Baton Rouge news

• Two people escape from Ascension Parish jail

  11-08-2023 21:18
  
  Two people escaped from the Ascension Parish jail Friday night, according to the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office.The sheriff's office has set up a perimeter around the jail and is actively looking for the escaped inmates.This is a developing story.Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Three people escape from Ascension Parish jail

  11-08-2023 21:18
  
  Three people escaped from the Ascension Parish jail Friday night around 8:35 p.m., according to the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office.The three inmates are Blake Menefee, 21, of Gonzales, Zachary Freman, 30, of St. Amant, and Logan Delana, 27 of Saicier, MS.Menefee was charged with illegal possession of stolen firearms, illegal possession of stolen things over $25,000, aggravated flight from an officer, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and illegal carry of weapons; Delana was cha
  
  Read more

• Three escaped Ascension Parish inmates recaptured late Friday

  11-08-2023 21:18
  
  DONALDSONVILLE -- Three men who escaped from Ascension Parish jail Friday night were recaptured less than three hours later, the sheriff's office said.Blake Menefee, 21, of Gonzales, and Logan Delana, 27, of Saicier, Miss. were captured just before 11 p.m. and Zackary Freman, 30, of St. Amant was nabbed a short time later.Details of the escape were not immediately available, but the men fled the jail about 8:35 p.m., according to the sheriff's office.Menefee was charged with illegal possession
  
  Read more

• Amid deadly fires, Gonzales family fears for family living on Maui

  11-08-2023 18:49
  
  GONZALES - Devastating fires erupted on the Island of Maui Tuesday night due to a combination of dry air and strong winds from Hurricane Dora, which created an unmatched storm that lit the fuse on a deadly fire.For a family in Gonzales, the far away fire hit close to home. Maggie Finley's sister Mary Mishima and brother-in-law Jyun Mishima escaped their home in the now-devastated town of Lahaina, as flames continued spreading to the family home."She said that it doesn't look goo becaus
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• DOTD hopes new reflectors will stop drivers from hitting battered Government Street medians

  11-08-2023 17:45
  
  BATON ROUGE - New reflectors are now posted in the embattled Government Street medians because the state says it needs to protect the concrete curbs, but the location of the reflectors hint at who they're targeting. The new reflectors are in the medians that happen to be adjacent to the parking lots of the popular bars along Government Street. The medians outside of Radio Bar, MidCity Beer Garden, Superior Grill, Pelican to Mars, and Barracuda Taco all have new reflectors placed in the
  
  Read more

• After deadly shooting in Plaquemine, deputies find suspected killer in West Baton Rouge

  11-08-2023 16:54
  
  PLAQUEMINE - Deputies have arrested a person suspected of killing someone in Iberville Parish Friday afternoon. Sheriff Brett Stassi tells WBRZ that the shooting was first reported around 1:30 p.m. on Folse Street, near Bayou Road. The sheriff says a suspect was identified and captured in West Baton Rouge Parish within hours of the shooting. Neither the suspect nor the victim have been identified at this time. Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Massive brush fire shuts down I-10 at Louisiana-Mississippi state line

  11-08-2023 15:59
  
  I-10 along the Louisiana-Mississippi state line was shut down Friday afternoon in both directions due to a grass fire.Both the New Orleans National Weather Service and Mississippi Highway Patrol issued statements about how the fire affects visibility and driver safety. Drivers are advised to seek alternate routes.I-10, Hancock County, 2 mile-marker.The Interstate has been shut down due to a large fire that has compromised driver safety and visibility.
  Multiple fire services and first responders
  
  Read more

• I-10 at Louisiana-Mississippi state line back open, massive brush fire still burning

  11-08-2023 15:59
  
  I-10 along the Louisiana-Mississippi state line was shut down in both directions Friday afternoon due to a large brush fire. As of Saturday morning, the interstate had been reopened.                               Both the New Orleans National Weather Service and Mississippi Highway Patrol issued statements about how the fire affects visibility and drive
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• More than 1,000 new LSU graduates celebrate at summer commencement

