Crafty spirit
BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT
Staff writer
Echoing a speech given by Gov Jeff Landry two weeks ago in Donaldsonville, Republican representatives portrayed Louisiana as a state with forward momentum in industry, education and crime reduction during a “legislative road show” Sept. 3 in Gonzales. The event focused on an array of subjects, but it came amid rising pushback against industrial facilities by residents in the river parishes. Last week, former Vice President Al Gore attended a rally focused on phasing out the region’s
economic reliance on fossil fuels.
Those who spoke, including Speaker of the House Phillip DeVillier, R-Eunice, closely followed the message portrayed by Landry, who argued the state was on the verge of economic revitalization.
“We have moved fast in 18 months, moving up in our national rankings and down in our insurance premiums. We are paying down debt and holding criminals accountable,” DeVillier said. “We are writing Louisiana’s comeback story.”
The first in a series of nine sessions planned across the state, the Gonzales event at the Price
Sugarfield uses ingredients including cane, sugar and molasses sourced from Assumption Parish, to produce various rum, vodka, wine and other spirits in its Gonzales distillery.
Spirts, Wine and Cider’s Summer Sips
BY WENDY LOUP Contributing writer
With the fall season peeking around the corner summer was ushered out Aug. 30 with Sugarfield Spirits, Wine and Cider’s Summer Sips event at its distillery in Gonzales.
The wine, cider, bourbon and rum distillery welcomed attendees of all ages to shop with a dozen local food, arts and craft vendors.
In partnership with Vaudeville Entertainment, Sugarfield’s summer sips event featured local artists, jewelry makers and food vendors.
Sugarfield’s owner, Thomas Solatu, wanted to have an event that gives his patrons a chance to interact with local small-business owners. Soltau, a newborn and intensive care pediatrician, opened Sugarfield in 2020 just before the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.
While many businesses did not survive the years Arts, crafts vendors join Sugarfield
LeBlanc PACE Center was sponsored by the Ascension Chamber of Commerce, Baton Rouge Area Chamber and the city of Gonzales. It opened with a video that played before Landry’s speech in Donaldsonville. Produced by two powerful state political action committees — Senate President Cameron Henry’s Cameron PAC and DeVillier’s Foundation PAC — it opens by stating “there’s finally real momentum coming out of the Legislature and Governor Jeff Landry’s administration.” As a narrator describes various
Check out Ascension Parish football Week 1 results and what’s up next
and touchdown to junior Jacob Julien. Junior linebacker John Rob Daigle recorded 10 tackles to lead the defense. Senior defensive end Christopher Anthens had 9 tackles and a sack. Senior safety Shane Aucoin had 8 tackles including two TFLs(tackles for loss) Next: AC hosts
following the pandemic, Sugarfield has been able to thrive and expand.
In 2022, Sugarfield added a winery and cidery to its location nestled on West East Bank Street.
“The whole reason we set up here in Ascension Parish was to open and help support small businesses,” Solatu said. “Former Gonzales Mayor Barney Arceneaux was so welcoming and the whole parish has connected, and support help small businesses prosper.”
The distillery hosts various events such as birthday gatherings and Bourbon social events but would like to plan family-friendly events, Soltau added.
The summer sips attracted Ascension Parish small businesses, as well as several from Baton Rouge.
Jewelry-maker Emily Bell-Drivon, owner of Baton Rouge’s New Earth Treasures, said she attended her event to attract more customers from Ascension.
“I recently got back into creating jewelry again,” BellDrivon said. “I have a passion for natural stones and wire wrappings.”
She specializes in creating copper wire, bronze and brass jewelry
“Jewelry is a version of art,” Belldrivon said. “Events like this brings a lot of art to the community and helps small businesses on a larger scale.”
“I had a friend and fellow vendor who died of Stage 4 small cell lung cancer last August,” Bell-Drivon said.
“When I was just getting started, I used to help her with her shows. The only other show I’ve ever done in Gonzales was with her and it was the Jambalaya Festival in 2018. It rained so hard that day, but we weathered the storm in the tent together She is one of the reasons why I do what I do. I remember her most when I do my shows.
