WBRZ - Baton Rouge

Tagged News

• DEQ investigating illegal tire dumping Play Video

  April 23, 2013 6:34 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Department of Public Works cleared illegally dumped debris in Baton Rouge today. It's part of a monthly process to keep the roadway clear. Allied Waste, contracted through DPW, drove a tire collection truck along Kincaid Ave. in Baton Rouge. A month worth of debris was thrown... more »

• Illegal dumping posing potential health hazard Play Video

  April 18, 2013 5:47 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Illegal dumping is a messy problem in Baton Rouge, and now city officials are concerned it's creating a health hazard. Some streets in Baton Rouge are littered with toys, trash and used tires. Department of Public Works says they have been dealing with dumping for years.... more »

• Road work on North Sherwood Forrest Boulevard Play Video

  March 5, 2013 6:13 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Emergency pothole repairs are underway on North Sherwood Forrest Boulevard. The East Baton Rouge Department of Public Works started working on a two mile stretch of boulevard between Choctaw Dr. and Greenwell Springs Rd. After several complaints of busted rims and tires, DPW decided to fix... more »

• News 2 Investigates: racist city email Play Video

  January 18, 2013 9:55 PM

  BATON ROUGE- A racist email distributed through government email accounts got several Department of Public Works employees suspended. The email appeared to be a press release, but carried an offensive message about the President's new health care package. The email read: "Effective January 1, 2013, aspirin will be... more »

• Sources: DPW workers suspended over inappropriate email

  January 17, 2013 12:37 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Sources tell WBRZ the East Baton Rouge Parish Department of Public Works suspended more than a dozen employees due to an email that was deemed inappropriate. The email is alleged to have had racial overtones circulated via the department's governmental email. The suspended workers are... more »

• Bridge repairs going on after flooding

  January 14, 2013 12:45 PM

  HOLDEN - Public works crews started repairs to bridges damaged by high water in Livingston Parish. Crews went out this morning to the Frank Ballard Road Bridge, one of several in the Holden area which were damaged. Parish DPW crews said the bridge floated about four feet off its... more »

• Potholes popping up in Baton Rouge Play Video

  January 11, 2013 6:21 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Potholes are popping up more and more in East Baton Rouge as heavy rain moves through the city-parish. "Potholes are more like ponds these days," said driver, Laura Moore. They form when rain gets into cracks in the road, causing the ground to expand and pull... more »

• Man's road repaired after year of phone calls

  October 19, 2012 4:36 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A Baton Rouge man's prayers are answered after waiting a year for Department of Public Works to fix a road leading to his home. Frankie Johnson called DPW about South Vignes Rd. last November, when part of the road cracked and began slanting off its flat... more »

• Live oaks a blessing, problem for Garden District Play Video

  October 3, 2012 5:59 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The Garden District has been named as one of the top 10 Great Neighborhoods for 2012 by the American Planning Association. The Garden District has been recognized for their neighborhoods, community and live oak trees. APA's Great Places are an example of character and foster economic... more »

• Four DPW workers arrested in EBR for fuel theft

  October 2, 2012 5:21 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Police arrested four Department of Public Works employees in East Baton Rouge Parish in suspicion of stealing gas from city-parish fueling stations. According to the EBR Mayor-President's Office, police arrested Ensley Joseph, Rodney Maxwell, Joyce Gatlin, and Lawrence Smith this morning. Interim Public Works Director... more »

• EBR almost back to normal after Isaac Play Video

  October 1, 2012 5:02 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Department of Public Works spokespeople say they are two weeks away from completely picking up woody debris from Hurricane Isaac. Today DPW began their second pass through East Baton Rouge Parish, picking up leftover piles of branches and vegetative debris. Allied Waste is picking up... more »

• Next round of debris pickup for EBR begins today

  October 1, 2012 10:03 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Department of Public Works will begin their second pass of storm debris pickup from Hurricane Isaac in East Baton Rouge Parish. DPW says they are about 95 percent complete with debris pickup. Crews estimate all cleanup will be complete by middle of October. News Two's... more »

• Debris cleanup crews add trucks, workers Play Video

  September 6, 2012 4:08 PM

  BATON ROUGE - More trucks hit the streets of East Baton Rouge Parish today with a new system to get as much of Isaac's leftover debris cleaned up as quickly as possible. The Department of Public Works said yesterday that debris cleanup in the parish could take 45 more... more »

