Tagged News

• Controversy at CATS, leaked audio hints at millions in missing dollars Play Video

  October 20, 2021 6:38 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Leaked audio that surfaced this week between the second-in-command at the Capital Area Transit System (CATS) and a former employee raises questions about whether millions of dollars are missing. The conversation was so concerning, East Baton Rouge Metro Councilman Dwight Hudson forwarded it to District Attorney... more »

• Time for 'cultural unity,' Baton Rouge private school says while addressing students' offensive social media post

  January 20, 2021 5:02 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Organizations continue to grapple with offensive or abhorrent remarks amid ongoing political and cultural divides. Wednesday, Parkview Baptist was the latest to address social media posts featuring students using offensive language. Monday, on Martin Luther King Day, students were seen in a picture message with the... more »

• Hundreds of Krewe of Nyx riders, two dozen lieutenants resign amid racial controversy

  June 10, 2020 12:02 AM

  NEW ORLEANS — Several float lieutenants and riders of Mardi Gras' all-female super krewe, the Mystic Krewe of Nyx, have resigned their memberships. According to WWL TV, a statement released by the organization says all of the Nyx's non-board member float lieutenants and... more »

• Pastor Tony Spell files lawsuit against Governor Edwards over stay-at-home order

  May 8, 2020 6:03 PM

  CENTRAL - A local pastor who flagrantly defied Governor John Bel Edwards' stay-at-home order by repeatedly holding large gatherings at his church is now suing the governor and local officials. Documents filed Thursday say pastor Tony Spell is seeking a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction preventing Governor Edwards... more »

• Report: Will Wade won't testify at bribery trial involving hoops scandal

  April 19, 2019 12:15 PM

  BATON ROUGE – It appears Will Wade won’t be testifying in the federal corruption trial targeting college basketball recruiting. Court reporters in New York posted on social media Friday, a judge there decided Wade and wiretaps that ensnared him in the scandal that led to his brief suspension will... more »

• Baton Rouge Police publicly confront social media image amid blackface controversy

  February 11, 2019 6:58 PM

  BATON ROUGE – In a rare attempt to confront potential controversy head-on, the Baton Rouge Police Department clarified a social media post that circulated over the weekend showing officers dressed in plain clothes and wearing dark face paint 26 years ago. The image was taken of undercover officers conducting... more »

• After lengthy discussion, BREC unanimously agrees to keep Baton Rouge Zoo in current location Play Video

  March 22, 2018 7:01 PM

  BATON ROUGE – After almost 3 hours of public discussion for and against the proposal to relocate the Baton Rouge Zoo, the BREC board voted unanimously to keep it in its current location. As consultants spoke about their findings supporting a move for the zoo, those against held signs... more »

• FEMA wants people to pay as much as $1,000 to rent trailers

  November 9, 2017 12:49 PM

  BATON ROUGE – FEMA began reminding people that assistance from the August 2016 flood ends in February and those living in MHUs will be charged rent. Letters were sent to people in FEMA trailers recently and have become a controversial topic on social media sites where people impacted by... more »

• After first canceling National Anthem, Central High to sing it at Friday pep rally Play Video

  September 28, 2017 10:19 AM

  CENTRAL – Central High School will have the national anthem play at its homecoming pep rally Friday, after outraged families responded to an announcement that the school planned to skip the song. Sandy Davis, the assistant superintendent, said the original decision to not perform the anthem was made "amid... more »

• Southern University stands by decision to fire Dumas

  August 16, 2017 2:51 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The Southern University Board of Supervisors say they made the right decision after voting to uphold the firing of former Vice Chancellor Brandon Dumas. Last week, Dumas filed a lawsuit saying his firing was a violation of due process according to court documents. Southern stands... more »

• Amid controversy over who got BRAVE grants, calls made for state auditor to probe mayor's deals Play Video

  July 31, 2017 4:20 PM

  BATON ROUGE – There are at least two requests for a state investigation into Baton Rouge Mayor Sharon Weston Broome's handling of the BRAVE grant program. Those in charge of the BRAVE program today said they had no idea the contracts her office doled out existed. Monday afternoon, the... more »

• Mayor's message on muckraking hatred

  May 19, 2017 11:56 AM

  BATON ROUGE – In an unusual message emailed to media outlets Friday, Mayor Sharon Weston Broome chastised people who, she said, are attempting to fuel divisiveness in the community. It's not clear exactly what prompted the mayor's remarks, but twice she referenced people or media outlets that “attempt to... more »

• Council members walk out on controversial Council on Aging discussion Play Video

  April 12, 2017 6:20 PM

  BATON ROUGE – The Metro Council failed to approve city ordinances associated with a property tax to fund the EBR Council on Aging after several members walked out of the meeting Wednesday evening. JUST NOW: @GaryChambersJr told metro council "holding up the decision of the people is a... more »

• Baton Rouge area Catholic school responds to student's racist essay about Black History Month

  February 20, 2017 4:38 PM

  BATON ROUGE – Parents and students of a Catholic high school received a letter, apologizing after a student's essay that chastised African Americans circulated on the internet. The essay, assigned to a class at St. Michael the Archangel in Baton Rouge, was about Black History Month. Instead of writing... more »

