Baton Rouge news

• Pacers-Pelicans postponed over concerns about roof leak

  07-02-2018 21:45
  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The NBA game between the Indiana Pacers and New Orleans Pelicans has been postponed after nearly two-hour delay because of a roof leak that briefly allowed rain water to puddle near one of the foul lines.
   While Smoothie King Center crews fashioned a fabric catch basin in the rafters to stop water from dripping on the court, Pacers coach Nate McMillan said coaches and players on both teams didn't want to risk an injury in the event the make-shift fix didn't hold up f
  
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• Parade horses looking for homes following Carnival season

  07-02-2018 21:21
  NEW ORLEANS - 19 horses appearing in parades this Carnival season will be available for adoption after the parades roll.The Humane Society of Louisiana said they are working with Cascade Stables to facilitate the adoptions. The program began last year to ensure none of the horses brought into the city and leased to carnival krewes would later be resold at sale or auction barns.The group said there is heightened concern for the welfare of horses this year following a video shared on social media
  
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• Inappropriate video, gesture leads to Northshore man's arrest

  07-02-2018 20:46
  COVINGTON - Deputies arrested a man after he allegedly exposed himself while watching women in his vehicle.Deputies with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office said Craig Nolinske was charged with one count of obscenity.A female driver reported seeing Nolinske pull up next to her while at a traffic light Tuesday, deputies said. The victim told officials Noliske rolled down his window, leaned his seat back, and began performing a sexual act on himself.Deputies said the woman was able to provide
  
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• Drake visits Miami homeless shelter for women, kids

  07-02-2018 20:29
  MIAMI (AP) - Drake made a surprise stop at a Florida homeless shelter for women and children, bringing a $50,000 check and toys and games for the kids.
   A news release from Miami's Lotus Village said Drake visited on Tuesday to support families who moved into the nonprofit's new shelter one week ago. Drake passed out $150 Target gift cards for the female residents.
   The singer was in town shooting a music video. He made a pit stop at a local high school on Monday, performing f
  
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• Mississippi escapee shot in carjacking; recaptured

  07-02-2018 20:13
  MATHISTON, Miss. (AP) - A prison escapee in Mississippi has been recaptured after being shot during a carjacking.
   Authorities say 37-year-old Eugene Robinson was arrested near Mathiston on Wednesday after he stole a truck from Webster County resident Waymon Betts.
   Betts tells WCBI-TV that Robinson came to his house seeking a ride. Betts says Robinson forced him out of his truck at knifepoint after Betts told Robinson they were going to police. Webster County Sheriff Tim Mitc
  
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• Smart phones causing problems for 911 dispatchers

  07-02-2018 19:07
  BATON ROUGE - A feature on most smartphones designed to keep us safe is causing problems for Baton Rouge dispatchers. People are able to call 911 by just holding down two outside buttons. It's so convenient, people are doing it all time by accident.“If I take an average of 150 calls a day, I probably build 50 of them as emergencies and the rest are 911 hang-ups or police emergencies,” Emergency Communications Officer Alexandra Johnson said.What's making this problem worse: r
  
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• Red light ticket violation paid, collection agency comes calling anyway

  07-02-2018 18:01
  BATON ROUGE - A woman says she did the right thing and paid off her red light ticket violation, but months later she's being haunted by the same ticket.A collection agency sent a notice alerting Catherine Hayward of the outstanding debt that she says, she doesn't have. She kept her receipts and showed them to 2 On Your Side."I'm very angry because I don't have money to waste," said Hayward.In May 2017, Hayward was on the way to the store when she rolled through a red light on Nicholson at Burba
  
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• Eagles fan to pay for stadium chair stolen after Super Bowl

  07-02-2018 17:27
  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - A Philadelphia Eagles fan who stole a seat from the Minneapolis stadium that hosted the Super Bowl has agreed to pay for its replacement.  U.S. Bank Stadium manager SMG said Wednesday that it doesn't plan to take further action against the fan. That seat and two others that were damaged have been replaced.  Video of the man with a purple seat in the stadium's coat check generated more than 190,000 views on Facebook by Wednesday afternoon. A
  
