BY DEANNA B. NARVESON | Staff writer Landfall: Baton Rouge is bracing for Tropical Storm Francine, which is expected to hit the capital area Wednesday and bring heavy rainfall and wind speeds up to 73 mph, according to the National Weather Service. Francine will likely pass through Baton Rouge late Wednesday morning and into the afternoon, said meteorologist Brigette Lim. See the latest. Rapid intensification? Warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico are expected to help Tropical Storm Francine quickly grow into a Category 2 hurricane before it strikes the Louisiana coast. To reach that intensity, it's expected that the storm will undergo a period of "rapid intensification" — a process that can supercharge storms — but forecasters said other factors should limit how powerful Francine becomes before landfall. Read the full story. 'Passionate advocate': Long-time Baton Rouge area attorney Mary Olive Pierson, 80, who spent years as a public servant and led the legal fight against the incorporation of St. George in recent years, died Monday, officials confirmed. "To say Ollie was one of a kind would be understating her uniqueness," said East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome in a statement Monday. "Mary Olive Pierson was a passionate advocate for her clients and a fierce and loyal friend." Read more about her life. | 