“There are others I remember, too,” Bell-Drivon added.
“When I create, I honor my maternal grandfather and my paternal grandmother. When I smile and speak a kind word, I honor my Cuban babysitter who was like a grandmother to me. I feel the presence of all my loved ones who have gone before me, and they make me stronger.” The event also featured artists showcasing paintings and other talents.
Briel Edmonds, executive
staging “Steel Magnolias” Sept 11-14 at its Felicity Avenue theater in Gonzales.
The play centers around a group of women who frequent a beauty salon in the fictional Louisiana city of Chinquapin. For tickets, visit https://ci.ovationtix com/35620/production/1212134.
Hazardous material collection day
Time to clear out the garage, shed or under the sink. Keep Ascension Beautiful is hosting Household Hazardous Material Collection Day from 9 a.m to 1 p.m Sept. 13 at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales.
Yoga with kittens
Cara’s House is planning a kitty yoga program fundraiser and animal rescue
creative director of Vaudeville Entertainment, helped organize the Summer Sips. She said her goal for the event was to give vendors an opportunity to help highlight their talents while hopefully attracting new customers.
awareness program on Sept. 27.
The animal shelter is teaming up with Reform Fitness for Yoga with Kittens, starting at 9:45 a.m. Early registration is encouraged at https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/classic/mainclass?. fl=true&tabID=7.
Jurassic Quest roars into Gonzales
Jurassic Quest is coming to the LamarDixon Expo Center Sept. 19-21.
The event features dinosaur displays, rides and a life-sized T Rex skull. For tickets, visit https://www.jurassicquest.com/events/3WDR8F Text your questions to (844) DINO-411 or (844) 346-6411.
GOP Roundtable speaker named Tommy Faucheux, president of Louisiana Midcontinent Oil and Gas Association, will be the featured speaker at the September Ascension GOP Roundtable, sponsored by Ascension Republican Women, set for
“My mom is self-employed and an entrepreneur, so I grew up around her building her business,” Edmonds said. “I think we are living in a world that supports things like fast fashion and we need to bring more attention back to local businesses.”
Edmonds provided henna hand drawings, which is one of the many talents offered by Vaudeville Entertainment.
The company provides traditional Vaudevillian entertainment such as magicians,
11:30 a.m. Sept 18 at the Clarion Inn, 1500 W. Highway 30, Gonzales. Faucheux, who holds a bachelor’s degree in communications/public relations with a minor in political science from Loyola University in New Orleans, has experience in management of state government affairs and policy matters. He is past chair of the board of directors of Greater New Orleans Inc. and has served on the executive committee of the board of directors of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry He is a 2009 graduate of the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute and was recently named one of the Top 20 Rising Talents in the petrochemical industry in Louisiana by the Baton Rouge Business Report.
Republican candidates are invited to engage with members and guests. The lunch is $30 and those not eating pay a $5 room fee. Guests can preregister at paypal.me/ARW225 or with Venmo. To RSVP, call (225) 921-5187 or email AR-
stilt walkers, and character performers. For more information about Sugarfield Spirits and Vaudeville Entertainment, visit www.sugarfieldspiritsla. com and www.vaudevilleentertainmentllc.com.
WrUS@aol.com.
Food distributions set Ascension Parish’s commodity distribution is set for the second Tuesday of each month in Donaldsonville and the second Wednesday of the month in Gonzales. Distributions are from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Frank Sotile Jr Pavilion in Donaldsonville and the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales. All recipients must be prequalified by visiting the Ascension Parish Health Unit, 1024 E. Ascension Complex Blvd., in Gonzales, or Donaldsonville courthouse, 300 Houmas St., in Donaldsonville. Call Layne Melancon at (225) 450-1006 or email layne. melancon@fmolhs.org.
