Louisiana news

• Former New Orleans priest convicted of raping teen boy dies while serving life sentence

  27-12-2024 17:48 via wbrz.com
  
  NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A 93-year-old former Catholic priest sentenced to life in prison earlier this month for raping a teenage boy has died, Louisiana authorities and his lawyer confirmed Friday.Less than two weeks after being sentenced to spend the rest of his life behind bars, Lawrence Hecker died of natural causes at 3 a.m. Thursday at the Elayn Hunt Correctional Center, according to Ken Pastorick, Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections communications
  
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• 61-year-old Baton Rouge deer hunter dead after being shot by another hunter in Tangipahoa Parish

  30-12-2024 13:35 via wbrz.com
  
  KENTWOOD — A Baton Rouge deer hunter was shot and killed while hunting in Tangipahoa Parish over the weekend, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries said.Roberto Garcia, 61, was killed when another hunter shot him in the Sandy Hollow Wildlife Management Area near Kentwood on Saturday.LDWF agents said that Garcia was shot by a .45 caliber rifle around 8:45 p.m. The hunter who shot Garcia told agents that he was shooting at a deer. The hunter added that he did not see the Ga
  
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• $$$ Best Bets: Bowl Games: Ringing in the New Year with extra cash! $$$

  30-12-2024 13:23 via wbrz.com
  
  Hunter McCann has the best bets for the college football playoff and bowl games on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day!New Year's Eve:
  College Football:
  Alabama vs. Michigan: Alabama -13.5
  Louisville vs. Washington: Louisville -2.5
  South Carolina vs. Illinois: South Carolina -9.5
  Baylor vs. LSU: LSU ML
  Penn State vs. Boise State: Boise State +11.5New Year's Day:
  College Football:
  Texas vs. Arizona State: Texas -12.5
  Ohio State vs. Oregon: Oregon ML
  Notre Dame vs. Georgia: Notre Dame ML P
  
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• Hammond Police searching for suspect in December Hobby Lobby theft

  30-12-2024 13:12 via wbrz.com
  
  HAMMOND — Police in Hammond are investigating a person who stole from a local Hobby Lobby.Police said the person walked into the craft store on Dec. 21, put merchandise into a bag and left without paying.Detectives are asking anyone with information on the thief to call Detective Corey Morse with the Hammond Police Department's Criminal Investigation Division at 985-277-5758.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Sterling Bridge in Franklin reopens after brief closure

  30-12-2024 13:01 via wbrz.com
  
  FRANKLIN — The Sterling Bridge was briefly out of service due to technical issues in Franklin, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development said Monday.The bridge was closed to all traffic from 11:30 to 1 p.m., LaDOTD added."Our bridge crew received a call today that it wasn't closing, so our bridge crew went out there to make some adjustments," officials said.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Sterling Bridge in Franklin out of service; officials advise taking alternate routes

  30-12-2024 13:01 via wbrz.com
  
  FRANKLIN — The Sterling Bridge is out of service in Franklin, the Franklin Fire Department said.The bridge is closed to all traffic until further notice, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development advised.Drivers are asked to seek alternate routes. Permalink| Comments
  
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• Police searching for man accused of stealing $1,000 worth of alcohol from truck

  30-12-2024 12:18 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — Baton Rouge Police are trying to identify a man accused of breaking into a beverage truck and stealing $1,000 worth of alcohol.The man is accused of breaking into the truck on Florida Boulevard on Dec. 16. Police said he pried open a locked door and took several cases of alcohol.Police added that he fled the scene in a white Honda.Anyone with information on the man's identity is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 225-344-7867.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Former Broadmoor coach Rusty Price dies suddenly; private ceremony planned before public celebration

  30-12-2024 11:46 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — Former Broadmoor High School coach Rusty Price, for whom the school's football field was named just months ago, died suddenly Sunday, a family friend said.WBRZ had profiled Price this past fall after the school honored its ex-coach at a ceremony Sept. 6. Price was 77 at the time.News of Price's death was announced Monday on Facebook by Matt Dobbins, a family friend and former athlete under Price. A cause of death wasn't given. "Coach Rusty Price passed
  
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• Former Broadmoor coach Rusty Price dies suddenly, months after being honored with naming of school's field

  30-12-2024 11:46 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — Former Broadmoor High School coach Rusty Price, for whom the school's football field was named just months ago, died suddenly Sunday, a family friend said.WBRZ had profiled Price this past fall after the school honored its ex-coach at a ceremony Sept. 6. Price was 77 at the time.News of Price's death was announced Monday on Facebook by Matt Dobbins, a family friend and former athlete under Price. A cause of death wasn't given. "Coach Rusty Price passed
  
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• Trump endorses Mike Johnson to stay on as House Speaker after government funding turmoil

  30-12-2024 11:14 via wbrz.com
  
  WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is endorsing House Speaker Mike Johnson as he prepares to fight to keep his role leading Republicans in Congress.Trump said Monday in a post on his social media network that Johnson “is a good, hard working, religious man” and said the Louisiana Republican “will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN.”“Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement,” Trump wrote
  
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• 4 killed in a storm system that spawned tornadoes across the southern U.S.

