Baton Rouge news

• Police: Road rage led to bat attack, Muslim teen's death

  19-06-2017 20:33
  
  FAIRFAX, Va. - A man charged with murder in the death of a Muslim Virginia teen who was attacked near her mosque became "enraged" by a traffic argument with one of the girl's friends and hit her with a baseball bat before abducting her, police said Monday.  Though the slaying of Nabra Hassanen - whose body was found in a pond - raised concerns that she was targeted because she was Muslim, Fairfax County police spokeswoman Julie Parker said at a news conference that police have
  
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• Whole Foods CEO calls deal with Amazon 'whirlwind courtship'

  19-06-2017 19:51
  
  NEW YORK - Whole Foods CEO John Mackey says the deal to be acquired by Amazon was the result of a "whirlwind courtship."  Mackey spoke at a town hall with Whole Foods employees after the deal was announced late last week, according to a transcript of the talk filed Monday with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Mackey said mutual friends set the companies up on a "blind date" in Seattle about six weeks ago, and executives immediately hit it off.  Mackey s
  
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• Year-round Pell Grants to be available this year

  19-06-2017 19:32
  
  WASHINGTON - Pell Grants for low-income college students can now be used for summer studies.  The U.S. Education Department announced Monday that year-round Pell Grants will be available starting July 1, allowing students to take summer classes and graduate sooner.  Education Secretary Betsy DeVos says the decision "is about empowering students and giving them the flexibility and support needed to achieve their goals."  Pell Grants have tradi
  
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• Trump sends condolences to dead student's family

  19-06-2017 19:23
  
  CINCINNATI - President Donald Trump is offering condolences to the family of an American college student who was released from North Korea in a coma and died days after returning home to Ohio.  The Republican president says University of Virginia student Otto Warmbier (WORM'-bir) spent a year and a half in North Korea before returning last week to the Cincinnati area, where his parents were "so happy to see him even though he was in very tough condition."  War
  
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• Tennessee deputies being treated after shooting

  19-06-2017 19:10
  
  MANCHESTER, Tenn. - Tennessee officials say one of the deputies shot at a county courthouse is undergoing surgery and the second deputy is being treated for a hand injury.  Coffee County District Attorney General Craig Northcott said at a news conference Monday evening that the shooter was an inmate, Michael Bell, who fled about two blocks away and fatally shot himself.  Northcott identified the Coffee County deputies as Wade Bassett and Wendell Bowen.&nbs
  
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• LSU blown out by Beavers 13-1 at CWS

  19-06-2017 18:49
  Omaha, Neb. - A match-up of the two best teams in college baseball quickly eroded into a lop-sided blowout win by the clear number one team in the country as Oregon State beat LSU 13-1 in the winner's bracket contest at the College World Series.The Oregon State Beavers scored early to take a 1-0 lead that they would only further increase with the help of LSU miscues.KJ Harrison belted a the first grand-slam in TD Ameritrade Park College World Series history to stake th
  
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• Louisiana will partially 'ban the box' for college admission

  19-06-2017 18:13
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana's public colleges and universities will only have limited authority to ask applying students about their criminal histories to determine admission.  Gov. John Bel Edwards' office said Monday the governor has signed into law the "ban the box" legislation sponsored by Rep. Vincent Pierre, a Lafayette Democrat.  The legislation contains exceptions.  Schools still can ask about convictions for stalking, rape and sexual bat
  
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• Louisiana cellphone tax for deaf services signed into law

  19-06-2017 17:54
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana cellphone bills will be edging up later this year.Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Monday that he has signed into law a bill enacting a new 4.5-cent monthly tax on cellphones. The dollars will pay for technology assistance and services for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.Current law imposes a 5-cent monthly tax on landline phones, with the money deposited into the Telecommunications for the Deaf Fund. The bill will drop that rate
  
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• Police: Shreveport shootings suspect may have killed himself

