Baton Rouge news

• House OKs measure condemning white nationalists

  12-09-2017 21:51
  WASHINGTON - The House has approved a resolution condemning white supremacists, neo-Nazis and other hate groups following a white-nationalist rally in Virginia that descended into deadly violence.  Lawmakers backed the measure by voice vote Tuesday. It now goes to President Donald Trump, who has been criticized for his response to the August incident.  The resolution describes Heather Heyer's death in Charlottesville as a "domestic terrorist attack" and ackno
  
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• Irma's girth and path made for a bizarre Florida storm surge

  12-09-2017 21:42
  JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Hurricane Irma's devastating storm surge came with weird twists that scientists attribute to the storm's girth, path and some geographic quirks.  A combination of storm surge, heavy rains and swollen rivers sent some of the worst flooding into Jacksonville, Florida, even though Irma roared into the opposite end of the state, had weakened to a tropical storm and its eye stayed at least 80 miles away.  Although preliminary data suggest Irma
  
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• Indictments: Officials stole nearly $300,000 to buy guns

  12-09-2017 21:29
  ECRU, Miss. - Officials say the former police chief and town clerk in a northeast Mississippi town stole nearly $300,000 from the town and state, using much of the money to buy more than 75 guns for themselves.  Pontotoc County grand jurors on Monday indicted former Ecru clerk Gretchin Moody on three counts of embezzlement and former Ecru police chief Paul Blaylock on one count of fraud.  The indictment says Moody stole traffic fines and payroll money and abu
  
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• Concerns raised over student fights at EBR Parish schools

  12-09-2017 20:10
  BATON ROUGE - Questions are being raised after a fight at an East Baton Rouge Parish high school sent a teacher to the hospital Monday. Most of the concerns lie with a lack of a policy dictating what teachers should do in the event of a fight between students. On Monday, one of those teacher was knocked out and hospitalized after he tried to intervene in a fight at Tara High School.He's not the first to try and break up a fight between students at an area school. Two
  
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• Chainsaw-wielding nun helps with post-Irma cleanup in Florida

  12-09-2017 19:33
  KENDALL, Fla. - Many Florida residents are beginning the process of cleaning up their communities in the wake of Hurricane Irma, including Sister Margaret Ann.The Miami-Dade Police Department shared a video of the chainsaw-wielding nun on their Twitter page Tuesday.Sister Margaret Ann can be seen in the video carving up a downed tree. She works at Archbishop Coleman F. Carroll High School in West Kendall, Florida, according to KSAT. The post ends with police thanking the nun and the re
  
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• Arrest warrant issued for charter school principal

  12-09-2017 18:09
  BATON ROUGE -- A charter school principal accused of locking a kindergartner in a broom closet faces arrest on felony and misdemeanor charges, according to a warrant signed Monday.Shafeeq Syid Shamsid-Deen, the 31-year-old principal at Laurel Oaks Charter, will be arrested on felony cruelty to a juvenile and misdemeanor false imprisonment charges, the warrant said.On Aug. 22, a teacher heard a child crying and screaming, but couldn't immediately find the her. Two othe
  
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• Raising Cane's partners with LSU Coach Ed Orgeron

  12-09-2017 15:58
  BATON ROUGE –Baton Rouge-based Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers has announced a new partnership with LSU Football Head Coach Ed Orgeron to represent the restaurant locally.“I’ve been a fan of Cane’s for years. They are a home grown company with a deep love for this community and for football. I’m happy to share my love for this Louisiana tradition,” says Orgeron.As part of the agreement, Orgeron will be featured in Rai
  
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• Another city could furl state flag with Confederate emblem

  12-09-2017 15:27
  MERIDIAN, Miss. - Another Mississippi city could stop flying the state flag because it features the Confederate battle emblem that critics see as racist.  Meridian Mayor Percy Bland tells The Meridian Star he thinks the flag is "divisive" in a state with a 38 percent black population.  He says the City Council could discuss removing the flag from display on municipal property when it meets Sept. 19.  All eight of Mississippi's public univers
  
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• Florida airports are open but cancelations linger after Irma

  12-09-2017 15:25
  MIAMI - Most commercial airports in Florida are open although hundreds of flights are still being canceled or delayed as the state recovers from Hurricane Irma.  Miami International Airport said Tuesday that limited airline and cargo flights had resumed. The first departure was an American Airlines flight to Las Vegas around 7 a.m.  The Federal Aviation Administration says airports in Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville are open.
  
