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T h u r s d ay, M a r c h 19, 2026
Data center to fund water improvements
Hut 8 plans water well, mains, fire hydrants in West Feliciana
$2.00X
2026 LEGISLATURE
Bill calls for livestream of EBR family court Proposal follows intense scrutiny of proceedings
BY JOHN SIMERMAN Staff writer
Hut 8 data center construction continues on Friday in West Feliciana Parish. BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer
West Feliciana Parish officials inked a deal for a slew of water improvements to support a $10 billion data center now under construction. Under the agreement, data center developer Hut 8 will construct a water well, eight miles of water main infrastructure and additional fire hydrants to support the project — and is footing the bill. The River Bend data center will use a closedloop cooling system where the liquid recirculates, designed to lessen the amount of water needed. Upon completion, Hut 8 will donate the infrastructure to the parish, intended to improve water access and reliability for locals.
“Collectively, these investments are designed to strengthen the parish’s water system while supporting long-term community growth.” GAUTIER LEMyZE-yOUNG, Hut 8’s director of strategic communications “Collectively, these investments are designed to strengthen the parish’s water system while supporting long-term community growth,” Gautier Lemyze-Young, Hut 8’s director of strategic communications, said in a statement. The company has used a closedloop system in other projects includ-
ing the Vega data center in the Texas panhandle, which reuses 120,000 gallons of a glycol-water solution to cool equipment. The Texas data center requires 205 megawatts of power, less than the West Feliciana project, which will require 330 megawatts — enough to power more than 270,000 homes. Water usage is a prominent point of concern for data centers, with many fearing the large sites that need water to cool equipment will strain resources for locals and result in expensive utility bills. Meta’s massive Hyperion data center in Richland Parish — which will consume more than 23 million gallons of water per day — will pull water
A group of Louisiana lawmakers wants to force the state’s only dedicated family court to livestream its hearings, in what would mark a first for a lower court in the state. Since last year, Rep. Kathy Edmonston, R-Gonzales, has called for more transparency from the East Baton Rouge Parish Family Court, which handles divorce and custody cases in the state’s most populous parish. Edmonston helped engineer a study of the downtown Baton Rouge court by a retired judge in response to complaints from a host of embittered parents. She argues the court is corrupt. Edmonston Her name sits atop HB278, which would require the family court to livestream its proceedings for remote public access, which would be a first for the state. Public cameras are currently barred in Louisiana trial courts. Other listed authors include state Reps. Kellee Dickerson, Peter Egan, Kimberly Coates, Jerome Zeringue and Dixon McMakin, and Sens. Regina Barrow and Valarie Hodges. The bill follows intense scrutiny around the East Baton Rouge Family Court over the past year from Edmonston and others who have lobbed allegations that a cabal of judges and lawyers have corrupted the court to the detriment of kids. After appointing a retired judge to study it, the Louisiana Supreme Court reported otherwise, though one justice disagreed. Justice Jefferson Hughes wrote that “the line has crossed to actual favoritism” at the family court in Baton Rouge. “Those in the ‘club’ receive efficient service, while those not in the club … are treated as pariahs,” Hughes wrote. Under the bill, judges could take a minor’s testimony in their chambers, but custody hearings would be livestreamed unless a judge finds “good cause” based on evidence, and everyone agrees to
ä See WATER, page 4A
ä See COURT, page 4A
STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
Officials push back against BREC plan to sell parks in north BR BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT
Staff writer
Following strong pushback from elected officials and residents, a park committee decided to delay voting to advance a proposal to sell multiple BREC parks in north Baton Rouge. More than two hours into BREC’s Planning and Park Resources Advisory Committee meeting this
WEATHER HIGH 76 LOW 52 PAGE 6B
week, committee member Christopher Toombs introduced the deferral motion. It applied to five of the eight parks that would be sold if the proposal moved forward and passed in a 7-2 vote, with Tim Gaines and Kimberly Powers voting against it. The committee voted to recommend three parks — Alexander Street Park, Belfair Park and Blueberry Street Park — be declared
The basketball court at Blueberry Street Park has large cracks and holes.
obsolete and sold. Those plans now go to the BREC Commission, which is set to introduce an ordinance on the matter at its meeting next Thursday. If that ordinance is introduced, a public hearing and final vote on the matter are planned for April 23. East Baton Rouge Parish School Board member Dadrius Lanus said
STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS
ä See PARKS, page 4A
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