Baton Rouge news

• Community coalitions joining the fight against crime in Baton Rouge

  21-06-2023 21:40
  
  BATON ROUGE - Baton Rouge has a crime problem, and the community is crying for help.Shortly before a community meeting on crime solutions, another murder in Baton Rouge. Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul says it's the small percentage of repeat offenders that are hurting the city."My experience tells me that when we make an arrest for the individual that was responsible today, I promise you it's not going to be the first time we dealt with them. What we're probably going to see is there some
  
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• Civil Rights groups hoping to advance lawsuit, hopes for second Black congressional district in Louisiana

  21-06-2023 21:33
  
  BATON ROUGE- Earlier this month, the Supreme Court ruled in a case in Alabama requiring the state to create another congressional district with a larger black population.That ruling could force Louisiana to do the same thing."The maps are illegal, and therefore, they have to be redrawn," Nora Ahmed, the legal director of the Louisiana ACLU, told WBRZ.Because of the ruling in Alabama, Ahmed believes Louisiana now should be required by law to redraw the map with better representation."We are acti
  
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• Man who raped 6-year-old girl in 2017 receives life sentence Wednesday

  21-06-2023 20:59
  
  WHITE CASTLE  - A man who snuck into a 6-year-old girl's home and raped her in 2017 has been found guilty for the second time. Patrick Callegan of White Castle has been in custody since June 21, 2017. The Iberville Parish Sheriff's Office arrested Callegan that day for first-degree rape, unauthorized entry into an inhabited dwelling and tampering with a witness.At the time, deputies told WBRZ Callegan went into a White Castle home without permission and raped a 6-year-old girl
  
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• After jury deliberates 8 minutes, man gets life term in 2017 rape of 6-year-old girl

  21-06-2023 20:59
  
  WHITE CASTLE — A man who snuck into a 6-year-old girl's home and raped her in 2017 has been convicted for a second time — this time after a jury deliberated just eight minutes.  In essence, Patrick Callegan traded a 30-year prison sentence for a life term.Callegan has been in custody since June 21, 2017. The Iberville Parish Sheriff's Office arrested Callegan that day for first-degree rape, unauthorized entry into an inhabited dwelling and tampering with a
  
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• Slidell police officer flipped patrol car during chase, suspect got away

  21-06-2023 20:24
  
  SLIDELL - A Slidell police officer was taken to a hospital after flipping his patrol car during a pursuit. The Slidell Police Department said an officer attempted to stop a car near LA-11 and I-12. The car did not stop and the officer chased after. According to the department, the police officer did an "evasive maneuver" to avoid hitting an innocent driver. The patrol car flipped, went into a ditch and hit a culvert. The officer was taken to a hospital for non-life threatening
  
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• Slidell police looking for driver who caused officer to flip patrol car during chase

  21-06-2023 20:24
  
  SLIDELL - The Slidell Police Department have identified a man suspected of leading officers on a chase that caused a police officer to flip his vehicle Wednesday.Christopher Ducre, 29, is wanted for aggravated flight from an officer, vehicular negligent injuring, as well as various other traffic related charges. He was last seen driving an orange 2019 Dodge Charger.The police said an officer attempted to stop the car near LA-11 and I-12. The driver refused to stop, and the chase ensued.Accordin
  
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• Slidell police identified man who caused officer to flip patrol car during chase

  21-06-2023 20:24
  
  SLIDELL - The Slidell Police Department identified the person that led officers in a chase Wednesday, resulting in an officer being taken to a hospital after flipping his patrol car during a pursuit. Christopher Ducre, 29, is wanted for aggravated flight from an officer, vehicular negligent injuring, as well as various other traffic related charges. He was last seen driving an orange 2019 Dodge Charger.The police said an officer attempted to stop a car near LA-11 and I-12. The car did
  
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• Filed: Potential class action lawsuit targets company at center of La. OMV breach

  21-06-2023 19:17
  
  BATON ROUGE - The company behind the data system at the center of a massive breach is now the target of a potential class action lawsuit.Plaintiffs on Tuesday filed what appears to be the first such case focused on the MOVEit attack, which compromised the private information of tens of millions of people.Those affected include everyone whose files are in Louisiana's Office of Motor Vehicles registry.Last week, State leaders disclosed the breach and warned residents to be wary of "unusual activi
  
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• Closing imminent for local Bed, Bath & Beyond stores

  21-06-2023 18:19
  
  BATON ROUGE - What could be its final sale ever is underway at Bed, Bath & Beyond stores, as the longtime home goods retailer winds down operations.Notices at stores and on the corporate website indicate all of the brand's outlets will be closing -- the result of a bankruptcy filing earlier this year.Fox Business reports the final day of operations will be June 30, at the latest.An auction for company assets took place on Wednesday, though the fate of co-owned buybuy Baby was a bit less cer
  
