Baton Rouge news

• Louisiana's contentious education plan wins federal approval

  15-08-2017 20:27
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana has received federal approval for its contested redesign of state education policies, submitted by education officials over the objections of Gov. John Bel Edwards.  U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos announced Tuesday that she had signed off on Louisiana's proposal under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act. The 2015 law requires states to spell out in detailed plans how they'll spot and help troubled schools.  The plan crafted by
  
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• Wisconsin man drives himself to hospital after shooting nail into his chest

  15-08-2017 20:20
  GREEN BAY, Wi. - A Wisconsin man is going viral after a nail pierced his chest while building a fireplace. According to ABC News, Doug Bergeson accidentally fired a three-and-a-half inch nail into his chest. Initially, he brushed it off. "It just felt like it kind of stung me," Bergeson said. However, when he saw the nail moving with his heart, he thought it was time to end his work day. But Bergeson didn't call 911. Instead, he dro
  
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• Police: Middle finger ticket to be training tool

  15-08-2017 20:00
  NEW ORLEANS - Louisiana State Police say a trooper's decision to ticket a driver who gave him the middle finger was "an unfortunate incident which will be used as a training opportunity."  The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana says the ticket was illegal retaliation for protected free speech. Executive Director Marjorie Esman says the ticket alleged public intimidation, a felony.  In a letter faxed to the Louisiana State Police on Monday, she also n
  
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• Two dead in Ruston, one in custody

  15-08-2017 19:47
  RUSTON - Two Louisiana residents are dead after a double homicide and one man is in custody.  Lincoln Parish sheriff's deputies were called Monday to a Ruston home and found Anthony and Rachel Denicola with multiple gunshot wounds. The Lincoln Parish Coroner's Office pronounced Rachel Denicola dead at the scene, while her husband was pronounced dead at Northern Louisiana Medical Center.  The News-Star reports John Nichols surrendered to deputies. He faces cha
  
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• Louisiana man arrested for shooting estranged wife

  15-08-2017 19:29
  BENTON - A 25-year-old man is in custody after he allegedly shot his estranged wife in the stomach during a dispute at their home.  The Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office says 25-year-old Taylor Coffey, of Benton, was arrested Monday on charges of aggravated second-degree battery, obstruction of justice and possession of marijuana.  The Shreveport Times reports detectives also arrested his neighbor, 27-year-old Brandy Mendoza, for obstruction of justice for hidi
  
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• Cafe under investigation in death of ESPN broadcaster's wife

  15-08-2017 19:27
  WOODBURY, Conn. - Connecticut officials are investigating a restaurant where authorities say the wife of longtime ESPN broadcaster Chris Berman had lunch before she died in a car crash.  A state Department of Consumer Protection spokeswoman said Tuesday that the state Liquor Control Commission's investigation into the Good News Cafe in Woodbury opened after the agency received information regarding the serving of alcohol to 67-year-old Katherine Berman.  The
  
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• Authorities seek two suspects wanted in connection with fatal Hammond shooting

  15-08-2017 19:01
  HAMMOND - The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help in locating two suspects wanted in connection to a fatal shooting.According to the Sheriff's Office, Edward Earl Marshall III, 22, of Hammond and Deandre Wheeler, 22, have been identified as suspects who committed criminal actions before, during and after the shooting death of 19-year-old Leroy T. Sims. The shooting took place on July 31 on Bruce Allen Lane. Upon arrival, deputies discove
  
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• Governor Edwards requests expansion of flood assistance program

  15-08-2017 18:32
  BATON ROUGE - Governor John Bel Edwards has requested that the Restore LA Task Force expand its homeowner assistance program.On Tuesday, the governor asked that the program be expanded to include all homeowners who had flood insurance during last year’s historic flooding in March and August. The governor said he would also like to increase grant awards for those who are already eligible for both construction work and reimbursements.Gov. Edwards has specifically asked
  
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• Homeowner says painting company hasn't finished the job

  15-08-2017 18:04
  GONZALES - A homeowner says the people she hired to paint her house didn't finish the job and what has been done is not worth what she paid them to do.Camilla Anderson and her husband hired a company to perform the finishing touches on their flood-damaged home. The work began in January. Fast forward to today and the work drags on. Now, Anderson wants a refund.As she walks around her house, Anderson points to spots on her walls that are bumpy or missing paint. Her crown molding only has a coat
  