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• Claycut Bridge construction could take 5 to 6 more weeks

  12-09-2017 14:56
  BATON ROUGE - Drivers will have to wait a bit longer before they can make use of the Claycut Bridge again. Officials at the Public Works and Planning Center says the project could take five to six more weeks before it is completed. "At this time, all of the bridge deck has been completed and workers are completing the sidewalks and railing," Chief Design and Construction Engineer Tom Stephens said. "Remaining work includes placement of concrete approach slabs, paving
  
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• SCAM ALERT: Authorities warn of callers posing as Entergy bill collectors

  12-09-2017 14:31
  ASSUMPTION PARISH - Authorities are warning of a potential scam circulating in the area of Assumption Parish.According to the Assumption Parish Sheriff's Office, multiple residents have contacted deputies concerning a person posing as a delinquent bill collector with Entergy.The caller has been telling residents that their Entergy bill is overdue and they must pay by phone “NOW” to avoid interruption of service.Sheriff Leland Falcon says these calls originate from a
  
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• Baton Rouge teen chases, shoots victim over drug deal

  12-09-2017 14:21
  BATON ROUGE - A man was arrested Monday after he chased another man down and shot him multiple times. The victim told deputies he was sitting in his vehicle on Rue De Belle Maison Drive when 18-year-old Javon Aron approached the vehicle, brandishing a gun. Aron was allegedly upset with the victim over a debt for a drug deal.The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office says the victim fled the scene and Aron gave chase, opening fire and strik
  
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• Child heart patients treated for rare surgical infection

  12-09-2017 13:51
  NEW ORLEANS- At least a dozen children who had heart surgery at Children's Hospital New Orleans between late May and July have infected incisions, apparently from contaminated equipment.The hospital's chief medical officer says the infections were linked to a machine that regulates a patient's temperature during heart surgery.Dr. John Heaton says the machine was replaced and patients are responding to intravenous antibiotics. He says a handful who haven't shown symptoms will see doctors this we
  
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• iPhone 8 with camera, display, speaker upgrades

  12-09-2017 13:41
  CUPERTINO, Calif.- Apple is refreshing its lineup of iPhones with camera, display and speaker improvements.The new phones promise to shoot pictures with better colors and less distortion, particularly in low-light settings. The display will adapt to ambient lighting, similar to a feature in some iPad Pro models. Speakers will be louder and offer deeper bass.The new iPhone 8 will keep its predecessor's size - 4.7 inches-but have a higher starting price of $699, up from $649. The 5.5-inch iPhone
  
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• $341M Louisiana bond sale replenishes construction account

  12-09-2017 13:29
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana is borrowing $341 million to refill the account that pays for state-financed construction work.  The Bond Commission, which oversees construction spending, approved the general obligation bond sale Tuesday. The sale involves borrowing money by selling bonds to investors for upfront cash.  Bank Of America Merrill Lynch was the winning bidder. The debt will be paid over 20 years with a 2.9 percent interest rate.  The in
  
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• Community police ambassador program to launch

  12-09-2017 13:11
  BATON ROUGE- Volunteer citizens could soon serve as liaisons between their neighborhoods and the police department with the purpose of increasing trust between the two. The Community Police Ambassador Program is more than a year in the works and it's a response to the 2016 police shooting of Alton Sterling."If there's a police shooting or a crime that's gone unsolved, this program could work between the community and police to get some resolve," Metro Councilwoman Tara Wicker said.A police poli
  
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• Homeless man killed in Florida Blvd. shooting Tuesday night

  12-09-2017 12:43
  BATON ROUGE - One man was reportedly shot and killed on Florida Blvd. Tuesday night.According to Baton Rouge Police, the shooting took place in the 3400 block of Florida Blvd. around 10:30 p.m. Police say 59-year-old Bruce Cofield was found lying in the roadway, suffering from a gunshot wound. There are no known suspects or motives at this time.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Woman arrested for sexually suggestive texts to 13-year-old girl

  12-09-2017 12:35
  ASSUMPTION- A woman has been arrested after she sent sexually suggestive text messages to a minor.The Assumption Parish Sheriff's Office received a complaint from a mother who said the suspect, identified as Alexis Blanchard, had contacted her daughter via text messages and made numerous sexually suggestive comments.Authorities say Blanchard also sent the 13-year-old girl sexually explicit photographs of herself.Blanchard surrendered to deputies on M
  
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• Authorities seeking two wanted in connection with killing of pregnant woman

  12-09-2017 12:17
  ARNAUDVILLE - The St. Martin Parish Sheriff's Office is seeking two individuals after a 24-year-old woman was found dead Tuesday evening.According to the Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to a home in the 1100 block of Courtableau Hwy. in Arnaudville around 5:30 p.m. in reference to an unresponsive female.Upon arrival, deputies discovered the victim, Ashley Nicole Meche, 24, who was eight months pregnant, dead as a result of a homicide, according to the Sheriff's Office.Investigators are ask
  
