SERVING THE PARISHES OF EAST FELICIANA AND WEST FELICIANA
DEMOCRAT THE ST. FRANCISVILLE
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, O c t O b e r 16, 2024
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Parts of East Feliciana to get high-speed internet Leila Pitchford AROUND THE FELICIANAS
Taking care of the referees The Louisiana High School Athletic Association published a statement from the Louisiana High School Officials Association thanking several schools in the state for “going above and beyond by demonstrating extraordinary security, hospitality and sportsmanship. We commend their support of our officiating community.” Area schools listed include East Feliciana, Dutchtown and St. Amant in Ascension Parish, and Walker in Livingston Parish.
BY JAMES MINTON Contributing writer
A state agency charged with doling out federal funds to extend high-speed internet connections throughout the state has awarded contracts to reach an additional 3,500 East Feliciana Parish households and small businesses. Veneeth Iyengar, head of ConnectLA, told the Police Jury at its Oct. 7 meeting that AT&T will extend fiber optic cable to 19 project
areas in the parish that the agency had earlier determined were lacking high-speed internet service. The company has two years to furnish the project areas with fiber optic service. Iyengar’s agency, formally known as the Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity, is administering $1.356 billion in federal funds earmarked for the broadband initiative. Earlier, in a program known as GUMBO, the agency awarded
AT&T a contract to reach some 1,500 households and small businesses in the parish, Iyengar said. That project is about 65 percent complete and should wrap up by Memorial Day next year, he said. The program guidelines require that internet service providers put no data usage caps on customers and that the service plans be “affordable,” he said. Because the fiber optic cable will be installed underground, a challenge will be avoiding dam-
ROYALTY REIGNS
Area Halloween information n The town of Jackson and JTEC invite goblins and princesses in the area to the annual Spooktacular Event from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Oct. 26. The event is held along College Street starting at the corner of Charter Street (La. 10). Any businesses or individuals interested in setting up a trunk to hand out treats should contact Bonnie Boyer at 225-324-5083. n Be ready for a fun Halloween celebration at the East Feliciana Trunk or Treat event. Decorate your trunk full of treats, games and costumes on Lawyer’s Row in Clinton. This event is Oct. 25. Decorating begins at 8 a.m. The first bus from the schools will arrive at 9:15 a.m. RSVP at efchamberofcommerce@gmail.com. n A trunk-or-treat starts at 6 p.m. Oct. 17 at West Feliciana Sports Park in the circle parking lot by the ball fields. A donation of $1 donation per car is asked. Trunk contest categories are scariest, favorite movie and most original. The concession stand will be open. Call the park office at (225) 784-8447 to reserve a spot. n Trick-or-Treat in St. Francisville is from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 31.
Economic development The East Feliciana Economic Development District meetings are held the third Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m. The location of the meetings rotates and interested persons may call (225) 245-2831, Chair Jim Parker said.
ä See AROUND, page 2G
Early voting begins Oct. 18
Contributing writer
PROVIDED PHOTOS
East Feliciana 2024-2025 homecoming court, from left, are Jamiya Anderson, senior candidate, Brianna Leggett Miss Junior; Justin Smith, Mr. Junior; Aaliyah Haynes, Miss Sophomore; Kashayla Dunn, Miss East Feliciana; Robert Washington, Mr. East Feliciana; Keilaijh Henley, senior candidate; Jalaysia Whitfield, Miss Senior; and Gerard Bell Jr., Mr. Senior. The East Feliciana Tigers rolled over the Capitol Lions Oct. 4 45-0 to move to 2-1 in district play. The game ended a weeklong Homecoming celebration from Sept. 30 to Oct. 4. Dress up days, coronations and the parade proceeded Friday night’s game in the Tiger Den. The court included Jamiya Anderson, senior candidate; Brianna Leggett, Miss Junior; Justin Smith, Mr. Junior; Aaliyah Haynes, Miss Sophomore; Kashayla Dunn, Miss East Feliciana; Robert Washington, Mr. East Feliciana; Keilaijh Henley, senior candidate; Jalaysia Whitfield, Miss Senior; and Gerard Bell Jr., Mr. Senior. East Feliciana freshman quarterback Jayden Matthews calls his own number and turns up field for a big gain.
