Demographer who made Metro Council map at center of voting rights lawsuit says the map is not illegal - Baton Rouge news - NewsLocker (2024)

BATON ROUGE - In August of 2022, the East Baton Rouge Metro Council voted 7-5 along racial lines to approve a new district map.It was the culmination of a six-month process of community meetings, workshops and demographic research from Mike Hefner. He has been involved in hundreds of redistricting projects throughout his career."We did redistricting in about 39 parishes in this past 2020 redistricting cycle," he said.Hefner was hired by the City-Parish to equally redistribute the population amo

Sports2-A-Days Preview: Southern Lab Kittens

BATON ROUGE - The Southern Lab Kittens took home the Division Four state football title last year in part because of a large senior class that helped push them over the top.Now in 2024, those seniors are gone and the next batch of Kittens are having to prove themselves capable of living up to the standard set before them.Head Coach Darrell Asberry will be breaking in a new quarterback in junior Jerry Botley.  Botley has been in the system learning under last years starter Marlon Brown

Web worms weaving their way in and out of your plants; how to get rid of them

BATON ROUGE - Right now in Southeast Louisiana, you'll see lots of fuzzy light blond caterpillars called fall webworms. "In the spring going into the summer, what we've been seeing in the nursery lot and across Baton Rouge is the eastern tent caterpillar or webworm, and they make webs in big leaf trees, in the corners of branches, usually it's up high where you can see it," Beau Mutrie with Louisiana Nursery said.They don't sting, but they enjoy eating tree leaves and creating large we

Residents hopeful Amazon facility will drive economic growth along Florida corridor

BATON ROUGE - Homeowners in the Broadmoor subdivision are welcoming their new neighbor — a $200 million Amazon Fulfillment Center. The facility resides at the location of the former Cortana Mall. Suzanne Alban, who has lived in Broadmoor for nearly two decades, remembers the old mall like it was yesterday."When Cortana was here, it was really, really, really busy," Alban said.David Hinson, a Broadmoor resident of three years, says he's excited to see more economic development

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Tiger Stadium ranked low in EA's Toughest Places to Play

BATON ROUGE - A mid-summer ranking of the toughest college football places to play is ruffling feathers all across the South, but maybe nowhere are they as disgruntled as in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.EA Sports released their list of the toughest places to play as a preview to their upcoming video game EA SPORTS College Football 25 that releases in the middle of July.LSU's Tiger Stadium was ranked as the third toughest place to play, which is respectable and would be noteworthy in most any ranking.

Four from Baton Rouge Police's now-defunct 'Street Crimes' unit indicted in 2020 abuse case

BATON ROUGE — Four Baton Rouge police officers who worked in the now-defunct "Street Crimes" unit were indicted Tuesday on charges linked to the alleged abuse of a suspect in 2020. BRPD officers Todd Thomas, Doug Chustz and Troy Lawrence Sr. were formally charged with obstruction of justice and conspiracy to commit malfeasance in office. Officer Jesse Barcelona was charged with conspiracy to commit malfeasance in office.The WBRZ Investigative Unit reported that the arrests st

Four BRPD Street Crimes officers indicted in 2020 abuse case

BATON ROUGE - Four Baton Rouge police officers who worked in the now-defunct 'Street Crimes' unit were indicted Tuesday for charges to an alleged abuse incident from 2020. BRPD officers Todd Thomas, Doug Chustz and Troy Lawrence Sr. were formally charged with obstruction of justice and conspiracy to commit malfeasance in office. Officer Jesse Barcelona was charged with conspiracy to commit malfeasance in office.The WBRZ Investigative Unit reported that the arrests stemmed from an incid

Walker man arrested for allegedly holding Baton Rouge woman hostage in her home, raping, assaulting her

BATON ROUGE — A Walker man accused of beating and raping a woman in her Baton Rouge home was arrested Tuesday, records show.David Blake Coutee, 38, was arrested in Livingston Parish and is accused of first-degree rape, aggravated second-degree battery, false imprisonment, aggravated damage to property and aggravated assault in East Baton Rouge Parish. The rape, assault and imprisonment took place June 11 and 12, a Baton Rouge Police affidavit says.Coutee came to the woman's house late

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Louisiana's RNC delegates speak on upcoming convention, give Trump running mate picks

BATON ROUGE - Next month's Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has a big question surrounding it: Who will Donald Trump choose as his running mate on the Republican ticket?In Baton Rouge, Louisiana's delegates to the RNC spoke to a room of supporters at the Café Americain on Tuesday about the upcoming convention, as well as their hopes for the Republican Party.WBRZ asked multiple delegates about who they'd pick if they had the chance."To use a sports analogy, when

Baker neighborhood out of water as crews work on repairs

BAKER - Some Baker residents are out of water Tuesday after a leak was found. Officials said homes on Day Drive, North Day Drive, South Magnolia Drive, North Magnolia Drive, West Magnolia Drive, Cypress Drive, Center Street, South Street and Ray Weiland Drive were affected by the outage. At 4 p.m., town officials said crews are out repairing the line, but did not give an estimated restoration time. Permalink| Comments

