WBR Independent WBR Independent
  • Home
  • About
  • Submit a tip
  • Support Us
  • Advertise with Us
Sign in Subscribe
Port Allen Approves Road and Sewer Contracts; Budget Ordinance Tabled Over Number Dispute
News

Port Allen Approves Road and Sewer Contracts; Budget Ordinance Tabled Over Number Dispute

Port Allen approved a $379,500 sewer blower contract and a $260,918 road rehabilitation contract — then tabled the budget ordinance needed to fund the sewer work after a dispute over the math erupted on the council floor.

John Summers March 16, 2026
Brusly Panthers Win First State Championship Since 1984, Dethrone Two-Time Champion Wossman
News

Brusly Panthers Win First State Championship Since 1984, Dethrone Two-Time Champion Wossman

Forty-two years of waiting ended Friday night in Lake Charles. The Brusly Panthers defeated two-time defending champion Wossman 45-38 to win the Division II nonselect state basketball championship — the program's first title since 1984.

John Summers March 13, 2026
WBR Sheriff Announces New Programs at Third SALT Event; General Honoré Headlines Erwinville Gathering
Community

WBR Sheriff Announces New Programs at Third SALT Event; General Honoré Headlines Erwinville Gathering

WBR Sheriff Jeff Bergeron unveiled a pursuit alert app, a senior wellness check program, and an autism registry at the third SALT event in Erwinville. Lt. General Russel Honoré was the keynote speaker.

John Summers March 13, 2026
Brusly Panthers Return to State Championship Game for First Time Since 1984
Community

Brusly Panthers Return to State Championship Game for First Time Since 1984

Brusly defeated Northwest 72-56 in the Division II nonselect semifinals to earn the program's first state championship appearance since 1984. They face two-time defending champion Wossman Friday — the same team that eliminated them last year on a controversial technical foul.

John Summers March 12, 2026
After 11 Inches of Rain, Parish Highlights Drainage Response — But Key Study Work Was Already Underway
News

After 11 Inches of Rain, Parish Highlights Drainage Response — But Key Study Work Was Already Underway

WBR Parish got 11 inches of rain on March 7 and released a drainage response summary days later — but council records show the engineering study it described had been underway for months, with no cost estimates or timelines released.

John Summers March 10, 2026
Port Allen Utility Customers Should Expect Significantly Higher Gas Bills This Month
Meeting Coverage

Port Allen Utility Customers Should Expect Significantly Higher Gas Bills This Month

Port Allen's January gas bill came in at over $270,000 — more than $110,000 above any bill the city had ever received. Residential customers will feel it on the March 26 billing cycle. City officials want you to know before it arrives.

John Summers March 09, 2026
Wood Chip Conveyor Fire Shuts Down Port of Baton Rouge, Triggers Multi-Parish Response
Emergency Services

Wood Chip Conveyor Fire Shuts Down Port of Baton Rouge, Triggers Multi-Parish Response

A wood chip conveyor fire at the Port of Greater Baton Rouge sent a massive smoke plume visible for miles and triggered a multi-parish response. The EBR Sheriff's fireboat provided the water supply that turned the tide. The fire was contained in under three hours with no injuries.

John Summers March 07, 2026
Port Allen Native Angélique Roché Returns Home to Share Graphic Novel on 'Grandmother of Juneteenth'
Community

Port Allen Native Angélique Roché Returns Home to Share Graphic Novel on 'Grandmother of Juneteenth'

Port Allen native Angélique Roché — journalist, attorney, and now author — came home to the WBR Museum to share her graphic novel biography of Opal Lee, the 99-year-old activist known as the Grandmother of Juneteenth.

John Summers March 06, 2026
Knocking Down Blighted Homes Is Only Half the Problem — What Happens to the Lot?
Meeting Coverage

Knocking Down Blighted Homes Is Only Half the Problem — What Happens to the Lot?

Resident Pushes Port Allen to Think Beyond Demolition and Put Properties Back Into Use PORT ALLEN — As Port Allen continues to make progress on blight removal, at least one resident is pushing city officials to think harder about what comes after the bulldozer leaves. A community member who spoke at

John Summers March 05, 2026

Stay Informed. It's Free.

Get WBR Independent delivered to your inbox. Local government, public safety, and community news for West Baton Rouge Parish.

WBR Independent

© 2025 WBR Independent. Published by West River Solutions LLC. Port Allen, Louisiana. Principle, not politics.

Powered by Ghost
  • Sign up
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy