Landry signs law making Louisiana first in nation to require Ten Commandments posted in public classrooms - Baton Rouge news - NewsLocker (2024)

BATON ROUGE (AP) — Louisiana has become the first state to require that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public school classroom under a bill signed into law by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry on Wednesday.The GOP-drafted legislation mandates that a poster-sized display of the Ten Commandments in “large, easily readable font” be required in all public classrooms, from kindergarten to state-funded universities. Although the bill did not receive final approval

One person brought to hospital after Underwood Drive house catches fire

BATON ROUGE — An Underwood Drive house off North Foster Drive caught fire midday Tuesday, Baton Rouge Fire said.Firefighters were initially called to the home on a first-aid call for possible burns around 12:40 p.m., fire officials said. After the first unit arrived a few minutes later and found someone in the front yard with smoke coming out of the home, more units were dispatched.EMS brought the injured person to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, officials said. B

Morse reiterates strip search policy that allows intrusions without 'probable cause' that a crime occurred

BATON ROUGE — Police Chief T.J. Morse reiterated in federal court Tuesday that it is proper for city police officers to strip search people even if they don't have probable cause to believe a crime has occurred, rejecting a lawyer's argument that the standard should be much higher.Morse, who became chief this year after directing the agency's training division for years, replied "I don't know" to several questions involved in day-to-day operations, and testified that "I've never condu

Grosse Tete draw bridge repairs could last well into the fall, highway officials say

GROSSE TETE — Louisiana highway officials said Tuesday that it could be well into the fall before repairs are completed on a draw bridge that connects Grosse Tete and Plaquemine.The Department of Transportation and Development said a contractor is removing mechanical equipment and hydraulic lines from the draw bridge, which was struck by a barge June 6. The collision took the bridge out of service, forcing a 46-mile detour between the west side of the Port Allen Lock and its west side

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Zachary native, Super Bowl-winning quarterback Doug Williams honored in local hall of fame

BATON ROUGE — A Super Bowl-winning quarterback who went to a local high school was finally honored as a member of the inaugural class of the East Baton Rouge Parish School System Athletic Hall of Fame after not being able to attend the May ceremony.Doug Williams was honored with a jacket on Saturday at his football camp at Memorial Stadium. The former Chaneyville High School — now Northeast High — and Grambling State quarterback won a Super Bowl with the Washington

Teens arrested on hate crime charges for allegedly stealing, burning Mandeville woman's LGBTQ+ pride flag

MANDEVILLE — Three teens were arrested on hate crime charges after they allegedly stole and burned a Mandeville-woman's LGBTQ+ pride flag while making derogatory remarks, St. Tammany Parish deputies said Tuesday.Two 15-year-olds and a 14-year-old allegedly stole a woman's pride flag and burned it in the middle of the road at the intersection of Soult and Preval drives on May 26.Deputies said they eventually caught the trio after receiving a video of the teens burning the flag while sp

Teens arrested on hate crime charges for allegedly stealing, burning Louisiana woman's LGBTQ+ pride flag

MANDEVILLE — Three teens were arrested on hate crime charges after they allegedly stole and burned a Mandeville-woman's LGBTQ+ pride flag while making derogatory remarks, St. Tammany Parish deputies said Tuesday.Two 15-year-olds and a 14-year-old allegedly stole a woman's pride flag and burned it in the middle of the road at the intersection of Soult and Preval drives on May 26.Deputies said they eventually caught the trio after receiving a video of the teens burning the flag while sp

Landry names surgeon general, gives him duties once held by state health officer

BATON ROUGE — Gov. Jeff Landry named a state surgeon general Tuesday and gave him duties previously assigned to a state health officer who once questioned why a vaccine skeptic who appeared with Landry at a legislative hearing was given a platform to speak.Current Health Secretary Dr. Ralph Abraham will be surgeon general, and undersecretary Michael Harrington will replace Abraham, Landry said at a news conference Tuesday. Abraham is a former congressman. The surgeon general

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TEAM 2 TRAFFIC: Car catches fire on I-12 WB, traffic backed up to Millerville Road

BATON ROUGE — A car caught fire Tuesday morning between the Airline Highway and Sherwood Forest Boulevard exits on Interstate 12 westbound, blocking traffic in one lane and backing traffic up 2.5 miles.Fire officials responded to the scene around 10:45 a.m. and within 10 minutes, the blaze was extinguished.Traffic on I-12 was backed up to the Millerville Road exit following the fire. According to Baton Rouge Fire officials, no injuries were reported.Permalink| Comments

Mall of Louisiana changes unaccompanied minor policy, required to be with adult Friday, Saturday evenings

BATON ROUGE — The Mall of Louisiana has changed its parental guidance policy for weekends, now requiring all minors to be accompanied at all times by an adult on Fridays and Saturdays after 4 p.m.According to the Mall's website, unsupervised youth shopping before 4 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays must leave the mall at 4 p.m. or immediately be joined by a parent or supervising adult age 21 or older. Proof of age may be required for the youth or supervising adult. Those who lack proper i