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• Our City, Our Problem: An in-depth look at Baton Rouge's fentanyl crisis

  21-06-2023 18:16
  
  Watch as Chris Nakamoto and Brandi B. Harris ask the tough questions about what's driving Baton Rouge's fentanyl problem and how we can tackle it. The special can be watched on-demand here.Click here for more information on behavioral health from the Louisiana Department of Health. Click here to contact the Louisiana Mental Health and Substance Abuse HotlinesFind a local rehab center herePermalink| Comments
  
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• Newly released video shows what led to 2022 officer-involved shooting at Highland Road apartment

  21-06-2023 18:02
  
  BATON ROUGE - New video shared by the Baton Rouge Police Department shows officers' scary encounter with an armed man at a Highland Road apartment last year. The video was taken Oct. 8, 2022 at the Hub Apartments on Highland Road. Police were called to the apartment complex that night over an individual who was in emotional distress. After police met with that person and connected them with paramedics, officers heard gunfire coming from somewhere else on the complex. 
  
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• LSU teacher who wrote Titanic discoverer's memoir discusses missing submersible

  21-06-2023 18:02
  
  As the search for the missing Titanic submersible off the Canadian coast enters the most critical hours, a man in Baton Rouge is paying very close attention.LSU professional in residence Christopher Drew may not be an expert on the Titanic or submarines, but he has literally written the book about the actual expert."I did a book with a friend about submarine spying during the Cold War. Robert Ballard, the explorer who found the Titanic, actually covertly was helping the Navy with intelligence m
  
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• Boil advisory put in place for part of Denham Springs

  21-06-2023 17:47
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS - Three areas of Denham Springs off of Highway 16 will be under a boil advisory until further notice. The Ward 2 Water company said employees are making repairs to a cut water main line on Pine Bluff Road and will drop water pressure below LDH standards. The company said customers on Pine Bluff Road, Callahan Drive and Beau Sejour Drive should boil water before use. Permalink| Comments
  
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• Overnight lane closures on I-10, I-12 begin Thursday

  21-06-2023 17:26
  
  BATON ROUGE - The Department of Transportation and Development is making steady progress on the flyover from I-10 to College Drive, but crews will need to shut down some lanes to fully install the flyover. From 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Thursday through Sunday, the left and center lanes on I-12 EB will be blocked from the I-10/I-12 split to Essen Lane. On Saturday, the I-10 westbound right lane from Essen to the I-10/I-12 merge will be shut down from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. Sunday morning.&a
  
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• Roofers flock to neighborhoods hit by unprecedented hail storm

  21-06-2023 15:31
  
  BRUSLY - Tuesday's hail storm was unprecedented. It's something Louisiana has not seen before - hail as big as your palm in some areas.Vicky Gaudet described the clatter as "explosions going off.""It was loud, I never have seen this before," Vicky Gaudet said.After a storm, south Louisiana residents are used to contractors gravitating toward the damage looking for work. Following the hail storm, roofing companies swarmed hard-hit areas in West Baton Rouge Parish. At least a dozen roofing compan
  
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• LSU women's basketball starting season in Las Vegas against Colorado

  21-06-2023 14:37
  
  BATON ROUGE - The defending national champions will be kicking off the upcoming season Las Vegas against Colorado. The game is scheduled for Nov. 6, 2023, at the T-Mobile Arena. Tickets will go on sale in July. Game time has not been announced. Tiger stars Angel Reese, Flau'jae Johnson, Kateri Poole and Sa'Myah Smith are all returning to the team, led by head coach Kim Mulkey. Mulkey and her front office have been busy in the off-season, adding guard Hailey Van Lith a
  
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• LSU basketball starting season in Las Vegas against Colorado

  21-06-2023 14:37
  
  BATON ROUGE - The defending national champions will be kicking off the upcoming season Las Vegas against Colorado. The game is scheduled for Nov. 6, 2023, at the T-Mobile Arena. Tickets will go on sale in July. Game time has not been announced. Tiger stars Angel Reese, Flau'jae Johnson, Kateri Poole and Sa'Myah Smith are all returning to the team, led by head coach Kim Mulkey. Mulkey and her front office have been busy in the off-season, adding guard Hailey Van Lith a
  
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• Louisiana lawmakers regret cutting $100M from proposed state health department budget increase

  21-06-2023 14:06
  
  BATON ROUGE (AP) — Lawmakers in Louisiana’s GOP-controlled Senate said Tuesday that they regretted their hasty passage of the state’s $45 billion budget — namely their decision to reduce a proposed funding increase for the state Department of Health by $100 million — and called on Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards to clean up the mess.Edwards recently said that he would “use every means” at his disposal to either partly or com
  
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• Man allegedly conspiring with brother to run human trafficking operation arrested

