Zachary Plainsman-Advocate 04-23-2025 by The Advocate

EGGS-ELLENT DAY

Children pick up plastic eggs during the Easter egg hunt.

Men’s Club keeps hunt tradition alive

The Zachary Men’s Club celebrated Easter Sunday with its annual Easter Egg Hunt in Zachary Besides an egg hunt, area children were treated to inﬂatables and other activities

ä More photos. PAGE 2G

The Easter Bunny is ready to take photos with attendees.

Four arrested after video of riding horses in Walmart

BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT Staff writer

Four people who rode horses through a Walmart in Baker a scene captured on a video posted online — have been arrested, authorities said April 11. Brendon Bridgewater, 24, Patrick Derozan, 22, and Mason Webb, 18, turned themselves in on misdemeanor counts of entering and remaining after forbidden, unlaw-

the posting of any video or stream of a crime to gain notoriety or publicity

The video posted to the social media platform TikTok shows four individuals riding horses through the Walmart. Part of the footage appears to show the perspective from atop a horse as the group rides down the store’s aisles.

“Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy),”

a 2006 song by Big & Rich, plays over the video. Dunn said the group’s actions “might be fun to them at the time, but you know, this could’ve been real bad for other citizens.”

“We’ve got to always think of others before we act.”

PHOTOS BY SONYA GOSS

Lawrence J. Baker Jr. joins Lane in two roles

Community news report

Lawrence “LJ” Baker Jr has been named chief strategic initiatives officer and physician recruitment director at Lane Regional Medical Center Baker is a retired lieutenant colonel and decorated combat veteran who served in the U.S. Army Infantry for 23 years. His more than 30 years of leadership experience included six years of hospital administration experience. He will assist in the reﬁnement of organizational goals, develop and implement long-term ini-

tiatives, build key community and stakeholder partnerships, and foster crucial political relationships.

He will spearhead physician recruitment actions to facilitate growth of essential service lines and oversee foundation initiatives and donor relations to support achievement of the hospital’s mission and vision. Before joining the Lane family, Baker was chief human resources and strategic initiative ofﬁcer at Sierra Vista Hospital in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico,

Stafford named Lane Regional Medical Center chief financial officer

Community news report

Elizabeth Stafford has been promoted to chief ﬁnancial ofﬁcer at Lane Regional Medical Center

She is replacing Michael Devall, who will be relocating to Colorado with his family in May

Stafford

Stafford is responsible for overseeing all senior executive ﬁnancial functions, including strategic planning and capital budgets. She will continue to work with various departments to grow volume, control costs and improve operations, a news release said.

Stafford received her Master’s of Business Administration from the Uni-

versity of Phoenix and has more than 21 years of health care financia l management experience. She was controller at Lane Regional Medical Center, where she ran the financial and accounting operations of the system.

“I’m looking forward to being part of the leadership team to grow Lane Regional Medical Center during its expansion with a new medical tower and services,” Stafford said. “It is a privilege to continue my professional career at Lane and to further Lane’s commitment to the Zachary area through quality services and community involvement.”

where he successfully lobbied and testiﬁed for approval of health care legislation initiatives at both state and federal levels.

Some of his work resulted in his previous hospital obtaining close to $10 million in capital/ operational funding.

Baker received his Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice from Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, Georgia, and holds a graduate certiﬁcate in administrative essentials from Central Michigan University He is

pursuing a Master of Science in administration degree with an emphasis in health care administration from Central Michigan, University Global Campus. Baker previously served as board chairman for Manhattan Area Technical College in Manhattan, Kansas; is an active member of the Georgia Military College Foundation, 28th Infantry and 187th Infantry Associations; and holds life member status with the National Infantry Association, Society of the 1st Infantry Division, and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Baker and his wife Clarinda,

known as “CJ”, will live in Zachary with their dog, Cocoa. They have three adult children who work and reside in other states. His personal interests include spending time with family and friends, golﬁng and serving the community “CJ and I are extremely excited to join the Zachary community and create long-lasting relationships with the wonderful people in the region,” Baker said. “It is a privilege to be here and serve our citizens through Lane’s efforts to provide quality patient care, outstanding customer service and innovative treatment options.”

PHOTOS BY SONYA GOSS Zachary Men’s Club members attend the group’s Easter event.

Yaheli Holliday, 19, took her sisters Lavender Rovaris 9, and Zoe Rovaris, 13, to the Zachary Men’s Club Easter Egg Hunt. Children ages ages 3-13 play on the bounce house.

