Baton Rouge news

• Trump declares Harvey disaster in Texas

  25-08-2017 21:41
  HOUSTON - President Donald Trump says he has signed a disaster declaration for Texas as Hurricane Harvey nears on the middle Texas coast.
   Trump announced his declaration in a posting on his Twitter account.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">At the request of the Governor of Texas, I have signed the Disaster Proclamation, which unleashes the full force of government help!</p>— Donald J. Trump (@rea
  
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• Preparing for Hurricane Harvey: Denham Springs clearing ditches, culverts

  25-08-2017 20:10
  DENHAM SPRINGS- As Hurricane Harvey progresses, the news of possibly three to four inches of rain has some residents in Denham Springs nervous. "The streets were flooded, water came up, just five feet from my house, and that's when I started to get nervous again." Robert Desoto recalled the three inches of rain that caused the high school, roads and neighborhoods to have backwater flooding.The City of Denham Springs Drainage District #1 was out and about Friday, cleaning culverts and d
  
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• FEMA tells residents to heed its future orders

  25-08-2017 19:59
  HOUSTON - As Hurricane Harvey approaches the Texas coast, Federal Emergency Management Agency officials say if a shelter in place order is issued, residents should immediately take action to do so.  FEMA on Friday urged residents to charge cell phones and to download the agency's phone app, follow them on Twitter at FEMAregion6 or follow FEMA on Facebook.  Six federal Urban Search and Rescue task forces have been staged in San Antonio in preparation. Other su
  
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• Trump pardons ex-sheriff convicted of defying judge's order

  25-08-2017 19:58
  WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump has pardoned former sheriff Joe Arpaio following his conviction for intentionally disobeying a judge's order in an immigration case.
   The White House announced the move Friday night, saying the 85-year-old ex-sheriff of Arizona's Maricopa County was a "worthy candidate" for a presidential pardon.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Mayweather, McGregor ticket prices dropping

  25-08-2017 19:28
  LAS VEGAS - Ticket prices for Saturday's 154-pound fight between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather Jr. are trending down, with many below the original list price.  Some tickets at the T-Mobile arena could be had for as little as $1,100, while seats closer to the action were being listed on secondary markets for less than they originally cost. A day before the fight, there were also hundreds of tickets left at the box office.  Jesse Lawrence of TicketIQ, a r
  
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• Hurricane Harvey evacuees offered free stays

  25-08-2017 19:16
  HOUSTON - Some spots in Texas and Louisiana are offering free or discounted places for Hurricane Harvey evacuees to stay.
   Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Friday afternoon opened Texas state parks to hurricane evacuees to camp for free. Several parks on the coast and in South Texas have been closed for the hurricane, but the Texas Parks and Wildlife department posted a map of available camping sites away from the path of the hurricane to its website .
   The Texas Association of Campgrou
  
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• Deportations on the rise in Canada amid migrant influx

  25-08-2017 19:06
  TORONTO - Canada has stepped up deportations of migrants this year as a surge of asylum seekers enter the country illegally from the United States.  Canada Border Services Agency said Thursday there have been a total of 5,529 deportations compared to 7,357 in all of 2016.  The number of deportations to Mexico jumped from 433 last year to 719 this year as of Tuesday. Canada waived a visa requirement for Mexicans last December.  Deportations t
  
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• Seoul: North Korea fires several projectiles to sea

  25-08-2017 17:59
  SEOUL, South Korea - South Korea says North Korea has fired several unidentified projectiles to the sea in what appears to be the latest weapons tests for the country that has been rapidly expanding its nuclear weapons and missile program.  Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Saturday that that the projectiles were fired from an area from the North's eastern coast and flew about 250 kilometers (155 miles).  The JCS says the South Korea and U.S. militaries were
  
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• Real estate experts skeptical about zoo relocation

  25-08-2017 17:42
  BATON ROUGE - As BREC officials insist on evaluating the relocation of the zoo, real estate experts remain skeptical.Beau Box specializes in commercial real estate and says finding a location that meets all of BREC's requirements will be challenging. Box argues most large commercial areas are either taken, pricey, or require a wetland permit."Larger development tracts have all been gobbled up, picked over, and developed," said Box.There are three locations Box believes may be feasible:
  
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• Alarm system 'deal' turned out to be anything but

