Zachary Plainsman-Advocate 03-04-2026

Orchestras learn new works, showcase talents before family, friends

Copper Mill, Northwestern Middle, and Zachary High School Orchestra students held an Orchestra Weekend Concert on Feb. 28 at Zachary High School Visual and Performing Arts Center following a day full of master classes and rehearsals. Students showcased what they learned to their family and friends.

David Saccardi, the assistant professor of music education at LSU, served as the guest conductor

Part of Old Baker Zachary Road closing permanently

BY ELLYN COUVILLION

Staff writer

A portion of the Old Baker Zachary Road in Zachary permanently closed, as part of the ongoing construction of the Comite River Diversion Channel, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ New Orleans District said.

Beginning March 2, the road between Spur Lane and a point that’s 3,000 feet south of Kirkwood Lane is closed, the Corps said in a news release. Residents south of Spur Lane will be directed to Heck Young Road, to reach La. 964, or to Twin Oaks

AROUND

8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Drive, to

sion

Entry is $500 per 4-person team, which includes mulligan package, food, soft drinks and beer on course.

Prizes include first, second and third places; closest to the pin; and longest drive.

Register at runsignup.com/Race/LA/ Zachary/ZacharyRotaryBunnyHop.

Nominations open for top Baker citizen

Information sessions are scheduled for 6 p.m. March 12, 10 a.m. March 21, 9 a.m. March 26, 6 p.m. April 2, 9 a.m. April 7 and 10 a.m. April 11. Registration is limited. Call (225) 389-5155 for details.

Baseball coming

Zachary Youth Park spring baseball registration is open through March 15. Visit www.zacharyyouthpark.org/registration to register

Age brackets have changed. If the child is 4 years old, a parent must coach or serve as assistant coach.

Play golf to support Zachary athletics

Zachary Athletic Foundation Golf Tournament 2026 is April 6 at Copper Mill Golf Club to support Zachary Athletic Foundation and the student athletes.

Registration and lunch are at noon. Tee time is at 1 p.m. Visit tinyurl.com/3z9ey8ba to preregister and for information.

A Celtic concert experience

Madam Dulcimer (Amanda Roberts) and Lady Chops (Elizabeth Vidos) are bringing a Celtic concert celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with music originating from the countries of Ireland, Scotland and Wales to the East Baton Rouge Library

The show will be at 10 a.m. March 17 at the Zachary Branch Library Check ebrpl. com to see other dates and times.

Easter run set

The Zachary Rotary Bunny Hop is March 21 in downtown Zachary A 1-mile walk and run starts at 8 a.m. The 5K run and walk start at 8:30 a.m.

THE ZACHARY ADVOCATE & PLAINSMAN P.O. Box 588 Baton Rouge, LA 70821. (225) 388-0215

PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY Online at theadvocate.com/news/communities/zachary/ USPS NO 434-760

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The Baker Inter-Club Council is accepting nominations for the 2025 Citizen of the Year Award. Guidelines are:

n The individual must reside within the city limits of Baker or an unincorporated area of East Baton Rouge Parish.

n The individual must have provided unselfish time/talents that improved the quality of life for the citizens of Baker for which he/ she was not paid and does not fall within the scope of his/her job duties.

n Consideration is for the period Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 2025.

n Nominations should be mailed to 3809 Epperson St., Baker LA, 70714.

n The selection will be made from nominations received as of noon March 23.

Voting by member clubs will be held in

the Baker Branch Library at 6 p.m. March 23. Club dues must be paid before the beginning of the meeting. Clubs and organizations interested in joining the Inter-Club Council should contact President Doris Alexander at (225) 778-0141.

Renew pesticide certificates A Private Pesticide Applicator Recertification training session will be March 12 at the Zachary Branch of the East Baton Rouge Parish Library, 10 a.m. to noon, 1900 Church St., Zachary Attendees need to bring a current pesticide card and two checks — one made to the LSU AgCenter for $15 and one made to LDAF for $25.

To reserve a spot, call Donna Gentry at (225) 683-3101 or dsgentry@agcenter.lsu.edu. Email Leila Pitchford at lpitchford@ theadvocate.com.

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NICHOLLS STATE UNIVERSITY: Nicholls University

in Thibodaux, named 2,681 students to honors lists for the summer and fall 2025 semesters.

