Louisiana news

• East Baton Rouge Parish surpassing record for homicides with 2 months left in the year

  27-10-2021 21:05 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - On Wednesday, students at southern university released 19 white balloons—one for each year fellow student Shayla James lived on this earth. Last week she was shot to death in her bed.Shayla is just one of 140 people in the parish who were killed this year."It's heartbreaking,” said her mom Shondreka. “You see it all the time, but you never expect it to hit that close to home."Further yet, Shayla was a victim of domestic violence, which has also skyroc
  
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• Man accused of rape convicted of trying to hire hit man

  27-10-2021 20:06 via wbrz.com
  
  MONROE, La. (AP) — A Louisiana man has been convicted of trying to hire a hit man to kill his ex-wife while he was in jail awaiting trial on sexual assault charges involving her two young daughters.A federal jury in Monroe found Steven Marcus Kelley, 48, of West Monroe, guilty on Tuesday of using the mail to commission a murder for hire in December 2019, federal authorities said in a news release.Kelley was in the Ouachita Parish jail awaiting trial on charges involving the rape and m
  
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• Extensive debris pick-up effort still underway in Livingston Parish

  27-10-2021 19:16 via wbrz.com
  
  SPRINGFIELD - Debris pick-up efforts backed up traffic on LA 22 in Livingston Parish on Wednesday."Well you know we are working extremely hard in the Parish," Livingston Parish President Layton Ricks said.Parish President Layton Ricks says about 40 trucks are working in the areas hit the hardest. Most of those areas are south of I-12."We started off with 20 to 21 trucks. It then went to 25 trucks and on up to 30, now 40," Ricks said. "We will top 21 million before this is over with, and we will
  
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• Bus system CEO accepts large car allowance one year after agency canceled them

  27-10-2021 16:40 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - The Capital Area Transit System (CATS) CEO Bill Deville accepted thousands of dollars in a car and phone allowance last year, despite the agency canceling car allowances for 13 of its highest paid employees the year before.Deville earns nearly $191,000 per year, and his gross salary every two weeks is $7,339. In May of 2020, he received $19,000 during a routine pay period.CATS claimed that the reimbursement was necessary because a payroll error caused Deville to be underpaid. WBRZ
  
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• Lost and Found: Walker PD looking for owner of backpack full of drugs left in road

  27-10-2021 15:42 via wbrz.com
  
  WALKER - Police found a backpack full of illegal drugs and are looking to return the lost property to the owner. Walker Police Department posted a picture of the black and white Nike backpack they found Wednesday morning in the road near Florida Boulevard and Comar Drive. Officers found 50 grams of cocaine, 120 oxycodone tablets, a digital scale and many small plastic bags. “Considering the quantity of controlled substances found in the Nike bag, along with
  
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• New Orleans lifting mask mandate on Friday

  27-10-2021 15:03 via wbrz.com
  
  New Orleans, which has often trailed behind the state in loosening its coronavirus safety measures, will join the rest of the state in lifting its mask mandate.Mayor Latoya Cantrell announced that the city will lift its indoor masking requirements starting on Friday, Oct. 29. Like the statewide order, masks will still be required in K-12 schools and healthcare facilities. “The indoor mask mandate that was in place over the past several months helped us reduce the surge in cas
  
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• WATCH: Tornado flings ATV into the air near Louisiana-Texas border

  27-10-2021 14:37 via wbrz.com
  
  ORANGE, Tx. - A tornado was caught on video near the Louisiana-Texas state line tossing an ATV into the air over a roadway.The video taken in the area of Orange, Texas shows the tornado ripping across an interstate highway and knocking down power lines.  KBMT found the wreckage of the overturned ATV a short distance away.See the video hereSEEK SHELTER | If you live in the Deweyville area, you need to take cover immediately as severe weather moves through Southeast Texas. This photo was
  
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• PHOTOS: Severe weather moving across Louisiana Wednesday

  27-10-2021 14:35 via wbrz.com
  
  A storm system is moving across the country Wednesday, and all parishes in Louisiana are currently under a tornado watch. Click here for weather updates from WBRZ's Weather Team. Permalink| Comments
  
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• PHOTOS: Severe weather moves across south Louisiana Wednesday

  27-10-2021 14:35 via wbrz.com
  
  A storm system is moving across the country Wednesday, and all parishes in Louisiana are currently under a tornado watch. Click here for weather updates from WBRZ's Weather Team. US: 10-27-2021 Lake Charles, LA - Prien Tornado Damage - Homes Destroyed: Tornado damage from areas of South Lake Charles as a line of severe storms contained areas of rotation and produced several tornadoes this afternoon. Significant damage was noted on Justin Lane where pic.twitter.com/s3PHoqNerg&a
  
