🌱 Hillcrest Drive Fire Displaces 4 + BR BEATLAB For Kids & Vets

Hey, Baton Rouge! Here's everything you need to know to get this Saturday started off right.

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First, today's weather:

Plenty of sun, but cooler. High: 52 Low: 27.

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Here are the top three stories today in Baton Rouge:

1. Four people have been displaced after a fire severely damaged their home. According to the Baton Rouge Fire Department, the fire started around 6:45 p.m. on Thursday at a residence on Hillcrest Drive. Fire crews arrived to find heavy smoke billowing from the house's roof and discovered flames coming from the kitchen. Firefighters were able to contain the blaze to the kitchen area and get it under control around 7 p.m. (WBRZ)
2. On Thursday, Mar. 10, 'Songs of Survivors' held an open house at its new permanent building in Baton Rouge. 'Songs of Survivors' is a non-profit organization that uses the power of music to help the most at-risk children and men and women who served in the US military who are in need of healing from the past traumas. The organization's new Baton Rouge BeatLab is designed to help the most at-risk populations in the area. (WAFB)
3. A river diversion project that has been in development for nearly four decades is expected to face at least another two-year delay before it's fully built. The Comite River Diversion Canal is intended to provide flood protection for tens of thousands of homeowners in the Baton Rouge area. The canal has been under construction since 2019, crosses 12 miles overland to the Mississippi River, and cuts through highways, railroads, pipelines, and bayous, which has added to the project's cost and regulatory hurdles. (The Advocate)

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Today in Baton Rouge:

• Baton Rouge Spring Garden Show At John M. Parker Coliseum (9:00 AM)
• Garden Discoveries: Herbs In The Kitchen & Cup At East Baton Rouge Parish Library (10:00 AM)
• Preschool Storytime At East Baton Rouge Parish Library (10:00 AM)
• Start Your Own Podcast Class At East Baton Rouge Parish Library (2:00 PM)

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From my notebook:

• Looking for the cheapest gas in Baton Rouge? WBRZ is tracking local prices in this article. (WBRZ)
• A bill introduced in Louisiana legislature last month would require existing one and two-family dwellings to have carbon monoxide detectors at the time of sale or lease. Learn more on BRProud.com. (BRProud.com)
• The Baton Rouge Area Chamber has announced that its FuturePAC is endorsing Darryl Hurst and Dadrius Lanus for Metro Council District 5 and Vanessa LaFleur for House District 101 in the Mar. 26 municipal primary election. (Press Release Desk)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Saturday! See you all tomorrow for your next 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.