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, M ay 21, 2025
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House OKs bill to abolish West Feliciana Port Commission Bill heads to Senate
The 98-0 vote sends House Bill 94 to the state Senate for consideration. The House Committee on Transportation, Highways and BY JAMES MINTON Public Works had earlier sent the Contributing writer measure to the full House. The bill is authored by Rep. JerA bill to abolish the West Feliciana Parish Port Commission easily emy LaCombe and Sen. Glen Womwon House approval in the state ack, who represent West Feliciana Legislature Monday. Parish.
Leila Pitchford AROUND THE FELICIANAS
The port commission has been inactive for a number of years, although some members, including some appointed last year, have attempted to revive it to consider projects on the Mississippi River. Parish President Kenny Havard has clashed with commission member Lauren Field and other members in recent months over
the proposal to abolish the commission, which is a subdivision of the state. The port board voted in 2023 to ask the Legislature to abolish the commission, but Field and several other members have attempted to reverse that vote. However, no one appeared at the May 6 committee hearing to pro-
test the bill’s passage. “I’m glad that the Legislature sees that it’s defunct,” Havard said after the Monday House vote. “I think it shows a lot to pass 98-0.” If approved by the Senate and signed by the governor, the authority for port activities on the river would revert to the West Feliciana Parish government.
GRADUATION DAY
Early deadlines for holiday Any information being sent in for the May 28 editions of The Plainsman, The Democrat and The Watchman need to be sent by noon Thursday, May 22. Having a summer event? If you are hosting a summer camp, vacation Bible school or other event open to the public, send us the information to run in this space. Emails are zachary@theadvocate.com for the Zachary area and extra@theadvocate.com for the Felicianas.
School job fair is Friday East Feliciana Public Schools is hosting a job fair for potential employees from 9 a.m. to noon Friday, May 23 at the East Feliciana STEAM Academy,
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Couple die in separate La. 67 crashes; funeral services are Wednesday
The West Feliciana High School Class of 2025 commencement ceremony on May 9. ä More photos. PAGE 2G
PROVIDED PHOTO
BY ELLYN COUVILLION Staff writer
A man and woman who died in separate crashes on Friday were a couple and parents of a child, an official said. Alexus Lee, 25, of Baton Rouge, died shortly after 2 a.m. May 16 in East Baton Rouge Parish as she was driving north on La. 67, near Lemon Road. Her Toyota Highlander went off the left side of the road, struck a culvert and overturned, State Police said. Almost two hours later, John Collins, 35, of Clinton, was traveling south on La. 67 near Idlewild Road when his Chevrolet Camaro failed to complete a curve, ran off the left side of the road and struck a tree. “I knew them very well, they were wonderful people,” said District Attorney Sam D’Aquilla, with the 20th Judicial District for East and West Feliciana parishes. “They were a couple and had a child.” Some have theorized that Collins was going to check on Lee when he crashed, but D’Aquilla said he could not confirm that. A dual funeral for both Lee and Collins will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the East Feliciana STEAM Academy in Clinton. Lee was a teacher at the STEAM Academy, the school said.
PHOTO BY SONYA GOSS
Slaughter Community Charter School Class of 2025 during the May 16 graduation ceremony at the school gym. ä List and photos. PAGE 2G
Zoning change proposal results in split vote in St. Francisville BY JAMES MINTON
Contributing writer
A technical amendment to a zoning classification turned into a major revision by a split vote of the St. Francisville Board of Aldermen on May 13. Mayor Andy D’Aquilla had proposed amending a table of permitted uses in a zoning classification known as RS-2, medium density residential, to take out references to “town homes,” which had been dropped earlier as a permitted use. The RS-2 zone would continue to allow single-family and two-family residences, as well as bed-andbreakfast establishments, under the proposal before the board. No one spoke against the mayor’s proposal to correct the table, which still mentioned town homes,
but when the matter came to a vote, Alderman Tommy Wheeler moved to also eliminate two-family duplexes and bed-and-breakfast homes as permitted uses in RS-2 areas. Mayor pro tem Abby Cochran objected, however, saying bedand-breakfast establishments are primarily residences for the owners, who maintain them and contribute to the local economy. Three members of the audience then spoke against Wheeler’s motion, with Linda Weingarten warning that the action would be a further erosion of St. Francisville’s tourism base. Cochran’s sister, Amanda McKinney said Wheeler’s motion was a significant change from what was presented in the meeting’s agenda and public hearing call, but town
attorney Ben Klein ruled that the board was within its rights to consider it. The discussion revealed that one home is operating as a bed-andbreakfast in the town’s RS-2 areas, and it can continue to operate unless the home is sold or goes out of business. The number of duplexes in RS-2 zoning was not mentioned. Wheeler, Gigi Robertson and Collin Howell voted for the change, while Cochran and John Wilson dissented. On another matter, the board voted to grant a “conditional use permit” for Brandi and Dwayne Louis to operate a bakery at 11763 Ferdinand St. in the Historic District. The couple drew strong support from other residents for their proposed business. Sydney Picou Walker noted that,
after buying the building in July 2023, the couple had been before the Planning and Zoning Commission three times in an effort to get permission to operate. She said the couple being unable to get a return on their investment for nearly two years “is a disgrace.” The board also granted a “certificate of substantial completion” for the new sewage treatment plant and approved a $540,707 payment to the contractor. Engineer Bianca Hillhouse said the plant is running smoothly and the contractor has only a few more items on a “punch list” to complete. The town’s next step will be to backfill the town’s old sewage treatment ponds when the Department of Environmental Quality approves the plans.