Louisiana news

• Deputies arrest man accused of July battery of pregnant woman following pursuit

  27-09-2024 13:17 via wbrz.com
  
  BAYOU L’OURSE – A man accused of the battery of a pregnant woman and leading deputies on a pursuit was arrested.Kelton Javon Smith, 27, was arrested Thursday after leading deputies on a pursuit when they attempted to apprehend him.When he was caught, Smith was arrested and booked on aggravated battery, domestic abuse battery upon a pregnant victim, battery upon a peace officer and aggravated flight from an officer. Smith was also booked with four counts of resisting an offic
  
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• Iranian official met with Musk in a possible step to ease tensions with Trump

  15-11-2024 21:44 via wbrz.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Iran successfully sought a meeting with Elon Musk, according to a U.S. official, one in a series of steps that appeared aimed at easing tensions with President-elect Donald Trump.Iran’s U.N. Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani met with Musk — a Trump ally named this week to advise his administration on ways to cut the federal government — on Monday in New York, according to a U.S. official briefed on the meeting by a foreign
  
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• LSP: Missing child advisory issued for 13-year-old from LaPlace

  15-11-2024 19:21 via wbrz.com
  
  LAPLACE - Louisiana State Police issued a Level II Endangered or Missing Child Advisory for a missing 13-year-old girl.According to State Police, Jokaia Polk, 13, was discovered missing on Saturday, Nov. 9 around 9:30 p.m. from her home in LaPlace.Anyone with information regarding her whereabouts is asked to immediately contact the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office at (504)494-3932 or (985)359-8777Permalink| Comments
  
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• Governor Landry faces backlash over stock photo used to push tax proposal

  15-11-2024 18:09 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry faced major backlash Friday after he allegedly appropriated a couple's photo in order to push his own agenda. The photo was posted to social media Thursday evening with the caption, "Meet Huey and Rose, a young couple working part-time and making the most of the Louisiana Forward plan! Thanks to this plan, they won’t have to pay any state income taxes!" The ad was to promote measures that would establish a flat income tax rate and
  
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• Plaquemine mayoral candidate files petition to contest results

  15-11-2024 17:40 via wbrz.com
  
  PLAQUEMINE - After narrowly getting shut out of the runoff by a margin of 33 votes, Plaquemine mayoral candidate Tonya Harmason (I) has filed a petition to contest the results of the town's mayoral election. She claims she's a victim of voter suppression and fraud.After 3,531 voters cast ballots in the Plaquemine mayor's race, JB Barker (I) came in first with 1,569 votes or about 45% of the vote. Tonya Harmason finished with 950 votes, just 33 votes behind Timmy Martinez (D) in the battle for a
  
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• One injured in shooting on South Harrells Ferry Road

  15-11-2024 17:28 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - One person was injured in a shooting on South Harrells Ferry Road, according to officials.Officials say the person was transported in stable condition around 3:15 p.m.No other information is available.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Appeals court rules that schools not involved in Ten Commandments lawsuit can implement displays

  15-11-2024 17:26 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals granted a motion allowing school districts not included in a lawsuit regarding a law requiring all public schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms by Jan. 1 to display the Ten Commandments.According to the state attorney general, this ruling means all Louisiana school boards not involved in the original lawsuit can move forward with implementing the Ten Commandments posters ahead of the Jan. 1, 2025 deadline in accordance with the la
  
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• Man arrested on five counts of obscenity in Baton rouge

  15-11-2024 17:19 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — A man was arrested on multiple counts of obscenity Thursday after allegedly exposing himself in Baton Rouge businesses.After receiving multiple complaints of a man exposing himself in the Baton Rouge area, Prinston Gautreaux, 28, was arrested in the Gonzales area by a U.S. Marshall Task Force.Gautreaux was booked into the East Baton Parish Prison on five counts of obscenity. Permalink| Comments
  
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• Plans for a state-of-the-art shooting range on River Road near approval despite previous delays

