Baton Rouge news

• Firefighters battle tractor-trailer blaze at Central Walmart

  27-09-2017 21:10
  CENTRAL - Firefighters battled a blaze on a semi truck at a grocery store Wednesday afternoon.According to a post on the Central Fire Department facebook page, first responders were traveling on Hooper Road near Joor Road around 3 p.m. when they noticed heavy black smoke at a nearby Walmart. When they arrived, the found a large delivery truck in a loading dock with the cab fully involved in fire.A full Box Alarm assignment was requested because firefighters believed the fire had entered the sto
  
  Read more

• After years of drainage issues, Zachary resident desperate for help

  27-09-2017 18:26
  ZACHARY - Some residents have been trying to get the drainage along their road cleared but are having trouble finding who's responsible. For a long time, those residents say the City of Zachary and the City-Parish appear to be pointing fingers at one another."They don't seem to be interested in our problem," said Linda Munn.After years of calling to fix the drainage problem along MacHost Road Munn can't catch a break. She says she's called her Zachary Councilman Tommy Womack, Mayor David Amrhei
  
  Read more

• Teen hurt in shooting at Alaska Street Park

  27-09-2017 17:59
  BATON ROUGE - Authorities are responding to a reported shooting at the Alaska Street Park Wednesday afternoon. The shooting occurred around 5:40 p.m. on Alaska Street near Roosevelt. Authorities say a 17-year-old was shot in the leg.There is currently no word on the victim's condition.Check back for updates.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• EBR Metro Council votes to condemn Brandywine apartments

  27-09-2017 17:21
  BATON ROUGE - The East Baton Rouge Metro Council has voted to condemn a derelict apartment complex that's been without water or electricity since 2016. In a meeting on Wednesday, council members voted to condemn the complex, deeming it unfit for anyone to live in. The decision comes after a long debate concerning the future of the apartments.Metro Council votes to condemn Brandywine apartments, but they say it will be some time before it gets torn down. @WBRZ— Mark A
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Florida man arrested after accidentally texting cop about drug deal

  27-09-2017 15:08
  PALM BAY, FL - Sending a text to a wrong number is often embarrassing, but rarely does it lead to the arrest of the sender. According to WLOX, that's what happened when 20-year-old Hasan Burke accidentally texted a West Melbourne police officer while attempting to set up a drug deal.According to the police report, the officer received a text on Saturday that read "Hey Jen lmk if you need any trees," with a tree emoji included. Police played
  
  Read more

• Jury finds teen guilty in death of elderly Louisiana man

  27-09-2017 14:59
  LAKE CHARLES - A state district court jury has found a Louisiana teen guilty of first-degree murder in the June 2016 shooting of 79-year-old Robert Colston Sr.  Jurors deliberated an hour and 20 minutes Tuesday before reaching a decision.  Johnson, now 17, was 16 when he killed Colston.  Colston crashed his truck into a tree on June 5, 2016. When he was removed from the vehicle, medics saw he had been shot in the back.  Pub
  
  Read more

• WATCH: Thieves flee store with over $3,000 in stolen sunglasses

  27-09-2017 14:35
  BATON ROUGE - Deputies from the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office are currently looking for two thieves who ran out of a store with eight pairs of stolen sunglasses.The incident took place at the Sunglass Hut at Perkins Rowe on September 20. The store told deputies the thieves stole eight pairs of sunglasses, valued at $3,200 in total.One of the suspects is described as a black woman who was wearing all black with a black baseball hat. The second suspect is described as a black male with a bear
  
  Read more

• WATCH: Thieves flee store with $3,000 in stolen sunglasses

  27-09-2017 14:35
  BATON ROUGE - Deputies from the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office are currently looking for two thieves who ran out of a store with eight pairs of stolen sunglasses.The incident took place at the Sunglass Hut at Perkins Rowe on September 20. The store told deputies the thieves stole eight pairs of sunglasses, valued at $3,200 in total.One of the suspects is described as a black woman who was wearing all black with a black baseball hat. The second suspect is described as a black male with a bear
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• LSU Police names new acting chief

  27-09-2017 14:28
  BATON ROUGE - The LSU Police Department has named its new acting chief following the departure of its previous chief in June.According to an email sent to LSUPD officers, Major Bart Thompson has been appointed as acting chief of campus police. According to the email, Major Thompson stepped up following the departure of Chief Rabalais in June and has led the department over the past four months.Thompson officially took over as chief earlier this past week.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Veteran resigns as Ravens' national anthem singer amid protests