Contact Darlene Denstorff by phone, (225) 388-0215 or (225) 603-1998; or email, ascension@theadvocate.com or ddenstorff@theadvocate.com. Deadline: 5 p.m. Friday
bills, the video shows images of many of the representatives who spoke at Wednesday’s event Cameron PAC received more than half a million dollars in contributions between January and May of this year, while Foundation PAC reported having more than $198,000 in funds in April, according to reports filed with the state ethics board. The narrative of growth portrayed by the video and politicians was met with some resistance when Landry spoke in Ascension Parish, where several large industrial companies hope to construct new plants. At that event, various locals from Donaldsonville and Modeste held a news conference with environmental advocacy groups, during which they asked for nonindustrial economic investments in the area.
Crime bills
Speakers at Wednesday’s event included Rep. Tony Bacala, RPrairieville; Rep. Laurie Schlegal, R-Metairie; Rep. Julie Emerson, R-Carencro; Rep. Jack McFarland, R-Jonesboro; Rep. Bryan Fontenot, R-Thibodaux; and Rep. Gabe Firment, R-Pollock. Each one covered laws passed by the Legislature on different topics. Bacala touted crime-related bills seen as controversial by some, including one that abolished parole and a 2024 law that made 17-year-olds eligible to be prosecuted as adults. By enacting that law, Louisiana became the first state in the country to pass and then reverse a “raise the age” law, which had moved 17-yearolds to be tried as juveniles.
“I was all for it; I thought it was a great idea. It was a horrible
The following people were booked into the Ascension Parish Jail on Aug. 28-Sept. 4:
AUG. 28
CARTER JR., ERIC CAPOTES: 13123 Country Park Ave., Baton Rouge; 28; criminal trespass/trespassing of real property second-degree battery, home invasion (battery)
PIPER, BRANDON: 17009 Lisa Drive, Livingston; 36; possession of Schedule II controlled dangerous substance (amphetamine), possession of heroin, operating while intoxicated-fourth or more
NORTH, MARLON D.: 33054 La. 943 S., Donaldsonville; 37; possession of Schedule II controlled dangerous substance (methamphetamine), prohibited acts-drug paraphernalia, resisting an officer
ELIAS, CHRISTOPHER WIL-
LIAM: 13120 Lamar Moran Road, St. Amant; 47; operating vehicle while license is suspended, violations of protective orders
VICTOR, EDWARDRIKA: 620 Houmas St., Donaldsonville; 21; two counts failure to appear-bench warrant, resisting an officer disturbing the peace/language/disorderly conduct COOPER, CAMRON: 8164 Kingview St., St. James; 25; probation violation
BROWN JR., ALTON: 2228 S Burnside Ave., Gonzales; 58; disturbing the peace/drunkenness, obscenity
BROWN, TREMAINE: 812 Railroad Ave., Donaldsonville; 41; fugitive-other Louisiana jurisdiction
POOB-ICO MARLON IVAN: 15420 Palmetto Lane,
idea,” Bacala said. “Because you know what, 17-year-olds suddenly realized they had no consequences.”
Earlier this year a constitutional amendment that would have expanded the age for juveniles to be tried as adults in certain cases failed to pass, with only 34% of votes in favor of it. Last fall the reversal’s effects led to police incarcerating a 17-year-old girl in St. James Parish on alleged drug charges — later dropped — for three weeks.
Education gains
Other speakers discussed insurance-related bills, the state budget and education initiatives. Schlegel focused on various education laws, including ones focused on literacy policies and numeracy
She highlighted a rise in rankings by the Nation’s Report Card assessments, which are created by scoring reading and math tests given to fourth and eighth grade public school students. The 2024 scores ranked Louisiana as 32nd overall and 16th in the nation for fourth grade reading.
“We were at the bottom, now we’re 16th, and we’re in the top 5 for math growth,” she said. “So we’re really heading in a positive trajectory.”
The average score for fourthgrade mathematics increased by a statistically significant amount from 229 to 235 between 2022 and 2024, according to the data. The average scores for fourth grade reading and eighth grade math increased, but not in a statistically significant way, in the same period. Eighth grade reading scores remained the same between 2022 and 2024
Email Christopher Cartwright at christopher.cartwright@ theadvocate.com.
