DONALDSONVILLE • DUTCHTOWN • GEISMAR • GONZALES • PRAIRIEVILLE • ST. AMANT
THE ASCENSION
ADVOCATE T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M
Darlene Denstorff AROUND ASCENSION
‘Romeo and Juliet’ coming to ACT Tickets are on sale for the Ascension Community Theatre’s “Romeo and Juliet” on Feb. 1922 and Feb. 28 to March 1. The production tells the story of the classic William Shakespeare play. For tickets, visit ci.ovationtix. com/35620/production/1251043.
Car show at RPCC Cruisin’ The Day For United Way is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 21 at River Parishes Community College, 925 W. Edenborne Parkway, in Gonzales. All makes and models can register for $30. Free admission for spectators. To register, email Joey Dinino, josseph.dinino@novachem. com; Johnny Noel, johnny. noelii@novachem.com; or Clint Gautreau, clint.gautreau@ novechem.com.
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W e d n e s d ay, F e b r u a ry 11, 2026
1GN
‘It’s going to be beautiful’
Groundbreaking held for Hyundai, LPCC steel mill training center BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT Staff writer
Gov. Jeff Landry and other officials heralded the future Donaldsonville campus of River Parishes Community College as “a transformation” for Louisiana during a groundbreaking ceremony Friday afternoon. “You get to now imagine a state where every job finds a worker, and every worker finds a pur-
pose,” Landry said to the roughly 300-person crowd on the land where the future 19-acre campus will be. “Where our children grow up believing that opportunity isn’t something that you chase, it’s something that you can count on right here in this state.” The RPCC Hyundai Steel Training Center is a partnership between the community college system and Hyundai, which plans to construct a $5.8 billion steel mill
STAFF PHOTO BY JAVIER GALLEGOS
Gov. Jeff Landry and leaders from Hyundai, Ascension Parish and River Parish Community College toss dirt Feb. 6 during a groundbreaking ceremony for the RPCC campus partnership with Hyundai. north of the city. The center — located along La. 945 — is expected to open in late 2027 and will train the future workforce for proposed industrial projects in the region.
Many officials across the region attended the event, including the Ascension Parish government, Donaldsonville City Council,
ä See TRAINING, page 4G
Gun show coming to Gonzales The Gonzales Gun Show is coming to Lamar-Dixon Expo Center. The show is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 21 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 22. Bring your gun and trade or browse the booths new and old guns, ammo, gun parts, books, knives, knife sharpening, coins, camouflage and related items at discounted prices.
STAFF PHOTOS BY MICHAEL JOHNSON
LEFT: Ascension Mambo Queen Deshandra Irvin Lawrence tosses a hoop into the crowd during the fifth annual Krewe of Ascension Mambo parade on Feb. 7 in Gonzales. ABOVE: A float rider hands out a decorative spear.
Rodeo coming soon The Southeast Louisiana Junior and High School Rodeo starts Feb. 27 at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales. Action continues at 7 p.m. Feb. 28 and 9 a.m. March 1. Rodeo athletes in fifth through 12th grades from all of Louisiana will compete. Admission is $10. A weekend pass is $15. Kids 5 and under are free.
Jambalaya Festival is in May The 2026 Jambalaya Festival is set for May 21-24.
Egg a home for Easter Cara’s House Animal Shelter is “egging” houses in the Ascension area. Prices range from $20 to $85 for 25 to 150 eggs. Stuffed eggs will be delivered to the requested yard after 9 p.m. April 4 for Easter morning. If weather is bad, eggs will be left in a bucket. Orders must be submitted by March 27. The 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 carashouse.com.
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. Contact Darlene Denstorff by phone, (225) 388-0215 or (225) 603-1998; or email, ascension@theadvocate.com or ddenstorff@theadvocate.
Throwing high under clear skies Community news report
Paradegoers lined Burnside Avenue on Saturday afternoon for the fifth annual Krewe of Ascension Mambo parade. Under clear skies, the parade included royalty, floats, marching bands and marching units. More on 2G.
A rider delivers throws into the hands of revelers.
ABOVE: The Donaldsonville Sonic Boombox marches along East Cornerview Street. LEFT: A family of spectators hope to collect more goodies from floats.
First-time vendors share the love at Valentine’s craft show
BY WENDY LOUP Contributing writer
Shoppers looking for Valentine’s Day gifts perused more than a dozen small business booths this weekend during the Baton Rouge Valentine’s Craft & Vendor Market at Tanger Outlets in Gonzales. The two-day event was organized by Hometown Vendor Market, a company that hosts indoor and outdoor markets that highlight small
business owners. Vendor booths featured items including food, jewelry, handmade crafts and clothing. Under sunny skies, several new businesses participated in their first market. Etched in Essence, a familyowned laser-engraving business, displayed custom-made jewelry, keychains, wine glasses and other accessories.
ä See CRAFT, page 2G
Christian Kinard, from left, Nicole CreshonDavis and Courtney Davis, of Etched in Essence, sell custommade jewelry, keychains and other accessories at the Baton Rouge Valentine’s Craft & Vendor Market at Tanger Outlets in Gonzales. PHOTO BY WENDY LOUP