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• Don Pelts, founder of Corky's, dies in Memphis

  May 16, 2013 12:06 PM

  MEMPHIS, Tenn. - A relative says that Don Pelts, founder of Memphis-based barbecue restaurant Corky's Ribs and Bar-B-Q, has died. Pelts' son, Barry Pelts, said his father died suddenly Wednesday night of a heart attack at age 72. Pelts opened the first Corky's in Memphis in 1984, serving ribs and... more »

• Gerry Lane dies after battle with cancer

  May 3, 2013 8:08 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Longtime car dealer Gerry Lane has died after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 82 years old. According to a family spokesperson, Lane passed away peacefully in his home early Friday morning. Lane's auto dealerships across the U. S. generated more than $10 billion in... more »

• George Jones, country superstar, has died at 81

  April 26, 2013 10:35 AM

  NASHVILLE, Tenn. - George Jones, the peerless, hard-living country singer who recorded dozens of hits about good times and regrets and peaked with the heartbreaking classic "He Stopped Loving Her Today," has died. He was 81. Publicist Kirt Webster says Jones died Friday at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville... more »

• Infant twins die of positional asphyxia

  April 10, 2013 10:37 PM

  BAKER- Two infants died of positional asphyxia, according to East Baton Rouge Coroner Dr. Beau Clark. Clark said the infants were swaddled and placed in a crib with thick bedding, and rolled over. Positional asphyxia happens when the body moves and doesn't allow enough air for breathing. ... more »

• Downsville man dies in wreck

  April 8, 2013 9:14 AM

  RUSTON- State police say a Downsville man died from injuries suffered in a one-vehicle wreck. The accident happened Sunday morning on La. Highway 3072 at Highway 33 north of Ruston. Troopers say a 2012 Mack tractor trailer, driven by 61-year-old Lester Jordan, was westbound on Highway 3072 when it crossed... more »

• BREC Zoo announces elephant Judy has died

  March 29, 2013 12:48 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The BREC Baton Rouge Zoo announced that its Asian elephant named Judy has died. Zoo director Phil Frost said Judy was a "geriatric" animal at age 46, and died after a long illness. Asian elephants can live up to age 60 in the wild, according to... more »

• Former state fire marshal passes away

  March 12, 2013 4:26 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The state fire marshal's office announced Tuesday that the former fire marshal who oversaw response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita passed away last week. Henry Fry died Friday at his home in Covington, according to State Fire Marshal Butch Browning. Fry served as state fire... more »

• Coroner: Lion's victim died quickly of broken neck

  March 7, 2013 5:37 PM

  DUNLAP, Calif. - Central California officials say the 24-year-old victim of a fatal lion attack died quickly of a broken neck. Fresno County Coroner David Hadden says Dianna Hanson was already dead when the 550-pound lion was tossing her body about its enclosure shortly after the Wednesday afternoon attack. Hadden... more »

• Federal judge Frank Polozola dies after cancer fight Play Video

  February 25, 2013 10:43 AM

  BATON ROUGE - U. S. District Court Judge Frank Polozola, who presided over the criminal trial of former governor Edwin Edwards, died this weekend after a long fight with cancer. He was 71. Chief Judge Brian Jackson said Polozola passed away late Sunday night. An LSU law school... more »

• Voice of Louisiana Hayride, Frank Page dies Play Video

  January 11, 2013 3:40 PM

  SHREVEPORT - The man who introduced a then-unknown Elvis Presley to worldwide audiences through his work with the Louisiana Hayride - the state's version of the heralded Grand Ole Opry - has died. Veteran radio broadcaster Frank Page died late Wednesday after succumbing to a severe respiratory infection while hospitalized... more »

• Dog dies in kitchen fire

  December 28, 2012 2:32 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Heavy smoke from a kitchen fire killed a family dog, according to the St. George Fire Department. They said the two-story dwelling, on Lakes Boulevard, was covered in smoke. The residents were not injured. The cause of the fire is under investigation. more »

• AP source: Retired Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf dies

  December 27, 2012 6:47 PM

  WASHINGTON - A U.S. official says retired Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, who commanded the U.S.-led international coalition that drove Saddam Hussein's forces out of Kuwait in 1991, has died. He was 78. The official tells The Associated Press that Schwarzkopf died Thursday in Tampa, Fla. The official wasn't authorized to... more »

• Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii dead at 88

  December 17, 2012 5:14 PM

  WASHINGTON - Influential Sen. Daniel Inouye, a World War II veteran and Medal of Honor recipient, has died. The Democrat from Hawaii broke racial barriers on Capitol Hill and played key roles in congressional investigations of the Watergate and Iran-Contra scandals. He had served in the Senate for 50 years... more »

