American Idol makes its way to the capital region for first round of auditions - Baton Rouge news - NewsLocker (2024)

BATON ROUGE - The first round of virtual American Idol auditions made their way to the capital region this week.Addis native Dylan Reaux has a dream as big as the Mississippi River to be a contestant on American Idol. That is why he went through the first round of virtual auditions for the fifth time on Monday. However, he says this is his year."I've had a lot of practice. I think it was confidence and vocal strength. You work every day at it and get better. If this happens for me I know it wil

Capitol High School Alumni Association holds roundup and cookout

BATON ROUGE - The Capitol High School Alumni Association invited the community to its campus this Saturday afternoon to celebrate the school's legacy.The parking lot was packed with cars when everything kicked off at noon for the alumni round up and cookout. Councilman Cleve Dunn Jr. says at least 500 people come out evert year to enjoy music, food, and fun."I just want them to to know people from Capitol High are ready to perform... professionally, and there's some great people who came from t

Worker's body found after explosion in Plaquemines Parish

SOUTH PASS - The body of a pipeline worker who went missing after an explosion Saturday evening was found, according to WWLTV.The New Orleans Coast Guard said they received a report of an explosion and that a "contractor aboard a 17-foot mud boat was working on a pipeline in the area and was reported missing."The contractor's body was found near the explosion site around 10 a.m. Sunday. The contractor has not been identified and the cause of the explosion is unknown at this time.Permalink| Comm

APSO: One shot on I-10 after alleged road rage altercation

BATON ROUGE - Detectives are investigating a shooting on I-10 after one person was injured near the Ascension Parish and East Baton Rouge Parish line, according to the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office.According to deputies, the victim advised law enforcement that he and the driver of an 18-wheeler were involved in a road rage altercation, which led to the victim receiving a gunshot wound. The victim then said the shooter fled the scene and the victim drove himself to a nearby location to call

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Officer Manager for EBR Mayor-President dies, mayor confirms

BATON ROUGE - A staffer with the East Baton Rouge Office of the Mayor President died, according to a statement from Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome.Simone Pillette, the Office Manager for the mayor-president, died. She also played an in the Mayor’s Advisory Council on Veterans Affairs, according to the statement. No information was given on how she died."As we mourn this tremendous loss, we remember her as a colleague and dear friend who made every day brighter," Broome said. "Le

Office Manager for EBR Mayor-President dies, mayor confirms

BATON ROUGE - A staffer with the East Baton Rouge Office of the Mayor-President died, according to a statement from Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome.Simone Pillette, the Office Manager for the mayor-president, died. She also played a role in the Mayor’s Advisory Council on Veterans Affairs, according to the statement. No information was given on how she died."As we mourn this tremendous loss, we remember her as a colleague and dear friend who made every day brighter," Bro

Fire at tire yard still ongoing in Jackson, Mississippi after over twelve hours

JACKSON, Ms. - Jackson firefighters continue to work an ongoing fire that began Saturday afternoon, according to WAPT.Large amounts of smoke and fire could be seen from the tire facility on East McDowell Road, which is where the fire originated.Firefighters say the fire was contained around 10:40 p.m. Saturday night, but fire units will be on scene for days until the fire is completely put out.Below is a video of the fire burning during the night:There are no reported injuries at this time.Perm

Two arrested after Ponchatoula narcotics investigation

PONCHATOULA - A man and a woman were arrested in connection to a two-month-long drug investigation in Ponchatoula, according to Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office. Jasmane Jones, 36, and Mayha Tucker, 26, were booked into the Tangipahoa Parish Jail on Friday. A search warrant at a home on 4th Street led to the discovery of six pounds of marijuana, ecstasy and hydrocodone as well as two handguns, $4000 in cash and several iPhones, TSPO said. Additionally, TPSO said all of the items were

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1 dead in shooting along I-110 near Government Street exit; no motive given, no suspects named

BATON ROUGE — Police said Sunday a 22-year-old man was killed while driving along Interstate 110 near the Government Street exit when shots were fired from a nearby vehicle.Baton Rouge Police said the shooting occurred in the northbound lanes of I-110 about midnight Saturday. Antoine Bowie was pronounced dead at the scene and a passenger was injured. The passenger is expected to survive.Police did not say whether they have determined a motive or have suspects.Permalink| Comments

Homeowner catches possum chasing fox on security camera

KENILWORTH - A Kenilworth man discovered a small possum chasing a larger fox in his front yard when he went to check his security camera Friday evening."The chase just continued for so long and the fox just looked like it was trying to get away. It never could get away, which was hilarious because it's so much bigger than the possum," Marcel Dupre said. Dupre is not sure why or what the possum was protecting, but what he does know is the possum that was chasing the fox usually frequent