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• EBR searches for more Spanish-language teachers

  15-08-2017 17:52
  BATON ROUGE - School officials are seeking more ESL teachers, as the number of international students grows.This year the school system enrolled nearly 400 students who do not speak English as a first language. The English as a Second Language Program has been growing significantly over the past few years, according to school officials.Superintendent Warren Drake says so far, they've met the demand, but are constantly looking to recruit qualified teachers."We actually do have a need for more be
  
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• St. Tammany Parish authorities crackdown on underage alcohol sales

  15-08-2017 16:48
  ST. TAMMANY PARISH - Two undercover operations occurred last week targeting businesses serving alcohol to those under 21. According to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office, a total of 65 businesses were checked during the operation. Eighteen of those clerks were issued summonses for non-compliance. Sheriffs did not say which businesses failed to comply. Clerks on both the west and east side of the parish were subject to the operation. Per
  
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• St. Tammany Parish authorities crack down on underage alcohol sales

  15-08-2017 16:48
  ST. TAMMANY PARISH - Two undercover operations occurred last week targeting businesses serving alcohol to those under 21. According to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office, a total of 65 businesses were checked during the operation. Eighteen of those clerks were issued summonses for non-compliance. Sheriffs did not say which businesses failed to comply. Clerks on both the west and east side of the parish were subject to the operation. Per
  
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• Massive, unfinished local mansion finally sells

  15-08-2017 16:45
  HAMMOND – A 24,000-square-foot mansion isn't what you'd expect to find along a rural road between Ponchatoula and Hammond, but it's exactly what you'll see along Happywoods Road in Tangipahoa Parish.And, it's where you'll soon find a church retreat, according to the local newspaper.The mansion has been on the market since March 2016. It sold recently, The Daily Star reported, for $1.525 million. The owner was originally asking $1.925 million.A church from the New Orleans area will use
  
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• Denham Springs mayor addresses drainage concerns

  15-08-2017 16:42
  DENHAM SPRINGS - Denham Springs mayor Gerard Landry is fighting back over resident's complaints that the city is not doing enough to solve drainage issues that bubbled up again after a quick downpour led to limited flooding there last week.
  "We're trying to put together a long-range plan to improve drainage in the city by improving the size and quality of the culverts that are out there in addition to working with the parish," said Landry.Denham Spring's drainage issues caused major pr
  
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• Trump lashes out at 'alt-left' in Charlottesville, says 'fine people on both sides'

  15-08-2017 16:30
  WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump lashed out about the criticism of his initial statement about the Charlottesville violence today and quickly went on to blame both sides of protestors for the conflict, adding that there were “very fine people” in both the group of white supremacists and white nationalists as well as the counterprotesters.“I think there is blame on both sides. You look at both sides. I think there is blame object on both sides,&
  
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• Trump says 'we'll see' what happens to his top strategist

  15-08-2017 16:12
  NEW YORK - President Donald Trump won't say whether he plans to keep top White House strategist Steve Bannon.  At an impromptu press conference Tuesday, Trump answered questions about his confidence in his top adviser by saying "we'll see what happens."  The former leader of conservative Breitbart News has been back in the hot seat as some of Trump's closest advisers nudge the president to get rid of him. The anti-Bannon campaign comes as Trump is under fire
  
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• Iberville Parish Jail to close for two month renovation

  15-08-2017 16:04
  PLAQUEMINE - The Iberville Parish Jail will close for a two month renovation of the facility's air conditioning system. According to Iberville Parish Sheriff Brett Stassi, the HVAC swap will begin on Friday, August 18. Male inmates will be transferred to two state correctional facilities. Those who were arrested will be sent to the West Baton Rouge Parish Jail where they will be bonded out or transferred if they cannot post bond.&am
  
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• Baby left in unlocked car as couple burglarized Baton Rouge shop

