# RedEye > RedEye delivers sharp, solutions-driven journalism for Baton Rouge—covering politics, business, and culture with clarity and purpose. Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. This file includes a bounded export of public pages first, then recent public posts. Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`). ## Pages ### About RedEye URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/about/ Last updated: 2026-07-26T18:40:02.000Z RedEye is a digital news venture with a simple mission: make journalism useful again. Not just for headlines or clicks, but for the people of Baton Rouge who are trying—every day—to make this city work better. Our approach is solutions-focused—we ask what has been tried, what has worked elsewhere, and what might work here. Alongside serious reporting, we’ll share the small pleasures of daily life in Baton Rouge, because joy, too, is part of the civic good. ### **Advertising with RedEye** Our goal is to help our advertisers reach our influential audience - business owners, professionals and civic leaders. Read more about [advertising with RedEye](https://www.redeyebr.com/advert). ### **RedEye's Founders are:** **JR Ball** \- A sharp writer and observer of Louisiana’s civic life, JR spent nearly three decades shaping business and political coverage in Baton Rouge. As executive editor of *Baton Rouge Business Report*, he built a reputation for incisive commentary while overseeing the growth of the magazine and its digital extensions. He also spent four years with The Times-Picayune/NOLA.com, managing the organization’s statewide digital news initiative, as well as its Baton Rouge, state, and national political coverage. Earlier, he worked as the top editor of *Tiger Rag*, then participated in several business ventures, including professional indoor soccer with the late Steve Carter. **Mukul Verma** \- For more than 30 years, Mukul has made complicated stories easier to understand. He started as a business writer at *The Advocate*, then at *Baton Rouge Business Report*, covering the people and forces shaping Louisiana. He was founding editor of *Daily Report*—one of the first digital dailies in the nation—and built it into a must-read for more than 15,000 subscribers. Mukul later was director of communications for the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, telling stories about the nonprofit's civic efforts, including downtown redevelopment, the Bridge Center for Hope and Companion Animal Alliance’s $12 million shelter. ### Welcome to RedEye. URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/welcome-to-redeye/ Last updated: 2026-03-28T18:49:57.000Z _This page is for subscribers only._ ### Contact URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/contact/ Last updated: 2026-03-28T18:45:44.000Z ### News Have a confidential news tip? We will protect you as a source. Send tips to [**news@redeyebr.com**](mailto:news@redeyebr.com). What makes a good news tip? Bring evidence: documents, records, or something solid. A hunch is not enough. A useful tip points to a specific problem with real-world consequences and a reason the public should care. And **we love to hear about new restaurants and events.** ### **Advertising with RedEye** RedEye reaches the people who follow Baton Rouge closely and often help move it forward. Visit our [**advertising page**](https://www.redeyebr.com/advertise-with-redeye/) to learn more. 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Our **new publication** will deliver news that makes sense—in your inbox every weekday before 7 a.m. [GET REDEYE DAILY](#/portal/signup/free) Before the city stirs, you'll get: 1. **The Bottom Line:** Clear reporting on East Baton Rouge news that matters. 2. **Civic Solutions:** Thoughtful stories on how EBR's cities and the parish can function better. 3. **Local Flavor:** The culture, food and people that make our parish a delight. **No clickbait. Unsubscribe anytime. Daily newsletter is free.** RedEye will be produced by veteran journalists: **JR Ball,** formerly an editor at *Business Report* and *The Times-Picayune | Baton Rouge*, and **Mukul Verma**, the founding editor of *Daily Report* and a former communications director at the Baton Rouge Area Foundation. Why RedEye? Because you want this **parish to prosper** and you need something to read while waiting for an endless freight train to clear **College Drive**. ### Thanks! 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They come to RedEye for stories that provide perspective and clarity, as well stories about the joys of living in our parish. They act on what they learn. ### Our readers They are highly engaged, influential and actively shape business, community and purchasing. **45%** lead organizations **| 19%** own businesses **| 10%** hold c-suite roles. ### Sponsored Content Sponsored content gives advertisers room to tell a fuller story—whether they’re explaining an initiative, sharing expertise, introducing a service, or delivering a message that needs more context than a standard ad can provide. RedEye produces sponsored content in partnership with the advertiser. It remains separate from RedEye’s independent journalism. ### Contact and Media Kit Download our media kit. 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Whether the project becomes an engine for Louisiana depends on SpaceX's ability to deliver an unfinished rocket and secure demand for its use. **The details:** SpaceX says it will invest $100 billion in “Starbase, Louisiana,” a Vermilion Parish complex that could become the world’s largest launch facility. - Plans call for five launch complexes, each with two launch pads and a propellant farm. - Construction is expected to begin in 2027, with the first Starship launch targeted for as early as 2029. - Louisiana Economic Development projects 3,000 direct jobs, and 8,000 indirect. **Give credit**: Gov. Jeff Landry and his economic-development team landed one of the world’s most sought-after industrial projects. Louisiana’s abundant natural gas, waterside location, favorable launch geography and deepwater access mattered. So did the administration’s ability to close the deal. **The big picture:** SpaceX is not a speculative startup. It has fundamentally changed the launch business. - Its filings show Falcon launches rose from 134 in 2024 to 165 in 2025\. But 122 of those missions last year carried SpaceX’s own Starlink satellites rather than payloads for outside customers. - In other words, much of SpaceX’s launch demand comes from SpaceX itself. **Follow the money:** The company’s space division reported $4.1 billion in revenue and a $657 million operating loss in 2025, compared with a $21 million profit a year earlier. But the reason matters: Research and development spending in the division climbed to about $3 billion as SpaceX accelerated work on Starship. Meanwhile, its Starlink internet division generated $11.4 billion in revenue and $4.4 billion in operating profit, according to[ SpaceX’s prospectus](https://content.spacex.com/cms-assets/FINAL%5FDocuments%20and%20Updates/SpaceX%20-%20EU%20Prospectus%20%28Approved%20by%20Bafin%29%20-%20June%205%2C%202026.pdf?ref=redeyebr.com). SpaceX is using profitable, fast-growing Starlink to finance an enormously expensive rocket-development program. **The Starship question:** Louisiana’s spaceport is designed around Starship, not the proven Falcon 9. - SpaceX says Starship will carry more than 100 metric tons to orbit, enabling larger Starlink satellites, lunar missions, Mars expeditions and even data centers in space. - After 13 integrated test flights, however, SpaceX's Starship has not demonstrated the complete operating system on which its Louisiana vision depends. - The company is progressing, including the first intact ocean recovery after its 13th test. **The Tesla example:** Musk has a history of being right about technology’s direction and wrong about its timetable. In 2015, he predicted Tesla would have a fully autonomous car in about three years. More than a decade later, Tesla has begun a limited rollout of driverless robotaxis, but the “Full Self-Driving” software sold to owners still requires active supervision. Waymo, meanwhile, reported 15 million fully autonomous rides in 2025 and said in early 2026 that it had surpassed 500,000 weekly rides. **The bottom line**: SpaceX makes a lot of money. SpaceX is also SpaceX’s largest customer, launching its Starlink satellites. But the Louisiana spaceport is counting on demand from Elon’s dreams of colonizing mars and data centers in space, both of which are dubious ideas. SpaceX will likely develop a coastal spaceport, but its scale will depend on overcoming big technical hurdles and attracting sustained outside demand. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Waiting for a train URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/baton-rouge-train-traffic-downtown/ Last updated: 2026-09-04T01:06:35.000Z My long, tortured history of bad timing and frustration with travel and trains in Baton Rouge is a secret to exactly no one. Wednesday morning added a new chapter. I had a 7:30 a.m. meeting with convention and tourism guru Butch Spyridon at the Bally's Hotel coffee shop, and by 7:10 was within eyesight of it—maybe 500 yards out with 20 minutes to spare. Life was good. Then my world, and that long black and white gate, came crashing down. Red lights flashing, bell clanging and then 20 seconds of the short, ear-piercing warning blasts from a four-engine train. Four engines raised some alarms, but, with 20 minutes to spare, let the train and the good times roll. No worries. Except the train kept rolling ... and rolling ... and rolling. Until 7:25, when it did something worse: it slowed and then stopped. Dead stop. A Berlin wall of tankers and hoppers between me, Bally's and British Breakfast tea nirvana. Options fading, the call was a hasty U-turn retreat, doubling back down River Road in search of a train-free crossing. Except the train was also blocking the crossing at Water Street. And at Oklahoma Street. The West McKinley crossing was clear, but traffic was backed up onto River Road. Same story at West Roosevelt and on Aster. Freedom didn't ring until reaching the LSU campus and Skip Bertman Drive—nearly 2.5 snaking, stop-and-go miles from where this odyssey began. Keep in mind, this was during the morning commute hour, and this train—carrying hazardous chemicals, economic development and jobs—kept hundreds of people from getting to their jobs for far more than the alleged 20-minute law. I finally rolled into Bally's at 7:47 a.m., roughly 37 minutes and 15 Jimmy Buffett songs after the gate first came down—which is the only thing that kept me sane through the ordeal. **Why it matters:** Is this the biggest problem facing Baton Rouge? No. Still, it's simply another buoy downtown must navigate if it has serious aspirations of becoming a live-work-play destination. Right now, just getting to the work part is a challenge. **We tried:** Louisiana actually has a rule for this, and it's mostly toothless. - State law makes it illegal for a train to block a crossing for more than 20 minutes, with fines that climb the longer the blockage goes into overtime. - Courts nationwide have spent the past few years gutting versions of that law state by state, ruling federal authority over railroads swallows the states' right to enforce it. - The U.S. Supreme Court let Ohio's version die without comment in 2024, leaving that logic standing. **Waving the white flag:** Louisiana's own transportation department has more or less conceded the point. - DOTD has said railroads fall outside the state's jurisdiction to police. - There's a law. There's just nobody positioned to make it mean anything. **The irony:** This is a love-hate affair, as I'm more than $1,000 in on an On30 model-train obsession. **The bottom line:** Attorney and developer Charles Landry apparently has pull with Canadian National—he did get a crossing for the proposed LSU Arena without the city having to give one up—so maybe we can put him on the case. *—JR Ball* ### Skip football. Order a julep. URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/skip-football-order-a-julep/ Last updated: 2026-09-04T01:06:05.000Z Shocker: Not everyone in Baton Rouge watches LSU football. Some people read books or stream dramas on Apple TV. Others take advantage of the quieter restaurants to enjoy dinner or cocktails with a few like-minded friends. For those in the latter camp, [Hayride Scandal](https://www.instagram.com/p/DchKTyITf5C/?ref=redeyebr.com) has you covered. Accomplished bartender Alan Walter will be mixing specialty cocktails in the back room, something he has been doing at the Corporate Boulevard lounge for several weeks. Hayride Owner Lance Paddock tells *RedEye* the events have been popular and they are in talks to add more specialty cocktail days at the lounge. Walter was a mixologist before mixology was cool. He made a name for himself in New Orleans, first at Iris restaurant, then at Loa Bar at the International House Hotel. He opened The Brakes Bar for City Hospitality Group in Baton Rouge. His profile got another lift when he was named a 2025 James Beard Award semifinalist in the Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service category. On Saturday from 4 to 7 p.m., he’ll mix juleps, drinks traditionally poured over crushed ice, with the mint julep being the best known. Don’t expect the standard fare at Hayride. Walter’s previous julep menu included drinks flavored with peach-pluot shrub, an artichoke amaro float, and a crème fraîche and Drambuie float. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Pennington hunts diabetes' missing piece URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/pennington-hunts-diabetes-missing-piece/ Last updated: 2026-09-04T01:05:43.000Z _This post is for subscribers only._ ### BREC golf: a multimillion mulligan URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/brec-golf-a-multimillion-mulligan/ Last updated: 2026-09-03T02:35:18.000Z BREC has narrowed its golf losses, but taxpayers still subsidize every round—a financial reality coming into sharper focus as the future of City Park’s course is debated. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Data center for Livingston? URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/data-center-for-livingston/ Last updated: 2026-09-03T02:35:29.000Z A data center may be coming to Livingston Parish—with consequences for the entire Baton Rouge region. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Spilling the tees on BREC golf URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/brec-golf-santa-maria-city-park-baton-rouge/ Last updated: 2026-09-03T02:33:35.000Z Golf got a popularity boost during COVID, and the fairways and greens continue thanks to the popularity of Good Good Golf and other free-swinging YouTubers. **Why it matters:** The best way to enjoy the game is to play on a course—and from tee boxes—suitable for your skill level. It becomes a good walk spoiled pretty quickly if you're hacking and scudding the ball around a course that's beyond your skill level. **BREC course guide:** - **Santa Maria**—The crown jewel of the BREC roster, this Robert Trent Jones Sr. design is one of South Louisiana's best municipal courses. This course isn't for beginners, and double-digit handicappers shouldn't consider playing from the tips, which maxes the course at 6,969 yards. - **Beaver Creek**—The wooded back-9, which meanders through protected wetlands, is the best nine-hole swing in the BREC bag. It's fabulous. The front-9 is rather pedestrian and is faux-links-style. It's a course that suffers from being in Zachary, which is a bit of a hike for the South Baton Rouge golf crowd. Again, at 6,950 yards, newbies and high-handicappers need not play from the championship tees. Pick one of the four other tee options to test your game. - **Webb Park**—Affectionately known as "Webble Beach," this course in the heart of Baton Rouge is the best 18-hole track for newbies, high-handicappers and those with weekly games. It's an underrated layout, easy to walk and, at 6,349 yards, a decent test when the course is in good shape. **City Park**—Controversy over its future aside, the most notable feature of this 9-hole course is the elevation changes. It has actual hills. Designed by Tom Bendelow, the Walmart of course architects, the 4,600-yard, tree-lined layout has visual appeal. The best hole is the blind, uphill, par-3 eighth that has railroad tracks running along the right side of the fairway. It's the one challenge on a course that otherwise doesn't punish slicers. A good course for beginners or anyone in a hurry. **J.S. Clark**—This is the far more interesting of BREC's two 9-hole courses. The hole routing is better than at City Park, and it's a better short-game and putting test. Great for beginners, for anyone who wants a quick round, or for banging some balls at the PGA-style practice area. **The bottom line:** Golf Director Mike Raby does a good job managing his resources and has improved conditions at every course. Give BREC credit for offering courses designed for golfers of all levels. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Of Mies and men URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/of-mies-and-men/ Last updated: 2026-09-03T02:33:12.000Z Some people hunt curios at flea markets. Baton Rouge's main library houses four remarkable treasures of its own. Tucked in two offices and a corner niche are Barcelona chairs circa 1980, bought for the city's old downtown library, a John Desmond-designed Brutalist slab since replaced by a modern branch. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich styled the chairs for the German Pavilion at Barcelona's 1929 International Exposition. Knoll won exclusive rights to reproduce them in 1953 and still does. They remain icons of modern design. Sitting down in one is easy. Getting back up takes the agility of an LSU gymnast. Mary Stein, the library's assistant director, says the chairs need reupholstering. But the wait for that kind of work in Baton Rouge runs nearly as long as the chairs are low. A new Barcelona chair can cost up to $10,000\. But they are not for sale. Consider them permanently checked out. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Verite: Where EBR sheriff is spending opioid funds URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/louisiana-opioid-settlement-ebr-sheriff-spending/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T02:15:23.000Z Reviewers say most of what Sheriff Sid Gautreaux spent missed the settlement's purpose, while neighboring parishes won't even say what they spent. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Louisiana's tariff tab URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/louisianas-tariff-tab-trump-jeff-landry/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T02:13:37.000Z President Donald Trump’s tariffs have cost Louisiana an estimated $2.6 billion since January 2025, about $1,395 per household, according to Trade Partnership Worldwide, a pro-trade research group. **Why it matters:** Tariffs leave Louisiana businesses with less money to invest and expand while raising the prices residents pay for cars, groceries and other goods. - Those costs fall especially hard on middle- and lower-income families in one of the nation’s poorest states. - They can also increase demand for publicly funded services such as health care, spreading the financial burden more broadly. **By the numbers:** - About 78% of $2.56 billion in tariffs were imposed on raw materials, parts and equipment purchased by Louisiana manufacturers. - Steel, aluminum and other metals were hit hardest, accounting for $698 million. - Food and beverages followed at $351 million, with cars and trucks at $251 million. - The average tariff on imported cars was 18.4% during the 12 months ending in June, up from just 0.2% before Trump’s tariffs. **The bigger picture:** The effects of tariffs are being compounded by the war in Iran. Mosaic Co. is laying off 206 employees in St. James Parish because of price spikes in sulfur it uses to make fertilizer. **The bottom line:** Louisiana ranked 26th among states in total tariff costs, Trade Partnership Worldwide says. But the impact is particularly painful here, where incomes are lower and the poverty rate is about twice the national average. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### AI fires up La. energy market URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/ai-fires-up-la-energy-market/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T02:11:00.000Z _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Hooters tries covering up URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/hooters-tries-covering-up/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T02:10:34.000Z The Hooters website offers no hint of a dramatic shift at the restaurant chain. Neither does the local outpost off Corporate Boulevard. **What’s happening:** The chain known for wings and its nudge-nudge-say-no-more waitstaff is rebranding as a more family-friendly restaurant. **The big picture:** Hooters’ public relations team has said little about the makeover, and its website continues to prominently feature Hooters Girls. But with risqué now commonplace, the struggling chain has decided on a U-turn. Sort of. **What’s changing:** Under new ownership led by one of its founders, Hooters is revamping the menu, restoring some original flavors and putting its signature sauce back at the center of the food. **What they’re saying:** CEO Neil Kiefer told *People* that previous management had made the uniforms too revealing. - Waitresses have returned to longer shorts and cover up more. - There still won’t be male servers, a hiring practice that has previously drawn discrimination lawsuits. **The bottom line:** An iconic American chain has decided sex no longer sells like it once did. The question is whether a more modest Hooters can persuade parents to bring the kids along for those special wings. ### No art to these data center deals URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/ai-data-centers-gov-jeff-landry-loulsiana-art-of-the-deal-donald-trump/ Last updated: 2026-09-01T02:36:31.000Z Louisiana is throwing itself at AI data centers like it's the last dance at the prom. Across the dance floor, states that already said yes are starting to wonder if they should've played harder to get. **Why it matters:** Louisiana has doled out more tax breaks than it can accurately track in pursuit of data center dominance, yet every dollar rebated and every property tax mill nullified is one less dollar for schools, roads or the next budget crunch. **Slow learner:** Gov. Jeff Landry may be a close ally of President Donald Trump, but it's pretty obvious, based on his data center negotiations, that the governor has yet to master "Trump: The Art of the Deal." - Trump's 1987 best-seller outlines 11 guidelines for success: think big, protect the downside, maximize your options, know your market, use your leverage, enhance your location, get the word out, fight back, deliver the goods and talk big, contain the costs and have fun. **Land rush:** Louisiana isn't landing one data center; it's landing four, and the checks keep getting bigger. - Meta's Hyperion in Richland Parish has [grown from $10 billion to more than $50 billion](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/27/business/meta-data-center-louisiana-takeaways.html?ref=redeyebr.com). - Amazon and STACK Infrastructure are building [$18 billion](https://www.wwltv.com/article/tech/amazon-plans-3rd-data-center-in-nw-louisiana-bringing-investment-to-18b/289-769becae-0dea-4b16-baa9-50a34297086b?ref=redeyebr.com) in campuses across Caddo and Bossier parishes. - Hut 8's River Bend campus in West Feliciana Parish, anchored by an [Anthropic lease](https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/news/hut-8-signs-245mw-capacity-deal-with-fluidstack-as-part-of-multi-gigawatt-partnership-with-anthropic/?ref=redeyebr.com), runs $10 billion to $12 billion—the closest of the four to Baton Rouge. - Applied Digital's Delta Forge 1 in Rapides Parish adds another $3.6 billion to $7.2 billion, and has already drawn [protesters into the streets of Boyce](https://www.ksla.com/2026/07/19/this-is-our-town-protesters-rally-against-rapides-parish-data-center/?ref=redeyebr.com). **Buyer's remorse:** States that already got what they wanted are having second thoughts. - Virginia, home to [Data Center Alley](https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertszczerba/2026/07/13/power-bill-fears-drove-virginias-first-in-nation-data-center-tax/?ref=redeyebr.com), joins Texas, Georgia, Ohio, New Jersey, Illinois and Arizona among states that have either [rolled back incentives](https://www.nbcnewyork.com/investigations/states-offer-tax-breaks-ai-data-centers-americans-dont-want/6507973/?ref=redeyebr.com), are weighing scaling them back or have added new offset measures to existing deals. - Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a fellow Republican, is getting especially tough, [effectively freezing](https://www.texastribune.org/2026/08/03/texas-data-center-project-audit-greg-abbott/?ref=redeyebr.com) all new data center grid connections in August pending a statewide audit. - Arizona went even further, enacting a [three-year moratorium](https://www.constructionowners.com/insights/data-center-tax-incentives-state-by-state-whos-still-giving-whos-taking-back?ref=redeyebr.com) on its sales tax break. **Let's break it down, "Art of the Deal"-style:** **Thinking big:** Give Landry this one. He's chasing the biggest deals he can find, no argument necessary. - [LED's own branding](https://www.opportunitylouisiana.gov/data-center?ref=redeyebr.com) is built entirely around landing the biggest possible projects, and rewriting state law to land a $50 billion campus is thinking big by any definition. **Delivering an image:** This is one lesson Landry has down cold. - Confetti in Shreveport, "energy dominance" messaging, a governor bragging the state [rewrote its laws at breakneck pace](https://thehayride.com/2026/04/louisiana-turns-data-center-incentive-playbook-toward-aerospace/?ref=redeyebr.com) instead of explaining that fact away. That's truthful hyperbole as a governing style. **Getting leverage:** This is where the deal loses its art. - [**Act 730's**](https://legis.la.gov/Legis/ViewDocument.aspx?d=1387051&ref=redeyebr.com) **sales tax rebate runs for 20 years, renewable to 30, for just $200 million invested and 50 permanent jobs.** No wage floor, no clawback, no reporting required—Meta needs only 500 jobs by 2035 for a $50 billion campus. - NDAs aren't new to economic development, but Landry has taken them to new and expansive heights. A [2024 law expanded](https://lailluminator.com/2026/05/07/data-center-2/?ref=redeyebr.com) local officials' authority to sign NDAs, and Landry's "Louisiana Lightning Speed" order allowed the state to [bypass independent review](https://www.wwno.org/coastal-desk/2026-04-21/advocates-cite-lack-of-transparency-rising-costs-as-regulators-fast-track-second-meta-data-center?ref=redeyebr.com). As a result, some legislators voted on Meta's enabling legislation without knowing the terms of the deal. - Ohio and Georgia show what real leverage looks like: [mandatory take-or-pay contracts](https://www.aepohio.com/company/about/rates/data-center-tariff/?ref=redeyebr.com) and [utility-backed rate freezes](https://psc.ga.gov/site/downloads/datacenterfactsheet.pdf?ref=redeyebr.com). Louisiana asked for neither. **Protecting the downside:** Louisiana didn't plan for what happens if this goes sideways, and it's still finding out. - The Department of Revenue projects [$1.68 billion](https://www.aol.com/articles/louisiana-unable-project-future-cost-171407000.html?ref=redeyebr.com) in lost sales tax this year, $1.71 billion next, and admits it can't project further. Meta alone could pocket [$3.6 billion](https://lailluminator.com/2026/05/07/data-center-2/?ref=redeyebr.com) over a decade. - Entergy's ratepayer guarantee may be weaker than advertised: Meta's [new financing structure](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/27/business/meta-data-center-louisiana-takeaways.html?ref=redeyebr.com) lets it exit after just four years, and regulators just [blocked a subpoena](https://www.wwno.org/politics/2026-08-12/louisiana-psc-kills-ruling-that-would-force-meta-to-turn-over-key-data-center-information?ref=redeyebr.com) for Meta's data—after records showed an Entergy executive [ghostwrote](https://www.wrkf.org/2026-08-11/tracked-changes-an-entergy-exec-ghostwrote-louisiana-psc-motions-supporting-meta-hyundai?ref=redeyebr.com) the PSC's own motions. **Fighting back:** Landry tried this one. It didn't land cleanly. - He signed a [ratepayer-protection order](https://www.klfy.com/top-stories-news/gov-landry-to-announce-new-initiative-to-protect-louisiana-ratepayers/amp/?ref=redeyebr.com) in June after backlash built. - PSC commissioners are independently elected, not appointed. [Davante Lewis](https://wgno.com/news/louisiana/gov-landry-to-announce-new-initiative-to-protect-louisiana-ratepayers/amp/?ref=redeyebr.com), who represents Baton Rouge, called the order's diagnosis right but its fixes "flimsy at best." **The rest:** Maximizing options and knowing the market doesn't really apply here; Landry certainly enhanced the locations with massive tax breaks and subsidies; he's certainly not containing costs for the state; but he is delivering the goods with signed deals. **The bottom line:** Louisiana wanted the data centers badly enough to skip the fine print. Now it's stuck hoping the industry's good faith covers what the deal didn't. Maybe Landry learned something from Trump after all. ### One love, once more for River Center URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/raising-canes-river-center-baton-rouge-visist/ Last updated: 2026-09-01T02:35:31.000Z The River Center will have one love for at least one more year, as the Metro Council last week approved a one-year, **$418,500** naming rights extension with Raising Cane's and Legends/ASM. **Why it matters:** The deal is a bit of a stopgap, as the River Center is transferring to interim management, bringing in a top-shelf consultant to help map its future and develop a new master plan. **The fine print:** - Visit Baton Rouge assumes oversight of the facility, with Spyridon's assistance, while an RFP seeks a day-to-day operator. - Legends/ASM's current contract runs through year-end, and they can still bid to remain as that operator. - Consultant [Butch Spyridon](https://www.redeyebr.com/vbr-butch-spyridon-take-center-stage/)—the guy who helped turn Nashville into a tourism juggernaut—is drawing $250,000 in year one and $275,000 in year two to help steer the redevelopment. **The pitch:** Officials are exploring the feasibility of a 40,000-square-foot convention hall, a 29,000-square-foot ballroom and a 350-room headquarters hotel. Nothing is finalized, but Baton Rouge is looking to improve its convention business while also finding the best future use for the River Center, given the concessions granted by the city-parish to attract a proposed new LSU Arena. **The bottom line:** Baton Rouge is betting heavily on Spyridon's expertise. The payoff would be for the city-parish to follow his recommendations. ### Lane's return to the feed URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/lanes-return-to-the-feed/ Last updated: 2026-09-01T02:35:04.000Z Lane Kiffin has returned to Instagram, not to make mischief or needle his ex, but to do something more practical: make money. LSU’s head football coach had been absent from social media since May 10, when a challenge from his son prompted a self-imposed digital lockdown. Until then, Kiffin had been one of sport’s most indulgent social-media troublemakers. His return came in the form of a [DoorDash promotion](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DctdhgBRWwv/?utm%5Fsource=ig%5Fweb%5Fcopy%5Flink&igsi=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==). The video trades on his bolt from Ole Miss as the team prepared for the college football playoffs. Dr Pepper has also found value in the switch to LSU. In an ad for its “Fansville” campaign, Brian Bosworth, the town sheriff, pulls Kiffin over for making an “ [illegal lane change](https://youtu.be/-EWWNDVaF6E?si=v0spAlHbdhyEUhC%5F&ref=redeyebr.com).” The joke is obvious. So is the moneymaking opportunity. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Call of the Tigers URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/florida-street-blowhards-lsu-football-downtown-baton-rouge/ Last updated: 2026-09-01T02:34:40.000Z Saturday night is for Death Valley and the "amped to 11" anticipation for the start of the Lane Kiffin experience at LSU, but the good times start Friday night for the Florida Street Blowhards. The traditional jazz outfit unofficially kicks off the season at Poor Boy Lloyd's, 7 to 9 p.m., for the first live music at the Florida Street poboy shrine since the pandemic. - Fred Taylor, the co-owner and man behind the counter with the never-ending supply of post-meal peppermint candy, used to give the Blowhards a standing monthly gig there before lockdown ended it. - Nine years after the band's public debut on that same floor, they're back where it all started—weddings, funerals and second lines being just as much the outfit's bread and butter these days as anyone's [front lawn](https://www.redeyebr.com/your-yard-their-horns/). The timing isn't an accident. FSB will be something of a downtown Friday event during LSU home-game weekends. The Tigers open the season with Clemson, also an ambush of Tigers, and both marching bands claim *Tiger Rag* as their own. To each their own, but the [Blowhards](https://floridastreetblowhards.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) figure they'll get there first and play their own version. They'll warm up that morning busking outside the Third Street Starbucks, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.—part of a season-long habit of greeting each incoming opponent's fans before kickoff, with Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State and Texas all getting the same treatment later this fall at rotating downtown spots. **Details:** Poor Boy Lloyd's, 7-9 p.m., 201 Florida Street. Busking, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Starbucks, 260 3rd Street (Courtyard Marriott Baton Rouge Downtown). ### Williams resets the City-Brooks debate URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/books-williams-city-brooks-brec-baton-rouge/ Last updated: 2026-08-31T01:43:29.000Z New BREC Superintendent Brooks Williams has spent his first weeks on the job writing. [His latest essay](https://www.brec.org/assets/Supt/SuptMsgCityBrooks-1.pdf?ref=redeyebr.com) runs five pages and some 3,500 words. It tackles the question that's consumed BREC all year: City-Brooks Park. **Why it matters:** Williams inherits a park decision that could top $100 million, and how he frames the situation matters. It'll shape how much room BREC has to change course before adopting a final plan. **Managing expectations:** Williams spent eight years as city manager of the small Texas town of Ferris before this job. That background runs on budgets, bond ratings, and operational accountability. His early moves at BREC track with it. - His first 5-page essay treated deferred maintenance as a management failure. - Next was a [public apology](https://www.redeyebr.com/brec-brookswilliams-baton-rouge-citypark/), owning outright an open-meetings violation that occurred before his arrival. - This message on City-Brooks Park is the first test of that same instinct—full costs, honest tradeoffs, own the mistake—on the parish's most contested piece of ground. **Skewed numbers:** Williams doesn't defend BREC's outreach. He writes the agency should have caught the demographic gaps sooner. He says BREC should stop "simply celebrating how many responses" it received. - The park's defining survey drew 1,084 responses. They skewed 85% White and 7% Black. - 43% of respondents reported household income above $150,000. - 89% were nearby residents or regular users. 96% had visited the park. - A June public meeting ran from 5:30 to 7 p.m., with Williams conceding the window worked against anyone getting off a job, sitting in traffic, or picking up kids. **Spinning the numbers:** The same dataset does two jobs in this essay. Williams treats it as authoritative in one argument and unreliable in the next, depending on which claim he's making. - He leans on the age breakdown to counter one claim—that young residents got shut out. Williams suggests adults 25 to 44 were actually overrepresented. But he sidesteps the point those in that demographic are making: not that they weren't asked or didn't participate, but that their views have largely been [ignored](https://www.redeyebr.com/baton-rouge-city-park-young-professionals/). - He then discredits the survey a few paragraphs later, citing its racial and income skew to argue BREC can't trust it to represent the rest of the parish. - Williams is right that the data is flawed, but rather than calling for a scientific survey or dismissing the result altogether, he draws conclusions from numbers that BREC has [acknowledged](https://www.redeyebr.com/city-park-brec-sasaki-loses-bold-master-plan-dixon-mcmakin/) were stacked and not representative of the community. - The stacking wasn't just racial and economic—it was geographic. The park's east side, wealthier and whiter, dominated the survey. The west side, home to Brooks Pool and a Black, lower-income neighborhood, was underrepresented in both survey windows. **The price tag:** BREC discussed a $30 million to $50 million range as recently as July. - Williams now puts the full vision above $100 million, plus a separate $20 million arts center. - His own standard, set weeks earlier: unfunded projects get "phased, resized, or delayed." City-Brooks Park is the test. **Lower your expectations:** Williams draws a hard line under what the park can actually fix. - City-Brooks Park can't raise wages, fix schools, reduce crime, or explain why Louisiana loses young professionals, he writes. - What it can do, he argues, is show what kind of institution BREC intends to be—one willing to admit mistakes and measure its own results. **No thumb on the scale:** Williams doesn't tip his hand on the future of the City Park Golf Course. - History doesn't settle it, he writes—the course has been there since 1926\. Neither does novelty. A slick new concept drawing doesn't win by default either. - Both sides get held to the same test: what it costs, who uses it, and whether it can be maintained 20 years out. **Chill out:** Whether by design or instinct, Williams is offering something for everyone while making the case for all sides to take a breath. - Restoring a bit of calm is the right move, especially since Williams is smart enough to know that temperatures will rise again once lasting decisions get made. **The bottom line:** Williams is making it clear there's a new sheriff in town and that he's well aware of both the challenges and possibilities he inherited. He's scoring points with transparency and accountability. Whether that's enough to calm the emotions, build trust and come up with a workable City-Brooks plan is the harder question. The good news: At least people is passionate about the park. ### The incredible shrinking state URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/louisiana-population-decline-2040-south/ Last updated: 2026-08-31T01:37:03.000Z Louisiana's population is projected to shrink by **153,837** people by 2040—a 3.3% decline, according to new [projections](https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-americas-population-change-by-state-2040/?ref=redeyebr.com) from the University of Virginia's Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service. **Why it matters:** The South is booming. Louisiana isn't invited. While the region as a whole is set to add 16.7 million people—nearly 78% of the nation's total growth through 2040—Louisiana is headed the other direction, watching its neighbors fill up as its own numbers empty out. **By the numbers:** - **Texas** alone is projected to add 6.56 million residents by 2040 (+20.7%)—more than any other state in the country - **Arkansas** grows too, adding 100,277 residents (+3.2%) - **Mississippi** shrinks faster than Louisiana, down 138,951 people (-4.7%) - **Louisiana, Mississippi and West Virginia** are the only three Southern states projected to lose population, combining for a loss of more than 440,000 people - **California**, at 39 million-plus residents, is losing people more slowly than Louisiana despite having nearly nine times the population **The bottom line:** Between the coastline and the Census Bureau, Louisiana can't catch a break. The insane part: The state keeps following its same, unique blueprint and hoping for a different result. ### Change for the better URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/change-for-the-better/ Last updated: 2026-08-31T01:35:31.000Z The Baton Rouge Alliance for Students opened its ninth class of Changemakers this week, with 28 new members embarking on a 10-month journey to better understand public education in Baton Rouge. Rather than relying on knee-jerk assumptions or treating long-held opinions as facts, Changemakers exists to explore the realities and opportunities within the public education ecosystem, one engaged resident at a time. **Why it matters:** Beyond its mission, what's inspiring is seeing people from every Baton Rouge demographic come together to learn and improve our community. **Powered by youth:** The program is open to everyone, but its energy comes from the passion and engagement of a group of young professionals in Baton Rouge. - There's no cost for the program, which includes monthly discussion sessions, school tours and visits to other cities to see how they tackled education challenges. - What participants learn, among other things, is that some stats that look bad on paper are, in reality, impressive given some students' circumstances, while first-glance positive numbers aren't so great once examined. - In short, Changemakers exposes each class to an unvarnished look at what's working and what's not within Baton Rouge's public K-12 options. **Notable quotable:** "Changemakers is about bringing people together who believe that every child deserves the opportunity to thrive, and giving them the knowledge, relationships, and tools to help make that possible," says **Adonica Pelichet Duggan**, CEO of the Baton Rouge Alliance for Students. **The bottom line:** Baton Rouge won't run out of headlines about its schools anytime soon, but a room full of young people willing to do the work is a pretty good sign the city isn't out of people who care. ### 📅 Baton Rouge: Week at a Glance | Aug. 31–Sept. 6 URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/baton-rouge-week-at-a-glance-aug-31-sept-6/ Last updated: 2026-08-31T01:34:28.000Z **Why it matters:** The Lane Train departs the station Saturday night as LSU opens the 2026 season against Clemson—and Sunday delivers a rare convergence of Fall into History at the Old Governor's Mansion, Free First Sunday across the city, a mystery kids film at Manship and ARTiculate at the Gallery. ***🗓️ Wednesday, September 2*** 🎨 **Baton Rouge Gallery: First Wednesday Opening—6–9 p.m.** 📍 Baton Rouge Gallery, 1515 Dalrymple Drive - The September exhibition opens with a focus on printmaking and illustration. Free food, drink and live music. [Free and open to the public](https://www.batonrougegallery.org/first-wednesdays?ref=redeyebr.com). ***🗓️ Friday, September 4*** 😂 **Butterr & Friends—7:30 p.m.** 📍 Hartley/Vey Studio Theatre, 235 North Blvd. *(entrance on North Blvd, across from the Old State Capitol)* - Baton Rouge's own long-form improv team transforms real-life stories into unscripted comedy in their signature "Living Room" format. Doors open 7 p.m. Under 16 requires accompanying parent or guardian. R-ish. $14\. [Tickets](https://manshiptheatre.org/comingsoon/butterr-friends-an-improv-collider-show-sept42026?ref=redeyebr.com) at manshiptheatre.org. 🔭 **Friday Night Lecture + Evening Sky Viewing—7:30 p.m.** 📍 BREC Highland Road Park Observatory, 13800 Highland Road - Free public astronomy lecture at 7:30 p.m. followed by open sky viewing through BREC's telescopes at 8:30 p.m. Ages 6 and up. Free. [Details](https://hrpo.lsu.edu/?ref=redeyebr.com) at hrpo.lsu.edu. ***🗓️ Saturday, September 5*** 🌱 **Red Stick Farmers Market—8 a.m.–noon** 📍 5th & Main Street, downtown - Fresh produce, local vendors and community at BR's flagship [open-air market](https://breada.org/red-stick-farmers-market/?ref=redeyebr.com). Also runs Thursdays, 8 a.m.–noon, at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. 🏈 **LSU vs. Clemson—6:30 p.m.** 📍 Tiger Stadium, LSU Campus - The **Lane Kiffin era** opens at home against Clemson in what promises to be one of the most anticipated season openers in recent LSU history. Tailgating begins Friday night. ESPN College GameDay broadcasts live from campus beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday. Sold out. Televised on ABC. [Details](https://lsusports.net/sports/fb/schedule?ref=redeyebr.com) at lsusports.net. ***🗓️ Sunday, September 6*** 🏛️ **Free First Sunday—noon–4 p.m.** 📍 Multiple locations - Free admission across Baton Rouge's cultural institutions, including LASM, Old State Capitol, Old Governor's Mansion, LSU Museum of Art, Capitol Park Museum, Cary Saurage Community Arts Center, LSU Center for River Studies and Magnolia Mound. 🏛️ **Fall into History—11 a.m.–4 p.m.** 📍 Old Governor's Mansion, 502 North Blvd. - Celebrate the arrival of autumn with live music, local cuisine, docent-led mansion tours and rare artifacts showcased by the curator. Special partnership with the West Baton Rouge Museum, LSU Special Collections and the African American Museum, each displaying items from their collections. Free. Free parking. 🎨 **LSU Museum of Art: Free First Sunday—1–4 p.m.** 📍 Shaw Center for the Arts, 100 Lafayette St. - Create your own collage portrait inspired by the Folk Art Gallery. Free. [Details](https://www.lsumoa.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) at lsumoa.org. 🎬 **Mystery Kids Movie: Free Sensory-Friendly Screening—1 p.m. and 2:40 p.m.** 📍 Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. - A surprise PG kids film in a sensory-friendly setting—lights brighter, sound quieter, no one gets shushed. LSU MOA crafts and activities in the lobby. Free sensory bags courtesy of Capital Area Autism Network and Our Lady of the Lake Children's Health. [Free RSVP required](https://manshiptheatre.org/comingsoon/-mystery-kids-movie-manship-theatre?ref=redeyebr.com) at manshiptheatre.org. 🎨 **ARTiculate—4–6 p.m.** 📍 Baton Rouge Gallery, 1515 Dalrymple Drive - Free afternoon programming at the Gallery. [Details](https://www.batonrougegallery.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) at batonrougegallery.org. --- ### **📋 Government & Civic** ***🗓️ Tuesday, September 1*** 🤝 **First Tuesday: 4th Anniversary + Denham Springs Launch—7 a.m.** 📍 First United Methodist Church, Baton Rouge; simultaneous launch at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 865 Hatchell Ln., Denham Springs - First Tuesday—the Greater Baton Rouge initiative that [mobilizes businesses and employees](https://www.redeyebr.com/tuesdays-with-service/) to volunteer at local nonprofits on the first Tuesday of every month—marks its fourth anniversary and officially expands to Denham Springs. Nearly 200 volunteers are expected across both communities. Doors open 7 a.m.; breakfast at 7:30 a.m. [Details](https://firsttuesdayserves.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) at firsttuesdayserves.com. 📋 **Leadership Baton Rouge: Class of 2027 Applications Open—through September 30** - The Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership is accepting applications for its year-long civic leadership program. Final month to apply. [Apply](https://greaterbatonrouge.org/leadership-baton-rouge/?ref=redeyebr.com) at greaterbatonrouge.org/leadership. --- **Reach us:* Want to submit an event item for consideration? Email us the information at* [*news@redeyebr.com*](mailto:news@redeyebr.com)*. *Details:* The calendar is on a Monday–Sunday rotation, and the submission deadline is the Wednesday prior.* ### LSU scientists see stars URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/lsu-scientists-see-stars/ Last updated: 2026-08-31T01:34:09.000Z NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope launched Sunday morning, beginning a million-mile journey to its new home in space. From an orbit near the second Sun-Earth Lagrange point, or L2, Roman will map billions of galaxies, study dark energy and dark matter and hunt for planets beyond our solar system. Two LSU scientists helped give the [mission a head start](https://www.redeyebr.com/to-boldly-find/). Assistant professor Matthew Penny and postdoctoral researcher Himanshu Verma contributed to new images from the European Space Agency’s Euclid telescope. Together, they provide the clearest visible-light view yet of the Milky Way’s crowded center, and a map scientists can compare with Roman’s future observations. Roman will search that same region for planets by watching for distant stars to briefly brighten. The effect happens when the gravity of a closer star, and sometimes a planet orbiting it, bends and magnifies the distant star’s light. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### St. George gets a date with the court URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/st-george-gets-a-date-with-the-court/ Last updated: 2026-08-28T02:54:34.000Z A hearing set for Thursday is ostensibly about zoning. It might be about a lot more. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The ride stuff URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-ride-stuff/ Last updated: 2026-08-28T02:54:48.000Z St. George's experiment with Uber could show a new path for mobility. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Light House serves childhood in a cup URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/light-house-serves-childhood-in-a-cup/ Last updated: 2026-08-28T02:38:37.000Z Ask a room full of grown people about the cereal they loved as children, and you'll start a conversation. Everyone has a favorite. No two people agree, until, somehow, they do. Cinnamon Toast Crunch wins in the end. "Anything with cinnamon," said a staff member at Lighthouse Coffee, where breakfast comes in another form: the Cinnamon Roll Latte. Espresso and milk, sweetened with white chocolate and cinnamon, come close enough to the pastry they're named for. I ordered the Cereal Milk Latte instead, against the barista's advice. The cereal milk is Fruity Pebbles steeped in milk, then strained out. A few pebbles ride on top of the finished latte, and they earn their spot. Every sip smells like the box: bright citrus, juicy berry, a sugared hint of vanilla. Coffee and sweet cereal milk together aren't what you'd guess. This isn't dessert in a cup. The coffee holds its edge, softened just a little by the milk. If you want your coffee to feel like a treat, get the Cinnamon Roll Latte. If you want it to wake you up, get the Cereal Milk Latte. Either way, drink it at Lighthouse. The place feels right. The light is warm, the customers quiet and busy. Every so often you'll glance up and spot someone you know, and you'll be glad to stop and catch up. *— Mukul Verma* ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### LSU’s rocket man URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/lsus-rocket-man/ Last updated: 2026-08-28T02:38:14.000Z SpaceX launches rockets and astronauts into orbit, but its engineers are building on a foundation laid decades ago by LSU graduate Maxime “Max” Faget, who helped design the spacecraft that carried America to the moon and the nation’s first reusable spacecraft, the Space Shuttle. After earning his mechanical engineering degree, Faget became the principal designer of the Mercury spacecraft. Mercury’s success paved the way for Project Gemini, where Faget and his NASA team designed a two-person capsule and perfected the docking maneuvers that would prove essential to Apollo. He later helped design the Space Shuttle and served as director of engineering and development at NASA’s Manned Spacecraft Center. For all his accomplishments, Faget never forgot LSU. “He loved everything about LSU,” his son Guy recalled [in a story ](https://www.lsu.edu/eng/news/2019/05/faget50years.php?ref=redeyebr.com)published by the LSU College of Engineering. “One thing he wasn’t shy about was bragging about LSU sports.” In June 2000, Faget suffered a heart attack while watching LSU play in the College World Series championship game. When he arrived at the hospital, the first thing he asked his daughter, Ann Faget, was, “What’s the score?” She reported back after every inning. LSU won that day, capturing its fifth College World Series title and putting LSU’s rocket man in a very “good mood,” his daughter said. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Young, restless and ignored URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/baton-rouge-city-park-young-professionals/ Last updated: 2026-08-27T11:31:18.000Z Baton Rouge has spent 23 years promising its young professionals a seat at the table. City-Brooks Park pulled the chair out from under them again. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### What the Flock? URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/what-the-flock/ Last updated: 2026-08-27T00:53:58.000Z Flock cameras have become punching bags on campaign trails from Michigan to Tennessee this fall. Nobody in Baton Rouge is throwing any haymakers over them. Here it's a pillow fight over privacy, not party. **Why it matters:** Somebody's watching you whenever you're behind the wheel in East Baton Rouge Parish, and nobody at Metro Council has asked whether that's OK. **Camera count:** Baton Rouge's got more Flock cameras watching it than most cities its size, and the badge doesn't seem to mind. - BRPD and the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office both run active networks, and Central police use their own readers. - Police Chief TJ Morse says the systems help recover [more than $2.5 million](https://www.wbrz.com/news/baton-rouge-police-credit-license-plate-cameras-with-helping-solve-crimes/?ref=redeyebr.com) in stolen property most years, and every search gets logged. - That kind of audit trail is exactly what was missing in Jefferson Parish, where a deputy got fired this summer for running his ex-fiancée's plate 5,000 times. **Uneven map:** Zoom in on a [crowdsourced camera map](https://deflock.org/?ref=redeyebr.com), and East Baton Rouge starts to look lopsided. - The camera cluster is thick through St. George and elsewhere along the southern and southeastern swing of the parish. - North Baton Rouge—the parish's highest-crime turf—has barely a blip. - Neither BRPD nor the Sheriff's Office gives official camera locations, so there's no easy way to tell if a camera is for law enforcement or a nearby HOA. - These pins are volunteer-reported, not an official registry—so a lighter cluster in North Baton Rouge could mean fewer cameras, or just fewer people looking—or reporting. **State pushback:** Baton Rouge's Metro Council hasn't touched the issue, but a Shreveport-area Republican wants to go on a statewide Flock hunt. - State Rep. [Danny McCormick](https://www.shreveportbossieradvocate.com/news/reel-this-back-in-caddo-legislator-wants-to-ban-flock-cameras-statewide/article%5Fcad0c051-3d92-4125-99f2-61d24a2468b7.html?ref=redeyebr.com) of Oil City is drafting a bill for next spring's session, calling the cameras warrantless surveillance. - McCormick says the anger crosses party lines—conservatives and civil libertarians alike. **Security or nanny state:** This isn't a Mechanical Hound tracking dissenters without a warrant, but it's not exactly asking permission, either. - Ask Morse, and it's a crime-fighting tool; ask the ACLU, and it's more like a leash. - ACLU of Louisiana advocacy director [Sarah Whittington](https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/baton-rouge-residents-spark-debate-224716595.html?ref=redeyebr.com) says solving crimes doesn't erase the fact that thousands of innocent drivers get tracked with zero judicial oversight. - Baton Rouge privacy advocate Chris Alexander doesn't mince words: the cameras are "digitally tracking your every movement." **The bottom line:** It's fascinating the privacy and civil liberties people are willing to sacrifice in the name of public safety—whether it's full-body X-ray scans at the airport or eye-on-a-pole surveillance cameras along a street near you. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### A fair that binds URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/a-fair-that-binds/ Last updated: 2026-08-27T00:53:21.000Z The one thing capable of uniting a fractured community may be a family of human cannonballs. Chickens, goats and carnival rides help, too. Mark your calendar: The [Greater Baton Rouge State Fair](https://www.gbrsf.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) returns October 22 with the familiar pleasures of cotton candy and controlled chaos. But the fair is more than an excuse to eat something deep-fried within earshot of children screaming on a shaking ride. It is a temporary republic—open to people who want the City Park Golf Course kept pristine and those who would rather have open land where children can frolic. This year’s attractions include Tina Miser, whose family business is defying gravity. She is a human cannonball. Her daughter, Skyler Miser, performs aerial routines. It is difficult to remain divided while watching a woman become a projectile. Closer to earth, earnest young exhibitors will parade carefully raised animals before judges in pursuit of blue ribbons. Families travel from as far away as Monroe for the livestock shows, where months of feeding, grooming and early mornings come down to a few tense minutes in the ring. Reptiles will join the fair this year. [Louisiana Snake ID ](https://www.louisianasnakeid.com/?ref=redeyebr.com)will teach visitors how to identify and care for snakes, and why the proper response to seeing an alarming-looking one is generally not to kill it. Even the midway has a civic purpose. Since 1987, the fair has contributed about $5 million to local nonprofits. Some of the money spent on rides, games and sideshows eventually makes its way back into the parish. For two weeks, Baton Rouge can gather beneath the same carnival lights: children chasing ribbons, adults chasing children, and one remarkable woman chasing altitude. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### One small splash for Jeff Bezos URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/one-small-splash-for-jeff-bezos/ Last updated: 2026-08-27T00:53:01.000Z Robot mowers are trimming the lawns at Baton Rouge public schools. Driverless taxis are heading for New Orleans. SpaceX plans a $100 billion spaceport on Louisiana’s coast. Amazon, meanwhile, is pioneering a less celebrated form of innovation: delivering parcels via drone directly into swimming pools. After Broadmoor residents complained about drones buzzing over their homes, *RedEye* ordered a small item by air, hoping to hear the nuisance firsthand. But the drone team was busy and the parcel late, so no one was present for the performance. When the package was delivered, it landed in the swimming pool, though close enough to the edge to merit a participation trophy. Amazon has acknowledged that, in satellite imagery, a swimming pool can resemble a flat landing surface. To a drone, apparently, water is a backyard with weak load-bearing properties. **Meanwhile, the big noise:** Amazon’s drones are the loudest, buzzing at 88 decibels from 50 feet away, according to FAA measurements. Wing follows at 84 decibels, then Zipline at 79\. But what you actually hear will depend on how each drone makes its delivery. Amazon’s will likely be the noisiest because it descends to drop off the package. Zipline, already the quietest of the three, stays above the treeline and lowers the package to the ground with a separate device. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### BREC's new boss says sorry URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/brec-brookswilliams-baton-rouge-citypark/ Last updated: 2026-08-26T00:57:13.000Z BREC's new superintendent apologized for breaking Louisiana's public meeting law and promised the parks system would be more accountable, the latest sign he intends to run the agency more honestly to rebuild trust. **Why it matters:** BREC has been poorly managed for years, drawing state audits and being called out for letting its facilities fall apart. Three weeks into the job, Williams is steering the agency's resources back toward the parks themselves. The goal, he says, is to perform for the taxpayer, not to collect awards to hang on a wall at headquarters on Florida Boulevard. **The details, per the parks system and reports:** - DA Hillar Moore found that BREC met the written-demand requirement for discussing a lawsuit at a July 23 meeting. - But the public agenda did not name the parties or the subject matter before the commission went into executive session. Those parties, according to a report, were BREC itself and Friends of City Park, an aggressive backer leaving the City Park Golf Course untouched in the reinvention of City-Brooks Park. - BREC accepted the DA's finding and says the commission will take the matter back up at its publicly noticed meeting this Thursday, Aug. 27. **What he's saying:** "We should have gotten that right, and we apologize that we did not," Williams said. **The conflict:** After the executive session, BREC sent a letter asking the group to make it clear in its messaging that it's independent of the parks system and to stop using the BREC logo. FOCP responded by asking the district attorney to review the meeting, arguing that it had not received proper notice about the basic purpose of the executive session. **The bottom line:** Williams is remaking BREC the unglamorous way, one fundamental at a time. The harder question is whether taxpayers, many of them hardened skeptics, are willing to believe him. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### SpaceX needs Louisiana URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/spacex-louisiana-spaceport-economy/ Last updated: 2026-08-26T00:56:06.000Z SpaceX chose South Louisiana for a [rocket launch site](https://www.spacex.com/sites/starbase-la?ref=redeyebr.com) because it needs what the state has: open water, cheap fuel, construction experts, and a location to launch rockets safely and more efficiently. "There are really only a few places on Earth that you can do this, and Louisiana happens to be a perfect candidate for that," says Sheila McCorkle, Starship Legal vice president. **Why it matters**: A Louisiana spaceport breaks the state’s decades-old economic-development routine: give away your tax money for a few jobs and take political credit. This time it looks different. SpaceX projects 3,000 direct jobs and 8,100 spinoff jobs that could launch Louisiana into the booming private space industry. **The details:** Credit Louisiana’s workforce, location and low-cost energy for SpaceX picking a site near Pecan Island. - **A long flight path over water:** Rockets need clear downrange territory so that falling stages and debris avoid populated areas. The Gulf provides that room, although the FAA must still account for shipping lanes, offshore platforms and nearby land, according to NASA. - **A useful southern latitude:** Pecan Island sits near 29.5 degrees north, roughly at the same latitude as Cape Canaveral. Eastbound rockets can capture about 900 mph from Earth’s rotation, meaning more payload or less fuel on suitable missions. The advantage does not apply equally to polar or other high orbits. - **Fuel at the source:** Rockets burn liquid methane and oxygen. Louisiana already has the natural gas, pipelines, power infrastructure and cryogenic expertise to turn natural gas into rocket fuel on-site, cutting the burden of trucking and storing fuel. - **Heavy transport by water:** Rockets, launch towers and fuel equipment are enormous. Deep-water access lets SpaceX use barges and ships instead of squeezing everything onto highways, according to Reuters reporting. - **Space to spread out:** The Pecan Island tract has enough room for launchpads, safety zones, fuel farms and returning rockets. **The bottom line:** SpaceX needs what South Louisiana can provide, and that gives the state a chance to build an industry, not merely buy an announcement for political gain. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Where everybody knows your name URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/louisiana-population-homegrown-highest-nation/ Last updated: 2026-08-26T00:54:58.000Z People born in Louisiana tend to never leave before they die here. Such is the cycle for **74%** of the state's residents, which the [Census Bureau](https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-adults-living-in-their-birth-state/?ref=redeyebr.com) says is the highest homegrown share in the nation. **Why it matters:** Some level of state pride is great, and family matters here. But the reality is that few people not born here are choosing to move to Louisiana. The irony: Louisiana isn't just failing to attract newcomers—it also has one of the highest exodus rates in the country. Few arriving, many leaving. The result is a decidedly homegrown population. **By the numbers:** - **Michigan** (72%) and **Ohio** (71%) are the only other states above 70% - **Nationwide**, just 49% of adults live in the state where they were born - **Nevada sits dead last** at 17%—Louisiana's share is more than four times higher - **Florida**, despite 18.9 million adult residents, counts fewer than 5 million as native-born (26%) - **Louisiana's favorite comparison states** look like this: **Mississippi** (67%) has the fourth-highest homegrown rate, while **Texas** (50%) sits right at the magic middle mark **The bottom line:** The Boot doesn't move much. Whether that's loyalty or lack of options depends on who you ask. ### At Mansurs, Eggplant Camellia rises above the rest URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/mansurs-eggplant-food-review/ Last updated: 2026-08-26T00:54:34.000Z Frying eggplant is one of those kitchen jobs that seems simple until you try it. Even accomplished cooks can send a few slices into hot oil and retrieve something limp, greasy, and destined to be eaten more out of obligation than pleasure. Not at Mansur's on the Boulevard. Here, the kitchen fries three eggplant medallions until they are delicate and light. They are daintier than the husky rounds commonly found beneath the red sauce and melted cheese of eggplant parmigiana, one of the most satisfying creations of the Italian kitchen, with an excellent version served at DiGiulio Brothers. But the fried eggplant is only the beginning of Mansur's Eggplant Camellia. The dish belongs to another tradition entirely, and its French sauces are the reason to order it. Three medallions, more dainty than the husky ones usually found at an Italian restaurant, sit on a béarnaise sauce, a creamy, tangy emulsion made with butter and egg yolks. On top is lump crabmeat and a dill hollandaise made with egg yolks, butter and lemon juice. Crabmeat is expensive, and Baton Rouge restaurants sometimes scatter it indiscriminately over dishes. At Mansur’s, it has a purpose. Its sweetness suits the mild eggplant, while its firm texture holds its own against the creamy sauces. So when you reach the last piece of crabmeat, look around. If no one is watching, use your fingers to pick it up and run it through the béarnaise and dill hollandaise left on the plate. Do not surrender a bit of crabmeat and sauces to the dishwasher. *—Mukul Verma* ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Your cardboard is a roach motel URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/your-cardboard-is-a-roach-motel/ Last updated: 2026-08-26T00:53:25.000Z Cockroaches are never in short supply in Louisiana, and one reason they've moved into your house might be the stack of cardboard boxes you've been sitting on in the garage or spare room. **Why it matters:** Roaches don't just hide in cardboard; they eat it. It's shelter and food in one, says [Aaron Ashbrook](https://www.lsuagcenter.com/profiles/aashbrook?ref=redeyebr.com), an LSU assistant professor of urban and peri-urban entomology. **What he's saying:** "I readily see it in my colonies. They will eat the cardboard. They will also consume the cardboard for water. So if it is wet, they can also get both food and water from cardboard," [Ashbrook told HuffPost](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/this-1-common-household-item-actually-attracts-cockroaches-g%5Fl%5F6a870ab0e4b0ca44601b6328?ref=redeyebr.com). **The other pulls:** Cardboard is absorbent, so it holds onto the pheromones roaches use to find mates. It also lets them build colonies in plain sight, for boxes get stored and forgotten. It also deadens sound, so you never hear the party growing. **The bottom line:** Toss the boxes, or check them now and then, before the critters raise a small army to take your kitchen. And marvel at Ashbrook, who gets to research insects in urban settings. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Mayor moving police district to downtown URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/baton-rouge-mayor-police-district-downtown-crime/ Last updated: 2026-08-24T23:51:58.000Z Parish government will move an entire district to downtown from Highland Road, making the area feel safer for nightlife and events. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Judging LSU's football roster URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/lsu-football-ncaa-lawsuit-lane-kiffin-jack-pyburn/ Last updated: 2026-08-25T05:32:25.000Z The Tigers open the season in 11 days, and a Baton Rouge courtroom is deciding who takes the field. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Cult of the chicken tender URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/raising-canes-todd-graves-cult-chicken-tender/ Last updated: 2026-08-24T23:51:13.000Z A college business professor said Todd Graves' idea for Raising Cane’s would never work. So did a woman he dated around that time, who told him on their first outing that it was “one of the dumbest things she had ever heard.” - The date tells *RedEye* she’s kicking herself now. (No, we will not reveal her name.) - But versions of that original doubt persist. Analysts tell [Slate](https://slate.com/business/2026/08/raising-canes-restaurant-near-fast-food-chicken.html?ref=redeyebr.com) 🔒 that focusing almost exclusively on chicken tenders makes Graves’ empire inflexible and vulnerable to shifting tastes. **The bigger picture:** Graves stuck to the idea, and the restaurant chain he launched near LSU in 1996 now generates more than $5 billion in annual revenue. **The other secret sauce:** In the long Slate analysis, Graves credits social media with helping turn Raising Cane’s into something more than another fast-food chain. > “When I first started Raising Cane’s in 1996, we obviously didn’t have social media, but once I started to learn how to leverage it in a way that was authentic and genuine, that was a true unlock,” Graves told Slate writer Steffi Cao. “I have a lot of celebrity friends, and we’re always partnering with them around peak cultural moments, whether that be the Super Bowl, Winter Olympics, the drop of a new album, or anything in between.” **Inside the mania:** Cao had never eaten at Raising Cane’s before reporting the story. She visited its Times Square location to see what inspires such devotion. “They are evangelists who worship at its Texas toast–padded altar,” Cao writes. - “Caniacs,” as the chain calls its fans, camp overnight and cause traffic pileups when new restaurants open. - About 250 people slept outside a Charlotte location before its February opening, despite temperatures falling to 25 degrees. - International influencers have flown to the U.S. specifically for the crispy chicken, Texas toast and famous sauce. **The bottom line:** After eating at Cane’s and meeting friends who adore it, Cao came away with a simple verdict: “I certainly felt different in there.” ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Delay of game URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/delay-of-game/ Last updated: 2026-08-24T23:50:46.000Z You're watching LSU when the phone buzzes. "OMG, did you see that Ole Miss fan launch a beer at Kiffin?" No. You didn't. Your friend just spoiled a play your TV hasn't gotten around to showing you. He's a few seconds ahead of you, living in your future. **What gives:** The only real-time view is at the venue. Inside Tiger Stadium, the trip from the field to your eyeballs runs about 13 milliseconds, basically nothing. Everything else is a rebroadcast on delay, and how far back you are depends on how the signal reaches your set. Almost every transmission route has to process, compress, encrypt, ship and decode the plays. Each step consumes time. **By the numbers:** - **Over-the-air rabbit ears** are the speed champ: three to eight seconds behind, and they hand you the sharpest, most vibrant picture besides. - **Cable** rides fiber and lands 5 to 12 seconds late. - **Satellite** has to bounce off space and back, with extra encoding along the way. Figure 15 to 30 seconds. - **Streaming** is the tortoise. It chops the game into thousands of little files, processes them, then reassembles them on your device. The lag can stretch to a minute or more. **The bottom line:** If you're stuck streaming, silence the phone, look away from the group chat, and let yourself believe the game is live. Or go old-school, rabbit ears put you almost in real time, close enough to sync the picture to the radio call and mercifully bypass Gary Danielson's commentary. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### City-Brooks Park loses its bold URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/city-park-brec-sasaki-loses-bold-master-plan-dixon-mcmakin/ Last updated: 2026-08-23T21:36:31.000Z Sasaki's own advice was to dream big and be bold on City-Brooks Park. Seven months of public design decks show something closer to a retreat—with one clear winner. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 📅 Baton Rouge: Week at a Glance | August 24–30 URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/baton-rouge-events-august-24-30-manship-theater/ Last updated: 2026-08-29T12:23:56.000Z **Why it matters:** BRUFF takes over Manship Theatre for four days of independent film, panels and workshops—and Tuesday brings a rare double at LASM with Wendy Rodrigue leading morning tours and an evening celebration of the Blue Dog. ***🗓️ Tuesday, August 25*** 🎨 **Reflections: Wendy Rodrigue at LASM—10 a.m.–noon and 6–7:30 p.m.** 📍 Louisiana Art & Science Museum, 100 S. River Road - Two chances to spend time with Wendy Rodrigue—artist, author and founder of the George Rodrigue Life & Legacy Foundation. **Morning:** exclusive guided tours of *Reflections: The Art of George Rodrigue* (10 a.m.–noon). **Evening:** Art After Hours with Rodrigue sharing stories about George's life, artwork and enduring legacy (6–7:30 p.m.). Free for educators and LASM members. [Preregister](https://www.lasm.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) at lasm.org. 🌿 **Discover Nature: Dean Wilson, Atchafalaya Basinkeeper—6:30–8 p.m.** 📍 LSU Hilltop Arboretum, 11855 Highland Road - Executive Director of Atchafalaya Basinkeeper Dean Wilson discusses sedimentation, flood risk and the future of Louisiana's great river swamp—and what it means for communities across South Louisiana. $15 general; $10 students and members. [Register](https://lsu.edu/hilltop/programs/adult/discovernature.php?ref=redeyebr.com) at lsu.edu/hilltop. ***🗓️ Thu.–Sun., August 27–30*** 🎬 **Baton Rouge Underground Film Festival—6 p.m.–11 p.m.** 📍 Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. - The second annual BRUFF brings four days of bold, independent film to Manship Theatre—nine features, two extended shorts, 56 short films, seven panels and five hands-on workshops. When you're weird, you're welcome here. Full Festival Pass $75; Day Pass $30\. Student discounts available. Full schedule and tickets at [batonrougeunderground.com](https://batonrougeunderground.com/?ref=redeyebr.com). ***🗓️ Friday, August 28*** 🔭 **Friday Night Lecture + Evening Sky Viewing—7:30 p.m.** 📍 BREC Highland Road Park Observatory, 13800 Highland Road - Free public astronomy lecture at 7:30 p.m. followed by open sky viewing through BREC's telescopes at 8:30 p.m. Ages 6 and up. Free. [Details](https://hrpo.lsu.edu/?ref=redeyebr.com) at hrpo.lsu.edu. ***🗓️ Saturday, August 29*** 🌱 **Red Stick Farmers Market—8 a.m.–noon** 📍 5th & Main Street, downtown - Fresh produce, local vendors and community at BR's flagship [open-air market](https://breada.org/red-stick-farmers-market/?ref=redeyebr.com). Also runs Thursdays, 8 a.m.–noon, at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. 🦁 **$5 Saturday at the Baton Rouge Zoo—9:30 a.m.–5 p.m.** 📍 BREC's Baton Rouge Zoo, 3601 Thomas Rd. - The last $5 Saturday of summer—general admission for all ages at a special discounted price. Advance tickets encouraged. [Tickets](https://www.brzoo.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) at brzoo.org. 🎬 **InDepth Live! with Mark Mangini—5–6:30 p.m.** 📍 Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. - Emmy-nominated sound designer and Baton Rouge native Mike James Gallagher hosts two-time Oscar winner Mark Mangini (*Dune*, *Mad Max: Fury Road*) for a live conversation on the art of sound design. Part of BRUFF—free with Full Fest or Saturday Day Pass. [Tickets](https://manshiptheatre.org/comingsoon/indepth-live-with-mark-mangini?ref=redeyebr.com) at manshiptheatre.org. 🔭 **Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon—LASM Planetarium** 📍 Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, LASM, 100 S. River Road - The Rock the Dome Laser Series continues. [Showtimes and tickets](https://www.lasm.org/rockthedome/?ref=redeyebr.com) at lasm.org. --- ### **📋 Government & Civic** ***🗓️ Tuesday, August 25*** 🏛️ **St. George Regular Council Meeting—5–7 p.m.** 📍 St. George City Hall, 11207 Proverbs Ave. Broadcast live on [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@St.GeorgeLouisiana?ref=redeyebr.com). ***🗓️ Wednesday, August 26*** 🏛️ **Metro Council Regular Meeting—4 p.m.** 📍 City Hall, 222 St. Louis Street - Full agenda at [brla.gov/agendacenter](https://www.brla.gov/agendacenter?ref=redeyebr.com). Public comment accepted. ***🗓️ Thursday, August 27*** 🏛️ **BREC Commission Meeting—5 p.m.** 📍 BREC Administration Building, 6201 Florida Blvd. - Agenda posted 24 hours prior at [brec.civicclerk.com](https://brec.civicclerk.com/web/home.aspx?ref=redeyebr.com). Streaming live via Civic Media. 📋 **Leadership Baton Rouge: Class of 2027 Applications Open—through September 30** - Final weeks to apply for the Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership's year-long civic leadership program. [Apply](https://greaterbatonrouge.org/leadership-baton-rouge/?ref=redeyebr.com) at greaterbatonrouge.org/leadership. --- **Reach us:* Want to submit an event item for consideration? Email us the information at* [*news@redeyebr.com*](mailto:news@redeyebr.com)*. *Details:* The calendar is on a Monday–Sunday rotation, and the submission deadline is the Wednesday prior.* ### LSU's wearable defense URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/lsus-wearable-defense/ Last updated: 2026-08-23T21:26:45.000Z An LSU Health Systems researcher is using sensors to measure the effects of heat on football players, with the goal of creating wearable devices that can warn of heat-related illnesses before they occur. **Why it matters**: Heat can kill with little warning, and the danger isn’t limited to athletes playing intense games under the summer sun. A device that signals an impending health crisis is becoming even more valuable as climate change makes summers and falls hotter. **The details:** LSU researcher Cory Coehoorn is leading the project with a $210,000 Collaboration in Action Program grant administered by LSU in partnership with Our Lady of the Lake Health. He's collaborating with Dr. Travis Currie, a sports medicine doctor at FMOL Health. - Coehoorn will place sensors on high school football players this fall, including some in Baton Rouge. - The sensors will monitor heart activity, body temperature and other vital signs, while equipment around the stadium collects environmental data, including wet-bulb temperatures. - Coehoorn tells *RedEye* the data will be fed into an algorithm designed to predict and ultimately prevent heat illness in high school football players. **Between the lines:** The most valuable part of the work isn’t building the wearable device. It’s writing the algorithm and figuring out how to turn streams of data into a reliable warning. **The bigger picture:** Coehoorn already has data from firefighters. Football players will expand the dataset, followed by farm and construction workers. - The research could reveal whether one universal algorithm can protect athletes, firefighters and people who work in the heat, or whether each group needs its own. - The technology may eventually require even more specific math models. An offensive lineman, for example, experiences a game differently from a quarterback. **What’s next:** Coehoorn says the research could lead to commercial wearables for athletes and people who work in heat, creating a potential international market. **The bottom line:** An LSU researcher is tackling a problem that could save lives while producing technology with real commercial value, a promising sign for a university system that has struggled for decades to bring its research to market and capture the financial benefits. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Sweet snake of mine URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/sweet-snake-of-mine/ Last updated: 2026-08-23T21:23:30.000Z For Chris Austin, an LSU biologist and curator of herpetology at LSU’s Museum of Natural Science, prowling the dark forests of New Guinea comes with an occupational hazard: the snakes he's after may spot him first. Venomous ones are everywhere, the real threat now that cannibalism is just a story people tell about the place. Eating people fell out of fashion around the time Richard Nixon slunk out of office. **The details:** Austin's dangerous night work turned up five specimens of a snake science had never cataloged, and a chance to honor one of rock's more reptile-friendly guitar heroes. The new species is 28 inches of reddish-brown, non-venomous snake. Its name is *Lielaphis slashi*, for Slash, the former lead guitarist of Guns N' Roses. But the name didn't come from Austin. It came from a collaborator who loves reptiles and rock. Sara Ruane, who worked with Austin at LSU, was a Guns N' Roses kid who fell for reptiles before she hit her teens. She was 12 when she learned that Slash shared the obsession. "So when I was twelve years old and got my copy of *Reptiles Magazine* in the mail and it had a picture of Slash holding his pet reticulated python on the cover, I thought, 'This guy is so cool.'" **How they did it:** Finding a strange snake is only the opening act. Austin worked at his LSU lab with researchers at Chicago’s Field Museum, where Ruane is now a scientist, to prove the five specimens were an undocumented species. - The team sequenced the snake's DNA with next-generation technology. - It scrutinized the specimens' physical traits, the morphology, meaning form, shape and how a creature is put together. - The genetics and the anatomy agreed. **The bottom line:** Slash helped make “Welcome to the Jungle” unforgettable. Now, thanks to a team of snake-hunting scientists, his name will live on in a snake species. ****MESSAGe FROM rEDEYE** [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/2026/04/RedEye-logomark.png)](#/portal/account/plans) ****RedEye watches public meetings.** So you can watch something better. RedEye turns three hours of motions, posturing and “brief remarks” into a few minutes of useful news. Support local journalism that respects your time. [Upgrade to Paid ](#/portal/account/plans) ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Beautiful spoils URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/wampold-park-brec-sasaki-lsu-lakes/ Last updated: 2026-08-23T21:27:16.000Z A concept plan shows how dredged material could expand and transform Wampold Park. _This post is for paying subscribers only._ ### Rolling tide of red ink URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/rolling-tide-of-red-ink/ Last updated: 2026-08-23T21:27:33.000Z _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Drone and groan URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/drone-and-groan/ Last updated: 2026-08-21T03:32:22.000Z Baton Rouge welcomed Amazon’s drone delivery launch last year. Now, some residents are pushing back against drones flying over their homes. **Why it matters:** The complaints are likely to grow as drone delivery expands nationwide. **The details:** Amazon’s drones can be spotted in the sky, buzzing small packages from a Baton Rouge distribution hub to locations within a 7-mile radius. Last year, city officials and residents were elated by the development, like children waiting to open presents on Christmas morning. But that excitement has worn off for some residents in Broadmoor and nearby neighborhoods, who complain about the steady noise above homes located along the drones’ flight paths. Terri Dakmak is one of them. The watercolor artist says drones fly over her Broadmoor home every few minutes. On Nextdoor, she’s found plenty of people who agree, including one employee of Greenoaks Funeral Home who says drones whiz overhead during burial ceremonies. Others, though, say the noise is minimal and bearable. **Driving the news:** Uber Eats announced Monday that it will launch drone delivery with Zipline in several U.S. markets, aiming for 1 million deliveries per day by 2029\. Baton Rouge isn’t on the list—yet. Wal-Mart and many other companies are also delivering by drone. **The catch:** Residents who don’t want the drone of drones overhead have little recourse. The FAA completed a nationwide environmental assessment in July 2026 that it may rely on for future approvals, meaning city-specific public comment periods aren’t guaranteed. **Reality check:** Local leaders have limited authority over drone operations. They can slow the approval of delivery hubs through planning commissions, but that offers residents little protection. **What we’re watching:** Whether Baton Rouge’s complaints foreshadow broader resistance as drone delivery spreads, or whether the machines become background noise, like leaf blowers. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Scoop the Tillamook URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/scoop-the-tillamook/ Last updated: 2026-08-21T03:32:03.000Z Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream is now available at Albertsons on Government Street. Ice cream snobs—put your hands up; you know who you are—may be dismayed to find the nation’s best ice cream in a tub at a grocery chain that rarely cracks [consumers’ top 10](https://yougov.com/en-us/ratings/grocery-stores?ref=redeyebr.com). But Albertsons somewhat redeems itself in the ice cream aisle. If you find yourself there in need of ice cream, pass on the Jeni’s; it’s cheaper at Whole Foods on Corporate, and pick up a tub of the second-best ice cream in the grocery store: [Tillamook](https://www.tillamook.com/products/ice-cream?ref=redeyebr.com). Tillamook is delicious because it’s made by a cooperative, and it gets extra credibility from its home on the Oregon coast. The company began in 1909 as the Tillamook County Creamery Association, when local dairy farmers banded together to standardize and market their cheese. That cooperative structure still exists today, made up of dairy-farming families, and the brand leans heavily on that heritage. Every word on the package is true. Tillamook is creamier than Blue Bell and the other popular brands. The ingredients mixed into it are worthy of that creamy texture, and the seasonal flavors keep you going back for another tubful. A good place to begin is with Tillamook’s near-maniacal assortment of chocolate flavors. We recommend the Dark Chocolate Cookies & Cream and the Chocolate Peanut Butter. And if there’s a little less jingle in your pockets at the end of the month, Albertsons sometimes discounts two tubs of Tillamook to about a third of the price of Jeni’s. Fiscal responsibility never tasted so good. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Seeing the light URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/headline-glare-baton-rouge-rivian-adaptive-driving-beam/ Last updated: 2026-08-21T03:31:34.000Z Anyone who drives Baton Rouge after dark knows the feeling: a car in the oncoming lane—sedan, SUV, doesn't matter—washes your windshield in cold white light, and you squint until it passes, saying a silent prayer that nothing crosses your path until some semblance of vision is restored. Rivian says it has a fix. The automaker's "adaptive driving beam" headlights—now standard on its new R2 SUV—use cameras and 35 individually controlled LEDs per headlight to spot oncoming cars and dim only the beams aimed at them, leaving the rest of the road lit at full brightness. One *Axios* journalist [drove the R2](https://www.axios.com/2026/08/19/rivian-smart-headlights-r2-adb?ref=redeyebr.com) through Wisconsin's Door Peninsula at night and came away, in her words, "truly wowed." The tech's been standard in Europe for a decade. Outdated U.S. regulations kept it off American roads until 2022, and Rivian and Tesla remain the only automakers offering it here. Audi and BMW say versions are coming. Until then, Baton Rouge drivers keep squinting, flipping down the visor, and hoping the next set of headlights isn't quite so bright. ### A conservancy: Easier said than done URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/conservancy-city-brook-park-university-lakes-brec-lsu-sasaki-baton-rouge/ Last updated: 2026-08-20T00:48:46.000Z Sasaki's single-conservancy model for City-Brooks Park and the University Lakes presents unique challenges. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Ourso wants to elevate its business URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/ej-ourso-college-of-business-lsu-plan-research-baton-rouge/ Last updated: 2026-08-21T03:47:48.000Z LSU's business school rolls out a five-year plan to boost its mid-tier ranking by strengthening its research prominence. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Leave the drone at home URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/lsu-football-no-drone-zone-tiger-stadium/ Last updated: 2026-08-20T00:44:07.000Z Fly a drone near Tiger Stadium this season, and law enforcement won't just tell you to land it. They can jam it, hack it, seize it and come after you for a fine of up to $4,000, up to two years behind bars or both. **Why it matters:** Tiger Stadium's six-figure crowds already trigger a federal no-fly zone at every home game, but this season four different agencies are joining forces to actually enforce it, and they're saying seizure and jail time are real options. **The rules:** Drones are barred within 3 nautical miles and up to 3,000 feet above Tiger Stadium starting an hour before kickoff and running until an hour after the final whistle. - The ban covers every LSU home game this season and is enforced under both federal aviation law and Louisiana statute. - Violators face a fine of up to $4,000, up to two years in prison or both, plus forfeiture of the drone itself. **Eyes on the sky:** The East Baton Rouge DA's office, Louisiana State Police, LSU Police and the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries are all coordinating on enforcement. - Officers can legally track, jam, hack or physically disable a drone they suspect is flying unlawfully near the stadium. **The bottom line:** When tailgating... raise your glasses, not your drone. ### Jefferson Greens salad: smoke, no mirrors URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/jefferson-greens-salad-smoke-no-mirrors/ Last updated: 2026-08-20T00:43:53.000Z Salads were once iceberg lettuce drowned in processed Thousand Island dressing, something to push around the plate before tossing it into the trash when your parents weren’t looking. But salads have changed. At sit-down restaurants, they’ve become a tasty choice, even a refined one, occasionally surprising enough to eat with something approaching indulgence. You may have taken a break from produce recently, when people on the radio and television were chattering about salads causing unmentionable illnesses. It’s relatively safe to return now, and the knowledgeable bartender at City Pork will reassure you that no one has been injured by any of the salads at the Jefferson Highway restaurant. The salads are desirable, especially because the two smokers out back are put to work making the chicken and bacon that come on the default house one, the Jefferson Greens. Sliced thin, the chicken is slightly chewy, with enough smoke to season the salad itself, especially alongside the umami of Gorgonzola crumbles and the bite of red onion. Add bacon, and you might expect the whole thing will be too much. It isn’t. Together, the ingredients deliver just enough richness to enhance the lettuce, tomatoes and radishes, all finished with a little pepper jelly vinaigrette. City Pork began with a devotion to smoked meat, and when it opened, few restaurants delivered on that mission so well. The restaurant has since changed hands, but the cooks working with wood and fire continue to produce some of the best smoked meats in town. That same care turns up in the Jefferson Greens, a salad deserving of a regular spot in your lunch rotation. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Goodbye daylight, hello football URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/baton-rouge-sunset-lsu-football-school-returns/ Last updated: 2026-08-20T00:43:27.000Z Baton Rouge saw its last 8 p.m. sunset of 2026 on July 30, and true to form, it left without so much as a goodbye. From here, it's a slow bleed. A few minutes a night, every night, until the Earth tips us toward the winter solstice on Dec. 21 and sunset starts beating rush hour home. You'll feel it before you clock it. The evening walk along the levee, around City-Brooks Park or through your neighborhood starts ending in dusk instead of daylight. The porch light clicks on a little earlier each week. The crickets start their shift sooner than they used to. Fading daylight gives rise to a new school year. Translation: Our nightmarish commute traffic gets more hellish with parents scrambling to drop off children and mega-aggressive college students racing NASCAR-style from off-campus housing to class. None of this is news—the Earth's been doing this since before there was a Baton Rouge to complain about it. But somewhere between July 30 and Dec. 21, we trade complaining about the heat for complaining about the dark, and that transition deserves at least one paragraph of mourning. Consider the good news: We're one setting sun closer to a Saturday Night in Death Valley. ### Nashville’s playbook for a better Baton Rouge URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/nashvilles-playbook-for-a-better-baton-rouge/ Last updated: 2026-08-19T01:41:28.000Z A leader who helped turn Music City into a destination will be in a group to transform Raising Cane's River Center one, too. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Who is Hunden Partners? URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/hunden-partners-lsu-baton-rouge-river-center-plan-baton-rouge-iii/ Last updated: 2026-08-19T01:41:41.000Z Hunden Partners, a Chicago consulting firm most Baton Rouge residents have never heard of, will play a significant role in the latest reimagining of downtown and the proposed LSU arena project. **Why it matters:** Attorney and developer Charles Landry, Sasaki and Oak View Group are attracting the headlines, but [Hunden Partners](https://www.hunden.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) is playing a key behind-the-scenes role in a series of projects dubbed "a string of pearls." **Who they are:** Hunden Partners is a Chicago-based destination real estate advisory firm founded in 2006 by Rob Hunden. - The company says it has completed more than 1,000 studies tied to over $20 billion in projects worldwide. - Its national portfolio includes college and professional sports facilities, mixed-use destination districts, convention centers, hotels and youth sports complexes—the same categories now on the table for LSU and the downtown area. - Steve Haemmerle, of Hunden Partners and the point person in Baton Rouge, previously led the master plan for the Navy Pier redevelopment in Chicago and also worked with the University of Kansas on its Gateway District, a close cousin, structurally, to what LSU is considering. **Already at work:** Hunden's Baton Rouge résumé began with a 2024 regional entertainment study funded jointly by BRAC, BRAF, the Downtown Development District and Visit Baton Rouge. - That study's central finding was blunt: more than $1 billion in planned entertainment investments were moving forward in silos, competing instead of cooperating. - Metro Council unanimously approved Hunden last September as the city-parish's Owner's Advisor on the River Center project. **A string of projects:** A city-parish planning document describes Hunden's study as exploring how the LSU arena, River Center complex and Memorial Park could work together. - Hunden's only two confirmed paid contracts remain the River Center advisory role and the LSU arena feasibility study. **The River Center pitch:** Hunden's recommendation would turn the aging complex into a modern convention venue anchored by a 350-room headquarters hotel. - Plans call for a new ballroom, meeting rooms, a 40,000-square-foot flex hall and a concert venue with a capacity of 3,500 seats. - Hunden is now coordinating directly with Sasaki, the design firm leading Plan Baton Rouge III, to keep both efforts aligned. **Leapfrogging the competition:** Hunden's recommendation and Metro Council approval move Baton Rouge closer to "leapfrogging the competition in the economically impactful convention market," said **Jill Kidder**, president and CEO of Visit Baton Rouge. **Working with LSU, too:** The Tiger Athletic Foundation separately hired Hunden to study a proposed $400 million arena on the former campus golf course near Nicholson Drive and Gourrier Avenue. - The arena study traces back to the same 2024 regional assessment, though it runs as a separate engagement. - A change of leadership at LSU, funding questions, escalating construction and finance costs, and controversy surrounding Oak View Group, the developer expected to be tabbed for the $400 million, 12,500-seat arena, have delayed the project's progress. - Nothing is signed. LSU's Board of Supervisors has not voted on a deal, and the timeline has already slipped past multiple targets. **The bottom line:** Hunden Partners may be a new name in the mix, but it's been working behind the scenes for more than two years and has a significant voice in numerous landscape-defining projects. ### Spilling the tea on French Truck URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/french-truck-coffee-english-breakfast-team-metropolitan-tea-company/ Last updated: 2026-08-19T01:37:41.000Z Make no mistake, Baton Rouge is a coffee city. But for those among us with a refined palate, an affection for their English ancestry and a preference for the joy that is black tea, there's no better cup being steeped in what's nominally a coffee shop than French Truck's Metropolitan English Breakfast. Having sampled Earl Grey and English/British Breakfast teas from the Baton Rouge coffee shop gamut, the pyramid bags at French Truck are simply the best—and there's no close second. My French Truck order du jour: an English Breakfast Latte, half-and-half, one squirt of Splenda Zero. *(Note: The Splenda is from my personal stash.)* **Why it's the best:** Metropolitan Tea Company was started by a Toronto tea master blending out of his own basement decades ago. It's grown into one of the world's largest wholesale luxury tea suppliers, selling strictly to hotels, restaurants and high-end cafes. It's not available at local stores, but you can find it online; fair warning, it's pricey. Every batch ships from a food-safety-certified facility and is tracked back to the farm and harvest date. And those triangular bags are no pyramid scheme. They're whole leaf, plant-based and roomy enough to actually unfurl, a world away from the dust packed into a standard bag. That's a lot of pedigree riding on a to-go cup. It's also why French Truck's English Breakfast doesn't taste like an afterthought. ### LSU joins the billion-dollar club URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/lsu-joins-the-billion-dollar-club/ Last updated: 2026-08-19T01:37:11.000Z The LSU Foundation ended June 30, 2025, with assets of $1.09 billion, crossing the ten-figure threshold for the first time. Buoyant markets helped, as did the most ambitious fundraising campaign in the university’s history. **Why it matters:** The Foundation is one of LSU’s financial flywheels. Its money supports endowed professorships, scholarships and research laboratories, and, increasingly, the buildings that house them. The real estate division is building dorms as well. Yet in the Southeastern Conference, where everything becomes a competition, LSU’s Foundation is like a backup punter with no NIL deal. The University of Texas leads with assets of $47.7 billion, trailing only Harvard nationally. Texas A&M follows with $20.4 billion, and Vanderbilt has $10.25 billion, according to an accounting by UT-Austin’s communications department. LSU ranks 14th among the conference’s 16 members, ahead only of Ole Miss and Mississippi State. **The bottom line:** LSU’s foundation has never been richer. But it remains about $500 million short of the SEC’s top ten—and Texas is in another financial universe altogether. LSU’s more plausible route to glory this year runs through the football play-offs. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### LSU welcomes. Baton Rouge doesn't. URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/lsu-students-baton-rouge-southern-marketing/ Last updated: 2026-08-18T13:01:23.000Z Thousands of incoming LSU freshmen moved into their dorms this weekend to kick off Welcome Week, the tail end of an [enrollment boom](https://www.redeyebr.com/lsu-goes-boom/) that's reshaping everything from Burbank Drive construction to freshman headcounts. Not one stop on the week's schedule leaves campus. **Why it matters:** Baton Rouge is chasing the same out-of-state students it can't afford to lose after graduation, and Welcome Week just proved the city still hasn't found a way into that conversation. **Locked down:** LSU's Aug. 16-23 schedule packs in Convocation, the Twilight Ceremony and mandatory small groups, and every stop stays inside the gates. - LSU moved this year's nighttime events indoors, shifting the popular RHA Block Party from outside the PMAC to the enclosed Carl Maddox Fieldhouse. - Convocation, Choose Your Adventure sessions and every required program run out of campus buildings, not city venues. - This isn't new: LSU has quietly opted out of past efforts to connect freshmen with the city, including one floated during the original Better in BTR campaign—and the university's insular posture feeds a stubborn perception that downtown isn't safe for students. **Half the pitch:** Better in BTR, the regional [retention campaign](https://www.redeyebr.com/retain-students/) *RedEye* wrote about in March, spent the past year courting LSU and Southern students with branded merchandise and pride messaging. - The campaign has no presence in Welcome Week, no city-sponsored event and no touchpoint with freshmen during the one week they're paying the closest attention to their new home. - The Downtown Development District tells *RedEye* it will start folding events of interest to LSU and Southern students into its weekly newsletter—a low-cost first step, but curation, not a campaign. **Community matters:** Philadelphia and Pittsburgh made this same bet years ago—building free CollegeFest passes and employer passport programs during freshman year instead of waiting for graduation—and Pittsburgh's version boosted local job-offer acceptance by 30%. **Worth trying:** Downtown could throw its own Saturday festival the weekend after LSU's official Welcome Week wraps, an afternoon and evening built around selling Baton Rouge to the students who just arrived. - Community vendors, civic organizations, and businesses would staff booths, spotlighting the region's food, entertainment and quality-of-life options. - A passport-style discount card, modeled on Pittsburgh's, would get freshmen a set percentage off at any participating business with a valid student ID—turning one Saturday into a reason to keep coming back. - *RedEye* offered a [similar suggestion](https://www.redeyebr.com/retain-students/) in March. So far it's fallen on deaf ears. **The bottom line:** It's hard to take Baton Rouge's decades-long quest to attract and retain educated young professionals seriously when it has that very target audience on the campuses of LSU and Southern, and the city and parish don't start recruiting them until graduation. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### The cost of getting old URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/louisiana-population-aging-medicaid-tax-policy-brain-drain/ Last updated: 2026-08-18T01:20:40.000Z Louisiana's population is aging faster than the national average, and the state's recent tax swap just steered its budget onto a collision course with a financial iceberg. **Why it matters:** The state rewriting its tax code last year, while its Medicaid program is already under financial strain, means Baton Rouge taxpayers will absorb both bills, whether anyone's watching the demographic clock or not. **Perfect aging storm:** The population is growing older but not up because three trends are compounding at once, according to LSU Shreveport's Center for Business and Economic Research ([CBER](https://www.lsus.edu/Documents/CBER/CBER%20Reports%20page/Louisiana%E2%80%99s%20Increasing%20Senior%20Population%201980%20to%202024.pdf?ref=redeyebr.com)). - Louisianans are living longer than they did a generation ago. - Birth rates have fallen, mirroring the rest of the country. - The state continues to shed working-age residents who'd otherwise offset both. **Plain speak:** "We're living longer, we're not having as many children, and the state is losing population," said **Douglas White**, CBER director. **Who's leaving:** Louisiana's outmigration has skewed young for decades, and that's part of what's aging the state. - Louisiana has lost a [net 110,000 college-educated residents](https://thevermilion.net/2024/03/17/louisianas-brain-drain-increasing/?ref=redeyebr.com) since 2000, according to UL-Lafayette economist Gary Wagner. - LSU's enrollment boom helped Baton Rouge [gain nearly 18,000 residents](https://www.ktbs.com/news/louisiana/new-data-shows-louisiana-is-losing-college-grads-to-texas-other-states/article%5F81c8fb76-046d-11ee-bed7-efb07d061a61.html?ref=redeyebr.com) under 25 from 2005 to 2020\. But it loses them after graduation, explaining a net loss in the 25-to-34 age group. - Every one of those departures was a resident who would have spent the next four decades keeping the parish's average age down. **Callin' Baton Rouge:** East Baton Rouge Parish is the poster child for the national story, where the ratio of kids to seniors has collapsed. - EBR counted roughly four kids for every senior in 1980. - By 2024, that ratio had fallen below 1.5. **Glimmer of hope:** Louisiana's population grew in 2024 for the first time since 2017, snapping years of decline, driven by a surge in international immigration. **Do we care?** Most Louisiana seniors who need long-term care would rather stay home, yet the state's Medicaid program is built the opposite way. - Louisiana spends 20% of its long-term care [Medicaid dollars](https://parlouisiana.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Elderly-Care-Services-in-Louisiana.pdf?ref=redeyebr.com) on home- and community-based care. The national average is triple that, 62%. - Nursing home spending, under $1 billion a decade ago, has grown to an estimated $1.3 billion this year, even as the number of nursing home residents has fallen. - The waiver program that pays for home-based care carries a waitlist of more than 5,700 people. **The state's gamble:** Louisiana flattened its income tax in late 2024, leaning more heavily on sales tax to cover the gap—both of which shrink as the population ages. - The [Legislative Fiscal Office](https://www.legis.la.gov/Legis/ViewDocument.aspx?d=1391515&ref=redeyebr.com) projects that individual income tax collections will fall by roughly $1.4 billion per year by 2029. - The companion sales tax hike is expected to cover most of that loss, but the bill's fiscal note never mentions the impact of the state's aging population. - The same reality is putting pressure on East Baton Rouge's general fund, which *RedEye* has already reported runs on [14 cents](https://www.redeyebr.com/14-cents/) of every parishwide dollar. **The bottom line:** Louisiana's tax policy, coupled with an aging population, is creating a titanic bill that future generations will have to pay. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### A police department as easy as PhD URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/louisiana-police-lsu-tulane-government/ Last updated: 2026-08-18T01:20:18.000Z Any Louisiana college president—public or private—can create a fully armed police department with one signature and a $10,000 bond. **Why it matters:** A state that professes a deep love for small, efficient government responds by making it easier to crank up a new police force than to open a bar. Only in Louisiana does "limited government" somehow produce more badges—and bureaucracy. **The mechanism:** Louisiana Revised Statute 17:1805 lets any four-year college, public or private, commission its own sworn officers. No city council vote. No sheriff's sign-off. No public hearing. - Commissioned officers get full arrest power on campus and in "hot pursuit" off it. - The statute applies whether or not the campus already sits inside a city with its own police department—so a university can layer its own force directly on top of BRPD's or NOPD's jurisdiction rather than simply relying on it. - The bond required to stand one up: $10,000—a rounding error compared to what a municipality goes through to certify a real department. **The comparison:** Nationally, only 38% of private four-year colleges maintain sworn police departments, versus 92% of public schools, according to [federal data](https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/cle1112.pdf?ref=redeyebr.com). - New Orleans blows past that split. Tulane, Loyola, Xavier and Dillard—all private—each run full sworn departments, arrest power included. - Baton Rouge stacks three more on top: LSU, Southern and BRCC each patrol their own campuses, independent of BRPD. **The bigger picture:** It's the same instinct behind Central and St. George having police chiefs with no real department to lead. Louisiana makes claiming law enforcement authority remarkably easy and resourcing it entirely optional. **The bottom line:** A parish doesn't need more crime to end up with more badges. It just needs a president willing to sign the paperwork. ### Baton Rouge losing its lawn-mowing roar URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/baton-rouge-losing-its-lawn-mowing-roar/ Last updated: 2026-08-18T01:19:12.000Z From Baton Rouge to communities nationwide, Americans are trading gas mowers for battery-powered models—a cultural turning point in a country where gasoline power once seemed as American as the flag and apple pie. **Why it matters:** In a parish growing hotter due to climate change, the shift could reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants. Lawn equipment accounts for an estimated 5% of U.S. air pollution, largely because small engines are less regulated. **The details:** Reliable data comparing total battery and gas mower sales is limited. But industry figures show: - **In all market segments**, battery-powered mowers accounted for 41% of sales in 2024, compared with 59% for gas models. That includes commercial buyers, who still favor gas for large properties and golf courses. - In the **push-mower market**, manufacturers say battery models have surpassed gas. - Home Depot says battery-powered models make up 65% of its mower sales for home lawns. - By the end of fiscal 2028, the retailer expects batteries to power more than 85% of the push mowers and handheld outdoor equipment it sells in the U.S. and Canada. **Zoom in:** Home Depot stores in Baton Rouge display more than half a dozen battery-powered push mowers and only a couple of gas models. Milwaukee’s mower is designed to feel muscular: It uses two batteries and can cut up to three-quarters of an acre. The pitch targets buyers who want the convenience of batteries without giving up the nostalgia associated with gas mowers. **The bigger picture:** California restrictions on gas-powered small equipment have pushed manufacturers toward lithium-ion models. - Battery prices have also fallen sharply, helping lower mower prices, though battery models often remain more expensive upfront. - They offer practical advantages: no gasoline runs, no fumes and no pull cord that may—or may not—start the engine. Just push a button and begin mowing. **The bottom line:** The mower transition is happening quietly, and battery models are expected to become the default for home lawns in the U.S. within a decade. Commercial users will likely follow as batteries become cheaper and more powerful. The next break with tradition may be robotic mowers that recharge themselves and cut the grass automatically—potentially ending the generations-old ritual of learning to mow the lawn. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Lessons from the perfect storm URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/lesson-flood-2016-baton-rouge-braf-brac-canvas-trip/ Last updated: 2026-08-17T03:06:45.000Z Baton Rouge rallied in unity a decade ago, but then receded back into division with the floodwaters. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 📅 Baton Rouge: Week at a Glance | August 17–23 URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/baton-rouge-week-at-a-glance-august-17-23/ Last updated: 2026-08-17T02:53:28.000Z **Why it matters:** Friday is the week's anchor—the 10th anniversary of the August 2016 flood gets a retrospective at the Observatory, Ghostbusters gets the roast treatment at Manship and the West Baton Rouge Museum hosts an evening of spoken word, art and live music just across the bridge. The week closes Sunday with one of the season's marquee performances. ***🗓️ Thursday, August 20*** 🎨 **Free as They Want to Be: Closing Reception—4–6 p.m.** 📍 Southern University Frank Hayden Visual Art Gallery, 8229 Elton C. Harrison Dr. - The closing reception for *Free as They Want to Be: Artists Committed to Memory*—the exhibition running simultaneously at Southern University and Baton Rouge Gallery through August 23\. Free and open to the public. ***🗓️ Friday, August 21*** 🎭 **Once Upon a Castle: Storytime & Puppet Theatre—11 a.m.** 📍 Louisiana's Old State Capitol, 100 North Blvd. - The Old State Capitol's free monthly program for toddlers, young children and their caregivers. Interactive storytime followed by a puppet theatre production written, built and performed by museum staff. This month: last chance to see *Mama Opossum's Misadventures*—help Mama Roux find her five baby joeys through the bayou before daylight. Free. [Reserve tickets](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/once-upon-a-castle-storytime-puppet-theatre-tickets-1995684212201?ref=redeyebr.com) at Eventbrite. 🎨 **Artful Evening: Historical Happy Hour—6–8 p.m.** 📍 West Baton Rouge Museum, 845 N. Jefferson Ave., Port Allen - A special edition of the museum's monthly Historical Happy Hour celebrating *Free as They Want to Be: Artists Committed to Memory*. Live blues from multi-instrumentalist King Solomon opens the evening; poet and visual artist Malaika Favorite closes with spoken word. An intermission between sets allows guests to explore the exhibition. Free. [Details](https://westbatonrougemuseum.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) at westbatonrougemuseum.org. 🌊 **The Great Flood: A Ten-Year Retrospective—6:30–8:30 p.m.** 📍 BREC Highland Road Park Observatory, 13800 Highland Road - A decade after the August 2016 flood devastated the Capital Region, the Observatory marks the anniversary with a retrospective lecture. Evening Sky Viewing follows at 8:30 p.m. Free. [Details](https://hrpo.lsu.edu/?ref=redeyebr.com) at hrpo.lsu.edu. 🎬 **ROAST NIGHT: Ghostbusters (1984)—7:30 p.m.** 📍 Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. - Who ya gonna roast? Family Dinner Improv Comedy Troupe provides live comedic commentary during the screening of the 1984 supernatural comedy classic. R-ish. [Tickets](https://manshiptheatre.org/comingsoon/spoof-night-with-ghostbusters-1984?ref=redeyebr.com) at manshiptheatre.org. 🎵 **The Michael Foster Project—9 p.m.** 📍 1717 Kitchen + Cocktails, The Queen Baton Rouge, 1717 River Park Blvd. - Baton Rouge's own high-octane brass band delivers its signature mix of traditional jazz, Latin, pop and hip-hop on the riverfront. Doors open 8 p.m. General admission and reserved seating available. [Tickets](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-michael-foster-project-tickets-1991411718056?ref=redeyebr.com) at Eventbrite. ***🗓️ Saturday, August 22*** 🌱 **Red Stick Farmers Market—8 a.m.–noon** 📍 5th & Main Street, downtown - Fresh produce, local vendors and community at BR's flagship [open-air market](https://breada.org/red-stick-farmers-market/?ref=redeyebr.com). Also runs Thursdays, 8 a.m.–noon, at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. 