Flag football coming
West Feliciana Parish Parks and Recreation has opened registration for flag football. Register online at wfprec.com by Aug. 2. Coaches and referees are also needed. If interested, contact mpatten@wfparish.com or (225) 784-8447.
Use golf carts safely
The St. Francisville’s Mayor’s Office sent a reminder about golf cart use on the streets in town.
“As part of our commitment to ensuring a safe and enjoyable community for everyone, we want to remind all residents about the responsible use of golf carts in town,” the email said.
The actions listed include: Follow traffic laws: Obey all posted signs, speed limits and designated pathways Drive carefully: Always keep your speed reasonable, especially in areas with pedestrians or children.
No overloading: Do not exceed the maximum capacity of your golf cart.
Use seat belts and restraints: Children should be secured in proper restraints at all times. If your golf cart is equipped with seat belts, use them.
No underage drivers: Only licensed
ä See AROUND, page 2G
invests $119M to expand St. Francisville paper mill
BY TIMOTHY BOONE Staff writer
Hood Container said it will spend $118.9 million to expand its St. Francisville paper mill, a move that will boost production capacity at the facility
The expansion, set to begin in summer 2026, will retain the 295 jobs at the mill, Louisiana Economic Development announced Tuesday The work will create 650 construction jobs. The work will involve upgrading the primary paper machine at the mill, boosting production capacity by 80,000 tons per year
This will boost the amount of wood chips and recycled boxes the plant buys each year
Hood Container acquired the 61-year-old former Crown Zellerbach and Tembec mill in 2015, after it emerged from federal bankruptcy protection filed by an interim owner Since then, the company has invested more than $160 million to upgrade the plant, which is located on the Mississippi River. The mill produces kraft paper, a sturdy brown material used for packaging, wrapping and crafts, and kraft linerboard, a corrugated product used in packaging and displays
ä See MILL, page 2G
Havard releases video of ‘poke’ that got him convicted
BY AIDAN MCCAHILL Staff writer
Three days after Kenny Havard was convicted of simple battery for poking political opponent Chuck Spillman, the West Feliciana Parish President has released a video of the encounter to the public.
Footage of the face-off, which took place shortly before a December Parish Council meeting, shows Havard dressed in a dark vest approaching Spillman with his left pointer finger raised before poking him near the mouth. Havard then recoils and backs away as Spillman erupts in anger
“I’m right handed, if I was going to hit somebody I would definitely hit him with my right hand,” Havard said in an interview Can’t see the video embedded above? Click here.
The quarrel arose when Spillman, a known critic of Havard’s, began raising questions in front of a TV reporter about a land deal Havard helped orchestrate.
“The lady was putting her camera up,” said Havard. “I told her, get your camera, because if he calls me a thief I’m going to kick his ass and I want everybody to watch it.”
Spillman, however, did not call Havard a thief. The video shows that after the poke, the two men walked inside the government office building, continuing to spar with words but not fists.
Spillman later filed the police report. On July 21, Havard was fined $125 by the St. Francisville Mayor’s Court for simple battery, plus $30 in court fees, which he paid the same day In 2023, Spillman ran for parish
president but lost in a landslide during Havard’s reelection bid. Since then, the two have not got along.
“It’s not about me losing to him. Nobody ran against him so I said ‘yea, I’ll do it,’” Spillman told The Advocate. “What happened is that all this corruption started. We want answers for the land deal, the data center.”
In December of 2024, Havard filed a protective order against Spillman, after which Spillman responded by filing his own against Havard, according to court records. After the two were brought to court the next month, both dropped their orders.
“He says that I stalk him, he’s just blowing stuff off,” said Spillman. “I told the judge I raise my hand for the truth, I said evidently he don’t.”
and
Some of the
SNAKES IN THE LIBRARY
BY MELINDA RAWLS HOWELL Contributing writer
Getting people to change their attitudes about snakes is a difficult task Knowing more about Louisiana’s snakes can help change some minds.
The Hood family members educated, reassured and influenced adults and children with their entertaining presentations on July 11 at the three Audubon Regional Library branches.
The Louisiana Snake Education and Identification program brought live snakes, facts and a bit of humor to the library branches, sharing safety tips while encouraging giving the snakes safe passage.
