SU Ag Center to host canning and preserving workshop
The Southern University Ag Center will host a fruits and vegetables canning and preserving workshop from 9 a.m. to noon, Sept. 11, in room 157 of Pinkie Thrift Hall on Southern University’s campus. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m.
The workshop will provide a hands-on introduction to the fundamentals of food preservation and canning.
Participants will learn how to safely preserve seasonal produce, trends in food preservation, and the essential equipment. During the workshop, participants will prepare fruit, pack a jar, and receive a jar of preserves to take home.
The workshop is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. To register, visit form.jotform. com/252096036998066
Shopping event coming
The annual Pop and Shop event in St. Francisville is set for 4 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 23. Along with shopping specials, live music and food, Deyo will host a bourbon tasting from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Visit www visitstfrancisvillela.com/event/ pop-shop-2 to see a map.
Library information
The LSU AgCenter’s East Feliciana Extension has a map of Clinton displayed at the Clinton branch of Audubon Regional Library. It is leading an effort to make the town safer for walkers of all ages.
Stop by the library and place up to two star stickers on the town map to show where you think crosswalks are most needed.
n All the Audubon Regional Library Branches have a blood pressure monitoring session available as well as units to check out for home use.
n The West Feliciana Parish Library is holding a Retro Bingo from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 29. Dress up from your favorite decade for a chance to win books and other prizes Ages 16 and up welcome. Free to play Visit westfeliciana-la.whofi com/calendar/event/349261 to register Register for soccer
Registration is open for the 2025 Fall Soccer with West Feliciana Parish Parks and Recreation. Open to ages 3-13, the fee is $75. The deadline to register is Sept. 1 at www.wfprec.com. Practices run Sept. 4-26. Games are on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Sept. 29-Nov 14. Coaches and referees are needed. Those interested should contact mpatten@wfparish.org or (225) 784-8447. Community market coming The Clinton Community Market is set for 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 6 on St. Helena St Vendors, local shops and local restaurants will be available. Save the date
The 21st annual Feliciana Family and Friends Mardi Gras Parade is planned for Jan. 31 in downtown Clinton.
Area capital manager Blaise Provitola, center, points to a monitor as Brad Jackson, left, looks through the viewfinder of the surgery console for the DaVinci 5 soft tissue surgery machine during a tour of the new tower at Lane Regional Medical Center on Aug. 12. Surgeons operate the machine from the console and control the instruments via remotes as
PLANNED FOR PATIENT NEEDS
BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer
Lane Regional Medical Center officials unveiled a $90 million patient tower Tuesday which they said will elevate the Zachary hospital’s patient care to match other medical facilities in the area.
The tower houses 48 patient rooms and robotic medical technology Chief Executive
Officer Frank Corcoran said the expanded facility will enable the hospital to provide additional services, including neurology and critical care.
“I call it a five star hotel like facility to take care of these patients,” Corcoran said at the ribbon cutting. “I am so happy to have it here.”
Lane Regional had 139 beds prior to the expansion, which brought the total to 187. He said once the tower passes inspection from the Louisiana Department of Health, patients can start moving in mid- to late September State Sen. Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge, said the hospital’s surrounding areas house a “vulnerable” population, dealing with ailments like diabetes and heart disease, and the expansion and added technology will bring residents closer to care when they need it.
