Zachary Plainsman-Advocate 09-10-2025

Leila Pitchford AROUND ZACHARY

Nominate

Zachary’s top citizen

The Zachary Rotary Club is accepting nominations for the 2025 Citizen of the Year award

Provide your contact information as well as contact information for the nominee by Sept. 29 by email to rotaryclubofzachary.com.

The committee members include Charlene Smith, Mark Blair, Tamara Dayton, Sharon Phillips and Chloe McCleary

Questions to answer:

n How has the nominee contributed to the community? (Give specifics.)

n What organizations, cause or projects has the nominee been active in?

n How has the nominee’s involvement made lasting or meaningful differences in the community?

n How does the nominee demonstrate leadership and inspire others?

n What personal qualities make this person stand out?

n What ongoing impact has the nominees created in the community?

n Share a story or example that illustrates why this person deserves the award.

Help remember veterans in Sept. 11 cleanup

Volunteers will help clean headstones and beautify sacred grounds as a part of the Carry The Load National Day of Service & Remembrance for military and first responders who died due to the events of Sept 11, 2001.

The Patriot Day event is from 10 a.m to 1 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 11, at Louisiana National Cemetery, Zachary. Visit Carry The Load’s website for volunteer information, locations and to register: www carrytheload.org/patriot-daynational-day-of-service/.

Zachary Council dislike code violations

Law court to handle infractions under consideration

BY OLIVIA MCCLURE

Contributing writer

For the past couple of years, Zachary City Council members have complained on and off about how much they dislike getting dragged into code violation situations.

Zachary doesn’t have a blight court or similar entity dedicated to land-use violations. So the city has at times resorted to subpoenaing alleged violators and bringing them before the council to explain the derelict vehicle sitting in their yard, why they posted an illegal sign

Teacher pay increase up for vote

BY OLIVIA MCCLURE

writer

Contributing

If voters approve a property tax measure this fall, Zachary school leaders want to use the proceeds to boost teacher salaries by $10,000 and give support personnel an additional $5,000. That’s according to

IN THE POOL

of the

BY WARREN BRADY Contributing writer

its first meet of the year Aug. 30 against St. Michael’s, Baton Rouge High and Denham

Individual event winners included Ava Ordonio, 200 freestyle; Warren Griffin, 50 freestyle and Gabi Morgan,

backstroke. Gabi Morgan qualified for the Division I State Championship with her time of 1:09 in the 100 backstroke.

Coach Julie Peveto’s Broncos will swim through September and October with the City Meet on Oct. 30, a month prior to the LHSAA Division I State Championship.

Zachary Rotary hears about coastal projects

Community news report

On Aug. 7, the Zachary Rotary heard from Clint Wilson, an LSU professor and director of the Center for River Studies. He talked about coastal sustainability and restoration in Louisiana.

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Library events for writers and kids

Wilson discussed the urgent issue of land loss across the state and highlighted the Louisiana 2023 Coastal Master Plan, which is working to reduce land loss and support long-term ecosystem restoration.

The LSU Center for River Studies is open for free to visi-

Join the new Shh, We’re Writing Club at the Zachary Branch Library, 1900 Church St., at 10 a.m., Thursday, Sept 11. Each meeting will begin with quiet writing time A writing prompt will be provided, but feel free to bring something you are currently working on or just free write.

The Kids’ Orchestra will offer experiential learning for children ages 3-11 at parish library branches. The Zachary Branch event will be at 11 a.m. on the first Saturdays. Every Saturday from September through May, participants receive music education centered around books from the East Baton Rouge Parish Library children’s collection. The hourlong programs allow children to sing, dance, play an instrument, experience a library book and meet a professional musician. Call (225) 658-1840 for information or to register for events.

Vendors sought for Novemberfest Crafters and vendors are invited to participate in St. Patrick’s November-

CODE

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or how they intend to get rid of junk on their property Council members have often said they don’t feel their meetings are the place to sort out those kinds of problems. They also have been uncomfortable with the fact that some code infractions aren’t civil offenses punishable by fines but in fact are misdemeanor crimes. After much waiting, all of that could soon change. City officials have a plan for setting up an administrative law court within a new code enforcement department The office will handle violations of some items in the city’s code of ordinances and all aspects of the Unified Development Code, or UDC. And punishment will come in the form of civil penalties, not arrests.

Assistant City Attorney L.T. Dupré outlined the plan at the council’s Aug 26 meeting. Some examples of violations the office

tors from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. the first Sunday of each month. It is an interactive experience for all ages to learn more about Louisiana’s wetlands, the history of the Mississippi River, and current restoration efforts. Visit coastal. la.gov/center-for-river-studies for information.

fest from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Nov 1. The day will include food, games, activities, crafts/vendors, entertainment and more.

The church is at 1322 Church St., Zachary For information, contact Novemberfest co-chairs Beth Kimmell, beth. kimmell@gmail.com, (225) 281-9249; or Violet Stillday, vstillday@gmail.com, (218) 556-3458.

