WBRZ - Baton Rouge

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• Changes announced for several EBR schools

  April 3, 2013 1:22 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The East Baton Rouge School System announced big changes for four schools in the district today. Lee High, Belfair, Delmont and Mayfair schools will all see significant updates according to the school system's plans. The school system will turn Lee High into a dedicated magnet... more »

• Petition: Parents want Prescott Middle returned Play Video

  April 2, 2013 10:36 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A group of East Baton Rouge Parish parents is asking the Recovery School District to return the Prescott Middle School building to the East Baton Rouge Parish School System. They are circulating an on-line petition that outlines their request, and said when RSD took over seven... more »

• Bridge construction creating frustration for drivers

  April 1, 2013 10:34 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Construction on a bridge, connecting White Oak Landing to Harrell's Ferry Road, officially began March 18, 2013, when the bridge was demolished. East Baton Rouge planned to close the bridge in 2013, and build a new one, but the bridge was closed in May 2011, after... more »

• EBR shelter holding March Madness adoption event

  February 27, 2013 3:42 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The organization in charge of East Baton Rouge Parish's animal shelter announced a new adoption initiative today. Companion Animal Alliance said they're holding "Hounds on the Rebound" during March Madness, in cooperation with the organization Friends of the Animals. During March dogs weighing more than 40... more »

• Forums to focus on Baton Rouge school safety

  February 14, 2013 10:32 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The East Baton Rouge Parish school system scheduled four community forums next week to talk to parents about school safety and get feedback on how to make schools safer. The forums are scheduled for Monday through Wednesday at four schools. Baton Rouge Magnet High is hosting Monday,... more »

• Holden: Still work to do in third term Play Video

  January 4, 2013 6:28 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Choirs, former LSU Basketball coach Dale Brown and others helped kick off Mayor Kip Holden's third term today. Holden vowed to work with the new Metro Council members to keep things like economic growth strong, while preserving older parts of the city. Some agree with putting... more »

• Neighborhood buyout set to be discussed Wednesday

  November 27, 2012 9:49 PM

  BATON ROUGE- City leaders are set to talk about buying out a neighborhood near a sewerage plant in the northern part of town. On Wednesday's Metro Council agenda is a discussion about the $6,000,000 plan to solve on-going issues with people who live in University Heights. For years,... more »

• Mentors help change EBR students' lives Play Video

  November 26, 2012 3:45 PM

  BATON ROUGE- The Volunteers in Public Schools organizations, better known as "VIPS," is kicking off another round of mentorship for students in middle school. The "Voyage II" program will pair up mentors with middle schoolers to provide a lasting relationship through the rest of their educational career. "What... more »

• EBR school district discussing new zones Play Video

  November 12, 2012 5:34 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The East Baton Rouge Parish School District is discussing a plan to expand school attendance zones and create more options for students. Under the plan, the district would create four regional zones of schools. Superintendent Dr. Bernard Taylor will lead a meeting tonight to discuss the... more »

• Meeting to discuss new school zones

  November 12, 2012 10:05 AM

  BATON ROUGE - East Baton Rouge Parish School District will hold community meetings this week to discuss a new proposal to create four regional attendance zones. The proposal is designed to give parents a choice of schools within a specified area, instead of the school that is designated to... more »

• What School Scores mean in EBR

  October 22, 2012 10:46 PM

  Baton Rouge - East Baton Rouge Parish Schools scored a C over all in school performance. That's up from D last year, but still far from where the district wants to be. 20 schools still scored F. While some of those schools are charter schools and some are alternative schools,... 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 »

• Child left on school bus for 2 hours Play Video

  September 26, 2012 5:34 PM

  BATON ROUGE - East Baton Rouge Parish Schools are investigating an incident which left a 5-year-old boy locked on a bus by himself. Demondre Morgan took the bus home from school Thursday, but when his mom went to meet him at the bus stop he never showed up. ... more »

• EBR residents apply for disaster assistance Play Video

  September 24, 2012 6:14 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Residents directly impacted by Hurricane Isaac are now able to apply for food stamps, but they have limited time to do so. The Department of Children and Family Services have opened six locations in East Baton Rouge Parish to create more space for people to apply... more »

