Baton Rouge news

• Concerned parents upset over fight video that surfaced the internet

  22-09-2017 21:28
  BAKER - Concerned parents at Baker High are upset over a fight that surfaced the internet this week.Video shows students fighting in the hallway of Baker High. For parent, Naisha Cooper-Knighten, the video brings back horrible memories. "It's disturbing to me because I've had instances, I have a child with autism. And last year he was jumped repeatedly and if it had not been for the resource officer on campus it really could have been worse than it was," says Knighten.Superintendent He
  
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• Concerned parents upset over fight video that surfaced onthe internet

  22-09-2017 21:28
  BAKER - Concerned parents at Baker High are upset over a fight that surfaced on the internet this week.Video shows students fighting in the hallway of Baker High. For parent, Naisha Cooper-Knighten, the video brings back horrible memories. "It's disturbing to me because I've had instances, I have a child with autism. And last year he was jumped repeatedly and if it had not been for the resource officer on campus it really could have been worse than it was," says Knighten.Superintendent
  
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• East Baton Rouge Parish renews school chief's contract

  22-09-2017 20:13
  BATON ROUGE - The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board has retained Superintendent Warren Drake for two more years.
   The Advocate reports the board Thursday unanimously rehired Drake but not before toughening some of the goals it would like to see him achieve over the next year. Those goals include improving three to five schools with grades of D or F by 5 points, consolidating smaller schools and submitting a balanced budget in May.
   Drake's new deal now goes through June 30,
  
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• FEMA refuses to fix flood damaged road

  22-09-2017 18:53
  LIVINGSTON, LA- Livingston Parish appealed to FEMA after complaints of road decay surface. Livingston Parish officials made an appeal to FEMA for a 60-million-dollar project to fix flood damaged roads. This is the second time Livingston officials have requested money from FEMA. Permalink| Comments
  
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• Drainage improvements planned in Livingston Parish

  22-09-2017 18:40
  DENHAM SPRINGS - Drainage improvements are planned throughout Livingston Parish to combat flash flooding concerns.The city of Denham Springs has crews working on many drainage systems on city-maintained roads. The Department of Transportation and Development is responsible for maintaining the catch basins, storm drains and pipes on state-owned roads..The DOTD issued an emergency contract that began Friday. Before the emergency contract, the DOTD only house six pump trucks used to clear catch ba
  
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• LSU plans for sobering tailgating experience after fights, fraternity death

  22-09-2017 18:04
  BATON ROUGE – Officials have warned of a more sobering tailgating experience Saturday as LSU works to cleanup a drunken party ahead of football games.Earlier this week, the district attorney warned authorities will be targeting underage drinkers. LSU has banned Greek organizations from tailgating this weekend amid the death of a fraternity freshman last week."[We're] just going to make sure everyone has a good time and behaves," District Attorney Hillar Moore warned Friday.Authorities
  
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• St. Amant boudin business catches fire Friday

  22-09-2017 17:43
  ST. AMANT – Firefighters were on the scene of a fire at LeBlanc's Cajun Boudin earlier this evening. Numerous fire crews were dispatched on the scene to control the blaze. Heavy smoke could be seen coming from the business. According to the cheif of police, the fire took about 35 minutes to contain. He thinks the business is likely gone for good.   The building was on Weber City Road, across from Holy Rosary Catho
  
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• Southern hires Lafayette-based company for marijuana grow operation

  22-09-2017 17:22
  BATON ROUGE – Southern University selected Lafayette-based Advanced Biomedics, LLC, to handle its marijuana cultivation and production.Southern and LSU were assigned the state's marijuana grow operation.“...We are excited about the opportunity to enter into this venture that has the potential to bring health benefits to improve lives and also to build into a successful enterprise for Southern University," said Ann. A. Smith, Chair of the SU Board of Supervisors after the dec
  
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• St. Louis King of France Catholic School to close

  22-09-2017 16:24
  BATON ROUGE – St. Louis King of France Catholic School will close in May, the diocese announced Friday.The closure comes as the parish church is consolidated with nearby St. Thomas More. In a letter to the school community, Reverend Michael J. Alello wrote the school cannot remain open without its home church.“As a ministry of the parish, SLKF School follows the closing of the parish,” he wrote.The church will merge with St. Thomas More no later than June 30, 2018.
  
