BY DEANNA B. NARVESON | Staff writer St. George mayor: Jim Morgan, one of two candidates running to be the first elected mayor of St. George, dropped out of the race Tuesday — meaning Dustin Yates is set to take office unopposed. Morgan abruptly withdrew after The Advocate asked his campaign about a 1997 guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge of soliciting a prostitute. The crime happened in 1996, when Morgan, now 62, was 34, according to court records. Morgan's name will still appear on the March 29 ballot because the deadline to remove a name has passed, a spokesperson for the Louisiana Secretary of State said. Read the full story. Development master plan: Downtown Baton Rouge has been transformed by two master plans for the area, which led to more than $3 billion in new investments across the central business district over the past two decades and construction of landmarks such as the Shaw Center for the Arts, the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center, Rhorer Plaza and the Downtown Greenway. Now, a third master plan has been launched that officials said will focus on attracting more residents from all income levels to downtown and bringing more activity to the riverfront. Read the full story. Pepper spray at the party: A Port Allen police officer allegedly used pepper spray on a crowd at an indoor party on Saturday, leading to criticism from the community and an internal investigation. The Westside Alumni All Black Affair at the West Baton Rouge Community Center was set up for 480 people, said Daniell Phillips, a decorator for the event. She said attendees were enjoying music when she heard someone yell around midnight "Oh my god, he sprayed the building y'all! Everybody get out!" Read more. | 