Baton Rouge news

• California wildfire now largest in state history

  22-12-2017 21:36
  VENTURA, Calif. - The huge wildfire that burned hundreds of homes in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties is now the largest in California's recorded history.
   State fire officials said Friday that the Thomas fire has scorched 273,400 acres, or about 427 square miles of coastal foothills and national forest.
   That was 154 acres larger than the 2003 Cedar fire in San Diego that killed 15 people.
   Thousands of firefighters and fleets of aircraft have been battling the bla
  
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• Fire damages family home on Hooper Road

  22-12-2017 20:46
  CENTRAL - The Red Cross is assisting a family after a fire ripped through their home.The blaze occurred in the 8900 block of Hooper Road. According to Central Fire Department officials, the fire began around 8:30 p.m. Friday.Firefighters arrived to visible flames coming from the inside of the home. Investigators told WBRZ they believe the fire started in the laundry room.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Working house f
  
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• Pharmacists struggling to keep flu medication in stock

  22-12-2017 19:07
  BATON ROUGE - This year's flu season is keeping local pharmacies busy during the holidays."We came to pick up the Tamiflu, which they give you when you get the flu, and they were out of it," said Tricia Elliot, who said her husband had been diagnosed with the flu.Pharmacies say they are seeing so many patients with flu symptoms, they are often quickly running out of the liquid form of Tamiflu."We did have have a short segment for about three or four days where we couldn't get the liquid in the
  
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• Authorities have 'no evidence' vet shot neighbor's barking dog, lawyer says

  22-12-2017 14:37
  HARAHAN- A lawyer for the veterinarian accused of shooting and killing her neighbor's dog in River Ridge says the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office has "no evidence at all against his client," according to The Advocate. Bob Garrity, the attorney representing 35-year-old Kelly Folse, said detectives are trying to "force a confession out of her" because the sheriff's office needed to make "a big splash" in response to allegations of animal cruelty.The Advocate reports that Jefferson Parish Sherif
  
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• More healthy recipes with Holly Clegg

  22-12-2017 14:11
  BATON ROUGE- Holly Clegg was at it again. The Louisiana cookbook queen made two more delicious dishes for the holiday season.WBRZ's John Pastorek and Clegg made mini muffalettas and speedy spinach dip with crawfish.Here are the recipes straight from Clegg's cookbook.Mini Muffalettas   All it takes is four easy ingredients and 15 minutes to create Clegg's popular version of this Louisiana favorite Italian-style sandwich. Make them ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze until r
  
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• Deputies looking for missing trailer out of Ascension Parish

  22-12-2017 13:42
  PRAIRIEVILLE - Deputies from the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office are seeking information regarding the theft of a trailer.The 14-foot trailer was stolen from a home on Germany Oaks Drive. Investigators are looking for the truck used to haul away the trailer, a 2000 Ford F-150 truck with a toolbox in the back.Anyone with information on this case can contact the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office at 225-621-4636.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Gas leak reported at intersection of La. Hwy 73 and La. Hwy 42 in Prairieville

  22-12-2017 13:07
  PRAIREVILLE- A gas leak has been reported near the intersection of La. Highway 73 and La. Highway 42.Sources tell WBRZ that the gas leak was detected about an hour ago. Part of Highway 42 was closed due to the leak, but has been reopened. Witnesses say a backhoe was working in the area this morning. Some people in the area say the can smell natural gas.Atmos Energy Corporation said a third part contractor hit one of their lines. Crews are in the process of repairing the issue.&nbsp
  
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• Even in defeat, Moore issues plea for donations

  22-12-2017 12:53
  MONTGOMERY, Ala.-Defeated U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore has issued a new plea for donations to chase down what he says are reports of fraud and irregularities in the voting.In an email to supporters Thursday afternoon, Moore's campaign asked supporters to "dig deep" and donate anywhere from $25 to $1,000 to his "Election Integrity Fund."The fundraising email was sent after Alabama's secretary of state announced that "the most controversial" issue of potential voter fraud had been resolved aft
  
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• Ex-Miss Americas shamed by pageant CEO call for his ouster

  22-12-2017 12:49
  ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) - Some former Miss Americas shamed in emails from the pageant's CEO are calling on him and other organization leaders to resign.Three former title holders who were targeted for abuse in emails to and from Miss America Organization CEO Sam Haskell say the group's leadership needs to be replaced.Mallory Hagan's appearance and sexual habits were mocked in the emails. She won the 2013 competition.Pageant officials wrote that when one former Miss America died, they wished it
  
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• U.S Post Office holiday hours

  22-12-2017 11:54
  BATON ROUGE- U.S. Post Offices nationwide will be closed on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.According to a release, post offices will be open at their regular hours on Dec. 26 and Jan. 2.Blue collection boxes are not serviced on Sundays which includes Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Regular collections will be made on Dec. 23 and Dec. 30.Additional postal service holiday information can be found here.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Trump signs $1.5 trillion tax overhaul into law