• Construction projects planned for 6 EBR schools

  September 13, 2012 8:47 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A series of improvement projects are scheduled to take place at six schools across East Baton Rouge Parish. School board members approved the plans Wednesday night during a "committee of the whole" meeting. The schools scheduled for construction work are Belfair, Bernard Terrace, Greenbrier and... more »

• EBR school board approves 2 hires

  June 14, 2012 7:20 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board has unanimously approved initial reorganization plans of its incoming superintendent, including the hiring of two new top administrators. Bernard Taylor, who was selected in March and whose first official day isn't until Monday, persuaded the board on June 7 to... more »

• Shunick search continues after EBR dive search

  May 31, 2012 10:43 AM

  LAFAYETTE - Search crews fanned out again today near Lafayette after an East Baton Rouge Parish dive team didn't find any new evidence in the search for missing college student Mickey Shunick. Investigators called in the dive team after examining sonar images taken during a sweep of water where... more »

• Community weighs in on failed school district split Play Video

  May 30, 2012 10:57 PM

  BATON ROUGE- A breakaway school district will get another chance Thursday. A vote failed on the proposed Southeast Baton Rouge District at the State Capitol Wednesday, but News 2 has learned it's been added to Thursday's agenda. Two laws had to pass to get the new district off... more »

• BR area school scores increase Play Video

  May 23, 2012 9:53 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Students in Louisiana did better on standardized tests this year. Sixty-eight percent, roughly 10,000 more students than last year, perform at grade level. Improvement was seen across most grade levels, except sixth graders, over-all, who fell in most subjects. In our area, districts are recognized for... more »

• RSD set to turn around lowest EBR Parish performing schools

  April 26, 2012 2:30 PM

  Baton Rouge - The Recovery School District (RSD), along with several key Baton Rouge business and industry partners, educational leaders and community and non-profit organizations, has announced the launch of the Baton Rouge Achievement Zone. BRAZ is an innovative reform model to address the needs of children currently attending... more »

• New EBR superintendent ready for district's challenges Play Video

  April 13, 2012 4:25 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Budgets, break-away attempts and an embattled school board are all on Bernard Taylor's to-do list. The new leader for East Baton Rouge Parish Schools is already elbow-deep in the challenges. It's what Taylor says drew him here. He says he's taken on every issue facing Baton... more »

• EBR students could face random gun searches

  April 6, 2012 10:22 AM

  BATON ROUGE - East Baton Rouge Parish students could be subjected to random, school-wide searches for guns if some school administrators have their way. At a meeting Thursday, EBR School officials discussed regular sweeps where all students would be searched for guns and other weapons at randomly selected schools.... more »

• EBR School Board votes for Taylor as Superintendent Play Video

  March 22, 2012 5:24 PM

  BATON ROUGE - School board members voted unanimously tonight to nominate Dr. Bernard Taylor as the next superintendent of East Baton Rouge Parish Schools. The board will now negotiate a contract with Taylor to officially hire him. Dr. Taylor, who is on leave as superintendent of schools in... more »

• EBR superintendent finalist to be announced at Thursday meeting

  March 22, 2012 10:29 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A special East Baton Rouge School Board meeting will be held this evening with the expectation for a superintendent finalist to be announced. The meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. News 2 will be live from the meeting at 5 & 6 with updates. more »

• Candidate for EBR superintendent visits district Play Video

  March 20, 2012 5:39 PM

  BATON ROUGE- One of two candidates on a finalist list for East Baton Rouge Parish Schools superintendent spent Tuesday getting to know the district she's vying to lead. Maria Pitre-Martin, current Director of K-12 Curriculum and Instruction for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, met with community, education... more »

• EBR school superintendent candidate withdraws name

  March 16, 2012 2:30 PM

  A candidate for the East Baton Rouge Parish School Superintendent has withdrawn his name from consideration for the position. Board members had selected three candidates to interview for the position of Superintendent of the East Baton Rouge Parish School System. They included: Maria Pitre-Martin, Director of K-12... more »