  15-11-2024 17:18 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - The landfill down River Road will soon be a top-of-the-line shooting range.Currently home to Halo Debris Recovery, a green-waste landfill for landscaping material, the plan is now up for approval by the planning commission.“The facility is going to be pristine, it's going to be like a golf course - it's going to be beautiful," Anderson said. "There's not one in this area, there's nothing in this area like what I'm going to do.”The facility will have an indoor p
  
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• East Baton Rouge District Attorney proposes new property tax in the face of budget cuts

  15-11-2024 17:06 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore proposed a new property tax in the face of budget cuts to the District Attorney's Office."We have the desire, we have the want, the people here to do it, but we need more to do our best job," Moore said. "I'm not for new taxes myself, but I understand that we have to have taxes in certain circumstances and times. Like the firemen tax that passed, it was for that, it is costly, but it is costly to be publicly safe."The City-Parish of
  
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• Parishes working together to address waterway troubles

  15-11-2024 16:42 via wbrz.com
  
  ST. GABRIEL - Parishes are working together to get waterways cleaned up to improve drainage in the region. The latest endeavor is between Iberville and East Baton Rouge Parishes to clean up the portion of Bayou Manchac from the Alligator Bayou Floodgate to Nicholson Drive.Parish President Chris Daigle is ready to get started."It's making sure we're cleaning the debris, the loose limbs and trees that are in our waterways to make sure that we're increasing the water flow in cases of high rainfall
  
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• $$$ Best Bets: College Football Week 12: Tigers navigate through the Swamp! $$$

  15-11-2024 16:32 via wbrz.com
  
  Hunter McCann has this weekend's best bets for college football, the NFL, the NHL, the NBA and college basketball!FridayCollege Football:North Texas @ UTSA: UTSA MLWyoming @ Colorado State: Colorado State -9.5UCLA @ Washington: Washington -4.5Houston @ Arizona: u46.5 Total PointsMen's College Basketball:Florida @ Florida State: Florida -5.5Alabama @ Purdue: Alabama -2.5American @ UNC: UNC -24.5Marquette @ Maryland: u146.5 Total PointsArizona @ Wisconsin: Wisconsin +4.5Ohio State @ Texas A&M
  
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• Convicted scammer found guilty for multiple charges of sexual battery to a victim under 13

  15-11-2024 15:31 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - A convicted scammer who had been previously sentenced for 10 years due to operating fake businesses was convicted on multiple charges of sexual battery to a victim under 13 Thursday night.Donald Batiste was convicted on three charges of sexual battery, with two of those being sexual battery of a victim under the age of 13.  His indictment in this case was in October of 2017.Batiste had been highlighted on The Investigative Unit since 2015 due to operating multipl
  
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• Thibodaux man sentenced to 30 years for manslaughter of inmate

  15-11-2024 15:29 via wbrz.com
  
  NAPOLEONVILLE - A Thibodaux man was sentence to thirty years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections after beating a cellmate to death, according to District Attorney Ricky Babin.According to the district attorney, Hilary Rivere, 58, was found with injuries inside his cell at the Assumption Parish Detention Center on March 31, 2023. Rivere was covered in blood and suffered significant injuries to his face and head, resulting in him being airlifted. He succumbed to his injuries.Rivere share
  
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• Jake Paul, Mike Tyson set for fight between influencer-turned-boxer and retired giant of the sport

  15-11-2024 14:53 via wbrz.com
  
  ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Mike Tyson is set for his first sanctioned fight since 2005 as the 58-year-old former heavyweight champion takes on much younger YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in Texas.The eight-round bout Friday night at the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys will be streamed on Netflix, which has more than 280 million subscribers globally.Texas regulators sanctioned the bout with limited rounds at just t
  
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• Oklahoma man sentenced to 7 years in Louisiana child pornography case

