Louisiana news

• Baton Rouge Diocese suspends 'grab & go' meal program

  24-03-2020 16:06 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - The Diocese of Baton Rouge says it is suspending its lunch program for school students.The Diocese announced in a statement Tuesday that keeping the program operating would be untenable, and it would cease immediately. Officials said the program had served more than 6,000 combined breakfasts and lunches in the span of three days.The Diocese cited a lack of equipment like thermometers, which made it difficult to protect the health of workers and volunteers, among other factors for
  
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• Former City Councilman, State Representative Carl Crane dead at 84

  23-04-2024 14:41 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - Former city council member and state representative Carl Crane passed away at age 84, according to an obituary released by the Advocate. Crane was a Ponchatoula native and a Baton Rouge resident. He served on the city council from 1977 to 1982 when he was elected to serve as a state representative. While on the legislature, Crane worked his way up to be the Chairman of the House Education Committee, a position he held from 2000 to 2007, and co-authored the TOPS C
  
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• Pretrial hearing date set for NBA YoungBoy after prescription fraud ring arrest

  23-04-2024 13:56 via wbrz.com
  
  LOGAN, Utah - Baton Rouge rapper NBA YoungBoy had his pretrial court date agreed upon Tuesday. Following his arrest in alleged connection to a prescription drug fraud ring, with which he was identified as a possible suspect due to his Louisiana accent, the musician —whose real name is Kentrell Gaulden — will attend a pretrial hearing on April 29. This decision comes after an order was signed to have him return to Louisiana due to the Utah arrest. P
  
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• NBA YoungBoy faces hearing next week after prescription fraud ring arrest in Utah

  23-04-2024 13:56 via wbrz.com
  
  LOGAN, Utah — Baton Rouge rapper NBA YoungBoy will appear in court Monday amid attempts by Louisiana officials to rescind his release ahead of a trial on gun and weapons charges.Kentrell Gaulden, 24, was arrested April 23 on 63 counts alleging he ran a prescription drug fraud ring in Utah, where he is being held on home detention. His lawyers had argued to a Louisiana federal judge that placing him in Utah would "keep YoungBoy out of trouble."If a Utah judge releases Gaulden on the ne
  
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• Cory Dennis named Executive Director of Republican Party of Louisiana

  23-04-2024 13:47 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - Cory Dennis, a former employee of the state's Attorney General Office and campaign manager for Governor Jeff Landry, has been named the new Executive Director for the LAGOP.Dennis is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. He was the campaign manager for Landry's successful gubernatorial bid. Chairman of the LAGOP Derek Babcock said "we are assembling a dynamic team of leaders to bring more historic victories to the Republican Party in the years ahead. Cory Den
  
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• 6 students injured in Addis school bus crash

  23-04-2024 12:04 via wbrz.com
  
  ADDIS — Six students were injured after a school bus crash in Addis Tuesday morning.The Addis Police Department said the single vehicle crash happened after the bus driver turned into the parking lot of The First Bank of Addis and hit the roof of the building. This caused the passenger wall and roof of the bus to sustain severe damage while 14 students from Iberville Charter Academy were on board. Six students were brought to the hospital with minor injuries, police said.Perm
  
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• Report: LSU gymnastics coach Jay Clark, staff to stay at university after Georgia pursues

  23-04-2024 09:53 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — LSU gymnastics head coach Jay Clark and the rest of the coaching staff will remain at the university following the team's first national championship, The Advocate reports.Clark and his assistants were reportedly being eyed by the University of Georgia to return to his former school, but LSU has reportedly drawn up new contracts for Clark, as well as assistant coaches Garrett Griffeth, Courtney McCool Griffeth and Ashleigh Gnat. According to a report from the At
  
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• Apartment resident said they forgot they were cooking, started fire Tuesday morning

