Call of duty: Early voting opens Saturday for Louisiana’s March 24 presidential primary. Though the fight is fierce among candidates for the Republican nomination, the state has received little attention from them. No campaign ads have aired locally; and the mailers, bumper stickers and yard signs are largely missing from the state. Louisiana’s GOP primary won’t determine how all of the state’s 46 delegates will be divvied up among candidates. Early voting hours are 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. The East Baton Rouge Parish Registrar of Voters has four offices at which early voting will take place, including 222 St. Louis St., room 201 of the Governmental Building; 3851 Essen Lane, inside the State Archives Building; and 10500 Coursey Blvd., room 203. The Baker office is inside the Motor Vehicles Building at 2250 Main St. Early voting is closed Sunday.
Half a ton: A canned food drive by Gov. Bobby Jindal and his wife, Supriya, has yielded more than 1,000 pounds of food to be donated to the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank. The drive occurred during the governor’s inauguration and over the Christmas holiday season. The state’s first lady today thanked everyone who participated and encouraged those who didn’t to consider doing so on their own. She notes that Louisiana’s food banks not only respond during emergencies but also serve communities year-round.
Musical chairs: Cee Lo Green has been added to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival lineup, to appear on Saturday, April 28, taking the spot that had been reserved for Jill Scott. Along with Scott, John Mayer also announced today he won’t be playing at Jazz Fest. Mayer says he’s being forced to cancel his recently announced U.S. tour, including the Jazz Fest show on Sunday, April 29, adding that he’s on an indefinite hiatus from live performing because the granuloma in his throat has returned. There’s no word yet on who, if anyone, will replace Mayer in the lineup. Stay up-to-date on Jazz Fest news at the festival’s website here.
