Baton Rouge news

• Crash shuts down I-12 west at Airline Highway

  30-11-2017 21:20
  BATON ROUGE - A crash has shut down I-12 westbound near Airline Highway.The accident involved a motorcycle, according to BRPD. One patient was transported to the hospital in critical condition, according to a source. As of 10:45 p.m. all lanes have been reopened. Anyone with information is asked to contact police. Keep up with local traffic using the WBRZ traffic tracker.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Mexican man found not guilty in pier killing

  30-11-2017 19:26
  SAN FRANCISCO - Jurors have found a Mexican man not guilty of murder in the killing of a woman on a San Francisco pier in a case that touched off a national immigration debate.  The jury reached the verdict Thursday in Kate Steinle's death.  Jose Ines Garcia Zarate had been deported five times and was wanted for a sixth deportation when Steinle was fatally shot in the back in 2015. Garcia Zarate didn't deny shooting Steinle and said it was an acciden
  
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• Under cloud of controversy, prisons chief stands by 'deal' made in harassment case

  30-11-2017 17:41
  BATON ROUGE – Although the governor's ordered a policy review, prison officials stand behind an audio recording obtained by and broadcast on WBRZ newscasts recently where high-ranking bosses were heard trying to make a deal with an employee accused of sexual harassment."[We're] basically giving you the opportunity that you can resign and have all this stuff go away," prisons undersecretary Thomas Bickham was recorded telling the department's head doctor."I give you my word, there will
  
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• Deputies respond after vehcicle crashes into Ascension Parish bayou

  30-11-2017 17:33
  ASCENSION PARISH - Deputies are on the scene at an area bayou after a vehicle crashed into the waters Thursday.Deputies responded to the call late Thursday afternoon at Bayou Manchac, just north of Hobart. Photos from the scene show what appears to be a submerged truck in the water.Deputies on the scene would not confirm if anyone was hurt in the crash, or any other details.Check back for updates.Permalink| Comments
  
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• APSO: Stolen van crashes into bayou

  30-11-2017 17:33
  PRAIRIEVILLE - The Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office says a van that ended up in Bayou Manchac was stolen.In a Facebook post shared Thursday, Acadian Custom Cabinets said the van and tools were stolen in the middle of the night Wednesday. Photos from the scene show what appears to be a submerged SUV in the water.It took several hours for workers from APSO, Wildlife and Fisheries, and Lake Galvez Fire Rescue to pull the van from the water.Deputies on the scene
  
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• Fundraiser this weekend to raise money for BRPD officer involved in accident

  30-11-2017 17:16
  BATON ROUGE - A Baton Rouge Police Officer is on a journey of recovery after he was involved in a single-vehicle accident earlier this year.The needs of Officer Rickey Faust have changed significantly since March."I just thank god I'm still here," he said.Faust, who gets around in a motorized wheelchair says he's blessed and determined to walk again. But while he's recovering and gaining strength, he needs some help to reach his goal.On March 21, 2017, Faust's life changed. He was involved in a
  
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• Man accused of stealing from LSU churches

  30-11-2017 17:11
  BATON ROUGE - Police say a man has been arrested after he was caught stealing cash and other items from churches on LSU's campus.According to the LSU Police Department, the two victims claimed that a stereo and nearly $100 in cash had been stolen from their residence inside the Baptist Collegiate Ministry on Nov. 18. A review of security footage revealed that a man, later identified as 56-year-old Fred Levy, entered the church and took the stereo along with groceries
  
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• Trump lights National Christmas Tree for 1st time

  30-11-2017 16:48
  WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump lit the National Christmas Tree for the first time on Thursday, wishing the country "a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year" and "unbelievable holidays."  Trump counted down from 10 with his wife, Melania, who pushed a button to set the tree aglow with golden lights and silver stars.  The president and first lady attended the annual event with other Trump family members.  The program was hosted by television
  
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• Deer hunter who killed woman is charged with manslaughter

  30-11-2017 16:42
  MAYVILLE, N.Y. - An upstate New York hunter who fatally shot a neighbor he said he mistook for a deer has been charged with manslaughter.  Thomas Jadlowski also was charged in a grand jury indictment Thursday with hunting after hours in the Chautauqua County town of Sherman. He was arraigned in Chautauqua County Court, where he pleaded not guilty and bail was set at $50,000.  Rosemary Billquist was killed while walking her dogs behind her home. Authorities sa
  
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• American Airlines vows to take steps against racial bias

