Baton Rouge news

• Students, faculty at McKinley High fighting for more resources

  02-02-2018 20:43
  BATON ROUGE - Students and teachers at McKinley High School in Baton Rouge held rallies at both lunch periods Friday.They're trying to get some help to replace the school's run-down buildings."McKinley needs resources and we need it now and we're not going to take 'no' for an answer," student Jessica Wilson said during the second rally.The school is so overcrowded that teachers have to share classrooms. And classes are now being held in the library, making it hard for students to access the onl
  
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• One critical after multi-vehicle crash on I-12 in Livingston Parish

  02-02-2018 20:01
  LIVINGSTON - At least one person has sustained serious injuries after a multi-vehicle crash on I-12 Friday night.The crash was reported around 7:45 p.m. on I-12 East near the Livingston exit. Livingston police have confirmed five vehicles were involved in the crash.Authorities say one person is in critical condition; Airmed was called to the scene to transport that person to a hospital. Westbound lanes of I-12 have been shut down at the scene of the crash.I-12 East is
  
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• Family seeks justice after woman's homicide five years later

  02-02-2018 19:03
  PORT ALLEN - The daughter of a woman who was beaten to death according to coroner's reports has filed a lawsuit against her father in an attempt to get him out of the house he shared with his slain wife.Eddie Rinaudo has never been arrested or convicted of Sandra Rinaudo's death. Sandra was killed in 2013.Despite having two different coroner's office saying her death was a homicide, the Addis Police Department never investigated it as one. In fact, when detectives showed up at the scene, Eddie
  
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• Parents furious after video shows student violently punched at middle school

  02-02-2018 19:00
  BELLE ROSE - In a shocking cell phone video, a student at Belle Rose Middle School can be seen getting punched in a locker room by another student, whose fist was wrapped in a towel. Although the students were on school property, there was no adult in sight."The sad part is he notified a teacher about the incident,” said LaQuan Douglas, the mother of the student seen being punched.Douglas said she was not informed about the incident in the Belle Rose locker room on Wednesday until her
  
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• King Cakes flying off the shelves in Baton Rouge bakeries

  02-02-2018 18:47
  BATON ROUGE - All the Mardi Gras celebration coinciding with Super Bowl weekend across the area is putting businesses to the test. Bakeries are having a hard time keeping king cakes on the shelves. Ambrosia Bakery off of Siegen Lane is no different.“We probably sell 100 every hour maybe,” said David Sherman, the co-owner of Ambrosia Bakery.The demand is high. People lined up, trying to get their hands on a king cake, but there’s not many to grab.&ldquo
  
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• WANTED: Man accused of scamming elderly victim out of $3,000

  02-02-2018 16:17
  ASCENSION PARISH - Authorities are seeking a man who allegedly took advantage of an elderly man, scamming him out of thousands of dollars.According to the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office, 37-year-old Naylor Cooper is wanted for contractor fraud and exploitation of the infirmed.The sheriff's office says Cooper agreed to provide the victim with $700 worth of limestone back in January. Deputies say he instead dropped off $200 worth of the product and charged the elderly man $3,700.Autho
  
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• Judge won't punish dad who charged at Nassar

  02-02-2018 15:49
  CHARLOTTE, Mich. (AP) - A judge says there's "no way" she will punish a father of three victims of Larry Nassar after the dad tried to attack the former sports doctor in a Michigan courtroom.  Randall Margraves apologized Friday, a few hours after he charged toward Nassar during a sentencing hearing in Eaton County, Michigan.  Judge Janice Cunningham says a punishment isn't appropriate based on the crimes committed by Nassar and the anguish felt by families.
  
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• Riverboat gambling considered for rural Tangipahoa River

  02-02-2018 15:45
  HAMMOND – It could be an unprecedented boom for the usually quiet Tangipahoa Parish – a riverboat casino seconds from a major interstate.It's a reality gaming company Peninsula Pacific is toying with. The company could move its license from a struggling riverboat in the Shreveport area to the Tangipahoa River at the Hwy. 445 exit on I-12.Teasing its idea in a news release Friday, Peninsula Pacific said it was evaluating the possibility of closing the Bossier Parish operation
  
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• Defendants get life in prison in teen football hero's death

  02-02-2018 15:40
  KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - One defendant has received a life sentence and two co-defendants have been given prison terms of more than 100 years each for their roles in the 2015 death of a teenage football player who shielded friends from gunfire.  Knox County Criminal Court Judge Steven Sword sentenced Christopher Drone Bassett to life plus 35 years on Friday. Sword sentenced Richard Gregory Williams III to 143 years and Kipling Deshawn Colbert to 109 years.  Th
  
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• Sanity hearing canceled for man who says God said to kill

  02-02-2018 15:35
  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A hearing to evaluate the sanity of a Louisiana man who his lawyer says believes God ordered him to kill his 18-month-old daughter so he'd be executed and resurrected as Christ has been canceled.  Forty-six-year-old Mark Hambrick was to have a "lunacy hearing" with a magistrate Thursday, but he was indicted for murder and his case was sent to Criminal District Court.  A motion for psychiatric examination states that the Orleans Parish Sheri
  
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• Mississippi pushes abortion ban at 15 weeks, earliest in US

  02-02-2018 15:19
  JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi lawmakers are pushing ahead with a bill that could make the state the first to ban most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, setting up a possible court challenge.  Mississippi already bans most abortions after 20 weeks. It's tied with North Carolina for the nation's earliest ban.  Members of the Republican-controlled House on Friday passed House Bill 1510 , which would allow exceptions if a woman's life is endangered or a
  
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• Saints' Alvin Kamara voted Rookie of the Year