• Worker injured in platform fire dies

  November 23, 2012 11:56 AM

  BATON ROUGE - One of four Filipino workers injured in an explosion and fire on a Gulf oil platform died today, according to the Phillippine Embassy. Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr., said in a press release that Avelino Tajonera passed away early this morning. He said Tajonera's wife... more »

• BRPD: Teen shot in May dies from injuries

  November 9, 2012 10:16 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Police said a teen girl shot and paralyzed back in May died from her injuries this week. Cpl. L'Jean McKneely with Baton Rouge Police said Mary Johnson, 16, of Baker died on Nov. 7. She'd been shot in the back of the neck while walking down... more »

• Colorado boy dies after 3 years without a brain

  November 1, 2012 1:13 PM

  PUEBLO, Colo. - A Colorado boy who survived three years without a brain has died. Nickolas Coke surprised doctors after he born with only a brain stem. Most babies with that condition are stillborn or die shortly after birth. According to KOAA-TV, the boy survived without medical equipment and was... more »

• Man has stroke at work, spends 5 days alone, dies

  October 31, 2012 1:15 PM

  PORTLAND, Maine - Relatives and authorities say a computer specialist had a stroke in his office and wasn't discovered until five days afterward. He later died at a hospital. David Norton, of Portland, was barely alive when police found him Oct. 10 inside his University of Southern Maine office. He... more »

• One killed in Ga. megachurch shooting

  October 24, 2012 10:33 AM

  COLLEGE PARK, Ga. - Police are searching for the man suspected of opening fire inside a Georgia megachurch, killing one. The shooting happened just before 10 a.m. Wednesday at World Changers Church International, which is led by the Rev. Creflo Dollar. Fulton County Police Cpl. Kay Lester tells The Associated... more »

• Actor Michael Clarke Duncan dead at 54

  September 3, 2012 4:46 PM

  LOS ANGELES - Michael Clarke Duncan's fiancee says the Oscar nominee for "The Green Mile" has died while being hospitalized following a July heart attack. Publicist Joy Fehily released a statement from Clarke's fiancée, the Rev. Omarosa Manigault, saying the 54-year-old actor died Monday morning in a Los Angeles hospital... more »

• First American woman in space dies at 61

  July 23, 2012 5:38 PM

  WASHINGTON - Sally Ride, the first American woman to fly in space, has died. She was 61. NASA confirmed her death Monday afternoon. Her office in San Diego said she died of pancreatic cancer. Ride flew into space on the shuttle Challenger in 1983 when she was 32. President Barack... more »

• Teammates dedicate season to teen who died after practice

  July 22, 2012 7:11 PM

  DUTCHTOWN- The Dutchtown High School community is still struggling with the loss of a teen who collapsed after football practice earlier this week. Sunday, James Burke Cobb's teammates swapped stories, and other members of what they call the Dutchtown Family offered their condolences and cash. Landon Campo says,... more »

• Deputies: Inmate died from natural causes

  July 4, 2012 12:37 PM

  LIVINGSTON - Deputies said an inmate in Livingston Parish died of natural causes while in the jail this week. A sheriff's department spokesperson said Charles David Dunn, 47, died Tuesday in the Livingston Parish Detention Center. Livingston Parish Coroner Dr. Ron Coe performed an autopsy and found Dunn... more »

• "Swamp People" star Guist died of natural causes

  May 16, 2012 4:14 PM

  GONZALES - An autopsy confirmed that Swamp People star Mitchell Guist died from natural causes earlier this week, according to his friend and manager. Todd Alexander said the coroner told Guist's family the results of his report earlier today, and they were in the middle of planning funeral arrangements... more »

• Shooting victim dies after taken off life support

  May 8, 2012 3:54 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A 23-year-old Baton Rouge man shot last weekend has now died. Danjae Parker of 4812 Monarch was taken off life support this morning around 8:30am. Parker was shot in the head while sitting in the passenger seat of a car while at a stop sign... more »

• Lake Charles man killed

  May 6, 2012 9:57 AM

  LAKE CHARLES - Authorities say a 35-year-old Lake Charles man has died in a hit-and-run after he was struck while lying in the westbound lane Louisiana Highway 3112. Louisiana State Police Sgt. James Anderson says in a news release Saturday that Claude William Stuart was hit Saturday just before 2... more »

• Shooting rampage leaves 5 people dead

  May 2, 2012 4:50 PM

  GILBERT - Police in the Phoenix suburb of Gilbert say five people have died in a shooting, including the gunman. The shooting happened inside a home. Police do not believe there are additional suspects. Authorities say the gunman's identity and motives aren't immediately known. The names of the other... more »

