Baton Rouge news

• Metro Council approves nearly $1 million settlement to DOTD for damage caused by city-parish employee

  09-08-2023 21:51
  
  BATON ROUGE - The Department of Public Works is used to making repairs, not paying for them. In 2022, a city employee struck the Airline Highway overpass at Florida Boulevard and now the state is asking for their money back."Whatever expenses are going to be necessary to remedy the situation, the City-Parish will be responsible for those dollars," East Baton Rouge Director of Transportation Fred Raiford said. The City-Parish admitted that the employee failed to properly secure a piece
  
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• Man arrested for setting series of deliberate fires, booked for arson

  09-08-2023 20:17
  
  BATON ROUGE - A man was arrested Wednesday afternoon when arson investigators connected him to two separate fires. According to the Baton Rouge Fire Department, 45-year-old Danlo Alvarenga-Ayola was caught piling up materials near a home on Kerrit Drive, setting fire to that pile, and then setting fire to to a patch of grass nearby. After conducting interviews, Alvarenga-Ayola was spotted setting fire to a small area near a chain link fence the day before. Investigators said a
  
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• Livingston Parish president fires lawyer who advised council on zoning fight

  09-08-2023 20:00
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS - An attorney who served as an advisor for the Livingston Parish Council as it fought with a developer over a controversial housing development has been fired. A letter obtained Wednesday by WBRZ shows that Parish President Layton Ricks notified Steve Irving of his firing earlier this week.Read the letter hereRicks' letter blames Irving for giving legal advice to one councilmember -- Erin Sandefur -- without communicating with the parish president's office or ot
  
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• Ex-Las Vegas Raider Henry Ruggs sentenced to 3-plus years in prison for fatal DUI crash in Nevada

  09-08-2023 19:57
  
  LAS VEGAS (AP) — Former Las Vegas Raiders player Henry Ruggs was sentenced Wednesday to at least three years in a Nevada prison for killing a woman in a fiery crash while driving his sports car drunk at speeds up to 156 mph on a city street nearly two years ago.“I sincerely apologize,” the former first-round NFL draft pick said as he stood for sentencing in Las Vegas after pleading guilty in May to felony DUI causing death and misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter, a
  
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• After 7-year-old was hit by school bus, teens allegedly followed & threatened driver

  09-08-2023 18:00
  
  BATON ROUGE - Two teenagers were arrested after they allegedly chased down a school bus that had hit their 7-year-old relative Wednesday afternoon. The crash happened around 5:30 p.m. near the intersection of Sherwood Street and Plank Road. The Baton Rouge Police Department said the child was hit while trying to cross the street on a bicycle, and his injuries were reported to be non-life-threatening.Some witnesses told police the bus was moving slowly, headed east, at the time.Two teen
  
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• Roadwork expected to cause back-to-school traffic mess in Ascension Parish

  09-08-2023 17:38
  
  PRAIRIEVILLE - The ride to school for Prairieville Primary students might not be as smooth as in years past. The Ascension Parish School System is warning parents ahead of the new school year to get an early start if they bring their child to that particular school. Parker Road, where the school is located, is shut down at Hwy. 929 for the construction of a roundabout near the site of the future Prairieville High School. "We're just encouraging patience because it's going to b
  
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• 'Things should get better soon:' Pediatrician says Adderall shortage should be coming to an end

  09-08-2023 17:35
  BATON ROUGE - As students across the state return to the classroom, a supply chain issue at the drug store could affect many children, their parents, and their teachers. Now doctors in Baton Rouge say they're helping families find alternatives.In October 2022, the Food and Drug Administration acknowledged a shortage of the drug Adderall, a common treatment for attention-deficit disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The shortage was likely caused by a supply chain disruption, and
  
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• Multiple Gonzales spas targeted in prostitution bust, 6 women arrested

  09-08-2023 16:59
  
  GONZALES - Police raided four massage parlors and arrested six women over the course of nearly two weeks in a recent prostitution bust. The Gonzales Police Department said officers spent about five weeks investigating the businesses, starting back in early July. Through the probe, officers learned workers were conducting illegal activities at the following spas.Happy Spa2819 S Cabelas Parkway, GonzalesMagical Message and Spa602 S. Burnside Ave GonzalesOriental Relax Massage2325 S. Burn
  
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• 225 Mustang Mafia gives out free school supplies at Claiborne Elementary School

  09-08-2023 15:58
  
  BATON ROUGE - A Baton Rouge-based car group spend the first day of the 2023 school year giving out supplies to kids at a local elementary school.The 225 chapter of Mustang Mafia gathered Wednesday morning at Claiborne Elementary School, their trunks filled with school supplies for incoming students.They gave out more than 500 composition books, thousands of erasers, scissors, and construction paper. The New Orleans chapter of Mustang Mafia also chipped in with extra backpacks from their own sch
  
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• Man faces hundreds of charges for child porn, animal sex abuse after raid at Baton Rouge home

