GONZALES - This weekend, donate to a good cause to get three pounds of some of the best crawfish around. 

The Bob Jackson Foundation is hosting its annual crawfish boil-off at Lamar Dixon on Saturday. Twenty-seven regional teams are competing for the title of best boiler. 

Judging starts at 12:30 p.m., but you don't have to be a competitor or judge to attend. Entry is free, and to try some of the crawfish, you'll donate to the foundation, which mentors and supports children in need. 

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BATON ROUGE - Approximately 94,000 children in Louisiana are impacted by parental incarceration. Daughters Beyond Incarceration is an organization that advocates for children with imprisoned parents. 

DBI's founder, Dominique Johnson, started the organization in 2018 with personal motivation. 

"My father is in his 42nd year of a life sentence at Angola State Penitentiary," Johnson said. "My dad and I stopped talking in the year 2000, and once we reconnected, we realized there's a missing gap between incarcerated parents and their children. We developed DBI so [they] can build a relationship, and six years later, we have grown into something way more powerful than I originally imagined it being."

The group has helped children across the state address emotions surrounding their incarcerated parent. Kash'Shae Cook's father has been in prison since she was a toddler. 

"Before the program, I wasn't event vocal about my dad being incarcerated. I didn't even talk about it," Cooks, 15, said. "I have more of a voice now."

DBI has taken its fight to the the state lawmakers. Wednesday morning, 150 children of the DBI program made their way to the Capitol to advocate for two proposed pieces of legislation: HCR 22 and HCR 24.

"This year we are focused on 'Parenting from Prison.' The PfP program works to support the bills that allow incarcerated parents to attend their children's graduation, award ceremony, anything like that, they can attend them virtually (HCR 24). And the last bill that we're working on passing (HCR 22) is a resolution that changes the way that visitation rooms are situated so that it is more supportive children with different learning exceptionalities and it also educates the correctional officers," says Johnson.

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BATON ROUGE - The East Baton Rouge Parish School System is hosting its retention event to hire and retain new and current employees. 

The school systems is looking for teachers, paraprofessionals, cooks and managers, and employees for its transportation department. 

You can hear more about the event in the video above, or visit the website here. 

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The Youth Peace Olympics is this weekend and it is open to the public. 

YPO is a program meant to lead positive change in communities starting with its youngest members. The Olympics opening will feature vendors, food, live music. You can RSVP here, but it is not required.  

The opening will take place at BREC's Hartley Vey Park on Gardere Lane on April 20. 

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The Louisiana Parole Project is helping formerly incarcerated people meet their needs through Second Chance Week, a week-long way to make people aware of the resources available to them and how others can help them become the best version of themselves. 

Watch the interview above for more information, or visit the Parole Project's website here.  

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LIVINGSTON - For the month of April, the town of Livingston wraps their police units with a puzzle piece decal to honor Autism Awareness Month.

The puzzle pieces on the units can be bought by local sponsors, where all the proceeds go to the LAUNCH initiative, a non-profit organization helping and funding families with disabilities that insurance may not cover. 

Executive director at LAUNCH Chantelle Varnado says the amount of money that is raised for families affected by autism each year would not be possible without the help of the Town of Livingston Police Department. 

There are QR codes on the units that, when scanned, lead users to a place they can donate money to the LAUNCH fund. Scan when you see the units around town to help make a difference. 

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BATON ROUGE - The Highland Observatory will be hosting a watch party on Monday for the last solar eclipse until 2044.

BREC is encouraging everyone to bring lawn chairs, and blankets to watch from the grassy area. The observatory opens at 10:30 a.m., safety instructions will be given at noon, and the best time for viewing will be 1:48 p.m..

"We'll have filtered telescopes out," said BREC member Cheryl Michelet. "If it's overcast and you can't see [the eclipse] too well, we will have three separate feeds from NASA showing the eclipse from different areas of the United States."

You can bring your own snacks and refreshments, but City Gelato will be onsite serving a cold treat for a hot day. 

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BATON ROUGE - WBRZ's own Mia Monet put herself in the hot seat Thursday morning as a preview to the Thrillville Fair that starts this weekend. 

The fair will take place from Feb. 29 to March 10 at the Airline Highway Park. More information can be found and tickets can be purchased at the Thrillville website here. 

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BATON ROUGE - In an interview with 2une In Wednesday morning, Senator Bill Cassidy said he is against sending state National Guard troops to the Texas border, something Governor Jeff Landry outlined earlier in February. 

"Well, I'm not quite sure I'm wild about that," Cassidy said of the deployment. "It's apparently going to cost as much as $3 million. Texas has got so much money. They're spending $400 million to fix the Alamo up.

"I'm about fixing our state."

Watch the full interview with Senator Cassidy in which he talks about the border crisis, flood insurance, and energy resources above.

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DUTCHTOWN - The Dutchtown Griffins cheer team brought home a national championship, and 2une In's Mia Monet was at the school Thursday morning to celebrate with them. 