Easter baskets were given to the children of the community

PROVIDED PHOTO BY SONYA GOSS

Jessica Best, of Best & Co. Boutique, 4480 Main St, Zachary, recently cut the ribbon on her shop with city officials and members of the Zachary Chamber of Commerce on hand.

Zachary cleans for Love the Boot Week

Community news report

The city of Zachary and the Zachary Chamber of Commerce recently partnered for Keep Louisiana Beautiful — Love the Boot Week, the state’s largest litter cleanup and beautiﬁcation effort

Two cleanup teams were organized at different locations:

n The city of Zachary group met at Northwestern Middle School parking lot, where 60 volunteers — made up of city employees, residents of The Avenues and Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women employees — collected 40 bags of litter and recyclables throughout The Avenues neighborhood.

n The Zachary Chamber of Commerce Group gathered behind Burger King to tackle areas along La. 19. This team of 25 volunteers included members from the chamber, Coca-Cola, Lane Regional Medical Center and Sweet Stirrings Bakery Together they collected 27 bags of litter and four bags of recyclables.

All participants were provided with trash pickers, garbage bags and safety vests upon arrival. Volunteers were also supported by police escorts from the Zachary Police Department to ensure safety during the cleanup. Through Keep Louisiana Beautiful, each volunteer received a commemorative Tshirt.

As a thank-you, Mayor David McDavid and the chamber hosted a crawﬁsh boil at City Hall for all volunteers The crawﬁsh were donated by Lt. Gov Billy Nungesser and the Louisiana Seafood Industry CocaCola provided drinks and volunteer support during the event. “Let’s work together to make Zachary shine on this beautiful day,” said McDa-

vid. “We’re so grateful to every resident, business and volunteer who stepped up for Love the Boot Week!” Learn more at keeplouisianabeautiful. org.

A trailer is filled with litter picked up in the Love the Boot Week cleanup in Zachary in early April.

Chloe McCleary, Zachary Chamber of Commerce director and her team cleanup a roadside during the Love the Boot campaign in Zachary in April.

Gordon ‘PeeWee’ LeBlanc, city of Zachary parks director, helps in the Love the Boot cleanup in April, 2025.

City of Zachary employees and a La. 19 resident get their gear for the Love the Boot week cleanup in April 2025. From left, are Public Works Director Wayne Day; David Gobel of Public Works; Capt. Shawn Pratt, Zachary Police Department; Brianna Fennell, mayor’s office; Joyce McCray, La. 19 resident; and Mayor Pro Tempore Jennifer Boyd Landry.

Zachary Chief Financial Officer Deanna Mankins and Dana LeJeune, of the Finance Department, work in the Love the Boot week cleanup in April.

City Council

and Charles Vincent, the National Guard Youth Job Challenge Program and community

help collect 15 bags of litter and seven bags of recycling in the Keep Baker Beautiful Spring Community Clean Up Event on April 12

Baker groups join for Keep Baker Beautiful Spring Community Clean Up Event

Community news report

Family Day coming

A Family Day in the park will be held at noon May 10 at Jefferson Street Park, Baker The event will have kickball, 3 on 3 basketball, the Ronald Brady Benefit softball game, a live DJ, live music, kids zone, food trucks, parent fun and more.

Baker’s Fresh market

Baker’s Fresh Market will be from 9 a.m. to noon on May 10 at the Baker School Board Office, 14750 Plank Road, Baker It will have fresh produce from local farms. For information, call

AROUND BAKER

225-771-5674 or message carpenterb@legis.la.gov

Fill out a recreation survey

The city of Baker has a Youth Recreation Survey online. Visit https://tinyurl. com/bddzufn3 to ﬁll it out. Responses will be kept private.

Library happenings

The Baker Branch Library, 3501 Groom Road, (225) 778-5940 has several events planned. Among them are: Scrabble for Adults: Bring a friend and join in at 10 a.m. on May 8 for a round of Scrabble, the classic word game. Choose Your Own Adventure:

Kids 9-13 can test their survival skills at 3 p.m. on May 17. The group will read a Choose Your Own Adventure book. If the group can’t agree on an action, compete in mini games to determine the next action.

Lavey Lane work underway Through September, major roadwork on Lavey Lane will result in a partial road closure. At least one lane will remain open with flagmen directing traffic. The flow of traffic will continue but expect delays. The announcement said these improvements will provide better drainage and resurfacing of the roadway

Community news report

As a partner agency with Junior League of Baton Rouge’s Diaper Bank, the goal for Lane Regional Medical Center was to collect 1,000 diapers in the 2025 drive.

