Baton Rouge news

• Proposed La. law would require chemical plants to monitor, share air quality data publicly in real time

  04-05-2023 21:28
  
  BATON ROUGE- Louisiana is home to several chemical and oil plants which create jobs and boost the economy.When chemicals leak from the plant, it can make residents sick. In extreme cases, chemicals can poison residents and give them long-term illnesses like cancer.State Senator Cleo Fields is proposing a bill that would force every plant to not only monitor the air quality, but also share that data with the public in real time."We love these companies, we love their jobs, but we also want to pr
  
  Read more

• Proposed bill requires chemical plants to monitor, share air quality data to the public in real time

  04-05-2023 21:28
  
  BATON ROUGE- Louisiana is home to several chemical and oil plants which create jobs and boost the economy.When chemicals leak from the plant, it can make residents sick. In extreme cases, chemicals can poison residents and give them long-term illnesses like cancer.State Senator Cleo Fields is proposing a bill that would force every plant to not only monitor the air quality, but also share that data with the public in real time."We love these companies, we love their jobs, but we also want to pr
  
  Read more

• Three people arrested, tried to sneak cellphones and tobacco into Ascension Parish Jail

  04-05-2023 21:04
  
  DONALDSONVILLE - One person was taken to jail and two inmates were re-booked on new charges after the trio tried to sneak contraband into the Ascension parish Jail. According to the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office, inmates Laney Welch and Joshua Harris were working with 22-year-old Taja Thornton to get cell phones and tobacco products into the jail's medical facility where Welch was getting treatment. Deputies blocked the items before they could get to the inmates. 
  
  Read more

• Crumbl Cookies opening location in Livingston Parish

  04-05-2023 19:44
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS - A new cookie spot is coming to Juban Crossing. The Livingston Parish Chamber of Commerce announced on Thursday that Crumbl Cookies will be making their way to Denham Springs off Interstate 12 near Juban Road. Franchisee Colton Jorgenson told The Advocate another spot in Gonzalez in Heritage Crossing is in the works. Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Data shows homicide rate is down 35%, lowest since 2017

  04-05-2023 17:32
  
  BATON ROUGE- Officials say their efforts to lower the crime rate are working."Looks like at this point, we're going to have one of the best safest years, despite what it looks and feels like to people," District Attorney Hillar Moore said.The latest data which shows the first few months of 2023 include the lowest number of homicides his office has seen for this time of year since 2017. The numbers combine investigations from both the sheriff's office and city police."At this point, no one is cl
  
  Read more

• 10-year-old issued summons after jumping out of car with unloaded BB gun in school parking lot

  04-05-2023 17:17
  
  JACKSON - A 10-year-old was issued a summons on Thursday after they jumped out of their parent's car with a BB gun. According to the East Feliciana Parish Sheriff's Office, the juvenile was riding with their father to pick up an older sibling from school. At some point, the 10-year-old jumped out of the car with an unloaded BB gun, but did not point it at any specific person. The sibling and the father took the gun away.The 10-year-old was issued a summons for bringing a firea
  
  Read more

• 10-year-old issued summons after jumping out of car with BB gun in school parking lot

  04-05-2023 17:17
  
  JACKSON - A 10-year-old was issued a summons on Thursday after they jumped out of their parent's car with a BB gun. According to the East Feliciana Parish Sheriff's Office, the juvenile was riding with their father to pick up an older sibling from school. At some point, the 10-year-old jumped out of the car with an unloaded BB gun, but did not point it at any specific person. The sibling and the father took the gun away.The 10-year-old was issued a summons for the disturbance
  
  Read more

• LSU shortstop Taylor Pleasants' sacrifice is saving the Tigers season

  04-05-2023 17:13
  
  BATON ROUGE - Taylor Pleasants' sacrifice may have saved LSU season. The shortstop battled through an injury that should have kept her out weeks."It's the kind of thing that like numbs your whole body. It's like you feel it there and then you're like, Oh, I can't move," Pleasants said.She first got injured earlier in the season on a pitch against Michigan, but the real blow came two weeks later against Tennessee. "It was against Ashley Rogers' rise ball outside, so I missed and it was bad after
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Trial date set for prosecutor accused of hit and run on False River

  04-05-2023 16:21
  
  NEW ROADS- A prosecutor from the Lafayette area accused in a hit and run on False River is scheduled to go to trial this fall as questions loom about the delay.A trial date is set for Chris Richard on Sept. 25, 2023.Watch live newscasts here. The WBRZ Investigative Unit found that since Chris Richard's arrest in August 2021, he's had five continuances in his case.Officials said the three children were sharing a tube in the waterway when they were hit by a boat, reportedly being driven
  
