Grosse Tete Bridge closed after boat hits structure; crews say at least 3 months until repairs complete - Louisiana news - NewsLocker (2024)

GROSSE TETE - Crews said the Grosse Tete drawbridge would be closed for at least three months for repairs after a boat hit it early Thursday morning.  The Maringouin Volunteer Fire Department said their crews were notified by DOTD that a boat had collided with the drawbridge just on Highway 77 west of Plaquemine. WBRZ spoke with officials on the scene who said the bridge would be closed for an estimated three months. Officials said a pontoon boat would be secured to f

Body of child who never resurfaced from neighborhood pond recovered early Tuesday morning

PRAIRIEVILLE - First responders in Ascension Parish recovered a child's body after he went into a pond Monday afternoon and never resurfaced. The Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office said a child went into the water in the Keystone Subdivision around 5:45 p.m. First responders recovered the body around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday.The following statement was sent Monday evening: Our community is facing a heartbreaking situation tonight. Deputies with this Sheriff’s Offic

Two children hit by car in University Club subdivision taken to hospital

BATON ROUGE - Two children who were hit by a car Monday afternoon in the University Club neighborhood were taken to a hospital. First responders said the incident happened just before 7 p.m. along Memorial Tower Drive. The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office is investigating the incident. Deputies said the victims ran out in the street in front of a car.Both of the children were taken to a hospital, one with serious injuries and another in stable condition. No more inform

First responders searching for child who went into pond, never resurfaced

PRAIRIEVILLE - First responders in Ascension Parish are searching for a child who went into a pond Monday afternoon and never resurfaced. The Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office said a child went into the water in the Keystone Subdivision around 5:45 p.m. First responders have been searching for the child since. No more information was immediately available. Permalink| Comments

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First responders recover body of child who went into pond, never resurfaced

PRAIRIEVILLE - First responders in Ascension Parish recovered a child's body after he went into a pond Monday afternoon and never resurfaced. The Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office said a child went into the water in the Keystone Subdivision around 5:45 p.m. First responders recovered the body around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday.The following statement was sent Monday evening: Our community is facing a heartbreaking situation tonight. Deputies with this Sheriff’s Offic

WATCH: Bull named 'Party Bus' escapes Oregon rodeo, triggering a brief panic; 3 hurt

SISTERS, Ore. (AP) — A rodeo bull hopped a fence surrounding an Oregon arena and ran through a concession area into a parking lot, injuring at least three people before wranglers caught up with it, officials said.The crowd at the 84th Sisters Rodeo in the city of Sisters was singing along with Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.” on Saturday night, most with their cellphone flashlights on, as the bull ran around the arena before what was to be the final

Grosse Tete Bridge closure calls for new methods of transportation for residents

PLAQUEMINE - Crews are working to build a vehicle ferry after the Gross Tete Bridge was damaged four days ago and is not expected to be repaired until 2025. On June 6, a tugboat barreled into the drawbridge and caused significant damage to the structure. WBRZ reported that the bridge will be closed for at least three months for repairs.Monday, WBRZ learned that parts of the 60-year-old bridge cannot be replaced, as they are not manufactured anymore, and the repair process could take an

Franklin police say man taken into custody following attack with a chain saw

FRANKLIN — Franklin Police said they took a man into custody Monday on a second-degree battery accusation, alleging he attacked a man with a chain saw.The victim was airlifted to a hospital for non-life threatening injuries, the agency said.Police said Albert Mitchell was charged with aggravated second-degree battery. Online jail records Monday did not have him listed as an inmate.Permalink| Comments

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Circle K acknowledges accidentally selling bad gas during major promotion last month

BATON ROUGE — Some motorists who took advantage of Circle K's 40-cents-off promotion last month received an unwanted extra: Water in their gas tank.The company acknowledged Monday that it was responsible for accidentally delivering watered-down gasoline on the day it ran a major promotion ahead of the Memorial Day holiday. Many drivers had gone on social media to complain about what happened to their vehicles."The car troubles experienced by some customers who purchased fuel at our st

REPORT: Former LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri headed to South Carolina

BATON ROUGE - Former LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri is expected to be the next head coach for South Carolina's baseball team, a report said. According to Kendall Rogers, Mainieri is expected to fill Mark Kingston's role with the Gameco*cks. On June 3, South Carolina announced that Kingston would not be returning for the 2025 season. Kingston has led the team for the past six seasons. In 2024, South Carolina was ranked as high as No. 7 in the nation but finished the regular se