  19-06-2017 17:38
  
  SHREVEPORT - Texas authorities say a man suspected of being involved in the fatal shootings of two Louisiana residents is dead and may have killed himself.  KSLA-TV is reporting that the Harrison County, Texas, sheriff's office identified him as 48-year-old Jonathan Manning.  Shreveport police Cpl. Marcus Hines says deputies believe Manning may have shot and killed himself after shooting two people in the northwest Louisiana city early Sunday morning.&nbsp
  
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• Civil rights group's lawsuit targets bail bond companies

  19-06-2017 17:29
  
  NEW ORLEANS - A civil rights group has filed a federal lawsuit against a New Orleans bail bond company and related businesses, alleging they violated federal lending and racketeering laws by charging hidden and illegal fees.  The Southern Poverty Law Center's lawsuit also claims the defendants resorted to kidnapping and extortion, although there's no indication any of the defendants have faced criminal charges in connection with the allegations.  Officials wit
  
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• Sandbags available for West Baton Rouge residents

  19-06-2017 16:45
  
  WEST BATON ROUGE PARISH - Sandbags have been made available in West Baton Rouge Parish in preparation for possible significant rainfall throughout the week.The parish is providing bags, sand and shovels for residents. Though shovels will be at the sites, residents are encouraged to bring their own shovels to fill their bags.The sandbags are available at the following locations: Erwinville Ball Park off Rougon RoadRivault Park in Port Allen near Pete Riviere DriveTrain Depot in City of P
  
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• Tropical storm warning issued along Louisiana coast

  19-06-2017 16:40
  
  The National Weather Service has issued a TROPICAL STORM WARNING for the WBRZ viewing area.A TROPICAL STORM WARNING is issued when sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph or higher in association with a tropical storm are expected within 36 hours. These winds may be accompanied by storm surge, coastal flooding, and/or river flooding.At the present time, the National Hurricane Center has shifted the path of this system west, thus increasing the chance for coastal flooding and minor storm surge. There is
  
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• Man dead after ramming explosives-laden car into French police

  19-06-2017 16:22
  
  PARIS - Police have removed the body of a man who died after ramming his car into a police vehicle on Paris' famed Champs-Elysees, about six hours after the incident that France's interior minister says was an attempted terror attack.  No one else was injured in the Monday afternoon attack, despite the crowds strolling France's most famous avenue on a hot, sunny day. Police removed the body from a tent set up on the side of the avenue.  Police forensic teams c
  
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• School officials to break ground on new Broadmoor Elementary School

  19-06-2017 16:05
  
  BATON ROUGE – The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board will host a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Broadmoor Elementary School on Tuesday, June 20. The school will be open for students in the fall of 2018.Currently, Broadmoor Elementary is being housed at the Valley Park site located at 4510 Bawell Street. The new school is being funded as a part of a 1-cent sales tax renewed by voters in 2008. According to EBR Parish School System officials, the project will cost
  
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• Wait list established for Child Care Assistance Program starting in July

  19-06-2017 15:49
  
  BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana Department of Education announced a wait list will be established for eligible families who apply to the Child Care Assistance Program on and after July 1. Eligible families must apply by June 30 to secure a slot. CCAP is a federally-funded program that enables Louisiana parents to work or attend school by helping them afford child care. From now through June 30, applications will be processed as normal. Complete applications recei
  
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• US student freed from North Korean prison dies

  19-06-2017 15:47
  
  CINCINNATI, Oh. - Family says Otto Warmbier, a US student freed from North Korea last week, has died according to a statement released by an Ohio hospital.Warmbier was released from a North Korean prison and returned home last week, but was in a coma and undergoing treatment at an Ohio hospital where he was taken shortly after arriving on US soil.An airplane carrying Warmbier, who is from Ohio, landed in Cincinnati late Tuesday night. The 22-year-old was then taken by ambulance to the University
  
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• Sandbags available for EBR citizens ahead of possible flooding