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• Trump praises Senate budget deal

  07-02-2018 17:19
  WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump is applauding a budget deal reached by Senate leaders Wednesday.  Trump says in a tweet that the agreement "is so important for our great Military" and gives Defense Secretary Jim Mattis "what he needs" to keep the country safe.  He's calling on members of both parties to "support our troops and support this Bill!"  The deal brokered by Senate leaders would shower the Pentagon and domestic programs wi
  
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• FEMA agrees to reduce rent for flood victims living in MHU's

  07-02-2018 16:17
  BATON ROUGE - FEMA has agreed to reduce the rent for flood survivors living in MHU's, according to Governor John Bel Edwards' office.According to a press release, rent for people living in temporary housing units will be reduced to $50 a month starting March 1. That price will last through the program's scheduled end date of May 14."This is welcome news for our citizens who are still very much in the recovery process and who, until today, were faced with the difficult choice of having to pay re
  
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• Police make third arrest in January armed robbery at LSU

  07-02-2018 16:03
  BATON ROUGE - LSU Police officials said a third suspect was arrested in connection to an armed robbery that occurred outside a residence hall on campus.Police said the third suspect was a male juvenile that was arrested and taken into custody Tuesday.Officials responded to reports of an armed robbery on January 10 outside of Kirby Smith Hall.Two suspects were arrested in the week following the incident.The victim told authorities that three black males came up to him, with one of the males poin
  
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• Officials: Fake dentists treat woman who gets oral infection

  07-02-2018 14:01
  LINDEN, N.J. (AP) - Authorities say two unlicensed men who performed dentistry out of two New Jersey apartment units set up with dental equipment have treated a woman who developed a severe oral infection.  Union County prosecutors say 46-year-old Jorge Renteria-Paz and 73-year-old Hector Carro have been charged with unlawful practice of dentistry. Authorities didn't say if either man had any dentistry training.  Authorities say investigators went to the apar
  
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• Woman says store-bought lettuce had a 3-inch lizard in it

  07-02-2018 13:58
  KITTERY, Maine (AP) — A Maine woman who prepared a salad says she realized after a couple of bites that her fork was stuck in a 3-inch lizard, minus the tail.After vomiting and getting over her shock, Michelle Carr, a nurse from Kittery, said she feared she could have ingested harmful bacteria. A biologist friend believes she found a blue-bellied lizard from California.Carr said she bought a bag of store-brand romaine lettuce at a supermarket in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on Jan. 26.
  
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• Boston restaurant offers $3K burger with engagement ring

  07-02-2018 13:48
  BOSTON (AP) — For $3,000, patrons at one Boston restaurant can order a burger that comes with an engagement ring on the side.Pauli’s, in the city’s North End, says with 48-hours’ notice, the restaurant’s Big Boy burger will arrive with a 7/8 carat Neil Lane ring nestled in the bun. The ring will come framed with round diamonds and a 14 karat gold band.The restaurant says the burger is part of a Valentine’s Day special.Restaurant owner
  
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• WATCH: Rogue cow steals Iowa family's mail

  07-02-2018 13:40
  AFTON, Iowa - Video posted to social media shows a mischievous cow eating a family's mail before fleeing the scene.Erin Hudson recorded the video outside her Afton, Iowa home and posted the video on Facebook Sunday.In the post, the bold cow can be seen munching on the mail as a man approaches. The cow stares down the man, mulling its options, before finally taking off with the envelopes still hanging from its mouth.There is currently no word on whether the cow will face jail time for c
  
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• Next Gerber baby will be a boy with Down syndrome

  07-02-2018 13:40
  FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) - One-year-old Lucas Warren's contagious smile won over executives at Gerber baby food who have made him their "spokesbaby" this year.  Lucas is Gerber's first spokesbaby with Down syndrome in the company's 91-year history.  His photo was chosen out of more than 140,000 submissions. He will receive $50,000, and the Dalton, Georgia, boy's image will be featured in the company's social media posts.  Lucas' mom, Cortney
  
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• Task force dodges on how to remake Louisiana tuition program

