Baton Rouge news

• Persistent bear spends over 8 hours in Washington neighborhood tree

  17-05-2017 20:36
  
  RENTON, Wa. - A bear has spent over eight hours in a tree in a Washington neighborhood Wednesday.Local authorities say the bear climbed the tree around 7 a.m. PT (9 a.m. CT) and has been there ever since. The Washington Fish and Wildlife Department was called to the scene to try and get the bear down.Local news stations say that authorities on the scene have been using "fireworks" and other means to lure the bear closer to the ground so they can safely hit it with tranquilizer darts.The local el
  
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• New development coming to former Electric Depot site on Government St.

  17-05-2017 18:54
  
  BATON ROUGE – The former Electric Depot site on Government Street will soon be transformed into a six-acre development that will include new restaurants, places to live and even a bowling alley.Developer of the project,  Dyke Nelson, said that the tenants coming to the location are very "compatible" with one another.He said that the idea came from a "need for a different type of experience in Baton Rouge" that will attempt to connect downtown to mid-city. Construction
  
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• House strikes down bill to abolish death penalty in Louisiana

  17-05-2017 18:05
  
  BATON ROUGE - House lawmakers effectively killed any chance of abolishing Louisiana's death penalty this session after one representative cast the deciding vote against the measure he had co-sponsored.A House criminal justice committee voted 9-8 against Democratic Rep. Terry Landry's bill to outlaw capital punishment.Republican Rep. Steve Pylant of Winnsboro had been a bill co-sponsor, having argued that although he supported the death penalty, delays in carrying out executions had made it too e
  
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• Descendants of slave claim chemical plant locked them out of historic cemetery

  17-05-2017 17:55
  
  PLAQUEMINE- The descendants of a slave in Iberville Parish say money and power prevented them from paying respects to their loved one.
  Over the weekend, the family says they were locked out by a chemical plant that borders the cemetery property. It's a long-standing legal battle.The First Circuit Court of Appeal has ruled the chemical company is not in possession of that cemetery. But, for the family to get to it to pay their respects, Axiall has to open its gates to let them in. Family members
  
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• Former FBI Director Mueller to lead Trump-Russia probe

  17-05-2017 17:03
  
  WASHINGTON - The Justice Department has appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller as a special counsel to oversee a federal investigation into potential coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign to influence the 2016 presidential election.The appointment Wednesday comes amid a growing Democratic outcry for someone outside the Justice Department to handle the politically charged investigation.It follows the revelation Tuesday that fired FBI Director James Comey wrote in a memo that Tr
  
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• 67-year-old woman dies in crash on LA 1064 in Livingston

  17-05-2017 16:30
  
  LIVINGSTON – A 67-year-old woman died in a single-vehicle crash on LA 1064 in Livingston Parish on Wednesday morning.According to Louisiana State Police, the crash occurred around 11 a.m. on LA 1064, east of LA 43, when 67-year-old Catherine Rivero of Tickfaw was traveling eastbound on the roadway in a Nissan Maxima.State Police say that, for reasons still under investigation, Rivero sideswiped the bridge rail and the passenger's side of her vehicle ran off the side of the roa
  
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• 2 injured after school bus overturns in Livingston Parish

  17-05-2017 16:04
  
  LIVINGSTON  – Crews are responding to reports of an overturned school bus in Livingston Parish on Wednesday afternoon. According to the Walker Police Department, the vehicle is located at Arnold Road just east of Percy Young.Sources say that one adult and one child, who are related, were transported from the scene with minor injuries. Sources say the bus belonged to a special education school. Police say the vehicle overturned when the vehic
  
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• Report: Removed Confederate monuments found in maintenance yard

  17-05-2017 15:30
  
  NEW ORLEANS – Two Confederate monuments removed from their locations in New Orleans were discovered in a maintenance yard next to piles of trash Wednesday afternoon, WWL-TV reports. Tweeted photos from WWL-TV reporter Lauren Bale, showed the concrete base of the Jefferson Davis monument as well as the P.G.T. Beauregard monument. The Jefferson Davis monument was removed last week from its site on South Jefferson Davis Parkway. The Beauregard statue was removed Tuesday night.BRE
  