• Man dies after he is attacked

  May 2, 2012 3:48 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A 47-year-old man has died after he had been involved in attack last week, on April 27th. 47-year-old Armando Rodriguez Jr. of 9901 Gwenadele told police that another man attacked him while he was standing in the 2900 block of Winnebago Street. He told police... more »

• Livingston bicycle crash claims life of young boy

  March 18, 2012 10:40 AM

  ALBANY - State Police say a crash Saturday night in Livingston Parish has taken the life of a young bicyclist, but was unavoidable by the driver who struck him. It happened on LA 43 north of US 190 shortly after 7:30 p.m. Troopers say Kaylin McKinney, 32, of... more »

• Man bursts into flames after drinking gasoline

  February 28, 2012 5:36 PM

  HAVELOCK, N.C. - A North Carolina man is dead after he accidentally drank a jar of gasoline and then smoked a cigarette. Havelock police said 43-year-old Gary Allen Banning died this morning after he accidentally set himself on fire Monday. He was at a friend's apartment where he... more »

• ATV fatal crash

  February 16, 2012 10:35 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A 52-year-old Belle Rose man was killed in an All Terrain Vehicle accident on Jolimar Street by LA 1 in Assumption Parish. Michael Harris Sr. was traveling north on the southbound shoulder on LA 1 approaching Jolimar Street according to State Police. Harris turned onto... more »

• Family to sue owner of bus where FAMU student died

  January 10, 2012 8:21 AM

  ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - The family of a Florida A&M band member who died after a hazing ritual last November will sue the company that owns the bus where it took place. Robert Champion's parents and their attorney told The Associated Press the bus company's negligence contributed to his death.... more »

• BRPD: Shooting victim drives himself to help

  January 3, 2012 5:06 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Police are investigating a shooting in Baton Rouge where a suspect shot a man several times while the victim was inside or next to his car. Detectives say the victim, Toney Banks, 43, was shot in the 6100 block of Blackberry around 2:00 this afternoon, and... more »

• Deputies: Teen accidentally shoots himself, dies

  December 31, 2011 11:20 AM

  OPELOUSAS, La. - St. Landry Parish sheriff's deputies say a 15-year-old teenager accidentally shot himself in the head and died. The Advertiser reports that deputies said Eric Myers died from an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound on Thursday morning. Deputies say Myers was camping with a 16-year-old boy in a tent... more »

• 2 runners die during Philly Marathon

  November 20, 2011 4:19 PM

  Authorities say two men who ran in the Philadelphia Marathon Saturday collapsed during the race and died of apparent heart attacks. Police say a 40-year-old man collapsed about a quarter-mile before the finish line while a 21-year-old man collapsed at the finish. Both were taken to a hospital,... more »

• Police: Gulfport man killed in shooting was murder suspect

  October 30, 2011 5:50 PM

  GULFPORT, MS- Gulfport police say a 26-year-old man who died from a gunshot wound in the head Sunday was out on bond charged with murder in another case. Police Chief Alan Weatherford says officers responding to a call of shots fired found Darcel Marquis Anderson about 3:15 a.m. ... more »

• Worker dies after fall on abandoned gas platform

  April 18, 2011 5:20 PM

  LAKE CHARLES - A worker sealing off an abandoned natural gas well in the Gulf died this morning after a fall, according to authorities. A spokesperson with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement said the worker with Alliance Oilfield Services died when he fell through a... more »

• Police identify victim killed in head-on crash

  February 4, 2011 3:41 PM

  BATON ROUGE – A Baton Rouge woman died after she was hit head-on in a three-vehicle crash last night, according to city police. Sgt. Don Stone identified the victim as 22-year-old Brooke Stimac, and said her vehicle was hit after she collided with another vehicle on Greenwell Springs Road just... more »

• Worker dies after being found in nitrogen trailer

  January 11, 2011 4:22 PM

  ST. GABRIEL – A truck worker has died after passing out in a tanker trailer that had contained nitrogen, according to city police. St. Gabriel Police had been called out around 3:45 p.m. Monday to Quality Carriers on LA Highway 30. The victim was taken to a Baton Rouge hospital... more »

• Warehouse fire kills 8 in New Orleans

  December 28, 2010 7:29 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - A blaze in a small, abandoned warehouse in New Orleans killed eight homeless people who were burning wood in a barrel to stay warm, the fire department said Tuesday. A man who lives nearby said the homeless often seek refuge from the cold in the neighborhood's many... more »

• Former St. Helena Sheriff dies

  December 15, 2010 12:07 PM

  ST. HELENA PARISH - Former St. Helena Parish Sheriff Eugene Holland has died. He was 76 years old. Investigator Joe Chaney said Holland died after he collapsed in his home last night. He was rushed to the hospital, where doctors said he had suffered a heart attack. Holland served as... more »