  19-06-2017 15:30
  
  EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH - Sandbags have been made available to East Baton Rouge Parish residents in preparation for potential flooding in the area.Parish residents can currently find sandbags available at the following Baton Rouge locations:Station #7 - 5758 Claycut Road
  Station #13 – 835 Sharp Road 
  Station #15 – 3150 Brightside DriveThe city of Baker has also made sandbags available at the Baker Public Works Department at 1507 Mississippi Street.T
  
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• 'Road rage' cited in killing of Muslim girl in Virginia

  19-06-2017 15:19
  
  FAIRFAX - Police blamed "road rage" on Monday for the killing of a teenage Muslim girl who was attacked by a driver while walking with friends to her mosque between Ramadan prayers this weekend.  The girl's father, Mohmoud Hassanen Aboras of Reston said he doesn't understand how this could have happened, because he said his daughter, 17-year-old Nabra Hassanen, was a friend to everyone.  Police charged 22-year-old Darwin Martinez Torres with murder. &
  
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• New seafood promotion, marketing leader named in Louisiana

  19-06-2017 15:14
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana has a new chief promoter for its seafood industry.  Former state lawmaker Bryan Adams has been appointed director of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board by Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser. Adams will manage the agency's finances, oversee marketing efforts and coordinate events highlighting Louisiana seafood.  The News-Star reports that Adams begins his job by hosting the board's signature event, the Louisiana Seafood Cook-Off,
  
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• Police: Man arrested after fatal shooting at Father's Day celebration in Slidell

  19-06-2017 14:58
  
  SLIDELL - Police say a man was arrested after a dispute between family and friends at a Father's Day celebration turned deadly Sunday night.According to the Slidell Police Department, several residents reported gunfire in the 1300 block of Sunset Drive around 8:45 p.m. Sunday. Police say the shooting occurred after 40-year-old Eric Brown got into a verbal altercation with his fiancee's nephew, 32-year-old James Chaney. At some point in the confrontation, Chaney pulled
  
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• New Orleans responding to Alabama mayor

  19-06-2017 14:58
  
  HANCEVILLE, Ala. - The mayor's office in New Orleans says it is preparing a response to the request that it turn over recently removed Confederate-related monuments to a city in Alabama.Hanceville Alabama Mayor Kenneth Nail recently wrote to New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu to request a donation of the monuments for display in Hanceville's Veterans Memorial Park.  In a statement Monday, the mayor's office said it is working on a request for proposals from nonprofits and governm
  
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• Alabama mayor wants Confederate statues New Orleans removed

  19-06-2017 14:58
  
  HANCEVILLE, Ala. - An Alabama mayor is offering to take Confederate-related monuments recently disassembled in New Orleans.  Hanceville Mayor Kenneth Nail wrote to New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, asking him to consider donating the monuments for display in Veterans Memorial Park in Hanceville. The town of about 3,250 people is about 40 miles (65 kilometers) north of Birmingham.  Nail tells The Cullman Times he's heard nothing but positive feedback on the ide
  
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• Crews rescue driver after car went into creek in Central

  19-06-2017 14:38
  
  CENTRAL – The Central Fire Department responded to a driver that veered off the road and into a creek on Sunday.The crash occurred in the 11900 block of Lovett Road around 6:15 p.m. when a vehicle was going eastbound. The driver lost control near the curve in the road and went into the creek. Fire crews were able to place a ladder in the creek and climb down to the vehicle.According to the Central Fire Department, the driver was assisted out of the vehicle and was not injured.
  