  Read more

• Oak tree cut down without permission, building owner says his intentions are to beautify area

  04-05-2023 15:31
  
  BATON ROUGE - To some it might be a sign of spring, sprucing up landscaping and trimming trees. When one man caught a tree trimmer chopping up a live oak on Florida Boulevard Wednesday morning he was outraged. Sam Irwin says the tree is on public property."I'm so frustrated and aggravated," Irwin said.As the President of the Melrose Place Civic Association, Irwin says he was appalled at what he saw happening in front of Mid City Tower. He approached the person cutting the tree and asked them to
  
  Read more

• NAKAMOTO: Randall Gay, former NFL player, suspended from law job after argument at crime scene

  04-05-2023 15:07
  
  WEST BATON ROUGE - District Attorney Tony Clayton suspended a prosecutor from his office without pay after he showed up at a crime scene Wednesday night and got into a heated argument with deputies from the West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office.That prosecutor, Randall Gay, showed up at a house where deputies were running a warrant. Gay's son was arrested for drugs and possession of a firearm with controlled dangerous substances.After deputies had executed the warrant, Gay got into it with t
  
  Read more

• LSU's Manship School names its new dean

  04-05-2023 14:34
  
  BATON ROUGE - The LSU Manship School of Mass Communication has named Kimberly Bissell as its dean.Bissell will take over from interim Dean Josh Grimm, who was installed after the unexpected death of Dean Martin Johnson in 2020. Bissell will officially take on the role July 24, pending Board of Supervisors approval.Before being named the head of the Manship School — which educates LSU's students with curriculums in journalism, PR, advertising and political communications — Bi
  
  Read more

• GET 2 MOVING- LovHer

  04-05-2023 13:57
  
  'Get 2 Moving'- Today we talked with Body Coach, Brittney Lasha. She is the owner of 'Body LovHer,' where she offers virtual classes on not just the physical aspect of fitness but mental fitness as well, which she says is just important, if not more. She is geared toward people becoming their own body goals, falling deeply in love with themselves, and truly creating the life of their dreams. Below is where you can find more information on how to get connected with Brittney and
  
  Read more

• Entergy announces planned power outage in Gonzales next week to allow equipment repairs

  04-05-2023 13:46
  
  GONZALES - Parts of Gonzales will temporarily lose power next week while Entergy makes repairs to its equipment. The outage is planned for 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Wednesday, May 10. It will mostly impact properties south I-10, largely focused around South Burnside Avenue. See a map of the outage area below. Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• House lawmakers vote down bill banning employment discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity

  04-05-2023 13:28
  
  BATON ROUGE—A House committee on Wednesday shot down a bill in a 7-5 vote that would have banned employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.The bill would have added to current state law, which prohibits employment discrimination
  based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin or cultural hairstyle.Rep. Delisha Boyd, D-New Orleans, told the House Labor and Industrial Relations Committee that her bill would help address a worker shortage in Louisiana
  
  Read more

• Jury finds Ed Sheeran didnt copy Marvin Gaye classic

  04-05-2023 13:16
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — A federal jury in New York concluded Thursday that British singer Ed Sheeran didn’t steal key components of Marvin Gaye’s classic 1970s tune “Let’s Get It On” when he created his hit song “Thinking Out Loud.”As the jury answered the single question of whether Sheeran proved he didn’t infringe upon the copyright in the affirmative, the crooner briefly put his hands over his face in relief be
  
  Read more

• Despite worries from neighbors, parish approves new housing development in Denham Springs

  04-05-2023 12:22
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS - A controversial development in Denham Springs has been approved despite residents pleading to the planning commission to reconsider.Residents packed the Livingston Parish Planning Commission meeting on Thursday evening to express their concerns over a new 2,000 home development in Denham Springs. The Deer Run development is planned to be built along a two lane road in a relatively quiet area where residents say they have enough infrastructure problems already."They're proposing
  
  Read more

• 2,000 home development in Denham Springs approved by parish, despite citizens concerns

  04-05-2023 12:22
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS - A controversial development in Denham Springs has been approved despite residents pleading to the planning commission to reconsider.Residents packed the Livingston Parish Planning Commission meeting on Thursday evening to express their concerns over a new 2,000 home development in Denham Springs. The Deer Run development is planned to be built along a two lane road in a relatively quiet area where residents say they have enough infrastructure problems already."They're proposing
  
  Read more

• Children drove stolen car from Texas to West Baton Rouge, led deputies on chase

