheikh Ahmad says he will withdraw from a May 8 election in Bahrain for the FIFA seat representing Asia which he currently holds.The Kuwaiti royal denies any wrongdoing but says "I do not want these allegations to create divisions or distract attention from the upcoming AFC and FIFA Congresses."The lon
  
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• 18-year-old arrested for string of neighborhood car burglaries

  30-04-2017 13:08
  
  BATON ROUGE - An 18-year-old Baton Rouge man was arrested in connection with numerous vehicle burglaries in the Biltmore subdivision in Greenwell Springs.According to arrest records, Cole Allen was arrested on six counts of simple burglary of a vehicle, five counts of theft of a firearm and one count of unauthorized use of a vehicle.The East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office initiated the investigation of multiple vehicle burglaries in the neighborhood. The burglaries occurred during the overnight ho
  
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• Jazz Fest opens after severe weather hits Sunday

  30-04-2017 12:36
  
  NEW ORLEANS - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festivals officials took precautions by delaying the event because of possible severe weather.According to WWL-TV, the festival's opening time on Sunday was delayed until 3 p.m.. Festival organizers announced the opening as it occurred Sunday afternoon. The new schedule showed most artists playing their regular gig (as long as it was scheduled after 3 p.m.). Pitbull, however, will not perform.Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and Lorde are e
  
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• Jazz Fest delays opening time due to possible severe weather

  30-04-2017 12:36
  
  NEW ORLEANS - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festivals official are taking repercussions by delaying the event because of possible severe weather.Festival spokeswoman Kate Sarphie says the festival's opening time on Sunday has been delayed until the afternoon, but a specific time was not given.The National Weather Service says there is a risk of severe thunderstorms. The weather service says the main threats could be damaging winds, large hail, tornadoes and heavy rainfall of about 2 to 4 inche
  
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• Strong storm pounds Louisiana

  30-04-2017 12:24
  
  Baton Rouge awoke to pitch black skies, pounding rain with thunder and lightning Sunday morning.  First responders were busy dealing with down power lines causing power outages in West Baton Rouge and Pointe Coupee parishes.  Street flooding along Essen Lane led to stalled cars that had to be pushed out of the water.  Firefighters throughout East Baton Rouge Parish were busy responding to lightning strikes.As the storm headed out of the area there were no reports of to
  
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