Baton Rouge news

• Officials: Texas girl found dead kidnapped over drug theft

  03-07-2017 21:34
  
  DALLAS - Court records indicate that a 13-year-old girl who was found dead in a house over the weekend was kidnapped after the boyfriend of one of her relatives stole about 22 pounds of marijuana.  The body of Shavon Randle was discovered at the Dallas house late Saturday night after being reported abducted Wednesday from a home in Lancaster, located south of Dallas. A 19-year-old man was also found dead in the house.  Two men are charged with aggravated kidna
  
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• Marijuana sales in Nevada exceed stores' expectations

  03-07-2017 21:23
  
  LAS VEGAS - Recreational marijuana sales have exceeded the expectations of Las Vegas area store owners.  Eager pot customers on Monday again lined up before dispensaries opened their doors. That's after thousands swarmed the pot stores over the weekend.  Nevada on Saturday became the fifth state with shops selling pot to the public, jumpstarting a market that is expected to be fueled by the tens of millions of visitors that Sin City welcomes each year.&nbs
  
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• Report: Runner, age 101, takes women's record for age group

  03-07-2017 20:45
  
  BATON ROUGE - A report says a 101-year-old runner from Louisiana has set the woman's world record in the 100-yard dash for her age group.  The Advocate reports Julia Hawkins set the record in the 100-yard dash for women 100 and older, clocking 39.62 seconds at this year's National Senior Games in Birmingham, Alabama. She also competed in the 50-yard dash, besting competitors as young as 90 while earning the nickname "Hurricane" Hawkins.  Hawkins began competin
  
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• UN chief: US may meet Paris climate goals despite exit

  03-07-2017 20:38
  
  LISBON, Portugal - U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the United States may meet the Paris climate agreement's targets despite pulling out of the deal.  Guterres says Michael Bloomberg, a U.N. special envoy on climate change, is "convinced" the U.S. will reach the Paris goals. Guterres says that's because some U.S. states, cities and businesses are committed to green energy regardless of the federal government.  Guterres said in a speech Monday in Li
  
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• VIDEO: Firefighters rescue deer from Arizona wildfire

  03-07-2017 20:21
  
  ARIZONA - Count baby deer among those saved by firefighters battling a stubborn Arizona wildfire.The U.S. Forest Service posted photos and a video on Facebookshowing the Friday night rescue, where Hotshots rounded up two deer fawns.The baby animals were found too close to the spreading blaze in the dense Prescott National Forest in the area of Prescott, a mountain city about 100 miles (160.9 kilometers) north of Phoenix.The deer were taken to a wildli
  
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• Impaired driver arrested after sheriff's deputy hurt in I-10 crash

  03-07-2017 16:48
  
  ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH - Police say a sheriff's deputy was injured on I-10 West while helping the victim of a hit and run Monday morning.According to Louisiana State Police, a St. John the Baptist Parish sheriff's deputy stopped on the left hand shoulder of I-10 West to help another deputy investigate a hit and run around 5 a.m. Monday. Police say a St. Charles Parish deputy parked his vehicle behind the sideswiped vehicle and activated his emergency lights as he went to c
  
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• Powerful company counter sues family over historic cemetery

  03-07-2017 16:38
  
  PLAQUEMINE- A family fighting against a powerful chemical company over a historic cemetery was slapped with a shock in court.
  The family accuses Axiall of limiting access to the cemetery and taking a public road. Axiall is now suing the family, and their attorney called those actions outrageous.
  The plaintiffs in the original lawsuit are made defendants in court filings late last month. The family called the counter lawsuit a cheap shot and an intimidation tactic. They say they aren't intimidate
  
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• Highway construction worker killed on LA 31 in Iberia Parish

  03-07-2017 16:00
  
  IBERIA PARISH - Police say a highway construction worker was killed on the job in Iberia Parish Monday morning.According to Louisiana State Police, 63-year-old DOTD worker Paul Featherston was killed in a crash on LA 31 near Greenbriar Street just before 9 a.m.. Police say Featherston was standing behind a DOTD dump truck, which was parked in the roadway with its warning lights on, as he and his crew were conducting road repairs. At
  