WEST FELICIANA
Council defers decision on sign limit rules
BY JAMES MINTON Contributing writer
Board Chair Thomas Scott speaks during a ribbon cutting of the new tower at Lane Regional Medical Center
performs minimally invasive procedures and lessens recovery time. The hospital plans to bring in new surgeons trained on the Da Vinci 5 equipment. Intuitive, which produces the technology, will provide training to existing surgeons on staff. Other facilities in Louisiana with Da Vinci 5 technology include Our Lady of Lourdes in Lafayette and Christus Ochsner Southwestern Louisiana, which both acquired the technology earlier this year LJ Baker Jr., the hospital’s chief strategic initiatives officer and physician recruitment Get a look inside Lane Regional Medical Center’s $90 million ‘game changer’ building
A move to tighten West Feliciana Parish’s ban on roadside signs hit a snag Aug. 11 when a Parish Council majority voted to defer the matter for a month. Council members John M. Thompson, Thomas Pate and Jerry Tanner voted to defer the proposal, while Tab Ballard and Justin Metz favored taking immediate action. Ballard proposed the amendments to the parish’s Land Development Code last month, but Thompson asked to table action on the changes, saying he had just seen them. Thompson also said he wanted to get input from local businesses on the changes. One change would allow temporary, offpremises signs that do not have more than 16 square feet of sign face for a period of seven days or less. The other change would prohibit off-premises signs, defined as signs not on the same premises “as the establishment it advertises, identifies or enhances.” Ballard said the ordinance revisions track those in place for the town of St Francisville, but the parish ordinance would apply to the unincorporated areas.
“Time makes the difference,” she said The new patient rooms are on the third and fourth floors of the tower, with 12 rooms on each floor that are 2 to 2.5 times larger than the older rooms at the hospital. The bathrooms are large enough to allow patients in wheelchairs to wheel themselves in, while in older hospital rooms, staff assistance may have been required for patients in wheelchairs.
BY JAMES MINTON Contributing writer
The St. Francisville Board of Aldermen accepted the low bid Aug. 12 for a project to save the Old Market
The patient tower also includes a sterilization room that is three times as large as the hospital’s existing room. New robotic technology includes the Stryker Mako, which performs total knee replacement surgery, and the Da Vinci 5 surgical robot, which
ä See PATIENT, page 4G
East Feliciana teachers prep for school year with convocation
At its new year convocation on Aug. 1, Superintendent Keisha L. Netterville led a roundtable with students, staff and community members leading key initiatives in the district’s strategic plan. Other activities for the day included recognizing retirees and employees serving for more than 10 consecutive years. East Feliciana Enrichment Academy Principal Ella Philson, has served for 52 years.
STAFF PHOTOS BY JAVIER GALLEGOS
AROUND
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Donations sought
Must Luv Dogs Rescue is seeking donations for its annual Facebook Auction. Donations so not have to be dog related. Money raised goes toward the group’s medical bills. Email mustluvdogs.org@ gmail to make arrangements.
Cat Island hosting bird event
Friends of Cat Island announced its third annual Fall Migration Birding and Nature Walks will be Sept. 6. The bird walk is from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. The nature walk is from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Both walks will be about 3 miles. The exact location on the refuge will be based on refuge conditions at the time Experts will be there to assist with species identification.
This event is free but register by contacting either William Daniel at (225) 721-0090 or epewhd@icloud.com or Jesse Means at (225) 936-6529 or jesselmeans3@amail.com.
Specify what walk you want to do: the birding walk or the nature walk.
Bicycles sought
Bicycles new used, any condition — can be dropped off between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through Friday at the West Feliciana Parish Sheriff’s Office CRT building, 9946 West Feliciana Parkway, St. Francisville All donated bicycles will be refurbished by Angola inmates to be distributed in the community
Email Leila Pitchford at lpitchford@theadvocate.com.
Community news report
Sound Radio’s 40th Birthday Celebration/Concert is 5 p.m. Sept. 6 at Amite Baptist Church, 7100 Amite Church Road, Denham Springs. Local vocalists and musicians will be among the presentations. There is no admission charged at the door A love offering will be taken to support the Sound Radio
ministry, which is based in Zachary Music includes The Right Road Quartet, Chronicle, the Cooksey Family Legacy, Mike Vaughn, Robbie Bass, the Barber Brothers, So Blessed, Dennis Calmes, Charles Pierre and The Gospel Travelers, Ricky Lee, The Harrells, Marlon Arceneaux, Riverside Revival Band, Olabelle and Chuck White.
EAST AND WEST FELICIANA COUNCIL ON AGING
The schedules for West and East Fe-
liciana Council on Aging facilities are as follows:
WEST FELICIANA
n 12292 Jackson Road, St. Francisville, (225) 635-6719
n Start time for all activities is 10 a.m.