  23-04-2024 09:30 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - Firefighters were called to a scene on Cloverfield Avenue in response to a house fire Tuesday morning. The Baton Rouge Fire Department arrived to the apartment building on Cloverfield at Gladiola Street shortly after 7 a.m.. The building sustained heavy smoke and water damage and two residents were displaced. There were no injuries. The fire was ruled accidental after one of the residents told investigators they forgot they were cooking. Permali
  
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• LSU Gymnastics team to take over Highland Road Cane's on Tuesday

  22-04-2024 21:05 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - Members of the LSU Gymnastics team will be serving up chicken fingers and slinging box combos at the Cane's on Highland Road on Tuesday. LSU Tigers Haleigh Bryant, Kiya Johnson, Savannah Schoenherr, Konnor McClain, Aleah Finnegan and Livvy Dunne will be at the Cane's starting at 10 a.m. Permalink| Comments
  
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• National Championship coach Jay Clark stops by to talk title times

  22-04-2024 19:44 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - LSU gymnastics coach Jay Clark stopped by the WBRZ studios just days after his Tiger team won the school’s first ever national championship in the sport.Clark and the Tigers took home the title in Fort Worth, Texas on Saturday beating Cal, Utah and Florida for the programs first national title.LSU was led by Haleigh Bryant on vault and Konnor McClain on beam as the Tigers navigated a couple of mistakes overcoming them with a huge finish on beam where they posted a near f
  
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• Group of 25 LSU journalism students set to cover the Olympics this summer

  22-04-2024 18:43 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — The Olympics is something many will only experience through their television screens. A group of 25 LSU journalism, public relations and political science students, however, will have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to cover the event as they join thousands of people descending on Paris, France, this summer.Students participating in the study abroad program, selected from hundreds of applicants, will earn three college credits in sports reporting and will each develop
  
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• Springfield man sentenced to physical castration, 50 years in prison for rape of juvenile

  22-04-2024 18:18 via wbrz.com
  
  LIVINGSTON - A man from Springfield was sentenced to 50 years in prison and physical castration after pleading guilty to raping a 14-year-old girl multiple times. District Attorney Scott Perrilloux's Office said 54-year-od Glenn Sullivan Sr. pleaded guilty to four counts of second-degree rape on Wednesday. The DA's office said in July of 2022, a young woman went to law enforcement and told them that Sullivan raped her multiple times when she was 14 and impregnated her as a tee
  
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• Springfield man sentenced to physical castration, 50 years in prison for impregnating juvenile

  22-04-2024 18:18 via wbrz.com
  
  LIVINGSTON - A man from Springfield was sentenced to 50 years in prison and physical castration after pleading guilty to raping a 14-year-old girl multiple times. District Attorney Scott Perrilloux's Office said 54-year-od Glenn Sullivan Sr. pleaded guilty to four counts of second-degree rape on Wednesday. The DA's office said in July of 2022, a young woman went to law enforcement and told them that Sullivan raped her multiple times when she was 14 and impregnated her as a tee
  
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• Springfield man sentenced to 50 years in prison, physical castration for rape of juvenile

  22-04-2024 18:18 via wbrz.com
  
  LIVINGSTON - A man from Springfield was sentenced to 50 years in prison and physical castration after pleading guilty to raping a 14-year-old girl multiple times. District Attorney Scott Perrilloux's Office said 54-year-od Glenn Sullivan Sr. pleaded guilty to four counts of second-degree rape on Wednesday. The DA's office said in July of 2022, a young woman went to law enforcement and told them that Sullivan raped her multiple times when she was 14 and impregnated her as a tee
  
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• For one 19th JDC judge, controversy over rulings is nothing new

  22-04-2024 17:49 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - When it comes to trial judges, their decisions are usually held in the highest regard. For 19th JDC Judge Eboni Johnson Rose, some of those decisions have seen a lot of pushback.Watch live newscasts here. This month during a bench trial, Rose convicted a former Baton Rouge Police officer of a crime that doesn't exist, then three weeks later declared him innocent.Donald Steele was accused of groping a motorist after a traffic stop. She declared him guilty of misdemeanor ma
  
