Baton Rouge news

• Firefighters battling massive blaze in London high-rise

  13-06-2017 21:51
  
  LONDON - Firefighters are battling a massive fire in an apartment high-rise in London.  One side of the building appeared to be in flames. Forty fire engines and 200 firefighters had been called to the scene early Wednesday morning.  The building is the Grenfell Tower in west London.  The Metropolitan Police said two people were being treated at the scene for smoke inhalation and cordons were in place.  George Clarke, the pr
  
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• Man shot through both legs running from gunfire

  13-06-2017 21:39
  
  ERWINVILLE - Deputies responded to a man who was shot through both legs Tuesday afternoon in West Baton Rouge Parish.According to authorities, the shooting occurred around 3 p.m. in the 11000 block of Maple Street.Details are still being gathered but the victim said he was running from gunshots he heard in the area.The shooting is currently under investigation. Anyone with information is advised to call the West Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office at 225-343-9234. Permalink| Comments
  
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• Convenience store employee brutally beaten, mugged on his way to work

  13-06-2017 20:46
  
  BATON ROUGE - A long-time convenience store employee was mugged and badly beaten while biking to work from his Garden District home this month.The victim, Bruce Scott, works at the B-Quik on Perkins Road, and after more than 15 years of employment there, he’s become more than just a familiar face. He's also become a friend to people all over the area.“Bruce is a staple wherever he goes, he has this presence about him,” said Blair Kornegay, a long-time friend and the
  
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• Manhunt for inmates shifts north with burglary

  13-06-2017 20:30
  
  MADISON, Ga. - A Georgia sheriff says authorities still have no idea where two escaped inmates wanted in the killings of two guards are right now.  But Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills says the fugitives did commit a burglary in Madison, about 25 miles north of the spot where they previously seen carjacking a motorist after escaping from a prison bus.  He says an intense manhunt focused on Madison after two men fitting the description were seen entering a Fa
  
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• Man accused of stealing WWII dog tags from National Archives

  13-06-2017 20:23
  
  A historian has been charged with stealing the dog tags of U.S. servicemen whose planes crashed in World War II from the National Archives and selling them on eBay.  The U.S. attorney's office in Maryland says in a news release that 32-year-old Antonin DeHays of College Park, Maryland, was charged theft of government records in federal court Tuesday.  According to an affidavit, DeHays repeatedly visited the National Archives at College Park. Prosecutors say he
  
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• Sting operation leads to arrest of pawn shop manager accused of buying stolen goods

  13-06-2017 19:54
  
  BATON ROUGE - Deputies have arrested the manager of a Baton Rouge pawn shop after they say he knowingly obtained over $1,500 worth of stolen items with the intent to sell them.According to the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, 39-year-old Christopher Osterberger was arrested after deputies found that he was buying stolen items on behalf of Bayou Gold Xotic Pawn.Deputies first heard of the illegal dealings at the pawn shop on Airline Highway in connection with a theft at the ne
  
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• Congress passes long-sought VA accountability bill

  13-06-2017 19:54
  
  WASHINGTON - Congress has approved long-sought legislation to make firing employees easier for the Department of Veterans Affairs. President Donald Trump supported the legislation to fix a struggling agency serving millions of veterans.  The House cleared the bipartisan bill on a 368-55 vote. It replaces an earlier version passed in March that Democrats had criticized as overly unfair to workers. The Senate passed the measure by voice vote last week.  The bill
  
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• Arrest made after WBRZ reports on brazen theft of contractor

  13-06-2017 18:33
  
  BATON ROUGE – A man was arrested after he stole a pistol, tools and cash from a contractor's trailer while he and his crew were working. The Baton Rouge Police Department arrested John Keith West for simple burglary and theft of a firearm. The incident occurred on June 6 around 8:30 a.m. after a contractor reported items stolen from his truck and work trailer while he and his crew were working at an apartment on Sherwood Meadows. The crime was captured on surveillance
  
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• Police: Man fatally shot during encounter with deputies

  13-06-2017 18:05
  
  ST. MARTINVILLE - Authorities say deputies in Louisiana shot and killed a man while trying to serve an arrest warrant.  Louisiana State Police Trooper Brooks David says St. Martin Parish sheriff's deputies were serving the warrant late Monday at a home in Cade when they encountered a man armed with a gun.  David says state police investigators are trying to determine how many deputies fired shots at the man, who died at a local hospital. No other information a
  
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• BRPD seeking suspect in armed robbery on Perkins Road

