Central City News

By Woody Jenkins, Editor, Central City News – Baton Rouge   The proposed $2.5 billion sale of non-profit Blue Cross/Blue Shield to Elevance, an out-of-state, for-profit insurance giant, has been delayed by opposition from policyholders and legislators. The proposed transaction had smooth sailing until a letter announcing the sale was received by policyholders on August […]

Four members of the Board of Directors of Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Louisiana have resigned their positions to serve as initial Board members for a new foundation called Accelerate Louisiana Initiative.  The new foundation would receive $2.5 billion from the sale of Blue Cross to insurance company Elevance and $770 million from the reserves of […]

By Woody Jenkins, Editor, Central City News – Baton Rouge   Insurance executive Derek Babcock testified last week before the Joint Legislative Committee on Insurance on the proposed sale of Blue Cross to a for-profit corporation.  Babcock did not state a position on the sale but said policyholders should be asking questions like these: •Why is […]

An investigative report in the Central City News in July revealed that thousands of patient files and other personally identifiable medical records were abandoned at Delta Women’s Clinic on Colonial Drive in Baton Rouge. Now as a result of the reports, the Louisiana Attorney General’s office has begun a criminal investigation and seized documents and […]

Hause Actuarial Solutions provided the following analysis of the proposed sale of Blue Cross to Elevance and the transfer of Blue Cross funds to a new foundation. Executive Summary •The $2.5 billion valuation of the company as derived in the Cain Brothers opinion appears to be within a reasonable range of values. •The proposed plan […]

By Woody Jenkins, Editor, Central City News – Baton Rouge    It is marvelous to listen to the four who resigned their $105,000-a-year seats on the Board of Directors of Blue Cross talk about the future.  If they have their way, they will soon control $3,200,000,000 that rightly belongs to the policyholders of Blue Cross. […]

Central Community Schools consistently earned the state’s top scores in various academic categories of the spring 2023 LEAP assessment, growing the district to #2 overall in the state, according to a report released this week by the Louisiana Department of Education.  The results are based on the percentage of students who scored Mastery and Advanced […]

 The Republican Party of East Baton Rouge Parish has announced its support for conservative Republican candidates in two more races — State Treasurer and House District 70. The party has endorsed Dr. John Fleming for State Treasurer.  Dr. Fleming is a family physician who practiced medicine for many years and still does.  He is successful […]

Randy and Cynthia (Cindy) Bryant Hebert of Baker will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Friday, Sept. 1, 2023. The couple was  married on Sept. 1, 1973 at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Lake Arthur. Father Ed Degeyter performed the ceremony. Randy and Cindy have two sons, Jared Hebert of Baker and […]

 Tractor Supply Company, the largest rural lifestyle retailer in the United States, celebrated its Grand Opening for its new store in Central earlier this month and is now open for business.   “At Tractor Supply, we are passionate about serving the needs of those who enjoy the Out Here lifestyle. Homeowners, livestock and pet owners, […]