Ready to go: Dantin Bruce Development has paid South Baton Rouge Church of Christ $1.85 million for 15.4 acres, on which it plans to develop Valhalla, a 20-lot gated subdivision off Highland Road. Developer Brian Dantin says lots will begin to be sold next week, at which time he hopes site and infrastructure work also begin. The lots will measure larger than a half-acre and with prices starting at $350,000. Valhalla will be a high-end gated community near the intersection of Highland Road and Pecue Lane with a single entrance and boulevard running through the center. Homes will line the boulevard on both sides. The project has already been approved by the city-parish, but faced opposition from some Highland Road residents who tried to get a the large swath of property in that area rezoned to limit development to one lot per acre.
On the campaign trail: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump will bring his campaign to Baton Rouge for the first time on Thursday. Trump, who finished second in the Iowa Republican Presidential Caucus behind Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, will host a rally at the Baton Rouge River Center, 275 South River Road. Doors will open at 5 p.m. with the rally to start at 7 p.m. Tickets are free and available online. The rally will follow the New Hampshire primary, which will take place Tuesday. Cruz visited Baton Rouge in January. The Louisiana presidential primary will take place March 5.
Back and forth: Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards tried to seize control of a simmering feud with Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry by sending Landry a letter telling him to butt out of the administration’s legal business, Gannett Louisiana reports. In the letter, which was sent Friday, Edwards also says his office can decide whether to continue or drop former Gov. Bobby Jindal’s federal Common Core lawsuit appeal. Landry surprised Edwards late Thursday by sending out a news release saying he, not the governor, would decide whether the case would continue. But the governor disagrees. “The client, not the attorney, should ultimately make the decisions on the course of action, and I have decided this case will not proceed,” Edwards wrote to Landry. Read the full story.
