Baton Rouge news

• Fourth extension for flood victims to submit Proof of Loss forms

  05-05-2017 21:59
  
  BATON ROUGE - National Flood Insurance Program policyholders have another chance to submit Proof of Loss forms for damage stemming from the August flood.The deadline to submit Proof of Loss forms was extended to Friday, September 1, 2017.FEMA representatives say the additional time allows policyholders to work with their insurance company to finalize their claims. Policyholders are urged to submit forms as soon as possible.This is the fourth extension granted since the August floods.Permalink| C
  
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• Sources: 3-year-old hit by vehicle on Greenwell Street

  05-05-2017 20:27
  
  BATON ROUGE - Sources say a 3-year-old was hit by a vehicle on Greenwell Street.The incident occurred just before 8:30 p.m. on Greenwell Street, between Winchester Avenue and Grand Drive.Sources on scene say the male victim was "bumped" by the car, and was transported to the hospital to get checked out.Sources say the child was awake and talking to EMS workers in the ambulance.#BREAKING EMS called to 3-year-old hit by a car on Greenwell St in North Baton Rouge. @WBRZ— Brett Buffington
  
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• 3-year-old "bumped" by car in Greenwell Street hit-and-run

  05-05-2017 20:27
  
  BATON ROUGE - Sources say a 3-year-old was hit by a vehicle on Greenwell Street.The incident occurred just before 8:30 p.m. on Greenwell Street, between Winchester Avenue and Grand Drive.BRPD officials say they are investigating this incident as a hit-and-run. The suspect was described as a black male driving a gold car.Sources on scene say the male victim was "bumped" by the car, and was transported to the hospital to get checked out.Sources say the child was awake and talking to EMS workers in
  
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• Florida Blvd. reopens following head-on crash

  05-05-2017 19:26
  
  BATON ROUGE - Crews are responding to a head-on crash that left multiple people injured on Florida Blvd.The crash happened after 7:15 p.m. on Florida Blvd. near McGehee Drive.Sources on scene say at least two people have been transported to the hospital, at least one of them with "critical" injuries.Crash is at the intersection of Florida and McGehee Dr. All westbound lanes of Florida Blvd are shut down. @WBRZ pic.twitter.com/xjljxRlf84— Brett Buffington (@BrettBuffington) May 6, 2017
  
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• Crews responding to head-on crash on Florida Blvd.

  05-05-2017 19:26
  
  BATON ROUGE - Crews are responding to a head-on crash that left multiple people injured on Florida Blvd.The crash happened after 7:15 p.m. on Florida Blvd. near McGehee Drive.Sources on scene say at least two people have been transported to the hospital, at least one of them with "critical" injuries.Crash is at the intersection of Florida and McGehee Dr. All westbound lanes of Florida Blvd are shut down. @WBRZ pic.twitter.com/xjljxRlf84— Brett Buffington (@BrettBuffington) May 6, 2017
  
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• Dutchtown Middle School band director posts racial slur; says it's "sarcasm"

  05-05-2017 19:11
  
  DUTCHTOWN- The band director at Dutchtown Middle School used a version of the N-word this week in a social media post.Richard Bresowar responded to a Facebook post by Ascension Parish Councilman Daniel Satterlee who was asking for opinions about a proposed state law to protect confederate monuments.Bresowar wrote, "Core support would be about a hundred percent in this town. Got to keep those n----- in their place let them know the South will rise again."Bresowar - who is white - later d
  
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• Gonzales City Council to discuss potential sales tax increase

  05-05-2017 17:58
  
  GONZALES – The Gonzales City Council will be considering a half-cent sales tax increase at its next meeting.The money from the sales tax will be used for public safety, police and fire protection. If the council passes the resolution for the tax increase, it will be placed on the October ballot for voters to decide.
  A cashier, Patricia Hunter, sees first hand how much money customers spend in Gonzales already."When I ring these customers up and I hit that subtotal key, it shocks me how
  
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• Road repaired, repaved following 2 On Your Side report