WATCH: EBR's superintendent candidates make their own videotaped pitches for top schools job

BATON ROUGE — The East Baton Rouge Parish School Board this week is expected to narrow its list of superintendent candidates from five to three, or perhaps fewer, as it hopes to have a new leader in place by July 11.The leaders of Louisiana's second-largest school district recently asked the semifinalists to provide videotaped statements, and WBRZ has posted them to its website. The candidates hope to replace Sito Narcisse, who took a buyout in January after the board voted to not ren

U.S. Surgeon General declares gun violence a public health emergency

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. surgeon general on Tuesday declared gun violence a public health crisis, driven by the fast-growing number of injuries and deaths involving firearms in the country.The advisory issued by Dr. Vivek Murthy, the nation's top doctor, came as the U.S. grappled with another summer weekend marked by mass shootings that left dozens of people dead or wounded."People want to be able to walk through their neighborhoods and be safe," Murthy told The Associated Press in

One person brought to hospital after Underwood Drive house catches fire

BATON ROUGE — An Underwood Drive house off North Foster Drive caught fire midday Tuesday, Baton Rouge Fire said.Firefighters were initially called to the home on a first-aid call for possible burns around 12:40 p.m., fire officials said. After the first unit arrived a few minutes later and found someone in the front yard with smoke coming out of the home, more units were dispatched.EMS brought the injured person to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, officials said. B

Morse reiterates strip search policy that allows intrusions without 'probable cause' that a crime occurred

BATON ROUGE — Police Chief T.J. Morse reiterated in federal court Tuesday that it is proper for city police officers to strip search people even if they don't have probable cause to believe a crime has occurred, rejecting a lawyer's argument that the standard should be much higher.Morse, who became chief this year after directing the agency's training division for years, replied "I don't know" to several questions involved in day-to-day operations, and testified that "I've never condu

Grosse Tete draw bridge repairs could last well into the fall, highway officials say

GROSSE TETE — Louisiana highway officials said Tuesday that it could be well into the fall before repairs are completed on a draw bridge that connects Grosse Tete and Plaquemine.The Department of Transportation and Development said a contractor is removing mechanical equipment and hydraulic lines from the draw bridge, which was struck by a barge June 6. The collision took the bridge out of service, forcing a 46-mile detour between the west side of the Port Allen Lock and its west side

Zachary native, Super Bowl-winning quarterback Doug Williams honored in local hall of fame

BATON ROUGE — A Super Bowl-winning quarterback who went to a local high school was finally honored as a member of the inaugural class of the East Baton Rouge Parish School System Athletic Hall of Fame after not being able to attend the May ceremony.Doug Williams was honored with a jacket on Saturday at his football camp at Memorial Stadium. The former Chaneyville High School — now Northeast High — and Grambling State quarterback won a Super Bowl with the Washington

Teens arrested on hate crime charges for allegedly stealing, burning Mandeville woman's LGBTQ+ pride flag

MANDEVILLE — Three teens were arrested on hate crime charges after they allegedly stole and burned a Mandeville-woman's LGBTQ+ pride flag while making derogatory remarks, St. Tammany Parish deputies said Tuesday.Two 15-year-olds and a 14-year-old allegedly stole a woman's pride flag and burned it in the middle of the road at the intersection of Soult and Preval drives on May 26.Deputies said they eventually caught the trio after receiving a video of the teens burning the flag while sp

Teens arrested on hate crime charges for allegedly stealing, burning Louisiana woman's LGBTQ+ pride flag

MANDEVILLE — Three teens were arrested on hate crime charges after they allegedly stole and burned a Mandeville-woman's LGBTQ+ pride flag while making derogatory remarks, St. Tammany Parish deputies said Tuesday.Two 15-year-olds and a 14-year-old allegedly stole a woman's pride flag and burned it in the middle of the road at the intersection of Soult and Preval drives on May 26.Deputies said they eventually caught the trio after receiving a video of the teens burning the flag while sp

Landry names surgeon general, gives him duties once held by state health officer

BATON ROUGE — Gov. Jeff Landry named a state surgeon general Tuesday and gave him duties previously assigned to a state health officer who once questioned why a vaccine skeptic who appeared with Landry at a legislative hearing was given a platform to speak.Current Health Secretary Dr. Ralph Abraham will be surgeon general, and undersecretary Michael Harrington will replace Abraham, Landry said at a news conference Tuesday. Abraham is a former congressman. The surgeon general

TEAM 2 TRAFFIC: Car catches fire on I-12 WB, traffic backed up to Millerville Road

BATON ROUGE — A car caught fire Tuesday morning between the Airline Highway and Sherwood Forest Boulevard exits on Interstate 12 westbound, blocking traffic in one lane and backing traffic up 2.5 miles.Fire officials responded to the scene around 10:45 a.m. and within 10 minutes, the blaze was extinguished.Traffic on I-12 was backed up to the Millerville Road exit following the fire. According to Baton Rouge Fire officials, no injuries were reported.Permalink| Comments