FIRST AND THIRD MONDAY: Line dance
FOURTH MONDAY: Religious service
TUESDAYS: Nutrition education
WEDNESDAYS: Exercise/yoga
THURSDAYS: Bible study
FRIDAYS: Bingo/movie/excursion
n All people 60 and older in West Feliciana Parish are invited to join.
n For transportation to the center or questions, call (225) 635-6719.
EAST FELICIANA
n 11102 Bank St., Clinton n 3699 La. 10, Jackson
Wednesday, Aug 20
SEWING AND QUILTING CLASS: 10 a.m.
DEVOTIONAL: 11:15 a.m.
LUNCH: 11:30 a.m.
ART CLASS: noon
Thursday, Aug 21
BINGO: 10:30 a.m.
LUNCH: 11:30 a.m.
Friday, Aug 22
EXERCISE CLASS: 9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.
LUNCH: 11:30 a.m.
Monday, Aug 25
EXERCISE CLASS: 9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.
LUNCH: 11:30 a.m.
Tuesday, Aug 26
CHOIR CLASS: 9:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
BINGO: 10:30 a.m.
LUNCH: 11:30 a.m.
Transportation Transportation is provided to East Feliciana Parish residents of any age for appointments in East Feliciana, West Feliciana and East Baton Rouge
parishes Monday through Friday. Call (225) 683-9862 to schedule a transportation appointment.
DEMOCRAT
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Continued from page 1G
Parish President Kenny Havard said the changes are needed to prevent U.S. 61 through the parish from looking like Airline Highway in Baton Rouge. The discussion revealed that apparently some West Feliciana entities are advertising on billboards in an area of U.S. 61 in East Feliciana Parish.
On another matter, the council named Carlton Nettles as the constable of the parish’s Justice of the Peace Court, replacing Ronnie Bourgeois.
DRAINAGE
Continued from page 1G
The water will then be channeled to a ditch on Feliciana Street below the hill.
Hillhouse said an investigation revealed that the retaining wall is still serviceable.
The board also accepted Police Chief Randy Metz’s recommendation to move part-time police officer Hector Echegoyen to a full-time position and hire retired Baton Rouge police lieutenant Michael Barrow as a parttime officer Metz apologized for submitting a “doom and gloom” monthly report to the board explaining the difficulty in hiring and retaining officers for a small department,
But he mentioned that an officer the town had hired and sent to a certification academy recently left the department to work for the sheriff’s office.
Bourgeois, who has had recent health issues, resigned effect Aug. 1, parish Justice of the Peace Jim Groody said. Nettles has been serving as a special deputy constable since Bourgeois began having health problems.
The constable’s term runs through Dec. 31, 2026.
The council also agreed to pay $207,566 to GIS Engineering to redesign a replacement bridge on Jones Vaughn Creek Road that was wiped out in the flood of August 2016. Havard said the plans for the replacement bridge were “over-designed” and would have required more road work than necessary
had talked to Sheriff Brian Spillman about the personnel move and Spillman had agreed to reimburse the town for the training expenses.
Echegoyen has been a parttime officer for three years, Metz said. Barrow worked for 28 years with the Baton Rouge department in a number of patrol and investigative teams, he said.
The board also agreed to hold a 5:30 p.m. Sept 2 work session to discuss overnight accommodations in town.
D’Aquilla said tourism is a mainstay of the local economy but he said the town “is fighting tourism by limiting the number of places” to stay overnight.
“We should be more welcoming to our tourists,” the mayor said.
The board last year voted to limit the areas of town where short-term rental units are allowed following complaints that Airbnbs do not collect and remit occupancy taxes and limit the amount of housing available for long-term renters.
DEMOCRAT
Leila Pitchford
AROUND THE FELICIANAS
SU Ag Center to host canning and preserving workshop
The Southern University Ag Center will host a fruits and vegetables canning and preserving workshop from 9 a.m. to noon, Sept. 11, in room 157 of Pinkie Thrift Hall on Southern University’s campus. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m.
