Baton Rouge news

• Woman dies in fire sparked by pot left on stove

  02-10-2017 21:51
  BATON ROUGE - One woman died in a house fire on Flora Lane Monday night.According to Baton Rouge Fire Department Spokesperson Mark Miles, the fire started around 9:30 p.m. in the 130 block of Flora Lane. When crews arrived on scene, they noticed smoke coming from an apartment behind the house.Officials confirm a 50-year-old woman was overcome by smoke produced by the fire and was found dead when investigators arrive. She was the only person inside the house. Officials said the victim's family w
  
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• 50-year-old victim identified in deadly Flora Lane fire

  02-10-2017 21:51
  BATON ROUGE - One woman died in a house fire on Flora Lane Monday night.According to Baton Rouge Fire Department Spokesperson Mark Miles, the fire started around 9:30 p.m. in the 130 block of Flora Lane. When crews arrived on scene, they noticed smoke coming from an apartment behind the house.Officials confirmed 50-year-old Stephanie Griffin was overcome by smoke produced by the fire and was found dead when investigators arrive. She was the only person inside the house.&nb
  
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• Leaders, mourners gather at prayer vigils

  02-10-2017 21:14
  LAS VEGAS - Religious leaders, elected officials and mourners have gathered at multiple prayer vigils in Las Vegas.  Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman spoke to mourners in the setting sun Monday evening outside the downtown City Hall.  Several faith leaders led the group in prayer. The crowd later joined in song and held candles.  Several miles away at a cathedral off the Las Vegas Strip, mourners and casino workers gathered to honor the victi
  
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• Instructor started false shooting reports at USC

  02-10-2017 21:13
  LOS ANGELES- School officials say false reports of a shooting at the University of California were spawned by a faculty member telling her students during class that there was an active shooter in the building.  USC Department of Public Safety chief John Thomas said Los Angeles police are questioning the woman. Authorities did not say why she may have made the statement.  The campus went on lockdown as the shooting reports came in at around 12:30 p.m. Monday.
  
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• BRPD responding to reported shooting on Julia Street

  02-10-2017 20:45
  BATON ROUGE - BRPD is responding to a reported shooting on Julia Street.Sources said the reported shooting happened in the 700 block of Julia Street near St. Joseph Street.One person was transported from the scene by first responders, officials said. Police said the victim was shot inside a home and suffered non-life threatening injuries.This is a developing story. Check back for updates.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Two in custody after shooting, manhunt near Iroquois Street

  02-10-2017 18:59
  BATON ROUGE - Police say two suspects are in custody after a shooting and a brief manhunt in Baton Rouge Monday night.The search began after police responded to reports of dozens of shots fired on Iroquois Street around 6:45 p.m Monday. Shortly afterward, police began blocking off portions of Seneca Street, Iroquois Street, and Plank Road as officers searched the area for a suspect they believe to be armed with an assault rifle.Police, along with K-9 units, searched the area for the he
  
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• Man visiting 'voodoo doctor' arrested after imaginary police chase ends in airport crash

  02-10-2017 18:51
  SLIDELL - Police arrested a man after driving through an airport fence, in a story they said "only gets more bizarre after the crash."According to the Slidell Police Department, officers received a call around 8:30 a.m. about a crash at Slidell Municipal Airport. When they arrived, they found a vehicle had rammed through an airport fence and crashed into a utility pole.The driver of the vehicle was 43-year-old Kevin Bolton of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, officers said. According to officials, Bolt
  
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• Off-duty officers at Vegas music festival went into line of fire

  02-10-2017 18:36
  LAS VEGAS - Two off-duty sheriff's deputies from California who were at a country music festival in Las Vegas when shots rang out ran into the line of fire to help save people, the president of the officers' union said."They went back out where the gunfire was," after taking the wife of one of the officers and the girlfriend of the other to safety in the stage area, said Tom Dominguez, the head of the Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs.One of the deputies is in a hos
  
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• Flood victims waiting on Restore LA reimbursement checks

