Baton Rouge news

• Thibodeaux man convicted on multiple counts of vehicular manslaughter after killing three girls in 2021

  24-08-2023 20:51
  
  THIBODAUX - A 39-year-old man was convicted on two counts of vehicular manslaughter and one count of negligent homicide after he killed three teenage girls in a November 2021 crash.Joey Clement of Thibodeaux was traveling between 88 and 93 mph in a 55-mph zone, and had a blood alcohol content of .22g%, which is more than double the legal limit of .08g%. He crashed into a car that was being driven by Lily Dufrene, who was going under the speed limit and had no substances in her system.The crash
  
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• Thibodaux man convicted on multiple counts of vehicular manslaughter after killing three girls in 2021

  24-08-2023 20:51
  
  THIBODAUX - A 39-year-old man was convicted on two counts of vehicular manslaughter and one count of negligent homicide after he killed three teenage girls in a November 2021 crash.Joey Clement of Thibodaux was traveling between 88 and 93 mph in a 55-mph zone, and had a blood alcohol content of .22g%, which is more than double the legal limit of .08g%. He crashed into a car that was being driven by Lily Dufrene, who was going under the speed limit and had no substances in her system.The crash k
  
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• Toddler found unharmed after police discovered 2 bodies inside Tigerland apartment

  24-08-2023 20:46
  
  BATON ROUGE - Police confirmed that a one-year-old child was found alone in a Baton Rouge apartment with two dead adults.Police received the call about 7:15 p.m. and sent officers to the 4700 block of Tigerland Ave.According to witnesses, neighbors saw the child pulling at a curtain, which prompted them to knock on the door and call into the apartment. After they got no response, they kicked in the door, found the dead adults and rescued the child.The child was unharmed.The coroner's office sai
  
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• Toddler found safe in apartment with two dead adults; foul play not suspected

  24-08-2023 20:46
  
  BATON ROUGE - Police confirmed that a one-year-old child was found alone in a Baton Rouge apartment with two dead adults.There is no apparent foul play. This is a developing story.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Mandatory evacuation issued for Beauregard Parish town as wildfire approaches

  24-08-2023 18:02
  
  MERRYVILLE - The Beauregard Parish Sheriff's Office issued a mandatory evacuation for the town of Merryville and all surrounding areas due to a wildfire approaching the area.According to police, the fire could reach the town limits within the next hour or two hours.Additionally, buses will be at the Merryville Town Hall for those that need transportation, and there will be shelter at the First Methodist Church in DeRidder, La.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Statewide burn ban exempts farmers, but the dry summer still poses a threat

  24-08-2023 18:00
  
  ASSUMPTION PARISH - Droughts are an unusual problem in Louisiana where folks are accustomed to afternoon showers. For farmers, the drought can be harmful to crops is desperate need of water. Stephen Simoneaux is a sugarcane farmer in Belle Rose. He says the dry weather is concerning, and even though rainfall is usually a daily occurrence in the summer time, he says the drought shouldn't necessarily mean trouble for the crop yield statewide. However, he says in the parts of the state af
  
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• State issues stricter burn ban Friday, addressing worries over agricultural burns

  24-08-2023 18:00
  
  UPDATE: The state issued a revised burn ban on Friday that includes a ban on all agricultural burning. "This new burn ban order by Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain, DVM, in collaboration with Louisiana State Fire Marshal Dan Wallis, in effect as of August 25, 2023, at 12 p.m., orders an immediate statewide ban on all agricultural burning, including but not limited to prescribed burning. This order shall remain in effect until rescinded."-----ASS
  
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• Videos show massive wildfire burning near Amite

  24-08-2023 17:36
  
  AMITE - Fire crews Thursday were rushing to the scene of a large wildfire burning in Tangipahoa Parish near the city of Amite.Videos showed large plumes of smoke burning behind trees just off Highway 16 west of I-55.It's unknown how much land the fire had consumed.The entire state of Louisiana has been under a burn ban since August 7th. Governor John Bel Edwards said that this was the driest, hottest summer on record in the state.Our state has never been this hot and dry and we have never had t
  
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• Man suspected of sparking wildfire in Amite on Thursday arrested by state agents

  24-08-2023 17:36
  
  AMITE - Fire crews Thursday rushed  to the scene of a large wildfire burning in Tangipahoa Parish near the city of Amite.Videos showed large plumes of smoke burning behind trees just off Highway 16 west of I-55. It's unknown how much land the fire had consumed.On Friday, the Department of Agriculture and Forestry told WBRZ that Ryan Miller of Independence faces charges for fire-raising on another's land by criminal negligence and violating a fire marshal's order.The entire state of Lou
  
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• BRPD working overtime to fill open positions