The workshop will provide a hands-on introduction to the fundamentals of food preservation and canning.
Participants will learn how to safely preserve seasonal produce, trends in food preservation, and the essential equipment. During the workshop, participants will prepare fruit, pack a jar, and receive a jar of preserves to take home.
The workshop is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. To register, visit form.jotform. com/252096036998066
Shopping event coming
The annual Pop and Shop event in St. Francisville is set for 4 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 23. Along with shopping specials, live music and food, Deyo will host a bourbon tasting from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Visit www visitstfrancisvillela.com/event/ pop-shop-2 to see a map.
Library information
The LSU AgCenter’s East Feliciana Extension has a map of Clinton displayed at the Clinton branch of Audubon Regional Library. It is leading an effort to make the town safer for walkers of all ages. Stop by the library and place up to two star stickers on the town map to show where you think crosswalks are most needed.
n All the Audubon Regional Library Branches have a blood pressure monitoring session available as well as units to check out for home use.
n The West Feliciana Parish Library is holding a Retro Bingo from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 29. Dress up from your favorite decade for a chance to win books and other prizes Ages 16 and up welcome. Free to play Visit westfeliciana-la.whofi com/calendar/event/349261 to register Register for soccer
Registration is open for the 2025 Fall Soccer with West Feliciana Parish Parks and Recreation. Open to ages 3-13, the fee is $75. The deadline to register is Sept. 1 at www.wfprec.com. Practices run Sept. 4-26. Games are on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Sept. 29-Nov 14. Coaches and referees are needed. Those interested should contact mpatten@wfparish.org or (225) 784-8447.
Community market coming The Clinton Community Market is set for 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 6 on St. Helena St Vendors, local shops and local restaurants will be available. Save the date
The 21st annual Feliciana Family and Friends Mardi Gras Parade is planned for Jan. 31 in downtown Clinton.
Area capital manager Blaise Provitola, center, points to a monitor as Brad Jackson, left, looks through the viewfinder of the surgery console for the DaVinci 5 soft tissue surgery machine during a tour of the new tower at Lane Regional Medical Center on Aug. 12. Surgeons operate the machine from the
PLANNED FOR PATIENT NEEDS
BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer
Lane Regional Medical Center officials unveiled a $90 million patient tower Tuesday which they said will elevate the Zachary hospital’s patient care to match other medical facilities in the area.
The tower houses 48 patient rooms and robotic medical technology Chief Executive
Officer Frank Corcoran said the expanded facility will enable the hospital to provide additional services, including neurology and critical care.
“I call it a five star hotel like facility to take care of these patients,” Corcoran said at the ribbon cutting. “I am so happy to have it here.”
Lane Regional had 139 beds prior to the expansion, which brought the total to 187. He said once the tower passes inspection from the Louisiana Department of Health, patients can start moving in mid- to late September State Sen. Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge, said the hospital’s surrounding areas house a “vulnerable” population, dealing with ailments like diabetes and heart disease, and the expansion and added technology will bring residents closer to care when they need it.