• EBR Middle School Student punched, receives stitches Play Video

  February 29, 2012 2:59 PM

  BATON ROUGE- A 12-year old sixth grader was attacked Monday by 15-year old student in the hall at an East Baton Rouge Parish middle school, according to Baton Rouge Police. It happened after the older student threatened to punch the girl, then later attacked her in the hall between... more »

• New EBR school district proposed

  February 9, 2012 11:08 AM

  BATON ROUGE- State Sen. Bodi White, R-Central, proposed legislation that could lead to the creation of a new school district in East Baton Rouge Parish. It could lead to the neighborhoods south of Interstate 12 and east of Interstate 10 to withdrawing from the East Baton Rouge Parish school... more »

• EBR School Board leaves one finalist on list for superintendent

  January 25, 2012 9:52 PM

  BATON ROUGE- The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board has taken another step toward hiring a new superintendent. Wednesday night, leaders whittled down the list of candidates to one. Samuel King, a superintendent from Georgia, was the only one invited back to continue the process. He's expected to visit... more »

• EBR superintendent field narrows to 6

  January 11, 2012 6:13 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board has selected its group of six semifinalists, one of whom will replace outgoing superintendent John Dilworth when he exits the position in June. The candidates are Herman Brister, Kelt Cooper, Tisha Edwards, Samuel King, Maria Pitre-Martin and Elliot Smalley.... more »

• EBR gets $1M for energy bills

  January 4, 2012 3:08 PM

  BATON ROUGE - East Baton Rouge Parish has more than $1 million to allocate to residents who need help paying their utility bills. The city-parish received the money from a federal grant through the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency. Officials say the parish will allocate $108,126 for people who already have... more »

• Dilapidated cages blamed in shelter dog death Play Video

  January 2, 2012 6:04 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A pit bull that got out of its cage killed another dog at the East Baton Rouge Parish animal shelter today, and volunteers there are worried more animals are in danger. Susan Aronson was at the shelter when a worker discovered the dead dog. She says... more »

• EBR school construction projects near completion

  December 28, 2011 8:09 AM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Two East Baton Rouge Parish schools will grow bigger by the time children return from winter break. Southeast Middle and Villa del Rey Elementary schools are getting more classrooms, eight and six respectively, and both projects are almost complete. Those additions are set to... more »

• EBR to implement new lottery system for pre-K enrollment

  December 20, 2011 7:33 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The East Baton Rouge Parish school system is eliminating its first-come first-serve registration for prekindergarten and replacing it with a lottery system. From Jan. 23 to Jan. 27, parents with 3-year-old and 4-year-old children will be able to apply for one of almost 2,000 slots in... more »

• EBR Library director resigns Play Video

  December 15, 2011 2:37 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The director for the East Baton Rouge Parish Library system abruptly resigned from his position earlier this afternoon, according to library board members. The board received an email around 2 p.m. from director David Farrar which stated he was resigning. In a copy of the email... more »

• White meeting with EBRP School Board Play Video

  December 7, 2011 6:20 PM

  BATON ROUGE- The acting Louisiana Superintendent says she is stepping down next month. Ollie Tyler made the announcement during a Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education meeting. Tyler took over when Paul Pastorek quit earlier this year. Tyler says she will continue her forty year career in... more »

• EMS admin: we need more workers Play Video

  November 22, 2011 6:03 PM

  BATON ROUGE-- Emergency Medical Services Administrator Pam Porter met with Mayor Kip Holden Tuesday afternoon to request 20 more workers to staff the 911 call center and to staff ambulances. But city finance workers said no to the original request Monday night, citing long-term funding as a concern. ... more »

• Gas for Guns in EBR Play Video

  November 18, 2011 11:48 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The second "Gas for Guns" exchange in East Baton Rouge Parish is scheduled to begin Saturday morning. People can anonymously drop off weapons at two churches in the city-parish between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and receive a gas card worth between $50 and $300 depending on... more »

• Former Baton Rouge Fire chief dies

  November 8, 2011 4:37 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Former Baton Rouge Fire Chief Thomas Woods died at Baton Rouge General Hospital this morning after a lengthy illness, according to the Baton Rouge Fire Department. He was 76. Chief Woods was the first African-American to serve as chief of both the Baton Rouge and Baker... more »

