🌱 2 Arrested For USPS Check Theft + Baton Rouge Teen Prodigy

Happy Tuesday, Baton Rouge! Here's everything you need to know about what's happening in town today.

First, today's weather:

Partly sunny and nice. High: 71 Low: 40.

Here are the top three stories today in Baton Rouge:

1. Over the weekend, two people were arrested for taking a check from a USPS mailbox and depositing the money into one of their bank accounts. The East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office reported that 22-year-old Tyrone Butler Jr. and 21-year-old Kadarious Payne have been charged with bank fraud, theft, and forgery after being caught on surveillance video. This incident is the latest in a rash of similar crimes around the capital area. (WBRZ)
2. A 14-year-old prodigy from Baton Rouge is set to graduate from Southern University this year. Elijah Precciely, a junior majoring in physics and chemical engineering, received a full-ride scholarship to the university at 11 years old. Though Precciely has accomplished many impressive feats and broken several records, the teen said his top priority is to "be a shining light to help others." (WBRZ)
3. On Monday, multiple Pointe Coupee Fire Districts and the West Baton Rouge Fire Department worked together to battle a large house fire. The blaze was reportedly caused by a malfunctioning hot water heater. Firefighters spent five hours extinguishing the flames; thankfully, all residents escaped safely and no one was injured. (BRProud.com)

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Today in Baton Rouge:

• Sensory Sensitivity Time - East Baton Rouge Parish Library (9:00 AM)
• Spark Golf Baton Rouge - Fun & Social Golf - City Park Golf Course (5:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• The Baton Rouge Police Department invites area children to register for Capital Area P.A.L! According to the program's Instagram page, P.A.L. is a "safe space for youth to develop positive relationships with law enforcement through sports, activities, and mentoring." (Twitter)
• Patch and ZipRecruiter's latest roundup of Baton Rouge area job openings includes several positions in sales, business, and truck driving. Visit the link for all job listings and details. (Baton Rouge Patch)
• Reminder: City-Parish offices will be closed today in observance of Mardi Gras. Residential garbage and recycling will be collected as normal. (BRProud.com)

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You're all caught up for today. See you all tomorrow for another update!

— Kayla Harrison

About me: Kayla Harrison is a Writing Arts professor, as well as a freelance writer for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners. In her free time, you can find her listening to podcasts, writing poetry, and visiting local coffee shops.