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• Authorities located two wanted in connection with killing of pregnant woman

  12-09-2017 12:17
  UPDATE: This morning the St. Martin Parish Sheriff's Office along with the assistance from  the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office have located Mark Trimble in the Loreauville area. A short time after, Toni Trimble Thomas was located in the Bayou Fuselier area. Both are currently in custody. Mark Trimble has been identified as the boyfriend of the victim of last nights homicide of Ashley Nicole Meche. The cause of death has been determi
  
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• Louisiana to receive $6M in EpiPen settlement

  12-09-2017 09:23
  BATON ROUGE- Louisiana has joined a multi-state settlement with Mylan Inc. that resolves allegations the drug manufacturer knowingly overcharged taxpayers for EpiPen and EpiPen Jr. dispensed to Medicaid beneficiaries.The announcement came from Attorney General Jeff Landry’s office.Mylan will pay $465 million to the federal government and the states, Louisiana’s portion is $6,922,152.05. Landry said the money will go towards replenishing the state’s Medicaid program
  
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• Fire destroys murder victim's home; Man arrested for interfering with firefighters

  12-09-2017 09:05
  BATON ROUGE- Authorities are investigating a fire that broke out at a home early Tuesday morning.The Baton Rouge Fire Department was called to 2546 Thomas H Delpit at 1:54 a.m. for a house fire. Firefighters arrived on the scene to find the fire burning through the roof of the residence.The fire started in the bedroom of the home, authorities said. The address matches the address of a man, David Walker, who was shot and killed on September 9.Baton Rouge Police say 47-year-old Eric Gray approach
  
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• 'Vote Free or Die' signs greet voter commission

  12-09-2017 08:51
  MANCHESTER, N.H.-Protesters holding "Vote Free or Die" signs are greeting members of President Donald Trump's commission on voter fraud in New Hampshire.The signs are a riff on New Hampshire's "Live Free or Die" motto, and protesters from the New Hampshire Campaign for Voting Rights say the commission is a sham designed to promote voter suppression.The panel is holding its second meeting Tuesday at Saint Anselm College to investigate the Republican president's unsubstantiated claims of widespre
  
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• North Korea rejects UN sanctions, says US will suffer

  12-09-2017 08:22
  TOKYO- North Korea's top envoy to a leading U.N. disarmament body says his country "categorically" rejects a U.N. Security Council resolution imposing new sanctions over its nuclear and missile programs.Ambassador Han Tae Song also lashed out at the United States during a plenary session of the U.N.'s Conference on Disarmament, saying North Korea denounces Washington's "evil intention" and would "make sure the U.S. pays a due price."The comments Tuesday came as North Korea faced renewed critici
  
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• Security clearance points to problems with access to secrets

  12-09-2017 07:57
  WASHINGTON- Federal agencies have inadvertently issued interim security passes to criminals while dealing with a backlog of 700,000 security clearance reviews.The government-wide pileup is also leading to work delays for both federal and private intelligence efforts. At the same time officials are trying to reduce the backlog, they are getting pressure to tighten access to classified material.It takes about four months to acquire a clearance to gain access to "secret" information on a need-to-k
  
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• Audit: $4.2M in improper La. Medicaid spending for lab work

  12-09-2017 07:42
  BATON ROUGE - A new audit says Louisiana's Medicaid program improperly paid $4.2 million for laboratory services and tests that shouldn't have been covered.Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera's office reviewed payments over five years, between July 2011, and June 2016, mainly during former Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration. Findings were released Monday.The auditors said the $4.2 million was paid by the health department and private managed-care companies who administer health plans for many of
  
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• Former jail technician accused of bringing drugs for inmate

  12-09-2017 06:52
  NEW ORLEANS- A sheriff's office in Louisiana has arrested a newly hired employee for allegedly trying to sneak drugs to an inmate accused of murder and robbery.News outlets report 22-year-old Tyler Materre was arrested Monday and charged with several offenses, including possession with intent to distribute marijuana and conspiracy to introduce contraband into a penal institution.Materre was hired by the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office in May and worked as a corrections-monitoring technician. In
  
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• New Orleans man charged with attempted second-degree murder

  12-09-2017 05:54
  BATON ROUGE- A New Orleans man is being charged with attempted second-degree murder after allegedly shooting at a victim at least eight times.On August 4, a victim was shot in the 4800 block of Gus Young Avenue. Even though the victim was only struck once, authorities say ballistic evidence proves the shooter fired at the victim at least eight times. Police said the number of shots fired shows an intent to kill.The shooter was identified as Hendrick Tate. The Baton Rouge Police Departm
  
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