  15-11-2024 13:18 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — Federal prosecutors said Friday a 58-year-old Oklahoma man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for enticing a 13-year-old person in the Baton Rouge area to send explicit photos to him via a social media application.David John Ballance of Tulsa will also be on probation for three years after his release and must register as a sex offender.Prosecutors say Ballance told the teen that he was 23 but, at the time, was actually 54. The two met in an online gaming applic
  
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• Deputies searching for man who threw rock in Hammond convenience store window, stole merchandise

  15-11-2024 13:08 via wbrz.com
  
  HAMMOND — Tangipahoa Parish deputies are searching for a man who broke into a gas station convenience store with a rock and stole "a large amount of merchandise."The theft at the Big Boss convenience store on Airport Road happened on Nov. 2 around 1 a.m.Once inside, the man stole merchandise before fleeing south on foot.Surveillance video shows the man to have brown hair and wearing a light blue, long-sleeve shirt or sweater.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Celebration Station holding giveback donation event ahead of holidays with Boys and Girls Clubs

  15-11-2024 13:07 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — For the next month, Celebration Station Baton Rouge is hosting a giveback event to benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Louisiana.The Wishing Tree program, which runs through Dec. 15, will be selling various passes, with proceeds going to kids and families through the Boys and Girls Clubs.Park guests can buy $10, $20 and $50 game cards, as well as 1½ hour and all-day unlimited attraction passes during the Wishing Tree donation event. Celebration Station w
  
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• Special session tax bill to apply sales tax to tax-free goods, services unable to secure sufficient votes

  15-11-2024 12:54 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE – Gov. Jeff Landry's ambitious tax plan, which had previously encountered minimal resistance, hit its first bump on Thursday as lawmakers balked at applying sales taxes to more goods and services that are tax-free now.Lawmakers said Landry was unable to secure the 70 votes from the House of Representatives needed to pass a sales tax expansion that would tax more than 40 currently untaxed services, so the House delayed voting on it.The bill, House Bill 9, would generate $50
  
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• Landry's tax plan hits bump as lawmakers shoot down bill to apply sales tax to tax-free goods, services

  15-11-2024 12:54 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE – Gov. Jeff Landry's ambitious tax plan, which had previously encountered minimal resistance, hit its first bump on Thursday as lawmakers balked at applying sales taxes to more goods and services that are tax-free now.Lawmakers said Landry was unable to secure the 70 votes from the House of Representatives needed to pass a sales tax expansion that would tax more than 40 currently untaxed services, so the House delayed voting on it.The bill, House Bill 9, would generate $50
  
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• Man dead after car rear-ends school bus in St. Helena Parish

  15-11-2024 12:39 via wbrz.com
  
  GREENSBURG — A man is dead after his car hit a St. Helena Parish School District bus Friday morning just outside Greensburg. The bus was traveling west on LA 10 westbound near Bell Road when it was rear-ended by an SUV, St. Helena Parish Schools officials said. The bus driver was trying to make a left turn when the SUV rear-ended the bus.The SUV's driver, whose identity has not yet been released, was killed after the crash. The bus driver and students on the bus were unharmed
  
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• Online voter registration for Louisiana's December runoff closes Saturday

  15-11-2024 12:33 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — Saturday is the deadline for new voters to register for the upcoming Louisiana runoff election.The Dec. 7 election will feature contests not settled in last week's general election, and also include a number of ballot issues. In the St. George area, voters are being asked to dedicate an existing 2 percent sales tax to the new municipality. Parishwide, voters will consider who should be mayor-president.Early voting starts Friday, Nov. 22, and runs through Saturday, Nov. 3
  
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• Westbound traffic on I-10 backed up from I-10/I-12 split to Mississippi River Bridge after truck fire

  15-11-2024 09:23 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — Traffic on Interstate 10 westbound is backed up from the Mississippi River Bridge all the way to the I-10/I-12 split after a truck caught fire making a turn from I-10 onto LA 1.According to Total Traffic BTR, the crash was cleared in Port Allen at 9 a.m., but traffic is still backed up to the split in Baton Rouge. Drivers should expect heavy delays. Permalink| Comments
  
