Baton Rouge news

• Lawmakers, friends discuss political rhetoric after Scalise shooting

  15-06-2017 21:48
  
  BATON ROUGE – State Representative Cameron Henry said his reaction to fly to Washington, D.C., immediately after learning of his friend U.S. Representative Steve Scalise's injury from a shooting was second nature.Henry spoke with WBRZ reporter Mark Armstrong in Washington, D.C., Thursday evening.Henry said he has spent brief moments with Scalise in the hospital.“At the end of the day, Steve's going to be okay,” Henry said, but admitted it won't be easy.“He
  
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• EBRSO vehicle involved in crash on Siegen Lane; no injuries

  15-06-2017 21:14
  
  BATON ROUGE - Crews are responding to an accident on Siegen Lane near I-10 involving an East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office vehicleThe wreck happened just after 9:00 p.m.  A spokesperson with the Baton Rouge Police Department confirmed an EBRSO vehicle was involved in the accident.Sources on scene say a silver Honda Accord and the Sheriff's Office vehicle were traveling southbound on Siegen Lane. The silver vehicle then attempted to merge into the same lane as the other vehicle, sideswipi
  
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• Trump to announce plan to stop cash flow to Cuban military

  15-06-2017 20:17
  
  WASHINGTON - The White House says President Donald Trump plans to announce a revised Cuba policy that's aimed at stopping the flow of U.S. cash to the country's military and security services. The policy will maintain diplomatic relations and allow U.S. airlines and cruise ships to continue servicing the island.Trump was making the announcement Friday at a Miami theater associated with Cuban exiles who oppose the island's leadership.The president is expected to cast the policy moves as fulfillme
  
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• US to send almost 4,000 troops to Afghanistan

  15-06-2017 20:07
  
  WASHINGTON - A Trump administration official says the Pentagon will send almost 4,000 additional American forces to Afghanistan, hoping to break a stalemate in a war that has now passed to a third U.S. commander in chief.
   The deployment will be the largest of American manpower under Donald Trump's young presidency.
   The official says the decision by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis could be announced as early as next week.
   It follows Trump's move to give Mattis the autho
  
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• Authorities say escaped Georgia inmates captured

  15-06-2017 19:40
  
  CHRISTIANA, Tenn. - Authorities say they have captured two escaped inmates wanted in the slayings of two Georgia prison guards.
   GBI spokeswoman Nelly Miles says 43-year-old Donnie Russell Rowe and 24-year-old Ricky Dubose were apprehended Thursday in Christiana, Tennessee.
   The inmates were being hunted in the killings Tuesday morning of two prison guards who were overpowered, disarmed and shot to death on a prison bus southeast of Atlanta.
   Baldwin State Prison trans
  
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• Texting suicide verdict to be announced Friday

  15-06-2017 19:14
  
  BOSTON - A judge has reached a verdict in the trial of a Massachusetts woman charged with manslaughter for sending her boyfriend dozens of text messages encouraging him to kill himself.
   A court clerk said Judge Lawrence Moniz will announce his decision Friday in Bristol Juvenile Court in the trial of Michelle Carter.
   Carter is charged in the suicide of her 18-year-old boyfriend, Conrad Roy III. Roy was found dead of carbon monoxide poisoning inside his truck in 2014.
  &nbs
  
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• Louisiana lawmakers unite on criminal justice overhaul

  15-06-2017 16:59
  
  BATON ROUGE - In a session mired by feuds over the budget and taxes and a divisive debate over Confederate monuments, Louisiana's Democratic governor and Republican legislative leaders shared one major achievement: uniting their parties to overhaul the state's notoriously harsh approach to the sentencing and rehabilitation of criminals.Surrounded by a bipartisan group of beaming lawmakers, Gov. John Bel Edwards signed 10 bills on Thursday that he said make up the "most extensive, comple
  
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• After WBRZ report, cancer patient receives treatment for cancer

  15-06-2017 16:46
  
  BATON ROUGE – After a report by WBRZ's Chris Nakamoto last week, a cancer patient is now receiving treatment at a clinical trial that could possibly cure her. Daphne Spears, 47, is a mother of four, wife and a nurse at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital. Spears was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. After a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation, Spears went into remission for about two years. In 2016, the cancer returned, spreading to her longs and bones.&nbsp
  
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• Metro councilman still concerned about EBR Council on Aging leadership

