WBRZ - Baton Rouge

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• Black caucus drops tax plan, except cigarette tax

  April 16, 2013 2:15 PM

  BATON ROUGE- With the House tax committee dropping debate of Gov. Bobby Jindal's income tax repeal, the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus says it won't push its alternate tax plan to lower the tax rates. Rep. Katrina Jackson, who is the chair of the group, says the caucus wouldn't seek hearings... more »

• Conference to teach students about climate change

  April 2, 2013 1:40 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Dillard University says 10 historically black colleges and universities are holding a conference this week about climate change and community resilience. The HBCU Climate Change Student Conference runs Thursday through Saturday at Dillard. Dillard's Deep South Center for Environmental Justice says the conference is designed to introduce... more »

• The Next Pope: Vatican says consensus takes time

  March 13, 2013 10:18 AM

  VATICAN CITY - The sight of thick black smoke from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel is bringing sighs of disappointment from the thousands of people who've gathered there in the rainy, chilly weather, waiting for news that a new pope has been elected. Click here to watch a... more »

• Historic moment for Baton Rouge students Play Video

  February 22, 2013 5:24 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Racial tensions were high in 1960 as the first african-american student, Ruby Bridges, only 6 years old walked into William Frantz Elementary school in New Orleans. A captivated audience of students in Baton Rouge, her grade school innocence, kept her from realizing her place in history. ... more »

• La. Black Caucus founder Richard Turnley Jr. dies

  January 23, 2013 3:01 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Richard Turnley Jr., one of the founding members of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus, died recently after battling a long illness. Turnley and nine other African American legislators established the caucus in 1977 to bring together black legislators and champion causes of the "least among us."... more »

• Second La. black bear killed in a week

  December 5, 2012 5:12 PM

  POINTE COUPEE - Wildlife officials asked the public for help finding the people responsible for killing a black bear found in Pointe Coupee Parish. It's the second bear shot and killed in the past week in Louisiana, according to the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. According to... more »

• Agency: Company needs to improve offshore safety

  November 21, 2012 1:53 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A federal agency has told the owner of an offshore oil platform where a deadly explosion and fire happened last week to take immediate steps to improve safety at its offshore operations. The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said Wednesday that Black Elk Energy Offshore Operations... more »

• Louisiana black bear hit, killed along US 90

  November 12, 2012 4:02 PM

  PATTERSON - A young female Louisiana black bear has been found dead along U.S. 90. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents say she probably was hit by a vehicle early Monday as she tried to cross the highway. Black bears are federally protected as a threatened species The Daily... more »

• 5th Circuit gets 1st black chief judge

  October 1, 2012 3:00 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has its first black chief judge. Monday is Judge Carl E. Stewart's first day as chief judge of the New Orleans-based appeals court. The Shreveport resident succeeds Judge Edith H. Jones, who stepped down from the post. President... more »

• Romney draws boos from NAACP when he dings Obama

  July 11, 2012 10:18 AM

  HOUSTON - Republican Mitt Romney is telling black voters that he's a better choice than President Barack Obama to help build their neighborhoods and lessen unemployment among African Americans. But Romney was greeted with boos from attendees at the NAACP's annual meeting Wednesday in Houston when he pledged to repeal... more »

• Romney to make pitch to black voters at NAACP

  July 11, 2012 7:38 AM

  HOUSTON - Mitt Romney will talk economics today in a rare appearance before the NAACP, the nation's oldest civil rights group. The black organization has largely backed Democrats, but Romney hopes he can sell a message that his policies would be better for blacks, who have an overall unemployment... more »

• Southern Baptists elect 1st black president

  June 19, 2012 3:06 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - The Southern Baptist Convention has elected its first African-American leader. The Rev. Fred Luter Jr. was elected president of the nation's largest Protestant denomination on Tuesday at its annual meeting. He is the pastor at Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans. The historic move comes as... more »

