WBRZ - Baton Rouge

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• Experts say grads finding health, engineer jobs

  May 3, 2013 4:33 PM

  BATON ROUGE - In a few short weeks thousands of college students will be off campus and hopefully off to work. "It's not easy by no means but it's a rewarding feeling you know to know that you're about to be an adult with a degree," says Southern University... more »

• Louisiana jobless rate rises along with payrolls

  April 19, 2013 2:23 PM

  Louisiana's unemployment rate rose in March for the third straight month, as fewer people reported having work. The increase contrasts with a separate survey showing employer payrolls rose in Louisiana. The jobless rate rose to 6.2 from 6 percent in February, though it remained below the 6.8 percent rate of... more »

• Free dental work offered today

  March 15, 2013 10:55 AM

  DENHAM SPRINGS - Dentists from Livingston Parish and Baton Rouge gathered together today to provide free work for people in need. Patients can get one free filling, extraction or cleaning on a first-come, first-served basis. The event, part of a nationwide movement called "Dentistry from the Heart," was... more »

• Traffic warnings issued for I-10, I-12 work

  February 26, 2013 12:46 PM

  BATON ROUGE - State transportation officials warned drivers to watch for big trucks and construction crews during two projects on I-10 and I-12. The construction, part of the Geaux Wider project, will take place overnight this week. Officials asked drivers on I-12 to watch for lane closures between... more »

• Young veterans struggle to find employment

  February 19, 2013 8:17 AM

  WASHINGTON - Younger military veterans who served in the years following the Sept. 11 attacks are having a hard time finding work. The unemployment rate for veterans between 18 and 24 exceeded 20 percent last year. It was also in double digits for those 25-34. The unemployment rate for both... more »

• Suit: Answering calls, scanning emails deserves OT

  February 7, 2013 6:33 AM

  CHICAGO - A federal lawsuit in Chicago claims scanning emails and answering calls from bosses on your smartphone after hours constitute work that should be compensated. Chicago police Sgt. Jeffrey Allen claims in the suit that the city owes him and fellow officers overtime pay for work performed on department-requisitioned... more »

• Saints' Sean Payton returns to work at Senior Bowl

  January 23, 2013 1:00 PM

  MOBILE, Ala. - Sean Payton has returned to work following a nearly yearlong suspension for his role in the Saints' bounty program. The New Orleans Saints coach watched Senior Bowl practice Wednesday and planned to meet later in the day with the staff to evaluate a defense that struggled. Payton... more »

• Road improvements will go ahead in Sulphur

  January 21, 2013 7:02 AM

  SULPHUR - The city will soon advertise for bids to update signals at two main intersections as part of a long-term plan to improve traffic flow. The City Council approved authorization for the ads to begin Feb. 21 to change signals at the intersections of Huntington and Cypress streets... more »

• Fire started by man working on motorcycle

  January 2, 2013 10:36 PM

  CENTRAL- Firefighters said a shop fire was accidentally started by someone working on a motorcycle. Just before 10 p.m. Wednesday, emergency crews were dispatched to a large fire on Wax Road. When they arrived, crews found a workshop engulfed in flames. No one was injured. more »

• LSU warns fans about construction this weekend

  October 8, 2012 4:13 PM

  BATON ROUGE - LSU warned fans going to this weekend's home game against South Carolina to be aware of changes due to renovations being made at the stadium. LSU started working on a new addition to the southern end zone which will add suites, club seats and more public... more »

• The unemployed: attorney can't find work Play Video

  October 6, 2012 2:15 AM

  WATSON- Ask the people who are out of work, and they'll tell you that a drop in the national unemployment numbers doesn't mean a thing. They're still looking, trying to find the job that will change their numbers- the ones in the bank account. Davonna Ponthieu, is one of... more »

• Volunteers make improvements to homes near Istrouma

  October 4, 2012 10:39 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Volunteers and city-parish officials along with Entergy gathered in East Baton Rouge today to make more than a dozen homes more energy-efficient. Volunteers organized out of Istrouma High School fanned out into the nearby neighborhood this morning to make improvements at 16 different homes in the... more »