  15-06-2017 16:22
  
  BATON ROUGE – After a Wednesday evening vote, rubber-stamping the voter-approved tax to support the EBR Council on Aging, Metro Councilman Matt Watson released a statement dealing with his concerns about the management of the organization.Watson abstained from voting on the agenda item that approved a November 2016 property tax passed by voters. Governing bodies always have to sign off on elections, usually with little to no fanfare. However, the Council on Aging vote became the center
  
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• Fire destroys childhood home of late Natchitoches mayor

  15-06-2017 16:13
  
  NATCHITOCHES – A fire broke out at the childhood home of the late Natchitoches Mayor on Wednesday night. The Natchitoches Parish Sheriff's Department, along with Natchitoches Fire District 1,4,6 and 9 responded to calls of a house fire in the 500 block of LA 495 in Cloutierville around 8:30 p.m.  The sheriff's office says the home was fully engulfed in flames upon deputies' arrival. The home was not occupied and the structure was reportedly more than 100 years old.Aft
  
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• APSO: Two sought for vehicle burglary in Prairieville neighborhood

  15-06-2017 15:52
  
  ASCENSION – The Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office is seeking the public's assistance in identifying two men who burglarized a vehicle in May in a Prairieville neighborhood. The burglary occurred on May 9 on Yorktown Avenue. Video surveillance showed two men pulling on car door handles in the area. Anyone with information on the case is urged to contact the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office at  225-621-INFO (4636) or by texting 847411 to the anonymous tip line
  
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• Doctors say student has severe injuries to brain

  15-06-2017 14:52
  
  WYOMING, Ohio - Doctors in Cincinnati who are treating the American college student released by North Korea in a coma say he has severe injury to all regions of his brain.On Thursday, they described 22-year-old Otto Warmbier as in a state of "unresponsiveness wakefullness." They say he doesn't show any consistent response to stimulation, shows no sign of understanding language, responding to commands or awareness of his environment.Doctors with the University of Cincinnati Heal
  
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• White House without a plan to address debt ceiling

  15-06-2017 14:46
  
  WASHINGTON - The White House budget director says the administration lacks a unified plan to increase the government's borrowing cap as a likely September deadline is drawing near.A failure by Congress to raise the debt ceiling could possibly send dangerous shockwaves through the global economy. The federal government could be at risk of defaulting on obligations such as interest payments on bonds as well as temporarily halting benefit programs.Mick Mulvaney, director of the White House
  
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• BRPD investigating overnight deadly shooting

  15-06-2017 14:13
  
  BATON ROUGE – An investigation is underway into a shooting overnight in Baton Rouge.Police were called to the 2800 block of Lockwood Avenue at Choctaw just after midnight Thursday.At least one person was found dead.Investigators have not released any details about the victim or a possible motive.Permalink| Comments
  
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• NEW: Now it's unclear if anyone survived blimp fire today

  15-06-2017 13:57
  
  WASHINGTON COUNTY, Wis. — The latest reports from the US Open contradict earlier ones that people may have survived a blimp fire above the golf tournament Thursday.Originally, witnesses reported seeing people parachute out of the blimp as it burned and fell to the ground.  Although, it could have just been debris, officials said, and clarified that the one person on the blimp was the pilot and that person has not been located. The blimp was above the US Open outside M
  
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• Special session could end early with a budget deal

  15-06-2017 13:49
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana lawmakers could end their special session early, as the Senate tries to speed passage of a nearly $29 billion operating budget without changes that would force extra votes.The Senate Finance Committee on Thursday voted 8-3 to send the proposal, exactly as it passed the House, to the full Senate for consideration in a Friday debate.If senators don't rewrite or tweak the spending plan, that will be the last stop before heading to the governor.The budget proposal, which keep
  
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• BRPD: Man wanted for robbing Dollar General on N. Little John Road

  15-06-2017 13:23
  
  BATON ROUGE – Baton Rouge Police detectives are seeking a man wanted for allegedly robbing a Dollar General store on North Little John Road. The store was robbed around 9 p.m. when a black man entered the store, approached the counter for checkout and pulled out a handgun demanding money, according to BRPD. The man grabbed an undisclosed amount of money and then fled on foot. Anyone with information on the identity of the man is encouraged to contact the BRPD
  
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• Trooper charged after allegedly kicking man in head, ramming head into window

