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BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
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T u e s d ay, J u ly 29, 2025
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EMS pushes back on forced merger
Proposal to combine with Fire Department put on hold BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER
wards moves to merge the city’s Emergency Medical Services agency with the Fire Department. Edwards’ administration and top Baton Rouge paramedics are uneasy about the future of their jobs leaders in both departments insist and benefits as East Baton Rouge the transition won’t jeopardize Parish Mayor-President Sid Ed- anyone’s position and will save the
Staff writer
and nobody has said very much after that,” said former EMS Director Mike Denicola. “How is this gocity-parish money. ing to work? This has been tried in But current and former EMS the past, and each time it’s failed.” employees wonder how that’s posSince the merger was announced sible, and are asking for a clear a little more than a month ago, plan on how this move will actu- enough unease has mounted inside EMS that Edwards’ administration ally work. “There was an announcement, has slowed down the change.
Texas firm renews push for water from Toledo Bend
“We’ve heard some concern, so we said, ‘Hey, let’s pause things and let’s talk through it so everybody can feel comfortable,” said Edwards’ chief of staff, Lon Vicknair. “We want to all be on the same page.” That pause is welcome news to
ä See MERGER, page 5A
Officials: Bowling brings in $125M
BR championship event comes to an end BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer
STAFF FILE PHOTO By JILL PICKETT
Toledo Bend Reservoir, built in the 1960s as a joint project by Texas and Louisiana, is the fifth largest manmade lake in the nation.
Agency faces renewed opposition from those who live near lake BY DAVID J. MITCHELL
Staff writer
The agency overseeing the state’s share of the huge Toledo Bend Reservoir in centralwestern Louisiana is looking again at whether to sell water to private Texas investors — and is facing renewed opposition from people who live alongside or otherwise count on the lake’s waters. Built as a joint project by Texas and Louisiana in the 1960s for hydroelectric power, water supply and recreation, the 186,000-acre reservoir created from damming the Sabine
Texas border, the jaggededged reservoir has become a boating, fishing and camp20 ing spot rimmed with lakeside homes, but also remains MISS. 49 an ample source of water in TEX. an increasingly water-thirsty Baton Rouge LA. world. 10 The controversy led Gov. Lafayette New Orleans Jeff Landry to weigh in last week in an attempt to offer asGulf of surances that any deal would Mexico get the close local and state Staff map scrutiny that’s been in the law for more than a decade. “There’s been some false River is the fifth largest manmade lake in the nation, ac- reports on social media about selling Louisiana water out of cording to agency materials. Straddling the Louisiana- state,” he wrote on social me-
Toledo Bend Reservoir
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dia. “I’d like to let you all know these reports have no merit — there have been no changes to this process!” Some of the same Texas investors approached the agency, the Sabine River Authority of Louisiana, nearly 15 years ago for 600,000 acre-feet annually for 50 years — three times the amount of water being sought now — but couldn’t win approval from then-Gov. Bobby Jindal. Over the past three years, they renewed talks on a new proposal that would have
ä See WATER, page 4A
After five months of competitive bowling 21 hours a day, the party is over in Baton Rouge. More than 58,000 bowlers competed from March 1 to Monday in the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships, bringing in around $125 million for the city, according to statistics from Visit Baton Rouge. City leaders had one word to describe the ending of the convention, which required years of prepara- Edwards tion and coordination between the city’s tourism providers: bittersweet. “I think they just oughta stay here, myself,” East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sid Edwards said at a news conference Monday. “But I can’t wait for them to come back together, because it’s a tremendous feel-good story for our city.” Through the glass behind Edwards, at Raising Cane’s River Center, many bowlers played their final games. Outside the arena, the sound of the sport was unmistakable — the rhythmic thud of bowling balls hitting the oiled lanes, the high-pitched clatter of pins. “I always go down when going to lunch or going downtown to stop and visit with them, to learn about them, to find out their culture and where they’re from and all the exciting things they enjoyed while they were here in Baton Rouge,” Edwards said. “I’m gonna miss that.” Hoteliers marveled at the im-
ä See BOWLING, page 4A
Israeli strike kills dozens in Gaza as aid delivery remains chaotic Agencies warn of worsening starvation
health officials said. Dozens were killed while seeking food, even as Israel moved to ease restrictions on the entry of aid. Under mounting pressure over BY WAFAA SHURAFA the spiraling hunger crisis in Gaza, and SAMY MAGDY Israel said over the weekend that Associated Press the military would pause operaDEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli tions in Gaza City, Deir al-Balah strikes or gunfire killed at least 78 and Muwasi for 10 hours a day and Palestinians across the Gaza Strip designate secure routes for aid on Monday, including a pregnant delivery. International airdrops of woman whose baby was delivered aid have also resumed. after her death but also died, local Aid agencies say the new mea-
WEATHER HIGH 97 LOW 75 PAGE 6B
ä Two Israeli rights groups say Israel committing genocide in Gaza. PAGE 7A sures are not enough to counter worsening starvation in the territory. Martin Penner, a spokesperson for the U.N. food agency, told The Associated Press that all 55 of its aid trucks that entered on Sunday
ä See GAZA, page 5A
Business ......................6A Commentary ................5B Nation-World................2A Classified .....................6D Deaths .........................3B Opinion ........................4B Comics-Puzzles .....3D-5D Living............................1D Sports ..........................1C
Palestinians inspect the site struck by an Israeli bombardment in Muwasi, Khan younis, Gaza Strip, on Monday.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARIAM DAGGA
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