SERVING THE PARISHES OF EAST FELICIANA AND WEST FELICIANA
The
W atchman
T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M
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W e d n e s d ay, au g u s t 7, 2024
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Schools look forward to new year
East, West Feliciana superintendents say they’re prepared for students Community news report School superintendents Hollis Milton in West Feliciana and Keisha L. Netterville in East Feliciana say their school systems are ready for the new school year. Milton reminds everyone, “Communication between parents, teachers and the school is vital to our students’ success. We encourage parents to stay connected as we partner to make the 2024-25 school year another great year in West Feliciana. “As always, we are grateful for the support of our community. Working together, we will continue our long history of success on behalf of our students.” Netterville said, “Three years ago, our community came together to begin the work of #HomegrownPride, East Feliciana Public Schools’ five-year strategic plan. We’ve worked together, making clear plans, setting intentional goals, and monitoring our
progress on those plans and goals. As a result, our teachers are delivering higher quality lessons, our students are taking smarter, more aligned assessments, and we are providing our students with more specific support based on the results of those assessments. “Because of this purposeful and collaborative work, student reading and math achievement in East Feliciana Public Schools is at a historic high. According to the Education Recovery Scorecard (educationrecoveryscorecard.org/states/louisiana), schools across the country experienced substantial learning loss in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, Louisiana is one of three states where 2023 reading achievement is exceeding 2019 reading achievement. “In math, students across the country have only made up a third of their learning loss. The Education Recovery Scorecard re-
ports a different story in East Feliciana Parish. While students in other schools across the state and country lost reading and math learning during the pandemic, reading achievement remained constant and math achievement continued to increase in our schools.” Here are specifics each superintendent wanted to share:
West Feliciana/Hollis Milton “As we approach the start of the 2024-25 school year, I wanted to take a moment to reach out and share some exciting news and important information,” Milton said. Uniforms and other information n All uniform and school supply information can be found on the school’s website and in the school’s handbook at www.wfpsb.org. n Bains Lower Elementary and Bains Elementary will continue to offer before and after care this school year. The schools will
send home. n West Feliciana Schools License Plates are now available at the Office of Motor Vehicles. For information, visit www.expresslane.org/vehichles/plates or call the specialized vehicle unit at (225) 925-6278 or (225) 925-6146. Improvements “Improved facilities lead to higher expectations, bring increased pride for our community schools and, most importantly, demonstrate our collective investment in our students,” Milton said. High School Athletic Field House: The new Athletic Field House will be completed in spring 2025. The enhancement will complement the improvements made to the stadium in 2022 with artificial turf and LED lighting. He said student athletes work very hard in the classroom, on the courts and on the
ä See SCHOOLS, page 3G
SUMMER CAMP
Led by the teenagers and adults, with student participation, the daily Scripture is acted out in skits at the Bible Story Station.
PHOTO BY MELINDA RAWLS HOWELL
Jackson vacation Bible school takes youth on adventure
BY MELINDA RAWLS HOWELL
Contributing writer
Camp Firelight: A Summer Camp Adventure with God was the theme of the recent vacation Bible school at Jackson United Methodist Church vacation Bible school. Children ages 4 through 12, a few teenager helpers and adults took part in the July 15-19 camp. A daily collection raised money for the Methodist Childrens’ Home and local food bank. Each day’s lesson focused on a different story taken from Scriptures in both the Old and
New Testaments. The Bible verse learned and repeated each day as a camp call-out was Psalm 56:3. The morning assembly and gathering before dismissal were led by Susan Vidrine, playing the part of camp counselor, with a firefly puppet named Lu joining in the discussion. The Camp Firelight music at assemblies and class time for the different age groups were led by Rhonda Tomb. In addition to the classroom lesson, students visited a science station, enjoyed making crafts and
Students and teacher observe and participate at the Science Station during Jackson United
ä See CAMP, page 2G Methodist Church’s vacation Bible school.
Fine free at Audubon Library Accused Baton Rouge-area serial killer Leila Pitchford AROUND THE FELICIANAS
The Audubon Regional Library announced on Facebook that it is now fine free. Also, the library will now allow patrons to print or make copies for free, up to $1 a day. Outgoing faxes will be free up to $10.
Winner announcement postponed The Clinton Is Home committee said it has postponed the announcement of the art contest for Clinton’s bicentennial. The committee said so many pieces came in near the deadline, it needs more time to reach a decision.
ä See AROUND, page 4G
found guilty of first-degree murder again
BY GABBY JIMENEZ Staff writer
After a previous conviction was thrown out, an accused Baton Rouge-area serial killer has again been found guilty of firstdegree murder. An East Feliciana jury found Ryan Sharpe guilty of firstdegree murder Friday in the drive-by shooting death of Brad DeFranceschi, 48, after less than
an hour of deliberation, according to District Attorney Sam D’Aquilla. DeFranceschi, a Boy Scout leader in East Feliciana and father of two, was trimming weeds when he was shot in broad daylight outside his home on the Avondale Scout Reservation on La. 63 in October 2017. Sharpe was convicted of first-degree murder in December 2019 for DeFranceschi’s death, but a
judge threw out the 11-1 guilty verdict in June 2020 after the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed nonunanimous jury decisions just two months earlier. Louisiana voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2018 ending nonunanimous jury convictions in major felony cases. The jury in Sharpe’s case was able to convict nonunanimously
ä See GUILTY, page 2G