🔭 **Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon—LASM Planetarium** 📍 Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, LASM, 100 S. River Road - The Rock the Dome Laser Series continues. [Showtimes and tickets](https://www.lasm.org/rockthedome/?ref=redeyebr.com) at lasm.org. 🎤 **Laughter for Your Soul Comedy Bash—8:30 p.m.** 📍 Silly Rabbit Comedy Club, Baton Rouge - Headliner Terry Scott leads a full night of stand-up comedy featuring Ransome, ABS and host Joken B, with live music from Ty Hutchins. Doors open 8 p.m. [Tickets](https://www.eventbrite.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) from $31.51 at Eventbrite. ***🗓️ Sunday, August 23*** 🎵 **The Streisand Songbook: Ann Hampton Callaway & Shelly Berg—7 p.m.** 📍 Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. - Platinum Award-winning singer-songwriter and Barbra Streisand mentee Ann Hampton Callaway performs timeless classics from five decades of Streisand's career alongside pianist Shelly Berg. Arrive early for a free pre-show happy hour performance by Opera Louisiane's Elise Strain. [Tickets](https://manshiptheatre.org/comingsoon/streisand?ref=redeyebr.com) at manshiptheatre.org. --- ### **📋 Government & Civic** ***🗓️ Saturday, August 22*** 🏥 **Pennington Biomedical Men's Health Summit—7 a.m.–1 p.m.** 📍 Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Road - Free health summit open to all men 18 and older. Complimentary screenings include blood pressure, blood glucose, BMI, electrocardiograms and peripheral neuropathy. UFC GYM Sherwood hosts a UFC and self-defense demonstration. Expert panel with Pennington researchers. Space is limited—early registration encouraged. [Register](https://www.pbrc.edu/training-and-education/community-outreach-and-events/events/mens-health-summit/?ref=redeyebr.com) at pbrc.edu/mhs. 📋 **Leadership Baton Rouge: Class of 2027 Applications Open—through September 30** - The Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership is accepting applications for its Class of 2027 Leadership Baton Rouge program. [Apply](https://greaterbatonrouge.org/leadership-baton-rouge/?ref=redeyebr.com) at greaterbatonrouge.org/leadership. --- **Reach us:* Want to submit an event item for consideration? Email us the information at* [*news@redeyebr.com*](mailto:news@redeyebr.com)*. *Details:* The calendar is on a Monday–Sunday rotation, and the submission deadline is the Wednesday prior.* ### PSC may go nuclear on you URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/psc-entergy-nuclear-ratepayer-fee/ Last updated: 2026-08-17T03:06:58.000Z A 20-cent monthly fee would pay for Entergy's next big bet. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The algorithm will see you now URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-algorithm-will-see-you-now/ Last updated: 2026-08-17T02:52:35.000Z OpenAI’s nonprofit arm has committed $100 million to using artificial intelligence for combating hepatitis C, with Louisiana among the first four states set to benefit. **Why it matters:** One undeniable benefit of AI is its potential to improve public health. Companies are using the technology to accelerate scientific advances, from faster drug discovery to the creation of proteins that could help produce plastic alternatives. **The details:** - Hepatitis C is a blood-borne viral infection that causes liver inflammation. It is curable, yet roughly 40 Americans die from it each day. - The opportunity is enormous: Two-thirds of Americans living with the disease are not receiving treatment. **Yes, but:** Louisiana has been aggressive in confronting the disease. - Under former Gov. John Bel Edwards, the state adopted a subscription model that provided unrestricted access to hepatitis C medication for a fixed price. - It worked. By 2023, more than 11,000 residents had received lifesaving medication, including more than 1,500 incarcerated people. **What’s next:** Thousands of Louisianans remain untreated. A new alliance between the [OpenAI Foundation](https://openaifoundation.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) and [Common Health Coalition](https://www.commonhealthcoalition.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) wants to use AI to double hepatitis C cure rates over the next two years in eight states, beginning with Louisiana, Alabama, Illinois and Massachusetts. **How it works:** OpenAI’s technology will help health care providers: - Identify patients who missed appointments or fell out of care and reconnect them with needed services. - Summarize medical records and handle routine administrative work, giving clinicians more time to focus on patients. - Track trends across patient populations and identify where care is succeeding or falling short, allowing resources to be directed where they can make the greatest difference. **The bigger picture:** If the project succeeds, the partners plan to target HIV and other manageable diseases. That could be especially important for Baton Rouge, which has one of the nation’s highest HIV rates. **The bottom line:** Louisiana has already been aggressive and innovative in confronting hepatitis C. OpenAI and the Common Health Coalition could build on that work and help the state further reduce the toll of a curable disease. ### Field of screens URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/field-of-screens/ Last updated: 2026-08-17T02:51:58.000Z LSU will not win this year’s national championship for college football’s largest scoreboard. Before the season has even begun, Illinois has secured the title, unveiling a 17,315-square-foot screen—the equivalent of 1,621 60-inch televisions. By that measure, Tiger Stadium’s scoreboard is a punt on first down. LSU unveiled its 5,624-square-foot display in 2024, as part of the stadium’s centennial celebrations. Though twice the size of its predecessor, it falls well short of the ten largest screens cataloged by Daktronics, the leading maker of these electronic behemoths. The Southeastern Conference’s biggest belongs to Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium. At 10,690 square feet, it ranks second nationally. Of SEC teams, Oklahoma is eighth (7,803 square feet), Mississippi State is ninth (7,777 square feet), and Texas A&M rounds out the top ten (7,635 square feet). At least Illinois’s monster screen will not be squandered on a mediocre Midwestern team. The Illini have won a school-record 19 games over the past two seasons, ensuring that their enormous new attraction should receive some screen time on smaller televisions across the country. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### A lesson in accountability URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/baton-rouge-government-budget-accountability/ Last updated: 2026-08-14T03:01:37.000Z As Emil Faber, the fictional founder of Faber College tells us: "Knowledge is good." **Why it matters:** The *Animal House* classic quote is right, and the more East Baton Rouge residents know about the inner workings of city-parish government and its various parishwide taxing agencies, the easier it is to hold leadership accountable. **The challenge:** Ask 10 Baton Rouge residents who's responsible for a pothole, a property tax assessment, an abandoned house or cleaning a drainage canal, and you'll get 10 different answers—city-parish, the assessor's office, BREC, the DDD, take your pick. - That confusion isn't an accident. It's what happens when the government is this fragmented and there's no one to explain how the pieces fit together. - East Baton Rouge Parish, over the past 70 years, has created a byzantine government: city-parish government, an independent public school system, BREC, a library system, mosquito abatement, CATS, four city governments splitting responsibility with the city-parish and, yes, state-mandated constitutional offices, like the sheriff, DA, coroner and public defender. - Residents who can't trace responsibility or navigate this crazy maze default to blaming "government" broadly—or worse, disengaging entirely, deepening an already [fragile trust](https://www.redeyebr.com/who-can-you-trust/) in local institutions. **A solution:** Baton Rouge should explore Chelsea, Massachusetts, and its free, 11-week [Civic Leadership Academy](https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/07/16/citizen-civics-academy-chelsea-municipal?ref=redeyebr.com). - The program walks residents through how its local government actually functions—budgeting, human resources, road repaving decisions, property assessments. - It's not an original idea. Amherst, Watertown, Lexington, Danvers and Barnstable all run versions of the same program. **The details:** We get the government we deserve, and better government requires an investment of time. - Sessions typically run weekly for two to three hours across eight to eleven weeks. - A different department leads each week—finance, planning, public works—often with a facility tour attached. - City staff teach it directly. No outside consultants required. **The real payoff:** Officials running these programs are candid that education is only half the goal. - Graduates are the pipeline for board and commission volunteers, and eventually, candidates for office. - Alumni also become informal correctors of misinformation in neighborhood Facebook groups—residents trust neighbors more than press releases. **The bottom line:** A resident academy that maps how local governing power is divided would cost little and could do more for civic trust than a canvass trip or study ever will. To quote Dean Vernon Wormer, "Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son." ### Fate of Mike Johnson URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/fate-of-mike-johnson/ Last updated: 2026-08-14T01:21:30.000Z In January, the nation may not have Louisiana's Mike Johnson to kick around anymore. History is rarely kind to House Speakers who lose the gavel. A select few fight their way back. Most fade from view, cashing out on corporate boards, in consulting shops, and on the speaking circuit. **Why it matters:** A Speaker can steer Washington’s attention, agenda and access toward his home state. Modern earmark rules make that influence subtler than in the old days of pork-barrel politics, but it is still real. For Louisiana, it can also mean quicker hearings and greater attention on hurricane recovery, flood control, ports and other issues central to the state. **The details:** Most forecasters expect Republicans to lose control of the House in November, possibly by more than 10 seats, even with the cushion the party has built through gerrymandering. *The Economist* gives Democrats a 5-in-6 chance of taking the House. If that happens, Democrats take control. Republicans will then do what parties always do after losing: look for someone to blame. That someone is often the Speaker, though there will be derisive murmuring among the GOP about the president as well. **What history tells us:** When a party loses power, the House Speaker typically follows one of three paths. - **The cash-out:** Corporate boards, private equity, consulting and the speaking circuit. - **The long fall:** This seems less likely for Johnson, but it happens. Newt Gingrich, blamed by conservatives in his own party, gave up both the speakership and his seat in Congress. Years later, his presidential campaign flamed out. - **The wilderness and the return:** A rare few remain as minority leader and claw their way back to the top. It has happened only six times in more than two centuries. Nancy Pelosi is the most recent example. **The bottom line:** If November goes the way forecasters expect, Johnson’s exit would cost Louisiana its seat at the very top of the House. The state would not be powerless. Steve Scalise, the New Orleans-area Republican who currently serves as House majority leader, would remain one of the chamber’s most senior and influential figures. He would not be House majority leader. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Pete Bush pours a comeback URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/pete-bush-bamvino-wine-lsu-baseball-cabernet/ Last updated: 2026-08-14T01:21:11.000Z Baton Rouge financial advisor and former LSU first baseman Pete Bush invented a baseball-shaped wine bottle holder back in 2008\. It took until this year for it to finally come with a bottle worth holding. **Why it matters:** It's a snapshot of how Baton Rouge deals actually get made—a stranger's podcast, a Napa connection made years before anyone needed it and just enough patience to let a good idea sit until the right partners showed up. **The original hit:** Bush dreamed up the holder—a bronze batter frozen mid-swing—while cleaning up after a Baton Rouge Uncorked wine event he co-founded in 2007 with six others. He says he sold more than 60,000 of them before the business went quiet, though the idea never really left him. **The pitch:** That changed when Bush mentioned the old holder on Robbie Olivier's podcast, [Wino with Ryno](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnY9if62HYM&ref=redeyebr.com). Olivier—who owns the Perkins Rowe card shop Cards and Culture—connected Bush with Napa winemaker Grant Long Jr., someone Bush had actually met years earlier on a trip to California. Long crafted a 2023 Atlas Peak Cabernet aged in French oak, and [BamVino](https://thebamvino.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) was born. **The other comeback:** Bush knows a thing or two about second acts. As LSU's first baseman in 1989, he was part of a team that clawed out of the losers' bracket to sweep top-ranked Texas A&M and punch a ticket to Omaha. **The bottom line:** BamVino, a big, bold Cabernet Sauvignon, is direct-to-consumer only—$49 a bottle, $588 for a case of 12, or a two-shipment yearly membership for $529\. The original bottle holder, Bush's 2008 sketch cast in bronze, is back in production too, and the three friends just launched a podcast of their own—[Episode 1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSgp%5FIlGrEQ&ref=redeyebr.com) reunites Bush, Olivier and Long around the table that started it all. ### Cane, meet Destiny URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/cane-meet-destiny/ Last updated: 2026-08-17T16:33:27.000Z Rum was inevitable. Louisiana has long grown sugarcane and mastered the complicated business of turning its juice into sugar. The next step took surprisingly long, although it now seems obvious: turn the cane into molasses, the molasses into rum, and try not to drink all of it at a football tailgate or music festival. South Louisiana has accumulated a small flotilla of rum makers: Oxbow Rum, Jean Baptiste Spirits, Seven Three Distilling and Wildcat Brothers. The newest distillery to launch a product is [Galvez Rum](https://galvezrum.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) in Jackson. In fact, it’s the oldest of the group, but Galvez took its time perfecting its rum and bringing it to market. Its tasting room is a leisurely 25-minute drive from Mid City, winding through small towns where speed traps are fuel for municipal budgets. Drive slowly. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/2026/08/Screenshot-2026-08-13-at-1.21.24---PM.png) **(Galvez Rum image)* When you arrive at Galvez’s tasting room, you will likely be greeted by Belinda Brown, a charming woman who readily admits that her knowledge of rum-making does not approach that of Elio Villasmil, the local rum master from Venezuela. This is not much of a confession. Most of us know considerably less than a rum master. When the master is away, Brown fills in, conducting tastings with Louisiana warmth and mixing cocktails with the assurance of someone who understands that rum—still less familiar here than bourbon—must be shared if the word is going to spread. Brown has worked for the distillery’s owner, George Schaffer, for nearly 20 years. He owns Crompion International, a Baton Rouge sugar-engineering and specialty-steel firm. He traveled the world with his father, a renowned sugar engineer, before settling in the city. Schaffer and William Manso, the distillery’s Panamanian “Rum Maestro,” decided they wanted to open a distillery. Ordinarily, such impulses amount to little more than conversation over dinner. When you possess expertise, equipment and sufficient resources, however, the occasional whim can become a public service. In this case, it did. The rum is quite delicious. Galvez makes three rums, although only two are readily available. The elusive third, Founder’s Limited Edition, is a blend of rums aged from 12 to 30 years. It tastes less like the foundation of a poolside Mai Tai than a complicated old bourbon—the sort of spirit that expects an appropriate glass, a comfortable chair and your undivided attention. The lightest of the three, Galvez Silver, is made in Panama and aged in Oloroso sherry and French Armagnac barrels. It earned a silver medal at this year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Unlike many white rums, it does not burn the throat on the way down. It is smooth and entirely at ease in a Cuba Libre or a cocktail made with tropical fruit juices. Between the two, though hardly neglected like some middle child, is Victory Blend. This Cuban-style rum spends six to eight years in Kentucky bourbon barrels, part of that time at the distillery. It is Belinda’s favorite, which ought to carry more weight than any medal, although Victory Blend won a gold medal at the same competition this year. It deserves to be sipped neat, but mixing it into a daiquiri is no insult. Rum is not so easily offended. Just make the drink properly, by hand. Finally, Galvez has found a purpose for the persimmon, the Louisiana fruit that divides us. The distillery turns it into a liqueur. It deserves to join the regular rotation at local bars and clubs as a mixer or an after-dinner drink. Galvez recently signed up with a new distributor, so its rum might become easier to find in the coming months. Until then, drive through the rolling hills of Louisiana to Jackson. Belinda will happily pour you an ounce or two to sip, or draw you a frozen concoction from one of three rotating machines. On a hot Louisiana afternoon, principles about handcrafted cocktails have their limits. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Going big on the bluffs URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/going-big-on-the-bluffs/ Last updated: 2026-08-14T01:20:18.000Z Southern University’s $68 million, 86,000-square-foot STEM building, due to open this spring, will house 21 laboratories and 16 classrooms. It's part of a building boom intended to broaden academic offerings, including America’s first chemical engineering program at an HBCU. Enrollment is growing and approaching 9,000, requiring new dorms on campus. The university received $169 million in capital outlay funding this year, including $18.4 million for the College of Business and $10.3 million for the J.K. Haynes School of Nursing. ### In BRAF we don't trust URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/braf-baton-rouge-city-park-lsu-lakes-trust/ Last updated: 2026-08-13T01:22:24.000Z A new trust survey lands on the region's most influential nonprofit right as it's asking for more authority, not less. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Better parks with upkeep URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/better-parks-with-upkeep/ Last updated: 2026-08-13T01:22:37.000Z BREC's new boss says the problem isn't what the parks system is building. It's taking care of what it already owns. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### A crowded beat URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/a-crowded-beat/ Last updated: 2026-08-13T01:21:13.000Z **A crowded beat** East Baton Rouge Parish is patrolled by **11** different law enforcement agencies. **Why it matters:** Between five incorporated cities, three university campuses and a scattering of special-purpose authorities, EBR residents can cross a jurisdictional line just walking down the street—each one policed by a different badge. **By the numbers:** - **BRPD, EBRSO, Zachary PD, Baker PD** and Louisiana State Police Troop A cover the parish's general geography. - **LSU PD, Southern PD** and **Baton Rouge Community College PD** each operate independent forces on their respective campuses. - Round it out with the **Baton Rouge Metro Airport Police**, the **Baton Rouge City Constable's Office**, and **DPS Police**, which guard the State Capitol Complex. **The asterisk:** Two more cities—Central and St. George—have police chiefs, as state law requires, but no real patrol force behind them. - Both lean on EBRSO to actually answer calls. - [Central pays a negotiated fee for it](https://unfilteredwithkiran.com/central-city-council-votes-to-continue-splitting-law-enforcement-duties-between-police-and-sheriffs-office/?ref=redeyebr.com); St. George's founding ordinance suggests it doesn't, betting instead that the parishwide millages residents already pay cover it. - St. George is creating a ["volunteer" force](https://www.theadvocate.com/baton%5Frouge/news/st-george-reserve-police-officers/article%5F34aae3fd-f4fb-4101-931d-44bca75e20ca.html?utm%5Fsource=email&utm%5Fcampaign=wakeupbr&utm%5Fmedium=newsletter&utm%5Fcontent=headline#uid=729a73f411c79d2e40ef485b842e74c4) to handle some administrative tasks and minor traffic accidents, but no citizen's arrests. *(Sorry, Gomer.)* **Common theme:** The parishes home to New Orleans and Lafayette also carry double-digit police forces. - **Orleans Parish** has **15**, a number inflated by **8** university and college police departments. Other notables include police forces for public housing, levees, the port and City Park. - **Lafayette Parish** has **9**, driven mostly by **6** separate municipal departments spread across its patchwork of small cities. **The bottom line:** Thirteen badges in EBR, one parish—and only 11 of them actually patrol. ### An unexpected burger URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/an-unexpected-burger/ Last updated: 2026-08-13T01:20:42.000Z Superior Grill is el famoso for three things: people having a good time, margaritas that make them talk a little too loud, and Mexican food that arrives fast and tastes good. So the burger buried in the menu can seem like a stranger who wandered across the border from Texas. Order it once and the surprise disappears. The Torito Burger is one of the most popular lunches in the place, and with good reason. Its beef, supplied by Maxwell’s Market, contains enough fat to remain juicy without lapsing into grease, a distinction many kitchens fail to observe. The bun is soft but structurally sound, surviving until the final bite. At one-third of a pound, the patty is right size: enough for lunch without rendering the afternoon useless. For $14, diners receive the burger and fries. These are cut by hand and made in the kitchen, rather than poured from a freezer bag. Lunch generally arrives within five minutes, leaving enough time to eat at an enjoyable pace. Those wishing to soothe burger combo guilt can substitute fries for vegetables for a $4.50 upcharge. They come sizzling, salty and close to charred, accompanied by melted butter for dipping the corn. And on Friday, if you can steal a half-day, order the large Superior margarita. By RedEye’s accounting, it lands somewhere near a triple shot: an eight-count pour of tequila with a shot of 40-proof Gran Gala floated on top. Sip it slowly. Let the afternoon go where it wants. And when it’s time to leave, call a ride service. *—Mukul Verma* ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Roux's first day, less scary URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/changemaker-julie-becnel-rouxs-first-day-highland-elementary/ Last updated: 2026-08-13T01:20:23.000Z Sixty-four kindergartners at Highland Elementary started the school year with a little extra armor against first-day jitters, courtesy of a hometown author and a squad of local changemakers. Julie Gerdes Becnel, who wrote *Roux's First Day*, teamed up with the Baton Rouge [Alliance for Students](https://bralliance.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) and CHANGEMAKERS alumni—Crystal Ellis, Adrian Owen Jones, Danielle Brown and Dr. Melvin Hollins—to hand every kid a free copy of the book, plus hygiene kits and readiness goodies: math counters, Play-Doh, bead kits and crayons. Three more copies landed in the school library. Kindergarten teachers at Westdale Heights Academic Magnet contributed readiness guides for parents, and illustrator Cullen Bernard provided coloring sheets tied to the story. It's the kind of quiet, get-it-done generosity Baton Rouge runs on: no press conference, just 64 kids walking into kindergarten a little more ready—and a little less scared—than they might've been otherwise. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Roads crumble despite billions URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/louisiana-roads-bridges-crumbling-backlog-federal-money/ Last updated: 2026-08-12T13:46:46.000Z Louisiana's transportation department said its road and bridge backlog was **$15 billion in 2021**, the same year Congress opened a new stream of federal highway money. Four years and billions of dollars later, the number has more than doubled, to **$33 billion**. **Why it matters:** More federal money hasn't meant fewer bad roads—Baton Rouge drivers are paying into a system that's falling further behind, not catching up, no matter how much flows through it. **Bad math:** The number has only moved one direction since 2017. - **2017:** A state task force put the backlog at $13 billion, plus $16 billion more for big projects like widening I-10 in Baton Rouge. - **2021:** Then-DOTD Secretary Shawn Wilson said the state's fuel tax, unchanged since 1990, left a $15 billion hole that "will never be eliminated" without new revenue. - **2025:** The American Society of Civil Engineers put the number at $24 billion for roads alone and $33 billion combined with bridges. **Criticism to credit:** The 2021 law behind that new money—passed under President Joe Biden with Sen. Bill Cassidy's help—drew opposition from much of Louisiana's Republican delegation. That hasn't stopped them from touting what it paid for. - Gov. Jeff Landry celebrated the new I-10 Calcasieu River Bridge and a $1.3 billion broadband grant, both funded in part by that law, without mentioning where the money came from. - Reps. Julia Letlow, Steve Scalise and Clay Higgins voted against the bill in 2021; Letlow later applauded a $10.5 million grant it funded for her district. - Cassidy, who negotiated the bill's passage and was blasted by locals for working with Democrats, said rather cheekily: The same critics are "showing up for the ribbon cutting, trying to claim credit for that which they opposed and which I negotiated." **DOTD's own warning:** The department's 2022 [asset management plan](https://dotd.la.gov/media/pg1jvkmf/ladotd-tamp-2022-final-issued.pdf?ref=redeyebr.com) doesn't project a fix. - More than 20% of bridge deck on the National Highway System is projected to be in poor condition by 2034. - Even a $200 million annual funding increase wouldn't be enough to change that, the same plan found. **No independent check:** A Pew Charitable Trusts report published in late July compared all 50 states' road and bridge [funding gaps](https://www.pew.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2026/07/28/how-large-are-states-budget-shortfalls-for-roadway-maintenance?ref=redeyebr.com). Louisiana wasn't in it—the state hadn't reported enough data for Pew to calculate where it stands. **Say nothing:** Rodney Mallett, DOTD's public information officer, did not respond to *RedEye*'s requests for comment. **The bottom line:** The federal law behind Louisiana's latest infusion of highway money expires this year, and DOTD's own numbers say the shortfall keeps growing regardless, leaving the state to decide whether it starts showing its work, or keeps asking taxpayers to trust a number nobody outside the department can check. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Snowball's chance in summer hell URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/el-nino-baton-rouge-weather-winter-mardi-gras-snow/ Last updated: 2026-08-12T01:43:13.000Z With Baton Rouge baking under an unrelenting summer blowtorch and America sweating through its hottest July on record, let's get giddy about the possibility of winter weather in South Louisiana. This isn't a mirage of a sun-fried brain, but it could actually happen ... maybe. *The Washington Post* is tracking a "[Pacific Ocean fever](https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/interactive/2026/track-how-extreme-this-years-el-nino-could-get/?ref=redeyebr.com)" that could become the strongest El Niño ever measured, with an expected peak sometime in December. We care about this because that pattern typically drags the Gulf storm track south and stacks tropical moisture up behind the cold fronts, producing colder, wetter weather. Translation: Exactly the weather pattern that dumped an historic 7.6 inches of snow on Baton Rouge in January 2025 and more than a foot in Grand Coteau. **Reality check:** Snow around Christmas is a bit of a stretch in the Capital City, even with increasing severe weather extremes. No, the sweet spot here, when temps tend to be the lowest, is January through early February, a window that in 2027 includes the Jan. 6 start of King Cake season and the Feb. 6 Spanish Town Parade. Could we be dreaming of a white Mardi Gras? ### Cane's: Have it your way URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/canes-have-it-your-way/ Last updated: 2026-08-12T01:43:00.000Z When Todd Graves opened the first Raising Cane's at LSU's South Gates 30 years ago, the plan was small: a handful of restaurants in a few Southeastern college towns. He has since overshot that goal by roughly 995 locations. This summer, Cane's opened its 1,000th store in Hollywood, California, a two-story shrine to the American Dream, with floor-to-ceiling LED screens and a seven-foot golden statue of Cane, the dog that gave the chain its name. Not bad for a business that is focused on selling one main thing, with sides. That's the trick. Cane's is all about chicken fingers with fries, Texas toast, coleslaw and fresh lemonade. A short menu hasn't stopped customers from getting creative. Show up for the 30th anniversary, and you can order a meal your way, or try one of the dozens of “Cane’s Hacks.” One rule first: be nice about it. Some of these take extra time, especially in a rush, and the crew is doing you a favor. Here are a few hacks to get you started. **Put the toast to work:** Texas toast is the load-bearing ingredient in many hacks. - Some people press two slices into a little chicken-finger sandwich. Others order "BOB," toast buttered on both sides. - You can also order the Cane's Chicken Sandwich and ask them to swap the bun for Texas toast, which raises the obvious question of why the bun was there in the first place. - Cutinto the side of a slice of Texas toast to make a pita-like pocket, pour in Cane's sauce, slide in a chicken finger and drizzle more sauce on top. **Ask for a longer bath in hot oil:** Request the chicken fingers and fries extra crispy. Crispier is always better. **Build a Nashville-style hot chicken sandwich:** Ask for the complimentary, off-the-menu packets of Louisiana Hot Sauce. Mix the hot sauce into Cane's sauce for a spicier dip, or coat the strips and fold them into a slice or two of Texas toast for a rough approximation of a hot chicken sandwich. **Try the hidden honey mustard:** Cane's sauce gets all the love, but honey mustard is back there too. Ask the cashier; most stores keep it behind the counter even though it never made the overhead menu. **Order it like Todd Graves:** Finally, the founder's own order, which doubles as a fan favorite: the classic Box Combo with the coleslaw swapped for an extra slice of Texas toast. Only Nick Saban orders double slaw. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Louisiana's AI double bet URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/louisiana-data-centers-oil-gas-petrochemicals-industry-air-quality/ Last updated: 2026-08-12T01:42:39.000Z AI is making oil and gas cheaper and more efficient to extract in Louisiana, according to new research, but what that means for our climate, energy use and the Capital Region's bedrock petrochemical industry is more complicated. **Why it matters:** It's a mixed bag for Baton Rouge. The Capital Region petrochemical industry will likely get a boost, but the impact on Baton Rouge's already poor air quality and utility costs is worth closely watching. **Research says:** Researchers modeled 64 scenarios and found AI-driven drilling and production gains outweigh AI's climate benefits from renewables in nearly all of them, according to [new findings](https://www.axios.com/2026/08/11/ai-oil-gas-emissions-increase?ref=redeyebr.com). - The added emissions could be three to 13 times higher than those of all U.S. data centers combined, the study estimates. **The closed loop:** Chevron and BP already run AI on Gulf of Mexico wells sitting off Louisiana's coast—the same AI boom sold as diversification may be deepening the state's oldest bet. - Chevron is moving [AI field tools](https://www.chevron.com/newsroom/2024/q2/new-technologies-speed-offshore-development?ref=redeyebr.com) into Gulf fields like [Big Foot](https://www.chevron.com/what-we-do/energy/oil-and-natural-gas/assets/gulf-of-america?ref=redeyebr.com), 225 miles south of New Orleans. - [BP's AI tool](https://heatmap.news/energy/microsoft-exxon-chevron-ai?ref=redeyebr.com) has already added roughly 2,000 barrels a day to its Gulf production. **Closer to home:** More oil and gas coming out of the ground could mean more crude and gas flowing through Baton Rouge's own refining and chemical corridor. - East Baton Rouge already carries an [F for ozone](https://www.theadvocate.com/baton%5Frouge/news/environment/louisiana-air-pollution-environment-american-lung-association/article%5F3746aaa9-2678-48af-bba6-b643531df2c0.html?ref=redeyebr.com) from the American Lung Association. - Industry insists new extraction tech means cleaner production, not more emissions. **Bigger utility cost:** Gov. Jeff Landry is welcoming data centers with open arms, and those facilities are demanding more power and water. The governor, Entergy and industry officials insist ratepayers are protected. - Hut 8's data center near St. Francisville sits closer to Baton Rouge than Meta's Richland Parish site, Amazon's Shreveport-area campus or Applied Digital's project in Rapides Parish. - Entergy's proposed $1.8 billion purchase of a Texas gas plant could, a state consultant says, add $8 to $13 a month to bills and ties largely to Meta's load—a claim Entergy disputes. The utility has postponed the purchase but not taken it off the table. - The bigger threat may be water. The [Southern Hills Aquifer](https://www.redeyebr.com/industrial-size-concern/), already stressed by industry, now faces new demands from data centers and the gas plants powering them. **The bottom line:** Baton Rouge has been debating the impact of data centers. Oil, gas and petrochemicals need to join the discussion. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Nicholson Drive's new path URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/nicholson-drives-new-path/ Last updated: 2026-08-12T01:42:26.000Z Parish government will break ground today on a project to widen Nicholson Drive near LSU and make the corridor safer for pedestrians and cyclists amid rapid private development. **Why it matters:** Widening the road will improve traffic flow during big LSU events, and the project will add better sidewalks and paths in an area where thousands of students live—and where more than 5,000 new beds are planned or under construction. LSU's new arena is also proposed off Nicholson. **The details:** - The $28 million project, much of it federally funded, is part of MovEBR, the parish’s infrastructure improvement initiative. - Contractors will widen the segment of Nicholson Drive from Brightside Drive to Gourrier Avenue from two lanes to four, with medians. - The project also includes shared-use paths on both sides of the street for pedestrians and cyclists, along with bulb-outs—a traffic-calming feature where the sidewalk or curb extends into the parking lane. - Parish officials say the upgrades should improve traffic flow during major events, including LSU football games. - The parish plans to continue widening Nicholson to four lanes south to Gardere in two additional phases, though construction on those projects is not expected to begin until late next decade. **The bottom line:** MovEBR continues to improve mobility across the parish, with a growing emphasis on complete streets that give people safer options for getting around on foot or by bicycle. ### VBR, Butch Spyridon take center stage URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/vbr-butch-spyridon-take-center-stage/ Last updated: 2026-08-11T13:17:19.000Z The visitors bureau and the leader who turned Nashville into a tourist destination are taking over the Raising Cane's River Center. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Life after five URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/life-after-five/ Last updated: 2026-08-11T15:39:46.000Z Site plans have been approved for a downtown apartment complex that would fill an entire block of North Boulevard, a signal that a long-promised project is moving toward construction. **Why it matters:** Downtown housing is what keeps a city center alive after 5 p.m. In Baton Rouge, as in a lot of cities, the old model of downtown as a nine-to-five employment hub is fading. What replaces it depends on getting people to actually live there, enough of them to fill restaurant tables, keep entertainment venues busy, and give retailers a reason to open for business. **The details:** - Key Real Estate and downtown property owner John O. Hearin announced plans for about 250 or so beds on North Boulevard more than two years ago. - The apartments would rise across from Hearin's existing complex, which is the Heron on Convention Street. It opened in 2018. - The new project, Heron II, is on the agenda for the Downtown Development District commission meeting tomorrow. DDD Executive Director Whitney Hoffman Sayal said the developers, Hearin and Key's Michael Lang, aren't expected at the meeting, but that she's spoken with them and they've told her the project is moving forward. Hearin and Lang did not return calls seeking more detail. **The bigger picture:** Downtown apartment complexes in Baton Rouge are running very high occupancy, a market practically waving a flag for more units. But high construction costs and expensive financing have stalled projects here and across the country. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### The fast and unmonitored URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-fast-and-unmonitored/ Last updated: 2026-08-11T01:27:14.000Z The removal of speed safety cameras in Ontario led to a sharp rise in speeding, putting lives at risk and potentially driving up insurance costs as crashes increase. **Why it matters:** Baton Rouge residents have long argued over the effectiveness of police cameras in curbing red-light running. Ontario's experience offers an answer: when the cameras come down, more drivers break the law. **The details:** - Baton Rouge has red-light cameras at several intersections, including near the I-10 exits at College Drive. - The parish collects between $3 million and $4 million annually from the program—more than $50 million since the cameras were installed in 2007. - Ontario Premier Doug Ford ordered a ban on speed cameras, providing a before-and-after look at their effect on driver behavior. **By the numbers:** In Ottawa, 14% of vehicles were speeding on a main road last fall while cameras were operating. After their removal, a whopping 80% were speeding in May, according to city data from the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. **Zoom out:** Research indicates that speed cameras reduce crashes and change driver behavior. - A 2025 academic paper found that cameras near New York City schools reduced crashes by 14%. - Tickets at those locations fell 75% over time, suggesting drivers who received citations changed their behavior. **The flip side:** Opponents of Baton Rouge's red-light cameras argue that the government should not be watching motorists. They view the cameras as a form of Big Brother surveillance. **The bottom line:** Evidence from Ontario and elsewhere shows that traffic cameras prompt more drivers to obey the law and can reduce crashes. For some opponents, however, the possibility of more dangerous roads is an acceptable cost of limiting government surveillance. ### When can we stop talking about Cyclospora? URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/when-can-we-stop-talking-about-cyclospora/ Last updated: 2026-08-11T01:26:59.000Z You would think modern science could have vanquished the nasty parasite by now, along with public discussions of unmentionable things that happen in bathrooms. Not yet. The cyclospora outbreak linked to recalled iceberg lettuce from central Mexico has caused more than 6,700 illnesses and **11,500 additional suspected infections** across 41 states, according to the FDA. The good news is that the lettuce should be gone. Taylor Farms recalled it July 17, and the final use-by dates passed Aug. 3\. Still, some bags are bound to be hiding behind a jar of mayonnaise in somebody’s refrigerator. To the hungry salad lover who considers expiration dates government propaganda, we wish good luck and hope you have an Amazon account that delivers toilet paper. The case count will keep climbing even if new infections have stopped. Cyclospora generally takes about a week to produce symptoms, but it can take up to 14 days. Then patients must visit a doctor, get tested and be connected to the outbreak. The CDC estimates the entire reporting process can take six weeks. There are also people already sick who have not sought medical help, and others who recovered without ever being tested. They will either appear late in the statistics or never appear at all. Cyclospora is not new, and not every case reported this summer came from the recalled lettuce. The parasite regularly causes infections during warm-weather produce season, usually through food or water contaminated with human feces. Meanwhile, anyone seeking lower-mileage lettuce probably will not find much conventionally grown at the Red Stick Farmers Market. August is not lettuce season in south Louisiana, although a hydroponic grower may save your salad. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Matt McKay, community builder, died after a long illness URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/matt-mckay-community-builder-died-after-a-long-illness/ Last updated: 2026-08-10T00:13:51.000Z A stake driven into the earth usually tells us where something ends. Matt McKay saw, instead, the place where something might begin. That was how he understood Ardendale: an ambitious attempt to create a Baton Rouge neighborhood where families of different incomes could live beside one another—and where those hoping to move forward might find a lever to help them rise. McKay helped establish Ardendale's first anchor: the McKay Automotive Training Center, operated by Baton Rouge Community College. Inside, aspiring mechanics learn a reliable trade and at less expense than traveling to Houston, long a destination for automotive training. Around the center, the rest of Ardendale is taking shape through a [project of the East Baton Rouge Parish Housing Authority](https://www.redeyebr.com/housing-authority-goes-big/). **McKay died Saturday night after living with Alzheimer's disease. He was 71.** The measure of his life, however, lies not only in the business he built or the fortune it produced. It can also be found in the opportunities he seeded across the region: a classroom where a teacher can test an idea, a boarding school where a child can receive more attention, a workshop where a young adult can begin to embark on a life. In business, McKay was best known as the co-founder of All Star Automotive Group. With his partner, John Noland, he built the regional dealership from the ground up. Noland supplied financial backing and steady counsel across the decades, though he characteristically insisted that McKay had done most of the work while he cashed all the checks. The company sold for about $700 million roughly a year before McKay's death. Little of that success announced itself when one met him. Perhaps this was because he had grown up among public educators. His mother worked in school administration; his father was a teacher and principal. Education, in the McKay family, was the daily work of giving someone else a chance. In 1991, McKay helped establish the Ascension Fund, which provides grants to public-school teachers and schools so that promising ideas are not squandered simply because the money is missing. He and his wife, Sherri, supported Scholastic's Read and Rise literacy program in 24 low-income schools across the Baton Rouge area. They became major contributors to the McKay Academic Center for Excellence at the Dunham School, which serves students who learn differently. They also supported the Emerge Center and THRIVE, a charter boarding school created to educate children from underserved parts of Baton Rouge and the state. The clearest expression of McKay's faith in education may stand on Lobdell Avenue. Named in honor of his father, the automotive training center allows students to learn the practical work of repairing vehicles without having to leave South Louisiana—or assume the cost of training far from home. McKay thought of the center as Ardendale's spark plug. The neighborhood is the first mixed-use, mixed-income community that will continue growing under the East Baton Rouge Parish Housing Authority. "The key to me with Ardendale, and with other community projects I've been involved with, is that it's a stake in the ground," McKay once told *Currents*, the Baton Rouge Area Foundation's magazine. "It's a center point that says, 'Here's what can be done.'" ### 📅 Baton Rouge: Week at a Glance | August 10–16 URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/baton-rouge-events-community-lasm-manship-august-10-16/ Last updated: 2026-08-09T23:55:34.000Z **Why it matters:** Two new exhibitions open at LASM Saturday—including the Blue Dog's Baton Rouge debut—and the Perseid Meteor Shower peaks that same night. Friday is impossibly packed with a local film premiere, a flashlight walk through the swamp and a talent competition downtown. ***🗓️ Friday, August 14*** 🔦 **Swamp Flashlight Night—5–9 p.m.** 📍 Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center, 10503 North Oak Hills Pkwy. - Explore the swamp after dark with flashlight in hand—live animal encounters, self-guided night hikes and guided hikes available for an additional fee. Closed-toe shoes and insect repellent recommended. Admission ends at 8:15 p.m. [Details](https://www.brec.org/facility/BluebonnetSwamp?ref=redeyebr.com) at brec.org. 🎭 **Mid City's Got Talent—6 p.m.** 📍 Raising Cane's River Center, 275 S. River Road - The second annual talent competition presented by Mid City Redevelopment Alliance showcases singers, dancers, musicians, aerial performers, magicians and more from across the Capital Region. Competitors vie for the $1,000 grand prize. Doors open at 5 p.m. Proceeds support Mid City revitalization. [Tickets](https://midcityredevelopment.org/midcitys-got-talent/?ref=redeyebr.com) at midcityredevelopment.org. 🔭 **Friday Night Lecture + Evening Sky Viewing—7:30 p.m.** 📍 BREC Highland Road Park Observatory, 13800 Highland Road - Free public astronomy lecture at 7:30 p.m. followed by open sky viewing through BREC's telescopes at 8:30 p.m. Ages 6 and up. Free. [Details](https://hrpo.lsu.edu/?ref=redeyebr.com) at hrpo.lsu.edu. 🎬 **The Hoodoos—7:30 p.m.** 📍 Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. - Baton Rouge's own indie horror film gets its world premiere—followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers. [Tickets](https://manshiptheatre.org/comingsoon/the-hoodoos?ref=redeyebr.com) at manshiptheatre.org. ***🗓️ Saturday, August 15*** 🌿 **Birding at Burden—7–9 a.m.** 📍 LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden, 4560 Essen Lane - Monthly guided tour through Burden's birding loops—320 species recorded on the grounds. $12.51\. [Registration required](https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/birding-at-burden-2026-4797941?ref=redeyebr.com) at Eventbrite. 🌱 **Red Stick Farmers Market—8 a.m.–noon** 📍 5th & Main Street, downtown - Fresh produce, local vendors and community at BR's flagship [open-air market](https://breada.org/red-stick-farmers-market/?ref=redeyebr.com). Also runs Thursdays, 8 a.m.–noon, at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. 🎨 **Studio Saturday: Reflections—morning** 📍 Louisiana Art & Science Museum, 100 S. River Road - Hands-on art experience inspired by the incoming George Rodrigue exhibition—explore the techniques, themes and legacy of the Blue Dog before the show officially opens. [Details](https://www.lasm.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) at lasm.org. 🎨 **LASM Double Opening: Louisiana Untamed + Reflections: The Art of George Rodrigue** 📍 Louisiana Art & Science Museum, 100 S. River Road - Two major exhibitions open simultaneously. *Louisiana Untamed: Off the Wall* showcases the creativity of Louisiana artists including Malaika Favorite, Kevin Rabalais, Ellen Ogden and Randell Henry. *Reflections: The Art of George Rodrigue* brings the iconic Blue Dog to Baton Rouge. [Details](https://www.lasm.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) at lasm.org. 🔭 **Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon—LASM Planetarium** 📍 Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, LASM, 100 S. River Road - The Rock the Dome Laser Series continues. [Showtimes and tickets](https://www.lasm.org/rockthedome/?ref=redeyebr.com) at lasm.org. 🌠 **Perseid Meteor Shower—10 p.m.–2 a.m.** 📍 BREC Highland Road Park Observatory, 13800 Highland Road - One of the year's best meteor shower displays peaks this weekend—up to 100 meteors per hour at peak. Head to the observatory for the best dark-sky viewing in the parish. Free. [Details](https://hrpo.lsu.edu/?ref=redeyebr.com) at hrpo.lsu.edu. ***🗓️ Sunday, August 16*** 🎬 **Funny Girl—2 p.m.** 📍 Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. - Barbra Streisand's breakthrough role as Fanny Brice on the big screen. $5\. [Tickets](https://manshiptheatre.org/comingsoon/funny-girl?ref=redeyebr.com) at manshiptheatre.org. 🎨 **Sundays@4 with Sharbreon Plummer, Ph.D.—4–5:30 p.m.** 📍 Baton Rouge Gallery, 1515 Dalrymple Drive - Free afternoon programming from the Baton Rouge Gallery's ongoing summer series. [Details](https://www.batonrougegallery.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) at batonrougegallery.org. --- ### **📋 Government & Civic** ***🗓️ Tuesday, August 11*** 🏛️ **St. George Regular Council Meeting—5–7 p.m.** 📍 St. George City Hall, 11207 Proverbs Ave. Broadcast live on [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@St.GeorgeLouisiana?ref=redeyebr.com). 🎵 **Baton Rouge Symphony: 2026–27 Season Tickets On Sale** - The BRSO's *From Darkness to Light* season opens September 17 with *Ellis Island: The Dream of America* and includes Tchaikovsky, Beethoven and Shostakovich symphonies plus *The Music of Star Wars* in May. Season subscriptions and single tickets available now. [Tickets](https://www.brso.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) at brso.org. 🩰 **Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre: 2026–27 Season Tickets On Sale** - The BRBT's *Worlds of Wonder* season includes *Lagniappe: Classical Masterpieces & Contemporary Visions* (October 1), *The Nutcracker: A Tale from the Bayou* (December 18–20) and a world premiere original ballet, *Mary Poppins and the Match-Man* (April 2027). Season subscribers save 8% with no handling fees. [Tickets](https://www.batonrougeballet.org/events-performances/202627-season?ref=redeyebr.com) at batonrougeballet.org. 📋 **Leadership Baton Rouge: Class of 2027 Applications Open—through September 30** - The Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership is accepting applications for its Class of 2027 Leadership Baton Rouge program—a year-long civic leadership experience connecting high achievers with community issues, assets and fellow emerging leaders. More than 1,400 graduates have gone on to serve on boards, commissions and elected offices. [Apply](https://greaterbatonrouge.org/leadership-baton-rouge/?ref=redeyebr.com) at greaterbatonrouge.org/leadership. Deadline: Wednesday, September 30, midnight. --- **Reach us:* Want to submit an event item for consideration? Email us the information at* [*news@redeyebr.com*](mailto:news@redeyebr.com)*. *Details:* The calendar is on a Monday–Sunday rotation, and the submission deadline is the Wednesday prior.* ### Goodbye Cox, hello Spectrum URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/goodbye-cox-hello-spectrum/ Last updated: 2026-08-09T23:51:44.000Z Cox Communications is slowly fading into the sunset as Charter Communications expects to close on its $34.5 billion buyout of Cox later this month, with Spectrum branding and pricing coming to Baton Rouge in September. **Why it matters:** Nothing changes on the ground if you're still using Cox in a Baton Rouge where cord-cutting and specialized digital services are the trending norm. What immediately matters: your bill, the app and customer service are changing, and soon you'll have additional bundle options. **No overlap, no outage:** Charter and Cox don't compete head-to-head here, so this isn't a rival muscling in—it's a rebrand of the lines already running to your house. - Same infrastructure, same technicians, same trucks, just a new corporate parent. - No digging, no reinstall, no service gap tied to the switch itself. **Your bill, your call:** You won't get forced onto a new plan the day the name changes. - Keep your current Cox rate if you'd rather not deal with it. - Or opt into a standard Spectrum bundle, which throws in Disney+, Hulu, ESPN and Paramount+ at no extra charge. **Phone and mobile:** Cox's other products get new names too, with an incentive attached. - Digital landline service becomes Spectrum Voice; your number stays yours. - Cox Mobile lines migrate to Spectrum Mobile, and Charter is offering a free year of service to subscribers who make the jump. **Smooth sailing:** While a heated debate over the merger is playing out in California, the Louisiana Public Service Commission gave it uncontested approval 12 months ago. **The bottom line:** The wires don't move and the technicians don't change, but by September, expect a new name, a new app and a few decisions you might want to consider before autopay kicks in on the new brand. ### School daze URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/k-12-baton-rouge-school-year-starts-earlier/ Last updated: 2026-08-10T11:52:42.000Z The days of going back to school after Labor Day and ending just before Memorial Day are a faded memory of Baby Boomer nostalgia. **Why it matters:** Given that most schools in Baton Rouge opened Aug. 6 or 7, and factoring in the parent prep work of getting kids ready for the year, "summer vacation" pretty much ends by the close of July. **What's the deal:** So why do schools in Baton Rouge—and across much of the South in particular—start earlier and earlier with each passing year? - Schools for more than a century based their calendars on 1) farming and 2) the summer vacation season of what once were this nation's population centers in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. - The split still runs almost entirely by region: MDR Education data shows nearly every Deep South school opens [before mid-August](https://mdreducation.com/public-school-open-and-close-dates/?ref=redeyebr.com), while most New England schools wait weeks longer. - Vacation weather is almost year-round in the South, so the longer window to get 177 classroom days makes it easier to absorb weather-related school closures. - An added challenge in Baton Rouge and South Louisiana: Mardi Gras. **The trade-off:** There are downsides to what's crawling toward a 10-month school year. - Higher temps in August mean it's expensive to cool classrooms. The silver lining is children from homes lacking air conditioning get some respite from the oppressive heat during the school day. - The stretched calendar has led to a rise in random off-days and half-days, which can strain working parents. - Private schools are especially notorious for mini-breaks. **The bottom line:** Nostalgia wants a September start and a June finish. Louisiana's climate and culture are writing a far different calendar. ### St. George zoning fight heads to court URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/st-george-zoning-court-kleinpeter-baton-rouge-lrk/ Last updated: 2026-08-10T11:39:06.000Z Both sides have filed their arguments—and LRK is using St. George's own sworn responses to make its case. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Justice for a fee URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/justice-for-a-fee/ Last updated: 2026-08-07T02:29:42.000Z Metro Councilwoman Jennifer Racca and state Rep. C. Denise Marcelle are among about a dozen people running to become justices of the peace, a little-known position that can be lucrative because of fees charged in eviction cases. **Why it matters:** Louisiana has more than 200 justices of peace. They are part of a sprawling and expensive local justice system with overlapping layers of administration. **The details:** Justices of the peace are state-authorized officials who handle many of the small but consequential matters that keep the civil justice system moving. They can settle disputes involving less than $5,000, collect debts, resolve landlord-tenant disputes, clear titles on vehicles and other movable property, and perform marriage ceremonies. **Follow the money:** The state pays each justice of the peace only $5,000 a year. But eviction fees can push their earnings far beyond that salary, and, in some cases, above what state judges make. State law allows a justice of the peace to charge defendants $120 for each eviction case, plus $20 for every additional defendant. Their courts can receive another $60 to execute an eviction, plus $20 for each additional defendant, according to the [Louisiana Illuminator](https://lailluminator.com/2025/04/01/justice-peace/?ref=redeyebr.com). That system has allowed some justices of the peace to collect more than $200,000 a year. Steven Sanders, an East Baton Rouge Parish justice of the peace, earned an average of $232,419 a year from 2019 through 2023, making him the parish’s highest-paid justice of the peace during that period, the Illuminator states. **The litigation:** Civil rights groups sued last year on behalf of tenants, arguing that allowing justices of the peace to finance their salaries and court budgets through eviction fees creates an unconstitutional financial incentive to rule for landlords. The **suit was dismissed in November**, when the plaintiff didn't show up for court and couldn't be found. **The bottom line:** A job most voters rarely think about can generate substantial income from eviction cases, raising questions about whether justice is being shaped by the fees that fund the court. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### LSU's ranked gauntlet URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/lsus-ranked-gauntlet/ Last updated: 2026-08-07T02:29:27.000Z LSU will face **six teams ranked in the preseason Coaches Poll Top 25**, including four fellow SEC programs ranked ahead of the No. 13 Tigers. **Why it matters:** Anticipation is massive for Lane Kiffin’s first LSU team and its $50 million roster, but the Tigers face a brutal schedule, leaving little margin for error to meet the expectation of reaching the College Football Playoff. **Details:** Getting off to a fast start—and losing no more than once in September—is crucial because November will be particularly grueling for Kiffin’s team. LSU faces Alabama (11), Texas (4) and Tennessee (18) in consecutive weeks before closing the regular season at Arkansas. - September is no cakewalk. LSU opens Sept. 5 against Clemson (23), then closes the month with a much-anticipated trip to Ole Miss (10) and a home game against Texas A&M (8). - Brutal truth: The Tigers must go undefeated in October when they face McNeese State, Kentucky, Mississippi State and Auburn. **What** [***The Athletic***](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7491651/2026/08/04/college-football-top-25-preseason-coaches-poll-indiana/?unlocked%5Farticle%5Fcode=1.3VA.o2UY.IIf4RMOZngcT&source=athletic%5Fuser%5Fshared%5Fgift%5Farticle%5Fcopylink&smid=url-share-ta) **says about LSU:** The Tigers are included in its **“Who’s overrated?”** section: “Landing Kiffin was a coup for the Bayou Bengals, but it’s a stretch to see them debut at No. 13 after a 7-6 season with a new coach, a new quarterback in Sam Leavitt and a ton of defensive losses. That said, if LSU is unbeaten entering October, it rightly will be in the top five.” ### Live single, keep your jingle URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/live-single-keep-your-jingle/ Last updated: 2026-08-07T02:29:08.000Z Here's a pitch for people who want to be left alone: Baton Rouge is the **second-most affordable major city** in the country for living alone in an apartment, according to an analysis by The Economist. **Why it matters:** People pick a place to live for two main reasons. One is affordability: Baton Rouge has that covered. The other is quality of life, which the city has long lacked and is still working to build. **The details:** The Economist ranked 100 U.S. cities using its "Carrie Bradshaw index," named for the famously single "Sex and the City" character who somehow kept a one-bedroom on a columnist's salary. The magazine then calculated the annual income a renter would need to keep rent at or below 30% of gross pay, the limit financial advisers generally recommend. **By the numbers:** A typical Baton Rouge studio rents for about $700 a month. - A renter here would need to earn $28,000 a year to stay under the 30% line. - That's nearly $20,000 below the national median wage across the 100 cities. - Only Wichita, Kansas, came out more affordable for solo renters. **Zoom out:** New York was the most expensive city on the list, where a typical studio runs $3,790 a month. Staying under the 30% threshold there takes a salary of $151,600\. Rounding out the priciest five: Jersey City, Miami, Boston and Charleston, South Carolina. **The bottom line:** For anyone in Baton Rouge craving a place of their own, solitude comes cheap. And the same low housing costs that make living alone easy here make a decent pitch to anyone thinking about moving in. --- ### Tide and punishment URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/tide-and-punishment/ Last updated: 2026-08-07T02:28:46.000Z Watching LSU host Alabama beneath the lights of Tiger Stadium is among college football’s grander spectacles. It is also, for ticket resellers and StubHub, an exercise in wealth extraction. As of yesterday, the highest asking price for November’s clash—the rivals’ final regular-season meeting—was $2,367 for a seat in the Stadium Club. A pair would cost $4,734, enough to buy a 75-inch Sony BRAVIA 9, a season’s supply of chicken wings and a modest sofa from which to insist that every penalty favors Alabama, certainly on orders from the Southeastern Conference’s shadowy headquarters in Birmingham. By comparison, entertaining ten people at a Super Bowl party cost just $120-150 this year, [according to Kiplinger](https://www.kiplinger.com/personal-finance/how-much-it-costs-to-host-a-super-bowl-party?ref=redeyebr.com). At home, the queue for the bathroom is shorter, the beer cheaper, and there is no traffic between the living room and the bedroom. Those unwilling to liquidate a minor asset can still enter Death Valley for $280 on StubHub. The seats are near the summit of the East Upper Deck, where the sun is punishing during the day and the players look like determined ants. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Chili, chocolate and the world's longest flight URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/chili-chocolate-and-the-worlds-longest-flight/ Last updated: 2026-08-07T02:27:55.000Z Come October 2027, Qantas will fly Sydney to London nonstop, the longest scheduled flight on Earth. The airline spent a decade figuring out how to keep passengers sane for the 22-hour ride. Nearly a full day in a metal tube is exactly as rough as it sounds. Qantas knows this. So instead of pretending otherwise, the airline spent years studying how to make the misery bearable, and, to its credit, said so out loud. Qantas recruited 23 volunteers and watched what a marathon at cruising altitude does to a human body. The findings shaped the lighting, the meal timing and the menu. **The Wellbeing Zone:** A stretch of open cabin between economy and premium economy, free to everyone on board. Passengers can stand, do a guided stretch, drink some water and eat snacks, and remind themselves their legs they still work. On a flight this long, that's maintenance. **What's on the tray:** Spiced dishes to keep riders sharp during their destination's daylight hours. Fast-acting carbs and soups. Milk-based desserts to coax flyers toward sleep. And when it's finally time to go down for the night, a hot chocolate nightcap, the kind of thing mother's made before bed, now doing shift work at 40,000 feet. **The bottom line:** Plenty of people are asking why anyone would climb aboard a 22-hour flight in the first place. Qantas is betting that if you design the trip around actual humans, enough of them will show up to keep the route in the air. ### Hot shot URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/here-comes-the-sun-2/ Last updated: 2026-08-07T02:27:23.000Z Scientists just got their best look at the sun’s surface and revealed that it was hiding serious Van Gogh energy. Astronomers released photos yesterday that were snapped by the National Science Foundation’s Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope in Maui. The images were taken while technicians were fine-tuning and testing the telescope. The images revealed strange, feathery patterns rippling across the surface. Stanford solar physicist Ruizhu Chen, who wasn’t involved in the research, compared the swirls to the skies in Van Gogh’s “Starry Night." ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Progress gets detention URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/progress-gets-detention/ Last updated: 2026-08-06T01:10:03.000Z The indictment of Baton Rouge’s superintendent threatens a rare spell of progress for EBR Schools. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Who can you trust? URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/who-can-you-trust/ Last updated: 2026-08-06T06:02:07.000Z LaMont Cole, head of the Baton Rouge public school system, has been indicted for actions allegedly committed while serving on the Metro Council. Let's be clear: there's a canyon of difference between indicted and guilty. But let’s not kid ourselves: Cole’s addition to a list that already includes a sitting Metro Council member, a former CATS official and a high-ranking aide to a former mayor does little to inspire trust in the leaders of this city and parish. **Why it matters:** Cole's indictment is the latest frustrating blast fueling a crisis of confidence engulfing a community already predisposed to mistrust and a fear of change. **Law & Order:** Cole's indictment joins him with Councilman Cleve Dunn, Pearlina Thomas, the former CATS CAO, and Courtney Scott, a top staffer for former Mayor Sharon Weston Broome. Seven others, who worked under city-parish contracts, also face charges. - The state attorney general's corruption enforcement has landed almost entirely on Louisiana's two largest cities, both of which are majority Black. - Whatever the motivations of AG Liz Murrill, the Baton Rouge Black community has been given another reason not to trust the established power structure, especially after redistricting earlier this year left Louisiana with but one majority-minority district. **A matter of trust:** The state's criminal probe isn't our only theater of mistrust. - The past two weeks have seen the heads of CAFA (Mark Drennan), Build Baton Rouge (Deidre Deculus Robert) and the DDD (Whitney Hoffman Sayal) "retire," "resign," and fight to keep her job, in that order. Meanwhile, the Partnership, the region's business voice, hunts for a new leader three months after a less-than-mutual parting with its last one (Lori Melancon). - BRAF, the major community foundation, engenders little trust with those outside the confines of the well-heeled and downtown insiders. There are real and imagined reasons behind this, but it has led to the fermenting of multiple conspiracy theories, especially over the future of City Park. - No one is happy with the master plan processes playing out with City-Brooks Park and the University Lakes. There's mistrust of BREC, BRAF and Sasaki, the firm handling both projects (not to mention Plan Baton Rouge III), fueling a web of stratagems. - Consequently, there's skepticism about the concept of a conservancy managing the lakes and City Park, rooted in machinations about who will control it and who will profit. - What's fact, fiction or fantasy isn't important here. What matters is what the community believes. - More broadly, the wounds remain raw on both sides of the St. George incorporation. There's now a lawsuit, ostensibly about a zoning dispute, challenging the very incorporation of what's currently Louisiana's fifth-largest city. **The Big Picture:** Baton Rouge has been held back for decades by its trust issues with local government, a runaway fear of string-pulling political insiders, and a severe allergy to change. "No" is our knee-jerk response, never "how" or "why not." - Changing the narrative is almost impossible when there's so much uncertainty—and let's admit it, mistrust—in those who lead our city and parish, or finance the big ideas. **Good things are happening:** If one is willing to look beyond the headlines, there are some truly positive and necessary changes taking place. - The mayors of the five EBR cities have been meeting to resolve a variety of issues and perhaps build a modicum of trust with one another—though Mayor-President Sid Edwards blindsiding his own council last month with a secret St. George side deal is a reminder that trust-building cuts both ways. - The library just had a major tax approved by its largest margin in recent memory and remains a shining star of how a public agency can operate. - Cole, regardless of his legal difficulties, has done a masterful job at boosting morale within the public school system, building bridges of trust with the school board and the community, and making real improvements in the classroom. - BREC has made a series of positive systemic changes to its operations over the past year, has caught up on past-due audits and is exploring some bold ideas. - Is everyone happy with all the proposed changes? No, but such is life in a democracy—and even more so in a parish of silos that views every issue through the prism of "what about me?" **The Bottom Line:** These government and civic agencies—and those inside them who have been motivated by greed and self-interest—have worked hard to squander the public's trust. The harder job will be earning it back. Leaving all of us with this question: Are we willing to abandon our parochial bunkers of suspicion, conspiracy and cynicism long enough to give trust a chance? ### Cross the damn bridge URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/cross-the-damn-bridge/ Last updated: 2026-08-06T14:29:13.000Z The Kabaraji Fish at *Plume* sits plumply on the plate, delicately fried fish within a breadcrumb-and-egg crust. It comes with a pungent hot mustard sauce meant for cautious dabbing—no more than you would use wasabi on tuna—and a purple Indian slaw, sweet and sharpened with a little vinegar. You will not find this dish on any Indian restaurant menu in Baton Rouge. You’ll have to drive to New Orleans, cross the “damn bridge,” as [Plume’s](https://www.plumealgiers.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) T-shirts sarcastically urge you to do, and take a seat inside a pink-and-purple house decorated with hand-painted murals that reflect life in rural India. The trip is worth it. Plume is, plainly, the best Indian restaurant in Louisiana. That includes the too-fashionable Saffron NOLA on the East Bank of the Mississippi. **Here's the other thing you won't find at Plume:** an Indian chef tending naan at the tandoor. Merritt Coscia grew up eating Delhi's cuisine at an Indian friend's table in Washington, D.C. Her husband, Tyler Stuart, tasted Indian food for the first time when the couple spent months traveling India. They went, they explored, they learned, mastering the flavors and carrying them to New Orleans for diners willing to follow. Their journeys show up on the menu. Most Indian restaurants pick a lane, usually the meat-heavy cooking of the north, with a couple of familiar southern dishes like dosas thrown in. Plume doesn't play favorites. The menu changes, specials come and go, and the range is the point. There are naans, but also appam, a fermented rice and coconut bread. There is lassi, that familiar yogurt-and-fruit blend, but also limeade made with coconut milk. There is butter chicken, but there is also rista, lamb in saffron gravy from the mountains of Kashmir. **What many people drive for, though, is the Raj Kachori:** a puffed bread shell packed with potatoes, cilantro-and-mint chutney, tamarind, yogurt and pomegranate seeds. It's Indian street food, made beautiful. So go. Cross that damn bridge. And before you leave, order a pistachio or mango kulfi, Indian ice cream that asks the chef to stir milk patiently over low heat until it condenses into something so rich it doesn't need cream. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### The Partnership's unspoken truth URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/greater-baton-rouge-economic-partnership-brac-job-search-lori-melancon/ Last updated: 2026-08-05T12:05:43.000Z The Capital Region's economic development organization has begun the search for its next leader. Top among the needed qualifications: Getting along with LED. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Cheesecake Lab has the formula URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/cheesecake-lab-has-the-formula/ Last updated: 2026-08-05T01:33:36.000Z Start a conversation about carrot cake and the room warms up. Everybody has a favorite, and everybody knows the place that makes it best. Mention cheesecake, and the quarreling begins. Cheesecake draws out strong—and strongly negative—opinions. It’s pasty. Gummy. Eggy. Too rich. But even people who curdle at the thought of it will tell you that Mitchell Moore of [Cheesecake Lab](https://www.cheesecakelab.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) makes cheesecakes they desire—and devour. For National Cheesecake Day, Moore offered free samples and shared two reasons his cheesecakes rise above the rest. The first is no secret at all. Like other remarkable dishes, his cheesecakes begin with remarkable ingredients. Moore carefully chooses his vanilla and squeezes fresh citrus instead of reaching for a bottle. The second is understanding that cheesecake is really a custard. Moore cooks his low and slow, below 250 degrees, giving it time to develop a creamy interior instead of turning dense and rubbery. Cheesecake Lab starts with that silky base and adds toppings made from equally fine ingredients. The result is the best cheesecake in the parish, an opinion backed by 149 reviews on Google, all five stars. In October, Moore plans to make Basque cheesecake, the Spanish version with a deeply caramelized, nearly charred top, a silky custard interior and no crust to interfere. No quarrel from *RedEye*. Basque cheesecake is the best version of the dessert, so Moore will have one of the best versions in the world at his store on Jefferson Highway. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### BREC plots retirement switch URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/brec-plots-retirement-switch/ Last updated: 2026-08-05T12:05:30.000Z BREC wants out of the old pension. It thinks it can save $16 million doing it. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Let the kids play URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/let-the-kids-play/ Last updated: 2026-08-05T04:14:04.000Z Some things should be beyond debate. A BLT lives or dies by its tomato. A vacation is always too short. And a child who has spent all morning wrestling with the alphabet has earned a few minutes outside to run and play chase. Yet recess has been receding from too many schools. Testing crowded out play, and administrators fretted about lawsuits every time a kid skinned a knee. Things grew so dire that a movement, Say Yes to Recess, sprang up for the express purpose of winning children a break in their day. Louisiana, for once, is ahead of the pack. A law passed last year guarantees that public school kids in kindergarten to fifth grade have 15 minutes of unstructured play. According to [Johns Hopkins](https://americanhealth.jhu.edu/recess-in-schools?ref=redeyebr.com), only 11 other states require recess at all. The science sides with the kids. Recess improves behavior, attendance, even test scores. It is not time stolen from learning; it helps to make the lessons stick. Students head back to school tomorrow. It's hot outside, but you won't hear them complain. For 15 glorious minutes, they'll shriek and run, and secretly pray the bell is broken. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### EBR rethinking neighborhood schools URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/ebr-rethinking-neighborhood-schools/ Last updated: 2026-08-04T02:40:23.000Z A rare realignment of the schools is a chance for the system to educate children and spark communities. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How other systems are managing closed schools URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/how-other-systems-are-managing-closed-schools/ Last updated: 2026-08-04T02:25:50.000Z Public school enrollment is falling nationwide, largely because fewer children are being born. Slower immigration and the expansion of school-choice programs are also contributing to the decline. What should districts do with school buildings they no longer need? **Why it matters:** Leaving schools vacant can take a toll on the surrounding community. Shootings near 49 closed Chicago schools rose 10%, according to research from the University of Chicago and Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. **What school systems are doing:** - **Housing—especially senior housing—has emerged as one of the most common uses for former schools.** Classrooms can be converted into apartments, while gyms, auditoriums and other large spaces can serve as shared amenities. - **An example:** In Paris, Illinois, the former Paris High School became Tiger Senior Apartments, a 42-unit affordable housing complex named after the school’s mascot. - **Other approaches:** Districts are converting former schools into early-childhood education centers, or using them to bring community services under one roof. Some are also considering workforce housing to help recruit and retain teachers. **Zoom out:** Japan, which has closed more schools than any other country, offers a glimpse of just how creative these conversions can get. One former school is now “Your High School,” an attraction where tourists can spend a day as Japanese students—even eating lunch in the cafeteria. **The bottom line:** EBR Schools is writing a master plan for facilities, now that enrollment has dropped here. Other systems are mostly turning over closed schools for housing. Baton Rouge’s schools have a more ambitious idea, though they are in flux. Depending on location, some schools could be reworked to offer training for trades, with other agencies offering support and developers building housing. ### The invention that birthed McMansions URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/mcmansions-baton-rouge-gang-nail-plate-home-construction/ Last updated: 2026-08-04T02:25:28.000Z Somewhere in a neighborhood near you—and maybe even yours—there's a McMansion standing because of a piece of spiked metal you've never heard of and definitely never thanked—or cursed, depending on your perspective. Meet the gang-nail plate: a stamped sheet of steel with dozens of tiny teeth, patented in 1955 by a Florida engineer named Cal Jureit. His original goal wasn't excess—it was survival. Hurricane winds kept tearing the roofs off Miami-area houses because the old way of joining rafters, toenailing, was basically a carpenter angling a couple of nails and hoping for the best. Jureit's plate pressed dozens of teeth into the joint at once instead, and it held. Simple. Cheap. Effective. Then it got out of hand. Rather than building better, we chose to build bigger. That same little plate made prefab roof trusses cheap enough to mass-produce, and trusses meant the whole roof could rest on the exterior walls instead of a maze of interior ones. No interior load-bearing walls is exactly how you get sprawling open floor plans, cathedral ceilings and a roofline with more peaks than a mountain range—the exact features that turn a house into a McMansion. Drive any newer subdivision from Zachary to the edge of St. George and you're looking at Jureit's little invention, dressed up and showing off. Architecture YouTuber Stewart Hicks [put it best](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oIeLGkSCMA&t=680s&ref=redeyebr.com): the modern McMansion is a "super-sized symbol of excess." Built, ironically, on an invention designed to survive the very hurricanes Baton Rouge knows all too well. ### Where the dancing horses went URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/where-the-dancing-horses-went/ Last updated: 2026-08-04T02:24:58.000Z For two decades from 1927, children in Baton Rouge’s City Park paid a nickel to ride hand-carved horses beneath a pagoda roof. A brass organ wheezed; riders reached for a brass ring to try and win a free ride. Then the carousel vanished. Its 54 horses had traveled before. The carnival ride came from Spanish Fort, a New Orleans amusement park, brought by Bartholomew Murphy, an Irish woodcarver who had worked for Charles I.D. Looff, a celebrated carousel builder. All the horses had flowing manes, jewels and loud paint. Murphy’s family ran the ride and stored its horses above their quarters during the school year, according to Baton Rouge sources. After he lost the concession in the early 1940s, the carousel was sold to Harry Batt, later famous for Pontchartrain Beach. Its animals went into storage and were eventually dispersed. Some may now turn on New Orleans City Park’s carousel; others entered private collections. None, BREC says, can be found in the park system's possession. But RedEye located a possible survivor for sale online: a nearly five-foot-tall stationary Looff horse, with a checkerboard saddle blanket, starburst jewels and old paint. Its documented route—Spanish Fort, Baton Rouge, Pontchartrain Beach, private hands—is plausible, though not certain. The [asking price is $10,500](https://antiquecarousels.com/shop/antique-figures/carousel-horses/circa-1890-charles-i-d-looff-stander/?ref=redeyebr.com). One of City Park’s flying horses is available for a ride back to Baton Rouge. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### LSU sports ventures into new capital URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/lsu-sports-venture-capital-football-lane-kiffin/ Last updated: 2026-08-29T23:32:10.000Z A private equity fund raising $100 million for the athletic department has been launched. The meeting at the governor's mansion this week may be about what comes next. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Look ma, no steering wheel URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/look-ma-no-steering-wheel/ Last updated: 2026-08-03T03:02:10.000Z Autonomous taxis don’t have drivers. So why should they be outfitted with steering wheels and pedals? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration started answering that question last week, granting a historic exemption that lets [Amazon’s Zoox ](https://zoox.com/?ref=redeyebr.com)put up to 5,000 custom robotaxis on the road without manual controls. State and local sign-off is still required, but the march toward cars that look nothing like those we know feels inevitable. Strip out the mechanical controls, and you cut costs and free up space. For Zoox, that means passengers face each other instead of staring at the back of a seat. Louisiana is early to this. Waymo wants to launch in New Orleans next year, pending City Council approval. And the industry is growing from zero faster than most realize: Waymo already provides 500,000 paid rides a week across 10 U.S. metro areas and expects to double that by year’s end. **Bottom line:** Safer robotaxis are coming fast, upending how we move and reshaping industries including insurance and law, as well as land use. There’s no need for massive parking lots if most people get around in cars they don’t own. ### 📅 Baton Rouge: Week at a Glance | August 3–9 URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/baton-rouge-events-august-3-9-symphony-manship-theater/ Last updated: 2026-08-03T02:52:37.000Z **Why it matters:** Saturday at Manship is one of the most loaded single days of the summer—Harry Potter, a free artist talk, a R-rated comedy-adventure and a 25-year-old cult classic all under one roof. The week opens with a moving piece of Louisiana history at the Old Governor's Mansion. Bonus: Enjoying lunch while the BRSO performs a free concert is a fabulous Wednesday. ***🗓️ Tuesday, August 4*** 🏛️ **Louisiana Orphan Trains: America's Forgotten Journey—5:30 p.m.** 📍 Old Governor's Mansion, 502 North Blvd. - From 1873 to 1929, thousands of abandoned children traveled from New York to towns in Louisiana in search of a new life. Presenters Martha Aubert—granddaughter of a Louisiana orphan train rider—and James Douget—nephew of two orphan train riders—bring a deeply personal connection to this remarkable history. Louisiana Orphan Train Museum artifacts on display. Free. Reception follows. Free parking. ***🗓️ Wednesday, August 5*** 🎵 **BRSO Free Lunchtime Concert—noon–1 p.m.** 📍 Main Street Market, 501 Main Street - The Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra performs a free one-hour lunchtime concert for downtown workers, visitors and shoppers as part of National Farmers Market Week. Free. [Details](https://breada.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) at breada.org. 🎨 **Baton Rouge Gallery: First Wednesday Opening—6–9 p.m.** 📍 Baton Rouge Gallery, 1515 Dalrymple Drive - The August First Wednesday opening reception introduces *Free as They Want to Be*—a new exhibition celebrating creative freedom. Food, drink and live music. Free and open to the public. [Details](https://www.batonrougegallery.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) at batonrougegallery.org. ***🗓️ Thursday, August 6*** 🌱 **Red Stick Farmers Market: Cooking Demo—8 a.m.–noon** 📍 Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Road - National Farmers Market Week continues at the Thursday market with a live cooking demonstration by BREADA Nutrition Education Manager Nick Bennett, RD. Free. [Details](https://breada.org/red-stick-farmers-market/?ref=redeyebr.com) at breada.org. 📚 **Book Talk: *He Has the People*—6–7:30 p.m.** 📍 Main Library at Goodwood, 7711 Goodwood Blvd. - LSU Ogden Honors College Dean Jonathan Earle discusses his new Oxford University Press book on Abraham Lincoln's improbable 1860 election victory—a four-candidate race Lincoln won with just 39.8% of the vote. In conversation with Leonard Apcar, LSU Manship School Wendell Gray Switzer Jr. Endowed Chair in Media Literacy. Free and open to the public. [Details](https://www.abrahamlincoln1860.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) at abrahamlincoln1860.com. 🎵 **Forever Simon and Garfunkel—7:30 p.m.** 📍 Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. - A celebration of the best-selling duo in rock and roll history. Sean Altman and Jack Skuller lead the audience on a concert journey through Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel's teenage roots, their early success as a folk act, their global dominance as hit-makers and highlights from Simon's solo career. [Tickets](https://manshiptheatre.org/comingsoon/forever-simon-and-garfunkel?ref=redeyebr.com) at manshiptheatre.org. ***🗓️ Friday, August 7*** 🔭 **Friday Night Lecture + Evening Sky Viewing—7:30 p.m.** 📍 BREC Highland Road Park Observatory, 13800 Highland Road - Free public astronomy lecture at 7:30 p.m. followed by open sky viewing through BREC's telescopes at 8:30 p.m. Ages 6 and up. Free. [Details](https://hrpo.lsu.edu/?ref=redeyebr.com) at hrpo.lsu.edu. ***🗓️ Saturday, August 8*** 🌱 **Red Stick Farmers Market—8 a.m.–noon** 📍 5th & Main Street, downtown - Fresh produce, local vendors and community at BR's flagship [open-air market](https://breada.org/red-stick-farmers-market/?ref=redeyebr.com). Also runs Thursdays, 8 a.m.–noon, at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. 🎵 **Rock the Dome: Laser Beatles—LASM Planetarium** 📍 Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, LASM, 100 S. River Road - The Rock the Dome Laser Series continues with the Beatles' greatest hits in an immersive full-dome laser light show. [Showtimes and tickets](https://www.lasm.org/rockthedome/?ref=redeyebr.com) at lasm.org. 🎬 **Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: 25th Anniversary—2 p.m.** 📍 Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. - The film that launched a generation of wizards turns 25\. Bring your copy of the book or come in costume for free popcorn. $5\. [Tickets](https://manshiptheatre.org/comingsoon/harry-potter-and-the-sorcerers-stone-25th-anniversary-screening?ref=redeyebr.com) at manshiptheatre.org. 🎨 **Artist Talk: The Monsters We Sometimes Become—6 p.m.** 📍 Gallery at Manship, Shaw Center, 100 Lafayette St. - Free artist talk with Nathaniel Landry, the featured artist in *The Monsters We Sometimes Become* exhibition—a multimedia experience with original works and a live score by Monoblack. Free. Arrive early and stay for the film. 🎬 **I Love Boosters—7:30 p.m.** 📍 Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. - A group of shoplifters takes aim at a cutthroat fashion maven in Boots Riley's latest film, starring Keke Palmer, Taylour Paige and Naomi Ackie. Rated R. Dinner and movie option with Bayes Oyster Bar. [Tickets](https://manshiptheatre.org/comingsoon/i-love-boosters?ref=redeyebr.com) at manshiptheatre.org. 🌟 **Plus Night—7–10 p.m.** 📍 BREC Highland Road Park Observatory, 13800 Highland Road - Monthly public deep-sky observation session through the observatory's telescopes. Free. [Details](https://hrpo.lsu.edu/?ref=redeyebr.com) at hrpo.lsu.edu. ***🗓️ Sunday, August 9*** 🎬 **The Birdcage—2 p.m.** 📍 Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. - The 1996 comedy classic in which a gay cabaret owner and his drag queen companion agree to put up a straight front so their son can introduce them to his fiancée's conservative parents. In partnership with Baton Rouge Pride. Specialty cocktail proceeds benefit Baton Rouge Pride. After-party at Mother's Lounge. Rated R. [Tickets](https://manshiptheatre.org/comingsoon/the-birdcage?ref=redeyebr.com) at manshiptheatre.org. --- ### **📋 Government & Civic** ***🗓️ Monday, August 3*** 🏛️ **St. George Planning & Zoning Commission—6 p.m.** 📍 St. George City Hall, 11207 Proverbs Ave. Broadcast live on [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@St.GeorgeLouisiana?ref=redeyebr.com). --- **Reach us:* Want to submit an event item for consideration? Email us the information at* [*news@redeyebr.com*](mailto:news@redeyebr.com)*. *Details:* The calendar is on a Monday–Sunday rotation, and the submission deadline is the Wednesday prior.* ### Red dots, Red Stick roots URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/measles-bill-cassidy-vaccination-robert-f-kennedy-baton-rouge/ Last updated: 2026-08-03T02:52:27.000Z Despite not one measles case turning up in East Baton Rouge Parish this year, Baton Rouge sits at the center of how this country is responding to the worst outbreak in 35 years. And not in a good way. **Why it matters:** Doctors who live in Baton Rouge, or built their careers here, now sit at the epicenter of a national public health fight, including a doctor-turned-senator who helped set it all in motion by trading his vote for a shot at keeping his seat. **The senator's bet:** **Bill Cassidy** grew up in Baton Rouge, trained at LSU and spent 25 years treating uninsured patients at Earl K. Long. He once ran a program that vaccinated 36,000 local kids against Hepatitis B, free. - He cast the deciding vote to confirm the controversial Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary, after securing promises Kennedy would leave vaccine policy alone. - The vote was seen as a mea culpa to President Donald Trump and the MAGA world he had fallen out of favor with following his impeachment vote during Trump's first term. - Those promises got broken. "The commitments that were made to me have been violated," Cassidy said this spring. - He lost his Senate seat anyway, ousted in a primary months later. **The retreat:** The same pullback from vaccine promotion driving the national measles surge started at the Louisiana Department of Health's downtown office, years before the first case hit Louisiana. - Surgeon General **Ralph Abraham** ended the state's vaccine promotion hours after Kennedy's confirmation, weeks after two infants had already died of whooping cough. Cases climbed past 387 before the year was out. - Abraham left Baton Rouge in December for a bigger job, sworn in as the CDC's second-in-command, then resigned abruptly 11 weeks later, citing family obligations. - Baton Rouge OB/GYN **Evelyn Griffin** succeeded him as Louisiana's surgeon general, and now sits on the same federal vaccine panel Kennedy promised Cassidy he'd leave alone. Since joining, she's voted to end the newborn Hepatitis B recommendation. **The bottom line:** More than 2,300 U.S. measles cases have been diangosed this year, the most in 35 years. The outbreak is still somebody else's headline. The policy behind it has Baton Rouge's fingerprints, and the casualty there was Cassidy's Senate career. ### The other big LSU football donor URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-other-bi/ Last updated: 2026-08-03T06:43:35.000Z Holden Spaht reportedly ranks among the LSU football program’s top donors. But even his gifts totaling millions represent only a small fraction of his estimated $4.9 billion net worth, according to Forbes. Spaht is a managing partner at Thoma Bravo, a San Francisco-based private equity firm focused on software companies. He leads the firm’s software investment strategy and has led several of its largest transactions. A Baton Rouge native, Spaht grew up an LSU fan and graduated from Episcopal School. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in economics from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He and his wife, fellow Baton Rouge native Claire (Morris) Spaht, established the [Spaht Family Foundation](https://spahtfamilyfoundation.org/about/?ref=redeyebr.com). Also an Episcopal graduate, Claire earned bachelor’s degrees in studio art and art history from SMU and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of North Carolina. Their foundation supports causes related to climate, mental health and the arts. Its public IRS filings show multimillion-dollar grants to Dartmouth and SMU. LSU football’s other billionaire donor is more well known, but also didn’t attend the Baton Rouge university. Todd Graves' worth, according to Forbes, is $22 billion. That's for two important reasons: He owns most of the restaurants instead of franchising them, and the units are among the most profitable in the fast food franchise sector. With total units approaching 1,000, revenue for Cane's is around $6 billion, with EBITDA approaching $1 billion. Graves graduated from the University of Georgia, but opened his first Cane’s at the North Gates of LSU. Spaht and Graves have Episcopal in common. Graves graduated in 1990, Spaht in 1992\. ### Death of a popular buffet URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/death-of-a-popular-buffet/ Last updated: 2026-07-31T10:49:05.000Z Every dollar mattered back then, so you learned to spend them with purpose. Mine went first to Pancho's Mexican Buffet on Nicholson Drive, where a few crumpled bills bought a seat, a plate, and a little plastic flag you raised to call in reinforcements. **Why it matters:** The all-you-can-eat buffet is dying out nationally—thin margins, food waste and health-conscious diners are all on the death certificate. A few cling to life. At the Baton Rouge-born Piccadilly, you can go all-in on the weekend breakfast buffet at its Essen Lane location. **The flag:** You loaded up on tacos, enchiladas, flautas and Mexican rice, working that refill flag often enough until you were good for the weekend. Only then did you raise the sweet flag of victory—bringing on a fresh batch of sopapillas, hot, glittering with grease, still steaming when you cracked the corner and poured honey into the hollow center until it pooled like a trap you'd set for yourself. The flag these days is at half-staff as Poncho’s—at least in Baton Rouge—is no more. *(Side note: Years after those college days, I stumbled across the Florida Boulevard location and, in a bid for nostalgia, ventured in. The flag was there, but, well, it was not good.)* **The deck:** Whatever cash survived Pancho's went toward the serious business of being a college student at LSU. - Quarter beers at Murphy's. - $1 Long Island iced teas at the Bengal. - Post-exchange chaos at Shannahan's or Kilpatrick's across the street. The star of the show arrived on Thursday afternoons on the wood deck at Fred's in Tigerland. As day gave way to night, it became the Sunset Club. - A dollar bought a screwdriver, and in the early-to-mid '80s it came in an actual glass—heavy, sweating, honest-to-God glass, not the flimsy plastic cup that took over later. - The fabulous Chalmers Brothers—yes, that's his name—sat on a bar stool, armed with a guitar, a microphone and an amp, working through Jimmy Buffett and the Eagles like he had all night, which he did. - We didn't treat everything with that same reverence—empty long-necks became ammo for target practice against the natural gas wells in the scrubby field next door, a field that became the LSU golf course and may soon become part of the new arena. Times change; stupidity is forever. Somewhere in my attic is an orange cassette tape of a Chalmers' deck set. If I ever reconnect the long-abandoned cassette player, I'm fast-forwarding to "A Pirate Looks at Forty." **The 'dilly:** Flag-raising and quarter beers stop making sense once kids and real life enter the equation. That's where the cafeteria-style delight of Piccadilly comes in. - The one that mattered to me sat on Government Street near Catholic High, where for more than a decade a blues legend named Henry Gray held down a grand piano in the middle of the dining room. - My kids picked whatever they wanted off the line—no fights—while I got something closer to a real dinner: cloth napkins and a soundtrack that added a touch of pre-cotillion class. - That Piccadilly closed for good on June 29, 2014, after 55 years, and Gray's piano went quiet with it. **The bottom line:** Baton Rouge didn't stop loving abundance. Abundance just stopped making financial sense for restaurants. Thankfully, the Chinese Inn on Nicholson remains, a lone sentry of a simpler time. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Perk Up Perkins goes national URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/perk-up-perkins-smart-growth-america-complete-streets/ Last updated: 2026-07-31T02:14:52.000Z Two mothers wanted a safe place for their children to cross a busy street. What they built to make that happen is now being celebrated in a national report from Smart Growth America. **Why it matters:** National recognition for grassroots wins like this doesn't come around often, and Perk Up Perkins is proof Baton Rouge's culture of neighbors [not waiting for permission](https://www.redeyebr.com/nobody-asked-permission/) reaches beyond one street. **The pitch:** Smart Growth America's new report, [Complete Streets, Stronger Economies](https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/knowledge-hub/resources/complete-streets-stronger-economies/?ref=redeyebr.com), profiles Julie Becnel and Mysti Byrnes' [push for a crosswalk](https://www.redeyebr.com/perkins-perks-up/) at Ferndale and Perkins—one of only six case studies nationally, alongside towns as small as West Jefferson, North Carolina, population 1,436. - SGA counts the council-approved crosswalk among the report's list of finished community impacts. **Why they pushed:** "Everyone in our neighborhood has a story of almost getting killed on this street," Byrnes told Smart Growth America. **What's missing:** The report never mentions Perkins is a state route—so a Metro Council-funded crosswalk clears the same DOTD review as a nine-figure highway rebuild, a bottleneck [flagged in July](https://www.redeyebr.com/perkins-keeps-waiting/). - No construction date exists. Byrnes and Becnel have been told to expect 2028. **What's next:** The group isn't pushing for a lower speed limit right now, Becnel says, though businesses and residents keep asking for one. - A survey of the project's remaining AARP grant money found the strongest support for landscaping and beautification—a traffic-calming move on its own. - Though not part of the project, the neighborhood has "aspirational goals," says Becnel, of a pocket park and "I know your mom" signs at houses that would let children know it's a safe place to stop. **The bottom line:** Two neighbors turned frustration into a national model for how citizens can get things done—and anyone with the passion and energy to push for change can do it. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### A calming influence URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/a-calming-influence/ Last updated: 2026-07-31T02:14:40.000Z People with dementia grew far calmer after taking a combination of THC and CBD, the active compounds in marijuana, according to a clinical study led by a scientist at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. **Why it matters:** THC has been studied and approved to treat a long list of medical conditions. But among older adults with dementia, it has gone almost entirely unexplored. This study starts filling that gap. **The details:** - In clinical trials, a treatment combining THC and CBD significantly reduced agitation in people with late-stage Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia who were in hospice care or eligible for it. The benefits showed up within two weeks. - Nearly 9 in 10 participants showed overall improvement in their target symptoms by the end of the 12-week study. - The trial also proved something researchers couldn't take for granted: people with late-stage dementia can take part in rigorous clinical studies. That alone could open the door to a lot more research. "The magnitude and speed of the reduction in agitation we observed with the THC/CBD combination were remarkable. These results address a significant unmet medical need and offer new hope for providing greater comfort and dignity to people with advanced dementia at the end of life," said Dr. Jeff Keller, Director of the Institute for Dementia Research and Prevention at Pennington Biomedical Research Center and principal investigator. **The bottom line:** Dementia takes a painful toll, not only on those slowly losing their memories and their independence, but on the families who love and care for them through that loss. A treatment that brings a little more peace could offer relief and dignity to everyone living through the disease. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### An urban farm for all URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/an-urban-farm-for-all/ Last updated: 2026-07-31T11:05:43.000Z Howell Park once was a dying golf course. Now it’s home to a space-themed playground, a recreation center and Baton Roots urban farm, where people from across the parish flock each month for [Sow Good Saturday](https://www.brec.org/facility/HowellCommunityPark?ref=redeyebr.com). Tomorrow is that day, and the schedule is packed with unusual activities, many centered on the planet’s original power source: the sun. If you attend, what you learn at Sow Good could seed a few changes in your life. Get advice on what to grow in your yard. Ride in an electric vehicle and see whether you’re ready to retire the internal combustion engine. Learn new yoga poses. You can also make a turmeric anthotype, an eco-friendly print that uses the spice and sunlight to create art. Want to give back? Volunteer at the farm and earn a free snowball. Then write a poem about Mother Sun and share it during an open-mic poetry session hosted by Poetic Spice. Baton Roots is an initiative of [The Walls Project](https://www.thewallsproject.org/?ref=redeyebr.com), which Casey Phillips started to paint murals in Baton Rouge. It has since grown into a wider effort to transform places and has expanded to Dallas and Denver. Enjoy Sow Good from 10 a.m. to noon tomorrow, Aug. 1, at Howell Park. Set your GPS for 5509 Winbourne Ave. Enter the park from Winbourne, turn right and follow the driveway past the construction. Walls would appreciate an [RSVP at this link.](https://www.thewallsproject.org/events-1/sow-good-saturday-2026-08-01-10-00?ref=redeyebr.com) ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Running wild URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/running-wild/ Last updated: 2026-07-31T02:07:23.000Z Jenni Peters went on vacation—with 30 of her closest friends. The owner of Varsity Sports and a tireless civic activist, Peters has long been at the heart of South Louisiana’s running scene. Among its members are Claire and Jason Cashio, who several years ago offered the use of their home near the Nantahala Outdoor Center in North Carolina. More than a dozen people duly arrived for what became known as Varsity Summer Camp. This year the party had swelled to about 30: many runners, some relatives, and almost all daredevils. They navigated white-water rapids, leaped from rocks into Fontana Lake and clung to inflatable tubes being hauled at alarming speed behind a boat piloted by Cashio—an attorney when he is back in Baton Rouge. “I got pulled behind one of the inner tubes, and I have whiplash,” Peters said. “Jason was determined to throw me off.” 💡 Varsity Sports offers free training for all levels of runners, with post-run gatherings that include food and beverages. Training is free. Check out the [training overview and schedule](https://varsitysports.squarespace.com/running-training?ref=redeyebr.com). --- ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Our state of nuclear waste URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/louisiana-nuclear-waste-storage-jeff-landry/ Last updated: 2026-07-30T11:08:53.000Z Louisiana wants to become the nation's home for spent nuclear fuel. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Mayor could lose top staff member URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/mayor-could-lose-top-staff-member/ Last updated: 2026-07-30T11:09:10.000Z Lon Vicknair will run for mayor of Central in November election. He represents Sid Edwards on BREC. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### America’s startup boom reaches Baton Rouge URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/americas-startup-boom-reaches-baton-rouge/ Last updated: 2026-07-30T02:40:03.000Z Americans are applying to start businesses at record levels. East Baton Rouge Parish is sharing in the surge, though its growth trails the nation’s, Census data shows. **Why it matters:** New business applications signal more than economic health. They also reflect optimism, access to capital, friendly regulations and technology that makes going it alone easier. **By the numbers:** - East Baton Rouge residents filed 8,971 new business applications in 2025, up from 8,104 the year before. - Nationwide, Americans filed 531,000 applications in June—nearly twice the monthly average in 2019. **The big picture**: The surge began during the pandemic, when layoffs pushed many Americans to create their own jobs rather than wait for old ones to return. **What’s driving it:** [The Economist](https://www.economist.com/business/2026/07/27/america-has-become-an-entrepreneurs-paradise?ref=redeyebr.com) points to three forces: - Scarcer full-time jobs are pushing more people toward self-employment. - An aging population is creating demand for elder care and related services. - AI gives entrepreneurs an affordable digital assistant that can do work once requiring a small staff. **The local angle:** Baton Rouge became an entrepreneurial hot spot during the pandemic, and the momentum remains, says Andrew Fitzgerald of the [Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership](https://greaterbatonrouge.org/?ref=redeyebr.com). In the pandemic’s first year, the metro posted the[ nation’s largest year-over-year jump in business applications](https://brbythenumbers.substack.com/p/hanging-out-a-shingle). Layoffs and stimulus checks gave people the push and money to hang out their own shingle. Applications have cooled, but the region still recorded more than 15,000 in 2025—nearly 9,000 in East Baton Rouge. Before the pandemic, the region had never logged much more than 12,000 in a year. **What could help:** Fitzgerald says aspiring entrepreneurs need more hands-on support. LSU and Southern already offers services, but could add faculty-led clinics, where startups are paired with law and MBA students to lower planning and legal costs. **The bottom line:** Americans are creating their own opportunities—and AI is making it cheaper than ever to become your own boss. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Every bot a king URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/every-bot-a-king/ Last updated: 2026-07-30T15:57:24.000Z The Old Governor's Mansion will hold an event that includes a bot that is trained to mimic Huey Long. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### She shoots, LSU scores URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/she-shoots-lsu-scores/ Last updated: 2026-07-30T02:39:18.000Z Angel Reese, the “Bayou Barbie,” is now an actual Barbie. The former LSU basketball star has her own Mattel doll. **Why it matters:** Reese is the latest LSU star whose success keeps the university’s brand in the national spotlight. LSU has credited championship-level athletics with driving interest in the school as enrollment climbs to record highs. **The details:** Reese’s signature doll costs about $38 and is available through [Mattel](https://creations.mattel.com/products/barbie-signature-barbie-role-models-angel-reese-doll-jbj31?ref=redeyebr.com), Amazon, Walmart and Target. Prices vary by retailer—a $160 Barbie edition of her [Reebok Angel Reese 1](https://www.reebok.com/collections/angel-reese?current=1&ref=redeyebr.com) drops Aug. 3. **Zoom in:** Reese spent years turning “Bayou Barbie” into a brand, pairing pink with unapologetic confidence until an official doll felt almost inevitable. Mattel named her one of its role models, and the shoe fits. Reese is a three-time All-Star who averaged career highs of 15.4 points and 11.5 rebounds last season. She’s also become one of the WNBA’s most recognizable stars, moving easily between basketball, fashion and celebrity—and building an audience ready to buy what she sells. **The bottom line:** Angel Reese knows how to turn attention into business. The doll should sell. And Baton Rouge gets another reminder that LSU sports generate interest—and money—far beyond the playing field. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### The Pittsburgh playbook URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/pittsburgh-baton-rouge-downtown-plan-baton-rouge-iii/ Last updated: 2026-07-29T02:06:49.000Z Downtown's next decade may run on the same financing tools—and the same squabbles—the Steel City is dealing with. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Protecting industry from climate change URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/protecting-industry-climate-change-louisiana-jeff-landry/ Last updated: 2026-07-29T02:07:11.000Z Louisiana was months ahead in a fight that's now gone national. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Sunshine is free URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/sunshine-is-free/ Last updated: 2026-07-29T01:57:00.000Z Renewable energy is on track to become the world’s largest source of electricity this year, surpassing coal for the first time, according to the International Energy Agency. **Why it matters:** Renewables produce little to no greenhouse gas emissions once facilities are operating. Falling costs—especially for solar—are making them increasingly competitive and accelerating the global energy transition. Plus, sunshine is free. **By the numbers:** Renewable power generation has more than doubled since 2014. - Global renewable electricity generation is forecast to rise by more than 8% this year. - Renewables’ share of the global power mix is expected to grow from 33% in 2025 to 37% in 2027. - Total renewable generation is projected to increase another 20% by 2027. **Zoom in:** Hydropower remains the largest source of renewable electricity, but solar is driving much of the sector’s recent growth. **The bottom line:** Solar and wind have moved from alternative energy sources to central parts of the global power system—and their momentum is still building. All other forms of power, by comparison, have flatlined. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### All in on the fries URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/all-in-on-the-fries/ Last updated: 2026-07-29T01:56:35.000Z French fries used to be a gamble. You'd order a burger at some local restaurant, and half the time your side of fries came out limp and greasy, sagging in the basket like they'd been suffering from the vapors. Food technology changed the odds. These days, bagged fries are nearly foolproof, the result of food companies applying enough science to make a frozen fry taste almost as good as a golden one from McDonald’s. [Southdowns Grille,](https://southdownsgrille.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) a newcomer, has chosen a truer route. Its chef, Eric Sibley, uses Kennebec potatoes, prized for their high starch and low levels of water and sugar. They crisp without burning. The shoestrings arrive pre-cut, but convenience ends there: Sibley soaks them for two days, blanches them until tender and flash-fries them to produce a crisp exterior. The frites run $8 and come with a herb aioli for dipping. Order them with the 8-ounce flatiron and chimichurri for $28—a safe bet, because Sibley knows this combo cold. He ran the kitchen at L'Auberge's Casino’ steakhouse before taking over the Grille and its sister spot, Bin 77. Or eat them with a glass of champagne. Fries this good deserves that pairing. *—Mukul Verma* ### We never outgrow stickers URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/we-never-outgrow-stickers/ Last updated: 2026-07-29T01:55:53.000Z Louisiana has unveiled its commissioned “I Voted” sticker for the 2026 elections, extending a tradition begun in 2016 of asking local artists to turn civic participation into miniature wearable art. The sticker offers a modest flash of style and a socially sanctioned opportunity to boast. Worn at the office, coffeehouse or supermarket, it declares: “I have done my part to preserve the world’s greatest democracy—at least until the next election.” Its charm lies in the contrast. Elections are serious, complicated and consequential. The reward for taking part is uncomplicated: perform your civic duty, receive a sticker. Some incentives need not grow up. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Sid Edwards: My bad URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/sid-edwards-baton-rouge-st-george-lawsuit-parish-attorney/ Last updated: 2026-07-28T00:45:26.000Z Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sid Edwards [took to Talk 107.3's](https://www.youtube.com/live/dCtK2FwDdfY?si=3tVZ62rzXZFA%5FjTF&t=7205&ref=redeyebr.com) Mornings with Brian Haldane on Monday to apologize to Parish Attorney John McLindon for his public pushback over the city-parish's decision to [file an intervention motion](https://www.redeyebr.com/city-parish-joins-st-george-lawsuit/) in the LRK LLC lawsuit against St. George—and to explain what he thought had happened. **Why it matters:** Edwards, based on his own explanation, didn't fully understand the difference between the city-parish filing suit against St. George and asking to be present when the incorporation date question is argued in court—a distinction with significant political and financial consequences. **The apology:** Edwards said he apologized to McLindon for his tone and rhetoric after the two met face to face Friday. - "I apologize to John on Friday for sort of my tone and rhetoric," Edwards said. "Grown men, we sit down and we talk about it." - Edwards and Mayor Pro Tempore Brandon Noel also released a joint statement Friday pledging better communication between the mayor's office, the Metro Council and the parish attorney in the future. - As *RedEye* [reported last week](https://www.redeyebr.com/city-parish-joins-st-george-lawsuit/), the city-parish filed a Petition of Intervention in the LRK case—not to sue St. George, but to be present when a judge addresses the incorporation date question. **The pattern:** Edwards' frustration with McLindon didn't start with the LRK case. Two sources tell *RedEye* that an "enraged" Edwards "screamed at" the parish attorney after McLindon filed a motion requesting that Baker, Central, St. George and Zachary be added as defendants in DA Hillar Moore's lawsuit against the city-parish over funding of his office. - Edwards acknowledged he was upset about the legal move, adding he doesn't like litigation as a tool for resolving intergovernmental disputes. - "I don't want to get in that mess," he said. "I'm of the belief that we can work things out." - While the parish attorney works for both the mayor and the Metro Council, McLindon is hired by the council and represents their interests in a dispute with the mayor. **The negotiations:** Edwards has been in informal talks with St. George Mayor Dustin Yates on resolving outstanding financial issues between the new city and the city-parish, as well as with mayors from the other suburban cities on the funding of parishwide constitutional offices. These are two distinct matters. - Edwards said the discussions were not far enough along to bring to the council. "There was nothing to bring to anybody of true substance yet," he said. - The city-parish's intervention in the LRK case, Edwards acknowledged, complicated those talks. "It certainly stalled things," he said. **Incorporation date:** Edwards told Haldane his personal belief is that St. George officially became a city in 2024, not 2019 as St. George argues. It's a distinction with a tremendous difference: a 2019 date could mean the city-parish owes St. George more than $200 million in back sales taxes collected during the years the incorporation was tied up in court. **The bottom line:** All parties in last week's political dustup have cleared the air, the mayor offered a public mea culpa and all sides are pledging to work together moving forward. ### NYT: La.'s secrecy, incentives land Meta URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/louisiana-secret-incentives-meta-ai-data-center/ Last updated: 2026-07-28T00:45:12.000Z Landing Meta's data center in Richland Parish took secret meetings, non-disclosure agreements and billions in tax breaks, according to a [New York Times deep dive](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/27/technology/meta-data-center-louisiana.html?unlocked%5Farticle%5Fcode=1.01A.9rD0.rWnVueW7IsiK&smid=url-share&ref=redeyebr.com). 🔒 **Why it matters:** It's the first full accounting of how the deal came together—a blueprint Louisiana could reach for again on the next big development. But it probably won't shock many Louisianans, who've read similar stories about state deals before. **The details:** Louisiana has spent years chasing a marquee project for impoverished areas in North Louisiana. Meta wasn't interested until the state enticed it with billions in incentives. The company owns Facebook and Instagram and has an AI arm that runs a chatbot so far behind the pack that most people couldn't name it if asked. Meta did what companies do: it built the deal to push the risk onto its partners—Entergy Louisiana and Blue Owl, the investment firm that will actually own the center. If a natural disaster forces Meta out, the *Times* reports, Blue Owl and its investors could be left holding billions in debt. If Meta walks away from its lease early for other reasons and pays the steep penalties, Entergy—and its customers—could end up saddled with higher costs. **What Meta told the Times:** "We're committed to the state, we're committed to Richland Parish, and we're committed to putting the best compute infrastructure in the world into that single location," said Rachel Peterson, Meta's head of data centers. **By the numbers:** The state's return on all those incentives: 1,000 permanent jobs, thousands of temporary ones and, eventually, millions in tax revenue. In Richland, one of the state's poorest parishes, sales taxes have already soared, teachers have pocketed one-time $50,000 bonuses, and property values near the site under construction have grown tenfold. **What Gov. Jeff Landry told the Times:** "People who claim the state is losing tax revenue forget that there was zero up there. Zero from zero leaves zero. And before Meta, there was zero." **The bottom line:** The state ran the whole thing in the dark—not a single public meeting—because a poor corner of Louisiana badly needed the development, and it isn't apologizing for deciding the ends justify the means. But if Meta ever leaves, the bill could land hard: on Louisiana's ratepayers, on Entergy, and on the firm bankrolling much of the data center. [Read the Times Story](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/27/technology/meta-data-center-louisiana.html?ref=redeyebr.com) 🔒 ### The price Ryan Clark paid URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/ryan-clark-fired-espn-pivot-nfl-lsu/ Last updated: 2026-07-28T00:44:56.000Z Four days after ESPN fired him, Ryan Clark, the former LSU and Pittsburgh Steelers standout, sat down on [his own podcast](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyEfQq03sN8&ref=redeyebr.com) and did something television never lets him do: drop the shield and bare his soul. **Why it matters:** Clark, an award-winning NFL analyst who lives in Baton Rouge, says he cost himself one love—covering the NFL for ESPN—because he refused to abandon a second love—representing the Black community. **Gutted:** Clark says the firing came dressed as something else. - He wasn't laid off. He was fired, then folded into a bigger round of cuts to soften the story. - He admits trying, near the end, to tone himself down to keep his job. It didn't work. - The regret is real: "If I could have been different in some ways ... I would say I have some regrets." **Friction:** Clark's account surfaces three flashpoints, including two involving former LSU athletes, that ESPN never fully explained. - Clark publicly [declared Kyren Lacy innocent](https://sports.yahoo.com/college-football/breaking-news/article/espns-ryan-clark-scott-van-pelt-apologize-for-sportscenter-comments-about-kyren-lacys-alleged-role-in-fatal-car-crash-181151983.html?ref=redeyebr.com) of the fatal crash that led to charges against the former LSU wide receiver, then apologized after Louisiana State Police released contradicting evidence—an apology he says he was compelled into and didn't believe he owed. - His [public defense of Angel Reese](https://sports.yahoo.com/article/ryan-clark-blasts-rgiii-latest-143000489.html?ref=redeyebr.com), the former LSU women's basketball star, drew executive-level pushback, he says. - An on-air clash with colleague Peter Schrager over a CeeDee Lamb debate got resolved between the two—but not before *Outkick* published control-room video Clark says someone inside ESPN leaked to paint him as the aggressor. [Reports pinned](https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/ryan-clark-refutes-peter-schrager-221555230.html?ref=redeyebr.com) that clash as a reason for his firing; Clark disputes it. **Defiant:** He's not walking away doubting his own worth. - Clark leaned on his mother's old warning—work twice as hard, be twice as good, and still maybe not get picked—then answered it: "Just because I wasn't picked, that don't mean I ain't chosen." - The thing he says he'd never trade away is the acceptance he's found back home: "All I ever wanted to do was be accepted." - He closed the episode certain of his own value: "I walk away knowing that I was the best y'all (ESPN) had." **Money quote:** "I love talking football, I love studying it, I love educating people on it ... and I love my community. It doesn't mean I don't love them all—it just means that's the one in particular I could speak from a matter of perspective." **The bottom line:** Clark, a Super Bowl champion and Emmy-winning NFL analyst, isn't looking to relitigate his firing. But he is sharing what it cost him to speak up for his community—and it's a price that he'd pay again. ### Kindness is the superpower URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/kindness-is-the-superpower/ Last updated: 2026-07-28T00:44:31.000Z Whoever drew the short straw—or perhaps the best one—in a Milan research project got to spend dozens of metro rides dressed as Batman. The assignment was not entirely frivolous. Led by [Francesco Pagnini](https://www.nature.com/articles/s44184-025-00171-5?ref=redeyebr.com), researchers wanted to know whether an unexpected sight could jolt commuters out of autopilot and make them more helpful. It did. When a woman appearing to be pregnant boarded alone, 38% of passengers offered her a seat. When Batman entered through another door, that figure jumped to 67%. The strangest finding: 44% of the newly courteous passengers said they had not noticed the Caped Crusader. His mere presence may have made the carriage more attentive—and kinder. This raises intriguing possibilities for Baton Rouge, where traffic can make even mild-mannered residents act like The Joker. Perhaps a few superheroes stationed along College Drive could persuade drivers to keep intersections clear, let others merge, and stop treating every yellow light as a personal challenge. The city need not wait for Bruce Wayne. New Orleans superhero [Monica Rambeau](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monica%5FRambeau?ref=redeyebr.com) at the corner of College and Bennington might do. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### St. George's existence: a legal explainer URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/st-georges-existence-a-legal-explainer/ Last updated: 2026-07-26T22:41:26.000Z A lawsuit over a zoning dispute has surfaced a far bigger question—one that could have financial consequences for both St. George and the city-parish government. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Texas, the renewable energy state URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/texas-renewable-enegy-state-louisiana-wind-solar/ Last updated: 2026-07-28T00:53:04.000Z The Lone Star state leads the nation in renewable energy. Meanwhile, Louisiana clutches to its oil patch. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### It's going to be brutal outside URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/baton-rouge-weather-monster-heat-dome-high-temperatures/ Last updated: 2026-07-26T22:40:45.000Z Ever thought about what it's like for the crawfish entering the pot? Anyone outside in Baton Rouge this week is about to find out. Something dubbed a "monster heat dome"—the strongest on the planet right now—has decided to call the central U.S. home this week, and Louisiana's forecast high tops out at a brutal 107 degrees. **Why it matters:** Heat this intense turns routine outdoor time into a health risk, and forecasters don't expect real relief until late week. **The forecast:** Baton Rouge's midweek outlook, according to the National Weather Service, is about to turn Hades hot. - Heat Advisories are likely Monday and Tuesday, with an Extreme Heat Warning possible by Wednesday. - Afternoon highs push into the upper 90s, driving heat index values as high as 115 degrees. - Overnight lows barely dip below 80, leaving little time to recover before the next day's sun. - Rain chances stay capped near 10% to 20% through midweek, so a stray shower won't save you. **Not just here:** The same system is baking a [wide corridor](https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2026/07/24/planets-strongest-heat-dome-will-soon-tower-over-rockies-plains/?ref=redeyebr.com) from the Dakotas to Texas in triple digits, according to *The Washington Post*. **The bottom line:** This heat sticks around through Wednesday, and only a weak front late in the week offers any real shot at relief. ### 📅 Baton Rouge: Week at a Glance | July 27–August 2 URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/baton-rouge-events-to-do-july-27-august-2/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T10:58:22.000Z **Why it matters:** Sunday is a rare convergence of Free First Sunday programming across the city—robots at the Mansion, Back to School Bash at the Shaw Center and a camp performance at Manship. The week opens with Louisiana's healing plants and closes with the robot revolution. ***🗓️ Tuesday , July 28*** 🌿 **Discover Nature: Louisiana Healing Garden—6:30–8 p.m.** 📍 LSU Hilltop Arboretum, 11855 Highland Road - Herbalist, educator and author Corinne Martin presents on her newest book, *Louisiana Healing Garden: Medicinal Plants for a Sustainable Future*—a deep dive into the plants around us and their capacity to heal. $15 general; $10 members. [Register](https://lsu.edu/hilltop/programs/adult/discovernature.php?ref=redeyebr.com) at lsu.edu/hilltop. ***🗓️ Wednesday, July 29*** 🍷 **Taste Like a Somme—Teaching Kitchen at Main Street Market** - BREADA's Summer Culinary Series continues with Level 3 Sommelier Scott Higgins leading an intimate wine evaluation class with curated charcuterie featuring seasonal farmers market ingredients. Limited to 20 guests. $100 per person; $175 per couple. [Tickets](https://breada.org/summer-culinary-series/?ref=redeyebr.com) at breada.org. ***🗓️ Thu.–Sun., July 30–August 2*** 🎭 **Rossum's Universal Robots: A Sci-Fi Synthwave Experience—7 p.m.** 📍 Wonderground, 1439 Myrtle Walk St. - Baton Rouge Alternative Theater reimagines the 1920 Czech sci-fi play that introduced the word "robot" to the English language—set to a synthwave score. On Rossum's Island, manufactured human replicants become self-aware and begin their revolution. Four performances. Thursday is high demand. $20\. [Tickets](https://www.eventbrite.com/d/la--baton-rouge/entertainment/?q=rossum&ref=redeyebr.com) at Eventbrite. Park at the church across the street. ***🗓️ Friday, July 31*** 🔭 **Friday Night Lecture + Evening Sky Viewing—7:30 p.m.** 📍 BREC Highland Road Park Observatory, 13800 Highland Road - Free public astronomy lecture at 7:30 p.m. followed by open sky viewing through BREC's telescopes at 8:30 p.m. Ages 6 and up. Free. [Details](https://hrpo.lsu.edu/?ref=redeyebr.com) at hrpo.lsu.edu. ***🗓️ Saturday, August 1*** 🦅 **Swamp Bird Walks—7–9 a.m.** 📍 Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center, 10503 North Oak Hills Pkwy. - Monthly guided morning bird walk through one of Baton Rouge's finest urban nature preserves. Led by the Baton Rouge Audubon Society. [Details](https://www.brec.org/facility/BluebonnetSwamp?ref=redeyebr.com) at brec.org. 🌱 **Red Stick Farmers Market + Baton Rouge Arts Market—8 a.m.–noon** 📍 5th & Main Street, downtown - The first Saturday of the month brings the Baton Rouge Arts Market alongside the farmers market—original pottery, jewelry, paintings and more. [Details](https://breada.org/red-stick-farmers-market/?ref=redeyebr.com) at breada.org. 🔭 **Family Hour Stargazing—10 a.m.** 📍 Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, LASM, 100 S. River Road - Weekly Saturday morning stargazing under the dome—learn about stars and constellations in the local nighttime sky. Included with general admission. [Details](https://www.lasm.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) at lasm.org. 🇮🇪 **16th Annual Irish Film Festival—10 a.m.–10 p.m.** 📍 Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. - A full day of Irish-made and Irish-themed films. Schedule: Veteran Appreciation Feature Film and Reception (10 a.m.–noon, free to veterans and day pass holders); *Horseshoe* (12:30 p.m.); Wee Irish Shorts (2–5 p.m.); reception for pass holders (5–7 p.m.); *Once Upon a Time in Cinema* (7 p.m.). Day passes and individual tickets available. [Tickets](https://www.manshiptheatre.org/comingsoon/16thannualirishfilmfestival-pptxj-a7mhr-6dlwt?ref=redeyebr.com) at manshiptheatre.org. ***🗓️ Sunday, August 2*** 🏛️ **Free First Sunday—noon–4 p.m.** 📍 Multiple locations - Free admission across Baton Rouge's cultural institutions including LASM, Old State Capitol (Little Mapmakers programming), Old Governor's Mansion, LSU Museum of Art, Capitol Park Museum, Cary Saurage Community Arts Center, LSU Center for River Studies and Magnolia Mound. 🤖 **From Retro to Robots—noon–4 p.m.** 📍 Old Governor's Mansion, 502 North Blvd. - Vintage telephones and typewriters alongside cutting-edge robots, robotic arms and VR experiences—all under one historic roof. In partnership with LSU Engineering's Department of Construction Management. Take home a 3D-printed souvenir, tour the Mansion in VR and hear Huey Long's voice come alive. Free. Free parking. 🎨 **LSU Museum of Art: Free First Sunday Back to School Bash—1–4 p.m.** 📍 Shaw Center for the Arts, 100 Lafayette St. - Backpack keychain crafting, gallery exploration and a 2 p.m. storytime with local author Julie Gerdes Becnel reading *Roux's First Day*. Free, funded by Art Bridges Foundation. [Details](https://www.lsumoa.org/calendar-1/2026/augffs?ref=redeyebr.com) at lsumoa.org. 💃 **Dance & Neurodiversity Camp Final Performance—3 p.m.** 📍 Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. - The culminating performance of Manship's All-Ability Inclusive summer dance camp. Free. [RSVP required](https://manshiptheatre.org/comingsoon/summer-camp-danceandneurodiversity-yf822?ref=redeyebr.com) at manshiptheatre.org. 🎨 **Sundays@4 with Jeremy K. Simien—4–5:30 p.m.** 📍 Baton Rouge Gallery, 1515 Dalrymple Drive - Free afternoon programming from the Baton Rouge Gallery's ongoing summer series. [Details](https://www.batonrougegallery.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) at batonrougegallery.org. 🎵 **R&B Jazz with Michael Bingham: Laid Back Brunch—noon–3 p.m.** 📍 Red Stick Social, Electric Depot, 1503 Government St. - Live R&B and jazz during Sunday brunch. Brunch buffet $25; mimosa buckets $15; bowling lanes $35/hour. Free admission for the music. [Details](https://redsticksocial.com/calendar/?ref=redeyebr.com) at redsticksocial.com. --- ### **📋 Government & Civic** ***🗓️ Tuesday, July 28*** 🏛️ **St. George Regular Council Meeting—5–7 p.m.** 📍 St. George Fire Department Administrative Building, 14100 Airline Highway. Broadcast live on [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@St.GeorgeLouisiana?ref=redeyebr.com). ***🗓️ Friday, July 31*** 🏛️ **The Future of the Observatory—5:30–8:30 p.m.** 📍 BREC Highland Road Park Observatory, 13800 Highland Road - A public meeting on the future of one of Baton Rouge's most beloved community science institutions. Free and open to the public. [Details](https://hrpo.lsu.edu/?ref=redeyebr.com) at hrpo.lsu.edu. --- **Reach us:* Want to submit an event item for consideration? Email us the information at* [*news@redeyebr.com*](mailto:news@redeyebr.com)*. *Details:* The calendar is on a Monday–Sunday rotation, and the submission deadline is the Wednesday prior.* ### Back off beaver; hello Dolly URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/dolly-parton-tennessean-travel-stop-baton-rouge-buc-cees/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T00:03:55.000Z Move over Buc-ee's, Dolly Parton is taking her "9-to-5" goodness to an interstate stop near you. **Why it matters:** East Baton Rouge whiffed on Buc-ee's. Dolly's expanding road-stop empire—already pouring Baton Rouge-brewed Community Coffee—means our [second shot](https://www.redeyebr.com/dolly-parton-is-coming-for-the-interstate/) at interstate glory might not need a single bathroom queue in Texas. **The buzz:** A *Washington Post* reporter spent [two days](https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2026/07/26/inside-dolly-parton-big-sparkly-new-rest-stop-tennessee/?ref=redeyebr.com) holed up at Dolly's Tennessean Travel Stop in Cornersville, Tennessee, and emerged with a verdict Baton Rouge should care about: the beaver has company. - A 25,000-square-foot building holds a restaurant, ice cream shop, barbecue counter, trucker's lounge and live music stage. - The dog park is called Doggy Parton. Obviously. - EV chargers, showers and a coin laundromat round out the truck-stop side. - Buc-ee's still wins on price and restrooms, according to three Knoxville women who toured both. Dolly's takes decor, pet perks and seating by a mile. **Our cup:** Every visitor gets a taste of home. Dolly's Cup of Ambition coffee line comes from [Community Coffee](https://www.redeyebr.com/working-9-to-5-dollys-got-community-coffee/), the Baton Rouge company that signed on in June. **The bottom line:** Buc-ee's built a cult on brisket and clean toilets. Dolly's is betting glitter, gospel murals and a hometown coffee brand can build a bigger one—and Baton Rouge wants a seat at the counter. SPONSORED by rEDEYE Media [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/2026/04/RedEye-logomark.png)](#/portal/account/plans) ****Baton Rouge is not going to fix itself. It might, however, be better understood.** That is where RedEye comes in. We cover this parish with original reporting, sharp analysis and an interest in solutions rather than slogans. ****Please upgrade to a paid tier for breaking news that matters, special reports on issues, and to support local, independent journalism.** [Upgrade to Paid ](#/portal/account/plans) ### Housing Authority goes big URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/housing-authority-goes-big/ Last updated: 2026-07-24T01:09:33.000Z Baton Rouge’s housing authority is preparing to build a 114-acre community centered on agriculture and wellness north of Florida Boulevard, expanding on the success of its new mixed-income apartments on nearby Ardenwood Drive. A site plan for the project shows a previously announced YWCA with an early learning center on Ardenwood, stables for horses, 55 single-family homes, 20 townhouses, student housing, a commercial farm, restaurants and office spaces. [Ardendale Site PlanThe Housing Authority for Baton Rouge's aspirational site plan for the project.ardendale.pdf4 MBdownload-circle](https://www.redeyebr.com/content/files/2026/07/ardendale.pdf "Download") **Why it matters:** Advocates say strong communities should offer a mix of uses and incomes—places where people can live alongside neighbors with different incomes and reach many of the services they need without relying on a car. The East Baton Rouge Parish Housing Authority and its development partner, Partners Southeast, have already delivered the mixed-income apartments across from the 114-acre site. **The details:** - The authority owns 114 acres between N. Ardenwood Drive and Lobdell Boulevard. - The city-parish’s MovEBR program is spending an estimated $16 million on a two-lane street connecting N. Ardenwood and Lobdell. - The road, expected to open in about a year, will unlock the property for development by the authority and Partners Southeast, a development affiliate. **What’s already built:** - J. Wesley Daniels, who leads the authority, said Cypress at Ardendale is seeing strong demand. A market-rate three-bedroom unit rents for about $2,000 a month there. - Cypress at Ardendale Senior, a 70-unit independent-living community, is under construction on Ardenwood. - Ardendale includes a community center with a pool and outdoor grilling areas. - The community is designed at a human scale. Its central apartment buildings rise no more than three stories, and plans call for a shared space across from Ardendale’s existing pool and gathering place. > “We wanted to give it the flavor of Rosemary Beach or Alys Beach,” Daniels said. “We didn’t want to go back with the huge monolithic buildings. It just feels like a very unique community, like no other in the Capital Region.” - Daniels said the authority also plans to build single-family homes on 15 acres on the same side of Ardenwood. **What’s planned:** The 114-acre next phase of Ardendale will blend housing with other uses. - The site will include plenty of green space, partly because it contains wetlands. - Daniels also wants Baton Rouge Community College to build its baseball complex on land the college owns along Lobdell. - The inspiration, he said, is [Serenbe](https://www.serenbe.com/?ref=redeyebr.com), a 2,000-acre community near Atlanta that preserves 70% of its land for forests, wildflower fields and nature trails. - Agriculture is central to Serenbe, which includes a 25-acre organic farm along with restaurants, shops, hotels, arts programming and events. - But while Serenbe is upscale, Ardendale is intended to include more affordable housing, and, possibly, student housing. - Ardendale will also include an equestrian area, a YWCA on Ardenwood, a possible elementary school, working farm, restaurants, commercial spaces. **The backstory:** Ardendale has been more than two decades in the making. The land was donated to several nonprofits, which eventually sold it to the Baton Rouge Area Foundation. The foundation created a master plan for the site nearly 20 years ago before turning the project over to Build Baton Rouge, then known as the East Baton Rouge Redevelopment Authority. Build Baton Rouge later sold the property to the housing authority. **The authority’s work:** Ardendale's next phase is no pipe dream. Evidence of the ability to deliver is visible across the parish: - Near downtown, the authority built River South, a Highland Road community with 32 duplexes, two single-family homes and a 12-unit garden-style apartment complex. - Across the road, it developed Cypress River Lofts, an upscale, industrial-style community with 19 energy-efficient homes between downtown, LSU and the Water Campus. - At Ardendale, it is now building the 70-unit Cypress at Ardendale Senior community. - The authority also has applied for tax credits to build housing at the former Earl K. Long Medical Center site in North Baton Rouge. **The bottom line:** In recent years, the Housing Authority has shown it can build—and fill—desirable mixed-income housing. If that momentum continues at Ardendale, the project could attract more investment north of Florida Boulevard and begin breaking down a psychological barrier that has long served as an economic dividing line in the parish. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### When art earns its keep URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/regenerative-art-baton-rouge-stormwater-air-quality/ Last updated: 2026-07-24T01:09:20.000Z A crown in Detroit doubles as an air monitor. A quilt in Iowa acts as a water filter. Baton Rouge has neither—yet. But it could. **Why it matters:** Baton Rouge has real stormwater problems and consistent challenges measuring air quality in the North Baton Rouge industrial corridor. The city also has a proven love for public art—and other cities are showing how one could fix the other. **The blueprint:** Four different approaches, one shared idea—art that works instead of just decorating. - A floating [quilt sculpture](https://declarations.art/news-nitrate-cleaning-quilt/?ref=redeyebr.com) in Iowa City pulls nitrates out of pond water using algae-filled buoys made from recycled buckets. - A 360-foot [woven willow sculpture](https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-artist-duo-land-art-rejuvenating-environment?ref=redeyebr.com) at a Nevada nature preserve anchors soil and slows floodwater along a riverbank—then takes root and grows into part of the bank itself. - A gold [crown sculpture](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/29/arts/design/jordan-weber-crown-sculpture-detroit.html?ref=redeyebr.com) in Detroit tracks air pollution near an auto plant, its lights flashing when quality drops. - Reflective [cooling murals](https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/new-haven-cooling-murals-ct-climate-change-heat-22308356.php?ref=redeyebr.com) in New Haven have shaved up to 10 degrees off pavement temperatures on sunny days. **Closer to home:** Baton Rouge isn't starting from zero on this—the conversation about art as infrastructure has already begun, just not the follow-through. - [The Walls Project](https://www.thewallsproject.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) is already blending art and sustainability locally, running eco-art workshops at Baton Roots Farm that turn reclaimed materials and farm-grown pigment into art. - The [Arts Council](https://urbanland.uli.org/design-planning/arts-and-culture/art-in-place-how-baton-rouge-is-embedding-culture-into-its-next-chapter?ref=redeyebr.com) of Greater Baton Rouge and ULI Louisiana spent last summer running roundtables to build art into Plan Baton Rouge III, explicitly framing culture as infrastructure rather than decoration—including ideas for using art to cool downtown's hottest, least walkable blocks. - North Baton Rouge gets a smaller test of the appetite July 24, when the city opens applications for artists to redesign the airport entrance and the underpass along Scotlandville Parkway. Decorative, not functional—but proof the money and the will exist. **The next step:** What's missing is not art made from reclaimed materials, but art that does the reclaiming itself—a sculpture that filters runoff before it reaches a ditch, or tracks emissions near a plant instead of dressing up the fence line around it. **The bottom line:** Baton Rouge doesn't lack environmental problems or public art ambition—what's missing is the idea to point them at each other. ### The Zen of Lane Kiffin URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-zen-of-lane-kiffin/ Last updated: 2026-07-24T01:09:03.000Z Lane Kiffin has gone quiet.LSU’s head football coach trolled on social media, where more than 1.1m people followed him. His posts included poems and encouragement, jokes and kind words about his former wife, scenes from Baton Rouge’s St Patrick’s Day parade, glimpses of private jets ready to carry him elsewhere. Then, in May, it stopped. His son, Knox, had challenged him to stay away. Kiffin accepted the wager and discovered, in winning it, that withdrawal could be its own form of progress. “It’s been really interesting as I look back over my life and my journey—a lot of great things have come when I’ve subtracted things out of my life and eliminated them,” Kiffin [told Yahoo Sports](https://sports.yahoo.com/college-football/article/lsu-coach-lane-kiffin-says-he-deleted-social-media-apps-from-his-phone-after-his-son-challenged-him-to-do-so-143831854.html?ref=redeyebr.com). Sometimes, the surest way to recover a life is to stop broadcasting it. ### Burger and a beer, tasty at almost any price URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/burger-and-a-beer-tasty-at-almost-any-price/ Last updated: 2026-07-24T01:08:50.000Z The pregame price tag for a burger and beer is now $21.31, according to Toast, the payment-device company. **Why it matters:** Football season is less than seven weeks away, leaving LSU and Southern fans little time to start saving—or planning a few pregame meals at restaurants. **By the numbers:** The good news for diners is that restaurant menu prices have remained mostly in check, even as grocery prices rise. That suggests restaurant owners are swallowing higher food costs to hold onto customers, particularly during the lackadaisical summer months. - The median restaurant beer price was $6.60 in June, up from $6.46 a year earlier. - The median burger price was $14.71, up from $14.39. - Together, the burger and beer cost $21.31. - The average tip held steady at 18.8%, adding about $4 and bringing the full tab to $25.31. **May we recommend:** The Overpass Merchant, where the burger is consistently, dependably great. Word in dining circles is that it stays faithful to the original Curbside truck burger, which was among the best anywhere. That lineage is no accident. Nick Hufft owns both Merchant and Curbside, so the burger didn't get reinvented on the way indoors. The restaurant bills the burger as "a beacon of Louisiana, a shining example, a great burger." **The damage:** $14 gets you a house mix of brisket, chuck and short rib. Cheese runs $2 more. And the umami-bomb onion jam—plus a choice of other fixings—adds another $2.50\. Get the jam. An occasional burger is no place to practice restraint. ***RedEye* note:** Former LSU basketball coach Dale Brown popularized "lackadaisical" describing his teams' play. The sing-song word came off the bench and into the vocabulary of local sports media and fans for a good long while. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Five Guys walk into a Radiohead problem URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/five-guys-walk-into-a-radiohead-problem/ Last updated: 2026-07-24T01:08:25.000Z Musicians kick ideas around. Most of them die in the parking lot. A few years back, Taylor Stoma, Michael Williams and Cohen Hartman kicked around one that didn't: start a band that plays nothing but Radiohead. It was an ambitious thing to say out loud. Few bands have loomed larger over modern rock. Since coming out of Britain in the 1990s, Radiohead has kept moving its music forward—guitars, electronics, rhythms that don't sit where you expect, songs that hang in the air after they end. That's the appeal. That's also the problem. The music is intricate enough to test some of Baton Rouge's best players. Odd instruments have to be learned, occasionally for a handful of precisely timed seconds. And Radiohead fans know the records cold. They decided to try it anyway. Liam Catchings and Matt Johnson signed on. Then came the part every band gets stuck on—a name. "In Rainbros" was floated. So was "Kid AF." Both got laughs. Both got killed. Eventually they landed on [OK Imposter](https://www.instagram.com/ok.imposter.band/?ref=redeyebr.com)—a clever nod to *OK Computer*, Radiohead's breakout album. They started practicing about a year ago, said Catchings, a videographer at LSU by day. Every one of them has a Radiohead conversion story. Catchings' started with the video for "Pyramid Song." He bought *OK Computer* and wore it out on repeat during an exchange program in Germany, particularly the opening of "Paranoid Android" cutting through the fog. *This is it*, he remembered thinking. When OK Imposter played its local debut at Chelsea's Live, nearly 300 people came out—and they listened. It worked well enough that the five bandmates are practicing harder and booking shows along the Gulf Coast this fall. Another Baton Rouge date is the hope. They set out to play Radiohead. They wound up with a crowd of their own. ### City-parish joins St. George lawsuit URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/city-parish-joins-st-george-lawsuit/ Last updated: 2026-07-24T04:14:59.000Z Baton Rouge is now asking the same question as the Kleinpeter family: When did St. George legally become a city? _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Mitch McConnell to BR firm: can it URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/mitch-mcconnell-to-br-firm-can-it/ Last updated: 2026-07-23T01:23:45.000Z A federal ban would kill Indigo, a pioneer in the THC drinks market that is growing fast. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Obamacare sticker shock hits Baton Rouge URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/obamacare-sticker-shock-baton-rouge-insurance/ Last updated: 2026-07-23T01:23:56.000Z Congress let the subsidy lapse, and families got hit with the bill. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### An education in default URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/an-education-in-default/ Last updated: 2026-07-23T01:19:58.000Z More than one in four Louisiana residents—**27%**—with federal student loans are in default, the second-highest rate in the country; only Mississippi (28.3%) is worse. About 187,000 Louisiana borrowers are more than a year behind on their payments, according to an [Associated Press analysis](https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-debt-default-save-fba5642407fc33b579acdbf774a492d3?ref=redeyebr.com) of federal data. That number has grown by roughly 92,000 since pandemic-era repayment protections ended. **Why it matters:** Default can hammer borrowers’ credit and lead to garnished wages, tax refunds or Social Security payments. Federal officials have so far held off on involuntary collections. The surge is part of a national wave. Federal student-loan payments resumed in 2023, followed by a one-year buffer that kept overdue loans from entering default. When that protection expired, millions of borrowers who remained behind began falling into default—generally after nine months without payment. Nationwide, about 9.5 million borrowers, or one in five, are now in default. Together, they owe more than $233 billion. ### General Tso is on the march URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/general-tso-is-on-the-march/ Last updated: 2026-07-23T14:56:20.000Z Asian restaurants are riding a national trend, opening even more dining establishments in Baton Rouge. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### You don't got mail URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/you-dont-got-mail/ Last updated: 2026-07-23T01:18:44.000Z Twice a week is plenty for the mailbox these days. Wait much longer and it's just political fliers stacking up—proof the box has turned mostly into ad space. Advertising mail climbed to 62% of everything that lands inside, says USPS's own [household mail survey](https://www.brookings.edu/articles/beyond-the-balance-sheet-what-american-households-still-use-the-mail-for/?ref=redeyebr.com), more dominant than it was 15 years ago. The bills that once made their monthly call are mostly gone, chased off by autopay and e-statements—the water-sewer bill, at least in Baton Rouge, and medical bills hold out as exceptions. The real postal traffic skips the box entirely and goes straight to the door. An eBay win, a late-night Amazon order—that's a separate delivery system now, and it's doing more work than the mailbox ever did. USPS packages per household have nearly doubled over the decade, and what's inside changed almost as fast as how many there are. Gone is that Columbia House record of the month, the Netflix DVD or the latest edition of *Sports Illustrated*. All replaced by clothing and home goods, the stuff nobody has figured out how to download. There are some stalwarts, especially those of the greatest generation variety, who still prefer to pay their bills the old-fashioned way—delivered by snail mail and returned, flag up, with a stamp and another antiquated relic, a check. Two-thirds of households 65 and older still pay bills by mail, but even that's down from the 86% half a score ago. Force of habit, maybe. Fear of change, perhaps. Not trusting personal information on the Google machine, fact. So there really are two Americas: one collects what nobody asked for, the other delivers what someone did. And, a memo to Postmaster General David Steiner, an LSU grad, fraternity brother and former housemate: Bring back those cool, retro postal jeeps. *—JR Ball* ### 14 cents URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/14-cents/ Last updated: 2026-07-22T03:20:42.000Z 📝 Note: **RedEye's* JR Ball spoke at Baton Rouge Rotary about decisions that led to parish government's financial troubles. The presentation is below, as is a based on it. **The entirety of East Baton Rouge Parish government** spends $2.33 billion a year—the Metro Council and Mayor Sid Edwards control 14 cents of every dollar generated. **Why it matters:** The city-parish's fiscal challenge isn't a St. George story, a spending story or a tax story—it's a design story 75 years in the making. **Structural flaw:** East Baton Rouge set out to build one thing—a government of the greater good—but instead built another—a byzantine system of what's in it for me. - EBR's consolidated model began in 1947 with a baked-in problem: public schools and BREC were not part of it. - The state didn't impose those structures. Parish residents lobbied for them, not trusting the government they were creating. - The library system, CATS and mosquito abatement came later, each carved out of the consolidated framework and given independent boards and dedicated funding streams. - Voters have for generations fenced-off whatever they valued most with a dedicated tax. Each time the general fund got weaker, less flexible and less trustworthy, making the next dedicated tax seem more necessary. - Baker and Zachary—already incorporated cities—each eventually secured their own school districts through the Legislature. Then Central incorporated specifically to get one, keeping its sales tax revenue local and outside the consolidated general fund. **Change of plan:** Mayor Sid Edwards, with city-parish government facing a financial strain when he entered office in 2025, tried to redirect some dedicated dollars from the library, mosquito abatement and the Council on Aging. - His plan, ThrivEBR, faced numerous hurdles, including a horrific rollout and bad messaging, but what matters is voters said no, reinforcing the underlying problem. **Race matters:** Another flaw the designers of 1947 failed to factor in: EBR's well-established racial divide and how that would play out once the population numbers balanced and power had to be shared. - A "better together" ideal requires a community willing to be together. - That has never been a given in this parish. **Monumental decision:** Federal Judge John Parker's May 1, 1981, desegregation ruling for East Baton Rouge Parish schools didn't cause the fragmentation—but it accelerated it in ways the city-parish government was never designed to absorb. - Families moved. Subdivisions exploded in the unincorporated southeast. A parish organized around one dominant city suddenly had a second center of gravity. - Those same suburban areas pushed for a 1982 Plan of Government update, creating the Metro Council—combining the separate City and Parish councils into a single governing body—and the 2% sales tax sharing mechanism now at the center of the St. George dispute. - Baton Rouge's tax base, in other words, built out the suburbs that would eventually leave. **Math problem:** Of the $2.33 billion flowing through parishwide government annually, $1.17 billion belongs to entities over which the Metro Council and mayor-president have zero say—the school system, BREC, CATS and the sewerage authority. - The remaining $1.16 billion city-parish budget includes $736 million locked in voter-approved dedicated funds—MovEBR, Green Light, solid waste, sewerage operations, infrastructure debt. - The library's $79 million and mosquito abatement's $13 million sit inside that locked pile. What remains as the general fund—the part elected leadership actually controls—is $332 million. Fourteen cents on the dollar. **Hits keep coming:** Police and fire consume roughly $150 million of that $332 million before a single other decision gets made. - Constitutional offices—the DA, courts, coroner, public defender—take the next layer. - What remains for roads, drainage, permits and administration is roughly $160 million out of $2.33 billion. - The city-parish's own 2024 compensation study found that for every $100 spent on salaries, an additional $75 goes to benefits—nearly double the 30-38% national average—the product of retirement systems launched with the same actuarial flaw as Louisiana's state systems. - Once mandatory spending runs its course, that 14-cent number drops to 7 cents. **Who pays:** The DA, courts, coroner and public defender are mandated by the Louisiana Constitution to serve every parish resident regardless of which city they live in—but not everyone contributes to funding them. - Just over $20 million annually flows from the city-parish general fund to those offices. Exactly zero comes from Baker, Central, St. George or Zachary. - St. George, Baker and Central recently agreed to contribute a combined $400,000 to the public defender's office. Zachary opted out. - The mayors of the suburban cities, a source says, are meeting to put together a funding proposal. **The straw:** St. George didn't create this problem. St. George revealed it—86,000 residents and one-fifth of the parish sales tax base gone, a departure large enough that the fracture everyone had been ignoring became impossible to deny. **The bottom line:** Baton Rouge and the parish created a flawed government from the start and have spent the past 75 years making it worse—with every incorporation, every independent taxing agency, every dedicated tax and every clearly visible warning sign ignored along the way. ### Younger people flocking to birding URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/younger-people-flocking-to-birding/ Last updated: 2026-07-22T03:20:26.000Z People in their 20s are playing chess and bingo, and packing trivia nights. They have taken up birding, too. **Why it matters:** Perhaps the generation supposedly lost to smartphones was never lost at all. Younger people are putting down their phones—or using them as tools—to reconnect with nature, complicated games, music and one another. Civilization may survive. **The details:** The Atlantic’s Rachel Gutman-Wei joined a[ team of 20-somethings ](https://www.theatlantic.com/health/2026/07/birding-millennials-genz/687910/?ref=redeyebr.com)🔒 competing in an annual New Jersey birding contest, racing to identify the most species seen or heard in 24 hours. She traces the hobby’s rise among younger people to two developments: - During COVID, people with time on their hands began paying closer attention to the birds in their backyards. - Apps from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology have given newcomers an easy entry point. One identifies birds by their calls, sending birders off to find them and check them off a digital list. One teammate offered the simplest explanation: “I think it’s just fun to do this with my friends.” **The bottom line:** Do not always believe the doomsayers who insist the world is ending. Civilization carries on through curiosity, the urge to share what we discover and the simple pleasure of doing something together. ### Food stamps fall. Poverty remains URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/food-stamps-fall-poverty-remains/ Last updated: 2026-07-22T03:20:00.000Z The number of Louisianans receiving food stamps fell 21% over the past year, including 81,000 children, after stricter eligibility rules under President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill took effect. **Why it matters:** East Baton Rouge Parish feels changes like this more than most places. About one in five residents lives in poverty, about twice the national rate, while Louisiana’s minimum wage remains at the federal floor of $7.25 an hour. Hunger does not stay confined to the people experiencing it. Persistent poverty is tied to higher crime, worse health and weaker educational outcomes, affecting the quality of life across the city. **By the numbers:** - Louisiana Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program enrollment fell from about **800,000 to 632,000**, a decline of roughly 170,000 people since the “Big Beautiful Bill” was enacted in 2025, according to an analysis from the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, a progressive think tank. - **About 81,000 children** were among those no longer receiving benefits, nearly half of the total reduction, data from Louisiana shows. - Louisiana had the nation’s **second-largest percentage decline** in SNAP participation in the past year, behind Arizona, where nearly half of enrollees were dropped. **The result:** What happened to the roughly 4.5 million Americans who have been dropped from SNAP since the law took effect is less clear than the enrollment numbers. - The Trump administration says stricter work requirements have encouraged more people to find jobs or increase their earnings, and they have cut down on fraud. - Researchers say that’s not the case, citing a simple fact: job growth has not matched the number of people leaving the program. Plus, the government’s own numbers show that fraud is a small percentage of the total number of people who lost their benefits. - Food banks around the country report serving more families who no longer qualify for SNAP. (Baton Rouge Food Bank didn’t return RedEye’s call and email to provide information.) - Churches, relatives and school meal programs are helping fill the gap for some households, though charities acknowledge they cannot replace the purchasing power of federal food assistance. **The quote:** “We have a persistent poverty problem in this country,” Kate Bauer, an associate professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Michigan, told the Associated Press. “And we have huge economic disparities. And most people, even in good economic times, are not able to pull their families out of poverty.” **The bottom line:** The drop in food stamp enrollment is easy to count. What’s harder to know is where those meals are coming from now—and how many people in Baton Rouge are simply going without. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Table for one URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/tabl/ Last updated: 2026-07-22T03:19:44.000Z Before *RedEye*, I worked in a cubicle-filled office where there was always another meeting, always a question in need of an answer, always a looming deadline. It was great. To quote Hyman Roth in *The Godfather Part II*, "This is the profession we have chosen." But, at times, it could be a bit much. My reset was a solo lunch. Rocco's New Orleans Po-Boys and Cafe on Drusilla. Albasha on Bluebonnet—chicken shawarma salad, crispy, no olives. It was a great way to do a bit of mental defragging and catch up on some reading. The high-paid consultants call this "Think time." Turns out I wasn't alone. Solo dining [reservations jumped 23%](https://www.axios.com/2026/07/17/solo-dining-reservations-jump-opentable?ref=redeyebr.com) over the past year—proof this is a growing trend, not a symptom of anything. - Solo diners spend $94 on average—up 7% and well above the $60 average across all party sizes. - Thursday solo bookings rose 25%. - 3 p.m. reservations are trending, though 6 p.m. remains the busiest hour. Eating alone takes some confidence. It also might be the best hour of your workday. *—JR Ball* ### The long road to Troy URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-long-road-to-troy/ Last updated: 2026-07-22T03:19:20.000Z Moviegoers are traveling hundreds of miles and paying premium prices to watch Christopher Nolan’s *The Odyssey* in 70mm IMAX film, just as God—or, ahem, the director—intended. Only 25 theaters in the United States can show it that way. The closest are in Dallas, Atlanta, Nashville and Chattanooga, where the screen is attached to the aquarium. New Orleans once had one, though watching a movie there now would require a tricked-out, time-traveling DeLorean. The Audubon Aquarium’s Entergy IMAX Theatre opened in 1995 with a nearly six-story screen and was the region’s only 70mm IMAX. It was converted to digital in 2015, then closed and transformed into the Audubon Insectarium. So Louisiana movie lovers have two choices: make a pilgrimage, or settle for Homer on a smaller screen. ### Learning from the creative class URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/learning-from-the-creative-class/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T23:56:15.000Z Young professionals are looking for something the state's biggest economic development wins may not deliver. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Bogarting THC drinks URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/bogarting-thc-drinks/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T23:56:00.000Z A federal ban could remove the popular, mildly-intoxicating drinks from the shelves by the holidays in Baton Rouge. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Sparks for a civic life URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/sparks-for-a-civic-life/ Last updated: 2026-07-20T23:28:59.000Z Baton Rouge's Fourth of July celebration drew a bigger crowd this year, with about **6,800** people gathering on the downtown levee for the fireworks show. **Why it matters:** Cities work best when people leave their homes and share public spaces. Festivals and civic celebrations help people meet neighbors, build trust and create the kind of connections that make a city feel alive. After several years in which concerns about violence have shadowed large gatherings, the larger turnout suggests many residents are willing to come back. **By the numbers:** The Downtown Development District uses Placer.ai to estimate attendance. The platform creates a digital boundary around an event and anonymously measures mobile devices within it, providing estimates of crowd size, where visitors came from, how far they traveled and broad demographic information. According to the DDD: - About **6,800 people** were on the downtown levee between **8 p.m. and 9 p.m.** - **40%** traveled **7 to 30 miles** to attend. - **30%** of attendees fit the **Singles and Starters** demographic, a group generally associated with younger adults who are more likely to embrace urban living. **The bigger picture:** DDD Assistant Executive Director Casey Tate said roughly **20,000 people** attended downtown festivities throughout the day, anchored by the Lieutenant Governor's America 250 Concert featuring Wayne Toups, Rockin' Dopsie and Amanda Shaw. Overall attendance was higher than last year's event. **The bottom line:** WBRZ and Visit Baton Rouge have spent years building Fireworks on the Mississippi into one of the city's signature celebrations. Attendance had slipped from its peak, but this year's larger crowd—helped by expanded programming—suggests the event has room to grow again. ### The day City Park belonged to everyone URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-day-city-park-belonged-to-everyone/ Last updated: 2026-07-21T00:00:55.000Z For years, some people who want the City Park golf course replaced have argued for something simple: open the rolling land to everyone. Their vision is children running down the hills, families picnicking under the trees, people walking dogs and pickup games forming wherever there is room. For one day in July 2012, that vision became real. Then-BREC Superintendent Carolyn McKnight opened the course for the City Park Summer Showcase. The park filled with an art walk, food vendors, games, live music, wine tasting and a laser light show. BREC estimated that more than 800 people from across the parish attended. At the ninth hole, children lined up to climb inside giant inflatable balls and roll down the hills. For a few hours, land usually reserved for golfers became their free playspace. BREC was modeling the oldest golf course in the world. The Old Course at St. Andrews closes to golfers every Sunday and becomes a public park. People walk the fairways, bring dogs, picnic, fly kites and stop at the historic Halfway House for refreshments. BREC said after the 2012 showcase that it would occasionally open City Park’s course for public use. That never became a tradition, and the battle over the future of all of City-Brooks Park continues. Aside from a few unusual events and car shows, that summer day remains the only recent time the golf course’s rolling landscape was open to everyone. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Meet the real George O'Neal URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/meet-the-real-george-oneal/ Last updated: 2026-07-19T22:39:10.000Z St. George just hung a brand new [street sign](https://www.redeyebr.com/st-george-signs-signs-everywhere-signs/) over a road named for a genuine Baton Rouge original, and somehow got his name wrong. The shiny white sign reads "George O'Neil." The blue city-parish sign underneath it, still hanging until St. George gets around to taking it down, has always spelled it correctly: O'Neal. **Why it matters:** Whoever George O'Neal was, he deserves better than a typo on his own street, especially from a city that owes more to guys like him than it probably realizes. **The résumé:** George Marvin O'Neal Jr. has a pretty impressive set of [credentials](https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/theadvocate/name/george-o-neal-obituary?id=11231348&ref=redeyebr.com). - Three-sport star at University Lab School (football, basketball, baseball). - Navy veteran (1955-57). - Reserve center on LSU's 1958 national championship football team. - Successful residential and commercial developer, especially in southeast East Baton Rouge. - Partner in two daiquiri shops. (Of course, this is Louisiana.) - Operated a prison ministry at Angola through his church. **The paperwork:** None of that got the road named after him. - O'Neal developed rural land in the southeastern part of the parish in the 1970s and '80s. - Putting his own name on the connector street cutting through his subdivisions was just how the permit paperwork got filled out back then—no ceremony required. **The connection:** Those subdivisions and dozens like them fed the suburban sprawl that gave St. George the population, the sales tax base and the case to become a city decades later. **The bottom line:** St. George exists partly because of guys like O'Neal. Spelling his name right on a sign is the least it can do. --- *Note:* RedEye *wanted to know how the mistake happened and what was being done to correct it, but an email sent Friday morning to Landon Tims, the St. George public works director, was not answered by the time this story was published.* ### A housing shift that could matter greatly in South Louisiana URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/a-housing-shift-that-could-matter-greatly-in-south-louisiana/ Last updated: 2026-07-19T22:38:57.000Z Mobile homes are about to become less mobile—and potentially less expensive—which could boost sales in Louisiana, where affordable housing is especially scarce, and housing costs stretch 71% of low-income households. **Why it matters:** Congress has passed landmark housing legislation that includes a provision to lower the cost of manufactured homes. That matters more in Louisiana than in most states because incomes are lower and manufactured housing already provides a relatively affordable option for thousands of families. **The details:** The legislation removes the longstanding requirement that manufactured homes be built on a permanent steel chassis used to transport them. - Manufactured homes already cost 27% to 65% less than comparable houses built on site. - Eliminating the chassis could reduce the price of a home by as much as $10,000—about 7% of the roughly $135,000 average national price. **The Louisiana angle:** Louisiana has about 260,000 mobile or manufactured homes, accounting for 12.5% of the state’s housing stock, according to the Louisiana Housing Corporation. - That is nearly one in eight Louisiana homes, compared with roughly one in 19 nationally, Census Bureau figures show. - Louisiana depends heavily on manufactured housing, but even the affordable option has become much less affordable. - The average price of a newly sold manufactured home in Louisiana reached $109,100 in 2025, up from $98,900 in 2024 and nearly double the $59,800 average in 2016. **The bigger picture:** Removing the fixed-chassis requirement could also free manufacturers to experiment with new designs. - Homes could be attached to basements or built on piers with easier access to the space below. - They could also become a more practical option for backyard cottages as cities allow homeowners to add second residences to existing lots. That would create more housing without requiring governments to build new roads, sewer lines and other costly infrastructure. **The bottom line:** Manufactured homes may soon become less mobile, more flexible and slightly cheaper—three changes that could matter greatly in a state where affordable housing remains hard to find. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### A pint with a view URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/a-pint-with-a-view/ Last updated: 2026-07-19T22:38:28.000Z > “Would I like a beer garden in the front of my house? You damn straight I would. I would love to move to an urban environment and have something like that, where I could walk to the grocery store or I could walk to the coffee shop. ..So the answer is yes.” **— BREC chairman Mike Polito**, answering a critic of master plans that include a beer garden and amphitheater at City Park. The proposal would place a beer garden and boat-rental spot beside the lake, while rerouting the road through the park so that people, rather than traffic, reach the shoreline. The beer garden would be a short walk for many area residents. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### 📅 Baton Rouge: Week at a Glance | July 20–26 URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/baton-rouge-week-at-a-glance-july-20-26/ Last updated: 2026-07-19T22:36:09.000Z **Why it matters:** Wednesday is the week's anchor—a rare joint Metro Council meeting, the final public input session on St. George's 25-year growth plan and a BRFF filmmaker forum all land on the same night. The weekend brings a packed Saturday with something for everyone. ***🗓️ Monday, July 20*** 🌮 **Tequila Cocktail Competition** 📍 Mestizo's, 2112 Quail Drive - Local bartenders square off in a tequila cocktail showdown at one of Baton Rouge's favorite Mexican restaurants. [Details](https://www.facebook.com/mestizosbr) on Mestizo's Facebook page. ***🗓️ Wednesday, July 22*** 🎬 **BRFF Filmmaker Forum—6 p.m.** 📍 Main Library at Goodwood, 7711 Goodwood Blvd. - A panel of Louisiana filmmakers share their experiences, career paths and tips for working and aspiring filmmakers ahead of the Baton Rouge Underground Film Festival in August. Networking follows. Free. [Details](https://batonrougeunderground.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) at batonrougeunderground.com. ***🗓️ Thursday, July 23*** 🥘 **Learn to Paella—Red Stick Spice Co.** 📍 Red Stick Spice Co., 5155 Government St. - Hands-on cooking class tackling one of the world's great communal dishes. [Details and registration](https://www.redstickspice.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) at redstickspice.com. ***🗓️ Friday, July 24*** 🎭 **The Little Mermaid Jr.—5:30 and 7:30 p.m.** 📍 Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. - The culminating performance of Manship Theatre's two-week musical production summer camp. Reserved seating. [Tickets](https://manshiptheatre.org/comingsoon/summer-camp-the-little-mermaid-junior?ref=redeyebr.com) at manshiptheatre.org. 🔭 **Friday Night Lecture + Evening Sky Viewing—7:30 p.m.** 📍 BREC Highland Road Park Observatory, 13800 Highland Road - Free public astronomy lecture at 7:30 p.m. followed by open sky viewing through BREC's telescopes at 8:30 p.m. Ages 6 and up. Free. [Details](https://hrpo.lsu.edu/?ref=redeyebr.com) at hrpo.lsu.edu. ***🗓️ Saturday, July 25*** 🌱 **Red Stick Farmers Market—8 a.m.–noon** 📍 5th & Main Street, downtown - Fresh produce, local vendors and community at BR's flagship [open-air market](https://breada.org/red-stick-farmers-market/?ref=redeyebr.com). Also runs Thursdays, 8 a.m.–noon, at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. 🏰 **Kids Run the Castle—9 a.m.–3 p.m.** 📍 Louisiana's Old State Capitol, 100 North Blvd. - Kids take over Baton Rouge's iconic castle for a day of interactive activities, exploration and hands-on fun. Free. [Details](https://louisianaoldstatecapitol.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) at louisianaoldstatecapitol.org. 🎬 **INDY Film Festival—10 a.m.–2 p.m.** 📍 Independence Park Theatre, 7800 Independence Blvd. - Independent short films screened in one of Baton Rouge's great neighborhood venues. Free. [Details](https://www.brec.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) at brec.org. ☀️ **Solar Viewing—noon–2 p.m., Saturday** 📍 BREC Highland Road Park Observatory, 13800 Highland Road - Safe, guided solar viewing through the observatory's specialized telescopes. Free. [Details](https://hrpo.lsu.edu/?ref=redeyebr.com) at hrpo.lsu.edu. 🎵 **That '70s Band of Louisiana—7:30 p.m.** 📍 Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. - Nine local legends recreate the sounds of the decade that gave us disco, funk and the Doobie Brothers. For fans of Earth Wind & Fire, Donna Summer, Michael Jackson and Chicago. [Tickets](https://manshiptheatre.org/comingsoon/that-70s-band-of-louisiana?ref=redeyebr.com) from $25 at manshiptheatre.org. ***🗓️ Sunday, July 26*** 🎨 **Sundays@4 with Donney Rose—4–6 p.m.** 📍 Baton Rouge Gallery, 1515 Dalrymple Drive - Free afternoon programming from the Baton Rouge Gallery's ongoing summer series. [Details](https://www.batonrougegallery.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) at batonrougegallery.org. --- ### **📋 Government & Civic** ***🗓️ Wednesday, July 22*** 🏛️ **Metro Council Regular + Zoning Meeting—4 p.m.** 📍 City Hall, 222 St. Louis St. - In a rare joint session, the council takes up both its regular agenda and rescheduled zoning cases—including Nicholson Drive corridor rezoning and a MARC millage date-setting resolution. Full agenda at [brla.gov/agendacenter](https://www.brla.gov/agendacenter?ref=redeyebr.com). Public comment accepted. 🏛️ **St. George Comprehensive Plan 2050: Final Stakeholder Dialogue—5–7 p.m.** 📍 St. George City Hall, 11207 Proverbs Ave. - The last public opportunity to weigh in on the draft plans that will guide St. George's growth for the next 25 years—covering land use, housing, transportation, parks and infrastructure. Can't make it in person? Take an online poll [here](https://ayrs.io/oUoBXC?ref=redeyebr.com) through July 25\. [Details](https://stgeorgela.gov/services/planning-zoning/?ref=redeyebr.com) at stgeorgela.gov. 🤝 **Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership Happy Hour—4–6 p.m.** 📍 Court to Table, 7477 Burbank Drive - Networking happy hour hosted by the Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership. Open to the business community. [Register](https://greaterbatonrougeeconomicpartnership.growthzoneapp.com/ap/Events/Register/EqFR6yWtgC6C9?ref=redeyebr.com) at greaterbatonrouge.org/happyhour. 📋 **CHANGEMAKERS Applications—open through July 31** - The Baton Rouge Alliance for Students is accepting applications for the ninth cohort of CHANGEMAKERS, a 10-month civic leadership program focused on improving educational outcomes across Baton Rouge. Final week to apply. [Apply](https://bralliance.org/changemakers/?ref=redeyebr.com) at bralliance.org/changemakers. --- **Reach us:* Want to submit an event item for consideration? Email us the information at* [*news@redeyebr.com*](mailto:news@redeyebr.com)*. *Details:* The calendar is on a Monday–Sunday rotation, and the submission deadline is the Wednesday prior.* ### Knight moves URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/knight-moves/ Last updated: 2026-07-19T22:35:49.000Z Every Tuesday at 6 p.m., chessboards go up at La Divina Italian Cafe on Perkins—wine and gelato optional, silence over the board mandatory. No music. No small talk requirement. Just two people and sixty-four squares. **Why it matters:** Baton Rouge's under-35 crowd keeps finding new excuses to put the phone down and sit across from a stranger, and chess is turning out to be one of the most literal versions yet—no DJ, no game-show host, nothing standing between two people and the board. **The shift:** Chess's Gen Z boom started online. Axios [clocked it](https://www.axios.com/2026/07/15/chess-popular-young-gen-z?ref=redeyebr.com) this week—Chess.com hit 6.4 million active U.S. players this year, up from 4 million the year before, and livestreamers like GothamChess's Levy Rozman turned a game with a dork reputation into a genuine YouTube phenomenon. The pandemic and *The Queen's Gambit* did the rest. **Rich irony:** The generation that discovered chess through a screen is now logging off to play it in person. That's the same pattern [already reshaping](https://www.redeyebr.com/old-is-the-new-new/) Baton Rouge's nightlife through bingo, trivia and karaoke—except chess skips the buffer entirely. There's no built-in icebreaker question. Just forced attention. **It's already here:** *The Reveille* caught it on camera last spring—LSU's Chess Club [drawing crowds](https://lsureveille.com/256777/multimedia/photos-lsu-chess-club/?ref=redeyebr.com) to Free Speech Alley outside the Student Union. - The Baton Rouge Bridge Center has hosted three rated tournaments since February—the Baton Rouge Dual, the Louisiana City Cup and, coming in August, Summer's End. **The bottom line:** Add chess to the list next to bingo, trivia and karaoke nights—Baton Rouge's growing collection of [third places](https://www.redeyebr.com/br-third-places/) that ask for nothing but your attention. ### Perkins keeps waiting URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/perkins-keeps-waiting/ Last updated: 2026-07-17T00:31:45.000Z A Halloween porch conversation turned into a funded crosswalk on Perkins Road in 16 months. Building it won't happen until at least 2028. **Why it matters:** [Perk Up Perkins](https://www.redeyebr.com/perkins-perks-up/) proves Baton Rouge's bottleneck on street safety isn't money or hustle—it's the pipeline itself. **One pipeline:** A five-figure crosswalk and a nine-figure highway rebuild move through the same review process at the same speed. - That stretch of Perkins Road is still a state route, owned and maintained by Louisiana DOTD, so even a Metro Council-funded crosswalk clears the same review as a full corridor rebuild. - MOVEBR's half-cent sales tax pours concrete and paint alike but funds no dedicated staff to push small fixes through faster. - East Baton Rouge has logged 16% of Louisiana's pedestrian deaths since 2020, more than any other parish in the state. **What works elsewhere:** [Somerville](https://www.governing.com/infrastructure/this-new-england-city-hasnt-had-a-traffic-death-in-three-years?ref=redeyebr.com), Massachusetts, and [Hoboken](https://www.governing.com/transportation/how-hoboken-has-gone-years-without-a-traffic-death?ref=redeyebr.com), New Jersey, went three and seven years without a traffic death using tools that cost paint, not bond money. - Hoboken daylighted 78 intersections in 2023 alone, clearing sightlines at corners with posts and planters instead of parked cars so drivers see pedestrians before reaching the crosswalk. - The city also dropped its citywide speed limit to 20 mph, painted 61 high-visibility crosswalks, built 9 curb extensions and folded safety work into every routine repaving job instead of treating it as a separate project. - Somerville installed more than 70 traffic-calming features in a single year and tracked results street by street—one corridor went from 80% of drivers speeding to 2%. - Both cities have one government deciding. Baton Rouge routes even a crosswalk through two. **The bottom line:** Somerville and Hoboken treat crosswalks as routine maintenance. Baton Rouge still treats them as infrastructure projects, and infrastructure projects wait in line behind bulldozers. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Wildflowers in the median URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/wildflowers-in-the-median/ Last updated: 2026-07-17T00:31:14.000Z Heavy rains are turning public grass into a small jungle, leaving mowing crews scrambling and residents calling the city-parish to complain. Some cities are trying another approach: mowing less and replacing turf with native plants and pollinator gardens. Baton Rouge would need to experiment before planting them widely, but the idea deserves a test. **Why it matters:** Grass is the easy default for medians and other public spaces. But mowing costs money, burns fuel and creates emissions. Pollinator gardens can also be far prettier. In the Garden District, public corners have been transformed into small habitats where bees, butterflies and other insects can eat. **The details:** Columbia, Missouri, began converting about 26 acres of roadsides and medians from mowed turf into native prairie in 2020. The effort grew from a 2019 pilot project that created “No Mow Zones” along selected roads. Columbia estimates the program saves the city as much as $280,000 a year. **The Baton Rouge angle:** Plants grow with unusual enthusiasm in south Louisiana, which could make pollinator gardens harder to manage here, says Sage Roberts Foley, executive director of Baton Rouge Green. But harder does not mean impossible. “It would seem harder here, but that is not a reason not to try,” Foley says. “In Louisiana, we would have to find our own way.” **The catch:** Native gardens can look unruly while the plants are becoming established. Some residents will see a future habitat. Others will see weeds and file a 311 complaint. Columbia anticipated that problem and paired its program with public education. Baton Rouge would have to do the same. **Bottom line:** The parish does not need to surrender every median to the bees. But a few carefully chosen experiments could reveal whether less mowing would save money, reduce emissions and make Baton Rouge a little more beautiful. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Mobile gets on board URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/mobile-gets-on-board/ Last updated: 2026-07-17T00:30:51.000Z Mobile has a plan to build a downtown for people, starting with an embrace of the Mardi Gras Amtrak service that local organizations spent years fighting to restore. **The details:** Mobile has unveiled a plan to reshape its downtown skyline and open a largely industrial stretch of waterfront to residents and visitors, per [The Advocate](https://www.theadvocate.com/baton%5Frouge/news/arena-airport-waterfront-developments-mobile-alabama/article%5F49e28b1a-fb2f-5d13-9b49-81b463334f45.html?ref=redeyebr.com). 🔒 - Amtrak has carried more than 100,000 passengers to Mobile in less than a year, delivering travelers to a platform across from downtown hotels and restaurants. - New Mayor Spiro Cheriogotis wants to add food trucks and a rooftop restaurant near the waterfront stop, an area long defined by a jail, warehouses and salvage yards. - The city hopes to increase annual visitors to 5 million from 3.5 million over the next several years. **The bigger picture:** Amtrak’s New Orleans-to-Mobile service has attracted about twice the ridership expected, prompting Mobile to reconsider the possibilities of a train that port officials once tried to block, even as other cities along the route welcomed it. Amtrak officials and the Southern Rail Commission are interested in extending passenger service to Baton Rouge, creating another way to reach New Orleans and the wider Gulf Coast. Gov. Jeff Landry’s administration would have to lead the effort. **The bottom line:** Leaders elsewhere along the Gulf Coast understood early that welcoming the train, rather than fighting it, could create opportunities for people and businesses. Mobile has now seen the results—and started dreaming bigger. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### A good walk not spoiled URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/a-good-walk-not-spoiled/ Last updated: 2026-07-17T00:30:01.000Z In the middle of Baton Rouge, Burden Museum & Gardens has preserved 440 acres for trees, birds and reptiles. Its three-mile trail system, opened in 2009 off Essen Lane, winds through woods, wetlands and open fields. It is built for hiking and learning, though wandering without much of a plan works just as well. Walk beneath old live oaks, cross the Mosaic Boardwalk and gaze upon Black Swamp, a rain-fed wetland where tupelo trees have stood for roughly 200 years, quietly ignoring all the commotion of developments around them. Bring binoculars. About 320 bird species have been recorded around Burden, including hummingbirds, mockingbirds, waterfowl, wading birds, migratory songbirds and several varieties of woodpeckers. 🦆 A guided bird walk at Burden is scheduled for tomorrow, July 18, from 7–9 a.m. Tickets are $12.51 and available [at this link](https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/birding-at-burden-2026-4797941?aff=odclrlmcfto&ref=redeyebr.com). ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Mike Polito is now one of them URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/mike/ Last updated: 2026-07-17T00:29:36.000Z Mike Polito's fear for Baton Rouge in 2007: people who'll be dead in 20 years deciding what the city becomes. Nineteen years later, he's one of those people—and he's still not backing down. **Why it matters:** Polito now chairs the BREC Commission, steering City-Brooks Park's future and potential alterations to its 9-hole golf course. - The old *Business Report* quote isn't nostalgia. It's a test of whether the man holding the pen believes his own line. **What he said:** "That we continue to allow people who will be dead in 20 years to tell us what our city should look like in 20 years," he said when asked about his greatest fear for Baton Rouge. **Where it started:** Polito's 2007 warning traces back to a 2003 canvass trip to Austin, when a group of young Baton Rouge professionals came home and formed A6—pushing for structural and quality-of-life change. - The results were mixed. Polito's the one who never stopped pushing. **His answer:** He doesn't dodge the old quote—he leans in. - "I'm even more concerned because now I'm one of those people. And so now it's very important that I'm not hypocritical, and that I'm listening to those people, and that we make decisions based on the same criteria I had in 2007." - "I think it's more important now, and I would ask the older generation in Baton Rouge to think about that." **The bottom line:** Someone will ask Polito's successor this same question in 20 years. He just showed them how to answer it. ### St. George tries to bring order to Siegen Lane URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/st-george-tries-to-bring-order-to-siegen-lane/ Last updated: 2026-07-15T23:19:02.000Z A federal grant and local funding will retrofit the ramshackle 1.3 miles from I-10 to Airline. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The weight begins to shift URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-weight-begins-to-shift/ Last updated: 2026-07-15T23:19:18.000Z GLP-1s appear to be flattening Louisiana’s obesity rate—good news for patients, though not yet for health-care budgets. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Cyclosporiasis, yuck URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/cyclosporiasis-yuck/ Last updated: 2026-07-15T23:18:09.000Z A nasty stomach bug linked to lettuce or other leafy greens has sickened more than 2,640 people in Michigan, sending 44 to the hospital. The illness, cyclosporiasis, is caused by a parasite and has increased 70% in Michigan in one week, where the outbreak began. Investigators have identified leafy greens as the likely source, though not a specific farm or product. **The Louisiana angle:** The parasite has not spread widely here. About 40 cases have been reported statewide, up roughly 25% over two weeks, according to state health officials. **What to do:** There is no reason to panic. But there is a reason to wash your lettuce and a few more preventive moves. LSU AgCenter food-safety experts recommend: - Washing hands for at least 20 seconds before preparing food or eating. - Rinsing fruits and vegetables under running water, and scrubbing firm produce with a clean brush. Remove bruised or damaged portions of foods as well. - Keeping produce away from raw meat, poultry and seafood. - Washing cutting boards, knives and countertops regularly. - Refrigerating cut, peeled or cooked produce within two hours, and keeping pre-cut fruits and vegetables cold. None of these steps eliminates the risk entirely. They do, however, reduce the odds that your salad will exact revenge. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Restaurant week: a few suggestions from us URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/restaurant-week-a-few-suggestions-from-us/ Last updated: 2026-07-15T23:17:50.000Z Restaurant Week returns all next week, giving Baton Rouge a reason to eat well while helping local restaurants through the slowest stretch of summer. **Why it matters:** July can be punishing for restaurants. Families travel, routines disappear and dining rooms thin out. A strong [Restaurant Week](https://digbr.com/restaurant-week?ref=redeyebr.com) can help carry them into August, when people return to their lives and begin preparing for college football season. **The fun part:** Chefs often use the week to loosen up, introducing new dishes and trying ideas that may not appear on the regular menu. It is a chance for them to show off their chops—and for the rest of us to eat well. *RedEye* scanned the available menus for dishes that sounded novel, delicious or both. Here are a few that caught our eye: **The Bullfish:** Caribbean Seafood Paella, with saffron rice, shrimp, mussels, crawfish and crab, finished with the chef’s signature Caribbean seasoning. **Bistro Byronz on Government:** Champagne Crevette Pasta, made with shrimp and angel hair pasta tossed with cherry tomatoes and sautéed spinach in a champagne cream sauce. It comes with a sliced baguette, presumably to make sure you clean your plate, as your parents demanded. **Cecelia Creole Bistro:** Hunter’s Gumbo with tasso, venison sausage and duck from Chef Mark Reilly, a man dedicated to the serious business of making soup. Also tempting: jerk fried chicken with red beans and andouille sausage over Louisiana rice. The red beans are already among the best around. **Southdowns Grille:** Homestyle Duck Meatloaf with creamed potatoes, wild mushroom jus, roasted carrots and scallions. Or Redfish on the Halfshell with crab butter, toasted almonds and chives. Choosing between them may require a second visit. This new restaurant has quickly established itself as among the best in the parish. **Nino’s:** The lunch-only Smoked Turkey Pastrami Reuben, built with turkey pastrami, homemade sauerkraut, provolone and signature Russian dressing on grilled rye bread. It comes with a chilled antipasto salad. Nino’s also has a separate dinner menu. Nino’s hidden location inside a strip center is forgettable; the food is not. **A note before you go:** Not every participating restaurant had posted its menu when we looked. Check the [Restaurant Week website](https://digbr.com/restaurant-week?ref=redeyebr.com) before making your choice—and make reservations. Dining rooms can get crowded, which is good news for the restaurants. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Round and round Livingston goes URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/round-and-round-livingston-goes/ Last updated: 2026-07-15T23:17:33.000Z Livingston Parish isn't exactly known for embracing anything new—rural roots, deep suspicion of taxes, hard-right politics as a way of life. That same anti-tax instinct left its two-lane highways badly outmatched by one of Louisiana's fastest growth booms, and the backups turned notorious, drivers fuming through three-way stops that couldn't keep pace. And yet it's become Louisiana's unofficial roundabout capital: closer to two dozen now, and climbing, scattered from Walker to Denham Springs. Drive Juban Road and you'll clear three of them before you hit U.S. 190\. Roll through the interior roads off Florida Boulevard and there are four more waiting. Blame a La. Department of Transportation policy that forces engineers to run the numbers before touching any intersection—the math keeps favoring circles over signals, since roundabouts cut fatal crashes by up to 90% and cost less than buying up land for turn lanes. The first few years were rough, tangled traffic and confused commuters figuring out how to yield instead of stop. Nearly a decade later, it's just how Livingston gets around. Nothing converts a no-new-taxes parish to European-style traffic engineering like a three-way stop backed up onto the interstate. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### A park in the rough URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/a-park-in-the-rough/ Last updated: 2026-07-15T03:16:07.000Z BREC's meeting about the future of City-Brooks Park is a stuck record, except for new information about the profitability of the golf course. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Baton Rouge is king URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/baton-rouge-is-king/ Last updated: 2026-07-15T02:40:21.000Z Louisiana hit an all-time high of **2.01 million nonfarm jobs** in May, and the fine print says who's carrying it: **Baton Rouge added more jobs than any other Louisiana metro** over the past year, while New Orleans and Shreveport shrank. **Why it matters:** Baton Rouge isn't riding the state's wave right now—it's making it. - The metro added **7,900 jobs** over the year, up 1.8%, a full point ahead of Louisiana's overall 0.8% growth rate, according to a new [report](https://betterla.org/research/second-quarter-2026-economic-development-report/?ref=redeyebr.com) from Leaders for a Better Louisiana. **Driving the growth:** The metro's job engine right now is industrial construction, and it's not particularly diversified, reports The Partnership's second-quarter [State of the Regional Economy](https://brbythenumbers.substack.com/p/the-partnerships-state-of-the-regional?ref=redeyebr.com). - Three mega projects are hiring at once: Hyundai's steel mill, CF Industries' ammonia plant in Ascension and Linde's air separation unit, alongside the I-10 widening. - Construction alone added 6,500 jobs over the year, nearly twice as many as leisure, health care and professional services combined. - That's a construction spike, as *RedEye* reported [in June](https://www.redeyebr.com/capital-region-jobs-hit-record-high/), not evidence of a diversified economy—a distinction that still holds. - Note of caution: Air Products [canceled](https://www.airproducts.com/company/news-center/2026/06/0630-air-products-not-proceeding-louisiana-3rd-q-finalizing-with-yara-neom-renewable-ammonia-sa?ref=redeyebr.com) its $4.5 billion Louisiana Clean Energy Complex in Ascension Parish in late June, citing financial returns that fell short of its own targets—a decision cheered by Lake Maurepas-area residents who'd fought the project's carbon capture plans for years. **The gap:** Only two other metros are even in the conversation, and both got there riding a single project Baton Rouge doesn't have. - Monroe (+1.3%) relied on Meta's data center build. Lake Charles (+1.2%) leaned on LNG construction. - New Orleans lost jobs (-0.5%). Shreveport did too (-0.6%). Baton Rouge is pushing the state average up, while its two biggest peers are pulling it down. **The catch:** Business formation tells a messier story. - East Baton Rouge Parish logged 8,971 new [business applications](https://www.census.gov/econ/bfs/data/county.html?ref=redeyebr.com) in 2025, up 25% from 2019, Census Bureau figures show—real growth, but short of the parish's 2021 peak of nearly 13,000. - Ascension, Lafayette and Calcasieu parishes all grew faster in percentage terms over that stretch. Baton Rouge still files more new-business paperwork than anywhere else in the state. **State of the state:** Zoom out and the numbers back up the local story. - **Louisiana's economy grew 2.7% over the year**, 4th-fastest in the South—behind North Carolina, Texas and South Carolina—and right in line with U.S. growth. - The state's own **jobs number tied for 6th-fastest nationally** in May and ranked 4th in the South, behind North Carolina, West Virginia and South Carolina. - The state's tax code jumped six spots on the Tax Foundation's competitiveness index, the biggest climb in the South, after 2024's flat-rate overhaul and the death of the corporate franchise tax. - Home insurance is still the drag: $5,986 a year on average, second-highest in the South and nearly 2.4 times the national number. **The bottom line:** Baton Rouge is doing the heavy lifting on jobs. Whether it can do the same for new business determines whether this is a boom or a plateau. ### Cheap but not good URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/cheap-but-not-good/ Last updated: 2026-07-15T02:39:24.000Z Baton Rouge's cost of living runs **10% below** the national average and 7% below the rest of Louisiana, according to RentCafe's 202\. **Why it matters:** People choose a place to live for two main reasons: it's affordable and life there is good. East Baton Rouge Parish has half that equation in its favor. **By the numbers:** The typical East Baton Rouge home is worth about $206,000—roughly 44% below the typical U.S. home, per Zillow. Groceries are 3% cheaper here and healthcare is 12% less than the national average, RentCafe data shows. **Yes, but:** Cheap isn't the same as good. Rush-hour traffic ranks among the worst in the country, public transit is barely a thing, and the murder rate is down, but not as much as the national decline. Most striking: about one in every four people lives below the poverty line, compared to about 11% nationally. **The bottom line:** People choose a place to live for two main reasons. Baton Rouge has one of them covered—it's cheaper to live here, housing included. What the parish still doesn't have is the other reason people put—a high quality of life. ### The whole game, two fingers and a hip URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-whole-game-two-fingers-and-a-hip/ Last updated: 2026-07-15T02:39:07.000Z Kids today have video game controllers with more buttons than they have usable fingers—the kind of contraption that takes a young, pliable brain to master. The pinball machine was the opposite. Two index fingers for two buttons. A hip to nudge the machine when the ball needed a little persuasion toward one of the two paddles. That was the whole interface. The pinball machine came back to mind last week, when the *New York Times* ran a brief on the [Pinball Map](https://pinballmap.com/?ref=redeyebr.com)—a search app that finds the machines nearest you. Type in Baton Rouge and two places light up: Central City Steak and Seafood has a couple of pinball machines, while [BR.cade ](https://brcade.com/?ref=redeyebr.com)on Government Street has several as well as classic machines. Walk into BR.cade and you'll smile before you've made it more than a step. Pinball machines ringing and buzzing. Second- and third-generation video games that used to draw a line out the door—Galaga, Ms. Pac-Man, Joust—glowing like they are waiting for you to return. BR.cade is built for the grown version of the kid who used to slide quarters into video games: adults who want to play a game and have a drink while they do it. There's a $5 cover, except on Sundays and during happy hour—4 to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday—when you can walk right in and start playing. Most of the games are free, but bring a ten-spot for the handful that still want your money, including some of the pinball machines. No tutorial. No thirty-button controller. No pliable young brain required. Two fingers and a hip still get the job done—and now you're finally old enough to order a drink while they do. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Todd Graves' dinosaur, in plain sight URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/todd-graves-dinosaur-in-plain-sight/ Last updated: 2026-07-15T02:38:38.000Z A Tyrannosaurus rex named Gus sold at Sotheby’s this week for a colossal sum: $50.1 million, a new record for a dinosaur fossil. The auction house disclosed neither the buyer nor the destination of the 67-million-year-old skeleton. Dinosaur hunting has become a much bigger business. Wealthy collectors now compete with museums for the finest specimens, giving commercial fossil hunters millions of reasons to dig across private ranches in the American West. Record sales are attracting more buyers, while paleontologists worry that scientifically valuable bones may disappear into private homes. Closer to Baton Rouge, at least one prominent collector has kept his dinosaur on public view. Raising Cane’s founder Todd Graves owns Jason, a nearly one-ton, 66-million-year-old Triceratops skull that was found in the fossil-rich Hell Creek Formation. Graves and his family have loaned the dinosaur skull to the Louisiana Art & Science Museum since 2016\. Some billionaires buy dinosaurs to keep in their houses. Baton Rouge’s is available to all during museum hours. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### St. George blocked from rezoning Kleinpeter land URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/st-george-blocked-from-rezoning-kleinpeter-land/ Last updated: 2026-07-14T20:04:08.000Z A Baton Rouge judge on Monday signed an order preventing the city from taking any action on the family's land at the I-10/Pecue Lane interchange. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Your turn, Baton Rouge URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/your-turn-baton-rouge/ Last updated: 2026-07-14T19:55:01.000Z It's the public's turn this evening as BREC hosts an [open mic night](https://www.brec.org/news/continuetheconversation?ref=redeyebr.com) on the City-Brooks Park master plan. **Why it matters:** The floor is yours tonight, Baton Rouge—for two minutes, anyway—to share feedback and thoughts on the master plan, the 9-hole golf course and a proposed conservancy. **The details:** 📆: July 14, this evening. 📍: Independence Park Theater, 7800 Independence Boulevard. ⏰: 5:30-7:30 p.m., with doors opening at 5 p.m. 📝: Sign in for a two-minute slot and a seat number—name and address required. Skip the mic and your card gets read aloud instead. - Asked for clarity on what might be done to prevent any single group from dominating the conversation and to ensure a cross-section of voices is heard, Robyn Lott, BREC's director of communications, told *RedEye* late Monday evening that "a few options are being discussed to help with that potential scenario," but no plans are confirmed. - Can't attend? BREC is [livestreaming](https://www.brec.org/lakesvision?ref=redeyebr.com) and recording the meeting. **The panel:** Sasaki won't be at the table this time, leaving BREC's own to carry the night. Scheduled to be there: - Janet Simmons, interim superintendent—at least for the rest of the month. - Mike Polito, BREC commission chair. - Lon Vicknair, chief of staff for the Edwards administration and the mayor's commission appointee. - Angela Harms, the planning and engineering director overseeing the master plan process. - Mike Raby, director of golf. **Polito's radar:** He's been BREC's most public voice online, sparring in the replies with Friends of City Park—don't be shocked if he shows up with a few questions of his own. **Franklin's test:** Perry Franklin, of Franklin Associates, will moderate, meaning it's his job to prevent a repeat of the verbal hostilities that broke out during last month's meeting at the McKinley Alumni Center. **Young and the restless:** Will young professionals, lacking the same early-evening schedule flexibility as the older residents who have packed previous meetings, show up, or will they opt for livestream viewing? **The bottom line:** This is what the public has been demanding. We'll find out if anything productive comes of it. ***Update: BREC sent the following information late Tuesday morning:*** **Updates on tonight's meeting format:** 1. All attendees will be asked to sign in upon arrival. 2. Individuals who wish to ask questions at the mic will be called in an organized sequence, with a digital speaker queue displayed throughout the meeting. 3. Those who prefer not to speak can submit written comments using comment cards available at a designated table. 4. A reserved area will be available for members of the media, and any organized groups, that may share information and literature. ### Same bridge, same problems URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/same-bridge-same-problems/ Last updated: 2026-07-14T02:26:03.000Z A new Mississippi River bridge south of Baton Rouge could have a location within the next year, state Rep. Dixon McMakin said [in late June](https://www.wbrz.com/news/officials-say-location-for-new-mississippi-river-bridge-could-be-identified-within-next-year/?ref=redeyebr.com)—the closest thing to a deadline in four years of searching. **Why it matters:** A second bridge is the rare Baton Rouge project almost everyone agrees on, but the version taking shape won't fix the region's traffic problem, and nobody's figured out how to pay for it. **The need:** State data from 2022 found roughly 80% of the 126,000 vehicles crossing the Horace Wilkinson Bridge daily are locals, not through traffic—Baton Rouge uses I-10 like a surface street because it doesn't have enough real ones. - Big rigs make up just 15% of that traffic, undercutting the theory that cross-country trucking is the real culprit. **Modest relief:** All three sites still in play sit well south, in Iberville Parish, linking La. 1 near Plaquemine to La. 30 near St. Gabriel. - DOTD's [own projections](https://www.mrbsouth.com/project-overview?ref=redeyebr.com) show the new span pulling about 24,000 vehicles off the current bridge, roughly 19% of daily traffic. - More than 100,000 vehicles would still cross the Horace Wilkinson Bridge every day. **Location matters:** Just south of Brightside Drive—on land between the LSU campus and University Club—is the only site that would actually ease I-10 and I-12 commuter gridlock, a traffic infrastructure expert who has run the numbers but isn't involved in the project tells *RedEye*. - "Anything past Addis (in southern West Baton Rouge Parish) and you get diminishing returns. And if you toll it, then it won't pay for itself," said the expert, who spoke on condition of anonymity because his firm does business with both state and city-parish governments. - Such sites were never seriously considered—the regulatory, environmental and financial hurdles along that corridor are well documented. **Shrinking money:** Gov. John Bel Edwards proposed a $500 million "down payment" in 2022; skeptical lawmakers cut it to $300 million, earmarked mainly to help the state qualify for federal matching funds. - DOTD now says roughly $400 million has been spent, yet there's still no chosen site, no construction contract and no finished funding plan. - Stuck in planning and environmental review, that money has gone almost entirely to consultants and studies, not concrete. - Fresh estimates for the three [remaining alignments](https://www.wbrindependent.com/new-mississippi-river-bridge-could-cost-up-to-2-billion-financing-options-debated/?ref=redeyebr.com) run $1.78 billion to $2.04 billion, before engineering, design or utility work is added. **Toll math fails:** Officials are weighing tolls, a regional sales tax and a private-partner deal modeled on the Calcasieu River Bridge. - $40 million a year in toll revenue, bonded over 50 years, raises $700 million to $750 million—well short of a $2 billion bridge. - A vanity play in the Legislature to name the bridge after President Trump—hoping a flattered president would respond with a river of federal dollars—[died in the Senate](https://louisianaradionetwork.com/2026/06/01/46739/?ref=redeyebr.com) as the session closed. **The bottom line:** A preferred site is supposed to arrive by year's end, but DOTD's own best-case timeline doesn't put a bridge over the river until 2033—so treat this "next year" the way we've treated the last four. ### Louisiana's AI bet URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/louisianas-ai-bet/ Last updated: 2026-07-14T02:50:53.000Z Meta is more than doubling the size of its data center in Richland Parish, bringing thousands of temporary construction jobs, and about 1,000 permanent ones, and getting a public subsidy likely measured in the billions. **Why it matters:** Louisiana has spent decades trying to diversify beyond oil, gas and petrochemicals. Data centers offer a new economic engine, though one that consumes enormous amounts of electricity and produces relatively few permanent jobs. **The details:** Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta says it will invest $40 billion to expand its [Hyperion data center](https://datacenters.atmeta.com/richland-parish-data-center/?ref=redeyebr.com), more than doubling the project's size in rural northeast Louisiana, the company announced yesterday. The original announced investment two years ago was $10 billion. About 7,500 workers will build the center and 1,000 will work there after its completion in 2036\. **The bigger picture:** AI companies such as OpenAI and Anthropic are spending heavily to build capacity and capture market share, even as many of their services remain free or priced below the cost of providing them. The bet is that customers will become dependent on AI, allowing companies to raise prices later. Meanwhile, the bears see a familiar technology boom: too much money, too much capacity and too many promises. AI has been pitched as a path to curing diseases and transforming civilization. However, much of its current use involves producing emails and summaries, and search results that older technology already handled more cheaply. **The tax incentive:** Under Gov. Jeff Landry, the state passed laws that exempt sales taxes for data center construction, equipment and other expenses. On a project this large, those breaks amount to several billion dollars. Meta will also receive local property tax incentives, though those are relatively modest because the complex is being built on lower-value rural land. Plus, Meta qualifies for state money to cover 20% of the cost of qualified, high-paying jobs for a period of time. On the flip side, the data center is being built in a poor part of Louisiana, which had little prospects for other businesses. And the company is paying tens of millions of dollars in local taxes every year, which support education, safety and infrastructure. **The Meta angle:** AI remains a risky business, but Meta carries less risk than a startup betting everything on a chatbot. The company already operates Facebook and Instagram, two enormous international businesses that require vast computing power. That makes it more likely that Meta’s data centers—and the natural-gas plants Entergy plans to build to power them—will remain busy over their lifetimes. **The Louisiana angle:** Richland Parish is suddenly busy with construction workers, contractors and businesses serving them. That activity could continue for a decade and produce a significant short-term boom. But construction crews eventually move on. Once Hyperion is built, the enormous complex will employ 1,000 people. The parish now has a civilian workforce of 8,000 people. **The bottom line:** Louisiana is making a multibillion-dollar bet that temporary construction work, a small number of permanent jobs and a new industrial sector will justify the public cost. Meta is making an even larger bet that the world’s demand for computing power—and cat memes—is bottomless. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### BREC's Leslie Knope moment URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/brecs-leslie-knope-moment/ Last updated: 2026-07-12T23:46:20.000Z The parks department is giving the public a chance to speak up about City-Brooks Park, but it may become an airing of grievances. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### LSU builds a better wait URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/lsu-builds-a-better-wait/ Last updated: 2026-07-12T23:54:36.000Z _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Picking up Baton Rouge URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/picking-up-baton-rouge/ Last updated: 2026-07-12T23:45:36.000Z **Keep Tiger Town Beautiful** has [now collected](https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1E8bLH5KWX/) more than **46,000 bags of litter** from Baton Rouge streets since the volunteer effort launched in January 2021. **Why it matters:** Four years of early mornings and weekend cleanups have turned one volunteer effort into one of Baton Rouge’s most visible civic success stories. **Details:** - **The backstory:** Jennifer Richardson and a small group of "litter warriors" launched [Keep Tiger Town Beautiful ](https://keeptigertownbeautiful.com/?ref=redeyebr.com)as a weekend cleanup effort in January 2021\. It has since grown into a volunteer operation that works six days a week. - **By the numbers:** Beyond what's approaching 50,000 bags of Heftys, volunteers have installed and maintained more than 200 public trash bins and removed thousands of illegal signs from utility poles. - **Growing reach:** The nonprofit has partnered with local organizations, developed youth education programs and helped launch Keep Jaguar Nation Beautiful to expand the model into North Baton Rouge. - **Recognition:** Keep Louisiana Beautiful named the organization its Outstanding Nonprofit for mobilizing hundreds of volunteers during Love the Boot Week. **The bottom line:** Keep Tiger Town Beautiful has helped improve public spaces, reduce blight and encourage residents to take greater ownership of their neighborhoods. But the group's ever-growing haul exposes the dirty reality that work remains to be done when it comes to residents taking personal responsibility and showing a modicum of pride in East Baton Rouge Parish. ### 📅 Baton Rouge: Week at a Glance | July 13–19 URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/baton-rouge-week-at-a-glance-july-13-19/ Last updated: 2026-07-12T23:45:18.000Z **Why it matters:** A consequential week for City-Brooks Park, a packed Saturday and Brit Floyd closes out Sunday night at the River Center. ***🗓️ Wednesday, July 15*** 🍷 **Taste Like a Somme—Teaching Kitchen at Main Street Market—6:30 p.m.** - BREADA's Summer Culinary Series continues with Level 3 Sommelier Scott Higgins leading an intimate wine-evaluation class featuring curated charcuterie with seasonal farmers-market ingredients. Limited to 20 guests. $100 per person; $175 per couple. [Tickets](https://breada.org/summer-culinary-series/?ref=redeyebr.com) at breada.org. ***🗓️ Friday, July 17*** 🔍 **The Dinner Detective: True Crime Murder Mystery Dinner Show—6-9 p.m.** 📍 Crowne Plaza Executive Center, 4728 Constitution Ave. - Actors hidden among the audience in a present-day true crime mystery—interactive, unscripted and adults only. [Tickets](https://www.thedinnerdetective.com/baton-rouge/?ref=redeyebr.com) from $61.99 at thedinnerdetective.com. 🔭 **Friday Night Lecture + Evening Sky Viewing—7:30 p.m.** 📍 BREC Highland Road Park Observatory, 13800 Highland Road - Free public astronomy lecture at 7:30 p.m. followed by open sky viewing through BREC's telescopes at 8:30 p.m. Ages 6 and up. Free. [Details](https://hrpo.lsu.edu/?ref=redeyebr.com) at hrpo.lsu.edu. ***🗓️ Saturday, July 18*** 🌿 **Birding at Burden—7–9 a.m.** 📍 LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden, 4560 Essen Lane - Monthly guided tour through Burden's birding loops—320 species recorded on the grounds. $12.51\. [Registration required](https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/birding-at-burden-2026-4797941?ref=redeyebr.com) at Eventbrite. 🌱 **Red Stick Farmers Market—8 a.m.–noon** 📍 5th & Main Street, downtown - Fresh produce, local vendors and community at BR's flagship [open-air market](https://breada.org/red-stick-farmers-market/?ref=redeyebr.com). Also runs Thursdays, 8 a.m.–noon, at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. 🎨 **Studio Saturday: Nick Bustamante—LASM** 📍 Louisiana Art & Science Museum, 100 S. River Road - Explore oil painting techniques, vibrant color use and creative process before the *Then & Now & Always* exhibition closes July 19\. Led by LASM curator Beth Welch. Last chance to see the show. [Details](https://www.lasm.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) at lasm.org. 🔭 **Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon—LASM Planetarium** 📍 Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, LASM, 100 S. River Road - The Rock the Dome Laser Series continues with Pink Floyd's landmark album under the dome. [Showtimes and tickets](https://www.lasm.org/rockthedome/?ref=redeyebr.com) at lasm.org. 🌟 **Plus Night—7–10 p.m.** 📍 BREC Highland Road Park Observatory, 13800 Highland Road - Monthly public deep-sky observation session through the observatory's 50-cm reflector and smaller telescopes. Free. [Details](https://hrpo.lsu.edu/?ref=redeyebr.com) at hrpo.lsu.edu. ***🗓️ Sunday, July 19*** 🎨 **Sundays@4: "The Monsters We Sometimes Become"—4–6 p.m.** 📍 Baton Rouge Gallery, 1515 Dalrymple Drive - Free afternoon programming from the Baton Rouge Gallery's ongoing summer series. [Details](https://www.batonrougegallery.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) at batonrougegallery.org. 🎵 **Brit Floyd: The Moon, the Wall and Beyond—7:30 p.m.** 📍 Raising Cane's River Center Theatre, 220 St. Louis St. - The world's premier Pink Floyd tribute band performs a career-spanning set. [Tickets](https://raisingcanesrivercenter.com/events-tickets/?ref=redeyebr.com) at the River Center box office. --- ### **📋 Government & Civic** ***🗓️ Tuesday, July 14*** 🏛️ **City-Brooks Park + Lakes Community Meeting—5:30–7:30 p.m.** 📍 Independence Park Theatre and Cultural Center - BREC hosts a second public community meeting on the future of City-Brooks Park and University Lakes. Open to all. Free. ***🗓️ Wednesday, July 15*** 🏛️ **Rotary Club of Baton Rouge—noon** 📍 Drusilla Place Catering, Drusilla Shopping Center, Drusilla Drive & Jefferson Hwy. - ***RedEye* co-founder JR Ball** presents "The Challenging Governance & Finances of a Multi-City Parish." Open to Rotary members and registered guests. Guest registrations are due by 1 p.m. Monday, July 12\. [Details](https://www.rotarybr.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) at rotarybr.org. --- **Reach us:* Want to submit an event item for consideration? Email us the information at* [*news@redeyebr.com*](mailto:news@redeyebr.com)*. *Details:* The calendar is on a Monday–Sunday rotation, and the submission deadline is the Wednesday prior.* ### Soft paws, hard power URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/soft-paws-hard-power/ Last updated: 2026-07-12T23:45:03.000Z At [Companion Animal Alliance](https://www.caabr.org/?ref=redeyebr.com), cats lick each other—a behavior known, rather grandly, as allogrooming. It looks sweet. But do not be fooled. One cat may be delivering a threat with its tongue. [Researchers studied ](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159126001292?via=ihub&ref=redeyebr.com)videos of 53 pairs of cats and found that grooming can mean affection—or function as a velvet-gloved warning. The difference depends on the cats’ relationship and what the rest of their bodies are saying. When cats cuddle, mirror each other’s posture and linger together after grooming, the licking appears to strengthen their bond. But watch the ears. If one cat looms over the other, pins its ears back, licks its lips, shakes its head, swats or bites, the grooming may be an attempt to settle tension—or a polite reminder that the place has an unofficial management structure. **Bottom line:** When one cat washes another, do not assume you are watching tenderness. You may be watching diplomacy. Or the feline equivalent of a mobster brushing lint off someone’s jacket before explaining the consequences. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Dear future Americans: we had stationery URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/dear-future-americans-we-had-stationery/ Last updated: 2026-07-10T00:35:49.000Z When America turns 500, somebody will open a time capsule meant to explain who we were at 250. They will find letters, proclamations, commemorative trinkets and other evidence that governments, when asked to speak to the future, often reach first for stationery. **The details:** The America 250 time capsule was buried on July 4 at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia. It is scheduled to be opened in 2276. Inside are contributions from all three branches of the federal government, all 50 states, Washington, D.C., five U.S. territories and others. The idea was to capture the people, places, ideas and innovations shaping the United States at 250. **What’s inside:** A scan of the contents suggests many contributors went with letters, resolutions and official keepsakes—the things governments produce by routine. Louisiana sent letters from Gov. Jeff Landry, Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser and U.S. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, along with a House resolution, notecards, another letter, a coin and a [commemorative poster showing alligators ](https://candicealexander.com/products/louisiana-america-250?ref=redeyebr.com)in a Louisiana version of George Washington crossing the Delaware. Louisiana did include one item that feels like Louisiana: a necklace with a Krewe of Bacchus pendant and glass beads. Most other states took the safe route, too. Minnesota included an executive order. Mississippi sent a letter from the governor. Nevada tossed in gambling chips. Texas contributed a paperweight. California, to its credit, went full California: a fusion conductor, a prediction from Claude about what the state will look like in the future and a quantum chip. **The bottom line:** When the anthropologists of 2276 open the capsule, they may conclude that Americans at 250 years were boring. ### Hot summer nights URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/hot-summer-nights/ Last updated: 2026-07-10T00:35:34.000Z One might think a **73.8**\-degree night sounds rather balmy after a Baton Rouge afternoon of triple-digit temperatures and humidity thick enough to chew. But you would be wrong. **Why it matters:** The average July nighttime low looks deceptively pleasant. But the hot reality is that overnight heat—not the afternoon high—is what keeps the body from ever fully recovering from the day's punishment. That's especially worrisome for older residents, those who spend most of the day outside or anyone without reliable air conditioning. **Safety matters:** Louisiana's health department has flagged nighttime lows above 75 degrees as a marker for elevated heat-stress ER visits and hospitalizations—territory a typical Baton Rouge summer night finds itself uncomfortably residing. **Details matter:** While the 30-year average low for July is 73.8 degrees, according to NOAA, the alarming part is that since 2020, the average low has been **75.6 degrees**. Not a heat wave, just another Louisiana Saturday night. - The number of nights that never dipped below 75 degrees has steadily climbed since 2000, with the 2015-2020 stretch averaging more than double the long-term norm. - It has only gone up since then, with 114 instances between 2020 and 2025 when the Baton Rouge daily low temperature in July exceeded 75, according to NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information. - A bright spot: The average July low last year dipped to 74.8 degrees, a tick below the safety zone. **Just chill:** Your AC doesn't get a break either. The typical July Entergy bill for a Baton Rouge residence ranges from $300 to $360, according to Utilityrates.com, with cooling costs alone accounting for more than half of it. Hotter nights mean your AC unit doesn't get much time to rest, resulting in greater strain and higher odds of a breakdown. **The bottom line:** Baton Rouge doesn't need a hotter afternoon to have a more dangerous summer—or a pricier one. It just needs nights that keep refusing to let go. ### Drinks all around URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/drinks-all-around/ Last updated: 2026-07-10T00:35:19.000Z East Baton Rouge Parish has licensed 1,470 businesses to sell, serve or dispense alcohol, according to the parish government’s Open Data BR. **Why it matters:** The parish alcohol map shows Baton Rouge as it actually works—not as a row of bar districts, but as a network of restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations, lounges and neighborhood corridors where people eat, shop and make beer runs. **By the numbers:** The top ZIP code is 70808, with 165 licenses, covering LSU, Acadian, Southdowns and the Perkins Road corridor. The area has students, bars, restaurants, convenience stores and higher-income neighborhoods where people have the habit and money to go out. **The runner-up:** Downtown and the areas just south of it (70802) have 148 licenses. That’s a reminder that downtown still has places to gather, and that the LSU North Gates are busy with students, game days and university events. The Chimes Highland, for instance, sits in 70802. **Then the map turns suburban fast:** 70816, around O’Neal, Coursey and Sherwood Forest, has 145 licenses. After that come 70805 with 130, 70806 with 128, 70809 with 127 and 70810 with 126. **The big picture:** Baton Rouge drinking is not confined to nightlife strips. It follows daily life—restaurants, grocery aisles, gas station coolers and the commercial roads that stitch the parish together. **Bottom line:** The alcohol map is less Bourbon Street than everyday Baton Rouge: dinner, errands, a six-pack on the way home. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### The ascent of man URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-ascent-of-man/ Last updated: 2026-07-10T00:34:46.000Z The summer sun will beat you down if you insist on running outdoors, and treadmills, even for the faithful, have a way of making exercise feel like punishment. [Uptown Climbing](https://www.uptownclimbing.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) has a better idea: Go the mile, but make it vertical. **The details:** Baton Rouge’s only climbing gym is turning the dead heat of July into a monthlong challenge that is part fitness test, part bragging right and part excuse to stay inside. - In the month, climbers are challenged to climb 5,280 feet, up and down any of the walls at the gym. - The challenge began as a fundraiser for Paradox Sports, which specializes in adaptive climbing for people with disabilities. - In 2024, Uptown turned it into a personal challenge called the Midsummer Mile. Finishers get a one-of-a-kind sticker that is not for sale and cannot be earned any other way. **By the numbers:** - 70, the oldest climber to complete the mile last year. The youngest was 11. - 20 miles, the farthest climb, while a 63-year-old made it 10 miles. - 3.5 hours, the fastest to a mile. - 52, the number registered this year, with the total climbing. Follow their [progress here](https://www.uptownclimbing.com/climbamile-leader-board?ref=redeyebr.com). **Bottom line:** In July, a mile in Baton Rouge is usually something to endure. At Uptown, it’s something to scale, and in air-conditioning. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Disconnect the dots URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/disconnect-the-dots/ Last updated: 2026-07-08T23:33:36.000Z Baton Rouge loves sticker boards in its planning processes, but there's a smarter way to gather input. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Sole searching URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/sole-searching/ Last updated: 2026-07-09T16:28:45.000Z In Tokyo, a *RedEy*e correspondent once saw more than 200 sneakerheads lined up for a new release, some having encased their prized footwear in costly transparent rubber armor. Baton Rouge gets its own glimpse of the cult tomorrow, when the privately-run [2nd Annual BR Sneaker Fest](https://www.instagram.com/brsneakerfest/?ref=redeyebr.com) lands at the Main Library from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sneakers, once merely useful, remain absurdly valuable. The priciest ever sold were eight pairs worn by Michael Jordan during NBA playoff runs across eight seasons. They fetched $8 million at auction, proving again that capitalism runs fastest in limited editions. The Baton Rouge gathering will bring collectors, buyers, sellers and traders together for a day of shoes, food, fashion shows and a trading pit. “We are bemused by it and are excited to have a fun community event in our fun community space,” says Mary Stein, assistant director of the East Baton Rouge Parish Library, who wears BOBS by Skechers because she can slip into them and the maker donates to charity. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Under the overpass URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/under-the-overpass/ Last updated: 2026-07-08T23:23:51.000Z Civic leaders pushed for a beautiful pedestrian link to the Perkins Road Overpass. The project begins, with a couple of issues to be decided. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### No more secret agents URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/no-more-secret-agents/ Last updated: 2026-07-08T23:07:03.000Z NIL agents having to register with the state is the latest sign that college and even high school athletics are forever changing. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The off-season case for New Orleans URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-off-season-case-for-new-orleans/ Last updated: 2026-07-08T23:05:33.000Z New Orleans is a city built for visitors. Nearly 20 million people go each year, many of them arriving with one clear purpose: eating exceptionally well. Baton Rouge gets a useful advantage here. One of the world’s great food cities is less than 90 minutes away by car, which means no airports, no flight delays, no tickets to buy. **Why now:** Use the heat to your advantage. You already live in South Louisiana, so your body has been trained for this. In summer, New Orleans is slower; premium hotel rooms can cost about half as much as in peak season, and restaurants that are hard to book become places you can walk into. Here are five places to eat this summer. - **Dolfy’s:** Open less than a year, this [Spanish tapas restaurant](https://dolfys.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) gives you the right kind of summer meal: small plates, cold drinks and enough variety to keep ordering. Start with patatas bravas, the fried cubes of potato in a rich sauce, and the oysters chargrilled with Fresno chilies, Manchego cheese and sourdough breadcrumbs. Save room for the Basque cheesecake, which has a caramelized top and a creamy, tangy custard-like interior. - **Cafe Malou:** This is a neighborhood brunch and lunch spot in Uptown, near Audubon Park and just off Magazine Street. [Cafe Malou](https://www.cafemalou.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) is connected to [Octavia Books](https://octaviabooks.com/?ref=redeyebr.com), which already makes it civilized. The house specialty is baked eggs, though the brioche French toast has its own constituency. This is the kind of place that makes a day in New Orleans feel pleasantly unplanned. - **Emeril’s:** The two-Michelin-star restaurant is slower in summer, which means a reservation is more realistic. But the better move may be the bar, where [Emeril’s](https://emerilsrestaurant.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) serves a limited menu and desserts. Fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies come in pairs for $8\. Order a cocktail, peek into the dining room and enjoy one of the most beautiful restaurants in the world without committing to the full pricey pageant. - **Flour Moon Bagels:** On the return trip to Baton Rouge, you have two proper options for food to bring home. [Flour Moon](https://flourmoonbagels.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) is one of them; Ayu Bakehouse is the other. The bagel shop on the Lafitte Greenway has become known for the best bagels in New Orleans and beyond. Alon Shaya serves them at Saba, which is a strong endorsement. The Full Moon is the traditional order: cream cheese, lox, capers and onions. It is good. The better one is the Harvest Moon, with roasted carrot, tahini, cucumber, onion, olives and herbs on a rosemary bagel. It is crunchy, chewy and alive with flavor. Get a half-dozen bagels for the road. - **Ayu Bakehouse:** The secret is out, which means there will be a line at his [Marigny Street bakery](https://www.ayubakehouse.com/?ref=redeyebr.com). Consider this an opportunity to make new friends or at least observe people making pastry decisions under pressure. Croissants are available, but you deserve sugar after your wait. Get several pastries, a sourdough loaf and a cup of [Mammoth Double Trouble](https://mammothcoffee.co/?ref=redeyebr.com) coffee. Then find a tree in the park next door, sit in the shade and remember that summer travel is easier when breakfast comes with butter. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Field of schemes URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/field-of-schemes/ Last updated: 2026-07-08T23:05:11.000Z Summer and baseball fit together like hand and glove, even in Baton Rouge, where the games keep going after LSU’s season ends and Alex Box goes quiet. That leaves room for the Baton Rouge Rougarou, now in their third season and trying to build on an early run that already includes last year’s Texas Collegiate League title. But minor league baseball has never survived on the baseball alone. It needs theater. The Altoona Curve once created a proudly awful ballpark night, blaring William Shatner songs, showing batting averages as “failure averages,” staging onion bobbing and handing the first 1,000 fans a photo of a recently removed gallbladder. The Rougarou are working from a more digestible playbook. They have fireworks on Fridays during the seventh-inning stretch, Bally’s Party Deck with never-ending hot dogs, and Tramonte’s hamburgers and Margaritas for the outlandish price of $3\. The swag is strong, too, including a Skip Bertman Rougarou bobblehead, which is the kind of sentence that justifies summer baseball all by itself. **Bottom line:** LSU owns the spring. But summer belongs to Goldsby Field, preferably on burger night, with Hawaiian shirts encouraged. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### A conservancy to consider URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/a-conservancy-to-consider/ Last updated: 2026-07-08T02:25:49.000Z Houston's Buffalo Bayou offers a blueprint for a conservancy Baton Rouge could trust. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### A dead corner gets a builder URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/a-dead-corner-gets-a-builder/ Last updated: 2026-07-08T02:03:58.000Z Brew-Bachers will be converted to a corporate office of a construction firm, which chose Government Street for its location and restaurants. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### A novel turn of events URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/a-ov/ Last updated: 2026-07-08T02:25:19.000Z Barnes & Noble was once the villain in the bookstore story, the giant chain marching across America and flattening local shops along the way. In Baton Rouge, that meant the end of places like Elliot’s, once in Village Square on College Drive, where the Wal-Mart now stands. **The details:** The plot has turned. Barnes & Noble has moved to Towne Center and is growing again under an English CEO who has given local managers more power to make stores feel less like corporate boxes and more like neighborhood bookstores. At the same time, independent bookstores are making a comeback, even as fewer Americans are reading books. **By the numbers:** - 70% increase in U.S. bookstore companies over five years, per the American Booksellers Association. - 605 new brick-and-mortar, mobile, and pop-up locations opened in 2025 - 200+ annual openings over the last five years. - And 73% of booksellers reported a sales increase in 2025 **The local angle:** Independent bookstores are rising for the same reason they always have: people who love books decide to open stores for other people who love books. You can see the Baton Rouge version on a bookstore tour arranged by [Chapter Twenty, the mobile bookstore](https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ6N-FDuwrz/?utm%5Fsource=ig%5Fweb%5Fcopy%5Flink&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==). Stops include: - TBR Books & Tea, 7276 Highland Road. - Cavalier House Books in Denham Springs, 114 N Range Ave. - Curious Cabinets Bookshop in Central, 13623 Hooper Road - Red Stick Reads, which outgrew its Mid City space and landed in a larger one, 3829 Government Street **The bottom line:** Fewer people may be reading books. But enough people still are to keep bookstores growing in Baton Rouge and around the country, carrying forward one of the more civilized ideas we have: stories shared from generation to generation. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### The pretzel gets its due at Mid City Beer Garden URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-pretzel-gets-its-due-at-mid-city-beer-garden/ Last updated: 2026-07-08T02:24:52.000Z In the snack aisle, the pretzel warms the bench. Potato chips get the prime spots—bags puffed up, brands elbowing for attention— while pretzels sit off to the side like the responsible snack nobody invited to the party. The numbers back it up: Pretzels sell about a fourth of what chips do. Fair enough. Chips are a crisp, salty potato pleasure. Pretzels, too often, are dry knots of obligation. Except at Mid City Beer Garden, where the pretzel has been rescued from sadness and returned to its rightful place next to beer. The beer garden made two smart calls. First, it refused to treat the pretzel as an afterthought. Second, it didn't try to bake them in-house. The pretzels arrive frozen from Chicago, a city that understands hand food–see the Chicago dog and deep dish pizza. The result is one of the better snacks on any Baton Rouge menu, and a better beer companion than the chip's cousin, the French fry. It arrives browned, warm and soft in the middle, with just enough crunch to remind you this is not mall food. The sea salt is not a garnish. Those little hits are what turn a good pretzel into beer food—the kind that makes the cold glass nearby feel like the inevitable next step. Repeated. On a busy day, the pretzel at Beer Garden ranks in the top 5, frozen drinks at the top. Sales tell the story. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Pickleball, but make it gangster URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/pickleball-but-make-it-gangster/ Last updated: 2026-07-08T02:22:06.000Z Promoters turn the popular sport into an event, with the best players secretly asked to attend and prizes handed out in stacks of one dollar bills. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Transfer of blame URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/transfer-of-blame/ Last updated: 2026-07-08T02:25:32.000Z Developer-built roads in EBR Parish are failing at 10 years. Taxpayers are picking up the tab. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### BREC: the high price of excellence? URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-high-price-of-competence/ Last updated: 2026-07-06T23:30:32.000Z _This post is for subscribers only._ ### St. George: signs, signs, everywhere signs URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/st-george-signs-signs-everywhere-signs/ Last updated: 2026-07-06T23:24:55.000Z St. George is getting new street signs, part of a broader effort to make the new city look and feel like its own place. You can see the signs along Perkins Road, starting near the city limits at Bluebonnet and heading toward Siegen Lane. **The details:** Mayor Dustin Yates says the city is starting with major thoroughfares, then moving into neighborhoods over time as signs need to be replaced. - City engineers designed the signs, including the font and style. An internal group chose the final look. - A private firm is making them, though Yates did not have the company’s name or costs at top of mind last week. - The signs are a mashup of colors. Yates says white signs are for east-west roads, blue signs for north-south. But RedEye reporters have also seen brown signs, such as the ones on Perkins Road last week. - Some intersections now have duplicate signs, but the older ones will come down when power is shifted from them to new ones. **The split:** As usual, Facebook and Reddit have turned civic hardware into a culture war. St. George supporters like the new look. Critics say the signs are unnecessary. “The older signs were better, easier to read,” one person wrote. “Huge waste of money.” **A lesson in signs:** - Traffic engineers generally favor white-on-green street signs because they are easy to read at driving speeds. Brown is usually used for parks, historic districts and cultural areas. - For readability**,** high contrast matters most. White on green is excellent at driving speeds. Black on white is excellent in daylight. White on brown is readable, but usually not quite as strong because brown reflects less light. **The bigger picture:** Yates says the signs are part of a larger push to establish St. George’s identity and improve basic infrastructure. The city has already striped more than 100 miles of road, improved drainage, and is beginning to add landscaping at entrances. **The bottom line:** The signs are a small thing carrying a larger message: St. George is no longer just a new boundary on a map. It’s a city trying to come into its own. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Take me home … ranch dressing URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/take-me-home-ranch-dressing/ Last updated: 2026-07-06T23:24:27.000Z Somewhere between the goals, the group-stage upsets and knock-out round tension, ranch dressing became the unofficial mascot of America's World Cup summer. A Dallas Fort Worth airport shop is now stocking bottles of it, *Axios* reports, right next to the jerseys and scarves—proof that when the world shows up, we hand them a squeeze bottle instead of a passport stamp. TSA had to [remind travelers](https://www.instagram.com/p/DZp4r77DruG/?igsh=MTk3Mnltbm5xbjRodQ==&ref=redeyebr.com) that carry-on liquids are capped at 3.4 ounces, which might be the most American sentence ever written. One European visitor [summed up the mood](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/1u3v3vn/comment/org0sc6/?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=mweb3x&utm%5Fname=mweb3xcss&utm%5Fterm=2&utm%5Fcontent=share%5Fbutton) on Reddit, declaring ranch dressing should be a human right. Baton Rouge should feel vindicated. We've been dunking pizza, wings and just about anything else in ranch for decades—no World Cup required to prove the point. The rest of the world is finally catching up to something we've always known. ### Stars, stripes and shrugs URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/stars-stripes-and-shrugs/ Last updated: 2026-07-02T02:13:00.000Z America is turning 250 with a little less chest-thumping than usual, a [Gallup poll ](https://news.gallup.com/poll/711938/american-pride-falls-year-record-low.aspx?ref=redeyebr.com)shows. Only 33% of U.S. adults say they are "extremely proud" to be American—the lowest mark since Gallup started asking in 2001. **Why it matters:** The slide reflects the political climate more than anything else. The chasm between Republicans and Democrats on national pride makes that clear. But it's the discontented independents who are the real story—as swing voters, their lack of enthusiasm could signal something about November elections. **The details:** Gallup has tracked this question since January 2001\. The results from this year's survey dropped Monday. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/2026/06/U.S.-Adults-Pride-in-Being-an-American-2001-2026-1.jpg) **By the numbers:** - The 33% figure is down eight points from last year—tied for the biggest single-year drop in the poll's history, matching the 2004-to-2005 decline. - 70% of Republicans say they are extremely proud, compared with 28% of independents and 14% of Democrats. **The gender gap:** Women drove the steeper drop. Just 26% now say they are extremely proud to be American, down 13 points from last year. Men are essentially unchanged at 42%. **The age gap:** Younger adults remain the least likely to wave the rhetorical flag. Only 14% of Americans ages 18 to 34 say they're extremely proud—down 10 points from a year ago. **The bottom line:** American pride has been sliding for two decades. But the country is in its 250th birthday year with a decline feeling less like a slow leak and more like somebody found the valve. ### A different Lake project URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/a-different-lake-project/ Last updated: 2026-07-02T02:12:41.000Z FMOL Health plans to invest about **$70 million** to renovate the former Bone & Joint Clinic into the new home of the Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Institute, with the project expected to open in 2028. **Why it matters:** The investment is the latest sign that the Capital Region’s largest health systems continue pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into facilities and specialty care as [competition for patients intensifies](https://www.redeyebr.com/the-lake-builds-an-offense/). **Details:** **Changing plans:** The renovation replaces an earlier proposal for a new $100 million freestanding cancer center on the Essen Lane campus. FMOL says improved collaboration with Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center allows it to focus on consolidating oncology, infusion, imaging, laboratory and breast care services under one roof while leaving radiation treatment to its longtime partner. **The bottom line:** The project expands FMOL’s aggressive capital investment strategy while underscoring that Baton Rouge’s health care market is in the midst of a high-stakes building boom. ### Kenilworth Parade: Men in hats URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/men-in-hats/ Last updated: 2026-07-02T13:19:10.000Z The Kenilworth Independence Day Parade is the oldest and largest July Fourth land parade in Louisiana, and one of the better reminders that a community can turn its streets into mischief and merriment. In 1973, the parade started on a lark: a few residents riding lawnmowers and bicycles on Bromley Drive, handing out cold beer from a keg, with children falling in behind them and making noise on musical instruments. The celebration has grown into 45 entries this year, including Cub Scouts, swim teams, politicians and the Knights of Columbus, whose float resembles the Santa Maria. Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, the ebullient Republican who once dragged an elephant behind a trailer in the parade, won’t attend this year. Someone should bring the elephant anyway. The most unusual sight, once again, will likely be the Acacia Chapter of the Shriners: grown men folded into customized go-carts and three-wheelers, wearing fezzes with tassels and throwing trinkets to the crowd. Beneath all that cheerful foolishness is the serious work of raising money for Shriners Children’s, a network of pediatric specialty hospitals across North America. “They are definitely one of the more interesting groups we have in the parade,” said Paul Sicard, co-chair of the parade, a Kenilworth Parkway resident for more than three decades and a diplomat when asked about the parade’s oddest entry. The parade itself has always been colorful. In earlier years, hot-air balloons were staked on the Kenilworth school lawn and lifted children about 50 feet into the air, a practice likely ended by common sense or a neighborhood attorney on the civic association board. Held July 3 at 6:30 p.m., the parade will draw about 10,000 people along its route. Join them: bring a lawn chair, something cold and fizzy, and a handheld fan, and cheer the grown men driving tiny cars for a good cause. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### A frank discussion URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/a-frank-discussion/ Last updated: 2026-07-01T00:31:38.000Z Ranch dressing may be having its global discovery moment. Fine. Welcome the world to buttermilk and seasonings. But the Chicago dog has been winning converts for years in places where people have never heard of Wrigley Field. I once asked my Indian cousin to name his favorite American food. He did not pause to consider hamburgers, barbecue or pizza, our food trinity. “The Chicago dog,” he said. At Frankie’s Dawg House off Perkins Road, it’s the top order. There are other dogs on the menu, and they may be delicious. But many feel newer, as if the ingredients came first and somebody in the back had to name the thing later. A Chicago dog is different. It is a whole meal: beef frank, poppy seed bun, mustard, neon-green relish, onions, tomato, pickle, celery salt and, most important, sport peppers. They bring the crunch, bite and acid that make the whole thing work. Without them, it’s just a hot dog wearing a salad. Just as important is what’s missing. No ketchup. Clint Eastwood settled this years ago in a [*Dirty Harry* movie](https://youtu.be/Xz84GKxy7b0?si=8YfVt6edie10SzNH&ref=redeyebr.com), growling at a cop who had committed a felony: loading up hot dogs with Heinz. “Nobody, I mean nobody, puts ketchup on a hot dog.” This is a good week to honor the hot dog, that most democratic of American meals. Get yours at Frankie’s Dawg House, where the Chicago dog tastes right, and the restaurant looks like it was assembled by hand with whatever materials were within reach. Which feels fitting. The Chicago dog has always looked like somebody made a meal out of everything good nearby, then had the good sense to share it with others. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### The Jaguar stirs URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-jaguar-stirs/ Last updated: 2026-07-01T00:30:13.000Z Southern University is building more on-campus housing because more students are showing up. **Why it matters:** LSU is already a flywheel for the Baton Rouge economy. Southern’s growth gives North Baton Rouge more of that same energy: students, jobs, spending, construction and the chance to keep more young people here after they graduate. Together, LSU and Southern give the parish a larger opportunity: educate more people, then persuade some of them to stay and build lives here. **The details:** Southern recently cut the ribbon on two new residential buildings totaling 850 beds. One building is aimed at first- and second-year students. The other offers more apartment-style housing for upperclassmen and graduate students. The Louisiana Public Facilities Authority played a central role in financing the project. **The bigger picture:** Southern’s Baton Rouge campus spent years fighting enrollment decline. Then, about a decade ago, the university got more aggressive: more recruiters, more marketing and more alumni outreach. It worked. **By the numbers:** Southern’s Baton Rouge campus has added nearly 2,400 students over 10 years, with much of the growth occurring after 2020, per Southern University board documents. - Southern enrollment in fall 1995: 10,359, a high point. - Low point: 6,408 in 2016. - Enrollment in 2025: 8,908. **The bottom line:** Southern’s growth is good for North Baton Rouge and good for the parish. That happened because leaders implemented an aggressive and smart strategy to reverse a decline that seemed likely to render the university irrelevant. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### The Texas myth URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-texas-myth/ Last updated: 2026-07-01T00:29:39.000Z Louisiana should be like Texas. It's a battle cry screamed across Baton Rouge almost as much as "Geaux Tigers"—and with equal passion. You hear it every legislative session, on every campaign trail, at every business lobby pitch. Be like Texas, no income tax, little regulation and eye-popping growth. Sounds great. Who doesn't want to be like Texas, right now the most economically dominant and vibrant state in America? One problem: It's structurally impossible, and Louisiana's own governing choices have made sure of that. **Why it matters:** The problem with the Lone Star love isn't the aspirational rhetoric; it's that it distracts from the harsh truth that Louisiana's governing model and tax structure are about as far from Texas as a state can get. Eliminating the income tax, more tax incentives or fewer regulations are not going to change that. **A familiar refrain:** The Texas comparison has been a fixture of Louisiana politics and business lobbying for nearly two decades. - Jeff Landry made it the explicit rationale for the 2024 special session tax overhaul, collapsing the income tax to a flat 3% and abolishing the corporate franchise tax. - Richard Nelson, who ran against Landry in 2023 on a platform of eliminating the income tax, dropped out and backed Landry—then became the architect of that overhaul as his revenue secretary. - Bobby Jindal made the most aggressive attempt while governor, pushing to eliminate the income tax in 2013\. It collapsed when the sales tax increase required to replace lost revenue proved politically untenable—and the Stelly Plan repeal he signed earlier had already blown a structural hole in the state budget that his successor inherited. - LABI, Louisiana's most powerful business lobby, invokes Texas in nearly every legislative session—using it to defend industrial tax incentives, oppose regulation and argue for lower corporate tax burdens. **The eyes of...:** Texas decentralized fiscal power to cities and counties and accepted the consequences. - There's no income tax because local governments fund themselves—aggressively—through property taxes, among the highest in the nation. - Cities and counties there have broad home rule authority. They can act without asking the state's permission. - Texas counties are largely self-sufficient. State transfers are the exception, not the lifeline. **Louisiana's reality:** Louisiana centralized everything and accepted those consequences. - Local governments are constitutionally prohibited from taxing income, severance or motor fuels—leaving them almost entirely dependent on sales and property taxes, both constrained by exemptions. - The homestead exemption—shielding the first $75,000 of a home's market value from parish property taxes since 1980—deliberately suppresses the revenue source that funds Texas-style local government. The Legislature's instinct has been to expand it, not reduce it. - Roughly a third of Louisiana's 64 parishes would be bankrupt without state transfers. That's not a Texas problem because Texas never built that dependency in the first place. **Dream vs. reality:** The appeal of the Texas model is real and the legislative push to get there is genuine. - "Texas being at zero and Florida being at zero and our neighbors in Mississippi are getting on a pathway to zero income tax, I want Louisiana to keep up in order for our economy to continue to grow," said Rep. Julie Emerson, R-Carencro, who authored the [tax overhaul package](https://www.wbrz.com/news/state-house-approves-bill-that-could-cut-louisiana-s-flat-income-tax-rate?ref=redeyebr.com) and is now the governor's chief of staff. - "Everybody wants to be like Florida and Texas, but if you look at their property taxes, to do that in Louisiana, we'd have to have a 100-mill property tax to replace that money," countered Rep. Robby Carter. **Hybrid won't work:** Cutting income taxes while preserving the homestead exemption, protecting industrial incentives meant to overcome Louisiana's byzantine tax code and leaving local governments constitutionally dependent on state transfers doesn't produce a Texas-style economy. It produces Louisiana with lower revenue. Jindal proved it can't work without offsetting budget cuts. Landry's 2024 overhaul is still working out the consequences. **The bottom line:** Texas and Louisiana made different choices decades ago and built different systems around those choices. Louisiana's problem isn't that it hasn't tried hard enough to be Texas. It's that it never built the foundation Texas did—and shows no sign of starting. ### Supercharged El Niño is likely coming URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/supercharged-el-nino-is-likely-coming/ Last updated: 2026-07-01T00:28:59.000Z A powerful El Niño is taking shape, which means South Louisiana may get a strange weather bargain: fewer hurricanes, but more rain and a few bigger risks hiding in the fine print. **What's happening:** El Niño is the periodic warming of the tropical Pacific Ocean. That warmth shifts weather patterns around the world, including here. - NOAA says we are already in an El Niño, and there is a 63% chance it will strengthen into a rare "super" El Niño this winter. That has happened only a handful of times since 1950, including 1982–83, 1997–98, 2015–16 and 2023–24. **What it means for Louisiana:** - El Niño usually cuts down on Atlantic hurricanes by creating wind shear that makes it harder for storms to form and survive. That's comforting, but only up to a point. A storm that does make it into the Gulf will find very warm water waiting. And warm Gulf water turns a bad storm into a rapidly intensifying one. - El Niño also tends to make Gulf Coast winters wetter. For South Louisiana, that means more chances for heavy rain, flooding and severe weather through fall and winter. - There's also a longer-term concern. After the 2015–16 super El Niño, researchers found the Gulf settled into a warmer pattern that may have helped fuel stronger hurricanes in the years that followed. Another strong El Niño could help reset the Gulf's thermostat again. **The bottom line:** El Niño should reduce the number of Atlantic storms this season, so the big-box run for pallets of water may be less likely. But Louisiana does not get a free pass. The tradeoff could be a wetter fall and winter, a small but real drought risk later, and the possibility of a Gulf that stays warmer for years. The headline number looks reassuring. The fine print is where Louisiana lives. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Outwitting the mosquito URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/outwitting-the-mosquito/ Last updated: 2026-07-01T00:28:16.000Z We return now to the mosquito, that tiny Louisiana aircraft with bad intentions. Around here, mosquitoes are not merely bugs. They are biological drones with a thirst for mischief. They come in low, find bare skin, take a blood meal and leave behind a red welt and a private invitation to madness. Your first defense is repellent. Spray it on. Make peace with smelling briefly like a fishing camp. But female mosquitoes are clever. One will always get through. When that happens, the first impulse is to scratch. That feels good for one glorious second, except that the itch doubles down and returns with a vengeance that compels you to scratch more. Dr. Trisha Pasricha, a physician and Washington Post columnist, offers a better idea: gently rub the area around the bite. The science is simple enough. An itch works partly by contrast. The bite stands out because it feels different from the surrounding skin. Gentle rubbing blurs that little alarm. So her lesson is restraint, which is asking a lot after a mosquito has treated your leg like the Piccadilly buffet. Gently rubbing will not bring justice. But it might bring peace. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Woody's world URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/woodys-world/ Last updated: 2026-06-30T04:17:36.000Z Julia Letlow may have cruised past John Fleming in the Republican Senate runoff, winning by nearly 14 points across the state, but it was a close call in East Baton Rouge Parish. **Why it matters:** The impact of President Donald Trump and Gov. Jeff Landry isn't a slam dunk here, especially when it clashes with the view of Woody Jenkins and his hard-right Republican network. **By the numbers:** The outcome, once the polls closed, was never in doubt. Letlow carried every EBR municipality, but none of the wins came easy. - Her most decisive win was in Zachary, earning 60.5% of the vote. - Central and St. George, the strongholds of influence for Jenkins and his EBR Republican Party, gave her only slight edges, 52.8% and 51.9%, respectively. - Baton Rouge was a toss-up she narrowly won with 50.7%. - Fleming's only clean win came in early voting, securing 52.1%. **Right on right crime:** This was a case of all politics being local. Trump and Landry backed Letlow for political reasons; Jenkins sided with Fleming on ideological grounds. - Jenkins and the local Republican Party branded Letlow a moderate in MAGA clothes, decrying her pro-DEI while she was at the University of Louisiana-Monroe. - Trump and Landry were early to the Letlow endorsement party, and the President held a phone rally that drew 98,000 listeners to help the House Republican win. - The wildcards were No Party voters, who decide whether to vote in the Democratic or Republican runoff, with political insiders speculating that they voted for Fleming on the theory that it would improve the runoff odds for Jamie Davis, the advancing Democrat. **The bottom line:** Letlow won and is nearly a lock to win the final stage of Louisiana's new three-stage election trilogy, but East Baton Rouge Republicans made clear Trump's desires aren't absolute. ### Great expectations for the library URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/great-expectations-for-the-library/ Last updated: 2026-06-30T00:46:07.000Z The East Baton Rouge Parish Library spent the past year dodging funding raids, political attacks and social media potshots. Then voters gave it another decade. **Why it matters:** With Saturday’s tax renewal secured, library leaders can stop playing defense and return to the work: books, branches, technology, job training and places where children can learn without anyone asking for a credit card. **What’s next:** The library will return to its master plan at a measured pace, with plenty in it for people who use branches or go online for services. Mary Stein, the library’s assistant director, sent *RedEye* a list of work planned for the next few years. - The library will keep its freeze on 72 open jobs for now, a cautious move after a bruising year. “We will take our time to determine what is needed,” Stein says. **The big work:** - Expansions and upgrades are back on for Scotlandville, Bluebonnet, Baker and Zachary, along with a new Delmont Gardens branch. - Smaller renovations and repairs are planned for Carver, Eden Park, Pride-Chaneyville, the Main Library and Fairwood. - The library also will pursue smaller, 8.000-square-foot branches at the former Earl K. Long hospital site and around Gardere Avenue. Those would fall into the system’s START library category, which targets services and resources to fill gaps and fit neighborhood needs. **For readers:** - Fuller book budgets should mean less waiting for the popular titles everyone suddenly wants at the same time. - The library also could devote resources to its mobile hotspot program, which helps people with limited or no internet access get online. The devices are in high demand and provide access to the Libby system, which offers digital books, the best thing since sliced bread. **The fun stuff:** - Outdoor StoryWalks could expand to more branches. The stories unfold on kiosks and change each month. The library already has them at the Main Library branch, Carver in Old South Baton Rouge and in Baker. - Bike repair stations, like the one at the South Branch at Rouzan, could be added at more locations, including the Main Library. - Drinking fountains across the system will be converted into combination fountains and water-bottle filling stations. Less plastic waste. Better civilization. **More programming:** - The library is planning more ASL classes in 2027, more maker classes and the next Small Business Engine series. - It also will update the “Press Start, Ready, Set, Read!” series of 36 booklets, designed to help families with children ages 2–4 get ready for kindergarten. **The bottom line:** Voters did not just renew a tax. They gave the library permission to stop flinching and get back to the main reason libraries exist: to teach, share knowledge and keep civilization intact, from one generation to the next. ### Data centers are here. Louisiana can leverage the AI investments URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/data-centers-are-here-louisiana-can-leverage-the-ai-investments/ Last updated: 2026-06-30T00:45:49.000Z A thousand construction workers are on a job site in St. Francisville, building one of the largest data centers in the South. When they're done, 75 people will run it. That's how data centers work—and Louisiana already knew it was a problem. **Why it matters:** Baton Rouge and West Feliciana Parish are sitting inside an AI infrastructure boom that doesn't come around often. A [new report from ING](https://think.ing.com/articles/three-trends-we-are-watching-in-the-us-data-centre-industry/?ref=redeyebr.com), the Dutch investment bank, lays out how communities can convert a construction surge into something lasting. Louisiana has already created a $50 million fund to leverage the boom. **The details:** The St. Francisville facility is a $10 billion project. The workers building it will eventually move on. The 75 who stay will manage power systems, cooling equipment and the machinery that keeps the lights blinking—less than 10% of data center construction employment, which is standard. [ING economist Coco Zhang](https://think.ing.com/articles/three-trends-we-are-watching-in-the-us-data-centre-industry/?ref=redeyebr.com) argues that communities willing to think past the ribbon-cutting can do considerably better. Two moves matter most: - **Turn temporary workers into permanent ones.** Construction ends. The buildings don't. Data centers need people who understand energy systems and heavy equipment—and those workers don't have to be imported if local training programs get there first. - **Don't settle for being the construction site.** Microsoft figured out a bigger play in Wisconsin, pairing its data center expansion with college partnerships and helping local manufacturers adopt AI in their own operations. The data centers became an anchor. The economy should grow from there. Louisiana is running that play. The state's [$50 million fund](https://www.opportunitylouisiana.gov/news/state-of-louisiana-launches-innovation-brand-announces-creation-of-50-million-growth-fund-and-artificial-intelligence-research-institute?ref=redeyebr.com) is designed to seed startups and help existing companies put AI to work—exactly the kind of downstream strategy ING says separates communities that capitalize on the boom from ones that make short-term gains from the construction. **The bottom line:** LSU, Southern and Baton Rouge Community College are a short drive from a $10 billion investment, and the state has money on the table to connect that world to this one. The framework is there. Now somebody has to take the next step. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### The ugly truth about watermelon URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-ugly-truth-about-watermelon/ Last updated: 2026-06-30T00:45:13.000Z The watermelon keeps its secrets. A mango or pineapple will tell you when it’s ready. You can smell the sweetness before you cut it open. Strawberries practically announce themselves by color. But a watermelon just sits there like a green safe, daring you to crack the code. To choose watermelons, we turn to old wives’ tales and grocery-store theater. Some people thump them, listening for a deep, hollow sound that supposedly signals a good melon. Others lift one melon after another, looking for the one that feels heavier than its size. In watermelon country, heft is hope. So how do farmers choose? “The uglier, the better,” said Hannah Kelly of Living Acres farm, who was selling seedless watermelons for $8 apiece Saturday at the Red Stick Farmers Market. She worked through the pile to show off the signs. The bottom, known sweetly as the “belly button,” should be small. The best melons often carry brown webbing across the rind, those rough little scars that look like flaws but are a signal of sweetness. Our advice: Stop pretending you know what you’re doing. Let the farmer at the market, or the person selling from the back of a pickup, choose for you. The experts know. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### The Dewey Decimal System gets some love URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-dewey-decimal-system-gets-some-love/ Last updated: 2026-06-29T01:35:23.000Z When the votes were counted Saturday night, all the sound and fury surrounding the library tax had signified exactly what Shakespeare promised—nothing. East Baton Rouge Parish voters did what they've done every 10 years since 1986\. They renewed it. And this time by the widest margin in at least three decades. Voters also gave a giant thumbs up to property tax renewals for BREC and the Council on Aging. **Why it matters:** The precinct-by-precinct breakdown left no doubt that voters across the parish, with one exception, want a first-class library system and approve of the job that's been done over the past 10 years. **Inside the numbers:** The library got 64% approval parishwide—essentially the same percentage as BREC's renewal (63.6%) and just 4 points behind the COA, a tax few fight because nobody wants to say no to senior meals and transportation. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/2026/06/Three-Tax-Chart-How-fared-in-each-city.jpg) **By the book:** The library tax passed decisively in Baton Rouge, Baker, Zachary and St. George. It also won approval in the parish's unincorporated areas. - The lone exception was Central, which rejected all three proposals on the ballot. - Any suburban opposition was dwarfed by strong support in North Baton Rouge, which earned 77.6% approval and carried every precinct. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/2026/06/Library-Tax-City-Break-out-chart.jpg) **Humpty Dumpty:** Lane Grigsby, the proclaimed "king maker," may have lost his crown. The library tax is the second election in which the influential Grigsby has injected himself without achieving his desired outcome. - He worked hard to get Jeff Landry elected governor without the need of a runoff in exchange for a constitutional convention, something that's long been on Grigsby's wish list. Landry is the governor, but there's been no convention. - Grigsby, along with his son, underwrote the Jambalaya PAC to campaign against the library tax, spending at least $14,000 on direct mail and $1,300 on Facebook ads, according to state ethics records. - That money spoke to the already anti-tax voters in the parish. It failed to convert any new ones. **The bottom line:** Voters may not agree on much in this divided and parochial parish, but Saturday's message was clear: a first-class library is the closest thing EBR has to common ground. ### Two cities, two votes URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/two-cities-two-votes/ Last updated: 2026-06-29T01:35:03.000Z Central voters just said no. Not once, not twice, but three times. The suburban hamlet hunkered down and was the lone voice of dissent on each of the three parishwide tax proposals approved by voters on Saturday. They may not have big numbers, but voters there hung together on the hill of defeat. Meanwhile, in the heart of Baton Rouge—where a rather nasty political fight has been playing out over the City-Brooks Park master plan and especially the fate of its 9-hole golf course—voters on both sides of the issue set aside their differences long enough to call a truce and approve a BREC tax renewal. **Why it matters:** Central, based on its voting track record, doesn't see much need for taxes, but Baton Rouge voters stopped hostilities long enough to make it clear together that funding BREC is necessary for a healthy community. **Not on my watch:** Central voters didn't just vote against proposals for the library, BREC and Council on Aging. They crushed them. - COA got the most amount of love from Central, with just 57.6% of voters saying no, compared to roughly 65% for BREC and the library. - Their angst is mighty, but their impact isn't, accounting for less than 5% of the total vote for each measure. A source familiar with Central politics argues voters there want core government services funded before quality-of-life amenities. It's a coherent argument—except Central voters also rejected Thrive EBR in November, a package specifically designed to break down dedicated millages and redirect money toward infrastructure and general fund priorities. **Kumbaya moments:** The most contentious civic debate at the moment is the City-Brooks Park master plan, the golf course, the potential for a conservancy to manage it, and the ongoing University Lakes project. Yet voters near ground zero came together in something resembling harmony to extend a BREC property tax. - Some 70.5% of voters in the 17 precincts surrounding City-Brooks Park approved the BREC tax renewal, just a percentage point behind the library's 71.6%. - Even St. George voters, who are notoriously anti-tax and made it clear they had issues over the millage rate the library was requesting, gave 58.4% approval to the library's request, not as strong as the vote for BREC and COA, but still decisive. **The bottom line:** East Baton Rouge, for all its challenges, sent a clear message that quality of life is important and worth funding—well ... maybe not in Central. ### Taxes, no questions asked URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/taxes-no-questions-asked/ Last updated: 2026-06-29T01:34:47.000Z Voters gave the Council on Aging tax the strongest win of the three parishwide renewals on Saturday, with more than 90% of precincts voting for the 2 mills, which will provide about $12.5 million in funding each year for 10 years. **Why it matters:** The result confirms what local politicians, coffee groups and anyone who has ever tried to cut a senior program already know: Taxes tied to services for older residents are very hard to beat. They may become even harder to beat as East Baton Rouge keeps getting older. **The details:** The Council on Aging tax passed Saturday with 68% of the vote, ahead of the library tax at 64% and the BREC tax at 63%. **The bigger picture:** [*RedEye* has reported](https://www.redeyebr.com/br-power-shifting-as-parish-gets-older/) on the parish’s aging shift. Since 1990, the share of residents under 18 has fallen 5 points, to 22.5%, while the share of residents 65 and older has risen 6 points, to 16.1%. That swing matters even more at the ballot box. Older residents vote at much higher rates than younger ones. Nationally, citizens 65 and older vote at roughly 70% to 80%, compared with less than 50% for those 18 to 29, according to Census data. **The bottom line:** Voters rarely bring the same fiscal skepticism to taxes framed around caring for the elderly. That reflects real community values, but it also gives those taxes a shield from the scrutiny aimed at other public spending. ### 📅 Baton Rouge: Week at a Glance | June 29–July 5 URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/baton-rouge-week-at-a-glance-june-29-july-5/ Last updated: 2026-06-29T01:34:07.000Z **Why it matters:** It's a holiday week—Baton Rouge goes all out for America's 250th birthday and the calendar reflects it. The **Red Stick Farmers Market shifts to its Thursday location at Pennington Biomedical** this week (8 a.m.–noon, July 3); the Saturday market is closed for the Fourth. --- ### **🎆 Fourth of July weekend in Baton Rouge** *From Friday night at the Manship to a free community celebration in St. George on Sunday, here's how the Capital Region marks America's 250th birthday.* ***🗓️ Friday, July 3*** 🎵 **Victory Belles—7:30 p.m.** 📍 Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. - The National WWII Museum's beloved vocal trio performs popular and patriotic music of the 1940s in three-part harmony. A perfect patriotic prelude to the big day. [Tickets](https://www.manshiptheatre.org/comingsoon/victory-belles?ref=redeyebr.com) at manshiptheatre.org. 🎉 **Kenilworth Independence Day Parade—6:30 p.m.** 📍 Kenilworth Parkway, beginning and ending at Kenilworth School, Boone Drive. - Baton Rouge's 54th Annual Independence Day Parade—claimed to be the largest Fourth of July parade in Louisiana. Grand marshal is Jay Dardenne, former State Commissioner of Administration. Beads, candy, civic groups, military units and bands. Free. [Details](http://www.kenilworthneighborhood.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) at kenilworthneighborhood.com. ***🗓️ Saturday, July 4*** 🏛️ **4th of July Extravaganza at Old State Capitol—9 a.m.–5 p.m.** 📍 Louisiana's Old State Capitol, 100 North Blvd. - Games, karaoke, crafts and family-friendly activities inside Baton Rouge's iconic castle. While you're there, don't miss the once-in-a-generation opportunity to see the original Louisiana Purchase document signed by Napoleon Bonaparte—on display through July 11\. Free. 🏛️ **Capitol Park Museum—9:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.** 📍 660 N. Fourth St. - Discounted admission ($5; children 6 and under free) and a free educational craft activity. [Details](https://louisianastatemuseum.org/museum/capitol-park-museum?ref=redeyebr.com) at louisianastatemuseum.org. 🏛️ **Old Governor's Mansion—noon–4 p.m.** 📍 502 North Blvd. - Guided and self-guided tours of the Mansion featuring a special America 250 exhibit. Free. 🎵 **America 250 on the River—2–9 p.m.** 📍 Repentance Park, downtown - Baton Rouge's centerpiece Independence Day celebration—a free all-afternoon concert on the banks of the Mississippi headlined by some of Louisiana's finest. Full lineup: **The Military Concert Band** (2:15 p.m.), **Rockin' Dopsie Jr. & The Zydeco Twisters** (3:30 p.m.), **Amanda Shaw** (5 p.m.), **John Schneider** (6:30 p.m.) and **Wayne Toups** (8 p.m.). The levee, Rhorer Plaza and North Boulevard Town Square are open throughout the day. Stay put when the music ends—you'll have a front-row seat for the fireworks. Hosted by Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser and Mayor-President Sid Edwards. Free. [Details](https://www.visitbatonrouge.com/america250/?ref=redeyebr.com) at visitbatonrouge.com. 🎨 **Tsunami's Rooftop Terrace Bash—6–10 p.m.** 📍 Shaw Center for the Arts, 6th Floor, 100 Lafayette St. - Watch the fireworks over the Mississippi from the best seat in downtown—the Shaw Center rooftop—with food by Tsunami, a cash bar and ticketed access to the fireworks from above. [Tickets](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tsunami-4th-of-july-terrace-bash-general-admission-tickets-1991720360213?ref=redeyebr.com) at Eventbrite. 🎵 **Baton Rouge Concert Band—7–9 p.m.** 📍 Main Library at Goodwood, 7711 Goodwood Blvd. - The annual free Fourth of July concert featuring patriotic classics, marches and heartfelt tributes from one of BR's beloved all-volunteer ensembles. Bring lawn chairs and refreshments. Free. 🎆 **L'Auberge Fireworks Extravaganza—6–11 p.m.** 📍 L'Auberge Casino & Hotel, 777 L'Auberge Ave. - A separate fireworks show from the downtown display—three ways to watch: the free all-ages Lawn Party featuring Jovin Webb starting at 6 p.m., the Rooftop Pool Party (21+, $40, 7 p.m.–midnight) and Star Spangled at Edge nightclub (21+, free, 5 p.m.–3 a.m.). [Details](https://www.lbatonrouge.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) at lbatonrouge.com. 🎆 **WBRZ Fireworks on the Mississippi—9 p.m.** 📍 Downtown Baton Rouge riverfront - The grand finale—Louisiana's largest fireworks display lights up the downtown skyline and Mississippi River. Viewable from Repentance Park, the Shaw Center rooftop, both sides of the river and beyond. Also streaming live on WBRZ.com and the WBRZ YouTube channel. ***🗓️ Sunday, July 5*** 🎆 **St. George Celebrates America 250—11 a.m.–3 p.m.** 📍 Highland Road Park, St. George - The City of St. George marks America's 250th with a patriotic afternoon featuring history presentations on St. George and the Battle of Baton Rouge, living history demonstrations from the Order of the Granaderos y Damas de Galvez, Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution, cannon and musket firing, face painting, food trucks and family-friendly entertainment. Bring your own seating. No alcohol permitted. Free. [Details](https://stgeorgela.gov/event/america-250-celebration/?ref=redeyebr.com) at stgeorgela.gov. --- ### **🏖️ Beach Report: Fourth of July Weekend** *Heading to the coast? The Gulf is going all out for America's 250th.* **Gulf Shores & Orange Beach** 🎆 **Gulf State Park Stars & Stripes Celebration—July 3–4** 📍 Gulf State Park, Gulf Shores - Two days of live music, local art, food and vendors leading up to the city's annual fireworks display launched from the Gulf State Park Fishing and Education Pier at 9 p.m. July 4\. Free. 🎵 **The Wharf: Independence Day Street Party—July 4** 📍 The Wharf, Orange Beach - Live music, kids activities, laser light show and fireworks over the water. [Details](https://www.orangebeach.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) at orangebeach.com. 🎵 **Flora-Bama—July 4** 📍 Perdido Key, AL/FL state line - The legendary Gulf Coast honky-tonk throws its annual Fourth of July bash—live music all day, barbecue and fireworks at 9 p.m. from the beach. No cover. **Destin/Sandestin/30-A** 🎆 **Destin Commons: Star-Spangled Food Truck Festival—July 3, 5 p.m.** 📍 Destin Commons, Destin - Dozens of food trucks, live music and fireworks at 9:15 p.m. to kick off the holiday weekend. 🎆 **HarborWalk Village—July 4, 6 p.m.** 📍 HarborWalk Village, 10 Harbor Blvd., Destin - Live music from 7–9 p.m. and a spectacular fireworks show over Destin Harbor at 9 p.m. Free admission. 🎉 **Baytowne Wharf: Red, White and Baytowne—July 4, 6–9:15 p.m.** 📍 Village of Baytowne Wharf, Sandestin - Live music from Saltwater Revival, face painting, balloon sculpting, patriotic crafts and fireworks over the lagoon at 9:15 p.m. Free. 🎡 **Grayton Beach Independence Day Parade—July 4, 8:30 a.m.** 📍 Grayton Beach - The only full-fledged Independence Day parade on 30A—decorated golf carts, bikes and plenty of patriotic spirit. Free. 🎵 **Seaside—July 4** 📍 Seaside, Florida - Block party, patriotic bike parade and Patriotic Pops Concert at 7 p.m., followed by a barge-launched fireworks display over the Gulf at 8:30 p.m. 🎆 **Alys Beach—July 4, 7 p.m.** 📍 Alys Beach, Florida - Evening concert followed by fireworks over the town's signature amphitheater lawn at 9 p.m. **Bay St. Louis** 🦀 **Our Lady of the Gulf Crab Fest—July 3–5** 📍 Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church, Bay St. Louis - One of the Gulf Coast's most beloved holiday weekend traditions—seafood, live entertainment and carnival rides across three days. Free admission. 🎆 **Lighting Up Da Bay—July 4, 8:45 p.m.** 📍 Oyster Bayou along the Jourdan River, Bay St. Louis - Fireworks over the water viewed from the beach or by boat. Free. --- **Reach us:* Want to submit an event item for consideration? Email us the information at* [*news@redeyebr.com*](mailto:news@redeyebr.com)*. *Details:* The calendar is on a Monday–Sunday rotation, and the submission deadline is the Wednesday prior.* ### America at 250 road trip URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/america-at-250-road-trip/ Last updated: 2026-06-29T01:33:37.000Z America is hitting the road for the Fourth, though not with quite the same wild abandon as recent years. **Why it matters:** The Fourth of July arrives right when we need it, halfway through the year, when everyone could use a pause, a plate of something grilled and a reason to look up at the sky. It is one of the few traditions Americans of every stripe still manage to keep together. For a day, we are united by fireworks, potato salad and sunscreen. **By the numbers:** - AAA projects 72.2 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home between Saturday, June 27, and Sunday, July 5. - That would beat last year’s record of 71.8 million travelers, though the increase is more of a nudge than a surge. - Driving and flying are expected to be roughly flat from last year. The growth is coming from cruises, trains and buses. **What to watch:** INRIX, the transportation data firm, says the second weekend of the holiday stretch will be the busiest on the roads, starting Thursday, July 2. For anyone heading west through Houston, the worst congestion is expected July 5 at 1 p.m., when travel times could run 71% higher than usual. ***RedEye*’s advice:** Use Waze to look for roads that run parallel to I-10, especially if you are coming home from Alabama or Florida beaches at peak return times. The table below should be a useful planning tool. ### Worst and best times to travel by car, with the worst time listed first ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-26-at-10.25.12---AM-1-1.png) **Source: AAA and Inrix* --- ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### LSU roars into AI URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/lsu-roars-into-ai/ Last updated: 2026-06-25T22:38:32.000Z LSU parents recently received an email letting them know that AI can now answer the questions their children claim to have no clue about. **Why it matters:** Not only is it a handy tool for parents frustrated by the one-word text reply, but it's the latest example of how aggressively LSU is leaning into artificial intelligence, a technology that remains genuinely contested. **The details:** The state's flagship university has launched the [LSU Family Hub](https://lsu.campusesp.com/about/assistant?ref=redeyebr.com)—a platform operated by a third-party vendor, CampusESP. - The AI assistant is touted to provide parents "24/7 answers" to questions about campus resources, deadlines and how to support their students. **Embracing change:** The Family Hub assistant is just one piece of a fast-growing LSU AI ecosystem: - LSU launched [MikeGPT](https://mikegpt.lsu.edu/?ref=redeyebr.com) in late 2024—a homegrown AI assistant built on 35,000 university documents, designed as a secure, LSU-specific alternative to ChatGPT for faculty and staff. - The LSU Student Senate passed a resolution in November to allow MikeGPT for student tutoring—more than a year after the university promised students would have access. - The LSU Board of Regents approved a new four-year AI degree, launching this fall, aimed at producing graduates who build AI systems rather than just use them. - The Faculty Senate issued formal AI guidelines in fall 2025, giving faculty authority to set their own classroom policies. **The bottom line:** LSU isn't tiptoeing into AI—it's sprinting. ### How to celebrate 250 in BR URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/how-to-celebrate-250-in-br/ Last updated: 2026-06-25T22:52:21.000Z It may lack the flair of the Boston Pops banging out Tchaikovsky's canon-infused "1812 Overture" on the banks of the Charles River, but Baton Rouge will mark America's 250th with a free, all-day concert and its own night-ending rocket's technicolor glare. **Why it matters:** It's a holiday weekend, a milestone year for our experiment in democracy, and there are plenty of ways to celebrate—and the anchor event is a freebie. **America 250 on the River** runs Saturday at Repentance Park, between the Old State Capitol and the River Center. Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser and Mayor-President Sid Edwards are hosting. Fireworks over the Mississippi close the night at 9 p.m. The lineup: - 2:15 p.m.—Military Concert Band. - 3:30 p.m.—Rockin' Dopsie Jr. & The Zydeco Twisters. - 5 p.m.—Amanda Shaw. - 6:30 p.m.—John Schneider. - 8 p.m.—Wayne Toups. The levee, Rhorer Plaza, North Boulevard Town Square and the rest of downtown are open throughout the day and evening. **Want a better view?** [Tsunami's rooftop terrace bash](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tsunami-4th-of-july-terrace-bash-general-admission-tickets-1991720360213?ref=redeyebr.com) at the Shaw Center runs 6–10 p.m. with ticketed access to the fireworks from above. **Not heading downtown?** L'Auberge has its own fireworks show 10 miles south. Jovin Webb plays the free all-ages lawn party starting at 6 p.m. The 21+ rooftop pool party is $40. **More ways to mark the day:** - Napoleon's signed Louisiana Purchase agreement is on display at the Old State Capitol through July 11\. Free. - Baton Rouge Concert Band plays the Main Library at Goodwood, 7–9 p.m. Free. **The bottom line:** Free concert, live music, fireworks ... Happy Birthday, America. ### The beautiful game meets the thirsty republic URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-beautiful-game-meets-the-thirsty-republic/ Last updated: 2026-06-25T22:37:27.000Z LSU baseball fans have already turned the College World Series Jell-O shot competition into a competitive eating event with gelatin. Soccer fans across the country and in Baton Rouge are challenging them. During a Scotland World Cup game, the Tartan Army drank four times more lager than Samuel Adams' Boston taproom sells over a Fourth of July holiday weekend. Baton Rouge is doing its part. At Pelican to Mars, the first U.S. game brought the biggest crowd so far. Fans drank 758 beers, good for about $5,800 in sales from that game alone. Cocktail people showed up, too, ordering 275 drinks for another $2,593. *RedEye* does not condone excess. We do, however, support reasonable celebration, especially when it comes with a corner kick and a food truck. The World Cup now moves toward the knockout rounds, where 32 teams will spend the next few weeks trying to survive their way to the July 19 final. Here are a few places in Baton Rouge to watch: **Pelican to Mars — 2678 Government St.** Owners say the Mid City bar has become the Baton Rouge home for Premier League watching, and they plan to show every World Cup match. Food trucks will rotate during games, including Lao and other global eats, which feels appropriate for a tournament involving the rest of the planet. **Court to Table — 7477 Burbank Dr.** This is the choice for bigger, louder watch-party energy. Make a day of it. Bring a pickleball racket and play between matches. **Mid City Beer Garden — 3808 Government St.** Beer and fútbol are natural companions, and Mid City Beer Garden has both during the World Cup. For evening games, find a spot in the courtyard and watch on the big TV. The specials include $5 off wings and $1 off pints. **Squeaky Pete’s — 326 Third St.** This downtown bar proves soccer has traveled from the cosmopolitan capitals all the way into country music territory. Squeaky Pete’s bills itself as downtown’s only country music bar, but it also shows all sports, soccer included. Specials include Fireball shots when the U.S. scores, which may be either a celebration or a dare. **The Smiling Dog — 4215 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd.** Baton Rouge’s original soccer pub still has fans who know the game and how to enjoy it. For the biggest matches, including U.S. games, The Smiling Dog, formerly The Londoner, may offer a limited menu and charge a $5 entry fee. Come for the match. Stay for the chanting, the beer and some Americans trying to understand why the soccer clock counts up instead of down. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### To boldly find URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/to-boldly-find/ Last updated: 2026-06-25T22:37:06.000Z Two LSU physicists are part of the team working on one of astronomy’s most ambitious planet hunts yet. Assistant professor Matthew Penny and postdoctoral researcher Himanshu Verma helped with work behind newly released images from the European Space Agency’s Euclid space telescope, which captured the largest and most detailed visible-light image ever made of the crowded center of the Milky Way. The image will enable comparisons in the hunt's next step, when NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is expected to begin studying the same star-packed region using a technique called microlensing. That method finds planets by watching how the gravity of a closer star bends and brightens the light from a more distant star. If the closer star has a planet, the planet can leave an extra blip in the light. The goal is something astronomers have not pulled off before. > “This will allow us for the first time to get a good picture of how many planets of a given mass there are per planetary system, down to the size of the Earth,” Penny said. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Landry's game of thrones URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/landrys-game-of-thrones/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T22:58:29.000Z Gov. Jeff Landry added [two more donors](https://lailluminator.com/briefs/gov-jeff-landry-quietly-makes-new-lsu-board-appointments/?ref=redeyebr.com) to the LSU Board of Supervisors this month—neither appointment publicly announced, both replacing Edwards-era members. **Why it matters:** A governor reshaping a university board in his second year is nothing new. But few since Huey Long have worked so deliberately to bring the state's flagship university to heel. **Meddling matters:** Landry has spent two years remaking LSU to his political and ideological will. - Pushed out tenured law professors who criticized him in class. - Oversaw the departure of President William Tate and a wave of top Black administrators. - Dismantled DEI programs and is pursuing a new conservative accreditor. - Installed donor and ally Lee Mallett as board chair after changing state law to give himself that power. - Meddled in the firing of Brian Kelly, forced out AD Scott Woodward, steered the hire of Lane Kiffin and the return of Will Wade. - Had a borrowed Bengal tiger—owned by an operator under federal scrutiny—paraded onto the field before the Alabama game. **The new members:** Chad Moody, a Lafayette nursing care executive and former LSU football player, and Jennifer Settoon of Ascension Parish, whose family owns Settoon Towing and Settoon Capital, both replace Edwards-era appointees. Both have donated to Landry. - Collis Temple Jr., in a bit of a surprise, was reappointed to the board. The former LSU basketball player, a close ally of former Mayor Sharon Weston Broome, is politically connected and knows how to play the game. **Key departure:** Settoon replaces Laurie Lipsey Aronson of Baton Rouge, one of the few board members willing to clash with the governor. **The bottom line:** Grabbing control of the board, the university's top administration and the football department in just two years is no small feat—regardless of whatever the long-term impact is on the institution. ### Taxed, or just frustrated URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/taxed-or-just-frustrated/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T22:58:08.000Z Complaining about taxes is practically a civic sport in East Baton Rouge Parish. It's not just the amount of taxes, but where the money does—and doesn't—go, and what taxpayers believe they're getting in return. Here's the reality check: Preliminary comparisons suggest residents are not paying substantially more in local taxes—less in some cases—than taxpayers in several comparable Southern communities. **Why it matters:** Every new tax pitch or renewal ignites a new round of complaints about tax rates, high crime, bad roads and mediocre government services. But if taxes here aren't dramatically higher than in peer cities, the frustration runs deeper than how much residents pay. **By the numbers:** Baton Rouge falls somewhere in the middle—according to a *RedEye* comparison of three illustrative households in six Southern communities—more expensive than Greenville, South Carolina, but typically less expensive than the Texas cities of College Station, Waco and Tyler. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/2026/06/Tax_Fatigue_Chart_Final.png) **A byzantine system:** The parishwide tax structure didn't materialize overnight. Residents have spent decades creating independent taxing authorities and approving dedicated taxes earmarked for specific purposes, rather than discretionary spending. - State law created EBR public schools, BREC and the sheriff's department. - CATS is a voter-approved independent taxing authority, though it isn't actually parishwide. - The library system and Mosquito Abatement and Rodent Control (MARQ) technically aren't independent taxing authorities, but effectively operate as one. - The Council on Aging-Baton Rouge isn't a government agency, but voters have given the nonprofit dedicated taxing ability. Wait … what? You should be confused. **Taxing matters:** It's not just who's doing the taxing; voters also obsess over the type of tax and who pays it. - Property taxes, with one of the nation's more generous homestead exemptions, are lower than in other cities, but stir the most controversy. It's the one local tax where an annual all-in bill arrives in the December mail, nestled among the holiday cards, so do the math. - Sales taxes are regressive, but the tax of choice. Voters like that everyone pays, explaining why EBR has one of the nation's highest sales-tax rates. Embedded in almost every purchase, one wonders whether anyone actually knows their sales tax bill over the course of a year. - The maze of independent taxing authorities and dedicated taxes looks good on paper. The reality is these agencies accumulate significant dollars that can't legally be redirected, leaving the city-parish government to deal with the basics of government services while juggling oversized retirement and benefits obligations. - The result is that some government agencies provide premium or award-winning services, while the city-parish is struggling to fund road repairs, stormwater management, grass cutting and other basic government services. **Suburban shift:** The rise of incorporated cities, especially the geographically large and sales-tax-rich St. George, means sales tax dollars that once flowed to city-parish government now remain within the suburban municipalities. The parishwide taxing agencies still collect their property taxes. **Reversal of fortune:** Complaints aren't new, but the rejection of two recent proposals suggests voters are pushing back. - Mayor Sid Edwards' Thrive proposal was soundly rejected last year, though poorly executed planning and messaging didn't help. - More shocking was voters' rejection of a dedicated property tax for the District Attorney's office and popular DA Hillar Moore. - Organized opposition is spending [big money against](https://www.redeyebr.com/grigsbys-take-aim-at-library-tax/) the library tax renewal on June 27. **A taxing fee:** Property owners also pay water, sewer and garbage fees—families who choose private school tuition often see it as an added cost-of-living burden. **The bottom line:** Baton Rouge's tax fatigue appears less about paying dramatically more than people elsewhere and more about navigating a complicated system that often leaves taxpayers unsure whether they're getting their money's worth. The irony is that it's a system voters have spent decades building—one dedicated tax, one independent taxing agency and one incorporated city at a time. ### Louisiana gets wired URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/louisiana-gets-wired/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T22:57:39.000Z The share of Louisiana now served by high-speed internet is **93%**, up considerably due to state and federal programs. **Why it matters:** Broadband offers many benefits, and one key area it improves is public health. People with high-speed internet can apply for benefits, find support programs, meet with doctors online and stay connected to services that are especially important for older residents, people with limited mobility and rural communities. **The details:** In 2021, more than 375,000 households, small businesses and essential community institutions such as hospitals, libraries and schools lacked reliable internet service. About 83% of residents were covered, compared to 88% nationally. That has changed quickly. Louisiana is now above 93% coverage, thanks to a mix of federal money, private investment and coordination by [ConnectLA](https://connect.la.gov/?ref=redeyebr.com), a state program. ConnectLA has worked with government and private providers, such as [Rev Fiber](https://letsrev.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) in Baton Rouge, to expand access. ConnectLA says 127,000 more households and small businesses are expected to be connected by 2028. **What’s next:** The remaining buildout will target roughly 140,000 locations still waiting for service, with statewide coverage targeted by 2028, two years ahead of the federal goal. **The bottom line:** ConnectLA is a quiet Louisiana government win: not flashy, but useful in the way government is supposed to be. ### A new speakeasy, no password necessary URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/a-new-speakeasy-no-password-necessary/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T22:57:17.000Z Circa owners are opening Hearsay, a sumptuous cocktail den. Tired spouses of shoppers are welcome to sit and sip. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Brutalist brouhaha URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/brutalist-brouhaha/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T22:53:55.000Z Baton Rouge has a building that can still split architecture critics into two angry camps. City Hall is brutalist, a style that took one of the world’s coldest materials—concrete—and made a design religion out of it. Brutalism did not apologize. It came out of postwar Europe and spread around the world in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, giving us raw concrete, hard angles and buildings that did not care whether you liked them. Buildings in the style were built to declare. Governments loved them because they looked permanent, serious and a little intimidating. The architecture practically told you to take a number and sit down. Baton Rouge architect John Desmond led the design of City Hall and helped shape the civic spaces around it. You can see the same concrete bullying in Pennington Biomedical Research Center, another Desmond design. Downtown’s RiverMark Centre and its companion building also carry the brutalist family resemblance. The style faded fast, and some critics would say not fast enough. For one, concrete does not always age gracefully. Public housing failures also damaged brutalism’s reputation. The 1970s energy crisis made massive concrete buildings expensive to maintain. Then postmodernism arrived, dragging back everything brutalism had rejected: ornament, warmth, color. The buildings, however, remain—standing there in all their concrete certainty, still starting arguments. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Baton Rouge's dependency intervention URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/baton-rouges-dependency-intervention/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T00:56:45.000Z Few places in America have more to lose than Baton Rouge from the sweeping changes the Trump administration is proposing to the awarding and management of federal grants. **Why it matters:** Every corner of Baton Rouge's government and civic infrastructure—from roads and drainage to school funding, parks, transit, affordable housing and violence prevention—is funded at least in part by federal dollars. **What's changing:** The White House Office of Management and Budget has [proposed new rules](https://www.governing.com/management-and-administration/big-changes-on-the-horizon-for-federal-grants?ref=redeyebr.com) that would fundamentally reshape how federal grants are awarded and managed. The comment deadline is July 13\. Three changes stand out. - Senior political appointees would review every discretionary grant before it is awarded, explicitly tying funding to White House priorities. - Federal agencies could terminate grants mid-project if they no longer align with administration priorities. - Activities tied to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives would face heightened scrutiny or elimination. **Apocalypse now:** East Baton Rouge, a high-poverty parish with an even higher anti-tax sentiment, relies on federal grants and matching dollars to help fund its most basic government operations. So too does the vast network of nonprofits that deliver community social services. Disrupt those funding lifelines and the effects ripple immediately into daily life. - City-parish government: Road and other infrastructure projects rely on federal grants and matching dollars. - EBR Public Schools: Title I and federal special education funding are critical for its highest-need students. - CATS: Federal grants fund the overwhelming majority of the agency's capital investments—from new buses to the $53.7 million Bus Rapid Transit project now underway. - Office of Community Development: Administers roughly $7 million annually in HUD housing and community development grants—funding everything from affordable housing construction to homeless services. - BREC: Trails and greenway ambitions depend heavily on federal dollars. - Council on Aging and EBR Library System: Both draw federal support for services to the parish's most vulnerable residents. - LSU and the Pennington Biomedical Research Center: Both are heavily dependent on federal research grants. - Baker, Central, St. George and Zachary: The cities are primarily exposed through state and city-parish pass-through funding. **Community at risk:** The list of vulnerable nonprofits is long and the names are familiar. - Capital Area United Way: Channels federal and matching dollars to dozens of community nonprofits across the parish—a single point of vulnerability for the region's entire social services network. - Affordable housing developers and homeless service providers: Many operate almost entirely on federal pass-through funding. - Food access, literacy and workforce development programs: Serve the parish's lowest-income residents. - Youth services and after-school programs: Built around federal grant cycles. - Violence prevention organizations: Those connected to SafeBR are, in effect, federal grant delivery vehicles. **Blue bayou:** The proposed changes land hardest on states that depend most on federal dollars—and Louisiana is near the top of that list. - Federal aid accounts for roughly 36% of the state's total budget—a figure that grows larger once disaster recovery and infrastructure funds are counted. - That dependency isn't an accident—it reflects decades of high poverty, limited state tax revenue and a deliberate strategy of leveraging federal matching dollars to fund what Baton Rouge and Louisiana cannot fund alone. - A potential bright spot: Gov. Jeff Landry's close alignment with the Trump administration may provide some buffer, as the administration has historically shown more flexibility with politically friendly states in enforcing its mandates. **The bottom line:** If finalized, the proposed changes have the potential to reshape daily life in East Baton Rouge far more profoundly than most policies coming out of our nation's capital. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Relatively cheap power, for now URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/relatively-cheap-power-for-now/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T00:56:22.000Z East Baton Rouge households still pay less than the national average for electricity. Data centers and liquefied natural gas exports could change that. **Why it matters:** Electricity demand is rising fast, driven in part by the enormous power needs of data centers. Advocates worry some of the cost of building that power will fall on regular Louisiana customers, who earn less than people in much of the country. **By the numbers:** - East Baton Rouge households pay about $149 a month for electricity, according to an [Axios analysis](https://www.axios.com/2026/04/10/electric-bills-map?ref=redeyebr.com) of every county and parish in the country. The national average is $158. - Nearby parishes are in the same range: West Baton Rouge at $147, Livingston at $150 and Ascension at $151. - Louisiana’s median household income in 2024 was $60,986, far below the national median of $81,604 and lower than every Southern neighbor except Mississippi, according to [Invest in Louisiana](https://investlouisiana.org/treading-water-louisiana-lags-on-income-and-poverty/?ref=redeyebr.com). **The context:** Baton Rouge residents use a lot of electricity, mostly because summer here is less a season than a sustained attack. But rates have stayed relatively low, helped by Entergy’s reliance on cheaper natural gas. The natural gas advantage may be weakening for two reasons: - Demand for liquefied natural gas in Europe helped push U.S. LNG exports to a record last year, with another 20% increase projected by 2027. - At the same time, data centers are coming online with extraordinary power demands of their own. **The Entergy example:** Entergy wants the Public Service Commission to approve its purchase of a $1.8 billion natural-gas power plant, saying the company needs the capacity to meet mostly regular growth in demand. But in a [PSC filing](https://lpscpubvalence.lpsc.louisiana.gov/portal/PSC/ViewFile?fileId=52z5rrwJkQQ%3D&ref=redeyebr.com) first reported [by The Advocate](https://www.theadvocate.com/baton%5Frouge/news/entergy-meta-louisiana-data-center-power/article%5F9758975a-0954-5c48-a05a-0e186a03a64e.html?ref=redeyebr.com), consultant R. Lane Sisung, writing on behalf of PSC staff, says his analysis strongly indicates the plant is needed to serve the extraordinary power needs of Meta’s data center. If the PSC approves the purchase, residential customers would pay at least $8 more per month, or $96 a year. **Just sayin:** Meta was founded and is run by Mark Zuckerberg, who is **worth nearly $200 billion**, according to [Forbes’ real-time billionaires list](https://www.forbes.com/real-time-billionaires/?ref=redeyebr.com). **The bottom line:** Louisiana’s power bills are still relatively low. That may not last. Rising LNG demand and the unresolved question of who pays for electricity built for giant data centers could push rates higher. That hits harder in Baton Rouge, where poverty exceeds the national average and middle-class households are already stretched by the cost of keeping their houses cool. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Asia meets Mexico under the Overpass URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/asia-meets-mexico-under-the-overpass/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T01:18:36.000Z I went to Chow Yum because a friend told me to, with the kind of urgency that doesn't leave room for questions. "Ooh. Ooh," she said of the tikka con queso. "It's delicious. Go." So I went on Taco Tuesday, when the tikka con queso makes its weekly appearance. But menus have a way of rearranging intentions. The Bun Bo Birria Tacos appeared as another option, less as a choice than as a summons, and everything else disappeared. Chow Yum sits under the Perkins Road Overpass, small in footprint and large in local reputation. At the restaurant, almost everything is made fresh, and the Thai slaw side dish proves it immediately. It is not the sad, wet cabbage that appears on plates at even the best restaurants in town. It is crisp, bright with citrus, beside pickled jalapeños that open with sweetness and close with heat. Both snap you awake between bites. Tacos are eaten in a hurry. The Chow birria tacos make you slow down. They come with braised brisket, onion, cilantro and lime. The menu says two. Three arrived, a small act of generosity that felt especially welcome in the slow burn of summer. The lemongrass beef consommé comes on the side. Do not treat it like a condiment packet. Let the tacos sit in the broth long enough for the shells to pull in the liquid while they still hold their crunch. Patience here is repaid. Taco Tuesday also includes smoky pork flautas with chipotle and poblano crema, as well as crispy fish tacos with green chili aioli slaw, cotija and fried shallots. I did not order the tikka con queso. That was the reason I came. That is not a failure. That is next Tuesday. ### LSU's other football factory URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/lsus-other-football-factory/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T02:54:35.000Z LSU football has long been a pipeline to the NFL, with more than two dozen former Tigers expected to make rosters this year. Around here, we know that. We can recite the names at a tailgate with one hand in a bag of Zapp’s. Less well known is another LSU route into the bright lights of pro football: the Golden Girls and Tiger Girls. They have danced for cheerleading squads across the league. A few have reached the top of the game: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. Making the DCC squad requires the stamina of a marathon runner, the personal courage of a school teacher, and the charm of a kitten in a social media video. The Netflix show about the squad has become wildly popular, turning auditions into something between a job interview, a boot camp and a beauty pageant. In the latest season, a woman from Metairie—a place the show’s hosts mispronounce—survives the first screening, only to be cut for an indignity almost too absurd to print: At 5-foot-3, she is considered too short for some of the required moves. But others have made the leap from Louisiana to Dallas. They include LSU's Tess Guidry of Baton Rouge, who made the squad on her third attempt and danced for five years. She is now the director of the Miami Hurricanes college squad. LSU's Cersten Bradley made it in her first year. As if accomplishing one challenge in life was not enough, she went to medical school and now practices family medicine in Texas. Two former Tiger Girls are now on the squad: Ariel Brumfield of White Castle and Darah Haidet of Hammond, who spent her entire LSU senior year training for DCC auditions and made it as a rookie. Football gets most of the attention. But LSU has that other pro pipeline, too—one built on high kicks, hard work and the particular gift of smiling while doing a move that is far more difficult than it looks. They're Thunderstruck! ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### EBR's mayors are talking URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/ebrs-mayors-are-talking/ Last updated: 2026-06-22T22:59:29.000Z Quiet cooperation among EBR's five mayors is producing results—a modest proposal to take it further. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### AI breakthrough is complicated for Louisiana URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/ai-breakthrough-is-complicated-for-louisiana/ Last updated: 2026-06-22T22:59:07.000Z The state could lose its water advantage in luring data centers. But that's good or bad, depending on where you stand on the issue. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Where the money went URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/where-the-money-went/ Last updated: 2026-06-22T22:58:37.000Z Companies affiliated with Louisiana’s orphan well pilot program received about **93% of the program’s investment earnings and interest income**, according to a [state audit](https://app.lla.state.la.us/publicreports.nsf/0/9dbdfe42f9fe7aad86258e190073efab/$file/0000ap28.pdf?ref=redeyebr.com), leaving the nonprofit overseeing the effort with little financial return despite assuming the investment risk. The audit also examined a $780,000 below-market loan used by former state conservation official **Johnny Adams** and his wife, Metro Council member Laurie Adams, to purchase a home in Baton Rouge. Auditors also identified insider loans, potential conflicts of interest and administrative fees that allegedly exceeded contractual limits. The Department of Conservation and Energy terminated the agreement in May, recovered a $5 million reserve and is suing former participants, including Adams. **The bottom line:** A program created to plug abandoned wells instead exposed major gaps in oversight. ### Scoop shock URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/scoop-shock/ Last updated: 2026-06-22T22:58:09.000Z The price for one of Baton Rouge's favorite ways to beat the oppressive, sticky summer heat is rising as fast as the temperature. **Why it matters:** Those who can't escape the heat along the beaches of 30-A or the mountains of Cashiers, North Carolina, have yet another reason to be cranky this summer. **Melting math:** Scoop shop prices are up 35% nationally since 2019, driven by surging costs for cocoa, eggs, dairy and energy. **Local reality:** Baton Rouge isn't insulated from any of that, and locals are feeling it at the counter. - **Gail's Fine Ice Cream** near the Perkins Road Overpass—small-batch, seasonal flavors, waffle cone included—runs $5 to $6.50 for a single scoop and around $9 for a double. A family of three walks out for around $16. - **Andy's Frozen Custard** on West Lee Drive, in the heart of LSU's off-campus corridor, starts around $4 to $5 for a basic cup or cone, with concretes and specialty treats hitting $6 to $8. - **The LSU AgCenter Dairy Store**—a parishwide institution that draws well beyond campus—prices by weight at roughly $4 a cup. A half-gallon to take home runs $7.15. - **Popaletas Michoacan** offers handmade Mexican paletas from $3.50 and hand-dipped scoops from $4, making it one of the better values left standing. - **La Divina Italian Cafe** on Perkins Road serves 24 flavors of scratch-made gelato and sorbet at $3.50 a scoop. **The bottom line:** We may scream, but we still want our ice cream. ### BR power shifting as parish gets older URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/br-power-shifting-as-parish-gets-older/ Last updated: 2026-06-22T01:19:07.000Z A declining birth rate and more Boomers will continue to give more power to older people here and around the U.S. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Government Street gets a pilot landscape project URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/government-street-gets-a-pilot-landscape-project/ Last updated: 2026-06-22T02:20:35.000Z Volunteers replanted a dying median on the main road, a possible model for replanting the length of the road _This post is for subscribers only._ ### BRCC's new growth tool? URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/brccs-new-growth-tool/ Last updated: 2026-06-21T22:17:21.000Z A new state law enables the creation of economic development districts around the community college and all state higher education institutions. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Electric short circuit URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/electric-short-circuit/ Last updated: 2026-06-21T22:14:41.000Z Louisiana is one of six states with exactly zero EV policies in place, according to a new [Brookings Institution scorecard](https://www.brookings.edu/articles/states-at-the-wheel-a-state-policy-scorecard-on-electric-vehicle-readiness/?utm%5Fcampaign=Metro%20Update&utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcontent=424548112&utm%5Fsource=hs%5Femail#Texas-overall%5Ftotal). That means no consumer incentives, no charging infrastructure requirements, no environmental standards and no fleet procurement targets. **Why it matters:** If you're buying an EV in the next five years, Louisiana has made that choice harder and more expensive than in almost any other state in the country. **The scorecard** measures five policy pillars: consumer incentives, environmental standards, charging infrastructure, market access and government procurement. Louisiana scores zero across all five, alongside Indiana, Ohio, Nebraska, Montana and South Dakota. **By the numbers:** EVs make up less than 1% of vehicles on Louisiana roadways. - The state ranked last nationally in EV chargers per capita as recently as 2022—8.3 per 100,000 residents—compared with Vermont's high of 139.7. - Despite a 49% jump in charging stations between 2023 and 2024, Louisiana still hasn't deployed $73 million in federal infrastructure funding earmarked for EV chargers. - Baton Rouge sits four-plus hours from most major destinations, making sparse charging infrastructure a practical barrier to ownership, not just an inconvenience. **The void:** Washington, D.C., has largely exited the EV business—consumer tax credits expired last fall and federal charging funding dried up. Louisiana has chosen to fill none of it, while also charging EV owners a $110 annual registration fee that actively works against adoption. **The bottom line:** Owning an EV here already comes with challenges, and Louisiana is actively making it harder. ### 📅 Baton Rouge: Week at a Glance | June 22–28 URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/baton-rouge-week-at-a-glance-june-22-28/ Last updated: 2026-06-21T22:14:08.000Z **Why it matters:** Saturday is one of the most event-packed days of the summer—Pride Fest, Dino Day, KnockFest and Muddy Water all land on the same day, and the June 27 ballot puts three critical EBR tax renewals before voters. ***🗓️ Monday, June 22*** 🎭 **Riverdance 30: The New Generation—7:30 p.m.** 📍 Raising Cane's River Center Theatre, 220 St. Louis St. - The iconic Irish dance phenomenon returns for its 30th anniversary with a new generation of performers. Two hours, ten minutes, including one intermission. [Tickets](https://www.ticketmaster.com/riverdance-30-the-new-generation-baton-rouge-louisiana-06-22-2026/event/1B0062AECE6B6A5A?ref=redeyebr.com) from $63 at Ticketmaster. ***🗓️ Tuesday, June 23*** 🐊 **Discover Nature: Hidden in Plain Sight—6:30–8 p.m.** 📍 LSU Hilltop Arboretum, 11855 Highland Road - Conservationist and herpetologist Brad "Bones" Glorioso shares his knowledge of the amphibians and reptiles we coexist with in South Louisiana. $10; $5 for members of Hilltop, LMNGBR and CANPS. Pay at the door. ***🗓️ Thursday, June 25*** 🎵 **Andrew Duhon—7:30 p.m.** 📍 Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. - A show with Andrew Duhon is less a performance and more an invitation into a quiet room where stories matter. Rooted in Louisiana's musical and cultural traditions, his newest album, *The Parish Record,* paints honest portraits of small-town life, love and resilience. [Tickets](https://www.manshiptheatre.org/comingsoon/andrewduhon?ref=redeyebr.com) at manshiptheatre.org. This one will sell out. ***🗓️ Saturday, June 27*** 🌱 **Red Stick Farmers Market: Fresh Fest—Melon Mania—8 a.m.–noon** 📍 5th & Main Street, downtown - This week's Fresh Fest theme celebrates Louisiana melons. Chef demo by Walker Smith at 10 a.m. in The Teaching Kitchen at Main Street Market. [Details](https://breada.org/red-stick-farmers-market/?ref=redeyebr.com) at breada.org. 🦕 **Dino Day at LASM—10 a.m.–5 p.m.** 📍 Louisiana Art & Science Museum, 100 S. River Road - LASM's annual Dino Day marks 10 years of "Jason"—the 66-million-year-old Triceratops skull on loan from Raising Cane's and the Todd Graves Family. Meet a paleontologist, explore hands-on activities with community partners through 2 p.m. and catch dinosaur-themed planetarium shows through 5 p.m. BASF's Kids' Lab chemistry workshops at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Included with [general admission](https://www.lasm.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) at lasm.org. ⚔️ **KnockFest—10 a.m.–4 p.m.** 📍 Knock Knock Children's Museum, 1900 Dalrymple Drive - Knock Knock transforms into a medieval kingdom for its annual fundraising festival—inspired by the Legend of King Arthur. Knighting ceremonies, sword-fighting demonstrations, pony rides, petting zoo, puppet show and arts and crafts. Costumes encouraged. [Tickets](https://knockknockmuseum.org/event/knockfest/?ref=redeyebr.com) from $20 (ages 2 and up) at knockknockmuseum.org. 🏳️‍🌈 **Baton Rouge Pride Fest—11:30 a.m.–5 p.m.** 📍 Raising Cane's River Center Exhibit Hall, 275 S. River Road - The 17th annual Baton Rouge Pride Fest—the largest indoor Pride festival in the South. Theme: "This Is What Pride Feels Like." Live performances from drag entertainers, musicians and special guest headliners; The Rainbow Exchange marketplace; Drag Queen Story Time; free HIV testing and PrEP education. Free and family-friendly. [Details](https://www.batonrougepride.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) at batonrougepride.org. 🎵 **Muddy Water Music Festival—1–11 p.m.** 📍 Downtown Baton Rouge, Third Street corridor - 100-plus original singer-songwriters from Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas spread across six downtown bars and restaurants—The Basin, Squeaky Pete's, The River Room, The Vintage, The Bistro at Hotel Indigo and Somewhere. All stages indoors. Fundraiser supporting Tunnels to Towers. [Tickets](https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/2026-muddy-water-music?ref=redeyebr.com) required. 🎬 **The Big Lebowski—7:30 p.m.** 📍 Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. - The Coen Brothers' cult classic on the big screen. Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski, a case of mistaken identity and a very important rug. $5\. [Tickets](https://www.manshiptheatre.org/comingsoon/the-big-lebowski?ref=redeyebr.com) at manshiptheatre.org. ***🗓️ Sunday, June 28*** 🎵 **Muddy Water Music Festival—1–11 p.m.** 📍 Downtown Baton Rouge, Third Street corridor - Continues Sunday. [Tickets](https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/2026-muddy-water-music?ref=redeyebr.com) required. 👑 **The Princess Concert—3:30 p.m.** 📍 Raising Cane's River Center Theatre, 220 St. Louis St. - A live concert celebration of beloved princess music for the whole family. [Tickets](https://www.ticketmaster.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) at Ticketmaster. 🎬 **Paris Is Burning—2–3:45 p.m.** 📍 Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. - In partnership with Baton Rouge Pride. The landmark 1990 documentary that introduced the world to New York's drag ball culture and the houses that built it. Followed by a short film. $5\. [Tickets](https://www.manshiptheatre.org/comingsoon/paris-is-burning-1990?ref=redeyebr.com) at manshiptheatre.org. 🎵 **Sundays Smooth Jazz Series** 📍 EBRPL River Center Branch Library, 120 St. Louis St. - Final Sunday of the June series—bring your lawn chairs and settle in for free live smooth jazz on the library grounds. No tickets required. --- ### **📋 Government & Business** ***🗓️ Wednesday, June 25*** 🏛️ **Metro Council Regular Meeting—4 p.m.** 📍 City Hall, 222 St. Louis St. - Regular 4th Wednesday meeting. Full agenda can be seen [online](https://www.brla.gov/agendacenter?ref=redeyebr.com) by Friday, June 20 at 5 p.m. Public comment accepted. ***🗓️ Saturday, June 27*** 🗳️ **June 27 Ballot: Three EBR Tax Renewals** - EBR voters decide on three millage renewals Saturday—none are new taxes, all are renewals of existing millages funding core parish services. On the ballot: EBR Parish Library (9.5 mills, 10 years, \~$59.5M annually), EBR Council on Aging (2.0 mills, \~$12.5M annually for senior services including Meals on Wheels and transportation) and BREC. Polls open 7 a.m.–8 p.m. Sample ballot at [sos.la.gov](https://www.sos.la.gov/?ref=redeyebr.com). *RedEye* [voters guide is here](https://www.redeyebr.com/three-pariswide-taxes-one-ballot/). --- **Reach us:* Want to submit an event item for consideration? Email us the information at* [*news@redeyebr.com*](mailto:news@redeyebr.com)*. *Details:* The calendar is on a Monday–Sunday rotation, and the submission deadline is the Wednesday prior.* ### Time feels short URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/time-feels-short/ Last updated: 2026-06-21T22:13:31.000Z About **60%** of full-time working parents say they spend too little time with their children, according to a new Pew Research Center [survey](https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2026/06/16/for-working-parents-the-boundary-between-work-and-family-is-often-blurred/?utm%5Fsource=Pew+Research+Center&utm%5Fcampaign=ffcbac4e4c-weekly%5F6-20-26&utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fterm=0%5F-ffcbac4e4c-401293053#the-blurred-lines-between-work-and-home), and most cite work obligations as the reason. **Why it matters:** For millions of families, the challenge isn’t simply earning a living or raising children—it’s finding enough time to feel fully present doing either. **Double duty:** For many parents, the line between work and family life has all but disappeared. - **70%** say they handle parenting-related tasks while they’re working. - **59%** say they handle work-related matters while spending time with their children. - **54%** say balancing work and family responsibilities is difficult. **Moms carry more:** Full-time working mothers are more likely than fathers to report struggling with balance, taking on a larger share of parenting responsibilities and feeling upset when work causes them to miss school events, games and other activities. **The bottom line:** Workplace flexibility may make it easier to work anywhere, but for many parents it also means work follows them almost everywhere. ### Roar of a Tiger URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/roar-of-a-tiger/ Last updated: 2026-06-19T14:45:06.000Z *(See the full* [*interview*](https://youtu.be/9sPgn2CeemE?si=Zse9PO1JNpMv42pA&ref=redeyebr.com) *on YouTube.)* ### Where Baton Rouge blends URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/where-baton-rouge-blends/ Last updated: 2026-06-19T01:58:23.000Z The coffee shop offers living proof that, deep down in its red-stick soul, Baton Rouge craves community. There's no judgment about who else is in the room—it's just caffeine, frappes and conversation. **Why it matters:** In a parish riddled with divides and increasing isolation, what's brewing in Baton Rouge's coffee shops is something like our own [black-and-white cookie](https://youtu.be/onQUFH4bjDA?si=SJCPItXGomB0KsAS&ref=redeyebr.com) moment. **History lesson:** It wasn't always this way. There was a time Coffee Call, of café au lait and beignet fingers fame, ruled exclusively supreme. - CC's Coffee House tried to bring the daily coffeehouse habit to Baton Rouge in the mid-90s, chasing the same wave Starbucks was riding nationally. The city wasn't ready yet. CC's retreated, then came back stronger. **What changed:** Coffee shops have become the new corner pharmacy—they are everywhere. A host of factors altered the way we live, work and play. - Remote work remains a post-pandemic option for many. - The after-work happy hour faded. - The malls and youth hangouts that once gave teenagers and twentysomethings somewhere cheap to kill an afternoon have mostly closed or faded. - And more of us don't know our neighbors the way we used to. The coffee shop has stepped forward to absorb what's been lost—a place to be around people without needing a reason. **Speaking of 'Friends':** Coffee shops aren't the only third place trying to hold Baton Rouge together. - EBR libraries have leaned hard into community programming, becoming gathering spots well beyond the quiet reading room stereotype. - Though the golf course steals the spotlight, the City-Brooks Park debate that truly matters is about a community gathering space and what Baton Rouge thinks it should look like. **The network:** CC's, born and raised in Baton Rouge, lacks the cachet of the vast network of local neighborhood haunts, but it's that old friend who's always there when you need it, ready to serve that super grande Earl Grey. - City Roots in Mid City, ironically backed by Matt Saurage, head of CC's. - French Truck, Magpie Cafe and Highland Coffees, each with cachet in their own corners of town. Let's be honest—every part of town has its own community-defining hangout. - The Vintage Baton Rouge on Laurel Street in downtown. - Rêve, an upscale living room, in Willow Grove. - Light House Coffee, with its social mission, and the cluster of haunts near LSU's campus. **The bottom line:** If people from Baton Rouge and other cities within the parish viewed themselves as living in one massive coffee shop, there'd be far fewer problems. ### To the left, to the left URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/to-the-left-to-the-left/ Last updated: 2026-06-19T01:58:07.000Z Call him the Captain Ahab of direction. Dr. Iñaki Echeverría-Huarte has been chasing a strange little question with the stubbornness of Ahab pursuing the whale, except his white whale is not a whale. It is the human tendency to drift left. While studying whether people keep a certain distance from one another during a stroll, Echeverría-Huarte noticed something odd: when people walk in groups, most of them veer left, or move counterclockwise. So he tested it. Then tested it again. Across multiple experiments, he and his colleagues found that roughly 80% of walkers drift left, according to [The New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/10/science/humans-walking-veer-left-counterclockwise.html?ref=redeyebr.com) 🔒. Which raises the obvious next question: Why? That's where the trail goes cold. His theories have not produced an answer. Five years later, the hunt continues, with Echeverría-Huarte now wondering whether fish and other animals also show a leftward bias. "Fish are the canonical animal that move in circles," says his colleague. Perhaps someone should check the whales. ### Let them eat local URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/let-them-eat-local/ Last updated: 2026-06-19T01:57:42.000Z McDonald’s knows marketing. The empire of mass-market burgers has returned its fried apple pie to the menu for a limited summer run, the first time the dessert has been available in 34 years. By all means, eat one. You may be too old, too sensible or too diabetic the next time the chain needs a flashy idea to overcome the summer revenue doldrums. But Baton Rouge has more delicious and interesting desserts. Here are four worth considering. We want to make it five. If you have an **unusual local dessert you love,** share [it with us through this form](https://tally.so/r/2ERQ6M?ref=redeyebr.com). **Modesto churros:** If McDonald’s wishes to discuss fried desserts, Modesto has entered a contest it would win. Its churros are the finest fried sweets we have eaten in Baton Rouge: warm, soft and dusted with cinnamon and sugar, a combination that becomes mildly dangerous when dragged through dark-chocolate sauce. Ozzie Fernandez, the restaurateur behind Modesto, should consider building a churro empire. **Sweet Society’s Bingsu:** Baton Rouge knows the summer snowball well. People have their loyalties to a type and a stand. But we have heard something closer to consensus on one frozen dessert: the bingsu at Sweet Society. It starts by shaving milk as delicate as new snow, adds rich condensed milk and tops it with fresh fruit. Order the watermelon bingsu if it's available. **Em’s Japanese cheesecake:** Michelle Huynh describes her Japanese cheesecakes as a cross between New York cheesecake and angel food cake. They are light, not too sweet and, Huynh says, sometimes eaten for breakfast. The pandan version available now has a bit of coconut. You can find them at local restaurants, including Teatery on Jefferson Highway. **Cheesecake Lab:** Cheesecake is easy to love and hard to make memorable. At Cheesecake Lab, on Jefferson Highway near Bocage, Mitchell Moore has been proving the point for eight months, though his apprenticeship began much earlier. He has spent more than two decades baking cheesecakes, including time as a pastry chef and as the owner of cheesecake shops and a restaurant in Jackson, Mississippi. “Everyone loves cheesecake,” he says. Mostly true. But cheesecake can be heavy, watery or merely sweet. Mr Moore’s are none of those things. The Lab turns out seasonal cakes with the confidence of someone who has spent years studying the difference between indulgence and excess. The mango tres leches was so good that restraint became our strategy: leave enough behind to enjoy it twice. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### He had us at barometric pressure URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/he-had-us-at-barometric-pressure/ Last updated: 2026-06-19T01:57:30.000Z You will not be threatened by Hurricane Zoe, Ursula, Quita, Xavier or Yorick—at least not in the Atlantic. There are not enough storm-worthy names beginning with **Q, U, X, Y and Z** to include them in the Atlantic hurricane list, which is why storm names stop at Wilfred. But skip to the other side of the world and you can meet **Cyclone Zoe**, because storm names depend on where the storm is born. That strange little wrinkle is bound up in the way hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons are named. They are all the same basic beast: a tropical cyclone. We call them hurricanes in the Atlantic and northeast Pacific, typhoons in the northwest Pacific, and cyclones in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean. Tropical Storm Arthur came through the region last night, and if the name sounds familiar, that is by design. Atlantic storm names run on six rotating lists, which means Arthur comes back every six years unless the storm attached to the name becomes so destructive that it is retired into history. Think Katrina, Ida, Andrew. This seemingly complicated way of tagging the weather is brought to you by the **World Meteorological Organization**, an international body made up of people who can look at clouds and, unlike most of us, decipher that rain will come soon. The actual names are assigned by WMO’s regional tropical-cyclone committees, whose process is formal enough to involve national weather services and to hold annual or biennial meetings, but not so transparent that we know the mood in the room. Do they read poetry and sip bourbon before deciding whether the next storm should be called Fernand or Fay? Do they name storms after dear friends who have the energy of a tornado? Or after a close aunt who treated them badly while babysitting? The WMO does not say. One of our favorite people who knows the WMO—and may even be in the room when storms are named—is **Jack Beven**, a classmate at Catholic High. Each morning, he would provide school bus riders with a rundown of the day's weather, clearly a boy already in love with meteorology. Years later, I was watching television when Jack appeared in a national weather alert. I smiled at the sight of him. Jack had followed that childhood love all the way to Miami, where he became a senior hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center. Jack goes by John now. Same hemisphere. Same wonderful human. The boy who once briefed a school bus now calmly tells anxious people whether it is time to bring in the patio furniture. *—Mukul Verma* ### Edwards: City Park course stays URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/edwards-city-park-course-stays/ Last updated: 2026-06-17T23:37:49.000Z The mayor's voice carries clout, but he's pitching what Sasaki is already selling. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Our nursing home disgrace continues URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/our-nursing-home-disgrace-continues/ Last updated: 2026-06-17T23:38:43.000Z The nursing home industry in Louisiana is among the worst in America. So powerful is its lobby that no one tries to keep it a secret. It's an accepted fact—and governors and legislators are perfectly content doing nothing about it. OK. We get it. The answer to all your questions is money. So what can actually be done? **Why it matters:** You may not be facing the realities of this problem today, but many in Baton Rouge are entering the "return the favor" phase and having to care for their aging parents. **By the numbers:** Louisiana is aging faster than most people realize. - The share of residents 65 and older has nearly doubled since 1980—from 9.6% to [17.7%](https://www.lsus.edu/Documents/CBER/CBER%20Reports%20page/Louisiana%20in%20Focus%20Louisiana%E2%80%99s%20Increasing%20Senior%20Population%201980%20to%202024.pdf?ref=redeyebr.com), just below the national average of 18%. - The ratio of children to seniors has [collapsed](https://www.lsus.edu/Documents/CBER/CBER%20Reports%20page/Louisiana%20in%20Focus%20Louisiana%E2%80%99s%20Increasing%20Senior%20Population%201980%20to%202024.pdf?ref=redeyebr.com) from 3.3-to-1 in 1980 to 1.3-to-1 today—a steeper drop than the national trend. - Ten parishes now have more seniors than children. **Best practices:** The solutions aren't experimental. They're working right now in states that decided their elderly residents mattered more than nursing home PAC money. - **Ohio** bypassed the legislature entirely—a governor's executive order created a nursing home task force, produced a public dashboard for families to compare facilities and rewrote state law to require full financial disclosure from all ownership interests. - **New Jersey** mandated that facilities spend at least 90% of revenue on direct patient care and set a wage floor for care workers at $3 above the state minimum wage. - **Illinois** rewired its Medicaid payments to reward facilities that actually hired and kept nurses. Hospitalizations among nursing home patients [dropped 4%](https://www.mcknights.com/news/nationalizing-this-nursing-home-staffing-incentive-could-cut-annual-hospitalizations-by-6000/?ref=redeyebr.com). Maine, New Jersey and Ohio have since followed. - **Minnesota** has run a public nursing home report card since 2006—independent surveys, tied to performance-based payments. **Money talks:** With the nursing home lobby perhaps the most powerful in Louisiana, enacting meaningful change isn't an uphill battle; it's scaling Mount Everest. - Nearly half of Louisiana's nursing homes carry a one- or two-star rating under the federal five-star system. A [2025 national study](https://www.knoe.com/2025/09/20/louisiana-ranked-worst-nation-senior-care/?ref=redeyebr.com) ranked the state last in the country for senior care quality. - Last year, Shreveport state Sen. Alan Seabaugh sponsored a bill to cap nursing home lawsuit damages while simultaneously defending a nursing home operator in one of the exact cases the bill would restrict. - Baton Rouge nursing home owner Bob Dean evacuated more than 800 residents from seven facilities to a squalid warehouse during Hurricane Ida in 2021—seven died. Dean pleaded no contest to 15 criminal charges, including cruelty to the infirm, and walked out with three years of probation. The state's own attorney general said he should have gone to prison. **The bottom line:** The tools exist and the models work to address an atrocious system. Louisiana's aging population can't wait forever on governors and legislators who've made their priorities clear. ### Stop paving the problem URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/stop-paving-the-problem/ Last updated: 2026-06-17T23:37:40.000Z East Baton Rouge Parish has a stormwater problem it can document down to the dollar. What it hasn't done is use the tools already on the books to stop making it worse—one parking lot at a time. **Why it matters:** Every acre of asphalt in the parish sheds water it once absorbed. Downtown surface lots and sprawling commercial parking along corridors like Burbank Drive don't just hold cars—they accelerate runoff into a drainage system the parish's own [Stormwater Master Plan](https://stormwater.brla.gov/?ref=redeyebr.com) says needs more than $1 billion to fix. **The technology exists:** Permeable pavement systems replace solid asphalt with engineered surfaces that let rainwater infiltrate the ground rather than sheet across it into streets and ditches. - Interlocking concrete grids, porous concrete and permeable pavers are purpose-built to handle vehicle weight—these aren't grass lots. - Voids in the surface drain into a deep crushed-stone reservoir beneath the pavement, which holds water during heavy downpours and releases it slowly. - The EPA has [tested and documented](https://www.epa.gov/water-research/experimental-permeable-pavement-parking-lot-and-rain-garden-stormwater-management?ref=redeyebr.com) all three systems. BREC already deploys [green infrastructure](https://www.brec.org/green-infrastructure?ref=redeyebr.com) across its park system to capture stormwater on-site. **Burbank reality:** The parish's own Capital Improvement Plan identifies more than $61 million in Burbank Drive-area drainage projects as Tier 1 priorities—and the money doesn't exist to fund them. - New commercial and residential development along that corridor continues to add impervious surface. - Developers routinely elevate sites with fill dirt to avoid floodplain restrictions, pushing diverted water onto nearby older, lower-lying neighborhoods. - The parish has formally acknowledged the problem. It has not moved to stop compounding it. **Regulations exist, ignored:** East Baton Rouge Parish's Unified Development Code already [limits excess parking](https://www.brla.gov/706/Unified-Development-Code?ref=redeyebr.com) to 125% of minimum requirements—unless developers use pervious paving or vegetative stormwater capture. - That provision exists specifically to limit impervious surface and runoff. - Stronger enforcement requires no new law—only the political will to apply what's already on the books. - Extending that standard to new commercial development along flood-prone corridors is an immediate option. **Money matters:** Permeable systems cost more than standard asphalt or concrete, but evidence suggests the long-term savings offset the higher upfront cost. - Developers will pass those costs to tenants, retail customers and downtown parkers. - The people generating the parking demand should fund the infrastructure it requires—not the homeowner in an older neighborhood, left holding the bag. **The bottom line:** East Baton Rouge Parish needs a funded comprehensive stormwater plan. Until then, a meaningful first step is to require better-draining parking lots. ### Dining's dog days URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/dinings-dog-days/ Last updated: 2026-06-17T23:35:27.000Z Restaurant Week rolls around twice a year, a strategy dressed up as a celebration: put bottoms in seats when sales are slow. The summer edition [lands in late July](https://digbr.com/restaurant-week?ref=redeyebr.com), timed for the people still in town while everyone else takes in the last days of summer before fall arrives with school, football, and the spending that follows both. **Why it matters:** Baton Rouge dining is slow all summer long. That’s not a problem for diners. That’s an opportunity for people who eat and the places that feed them. **The summer math:** Heat is misery for restaurant workers, who live on tips. But it’s a gift for everyone else. No reservation lines. No wait at the busiest places in town. Even Superior Grill’s two spots go quiet on a summer afternoon. Walk in, get a table, get a server who has time to talk you into dessert and an after-dinner coffee. **What you can do to help restaurants:** - Go out more if you can afford to. Your bartender needs the tip. So does your server, your coffee shop counter person, your regular beer joint. - Let someone else run the grill during the suffocating summer. Get the boudin at Offset Smoker, the smoked chicken at HannaQ, the burnt ends at TJ Ribs. Somebody already stood over the fire for hours so you don’t have to. - Spend money on your drive home. Get the to-go margarita from Mestizo—they’ll hand it over with a lid, as will many other places. Don’t drink on the way home; it’s illegal and dangerous. - Look for the seasonal specials restaurants build specifically to get you in the door in June and July. - Book the big table now. Group reservations get hard to secure in the fall. Right now, nobody’s fighting you for a table of twelve. Throw the early birthday party. Do Christmas in July if you want to. **The bottom line:** Restaurant Week will still happen, and it’s worth booking—plenty of people use it to try somewhere new. But the best deal in Baton Rouge dining right now isn’t a discount menu in late July. It’s an empty dining room in June, a server with time to spare, and a tip that means more than it will in October. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Emerging opportunity URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/emerging-opportunity/ Last updated: 2026-06-18T12:16:12.000Z Baton Rouge residents have a chance to make a difference this summer, and the price of admission is nothing more than some time and a little sweat. [First Tuesday](https://www.redeyebr.com/tuesdays-with-service/), the volunteer initiative that sends Baton Rouge businesses and residents into the community one Tuesday a month, is back for its biggest annual project: the Emerge School Beautification Day. [Emerge](https://www.emergeschool.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) educates students with autism spectrum disorder—and it needs the kind of facelift that doesn't happen on a school budget. On **Tuesday, July 7**, volunteers will paint classrooms, power-wash walkways, make repairs and tackle whatever else the campus needs before students return. The scope is big enough that First Tuesday added a **Monday, July 6** prep day—sorting supplies, staging materials and setting up work areas so Tuesday can move fast. It's also a reminder of something easy to take for granted: a community runs better when showing up for it isn't reserved for personal time. More Baton Rouge businesses are giving employees paid hours to volunteer instead of treating service as something squeezed in after work, and projects like this one are the result. You don't have to do both days, and you don't have to do all day. An hour helps. A crew helps more. [Sign up for Monday prep](https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/form/QotZEZdxv7oHwSjkytlv?ref=redeyebr.com) or [the July 7 service day](https://www.firsttuesdayserves.com/?ref=redeyebr.com). Learn more about First Tuesday [here](https://www.firsttuesdayserves.com/?ref=redeyebr.com). ### Catalyst before capital URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/catalyst-before-capital/ Last updated: 2026-06-17T00:56:42.000Z Developers make it clear they need a reason to bet on downtown before they'll do so. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Walking without worry URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/walking-without-worry/ Last updated: 2026-06-17T00:56:11.000Z Baton Rouge remains one of the most dangerous cities in America for doing a thing most of us learned as toddlers: walking. **Why it matters:** People should be able to walk to a store, a school, a bus stop or a neighbor's house without worrying that a vehicle will hit and kill them. That ought to be enough. But there is a civic argument, too. Safe walking gives people another way to move around the city. It improves daily life, especially for people who do not drive. And it can reduce traffic by turning some short car trips into foot trips. **By the numbers:** - Baton Rouge ranked **No. 5 among U.S. cities for pedestrian deaths** per 100,000 residents in 2024, according to a Smart Growth America report issued this month. Only Memphis, Albuquerque, Bakersfield, and Tucson ranked higher. - Louisiana ranked second among states for pedestrian deaths per 100,000 residents. New Mexico was first. Arizona was third. **The reasons:** - The deadliest roads are often wide, fast, multi-lane **state corridors** built to move cars and cargo. Think Florida Boulevard. - Nearly two-thirds of fatal pedestrian crashes happen where there is no sidewalk. About 76% occur after dark. - Bigger vehicles make the problem worse. Pedestrian deaths involving SUVs jumped 81% in the most recent period studied. - Alcohol is a factor in 40% of fatal pedestrian crashes. **The Baton Rouge angle:** Give the city and state some credit. Both have started putting real money into walking infrastructure. - Sidewalks have been repaired and new ones are being built. An example: Florida Boulevard is getting sidewalks from near downtown to Airline Highway, along with safer crosswalks. - Baton Rouge also lowered speed limits in residential areas to 25 mph. - Government Street has been reworked for safety, and crashes there have gone down. - Baton Rouge is building complete streets as part of its MovEBR infrastructure plan. **What could help:** The U.S. Department of Transportation points to several fixes that cities have used to reduce pedestrian deaths and crashes. - Start with left turns. Downtown Baton Rouge allows left turns from one-way streets. That can be dangerous because drivers often look right for oncoming traffic when turning left, missing pedestrians crossing with the light. - More road diets, replicating the Government Street example. Converting a four-lane road into three lanes—one lane in each direction, plus a center turn lane—can cut total crashes by 19% to 47%. - Raised crosswalks, which combine a crossing with a speed hump, can reduce pedestrian crashes by 45%. - Pedestrian refuge islands give walkers a safe place to pause halfway across a wide road. - Raised medians on busy multi-lane roads can reduce pedestrian crashes by nearly 50% on roads carrying 15,000 vehicles a day. **The bottom line:** Baton Rouge has started to treat walking safety as a real problem. Now it needs to treat it like an urgent one. Because a city where walking is safe gets a healthier population, less traffic as people walk more, and the benefits of good design. ### LSU professors chosen as Guggenheim Fellows URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/lsu-professors-chosen-as-guggenheim-fellows/ Last updated: 2026-06-17T00:55:46.000Z The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation has awarded fellowships to two LSU professors: Jeremiah Ariaz, a professor of art and photography, and Maurice Carlos Ruffin, an associate professor of English. **Why it matters:** Established in 1925, the Guggenheim is among the most prestigious honors in American arts and letters. Grants typically range from $40,000 to $55,000, giving recipients something very valuable: time and freedom to pursue ambitious work. **The projects:** - Ariaz will use the fellowship for *The Fourth Estate in the Heart of America*, a photographic and editorial project documenting newspaper offices. It is part tribute to local journalism’s civic role and part lament for its decline. - Ruffin will work on his forthcoming novel, *Liar’s Bouquet*, a contemporary satire set in New Orleans. It follows a family of activists who discover they may have been fighting on the wrong side of a hidden conflict all along. **Quick history:** Guggenheim fellowships have gone to [13 LSU faculty members](https://www.lsu.edu/academicaffairs/externalawards%5Frecognition/highly-prestigious.php?ref=redeyebr.com), beginning with Lewis Simpson in 1954\. This is the first time two LSU professors have won in the same year. **The bottom line:** Guggenheim Fellows often go on to win Pulitzers, Nobels and other major honors. LSU now has two more of them—a welcome distinction for a university trying to rise into the nation’s top 50 research institutions. ### A biscuit crossed the basin URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/a-biscuit-crossed-the-basin/ Last updated: 2026-06-17T00:55:27.000Z Here’s the thing about Parish Biscuit Co.: if you’ve spent any time in Lafayette, you already know the pull. People make the drive to Coolidge Street, wait in line, and eat a biscuit worth the trip. Baton Rouge residents have had to take their word for it—or cross the Atchafalaya to find out for themselves. That’s about to change. Parish Biscuit is opening on West Lee Drive within about two months, sliding its Louisiana-influenced breakfast and brunch menu into a stretch crowded with national quick-service chains. The draw does begin with the biscuit. Parish makes them 17 ways, many named for South Louisiana parishes. The Vermilion keeps things simple: fried egg, American cheese and sausage or bacon. The Allen is for people who believe breakfast should require structural engineering: a fried boneless pork chop, fried egg, smoked sausage, tasso gravy, bacon jam, green onions and fig preserves. The menu stretches well beyond biscuits: bread pudding bites, duck empanadas, omelets, salads, burgers, spiked coffees and mimosas. General Manager George Monsour says lines do form on weekends in Lafayette, but owner Steven LaBorde has built a system that keeps the food moving. “It’s more of an elevated experience inside; it’s not your morning greasy diner kind of joint,” says Monsour, who will manage the Baton Rouge location. “It’s also quick service. People will not wait long for their food. Turnaround time is eight minutes.” West Lee has plenty of places built to move food quickly. Parish Biscuit’s wager is that Baton Rouge will make room for one that gives breakfast a reason to linger. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Building Gaudi, brick by brick URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/building-gaudi-brick-by-brick/ Last updated: 2026-06-17T00:55:06.000Z Here is a staycation for anyone with the concentration of a medieval craftsman. Lego’s new Sagrada Família contains 12,060 pieces, making it the largest and most complicated set the company has produced. **Why it matters:** Antoni Gaudí’s basilica is among the world’s most astonishing buildings: part cathedral, part fever dream and still emerging after nearly a century and a half. The exterior has just been completed; the interior will be finished in 2034\. Visitors cross oceans to see it. It’s not an obvious candidate for reduction to small plastic pieces. Lego has managed it anyway. **The details:** The set costs $800, roughly the price of two weekday nights at the Windsor Court in New Orleans during the suffocating heat of summer. Still, it is cheaper than flying to Barcelona, where visitors must contend with crowds and locals convinced, not entirely without reason, of their superiority to Madrid. The model reproduces the basilica’s towers, sculpted façades and peculiar organic geometry, which make the building appear less constructed than grown. **What they’re saying:** Rok Žgalin Kobe, the set’s designer, said his team felt “an immense responsibility” to do justice to Gaudí’s masterpiece. **The bottom line:** A cathedral nearly 150 years in the making, completed on your dining-room table by Sunday night. Drinks optional. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. ****Free weekday newsletter. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.** ### The public gets its turn URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-public-gets-its-turn/ Last updated: 2026-06-17T11:53:11.000Z BREC will host a forum for City-Brooks Park and allow public comment—as long as it's civil. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The Lake builds an offense URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-lake-builds-an-offense/ Last updated: 2026-06-16T00:05:16.000Z FMOL Health is spending big in its effort to remain the market-share leader in health care. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Happy in the basement URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/happy-in-the-basement/ Last updated: 2026-06-15T23:56:59.000Z A comprehensive [new analysis](https://stateofnation.org/assets/stateofnation/downloads/sots/Louisiana.pdf?v=1.0.42&ref=redeyebr.com) of state-by-state performance ranks Louisiana at or near the bottom on nearly every metric that defines long-term quality of life. The same data shows residents are largely content living here anyway. **Why it matters:** The gap between how Louisiana is doing and how Louisianans feel about it isn't just an interesting data point—it's the obstacle. You can't fix what people aren't demanding be fixed. **By the numbers:** The [State of the Nation Project](https://stateofnation.org/sots/?ref=redeyebr.com#explore), a bipartisan effort housed at Tulane University's Murphy Institute, scored all 50 states and Washington, D.C., across 30 measures in 14 categories. [Louisiana's results](https://stateofnation.org/louisiana/?ref=redeyebr.com) aren't close. The state ranks: - 51st—dead last—in four workforce measures: employment-to-population ratio, labor force participation, young adults employed or in school, and hourly earnings growth. - 50th in poverty, 50th in murder rate, 50th in children living with single parents and 50th in low birthweight babies. - 49th in shootings, 48th in income inequality, 48th in years of education and 48th in air quality. - Life expectancy ranks 46th. Volunteerism ranks 44th. Voter participation ranks 45th. **A giant but:** Residents report relatively high satisfaction with their lives, ranking Louisiana in the top third of states on that measure. **The trend lines make it worse:** Several categories aren't just bad—they're heading in the wrong direction faster than the rest of the country. Poverty is worsening while the U.S. has improved. Shootings are worsening while the U.S. has stabilized. Hourly earnings growth ranks last and is declining while the national trend improves. **The bottom line:** Louisiana isn't just in the basement on key metrics; it's falling further behind a country that is itself struggling. Which makes the relative resident bliss with life here all the more interesting. ### Road diet needs greens URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/road-diet-needs-greens/ Last updated: 2026-06-15T23:55:15.000Z Government Street's road diet succeeded at slowing traffic and revitalizing the corridor, but its medians—planted with vegetation that couldn't handle Louisiana's increasingly extreme summers and winters—have largely died. Now Clean Pelican is leading a coalition to replant one median at Government and Jefferson Highway, near Goodwood Park, on June 20 from 8 a.m. to noon. They want volunteers, and you can [register here](http://cleanpelican.org/register?ref=redeyebr.com). The project is separate from a larger Government Street median replanting effort to come, but aims to serve as a model for maintaining public spaces where the parish lacks resources—and to show residents, through on-site educational info, what the corridor could ultimately look like. Partners include Baton Rouge Green, Goodwood Property Owners Association, CARBO Landscape Architecture, GroundWorks and Mid City Merchants, with $10,000 in parish funding from council members Laurie Adams and Jennifer Racca. **Read our original story:** [Test planting on Government could fix more mediansGovernment Street road diet worked. Now neighbors and nonprofits are trying to fix the one thing it left behind.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/icon/RedEye-logomark-959cd7d5-f54c-42dd-a5f3-64aa22189296.png)RedEyeMukul Verma![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/thumbnail/combined_grasses_horizontal-41cd4dce-14ed-4122-be21-4042ea2540e0.jpg)](https://www.redeyebr.com/test-planting-on-government-could-fix-more-medians/) ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Industrial-size concern URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/industrial-size-concern/ Last updated: 2026-06-14T23:03:51.000Z Louisiana's red-carpet embrace of data centers—a fast-growing roster that includes Meta, Amazon and Hut 8 near St. Francisville—is raising legitimate concerns about the water consumption those facilities demand. But the conversation has a blind spot the size of the Mississippi River. The petrochemical industry, which has operated in Baton Rouge's backyard for more than a century, draws far more water from the aquifer that supplies EBR's drinking water. And no one is paying much attention. **Why it matters:** East Baton Rouge Parish residents get their drinking water from a single source—the Southern Hills Aquifer. It produces some of the best tap water in Louisiana, requires minimal treatment and has served the region for generations. It is also under-documented, measurable stress. The biggest threat isn't the new thing generating all the headlines. **Industrial might:** The numbers don't match the alarm. Commercial and industrial facilities in the Capital Region [pull roughly 50 million gallons](https://thelensnola.org/2022/06/08/industry-overpumping-of-baton-rouges-groundwater-could-pollute-the-supply-for-residents/?ref=redeyebr.com) a day from the Southern Hills Aquifer. Meta's Richland Parish data center—the one drawing the most public concern—projects an average daily draw of roughly 1.5 million gallons. - No one disputes that the petrochemical industry is the economic bedrock of the Baton Rouge region—the [Greater Baton Rouge Industry Alliance](https://www.gbria.org/value-to-community?ref=redeyebr.com) tracks more than 25,000 plant and contract employees, a local payroll exceeding $900 million and a job multiplier that accounts for an estimated 60% of regional employment. - Still, the water in the Southern Hills Aquifer—given the current rate of consumption—is a finite resource. - ExxonMobil's north Baton Rouge chemical facility alone drew 7.3 billion gallons from the aquifer in 2020—the most recent year for which verified data is publicly available. **Political reality:** Data centers are new. Novelty generates alarm. Louisiana has never been much of a petrochemical watchdog. The math, however, is the math. **History lesson:** This isn't a discovery. Journalists and investigators [have documented](https://www.wwno.org/coastal-desk/2021-03-10/industry-overuse-puts-capital-city-drinking-water-at-risk?ref=redeyebr.com) the industrial draw, the regulatory failures and the oversight collapse for years. The reporting is thorough. The public response has been more of a shrug. - The state Legislature dissolved the agency charged with protecting the aquifer after its director was [indicted for bid-rigging](https://www.theadvocate.com/baton%5Frouge/ex-baton-rouge-ground-water-agency-chief-and-parks-official-indicted-on-conspiracy-charges/article%5F8caa01ff-c8a6-419f-86f9-fffaa8654820.html?ref=redeyebr.com) a metering contract—the very contract designed to track how much water industry was pulling. - Oversight now sits with the state Department of Energy and Natural Resources, which has signaled it will rely on [voluntary industrial compliance](https://www.theadvocate.com/baton%5Frouge/news/business/questions-remain-for-new-watchdog-of-baton-rouge-groundwater/article%5Fe606e822-10da-449e-8075-3c4691fe6799.html?ref=redeyebr.com) rather than hard caps. **The technology exists:** The Mississippi River runs directly alongside most of these facilities. Treating river water to industrial-grade standards is not experimental—it is established engineering used across the country. - The primary reason petrochemical plants draw from the aquifer instead is economic. Groundwater is essentially free to pump. River water requires treatment infrastructure. - Louisiana charges industrial users roughly $10 per million gallons in aquifer pumping fees. The all-in cost to ExxonMobil for its 7.3 billion gallon draw: less than $75,000. **Here in the real world:** ExxonMobil already operates this way elsewhere. Its Baytown, Texas facility—comparable in scale—operates on treated surface water drawn from the Trinity River system, not groundwater. That shift didn't happen voluntarily. Texas regulators mandated it after industrial overpumping caused measurable land sinking along the Gulf Coast. **What would Texas do?** Texas is not known for hostility toward industry. It is, however, known for protecting its aquifers. The Harris-Galveston Subsidence District uses a carrot-and-stick framework—modest fees for compliant users, steep financial penalties for facilities that fail to convert to surface water. The result: Houston's massive petrochemical corridor was moved off groundwater without shutting down a single plant. - Texas charges non-compliant facilities more than **$12,000 per million gallons** pumped over their allowed threshold. Louisiana charges industrial users **$10 per million gallons**. - Louisiana officials frequently cite Texas as a model worth following. They tend to be selective about which parts. - A similar framework here—even a modest one—would create the economic incentive that currently doesn't exist. **The bottom line:** The Southern Hills Aquifer produces drinking water that other Louisiana communities would envy. The conversation about protecting it shouldn't start and stop with data centers. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Louisiana got one right URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/louisiana-got-one-right/ Last updated: 2026-06-14T23:04:07.000Z Louisiana is one of four states in the country that mandates insurance coverage for menopause treatment. Not California. Not New York. Louisiana. **Why it matters:** The state that ranks near the bottom on most women's health measures got this one right—and got there first. **How it happened:** House Bill 392, sponsored by Rep. Aimee Freeman of New Orleans, passed in 2024 and took effect Aug. 1 of that year. - Freeman brought the bill after doctors complained they couldn't get hormone replacement therapy covered by Medicaid for patients experiencing menopause and perimenopause. - The law requires both Medicaid and private insurers to cover it. **The big picture:** More than half of U.S. states have introduced [menopause-related legislation](https://www.axios.com/2026/06/11/menopause-legislation-bills-map?ref=redeyebr.com) since 2023, with eight bills now law. - California passed coverage mandates twice—Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed them both. Maryland and New Jersey recently joined the list. - Of the four states that mandate full coverage, only Louisiana and Illinois cover all patients. Oregon and Washington cover some. **The bottom line:** Credit where it's due. For Louisiana to be ahead of the curve on anything not related to football, food or having a good time is rare—but leading the charge on women's health is rarer still. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### 📅 Baton Rouge: Week at a Glance | June 15–21 URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/baton-rouge-week-at-a-glance-june-15-21/ Last updated: 2026-06-14T23:04:50.000Z **Why it matters:** Juneteenth brings multiple free community celebrations across the parish, Plan BR III moves toward final adoption and *Much Ado About Nothing* closes out its inaugural run. ***🗓️ Tue.–Wed., June 17–18*** 🍶 **Sake & Omakase—6:30 p.m.** 📍 The Teaching Kitchen at Main Street Market, downtown - BREADA's new Summer Culinary Series opens with an intimate five-course omakase tasting menu paired with premium sakes. Sake educator Chris Johnson ("Sake Ninja," ranked among the top sake educators in the U.S.) joins 225 Best Chef winner Thien Nguyen and Nick Bennett, RD. Limited to 20 guests per evening. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. $150 per person; $250 per couple. [Tickets](https://breada.org/summer-culinary-series/?ref=redeyebr.com) at breada.org. ***🗓️ Fri.–Sun., June 19–21*** 🎭 ***Much Ado About Nothing*—closing weekend** 📍 Mid City Civic Theatre, 7155 Florida Blvd. - The inaugural production from Baton Rouge's newest theatre company closes out its run. Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. [Tickets](https://ci.ovationtix.com/35695/production/1273434?ref=redeyebr.com) $40; $20 students/children at midcitycivic.org. ***🗓️ Saturday, June 20*** 🌿 **Birding at Burden—7–9 a.m.** 📍 LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden, 4560 Essen Lane - Monthly guided tour through Burden's birding loops—320 species recorded on the grounds. $12.51, [registration required](https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/birding-at-burden-2026-4797941?ref=redeyebr.com) at Eventbrite. 🌱 **Red Stick Farmers Market: Fresh Fest—Squash-Tastic—8 a.m.–noon** 📍 5th & Main Street, downtown - This week's Fresh Fest theme celebrates Louisiana squash. Chef demo by JP Uzee at 10 a.m. in The Teaching Kitchen at Main Street Market. [Details](https://breada.org/red-stick-farmers-market/?ref=redeyebr.com) at breada.org. 🎉 **Samba Luxe Carnival—noon** 📍 222 North Blvd., downtown - A free-entry cultural fashion festival bringing samba costumes, feathers, sequins, a live DJ dancefloor, local food vendors and carnival energy to downtown Baton Rouge. [Details](https://www.sambaluxecarnival.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) at sambaluxecarnival.com. 🔭 **Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon** 📍 Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, LASM, 100 S. River Road - Three showtimes: 5:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 8 p.m. The Rock the Dome Laser Series continues with Pink Floyd's landmark album under the dome. [Tickets](https://www.lasm.org/rockthedome/?ref=redeyebr.com) at lasm.org. 🎵 **KB & the Backbeat feat. Ross Hoppe—6:30 p.m.** 📍 Cary Saurage Community Arts Center, 233 Saint Ferdinand St. - Bandleader and multi-instrumentalist Kasey Ball brings together jazz, blues, soul, funk and Louisiana traditions with drummer Chris "Katt" Lee, guitarist Jarrett Gustafson and pianist Ross Hoppe. Doors at 6 p.m.; show runs 6:30–8:30 p.m., followed by an open jam session 8:30–9 p.m. Bring your instrument. [Tickets](https://bontempstix.com/events/kb-the-backbeat-feat-ross-hoppe-6-20-2026?ref=redeyebr.com) at bontempstix.com. ***🗓️ Sunday, June 21*** 🔬 **Random Acts of Science Sundays—1–3 p.m.** 📍 Louisiana Art & Science Museum, 100 S. River Road - Surprise pop-up science activity and guided tour of the Solar System Gallery led by a NASA Solar System Ambassador, followed by a planetarium show at 2 p.m. Included with admission; free for members. [Details](https://www.lasm.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) at lasm.org. 🎵 **Sundays Smooth Jazz Series** 📍 EBRPL River Center Branch Library, 120 St. Louis St. - Every Sunday in June—bring your lawn chairs and settle in for free live smooth jazz on the library grounds. No tickets required. --- ### **🎵 Juneteenth** *Juneteenth—observed Friday, June 19—commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. Here's how Baton Rouge marks the holiday.* ***🗓️ Friday, June 19*** 🎨 **LSU Museum of Art: Free Juneteenth Admission—10 a.m.–5 p.m.** 📍 Shaw Center for the Arts, 100 Lafayette St. - Free general admission all day on Juneteenth. Current exhibitions include *ReVision: Women in Photography* and the South Arts Southern Prize. [Details](https://www.lsumoa.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) at lsumoa.org. 🎵 **Juneteenth: Celebrating Historic South Baton Rouge—2 p.m.** 📍 Magnolia Mound Museum + Historic Site, 2161 Nicholson Drive - Free Juneteenth programming at one of Baton Rouge's most historic sites. [Details](https://www.brec.org/facility/MagnoliaMound?ref=redeyebr.com) at brec.org. 🎵 **Juneteenth Celebration at L'Auberge—8 p.m.** 📍 L'Auberge Casino & Hotel, 777 L'Auberge Ave. - Lil Nathan & The Zydeco Big Timers, Universal Language and The Michael Foster Project. Ages 21 and up. [Tickets](https://www.ticketmaster.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) at Ticketmaster. ***🗓️ Saturday, June 20*** 💡 **Juneteenth Discovery Day—9:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.** 📍 Capitol Park Museum, 660 N. Fourth St. - Hands-on learning with interactive activities celebrating Juneteenth. Discounted admission. [Details](https://louisianastatemuseum.org/museum/capitol-park-museum?ref=redeyebr.com) at louisianastatemuseum.org. 🎶 **Juneteenth Unity Festival—3–9 p.m.** 📍 Main Library at Goodwood, 7711 Goodwood Blvd. - The City of Baton Rouge's free Juneteenth celebration—live music from The Michael Foster Project and Universal Language, food trucks, children's activities and family programming. Bring your lawn chairs. Free. RSVP at [eventbrite.com](https://www.eventbrite.com/?ref=redeyebr.com). --- ### **📋 Government & Business** 📋 **CHANGEMAKERS Applications Open—through July 31** - The Baton Rouge Alliance for Students is accepting applications for the ninth cohort of CHANGEMAKERS, a 10-month civic leadership program focused on improving educational outcomes across Baton Rouge. Open to leaders from business, nonprofit, government and community sectors. New cohort announced August 12\. [Apply](https://bralliance.org/changemakers/?ref=redeyebr.com) at bralliance.org/changemakers. ***🗓️ Monday, June 15*** 🏛️ **Press Club of Baton Rouge: BREC Leadership—11:30 a.m.** 📍 Drusilla Place Catering, Drusilla Shopping Center, Drusilla Drive & Jefferson Hwy. - Interim Superintendent Janet Simmons and Interim COO Maurice Velasquez discuss BREC's master plan, recent operational changes, the June 27 millage renewal ballot and the search for a new superintendent. Doors open 11:30 a.m.; speaker begins 12:15 p.m.; adjourns 1 p.m. $25 members; $30 nonmembers. Public welcome. LPB streams on its [YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@LPBtv?ref=redeyebr.com) for later viewing. ***🗓️ Wednesday, June 17*** 🏛️ **Metro Council Zoning Committee: Plan BR III—4 p.m.** 📍 City Hall, 222 St. Louis St. - Plan Baton Rouge III—the 148-page downtown master plan developed by Sasaki and commissioned by BRAF—comes before the Zoning Committee for adoption into FuturEBR, the parish's comprehensive development plan. A major milestone for a plan calling for more than $1.5 billion in early investments and 80 recommendations to reshape the downtown riverfront over the next decade. Full agenda can be seen [online](https://www.brla.gov/agendacenter?ref=redeyebr.com). Public comment accepted. ***🗓️ Thursday, June 18*** 🏛️ **EBR Library Board of Control—4 p.m.** 📍 Main Library at Goodwood, First Floor Conference Room #102, 7711 Goodwood Blvd. - Open to the public. The agenda was not posted on the library website by press time. Once posted, the full agenda is [here](https://www.ebrpl.com/about/library-board-of-control/?ref=redeyebr.com). 🏛️ **EBR Parish School Board—5 p.m.** 📍 School Board Office, 1050 South Foster Drive - Regular monthly meeting. Open to the public—full agenda at [ebrschools.org](https://ebrschools.org/about/schoolboardmeetings/?ref=redeyebr.com). --- **Reach us:* Want to submit an event item for consideration? Email us the information at* [*news@redeyebr.com*](mailto:news@redeyebr.com)*. *Details:* The calendar is on a Monday–Sunday rotation, and the submission deadline is the Wednesday prior.* ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. ****Free newsletter. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.** ### Three parishwide taxes, one ballot URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/three-pariswide-taxes-one-ballot/ Last updated: 2026-06-21T22:08:30.000Z Four tax propositions are on the Saturday, June 27 ballot—three parishwide, one in Zachary. Early voting is underway through Saturday. **Why it matters:** This isn't just another election. Considerable regular funding for the library and BREC is on the line, along with a tax supporting the Council on Aging. The $75,000 homestead exemption applies to each tax. **How to vote:** Show up June 27 at your designated polling station, or vote early through Saturday, June 20\. One catch: no early voting this Friday, June 19, the Juneteenth holiday. Early voting sites and times are at the[ GeauxVote site](https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/Voting/Index/EarlyVoting?uid=18&ref=redeyebr.com). **A reminder:** The $75,000 homestead exemption applies to each tax. **What You're Voting On:** **• EBR Parish Library—9.5 mills for 10 years.** A yes vote renews a library tax of $9.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value. The tax would raise around $59.6 million annually and fund almost 100% of library operations. A no vote means the library runs out of funding within 18 months—unless it comes back to the ballot and wins before then. In the meantime, the library would operate on reserves, funds it has set aside in accordance with national guidelines for emergency savings. These are the same dedicated reserves that other politicians in the parish have been trying to raid for unrelated purposes. **How it got here:** The library has historically cruised through tax renewals. Then it got tangled up in Mayor-President Sid Edwards' three-part Thrive EBR plan, which went down in flames in November. The library reassessed how much it needed, reduced the millage a bit, and got approval to go it alone on this ballot, as it has in the past. **• Council on Aging—2 mills.** That's $2 per $1,000 of assessed property value, generating $12.5 million annually for 10 years to pay for services for the elderly, including transportation, meals, housing, and operating budget. Like the library, the Council on Aging was pulled into the comprehensive Thrive plan that was rejected last year. **• BREC—3.96 mills.** That's $3.96 per $1,000 of assessed value, generating $24.8 million annually for 10 years for operations and maintenance. BREC says the $24.8 million is about 20% of its total budget. Without the renewal funding, services and maintenance would be reduced, says BREC, the largest single landowner in the parish. **An endorsement:** The Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership (formerly BRAC) endorsed the BREC millage, citing the role of parks in economic development. However, the organization declined to take a position on the Council on Aging and EBR Library taxes, and as of our publishing deadline, had not explained why. We will update readers if the business organization provides further comment. **But wait, there's more:** **Zachary Community Schools—24 mills for 20 years.** This one is for Zachary voters only. The system is asking for a renewal after a bigger proposal failed in November. A yes vote levies a 24-mill property tax from 2026 through 2045\. It would generate about $8.4 million a year to fund the raises for all school personnel. **The bottom line:** The library's funding has an 18-month fuse; BREC and Council on Aging are on the same ballot. Saturday is the last day to vote without waiting until June 27\. The decision is yours. Go vote. SPONSORED by rEDEYE Media [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/2026/04/RedEye-logomark.png)](#/portal/account/plans) ****Baton Rouge is not going to fix itself. It might, however, be better understood.** That is where RedEye comes in. We cover this parish with original reporting, sharp analysis and an interest in solutions rather than slogans. If our journalism has helped you make more sense of Baton Rouge, **please upgrade to a paid tier.** [Upgrade to Paid ](#/portal/account/plans) ### My day in Melrose Place URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/day-in-melrose-place-north-baton-rouge/ Last updated: 2026-06-14T22:51:35.000Z It was a Saturday morning of doughnuts, coffee and meeting people in a neighborhood most of Baton Rouge has forgotten exists. Melrose Place is an oak-lined oasis in a desert of blight, disinterest and abandoned monuments to Baton Rouge business before white flight and suburban sprawl pulled them to Siegen Lane, Industriplex Boulevard and down Airline Highway toward Gonzales. The [neighborhood](https://www.melroseplacebr.org/neighborhood?ref=redeyebr.com) is a mixed-race community that skews Black—and that, in Baton Rouge, comes loaded with assumptions that have very little to do with what's actually happening here. The black and white reality is that it's decidedly middle class. The homes, with a blend of architectural styles, are well-kept and ringed with colorful gardens. The vibe is funky, eclectic and unmistakably lived-in. Exactly the non-cookie-cutter neighborhood young, educated professionals and creatives crave in the early stages of their career path. The type of neighborhood Baton Rouge desperately needs more of. Think of the ‘dales, just in another very different location. The challenge is its surroundings. Getting there requires running a gauntlet—North Street's stretch of mom-and-pop convenience stores, abandoned commercial buildings and the blight of neglect—before Melrose Place reveals itself. Once inside, the contrast is jarring in the best way. Just three miles from the chic of Mid City's Government Street, Melrose Place has the geographic misfortune of being on the "other side" of Florida Boulevard. Just barely. But anything north of Florida, barely or otherwise, comes with a Tiger Stadium full of challenges—many real, even more perceived. Crime is the most cited. It's real, but it isn't the crime that makes headlines—more of the bike-and-lawn-mower-stealing variety. The Melrose Civic Association, founded in 1962, funds its own off-duty police patrols through a dedicated Crime Prevention District. That's not a neighborhood in distress. It's a neighborhood controlling its own destiny. There's no magic solution. The carrot of incentivizing private investment matters, but so does the stick of disincentivizing development sprawl. The bones are good: a functioning street grid, no chronic flooding, proximity to pretty much everything Baton Rouge has to offer. And most importantly, good and invested residents. Perhaps the rising popularity of Mid City will push its way north, past its Government Street comfort zone. Maybe the MovEBR Florida Corridor project, with its sidewalks and pedestrian upgrades, [will help bridge](https://www.redeyebr.com/fix-for-throad-not-the-divide/) a Mid City connection. We'll see, but that's the hope. In many ways, Melrose Place lives up to its billing as one of Baton Rouge's best-kept secrets. The people who live there are perfectly happy letting it get out. *—J.R. Ball* ### Packed house, same debate URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/packed-house-same-debate/ Last updated: 2026-06-14T23:05:04.000Z The information and the conflict remain the same with City-Brooks Park, with a conservancy question looming large. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### EBR Animal Control has some thoughts URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/ebr-animal-control-has-some-thoughts/ Last updated: 2026-06-12T01:34:49.000Z Some public officials who oversee childhood vaccinations avoid talking about them. East Baton Rouge Parish Animal Control has taken a different approach with pets, and it's refreshing. The parish website—which is a [fun and useful read](https://www.brla.gov/m/faq?ref=redeyebr.com) and a better use of your time than doomscrolling social media—lays it out plainly: if you've just moved to East Baton Rouge, you have 30 days to get your pet licensed and vaccinated by a vet here in the parish. Moved here recently and your pet is already vaccinated? Doesn't matter. "The 'extra' shot won't hurt if your pet is in good health," the site says, adding helpfully, "but take your vet's advice." A few other things worth knowing, per the parish: if you have more than 12 animals over 4 months old, you need a kennel permit. And for the neighbor whose dog has been yapping for something at 2 a.m.? The parish's advice is one that builds community: walk over and talk to them first. "It's surprising how often people are willing to cooperate when they become aware that their pet is keeping someone else awake." Either way: picket fences, front porches, vaccinated pets. ### Party like a Swede URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/party-like-a-swede/ Last updated: 2026-06-12T01:16:53.000Z New Orleans has Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest and the cultural gumbo that is Creole. Lafayette has also perfected Mardi Gras, has Festival International and a French-Canadian-outlaw lineage that basically invented the party. Baton Rouge? We show up for the Saturday before Fat Tuesday and call it a season. As for our cultural personality ... well ... there's a reason I previously declared Baton Rouge the vanilla in the three-city Neapolitan ice cream that's sandwiched between Chocolate City and the Cajuns. Which is exactly why Baton Rouge should embrace its inner Swede, another group not known to be—uh, well, how do we put this—fun. Meet Midsummer—Sweden's biggest holiday outside of Christmas, a centuries-old celebration of light, long evenings and pickled herring chased with aquavit shots. Sweden is a perfectly lovely country that's given us IKEA, ABBA and an unwavering commitment to sensible decisions. ABBA sold 400 million records and somehow made it look like a responsible career choice. Baton Rouge gets this. **The proposal:** Midsummer. June 20\. North Boulevard Town Square and Rhorer Plaza. Purple and gold flower crowns optional. Beignet fingers and a Sensation Salad, mandatory. Cypress Coast's Mid City Blonde or Oxford Rum's sugarcane delight stands in for aquavit. Someone find a harmonica player. The red maypole goes up at dusk. To give it a dash of hot sauce, turn Southern's Human Jukebox loose to do its amazing thing. We're not stealing anything. We're recognizing kindred spirits. Leksand has its maypole. We'll take that crooked red stick thing. *Laissez les bons temps rouler*—or whatever the Swedish is for that. Skål! *—J.R. Ball* ### Wisdom of the Mexican restaurant line URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/wisdom-of-the-mexican-restaurant-line/ Last updated: 2026-06-12T01:16:20.000Z Follow the regulars; they now what they are doing. At Ideal Market, diners collecting lunch routinely pass the grilled meats, stewed chicken, plantains and vegetables. Many continue towards the Caldo de res, a Mexican beef soup that is among the finest bowls of anything served in Baton Rouge. It is comfort food of a high order: somebody’s mama’s gumbo, translated into Spanish. Ideal Market has two locations in the city. Neither resembles a national chain supermarket, where the food is packaged, bar-coded and stripped of surprise. Ideal is a carnival. Mexican cookies grin from the shelves. Cakes glow beneath neon icing. Fresh fish give the evil eye. At the back is a cafeteria counter beside great containers of aguas frescas—mango, tamarind and watermelon. The line offers grilled pork and chicken, stews, plantains and tamales from Nicaragua and Honduras. For years, the Caldo de Res was visible but overlooked. There was always some other temptation in the way. This was my poor judgment. I had the soup yesterday. It was ladled into a bowl of almost comic proportions, enough for two people. Beef shank had been simmered until it yielded to a spoon. Potato, carrot and squash sat in a broth lightly scented with tomato, garlic, bay leaves and peppercorns. Quarters of corn on the cob were retrieved and eaten by hand. Caldo de res is less polished than consommé and less serious than stew. It occupies the sensible ground between them: rich without being heavy, restorative without being dull. The regulars are always to be trusted. *—Mukul Verma* ### Working 9 to 5? Dolly's got Community Coffee URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/working-9-to-5-dollys-got-community-coffee/ Last updated: 2026-06-14T23:05:21.000Z America's favorite country singer and philanthropist will serve Baton Rouge-based Community at her new highway stores. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### BREC sets the ground rules URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/brec-sets-the-ground-rules/ Last updated: 2026-06-11T13:52:24.000Z BREC and design firm Sasaki will host a [community meeting](https://www.brec.org/lakesvision?ref=redeyebr.com) Thursday evening, from 5:30–7 p.m., at the McKinley Alumni Center on the City-Brooks Community Park + Lakes Vision Plan. One thing not on the agenda: a public airing of grievances or demands. **Why it matters:** Reimagining City-Brooks Park—especially the fate of the golf course, a tie-in with the University Lakes project and a recommendation to use a conservancy to manage it all—has prompted strong community reaction. BREC officials are making it clear: Thursday's meeting is about updating the public and gathering feedback, not amplifying the debate. **What to expect:** Robyn Lott, BREC's vice president of marketing and communications, confirms the format will be tightly structured. - A 20–30 minute Sasaki presentation kicks things off, covering the planning history, current recommendations and key choices. - For the remaining hour, roughly 30 large boards on easels will be arranged around the room, each focused on specific aspects of the potential master plan—zoomed-in details of areas that have only been shown in broad terms in earlier presentations. - Sasaki and BREC representatives will circulate for one-on-one conversations at the boards. - Feedback is collected via stickers—not open-mic comments. 🏞️ ****City-Brooks Park + Lakes community meeting** 📆: June 11 ⏰: 5:30-7 p.m. 📍: McKinley Alumni Center, 1520 Thomas H. Delpit Drive **No new options, no votes:** This is not the meeting to lobby for a golf course-free park or an unchanged one. Both draft plans retain the golf course in a modified format. Thursday goes deeper into the details of those existing drafts—it doesn't introduce alternatives. **Details matter:** Get caught up on what's happened. - *RedEye* looks at the [two drafts](https://www.redeyebr.com/two-visions-for-a-park/) offered by Sasaki. - A larger think piece on City-Brooks Park and the [prospect of a grander vision](https://www.redeyebr.com/what-would-olmsted-do/). - An overview of [public survey comments](https://www.redeyebr.com/city-park-survey/) on the master plan. **The Bottom Line:** Feedback collected Thursday, combined with committee and commission input, will guide BREC's final decisions on the future of one of Baton Rouge's most contested green spaces. ### Corner drugstores are being repurposed URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/a-new-prescription/ Last updated: 2026-06-12T01:36:09.000Z In Baton Rouge, two closed drugstores are being reborn as something else. That makes them a preview of what happens when an old retail institution starts coming apart. **Why it matters:** Former pharmacies do not have to become empty boxes with faded signs and weeds in the parking lot. In many cases, they are finding second lives that may fit neighborhoods better than the stores they replaced. **The Baton Rouge angle:** - The former Rite Aid at Jefferson Highway and Corporate Boulevard is becoming a **Hollywood Feed**, a pet store built around animal health and nutrition. A construction superintendent says two other businesses are expected there, with **Chipotle** in the mix. Chiptole has been opening drive-thru only restaurants in an expansion, a fit for the former Rite-Aid. - The former CVS at Acadian and Government is being carved into at least four spaces: **PJ’s Coffee, Marco’s Pizza, Wingstop and Donuts and Burgers,** according to The Advocate. Three of the largest high schools in East Baton Rouge Parish sit near that corner. **In a twist:** Prescriptions to Geaux, a local independent pharmacy, set up shop in a former bank building on Government Street. **By the numbers:** The national pharmacy retreat is real. - Between 2010 and 2020, 30% of the nation’s 89,000 pharmacies closed, according to Health Affairs. - Since 2019, more than 7,000 physical pharmacies have shut down - CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid have closed thousands of locations since 2018, with another 3,000 expected through 2027. **The reasons:** Pharmacies are getting squeezed from both sides. Operating costs are up. Reimbursements from insurers and pharmacy benefit managers are down. Meanwhile, Walmart, Amazon and online sellers have pulled customers away from the old corner drugstore model. **Yes, but:** Pharmacy deserts are a real concern. Delivery has softened that blow for some households. It has not solved it for everyone. **What they become:** Prominent corners are real estate gold. Former pharmacies have been converted into urgent care clinics, dollar stores, thrift stores, independent grocers, specialty retailers, drive-thru restaurants, pickleball courts and even car washes, according to the Urban Land Institute. **The bottom line:** The chain drugstore era is contracting. But in Baton Rouge, some of those empty corners are being filled with a new mix of stores, restaurants and services that may better match what the neighborhood wants now. ### Hear the wisdom of the 'Sake Ninja' URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/hear-the-wisdom-of-the-sake-ninja/ Last updated: 2026-06-11T00:49:04.000Z Come hear the wisdom of the "Sake Ninja." That pitch, too good to ignore, arrived in a BREADA media release announcing a new idea for the renovated Main Street Market: The Summer Culinary Series. You know BREADA as the good people who bring you fruits and vegetables grown in the region, the folks behind the Red Stick Farmers Market and the reinvented Main Street Market. Now they have a new toy in the remade space: a teaching kitchen, where local chefs cook meals built on produce and other foods from our area of Louisiana. **Why it matters:** The kitchen will anchor the new culinary series, which continues as the seasons change. By featuring market ingredients in every event, BREADA continues to support local producers while making fresh, seasonal food more accessible and more appreciated across the community. This time, you get dinner out of it. **First up—Sake & Omakase:** Storytelling by sake educator Chris Johnson, known in the trade as the "Sake Ninja," alongside local chefs Thien Nguyen and Nick Bennett, paired with a five-course tasting menu. **The details:** - June 17 and June 18 - Doors open at 6:15 p.m.; program begins at 6:30 p.m. - Limited to 20 guests per evening - $150 per person or $250 per couple **Then—Taste Like a Somme:** Level 3 Sommelier Scott Higgins teaches participants how to evaluate wine with intention—with some swirling for show—while working through a curated charcuterie board built from seasonal ingredients sourced from Farmers Market vendors. **The details:** - July 15 and July 29 - Limited to 20 guests - $100 per person or $175 per couple **The bottom line:** Local chefs, market ingredients, and a man called the Sake Ninja. [Get your tickets](https://breada.org/summer-culinary-series/?ref=redeyebr.com) and consider it support for BREADA and the farmers who feed this city. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge. Our newsletter is free. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Here comes the sun URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/here-comes-the-sun/ Last updated: 2026-06-11T00:48:44.000Z The summer sun in South Louisiana and along the Gulf Coast beaches is brutal. Your current sunscreen isn't the best, but help from Europe is on the way. **Why it matters:** Baton Rouge's UV index hits extreme levels by noon from April through July, with unprotected skin burning in as little as 10 minutes. Most American sunscreens deliver only about 25% of the UVA protection their labels imply. **What's been missing:** The SPF number on your bottle measures UVB—the rays that cause sunburns, not the ones that cause cancer. - UVA rays penetrate deeper, drive skin cancer and premature aging, and current U.S. chemical filters don't block them reliably. - The FDA just approved the [first new sunscreen ingredient](url) in more than 25 years—bemotrizinol—which blocks both types of UV rays and doesn't break down in heat or direct sun. - Neutrogena and others are expected to have bemotrizinol-based products on shelves by September. **What to buy now:** Mineral sunscreen with zinc oxide is your best current option—stable, balanced UVA and UVB protection without a prescription. - Stick to SPF 50 or lower; higher numbers don't improve UVA coverage and create false confidence. - La Roche-Posay Anthelios and CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen are widely available at local drugstores and earn consistently high marks from dermatologists. **The bottom line:** Better sun protection is coming—but zinc oxide, reapplied every two hours, is the right call right now. ### Same city, different future URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/same-city-different-future/ Last updated: 2026-06-10T10:24:16.000Z In 2004, a delegation of Baton Rouge business, civic and government leaders boarded a plane for Austin and came home unsettled. It was a Texas-sized can of reality. The two cities had once been near mirror images—similar in size, both state capitals anchored by their flagship universities. One, fueled by economic diversity, a "keep it weird" ethos and the mindset of the future being "in the mind of some 25-year-old," became one of America's fastest-growing cities and a magnet for young, educated professionals, creatives and researchers. The other, well, is Baton Rouge, which prefers the familiar, disdains risk and is losing the very demographic it craves. Mayor Bobby Simpson responded by declaring that Austin and Baton Rouge really weren't that different. This, in part, explains why Simpson was a one-term mayor. Another byproduct was a group of then-young professionals banding together to form Austin 6, an advocacy group that pushed hard for change—especially on topics of downtown vibrancy, Baton Rouge's quality of life and giving young people a seat at the decision-making table. A co-founder of that group was Mike Polito, now the head of the BREC Commission. Few circles are that complete. **Why it matters:** Every fight Baton Rouge has about a park, a conservancy or a master plan is really the same argument the Austin trip first forced into the open: what kind of city does Baton Rouge want to be—and who gets to answer that? **The familiar divide:** On one side are those who believe Baton Rouge is fundamentally fine—that it needs investment and love, not reinvention. And change should come from within, not inspired by the latest city du jour. On the other are those watching the moving vans head to Austin, Dallas, Atlanta, Nashville, Charlotte and Greenville. To them, "fine" isn't a strategy. Both camps have been arguing about this for two decades. City-Brooks has given it a new address. **Two voices, one argument:** The debate found its most recent expression in a pair of guest columns published this month in *The Advocate*. Len Apcar, a Baton Rouge resident and journalism professor at LSU, acknowledged the value of parks but defaulted to a familiar position. "A redesigned park will not erase Baton Rouge's traffic, blight and spotty nightlife," [he wrote](https://www.theadvocate.com/baton%5Frouge/opinion/guest-column-don-t-chase-shiny-objects-when-baton-rouge-has-a-real-jewel-in/article%5F5ef8e4c0-fbb8-5605-8b7e-23dec722766d.html?ref=redeyebr.com). "Parks enrich a city, but they cannot alone make a 'quality of place' where younger people want to stay." Not every change or new idea is a good one. But the knee-jerk response here is always "why?" or “let’s not.” Not heard: "why not?” or “let’s do it.” Welcome to Baton Rouge. Maggie Conarro, a young professional and program director of Serve Louisiana, [pushed back](https://www.theadvocate.com/baton%5Frouge/opinion/guest-column-baton-rouge-parks/article%5Fe53f7e55-9bc7-5785-b014-5f563ebbfc3d.html?ref=redeyebr.com). Great parks are civic infrastructure, she argued. Third spaces—free, accessible places where people gather without an agenda—are essential to a city fighting an epidemic of loneliness. You don't wait for everything else to be fixed before you build the things that make a city worth staying in. Both are right about something. Neither is talking to the other. **Voting with moving vans:** While groups like Friends of City Park make their case on social media and at late-afternoon public meetings, young professionals are making their voices heard with their feet. - For more than a decade, Baton Rouge has been tracking out-migration, and those leaving in the largest numbers since 2013 are 25- to 44-year-olds. - Perhaps most sobering, the 2019 CityStats survey by BRAF found that only 8% of EBR parents wanted their children to remain in the parish as adults. **The trust problem:** The opposition to the conservancy model isn't purely a defense against change. It's also a product of a community that has watched enough civic projects promise broad benefit and deliver narrow results. That history doesn't make the conservancy argument wrong. But it makes it harder to win on the merits alone. **The better question:** How much does Baton Rouge care that people are leaving, the economy isn't diversifying and its quality of life for the next generation is lacking? Perhaps the city is content to mask those problems with the comfort blankets of the petrochemical industry and large public-sector employment. Our love for independent taxing authorities, dedicated taxes and the rise of incorporated cities suggests something other than a "we first" perspective. All is OK as long as I am OK. **The bottom line:** Baton Rouge has been having the Austin conversation for 22 years. The answer isn't copying someone else's city. It's deciding what kind of place Baton Rouge and East Baton Rouge Parish are uniquely positioned to become. A reimagination of City-Brooks and the lakes isn't the destination, but it might determine if the city wants to take that first step. ### A troubling sign URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/a-troubling-sign/ Last updated: 2026-06-10T00:15:18.000Z East Baton Rouge Parish has ordinances banning illegally placed signs in medians and another requiring abandoned business signs to be removed within 15 days. There's also a dedicated Blight Court. What's missing is anyone seriously enforcing any of it. **Why it matters:** Streetscapes riddled with the visual pollution of illegally placed signs in rights-of-way and the decaying calling cards of shuttered businesses are not only an eyesore but also have economic consequences for a city. **Not just a we problem.** Cities across the South face the same gap between law and enforcement. - Jacksonville, Florida, earned the nickname "Trashville" from its own residents over the same failure. - St. Petersburg, Florida, ran a self-funding program—fine revenue offset the inspector's cost—until a new administration killed it. - The answer to all your questions is money. City-parish officials say there isn't enough funding to get tough on visual pollution. - As *Seinfeld* histrionically told us, the holding is "really the most important part of the reservation. Anybody can just take them." **An obvious flaw:** Baton Rouge's enforcement is complaint-driven and deadline-dependent. - Businesses running a weekend sale know the math: put the signs out, run the promotion, ignore the notice, pull them on day 14\. Free advertising, courtesy of municipal indifference. - Since the city-parish revamped Blight Court, fine collections have been abysmal—the vast majority of property owners don't pay. - Each unaddressed blight citation [suppresses nearby property values](https://econsultsolutions.com/economic-case-for-fixing-blight-baltimore-case-study/?ref=redeyebr.com) by 0.4%. **💡 An idea:** Inspired by A&E's *Parking Wars*, the city-parish contracts with a private company on strict commission—no budget outlay required. - Agents fan out across EBR, issue violations on the spot and confiscate signs as evidence. - The key legal fix: anyone [advertised on a sign](https://www.cityofbartow.net/509/Snipe-Signs?ref=redeyebr.com) is presumed responsible for its placement. The phone number on the sign is the citation. - Proceeds from a $100 fine split three ways: 55% to the contractor/ticket issuer, 30% to the city-parish general fund and 15% to the Blight Court. - Cases go before an elected, at-large Blight Court judge—one parishwide position, one standard, one public docket. - The political bonus: the moment a Metro Council member's campaign signs get ticketed, candidates learn fast they're responsible for what their workers and affiliated PACs plant in the ground. **The bottom line:** The laws exist, the court exists and the violators are identifiable—their phone numbers are literally on the signs. ### Screens out, mummies in URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/screens-out-mummies-in/ Last updated: 2026-06-10T00:14:49.000Z A week into summer vacation and you already know how this goes. The controller hasn't left one kid's hands. Another is somewhere in a numbing phone scroll. The summer imagined in May has arrived, only to reveal itself as a long Tuesday. When they say there's nothing to do, you now have an answer. **The setup:** Visit Baton Rouge offers a [free Museum Passport](https://www.visitbatonrouge.com/plan-your-visit/experience-passports/museums-trail-pass/?ref=redeyebr.com) that sends families roaming the city, checking in at local cultural sites via GPS and earning a prize at the end. **The sites include:** - **LSU Museum of Art**—mummies, real ones. - **Old State Capitol**—Gothic architecture that reads like a castle. Let them see it that way. - **Baton Rouge Gallery**—contemporary art that opens a door to a bigger creative world than the one on their screens - **Knock Knock Children's Museum**—hands-on science for the younger set - **LSU Rural Life Museum**—Louisiana history you can walk through, not just read about **The one thing to know:** The passport is free to download, but it does not cover admission or offer discounts at participating museums. Budget accordingly before you load them in the car. **The bottom line:** A summer in which a child stands inside a 19th-century Gothic statehouse and comes face to face with a mummy is, by any reasonable standard, an improved summer. The passport strings together those small revelations, one check-in at a time. ### Lawsuit questions St. George's existence URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/lawsuit-questions-st-georges-existence/ Last updated: 2026-06-09T03:39:29.000Z The Kleinpeter family's lawsuit against St. George goes well beyond a zoning dispute—it questions whether the city legally exists. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Muddy politics of urban water URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/muddy-politics-of-urban-water/ Last updated: 2026-06-09T02:36:44.000Z At Sasaki's update of the University Lakes restoration project this evening, you'll hear applause in the room. You'll also hear grumbling. **Why it matters:** Not long ago, the lakes were dying. The restoration project—pulling cypress stumps, deepening the lakes, moving dredged soil to create new shorelines—is a necessary intervention. What's emerging is something Baton Rouge hasn't had before: a chain of urban green space that could eventually connect the lakes to City-Brooks Park. 🚣‍♀️ **University Lakes Restoration Update: 5:30–7 p.m. this evening, LSU Foundation, 3796 Nicholson Drive. Restoration partners include the State of Louisiana, City-Parish, BREC, LSU, and BRAF.* **Where things stand:** - **City Park Lake** has been [planted with natives](https://www.redeyebr.com/lake-woes-be-gone/), which are starting to bloom. Landscapers will remove invasive species to get the plant mix right. - **University Lake** restoration is scheduled for completion later this year, with plantings similar to the new City Park Lake shorelines. - **May Street** will reopen next year, reconfigured for safety with bike and pedestrian paths added. For the first time, City Park and University lakes will be connected for boating. - **Next two projects:** a $26 million paths project and a $15 million expansion of Wampold Park. Funding drives are underway [for the next phase](https://www.redeyebr.com/lakes-next-projects/). - On tap, a [$14.5 million FEMA grant ](https://www.redeyebr.com/university-lakes-system-might-get-a-seventh-lake/)will divert water from Corporation Canal near McKinley High School into the lake along Dalrymple Drive—primarily to reduce flooding around McKinley. It will also enhance the canal that runs next to University Lake from Stanford to Sorority Row. - A [nonprofit conservancy](https://www.redeyebr.com/a-model-conservancy/) is under consideration to raise money for future projects on the lakes and City-Brooks Park. That connection depends on the BREC Commission, which could weigh two design options for City Park, both of which directly connect the lake to the park. **The complaints:** Some neighbors say the expanded bird sanctuary is too large. Lakeside residents say the project is blocking their views. Others think the lakes weren't deepened enough. Tonight's meeting is the place to get answers and ask your own. **The bottom line:** The lakes were failing. The rescue is underway, but the project's final shape is still being written. Show up in good faith. Ask hard questions. Then help the planners and partners build an outdoor space Baton Rouge can be proud of. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Old tech, real problem URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/old-tech-real-problem/ Last updated: 2026-06-09T02:36:24.000Z Your old laptop is sitting in a closet. Your busted TV is in the garage. Your drawer of dead phones isn't getting smaller. We all have this stuff. So what do we do with it—toss it in the garbage can or, if too big, haul it to the nearest dumpster? Are the more environmentally conscious among us trekking it to Best Buy or the Apple store? The answer in Louisiana is more complicated than it should be. **Why it matters:** Louisiana is one of 25 states with [no e-waste law on the books](https://qz.com/us-state-e-waste-laws-patchwork-recycling-052726?email=25820FBAF0A060F5E029220D1ECC182B2DE907B087913CDD78BA341A6D4C61F6&utm%5Fsource=delivra&utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcampaign=DB%2006-04&utm%5Fid=10814069). There is no landfill ban, no manufacturer take-back mandate, no state recycling program. Tossing a laptop in the garbage is perfectly legal. The burden of doing the right thing is up to you. **Reality bites:** For those thinking government should step in... - Louisiana does charge a $2-per-tire fee at the point of sale to fund tire recycling. Drive around any vacant lot in Baton Rouge and you'll see how well that's working. The blight of discarded black rubber is a visual disaster. **Where Baton Rouge stands:** The city-parish has no municipal e-waste collection program either. That leaves a handful of private and nonprofit options to fill the gap. **What to do:** The [Capital Area Corporate Recycling Council](https://cacrc.com/?ref=redeyebr.com), in Mid City, is the primary resource. Louisiana's only R2-certified e-waste recycler, CACRC accepts computers, laptops, tablets, cell phones, gaming consoles, networking equipment, printers and LCD monitors—but not televisions, CRT monitors, copiers or appliances. Some items carry a small fee. - In 2025, CACRC expanded its footprint by partnering with the **East Baton Rouge Parish Library system**. All library branches now serve as official CACRC drop-off points for small devices—laptops, tablets, phones, chargers and accessories—during regular operating hours. No appointments required. - Best Buy locations across the metro accept most consumer electronics for recycling at no charge, with some exceptions for older CRT-based items. **The television problem:** Old TVs and CRT monitors are the hardest items to dispose of responsibly. No local nonprofit accepts them. Best Buy charges a fee for CRT recycling. The practical reality for many residents is that these items end up at the curb or in a dumpster. **The bottom line:** Disposing of old electronics responsibly falls on a willingness to do the right thing. CACRC, its library partnership, and willing retailers are doing real work—but the infrastructure only reaches the people who already know to look for it. ### When hell rains and the sun shines URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/when-hell-rains-and-the-sun-shines/ Last updated: 2026-06-09T02:35:32.000Z The rains have come this spring, and some of the drops have been dappled by sunshine. Which brings up an idiom you know if you grew up here: when sun and rain arrive together, we say "the devil is beating his wife." You hear it as a child, and you accept it. Even one *RedEye* writer's Indian mother used it—she must have picked it up in Baton Rouge, because the phrase runs deep in the South in a way it doesn't much anywhere else. Meteorologists have a tidy explanation: rain falls from one cloud while sunlight breaks through another part of the sky. The origin of the idiom, though, is foggy. A similar line turns up in a 1703 French play, and related sayings appear in old European weather lore, [according to Mental Floss](https://www.mentalfloss.com/language/slang/why-people-say-the-devil-is-beating-his-wife-during-sunshower?ref=redeyebr.com). Somehow, the phrase is bound up with Louisiana and other southern states, where dramatic weather and dramatic language always find each other. (*Southern Living* has compiled a [list of 37](https://www.southernliving.com/things-only-southerners-say-about-the-weather-6827978?ref=redeyebr.com) things Southerners say about the weather.) Many cultures have their own explanations for the sunshower—foxes getting married, witches dancing, some trickster stirring up mischief. The common thread is that sunshine and rain together feel like a contradiction, one strange enough to inspire clever and sometimes unsettling stories to explain it. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Rewriting the obesity playbook URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/rewriting-the-obesity-playbook/ Last updated: 2026-06-08T00:37:31.000Z Louisiana has some of the worst childhood obesity numbers in the country. A Baton Rouge research center just helped change how the world defines the illness—and the new approach finds sick kids that the old one missed. **Why it matters:** More than 1 in 5 Louisiana children are obese—a rate among the highest in the nation. The researchers working to change that are in Baton Rouge. **What BMI missed:** For decades, BMI alone determined whether a child was classified as obese. - The new Lancet Commission framework—developed by 56 researchers worldwide—splits that into two categories. **Preclinical obesity** means excess body fat is present, but no measurable health damage has occurred yet. **Clinical obesity** means damage is already happening. - The distinction matters because it identifies the intervention window before the engine light comes on. **The Baton Rouge connection:** Pennington Biomedical didn't just apply the framework—three of its faculty helped write it. Drs. John Kirwan, Eric Ravussin and Philip Schauer all served on the Lancet Commission. - Pennington researchers were then the first to apply it to U.S. children using nationally representative data from 2017–2023. - The study was named Editor's Choice by the journal *Obesity*. **The bottom line:** Researchers say the next step is to determine how this framework is integrated into pediatric clinical settings—and with more than 1 in 5 Louisiana kids already affected, that work can't come soon enough. ### 📅 Baton Rouge: Week at a Glance | June 8–14 URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/baton-rouge-week-at-a-glance-june-8-14/ Last updated: 2026-06-08T00:35:29.000Z **Why it matters:** Two major public meetings in three days put the future of University Lakes and City-Brooks squarely before the community—and Baton Rouge's newest theatre company opens its doors Friday night. ***🗓️ Thursday, June 11*** 🎨 **LSU Museum of Art: Free Summer Reception—6–8 p.m.** 📍 Shaw Center for the Arts, 100 Lafayette St. - Celebrate the opening of *ReVision: Women in Photography* and the South Arts Southern Prize & State Fellowships for Visual Arts exhibition. Members get a special cocktail hour prior. Free and open to the public. [Details](https://www.lsumoa.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) at lsumoa.org. ***🗓️ Fri.–Sun., June 12–14*** 🎭 **Mid City Civic Theatre: *Much Ado About Nothing*** 📍 Mid City Civic Theatre, 7155 Florida Blvd. - Baton Rouge's newest theatre company launches with Shakespeare's beloved comedy of wit, deception and romance. Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. Continues through June 21\. Directed by Dr. Shannon Walsh. [Tickets](https://ci.ovationtix.com/35695/production/1273434?ref=redeyebr.com) $40; $20 students/children at midcitycivic.org. ***🗓️ Saturday, June 13*** 🌱 **Red Stick Farmers Market: Fresh Fest—Dairy Day—8 a.m.–noon** 📍 5th & Main Street, downtown - This week's Fresh Fest theme celebrates Louisiana dairy—samples, tastings and local vendors. [Details](https://breada.org/red-stick-farmers-market/?ref=redeyebr.com) at breada.org. Also runs Thursdays, 8 a.m.–noon, at Pennington Biomedical Research Center and Tuesdays, 3–6 p.m., at the Main Library at Goodwood. 🏳️‍🌈 **Pride Market at the Oasis—9 a.m.–2 p.m.** 📍 Bayou Artisan Oasis, 13827 Coursey Blvd. - The weekly artisan market goes Pride this Saturday—a family and pet-friendly outdoor celebration featuring local LGBTQIA+ vendors and makers. Free. 🇺🇸 **Flag Day Celebration—10–11 a.m.** 📍 Louisiana's Old State Capitol, 100 North Blvd. - The Sons of the American Revolution mark Flag Day with a uniformed color guard display, U.S. flag history and a look at the flags previously flown over Louisiana. Free, all ages. [Reserve your spot](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/flag-day-celebration-tickets-1990509529586?ref=redeyebr.com) at Eventbrite. 🎉 **Gus Young Juneteenth Celebration—noon–4 p.m.** 📍 Gus Young Park, 4200 Gus Young Ave. - A free community gathering in North Baton Rouge honoring the history, resilience and culture of African Americans. Live jazz music and family fun. Free. 🛍️ **THRIFT-YARD: Vintage Pop-Up—6 p.m.–midnight** 📍 Brickyard South Bar + Patio, 174 S. Blvd., downtown - Curated vintage market under the Horace Wilkinson Bridge—vintage clothing, physical analog media, retro collectibles, food, drinks, live music and giveaways. Free to attend. 🔭 **Laser Taylor Swift—6 p.m.** 📍 Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, LASM, 100 S. River Road - The Rock the Dome Laser Series continues—Taylor Swift's biggest hits brought to life in dazzling synchronized laser light under the planetarium dome. Seating is limited. [Tickets](https://www.lasm.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) $20 general admission; $25 VIP at lasm.org. 🎵 **Connor Martin w/ Caleb Lapeyrouse & The Drivers—9 p.m.** 📍 Texas Club, 456 N. Donmoor Ave. - Rising Texas country artist makes his Baton Rouge debut. Ages 18 and up. [Tickets](https://www.thetexasclub.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) at the Texas Club. ***🗓️ Sunday, June 14*** 🎵 **Sundays Smooth Jazz Series** 📍 EBRPL River Center Branch Library, 120 St. Louis St. - Every Sunday in June—bring your lawn chairs and settle in for free live smooth jazz on the library grounds. No tickets required. --- ### **📋 Government & Business** ***🗓️ Tuesday, June 9*** 🏛️ **University Lakes Restoration Project Open House—5:30–7 p.m.** 📍 LSU Foundation, 3796 Nicholson Drive - The public is invited to meet directly with the project team behind the University Lakes Restoration Project—hear recent milestones and next steps. Coalition partners include the State of Louisiana, City-Parish, BREC, LSU and BRAF. Free and open to the public. ***🗓️ Thursday, June 11*** 🏛️ **City-Brooks Park + Lakes Community Meeting—5:30–7 p.m.** 📍 McKinley Alumni Center, 1520 Thomas H. Delpit Drive - BREC hosts a public community meeting to review survey findings and present master plan recommendations for City-Brooks Park and University Lakes. Open to all. Free. More at [brec.org/lakesvision](https://www.brec.org/lakesvision?ref=redeyebr.com). --- **Reach us:* Want to submit an event item for consideration? Email us the information at* [*news@redeyebr.com*](mailto:news@redeyebr.com)*. *Details:* The calendar is on a Monday–Sunday rotation, and the submission deadline is the Wednesday prior.* ### Downtown living URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/downtown-living/ Last updated: 2026-06-08T12:23:45.000Z Downtown Baton Rouge has spent 25 years attempting to build a place people visit. [Plan Baton Rouge III](https://www.redeyebr.com/downtowns-bold-agenda/) is the first downtown master plan to prioritize building a place where people live. **Why it matters:** Downtown's success as a neighborhood—not just an event destination—directly affects the region's economic competitiveness and quality of life. This plan is the most ambitious attempt yet to close that gap. It also comes with substantial risks and questions. **The pattern:** Downtown Baton Rouge runs on a predictable cycle—state workers arrive at 8 a.m., lunch brings a brief spike, and by 5 p.m. the core empties. - Festivals, Live After Five and River Center events generate weekend crowds, but organic daily street life—the kind that sustains restaurants, retailers and small businesses year-round—is largely absent on a random Tuesday night. - Urban planning advocates have [argued](https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2026-5-28-people-want-urban-playgrounds-not-cities?ref=redeyebr.com) that destination investments alone cannot sustain a downtown without a permanent residential population providing the daily activity that makes a neighborhood feel lived-in rather than programmed. **The target:** Plan Baton Rouge III calls for adding 7,350 new residents over the next decade, tripling downtown's current population, with policy incentives to convert underutilized office buildings to residential and mixed-income housing targeted across multiple corridors. The plan's residential strategy was a centerpiece of its [official rollout](https://www.redeyebr.com/make-no-little-plans/) earlier this month. - The plan leans heavily on student housing along the Nicholson Drive corridor and South Boulevard as a primary driver of residential development. - LSU has not endorsed any downtown housing projects and cannot under its own policies until transportation connectivity is established between the university and downtown. - Tiger Trails, LSU's private bus system, does not serve downtown and is unlikely to extend routes without a critical mass of student riders already in place—a problem the plan does not resolve. - Land costs downtown are significantly higher than along the Burbank Drive corridor, and the vertical construction required puts industry estimates of per-bed rents at $1,200 or more, making it difficult to compete with new Burbank complexes charging $650-$800 per bed with a Tiger Trails stop at the front gate. **Not just a neighborhood:** The plan does not abandon destination investments. A riverfront entertainment district, a tournament-scale youth sports complex and an expanded River Center convention complex are core objectives. - The argument embedded in Plan Baton Rouge III is that destination investments and residential density reinforce each other—but the plan's explicit sequencing puts residents first, a meaningful departure from how downtown investment has historically been prioritized. **A different playbook:** The residential push arrives with a fundamental shift in who is expected to pay for it. - The two previous reinvention efforts drove roughly $3 billion in investment, anchored by approximately $500 million in public and philanthropic spending that created the demand for private investors to follow. - Plan Baton Rouge III flips the script, relying almost exclusively on private-sector investment—more than $1 billion of the plan's $1.5 billion early investment target—with public, philanthropic and TIF-based sources projected to carry the remaining $500 million. - It is an approach that carries higher risk in a market where downtown land costs have historically made attainable housing difficult to finance. Special financing tools—TIF districts and tax credits—will be key to making the math work. **The bottom line:** Plan Baton Rouge III is the most serious attempt yet to turn downtown Baton Rouge into a place people live rather than a place they visit—the question is whether the private sector will do what public investment did for the previous two plans. ### BREC's other park URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/brecs-other-park/ Last updated: 2026-06-08T00:52:12.000Z The pickleball people are already organizing to get into phase 1 of Perkins Road Park's reworking. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Parks and Rec, no joke URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/parks-and-rec-no-joke/ Last updated: 2026-06-08T00:35:57.000Z The new BREC superintendent fixed a city that couldn't get out of its own way. He's ready for the Baton Rouge challenge. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Good fences, worse neighbors URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/good-fences-worse-neighbors/ Last updated: 2026-06-05T00:39:51.000Z The white picket fence didn't just mark a property line. It said hello. Waist-high, gap-filled, painted every few summers—you could see through it, see over it, see the neighbor on the other side well enough that a wave came naturally. It drew a boundary without building a wall. That fence is nearly gone. Cedar and vinyl have replaced it—six feet, eight feet, solid and sealed. It's [happening everywhere](https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2026/05/31/white-picket-fences-were-american-dream-now-people-want-higher-walls/?ref=redeyebr.com), not just here. **Why it matters:** The best things that have happened in this community—the crosswalks, the cleanups, the corridors people actually love—started with neighbors who could find each other. A parish that walls itself off, one fence at a time, makes that harder to pull off. **What we're losing:** The neighborhoods people love most here were designed when the porch faced the street on purpose. You didn't have to work to know your neighbors. The space between you did it. Newer developments—[Willow Grove](http://www.willowgrovehomes.com/?ref=redeyebr.com), [Rouzan](https://www.liverouzan.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) and [Pointe-Marie](https://www.pointemarie.com/?ref=redeyebr.com)—understood that. Front porches. Sidewalks that connect somewhere. Shared green space. Pointe-Marie even has white picket fences. These are deliberate bets that neighbors who can see each other will actually become neighbors. It works. Julie Gerdes Becnel stopped at a neighbor's door on Halloween and asked a question. Sixteen months later, Baton Rouge had a [funded crosswalk project](https://www.redeyebr.com/perkins-perks-up/) on Perkins Road. That conversation happened on a front porch. Not behind a privacy fence. Meanwhile, a Riverbend homeowner recently fought his HOA for the right to go taller than the six-foot standard. He had his reasons. He won. Nobody's wrong for wanting a private yard. The white picket fence gave you that. You still knew your neighbor's name. **The bottom line:** The fence was never naïve. It was an act of faith—a small declaration that the world on the other side of the property line was worth knowing. Some people are still building it that way. That's reason to celebrate. ### The geography of pho URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-geography-of-b/ Last updated: 2026-06-05T00:44:01.000Z The best Vietnamese food in Baton Rouge was never marketed on a billboard. It was tucked into shopping centers along Florida Boulevard, in and around Sherwood Forest—places you found because a friend told you or because you kept driving until the strip center started to look promising. That was not an accident. It was the business plan, even if no one wrote it down. **Why it matters:** What happened along Florida Boulevard has a name: the [immigrant enclave](https://academic.oup.com/reference/62417/reference-article-abstract/561737727?redirectedFrom=fulltext&ref=redeyebr.com#561737727). Little Havana in Miami. Houston's [Mahatma Gandhi District](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahatma%5FGandhi%5FDistrict,%5FHouston?ref=redeyebr.com). Saigon Lane in Baton Rouge. These places explain how cities grow–through lower rents and inexpensive labor, common language, family networks, grocery stores, and somebody's aunt who can cook better than everyone else. **How it works:** Immigrants cluster for practical reasons first. Housing is cheaper. Commercial rent is lower. A shared language makes life easier. So does being near people who know where to buy the right herbs, rice and spices. Restaurants fit naturally into that world. The startup costs are lower than those of many businesses. The skill is portable. And no licensing board can tell a grandmother her broth doesn't qualify. Once the restaurant opens, the enclave does the rest. Customers are nearby. Workers come from the same community. Suppliers follow. One good restaurant makes the next immigrant business likely. **The marketing effect nobody planned:** A district can do what a single restaurant cannot. A Chinatown, a Little Saigon or a cluster of Indian restaurants tells outsiders something important: this food is being made first for people who know what it is supposed to taste like. That draws everyone else in. You can see the pattern in Baton Rouge. Vietnamese restaurants that began around Florida Boulevard are now part of the city's regular food map. Hispanic restaurants have spread across the parish. Indian restaurants have moved closer to LSU as their customer bases have grown. **What stays behind:** The original cluster rarely vanishes. Even as families move to newer subdivisions and restaurants follow customers across the parish, the first district tends to remain. It becomes a cultural anchor. **The bottom line:** The city's best immigrant restaurants did not land where they did by chance. The rest of Baton Rouge catching on is luck. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Capital Region jobs hit record high URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/capital-region-jobs-hit-record-high/ Last updated: 2026-06-05T00:37:46.000Z The Capital Region's economy opened 2026 with its strongest job numbers on record, according to the Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership's [quarterly report](https://brbythenumbers.substack.com/p/the-partnerships-state-of-the-regional). Nonfarm employment surpassed pre-COVID levels by **more than 26,000 jobs**, and the metro led all peer metros in job growth over the past year. **Why it matters:** The numbers are real. But the story behind them is more complicated. A distinction that matters for understanding where the Capital Region's economy is headed. **What's driving growth:** Industrial construction is doing the heavy lifting. - The sector added **6,500 jobs** over the past year out of **438,200 total nonfarm jobs**—nearly twice the combined total of every other sector. - The Hyundai Steel Mill, CF Industries' ammonia facility and the Linde Air Separation Unit all ramped up simultaneously. Those are massive, one-time industrial projects. - Work on the I-10 expansion is ramping up, providing a boost. **Yes, but:** By comparison, leisure and hospitality, health services and professional services combined to add just **3,700 jobs**. That shows an industrial construction spike, not broad economic diversification. **Details matter:** Overall, the broader numbers were positive. - **Workers are earning more.** The Capital Region climbed to first in Louisiana for private-sector weekly earnings at $1,254.86—driven by the region's industrial and petrochemical sectors. - Higher education enrollment reached a record 68,528 students in 2025–26\. And the region posted the second-highest growth among peers in residents with a bachelor's degree or higher. - **Housing affordability** remains a relative strength, with the median home at 3.6 times the median household income. **The catch:** The Capital Region carries the highest unemployment rate among peer metros at 4.2%—and it ticked up slightly even as jobless claims fell 42.7%. - The report attributes part of that drop to Louisiana's 2024 decision to cut maximum benefit duration from 26 to as few as 12 weeks, which pushes workers off the claims count before they've necessarily found work. **Peer pressure:** The comparison group includes Birmingham, Little Rock, Columbia, Knoxville and Greenville. - **The Capital Region leads all five in GDP per capita at $83,600** and ranks second among peers, behind Birmingham, in total economic output at $73.8 billion. - It also has the highest unemployment rate in the group—a gap that has persisted even as the other numbers have improved. **The bottom line:** The industrial pipeline is real and the earnings numbers are encouraging, but the region's broader economic health will be tested should the construction wave crest. ### The gate escape URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-gate-escape/ Last updated: 2026-06-05T00:37:21.000Z Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport has one great advantage: convenience. Park in the garage and you can be inside the terminal in less than three minutes. TSA is rarely much of a line. The whole experience is low-drama, which is no small thing in modern air travel. **Why it matters:** Plenty of Baton Rouge flyers will pay more, accept fewer nonstop options and skip the drive to New Orleans because BTR is just easy. That is a real selling point. **Yes, but:** Once you're inside, the terminal doesn't give you much of the airport feeling—that hum that says people are about to lift off into the sky, off to explore a new destination. Airports elsewhere have figured out that waiting does not have to feel like waiting. **The examples:** - Charlotte has more than [100 rocking chairs](https://www.cltairport.com/news/blogs/item/best-seat-in-the-house-rocking-chairs-create-a-sense-of-place/?ref=redeyebr.com), including "Kennedy Rockers," the same style President John F. Kennedy used to ease his back pain. - San Francisco has [LiLou](https://www.lilouthepig.com/?ref=redeyebr.com), the world's first airport therapy pig. She wears costumes, has painted nails and can play a toy piano. - Portland has a free [22-seat microcinema](https://hollywoodtheatre.org/pdx-airport/?ref=redeyebr.com) showing short films by Pacific Northwest filmmakers. Every film is 10 minutes or shorter, which is also the correct length for most meetings. - Nashville commits to the Music City brand, with live performers across the airport. Baton Rouge has the blues. Gate B could use some. - O'Hare keeps more than 75 beehives on rooftops above the terminals. The honey is sold inside the airport. - And Minneapolis-St. Paul now has a [premium gaming lounge ](https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/05/29/minneapolis-st-paul-airport-portal-lounge-gaming-robot-bartender?ref=redeyebr.com)with Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation, gaming PCs and a robot bartender mixing [Paper Planes](https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/paper-plane?ref=redeyebr.com). **The Baton Rouge angle:** - The zoo is practically next door to the airport. A holiday pop-up animal visit would beat another sad bag of trail mix at Gate 2. - Rooftop beehives could produce "BTR Honey"—a local souvenir worth buying, sold in the terminal convenience store. - Rocking chairs. Charlotte did it first. Seattle borrowed the idea. Baton Rouge can too. **The bottom line:** BTR already gets the hard part right. It is easy. Now give passengers something to remember before they leave. ### Cork's masters the po-boy! URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/corks-masters-the-po-boy/ Last updated: 2026-06-05T00:36:50.000Z In Louisiana, arguments over po-boy supremacy can turn into food fights with friends and family. So here is an opening salvo from Baton Rouge to New Orleans: The fried shrimp po-boy at Cork's Cajun Fried Fish & Shrimp on Government Street is better than the one at Parkway, which, for people not raised in the church of dressed bread, is often treated as the best po-boy in the state. This will invite objections from loyalists of Domilise's in New Orleans and Olde Tyme Grocery in Lafayette. Fine. A food argument without witnesses is just a man talking too loudly at lunch. Having now endangered my friendships with people I drink beer with, let me offer evidence. Jordan Ramirez, owner of Chow Yum, backs the claim that Cork's makes an exceptional shrimp po-boy. He also recommends the étouffée and brings his children, Oscar and June, there for the straight-up fried fish. That is not a review. That's testimony from among the best chefs in the Southeast. Cork's operates from the former Captain D's, a chain that apparently missed this memo: corporate fish is doomed in Louisiana. Red Lobster missed the same memo, too, three times in Baton Rouge. Cork's comes from brothers Paul and Michael Mladenka, who started Cou-Yons Bar-B-Q in Port Allen more than 15 years ago. They opened Cork's in 2022 with po-boys as the main event, backed by stuffed potatoes, fried fish, étouffée and beignet bites. The shrimp po-boy is the reason to go. It is overstuffed, unfussy and built on Louisiana faith that good ingredients do most of the sermonizing. Fried shrimp. Cajun Chef pickles. Blue Plate mayonnaise. Gambino's bread. Fully dressed. You can add hot sauce, as I sometimes do. Or leave it alone, for the Mladenka brothers did all the hard work in the kitchen. The rest of us only have to eat and say "Amen!" ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### The hum that gets things done URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-hum-that-gets-things-done/ Last updated: 2026-06-05T00:36:13.000Z Walk into City Roots, French Truck or CC's and you'll find people doing serious work—heads down, laptops open. They're there because of the noise level, a hidden reason coffeehouses draw people to them. Science backs this up. Research led by Ravi Mehta at the University of Illinois found that a moderate noise level—around 70 decibels—enhances creativity and the likelihood of pursuing innovative ideas. Too quiet (below 50 decibels), and the brain goes flat. Too loud (85 and above), and it shuts down. The sweet spot looks like an inverted U. Seventy decibels is the ambient hum of a busy café—conversations overlapping, cups landing on tables, the espresso machine making its whooshing sound. It's not a library, and it's not a construction site. It's just enough friction to keep the brain slightly off-balance, which researchers call "processing difficulty." That mild cognitive jostle loosens thinking. There's a second force at work. Separate research shows that people do more and do it better when they're around others who are also working. Psychologists call it social facilitation. A room full of people being productive is a form of peer pressure—the good kind. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### A model conservancy URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/a-model-conservancy/ Last updated: 2026-06-03T23:50:09.000Z Sasaki is recommending BREC adopt a conservancy model to oversee City-Brooks Park and the University Lakes system. The BREC Commission appears committed to moving in that direction. The annual operating budget under discussion: $6 million. **Why it matters:** The governance decisions being made right now will determine whether City-Brooks and the University Lakes become a genuine community asset for all of East Baton Rouge—or another civic institution built by the usual suspects, for the usual suspects. **What's at stake:** This is more than a parks story or a lakes story. It's about the far more important question of who Baton Rouge builds things for. City-Brooks and the University Lakes aren't neighborhood amenities. They are the closest thing this parish has to a community front porch—where a grandmother from Baker, a young professional from Mid City and a family from Scotlandville, Central or St. George should all feel an equal claim. And, yes, those whose homes are nestled along the park or the lakeshore also have an ownership stake. Representatives from the on-site Knock Knock Children's Museum and the Baton Rouge Gallery also earn a seat at the table. The conservancy model, done right, would be the first real mechanism for treating them that way. Done wrong, it becomes just one more civic institution that looks like every other in this city. **The model exists:** Houston's Buffalo Bayou Partnership has managed a 10-mile waterway corridor since 1986 with a board that reflects the diversity of the city it serves. Governmental stakeholders—the mayor, Harris County, city parks, county commissioners—hold ex officio seats. They're present. They're accountable. They don't vote. - In San Antonio, the Brackenridge Park Conservancy was co-founded by the city and a civic nonprofit under a cooperative management agreement. The conservancy manages. It doesn't own. Worth noting: Chris Maitre, a finalist in the recent BREC superintendent search, is the conservancy's CEO. - In Memphis, the Overton Park Conservancy manages a 342-acre urban park with real operational authority—a scale and mission that closely align with what's being proposed for City-Brooks. Its board includes partners from across the park's ecosystem—the Zoo, the Brooks Museum, the Metal Museum—alongside community volunteers, attorneys, healthcare professionals and university representatives. None of those models handed governance to insiders and called it done. **Skeptics:** Friends of City Park, a group that favors keeping BREC as the sole manager of City-Brooks, has circulated a 16-page document arguing against the conservancy model. Their central claims—that a conservancy for the park isn't legal and, even if it were, wouldn't be accountable to the public—deserve scrutiny. A conservancy operating under a formal management agreement with a government agency, like BREC or LSU, is legally accountable to public entities that are themselves accountable to voters. BREC, for its part, has proven susceptible to organized political pressure over the years—a dynamic that the golf constituency has repeatedly and effectively exploited. A conservancy board operates differently. That's not a weakness. It's a strength. **The real challenge:** Baton Rouge has a specific and well-documented pattern. Major civic decisions are controlled through connected and philanthropic insiders and flow through a downtown-and-university-corridor cohort. Right or wrong, that perception is real—and durable. - The BREC Commission faced years of criticism that it was too Baton Rouge-focused until state legislation last year changed the commission's board makeup. - The "what about us in the suburbs" argument is playing out now with the library's tax proposal. Any conservancy that launches looking like a product of that same cohort inherits the skepticism before it does a single thing. **What good looks like:** The structure musts be designed to prevent capture—not just promise to avoid it. - Board composition requirements are written into bylaws and enforced by an external nominating committee, not the founding institutions. - Geographic distribution of seats across the parish—north, south, east, west—and not clustered around the Lakeshore corridor. - Term limits, no exceptions. - Finances and meeting records are public beyond what Louisiana law requires. - Genuine public voice in governance design before the structure is locked. Wealthy donors, elected officials and established civic organizations will all have a role. That's unavoidable at this scale. The question is whether the structure balances those interests against the rest of the parish—or ratifies them. **The bottom line:** Baton Rouge has been talking about reimagining City-Brooks park for more than two decades; the conservancy is the best chance yet to build it for everyone and align it with the lakes project—but only if the people making governance decisions understand that everyone actually means everyone. ### Field of dreams, the sequel URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/field-of-dreams-the-sequel/ Last updated: 2026-06-04T00:11:37.000Z A proposed $100+ million youth sports complex is looking at new sites. With the right location, the plan could be even bigger. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### EBR corruption probe, explained URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/ebr-corruption-probe-explained/ Last updated: 2026-06-04T12:05:20.000Z What you need to know about the ongoing investigation. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Research pays off URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/research-pays-off/ Last updated: 2026-06-03T23:48:49.000Z Integer Technologies will pay an average salary of **$130,000** as it expands its LSU research operation. The new positions, tied to AI and autonomous defense systems, pay about twice the average East Baton Rouge Parish wage. **Why it matters:** The announcement offers another sign that LSU’s growing research enterprise is beginning to translate into high-paying private-sector jobs and commercial investment. **The details:** South Carolina-based Integer Technologies plans to add 23 positions while expanding its office inside LSU’s Digital Media Center. The company develops AI and software for military and commercial customers, with the Louisiana operation helping build autonomous maritime systems, including drones and underwater robots, under a $9.8 million Navy research contract. **The bottom line:** Baton Rouge has long talked about building a knowledge economy. Jobs like these suggest LSU’s research investments are beginning to create the high-skill careers that can help keep LSU graduates and other local talent in Louisiana. ### In praise of the bento box URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/in-praise-of-the-bento-box/ Last updated: 2026-06-03T23:54:22.000Z _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Hurricane cone is getting more useful URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/hurricane-cone-is-getting-more-useful/ Last updated: 2026-06-03T23:47:34.000Z Louisiana's hurricane season is a few days old. So far, nothing. No spinning. No names. No panicked sprints to Costco for bottled water and 48-packs of paper towels. That's the dream forecast. May it hold. But if a storm points toward Baton Rouge, the National Hurricane Center has made a change this season that actually matters for people living an hour from the coast. **Why it matters:** The old hurricane cone was built for the shoreline. It tracked where a storm's center might go, made coastal watches and warnings easy to read, and left inland parishes to do their own math — which is how you get people who don't know whether to leave or wait. **The change:** This season, the cone will show inland tropical storm and hurricane watches and warnings directly on the main graphic. - Before: "Are we in the cone?" was the question. The answer required interpretation. Interpretation invites mistakes. - Now: "Are we under a watch or warning?" The answer is visible. No guessing. **What those words mean:** - A **watch** means bad weather is possible. Start getting ready. - A **warning** means bad weather is expected. Stop watching the storm wobble and start moving. **The season outlook:** Early forecasts are not alarming. NOAA expects a below-normal Atlantic season—8 to 14 named storms, 3 to 6 hurricanes, 1 to 3 majors. Colorado State's numbers are close: 13 named storms, 6 hurricanes, 2 majors. **The bottom line:** The new cone will not keep the power on or stop an oak limb from finding your roof. But it will tell you clearly—no coastal decoder ring required—when the place where you actually live is in danger, and whether it's time to prepare or time to go. ### What would Olmsted do? URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/what-would-olmsted-do/ Last updated: 2026-06-04T15:38:39.000Z The debate over City-Brooks Park has been loud, contentious and, at times, more about golf than about the park. Sasaki Associates—the firm BREC hired to develop the master plan—has drawn criticism for a process some stakeholders believe arrived at its conclusions before the public input did. Now, with a June 11 public meeting approaching, Sasaki and the Baton Rouge Area Foundation are pushing for a private conservancy to manage and operate City-Brooks Park, the University Lakes and Wampold Beach as a unified system. Plan Baton Rouge III—the first update to the city's downtown master plan since 2009, also led by Sasaki—has already been unveiled, with greenway connections to City-Brooks among its recommendations. Four major public assets—the park, the lakes, LSU's campus and the downtown riverfront. Three miles connect them. Two planning processes. One firm holding both pens. It's worth asking: what would Frederick Law Olmsted do? **Why it matters:** The decisions made in these two planning processes—separately or together—will shape how Baton Rouge functions as a city for the next generation. Olmsted's philosophy offers something rarer than a master plan. It offers a way of seeing. **Who he was:** Olmsted is the father of American landscape architecture. Central Park. Prospect Park. Niagara Falls. The grounds of the U.S. Capitol. The park systems of Buffalo and Louisville. Audubon Park in New Orleans. - His firm shaped how American cities think about public space—not as an amenity, but as infrastructure. To Olmsted, parks weren't places to put things. They were systems designed to connect people to one another and to the city around them. - His core belief was straightforward: the urban grid exhausts people. Nature restores them. But only if the experience is unbroken—a continuous landscape where the city disappears and the eye can finally rest. **Surprising twist:** Here's what most people don't know: almost none of it was natural. - The rolling meadows, the gentle hills, the seemingly wild edges of Central Park—Olmsted built all of it. He moved earth, planted trees and shaped shorelines to manufacture the illusion of wilderness in the middle of a city. - And when roads or railroads had to pass through, he didn't fight them. He buried them—grade-separated beneath the landscape so that a walker crossed a thoroughfare without ever knowing it was there. The infrastructure disappeared. The vista remained. In Baton Rouge, Olmsted wouldn't need to manufacture the beauty. At City-Brooks Park and the University Lakes, it already exists. The result is something powerful and necessary: a moment when a person stops, looks out across water and trees, and thinks—*this is ours, and it's extraordinary.* **The local connection:** Olmsted's fingerprints are already here. - In 1921, Frederick Law Olmsted Jr.—son of the founder and principal of the firm—drafted the master plan for LSU. He tied the campus to its topography rather than imposing a grid on it. The cruciform quadrangle, the Spanish tile roofs, the Greek theater tucked into a wooded hillside, the stately oaks and broad magnolias celebrated in the Alma Mater—all of it flows from that vision. - The current campus remains largely faithful to it more than a century later. The University Lakes aren't adjacent to that legacy. They are part of it. **What Olmsted would see:** He would look at the political boundary between BREC's City-Brooks Park and LSU's University Lakes and call it what it is—a design failure. He wouldn't see two projects. He would see one fractured landscape desperate to be stitched together. - The University Lakes have, for decades, been exactly what Olmsted envisioned: an exercise promenade where walkers, joggers and cyclists navigate the shoreline every morning, evening and throughout the weekend, with waterfront homes on one side and open water on the other. - The bones of the system are already there. His model—the Emerald Necklace deployed across Boston, Louisville and Buffalo—was a fluid, unbroken sequence of green spaces connected by parkways carrying the park's energy deep into the urban core. He didn't build destinations. He built systems. **More than a feeling:** People didn't know they were in an Olmsted park. They just knew it was a place they really loved. Applied here, that means grade-separated crossings where a walker moves from the park to the lake trails without dodging a car or glancing down at a railroad track. Dense plantings at the edges to block out traffic noise entirely. And carefully framed vistas—manufactured, as always—where the landscape opens up and delivers something Baton Rouge has but hasn't fully claimed. There's a spot at City Park, near what's now the golf course's fourth hole, that offers a stunning panorama of the sun-kissed lakes, the LSU campus and its campanile rising majestically from the oaks, the setting sun providing the spiritual illumination in the western sky. The I-10 bridge cuts across that view—an ugly interruption Olmsted would have regarded not as a resignation but as a design challenge. **The double commission:** Sasaki is simultaneously steering Plan BR III and the City-Brooks master plan while the $79 million University Lakes restoration is underway. - Olmsted would not see three separate projects. He would see a once-in-a-generation opportunity—and he would demand Sasaki treat it that way. The park, the lakes, Wampold Beach, the LSU campus, the Nicholson corridor and downtown Baton Rouge should function as connected gathering spaces—a continuous thread of public life running through the heart of the city. - In a parish needing to find ways to come together, that thread isn't a luxury. It's the point. Nicholson Drive is the missing link. Tree-lined, underloved, blighted but surrounded by unrealized potential, it is the corridor that could carry the park's energy from the north gates of campus to downtown and the Mississippi River. Cities that made those connections—Atlanta's BeltLine, Indianapolis's Cultural Trail, Dallas's Katy Trail—didn't just build parks. They built economic engines that reshaped development and gave residents a reason to stay. **Where Olmsted would push back:** He would applaud the ecological engineering at the lakes—using dredged material to build naturalistic wetlands that filter stormwater. It's infrastructure masquerading as art. But he would resist the volume of programmed commercial activity in Sasaki's City-Brooks proposals. - Tennis courts, a track, croquet, putt-putt, food and drink concepts, an amphitheater—each one is a task hub. Olmsted argued that cluttering a landscape with activity-driven destinations keeps the brain in navigation mode. - His standard wasn't what a park makes people do. It was how a park allows people to be. **The bottom line:** Baton Rouge has the three miles. Sasaki has a double commission that almost never happens. The June 11 meeting is the community's best chance to insist that what gets built gives every family in this parish a reason to claim this park as their own. ### Teachers get paid. Schools pay. URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/teachers-get-paid-schools-pay/ Last updated: 2026-06-03T00:28:11.000Z Gov. Jeff Landry wants to redirect **$168 million** from Louisiana’s public school funding formula to preserve teacher and support-worker pay stipends next year. **Why it matters:** The proposal would keep educators from seeing a pay cut while leaving school systems with $168 million less to spend elsewhere in their budgets. **The debate:** Landry argues districts can absorb the reduction through efficiencies and reserve funds. School leaders counter that rising costs for insurance, fuel and other expenses are already straining budgets. **The payoff:** The money would be used to pay stipends of $2,000 for teachers and $1,000 for school support workers, the same amounts they have received over the past three years. **What’s next:** The proposal now heads to lawmakers, who must approve the funding shift. **Local angle:** This comes at a time when the East Baton Rouge school district is already dealing with declining enrollment and a budget that projects lower revenue. Any reduction in state funding could further limit the district’s financial flexibility. **The bottom line:** Preserving a teacher stipend by shifting money from elsewhere in the public school funding formula sets up a debate over how much room districts have left to absorb the revenue loss. ### Wings and things URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/wings-and-things/ Last updated: 2026-06-03T00:27:40.000Z A Postman Butterfly landed on my Biddy Murphy Irish linen cap and decided it was home. The simple things bring such joy to life. It wasn't a brief visit. The winged beauty hitched a ride—content, unhurried—as I made my way around the Butterfly Pavilion along the New Orleans riverfront. A Tiger Longwing apparently found my royal blue Columbia camp shirt equally inviting and claimed the back shoulder. Both stayed until it was time to leave and a staff member gently coaxed them on their way. Getting there meant meandering through the rest of the [Audubon Insectarium](https://audubonnatureinstitute.org/insectarium?ref=redeyebr.com). The scorpions, beetles, roaches and other creepy crawlies on display are not exactly my cup of tea. But they're fascinating—and the exhibits make a genuine case for why every last one of them matters. Turns out there's a growing community of people who don't just tolerate these creatures—they keep them as pets. Jumping spiders. Isopods. Beetles. It's a bug's life, I guess. The flea circus was a nostalgic hoot. ![Instectarium New Orleans RedEye](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/2026/06/JR-butterfly-on-hat.jpeg) A fluttery friend finds a home. The [butterfly garden](https://audubonnatureinstitute.org/butterfly-garden?ref=redeyebr.com) is the payoff. Visitors are in a darkened staging area, but once the doors open, you are escorted into a sun-drenched world of lush, tropical greenery as hundreds upon hundreds of technicolor Lepidoptera fill the sky. There are some 20 species of butterflies and moths in the collection. Every one of them an "oh, wow!" delight. A Blue Clipper—iridescent blue-green with geometric black and white wings—worked over a slice of fermenting citrus like it had all the time in the world. It was the most visually stunning creature in the room. **The bottom line:** The bug exhibits are genuinely fascinating—but a pet scorpion gets a "no, thank you." The butterflies are worth the drive. ### A road by any other name URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/a-road-by-any-other-name/ Last updated: 2026-06-03T00:27:04.000Z Drive down College Drive and it becomes Lee, then West Lee, then Brightside. It's a running joke in Baton Rouge—we laugh, then find someone in parish government to blame. But this isn't a bureaucratic gaffe. It's a geographic clue. College, Lee and Brightside were never one road. They were built separately, and later connected as the city expanded around them. Drivers now experience them as one route. History still sees three roads. This is how cities grow: in pieces. Subdivisions fill in. Intersections get rebuilt. Separate roads begin functioning as one, each keeping whatever name it picked up before the city arrived. Why not just rename them? Easier said. New signs, new addresses, new maps, updated business listings, revised emergency records. Your Amazon delivery might not find you. Baton Rouge's map is not a system. It's a record—of old neighborhoods, old routes, old decisions that nobody fully erased. The joke is real. So is the history behind it. And it happens in most other cities in the country. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Grigsbys take aim at library tax URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/grigsbys-take-aim-at-library-tax/ Last updated: 2026-06-02T02:31:32.000Z The tax vote is later this month. If it fails, the system will run out of money within 18 months. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### River envy URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/river-envy/ Last updated: 2026-06-02T16:20:51.000Z Anyone paying even a modicum of attention to social media over the weekend knows a good portion of Baton Rouge spent it along the New Orleans riverfront enjoying the tall ships in town for Sail 250. **Why it matters:** The sheer turnout proved what Baton Rouge's civic leaders have argued and largely failed to deliver since Plan Baton Rouge I: people will show up when a city connects them to its river. This city doesn't do that. Yet. **Sailing into town:** Sail 250 brought more than a dozen international tall ships and military vessels to the New Orleans riverfront May 27 through June 1, kicking off a national tour marking the country's 250th anniversary. - Tens of thousands crowded the levee daily. - The fireworks Saturday night drew the kind of crowd New Orleans seems to pull at will. - A significant chunk of it drove from Baton Rouge. **Callin' Baton Rouge:** Baton Rouge is the largest city on the Mississippi that does little to connect its downtown to the water, culturally or recreationally. - Railroad tracks, River Road traffic and the levee itself wall residents off from the river. - The talk has gone on for decades—through failed tax referendums that would have brought development like Alive to the riverfront, through two iterations of Plan Baton Rouge—and the river remains essentially a backdrop. **The big picture:** Plan Baton Rouge III, now approved by the Planning Commission, makes activating the riverfront as the city's "front porch" one of five core objectives. - A riverwalk loop would connect the riverfront to the USS Kidd Veterans Museum and Shaw Center for the Arts. - A sports and entertainment complex with a restaurant overlooking the water is among the anchor proposals. **Cautionary tale:** The riverfront reimagination carries a hefty price tag—and the present plan lists no publicly funded projects, meaning the private sector is expected to do the heavy lifting. That's a departure from PBR I, where state and philanthropic dollars drove the work and later attracted private investment. **About that ship:** Baton Rouge's own warship, the USS Kidd, fully restored after a two-year overhaul, can't even make it home. Low river levels have delayed its return indefinitely—the river giveth and the river taketh. **The bottom line:** New Orleans spent a weekend proving what a river can do for a city—and Baton Rouge residents were there to see it firsthand. SPONSORED by rEDEYE Media [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/2026/04/RedEye-logomark.png)](#/portal/account/plans) Free ****RedEye readers** get the news. Paid readers help ensure we do not have to sell scented candles to fund it. Upgrade to a paid tier for breaking news when it matters, deeper reporting on the issues that shape life in Baton Rouge and, mercifully, no more RedEye ads. [Upgrade to Paid ](#/portal/account/plans) ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Here's your problem URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/heres-your-problem/ Last updated: 2026-06-02T00:09:38.000Z Whenever some public official declares war—again—on litter in Baton Rouge, the trashy story is always the same: people who don't care, tossing fast-food bags out of car windows or letting trash fly from the beds of pickup trucks. That's not wrong. It's just not the main problem. **Why it matters:** Baton Rouge has spent years picking up litter without fixing the pipeline that produces it. Misidentifying the source means the problem never gets solved, increasing the risk and severity of flooding as stormwater drains and canals are dammed by trash. **The culprits:** The two leading contributors to East Baton Rouge Parish's litter crisis are systems designed to eliminate it, say Louisiana Stormwater Coalition co-founders Kelly Hurtado and Renee Verma and LSU AgCenter researcher Jeff Kuehny—overflowing commercial dumpsters and leaky garbage trucks. **The math on trash:** Kuehny's research found roughly one piece of litter per two households after every collection run. Multiply that across 125,000 households, two pickups a week—one of the few places in the country that collects twice weekly—and the numbers compound fast. **Damaging consequence:** Ugly is one thing, but loose litter makes flooding worse. - Plastic bottles, styrofoam and loose trash become a stormwater blockade during the heavy rains that have become more frequent over the past decade, slowing drainage and exacerbating flood damage. - Water that should move doesn't, and neighborhoods pay the price. **Some progress:** The city-parish's contract renewal with Waste Management required newer trucks with better payload containment, a change pushed hard by Capitol Lake activist Marie Constantin, who spent years documenting the problem firsthand—trailing trucks through neighborhoods and showing up at contract negotiations to make the case. New trucks help. The dumpster problem remains largely unaddressed. **The dumpster dynamic:** It's not simply about convenience store and big-box owners not handling their trashy business—though that's part of it. Nearby residents play a major role by: - Making their smelly problem someone else's, dumping the previous night's crawfish-party hangover into a commercial dumpster rather than smelling it up in their own bin. - Unloading oversized boxes after the latest Amazon delivery haul. When those containers overflow, rain does the rest—flushing loose trash into storm drains and on into Baton Rouge's bayous and lakes. **The enforcement gap:** Ordinances exist to hold property owners accountable. Enforcement is essentially nonexistent—the parish lacks the staff and funding to inspect and cite violations at scale. - The city-parish Litter Court and Code Enforcement division cover everything from overgrown lots to garbage containers and illegal dump sites. - State law allows fines up to $1,000 for gross littering violations. - The problem is scale. A small enforcement staff covering EBR's more than 450 square miles operates primarily on complaints rather than proactive inspections. - Cited property owners can often beat violations by arguing they can't control what residents dump after hours. **The bottom line:** Baton Rouge's litter problem isn't primarily a culture problem. It's an infrastructure and enforcement problem. Fixing it starts with being honest about the source. SPONSORED by rEDEYE Media [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/2026/04/RedEye-logomark.png)](#/portal/account/plans) Free ****RedEye readers** get the news. Paid readers help ensure we do not have to sell scented candles to fund it. Upgrade to a paid tier for breaking news when it matters, deeper reporting on the issues that shape life in Baton Rouge and, mercifully, no more RedEye ads. [Upgrade to Paid ](#/portal/account/plans) ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Bikers get a new path URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/new/ Last updated: 2026-06-02T12:56:08.000Z It is progress. It is also still too patchy to call a functioning network. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### LSU's boomtown test URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/lsus-boomtown-test/ Last updated: 2026-05-31T22:09:39.000Z Thousands of new beds around Burbank. Will the area become a neighborhood or just a place for students to sleep? _This post is for subscribers only._ ### St. George has a point URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/st-george-has-a-point/ Last updated: 2026-05-31T22:09:54.000Z The tactics against the library system are wrong, but the underlying argument has merit. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 📅 Baton Rouge: Week at a Glance | June 1–7 URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/baton-rouge-week-at-a-glance-june-1-7/ Last updated: 2026-05-31T22:07:09.000Z **Why it matters:** Sunday delivers a full day of free cultural experiences across the city—hatchling alligators at the Mansion, hands-on science at LASM and free museum admission from noon to 4 p.m. across Baton Rouge. ***🗓️ Wednesday, June 4*** 🎨 **Baton Rouge Gallery: First Wednesday Opening—6–9 p.m.** 📍 Baton Rouge Gallery, 1515 Dalrymple Drive - Free monthly opening reception introducing the newest work by local and regional artists. Food, drink and live music. [Free and open to the public](https://www.batonrougegallery.org/first-wednesdays?ref=redeyebr.com). ***🗓️ Friday, June 5*** 🎵 **Night Ranger—8 p.m.** 📍 L'Auberge Casino & Hotel, 777 L'Auberge Ave. - The band behind "Sister Christian" and "Don't Tell Me You Love Me" brings its 2026 tour to Baton Rouge. Ages 21 and up. [Tickets](https://nightranger.com/event/708/?ref=redeyebr.com) at nightranger.com. 🎵 **Wyatt Putman w/ Stone Sober Band—9 p.m.** 📍 Texas Club, 456 N. Donmoor Ave. - The rising Texas country singer-songwriter makes his Baton Rouge debut. [Tickets](https://www.thetexasclub.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) at the Texas Club. ***🗓️ Saturday, June 6*** 🌱 **Red Stick Farmers Market: Fresh Fest—Tomato Me Crazy—8 a.m.–noon** 📍 5th & Main Street, downtown - This week's Fresh Fest theme puts Louisiana tomatoes front and center—samples, tastings and a chef demonstration by Dorcas Gyan at 10 a.m. in The Teaching Kitchen at Main Street Market. It's also the first Saturday of the month, so the [Baton Rouge Arts Market](https://www.artsbr.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) runs alongside—original pottery, jewelry, paintings and more. [Details](https://breada.org/red-stick-farmers-market/?ref=redeyebr.com) at breada.org. 🔭 **Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon—LASM Planetarium** 📍 Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, LASM, 100 S. River Road - The Rock the Dome Laser Series kicks off with a full immersive laser light show set to Pink Floyd's landmark album under the planetarium dome. Returns June 20\. [Details and showtimes](https://www.lasm.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) at lasm.org. ***🗓️ Sunday, June 7*** 🏛️ **Free First Sunday—noon–4 p.m.** 📍 Multiple locations, downtown and beyond - The first Sunday of every month means free admission across Baton Rouge's premier cultural institutions: LASM, Old State Capitol, Old Governor's Mansion, LSU Museum of Art, Capitol Park Museum, Cary Saurage Community Arts Center, LSU Center for River Studies and Magnolia Mound. No tickets required. 🔬 **Random Acts of Science at LASM—1–5 p.m.** 📍 Louisiana Art & Science Museum, 100 S. River Road - ExxonMobil volunteers lead live science demonstrations and hands-on activities throughout the museum as part of LASM's Beat the Heat Summer Series. General admission is free today. Planetarium shows available for $5 unlimited pass. [Details](https://www.lasm.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) at lasm.org. 🎨 **LSU Museum of Art: Free First Sunday—1–4 p.m.** 📍 Shaw Center for the Arts, 100 Lafayette St. - Free art activities inspired by the South Arts exhibit, plus an artist lecture by featured artist Edgar Cano at 2 p.m. Free admission all afternoon. [Details](https://www.lsumoa.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) at lsumoa.org. 🐊 **Roux's First Day at the Mansion—1–3 p.m.** 📍 Old Governor's Mansion, 502 North Blvd. - Children's book author Julie Gerdes Becnel reads *Roux's First Day*, a story rooted in Louisiana folklore and natural beauty. Artist Cullen Bernard demonstrates live how to draw the book's characters. Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries brings a hands-on table featuring swamp-life artifacts—including hatchling alligators. Louisiana-inspired music class and themed scavenger hunt through the Mansion. Free. Free parking. [Learn more](https://www.redeyebr.com/everybodys-funky-in-louisiana/) about the book and its local author. --- **Reach us:* Want to submit an event item for consideration? Email us the information at* [*news@redeyebr.com*](mailto:news@redeyebr.com)*. *Details:* The calendar is on a Monday–Sunday rotation, and the submission deadline is the Wednesday prior.* ### Where the grass looks greener URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/where-the-grass-looks-greener/ Last updated: 2026-05-31T22:06:44.000Z The searches for homes tell a story even before the moving trucks arrive. Redfin data from October through December 2025 shows that 26% of Baton Rouge homebuyers were searching for homes outside the metro, while 74% were looking to stay, per [RedFin data](https://www.redfin.com/city/1336/LA/Baton-Rouge/housing-market?ref=redeyebr.com#demand). That's a meaningful slice of residents shopping for a different life, even if most of them won't follow through. **Why it matters:** Home searches are a leading indicator. They show desire before it becomes a decision. When a quarter of your residents are window-shopping elsewhere, it's worth asking what they're looking for. And when the people searching for homes *here* are coming from bigger, more expensive cities, it says something about how Baton Rouge looks from the outside. **Where Baton Rouge residents are looking:** In order of most home searches,Nashville, Pensacola, Gulfport, Charlotte, Mobile The Gulf Coast cities—Pensacola, Gulfport, Mobile—suggest people looking for a change of scenery without a total reinvention of their lives. They can quickly return to Baton Rouge for weddings, visits with friends and LSU football. Also, the cities are affordable. Nashville is something different. **The Nashville pull:** It keeps showing up in Baton Rouge data because it keeps showing up in people's lives. The city has become a destination for younger people in particular—friends moving together, splitting rent, starting over somewhere with more economic opportunities. **Who's searching for homes in Baton Rouge:** The top metro sending searchers here is, by a wide margin, Lafayette—just 60 miles west and deeply familiar with everything Baton Rouge offers and costs. After that: Dallas, San Francisco, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C. That's a list of expensive cities, signaling people priced out of coastal metros or are searching for opportunities in a more affordable metro. **The bottom line:** Baton Rouge is losing some residents to aspiration and gaining others from exhaustion. Both things can be true at once, and both carry real implications for what kind of city this is becoming. *Note: Redfin search data reflects where people are looking, not where they've moved.* ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Where rain gets a proper reception URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/where-rain-gets-a-proper-reception/ Last updated: 2026-05-31T22:10:10.000Z The new Burden welcome center uses clever architecture to show how heavy rains can be an asset _This post is for subscribers only._ ### LSU’s other arms race URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/lsus-other-arms-race/ Last updated: 2026-05-29T11:54:55.000Z LSU’s research enterprise reached $601 million last academic year. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Dolly Parton is coming for the interstate URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/dolly-parton-is-coming-for-the-interstate/ Last updated: 2026-05-29T11:51:21.000Z America’s most beloved philanthropist, singer and one-woman happiness conglomerate is expanding again. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The summer fruit worth seeking out URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-summer-fruit-worth-seeking-out/ Last updated: 2026-05-29T11:51:35.000Z It looks like armor. It smells like perfume and tastes like pear and rosewater and citrus. Finding it is worth the hunt. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The mosquito has met its enemy: nerds with lasers URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-mosquito-has-met-its-enemy-nerds-with-lasers/ Last updated: 2026-05-29T11:51:46.000Z And other ways to kill the scourge, including Tabasco on pizza. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 'Everybody's funky in Louisiana' URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/everybodys-funky-in-louisiana/ Last updated: 2026-05-29T11:51:57.000Z Baton Rouge author Julie Gerdes Becnel gives the rougarou a backpack and a first-day-of-school experience. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Shall we play a game? URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/shall-we-play-a-game/ Last updated: 2026-05-28T08:08:21.000Z St. George's library gambit threatens to trigger a regional tit-for-tat with no winners. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### An unmonitored solution URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/an-unmonitored-solution/ Last updated: 2026-05-28T08:09:00.000Z Nobody knows whether East Baton Rouge's 200 underground stormwater systems are doing their job—because nobody's checking. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Capital Outlay is reshaping LSU, Southern URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/capital-outlay-is-reshaping-lsu-southern/ Last updated: 2026-05-28T08:09:12.000Z LSU and Southern University are both getting big investments—and the projects tell you a lot about where each school is headed. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The burger special that broke the afternoon URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-burger-special-that-broke-the-afternoon/ Last updated: 2026-05-28T00:30:26.000Z The plan was simple: a good burger at fast food prices, enough protein to power through the *RedEye* deadline, maybe a Coke Zero for moral support. Iverstine Butcher on Wednesday will get you there—a smashed patty with basic condiments for five bucks. In and out. Back to work. That was the plan. Then the fries showed up on a nearby table. Not your fries. Someone else's fries. They had the look—golden, salt-dusted, lightly seasoned, the kind of fries that make you reconsider your choices. And so the frugal logic kicked in: if the fries were happening anyway, the combo was the responsible move. Burger, fries, drink, roughly ten dollars out the door with tax. Frugality is next to godliness. This is known. **The verdict:** The burger was good. The fries were the best in recent memory—salted and seasoned with the kind of intention that reminds you butcher shop cooks are running this kitchen. The Coke Zero did its job. The problem is what happened next. Outside, the rain started. The stomach was full and satisfied. The eyes began their drift into sleep. Unfortunately, the deadline was not going anywhere. **The bottom line:** Mark Wednesday on the calendar. Get the burger special. Get the combo. Then make plans accordingly. Because Iverstine's fries are not a workday food, make sure you have time for a nap. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Baton Rouge’s  underwater mystery URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/baton-rouges-underwater-mystery/ Last updated: 2026-05-28T00:30:02.000Z Baton Rouge is not known as a submarine town. Yet inside the Capitol Park Museum is a 20-foot iron vessel that looks less like a weapon and more like a fat cigar with rivets. Believed to have been built in 1861, the Confederate submarine is among the oldest ever made and, by one count, the second-oldest on public display anywhere. Only the *Brandtaucher*, launched in 1850 and now displayed in Dresden, is older, according to MuseumShips.com. Its story is suitably muddy. Workers dredging Bayou St. John in New Orleans found the craft in Lake Pontchartrain in 1878\. It later sat at Spanish Fort amusement park, where Civil War technology became a sideshow. From there it passed to Camp Nicholls Soldiers Home, then to the Louisiana State Museum, which displayed it in Jackson Square until it became a centerpiece of the Capitol Park Museum in 2006. Whether it was ever used in war is unclear. One account says Confederate troops sank it before Union forces entered New Orleans, denying the enemy a prize that may not have worked especially well in the first place. No matter. The submarine’s afterlife is its best part of the story. Built for secrecy, found in mud, displayed for amusement, it now rests in Baton Rouge as one of the strangest relics of the Civil War. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Nothing amateur about LSU sports URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/nothing-amateur-about-lsu-sports/ Last updated: 2026-05-27T14:54:36.000Z Football and men's basketball are professional franchises masquerading as college athletics. There's a better way. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Depth chart: LSU wins URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/depth-chart-lsu-wins/ Last updated: 2026-05-27T00:21:26.000Z _This post is for subscribers only._ ### For downtown: safety first URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/for-downtown-safety-first/ Last updated: 2026-05-27T00:23:02.000Z A global study of 75 cities says safety is the prerequisite for everything else when improving downtowns. Baton Rouge is working on it. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### A sensation from Baton Rouge URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/a-sensation-from-baton-rouge/ Last updated: 2026-05-27T00:20:17.000Z The salad our city can claim as its own. One of the best version's is at Rocca. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The joy of missing out URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-joy-of-missing-out/ Last updated: 2026-05-27T00:19:18.000Z Baton Rouge has a Memorial Day tradition worth honoring: many people leave. For one brief week, Baton Rouge belongs to those of us who didn't go on vacation. LSU students have packed up. The school traffic has vanished. The regular summer slowdown has almost begun. This is your window. Use it. Walk into the CC's on Jefferson and order whatever you want. No line. No anxious shuffle. The coffee arrives fast because people of means have fled to 30A. Drive up College Drive and back again, like a Formula One driver on the world's least glamorous circuit. Marvel at the uninterrupted majesty of a mattress store, battery retailers, muffler shops. Pull right into Panda Express, and sing with joy because there is no line blocking traffic on that side street. Go to happy hour on Friday. Sit at the bar. Hear every word. Speak to your favorite bartender without cupping your ear and yelling, "Huh?" across a crowd of people discussing traffic, health care insurance, LSU's baseball failure. Go to Trader Joe's at 5:30 p.m. and experience the quiet thrill of parking near the entrance. Eat somewhere that normally requires planning and patience. Order slowly. The waiters have nothing else to do. And if all else fails, go see Mike the Tiger. The big cat could probably use a little company. ### 📅 Baton Rouge: Week at a Glance | May 26–31 URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/baton-rouge-week-at-a-glance-may-26-31/ Last updated: 2026-05-26T15:32:36.000Z **Why it matters:** Night Market BTR finally gets its night, Concerts in the Cosmos closes out the season under the planetarium dome and a flotilla of tall ships from around the world is docked 80 miles away. ***🗓️ Wednesday, May 27*** 🎵 **Old 97's—8 p.m.** 📍 Texas Club, 456 N. Donmoor Ave. - The Dallas-based alt-country veterans bring their sharp, propulsive songwriting to Baton Rouge. With opener Caleb Caudle. One of the most dependable live acts in American roots music. [Tickets](https://www.thetexasclub.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) at the Texas Club. ***🗓️ Wed.–Thu., May 27–28*** 🔭 **Concerts in the Cosmos: DIVAS—7:30 p.m.** 📍 Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, LASM, 100 S. River Road - BRSO musicians perform live tributes to Beyoncé, Céline Dion, Whitney Houston and more, set against stunning planetarium visuals. Approximately 60 minutes. Wine and small bites available. [Tickets](https://www.brso.org/cosmos?ref=redeyebr.com) $40–$60 at brso.org. ***🗓️ Friday, May 29*** 🎭 **Mid City Live!—7 p.m.** 📍 Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge - The comedy variety showcase returns—stand-up, sketches and live music spotlighting local and regional talent. This edition features a surprise appearance by Mayor-President Sid Edwards as a cast member. Doors at 6:30 p.m. [Tickets](https://www.225theatrecollective.com/store-2/p/mid-city-live?ref=redeyebr.com) at artsbr.org. 🎭 **Desi Banks: Your Favorite Cousin Tour—7 p.m.** 📍 River Center Theatre for Performing Arts, 240 St. Louis St. - The Atlanta-based comedian and social media personality—nearly 19 million followers and counting—brings his stand-up show to Baton Rouge. [Tickets](https://theatre.raisingcanesrivercenter.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) from $44 at the River Center box office. ***🗓️ Saturday, May 30*** 🌱 **Red Stick Farmers Market—8 a.m.–noon** 📍 5th & Main Street, downtown - Fresh produce, local vendors and community at BR's flagship [open-air market](https://breada.org/red-stick-farmers-market/?ref=redeyebr.com). Also runs Thursdays, 8 a.m.–noon, at Pennington Biomedical Research Center and Tuesdays, 3–6 p.m., at the Main Library at Goodwood. 🏮 **Night Market BTR—4–10 p.m.** 📍 In front of the Louisiana State Capitol, N. 4th Street - Rescheduled from May 9 due to weather, Baton Rouge's premier Asian American and Pacific Islander cultural festival is finally here—40 food vendors, 20 artists, lion-dance performances and live music. Organizer Laura Siu-Nguyen is capping attendance at 7,000 to ensure everyone actually gets to eat. Asian Heritage Month, if you needed another reason. [Tickets](https://nightmarketbtr.ticketspice.com/night-market-btr-2026?ref=redeyebr.com) $5; VIP $75\. [*RedEye* has the full story](https://www.redeyebr.com/night-market-btr-is-back-and-smarter/). 🎸 **Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Evening—8 p.m.** 📍 L'Auberge Casino & Hotel, 777 L'Auberge Ave. - John Bonham's son performs a full Led Zeppelin tribute alongside his own band. [Tickets](https://www.lauberge.com/entertainment?ref=redeyebr.com) at L'Auberge. ***🗓️ Sunday, May 31*** 🧚 **BREC Fae Fest—noon–3 p.m.** 📍 Forest Community Park, 13900 S. Harrell's Ferry Road - BREC's annual fairy-themed family festival—postponed earlier this month due to weather and now officially back. Themed zones, fairies, dragons, games, crafts and live shows. Costumes welcome. Free. --- **⛵ DAY TRIP: Sail 250 New Orleans** *An 80-mile drive for a once-in-a-generation event.* ⛵ **Sail 250 New Orleans: Tall Ships on the Mississippi—May 28–31** 📍 New Orleans Riverfront, Goldring-Woldenberg Riverfront Park - As part of America's 250th anniversary celebration, New Orleans hosts the largest-ever flotilla of tall ships from around the world along the historic Mississippi River. 12 vessels, including the USCGC Eagle, Chile's Esmeralda, Argentina's ARA Libertad, Peru's BAP Unión and the USS Kearsarge. Ships arrive Thursday, May 28 (8 a.m.–1 p.m.); public tours daily 8 a.m.–5 p.m. through Sunday. Fireworks Saturday at 9 p.m. Free and open to the public. No advance tickets required. Full schedule at [sail250neworleans.com](https://www.sail250neworleans.com/?ref=redeyebr.com). --- **Reach us:* Want to submit an event item for consideration? Email us the information at* [*news@redeyebr.com*](mailto:news@redeyebr.com)*. *Details:* The calendar is on a Monday–Sunday rotation, and the submission deadline is the Wednesday prior.* ### Public school enrollment is declining. Three reasons why. URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/public-school-enrollment-is-declining-three-reasons-why/ Last updated: 2026-05-26T23:56:07.000Z Less money for education is the result, more so for smaller systems in rural areas. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Trump in La. dumps URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/trump-in-la-dumps/ Last updated: 2026-05-26T23:56:16.000Z In Southern states, his approval rating among all adults is underwater. He fares a bit better with voters only. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### You're living across the street from a stranger URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/youre-living-across-the-street-from-a-stranger/ Last updated: 2026-05-25T23:49:16.000Z You're in a grocery store. A man across the aisle catches your eye, holds it a half-second too long. Something familiar. You both look away. It hits you on the drive home: that's your neighbor. **Why it matters:** Only one in four Americans tells the American Enterprise Institute they talk with their neighbors regularly—a drop of more than half in just over a decade. Baton Rouge didn't cause this problem, but its built environment illustrates it block by block. **What happened:** Michigan State researchers found that attached garages have replaced front porches as the defining face of the American home. The snout house—garage up front, living space tucked behind—means people pull in, shut the door, and disappear. **Baton Rouge has both:** Older neighborhoods—short setbacks, front porches, sidewalks that lead somewhere—make casual contact almost accidental. You can't avoid your neighbor in Spanish Town because the design won't let you. Newer subdivisions are the opposite: garage doors are the primary face of the house, and the street is a corridor you pass through, not a place you inhabit. **The antidote is already being built:** Rouzan and Willow Grove treat the front porch as infrastructure. Sidewalks connect to common spaces. Coffee shops and retail sit close enough to walk to. These are deliberate bets that neighborhood design shapes whether people actually know each other. **The bottom line:** Your neighbor isn't a stranger because neither of you made the effort. He's a stranger because the place you both live was built that way. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Kiffin's playlist enters the transfer portal URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/kiffins-playlist-enters-the-transfer-portal/ Last updated: 2026-05-25T23:48:52.000Z LSU’s Lane Kiffin has turned social media into his own kind of playbook: a little truth, a little misdirection, a lot of people wondering what is real; a valuable skill for a college football coach whose day job is fooling linebackers. **What happened:** David Covucci of FOIABall appears to have found one of Kiffin’s social media dodges. Covucci is a college football writer with a niche: He files public records requests to see how schools spend money on private jets, how they structure NIL operations and what athletic departments would rather not explain. He is also a former internet detective, which is how we get to the important matter at hand: Lane Kiffin’s alleged workout playlist. **The details:** Covucci is not saying with 100% certainty that the playlist belongs to Kiffin. But he says he [found enough breadcrumbs](https://www.foiaball.com/p/lane-kiffin-soundcloud-spotify-workout-playlists?ref=redeyebr.com) to make the case worth following. Among the songs: - “865” by Morgan Wallen - “I Like Me Better” by Lauv - “Twinkle Twinkle” by Holy Molly - “Close to You” by Gracie Abrams **Bottom line:** College football has given us realignment, transfer portals, NIL chaos and coaches pretending not to read their mentions. Sometimes, it also gives us a playlist. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Movies aren't dead yet URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/movies-arent-dead-yet/ Last updated: 2026-05-26T23:56:36.000Z A rainy holiday weekend, a Star Wars blockbuster and a comedian's crusade to make movies affordable again—Baton Rouge theaters are rewriting the rules of a night out. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Cookie diplomacy URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/cookie-diplomacy/ Last updated: 2026-05-21T23:15:14.000Z It's the kind of week that could send a Louisiana governor back to Cajun Country for comfort and recharging. Gov. Jeff Landry went farther. He went to Greenland, carrying diplomacy, MAGA hats and the promise of chocolate chip cookies from the Louisiana Governor's Mansion. **Why it matters:** Landry has had a rough stretch. His constitutional amendments lost badly. A recall petition against him picked up attention. Then his Greenland trip turned into an international punchline. **The details:** Landry's slate of constitutional amendments went down Saturday—not by a few votes, but by electoral bonfire. It was his second major defeat on amendments in two years. Earlier this month, Baton Rouge residents Marian Gbaiwon Hills and Katilyn P. Stepter filed a petition to recall the governor. The effort has almost no chance of succeeding, but it drew lines in New Orleans this week. Instead of ignoring it, the Louisiana Republican Party responded with a [social media campaign](https://www.thenewsstar.com/story/news/2026/05/19/louisiana-republican-party-defends-governor-jeff-landry-and-attorney-general-against-recall/90156042007/?utm%5Fsource=newsletter&utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcampaign=newsletter%5Faxioslocal%5Fneworleans&stream=top) against the petition, giving the movement free publicity. Then came Greenland. Landry traveled there as a special envoy for Donald Trump. His offers of MAGA hats and selfies were declined. He was [ridiculed in the media](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/19/world/europe/us-envoy-greenland-visit.html?unlocked%5Farticle%5Fcode=1.jlA.Uiy6.rAFKRyj5t4dv&smid=url-share&utm%5Fsource=newsletter&utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcampaign=newsletter%5Faxioslocal%5Fneworleans&stream=top). **The cookie gambit:** Landry made a pitch to children in Greenland: Come to Louisiana, he said, and they could eat as many chocolate chip cookies as they wanted at the Governor's Mansion. Cue another round of media ridicule, including a take from the [conservative Washington Examiner](https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/world/4574489/jeff-landry-greenland-children-chocolate-chip-cookies/?ref=redeyebr.com). **But give Landry credit:** Chocolate chip cookies at the Governor's Mansion are a long-running Louisiana tradition. And by all accounts, they are pretty darn tasty and comforting. **What they're saying:** "The cookies, which are especially popular amongst the Governor's Mansion's youngest visitors, are the creation of the mansion's kitchen staff and are on the soft and chewy side of the spectrum," Chelsea Brasted wrote for *The Times-Picayune* in 2014\. She's now with *Axios New Orleans*. **Try this at home:** The long weekend gives you time to [use the recipe](https://www.nola.com/entertainment%5Flife/eat-drink/chocolate-chip-cookies-from-the-governors-mansion-are-a-bipartisan-hit/article%5F0051a7cc-5ff9-57db-818f-ef86a069f7dd.html?ref=redeyebr.com) here to bake a batch yourself. While they are baking, give the nearby children this Mansion [cookie coloring sheet](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/68f8ead1dc9339599a128b88/6932194178391c2711e5a5d8%5FGovernors-Mansion-Famous-Cookies.pdf?ref=redeyebr.com). One warning: The recipe makes 60 cookies, which may be enough for all the children of Greenland expected at the mansion in the coming century. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### The curd is back URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-curd-is-back/ Last updated: 2026-05-21T23:15:46.000Z Cottage cheese is back. That sentence will make some people happy, others curdle. The lumpy, misunderstood dairy product carries a lot of baggage. We remember it from childhood. Richard Nixon ate it with pineapple as his last White House meal. For decades after, we didn't have Tricky Dick or cottage cheese to kick around. Yogurt blew past it in 2010 and kept going, and cottage cheese seemed destined to fade into the back of the fridge alongside anchovies. Then two things conspired in its favor: America's hunger for high-protein foods, married with social media and the result was a genuinely strange popular movement around cottage cheese. The numbers tell the story. After bottoming out in 2022 at 534.6 million pints, cottage cheese volumes rose 9.4% in 2023, followed by a 12.5% increase in 2024 and another 14.3% gain in 2025\. Total volume now sits at 746.6 million pints, according to research firm Circana—as reported, we are not making this up, in *Dairy Herd Management*. *The Economist* recently validated the movement, noting that cottage cheese is also appealing to people on weight-loss drugs, who eat less but need more macronutrients to prevent muscle loss. Calcium for bone health is another selling point. Big Cottage Cheese is having a moment. Baton Rouge columnist Danny Heitman is coming forth, sharing his love for cottage cheese. "I'm tired of the hiding and the pretending," he said. "I'm Danny Heitman, and I eat cottage cheese, and I like it." Five days a week, he eats it for lunch. His brand is Horizon — "It's creamy and flavorful," he says, with the authority of a man who has done the research. He's particular about texture. "You want to avoid the watery consistency typical of cheaper brands." To his bowl he adds blueberries, apples, cranberries, and, sometimes, oranges, with a slice of toasted pita on the side. For crunch, he recommends toasted granola. Eat cottage cheese and carry on. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Korean culture has landed on Florida Boulevard URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/korean-culture-has-landed-on-florida-boulevard/ Last updated: 2026-05-21T23:14:57.000Z Walk into Seoul Stop on Florida Boulevard and give yourself a moment to take it all in. There are CDs of Korean pop music. Claw machines loaded with Asian toys, the odds as long as ever. Jars of kimchi. Wasabi peas. Tamari teriyaki mochi crunch. Ice cream shaped like fried chicken drumsticks. Cookie-brownies among the Pocky sticks. And at the center of all of it: a ramen bar where you cook the soup yourself, watching the water pour and boil while you stir so the bottom of the bowl doesn't burn. This is a wave of Korean culture arriving in Baton Rouge—and you can see the whole thing, in microcosm, in a shopping center near Airline Highway. **Why it matters:** Seoul Stop has become popular enough to inspire a second location, this one coming to Siegen Lane, beside a Japanese Honda dealership, along one of those Baton Rouge ramshackle stretches. The street has the accidental poetry of a poorly-planned parish: car dealerships and big-box stores, plumbing supplies and discount liquor, an Asian supermarket, credit unions, taquerias, Twin Peaks. **What makes Seoul Stop different:** Walk into some ethnic specialty stores and you'll spin in circles, unsure what anything is or how to use it. Seoul Stop's staff heads that off. They explain which ramen to choose, walk you through the toppings and tell you how to cook it. **The meal:** With their guidance, I built a bowl—ramen with a packet of kimchi, pork wontons made daily (the best I've tasted in the parish), green onions. You can add cooked or fresh eggs if you want. I added a spicy tuna kimbap on the side. Though it was a mix of processed and fresh ingredients, the ramen was delicious, not the dorm version you remember from college. I bought cookie-brownies on the way out, promising to return a day later to load up on Korean snacks. **The bottom line:** Baton Rouge is getting more diverse, and our appetites are catching up. A city raised on red beans and rice now knows its way around pho, bánh mì, curry and sushi. Asian food is no longer a novelty here. It’s part of how Baton Rouge eats. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Blooming chaos URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/blooming-chaos/ Last updated: 2026-05-21T22:52:12.000Z If you want flowers but hate gardening, don't despair. Lose the measuring tape, ditch the spacing charts and toss some seeds into the air. Chaos gardening—the increasingly popular practice of mixing seeds and scattering them across cleared ground—is having a moment, and Baton Rouge's subtropical climate makes it a near-perfect fit. The concept is exactly what it sounds like. Grab a handful of seeds, clear a patch of ground, toss and water. Nature handles the rest. In Zone 9a, where Baton Rouge resides, fast-growing annuals like zinnias, cosmos and native wildflowers—lanceleaf coreopsis, black-eyed Susan, Indian blanket—establish quickly and return season after season with minimal intervention. The result looks less like a manicured lawn and more like an English garden that figured things out on its own. **Getting started is easy:** The EBR Parish Library system stocks free native seeds at 10 branch locations, with the [Wild Ones Greater Baton Rouge Chapter](https://greaterbatonrouge.wildones.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) regularly donating packets for patrons to take home. The [LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens](https://www.lsu.edu/botanic-gardens/?ref=redeyebr.com) on Essen Lane maintains mature wildflower meadows worth a stroll before you start scattering. **One catch:** East Baton Rouge Parish code flags vegetation over eight inches as a public nuisance, and HOAs are rarely charmed by intentional wildness. Keep your chaos contained behind a defined border—a raised bed, a stone edge—and it reads as deliberate rather than neglected. **The bigger idea:** Baton Rouge Green is already applying these principles at the I-10/I-12 interchange, replacing high-maintenance turfgrass with native trees and prairie grasses. Cheaper to maintain. Better for stormwater. City-parish government, which struggles to maintain grass in public spaces, might want to embrace the chaos. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Love purple, bleed gold URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/love-purple-bleed-gold/ Last updated: 2026-05-21T11:52:08.000Z LSU basketball is signing hired guns. The president is demanding elite academics. Same university, different universes. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Test planting on Government could fix more medians URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/test-planting-on-government-could-fix-more-medians/ Last updated: 2026-06-15T22:27:39.000Z Government Street road diet worked. Now neighbors and nonprofits are trying to fix the one thing it left behind. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The backyard bird social club URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-backyard-bird-social-club/ Last updated: 2026-05-21T00:01:54.000Z Every spring and fall, hundreds of millions of birds move through Louisiana like commuters passing through a Japanese transit hub—stopping in the wetlands, bottomland forests, and city parks you drive past every week. Most people don't notice. Birders do. And lately, there are a lot more birders. **Why It Matters:** People who wag their fingers at screens say smartphones have severed our connection to the natural world. Birders tell a different story. They use their phones to find birds—and fellow birders: people in the next neighborhood, the next state, the other side of the planet. **The Details:** Louisiana is part of the **Mississippi Flyway**, one of North America's four major migration corridors. That makes the state's coastal marshes, cypress swamps and urban parks prime areas for migrating species—and the people who want to see them. The [Louisiana Birding Trail](https://www.birdinglouisiana.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) promotoes those sites to the hundreds of millions of birders around the world. Plus, LSU's ornithology department, ranked among the nation's best, offers researchers the third-largest university-based collection in the world, behind Harvard and the University of Michigan. Cornell University's ornithology lab offers birders two free apps that have democratized the hobby: **Merlin** identifies birds in real time from their songs—just **open it on your porch** to be amazed at the variety of birds here. **eBird** logs your sightings into a global database shared by birders in 200-plus countries. Together, they turn a solo walk into something communal. There’s a local way to go outside and join the human murmuration. The [**Baton Rouge Audubon Society**](https://braudubon.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) runs monthly bird walks the first Saturday of each month at BREC's Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center, 10503 North Oak Hills Parkway, plus quarterly walks across South Louisiana. **The bottom line:** The entry price are free apps and a willingness to look up. The upside is a community of people, scattered across the world, looking up at the same time. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Aisle be singing URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/aisle-be-singing/ Last updated: 2026-05-21T00:01:19.000Z You’re at Rouses, pushing your cart in search of rutabaga. You round the corner and encounter a startling thing: a woman is singing loudly. It happens now and then, drawing smiles from people who catch the joy of public song, while making others squirm. So why do some people break into song in public places? Part of the answer is simple. A [body of research](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4585277/?ref=redeyebr.com) finds that singing can reduce stress, lift spirits and create feelings of connection. For some people, the tune slips out because it feels good, and because music is one of the faster ways humans have found to light up the air around them. There is also the earworm problem. Researchers call it [involuntary musical imagery](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4585277/?ref=redeyebr.com), which is a way of saying a song gets stuck in the mind. One common response is to hum or sing a bit of it out loud, whether the setting invited that or not. The rest comes down to inhibition. Some people keep the song inside or are unaware they are singing. Others are are unconcerned about whether aisle seven counts as a stage. Public singing can be mildly unnerving. But often it is just mood, music and a thin social filter colliding near the produce. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Preis' North Baton Rouge bet pays off URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/preis-north-baton-rouge-bet-pays-off/ Last updated: 2026-05-20T00:59:17.000Z Howell Place is nearly built out. The real test is The BLVD at Harding. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Spreading joy with a turkey 'rich girl' URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/spreading-joy-with-a-turkey-rich-girl/ Last updated: 2026-05-20T02:39:56.000Z I stepped to the counter at Jay's Bar-B-Q and called out my order with the confidence of someone who had done it a hundred times: turkey "rich girl," sauce on the side, fries and an unsweetened iced tea. The folks behind the counter gave me a puzzled look. One mentioned they hadn't heard "rich girl" in a while. I mentioned Steve Carter's name. Smiles spread across every face in the room. No longer with us, Carter is still spreading joy. Jay's has been on Government Street in Mid City since 1954, and it looks every bit of it—in the best possible way. Four-top tables. Tile floors. LSU football posters on the walls. The menu looks as if it were typed on a manual typewriter and never updated, which is a good thing. It has everything you need to know and nothing you don't. The most recent addition to the decor is probably a poster from the 2004 Sugar Bowl, when LSU defeated Oklahoma for the BCS National Championship. On first inspection, there is nothing remarkable about the place. That is, of course, entirely the point. The name alone deserves an explanation. A po-boy—or "poor boy," depending on who raised you—becomes a "rich girl" at Jay's. It is a joke as old as the restaurant itself, the kind of wordplay that only survives in a city that takes its sandwiches seriously enough to give them personalities. For years, Jay's was a regular lunch stop with my dear friend, the late Steve Carter—former LSU athlete, tennis coach, associate athletic director, state legislator and one of the most universally beloved figures this city has produced. Our lunches typically included Bridger Eglin and the late Richard Gill, all three childhood friends who grew up together and attended University High before going on to shape Baton Rouge in their own ways. I mostly listened and tried to keep up. There was never a question of what to order. You got the turkey "rich girl" with fries, sauce on the side and an unsweetened iced tea. Rookies pour the sauce. Veterans dip. Carter taught me that distinction decades ago, and I have never deviated. When I stepped back in the other day after several years away, nothing had changed. That was comforting. Reassuring in a way that is hard to articulate but instantly recognizable to anyone who has lost someone who meant so much. The "rich girl" was as good as I remembered. The bread pressed but soft, the turkey smoky and tender, the sauce a perfect blend of tangy and sweet—worth every cent of the $15.25 price tag and worth the trip on its own merits. Order the turkey "rich girl." Dip, don't pour. And tell them Steve Carter sent you. *—JR Ball* ### Mind the housing-income gap URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/mind-the-housing-income-gap/ Last updated: 2026-05-26T23:57:48.000Z The gap between home prices and what people earn has nearly doubled since 1950. Baton Rouge's relative affordability comes with the cost of sprawl. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### University Lakes system might get a seventh lake URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/university-lakes-system-might-get-a-seventh-lake/ Last updated: 2026-05-20T00:59:27.000Z A FEMA grant could turn a drainage canal into Baton Rouge's next beloved waterway. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Baton Rouge is spread out, spread thin URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/baton-rouge-is-spread-out-spread-thin/ Last updated: 2026-05-27T14:56:39.000Z Baton Rouge has become one of America’s most sprawling cities, spending decades pushing outward one subdivision and strip mall at a time, swallowing vast amounts of land without adding many more people. Now there's a report card for it. [Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s sprawl index](https://publichealth.jhu.edu/center-for-smart-transportation/the-2025-metropolitan-sprawl-rankings?ref=redeyebr.com) ranks the Baton Rouge metro area as the second-most sprawling in its population tier: 500,000 to 1 million residents. Fayetteville, N.C., won the top dishonor. **Why it matters:** Cities that spread thin instead of building densely pay for it in real, measurable ways—higher energy costs, worse health outcomes, more social isolation, and fewer opportunities for kids. Johns Hopkins researchers also pushed back on the familiar pro-sprawl argument that density makes housing unaffordable. When you factor in transportation and energy costs alongside housing, compact cities come out ahead, researchers calculated. **How they measured it:** Johns Hopkins built the index around four dimensions—residential and employment density; how well neighborhoods mix homes, jobs, and services; the strength of downtowns and urban subcenters; and the connectedness of the street network. Baton Rouge underperforms on all four, **dragged down by its own sprawl and that of Ascension and Livingston.** **By the Numbers** - Baton Rouge metro: **2nd most sprawling** in the 500K–1M population category. The metro includes surrounding parishes. - Parish-level rankings (out of 995 nationally): **West Baton Rouge Parish** came in at 150—surprisingly compact relative to its neighbors. **East Baton Rouge** ranked 636\. **Ascension** came in at 821\. **Livingston Parish** landed at 984—nearly the bottom of the entire country. - **Orleans Parish**, for comparison, ranked **19th least sprawling parish** in the nation. New Orleans is built vertically and is hemmed in by low-lying areas. **What They're Saying:** "Baton Rouge has disinvested in itself," Josh Brooks, an LSU and MIT-trained urban planner who leads the City Park master plan, said after a recent conversation with local media. "The population hasn't really grown in decades, but, geographically, we've just spread out. And that just means less resources to spend on the land and infrastructure that has to be managed." **The good news:** Baton Rouge has not ignored sprawl entirely. Government Street and Mid City are the clearest example. The road diet turned a fast corridor into something more walkable, safer and more useful. The Baton Rouge Health District is trying to retrofit itself for people, not just cars. The apartment boom near LSU is putting more people where the city already exists. Downtown matters as well. So do City Park and the lakes. Make those places better, and more people will want to live around them. **What a fix looks like:** Researchers and planners point to a toolkit of changes that don't require tearing anything down—just building and retrofitting smarter from here: - **Street connectivity:** Require new developments to follow connected grid or semi-grid patterns. Fewer cul-de-sacs. Fewer gated subdivisions that dump all their traffic onto one arterial road. - **Green mobility corridors:** Linear parks, greenways, and protected cycling routes that connect neighborhoods to each other and to commercial centers. - **15-minute neighborhoods:** Plan so that schools, groceries, healthcare, and recreation are reachable within a 15-minute walk or bike ride. - **Small business incentives:** Reduce permitting costs and streamline approvals for local shops and services in residential areas. Walkable neighborhoods need things to walk to. - **Parking reform:** Eliminate or reduce minimum parking requirements, which currently mandate that huge portions of urban land sit empty most of the day. Shared parking is cheaper and should be implemented. - **Co-located public facilities:** Put schools, libraries, health clinics, and community centers together in mixed-use developments. The new Southeast Branch Library in Rouzan is a local model worth replicating. - **Retrofitting suburbs:** Add pedestrian and cycling cut-throughs, secondary streets, and mid-block crossings to break up the superblocks that make existing neighborhoods so hard to navigate without a car. **The bottom line:** None of this requires Baton Rouge to become New Orleans or New York. It just requires, more often than not, choosing to build in ways that serve the people already here rather than subsidizing the next wave of outward expansion. The ranking shows a problem, but it also offers a map. The directions are right there. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### It's not your forever neighbor URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/its-not-your-forever-neighbor/ Last updated: 2026-05-18T23:37:57.000Z It's a tale as old as time: A real estate developer goes before a public hearing seeking approval for a project, and all decorum evanesces as neighboring resident after neighboring resident demands denial. The usual "whys": traffic, drainage, flooding and the destruction of the area's character. These people are broadly known as NIMBYs. But what happens when the backyard—or at least its zoning—got there first? In a parish that loves its property rights, what takes precedence: when the adjacent property was zoned or who was the first to build? Answer: It's left up to the whims of the particular planning commission or city council, though threats of legal action are on the rise. **Why it matters:** As residents continue their sprawling expansion to the outer rims of East Baton Rouge and deeper into neighboring parishes, many of these neighborhoods are being built on or around land zoned for commercial or industrial development. **Reality bites:** Nowhere among the some 936 pages a would-be homebuyer must read, digest and sign before getting the keys is a disclosure form that makes clear the zoning of any adjacent or nearby property. - Louisiana law requires sellers to disclose plenty: structural defects, flood history, lead-based paint and mold. - What it doesn't include—anywhere—is a line informing the buyer what the person or entity who owns the lot next door is legally entitled to build on it. 💡**Modest proposal:** Require sellers—or their agents—to disclose the current zoning classification of all adjacent parcels before closing—one page. Public records already contain everything needed. The zoning map is not a promise. Buyers just aren't being told that. **Another option:** Stop seeking nirvana through sprawl and purchase a house in an already fully developed, street-grid-loving part of Baton Rouge. Dramatic, sure, but at least you'll know your surroundings. **Here in the real world:** That gap has consequences, and they're playing out right now in [St. George](https://www.redeyebr.com/st-georges-zoning-fight-goes-public/). - The Kleinpeter family has owned roughly 45 acres at the I-10/Pecue Lane interchange for more than a century. The land has carried C-2 Heavy Commercial zoning since 1994, years before the Woodridge subdivision next door existed. With St. George implementing its own zoning code, neighboring residents and the city want to claw back what can be built on the Kleinpeter's land. **Say what:** "When people buy a home, they want that adjacent tree-filled lot to be their forever view, and bitterly complain when the reality of eventual development happens. Guess what, your development likely destroyed someone else's backyard utopian view," says a developer responsible for numerous residential and commercial projects across the parish. **The bottom line:** The information exists. The requirement doesn't. ### St. George said yes, EBR shouted no URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/st-george-said-yes-ebr-shouted-no/ Last updated: 2026-05-18T00:56:29.000Z The city backed the school district amendment by nearly 2 to 1. Voters elsewhere in East Baton Rouge Parish rejected it by an even wider margin. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### The spam politicians won't ban URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-spam-politicians-wont-ban/ Last updated: 2026-05-18T00:55:41.000Z What the … ding?!?! Why are we—ding!—being assaulted with so many—ding!—text messages from—ding!—from political candidates, PACs and advocacy groups, and can anything be—ding!—done about it? **Why it matters:** Baton Rouge smartphone owners have been inundated with text messages this campaign cycle, now the preferred messaging battleground. The people making us nuts are the same ones who could stop it, and they chose not to. - Your number was never really private, the texts are cheap and they work. - The legal off-ramp that could fix this was written by the very people sending them. **A numbers game:** Two pipelines feed the machine. - First, voter registration records are public in most states—registering to vote is, functionally, signing up to be contacted. - Second, data brokers aggregate information from hundreds of sources and sell it to campaigns for pennies per name. What you drive, where you browse, what you buy—all of it gets packaged and sold. - Campaigns didn't build this system. They just showed up with a credit card. **The math is ruthless:** Studies report an open rate of 98% for text messages, with responses typically coming within 3 minutes. - Email open rates hover around 20%. - Americans received 16 billion political texts in 2022—a 158% increase from the prior year—while political calls dropped 57% over the same period. The 2024 cycle blew past that, with an estimated 25 billion texts sent before Election Day alone. - Old-school mailers still arrive, but they've been lapped badly. Texts are faster, cheaper and harder to ignore. **Can you stop it?** Sort of. Replying STOP to a legitimate campaign should remove you from that organization's list entirely—not just that number. - But PACs and shadier operations are a different story. As one call-blocking CEO put it, spammers often have "a whole bunch of different numbers they use"—blocking them one by one is whack-a-mole with no end. - You can also [report unwanted texts](https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/political-campaign-robocalls-and-robotexts-rules?ref=redeyebr.com) by forwarding them to 7726 (SPAM). - Don't click links in political texts. If you want to donate, go directly to a candidate's official website. **The big picture:** The reason none of this is truly fixable comes down to a cozy legal carve-out. - Political campaign texts are exempt from the National Do Not Call Registry—the same consumer protection politicians routinely tout as a win for constituents. - The loophole exists because campaigns use volunteers' personal phones to send texts directly to voters, which the FCC classifies as person-to-person messaging and therefore outside the tightest regulations. - It's legal, it's intentional and the people who benefit from it write the laws. **The bottom line:** There's not much you can do—ding!—but be thankful the field was thinned this past weekend—ding!—and the constitutional amendments settled … ding! ### Raises approved, debt deferred URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/raises-approved-debt-deferred/ Last updated: 2026-05-18T00:56:50.000Z The Metro Council voted to give city-parish workers their first raises in years. The pension bill that comes with them wasn't part of the conversation. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 📅 Baton Rouge: Week at a Glance | May 18–25 URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/baton-rouge-week-at-a-glance-may-18-25/ Last updated: 2026-05-18T00:54:51.000Z **Why it matters:** The Soul Food Festival anchors a packed Memorial Day weekend, Live After Five closes out its spring run on Friday and the Chuck Wagon Gang brings 90 years of gospel history to the Old Governor's Mansion midweek. ***🗓️ Wednesday, May 20*** 🎵 **Music at the Mansion: Chuck Wagon Gang—5:30 p.m.** 📍 Old Governor's Mansion, 502 North Blvd. - One of America's most beloved gospel and country groups marks its 90th anniversary with a live performance at the Mansion. Formed in 1936 and connected to both the Carter family and Governor Jimmie Davis—who wrote "You Are My Sunshine"—the Chuck Wagon Gang helped define the sound of Southern gospel. OGM Curator Joseph Ricci offers a special tour of mansion artifacts tied to Davis before the concert. Free. Reception follows. Free parking. ***🗓️ Thursday, May 21*** 🌱 **Red Stick Farmers Market: Memorial Day Cookout—8 a.m.–noon** 📍 Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Road *(enter via Irene Drive off Kenilworth Pkwy)* - BREADA and market vendors fire up the grills for a special Memorial Day celebration—locally raised meats, fresh tacos, homemade sides and free samples from across the market. A good reason to do your holiday weekend shopping local. Free and family-friendly. 🏛️ **Cross Section: A Multidisciplinary Storytelling Event—6–8 p.m.** 📍 River Center Branch Library, downtown - AIA Baton Rouge and ASLA Louisiana present four speakers sharing personal and professional stories across disciplines: Buddy Ragland (retired principal, Coleman Partners Architects), Josh Howard (founder, Baton Rouge Youth Coalition), Dr. Mette Gaarde (LSU Boyd Professor and quantum physicist) and Wes Kennison (founder and creative director, Version 47). Proceeds benefit education funds for both organizations. [Tickets](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cross-section-a-multidisciplinary-storytelling-event-tickets-1986911103597?ref=redeyebr.com) at Eventbrite. 🍽️ **Soul Food Festival Pre-Party—7–11:30 p.m.** 📍 Henry Turner Jr.'s Listening Room, 2733 North St. - A sneak peek at the weekend's talent—Henry Turner Jr. & Flavor, Ervin "Maestro" Foster, King Solomon, Lisa Harris and her Tina Turner Tribute and more. Soul food buffet included. $25 advance; $30 at the door. ***🗓️ Friday, May 22*** 🎵 **Live After Five: Rouge Krewe—5–8 p.m.** 📍 North Boulevard Town Square, downtown - The spring season finale. Rouge Krewe closes out six weeks of free Friday night concerts with high-energy favorites and dance hits. Bring a lawn chair. Free. [Full lineup](https://downtownbr.org/live-after-five/?ref=redeyebr.com) at the Downtown Business Association. ***🗓️ Sat.–Sun., May 23–24*** 🍽️ **9th Annual Baton Rouge Soul Food Festival—11 a.m.–8 p.m.** 📍 Main Library at Goodwood, 7711 Goodwood Blvd. - Two full days of blues, soul, R&B, gospel and Christian music alongside a judged Soul Food Cooking Contest and the new Mustard Greens and Cornbread Eating Competition. Performers include Henry Turner Jr. & Flavor, Adam Gabriel and the Shadow Road Band, Lisa Harris and her Tina Turner Tribute, gospel singer Xavie Shorts and more. Vendor Village on site. Free and family-friendly. ***🗓️ Saturday, May 23*** 🪖 **Memorial Day Garden of Flags—8:30 a.m.** 📍 Louisiana State Capitol grounds - Blue Star Mothers of Louisiana plants flags in honor of fallen service members as Gold Star Families speak their loved ones' names aloud. Free and open to the public. ***🗓️ Monday, May 25*** 🎵 **Baton Rouge Concert Band Memorial Day Concert—7 p.m.** 📍 Main Library at Goodwood, 7711 Goodwood Blvd. - The all-volunteer ensemble's annual free concert honors the men and women of the armed forces. No tickets required. --- ### **🏖️ Beach Report: Memorial Day Weekend** *Heading to the coast? Here's what's happening along the Gulf.* **Gulf Shores & Orange Beach** 🎵 **LuLuPalooza Summer Kick Off—Fri.–Sun., May 22–24** 📍 LuLu's Gulf Shores, 200 E. 25th Ave. - Jimmy Buffett's sister Lucy Buffett's signature beach bash—back-to-back live music on the Crazy Sista Boat Stage all weekend. Waterfront and family-friendly. 🎵 **The Wharf Amphitheater: Memorial Day Weekend Concerts** 📍 The Wharf, Orange Beach - Three nights of headliners as part of the C Spire Concert Series: HARDY with Tucker Wetmore + McCoy Moore (Saturday, May 23, 7 p.m.), Godsmack with Dorothy (Sunday, May 24, 7 p.m.) and Dave Matthews Band (Monday, May 25, 7:30 p.m.). [Tickets](https://www.wharftickets.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) required. 🎉 **Downtown OWA Summer Kickoff—Fri.–Sun., May 22–24** 📍 Downtown OWA, 205 N. OWA Blvd., Foley, AL - Live music, free family activities and Saturday night fireworks kicking off beach season. Free admission. **Destin & 30-A** 🎵 **HarborWalk Village Memorial Day Weekend** 📍 34 Harbor Blvd., Destin - Live music on the Main Stage all weekend. Sunday highlights: ceremony at 5:30 p.m., vintage air show, live concert and fireworks at 9 p.m. Monday: live music plus silent disco, fireworks at 9 p.m. Parking $20/day. 🎉 **Baytowne Wharf Memorial Day Celebration—Sat.–Sun., May 23–24** 📍 Village of Baytowne Wharf, Sandestin - Live music, family activities and fireworks over the lagoon Sunday night. Free to enter. 🎵 **The Red Bar—all weekend** 📍 Grayton Beach - The iconic 30-A institution delivers live jazz in an atmosphere unlike anything else on the coast. No cover. No reservations. Just show up. --- **Reach us:* Want to submit an event item for consideration? Email us the information at* [*news@redeyebr.com*](mailto:news@redeyebr.com)*. *Details:* The calendar is on a Monday–Sunday rotation, and the submission deadline is the Wednesday prior.* ### First Tuesday adds a new tool URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/first-tuesday-adds-a-new-tool/ Last updated: 2026-05-18T00:54:16.000Z [First Tuesday](https://www.firsttuesdayserves.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) has spent years showing up with paintbrushes and work gloves. On May 5, it showed up with a whiteboard. Kevin Burke of [Beyond Business](https://www.beyondbusiness.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) and Stuart Gilly gathered a group of seasoned business and operational leaders—Jay Dixon, Kristen Voitier, Cherie Hebert, Holly Normand, Kodi Wilson, Tayler Morgan, Brooke Laney O'Neil, Frank Kerner and Alexandra Aitken—to sit down with [Front Yard Bikes](https://www.frontyardbikes.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) founder Dustin LaFont and help design a relocation strategy for the nonprofit's return to its building later this month. What came out was a detailed operational move plan: logistics coordination, workstreams, volunteer deployment structure and execution timelines. Sometimes nonprofits don't need labor. They need experienced operators helping them think through complexity. Gilly says May 5 was proof that [First Tuesday](https://www.redeyebr.com/tuesdays-with-service/) can be something more—nonprofits that have built trust with the organization are starting to bring bigger, harder problems to the table. "This is just another way for us to be more intentional—to find deeper, more meaningful ways to serve people that doesn't just look like the normal volunteer way," Gilly says. Front Yard Bikes moves back into its building May 26–28\. Want to help? Email [volunteercoordinator@frontyardbikes.com](mailto:volunteercoordinator@frontyardbikes.com). ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Where did everyone go? URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/where-did-everyone-go/ Last updated: 2026-05-15T18:14:06.000Z Baton Rouge has lost nearly 4,000 residents since 2020. The suburbs are still growing. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### A sack is being hackied URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/a-sack-is-being-hackied/ Last updated: 2026-05-15T00:54:23.000Z Hacky sack—the official pastime of stoners, hippies and Grateful Dead parking lots—is having a moment again. **Why it matters:** This is the daytime version of the latest in a string of retro, offline pastimes young people are embracing to disconnect from screens and actually be present with other living, breathing human beings—a trend [already reshaping](https://www.redeyebr.com/old-is-the-new-new/) Baton Rouge's nightlife. No app required. No algorithm decides who participates. **Rich irony:** The hacky sack's original cultural moment was the 1980s and '90s, when footbag circles became shorthand for a very different kind of checked-out generation. Today's version is the opposite impulse—students on the LSU Quad and across Baton Rouge high school campuses keeping a tiny bean bag airborne as a deliberate break from the dopamine loop. **The trend is real:** A [Jefferson Highway promotional shop](https://www.creativetouchembroidery.com/blog/5-promotional-products-for-school-that-are-2-cool-2-b-4-got-n?ref=redeyebr.com) is already pitching branded hacky sacks directly to local schools. Carnival Mart's bulk sets are [sold out](https://carnivalmart.net/product%5Fdetails.php?display=439&ref=redeyebr.com). Crafters in the area are filling the gap, stitching custom footbags to meet the wave. The *New York Times* [put it on the front](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/12/style/hacky-sack-gen-z.html?smid=url-share&ref=redeyebr.com) (🔒) of its Style section this week. Someone on the internet has produced a full college recruitment graphic—complete with school logos, a stats breakdown and the tagline "Not just a game. It's a lifestyle."—for hacky sack. LSU made the cut. Somewhere, Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey [are proud](https://youtu.be/G8y-M5rQiWQ?si=OmbfDeJyTk3JiYr8&ref=redeyebr.com). **The bottom line:** The 1980s called. They want their hacky sack back. Gen Z is happy to oblige. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Three years of restaurant openings, mapped URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/three-years-of-restaurant-openings-mapped/ Last updated: 2026-05-15T00:53:54.000Z Restaurant openings are a leading economic indicator. Before the ribbon-cutting, someone signed a lease, pulled permits, hired contractors, and wagered real money that a neighborhood was worth the risk. Track the openings and you track the investment thesis. So we did. RedEye searched publicly announced restaurant openings over the last three years to map how the city is developing — and where the money thinks Baton Rouge is going. **The Perkins Road Overpass District is still the city's dining anchor.** Three distinct concepts, three different owners, one neighborhood they all chose independently—and that's the tell. Luna Cocina opened a rooftop bar in the old Kean's Cleaners building. The Colonel's Club converted a former airplane hangar. City Roots is adding a third location there this fall. The district grew organically over a decade, sits near neighborhoods with disposable income, and offers easy interstate access from the suburbs. **Downtown is being built around casinos and a public market.** Bally's didn't just bring gambling onshore—it brought five restaurants into the restored Illinois Central train station at the Dining Depot: Hearth Pizzeria, Shuck's Oysters, a wine bar, a coffee shop, and a cafe. The Main Street Market added four new concepts after renovations. This is top-down development, anchored by institutional investment rather than organic neighborhood growth. **Siegen Lane and Airline Highway are the franchise belt.** The chains go where the cars are, and there's no doubt Siegen has the traffic. Bun's landed in the old Burger King shell. A third Panda Express chose the corridor. Bao and Dumpling opened on a stretch that has become a row of Asian restaurants. **Burbank and Lee has the highest restaurant density in the parish—and it's still growing.** Most of the restaurants there are new or just a few years old: Dutch Bros., Panda Express, Fuego, McAlister's, Arby's, Chick-fil-A. North Carolina-based burger chain Cook Out announced it's coming next. The formula is simple: thousands of LSU students in nearby housing who want food fast and cheap. The operators know their customer. **College Drive may have hit its ceiling.** Other than a new sports bar taking over Drago's space, the high-traffic corridor has settled into a stable roster with no obvious room to grow. As Yogi Berra once put it: "Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded." **Mid City is growing local, with a few chains mixed in.** Daruma Ramen is new on the road. The team behind Rocca, Modesto and Lit Pizza is reviving Fleur de Lis. The mix of cuisines reflects Mid City itself—arguably the most diverse area of the parish—drawing from its surrounding neighborhoods and a citywide audience seeking variety. **Global cuisine is the fastest-growing category in the portfolio.** In 18 months, Baton Rouge added a ramen shop (Hikari), a coastal Mexican concept (Veracruz), three Indian places (Gunpowder, Aroma and soon Spice Junction), soup dumplings (Dumpling & Bao), all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ (KPOT) and a Mediterranean fast-casual (Starbox Falafel). This is a diverse city catching up to its own demographic appetite. **The bottom line:** Three years of openings point to the same conclusion. The Overpass District remains central to serious dining investment. Mid City draws from across the parish on the strength of its variety. And wherever you find cars and students, you find chains—because that's exactly what the market ordered. SPONSORED by rEDEYE Media [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/2026/04/RedEye-logomark.png)](#/portal/account/plans) ****We watch public meetings.** So you can watch something better. RedEye turns three hours of motions, posturing and “brief remarks” into a few minutes of useful news. Support local journalism that respects your time. [Upgrade to Paid ](#/portal/account/plans) ### The drink menu is having a moment URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-drink-menu-is-having-a-moment/ Last updated: 2026-05-15T00:53:23.000Z On Saturday, May 16, Smoothie King will hand out free 4-ounce pickle smoothies, a promotion that sounds like it was created by middle-schoolers. But the Louisiana-born chain is not just daring you with a briny drink. It is part of a larger race across the restaurant industry: drinks are the new battleground. **Why it matters:** Burgers and tacos still matter. But drinks are where restaurants make big money, with margins that would make an Nvidia executive jealous. They also give customers a reason to stop by when they are not actually hungry. **On the menu:** - **Smoothie King:** The Grillo Pickle Smoothie, made with pickles, banana, kale and coconut water. - **Taco Bell:** Churro Chillers, frozen creamy drinks layered with churro crunch. - **Sonic:** Strawberry Horchata Cream Slush, with cinnamon-spiced horchata syrup and real strawberries. - **McDonald’s:** A new beverage lineup with refreshers and “dirty sodas” with foam. **The big picture:** This is not random weirdness. It‘s restaurant math. Margins on beverages can top 80%, according to the National Restaurant Association. A fountain drink that costs pennies to pour can sell for $3.50\. **Who’s buying:** Gen Z is driving much of the trend. Younger consumers are heavy buyers of iced, flavored and specialty drinks, which helps explain the rise of Dutch Bros—including its new Baton Rouge shop on South Lee Drive, where customers can concoct their own drinks. **How it spreads:** Social media does the rest. A limited-time drink photographs well, gets passed around online, drives traffic and teaches customers to come back for the next oddity. **Yes, but:** This is not just a Gen Z play. Chains are chasing the same margins with drinks aimed at all ages: electrolyte waters, protein beverages, flavored coffees, teas with supplements and anything else that can be made to sound like wellness in a plastic cup. ***RedEye* note:** Drink devotees will tell you McDonald’s has the best version of sodas anywhere. They may be right. The chain uses a serious filtration system and keeps the syrups refrigerated. And fatter straws move soda faster from cup to mouth. **The bottom line:** Restaurants are engineering your beverage order, and they are very good at it. A drink is now self-expression, social media bait and a profit center in one cup. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### The elusive bánh mì of Government Street URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-elusive-banh-mi-of-government-street/ Last updated: 2026-05-15T00:52:52.000Z In the kingdom of sandwiches—and it is a kingdom with royalty and fierce regional loyalists—the bánh mì belongs near the top. Right there with the muffuletta, the BLT, the grilled cheese and the Philly cheesesteak. Which makes what happens some Saturdays at Offset Smoker worth your attention. Offset Smoker doesn't keep its bánh mì on the daily menu. The sandwich takes too much time and too much fuss to make every day, so owner Hue Pham serves it only when he can do it right. He makes the French bread himself. He smokes the meats. We hear he even churns the butter. Pham has served the sandwich with brisket before, but the two versions he returns to are grilled pork and pork belly, with the latter indecently rich. Add cucumber, cilantro and fresh jalapeños, and you have a bánh mì that is among the best in the country. The catch: Because it's not served on a schedule, you have to check the restaurant's Instagram feed, risking missing it altogether. Your odds improve at NightMarket BTR on Saturday, May 30, where Offset is expected to serve the sandwiches—reportedly with Offset's own pâté, which is the sort of detail that makes sandwich people lose composure. --- Offset Smoker serves Texas-style barbecue at 5335 Government Street. Its regular hours are Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. *—Mukul Verma* ### What’s in a name? URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/whats-in-a-name/ Last updated: 2026-05-15T00:52:22.000Z Louisiana parents have changed the nursery nameplate. And the shift is not subtle. The Social Security Administration just released its latest state-by-state baby name rankings. *RedEye* compared Louisiana's 2025 favorites with the top names from 2000—roughly one generation ago. What came back reads like a cultural conversion. **Why it matters:** Baby names are cultural time capsules. They tell you what parents are watching, reading and admiring when filling out birth certificates and what they wish for their own children. **Back then:** Louisiana's top names in 2000 sound like they were shaped by television and the late Clinton era. - Boys: Joshua, Jacob, Christopher, Michael, Tyler - Girls: Madison, Hannah, Alexis, Emily, Taylor Michael had Jordan and Jackson. Tyler was the kid who definitely owned a skateboard. Madison was the lead character of *Splash.* Hannah, as in Montana, had the best of both worlds. Taylor was peak unisex. **Now:** The 2025 list sounds like someone put down *Entertainment Weekly* and picked up a Bible, then wandered through a 19th-century English garden. - Boys: Noah, Liam, James, Elijah, John - Girls: Amelia, Olivia, Charlotte, Emma, Sophia The boys' list is heavy with Scripture: Noah, James, Elijah and John. Beyond the top 5, the pattern is verified—Joseph, Levi, Luke, Samuel and Josiah. These are names that want to sound *rooted*. The girls went a different direction—not biblical, but older. Amelia, Charlotte, Eleanor, Eloise and Josephine sound like characters with good posture and complicated inheritances. **The bottom line:** A generation ago, Louisiana parents gave their children names that sounded like the moment. Today, they're reaching for names that sound like the distant past. The babies, meanwhile, still plan to wake up at 3 a.m. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Dare to dream URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/dare-to-dream/ Last updated: 2026-05-15T18:14:23.000Z Building something better requires something Baton Rouge has long avoided—sharing power. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Completing Government Street URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/completing-government-street/ Last updated: 2026-05-15T18:13:31.000Z The road diet worked. The medians didn't. Baton Rouge Green wants to fix that. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Gov. Landry's amendments face a reckoning URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/gov-landrys-amendments-face-a-reckoning/ Last updated: 2026-05-14T01:49:41.000Z Saturday is a big day at the polls—a U.S. Senate primary and [five constitutional amendments](https://www.redeyebr.com/five-shades-of-maybe/) that have become something of a referendum on Gov. Jeff Landry. Early voting data is showing a Democratic surge, and the reading in political circles is straightforward: they're coming for the amendments. Landry takes this stuff personally. His last round of constitutional amendments went down in flames last year, and he's been grinding toward redemption ever since, an insider tells *RedEye*. Saturday may not deliver it. The backlash has a specific shape. Black and liberal voters are energized—and furious—over Landry's push to eliminate a second majority-minority congressional district, according to *The Advocate*. That anger has a place to land Saturday, and these amendments are it. We published a full guide to the amendments before early voting started. It's below [Amendments: Five shades of maybeA small guide to big amendments, with much thanks to PAR![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/icon/RedEye-logomark-14.png)RedEyeMukul Verma![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/thumbnail/Screenshot-2026-04-29-at-12.32.17---PM-2-1-1.png)](https://www.redeyebr.com/five-shades-of-maybe/) **And the Reader's Digest version** **• Amendment 1** gives lawmakers more power to pull state jobs out of the civil service system. • **Amendment 2** would let St. George create its own school district — and pull roughly $107 million away from East Baton Rouge Parish schools in the process. • **Amendment 3** creates a dedicated funding stream for teacher and staff raises by liquidating $2 billion in education trust funds that currently pay for education projects. • **Amendment 4** would let parishes scale back or eliminate business inventory taxes. • **Amendment 5** moves the judicial retirement age from 70 to 75, keeping judges on the bench longer. Voting is 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. --- SPONSORED by rEDEYE Media [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/2026/04/RedEye-logomark.png)](#/portal/account/plans) ****Baton Rouge is not going to fix itself. It might, however, be better understood.** That is where RedEye comes in. We cover this parish with original reporting, sharp analysis and an interest in solutions rather than slogans. If our journalism has helped you make more sense of Baton Rouge, **please upgrade to a paid tier.** [Upgrade to Paid ](#/portal/account/plans) ### Creative destruction on the cocktail menu URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/creative-destruction-on-the-cocktail-menu/ Last updated: 2026-05-14T01:49:23.000Z The soft-serve margarita was born from a fine American tradition: a restaurant problem meeting a machine it had no business using. In 1971, Dallas restaurateur Mariano Martinez had a bartender problem. His staff could not make frozen margaritas fast enough or consistently enough. So Martinez looked at a soft-serve ice cream machine and saw not dessert, but a solution. He reworked it to pour frozen margaritas instead, accidentally creating the hypnotic swirl now found behind bars across the country. Fifty-five years later, someone looked at the same machine and took the idea in the other direction: tequila, lime juice and agave folded into the ice cream base itself. Naturally, it went viral. Now it has reached Baton Rouge. This is not a margarita with a scoop of ice cream plopped into it. The soft-serve margarita is its own thing: lighter than a frozen cocktail, airier than standard soft serve, with a smooth finish, a little tequila bite and enough lime to remind you this was not made for children. La Carreta in Mid City is serving a mango version that moves fast. At one table, a group shared one and finished it in less than five minutes, which is either a review or a warning. They also serve strawberry, and like several places around town, will swirl the two into a two-toned spiral that looks engineered for Instagram. You can also find soft-serve margaritas at Boru Ramen, Casa Maria, Pedro’s and Las Palmas. If the early reception is any guide, more restaurants will make room for them soon. Order one for yourself. Order another for the table. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Coffee Call turns 50 URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/coffee-call-turns-50/ Last updated: 2026-05-14T01:49:04.000Z Vincent Cannatella knew about “third places” before urban planners called them that. In 1976, he opened Coffee Call to serve beignets, coffee and, in the cafe’s own words, a “warm place to gather.” He didn’t need to explain the concept. Baton Rouge learned it by walking through the door: a kid using four napkins to chase powdered sugar that always wins; parents talking family, LSU football and Baton Rouge politics; the door open for whoever walks in. There are more coffee shops in Baton Rouge now, which is good. But Coffee Call crossed from serving community to *being* community sometime around the second generation of regulars. The stores around it have turned over. The place just circles the same College Drive corridor, binding people across time. The family of the late Vincent Cannatella is marking Coffee Call’s 50th anniversary on Wednesday, May 20, with a brass band and in-house specials—a “gift to the community that made us a Baton Rouge tradition.” For half a century, Coffee Call has given Baton Rouge beignets, coffee and a place to sit awhile. On Wednesday, the city gets to say thank you. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### BREC picks its next likely leader URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/brec-picks-its-next-likely-leader/ Last updated: 2026-05-13T19:51:49.000Z The parks system will negotiate with Brooks Williams, who could take over in July _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Lori Melancon's plainspeak URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/lori-melancons-plainspeak/ Last updated: 2026-06-25T18:14:11.000Z Lori Melancon has spent the past two years selling Greater Baton Rouge to the world. Monday night, she spent a few minutes telling Baton Rouge the truth about itself. **Why it matters:** Public figures in Baton Rouge rarely say the hard thing out loud, particularly when those hard things implicate the civic culture they help lead. Melancon did it anyway—and named the specific habits standing between EBR and meaningful progress on its No. 1 problem. **Going public:** Melancon, president and CEO of the Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership, was one of three panelists at the Baton Rouge Area Foundation's sixth Opportunity Data Project briefing—a public presentation built around new data showing 45% of EBR families with children are poor or near-poor. - Melancon's words and the passion with which she said them are typically reserved for private lunches, post-work cocktails, and early-morning coffee confabs, not public consumption. **The diagnosis:** Melancon didn't hesitate when asked what Baton Rouge needs to stop doing. The answer wasn't a program gap or a funding shortfall. It was behavioral. - Baton Rouge, she said, operates in silos—organizations, agencies and funders each protecting their own turf rather than functioning as a coordinated system. The problem isn't a lack of good work. It's that the good work doesn't connect. - She hammered away at the community for having "a very low appetite for friction." The city is so committed to keeping the peace—to seeing one another at church on Sunday and at the cocktail party on Friday—that it consistently avoids the hard conversations required to actually change anything. - The result is a civic culture that talks about problems in careful, collegial terms while the underlying conditions get worse. - The data backs her up. EBR's poverty rate has climbed from 18% to 25% over the last decade. The parish ranks in the bottom 10 nationally among comparable metro areas for combined poverty and near-poverty rates. Those numbers didn't happen in a vacuum. They happened while Baton Rouge was being polite. **The ask:** When BRAF's Chris Meyer asked what it would mean for Baton Rouge if every family moved up one rung on the economic ladder, an emotional Melancon answered without hedging. - "That means there's no third grader struggling to keep their eyes open because they're hungry because they haven't had dinner the night before. It means that the grandma who's afraid to walk to her mailbox because there's gunshots on her street can go get her mail in peace. It means that every single high school student is finishing high school or has a shot to do it, and is fully participating in their own future." - She closed with what everyone in that room already knew: "We have got to get out of our own way." **The Bottom Line:** Melancon didn't break any news Monday night. She just went public with it—and in Baton Rouge, that alone is worth noting. SPONSORED by rEDEYE Media [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/2026/04/RedEye-logomark.png)](#/portal/account/plans) Baton Rouge is not going to fix itself. It might, however, be better understood. ****That is where RedEye comes in**. We cover this parish with original reporting, sharp analysis and an interest in solutions rather than slogans. If our journalism has helped you make more sense of Baton Rouge, **please upgrade to a paid tier.** [Upgrade to Paid ](#/portal/account/plans) ### EBR's poverty crisis URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/ebrs-poverty-crisis/ Last updated: 2026-05-13T00:55:14.000Z The Baton Rouge Area Foundation released its sixth [Opportunity Data Project](https://opportunitybr.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) briefing Monday, presenting the most detailed portrait yet of economic conditions facing East Baton Rouge families—and the numbers don't flatter the parish. **Why it matters:** Nearly half of EBR families with children are poor or near-poor, a proportion so far outside the national norm that it demands more than civic hand-wringing. Without a meaningful shift in family economic stability, the parish's persistent struggles in education, public safety and health won't move either. **Details:** The report, produced with Common Good Labs, segments parish families with children into three income groups and benchmarks EBR against comparable counties/parishes nationally. - Around 55% of EBR families with children are middle- or high-income, well below the national average of 70%. - 20% fall into the near-poverty category, households earning roughly $35,000 to $70,000 for a family of four, the so-called ALICE population. - 25% are in poverty, earning less than $35,000 for a family of four, nearly twice the national rate of 13%. - Among primary counties/parishes of the 100 largest metro areas in the country, EBR ranks in the bottom 10 for combined poverty and near-poverty rates. **Stunning fact:** The trend line is worse than the snapshot. In 2014, 18% of EBR families were in poverty. A decade later that number has climbed to 25%, while the share of middle- and high-income families has declined from 58% to 55%. **The Big Picture:** The geography of poverty in EBR is not a simple north-south divide. - Common Good Labs researcher Rhett Morris described income distribution across the parish as a "patchwork quilt." - Higher-income households are concentrated in St. George, Zachary, Central and parts of Mid City and South Baton Rouge, such as Bocage and Southdowns. - Lower-income families are clustered in older residential corridors in North Baton Rouge and neighborhoods bisected by interstate construction in the 1960s. - The outward migration of middle- and high-income families has left aging school infrastructure, Mid City businesses and public services with fewer resources and customers. **All about the kids:** The pressure falls hardest on families with the youngest children. - Poverty households are more likely to be single-parent and to have at least one child under six. - Federal data puts the cost of full-time infant care at roughly $8,000 per year—for a family earning $35,000, that's not a budget line, it's a crisis. - Nearly half of lower-income renters are severely rent-burdened, spending the majority of their income on housing. - Over 80% of children from poverty and near-poverty households attend public schools rated C, D or F by the state. **Changing course:** The report identifies five broad strategies with evidence behind them: 1) increasing postsecondary attainment, 2) expanding apprenticeships and employer-based training, 3) improving access to early childhood care, 4) supporting small-business development among lower-income residents and 5) increasing housing affordability. **The gap:** The report is a rigorous diagnosis. What it doesn't provide—and what panelists at Monday's public presentation couldn't fully supply either—is a funded, coordinated action plan with accountability attached. Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership President Lori Melancon said what others in the room were thinking: Baton Rouge has "a very low appetite for friction" and has long avoided the hard conversations required to change course. **The Bottom Line:** EBR has the data. What it requires is the will to act. SPONSORED by rEDEYE Media [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/2026/04/RedEye-logomark.png)](#/portal/account/plans) ****RedEye watches public meetings.** So you can watch something better. RedEye turns three hours of motions, posturing and “brief remarks” into a few minutes of useful news. Support local journalism that respects your time. [Upgrade to Paid ](#/portal/account/plans) ### 'Make no little plans' URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/make-no-little-plans/ Last updated: 2026-05-13T00:53:12.000Z Boo Thomas frames the stakes as Plan Baton Rouge III gets its official rollout. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Comfort food, Perkins Road style URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/comfort-food-perkins-road-style/ Last updated: 2026-05-13T00:52:31.000Z There is a version of Baton Rouge that lives mostly in memory—the Southdowns Lounge on Perkins Road, a neighborhood bar where you could saddle up to a barstool and feel like the city made sense. Who are we kidding? You went there to have a good time. Sadly, it closed in 2008\. The building stayed. [Southdowns Grille](https://southdownsgrille.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) opened in April at the same address, and on the first Wednesday of the month—a standing lunch with Rolfe McCollister—we decided it was time to find out what became of the old place. The lunch is a ritual. Rolfe is my former boss, though we still collaborate on projects, and, most importantly, he's my friend and mentor. We've broken bread once a month since the day he allegedly retired. We talk about Baton Rouge. Politics. Brainstorm. But mostly we do what old friends do—catch up on family, swap stories and laugh. The connection to the Southdowns Lounge now lives entirely in the mind. Designer Emily Torrance Berthelot gave the space a full reinvention: brighter, airier, with dissected wine-crate panels on the west wall, contemporary light fixtures and mustard-yellow chair cushions against peppercorn gray. A small counter area near the bar lets you wait for a table with a cocktail in hand (in my case, an iced tea), which is a civilized arrangement. The bones are the same. Everything else is new. Our server steered us well. She recommended the Steak Frites and the Chicken Schnitzel, and also flagged the Serrano Ham Panini and the Southdowns Muffuletta as worth a first visit. We took two of the four. A confession: I am not a foodie. My comfort zone runs closer to Jimmy Buffett's *Cheeseburger in Paradise* than to anything that requires a working knowledge of chimichurri. The double cheeseburger at the table next to ours looked magnificent, and I noted it for next time. But the Steak Frites won me over. An eight-ounce flat iron steak, cooked to a proper medium-plus, arrived with chimichurri and herb aioli served in one of those small silver metal cups, alongside shoestring fries seasoned with sea salt. Nothing needed adjusting. The fries alone were worth the trip. I will go back and order it medium—the steak was exactly right, and I want to see how close to perfect it can get. Rolfe left a clean plate. That is the only Chicken Schnitzel review that matters. Southdowns Grille is open Tuesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner at 4205 Perkins Road. Comfort food is the sweet spot, and this kitchen hits the mark. *—JR Ball* ### Sea Spectacle URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/sea-spectacle/ Last updated: 2026-05-13T00:49:48.000Z If America is turning 250, it ought to arrive the right way. Under sail, on the Mississippi, and with tall ships lining the riverfront. That's what [Sail 250 New Orleans](https://www.sail250neworleans.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) is offering, and it's worth motoring down I-10. Running May 27 through June 1, the event plants New Orleans as the first stop in a national maritime celebration of the country's Semiquincentennial. The Crescent City's riverfront will host tall ships, U.S. naval vessels, public tours, fireworks, and a full slate of programming stretching from the Crescent City Connection toward Poland Avenue Wharf. Organizers say the lineup mixes modern U.S. military vessels with international tall ships, which means you can, in the span of an afternoon, take in both the blunt power of contemporary naval engineering and the kind of old-world seamanship that makes you understand why people used to write odes to the sea. One headline vessel is the USS Kearsarge, an amphibious assault ship that runs 844 feet and tips the scales past 40,000 tons. But the one caught our eye is the ARC Gloria—a three-masted steel barque built in Spain and commissioned into the Colombian Navy in 1968. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### St. George's zoning fight goes public URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/st-georges-zoning-fight-goes-public/ Last updated: 2026-05-12T02:13:58.000Z A Baton Rouge broker breaks ranks to challenge how EBR's newest city is handling its sweeping zoning overhaul—and the Kleinpeter family's century-old land is at the center of it. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### How Baton Rouge could spend less at the pump URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/somecities-have-reduced-their-car-habit/ Last updated: 2026-05-12T02:14:10.000Z High gas prices are a nudge. Here's what works—and what doesn't, and what Baton Rouge has done. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### La.'s gas taxes are a small gift—with a catch URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/la-s-gas-taxes-are-a-small-gift-with-a-catch/ Last updated: 2026-05-12T02:14:30.000Z Lower taxes help during a gasoline price run-up, but don't generate enough to pay for infrastructure. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### World Cup: A road trip wrapped in a riddle URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/world-cup-a-road-trip-wrapped-in-a-riddle/ Last updated: 2026-05-12T01:36:41.000Z World Cup math is already making our heads hurt. Trying to figure out where to travel for a World Cup match is less like planning a vacation and more like solving a Rubik’s Cube while surrounded by screaming children. **Why it matters:** The 2026 World Cup is coming close enough for Baton Rouge fans to drive to matches in Atlanta, Houston or Dallas. The trick is knowing who might actually play there. **The problem:** Teams play three group-stage matches. Then the knockout bracket depends not only on how they do, but how everyone else does. **The New York Times tried to make it easier.** Using world rankings and prediction markets, the paper [estimated the odds](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/05/08/upshot/world-cup-odds.html?ref=redeyebr.com) (🔒) of which teams could land in each knockout-round city. But, be aware, the publication warns that one goal before the final whistle can send a team 3,000 miles in the opposite direction. Here’s the *RedEye* driving-distance version: **Atlanta:** England has a 70% chance of playing there in the Round of 32 on July 1\. Likely opponents: Congo, 23%; Croatia, 20%; or Uzbekistan, 17%. **Yes, but:** This could be a brutal ticket. English fans travel well, and London has direct flights to Atlanta. **Houston:** Five hours by car, give or take traffic on I-10\. Brazil is the big prize here, with 75% chance for a Round of 32 match on June 29\. Possible opponents: Japan, 33%; Netherlands, 27%; or Sweden, 26%. **Yes!** Brazil is Brazil. Even people who don’t watch soccer understand the appeal of watching Brazil play the beautiful game. **Dallas:** The odds are more scattered, but the possible teams include Norway, 43%; Ecuador, 40%; Ivory Coast, 32%; and Senegal, 25%. The round of 32 match is June 30\. This should be the easiest ticket, as there are no big names that casual American fans would recognize. **The U.S. question:** The U.S. team is projected as more likely to play in San Francisco, at 41%, than Dallas, at 29%. **The bottom line:** If you want certainty, wait. If you want Brazil, start looking at Houston. If you want England, prepare for sticker shock and a pub full of people explaining why this is finally their year. If you just want to watch a match without the crush of fans, Dallas is your best bet. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### 📅 Baton Rouge: Week at a Glance | May 11–17 URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/baton-rouge-week-at-a-glance-may-11-17/ Last updated: 2026-05-13T00:48:42.000Z **Why it matters:** Hot Art Cool Nights takes over Mid City on Friday, Tommy Prine brings his biggest Baton Rouge stage yet on Saturday and the week opens with a civic celebration of Louisiana's arts community at the Capitol. ***🗓️ Monday, May 11*** 🎨 **Arts Day at the Capitol—10 a.m.–4 p.m.** 📍 Louisiana State Capitol, 900 N. 3rd St. - Artists and arts advocates from across the state gather at the Capitol for a day of on-camera advocacy and live artistic performance. A public celebration of Louisiana's creative community—and a reminder of what's at stake when arts funding comes up for debate. Free and open to the public. ***🗓️ Wednesday, May 13*** 🏛️ **Metro Council Meeting—4 p.m.** 📍 City Hall, 222 St. Louis St. - The council votes on a 3.5% across-the-board raise for all city-parish employees—following last month's landmark BRPD pay increase. Would take effect June 27 at a cost of $4.2M for the remainder of 2026 and $8M annually. Full agenda can be seen [online](https://www.brla.gov/agendacenter?ref=redeyebr.com). Public comment accepted. ***🗓️ Thursday, May 14*** 🎵 **Live from Laurel Canyon: James & Joni—7:30 p.m.** 📍 Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. - Songs and stories of American folk rock—an evening celebrating the music of James Taylor and Joni Mitchell. [Tickets](https://www.manshiptheatre.org/comingsoon/live-from-laurel-canyon?ref=redeyebr.com) at Manship Theatre. ***🗓️ Friday, May 15*** 🎵 **Live After Five: Big Sam's Funky Nation + Ambush Reggae Band—5–8 p.m.** 📍 North Boulevard Town Square, downtown - New Orleans powerhouse Big Sam's Funky Nation—led by trombone giant Big Sam Williams—headlines the penultimate show of the spring series, with Ambush Reggae Band opening. Free. [Full lineup](https://downtownbr.org/live-after-five/?ref=redeyebr.com) at the Downtown Business Association. 🎨 **Hot Art Cool Nights—6–10 p.m.** 📍 Government Street corridor, Mid City - Rescheduled from May 8 due to weather, Mid City's signature spring arts festival is here. 40-plus independent businesses open their doors to visual artists, musicians, makers and chefs along the Government Street corridor from Jefferson Highway at Goodwood Boulevard to 14th Street. Free. Draws nearly 5,000 people annually. [Full map](https://www.midcitymerchantsbr.org/events/hacn?ref=redeyebr.com) at midcitymerchantsbr.org. 🎵 **An Evening of Jazz and Blues for the Lincoln Theater** 📍 Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. - Benefit concert supporting one of Baton Rouge's most storied historic venues. [Details and tickets](https://www.manshiptheatre.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) at manshiptheatre.org. 🔭 **Friday Night Lecture + Evening Sky Viewing—7:30–10 p.m.** 📍 BREC Highland Road Park Observatory, 13800 Highland Road - Free public astronomy lecture at 7:30 p.m. followed by open sky viewing through BREC's telescopes at 8:30 p.m. Ages 6 and up. Free. Details at [hrpo.lsu.edu](https://hrpo.lsu.edu/events?ref=redeyebr.com). ***🗓️ Saturday, May 16*** 🌱 **Red Stick Farmers Market—8 a.m.–noon** 📍 5th & Main Street, downtown - Fresh produce, local vendors and community at BR's flagship [open-air market](https://breada.org/red-stick-farmers-market/?ref=redeyebr.com). Also runs Thursdays, 8 a.m.–noon, at Pennington Biomedical Research Center and Tuesdays, 3–6 p.m., at the Main Library at Goodwood. 🌿 **Birding at Burden—7–9 a.m.** 📍 LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden, 4560 Essen Lane - Monthly guided tour through Burden's birding loops—183 species recorded on the grounds. $10, [registration required](https://www.lsuagcenter.com/portals/burden/?ref=redeyebr.com). 🌿 **Louisiana Cann Festival—noon–8 p.m.** 📍 Galvez Plaza, 200 St. Louis St., downtown - Baton Rouge's cannabis culture festival returns to the riverfront—live music, local vendors, food trucks and community programming celebrating Louisiana's growing cannabis industry. [Tickets](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/louisiana-cann-festival-2026-tickets-1981345501732?ref=redeyebr.com) at Eventbrite; general admission $20 in advance. 🎵 **Tommy Prine—7:30 p.m.** 📍 Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. - The son of legendary songwriter John Prine steps up to the Manship's main stage for the first time after three sold-out shows at Red Dragon Listening Room. Armed with an acoustic guitar and tracks from his forthcoming album, Prine is an artist worth catching on the way up. With opener Darrin Hacquard. [Tickets](https://www.manshiptheatre.org/comingsoon/tommyprine?ref=redeyebr.com) $72–$94. ***🗓️ Sunday, May 17*** 🌿 **Hilltop Spring Garden Tour—1–4 p.m.** 📍 Private home gardens in Southdowns, Old Goodwood, Glenmore Place and Walden - Friends of LSU Hilltop Arboretum open the gates on private home landscapes in some of Baton Rouge's most storied neighborhoods—a self-guided stroll through gardens most residents never get to see. [Tickets](https://www.lsu.edu/hilltop?ref=redeyebr.com) at lsu.edu/hilltop. 🎬 **The Grocery List Show—Free Screening & Panel** 📍 Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. - Free PBS Kids screening and community panel. [Details](https://www.manshiptheatre.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) at manshiptheatre.org. --- **Reach us:* Want to submit an event item for consideration? Email us the information at* [*news@redeyebr.com*](mailto:news@redeyebr.com)*. *Details:* The calendar is on a Monday–Sunday rotation, and the submission deadline is the Wednesday prior.* ### Same map, different outcomes URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/same-map-different-outcomes/ Last updated: 2026-05-11T00:34:03.000Z A computer drew four possible congressional district maps—built the same way, with very different results. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Drawing outside the lines URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/drawing-outside-the-lines/ Last updated: 2026-05-11T00:23:24.000Z 9: That’s the number of states that use independent citizen commissions—not politicians—to draw congressional maps. **Why it matters:** In Louisiana and most of the country, congressional redistricting remains a political process controlled by elected officials with direct political interests in the outcome. Redistricting has long been part power play, part incumbent protection and part partisan chess match. **Power to the people:** Not every state does it that way. As of 2026, **nine states**—including Arizona, California, Colorado, Michigan and Washington—use independent commissions designed to place mapmaking in the hands of citizens instead of lawmakers. **Another 12 states** use advisory or backup commissions in some capacity. The systems differ widely. Some ban elected officials, party insiders and lobbyists from serving. Others require bipartisan membership, public hearings and transparency rules. **Undisputed champ:** Then there’s **Iowa**, which uses a unique system where nonpartisan legislative staff draws maps without using political or election data. **Nonpartisan politics:** The idea isn’t confined to blue states. Republican-leaning Idaho, Montana and Iowa all use systems designed to reduce direct political influence over the mapmaking process. **The bottom line:** Politics never fully disappears from redistricting. But a growing number of states are at least attempting to separate mapmaking from the politicians and parties that benefit most from it. --- ### Related story [Same map, different outcomesA computer drew four possible congressional district maps—built the same way, with very different results.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)RedEyeJR Ball![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/thumbnail/Congressional-Maps-Main-Illustration.jpg)](https://www.redeyebr.com/same-map-different-outcomes/) MESSAGE from rEDEYE [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/2026/04/RedEye-logomark.png)](#/portal/account/plans) ****We watch public meetings.** So you can watch something better. ****RedEye turns three hours of motions**, posturing and “brief remarks” into a few minutes of useful news. Support local journalism that respects your time. [Upgrade to Paid ](#/portal/account/plans) ### The financial ABCs of public education URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-financial-abcs-of-public-education/ Last updated: 2026-05-11T13:28:18.000Z EBR spends more. The suburbs score higher. The difference is who shows up. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### City Roots Is Coming to the Perkins Road Overpass URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/city-roots-is-coming-to-the-perkins-road-overpass/ Last updated: 2026-05-08T01:33:05.000Z Matt Saurage is betting on a neighborhood already in motion — and bringing coffee, food and a place to belong. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Downtown's bold agenda URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/downtowns-bold-agenda/ Last updated: 2026-05-08T01:32:41.000Z Plan Baton Rouge III lays out a decade-long roadmap to reclaim downtown's role as the region's civic and economic core. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Drinking smarter, not harder URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/drinking-smarter-not-harder/ Last updated: 2026-05-08T01:32:20.000Z Somewhere between John Belushi chugging a bottle of Jack Daniel's and today's college campus, the beer bong and keg stands find themselves as endangered species. No longer is it about mass quantities of alcohol for college students and young professionals. It's all about ROI and efficiency. Welcome to the world of BuzzBallz, the drink du jour, packing 15% alcohol by volume into its $4 neon-colored, ball-shaped bottle. **Why it matters:** The way young people drink is changing fast, and the economics and culture driving it say something bigger about this generation than what's in the cup. **Toga, toga:** For *Animal House*\-loving generations, beer was the default—cheap, abundant, social. That's shifting. The rate of adults 18 to 34 who reported drinking alcohol [fell nine percentage points](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/10/style/buzzballz-gen-z-alcohol-cocktail.html?ref=redeyebr.com) between 2023 and 2025\. Those still drinking aren't reaching for a 12-pack. **Doing the math:** BuzzBallz anchors a broader wave of ready-to-drink cocktails—hard ciders, spiked lemonades—that have replaced volume drinking with something more calculated. - One BuzzBall delivers roughly the alcohol equivalent of three beers. - LSU even [struck a stadium deal](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/buzzballz-signs-3-partnership-lsu-210000279.html?ref=redeyebr.com) with the brand. - When a single cocktail at a bar runs $14, a $4 pregame isn't a party trick—it's a budget decision. - Inflation turbocharged a habit that's always existed. **The twist:** This same generation is also quietly opting out. Mocktails and near-beers are surging. Younger drinkers aren't choosing between drinking and not drinking—they're choosing intentionality either way. Get in, get social, get home. **The bottom line:** Boone's Farm and Natty Boh never had a strategy. These kids do. ### How to do Hot Art Cool Nights right URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/how-to-do-hot-art-cool-nights-right/ Last updated: 2026-05-08T01:58:03.000Z One retailer liked Hot Art Cool Nights so much she relocated her business to Mid City to draw new customers from the regional crowd. **Why it matters:** Mid City Merchants has turned this free street festival into one of Baton Rouge's most reliable social anchors. **The details:** On Friday, May 15, 2026, 6–10 p.m., Government Street between Jefferson Highway and 14th Street fills with artists, crafters, restaurants offering deals and free tastes — and crowds that reward a little planning. **Getting there:** - If you're in Capital Heights, Garden District or anywhere near Government Street, walk. The festival is in your backyard. - Biking or ridesharing works well if you're farther out. - Driving to a spot on Government, unless you arrive two hours early, is a mistake. Park in a nearby neighborhood instead. - Do not drive down Government during the event. Pedestrians will be everywhere. **Pick a zone.** The instinct to walk the full length of the festival leaves most people worn out and rushed. Don't try to cover it all. Plant yourself in one of the denser nodes and explore outward: - **Circa and Baton Rouge Magnet High School**—good energy, lots of art, plenty to see. - **Barracuda and Mimosa Handcrafted**—reliably worth the stop, with strong surrounding businesses. Food and jewelry here. - **Jefferson Highway**—a destination unto itself, with Brasserie Byronz, Red Stick Spice, Jed's Local, Superior, Spoke & Hub, Soji, and more. - **Middle Festival**—Calandro's, Curbside, Rocca, Red Stick Reads and Baton Rouge Music Studios all within reach. Lots of art and vendors at Calandro's, and many good food deals all around. **Eat.** Come hungry. Restaurants offer free tastes and special pricing. Try something you wouldn't normally order. **On kids:** Older children will have a great time. Leave the toddlers at home—the crowds tend to overwhelm small children, and you'll spend your night negotiating instead of enjoying yourself. **The bottom line:** It's free, it's walkable and it's well-run—police are stationed at 16 points along the route. Five thousand people show up every year for a reason. Go, but go smart. SPONSORED by rEDEYE Media [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/2026/04/RedEye-logomark.png)](#/portal/account/plans) ****Baton Rouge is not going to fix itself. It might, however, be better understood.** That is where RedEye comes in. We cover this parish with original reporting, sharp analysis and an interest in solutions rather than slogans. If our journalism has helped you make more sense of Baton Rouge, **please upgrade to a paid tier.** [Upgrade to Paid ](#/portal/account/plans) ### New plants at lake have a purpose URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/new-plants-at-lake-have-a-purpose/ Last updated: 2026-05-08T01:31:29.000Z Along the City Park Lake shoreline, something is coming back to life—or more precisely, being brought back. The [University Lakes restoration project](https://www.universitylakesproject.org/?ref=redeyebr.com), aimed at returning the lakes to something closer to a natural state, is now far enough along that you can actually see it: wild indigos and primrose willows. What you're seeing is intentional—every plant placed around City Park Lake was chosen for a reason. They are doing real work. Their roots grip the soil and hold it in place. Their stems slow the water. Their root systems filter what runs off before it reaches the lake. If you're the type to stop and wonder what you're actually looking at, **download iNaturalist** before your next walk. Point your camera at a leaf or a flower—the app will identify it, often down to the species level. The planting is continuing around University Lake, which is being dredged now. 