  13-06-2017 17:00
  
  BATON ROUGE - The Baton Rouge Police Department is seeking a suspect in connection with an armed robbery at a Circle K over the weekend.According to police, the armed robbery occurred at a Circle K in the 3000 block of Perkins Road around 8 p.m. Sunday. Police say the suspect entered the store and walked up to the cashier with undisclosed items, posing as a customer.As the cashier was completing the purchase, the suspect produced a knife and demanded money from the reg
  
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• WATCH: Citizen stops police chase by slamming head-on into suspect's car

  13-06-2017 16:41
  
  FERNDALE, Mich. - Dashcam video from police shows a citizen crash his car to help them put an end to a chase and arrest a suspect last week in Michigan.According to a report from WXYZ, it happened around 9:30 p.m. Friday as a Ferndale officer was doing random checks on license plates.He came across a Chevrolet on 8 Mile near Livernois and found that the owner was wanted on several traffic warrants and had suspensions on his license.The officer tried to pull the suspect over, but he took
  
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• Private companies approved to write flood insurance in LA, list attached

  13-06-2017 16:41
  
  BATON ROUGE- For decades, private insurance companies avoided writing what's called first dollar coverage after it became too risky in Louisiana and across the nation.
  However, investors from around the world have sparked a renewed interest in the marketplace, according to Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon. The benefit could mean more competition in the market which would ultimately mean cheaper prices.
  Donelon says the National Flood Insurance Program was created after Hurricane Betsy in 1965.
  
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• IPSO: Burglar chased on four-wheeler by witness; suspect later arrested

  13-06-2017 16:00
  
  IBERVILLE -  A man was arrested after he allegedly broke into a home in Ramah and was chased by a witness on a four-wheeler.The Iberville Parish Sheriff's Office arrested Keon Fisher for simple burglary.According to the sheriff's office, Fisher kicked in the door of a home and a family member of the victim chased Fisher on a four-wheeler after witnessing the burglary. Fisher was later caught by deputies after they received reports of a suspicious vehicle in a neighborhood. Deputies late
  
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• IPSO: Burglar chased on four-wheeler by witness; later arrested

  13-06-2017 16:00
  
  IBERVILLE -  A man was arrested after he allegedly broke into a home in Ramah and was chased by a witness on a four-wheeler.The Iberville Parish Sheriff's Office arrested Keon Fisher for simple burglary.According to the sheriff's office, Fisher kicked in the door of a home and a family member of the victim chased Fisher on a four-wheeler after witnessing the burglary. Fisher was later caught by deputies after they received reports of a suspicious vehicle in a neighborhood. Deputies late
  
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• Burglar chased on four-wheeler by witness; suspect later arrested

  13-06-2017 16:00
  
  IBERVILLE - A man was arrested after he allegedly broke into a home in Ramah and was chased by a witness on a four-wheeler.The Iberville Parish Sheriff's Office arrested Keon Fisher for simple burglary. A witness at the scene, Steve Graves, said he saw the man running from the house and knew something wasn't right."And I seen him he took off and ran from the house and ran jumped into his car so I stopped my wife and told her to call the cops," Graves said.According to the sheriff's office, Fishe
  
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• DOTD details $72 million project to widen I-10 near Highland Road

  13-06-2017 15:43
  
  BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development has announced the successful proposer for a $72 million project that will widen Interstate 10 near Highland Road. According to DOTD Secretary Shawn D. Wilson, James Construction Group, LLC, will carry out the project to widen the interstate from four lanes to six east of Highland Road to LA 73, as well as replace the LA 42 overpass structures.Construction is expected to begin in early 2018 and sho
  
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• Attorney General Sessions testifies before Senate Intelligence Committee

  13-06-2017 15:33
  
  WASHINGTON - Attorney General Jeff Sessions has angrily denied that there were problems related to his decision to recuse himself from the FBI's investigation into Russian activities during the election.  Former FBI Director James Comey testified earlier before the Senate intelligence committee said he knew of reasons why it would be problematic for Sessions to remain involved in the Russia investigation, even before he recused himself.  Sessions raised his vo
  
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• Report: Man struck by train on New Orleans riverfront

  13-06-2017 15:23
  
  NEW ORLEANS – A man was killed after he was struck by a train along the New Orleans riverfront on Tuesday afternoon. WWL reports the accident happened around 2:30 p.m. near where St. Louis Street meets the Mississippi River. The man hit by the train was found in between a set of train tracks. He has not been identified at the time of this post. According to WWL, officials say the train did not stop after it hit the man. Permalink| Comments
  
