Local

East Baton Rouge Parish public schools could lose more than 5,500 students and $100 million in state and local funding if the City of St. George forms its own school district, according to EBR Schools.

Baton Rouge Police Department employees could soon get the largest across-the-board pay raises in department history if East Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sid Edwards latest ask of the East Baton Rouge Metro Council is successful.

The East Baton Rouge Public Defender remain underfunded despite a $500,000 allocation from the parish. High case loads and small pay checks remain the norm

Changes made at the federal level to the food assistance program will cost millions in the coming years and make management of the program more complex.

Voters will decide whether or not to grant new millages — essentially funding through property taxes — to both organizations this summer.

The nonprofit started in 2006 with a Christmas and back-to-school event for children. Today, it runs a free after-school program in the neighborhood.

A new proposal could help the East Baton Rouge Parish Library regain some funding it lost after the failure of Mayor-President Sid Edwards’ Thrive EBR plan in November.

Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sid Edwards said his team organized with about 15 restaurants in an attempt to make sure no one goes hungry during the government shutdown.

The East Baton Rouge Metro Council hopes to persuade more public service retirees to switch to a government-funded health care plan it offers to help make up for a $21 million budget shortfall.

Eleven high school bands in the East Baton Rouge Parish School System have outdated uniforms — or none at all.