  22-12-2017 11:15
  WASHINGTON-President Donald Trump has signed into law a $1.5 trillion tax overhaul package.Trump touted the size of the tax cut, declaring to reporters in the Oval Office before he signed it Friday that "the numbers will speak."The president said he was going to wait to sign it until after Jan. 1 but changed his mind. The legislation provides generous cuts for corporations and the wealthiest Americans and smaller ones for the middle class and low-income families.It is the first major overhaul o
  
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• LSU names new police chief

  22-12-2017 09:39
  BATON ROUGE- Bart Thompson has been named chief of police at LSU.Thompson, who has been with the LSU Police Department since 2010, has been serving as acting chief since September.“We are pleased to name Bart Thompson as LSU’s chief of police,” LSU Executive Vice President & CFO Dan Layzell said in a release. “Chief Thompson has been a steady leader in the LSU Police Department over the last few months as we’ve gone through this transition.
  
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• Man hits victim in the head with brick after argument about lighter

  22-12-2017 08:52
  NEW ORLEANS- Police from the New Orleans Police Department are looking for a man  they say hit another person in the head with a brick during an argument.WWL-TV reports the argument was over a lighter. Police say 34-year-old Joshua Beach got into an argument on Dec. 14 with the victim in the 1100 block of Margaret Place in the Warehouse District.The victim told police that Beach accused him of having his lighter, which the victim said he did not have. Police said that Beach left the ar
  
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• Legendary sports broadcaster Dick Enberg dies

  22-12-2017 08:16
  Legendary sports broadcaster Dick Enberg, whose career spanned parts of seven decades, died on Thursday. He was 82, according to USA Today Sports.Barbara, Enberg's wife, confirmed his death. She told The San Diego Union-Tribute that it appeared he suffered a heart attack at their home in California.USA Today Sports reports that after high-profile roles with NBC and CBS, Enberg called San Diego Padres games as the team's main television voice for seven years before he retired at the conclusion o
  
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• Authorities arrest 34 fugitives in seven days

  22-12-2017 07:54
  NEW ORLEANS- The New Orleans Police Department, FBI and U.S. Marshals arrested 34 fugitives, including several suspected of murder, according to WWL-TV.The arrests, made in a seven-day period, were announced during a joint news conference Thursday.Fugitives arrested included:-Five people wanted for murder-Five people wanted for armed robbery-Six people wanted for aggravated rape or sexual battery-Five people wanted for aggravated battery or aggravated assault with a gunPermalink| Comments
  
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• Plea in drug case means 10 years to life for Texas man

  22-12-2017 07:42
  NEW ORLEANS- A Texas man faces a possible life sentence after pleading guilty to a drug charge at federal court in New Orleans.Court documents show the minimum sentence faced by 27-year-old Victor Esquivel is 10 years.Acting U.S. Attorney Duane Evans' office says in a Thursday news release that Esquivel, of Brownsville, pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute cocaine.Prosecutors said he conspired with two others to distribute about 28 kilograms of cocaine. The investigation developed from a
  
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• US consumer spending rises 0.6 percent in November

  22-12-2017 07:37
  WASHINGTON- American consumers stepped up their spending last month, a good sign for the holiday shopping season.The Commerce Department says consumer spending rose a sharp 0.6 percent from October, outpacing a 0.3 percent increase in personal income. As a result, the savings rate fell to 2.9 percent of after-tax income in November, lowest since November 2007.The numbers bode well for the holidays and for the overall economy: Consumer spending accounts for about 70 percent of U.S. economic outp
  
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• Woman arrested for attacking victim over cheating boyfriend

  22-12-2017 06:47
  BATON ROUGE - Officers have arrested a woman for allegedly beating another woman who knew her boyfriend was cheating on her. On Sept. 30, Chaneal Jarvis and another suspect attacked the victim in her home. According to the affidavit, the victim told authorities that Jarvis attacked her because she withheld information that Jarvis' boyfriend was cheating. Jarvis came to the victim's residence earlier on the day of the attack where the two got into a verbal arg
  
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• Woman arrested attacking victim over cheating boyfriend

  22-12-2017 06:47
  BATON ROUGE - Officers have arrested a woman for allegedly beating another woman who knew her boyfriend was cheating on her. On Sept. 30, Chaneal Jarvis and another person attacked the victim in her home. The victim told authorities that Jarvis attacked her because she withheld information that Jarvis' boyfriend was cheating, arrest reports said.Jarvis went to the victim's home earlier on the day of the attack where thy had an argument. The victim told police
  
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• Authorities charge two with home invasion after Wednesday night attack

  22-12-2017 06:19
  BATON ROGUE- Deputies from the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office arrested two people who attacked a victim in her residence earlier this week.The incident occurred on Wednesday. Authorities were dispatched to an apartment in the 3400 block of North Sherwood Forest Boulevard in reference to a battery at approximately 9:34 p.m.At the scene, the victim stated that Amber Simmons was an acquaintance of hers and they no longer got along. The victim stated that Simmons, a man identified as De
  
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