WBRZ - Baton Rouge

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• Sheriff puts fishing boat up for auction

  May 13, 2013 11:48 AM

  HOUMA - The Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office is offering its 38-foot-long fishing boat for sale on the online auction site eBay. The Courier reports the starting bid is $180,000. The auction ends May 18. Since taking office, Sheriff Jerry Larpenter has criticized former Sheriff Vernon Bourgeois' decision to buy the... more »

• New Advocate owner ready to carry paper's strong legacy Play Video

  May 1, 2013 5:04 PM

  BATON ROUGE- New Orleans Businessman John Georges said he's ready to continue the great work "The Advocate" is known for at a press conference announcing the sale of the newspaper. Georges finalized his purachse of the newspaper from the Manship family last night. Details on the sale were made... more »

• Advocate's new owner "extremely proud"

  May 1, 2013 9:04 AM

  BATON ROUGE - John Georges, the new owner of The Advocate, said he was "extremely proud" to be the daily newspaper's publisher and that he had an enormous responsibility to uphold. Georges purchased the newspaper from the Manship family, who owned the paper since 1909. The Manship family also... more »

• Cortana sold for $6 million

  March 28, 2013 10:20 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Cortana Mall, the shopping center on Airline Highway, was purchased for $6 million. The company, Moonbeam Capital Investments, said it plans to upgrade the mall. The company is based in Las Vegas. Moonbeam said it plans to get input from the community on what stores and... more »

• Committee approves state property sale

  March 18, 2013 1:43 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A joint legislative committee today approved the sale of a state property as proposed in Governor Jindal's executive budget. Wooddale Towers has been vacant since April 2011. State budget officials say some of the last tenants were state offices that have since been consolidated. A... more »

• Illegal prescriptions making the rounds Play Video

  March 7, 2013 10:19 PM

  IBERVILLE PARISH - The use and sale of illegal prescription drugs is on the rise around the country. Iberville Parish Sheriff Brett Stassi says he's seen numbers in his parish become more prevalent than marijuana and cocaine charges. "With the easy access, you don't have to go look for... more »

• The dough is in the sale

  February 27, 2013 7:59 PM

  Hostess is a step closer to selling its Wonder Bread brand and its other snack products, including Twinkies. A source says there are no competing offers to a bid by Flowers Foods to buy several brands from Hostess. Flowers is based in Thomasville, Ga. and makes Tastykakes and Nature's Own... more »

• Sale of state buildings are a part of Jindal's proposed budget Play Video

  February 27, 2013 6:25 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Governor Bobby Jindal plans on selling $47 million dollars in state property to help balance next year's budget. The properties on the market include Wooddale Towers, the state office building at the corner of Convention Street and 3rd Street, and the parking lot where the old state... more »

• Gulf lease sale to open 38M acres to drilling

  February 7, 2013 4:22 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - More than 38 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico will go on the auction block next month. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said the New Orleans sale will include about 7,299 federally-owned drilling tracts, three to 230 miles off the coasts of Louisiana, Alabama... more »

• Commission approves $30 million dollar bond plan for Juban Crossing Play Video

  January 17, 2013 5:41 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The La. State Bond Commission approved the sale of $30 million in bonds for Juban Crossing. It is more good news for the Livingston Parish retail center after delays caused by downturn in the economy. Developer Scott Crawford says deals with stores have been finalized.... more »

• Planned location for downtown BR condos sold Play Video

  January 2, 2013 6:56 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The developer for a key piece of property in downtown Baton Rouge sold the land recently, after years of delays and obstacles to building condos in the location. Richard Preis sold the spot on Lafayette Street between Laurel and Main to Shaw Group CEO Jim Bernhard... more »

• Saban company buys lots in Baton Rouge

  December 27, 2012 10:04 PM

  BATON ROUGE- An investment firm connected with Nick Saban's wife, Terry, bought property in Perkins Rowe, an upscale retail and residential development off Bluebonnet. The firm paid $750,000 for two parcels of land. One is a section of vacant land across from the Neuromedical Center on Perkins Rowe Ave.... more »

• Shaw stockholders OK sale

  December 21, 2012 2:17 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Shaw Group shareholders on Friday overwhelmingly approved the $3 billion sale of the company to CB&I. Company officials tell The Advocate that 83 percent of shareholders voted to approve the sale. A vote of at least 75 percent was required for the deal to go forward. Earlier this... more »

