Baton Rouge news

• New bill adds option to donate bone marrow to state registration

  06-06-2023 21:37
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana residents are asked if they wish to be an organ donor while getting a driver's license. Soon, residents will be asked if they would like to donate bone marrow as well. Louisiana is among just a handful of states that are making it easier to donate. Signed Monday by Governor John Bel Edwards, the bill adds a new marker on the drivers license. "If we can get people to increase the visibility, awareness, and accessibility to be the match we can get more pe
  
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• Lightning strike causes attic fire in home on Lone Pine Lane

  06-06-2023 21:26
  
  BATON ROUGE - A home caught on fire Tuesday afternoon when a storm passed through the area and lightning struck a home. According to the St. George Fire Department, A home at the end of Lone Pine Lane was hit by lightning at 4:26 p.m. The strike sparked a fire in the attic. No injuries were reported and the fire was contained. Permalink| Comments
  
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• ExxonMobil pumping $2M into LSU initiatives

  06-06-2023 21:17
  
  BATON ROUGE - ExxonMobil and the ExxonMobil Foundation are providing a seven-figure boost to several LSU initiatives, including key aspects of the university's "Scholarship First Agenda." The $2 million investment will be distributed across areas including carbon capture research, scholarships and mentorship programs for students and student career preparation efforts."One of the most impactful elements of our Scholarship First Agenda is a heightened focus on working with industry lead
  
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• Baker School Board approves teacher raises during Tuesday evening meeting, but a raise comes with consequences

  06-06-2023 19:40
  
  BAKER - Baker School System teachers are now the second highest-paid teachers in the Baton Rouge area after the School Board chose to give certified teachers an $11,000 raise by a vote of 3-2.It was something that the acting Superintendent J.T. Stroder was glad passed, telling WBRZ this move will help the school system recruit better teachers."Ultimately, what we're trying to do here is to make Baker a more desirable place to have more certified and qualified teachers to come and stay here," St
  
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• Baker School Board approves teacher raises during Tuesday evening meeting

  06-06-2023 19:40
  
  BAKER - During Baker's School Board meeting on Tuesday evening, members approved an item to raise teacher salaries. Now, uncertified teachers will be making between $41,000 to $50,000, while certified teachers can make $52,000. The School Board also decided to make Juneteenth a school holiday. Permalink| Comments
  
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• Baker School Board approves teacher raises amid radical restructuring

  06-06-2023 19:40
  
  BAKER - Baker School System teachers are now the second highest-paid teachers in the Baton Rouge area after the School Board chose to give certified teachers an $11,000 raise by a vote of 3-2.It was something that the acting Superintendent J.T. Stroder was glad passed, telling WBRZ this move will help the school system recruit better teachers."Ultimately, what we're trying to do here is to make Baker a more desirable place to have more certified and qualified teachers to come and stay here," St
  
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• 'We were set up for failure:' White Castle PD runs out of money, administrators say former chief is to blame

  06-06-2023 19:27
  
  WHITE CASTLE- With four months left in the fiscal year, the White Castle Police Department has run out of money and officials are blaming former administration for the over spending. According to a letter sent by White Castle Mayor John Morris, the town's fiscal year started on Oct. 1 and there is no money for the police department to continue operating. Police Chief Harold Brooks is in a stressful situation. His officers are at risk of losing their jobs. "Some of the
  
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• Man arrested after doctors determined 6-month-old son died of Shaken Baby Syndrome

  06-06-2023 18:45
  
  BATON ROUGE - A man was arrested on Tuesday after his child died and doctors determined the death was a homicide. According to the Baton Rouge Police Department, 25-year-old Luciano Livious Sr. took his six-month-old son to the hospital on June 3. When the child died June 5, doctors said the baby died from Shaken Baby Syndrome. Livious was booked for second-degree murder and cruelty to a juvenile. Permalink| Comments
  
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• Police looking for Baker woman who disappeared in March

  06-06-2023 17:14
  
  BAKER - Police are looking for a woman who vanished from her home in Baker months ago.Family members told Baker Police that Anna Ellis, 57, disappeared after she stepped out of a home to smoke a cigarette on March 3. Police first start looking into her disappearance days later. Ellis' relatives are unsure whether she left on her own or if she was picked up. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to contact police at (225)775-6000 Ext 1. Permalink| Comment
  
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• Third graders who fail new reading test three times will not advance to fourth grade, proposed bill says