WEST FELICIANA
Council defers decision on sign limit rules
BY JAMES MINTON Contributing writer
Board
“Time makes the difference,” she said The new patient rooms are on the third and fourth floors of the tower, with 12 rooms on each floor that are 2 to 2.5 times larger than the older rooms at the hospital. The bathrooms are large enough to allow patients in wheelchairs to wheel themselves in, while in older hospital rooms, staff assistance may have been required for patients in wheelchairs. The patient tower also includes a sterilization room that is three times as large as the hospital’s existing room. New robotic technology includes the Stryker Mako, which performs total knee replacement surgery, and the Da Vinci 5 surgical robot, which
performs minimally invasive procedures and lessens recovery time. The hospital plans to bring in new surgeons trained on the Da Vinci 5 equipment. Intuitive, which produces the technology, will provide training to existing surgeons on staff. Other facilities in Louisiana with Da Vinci 5 technology include Our Lady of Lourdes in Lafayette and Christus Ochsner Southwestern Louisiana, which both acquired the technology earlier this year LJ Baker Jr., the hospital’s chief strategic initiatives officer and physician recruitment Get a look inside Lane Regional Medical Center’s $90 million
A move to tighten West Feliciana Parish’s ban on roadside signs hit a snag Aug. 11 when a Parish Council majority voted to defer the matter for a month. Council members John M. Thompson, Thomas Pate and Jerry Tanner voted to defer the proposal, while Tab Ballard and Justin Metz favored taking immediate action. Ballard proposed the amendments to the parish’s Land Development Code last month, but Thompson asked to table action on the changes, saying he had just seen them. Thompson also said he wanted to get input from local businesses on the changes. One change would allow temporary, offpremises signs that do not have more than 16 square feet of sign face for a period of seven days or less. The other change would prohibit off-premises signs, defined as signs not on the same premises “as the establishment it advertises, identifies or enhances.” Ballard said the ordinance revisions track those in place for the town of St Francisville, but the parish ordinance would apply to the unincorporated areas.
BY JAMES MINTON Contributing writer
East Feliciana teachers prep for school year with convocation
Chair Thomas Scott speaks during a ribbon cutting of the new tower at Lane Regional Medical Center
STAFF PHOTOS BY JAVIER GALLEGOS
AROUND
Continued from page 1G
Donations sought
Must Luv Dogs Rescue is seeking donations for its annual Facebook Auction. Donations so not have to be dog related. Money raised goes toward the group’s medical bills. Email mustluvdogs.org@ gmail to make arrangements.
Cat Island hosting bird event
Friends of Cat Island announced its third annual Fall Migration Birding and Nature Walks will be Sept. 6. The bird walk is from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. The nature walk is from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Both walks will be about 3 miles. The exact location on the refuge will be based on refuge conditions at the time Experts will be there to assist with species identification.
This event is free but register by contacting either William Daniel at (225) 721-0090 or epewhd@icloud.com or Jesse Means at (225) 936-6529 or jesselmeans3@amail.com.
Specify what walk you want to do: the birding walk or the nature walk.
Bicycles sought
Bicycles new used, any condition — can be dropped off between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through Friday at the West Feliciana Parish Sheriff’s Office CRT building, 9946 West Feliciana Parkway, St. Francisville All donated bicycles will be refurbished by Angola inmates to be distributed in the community
Email Leila Pitchford at lpitchford@theadvocate.com.
Sound Radio Ministry
Community news report
Sound Radio’s 40th Birthday Celebration/Concert is 5 p.m. Sept. 6 at Amite Baptist Church, 7100 Amite Church Road, Denham Springs. Local vocalists and musicians will be among the presentations. There is no admission charged at the door A love offering will be taken to support the Sound Radio ministry, which is based in Zachary Music includes The Right Road Quartet, Chronicle, the Cooksey Family Legacy, Mike Vaughn, Robbie Bass, the Barber Brothers, So Blessed, Dennis Calmes, Charles Pierre and The Gospel Travelers, Ricky Lee, The Harrells, Marlon Arceneaux, Riverside Revival Band, Olabelle and Chuck White.
EAST AND WEST FELICIANA COUNCIL ON AGING
The schedules for West and East Fe-
liciana Council on Aging facilities are as follows:
WEST FELICIANA
n 12292 Jackson Road, St. Francisville, (225) 635-6719
n Start time for all activities is 10 a.m.
FIRST AND THIRD MONDAY: Line dance
FOURTH MONDAY: Religious service
TUESDAYS: Nutrition education
WEDNESDAYS: Exercise/yoga
THURSDAYS: Bible study
FRIDAYS: Bingo/movie/excursion
n All people 60 and older in West Feliciana Parish are invited to join.
n For transportation to the center or questions, call (225) 635-6719.
EAST FELICIANA
n 11102 Bank St., Clinton n 3699 La. 10, Jackson
Wednesday, Aug 20
SEWING AND QUILTING CLASS: 10 a.m.
