BAKER - A City of Baker School System employee accused of sexual battery is back at work and now trying to clear his name.

The WBRZ Investigative Unit has filed several reports on Rodney Craig. Two women who have come forward allege inappropriate interactions between them and Craig while on the job. In one case, a police report has been filed.

Cindy Hamilton says the past few weeks have been terrible for her and fears returning to her bus route. She has been on leave since reporting an inappropriate interaction at the school board office supply warehouse with Rodney Craig.

Attorney Robert Tucker is handling Craig's case.

"It has definitely tarnished his reputation and that's why we're here to clarify that all of the accusations against Mr. Craig at this time have been found unfounded," said Tucker.

Craig is back at the office as the case makes its way through the legal system, he's facing a charge of sexual battery from the Baker Police Department.

"I feel like the system has failed me because I'm the victim and I'm not being treated like that," said Hamilton.

The incident has caused Hamilton stress. She says what she experienced on March 5, 2024, at her job with Craig haunts her.

"It has caused me a lot of trauma, I have been seeking counseling since the day that it happened," she said.

Hamilton says she was looking for cleaning supplies to clean her bus in the warehouse at the Baker School Board Office.

"All I felt was him come up behind me, I felt his body pressing all up against mine, the back part of my butt and everything, and when I turned and I pushed him off of me and the only thing that he can do was take his hand and put it on his penis and told me that was for me," said Hamilton.

Hamilton says she initially reported it to the school system, but when Craig called on the phone, she went to police.

"I went and got a restraining order," she said.

The Baker School System website says Craig is the Plant & Facilities Operations Technician.

"He has returned to work, he has been working as a dutiful employee with Baker School System," said Tucker.

Craig's attorney shared a document from Superintendent James Stroder about his administrative leave. The document says Craig requested to be placed on administrative leave on March 25, 2024. After meeting with the Superintendent, Craig returned to work after April 18, 2024. His return is based on the condition that Craig is to be aware of his surroundings and not place himself in situations where he might be alone with staff members. The document says if there are any more complaints involving sexual harassment and Craig is found alone with a staff member, it can be grounds for disciplinary action, including termination.

Antonia Caine used to be the Principal of Baker Middle School. She explained an interaction she had with Craig last year.

"He touched my shoulder, then each time he would go down, he touched my back and then he touched my butt," said Caine.

Following the incident, Caine says she reported it in writing and in person.

With Craig back at work, Hamilton feels unsettled about returning to drive the school bus.

"I don't feel comfortable with going back, I really don't," said Hamilton.

Superintendent Stroder said last month that because this is an active ongoing criminal investigation, he cannot comment.

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BATON ROUGE - People living along Paige Street in Baton Rouge have been dealing with a flooded street and soggy yards since a water main break over the weekend.

The break caused water to shoot into the air several feet, filling up Cherlyn Jackson's front yard.

"I'm fixin' to be flooded out that's what's going through my mind and I don't even have flood insurance," she said.

Jackson says she called Baton Rouge Water Company on Sunday. The water company says it had scheduled to address the problem on Monday but with the wet weather created a delay.

"I want them to turn the water off," Jackson said.

Her worries were quickly addressed Tuesday. By early afternoon the water company got to work and clamped the pipe to make the repairs needed.

Baton Rouge Water Company says it aims to timely address leaks, however, its need to maintain water service to the customers while prioritizing more detrimental leaks to both customers and the system is a must.

The water company says the leak on Paige Street was a two-inch line. If larger lines break, they take precedence and resources and storms slow down outside work. The Paige Street leak was assessed within hours and work was completed following the order necessary to best maintain the system.

 

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PORT ALLEN - A West Baton Rouge Parish Councilman has been given 120 days to fix up his property or it'll be torn down. People living near that property say the structure can't be saved and it should be demolished.

Councilman Kenneth Gordon appeared before the Port Allen Council earlier this month regarding a property owned by a family member on 13th Street. At the meeting, the council condemned the structure and said the property owner has 120 days to make improvements or it will be demolished.

When asked by the council if he had a timeline for repairs Gordon said he didn't have one.

"No I can't give you a time frame, but I'm working on it," Gordon said.