  25-08-2017 17:19
  PORT ALLEN - Security alarm representatives are going door to door in Port Allen. One man was convinced he'd been sold a deal, but it turns out he wasn't provided with the whole truth.John Morris thought he was getting a fair price for his Vivint security system, but he was shocked when he looked at his bank statement and saw charges totaling more than he had agreed to."I thought I was getting a deal," Morris said.In July, a Vivint representative knocked on Morris' door with an offer. Being on
  
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• EBRSO: Man shot on Old Scenic Highway after giving ride to shooter

  25-08-2017 16:33
  ZACHARY - Authorities say a man was shot Friday afternoon while he was giving someone a ride in his vehicle.Deputies responded to the incident around 4:10 p.m. Friday on Old Scenic Highway near Groom Road. According to the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, the victim was giving a ride to another person when that same person shot him in the leg.The roadway is closed in the area while authorities investigate.Details are limited at this time.Check back for updates.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Police chase ends in Baton Rouge after suspect crashes into building

  25-08-2017 16:16
  BATON ROUGE – A man was arrested Friday afternoon after a police chase ended with him crashing his vehicle through a building on Florida Street.The wreck happened at the corner of Atkinson Street and Florida around 3:30. Police say the driver was taken into custody, but did not immediately provide details on what prompted the chase in the first place.Check back for updates.  Permalink| Comments
  
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• Car crashes into building Friday

  25-08-2017 16:16
  BATON ROUGE – A pickup crashed into the side of a building Friday afternoon.The wreck happened at the corner of Atkinson Street and Florida around 3:30. The truck smashed into the side of the building.Police were on the scene but have not released specific information.Check back for updates.  ****************Follow the publisher of this post on Twitter: @treyschmaltzPermalink| Comments
  
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• Suspect pleads guilty to manslaughter in death of East Feliciana School Board member

  25-08-2017 16:07
  BATON ROUGE - A man has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the 2016 death of East Feliciana School Board member Broderick Brooks.On Friday, Jacquez Griffin pleaded to guilty to charges of manslaughter and armed robbery.Brooks was found dead in his car in May 2016 after it rolled into a fire hydrant and had been idling in a yard on Wenonah Street for hours. A bullet had torn through his left arm and then all the way through his chest, hitting his heart and both lungs, h
  
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• Suspect pleads guilty to man slaughter in death of East Feliciana School Board member

  25-08-2017 16:07
  BATON ROUGE - A man has pleaded guilty to man slaughter in the 2016 death of East Feliciana School Board member Broderick Brooks.On Friday, Jacquez Griffin pleaded to guilty to charges of manslaughter and armed robbery.Brooks was found dead in his car in May 2016 after it rolled into a fire hydrant and had been idling in a yard on Wenonah Street for hours. A bullet had torn through his left arm and then all the way through his chest, hitting his heart and both lungs,
  
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• Voluntary evacuation declared in parts of Vermilion Parish

  25-08-2017 14:49
  VERMILION PARISH - A voluntary evacuation has been ordered in some parts of Vermilion Parish Friday.Vermilion Parish Police Jury President Ronald Darby ordered a voluntary evacuation in low-lying areas below LA 14. Check back for updates.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Two in critical condition after crash on Fairfields Avenue

  25-08-2017 14:30
  BATON ROUGE - Authorities say two were hospitalized after a crash on Fairfields Avenue Friday.The crash occurred around 2:20 p.m. on Fairfields near Mission Drive. Authorities say two victims were taken from the scene in critical condition.Check back for updates.Permalink| Comments
  
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• LSU game next Saturday unaffected by Harvey so far

  25-08-2017 14:18
  BATON ROUGE – There is no change in the upcoming season-opener for LSU Football, the university released Friday.The game remains scheduled for Saturday, September 2nd, at Houston's NRG Stadium. LSU will face BYU.This is the third season in a row that LSU has encountered a significant weather event other than a rain delay. In 2015, an October game with South Carolina was moved from Columbia to Baton Rouge due to flooding there. The season-opener at Tiger Stadium that year was also impa
  
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• WATCH:Big rig crashes into overhanging sign, overturns on Houston roadway

  25-08-2017 13:53
  HOUSTON- A video has been circulating on the Internet of a big rig truck with its bucked raised crashing into a trestle over an interstate Thursday.According to a report from KTRK, authorities closed the roadway to clean the area after the trestle fell to the ground and crushed the truck. Video obtained by media outlets shows another motorist attempting to warn the truck driver as the big rig approaches the trestle.The truck driver's condition is not yet known. Traffic in the area was
  
