Back to work: Some normalcy is returning to East Baton Rouge Parish as city-parish employees are back to work today. Also, most parish library branches are open beginning today from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Saturday and then from 2 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, with the exception of the Baker Branch Library and Greenwell Springs Road Regional Branch. Some Catholic Schools also have reopened today. Those schools include: Holy Ghost Catholic School, Our Lady of Mercy Catholic School, Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic School, St. Aloysius Catholic School, St. Jude the Apostle Catholic School, St. John the Evangelist Catholic School, and St. Joseph Catholic School in Ponchatoula. View a schedule of Catholic school re-openings.
In force: The Red Cross says more than 1,000 disaster volunteers have been mobilized from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to help with the Louisiana flood relief efforts, The Associated Press reports. Brad Kieserman, vice president, Disaster Services Operations and Logistics for the Red Cross, says the massive relief operation will cost at least $30 million. Kieserman says the flooding in Louisiana is the worst natural disaster to strike the United States since Superstorm Sandy. He also says the Red Cross is also seeking additional volunteers to assist in Louisiana.
On hold: Gov. John Bel Edwards has taken a step to make sure widespread flooding in Louisiana doesn’t cause problems in pending legal proceedings. The Associated Press reports that Edwards has issued an executive order imposing an emergency suspension of all deadlines for legal proceedings in state courts, administrative agencies and boards. The order is effective retroactively to last Friday and lasts until Sept. 9. Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Bernette Johnson says the emergency suspension is a welcome relief to members of the Louisiana Bar, their clients and those with pending legal matters because of the disruption to the state’s legal infrastructure.
