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• Pointe Coupee Parish deputies looking for escaped inmate

  13-04-2025 12:28 via wbrz.com
  
  NEW ROADS - Deputies in Pointe Coupee are working with the Angola Chase Team to track down an inmate who escaped the parish jail. The Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff's Office said 42-year-old Crystal Palermo escaped their custody around 8 p.m. Sunday. She was being held there on drug charges.Anyone with information about her whereabouts can call 225-694-3737.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Tangipahoa school leaders say only 1 topic remains before district leaves court supervision

  23-04-2025 16:02 via wbrz.com
  AMITE — The Tangipahoa Parish School Board said Wednesday that it is close to resolving a 60-year-old discrimination lawsuit after a federal judge approved agreements between the district and plaintiffs over how staff, teachers and students are assigned.The sole item left to settle covers facilities, the school board said in a statement.Superintendent Melissa Stilley said that, in her seven years, she has sought "unitary" status for the parishwide school system. The change would give
  
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• LSU Police hosts Take Back the Night Event in front of Memorial Tower

  23-04-2025 15:41 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE - The Baton Rouge Police Department will host "Take Back the Night" for survivors of interpersonal violence to speak in front of Memorial Tower Wednesday.The event will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.Permalink| Comments
  
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• YMCA of the Capital Area announces Sean Elliott as new president and CEO

  23-04-2025 15:24 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE - The YMCA of the Capital Area announced Sean Elliott as the new president and CEO on Wednesday. Elliott will be taking the position left behind by Christian Engle, who accepted a CEO position with Suncoast YMCA. The organizations said Elliott has YMCA experience in Philadelphia and Green Bay during his 25-year career with the Y. His official start date is May 27, 2025. Permalink| Comments
  
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• Former DCFS employee indicted in 2022 malfeasance in office case

  23-04-2025 14:57 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE - A former Department of Children and Family Services employee was indicted Wednesday for malfeasance in office dating back to a 2022 complaint. The indictment says that Eddriene Sylvester committed computer tampering and malfeasance in office on June 14, 2022, while she was employed at DCFS. District Attorney Hillar Moore's office said that Sylvester deleted important DCFS files while she was employed there. According to a 2022 records request from WBRZ, Sylvester was susp
  
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• Deputies searching for information after neighborhood homes filled with bullet holes

  23-04-2025 14:54 via wbrz.com
  
  SORRELL - Detectives are trying to find more information after multiple homes were riddled with bullet holes. The St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office said the investigation started Wednesday morning when multiple homes around Desonier Road were found to be filled with bullet holes. The road was shut down while deputies began the investigation. The roadway has since been reopened, and detectives found that no one was hurt amid the apparent gunfire. Anyone with information
  
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• Man arrested after stolen motorcycles from Gonzales found in New Orleans

  23-04-2025 14:33 via wbrz.com
  GONZALES - A man was arrested after multiple motorcycles stolen from Gonzales were found in New Orleans, the Gonzales Police Department said.Officials said three separate thefts happened beginning on April 16 at a Gonzales apartment complex. A suspect was linked to a New Orleans address, and thanks to help from multiple agencies, officials located the suspect vehicle and the trailer believed to be used in the thefts.Stolen motorcycles were recovered at a North Galvez Street residence and a Wern
  
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• DOTD public meeting Monday about new traffic signals in Livingston Parish

  23-04-2025 14:27 via wbrz.com
  
  LIVINGSTON - Livingston Parish residents are getting new traffic signals and the Department of Transportation and Development is holding a public meeting to make sure drivers know what they mean. DoTD said they are upgrading traffic signals throughout the parish and will include new flashing yellow arrow signals to replace a solid green light for drivers making left turns. The public meeting will be Monday, April 28 from 4:30 p.m. until 6 p.m. at the Livingston Parish Council
  
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• BRFD hosts 'urgent' blood drive to replenish stores used to help two public servants

  23-04-2025 14:26 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - Fire officials are hosting an "urgent" blood drive to help a Baker Fire Chief fighting leukemia and a Pointe Coupee deputy who was hit by a car. The blood drive will be held from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at the Baton Rouge Fire Department Headquarters. All eligible donors are encouraged to come out and give the gift of life!Permalink| Comments
  
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• Former Louisiana Speaker of the House, E.L. 'Bubba' Henry dies Wednesday

  23-04-2025 14:17 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - The former House Speaker who oversaw the writing of the new Louisiana Constitution, E.L. "Bubba" Henry, died Wednesday, The Advocate reported. He was 89.Henry was elected into the House of Representatives in 1968 and was the Speaker from 1972 until 1980. Henry was the leader of the "Young Turks," a group of younger state representatives who pushed for reducing the number of state employees and wanted government spending cuts. He ran for governor in 1979 but lost to Dave Treen. He
  
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• Gov. Landry creates committee to establish memorial for victims of New Orleans terrorist attack