  05-05-2017 16:57
  
  BATON ROUGE - A street is being torn up and repaved following a 2 On Your Side report. The City-Parish is repaving Marilyn Drive since it's deteriorating.Weeks ago, a Baton Rouge SSO Program project wrapped up along the street. Residents living along Marilyn Drive watched the project from start to finish and say after months of work, heavy duty trucks damaged the street leaving potholes, busted asphalt and cracks in the road."I can't even cut my grass up here because there's so much broken concr
  
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• School bus crash in LaPlace sends 14 students to hospital with minor injuries

  05-05-2017 16:53
  
  LAPLACE – The St. John Parish Sheriff's Office is investigating a Friday afternoon crash that involved a school bus and pick up truck.The crash occurred around 2:30 p.m. in the 1700 block of St. Andrew's Boulevard in LaPlace. The bus was carrying 28 students at the time of the crash. According to the sheriff's office, 14 students and the bus driver were sent to the hospital with minor injuries.
  It is not known at this time which school the bus belonged to.
  The sheriff's office says the
  
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• Men accused of bribing missing teen for sex

  05-05-2017 16:25
  
  BATON ROUGE – Two men were arrested after police say they bought a missing 16-year-old girl food and a hotel room in exchange for sex.
  The Baton Rouge Police Department arrested 38-year-old Darrel Lewis and 28-year-old Randon Norwood for a felony count of carnal knowledge of a juvenile.
  An officer responded to the Magnuson Hotel in the 9000 block of Gwenadelle on April 13 around 8 p.m. regarding a complaint of a teen prostituting at the location. According to arrest documents, Norwood
  
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• Lane closures on Perkins Road this weekend for patch work

  05-05-2017 14:40
  
  BATON ROUGE – Perkins Road will have alternating lane closures lasting from Friday night to Saturday night due to patching operations.
  DOTD says that the lane closures will be in the eastbound and westbound directions from Siegen Lane to Acadian Thruway lasting from 8 p.m. on Friday to Saturday at 11:59 p.m. The lane closures could end at a sooner time if the work is completed.
  According to DOTD, one lane will be opened in both directions to traffic. The closure is subject to change de
  
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• TPSO: 33 guns seized in Ponchatoula burglary investigation

  05-05-2017 14:33
  
  PONCHATOULA – A couple was arrested after Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's deputies say they seized 33 guns that are believed to be stolen.The Street Crimes and Narcotics Unit of the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office arrested Leonard Cheek and Janice Cheek.Detectives received a tip that Leonard Cheek had a welding machine that was reported stolen in March along with other stolen firearms and drugs.A search warrant was executed on Cheek's home and detectives found the stolen weldin
  
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• Mississippi governor mulls lottery to help fund highways

  05-05-2017 14:29
  
  JACKSON - Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant says he might ask legislators to consider creating a lottery during a special session in June.He said Thursday he will do it only if the state chamber of commerce supports using a lottery to help pay for highways and bridges.Transportation has been a big issue for the Mississippi Economic Council, but the group has not taken a public position about a lottery.Bryant says he asked the state economist to determine how much money a lottery might generate. Repub
  
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• Video shows boat capsize on Tickfaw River Friday

  05-05-2017 13:43
  
  KILLIAN – Water rescue crews from at least one area sheriff's department and the Springfield Fire Department are seen on video responding to a capsized boat in the Tickfaw River Friday morning.The boat capsized near the mouth of the Tickfaw where it meets Lake Maurepas. Video was sent to WBRZ just after 11 a.m. Friday. It's unclear when the situation began or what happened.The video shows a flat-bottomed boat sinking as pleasure crafts motor near it. The video ends before the boat caps
  
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• Scouring for nude images in photo scandal at Marine base

  05-05-2017 13:41
  
  MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO - In a cramped office at the Marines' Quantico base outside Washington, about 20 investigators sit elbow to elbow, staring into their computers as images of naked men and women flash across the screens.The objective of this disturbing sleuth work is to root out the extent of a nude-photo sharing scandal that has rocked the Corps, embarrassed its leaders and spread to other military services. And the sheer scope of the material is daunting.What began as a response to mi
  
