BY MATTHEW ALBRIGHT | Staff writer If it feels like you've heard about a lot of people getting COVID recently, you're not making it up — the stats show that a new wave of cases is hitting Louisiana. However, that surge isn't causing nearly as many people to get sick enough to go to the hospital. This story explains how our defenses may finally be working, and why this wave doesn't seem likely to shut down the world the way previous surges did. Police reported at least two deadly shootings in Baton Rouge yesterday; one in the Gardere area and another on Gus Young Avenue. It was a grim reminder that Baton Rouge is on track for its second-deadliest year of gun violence ever. The mayor has called for a "Summer of Hope," to push back, and community groups are holding peace events throughout the city. Here's a look inside some of the ones held yesterday. Nobody's Southern University roots go deeper than Derek Price. He's lived, gone to school, and worked on campus almost literally his whole life. He's been equipment manager since 1992, working for eight different athletic directors. Now he's stepping away, and people connected to the university's athletic programs are having a hard time imagining what things will look like after he's gone. | 