SERVING THE PARISHES OF EAST FELICIANA AND WEST FELICIANA
The
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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, n ov e m b e r 13, 2024
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St. Francisville voters pick new mayor
BY JAMES MINTON
Leila Pitchford AROUND THE FELICIANAS
Football playoffs kick off
Contributing writer
Voters in St. Francisville elected a new mayor Nov. 5, choosing the son of a former mayor over the incumbent by a 90-vote margin. According to unofficial returns, current Alderman Andy D’Aquilla received 443 votes in the mayor’s race to 353 for incumbent Robert “Bobee” Leake, who won the post four years ago after longtime Mayor Billy D’Aquilla retired. Leake, who had previously
served as a town alderman, will leave office at the end of December. Voters also filled the remainder of the seats on the five-member Board of Aldermen after incumbent Gigi Robertson won reelection without opposition in her single-member district at the end of qualifying in July. Incumbent member Abby Temple Cochran led the five-person field for the remaining four seats, getting 408 votes. Collin Howell, who was appointed in July to fin-
ish the term begun by the late Al Lemoine, was next with 313 votes, according to unofficial returns. John Wilson and Edgar “Tommy” Wheeler won their first terms on the board, with 310 and 280 votes, respectively. Alden Daniel finished out of the running with 225. In East Feliciana Parish, Jermi Roy Adams easily won the remainder of the term on the School Board from District 3, District 1, begun by Mitch Harrell, who became Jackson’s town marshal on July 1.
Christmas is coming
Send a postcard Regan Tutor’s class at West Feliciana Middle School is studying maps, landmarks, weather and more across the U.S. As part of the lessons, the students would like to receive postcards from each state. If you have friends or family in other states, ask them to send a postcard ATTN: Regan Tutor, West Feliciana Middle School, 9559 Bains Road, St. Francisville, LA 70775.
Winter basketball Registration for winter basketball is open. The deadline is Nov. 29, and the cost is $75. Find information and register at www.wfprec.com.
Mammography bus The Woman’s Hospital mammography coach will be at RKM Clinton, 11190 Jackson St., Nov. 22. Physician’s orders are required and appointments are strongly encouraged. Call (225) 683-5292 to schedule.
ä See AROUND, page 3G
ä See ELECTION, page 3G
Phares named to ground water board
West Feliciana High hosts Carroll Friday at home in the LHSAA football Division II non-select playoffs. East Feliciana High travels to Homer for its first round playoff game in Division IV. Slaughter Charter hosts Thomas Jefferson in the Division III select playoffs. Christmas in the Country will be here soon. Lots of activities are planned. Visit www.facebook.com/townofstfrancisville to find schedules and how to register for events. This year’s Christmas in the Country T-Shirt is available and can be purchased at Temple Design or Town Hall. They are long sleeved white shirts in adult sizes small to XXXL and youth sizes small to large. Costs are youth $20, adult small to XL $30, XXL $34 and XXXL $39. Another touch of Christmas available for purchase is the Christmas Wreath Sale. Proceeds from sales benefit St. Francisville Beautiful, a community-wide effort to beautify the Historic District with trees and ornamental plantings. Place wreath orders from Nov. 1-29. Choices are 28-inch noble fir wreath, $50; 34-inch noble fir wreath, $65; 36-inch cedar wreath, $60; and 75 foot Douglas fir garland, $150. Order at https://bontempstix.com/events/ christmas-wreath-sale-nov30-pickup-11-30-2024-182341. Wreath pickup dates are from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Nov. 30 and Dec. 7, from the potting shed behind the St. Francisville Town Hall, 11936 Ferdinand St. 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. The Feliciana Stitchers will have handmade gifts for sale at Market Hall on Dec. 7-8. The group will also have a quilt raffle benefitting the West Feliciana Animal Humane Society. Tickets are $2 and are available at Cross Quilter, 5237 Commerce St., St Francisville.
