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• Republican prompts inquiry into party finances

  May 23, 2013 10:51 PM

  BATON ROUGE- A member of the Republican Party asked the Louisiana Legislative Auditor to peek into the finances of the GOP in the state WBRZ News 2 learned. The new information came a day after a WBRZ News 2 report about outrage in the party after leaders received a... more »

• Republicans question reason behind financial records request Play Video

  May 22, 2013 9:12 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Questions surround the state Capitol after the Legislative Auditor told the Republican Party of Louisiana to hand over financial documents. "State law says they are suppose to submit it," Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera said. Recently, a legislator brought the law to his attention. State statute... more »

• Unlicensed driver doesn't face charges in deadly crash

  May 21, 2013 10:16 PM

  INDEPENDENCE- State Police have not filed charges against a 15-year-old, unlicensed driver who investigators said crashed the car she was driving and killed a ten-year-old sibling. The driver was with her two brothers and sister, headed to baseball practice Monday when the crash happened on Highway 1054. "We... more »

• Jindal's state salary provides main income in 2012

  May 16, 2013 2:53 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Gov. Bobby Jindal's latest financial disclosure report shows his annual nearly $128,000 state salary provided the main source of income for he and his wife in 2012. That's according to the Board of Ethics. The report shows the couple also received income from capital gains and dividends paid... more »

• State lawmakers kill law requiring equal pay for men, women

  May 15, 2013 8:52 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Lawmakers rejected a law that would prohibit some employers from paying women less than men doing the same job. Sen. Edwin Murray's "Equal Pay for Women Act" was killed by one vote. Nineteen senators voted for it and 18 against; 20 votes are needed to pass. ... more »

• State may alter some Road Home requirements

  May 15, 2013 3:02 PM

  NEW ORLEANS- Louisiana may ease some of the restrictions on the use of federal aid money in the state Road Home program for homeowners who were looking to rebuild, repair or sell property damaged by hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. The state's Office of Community said its proposals include... more »

• State Farm appeals Katrina fraud ruling

  May 9, 2013 2:45 PM

  GULFPORT, Miss.- State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. has asked a judge to void a jury's finding that the company defrauded the government involving a policyholder claim after Hurricane Katrina. Motions filed in U.S. District Court in Gulfport, Miss., also seek a new trial. The verdict came in April in... more »

• Familiar name propelling U-High to baseball state tournament Play Video

  May 7, 2013 11:21 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A familiar name will don the back of U High's ace pitcher on the mound this weekend at the baseball state tournament. Sports 2's Brian Holland has more on the Cubs. more »

• LSU softball hosts Northwestern St. in home finale

  April 30, 2013 10:55 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The No. 12 LSU softball team is set for their final home game of the 2013 regular season against Northwestern State Tuesday at Tiger Park. LSU (40-11, 15-6 SEC) is coming off a three-game sweep over No. 4 Alabama to earn a share of the SEC... more »

• LSP looking for hit-and-run driver

  April 24, 2013 4:57 PM

  DENHAM SPRINGS - Louisiana State Police asked for the public's help finding a hit-and-run driver who injured a man walking down the side of a road. Trooper Jared Sandifer said it happened in Livingston Parish around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday night near the intersection of Linder Road and Clinton Allen... more »

• Flags at La. buildings lowered to half-staff

  April 16, 2013 4:39 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Gov. Bobby Jindal has ordered that state flags at government buildings in Louisiana be flown at half-staff until sunset Saturday. The executive order issued Tuesday is an expression of respect for victims of Monday's explosions at the Boston Marathon. Similar gestures are being made by local governments.... 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 »

• State offices close for Good Friday holiday

  March 29, 2013 9:09 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Most Louisiana state offices are shut down for the Good Friday holiday. The Friday holiday is a legal day of rest in state law. Some legislative employees may be working, however, since Friday is the final day for bills to be pre-filed for the regular... more »

• Police: MAP employee hit, killed by his vehicle

  March 25, 2013 5:16 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Police released the details about a crash that killed a Motorist Assistance Patrol worker Monday. Jim Gilmer, 68, was killed when his specialized state vehicle ran over him after it was rear-ended by a semi. The crash happened Monday morning in a westbound lane on I-10... more »