The mom, Rachel, explained that she once really, really disliked snakes. Many people’s first feelings toward them are fear and hate, she said. She changed, she said, from a parent allowing
one snake as an interesting pet,
a corn snake named Chris, to a parent with about 35 snakes in the family
Learning about them and teaching others eventually became a full-time family business. They now visit schools, libraries and other events to spread their message. One of the important first things for children to know, she said, is that if you see a snake, “don’t approach it or try to touch or grab it.” Instead, go tell an adult, she said. If the adult doesn’t know what kind of snake it is and can safely take a picture of the live snake, she continued, they can “send it to us and we can identify it.” Sending a picture of a dead snake is not really what they want to see, she said. Snakes are a part of nature and have a good role, explained the group, which can relocate the snake some-
times. The dad, Kevin, said there are 48 known species of snakes in Louisiana, and only seven are venomous. Small snakes eat things like garden pests. The larger ones eat frogs, fish and other pests or rodents like rats, which have been known to chew electrical wires and cause house fires.
Native Louisiana snakes are part of the ecological system and are needed here, he said. He said snake bites are actually rare, but if it happens go to the hospital immediately You do not need to get the snake or know specifically what kind it is, he said. Snakes bite when they are disturbed or frightened, he explained.
He humorously asked the children if snakes have any arms or legs to hit you with to protect
ä See SNAKES, page 2G
A
the
Wilson teen headed to Harvard Grace
Weathersby already studied at Yale
BY MELINDA RAWLS HOWELL Contributing writer
In late August a promising teen from the village of Wilson in East Feliciana Parish will leave her rural background and travel to a new environment — Harvard University and metropolitan Cambridge, Massachusetts, just across the Charles River from Boston.
There she will begin her freshman year at Harvard to study at the Ivy League school. She is 17-year-old Grace Elizabeth Weathersby Weathersby grew up in Wilson. Much of her family is from East Feliciana. Her mother, Vickie Jones, graduated from Jackson High School in 1990. Her maternal grandparents are Arthur and Jere Dean (Williams) Booker of Wilson and the late Emmett Thomas of Clinton. Paternal grandparents are the late Leo and Alsee (Wilson) Weathersby of Gloster, Mississippi. Educational background Weathersby attended Slaughter Elementary School in East Feliciana, where she was identified as a gifted student in the second grade. She also attended Slaughter Community Charter School, where she graduated as the school’s valedictorian May 16 with a 4.407 grade-point average. Her high school guidance counselor, April Peterson, described Weathersby as “humble, graceful, unfailingly polite, kind and driven.”
She received numerous honors and earned many awards during
Grace Elizabeth Weathersby graduated in May as valedictorian of Slaughter Community Charter School Class of 2025. ä See TEEN, page 3G
screenshot from released footage shows
West Feliciana Parish president’s interaction with a former political opponent. Havard was later convicted of simple battery.
PHOTOS BY MELINDA RAWLS HOWELL
approximately 40 parents
children at the Jackson branch of the Audubon Regional Library who turned out for the three Louisiana Snake Education and Identification programs.
Kevin Hood shows the audience of children and adults a large snakeskin here at a program on Louisiana Snake Education and Identification at the Jackson branch of the Audubon Regional Library. He sometimes gets calls and goes out to catch snakes from people’s homes and then relocates them to a better place.
PROVIDED PHOTO
Criticism over employee training addressed
BY JAMES MINTON Contributing writer
Countering negative comments on social media, East Feliciana Parish police jurors complimented parish public works employees for a recent training session.
Juror Chrissie O’Quin said “Facebook warriors were full of themselves” a week earlier for claiming that the jury wasted time and money by assembling “10 trucks, 20 employees and a woman with a clipboard” from an extended period of time on a parish road.
EAST FELICIANA PARISH POLICE JURY
the initiative to acquire pro-
fessional training.
The center’s Local Technical Assistance Program session featured an on-site inspection of an asphalt road where employees learned what causes certain types of road failures and the best way to repair them.
The jury also takes LTAP training to qualify as bridge inspectors governed by state and federal regulations, Hill added.
O”Quin said that when she and Juror Keith Mills attempted to answer the Facebook criticism, the “commenters turned on us.”