People who live near the structure say they are tired of looking at the mess. A dumpster has been sitting full for weeks and they're fighting off snakes and rats. One neighbor who does not want to be identified says it's at risk of falling over onto the house next door.

"I've been looking at this mess now for two years," she said.

Gordon tells 2 On Your Side that people didn't start to complain about the property until recently. He says the house had been sitting there for about 10 years and the moment he started working on it he got complaints.

The neighbor who contacted Brittany Weiss says she hasn't seen Gordon working.

"He hasn't been over there one day since then," she said.

The structure appears to be held up by several pieces of wood braced against one of the walls. It's missing a roof and several exterior walls. The city says the owner will have to frame walls, floors, and ceilings and enclose the structure with windows, doors, and a roof. Gordon has until Aug. 8 to make the changes.

The city says Gordon applied for a permit but used the wrong address on the request. He was asked to resubmit the application with the correct address.

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BATON ROUGE - A developer says he purchased a lot to build someone an affordable house. The company hired crews to start building but stopped when someone else said they were the real owners.

Christopher Guillory is the owner of Kingdom Builders Developments of Louisiana. His attorney Sharon Kyle says her client is a victim and they're hoping to get this unfortunate situation resolved quickly.

"Like I told you earlier, I'm not happy about it," said Guillory.

Last fall, Guillory says his real estate agent found several lots for sale online. After making offers, Guillory says his agent heard back from one seller and they moved forward with purchasing the land for $15,000. His name is on the paperwork.

"I used all the appropriate channels to make sure we purchased the property legally and obviously that didn't protect us from this particular situation," he said.

He started building the house in February. Guillory says he had interested buyers and people working for a paycheck.

"Those guys, they don't have income now," said Guillory.

Soon after the crews started building they stopped. Someone had spoken with the crew saying the land was theirs. On Thursday, 2 On Your Side spoke with Sam Glasper Pleasant who has detailed records saying the lot has been in her family since the 1980s. The lot was donated to herself and her brother by their dad in 2006. Now Glasper Pleasant and Guillory say they're victims of an elaborate scam.

"This is the first time I've heard of it," said Guillory.

Attorney Sharon Kyle says Guillory did what any builder would have done.

"He relied on his agents and the title company and the professionals that he hired and here we are," said Kyle.

Court documents show some red flags. In those documents, it shows that the Glaspers are married instead of brother and sister. Glasper Pleasant's name is misspelled and the power of attorney paperwork has an invalid notary seal from Florida.

"A little due diligence could have gone a long way," said Kyle.

Now Guillory says he's stopped work until the details have been sorted out. After investing about $80,000 into the project, he's trying to stay positive.

"I'm not going to be angry about it," he said.

Guillory does have title insurance but that does not cover the lot improvements. Both Guillory and Glasper Pleasant are looking for more answers.

Title company Phoenix Title provided the following statement to 2 On Your Side.

The incident is on par with the recent trend and enormous uptick in fraudulent scenarios in the real estate industry. Fortunately for Phoenix Title, they were able to catch the fraud and seize the moment to attempt to repair the situation but also alert others in the industry of the purported fraudulent seller and their actions of deceiving all parties involved, including them.

Phoenix Title says it has reported the incident to the local authorities and the FBI. The title company says the agent representing the fraudulent seller only had communications via email, text, and phone. The sellers also presented a false and manufactured Power of Attorney that allowed them not to be present.

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BATON ROUGE - One woman tells 2 On Your Side a piece of property owned by her and her brother has been sold without their knowledge. Sam Glasper Pleasant only learned about the sale when she drove by the lot to check on a Mardi Gras float being stored there and saw a crew working to build a house.

It's a story with several victims, including a home builder who now has thousands of dollars in limbo.

Glasper Pleasant spoke about the bizarre series of events with Brittany Weiss and said the sale could have been avoided if someone had paid closer attention to the details involved. Now she, her brother, a home builder, and others are wrapped up in an elaborate scam.

"Shock and amazement," said Glasper Pleasant.

The lot on North Sabine Drive in Baton Rouge has a dumpster, plumbing, trenches, and everything in place for a concrete slab to be poured. The property has been in Glasper Pleasant's family since the 1980s. She grew up in a house right behind the lot, which is now rented out to someone else. The lot was gifted to her and her brother by their dad in 2006. It's sat empty until February, that's when she found a crew working to build a house.

"Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine my family would be victims at this scale," she said.

According to court documents, the lot has been sold. It's what Glasper Pleasant is calling an elaborate scam. She says her identity and her brother's identity were stolen and falsely used.

Court documents show the lot was sold in December 2023 in a cash sale for $15,000 to Christopher Guillory of Kingdom Builders Developments of Louisiana, LLC. The documents show that the people orchestrating the scam obtained the social security numbers for both Glasper Pleasant and her brother, presented the two as spouses instead of siblings, and misspelled Glasper Pleasant's name. An agent and attorney appeared for the people orchestrating the ordeal as Power of Attorney.

Glasper Pleasant isn't sure what's next, but says someone should have looked closer at the details.

"If anyone involved had done their due dilligence they could have followed all of the title and deed records showing how my parents became possessors of the property and then showing it was lawfully donated to my brother and me," she said.

It's a scam that Glasper Pleasant has never heard of before in Baton Rouge. She encourages other people with empty lots to frequently visit their properties to make sure nothing is amiss.

There have been several lawsuits filed involving this property. Glasper Pleasant, who is a lawyer, says it's a bad situation for everyone involved. She has contacted the police to see if the person or people behind the scheme can be found.

Friday, 2 On Your Side is scheduled to speak with Christopher Guillory of Kingdom Builders Developments of Louisiana, LLC, to hear his take on what happened.

"He's an absolute victim in this," said Sharon Kyle of the Kyle Law Firm.

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BATON ROUGE - Local artist Raymond Marmillion III died from a heart attack on Saturday.

The artist, whose work signed RMIII can be found around Baton Rouge and New Orleans, was 42 years old.

His parents, Gwen and Raymond Marmillion Jr., are proud of their son, recalling his work painted on the side of restaurants, hung inside galleries, homes and gifted to many.

"As I'm standing there looking at his work people were passing by honking their horn and waiving because it's an inspiration of hope," Gwen Marmillion said.

"He's gone forever but we have a little piece of him here," Raymond Marmillion Jr. said.

The artist used to work at Jolie Pearl downtown Baton Rouge. Gwen said her son loved to live and work downtown and never met a stranger.

"He had a giving heart," she said.

His art was inspired by the people around him. Raymond Marmillion III enjoyed painting people and often gifted his work to people he was inspired by.

"We want people to know he loved Baton Rouge and the little he did, I hope it inspires somebody," Gwen Marmillion said.

Some of Marmillion's work is on display at The Gallery on Florida Street downtown Baton Rouge. Samuel Taylor from Just Shining Enterprises says his collection will be on display at The Gallery at 227 Florida Street through April 30 for viewing from 6-8 p.m. For more information call 504-239-2051. Funeral arrangements are pending through Winnfield Funeral Home.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help with funeral expenses.

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BATON ROUGE - A church is extra thankful for the generosity of its community after a ticket company hired to handle its fundraisers stiffed them. Now, six months after a 2 On Your Side story they are finally made whole.

Rev. Tommy Dillon at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church says he had faith the payment would come through from Brown Paper Tickets. The money was deposited into the church's account about a year and a half after the event.

"This is Easter season, I was like the resurrection's happened, we got the money," Dillon said.

For many years, Dillon has been using Brown Paper Tickets as his go-to ticketing platform for events in churches where he serves. The company had a reputation for giving back to the community, but it's been in some trouble. When the platform didn't return the funding collected Dillon was filled with a bit of "holy anger."

Soon after a 2 On Your Side story aired last November about the missing funds, parishioners and members of the community were eager to help and donated about $5,000, much more than the $2,125 that was owed.

"I was just so amazed when people said, 'Well, I want to cover this amount!'" Dillon said.

Now the community outreach church has some extra funding to help people in need.

"I'm doing what Jesus taught us to do, to love and to care for people so that's what we do so that's what we're doing with the money," he said.

Even without the funds, Dillon stayed positive.

"We are okay, but I know smaller groups or someone who is doing a fundraiser for someone who has cancer, they need money right then," he said.