• MAP worker killed in Monday crash

  March 25, 2013 3:13 PM

  BATON ROUGE- A man killed on the I-10 Mississippi River Bridge Monday worked for the state Motorist Assistance Patrol, known as MAP. State transportation leaders said the employee was called to the westbound lanes of the bridge to remove debris. He was killed in a two-vehicle crash. Details of... 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 »

• Lawsuit against Jindal considered over reef money

  March 13, 2013 9:52 AM

  BATON ROUGE- Gov. Bobby Jindal's appointees on the state's wildlife and fisheries regulatory panel are threatening to sue the Jindal administration. At issue is Jindal's continuing diversions of millions of dollars donated by oil companies to turn old drilling rigs into artificial reefs to instead pay for other items across... 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 »

• Jindal faces trouble in home state

  February 25, 2013 2:42 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Governor Bobby Jindal is facing trouble in Louisiana, even he gives advice on how the GOP can regroup and looks to position himself to be a national party front man. The new head of the Republican Governors Association has made a series of cuts to health services... more »

• Jindal asks for disaster declaration after January floods

  February 18, 2013 5:27 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Gov. Bobby Jindal asked FEMA today to expedite a disaster declaration after statewide flooding last month. Jindal sent a letter requesting the declaration to the federal government, saying Louisiana saw more than $6.5 million in damage from the widespread floods between Jan. 8 and 17. ... more »

• La. taxpayers have choices for state income tax refunds

  February 7, 2013 2:14 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Taxpayers in Louisiana can now choose between methods to receive their state income tax refunds. Taxpayers who file electronically can select direct deposit, a paper check, or the Louisiana MyRefund Card, a pre-loaded debit card that can be used to withdraw cash at ATMs or bank teller... more »

• Taxpayers can start filing their state tax returns

  January 30, 2013 2:39 PM

  BATON ROUGE- People can now file their state income tax returns, but the state revenue department says the earliest tax filers will get their refunds is Feb. 26. The department announced Wednesday that new computer software designed to prevent fraudulent electronic filing is being rolled out. That identity verification software... more »

• La. State Police head in DC gun violence meetings

  January 29, 2013 2:46 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - The superintendent of Louisiana State Police is in Washington for meetings on gun violence. Col. Mike Edmonson said Tuesday his itinerary this week included conversations with police chiefs who have had to deal with three mass-shootings: the shootings at a Colorado movie theater where 12 died; the... more »

• Lawmakers propose restructuring La. budget process

  January 29, 2013 8:40 AM

  BATON ROUGE- Conservative House lawmakers who have been at odds with Gov. Bobby Jindal over budgeting tactics are proposing to rewrite the laws governing state spending. The bills were unveiled Tuesday by the Budget Reform Coalition, a mainly Republican group. The measures would limit what dollars lawmakers and the governor... more »

• State budget cuts block anti-truancy effort

  January 24, 2013 10:56 AM

  BATON ROUGE- State budget cuts and a directive from Gov. Bobby Jindal's office effectively ended LSU's involvement with statewide truancy programs for at-risk youths. The LSU Office of Social Service Research Development said Wednesday that it will end its 16-year partnership with the Truancy Assessment and Service Center on July... more »

• Trial set in lawsuit against state retirement plan

  January 24, 2013 10:20 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A Baton Rouge judge is hearing arguments in a lawsuit challenging Gov. Bobby Jindal's 401(k)-style retirement plan for future rank-and-file state workers. The Retired State Employees Association of Louisiana claims the law is unconstitutional because it didn't get a two-thirds vote in the state House of Representatives.... more »

• NC woman sues NYPD over Empire State shooting

  January 22, 2013 3:04 PM

  MINEOLA, N.Y. - A University of North Carolina student wounded in last summer's shooting outside the Empire State Building is suing New York City police department. Chenin Duclos (SHEHN'-ihn DOO'-kloh) and eight other bystanders were wounded by police gunfire, ricochets and fragments. Officers were engaged in a gunfight with a... more »

• Conservative House group seeks changes to budget Play Video

  January 22, 2013 2:45 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Conservative lawmakers in the state House are devising a package of proposals that aim to expand the state budget areas that can be cut during shortfalls and to limit the use of patchwork funding for ongoing programs. Rep. Brett Geymann, a Republican leading the "Budget Reform Coalition,"... more »

