Central City News

EDITOR’S NOTE: In January, far-left Together Baton Rouge launched an attack against ExxonMobil resulting in the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board defeating 5-4 a routine Industrial Tax Exemption (ITEP) for Exxon’s Baton Rouge refinery. The school board action and some of the harsh attacks against Exxon raised questions as to whether Baton Rouge was […]

The news that President Bush died put a lump in my throat as I began to remember all the many kindnesses he bestowed on my wife Diane and me and our family. He was a true and faithful friend! One of my favorite times was our trip with President Bush to Honduras in 1998 to […]

Do you live, go to school, or work in Central? Do you have family here? Are you thinking of starting a business in Central? Or do you just want to understand more about the City of Central and its 28,000 people? Then here are 50 things you should know: ­—1— When did Europeans first explore […]

In 1857, there were many close knit communities in the area now known as Central. Huge farms and public lands are shown on a map of that period. Some of the prominent names were Evan Vaughn, Nathan Baker, William Sullivan, Peter Delorroche, Joseph Carter, Rachael Dally, William Edwards, and others. Waterways had been named as […]

The passing of Danny Brown last month could be reported as a loss to Baton Rouge of a master photojournalist who covered such historic events as the Apollo moon landings and the career of LSU All-America Pistol Pete Maravich. Or the focus might be on the intimate access he had at the Governor’s Mansion during […]

In the history of public education in East Baton Rouge Parish, there have been many great principals. Two that stood out in the mid-20th century were Little Fuzzy Brown at Istrouma High and J.A. Smith at Central High. They were titans in their day. Little Fuzzy came to Istrouma in 1935 as head football coach […]

walked to the podium as the valedictorian of the first graduating of the new Central High School, located at the corner of Canal (now Hooper) and Sullivan roads. A copy of her speech was discovered in 2009 and given to the Central City News. It is a timeless message that resonates as well today as […]

People in Baton Rouge should open their minds to the idea of incorporating the new City of St. George, especially when we realize how it all got started. In Louisiana, any community of 300 or more people anywhere in the state outside an incorporated municipality has the right to file a petition calling for an […]

Growing up in Eunice where he was an altar boy and Eagle Scout, Claud Derbes worked part-time for his cousin, Chookie Derbes, the owner of Derbes Drugs of Eunice. It was great preparation to become a pharmacist, according to Claud’s wife of 33 years, Janice Derbes. “He never really wanted to be anything else,” she […]

Scores of family and friends gathered at Zoar Baptist Church to honor the life and accomplishments of Carlton Hudson at his 100th birthday party last Saturday. On display were mementoes of his service as navigator on a B-24 bomber during World War II. He was shot down during the Kassel Mission and was held as […]