💡 ****Our coverage of the lakes project** • University Lakes, next two projects [(Read on)](https://www.redeyebr.com/lakes-next-projects/) • Plants at the lakes [(Read on)](https://www.redeyebr.com/lake-woes-be-gone/) ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### LSU's Black enrollment boom URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/lsus-black-enrollment-boom/ Last updated: 2026-05-26T16:01:14.000Z Enrollment of African American students at LSU has quietly become one of the more remarkable stories in Louisiana higher education—and one that's gone largely untold. **Why it matters:** A diverse student body makes a university smarter and better equipped to produce graduates who can lead in the real world. For Baton Rouge, more students at LSU means more economic activity, more talent, more cultural weight. That's true regardless of who those students are. **The state of play:** LSU communications did not respond to calls or emails requesting comment, including outreach to the head of enrollment. Like many universities, LSU has gone quiet as Gov. Jeff Landry administration intensified its attacks on DEI programs. This story relies on public enrollment data and background conversations with LSU staff. **By the numbers:** - LSU's Baton Rouge campus had more than **6,600** **Black students** in spring 2025—more than double the 3,219 enrolled in spring 2015. - Black students made up **19.2% of total enrollment** in 2024, up from 11.7% in 2015. - That's a shift from roughly **1 in 9 students to nearly 1 in 5** in less than a decade. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-01-at-2.54.18---PM-1.png) **The backdrop:** LSU is now at record enrollment, topping 41,000 students on the Baton Rouge campus. For years, the university lagged behind peers like Alabama, which had built sophisticated enrollment operations while LSU improvised. That changed when former enrollment director Jose Aviles brought discipline and intentionality to recruiting. The university needed tuition revenue. Enrollment followed. **What happened:** LSU started doing what other universities had been doing for years—actively recruiting high schools with predominantly Black student populations. No secret initiative. No special program. Just the standard machinery of enrollment, applied with purpose. A longtime professor put it plainly: LSU got out of its own way. It set aside a racist past not necessarily to do the right thing, but to do the normal thing. **Meet one student:** Jaheim Scott grew up in Coral Springs, Florida, watching LSU football on television. He wanted to leave home for college and had Michigan on his list. But a campus visit to Baton Rouge changed the calculus—the energy, the live tiger, the scale of it all. He landed at LSU for reasons both practical and personal. "A beautiful campus, affordability and the opportunities here," he said. LSU offered more financial aid than competitors. He could play lacrosse, a sport he'd loved in high school. The law program appealed to him; he's studying political science with law school in mind. And the university stayed on him throughout the process—following up and keeping him on track with paperwork. **What's interesting:** Scott doesn't think the growing number of Black students at LSU is a particularly big deal. He doesn't dwell on the fact that LSU recently had a Black president-chancellor. That may be exactly the point. LSU may have made it feel normal to be here. That former chancellor, William Tate, now leads Rutgers, and he picked Aviles to turnaround enrollment there. **The bottom line:** LSU didn't engineer a diversity initiative. It opened the door wider and started recruiting like it meant it. Black enrollment followed. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### The fifth of mayhem URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-fifth-of-mayhem/ Last updated: 2026-05-07T00:28:28.000Z Cinco de Mayo is not a Baton Rouge holiday. No one gets the day off. No courthouse closes. There is no parade, unless you count the slow procession of SUVs inching toward a margarita machine. Forget Valentine's Day. Forget Pi Day. Forget whatever the restaurant industry invented to put rears in teetering hi-tops. In Baton Rouge, the fifth of May has become something closer to a civic ritual—people who could not locate Puebla on a map felt called to honor its battle with queso. In honor of the Mexicans who *derrotaron* the French at the Battle of Puebla, RedEye went looking for Mexican food. Superior Grill on Government was five deep at the bar. Mestizo had tents outside. The new Fuego on West Lee had lines. Modesto on Burbank added live music, in case anyone needed another reason to drink on a Tuesday. Then came the revelation. The Taco Bell on Burbank Drive had a drive-thru line spilling into the street. The Bell had timing on its side: Cinco de Mayo fell on Taco Tuesday, when the chain already offers discounted tacos. The first 30,000 rewards members could claim five Diablo Dusted Crispy Chicken Nuggets for a dollar. Somewhere, a brand manager looked at the calendar and heard angels. As one local restaurateur put it: "People fall into themes for industry-created events." That is a polite way of saying we are programmable, especially when the programming comes with sauce packets. *RedEye* found a quieter place. Court to Table, Modesto's sister restaurant, has tacos and margaritas tucked into the menu, and one item that needs no holiday: chips and salsa. Viva! *—Mukul Verma* ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### The tap paradox URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-tap-paradox/ Last updated: 2026-05-07T00:28:12.000Z Louisiana's Department of Health just released its 2025 community water system grades. Baton Rouge Water Company **scored a 95—an A**\-rated on water quality, infrastructure, financial health and customer satisfaction. Other, smaller East Baton Rouge systems hit the same mark. **Raising the question:** Why do locals pay big money to buy water in plastic bottles, especially since tap water is drawn from deep aquifers and costs a half-penny per gallon? **Tap versus bottled, by the numbers:** - **$575 to thousands, depending on price—**what the typical family spends annually on bottled water, according to *RedEye* calculations based on retail sales data. - **$5**—what tap water for drinking costs annually for a family. **The twist:** A significant share of bottled water brands are filtered municipal tap water. You may literally be buying something like Baton Rouge's own water, marked up thousands of percent, with a mountain on the label. **Why people keep buying it anyway:** - **Perception**—bottled water marketing campaigns spent decades convincing Americans that tap isn't safe, even when the science says otherwise. - **Taste**—chlorine smell worries people, though it's what keeps water safe in transit; letting it sit in a glass for a few minutes clears it. In some cities, the water tastes foul, but not here. - **Convenience**—grabbing a cold bottle can be genuinely easier. Fair point. **What they don't see:** A 2024 Columbia University study found that a liter of popular bottled water contained about 240,000 micro- and nanoplastic particles on average. Researchers said the particles likely came from the bottle itself and the bottling process. Plus, Americans discard millions of plastic bottles daily. Most end up in landfills. A single bottle takes up to 450 years to break down. **The bottom line:** Baton Rouge water earned an A. It costs next to nothing. It comes straight from the tap. Maybe the best way to thank the people who deliver clean water to your house is to drink it. Give tap a chance. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Proposed St. George Schools: by the numbers URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/proposed-st-george-schools-by-the-numbers/ Last updated: 2026-05-07T00:27:30.000Z **13,807:** That's the number of school-age children in the City of St. George, according to a 2025 ESRI Business Analyst estimate. The East Baton Rouge Parish School System estimates about 8,400 of its students live in St. George. The 5,400 gap suggests the city's children attend private schools, charter schools and schools outside the traditional parish system, such as online schools. By the numbers: School-age children in St. George are: - White: 56% - Black: 24.5% - Asian: 7.2% - Multiple races: 9.1% - Other races: 3.2% **The bottom line:** St. George’s school-age population is larger and more diverse than the expected public school enrollment suggests. The question is whether a new district would simply reorganize the students already in the system or persuade some families to return. The latter is their goal. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Show your work URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/pothole-politics-local-style/ Last updated: 2026-05-06T17:06:20.000Z Baton Rouge doesn't know what it's buying—or whether it's worth it. That's not meant as an insult. It's a structural problem—one that makes every budget fight harder, every tax vote more contentious and every round of cuts more damaging than it needs to be. **Why it matters:** Every budget cut, every reduction in service, every tax pitch and every fee hike the city-parish puts before Baton Rouge residents rests on a foundation nobody bothered to build—**an honest accounting of what government services actually cost to deliver and what residents get in return**. **The accounting gap:** The 2026 city-parish government budget tells you how much it spent last year ($1.1 billion) and how much it wants to spend in the fiscal year ahead ($1.15 billion). - It doesn't tell you what that spending bought, what it cost to deliver each service or whether the return justified the investment. - That gap isn't a minor accounting quibble—it's the reason city-parish government keeps reaching for the same blunt tools when the money runs short. **Possible solution:** The concept is called [activity-based costing.](https://www.governing.com/management-and-administration/why-its-crucial-to-know-what-local-government-really-costs?ref=redeyebr.com) Cities that use it know the true, fully loaded cost of each service: labor, overhead, equipment and administration. - Indianapolis figured it out. When cuts are required, they make surgical choices. - Baton Rouge applied an across-the-board 11% reduction to nearly every department in its 2026 budget. That method treats first responders, a public works crew and juvenile court employees the same way. **The cost structure:** The '26 budget restricted 71% of total funds to dedicated purposes before a single discretionary decision was made. Inside the General Fund, public safety alone accounts for roughly 55%—leaving a narrow band of spending to absorb any revenue shock. - The employer pension contribution rate alone runs nearly 37% of payroll—a figure set by actuaries, not elected officials. - Those costs don't move when revenue drops. Headcount does. - When St. George's incorporation removed roughly $50 million in revenue, 420 positions were eliminated—not because the city-parish knew which services to cut, but because people were the only lever available. **The ROI problem:** Knowing what a service costs is only half the question. The other half is whether the return justifies it. A service can be accurately priced and still be a bad investment—or a good investment being delivered at the wrong scale. - The city-parish has no systematic way to evaluate whether outcomes justify the spending. It measures inputs—dollars allocated, positions filled—not results. - The DA's office illustrates the cost of ignoring ROI in both directions. The parish is constitutionally required to prosecute crimes, yet it starved the office responsible for doing so. Moore lost roughly 30 attorneys in 16 months. The case backlog grew. The return on whatever the city-parish did spend on public safety eroded. - A parish that resists new taxes has an even greater obligation to demonstrate the return on existing ones. That case has never been made here because the numbers to make it have never been calculated. **The process problem:** Earlier this year, a retirement-benefit restructuring generated enough savings to fund the largest police pay raise in the department's history, with money left over for raises in other departments. - The outcome isn't the issue. Police recruitment and retention are a legitimate crisis. - The question is why those savings weren't visible before the crisis forced the analysis. - The answer: nobody was doing the analysis. - The city-parish's own 2025-2035 Strategic Plan lists across-the-board cuts as a practice to avoid and recommends using outcome-based budgeting. The 2026 budget did the opposite. **The Big Picture:** The city-parish structure is fractured—independent taxing authorities, dedicated millages and incorporated suburbs that use parish services without fully funding them. - Baker, Central, St. George and Zachary collectively represent 33% of the parish population but contribute none of their sales tax revenue to the coroner, courts, district attorney or parish prison—all constitutional offices that serve the entire parish. - Voters rejected a dedicated property tax for the district attorney's office in 2025—a function the parish is constitutionally required to fund. Moore has since filed a lawsuit, arguing that the city-parish's $7.4 million allocation makes it virtually impossible to operate, in opposition to his $22.6 million request. - Tax resistance here isn't only ideological. It reflects a legitimate distrust that new money will be spent wisely when there's no real accounting of what the old money is buying. **Here in the real world:** The levee trail from downtown to L'Auberge opened to fanfare, expanded through MovEBR funding and now has potholes, broken lighting and a maintenance structure split across four agencies with no single accountable owner. - BREC, meanwhile, is selling off dozens of parks it can no longer afford to maintain—properties added over decades without an honest accounting of their long-term operating cost. - That's not a trail problem or a park problem. It's a cost-accounting problem. Absent efficiency models and honest cost accounting, the default government response is predictable: propose a tax or impose a fee. So, too, is the response of voters in a parish with deep tax resistance and distrust of city-parish government. **The Bottom Line:** Until the city-parish can answer what each service costs to produce and what residents get in return, every budget fight will end the same way—cut everyone a little, protect the biggest payrolls and hope nobody asks for proof it worked. ### St. George rewrites the rules URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/st-george-rewrites-the-rules/ Last updated: 2026-05-06T02:58:59.000Z Louisiana's newest city has rezoned every property within its limits—and the development community isn't happy about it. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Pothole politics, local style URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/pothole-politics-local-style-3/ Last updated: 2026-05-07T01:01:22.000Z It turns out that executing the basics of government is what builds public trust. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Baton Rouge slowly discovers the no-mow yard URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/baton-rouge-slowly-discovers-the-no-mow-yard/ Last updated: 2026-05-06T02:05:12.000Z Louisiana's rich soil and long growing season make it an ideal place for the small but growing movement away from grass. **Why it matters:** Baton Rouge spends roughly eight months a year mowing, edging and blowing nature into submission. Letting parts of a yard grow a little wild can feed bees, butterflies and other pollinators—while testing whether your neighbors see ecological virtue or just neglect. **Where things stand:** May is No Mow Month. Some cities officially allow residents to skip the mower, often permitting backyards to go wild while requiring front yards to stay tidy. **The case for it:** Sage Roberts Foley, executive director of Baton Rouge Green, outlines the benefits: - Converting yard space to edibles or pollinator gardens is self-evidently good. - Pollinator plants feed insects, bees, caterpillars and butterflies. - Their deeper root systems absorb more water than grass, which sheds runoff beneath houses and into drainage systems. - And the most compelling argument of all: no pushing a mower around in August heat, burning fuel and—unless you have an electric—inhaling exhaust fumes. **For the faithful:** The Catholic Church's social teaching offers [a framework here](https://uscatholic.org/articles/202604/a-catholic-case-against-lawns/?ref=redeyebr.com). Lawns consume resources—money, water, chemicals—that could serve the common good. Growing food and flowers is a more virtuous use of the land. **The bottom line:** The no-mow movement is small in Baton Rouge. But few places in America are as naturally suited — in soil, climate and cultural spirit—for tending vegetable gardens and flowers. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Old is the new new URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/old-is-the-new-new/ Last updated: 2026-05-06T02:04:48.000Z A digital generation is going deliberately, defiantly analog. The scratchy pop of a vinyl record is again how music was intended. Flip phones and Razrs are—at least for a few hours—the phones of choice. Retro clothing and antiques are the new must-haves. And the city's nightlife is reshaping itself around this "back to the future" impulse with bingo, trivia nights and sold-out karaoke shows. **Why it matters:** This isn't nostalgia for an era they lived in—it's a generation that grew up digital, now choosing friction on purpose, because the connected life promised community and keeps delivering exhaustion. **The shift:** Activity-based socializing gives people a reason to be present without the pressure of pure small talk. The game is the buffer. The record is the excuse. The trivia question is the icebreaker no app has replicated. For a city perpetually anxious about keeping young talent, third places don't emerge from planning documents—they emerge from a Wednesday night where someone shouts "SINGO" and means it. The shocker: People are removing their faces from the glow of an iPhone screen and actually speaking to one another. **The bottom line:** The analog revival isn't a rejection of the future—it's a generation deciding the future needs a few more nights that don't require a password. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### District 6 elections: reset to two years ago URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/district-6-elections-reset-to-two-years-ago/ Last updated: 2026-05-05T01:01:34.000Z Governor Landry pushed Graves out. The former congressman could return if he chooses to. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### BREC names 3 superintendent finalists URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/brec-names-3-superintendent-finalists/ Last updated: 2026-05-05T01:01:46.000Z New parks chief will have a chance to turn good system into a formidable one _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Take me to the river URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/take-me-to-the-river/ Last updated: 2026-05-05T01:00:30.000Z The city-parish may ask developers to propose ideas for a potentially valuable piece of Baton Rouge real estate: the former sewage treatment plan on riverfront land near Nicholson Drive. **Why it matters:** The old plant sits in a corridor already drawing serious investment: the Water Campus, new housing, mixed-use projects and thousands of student beds around Burbank and Nicholson, and proposed [sports tourism facilities](https://www.redeyebr.com/sports-incorporated/) and an LSU sports and events arena. Redeveloping the site could turn a former smelly eyesore into another catalyst for the stretch. **The details:** Lon Vicknair, Mayor-President Sid Edwards’ chief of staff, says the city-parish may gather public input or issue a request for proposals for the property. A decision on how to proceed should come this year, though Vicknair says much remains undecided. **Background:** The city-parish no longer needs the site because it built a larger wastewater treatment plant farther south, near Nicholson and Brightside. Demolition is underway at the old plant. Engineering studies show the roughly 21-acre site can handle most types of redevelopment without major environmental cleanup. **The bottom line:** Baton Rouge has spent years turning its back to the river. This is a rare chance to turn around. --- **Continue reading** [Baton Rouge’s riverfront gets a rare blank slateIdeas for replacing a stinking eyesore off Nicholson![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)RedEyeMukul Verma![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/size/w1200/2026/03/Riverfront-Brewery-v01-01.02.jpg)](https://www.redeyebr.com/2baton-rouges-riverfront-gets-a-rare-blank-slate/) ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### 📅 Baton Rouge: Week at a Glance | May 4–10 URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/baton-rouge-week-at-a-glance-may-4-10/ Last updated: 2026-05-08T01:46:38.000Z **Why it matters:** Hot Art Cool Nights takes over Mid City, Night Market BTR returns to the Capitol—though both a little later than planned due to some predicted bad weather—and a packed Saturday gives you no excuse to stay home, rain clouds permitting. ***🗓️ Wednesday, May 6*** 🎨 **Baton Rouge Gallery: First Wednesday Opening—6–9 p.m.** 📍 Baton Rouge Gallery, 1515 Dalrymple Drive - Free monthly opening reception introducing new work by local and regional artists. This month features exhibits by Jeremiah Ariaz, Justin Tyler Bryant and Kristine Thompson. Food, drink and live music. [Free and open to the public](https://www.batonrougegallery.org/first-wednesdays?ref=redeyebr.com). 🔭 **Navigating the Cosmos—noon debut** 📍 Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, LASM, 100 S. River Road - World premiere of a new immersive planetarium production—available only at LASM. Additional showtimes throughout the month. [Details](https://www.lasm.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) at lasm.org. ***🗓️ Friday, May 8*** 🎵 **Live After Five: The Rumble + N'Tune—5–8 p.m.** 📍 North Boulevard Town Square, downtown - Baton Rouge's beloved free concert series continues. [Full lineup](https://downtownbr.org/live-after-five/?ref=redeyebr.com) at the Downtown Business Association. 🎨 **Hot Art Cool Nights—6–10 p.m.** 📍 Government Street corridor, Mid City **(This event has been postponed a week to Friday May 15.)** - Mid City's spring arts and culture festival opens 40-plus independent businesses to visual artists, musicians, makers and chefs across the Government Street corridor from Jefferson Highway at Goodwood Boulevard to 14th Street. Free. Draws nearly 5,000 people annually. [Full map](https://www.midcitymerchantsbr.org/events/hacn?ref=redeyebr.com) at midcitymerchantsbr.org. 🎵 **CJ Solar & The Old Souls featuring Rick Huckaby—7:30 p.m.** 📍 Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. - Baton Rouge native CJ Solar returns with a new band and debuts tracks from his upcoming album. [Tickets](https://www.manshiptheatre.org/comingsoon/cj-solar?ref=redeyebr.com) at Manship Theatre. 🔭 **Evening Sky Viewing—8:30–10 p.m.** 📍 BREC Highland Road Park Observatory, 13800 Highland Road - Weekly public viewing night through BREC's telescopes. Ages 6 and up. Free. Details at [hrpo.lsu.edu](https://hrpo.lsu.edu/events?ref=redeyebr.com). ***🗓️ Saturday, May 9*** 🌱 **Red Stick Farmers Market—8 a.m.–noon** 📍 5th & Main Street, downtown - Fresh produce, local vendors and community at BR's flagship [open-air market](https://breada.org/red-stick-farmers-market/?ref=redeyebr.com). Also runs Thursdays, 8 a.m.–noon, at Pennington Biomedical Research Center and Tuesdays, 3–6 p.m., at the Main Library at Goodwood. 📖 **StoryTime at Burden—9 a.m.–noon** 📍 LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden, 4560 Essen Lane - Stories, arts and crafts for children ages 3–8 in the gardens—one Saturday a month through May. Every child takes home a book. Free, no registration required. 💃 **World Belly Dance Day—LASM** 📍 Louisiana Art & Science Museum, 100 S. River Road - Vibrant performances from belly dancers across Louisiana in celebration of World Belly Dance Day. Part of LASM's International Planetarium Month programming. [Details](https://www.lasm.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) at lasm.org. 🏮 **Night Market BTR—4–10 p.m.** 📍 In front of the Louisiana State Capitol, N. 4th Street ***(Note: This event is moving to May 30 due to expected bad weather.)*** - Baton Rouge's premier Asian American and Pacific Islander cultural festival returns for its fourth year—40 food vendors, 20 artists, lion dance performances and live music. Organizer Laura Siu-Nguyen is intentionally capping attendance at 7,000 this year to ensure everyone actually gets to eat. Asian Heritage Month, if you needed another reason. [Tickets](https://nightmarketbtr.ticketspice.com/night-market-btr-2026?ref=redeyebr.com) $5; VIP $75\. [*RedEye* has the full story](https://www.redeyebr.com/night-market-btr-is-back-and-smarter/). 🎨 **Artist Talk: Brandon V. Lewis—6 p.m.** 📍 Gallery at Manship, Shaw Center, 100 Lafayette St. - Free talk with the artist behind the current Gallery at Manship exhibit "When All God's Children Get Together." Located in the loft above the bar. Free and open to the public. 🎵 **Ashley Orlando: The Songs She Sings—7:30 p.m.** 📍 Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. - Jazz vocalist and ukulele artist Ashley Orlando and her band weave heartfelt storytelling with timeless classics—Nina Simone, Eva Cassidy, Norah Jones—in an intimate Mother's Day weekend concert. [Tickets](https://www.manshiptheatre.org/comingsoon/ashley-orlando?ref=redeyebr.com) $30. --- **Reach us:* Want to submit an event item for consideration? Email us the information at* [*news@redeyebr.com*](mailto:news@redeyebr.com)*. *Details:* The calendar is on a Monday–Sunday rotation, and the submission deadline is the Wednesday prior.* --- SPONSORED by rEDEYE Media [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/2026/04/RedEye-logomark.png)](#/portal/account/plans) ****We watch public meetings.** So you can watch something better. RedEye turns three hours of motions, posturing and “brief remarks” into a few minutes of useful news. Support local journalism that respects your time. [Upgrade to Paid ](#/portal/account/plans) ### Cold war in the fridge door URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/cold-war-in-the-fridge-door/ Last updated: 2026-05-05T00:58:47.000Z The refrigerator door is where condiments go to multiply. The top shelf, especially, becomes a small domestic Jenga tower: ketchup wedged against mustard, hot sauce leaning into chili crisp, some mystery jar from 2022 holding the whole structure together. But there is a simple way to reclaim the shelf. Move some of the condiments out. The rule, according to America’s Test Kitchen, a *RedEye* favorite on YouTube, is acid. Condiments with enough acid can safely live outside the fridge. That includes the big ones: ketchup and mustard. Also safe on the counter or in the pantry: hot sauces, chili crisp, honey and vinegar, which has an infinite life. There is another upside. Room-temperature ketchup tastes better on a burger. Honey may crystallize, but a little warmth brings it back to its slow, sweet self. Jams and jellies should stay in the fridge. The hard part is not the science. It's the household politics. First, you need somewhere else to put the condiments. Then you must convince everyone else that the ketchup was never meant to hide behind the orange juice in the first place. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### After the ribbon cutting URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/after-the-ribbon-cutting/ Last updated: 2026-05-04T14:27:20.000Z The real question around City-Brooks Park and the University Lakes isn't about design. It's about who runs them. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### A path to the Perkins Overpass is getting real URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/a-path-to-the-perkins-overpass-is-getting-real/ Last updated: 2026-05-04T00:21:07.000Z With bids opened, the quality-of-life path could begin construction late summer. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Where the day care ends URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/where-the-day-care-ends/ Last updated: 2026-05-04T00:20:51.000Z Child care deserts are clustered in several areas of East Baton Rouge Parish, while most of the city itself has a supply of licensed providers to serve young children, per a [new report](https://www.americanprogress.org/article/americas-licensed-child-care-deserts/?ref=redeyebr.com) by the Center for American Progress. **Why it matters:** Child care is not optional for most families. Nearly 70% of children under 6 live in homes where all parents work, making reliable care essential even as its cost strains household budgets. **The details:** The Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank, mapped where young children live and whether licensed child care providers have enough capacity to serve them. The gist: supply is far too low to meet demand, with greatest scarcity in poor and rural areas. CAP defines a child care desert as an area with more than three children under age 6 for every available licensed child care slot. **Local, by the numbers:** - In Louisiana, about half the state is a child care desert, with 29% facing very low supply of providers and 8% having no licensed supply at all. - In East Baton Rouge Parish, the deserts are scattered, with the greatest concentrations around Gardere, Woodlawn and South Sherwood Forest. **National, by the numbers:** - 46% of U.S. children under 6 now live in child care deserts, down from 51% in 2018\. - Majority-Hispanic communities have the highest desert rate, averaging 52.2%. - Majority-Black, non-Hispanic communities average about 35%. - Remote rural areas are worse off: 70% are deserts. **CAP’s take:** Affordability is only part of the crisis. Even if subsidies made care cheaper for families, too little supply would still mean long waitlists and limited options. **A recent effort:** The Baton Rouge Area Foundation, Huey and Angelina Wilson Foundation and the Foundation for East Baton Rouge Parish School System raised $550,000 for early childhood education. With a state match, $1.1 million will cover early childhood education for 100 children next school year. **The bottom line:** Qualified child care supply is too low, partly because of too little funding. Availability of care depends too much on location and income. The families that need the most help—rural families, Hispanic families and many low-wage workers—are often the ones with the fewest nearby choices. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### The seasoned traveler URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-seasoned-traveler/ Last updated: 2026-05-04T00:20:18.000Z Some travelers hold up airport security lines and turn the queue into a jury. One passenger in New Orleans, however, had a defensible excuse: Tony Chachere’s. TSA opened his bag and found 20 containers of Louisiana’s best-known seasoning blend. The airport posted a photo to Instagram. The internet did the rest. One commenter called the haul “Saving Iowa.” Another demanded justice of a different sort: “TSA should lock that man up. Everyone knows @slapyamama is better.” A respectful nod to the cooks of Ville Platte, where that spice originates. The TSA officer who handled the bag later joined the fun: “I’m the TSA Officer that had to check them all individually, I opened that suitcase and was stunned lol. But it was all laughs after.” ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Perkins perks up URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/perkins-perks-up/ Last updated: 2026-05-01T02:25:12.000Z It started on a front porch on Halloween. Julie Gerdes Becnel was trick-or-treating in October 2024 when she stopped at neighbor Mysti Byrnes' door with a question: Would she want to help get a crosswalk built on Perkins Road? Byrnes said yes. Sixteen months later, the Baton Rouge Metro Council has approved and funded the [Perk Up Perkins Road Enhancements Project](https://www.perkupperkins.com/?ref=redeyebr.com). **Why it matters:** The Perkins Road Overpass area is one of the city's most active commercial corridors—restaurants, bars, retail built organically over decades. Crossing it on foot has never matched that energy. - No reliable safe passage exists for pedestrians navigating fast-moving traffic on Perkins. - Residents in surrounding neighborhoods have largely driven to a place they could walk to. **What's being built:** A push-button hybrid beacon crosswalk at Ferndale and Perkins anchors the project, with additional improvements along the corridor between Hollydale and Cedardale avenues. - Continuous sidewalks on both sides of Perkins. - Refreshed crosswalks at Hollydale and Cedardale. - ADA-compliant ramps throughout. **How it moved:** The two mothers—neither with a background in city planning—started meeting weekly at Magpie Cafe in January 2025\. The effort grew out of a book club in the 'dales that had been reading Jonathan Haidt's *The Anxious Generation* and looking for concrete ways to improve kids' safety and independence. The petition they launched on [Change.org](https://www.change.org/p/a-safer-crossing-of-perkins-road-add-a-hybrid-crosswalk-at-perkins-ferndale?ref=redeyebr.com) now carries 732 signatures. - Presentations to the Complete Streets Advisory Committee connected them to AARP Louisiana and CPEX. - A July neighborhood meeting—renderings on the walls, 40 people, power out—ended with Council Member Jen Racca and the mayor's office confirming crosswalk funding. - Demo Day on August 16, 2025, temporarily transformed the corridor with painted crosswalks, walk audits and full business participation—and generated the documentation that anchored the MovEBR grant application. - That morning, a woman was struck by a car just outside the event perimeter. That night, a car drove into Magpie's patio. The case for a safer street made itself. **The big picture:** Perk Up Perkins follows a pattern becoming more familiar in Baton Rouge—a specific problem, a small group unwilling to wait and a solution that moved from neighborhood conversation to funded infrastructure without a master plan, endless studies or a government catalyst. - It is the kind of bottom-up civic action that cities increasingly depend on residents to supply. - Not every neighborhood has the capacity to pull it off. **The partners:** Their passion and persistence were infectious—attracting broad support from community organizations, civic groups and corridor businesses that saw their vision and wanted in. - AARP Louisiana provided a $15,000 community grant and the fiscal structure the effort needed to move; CPEX provided planning support and credibility; Tipton Associates produced renderings; Baton Rouge Green and Strong Towns rounded out the coalition. **What's next:** The project moves through MovEBR and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development implementation. No confirmed construction timeline exists—Byrnes and Gerdes Becnel said they've been told to expect 2028\. They're watching it closely. **The bottom line:** Could they have gotten a crosswalk without the petition, the demo, the coalition, the hundreds of hours? Probably. "Could we have done less?" Byrnes said. "Absolutely. That's not us." ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Night Market BTR is back — and smarter URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/night-market-btr-is-back-and-smarter/ Last updated: 2026-05-01T02:22:50.000Z Laura Siu-Nguyen's Asian food and culture festival drew 12,000 people to the Capitol last year. This time, she's cutting that number by 5,000 on purpose. **Why it matters:** The festival, now in its fourth year, is recalibrating around a simple idea—that more people aren't always better. With a recent downtown shooting still fresh, safety and experience are the twin priorities shaping this year's event. 🐲 NightMarket BTR: Saturday, May 9, 4–10 p.m., in front of the State Capitol. Asian Heritage Month, if you needed another reason. [***Get Tickets**](https://nightmarketbtr.ticketspice.com/night-market-btr-2026?ref=redeyebr.com) **By the numbers:** - Capped at 7,000 tickets, down from 12,000 attendees last year. - Entry is $5\. A VIP tier at $75 gets you in an hour early, a private bar, and a tent. - Sixty vendors — 40 serving Asian food, 20 selling art, including 10 new vendors. **The thinking:** The first-year crowd overwhelmed Town Square and vendors ran out of food. Siu-Nyugen moved the festival in front of the State Capitol. 12,000 attended last year; the success meant, once again, not enough food. This year, she wants attendees to taste three or four dishes, not a frantic lap through a mob. Fewer tickets are the mechanism. **The bottom line:** NightMarket BTR was a hit by any measure last year. What Siu-Nguyen is building now is something harder—a festival that feels good to be at, not just big. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### No merch. No problem. Just a natty. URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/no-merch-no-problem-just-a-natty/ Last updated: 2026-05-01T02:18:26.000Z Southern University has brought a national football championship trophy to Baton Rouge. Coby Robinson, a sophomore computer science major from Crystal Springs, Mississippi, plays video games for Southern. On April 22, he won the natty. Stop and let that land. Playing under the gamertag K1NGC0BY, Robinson closed out No. 1 seed Bellarmine University in five games to claim the ECAC EA Sports College Football 26 Division II national title. Southern becomes the first HBCU to win it. **Why it matters:** Southern's EDGE program—Esports and Digital Gaming Ecosystem—has operated for six years on donations, COVID relief dollars and alumni support. No university budget line. No SWAC backing. No NIL. They don't even have cool merch yet. What they do have is glory. **Background:** Director and head coach Christopher Turner runs EDGE out of a half-million-dollar esports lab in the Student Union the way any serious staff runs a season. - Before the Bellarmine series, he pulled video, went frame by frame and charted tendencies. He brought in a former Madden champion and a professional consultant to break down defensive alignments. - It's the same type of film work that happens 15 miles down the road in LSU's high-tech football complex—just in the Southern Student Union, on a different kind of gridiron. **Sounds familiar:** Robinson nearly closed it in three games until he started improvising and straying from the game plan. - "We won in game five, but we should have won in game three. Coby just started venturing off from the plan. We had to get him back on track, because the plan was working in games one and two," Turner says. Every coach who has ever lived knows that feeling. **The big picture:** Turner thinks Baton Rouge is missing something. The city is already seriously chasing sports tourism—a proposed [$100 million youth sports complex](https://www.redeyebr.com/field-of-dreams-with-backing/) on Nicholson and a [Sports Illustrated hotel](https://www.redeyebr.com/sports-incorporated/) coming downtown are the latest moves. - Esports, one of the fastest-growing sports in the world with a global audience in the hundreds of millions, fits that same infrastructure play. - Turner's pitch is simple: get in the game. **The Bottom Line:** Southern and Baton Rouge have a national championship. To support these champion Jaguars, the Southern University Foundation has set up an [EDGE page](https://foundation.sus.edu/esports?ref=redeyebr.com). Turner says Robinson has earned a scholarship. Hard to argue with a title. ### Sing it: Bingo is back URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/sing-it-bingo-is-back/ Last updated: 2026-05-01T02:16:22.000Z Somewhere in Baton Rouge, a hairstylist named Joy is still upset she missed Disco Bingo Night last week. That's a trend arriving. Bingo—the wire barrel, the daubers, the 70-somethings speed-scanning 10 cards at once—has been reinvented for a younger crowd, and Baton Rouge is all in. **Why it matters:** The city's under-35 set is rewriting what a night out looks like. Less passive bar-staring, more showing up for something. Bingo—improbably—is one answer. **What's happening:** It is part of a broader shift. Trivia nights, karaoke, vinyl records, flip phones—an entire generation is reaching back for analog experiences that give people a reason to be present, put the phone down, and actually talk to each other. **Sing it, don't say it:** The dominant local format is SINGO, a music-based spin that swaps numbered balls for song clips. Cards are filled with song titles instead of numbers. Hear the clip, mark the song, shout "SINGO" to win. - It runs every Wednesday at 7 p.m. at [Squeaky Pete's](https://www.squeakypetesbr.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) downtown, free to play, and regularly draws crowds deep into a three-hour night. **Let's go crazy:** Bingo Loco is a different animal. The touring Irish production turns bingo into something closer to a rave—with DJ sets, confetti cannons, dance-offs and prizes that have included international vacations. - It lands at [Chelsea's Live](https://www.chelseaslive.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) on May 15\. The February shows sold out both performances. **The bottom line:** Bingo—along with trivia nights and karaoke—is becoming Baton Rouge's version of a [third place](https://www.redeyebr.com/br-third-places/). ### The Baton Rouge da Vinci code URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-baton-rouge-da-vinci-code/ Last updated: 2026-05-01T02:16:06.000Z One of the world’s great art mysteries unfolded on Highland Road. Inside a plantation-style home, a painting hung in a stairwell for nearly two decades. Family members passed it every day without knowing they were walking by one of the rarest paintings on Earth: Leonardo da Vinci’s *Salvator Mundi*. The portrait shows Jesus Christ as savior of the world, one hand raised in blessing, the other holding a crystal orb. The painting came to Baton Rouge in 1987, when Basil Clovis Hendry Sr. inherited it from his aunt, Minnie Stanfill Kuntz. Minnie and her husband, New Orleans furniture dealers who often traveled to Europe, had bought the work in 1958 for about $100 from the estate of Sir Francis Cook. Hendry, who owned a sheet-metal business, kept the painting in his Highland Road home until his death in 2004. Then the plot turned. After Hendry died, art dealers bought the painting from his estate for less than $10,000\. They suspected, quietly, that it might be more than an old religious portrait. After restoration and authentication, the painting was attributed to Leonardo da Vinci and sold for $80 million. In 2017, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bought it for $450 million, the highest price ever paid for a work of art. Since then, the painting has disappeared again, at least from public view. Reports have it in storage in Saudi Arabia or Switzerland, possibly awaiting the opening of a museum in Riyadh, where it could become both a cultural trophy and a tourist draw. For the Baton Rouge family, the story remained almost impossible to absorb. “We can’t believe it, that such an incredible piece could have been in our family and we didn’t even know it all this time,” Susan Hendry Tureau, Kuntz’s daughter, told the *Wall Street Journal* in 2017\. “It just sort of brings me alive.” ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Two visions for a park URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/two-visions-for-a-park/ Last updated: 2026-04-30T03:45:58.000Z Designers offer two plans for City-Brooks Park, though the items within them are likely to be moved around. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Why houses look dipped in milk URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/why-houses-look-dipped-in-milk/ Last updated: 2026-04-30T12:19:24.000Z You know the drill. You open Zillow at 11 p.m., just to look, and within three scrolls you've seen forty houses and zero colors. White walls. White trim. White subway tile touching white countertops touching white cabinets. **Why it matters:** Baton Rouge has too much character — the live oaks, the shotguns, the general chaos — to be staging our houses like a dental office waiting room. White is not neutral. White is a choice that isn't. **The big picture:** This isn't just a local thing. From Baton Rouge TND builds to tract homes coast to coast, white has taken over too many rooms in the United States. **The details:** There are real reasons flippers and agents default to white — and they mostly make economic sense: - It usually skips the primer coat, which saves the flipper money they will not pass on to you. - It pairs with any furniture, any art, any decade of stuff. - It reads as "move-in ready" to buyers who don't want to think about paint. - It photographs well, which matters now that your house has to perform on Zillow, Instagram and Redfin before any human walks through the door. **Zoom in:** A graphic designer friend of RedEye actually makes a decent case for it: white walls are a gallery. Pick the wrong blue and you're committed. Leave it white and every piece of art you hang looks intentional. **The bottom line:** The white wall isn't a trend so much as a surrender — to the algorithm, to the listing photo, to the buyer who needs to see themselves in a room without any interference from actual color. It works. It sells. It photographs. Say cheese. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### The dumplings have spoken URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-dumplings-have-spoken/ Last updated: 2026-04-30T16:29:18.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/2026/04/beans-hot.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/2026/04/chili-oil-dumplings.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/2026/04/dumplings-from-bao.jpg) ***Spicy beans, Red Oil Wontons, and Pork Xiao Long Bao.** **(RedEye photos)* Dumpling & Bao did not need long to become a Baton Rouge favorite. The restaurant opened last year on Siegen Lane, a stretch already so brimming with Asian restaurants that some in the community lovingly call it "Saigon Lane." After quickly building a following, owners Kat Zhao and Jona Chen are preparing a second location in [Long Farm](https://www.longfarmbr.com/?ref=redeyebr.com), where the restaurant will serve from a former Zaxby's. [Dumpling & Bao](https://dumplingandbao.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) serves authentic Chinese food, and once you sit down, the appeal becomes clear. The crowd is diverse, the kind of people always hunting for the next great place. Start with the Pork Xiao Long Bao. The dumplings are delicate, filled with pork and a flavored gelatin that melts into soup as they steam. The restaurant offers playful instructions for eating soup dumplings, which are useful because this is not a food to attack without planning. Lift the dumpling carefully by its top knot with chopsticks. Place it on a spoon. Pierce it, or take a small bite, to release the broth. Slurp. Then dip in black vinegar, with chili oil if you have not already committed to heat elsewhere in your order. We had. The red oil wontons and dry-fried green beans were our piquant choices. Both came with the drama of vinegar. The beans added the floral punch of Sichuan peppers, which can make your head tingle and brow sweat in a way that seems medically worrying but culinarily correct. A friendly recommendation: eat a few beans to wake up your palate. Follow with a wonton dragged through chili oil. Cool off with a soup dumpling dipped in vinegar. Repeat until everyone at the table starts negotiating for the last dumpling. And if you are brave, eat a Sichuan pepper. It will make everything else taste louder. *—Mukul Verma* ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Amendments: Five shades of maybe URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/five-shades-of-maybe/ Last updated: 2026-05-12T14:01:47.000Z It’s Election Day, and you are trying to remember what, exactly, Amendment 4 does. This is when many of us make the standard move: text the most politically informed person we know and ask how to vote. Democracy, outsourced to a friend with strong opinions, with a bit of community guilt on the side. It does not have to be this way. *RedEye* has summarized the amendments on the mid-May ballot. You can go deeper with the Public Affairs Research Council, which has a [one-page guide](https://parlouisiana.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2026-Amendment-Guide-One-Pager-FINAL.pdf?ref=redeyebr.com) and a[ detailed guide](https://parlouisiana.org/publications/guide-to-the-constitutional-amendments/?ref=redeyebr.com) to the amendments. PAR, as it happens, also has its annual luncheon today. Civic duty comes with hotel chicken. **The backstory:** Louisiana’s Constitution, adopted in 1974, has been amended 221 times. Attempts to replace it with something less complex have gone nowhere. So we keep doing this: voting on detailed policy questions that often require a lawyer for deciphering and a pot of coffee. **The details:** There are five amendments on the May 16, 2026, ballot. They deal with civil service, St. George schools, teacher pay, inventory taxes and the retirement age for judges. **The big one for Baton Rouge:** Amendment 2\. It would allow the new City of St. George to create its own school district. We pay much closer attention to it. 🍎 **Amendment 2: St. George School District** **On the ballot:** “Do you support an amendment to grant the St. George community school system in East Baton Rouge Parish the same authority granted parishes for purposes of Article VIII, Section 13 of the Constitution of Louisiana, including purposes related to the minimum foundation program, funding for certain school books and instructional materials, and the raising of certain local revenues for the support of elementary and secondary schools?” **What approval would do:** Enable the new City of St. George to create its own school system. Unlike the other amendments, it’s only enacted if approved statewide and, separately, by East Baton Rouge Parish voters. The details: - The district would begin operating in July 2027. - $107 million could be redirected from the East Baton Rouge Parish School System to the new St. George Community School System—assuming 6,200 students move from one district to the other, per the Legislative Fiscal Office. - The governor would appoint an interim seven-member school board until elections could be held. **Our coverage:** We’ve written three stories about it in the short time *RedEye* has been around. Per our reporting, **The case for:** Supporters say EBR schools have had decades to improve and have not done enough. They point to Zachary and Central as examples of smaller, local school districts that outperform the larger parish system. They frame the vote as a question of local control, parental accountability and self-determination for St. George. St. George Mayor Dustin Yates has also pledged that at least $1 of every $2 the new district spends on public education would go directly into the classroom, with that share increasing over time. Supporters say that would be a contrast with EBR’s administrative spending. **The case against:** Opponents say the breakaway would deepen racial and economic segregation in a school district that is already mostly students of color, most of them Black, and where many students are economically disadvantaged. They warn St. George may not be the last community to leave. Each split would leave the remaining EBR system with less money and a harder job serving its most vulnerable students. 💡 ****Detailed reports on Amendment 2 from RedEye** 1\. A primer, with a case for each side, as each side sees it. [Read on](https://www.redeyebr.com/breaking-away/). 2\. Both sides of the argument. [Read on](https://www.redeyebr.com/educating-st-george/) 3\. What happens if the amendment passes. [Read on](https://www.redeyebr.com/if-st-george-schools-pass-then-what/) ### **The other four amendments** 💼 **Amendment 1: State Civil Service Jobs** **On the ballot:** “Do you support an amendment to allow the legislature to remove or add officers, positions, and employees to the unclassified state civil service?” **What approval would do:** - Let the Legislature move some **state jobs** out of civil service without approval from the Civil Service Commission. - Lawmakers have not said which jobs they might move. If voters approve the amendment, those decisions would come later in separate bills. - Only the Legislature could move jobs back under civil service. 🍎 **Amendment 3: Education Trust Funds, Pay Raises** **On the ballot:** “Do you support an amendment to fund a $2,250 teacher pay raise and $1,125 support staff pay raise by utilizing the remaining savings from paying down the debt of the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana with monies from certain constitutional funds?” **What approval would do:** - Liquidate $2 billion in education trusts that provide income for public schools and colleges to finance priorities and initiatives. - Use the liquidated funds to **reduce retirement debt** of schools and colleges, and **permanently boost public school salaries**—$2,250 per year for teachers, and $1,125 per year for support workers. 🚗 **Amendment 4: Business Inventory Taxes** **On the ballot:** “Do you support an amendment to allow a parish to reduce or exempt property tax on property held as business inventory and to provide for the classification of Public Service Property?” **What approval would do:** - Pay $500,000 to $15 million to local municipalities if they get rid of or reduce inventory taxes by July 2027\. Note: Parishes levy up to 15% property tax on the market value of business inventory. The state has been crediting businesses to offset the local taxes, which are considered a burden on doing business. An East Baton Rouge Parish document says the inventory tax generates about $50 million annually for all public agencies here. ⚖️ **Amendment 5: Retirement Age for Judges** On the ballot: “Do you support an amendment to change the mandatory retirement age for judges from seventy to seventy-five, provided that a judge may continue to serve to complete a term of office? **What approval would do:** The amendment would raise the age limit for judges from 70 to 75\. Anyone 75 or older could not run for judge. A sitting judge who turns 75 could finish the term but could not run again. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### The few behind the many URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-few-behind-the-many/ Last updated: 2026-04-29T14:46:13.000Z A revived violence-prevention strategy starts with a blunt premise: most shootings in Baton Rouge are driven by a small number of groups. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Trivia pursuit URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/trivia-pursuit/ Last updated: 2026-04-29T14:46:32.000Z Turns out, taking quizzes in public places remains a BR pastime. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Kitchen magnet URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/kitchen-magnet/ Last updated: 2026-04-29T14:46:57.000Z At parties, why do people usually gather in kitchens. Researchers offer reasons. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Carbon capture comes home URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/carbon-capture-comes-home/ Last updated: 2026-04-29T14:46:46.000Z A federal lifeline for the carbon capture industry has direct implications for parishes east of Baton Rouge. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Can BR embrace change? URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/can-br-embrace-change/ Last updated: 2026-04-29T00:13:52.000Z This didn't start as a series about Oklahoma City. It started with a question Robert Putnam spent decades trying to answer: why do some communities thrive and others contract? His conclusion—that cities run on social capital, on networks of trust built across differences—landed here because Baton Rouge has a problem Putnam would recognize immediately. The circles don't touch. The rooms don't change. The people with options leave. That was [Join or Die](https://www.redeyebr.com/join-or-die/). The diagnosis. Then came the front yard. The [Florida Street Blowhards](https://www.redeyebr.com/your-yard-their-horns/) turning a Woodland Ridge lawn into a neighborhood living room. The design argument that the [spaces between us](https://www.redeyebr.com/front-yards-front-porches/)—porches, sidewalks, yards—are either civic infrastructure or wasted opportunity. Bridging capital doesn't always start in a boardroom. Sometimes it starts with lawn chairs and a trumpet. Then came Jenni Peters and the Broussards. Marie Constantin pulling trash from Capitol Lakes month after month. Jennifer Richardson cleaning streets long before anyone official showed up to help. Kevin Klinkenberg calls that instinct the [Messy City](https://www.redeyebr.com/nobody-asked-permission/)—the recognition that the most important actors in a city aren't always the biggest ones, and that change rarely starts with institutions. **Why it matters:** Three separate stories. One argument. Baton Rouge has the civic raw material—the bottom-up energy, the neighborhood bonds, the residents who act without asking permission. What it doesn't have is a structure that receives that energy, organizes it and scales it into something the whole parish can benefit from. That's what [MAPS](https://www.redeyebr.com/residents-built-this-city/) did for Oklahoma City. **The fit:** MAPS works because it was built on the same instincts this series has been describing. - It started with residents, not politicians—people identifying what their city needed before anyone drew up a plan. - It put subject experts, not political insiders, in charge of execution. - It expanded over time because citizen advisory boards heard from people outside the established power centers—and followed them. MAPS is the Messy City instinct, organized. The Front Yard impulse, scaled. And Putnam's bridging capital, structurally embedded rather than left to whoever has the energy to fight for it alone. **The gap:** Baton Rouge isn't Oklahoma City in 1993, when MAPS there started. - The fragmentation here runs deeper—St. George, Central, Zachary, Baker and, yes, Baton Rouge, each tending its own garden. - A voter culture that wants dedicated spending and independent taxing agencies over discretionary trust. - A history of insider-led initiatives that promised transformation and delivered something smaller. - A justified skepticism about who ends up running things and who ends up benefiting. **The Big Picture:** It doesn't have to be this way. - Peters and the Broussards shouldn't have had to fund a design themselves to get the parish's attention. - Constantin shouldn't have spent years pulling trash before the system responded. - Richardson's volunteers shouldn't have had to toil alone before the government showed up. The Messy City works—but it works harder than it should, against more resistance than it deserves, with less institutional support than the people doing the work have earned. A structure that captures that energy instead of exhausting it isn't a utopian idea. It's a practical one. **Reality bites:** None of this happens without real change from people who benefit from the way things currently work. - Bridging capital sounds appealing in the abstract. In practice, it means the rooms where decisions get made look different, sound different and produce outcomes that weren't predetermined. - Social capital is abundant here, but where one went to high school can't be on the admission form. - It means elected officials and the people who pull strings behind the scenes voluntarily surrendering some of what they've spent careers accumulating. That's not a technical problem. It's a political one—and Baton Rouge has been avoiding it for a long time. **The Bottom Line:** The raw material exists. The model exists. The question is whether the people who hold power here want a better city and parish badly enough to share it. --- ### College's value under scrutiny URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/colleges-value-under-scrutiny/ Last updated: 2026-04-29T14:47:10.000Z Strada CEO Stephen Moret argues a 50-year-old debate needs a new question. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Downtown beat URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/downtown-beat/ Last updated: 2026-04-29T14:47:24.000Z City-parish will increase police presence in downtown 12-fold, a tactic to draw more people and visitors to downtown. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Fixing Florida Boulevard, not the divide URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/fix-for-throad-not-the-divide/ Last updated: 2026-04-29T14:47:41.000Z The dangerous thoroughfare will become safer. But some big quality-of-life projects will have to wait _This post is for subscribers only._ ### For the birds URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/for-the-birds/ Last updated: 2026-04-29T14:47:54.000Z Thousands of birds will pass over Baton Rouge on Tuesday, unseen but not unaided. You can do a small thing to keep their spring journey on course. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### A small bet on walkable Baton Rouge URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/a-small-bet-on-walkable-baton-rouge/ Last updated: 2026-04-29T14:48:10.000Z Infill development Benton on Highland will pair homes with a hoped-for New Orleans restaurant _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 988 lowering youth suicides URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/good-n/ Last updated: 2026-04-26T21:38:23.000Z ### 📉 Good number: **11%** That is the drop in suicide rates among young people since the federal 988 crisis hotline launched, [according to research](https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2848066?guestAccessKey=e44e29be-7891-45b3-a22d-128a80e60dad&utm&ref=redeyebr.com) released last week. Researchers made a strong case that 988 helped drive the decline. They found that states with more hotline calls saw larger drops in youth suicide rates. To guard against the problem of mistaking correlation for cause, they also compared the U.S. with England, which does not have a comparable hotline. The Department of Health and Human Services introduced 988 in July 2022 with bipartisan support and a $1.5 billion investment in the crisis centers that answer the calls. It replaced a patchwork of hotlines, including The Phone and its successors in Baton Rouge. The hotline is a first resource. In East Baton Rouge Parish, we have another: residents in crisis go to the [Bridge Center for Hope](https://brbridge.org/?ref=redeyebr.com), which is funded by your local property taxes. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### A gentle and hopeful corner of the Internet URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/a-gentle-and-hopeful-corner-of-the-internet/ Last updated: 2026-04-29T14:48:24.000Z LSU AgCenter's Jason Stagg is a superstar at promoting Superplants _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Sports, Incorporated URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/sports-incorporated/ Last updated: 2026-04-29T14:48:36.000Z _This post is for subscribers only._ ### 📅 Baton Rouge: Week at a Glance | April 27–May 3 URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/baton-rouge-week-at-a-glance-april-27-may-3/ Last updated: 2026-04-26T21:19:18.000Z **Why it matters:** Bob Dylan opens the week, a prog rock legend closes Tuesday and two nights under the planetarium dome round out one of the strongest cultural weeks of the spring. ***🗓️ Monday, April 27*** 🕯️ **Candlelight Vigil: Mall of Louisiana—6 p.m.** 📍 Mall of Louisiana, near Main Event entrance - Community leaders invite the public to gather for prayer and moments of silence following Thursday's deadly shooting. Hosted by State Rep. C. Denise Marcelle, Mayor-President Sid Edwards and A Servant's Heart Foundation. Candles provided. Open to all. 🎵 **Bob Dylan: Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour—8 p.m.** 📍 Raising Cane's River Center Theatre, 275 S. River Road - One of the most celebrated songwriters in American history brings his current tour to Baton Rouge. Note: this is a phone-free experience—devices will be secured at the door. [Tickets](https://www.ticketmaster.com/bob-dylan-rough-and-rowdy-ways-baton-rouge-louisiana-04-27-2026/event/1B00636EEC3DA4C5?ref=redeyebr.com) at Ticketmaster. ***🗓️ Tuesday, April 28*** 🎨 **Artist Reception: DiStefano & Marks—5:30 p.m.** 📍 Jones Walker Foyer Gallery, Shaw Center, 100 Lafayette St. - Meet artists Lisa DiStefano and George Marks one-on-one in a free reception before their exhibition of collaborative mixed-media works inspired by the natural landscape of Arnaudville. Curated by Ann Connelly Fine Art. Free and open to the public. 🎸 **An Evening with Emerson, Lake & Palmer—7:30 p.m.** 📍 Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. - Carl Palmer performs live alongside archival video of Keith Emerson and Greg Lake from a sold-out 1992 Royal Albert Hall concert—reuniting the legendary prog rock trio through modern technology. Palmer is joined onstage by his ELP Legacy band and created in full cooperation with the Emerson and Lake estates. Nearly sold out. [Tickets](https://www.manshiptheatre.org/comingsoon/emersonlakepalmer?ref=redeyebr.com) at Manship Theatre. ***🗓️ Wed.–Thu., April 29–30*** 🔭 **Concerts in the Cosmos: Vibrant Voyages—7:30 p.m.** 📍 Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, LASM, 100 S. River Road - BRSO musicians perform live under the planetarium dome as stunning space visuals fill the ceiling above you. Wine and small bites available. Two nights only. [Tickets](https://www.lasm.org/events/concerts-in-the-cosmos-vibrant-voyages/?ref=redeyebr.com) $40–$60. ***🗓️ Thursday, April 30*** 🏛️ **Baton Rouge: The Road to Statehood—5:30 p.m.** 📍 Old Governor's Mansion, 502 North Blvd. - Before Louisiana entered the Union in 1812, Baton Rouge was an Indigenous gathering place, a French, Spanish and British colonial outpost and a briefly independent republic. BRCC humanities professor Dr. Tasha Whitton traces the city's journey to statehood on Louisiana Statehood Day. Free. Reception follows. 🎸 **Luca Stricagnoli—7:30 p.m.** 📍 Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. - The Italian guitarist—with 200 million-plus online views—pushes the acoustic guitar into new territory with instruments of his own invention, including a triple-neck reversed guitar. [Tickets](https://www.manshiptheatre.org/comingsoon/luca?ref=redeyebr.com) at Manship Theatre. ***🗓️ Saturday, May 2*** 🌱 **Red Stick Farmers Market—8 a.m.–noon** 📍 5th & Main Street, downtown - Fresh produce, local vendors and community at BR's flagship [open-air market](https://breada.org/red-stick-farmers-market/?ref=redeyebr.com). Can't make Saturday? A second market runs Tuesdays, 3–6 p.m., at the Main Library at Goodwood. 🎬 **Movies & Music on the Lawn: Kids Night—7 p.m.** 📍 Baton Rouge Gallery, 1515 Dalrymple Drive - Charlie Chaplin's *The Kid* projected on a towering inflatable screen inside City-Brooks Community Park, with a live original score performed by students of Baton Rouge Music Studios. Activities by Knock Knock Children's Museum starting at 7 p.m. A BR cultural tradition since 1998\. Free, including bottomless popcorn. --- **Reach us:* Want to submit an event item for consideration? Email us the information at* [*news@redeyebr.com*](mailto:news@redeyebr.com)*. *Details:* The calendar is on a Monday–Sunday rotation, and the submission deadline is the Wednesday prior.* ### Down the rabbit hole URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/down-the-rabbit-hole/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T00:30:23.000Z Good morning. I'm J.R. Ball, and I am a YouTube addict. No clue how this happened, but I spend most of my waking couch-potato hours hoping the algorithm has discovered something to inebriate my mind. My fix isn't reels or shorts. It's longer-form video. I've gone down extended rabbit holes on the Tudor dynasty, World War II and myriad videos on little-known facts and blooper reels from TV shows I once loved, plus a never-ending fascination for whatever Pablo Torre has found out. But all of that has been a gateway to my most severe addiction: the Civil War. Every nuance about Gettysburg, the fall of Vicksburg and Sherman's glorious march through Atlanta and the South. Back in the youthful, heady days of cable television, my brain-cell-killing idols were Michael Scott, Ron Swanson, Jack Donaghy, Kramer and Jack McCoy. Binging classics like *Trading Spaces*, *American Chopper* or *Deadliest Catch* could destroy a non-sports Saturday—but nothing, and I mean nothing, could hollow out a weekend like a marathon run of *Law & Order*, seasons 1-9. Today—older, hoping to be wiser and more conscious of how much money I'm burning in pursuit of vegetative-state entertainment—I've traded the 900-channel cable cord for YouTube Premium. It's there I've made my new digital friends: Stud Pack, the American Battlefield Trust, anything about On30 model trains, the late-great Shelby Foote, Dan Snow's History Hit, the woman with the fabulous Boston accent who hosts *All Revolutionary War, All The Time*, and the best of the bunch—Civil War historian and UVa professor Gary Gallagher. I have no clue how this happened. But, dammit, it makes me happy. At least I feel smarter while my mind turns to mush. *—J.R. Ball* ### City-Brooks plan searches for solid ground URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/city-brooks-plan-searches-for-solid-ground/ Last updated: 2026-04-29T14:48:56.000Z Sasaki's master plan heads to a June 11 public meeting with questions about its data, its golf recommendation and a governance proposal most residents don't know is on the table. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Two festivals, one weekend URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/two-festivals-one-weekend/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T00:29:31.000Z Louisiana's best music weekend of the year is here—and Baton Rouge is 45 minutes from one and 90 from the other. **What it means:** Baton Rouge sits at the center of Louisiana's cultural geography. World-class music is within an hour's drive. That doesn't happen everywhere. **The music score:** [Festival International de Louisiane](https://www.festivalinternational.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) runs through Sunday in downtown Lafayette. The 40th anniversary edition is headlined by Stephen Marley and folk icon Rhiannon Giddens, with more than a dozen countries represented across seven stages. Free to attend. In New Orleans, **Jazz Fest** is already underway at the Fair Grounds—the city's biggest event outside of Mardi Gras. - This weekend's headliners include Rod Stewart, Stevie Nicks, Kings of Leon, Lorde, David Byrne, Ani DiFranco and Nas, alongside locals Jon Batiste, Irma Thomas, Big Freedia and The Revivalists. - Louisiana residents get discounted tickets—single-day admission starts at $99. - The fest is cashless; plan accordingly. - The second weekend runs April 30–May 3. See the [full schedule](https://www.nojazzfest.com/music-schedule/?ref=redeyebr.com) for set times and stages. **Reality bites:** Parking will be a challenge at both events, so plan and be patient. **The bottom line:** Two world-class festivals. One weekend. Enjoy! ### Rails to riches URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/rails-to-riches/ Last updated: 2026-04-29T14:49:13.000Z A neglected Florida railyard became a civic landmark. Baton Rouge should take notes. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Field of dreams, with backing URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/field-of-dreams-with-backing/ Last updated: 2026-04-29T14:49:29.000Z A $100 million destination on Nicholson could draw tourism money to Baton Rouge _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Metro Council approves taxing district near LSU URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/metro-council-approves-taxing-district-near-lsu/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T00:34:38.000Z The parish now has another district with the power to raise taxes and redirect the proceeds into development, this time in the emerging corridor around West Lee, Burbank and LSU. The district was established on Wednesday evening to build a sports tourism facility, in line with a desire by Baton Rouge officials to draw more tournaments to the parish. **Why it matters:** Baton Rouge already has more than a dozen economic development districts. Some sit in places where growth is obvious. Others seem to exist mostly on paper, collecting little and changing less. Even so, such districts can help nudge investment in corridors that matter to the broader city. **The details:** The Metro Council on Wednesday approved the Bayou Fountain Economic Development District, covering mostly open land between Jennifer Jean Drive, West Lee and Burbank. Under the ordinance, the district may levy new taxes within its boundaries to help finance economic development projects, specifically a sports tourism facility. In backing the project, Council Member Jennifer Racca noted that Greg Stringfellow is among the leaders of the sports tourism project and thanked him for his role. He has a successful track record in the business. He helped build and open Elite Sports Academy on Burbank, and serves as its president. Council records show the area now generates about $3.1m in sales. The district will have its own governing board and may impose an extra 2% in sales and hotel taxes on top of existing levies, and up to 5 mills in ad valorem taxes. The district will collect incremental taxes from projects, but, over time, share the proceeds with the city-parish. **The bigger picture:** Baton Rouge is starting to see that its obsession with sports can do more than fill weekends. It can help drive the economy. The push for the LSU arena and the proposed [sports tourism complex in St. George](https://www.redeyebr.com/sporting-st-george/) are also signs of that shift. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### The other cost URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-other-cost/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T00:01:25.000Z The debate over air monitoring is, on its surface, about data and regulation. But it connects to a question the Capital Region's economic development community has not fully confronted. **Why it matters:** Baton Rouge and its surrounding parishes are working to diversify beyond petrochemicals. That effort has a perception problem—one that shows up before a single conversation happens. When a prospective resident, recruiter or company considering relocating knowledge workers searches for information about Baton Rouge or the Capital Region, "Cancer Alley" surfaces. They weren't looking for it. It finds them. Perception becomes reality long before anyone examines the underlying data. **The resource curse:** The petrochemical industry is an enormous economic engine. It generates jobs, tax revenue and a deep support ecosystem—industrial construction, legal, financial, logistics and more. For many families, it is precisely why they are here. - But economic dominance can reduce urgency. When one sector reliably drives growth, the pressure to build something alongside—or beyond—it is easier to defer. - The Capital Region has made real progress in health care, which has grown into a significant economic sector in its own right. Beyond that, diversification remains more aspiration than reality. **Worth asking:** For families and professionals with no ties to petrochemicals—or with concerns about living near the industrial corridor—the Capital Region competes against regions without that baggage. Raleigh. Austin. Nashville. Oklahoma City. Huntsville. - Those markets don't require prospective residents to weigh an air-quality debate before deciding where to plant roots. - Whether "Cancer Alley" is a fair characterization is almost beside the point. It exists. It surfaces uninvited. And the region's economic development messaging has not developed a credible answer to it. - That may matter less when the labor pool is local. It matters more when the goal is to attract people who have options—and who make decisions with a search bar. **The bottom line:** The air monitoring debate is about data. But underneath it is a larger question about what kind of region Baton Rouge wants to be—and who it wants to attract. Those aren't the same question. Right now, they're not being asked together. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Who's measuring the air? URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/whos-measuring-the-air/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T14:57:58.000Z Louisiana has no shortage of industrial facilities. It has a shortage of ways to know what they're putting into the air. That gap sits at the center of a debate playing out in the state Legislature—one that is less about pollution itself and more about who measures it, how, and whether the public has any right to know in real time. **Why it matters:** The Capital Region sits inside one of the most concentrated industrial corridors in the country. Ascension, Iberville and West Baton Rouge parishes alone host dozens of refineries and chemical complexes. What gets measured—and what doesn't—shapes how residents, regulators and companies understand risk. **How monitoring works now** Air quality in Louisiana is tracked in three ways. - The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality operates a network of regulatory-grade monitors. The data is accurate, standardized and legally defensible. It is also limited—designed to measure regional air quality indicators, such as ozone and fine particulates, rather than localized toxic releases from specific facilities. - Industrial facilities report their own emissions, based on permits, modeling and internal monitoring systems. That data feeds state and federal regulators. The companies themselves generate it. - Community groups and residents have begun deploying lower-cost sensors to fill gaps near industrial sites. That data is more flexible and localized. It is also less precise and carries no regulatory weight. - Not all air data is treated equally. That is the whole argument. **Legislature ignores itself:** In February 2025, a state task force led by then-DEQ Secretary Aurelia Giacometto recommended the state prioritize real-time fenceline monitoring at its largest industrial facilities—those nearest population centers with the highest total emissions and toxicity. - State Sen. Royce Duplessis of New Orleans introduced SB 356 to do exactly that. The bill would have required 117 oil refineries and chemical complexes to install monitors tracking up to 17 toxic pollutants in real time. - Companies would have covered the cost, estimated at $250,000 to $630,000 upfront per facility, plus roughly $25,000 annually in maintenance. No state dollars involved. **What happened?** It died in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee without even a vote. - The Louisiana Chemical Association, the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association and LABI opposed it. The bill was already a significant retreat from earlier proposals that would have covered 476 facilities and 235 pollutants. **The case against:** Industry's core argument deserves a fair hearing. - Fenceline monitors detect chemicals. They do not confirm sources. A monitor at a plant boundary picks up emissions from trains, barges, trucks and neighboring facilities just as readily as from the plant itself. An alert built on that data, the Louisiana Chemistry Association argued, cannot reliably tell the public what it claims to. - That is not a frivolous concern. Misidentified pollution sources create real problems—for enforcement, for public trust and for companies wrongly implicated. Senate Environmental Quality Committee Chairman Eddie Lambert raised the same point: inaccurate data, he argued, could cause harm. - Industry also notes that internal plant monitors already exist and are better positioned to detect leaks and feed into existing regulatory systems. **The case for:** The counterargument starts with a simple observation: existing monitoring wasn't designed to protect the people living closest to the plants. - LDEQ's network is regionally focused. Plant monitors are designed for worker safety, not public notification. When something goes wrong, residents near industrial facilities are often among the last to know. - In September 2023, a tank farm fire at Marathon Petroleum's Garyville refinery sent smoke across the region. In April 2022, a chlorine leak at a Plaquemine-area chemical complex—later identified as Blue Cube, an Olin Chemical subsidiary—sent more than 30 people to the hospital. Arriving agencies initially found no off-site impact. Weeks later, state and parish officials accused the company of downplaying the extent of the leak. Blue Cube eventually settled with DEQ for $600,000\. The findings were kept confidential. - Similar open-path ultraviolet monitoring systems are in use at facilities in California and Colorado and have been recommended by the EPA. When California regulators were asked about false positives, they reported the monitors had helped refineries prove they weren't the source of complaints. **Where each side falls short:** - Industry's data-quality argument is legitimate. It is also incomplete. The same standards used to question community and fenceline data apply, at least in part, to self-reported industry emissions, which are modeled, permitted and generated internally. Precision is a reasonable standard. Applying it selectively is a different matter. - The pro-monitoring argument is compelling on coverage. It is less compelling regarding what happens when imperfect data drives public alarm before a source is confirmed. That scenario is not hypothetical. **The bottom line:** A state task force studied this problem and recommended a path forward. The Legislature had a scaled-back version of that recommendation before it and declined to act. - What remains is a monitoring system built around regional air quality, industry self-reporting and a patchwork of community sensors that carry no official weight—in a region with one of the highest concentrations of industrial facilities in the country. - The most straightforward solution—more regulatory-grade monitors operated by LDEQ—is rarely discussed. Independent, continuous, publicly accessible data near specific facilities would create an accountability environment that the current system, built around self-reporting and limited state coverage, does not. **Why?** The short answer: cost, control and politics. The debate will return. It always does. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### From the Levant to Louisiana URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/from-the-levant-to-louisiana/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T00:00:19.000Z In Baton Rouge, Lebanese food feels so familiar that it's easy to forget where it came from and who brought it here. A shawarma plate at lunch. Hummus on the table, with no one thinking of describing it as foreign. Lebanese immigrants began arriving in Louisiana in meaningful numbers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, according to research from [Louisiana Folklife](https://www.louisianafolklife.org/lt/articles%5Fessays/lebanese.html?ref=redeyebr.com). They came for many of the same reasons immigrants always do: opportunity, connection and the pull of people who arrived before them. Peddling drew many early Lebanese immigrants south, some following rail lines from New York. For Maronites, Louisiana’s French and Catholic character made the transition easier. New Orleans also mattered simply because it was a port of entry. And, as with so many immigrant stories, once the first arrivals succeeded, relatives followed. Names such as Walter Monsour, Charles Landry, Gladys Brown, Gloria Carter and Richard Ieyoub are reminders of the Lebanese legacy in Baton Rouge and Louisiana. That is a Louisiana story as much as a Lebanese one. People come here, keep what matters, adapt, and what they bring becomes part of us. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Tart watermelon ice cream. Yes! URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/jeni/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T00:00:03.000Z At *RedEye*, we're devoted to the foods and flavors rooted right here — but occasionally we find something so extraordinary that keeping it from you would be a genuine disservice. [Jeni's new Watermelon Taffy ice cream](https://jenis.com/products/watermelon-taffy?ref=redeyebr.com) is exactly that kind of find, and it has earned every ounce of our enthusiasm. Among packaged ice creams, Jeni's is the best. Their Blackout Chocolate Cake has long reigned as the undisputed champion of the lineup—but this month's new summer additions have reshuffled the rankings. Watermelon Taffy is making a serious run for the sweet crown. Made to taste like watermelon sour candy, this one is for people who like a little bite with their dessert. It has that puckery, tart-sweet flavor you want, driven by real watermelon and enough citric acid to keep it bright. Buttermilk and yogurt make it tart and creamy. Stellar on its own, or float it with something crisp and bubbly. Either way, delicious. Grab it at Whole Foods. And if you can't find it on the shelf? It's because we stocked up for summer. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Amazon readies drones for Baton Rouge URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/amazons-readies-drones-for-baton-rouge/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T12:00:54.000Z Amazon says Prime Air can deliver packages weighing up to five pounds in under 60 minutes. If that arrives here on schedule, some orders in Baton Rouge will bypass one of the city’s most reliable obstacles: Baton Rouge traffic. **What’s happening:** Amazon plans to begin drone deliveries in Baton Rouge by mid-summer. Yesterday, An Amazon employee demonstrated a drone and detailed how the delivery works: smaller packages are lowered and dropped into customers’ backyards. The firm has been building a drone dispatch area at its massive fulfillment center at Airline and Florida. **How it works:** Amazon launched Prime Air in the U.S. in 2022\. The service: - Is a faster last-mile option for household goods, medications and other eligible items - Operates within a 7–8 mile radius of specialized distribution centers, aiming for delivery within 60 minutes to 2 hours. - Charges customers who have Prime $5 for the faster service. Non-members pay $10\. **The flip side:** People in some cities are complaining that the drones are noisy and, look out, drop packages from 10 feet in the air. **The local angle:** In a city where a short drive can become a small test of character, the appeal is obvious. A drone does not get stuck because a train is crossing College Drive. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. **What to watch:** How large the Baton Rouge service area will be, which neighborhoods qualify first and how comfortable residents are with packages descending into backyards from the sky. **The bottom line:** Baton Rouge has spent years waiting on faster delivery. Amazon appears ready to try the air. ### Residents built this city URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/residents-built-this-city/ Last updated: 2026-04-22T19:25:18.000Z In 1993, Oklahoma City made a decision. Not a political one—a civic one. Residents identified what their city needed, organized around it, put subject experts in charge of executing it and funded it themselves. They called it MAPS—Metropolitan Area Projects. **Why it matters:** The results are difficult to argue with. Since 1993, Oklahoma City has added roughly 236,000 residents and climbed into the top 20 largest cities in the country. Baton Rouge, starting from a comparable position, added roughly 8,000. The difference wasn't geography or oil money. It was a decision to build things, and a structure designed to keep citizens and experts—not elected officials or political insiders—in charge of building them. **The model:** MAPS is funded by a temporary, voter-approved one-penny sales tax—time-limited and pay-as-you-go. But the funding mechanism isn't what made it work. It was who ran it. - Citizen advisory boards control the program—engineers, planners, finance professionals and neighborhood residents with specific expertise and no political debts to repay. - Projects were approved before the tax was levied. Voters knew exactly what they were funding. - The program operated debt-free. Projects broke ground when cash was on hand, not when bonds were issued. MAPS didn't automatically renew. Each subsequent phase—MAPS for Kids in 2001, MAPS 3 in 2009, MAPS 4 in 2020—was its own voter-approved program with its own project list and its own sunset. The model didn't renew. It repeated. Voters said yes or no each time on the merits of a specific package. No automatic extensions. No insider maneuvering to keep the tap open. **The evolution:** Early MAPS phases concentrated on downtown—an arena, a ballpark, a canal. The investments worked. By the fourth iteration, the program had expanded beyond downtown to reach every corner of the city—the equivalent of a parishwide commitment here. - Neighborhood parks across every part of the city - Youth and senior wellness centers - Mental health facilities - Transit improvements connecting neighborhoods to jobs **Shifting tide:** Citizen advisory boards heard from people who weren't downtown stakeholders. When residents across every neighborhood had genuine authority, the program followed them—not the preferences of established power centers. **The Big Picture:** The innovations are a citizen-driven structure and a governance model designed to keep political insiders out. Not another tax. Not a downtown-first agenda. A structure that directs resources toward the people who need them most. **The Bottom Line:** Oklahoma City understood something about itself in 1993 that it took a generation to prove: cities don't transform because of money. They transform because of decisions. The money follows. East Baton Rouge Parish is sitting with that question. Whether it tackles it is something else entirely. ### A road to Ardendale URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/a-road-to-ardendale/ Last updated: 2026-04-21T23:45:53.000Z A new road could unlock hundreds of acres north of Florida Boulevard for development, with construction possibly starting this year. **Why it matters:** The connector would make a stretch north of Florida Boulevard more usable for housing and retail in an area where apartments are already rising and Baton Rouge Community College has a satellite campus. **The details:** The road would connect Ardenwood and Lobdell, tie into a HUD-backed project west of Ardenwood and open access to about 200 acres planned for Ardendale, the master-planned community led by the EBR Housing Authority. Under MovEBR, the parish transportation plan, the project would: - Cost about $16 million - Be built as a two-lane subdivision road - Include bike and pedestrian lanes Property acquisition for the road is underway, and construction could begin by the end of the year. **What’s next:** The Ardendale master plan calls for a mixed-use, mixed-income community with housing, education, job training and commercial space. Build Baton Rouge developed the plan with the Housing Authority, East Baton Rouge Parish schools and BRCC after extensive community input. The Housing Authority opened the first phase, Cypress at Ardendale, in 2023 with 96 affordable and workforce housing units. Future phases are planned on and around the newly opened land, with 432 units envisioned in total along with amenities. Build Baton Rouge donated land for the housing to the Housing Autority and is also donating five acres for a YWCA early childhood education center. **Get involved:** 🎫 ****Be heard:** MovEBR will unveil the road design tomorrow and take comments from residents. Thursday , April 23, 2026 | 5:30-7:00 p.m., BRCC Ardendale, [2115 North Lobdell Boulevard](https://maps.app.goo.gl/37ieMkD1VBMVuN888?ref=redeyebr.com) ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### A tasty dosa in the city URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/a-tasty-dosa-in-the-city/ Last updated: 2026-04-29T14:50:02.000Z There are certain lessons a person ought to have mastered. One is not to quarrel with South Indian home cooks about the tastiness of a particular dosa. So I stand corrected. The masala dosa at the new Aroma Indian Cuisine is better than the versions served by the old stalwarts. Dosas appear on nearly every Indian menu in town, much as butter chicken does, because they are popular, approachable and, when handled properly, deeply satisfying. They also possess a touch of ceremony. Long, crisp and delicately bronzed, they arrive looking far grander than a fermented crepe stuffed with potatoes has any need to look. The masala dosa is a fermented rice-and-urad-dal crepe stuffed with spiced potatoes and typically served with sambar - a soup - and chutneys, usually tomato and coconut. It is one of South India’s great gifts to the world. Aroma’s arrives beautifully browned and properly crisp, with that slight tang from fermentation that tells you someone in the kitchen gets what this dish is supposed to be. The potatoes are there, doing their potato work. The real distinction at Aroma is in the crepe and the chutneys. The tomato chutney has spice, heat and acid. The coconut chutney is the best I have had in town, thinner than most, which makes it better for dipping, and far easier to balance on a torn piece of dosa with just the right amount of filling. Aroma is located on Lee Drive, near Highland Road. Another new restaurant, Gunpowder Indian Cuisine, is on Highland, across from LSU Avenue. The owners of both restaurants are taking a chance that Indian food will find a place in the city proper, as it has in suburban St. George. We hope they are right. *—Mukul Verma* ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Y’all aboard URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/yall-aboard/ Last updated: 2026-04-22T20:06:55.000Z Amtrak's new New Orleans-to-Mobile Mardi Gras service is blowing past its ridership targets, adding steam to a long-discussed push to extend passenger rail to Baton Rouge. **Why it matters:** The route launched in August with a first-year ridership goal of 71,000\. This week, Amtrak celebrated its 100,000th rider—putting it on pace to double initial projections in year one. **Why it's working:** The formula isn't complicated. - No driving required. - Stations sit close to downtowns, putting riders steps from restaurants, bars, hotels and events. - Fares run around $30 or less one way—cheap, especially against the cost of gas and parking in New Orleans. - The ride is pleasant, with a café car serving food and drinks. Tito’s is the top-selling drink. [A better way to coastA guide to riding Amtrak’s new Mardi Gras service![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)RedEyeMukul Verma![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/thumbnail/Screenshot-2026-03-26-at-2.18.56---PM.png)](https://www.redeyebr.com/a-better-way-to-coast/) **What's next:** Knox Ross of the Southern Rail Commission tells *RedEye* that Amtrak and the commission are pushing to extend the route to Baton Rouge. He says the resources are in place, and the Louisiana Department of Transportation is studying the corridor using a Federal Railroad Administration grant. **The backstory:** A Baton Rouge-New Orleans rail link has been studied for years, with support from federal and state officials. The current plan envisions twice-daily service originating in Mid City on Government Street, with stops at the Baton Rouge health corridor on Bluebonnet, Gonzales, LaPlace, the New Orleans airport and the Amtrak station near the Superdome. **The catch:** Gov. Jeff Landry must sign off for the project to advance. His Department of Transportation did not respond to a request for comment before publication. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Educating St. George URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/educating-st-george/ Last updated: 2026-04-29T14:50:19.000Z Voters decide May 16 on a proposed breakaway school district. Here's where both sides stand. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### A neighborhood imagines itself URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/a-neighborhood-imagines-itself/ Last updated: 2026-04-20T22:34:12.000Z Ashtin McNicoll has written and illustrated a children’s book that suggests Mid City has crossed an important threshold. A neighborhood becomes a place not merely when people live in it, but when it begins to tell stories about itself. *Let’s Meet on Government Street* does that work for Mid City, passing its sense of self to the next generation. McNicoll tells the story of Mid City through the eyes of two brothers, whose mom, the story's author, takes them to Government Street to play with friends. As they travel the road, they dream of the places they might stop - for cookies at Counterspace, coffee for mom at City Roots, to eat tacos at Barracuda or meat pies at Elsie’s, to play at Goodwood Park. They end the trip at Red Stick Reads for storytime. You can pick up the book for $25 at **Las Brujas**, Mid City’s newest coffee shop and bodega, itself the kind of business that opens in a place that is a neighborhood. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Nobody asked permission URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/nobody-asked-permission/ Last updated: 2026-04-20T22:33:11.000Z The Perkins Road Overpass District has been one of Baton Rouge's most successful neighborhood commercial corridors for years. Restaurants, bars, retail—all of it built organically, without a master plan or a government catalyst. People just started doing things. And yet, for most of that time, residents in the Garden District, Poets and Hundred Oaks couldn't safely walk there. A narrow two-lane bridge over a railroad track—dangerous on foot, worse on a bike—sat between them and one of the city's best blocks. Nobody in government moved to fix it. So Jenni Peters, Misti and Brumby Broussard and other business owners did. They personally funded a design to route pedestrians and cyclists safely underneath the overpass through the railroad right-of-way—bypassing the bridge entirely. They pushed it forward. The parish eventually joined. A [railroad agreement](https://www.redeyebr.com/railroad-overpass/) followed. A [$3 million connection](https://www.redeyebr.com/perkins-overpass-gets-missing-link/) is finally moving toward construction. Urban theorist Kevin Klinkenberg has a name for that instinct. He calls it the [Messy City](https://www.podbean.com/ep/pb-344q6-1a94de9?ref=redeyebr.com). **Why it matters:** Baton Rouge has spent decades chasing large-scale solutions—master plans, major development projects, infrastructure overhauls, regional economic strategies. Some of those investments matter. But the [Messy City](https://www.kevinklinkenberg.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) idea points to a different and more fundamental truth about how cities actually improve: - **Change rarely starts with institutions.** It starts with people close enough to a problem to see it and motivated enough to do something about it. - Small bets, repeated, compound into something real. - The most important actors in a city aren't always the biggest ones. **Not just theory:** Baton Rouge has those people. - **Marie Constantin** organized volunteers to pull dozens of garbage bags of trash from Capitol Lakes—month after month—before years of advocacy finally forced a systemic response. - **Jennifer Richardson** didn't wait for a public works crew—she launched [weekly cleanups](https://keeptigertownbeautiful.com/about?ref=redeyebr.com) across the city, attracted corporate support along the way, and toiled for years before government stepped in to help. - These aren't feel-good volunteer stories. They're evidence of something more pointed: when formal systems underperform, informal ones emerge—and the people filling the gap rarely get a quick assist. **The Big Picture:** None of it is easy. The path from citizen initiative to institutional response in Baton Rouge is rarely short and never guaranteed. - Peters and the Broussards had to [fund the design](https://www.envisionbatonrouge.org/parks/the-underpass?ref=redeyebr.com) themselves to get the parish's attention. - Constantin's advocacy stretched over years. - Richardson and her volunteers toiled long before any government help arrived. - The frustration is real—and it stops some people before they start. **Reality bites:** Local conditions make it harder still. - Independent taxing authorities focused on specific functions struggle to address problems that span jurisdictions. - A voter culture that prefers dedicated over discretionary spending produces a system optimized for predefined services—and less capable of responding to emergent ones. - Fragmentation across a metropolitan area diffuses the energy that enables response. The current system, at best, is OK at executing what it planned. It struggles with what it didn't. **A hybrid mess:** Not every local example is purely bottom-up. The [Government Street road diet](https://www.redeyebr.com/what-comes-after-an-urban-success/) and the broader Perkins Road Overpass District both reflect a variation—citizen energy and advocacy organized through the Center for Planning Excellence ([CPEX](https://cpex.org/?ref=redeyebr.com)), pushing until government moved. The instinct was the same. The path was more structured. Both work. The point is that change originated outside City Hall, not inside it. **The Bottom Line:** Peters, the Broussards, Constantin, Richardson—none of them asked for permission. None of them had an easy path. The question their example makes unavoidable is why it doesn't happen more often. Not because the answer is complicated. Because it isn't. ### Potholes meet their algorithm URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/potholes-meet-their-algorithm/ Last updated: 2026-04-20T22:32:15.000Z Waymo and Waze think they can help cities spot potholes before the rest of us hit them. **Why it matters:** Potholes are a menace to everyone on the road — drivers, cyclists and pedestrians alike. Baton Rouge and other cities learn about potholes through 311 complaints and staff inspections, but Waze says that information is often incomplete and late. **What’s happening:** Waymo and Waze have launched a pilot in some cities where Waymo operates robotaxis. Waymo’s roving taxis use cameras and lidar to spot potholes and send that information to Waze, which alerts city officials through its [Waze for Cities](https://www.waze.com/wazeforcities?ref=redeyebr.com) program. Waze users also report potholes while using the real-time, GPS-based navigation system. Both firms are divisions of Alphabet, Google’s parent company. **What changes:** Cities could respond more quickly to repairs, and Waze users will receive pothole alerts to help them avoid hazards. That could be particularly useful for Baton Rouge drivers who make their way through crater-filled New Orleans, an early Waymo city where robotaxis are expected later this year. **Bottom line:** The pothole may finally have met its match: a robot car, a map app and a city government willing to pay attention. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### New BREC superintendent by July URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/new-brec-superintendent-by-july/ Last updated: 2026-04-20T22:31:38.000Z BREC is close to naming three finalists for its top job, and commission Chairman Mike Polito says all three are "exceptional" candidates. The next superintendent will be under pressure to improve basics while also navigating larger fights over the future of the parks system. **The details:** Since Corey Wilson decided not to seek a new contract last year, Janet Simmons has served as interim superintendent and is widely seen as having steadied the agency. She has taken on some difficult problems, including improving park upkeep. BREC launched a national search for a permanent superintendent this year. Mike Polito, chair of the commission, told *RedEye* earlier last month that BREC was prepared to pay [$300,000 or more](https://www.redeyebr.com/brec-goes-looking-for-a-ron-forman/) to land a high-achieving leader, someone in the mold of Ron Forman, the longtime executive who built New Orleans Audubon Nature Institute into a regional asset. Yesterday, Polito said about 60 people applied for the BREC job. A group of commissioners, working with staff, first narrowed the field to about 12, then to six serious contenders, and now is close to cutting it to three finalists. He would not name the candidates, but said all three are strong. “I really do think that we will narrow it down to three exceptional executives.” **The backdrop:** The back-and-forth over the future of City Park has not scared off candidates, Polito said. “Controversy to these candidates is 24/7.” **What’s next:** The finalists will come to Baton Rouge for interviews and meetings with local groups. Polito said he expects the new superintendent to be on the job in July. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### 📅 Baton Rouge: Week at a Glance | April 20–26 URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/baton-rouge-week-at-a-glance-april-20-26/ Last updated: 2026-04-25T14:31:13.000Z **Why it matters:** A Broadway one-nighter, a civic vote with real stakes, and a week full of free events give you plenty of reasons to get out. ***🗓️ Tuesday, April 21*** 🌿 **Hilltop Arboretum: Discover Nature—6:30 p.m.** 📍 LSU Hilltop Arboretum, 11855 Highland Road - "Recycling & Repurposing in Baton Rouge"—the latest in Hilltop's free community lecture series. Check [lsu.edu/hilltop](https://www.lsu.edu/hilltop?ref=redeyebr.com) for registration details. 🎭 ***Mrs. Doubtfire*—7:30 p.m.** 📍 River Center Theatre for Performing Arts, 240 St. Louis St. - The national touring production of the internationally acclaimed musical, one night only in Baton Rouge as part of the Broadway in Baton Rouge season. [Tickets](https://theatre.raisingcanesrivercenter.com/broadway/?ref=redeyebr.com) at the River Center box office. ***🗓️ Wednesday, April 22*** 🏛️ **Metro Council Meeting—4 p.m.** 📍 City Hall, 222 St. Louis St. - The vote on Mayor-President Sid Edwards' proposal to give BRPD its largest raise in department history—lifting starting salaries from \~$41,000 to \~$58,000 and making Baton Rouge police the highest-paid in Louisiana. Needs seven votes. Five Democratic council members have proposed an alternative spreading raises across city-parish workers at a similar cost. Full agenda can be seen [online](https://www.brla.gov/agendacenter?ref=redeyebr.com). Public comment accepted. 🎻 **Music at the Mansion: LSU Cello Studio—5:30 p.m.** 📍 Old Governor's Mansion, 502 North Blvd. - LSU School of Music students perform Villa-Lobos, Wagner, Pärt and more, with soprano Emma Littleton as guest. Free. Reception follows. ***🗓️ Thursday, April 23*** 🏛️ **Longism and Louisiana Politics—5:30 p.m.** 📍 Old Governor's Mansion, 502 North Blvd. - Jay Dardenne—former Lt. Governor, Commissioner of Administration, Secretary of State and Metro Councilman—leads a deep dive into Huey Long's life, death and lasting legacy. Free. Reception follows. ***🗓️ Friday, April 24*** 🎵 **Live After Five: Nathan & The Zydeco Cha Chas—5–8 p.m.** 📍 North Boulevard Town Square, downtown - Legendary Louisiana zydeco trailblazers delivering accordion-driven, dancefloor-filling Creole party music. Free. [Full lineup](https://downtownbr.org/live-after-five/?ref=redeyebr.com) at the Downtown Business Association. ***🗓️ Saturday, April 25*** 🌱 **Red Stick Farmers Market—8 a.m.–noon** 📍 5th & Main Street, downtown - Fresh produce, local vendors and community at BR's flagship [open-air market](https://breada.org/red-stick-farmers-market/?ref=redeyebr.com). Can't make Saturday? A second market runs Tuesdays, 3–6 p.m., at the Main Library at Goodwood. ***🗓️ Sat.–Sun., April 25–26*** 🏠 **Parade of Homes—1–5 p.m.** 📍 Various locations, Greater Baton Rouge - Final weekend of the HBAGBR Parade of Homes presented by GSE Integrated. 38 homes across the metro—21 in EBR Parish—showcasing the latest in design, building innovation and technology. Several are tucked into classic BR neighborhoods such as Hundred Oaks, Hillsdale and Goodwood Estates, a sign of the growing premium on infill development as the parish becomes increasingly land-locked. [Tickets](https://paradegbr.fun/?ref=redeyebr.com) at ParadeGBR.fun or on the HBAGBR app. --- **Reach us:* Want to submit an event item for consideration? Email us the information at* [*news@redeyebr.com*](mailto:news@redeyebr.com)*. *Details:* The calendar is on a Monday–Sunday rotation, and the submission deadline is the Wednesday prior.* ### Cheap, but not cheerful URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/cheap-but-not-cheerful/ Last updated: 2026-04-19T22:10:20.000Z Baton Rouge became a little more affordable last year, according to [a national study](https://smartasset.com/data-studies/cost-living-changes-2026?ref=redeyebr.com), a reminder that the city still has one of its old advantages even as it struggles with another key problem - the quality of life **Why it matters:** Younger people choose where to live on a few factors, and cost of living and quality of life are the primary motivators. Baton Rouge has been relatively affordable, but does not fare well on quality-of-life studies. **The details:** Baton Rouge ranked **No. 18** among the **20 U.S. places with the biggest drop in cost of living** in a SmartAsset study released this month. The report found that Baton Rouge’s cost of living fell **1.03%** between 2024 and 2025 and was **10.3% below the national average**. **The national picture:** SmartAsset examined **236 cities** using data from the Council for Community and Economic Research, comparing the cost of a basket of essentials from one year to the next. Those essentials included **housing, utilities, transportation, medical costs and more**. Only **41 of the 236 locations** in the study saw any relief in the cost of living. **Between the lines:** Baton Rouge has long sold itself, implicitly at least, as a place where your money goes farther. This study suggests that remains true. The city is not among America’s cheapest places, but it is still meaningfully less expensive than the national average, and last year moved in the right direction. **Yes, but:** Affordable is not the same as appealing. Baton Rouge’s challenge is familiar by now. A city can be cheaper than its competitors and still lose young professionals if daily life feels harder than it should — too much traffic, too little walkability, not enough public realm, and too few signs that local government can produce a better city. **Bottom line:** Baton Rouge has one half of the equation. It is still relatively affordable. The harder part is building the kind of quality of life that makes younger people choose it on purpose, not merely because it costs less. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### First, do no urban harm URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/first-do-no-urban-harm/ Last updated: 2026-04-19T22:04:04.000Z Hospitals and clinics in the Essen-Bluebonnet area long sat in a disconnected sprawl of roads, parking lots and fast-moving traffic. Over time, almost quietly, pieces of green space and safer walking routes began to appear. **Why it matters:** An area devoted to health was built mostly for cars. That never made much sense for patients, families or the thousands of people who work at Ochsner, Our Lady of the Lake, LSU Health, Pennington Biomedical, Baton Rouge Clinic and the other institutions clustered there. **What’s happening:** This year, the changes should become more visible. The Baton Rouge Health District is starting a three-year makeover of five major vehicle gateways into the district. **The details:** The Health District, a nonprofit that brings healthcare institutions together around shared goals, has secured $3.4 million for gateway improvements. The work is meant to better define the district, guide drivers and pedestrians, and add more greenery at key entry points. Design is underway now. Construction is expected to begin later this year and wrap up in 2028. **What it will look like:** Essen at Perkins offers a good example, says Health District President Steven Ceulemans. Today, it is a hard-edged intersection, with fast-turn lanes, concrete berms and little sense that people are meant to move through it on foot. The redesign will add landscaping, pedestrian features and crosswalks. **The bigger picture:** The district has also become a place where institutions collaborate when they can, including on workforce training and now on physical improvements that make the area more connected. **Bottom line:** A part of Baton Rouge that did not match the idea of wellness is being reshaped into something more humane: safer traffic, better walking, more shade and greenery, and a district that feels more like a place for people than a concrete maze. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### A taxing district URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/a-taxing-district/ Last updated: 2026-04-19T22:10:08.000Z The parish may soon get another district with the power to add taxes and steer the money into development, this one near the fast-growing area around West Lee, Burbank and LSU. **Why it matters:** Baton Rouge already has more than a dozen economic development districts. Some are tied to places where development is plainly underway. Others appear to sit quietly, collecting little money and doing little that anyone can see. Still, an EDD can be used to encourage development in corridors that benefit the community. **The details:** The Metro Council on Wednesday will consider creating the Bayou Fountain Economic Development District, covering mostly open land between Jennifer Jean Drive, West Lee and Burbank, per Metro Council documents. The documents indicate the area now generates about $3.1 million in sales, roughly the output of a single fast-food restaurant. If approved, the district would: - Be governed by its own board. - Have the power to levy an extra 2% in sales and hotel taxes on top of what is already paid. Property owners wouldn't pay more; their customers would. - Begin collecting those taxes as soon as July 1. **The bigger picture:** LSU’s record enrollment has helped fuel a wave of nearby housing and retail. More than 4,000 student beds are open, planned or under construction near South Gate and along Burbank, less than a half mile from the proposed EDD. The area could be in for much more. Developers led by attorney Charles Landry are pursuing an arena on LSU golf course land, with longer-term plans for housing, retail and a hotel, backed by another economic development district intended to help pay for it. **The bottom line:** The newest EDD is in a corridor that could matter economically to Baton Rouge, linking LSU on one end and downtown on the other, and already growing fast. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### The legend heads home URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-legend-heads-home/ Last updated: 2026-04-29T14:51:10.000Z Skip Bertman returns to Miami, where the field of his early days will be dedicated to his accomplishments _This post is for subscribers only._ ### Your yard. Their horns. URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/your-yard-their-horns/ Last updated: 2026-04-29T14:50:47.000Z New Orleans jazz, one front yard at a time _This post is for subscribers only._ ### A salad worth seeking out URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/a-salad-worth-seeking-out/ Last updated: 2026-04-17T01:15:23.000Z At Albasha on Corporate Boulevard, the fattoush sits quietly on the menu, overshadowed by the chicken shawarma plate, the kabobs and the gyros wrapped in pita. It should not. This is the dish worth your attention. Fattoush, a Levantine bread salad most closely associated with Lebanon, began as a practical way to turn toasted flatbread and whatever vegetables and herbs were around into something fresh, sharp and satisfying. Like many thrift-born dishes, it ends up tasting richer than its humble origins suggest. Albasha was started by Jordanians who came to LSU to study engineering, then stayed and fed Baton Rouge instead. Their fattoush is done just right: pita toasted to a slight bitterness, mixed with lettuce, cucumber, tomato and mint in a light vinaigrette. Add the chicken shawarma, and you get thin slices with crisped edges and just enough spice to make the salad feel like a full meal. Gyro works too. The kabobs are good. I say that as someone inclined to order kabobs almost anywhere. But this is the more interesting choice, and the sort of dish that keeps pulling you back. I have eaten it three times in a month, which feels less like excess than good judgment. *—Mukul Verma* ### Blues fest URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/blues-fest/ Last updated: 2026-04-17T01:12:20.000Z The [Baton Rouge Blues Festival](https://brblues.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) returns Friday and Saturday, with more than 40 acts across five downtown stages—most of them homegrown. **Why it matters:** Downtown Baton Rouge doesn't always function as the parish's living room. This weekend, it does. Blues Fest is free, it's multigenerational and it draws people from every zip code and walk of life to share the same sidewalk, the same food and the same music. That's rarer than it should be. **The lineup leans local.** Grammy-nominated Kenny Neal—who gets inducted into the Blues Foundation's Hall of Fame on May 6—served as volunteer booking agent for most of Saturday's 32 performances and kept the focus squarely on Louisiana talent. Chris Thomas King, Chris LeBlanc and Jonathon "Boogie" Long round out the headliners. Former *American Idol* finalist Jovin Webb plays the Raful Neal Stage at 5:15 p.m. **The roots run deep.** Baton Rouge's swamp blues tradition traces to Slim Harpo, Tabby Thomas and Raful Neal—all names on stages this weekend. The festival itself dates to 1981, when it launched at Southern University's Scott's Bluff. **The basics:** - Friday: Live After Five kickoff, 5–9 p.m. - Saturday: Five stages, 10 a.m.