• Vigil planned to remember Paterno 1 year later

  January 21, 2013 10:43 AM

  STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Community residents have scheduled a vigil Tuesday to remember former Penn State coach Joe Paterno a year after his death. A family spokesman says the family won't be involved and intends to remain in privacy. Paterno died of lung cancer on Jan. 22, 2012, at age... more »

• Fake social media profiles appear in Baton Rouge Play Video

  January 17, 2013 4:50 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o's fake girlfriend fiasco isn't the first time a ficticious social media profile has caused trouble, nor will it be the last. Just ask Ashley Hebert, a legislative analyst at the State Capitol and a beauty pageant queen. "I had a... more »

• Insurers may prove choosy with overhaul exchanges

  January 17, 2013 3:36 PM

  UNDATED - UnitedHealth CEO Stephen Hemsley is warning analysts not to assume that the insurer will participate widely in a key health care overhaul coverage expansion that unfolds later this year. State-based exchanges will debut this fall and allow people to sign up for coverage online, with some using income-based... more »

• Lawmakers to look at La. school security today

  January 17, 2013 10:36 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A state committee convened this morning to see how Louisiana schools could be better protected in the wake of the Sandy Hook school shooting in Connecticut. Members of the House Select Committee on Homeland Security gathered at 10 a.m. to look over security procedures already in... more »

• Bryant: Miss. should resist federal limits on guns

  January 16, 2013 11:09 AM

  JACKSON, Miss. - Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant said Wednesday that he wants the state to resist any presidential order that might restrict gun rights. Republican Bryant made the call shortly before President Barack Obama issued 23 executive orders designed to curb gun violence. "I am asking that you immediately pass... more »

• Southwest La. sees hike in traffic deaths

  January 16, 2013 7:42 AM

  LAKE CHARLES - Troopers say prescription drug use contributed to the increase in traffic deaths that State Police Troop D investigated in 2012. Sgt. James Anderson says Troop D responded to 28 fatal crashes in which 34 people died, up from 20 people killed in crashes in 2011. ... more »

• One arrested in deadly Ascension Parish wreck

  January 15, 2013 3:36 PM

  GONZALES - State Police said a distracted driver ran a stop sign and killed an Ascension Parish woman this afternoon. Troopers charged 23-year-old Travis R. Parent, Jr. of Denham Springs with negligent homicide, reckless operation and felony running of a stop sign. They said 83-year-old Audrey Wells of Gonzales... more »

• State Police respond to deadly wreck

  January 15, 2013 12:22 PM

  GONZALES - State Police said one person died in a wreck this morning in Ascension Parish. It happened around noon at the intersection of La. 931 and Roddy Road north of Gonzales. Investigators said a truck heading west with two people inside didn't stop at the four-way stop,... more »

• Arrests made after guns stolen from deputies' vehicles

  January 11, 2013 4:41 PM

  WALKER - Deputies arrested several people recently in connection with the theft of guns and other items from two law enforcement units in Walker. Spokesperson Lori Steele with the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office said on Jan. 7 investigators arrested Joseph Baldwin, 26, after finding his DNA at the crime... more »

• La. income tax filing begins Jan. 30

  January 11, 2013 6:51 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The state Department of Revenue will begin processing 2012 state individual income tax returns on Jan. 30. On that date, officials say 2012 state individual income tax forms will be available on the department website, http://www.revenue.louisiana.gov/taxforms , at department offices and at public libraries throughout the... more »

• Statewide emergency declared for flooding

  January 10, 2013 4:26 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency today for Louisiana in the wake of severe weather and flooding around the state. Jindal said Acadia, Avoyelles, Concordia, East Carroll, Evangeline, Livingston and St. Landry parishes have already declared states of emergency to help residents deal with... more »

• 5 sign up for state races

  January 10, 2013 2:31 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Candidates have started signing up for two vacant state House seats. A race for the Baton Rouge area House District 65 seat Wednesday attracted two Republicans - businessman Barry Ivey, of Baton Rouge, and Metro Council member Scott Wilson, of Central. They're seeking to fill the seat formerly... more »

• State's Medicaid contract gains in value

  January 9, 2013 7:12 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A $185 million multiyear contract with a company to take over the state's Medicaid claims processing is getting more lucrative. State Department of Health and Hospitals Undersecretary Jerry Phillips said an amendment will add about $8 million to the money CNSI will receive under its contract.... more »