• Work resumes on I-10, I-12

  September 6, 2012 7:58 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Work to widen Interstates 10 and 12 in East Baton Rouge and Livingston parishes has resumed. The state Department of Transportation and Development had suspended construction on the interstates as Hurricane Isaac approached last week to speed evacuation and help emergency workers. With activities beginning... more »

• River closed as crews work on sill

  August 15, 2012 2:53 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - The Mississippi River has been closed temporarily as contractors placed a pipeline in the Mississippi River to build an underwater barrier that the Army Corps of Engineers says will stop the advance of salt water threatening drinking water in the New Orleans area. Due to low water... more »

• Louisiana gets $1.5M work-sharing labor grant

  August 14, 2012 10:21 AM

  NEW ORLEANS - The U.S. Department of Labor has set aside nearly $100 million in grants for states to set up or improve existing short-term compensation programs, commonly referred to as "work sharing." Louisiana's share of the grant is $1.5 million. Work sharing allows employees to keep their jobs... more »

• Work on Pecue Lane still two years off Play Video

  July 19, 2012 6:16 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Transportation leaders say it will be at least two years before construction begins on improvements for Pecue Lane at I-10. The project will widen Pecue and add an interchange to the location. Engineers are about halfway through studying the environmental impacts. People living in the... more »

• Road work in Denham Springs leads to messy situation Play Video

  July 17, 2012 5:36 PM

  DENHAM SPRINGS - Cathryn Drive in Livingston Parish was overdue for a makeover, but when residents saw crews beginning to work on the road they never expected things to get quite so messy. "When they left, it was even so wet [there were] liquid puddles of oil on top,"... more »

• Road work widens in Livingston Parish Play Video

  July 13, 2012 6:40 PM

  DENHAM SPRINGS- Road work continues in Livingston Parish where Eden Church Road is currently under construction and a new project on Juban Road was approved. The parish council approved work to widen Juban road and a supplemental agreement for Eden Church Road, which saves the parish nearly $400,000. ... more »

• Obama signs student loan, road-building bill

  July 6, 2012 5:52 PM

  WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama says a bill to keep construction workers on the job and prevent a spike in interest rates on new loans to college students "will make a real difference" for millions of Americans. Obama signed into law legislation allowing more than $100 billion to be spent... more »

• Louisiana 1st-time jobless claims decrease

  July 6, 2012 5:13 PM

  BATON ROUGE - First-time claims for unemployment insurance benefits in Louisiana for the week ending June 30 decreased from the previous week's total. State labor department figures released Friday show initial claims fell to 3,456 from the previous week's total of 3,633. The figure was lower than it was for... more »

• Work continues to restore power in Morgan City Play Video

  June 27, 2012 5:41 PM

  MORGAN CITY - Crews continued the long process of replacing a burned-out transformer in Morgan City that exploded last night, cutting power to most of the city. The ruined transformer was removed earlier this evening, and workers still have to move a new transformer in and connect it to... more »

• Live Oak High School construction may affect opening

  June 20, 2012 10:38 AM

  WATSON - School administrators and contractors in Livingston Parish are meeting to set a tenative date for the opening of Live Oak High School. Work was stalled when thieves got away with about $100,000 worth of copper from the construction site. The school was scheduled to be open in... more »

• Romney says immigration decision complicates issue

  June 15, 2012 5:32 PM

  MILFORD, N.H. - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney says President Barack Obama's decision to stop deporting some younger illegal immigrants will make it harder to solve the country's larger immigration problems. He did not say he would reverse the decision if elected. Romney said Friday that that the plight of... more »

• I-12 Expansion opens after three years of work Play Video

  June 12, 2012 5:09 PM

  BATON ROUGE - After more than three years of construction and subsequent traffic delays, The Department of Transportation and Development has opened Interstate 12 between O'Neal Lane in East Baton Rouge Parish and Juban Road in Livingston Parish. "It's the best thing that I could ever wish for to... more »

• La. construction budget filled with pet projects

  June 6, 2012 6:26 PM

  BATON ROUGE - With the state strapped for cash, Louisiana lawmakers turned to the state's construction budget for their pet projects. In coordination with Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration, the House and Senate piled in millions of dollars for local parks, sewage and water projects, economic development initiatives and more -... more »