• EBR student describes attack on bus driver

  October 28, 2011 10:12 PM

  BATON ROUGE- A student who witnessed a fight between her East Baton Rouge Parish bus driver and another student Friday says she's concerned about her safety. 18-year-old Shanetra Daniels was booked on battery charges Friday morning. Authorities say she beat her bus driver around 6:30 a.m. on the... more »

• EBR Parish announces trick-or-treat times

  October 24, 2011 2:29 PM

  Mayor-President Melvin "Kip" Holden has set official hours in East Baton Rouge Parish this year on Monday, Oct. 31 from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. The Mayor and Police Chief Dewayne White are urging all motorists to be especially mindful of pedestrians during these hours, and to stay off... more »

• EBR crafting buyout plan for neighborhood near sewage plant

  September 14, 2011 10:31 PM

  BATON ROUGE- There's a plan in the works to buyout people who live near a sewer treatment plant in north Baton Rouge. It involves almost 50 homes in University Place, near Southern University, but there's no price tag yet. People in the neighborhood say the treatment plant stinks... more »

• EBR Metro Council delays vote on EATEL

  September 14, 2011 6:06 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Metro Council members chose tonight to delay a vote on allowing a new cable provider in East Baton Rouge Parish. EATEL wants to expand their fiber-optic network into the capitol area. They're currently the leading cable, phone and internet service provider in Ascension Parish. EATEL... more »

• EBR fire chiefs prepare for district consolidation talk with council

  September 13, 2011 10:09 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Fire chiefs across East Baton Rouge Parish met Tuesday to talk about consolidating services. They say you'll get better protection and could save money if the deal works out. The concept has been considered in the past and studied as recently as four years ago, but... more »

• EBR Bridge closes for safety concerns

  September 7, 2011 3:14 PM

  Baton Rouge City-Parish officials are closing the Wax Road bridge over Draughan Creek in Central today due to safety problems found by inspectors from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. Both State and City-Parish Public Works officials agreed to close the bridge after the inspectors found a hollowed,... more »

• Long lines form as people clear their names in EBR

  July 25, 2011 2:02 PM

  BATON ROUGE - People waited for more than an hour in some cases today to pay off misdemeanor tickets and avoid jail time for misdemeanors in Baton Rouge. Authorities in East Baton Rouge Parish have arrested 105 people since they began a misdemeanor warrant roundup this past Friday. Officials... more »

• EBR Detectives looking for missing Belgian woman

  July 23, 2011 1:31 PM

  BATON ROUGE- East Baton Rouge Sheriff's detectives are looking for a missing Belgian woman who was living in Baton Rouge with a work visa. Detectives say 51-year-old Sylviane Finck Lozada was last heard from by her family in Belgium on July 11. She typically spoke with her family on... more »

• EBR Leaders Still at Odds Over State Money

  July 5, 2011 5:54 PM

  BATON ROUGE- East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff Sid Gautreaux says he will move forward with plans to spend a portion of state money from the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness or GOHSEP. He says Mayor Kip Holden has not signed off on the plan, but he... more »

• EBR School Board adopts budget, cuts $33 million

  June 20, 2011 10:30 PM

  BATON ROUGE-  Larger class sizes, school closures, canceled year-round schooling and no more teacher stipends are all the result of more than $30 million in cuts to the East Baton Rouge Parish School System budget for next school year. The school board gave a unanimous thumbs-up to the spending... more »

• EBRSO: Man arrested after cocaine, marijuana found

  June 9, 2011 5:36 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Sheriff's deputies in East Baton Rouge arrested a man today after they said they found cocaine and other drugs in his home. Deputies arrested Sterlin Watkins, 38, after the search of his residence on Elvin Drive. Casey Hicks with EBRSO said detectives investigating Watkins found... more »

• EBR major crimes down in 2010

  June 2, 2011 12:12 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Major crimes in East Baton Rouge Parish fell by more than eight percent last year, according to numbers released by the sheriff's office today. They reported an overall decrease of 732 major crimes in the parish when compared to 2009. Crimes against people were down more... more »