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ZACHARY - As the Krewes will get rolling soon, one Krewe will stick out among the rest: it's a Krewe with four legs and a tail. Must Luv Dogs Rescue will host its Mardi Paws "Bark on de Bayou" Dog Parade on Tuesday in Zachary.

In 2012, Cindy Shotwell started a lost pets Facebook page for the community of Zachary to reunite dogs with their families. Shotwell saw a problem when she realized there is no public animal shelter within the Greater Zachary area, and as her page expanded and her mission gained traction, Shotwell started Must Luv Dogs Rescue as a nonprofit in 2018 to give more dogs forever homes.

Must Luv Dogs has fostered a total of 600 dogs since it was founded, and it brings in about 100 dogs each year. From the 2012 Facebook page to the nonprofit's inception, what has remained the same is Shotwell's passion for giving dumped, discarded, abandoned, and neglected dogs a new home.

The rescue does not have a physical brick-and-mortar location, but Shotwell and her husband started housing dogs in their own home, sometimes having up to 12 dogs at a time. What distinguishes Must Luv Dogs from other rescues is that the foster-based rescue delivers food, heartworm prevention, treats, and supplies each week, all at no cost to the foster family.

Must Luv Dogs started hosting its Mardi Paws event before the pandemic, where 100 percent of the proceeds go toward keeping the rescue operation going. The parade was originally scheduled for Sunday but has been rescheduled due to inclement weather.

The Mardi Paws "Bark on de Bayou" Parade will start rolling in Zachary on Fat Tuesday at 2 p.m., and pups will start lining up on Virginia Street around 11 a.m. 

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BATON ROUGE - Friday Night, the Krewe of Artemis will roll through Downtown Baton Rouge. Twenty-two floats will be in the parade, which features more than 30 schools and organizations. The krewe captain and founder Joanne Harvey says it's been amazing to watch the community show up over the last 23 years.

"They now bring out motor homes, which is what I did as a child on Lee Circle ... And go to Endymion on Orleans Avenue and things like that. So it's really neat to have that [be] such an integral part of my childhood. To now, hear people talk about something that I founded. It's truly a humbling experience to be able to give that back to the community," Harvey said.

Although they only ride for one night, a lot of planning and preparation goes into getting ready for the big day. Board member Leigh Davis says they all pitch in to make it happen.

"Really, Joanne and I work 365 days a year pretty much, to make this thing go around without any hiccups. Our year starts in April. That's when we have our annual dinner for our members. Then that kicks off our new year going forward. Then in the summer we have a coronation. Then we start planning to prepare our beads, throws for the year, having the costumes made. Picking out our themes and floats," says Davis.

The parade starts Friday at 7 p.m. on Government Street at St. Philip Street and rolls through downtown.

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G2M: If you're looking for a fun, family activity, Tassin Trees and Trimming grows real Christmas trees for families to come and choose their very own.

Not only are there options to pick a favorite tree to bring home, but a variety of children's activities that are available to enjoy before, after or during the tree picking process. 

The Tassin family began growing their own trees when their children were younger and asked their parents to grow their own to put in their home. This then became a small hobby that produced more trees each year. 

Now, the Tassin family opens their home every holiday season to allow visitors to come and pick the perfect tree that the Tassins grew in their very own backyard! 

While this is such a fun bonding experience for the entire family, it'll sure get that heart rate up while cutting down a tree and maybe even break you out in a sweat! 

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BATON ROUGE - Tuesday morning, Mayor Pro Tempore Lamont Cole is putting on his 7th annual turkey giveaway for 500 members of the Baton Rouge community.

"I'm pumped up, I'm excited, I'm ready to go," Cole said Tuesday morning. "It's Thanksgiving, it's the time of the year to be grateful, to be thankful, to be hopeful, to be prayerful. And here I am today working with a whole host of folks from the community making sure that we do our part to provide meals for families this year during this holiday season."

That's not the only thing being given out—people who go will also receive a bag filled with food for the Thanksgiving table. Plus, there will be cooking demonstrations by Pennington Biomedical Center.

"They will help families understand how to prepare healthy meals," Cole said. "We want to promote healthy meals, healthy living."

It will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. Turkeys will be distributed at noon at the MLK Community Center at 4000 Gus Young Road. They will continue to give out turkeys until they run out.

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DUTCHTOWN - There is never one specific way to be active. Numerous options around the world have been created through thousands of years. At Gym Fit, the activities provided are unique and fun, it almost makes one forget that there is a workout done when doing these activities. 

Aerial silks, parkour and acroyoga are the three main sports skills that are provided, each with their own benefits. 

Aerial silks are known to improve strength, flexibility and gracefulness, all fundamentals of athleticism. 

Another intensive activity that Gym Fit offers is kid's parkour, which instills a foundation of agility and creativity for kids who practice the sport. 

A very distinctive sport, acroyoga requires focus and balance while maintaining activity in a very artistic way. 