• Clinton to testify on Libya assault Jan. 22

  January 8, 2013 1:06 PM

  WASHINGTON - The top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee says Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will testify on the deadly Sept. 11 assault in Libya on Jan. 22. That's the day after President Barack Obama's inauguration and the first day the Senate returns to Washington after a... more »

• La. buys wetlands with oil spill settlement funds

  January 8, 2013 10:28 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The state has acquired more than 11,000 acres of wetlands in Livingston and Tangipahoa parishes as part of a conservation project funded by a settlement over the Deepwater Horizon disaster. The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana said Monday that the $6.7 million purchase of the... more »

• Troopers: person killed after walking into traffic

  January 3, 2013 10:23 PM

  ADDIS- A 36-year-old was killed after walking into traffic on LA 1 Thursday night. State Police said Emmanuelle Stewart was hit by a car near the Iberville/West Baton Rouge Parish line. "Stewart was attempting to cross LA 1 when he walked directly into the vehicle's path," a State... more »

• La. Fusion Center looking for lessons from Conn. shooting Play Video

  January 3, 2013 8:41 PM

  BATON ROUGE - When shots rang out at a Connecticut school, killing kids and teachers, emotions rippled throughout the country. In Louisiana, the Fusion Center at State Police Headquarters is on alert. "You had a huge number of lives that were lost. It was senseless," said State Police... more »

• One dead in car vs. pedestrian wreck

  January 3, 2013 7:29 PM

  ***THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED, CLICK HERE ADDIS - State Police confirmed one person died in a wreck involving a pedestrian this evening in West Baton Rouge. A State Police spokesperson said the deadly wreck happened on La. 1 near the border between West Baton Rouge and Iberville... more »

• Woman saved from fiery crash Play Video

  January 3, 2013 5:26 PM

  DENHAM SPRINGS - A Livingston Parish woman told News 2 today she was eternally grateful for three heroic first responders who pulled her from a fiery wreck. Around 7 a.m. Wednesday, St. George firefighter Jonathon Dixon was leaving home and heading toward a part-time job when he noticed smoke... more »

• Kerry prepping for secretary of state confirmation

  January 3, 2013 1:25 PM

  WASHINGTON - The State Department says Sen. John Kerry, who President Barack Obama has nominated to be the next secretary of state, has started meeting with diplomatic staff to prepare for his confirmation. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland says Kerry was at the department's Foggy Bottom headquarters Wednesday. She says... more »

• Clinton leaves hospital after treatment for clot

  January 2, 2013 5:50 PM

  WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has been released from a New York hospital where she was treated for a blood clot in her head. Clinton spokesman Philippe Reines says her doctors advised her that she has been making progress on all fronts and are confident she will... more »

• Trooper saves woman from fiery wreck

  January 2, 2013 5:42 PM

  DENHAM SPRINGS - A state trooper saved an unconscious woman from the burning wreckage of her car earlier this morning in Livingston Parish. State Police said the woman's car ran up under an 18-wheeler on Magnolia Bridge Road and caught fire around 7 a.m. today. They said the woman... more »

• Clinton talking to staff as she recovers from clot

  January 2, 2013 2:52 PM

  WASHINGTON - Doctors say they expect Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to make a full recovery from a blood clot in her head. They also say there has been no neurological damage from the clot, which apparently developed when Clinton fainted and fell at her home. A stomach virus... more »

• Governor: NCAA sanctioned Penn St. to weaken it

  January 2, 2013 12:11 PM

  STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - An antitrust lawsuit by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett against the NCAA argues the organization acted illegally and was motivated by a desire to gain power for its president and weaken the university. The 43-page complaint being filed Wednesday seeks to vacate all of the punishment related... more »

• Woman who escaped prison has run before Play Video

  January 1, 2013 5:56 PM

  ST. GABRIEL- Authorities said the woman who escaped overnight from a state prison in St. Gabriel was serving a 25-year sentence for manslaughter, and offered a reward for information leading to her capture. St. Gabriel Police Chief Kevin Ambeau said 33-year-old Keana Barnes climbed over a fence at the... more »

• Escaped prisoner was serving manslaughter sentence

  January 1, 2013 11:45 AM

  ST. GABRIEL - Authorities said the woman who escaped overnight from a state prison in St. Gabriel was serving a 25-year sentence for manslaughter, and offered a reward for information leading to her capture. St. Gabriel Police Chief Kevin Ambeau said 33-year-old Keana Barnes climbed over a fence at... more »

