While many of us might consider 2020 a year we’d like to do over or completely forget, we can’t ignore the fact that so much has happened even if we spent a lot of time at home. And so much of it was shaded by the impacts of COVID-19, too. But in order to move forward, we have to take a moment to look back. Here are some highlights of the year for the Capital Region:
January
The culmination of a historic LSU football season came with a national championship win against Clemson on Jan. 13—in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, no less. What was arguably one of the biggest success stories in college football history was followed by a celebratory parade through LSU’s campus Jan. 18.
February
Mardi Gras season was a simpler time, with locals enjoying all the Carnival revelry while hearing murmurs of coronavirus cases popping up far away. One notable event: The inaugural Krewe of Oshun Mardi Gras parade and festival took place Feb. 8 in north Baton Rouge, adding to a growing list of Fat Tuesday celebrations around the city.
March
With COVID-19 cases becoming an alarming trend nationwide, we started seeing the ramifications in Baton Rouge. The city canceled the March 14 Wearin’ of the Green Parade, which would be the first of many major event cancellations this year. Gov. John Bel Edwards issued a stay-at-home order for Louisiana residents beginning March 23, which officially kicked off quarantine for many of us. Meanwhile, St. George’s legal drama continued, with an early March court ruling allowing Mayor Sharon Weston Broome’s lawsuit against the proposed incorporation to go forward.
April
Statewide hospitalizations for COVID-19 peaked, with around 2,000 per day in mid-April. Businesses around the Capital City pivoted to helping with pandemic relief. Distilleries made hand sanitizer. Restaurants provided meals to hospital workers putting in long hours. Raising Cane’s paid its employees to sew masks. Banks and CPA firms rushed to get PPP loans together for struggling small businesses. And the stay-at-home order got extended until May 15.
May
The state allowed outdoor seating at restaurants in early May, followed by the announcement of phase one reopenings allowing for 25% capacity in most businesses. Baton Rouge was already starting to see permanent closures of restaurants such as The Rum House and Rama. East Baton Rouge Parish led the state in new coronavirus cases. The month ended with news of George Floyd’s death at the hands of police officers in Minneapolis, sparking peaceful protests in downtown Baton Rouge organized by local high school students.
June
This was a busy month. Louisiana moved to phase two as the state continued to deal with a strain on hospitals. Baton Rouge General reopened its Mid City campus’s emergency room, which had shuttered in 2015. The ramifications of George Floyd’s death saw an outpouring of support for local Black-owned restaurants and businesses, as well as name changes for Troy H. Middleton Library at LSU and Lee High School. East Baton Rouge Parish School Board member Connie Bernard fought off calls for her resignation amid the controversy over the Lee High vote. On the development side, the Amazon deal to buy Cortana Mall fell apart with Dillard’s refusing to sell. And the downtown River Branch library finally opened after years of construction woes.
This article was originally published in the December 2020 issue of 225 magazine, see the rest of 2020’s newsmakers here.