Celebrate the market’s six years

The Zachary Farmers and Artisans Market will celebrate its sixth birthday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Oct. 18 on Lee Street in downtown Zachary Vendors, music, food and games will be available.

Mayor to host prayer luncheon

Mayor David McDavid will hold a Mayor’s Prayer Luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m Oct. 24 at First Baptist Church Family Life Center, 4200 Main St., Zachary The speaker will be former Major League Baseball player Sid Bream.

Baker events coming

Cleanup planned: Keep Baker Beautiful Fall Community Clean Up is from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 13. Meet at the Baker Chamber of Commerce, 3233 Groom Road. Register at https://tinyurl.com/3wc8r8k8

Buffalo Festival: The Baker Buffalo Festival

might deal with, Dupré said, include condemnations, issues with swimming pools, complaints about massage therapy businesses, junk vehicles and disallowed types of signs.

A hearing officer will be appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the council. That person will be responsible for conducting hearings

Hearings will look and feel much like any other court proceedings, Dupré said. They’ll be held in city court, perhaps after hours.

“That way it won’t be an inconvenience for the defendants to be able to appear,” he said

A code enforcement officer also will play a key role in the system.

“He’s responsible for investigating allegations of civil offenses, issuing notice of hearing and arranging to have whoever is going to testify,” Dupré said.

The new office will render the existing condemnations board obsolete.

The council still needs to vote on some ordinances and resolutions to make the plan reality Council members decided they want to meet for a workshop to discuss it in greater detail first. That meeting will be held Sept. 23 at 4:30 p.m. at City Hall.

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“It kind of puts stakes in the ground on what we want to do with the funding, especially prioritizing compensation first,” he said during a work session preceding the board meeting.

According to the document, the district will focus on raising salaries before dedicating any funds to technology or facilities improvements.

The plan calls for increasing veteran and new teacher pay by $10,000 and $5,000 for support staff. That would put teachers’ starting salary at $60,000.

“This benchmark represents the first step in a long-term commitment to keeping the ZCSD’s compensation among the most competitive in the state and region,” the plan says, adding that the higher pay would aid recruitment and retention efforts.

The plan also mentions:

n Extending 9-month teacher contracts from 182 to 185 days. This would allow additional paid days for planning, professional development and community engagement.

n Providing stipends to reward teachers and other staff members for professional learning outside of contract hours and for responsibilities such as leading extracurricular activities and after-school tutoring.

n Offering signing bonuses for critical-need hires and stipends for teachers and staff in high-

is Sept. 18-20 at Baker City Park, 3325 Groom Road. Parking is free. Live music, vendors, food trucks, a car show and more are planned. A parade float contest will be held. Family Night at the Baker Buffalo Festival is Sept. 18.

Autism group to host gala and resource fair: The Magnolia Rose Foundation for Autism Acceptance is holding its fourth annual Magnolia Masquerade Gatsby Gala from 8 p.m. to midnight, Nov 1 at the Baker Municipal Center, 3325 Groom Road, Baker Purchase tickets at https://magnoliarosefoundation. betterworld.org/events/4mm-gatsby-gala.

The foundation is also holding a Special Needs Resource Fair from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Sept. 25, at Cedarcrest-Southmoor Elementary School in Baton Rouge. This event is free and open to families across the parish seeking resources, support, and guidance for exceptional children

demand areas. If all of those compensationrelated objectives are fulfilled, the district would next move on to technology improvements. The plan sets goals of upgrading districtwide WiFi and cybersecurity, providing device access for all students from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade and supplying every teacher with a mobile device and interactive display for their classroom.

On the facilities front — the final priority tax dollars would go toward updates that “directly impact teacher and learning effectiveness” such as lighting, flooring, HVAC and furniture, the plan says The district also would aim to make investments in energy-efficient, cost-saving improvements like LED lighting, high-efficiency HVAC systems and water conservation measures.

According to the document, the school board will get to review and approve all proposed expenditures to be funded by the tax. District officials will provide board members with monthly updates and publish a yearly, public-facing impact report that shows how funds are being spent and progress toward goals. If other funding sources surface and the funds generated by the tax are no longer necessary, “the district will take action to reduce or roll back the tax rate accordingly,” the document says. “This ensures that taxpayers are not asked to contribute more than is necessary to maintain the commitments outlined in this plan.”

and young adults of all ages and all exceptionalities.

The Resource Fair will feature local organizations, businesses and service providers who are committed to supporting families of children and young adults with exceptionalities. Spanish interpreters will be available on-site. Vendors will be providing door prizes valued at $25 or more, which will be given away throughout the evening.

Take a Walk in Baker: Desiree Odell-Collins and others in District 3 in Baker are hosting Let’s Take A Walk. The next community walks are at 6 p.m. Sept. 11 and Sept. 25. Meet at Redemption Life Fellowship, 2400 Debra Drive. Text (225) 954-3360 for location updated.