SUMMER HONOR LISTS

East Baton Rouge

n Dean’s list: Mannino, Christian; Scott, Jameson; Stockstill, Robert; Turnipseed, Ashle

n President’s list: Earl, Lauren FALL HONOR LISTS

East Baton Rouge

n Dean’s list: Coates, Marcus; Manne, Alston; O’Neal, Gabriella; O’Neal, Makayla; Ross, Iyana; Rupnow, Isaac; Sparks, Gabrielle; Stockstill, Robert; Taylor, Chrisc’ona

n Honor roll: Barrios, Jude; Craig, Kireyelle; Darville Davis, Teralyn; Phillippe, Karis; Seiler, Timothy; Singleton, Roben; Smith, Isabella; Templet, Annabelle; Valluzzo, Harrison; Walker, Ja’Naiya; Washington, Jordan

n President’s list: Aucoin, Elliott; Banks, Anissa; Barre, Wylie; Blanchard, Corinne; Bowman Atarah; Brignac, Ainsley; Brown, Tialya; Carter, Kaleb; Earl, Lauren; Erickson, Bryleigh; Guidry Cadence; Hamner, Brayden; Harper, Ashlynn; Hickman, Jayla; LeBlanc, Cohen; Martin, Mary; Navarro-Gonzalez; Nizzo, Georgia; Ortlieb, Sarah; Rahman, Hamza; Riera, Delainie; Rotolo Ashley; Spell, Kevin; Wilkinson, Brooklynn; Wilson Samuel SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE UNIVERSITY: Southern New Hampshire University announced its fall honors lists. The fall terms run from September to December n President’s list: Kiara Williams, Vontory Carr and Roman Alexander, of Zachary; and Alexis Rogers and Latoya Dunn, of Baker. n Dean’s list: Lee Cosey and JiReya Julian, of Baker.

MIDWESTERN STATE UNIVERSITY: Midwestern State University, in Wichita Falls, Texas, recognized 1,075 honor students for the Fall 2025 semester.

The following people were booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison or issued a summons by the Zachary Police Department from Feb. 19-25:

TERRY BROOKS: 62; 20935 Watson Drive, Zachary; failure to appear on outstanding bench warrants

The president’s honor roll included 403 students, the provost’s honor roll included 299 students and the dean’s honor roll included 373 students. Sierra Johnson, of Zachary, was named to the president’s honor roll and is studying radiologic sciences.

UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI: The University of Mississippi announced students named to the fall 2025 honor roll, which requires a semester GPA of 3.75-4.00.

Those from Zachary include Amelia Allemond, B.A. in Southern studies, and Madison Lea, B.A. in biological science.

UNIVERSITY OF NAMUR: Emma Louise Thompson, of Zachary, has completed an internship at Ludwig Maximillian University in Munch, Germany, and been conferred with a master’s degree in biomedical sciences with specialized finality in preclinical research at the University of Namur in Namur, Belgium.

She has begun her Ph.D. research exploring a possible treatment for pancreatic cancer at the same institution.

UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA: University of Alabama announced its honor rolls. The dean’s list members had an academic record of 3.5 (or above) or the president’s list had an academic record of 4.0 (all A’s).

Students from Zachary include Frannie Barrier and Jessica Roberts were both named to the dean’s list.

Chastity Sample, of Greenwell Springs, was named to the dean’s list.

NORTHWESTERN STATE UNIVERSITY: Northwestern State University in Natchitoches awarded 292 degrees to 290 summer 2025 graduates and 607 degrees to 595 fall 2025 graduates during commencement ceremonies Dec. 17-18.

SUMMER GRADUATES

East Baton Rouge Parish

n Zachary: Claudia Varnado, Associate of General Studies

ZACHARY POLICE BOOKINGS

KELLEA DUNCAN: 37; 10861 Leton Drive, Baton Rouge; failure to appear on outstanding bench warrants

JERMAINE FRANKLIN: 36; 4980 Lower Zachary Road, Apt. 38, Zachary; theft

SHANQUIL MCGREW: 40; 07314 Tanyas Trail, Baton Rouge; theft

ERIC MCMICHAEL: 62; 01101 E. Mount Pleasant

FALL GRADUATES

East Baton Rouge Parish

n Zachary: Alexis Callihan, Bachelor of Science

TRINE UNIVERSITY: Michaela Doiron, of Zachary, a Trine University student, in Indiana, was named to the president’s list for the fall 2025 semester.

Doiron is majoring in biomedical engineering. To earn president’s list honors, Trine University students must complete a minimum of 12 hours and have a grade-point average of 3.750-4.000.

JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY: Zachary resident Anna Beauchamp has been named to the president’s list at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, for the fall 2025 semester.

Students who earn president’s list honors must carry at least 12 graded credit hours and earn a GPA of 3.900 or above. Beauchamp is majoring in nursing.

MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY: Students on the president’s list at Mississippi State achieved a 3.80 or better GPA, based on a 4.0 scale, while completing at least 12 semester hours of coursework with no incomplete grades or grades lower than a C.

The Zachary students include Ashlynn Kearney Claire Venable and Charles White.

CHAMPLAIN COLLEGE: Nicholas Funk, of Zachary, was named to the Champlain College dean’s list for the fall 2025 semester.

Funk is majoring in game design.

Students on the dean’s list have achieved a grade point average of 3.5 or higher during the semester.

Champlain College is in Burlington, Vermont.

TUFTS UNIVERSITY: Tufts University, in Massachusetts, recently announced the dean’s list for the fall 2025 semester.

Parker Scott, class of 2027, of Zachary, made the list. Dean’s list honors at Tufts University require a semester grade point average of 3.4 or greater.

Road, Zachary; theft

JAQUELINE SCOTT: 43; 3475 Magnolia Ave., Zachary; two counts of theft

JOEL SHEPPARD: 49; 6377 Surrey Lane, Zachary; theft

KELVIN SPEARS: 47; 1192 Bayberry Ave., Baton Rouge; failure to appear on outstanding bench warrants

Zachary welcomes city attorney and CFO

Community news report

The city of Zachary has officially welcomed its new city attorney and chief financial officer

Jacqueline B Wilson was appointed city attorney for Zachary on Sept. 9.

A Zachary resident since 2009, Wilson brings 18 years of legal experience, with a career primarily dedicated to representing the state of Louisiana, its agencies, officials and employees in civil and administrative matters.

She served as an assistant attorney general with the Louisiana Department of Justice and as counsel for the Louisiana Department of Revenue, Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control.

She also practiced privately, focusing on civil defense litigation in both state and federal courts.

Wilson is a 2007 graduate of LSU’s Paul M. Hebert Law Center and lives in Zachary with her husband and two daughters.

Kim M. Ford has been serving as chief financial officer for Zachary since November 2025.

She is known for her professionalism, attention to detail, and commitment to sound financial stewardship.

Ford served as finance director for the 19th Judicial District Court for nearly five years, where she oversaw financial operations, payroll, budgeting, compliance and fiscal accountability within a complex governmental environment. She earned her bachelor of science in accounting from Southern University and A&M College and a master of business administration from LSU.

Ford has been married to her husband, Donald, for 32 years, and they have two children, Cornelius and Donyelle.

Broncos eye state title repeat

Raymond chasing winning feeling

BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer

Zachary senior Ava Raymond has put the girls basketball program on the map. The forward helped Zachary end a 98-year state title drought last season after the Broncos hoisted the Division I nonselect trophy

Now, the mission is a repeat.

Raymond is the lone returning starter from last year’s title team. She has elevated her game to help lead Zachary (23-3) to a No. 1 seed and a spot in the quarterfinals. She has averaged 18.8 points, eight rebounds and two assists per game.

“She’s left a huge legacy,” Zachary coach Tami McClure said. “Everything she’s done for this program, I mean, just put us on the map.”

The Broncos opened their playoff run with a 7225 win in the second round over No. 17 Walker, and will now face No. 9 Natchitoches Central in the quarterfinals. The 5-foot10 McNeese commit has scored 2,000 career points, and her marks continue to climb with each round of the playoffs.

Rise to the top McClure knew Raymond would be a special talent as soon as she joined the team her freshman year

“About the second game, she was already a starter,” McClure said. “The determination and her work ethic, it’s just grown and grown and grown every single year She doesn’t settle for anything.”

Raymond prides herself on her shooting, especially from mid-range and around the basket.

“That’s just my shot,” she said on one of her best strengths, “and driving to the goal.”

She works tirelessly in the gym and at home. Raymond has risen to the top of the sport in the state with help from her coach, dad and grandpa

McClure said she’s a talented scorer, but it’s her basketball IQ that separates her from other players.

“The way she moves without the ball, and her eyes for the game,” Mc-

Clure said. “She just sees things that other people don’t see. She has an eye for the game.”

Leadership

As the lone returning starter, Raymond has adjusted to a larger role, taking the younger players under her wing.