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• Suspect wanted for vehicle burglary in Livingston Parish subdivision

  03-07-2017 15:51
  
  LIVINGSTON – The Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office is searching for an individual who allegedly broke into  a vehicle in a subdivision in the area. According to the sheriff's office, deputies received a report of a vehicle burglary on June 29 in the Lakes of Fennwood Subdivision. The victim noticed items missing from his vehicle when he was leaving for work.The sheriff's office says a firearm, checkbook and other items were taken. It is believed the vehicle was not l
  
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• APSO: Couple wanted for stealing bottles of alcohol from Harvest Supermarket

  03-07-2017 15:26
  
  ASCENSION – The Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office is searching for a man and woman who allegedly stole alcohol from Harvest Supermarket. The theft occurred on June 23 at the Harvest Supermarket in Geismar when an unknown black man and unknown black woman entered the store. Surveillance video captured the pair taking bottles of champagne from the shelf and placing them into the woman's black bag. Anyone with information on the case is urged to contact the Asce
  
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• Man arrested on 4th DWI charge after arriving on scene of friend's 2nd DWI

  03-07-2017 15:05
  
  THIBODAUX - Deputies arrested a man Sunday after he showed up to the scene of his friend's DWI-related crash while intoxicated.According to the Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office, 55-year-old Larry Fontenot Jr. and 65-year-old John Roath were both arrested and charged with driving under the influence Sunday night.The sheriff's office says Fontenot crashed his truck into a ditch around 8:45 p.m. Sunday. Deputies responded to the scene and detected the s
  
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• Man arrested for 4th DWI after arriving on scene of friend's 2nd DWI

  03-07-2017 15:05
  
  THIBODAUX - Deputies arrested a man Sunday after he showed up to the scene of his friend's DWI-related crash while intoxicated.According to the Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office, 55-year-old Larry Fontenot Jr. and 65-year-old John Roath were both arrested and charged with driving under the influence Sunday night.The sheriff's office says Fontenot crashed his truck into a ditch around 8:45 p.m. Sunday. Deputies responded to the scene and detected the s
  
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• VIDEO: Fisherman catches huge hammerhead shark on Florida beach

  03-07-2017 14:55
  
  PANAMA CITY - A man returned home this weekend with quite the impressive fish story after he reeled in an enormous hammerhead shark.Curtis Williams, who was visiting from Birmingham, Alabama, was flying a drone over the shore when he saw the epic catch-and-release encounter.“[I was] vacationing at the beach and was going to video a nice pleasant sunset," Williams told Storyful. "I noticed a man wading in the water and something close to him. I brought the drone down and quickly realize
  
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• NJ Governor Christie spotted on closed public beach amid government shutdown

  03-07-2017 14:30
  
  New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie didn't let his state's government shutdown put a damper on his family's weekend plans.Late last week Christie shut down the state's parks, recreation areas, forests and historic sites — including Island Beach State Park and Liberty State Park — over a state budget battle.But on Sunday he and other members of his family were seen in aerial photos lounging by the water at Island Beach State Park, even though the public beach was
  
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• Police: Boston airport car crash injures 10 pedestrians

  03-07-2017 14:15
  
  BOSTON - Massachusetts State Police say a crash that injured 10 pedestrians near Boston's airport does not appear to be an intentional act.  A police official said the crash is believed to be a case of "operator error" in which the driver stepped on the gas pedal instead of the brake. The person was not authorized to comment on the record and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.  The 56-year-old taxi driver's vehicle struck the pedestrians
  
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• Louisiana rejects Trump commission request for voter data

  03-07-2017 14:14
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana won't give President Donald Trump's voting commission the voter identification information it requested. Secretary of State Tom Schedler announced his decision Monday. In a statement, Schedler says he believes voters' private information - including Social Security numbers, birth dates, and mother's maiden name - should be kept private and should be protected by the state.Schedler, a Repubican, says he believes the Trump commission's request is
  
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• Denham Springs police investigating Sunday night shooting

  03-07-2017 14:11
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS - Police are investigating a shooting in Denham Springs that sent one person to the hospital Sunday night.According to the Denham Springs Police Department, the shooting occurred around 9:20 p.m. on Martin Luther King Boulevard near Central Street.Police say the victim, who is not believed to have been the target of the shooting, was taken to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries. She has since been released.Officials are still investigating the matter
  
