Louisiana news

• Officials identify woman who died in Thursday house fire; family says she was one day shy of 65

  22-11-2024 13:44 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - Officials identified a 64-year-old woman who died after a house caught fire off Napoleon Street behind Greater Pleasant Green Missionary Baptist Church on Thursday morning.Phyllis Wilson, 64, died in the blaze. According to her family, Wilson would have turned 65 on Friday and the whole family was planning on celebrating her with a cruise set to leave Thursday. The Baton Rouge Fire Department was on the scene just after 4 a.m. Thursday, and the fire was under control by 5
  
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• Golden Meadow man dies in car crash on LA Hwy 182

  23-11-2024 13:57 via wbrz.com
  
  MORGAN CITY — A Golden Meadow man died in a single-vehicle crash while driving on LA Hwy 182 near Progress Lane Friday afternoon.Russ Theriot, 65, was headed eastbound at around 1 p.m. when his truck traveled off the roadway and struck an embankment and multiple poles before turning over.According to Louisiana State Police, he sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.The crash remains under investigation. Standard toxicology samples were collected from Theriot and
  
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• Juvenile offender escapes while on furlough, OJJ seeks public's assistance

  23-11-2024 13:05 via wbrz.com
  
  LAKE CHARLES — A juvenile offender has escaped custody while on furlough at their residence in Calcasieu Parish, according to the Louisiana Office of Juvenile Justice.Officials were notified at around 9:30 a.m. Saturday that the 16-year-old male’s ankle monitor had been tampered with. Law enforcement was notified at around 11 a.m.As juvenile records are confidential, the OJJ can not release the name or picture of the juvenile. The teenager was  housed at the Swanson
  
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• Truck crashes into Denham Springs home

  23-11-2024 12:42 via wbrz.com
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS — A truck driver crashed into a Denham Springs home at around midnight Friday.According to the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, the 31-year-old driver was traveling on Chapel Hill Drive when they left the roadway and hit the house. No injuries have been reported as a result of the accident. LPSO arrested the driver on a misdemeanor charge of careless operation.The investigation is ongoing. Permalink| Comments
  
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• Ponchatoula driver killed, another critically injured in four-vehicle crash on Airline Highway

  23-11-2024 09:05 via wbrz.com
  
  LAPLACE — A Ponchatoula man died in a four-vehicle crash on U.S. 61 near Windsor Street Friday afternoon. Louisiana State Police responded to the crash in Laplace at around 4:00 p.m. Friday. 55-year-old Thomas Mixon died at the scene, according to state police.According to LSP's investigation, Mixon was driving northbound on Airline Highway and attempted to change lanes to pass the vehicle in front of him. He instead struck the front right corner of the truck travell
  
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• 2 Make a Difference: Sylvia's Toys for Christmas celebrates its tenth anniversary!

  22-11-2024 21:32 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — Sylvia's Toys for Christmas donation drive is back in action for its tenth anniversary.Barrels with Sylvia’s picture have been placed at sponsor locations for residents to drop off new, unwrapped toys.Drop-off locations include Chick-fil-A restaurants and Essential Credit Union branches.More than 3,000 children in under-served communities have taken home gifts thanks to your generosity.Those interested can donate new toys for children ages 2-13. The toys must b
  
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• Pedestrian hit, killed after being struck by vehicle on U.S. 190 in Denham Springs

  22-11-2024 21:08 via wbrz.com
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS - A pedestrian is dead after being struck by a vehicle Friday, according to the Denham Springs Police Department.Police say they responded to a motor vehicle crash around 8:30 p.m. involving a vehicle and pedestrian on U.S. Highway 190 near Thornton Lane.All lanes of Hwy 190 are closed between South Range Avenue and Capital Street as of 9:20 p.m. No names will be released and the investigation is ongoing.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Former New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick visits Mike the Tiger's habitat

  22-11-2024 20:43 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - Former six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach Bill Belichick visited Mike the Tiger's habitat Friday, according to the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine.The school said Belichick visited "to learn more about [their] beloved mascot."Belichick was previously the head coach of the Patriots from 2000 to 2023.Photo credit to the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Trump nominates former NFL player Scott Turner as housing and urban development secretary

  22-11-2024 20:14 via wbrz.com
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump said Friday he will nominate former NFL player and White House aide Scott Turner to be his secretary of housing and urban development.Turner ran the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council during Trump’s first term in office.Trump, in a statement, credited Turner, the highest-ranking Black person he’s yet selected for his administration, with “helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transforme
  
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• 'Operational issues' lead to flaring at Baton Rouge ExxonMobil plant

  22-11-2024 19:13 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - Operational issues led to unscheduled flaring at ExxonMobil's refinery and chemical plant, according to ExxonMobil officals.Video showed flaring taking place at the refinery and chemical plant, which officials said is taking place this evening due to "operational issues."A statement from the company said the flaring is not an "emergency situation" and that flares are safety control devices intended to consume excess gasses.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Record travel expected this Thanksgiving as more Americans take to the skies and roads

