Baton Rouge news

• Coast Guard investigating oil discharge in river

  04-01-2018 21:14
  GRAMERCY - An oil discharge on the Mississippi River prompted a cleanup effort spearheaded by federal officials Thursday.The Coast Guard released details of the incident late Thursday.  It said earlier in the day, about 2,500 gallons of fuel oil discharged from the Petroleum Fuel and Terminal Mt. Airy down river from the Veterans Bridge and across the river from Whitney Plantation.  The facility is on the east bank of the river.The Coast Guard conducted two o
  
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• Man shot in barbershop parking lot dies from injuries

  04-01-2018 20:42
  BATON ROUGE- A man who was shot on Maplewood Drive last month has succumbed to his injuries, authorities say.The incident took place at House of Styles barbershop at 5500 Maplewood Dr. around 5:30 p.m. on December 16. The victim has been identified as 28-year-old Brandon Collins of Prairieville.Police say Collins was found lying in the parking lot suffering from gunshot wounds.There are no suspects at this time.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Seoul says both Koreas have agreed to hold talks on Tuesday

  04-01-2018 20:12
  SEOUL, South Korea - A Seoul official says both Koreas have agreed to hold their first talks in more than two years next Tuesday.  Unification Ministry spokesman Baik Tae-hyun said Friday that North Korea has accepted Seoul's offer to meet at the border village of Panmunjom that day to discuss how to cooperate on next month's Winter Olympics and how to improve overall ties.  The announcement came hours after the United States said it has agreed to delay joint
  
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• Trumpeter pleads not guilty to fraud charges

  04-01-2018 19:55
  NEW ORLEANS - Award-winning trumpeter Irvin Mayfield and his artistic and business partner have pleaded not guilty to federal charges that they spent $1.3 million raised for New Orleans public libraries on themselves.  A public defender was appointed for Mayfield, and bond for him and pianist Ronald Markham was set at $25,000 each during their arraignments Thursday.  Their trial is scheduled to start March 12 before U.S. District Judge Jay Zainey. &a
  
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• Girlfriend of slain man pleads not guilty to beating deputy

  04-01-2018 19:54
  VILLE PLATTE - The girlfriend of a man who was shot and killed by a Louisiana sheriff's deputy has pleaded not guilty to charges she assaulted the deputy after intervening in his struggle with her boyfriend.  The Advocate reports that 21-year-old DeQuince Brown entered her plea on Thursday to new, reduced charges that include battery of a police officer and attempted disarming of a peace officer. Brown originally faced a charge of attempted first-degree murder of a police offi
  
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• Neighbor recalls Zachary fire that killed three

  04-01-2018 19:22
  Zachary - Charred pieces of wood and metal are all that remains of a tremendous blaze Wednesday evening."It was like 27 degrees or something last night, and when we stepped outside, we didn't even need a jacket it was so hot!" Clarissa Covington lives across the street. She captured the whole thing on her phone."I kept praying, I hope ain't nobody in that trailer," Covington said. But when the smoke cleared, firemen discovered the bodies of 30-year-old Dana Lieblong and her daughters -- 8-year-
  
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• Burglars' getaway vehicle breaks down in victim's driveway

  04-01-2018 18:27
  WALKER - Authorities say a duo of thieves made a not-so-quick getaway after they ran into car trouble while fleeing the scene of a burglary.According to the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office, the two unidentified men broke into a home off Meadow Crossing Drive sometime Wednesday afternoon. The sheriff's office says the two stole TVs, computers and jewelry and stuffed them in a black Yukon they had driven to the the home.As the two attempted to make their escape, the getaway vehicle failed to s
  
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• Fake teen doctor pleads guilty, gets 3 years in prison

  04-01-2018 17:40
  WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) - A Florida man accused of impersonating a doctor and stealing from a patient when he was a teenager has been sentenced to 3 ½ years in prison.  News outlets report that a Palm Beach County judge sentenced 20-year-old Malachi Love-Robinson Thursday after he pleaded guilty to grand theft, practicing medicine without a license and other charges. His trial was scheduled to begin later this month.  Love-Robinson was arrested
  
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• One-year suspension recommended for law professor for her role in Council on Aging will

  04-01-2018 17:23
  BATON ROUGE - A board convened by Southern University System President Ray Belton recommends a hefty suspension without pay for Southern University Law Professor Dorothy Jackson for her role in a questionable will at the East Baton Rouge Council on aging, according to the Advocate.Jackson, who is a board member at the EBR Council on Aging, drafted the will for Helen Plummer at the Southern University Elder Law Clinic. Jackson remains under investigation by the State O
  
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• Deep freeze affecting natural gas supply to subdivision

  04-01-2018 17:20
  WALKER - Imagine waking up and having no heat. It's happening in the Woodland Crossing Subdivision in Walker and dozens of households are being affected.Residents say it's happening in the middle of the night. Walker Gas & Water tell 2 On Your Side it's known about the issue for years, but an obstacle is preventing them from fixing the problem."You're waking up in the morning, trying to start your day and you're freezing," said Woodland Crossing resident Kelly Schayot.It's been a rough week
  