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• Louisiana man found guilty on 221 theft counts, taking $1.8M

  19-06-2017 14:32
  
  FRANKLIN - A Louisiana judge has convicted a 63-year-old man on 221 counts of theft, for his role in taking $1.8 million from an investment holdings company over 15 years.  Judge Keith Comeaux also found Armond Duhon guilty Friday of two counts of money laundering and one of racketeering for his part in a scheme that prosecutors said siphoned off the money from a Morgan City-based company from 1999 through 2014.  The Daily Review reports that Duhon, a Morgan C
  
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• California surgeon charged with child sex abuse suspected for years

  19-06-2017 14:30
  
  SAN FRANCISCO - Northern California prosecutors say a brain surgeon charged with sexually abusing children had been suspected of molesting youngsters for years and sought to impregnate women to create more victims.  The Santa Cruz district attorney's office made those allegations in court papers filed Friday arguing against bail. A judge on Monday said James Kohut was entitled to bail, but ordered a financial background report to determine an amount. Kohut was ordered back to c
  
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• TPSO seeking suspect in deadly hit-and-run crash

  19-06-2017 14:27
  
  NATALBANY - The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office is seeking a person responsible for a hit and run that left one person dead and sent a second to the hospital Sunday night.According to the sheriff's office, the crash occurred around 10 p.m. to the KOA Campground on W. Club Deluxe Road. Deputies say 31-year-old Walter Collier of Ponchatoula was killed in the crash. A second victim, a 30-year-old woman was also taken to the hospital as a result.Upon a
  
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• LAPD suspends some training programs after teen cadets stole cruisers

  19-06-2017 14:05
  LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck has suspended training for teen police volunteers at two divisions where cadets suspected of stealing department cruisers were based.  The LAPD said Sunday that the suspensions are part of a thorough review of the program and policies for managing inventory.  Three teenagers in the program for those who may want to become officers stole three patrol vehicles June 14. The trio led officers on wild pursuits tha
  
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• LAPD suspends some training programs after teen cadets steal cruisers

  19-06-2017 14:05
  
  LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck has suspended training for teen police volunteers at two divisions where cadets suspected of stealing department cruisers were based.  The LAPD said Sunday that the suspensions are part of a thorough review of the program and policies for managing inventory.  Three teenagers in the program for those who may want to become officers stole three patrol vehicles June 14. The trio led officers on wild pursuits tha
  
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• Mayor leaves town after controversial firing of police chief

  19-06-2017 13:52
  
  KILLIAN – You could say Killian Mayor Craig McGehee went out in a blaze of glory – resigning from his position as mayor after abruptly firing the police chief in a controversial move that got the entire town talking last week.McGehee resigned his position as mayor in a letter the Secretary of State certified Monday. McGehee said he was taking a job at an oil company in Texas, leaving Louisiana because of a lack of drilling activity in the Gulf of Mexico. McGehee wrote his new
  
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• Public input wanted for proposed Plaquemine Riverfront Recreational Trail

  19-06-2017 13:35
  
  PLAQUEMINE – Officials are looking for public input on the proposed master plan for the Plaquemine Riverfront Recreational Trail.
   Two possible plans for the trail landing and river overlook will be shown for public input. The plans also include a stage, terraced seating and other amenities. Plans also include a walking and biking trail from north Plaquemine to the ferry landing. The public input meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 20 at 6 p.m. The meeting
  
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• Hearing ordered for Louisiana man serving life sentence for 1971 rape

  19-06-2017 13:31
  
  BATON ROUGE - A man serving a life sentence for the 1971 rape of a nurse is getting a court-ordered hearing to determine if authorities withheld evidence that could exonerate him.  In January, Innocence Project New Orleans attorneys had asked the Louisiana Supreme Court to order a new trial for Wilbert Jones. Instead, the justices voted 4-3 for a district court judge to hold a "full evidentiary hearing" on Jones' claims he was denied a fair trial.  Chief Justi
  
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• Cocaine among drugs found in Carrie Fisher's system

  19-06-2017 13:25
  
  LOS ANGELES - Carrie Fisher's autopsy report shows the actress had cocaine in her system when she fell ill on a plane last year, but investigators could not determine what impact the cocaine and other drugs found in her system had on her death.  The report released Monday states Fisher may have taken cocaine three days before the Dec. 23 flight on which she became ill. She died four days later.  It also found traces of heroin and MDMA, which is also known as e
  
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• Fiery tirade over husband's texting gets wife arrested