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• Authorities recover 12-year-old child's body from Calcasieu River

  13-06-2017 15:19
  
  OBERLIN - The search for a 12-year-old who went missing along the Calcasieu River over the weekend has come to an end Tuesday.According to a report from KATC, Garrick Neil Jr. was found dead in the river around 10:45 a.m.. According to the family, the child and his mother's boyfriend were swimming across the river when the boy went missing. Calcasieu Sheriff Mancuso says that the mother's boyfriend relayed that he was also having trouble getting across the riv
  
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• Uber CEO to take leave, leadership team to run company

  13-06-2017 14:45
  
  SAN FRANCISCO - Uber CEO Travis Kalanick will take a leave of absence for an unspecified period and let his leadership team run the troubled ride-hailing company while he's gone.  Kalanick told employees about his decision Tuesday in a memo. He says he needs time off to grieve for his mother, who died in a May boating accident. He also says he's responsible for the company's current situation and needs to become a better leader.  The announcement comes as form
  
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• Edwards appoints Angelle's replacement on LSU Board of Supervisors

  13-06-2017 14:45
  
  BATON ROUGE - Governor John Bel Edwards has announced the replacement for former Public Service Commissioner Scott Angelle on the LSU Board of Supervisors.On Tuesday, Edwards announced that Mary Werner will take over Angelle's vacated seat for the remainder of his term representing the 3rd Congressional District. Werner, a native of Leesville, is the director and vice president of The North American Land Company, LLC and The Sweet Lake Land & Oil Company,
  
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• Historic sunken military ship won't be brought to surface

  13-06-2017 14:17
  
  SAN FRANCISCO - A U.S. Coast Guard ship that sank 100 years ago and has sat deep below the water's surface ever since won't be moved anytime soon.  Officials said Tuesday while announcing its discovery that strong currents and an abundance of sediment would make moving the ship too difficult.  The San Francisco-based USCGC McCulloch sank on June 13, 1917, in Southern California after colliding with a civilian steamship. It now sits 300 feet below the surface.&
  
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• Slidell teen killed in crash in Lacombe

  13-06-2017 13:54
  
  SLIDELL – A Slidell teenager was killed in a crash Monday morning in Lacombe. According to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office, the crash occurred on Bayou Paquet Road near Transmitter Road  around 11:40 a.m. when 17-year-old Spencer Coe was driving a BMW. Coe's vehicle was found overturned in the tree line and Coe was pronounced dead at the scene. According to the sheriff's office, there were no other passengers in the car at the time of the crash.&n
  
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• Frogging citation: For 168 frogs, a hoppy ending

  13-06-2017 13:37
  
  DES ALLEMANDS - For 168 frogs, hunting citations had a hoppy ending.  Louisiana wildlife officials say three Raceland men are accused of exceeding a limit on catching frogs at a wildlife management area. One of them allegedly took nearly double the limit.  The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says in a news release that an experimental frog season's limit is 50 frogs per boat at the Salvador Wildlife Management Area near Des Allemands. But one boat checked
  
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• Report: NOPD investigating deadly crash involving ATV, dirt bikes

  13-06-2017 13:27
  
  NEW ORLEANS - The New Orleans Police Department is investigating a deadly crash involving an ATV and two dirt bikes on Chef Menteur Highway that occurred Monday night.According to police, the crash happened around 8:30 p.m. Monday near the intersection of Chef Menteur Highway and Majestic Oaks Drive. Investigators say a Pontiac Grand Prix was attempting to turn onto Majestic Oaks Drive when it was struck by the ATV and dirt bikes, which were traveling at high speeds without hea
  
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• Two contracts awarded for drainage project in Central

  13-06-2017 13:11
  
  CENTRAL – The city of Central announced that two contracts were awarded for the cleaning of canals and ditches in an effort to improve the city's drainage system. The contracts were awarded to Looks Great Services from Columbia, MS. According to city officials, $4 million have been allocated for the project. The cleaning includes some of the worst areas of drainage blocked by the flood from August. The city previously faced delays for the project after it ran
  
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• KFC to send chicken sandwich to edge of space on balloon

  13-06-2017 13:08
  
  LOUISVILLE, Ky. - KFC plans to make a space pioneer out of a chicken sandwich next week when it sends it to the edge of the atmosphere with the help of a high-altitude balloon.  The promotional stunt for the Zinger sandwich comes two months after the fast food chain unveiled Rob Lowe playing Kentucky Fried Chicken founder Col. Harland Sanders in a space suit as part of an ad campaign. The ads promised to send the breaded chicken sandwich into space.  KFC is pa
  
