Jumping in: East Baton School Board President Barbara Freiberg is seeking to switch gears and today announced her candidacy for Metro Council District 12, a seat currently held by mayoral candidate John Delgado. In a brief telephone conversation today, Freiberg, who is running as Republican, says she wants to be more of a service to her community and is concerned that governmental organizations in Baton Rouge tend to work in silos. “I’m interested in trying to break down some of those walls so that educations can be apart of that conversation,” says Freiberg, who was one of Business Report’s 2016 Influential Women in Business honorees. Freiberg says she considered a run for the Metro Council for three months before making her decision last week. She also says she feels may be able to do more for the community as a member of the Metro Council.
On hold: A Louisiana judge accused of running a modern-day debtors prison agreed Monday to temporarily stop jailing defendants for nonpayment of fees and assessing certain costs on defendants, The Associated Press reports. Court documents outline the agreement between Judge Robert Black in Bogalusa and the Southern Poverty Law Center. Last week, the center filed a lawsuit accusing Black of sending poor defendants to jail when they couldn’t pay fines and fees, and charging them a questionable “extension fee” to avoid jail time. It’s the latest of a series of legal challenges across the country to a system that opponents say criminalizes being poor. For the next 75 days, the judge has agreed to stop charging the $50 extension fee the group had objected to as well as some other fees, and to stop jailing people who can’t pay fines and fees. The 75-day period kicks in after the court accepts the agreement. Read the full story.
Under new ownership: The Poarch Band of Creek Indians of Alabama is expanding its casino business into Louisiana, the Montgomery Advertiser reports. The band’s PCI Gaming Authority will buy Margaritaville Resort Casino in Bossier City. The deal is subject to approval by the Louisiana Gaming Control Board. The band also has entered a separate partnership in a new casino outside Reno, Nevada. PCI currently operates Wind Creek facilities in Montgomery, Wetumpka and Atmore. The casinos would be its first two casino operations outside Alabama. Margaritaville is a 500,000-square-foot retail, entertainment and dining complex overlooking the Red River. It features a 395-room hotel, six restaurants and cafes, a spa, a performance hall and more, in addition to more than 1,000 slot machines and table games. No purchase price was disclosed. The deal is expected to close before the end of the year. Read the full story.
