The Livingston-Tangipahoa Advocate 10-29-2025

Darlene Denstorff AROUND LIVINGSTON

Halloween hours set

Watch out for the little ghouls, princesses and goblins as you drive around Friday Halloween trick-or-treating throughout Livingston Parish is from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday Oct. 31.

Don’t forget to set your clocks Daylight saving time will end at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov 2. Be sure to adjust your clocks back an hour Daylight saving time will begin March 8. Waste collection day in Livingston Parish

Livingston Parish Waste Collection Day is from 8 a.m to noon Nov 1 at Livingston Parish Fairgrounds. All hazardous materials must be clearly labeled in the original container Items to be collected for recycling include electronics, household batteries, lamps, bulbs and tires. For information, visit livingstonparishgovernment.com.

Play cornhole in Walker Play cornhole every Friday at the Walker Community Center The weekly tournaments are $10 for the lower division and $20 for the upper division. For information, call (225) 3057183.

Denham

Springs cross-country team creating buzz

The cross-country season is in the final weeks of its build-up to next month’s state championship meet in Natchitoches, and there is a buzz around the boys and girls teams at Denham Springs.

The Yellow Jackets girls have been rated in the top 10 of the Louisiana Track and Field Coaches Association poll most of the season. While not currently ranked, the boys squad has been highly competitive in its own right.

The chance to qualify for state will be there if one or both teams can put together a top eight finish in next week’s Division I, Region 2 meet It won’t hurt that the meet will be held at a familiar venue, BREC’s Highland Road Park.

“The season has gone really well. We’ve had a lot of progress, and a lot of growth,” Denham Springs coach Cortney Haser said last week before the Yellow Jackets won both team competitions at the Livingston Parish meet. “The athletes put in a lot of work this summer and they’re reaping the benefits now We have the deepest boys and girls teams that we’ve had in a while, maybe ever.”

A family connection that Haser calls the program’s dynamic duo has been an important factor for Denham Springs.

Boys senior Rowan Silk and girls freshman Lila Silk have

ON THE MARCH

Livingston Parish bands take talents to first area bandboree

BY RICHARD MEEK Contributing writer

Celebrating Livingston Parish’s legacy of musical excellence, five high school bands recently gathered at Denham Springs High School to participate in the inaugural Bandboree “Swarm of Bands.”

Bandboree is a community marching band event structured similar to marching competitions but no scores or given, according to Denham Springs High school band director Rachel Morgan. Morgan said directors receive feedback from hired judges to support the growth of each band’s performance.

“Unlike competitions, the bands watch every performance and cheer on their peers,” she said. “At the conclusion of the event, there is a ‘mass band’ in which all of the

bands perform together.”

Three bands that included Denham Springs, Walker and Live Oak high schools

performed individually and were then joined by bands from Doyle and Springfield high schools in an impressive

closing performance that saw more than 450 young

Denham Springs quarterback Da’jean Golmond throws a long pass in the first half as Prairieville’s Mike Schmitt defends Friday in Denham Springs

BY PATRICK DENNIS

Denham Springs rolls past Prairieville

BY CHARLES SALZER Contributing writer

There were plenty of key players for Denham Springs when it squared off with District 5-5A leader Prairieville on Friday, but none was bigger than quarterback Da’Jean Golmond. The Yellow Jackets offense was nearly unstoppable as Golmond threw for six touchdowns leading Denham Springs to a 51-13 win.

The win puts Denham Springs (6-2, 3-1) in a three-way tie atop the league standings with East Ascension and Dutchtown. Second-year program Prai-

rieville (4-4, 3-2) saw its three-game

district winning streak come to an end.

“All three facets were really good tonight,” Denham Springs coach Brett Bear said. “We had a blocked punt, the defense was flying around and the offense was executing. We did have some penalties and got behind the chains, but we made some big plays and got it back. We’ve got some great players that are a lot of fun to watch.”

No one had more fun than Golmond, who completed 16 of 22 passes for 311 yards. Five of his touchdown passes

Residents join in opposing projects in parish ä See MARCH, page 2G

BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD Staff writer

The Livingston Parish Council, after fierce vocal support from residents, approved a resolution Thursday night taking a stand against carbon capture projects in the parish.

About 100 people packed into the council chambers for Thursday’s regular meeting, with 75 residents signed up to publicly speak in support of a resolution opposing permitting and establishment of any Class VI injection wells and pipelines in the parish.

