 BY MATTHEW ALBRIGHT | Staff writer Livingston Parish is so short on school bus drivers that it is training coaches and principals to get behind the wheel themselves. And it's not just drivers; the district is having to get off-duty teachers and administrators to cover classes and cafeteria workers to do custodial work. This story looks at what's causing the crunch, and what district leaders say they're going to do about it.
The man who was gunned down Tuesday night was targeted, and the shooting appears to have been gang-related, sheriffs deputies say. And it appears the victim's death was connected to violence in Baton Rouge's rap scene.
In 2018, East Baton Rouge Parish voters approved a new tax to create the Bridge Center, a new facility to help people battling substance abuse and mental health problems. It opened last year amid soaring overdose deaths and a surge in mental health crises caused by COVID. Now the center is dealing with budget woes and layoffs. This story explains what has gone wrong, and what it means for the services the center provides. | 