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• Here's the initial police report from fraternity death

  22-09-2017 15:31
  BATON ROUGE – LSU released the police report related to the death of Max Gruver.Gruver, 18, died after a night of drinking at the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity house last week. Gruver was found unresponsive in the house and taken to the hospital by “private vehicle,” where he died.The short synopsis from police is not very detailed and is only the preliminary report from the first LSU Police officers on scene.Click HERE to see the police report.************Fo
  
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• Man arrested after early morning gunshot complaints

  22-09-2017 14:36
  ASSUMPTION- A man was arrested early Friday morning after police responded to gunshot complaints in Assumption Parish. Deputies from the Assumption Parish Sheriff's Office responded to a complaint in the Paincourtville area shortly after midnight.At the scene, deputies found  a vehicle near the area of the complaint and identified the driver as Skiler Herbert ,25.With Herbert's consent, deputies searched his vehicle and confiscated a .40 cal
  
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• Trump weighing options as travel ban nears expiration date

  22-09-2017 14:20
  WASHINGTON- President Donald Trump is weighing the next steps of his controversial travel ban.Trump's 90-day ban on visitors from six Muslim-majority countries is set to expire Sunday.The Wall Street Journal first reported Friday that the administration is preparing to announce new, more targeted restrictions that would affect more countries than those included in the president's March 6 order.The restrictions would vary by country, based on the perceived threat posed by each one.Trump's execut
  
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• Louisiana to participate in Pearl River cleanup

  22-09-2017 14:12
  BATON ROUGE- Louisiana's Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will participate in the first cleanup of the Pearl River to help quell a growing litter problem on the waterway that runs along the Louisiana-Mississippi border.Pearl River Clean Sweep 2017 will be held from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday and cover 13 Mississippi counties and two Louisiana parishes.Organizers say the cleanup will span some 490 miles and involves dozens of volunteers from both states. Louisiana state Rep. Malinda Smith, whose
  
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• Police searching for Grambling University shooter

  22-09-2017 13:48
  GRAMBLING - Grambling Police are searching for a man involved in a shooting on Grambling State University's campus Thursday night. A university spokesperson said an altercation occurred after a student let another person into a university dorm. Things turned violent and one person was shot in the left arm.The victim was taken to an area hospital. Permalink| Comments
  
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• VIDEO: Car bursts into flames on Airline Highway Friday

  22-09-2017 13:08
  BATON ROUGE – Video shared with WBRZ Friday afternoon showed a raging car fire on the side of Airline Highway.The blaze slowed traffic during the lunch rush. Click HERE to monitor conditions.The fire was in a southbound lane just after Jefferson. Traffic was stopped to nearly Coursey/Bluebonnet.Video shared with WBRZ showed the car ablaze and a picture showed firefighters rushing to put the fire out.No injuries have been reported and information about the cause has not been released.*
  
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• Man pleads guilty to 18-year-old RICO indictment

  22-09-2017 12:35
  NEW ORLEANS - A man has pled guilty to one count of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act for his role in a drug money laundering incident.Erwin Mierisch Jr., 49 of Nicaragua, along with two co-defendants, conspired to launder drug proceeds and assaulted a Texas civil case plaintiff in an attempt to keep her from testifying. The indictment was given in July of 1999, however Mierisch has been a fugitive since the indictment was returned.Mieri
  
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• Man sentenced for robbing Marrero bank

  22-09-2017 12:22
  NEW ORLEANS- A man was sentenced Thursday after previously pleading guilty to robbing a Whitney Bank in Marrero.The robbery took place in July 2016.Travis Carter was wearing a baseball hat, sunglasses and used a towel to cover his face while committing the crime. He escaped with over $4,000 dollars.Residents identified Carter after local news outlets reported the robbery and featured still images of him captured from bank surveillance footage. Carter’s vehicle used in the robbery was
  
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• Ascension Parish Airline Highway on-ramp now open

