Baton Rouge

Firefighters in East Baton Rouge parish currently earn a starting salary of $33,207 a year – about 20% less than the industry standard of $40,000 in Louisiana; it's the bottom of the pay scale for a state that ranks 49th in the country for firefighter compensation. Ahead of Nov. 5, they are asking residents for help.

This week, the race for Mayor-President of East Baton Rouge took a hostile turn when incumbent Sharon Weston Broome’s campaign released an attack advertisement on challenger Ted James. The radio ad, also sent by text message to voters across the Parish on Wednesday, presents two edited recordings of James seemingly caught on a hot mic.

Here's what you should know before you head to the polls.

With just 21 days left until Election Day, the race for East Baton Rouge's mayor-president is shaping up to be more competitive. Fundraising has already surpassed previous races, with Democratic challenger Ted James raising over $1 million. Behind James is incumbent Sharon Weston-Broome who has $611,835 in campaign contributions, also outpacing previous cycles.

On Nov. 5, East Baton Rouge residents will decide on hundreds of changes to the parish's Plan of Government that was originally enacted in 1949.

The two sides have agreed to a 62% wage increase over 6 years in a deal between the International Longshoremen's Association and the U.S. Maritime Alliance. The union had been seeking a 77% increase.

Top East Baton Rouge mayoral candidates Sharon Weston Broome and Ted James went head-to-head on Wednesday night, debating everything from infrastructure and climate change, to the new City of St. George and struggling public schools.

Hundreds of Louisiana longshoremen and maintenance workers walked off the job on Tuesday, shutting down the state’s two biggest shipping ports for everyday products from plastics to coffee.

As Hurricane Francine approaches the Louisiana coast, City-Parish officials in Baton Rouge have positioned sand and sandbags at nine different locations in the area.

A tropical disturbance near the coast of Louisiana is bringing heavy rainfall and the risk of flooding to New Orleans and other parts of the state, the National Weather Service said.