–10 p.m., North Boulevard Town Square and surrounding downtown blocks - General admission: Free. VIP (BFF) passes: $200. - No outside food or drinks. No ice chests. **The Bottom Line:** Baton Rouge has a world-class musical heritage. This weekend, it shows up in person. Go. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Ground zero for fried chicken URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/ground-zero-for-fried-chicken/ Last updated: 2026-04-17T01:10:37.000Z If fried chicken seems to be for sale on every corner in Baton Rouge, there is a reason beyond coincidence. Louisiana gave America Popeyes. Baton Rouge gave it Raising Cane's. Between them, they helped to transform comfort food into something approaching a national obsession. **Why it matters:** One could reach for the familiar prescription about restraint. But this is Louisiana, where pleasure is seldom regarded as a birthright. Fried chicken belongs to a world of glorious excess—and no apology is expected. **The bigger picture:** Americans have been eating more chicken since 1960\. Per-capita consumption reached 104 pounds last year, about 25 chickens, according to the National Chicken Council. Chicken is cheap. Fried chicken is delicious. **The details:** Some of the recent surge traces to an inflection point. On August 12, 2019, Popeyes introduced its chicken sandwich—crisp, generous, served on a brioche bun—and the fast-food industry rushed headlong into the chicken-sandwich wars. Chicken sandwich sales have grown at a compound annual rate of 21% over five years, dragging other fried-chicken formats upward in their wake. **Closer to home:** Baton Rouge has kept a faithful pace with the national appetite. Blue Store has expanded. Krispy Krunchy Chicken, born in Lafayette, now operates 20 convenience-store sites in the city. Dave's Hot Chicken, Southern Classic Chicken and Chicky Sandos have all staked their claims within the last couple of years. Raising Cane's, the hometown champion, has grown to more than 950 locations worldwide and is expected to cross the 1,000-unit threshold before the year is out. **The bottom line:** In Baton Rouge, fried chicken is not just dinner. It has worked its way into breakfast, lunch and brunch, too. At this point, it may also be doing its part to keep Pennington Biomedical busy. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Where the wild things count URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/where-the-wild-things-count/ Last updated: 2026-04-15T21:31:36.000Z For people who like the outdoors, a competition is coming up that does not involve speed, sweat or Lycra. It asks only that you pay attention. John Nettles, founder of [Slowhike Co](https://slowhikecompany.com/?ref=redeyebr.com)., is recruiting people for the City Nature Challenge, a worldwide event in which ordinary people document as much wildlife as they can find and upload their observations through the iNaturalist app. Scientists can study the data, turning a walk in the woods into research that helps wildlife. Nettles knows the appeal. He grew up on open land in Prairieville and became absorbed by the natural world early. In college, while studying literature, he found further encouragement in the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien, John Muir and Henry David Thoreau. He formed Slowhike to share his knowledge of foraging and his affection for hiking. His hike for the **2026 City Nature Challenge will take place Saturday, April 25, from 8:30 to 11 a.m. at Tickfaw State Park in Springfield**. Nettles expects a great deal to be in bloom and plenty moving about. He also plans to show participants how to forage, which means the walk may sharpen both your eye and your appetite. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Borrowed bravely, dressed well URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/borrowed-bravely-dressed-well/ Last updated: 2026-04-15T21:29:47.000Z Jed’s Local has done what good kitchens often do: borrowed a dish from somewhere else, treated it with respect and made something worth eating. The Mid City restaurant, which began mostly as a po-boy shop, had bánh mì on its original menu, but it vanished when the menu was changed to add more entrees. You can order the sandwich through the end of the month, while it is still a special, which feels like the right way to meet a sandwich like this. Not everything needs to settle into permanence. Its current version is not a strict traditional one, and that is fine. The sandwich keeps faith with most of the flavors that matter. There is grilled Gulf shrimp instead of pork, pickled carrots, jalapeño, cilantro and cucumber. Then comes the small turn that makes it theirs: a light swipe of Jed’s sauce, a mayo with the tang of soy and vinegar that pulls the sandwich together rather than smothering it. People of Vietnam might not call it a bánh mì. But we think they would still cheer. The fries at Jed’s are good. Skip them anyway. A side only distracts from what is among the best sandwiches in Baton Rouge. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Blind trust URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/blind-trust/ Last updated: 2026-04-15T21:28:41.000Z Louisiana lawmakers are moving to wall off college athletes' pay from public records, advancing legislation that would shield nearly everything about how universities distribute revenue-sharing money, except for a single top-line total. **Why it matters:** HB 608 arrives as Louisiana already sends state tax dollars to athletic departments that can't cover their own operating budgets. The state isn't just allowing this spending—it's funding it. - Blocking visibility into how it's allocated is a different kind of problem than protecting a 19-year-old's personal finances. **The bill:** [House Bill 608 cleared the House and Governmental Affairs Committee](https://lailluminator.com/2026/04/14/louisiana-lawmakers-advance-bill-to-shield-how-athletic-departments-spend-public-money/?ref=redeyebr.com) 9-3\. Under its language, the public would see only the total annual amount a university spends on revenue sharing. - Everything else—payments to specific athletes, allocations by sport or program, negotiation records—would be confidential. - The bill does not include third-party NIL payments to athletes, which are already shielded from public view. **Safety first:** The bill's author, Rep. Tehmi Chassion of Lafayette, framed it as a safety measure, saying, "It shouldn't be public information based upon the possibility of her being targeted." **Not buying it:** Public Affairs Research Council President Steven Procopio argued that if public dollars touch these programs, citizens have a right to see how money is spent. - LSU agrees with the shield: Executive Deputy Athletics Director Julie Cromer testified the university believes allocations across teams and programs should remain private. **Some perspective:** The transparency argument holds differently depending on which school you're talking about. LSU athletics is largely self-funded, giving the privacy argument at least some coherence. - Every other public university athletic department in Louisiana is a [different story](https://www.redeyebr.com/going-broke-on-sports/), with state higher ed dollars being redirected from academic halls to athletic departments to cover operating costs. - There's also the SPORT Fund—Louisiana's dedicated tax for college athletics—sending roughly $20 million annually to the state's 11 public D-I athletic programs to fund athlete compensation. - HB 608 shields both. It makes no distinction between LSU's self-funded model and programs that are substantially funded by state taxpayer dollars. **The coach problem:** The bill also doesn't explain why the same logic doesn't apply up the organizational chart. Coaches are public employees—their salaries, bonuses and buyouts are public record. So are athletic directors, university presidents and support staff. - Agents use that transparency as leverage constantly, shopping coaches to other programs to drive up pay. **What's the difference:** Supporters haven't offered a clean answer for why the carve-out stops at players—especially as the revenue-sharing model increasingly looks like employment. - Instead, the bill is doing something simpler: treating compensation that flows through a public institution, funded in part by public money, as if it were a private transaction. **The Bottom Line:** The public would still know the size of the pie. It just couldn't see how the slices were cut—or who decided. --- ### University Lakes, next two projects URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/lakes-next-projects/ Last updated: 2026-04-29T14:51:29.000Z LSU Foundation names paths, and a bigger park on Stanford to continue the ambitious outdoor space transformation _This post is for subscribers only._ ### SI checks into downtown URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/si-checks-into-downtown/ Last updated: 2026-04-15T21:26:31.000Z The conversion of the downtown Hilton into a Sports Illustrated Resort could give Baton Rouge a fresh tourism draw while testing a bigger question: whether people are finally ready to buy condos on the river downtown. **Why it matters:** Baton Rouge has been leaning harder into sports as an economic engine. LSU football is the obvious force, but Southern football and the rest of LSU’s sports calendar also bring visitors, spending and a reason to build more of the city’s tourism business around games and events. Plus, the city hosts regional tournaments and has been the spot for a national bowling tournament. **The details:** A consortium of companies, backed by financing from [Kituwah](https://kituwahllc.com/?ref=redeyebr.com), is remaking the Hilton into a mix of hotel rooms, vacation ownership units and condos. The roughly $40 million conversion project would reduce the hotel from 291 rooms to 137\. The rest would be converted into 42 condos, though some of those units could also function as timeshares through Travel + Leisure’s broader vacation network. The developers expect the condos to sell quickly. Construction will take up most of 2027. **The strategy:** The people behind Sports Illustrated Resorts appear to be betting that college sports towns are a smarter place to grow than the usual booming Sun Belt city. Baton Rouge fits that logic. So do Tuscaloosa and Nashville, both on an early list for SI resorts. The appeal is not just tourism in the abstract, but attachment to big brands with loyal followings, especially LSU and the SEC, which remains the heavyweight of college sports. **The downtown angle:** Riverfront condos have long been one of downtown Baton Rouge’s unrealized ambitions. Developers have tried before. Richard Preis, in one of the early and ambitious efforts, could not pre-sell enough units and ran into bad market timing. That is why this project should be watched closely. If the condos sell, others may see downtown housing in a different light. And downtown needs more housing if it wants a life that lasts beyond office hours. Casey Tate of the Downtown Development District said the agency regularly gets calls from people asking about downtown condos, which he sees as a sign of demand. He also points to the strong market for luxury apartments, including at places like RiverMark, where rents can rival or exceed what a mortgage might cost. His logic is straightforward: if people are willing to rent at those prices, some may be willing to buy. **The risk:** Not everyone is convinced. People knowledgeable about the hotel business told *RedEye* that mixed-use hotels are a well-known model, but this version remains a gamble. Condo owners in such projects often face fees that can rival or exceed a mortgage payment, on top of the purchase price. The question is whether Baton Rouge has enough buyers who want that arrangement, especially for a product more common in wealthier destination markets. The developer did not return calls before publication. **One big unknown:** It is not yet clear how many of the units will function as true for-sale condos and how many could end up folded into Travel + Leisure’s broader vacation ownership network. That distinction matters. Selling downtown residential life is one thing. Selling sports-themed timeshares is another. **The design challenge:** The building itself comes with constraints. Historic tax credits limit how much the facade can be altered, and the rendering suggests the most visible change may be the new name on the front. Inside, turning a conventional, buttoned-down hotel into something that feels like an entertainment-oriented resort will not be simple. That is one reason some observers are skeptical. The Hilton has limited unprogrammed space, which makes it harder to create the kind of social, high-energy environment the brand seems to want. One former insider told *RedEye* that a ground-up project would have made more sense because it could be designed from the start around sports fans and shared spaces. Geoff Richards, chief operating officer of Travel + Leisure’s vacation ownership division, does not seem to disagree. In a published interview, he said: “I’d love everything to be purpose built, but purpose built right now is tough and it’s probably four years from the time you think about it to when you might open.” **What to watch:** A couple of groups are considering a large multi-purpose sports facility to attract regional events, and *RedEye* has been told it could be located on Nicholson Drive, not far from the Hilton. One person familiar with a deep understanding of sports venues said the resort would look like a safer bet if that sports facility were already committed. A sports resort sells more easily when the sports are not hypothetical. **The bottom line:** The Sports Illustrated Resort could help Baton Rouge cash in on the sports economy it already has. It could also become the clearest test yet of whether downtown riverfront condos are finally viable here. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Fellowship of silence URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/fellowship-of-silence/ Last updated: 2026-04-15T00:05:34.000Z A Baton Rouge bar is giving people a reason to put the phone down and pick up a book. **Why it matters:** Pelican to Mars, the bar on Government Street, hosts a silent book club on the third Wednesday of each month, with time built in before and after for people to talk with fellow readers. **How it works:** People gather, socialize a bit, then read quietly together. Afterward, they can talk more. No assigned book. Just reading, and then being around others who also chose a book over doomscrolling. **The bigger picture:** Baton Rouge is not alone in wanting a break from the screen. Phone-free bars and restaurants are emerging, allowing patrons to pay attention to the people in front of them. **By the numbers:** At least 11 states now have individual bars or restaurants with some phone restriction or digital-detox incentive, per *Axios*. One example is Antagonist, a cocktail bar in Charlotte, N.C., where co-owner Mike Salzarulo said the policy of locking away customers’ phones for two hours is meant to “build a place that kind of forces you to connect.” **Bottom line:** A silent book club at a bar sounds slightly improbable, which is part of the charm. This form of shared activity, often called "parallel play," allows individuals to maintain their own identity and personal space while still benefiting from the supportive energy of a group, according to Psychology Today. ### Bibliophile’s bazaar turns 50 URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/bibliophiles-bazaar-turns-50/ Last updated: 2026-04-15T00:03:27.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-12-at-12.06.45---PM-1.png) (LSU Libraries image) For a certain kind of local, the Friends of the LSU Libraries [Book Bazaar](https://lib.lsu.edu/friends?ref=redeyebr.com) is not so much a sale as an annual pilgrimage. It is for those who cannot pass a shelf without reading the spines, who still suspect that some lost treasure—an obscure biography, a blues record, a book they did not know they needed—may be waiting on a folding table for $3. What began in 1976 as a modest fundraiser in the LSU Union has become one of Baton Rouge’s annual rituals. This year, it turns 50. Walking through the used book sale will remind you of a slower way of moving through the world. One aisle offers a starfish’s life in improbable detail, another Walker Percy’s *Lost in the Cosmos*, another a cookbook with scribbled sarcastic replies to the author. And the wandering does good. Over five decades, the Bazaar has raised $2.75 million for LSU Libraries, helping acquire materials the system might never otherwise afford. **When is it?** The sale is Thursday and Friday, April 16-17, 9 a.m.-7 p.m., and Saturday, April 18, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the John M. Parker Agricultural Coliseum. Admission and parking are free. The only real risk is carrying home more than you planned. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### College Drive dreams URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/college-drive-dreams/ Last updated: 2026-04-14T23:56:28.000Z Somewhere on College Drive right now, a train is crossing. You know the one. The tracks just north of Perkins Road. A freight train lumbering through at four miles an hour while 200 cars sit and reconsider every decision that led them here. It is the perfect metaphor for College Drive—a road so thoroughly, cosmically defeated that even the railroad gets a turn. College Drive is Baton Rouge's great shared misery. A five-lane parking lot moonlighting as a highway, a neighborhood street, an interstate on-ramp queue and a fast-food drive-through—all at once, all day. The primary feeder to I-10, our unofficial Main Street, doubles as one of Baton Rouge's busier retail corridors. Walmart. Hobby Lobby. Chick-fil-A. Starbucks. Panda Express. Taco Bell. Every one of them offering a left-turn enticement for drivers willing to brave oncoming traffic—snaking through an armada of frustrated commuters with zero interest in creating a gap—while everyone else tries to get somewhere. **"Smart people avoid this corridor,"** says a traffic engineer familiar with College Drive and Baton Rouge's larger traffic challenges. The rest of us suffer it. *RedEye* is here to dream about fixing it. **Back to reality:** The numbers are not encouraging. - About 49,000 vehicles grind through the College Drive and Perkins Road intersection every day. - MovEBR projects that hits 50,500 by 2042—even with mitigation. - I-10 at the College Drive exit carries about 178,000 vehicles daily, with no intersecting traffic. College Drive carries a fraction of that on five lanes and somehow loses. - South Acadian Thruway handles the same job—feeding I-10 from the south—with far less suffering. Trains pass above it. The geography keeps things honest. College Drive has none of those advantages. - Essen Lane, the next option down a clogged Perkins, is five lanes wide and, on its best days, just as bad; on its worst days, somehow worse. - Beyond Essen, the next option is Siegen Lane. The corridor problem in South Baton Rouge isn't College Drive. It's everything between South Acadian and Siegen. **How we got here:** College Drive was already a mess before Walmart. But the corridor's modern misery has an origin story. Village Square—where the Supercenter now stands—was once a modest shopping center with local anchors like Coffee Call and Frumbrussels ice cream. Residents objected loudly to Walmart on an F-classified city-parish street. To ease concerns, Walmart attorney Charles Landry offered $1 million for traffic mitigation. The Planning Commission approved it. The mitigation worked—for a while. Then more cars came. Traffic, like life, finds a way. **Why wider won't work:** Add capacity and drivers fill it. Every single one. Then a few more. Widen College Drive without fixing the underlying problem, and Baton Rouge trades 49,000 SUVs at a standstill for 70,000 SUVs at a standstill. As the traffic engineer puts it: "It's impossible to undo that with any type of measures we could take." Which is exactly why the dreams matter. **What is happening:** [MovEBR has a $98 million plan](https://movebr.brla.gov/form/college-dr-corridor-enhancement-project-page?ref=redeyebr.com) for the corridor. - Phase 1: A backage road behind the fast-food strip to pull local commercial traffic off College Drive. Design done. Right-of-way acquisition underway. - Phase 2: A new northbound lane from Perkins to I-10. - Phase 3: A Concord Avenue grid extension. Currently unfunded. - Construction advertisement estimated for 2028. Real, moving, and a partial answer to a problem that laughs at partial answers. **If dreams came true:** The real fix is a grid—parallel north-south routes so College isn't the only answer to every question. Dreams are free. Engineers have actually sketched these out. - **The Congress Street flyover.** Extend Congress Boulevard over I-10 to Corporate Boulevard, creating a surface street that bypasses College and offers no I-10 access. The drawings existed once. The project didn't survive. The logic still holds. - **The Albertsons cloverleaf.** A proper interchange at College Drive's northern end, letting northbound drivers reach I-10 westbound without crossing traffic. The concept was studied. Instead, an Albertsons, now closed, was built. - **Burden Parkway.** FutureBR's master plan included an extension of Kenilworth Parkway to Corporate Boulevard. Parish government allowed the key parcel to be developed commercially instead. The road died. The building went up. Baton Rouge got neither. - **Toll I-10 for local trips.** Most I-10 drivers through Baton Rouge aren't passing through—they're hopping exits to avoid a traffic light. Charge them. It's done in Dallas and in the Central Florida corridor. The engineer: "That would help a lot." But, he continued, "It would never happen because of the public pushback." - **The honest sign.** An idea so simple it barely qualifies: put a sign at Perkins Road showing estimated travel time to I-10\. No environmental review. No right-of-way acquisition. No federal match. Just the truth. **The Bottom Line:** The Congress flyover, the Albertsons interchange, Burden Parkway, tolling I-10—real ideas sitting on no funded plan and no political runway. What will get built is a backage road and a new lane. That still leaves 49,000 cars a day on a five-lane parking lot with a Chick-fil-A on it. And the train hasn't moved. ### College Drive reality URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/college-drive-reality/ Last updated: 2026-04-14T23:55:13.000Z A $98 million plan to ease congestion on one of Baton Rouge's most congested corridors is moving—slowly—toward construction. [MovEBR's College Drive Corridor Enhancement project](https://movebr.brla.gov/form/college-dr-corridor-enhancement-project-page?ref=redeyebr.com) covers 3,900 linear feet between Perkins Road and Bawell Street. Construction advertisement is estimated for 2028\. The project has been broken into three phases. **Why it matters:** About 49,000 vehicles pass through the College Drive and Perkins Road intersection every day. MovEBR projects that the number will reach 50,500 by 2042, even with mitigation. This is the most comprehensive plan on the table. **Phase 1—The backage road:** A new two-lane road running parallel behind the commercial strip between Concord and Bennington avenues pulls local commercial traffic—drivers turning left into driveways—off College Drive and onto a signalized parallel route. - Design is complete. Right-of-way acquisition is underway. - Includes a relocated Concord intersection. - Perkins Road intersection improvements are projected to reduce delay by up to 33%. **Phase 2—The northbound lane:** A new northbound lane from Perkins Road to I-10 targets the corridor's worst directional movement. MovEBR projects it cuts peak-hour travel time between Perkins and I-10 by up to 43%. Funding not fully confirmed. **Phase 3—Concord Avenue extension:** Extends Concord Avenue westward to improve grid connectivity between College Drive and Bennington Avenue. Currently unfunded. **The ramp problem:** A DOTD flyover ramp that opened early last year created an isolated right lane, forcing a turn onto Corporate Boulevard. Drivers who don't want to turn sit. Traffic backs up. A fix has been identified. It has not been implemented. **Lee Drive:** A separate [MovEBR project](https://movebr.brla.gov/form/lee-dr-highland-rd-perkins-rd-project-page?ref=redeyebr.com) widens Lee Drive, adding a center turn lane between Highland Road and Perkins Road. Cost: $42 million. Design 90% complete. Right-of-way acquisition underway. Construction expected in 2029\. The project adds capacity to a key parallel corridor—and will likely bring additional volume to the College Drive and Perkins Road intersection where it terminates. **The Bottom Line:** Phase 1 is funded and moving. Phases 2 and 3 are designed but not fully financed. At full build-out, the plan addresses access management, capacity and grid connectivity without adding lanes to College Drive itself. Whether that is enough for a corridor projected to carry 50,500 vehicles a day by 2042 is, at best, an open question. ### Talking City Park: beyond the usual suspects URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/talking-city-park-beyond-the-usual-suspects/ Last updated: 2026-04-15T18:41:16.000Z Forum 225 brought together community advocates, planners and civic leaders on Monday morning to discuss the future of City-Brooks Park—the golf debate stayed in the clubhouse. **Why it matters:** Forum 225 framed the ongoing City-Brooks Park master plan process as a generational opportunity to build the kind of inclusive, spontaneous community space Baton Rouge has never had—one that could anchor talent retention, bridge socioeconomic divides and give residents of all ages somewhere to be together. **The details:** The event, held at Counterspace on Government Street, drew more than 30 people, with a focus on engaging younger adults and encouraging participation in the planning process. - Panelists included LSU architecture professor **James Nguyen Spencer**, community advocate **Maggie Conarro**, Forum 225 board member and Strong Towns Baton Rouge founder **Adam Chapman** and Baton Rouge Area Foundation's **Chris Meyer**. Adrian Owen Jones moderated. **The Big Picture:** Panelists kept returning to the same idea: Baton Rouge says it values community, but has few public places to be together as a community. City-Brooks Park, done right, fixes that. - Spencer pointed to Central Park in New York and Falls Park on the Reedy in Greenville, South Carolina—spaces that work because they create spontaneous interaction across income levels and generations. - Chapman's case for restraint: sidewalks, bike paths and open space first, then see what follows. - Conarro framed it as a talent retention issue: people with means leave when there's no way to put down roots outside of work and school. **Governance question:** Some advocates are pushing for a conservancy model for City-Brooks—a nonprofit board with a long-term lease, similar to Central Park in New York and City Park in New Orleans. Meyer said the case grows stronger when the park is tied to the neighboring University Lakes restoration, given that system's fractured ownership across BREC, LSU, the city-parish and the state. **Big Talk:** "If we think small, we're going to get small," Meyer said. "We're not going to get something that's excellent." **The Bottom Line:** BREC's community survey tied to the ongoing Sasaki planning process closes Friday. A [public meeting](https://www.redeyebr.com/city-park-meeting-pushed-back/) is scheduled for June 11\. **Panelists were direct:** fill out the survey, show up to the meeting and weigh in on the future of the park. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Homeownership, with a climate surcharge URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/homeownership-with-a-climate-surcharge/ Last updated: 2026-04-15T00:01:21.000Z Home insurance isn’t just rising here.It’s redefining what it means to own a house. **Why it matters:** Louisiana residents face some of the nation’s steepest homeowner insurance burdens, a signal that climate risk is reshaping real estate faster than policy can keep up, according to the latest [Realtor.com analysis](https://www.realtor.com/research/climate-risk-2025/?ref=redeyebr.com). **By the numbers:** - Baton Rouge ranks **5th nationally** for insurance costs relative to home value. - The median EBR premium: **$4,672 a year**—about **2%** of a home’s worth. - **New Orleans** is even higher: 3.6%, roughly **$8,300** a year. - The U.S. metro average: just **0.8%** of a home's worth. - Be glad you don't live in the Miami area, where $22,718 is the highest in the nation, or 3.7% of home value. **The bigger picture:** Across the Gulf South, risk and affordability are colliding. - Every home in **Baton Rouge** and **New Orleans** sits in a “severe or extreme” hurricane wind zone. - Flood maps underestimate danger—nearly **2 million homes** nationwide face high flood risk but sit outside FEMA’s “high-risk” zones. - Typical policies exclude floods and carry **hurricane deductibles up to 5%** of a home’s insured value. That’s **$20,000 out-of-pocket** on a $400,000 house. **Zoom out:** One in four U.S. homes—worth **$12.7 trillion**—faces severe or extreme risk from floods, hurricanes, or wildfires. But the heaviest costs fall on Southern markets where homes are cheaper and storms hit harder. **The takeaway:** For Baton Rouge, climate risk isn’t a future problem. It’s a line item—folded into every mortgage, every sale, every hard conversation about staying or leaving. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Tabasco's giant leap URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/tabascos-giant-leap/ Last updated: 2026-04-13T23:51:57.000Z As a child, one prominent Baton Rouge resident packed tiny bottles of Tabasco to save boarding school cafeteria meals. Last week was a reminder that the sauce still travels well and still has the power to rescue broccoli au gratin. Made on Avery Island, Tabasco was one of five hot sauces packed on the Artemis II test flight around the moon. NASA says the others were Sriracha, Cholula, Frank’s RedHot and, for reasons nobody has fully explained, Heinz Hot Taco. The pantry list had the usual mix of practical and odd: tortillas, mango salad, granola, strawberry drink, pudding, chocolate and, yes, broccoli au gratin. Louisiana had another fiery role in the trip. Much of the rocket booster was built at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility near New Orleans. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### The bill nobody's running URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-bill-nobodys-running/ Last updated: 2026-04-13T23:48:39.000Z Baton Rouge approves new development at a pace that suggests confidence. The math underneath it suggests something else. **Why it matters:** Every subdivision approved without a lifecycle cost analysis is a future expense someone else inherits—not a risk avoided, a risk deferred. **Reality bites:** The pattern is consistent. New construction pushes outward into flood-adjacent land. Subdivisions are built with single entrances and no grid connectivity. Floodplain waivers get granted. Show up to any planning meeting in EBR and the objections are predictable—drainage, traffic, crime—regardless of what's being proposed. - Residents say they want walkable, connected neighborhoods like Willow Grove. They tend to argue against them when someone proposes building one nearby. - Impact fees cover construction costs. They don't cover the parish's obligation to maintain what gets built—and no formula connects long-term tax revenue to long-term infrastructure liability. That's the gap nobody's closing. **Missing the big picture:** Developers typically meet the drainage requirements for their individual projects. What the approval process doesn't require is a cumulative assessment—what happens to the watershed when one compliant subdivision joins 10 others built in the same drainage shed over the past decade. **Positive development:** The alternative is already working. Mid City's resurgence didn't require a new vision or new infrastructure—it required people to stop blocking an old one. Infill development, repurposed buildings and an existing street grid—no new liability. The parish didn't build that. It largely got out of the way. **What he said:** St. George Mayor Dustin Yates, describing what his new city inherited after incorporation, put it plainly: "Forty years of deferred maintenance. We've got a lot of work to do." **The bottom line:** The bill exists. Future Baton Rouge will pay it. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Going broke on sports URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/going-broke-on-sports/ Last updated: 2026-04-13T23:47:39.000Z Every college athletic program in Louisiana loses money—except LSU—and state taxpayers are covering the gap. **Why it matters:** Louisiana's public universities are asking the legislature for more funding, citing an $850 million shortfall. But embedded in the budgets of every school making that ask is an athletic department running a deficit, subsidized by the same state dollars they say aren't enough. Money going to scoreboards and travel budgets isn't going to professors, research or students. Higher Education Commissioner Kim Hunter Reed made the connection herself, telling lawmakers recently that bloating athletics costs are among the key drivers of financial distress across the system. **Fiscal audit:** The numbers from the Louisiana Legislative Auditor reports tell the story: - **Louisiana Tech:** $10.5 million athletics deficit in FY2024 - **University of Louisiana:** $12.6 million deficit—$10 million of it directly responsible for a university-wide financial crisis that forced faculty layoffs and staff furloughs - **Southern University:** chronic annual deficits, $2.7 million in institutional support propping up a program with recurring NCAA compliance violations - **Northwestern State, UL Monroe, McNeese, Nicholls:** all in the red Most of these programs compete at the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level—a tier below LSU, UL and Louisiana Tech—making the financial math even harder to justify. Those deficits are covered by institutional support—transfers from university operating budgets, which are substantially funded by state appropriations and tuition revenue. The state is already funding college athletics. It just isn't calling it that. The legislature also approved athletic facility construction in the FY2026 capital budget: $6.7 million to Grambling State, $500,000 to Nicholls, $475,000 to McNeese—all schools that can't cover their own operating budgets. **Ironic twist:** Then came Act 298, commonly known as the **SPORT Fund**, passed by the legislature last year, making Louisiana the first state in the country to raise a tax specifically to send more money to college athletics. **A year later, Reed is telling lawmakers that higher education is $850 million underfunded**, in part because those same athletic departments continue to run deficits subsidized by university operating budgets. - The sports betting tax hike—projected to generate roughly $20 million annually for D-I programs statewide—is split equally among 11 public universities, including the same schools drowning in athletic deficits. - The stated rationale was helping programs compete in the new NIL era. - The unstated reality: the state just formalized and expanded a subsidy that was already quietly happening through university operating budgets. **The bottom line:** Louisiana is being asked to invest more in higher education while actively subsidizing sports programs its universities cannot afford—and just voted to subsidize further. ### Wade Evans fires back URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/wade-evans-fires-back/ Last updated: 2026-04-13T23:45:54.000Z Central Mayor and BREC Commissioner **Wade Evans** is pushing back against a [Friends of City Park](https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086981644298) social media campaign that has increasingly cast him as the villain in the ongoing City-Brooks Park master planning debate. **Why it matters:** The City-Brooks Park master plan process has been overtaken by a single question—what happens to the 9-hole City Park golf course? Friends of City Park has run its opposition the way a political PAC runs a campaign: targeted social media ads, [videos and posts](https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=923986543844059&set=a.118478274394894) naming and picturing specific officials and claims that don't always match what's actually been proposed. **Background:** In a [Facebook video](https://www.facebook.com/share/v/18VY1aSPww/?mibextid=wwXIfr) posted this week, Evans denied claims that he wants to demolish the course in favor of beer gardens, mini-golf and amphitheaters. - Evans chairs BREC's golf committee and said he's well aware of demand pressures, including rounds expected to shift to BREC once the [LSU course closes](https://www.wbrz.com/news/lsu-golf-course-to-permanently-close-this-summer/?ref=redeyebr.com) June 30. - He dismissed the preservation argument on historical grounds, noting designer Tom Bendelow built courses at volume rather than as signature works—though a question raised at the April 7 stakeholders meeting remains unanswered: whether Sasaki's proposed alterations would jeopardize City Park's status as one of roughly 25 surviving Bendelow municipal designs in the country. - Evans accused Friends of City Park of prioritizing adjacent property owners over parishwide users. - He later returned to Facebook with a [longer post](https://www.facebook.com/1579337642/posts/10233565344347001/?mibextid=wwXIfr&rdid=SWRgKejdGg3yz1xw#). **Says it all:** "I'm not going to go into a process of creating a master plan with a singular view of what can happen," Evans said. "I think it's important that we look at all opportunities, all possibilities, and the commission can then decide which way to move forward." **The bottom line:** Sasaki has already [confirmed the course stays](https://www.redeyebr.com/splitting-the-city-park-golf-baby/)—proposing minor alterations to several holes and reducing its total yardage by some 350 yards. Evans, as a sitting BREC commissioner, will vote on whatever plan Sasaki ultimately recommends. He didn't start this fight publicly. He's not backing down from it either. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### AI to reduce poverty URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/ai-to-reduce-poverty/ Last updated: 2026-04-12T21:36:39.000Z Maryland is becoming the first state to put AI to work inside government to make life easier and reduce poverty. It’s an early look at how AI may serve people and lift the quality of life. **Louisiana and Baton Rouge can learn a lesson**; poverty rates here are among highest in the nation. **The details:** Maryland has partnered with Anthropic (brains of Claude) and a firm called Percepta that specializes in fixing the nuts-and-bolts of government. The Rockefeller Foundation is backing the effort, giving it a philanthropic seal of approval. **What’s happening:** - A Claude-powered assistant will help residents apply for benefits, update their info, track applications and discover other programs they qualify for. - Percepta is taking on permitting and licensing timelines—and helping Maryland accelerate housing development. - And Maryland already has a proof point: a bilingual Claude Sonnet chatbot that cut call volume and helped more than 600,000 households get SUN Bucks food benefits last summer. **What it means:** AI can streamline the whole process of applying for food assistance, unemployment, disability benefits and more. For millions of families, this is the difference between getting help on time and falling through the cracks. **Why it matters here:** With stretched budgets, Baton Rouge could use AI to improve services, such as far quicker permitting. Faster approval of permits would cut costs for businesses and let housing get built sooner. The same approach could apply to Public Works: use sensors and data to spot infrastructure failures early, rank repairs by risk and cost, and automatically schedule the right crews and equipment. And so much more. ### The art of noticing early URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/the-art-of-noticing-early/ Last updated: 2026-04-12T21:17:29.000Z A Baton Rouge Magnet High School senior has won one of the city’s more heartening cultural prizes. Sophia Zhu took top honors in the 2026 **REAL-LIFE EXPERIENCE High School Exhibition**, a juried show at Baton Rouge Gallery that gathers student work from across East Baton Rouge Parish. The award was announced on April 1 during the gallery’s First Wednesday opening reception, which was attended by more than 200\. This year’s exhibition featured more than 70 original works by students from public and private high schools across the parish. A jury selected the top three pieces, with $1,000 in cash prizes awarded among the winners. The paintings remain on view at B**aton Rouge Gallery in City Park through April 26.** The exhibition was made possible by Cordell and Ava Haymon, with support from The Daniels Family Fund. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/2026/04/Sofia-Zhu-1.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-05-at-12.25.20---PM.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/2026/04/BRG_April26_FW-10-1.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/2026/04/BRG_April26_FW-29.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/2026/04/BRG_April26_FW-20.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/2026/04/BRG_April26_FW-11.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/2026/04/BRG_April26_FW-45.jpg) ****More than 200 people attended the First Wednesday opening reception at Baton Rouge Gallery.** **(Baton Rouge Gallery/Heather McClelland photos)* ### Join or die URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/join-or-die/ Last updated: 2026-04-29T14:52:08.000Z When a city can't make room for new voices, the people who carry them eventually stop showing up—or stop staying. _This post is for subscribers only._ ### City Park meeting pushed back URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/city-park-meeting-pushed-back/ Last updated: 2026-04-12T21:13:45.000Z “In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.” wrote John Muir, whose words sit on BREC’s website and now feel like an accidental explanation for the latest move over City-Brooks Community Park plan. **Why it matters:** City-Brooks Community Park and the University Lakes are Baton Rouge’s most important public spaces. Giving people more time to weigh in should make for a better plan and, just as importantly, better politics. **What’s happening:** BREC has pushed back the public meeting on the City-Brooks Community Park & Lakes Vision Plan from April 22 to June 11. **The official reason**: Officials say community interest has been high, with feedback still coming in through [a public survey](https://survey.sogolytics.com/survey/form?k=RQsRTSSRYsSXWsPsPsP&lang=0&ref=redeyebr.com) that remains open until April 17\. The original schedule also left little time to absorb that input before the April meeting. **What’s next:** - BREC plans to hold targeted listening sessions with stakeholder groups before June. - The June 11 meeting will be the first public unveiling of early design concepts. Preliminary designs have been shown to a group of stakeholder. - Residents can continue submitting feedback through Friday, April 17 via [the public survey](https://survey.sogolytics.com/survey/form?k=RQsRTSSRYsSXWsPsPsP&lang=0&ref=redeyebr.com) **The bottom line:** This is an awkward spot for both planners and BREC, and the delay is likely to draw some side glances. Still, more time to listen before shaping the future of one of Baton Rouge’s most cherished public spaces is hard to argue with. Opinions can wait until there is actually a plan to judge. ### Front yards, front porches URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/front-yards-front-porches/ Last updated: 2026-04-09T21:48:01.000Z A growing movement in community design makes a simple argument: the space between your front door and the street is the most underused real estate in Baton Rouge. **Why it matters:** New residents don't just need a job and a house. **They need to feel like they belong.** Neighborhoods designed for human interaction—not just SUV storage—are one of the most effective tools a city has for making that happen. - This concept of gathering is especially important here, in a city where social circles were built in high school, making it a challenge to fit in for those without a zip code pedigree. **What it looks like:** - Front yards and porches designed as social space, not decorative buffer - Seating, gardens, little free libraries, open sightlines - Sidewalks that actually connect somewhere - Neighbors who can see—and talk to—each other **It's not theoretical:** Baton Rouge already has real-world examples of these communities in action. - **Spanish Town** gets it right by accident of age. Limited off-street parking pushes life to the street. Most houses have front porches. People know their neighbors. - **The Garden District** was named a Top 10 "Great Neighborhood" by the American Planning Association, with its front-porch culture cited specifically. - **Willow Grove,** developed by Richard Carmouche, engineered it deliberately. The neighborhood centers around front porches, patios, sidewalks and shared green spaces. - [**Front Yard Bikes**](https://www.frontyardbikes.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) is the most literal version—and a different animal entirely. Dustin LaFont started it in 2010 when neighborhood kids gathered in his front yard to fix bikes. One property. Full community institution. **But, but, but:** Baton Rouge's zoning laws—setbacks, garage placement requirements, sidewalk gaps—make this kind of design the exception, not the rule. **The bottom line:** Some neighborhoods people love most here were built for people, not cars. That's not a coincidence. It's a model. ### In God they trust URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/in-god-they-trust/ Last updated: 2026-04-09T21:47:07.000Z In February, 606 people showed up at St. Joseph Cathedral in Baton Rouge to formally declare they want to become Catholic. That's not a small number for a mid-size Southern diocese. **Why it matters:** This isn't a religion story. It's a generational story. Gen Z is the least religious generation in U.S. history. Gen Z is also going to church more than any other generation. Both of those things are true at the same time—and the tension between them explains a lot. - Young people returning to the church aren't talking much about theology. They're searching for something that counters the alienation and isolation they find in the world around them. - What the Catholic Church is offering: certainty, structure and community that doesn't change with the news cycle. **By the numbers:** The national picture is striking... - More than 80% of U.S. dioceses report an average [38% increase](https://hallow.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) in people entering the Church this Easter compared with last year. - Church attendance frequency among Gen Z and millennials has [nearly doubled since 2020](https://www.barna.com/research/young-adults-lead-resurgence-in-church-attendance/?ref=redeyebr.com). - The Archdiocese of Newark reports a 72% increase in adult conversions over three years. **Love thy neighbor:** The closest regional data point is the Archdiocese of Mobile, which logged its highest convert class since at least 2014 in 2025—then jumped another 35% in 2026\. - *RedEye* made multiple requests over the course of a week to the Diocese of Baton Rouge for comment and for year-over-year numbers, but received no response. **The Big Picture:** College students say they're exhausted from social media addiction and the emptiness of what secularism offers. What's pulling them toward the church isn't a single moment—it's an accumulation: - Catholic podcasts and apps. - Immigration from historically Catholic countries. - The election of Pope Leo XIV as the first American pope in May 2025. - A broad hunger for stability in an unstable world. **Preach:** One [recent convert](https://www.wordonfire.org/articles/why-are-so-many-young-adults-becoming-catholic/?ref=redeyebr.com) put it plainly: "There's just something so beautiful and transcendent about the rituals and the ancient history in the Catholic Mass that's been preserved. The church really communicates a degree of reverence that I didn't find in the more liberal, laissez-faire approach of nondenominational churches." **The Bottom Line:** The Diocese of Baton Rouge covers 229,200 Catholics across 64 church parishes—about 22.5% of its territory's total population—and some 600 people walked into St. Joseph Cathedral this year to say they want in. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Drifting to Bay St. Louis URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/drifting-to-bay-st-louis/ Last updated: 2026-04-09T21:45:28.000Z A generation ago, Baton Rouge families with money fled to the North Carolina mountains for the summer. The next group seems to have found a looser version of that tradition much closer to home. **What’s happening:** Bay St. Louis has become a second-home spot for some Capital City professionals. But you do not need a second house, or much money at all, to understand the appeal of the Mississippi coastal town, once known to plenty of Baton Rouge Catholic school families as the place where unruly boys got shipped off to St. Stanislaus. **Why Bay St. Louis:** Retired banker **Danny Montelaro** puts it plainly: It is close to Baton Rouge, close enough that he traded a vacation place in Florida for one nearer home. There are no HOA fees. The boat dock is in his backyard. His family spends about six nights a month there. “It’s my sanity check.” **The draw:** The place feels relaxed in a way nearby cities often do not. Local lore holds that after Covid, officials looked the other way a bit to help the economy recover. Whether that was an actual strategy or just what happened, the effect is the same. People cruise around in golf carts, drinks in hand, drifting from bars to restaurants with very little fuss. Open containers are legal in Mississippi, which removes one more layer of inhibition from the proceedings. > "It has got a lot to offer: small-town charm, good restaurants and bars, views of the bay and Gulf, and very friendly people," says **Jay Noland**. **The atmosphere:** Bay St. Louis feels a little like Key West on a budget, and it's only about 90 minutes from Baton Rouge, closer still to New Orleans, with populations from both cities represented there. The city has that same slightly ungoverned energy. People wander around in pirate costumes. There is a witches festival. A shirtless hippie-punk rolls by on a homemade contraption that looks part surfboard, part go-kart and part apocalypse prop. At Blind Tiger, you can get a cheap drink, sit in a rocking chair and look out at the boats. Thorny Oyster, inside The Pearl, is one of the better restaurants on the Gulf Coast. Mockingbird Cafe is a fine place to lollygag away a morning. **Bottom line:** Bay St. Louis offers something that has become a little scarce: permission to idle, amuse yourself and look a little ridiculous in public. That, more than the oysters or the golf carts, may explain its rise. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### A new flavor URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/a-new-flavor/ Last updated: 2026-04-09T22:01:37.000Z Immigrants have kept East Baton Rouge from shrinking, diversifying the parish and enlivening its culture. Without them, the population would have declined sharply and the culture would have been dull. **Why it matters:** Population growth is not mere vanity. More residents mean more workers, more entrepreneurs and more taxpayers to finance an aging population’s pensions and public services. **What’s happened:** - From 2000 to 2020, the parish’s population rose by less than 10%—barely 0.5% a year, according to census figures. - Fertility rates have fallen below replacement, and white flight to surrounding parishes and an exodus of young graduates to Texas and beyond have thinned numbers. The pattern continues into this decade. **The data:** - Immigration has offset the drops: the foreign-born share of EBR doubled from 3% to 6%, adding roughly 27,000 newcomers in two decades (2000-2020). - White (non-Hispanic) share of EBR fell from 55% to 42%. - The Hispanic share more than tripled, 1.8% to 6.7%, led by arrivals from Mexico and Honduras. Hispanics now make up more than 31,000 of EBR residents. 2025 estimates have it at 7.3%. - The Asian share rose as well, from 2.1% to 3.2%, about 14,500 people in 2020\. 2025 estimates have it at 3.8%. **On the ground:** - Strip malls now host Hispanic supermarkets, panaderías and Latin American restaurants. Ideal Market operates two outlets—one near Gardere Lane, another on Sherwood Forest Boulevard—while La Morenita sits on Florida Boulevard. - Indian restaurants and grocers are clustered around Sherwood Forest and Coursey boulevards, hinting at the rise of a “Little India.” Bay Leaf and Swagat are nearby in the Sherwood-Coursey corridor, with Spice Junction ready to open. Two Indian grocers are in the area. Aroma and Gunpowder, two new Indian restaurants, have opened near LSU. - Side note: Most international businesses are in Southeast EBR, where lower rents are an incentive to pursue the American dream. **A smashing success:** - Night Market BTR—founded by Laura Siu-Nguyen–offers food from Vietnam, Korea and Japan. Attendance at the festival was 500 when it began in 2022\. Last year, 12,600 showed up, forcing a move from Town Square in downtown to the Capitol grounds. The next one is [Saturday, May 9](https://www.nightmarketbtr.com/?ref=redeyebr.com). - Placer AI data from the Downtown Development District shows that EBR has welcomed diversity: 50% of attendees at Night Market BTR were white, 33% black, 7% Hispanic, and 5% Asian. - “Through my events, **I’ve seen firsthand how food and culture connect us and strengthen communities**,” says Siu-Nguyen. “It’s cool to see more people trying new food and bringing innovative dishes to the table.” She is of Chinese descent but was born and raised in Honduras. --- ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Homeownership in BR is now a luxury URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/homeownership-in-br-is-now-a-luxury/ Last updated: 2026-04-08T22:09:56.000Z The typical Baton Rouge household can't afford the typical Baton Rouge home—and for a generation trying to build wealth, that's not just a housing problem. **Why it matters:** Homeownership is the primary way American families build generational wealth. In a city already divided by income, geography and race, losing access to it doesn't hit everyone equally—and the data suggests it's slipping further out of reach with each passing year. **The research:** - A new *Bankrate* analysis finds that nationally, households earning the U.S. median income of \~$80,000 are [priced out of 75%](https://www.bankrate.com/mortgages/american-dream-of-homeownership-turning-into-luxury/?ref=redeyebr.com) of homes on the market—a historic affordability crisis driven by post-pandemic price surges, elevated mortgage rates and a decade of underbuilding. - *Bankrate*'s model defines affordability as annual housing costs—mortgage, taxes and insurance—not exceeding 30% of gross income, assuming a 20% down payment and a 6.80% 30-year mortgage rate. **Interpreting the data:** - Baton Rouge wasn't included in *Bankrate*'s 34-metro dataset, so the following figures apply its methodology to local income and home price data—but the direction is unambiguous. - The[ median home sale price](https://www.gbrar.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) in the Greater Baton Rouge market hit **$278,500 in February 2026**, up 7.2% from a year ago, and sellers are receiving 98% of asking price, signaling a market that isn't softening. - City of Baton Rouge residents face a **$26,000 annual income gap** to afford the median home; EBR Parish households face **a $13,000 gap**—and neither number is moving in the right direction. **The other shoe:** Louisiana's insurance crisis compounds the problem. The state's[ average annual premium](https://kpel965.com/louisiana-home-insurance-costs-2025-tips-save/?ref=redeyebr.com) is **$4,033—44% above the national average**—and has risen 38% since 2023, pushing the true monthly cost of ownership well above what the mortgage payment alone suggests. More telling: 21% of Louisiana homeowners carry[ no insurance at all](https://kpel965.com/louisiana-home-insurance-costs-2025-tips-save/?ref=redeyebr.com), compared to 13.6% nationally. **What it means for Baton Rouge:** - **Homeownership is how most middle-class families accumulate wealth over time**. A generation priced out of the market in their 20s and 30s doesn't just rent longer—they arrive at retirement with less, pass less on and widen the wealth gap that already defines this city. - The city/parish split isn't just a statistical footnote—it maps directly onto Baton Rouge's long-running fault lines of race, income and political fragmentation. **The residents least able to afford a home are concentrated inside city limits**, where median incomes are roughly $13,000 lower than the parish as a whole. - For a region already struggling to attract and retain young professionals, researchers and creatives, the math on homeownership is another strike against it. **Talent follows opportunity—but it also follows stability and the ability to plant roots**. - The St. George effect is quietly at work here too: as higher-income households consolidate in unincorporated EBR and new municipalities, the city's tax base narrows, its services strain and its median income stagnates—making the affordability gap self-reinforcing. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### 311 tells on Baton Rouge URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/311-tells-on-baton-rouge/ Last updated: 2026-04-08T21:56:37.000Z The biggest complaints residents send to City Hall are not glamorous. They are the daily irritations that make a place feel worn down. **The big picture:** East Baton Rouge residents mostly use 311 to ask city-parish government to do the basics, consistently and well, a *RedEye analysis* shows. **By the numbers:** In Baton Rouge’s all-time 311 dataset, garbage overwhelms everything else. There were nearly 560,000 garbage-related service requests across a decade, followed by recycling at 83,155, blighted properties at 72,421, street and traffic issues at 70,647, sewer and wastewater at 52,327 and drainage, flooding or holes at 49,901. **The details:** The most common requests are the problems that wear people down because they keep coming back: damaged garbage carts, missed woody-waste pickup, missed garbage service, missing garbage carts, missed hand-pile pickup and missed recycling service. Then come the headaches people see every day: tall grass, potholes, broken streetlights, trash on private property, drainage problems and sinkholes. **The mayor’s response:** Sid Edwards has identified blight as a major problem, and his administration has moved faster on demolitions. It has also paid more attention to the smaller but persistent nuisances, including potholes. **The bottom line:** Baton Rouge’s quality-of-life problem is not abstract. It is the steady sense that too many underlying problems go unsolved. When garbage, blight, potholes and drainage dominate the complaint list, the message is hard to miss: people are frustrated, and they want a city that works. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Your bill tells a different story URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/your-bill-tells-a-different-story/ Last updated: 2026-04-10T21:42:51.000Z Louisiana has cheap electricity, the same way Baton Rouge has a traffic problem—technically accurate, profoundly understated. **Why it matters:** The gap between Louisiana's per-kilowatt-hour rate and what residents actually pay is large, growing and about to get a lot more complicated. **Talk is cheap:** Louisiana's residential rate runs [13 cents per kilowatt-hour](https://www.energysage.com/local-data/electricity-cost/la/?ref=redeyebr.com)—about 36% below the national average. Entergy and the PSC will tell you that every chance they get. What they mention less: Louisiana leads the nation in residential electricity consumption, and monthly bills already run near the national average. The cheap rate is doing all the work to keep us there. - The grid runs almost entirely on natural gas. When LNG exports surged 18% in 2025—Europe and Asia buying—Entergy passed every cent downstream, helping push July bills 8% above the prior year. **Brace yourself:** A [federal energy report](https://emp.lbl.gov/publications/retail-electricity-price-trends-and?ref=redeyebr.com) projects utility rate increase requests in 2026 will be the highest in decades. Louisiana's own trajectory has raised base rates by roughly 40% since 2018, with another 40% projected by 2030, according to a [*Pelican Institute*](https://pelicanpolicy.org/energy/louisianas-energy-moment/?ref=redeyebr.com) analysis. - Seventeen capital projects are pending before state regulators—grid hardening, hurricane recovery and new industrial transmission lines. Every ratepayer absorbs them. **The bottom line:** Louisiana's low rate is treading water against the highest residential consumption in the country. The levy math was already thin. Now we're building the world's largest AI data center on top of it. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Perils of a good breakfast URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/perils-of-a-good-breakfast/ Last updated: 2026-04-08T22:10:58.000Z A friend is worried *RedEye* is about to ruin a good thing. Too many people will find out about breakfast at City Pork, and the place will fill up with the rush of discovery. Then he’ll have to fight for a seat, and a place he treasures for its calm will no longer feel like his own. He is especially loyal to the scrambled eggs, which he insists are the fluffiest in town. Behind the griddle is Dee Pritchett, who seems to understand that eggs require care if they are going to hold the center of a plate. She pays equal attention to the smaller things. The homemade strawberry preserves, for example, are sweet without going too far, served in a ramekin instead of one of those sad little plastic packets. City Pork on Jefferson has kept breakfast quiet enough that several people we mentioned it to had no idea it existed. But it’s busy with the kind of crowd you want at a breakfast place, the regulars who meet to talk ahead of the day. On Fridays, the room fills with a crowd that lingers over coffee, time be damned. The place gets the details right. Flowers brighten the tables without getting in the way. A plate of orange wedges feels almost childlike in the best way, easy to pick up and eat. The lights stay low, as if everyone involved understands that morning should arrive gently. This happens only on weekdays, making breakfast there a bit more special. Breakfast in Baton Rouge can be uneven. This one is not. Once you have had it, you will remember it. For our friend’s sake, though, keep it to yourself. **— Mukul Verma** ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### BR angry driving explained URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/br-angry-driving-explained/ Last updated: 2026-04-08T21:47:11.000Z Baton Rouge traffic does not just fray nerves. It changes how people behave. **The idea:** Psychologists call it **deindividuation**. People feel more anonymous, less accountable and less connected to the people around them. That helps explain road rage, speeding and tailgating — behavior many drivers would never try face-to-face. **A corollary:** Baton Rouge has its own version. A driver guns through a red light to turn in front of you, then stares in the other direction, as if refusing to make eye contact can erase the fact that they just acted like a double thumbs-down loser. **The local angle:** Baton Rouge gives **deindividuation** every opportunity to flourish. Trains block College Drive. Cul-de-sacs break the street grid. School pickup lines become obstacle courses. **The bigger point:** This is not just about manners. It is about design. Streets shape behavior. **When roads feel chaotic and stressful, people drive that way too.** A city built to make every trip aggravating should not be surprised when drivers become aggravated. **The bottom line:** This does not let rude drivers off the hook. But better planning would help. One obvious place to start: figuring out whether the shuttered Albertsons site on College Drive could be part of easing traffic on the parish’s most failed street. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Holi draws bigger crowd downtown URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/holi-draws-bigger-crowd-downtown/ Last updated: 2026-04-08T01:36:09.000Z Baton Rouge’s [Holi Festival](https://www.holifestivalbr.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) in downtown got bigger this year, and not just by a little. **The numbers:** Attendance rose to **1,700** this year from **1,500** in 2025, according to Placer.ai data from Downtown Development District. That gives organizers a clearer sense not just of how many people came, but also of how they behaved once they got there. Data is used to manage and improve festivals to draw more people. **A little context:** Holi is a Hindu festival, most associated with India, that celebrates the arrival of spring, renewal and the triumph of good over evil. **What the data shows:** - Holi Festival visitors stayed an average of **87 minutes** - The busiest point of the festival was around **2 p.m.** - Attendees came from across East Baton Rouge Parish, with the strongest concentration from **ZIP code 70810** - The median attendee age was **33.4**, and the average household size was **2.46 people**. In other words, plenty of young families. **Beyond Baton Rouge:** Some people made a day trip of it, traveling from the **Northshore, St. Francisville, Hammond and New Orleans**. **Best detail:** The movement data even hints at what happened next. After the festival, many attendees appeared to head home. It looked, DDD's Casey Tate said, like they were leaving for nap time. **The bottom line:** A festival rooted in spring and the victory of good over evil is growing in Baton Rouge, carried here by the city’s Indian community. The crowd data suggests downtown is attracting people for more than a quick stop. It is keeping them there, which is exactly what DDD wants. SPONSORED by rEDEYE Media [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/2026/04/RedEye-logomark.png)](#/portal/account/plans) ****Baton Rouge is not going to fix itself. It might, however, be better understood.** That is where RedEye comes in. We cover this parish with original reporting, sharp analysis and an interest in solutions rather than slogans. If our journalism has helped you make more sense of Baton Rouge, **please upgrade to a paid tier.** [Upgrade to Paid ](#/portal/account/plans) ### Fleur de Lis, anchovies an option URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/fleur-de-lis/ Last updated: 2026-04-08T01:22:26.000Z **Why it matters:** One of Baton Rouge’s most beloved old rooms is on track to return by fall, bringing back the rectangular pizzas, the cocktails and the peculiar charm that made Fleur de Lis feel like nowhere else. **The latest:** Construction paused a few weeks ago after projected renovation costs climbed past $2 million. But partner Andy Batson says a new contractor found a way to work with more of the existing building and bring the cost down enough to get the project moving again. Construction restarts this month, with an **opening planned for fall**, just as football season gets going. **The details:** The restaurant is being expanded to about 2,600 square feet, with a new kitchen and new bathrooms. What is not changing is the feel of the place. **“It will look just like it did when you walked in before,”** Batson says. “It’s still going to be a funky restaurant that serves cocktails and pizza.” **Who’s behind it:** Restaurateur Ozzie Fernandez and attorney Gordon McKernan are partners in the revival, along with Batson. Fernandez and McKernan already have a track record through Rocca, Lit Pizza, Modesto and Court and Table. **Yes, the pizza matters:** Fernandez has been leading the work to recreate the original Fleur de Lis pies using recipes that came with the $1.1 million purchase of the restaurant. He told *RedEye* that he tracked down ingredients through old invoices and brought in loyal customers to taste-test the results. **And the attitude:** The original Fleur de Lis was famous for service that could be off-putting. People still tell stories about the manager running people off for cursing. Batson joked that some of that sharp-edged spirit may return. **A little history, with sauce:** Fleur de Lis opened after World War II as a cocktail lounge. Mama Guercio began serving pizzas as free snacks with drinks. People loved them, and the pizzas became the restaurant's draw and money-maker. She baked them on cookie sheets, which became part of the legend. The thick front door, the jukebox, the pinball machine and the low ceilings all added to the feeling that you were entering a place that was a welcome carnival sideshow. **The classic order:** The Around the World pizza remains the one diners still talk about, usually with a side debate over anchovies, which were on the first Fleur de Lis pies. **Bottom line:** Baton Rouge does not get many true restaurant resurrections. This one, Batson says, will happen. And if the space feels the same, the drinks are cold and the pizza is as remembered, people from Baton Rouge and elsewhere will be happy to see the door swing again. **Keep reading: Les Miles and family try the pies for the first time.** [» The Best Pizza in the South![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/icon/grantland-g-2.svg)Wright Thompson![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c8/1d/c81d6c92-592f-461e-97d4-7573bc659b2b/content/images/thumbnail/dan-campbell-tri-e1446205953653-2.jpg)](https://grantland.com/features/the-best-pizza-south/?ref=redeyebr.com) ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Commentary: The compromise that wasn't URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/commentary-the-compromise-that-wasnt/ Last updated: 2026-04-08T01:12:05.000Z Monday night's [City-Brooks Park stakeholder meeting](https://www.redeyebr.com/splitting-the-city-park-golf-baby/) ended the way Baton Rouge civic processes usually end—with everyone unhappy and nothing resolved. That's not entirely fair. One group got what it wanted. **What happened:** Sasaki unveiled two concept options for the 154-acre park to about 30 invited stakeholders at the Knock Knock Children's Museum. Both preserve the golf course. Both distribute everything else across what's left—Brooks Park, the narrow rolling corridor between Brooks and Dalrymple Drive, and a lakefront edge loosely connected to the University Lakes renovation. **Why it matters:** Two groups arrived with completely different mental models. - Young park advocates had already accepted that golf wasn't going anywhere. They expected something meaningful in return. - The golf constituency regarded Sasaki's presentation as an opening bid. - By the end of the night, one side had extracted a concession. It wasn't the young advocates. **The tell:** Sasaki's Josh Brooks signaled that mini golf—one of the few amenities specifically designed to broaden the park's demographic reach—might not survive. His evidence: a Mentimeter poll of 28 people who skewed older, whiter and more pro-golf than Baton Rouge's actual population. Many couldn't get the technology to work. Sasaki's own public survey showed that its 1,084 respondents were 85% white and 43% earned over $150,000—and a second survey was launched to broaden its reach. That survey is still technically open. Does it really matter? Monday night's room carried more weight than all of them. For a master planning process with a $600,000 price tag, one might expect a scientific survey—one designed to capture the full community—to be the baseline. **Not one more inch:** The young advocates' stance has hardened. They see a plan that protects the most prominent, most beautiful terrain in the park—a 2,300-yard, 9-hole municipal course its defenders discuss as though it were our Augusta National—while cramming every "make everyone happy" amenity into what's left. Ashlé Young, a young leader, mother and wife from North Baton Rouge, framed the dynamic plainly: Baton Rouge will tell Black communities their park is closing and the next one is two miles away. It will not ask golfers to drive a mile to Webb Park. Not that Webb Park is an option, say Save Our Park advocates. They argue "Webble Beach"—as the course is known among regulars—is already at capacity and couldn't absorb the influx should City Park be dramatically altered. Every door, in their view, is closed. Every compromise, a threat. **Forced perspective:** The renderings look ambitious. A rec center. A 400-meter public track. An amphitheater. A botanical experience. A braided bayou. A skate park. An oak canopy walk. A lakefront promenade. The available footprint, once golf is protected, is much smaller than any of that suggests. Something gets lost in translation from rendering to reality. Privately, people on both sides of the golf debate have questioned whether the designs are actually feasible as presented. The young advocates who compromised aren't just getting less than they hoped. They may be getting less than they've been shown. **The wild card:** The course is one of about 25 remaining Tom Bendelow signature municipal designs in the country—a fact that became key to preservation debates roughly 20 years ago when serious suggestions first emerged about reimagining the property. Convenient timing aside, Sasaki hasn't asked the accrediting organization whether its proposed alterations would cost the course that status. For a deal this big—and a decision so important—that's a notable oversight. **The bigger picture:** This isn't happening in isolation. Baton Rouge has more [community-defining projects](https://www.redeyebr.com/br-big-choices/) in motion than it has seen in decades. - The $79 million University Lakes restoration is on track to finish dredging by year's end. - A $400 million LSU arena is moving toward reality on the Nicholson corridor, anchoring an emerging entertainment district its backers describe as transformative. - Plan Baton Rouge III—the first update to the city's downtown master plan since 2009, also led by Sasaki—is expected to be unveiled shortly. Those who've had an early look have one word for it: underwhelming. **The conservancy question:** Lost in Monday night's back-and-forth was perhaps the most consequential item on Sasaki's agenda. Brooks confirmed the firm's scope includes assessing whether a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservancy model—rather than continued BREC management—would better serve City-Brooks Park's future. A recommendation is expected within two months. No matter what one thinks of the current options, sustainable execution of any master plan likely requires exactly that kind of model. BREC, whatever its merits, has proven susceptible to organized political pressure. The golf constituency knows this. They have repeatedly and effectively demonstrated how to work that dynamic. A conservancy board operates differently. The playbook that has worked so well inside BREC's structure may not translate. That alone may explain why the conservancy question, raised quietly near the end of the meeting, generated so little enthusiasm from certain corners of the room. **The promise:** BREC Commission chairman Mike Polito framed this entire process around a single idea. "City Park needs to be what the next generations want it to be," he told [*RedEye*](https://www.redeyebr.com/the-park-baton-rouge-keeps-almost-building/) last month. Those next generations have shown up for this process, though few were invited Monday night. They compromised. They spoke. Now they're holding the line. **The bottom line:** For more than a generation, Baton Rouge leaders have preached the importance of making this community a more desirable place for young people to live, work and play. When those young people finally pull up a chair, the room has a way of filling up with other people's priorities. Is anyone listening? *—JR Ball* ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Splitting the City Park golf baby URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/splitting-the-city-park-golf-baby/ Last updated: 2026-04-07T03:03:52.000Z The City Park golf course is remaining. At least most of it, and in much the same geographic footprint the 9-hole course has occupied since 1928. The suspense-ending decision—announced by Josh Brooks, the Sasaki planner and landscape architect working with BREC—came at the start of an invitation-only stakeholders meeting on the City-Brooks Park Master Plan, held Monday evening at the Knock Knock Children's Museum. **What it means:** While the reimagining effort is about the entire 154-acre park, the decades-long debate about the golf course has dominated the process. Sasaki's "split the baby" attempt left both sides unhappy. **Says it all:** "Sasaki won't make any recommendation to remove golf as a program," said Brooks. - "We're going to keep the golf course, but carefully adjust the footprint around the edges," said Lanmuzhi Yang, a senior associate at Sasaki. **The big picture:** Sasaki's team of designers unveiled two primary options for the park—a big loop concept that strives to bring park users together from the outside in, and an "active armature" pitch that works from the inside out along Dalrymple Drive, which bisects the park. - The loop proposal focuses more on nature along the park's border with the University Lakes, with active areas—including a 400-meter track and rec center—in the Brooks Park section of the complex, as well as the area near the existing Raising Cane's dog park. - The second option builds out from Dalrymple and includes more community activity space around the lakes. - Both concepts include tennis courts, a sports field, croquet, a putt-putt course and various food and drink options. There's also space for an amphitheater, playgrounds and an expanded footprint for the popular Baton Rouge Gallery. - One attendee pressed Sasaki on what she called the neglect of the Brooks Park side, noting the first public survey didn't include questions specific to that half of the facility. Brooks outlined planned improvements—a rec center, upgraded pool and public track—but acknowledged the connectivity gap is real. - More details about the master plan will be revealed at a public meeting tentatively set for April 22 at 5:30 p.m. at the McKinley Alumni Center, moved there from the original venue in anticipation of a larger turnout. **All about the golf:** Almost all of the feedback from the roughly 30 community stakeholders revolved around plans for the course. - Sasaki and BREC officials repeatedly said the master plan remains a work in progress. Still, the working theory is to alter "three or four holes," reducing the yardage to 1,950 yards from its current 2,300 yards and making it a par-31 course (currently par-32). - In the corner where the third tee box currently sits, renderings show an enlarged putting and practice area and a mini golf course. - Yang, responding to desires to leave the course untouched, said the plan is to "improve the golf experience" with "comprehensive improvement." - One attendee raised a pointed question Brooks could not answer: whether the proposed alterations would jeopardize the course's status as one of roughly 25 municipal Tom Bendelow signature designs still in existence in the country. Brooks acknowledged Sasaki had not yet posed that question to the relevant organization. - Developer Scott Bardwell challenged Brooks directly, suggesting Sasaki had predetermined its recommendation on golf and was running public input as cover. Brooks denied it. **Management matters:** Brooks confirmed that Sasaki's scope of work includes evaluating whether City-Brooks Park would be better served by a 501(c) (3) nonprofit conservancy model—similar to arrangements used by parks around the country—rather than by continued management by BREC. A recommendation to the special committee is expected within two months. **The bottom line:** As one attendee said, "Give Sasaki credit, they found a way to upset everyone." ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Why those old power poles get under our skin URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/why-those-old-power-poles-get-under-our-skin/ Last updated: 2026-04-06T21:32:30.000Z ### Baton Rouge notices unfinished things. Broken curbs. Dead plants in medians. Abandoned power poles. We are not alone in this. People everywhere get irritated by things that look almost done but aren’t. They wonder why the last step never comes. **The idea:** There is a name for it: **the Zeigarnik effect**. It is the tendency to remember unfinished tasks better than finished ones. Completion gives the brain closure. Incompletion lingers, like an open tab you keep meaning to close. **Why it matters:** Some of the frustration is about the thing itself. A dead plant in the median looks bad. An old utility pole scars a streetscape. But some of it is deeper. Half-done work sends a message. It suggests that no one is fully in charge, or that the final details never matter enough to get finished. **The local angle:** Baton Rouge has a lot of visible loose ends. - Government Street improved, and our attention shifts to the broken irrigation system in the medians. - Pollution in Capitol Lake even after taxpayers spent money on booms that are meant to clean the waterway - A power company replaces poles, but the old ones remain for decades as monuments to neglect. That is how the Zeigarnik effect works in public life. The mind keeps returning to what is unresolved. **The bottom line:** People can live with dust, detours and disruption when they believe the work is leading somewhere. What wears them down is the sense that too much in Baton Rouge stays half-done, left behind or waiting on one last crew that never seems to arrive. Visible completion matters because it is how people learn to trust that things are actually getting better. ### Meat and two URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/meat-and-two/ Last updated: 2026-04-06T21:30:33.000Z A few years ago, Baton Rouge was having a moment in food. New local restaurants were opening with confidence, personality and something to say. Now that momentum has slowed, pressed by high fees, changing habits and margins so thin they barely count. **Why it matters:** Running a restaurant has become a tougher gamble, even for experienced operators. The numbers no longer work the way they used to. In 2017, Baton Rouge’s restaurant scene felt unusually alive. Brad Watts opened K Street, part of a wave of more creative local concepts. That same year, Cocha, Eliza and Curbside Burgers also opened. “There were a lot of very cool and interesting places that opened,” says Watts, now owner of Cecelia and River Room, and board member of the Baton Rouge chapter of the Louisiana Restaurant Association. **What changed:** Covid did more than interrupt the business. It changed the economics. Food and labor costs rose, and the profits that remained after the pandemic got shaved down even further. One of the biggest pressures is less visible to customers: **credit card fees**. Watts testified to Congress recently that three major card issuers dominate the market, helping keep processing fees high even as technology has made transactions easier and cheaper to handle. The rough math is ugly. A card company can take about 4% of a sale, Watts tells *RedEye*. Many restaurants after Covid are left making about 5% profit. “The old knuckle buster is gone,” Watts says, referring to the old manual credit card machines. Cash is rare now, and convenience comes with a cost to the operator. **The shift in customers:** The habits changed, too. Watts says younger diners are less likely to keep alive the old rhythm of happy hours and late dinners out. Instead, many go straight home. “They check on a pet. They all have pets. They put on their stretch pants and order DoorDash.” **The delivery problem:** That does not mean delivery apps are saving restaurants. For many operators, the fees are punishing. Watts wants no part of it at Cecelia. If people want his food, they have to come downtown for it. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### What Louisiana leaves on the table URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/what-louisiana-leaves-on-the-table/ Last updated: 2026-04-06T21:46:38.000Z Louisiana's tipping habits reveal a deeper story about the state's economy. **Why it matters:** Tipping data offers a window into regional wealth disparities—not just generosity—and Louisiana sits near the bottom of both rankings. **By the numbers:** Restaurant payment company Toast found that Louisiana's average tip in Q4 was 18.6%, ranking the state at No. 41 nationally. - That's below the 18.8% national average. - Louisiana edged out Mississippi by 0.1 percentage point. - Tips at full-service restaurants nationwide averaged 19.2% in Q4 2025, flat from the prior quarter. **The top and bottom:** Delaware led the pack with averages around 21% or higher. California trailed everyone at 17.2%. **Yes, but:** The wealth-equals-generosity theory has its limits. California, one of the richest states in the country, came in dead last—but there's a clearer explanation. Restaurant workers there earn the full minimum wage rather than a lower tipped wage, so diners tend to treat tips as a reward for good service rather than a subsidy for low pay. Same with two other low-tipping states, Oregon and Washington. **The big picture:** Louisiana's low ranking doesn't necessarily signal stingier diners. It may reflect a simpler reality: people in lower-income states have less room to tip generously, regardless of intent. ### Can a Tiger catch a Husky? URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/can-a-tiger-catch-a-husky/ Last updated: 2026-04-06T21:43:15.000Z As LSU signals a willingness to build a nationally competitive men's basketball program under Will Wade, a comparison with UConn—the gold standard in combined basketball investment—reveals how far the Tigers have to go. **Money madness:** UConn spent [$34 million](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7165839/2026/04/02/uconn-women-men-march-madness-financial-nil-comparison/?ref=redeyebr.com) on men's and women's basketball combined in the 2025 fiscal year. **LSU spent roughly $22–23** **million**—an $11–12 million gap annually. - The Huskies have reached the **Final Four with both programs in the same season six times**—the only school to do it more than once. - UConn is the only program to win national titles in both sports in the same season, doing it in 2004 and 2014. **The breakdown:** - LSU women's basketball: \~$12M in expenses, $4.2M in revenue—a $7.9M deficit absorbed largely by football's $66.8M surplus - LSU men's basketball: \~$10.8M in expenses, $13.3M in revenue—actually turned a $2.5M profit, mostly on the strength of the SEC's TV deal **Priority points:** UConn's $34 million basketball investment represents nearly a third of its entire athletic budget. LSU's combined basketball spend is roughly 10 cents of every athletic dollar. - UConn's all-in athletic budget was $109.7M in FY2025, roughly half of LSU's $219.6M. However, skewing LSU's figure is the cash—and expense—cow that is football. Even removing football, LSU spends more operating its other sports ($168.9M) than UConn's entire athletic budget. - The Huskies spend more on basketball than **LSU does on basketball and baseball combined** (\~$32.9–$33.4M). **The real world:** These figures reflect only direct athletic department spending. The actual combined investment for both schools is significantly higher once third-party NIL collectives and revenue-sharing commitments are factored in. **The bottom line:** LSU's women are already playing at a national level. The men aren't yet, and closing the gap with programs like UConn means spending more than a program that went 14–18 last year has earned. Wade's mandate is real. So is the price tag. ### Baton Rouge: Week at a Glance | April 6–12, 2026 URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/baton-rouge-week-at-a-glance-april-6-12-2026/ Last updated: 2026-04-05T20:32:27.000Z **Why it matters:** Live After Five returns, the opera comes back to a big stage and a packed Saturday gives you no excuse to stay home. **🗓️ *Tuesday, April 7*** 🎬 **The Godfather—7:30 p.m.** 📍 Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. - Francis Ford Coppola's mob masterpiece on the big screen for $5\. [Tickets](https://www.manshiptheatre.org/comingsoon/the-godfather-1972?ref=redeyebr.com) at Manship Theatre—and check the[ full spring lineup](https://www.manshiptheatre.org/comingsoon?ref=redeyebr.com) while you're there. **🗓️ *Thursday, April 9*** 🎨 **LSU School of Art Grad Walk—5:30–8 p.m.** 📍 Barnes Ogden Gallery, 31 S. Campus Drive, LSU - MFA graduate open studio with live music, a glowing lantern installation and refreshments. Free and open to the public. 🎻 **BRSO String Quartet—7:30 p.m.** 📍 Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge - An intimate chamber performance from the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra's[ Lamar Family Chamber Series](https://www.brso.org/tickets/?ref=redeyebr.com). **🗓️ *Thurs.–Sat., April 9–11*** 🏒 **Baton Rouge Zydeco vs. Biloxi Breakers—7:05 p.m.** 📍 Raising Cane's River Center Arena - Three home games for BR's hockey team—Thursday, Friday and Saturday.[ Tickets](https://raisingcanesrivercenter.com/events-tickets/?ref=redeyebr.com) at the River Center box office. **🗓️ *Friday, April 10*** 🎵 **Live After Five—Opening Night, 5–8 p.m.** 📍 North Boulevard Town Square, downtown - The Michael Foster Project kicks off BR's largest free concert series—six Fridays through May 22\. This year's full six-show run was nearly cut before MAPP Construction and b1Bank each stepped in with $15,000 to keep the music going. Bring a lawn chair.[ Full lineup](https://downtownbr.org/live-after-five/?ref=redeyebr.com) at the Downtown Business Association. **🗓️ *Saturday, April 11*** 🌱 **Red Stick Farmers Market—8 a.m.–noon** 📍 5th & Main Street, downtown - Fresh produce, local vendors and community at BR's flagship[ open-air market](https://breada.org/red-stick-farmers-market/?ref=redeyebr.com). First Saturday of the month means the[ Baton Rouge Arts Market](https://www.artsbr.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) runs alongside it—original pottery, jewelry, paintings and more. 🌿 **StoryTime in the Garden—9 a.m.–noon** 📍 LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden, 4560 Essen Lane - Stories, arts and crafts for children ages 3–8\. Free, no registration required. 🎭 **Opéra Louisiane: *Madama Butterfly*—7 p.m.** 📍 River Center Theatre for Performing Arts, 240 St. Louis St. - Puccini's heartbreaking masterpiece returns to BR's biggest stage—one night only. Sets from the New Orleans Opera, costumes from the Paris Opera, musicians drawn from both the BRSO and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. Sung in Italian with supertitles. [Tickets](https://www.operalouisiane.com/?ref=redeyebr.com) at Opéra Louisiane. 🍹 **Baton Rouge Margarita Festival—noon–6 p.m.** 📍 Court to Table Kitchen & Bar, 7477 Burbank Drive - 2,500 attendees, 10 margarita samples included with your ticket, live DJ, food vendors and a beer garden. The winning bar takes home $1,000; a portion of the proceeds benefits children's charities. [Tickets](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-baton-rouge-margarita-festival-tickets-1980482885624?ref=redeyebr.com) from $55. ### Pothole playbook URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/baton-rouge-needs-this-2/ Last updated: 2026-04-05T20:28:23.000Z Baton Rouge has discovered that one of the least glamorous functions of municipal government makes for good politics. Under Mayor-President Sid Edwards, the city’s “Pothole Posse” has been repairing 40 to 50 street divots a week, with more than 2,000 filled since he took office. Well done, Mr. Mayor. Now comes the more interesting question. Can pothole repair be industrialized? Enter the Python 5000, a machine that sounds absurd but may be the Drew Brees of pothole repair. Operated by a crew of one, it automates much of the job: cutting out the damaged area, shaping angled edges and laying a sturdier patch than the usual municipal method of dumping tar and moving on. The result lasts longer. Whether Baton Rouge needs such a contraption is less clear. The machine is said to cost around $450,000, uses more material and is hardly cheap to run. It saves manpower, but not money in any obvious sense. Yet, a new development could clearly upend the pothole repair enterprise. And AI is involved. A British firm is testing an autonomous pothole fixer that roves through cities to find and fix potholes, with no crew required. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Spring market season opens URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/spring-market-season-opens/ Last updated: 2026-04-05T20:25:54.000Z Baton Rouge's farmers market network is firing back up—four weekly locations, fresh produce and a nonprofit that's become one of the city's most effective civic assets. **Why it matters:** Livability drives talent retention. Riverbend Research found that **73% of Red Stick Farmers Market shoppers** say the market makes Baton Rouge feel like home. **A popular attraction:** One of the largest farmers markets in Louisiana, [BREADA'](http://www.breada.org/?ref=redeyebr.com)s Red Stick Farmers Market reaches an estimated **1.2 million people annually**. It is a producer-only market—every item sold must be grown in Louisiana—connecting Baton Rouge directly to farmers from 14 parishes across South Louisiana. Spring season additions starting April 14: - **Tuesdays, 3–6 p.m.**—Vendors set up in the public plaza at the **Main Library at Goodwood**, offering shaded walkways, seating and a large LED screen alongside BREC's Independence Community Park and Botanic Gardens. - **Wednesdays, 9 a.m.–noon (starting April 22)**—The mobile market returns to the **ExxonMobil YMCA**, pairing fresh food access with fitness in one location. BREADA dietician Nick Bennett kicks things off with a cooking demonstration. - Three Seed Swap events run April 9–14 at Pennington, 5th & Main and Goodwood. Year-round markets continue Thursdays at Pennington Biomedical and Saturdays at 5th & Main, both 8 a.m.–noon. SNAP benefits are accepted at all locations, with purchases matched dollar-for-dollar up to $40 a day—a program that has become a national model. **The Bottom Line:** Farmers markets aren't just weekend entertainment. They're part of what makes a city worth staying in. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### 'At this time' URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/at-this-time/ Last updated: 2026-04-05T20:02:04.000Z Jay Johnson isn't going anywhere. He said so himself—almost. **What it means:** LSU's two-time national champion baseball coach has made no secret of his concern over the program's funding. Now **every word he utters is being micro-analyzed by fans** and insiders alike for signs of a wandering eye. **What happened:** Asked last Wednesday about his interest in managing at the Major League level, Johnson[ chose his words carefully](https://worldbaseball.com/lsus-jay-johnson-addresses-the-idea-of-an-mlb-job-in-the-future/?ref=redeyebr.com). "I have zero interest in that at this time," he said. "Now, that is at this time. I will say that I have not been offered an MLB job." **The backstory:** *RedEye* sources within the LSU administration and the booster community confirm the concern is real. "Keep Jay" has become something of an internal rallying cry—but sources say it will take roster money, not words, to make it happen. Player acquisition increasingly resembles a free agent market, and LSU baseball isn't keeping pace. - Johnson told *Tiger Rag* in February: "There are some schools that are all in on baseball. And we need to be one of those schools. We're not there yet." - As *RedEye* reported last week in a [three-part series](https://www.redeyebr.com/winning-has-a-price/) on the business of LSU Athletics, the department faces mounting pressure to fund four programs—possibly five, if including gymnastics—at national title-contending levels simultaneously. Baseball's slice of that pie is very much in question. - Tennessee's Tony Vitello—Johnson's most prominent rival—departed for the San Francisco Giants after last season. Johnson on Vitello's transition: "I think it is cool and awesome. I'm following it closely. I am very interested in how it goes." **The bottom line:** LSU has one of the most valuable baseball programs in the country. Keeping the coach who made it that way will cost more than words. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### What comes after an urban success URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/what-comes-after-an-urban-success/ Last updated: 2026-04-07T03:04:13.000Z Government Street’s road diet was once easy prey for NIMBY complaints. Now, after the results, most of the grumbling has gone quiet. **Why it matters:** Converting Government from four lanes to three, with bike lanes alongside, created a safer corridor with more retailers. It also gave Mid City a more real identity as a place. **The catch:** The work is not finished. Planners, developers, property owners and civic leaders say the next phase is about steady improvements that build on the momentum already there, plus one catalytic project. **How we got here:** Government used to be a fast, uncomfortable road. The [Center for Planning Excellence](https://cpex.org/?ref=redeyebr.com) helped change the conversation with a [pop-up demonstration](https://cpex.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/BBBR%5Freport%5Ffinal%5Fweb.pdf?ref=redeyebr.com) showing that Government could work better for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. Then-Mayor Kip Holden backed the redesign, and the Louisiana Department of Transportation carried it out. **What happened next:** The results backed up the idea. Two years after the road diet, sales tax growth along Government was 26% higher than the citywide rate, [per a study](https://archive.strongtowns.org/journal/2023/10/16/welcome-to-the-new-complete-government-street?ref=redeyebr.com) by the Greater Baton Rouge Economic Partnership, then BRAC. Monthly traffic incidents were cut in half, even as the corridor attracted more activity. That helped turn Government into more than a pass-through. A friend of *RedEye* noted last week that older residents knew the area by individual neighborhoods. Younger people are more likely to call it Mid City. **That is what happens when a corridor becomes a destination.** **What is still in the way:** Developers and commercial real estate agents say absent landlords are slowing progress, while some want too much for idle properties. Some property owners add that neglected buildings help feed blight and, in some areas, crime. Another tension is the cost of doing new development the right way. New mixed-use projects on Government face stricter urban design rules, such as requiring buildings to be brought closer to the street to create a stronger streetscape. That raises costs. But it also creates the kind of corridor that attracts customers. **The big picture:** The next step is to keep improving Government to draw more people, strengthen neighborhoods and cement Mid City as one of the parish’s most interesting places. Below are ideas from people in the know. **• Justin Lemoine—**the landscape architect who created Mid City Makers Market and led the installation of the sculpture next to Baton Rouge Magnet High School, sees several practical moves. 1. **Streetscape improvements** could help make Mid City feel more like Baton Rouge’s arts district. That could include more sculptures along Government. Lemoine’s group also wants Mid City flags on utility poles to give the corridor a unifying visual identity. 2. **Medians on Government need another look.** They have slipped into disrepair because the original plantings were hard to maintain and the irrigation system failed. Lemoine says native plants would survive without expensive upkeep. He is working with a group to pull that off. 3. **Storefronts need to catch up to the new Government Street.** Many of those frontages were designed for the old four-lane road, not the calmer corridor that exists today. Lemoine recommends parish design grants to spur property owners to reshape those spaces so they fit the street Government has become. 4. **One big project is needed:** a catalytic redevelopment on the former eight-acre state-owned site next to Albertsons. Lemoine's idea is to land a developer such as Mike Wampold to build a boutique hotel and related retail. The property is for sale. **• Camille Manning-Broome–**The EO of CPEX says safety for cyclists, landscaping upgrades and rewriting the city code should be next. 1. **Dropping speeds from 45 to 35 mph was a good start.** Getting to 30 mph or below would make the street feel safer. To separate cyclists, a few proven solutions: buffered lanes with painted space between bikes and cars, flex posts that create a low-cost barrier, and, where possible, curb-protected lanes with a real physical divide. 2. **Plant street trees in existing wells and create landscaped buffers** for physical and psychological separation, helping to calm traffic, reduce speeds and create a more inviting public realm. 3. **Audit and rewrite code and policy to encourage walkable, mixed-use development.** Changes include modernizing parking requirements, encouraging infill and aligning land use with the vision for a people-centered corridor. **• Whitney Hoffman-Sayal—**the ED of the Downtown Development District says more housing along the corridor should be a priority, along with reworking Government in downtown. 1. **More residents mean more eyes on the street,** which can help reduce crime and strengthen the urban fabric between downtown and Mid City. She says tools such as new construction tax abatements could help make that happen. 2. **The Government Street makeover essentially stops at Interstate 110.** West of the highway, downtown still has a four-lane version of Government. Hoffman-Sayal says that the stretch, especially given future River Center plans, should eventually be remade into something more walkable and bike-friendly, extending all the way to the river. 3. **Policy changes that speed improvements would help.** To that end, Madison, Wisconsin, offers a useful example. The city has embraced incrementalism, trying low-cost ideas before making larger commitments. And that's exactly how the transformation of Government happened, with a low-cost pop-up that let people dream what the road could become. **Bottom line:** Government Street’s road diet was not the end of the story. It was the first chapter. The next gains will come from a series of moves that make Mid City greener, denser, more attractive and more clearly itself. ### An aria for ambition URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/an-aria-for-ambition/ Last updated: 2026-04-02T14:05:49.000Z Baton Rouge can support a vibrant opera company. Paul Groves believes that, and he is putting the theory to an early test. **Why it matters:** Cities such as Omaha and Pensacola have built strong opera audiences. Groves, the new artistic director of [Opera Louisiane](https://www.operalouisiane.com/?ref=redeyebr.com), thinks Baton Rouge can do the same if the company aims high. **The first move:** Opera Louisiane will stage Giacomo Puccini’s *Madama Butterfly* for one night only on Saturday, April 11, at the River Center Theatre. Groves is not easing into the job. He has chosen one of the best-known operas in the repertory, betting that audience growth starts with work people recognize and a production that feels worth leaving home for. **About Groves:** He is a Lake Charles native, LSU School of Music graduate and tenor who spent four decades singing at the highest level of opera. His career included winning the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions and performing on international stages. Now he is back at LSU as a teacher and has taken over Opera Louisiane after first being asked for advice on how to grow the audience. His conclusion: better to do the work himself. “I decided that I can’t tell them what to do. Better that I run the company,” said Groves, 61\. “I’ve had such an incredible career and been so fortunate. It’s my turn to give back.” **What his plan looks like:** Start with productions that feel generous and ambitious. That means visual richness. The *Madama Butterfly* costumes first appeared in Paris. It also means taking a risk on young singers with promise. The lead is soprano Teresa Perrotta, winner of the Metropolitan Opera’s 2023 Eric and Dominique Laffont Competition Grand Finals. She made her Met debut last season. In Baton Rouge, she will sing Cio-Cio-San for the first time in her career. That gives Opera Louisiane a useful angle: audiences here will see a rising international singer take on one of opera’s most demanding and beloved roles for the first time. “She will be very famous for this role, and her first performance of it will be here,” Groves said. **Bottom line:** Paul Groves is wagering that Baton Rouge, if offered something generous and exacting, will answer with applause. If he is right, the city may gain not simply a successful evening, but an institution of art that makes daily life feel a little larger. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### That's what living is to me URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/thats-what-living-is-to-me/ Last updated: 2026-04-02T02:31:53.000Z Come Monday, somewhere on I-10, a supersized SUV packed with floaties, a cooler, two arguing siblings, and a dog who has already claimed the entire back seat will be crossing into Mississippi. Godspeed. And thank you for your service. Spring break is here. The schools are dark on Monday. The parents flee. And for one glorious week, Baton Rouge belongs to the rest of us. Siegen Lane at 8 a.m.? Moving. Perkins Road, from South Acadian to Essen, at actual speed? Check. A left turn from the Starbucks onto College Drive without a spotter and a prayer? Yes! It will be quieter around here next week. And quieter around here feels like a miracle. The beach towns will be full. Disney World will hit 140% capacity and someone will definitely be crying near Cinderella Castle—child or parent, hard to say. Orange Beach and the Flora-Bama will be wall-to-wall. Rosemary Beach will be doing its best. And as the late, great Jimmy Buffett once put it, they will all be "somewhere other than here." Which leaves the streets to us. The ones who stayed. The ones with meetings that can't be moved, dogs that don't travel well, and a deep, abiding appreciation for a commute that doesn't require therapy afterward. One week. Savor it. They'll be back the following Monday, tanned and exhausted, right in time for school drop-off and a return to gridlock. *—JR Ball* ### What's the deal with tipping? URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/whats-the-deal-with-tipping/ Last updated: 2026-04-02T02:27:20.000Z You ordered a drip coffee. You picked it up yourself. And then the screen flipped around. 18%? 20%? 25%? Or maybe you called ahead for a to-go order. Drove there. Walked in. Picked up a bag sitting on a counter with your name on it. And the screen flipped around again. You're not imagining it, you're not being cheap and you're definitely not alone. 41% of Americans say tipping culture has gotten out of control. The tip used to mean something. You sat down, someone took care of you and you left a little extra to say thanks. That was the deal. **Tip on tips:** After the Civil War, employers hired Black workers—particularly in the railroad industry—without paying them wages. The tip was the wage. Congress eventually required a base pay, then froze it at $2.13 an hour in 1991\. It hasn't moved since. So every time the screen flips around, you're completing a transaction designed 150 years ago to let employers off the hook. A nice system if you can get it. Three things turned a quaint restaurant custom into everybody's problem: - **The technology.** Digital payment terminals made asking for a tip completely frictionless—zero awkwardness, zero cost, zero risk for the business. The discomfort lands entirely on you. - **COVID.** Pandemic-era sympathy normalized tipping in places that never asked before—and when it was over, they never stopped asking. - **Contagion.**[ 46% of consumers now tip at coffee shops, 32% at food trucks, and 27% at fast-food outlets.](https://www.restroworks.com/blog/restaurant-tipping-statistics/?ref=redeyebr.com) Once one category normalizes it, the next one follows. And the tip prompt itself? When any business signs up for Square, Toast or Clover, a tip screen comes baked into the checkout flow. Most owners never actively turned it on. They just never turned it off. Meanwhile, prices keep climbing, 15% is apparently no longer acceptable, and the ask keeps expanding into every corner of retail and service life. What was once a nudge is now just part of the bill. **The Bottom Line:** Nobody voted for this. A software company left a box checked—and now the airport self-checkout kiosk wants 20%. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Baton Rouge needs this URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/baton-rouge-needs-this/ Last updated: 2026-04-02T14:13:22.000Z Somewhere in Japan, a grown adult in a helmet and knee pads is crouched over an office chair, legs churning, eyes locked on the horizon, racing. Not metaphorically. Actually racing. The ISU-1 Grand Prix—Isu meaning "chair" in Japanese, because of course it does—has been sending teams of three through city streets since 2009, when a man named Tsuyoshi Tahara decided the best way to revitalize a local shopping arcade was to block off the road and let office workers go full Le Mans on wheeled desk chairs. Top finishers cover 20-plus kilometers in two hours. The prize is 90 kilograms of rice. In Tokyo, it's five kilograms of tuna. Toyota fields a team. This is real life. **And all we could think was:** Third Street. April. A brass band. Local companies trash-talk each other in the sponsor tent. Someone from a tech startup shows up with a gaming chair and gets disqualified on the spot while the crowd erupts. Baton Rouge has a Fat Boy 5K. It has a Mardi Gras Mambo 10-K. It has a crawfish-eating contest, a gumbo cook-off and roughly 40 festivals that all somehow feel like the same festival. What it does not have is something delightfully, defiantly stupid—the kind of event that makes young professionals feel like this city belongs to them. The RedEye Races. Third Street. April. Someone make the call. ### Sludge to sward URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/sludge-to-sward/ Last updated: 2026-04-01T00:16:32.000Z It looks like a muddy mess now. In front of LSU’s Lod Cook Alumni Center, the University Lakes restoration project has piled up dredged material on the shoreline. But that mess is meant to become something far more appealing: a new park on the lakes. **What’s happening:** When the project is finished and the mud dries out, the area in front of Lod Cook will become a 4.2-acre lawn, says Mark Goodson, project manager for CSRS Inc. The space is intended to remain a passive lawn. Think frisbees, picnics, children kicking a soccer ball, and wedding and other event rentals. **The big picture:** New parks and promenades were part of the original lakes master plan, which got an important thing right: if Baton Rouge was going to save its silting lakes, it should also **make the shoreline more useful and welcoming**. **Bottom line:** A few people don’t like the lakes restoration project. But dredging was necessary to save the lakes, and turning that material into parks and promenades is a sensible trade—one that gives more people reason to enjoy Baton Rouge’s best outdoor space. ### Winning has a price URL: https://www.redeyebr.com/winning-has-a-price/ Last updated: 2026-04-01T00:16:13.000Z LSU fans have plenty to cheer about. Lane Kiffin is on the sideline. Will Wade is back. Nike just made LSU the launch school for its marquee NIL program. A corporate logo now sits on the Tiger Stadium turf. A Woodside Energy patch is coming to every jersey across all 21 sports. The billion-dollar machine is swinging big. The question few wish to discuss: Who's paying for it—and what gets squeezed? **What it means:** LSU Athletics is building a new financial architecture in real time, monetizing every available surface to keep pace with an arms race that its own athletic director admits isn't sustainable. The deals are real. So is the debt. **The agony of defeat:** Before Kiffin coaches a single game, LSU is carrying roughly **$75–$76 million** in obligations to people no longer on staff: - Brian Kelly buyout: \~$54 million - Matt McMahon buyout: \~$8 million - Scott Woodward exit package: \~$6.4–6.7 million - Will Wade NC State buyout: \~$4 million - Assistant staff remnants: $3–5 million (estimated) That's **dead money**—guaranteed payments to coaches and an administrator who won't win LSU a single game. It will be paid out over several years, and boosters will likely absorb much of it. But every dollar covering the past is a dollar that can't build the future. **Hope costs:** Dead money is only part of it. Layer in what's coming: - Kiffin's contract: $91 million commitment going forward - Wade's contract: $30 million over seven years - 2026 football roster: projected north of $40 million - New annual revenue-sharing mandate: $20.5 million—every year, starting now - Wade's roster rebuild: cost undisclosed, but real - Kim Mulkey's $6 million salary structure—and her well-documented appetite for more LSU generated a $3.8 million surplus in FY2025\. That number is technically accurate and nearly meaningless. The projected FY2026 deficit is $25–35 million—the worst in modern program history. **New money:** LSU isn't standing still. Three deals in eight months signal an aggressive push to find revenue beyond tickets and TAF donations: - **Venture Global's logo** on the Tiger Stadium 25-yard lines—Death Valley's first on-field advertisement in 101 years. - **Nike** extended through 2036, with LSU as the launch school for its Blue Ribbon Elite NIL program. - **Woodside Energy** on all 21 sports uniforms starting in 2026-27—the first comprehensive jersey patch deal in college athletics. Traditionalists have complaints. But Deputy AD Clay Harris wasn't wrong when he called it simply "how collegiate athletics can evolve." The patch and the turf logo aren't sellouts. **They're survival**. What none of these deals have disclosed publicly: how much they're actually worth. And it's likely just the beginning—LSU is under pressure to find more. **High heat:** Jay Johnson has won two national championships at LSU in four years. He is the highest-paid college baseball coach in the country at $3.05 million annually. He is, by any measure, the most successful coach on campus not named Mulkey or Clark (Jay, he coaches gymnastics). And he is saying, plainly, that **LSU baseball isn't where it needs to be**. "Schools are going to have to decide what sports they want to be really good in," Johnson told *Tiger Rag* in February. "There are some schools that are all in on baseball. And we need to be one of those schools. **We're not there yet**." That's not a complaint. That's a warning—from the one coach on campus most capable of leaving for greener pastures. **Truth speak:** Asked about prioritization across sports, **Athletic Director Verge Ausberry** didn't hedge. This week, he announced a departmental restructuring built explicitly around revenue generation—pushing administrators out of offices and onto the street to raise money. - "Not the same days of the old athletic director sitting in the offices just dictating what you're doing. Now we've got to be out there, concentrating and focusing on how we generate revenue." The candor extends to the financial picture itself: - "We have to realize there is donor fatigue. There is NIL donor fatigue and ticket price fatigue among our customers. We can't just keep going up, going up and asking donors for this and that. We're straining the whole system. This system we're sitting in today is not sustainable. Not at all." TAF—the Tiger Athletic Foundation, LSU's primary private funding arm—has shifted its mission from funding capital projects to plugging operating gaps. It has been, as Ausberry put it directly, **"bailing us out for the last 10 years at close to $100 million."** Bond obligations and facilities debt sit on top of that, in amounts that aren't publicly disclosed. The donor pool is finite. The claims on it have never been greater. **The bottom line:** Football must win—and win big—every year. Every other decision flows from that. The Kiffin hire, the Wade hire, the jersey patch, the turf logo: all bets on the engine. Johnson's warning is what happens when the wealth doesn't distribute fast enough. Ausberry's admission is what it sounds like when the people running the machine say, out loud, that the math doesn't work forever. ## Sign up for RedEye Journalism to kickstart Baton Rouge Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. _Includes the latest 500 public posts. Use `/sitemap.xml` for the complete archive of public content._