  09-08-2023 15:46
  
  BATON ROUGE - Deputies found a stash of hundreds of disturbing images on a man's home computer while executing a search warrant this week.The illicit material was found Tuesday at a home along Baylor Drive. An arrest report said those images depicted the sexual abuse of "babies" and "bestiality with children."According to the report, deputies with the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office found at least 300 images on a computer belonging to 64-year-old Ronald Sanders.Sanders admitted to downloading
  
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• Vehicle fire closes Bonnet Carre Spillway bridge on Wednesday afternoon

  09-08-2023 15:21
  
  NEW ORLEANS - A vehicle on fire on the Bonnet Carre Spillway held up traffic headed to New Orleans on Wednesday afternoon. According to State Police, the fire happened around 2 p.m. By 2:40, one lane was open for traffic while crews cleaned up the wreck. No injuries were reported. Permalink| Comments
  
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• East Baton Rouge, Zachary schools head back to the classroom Wednesday

  09-08-2023 14:36
  
  ZACHARY - Wednesday morning, the East Baton Rouge and Zachary school systems went back to the classroom.For the Zachary Community School District, this school year will be the first under Superintendent Ben Necaise's leadership. Necaise was elected into the position back in May. Now, he is ready to hit the ground running. "Our theme this year is building on success together. And so as a community system we've seen some major accomplishments and achievements, and we can't wait to build
  
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• Deputies looking for 14-year-old girl who ran away from DCFS office in Terrebonne Parish

  09-08-2023 14:13
  
  GRAY - Law enforcement is looking for a teenage girl who's been missing for days after fleeing a child services office in south Louisiana.The Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office said 14-year-old Janiya Joan Davis ran away from a Department of Children and Family Services office near Gray around 5 p.m. Monday. Deputies searched the area but were unable to find her.Davis is described as 5’5″ tall, with black hair and brown eyes, and she weighs about 170 pounds. She was
  
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• Man allegedly set fire to apartment after roommate kicked him out for failing to pay rent

  09-08-2023 13:45
  
  BATON ROUGE - A man was arrested for arson after he allegedly set fire to his apartment when his roommate kicked him out for not paying the rent.According to the Baton Rouge Fire Department, investigators apprehended Ernesto Rebolorio-Asencio, 35, for aggravated arson and theft. He reportedly set fire to an apartment on North Carrolton Avenue Tuesday.The victim told investigators he had kicked Asencio out for not having his share of the rent, and then went to take a nap. The victim woke up to t
  
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• Governor calls for board to take action on influx of clemency requests from La.'s death row inmates

  09-08-2023 13:32
  
  BATON ROUGE - Governor John Bel Edwards published a letter Wednesday calling for the state's Board of Pardons to hear the cases of 56 death row inmates seeking to have their sentences commuted. The move comes after a July 24 meeting during which the board effectively delayed in making a decision on whether to hear those cases.The pardon board was flooded with requests from all of the state's inmates on death row earlier this year after Governor Edwards, who's nearing the end of his las
  
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• Governor calls for board to take action on clemency requests from La.'s death row inmates

  09-08-2023 13:32
  
  BATON ROUGE - Governor John Bel Edwards published a letter Wednesday calling for the state's Board of Pardons to hear the cases of 56 death row inmates seeking to have their sentences commuted. The move comes after a July 24 meeting during which the board effectively punted on making a decision on whether to hear the cases.Read the full letter here. Permalink| Comments
  
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• Governor calls for board to take action amid influx of clemency requests from La.'s death row inmates

  09-08-2023 13:32
  
  BATON ROUGE - Governor John Bel Edwards published a letter Wednesday calling for the state's Board of Pardons to hear the cases of 56 death row inmates seeking to have their sentences commuted. The move comes after a July 24 meeting during which the board effectively delayed in making a decision on whether to hear those cases.Read the letter from the governor here.The pardon board was flooded with requests from all of the state's inmates on death row earlier this year after Governor Ed
  
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• Lane closures next week on US 190 bridge as railroad repairs continue

  09-08-2023 12:53
  
  BATON ROUGE - A lane will close on both sides of the old Mississippi River bridge for much of next week as workers make repairs to the adjacent railroad. The maintenance work will last from Aug. 15 to Aug. 19 and will keep the inside lanes on the eastbound and westbound sides of the bridge closed for hours.The closures will last from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. Permalink| Comments
  
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• Implosion of Tangipahoa water well will cost $686k in repairs; investigation launched to find the cause

  09-08-2023 12:46
  
  TANGIPAHOA PARISH- The Tangipahoa Parish Water District plans to investigate if an implosion at the Dutch Lane Water Well was caused by the ongoing seismic testing in Lake Maurepas.In April, a water well owned by Tangipahoa Parish Water District imploded. Now, investigators are looking to see if the implosion may be connected to detonations used by Air Products during a carbon capture project on the lake. These detonations or "shots" are being fired by Air Products as they prepare to s
  
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• Costly implosion of Tangipahoa water well raises new questions about seismic testing