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• Man arrested for illegally issuing driver's licenses

  17-05-2017 14:50
  
  NEW ORLEANS - Louisiana State Police have arrested a Metairie man who's allegedly responsible for selling more than 400 illegal driver's licenses from two branches of a title and notary company.Authorities say 27-year-old Alex Medina was arrested Tuesday on 420 counts each of computer fraud and filing false public records in the alleged scam run from offices of Central Title and Notary in New Orleans.NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune reports an audit of the company, which is contracted as a Public Tag
  
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• Report: 2 arrested after former P.G.T. Beauregard monument site vandalized

  17-05-2017 14:38
  
  NEW ORLEANS – Two people were arrested on Wednesday morning after allegedly vandalizing the base of the former site of the P.G.T. Beauregard monument in New Orleans, WWL reports.Police arrested 57-year-old Michael Kimball and 31-year-old Christopher Kimball on charges of criminal damage to historic buildings or landmarks by defacing with graffiti.The words spray painted on the base said, "Gen. Beauregard CSA."The statue was taken down Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. The monument
  
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• I-10 east lane closure starts Friday in Iberville for road work

  17-05-2017 14:12
  
  IBERVILLE – One lane of I-10 east will be closed from the Mississippi Bridge to the Atchafalaya Bridge this weekend.The closure will begin Friday, May 19 at 6:30 p.m. through Monday, May 22 at 6:30 a.m. According to DOTD, the closure is necessary for "asphalt rehabilitation."Permit load restrictions will up to 16 feet wide.DOTD advises for motorists to drive with caution through constructions sited and to be aware for work crews and their equipment.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Texas newspaper: Baton Rouge is 'more than a pit stop'

  17-05-2017 14:04
  
  BATON ROUGE – One Texas newspaper has highlighted Baton Rouge as the perfect destination for a summer trip. "Baton Rouge deserves more than a cursory glance en route to New Orleans for its walkable downtown and rising dining scene," the The Houston Chronicle writes.The paper writes that in the summer, it is easier to find places to stay as hotel rooms in the fall can get booked quickly with football season in full swing.
  "Good luck getting a hotel during a Louisiana State Univ
  
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• 9 hurt, 2 arrested in altercation with Turkish guards in DC

  17-05-2017 13:52
  
  WASHINGTON - The Turkish government and Washington's mayor are trading blame for violence outside the country's embassy, where President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's security staff moved in to break up an anti-government protest.Turkey's official Anadolu news agency labels the protesters Kurdish "supporters of terror." It says they chanted anti-Erdogan slogans as the president entered the embassy on Tuesday after meeting with President Donald Trump. It says Erdogan's security team moved in to
  
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• Man sues date for texting during 'Guardians of the Galaxy 2'

  17-05-2017 13:37
  
  ROUND ROCK, Texas - A Texas man is suing a woman he went on a date with for the price of a movie ticket after he says she texted through the film and left him at the theater.Brandon Vezmar filed the claim for $17.31 last week. The 37-year-old tells the Austin American-Statesman he met the woman online and they went to see "Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2" on May 6. He says the 35-year-old woman refused to stop texting.Vezmar says he suggested she step outside to text. The woman then left the the
  
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• Senate intel panel wants Comey to appear

  17-05-2017 13:30
  
  WASHINGTON - The Senate intelligence committee wants former FBI director James Comey to appear before the panel in both open and closed sessions.The committee said Wednesday that it is also asking Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe to give the committee any notes that Comey might have made regarding discussions he had with White House or Justice Department officials about Russia's efforts to influence the election.Comey wrote a memo after one February meeting at the White House stating t
  
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• Oscars producer: Expect envelope jokes galore from Kimmel