  27-09-2017 14:23
  BALTIMORE, MD - A combat veteran who has been the Baltimore Ravens' national anthem singer for the past three years has announced his resignation as debate continues about players kneeling during the national anthem.The move by Joey Odoms comes days after players on the Ravens and many other NFL teams took a knee during the national anthem in response to President Donald Trump's call for team owners to fire players who don't stand for the anthem.Odoms is a former memb
  
  Read more

• Gov. Edwards announces statewide donation drive for hurricane victims in Puerto Rico

  27-09-2017 14:17
  BATON ROUGE - Governor John Bel Edwards has has announced the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness will lead a statewide donation drive to help Hurricane Maria survivors in Puerto Rico.Maria’s hurricane force winds whipped through the island and knocked out most forms of communication, while heavy rain caused severe flooding and has put a major dam at risk of failure. Thousands have been left without power or access to basic sur
  
  Read more

• WANTED: Suspect leaves selfies behind after AT&T store theft

  27-09-2017 14:11
  BATON ROUGE - Authorities are seeking a man after he stole nearly $2,000 worth of cell phones from a local AT&T store Monday.According to the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, the theft occurred in the 14000 block of Wax Road sometime Monday afternoon. The sheriff's office says the thief grabbed three working cell phones and ran out of the store before employees could stop him.Identifying the suspect shouldn't prove too difficult however, since he took photos of
  
  Read more

• The Warren Report: The Official Report on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

  27-09-2017 14:09
  This updated edition of The Warren Report, compiled by The Associated Press, is the definitive guide to the U.S. government’s investigation of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination.The AP first published the findings of the Warren Commission to help the general public understand the details of the report, which was both comprehensive and complex. People can read this updated account with its fascinating conclusions for an inside look at Lee Harvey Oswald’s atta
  
  Read more

• All lanes are open on I-110 South past North 22 Street

  27-09-2017 13:56
  BATON ROUGE -All lanes are now open after an accident shut down a portion of I-110 South in Baton Rouge Wednesday.According to DOTD, all lanes of I-110 South were shut down near North 22nd Street due to a crash. Congestion from the accident reached Chippewa Street.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Accident closes southbound lanes on I-110 South past North 22 Street

  27-09-2017 13:56
  BATON ROUGE - An accident has shut down a portion of I-110 South in Baton Rouge Wendesday.According to DOTD, all lanes of I-110 South are shut down near North 22nd Street due to a crash. Congestion from the accident has reached Chippewa Street.Check back for updates. Keep up with local traffic with WBRZ's advanced traffic-tracking technology. Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Oklahoma longhorn bull with record horn span sold in Texas

  27-09-2017 13:54
  FORT WORTH- A longhorn bull from Oklahoma with a record horn span of more than 8 feet has been sold for $165,000 at the Fort Worth Stockyards in Texas.The bull named Cowboy Tuff Chex owned by Bob Loomis of Overbrook, Oklahoma, was sold Friday to Richard and Jeanne Filip of Fayetteville, Texas.Richard Filip told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that the bull will be used for breeding on the couple's ranch, which has more than 100 longhorns. Jeanne Filip said the bull will be "the VIP of the ranch."T
  
  Read more

• Lawyers seek $400K court award for challenging marriage law

  27-09-2017 13:40
  NEW ORLEANS- A team of attorneys is seeking nearly $400,000 in fees and costs after successfully challenging a Louisiana law that blocked foreign-born U.S. citizens from getting married if they couldn't produce a birth certificate.In a court filing Tuesday, the attorneys asked a federal judge to award them nearly $387,000 in fees and more than $11,800 in costs for their work on the case. Lawyers for the state and three parish clerks didn't immediately respond to the request.The plaintiffs' atto
  
  Read more

• Plan in motion for OJ Simpson release as soon as Monday

  27-09-2017 13:35
  LAS VEGAS- A Nevada prisons official says a plan is in place for O.J. Simpson to be released on parole as early as Monday from a facility near Las Vegas.Nevada Department of Corrections spokeswoman Brooke Keast said Wednesday the process and documents have not yet been finalized for Simpson's release after he spent nine years behind bars for an armed robbery conviction.Keast says Simpson remains at Lovelock Correctional Center in northern Nevada. She says he would be moved to High Desert State
  
  Read more

• Report: Man accused of killing ex-wife with an axe in front yard

  27-09-2017 13:31
  CHALMETTE - Authorities say an axe-wielding man attacked and killed his ex-wife in front of her Chalmette home Wednesday morning.The St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office told WWL that the attack occurred around 8 a.m. on Palmetto Street.It's believed the woman was leaving her home to go to work when the ex-husband emerged, possibly from a hiding place under the home, and attacked her with an axe. The woman sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at th
  
