WBRZ - Baton Rouge

Tagged News

• News 2 Investigates: Crime camera costs, criticisms Play Video

  May 16, 2013 2:41 PM

  BATON ROUGE- A News 2 investigation into crime cameras in the city of Baton Rouge revealed thousands of dollars are being spent on the current system, but there hasn't been one conviction in court as a result of the expensive crime fighting tools. At least one Baton Rouge Metro Council... more »

• ExxonMobil found liable in NH pollution trial

  April 9, 2013 11:47 AM

  CONCORD, N.H.- A jury in New Hampshire has found ExxonMobil liable in a long-running lawsuit over groundwater contamination by the gasoline additive MTBE. The oil giant could pay hundreds of millions of dollars to clean it up. The jury must now deliberate the cost of damages. Jurors sat through nearly... more »

• Livingston talks cost of beefing up school security Play Video

  March 19, 2013 8:54 PM

  LIVINGSTON - In the current social and educational climate, keeping children safe at school is more difficult and expensive than it once was. Especially after the number of mass shootings -happening around the country-- is on the rise. That's why the Livingston Parish School Board and the Livingston Parish Sheriff... more »

• La. AG's oil spill tab nears $24M

  January 14, 2013 2:48 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana's attorney general has spent nearly $24 million building the state's legal case against BP over the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. And records show much of the money has gone to outside law firms that have contributed to his campaigns. The $15.4 million that Attorney... more »

• Phone calls to get cheaper at La. prisons

  December 12, 2012 5:42 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The costs of many prison phone calls are set to drop over the next couple of years. The Louisiana Public Service Commission agreed Wednesday to a revamped proposal that will shrink the price tag for prisoners to call home, after complaints that current rates were too high... more »

• Motorcycle deaths, injuries cost $16 billion

  November 27, 2012 3:01 PM

  WASHINGTON - A government watchdog says direct costs from deaths and injuries in motorcycle crashes were $16 billion in 2010, but the full cost is likely higher. The report by the Government Accountability Office said motorcyclists are involved in fatal crashes at higher rates than drivers of other types... more »

• Revenue dept. issues proposed rule for tax break

  September 26, 2012 11:47 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The state Department of Revenue is proposing new regulations governing Louisiana's alternative fuel vehicle tax credit to limit estimated program costs to $10 million a year. That's far higher than initial estimates of the tax break's price tag. But the move to eliminate "flex-fuel vehicles" - which... more »

• Isaac costs Entergy at least $400 million Play Video

  September 18, 2012 11:18 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - Entergy Corp. says its estimated damages from Hurricane Isaac range from $400 million to $500 million, and the storm is expected to reduce the utility's third-quarter revenue. In a news release on Tuesday, Entergy said it will pursue all reasonable avenues to recover storm costs, including using... more »

• La. solar tax credit price tag far above estimates

  August 9, 2012 10:38 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A tax break passed by lawmakers four years ago to spur investment in solar energy has become a costly deal for the state, siphoning millions of dollars more than expected from Louisiana's coffers. When lawmakers passed the Wind and Solar Energy Systems Tax Credit in 2007, fiscal... more »

• Trash pick-up costing Port Allen Play Video

  August 2, 2012 5:54 PM

  PORT ALLEN- After a rate increase on Wednesday, Mayor Roger Bergeron noticed the cost of trash pickup would put a significant dent in the city's budget, to the tune of nearly $320,000. "For some time now, the city has been subsidizing the recycling portion of the garbage contract and... more »

• Gov't report: health cost relief only temporary

  June 12, 2012 3:07 PM

  WASHINGTON - The nation's been enjoying a respite from rising health care costs, but government experts say don't look for it to last. Health care spending will grow faster than the economy for the foreseeable future, says a report Tuesday from Medicare's nonpartisan economic analysts. President Barack Obama's health care... more »

• White House pushes for college cost transparency

  June 5, 2012 9:38 AM

  WASHINGTON - The White House is partnering with dozens of colleges to provide new students with easier-to-understand information on costs and financial aid. Vice President Joe Biden is announcing the partnership Tuesday along with representatives from several schools, including Syracuse University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.... more »

• CATS Tax: Passes in Baton Rouge and Baker Play Video

  April 21, 2012 9:14 PM

  BATON ROUGE- A tax to pay for public transit has passed in Baton Rouge and Baker. It was turned down in Zachary. That means millions of dollars for the Captial Area Transit System or CATS. In Baton Rouge, voters favored the tax by a 54% to 46% margin. The... more »

• Bogalusa's public graveyards may get more pricey

  January 2, 2012 2:20 PM

  BOGALUSA - Some Bogalusa residents are upset by at a proposal to raise the price of plots at the two city-owned cemeteries. They now cost $100 at Bogalusa Cemetery and $150 at Ponemah Cemetery. City officials want to raise the price to $700. The Daily News reports that the City... more »

• Survey: Thanksgiving costs down this year

  November 15, 2011 12:11 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings will cost Louisiana families less this year, according to LSU. A survey by the LSU AgCenter found the basic cost for a meal to feed 10 people this year will be $39.10. That's a slight decrease from last year's... more »

• EBR Schools preparing for bus cameras

  August 25, 2011 6:45 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The process of installing cameras on East Baton Rouge school buses is about to begin, but the school district isn't footing the bill. The school board recently approved a measure to put the cameras on 35 of the district's 600 buses, at a cost of $7,000... more »