  30-11-2017 16:39
  DALLAS - Under pressure from the NAACP, American Airlines is promising changes in the way it trains employees and handles passenger complaints about racially biased treatment.  The airline announced the steps Thursday after a meeting between CEO Doug Parker and NAACP President Derrick Johnson.  The civil-rights group issued a "travel advisory" in October warning African-Americans they could face discrimination when flying on American. The alert followed sever
  
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• Oh, deer: Startled doe scrambles through Mississippi school

  30-11-2017 16:35
  ENTERPRISE, Miss. - A deer darted through two hallways of a Mississippi school, startling students as they were arriving for the day.  People jumped out of the way and no one was injured.  Enterprise Middle School is in a rural, wooded area about 100 miles (161 kilometers) east of Jackson. Principal Marlon Brannan says it's unusual to see deer on campus, but this doe was grazing on a playground Wednesday morning.  He says the doe bloodied it
  
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• Grinch snatches holiday packages from Denham Springs home

  30-11-2017 16:08
  DENHAM SPRINGS - He wasn't green or hairy, but the Reynolds' family claims a grinch paid them an unwelcome visit this week.Their security cameras caught a man snatching two large packages off their front porch."He is a grinch," said Shonda Reynolds, who lives there with her husband and three children.Reynolds says the packages contained Christmas gifts for her kids, totaling about $300."That's sad and I just don't want anybody else to experience it," said Reynolds.The
  
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• Grand jury indicts accused Baton Rouge killer on murder, attempted murder charges

  30-11-2017 15:11
  BATON ROUGE - A man accused in a number of what police have called potentially 'racially motivated' attacks, has been indicted by a grand jury on several charges.On Thursday, East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore's office announced that a grand jury had indicted Kenneth Gleason on one count of second-degree murder, one count of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder.Gleason was last booked into jail in September as police worked
  
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• WATCH: All this little girl wants for Christmas is a nap

  30-11-2017 14:52
  HOUSTON, Tex. - A young Texas girl had a simple request for Santa this year, and we can all relate.Linden Mae Bartell asked for a nap for Christmas.According to KTRK, Linden and her family had spent the day shopping and by the time she got to Bering's Hardware in southwest Houston, all thoughts of toys and clothes were out of her mind. All she wanted was some rest.Of course, Santa obliged, allowing her to take a short break as she rested against his shoulder. Santa went on to ask her w
  
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• Police report: Retired LSP superintendent knew of troopers' costly 'side trip', deleted text messages

  30-11-2017 14:02
  BATON ROUGE - Newly-released documents from Louisiana State Police contain criminal allegations aimed at former Superintendent Michael Edmonson, including accusations that he deleted text messages pertaining to a 'side trip' by LSP troopers that cost the state thousands of dollars in overtime. The police report suggested it was "obvious" that Edmonson knew of the troopers' detour to Las Vegas while on a cross-country trip to a conference in
  
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• Authorities arrest Pineville Police Officer for abuse in office

  30-11-2017 14:01
  PINEVILLE- Detectives with the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigations/Alexandria Field Office arrested a Pineville Police Officer today for abuse in office.The officer arrested was 36-year-old Terry Bradshaw.In September, LSP received a complaint involving Bradshaw. With the assistance of the Pineville Police Department, LSP launched an investigation into the accusations. According to authorities, through the course of the investigation, a Rapides Parish Grand Jury indicted Bradshaw wi
  
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• Louisiana teacher accused of sending nude photo to student on Snapchat

  30-11-2017 13:43
  NEW ORLEANS - A New Orleans-area teacher was reportedly arrested after she sent a nude photo to a 13-year-old student.According to a report from the New Orleans Advocate, 30-year-old Viridiana Figueroa-Ramos was booked on a count of indecent behavior with a juvenile on Nov. 17. She is listed as a teacher at L.W. Ruppel Academy for Advanced Studies in Jefferson Parish.A Jefferson Parish School System spokesperson told the Advocate that Figueroa-Ramos also teaches at four additional scho
  
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• Texas sheriff says it's unlikely border agents were attacked

  30-11-2017 13:22
  VAN HORN, Texas - A Texas sheriff who was among the first people to reach two U.S. Border Patrol agents who were badly injured says he thinks they were hurt in an accident, not an attack.  Culberson County Sheriff Oscar Carrillo told The Dallas Morning News that the agents, who were found along a culvert next to Interstate 10, may have been sideswiped by a passing tractor-trailer.  Agent Rogelio Martinez died of his injuries and his partner was hospitalized a
  