  17-05-2017 13:21
  
  LOS ANGELES - Oscars producer Jennifer Todd says she expects returning host Jimmy Kimmel to have a field day with jokes about the historic envelope mishap at the 90th Oscars.Speaking to The Associated Press late Tuesday, Todd said the show team will not only celebrate 90 years of the Academy Awards, but lean in to the gaffe with bits about how to expect the unexpected at the Oscars.The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Tuesday that Todd, her co-producer Michael De Luca and Ki
  
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• Forbes: Jay Z and Beyonce worth a combined $1.16 billion

  17-05-2017 13:19
  
  NEW YORK - Jay Z and Beyonce are a billion-dollar couple according to one estimate.Forbes puts the combined wealth of the married superstars at $1.16 billion. The magazine estimates Jay Z's fortune at $810 million. It says Beyonce has amassed $350 million.Forbes says most of Jay Z's money is involved in Roc Nation and his other companies. Both the rapper and the singer also have a significant stake in the Tidal streaming music service.Jay Z signed a 10-year pact with Live Nation to partner on co
  
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• Louisiana woman found squatting in Florida home, wrestles with deputies

  17-05-2017 13:12
  
  BIG PINE KEY, Fla. - Authorities say a Louisiana woman living illegally in a vacant home in Florida answered the door naked when a sheriff's deputy stopped by to investigate.Monroe County Sheriff's spokeswoman Becky Herrin says a real estate agent called to report that someone was staying at the home on Big Pine Key without the owner's permission.Deputy Richard Wang looked in the window and saw 36-year-old Feliciamae Farrington naked. He knocked on the door and she answered, still naked. Farring
  
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• Overturned truck at I-10 near Highland Road

  17-05-2017 13:06
  
  BATON ROUGE – Crews are responding to an overturned truck right off of I-10 east bound near Highland Road.No lanes appear to be blocked at the time of this post. Sources say there are no reported injuries.This story will be updated as more information becomes available.NOW: Overturned rig at 10/Highland going toward Ascension. @WBRZ pic.twitter.com/reGzLwJzZC— Trey Schmaltz (@treyschmaltz) May 17, 2017Permalink| Comments
  
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• Louisiana public school funding formula moves ahead in House

  17-05-2017 12:55
  
  BATON ROUGE - A $3.7 billion financing formula for Louisiana's public schools next year has started advancing in the House.The proposal was redrafted by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education at lawmakers' request, to assist flood-impacted districts and safeguard the Vernon Parish district if it experiences student enrollment drops from a Fort Polk deployment.The amount paid per student in the 2017-18 year wouldn't rise. But $18 million in new money is earmarked for higher-need students
  
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• Raise pay? Minimum wage hike advancing in Louisiana Senate

  17-05-2017 12:39
  
  BATON ROUGE - Senators seeking to boost Louisiana's minimum wage are making another push for the proposal this legislative session, an issue championed by Gov. John Bel Edwards.The Senate Labor Committee voted 4-2 Wednesday to advance the wage hike to the full Senate. The proposal made it that far last year before fizzling when it was diverted to a second Senate committee for review.It's unclear whether new support has built for the effort.If approved, Louisiana's minimum wage would grow to $8 p
  
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• Cracker Barrel settles federal suit over handicapped parking

  17-05-2017 12:19
  
  PITTSBURGH - Cracker Barrel Old Country Store has settled a class-action lawsuit brought by a Pittsburgh woman who claimed that handicapped parking spaces at some restaurants are too steep or otherwise violate federal law.Sarah Heinzl plays on the U.S. Women's Wheelchair Basketball Team and sued in 2014. She claimed that the parking spaces at the Robinson Township restaurant were so sloped her wheelchair would roll away before she could get into it.Officials with the Lebanon, Tennessee-based cha
  
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• FDA, CDC warn some lead poisoning tests may not be accurate

