Central City News

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 […]

EDITOR’S NOTE: Baton Rouge television icon Bill Black, or Buckskin Bill, as he was known, passed away last week after more than 60 years’ service to the Baton Rouge community. Much has been written about Buckskin Bill since he died, but we wanted to offer a contemporary view of Buckskin when his show was in […]

On Friday, Dec. 8, 2017, the City of Central was pelted with a beautiful layer of snow which rapidly began to accumulate. It snows only rarely in South Louisiana, and when it does, it normally turns to mush almost immediately, but this snow was different! It was real snow, the kind you see up North. […]

Sam Crifasi’s father Dominic immigrated to America from Italy and started a fruit stand to provide for his wife, five boys, and three girls. Sam worked in the family businesses. A practicing Catholic, Sam fell in love with a Southern girl named Mary Lou Jacocks, who was Protestant. She converted, they married and started having […]

The greatest generation still lives! Here in Baton Rouge, that generation is epitomized by the Crifasi family. Their mother and father immigrated from Italy in the early 1900’s. Of the five boys and three girls, six are still alive, including five who reside in the Baton Rouge. They range in age from 83 to 100. […]

Dominique’s Stockyard has been a fixture at 1462 Airline Hwy. near the old Mississippi River Bridge for 72 years, since 1945. Every Monday, 500 or more head of cattle are auctioned to willing buyers with an eye for a good deal. For almost as long — since 1950 — the Stockyard Cafe has been serving […]

We asked our readers who survived the flood of August 2016 and its aftermath to tell us what they learned from the experience. Here’s what they said: Rhonda Badeaux Conrad That I put too much value on “things” and not enough on family! Sherry Kelley-Mack Don’t trust your insurance policy, agent, or provider! Rae Lyons […]

My friend wanted a non-flooded comparison of Lawson’s touching front entrance photo. Doesn’t look too drastic until you look at the mailbox. Wow! This is about how it looked when we woke up. We were rescued by boat about three hours later. What a long wait! Cell phones not working, 911 not answering anymore, or […]

We asked our readers to tell us what they learned from the flood of August 2016 and past year of trying to recover from it. Their fascinating answers are found on Pages 4-7 and 10 of this newspaper. You probably won’t be able to put it down! But we also wanted to answer that question […]

The Central City News has recognized 21 individuals who helped shape Central as we know it today. Leading the list is J.A. Smith, Central High principal who established standards of discipline and excellence that prevail today, principal Glen Gentry, and principal Ronnie Devall, who together guided the school and the community for 64 years. Among […]