• Mich. wildfire stabilizes, rain aids control work

  May 27, 2012 12:01 PM

  NEWBERRY, Mich.- Rain is lending a hand to crew members who are battling a wildfire that has consumed 31.6 square miles of forest in the eastern port of Michigan's sparsely populated Upper Peninsula. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources said Sunday that the fire near Newberry is about 47 percent... more »

• State 1st-time jobless claims increase

  May 25, 2012 11:06 AM

  BATON ROUGE- First-time claims for unemployment insurance in Louisiana for the week ending May 19 increased from the previous week's total. The state labor department figures released Friday show the initial claims increased to 3,547 from the previous week's total of 3,394. The figure was lower than it was for... more »

• Asthma could Worsen at Work

  May 25, 2012 7:52 AM

  Asthma sufferers may want to be careful at work. A new study by the CDC found about 9% of all asthma cases in the US are made worse by workplace environments. Florida had the highest rate of the occupational illness. Researchers say work-related asthma can be prevented with a better... more »

• College Seniors unsure of future as graduation approaches Play Video

  May 5, 2012 6:44 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Over the next few weeks thousands of college graduates all over the country will leave school. and enter the work force. But with one of the worst job markets in decades, competition is tough. A new report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers says... more »

• Road work for Airline Highway in Ascension Parish

  March 6, 2012 11:26 AM

  BATON ROUGE- Seven miles of Airline Highway in Ascension Parish will be resurfaced and 19 crossovers along the route will be closed. News 2's Sarah Rosario finds ou how much it will cost, why it's happening and how it will make the road safer for drivers. Hear drivers... more »

• BRAC seeks resumes for new database

  February 28, 2012 12:10 PM

  BATON ROUGE- The Baton Rouge Area Chamber is asking for people relocating to Baton Rouge to send their résumés for a new database. They plan to use the résumés to build "a diverse talent database that can be accessed when regional companies are searching for candidates for hard-to-fill positions."... more »

• Biden 'determined' to work out birth control issue

  February 9, 2012 4:04 PM

  WASHINGTON - Vice President Joe Biden says he believes the Obama administration can address concerns raised by the Catholic church and religious groups about a new birth control policy that says church-affiliated employers must provide contraceptive coverage for their employees. Biden tells a Cincinnati radio station Thursday that he's "determined... more »

• Looking for work? There may be an app for that

  February 7, 2012 7:11 AM

  SAN FRANCISCO - Looking for a promising career in a lousy economy? A new study suggests you're apt to find it in the apps built for smartphones, computer tablets and Facebook's online social network. The demand for those applications has created 466,000 jobs in the U.S. since 2007. That's... more »

• Man shoots 1, kills self after argument in Houma

  December 28, 2011 3:32 PM

  HOUMA, La - An on-the-job argument in Houma led to gunfire, with one man killing himself after wounding his co-worker. Police say it happened Wednesday morning at a house where two employees of an electrical contracting business were working. The Houma Courier reports that the shooter was identified as Michael... more »

• Work under way at La. Nucor site

  December 27, 2011 1:57 PM

  ROMEVILLE - A large sugar cane field in St. James Parish, a target for heavy industry by parish and state leaders since the 1990s, is now a mass of cranes, trucks, trailers and other equipment and supplies. Officials tell The Advocate about 100 contractors for Charlotte, N.C., steelmaker Nucor Corp.... more »

• Coastal work set to begin on Caminada headland

  December 20, 2011 4:38 AM

  PORT FOURCHON, La. (AP) - Officials say a $29 million project getting underway to rebuild beach, dunes and marsh along West Belle Pass near Fourchon Beach will help protect the oil and natural gas hub of Port Fourchon, an important port for the Gulf of Mexico oil fields. The Courier... more »

• La. streamlining commission wraps up its work

  November 1, 2011 3:01 PM

  BATON ROUGE, La. - A state cost-cutting commission formed to make suggestions during several budget shortfalls is going away at the end of the year. The Commission on Streamlining Government held its final meeting Tuesday to review what happened to its 238 recommendations for reducing state spending, cutting programs... more »

