Baton Rouge news

• Conflicting meetings discuss future of EBR Zoo

  11-07-2017 21:58
  BATON ROUGE - The future of the Baton Rouge Zoo has been a hot topic among BREC leaders and people who are against moving the zoo.On Tuesday, BREC leaders presented information to residents concerning the blueprint of the proposed $110 million Baton Rouge Zoo and the $40 million re-imagine Greenwood Park.The idea is to move the zoo closer into the Baton Rouge City limits, near a major interstate corridor. Meanwhile, the existing zoo property would be transformed into a state of the art park.Resi
  
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• Mississippi corrections probe death of 2 inmates

  11-07-2017 21:16
  
  JACKSON, Miss. - Two inmates have died and the Mississippi Department of Corrections is investigating.  Officials say the deaths of 24-year-old Evan Brothern and 38-year-old August Walley are unrelated. Both occurred Monday.  MDOC, in a news release Tuesday, said Brothern was pronounced dead at Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg about 9 p.m.  He had been hospitalized since July 1 after collapsing in an open bay area at South Mississippi Correctio
  
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• Two new wildfires force evacuations in California

  11-07-2017 21:07
  
  OROVILLE, Calif. - Two new fires are surging and forcing evacuations in California.  A blaze that broke out in San Diego County about 2 p.m. Tuesday quickly surged to over half a square mile. It forced the closure of Interstate 8 and the evacuation of five homes in Alpine, a town of 15,000 people about 50 miles northeast of San Diego.  In Northern California, the Placer County Sheriff's Office has issued mandatory evacuations along four roads near a 2-acre fir
  
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• Kennedy says it's time to vote on health care

  11-07-2017 20:25
  
  BATON ROUGE - U.S. Sen. John Kennedy says if he thinks the Senate GOP health care bill being negotiated behind the scenes is even a modest improvement over current law, he'll support it.Kennedy responded Tuesday to Senate Republican leaders' announcement that a reworked health care bill will be introduced Thursday, with a vote expected next week.Louisiana's newest senator didn't stake out a position on the first draft of the Senate bill and says he's not sure if he'll support the next draft beca
  
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• Trump Jr. questions his own handling of meeting

  11-07-2017 20:21
  
  WASHINGTON - In retrospect, maybe he would have done things differently.  That's the message from Donald Trump Jr. following revelations that he met with a Russian lawyer with hopes of obtaining compromising information on his Hillary Clinton.  The president's oldest son is responding to the news in an interview with Fox News Channel personality Sean Hannity.  Emails show that Trump Jr. had been told that by music promoter Rob Goldstone that
  
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• Louisiana man faces prison, fine for killing whooping crane

  11-07-2017 20:10
  
  GUEYDAN, La. - A 21-year-old Louisiana man faces at least 45 days in prison and a $2,500 fine for killing a whooping crane in 2014 and killing ducks from a moving truck in 2015.  Defense attorney Barry Sallinger says Lane Thibodeaux of Gueydan could return to prison for another six months if he fails to pay within a year.  Department of Wildlife and Fisheries spokesman Adam Einck says Thibodeaux also faces state charges of witness intimidation. &n
  
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• House panel debuts bill to fund border wall

  11-07-2017 20:03
  
  WASHINGTON - A House committee has unveiled legislation to fund President Donald Trump's long-promised wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.  The $1.6 billion appropriations for a down payment on building a physical wall and other blockades matches Trump's request, but comes after the GOP-controlled Congress failed to deliver the money when passing an omnibus spending measure earlier this year. Democrats objected to the funding and the Trump administration and congressional Republ
  
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• Governor warns against taking plane crash debris

  11-07-2017 19:36
  
  ITTA BENA, Miss. - Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant is warning people to not remove debris from the area where a Marine Corps plane crashed.  Bryant, in statements Tuesday on Twitter, said law enforcement authorities have received reports that items are being taken from the crash site. Debris from the KC-130 that crashed Monday is scattered for miles.  Sheriff's deputies and state troopers have been trying to control access to sites, but the broad area and number
  