Prairieville; 21; hold for other agency, operating while intoxicated-first
AUG. 29
BUTLER, IVERSON EUGENE: 10745 Stone Pine Drive Greenwell Springs; 45; resisting an officer, criminal trespass/all other
JOHNSON, IVANEKA SHARONE: 1101 S. Augusta Ave., Gonzales; 31; driver must be licensed, reckless operation, operating while intoxicatedfirst
LASHELL, MICHAEL: 37048 La. 74, Geismar; 53; theft $1,000 but less than $5,000, failure to appear-bench warrant
JACOB, HUNTER MICHAEL: 44403 Daniel Guidry Road, St. Amant; 31; expired motor vehicle inspection, reckless operation, operating while intoxicated-second
JONES, JEREMY RAY: 413 W Pine St., Gonzales; 40; probation violation, unlawfully supplying any product for the purpose of falsifying a screening test
VICTORIAN, JOSHUA JERMAINE: 10311 Gonzales Road, St. Amant; 37; domestic abuse battery
JOHNSON, JUSTIN: 8257 Main St., Sorrento; 33; failure to appear-bench warrant aggravated second degree battery home invasion (battery), violations of protective orders
AUG. 30
HANDLEY, ROLISHA J.: 6100 Manchac Road, St. Gabriel; 29; possession of alcoholic beverages in motor vehicles, driving on right side of road-exceptions, operating a vehicle while intoxicated-first
and
Fire Departments train with high school athletic trainers
Community news report
Members of the St. Amant and 5th Ward Volunteer Fire Departments recently provided emergency preparedness training for students at St. Amant High.
The students work as school athletic trainers.
“We hope we never have to use the skills we went over tonight, but that’s why we train and practice,” Fire Chief James E. LeBlanc said “We don’t decide when we get to use these skills; we have to be ready.”
HILLIARD, JASMINE MONAE: 38282 Josh Brown Road, Gonzales; 25; two counts failure to appear-bench warrant
HERNANDEZ-PUENTES, ERIK: 44131 Raymond Tullier Road, Sorrento; 44; domestic abuse battery, third-degree rape
ESPINOZA, LUCERO BELEM: 15230 Palmetto Lane, Prairieville; 30; hold for other agency, domestic abuse battery-child endangerment
GALVEZ, SALVADOR: 45193 Friendly Lane, St. Amant; 33; hold for other agency, failure to appear-bench warrant, failure to appear-bench warrant, domestic abuse battery-child endangerment
AUG. 31
SMITH, EDWARD: 4955 Maryland St., St. Gabriel; 26; Illegal use of weapons or dangerous instrumentalities, domestic abuse battery
MCCRACKEN, RON: 15510 Oakstone Ave., Prairieville; 36; operating while intoxicatedsecond CLEVELAND, VICTORIA A.: 14320 Stonegate Manor Drive, Gonzales; 33; interfering with a law enforcement investigation, operating while intoxicated-first ALLEN, RASHAD NEVILLE: 1169 Avenue A, Port Allen; 42; battery of a dating partnerstrangulation
BURYCHKA, DARREN: 10035 Ridgely Road, Baton Rouge; 49; view outward or inward through windshield or windows-obscuring prohibited, proper equipment required on vehicles-display of plate, possession of alcoholic beverages in motor vehicles, reckless operation, operating while intoxicated-second
DOZERT, JEFFERY ALLEN: 17186 Old Jefferson Highway, Prairieville; 60; possession of a Schedule IV controlled dangerous substance (clonazepam), aggravated battery
ROUSSELL, DAMARCOS: 2414 N. King Ave., Lutcher; 44; resisting an officer by refusal to identify, injuring public records, security required, registration certificates, operating a vehicle while intoxicated-first
SEPT. 1