  15-08-2017 16:04
  BATON ROUGE - Two parents were arrested in Baton Rouge Tuesday after they allegedly left their baby unattended in a parking lot while committing an early-morning burglary.According to the Baton Rouge Police Department, 29-year-old Cash Kennedy and 27-year-old Kellie Mercer were arrested after officers found them at the scene of a burglary early Tuesday morning.Police arrived at the Nutrishop on Nicholson Drive after they received a report of a burglary in progress. Officers say they fo
  
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• Man arrested for allegedly burglarizing two St. Tammany vet clinics

  15-08-2017 16:03
  ST. TAMMANY - A 35-year-old Mandeville man was arrested after he allegedly burglarized two veterinary clinics four separate times in St. Tammany Parish.According to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office, detectives with the Property Crimes Division arrested Michael Blake Jackson after he was identified as the suspect responsible for the burglaries that occurred over the past three months.The first incident took place on July 16, when a Mandeville-area vet clinic was burglarized. The
  
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• One of three suspects arrested in kidnapping, torture attack

  15-08-2017 15:20
  BATON ROUGE - Police have one suspect in custody in connection to a disturbing and violent attack that occurred in early August.According to an affidavit, Samuel Josea Smith Jr., was arrested on charges of false imprisonment, sexual battery, second degree battery and second degree kidnapping. On August 3, Smith and two other male suspects identified as Almoine Powell and Damar Coleman, had a dispute with the victim over stolen merchandise. The victim was then
  
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• Ben Hur bridge to remain closed until Aug. 25

  15-08-2017 14:58
  BATON ROUGE - A bridge along Ben Hur Road will be fully closed for repairs until August 25.According to the City of Baton Rouge's official Twitter account, the bridge near River Road will be closed all day, every day, as crews perform repairs. The city says repairs should be completed in the next week-and-a-half.BRIDGE CLOSURE: Ben Hur Rd. Bridge near River Rd. will be fully closed for repair until 8/25, all day each day.— City of Baton Rouge (@TheCityofBR) August 15, 2017Per
  
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• WATCH: Actor Johnny Depp visits children's hospital dressed as Capt. Jack Sparrow

  15-08-2017 14:38
  VANCOUVER, BC - Award-winning Actor Johnny Depp paid a visit to a children's hospital as his famous 'Pirates of the Caribbean' character.A video posted by the BC Children's Hospital shows Depp visiting patients at the medical center, dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow. The hospital said Depp spent more than five hours meeting each patient one-on-one.Depp has played the lead character in the famous Disney franchise for nearly 15 years.P
  
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• Humane Society offers reward for information in death of 3-legged family dog

  15-08-2017 13:54
  IOTA - The Humane Society of Louisiana is offering a $500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the shooting of a three-legged dog named Jack.According to the humane society, the Schnauzer mix was was shot on August 2 after he left his yard and wandered off. His owners reportedly found him near death and rushed him to Millers Vet Clinic in Eunice.The attending veterinarian determined that Jack's injuries were too extensive and that
  
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• Hammond bank robbery causes area school to go into lockdown

  15-08-2017 13:40
  HAMMOND- Two suspected bank robbers are on the run and caused an area school to go on lockdown.Two male suspects robbed the First Bank and Trust located at 1320 South Morrison Boulevard at 11: 40 a.m., authorities said. One of the suspects entered the bank armed with a handgun. The men fled westbound on Robin Street after taking an unknown amount of money.Hammond Westside Montessori School went on lockdown after the bank robbery took place. Authorities were searching the area near the
  
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• Kenner bank robber arrested in Oklahoma

  15-08-2017 13:05
  NEW ORLEANS – An arrest has been made in the case of a bank robbery that occurred last week.The FBI New Orleans Division announced they had arrested Dillon Arnez Davis Thursday in Oklahoma.The robbery occurred August 2 at a Chase Bank located at 3540 Williams Blvd. in Kenner. The manhunt for Davis spanned from Laplace, Louisiana to Langston, Oklahoma.FBI agents from the New Orleans Violent Crime Task Force tracked Davis to Langston where he was arrested by the Langston Univer
  
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• One patient airlifted with injuries from electric shock