Thanks to donations of new and open packages, Lane collected 2,961 diapers, almost triple the goal.

These diapers will be distributed to families experiencing diaper need through Lane Pediatrics, according to a news release. Did you know?

n 1 in 2 families struggle to afford diapers

n Diapers cannot be obtained through WIC or SNAP

n Children who stay in dirty diapers have an increased chance of diaper rash, viral illnesses and urinary tract infections

Patty

Ariel

On April 12, Baker Chamber of Commerce members, Baker City Council members Desiree Collins and Charles Vincent, the National Guard Youth Job Challenge Program and community members helped collect 15 bags of litter and seven bags of recycling in the Keep Baker Beautiful Spring Community Clean Up Event. The city of Baker’s Public Works Department led by Calvin Jyles disposed of the collected litter bags.

This year Keep Baker Beautiful was able to collect recyclable plastic bottles and aluminum cans through support from Osprey recycling initiative. Waste Pro USA provided breakfast and the Baker Fire Department provided lunch.

Zachary student elected into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi

Community news report

Courtney Rogers, of Zachary, was recently elected to membership into the honor society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society at Lamar University. Rogers is among approximately 20,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year Membership is by invitation and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10% of seniors and 7.5% of juniors are eligible for membership Graduate students in the top 10% of of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.

ZACHARY POLICE BOOKINGS

The following people were booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison or issued a summons by the Zachary Police Department from April 3-16:

JERRY ALLEN: 35; 7895 La. 418, Batchelor; illegal possession of stolen ﬁrearms, failure to appear on outstanding bench warrants

CALEB BERGERON: 29; 5983 La. 12, Slaughter; simple battery

TARA BIZETTE: 46; 6532 Windwood Drive, Zachary; contributing to the delinquency of juveniles, molestation of a juvenile

KALVALEISHA COTTON: 24;12723 Shady Grove, Amite; failure to appear on outstanding bench warrants

DMARKUS FREEMAN: 31; 4065 S. Barrow Drive, Baton Rouge; failure to appear on outstanding bench warrants

MARIO HARRIS: 36; 962 Meadow Glen Ave., Zachary; two counts for failure to appear on outstanding bench warrants

BRANDON JEANSONNE: 42; 5516 Rush Drive, Slaughter; theft under $1,000

DENNIS JEFFERSON: 40; 13034 La. 955 E, Ethel; failure to appear on outstanding bench warrants

TRE KIRKLAND: 26; 190 Twin Road, Boaz, Alabama; theft over $1,000

JONATHAN KNIGHT: 40’ 22424 Jacocks Road, Slaughter; contributing to the delinquency of juveniles, molestation of a juvenile

WHITNEY LILLY: 33; 4317 Delaware St., Baton Rouge; possession of marijuana, careless operation, failure to register vehicle

TERRY MINOR: 60; 1783 Old Barnwood Road, Zachary; aggravated assault with a ﬁrearm

JALON MOORE: 21; 1572 Plains Ridge Ave., Zachary; fugitive warrants from East Baton Rouge Parish and Livingston Parish

DAVIS ROOSEVELT: 33; 1672 Acadian Drive, Houma; theft

RODNEY SMITH: 56; 2742 April St., Zachary; simple criminal damage to property

CALEB THIBODEAUX: 28; 4415 Belle Vue Drive, Addis; theft

EDWARD WASHINGTON: 26; 6435 Howell Range Ave., Baton Rouge; distribution or possession Schedule I drugs, prohibited acts, illegal carrying of weapons with controlled dangerous substance, driving on right side of road, driver must be licensed

DEVONTAE WILLIAMS: 29; 4633 Avenue C, Zachary; two counts for failure to appear on outstanding bench warrants

DJON BLALOCK: 31; 5051 Baker Blvd., Unit A, Baton Rouge; failure to appear on outstanding bench warrants

JUSTIN DIBENEDETTO: 24; 7418 Lazy Lane, Ventress; possession of drug paraphernalia

KAVON FRANKLIN: 19; 18733 Samuel Road, Apt. 123, Zachary; for illegal possession of stolen ﬁrearms

NYESHA HOLLINS: 30; 2087

Doveﬁeld Ave., Zachary; two counts for failure to appear on outstanding bench warrants, theft over $1,000

JOYCELYN STEVENSON: 25; 5075 Sherwood St., Baton Rouge; criminal mischief –false report of a crime

JEROME THOMPSON: 21; 9460 Deer Run Ave., Zachary; possession of marijuana

CHAMPAGNE WRIGHT: 43; 00709 Charles Ave., Baker; theft, monetary instrument abuse

KETHERIC YOUNG: 54; 17851 Plank Road, Zachary; resisting an ofﬁcer – refusal to give name or make identity known, theft

Lane Regional Medical Center names Casey director of professional development

Community news report

Registered nurse Brittany Casey has been promoted to director of professional development and operational initiatives at Lane Regional Medical Center.

hospitality services to patients, and manning information desks.

n Most child care centers require a day’s supply of disposable diapers.