Council member Dean Coates proposed the resolution, which said the council is prioritizing the well-being

of its residents and local environment by taking the action. The crowded chambers erupted in applause and cheers when the council unanimously approved the resolution.

Every resident who signed up to speak was in support of the resolution, with reportedly none in opposition.

“There’s not one person in this room who wants this,” said Bill Whittington, president of the Lake Maurepas Preservation Society The resolution comes a few weeks after Gov Jeff Landry issued a moratorium on new applications for carbon capture injection wells in Louisiana. State officials selected six carbon capture projects as priorities; none are located in Livingston Parish. This is not the council’s

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musicians come together as one cohesive and entertaining musical unit, despite rehearsing together for the first time two hours earlier

Daniel said St. Amant High School has been hosting a bandboree for the past several years that included schools from Ascension and Livingston parishes. But as new schools continue to open, Morgan said the idea of a Livingston Parish event was suggested by Eddie Hurst, assistant band director at Walker High School.

“This decision allows us to hold a more localized community event with our parish schools that includes our smaller schools that do not have marching bands,” Morgan said. She said the goal was to include as many Livingston Parish high school band students as possible.

“Livingston Parish has a legacy of excellence through marching bands, and we wanted to not only celebrate that legacy but also the current students that are continuing to uphold and build upon it.”

The home side of the Denham Springs football stadium was nearly filled to capacity with proud parents, family members and classmates who in a show of unity cheered all of the bands regardless of their colors.

“The event was a huge success,” Morgan said “We had an incredible turnout, the crowd cheered for every single band and the students had a great time sharing music together with their community bands.” She is also confident Bandboree will become an annual event, based on positive feedback she said she received from parents, community members, students and band directors.

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Livingston Parish hosts Police Jury Association of Louisiana meeting

Community news report

Livingston Parish hosted the Police Jury Association of Louisiana Region VI

Meeting on Oct 15 at Carter Plantation. The event brought together parish leaders, state officials and employees, and regional stakeholders.

The program opened with Livingston Parish Council Chair Billy Taylor calling the meeting to order, followed by an invocation from Erin Sandefur, District Five Council member Taylor led the Pledge of Allegiance and recognized special guests, including Allison Clarke, deputy director for

the Office of Rural Development; Leslie Durham, executive director of LITA Corp; and Craig Smith, president of the PJAL. Executive Director Guy Cormier shared a legislative update and led the business portion of the meeting, announcing the three resolutions committee members:

Martha Cazaubon of St. Tammany Brigette Hyde of Tangipahoa, and Louis Kent of East Feliciana. Pam Alonso of Ascension Parish will continue to serve as the region VI executive board member The 2026 Region VI Meeting will be hosted by West Feliciana Parish.

Cadets recite the oath of office as the Louisiana

graduated its 37th class of cadets Oct

Wildlife and Fisheries Law Enforcement Academy graduates include two from region

Community news report

On Oct 16, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Law Enforcement Academy graduated its 37th class of cadets into the ranks of LDWF Enforcement Division agents at a ceremony in Baton Rouge.

CARBON

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first attempt at trying to locally prevent carbon capture projects. In 2022, the parish adopted a moratorium over a proposed carbon capture field under Lake Maurepas and another project in Holden. However, a federal judge eventually blocked the moratorium.

‘We’re not going to stand for it’

Residents like Todd Phillips of Denham Springs, who owns a camp in Maurepas, told the council that carbon capture projects would negatively impact the activities his family enjoys at the lake, such as crabbing and power boating.

“Where does it stop? Are they going to take my place from me? We’re not going to stand for it,” he said.

the mix Thursday night. Hodges told the room that she was a “huge supporter of oil and gas” but that carbon capture sequestration is different, and she questioned the safety of the projects.

“I’m not against carbon capture sequestration, I’m just against it in Livingston Parish,” she said.

Parish President Randy Delatte took some heat from residents at the meeting for the government accepting donations from Air Products, which has previously announced plans for carbon injection wells beneath Lake Maurepas.

Delatte, who supported the 2022 moratorium when he was on the council, defended accepting previous donations and said that he was in support of the opposition to the projects from the governor and parish.

“I got to be honest with y’all, I have left $100,000 on the table in just the last month, but it’s important that the perception of our people know that all of us are working for them,” he said.

