Baton Rouge news

• New violent crimes task force arrests man with drugs, weapons in car

  04-08-2017 21:53
  BATON ROUGE - Following the announcement that a brand new task force designed to respond to violent crimes would patrol Baton Rouge streets, police in that unit made an arrest.According to Baton Rouge Police Department officials, officers made the arrest on Louise Street after 9 p.m.Officers say a suspect was arrested after police found an assault rifle and handgun inside his vehicle. They say they also found illegal drugs.The task force responded earlier in the evening after two people were sh
  
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• Patients nationwide visit Louisiana for groundbreaking brain damage treatment

  04-08-2017 21:48
  NEW ORLEANS - Hundreds of people from across the globe are traveling to Louisiana with hopes that a doctor's treatment will help heal brain damage in their children.Baton Rouge native Kelsie LeBlanc says her son, Kohen Blades, contracted bacterial meningitis and viral encephalitis after walking in waist-deep water during the August flood."I remember thinking to myself, 'God please let my baby be okay,'" LeBlanc said. "I told myself 'If I have to ask God to let my baby be okay, then something's
  
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• Trump nominates 2 to be federal judges in Louisiana

  04-08-2017 21:00
  WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump has nominated a state judge and an attorney to serve as federal judges in the Western District of Louisiana.
   The White House announced the nominations of Judge Terry Doughty and Michael Juneau in a statement Thursday.
   Doughty has served as a judge in Louisiana's 5th Judicial District Court since his 2008 election. He previously worked as an assistant district attorney.
   Juneau is a founding member and shareholder of a Lafayette-ba
  
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• Deputies save suspect from drowning, then arrest him

  04-08-2017 19:53
  SLIDELL - Deputies in St. Tammany Parish arrested a man after a deputy saved him from drowning in a canal.Officials say detectives in the STPSO Narcotics Task Force were conducting an undercover operation in the parking lot of a restaurant when they saw the suspect in a vehicle with a female passenger.Detectives moved in to arrest Kyle Anderson, who attempted to drive away, according to investigators. They say Anderson plowed into an unmarked Sheriff's Office unit head-on, causing heavy damage
  
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• Two groups of women fighting near Wooddale Blvd.

  04-08-2017 18:11
  BATON ROUGE - Crews are responding to an altercation at the 800 block of Belhaven Trace Drive and Wooddale Blvd. The Baton Rouge Police Department says two groups of women were fighting when one woman suffered an injury to her eye. Sources say paramedics responded to the situation and transported at least one patient.No word on what led up to the incident.This is a developing story. Check back for updates. Permalink| Comments
  
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• Buyouts available for some flooded homes in Livingston

  04-08-2017 17:43
  LIVINGSTON - Livingston Parish has started taking applications from homeowners who flooded and want to be bought out.The process is going to be lengthy, and homeowners will have to put up some of their own money, WBRZ learned Friday.  Properties will have to be labeled a substantial loss to qualify.Homeowners would need to put up 25% of the cost of the buyout, Livingston Parish President Layton Ricks said."A lot of people think they want to do some of this until they realize that there
  
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• Two shot near Gus Young Ave. Friday

  04-08-2017 17:02
  BATON ROUGE - Hours after a new, crime fighting task force was announced, Baton Rouge Police had to deal with a double shooting.Two people were shot and taken to a hospital after gunfire in the 1500 block of North 48th Street near Gus Young Avenue.BRPD officials say one of the victims was shot in the back, while the other suffered a gunshot wound to the leg.Police say the victim that was shot in the back ran from police when they arrived on scene. They add the victim that was shot in the leg ha
  
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• BRPD responding to a double shooting near Gus Young Ave.

  04-08-2017 17:02
  BATON ROUGE - The Baton Rouge Police Department is responding to a shooting on the 1500 block of North 48th Street near Gus Young Avenue. Authorities say two people were shot. No word on the severity of the injuries or the condition of the injured. A WBRZ News 2 crew is on the way to the scene.We'll update the story as more information becomes available. Permalink| Comments
  
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• Ascension School System ventilating 'T' buildings at flooded schools

  04-08-2017 16:24
  ASCENSION PARISH- Ascension Parish School System leaders announced temporary buildings at four Ascension Parish Schools are being ventilated after volunteers and teachers complained of throat and eye irritation from a strong ammonia like odor. The complaints came when the buildings were getting prepped for students.
  The buildings are located at Galvez Middle, Galvez Primary, Lake Elementary and St. Amant High.
  Superintendent David Alexander said the ventilation is being done to rid the odor in
  
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• Group against moving Baton Rouge zoo will take issue to court