• Shaw shareholders vote for sale

  December 21, 2012 12:21 PM

  BATON ROUGE-The Shaw Group, Baton Rouge's only Fortune 500 company, is set to be sold to CB&I. Shareholders voted today to approve the $3.04 billion sale to the Netherlands-based company. The deal is worth $46 per share in cash and stock and is expected to close in mid-February. ... more »

• Hunt for deals begins with first line at area store

  November 21, 2012 9:56 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Still more than 24 hours before sales were available, a small group of people gathered outside an electronics store to be the first to get the deals. A few were outside the Best Buy near the Mall of Louisiana. The store doesn't open until midnight Friday morning.... more »

• Shaw sets meeting for vote on sale

  November 21, 2012 10:43 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Shareholders of The Shaw Group Inc. will meet Dec. 21 to vote on the Baton Rouge company's $3 billion sale to CB&I. Shaw announced Tuesday that the meeting will be held at the company's Essen Lane headquarters. The Advocate reports those who hold shares of Shaw as... more »

• $3 billion deal to be approved by Shaw shareholders

  November 20, 2012 9:49 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Shareholders of Shaw Group Inc. (NYSE: SHAW) will meet to approve a merger with CB&I (NYSE: CBI). CB&I is buying the Baton Rouge-based Shaw for more than $3 billion. Shaw stockholders will get about $46 per share when the deal is closed. The meeting is set... more »

• Plans finalized for Gulf lease sale off Tex. coast

  October 26, 2012 11:04 AM

  NEW ORLEANS- Federal regulators have firmed up plans to put more than 20 million acres off the coast of Texas up for bid to offshore energy producers next month. The Obama administration says the lease sale will be held Nov. 28 in New Orleans. The Times-Picayune reports the U.S. Bureau... more »

• People line up for iPhone 5

  September 21, 2012 9:03 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Dozens of people lined up to get their hands on the highly anticipated iPhone 5 that hit shelves this morning. Customers were lined up and wrapped around buildings to get their hands on the new smartphone. Apple is calling this release, "the biggest thing to... more »

• Judge clears sale of Perkins Rowe

  August 14, 2012 3:41 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The sale of the Perkins Rowe development in Baton Rouge by an Ohio lender can go forward, according to a judgement filed Tuesday by U. S. District Judge James Brady. According to The Advocate, Brady ruled against Baton Rouge developer Tommy Spinosa, rejecting his argument the... more »

• Bond sale bid approved for library

  June 21, 2012 7:37 AM

  ST. FRANCISVILLE- The West Feliciana Parish Police Jury accepted a better-than-expected bid for $3.5 million in construction bonds for a new library. Parish voters approved the bond issue on March 24. Bond attorney Alan Offner said during this week's police jury meeting he used a conservative estimate of... more »

• Appeals court hears caskets dispute

  June 8, 2012 11:21 AM

  NEW ORLEANS- The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments Thursday in a case pitting the state's funeral directors against an order of Roman Catholic monks who make and sell caskets. Louisiana funeral board lawyer David Gruning said a statue that required caskets to be purchased from funeral homes... more »

• LSU Super Regional tickets on sale Play Video

  June 7, 2012 5:41 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Tickets are on sale now for LSU's Super Regional match up against Stony Brook this weekend, but only a few remain. Already more than 9,000 tickets have been claimed by season ticket holders like Benjamin Schuler. "This is one of the reasons you get season tickets,... more »

• Budget committee backs central La. prison sale

  April 10, 2012 2:20 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The House's budget committee has narrowly supported a Jindal administration plan to sell a central Louisiana prison to a private operator. A similar proposal was killed by the Appropriations Committee last year. But the panel has several new members who are allies of the governor and who... more »

• Budget committee considers central La. prison sale

  April 10, 2012 8:10 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The House's budget committee is set to decide whether to support a Jindal administration plan to sell a central Louisiana prison to a private operator. A similar proposal was killed by the Appropriations Committee last year. But the panel has several new members who are allies of... more »

• Sale price drops on former Vacherie school site

  March 29, 2012 7:42 AM

  LUTCHER - The St. James Parish School Board decided to cut the sale price of the former Vacherie Primary School site by 20 percent after the appraised value failed to attract any bidders. The board also gave the school administration authority to reduce the price further without another board vote... more »

