SERVING THE PARISHES OF EAST FELICIANA AND WEST FELICIANA
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W e d n e s d ay, D e c e m b e r 24, 2025
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AI company is coming to West Feliciana data center BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL and IANNE SALVOSA Staff writers
The company building an AI data center in West Feliciana Parish said Dec. 17 that Anthropic, whose Claude chatbot is a rival to Chat GPT, has signed a long-term deal to use the facility, marking the second mega tech company to set up an AI data center in Louisiana in the past year. In a release Dec. 17, Miamibased Hut 8 said it is partnering with Anthropic and another company, Fluidstack, to deliver AI data center infrastructure — power and equipment — over several years at the 600-acre River Bend campus, which is just south of St. Francisville. Hut 8 said it has signed a 15-year, $7 billion deal with Fluidstack to
the parish in tax revenues, Havard said. “I am excited and our whole community has been excited about this possibility for a year,” said Havard. “We have a blank canvas This is a chance for us to be number one in something.” The deal underscores the increasingly complex way AI data centers are being developed around the world. Third party PROVIDED IMAGE companies are now often involved at various levels of building and A rendering of the $2.5 billion data center planned in West Feliciana. leasing the powerful computers and power generation to tech comfeet of data center space on a West Feliciana Parish President panies. 611 acre campus and provide 330 Kenny Havard. “This partnership is an expanWhen completed, the center sion of our existing work with Flumegawatts of power from a related power substation already is expected to created about 100 idstack and marks a new opportuunder construction just south of permanent jobs. Under the terms nity to collaborate with Hut 8 to Jobs and power of a deal Hut 8 recently finalized bring additional capacity online by La. 964. It is is expected to create 1,500 with the parish, the agreement will The first phase of the project ä See DATA, page 6G will encompass 600,000 square construction jobs, according to provide up to $90 million a year for
provide AI data center capacity to Anthropic. In a related announcement, Hut 8 said Google is backstopping the Fluidstack lease, essentially guaranteeing that if Fluidstack defaults, Google will step in and take over. Anthropic is a public benefit corporation that does research and development on artificial intelligence and has created the Claude family of large language models. Fluidstack is a New York startup that develops and operates the tech side of AI data centers. Hut 8 is a publicly traded company that handles the real estate and financial side of AI data center developments.
Leila Pitchford AROUND THE FELICIANAS
Help others near you Wow! It’s Christmas Eve. This year has been so slow and so fast. Time has moved swiftly since Thanksgiving after dragging much of the year. I hope everyone has plans to do something special tonight or tomorrow. We all know reality is that not everyone will have something special. So please remember your neighbors who could use a visit. Check in with that single person from work to see if they need a place to celebrate the day. Maybe drop off a plate from your special meal with an older neighbor or a family with needs. See if there are other needs you can meet. You don’t have to do everything, but do something. Do what you can to bring the Spirit of the Season to your neighbors.
Holiday deadlines set Submissions for the New Year’s Eve editions of The Watchman, The Democrat and The Plainsman are due Dec. 26. Please share your holiday lights, party and celebration photos with us at extra@theadvocate.com. And let us know what you Carnival plans are. Mardi Gras is just a few weeks away.
Register for soccer Registration is open for spring soccer in West Feliciana Parish. Register at wfprec.com.
Hospital lights available n Through New Year’s Eve, West Feliciana Hospital will have its Magical Lights Display available. Drive through the hospital grounds to see the exhibit. n The free Holiday Lights exhibit on the walking track behind Lane Regional Medical Center, 6300 Main St., Zachary is open through Jan. 5.
Save the date n The West Feliciana Chamber of Commerce announced Chamber Uncorked! will be March 8 at The Mallory in St. Francisville. n The 21st Feliciana Family and Friends Mardi Gras Parade is planned for Jan. 31 in downtown Clinton.
Email Leila Pitchford at lpitchford@theadvocate.com.
Joseph, Mary and Jesus in the stable as portrayed in the Jackson United Methodist Church’s Live Nativity on Dec. 17.
PHOTO BY MELINDA RAWLS HOWELL
Nativity reenacts reason for the season
BY MELINDA RAWLS HOWELL
ä More live Nativity photos. PAGE 6G
On the lawn where it began more than 40 years ago, the live Nativity of Jackson United Methodist Church again portrayed the reason for the season — the Christmas story — the evening of Dec. 17. Adults, children and several animals reenacted the telling of the birth of the Christ child with narration and music. Over the years, the live nativity evolved somewhat from the original music and narra-
tion. The presentation moved indoors, animals and all, to the former McKowen/Jackson High gym for a few years. Inside what is now called the Republic of West Florida Museum Pavilion, rain did not pose a problem there. This year, the weather was mild, partly cloudy and with a slight breeze. A light drizzle held off until later in the night. As the story unfolded and the music swelled, a brief interruption occurred — silence. The audio system
Contributing writer
stopped. For several minutes, the audience sat patiently and amazingly quiet until the Christmas hymn “Silent Night” resumed and the story continued. As has always been the custom, the entire cast moved to the manger scene and the at end of the program and the audience was also invited to move forward, view the baby and celebrate the birth of the Christ child. Fellowship, food and even a visit from Santa followed in the church social hall. A Christmas Eve Candlelight Communion Service will be at 6 p.m.
A look at the Felicianas through the images of 2025 BY LEILA PITCHFORD Staff writer
Since the daguerreotype was created in the early 1800s, photos have been a ä More photos of way to help with share 2025. PAGES 2G & 3G events and make memories. At The Democrat and The Watchman, we get photos from many sources: staff reporters and photographers; freelancers; communications people for business, organizations and government; and from the general public. Here is a look at some of the eyecatching photos that ran in 2025. Remember to send photos of your 2026 events to extra@theadvocate.com.
At the beginning of 2025, Nadya Chandler and Kamryn Brown celebrate Slaughter Community Charter School achieving an A rating in state school grades.
PROVIDED PHOTOS
In a January 2025 edition, Emily Spillman-Holden’s kindergarten class weeds one of the raised beds to prepare it for planting at Bains Lower Elementary.