• Doctors: Blood clot located in Clinton's head

  December 31, 2012 4:21 PM

  WASHINGTON - Doctors treating Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton for a blood clot say the clot formed in her head but they stress that they are confident she will make a full recovery. In an update Monday on Clinton's condition, her doctors say the blood clot did not result... more »

• ATC agents abuse state-issued cell phones Play Video

  December 19, 2012 6:45 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Several Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control agents are in trouble for allegedly abusing their state-issued cell phones. An audit by the ATC uncovered records of agents using their state-issued phones for personal business while on the clock. During October, one agent used the phone... more »

• Warriors return home after taming the East

  December 18, 2012 10:22 AM

  UNDATED - The Golden State Warriors are back home following a sensational 6-1 road trip that included wins at Brooklyn, Miami and Atlanta. It was the team's best trip of at least six games since winning four of seven during the 1970-71 season. The East Coast trek has the Warriors... more »

• Kerry believed to be new Secy. of State choice

  December 14, 2012 10:59 AM

  WASHINGTON - He wasn't successful in his presidential bid eight years ago, but John Kerry may now be getting another job he's been hoping for. The Massachusetts senator is now considered the front-runner to replace Hillary Rodham Clinton as secretary of state. This, after U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice dropped out... more »

• Rice removes name from consideration to be secretary of State

  December 13, 2012 3:54 PM

  WASHINGTON - Susan Rice has withdrawn her name from consideration to be the next secretary of state after the embattled U.N. ambassador ran into a standoff with Republicans over an attack on Americans in Libya. President Barack Obama, in a statement, said he accepted Rice's decision to remove her name... more »

• Accreditation warning removed at Grambling State

  December 11, 2012 4:36 PM

  GRAMBLING - Grambling State University's accreditation warning has been lifted. The university announced Tuesday that it had received notification from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools that the six-month warning issued in June had been removed. The warning required the school to address issues related to financial aid and... more »

• Utah Gov asks Obama to approve state's exchange

  December 11, 2012 2:31 PM

  SALT LAKE CITY - Utah Governor Gary Herbert is asking President Barack Obama to approve the state's health insurance exchange and declare that it meets the requirements of the federal health overhaul. Herbert sent the letter Tuesday ahead of Friday's deadline for states to decide if they'll do their own... more »

• Runoff elections tomorrow in Louisiana

  December 7, 2012 12:26 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The Secretary of State's office isn't expecting a high turnout for tomorrow's runoff elections. Not all parishes have a lot on the ballot, and so far more than 50,000 people voted early statewide. In Baton Rouge, voters will decide who takes an open seat on... more »

• Cement truck wreck closes I-10E for hours Play Video

  December 6, 2012 3:25 PM

  BATON ROUGE - State Police reopened a portion of I-10 where a cement truck overturned earlier this morning, forcing it closed for several hours. The cement truck turned over at I-10 East and Siegen Lane around 8:30 a.m. There were no injuries, but the eastbound lanes had to... more »

• I-10E could reopen soon after cement truck wreck

  December 6, 2012 2:43 PM

  BATON ROUGE - State Police said I-10 East in Baton Rouge could reopen within the hour at the site of an overturned 18-wheeler. The truck overturned at Siegen Lane early this morning. It was carrying an estimated 74,000 pounds of cement, which had to be offloaded after the truck... more »

• Clinton defends Rice as 'stalwart' UN ambassador

  December 6, 2012 12:14 PM

  DUBLIN - Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is defending U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice as a "stalwart colleague." Speaking Thursday in Dublin, Clinton said Rice has done a "great job" at the U.N. and that criticism of her initial explanation of the Sept. 11 attack on... more »

• Decision on school mandates pushed back to January

  December 5, 2012 7:49 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education has delayed a decision on shrinking the number of mandates required of local school districts. Superintendent of Education John White proposed getting rid of the statewide school calendar, changing physical education standards to allow credit for extracurricular activities like... more »

• Governors ask for flexibility in fiscal cliff deal

  December 4, 2012 11:52 AM

  WASHINGTON - A bipartisan group of governors says they sought assurances from President Barack Obama that any cuts in spending to address the looming "fiscal cliff" would not shift the financial burden onto states. They say they want flexibility from the federal government on mandated programs to allow them to... more »

