123 posts
A new Mississippi River bridge south of Baton Rouge could cost up to $2 billion. Three alignments are still in play, residents are pushing back on the one that cuts through 300-year-old wetlands, and nobody has figured out how to pay for it yet.
March 31, 2026
Addis residents told the council they've lost tens of thousands of dollars to flooding — and parish officials showed up to brief them on what comes next. Plus: an 11-year-old Addis boy named a national Children's Miracle Network spokesperson gets his moment before the council.
March 30, 2026
https://www.wbrindependent.com/wbr-canals-topped-100-year-flood-levels-in-march-storm-what-about-north-of-the-intracoastal/
March 26, 2026
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.
March 09, 2026
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
March 05, 2026
WBR Parish approved a $133,000 change order for the Erwinville fire and sheriff substation — because the site was scraped months before construction started, sat exposed, collected water, and became unstable. The geotechnical consultant said it could have been avoided.
March 03, 2026
WBR Parish Council members with industry experience pushed back hard on a $133K change order for the Erwinville fire substation, calling lime pricing that hit $500 per ton "crazy excessive." The council tabled the item and demanded competitive bids.
February 26, 2026
The WBR Fire Civil Service Board waived all certification requirements for an upcoming captains exam — citing a State Examiner recommendation. The State Examiner says she never made that recommendation for this exam. Part 3 of WBR Independent's Fire District investigation.
February 25, 2026
A viral council meeting moment brought outside attention to Port Allen's blighted properties — but Mayor Pattan says the enforcement work has been going on for years. Here's where a dozen active cases stand.
February 11, 2026