• DPW project destroys local woman's yard Play Video

  August 15, 2012 10:29 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Work on a sewer line has cost one woman her back yard. Maggie Fahr says the Department of Public Works started on the sewer line in her back yard on June 19th and told her the work would be done in a couple of weeks. ... more »

• LSU Lakes trash bog causing headache Play Video

  July 24, 2012 5:31 PM

  BATON ROUGE- A trashy bog building up in a canal near the LSU Lakes is causing a headache for hundreds of runners and bikers that frequent the area. The trash is caught in a trap set up by DPW to keep the garbage from flowing into the lakes nearby,... more »

• Powerhouse Gym gets building permit Play Video

  May 14, 2012 6:09 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Powerhouse Gym is now ready to begin construction after the Department of Public Works (DPW) issued a building permit for the project. The gym came under fire from customers earlier this year, when it wasn't opened in time. Now DPW is inspecting the building to ensure... more »

• River Rd. in downtown BR back open

  May 11, 2012 1:40 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The Department of Public Works reopened River Road in downtown Baton Rouge after several it was completely closed earlier this week. Workers closed the road Monday between North Blvd. and Florida Street to complete sewage and overflow work in the area. Other work on the... more »

• Government Street set for quick construction

  May 2, 2012 10:06 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Work will start Friday on Government Street between East and 10th Street. The Department of Public Works for the City of Baton Rouge has worked on that section of the road off and on for the last year. But this time should be the last. ... more »

• Neighbors along Staring Lane still critical of construction

  February 6, 2012 10:08 PM

  BATON ROUGE- The city-parish has been turning dirt on an expansion of Staring Lane for a year. Workers say Phase 1, from Perkins Road to Hyacinth is halfway done. Phase 2 is scheduled to get started before the summer. That stretches the rest of Staring to Highland Road. ... more »

• Staring Lane widening project on-schedule a year after start Play Video

  February 6, 2012 6:12 PM

  BATON ROUGE- The four-lane expansion project underway on Staring Lane is on schedule. DPW says phase one is expected to be finished by the end of 2012, and the entire project is still planned to open at the end of 2013. News 2's Ashley Rodrigue will have more... more »

• EBR 311 system could get revamp to improve service Play Video

  December 28, 2011 10:08 PM

  BATON ROUGE- The East Baton Rouge Parish Department of Public Works is hoping to rework its community service hotline to be more efficient and quick. The 311 service line has been open since 2005 for people to call in complaints about sewage, drainage, streets and trash. But city leaders... more »

• Neighborhood raising a stink about oyster shell dumping Play Video

  December 19, 2011 10:08 PM

  BATON ROUGE- The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and the East Baton Rouge Department of Public Works is looking into a neighborhood's complaints about a man dumping oyster shells on his property. The area is off of Antioch Road near Tiger Bend in Baton Rouge. They say the... more »

• EBR Metro Council rips mayor's budget apart Play Video

  December 13, 2011 10:35 PM

  BATON ROUGE- The East Baton Rouge Metro Council approved a $745 million spending plan for 2012, but not without making several changes that put city-parish administrators on edge. The council gave pay raises to Mosquito Control workers and Constables using department surpluses and the city-parish's reserve fund. Members also... more »

• Night road construction increasing

  October 13, 2011 10:10 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Local and state leaders say road work is on the night shift now more than ever. The idea is to do more work when you're not driving. We're talking about the interstate, as well as surface streets. A third of the state's construction contracts require nighttime... more »

• Five DPW workers suspended

  August 1, 2011 6:05 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Five Department of Public Works employees in Baton Rouge face suspension without pay after errors were discovered on their timesheets. Housekeeper Ruth Stephney was suspended two days without pay. Trades technician Michael Robinson and custodian Earlene Carney will both face five-day suspensions without pay. Trades technician... more »

• Abandoned subdivision a burden on neighbors, DPW

  July 21, 2011 10:30 PM

  BATON ROUGE- A belly-up development is over-grown and is now a dump-site in Baton Rouge. Street lights are in place, sidewalks line the fronts of intended properties and even utilities are ready for hook up, but high grass and weeds have moved into the Magnolia Trace subdivision off... more »

• DPW and State unsure of who would redo Gardere

  July 7, 2011 7:07 PM

  BATON ROUGE - It's a common sight on Gardere Lane in South Baton Rouge. Dozens if not hundreds of people a day walking along the street since there are no sidewalks. But it's not just sidewalks in question. Gardere runs into Pinnacle's new casino, and residents say without an... more »

• DPW making progress on blighted BR properties

  June 20, 2011 6:14 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Dozens of abandoned houses and buildings in Baton Rouge are now community gardens after they were torn down. In less than a year the Department of Public Works has torn down more than 80 houses in the area. DPW planned to have a few more buildings demolished... more »

• Alvin Dark residents beg for light

  June 13, 2011 9:16 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Folks who live on Alvin Dark in Tigerland are sick of the street living up to its name. The road is pitch black at night, leaving a lot of people too afraid to go outside after the sun sets. They say the lack of illumination has made their... more »

• Blighted Baton Rouge buildings torn down

  June 7, 2011 5:05 PM

  BATON ROUGE - More than 65 blighted properties in Baton Rouge are gone, and in many of their places are community gardens like the one near the corner of Government and Eddie Robinson Drive. That's thanks to a Department of Public Works task force of four crews that tore... more »

• Tiger Dam being removed from BR levees

  June 6, 2011 5:51 PM

  BATON ROUGE- The downtown levee in Baton Rouge could be open soon, as Department of Public Works are beginning to remove the Tiger Dam system used to protect against possible floods. Workers will take up to ten days to completely drain, remove and store the system before the levee... more »

• Boom will be placed atop the levee for additional protection

  May 4, 2011 6:32 PM

  BATON ROUGE - As the Mississippi River continues to rise, city leaders have made plans to place water filled protective boom on top of the levee. The boom will run low lying sections from North Street in downtown Baton Rouge to just past Oklahoma Street south of the Mississippi... more »

• Where to get $2 fuel for your vehicle

  March 24, 2011 6:28 PM

  BATON ROUGE-- Sticker shock is the standard at gas pumps these days, but imagine paying less than $2 a gallon for gas. You can do that right here in Baton Rouge. It's called compressed natural gas, and at stations here in Baton Rouge, the price ranges from $1.69 a... more »

• Tips to reduce spending touch on vehicles, garbage

  February 8, 2011 10:28 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Citizens were put in charge of cutting waste in Baton Rouge a month ago and today there are more than a hundred leads in one councilman's office to do just that. Chandler Loupe says he's had a great response, even from some people within city-parish government.... more »

• DPW begins work on Garden District sidewalks

  January 26, 2011 5:46 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Public workers are ripping up concrete in Baton Rouge's Garden District to fix sidewalks broken by tree roots. The works comes three months after a News 2 report prompted a promise from the city to fix the problem. Several homeowners had complained trees on city property were... more »

• Rough Roads Ahead: South Harrell's Ferry Road

  November 1, 2010 10:35 PM

  BATON ROUGE - It's rough roads ahead for South Harrell's Ferry Road, which has been under construction for a year, and still has a year to go. The thoroughfare was supposed to be closed between Jones Creek Road and O'Neal Lane only through August, but construction had only just... more »

• Rough Roads: Brightside Lane

  October 31, 2010 7:01 PM

  Brightside Lane is getting a turn lane, sidewalks and bike paths to ease the flow of traffic that's exploded from college housing in the past few years, but that improvement comes at a price. The road has been a headache for drivers for a year now, and the $15... more »

• DPW to repair sidewalks damaged by city trees

  October 13, 2010 7:01 PM

  The Department of Public Works in Baton Rouge is ready to repair blocks of sidewalks destroyed by Mother Nature. Giant live Oaks are tearing up concrete in the Garden District and beyond. A parish-wide ordinance states residence are responsible for maintaining sidewalks in front of their homes, but several... more »

• Former DPW worker: taxpayers to pay for massive sewer system

  September 16, 2010 6:09 PM

  The Wet Weather Capacity Treatment Project is slated to stop sewage from overflowing onto Baton Rouge Streets, something that has been a problem for years and has cost the city more than $2.5 million since 2006. The EPA demanded the city stop the sewage problem. It will include two... more »

• Road construction troubles some Baton Rouge residents

  July 19, 2010 8:41 PM

  The latest portion of a year-long road widening project in Baton Rouge has some residents and business owners concerned. Construction crews recently began work to widen a bridge near the intersection of Flannery Rd. and Florida Blvd. The bridge is part of the multi-million dollar project to improve the... more »

• Road problems plague BR neighborhood

  October 27, 2009 2:14 PM

  Folks in one Baton Rouge neighborhood say after months of waiting, a road under construction appears to have been abandoned. Neighbors tell News 2, after a sewer project along Boone Avenue near Magnolia Wood Avenue was finished, workers neglected to repave the road. Tonight on News 2 at... more »