Today's top headlines.
with Jennifer Wadsworth | Assistant metro editorWelcome back to your top-of-the-morning news roundup. Strip club's million-dollar paydayOf $8 million in federal aid to help capital region businesses weather the pandemic, a sizable chunk went to a Baton Rouge strip club. Though the grant rules explicitly exclude venues with performances "of prurient sexual nature," a million bucks wound up in the pockets of The Penthouse Club. Business reporter Kristen Mosbrucker has the scoop. Shockingly little accountabilityAlton Sterling's death by two BRPD officers in 2016 prompted protests, scrutiny and vows to change. But in the five years since, Baton Rouge police have continued to run into controversy over excessive force, questionable searches and corruption. Now, activists want the feds to intervene. Fentanyl-detecting tests now legalSmall rectangular strips that detect whether there's fentanyl in a batch of drugs are now legal in East Baton Rouge. Now that the Metro Council OK'd their use, advocates and first-responders can distribute them to people who struggle with addiction. The hope is that allowing people to test what's in their drugs will prevent accidental overdose deaths. Reporter Paul Cobler has the story. Plan to divert library funds failsAlso in East Baton Rouge, a proposal to pull tax revenue from libraries to bankroll flood protections failed to muster enough votes. Reporter Terry Jones covered the council meeting where the idea inspired heated debate. Here's his dispatch. Thanks for reading, and have a great rest of the morning. |
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| A strip club was among the top recipients in Baton Rouge of federal grants earmarked for struggling entertainment venues during the coronav… Read more |
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| Baton Rouge City Court candidate Carson Marcantel will stay in the race after a state judge Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit that sought to di… Read more |
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| Last Wednesday, just before the Louisiana House convened for one of the most important votes of his tenure, Gov. John Bel Edwards gave Demo… Read more |
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| Inspection turns up invasive pests said to threaten U.S. crops, trees Read more |
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| House, right, on Ave. D. in the Scotlandville area that first responders were sent to early Wednesday morning, July 28, 2021, and five peop… Read more |
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| Governor's Climate Initiatives Task Force seeks net-zero emissions by 2050 Read more |
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| Baton Rouge City Court candidate Carson Marcantel will stay in the race after a state judge Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit that sought to di… Read more |
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| As coronavirus vaccine interest plummeted in Louisiana, the state saw a spike in the number of wasted shots, with more than 79,000 vaccine … Read more |
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| Give Ed Orgeron this much: When it comes to reading a room, he’s still an ace. Read more |
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