• Palestinians celebrate UN statehood vote

  November 29, 2012 4:23 PM

  RAMALLAH, West Bank - Palestinians have erupted in wild cheers, hugging each other and honking car horns after the United Nations voted to grant them, at least formally, what they have long yearned for - a state of their own. In the central celebration in the West Bank city of... more »

• Abbas: UN vote is 'investment in peace'

  November 29, 2012 1:26 PM

  UNITED NATIONS - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is appealing to all nations to vote in favor of a U.N. resolution recognizing the state of Palestine as "an investment in peace." In a statement ahead of today's General Assembly vote, Abbas says the Palestinians "remain committed" to a two-state solution to... more »

• SEC fines Mississippi $5,000 after fans rush field

  November 27, 2012 11:02 AM

  OXFORD, Miss. - Mississippi has been fined $5,000 by the Southeastern Conference after "fans entered the competition area" following the football team's 41-24 victory over No. 25 Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl on Saturday. Fans rushed the field after Ole Miss' victory over the Bulldogs. The win snapped the... more »

• LSP: Explosives improperly stored at Camp Minden

  November 27, 2012 10:57 AM

  MINDEN - State police and Webster Parish sheriff's deputies are at the Camp Minden industrial site in northwest Louisiana, trying to determine how to secure thousands of pounds of explosive powder that officials say were improperly housed by a company there. Webster Parish Sheriff Gary Sexton said Tuesday that initial... more »

• Early voting begins Nov. 24

  November 23, 2012 10:31 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Early voting for the Dec. 8 election begins this weekend, according to the Louisiana Secretary of State's office. Early voting in the state runs from Nov. 24 to Dec. 1 from 8:30 a.m. To 6 p.m. excluding this Sunday, Nov. 25. "We saw a very... more »

• LSP: Speed led to deadly I-10 crash

  November 21, 2012 10:38 AM

  PORT ALLEN - State Police said one person did in a wreck overnight on I-10 in West Baton Rouge Parish. Troopers said Reginald D. Head, 29, of Maringouin died in the single-vehicle wreck at the border between West Baton Rouge and Iberville parishes. Investigators said Head drove off... more »

• Ole Miss cracking down on cowbells

  November 21, 2012 10:31 AM

  OXFORD, Miss. - The University of Mississippi doesn't want to see any cowbells at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium during the Egg Bowl on Saturday. The school sent out a statement saying that cowbells are "strictly prohibited" from the stadium during the annual football game between Ole Miss and Mississippi State, citing... more »

• BR man dies in East Feliciana Parish crash

  November 19, 2012 10:22 AM

  SLAUGHTER - State police say a 33-year-old Baton Rouge man died after the vehicle in which he was riding crashed into a pickup on La. Highway 67 in East Feliciana Parish. Trooper First Class Nick Manale says 38-year-old Derrick Daniel, of Zachary, was driving a car south on La. 67... more »

• Next year's budget gap pegged at $963 million

  November 16, 2012 10:56 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The first snapshot of next year's state budget shortfall has been unveiled to lawmakers, and it's grim. Gov. Bobby Jindal's budget advisers said Friday the state is short $963 million to continue running all existing programs and account for inflationary growth in the budget year that begins... more »

• Nicholls faces Southeastern tonight in River Bell Classic

  November 15, 2012 10:23 AM

  THIBODAUX - The Nicholls State University football team will close out its home schedule with a Thursday night showdown against Southeastern La. in the River Bell Classic. Kickoff at John L. Guidry Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m. Before the game, Nicholls will honor its 15-member 2012 Senior... more »

• Federal case dismissed in LSU bomb threat

  November 14, 2012 4:19 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Federal prosecutors announced today they dropped their indictment against the man accused of calling in a false bomb threat which led to the full evacuation of LSU's campus. U. S. Attorney Donald Cazayoux's office said they dropped the case because the state's charges against William Bouvay... more »

• Boat comes off trailer, ties up traffic on I-10

  November 14, 2012 11:56 AM

  SORRENTO - State Police said a boat came loose from its trailer while traveling on I-10 near Sorrento today, but caused no injuries. It happened this morning on I-10 just west of the Airline Highway exit near Sorrento. A State Police spokesperson said the boat came free from... more »