  04-08-2017 16:15
  BATON ROUGE – Opponents of moving the zoo from its North Baton Rouge location said at a news conference late Friday, they are taking the matter to court to collect documents tied to meetings and correspondence.An anti-move group spearheaded by Metro Councilwoman Chauna Banks-Daniel has fought BREC over its consideration of finding a new location for the zoo. While BREC hasn't said it is entirely committed to moving the zoo, some have said it appears the parks service is pretty much ce
  
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• Higher hotel tax pushed for rooms in Baton Rouge

  04-08-2017 15:59
  BATON ROUGE – It's not just the mayor's office who is pushing a tax for an upcoming ballot.The city's tourist officials announced Friday, they hope voters approve a hotel occupancy tax in November. Tax would go up by two cents if approved. The tax would be charged on rooms rented at Baton Rouge hotels.The revenue generated will be evenly split between Visit Baton Rouge and the Raising Cane’s River Center, officials said in a news release. “Everyone in Bato
  
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• Donaldsonville man dies after being ejected from car in crash

  04-08-2017 15:43
  DONALDSONVILLE - A 76-year-old driver has died after he was ejected from his vehicle during a crash.State Police say they began investigating a two vehicle crash on LA 70 and LA 3120 in Ascension Parish shortly after 10 a.m.Officers say 76-year-old Ronald Dimm, from Plaquemine, was traveling south on LA 3120, as another driver came westbound on LA 70 in a truck. Investigators say Dimm failed to yield at a stop sign for unknown reasons and hit the other vehicle. Dimm was not wearing a seatbelt a
  
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• State auditors to probe questionable contracts

  04-08-2017 15:31
  BATON ROUGE – The state auditor has launched an investigation into the mayor's office concerning BRAVE contracts.The Louisiana Legislative Auditor's office was asked to investigate following reports of questionable deals for BRAVE programs and people who were tied to the mayor's administration. Calls for an investigation came Monday after WBRZ and the Hayride, a conservative website, outlined contracts associated with the crime-fighting program in Baton Rouge."It appears to me its pol
  
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• Mayor schedules meetings to sell EBR voters on tax to pay for roads

  04-08-2017 15:16
  BATON ROUGE – The mayor's office announced a series of meetings aimed at selling a property tax proposal to voters.Earlier, the mayor announced plans for a property tax that would raise about $500 million to be used on roads throughout the parish. WBRZ.com previously highlighted which roadways would get attention HERE.Friday, the mayor's office released a schedule of meetings – the first of which is Monday – to discuss the tax and possible projects. After all the m
  
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• Man accused of failing to fix dishwasher, running off with the check

  04-08-2017 15:02
  BATON ROUGE - The East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office has arrested a man who posed as a handyman and took the victim's money. According to the affidavit, 38-year-old Evan Stribling told a resident he worked for Tiger Town Appliance and was hired to fix the victim's dishwasher in November 2016.  The victim wrote a check for nearly $260 before the job was completed. That check was made out to and cashed by Stribling's girlfriend. According to th
  
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• Unlicensed contractor accused of failing to complete repairs costing thousands

  04-08-2017 14:46
  BATON ROUGE - Deputies arrested an unlicensed contractor after he accepted $15,000 to complete repairs to a home.East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office deputies charged Derrick Bradford with residential contractor fraud. They say a homeowner contacted Bradford to make various repairs to her home in September 2016, in a contract totaling $22,569.50.Deputies say the victim contacted them in July, saying she paid Bradford nearly $15,000 for supplies and labor, including installation of sheet rock, door
  
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• Homeowner tries to burn bees' nest, sets home ablaze

  04-08-2017 14:40
  FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. - A man's attempt to burn bees out of their nest backfired after the ill-advised extermination method caught fire to a Georgia home, destroying most of it.  Fayette County Deputy Fire Chief Tom Bartlett tells The Associated Press that the homeowner lit a stick on fire last weekend, then tried to poke the flaming stick up into the bees' nest near the roof to get rid of them.  That set fire to part of the house, with the flames then spreading
  
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• Authorities on the hunt for Hammond murder suspect

  04-08-2017 14:29
  HAMMOND - Law enforcement officials in Tangipahoa Parish say they're looking for the man behind a fatal shooting in Hammond on July 31. The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office says 38-year-old Stephen Brown is their lead suspect in the murder of 19-year-old Leroy Sims III. According to a news release, Sims was shot multiple times on Monday night around 9:40 p.m. and pronounced dead at the scene. Officials belive illegal drug activity
  
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• New task force gets to work to tackle violent crime this afternoon