  21-06-2023 13:40
  
  BATON ROUGE - Officials arrested a man on human trafficking charges after it was found he was conspiring with his brother to run an operation out of his home on Prescott Road. Robert Gordon, 33, was arrested Tuesday for one count of human trafficking and one count of criminal conspiracy, both felony charges. According to the Louisiana Department of Public Safety, investigators responded to a hospital on March 27 regarding a patient that the staff believed to be a victim of hum
  
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• Angel Reese, LSU Women's Basketball among nominees for ESPYS honoring top athletes

  21-06-2023 13:02
  
  Wednesday morning, ESPN announced the nominees for the 2023 ESPYS, awards given to the year's top athletes and sports performances.LSU women's basketball received two nominations coming off their ground-breaking 2023 season. The team was nominated for Beat Team alongside major league groups such as the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs and the NBA's Denver Nuggets. Additionally, Angel Reese was nominated as the Best Breakthrough Athlete alongside Iowa's Caitlin Clark. Fan voti
  
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• LDH: 62-year-old woman in Caddo Parish died from heat exhaustion caused by power outages

  21-06-2023 12:06
  
  CADDO PARISH - A 62-year-old woman who was left without power after storms rolled through Louisiana died due to extended power outages, authorities said. The Louisiana Department of Health says the woman is the first storm-related death in Caddo Parish. The Caddo Parish Coroner said the woman was found dead June 21 in an area that had been out of power. No more information has been released. Permalink| Comments
  
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• After OMV data breach, state recommending residents take additional steps to protect themselves

  21-06-2023 09:46
  
  BATON ROUGE - Nearly a week after state officials first alerted residents to a massive data breach impacting everyone with a Louisiana driver's license, the governor's office is recommending people take more steps to protect their identities. The state has also published a series of commonly asked questions along with answers to those questions. Read them here.Read the latest statement from GOHSEP below. The State of Louisiana takes the security of its citizens' data very seri
  
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• Double homicide suspect taken into custody from West Baton Rouge hotel

  21-06-2023 07:30
  
  PORT ALLEN - Deputies took two people into custody, one of them a suspect in a Lafayette double homicide, after they were found at a motel in West Baton Rouge Parish. According to the West Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, detectives with the Lafayette Police Department told WBRSO around 3 a.m. Tuesday that a suspect wanted for a double homicide was believed to be in Motel 6 on I-10 Frontage Road in Port Allen. Deputies and the crisis response team with the WBRSO were able to arre
  
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• One reportedly injured after being shot in grocery store parking lot Tuesday night

  21-06-2023 06:39
  
  BATON ROUGE - Police said one person was reportedly shot in the parking lot of Sam's Club off Siegen Lane Tuesday night. According to the Baton Rouge Police Department, the victim was shot while in the Sam's Club parking lot on North Mall Drive around 9 p.m. Tuesday. They were taken to a hospital with reportedly non-life-threatening injuries. A suspect or motive was not immediately clear. Permalink| Comments
  
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• Pedestrian struck, killed on Nicholson Drive early Wednesday

  21-06-2023 05:50
  
  BATON ROUGE - A pedestrian was reportedly struck and killed on Nicholson Drive early Wednesday morning. The crash happened around 5:30 a.m. Wednesday on Nicholson at Ben Hur Road. Officials said the coroner was called to the scene. This is a developing story. Permalink| Comments
  
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• Man hit, killed while crossing Nicholson Drive early Wednesday

  21-06-2023 05:50
  
  BATON ROUGE - A man was hit and killed while crossing Nicholson Drive early Wednesday morning. The crash happened around 5:30 a.m. Wednesday on Nicholson at Ben Hur Road. According to State Police, 41-year-old Quentin Brown was hit by a car while he was crossing the street. Troopers said Brown was wearing dark-colored clothes when he was hit. The driver was properly restrained and not hurt. A toxicology sample was taken but there are no charges for the driver at this time.&
  
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• Underwater noises heard in frantic search for submersible missing with 5 aboard near Titanic

  21-06-2023 05:16
  
  A Canadian military surveillance aircraft detected underwater noises as a massive search continued early Wednesday in a remote part of the North Atlantic for a submersible that vanished while taking five people down to the wreck of the Titanic.A statement from the U.S. Coast Guard did not elaborate on what rescuers believed the noises could be, though it offered a glimmer of hope for those lost abroad the Titan as estimates suggest as little as a day’s worth of oxygen could be left if
  
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• The US Coast Guard is bringing in more ships, vessels to search for lost Titanic tourist submersible

  21-06-2023 05:16
  
  A Canadian surveillance vessel has detected more underwater noises in the area where rescuers are searching for a submersible that went missing in the North Atlantic while bringing five people down to the wreck of the Titanic, authorities said Wednesday.Coast Guard officials were bringing in more ships and other vessels to search the more narrowly defined area, though the exact location and source of the sounds has not yet been determined. The full scope of the search was twice the size of Conn
  
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