Each of these techniques that are deemed sport, allow persons to express themselves in a creative and special way. 

Visit their website at https://gymfitbr.com/home for more information on how to start this journey! 

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SCOTLANDVILLE - After more than 4 decades of sitting idle, the historic Cook Theater is getting a big renovation.

The building has been a part of the Scotlandville community since the 1930s and was a place for Black people to come together and enjoy entertainment. Sadly, its doors closed in the 1970s and it's been a blight in the community ever since.

Now, local business owner and investor Tevin Wade has bought the building. It's all a part of his plan to rebuild his childhood neighborhood.

"Our efforts are to revitalize it, bring back a screening inside," Wade said, "but also make sure we add a stage so that we can have theatre come and we can have concerts come."

Wade owns the Lighthouse Bar and Pizzeria and a student housing complex. His latest investment into the Cook Theater is just another way of showing love to his community.

"It's really significant when you talk about a community having a hub, a place that we can gather, a place that our kids can come and see films," Wade said. "You don't see that anymore in our Black communities."

While construction has already started on the property, Wade says he's still looking for financial assistance through state and federal grants.

"We are looking for that, I would ask anybody who does know to reach out to us. I can easily be found within the community at my restaurant," Wade said.  

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BATON ROUGE - House fires happen every day, but this year Louisiana experienced another danger: wildfires. For some in our surrounding area, the fires have come close to affecting their homes.

A new tool the Baton Rouge Fire Department is using can help first responders react faster to an emergency should one arise.

Community Connect is a new tool the BRFD rolled out earlier this year, but they're reminding everyone in the parish to sign up now, especially since Louisiana has been experiencing those wildfires.

"When you sign up online, you input the information you think the firefighters can use," said Justin Hill with the Baton Rouge Fire Department. "Once you complete that registration, whenever there's a call dispatched to your house, firefighters will have that information generated to their computer that's in that vehicle. Those calls will pop up with that information so the captain can use that on response."

It's simple. Go to the website, fill out all your personal information about you, your family, and your home or business. This helps firefighters get all that information while they're en route to your home when that emergency happens.

They'll know how many people live there, if there are any pets, how many rooms there are, and whether anyone has special needs. You can also upload pictures of your family and pets.

You can also list everything about your home or business, what type of exterior or siding it may have, along with how many windows or vents, and if any vegetation is surrounding your home.

"If you input that information and you're at work and we're dispatched to your residence or business, you will get an alert, email or text sent to you to alert you that we're en route to your residence or business and let you know what's going on," said Hill.

It's a modern version of stickers that were placed in your window to get all your information. This new tool is now a way to do something similar but electronically, making it easier for firefighters to have all your information while on the way to your home or business.

"Use it," Hill said. "This is something that you can do as a citizen to help us help you in the event of an emergency. The information that you share is secure, they use the same type of encryption that your banking institutions use for their information, so don't worry about that information being shared. This is useful to you as a citizen."

Right now the service is only available for residents and business owners living inside Baton Rouge city limits.

You can sign up here.

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GET 2 MOVING - Staying active, no matter what that looks like, is very important. A major key to being in shape is also recovery!

This week at The Covery, head RN Allison Pickett showed us numerous ways you can recover and the benefits of each.

According to Allison, focusing on recovering the body promotes healing and therefore allows your body to perform better. 

After experiencing some of the recovery options this week, there certainly is a difference!

Body recovery is not only physical but mental. Being able to relax and take a break from everyday life can do wonders for your mental health. 

Check out The Covery and tell them Get 2 Moving sent you! 

2une In next Friday to see what we have in store for you next! 

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BATON ROUGE - The St. George Fire Department has a new set of wheels! The department has brand new Sprint Trucks designed to help them respond to more emergency calls in the city.

These new trucks are specifically designed to fit the paramedic role, which has compartments for their fire equipment and tools. This also helps get life support to emergency scenes quicker.

"It allows us to free up our fire resources for any fire rescue calls as well as local transporting services," says paramedic Josh Jones. "It keeps them available if we have a low acuity call that we need to provide treatment for. If the patient doesn't want to go to the hospital, then we can do some paperwork and let them go and the EMS transporting agency can be left to take care of more sick people."

St. George Fire Department now has two Sprint Trucks that are in service. They can also be deployed for natural disasters.

State Representative Rick Edmonds has also played an integral part in the funding of these vehicles.

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GET 2 MOVING - Archery involves a lot of focus! But, it's a great sport to be involved in! 

This week at Gotham Archery, Heather Kyzar coached and taught all things archery. 

Their archery range serves anyone from 8 years old.  

According to Heather, the focus and patience of this sport is one of the most challenging aspects. 

After shooting this week, she certainly is not wrong!

Archery is a great workout mentally and also involves a lot of arm strength to hold and pull back the bow. 

Check out Gotham Archery and tell them Get 2 Moving sent you! Gotham Archery could be the perfect option for you!

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