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• Jim Nabors, Gomer Pyle on 'Andy Griffith Show,' dies at 87

  30-11-2017 13:00
  HONOLULU - Jim Nabors, who played Gomer Pyle on TV's "The Andy Griffith Show," has died at 87.  Nabors died peacefully at his home in Hawaii on Thursday with his husband, Stan Cadwallader, at his side. He was 87.  Cadwallader says Nabors' health had been declining for the past year. His immune system also was suppressed after he underwent a liver transplant about 20 years ago.  Nabors became an instant success when he joined "The Andy Griffi
  
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• Actor Jim Nabors dead at 87

  30-11-2017 13:00
  Actor Jim Nabors, best known for his role as Gomer Pyle on "The Andy Griffith Show," has died, according to reports. He was 87.TV producer Phil Arnone confirmed the death to WBRC on Thursday.#BREAKING: TV producer Phil Arnone confirms actor and Sylacauga native Jim Nabors (aka: Gomer Pyle from The Andy Griffith Show) has passed away. He was 87-years-old. @WBRCnews— Lauchlan Smith (@lauchlan_s) November 30, 2017Arnone told Hawaii News Now that Nabors died around 3 a.m
  
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• Man, 24, admits sexual battery of 4-year-old girl

  30-11-2017 12:33
  COVINGTON - A Louisiana prosecutor says a 24-year-old man has pleaded guilty to sexual battery of a 4-year-old girl and 277 pornography counts.  District Attorney Warren Montgomery says William Harvey Watson of Slidell was sentenced Monday to 30 years on the battery charge and 25 years concurrently on each pornography charge.  A news release Thursday says Watson admitted touching the girl sexually and posing her for pornography.  He says Wat
  
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• Florida man being chased by cops stops to shoot up heroin

  30-11-2017 12:14
  SILVER SPRINGS, Fla.— Florida authorities say a man being chased by deputies for grand theft and burglary made a pit stop to inject heroin.Marion County Sheriff’s Office say a detective found a wanted John Stephens at his central Florida home Monday. Stephens fled in a vehicle. Another deputy later spotted the vehicle and pursued it. News outlets reports that Stephens got out, jumped a fence and was stopped by a K-9 named Tipster who bit him on the arm.According to
  
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• Suspect in police death back in court

  30-11-2017 11:23
  NEW ORLEANS-The suspect in the 2015 death of a New Orleans police officer has returned to the courtroom where he abruptly ended his trial last month by smearing excrement on his head.Travis Boys was ruled incompetent for trial after the October incident. The judge in the case ordered him evaluated and treated. The issue in Thursday's hearing is whether he is now competent to stand trial on a first-degree murder charge in the death of Officer Daryle Holloway.Boys has pleaded not guilty and not g
  
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• Russell Simmons steps down after sexual assault allegation

  30-11-2017 11:15
  Russell Simmons is stepping down from his companies in the wake of an accusation of harassment and sexual assault.According to CNN Simmons, the founder of hip-hop music label Def Jam Recordings and CEO of Rush Communications, released a statement on Thursday after screenwriter Jenny Lumet accused him of forcing her to have sex with him in 1991.The statement said:"I have been informed with great anguish of Jenny Lumet's recollection about our night together in 1991," Simmons said in a statement.
  
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• Office of Motor Vehicles brings back IRP service

  30-11-2017 09:52
  BATON ROUGE-The Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles will begin offering International Registration Plan services beginning Dec 1.Services will be available at OMV locations in Shreveport, Houma, Monroe, New Orleans-Veterans Blvd., Slidell, Lake Charles, Lafayette, Baton Rouge and Alexandria.Online services are scheduled for release early 2018 and will allow the carrier to conduct numerous IRP transactions without requiring an office visit.For more information click here.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Victim shot in face and back in early morning shooting

  30-11-2017 09:34
  BATON ROUGE- Authorities are investigating a shooting that took place in the 3900 block of North Acadian.Authorities say the incident took place around 1:30 a.m. Thursday.The victim was shot in the face and back and transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries, according to authorities. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. Permalink| Comments
  
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• Authorities investigating early morning fire at apartment complex

  30-11-2017 09:21
  BATON ROUGE- The cause of a fire at a duplex early Thursday morning is under investigation.The fire took place at an apartment complex in the 140 block of Gottlieb Street. The call came in at 5:25 a.m.At the scene, firefighters found fire coming from the upstairs apartment. Crews were able to get the fire under control by 5:39 a.m.A cat was rescued from the upstairs apartment. Authorities say the duplex received heavy fire and smoke damage. Red Cross was called to assist.The cause of the fire i
  