Dining with diabetes Dining with Diabetes is a program that helps adults at risk or with Type 2 diabetes or their caregivers learn how to manage their condition through meal planning, label reading and portion control. The five-part educational series will be Nov. 4, 11, 18 and Dec. 2 with a follow-up class to be determined by the participants. Classes begin at 5:30 p.m. at
ä See INTERNET, page 2G
BY JAMES MINTON
Event information available Visit tinyurl.com/txcr65k3 for the schedule of bands at the Yellow Leaf Arts Festival. Arts for All presents Yellow Leaf Arts Festival with juried artists and live music from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Oct. 26-27. Conner Burns, a potter, is the featured artist. More information, www. artsforallwestfeliciana.com. Visit www.facebook.com/ citcstfrancisville to sign up for the Christmas in the country parade. Christmas in the Country in St. Francisville is set for Dec. 6-8.
age to existing underground infrastructure such as water and gas lines. The agency plans to map all existing buried lines to avoid water, sewer or gas line breaks, Iyengar said. On another matter, the jury agreed to consider an ordinance, after it is written and advertised, to abandon 2.35 miles of Beaver Creek Road, at the request of Jeffrey Devall, who said he owns
East Feliciana Tigers senior defensive lineman Davien Irvin, 51, tries to fight through the Capitol offensive line and make his way to the running back. Irvin helped the Tiger defense shut out the Lions 45-0.
Mr. EF STEAM Patrick Miller, Miss EF STEAM Da’Vonne WIlliams, Miss EFMS Ryleigh Kelly, and Mr. EFMS Keith Coleman are crowned in the EF STEAM auditorium on Oct. 2.
Early voting for the Nov. 5 federal, state and local elections begins Oct. 18 in the Felicianas and continue through Oct. 29. Voting will be from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily at the parish Registrar of Voters offices, except on the two Sundays in the voting period, Oct. 20 and 27. In East Feliciana Parish, the registrar’s office is at 11048 Bank St., Clinton, while the West Feliciana registrar’s office is in the parish governmental complex, 5932 Commerce St., St. Francisville. In addition to presidential and vice presidential candidates representing 11 political parties, some ballots will include municipal candidates in St. Francisville and Clinton, along with a special election for an East Feliciana Parish School Board seat. In St. Francisville, Mayor Robert “Bobee” Leake faces a challenge from Alderman Andy D’Aquilla, while five candidates are vying for four seats on the Board of Aldermen. The candidates are incumbent Abby Temple Cochran, interim member Collin Howell and Alden Daniel, Edgar “Tommy” Wheeler Jr. and John Wilson. Howell was appointed in July to finish the term begun by the late Al Lemoine. In Clinton, Mayor Mark Kemp won a new term when no one qualified against him in July, but seven candidates are running for the five seats on the Clinton Board of Aldermen. They are incumbents Johnny Beauchamp, Janice Bertrece, Bart Blackledge, Mary Bunch Dunaway and Kim Young. Also running for a seat are Clovis Matthews and Ben Morris. In Jackson, three candidates are running for the remainder of the East Feliciana School Board term begun by Mitch Harrell, who took office in July as the town marshal. The board
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Aldermen agree to pay $5K for emergency services BY JAMES MINTON
Contributing writer
The St. Francisville Board of Aldermen agreed Oct. 8 to pay $5,000 toward an annual contract for emergency air ambulance service in West Feliciana Parish. West Feliciana Parish Hospital contracts with Air Evac Lifestream to provide helicopter ambulance service for critically ill or injured patients who need to be transported for medical care in
Baton Rouge or other cities. In the past, the town made a contribution to the hospital for the service but stopped at some point, hospital administrator Lee Chastant said. The contract costs $55,363 per year, and the Sheriff’s Office puts up $10,000, the parish fire district contributes $8,000 and the parish government also contributes $5,000, Chastant said in a memo to Mayor Robert Leake. The hospital covers the remainder of the cost.
Chastant told the board that 12 to 15 people per year are transported from the parish by the helicopter service. On another matter, the board agreed to continue streaming its meetings via Facebook Live until its meeting room is upgraded to include a more formal seating arrangement with microphones placed to improve the sound quality of the video recordings. Alderman Andy D’Aquilla, in his bid to replace Leake as mayor,
has pushed to have the meetings streamed over the internet, and Leake had the town clerk use an iPhone to stream the Sept. 24 meeting. The mayor said this year’s budget includes $75,000 for improvements to the meeting room, and the work could include sound and video equipment for streaming the sessions over the internet. Leake also said trick-or-treat hours will be from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Halloween, Oct. 31.