  23-04-2025 13:52 via wbrz.com
  
  NEW ORLEANS - Gov. Jeff Landry has established a committee tasked with creating a memorial for the victims of the New Year's Eve terrorist attack in New Orleans. This dedicated body will be tasked with finding a place for a permanent memorial of the 15 victims who were killed and the dozens more injured when a truck ran through a crowd of people celebrating the new year on Bourbon Street. “This senseless act of violence has shattered lives and shaken our State. We gr
  
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• Deputy warden from Dixon to head Elayn Hunt

  23-04-2025 13:50 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE - A deputy warden from Dixon Correctional Institute has been promoted to head the Elayn Hunt Correctional Center. The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections announced the promotion of Keithe Turner and the official retirement of former Warden Tim Hopper on Wednesday. Turner graduated from Jackson High School in 1988 and enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he served until retiring as a Sergeant First Class E7 in 2012. DOC said that Turner started his car
  
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• Housekeepers find child unattended at Baton Rouge hotel, police searching for parents

  23-04-2025 13:36 via wbrz.com
  BATON ROUGE - Police are searching for the parents of an unidentified child who was found alone at a hotel on Wednesday. The Baton Rouge Police Department said housekeepers at the American Inn Motel found a child who is about a year old shortly before 12 p.m.BRPD said that the parents have yet to be identified and officers are investigating the incident. A photo of the child was not provided.Anyone with information can call (225) 398-2000. Permalink| Comments
  
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• Man repeatedly called false fire alarms to gain access to ex-girlfriend's gated apartment complex

  23-04-2025 13:30 via wbrz.com
  
  ST. GEORGE - A man was arrested after he allegedly called false fire alarms into his ex-girlfriend's apartment in an attempt to enter her gated apartment complex. Officials arrested Cedrick Merrick Jr., 25, on April 14 for four counts of calling in false fire alarms and one count of terrorizing. On March 31, the St. George Fire Department responded four times to Cedar Grove Townhomes for separate calls of a fire. They never found any signs of a fire on any of the calls.&nb
  
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• Man arrested for allegedly extorting porn from young girls faces additional charges

  23-04-2025 13:14 via wbrz.com
  
  LABADIEVILLE - A man is facing more charges relating to child pornography after he allegedly extorted young women from Florida and Washington.The Assumption Parish Sheriff's Office collaborated with a sheriff's office in Florida for the investigation. David Arvizu, 27, of Labadieville was found to be using social media to get inappropriate content from young girls.Arvizu was also allegedly extorting the victims into providing additional content as well as having live chats with him.Arvizu was o
  
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• 2une In Previews: Jazz & Heritage Festival

  23-04-2025 12:47 via wbrz.com
  
  NEW ORLEANS - The Jazz & Heritage Festival is back for a week straight of good music and good fun in the Big Easy!The festival runs from April 24 to May 4 with several different concerts, activities and events throughout its run. Festival organizers spoke to 2une In live from New Orleans Wednesday morning to preview what attendees can expect from this jam-packed week of music and culture. Permalink| Comments
  
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• 3 Pointe Coupee jail employees on leave without pay amid investigation into inmate escape

  23-04-2025 12:17 via wbrz.com
  NEW ROADS - Three Pointe Coupee Sheriff's Office employees were placed on leave without pay amid an investigation into how an inmate escaped the parish detention center. Crystal Palermo, 42, was arrested for drug charges but escaped from the detention center following her arrest on April 13. She was only reportedly on the run for a couple of hours before she was taken back into custody. Sheriff Rene Thibodaux said that as of Wednesday, the investigation into Palermo's escape w
  
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• Baton Rouge man arrested in Easter shooting that had children in line of fire

  23-04-2025 12:00 via wbrz.com
  
  RAYNE - A Baton Rouge man was arrested in Rayne for his alleged involvement in a shooting that put children in danger on Easter Sunday, and officers are searching for a second suspect. The Rayne Police Department said officers were called to a home where an 18-year-old woman and a 28-year-old man were shot in the head. Despite their injuries, they were taken to the hospital and were reported to be in stable condition. Tuesday, 22-year-old Demond Tenner was arrested in the capi
  
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• 2026 Strawberry Festival will have adjusted hours to address security concerns

  23-04-2025 07:52 via wbrz.com
  
  PONCHATOULA - After multiple shootings caused the Strawberry Festival to shut down early in its 2025 year, festival officials and law enforcement made the decision to adjust the festival hours for next year. The new hours for the 2026 Strawberry Festival will be:Friday: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  Saturday: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
  Sunday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.The decision comes after two shootings at the festival this year caused the grounds to shut down early. Multiple arrests were made in those investigat
  
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• LSU baseball run-ruled in historical loss to Northwestern St. late Tuesday night