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• Two killed, one hurt in separate shootings nearly an hour apart

  22-04-2024 17:05 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - Gunfire riddled three Baton Rouge streets throughout Sunday night into early Monday morning.Around 11 p.m., 25-year-old Keith Price was shot and killed outside of a Circle K gas station on Floynell Drive in the Inniswold neighborhood. Neighbors told WBRZ they heard at least eight shots. The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office is working the case.Nearly an hour later, 51-year-old Michael Thomas was shot and killed at a different gas station along Scotland Avenue. The Baton Rou
  
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• Covington man pleads guilty to felony charges in connection to Jan. 6 Capitol riots

  22-04-2024 16:52 via wbrz.com
  
  WASHINGTON - A Louisiana man pleaded guilty Monday to felony charges for his involvement in the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.Colby Purkel, 27, pleaded guilty to civil disorder. He and his father, Willard Purkel Jr., 51, were originally charged together on one count of civil disorder and several misdemeanors.Court documents indicate that on Jan. 6 around 3 p.m. Colby Purkel joined a crowd of rioters on the east side of the U.S. Capitol, where the group entered by force as law enforcement
  
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• 2MAD: Unlikely friendship sparks when boy mistakes multimillionaire for homeless man

  22-04-2024 16:46 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - A good deed on Good Friday led to an unlikely friendship for Kelvin Ellis and Matthew Busbice. During an early morning in March, Matthew woke up to the sound of a fire alarm and rushed out of his apartment. While he was out of his building, Matt stopped for a coffee and a morning prayer outside of a nearby CC's. Kelvin saw Matt, standing with his eyes closed in the corner of the outside seating area, and thought he was homeless. Kelvin said he's always wanted to
  
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• State receives $156 million in federal funds for solar infrastructure in disadvantaged communities.

  22-04-2024 16:26 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — The Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources Monday received $156 million in federal funds to help build out solar infrastructure to improve energy resilience in low-income and disadvantaged communities.The program, "Solar for Y'all," will be overseen by DENR's Energy Office and is funded by the Inflation Reduction Act."Louisiana is in a uniquely positioned to benefit from this federal investment, with so much of its population in the areas of highest risk fo
  
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• Assumption deputies say they arrest Arkansas man on domestic violence accusation

  22-04-2024 16:03 via wbrz.com
  
  PIERRE PART — Assumption Parish law officers say they arrested an Arkansas man on a domestic violence complaint.A woman called sheriff's deputies to say that she had gotten into an argument with a man and that the encounter became physical. Deputies responded and said that Jayson Michael Whitfield, 37, of Garland, Arkansas, had grabbed the woman's face forcefully and that he was arrested later in Amelia, La., on a felony charge.Deputies said that when they searched Whitfield's vehicle
  
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• Memorial service set Friday for former Denham Springs mayor who brought Bass Pro to town

  22-04-2024 15:31 via wbrz.com
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS — A memorial service has been scheduled for Friday for former Denham Springs Mayor James "Jimmy" Durbin, who died last week at age 76.Visitation at the First Pentecostal Church on Range Avenue will begin at 4 p.m., and a service will start at 6 p.m.Durbin served 12 years on the City Council and three terms as mayor. He's recognized as among those most responsible for bringing a Bass Pro Shops store to the city. He also supported improving the city's infrastructure, incl
  
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• Ponchatoula Police ask for help in identifying suspects in mailbox theft

  22-04-2024 15:22 via wbrz.com
  
  PONCHATOULA - Police are asking for help in identifying people who stole from a Ponchatoula church's mailbox.The Ponchatoula Police Department shared photos on Monday of individuals in a dark red minivan stealing items out of the New Zion Baptist Church mailbox. It is unclear what was taken.Anyone with information about the suspects or their vehicle can call 985-386-6548.Permalink| Comments
  
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• BREC eyes July unveiling for zoo improvments, details 10-year plan across multiple projects