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• City, Parish office closures ahead of storm

  27-10-2021 12:35 via wbrz.com
  
  As severe weather threatens to impact the WBRZ viewing area Wednesday, October 27, some city-parish buildings are announcing closures.St. Helena Parish-All St. Helena Parish Police Jury offices will close at 12:00 p.m. Wednesday, October 27, 2021Permalink| Comments
  
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• Storm-related school closures

  27-10-2021 09:43 via wbrz.com
  
  Ahead of a Wednesday afternoon/evening storm expected to bring severe weather to the WBRZ viewing area, a number of schools are closing. Please check back regularly; we'll update this list as more schools announce closures. *************************Schools closing early Wednesday, October 27 due to potentially hazardous weather conditions:West Baton RougeNo closure announcements at this timeIberville No closure announcements at this timeEast Baton RougeNo closure anno
  
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• United States issues its 1st passport with X gender marker

  27-10-2021 09:35 via wbrz.com
  
  DENVER (AP) — The United States has issued its first passport with an “X” gender designation — a milestone in the recognition of the rights of people who don’t identify as male or female — and expects to be able to offer the option more broadly next year, the State Department said Wednesday.The U.S. special diplomatic envoy for LGBTQ rights, Jessica Stern, called the moves historic and celebratory, saying they bring the govern
  
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• Baton Rouge officials address rising death rate in Wednesday news conference

  27-10-2021 09:09 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - As death rates in the capital area increase, officials with the East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner's Office are addressing the public with the latest statistics and information related to how local leaders are handling the concerning numbers.EBRP Coroner, Dr. William "Beau" Clark will lead the Wednesday event at 9 a.m., and present data related to 2021's overdose and homicide data. Watch the news conference, live here.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Man arrested on charges of arson, terrorizing

  27-10-2021 08:53 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - A man who police linked to a September 26 apartment fire has been arrested for arson and other, related charges.According to investigators with the Baton Rouge Fire Department, Derrick Davis was taken into custody Tuesday and charged him with attempted aggravated arson, improper telephone communication, and terrorizing.Officials say he played a role in the aforementioned apartment fire in the 1700 block of North Marque Ann Drive. When firefighters responded to the incident, they d
  
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• Salvation Army to host drive-thru food box giveaway, Friday

  27-10-2021 08:13 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - The Salvation Army of Greater Baton Rouge will host a drive-thru food box giveaway Friday, October 29 at 10 a.m.According to a Wednesday news release, 250 plus food boxes filled with canned goods, dry goods and assorted drinks will be distributed to individuals and families in need while supplies last.
  The Salvation Army is still practicing COVID-19 safety guidelines. For this reason, this food box giveaway will take place in the form of a drive-thru line in the Salvation Army bui
  
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• Merck agrees to let other drug makers make its COVID pill

  27-10-2021 07:31 via wbrz.com
  
  LONDON (AP) —Pharmaceutical company Merck agreed to allow other drug makers to produce its COVID-19 pill, in a move aimed at helping millions of people in poorer countries get access to the potentially life-saving drug, a United Nations-backed public health organization said on Wednesday.The Medicines Patent Pool said in a statement that it had signed a voluntary licensing agreement for molnupiravir with Merck and its partner Ridgeback Biotherapeutics.The agreement will allow the Medi
  
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• Legendary comedian, Mort Sahl, dies at 94

  27-10-2021 06:32 via wbrz.com
  
  Iconic comedian and political satirist Mort Sahl passed away this week at the age of 94, according to BBC News.The news outlet reports that he died Tuesday, in Mill Valley, California.Sahl's groundbreaking comedy style has been credited as the inspiration for modern stand-up. Known for his bold social commentary on current events and scathing stand-up routines that targeted the most popular political figures of the time, he poked fun at former presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower, Barack Obama and D
  
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• Stacey Abrams group donates $1.34M to wipe out medical debts

  27-10-2021 03:55 via wbrz.com
  
  ATLANTA (AP) — The political organization led by Democratic titan Stacey Abrams is branching out into paying off medical debts.Fair Fight Action on Wednesday told The Associated Press that it has donated $1.34 million from its political action committee to the nonprofit organization RIP Medical Debt to wipe out debt with a face value of $212 million that is owed by 108,000 people in Georgia, Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.CEO Lauren Groh-Wargo of Fair Fight Action said th
  
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