Louisiana news

• Livingston Parish hit-and-run suspect in custody

  05-01-2025 19:55 via wbrz.com
  
  HOLDEN - A man allegedly connected to a hit-and-run crash that injured a bicyclist Sunday night has been taken into custody.The Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office said the hit-and-run crash happened near the corner of George White Road and Lake Ora Drive in Holden. A driver ran into a bicyclist and left them on the side of the road. The victim was taken to a hospital, their condition is unknown. Anyone with information about the crash can call (225) 686-2241.Permalink| Comments
  
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• IDEA Bridge and Innovation closing at end of school year

  07-01-2025 20:37 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - The two remaining IDEA Public Schools in Baton Rouge are closing at the end of the school year, officials confirmed Tuesday. In a letter sent to parents, the school system said they would be closing IDEA Bridge and IDEA Innovation. In April, school leaders said a different IDEA school - IDEA University Prep - would be shutting its doors at the end of the school year. The plan was to move students and teachers to either the Bridge or Innovation campuses. "While we
  
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• Family scared for their safety after son's accused killer let out on bond

  07-01-2025 18:45 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - The family of an 18-year-old Broadmoor High senior who was killed two days before Christmas says they are living in fear and frustration. Loved ones of Kyle Earthly Jr. are angry with the system after accused killer Jeremiah Howze, 17, was released on bond just days after he was arrested."He was killed for being too nice," his aunt Dr. Maria Shantell Williams said. According to his family, Kyle — known as "KJ" — agreed to pick up his classmate
  
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• Family of 18-year-old killed days before Christmas looking for justice

  07-01-2025 18:45 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - The family of an 18-year-old Broadmoor High senior who was killed two days before Christmas says they are living in fear and frustration. Loved ones of Kyle Earthly Jr. are angry with the system after accused killer Jeremiah Howze, 17, was released on bond just days after he was arrested."He was killed for being too nice," his aunt Dr. Maria Shantell Williams said. According to his family, Kyle — known as "KJ" — agreed to pick up his classmate
  
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• Stretch of Highland Road shut down near Staring Lane after car crashes into electrical pole

  07-01-2025 17:37 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — A section of Highland Road near the intersection of Staring Lane will be shut down for a few hours after a car drove into a electrical pole and a fire hydrant, police said Tuesday. The crash happened just west of the Staring Lane by the Exxon gas station. A Baton Rouge Police spokesperson said that power would be shut off in the area while repairs are made. Staring itself is not closed and drivers are being redirected through the Staring Hill strip mall
  
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• North Baton Rouge Outreach and Improvement Committee meets for first time Tuesday

  07-01-2025 17:14 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — Residents in North Baton Rouge and elected officials met Tuesday afternoon to see what can be done to improve the area. The Mayor-President’s transition team for the North Baton Rouge Outreach and Improvement Committee is made up of a team of experts of diverse backgrounds and residents of North Baton Rouge. The committee met to set a vision to bring positive change under the leadership of Mayor-President Sid Edwards.Dist. 5 Councilmember Darryl Hurst
  
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• Three teens sought in shooting after Christmas parade; two previously accused in murder

  07-01-2025 16:32 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — Arrest warrants have been issued for three teenagers in the Dec. 14 shooting on the levee after a Baton Rouge Christmas parade.Two of the teens had spent months in jail accused of the first murder of 2024, but were apparently released after a grand jury failed to indict them.Baton Rouge Police got warrants in late December for Treyvon Collins and Eddie Monroe, both 17, and for Christopher King, 15, in the parade shooting. It’s not clear why an adult warrant was
  
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• Funeral services for Baton Rouge father killed in New Orleans attack announced

  07-01-2025 16:07 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - The funeral arrangements for a Baton Rouge father of two who was killed in a terrorist attack in New Orleans were announced Tuesday. The family of Reggie Hunter said the services will be held Saturday, Jan. 11 at Big Zion AME in Roseland. The viewing will be from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m. and the funeral will start after, followed by the burial at Big Zion AME Cemetery. Afterward, a repass will be held at Encore Event Center in Tickfaw. Permalink| Comments
  
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• Storage facility still trashed months after targeted by thieves

  07-01-2025 15:56 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - A Square Space Storage location in Melrose East was broken into multiple times last fall. Every unit has been opened and rummaged through, leaving belongings scattered around the site. It's remained this way for weeks.The Melrose East Community Association contacted 2 On Your Side hoping to get some more attention focused on cleaning the space they see daily. Jeff LaCour is the association's president and has a business office nearby. He drives past the location several times duri
  
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• City of St. George officials set to approve salaries for city leaders

  07-01-2025 15:47 via wbrz.com
  
  ST. GEORGE - As the City of St. George continues to come together, the people running the city are looking to get paid — but there have been questions about how the proposed numbers stack up to comparably sized cities.St. George is the fifth largest city in Louisiana, coming in right behind Lafayette and just ahead of Lake Charles. Council members in St. George proposed paying the mayor $175,000, the chief of police $150,000 and council members $44,000.St. George Transition District M
  