BREAUX, NICHOLAS: 13189 Melissa Heights, Gonzales; 41; possession of alcoholic beverages in motor vehicles, no passing zone, operating a vehicle while intoxicated-first LANE, JARVIS JERELL: 42029 La. 941, Gonzales; 39; failure to appear-bench warrant
LANDRY, MITCHELL LANE: 13373 Bourgeois Road, Gonzales; 41; four counts failure to appear-bench warrant
POCHE, BREANNA LEE: 32415 Carolyn Drive, Paulina; 29; flight from an officer HOLMES, JOVONDA ALEXIS: 42344 Palmstone Ave., Prairieville; 40; battery of a dating partner
WILLIAMS, ELISHA LASHA: 2504 Ridgmar Blvd., No. 27, Fort Worth, Texas; 34; aggravated assault with a firearm COLE JR., ALEXANDER: 3005 Robin Lane, Donaldsonville; 49; state probation violation, possession of alcoholic beverages in motor vehicles, resisting a police officer with force or violence, resisting an officer
MCGALLIARD, SHANE FLOYD: 506 Bonnie Lane, Donaldsonville; 46; criminal trespass/all
other simple criminal damage to property less than $1,000
RILES, EMILY GRACE: 40157
Marie Road, Prairieville; 22; contraband defined-certain activities regarding contraband in penal institutions prohibited, failure to appearbench warrant
SEPT. 2
WRIGHT, DEVONTE KESHAWN: 17031 Strain Road, Baton Rouge; 25; violations of protective orders, stop signs and yield signs
STROTHER, PATRICIA STEELE: 14166 Old River Road, Maurepas; 55; two counts failure to appear-bench warrant, in for court
BURNS, HALEY: 40454 Abby James Road, Prairieville; 34; simple battery, cruelty to juveniles
HOWARD, SHANE: 609 W Ninth St., Donaldsonville; 44; two counts failure to appearbench warrant
RUIZ, KAMRYN YVONNE: 44379 Braud St., Sorrento; 30; horns and warning devices, disturbing the peace/language/disorderly conduct
RODNEY, TERRELL: 8307
Amanda St., Sorrento; 20; expired motor vehicle inspection, illegal carry of weaponscrime or controlled dangerous substance, distribution/ possession with the intent to distribute marijuana or synthetic cannabinoids
SMITH, DRAKE ALLEN: 41082
Wallace Acres Road, Gonzales; 31; fugitive-other state jurisdiction
SHAFFER, JALA TRENEESE: 4636 Tigerland Ave., Baton Rouge; 22; domestic abuse battery
SEPT. 3 SERVIN, JESUS OCHOA: 8370 S. St. Landry Ave. No. 36, Gonzales; 35; molestation of a juvenile CARROLL, NATHANIEL JEROME: 8552 Sharon Hills St., Baton Rouge; 41; failure to appear-bench warrant, state probation violation
MOBLEY, GABRIELLE MEKEL: 1612 N. Coontrap Road, Gonzales; 27; three counts failure to appear-bench warrant
CARRAWAY, MICHAEL LATRELL: 9335 La. 405, Donaldsonville; 54; state probation violation, breach of bail condition
SMITH, NOAH RASS: 13250 Roddy Road, Gonzales; 20; theft of a motor vehicle $5,000 to $25,000
TASSIN, STEPHEN DANIEL: 42231 Greenfield Crossing Drive, Prairieville; 37; fugitiveother Louisiana jurisdiction
RODRIGUEZ VILLARREAL, GERARDO: 38432 Silverstone Ave., Prairieville; 30; misrepresentation during booking, injuring public records, forgery, unlawful possession of fraudulent documents for identification purposes, identity theft, expired motor vehicle inspection, view outward or inward through windshield or windows-obscuring prohibited, false certificates, driver must be licensed, traffic-control signals, operating a vehicle while intoxicatedchild endangerment law
SMITH, BRAIDEN MATTHEW: 13145 Cypress Gold Drive, St. Amant; 30; domestic abuse battery-child endangerment
JOHNSON, KEDRICK: 39112 Bayou View Ave., Gonzales; 34; cruelty to juveniles
Jeremy Reeves and Eagle
Grant Wells — Class of 2025 — in the first flag raising ceremony in front of the newly