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• Prison guards killed by inmates during transport in Georgia

  13-06-2017 12:48
  
  EATONTON - Authorities may have no shortage of witnesses to the killing of two guards on a prison bus in Georgia.  The Putnam County Sheriff's office says about 30 other inmates were on the transport bus when two inmates overpowered the guards, and one of the inmates then fatally shot them.  Authorities aren't saying which of the escaped inmates did the killing.  Authorities are searching for 43-year-old Donnie Russell Rowe and 24-year-old Ri
  
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• $60,000 reward offered for escaped inmates

  13-06-2017 12:48
  
  EATONTON -  A reward of $60,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrests of two escaped Georgia inmates accused of killing two prison guards.  Georgia Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Nelly Miles said in an email that multiple agencies have contributed to this sum. The agency tweeted that the amount is likely to increase.  Authorities say 43-year-old Donnie Russell Rowe and 24-year-old Ricky Dubose killed Baldwin State Prison transfe
  
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• Louisiana rated 48th among states in Kids Count rankings

  13-06-2017 12:45
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana ranked 48th in an annual national assessment of child well-being that looks at poverty, education and health access.  The Kids Count report was released Tuesday by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a private charitable organization that had Louisiana ranked in the same spot in 2016. The two states that were rated lower also remained the same: New Mexico and Mississippi.  Louisiana improved on certain education, health and economic benchmar
  
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• Student released by North Korea now at hospital

  13-06-2017 12:40
  
  WASHINGTON - An American college student who was released from a North Korean prison has been taken to an Ohio hospital for treatment.  Otto Warmbier, whose parents say is in a coma, arrived at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center late Tuesday night.  Warmbier was serving a 15-year prison term with hard labor in North Korea for alleged anti-state acts.  Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says the State Department secured the 22-year-old'
  
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• Guard, visitor arrested for having drugs at Angola

  13-06-2017 09:30
  
  ANGOLA – A guard and a visitor at the notorious state pen are facing charges for, on separate occasions, trying to smuggle drugs into the prison.Details of the arrests were released Tuesday. State prison officials said the smuggling operations were busted within 24 hours – the most recent was Monday.On Monday, authorities said a corrections cadet who just joined the force had marijuana and ecstasy pills in her car on the compound. Shakitta Anderson of Gloster Mississippi was
  
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• Gov. John Bel Edwards set to announce LSP Superintendent

  13-06-2017 08:48
  
  BATON ROUGE- Governor John Bel Edwards will announce a permanent Louisiana State Police Superintendent today at 11 a.m.Citing wire reports and interviews, The Advocate newspaper, reported early Tuesday the governor would appoint interim superintendent Col. Kevin Reeves to the position full time.Reeves' appointment makes him the official head of the State Police, a position he's been filling since Mike Edmonson abruptly retired in March amid criticism for his leadership.Reeves i
  
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• Gov. John Bel Edwards announces LSP Superintendent

  13-06-2017 08:48
  
  BATON ROUGE- Governor John Bel Edwards announced a permanent Louisiana State Police Superintendent today at 11 a.m.The governor appointed interim superintendent Col. Kevin Reeves to the position full time.Reeves' appointment makes him the official head of the State Police, a position he's been filling since Mike Edmonson abruptly retired in March amid criticism for his leadership.Reeves is a 26-year veteran of State Police.  A native of Baton Rouge, he receive
  
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• Shots fired at Munich subway station

  13-06-2017 05:49
  
  BERLIN - German police say shots have been fired at a subway station in a suburb of Munich.Munich police spokesman Michael Riehlein told The Associated Press that the incident occurred Tuesday morning when police were carrying out a check at the Unterfoehring subway station.He says during the check a weapon was fired but could not immediately say whether it was fired by police or by a suspect.He says he had no immediate reports of injuries but that ambulances were being sent to the scene.Riehlei
  
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• Several in Kenya missing after building collapsed

  13-06-2017 05:13
  
  NAIROBI, Kenya - Witnesses and officials in Kenya say an eight-story building has collapsed in a low-income area of Nairobi.Nairobi Police Chief Japheth Koome Tuesday that at least 10 people had been reported missing after the collapse Monday night.Hailey Akinyi, a resident in an adjacent building who witnessed the collapse, said three people had been rescued from the debris. She says the collapsed building and the flat she lives had been marked with an "X," meaning they had been condem
  
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