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• 'Guardians' sequel blasts off to $17M on opening night

  05-05-2017 13:38
  
  LOS ANGELES - "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" has rocketed to a $17 million opening night, beating out early showings of the first film.Disney reported the sales estimate for Thursday night preview screenings on Friday. The sequel is the biggest opening night earner of the year so far.The first "Guardians" film was a surprise blockbuster for many, transforming a little-known band of Marvel superheroes into household names. It earned $11.2 million on its opening night.Both films were directed by
  
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• House GOP banks on incorrect forecast in Louisiana budget

  05-05-2017 13:36
  
  BATON ROUGE - As House Republicans crafted their version of next year's budget, they built the spending plan off a central premise: Louisiana's income projections are always wrong, and for nearly a decade those missed forecasts have forced repeated cuts across government.GOP leaders anticipated the projections would be off again - and used 2.5 percent less than the full forecast of what Louisiana is expected to collect in general state tax dollars next year.House Democrats and Democratic Gov. Jo
  
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• Tolls going up on Causeway bridge linking lake's south, north shores

  05-05-2017 13:35
  
  NEW ORLEANS - Starting Saturday, commuters will pay higher tolls to cross the bridge linking the north and south shores of Lake Pontchartrain.The increase will go from $2 to $3 for southbound drivers on the Causeway with toll tags and from $3 to $5 for customers who pay with cash. Larger vehicles will be affected more. Tolls will rise from $15 to $23 for an 18-wheeler cash-paying customer. That's an $8 increase. Toll-tag payers driving 18-wheelers will pay $22.50 per trip.The northbound side of
  
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• Pigment's accidental discovery inspires Crayola's new blue

  05-05-2017 13:25
  
  EASTON - Crayola's new crayon color will be based on a blue pigment discovered in 2009.Scientists at Oregon State University accidentally discovered the brilliant blue hue when they were experimenting with materials that could be used in electronics.Crayola said Friday that it's partnering on the new crayon with Oregon State and The Shepherd Color Company, which licenses the pigment known as YInMn (yihn-mihn) blue.The crayon maker recently retired the color dandelion. Crayola is leaving it to fa
  
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• TPSO: Five arrested for recent Tangipahoa burglaries

  05-05-2017 13:22
  
  PONCHATOULA – The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office arrested five people believed to be responsible for recent burglaries in the Hammond and Ponchatoula area.The Street Crimes Unit began investigating two unrelated burglaries on May 1. One burglary was reported in the Ponchatoula area and the other in the Pumpkin Center area. Detectives were able to develop suspects in both cases due to video surveillance. In both cases, the suspects entered structures and took lawn equipment, power t
  
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• Judge blasts 'ridiculous' 18-year sentence for marijuana

  05-05-2017 13:22
  
  BATON ROUGE  - Is an 18-year prison sentence too harsh for having 18 grams of marijuana?The Louisiana Supreme Court's chief justice thinks so, and says it's outrageous that her colleagues upheld the punishment.In her dissenting opinion Wednesday, Chief Justice Bernette Johnson said it's ridiculous that a lengthy prison sentence for such a small amount of marijuana would be allowed to stand.A jury convicted Gary D. Howard of marijuana possession with intent to distribute. A Caddo Parish
  
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• Police hold fundraiser for BRPD officer injured in I-12 crash

  05-05-2017 13:08
  
  BATON ROUGE – The Zachary Police Department held a fundraiser for a Baton Rouge Police officer who was injured in a car crash on I-12.Baton Rouge Police Department Officer Rickey Faust was driving his unit on I-12 east between the Millerville and Sherwood Forest exit when responding to an alarm call. A vehicle switched lanes in front of Faust, causing him to swerve and lose control of his unit. His unit crashed into a concrete barrier in the median and he sustained severe injuries to h
  