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• Sid Edwards chooses campaign manager, charter school administrator as he rounds out mayoral staff

  07-01-2025 15:18 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sid Edwards on Tuesday named two more members of his administrative team.Mason Batts, mayoral campaign manager, will serve as Edwards' office's executive director. Batts previously served as a staffer in the state legislature.As executive director, Batts will work to set policy, manage external affairs and serve as senior advisor to Edwards.Director of External Relations and Dean of Culture for Helix Community Schools Christopher T
  
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• Biden administration bans unpaid medical bills from appearing on credit reports

  07-01-2025 14:46 via wbrz.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Unpaid medical bills will no longer appear on credit reports, where they can block people from mortgages, car loans or small business loans, according to a final rule announced Tuesday by the Biden administration.The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rule will remove $49 billion in medical debt from the credit reports of more than 15 million Americans, according to the bureau, which means lenders will no longer be able to take that into consideration when deciding
  
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• President-elect Donald Trump makes controversial suggestion to rename Gulf of Mexico

  07-01-2025 13:43 via wbrz.com
  
  PALM BEACH, Fla. - During a press conference Tuesday, President-elect Donald Trump made a suggestion that the federal government may not have the power to follow through on. "We're going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America," Trump said.CNN said this isn't the first time a politician has suggested changing the name, but that it was unclear if the federal government has the power to do that.  Permalink| Comments
  
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• President-elect Donald Trump makes controversial suggestion during press conference

  07-01-2025 13:43 via wbrz.com
  
  PALM BEACH, Fla. - During a press conference Tuesday, President-elect Donald Trump made a suggestion that the federal government may not have the power to follow through on. "We're going to be changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America," Trump said.CNN said this isn't the first time a politician has suggested changing the name, but that it was unclear if the federal government has the power to do that.  Permalink| Comments
  
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• Law enforcement in Houston searched storage facility two miles from New Orleans attack suspect's home

  07-01-2025 13:41 via wbrz.com
  
  HOUSTON (KTRK) — Law enforcement near Houston searched a storage unit at a facility overnight as part of their investigation into the deadly New Orleans attack that killed 14 on Bourbon Street in the early morning of New Year's Day, KTRK reported Tuesday.News crews from the ABC affiliate captured a heavy police presence at Sparebox Storage in north Harris County. The storage unit is less than two miles away from the residence of the New Orleans attack, Shamsud-Din Jabbar.The FBI told
  
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• Co-writer of 'Puff the Magic Dragon' dies; Peter of Peter, Paul and Mary was 86

  07-01-2025 13:41 via wbrz.com
  
  LOS ANGELES — Peter Yarrow, the singer-songwriter best known as one-third of Peter, Paul and Mary, the folk-music trio whose impassioned harmonies transfixed millions as they lifted their voices in favor of civil rights and against war, has died. He was 86.Yarrow, who also co-wrote the group's most enduring song, “Puff the Magic Dragon,” died Tuesday in New York, publicist Ken Sunshine said. Yarrow had bladder cancer for the past four years.“Our fearless
  
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• The polar vortex brings its bitter cold to the Southern US - Flights from BTR, MSY delayed

  07-01-2025 13:22 via wbrz.com
  
  NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — The plunging polar vortex brought subfreezing temperatures Tuesday to some of the southernmost points of the U.S., threatening to dump snow on parts of Texas and Oklahoma in the coming days and contributing to a power outage in Virginia’s capital that made the water unsafe to drink.The arctic blast that descended on much of the U.S. east of the Rockies over the weekend has caused hundreds of car accidents, thousands of flight cancellations and delays, and
  
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• See what interactive sports bar is taking over Drago's Seafood

  07-01-2025 13:13 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - Since the news broke of Drago's Seafood planning to shut down its current Baton Rouge location on Constitution Avenue off College Drive, many began to wonder: what business could take over a 14,000-square-foot building? The answer is Loft18, an interactive sports bar and grill created by NOLA natives Greg Whitman and Ty Duet.In what seemed like fate, the duo told WBRZ they stumbled upon the location just as the owners of Drago's were looking to relocate, and the two bough
  
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• Gonzales Police searching for man who stole $1,500 worth of merchandise from Home Depot

  07-01-2025 12:59 via wbrz.com
  GONZALES — Police are searching for a man accused of stealing more than $1,000 from a Gonzales Home Depot store.The man is accused of stealing $1,500 worth of merchandise from the hardware store on Nov. 4.Police said he was later seen in a dark-colored Tesla and later used a U-Haul van to remove the stolen items.Anyone who recognizes the man is asked to call the Gonzales Police Department at (225) 647-9590.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Lafourche teenagers arrested for attempting to frame high school teacher for inappropriate behavior