  24-08-2023 17:33
  
  BATON ROUGE - BRPD recruiters are working overtime to fill more than 100 open positions. Twice a year, rookies get sworn in after graduating from the training academy, but even that may not be enough."We host an academy, get people in, it bumps us up back to our numbers," Lt. L'Jean McKneely said. "Then we have a group retire, [and] that lowers our number."The department has room for 700 uniformed officers, but currently has fewer than 600 out on the streets."It would be awesome for us, [as it
  
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• EBR Schools reveals proposal for staggered schedules

  24-08-2023 16:59
  
  BATON ROUGE - The East Baton Rouge Parish Public School System unveiled its proposed staggered start times for all schools in the district.With start times at 7 a.m., 8 a.m., and 9 a.m., not all students of the same age groups would be starting at the same time.The schedule has all high schools starting first at 7 a.m., along with parochial and secondary charters. The proposal says this was to allow high schoolers to take care of their siblings after school. This group will be dismissed at 2:15
  
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• EBR Schools reveals proposal for staggared schedules

  24-08-2023 16:59
  
  BATON ROUGE - The East Baton Rouge Parish Public School System unveiled its proposed staggered start times for all schools in the district.With start times at 7 a.m., 8 a.m., and 9 a.m., not all students of the same age groups would be starting at the same time.The schedule has all high schools starting first at 7:00 a.m., along with parochial and secondary charters. The proposal says this was to allow high schoolers to take care of their siblings after school. This group will be dismissed at 2
  
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• EBR Schools' proposal for staggered schedules substituted; new proposal asks Narcisse to develop new plan

  24-08-2023 16:59
  
  UPDATE - The vote for the staggered schedule tiers did not happen Thursday night, as the motion was substituted for a new one.The substituted motion asks for twice-a-day transportation updates for the public and the board, and it also directed Superintendent Narcisse to revisit the situation and develop a plan that will minimize disruption for parents, students, and staff. Additionally, he will be required to preserve school being in session for the legal amount of time.-----BATON ROUGE - The E
  
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• EBR school board refuses to vote on staggered start times, asks superintendent for new plan

  24-08-2023 16:59
  
  BATON ROUGE - The East Baton Rouge Parish Public School System unveiled its proposed staggered start times for all schools in the district, but the motion was substituted for a new plan. Under the original proposal, start times would be at 7 a.m., 8 a.m., and 9 a.m., and not all students of the same age groups would be starting at the same time.The schedule would have had all high schools starting first at 7 a.m., along with parochial and secondary charters. The proposal says this was
  
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• Mom says her toddler son was left in soiled clothes at Baton Rouge school, covered in feces

  24-08-2023 16:29
  
  BATON ROUGE - A mother who has a two-year old in the pre-k three program at Dufrocq Elementary filed complaints with the state after she said her child had a potty accident at school and was left in his soiled clothes.Instead, the parents were called to the school to change him. When they arrived, he was covered in feces from head to toe."When he arrived he found him with feces on his buttocks, legs, hands, face near his eyes and mouth," Mary Patricia Wray said. "He cleaned him up, washed his h
  
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• Walker issues boil water advisory for part of the city

  24-08-2023 16:27
  
  WALKER - The City of Walker has issued the following advisory:The City of Walker Water System has experienced problems with our water supply system. Earlier today a subcontractor it a water main causing an isolated area of our water system to lose pressure. Because of these problems, the water produced by our water supply system is of questionable microbiological quality. Therefore, as a precaution,  The City of Walker Water System is issuing a BOIL ADVISORY
  
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• Police looking for people who stole over $1700 from Gonzales Home Depot

  24-08-2023 15:39
  
  GONZALES - Police are seeking information on two people who stole $1,713 worth of merchandise on two separate occasions from the Home Depot located at 2740 S. Cajun Drive.According to police, the two stole their merchandise on July 9 and August 4, and they used a black Nissan Altima without a license plate in both thefts.Police urge anyone with information to call the Gonzales Police Department at 225-647-9572 or to call anonymously at 225-344-7867.Permalink| Comments
  
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• East Feliciana Rural Water System urges conservation

  24-08-2023 14:25
  
  ETHEL - The East Feliciana Rural Water System is asking customers to hold off on any unnecessary use -- including watering of lawns -- between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. until further notice.The agency said high demand during the severe drought is the reason for that request.The U.S. Drought Monitor website shows the entire Capital Area under severe or extreme drought conditions.Permalink| Comments
  
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• EBR schools proposing staggered start times amid ongoing transportation dispute

  24-08-2023 14:22
  
  BATON ROUGE - School leaders in East Baton Rouge are expected to vote on a reworked schedule Thursday night as the district contends with an ongoing dispute with its dissatisfied bus drivers.Superintendent Sito Narcisse teased the proposal during an interview with WBRZ on Thursday morning but kept the specifics under wraps. The school system is set to detail the full proposal ahead of a board vote Thursday night. "We want to change how school rotations happen so there can be more effic
  