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• Tickfaw 200 poker run kicks of waterfront fun

  05-05-2017 13:05
  
  MANCHAC - The Tickfaw 200 is filled with boats, drinks, and food, and the party is well underway.During Saturday's closing day, thousands of people will go to different stops along the lake.Jamie Pat-Arthur Burns is known as the captain of the boat taxi that transports people to and from the Sunbun Beach Bar each year."The Tickfar 200 is the biggest poker run in the United State," Burns explained.Steven Emmons, owner of the Sunbun Beach Bar, is hosting the party, which includes hundreds of boats
  
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• Man accused of molesting 11-year-old after flood

  05-05-2017 13:04
  
  BATON ROUGE – A Baton Rouge man was arrested after police say he inappropriately touched an 11-year-old girl shortly after the August flood last year.Bernard Stephons Edwards was charged with a felony count of aggravated crime against nature. He was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison Thursday.According to the arrest warrant, an 11-year-old victim told Baton Rouge Police investigators that Edwards touched her inappropriately. Detectives collected the victim’s cloth
  
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• 1 dead, 2 injured in Airline Highway crash

  05-05-2017 12:49
  
  BATON ROUGE - Emergency responders are on the scene of a crash that has left one person dead and multiple others injured.Sources say the crash occurred around 10:30 p.m. on Airline Highway near Barringer Foreman Road.The Coroner's office is on the scene of the crash. Sources say one person is dead, and two others have been transported to the hospital.#BREAKING Coroner called to deadly crash on Airline Highway at Barringer Foreman Rd. @WBRZ— Brett Buffington (@BrettBuffington) May 6, 20
  
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• Louisiana college baseball players, coaches sickened by mystery illness

  05-05-2017 12:27
  
  MONTGOMERY - Authorities say dozens of athletes and coaches from across the South have been sickened at a college baseball tournament in Alabama, and the cause is a mystery.The Alabama Department of Public Health said those affected by the outbreak are from Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.WSFA-TV reports that the athletes and coaches were competing at a tournament in Montgomery, Alabama, when they fell ill.State health officials say they've confirmed 25 and 30 reports of g
  
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• El Chapo will be tried in the US in April 2018

  05-05-2017 09:58
  
  NEW YORK - A federal judge in New York City has set an April 2018 trial date for Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.Guzman answered judge's questions through an interpreter Friday. He spent half the hearing looking across the courtroom at his wife, who smiled and waved to him as she entered.Defense lawyers complained that glass separated them from the defendant during their meetings, hindering communications. The judge said the matter will be investigated.The defendant escaped
  
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• Trump: Australian health care system better than US

  05-05-2017 09:47
  
  BRANCHBURG - President Donald Trump says Australia has a better health care system than the U.S., a comment that's attracting attention because Australia offers universal health care, which Republicans oppose.In his meeting Thursday with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Trump said the existing U.S. system was failing: "I shouldn't say this to a great gentleman and my friend from Australia because you have better health care than we do."He added that Americans will have a "great" syste
  
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• Symbolic live oak removed from Watson school

  05-05-2017 09:31
  
  WATSON – A massive live oak tree outside the future Live Oak Junior High will be removed Friday, after officials named it a safety hazard earlier this week.Watson School Board member Kelle Dickerson told the Advocate that the tree was dying from the inside despite thousands of dollars spent to save it.#happeningnow oldest oak tree at Live Oak High School in Watson is getting cut down. @WBRZ pic.twitter.com/goIyk16kYm— Taylor Evans WBRZ (@taylorevansnews) May 5, 2017Arborist h
  
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• Authorities: Man shot, wounded aimed gun at officers

  05-05-2017 09:10
  
  MILTON - Authorities in Lafayette Parish say a man was shot and wounded after he aimed a gun at officers.News outlets report Vermilion Parish Sheriff's Office spokesman Sgt. Jared L. Sandifer said in a news release 46-year-old James Derouen of New Iberia was shot Monday after officers responded to reports of a suspicious man armed with a gun in Milton.Authorities say Derouen fled into a wooded area. Sandifer says Derouen was found in an open field, where he raised his firearm toward an
  
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• In Trump era, Cinco de Mayo leaves Mexican-Americans feeling torn

  05-05-2017 08:40
  
  For years, Yazmin Irazoqui Ruiz saw Cinco de Mayo as a reason to eat tacos and listen to Mexican music.
  