  17-05-2017 12:17
  
  U.S. health agencies are warning that certain tests for lead poisoning may not be accurate.Children under 6 and pregnant and nursing women may need to be retested.The Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday said all four tests made by Magellan Diagnostics may give results that are too low when used to measure lead levels in blood drawn from a vein. The FDA says the company's tests shouldn't be used for those kinds of blood samples. The agency believ
  
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• Load limit lifted on LA 1 bridge over Intracoastal Canal

  17-05-2017 09:55
  
  BRUSLY – State traffic officials have lifted a load limit on the northbound side of the LA 1 Bridge over the Intracoastal Canal.The limits were put in place in March after crews discovered structural damage. Crews will still be working in the area for the next two to three weeks.The restriction on the southbound bridge was lifted on May 1.According to DOTD, the bridge was built in 1960 and has an average daily traffic count of approximately 48,000. Replacement of the bridge is currentl
  
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• Georgia executes J.W. Ledford Jr. after stay denied by US Supreme Court

  17-05-2017 09:15
  
  Ledford requested a last meal of filet Mignon wrapped in bacon with pepper jack cheese, large french fries, 10 chicken tenders with sauce, fried pork chop, blooming onion, pecan pie with vanilla ice cream, sherbet and Sprite.
  
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• Gisele Bundchen: Tom Brady had a concussion last year

  17-05-2017 09:14
  
  NEW YORK - Gisele Bundchen says her husband Tom Brady suffered a concussion in 2016, the year the Patriots began a season in which the star quarterback led the Patriots to another Super Bowl title.The Brazilian supermodel told "CBS This Morning" in an interview that aired Wednesday that Brady does have concussions, but "we don't talk about it." She added that she doesn't feel that the aggressive nature of football is healthy. Bundchen was responding to a question from interviewer Charlie Rose ab
  
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• McDonald's expands delivery partnership with UberEats

  17-05-2017 09:03
  
  NEW YORK - Is the convenience of having a Quarter Pounder and fries delivered to your home or office worth a $5 fee? McDonald's is hoping it will be.The fast-food chain says it's expanding its partnership with UberEats to offer delivery in Chicago, Columbus, Los Angeles and Phoenix. The two had already teamed up to offer McDonald's delivery in Miami, Orlando and Tampa, Florida earlier this year.In all, McDonald's says "McDelivery" is now available from more than 1,000 U.S. locations.McDonald's i
  
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• WBRZ's 2une-In recognizes graduating class of 2017

  17-05-2017 08:46
  
  BATON ROUGE – Thousands of graduates across the Baton Rouge area will walk across the stage and receive diplomas this month.The 2une-In team wanted to recognize the class of 2017 graduates for their outstanding achievements.All this week, 2une-In has shared photos from viewers of the graduating class of 2017. To recognize your graduate, email the photos to [email protected] Permalink| Comments
  
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• Gonzales event to help residents with flood recovery survey

  17-05-2017 08:15
  
  GONZALES, La. - The state is trying to get more people to take the flood recovery survey. They're hosting an event to get the applications done.To date, over 20,000 people have finished the application. The state originally sent out emails to 45,000 people, and wanted a total of around 86,000 submissions.Today, they'll take to the Gonzales Public Library to assist anyone who may need help walking through the process.Right now, Phase 1, which includes the elderly and those with low-to-moderate in
  
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• Chelsea Manning freed after 7 years in prison

  17-05-2017 08:00
  
  KANSAS CITY - The U.S. Army says Pvt. Chelsea Manning has been released from a Kansas military prison after serving seven years of her 35-year sentence for leaking classified government materials to WikiLeaks.Army spokeswoman Cynthia Smith says The transgender soldier was released from Fort Leavenworth on Wednesday. Former President Barack Obama granted Manning clemency during his final days in office.Manning, an Oklahoma native, was convicted in 2013 of 20 counts, including six Espiona
  
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• Ford to cut 1,400 salaried jobs in North America, Asia