  07-02-2018 13:35
  BATON ROUGE- Even a task force created to recommend ways to remake Louisiana's TOPS college tuition program can't decide how the popular, 20-year-old program should be tweaked.  Rather than assess nearly a dozen proposals and decide which ones to recommend to the House and Senate, the legislative study group instead Wednesday advanced all of them.  Some of the ideas were divisive. Several conflict with each other. And it was unclear if any of the major sugges
  
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• Black Lives Matter activist shot, killed in New Orleans

  07-02-2018 13:35
  NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A Black Lives Matter activist has been fatally shot in New Orleans.Police said Wednesday that 32-year-old Muhiydin Moye was shot in the thigh about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday and died in a hospital. The circumstances of the shooting were not immediately clear.A police report says an officer answering a call about a gunshot found him on the ground, asking for help near the Treme neighborhood. The report says a bloody trail to the body circled two blocks, and a bloody bicycle lay across
  
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• Trained hawk reported missing in Baker/Zachary area

  07-02-2018 13:27
  BAKER- A trained Harris Hawk has gone missing in the area near the BREC Zoo.According to a post, the bird is not aggressive toward people. The hawk was raised in captivity and may even try to get close to strangers.The bird has a bell on his left leg and leather anklets as well as straps. Anyone who finds the bird can call Anthony Battaglia at 225-772-8032.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Texas man loses both feet to complications from flu

  07-02-2018 13:22
  FORT WORTH, Texas- A Texas man has lost both his feet due to complications from the flu.WFAA reports that 51-year-old Brian Herndon was diagnosed with the flu on Jan. 4. The next day, he was admitted to a Fort Worth hospital with pneumonia and quickly went into septic shock.Herndon was airlifted to Baylor Hospital in Dallas on Jan. 6, where he has been for the past four weeks. His wife Jaye said her husband had no underlying medical conditions that would make him more susceptible to more than j
  
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• 11-year-old boy dies while saving friend from icy pond in New York

  07-02-2018 13:13
  QUEENS, NY - An 11-year-old New York boy died on Tuesday after saving a friend who fell through the ice of a freezing pond, police said.The child, Anthony Perez, fell into icy Strack Pond at Forest Park in Queens, New York, on Tuesday afternoon, according to fire officials, after he rescued a friend, 12, who had fallen through the ice earlier.Perez went out about 50 feet on the pond before the ice let go underneath him, according to the New York Fire Department.Firefighters said they plunged in
  
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• Two honored with Acie J. Belton Life Achievement award

  07-02-2018 13:03
  BATON ROUGE - Two local community leaders will be recognized at the Jewel J. Newman Community Center Annual Masquerade Ball Saturday.According to the Baton Rouge Office of Public Information, Torsor Bell-Toussant and Casey Phillips will be presented with the Acie J. Belton Life Achievement award. The award recognizes people for giving a lifetime of service in their community.Bell-Toussant is owner-operator of Klassy Styles, LLC. She has planned and organized the Scotlandville Easter Parade for
  
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• Charges: Doctor used cocaine, let employee prescribe drugs

  07-02-2018 13:02
  GETTYSBURG, Pa.- A Pennsylvania doctor is accused of treating patients while high on cocaine and other drugs and letting her office manager prescribe highly addictive opioids to patients she hadn't examined.  The state attorney general's office says it was tipped off about 60-year-old Dr. Rita Harrison in 2016 when one of her patients tried to fill a prescription for Oxycodone but it was filled out improperly. The pharmacist tried to contact Harrison and discovered she'd been
  
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• State Police to deploy 165 troopers to prep for Mardi Gras weekend

  07-02-2018 13:01
  NEW ORLEANS- Troopers are getting ready for the busiest weekend of Mardi Gras 2018.Because of the huge surge in tourists and crowds around the French Quarter and New Orleans metro area, Louisiana State Troopers are buckling down on safety. Law enforcement's main goal is to ensure safety to everyone on the roads. In a statement released Wednesday, Louisiana State Police said: "In an effort to ensure safety in the French Quarter and on New Orleans metro area roadways, the Louisi
  
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• Former AG Holder on future bid for office: 'I'll see'