  30-12-2024 07:58 via wbrz.com
  
  Officials assessed the damage on Sunday after a strong storm system moved across the southern U.S. over the weekend, spawning tornadoes and killing at least four people.There were at least 45 reports of tornado damage across Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia, said Brian Hurley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center. Crews will do damage surveys to confirm tornadoes.The storms during busy holiday travels caused some treacherous r
  
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• Celebrate the New Year in Baton Rouge with these events

  30-12-2024 05:52 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - With only a few days left in 2024, there are plenty events happening in the capital city to celebrate.NOON YEAR'S EVE: 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Knock Knock Children’s Museum, 1900 Dalrymple Drive.NEXT LEVEL NEW YEAR'S EVE CELEBRATION: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., The Main Event, 6401 Bluebonnet Blvd., Suite 660.NEW YEAR'S DRUM: 11 a.m., River Center Branch Library, 250 North Blvd. RED STICK RISING: 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., North Boulevard T
  
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• Ponchatoula man arrested after body found with gunshot wounds near boat launch in Lacombe

  29-12-2024 21:45 via wbrz.com
  
  LACOMBE - A man was arrested for murder after a body was found near the boat launch on Lake Road in Lacombe, according to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office.Osmer Noel Villalta-Lopez, of Ponchatoula, was arrested Sunday after a body was found around 8 p.m. Saturday. The body had several gunshot wounds.Villalta-Lopez was booked for first-degree murder and obstruction of justice.Permalink| Comments
  
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• 'Sonic 3' and 'Mufasa' battle for No. 1 at the holiday box office

  29-12-2024 21:21 via wbrz.com
  
  Two family films dominated the holiday box office this week, with “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” winning the three-day weekend over “Mufasa” by a blue hair.Paramount’s Sonic movie earned $38 million, while “Mufasa” brought in $37.1 million from theaters in the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates Sunday. On a normal weekend counting Friday, Saturday and Sunday ticket purchases, the winner
  
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• Trump appears to side with Musk, tech allies in debate over foreign workers roiling his supporters

  29-12-2024 19:38 via wbrz.com
  
  WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump appears to be siding with Elon Musk and his other backers in the tech industry as a dispute over immigration visas has divided his supporters.Trump, in an interview with the New York Post on Saturday, praised the use of visas to bring skilled foreign workers to the U.S. The topic has become a flashpoint within his conservative base.“I’ve always liked the visas, I have always been i
  
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• Deputies searching for missing 57-year-old woman last seen on Sherwood Forest Boulevard

  29-12-2024 16:14 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — The East Baton Rouge Parish Deputies said they are searching for a missing 57-year-old woman last seen on Sherwood Forest Boulevard Sunday morning.Deputies said that Pamela Cannon was last seen leaving a residence on Sherwood Forest Boulevard around 8 a.m. wearing a braided hairstyle, a dark-colored jacket, black leather pants and glasses. Deputies have added that Cannon is intellectually disabled and suffers from numerous mental health issues. She requires assi
  
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• Deputies locate missing 57-year-old Baton Rouge woman

  29-12-2024 16:14 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — East Baton Rouge Parish deputies said they located a missing 57-year-old woman last seen on Sherwood Forest Boulevard Sunday morning.She is okay, deputies say.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Brock Bowers sets NFL rookie records as the Raiders roll to a 25-10 victory over the Saints

  29-12-2024 16:01 via wbrz.com
  
  NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Aidan O’Connell passed for two touchdowns, tight end Brock Bowers broke two rookie NFL records, and the Las Vegas Raiders won for just the fourth time this season, 25-10 over the struggling New Orleans Saints on Sunday.Bowers’ seven catches for 77 yards gave him 108 receptions for 1,144 yards this season, eclipsing Mike Ditka’s 1961 rookie tight end mark of 1,067 yards receiving and Puka Nacua’s 2023 mark of 105 catch
  
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• Jimmy Carter, the 39th US president, has died at 100

  29-12-2024 15:13 via wbrz.com
  
  PLAINS, Ga. - Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who won the presidency in the wake of the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, endured humbling defeat after one tumultuous term and then redefined life after the White House as a global humanitarian, has died. He was 100 years old.The longest-lived American president died on Sunday, more than a year after entering hospice care, at his home in the small town of Plains, Georgia, where he and his wif
  
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• Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter dies at 100

  29-12-2024 15:13 via wbrz.com
  
  PLAINS, Ga. - Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter died Sunday at age 100, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.Carter, the 39th President who only served one term through 1976-1980, was the only person from Georgia to serve as president.His son, Chip Carter confirmed to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the former president died at his home in Plains about 3:45 p.m. Carter, who lived longer than any other U.S. president, entered home hospice care in Plains in February 2023 after a s
  
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• FDA says decongestant in many cold medicines doesnt work. So what does?