  17-05-2017 07:53
  
  DETROIT - Ford Motor Co. plans to cut 10 percent of its salaried jobs in North America and Asia Pacific this year in an effort to boost profits.The company says it will offer voluntary early retirement and separation packages to its workers. It expects 1,400 positions to be affected by the end of September.Ford says its European and South American operations have already cut workers and won't be affected.The company says it will release more details to employees in June.Ford's stock price has fa
  
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• Mass. Police: Drunken driving suspect had lizard in bra

  17-05-2017 07:48
  
  TAUNTON, Mass. - Police in Massachusetts say a bearded dragon lizard was turned over to animal control after a woman suspected of drunken driving revealed she had the animal stuffed in her bra.
  Taunton police said in a Facebook post that the 39-year-old woman had a blood alcohol level nearly twice the legal limit Tuesday when she drove off the road, smashing into several mailboxes. Police say, despite the fact that the air bags were deployed and all four tires were flattened, the driver asked of
  
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• Bill O'Reilly gets weekly spot on Glenn Beck's radio show

  17-05-2017 07:46
  
  NEW YORK - Bill O'Reilly is taking up his former Fox News colleague Glenn Beck's offer to work together again.Variety reports O'Reilly announced on his "No Spin News" podcast that he will have a weekly spot on Beck's radio show. He calls Beck "a good friend" and says the two have a "lively" rapport.O'Reilly was ousted by Fox News Channel last month amid accusations of sexual harassment that O'Reilly has denied. Beck left the network in 2011 following an advertiser boycott of his program.Last wee
  
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• Putin dismisses Trump intel-sharing furor

  17-05-2017 07:45
  
  WASHINGTON - Russian President Vladimir Putin has lashed out at U.S. politicians whipping up what he described as "anti-Russian sentiment" for being either "stupid" or "dangerous."Speaking at a joint news conference with the visiting Italian prime minister, Putin said on Wednesday Moscow initially found debates about Russia's meddling in U.S. politics as "funny" but said Moscow is now "concerned because it's hard to imagine what the people who produce such nonsense can come up with next."Putin d
  
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• Sinking feeling: SUV gets stuck in surf at New Jersey beach

  17-05-2017 07:41
  
  BERKELEY TOWNSHIP - A man's plans to take photos of his SUV by the Atlantic Ocean on a New Jersey beach didn't turn out as planned.The vehicle started sinking as it was buffeted by waves.WNBC-TV reports Island Beach State Park police responded on Tuesday to a report of a vehicle stuck in the sand. A tow company arrived around the same time to find the man trying to shovel the vehicle from the surf line.The tow company freed the vehicle, but witnesses say the man wanted to drive it, even though i
  
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• Google poised to roll out arsenal of services, gadgets

  17-05-2017 07:25
  
  MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - Google is about to provide the latest peek at its digital services and gadgets as it seeks to become an even more influential force in people's lives.The overview will come Wednesday during Google's annual conference for thousands of computer programmers.Google is expected to give the crowd a look at new twists in its Android software for mobile devices. Executives are also likely to detail plans for expanding the reach and capabilities of a voice-controlled digital assis
  
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• Police: man left child in car to steal from Autozone

  17-05-2017 07:22
  
  BATON ROUGE – Police say a Baton Rouge man faces theft and child desertion charges after stealing from an Autozone store and fleeing from police Tuesday.Thomas Bernard Davis was charged with misdemeanor theft, child desertion and resisting an officer. He was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison Tuesday.According to the affidavit of probable cause, the crime happened around 10 a.m. in the 6100 block of Plank Road. Baton Rouge Police say Davis left his 2-year-old grandchild in
  
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• J.W. Ledford Jr. to be executed in Georgia; lawyers say 20 is too young for death sentence

  17-05-2017 07:20
  
  Ledford requested a last meal of filet Mignon wrapped in bacon with pepper jack cheese, large french fries, 10 chicken tenders with sauce, fried pork chop, blooming onion, pecan pie with vanilla ice cream, sherbet and Sprite.
  
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