🌱 BR Hospital "Cuddler Program" + Help Find EBR Package Thieves

Good morning, Baton Rouge! Like many of you, the Patch team is taking some time off to enjoy the holidays, so there will not be a newsletter in your inbox tomorrow. We appreciate your understanding of this slight pause in our schedule, and I will be back on Monday with the next edition of the Baton Rouge Daily! Now, here's everything happening around town today.

First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny, breezy and warm. High: 76 Low: 66.

Here are the top three stories today in Baton Rouge:

1. A "Cuddler Program" is bringing comfort to NICU babies at local hospitals. Baton Rouge General and Woman's Hospital have been providing the program for about 25 years. The goal is to have the program in place at Woman's Hospital for the holidays. (BR Proud)
2. Police ask for help finding suspects behind a string of package thefts throughout East Baton Rouge. Packages are being stolen from residents' porches during both daytime and the evening. Police believe a pair is behind multiple thefts. (The Advocate)
3. View the wonders of the solar system with two viewings at Baton Rouge observatory. Highland Road Park Observatory will provide two public viewings, where visitors can possibly see the Comet Leonard, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn. (BR Proud)

Today's Baton Rouge Daily is brought to you in part by our friends at Verizon. They're building the fastest 5G network in the country. To learn how 5G is going to change life for you and your community — and to get access to this amazing technology — click here. And thank you Verizon for sponsoring this community resource in Baton Rouge!

Today in Baton Rouge:

• Skating On The River: Public Ice Skating - Raising Cane's River Center Arena (2:00 PM2:00 PM)
• Snowy Mr. Claus - Painting with a Twist (4:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• The city council decided the fate of District 5’s seat which is currently held by Judge-Elect Erika Green. They agreed that a special election was the most democratic and fair way to fill the seat. (Facebook)
• The Baton Rouge Police Department is having its 5th Annual Christmas Toy Drive! The Toys, Tots, & Turkeys drive will take place on Dec. 23 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Baton Rouge Police Department. They are giving away one turkey per family, and free toys are provided for youth ages 3-13. (Facebook)
• The Louisiana State Police reported that an unrestrained driver was killed in a Terrebonne Parish crash. On Dec. 22, they were notified of a single-vehicle fatality crash on Isle of Cuba Road. The crash claimed the life of Michael Dupre, 28. (Facebook)

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

— Kayla Harrison

About me: Kayla Harrison is a Writing Arts professor, as well as a freelance writer for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners. She holds a Master's Degree in Writing Arts and is grateful to incorporate writing into everything she does. In her free time, you can find her listening to podcasts, writing poetry, and visiting local coffee shops.