  23-04-2025 07:05 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE –  The LSU Tiger baseball team made history in the worst kind of way late Tuesday night with a seven-inning run-rule loss to Northwestern State 13-3 at Alex Box Stadium.The ten-run differential was the first time that LSU has lost by run-rule to a non-conference opponent at home in Alex Box Stadium in program history.The Tigers started the game in control with a first-pitch home run from Derek Curiel and LSU would lead 2-0 when a lengthy weather delay set in.When
  
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• Brittany's Book Drive kicks off Wednesday morning

  23-04-2025 07:02 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - Wednesday morning, Essential Credit Union will be partnering with WBRZ for Brittany's Book Drive, a way to collect books for young readers in the capital area. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, the Essential Credit Union operations building in Towne Center will host a drive-thru drop-off for donators in a hurry. If you're not in a hurry, there are book collection boxes at all Essential Credit Union locations in the Greater Baton Rouge area. You can also
  
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• Outage maps show almost 5,000 people without power in East Baton Rouge

  23-04-2025 05:58 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - Almost 5,000 people woke up Wednesday morning without power, according to Entergy's outage map. The outage largely affected customers in the Shenandoah and Old Jefferson areas. There was no clear reason immediately given for the outage. As of 5:56 a.m., Entergy reported 4,995 customers were without power. WBRZ has reached out to Entergy officials for more information. Permalink| Comments
  
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• No. 10 LSU softball beats McNeese 5-2

  22-04-2025 21:44 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - No. 10 LSU softball defeated McNeese 5-2 at home Tuesday night.LSU trailed 2-0 through the first two innings, but gained a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the third and never lost the lead.The Tigers face No. 8 Florida on Saturday at 1 p.m.Permalink| Comments
  
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• EMT reinstated after being terminated for nearly a year

  22-04-2025 21:26 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — A Baton Rouge EMT fired nearly a year ago was reinstated Tuesday by the City-Parish personnel board.Kasie Tadlock-Ball represented herself at the hearing, and the board voted 3-1 to reverse her firing. She was accused of policy violations – including abandoning patients, one of whom died."What they were accusing me of, they were not able to prove," Tadlock-Ball said.Supervisors who testified in the hearing said some of the policy violations, like not properly t
  
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• Fire set at vacant gymnasium on Louisiana New School Academy; cause undetermined

  22-04-2025 21:21 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - A vacant gymnasium on the campus of Louisiana New School Academy on North Boulevard caught fire Tuesday evening, Baton Rouge Fire Department officials said.Officials said smoke was coming from the vacant gymnasium and discovered a rubbish fire in one corner of the building before being extinguished. Investigators are working to determine a cause for the fire.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Southern University students, alumni and faculty gather at Capitol for 2025 SU Day

  22-04-2025 21:04 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - Southern University students, faculty and teachers gathered at the Louisiana State Capitol building Tuesday for the 2025 SU Day.School leaders showed off the work, research and innovations taking place at the school and asked state lawmakers to continue their support to the state.Afterward, the annual reception banquet, hosted by the Southern Alumni Association, celebrated 145 years of educating people.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Two injured after shooting on Nicholson Drive

  22-04-2025 20:33 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - Two people were injured in a shooting on Nicholson Drive, officials said.The shooting happened at the 2500 block of Nicholson Drive. Officials said one person was taken to the hospital in stable condition and the other went to the hospital by themself.Baton Rouge Police officials say they are investigating.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Lawmaker trying to curb teen nicotine use by increasing taxes on vapes

  22-04-2025 19:06 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - Two bills aimed to curb smoking and vaping in Louisiana; both intended to increase taxes, but only one of them made it out of committee.Nearly one in three high school students in Louisiana use e-cigarettes. Paige McCrory is an eighth grade teacher in Rapides Parish, and she says teenagers she works with are already addicted to using vape products, as early as 13 years old."Vaping has reached a crisis level," McCrory said. "They're not even getting real vapes. Some are getting pod
  
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• Family wants BR hairdresser charged after she attempts to cut off a child's braids in payment dispute

  22-04-2025 18:44 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - The family of an 11-year-old girl says a former hairdresser at Draft Picks Barbershop on O'Neal Lane tried to cut newly-styled braids off the girl's head after the girl's mother did not pay a late fee.Conchota Singleton, the grandmother of the 11-year-old, said they feel they are not getting the justice they deserve after the altercation a week ago."One, you canceled the initial appointment. Two, you picked up scissors to a child's head, regardless of the intent. You picked scisso
  
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• Drivers optimistic new College Drive exits will improve traffic

  22-04-2025 17:47 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — The new College Drive exit ramps opening Wednesday at 5 a.m. are going to be safer and more efficient for drivers."It's going to be safer and it's also going to really help the congestion during the peak hours," Rodney Mallett DOTD spokesman said.College Drive is less than one mile from the I-10/12 split and some drivers were forced to change lanes three times in that space to get to the exit. Now, there will be a dedicated exit for both I-10 and I-12 going westbound to
  
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