• Animal sale bill passes in House Committee

  March 28, 2012 2:57 PM

  A bill that would make it illegal to sell dogs, cats and other animals along highways and other public areas has passed through a House Committee. The Committee on the Administration of Criminal Justice voted 9-3 for the bill by Rep. Tony Ligi, of Metairie. In its amended... more »

• New home sales dip after 4 straight monthly gains

  February 24, 2012 11:18 AM

  WASHINGTON- Sales of new homes dipped in January but only after the government said the final quarter of 2011 was stronger than first estimated. The Commerce Department says new-home sales fell 0.9 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 321,000 homes. That followed four straight months of... more »

• Caddo sheriff's to sell unclaimed animals

  February 13, 2012 11:24 AM

  SHREVEPORT- Three horses and a donkey will be auctioned off after their owners either released them to the Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office or failed to claim their loose livestock. The sheriff's office will accept sealed bids on the animals from 8 a.m. until noon Wednesday. Deputies say one of the... more »

• F.S. Williams County Store holds fire sale Play Video

  December 2, 2011 5:39 PM

  ETHYL - Hundreds of people have been shopping at the F.S. Williams Country Store over the past two days. The 80-year-old business in Ethyl opened temporarily this weekend after a fire nearly destroyed the store November 21st. Merchandise not damaged by the fire is being sold at a... more »

• Exxon stations closed as part of sale

  November 16, 2011 3:53 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Some drivers in Baton Rouge found their usual gas-up location shut down and blocked off Wednesday morning. A handful of Exxon stations were reported closed with cones blocking the drive. A spokesperson for the company said the stations were closed temporarily as part of their... more »

• Essence Festival tickets go on sale

  November 10, 2011 2:24 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Tickets for the 2012 Essence Music Festival are about to go on sale. Ticket sales start Friday for the 17th annual festival, which will include empowerment seminars and musical acts July 6-8 at the Morial Convention Center and Superdome in New Orleans. A lineup has... more »

• Entergy shareholders will foot bond mistake bill

  August 11, 2011 10:39 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana utility regulators have voted unanimously that Entergy Corp. shareholders - and not its customers - will foot a $1 million bill for a mistake in publicizing a bond sale. According to The Advocate the Public Service Commission ordered Entergy Louisiana to refund customers on their... more »

• DPS making millions off of driving record sales

  July 25, 2011 10:29 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Information you thought was private isn't. Companies can get access to your driving records from the state, which is willing to sell it. The Department of Public Safety is in charge of the records, and for the past three years, DPS has made almost $40 million on... more »

• Google may be after Hulu

  July 1, 2011 7:48 PM

  Google is one of about a dozen companies involved in talks to buy the online video site Hulu, according to a person familiar with the matter. The person says presentations to sell Hulu have started, but there's no leading bidder. The person agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity... more »

• MySpace Sold for a Fraction

  June 29, 2011 7:46 PM

  News Corp. sold the MySpace struggling social networking site for a fraction of what it paid six years ago. One source says the price was $35 million compared to the $580 News Corp. shelled out in 2005. The sale is to online advertising network operator Specific Media. MySpace users and... more »

• MySpace For Sale

  June 28, 2011 7:27 PM

  MySpace is for sale by News Corp. and the company hasn't selected a buyer among several offers yet according to a source close to the matter. At least three bidders are in the running, Specific Media, Golden Gate Capital and Austin Ventures. The website All Things D, owned by News... more »

• Jindal prison sale idea on hold, pending forecast

  April 26, 2011 11:27 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Facing significant opposition from lawmakers, Gov. Bobby Jindal says he won't push the sale of three state prisons until economists offer the latest revenue forecasts. If those income forecasts give lawmakers enough money to cover what the prison sales would generate, Jindal says he won't oppose... more »

• Dozens rally against proposed prison sales

  March 24, 2011 5:14 PM

  BATON ROUGE- People filled the steps of the state capitol is opposition to a plan to sell off three state prisons and privatize another. The Jindal Administration says the move would generate about $85 million dollars that will be used for health care services. Louisiana is facing a $1.6 billion... more »