  06-06-2023 16:47
  
  BATON ROUGE- School is out for the summer, but legislators are working on something to hopefully boost reading comprehension for elementary school students. A recent report shows Louisiana's fourth grade reading levels among the lowest in the nation, trailing 40 other states."It's been a big challenge in Louisiana for a long time. About half of our third graders can't read on grade level," State Rep. Richard Nelson, (R), St. Tammany Parish, said.That's why Rep. Nelson says he authored
  
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• Black Rhino dies after 17 years at Baton Rouge Zoo; caretakers cite old age

  06-06-2023 15:31
  
  BATON ROUGE - A 35-year-old Black Rhino named Gemstone died May 30 after spending 17 years at the Baton Rouge Zoo. Caretakers say Gemstone was born in 1989 and came to Baton Rouge in 2006. During her stay, she gave birth to several rhino calves - including Zuri, a resident of the Cincinnati Zoo. Zookeepers said Gemstone's health was declining due to old age. Veterinary experts developed a plan to put Gemstone down, but she died in her sleep before the procedure could take plac
  
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• 35-year-old Black Rhino died at Baton Rouge Zoo, caretakers say old age was factor in poor health

  06-06-2023 15:31
  
  BATON ROUGE - A 35-year-old Black Rhino named Gemstone died May 30 after 17 years at the Baton Rouge Zoo. Caretakers say Gemstone was born in 1989 and came to Baton Rouge in 2006. During her stay, she gave birth to several rhino calves - including Zuri, a resident of the Cincinnati Zoo. Zookeepers said Gemstone's health was declining due to old age. Veterinary experts developed a plan to put Gemstone down, but she died in her sleep before the procedure could take place.&nb
  
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• VIDEO: Amazon truck bursts into flames while making deliveries in Zachary

  06-06-2023 14:42
  
  ZACHARY - Investigators believe an electrical malfunction possibly caused an Amazon delivery truck to burst into flames in the middle of an East Baton Rouge neighborhood Monday. Video showed the truck engulfed in fire, and a loud bang can be heard at one point as firefighters try to get the flames under control.The driver told the Zachary Fire Department that he was making a delivery when he noticed smoke coming from the truck, and flames erupted from the vehicle moments later. The fir
  
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• La. Senate passes bill banning gender-affirming care for transgender youths, likely heading to governor's desk

  06-06-2023 13:34
  
  BATON ROUGE(AP) — A controversial bill — that at one point had been presumed dead — banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender youths in Louisiana was passed by the Senate on Monday and is likely to reach the governor’s desk in the coming days.The bill, which passed in the Senate mainly along party lines, 29-10, would prohibit hormone treatments, gender-affirming surgery and puberty-blocking drugs for transgender minors in Louisiana. The measur
  
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• Video of 5-year-old smoking marijuana leads to arrest in Baton Rouge

  06-06-2023 12:59
  
  BATON ROUGE - Police have made an arrest after video was posted to social media of a child smoking marijuana, according to the Baton Rouge Police Department.See the video here (contains explicit language)BRPD announced Tuesday that officers arrested John Hall for contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile after the video was posted online in recent weeks. In that video, police say Hall is seen handing a "blunt" to the boy — who was 5 years old at the time — as the child s
  
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• Firefighters pull driver through windshield of flipped car Tuesday morning

  06-06-2023 12:53
  
  BATON ROUGE - Firefighters pulled one person through the windshield of a flipped truck Tuesday morning. The St. George Fire Department responded to a medical call on Inniswylde Drive Tuesday, but when crews arrived, they found it was more than a regular medical call. A truck had crashed into a fence and overturned, leaving its driver trapped inside. Firefighters had to pull the trapped driver through the windshield before transporting them to a hospital. They were in stable co
  
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• Teenager killed in single-vehicle accident in East Feliciana Parish

  06-06-2023 12:42
  
  EAST FELICIANA PARISH - A teenager died Tuesday night in a single-vehicle accident, authorities said. According to sources, the wreck happened along Highway 10 outside of Clinton around 10:30 p.m. No additional information has been released. Permalink| Comments
  
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• State police identify teenager killed after crashing into tree in East Feliciana Parish

  06-06-2023 12:42
  
  CLINTON - A teenager died Tuesday night in a single-vehicle accident, Louisiana State Police said. According to sources, the wreck happened along Highway 10 outside of Clinton around 10:30 p.m.. LSP later confirmed that Owen Fudge, 16, died as a result of the crash. Fudge reportedly struck a tree when he ran off the roadway along a curve.Troopers said impairment was not suspected. Permalink| Comments
  
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• PGA Tour, Europe to merge with Saudis and end LIV Golf litigation