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• Battle of the Broncos happening at Zachary High to kickoff high school playoffs

  15-11-2024 09:15 via wbrz.com
  
  ZACHARY - The Zachary High School Broncos will take on the Sam Houston Broncos at 7 p.m. on Friday evening.Zachary is currently ranked No. 3 in the 4-5A district.Friday evening is the start of the 2024 playoff season.2une In Tailgater Abigail Whitam and Stephen Hightower previewed the upcoming games this weekend.To view the 2024 Division I non-select playoff bracket, click here.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Former late-night talk show host Conan O'Brien tapped to host next Oscars

  15-11-2024 08:22 via wbrz.com
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — A year after turning to comedian Jimmy Kimmel to host their big show, The Academy Awards will pivot to another familiar TV funnyman — Conan O’Brien.“America demanded it and now it’s happening: Taco Bell’s new Cheesy Chalupa Supreme. In other news, I’m hosting the Oscars,” O’Brien said in a statement Friday.It will be his first time as Oscar host, but he’s emceed other high-profile
  
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• Tangipahoa Parish deputies searching for 17-year-old missing since Monday

  15-11-2024 08:11 via wbrz.com
  
  HAMMOND — The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office is searching for a teenage girl missing since Monday.Jacey Cousain, 17, was last seen on River Road headed toward Highway 443 in Hammond. She was last seen wearing a khaki skirt and black jacket, deputies said.Jacey is a Black girl with brown eyes and black hair. She is approximately 5'4" tall and weighs 120 pounds.Sheriff Gerald Sticker asks anyone with information regarding Jacey’s whereabouts to contact our Juveni
  
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• 2une In Previews: Red Stick Veterans Week closes with chili cookoff at SU's military appreciation game

  15-11-2024 08:06 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — Red Stick Veterans Week comes to a close this weekend with a Military and Veterans' Appreciation Day chili cook-off and pre-game concert Saturday on Southern University's campus.The cookoff will be held right outside A.W. Mumford Stadium in Tony Clayton Plaza starting at 11 a.m. Four teams will compete in the chili cookoff just before Southern's military appreciation game against the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions, veterans advocate Anthony Winters told WBRZ's
  
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• One dead after sedan clips dump truck on Scenic Highway near Thomas Road

  15-11-2024 07:49 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — One person is dead after a crash between a dump truck and a sedan on Scenic Highway near Thomas Road, officials said Friday.The crash happened shortly before 7 a.m., Baton Rouge Police said.BRPD responded to the scene before handing the investigation of the crash over to Louisiana State Police. Troopers at the scene said that the driver of the sedan clipped the dump truck while driving south on Scenic Highway. After the crash, the car went into a ditch on the north side
  
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• Man accused of fatal April nightclub shooting formally charged with murder

  15-11-2024 05:57 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — A man arrested for a fatal nightclub shooting in April has been formally charged with murder, court records show.Marquis Payne, 21, was arrested in July for the death of 26-year-old Timotheus Bowie Jr. at the Palace Night Club on April 1. On Thursday, an indictment was filed in the murder case.Baton Rouge Police said that Brown was brought from the Scenic Highway nightclub to the hospital shortly after midnight when Payne shot him. Brown then died in the hospital.Payne w
  
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• High water in Livingston Parish has caused water closures for more than a week

  14-11-2024 20:46 via wbrz.com
  
  FRENCH SETTLEMENT — Waterways in Livingston Parish are still closed after strong winds pushed river water close to homes and businesses, declaring an emergency more than a week ago. Parish officials say they’re working to find solutions.Living on the water comes with its own unique set of challenges. Last Tuesday when storm winds started pushing water and flooding waterways, Livingston Parish officially declared an emergency. A week later the winds and water have stuck aroun
  
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