Dillon is happy to hear that Brown Paper Tickets is making good to its customers but is a little cautious about choosing them for his events in the future.

Brown Paper Tickets has been purchased by Events.com. Since that acquisition, Events.com has helped Brown Paper Tickets disperse over $75 million to event organizers. Those payments should be completed by the end of May. The platform will now ensure immediate payment to event organizers moving forward.

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PONCHATOULA - One woman says her husband's license is suspended over a late fee that occurred while paying off an installment plan with the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles.

Maddison Aikman says their trouble started when they noticed fraudulent charges on their debit card in January 2023. It was the same debit cart being used to pay off a balance owed to the OMV for lapsed insurance. After canceling the card, the OMV attempted to debit their account and ever since then, it's been a battle to get help.

"I'm not going to give them my money when they don't deserve it," said Aikman.

The OMV wants to charge her husband an $800 fine.

"They canceled the installment plan and then there's no way to reinstate it unless you call this number that no one answers, ever," said Aikman.

Since last January, Aikman has been on the phone trying to get through to the OMV. She's left messages and even visited the OMV in person where she was turned away and told to call the same number she's been calling.

They had two months to get back on a payment plan before they'd be charged the late fee and things did not work out in their favor. The night before that deadline, Aikman says they got a call from the OMV at 6:43 p.m. Aikman says they were told to send a photo of a document they didn't immediately have available. The office closed at 7 p.m. Four days later Aikman says they received a call from another agent who told them they had an updated balance owed since they were now past due.

Aikman and her husband have been trying to get the late fee resolved, requesting to speak with a supervisor but never heard from one until she reached out to 2 On Your Side.

"After I talked to you we got a phone call from a supervisor at the OMV," said Aikman.

She's hopeful things will change but stands firm that the fine is not theirs to pay.

"I would definitely rather him not have a license than to give them this $800," she said.

Aikman says the OMV is requesting she get her bank to write an official letter confirming what happened with her debit card. She tells 2 On Your Side she will get the necessary documents and hopes to be done with this so they can resume installment payments without the late fee.

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BATON ROUGE - For the past two and a half years, Kathy King has been fighting with Entergy over a security light charge that she says she shouldn't have to pay.

"It's the principle of the matter," said King.

The charge, which started at about $30, has grown to $124. In 2021, King says a contractor at her home noticed a security light in her backyard was not working. King says she put in a service request with Entergy for repairs but after Hurricane Ida hit she canceled the service. The light was not fixed and the charges continued to accrue on her bill for several months. It wasn't until February 2022 did Entergy acknowledge via email that the service was canceled.

"I canceled and I continued to be billed for the light," said King.

The charges did not go away.

"After many, many phone calls trying to get it resolved they continue to tack on late fees to those several months of light charges I wasn't paying," said King.

Each month, King pays her Entergy bill on time but first subtracts the security light charges and the late fees. The fees have added up to about $124.

"After two and a half years it's just a ridiculous situation," said King.

She says she's spent hours on the phone fighting the charges. Several times King says she was told the reason her concerns had not been addressed was due to a backlog in the billing department. Her problem has gone unresolved.

"The reason why I called you is because this week I got a disconnect notice," said King.

Entergy is threatening to turn off her service because of the $124 portion of her bill she has not paid. King tells 2 On Your Side she feels like she's being held hostage by a utility company.

"The only conclusion that I can come up with is that we are captive customers of Entergy because we have no choice," said King.

Following the disconnect notice, King called Entergy and says the company has agreed to extend the deadline until May 2 while they work through her billing issue.

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GONZALES - Truck loads of dirt are being hauled in to cover up red dust left behind at a closed aluminum plant. It's a process that's been in the works for months.

Ascension Parish has been working with LAlumina and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality to execute a plan that would eventually cover the red dust with a thick layer of dirt.

The dirt is from several parish drainage projects.

Residents have been complaining about the dust kicking up and blowing around the parish for years. Some people are concerned about breathing it in and say it leaves a bad taste in their throat.

The dirt project would use funds set aside by LAlumina, with LAlumina representative Aaron Templet saying there is about $4.6 million set aside to cover the costs. To release those funds, a cooperative endeavor agreement will need signatures from Ascension Parish, LAlumina and DEQ.