Adams, the son of District 62 state Rep. Roy D. Adams, of Jackson, had 1,430 votes to win the seat, eclipsing both George Turner and Louis Smith, who had 441 and 176 votes, respectively. Smith has served as an interim member by a School Board appointment since Harrell resigned. In Clinton, where Mayor Mark Kemp won a new term when no one qualified against him in July, voters elected five members of the Clinton
BY JAMES MINTON Contributing writer
PROVIDED PHOTO
Louisiana Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley speaks Friday at Bains Elementary in St. Francisville, naming it as a ‘Model of Excellence’ for its intensive tutoring help for its students. To his right is Hollis Milton, superintendent of schools in West Feliciana Parish, and Preston Castille, a member of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
A ‘Model of Excellence’ school Bains Elementary lauded by state for program BY CHARLES LUSSIER
Staff writer
Bains Elementary in St. Francisville was honored Friday morning for how well and how extensively it tutors its struggling students. At a school assembly, State Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley announced Bains, which is the lone public elementary school in West Feliciana Parish for grades one to five, as a “Model of Excellence” for its intensive help for students, what’s become known as “high dosage” tutoring. It’s the eight school in the state to earn this distinction. “West Feliciana has set a standard for how high-dosage tutoring can drive student outcomes in Louisiana,” Brumley said in a statement. “We’re committed to ensuring this academic support is available to help students across the state thrive. We are taking tutoring to scale — a bold and unprecedented effort” District superintendent Hollis Milton said Bains’ tutoring efforts are one of multiple “strong intervention programs” offered in the parish. “The high dosage tutoring initiative was an amazing opportunity for our schools to refocus our vision on prescriptive, quality instruction, and created the environment to support more kids than we have ever before,” Milton said. “This state’s initiative has made us better for students and we are grateful for the recognition by the Louisiana Department of Education.”
A school assembly Friday where Bains Elementary in St. Francisville where the school was named as a ‘Model of Excellence’ for its intensive tutoring help for its students. Bains has about 800 students and has a B academic letter grade from the state. The school did well In LEAP testing this past spring, returning to prepandemic levels in English and reaching new heights in math performance. “High-dosage” tutoring is a research-backed, but pricey approach in which no more than four students at a time get at least three sessions per week during the school day. Schools across the country adopted the program during the pandemic relying on federal COVID relief funds. The Louisiana Legislature this summer preserved the program, but cut it in half, spending $30 million this year to continue service kids, but only in grades kindergarten to five.
State education officials highlighted a few of standout qualities of Bains’ tutoring program: Its range of tutoring options through the school days, using its own teacher as well as professional tutoring companies. n Training all staff to support students academically. n Changing the schedule to provide dedicated time during the day for “high dosage” tutoring n Its mix of in-person and virtual tutoring. n Setting specific goals, monitoring progress and adjusting those goals accordingly. n Engaging and communicating with parents regularly about their child’s progress. Email Charles Lussier at clussier@theadvocate.com.
East Feliciana police jurors nominated Greg Phares Nov. 4 as the parish’s representative on a ground water monitoring body, although the agency’s director last month asked them to submit other nominations. The governor has the ultimate authority to name members of the Capital Area Groundwater Conservation District, which includes parishes that draw water from the Southern Hills Aquifer. Another discussion during the meeting revealed that jurors have been routinely passing motions to “approve monthly invoices” without knowing what bills are being paid or the amounts. Groundwater Commission Director Gary Beard told jurors last month that Gov. Jeff Landry wanted the Police Jury to submit the names of three people for his consideration as East Feliciana Parish’s representative. Beard said Phares’s term had expired and he was not eligible to represent East Feliciana Parish because he lived in Baton Rouge. Phares most recently served as the chief sheriff’s deputy for East Feliciana Parish, but his law enforcement career includes service as Baton Rouge police chief, interim sheriff of East Baton Rouge Parish and an employee of the state Inspector General’s Office. Phares told the jury a state website for Louisiana boards and commissions stated his term ran through 2026, but he later learned from the website’s administrator that the website was wrong; the term ended last year. He said he believes he was eligible to represent East Feliciana because he has a house and farm in the parish, but he said he recently removed any question about his domicile by registering to vote in East Feliciana. Phares said he did not come before the jury to campaign for the nomination, but he said he believes opposition to his reappointment stems from his questions of the commission’s budget, business contracts and charges to water systems that draw from the aquifer. Based on a judge’s finding in a lawsuit filed by Baton Rouge Water Company, Phares said he believes water systems are being overcharged for the amount of water they pump from the aquifer. During a commission budget meeting, Phares said he also questioned the $700,000 budgeted for legal representation, the amount of Beard’s salary and cutting to zero the amount of money paid to experts in the field of groundwater aquifers. “I raised some very serious and pointed objections. I suspect that’s why the gentleman appeared,” Phares said of Beard’s request last month. Jurors responded by voting to ask Landry to reappoint Phares.
ä See BOARD, page 3G