Fire!: If you’re in downtown Baton Rouge today, you may very well hear the sound of gunfire coming from the USS Kidd. Don’t fret. The Downtown Development District says Greyhound Productions—which is filming the World War II naval drama Greyhound, starring actor Tom Hanks—will be simulating gunfire tests aboard the ship between 1 and 3 p.m. today. Guns will be pointed towards Port Allen and firing blank full loads.
Guilty plea: A Mandeville investment adviser has pleaded guilty to defrauding investors out of roughly $1.5 million and spending the money on personal items. Ralph Willard Savoie, 70, pleaded guilty to mail fraud in a Baton Rouge courtroom Monday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office says. From roughly January 2013 through March 2016, Savoie told investors he would invest their money in securities and insurance, guaranteeing high rates of return. Instead, he spent the money on jewelry, hotels, restaurants, credit cards and rent. A sentencing date has not been set. Savoie faces a significant term of imprisonment, fines, and restitution, among other things. Read more.
Misfire: Louisiana won’t be joining 29 other states in paying a minimum wage higher than the federally-set rate, as Gov. John Bel Edwards saw one of his signature legislative efforts fail for the third year in a row. The Senate on Tuesday refused to hike the rate from the $7.25-per-hour federal level to $8 per hour in 2019 and $8.50 a year later. Seventeen senators voted for the bill by Sen. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, and 21 opposed it. No one spoke against the proposal during the evening debate, but the measure was opposed by business groups who say it could force them to shrink their workforces or discourage expansions. Read more.