  19-06-2017 13:10
  
  BATON ROUGE – A scorned lover was booked into jail, accused of a violent tirade aimed at her husband who was texting another woman.Jaquoia Smith, 34, was arrested on domestic abuse and arson charges after an altercation in the Tigerland apartment she shares with her husband. Authorities said Smith tricked the woman texting her husband into coming over and tried to run the unidentified woman over with a car. Then, according to arrest documents, Smith attacked her husband.The man said Sm
  
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• Ascension officials prepare for heavy rain, possible flooding

  19-06-2017 13:08
  
  ASCENSION – Ascension Parish officials are preparing for heaving rain and possible flooding in the area this week.
   Director of the Ascension Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness announced the parish-wide preparation regarding Invest 93 L, a potential tropical development in the Gulf of Mexico. Invest 93L may bring 3-5 inches of rain to the area with a potential for 10-15 inches of rain in isolated areas in Southeast Louisiana and Southwest Mississip
  
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• Robbery suspect threatened to shoot cashier in overnight hold up

  19-06-2017 13:00
  
  AMITE – Sheriff's deputies are investigating an armed robbery at a truck stop along the St. Helena-Tangipahoa parish line Monday morning.A person in a black Dodge Ram walked into the Tall Timber Truck stop on La. 16 and threatened the employee with a gun. Deputies said the person told the employee she'd be shot if she did not hand over money in the register. The worker gave the robber money, and the person drove off in the truck.The St. Helena Parish Sheriff's Office is handling the in
  
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• Call to 2 On Your Side replaces cracked television

  19-06-2017 12:35
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS - A man says he got the run-around from a cable installation company, after a technician put a crack in his new television. The back and forth went on for nearly three months and that's when he called 2 On Your Side.All Randall Harrison wanted was to be reimbursed for the damage, but the company responsible wasn't returning calls or emails."My frustration wasn't that this happened, it's just that it took so long for it to be resolved," he said.The crack in the TV is about four or
  
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• WATCH: Suspect wearing vibrant colors wanted for pharmacy heist

  19-06-2017 12:28
  
  PRAIRIEVILLE – Authorities have identified a vibrantly-clad burglar who deputies said smashed his way into an Ascension Parish pharmacy early Sunday.Detectives are looking for Aaron Beyl, 36, for the smash and grab heist at Galvez Pharmacy. The Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office released video it said was of Beyl smashing his way into the pharmacy Sunday around 4 a.m. Beyl stole an undisclosed number of drugs, authorities reported in a news release.Beyl was identified as a suspect after
  
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• Tiger Woods receiving professional help to manage meds

  19-06-2017 12:28
  
  JUPITER, Fla. - Tiger woods is receiving help to manage his medications. "Im currently receiving professional help to manage my medications and the ways that I deal with back pain and a sleep disorder," Woods said in a statement on Monday night."I want to thank everyone for the amazing outpouring of support and understanding especially the fans and players on tour."Woods was charged with driving under the influence after police in Jupiter, Florida, found him asleep at the wheel
  
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• LSU takes on Oregon St. tonight in the College World Series

  19-06-2017 07:52
  OMAHA - The journey in the College World Series for the LSU Tigers picks up Monday night after a thrilling win over the weekend.The Tigers rallied Saturday night against Florida State in the eighth inning to win their 17th straight game with a 5-4 victory.Jared Poche' worked 2 2/3 shutout innings in a rare relief appearance.The Tigers will play the Oregon St. Beavers tonight at 6p.m. in the Bracket 1 winners' game.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Japan investigates delay in reporting US Navy ship collision

  19-06-2017 07:48
  
  TOKYO - Japan's coast guard is investigating why it took nearly an hour for a deadly collision between a U.S. Navy destroyer and a container ship to be reported.
   A coast guard official said Monday they are trying to find out what the crew of the Philippine-flagged ACX Crystal was doing before reporting the collision to authorities 50 minutes later.
   The coast guard initially said the collision occurred at 2:20 a.m., as the Philippine ship had reported it at 2:25 a.m. and said
  
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