 BY DEANNA B. NARVESON | Staff writer New next year: Blue Bayou Water Park in Baton Rouge will reopen in May 2026 under new management and a new name — Soak'n Fun — it was announced Tuesday. The water park off Interstate 10 didn't open this summer, and it was unclear what the future of the popular venue was, especially after its sister attraction, Dixie Landin' Theme Park was open for about a week. The two parks have beem open on a limited basis since start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the full story about who will run Blue Bayou and its new name.
Legal process changes: Louisiana may be able to speed up executions after the Legislature passed a bill to overhaul post-conviction relief, a mechanism where inmates seek to have their sentences shortened or overturned. While debate over the bill centered around capital cases, House Bill 675 by state Rep. Brian Glorioso, R-Slidell, would affect far more than Louisiana’s 55 death row inmates. It would apply to any state prisoner seeking post-conviction relief. Read the latest on the legislation from The Advocate's statehouse team.
Arrested 10 months later: Rapper David Catherine, who uses the stage name RealBleeda, made headlines in Baton Rouge when danced alongside students at Park Forest Middle School in March. Now, Baton Rouge police have announced they believe he's responsible for the drive-by shooting death of Teressa Calligan in September 2024. Read more. | 