Tangipahoa Parish deputies searching for people who stole three riding mowers from equipment store

HAMMOND — The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office is looking for who stole three riding lawnmowers.Deputies responded to Star Equipment on the East I-55 Service Road in Hammond on Wednesday about the three stolen Kubota zero-turn mowers.Detectives say the suspects stole one older mower and two new mowers. The total value of the three mowers is approximately $20,000.Permalink| Comments

One injured after vehicle overturns at Highland, Perkins intersection

BATON ROUGE — One person was injured after a vehicle overturned Tuesday morning at the intersection of Highland and Perkins roads, officials said.The crash happened around 9 a.m., officials said. According to St. George Fire officials, the wreck required extrication after the driver was trapped.Fire officials said that the northbound portion of Highland Road has been redirected to Perkins Road.There is no word on what led to the crash or the injured person's identity, but EMS said tha

BRPD says it arrests three for vandalism at River Center

BATON ROUGE — Police said Tuesday they had arrested three people and accused them of burglary- and vandalism-related charges following a break-in at the Raising Cane's River Center last week.Javin Thomas, 17, was arrested Saturday and Edwin Eisley, 18, and Tatiana Gordon, 19, were arrested Monday, police said. All three were accused of simple burglary and criminal damage to property and booked into Parish Prison. Police said last week that the three threw a brick through a lo

Heat-related emergency calls lower than same time last year; LDH releases heat-illness prevention program

BATON ROUGE - Monday and Tuesday were under a heat advisory, with the index reaching as high as 111 degrees.But this summer is not nearly as hot as last year. This time last year, East Baton Rouge EMS responded to 45 heat-related calls. This year there have only been 21 calls.There are tell-tale signs if someone you or someone you know is suffering from heat exhaustion or heat stroke.Heat exhaustion comes before a stroke and has symptoms such as heavy sweating, cold and pale skin, nausea, and m

Dali cargo ship leaves Baltimore for Virginia, nearly 3 months after bridge collapse

The cargo ship Dali headed out of Baltimore for Virginia on Monday, nearly three months after it lost power and crashed into one of the Francis Scott Key bridge’s supporting columns and caused the bridge to collapse.The 984-foot Dali started moving shortly before 8:30 a.m. with four tugboats.The Dali was sailing under its own power with a full crew of 22 and six salvage experts, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a news release.The Coast Guard is overseeing the voyage and providing a 500-ya

Iberville Parish residents concerned over new Mississippi River bridge

BATON ROUGE - Iberville Parish residents expressed concerns over the new Mississippi River bridge after DOTD gave an update about the project at the State Capitol on Monday.Officials announced the bridge may be built from Plaquemine to near St. Gabriel. DOTD Project manager Joseph Brown said that this bridge is meant to reduce traffic and improve commuting. "If they're coming to south Baton Rouge or anything like that they have to fight all the way through downtown traffic. So this wil

Demographer who made Metro Council map at center of voting rights lawsuit says the map is not illegal

BATON ROUGE - In August of 2022, the East Baton Rouge Metro Council voted 7-5 along racial lines to approve a new district map.It was the culmination of a six-month process of community meetings, workshops and demographic research from Mike Hefner. He has been involved in hundreds of redistricting projects throughout his career."We did redistricting in about 39 parishes in this past 2020 redistricting cycle," he said.Hefner was hired by the City-Parish to equally redistribute the population amo

Pierre to take over as Southern University's chancellor; plans to expand educational programs

BATON ROUGE — Change is coming to Southern University's leadership. John K. Pierre will no longer be chancellor of the law center. Starting July 1, Pierre will serve as chancellor of the university’s entire campus.This is the first time since 2015 that the role of president-chancellor will be separate.Pierre said he hopes to expand numerous programs, specifically in the realms of agriculture and STEM.Incoming freshmen will receive a scholarship from the United States Departm

Baton Rouge domestic violence shelter holds ribbon-cutting for new teen library, garden

BATON ROUGE — The Iris Domestic Violence Center in Baton Rouge opened a new garden and library for teens on Monday.The Iris Domestic Violence Center helps domestic violence survivors get away from their abusers. The new additions to the center were celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and are ready to accept domestic abuse survivors.Iris is one of 17 shelters statewide. WBRZ featured the shelter in the "Our City, Our Problem: Domestic Violence" special, which noted that the shelt

Man arrested for simple burglary; allegedly stole from bait store damaged in May fire

PLAQUEMINE - A man was arrested Monday for simple burglary after allegedly stealing crawfish traps and other fishing supplies from a bait shop that was damaged in a May fire. Iberville Parish Sheriff Brett Stassi said Norman Hearns III took crawfish traps, nets and bags of dry crawfish bait from the L&L Bait and Tackle Store, which was severely damaged in an electrical fire on May 7. Hearns was arrested and booked for simple burglary. Permalink| Comments