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• Police: Man physically abuses grandmother before holding her hostage

  11-07-2017 17:41
  
  BRUSLY - A man was arrested by police after he allegedly abused his grandmother and held her hostage inside of a bathroom. According to Brusly Police, Trey Ramey was arrested Tuesday after he abused his elderly grandmother. Police say that after Ramey abused and restrained his grandmother, he locked her inside of a bathroom while wielding a knife and threatened her life. Police added that Ramey threatened her to the point which she "
  
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• INVESTIGATIVE UNIT: Fallout continues surrounding Southern Vice Chancellor Brandon Dumas

  11-07-2017 17:39
  
  BATON ROUGE- Problems continue to mount at Southern University as a top administrator enters a third week on paid leave as the university conducts an investigation into Brandon Dumas' actions.Since Dumas was placed on leave, Southern has largely avoided questions from the WBRZ Investigative Unit. WBRZ learned through multiple sources the university isn't happy with his actions. Those sources said high-ranking members of the university had a meeting last week and called for Brandon Dumas
  
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• Tsunami Sushi restaurant locations to stop using straws

  11-07-2017 17:02
  
  BATON ROUGE – Tsunami Sushi restaurant locations have a new no straw policy, the restaurant chain announced on Tuesday. In a Facebook post, the restaurant explained that straws are one of the top marine debris items found on beaches and play a role in killing marine life. "As plastics start to break down and degrade, they release harmful toxins that pollute our aquatic ecosystems," the post says. The post goes on stating that about 24,000 tons of plastic end
  
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• Escaped huskies corralled, to be adopted

  11-07-2017 16:56
  
  GONZALES - At least nine huskies escaped a fenced enclosure and roamed a neighborhood Monday into Tuesday. A resident called WBRZ, concerned for the health of the animals.Ascension Parish Animal Control was called Monday to investigate and revisited the home on Braud Road in Gonzales Tuesday."I believe the situation is in hand right now," said Ascension Parish spokesperson Martin McConnell. "The animals have been rounded up, they do have a caretaker on site."Shantelle Fruge's home backs up to th
  
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• New Orleans street performer 'Uncle Louie' to be extradited to Florida on murder charge

  11-07-2017 16:30
  
  NEW ORLEANS - A New Orleans street performer known as Uncle Louie will be extradited to face charges in a deadly convenience store robbery that occurred 43 years ago in Jacksonville, Florida.  NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune reports online records show Orleans Parish Magistrate Judge Harry Cantrell was presented Tuesday with extradition papers signed by Gov. John Bel Edwards. Cantrell then ordered Uncle Louie, whose real name is Johnie Miller, to be transported to face second-degre
  
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• Police: Zachary man arrested for 5th DWI following crash in Baton Rouge

  11-07-2017 15:52
  
  BATON ROUGE - Police arrested a man for his fifth DWI offense after he crashed into a ditch near LA 423 Monday.According to Louisiana State Police, 28-year-old Curtis Loftin was arrested following the crash on Brownsfield Drive. Police say Loftin was driving northbound on Brownsfields Drive around noon when he traveled into the median and struck a light pole near the roadway's intersection with LA 423. His vehicle then crossed into the opposing lanes
  
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• Louisiana honors its first female firefighter killed in line of duty

  11-07-2017 14:58
  
  MOUNT HERMON - A community is honoring the life and service of a volunteer firefighter after she was killed in a crash while responding to a house fire last week.Services were held Sunday for 54-year-old Ronda Varnado, the first female firefighter to perish in the line of duty from Louisiana. Honor guards and fire service personnel from around the state provided a continuous guard at her casket during visitation. Those in attendance praised Varnado&am
  
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• Judge orders temporary closure of Reggie's bar

  11-07-2017 14:29
  
  BATON ROUGE - A judge has ordered the temporary closure of a local bar, citing that the temporary restraining order which allowed it to reopen was likely improperly issued.At a court hearing Tuesday, Judge Michael Caldwell ordered that the bar closes Tuesday and Wednesday, ahead of a hearing with the Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control on Thursday. The bar had its liquor license pulled earlier in July but was granted a temporary restrainin
  