• Work to begin on Baton Rouge library

  October 17, 2011 8:59 AM

  BATON ROUGE, La.- After years of public debate and several design changes, construction of a new main library for East Baton Rouge Parish is about to get under way. A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled Wednesday to mark the formal start of the $35.4 million project, which will see the... more »

• Trusties escape during work detail at DOTD in Baton Rouge

  July 31, 2011 3:28 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Two inmates from Dixon Correctional Institute escaped earlier today during a work detail at the Department of Transportation and Development in Baton Rouge. Charles Lidberg, 22, of Baton Rouge, and Brett Hebert, 21, of Lockport, walked out of the DOTD building while they were cleaning, according to... more »

• Rising river halts work on hurricane levees

  May 7, 2011 9:54 AM

  NEW ORLEANS- The Army Corps of Engineers says the rising Mississippi River has forced it to suspend work on 15 miles of hurricane levees on New Orleans' west bank and in Plaquemines Parish - from English Turn to Oakville. A news release says high water construction restrictions will keep... more »

• Study: 1 in 8 bridges in LA need work

  March 30, 2011 4:44 PM

  BATON ROUGE- From rusted guard rails to old wood beams, some of Louisiana's bridges show their age. "You get beat to death going across them," said Mike Spencer, from Prairieville. A study released by Transportation for America says one in eight bridges in the state are structurally deficient.... more »

• Feds probe post-Katrina work in Plaquemines Parish

  March 26, 2011 9:52 AM

  NEW ORLEANS- Officials say federal investigators are looking into contracts Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser approved after he took office in 2007. On Thursday, Michael L. Mullin, an assistant parish attorney, said the parish government received a subpoena seeking documents. He said the parish would cooperate with investigators, but... more »

• Companies say they are owed millions for BP work

  February 8, 2011 3:52 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - Several companies hired to help BP respond to the massive oil spill claim the company or one of its subcontractors owes them millions of dollars for their work. Ricky Myers, who owns Rhino Construction in Bay St. Louis, Miss., said Tuesday that BP contractor O'Brien's Response Management... 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 »

• Work to resume on Superdome renovation

  January 16, 2011 1:50 PM

  NEW ORLEANS- Work will begin Jan. 24 on the final phase of the Superdome's renovation project to add more seats, lounges and concession spaces to a building ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. The Times-Picayune reports the five-month project will further spruce up the building that has undergone massive upgrades since... more »

• Edwards to start job next week

  January 13, 2011 10:25 PM

  BATON ROUGE- News 2 has learned former Governor Edwin Edwards will start a job next week. The work is a condition of the home-confinement he'll be serving for the next six months to finish out his prison sentence. State Democratic Party Leader Claude "Buddy" Leach will be Edwards'... more »

• LDWF to duck hunters: Watch for spill cleanup

  November 11, 2010 5:27 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries wants duck hunters to watch out for oil spill cleanup work. Duck season opens Saturday and runs through Jan. 30. The department says the Coast Guard and spill response workers will start work late this weekend to reduce crowding at boat... more »

• Rapides school board to consider hiring retirees

  November 2, 2010 5:58 AM

  ALEXANDRIA - The Rapides Parish School Board will consider allowing retirees to return to work to help the district financially in a time of economic struggles. The procedure would put the school board in tune with current state law, in which school employees who retired after July 1 of this... more »

• All lanes open on I-12 after emergency road work

  September 30, 2010 9:30 PM

  All lanes are open on Interstate 12 following emergency road work tonight. A buckle in one of the joints on the stretch between the Amite Bridge and 4H Club Road was worn and needed immediate replacement. Welders started on the work just after 6:30 p.m. and ended just after... more »

• New attendance law takes effect in schools across La.