Three arrested after alleged heroin, marijuana sales operation in Independence

INDEPENDENCE - Three people were arrested after a search warrant where police seized packaged marijuana and heroin, according to the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office.TPSO says Justin Cannon, 40, Lorenzo Jones, 27, and Rodrica Jones, 30, were all booked into the Tangipahoa Parish Jail on August 14. A search warrant at a home on Adelante Street led to the discovery of packaged marijuana, heroin, scales and a gun reported stolen out of the Baton Rouge area, TPSO said. Additionally, TPSO said all

Independence Italian Cultural Museum hosts annual Cucuzza Day celebration

INDEPENDENCE - Sicilian families in Independence who have been growing cucuzza, also known as Italian squash, for generations have been sharing them with the community for the last several years at Cucuzza Day at the Independence Italian Cultural museum."It's basically a family day and to introduce people to the cucuzza, and promote the cucuzza," said Donnie Orlando, president of the museum.The seeds of a cucuzza are passed down for generations in Sicilian culture. No two cucuzza are the same,

Varsity Sports to host Run/Walk cancer fundraiser Aug. 29 to raise money for Zeeland Street Market owner

BATON ROUGE -- The owner of Zeeland Street Market, a longtime community fixture on Perkins Rd, was recently diagnosed with stage 3A lung cancer.Varsity Sports Baton Rouge, which is in the same block, has scheduled a run/walk fundraiser on August 29th to help Stephanie Phares cover the costs of treatment and of running her business as she begins treatment.Phares and her family have been serving the Baton Rouge community for more than 30 years. She arrived in the city as an LSU student back in th

Ex-Rep. George Santos expected to plead guilty to multiple counts in fraud case, AP source says

WASHINGTON - Former U.S. Rep. George Santos is expected to plead guilty to multiple counts in his federal fraud case, according to a person familiar with the matter.Santos, a Republican from New York, is expected to enter the plea at a court hearing planned for Monday on Long Island, the person said.The person could not publicly discuss details of the plea and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.Messages were left seeking comment from Santos and th

Fire officials investigating structure fire off Plank Road in Zachary

ZACHARY - Fire officials are investigating a structure fire on Plank Road that occurred Friday morning.According to the Chaneyville Fire Department, the fire took place at the 23000 block of Plank Road at 8 a.m. Pictures showed a house with heavy fire and smoke coming from the roof.There were no injuries reported as a result of the fire. No cause has been determined.Permalink| Comments

Fire officials investigating structure fire off Plank Road

ZACHARY - Fire officials are investigating a structure fire on Plank Road that occurred Friday morning.According to the Chaneyville Fire Department, the fire took place at the 23000 block of Plank Road at 8 a.m. Pictures showed a house with heavy fire and smoke coming from the roof.There were no injuries reported as a result of the fire. No cause has been determined.Permalink| Comments

I-10 Eastbound closed between Baton Rouge and New Orleans

GARYVILLE - Interstate 10 Eastbound between Baton Rouge and New Orleans is closed after an 18-wheeler overturned and is now blocking all lanes. The crash is less than a mile east of the LA-641 exit. Law enforcement is routing traffic off of I-10 south onto LA-641 and then on Airline Highway in Gramercy. It's unclear if any other vehicles were involved in the crash or if there are any injuries. Permalink| Comments

I-10 East reopened between Baton Rouge and New Orleans after overturned 18-wheeler

GARYVILLE - Interstate 10 East between Baton Rouge and New Orleans reopened Saturday morning after an overturned 18-wheelers caused and early-morning shutdown. The crash, less than a mile east of the La. Hwy 641 exit, happened around 6:15 a.m. and kept the road closed for about three hours.Law enforcement routed traffic off the interstate and onto Airline Highway in Gramercy during the shutdown. It's unclear whether other vehicles were involved or whether anyone was injured.&a

Ed Daniels, longtime WGNO sports director, dies at 67

NEW ORLEANS - Long-time WGNO Sports Director Ed Daniels died Friday after a heart attack he suffered in late July during the New Orleans Saints' training camp in Los Angeles, according to WGNO.Daniels started as the station’s sports director in 1992 and was the creator of Friday Night Football. He graduated from Archbishop Rummel High School in 1975 and from Loyola University in 1979."Ed’s importance to WGNO cannot be overstated. He was the most important and impactful perso

Big Guys No Ties: Keep your eyes on these Tigers this season!