  15-08-2017 13:01
  WALKER – One man was hurt in a mishap involving electricity Tuesday morning near Walker. According to Entergy, the 32-year-old victim was airlifted to a nearby hospital. First responders were dispatched to the Burgess Road/Arnold Road area around 10:30 a.m. Witnesses say a power line may have been struck as concrete was being poured in the area.Traffic in the area of Burgess/Arnold roads was heavily congested.***************Follow the publisher of t
  
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• Charges sought against those who toppled Confederate statue

  15-08-2017 12:51
  DURHAM, N.C. - A North Carolina sheriff is working to identify and charge protesters who toppled a nearly century-old Confederate statue.  Durham County Sheriff Mike Andrews issued a statement Tuesday that investigators are using video footage to identify those responsible for toppling the statue. Law enforcement officers took video throughout the protest Monday in downtown Durham.  But they didn't intervene as demonstrators climbed a ladder, attached a rope
  
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• Dakota Access developer granted hearing delay

  15-08-2017 12:47
  BISMARCK, N.D.- North Dakota regulators have granted a request by the developer of the Dakota Access pipeline to postpone a public hearing on whether the company violated state rules - but not without dissent.The Public Service Commission is looking into whether Energy Transfer Partners removed too many trees and improperly handled some soil during construction of the $3.8 billion pipeline to move North Dakota oil east.Thursday's hearing was to provide information for the commission to decide w
  
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• Man wanted for series of burglaries in Zachary

  15-08-2017 12:24
  ZACHARY - Detectives with the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office are seeking a man suspected of burglarizing a home on Greenwell Springs Port Hudson Road. According to the sheriff's office, the victim returned to the home in the 9100 block of Greenwell Springs Port Hudson Road to find the front door kicked in. Deputies were also told that several items were missing from the home. The suspect is described as a black male, approximately six feet tall, with a sli
  
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• Street lights still out along Plank Road

  15-08-2017 12:21
  BATON ROUGE - A busy section of Plank Road is still in the dark after nine months without street lights. Last month, residents in Brownsfield asked city leaders to repair the street lights along the road that have been out since a construction project started in January.Neighbors met yet again Tuesday night at the Brentwood Home Association meeting to discuss the lack of progress. George Millican lives in Brownsfield and said everyone driving down the section of Plank Road is being lef
  
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• Lawsuit: Louisiana prison won't provide public records

  15-08-2017 06:56
  NEW ORLEANS- A civil rights organization says it's suing to get public records regarding inmates held apart from other prisoners at a lockup in Louisiana.The Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center says the warden of the Allen Correctional Center in Kinder has failed to comply with a public records request made nearly two months ago.MacArthur Center Director Katie Schwartzmann says in a Monday news release that other Louisiana prisons have complied with such requests regarding inmates hel
  
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• Appeals court reviews Louisiana governor's LGBT-rights order

  15-08-2017 06:46
  BATON ROUGE- Lawyers for Louisiana's Democratic governor and Republican attorney general are heading back to court to argue the constitutionality of an order aimed at protecting LGBT rights in state government.Gov. John Bel Edwards is hoping an appeals court will reinstate his executive order banning discrimination in government and state contracts based on sexual orientation and gender identity.A three-judge court panel hears arguments Tuesday from lawyers for the governor and for Attorney Gen
  
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• Second suspect arrested in East Polk St. shooting

  15-08-2017 06:17
  UPDATE: Police have announced a second arrest in the fatal shooting of Donald Wayne Ely. Police say 45-year-old Deldridge Wilsonwas arrested Tuesday and booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on the charge of Principal to Second Degree Murder.Check back for updates.Original story:BATON ROUGE- An arrest has been made in the East Polk Street shooting.A multi-agency collaboration resulted in the arrest of a man suspected of murder. Baton Rouge Police Detectives a
  
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• Arrest made in East Polk St. shooting

  15-08-2017 06:17
  BATON ROUGE- An arrest has been made in the East Polk Street shooting.A multi-agency collaboration resulted in the arrest of a man suspected of murder. Baton Rouge Police Detectives along with the Louisiana Sate Police Fugitive Task Force arrested Willie Tyrone Dunbar Monday.Dunbar, 26, was arrested in connection with a shooting that occurred on June 20 that resulted in the death of Donald Wayne Ely, 37. On the day of the shooting officers responded to 620 East Polk Street relative to shoots be
  
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