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• Indicted area mayor headed for trial in early 2018

  11-07-2017 14:24
  
  NEW ROADS – Mayor Robert Myer will go to trial in early 2018 on charges he used the city's credit card improperly.Myer was indicted and a judge swiftly issued a warrant for his arrest on malfeasance and abuse of power charges  in August 2016. At a hearing on the arrest Tuesday – nearly a year since the arrest – a judge set the trial for January 16 – 19, 2018. There will be a pretrial hearing on December 12.At the hearing this week, a judge denied
  
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• Report: 14-year-old Texas girl electrocuted after phone falls in bathtub

  11-07-2017 14:19
  
  LOVINGTON – The family of a 14-year-old girl says that she was electrocuted when her cellphone, that was plugged into its charger, fell into a bathtub while she was in it. The teen, Madison Coe, of Lubbock, Texas, died on Sunday at her father's home in Lovington, New Mexico, KTRK reports. The teen's mother and grandmother say that Coe either plugged the cellphone charger in or grabbed her phone when it was already plugged into a bathroom outlet.&
  
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• Girlfriend of man fatally shot by deputy released from jail

  11-07-2017 14:12
  
  VILLE PLATTE - The girlfriend of a man who was shot and killed by a Louisiana sheriff's deputy has been released from jail less than a week after her arrest on a charge she tried to kill the officer during a struggle.  District Attorney Trent Brignac says 21-year-old Dequince Brown was released from the Evangeline Parish jail Tuesday after a judge set her bond at $75,000. Brown was arrested last week on a charge of attempted second-degree murder of a police officer. &a
  
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• Man indicted in massage therapist's murder

  11-07-2017 13:53
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS - A grand jury has indicted a man for the murder of a massage therapist after she was killed at one of her appointments.According to District Attorney Scott Perrilloux, a Livingston Parish Grand Jury returned a true bill of indictment for 25-year-old Christopher Landry for one count of second degree murder. Landry was arrested June 5 for the murder of 24-year-old Kayla Ann Denham.Denham was found in a barn on property at 30709 Dunn Road in Denham Springs
  
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• Survey: 4 in 10 US adults have experienced online harassment

  11-07-2017 13:38
  
  NEW YORK - A new survey says a whopping 41 percent of U.S. adults have experienced online harassment, ranging from offensive name-calling to stalking and sexual harassment.  That's up from 35 percent in 2014.  The Pew Research Center says that 66 percent of respondents have witnessed other people being harassed. While some people's experiences could be "shrugged off" as a nuisance, some 18 percent said they were subjected to "severe" forms of harassment. This
  
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• Slain NYPD officer 'died a patriot,' mayor says at funeral

  11-07-2017 13:31
  
  NEW YORK - A New York police officer and mother of three was honored at a funeral Tuesday, six days after she was gunned down in a marked police vehicle.Officer Miosotis Familia, 48 and a 12-year veteran, "died a patriot," New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said at the service."She was killed solely because she wore a uniform," he said. "She was murdered while acting as an agent of peace."Familia was sitting and writing in her memo book when she was shot and killed early July 5
  
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• Report: Woman allegedly looted neighbor's flooded home, sold stolen items at yard sales

  11-07-2017 13:12
  
  AMITE – A woman was arrested after she allegedly looted her neighbor's flooded home and then sold the stolen items at yard sales. WWL reports that Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's deputies began investigating a looting incident on Thomas Road in Amite in December. A large number of personal belongings, including dishware, decorations and furniture, were stolen from the flooded home. The looter entered the home by breaking a window, deputies say. Detectives receive
  
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• Gov. Edwards heading to Rhode Island for governors' meeting

  11-07-2017 12:50
  
  BATON ROUGE- Gov. John Bel Edwards will travel to Rhode Island this week to meet with other governors from around the nation.  The Democratic governor's office said Edwards will leave Louisiana on Wednesday for the National Governors Association summer meeting in Providence. Vice President Mike Pence and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will address the governors during the meeting.  While there, Edwards will be part of a panel discussion with FEMA Admin
  