Broome weighs in following WBRZ reports of arrest of man on West Roosevelt Street

BATON ROUGE — The mayor-president said Monday that, after a series of WBRZ reports on the May 21 arrest of a man in Old South Baton Rouge, she had reviewed body-camera video from the scene and that the city would "give answers to the public" as quickly as possible.The Baton Rouge Police Department took more than two weeks to release video recorded by responding officers. The tapes released Friday showed officers responding to a ShotSpotter activation and finding Roderick Veal asleep i

Bayou Vista mobile home that caught on fire had no working smoke detectors, agency says

BAYOU VISTA - A mobile home caught fire Sunday night, and it was later found the home did not have working smoke detectors. The Bayou Vista Volunteer Fire Department said engines were called to the scene on Bowen Lane shortly before 8:30 p.m. Sunday. Firefighters saw heavy smoke and flames coming from the house, and the home was heavily damaged. There were no reports of injuries from the homeowner or any of the firefighters. The cause of the fire was not immediately c

Zachary Park closing through Thursday so crews can install base for 'all-inclusive' slide

ZACHARY — Zachary city officials are closing the HugYourPeople Community Park through Thursday so it can install concrete that will support an "all-inclusive" slide.The new slide project follows a $100,000 appropriation from the Legislature."This funding will enable us to install all-inclusive playground equipment, including a new slide that allows children of all abilities to play and enjoy themselves independently," Mayor David McDavid said. "This project is a significant step towar

Suspect sought after allegedly setting fire to Denham Springs High School

DENHAM SPRINGS - The English hall at DSHS was severely damaged after a fire that happened at the end of May, and now investigators are looking for a suspect. The Office and the State Fire Marshal as well as the Denham Springs Police Department are searching for a suspect who is believed to have entered campus on a bicycle at around 2 a.m. on Sunday, May 26. The fire was contained to the English hall, but damages are expected to be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Anyone

Ochsner Medical Center first to receive latest in robotic surgery tech

BATON ROUGE - The Ochsner Medical Centers in New Orleans and the capital city have received the latest in robotic surgery technology: the da Vinci 5. The da Vinci system transfers a surgeon's hand movements into robotic arms for a higher degree of precision and minimal invasiveness. The system also allows the surgeon to feel the same amount of pressure being used by the robotic arms. The new system will be used for minimally-invasive procedures in urology, gynecology, and gene

New law will implement stricter penalties on ankle monitoring companies

BATON ROUGE - Governor Landry signed a bill that enforces stricter punishments for ankle monitoring companies. Failure to report violations to law enforcement can lead to fines, an imprisonment of six months, and the inability to work in the field for up to five years. The decision stems from the case of Marshall Rayburn, who repeatedly breached his ex wife's home after she filed a restraining order. He shot and killed Peggy Rayburn before killing himself. All of this occurred while he

Man arrested after depositing $2,000 into his account with phony money orders

NAPOLEONVILLE - Deputies arrested a man for filing two separate false money orders in 2023. The Assumption Parish Sheriff's Office said the investigation into the money orders began in September 2023. In four days, Branden Wiggins allegedly deposited two separate money orders into his account, both worth $1,000. He also withdrew $497 from his account.The investigation concluded with Wiggins' arrest on Sunday. He was booked for bank fraud, monetary instrument abuse, and theft. 

St. George leaders sworn into office Monday

ST. GEORGE - Nearly twenty years after the community of Central incorporated, St. George followed suit and is now the fifth largest city in Louisiana. Monday evening, the city’s first mayor, police chief and aldermen were sworn in.“From collecting signatures door to door, on street corners and in parking lots ... You persevered through it all,” Mayor Dustin Yates said.Yates, along with Chief of Police Todd Morris and five aldermen were appointed by Governor Jeff La

St. George leaders sworn into office at Monday meeting

ST. GEORGE - Nearly twenty years after the community of Central incorporated, St. George followed suit and is now the fifth largest city in Louisiana. Monday evening, the city’s first mayor, police chief and aldermen were sworn in.“From collecting signatures door to door, on street corners and in parking lots ... You persevered through it all,” Mayor Dustin Yates said.Yates, along with Chief of Police Todd Morris and five aldermen were appointed by Governor Jeff La