• Chase Mack, of Albany, assigned to East Feliciana Parish

• Brad McKee, of Hammond, assigned to St. John Parish

McKee was awarded the physical fitness award for scoring the highest on the physical fitness assessment test. He also won the over-

After months of training at the academy, 13 newly commissioned agents are ready to begin enforcing hunting, fishing and boating regulations that govern the use of the state’s natural resources, a news release said. Two graduates are from the region:

SLU hosting centennial military banquet

Community news report

A Centennial Military Banquet is set for Nov 11, Veterans Day, in the War Memorial Student Union Ballroom, 303 Union Ave., Hammond. The Southeastern Louisiana University Office of Military and Veteran Success invites the public to attend the 6 p.m. event. Director of Military and Veteran Success Emily Anthony said the event will showcase 100 years of military history at Southeastern and highlight the many achievements of alumni, current students, staff and faculty members who have served in the military

“The banquet will feature live music, delicious food, a silent auction to benefit the Military and Veteran Success Endowed Scholarship Fund, and historical artifacts on display,” Anthony said. “The keynote speaker is Brigadier General Amy Bumgarner, USAF, who currently serves as the commander of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. General Bumgarner is a proud Southeastern alumna and a strong supporter of the university. To register for the event, visit www.southeastern. edu/veterans. For more information, contact Anthony at emily.anthony@southeastern.edu.

all award, which is a cumulative score from the firearms, academic and physical training categories.

The Louisiana Wildlife Agents Association also honored McKee with its Immanuel Washington Outstanding Cadet Award.

This was LDWF’s first Peace Officer Standards and Training certified hybrid academy class. The LDWF Enforcement Division conducted the conservation law portion of the training at the beginning of the academy for all the cadets. Then the LDWF Enforcement Division continued with the POST training at the end of the academy for the non-POST-certified cadets.

Former Livingston Parish council member Jim Norred expressed his disappointment that state and federal leaders were not in the council chambers for the resolution.

“We need to kill this now and really need to push our federal representatives to get on board with this,” Norred said.

State Sen. Valerie Hodges, R-Denham Springs, was the only elected state official in

Legally the resolution is only a formal expression of opinion and doesn’t have the force of the law But it is meant to signal that the parish stands against carbon capture projects.

Email Claire Grunewald at claire.grunewald@ theadvocate.com.

SPORTS

Denham Springs quarterback Da’jean Goldmond looks for a receiver downfield in the first half Friday in Denham Springs.

Denham Springs tight end Haden Ray rambles for a touchdown after a catch.

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were 30 yards or longer a total that included a 77-yard strike to his twin brother Da’Sean Golmond.

Da’Sean Golmond also caught TD passes of 38 and 7 yards, giving him the first three-touchdown game of his career In total he caught five passes for 155 yards.

SALZER

Continued from page 1G

“He knows where I want the ball, and I know where he wants to put it,” Da’Sean Golmond said of his brother On my first touchdown, if he had put it inside, it would have been a breakup or a pick, but he put it outside and all I had to do was make one person miss.” That first touchdown was

a 38-yarder in the second quarter Before halftime, the pair hooked up again, this time for a 77-yard TD that highlighted Da’Sean Golmond’s speed. He caught the pass near midfield and outran two defenders who appeared to have an angle, giving the Jackets a 37-7 lead.

Da’Jean Golmond capped his team’s 34-point sec-

ond quarter with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Williams with 13 seconds left in the half. The game was close for one quarter The Yellow Jackets took the opening kickoff and moved to the PHS 7 before stalling Jonathan Bravo kicked a 24-yard field goal, and the Jackets later increased their lead to 10-0 on Da’Jean Golmond’s 23-yard scoring toss to Hayden Ray Prairieville answered with quarterback Skylar Kelly’s 49-yard touchdown run to pull within 10-7 before the game got out of hand in the second quarter Kelly led the Hurricanes with 83 yards rushing but completed only 5 of 15 passes for 64 yards. “We had some opportuni-

ties early but we play with 23 sophomores and have maybe six seniors out of the 22 starters,” Prairieville coach Mike Schmitt said. “Tonight, the youth kind of came out. It got away from us, but I don’t think we did a great job of coaching, either It was just one of those nights, and it’s part of the growth of a young program.”

and we have a base of juniors and sophomores.” The buzz around the Den-