Amount of vacant house fires in 2024 not alarming Baton Rouge fire officials - Louisiana news - NewsLocker (2024)

BATON ROUGE - What may seem to be an abnormal amount of vacant house fires may just be the standard. Twenty vacant structure fires have popped up in the capital area in the first six months of 2024. Baton Rouge Fire Department Spokesperson Curt Monte says it is nothing out of the ordinary. "When you look at the comparisons from two years ago, last year and this year, the house fires are pretty much in line with what we've seen in the past few years," Monte said.There have been 17 arson

Domestic abuse survivor speaks on Supreme Court upholding gun ban for those with restraining orders

BATON ROUGE - The Supreme Court upheld a federal gun control law that is intended to protect victims of domestic violence last Friday, and one victim of domestic violence spoke about the ruling.In their first Second Amendment case since they expanded gun rights in 2022, the justices ruled 8-1 in favor of a 1994 ban on firearms for people under restraining orders to stay away from their spouses or partners.Angela Gabriel was shot multiple times by her ex-boyfriend while she was bathing. The shoo

LSU hosts top recruits in Friday Night Lights camp

BATON ROUGE - Top LSU recruits showed up to the Tigers' Friday Night Lights camp.LSU commit and top overall recruit in the class of 2025, quarterback Bryce Underwood, took part in the skill-teaching event.St. Martin's running back Harlem Berry, who holds the top ranking in his position, was also in attendance. Berry is also verbally committed to LSU.Permalink| Comments

Baton Rouge Homeland Security says they've had 100% increase in retail theft arrests since December

BATON ROUGE - The Baton Rouge Office of Homeland Security has been combating theft through the Louisiana organized retail crime task force.Agents recently wrapped up a two-day sting operation, saying they've made a 100% increase in arrests since December.According to Homeland Security, organized retail crime costs federal and state governments more than $15 billion annually, which ends up costing families more than $500 a year.Photos show a man believed to be a part of a retail theft ring being

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Trio goes on destructive and costly rampage, causing over $50,000 of damage to River Center

BATON ROUGE - The trio who vandalized the Raising Cane's River Center Monday night reflect a trend police have seen recently. The group went on a destructive and costly rampage.Javin Thomas, 17, is wanted for simple burglary and simple criminal damage to property over $50,000 -- both of which are felonies.According to an arrest affidavit, two males and a female threw a brick through a lower-level door and gained entry into the building at 2 a.m. Tuesday. The three grabbed fire extinguishers and

Water levels beginning to return to normal in Livingston Parish after Alberto causes flooding

LIVINGSTON PARISH - High water still covers most of the road at Warsaw Marina, but the improvement from Wednesday is visible."I actually was working that morning and came in and was like what the hell?" said Austin Ford, a bartender at Kat's Warsaw Bar and Grill.Their doors have been closed to the general public since Wednesday. That same day, the parish closed waterways to recreational traffic until further notice. "Of course our loyal patrons, the water's not going to keep them away.

36-year-old is first graduate of online adult high school at Ascension Library

GONZALES - An online program offered by the Ascension Parish Library to help adults gain a high school diploma just had its first graduate.Dquincy Muse, 36, is the first Ascension graduate of the Excel Adult High School.Muse is a local transportation worker who wanted to open a commercial driver's license training school. When he was told he couldn't be an instructor without a high school diploma; he set out to change that."I was in the River Parishes community college program that they got and

Man charged with killing Loranger woman, daughter seeks return to Louisiana to face charges

JACKSON, Miss. — A man accused of killing a Loranger woman and kidnapping her two daughters waived some of his rights at a hearing in a Mississippi federal court Friday, including one that could lead to his eventual return to Louisiana to face charges.WAPT reported that Daniel Callihan, 36, waived his preliminary hearing and a detention hearing, agreeing to return to Louisiana to face charges. A transfer date isn't known; Callihan also faces state charges in Mississippi and a judge th

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$$$ Best Bets: An all-SEC showdown in the College World Series Finals $$$

Hunter McCann has the best bets for MLB matchups, the College World Series Finals and the Stanley Cup Finals!College World Series Finals:Tennessee to win series against Texas A&MFridayStanley Cup Finals:Panthers @ Oilers: Oilers MLMLB:Diamondbacks @ Phillies: Phillies MLBrewers @ Padres: Padres MLTwins @ Athletics: Twins -1.5SaturdayMLB:Orioles @ Astros: Orioles -1.5Braves @ Yankees: Yankees MLAngels @ Dodgers: Dodgers -1.5SundayMLB:TBDFor an in-depth analysis of all these picks, tune into

TEAM 2 TRAFFIC: I-12 closed at Holden exit due to vehicle fire

HOLDEN — Interstate 12 westbound at the Holden exit has been closed due to a vehicle fire, the Albany Police Department said Friday afternoon.First responders are on the scene and working to clear the roadways. Police ask that commuters avoid the area by taking alternate routes.Permalink| Comments