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• Crime tops concerns across Louisiana, WBRZ poll finds

  24-08-2023 14:10
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana voters name crime and violence as their top concern, with education close behind. That's according to a new WBRZ News 2 poll.When asked to identify the most important problem facing the state, 18 percent of respondents listed crime and violence. Another 16 percent named education, followed by high insurance rates (16 percent) and economic growth and employment (11 percent).Crime and violence also landed atop the list when a respondent's "second most important" answer is
  
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• Baton Rouge man charged in deadly 2022 crash

  24-08-2023 13:31
  
  BATON ROUGE - An arrest has been made in connection with a deadly crash that happened in November 2022.Daniel Martinez, 26, of Baton Rouge faces four charges, including vehicular homicide and operating a vehicle while intoxicated, in connection with the wreck that killed Edgar Hernandez.Investigators said he did not have a valid driver's license.The crash happened at 2:30 a.m. on I-12 near Essen Lane on Nov. 14 of last year.Martinez was driving a Ford F-250 that veered off the highway and struc
  
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• Queen Baton Rouge welcomes guests after completing transformation

  24-08-2023 13:28
  
  BATON ROUGE - The new Queen Baton Rouge casino opened its doors Thursday evening, showing off a transformation two years in the making.The former Hollywood Casino welcomed special guests to a preview event, then went public at 9 p.m. More than 1,000 people were there to see the change.The ribbon was officially cut by Lydia Chenevert, a 30-year employee of the property.The overhaul -- which makes the Queen Baton Rouge the city's first fully land-based casino -- cost $85 million.Several new resta
  
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• LSU Soccer defeats No. 9 Texas 3-1 for their first road win

  24-08-2023 12:03
  
  AUSTIN - LSU Soccer defeated No. 9 Texas 3-1 in the team's first road game of the season Thursday night.LSU led throughout the night, going up by as much as 3-0 by the end of the first half. Texas' lone goal happened in the 52nd minute, and the score held.LSU plays Southern at home 6 p.m. Sunday.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Sandwich chain Subway will be sold to Arby's owner Roark Capital

  24-08-2023 09:01
  
  Sandwich chain Subway said Thursday it will be sold to the private equity firm Roark Capital.Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. Earlier this week, The Wall Street Journal reported that Roark was offering around $9.6 billion for Subway, which is privately owned.Subway CEO John Chidsey said the deal reflects Subway’s long-term growth potential and the value of the brand. Subway plans to continue to modernize restaurants and expand internationally under Roark’s owne
  
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• Royalty awaits! The Queen Baton Rouge opens its doors Thursday night

  24-08-2023 08:36
  
  BATON ROUGE - Are you feeling lucky? You might want to roll the dice for the official grand opening of The Queen Baton Rouge, the city's first land-based casino.Previously the Hollywood Casino, and now, the new Queen has nearly doubled in size. The renovation included moving the property from the Mississippi River to land, increasing the total footprint from 62,000 to more than 100,000 square feet, and the addition of innovative gaming, dining, and entertainment venues.The $85 million project w
  
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• EBR school board president seeing transportation problems firsthand during ride-alongs

  24-08-2023 08:13
  
  BATON ROUGE - Just days after the school bus driver strike, the East Baton Rouge school board is set to hold a special meeting Thursday night to address the concerns of the transportation department. Ahead of the meeting, however, school board president Dadrius Lanus has been riding the buses with the students this week. His goal is to get a firsthand experience of what the kids and bus drivers go through."For so long, we've been getting information from the higher-ups," he said. "And
  
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• 'The devastation is unbelievable': Beauregard Parish calling in help from across state to fight wildfire

  24-08-2023 06:50
  
  BEAUREGARD PARISH - Capital area fire departments are assisting in fighting a wildfire in southwestern Louisiana that has forced mandatory evacuations for days. The St. George Fire Department is the latest local department to make it to Beauregard Parish. "They are seeking out resources from Texas and beyond for help," a Facebook post from the SGFD said Thursday morning. "The devastation is unbelievable."Mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders have been issued for portions o
  
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• Entergy crew working to restore power reports large house fire nearby; home deemed total loss

  24-08-2023 05:36
  
  BATON ROUGE - A home was deemed a total loss early Thursday morning after a massive house fire that caused significant damage. The fire was reported by Entergy shortly before 2 a.m., who was in the neighborhood around Donna Drive off Florida Boulevard restoring power after an outage. The Baton Rouge and the St. George Fire Departments responded to the scene. When crews arrived, large flames were pouring from the roof of the house. Ten firetrucks were called to the scene in tot
  
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