AROUND

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Change made to school calendar

The Zachary Community School District posted a revised 2024-25 school calendar To compensate for the required instructional minutes lost due to the weather closure March 31, the last three early dismissal days will be converted to regular dismissal days (May 20-22). Visit https:// tinyurl.com/mspnjbvv to see the calendar Festival seeks vendors

The Zachary Really Hot Air Balloon Festival is seeking artisan and craft vendors. To sign up, visit https://form.jotform. com/250956272325156

Switch to paperless billing in Zachary

The city of Zachary encourages its utility customers to go paperless and offers two options to switch to paperless billing. Choose the option that best suits your convenience and enjoy the beneﬁts of paperless billing.

Online Option:

n Visit the City of Zachary website at www.cityofzachary.org.

n Click on the “Bill Payment” tab on the right side of the home page. Enter your account number If you don’t know your account number, you will need to register

TOWER

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communication when seconds count, the release said. The East Baton Rouge Communications District

as part of the Junior League of Baton Rouge’s Diaper Bank 2025 drive. Lane Regional Medical Center is one of the organizations that distributes the diapers to those in need.

The Junior League of Baton Rouge’s Diaper Bank distributes almost 500,000 diapers every year through partner agencies such as Lane Pediatrics. Lane

online.

n Once in your account, click on “Proﬁle” and change your notiﬁcation preference to email.

Phone Option:

n Call the city of Zachary Utility Cashier’s Ofﬁce at (225) 654-6871 to opt out of paper billing.

Check your flood risk

As the Atlantic hurricane season approaches, take a moment to understand your property’s individual flood risk, including what flood zone you’re in and if you’re located in a floodway It’s also really important to verify that your elevation certificate is correct and that you’re correctly rated for flood insurance.

Zachary residents can ﬁnd all this info in one place, powered by Forerunner, at https:// zacharyla.withforerunner.com/properties Dance camp coming Molly Myers Dance Academy is holding Rodeo Roundup Dance Camp from July 1418. It’s open to ages 4 and up. Cost is $160 a child with $20 discount for siblings. A Tshirt is included.

Attendees need to wear tennis shows and pack a lunch.

RSVP at molly_myersdance@att.net.

Advertising Looking to promote your services or ﬁnd a new hire?

Send news and events for the Zachary area to zachary@theadvocate.com by noon Friday or call (225) 388-0731.

Board allocated the funding to make this project possible.

“Your commitment to improving public safety is deeply appreciated. We also want to extend our sincere thanks to Mr Larry Powenski, the landowner of this site, for his unwavering support and dedication in helping us bring this vision to life,” said Zachary Mayor David McDavid. Once completed, the city of Zachary will maintain the tower’s generator, lighting and surrounding grounds.

Casey

Casey has served as staff development coordinator at Lane for three years, leading multiple development initiatives, including the hospital’s electronic medical record conversion to EPIC, maintaining advanced cardiac life support and critical care education for all clinical staff, overseeing nurse recruitment initiatives, and supervising the nurse tech and AHEC programs, a news release said.

She will continue to provide quarterly and annual education for staff nurses, as well as orientation, preceptorship and clinical effectiveness evaluations for student nurses.

Casey also will oversee the volunteer services program to recruit, train and place volunteers in various roles throughout the hospital, including help at special events,

Casey has more than 22 years of health care experience. During her career at Lane, she has served as intensive care unit director certiﬁed critical care nurse and relief house supervisor, the release said. She is a graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University School of Nursing.

In 2024, Casey was named Lane’s 2024 MVP of the Month, in 2023 she received the Baton Rouge District Nurses Association’s Celebrate Nursing Award, and in 2015 she received the Daisy Award for extraordinary nursing. In 2012 and 2023, Casey was nominated for the Louisiana Nurse’s Foundation Nightingale Award.

“I have been at Lane for more than 20 years, and I am so proud of the direction the hospital is headed,” Casey said. “There are many great things happening at Lane, and I am excited to be a part of that growth I cannot wait to see what the future holds for our hospital and the communities we serve.”