Last week, Ascension Parish told 2 On Your Side that it was working to get the permits needed to start the work.

LAlumina says the dirt is being staged next to the levee across from the ponds in Pelican Crossing.

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BATON ROUGE - Piles of trash are accumulating along Greenwell Street under I-110 in Baton Rouge and some fed-up homeowners called 2 On Your Side.

It's an area of the city that Savannah Perry says is being taken advantage of by illegal dumpers. It could be that the people dumping are lazy or that they can't afford to do it the right way. Whatever the reason, Perry says she doesn't want it in her neighborhood.

"It's like where do we go, what do we do," Perry said.

Each time she sees a new pile of trash on her street, Perry says she reports it to the city. About two weeks ago, a pile of garbage consisting of rocks, bricks and furniture pieces was dumped in the road that buses drive down to take children to and from school. Bus drivers have to steer out of the way to pass through, Perry said

"This is our neighborhood, it shouldn't look like this," she said.

In September 2022, Greenwell Street closed near Amarillo Street. A large drainage pipe broke and caused the road to sag and cave in. Concrete barricades have been there ever since. Perry thinks that the closed street is not helping the dumping problem.

Doorbell camera footage from one neighbor's house shows a large truck driving down Greenwell Street to Amarillo Street on April 12 around midnight. A person got out of the truck and proceeded to look around the area before backing the truck into the driveway of an abandoned house. The truck stays in the area for about an hour before driving away. The next morning, large piles of tires were found behind the abandoned property.

"I guess it's a convenience for them, but it's not a convenience for us," Perry said.

The city says the Greenwell Street repairs could go out for bid in the next month. The road is estimated to be closed through 2025.

Councilman Darryl Hurst says he encourages people to report dumping problems as soon as they see them. Hurst drove out to the Greenwell Street area Monday to take a look at the debris in the road and said someone with the city would be by to pick up the pile as soon as possible.

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BATON ROUGE - People living along Aberdeen Avenue in the Southdowns neighborhood of Baton Rouge are excited to see their street drain. They reached out to 2 On Your Side for help several months ago and got some relief.

The City took action. Their response made a difference and people like Emma Antilley hope it did the trick.

"It's a huge improvement in quality of life," Antilley said.

At the end of January, 2 On Your Side visited with Antilley and several of her neighbors about the repeated flooding they have on their street. After it rained, the water would collect in the road and pour over curbs into yards. The water sat there for hours and was pushed higher into front yards by vehicles driving through. High rain boots became a necessity.

The water trouble is something the neighborhood has been dealing with for years.

"They thought they talked to everybody," Antilley said.

Turns out, Aberdeen Avenue had been on the city's radar, but action had not been taken. The city had to find the money to investigate the problem. A few weeks ago Compliance EnviroSystems, a sanitary inspection company, brought their trucks and cameras along with several crew members to get to the root of the problem.

"They ended up finding a blockage on the corner," Antilley said.

The crew returned several times, unraveling tree roots and debris that blocked water flow. Crews also found a manhole covered by asphalt.

"It seems to have fixed the problem and we're so thankful," Antilley said.

Cars now have no trouble driving down the street, a simple concept that Antilley had trouble imagining.

"I didn't think it would happen this quickly and I wasn't expecting it to feel that important to people, I'm super thankful to you and everybody that helped us with this and for feeling like they cared," she said.

Antilley now has some peace of mind knowing that things will be different.

The city drove along Aberdeen Avenue Wednesday morning to check on the drainage to make sure things were working as they should be.

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BATON ROUGE - A neighborhood is at its wits end after the city's traffic engineering department came back and told them their street doesn't meet the qualifications for traffic calming.

Frank Wilson has lived along Crestwood Street in Baton Rouge for more than a decade. He says he's tired of people using his street as a cut through.

"This is a friendly residential street that should be a safe place to play," Wilson said.

For the most part, it is a safe place to play. Between the hours of 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. weekdays it's a different story. That's when drivers zip around Crestwood Street like it's a racetrack.

"They're zipping through here so fast, it's dangerous," he said.