O’Quin and other jurors complimented Hill and the DPW employees for taking
O’Quin invited Public Works Director Derrick Hill to explain the activity, and he said the employees were participating in a training session offered through LSU’s Transportation Research Center
Mills said employees should take advantage of every opportunity for training that is offered, and said parish residents who have questions about operations in the field should call the Police Jury office for information.
Jurors urged to explain Oct. 11 tax on ballot
On another matter, jury President Louis Kent urged jurors to start campaigning for an Oct. 11 ballot measure that would correct how revenue from a property tax already on the books is divided.
PHOTO BY MELINDA RAWLS HOWELL
Wearing her Copperhead venom saves lives T-shirt is, right, Ann Hood breast cancer survivor along with her husband Jack. They are Kevin Hood’s parents and said they often attend his presentations about snake education and identification. Wear Louisiana in another of their businesses.
SNAKES
Continued from page 1G
themselves? Because the answer is no, he continued, they strike or bite when they feel threatened and cannot get away If you see a snake passing through your yard, he continued, it’s probably looking for food or shelter Maybe the snake used to live where a new development has sprung up, he quipped. Sometimes it is not as easy to identify snakes, he said. For instance, the shape of the eyes and the head do not always follow the common rules. His talk also included information about myths concerning snakes. For example, baby snakes can bite without injected venom — dry bites. Also, if injected, the amount of venom is less because it is stored in the smaller head of the young snake. Another myth is that moth balls repel snakes. He explained that snakes cannot smell them and therefore do not avoid them They showed a photo of a snake curled up around what he said it probably
MILL
Continued from page 1G
Susan B. Bourgeois, LED secretary, said investments like the one Hood Container is making boost the manufacturing base and the timber economy, two industries that have deep roots in Louisiana.
“The timber industry plays a key role in growing Louisiana’s agribusiness sector, which is one of the priority areas we’ve identified for future growth in our
thought was a small “white rock.” Moth balls are also bad because they melt and get in the soil and water and are “toxic to pets and wildlife,” he added. He said most people are unaware that snake venom is actually very useful. The copperhead snake venom is used to fight breast cancer He added that there are other medicines, like blood pressure medicines, that use snake venom. The presentation, in which sons Kyler and Landon also participated, included several nonvenomous snakes, a rainbow python, which is not native to Louisiana, and a snakeskin.
Two other Hood family members were in the audience and were briefly recognized. They were (parents/grandparents) Jack and Ann Hood. She is a breast cancer survivor — and they were both wearing T-shirts with information about copperhead venom being used to fight breast cancer For information about Louisiana Snake Education and Identification, visit louisianasnakeid.com or Louisiana Snake ID on Facebook, or call (225) 405-1927 or (225) 573-0517.
Comprehensive Statewide Strategic Plan,” Bourgeois said in a statement.
The work is expected to be completed in May 2027, when the mill has its annual outage.
The state offered the company an incentive package that includes a $800,000 Modernization Tax Credit spread over a five-year period. Hood Container is also expected to use the state’s Industrial Tax Exemption Program.
Email Timothy Boone at tboone@theadvocate.com.
“This is not a new tax,” Kent said jurors must emphasize as they discuss the proposition with their constituents. “It’s a renewal.”
But because of technical reasons embodied in state law, the ballot proposition is titled, “In-Lieu Millage,” rather than a renewal.
Facing a general fund shortage, jurors voted May 5 to call the election to change how revenues from a 3-mill tax are divided.
A 3-mill tax renewed for 10 years in November 2023 supports the parish Health Unit’s operations, but the proposition allows revenues above the Health Unit’s annual needs to be divided between the jury’s General Fund and Road and Bridge Fund.
At one time, the surplus
AROUND
Continued from page 1G
was divided 50-50 between the two funds, but, for some reason that current jurors say they cannot explain, an earlier renewal proposition changed the split to 90% to roads and bridges and 10% to the general fund.
This year, the Road and Bridge Fund has had enough money to operate in the black, while the general fund is struggling to meet its obligations. If approved by the voters, the proposition would allow the jury to allocate surplus funds as it sees fit, rather than on a strict 90-10 basis, through 2035. Because no statewide issues or local or state candidates will be on the ballot, the jury must pay for the entire cost, now estimated at $38,700. Earlier the par-
and authorized adults should operate golf carts. No children under the legal driving age are permitted to drive.
