DONALDSONVILLE • DUTCHTOWN • GEISMAR • GONZALES • PRAIRIEVILLE • ST. AMANT
THE ASCENSION
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, D e c e m b e r 31, 2025
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Darlene Denstorff AROUND ASCENSION
Happy New Year The staff at The Advocate’s Community News Sections wish all our readers a Happy New Year. We encourage you to share your news and story ideas with us. You can call me at (225) 603-1998 or email ascension@theadvocate.com.
Need pecans cracked? The Arc of East Ascension is offering to crack pecans for 50 cents a pound. Drop off pecans from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday at 1122 S. East Ascension Complex Blvd. in Gonzales. For information, call (225) 621-2000.
Food distributions set Ascension Parish’s commodity distribution is set for the second Tuesday of each month in Donaldsonville and the second Wednesday of the month in Gonzales. Distributions are from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Frank Sotile Jr. Pavilion in Donaldsonville and the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales. All recipients must be prequalified by visiting the Ascension Parish Health Unit, 1024 E. Ascension Complex Blvd., in Gonzales, or the Donaldsonville courthouse, 300 Houmas St. Contact Layne Melancon at (225) 450-1006 or layne.melancon@fmolhs.org.
Gonzales Gun Show planned Buy or trade guns and browse the hundreds of displays of new and old guns, ammo, gun parts, books, knives, knife sharpening, coins, camouflage, and related items at discounted prices during the Gonzales Gun at Lamar-Dixon Center. The show is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 3 and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 4.
Mardi Gras parade set The Krewe of Dville’s Mardi Gras Parade will roll at 2 p.m. Jan. 4, starting on Marchand Drive, turning on to Church Street, then Railroad Avenue and ending at Mississippi Street.
CARA’s House needs fosters CARA’s House Animal Shelter is in need of volunteers, fosters and adopters for the pets at its shelter. And if you’re missing your pet, don’t forget to call the shelter to see if it has been turned over. For information, visit www. carashouse.com. Contact Darlene Denstorff by phone, (225) 388-0215 or (225) 603-1998; or email, ascension@theadvocate.com or ddenstorff@theadvocate. com. Deadline: 5 p.m. Friday.
PHOTO BY WENDY LOUP
Couples Greg and Sue Duplessis, left, and Sherry and Dooney Laiche celebrated their 50th wedding anniversaries. To commemorate the marriages a wooden wedding cake was burned during the annual Laiche and Duplessis family bonfire.
2025 in photos
BY DARLENE DENSTORFF Community news editor
As the year comes to an end, many of us reflect upon how the year went. As an editor, I like to look back on the photos published on these pages. I’m lucky to work with some talented photojournalists who tell stories with their images. I also receive a wealth of submitted photos from readers who want to share their news with our readers. It’s been a rough year for my family and my newspaper family. The death of my husband in August was unexpected and disrupted things for quite a while. I’m thankful for my friends, relatives and readers who have helped me through these difficult times. Here are my favorite shots and memories from January to June of 2025.
January A photo from the Laiche and Duplessis bonfire reminded me of the families’ long-standing tradition of erecting a nontraditional bonfire for New Year’s Eve. The bonfire was a 15-foot-tall, wooden layered wedding cake-shaped structure celebrating the 50th wedding anniversary’s of Sherry and Dooney Laiche and Greg and Sue Duplessis. My favorite didn’t make the paper, but shows the joy of family traditions. I see they’re at it again. Construction is underway at the Laiche’s La. 74 home and the burn is planned for New Year’s Eve. I’ve been attending livestock shows since I was a child. I grew up on a farm with hogs, chickens and cows, but I
Ascension Parish seniors play key roles in Red Stick Bowl Several Ascension Parish senior football players represented their schools one last time in the annual Red Stick Bowl played at Olympia Stadium in Baton Rouge.
Wolves Donaldsonville: Quinnton Dabney, Donald Brown, Tre’Shawn Dunham, RayShawn Dunham Ascension Catholic: Trevin Simon, Vaughn Blanchard, Christopher Anthens, Josh Barber
Bulldogs Dutchtown: England Phillips Jr.
PHOTO BY WENDY LOUP
Karie Catalanotto, 9, practices walking her Yorkshire Cross swine with Paul Liche during the Ascension ä See PHOTOS, page 4G Parish Livestock Show at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center.
Troy LeBoeuf ASCENSION SPORTS
East Ascension: Javon Javius, Tony Miles, Javaughn Matthews, Cameron Stone Prairieville: Braylon Williams, Eric
ä See LEBOEUF, page 3G
Krewe of Dville names court
Community news report
The Krewe of Dville’s 2026 Mardi Gras, presented by the city of Donaldsonville and CF Industries, is preparing to roll up Marchand Drive and down Railroad Avenue on Sunday, Jan. 4 at 2 p.m., and revealing its 2026 Mardi Gras royalty. The Krewe of Dville’s Mardi Gras grand marshal is Quintin D. Taylor. Quintin is the chancellor of River Parishes Community College, where he leads with a focus on student success,
Krewe of Dville’s Mardi Krewe of Dville’s 2026 Krewe of Dville Queen Mardi Gras King Chul LaTonya SullivanGras Grand Marshal Prejean ‘Charles’ Soon Jang ä See COURT, page 2G Quintin D. Taylor