BY DOUG GRAHAM | Staff writer Keagan Valdry was taken into custody in April 2020 for the shooting death of a female relative, but he was never prosecuted after the incident was ruled an accident. Now, he is a student at the Baton Rouge Police Department's Training Academy. Previously, Valdry would not have been allowed to apply after the arrest, but a change in department policy now allows candidates like him to become officers. The change comes as the agency works to fix a long-standing, dire shortage of officers. But it also has surfaced during a time of heavy scrutiny for the department. C.J. Stroud, the No. 2 overall draft pick in this year’s NFL draft, has yet to throw an interception this season; his 186 attempts are the most passes without an interception to start an NFL career. Chris Olave and Pete Werner of the Saints, who played with Stroud at Ohio State, are not surprised by their former teammate's success through the first five games of his NFL career. Statistically, Stroud will be the best quarterback the Saints have faced this season. Camryn Reed's first experience in kart racing came at the age of 9, when she badgered her father to let her drive on a small track in Lafayette. He eventually caved, so she gave it a go and instantly fell in love. Now the 17-year-old Youngsville student, a gifted scholar, works at balancing schoolwork and racing, and finding success at both. And she also served as part of Southside High School's homecoming court. Read here for more on her budding career in motorsports. |