  07-02-2018 12:52
  WASHINGTON- Former Attorney General Eric Holder says he's open to the idea of running for elected office in 2020.  At a breakfast meeting with journalists Wednesday, Holder said "I'll see" when asked if he might run for office, including for president, in the future.  He says he expects to decide by the end of the year "about whether there's another chapter in my government service."  Holder served as attorney general during the Obama admini
  
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• Alaska robbery suspect buries coat but gets caught cold

  07-02-2018 12:43
  ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Police in Alaska's largest city say a man robbed a restaurant and apparently attempted to avoid being identified by authorities by burying his coat in fresh snow.  Anchorage police Tuesday morning received a report of a Taco Bell robbery.  The suspect wore a black, hooded jacket with a black towel covering his face. He claimed he had a gun, demanded money and ran away.  As officers responded, dispatchers took a call
  
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• Maryland ending parental rights of rapists who impregnate

  07-02-2018 12:38
  ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - More than 10 years after supporters began pushing for it, Maryland's legislature has decided - with unanimous votes in the Senate and House - to enable impregnated rape victims to ask judges to end the parental rights of their rapists.  Supporters say it has become embarrassing that a state known for its progressive politics is one of the last to adopt such a law. They also credit a growing sense of female empowerment for making the issue a priority.&
  
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• Spanish Town Parade will roll 'rain or shine'

  07-02-2018 11:43
  BATON ROUGE- Residents in Spanish Town have scaled back their expectations for Saturday's Mardi Gras parade, but only slightly."This year it's going to be rainy, there's no doubt," said Gerald Woods. "But that won't stop the fun and that won't stop the bead catching."Gerald and his wife Anne live on the parade route and throw a party every year. They expect fewer revelers on the street this year and that does have its benefits."I think the floats throw more because they want to get rid of it,"
  
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• Report: LSU loses top recruit to Bama

  07-02-2018 11:38
  BATON ROUGE- Reports say that 5-star CB Patrick Surtain has signed with Alabama.Surtain had named LSU as his leader going into January and was one of its top targets for National Signing Day. Surtain is from the Miami area of Florida and and considered the top high school cornerback in the country.BREAKING: 5-star CB Patrick Surtain announces his commitment to Alabama. He had named #LSU his leader going into the month of January, but Tigers fall short on NSD. https://t.co/gmEz
  
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• Mandatory drug testing no longer being considered for LSU Greek Life

  07-02-2018 11:36
  BATON ROUGE - LSU's Greek Like Taskforce shut down a proposal to suggest mandatory and random drug testing for Greek students following the death of a fraternity pledge."I think there's all kinds of issues with it that weren't really thought out when it was presented," Task Force member Jason Badeaux said. "After we discussed a lot of those issues, we decided that that's not the direction that we should be moving."Task force members said issues like who would pay for the drug tests and what kin
  
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• License revoked for central Louisiana child care center

  07-02-2018 06:14
  ALEXANDRIA - Louisiana's Department of Education says it's revoking the license of a child care center.  The department says in a Tuesday news release that the action involves the Jumpin' Jacks Development Center in Alexandria. The release says the department made the revocation decision after a mother complained that her child nearly escaped the center in December. The same mother told the department that earlier in the year she found her children outside the center without s
  
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• Louisiana Medicaid program spending less than expected

  07-02-2018 06:03
  BATON ROUGE- Louisiana continues to spend more slowly than expected on Medicaid services, a pace projected to leave the state with $26 million in savings this budget year.  The latest Medicaid forecast, released Tuesday, shows the $12.5 billion program is expected to spend as much as $612 million less than estimated for the financial year that ends June 30.  Most of that money would be unused federal spending authority, not dollars that can be allocated to ot
  
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• TOPS Scholarship redesign could mean less funding for students

  07-02-2018 05:54
  BATON ROUGE- The TOPS Task Force is meeting today to discuss some major changes to the state's popular college scholarship.The proposed cuts would save the state almost $20 million per year. But, in a state where some students depend on TOPS to stay in school, that cut could be costly. It looks like lower-end state scholarship recipients could be on the losing end of this proposed redesign of the TOPS program. Less money could be on the way for those who qualify for the Basic Award. If
  
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