Extended hours: The East Baton Rouge Parish Library system has announced that most of its branches are temporarily extending their hours of operation to help flood victims get information about recovery services and emergency assistance. All libraries, with the exception of the River Center and Greenwell Springs Road branches, will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. today through Thursday. The River Center Branch will operate on its regular schedule at its temporary downtown site until 7 p.m., and the Greenwell Springs Road Regional Branch Library remains closed. The Baker Branch Library reopened today. Many of the branches reopened with limited hours last week after floodwaters swept through the region.
Rolling: The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development has established a regional transit service to help greater Baton Rouge’s workforce get back on the job. Hotard is providing the service, which will run from downtown Baton Rouge to Gonzales, Walker, Denham Springs, Central, and Geismar. The initial contract is for one week, and could be prolonged if necessary. Baton Rouge stops are located at two downtown locations and the Capital Area Transit System’s transfer station at the corner of Florida Avenue and 22nd Street. Get more information about routes, and pickup and dropoff times.
Soliciting support: Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton issued a statement this morning urging people to donate to victims of Louisiana’s historic flooding and suggesting she will visit the Baton Rouge area at an unspecified time. “The best way to help Louisianans affected by these terrible floods is to make sure they have the resources they need today,” reads the statement from Clinton, in which she urges people to donate to the Red Cross. “I am committed to visiting communities affected by these floods, at a time when the presence of a political campaign will not disrupt the response, to discuss how we can and will rebuild together.” Clinton says it’s also important to “make sure that this crisis is not compounded by another, by ensuring mosquito abatement is happening hand-in-hand with flood response, to reduce the risk a of mosquitoes that could carry the Zika virus from gaining a foothold in Louisiana.”