• La. computer upgrade delay adds $25M cost

  May 31, 2011 12:38 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The Jindal administration's decision to slow plans for a $100 million upgrade to state government computer systems has boosted the price tag for completing the project by another $25 million. Senators learned of the cost hike Tuesday as they combed through the 2011-12 budget. Rather... more »

• The Meth Effect: Part 2

  March 1, 2011 10:17 PM

  You already pay for fire equipment and training for law enforcement and emergency agencies. But to keep them safe from meth labs and their hazards, you could soon be paying to clean those labs and foot the bill for extra classes on dealing with the drug. Rural parish authorities... more »

• EBR school board looks to trim travel costs

  January 23, 2011 12:25 PM

  BATON ROUGE- The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board is discussing ways to cut back on the cost of professional travel. The Advocate newspaper said expense reports showed 167 different trips costing more than $240,000 that 17 different board took since January 2005. The issue was brought up... more »

• Baton Rouge sewer fees to go up Jan. 1

  December 20, 2010 8:57 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The cost of washing a load of clothes, running a dishwasher and flushing a toilet will go up by 4 percent in East Baton Rouge Parish on Jan. 1. The fee increase is necessary to pay for $1.3 billion in federally mandated sewer improvements. An average household... more »

• EBR ordinance opens door for school bus cameras

  November 10, 2010 10:50 PM

  Baton Rouge- The Baton Rouge Metro Council has paved the way for the school district to crack down on drivers illegally passing stopped school buses with cameras. The district says it happens too often, and they want to have a picture of violators to use in court, like the... more »

• Litter cleanup bill put at $40 million a year

  November 5, 2010 12:15 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The executive director of Keep Louisiana Beautiful says state and local governments pay $40 million a year to pick up and haul away litter, from cigarette butts to discarded furniture and appliances. Leigh Harris told the House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment on Thursday that the... more »

• Metro Council approves increased health care plan

  October 27, 2010 10:28 PM

  The East Baton Rouge Metro Council approved increasing the cost of health insurance for city-parish workers on Wednesday night. A $5 million deficit in the health care budget for the city-parish forced the decision. Had members left 2010's plan in place, the city-parish would instead face a $9 million... more »

• LSU crime cameras successful, despite reputation elsewhere

  October 21, 2010 10:31 PM

  The LSU Police Department said its crime camera system isn't perfect, but it puts the university on a new level when it comes to keeping students safe. When the university's police department got into the crime camera business in 2007, it followed the footsteps of the city of Baton... more »

• Construction on downtown BR condos to start next year

  October 12, 2010 6:33 PM

  Right now, 438 Main Street is just a shell of a building, but one woman said she has the plans to change that. The building could attract more people to live in downtown Baton Rouge. It’s the latest affordable housing in the downtown area. News 2’s Michael Shingleton... more »

• BP oil spill costs rise above $3 billion

  July 5, 2010 8:10 AM

  BP's tab for responding to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has reached more than $3 billion. The bill does not include the $20 billion fund for Gulf damage. BP says it has spent $147 million settling 47,000 claims for payment - or about half of the claims... more »

• BP: Gulf oil spill costs have reached $2.65B

  June 28, 2010 7:54 AM

  BP says the cost of the company's response to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill has reached about $2.65 billion. The costs include spill response, containment, relief well drilling, grants to Gulf states, claims paid, and federal costs. BP says it has received more than 80,000 claims and made almost... more »

• Back pain widely overtreated

  June 8, 2010 5:30 AM

  A recent estimate has Americans spending a staggering $86 billion a year to care for aching backs. The money covers MRIs, pain pills, nerve blocks, even acupuncture. However, research finds little evidence that the population got better as the medical bills soared over the past decade. The reality is that... more »

• New law gets rid of construction signs

  May 28, 2010 5:11 AM

  Signs describing the cost and scheduled completion date of highway construction will be done away with after Gov. Bobby Jindal signed the bill into law. The change was a cost-cutting move for the state transportation department, because the signs cost about $500 apiece. State transportation officials say information about highway... more »

• Study shows costs of litter

  May 18, 2010 5:12 AM

  A study done for "Keep Louisiana Beautiful" says state and local governments in Louisiana spend an estimated $40 million a year to clean up litter. Keep Louisiana Beautiful says litter is an avoidable and costly problem for taxpayers. The survey found that one-third of the cost of roadside mowing involves... more »

• Some oil costs could fall on taxpayers

  May 14, 2010 10:33 AM

  The cost of the oil spill may wind up trickling down to taxpayers. The Obama administration is asking Congress to approve $10 million for potential legal costs arising from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. A letter from the Office of Management and Budget says the money... more »

• BP loses $10M a day fighting spill

  May 13, 2010 10:19 AM

  BP says its costs for fighting the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico have risen by $100 million in three days. That brings the total to about $450 million. The company says the sharp increase was likely caused by a lag in reporting costs. That tab includes... more »

• Lawmakers question driver's license cost increase

  March 8, 2010 11:01 AM

  The cost of a Louisiana driver's license went up $15 Monday, and lawmakers are questioning the jump in price. A basic license now costs $36.50, up from $21.50. The Louisiana State Police announced the price hike less than two weeks ago. Col. Mike Edmonson, the head of the Department of... more »