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, J a n u a ry 21, 2026
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12TH YEAR, NO. 15
Council starts year with arguing and complaining BY OLIVIA MCCLURE
Leila Pitchford AROUND ZACHARY
It’s Carnival time
Contributing writer
Zachary City Council members started the new year by returning to old habits: arguing over communication issues and complaining about being left out of the loop.
At the council’s Jan. 13 gathering, the first of 2026, the issues in question were an appointment to the Planning and Zoning Commission and the selection of a hearing officer for the city’s new administrative law scheme for handling code violations.
The first spat of the night came with council member Ambre DeVirgilio’s nomination of Kevin Williams, president of the homeowners association in Live Oak Trace, to replace outgoing planning and zoning commissioner Christina Price.
“I feel that Mr. Williams will be a wonderful addition to the commission with his entrepreneurial background as well as his tenure as HOA president,” DeVirgilio said.
ä See COUNCIL, page 8G
Zachary Mardi Gras, in partnership with the city and the Zachary Police Department, is presenting Zachary’s first Mardi Gras Parade. The theme is “Celebrating Everyday Heroes.” Local businesses, organizations and community partners can join by entering a float or group in this inaugural celebration at 2 p.m. Feb. 15. Entry fee is $100 and applies to floats and approved vehicles and to walking groups (bands, dance teams, cheer groups, etc.). Priority sign-up is by Jan. 20, which gives priority parade placement and potential marketing inclusion. Final sign-up is by Jan. 31. Visit tinyurl.com/mv4uvxks to sign up. Details about participating in the parade and sponsorship opportunities can be found at www.zmardigras.com.
Annual Morning of Reflection set in Zachary St. John the Baptist Catholic Church will host the annual Morning of Reflection from 8 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Jan. 31, in the Parish Activity Center, corner of 4727 McHugh Drive and Lee Street. Two speakers, Denny Charbonnet and Mike Fulmer are planned and the theme is “Thy Will be Done.”
ä See AROUND, page 7G
PHOTO BY FRANCES Y. SPENCER
Gabe Ligon and his daughter, Molly, feed the ostriches drawn to the Magnolia Wild Safari tram driving through the facility Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.
Conservationist ready to sell
East Feliciana wildlife park open to buyer with similar mission
BY AIDAN MCCAHILL
Staff writer
Warren Brady ZACHARY SPORTS
Broncos start fast at first indoor track and field meet The Zachary High girls and boys track teams started the 2026 season indoor season at the Carl Maddox Fieldhouse at LSU in the LSU High School Indoor classic Jan. 10. Coach Chris Carrier said, “The first meet of the year is always a test to see how our kids perform against competition from other schools.” Carrier added the girls team has several girls with experience from the 2023 state championship team. Top placers for the boys were Maximo Gennaro (ninth in 3,200-meter 10:17.37), the 4x200-meter relay team (Jayden Williams, Tyler Jackson, Anthony Jackson and Khristian Pain — seventh at 1:34.06), the 4x400-meter relay team (Tyler and Anthony Jackson, Jamon Wesley and Veron Bolden — fifth at 3:35.00), the 4x800-meter relay team (Gennaro, Tyson Franklin, Elijah Dunaway and Connor Concachen — fifth at 8:33.04), Keidrick Bailey (fourth in the shot put with a throw of 52 6) and Isaac Johannsen (fourth in the pole vault at 13 7.25) set a new school record.
When he was 20 years old, Gabe Ligon bought an acre from his grandfather’s cattle farm, with the hope of one day turning it into something that would inspire future generations to protect Mother Nature. Fourteen years later, his wildlife preserve, known as Magnolia Wilds, contains 100 acres housing over 75 different species of animals, plus a safari and zipline park. It markets close-up encounters with wildlife, including swimming with otters, feeding sloths and holding baby kangaroos — a model that has helped it raise over $100,000 for conservation efforts, according to Ligon. Now the 34-year-old Clinton native is putting the park up for sale, including all animals, equipment, land, vehicles, social media accounts and branding. Ligon says he would prefer to sell the park as a whole, but is also open to serious offers for just the preserve, the safari park, or the combined safari and zipline park. “I want to thank the East Feliciana community for 14 years of support,” he wrote in a statement. “None of this would have been possible with-
Kangaroo Yoga is a special and popular event at the Barn Hill Preserve. out the community, supporters, staff, schools that visited, and families who believed in the vision and helped build it along the way.” Ligon cited a 2023 incident involving a giraffe that he says
changed “the trajectory of the park.” “As many of you know, there were events that occurred about two years ago that were completely outside of my control,” he announced Friday.
PHOTO BY JILL MOORE
“After a lot of reflection and effort, I’ve come to the point where it’s time to sell the park to a new owner.” In 2023, the park was known
ä See PARK, page 2G
Mom hopes billboard will help find daughter
BY OLIVIA TEES
said. “She’s actually missing, from someone’s backyard. Now this billboard is out there and they (peoA new billboard and cash reward ple) can see that she was really are the latest tactics in helping missing and it’s not just me saying solve the disappearance of Madi- she’s missing.” Allen last spoke to her mother son ReNae Allen, of Zachary. Allen’s mother, Lynn Rollins, on Nov. 29, 2023. At the time of hopes the billboard will prompt her disappearance, she was 32 tips from the public and provide and had three children aged 16, answers about what happened to 9 and 3. According to Rollins, Allen had planned to take online her daughter. “A lot of people do not know ä See BILLBOARD, page 8G my daughter is missing,” Rollins Staff writer
ä See BRADY, page 7G
PROVIDED PHOTO