• Comments made on BR radio got a northwest La. coach removed from his job

  February 17, 2017 11:56 AM

  BOSSIER CITY – A northwest Louisiana football powerhouse removed its football coach Friday over comments made during a radio interview heard in Baton Rouge dealing with college football coaches at the University of Alabama. David Feaster coached at Bossier City's Parkway High until Friday morning. In an interview... more »

• Council on Aging promises transparency spending millions Play Video

  January 26, 2017 12:46 PM

  BATON ROUGE – The EBR Council on Aging promised transparency and announced it will hold a series of meetings to discuss its controversial property tax that was approved by voters in November. The council shared information in a news release issued Thursday morning. Some on the Metro Council... more »

• Spanish Town Parade asks for usual irreverence but inclusion Play Video

  January 20, 2017 2:36 PM

  BATON ROUGE – Organizers of the obscure and intentionally irreverent yet immensely popular Spanish Town Parade are asking parade-goers to embrace each other's differences this year. In a post on the organizer's Facebook page, Spanish Town officials shared thoughts about inclusiveness. As The Advocate newspaper pointed out later, the... more »

• Rally planned at school board office over graduation ban

  May 21, 2016 6:12 PM

  AMITE - The Tangipahoa Parish NAACP said it will participate in a rally Monday with friends and relatives of a high school valedictorian who was not allowed to walk across the stage last week because he had facial hair. WBRZ and WBRZ.com first reported about Andrew Jones Thursday .... more »

• Students to rally after LSUPD 'hurtful and heinous' comments

  April 6, 2016 10:47 PM

  BATON ROUGE – A group of LSU students are planning to rally Monday after a LSU Police Lieutenant made comments to the Daily Reveille about campus rape statistics. In an report with a Daily Reveille reporter about football game day sexual assaults, LSU Police Public Information Officer Lt. Kevin... more »

• Poster outside EBR library prompts talk about how police are perceived Play Video

  March 15, 2016 7:04 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A controversial mystery is unfolding in the front yard of a library. As library officials constructed a display of posters made by Woodlawn Middle School students, one struck a nerve: a poster depicting police brutality featuring a shadowy figure appearing to be a police officer pointing... more »

• Amid complaints and concerns, fake TV news report ad pulled from airwaves

  October 23, 2015 7:42 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A political ad was pulled from the airwaves amid concerns the ad was deceiving to viewers. "The intentions are obvious in this situation. The call letters on the ad reference a fake television station 'WBRD' but are too similar to call letters of our station, WBRZ.... more »

• Tiger fan talks about being kicked out of restaurant for being a Tiger fan Play Video

  October 23, 2015 12:08 AM

  DESTIN – A restaurant here is trying to make a bad situation better by sponsoring a party where proceeds benefit a scholarship after one customer and LSU fan's story about service at the eatery went viral Thursday. "We were greeted by the manager, and the first thing he said... more »

• Family asks cemetery to exhume mystery grave Play Video

  September 16, 2015 11:30 PM

  BATON ROUGE- A mother and daughter spent the day here, driving in from Texas to try and mitigate what has become a painful process of locating a dead family member whose grave site has gone missing. "Originally, the headstone was right here," Carolyn Jones said as she pointed to... more »

• Family fights cemetery over missing grave Play Video

  September 14, 2015 11:47 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A family is making arrangements to travel from Texas to Louisiana in an effort to gather more information about the disappearance of their loved one from a grave site. "We have no idea whose grave we've been putting flowers on," Courtney Tanner said in a phone... more »

• Katrina snow globes cause social media death threats

  August 26, 2015 5:13 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A souvenir commemorating Hurricane Katrina has caused an uproar on social media as some people see an artist's work as minimization of the pain and tragic loss of life that came with the worst natural disaster in U.S. history. A range of opinions have been expressed, even... more »

• Candidate for Lt. Governor draws criticism for use of 'n' word Play Video

  August 18, 2015 6:52 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A state Senator from Opelousas is drawing fire tonight for a controversial campaign ad that uses the "n" word. Elbert Guillory says his ad refers to the words of President Lyndon Johnson in 1964 after he signed the Civil Rights Act. According to Guillory's Facebook Page,... more »

• Dynasty crew: Can't go forward without Phil Play Video

  December 19, 2013 7:58 PM

  WEST MONROE- In an open-ended letter, the cast of Duck Dynasty appear to be ready to fly away from cable network A&E about 24 hours after they were dumped from the sky into a swampy mess over some comments one star made dealing with gay people. Near the end... more »

• CATS $16 million property tax repeal gaining steam Play Video

  August 22, 2013 10:34 PM

  BATON ROUGE - People are demanding a repeal of the tax that funds the public transit system in the wake of recent controversies "Instead of making Baton Rouge look like the next great city, it's making clear that there are some very corrupt people," conservative activist Woody Jenkins said.... more »

• Man's 18-year-old dog killed 'accidentally' by shelter

  May 17, 2013 4:05 PM

  CENTRAL- A man is distraught after the animal shelter in Baton Rouge euthanized his 18-year-old Calhoun Collie mix Friday. Bowwow ran away last week and was picked-up by animal control agents on a street away from home. Patrick Morris said he spent the last seven days looking for him,... more »