Good morning, Baton Rouge.

Today, Kathy Tolliver, a grandmother who lost her grandson to gun violence, is canvassing Baton Rouge with yard signs to spark conversation among neighbors as part of her Save Our Kids campaign.

The signs are placed along busy streets + in neighborhoods to encourage community action.

On April 25, the Lane Foundation hosted its inaugural Bourbon, BBQ & Wine event at the Lane Walking Track on the campus of Lane Regional Medical Center.

The community event featured bourbon tastings, barbecue from local vendors, curated wines, and live music that raised funds for health care improvements as the foundation plans to expand in 2027.

Southeastern alumna and astronaut Hayley Arceneaux will speak at two commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 16 (10 a.m. and 3 p.m.) to nearly 1,200 graduates, offering inspiration from her unique path from overcoming pediatric cancer to joining Inspiration4.

Walker High School students earned multiple awards at the 13th annual Northern Gulf Coast Regional MATE ROV competition in Dauphin Island, Alabama.

Their teams were honored for teamwork & innovation as they used STEM skills to solve underwater tasks.

Students from Southeastern Louisiana University won top honors at the recent DevDays Nexus Louisiana competition + teams secured first and second place and a finalist spot with their AI projects designed to assist the Water Institute in coastal monitoring.

Dutchtown High students are boosting grades and test scores with study.com lessons funded by an Ascension Fund grant — teacher Mandy Perret said the digital curriculum offers videos, quizzes and worksheets that help with ACT, AP and classroom review.

Michaela Doiron, a biomedical engineering major from Trine and a Zachary native, will begin an accelerated orthotics and prosthetics program at Baylor on June 15 after contributing to a waterproof prosthetic project for a paramedic + she plans to help children and veterans regain mobility.

A $4M federal loan is funding new automatic water meters at Livingston Parish’s Ward 2 Water District (serving over 26,000 customers) to modernize readings.

The system will allow remote monitoring and alert customers to leaks, reducing reliance on third-party readers.

The Louisiana Department of Health has released its 2025 water system report card—showing five Capital region systems with failing grades below C.

Systems in Ascension, Livingston, and St. Mary Parishes received D or F ratings while East and West Baton Rouge systems scored A and Killian’s was rated C.

At Zachary High’s regional track meet (yesterday), the girls won overall while the boys placed second and many qualified for the state meet at LSU on May 9; former Broncos Chris Hilton and Kameron Hamilton advanced to the NFL, and Loyola’s Alyssa Odell earned top honors.

156/Silence Concert

7-11 p.m. — Chelsea's Live — Tickets available — Experience an electrifying night with 156/Silence and Fox Lake in Baton Rouge.

Dance With The Dead & Magic Sword

7-11 p.m. — Chelsea's Live — $ — Enjoy an unforgettable night of synthwave sounds as both bands deliver epic performances.

Vincent Herring's Something Else Jazz Concert

7:30-10:30 p.m. — Manship Theatre — Starting at $56 — Experience the high-energy soul jazz sounds from acclaimed alto saxophonist Vincent Herring and his supergroup, Something Else!

Gonzales Jambalaya Festival

May 21-24 — Lamar Dixon Expo Center — Cost varies — Experience four days of wood-fired Louisiana heritage featuring delicious jambalaya and lively festivities.

Post Malone & Jelly Roll Concert

7:30-10:30 p.m. — Tiger Stadium — Ticket prices vary — Experience genre-bending performances from Post Malone and Jelly Roll in an electrifying show.

OAL Annual Convention - Baton Rouge

All day — Crowne Plaza Executive Center — Registration required — Engage in valuable discussions and networking during this annual convention for the Optometry Association of Louisiana.