• Corrections proposing to sell three prisons

  February 23, 2011 4:15 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration now is seeking to sell three state prisons to alleviate budget gaps, adding an Avoyelles Parish prison to the sale list that had already included facilities in Winn and Allen parishes. Lawmakers would have to agree to the sales, which could generate... more »

• 6 groups respond to prison-sale proposal

  February 20, 2011 11:55 AM

  BATON ROUGE- The state Department of Public Safety and Corrections' request for information on how much it would cost to operate two north Louisiana prisons has generated some interest. The Times-Picayune reports six groups have responded to the request. Gov. Bobby Jindal has proposed selling state-owned prisons in... more »

• Founder intended to eventually sell Zapp's

  February 4, 2011 11:55 AM

  GRAMERCY - The head of the manufacturer of Zapp's potato chips says its recent sale to a Pennsylvania snack food company follows the intentions of its late founder. Zappe Endeavors general manager Ron Olson says founder Ron Zappe wanted to ensure that the brand would enjoy future production - and... more »

• Day-after-Christmas shoppers head to the mall

  December 26, 2010 6:48 PM

  Crowds of people shuffled through the mall, some looking for a good deal, others making returns. For Charlene Dean, day-after-Christmas shopping is a family tradition. "It's been a family event but only for the girls to spend their Christmas money," Dean said. Shoppers who got to the... more »

• Saints Super Bowl license plates now on sale

  December 1, 2010 6:11 AM

  BATON ROUGE - New Orleans Saints state-issued license plates commemorating the team's Super Bowl victory are now on sale. So far, 4,400 special license tags have been stamped out so far by the arm of the corrections system that produces the plate. Not all OMV offices will have the Saints... more »

• La. corrections agency may sell off state prisons

  October 14, 2010 7:34 AM

  The state Department of Corrections is contemplating the sale of prisons to cut costs during difficult budget times. State Corrections Secretary Jimmy LeBlanc says everything has been put on the table, and he's looking for creative ways to chop his budget. The Jindal administration is in the midst of trimming... more »

• Newsweek up for sale

  May 5, 2010 9:54 AM

  Washington Post Co. says it has Newsweek magazine up for sale; company has owned it since 1961. The company says it has retained the investment bank Allen & Co. to help find a buyer for the money-losing magazine. The Post Co. has owned the 77-year-old magazine since 1961. more »

• AP Source: Chouest-Shinn agree on sale of Hornets

  May 3, 2010 9:32 AM

  A person familiar with the negotiations says New Orleans Hornets majority owner George Shinn has reached a deal to sell his shares of the team to minority owner Gary Chouest. The anonymous source says the club is planning an announcement on Wednesday. Chouest is a Louisiana native and owner of... more »

• LSU Book Bazaar starts Thursday

  March 1, 2010 6:17 AM

  It will be a bookworm's delight this weekend at the LSU Book Bazaar where over 65,000 books are up for sale. Jan Martin and Alana Amaro sat down with JP for a preview of the big sale. more »

• GM's plan to sell Hummer to Chinese company delayed

  February 1, 2010 11:52 AM

  General Motors' plan to sell the Hummer brand to a Chinese heavy equipment maker has been delayed by a month. General Motors Co. and Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Corp. said Monday they are extending the deadline to complete the transaction until Feb. 28 pending final approval by the Chinese... more »

• Detroit Pistons may be for sale

  January 20, 2010 8:09 PM

  The owner of the NBA Detroit Pistons says the option of selling the team is being explored. Karen Davidson told that to the Associated Press during Wednesday night's game against the Boston Celtics. If the team is sold, it would go against the wishes of her late husband who wanted... more »

• Silverdome sale okayed

  December 18, 2009 8:44 PM

  A judge told some residents of Pontiac, Michigan he won't stop the sale of the empty Pontiac Silverdome to a Canadian company which plans to use it for sporting events. The residents sued to block the sale of the Silverdome for $583,000 because it cost $56-million when it was built... more »

• Home sales drop in Baton Rouge area

  September 16, 2009 5:45 AM

  Home sales in the Baton Rouge metro area fell 4 percent in August, a tighter margin that's seen double-digit gaps every other month this year. Realtors sold 630 homes compared with 658 in August 2008, and dollar volume for the month was down 7 percent. For the year, sales are... more »