  22-09-2017 09:14
  BATON ROUGE -The on-ramp from Airline Highway to Interstate 10 westbound in Ascension is now open.The ramp was damaged back in 2015, by a contractor moving large machinery. The same party who originally hit the ramp, repaired it and foot the million dollar price tag. No tax payer dollars were used.Instead of nightly lane closures lasting for months at a time, their crews closed I-10 for a weekend back in March, so they could fix the ramp about 150 feet to the side of I-10.The
  
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• LA Police officer arrested for sexual misconduct with juvenile

  22-09-2017 08:48
  BREAUX BRIDGE-A police officer has been arrested after an alleged sexual misconduct incident with a juvenile.The Breaux Bridge Police contacted the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigations/Lafayette Field Office regarding an alleged sexual misconduct incident between a 16-year-old and a Breaux officer.During the LSP’s investigation, it was determined the alleged misconduct began in December 2016.Authorities arrested Breaux Officer Craig David, 29, Thursday aft
  
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• Two dead after car bursts into flames following crash

  22-09-2017 08:17
  ST. LANDRY- Authorities are investigating a deadly crash that killed a driver and their passenger after the vehicle struck multiple objects and burst into flames.The crash took place on US 167 near Belle Ridge Road in St. Landry Parish shortly after 11:30 p.m. Thursday. The vehicle involved in the crash was being pursued by Opelousas Police and the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office. Authorities say an officer attempted to stop the driver of a 2015 Dodge Dart traveling the wr
  
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• Dump truck runs over worker inside of portable toilet

  22-09-2017 07:16
  KENNER- Authorities say a construction crew member who was using a portable toilet was accidentally rolled over by a dump truck driver while working at an expansion project at the New Orleans airport.News outlets report the 28-year-old man was rolled over at the Louis Armstrong International Airport's Kenner construction site Thursday morning. It was the victim's second day of work.Kenner police spokesman Lt. Brian McGregor says the man suffered a collapsed right lung, multiple pelvic fractures
  
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• Louisiana: State red snapper season possible

  22-09-2017 07:03
  BATON ROUGE- Louisiana officials say a state red snapper season is possible for anglers, because Louisiana anglers caught less than the state's self-imposed limit of just over 1 million pounds by Sept. 4.The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says surveys show Louisiana anglers caught less than 937,000 pounds of red snapper in three-day weekends from July through Sept. 4. That's nearly 108,000 pounds below its limit.A news release Thursday says the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission
  
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• Woman accused of stealing nearly $500K

  22-09-2017 06:57
  SHREVEPORT- A Shreveport bookkeeper has been arrested for stealing nearly a half million dollars from her employer.Caddo Parish Sheriff Steve Prator says 55-year-old Laurie Johnson was arrested Thursday on a theft charge. She's being held at the Caddo Correctional Center. Jail records did not indicate if she had an attorney.Johnson was an employee of the Greater Shreveport Bossier Auto Auction when she began stealing deposits from money the business took in on auction days. Johnson is accused o
  
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• Health care company owner sentenced

  22-09-2017 06:48
  NEW ORLEANS- The owner of a New Orleans health care company has been sentenced to 80 months in prison for Medicare fraud.Acting U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans says 52-year-old Lisa Crinel and Abide Home Care Services Inc., were sentenced Thursday for their roles in about $30 million in Medicare fraud. U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan also ordered Crinel and the company to make restitution to Medicare in the amount of $16,088,222 each.Crinel pleaded guilty in October 2015 to conspiracy to commit h
  
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• Ascension Hot Air Balloon Festival begins this weekend

  22-09-2017 05:53
  GONZALES-The 27th Ascension Hot Air Balloon Festival kicks off Friday afternoon at the Lamar Dixon Expo Center. The center is located at 9039 S. St. Landry Ave in Gonzales.The two-day festival will run from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m. Friday and 12 p.m. until 10 p.m. on Saturday.Activities at the festival will include face painting, arts and crafts, a petting zoo, carnival rides, tethered balloon rides (weather permitting) and more.General admission is $5 plus a fee. Childre
  
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