  02-10-2017 18:02
  BATON ROUGE - Thousands of flood victims are still waiting on Restore Louisiana for help. The process for one Baton Rouge man has been less than satisfactory.When Karl Denino signed up for Restore Louisiana in April, he had high hopes. But he says it's done nothing except give him a hard time. Denino's home is completely put back together following the August 2016 flood. He called 2 On Your Side because he was told he'd have to wait three to four weeks for a final inspection and reimbursement c
  
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• Trudeau offers condolences over Vegas shootings

  02-10-2017 17:55
  LAS VEGAS - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has offered condolences to President Donald Trump after the shooting massacre in Las Vegas.  A gunman killed at least 59 people Sunday night at an outdoor country music festival in Las Vegas.  The White House says Trump also expressed solidarity with the people of Canada following an attack in Edmonton, Alberta, over the weekend.  In Edmonton, a police officer was injured in a car and knife
  
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• State Police releases punishment for 4 troopers who took side trip last year

  02-10-2017 17:38
  BATON ROUGE – Four state troopers have been disciplined for a questionable road trip in 2016.Previous reports highlighted a trip to a law enforcement conference in San Diego included a lengthy side excursion to the Grand Canyon and a Las Vegas resort and casino. The drive cost the state agency thousands of dollars in overtime.Monday, State Police said a captain and lieutenant were demoted, another received a formal “letter of reprimand” and another was counseled.Ca
  
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• Louisiana is ready for mass casualty situation, according to state

  02-10-2017 17:36
  BATON ROUGE- The Louisiana Emergency Reponse Network or LERN is a call center located in Baton Rouge that fields trauma calls across the state. Tonight, it stands ready for any major event like what we saw unfolding in Las Vegas overnight.
  In the event trauma, strokes, certain type of heart attacks or a mass casualty event, LERN tells paramedics which hospitals to send patients. The call center is operated 24/7 and is plugged in to every single hospital in the State of Louisiana.
  "On a large sc
  
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• BRPD meets with State Police, no decision on troopers policing Baton Rouge announced

  02-10-2017 16:20
  BATON ROUGE – Baton Rouge Police released a generic statement Monday about its meeting with State Police, coming after the mayor asked for troopers to assist in combating crime in Baton Rouge.Friday, the mayor told WBRZ, she requested State Police assistance in fighting violence in the city. She said then, the city was meeting with state officials Monday.After the meeting, Baton Rouge Police released this prepared statement:“Chief Dunnam and Colonel Reeves had a very product
  
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• Mother faces murder charge in 2-year-old son's death

  02-10-2017 16:06
  KENNER - Police say a Louisiana woman faces a murder charge after her 2-year-old son was found dead over the weekend with apparent signs of malnutrition and abuse on his body.  News outlets report that 27-year-old Twyena Thomas, of Kenner, was initially arrested Saturday night on a charge of cruelty to a juvenile. Authorities say Thomas now faces a charge of second-degree murder after an autopsy determined the boy died from blunt force trauma and abuse.  Kenn
  
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• DEA agent charged with stealing money from suspects

  02-10-2017 16:02
  NEW ORLEANS - A veteran agent from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in New Orleans has been indicted on charges he engaged in a scheme to steal money and property seized in drug investigations and perjured himself in court.  The federal indictment unsealed Monday also accuses the agent, Chad Allen Scott, of accepting an illegal "gratuity" worth at least $10,000 for recommending that prosecutors seek a reduced sentence for a criminal defendant.  The Ad
  
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• Police cannot confirm Tom Petty's death

  02-10-2017 15:05
  MALIBU, Cali. - Reports say that police confirmed Tom Petty's death after he was found unconscious and in cardiac arrest Sunday night. However police are now saying they cannot confirm the Rock and Roll legend's death.TMZ reported that EMT's took Petty from his Malibu home to UCLA Santa Monica Hospital where he was immediately placed on life-support. His condition was critical until family members decided to take Petty off life-support.CBS later confirmed Petty's death with Los Angeles
  
