Gov. Edwards to address latest COVID surge, Westside' krewes still tentative about Mardi Gras plans

The Advocate's Top Headlines

with Jennifer Wadsworth | Assistant metro editor

Good afternoon. Here's a rundown of some of our top stories today.

Gov's presser

With Louisiana in the throes of another COVID surge, this one driven by the highly infectious omicron strain, Gov. Edwards will hold a 1 p.m. presser to address the issue. Here's what officials told us about the news conference, but check TheAdvocate.com later this afternoon to find out what he says.

COVID and Carnival

Twelfth Night is less than a week away, but whether the Baton Rouge region's Westside will enjoy a full-fledged Carnival season is up in the air because of the omicron variant of the coronavirus. Terell Wilkins — our new reporter covering the west side of the river — has the story.

New autism designation

Interactions with police can stress anyone out, but for people with autism, the stakes can be much higher — dangerous, even. Flashing lights, blaring sirens and fraught interpersonal interaction with an officer can trigger involuntary responses in someone on the spectrum, which police could interpret as lack of compliance.

That's why our editorial board lauded Louisiana's decision to offer a voluntary autism designation on drivers licenses, making it one of four states to do so.

Thanks for reading, and have a great day!