The Advocate's Top Headlines

with Matthew Albright | Assistant metro editor

Good morning! Let's get you up to speed on the biggest news happening in and around Baton Rouge

The latest on COVID

Charlotte Broussard couldn't talk, and she could barely breathe. She had been intubated in a desperate battle with COVID. She furiously scrawled out a message on pen and paper: "Take the dam shot." 

Her story's getting national attention as Louisiana continues to battle sky-high infection rates. The state reported Tuesday the most deaths in a day from the virus ever; death rates broke records in rural parishes east of Baton Rouge.

LSU says it will require students to be vaccinated by Oct. 15 or choose to get regular testing instead. It also says you'll need to be vaccinated or have a very recent negative COVID test to get into Tiger Stadium.

BRPD officer faces criminal charges

A BRPD officer is accused of trying to get a Southern University student to have sex with him after he pulled her over on suspicion of DWI, and he now faces criminal charges.

This story explains the accusations against him — including how he allegedly brought the student to an abandoned warehouse and disabled his dashboard camera.

Mormon church sues over development

The latest entrant into Baton Rouge's often-fierce debate over development and flooding is the national Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. 

The church is suing the developer behind the @Highland project, near the corner of Bluebonnet and Highland, arguing plans for a big expansion could cause flooding problems for the temple nearby. 

This story explains the dispute, and how it fits into the larger discussion over floods and zoning in our area.

Thanks for reading, and have a great day!