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• Las Vegas shooting brings tragedy to families around nation

  02-10-2017 14:49
  LAS VEGAS - The victims of a mass shooting at a music festival in Las Vegas left behind loved ones in many parts of the country, bringing the tragedy's effects far beyond the city where it occurred.  Details began to emerge Monday about some of the 58 killed and hundreds injured after a gunman opened fire on festivalgoers.  The Henry County Medical Center in Tennessee said in a statement on Monday that Sonny Melton, a registered nurse, died in the shooting an
  
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• Federal government to announce BR crime initiative Thursday

  02-10-2017 14:44
  BATON ROUGE – Federal authorities have scheduled a news conference to discuss violent crime in Baton Rouge.Sources told the WBRZ Investigative Unit, acting U.S. Attorney Corey Amundson will make a “significant” announcement regarding efforts to deal with violence in the city. The announcement will come around lunchtime Thursday. Officials would not discuss specifics Monday, but alluded to other agencies being in attendance at the news conference.While it's not clea
  
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• Coroner releases autopsy results for LSU student found dead off Nicholson Dr.

  02-10-2017 14:36
  BATON ROUGE - The Coroner's Office has released the autopsy results for an LSU student who was found dead in a wooded area Friday.The coroner's office has determined that Michael Nickelotte, Jr. died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was found in a wooded area near the corner of Nicholson and Ben Hur Friday night.Nickelotte was reported missing September 18 by family members. His roommate told investigators he heard Nickelotte's be
  
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• Fugitive arrested in Ascension Parish after taunting sheriff's office on Facebook

  02-10-2017 14:26
  ASCENSION PARISH - A man wanted for skipping on child support payments was tracked down in Ascension Parish after he tried to taunt law enforcement on social media.On Monday, the Vernon Parish Sheriff's Office announced the arrest of James Turner, a fugitive wanted on an outstanding bench warrant for failing to pay child support. The sheriff's office says Turner was apprehended in Ascension Parish Sunday after he spent some time evading authorities.But Turner may have been able to evade deputie
  
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• Expect strict security plan at upcoming music festival here

  02-10-2017 14:25
  GONZALES – Authorities announced a coordinated safety plan for an upcoming country music festival scheduled for this weekend at the Lamar Dixon Expo Center.Festival promoters and Ascension Parish officials met Monday morning following the mass shooting at a music festival in Las Vegas. More than fifty people were killed and hundreds injured when a man opened fire from a hotel room window above the concert venue late Sunday night.“… We assure attendees a very safe
  
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• Americans win Nobel medicine prize for circadian rhythm work

  02-10-2017 14:00
  Three Americans were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discoveries about the body's daily rhythms.ABC reports that the laureates are Jeffery C. Hall with the University of Maine, Michael Rosbash with Brandeis University and Michael W. Young with Rockefeller University.Juleen Zierath of the Nobel academy said the winners have "raised awareness of the importance of a proper sleep hygiene."The researchers isolated a gene that controls the normal daily bi
  
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• Governor Edwards order flags lowered after deadly shootings

  02-10-2017 13:31
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards has announced that flags will be lowered statewide following the violence that broke out in Louisiana and Nevada Sunday night.More than 50 people more were killed and another 500 were hurt after a gunman opened fire at a music festival in Las Vegas late Sunday night. In Louisiana, a Lafayette police officer was shot and killed while responding to reports of shots fired at a convenience store.In a press release mailed out Monday morning,
  
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• How to help after the Las Vegas concert shooting

  02-10-2017 13:05
  In the wake of the mass shooting in Las Vegas Sunday night, which left more than 58 dead and more than 515 others injured, there was an outpouring of support for the victims of the tragedy as well as questions about how to help those in need.One of the clearest immediate needs was for blood donations and the Las Vegas Police put out a call for help.How to help and find loved ones. Please share #PrayforLasVegas pic.twitter.com/v0xaV3SAIm— City of Las Vegas (@CityOfLasVegas) October 2,
  
