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S T TA M M A N Y FA R M E R.N E T
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151ST YEAR, NO. 36
W e d n e s d ay, J u n e 18, 2025
50¢N
Authorities prep for hurricane season Changes to emergency response agenices loom
BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer
PHOTOS BY MATT DOBBINS
Ja’khei Davis, held safely aloft by his granddad and fishing coach, Dewaine Bennet, draws back his little rod and reel to cast a line during the Youth Fishing Rodeo at the Bogue Chitto National Wildlife Refuge fish pond on June 7.
Fishing with a pop
BY SHEILA GRISSETT
Wildlife Service host had agents there to offer help — and even free fishing gear — if needed. But in most cases, the youngsters had their own family fishing coaches with them, a diverse collection of fathers, grandfathers, mothers and others willing to help and encourage. It proved to be a great morning to share some quality time, make memories, chug lots of water and maybe even catch a few fish in the bargain.
Staff writer
June 7 was a hot and muggy day, but despite climbing temperatures and humid air, plenty of young anglers showed up that morning to wet a lucky hook in the Youth Fishing Rodeo in the Bogue Chitto National Wildlife Refuge. Ranging in age from 4 to 15, some were seasoned anglers; others, just beginning. The U.S. Fish and
Dad Joey Dunaway shows Rylan Jack Dunaway how to safely remove the hook from the catfish he just caught in the fishing competition for kids. ä More photos. PAGE 2A
With recent planned changes to state and federal emergency response agencies, state and parish officials in St. Tammany Parish gathered June 12 to try and assuage concerns about this year’s hurricane season. A few days after President Donald Trump announced his plans to phase out the Federal Emergency Management Agency, an audience of about 100 fire chiefs, law enforcement officers, and state and parish officials gathered at a church near Mandeville for the parish’s annual meeting to kick off the hurricane season, which began on June 1. The gathering, which the parish said was its largest hurricane preparation meeting ever, was too large to fit in the parish’s Emergency Operation Center in Covington. “There’s so many distractions, so many other things to be worried about — let’s focus on this hurricane season,” St. Tammany Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Clint Ory said, echoing statements by Brig. Gen. Jason P. Mahfouz, the Ory interim director of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. Mahfouz, who took the top job at the state’s emergency management office in March, when the Louisiana National Guard took control of GOHSEP as part of a restructuring aimed at cutting costs, said “The focus on efficiency and the structural changes within the merger of the two agencies do not take anything away from the mission.” Still, Mahfouz acknowledged there was some uncertainty around what to expect in terms of emergency response from the federal government. “The only confidence I have about what’s going to happen to the federal level is it’s going to change,” he said. “There’s ample reason to be concerned,” Mahfouz said, but added those concerns were better left to the “backside of this hurricane season.” Trump said last week he wanted to “wean” states off FEMA, the federal agency responsible for disaster relief and recovery after
ä See HURRICANE, page 3A
Ski Dawgs put everyone on the water BY SUZIE HUNT
Contributing writer For some, it’s a summertime rite of passage. The spray in your face as you bounce over the water. Hair flying in the breeze as the boat pounds through the waves. The exhilarating feeling of speed. Laughter and screaming into the wind. Pure joy. Water skiing is in the same category as baseball and hot dogs as part of the summer experience. And now, for the eighth year, a group of dedicated volunteers affectionately known as Ski Dawgs will offer the thrill of water skiing to individuals who might not otherwise get to experience it.
“We love helping people get out on the water, especially if it’s for the first time,” said David Thomas, a founder of Ski Dawgs Adaptive Water Skiing. Himself a paraplegic, Thomas had participated in adaptive skiing prior to helping create the local nonprofit organization, and he wanted to make the experience available to others in St. Tammany Parish and surrounding areas. The group offers water skiing to people for whom traditional skis just won’t work. Instead, the Ski Dawgs use a custom built ski rig featuring an open tubular seat they call “the cage,” and a catamaranstyle tri-ski setup. The skier is assisted at take-off on the beach by volunteers, then escorted on their
run across the water by individuals who travel alongside them on jet skis. There is also a spotter on the boat pulling each skier. “Safety is extremely important. We want everyone to have a great time,” said Thomas. The opportunity to ski is open to participants with various degrees of ability or lack thereof, he said. “We’ve had quadriplegics, people with Down syndrome and other conditions, such as multiple sclerosis and spina bifida.” Mytchiko McKenzie, who is blind, will take her inaugural run this summer. “I’m excited about skiing this first
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ä See SKI, page 3A Clint Voelker takes a ride with the Ski Dawgs.
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