DEVOTIONAL: 11:15 a.m.
LUNCH: 11:30 a.m.
ART CLASS: noon
Thursday, Aug 21
BINGO: 10:30 a.m. LUNCH: 11:30 a.m.
Friday, Aug 22
EXERCISE CLASS: 9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.
LUNCH: 11:30 a.m.
Monday, Aug 25
EXERCISE CLASS: 9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.
LUNCH: 11:30 a.m.
Tuesday, Aug 26
CHOIR CLASS: 9:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
BINGO: 10:30 a.m.
LUNCH: 11:30 a.m.
Transportation Transportation is provided to East Feliciana Parish residents of any age for appointments in East Feliciana, West Feliciana and East Baton Rouge
parishes Monday through Friday. Call (225) 683-9862 to schedule a transportation appointment.
DEMOCRAT
SIGN
Continued from page 1G
Parish President Kenny Havard said the changes are needed to prevent U.S. 61 through the parish from looking like Airline Highway in Baton Rouge. The discussion revealed that apparently some West Feliciana entities are advertising on billboards in an area of U.S. 61 in East Feliciana Parish.
On another matter, the council named Carlton Nettles as the constable of the parish’s Justice of the Peace Court, replacing Ronnie Bourgeois.
DRAINAGE
Continued from page 1G
The water will then be channeled to a ditch on Feliciana Street below the hill.
Hillhouse said an investigation revealed that the retaining wall is still serviceable.
The board also accepted Police Chief Randy Metz’s recommendation to move part-time police officer Hector Echegoyen to a full-time position and hire retired Baton Rouge police lieutenant Michael Barrow as a parttime officer Metz apologized for submitting a “doom and gloom” monthly report to the board explaining the difficulty in hiring and retaining officers for a small department,
But he mentioned that an officer the town had hired and sent to a certification academy recently left the department to work for the sheriff’s office.
Mayor Andy D’Aquilla said he
Bourgeois, who has had recent health issues, resigned effect Aug. 1, parish Justice of the Peace Jim Groody said. Nettles has been serving as a special deputy constable since Bourgeois began having health problems.
The constable’s term runs through Dec. 31, 2026.
The council also agreed to pay $207,566 to GIS Engineering to redesign a replacement bridge on Jones Vaughn Creek Road that was wiped out in the flood of August 2016. Havard said the plans for the replacement bridge were “over-designed” and would have required more road work than necessary
had talked to Sheriff Brian Spillman about the personnel move and Spillman had agreed to reimburse the town for the training expenses.
Echegoyen has been a parttime officer for three years, Metz said. Barrow worked for 28 years with the Baton Rouge department in a number of patrol and investigative teams, he said.
The board also agreed to hold a 5:30 p.m. Sept 2 work session to discuss overnight accommodations in town.
D’Aquilla said tourism is a mainstay of the local economy but he said the town “is fighting tourism by limiting the number of places” to stay overnight.
“We should be more welcoming to our tourists,” the mayor said.
The board last year voted to limit the areas of town where short-term rental units are allowed following complaints that Airbnbs do not collect and remit occupancy taxes and limit the amount of housing available for long-term renters.
East Feliciana High School teacher Clinton Pullen leads the East Feliciana Public Schools staff in a song
PROVIDED PHOTOS
State Rep. Roy Daryl Adams shares a moment of joy with East Feliciana Parish School Board vice president Lillian Drake. Engaging families and communities is a key priority of East Feliciana Public Schools’ strategic plan.
Lane Regional Medical Center CEO Frank Corcoran, State Senator Regina Barrow, and Baker Mayor Darnell Waites,
The exterior of the new tower at Lane Regional Medical Center
The new patient rooms are doubled compared to the old rooms at Lane Regional Medical Center
STAFF PHOTOS BY JAVIER GALLEGOS
Regional Medical Center leadership and
group together and
during a ribbon cutting at the new tower at Lane Regional Medical Center on Aug. 12.