• Study: 70 percent of African American kids can't swim Play Video

  May 24, 2012 6:18 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Minority children, African Americans in particular, are more likely to die from an accidental drowning because more than half don't know how to swim. That's according to USA Swimming, which says 70 percent of African American kids don't know how to swim, and they're three times more... more »

• Hard rocker Ted Nugent accused of "illegal kill"

  April 23, 2012 3:15 PM

  ANCHORAGE - Rocker Ted Nugent is scheduled for a Tuesday court hearing in Alaska and expected to plead guilty to transporting a black bear he illegally killed. The conservative activist signed a plea agreement with federal prosecutors that was filed Friday in U.S. District Court. The plea agreement says Nugent... more »

• Jimmy Buffet, Kiss and Black Keys free concert in NO

  March 20, 2012 10:25 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - Jimmy Buffet, Kiss and the Black Keys are scheduled to give free concerts in New Orleans the weekend of the NCAA Men's Final Four. They're appearing in the league's annual "The Big Dance Concert" series which will be held this year in Woldenberg Park. Kiss... more »

• New warning signs along dangerous road

  March 7, 2012 11:18 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development announced Wednesday that warning signs will be installed on LA 935 to alert drivers of curves. Two girls were killed last month in an accident on LA 935 in St. Amant. The car driven by their mother ran off... more »

• 911 caller recounts tragic crash Play Video

  February 23, 2012 5:52 PM

  ST. AMANT - Just days after a harrowing 911 call alerted first responders to the tragedy on Stringer Bridge Road, Tandy Ragas is still reliving the night. "They were all screaming, save my babies, save my babies, please, there's four babies in there, get them out," said Ragas, who... more »

• Woman recalls accident on dangerous St. Amant road

  February 23, 2012 10:38 AM

  ST. AMANT - Motorists who drive Stringer Bridge Road know about the road's potential hazards. Tuesday night two girls died when their mother's car ran off the road and landed into Black Bayou. There is a petition drive to build a guardrail along the road's dangerous curve where... more »

• LISTEN: Authorities release 911 tapes of car submerged in bayou Play Video

  February 23, 2012 10:22 AM

  ST. AMANT - 911 tapes revealed the frantic efforts of rescuers as they tried to pull a woman and four children from a submerged car in Ascension Parish the night of Mardi Gras. The calls include the wife of a man who jumped into the Black Bayou to try... more »

• Black history museum to break ground in Washington

  February 22, 2012 8:05 AM

  WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama and former first lady Laura Bush will help break ground for a new national museum telling the history of black art, life and culture as part of the Smithsonian Institution. After today's event, construction can begin for the National Museum of African American History and... more »

• SU to hold national black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

  February 1, 2012 3:04 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The Southern University HIV/AIDS Prevention Program in the Center for Social Research will be observing National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. There will be lectures, demonstrations and powerful testimonials at the free event set for Tuesday, February 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Royal... more »

• Black bear found dead in Pointe Coupee Parish

  December 22, 2011 2:20 PM

  Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents are looking for leads into who may illegally killed a black bear that was found floating in the Mississippi River in Pointe Coupee Parish. Hunters in the area reported the bear to LDWF on Sunday, Dec. 11 near the old ferry landing.... more »

• Shoppers buying for themselves as well as for others

  November 27, 2010 1:33 PM

  NEW YORK - Retailers are calling it an encouraging sign for the holiday shopping season. They say many customers are not just buying gifts for family and friends, they're buying things for themselves too. While there aren't many sales figures yet for Black Friday, crowds were large. Meanwhile, shoppers who... more »

• Thanksgiving sales bring shoppers, grumbles

  November 25, 2010 4:22 PM

  NEW YORK - Not all Americans tucked into turkey with their families on Thanksgiving. Some were out shopping, hitting sales ahead of the crowds expected Friday. After a year of cautious spending and worry over an uncertain economy and high unemployment, more stores this year extended hours into Thanksgiving Day,... more »