Hunter McCann and Michael Cauble have the latest edition of Big Guys No Ties! - Key players this season for LSU on both sides of the ball - "Money Game" docuseries - LSU's global brandPermalink| Comments

Former WBRZ Investigative Reporter to be honored with room named in his honor at local recovery center

BATON ROUGE -- Former WBRZ and CNN reporter John Camp is being honored by the O'Brien House recovery center by naming a treatment meeting room in his honor.For more than half a century, the O'Brien House has been helping alcoholics and addicts in the Baton Rouge area recover. WBRZ got the chance to talk to the O'Brien executive director, Dr. Emily George Tilley, about how integral Camp was to making that happen."We offer 90-day residential services for clients with addiction, men and women. We

Local car club, 'The Mustang Mafia,' donated school supplies to Glen Oaks Elementary

BATON ROUGE - A local car club, "The Mustang Mafia," donated school supplies to Glen Oaks Elementary for the new semester Friday.The Mustang Mafia has been doing this school supply drive for the last three years."This means everything to us," Hunter Craig, the Mustang Mafia President said. "We're big on the cars, first off, and the families, second off. We always build a family within ourselves and a third goal to us is to give back to the community."The group says this is not the only event th

COVID-19 having a small spike in cases, expert weighs in

LOUISIANA - According to the Louisiana Department of Health reports there has been more than 20% jump in positive COVID tests in the first two weeks of August.Doctor Katie Taylor the medical director of infection prevention at Our Lady of the Lake says these numbers are becoming more and more common since 2020."In the summer and winter, we're used to having them in winter, especially with the flu, the summer is kind of a newer thing; it has happened before," Taylor said.Taylor expects the level

Supreme Court keeps new rules about sex discrimination in education on hold in half the country

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Friday kept on hold in roughly half the country new regulations about sex discrimination in education, rejecting a Biden administration request.The court voted 5-4, with conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch joining the three liberal justices in dissent.At issue were protections for pregnant students and students who are parents, and the procedures schools must use in responding to sexual misconduct complaints.The most noteworthy of

Friday's Health Report: Learn more about the larynx, which plays an important part in speaking

BATON ROUGE — Many parts of the body work together to make sound. The larynx, also called the voice box, plays an important part in the process. "It is the primary organ that's responsible for your ability to speak, for your ability to swallow, to eat and drink, and to breathe," Mayo Clinic otolaryngologist David Lott said.The larynx also helps sense when food is swallowed. Lott says it governs those functions in two ways."When we swallow, the vocal folds close. That movement

$$$ Best Bets: Angel in the Sky! $$$

Hunter McCann has this weekend's best bets for the Paris 2024 Olympics and the MLB!FridayMLB:Nationals @ Phillies: Phillies -1.5Mariners @ Pirates: No Run First InningRed Sox @ Orioles: Orioles MLMarlins @ Mets: Mets -1.5White Sox: Astros: Astros -1.5Padres @ Rockies: Padres MLWNBA:Storm @ Dream: u157.5Mercury @ Fever: Fever -2.5Sun @ Wings: Suns -5.5Saturday MLB:Yankees @ Tigers: Yankees MLBlue Jays @ Cubs: Cubs MLRoyals @ Reds: o9 Total RunsGiants @ Athletics: Giants MLWhite Sox @ As

Woman charged in brazen plot to extort Elvis Presley's family and auction off Graceland

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Missouri woman has been arrested on charges she orchestrated a brazen scheme to defraud Elvis Presley’s family by trying to auction off his Graceland mansion and property before a judge halted the mysterious foreclosure sale, the Justice Department said Friday.Lisa Jeanine Findley, 53, of Kimberling City, falsely claimed Presley’s daughter borrowed $3.8 million from a bogus private lender and had pledged Graceland as c

Food trailer found after theft in Erwinville

UPDATE: The West Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office located the trailer Friday.-----ERWINVILLE - Deputies with West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office are investigating a theft of a food trailer that took place between August 5 and August 6. The trailer is a yellow 2002 model, and was stolen along U.S. 190 near Poydras Bayou Road. Anyone with information that can assist detectives, please give them a call at 225-382-5200.Permalink| Comments

Deputies investigating food trailer theft in Erwinville

ERWINVILLE - Deputies with West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office are investigating a theft of a food trailer that took place between August 5 and August 6. The trailer is a yellow 2002 model, and was stolen along U.S. 190 near Poydras Bayou Road. Anyone with information that can assist detectives, please give them a call at 225-382-5200.Permalink| Comments

Former Tangipahoa Parish Jail maintenance employee arrested; allegedly took inmate off-site to buy weapons

AMITE — A former maintenance worker who worked in the Tangipahoa Parish Jail was arrested Friday for taking an inmate out of the jail to buy weapons from him, deputies said.Donald Hammons, 56, was arrested on one count of malfeasance in office.Hammons was a Tangipahoa Parish Government employee assigned to conduct maintenance at the parish jail from 2010 until the sheriff’s office administration change in July.After the new leadership took over, it was learned that Hammons a