McClure said the moment the senior steps onto the hardwood, the rest of the team follows her lead

Her teammates see the countless hours she puts in before and after practice, and it has rubbed off on them

Her work ethic is represented in the accolades she’s accumulated Raymond was named to the LSWA Class 5A All-State second team last year

She’s up for Louisiana’s Gatorade Player of the Year and is a McDonald’s All-American nominee.

McClure hopes the rest of the team sees how Raymond’s work ethic has culminated in a legendary high school career, and they follow her footsteps.

“That doesn’t just come just because of your talent,” McClure said “It’s all the work that you put in off the court, on the court.”

Path to repeating

That winning feeling has driven Raymond every

year

BRADY

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Points were coming in flurries, though Walker made a later run to score 7 and end the first period only down 14-7.

Ayja Walker ignited the crowd to start the second period with another 3-pointer and the Broncos went on a run that put them up 30-7 with 4:28 left in the half. At the half, the Broncos were in complete control leading 44-13 with Raymond already accounting for 15 points.

Robinson scored the first basket in the third and the Broncos continued the romp. With 4:45 left in the third the Broncos went up 50-15 (35-point lead), which facilitates a running clock.

The lead extended to 5515 on a 3-pointer by Kennedi Whitfield to close out the period.

Back-to-back-back layups by Bell, Whitfield and Robinson continued the Broncos dominance in the fourth period.

Coach Tami McClure emptied the bench up 61-17 as the Broncos cruised in a playoff opener, winning 72-25.

Raymond led all scorers with 17 followed by Whitfield (15), Robinson (13) and Bell (11).

Things would be much more difficult on Feb. 26 when the Broncos hosted Natchitoches Central in the quarterfinal round. The Chiefs defeated Destrehan 50-33 to face the Broncos almost a year to the day when the Broncos and Chiefs met in the quarterfinals of the 2025 playoffs in a game the Broncos won 59-45.

were hard to come by and the Broncos led 9-2 after one. Asia Bell scored first again in the second. The Broncos would only score 8 more points during the period as the Chiefs stingy full-court defense harassed the Broncos.

On the offensive end, the Chiefs began to find their rhythm and scored 15 points to go into the half down by two (19-17).

“I wanted to be back in that position,” Raymond said. “I’m really motivated to be doing a repeat this year I just want to feel that moment again.”

The path to the No. 1 seed and the quarterfinals didn’t come without its tests. McClure wanted her team to be battle-tested and ensured they’d play top teams around the state.

“The second year is always the hardest year,” McClure said on attempting a repeat. “Everyone’s gunning for you. The schedule that they’ve had this year has really put them to the test.

This is familiar territory for McClure, who coached St. Michael to Class 4A state titles in 2008 and 2009. She knows there’s stress on Raymond to perform her best each game, but she trusts her work ethic will overcome any obstacles.

“It’s not just about the points,” McClure said. “It’s what else she does on that floor The rebounding, the defense, everything she does. Every game, I don’t have to worry about her.”

Raymond is focused on chasing the highs of victory

“I just love the feeling of it,” Raymond said. “Making a shot and being around your teammates and coaches. Winning is just awesome.”

This would be no score fest for the Broncos, but more of a slug fest. Asia Bell started the scoring for the Broncos and Raymond’s free throws and layup put the Broncos up 6-2 midway through the first.

The Chiefs and Broncos both put on a defensive display which was not aided much by an officiating crew that appeared to have swallowed their whistles. Points

Like the first two periods, Bell had the hot hand to start the Broncos to start the second half. The Broncos extended the lead to seven on a layup by Whitfield. Raymond went down hard to the floor midway through the period as the Broncos were beginning to find their legs.

Bell’s baseline jumper and a Raymond layup gave the Broncos a 12-point lead (34-22) with 2:07 left in the third.

The early portion of this game truly challenged the Broncos motto for the year “unflappable” and the ability to fight through showed in the third as they closed out the period in control (39-24).

The fourth was more Whitfield, Bell and Raymond as it became a game of attrition for Natchitoches Central with three Chiefs fouling out and the depth was no longer there to challenge the Broncos as they closed out the win 59-33.

Bell led all scorers with 23 followed by Raymond with 17. With the win, the Broncos punched their ticket to “Marsh Madness” at Southeastern Louisiana University The Broncos will face 4 seed Neville in the semifinals on March 5 at 6:15 p.m. for the right to play for a back-to-back state championship on March 8 at 8 p.m.