DENHAM SPRINGS • LIVINGSTON • WALKER • WATSON • AMITE • HAMMOND
ADVOCATE THE LIVINGSTON -TANGIPAHOA
T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M
Darlene Denstorff
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W e d n e s d ay, Au g u s t 20, 2025
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PRESERVE | MAINTAIN | EDUCATE
AROUND LIVINGSTON
Join the Livingston Parish Children’s Choirs The Livingston Parish Children’s Choirs are accepting members through the end of August. Rehearsals have begun. The Apprentice level is for kindergarten through third grade. Rehearsals are from 4:30 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. at Healing Place Denham Springs. The Chorus is for third through ninth grades. It meets Tuesday from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Healing Place Denham Springs. The Chorale is for fourth through 12th grades and is by audition only. It meets 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Mondays at Live Oak Church. The Apprentice and Chorus levels are $200 a semester. The Chorale is $250 a semester. Register at www.lpccsing. org. For information, contact info@lpccsing.org or call or text Barbara Walker at (225) 247-8555.
Drug awareness events MO’s Movement, a drug awareness and prevention program in the area is hosting a series of meetings: n Aug. 24 in Kentwood at First Baptist Church Kentwood, 310 Ave. E. Showcase starts at 4:30 p.m. and the presentation at 6 p.m. The evening of remembrance honors those who have lost their life to drug poisoning and raise awareness about the fentanyl epidemic. It will share the stories of three people through their mothers. n Sept. 2 at the LSU Parade Grounds. n Oct. 8 at the Southeastern Louisiana Student Union from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Student Union. The Empty Chair Project will be set up at all three events. It is a visual of empty chairs signifying the number of overdose deaths in the parish from January to date of event. It includes
PHOTO BY RICHARD MEEK
Tangipahoa African American Heritage Museum and Veterans Archives supporters browse silent auction items during the museum’s annual fundraiser Aug. 2 in the ballroom of the Southeastern Louisiana University student union. The auction items were donated by seven African tribes and 50% of the proceeds from the auction re being donated back to those tribes.
Event recognizes Tangipahoa African American Heritage Museum BY RICHARD MEEK Contributing writer
A diverse crowd of more than 200 gathered Aug. 2 in the ballroom at the Southeastern Louisiana University student union to show their support for the Tangipahoa African American Heritage Museum and Veterans Archives, which sits in the center of a predominantly Black Hammond neighborhood. The event, which featured lively music by the New Orleans Potholes brass band and, in true southeast Louisiana tradition, ended with a second-line, was the largest
fundraiser of the year for the museum. “The money we raise during this event supports us throughout the year, so it is very important,” museum Director Delmas Dunn said. The museum is dedicated to preserving, maintaining and educating the public on African American history in Louisiana, with a concentration on Tangipahoa Parish. Dunn said the museum details the history of African Americans from Africa to Hurricane Katrina. Tangipahoa Parish council member Louis Joseph, who said he is honored to have his picture in the museum honoring
him as the first Black Tangipahoa Parish Schools superintendent, called the museum a “godsend.” “It’s a great thing for people to see and a great way to keep up with our history,” Joseph said. “I am very proud of it.” Keynote speaker William Wainwright, president of Southeastern Louisiana University, praised the work of the museum and its impact on the community. He stressed the importance of understanding the generational and transformational impact the museum has had through the
ä See MUSEUM, page 2G
ä See AROUND, page 3G
Money woes forced Killian disband police BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD Staff writer
Recently elected Killian leadership has disbanded the town’s small police department for a one-year agreement with the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office in an attempt to save money. The Killian Board of Aldermen this week approved moving forward with a cooperative endeavor agreement that would temporarily dissolve the three-person police department and have Sheriff’s Office deputies patrol the town. The move came from Mayor Caleb Atwell, who was elected in March and took office in July. The decision stemmed from serious budget issues. When Atwell began his tenure, he said there was only $28,000 in the bank for the town, and nearly half of that was owed in invoices. The agreement with the Sheriff’s Office would cost the town up to $100,000 a year. Atwell said the police department spent $18,000 a month for the past six months.
“We were spending way too much money on the police department,” Atwell said. “We had to make a tough choice.” The agreement between the two law enforcement agencies is already in transition, and LPSO won’t begin charging the town until the beginning of next year, the mayor said. The town department had a police chief and two officers; a recently appointed interim police chief will stay on for administrative purposes. During this temporary situation, the town is going to consult residents about creating a new sales tax to potentially fund the police and other departments. It will also work on getting Louisiana Peace Officer Standards and Training certifications for police officers. The previous department did not have this, Atwell said. Atwell has faced backlash at the public meetings about the move, but he said he was in a tough spot financially. “I’m in a no-win situation here,” he said.
It’s time to stroll Hammond for a hot time BY RICHARD MEEK Contributing writer
Is August’s annual furnace taking its toll? Then perhaps it’s time to take a stroll, Hammond style. The 28th annual Hot August Stroll, scheduled Aug. 23 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in downtown Hammond, offers a bit of something for all ages, from a petting zoo for toddlers to the mature set spending their Saturday night sampling wines from 20 different vendors. And all in the quaintness of downtown Hammond, which in 2022 earned the Designation of a Great American Street. “It’s a good opportunity to go downtown, design your own day, go to some of our scheduled activities but also make it their own,” said Michelle KenPHOTO BY RICHARD MEEK dall, executive director of the
Downtown Hammond streets are filled with shoppers during the annual Hot August Stroll.
ä See STROLL, page 3G