• U. S. diplomat Richard Holbrooke dies

  December 13, 2010 7:22 PM

  WASHINGTON - An administration official says Richard Holbrooke, a longtime U.S. diplomat who wrote part of the Pentagon Papers, was the architect of the 1995 Bosnia peace plan and served as President Barack Obama's special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan, has died. He was 69. The official spoke on condition... more »

• 12-year-old La. girl dies after shooting

  December 9, 2010 8:42 AM

  RIVER RIDGE - A 12-year-old girl who was shot at her River Ridge home last month by another child has died. The Jefferson Parish sheriff's office says Karin Brown died late Tuesday at Ochsner Medical Center. Investigators say a 15-year-old boy had found a pistol behind an apartment complex and... more »

• Car dealer, TV icon Price LeBlanc, Sr., dies at 88

  November 19, 2010 8:50 PM

  ST. GABRIEL - V. Price LeBlanc, Sr., died peacefully at his home in St. Gabriel, La. tonight surrounded by family. He was 88 years old. Early on LeBlanc had dreamed of being a cattle farmer, and bought his first cow and calf for only $25 dollars. In 1954, LeBlanc... more »

• Woman rescued from filthy shed last month dies

  November 19, 2010 7:21 AM

  BAYOU BLUE - A 69-year-old woman who was hospitalized last month after Lafourche Parish authorities found her living in filthy conditions has died. Faye Miller died less than three weeks after she was released from a specialized care facility in Gretna. The cause of death is under investigation. Miller was... more »

• Man Dies Weeks after being Cleared

  November 9, 2010 7:50 PM

  A man in Mississippi who spent 30 years in prison and was exonerated by DNA evidence for a crime he didn't commit died less than two months after his name was cleared. Bobby Ray Dixon died over the weekend of cancer at the age of 53. He was convicted of... more »

• Football player dies after collapsing at NO high school

  October 13, 2010 5:13 PM

  A 16-year-old student at Carver High School in New Orleans died Tuesday after collapsing during football practice. Recovery School District spokesman Ken Jones said Wednesday that the student, Dontrell Claiborne, died at Tulane Medical Center. Claiborne was a defensive tackle on the team. School officials said Claiborne collapsed during "non-contact... more »

• One killed in Assumption Parish crash

  September 27, 2010 7:29 AM

  Louisiana State Police say one man died in a crash on LA 70, east of LA 996 in Assumption Parish. Cardell Anderson was headed westbound when he missed a curve, ran off the road, re-entered the roadway and overturned. All five people in the vehicle were ejected. Tammy Ross, a... more »

• Sulphur man dies as result of I-10 accident

  September 27, 2010 6:49 AM

  Authorities say a 20-year-old Sulphur man died in a single-vehicle accident on Interstate 10. The accident happened at around 2:40 a.m. Sunday. Investigators say Ethen Kelley was traveling west on I-10 in Sulphur when he lost control of his vehicle, and flipped several times. Police say James Arthur Killian III... more »

• Boy dies after apparently being pinned

  September 25, 2010 5:19 PM

  Authorities in Bienville Parish say a 4-year-old Castor boy died Saturday after he apparently was pinned underneath a large fan. Sheriff John Ballance said Caleb Mangham, of Castor, was pronounced dead at LSU Hospital Shreveport. An autopsy has been ordered. The Times of Shreveport reported that a deputy found the... more »

• Woman killed in roadway

  August 9, 2010 8:21 AM

  Louisiana State Police say 21-year-old Renaesha Carter died after she was struck by a car in Ascension Parish. It happened just after midnight Monday on LA 70 east of LA 3120 near the Sunshine Bridge. The driver of the car stopped and attempted to move Carter from the outside eastbound... more »

• Woman dies in Lincoln Parish crash

  June 28, 2010 7:29 AM

  An 87-year-old Ruston woman died in a single-vehicle crash on Interstate 20 in Lincoln Parish. State police say Hattie Nelson, who was a passenger in Litha Ewing's car, was pronounced dead at the scene. Ewing was transported to Ruston hospital with moderate injuries. Troopers say the car ran off the... more »

• Ill. inmate died in agony while pleading for help

  June 27, 2010 2:13 PM

  For days before he died in a federal prison, an Illinois inmate named Adam Montoya pleaded with guards to be taken to a doctor. But he never got any help. An autopsy concluded that the 36-year-old prisoner suffered from no fewer than three serious illnesses - cancer, hepatitis and HIV.... more »

• Baton Rouge defense lawyer dies at 95

  May 23, 2010 4:01 PM

  Sam J. D'Amico, a longtime criminal defense lawyer in Baton Rouge, has died at the age of 95. D'Amico died quietly in his sleep Saturday morning, his family said. D'Amico practiced law for 67 years. He was known for presenting strong, creative defenses for poor people and African-Americans... more »