Email Leila Pitchford at lpitchford@ theadvocate.com.

Perry’s theme this year is “compete with consistency.” On the early season thus far Perry was excited about the team’s preseason scrimmage with Madison Prep. “Our struggle right now is just getting complacent and not finishing,” Perry said. Competing and consistency comes into play “We are learning to compete and play our game looking for internal motivation and not external,” she described.

The Broncos have competed in other preseason scrimmages against West Feliciana and Denham Springs and participated in the Episcopal and Lady Broncos jamborees The Broncos opened the regular season on Sept 3 with a three-set victory (25-18, 25-20, 25-19) over Southern Lab.

Same competition in the district, as usual, “it gets stronger and stronger every year,” Perry said. St. Josephs, Central, Liberty and Baton Rouge High will “all be strong and tough to beat ”

Upcoming home nondistrict games include Dutchtown, Sept. 10; Port Allen, Sept. 11 and U-High, Sept. 18. Perry indicated that U-High has two outstanding freshmen, including former Woodlawn legend and Olympian volleyballer Danielle Scott’s daughter, which should add to the intrigue Senior night will be Sept 30 against Slaughter and district play begins at home against always powerful St Joseph on Oct. 21.

Former Broncos in the college ranks

This week I received a request from not one, not two but three readers asking if I could provide updates on former Broncos competing collegiately Ask and you shall receive.

I will attempt to provide updates throughout the season and feel free to enlighten me or point me toward someone I might have missed.

This week, how about Tyson George, a Grambling wide receiver who was part of a 55-7 season opening win over Langston in the Shreveport Kickoff Classic. Redshirt freshman George scored on 55yard reception and had two other catches. Also on the field for the G-men was former Bronco Tylon Williams, a junior, who racked up 71 return yards on 4 punts and had a reception for four yards. The obvious next choice is to stay with offense and maybe talk about Chris Hilton and Trey’Dez Green and their efforts for LSU, but I am going to call an audible to defense.

Senior Kameron Hamilton, a member of the Broncos 2021 state championship team, anchors the defensive line for Tulane and was named preseason first-team All ACC. In the season opener against Northwestern he registered a tackle and sack for the Green Wave. Also on defense, Jerome Robinson made an interception in the Indiana State opener against the McKendree Bearcats. Robinson, a redshirt junior, helped the Sycamores pull out the win 41-24.

Closing with offense, it is hard to imagine any former Bronco faired better than Eli Holstein in the season opener Holstein led the Pitt Panthers to a 61-9 victory in their home opener against the Duquesne Dukes. He completed 15 of 23 passes for 215 yards and 4 TDs while picking up 41 yards on 7 carries on the ground. The four touchdown performance was a career-high for Holstein, who is in his sophomore season.

Warren Brady covers sports for The Plainsman. He can be contacted at zachary@theadvocate.com.

SHORTORLONG-TERM HOSPITAL STAY?

SHORTORLONG-TERM HOSPITAL STAY?

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• EmergencyDepartment Physicians on-site 24/7 for urgent needs

• EmergencyDepartment Physicians on-site 24/7 for urgent needs

• BoardCertified Hospital Medicine Physicians providing dailyrounds

• BoardCertified Hospital Medicine Physicians providing dailyrounds

• On-site Physical Therapy,Occupational Therapy,and SpeechTherapy

• On-site Physical Therapy,Occupational Therapy,and SpeechTherapy

• Large private patient rooms with special beds designedfor comfortand recovery

• Large private patient rooms with special beds designedfor comfortand recovery

• Spacious bathrooms feature tilealong with low shower thresholds for easy access

• Spacious bathrooms feature tilealong with low shower thresholds for easy access

• Patientmonitoring equipment throughout the hospital

• Patientmonitoring equipment throughout the hospital

• Low nurse-to-patientratio (1:3) allows for quickresponsetopatient needs with about an 11-second average response time

• Low nurse-to-patientratio (1:3) allows for quickresponsetopatient needs with about an 11-second average response time

West Feliciana HospitalisJoint Commission Accredited certifying we have passed nationally recognized performancestandards in qualityand safety

West Feliciana HospitalisJoint Commission Accredited certifying we have passed nationally recognized performancestandards in qualityand safety

Consistently ranked among the tophospitals in the nation offering essentially everything youwould find in alarger facilityrighthere West Feliciana Parish.

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If youora lovedone areseekinghigh-qualityhospitalcaredelivered here in your community, askyourphysician or case managertocontact oneofour UR Nurses at 225-635-2409.Mostcommercialinsurance and Medicare plansaccepted

Ifyou or aloved oneare seekinghigh-qualityhospitalcaredelivered here in your community, askyourphysician or case managertocontact oneofour UR Nurses at 225-635-2409.Mostcommercialinsurance and Medicare plansaccepted.