  29-12-2024 14:15 via wbrz.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Changes are coming to the cold and cough aisle of your local pharmacy: U.S. officials are moving to phase out the leading decongestant found in hundreds of over-the-counter medicines, concluding that it doesn’t actually relieve nasal congestion.Phenylephrine is used in popular versions of Sudafed, Dayquil and other medications, but experts have long questioned its effectiveness. Last month the Food and Drug Administration formally proposed revoking its use
  
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• Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office searching for person who allegedly led high-speed chase in a stolen vehicle and fled

  29-12-2024 13:09 via wbrz.com
  
  PRAIRIEVILLE — The Ascension Sheriff's Office said they are searching for a person who allegedly led a high-speed chase in a stolen vehicle and fled Sunday morning.Officials say the driver was riding down Highway 73 around 5:30 a.m. in a white Buick when a police unit got behind them. The Buick sped away down Highway 74 onto Airline Highway where the driver ditched the vehicle and fled. Police say the white Buick was a stolen vehicle. Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office said th
  
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• Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office is searching for person who allegedly led high-speed chase in a stolen vehicle and fled

  29-12-2024 13:09 via wbrz.com
  
  GEISMAR — The Ascension Sheriff's Office said they are searching for a person who allegedly led a high-speed chase in a stolen vehicle and fled Sunday morning.Officials say the driver was riding down Highway 73 around 5:30 a.m. in a white Buick when a police unit got behind them. The Buick sped away down Highway 74 onto Airline Highway where the driver ditched the vehicle and fled. Police say the white Buick was a stolen vehicle. Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office said they ha
  
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• Ascension deputies searching for person who allegedly led high-speed chase in a stolen vehicle, fled

  29-12-2024 13:09 via wbrz.com
  
  GEISMAR — The Ascension Sheriff's Office said they are searching for a person who allegedly led a high-speed chase in a stolen vehicle and fled Sunday morning.Officials say the driver was riding down Highway 73 around 5:30 a.m. in a white Buick when a deputy unit got behind them. The Buick sped away down Highway 74 onto Airline Highway where the driver ditched the vehicle and fled. Deputies say the white Buick was a stolen vehicle. Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office said they
  
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• Denham Springs teenager killed in car wreck Saturday night

  29-12-2024 12:23 via wbrz.com
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS — A Denham Springs teenager was killed in a car wreck on Gravesbriar Drive Saturday night, Louisiana State Police say.Officials said 17-year-old Johnathan Orellana-Alas was driving along LA 1019, near Gravesbriar Drive around 8 p.m. when his car traveled off the roadway, entered a ditch, hit a culvert and a utility pole. Orellana-Alas was properly restrained but suffered serious injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. Troopers say impairment is
  
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• Tornado confirmed near Gloster, Mississippi from Saturday's severe weather

  29-12-2024 11:31 via wbrz.com
  
  A National Weather Service (NWS) Survey team determined a tornado touched down northeast of Gloster, Mississippi. Additional analysis is ongoing and a track, rating and maximum winds are expected to be released in the coming days. NWS crews also rated an EF-1 tornado with maximum sustained winds of 90mph near Lacombe. That twister was on the ground for more than one mile. The Storm Station is here for you, on every platform. Your weather updates can be found on News 2, wbrz.com, and th
  
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• A plane crashes and bursts into flames while landing in South Korea, killing 179

  29-12-2024 11:29 via wbrz.com
  
  SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A passenger plane skidded off a runway at a South Korean airport Sunday, slammed into a concrete fence and burst into flames after its front landing gear apparently failed to deploy. All but two of the 181 people on board died in one of the country’s worst aviation disasters.The Jeju Air plane crashed while landing in the town of Muan, about 290 kilometers (180 miles) south of Seoul. The Transport Ministry said the plane was a 15-year-old Boeing 737
  
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• Another unticketed passenger attempts to stow away on a Delta flight this holiday season

  29-12-2024 11:05 via wbrz.com
  
  In the thick of holiday travel, another unticketed passenger attempted to stow away on a Delta Air Lines flight.The stowaway, who has not been identified by name, boarded a flight from Seattle to Honolulu on Christmas Eve. Atlanta-based Delta said that the unticketed passenger was discovered while the plane was taxing for departure.Per protocol, the aircraft returned to the gate to remove the unticketed passenger — and law enforcement later apprehended them, the airline added. Accordi
  
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• Charles Dolan, HBO and Cablevision founder, dies at 98

  29-12-2024 09:39 via wbrz.com
  
  Charles F. Dolan, who founded some of the most prominent U.S. media companies including Home Box Office Inc. and Cablevision Systems Corp., has died at age 98, according to a news report.A statement issued Saturday by his family said Dolan died of natural causes, Newsday reported late Saturday.“It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved father and patriarch, Charles Dolan, the visionary founder of HBO and Cablevision,” the statement said.Dolan&rsq
  
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• Nasty norovirus is back in full force with US cases of the stomach virus surging

  29-12-2024 09:32 via wbrz.com
  
  Cases of a wretched stomach bug are surging in parts of the United States this winter, according to government data.The most recent numbers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show there were 91 outbreaks of norovirus reported during the week of Dec. 5, up from 69 outbreaks the last week of November.Numbers from the past few years show a maximum of 65 outbreaks reported during that first week of December.A norovirus infection is characterized by sudden vomiting and diarrhea
  
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