  04-05-2023 09:25
  
  PORT ALLEN - Multiple minors were taken into custody Thursday morning after they apparently drove a stolen car all the way from Texas to the capital area. According to the West Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, deputies were tipped off about the stolen car Thursday as the owner tracked it across state lines. The vehicle was originally stolen in Smith County, Texas, roughly 300 miles from West Baton Rouge. Deputies found the car on LA 415 around 8:30 a.m. and tried to make a traffi
  
  Read more

• Alabama baseball coach fired amid probe into 'suspicious' betting activity linked to LSU game

  04-05-2023 09:10
  
  UPDATE: Coach Brad Bohannon was fired Thursday amid the investigation into the betting activity.This is a breaking update. Read the original story below.-----Ohio’s top gambling regulator has barred licensed sportsbooks in the state from accepting bets on Alabama baseball games after a report warned of suspicious gambling activity.Matthew Schuler, executive director of the Ohio Casino Control Commission, issued an emergency order on Monday “prohibiting the acceptance of any
  
  Read more

• Alabama baseball coach fired amid probe into 'suspicious' bets linked to LSU game

  04-05-2023 09:10
  
  TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Alabama is firing baseball coach Brad Bohannon after a report of suspicious bets involving his team, with the school saying he violated “the standards, duties and responsibilities expected of university employees.”The firing announced Thursday came three days after a report warning of suspicious wagers prompted Ohio’s top gambling regulator to bar licensed sportsbooks in the state from accepting bets on Alabama baseball games.Alaba
  
  Read more

• After 'suspicious' activity during LSU game, gambling regulator halts betting on Alabama baseball

  04-05-2023 09:10
  
  Ohio’s top gambling regulator has barred licensed sportsbooks in the state from accepting bets on Alabama baseball games after a report warned of suspicious gambling activity.Matthew Schuler, executive director of the Ohio Casino Control Commission, issued an emergency order on Monday “prohibiting the acceptance of any wagers on University of Alabama Baseball effective immediately.” The order was first reported by ESPN.Sports betting is legal in 33 states, and it w
  
  Read more

• Pennington Biomedical partners with Ohio State University to combat food waste

  04-05-2023 08:50
  
  BATON ROUGE - The Pennington Biomedical Research Center is working with Ohio State University to research ways to cut back on food waste nationwide.It's the result of a $2 million investment, which includes a $1 million grant awarded by the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research and a matching donation from The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger|Zero Waste Foundation, at three schools: Oregon State, Ohio State and the University of Florida. Pennington Biomedical says the goal is to combat
  
  Read more

• GOP lawmakers reject bill to raise Louisianas minimum wage

  04-05-2023 07:39
  
  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Efforts to increase Louisiana’s minimum wage, which currently aligns with the federal rate of $7.25 an hour, were rejected in a Republican-controlled legislative committee Wednesday — a day after lawmakers advanced a bill that would double their own salaries.The failed bill would have gradually increased the state’s minimum wage to $10 an hour in 2024 and to $14 an hour in 2028. Louisiana has the second-highest poverty rate in the
  
  Read more

• Seventh-grader arrested over threats made to Zachary middle school, police say

  04-05-2023 06:51
  
  ZACHARY - A seventh-grader has been arrested after allegedly posting threats against a Zachary middle school.Zachary Police said Thursday that the student had been arrested. Northwestern Middle officials notified parents of the threats made on social media toward the school after they were published sometime Thursday morning.This story is developing.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Seventh-grader arrested over threats made to Zachary middle school, classes canceled on Friday

  04-05-2023 06:51
  
  ZACHARY - A seventh-grader has been arrested after allegedly posting threats against a Zachary middle school.Zachary Police said Thursday that the student had been arrested. Northwestern Middle officials notified parents of the threats made on social media toward the school after they were published sometime Thursday morning.Out of an abundance of caution, the school will be closed on Friday for students. State testing will resume on Monday. Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Seventh-grader arrested over threats made to Zachary Middle, police say

  04-05-2023 06:51
  
  ZACHARY - A seventh-grader has been arrested after allegedly posting threats against Zachary Middle School.Zachary Police said Thursday that the student a had been arrested. School officials notified parents of the threats made on social media toward the school after they were published sometime Thursday morning.This story is developing.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Middle School Threats; Zachary Teen arrested

  04-05-2023 06:51
  
  ZACHARY - A 7th grader has been arrested after posted threats against Zachary Middle School Wednesday.School officials notified parents of the threats made on social media towards the school. They updated parents this morning saying an arrest had been made.Zachary's Police Department has confirmed the arrest and says the student was a 7th grader.This story is developing.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

Follow @BatonRougeNews_ on Twitter!