  August 10, 2010 10:39 PM

  A new school year brings a new attendance rule from the state. Students cannot miss as many days, and the consequences for too many are up for students and parents. The State Education Board passed the new policy, hoping it will cut down truancy rates and cut out bad attendance... more »

• Fire truck business boosts parish finances

  August 9, 2010 9:40 PM

  The national unemployment rate is still lagging, but business is firing back up at a fire truck company in Livingston Parish. Ferrara has a $3 million order, and that's helping the parish out of hard economic times. "We're looking at it with guarded optimism right now, but we're happy... more »

• Oil spill work on hold as TS Bonnie approaches

  July 23, 2010 4:53 AM

  Work to permanently cap the leaking oil well in the Gulf of Mexico is at a standstill after ships were ordered to evacuate because of Tropical Storm Bonnie. There had been worries that the cap that has mostly contained the oil would have to be reopened and left gushing if... more »

• Congressional money for La. coast moves forward

  July 21, 2010 5:08 AM

  A key Senate appropriations subcommittee has approved $35.6 million in coastal restoration work in Louisiana. The Senate Appropriations subcommittee for energy and water approved spending $19 million for new coastal restoration work and $16.6 million on new coastal studies. The money still has to be OK'd by the full Congress. more »

• Judge: Noose lawsuit to go forward

  July 20, 2010 7:59 AM

  A lawsuit accusing a Baton Rouge man of putting a hangman's noose in a black colleague's work area in 2008 will move forward. A state district judge rejected arguments from attorneys for Reggie Parent and GeoEngineers Inc. that Reginald Drummer's suit did not state a cause of action. The judge... more »

• Trained noses to sniff out Gulf seafood for oil

  June 7, 2010 6:01 AM

  Some seafood inspectors working along the Gulf of Mexico are using their noses to keep oil-tainted seafood from consumers. They're being trained to use their noses to sniff out offending odors. It's a daunting task to look over all the catch pulled in by thousands of fisherman across the four-state... more »

• Oil spill keeps pilots almost as busy as war

  May 28, 2010 5:14 AM

  The commander of the Louisiana National Guard's State Aviation Command says the Gulf oil spill is keeping pilots and crews almost as busy as war duty in Iraq or Afghanistan. Col. Patrick R. Bossetta says that when all the pilots are counted, they're flying 40 to 50 hours a day.... more »

• 75 grads of training program get oil spill jobs

  May 20, 2010 5:46 AM

  Seventy-five graduates of a training program run by environmental justice centers in New Orleans and Atlanta are now working on the Gulf of Mexico oil spill cleanup. Dillard University's Deep South Center for Environmental Justice and Clark Atlanta University's Environmental Justice Resource Center have given environmental clean-up courses for 15... more »

• Contractor pleads guilty to fraud charges

  May 20, 2010 5:29 AM

  A New Orleans contractor charged with two counts of felony theft for work he didn't do for Hurricane Katrina victims pleaded guilty and has been sentenced to 10 years on each count. Kevin Meadows was also ordered to pay $90,000 in restitution. The 10-year sentences were ordered served consecutively, but... more »

• Oil Spill Boxes

  May 2, 2010 12:34 PM

  BP has announced a short term plan. They say they'll place huge containment boxes over the well as to help fight the Gulf oil spill.. BP spokesman Steve Rinehart says Wild Well Control is building three rectangular boxes that can be lowered onto each of the three leaks. The... more »

• Judge refuses to halt noose lawsuit

  February 9, 2010 10:56 AM

  A state judge refused Monday to put the brakes on a lawsuit against a Baton Rouge man accused of putting a hangman's noose in a black colleague's work area in 2008. Reginald Drummer sued Reggie Parent in October on the anniversary of Parent's arrest under Louisiana's new anti-noose law that... more »

• Disaster management firm moves to NC

  December 14, 2009 11:21 AM

  A disaster management consultant firm based in Baton Rouge is moving its headquarters to North Carolina. The announcement concerning Innovative Emergency Management Inc. was made Monday by North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue's office. IEM was promised state tax breaks of up to $9 million if it meets job and investment... more »

• Brightside Lane Greenlight Project

  September 10, 2009 5:15 AM

  Today city officials will break ground on the Brightside Lane Greenlight Project in Baton Rouge. Plans include a two-lane roadway with a continuous center turn lane from River Road to west of Nicholson. The project will include sidewalks, dedicated bike lanes on both sides, and new turning lanes on River... more »

• State Layoffs

  September 9, 2009 5:02 AM

  Twenty-three state agencies will lay off 515 workers because of budget problems, testimony and interviews showed yesterday to a subcommitte seeking to streamline government employment. As of September 3rd, state government employed just over 98,000 including higher education and health-care workers. Another 49 agencies opted to withhold the annual 4... more »