• Holiday money mistakes to avoid

  November 25, 2010 12:27 PM

  CHICAGO - Experts say Black Friday shoppers should remember their budgets before they head out the door with their credit cards and holiday lists. Consumers Reports say shoppers can end up taking a year to pay for all the spending. It says more than 13 million people are still paying... more »

• Senate approves $4.6B for black farmers, Indians

  November 19, 2010 3:44 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Senate has approved almost $4.6 billion to settle longstanding claims brought by American Indians and black farmers against the government. The money has been held up for months in the Senate as Democrats and Republicans squabbled over how to pay for it. Both of the class action... more »

• Chef of the Month - Black and Gold Shrimp

  September 22, 2010 5:48 AM

  3-5 small to medium asparagus spears 9-12 Louisiana 16/20 count shrimp, peeled (leave the tail) and deveined 1-2 tsp your favorite blackened seasoning Healthy pat of unsalted butter Bamboo skewers, soaked in water Small bunch parsley, finely chopped Lemon, cut into wedges *hollandaise -8 oz unsalted butter -3 egg yolks... more »

• Study looks at state population of black bears

  September 21, 2010 10:52 AM

  The first-ever scientific count shows Louisiana's largest black bear concentration, in a northeastern refuge, had about 300 animals in 2008. State biologist Mike Hooker, who recently completed analysis of data collected from 2006-08, said nearly 50 sows and about 100 cubs were moved from the area during that period to... more »

• Rapides Parish School Board ends the year in black

  July 30, 2010 6:05 AM

  Rapides Parish School Board officials ended the budget year in the black, but the future may not look as bright. Rapides Parish Schools Superintendent Gary Jones told board members this week to be prepared for what could be a rougher fiscal year ahead, one that could include layoffs. Jones, who... more »

• Court date set in Katrina shooting case

  July 29, 2010 5:05 AM

  A Mississippi man is set to be arraigned on charges he fired a shotgun at three black men in what prosecutors call a racially motivated attack in Hurricane Katrina's aftermath. One of Roland Bourgeois Jr.'s alleged victims was shot in the throat but survived. Two others had less serious wounds.... more »

• Judge: Noose lawsuit to go forward

  July 20, 2010 7:59 AM

  A lawsuit accusing a Baton Rouge man of putting a hangman's noose in a black colleague's work area in 2008 will move forward. A state district judge rejected arguments from attorneys for Reggie Parent and GeoEngineers Inc. that Reginald Drummer's suit did not state a cause of action. The judge... more »

• SC police: Black man shot to death, body dragged

  June 3, 2010 9:40 AM

  State police say a white man has been arrested in the shooting death of a black man whose body was then dragged several miles down a road in central South Carolina. State law enforcement say Anthony Hill's body was found Wednesday, and the killing is being investigated as a possible... more »

• Black Caucus opposes State Attorney General actions

  March 26, 2010 10:27 AM

  The Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus announced they are against the recent actions of Attorney General Buddy Caldwell in joining suit, seeking to invalidate the health care reform bill. The bill was signed into law by President Barack Obama earlier this week. Leaders with the state Black Caucus believe... more »

• Landrieu wants funds approved for black farmers

  March 25, 2010 6:05 AM

  U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu is calling on Congress to approve a $1.15 billion deal with black farmers that could end a years-long stalemate over alleged racial discrimination by the Agriculture Department. Landrieu says the settlement isn't "just about correcting past wrongs - it is about ensuring future prosperity." She said... more »

• More than 1,500 Saints fans rally in Monroe

  February 5, 2010 8:00 AM

  Excitement over the New Orleans Saints' getting into the Super Bowl isn't just a south Louisiana phenomenon. More than 1,500 people showed up to rally for the team in the Monroe Civic Center. Thursday's rally featured loud music celebrating the Saints' best season in team history and lots of "Who... more »