• Inspector General report sparks change with State Fire Marshal Play Video

  November 13, 2012 6:11 PM

  BATON ROUGE- A report by the Inspector General's Office highlights some inefficiencies with the way the State Fire Marshal's Office handles carnival ride inspections and investigations. The report focuses on an accident at a Greensburg fair in 2011 where two teens were injured on the "Zipper" ride. The... more »

• State Fair drug arrests: 3 carnies, 5 others

  November 12, 2012 10:30 AM

  SHREVEPORT - Caddo Parish Sheriff Steve Prator and Shreveport Police Chief Willie Shaw say a drug operation at the Louisiana State Fair netted three carnival workers and five fair-goers. Drug agents made the arrests on Saturday. Seven were booked with possessing a drug; 41-year-old Timothy Haley of Hawkins, Texas, was... more »

• Texas A&M bomb threat suspect charged in 2nd case

  November 9, 2012 3:45 PM

  COLLEGE STATION, Texas - A man charged with a bomb threat at Texas A&M University is now facing charges for a similar scare at Texas State University. A complaint unsealed this week accuses 19-year-old Dereon Kelly of using the email account of his girlfriend, Brittany Henderson, to send an Oct.... more »

• Loughner won't face state charges in Ariz. attack

  November 8, 2012 3:32 PM

  TUCSON, Ariz. - Arizona prosecutors won't file state charges against the man who carried out the Tucson shooting rampage that left six people dead and wounded U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. The decision by the Pima County Attorney's Office not to file charges against Jared Lee Loughner means the death penalty... more »

• La. voters on both sides lament political divide

  November 6, 2012 5:08 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Turnout has been brisk across Louisiana as voters decide the presidential race, a half-dozen seats in the U.S. House and proposed amendments to the state constitution. Secretary of State spokeswoman Med Casper said Tuesday that there had been reports of occasional, routine problems with machines and long... more »

• Schedler: Skip the "refresh" on election results

  November 6, 2012 10:33 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Secretary of State Tom Schedler is asking people to go easy on the "refresh" button when they're checking election results on his website. Schedler's office will post Tuesday's results at www.geauxvote.com . He says that the site has an automatic refresher and too many people trying to... more »

• State: vehicle thefts in Louisiana drop

  November 5, 2012 8:55 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Louisiana's a little bit safer for your automobile, according to the Commissioner of Insurance. Jim Donelon reported Monday, vehicle thefts in Louisiana have declined nearly 42 percent over a five-year period from 2006 through 2011. "We are pleased that we continue to see progress since, in... more »

• Vote shelved on Jindal health outsourcing plan Play Video

  November 1, 2012 4:55 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Gov. Bobby Jindal's top budget adviser scrapped a planned legislative vote on the governor's proposal to hire a private company to manage a state employee health insurance plan. Commissioner of Administration Kristy Nichols pulled the proposed contract between the Office of Group Benefits and Blue Cross/Blue Shield... more »

• Obama says he's confident in storm preparations

  October 29, 2012 12:06 PM

  WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama says he's confident that state and federal governments have done all they can to prepare for the superstorm barreling up the East Coast. He says the slow-moving storm will affect millions of people, and he is urging Americans to heed warnings. Obama was speaking from... more »

• Finally, I-10 opens again between Baton Rouge and Lafayette Play Video

  October 19, 2012 7:53 PM

  HENDERSON- All lanes of I-10 West have reopened, after a crash nearly 24 hours ago. Thursday night, two 18-wheelers crashed into each each other at the foot of the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge. The wreck caused a large fire, and one of the trucks spilled its load of drilling mud,... more »

• I-10W reopened after fatal wreck last night Play Video

  October 19, 2012 4:14 PM

  BATON ROUGE - State Police reopened one lane of I-10 West around 6:30 p.m., nearly 24 hours after a deadly 18-wheeler crash near Henderson. Barrels and caution signs will be placed to warn drivers on the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge of the one-lane area, and troopers warned drivers to expect... more »

• Unemployment rates fall in 7 US swing states

  October 19, 2012 10:23 AM

  WASHINGTON - Unemployment rates fell or held steady last month in nine key swing states at the center of this year's presidential election. Rates dropped in Ohio, Florida, Wisconsin, Colorado, Iowa, Nevada and North Carolina. They unchanged in New Hampshire and Virginia. The declines could help President Barack Obama at... more »