BY MATTHEW ALBRIGHT | Staff writer A preliminary report from federal investigators is in, giving more detail on the helicopter crash last month that killed two Baton Rouge police officers. The report uses more precise data to confirm abrupt, erratic changes in speed, altitude and direction in the moments before the crash, and it gives more detail about communications between the helicopter and dispatchers. Here's what it shows. Wayne Sims has passed away at age 54. A standout LSU basketball player, he was the father of Wayde Sims, himself a star player who was shot and killed after two years of playing. Here's the story of Wayne Sims' achievements, the tragedy that struck his family, and how he tried to turn that tragedy into something that could help others. Ascension Parish is in the running for a project that would create up to 220 jobs manufacturing a key component in batteries for electric vehicles. Here's what we know about the proposed facility, what it would do, and what it would mean for our area if it was to be built here. | 