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• Man previously charged with contractor fraud in Livingston, Ascension, charged again in EBR

  03-07-2017 14:05
  
  BATON ROUGE – A contractor who has been arrested several times before for contractor fraud in Livingston and Ascension Parish has been arrested again on the same charges in East Baton Rouge Parish. Michael Simmers' most recent arrest occurred on June 20 for another charge of residential contractor fraud. According to arrest documents, Simmers accepted a $5,000 payment for residential contract work on Jan. 1 for a home located in the 1100 block of Boreas Drive. Simmers
  
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• Lee Michaels on Corporate Blvd. burglarized overnight

  03-07-2017 13:02
  
  BATON ROUGE – Lee Michaels jewelry store on Corporate Boulevard was burglarized on Monday. One of the windows was shattered near a store front display.The manager says "a little silver" was taken, but did not specify what items were taken or their value. According to the store manager, the burglary happened around 3 or 4 a.m.The manager told WBRZ that most inventory is placed in a safe at night.This story will be updated as more information becomes available.&nbsp
  
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• Sobriety checkpoint in Livingston Parish Monday

  03-07-2017 12:29
  
  LIVINGSTON – The Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office, along with several other law enforcement agencies, will conduct a sobriety checkpoint in Livingston Parish on July 3. The checkpoint is a part of the "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign. The checkpoints are an effort to protect citizens from those who drink and drive. Specifics about the location of the checkpoint will not be released in advance. According to the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office, gr
  
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• Trump criticizes Kim Jong Un after latest missile launch

  03-07-2017 12:17
  
  WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump is criticizing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un after that country's latest missile launch, asking, "Does this guy have anything better to do with his life?"  Trump says on Twitter that it's "Hard to believe that South Korea ... and Japan will put up with this much longer."  And he urges North Korea's biggest ally, China, to "put a heavy move on North Korea and end this nonsense once and for all!"  South Kor
  
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• Dryer malfunction sparks house fire on Fuqua Street

  03-07-2017 12:14
  
  BATON ROUGE - A house fire on Fuqua Street was caused by a malfunction in the clothes dryer inside the home, according to the Baton Rouge Fire Department.The fire occurred just before 9:15 p.m. Monday night in the 2600 block of Fuqua Street. One person was inside the home when the fire started.Firefighters were able to control the fire in about 10 minutes.The fire was caused by a malfunction in the clothes dyer, and damage was contained to the rear of the home, according to BRFD.The rest of the
  
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• Woman accused of stabbing brother, injuring EMS worker

  03-07-2017 09:24
  
  CENTRAL - Sheriff's deputies arrested Tiah Bradley after investigators say she got into a physical fight with her brother that turned into a stabbing.According to arrest documents, obtained by WBRZ Monday morning, Bradley armed herself with a knife and stabbed her brother in the torso and neck from behind.Bradley was also injured in the Sunday incident off Blackwater Road and received treatment.
  Documents show Bradley became combative in the ambulance. An EMS worker was punched in the face, whic
  
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• UPDATE: Staring Lane speed limit increase delayed

  03-07-2017 08:52
  
  BATON ROUGE - The East Baton Rouge DOTD now says the speed limit on Staring Lane between Highland Road and Perkins Road will still increase, just less.On July 10, signs will be posted upping the speed limit from 35 mph to 40 mph. In 2014, the speed limit was lowered after people complained that 40 mph was too fast. It's currently at 35 mph.The speed limit went from 35 to 40 after the construction project widened Staring. But, after complaints it dropped to 35 again.Per
  
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• Trump tweets mock video of him beating CNN, sparks criticism

  03-07-2017 06:12
  
  BRIDGEWATER, N.J. - President Donald Trump has crowned his weekend rage against the news media with a mock video that shows him pummeling a man in a business suit outside a wrestling ring. The man's face is obscured with the CNN logo.
   It's not clear who produced the brief video, which appears to be a doctored version of Trump's 2007 appearance on World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. The 28-second clip was posted on Trump's official Twitter account Sunday morning.
   Trump has bran
  
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