Three people arrested in killing of Zachary High student

NEW ROADS - Three people were arrested in the murder of a Zachary High student that happened in May. The New Roads Police Department said 16-year-old Jonathan Johnson, Jr. was killed May 19 on Carver Drive. On Monday, 21-year-old Michael Anderson of Baker, 22-year-old Brandon Bell and 19-year-old Dylan Bell of Ventress were all arrested for second-degree murder.No more information was immediately available. Police said more arrests could follow. Permalink| Comments

Three people arrested in homicide of Zachary High student

NEW ROADS - Three people were arrested in the murder of a Zachary High student that happened in May. The New Roads Police Department said 16-year-old Jonathan Johnson, Jr. was killed May 19 on Carver Drive. On Monday, 21-year-old Michael Anderson of Baker, 22-year-old Brandon Bell and 19-year-old Dylan Bell of Ventress were all arrested for second-degree murder.No more information was immediately available. Police said more arrests could follow. Permalink| Comments

Construction worker struck by car on Nicholson Drive; driver still not located

BATON ROUGE - A concrete worker is recovering in the hospital after being struck by a vehicle on a work zone along Nicholson Drive. The incident happened around 3 a.m. on Friday, June 21. The victim, an employee at Quality Concrete, was setting up a job in a closed lane when a vehicle barreled through traffic controls and struck her.According to Chris Black, an operations manager at Quality Concrete, the victim suffered a broken leg in multiple places and required a six-hour emergency

Construction worker recovering after being struck by car on Nicholson Drive; driver still not located

BATON ROUGE - A concrete worker is recovering in the hospital after being struck by a vehicle in a work zone along Nicholson Drive. The incident happened around 3 a.m. on Friday, June 21. The victim, an employee at Quality Concrete, was setting up a job in a closed lane when a vehicle barreled through traffic controls and struck her.According to Chris Black, an operations manager at Quality Concrete, the victim suffered a broken leg in multiple places and required a six-hour emergency

Louisiana soldier accounted for from WWII, headed home to Bogalusa 82 years later

MANILA - Nearly 80 years after a Louisiana WWII soldier died in the Philippines, his body is headed home to be buried in Bogalusa.U.S. Army Private First Class Joseph C. Murphy was 20 when he died as a prisoner of war. He had been unaccounted for until scientists used dental records to identify his body in April.In 1942, PFC. Murphy entered the U.S. Army from Bogalusa, Louisiana, and was a member of Company I, 31st Infantry Regiment in the Philippines during WWII. He was captured following the

Monday's Health Report: Get to know the symptoms, treatments of an enlarged prostate

BATON ROUGE — Benign prostatic hyperplasia, also called an enlarged prostate, is incredibly common, especially among men over the age of 40. While it is not the same as prostate cancer, it can cause significant quality of life issues.Some lifestyle changes can help with treatment and reduce symptoms."I like to tell patients that the prostate is kind of like an orange with a straw going right through the middle of it. And as we age, the prostate gets larger and larger. And the straw go

Segments of St. Patrick Street, Vatican Drive in Donaldsonville to see lane closures starting July 1

DONALDSONVILLE — Alternating lane closures will begin in both directions of La. 945 (St. Patrick Street/Vatican Drive) on July 1 between La. 3089 and La. 308 in Donaldsonville, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development announced.The nearly 1.5-mile project will include asphalt milling, pavement patching, asphalt concrete overlay, drainage and striping. It will cost about $944,520.46.According to LaDOTD, the closures will take place daily from Monday through Friday. Fl

One person injured, airlifted to hospital after truck hits tree in Central

CENTRAL — One person was injured and airlifted to a hospital after their truck struck a tree Monday morning at the intersection of Liberty Road and La. 64 in Central, fire officials said.The Pride Central fire departments responded to the scene shortly after the single-vehicle crash happened around 8 a.m.According to Central Fire, the driver had to be extricated from the wreckage.Permalink| Comments

With intentions to turn property into duplex, city says not so fast

BATON ROUGE - Confusion over a permit could cost one man thousands of dollars.Rich Knecht, a contractor, says he's having trouble with the permitting office after fixing up a house, with intentions to rent it out as a duplex. The city is saying he doesn't have permission to do so."It would have been nice if they told me that in the beginning, I wouldn't have spent all this money separating everything," Knecht said.The house, which has been sitting vacant since the 2016 flood, has been completel

Mississippi officials to share updates to investigation in death of Loranger woman, 4-year-old daughter

JACKSON, Miss. — Officials in Mississippi are expected to share updates on the state's role in the investigation into the deaths of a Loranger woman and her 4-year-old daughter, as well as the ongoing murder and kidnapping cases against Danial Callihan and Victoria Cox at a press conference at the state public safety headquarters Monday afternoon.The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, Mississippi Attorney General's Office, Jackson Police Department, Hinds County Sheriff's Office, Di