• EBR school district to send out 30 pink slips

  May 19, 2011 9:51 PM

  BATON ROUGE- School Board members in East Baton Rouge Parish were told Thursday night that 30 district employees will not have a job next school year. The reduction-in-force update detailed the departments where the cuts will come from. Those include school clerks, data specialists and social workers. Letters... more »

• Accused thieves arrested in Baton Rouge

  April 28, 2011 8:44 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Two men are behind bars accused of stealing $500 worth of welding cables from Pala Interstate on Old Hammond Highway. Authorities say they were patrolling the area around the business because of previous copper thefts. That's when they saw 36-year-old Thomas Price and 39-year-old Jason Bowman stacking... more »

• Students fight to save school with scores

  April 6, 2011 5:45 PM

  BATON ROUGE- After receiving an unsatisfactory score last year, teachers and administrators at Mayfair Middle School were determined to improve their LEAP results this year with the help of a little hard work. Teachers used new tools and programs like a 'power hour' and after school tutoring to help... more »

• School employee under federal probe

  March 17, 2011 6:28 PM

  BATON ROUGE- An employee in the East Baton Rouge Public School System is under fire with the federal government after questions arose on how she purchased school uniforms for a homeless student program. According to an audit performed by the school system, Carolyn Coleman is the employee under investigation.... more »

• EBR Sheriff's Office makes drug arrest

  March 1, 2011 2:05 PM

  Baton Rouge- A search of a Baton Rouge home by East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Investigators, results in a drug arrest. Investigators found a number of drugs in a home in the 5200 block of Enterprise St. including: Crack Cocaine, Loratab and Zoloft. Darryl Holliday was arrested and booked... more »

• EBR School Board takes first step toward new Progress Elementary

  January 20, 2011 11:18 PM

  BATON ROUGE- The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board on Thursday voted to start looking for architects to design a new Progress Elementary. The new school is part of a 10-year tax-plan for school construction around the parish that's short on money. Superintendent John Dilworth wanted to scrap... more »

• EBR budget saves jobs, services next year

  November 5, 2010 6:15 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The East Baton Rouge Mayor-President delivered next year's budget to Metro Council this morning. With it, he delivered news that jobs and services will stay intact, despite operating costs coming in 2.5% less than last year. In his address to council, Kip Holden said public safety... more »

• Parts of EBR school tax plan could go broke

  November 4, 2010 10:26 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The East Baton Rouge School District is facing more bad news about its tax plan. The district's financial folks said sales taxes will get worse before they get better, and if more isn't done to bring in money, the balances for two of its three propositions... more »

• EBR School Board votes unanimously on interim member

  November 4, 2010 7:00 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The East Baton Rouge School Board voted unanimously to bring on District 8 board member-elect Connie Bernard as the interim member for the seat until January. Bernard’s elected term starts in January. Member Greg Baldwin turned in his resignation last week because his wife took an out-of-state... more »

• Possible new EBR school district causes mixed reactions

  September 14, 2010 5:11 PM

  There may be new traction for an old plan involving public schools in southeast Baton Rouge. The plan involves creating a new school system in the Shenandoah area. Central, Baker and Zachary have already started new districts in recent years. Zachary and Central are currently two of the top... more »

• EBR declares "state of emergency"

  July 23, 2010 11:31 AM

  Mayor-President Kip Holden has declared a "state of emergency" for East Baton Rouge Parish, in preparation of Tropical Storm Bonnie. The declaration allows the city and parish to take quicker action in response to the storm, like paying overtime, arranging for debris cleanup, and stocking supplies. President Pro-Tem... more »

• EBR board "insulted" by BR Chamber statement

  April 19, 2010 10:17 PM

  East Baton Rouge Parish School Board members say they're insulted by the Baton Rouge Chamber's reaction to the school superintendent's resignation. Superintendent John Dilworth turned in his resignation letter to the district last Friday. He cited his wife's health and the inability to sell his Alabama home as reasons.... more »

• EBR Parish School Superintendent Dilworth resigns

  April 16, 2010 3:10 PM

  John Dilworth has announced he is stepping down as the superintendent of the East Baton Rouge Parish School System. Dilworth made his announcement Friday during a meeting with Central Office staff. Dilworth began his tenure as superintendent July 1, 2009, replacing Charlotte D. Placide, who retired. He... more »