🌱 2 Displaced In July St. House Fire + BR 7th Slowest Job Market

Good morning, people of Baton Rouge! It's me again, Kayla Harrison, your host of the Baton Rouge Daily.

First, today's weather:

Occasional morning rain. High: 48 Low: 29.

Here are the top three stories in Baton Rouge today:

1. Two residents have been displaced after a Tuesday house fire on July Street. When the Baton Rouge Fire Department arrived at the call that afternoon, there was heavy smoke as well as flames in the back of the house; firefighters were able to keep the fire from spreading to neighboring houses. The two people inside the home were able to escape safely, and are expected to receive help from the Red Cross. (BRProud.com)
2. A man has escaped police custody following a Monday drug trafficking bust by the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office and Rapides Area Drug Enforcement. Tens of thousands of dollars of various drugs were seized from storage facilities belonging to 45-year-old Demond Pervis, who escaped from Rapides law enforcement and is at large. Anyone with any information on Pervis' whereabouts is asked to contact their local law enforcement agencies. (BRProud.com)
3. According to an Indeed ranking, Baton Rouge’s job market is among the slowest growing in the country. The parish ranked seventh-lowest on Indeed's ranking of U.S. metro areas, based on job postings in the area as well as the rate of increase (or decrease) relative to the February 2020 baseline. (Greater Baton Rouge Business Report)

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Today in Baton Rouge:

• B/D EMT Skills Review - East Baton Rouge Parish EMS Public Events (8:00 AM)
• Historical Society Book Club - East Baton Rouge Parish Library (11:00 AM)
• Crafting For A Cause - East Baton Rouge Parish Library (1:00 PM)
• Genealogy: Leaving A Legacy - Writing Your Life Story (In-Person Or Virtual Event) - East Baton Rouge Parish Library (3:00 PM)
• Free Math Session - East Baton Rouge Parish Library (4:00 PM)
• High Five Book Club - East Baton Rouge Parish Library (4:30 PM)
• Spiritual Journey Circle (Hybrid Event) - The Red Shoes (5:00 PM)
• Patchwork Dragons Ages 8-11 - East Baton Rouge Parish Library (5:30 PM)
• Shrink Plastic Inspirational Quote Bracelet - East Baton Rouge Parish Library (6:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Amid a dangerous blood donation shortage nationwide, a blood bank in Baton Rouge went up in flames on Tuesday. Firefighters were able to locate and extinguish the fire in minutes, and thankfully, no blood was lost in the fire. (WBRZ)
• In an effort to provide healthy food options in the food deserts of Baton Rouge, community gardens have been cropping up across the capital city. (WBRZ)
• A criminologist at LSU has said that, based on current trends, violent crime in Baton Rouge is showing no signs of slowing down. (WAFB)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed. I'll see you soon!

— 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.