  07-01-2025 12:55 via wbrz.com
  
  RACELAND - Two teenagers were charged with cyberstalking and online impersonation after they allegedly tried to frame a high school teacher for sending inappropriate messages to students. Back in December, the Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office opened an investigation into a teacher at Central Lafourche High School after he allegedly was sending inappropriate messages to two teenage students. Over the weeks that followed, detectives found multiple conversations that seemed to point to t
  
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• Labadieville man allegedly extorted inappropriate content from victims in Florida, Washington

  07-01-2025 12:06 via wbrz.com
  
  LABADIEVILLE - A man was arrested for multiple 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 l
  
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• Assumption Parish man accused of using social media to receive inappropriate content from young girls

  07-01-2025 12:06 via wbrz.com
  
  LABADIEVILLE - A man was arrested for multiple 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 l
  
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• Tips to keep warm as temperatures dip to freezing, below

  07-01-2025 11:33 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - With the big chill on the bayou's arrival, staying warm is on everyone's mind.There are multiple ways to ensure you keep not only yourself warm, but do it safely.It's important to seal your windows and doors, insulate pipes, check carbon monoxide detectors and inspect attic insulation.An easy way to remember all of this is the four "p's": people, pets, pipes and plants.It is important to keep warm by staying inside when possible and wearing warm, layered clothing.Extreme cold weat
  
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• Woman accused of hitting man with car, killing him in front of Denham Springs restaurant arrested

  07-01-2025 09:56 via wbrz.com
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS — A woman accused of killing a man after hitting him with her car in front of a Denham Springs restaurant in November was arrested for vehicular homicide, Denham Springs Police said Tuesday. Deidre Dugas Caldwell, 46, is accused of killing Thomas Sapp, 53, on Nov. 22. In December, Denham Springs Police said that the driver stayed at the scene after the crash that killed Sapp in front of Yellow Brick House on US 190.At the time, police said that they were not pu
  
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• St. George interim mayor to run for full-time office in new city's election

  07-01-2025 09:53 via wbrz.com
  
  ST. GEORGE — Interim Mayor Dustin Yates officially announced Tuesday he will run in the first-ever election for mayor of St. George in March.Yates led the newly-formed city’s transitional government since he was appointed by Governor Jeff Landry in May 2024. The Louisiana Supreme Court ruled in April to incorporate the city of St. George. The special election on March 29 will allow St. George voters the first opportunity to vote for city l
  
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• Report: Bogalusa mayor arrested in joint effort by State Police, Bogalusa Police

  07-01-2025 09:22 via wbrz.com
  
  BOGALUSA — Bogalusa's mayor was arrested Tuesday morning, WWL reports.Mayor Tyrin Truong was arrested in a joint effort by Louisiana State Police and the Bogalusa Police Department, sources told WWL. The charges Truong faces weren't made clear by authorities. WWL says that the Washington Parish Sheriff's Office is expected to announce details regarding the charges and Truong's arrest status later on Tuesday.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Bogalusa mayor arrested on drug, prostitution charges by State Police, Bogalusa Police

  07-01-2025 09:22 via wbrz.com
  
  BOGALUSA — Bogalusa's mayor was arrested Tuesday morning for his alleged involvement in a drug trafficking operation, as well as solicitation of prostitutes, Louisiana State Police said.Mayor Tyrin Truong, 25, was among seven arrested in Washington Parish for the drug trafficking operation, the investigation of which started in April. State Police said the alleged operation was using social media platforms to deal drugs — including marijuana, opioids and MDMA — and
  
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• Bogalusa mayor arrested; attorney general disappointed by his drug, prostitution allegations

  07-01-2025 09:22 via wbrz.com
  
  BOGALUSA — Louisiana's attorney general expressed disappointment Tuesday in Bogalusa Mayor Tyrin Troung, saying he had let people down by becoming involved in a Washington Parish drug operation.State Police arrested Truong, 25, and accused him of dealing drugs and soliciting prostitutes. Others were charged, too, and Attorney General Liz Murrill said additional people could be accused."We expect there will be more," Murrill said in New Orleans, where she also provided an update on the
  
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• 2 bodies are found in the landing gear of JetBlue plane at Florida airport

  07-01-2025 08:10 via wbrz.com
  
  Two bodies were found in the landing gear compartment of a JetBlue aircraft at a South Florida airport, authorities said.The bodies were located in the wheel well area Monday night at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, WPLG-TV reported.They were discovered during a routine post-flight maintenance inspection, a JetBlue spokesperson told the TV station.The aircraft had arrived in Fort Lauderdale shortly after 11 p.m. from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.Names and o
  
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• Are Louisiana's House and Senate maps fair to Black voters? Appeals court takes up case

  07-01-2025 07:50 via wbrz.com
  
  NEW ORLEANS — A challenge to a 2022 law setting districts for Louisiana House and Senate seats is due to be argued Tuesday before the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans.A lawsuit contends that lawmakers diluted voting Black voting strength when they adopted voting districts following the 2020 Census, in violation of the Voting Rights Act.According to the plaintiffs, lawmakers unfairly "cracked and packed" the Black population into voting districts in and around Baton Rou
  
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