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, S e p t e m b e r 17, 2025
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11TH YEAR, NO. 49
How could EMS changes impact Zachary? Leila Pitchford AROUND ZACHARY
Changes coming for recycling and garbage services The city of Zachary, in partnership with Waste Management, is announcing updates to recycling and garbage collection services for residents. Beginning Oct. 6, Waste Management will deliver new 96-gallon recycling carts to households across Zachary. These larger carts will replace the 18-gallon bins and are designed to accommodate increased recycling capacity. The new carts will be serviced using automated trucks, phasing out the older rear-load collection system. Residents who wish to keep their old 18-gallon bins may do so; however, Waste Management will no longer collect recyclables from them once the new carts are in place.
BY OLIVIA MCCLURE Contributing writer
Leaders in Baton Rouge have spent much of this summer debating the pros and cons of moving the parishwide Emergency Medical Services agency under the Baton Rouge Fire Department. In Zachary, some are concerned about how ambulance services in their city could be affected if that
becomes reality. The issue came up at the Zachary City Council’s Sept. 9 meeting, where retired EMS director Mike Denicola asked the panel to pass a resolution objecting to the proposed merger, which has drawn intense opposition from medics and others. East Baton Rouge Parish MayorPresident Sid Edwards announced the plan in June, presenting it as a
way to become more efficient. He and Baton Rouge Fire Chief Michael Kimble — who spent many years working in the Zachary Fire Department — have offered reassurances that no EMS employees will lose their jobs and would in fact be eligible for improved benefits under the merger. Lon Vicknair, Edwards’ chief of staff, reiterated those points at the council meeting.
“Our two goals are better services for the citizens of the parish and better quality of life for the EMS employees,” Vicknair said, adding that little would change other than the administrative structure. Still, folding the agency, which has been an independent entity since 1982, into another department doesn’t sit well with many
ä See EMS, page 3G
DAY OF SERVICE
ä See AROUND, page 3G
Warren Brady ZACHARY SPORTS
Zachary High swim team making waves in 2025 Zachary High swimming coach Julie Peveto got back with me this week to provide some thoughts on this year’s team and the season thus far. Though the results from the scrimmage were reported previously, an observation from a parent of an opposing team that moved Peveto is worth reporting. The opposing team parent indicated that she watched the ZHS team during warm-ups and admired “how much they (the ZHS team) cared for and was helpful to each other and how encouraging that was to see.” “That spoke volumes to the culture we have worked to create over the years and it made my heart smile,” Peveto said. In the CCSL league opener on Sept. 6, with 19 teams in competition in the boys and girls divisions, the boys finished fifth and the girls were seventh. Peveto noted that “it’s a very encouraging start, the team showed an incredible amount of team spirit and it spilled over into the pool.” In that initial meet, the Broncos posted 18 individual lifetime best times. Top eight finishes included the girls 200 medley relay, seventh; boys 200 medley relay, eighth; Gabi Morgan finished sixth in the 50 free; Warren Griffin finished seventh in the 50 free; Ricky Wells finished seventh in the 100 fly; the boys 200 free relay, fourth; Aaron Gaines in the 100 back, eighth and the girls 400 free relay, fourth.
ä See BRADY, page 2G
PHOTOS BY JAVIER GALLEGOS
Volunteer Randy Whitney, right, and Louisiana National Cemetery groundskeeper Jeff Reaney work together to pulling weeds from the base of a tree during the Carry The Load Patriot Day event at Louisiana National Cemetery on Sept. 11.
Volunteers clean up Louisiana National Cemetery in Zachary as part of Patriot Day event Volunteers Crystal Honore, left, Randy Whitney, center, and employee Jeff Reaney take a water break together under the shade of the trees they’re working to maintain.
Community news report Volunteer Crystal Honore carried a bucket of pulled weeds with her from tree to tree during the Carry The Load Patriot Day event at Louisiana National Cemetery on Thursday, Sept. 11. Honore was joined by volunteers taking part in the Carry The Load event. In honor of Patriot Day, volunteers gathered at the Zachary cemetery to help clean headstones and beautify the grounds. The effort is part of Carry the Load’s annual nationwide Patriot Day event. Thousands of volunteers participated at nearly 70 national cemeteries across the U.S. The nonprofit hosts volunteer events each Memorial Day, Patriot Day and Veterans Day as a way to provide active ways to honor and remember the nation’s heroes by connecting Americans to the sacrifices made by military and first responder communities, a news release said.
ä More photos from the Carry the Load event.
PAGE 4G
Budget cuts would be needed if voters reject proposal for teacher raises
Firefighters honored for saving 2 lives in one day
BY OLIVIA MCCLURE
BY OLIVIA MCCLURE
Contributing writer
Even if voters reject the Zachary Forward tax initiative this fall, Superintendent Ben Necaise plans to give teachers and support employees a raise that he believes is long overdue. But doing so without the money the property tax would provide would compound budget woes stemming from stagnant state funding — forcing cuts that could lead to larger class sizes, fewer bus stops, more fees for extracur-
ricular activities and putting off building maintenance needs. That’s the grim funding picture that Superintendent Ben Necaise painted Sept. 9 during a presentation to the Zachary City Council on the tax proposal, which will appear on the Nov. 15 ballot. The school district is seeking voters’ permission to reallocate an existing property tax that is restricted to school construction. If the measure succeeds, the district will free up those funds and be able to put them toward raises as well as investments in technology
and facilities. If not, Necaise said, cuts will be necessary to afford salary increases for employees, who haven’t had a substantial raise in years and are underpaid compared with their counterparts in neighboring school districts. “We don’t have a choice to try to be more competitive with pay,” Necaise said. “Whether it’s the teaching ranks or our support workers, they have many more options on what they can do and where they
ä See RAISES, page 3G
Contributing writer
Firefighters do more than put out flames and rescue people from burning buildings. They’re often the first to arrive when people call 911 with medical emergencies — and their speedy response and expertise sometimes mean the difference between life and death. That’s what happened not once, but twice on Sept. 1 for the
ä See FIREFIGHTERS, page 4G