Hammond man arrested after police, homeland security raid yields meth, fentanyl

HAMMOND — A Hammond man was arrested on fentanyl and meth possession charges after police received information from a shipping provider about a package believed to contain illegal narcotics, Hammond Police said Friday.Joshua Dantzler, 38, was under investigation by police and the Department of Homeland Security since receiving the tip about the package on June 14. A joint investigation uncovered that the package was addressed to a Hammond residence, police said.Upon delivery, police s

Greater Baton Rouge National Pan-Hellenic Council hosts Greek weekend

BATON ROUGE - Friday night is the 20th Annual "Terral C. Jackson Sr. Ol' Skool Greek Show" for the Greater Baton Rouge's National Pan-Hellenic Council.The show will feature all members of the "Divine 9," a group of Historically Black Greek Letter organizations. The show will take place at the Felton G. Clark Activity Center at Southern University. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the show starts at 6 p.m. The organization will host other events this weekend as well. There will be an NPHC Gr

Car dealerships are being disrupted by a multi-day outage after cyberattacks on software supplier

NEW YORK (AP) — Car dealerships across North America have faced major disruptions this week.CDK Global, a company that provides software for thousands of auto dealers in the U.S. and Canada, was hit by back-to-back cyberattacks on Wednesday. That led to an outage that continued to impact many of their operations on Friday.For prospective car buyers, that may mean delays at dealerships or vehicle orders written up by hand, with no immediate end in sight. Here’s what you need

La. 964 bridge replacement in West Feliciana Parish finishes construction after two months

ST. FRANCISVILLE — The replacement of the La. 964 bridge over Riddle Creek in West Feliciana Parish has been completed, state highway officials announced Friday.Due to an aging structure and deteriorating conditions due to heavy traffic, the 57-foot bridge originally built in 1958 was replaced with a three-span, 60-foot bridge to accommodate the increasing traffic demands, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development said.DOTD's Bridge Maintenance Section took the lead i

Napoleonville, Houma men arrested on DWI charges while boating on Lake Verret, Falgout Canal

NAPOLEONVILLE — The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries arrested two men from Napoleonville and Houma for operating a boat while impaired on Saturday.Agents arrested Austin Rivere, 24, of Napoleonville and Tyler Randolph, 29, of Houma for DWI on the water.Agents said that they patrolling Lake Verret when they found Rivere operating a boat while impaired. He was arrested and booked into the Assumption Parish Correctional Facility. Later that same day, agents on Falg

Immersive dinosaur exhibit Jurassic Quest roams Gonzales' Lamar Dixon Expo Center this weekend

GONZALES - An immersive dinosaur exhibit has made its way to the Lamar Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales for the weekend.Jurassic Quest is an immersive experience with life-size dinosaurs of all types such as T-Rex and Spinosaurus.At the event, participants can take part in dinosaur rides, the T.Wrecks Raceway, fossil digs, an excavation station, dinosaur-themed inflatable attractions and more."Once you come to Jurassic Quest you can expect to be thrown back 165 million years worth of dinosaur fact

St. George schedules swearing in; set to vote on tapping tax revenue now earmarked for parish

ST. GEORGE — Members of St. George's initial government will be sworn in Monday night at its temporary City Hall on Airline Highway, then take up a proposal to transfer revenue raised under a 2 percent sales tax from East Baton Rouge Parish to the new city.The ceremony will start at 6:30 p.m. in Training Room B of the St. George Fire Department headquarters at 14100 Airline Highway.After electing officers, members of the St. George Transition District will vote on a proposal to tap ta

St. George schedules swearing in for Transition District; to vote on tapping revenue earmarked for parish

ST. GEORGE — Additional members of St. George's initial government will be sworn in Monday night at its temporary City Hall on Airline Highway, then take up a proposal to transfer revenue raised under a 2 percent sales tax from East Baton Rouge Parish to the new city.The ceremony will start at 6:30 p.m. in Training Room B of the St. George Fire Department headquarters at 14100 Airline Highway.The new city's councilmen, mayor and police chief were sworn in at a previous ceremony on Jun

Shooting at grocery store in Arkansas kills 3 and wounds 10 others, police say

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A shooter who opened fire Friday at a grocery store in Arkansas left the store and parked cars riddled with bullet holes as bystanders ducked for cover both indoors and in the parking lot, killing 3 people and wounding 10 others, authorities said.The wounded included two law enforcement officers who exchanged fire with and shot the suspect, state police said. The shooting occurred about 11:30 a.m. at the Mad Butcher grocery store in Fordyce, a city of about 3,

Man arrested in Amite for allegedly beating an elderly man near-death, attempting to choke infant