  06-06-2023 09:37
  
  The most disruptive year in golf ended Tuesday when the PGA Tour and European tour agreed to a merger with Saudi Arabia’s golf interests, creating a commercial operation designed to unify professional golf around the world.As part of the deal, the sides are dropping all lawsuits involving LIV Golf against each other effective immediately.Still to be determined is how players like Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson, who defected to Saudi-funded LIV Golf for nine-figure bonuses, can rejoi
  
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• Man beaten to death in Baton Rouge was father of officer killed in 2016 ambush

  06-06-2023 09:26
  
  BATON ROUGE - The father of a Baton Rouge police officer who was gunned down in a 2016 ambush has died after he was beaten outside a convenience store this past week. According to the Baton Rouge Police Department, 63-year-old Hosea Jackson was beaten June 1 outside the Triple S convenience store on North Foster Drive. He was taken to a hospital where he died from his injuries on Sunday, June 4. Sources told WBRZ the beating stemmed from an argument that got out of hand.&n
  
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• EMS, non-profit encourage education in life-saving skills during National CPR and AED Awareness Week

  06-06-2023 09:17
  
  BATON ROUGE - Everyone can help play a role in emergency situations, and knowing the proper techniques is crucial in saving someone's life.National CPR/AED Awareness Week is observed the first week of June every year to educate people on how to save a life."We like to go out to the public and do community CPR programs because it's so important," said Arien Morgan with Baton Rouge EMS. "It's vital to saving someone's life. If you can start compressions or have an AED around before we get there,
  
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• White Castle Police Department has 'exhausted its budget' for 2023, with four months left until renewal

  06-06-2023 09:07
  
  WHITE CASTLE - A letter addressed to the residents of the small White Castle community in Iberville Parish from the mayor read that the town was facing a "new" situation: its police department had exhausted its budget for the 2023 fiscal year. "Current budget figures depict the White Castle Police Department has essentially exhausted its budget for the 2023 Fiscal Year," the letter from Mayor John Morris said. "Our Fiscal year here in the town spans Oct. 1 to Sept. 30. There are roughl
  
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• Deputies searching for man accused of robbery, battery of elderly victim

  06-06-2023 08:45
  
  DONALDSONVILLE - Ascension Parish deputies are searching for a 34-year-old man accused of the battery and robbery of a 72-year-old victim Monday, May 29. According to the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office, Vonzell Batiste, 34, is accused of attacking an elderly man on Charles Street in Donaldsonville around 7:30 p.m. on May 29. The victim told deputies his wallet was stolen after Batiste attacked him and ran away. Detectives were able to identify the suspect as Batiste and iss
  
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• Ascension deputies searching for man accused of robbery, beating elderly victim

  06-06-2023 08:45
  
  DONALDSONVILLE - Ascension Parish deputies are searching for a 34-year-old man accused of the battery and robbery of a 72-year-old victim Monday, May 29. According to the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office, Vonzell Batiste, 34, is accused of attacking an elderly man on Charles Street in Donaldsonville around 7:30 p.m. on May 29. The victim told deputies his wallet was stolen after Batiste attacked him and ran away. Detectives were able to identify the suspect as Batiste and iss
  
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• Ascension deputies arrest man accused of robbery, beating elderly victim

  06-06-2023 08:45
  
  DONALDSONVILLE - Ascension Parish deputies arrested a 34-year-old man accused of the battery and robbery of a 72-year-old victim Monday, May 29. According to the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office, Vonzell Batiste, 34, attacked an elderly man on Charles Street in Donaldsonville around 7:30 p.m. on May 29. The victim told deputies his wallet was stolen after Batiste attacked him and ran away. Batiste was arrested June 6 for one count each of second-degree battery and second-degr
  
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• Florida mother fatally shot by neighbor after dispute over playing children, sheriff says

  06-06-2023 08:30
  
  OCALA, Fla. (AP) — A Florida mother was fatally shot through the front door of her neighbor’s home while her 9-year-old son stood next to her, a violent culmination of what police said was a 2½-year feud.Ajike Owens, 35, was fatally shot after going to the Ocala apartment of her neighbor, who earlier had yelled at Owens’ children as they played nearby and threw a pair of skates that hit one of them, Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said at a news confer
  
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• Audubon Aquarium, Insectarium previews new 'facelift' ahead of grand reopening to public

  06-06-2023 05:41
  
  NEW ORLEANS - School's out! Looking for somewhere to take your child, or just for something exciting to do? The Audubon Insectarium and Aquarium are finally reopening after being closed for eight months for renovations!WBRZ spent an evening at the facility's preview night hosted Monday and got a sneak peek at some of the new attractions. The entrance to the aquarium has been completely redone—guests will even be entering through a completely different door than they used to.
  
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