It's a four-way stop on Cedarcrest Avenue at Patricia Drive that some drivers have learned to steer clear of. During the rush hour, cars back up 20 to 30 deep waiting to pass through the intersection. To avoid it, they turn right on Seracedar Street and follow it around Crestwood Street until they reach the four-way stop at Patricia Drive and Cedarcrest Avenue.

Wilson says they speed through to cut the line. His neighbor says drivers save about four minutes by doing this. It's gotten so chaotic that one of his neighbors requested a traffic study but it didn't meet enough criteria for the city to initiate a traffic calming measure.

"We've contacted City Hall, we've contacted the police, we've contacted you guys, we're trying anything and everything we can to at least get someone to look at the problem and acknowledge that it is a problem and then start talking about solutions," Wilson said.

One of the residents says they have made a request for the Baton Rouge Police Department to visit the area since the "drive like your kids live here" signs don't appear to be working.

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BATON ROUGE - One woman came home from work last week to a green notice on her door saying she had an active warrant for her arrest and had 24 hours to get in touch with the city constable and clear her name.

It scared her. Not sure if the notice was legitimate or a scam, the woman contacted 2 On Your Side.

Theresa, who does not want to provide her last name, lives in the Broadmoor Plantation community. The green notice was posted on her door and others nearby.

"It certainly felt like a big deal when I got home from work and spent a night thinking I was in some sort of legal trouble," Theresa said.

At the bottom of the notice was her apartment number and her full name. Theresa called the number on the notice to learn that the office was closed.

"I freaked out because I have not had any tickets, no traffic violations, no kind of interactions with police at all," Theresa said.

Fearing she'd be arrested, Theresa checked the online city court warrant lookup and her name came back with zero results. The next morning she called the court just to be sure and was instructed to come downtown, where she confirmed her name was clear of any tickets.

"She said your name's clear, she's like we've gotten lots of these today," Theresa said.

The City Constable says there are 112,000 active bench warrants in Baton Rouge. The warrants are for a variety of things, including seat belt violations, speeding tickets, and lapsed insurance. Constable Terrica Williams says deputy constables are working to clear up some paperwork.

"They'll knock on the door, if no one answers the door then they'll leave a notice on the door," Williams said.

The point is to avoid arresting people by giving a warning.

"Come in and take care of their business, that's all we want them to do," Williams said.

Last week, the constable's office was in Broadmoor Plantation, and Theresa's name got caught up in the mix.

"Somehow as they were writing the names, this name was on the list and they accidentally wrote it, which was by accident; it was an error," Williams said.

While most of the notices are going to people with active warrants, Theresa says she lost sleep over what happened and had to miss work to clear it up.

"It sent me into a complete panic," she said.

Since the error, Williams says she has met with her warrant team and instructed them to triple-check all data before knocking on a door or leaving a notice. Williams has also improved the notice to make it less daunting by removing the deadline and some wording. The warrant file number will also be placed on the notice along with the name.

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BAKER - A woman says she is also a victim of sexual misconduct by a Baker School System employee who was recently arrested.

Antonia Caine was the principal at Baker Middle School up until last fall when the school system did not renew her contract. She says around the time she left, she had an encounter with a colleague that haunts her to this day.

"He touched my shoulder, then each time he would go down, he touched my back and he touched my butt," said Caine.

According to an arrest warrant from Baker City Police, last month an incident between two Baker School System employees took place at the Baker School Board warehouse. The victim says 58-year-old Rodney Craig asked her to "fool around," pressed his body and genitals up against her, then grabbed himself.

Caine says she had several disturbing encounters with Craig at work and that they have been reported to the school system.

"I reported it in writing and in person," she said.

The incident from last month has also been reported to the Baker School Board, which according to court documents told the victim and Craig to avoid contact. However, it's noted in the arrest documents that Craig attempted to make contact with the victim by phone. The victim now has a protective order against Craig.

Craig's employment status is unclear. On Thursday, School Board President Joyce Burges told 2 On Your Side that Craig is on administrative leave. In an email to WBRZ, Superintendent James Stroder said he never told anyone Craig was placed on administrative leave. Stroder says it's an ongoing personnel matter and he is not allowed to comment.

As Caine recalls her experience, she says there are other victims.

"You just don't know who else has been affected by this man," she said.

