SERVING THE PARISHES OF EAST FELICIANA AND WEST FELICIANA
DEMOCRAT THE ST. FRANCISVILLE
T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M
|
W e d n e s d ay, J u ly 22, 2026
$1.00N
PHOTO BY FRANCES Y. SPENCER
Cole Watkins, left, and Brantley Broussard will represent Louisiana at the Bassmaster Junior Championship at Kentucky Lake in Paris, Tenn., on Friday and Saturday.
KICKING B.A.S.S.
Young anglers catch fever for bass-fishing glory BY FRANCES Y. SPENCER Contributing writer
For most teenagers, summer is a time for sleeping in and taking it easy. But for 13-year-old Brantley Broussard and 14-year-old Cole Watkins, the summer of 2026 is all about early morn-
ings, intense strategy, and the thrill of the chase. As the sun rises over the water, these two young anglers are locked in, focused on a singular goal: reaching the pinnacle of the youth sports fishing world. Far from a casual hobby, competitive bass fishing has become a
defining passion for the duo. Later this week, their dedication pays off on the grandest stage possible. Brantley and Cole are heading to Paris, Tennessee, to represent Louisiana in the prestigious Tackle Warehouse Bassmaster Junior Championship on Friday and Saturday, July 24-25.
They will compete against elite teams from 38 states. Both fish for the Junior Southwest Bassmasters of Denham Springs — the largest youth bass fishing club in Louisiana. The club, which meets monthly at Bass Pro
ä See ANGLERS, page 2G
Telephone scam bilks $300,000 from man BY JAMES MINTON
Leila Pitchford AROUND THE FELICIANAS
Nominate West Feliciana High’s best athletes The West Feliciana Royal Blue Club is seeking nominations for the West Feliciana High School Athletics Hall of Fame. Male and female student athlete nominees must be a graduate of West Feliciana High School (Class of 1980 or later), Have graduated at least 5 years before the nomination date, and be nominated by Sept. 1. Saints stakeholder nominees must have graduated at least 5 years before the nomination date and be nominated by Sept. 1. Complete nomination forms at https://pdfs-of-qr-codes. s3.amazonaws.com/Ayz0HU. pdf. Contact West Feliciana Athletics Director Shelley Genre at genres@wfpsb.org with questions.
ä See AROUND, page 3G
Contributing writer
St. Francisville Police Chief Chris Green briefed the Board of Aldermen during its July 14 meeting on an elaborate telephone scam that caused a local man to lose more than $300,000. Green said the victim, whom Green described as elderly, was contacted last year by someone claiming to be an Attorney General’s Office employee who said an active arrest warrant had been issued for the man’s arrest. The caller claimed authorities had intercepted an illegal drug shipment mailed to the victim’s address, resulting in pending criminal charges against the man. The police chief said the callers used verbal
bullying tactics against the victim throughout the telephone exchanges, which went on for months. The man, believing his assets would be seized, drew out money from his accounts and took out a loan, using his property as collateral, to eventually buy gold coins at the direction of the caller. The scammer went so far as to instruct the victim on the type of coins and an area pawnshop where they could be purchased, Green said. The victim eventually met a man later identified as Renquing Chen, 39, of Pittsburg, California, and surrendered the gold to him, Green said. The meeting occurred at the local Sonic Drive-In.
St. Francisville police used information from a license plate reader, surveillance camera footage, car rental records and eyewitness identification through photo lineups to obtain evidence to obtain a warrant for Cheng’s arrest, Green said. Unfortunately, police believe Cheng was simply a courier in a much larger scam operation, the police chief said. However, Cheng is wanted for theft of more than $25,000, unlawful production and use of fraudulent identification documents and false personation. Police urge anyone approached with claims such as those made to the local victim to contact their police department or sheriff’s office to report the contact.
Sewer usage rates going up in St. Francisville BY JAMES MINTON Contributing writer
The St. Francisville Board of Aldermen voted July 14 to raise sewer usage rates, but the increase is not as much as first proposed. Because the town accepted federal funds administered by the state Office of Community Development to revamp its sewer system, the board is obligated to charge customers enough to keep the system running in case of a major breakdown. Accountants Robbi Dickens and Adair Weekley attended the meeting to answer questions about a rate study done to set the new rates. The initial study recommended a 105% increase in monthly charges that would have increased the residential sewer charge from $16 per month to $32.80, Dickens said. The state office hired Dickens and Weekley’s firm, EisnerAmper, to conduct the rate studies. Dickens said the federal American Rescue Plan Act funds came with one major string attached: that utility systems accepting the money would charge rates that would allow them to break even plus a 1.15% sustainability factor.
After the initial rate study, which would have resulted in rates more than doubling, the firm looked at each system’s critical assets to see if they could recover from a major failure, Dickens said. As a result, St. Francisville’s list of critical assets was reduced from 11 to four, resulting in a recommended rate increase of 61%, Dickens said. The town’s sewer rates were last adjusted in 2011, and if the board merely had kept up with inflation, a rate increase of 40 to 45 percent would have been needed, he added. As a result, the rate changes are: n Residential customer inside the town limits, going from $16 to $25.76 per month. n Residential customer outside of town, from $20 to $32.20 per month. n Small business customer, from $20 to $32.20 for the first 2,000 gallons of water used in a billing cycle, then from $1.25 per each additional 1,000 gallons used to $2.01 per 1,000. n Large business customer, from $50 for the first 2,000 gallons of water used to $80.50, then from $1.25 to $2.01 per each extra 1,000 gallons used.
The new rates go into effect in September, and the ordinance requires rate adjustments each February, according to the Consumer Price Index. Rate increases of up to 3% may be made by the mayor and town clerk, according to the ordinance. Higher increases must be made with the board’s approval. On another matter, a special election will be held Nov. 3 to finish the term begun by Alderman Collin Howell, who resigned in March. Qualifying will be Aug. 5-7 at the West Feliciana Parish Clerk of Court’s Office. The board appointed Cameron DeLaney on March 31 to serve as an interim alderman until an election is held. In other action, the board: n Decided to discontinue a three-way stop intersection at Legion and Wilcox streets. From now on, vehicles on Wilcox will not have to stop at the intersection. The aldermen also called for a traffic study to determine if a four-way stop is needed at Royal and Prosperity streets. n Agreed to sell to the highest bidder an
ä See SEWER, page 2G