  11-08-2023 14:59
  
  BATON ROUGE - A record number of summer graduates received their LSU "digital diplomas" on Friday, when 1,039 degrees were awarded in commencement exercises on campus.School officials said the graduating class represents 48 parishes and 48 states -- along with 39 countries.“In addition to being our largest graduating class ever, we are graduating more women, African American and Hispanic students than any summer graduation class in LSU history. It is an honor for me
  
  Read more

• Longtime deputy fired, arrested for DWI following hit-and-run crash in Livingston Parish

  11-08-2023 14:49
  
  A veteran sheriff's deputy has lost his job after he was arrested for DWI following a hit and run on Thursday. Deputy Clint Gray, 50, was also booked for reckless operation and resisting an officer after the wreck, which happened while he was off-duty Thursday night. Gray has been with the department since 2001. “This is certainly disappointing news. He is a veteran of the LPSO & his conduct is unacceptable,” Sheriff Jason Ard said in a statement.Gray h
  
  Read more

• More arrests after Ascension girl's murder: Teens accused of helping victim's boyfriend evade arrest

  11-08-2023 14:10
  
  GONZALES - Three more teens are facing charges linked to the death of a 15-year-old girl who was allegedly shot and killed by a jealous boyfriend a week ago. The Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office said the three suspects are accused of helping 16-year-old Jaquin Stephens avoid arrest after he shot his girlfriend, Gracie Limas. Stephens fled the parish and was located Tuesday at a home in Livingston Parish.The department identified one of the additional suspects Friday as Leland Hickman
  
  Read more

• Tigers basketball star Alexis Morris earns degree from LSU

  11-08-2023 13:51
  
  BATON ROUGE - You can add a college degree to Alexis Morris' already extensive list of accomplishments for 2023.The national champ and fan-favorite player for the LSU women's basketball team graduated Friday with a degree in interdisciplinary studies.National Champion LSU Graduate @AlexisMorrisWBB?????? pic.twitter.com/QC4elp0njF— LSU (@LSU) August 11, 2023Morris started for two seasons at LSU as she helped launch the Tigers into national recognition alongside Coach Kim Mulkey. Morris
  
  Read more

• Attorney General Merrick Garland appoints a special counsel in the Hunter Biden probe

  11-08-2023 13:49
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Friday he has appointed a special counsel in the Hunter Biden probe, deepening the investigation of the president’s son ahead of the 2024 election.Garland said he is naming David Weiss, the U.S. attorney in Delaware who has been probing the financial and business dealings of the president’s son, as the special counsel.Garland said on Tuesday that Weiss told him that “in his judgment, his investi
  
  Read more

• Son of slain woman gives emotional testimony at his father's long-awaited trial in Baton Rouge

  11-08-2023 13:39
  
  BATON ROUGE - The son of a used car dealer accused of arranging his ex-wife’s killing in 2015 took the stand at his father’s murder trial Friday and recounted how he returned home from a night out and noticed she was missing. Hamed Ghassemi said he checked with his mother’s friends for two days about her whereabouts before people started texting him saying they had seen reports that she had been found dead.His father, Hamid Ghassemi, is accused of hiring t
  
  Read more

• Son of slain woman gives emotional testimony at his father's long-awaited murder trial in Baton Rouge

  11-08-2023 13:39
  
  BATON ROUGE - The son of a used car dealer accused of arranging his ex-wife’s killing in 2015 took the stand at his father’s murder trial Friday and recounted how he returned home from a night out and noticed she was missing. Hamed Ghassemi said he checked with his mother’s friends for two days about her whereabouts before people started texting him saying they had seen reports that she had been found dead.His father, Hamid Ghassemi, is accused of hiring t
  
  Read more

• Sand spill blocks traffic in Walker Friday afternoon

  11-08-2023 13:26
  
  WALKER - Officials shut down a portion of Florida Boulevard in Livingston Parish after a truck carrying sand spilled its load Friday afternoon. The incident closed the eastbound side of the highway around noon Friday, according to Walker Police. It was unclear what caused the mess and when the road might be cleared. Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Metro Council approves funding for renovation and return of historic Lincoln Theater