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• 3-year-old suffers self-inflicted gunshot wound in Baton Rouge Thursday

  04-01-2018 17:08
  UPDATE: Police say the 3-year-old suffered an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound  to the left leg after finding the firearm. The injuries appear to be non-life threatening at this time. The incident occurred outside of a home on N. 31st Street.Police have recovered the firearm, which was stolen, according to a BRPD spokesman. The investigation is ongoing.BATON ROUGE - Police are currently responding to reports of a 3-year-old being shot Thursday evening.The incident was r
  
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• One-year-old accidentally struck, killed by mother's vehicle in Lafourche Parish

  04-01-2018 16:48
  LAROSE - Authorities say 1-year-old has died after he was struck by a vehicle outside his home Wednesday night.According to the Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to the home on LA 1 around 9:40 p.m. after concerned neighbors reported hearing screaming and crying at a nearby home.The sheriff's office says it learned that 1-year-old Cai Crosby was accidentally struck by his mother as she was backing up her vehicle outside their residence. Ca
  
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• Texas man who took girls says he found mom dead

  04-01-2018 16:28
  DALLAS - An affidavit in the kidnapping charge against a Texas man wanted for questioning in the death of a woman and the abduction of her two daughters says he texted his mother to say he found the woman dead.  The FBI special agent affidavit unsealed Thursday says Terry Allen Miles texted his mother using one of the daughter's cellphones to say he had "came home to something bad" and he had left with the kids. His text blamed Bates' boyfriend.  Investigator
  
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• State Fire Marshal attributes sudden spike in fires to winter weather

  04-01-2018 15:17
  BATON ROUGE - State officials are attributing the recent bump in house fires in part to the freezing weather that has been gripping Louisiana over the past week.The State Fire Marshal released a statement Thursday warning residents to remain cautious while space heaters and other equipment.Since Jan. 1, firefighters have responded to six fatal residential fires which have left 10 dead. Six of those deaths occurred in East Baton Rouge Parish alone, nearly matching the parish's
  
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• Hotel gives big donation to flood victims

  04-01-2018 14:57
  BATON ROUGE, La. - It's been 17 months since the 'great flood' drowned the streets of Baton Rouge, and support for those affected have not dried up. A local hotel made a huge donation Thursday to help those rebuilding feel at home again.With a moving truck, some dolly's and a crew, it's obvious some changes are happening at the Cloverleaf Suites off of Corporate Blvd."We just took the property over and needed to buy new stuff,” says General Manager Larry Goings.But before getting new
  
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• Saudi Arabia: No evidence shows it had a hand in 9/11 attack

  04-01-2018 14:32
  NEW YORK (AP) - Saudi Arabia's lawyers say a judge should reject a New York lawsuit by victims of the Sept. 11 attacks trying to hold the kingdom to blame.  The lawyers said in a Manhattan federal court filing Thursday the plaintiffs lack evidence despite a new law by Congress enabling claims against Saudi Arabia. Other lawsuits against Saudi Arabia were rejected before Congress passed a 2016 law allowing the litigation.  The lawyers wrote that Congress "did
  
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• Man indicted on capital murder charge over body in freezer

  04-01-2018 14:24
  PASCAGOULA, Miss. (AP) - A Mississippi grand jury has indicted an Oregon native on a capital murder charge in the death of a man whose body was found in a freezer.  The Sun Herald reports that 41-year-old Thomas Elliot Stafford is charged with strangling 65-year-old Jerry Floyd Kirkendall Sr. during a robbery at a Jackson County home in March 2017.  Federal marshals arrested Stafford in Portland, Oregon, after the killing.  Kirkendall's body
  
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• Edwards: La. utility rates should drop amid federal tax cuts

  04-01-2018 14:22
  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Gov. John Bel Edwards wants the recent congressional tax overhaul to drive down utility rates for Louisiana consumers.  The Democratic governor sent a letter to the Louisiana Public Service Commission, the state's utility regulators, citing the new cut to federal corporate income tax rates.  Federal income tax rates are a consideration in calculating what utilities charge customers. Edwards says a 14 percent cut to tax rates businesses
  
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• G.L.O.W. legend Mt. Fiji dies

  04-01-2018 13:53
  Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling legend Mt. Fiji has passed away after battling serious health problems for years.TMZ Sports reports that Mt. Fiji, real name Emily Dole, was 60.Fiji was one of the biggest stars in G.L.O.W. from 1986-1992. She never lost a match.Fiji inspired the character Machu Picchu on the popular Netflix show "G.L.O.W."Permalink| Comments
  
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• LSU's Arden Key plans to skip senior year, enter NFL Draft

  04-01-2018 13:32
  BATON ROUGE - One of LSU's key defensive players is leaving college early to join the pros.Linebacker Arden Key took to Twitter Thursday, announcing his plan to leave the Tigers. Key, who was originally recruited by former coach Les Miles, said he came to the decision after discussing the matter with his family.pic.twitter.com/GMtsVtsgOZ— OptimusKey_ (@ArdenKey49) January 4, 2018Key recorded four sacks and 33 tackles in eight games in the 2017 season after u
  
