Now the island is complete with landscaping using the same materials that will eventually be used along the shore at the University Lakes, which are jointly owned by LSU and the city-parish and operated by BREC, the parish park system. 

"It's... important for fish and bird habitat. It also helps with slowing down some of the sediment when it enters the lakes so that it doesn't get cast throughout the lake and make them shallow again," said Mark Goodson, the project's manager.

Phase I of the multi-year project involves dredging City Park Lake and Lake Erie, which are on the northern end of the lakes system. Phase II includes dredging the northern half of University Lake, and that work has already started while Phase I continues.

There will be improvements, too, along May Street, which crosses the lakes and connects Dalrymple Drive to East Lakeshore Drive and Morning Glory Avenue. 

"Stay tuned as we get closer to moving towards construction with May Street," Goodson said. "There will be some important announcements about what we'll be doing during construction. It's probably going to interrupt some people's travel plans so we'll be putting out that information as much in advance as we possibly can."

Phase I costs are expected to total about $35 million. Funding sources include LSU, the LSU Foundation, the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, BREC, East Baton Rouge Parish and the state of Louisiana.

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DENHAM SPRINGS — A man originally booked in January for sexual abuse of an animal was arrested again on nearly 100 additional counts of sexually abusing an animal and filming it.

Dylan Landry, 26, turned himself in and was booked Monday on 95 counts of filming or photographing sexual abuse of an animal. The arrest came after Livingston Parish deputies uncovered additional evidence of Landry's sexual abuse of animals from his cellphone in April, the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office said.

Landry was originally booked on Jan. 9 on one count of engaging in sexual abuse of an animal and eight counts of filming or photographing sexual abuse of an animal after an investigation into a tip from December 2023. Landry's wife was also arrested for obstruction of justice.

On March 12, he was released on a $225,000 bond.

Deputies continued to investigate Landry after his initial arrest and found evidence of the additional 95 counts. He is currently being held in the Livingston Parish Detention Center and bond set at nearly $2.4 million.