Caine feels let down by the Baker School System and her community. She says the leadership has failed her and others.

"Anybody that allows this type of abuse and neglect to happen, it's timeout for that. We are in 2024!" she said.

According to the Baker School System website, Craig is listed as the Plant & Facilities Operations Technician. The arrest warrant states the Craig has been served with a copy of the victim's protective order. He faces one count of sexual battery.

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UPDATE: After Donovan's story, several doctors reached out hoping to help. Monday, Sydney met with one of the doctors who agreed to see her and will help her with any future needs.

BATON ROUGE - Sydney Donovan has overcome a lot of health challenges. Now, at 19-years-old, she's looking for a new doctor. Her mom, Sherry Donovan, says it's been difficult to find a doctor who will treat her because of her age and insurance.

At 12, Sydney received a life-saving drug shown to stop the progression of a rare genetic disorder, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, or SMA. Since becoming a legal adult she has been having trouble finding doctors who will accept her insurance, Legacy Medicaid.

"Medicaid's been good to us, you know, but I'm at a standpoint where I don't know where to go from here," said Sherry.

Sydney starting having seizures about a year ago. Earlier this year she complained of back pain and needs to be seen by a doctor. Sherry says they can't find anyone who will see her or read an X-ray.

Sherry says her daughter has been recommended to several doctors but each time she calls to make an appointment she gets the same response - they can't take Legacy Medicaid.

Fearing that her daughter isn't alone, she called 2 On Your Side.

"It's like when they turn to an adult they think they can go out on her own, and they can't," said Sherry.

The Donovans are searching for an orthopedic, one who will take her insurance.

The state has been contacted for assistance.

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BAKER - A Baker school system employee is on administrative leave following an arrest.

According to arrest documents, detectives with the Baker City Police Department were alerted to a complaint of sexual battery that happened on Tuesday, March 5, at the Baker School Board office located on Plank Road in Baker.

Rodney Craig, 58, is facing a charge of sexual battery.

The affidavit says the victim, who is also an employee within the school system, asked Craig for help getting supplies at the school board warehouse. Once the two were alone in the warehouse, the victim says Craig expressed his attraction to her and hinted at having an affair. From there, the victim stated that Craig got close, pressed his body against hers and grabbed his genitals.

Arrest documents say an official investigation was initiated by the school board. Both the victim and Craig were instructed to avoid contact, however, Craig attempted to make contact on March 22. The victim has filed a protective order against Craig. He was arrested the next day.

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ZACHARY - A property owner living a few hundred feet away from the Comite Diversion Canal project says he's locked into a deal that's causing him to flood. After his concerns were ignored, he contacted 2 On Your Side.

When Jimmy Pigrenet bought his property on Old Baker Road 15 years ago, he says he had no idea what was coming. Several years ago he signed a deal giving a company permission to access his land to move a pipeline to make way for the Comite Diversion Canal.

"They just do what they want and don't worry about the landowners next to them," Pigrenet said.

The contracted company built a road to access the pipeline. It snakes through his property and alongside it.

"They put a dirt road and raised it, which puts me in a bowl now," he said.

Pigrenet says his property was once draining fine but now when it rains his land sits wet for days. He says the extra water prevents him from mowing his lawn and it is making his chickens sick.

"I can't use it all, it's totally useless to me," Pigrenet said.

In April 2023, the Pigrenet's entered into a Temporary Workspace Agreement with Shell to modify the current route of the Bengal 16" Pipeline as part of the Comite Diversion Canal Project.

Shell Pipeline met with Pigrenet about his concerns. Pigrenet says Shell has been able to put him in touch with the other company that is responsible for building the road on his land. Shell offered to built a swale around the new workspace and direct the water to the road-side drainage ditch. Pigrenet says that ditch is clogged.

Pigrenet says he feels frustrated and forgotten, caught up in all the progress happening around him. It's affecting his land, home, and chickens.

"It's going to flood," he said.

That work to redirect the water could start this month. Shell says it takes Pigrenet's concerns seriously and provided the following statement.

