THE ZACHA Y
ADVOCATE& 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 u ly 30, 2025
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11TH YEAR, NO. 42
Who’s going to pick up Zachary’s garbage? Council fails to OK new contract with Waste Management
BY OLIVIA MCCLURE Contributing writer
The Zachary City Council was split on whether to approve a new garbage and recycling contract with Waste Management at its July 22 meeting — leading to two tied votes and the ultimate failure of the item. The city and Waste Management will now have to return to the drawing board and come up with another contract to present to the council. Waste Management has provided waste pickup in Zachary for about 20 years. The contract would have increased residents’ monthly recycling fee by $4 in exchange for added services. “The big change here is you’re quadrupling the capacity of your recycling con-
tainer and giving the citizens of Zachary a 96-gallon container for recyclables,” said Donald Hains, an account manager with Waste Management. “We know that there’s a big increase in recycling. The market is turning.” Zachary would have the distinction of being the only city in south Louisiana with such a large recycling bin, Hains said. The company tested the upgraded recycling program in District 3. “I only got positive feedback,” said council member Ambre DeVirgilio, who represents that district. “They felt like they were getting value on a service that they use.” Other changes would include an option for senior citizens and disabled residents to request smaller, more easily maneuverable garbage cans — something council member
Jennifer Landry applauded. The higher recycling fee and bigger bins were sticking points for other council members, however. “I reached out to about 20 of my constituents … and out of 20, only one liked this,” said council member John LeBlanc. “The rest of them — the biggest thing was the $4 charge a month. The other reason was they (the recycling containers) were so big, they didn’t know where they were going to put it. They didn’t want to have two large containers.” Council member Brandy Westmoreland shared similar concerns and asked whether the council could approve only the garbage portion of the contract. “We’d have to redo the contract,” responded Deanna Mankins, the city’s chief finan-
cial officer. With that, Westmoreland made a motion to deny the contract and was seconded by LeBlanc. Landry and DeVirgilio voted against the motion, and council member James Graves was absent. The 2-2 vote meant that the item failed. “We’ve had this information since May,” Landry said. “We should have probably talked about all of this while they were meeting with us in order to not delay.” She then made a motion to approve the contract, with DeVirgilio seconding. LeBlanc and Westmoreland opposed the motion, causing the item to fail yet again. Later in the meeting, the council approved a renewed, five-year contract with Waste Depot, which collects bulk waste such as tree limbs.
PROVIDED PHOTO
Regena Beard, a science, STEM and robotics teacher at Copper Mill Elementary School is surprised Saturday as her name is called as the 2026 State Teacher of the Year at the 19th annual Cecil J. Picard Educator Excellence Awards Gala in New Orleans.
Regena Beard named state Teacher of the Year Community news report
Regena Beard, a science, STEM and robotics teacher at Copper Mill Elementary School, was named the 2026 State Teacher of the Year on Saturday at the 19th annual Cecil J. Picard Educator Excellence Awards Gala at The National WWII Museum in New Orleans. Beard teaches fifth grade science
Leila Pitchford AROUND ZACHARY
and sixth grade robotics and STEM at Copper Mill Elementary in the Zachary Community School District. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education from Southeastern Louisiana University and a Master of Education in curriculum and instruction with a STEM concentration from LSU Shreveport. Beard is known for her innovative ap-
proach to science instruction. She is a recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching and was named Outstanding Science Teacher of the Year by the Louisiana Science Teachers Association. A certified teacher mentor, Beard founded the robotics and coding club at Copper Mill Elementary and serves on the Teacher Advisory Councils for both
her school system and the state. She also served on Louisiana’s Let Teachers Teach workgroup. “Student success doesn’t happen by accident. It takes talented, determined educators who are focused on results,” said state Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley. “The professionals we honored tonight are leading the charge behind Louisiana’s academic progress.”
Zachary council rezones Pastalaya sale planned tract on Old Scenic Highway The Zachary Rotary is holding a pastalaya sale Thursday, July 31, from 11 a.m. until sold out. Pick up is at Zachary City Hall, 47600 Main St. Delivery is available for prepaid orders of 10 or more within Zachary. Text (225) 936-6523 to set up delivery. The Zachary Fire Department is preparing the meal. Cash, check and Venmo @ZacharyRotaryClub will be accepted.
Back to school events n The Zachary Men’s Club will
have food, games and other activities at 10 a.m. Aug. 2. n The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Committee of Zachary will hold its Back to School Giveaway from 10 a.m. until supplies run out Aug. 2 at the Zachary High School Gym, 4100 Bronco Lane. Elementary through college students are encouraged to attend. Local vendors will also be on site. School supplies, sno-balls and other refreshments
ä See AROUND, page 2G
to pave way for new business BY OLIVIA MCCLURE Contributing writer
The Zachary City Council agreed to rezone a tract along Old Scenic Highway at its July 22 meeting, paving the way for a new Wellcome Country Store and Smokehouse to be built on the land.
The council changed the zoning of the property, located in the 19800 and 19900 blocks of Old Scenic Highway near several businesses, from residential to commercial. The project would include a convenience store, restaurant
ä See TRACT, page 4G