Mall of Louisiana changes unaccompanied minor policy, required to be with adult Friday, Saturday evenings

BATON ROUGE — The Mall of Louisiana has changed its parental guidance policy for weekends, now requiring all minors to be accompanied at all times by an adult on Fridays and Saturdays after 4 p.m.According to the Mall's website, unsupervised youth shopping before 4 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays must leave the mall at 4 p.m. or immediately be joined by a parent or supervising adult age 21 or older. Proof of age may be required for the youth or supervising adult. Those who lack proper i

Tangipahoa Parish deputies searching for people who stole three riding mowers from equipment store

HAMMOND — The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office is looking for who stole three riding lawnmowers.Deputies responded to Star Equipment on the East I-55 Service Road in Hammond on Wednesday about the three stolen Kubota zero-turn mowers.Detectives say the suspects stole one older mower and two new mowers. The total value of the three mowers is approximately $20,000.Permalink| Comments

One injured after vehicle overturns at Highland, Perkins intersection

BATON ROUGE — One person was injured after a vehicle overturned Tuesday morning at the intersection of Highland and Perkins roads, officials said.The crash happened around 9 a.m., officials said. According to St. George Fire officials, the wreck required extrication after the driver was trapped.Fire officials said that the northbound portion of Highland Road has been redirected to Perkins Road.There is no word on what led to the crash or the injured person's identity, but EMS said tha

BRPD says it arrests three for vandalism at River Center

BATON ROUGE — Police said Tuesday they had arrested three people and accused them of burglary- and vandalism-related charges following a break-in at the Raising Cane's River Center last week.Javin Thomas, 17, was arrested Saturday and Edwin Eisley, 18, and Tatiana Gordon, 19, were arrested Monday, police said. All three were accused of simple burglary and criminal damage to property and booked into Parish Prison. Police said last week that the three threw a brick through a lo

Heat-related emergency calls lower than same time last year; LDH releases heat-illness prevention program

BATON ROUGE - Monday and Tuesday were under a heat advisory, with the index reaching as high as 111 degrees.But this summer is not nearly as hot as last year. This time last year, East Baton Rouge EMS responded to 45 heat-related calls. This year there have only been 21 calls.There are tell-tale signs if someone you or someone you know is suffering from heat exhaustion or heat stroke.Heat exhaustion comes before a stroke and has symptoms such as heavy sweating, cold and pale skin, nausea, and m

Dali cargo ship leaves Baltimore for Virginia, nearly 3 months after bridge collapse

The cargo ship Dali headed out of Baltimore for Virginia on Monday, nearly three months after it lost power and crashed into one of the Francis Scott Key bridge’s supporting columns and caused the bridge to collapse.The 984-foot Dali started moving shortly before 8:30 a.m. with four tugboats.The Dali was sailing under its own power with a full crew of 22 and six salvage experts, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a news release.The Coast Guard is overseeing the voyage and providing a 500-ya

Iberville Parish residents concerned over new Mississippi River bridge

BATON ROUGE - Iberville Parish residents expressed concerns over the new Mississippi River bridge after DOTD gave an update about the project at the State Capitol on Monday.Officials announced the bridge may be built from Plaquemine to near St. Gabriel. DOTD Project manager Joseph Brown said that this bridge is meant to reduce traffic and improve commuting. "If they're coming to south Baton Rouge or anything like that they have to fight all the way through downtown traffic. So this wil

Pierre to take over as Southern University's chancellor; plans to expand educational programs

BATON ROUGE — Change is coming to Southern University's leadership. John K. Pierre will no longer be chancellor of the law center. Starting July 1, Pierre will serve as chancellor of the university’s entire campus.This is the first time since 2015 that the role of president-chancellor will be separate.Pierre said he hopes to expand numerous programs, specifically in the realms of agriculture and STEM.Incoming freshmen will receive a scholarship from the United States Departm

Baton Rouge domestic violence shelter holds ribbon-cutting for new teen library, garden

BATON ROUGE — The Iris Domestic Violence Center in Baton Rouge opened a new garden and library for teens on Monday.The Iris Domestic Violence Center helps domestic violence survivors get away from their abusers. The new additions to the center were celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and are ready to accept domestic abuse survivors.Iris is one of 17 shelters statewide. WBRZ featured the shelter in the "Our City, Our Problem: Domestic Violence" special, which noted that the shelt

Man arrested for simple burglary; allegedly stole from bait store damaged in May fire

PLAQUEMINE - A man was arrested Monday for simple burglary after allegedly stealing crawfish traps and other fishing supplies from a bait shop that was damaged in a May fire. Iberville Parish Sheriff Brett Stassi said Norman Hearns III took crawfish traps, nets and bags of dry crawfish bait from the L&L Bait and Tackle Store, which was severely damaged in an electrical fire on May 7. Hearns was arrested and booked for simple burglary. Permalink| Comments