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• Florida deputy fired for waving weapons, quoting Denzel Washington

  05-05-2017 07:52
  
  LEESBURG - A Florida sheriff's deputy is out of a job after officials say he waved his firearm and stun gun while quoting lines from Denzel Washington's character in "Training Day," a movie about a corrupt law enforcement officer.The Orlando Sentinel reports Lake County Deputy Dean Zipes was fired April 21.Authorities say Zipes rubbed his pistol and Taser together in the direction of a convenience store in front of a police trainee. An internal affairs review says the action replicates a scene f
  
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• Congress finishes spending bill, sends legislation to Trump

  05-05-2017 07:48
  
  WASHINGTON - The Senate has delivered to President Donald Trump the first significant legislation of his presidency, a bipartisan $1.1 trillion spending bill that would keep the government running through September - putting off, for now, battles over Trump's U.S.-Mexico border wall and his promised military buildup.The lopsided, 79-18 Senate vote sends the huge bill to the White House in plenty of time to avert a midnight Friday shutdown deadline.Negotiators on the bill dropped Trump's demands
  
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• Delta apologizes after California family booted from flight

  05-05-2017 07:45
  
  LOS ANGELES - Delta Air Lines is offering refunds and compensation to a California family that says they were forced off a plane and threatened with jail after refusing to give up one of their seats.A video of the April 23 incident was uploaded to YouTube on Wednesday and added to the list of recent encounters on airlines that have gone viral, including the dragging of a bloodied passenger off a United Express plane.Brian and Brittany Schear of Huntington Beach, California, told KABC-TV in Los A
  
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• Experts: Those already sick still face coverage problems

  05-05-2017 07:43
  
  Experts say the change in the House Republican health care bill that helped secure its passage may make little difference in the hunt for affordable coverage for people with pre-existing health problems.The bill proposes setting aside an additional $8 billion over five years to help states cover those who may be subject to higher insurance rates because they've had a lapse in coverage. That's on top of about $100 billion over a decade for states to help people afford coverage and stabilize insur
  
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• House repeal of 'Obamacare' hands hot potato to wary Senate

  05-05-2017 07:35
  
  WASHINGTON - House Republicans are claiming a triumph by finally approving their centerpiece bill scuttling much of President Barack Obama's health care law.But its pathway through the Senate will be at least as bumpy. And there's little doubt the measure will change, assuming it survives.The House approved the bill Thursday by a vote of 217-213. There were 20 GOP defections.Senators are already talking about preventing some of the House bill's Medicaid cuts. Some don't like its easing of Obama
  
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• New York City bans employers from requesting salary history

  05-05-2017 07:28
  
  NEW YORK - New York City's mayor has signed a bill into law making it illegal for employers to ask applicants about their salary history.Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio signed the measure Thursday.The mayor says the new law will help eliminate the gender wage gap by ensuring women with lower paying jobs won't face continued lower salary offers.The law was authored by the city's public advocate, Letitia James, who says the wage gap costs New York City women $5.8 million in potential earnings ever
  
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• Woman sentenced for stealing nearly $11k from FEMA

  05-05-2017 07:26
  
  NEW ORLEANS - A New Orleans area woman has been sentenced in federal court for stealing nearly $11,000 in disaster-assistance money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.News outlets report 42-year-old Danielle Randall of Gretna was sentenced Thursday to 15-months in prison after pleading guilty to theft of federal funds. Randall was ordered to pay restitution.The U.S. Attorney's Office said in a news release that Randall started submitting applications to FEMA following Hurricane Isaac i
  
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