BY DEANNA B. NARVESON | Staff writer School mergers: The new $29 million Brownfields Elementary, located just north of the Metro Airport, opened its doors on Aug. 8 with the start of the 2023-24 school year. It replaces the neighborhood elementary school that was built in 1956 and demolished to make way for a modern campus at 11615 Ellen Drive. Brownfields is the latest in a series of newly constructed Baton Rouge public schools that have also involved merging two or more small schools into one. In this case, Brownfields and White Hills Elementary, located three miles north near the city limits of Baker were combined. Read more. Raising them up: Under a new tentative plan, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is proposing a similar response for chronic flooding for hundreds of Tangipahoa Parish homeowners. The agency would elevate 1,006 homes and dry or wet floodproof 82 businesses and other non-residential structures at an estimated cost of $597.1 million, according to Corps papers. Read more. Brian Kelly after the game: LSU gained 421 total yards and showed signs of an improved defense, but it made several mistakes. The Tigers lost their fifth straight season-opener. Head coach Brian Kelly has not won the first game in three years as LSU’s coach. Here's what he had to say about the game against USC on Sunday. | 