Check it out: UnitedHealthcare says it will present a $250,000 check to the Baton Rouge Area Foundation to support organizations helping to sustain long-term recovery efforts from the August flood. Five organization will benefit from the contribution, including: SBP (formerly the St. Bernard Project), Mid City Redevelopment Alliance, the Louisiana First Foundation, Southern University Law Center and Woman’s Hospital Mammography Coach. UnitedHealthcare workers also will help community volunteers load a truck with construction materials to be used for repairs to damaged storefronts in the area.
Drop it off: Gov. John Bel Edwards is joining Walgreens officials today at a Baton Rouge pharmacy to unveil a safe medication disposal kiosk. The Walgreens at 3550 Government St. will be one of 12 locations throughout Louisiana that will feature a kiosk for the safe disposal of unused medications. Walgreens says they’re part of an effort to curb the misuse of pharmaceutical drugs and decrease overdose deaths. Medications can be dropped into the kiosks for free. Walgreens also has made the lifesaving opioid antidote naloxone available without a prescription in Louisiana. And Edwards is backing legislation aimed at combating opioid usage in Louisiana during the legislative session that begins Monday.
One down: One of the five Capital Region locations of Payless ShoeSource will close as part of the company’s plan to shutter roughly 400 stores across the country. The Shreveport Times reports nine stores in Louisiana will close, including one in Gonzales at the Ascension Plaza center, 122 S. Airline Hwy. Other closures in the state include both Shreveport locations, and one each in Abbeville, Plaquemine, New Orleans, Thibodaux, Houma and Slidell. Payless announced the closures and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Tuesday. Under a restructuring the chain plans to shed debt, attract new capital, and boost its e-commerce efforts. Payless has roughly $1 billion in assets and up to $10 billion in liabilities, along with more than 100,000 creditors. Read the full story.