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• US ends Obama policy that let legal pot flourish

  04-01-2018 12:53
    WASHINGTON -Attorney General Jeff Sessions has rescinded an Obama-era policy that allowed legal marijuana to flourish in states across the country.  In a memo Thursday, Sessions says federal prosecutors should decide on their own whether to devote resources to marijuana cases based on other demands in their districts. Sessions writes in the one-page memo that "prosecutors should follow the well-established principles that govern all federal prosecutions" by
  
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• Free smoke detectors in Baton Rouge

  04-01-2018 11:56
  BATON ROUGE- The American Red Cross is offering free smoke alarms with installation in an attempt to stop fire-related deaths in the parish. People in need can apply online or call (844)-741-7270."We talk to families about working smoke alarms all the time. Working is a very important word because lots of people have smoke alarms but they're not working," said Merri Alessi with the Red Cross.Alessi said working smoke alarms are the most important thing for saving lives in house fires, giving pe
  
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• Free smoke detectors available in Baton Rouge

  04-01-2018 11:56
  BATON ROUGE- The American Red Cross says people can request fire alarms in an attempt to stop fire-related deaths in the parish. People in need can apply online or call (844)-741-7270.After applying, someone will come out an install the device. Authorities say either a firefighter or a Red Cross employee needs to make sure the detector is properly placed and working."We talk to families about working smoke alarms all the time. Working is a very important word because lots of p
  
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• Mayor-President discusses recent rash of fires

  04-01-2018 11:47
  BATON ROUGE- Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome and other officials discussed public safety concerns regarding a recent rash of fires in the parish.In the past week, there have been three fatal fires. Two people were found dead in a house fire on 78th Street on Jan 2.Yesterday a woman was killed in a fire at an apartment complex on Governor Drive.Last night a mother and her two daughters perished in a trailer fire in Zachary. During the press conference the mayor of Zachary said auth
  
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• Recreational gray triggerfish season to close Jan 16.

  04-01-2018 09:03
  BATON ROUGE- The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has announced the season for the recreational harvest of gray triggerfish will close in Louisiana waters Jan. 16.The season will remain closed through Feb. 28. NOAA Fisheries announced that new regulations are being enacted to help rebuild the gray triggerfish stock.According to the LDWF, the changes to the recreational season include an additional recreational fixed closed season from January 1 through the end of February of each
  
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• Two men arrested on over 500 counts of child pornography

  04-01-2018 08:37
  BATON ROUGE- Authorities have arrested two men on 540 counts of child pornography.“As we begin a new year, my office’s resolution to taking child predators off our streets remains,” said Attorney General Landry. “We will continue working tirelessly to find those exploiting children and bring them to justice.”Ryan Horak, 20, was arrested on 500 counts of possession of sexual abuse images/videos of children under the age of 13. He was booked into
  
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• Train derails in New Roads, LA 1 closed near the scene

  04-01-2018 07:50
  POINTE COUPEE - The Pointe Coupee Sheriff's Office is working a train derailment on LA 1 north of New Roads.Authorities say 13 cars have derailed. Sources say the the train was carrying potentially flammable liquids. LA 1 north and south of New Roads is closed at this time. Traffic is being rerouted. No injuries have been reported at this time. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. Permalink| Comments
  
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• Crews investigating early morning fire on Snipe Street

  04-01-2018 07:09
  BATON ROUGE- Emergency crews were on the scene of a fire in the 1800 block of Snipe Street near Somerset Street.The call came in before 7 a.m. There is no word yet as to what caused the fire.This is a developing story. Check back for updates.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Chase on I-12 sends one to the hospital

  04-01-2018 06:51
  BATON ROUGE - Authorities say a car chase ended in a crash that sent one person to the hospital this morning.The crash occurred around 5 a.m. at the ramp on I-12 West at O'Neal.East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Deputies were involved in the chase leading up to the crash.The person was transported to the hospital in critical condition. Louisiana State Police are assisting with the crash directing traffic due to damage to the traffic lights.Details are limited at this time. Ch
  
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• Three Powerball tickets sold in Louisiana worth tens of thousands of dollars

  04-01-2018 06:24
  NEW ORLEANS- Three Powerball tickets sold in southeast Louisiana are worth tens of thousands of dollars. WWL-TV reports two tickets that were sold in New Orleans and Harahan matched four out of five numbers plus the Powerball to win $50,000 each. The third ticket was sold in Kentwood and is worth $150,000. That ticket matched four out of five numbers, the Powerball and the Power Play.The winning numbers from Wednesday's drawing were: 02-18-37-39-42, Powerball 12 and Power Play 3X.The winning ti
  
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• Early morning fire at Tiger Plaza Apartments

  04-01-2018 05:48
  BATON ROUGE- Firefighters were on the scene of a fire at an apartment complex in the 4000 block of  Alvin Dark Avenue this morning.A call for a fire at the Tiger Plaza Apartments came in shortly before 3 a.m.Authorities say the fire was in one of the maintenance rooms of the complex. At this time no injuries have been reported.Details are limited at this time. Check back for updates.Permalink| Comments
  
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