 BY DOUG GRAHAM | Staff writer Pitching what he called "landmark legislation," state Sen. Rick Edmonds on Thursday said he plans to introduce bills during the upcoming legislative session to form a St. George school district, which would have the same boundaries as the newly created city. It would be the fifth public school district in East Baton Rouge Parish, joining Baker, Central and Zachary in gaining educational independence from the parish school system. It also would significantly shrink the size of the East Baton Rouge Parish school system and could cause significant educational disruption for many families. Read about the path the legislation will face.
BREC would no longer be an autonomous agency under a proposal filed Thursday in the Legislature by state Rep. Dixon McMakin. Under the measure, the East Baton Rouge Parish Recreation and Park Commission would become part of the city-parish government, and would lose the power to levy taxes, administer its finances and own property. Read why McMakin thinks the change is necessary.
Victor, a rare, blue-eyed, white alligator at Audubon Zoo in New Orleans, recently became the first gator in the U.S. to have cataract surgery. The 7-foot-long patient has been his vision improve and is back home. Read about the procedure, which was done at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine in Baton Rouge. | 
