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, M a r c h 26, 2025
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Amrhein leaves parish manager job earlier than expected Police Jury extends development moratorium
BY JAMES MINTON Contributing writer
The East Feliciana Parish Police Jury severed all ties with parish manager David Amrhein, agreeing March 17 to pay him for 160 hours of unused vacation time. Although Amrhein announced in January that he would be leaving March 27, jury President Louis Kent announced that Amrhein departed earlier and that the jury should pay him for the unused leave time. Former parish manager John Rouchon pounced on the recommendation, saying he has been at the jury office in his role as a coroner’s investigator but Amrhein was seldom seen since he announced he was leaving. Rouchon said the jury had no documentation
ä See MANAGER, page 2G
West Feliciana School Board closes deal on sale of old St. Francisville site
PHOTO BY FRANCES Y. SPENCER
Regional band favorite Day Trip performs March 16 at a concert to benefit music event scholarships in St. Francisville. Members are, from left, Susan Aysen, Robert Hartner, Don Snaith, Michael Holmes and Nancy Roppolo.
MUSIC APPRECIATION Area musicians lend support, sprinkle songbird seeds
BY JAMES MINTON
BY FRANCES Y. SPENCER
A group of St. Francisville investors closed a deal Friday with the West Feliciana School Board to buy the old St. Francisville High School site near the Pecan Grove neighborhood. School Superintendent Hollis Milton said Feliciana Prosperity Partners LLC bought the 18.97acre tract for $630,000, or $30,000 above the last appraisal the School Board got for the property. The corporation includes Carter Leake IV, Charles Perdue, Stuart Maginnis and Christophe Levasseur, Milton said. The School Board decided to enter into a purchase agreement with Maginnis in April 2021, but plans for developing the site and adjoining property owned by the St. Francisville Area Foundation were stymied by a town-imposed moratorium on new major subdivisions while a new sewage treatment plant was being built. The treatment plant began operating earlier this month, and moratorium will expire March 31. Milton said School Board officials learned Wednesday that they buyers wanted to close the deal on Friday, which resulted in the board scrambling to legally call a special board meeting Thursday night to name the representatives who would sign the sale documents. To meet the legal requirement of giving 24 hours notice before a meeting, the board had to meet at 8:30 p.m. Thursday. “We’re very happy to get a price above the appraised value and to sell it to some local people,” Milton said. “I think we put it into the hands of some good people.” He said he hopes the development that results from the sale will complement the Pecan Grove neighborhood.
Some of the region’s musical artists joined forces at the Magnolia Café to honor the life of popular educator and musician Alan Morton while raising money to support music enrichment. Proceeds from the fundraiser held March 16 will be used to support scholarships for music arts initiatives including the Verlon Thompson Songwriting weekend, Songbird Music School weekend and Young Songbirds. Arts For All, an organization for artists of all kinds in West Feliciana Parish, began hosting the Songbird events more than a decade ago. Two camps, one for children and one for adults, were held for years, and the weekend dedicated to songwriters was recently added. The lineup of musicians included Adrian Percy, Michael Holmes, Melissa Wilson, Heather Feierabend, David Hinson, Nancy Roppolo, Jodi James and Clay Parker. That number included both alumni, organizers and teachers from the weekends. Hinson, a teacher at the Songbird Music School, said he focuses on teaching basic music principles mixed with the foundations of collaborative music-making.
Contributing writer
Contributing writer
ä See MUSIC, page 3G Duo Clay Parker and Jodi James perform at the benefit concert.
Wildflower Festival announces art and Adopt-a-Plot program
PROVIDED PHOTO
Meredith Smith painted the art for the 2025 Feliciana Wildflower Festival poster.
61, Jackson, is planned for March The Feliciana Wildflower Project 29-March 30 and Festival announced its festival Visitors will have access to reenacart on Facebook. The art is by local artist Meredith Smith. tors from both the Union and ConfedOther artists will have work diserate armies with campsites opening to the public starting at 9 a.m. both played at the festival. Leila days. The group also announced its Pitchford The battle reenactments are schedAdopt-a-Plot program. AROUND THE uled to begin at 2 p.m. Saturday and “We want to have as many plots FELICIANAS planted and looking their best before 1:30 p.m. Sunday. our festival on June 7th! Join us in Demonstrations of other Civil War making this vision a reality,” the activities will be held at scheduled group said on Facebook. times throughout both days, and sutlers sellThey are looking for people to maintain ing Civil War era goods and wares will be wildflower and native plant plots by plantpresent. Concessions will be available for purchase ing and caring for native flowers; removing from the Zachary High School JROTC proinvasive species and weeds; watering and maintaining the health of the plot; and learn- gram. For information, call the site at (225) 654ing about native ecosystems and wildlife. 3775 or (888) 677-3400 or email porthudson@ Volunteer days will start soon around crt.la.gov. Clinton. Sign up at felicianawildflowerproject@ Jackson Car Show is April 5 gmail.com or (225) 921-4634. Fourth annual Jackson Car Show is from Annual Port Hudson event coming 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 5 at 3312 College St., behind the Old Hickory Railroad Model The reenactment of the 162nd anniverTrain Museum. It will be held rain or shine. sary of the Siege of Port Hudson, 236 U.S.
Preshow registration is $35 by April 4 and includes one show T-shirt. Registration day of the event is $25. Registration is from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Awards are at 2 p.m. Visit www.jotform.com/250374963324156 to register. Proceeds benefit the Jackson Food Bank. Public entry is $5 or free with donation of a nonperishable food item.
Audubon Regional Library art contest Audubon Regional Library is holding its annual Design Discovery contest for those 18 and under. The deadline is July 15 to turn in a library themed art piece. The winner will be featured on the library’s website for a year, and the winning design will be the new library card for a year. Contact your branch for guidelines and a template.
Library to host electronic recycling Audubon Regional Library is partnering with CACRC to service East Feliciana and St. Helena parishes to provide electronic
ä See AROUND, page 5G