  Read more

• Man accused of killing ex-wife with axe in New Orleans suburb

  27-09-2017 13:31
  CHALMETTE - Authorities say an axe-wielding man attacked and killed his ex-wife in front of her Chalmette home Wednesday morning.The St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office told WWL that the attack occurred around 8 a.m. on Palmetto Street. The sheriff's office says 56-year-old Mark Owens was arrested for second-degree murder after killing his ex-wife, Kimberly Owens.It's believed the victim was leaving her home to go to work when Owens emerged, possibly from a h
  
  Read more

• Steelers' Villanueva donating proceeds from jersey sales to military groups

  27-09-2017 13:17
  PITTSBURGH - The Pittsburgh Steelers' Alejandro Villanueva has become the top-selling NFL player in terms of merchandise after he was photographed standing alone with his hand over his heart during the national anthem on Sunday, a representative for the Fanatics online store told ABC News.Villanueva's gear -- including jerseys, t-shirts and other name and number apparel -- saw an increase in sales across the entire Fanatics platform, including the NFL Shop, since Sund
  
  Read more

• Edwards says anthem protests won't disrupt Saints subsidies

  27-09-2017 13:00
  BATON ROUGE - Gov. John Bel Edwards says there are "more effective ways" to protest than to refuse to stand during the national anthem. But Louisiana's governor dismissed suggestions the New Orleans Saints should lose its state subsidies because several of its players wouldn't stand.  Edwards, a former Army Ranger, acknowledged that people have a right to protest, but he encouraged people to be on their feet for the anthem.  Ten Saints players wouldn't stand
  
  Read more

• EBRSO looking for suspect who broke into area business

  27-09-2017 12:45
  EAST BATON ROUGE- Deputies from the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office are searching for a suspect who stole personal items from an area business.The incident took place on September 22 at the Thompson Pipe Group on Samuels Road.Authorities say the suspect entered the business through an unlocked door and went into the employee locker room. In the locker room, the suspect cut several locks and went through the lockers.After going through the lockers, the suspect put the stolen personal items int
  
  Read more

• Man arrested for 2016 camp burglary

  27-09-2017 12:43
  PIERRE PART - An arrest has been made in the case of a burglary of a camp in Pierre Part in December of 2016. The incident took place at camp on Shell Beach Road.Deputies from the Assumption Parish Sheriff's Office determined a forced entry had been made and items had been stolen from the camp. Investigators retrieved DNA material belonging to 49-year-old Elray Domingue.Domingue with charged with simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling. Permalink| C
  
  Read more

• Playboy Magazine founder Hugh Hefner dead at 91

  27-09-2017 12:27
  LOS ANGELES - Playboy magazine founder and sexual revolution symbol Hugh Hefner has died. He was 91.
   The magazine released a statement saying Hefner died at his home of natural causes Wednesday night surrounded by family.
   Founding the magazine in 1953, Hefner built a brand that defined the sexual culture of the second half of the 20th century.
   Playboy's buxom models were the objects of millions of men's fantasies as Hefner challenged what he derided as America's "P
  
  Read more

• Crack cocaine and over $2,000 found in drug search of 58-year-old man's home

  27-09-2017 12:26
  MORGAN CITY- While executing a search warrant at a residence on Leona Street, officers from the Morgan City Police Department Narcotics Division arrested at 58-year-old man.Officers found suspected crack cocaine, $2,831 dollars in U.S. currency and drug paraphernalia at the residence of Joseph Davis.Evidence collected by authorities linked Davis to the crack cocaine that was destined to be sold. Authorities also discovered the money was derived from the illicit sales of illegal narcotics.The in
  
  Read more

• WBRSO official calls dangerous I-10 stretch "Devil's Triangle"

  27-09-2017 12:22
  BATON ROUGE - An officer often on patrol on a dangerous stretch of I-10 say it's such a hazard, he's begun calling it "the Devil's triangle."State organizations are considering new safety improvements on the interstate near LA 415 because of WBRZ reports on dangerous accidents in that area. So far, there have been six major wrecks, one of them fatal, with another major crash sending seven people to the hospital Tuesday."It's the only place in the country where it reduces down to one lane, and w
  
  Read more

• Deputy calls dangerous I-10 stretch "Devil's Triangle"

