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, J a n u a ry 15, 2025
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Drones spotted over nuclear plant
Jeff Landry wants state authority to take them down
BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer
“While we were dealing with a terrorist attack in New Orleans, we had drones being flown over our nuclear reactors in Louisiana.” That’s what Gov. Jeff Landry said Thursday night while sitting next to President-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in during
dinner with some of the country’s Republican governors in Palm Beach, Florida. Landry’s comment came during a discussion arising from a reporter’s question about the lack of available information on drone sightings over New Jersey. “We’ve been asking the FAA to give these states the ability to mitigate these drones,” Landry said,
referring the ability to take down or disable drones. In an interview Friday, Landry said the Federal Aviation Administration has not granted Louisiana the authority to manage drone mitigation, so far opting only to restrict airspace over some of the state’s critical infrastructure. “While that’s appreciative and needed, that doesn’t solve our
several days, though he declined to provide greater detail. Entergy confirmed Friday that problem,” Landry explained. drone sightings occurred at the “We need the ability to take these company’s River Bend Station nudrones down. There’s technology clear power plant in early January. out there that allows us to do that.” “While drones are not a substantial risk nor a threat to safety, we Drone investigation have reported the sightings to the appropriate law enforcement ofin West Feliciana Parish ficials,” a statement from Entergy Landry said Friday that drone said. “Our nuclear team, including activity over a nuclear plant in ä See DRONES, page 2G Louisiana occurred within the past
Planting ideas
PROVIDED PHOTO
Emily Spillman-Holden’s kindergarten class weeds one of the raised beds to prepare it for planting at Bains Lower Elementary. ä See story. PAGE 4G
Site plan for $2.5 billion AI data center approved BY JAMES MINTON
layout for two 4,500-square-foot buildings of welded steel frame and concrete, capable of housing The West Feliciana Planning and liquid-cooled graphics processing Zoning Commission voted unani- units owned by as-yet-unnamed mously Jan. 6 to approve the site tenants. The project, which has been in plan for a $2.5 billion artificial intelligence data center planned for the works for more than a year, a site off La. 965 on the southern will not require zoning changes for the approximately 611 acres end of the parish. The site plan shows the proposed on which the owner, Hut 8, plans Contributing writer
to build its facility. The property, which includes 107 acres of the established parish industrial park, already is zoned for heavy industry, said Donna Wright, who chaired the planning meeting. The company’s name is taken from a unit of Bletchley Park, the British military intelligence complex that operated before and
Help the wildflower project The Feliciana Wildflower Project and Festival will hold a committee meeting at 6 p.m. Jan. 22 at Clinton United Methodist Church, 11321 Old South Drive. The committee is looking for volunteers.
Leila Pitchford AROUND THE FELICIANAS
Events at the East Feliciana libraries n The Jackson Branch of Audubon Regional Library, 2637 La. 10 Suite B, Jackson, will hold a Movie Day at 10 a.m. Jan. 25. The library says the movie will be “Mary Poppins.” Bring a blanket to snuggle. n The Clinton Branch, 11023 Bank St., will have a Weaving Workshop at 10:30 a.m. Jan. 25. Participants of any age will weave a cup. Seats are limited, so contact the branch to reserve a spot. (225) 683-8753.
ä See AROUND, page 2G
during World War II. Hut 8’s computer experts broke the German naval code and passed decoded information to other Bletchley Park units that assessed its intelligence value. Riley Tettrel, senior vice president of data center development for Hut 8, said the data center will employ about 50 people when it opens, from highly skilled net-
working and service technicians to maintenance and grounds crews. Asked if a large number of construction workers, as many as 500, would require short-term housing in the parish, Tettrel said Hut 8 “will not bank on the parish providing housing.” Commission member Andy
ä See SITE, page 2G
EAST FELICIANA POLICE JURY
Language cleaned up in law providing tax breaks to first responders BY JAMES MINTON Contributing writer
After reelecting officers at a Jan. 6 meeting, East Feliciana Parish police jurors refined the terms of the parish’s participation in a tax break program for “first responders.” Jurors voted last month to participate in a program
that allows first responders, such as police officers and firefighters, to apply for an additional homestead exemption on property taxes of up to $2,500 in the assessed value of their homes. The first $7,500 of assessed value of a person’s home is automatically exempt from parish property
taxes, but the Legislature last year authorized parishes to add the extra exemption for first responders. Parish Assessor Jeff Gardner told the jury its vote last month to participate in the program lacked a starting date and an amount of the exemption,
ä See BREAKS, page 2G