BY DOUG GRAHAM | Staff writer After hours of deliberations Wednesday and Thursday, the jury could not reach a verdict in a civil trial brought by 10 protesters who were arrested in 2016 during an Alton Sterling protest along Airline Highway in Baton Rouge. The killing of Sterling sparked days of unrest across the city. The plaintiffs were among those arrested during a rally that drew more than 1,000 people. A report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency identifies 19 problems, or "areas of concern," that inspectors found in the safety, training, planning and site design of the Dow Chemical plant in Plaquemine. The inspection was prompted after explosions and a fire in the facility's Glycol II unit last July. A Dow spokesperson said the company "disagrees with many of the inspection report’s findings and observations" but remains supportive of the agency’s work and improving safety at the plant. Southern University's Human Jukebox will perform with Grammy-winning gospel star Kirk Franklin during the Super Bowl Soulful Celebration, which will air Feb. 10 on CBS. Band members will not find out what they will be playing until after they arrive in Las Vegas on Feb. 5. |