  11-08-2023 12:30
  
  BATON ROUGE - The Lincoln Theater sits empty and vacant on Eddie Robinson Dr., right down the road from the Hotel Lincoln. Its rich history and cultural significance is why the state is stepping in to assist the Louisiana Black History Hall of Fame in restoring and preserving the theater."The office of community development is working to support both the Hotel Lincoln and the Lincoln Theater as part of a concentrated effort to target investment and revitalize those historic cultural touchstones
  
  Read more

• Glen Oaks High senior arrested after posting picture in school uniform with guns

  11-08-2023 09:01
  
  BATON ROUGE - Deputies arrested a Baton Rouge teenager after receiving a tip that he had posted a picture to social media of him wearing a school uniform and carrying two guns. According to the East Baton Rouge Parish School System, deputies arrested the teen—whose name was not released—on Thursday. Deputies with the sheriff's office received a tip about the post and found the guns in the student's car, which was parked on the Glen Oaks High School campus, while exe
  
  Read more

• Law enforcement contacted after reported bomb threat at Denham Springs High School

  11-08-2023 07:25
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS - School officials contacted law enforcement after a bomb threat was made to Denham Springs High School. The Livingston Parish Superintendent said the school board was contacting law enforcement after a reported bomb threat. It was unclear whether students were being evacuated. This is a developing story. Permalink| Comments
  
  Read more

• Denham Springs High School given all-clear after bomb threat; school board releases statement

  11-08-2023 07:25
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS - A Livingston Parish high school was put into lockdown after a reported bomb threat was made to campus on the first day of school.The Livingston Parish Superintendent said the school board contacted law enforcement after a bomb threat. Students were let into the school Friday morning and were gathered in the school's air-conditioned gym as the campus was put into lockdown.The Denham Springs Freshman High building was also shut down out of caution. A spokesperson with the Livings
  
  Read more

• At least 55 people died on Maui. Residents had little warning before wildfires overtook a town

  11-08-2023 07:12
  
  LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Maui residents who made desperate escapes from oncoming flames, some on foot, asked why Hawaii’s famous emergency warning system didn’t alert them as wildfires raced toward their homes.Hawaii emergency management records show no indication that warning sirens were triggered before devastating fires killed at least 55 people and wiped out a historic town, officials confirmed Thursday.Hawaii boasts what the state describes as the largest integr
  
  Read more

• Livingston Parish superintendent announces retirement after six years in position, decades in district

  11-08-2023 06:03
  
  LIVINGSTON PARISH - After six years of serving as the parish's superintendent and a total of 31 years serving the district, Joe Murphy announced Friday he would not be returning to LPSB in 2024. Murphy told WBRZ Friday morning he would not be re-signing a contract set to expire in June 2024, right before the start of the next school year. "This will be my 31st first day of school," Murphy said. "So this will be my last first day of school.""We want it to be a great year for ev
  
  Read more

• Louisiana to receive over half a billion dollars for new carbon capture facility

  11-08-2023 04:31
  
  WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Department of Energy announced Friday morning that it would be investing up to $1.2 billion in new carbon air capture facilities in Louisiana and Texas. These projects would create nearly 5,000 jobs in the two states—2,300 of which are in Louisiana—and address legacy carbon emissions that have lingered in the atmosphere and affected the climate as well as fueled extreme weather. Out of the allocated funds, Louisiana is set to rec
  
  Read more

• Biden administration announces new carbon capture facilities planned for Louisiana, Texas

  11-08-2023 04:31
  
  WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Department of Energy announced Friday morning that it would be investing up to $1.2 billion in new carbon air capture facilities in Louisiana and Texas. These projects would create nearly 5,000 jobs in the two states and address legacy carbon emissions that have lingered in the atmosphere and affected the climate as well as fueled extreme weather. Together, the two facilities, which would be located in Calcasieu Parish and Kleberg County, Texas, wou
  
  Read more

Follow @BatonRougeNews_ on Twitter!