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• Trump Jr. tweets email chain on Russia meeting

  11-07-2017 12:41
  
  WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump's son told a person promising him damaging information about Hillary Clinton: "If it's what you say I love it."  Donald Trump Jr. posted his emails with publicist Rob Goldstone on Twitter Tuesday. The emails with Goldstone show that Trump Jr. was told that the Russian government had information that could "incriminate" Clinton and her dealings with Russia.  Trump Jr. says in a statement that he released the exchanges "in ord
  
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• One person reportedly stabbed on N. Acadian Thruway

  11-07-2017 12:15
  
  BATON ROUGE - One person was reportedly stabbed on North Acadian Thruway Tuesday night, according to authorities.The stabbing took place in the 3400 block of N Acadian Thruway near Ozark Street sometime after 10 p.m.Emergency crews and police are responding to the scene.No other details are available at this time. Check back for updates.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Man pleas guilty to beating estranged wife to death with baseball bat

  11-07-2017 08:53
  
  GONZALES - The estranged husband of a domestic violence victim has plead guilty in Ascension Parish to murdering his wife.  David Johnson will be sentenced to life in prison, when sentencing happens in early September. Johnson's plea comes as the Ascension Parish District Attorney's Office was ready to move forward with jury selection following the August 2015 killing.
  According to the the district attorney's office, Monica Johnson was found dead in the back yard of the home wi
  
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• Man pleads guilty to beating estranged wife to death with baseball bat

  11-07-2017 08:53
  
  GONZALES - The estranged husband of a domestic violence victim has entered a guilty plea in Ascension Parish to murdering his wife.  David Johnson will be sentenced to life in prison, when sentencing happens in early September. Johnson's plea comes as the Ascension Parish District Attorney's Office was ready to move forward with jury selection following the August 2015 killing.
  According to the the district attorney's office, Monica Johnson was found dead in the back yard of the home wi
  
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• Community meetings on the BR Zoo and Greenwood Park

  11-07-2017 06:37
  
  BATON ROUGE - Officials are hosting 13 community meetings to get public input about proposed changes to the Greenwood Park and possible relocation of the Baton Rouge Zoo.BREC Superintendent McKnight has been invited to attend all of the additional meetings however, the Keep the Zoo at Greenwood Park will be hosting all 13 meetings.Meetings will be held as follows:July 11 – Perkins Road Community Park, 7122 Perkins Road, 6 p.m.July 11 – City of Baker Council Meeting, Baker Mun
  
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• BREC hosting community meetings on the BR Zoo and Greenwood Park

  11-07-2017 06:37
  
  BATON ROUGE - BREC officials are hosting six community meetings to get public input about proposed changes to the Greenwood Park and possible relocation of the Baton Rouge Zoo.The meetings will begin at 6 p.m. and will include public comment and a presentation by BREC Superintendent Carolyn McKnight at 6:30 p.m.Meetings will be held in the following locations:July 11 - Perkins Road Community Park
  July 13 - Highland Road Community Park
  August 1 - Central Library
  August 3 - Zachary Library
  August
  
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• Supreme Court deadline nears for suit over wetland loss

  11-07-2017 06:32
  
  NEW ORLEANS - A Louisiana flood board is nearing a deadline for asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review its lawsuit seeking to make oil and gas companies pay for decades of damage to coastal wetlands.
   Federal district and appeals courts have rejected the lawsuit, which was met by fierce opposition from the energy industry and many in state government when it was filed in 2013. The suit by the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority East said drilling and dredging activity contri
  
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• Similar, predictable pattern changing this weekend

  11-07-2017 05:47
  
  While the summer pattern continues, some tropical moisture may throw a wrench into the forecast by this weekend.THE FORECAST: Today and Tonight: Your Tuesday will once again bring partly sunny skies and midday highs near 90 degrees. By the afternoon, scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop for about half of the 13 Parish, 3 County forecast area. Any storms will be capable of downpours. Overnight will be partly cloudy and muggy with lows in the mid 70s.   &am
  
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