  04-08-2017 14:08
  BATON ROUGE – Friday evening, there will be change to how Baton Rouge Police combat violent crime.After a violent crime wave this summer, the department announced a ten-officer unit that will focus on violent crime exclusively and patrol dangerous streets when they're not working a crime scene. Officers assigned to the task force come from each of the department's police districts – there are four districts in the city limits.Officers are scheduled to hit the streets after a
  
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• EBR sheriff highlights trying year during association gathering

  04-08-2017 14:06
  BATON ROUGE – Sheriff Sid Gautreaux reflected on the trying year as he handed over the reigns of the Louisiana Sheriff's Association recently.Gautreaux was the 71st president of the organization and completed his tenure as the head of the group – serving during a year of tragedy and high stress in the parish he polices.“Serving as President of LSA has been the pinnacle of my law enforcement career,” Sheriff Sid Gautreaux said. “To be selected by
  
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• Two arrested in Napoleonville for residential burglary

  04-08-2017 13:32
  NAPOLEONVILLE - The Assumption Parish Sheriff's Office has arrested two men for allegedly breaking into and robbing a home off of LA 1. According to police documents, Dax Prejean and Gage Blanchard entered the residence on July 28. Once inside, they took a safe with an undisclosed amount of money and other valuable items. Witnesses helped investigators identify a vehicle similar to Prejean's that was seen at the home during the time of the b
  
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• Teen who allegedly killed Kenner man with hammer will face murder charges

  04-08-2017 13:17
  UPDATE: According to WWL-TV, the teen who allegedly killed 89-year-old Phillip Lynch with a hammer will face a charge of first degree murder. He was already charged with attempted murder, car theft and aggravated battery.KENNER - Officials say a man who was attacked by a 16-year-old with a hammer last month has died.  Kenner Police Chief Michael Glaser says in a statement that 89-year-old Phillip Lynch died Thursday. He says criminal charges against the 16-ye
  
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• Louisiana man beaten with hammer dies

  04-08-2017 13:17
  KENNER - Officials say a man who was attacked with by a 16-year-old with hammer last month has died.  Kenner Police Chief Michael Glaser says in a statement that 89-year-old Phillip Lynch died Thursday. He says criminal charges against the 16-year-old boy accused of beating Lynch and his wife could be upgraded pending results of an autopsy.  Glaser says Lynch's next-door neighbor called 911 on the afternoon of July 10 reporting that Lynch was covered
  
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• Blues musician arrested for alleged sexual abuse of a minor

  04-08-2017 13:08
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana blues musician Kenny Acosta is facing accusations of sexually abusing a young family member. According to the affidavit, the now 67-year-old Acosta had been making the young girl perform sexual acts with him since 2013. Her mother called law enforcement in 2015 after the girl revealed the abuse to a friend. The victim would not tell investigators about the crimes at that time. The mother called authorities again in Ma
  
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• Istrouma High marching band lacks instruments

  04-08-2017 12:56
  BATON ROUGE- Istrouma High School opens next week after a three year closure. The new band director, Reggie Jackson, is rebuilding the once great program from scratch."The instruments are currently non-existent," he said. Jackson isn't sure where they went, he guessed some were destroyed in the August flood while others were sent to other schools after Istrouma closed in 2014."We'll take any instrument you will give us," said Jackson. Currently the band has just four trumpets and four clarinets
  
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• Semi flipped across I-110, caused hours-long closure Friday

  04-08-2017 09:14
  BATON ROUGE - An 18-wheeler flipped across I-110 Friday morning, closing the interstate for much of the day.The wreck happened around 8 a.m. Friday.  The interstate was closed until about 2:30.The driver of the semi seemed to have lost control in the curve near the Governor's Mansion as the truck was traveling north.  As it careened out of control, the tractor-trailer flipped over the middle, concrete barrier and became wedged across parts of northbound and southbound lanes.Cr
  
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• TRAFFIC ALERT: Semi crashed across I-110

  04-08-2017 07:06
  BATON ROUGE - News 2's Ashley Fruge’ has you covered with live updates for your Friday morning commute.Beat the traffic every time using WBRZ's advanced traffic tracking technology. Click here to go to our traffic center. Tweets by WBRZtrafficPermalink| Comments
  
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• TRAFFIC ALERT: I-10W gridlocked, delays to the split

  04-08-2017 07:06
  BATON ROUGE -  All lanes of I-10W are now open after a two vehicle crash previously shut down the area near the Mississippi River Bridge. This after the semi-truck struggle closing I-110 for hours this morning.Heavy delays still have pushed traffic back to the I-10/I-12 split.  Beat the traffic every time using WBRZ's advanced traffic tracking technology. Click here to go to our traffic center. Tweets by WBRZtrafficPermalink| Comments
  
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