While we were able to clarify that these issues are largely unrelated to Shell operations there, we are sympathetic to Pigrenet's concerns. Shell takes pride in the communities in which we live and work and we will do our best to optimize the drainage as well as minimize the impact on the land's appearance in the areas of the property where we are carrying out our contracted work.

The City-Parish has also been contacted regarding Pigrenet's drainage ditch concerns.

In exchange for the land access, Pigrenet says his agreement includes an approximately $2,000 payment every five years, unrelated to any Shell Pipeline agreement or contract.

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BATON ROUGE - After a car being chased by police crashed into her home, 2 On Your Side helped Connie Bailey replace what was damaged and lost.

Bailey was at home on March 10, 2024, when a car ran into her house and the one next door. It knocked out the gas line to her home and the foundation of her front porch. It's been three weeks since she's been able to cook on her stove or take a hot bath.

"I heard a loud bam, bam, and then my house shook from one side to the other," Bailey said..

Following a 2 On Your Side report, a crew stopped by her home. Anthony Disedare of Marino & Son Plumbing and Heating Inc. made the repairs to get her gas line operational.

"Jeff Simpson over at Welder's Supply in Port Allen actually gave us a call and he says, 'Hey man, I saw this incident happen on the news and I'd really like to help out if you guys are in the area if you could go over there and just send me the bill,'" Anthony Disedare said.

Disedare says they stopped everything and went to Bailey's home as soon as they heard.

The Monday following Easter, Entergy installed a new meter at Bailey's house and she is finally able to use her gas once again.

"I felt like I was a lost case when it first happened," Bailey said.

The Baton Rouge Police Department said the car crashed into two houses on O'Dell Street and broke a gas meter at the end of a police pursuit. That car, driven by a 16-year-old, had been stolen. Bailey's house was caught up in the mess.

Friend and neighbor Michael Clouart reached out to 2 On Your Side for help. The city's general adjuster found no negligence on the city's part and says any liability falls on the suspect.

"And that's when I reached out to you Channel 2 News because the lady is an innocent victim and she doesn't deserve to live this way," Clouart said.

Now her gas is reconnected. After three weeks she'll finally be able to cook and take a hot shower.

Several jacks help hold up Bailey's front porch after the car hit her favorite sitting spot. Her front porch will need to be rebuilt and secured. Clouart is hopeful someone will help.

"So she can continue to enjoy her life on her porch," Clouart said.

It's her happy place.

A crew has reached out to 2 On Your Side and has plans to rebuild Bailey's porch. They hope to start next week. Crime Victims Reparations has also been contacted.

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BATON ROUGE - If you work in or visit downtown Baton Rouge, chances are you have experienced parking. It's not always easy, and has taken the City-Parish many years to transition from coin-fed machines to card-reading kiosks and pay-by-app.

Alas, parking kiosks were installed downtown in the fall of 2022 and a year, and a half later, the city is finally ready to enforce violators.

Baton Rouge Police will start writing tickets for those who are parked without paying or staying beyond the allotted time on Monday, April 29. Police have already been writing tickets for drivers parked illegally in handicap spots or loading zones.

Captain Brian Blake is the 5th District Commander and will have 23 officers patrolling streets Downtown keeping drivers in check. Each officer is equipped with a hand-held tablet that allows them to look up a driver's parking information.

"They can go down the road, they can type in the license plate and it's going to show whether they paid the meter, did not pay the meter, or they're past their two-hour parking limit," said Blake.

There is a parking kiosk installed on every block downtown. Signage has been in place and people are noticing and utilizing the QR codes and texting options. Those codes will lead you to the Flowbird USA app on your smartphone and allow you to pay to park from the palm of your hand.

"If you're having an issue with a kiosk, that Flowbird app is very easy to use," said city spokesperson Mark Armstrong.

Enforcement will be Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., excluding holidays. It will cost you $1 an hour or $0.25 every fifteen minutes to park. Street parking will have a maximum time limit of two hours. Violation tickets will start at $10.

If you are going to park longer than two hours during the enforcement period, the city suggests using a parking garage or a surface parking lot. People can also park for free under the interstates on the perimeter of downtown.

"It's very important for the downtown economy that street parking is readily available as much as possible," said Armstrong.

The city says that enforcement will ensure visitors have a convenient place to park when visiting downtown establishments during business hours.

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