AMITE CITY — A man was arrested in Amite City for allegedly beating an elderly man near death and attempting to choke an infant, police said.Damonte Allen, 23, was arrested Thursday by Amite City Police and is being charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder.Officers arrived at the 300 block of Gullett Street after receiving a 911 call around 11:40 a.m. There they found an older man unresponsive inside the house who appeared to be beaten within an inch of his life. Howev

Amite man accused of beating elderly man near-death, choking infant is brother of escaped Tangipahoa inmate

AMITE CITY — A man was arrested in Amite City for allegedly beating an elderly man near death and attempting to choke an infant, police said. Damonte Allen, 23, was arrested Thursday by Amite City Police and is being charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder. Officers arrived at the 300 block of Gullett Street after receiving a 911 call around 11:40 a.m. There they found an older man unresponsive inside the house who appeared to be beaten within an inc

2MAD: 'Camp Conquer' helps kids tackle bereavement, coping with loss of loved ones

In this week's 2 Make a Difference, Sylvia Weatherspoon highlights a kid-sized bereavement safe space to help children grieve the loss of loved ones.Anyone interested in highlighting someone making a difference in the community, send a name, information and a brief summary to [emailprotected]| Comments

Supreme Court upholds gun control law intended to protect domestic violence victims

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Friday upheld a federal gun control law that is intended to protect victims of domestic violence.In their first Second Amendment case since they expanded gun rights in 2022, the justices ruled 8-1 in favor of a 1994 ban on firearms for people under restraining orders to stay away from their spouses or partners. The justices reversed a ruling from the federal appeals court in New Orleans that had struck down the law.Justice Clarence Thomas, the au

State representative calls for revamped AMBER alert system after delay

BATON ROUGE - After an incomplete AMBER alert application delayed a notice being sent out to the state for reports of missing children, a local representative is calling on the governor to push for reform. The AMBER alert for missing girls Erin and Jalie Brunett was delayed by three hours due to an incomplete application. Representative Dixon McMakin believes the system to apply for and send out an AMBER alert needs a revamp after the incident. "Rvery second every minute is so

Tuesday shooting on North 29th stemmed from family disagreement

BATON ROUGE - A non-fatal shooting on Tuesday stemmed from a family disagreement, according to an affidavit.Daryl Dwayne Morris Jr., 21, is wanted for attempted second-degree murder and illegal use of weapons or dangerous instrumentalities after shooting his cousin.According to the affidavit, the victim said Morris had been staying at the residence when the victim woke up Morris and told him they needed to clean. Morris then pulled a black handgun, pointed it to the victim's face and said "You

17-year-old wanted for allegedly breaking into, causing over $50,000 of damage to River Center

BATON ROUGE - A 17-year-old is wanted after being in a group that allegedly used a brick to break into the Raising Canes River Center and used fire extinguishers to break televisions inside the arena.Javin Thomas, 17, is wanted for simple burglary and simple criminal damage to property over $50,000 -- both of which are felonies.According to an arrest affidavit, two males and a female threw a brick through a lower level door and gained entry into the building at 2 a.m. Tuesday. The three grabbed

Family holds balloon release for 12-year-old Prairieville drowning victim

PRAIRIEVILLE - This afternoon, family and friends of DaQwain Robinson, the 12 year old boy who drowned to death earlier this month in Prairieville, held a balloon release in his honor.Robinson fell in his neighborhood pond and never resurfaced.Robinson's family was "moved" by the overwhelming show of support."[We've had an] outpour of love and support from the community and the buisnesses around here from donations.. gestures big and small, and we appreciate them all," a family member said. "Ho

Woman indicted for murder after March Tigerland shooting

BATON ROUGE - A woman arrested after a fatal shooting at Tigerland in March was indicted by a grand jury for murder Thursday.Angelique Chatman, 37, was indicted on second-degree murder and possession of firearm by convicted felon in East Baton Rouge after the killing of Sirena Franklin on the 4700 block of Tigerland Avenue.During the investigation, Chatman was found to have been involved in a physical and verbal altercation with the victim. At some point, Franklin was attempting to walk away wh

Louisiana's Ten Commandments law, other education bills, draw attention nationally

BATON ROUGE — Gov. Jeff Landry's endorsem*nt of a bill that requires public schools and universities to post the Ten Commandments in every Louisiana was just one of several education-related bills he signed during a ceremony in Lafayette. Here's a look at key legislation covering, in order:The Ten Commandments,State funding for private schools through a student voucher system,Placement of volunteer chaplains in public schools,No COVID vaccine requirement at school registratio

Children treated to fine dining after learning etiquette at summer camp

BATON ROUGE - Dozens of children from district 10 in Baton Rouge got a taste of elegance at the City Club restaurant downtown Thursday afternoon. The group of kindergarteners through eighth graders were students at Camp Coleman, a summer camp run by District 10 Councilwoman, Carolyn Coleman."My intent today is to show these children a better way of life," Coleman said.Coleman has been practicing proper table manners with her students all week. Thursday was their chance to show off thei