17 posts
PORT ALLEN — The West Baton Rouge Parish Fire Protection District No. 1 Civil Service Board voted 2-1 to abolish the fire chief classification on December 15, 2025, formally eliminating the position from the parish's civil service system after a public hearing that drew zero public comments. The silence
December 29, 2025
Executive Summary West Baton Rouge Parish voters will decide November 15th whether to renew the 7.2-mill drainage tax that failed in March. This isn't just about funding drainage—it's about whether current management approaches have earned another decade of taxpayer support. What's on
October 29, 2025
Attorney General questions parish government on identical council/fire board membership EDITOR'S NOTE (October 28, 2025): WBR Independent received official closure letters from the Louisiana Attorney General's office on October 28, 2025, following the corrective meetings reported in this story. The AG's office accepted
October 22, 2025
Clear Choice Between Experience and Reform After Ticketing Scandal Early voting begins September 27 West Baton Rouge Parish voters have one contested race on their October 11 ballot, but it's an important one: choosing the next Ward 2 Constable after a controversial ticketing scandal forced the previous officeholder&
September 24, 2025
Special meeting reconfirms shift to part-time leadership under Butch Browning's Browning Associates LLC's continued service WEST BATON ROUGE PARISH — The West Baton Rouge Parish Fire Protection District Number One Board of Commissioners voted Thursday night to formally abolish the full-time fire chief position and approved a
September 10, 2025
Two resolutions tonight would change fire chief role to part-time consultant, but documents reveal additional undisclosed taxpayer benefits UPDATE 5:00 PM: The West Baton Rouge Parish Council will meet tonight at 5:00 PM to vote on these resolutions. This story will be updated with results following the vote.
August 28, 2025
Annual audit shows financial gains, notes procurement and payroll issues West Baton Rouge Parish ended 2024 with $124 million in net assets, an increase of $10 million from the previous year, according to annual audit reports covering the fiscal year ending December 31, 2024, presented to the Parish Council Thursday
August 18, 2025
Local news publication gains professional support and legal resources for government accountability coverage PORT ALLEN, LA – WBR Independent has joined the National Newspaper Association (NNA), the nation's largest community newspaper organization, providing enhanced legal support and professional resources for continued local government accountability reporting. The membership connects WBR
August 05, 2025
A community that built its own fire protection now faces questions about its volunteer future When fire consumed Port Allen's business district in 1918, no one came to help. Seventeen years later, on March 11, 1935, 21 neighbors said "never again." They founded the Port Allen
August 04, 2025