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• Woman allegedly brings drugs into jail and shares them

  02-10-2017 12:39
  MORGAN CITY- A woman was arrested Friday afternoon on drug charges, and was booked again the same day for allegedly bringing drugs into the jail and distributing them.Officers from the Morgan City Police Department responded to a residence on Florence Street for a narcotics complaint. At the scene, Mandi Hatfield was identified as a suspect in the investigation.Hatfield was found to be in possession of suspected methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia
  
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• Community leaders host canvass after spree of shootings

  02-10-2017 12:18
  BATON ROUGE - Local law enforcement and community leaders canvassed the Brookstown neighborhood Monday, not to fight crime but just to interact with the community.Former police chiefs Jeff LeDuff and Carl Dabadie, District Attorney Hillar Moore, BRPD officers, EBRSO deputies, and church leaders walked down St. Gerard Avenue, conversing with neighbors and finding out their concerns in the neighborhood.Resident Chris Odds said it was shocking to see this on his street."I'm kind of shocked really
  
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• State lawmaker calls for review of BRPD after WBRZ report

  02-10-2017 09:32
  BATON ROUGE – A state lawmaker and former city official is asking for the Louisiana Legislative Auditor to investigate extra-duty assignments within the Baton Rouge Police Department.The request comes after the WBRZ Investigative Unit reported last week, officers on administrative leave were still collecting payment from extra duty. Officers are put on administrative leave for various reasons. Typically, if an officer is on leave with pay, they are not on duty and are not to
  
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• Monday morning fire on North 15th Street

  02-10-2017 08:28
  BATON ROUGE- Firefighters from the Baton Rouge Fire Department were on the scene of a fire that broke out at a home early this morning. The fire was at 1912 North 15th Street. Authorities say, the fire was caused by improper disposal of smoking material. The fire has been determined to be accidental.When firefighters arrived on the scene, they found the bedroom of the home engulfed in flames. Before it was brought under control, the fire had spread down the hallway of the home.The rest
  
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• Facebook turning over thousands of Russia-linked ads to Congress

  02-10-2017 08:00
  More than 3,000 Russia-linked ads will be turned over by Facebook to congressional investigators. Facebook will turn over the ads to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees along as the Senate Judiciary Committee.After an interview last month, Facebook said it had discovered 450 accounts and about $100,000 in ad spending linked to Russia that had spent on divisive issues during the U.S. presidential campaign.At this time, it is unclear if the panels will make them public.
  
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• Metal Shark gets $29M Navy contract; possibly up to $90M

  02-10-2017 06:25
  NEW ORLEANS- A Louisiana company has a $29 million Navy contract to design and build up to 50 patrol boats for the Naval Expeditionary Combat Command.That will pay for engineering, design, data rights to the design, and 11 boats.The Pentagon says options in the contract with Metal Shark could bring the total value to $90 million.The work will be done at the Gravois Aluminum Boats LLC boatyard in Jeanerette.According to the Pentagon's daily list of contracts, Gravois, doing business as Metal Sha
  
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• After dry September, rain on the way Monday

  02-10-2017 06:12
  The area will be a little wet early this week, which may be a good thing for some area lawns and gardens. Barely any rain fell in September, making it the driest on record at Metro Airport (since 1930) and the second driest ever recorded in Baton Rouge (since 1892). Still, a wet summer leaves an overall surplus for the year.Today and Tonight: Your Monday will be mostly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms. Activity should increase through the day. As is common with warm season storm,
  
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• Suspect charged in overnight shooting of Lafayette police officer

  02-10-2017 03:58
  UPDATE: State Police have confirmed that 28-year-old Ian Howard is the suspect involved in last night's shooting that killed Officer Michael Middlebrook.Howard was booked on charges of first-degree murder of a police officer, attempted murder of a police officer, and two counts of attempted murder.*****LAFAYETTE -A Lafayette Police Officer was killed after a gunman opened fire at a convenience store Sunday night.The officer has been identified as Cpl. Michael Middlebrook.Accor
  
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