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W e d n e s d ay, N ov e m b e r 5, 2025
ALL SAINTS
152ND YEAR, NO. 4
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The Rev. David Doyle blesses the graves as children light candles that will be placed on the graves at the historic Madisonville Cemetery for La Toussaint on Nov. 1.
BLESSINGS ä More photos from Lacombe. PAGE 2A ä More photos from Madisonville. PAGE 3A
PHOTO BY GRANT THERKILDSEN
STAFF PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD
Ayden Nunn lights candles on a family grave on All Saints Day at the LaFontaine-Hilltop Cemetery in Lacombe on Nov. 1.
Ordinance could set rules for parish government spokespeople BY WILLIE SWETT
Staff writer
A St. Tammany Parish Government spokesperson’s critical statements about a job posting could lead to new regulations for the parish’s public information officers. St. Tammany Parish Council member David Cougle’s proposed ordinance follows statements to a newspaper reporter made last month by
Michael Vinsanau, a parish government spokesperson who often speaks on behalf of Parish President Mike Cooper. After parish resident Connie Phillips, who once lodged more than 150 complaints about books in the library, used artificial intelligence software to create a job posting for the parish’s library director on behalf of the chair of the library board,
proposed ordinance Vinsanau questioned that would require the decision. Vinsanau to indicate “It’s inappropriate whether he is speakthat it was made by AI by an activist,” ing for Cooper, the Vinsanau said in an Parish Council or interview with The all of parish governTimes-Picayune at Vinsanau ment. The spokesthe time. “It would person would also be inappropriate have to receive perif this was made by either mission from Council Adside.” ministrator Mary Burckell These statements were the before speaking for the Par“the catalyst” for Cougle’s ish Council or the whole gov-
Various events planned around St. Tammany
BY JOSEPH HALM Staff writer
BY DARREN COOPER | Contributing writer and ANDREW CANULETTE |Staff writer
ä See VETERANS, page 4A
PROVIDED PHOTO
Mandeville alumnus Blake Butera was the named the eighth manager of the Washington Nationals on Oct. 31.
The Washington Nationals gave a Mandeville alumnus a special treat on Halloween as they named Blake Butera as its next manager. Butera, 33, becomes the youngest skipper in Major League Baseball since 1972. “I am incredibly honored to be named the manager of the Washington Nationals,” said Butera in a statement. “I’d like to thank the Lerner, Cohen and Tanenbaum families, as well as Paul Toboni, for the opportunity and for the trust they are placing in me. This franchise has a proud history, a passionate fanbase and a standard of excellence that
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I deeply respect. My family and I are fortunate to be part of it. I’m excited to get to work alongside our players, coaches and staff to build something special — a team that is rooted in trust, connection and competitiveness. We want to represent this city and our fans in a way they can be proud of, and we’re ready to get started.” The Madisonville native is the eighth manager in Nationals history (2005-present), and his hiring is the first major move for Nationals president of baseball operations Paul Toboni since he took over on Oct. 1. Butera was a four-year letterman and twotime captain for the Skippers, hitting .435
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ual like this.” Phillips and Cougle were allies in an effort to draw attention to minors’ access to library materials that they felt were objectionable. Books with LGBTQ+ characters and sexual themes have prompted controversy in St. Tammany’s libraries over the past few years. Cougle and Phillips
Mandeville High alum Blake Butera named Nationals manager
Giving thanks on Veterans Day
Every Nov. 11, communities across America pause to give thanks to the millions among us who have served in our nation’s armed forces. Veterans Day is one of the more venerable holidays on our nation’s calendar and that’s certainly the case on the northshore, where several events are planned to honor our nation’s veterans. In fact, there are events the weekend before the actual holiday, which will
ernment under the proposed ordinance. Cougle wrote in an email that he felt like Vinsanau was “targeting a private individual because (Phillips) did something as innocuous as offering an AI-generated job template to the (Library Board of Control).” “I was personally offended by the idea of the spokesperson for parish government targeting a private individ-
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