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• WATCH: Big rig crashes into overhanging sign, overturns on Houston roadway

  25-08-2017 13:53
  HOUSTON- A video has been circulating on the Internet of a big rig truck with its bucked raised crashing into a trestle over an interstate Thursday.According to a report from KTRK, authorities closed the roadway to clean the area after the trestle fell to the ground and crushed the truck. Video obtained by media outlets shows another motorist attempting to warn the truck driver as the big rig approaches the trestle.The truck driver's condition is not yet known. Traffic in the area was
  
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• WATCH: Sheriff's deputy loses his cool while wrangling gator

  25-08-2017 13:37
  JEFFERSON PARISH - This is not what he signed up for.A Jefferson Parish Sheriff's deputy got a little more than he bargained for when he was called to help wrangle a wild alligator Thursday. A video posted by the sheriff's office shows a pair of deputies wrangling the gator as others watch the encounter from afar. At one point, the tied-up gator catches a deputy off-guard when he aggressively whips his head around. "Side note, we're not sure if our deputy was
  
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• State trooper helps rescue dog trapped in car

  25-08-2017 13:21
  DESOTO PARISH - With the help of a state trooper and other volunteers, a little dog was rescued from underneath a car seat.On Thursday, a state trooper was escorting an oversized load in DeSoto Parish when he was flagged down by a motorist. The woman then told the trooper that her dog was trapped under the driver’s seat of her car.The trooper, two other motorists and a volunteer fireman came to the pup's aid and carefully removed him from under the seat.State police say the dog was no
  
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• East Baton Rouge Prepares Pumping Station in anticipation for severe weather

  25-08-2017 13:17
  BATON ROUGE - City leaders are preparing pumping stations around the parish in preparation for however Hurricane Harvey may effect the area.The Department of Public Works have inspected the pumps all week and said they should be ready to handle rain from Hurricane Harvey.The city has two pumps. One is located on Terrace Street, and the other station is near the capitol. Both stations pump water into the Mississippi River."They're capable of pumping about 76 thousand gallons a minute and what it
  
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• Kitchen fire at Victoria Drive residence sends one to hospital

  25-08-2017 09:24
  BATON ROUGE- An early morning kitchen fire at a residence sent one person to the hospital.The Baton Rouge Fire Department responded to a trailer fire that occurred at 3579 Victoria Drive at 4:56 a.m. Friday morning. The cause of the fire is under investigation.At the scene, firefighters found the kitchen of the mobile home in a blaze. The fire was extinguished quickly. One person was transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The Red Cross was called to assist
  
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• Trump to push tax overhaul in Missouri next week

  25-08-2017 08:30
  WASHINGTON- President Donald Trump plans to make a public push to overhaul the nation's tax system next week in Springfield, Missouri.The White House says the president will be making the stop in southwest Missouri on Wednesday to begin selling his administration's calls to change the tax system. Administration officials have said Trump plans to hold events around the country in the coming weeks to promote the tax overhaul.The White House has expressed hope that the changes can be approved in C
  
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• LIVE UPDATES: Friday traffic

  25-08-2017 08:15
  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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• LIVE UPDATES: Friday morning communte

  25-08-2017 08:15
  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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• New Orleans prosecutors: 2 cousins killed man over dice game

  25-08-2017 06:46
  NEW ORLEANS - Prosecutors say one cousin of an imprisoned drug kingpin is convicted while another's charged in the December 2014 fatal shooting of a 28-year-old man in retaliation for a robbery during a dice game.The Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office says 27-year-old Julius Hankton was given the maximum 40-year prison sentence for manslaughter Monday after admitting to one count of the charge as part of a plea agreement.Quintin Hankton faces second-degree murder charges for also firing
  
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• Rice harvest threatened in Louisiana as Harvey nears Texas

  25-08-2017 06:19
  NEW ORLEANS- The possibility of heavy rain from Hurricane Harvey is bad news for farmers hoping to harvest their rice crop.Harvey was expected to hit the Texas coast late Friday or Saturday. Long-term, there was a danger that it might linger or move slowly toward Louisiana, bringing torrential rains.Gov. John Bel Edwards issued an emergency declaration to prepare for the storm. Officials have urged vigilance from southwest Louisiana to New Orleans, where recent flash floods revealed problems wi
  
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