Juvenile injured in Sunday night shooting off Plank Road

BATON ROUGE - A juvenile was reportedly injured in a shooting that happened Sunday night. The Baton Rouge Police Department said officers were called to the hospital shortly after 9 p.m. due to a juvenile arriving with a gunshot wound. Investigators found the shooting happened on the near the 3500 block of Greenwell Street off Plank Road. No further information was provided. It was not clear how old the juvenile was, or what led to the shooting. Anyone with informatio

2une In Previews: Greek Weekend

BATON ROUGE - Starting next weekend, June 21, join the National Pan-Hellenic Council for Greek Weekend!The weekend will kick off with a variety Greek show on Friday, a picnic on Saturday, and a church fellowship gathering on Sunday. 2une In spoke with the NPHC for more information on the fun-filled weekend ahead!Permalink| Comments

Pedestrian killed in Evangeline Parish crash

MAMOU - A pedestrian was hit by a car and died from their injuries in a crash late Saturday night. State police said 63-year-old Sharron Hampshire of Ville Platte was walking near the fog line on Highway 104 shortly before midnight on Saturday. A Honda Pilot was driving in the same direction and, for reasons state police say are still under investigation, the Honda struck Hampshire. Hampshire died on the scene. The driver of the Honda was properly restrained and was not injure

Sunday Journal: The Protest that Changed History

BATON ROUGE - This week on Sunday Journal, JP took a trip back in time to 1953 to learn more about the local protest that changed history. Watch this week's Sunday Journal above. Permalink| Comments

Mothers who have lost children to violence join together at community meeting Sunday

BATON ROUGE - A heartfelt conversation among mothers who have lost children due to street violence occurred Sunday afternoon.Community members, activists and local leaders attended A Mother's Cry, an event put on by the major's office in coordination with the Summer of Hope initiative to decrease violence in Baton Rouge.Mayor Pro Temp Lamont Cole said that the purpose of Sunday's event was to give mothers the opportunity to share their stories. "Mother's not only from Baton Rouge, but

Trump to undergo probation interview Monday, a required step before his New York sentencing

Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to be interviewed by New York probation officials Monday, a required step before his July sentencing in his criminal hush money case, according to three people familiar with the plan.Trump will do the interview via a computer video conference from his residence at the Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, the people told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to disclose the plans publicly

Residents gather in Downtown Baton Rouge for Flag Week festivities

BATON ROUGE - Baton Rouge residents gathered downtown Sunday to celebrate the beginning of National Flag Week. Sen. Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge, has been hosting the event for the past 17 years to pay homage to the men and women who have served or are currently serving. This year's event in downtown Baton Rouge was it's biggest yet, after the addition of a festival to the celebration."I've been doing it for 17 years and it's still a very, very important in terms of educating

One killed, two hurt in Livingston wreck Sunday afternoon

LIVINGSTON - One person was killed and two were hurt in a crash along a Livingston road on Sunday afternoon. The Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office said the wreck happened around 2 p.m. near the corner of South Satsuma Road and Zach Wheat Lane. Deputies said one adult was killed and two were airlifted from the scene. All of the occupants were removed by first responders before the vehicles caught on fire. No more information about the crash or the victims have been re

Washington quarterback, former LSU Heisman winner Jayden Daniels throws out first pitch for MLB game

WASHINGTON D.C. - Former LSU quarterback and Heisman trophy winner Jayden Daniels threw out the ceremonial first pitch for the Washington Nationals on Sunday. The LSU star is in his rookie season with the Washington Commanders after he was selected as the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Daniels was joined at the game with fellow Commanders rookies. The Nationals went on to beat the Atlanta Braves 8-5 on Sunday. They move on to a series with the Detroit Tigers.&n

U.S.S. KIDD Veterans Museum opens D-Day exhibit for the month of June

BATON ROUGE - The U.S.S. KIDD Veterans Museum opened a new exhibit to mark the 80th anniversary of the historic D-Day invasion. The exhibit is designed to educate the public on little-known facts about the Allied invasion of German-occupied Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944. Each year, a new section will be added to the exhibit, causing it to grow over time.The U.S.S. KIDD moved to Houma for repairs and won't be back until 2025, but curator Elijah Otto says that visitors have many more

St. George officials set to be sworn in Monday afternoon

ST. GEORGE - Interim officials for the City of St. George will be officially sworn in Monday afternoon. Organizers say that the ceremony will mark the beginning of the town's government and will start the process of creating the city. On April 26, the Louisiana Supreme Court ruled that the city should be incorporated. Nearly a month later, Governor Jeff Landry appointed Dustin Yates as St. George’s first mayor and Todd Morris as the city’s first police chie