🌱 BR School Property Taxes Going Back Up + $200K BRCC Donation

Morning, neighbors! Nicole Fallon-Peek here with your Saturday edition of the Baton Rouge Daily.

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First, today's weather:

Sunny to partly cloudy. High: 68 Low: 40.

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Here are the top three stories in Baton Rouge today:

1. Property owners in East Baton Rouge have just lost a small tax break from the two previous years. On Thursday, the School Board voted unanimously to restore property tax rates to their maximum authorized level. The vote required a two-thirds majority, meaning at least six board members had to vote in favor of increasing the tax rate for it to take effect. According to board member Mike Gaudet, the increased revenue is needed to improve employee pay. (The Advocate)
2. An anonymous donor has gifted Baton Rouge Community College with $200,000 which will go toward student-focused initiatives. According to the school, the anonymous donor requested the funds be primarily used for student scholarships. School officials said some of the money will also be used to provide emergency support to help students with personal needs like buying clothes for a job interview or assistance with transportation. (WBRZ)
3. As surging gas prices increase across the country, the demand for hybrid, electric, and fuel-efficient vehicles has increased here in Baton Rouge. To keep up with this new demand, Millennium Auto Group has started trading in big cars like a Jeep for more economical cars like a Toyota Camry, hybrids, and fully electronic cars. Baton Rouge car salesman Albert White, best known as Big Al, is also rethinking how to run businesses, stating, "[Customers are] wanting to get out their trucks, they want to get smaller cars because of the five and six dollar gas prices." (BRProud.com)

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Today in Baton Rouge:

• 2022 Wearin' Of The Green Parade Beginning At South Acadian Thruway (10:00 AM)
• One Book One Community Story/Craft At East Baton Rouge Parish Library (2:00 PM)
• Annie Jr. Auditions At Playmakers of Baton Rouge (3:00 PM)

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From my notebook:

• It's back! The annual Wearin' of the Green parade and Shamrock Run are making their triumphant return to Baton Rouge this morning. Check out the parade route and get more details on the parade website. (WearinOfTheGreen.com)
• "Michelangelo: A Different View" opened at the Raising Cane's River Center yesterday. Learn more about this limited-time exhibit, which runs through Apr. 17. (BRProud.com)
• In case you missed it, the East Baton Rouge Parish Library hosted a virtual "Citizen Data Academy" for Open Data Day on Mar. 8. Read the full press release to learn more about the library's discussions on "unlocking the full power of City-Parish data," including how to find it, what it includes, and how to use it to understand trends and improve the community's quality of life. (Press Release Desk)

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Alrighty, you're all caught up for today! See you all Monday morning for another update.

— Nicole Fallon-Peek

About me: Nicole Fallon-Peek is a journalist and copywriter with a degree in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University. She has served as a freelance reporter, managing editor, copy editor, and editorial director for a variety of B2B news outlets. She currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.