  22-11-2024 17:54 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - Ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, experts are predicting record travel as Americans hit the sky and roads to get to their destination. Kristin Jewell with Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport said they're likely to hit record flyers this holiday season. “TSA is predicting 18.3 million passengers which is a record around the nation, here were expecting more than 10-thousand of those passengers," Jewell said.They plan to increase TSA employees to get people
  
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• Man arrested after officer-involved shooting on North Sherwood Drive

  22-11-2024 17:49 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - A man was arrested after an officer-involved shooting on North Sherwood Forest Drive, according to Louisiana State Police.Casey Cagle Jr., 40, was arrested for aggravated battery and aggravated assault on a peace officer. Louisiana State Police say Baton Rouge Police Department officers responded to a domestic disturbance near the 3400 block of North Sherwood Forest Drive and that officers made contact with Cagle, who had a knife. LSP said that Cagle was asked to put down
  
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• LSU professor using VR headsets, noise-canceling headphones to help students with ADHD focus

  22-11-2024 17:44 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — An LSU professor and his team are using virtual reality headsets and noise-canceling headphones to help students with ADHD stay focused on their schoolwork.Associate Professor David Shepherd said he hopes that this will be able to treat ADHD without the use of medication. 
  Shepherd's team is comprised of LSU grad students, as well as collaborators from Rutgers University and the University of Zurich. The study is being funded by the National Institute for Mental
  
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• $$$ Best Bets: College Football Week 12: Can the Tigers get back in the win column? $$$

  22-11-2024 16:48 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:Temple @ UTSA: Temple +17.5Purdue @ Michigan State: Purdue +13.5UNLV @ San Jose State: San Jose State +7.5Men's College Basketball:N. Carolina Central @ Georgia State: N. Carolina Central +5.5St. John's @ Virginia: St. John's -10.5Little Rock @ Arkansas: Arkansas -20.5Baylor @ Tennessee: Baylor +4.5Duke @ Arizona: u160.5 Total PointsUNC @ Hawaii: UNC -16.5NBA:
  
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• Legislature sends bills reducing income, sales, corporate taxes to governor as special session wraps

  22-11-2024 15:47 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — Legislators on Friday adjourned their third special session of the year, this one focused on changes to the state's tax policy. Six bills were passed that will make changes to various aspects of the state's tax policy, including the reduction of corporate tax rates, the elimination of a corporate franchise tax and lowering income and sales taxes for residents.Bills also doubled the standard tax deductions for seniors, making permanent a $2,000 teacher pay raise
  
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• Firefighters work to contain abandoned house fire at corner of Aster Street, Nicholson Drive

  22-11-2024 15:16 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — Baton Rouge firefighters worked to put out a fire on Aster Street near Nicholson Drive on Friday.Firefighters and other emergency officials responded to the scene just after 3 p.m. The blaze overtook the roof of a house and Baton Rouge Fire worked to contain it. Baton Rouge EMS said that the fire was in an abandoned house and no injuries were reported.WBRZ has reached out to Baton Rouge Fire for more information and will update this story as it develops.Permalin
  
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• Firefighters contain abandoned house fire at corner of Aster Street, Nicholson Drive

  22-11-2024 15:16 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — Baton Rouge firefighters worked to put out a fire on Aster Street near Nicholson Drive on Friday.Firefighters and other emergency officials responded to the scene around 2:47 p.m.. The blaze overtook the roof of a likely-abandoned house and Baton Rouge Fire worked to contain it. According to fire officials, the fire extended to the building's right side.A majority of the fire was out by 3:45 p.m., but "a few hot spots" remained. Baton Rouge Fire said that they a
  
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• Former Baton Rouge city-parish contractor pleads guilty to distribution of child porn

  22-11-2024 15:03 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - A former Baton Rouge city-parish contractor pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography Friday, according to the United States Department of Justice.The Department of Justice said Blake Steiner, 37, initiated a conversation on a group chat with an undercover agent thinking he would gain access to a group chat disseminating child pornography. After being told by the agent to send a video of his face with the day's date, he sent the video and also sent a video of a 12-year-o
  
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• State Police searching for missing 13-year-old girl in West Carroll Parish

  22-11-2024 15:00 via wbrz.com
  
  PIONEER — Louisiana State Police are searching for a missing 13-year-old girl from West Carroll Parish.Adalynn Rawls was last seen Thursday at her grandmother’s home on Old Delhi Road in Pioneer. She was discovered missing this morning at approximately 8:00 a.m.Rawls is a white girl with brown hair and blue eyes. She is approximately 5’4” tall and weighs approximately 148 lbs.Anyone with information as to the whereabouts of Adalynn Rawls should immediatel
  
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• State Police locates 13-year-old girl in West Carroll Parish

  22-11-2024 15:00 via wbrz.com
  
  PIONEER — Louisiana State Police located a missing 13-year-old girl from West Carroll Parish.The girl was reported missing Friday and was found safe.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Storage facility targeted by thieves, belongings discarded in mess

