DENHAM SPRINGS • LIVINGSTON • WALKER • WATSON • AMITE • HAMMOND
ADVOCATE THE LIVINGSTON -TANGIPAHOA
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 u n e 17, 2026
Denham Springs junior in tight QB battle
Darlene Denstorff AROUND LIVINGSTON
Events are set on library schedule Livingston Parish Library locations will be closed June 19 to commemorate Juneteenth. All summer, branches have a busy schedule for the family throughout the summer. Check out these events at the Denham Springs-Walker branch. To register or for information, call (225) 686-4140 or visit mylpl. info. Box of Chocolates Book Club (ages 18+): 2 p.m. Thursday. Are you an avid reader or are you just looking for some great new titles to try? Box of Chocolates discusses a wide variety of books throughout the year. Perler Bead Dino (ages 6-12): 6 p.m. Thursday. Make your own dino, or dino-magnet, with perler beads! Registration is required. Afternoon Board Games (ages 18+): 1 p.m. Saturday. Board gaming is booming. Explore the library’s collection, which includes everything from classics like Scrabble and Yahtzee to modern hits like Space Base and Forest Shuffle. Space available for tabletop role-playing. Landscape on Glass (ages 18+): 6 p.m. Tuesday. Capture the beauty of a new moon over a pine forest as you learn how to paint a miniature landscape on glass. Registration is required.
BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer
PHOTOS BY CHARLES SALZER
Denham Springs coach Kevin Caballero diagrams a play during a summer league basketball game against Oak Forest Academy at Parkview Baptist.
HOT ON THE
St. Francis garage sale St. Francis Episcopal Church, 726 Maple St., in Denham Springs is holding a garage sale June 19-20. Shoppers will find a variety clothes, toys, home décor, tools, housewares and more. Proceeds support the mission and ministry of St. Francis Episcopal, which holds worship services at 10 a.m. Sundays. For information, call the church office at (225) 225-665-2707 or visit stfrand.org.
Heritage Camp for kids Register your child for Heritage Kids’ Camp on July 20-22 at the Albany Hungarian Presbyterian Church. Children ages 4-12 can take part in arts and crafts, kifli making and learning Hungarian words, dances and traditions. The camp is hosted by the Arpadhon Hungarian Settlement Cultural Association. For information, call Connie Olah at (225) 573-1400.
Springfield’s 4th is on June 28 Springfield Fire Department is the place to celebrate the Fourth of July at 4 p.m. June 28 with a kids’ parade, music, watermelon see-spitting contest, food, fireworks and more activities.
Celebration in the park Walker is celebrating freedom from 2 p.m. until dark July 4 at Sidney Hutchinson Park in Walker. Music, vendor’s market, food trucks, a kids’ village and fireworks are on tap for the day. Send news and events for Livingston and Tangipahoa parishes to livingston@theadvocate.com by 4 p.m. Friday or call (225) 603-1998.
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Summer basketball league helps players hone skills, develop teamwork When it comes to sporting events, there aren’t m a n y things that are more relaxed than summer league Charles basketball games. The Salzer clock is alSPORTS ways runROUNDUP ning, referees rarely blow their whistles, and when they do, there is never more than one foul shot, if any, that is awarded. Like a hard day of practice, there is a focus on effort and not as much of an urgency to outscore opponents. Last week, while watching Denham Springs play against Dunham at Parkview Baptist, this was apparent when no one seemed to notice that one
Devin Kinchen on defense during a summer basketball league game at Parkview Baptist.
of the Tigers goals wasn’t Academy before its conput up on the scoreboard. test with Dunham to set No one noticed. Even if up back-to-back contests they did, nothing was said. that took about two hours On the other side, Den- to complete. For the record, Denham ham Springs played like a team that wanted to use Springs defeated Oak Forits court time to the best est 78-40 before it took of its ability. The Yellow Jackets played Oak Forest ä See SUMMER, page 2G
Denham Springs quarterback Andre Adams felt a calling to join the Yellow Jackets. After a year at Prairieville High School, Adams joined Denham Springs, where he backed up former All-Metro MVP Adams Da’Jean Golmond last year. Now, the junior enters a quarterback battle with sophomore Devin Kinchen, and Adams is in the mix to guide a young Denham Springs football team that graduated 41 seniors. “It was like something on my chest,” Adams said. “I wanted to come here and take the spot.” Denham Springs coach Brett Beard has liked the competition so far between Adams and Kinchen as they look to take over a team that went 8-3 last season. “I love the battle,” Beard said. “(They are) two dudes we think could be really good high school
ä See QB, page 2G
Denham Springs Junior a Model School Community news report Denham Springs Junior High School has been named a 2026 Model School. The school will be recognized at the 2026 Model School Conference on June 28 to July 1 in Orlando, Florida. The Center for Model Schools, which is sponsoring the conference, honors “forward-thinking schools that drive transformation, inspire change and implement groundbreaking strategies to improve student outcomes,” a news release said. More than 5,000 nationwide educators are expected to participate in the conference’s presentations and discussions.
ä See MODEL, page 2G
Hammond students use recycled beads in art projects BY RICHARD MEEK Contributing writer
As a longtime art teacher who brings a passion to her classroom at Tucker Elementary School in Hammond, Amanda King-Bayer embraces the notion that one of her most important responsibilities is delivering social and emotional learning to her students. She encourages her students to use art to express themselves in a healthy manner as they learn about the culture of art and develop their own personalities. Of course, sprinkling in a
bit of fun with a local twist never disappoints, to either her or her students. During the spring semester, King-Bayer developed a project that allowed her students to create a gumbo of the local flavor of Mardi Gras and art by repurposing recycled beads into colorful mosaics. The resulting pieces were brilliant in their color, designs only limited by the creatively of each young artist. Those mosaics were recently displayed at the Swamplight Theatre in Ponchatoula, debuting at an opening May 19 that also included entertain-
ment by local musician Terry King, King-Bayer’s father. King-Bayer said she first had the students prep the necessary art materials followed by sketching renderings designs in their sketchbooks. From there, students were guided by their own taste in color and parameters of their imaginations. “It is all about expressing our individuality, who we are, what makes us unique and celebrating them,” King-Bayer said. She bases her arts cur-
Amanda King-Bayer, a teacher at Tucker Elementary School PHOTOS BY RICHARD MEEK in Hammond, and her father, Families of Amanda King-Bayer’s students view their art local musician Terry King, mosaics during the opening night of the exhibition May 19 at attend an opening night ä See ART, page 2G the Swamplight Theater in Ponchatoula. celebration of the exhibit.