  15-06-2017 13:13
  
  NEW ORLEANS – A Louisiana State Trooper has been charged with battery after he kicked a man in the head while he was handcuffed and later forced his head into a car window. According to Louisiana State Police, the Master Trooper John Neal was on duty in New Orleans on February 11 when he was alerted to a stolen vehicle. Neal spotted the vehicle in traffic and confronted the occupants. One of the occupant was a 19-year-old who fled on foot, however he was detained shortly after
  
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• Man arrested after standoff with police on Madison Avenue

  15-06-2017 13:06
  
  BATON ROUGE – A man was arrested after a standoff with police on Madison Avenue on Wednesday afternoon. The Baton Rouge Police Department arrested 31-year-old Willie Vinning for charges of felon in possession of a firearm, illegal use of a weapon, possession of a firearm with a controlled dangerous substance, possession with intent to distribute schedule II drugs and resisting an officer. The standoff occurred in the 5000 block of Madison Avenue around 2:30 p.m. when
  
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• Discussion on Baton Rouge Zoo redevelopment leaves more questions than answers

  15-06-2017 12:49
  
  BATON ROUGE - BREC leaders are still pushing for a new zoo location, though not everyone is on board.At an open discussion Thursday, a full room of people waitied to find out more about plans to move the Baton Rouge Zoo and reinvision the Greenwood Park.BREC Superintendent Carolyn McKnight presented plans to turn the space into areas for biking, a water park, and trails."Overall I think it's going to be a seasonal type of facility," resident Paul Brousard said. "Meaning I only see water, splash
  
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• Man who shot congressman was living in van, called a loner

  15-06-2017 12:36
  
  ALEXANDRIA, Va. - The man who opened fire on Congress members as they practiced for a charity baseball game apparently was living out of a cargo van and kept mostly to himself.  Officials say James T. Hodgkinson wounded House Rep. Steve Scalise and others Wednesday morning. Capitol police guarding the House majority whip then fatally shot Hodgkinson.  Authorities believe the 66-year-old had lived in his van near the scene of the shooting in Alexandria, Virgini
  
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• North Korea releases Otto Warmbier on humanitarian grounds

  15-06-2017 07:59
  
  WYOMING, Ohio  - The Latest on an American college student freed this week by North Korea (all times local): 8:10 a.m. Doctors treating an American college student who was released by North Korea in a coma plan to discuss his medical condition. Twenty-two-year-old Otto Warmbier (WORM'-bir) was taken immediately to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center after his arrival Tuesday night in Ohio. A UC Health spokeswoman says doctors will have a news conference on campus Thursday aftern
  
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• Normal fishing hot spot turned ghost town: Lake Verret

  15-06-2017 07:59
  
  Pierre Part, La. - When you're backyard is a Louisiana sportsmans dream, life can be pretty peaceful.Some say it's the sight of drooping moss at sunset, or the sound of crickets. This year, the sound of rushing water has taken away the peace.Belle River at Pierre Part is believed to have reached a record high of 3.3 feet.Mother Nature doesn't take all of the blame for the flooding, like last August.Here's the problem: high rainfall in the northern part of the Atchafalaya River Basin, that eventu
  
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• More charges in Flint water crisis; GOP lawmakers fired upon (10 Things to Know for Thursday)

  15-06-2017 07:08
  
  Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Thursday.
  
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• Chrysler recalls Dodge minivans from 2011 and 2012

  15-06-2017 07:02
  
  DETROIT - Fiat Chrysler is recalling 297,000 minivans in the U.S. and Canada because the driver's front air bag can inflate unexpectedly. The recall covers Dodge Grand Caravans from 2011 and 2012. The company says eight people have suffered minor injuries from the problem, but no crashes have been reported. Fiat Chrysler says the air bag wiring can chafe against steering wheel trim, causing a short circuit. Drivers could see an air bag warning light, the windshield wipers may turn on unexpectedl
  
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• BLOG: tropical development possible, Omaha forecast changes

  15-06-2017 06:11
  
  A typical summer pattern will persist through the weekend, complete with heat indices and pop-up storms.THE FORECAST:Today and Tonight: Thursday will be partly sunny, warm and humid with high temperatures in the low 90s. Isolated showers and thunderstorms are expected during the afternoon hours and high-resolution radar simulations place an emphasis on activity in Baton Rouge. The nighttime will be partly cloudy with low temperatures in the mid 70s.   Wednesday marked the first
  
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• Freed student was 'terrorized and brutalized' by North Korean captors, father says

  15-06-2017 02:57
  
  The father of an American college student released by North Korea and now hospitalized in a coma says his son was "brutalized" by his captors.
  
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