  02-02-2018 14:13
  NEW ORLEANS- The fans' votes are in and Alvin Kamara has been voted Rookie of the Year.Kamara won the fans' vote for the Pepsi Rookie of Year, it was announced Friday in Minnesota.The @NFL Rookie of the Year: @A_kamara6! #Saints ?? pic.twitter.com/SdA9UCvHYL— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) February 2, 2018The football player had 1,554 yards from scrimmage and scored 13 touchdowns. WWL reports that Karma was a major pickup in many fantasy football leagues.Kamara was a third-round choice
  
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• Dow Jones industrials sink 500 points

  02-02-2018 13:35
  NEW YORK-The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 500 points, or 2 percent, as a weeklong slump in stock market picks up speed.  The market is heading for its biggest weekly drop in two years.  Weak earnings from several giant U.S. companies including Exxon Mobil and Alphabet, Google's parent company, further dented investors' confidence.  Bond yields rose sharply after the government reported another gain in hiring last month as well as the
  
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• Bakery halts king cake retail delivery amid demand spike

  02-02-2018 13:01
  NEW ORLEANS- A Vietnamese bakery in Louisiana has suspended deliveries to other retailers until Mardi Gras, amid increasing demand and rumors of price gouging.  The Advocate of New Orleans reports Dong Phuong ended the delivery Thursday.  Dong Phuong President Linh Garza, says the company will now be prioritizing customers who come to the bakery by only selling the cakes there. Garza says the bakery has heard about people buying their cakes for up to $60 from
  
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• White House declassifies GOP memo on FBI tactics

  02-02-2018 12:03
    WASHINGTON- The White House says it has declassified a GOP-authored memo on the Russia probe. That clears the way for the House Intelligence Committee to release the document, which is based on classified information and alleges the FBI abused U.S. government surveillance powers in its investigation into Russian election interference.  Principal Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah says President Donald Trump cleared the way for publication of the controversial
  
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• Elton John's farewell tour coming to New Orleans, tickets on sale today

  02-02-2018 09:26
  NEW ORLEANS- After more than half a century on the road and an "unparalleled" career, Elton John has announced his final tour, according to his website."It's time to come off the road so I can fully embrace the next important chapter of my life," John said.People can see "Elton John: Farewell Yellow Brick Road" on Dec. 6 at 8 p.m. at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. here. Prices range from $615 to $1,822.Permalink| Comments
  
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• New fish cakes aimed at controlling invasive Asian carp

  02-02-2018 08:13
  BATON ROUGE- A Louisiana chef hopes to control invasive Asian carp by marketing them as Silverfin fish cakes.  The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries says in a news release Thursday that Chef Philippe Parola's Silverfin Group Inc. will sell the fish cakes nationally to restaurants, caterers and schools, primarily through SYSCO food distributors.  Parola has also been working with Illinois' Department of Natural Resources and the University of Illi
  
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• Woman charged with murder for death of newborn

  02-02-2018 08:04
    STARKVILLE, Miss.- A woman has been charged with second-degree murder for the death of her newborn child.  The Commercial Dispatch reports 32-year-old Latice Fisher turned herself in and was arraigned Wednesday. She was indicted on Jan. 5 for her baby's April 2017 death.  Oktibbeha County Corner Michael Hunt says Fisher tried to deliver the baby at home, but the child was then taken to a hospital while in cardiac arrest and pronounced dead
  
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• One dead, two transported after deadly house fire in Port Allen

  02-02-2018 07:46
  PORT ALLEN- Emergency crews are working a deadly house fire early Friday morning in Port Allen.The fire occurred at a home in the 8600 block of North River Road. Authorities say that one person is dead and two others were transported to an area hospital.Details are limited at this time. Check back for updates.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Baker Police deliver second chance to kids caught stealing candy

  02-02-2018 07:18
  BAKER- There are two sides to every story and that's exactly what some officers at the Baker Police Department learned over the weekend.When officers caught some young boys stealing candy, they could have taken them to the juvenile detention center, but instead, officer Galen Conrad decided to rewrite the ending.After stealing the candy, officers were able to locate the boys at their home right outside the Baker city limits.In the children's minds, they had a good reason for stealing the candy.
  
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• Punxsutawney Phil prognosticates more winter

  02-02-2018 06:41
  PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. -- The famous forecasting groundhog saw his shadow on Friday morning for just the 19th time since the holiday began. Since 1887, Punxsutawney Phil has been predicting each February 2 whether or not an early spring was ahead. Legend states that when Phil does not see his shadow, an early spring is on the way. Otherwise, there will be six more weeks of winter.Those dreading the possibility of more winter may want to consider the context and the source of the forecast. Through hi
  
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• Raising awareness for heart disease on National Wear Red Day

  02-02-2018 06:32
  BATON ROUGE- Today is a day dedicated to spreading awareness for the number one killer of women in the capital area, heart disease."Wear Red Day" has been a staple in the Baton Rouge area for years. Babies at the Women's Hospital are dressed in red hats for National Red Day. By wearing red, the babies are sending a lifesaving message.The Babies Go Red campaign is designed to bring awareness and is part of the American Heart Association's larger Go Red for Women campaign celebrated in February e
  
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• Authorities identify two killed in overnight murder-suicide

  02-02-2018 05:51
  BATON ROUGE - A domestic dispute turned into a deadly murder-suicide Thursday night. The shooting happened at the Ardendale Oaks Apartments off Lobdell Boulevard just after 11 p.m. Witnesses said they heard the situation between a man and a woman growing louder and louder when suddenly, things turned deadly.Authorities have identified the victims as 33-year-old Shanta Matthews and 31-year-old Zachary Washington. The two lived in the apartment with their two children.East Baton
  
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