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• The Latest: Political consultant says Conyers in hospital

  30-11-2017 09:08
  DETROIT— A political consultant says U.S. Rep. John Conyers has been hospitalized in Detroit.Sam Riddle said Thursday he spoke to Conyers’ wife, Monica Conyers. Riddle says he doesn’t know why the Democrat congressman was hospitalized or his condition.BREAKING: Political consultant says US Rep. John Conyers, facing sexual harassment allegations, hospitalized in Detroit.— The Associated Press (@AP) November 30, 2017He declined to name the hospital
  
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• EBRSO looking for suspects who allegedly stole a purse from a vehicle

  30-11-2017 08:51
  BATON ROUGE- Deputies from the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office are looking for two males that burglarized a vehicle in October.In the incident took place in the 8800 block of Governor Pleasant Drive on Oct. 18.According to reports, the victim advised that she came outside and noticed her vehicle doors unlocked. The victim told authorities she searched the vehicle for her purse but was unable to locate it.When she went back into her home to look at her home surveillance videos, the victim obse
  
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• Early inspiration for ALS Ice Bucket Challenge Anthony Senerchia dead at 46

  30-11-2017 08:26
  PELHAM, N.Y.-Anthony Senerchia, who lived 14 years with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and served as an early inspiration for the Ice Bucket Challenge, died on Saturday. He was 46.WWL-TV reports that Senerchia was diagnosed with ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, shortly after marrying his high school sweetheart, Jeanette Hane, in 2003. The grim diagnosis took a toll on Senerchia’s mind and body but he found inspiration in his daughter, Taya, his wife said
  
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• Applications for US jobless aid tick down to 238,000

  30-11-2017 08:17
  WASHINGTON- Fewer people sought U.S. unemployment benefits last week, a sign of strength in the job market.The Labor Department says weekly applications for unemployment aid slipped 2,000 to a seasonally adjusted 238,000. That's near a four-decade low that was reached last month. The four-week average, a less volatile measure, increased 2,250 to 242,250.Applications are a proxy for layoffs. Any figure below 300,000 indicates that hiring is likely healthy and employers are confident enough in fu
  
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• Officials to hold groundbreaking ceremony for LA 42 widening project

  30-11-2017 07:46
  PRAIRIEVILLE- The Department of Transportation and Development is holding a groundbreaking ceremony today to celebrate the expansion of LA 42.The $27.48 million project will widen 3.7 miles of LA 42 from two to four lanes between Airline Highway and North Burnside Avenue. Additionally, a six-foot sidewalk will be constructed on the north side of the roadway, along with a 10-foot bicycle/pedestrian shared use path on the south side.The widening is important in order to meet the expanding needs o
  
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• Mother celebrates beginning of road extension after losing child on LA-42

  30-11-2017 06:44
  PRAIRIEVILLE - One mother has fought for over two decades to get a dangerous stretch of road in Ascension Parish fixed. On Thursday, she said she's finally won. Twenty-three years ago, Loretta Templet lost her daughter, 13-year-old nephew and his friend in an accident on Highway 42. Since then, she's spearheaded the effort to expand roadway. "I didn't want anyone to go through what I went through or my sister," Templet said.The mother who has fought for this road construction
  
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• Man arrested for firing a weapon at Bayou Blue residence

  30-11-2017 06:22
  LAFOURCHE- Deputies from the Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office arrested a man they say fired multiple rounds at a Bayou Blue residence Tuesday.The suspect was identified as 24-year-old Jeremy Robinson.Authorities said at around 3:35 a.m on Nov. 28, deputies responded to a report of multiple gunshots in Meadowland Subdivision in Bayou Blue. At the scene, deputies found several rounds had been fired at a woman's residential trailer. One round struck the trailer and two others st
  
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• Showers and hurricane season ending, big chill around the corner

  30-11-2017 05:49
  The chance for rain will end by Thursday afternoon followed by a sunny and seasonable weekend. The long-range forecast is beginning to look quite interesting with the possibility of rain and much colder temperatures.THE FORECAST:Today and Tonight: Isolated showers and patchy fog will be possible early Thursday before a weakening cold front moves through the area. Expect slowed road conditions for the morning drive. The afternoon will still be mild with highs in the low to mid 70s. All told, ver
  
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