  22-04-2024 15:10 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — The first phase of the multi-year, $55 million revitalization of the Baton Rouge Zoo and surrounding facilities is aiming for a July grand opening to coincide with National Parks and Recreation Month, BREC Superintendent Corey Wilson said Monday at the Baton Rouge Press Club.The zoo's improvement plan, which helped the park regain its reaccreditation after losing the status in 2018, is one of multiple programs that will be funded by BREC's newest 10-year master plan for
  
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• BREC eyes July unveiling for zoo improvements, details 10-year plan across multiple projects

  22-04-2024 15:10 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — The first phase of the multi-year, $55 million revitalization of the Baton Rouge Zoo and surrounding facilities is aiming for a July grand opening to coincide with National Parks and Recreation Month, BREC Superintendent Corey Wilson said Monday at the Baton Rouge Press Club.The zoo's improvement plan, which helped the park regain its reaccreditation after losing the status in 2018, is one of multiple programs that will be funded by BREC's newest 10-year master plan for
  
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• Monthly food distribution event rescheduled due to recent severe weather

  22-04-2024 14:56 via wbrz.com
  
  GONZALES - Ascension Parish's monthly food distribution event has been moved and rescheduled. The parish government says that due to unforeseen circumstances caused by recent severe weather, the distribution event will now take place Tuesday at Lamar Dixon starting at 8 a.m.Residents who typically receive monthly food distributions from the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank should attend to collect essential supplies. Permalink| Comments
  
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• LSU announces time for championship celebration parade after gymnastics takes home the gold

  22-04-2024 14:37 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - Join in the celebration during a parade being held to honor the LSU gymnastics team, who took home the program's first NCAA championship over the weekend. The parade will be held on Wednesday starting at 6:30 p.m. followed by a celebratory ceremony inside the PMAC. The first national championship in program history calls for a big time celebration ??Get ready to celebrate with the Tigers on Wednesday, April 24 with a parade starting at 6:30 p.m. CT and a ceremony
  
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• Police searching for suspects in St. Gerard Avenue burglary

  22-04-2024 14:01 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — Police are attempting to identify a group of people who burglarized a residence on St. Gerard Avenue.The group was last seen driving a tan Chevrolet Suburban on April 5 near St. Gerard Avenue near Annette Street, Baton Rouge Police Department burglary detectives said.Permalink| Comments
  
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• St. George Fire Department investigating fire at Jones Creek fitness center

  22-04-2024 13:55 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — The St. George Fire Department is investigating a structure fire at Club 4 Fitness on Jones Creek Road.Fire crews responded to the fire on April 16 and found smoke coming from the wall in the men’s sauna, as well as charred wood and pipes inside the fitness center's walls. Investigators found evidence that the sauna had been tampered with, which caused the fire.The business was closed for a few days following the fire, the SGFD said. Anyone with information as
  
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• Seven 17-year-old EBR inmates transferred to Jackson Parish Correctional Center following new law

  22-04-2024 13:23 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — Seven 17-year-olds previously incarcerated at the chronically-full East Baton Rouge Parish Juvenile Detention Center have been transferred to the Jackson Parish Correctional Center in Jonesboro as of Friday, officials said Monday morning.The prisoners' move to Jackson Parish comes after a new state law went into effect Friday that classifies 17-year-olds as adults who can go to local jails if they are arrested. Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Casey Hicks said Frida
  
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• Fourteen pounds of marijuana seized by officers after traffic stop Friday night

  22-04-2024 13:18 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - Officers seized guns and drugs during a traffic stop Friday night that led to three arrests. On Friday shortly before midnight, two officers stopped a vehicle for a traffic stop. Inside, they found 14 pounds of marijuana, two guns, and several hundred dollars in cash. Jerome Walker Jr., 24, Trazadreon Gaines, 22, and Ronald Williams, 22, were all arrested for various drug- and firearm-related charges.Permalink| Comments
  
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