  22-11-2024 14:59 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - A Square Space Storage facility in Baton Rouge has been ransacked by thieves. Mark Gooden says the theft at the storage buildings went on for several weeks until nearly all 117 units were rummaged through or damaged in some way."I don't understand, they just throw your stuff out and you don't even know what's missing," said Gooden.The gates to the storage units are secured by locks and barbed wire, but some of the units face the street and are only secured by padlocks. Some of the
  
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• 4 men from 4 parishes accused of soliciting sex from a minor arrested by state, parish authorities

  22-11-2024 14:30 via wbrz.com
  
  HAMMOND — Four people from multiple parishes were arrested for soliciting sex from a minor, the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office said Friday. Nicholas Hines, 43 of Walker, Michael Vicknair, 32 of Gonzales, Robert Trahan, 33 of Ponchatoula, and John Gros Sr., 60 of Mt. Hermon, are all accused of indecent behavior with a juvenile and computer-aided solicitation of a minor. Deputies developed their case against the men with the Attorney General's office and
  
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• Former volunteer coach previously arrested for child porn, molestation now accused of domestic abuse

  22-11-2024 14:15 via wbrz.com
  
  BRUSLY — A former volunteer coach at Christian Academy of Louisiana previously arrested on child porn and molestation charges was arrested a third time, this time accused of domestic abuse battery. Dennis Kennamer, 39, was arrested by Brusly Police on Thursday for domestic abuse battery with strangulation.In June, Kennamer was booked for indecent behavior with a juvenile, carnal knowledge of a juvenile, computer-aided solicitation and molestation. Shortly after his arrest, Christian A
  
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• LSU Police searching for man accused of battery during LSU-Alabama game

  22-11-2024 14:01 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE — LSU Police are searching for a man accused of battery during the LSU-Alabama game.The bearded man, photographed on Nov. 9, is wanted for second-degree battery during the game. LSU lost the game to Alabama 42-13. Anyone with information on the man is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 225-344-7867.Permalink| Comments
  
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• LaDOTD announces southbound traffic shift on LA 1 Intercoastal Bridge starting Tuesday

  22-11-2024 13:48 via wbrz.com
  
  PORT ALLEN — Another minor traffic shift is planned on the LA 1 Intracoastal Bridge in West Baton Rouge Parish, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development announced Friday.Starting Tuesday night, all southbound traffic on LA 1 will be directed onto the LA 1 Southbound Bridge. This is expected to last until 4 a.m. on Wednesday.Additionally, intermittent left and right lane closures going south will continue through Dec. 13 from 7 p.m. to 4 a.m. Intermittent left lane cl
  
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• Officials identify woman who died in house fire early Thursday morning

  22-11-2024 13:44 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - Officials identified a 64-year-old woman who died after a house caught fire off Napoleon Street behind Greater Pleasant Green Missionary Baptist Church on Thursday morning.The Baton Rouge Fire Department was on the scene just after 4 a.m. Thursday, and the fire was under control by 5 a.m. that same morning.While crews were searching the home for other occupants, a neighbor across the street said a child had escaped the home and was staying at another home nearby. The child was not
  
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• Music, makers and more! White Light Night returns to Mid City on Friday evening

  22-11-2024 13:38 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - The biggest night in Mid City is back! The annual White Light Night art festival brings hundreds of pop-up shops and vendors into the spotlight along Government Street. From Electric Depot to Jefferson Highway, expect to see dozens of businesses participating in the fun. Every year, this event highlights the creativity Baton Rouge has to offer. There will be live music, food trucks, arts and crafts for sale, and more!Because of popular demand, Mid City Merchants, the orga
  
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• Deputies arrest man accused of stealing from Academy in Denham Springs

  22-11-2024 13:37 via wbrz.com
  
  DENHAM SPRINGS — A man accused of stealing from an Academy Sports and Outdoors in Denham Springs was arrested. Deputies arrested Andre Selders Thursday for stealing from the sporting goods store. Selders then left in a Nissan Altima, Livingston Parish deputies said.Selders, from Amite, was arrested and booked for felony theft.Permalink| Comments
  
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• Six Ascension Parish residents arrested for alleged involvement in drug trafficking ring

  22-11-2024 13:36 via wbrz.com
  
  DONALDSONVILLE - Federal agents busted a drug trafficking operation and arrested six Ascension Parish residents. An indictment filed after the investigation accused the six of being involved in a ring that distributed cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, oxycodone, and heroin around southeast Louisiana, the United States Department of Justice said Friday. During the investigation, agents found over 443 grams of substances containing fentanyl and 68 grams of cocaine as well as s
  
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• Five-year-old dies months after getting a hold of gun, accidentally shooting self

  22-11-2024 12:26 via wbrz.com
  
  BATON ROUGE - Months after a toddler got a hold of an illegally modified handgun and shot himself, the child died from his injuries. The shooting happened on March 20, 2024 on 69th Avenue. Joshua Kelly Jr., who was four years old at the time, got a hold of the weapon and shot himself, leaving him in critical condition. The Baton Rouge Police Department said Kelly succumbed to his injuries on Thursday. His mother, 23-year-old Arieana Scott, was said to have heard a loud noise t
  
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