  09-08-2023 12:46
  
  TANGIPAHOA PARISH- The Tangipahoa Parish Water District plans to investigate if an implosion at the Dutch Lane Water Well was caused by the ongoing seismic testing in Lake Maurepas.In April, a water well owned by Tangipahoa Parish Water District imploded. Now, investigators are looking to see if the implosion may be connected to detonations used by Air Products during a carbon capture project on the lake. These detonations or "shots" are being fired by Air Products as they prepare to s
  
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• Central man admits he sexually abused girl for over a decade, deputies say

  09-08-2023 12:18
  
  BATON ROUGE - Deputies arrested a man who allegedly confessed to sexually assaulting a young girl for years, starting when she was just 2 years old. The East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office interviewed the girl on June 26 after she reported the abuse. She told deputies that she had been assaulted for more than a decade, and the earliest she remembered happened when she was 6 years old. The victim said that the man, 43-year-old James Jett of Central, had told her the sexual abuse
  
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• Zachary suburb to be out of water until further notice due to mainline rupture

  09-08-2023 09:48
  
  ZACHARY - A portion of Oak Hills and Cypress Street in Zachary will be out of water until further notice.All residents along Cypress Street, according to the city, will have no water due to a mainline rupture. Surrounding areas that were also affected should have water back as of 9:45 a.m. Wednesday. Crews were reported to be on-site working on repairs. This story will be updated when water is restored.  Permalink| Comments
  
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• 10 people from capital area arrested for DWI on Blind River, Amite Diversion Canal over weekend

  09-08-2023 08:50
  
  LIVINGSTON PARISH - Agents arrested ten people from Baton Rouge and the surrounding areas for DWI on Livingston Parish waters. According to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, agents patrolled Blind River and the Amite Diversion Canal heavily over the last weekend as there was a large event going on only accessible by boat. The ten people arrested were as follows:Mary Louis, 29, of PrairievilleGerald Palmer, 57, of GonzalesRyan St. Angelo, 29, of GonzalesChrist
  
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• Hawaii wildfires burn homes and force evacuations, while strong winds complicate the fight

  09-08-2023 08:13
  
  HONOLULU (AP) — Wildfires in Hawaii fanned by strong winds burned multiple structures, forced evacuations and caused power outages in several communities late Tuesday as firefighters struggled to reach some areas that were cut off by downed trees and power lines.The National Weather Service said Hurricane Dora, which was passing to the south of the island chain at a safe distance of 500 miles (805 kilometers), was partly to blame for gusts above 60 mph (97 kph) that knocked out power
  
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• Man allegedly breaks into girlfriend's house, beats her with baseball bat

  09-08-2023 07:13
  
  BATON ROUGE - A man was arrested after he allegedly broke into his girlfriend's home and began looking through her cell phone before battering her with a baseball bat. The Baton Rouge Police Department was called to the home on Forest Oaks Court on July 20. The victim was there and was taken to a hospital for multiple blunt force injuries to her face and head. Once at the hospital, the victim told officers she was getting ready for work when her boyfriend, Marlon Spurlock, 36,
  
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• No injuries reported after early-morning house fire in Hammond

  09-08-2023 06:02
  
  HAMMOND - Crews were able to control a massive blaze before it threatened other buildings early Wednesday morning. The Hammond Fire Department was called to a home on JW Davis Road shortly after midnight Wednesday. The department said the flames were endangering a nearby structure, but crews were able to get the fire under control before it spread. No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire was still under investigation as of Wednesday morning. Permalink| Commen
  
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• Man who fled scene after denying to officers he had sexually assaulted 3, 6-year-old arrested for first-degree rape

  09-08-2023 05:43
  
  BATON ROUGE - Deputies arrested a man for two counts of attempted first-degree rape after he allegedly sexually assaulted two young girls. The Baton Rouge Police Department reported it had arrested Bryson Pitre, 23, for two counts of attempted first-degree rape, one count of sexual battery, and one count of indecent behavior with a juvenile. Arrest documents read that officers were called to the Our Lady of the Lake Children's Hospital on June 16 after a 6-year-old girl allege
  
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• Man denied to officers he had sexually assaulted 3, 6-year-old; later arrested for first-degree rape

  09-08-2023 05:43
  
  BATON ROUGE - Deputies arrested a man for two counts of attempted first-degree rape after he allegedly sexually assaulted two young girls. The Baton Rouge Police Department reported it had arrested Bryson Pitre, 23, for two counts of attempted first-degree rape, one count of sexual battery, and one count of indecent behavior with a juvenile. Arrest documents read that officers were called to the Our Lady of the Lake Children's Hospital on June 16 after a 6-year-old girl allege
  
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• Man arrested for attempted first-degree rape after allegedly assaulting two children

  09-08-2023 05:43
  
  BATON ROUGE - Deputies arrested a man for two counts of attempted first-degree rape after he allegedly sexually assaulted two young girls. The Baton Rouge Police Department reported it had arrested Bryson Pitre, 23, for two counts of attempted first-degree rape, one count of sexual battery, and one count of indecent behavior with a juvenile. Arrest documents read that officers were called to the Our Lady of the Lake Children's Hospital on June 16 after a 6-year-old girl allege
  
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