  27-09-2017 12:22
  BATON ROUGE - An officer often on patrol on a dangerous stretch of I-10 say it's such a hazzard, he's begun calling it "the Devil's triangle."State organizations are considering new safety improvements on the interstate near LA 415 because of WBRZ reports on dangerous accidents in that area. So far, there have been six major wrecks, one of the fatal, with another major crash sending seven people to the hospital Tuesday."It's the only place in the country where it reduces down to one lane, and w
  
  Read more

• Man facing several charges after abusing his girlfriend on multiple occasions

  27-09-2017 09:23
  THIBODAUX- Officers from the Thibodaux Police Department have arrested a man after they say he abused his girlfriend on multiple occasions.On September 21, officers went to the victim's home on Victory Street after she had discovered the door to her home had been forced open. As authorities were investigating this crime, the suspect told them about the abuse she had endured from her boyfriend Peddis Ray.The victim told authorities, on September 10 she and Ray were arg
  
  Read more

• Authorities searching for suspect who stole lottery tickets from convenient stores

  27-09-2017 08:38
  ASCENSION PARISH- Deputies from the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office are currently looking for a suspect who is wanted for stealing lottery tickets from several convenient stores in Ascension Parish and surrounding areas.Anyone with information is encouraged to call 225-621-4636.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Authorities searching for suspect who stole lottery tickets from convenience stores

  27-09-2017 08:38
  ASCENSION PARISH- Deputies from the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office are currently looking for a suspect who is wanted for stealing lottery tickets from several convenience stores in Ascension Parish and surrounding areas.Anyone with information is encouraged to call 225-621-4636.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Attempted car wash burglary suspect arrested

  27-09-2017 08:29
  ST. JAMES PARISH- Deputies from the St. James Parish Sheriff's Office arrested an individual who was wanted for attempted burglaries of an area car wash.The incidents took place at the Lutcher Car Wash.With the help of public response and through the course of their investigation, authorities were able to identify Corey Dunn, 28, as the suspect.Dunn was charged with two counts of attempted simple burglary. His bound is set at $10,000.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Records show man could be fit for trial in Katrina shooting

  27-09-2017 07:54
  NEW ORLEANS- A white man could be mentally fit to stand trial on charges he shot at three black men in a racially motivated attack in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina struck 12 years ago.In a court filing Friday, federal prosecutors said mental health records suggest a psychiatrist evaluated Roland Bourgeois Jr. earlier this year and determined he was competent to stand trial. A lawyer for Bourgeois provided those records to prosecutors last week.Bourgeois' trial has been postponed more than
  
  Read more

• Trump tweets he's still optimistic on health overhaul

  27-09-2017 07:37
  WASHINGTON- President Donald Trump says he's still optimistic for health care legislation, even after Senate Republicans conceded defeat on a last-ditch effort to repeal "Obamacare."On Twitter, Trump cited "very positive signs" from GOP Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski and "two others." He added: "we have the HCare Vote, but not for Friday!"Murkowski did not endorse this week's bill, complaining it was rushed.Trump also said a "yes vote" was "in hospital." It was not immediately clear who he was refe
  
  Read more

• Former Clinton aide Jennifer Palmieri has book deal

  27-09-2017 06:47
  NEW YORK - Hillary Clinton's former director of communications has her own story to tell.Grand Central Publishing told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Jennifer Palmieri is working on a "book of lessons" for future women leaders. The book is called "Dear Madam President," an "open letter" drawing upon Palmieri's experience in politics, including her time with Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign and her years as communications director during the Obama administration.Grand Central plans t
  
  Read more

• ACLU sues over prisoner interview rights

  27-09-2017 06:24
  BATON ROUGE- A federal lawsuit accuses Louisiana prison officials of violating the rights of state penitentiary prisoners by banning them from talking about their crime in interviews.The American Civil Liberties Union filed the suit Tuesday in Baton Rouge. The suit says the policy bans interviews about the crimes because of the possible effect of such interviews on crime victims' families.The ACLU represents prisoner Darold Hines and Christopher Lowery, a former coordinator with the Wrongful Co
  
  Read more

• Louisiana works to rid Lake Bistineau of giant salvinia

  27-09-2017 06:18
  BATON ROUGE- The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries this week will apply an aerial herbicide on a portion of Lake Bistineau to control large expanses of an invasive weed called giant salvinia that's blocking access to the waterway.The department says the aerial application will occur Thursday, weather permitting. Experts plan to treat roughly 500 acres of the lake where giant salvinia is particularly heavy. The aquatic fern forms dense mats that block sunlight and can reduce oxygen
  
  Read more

Follow @BatonRougeNews_ on Twitter!