No drinking and driving: Operating a golf cart under the influence of alcohol or any impairing substance is strictly prohibited and poses serious safety risks.
Remember all golf carts need to be registered with the town of St Francisville on an annual basis. https://stfrancisville.net/departments/
Cat Island group announces walk planned, incremental openings of restricted areas
Friends of Cat Island announced on Facebook that the river has dropped enough to allow a partial opening of Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge, allowing access to the Black Fork area.
The refuge beyond this point remains closed. Incremental opening will occur as conditions improve.
The group also announced its third annual Fall Migration Birding and Nature Walks will be Sept. 6. The bird walk is 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. The nature walk is 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Both walks will be about 3 miles. The exact location on the refuge will be based on refuge conditions at the time. Experts will be there to assist with species identification. This event is free but register by contacting either William Daniel at (225) 721-0090 or epewhd@icloud.com or Jesse Means at (225) 936-6529 or jesselmeans3@amail.com.
Specify what walk you want to do: the birding walk or the nature walk.
Blood drive coming
A community blood drive will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Aug. 12 in the Main Conference Room at West Feliciana Hospital. Visit www.tbcdonors.org/donor/auth/signin to sign up for an appointment.
Shopping event coming
The annual Pop and Shop event in St. Francisville is set for 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 23. Honoring veterans
n Plans are underway for the 2025 Veterans Day Program set for 10 a.m., Nov 8 at the Feliciana Veterans Park in Jackson. Anyone interested in participating or helping should contact U.S. Air Force veteran Jim Parker at (225) 245-2831.
n Clinton is Home Foundation hosts Meet the Veterans on Nov 8 at The Green Door at H Mercantile Clinton.
n Plans for a memorial park for Clinton are developing and interest and support have been shown, according to spokesperson Marsha Kemp. She said Clinton Mayor Mark Kemp and Jim Parker discussed various things with her at a recent meeting. Plans are to form a committee of veterans, their family members, and people from the community to further pursue the project. If interested, call or text (225) 439-9705.
ish School Board proposed several tax renewal propositions for an Oct. 11 vote that would have lowered the jury’s cost, but Kent said the School Board recently canceled their election.
Remembering Hunt
The jurors also endorsed a resolution memorializing former jury President James Francis Hunt, who died July 16. Jury records show Hunt, a retired educator and entrepreneur, represented a district southeast of Clinton from January 1984 through January 2008.
“He was a good Christian man, and one of the greatest police jurors I’ve ever known,” Kent said in calling for the resolution. “When I got elected, he taught me a lot.”
School giveaway planned
The Happi Llandiers organization will hold its annual school supplies giveaway from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Aug. 2. The material will be handed out as parents drive through the West Feliciana Middle School grounds.
Bicycles sought
Bicycles new, used, any condition can be dropped off between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through Friday at the West Feliciana Parish Sheriff’s Office CRT building, 9946 West Feliciana Parkway, St. Francisville. All donated bicycles will be refurbished by Angola inmates to be distributed in the community
Support the food pantry and more
The Good Stuff Store in St. Francisville benefits the West Feliciana Food Pantry as well as other agencies. A post from the food pantry said that about half its annual funding comes from the store. The resale shop sells gently used clothing and housewares is at 12292 Jackson Road, St. Francisville.
West Feliciana to shine at the East Baton Rouge library
West Feliciana will be a part of two meetings at the main branch of the East Baton Rouge Parish Library at Goodwood Library
These include:
n Journeying through a creek in West Feliciana, paleontologist Mason Kirkland and Museum Director James Gregory Jr discovered an odd tree root structure that, on closer inspection, turned out to be a fossil discovery, the remains of a mastodon. Learn about this find at 3 p.m., Aug. 17. Registration is required. To register visit ebrpl.co/events.
n Hope Resuscitated is a nonprofit organization that makes free Narcan available to the public. Founder Leila Ramos, a West Feliciana High graduate, began Hope Resuscitated after losing a friend to an overdose while in high school. Join her at 9:30 a.m., Aug. 30 to hear about her experiences, work and vision. Community partners will be available to offer information.
Angola Rodeo tickets on sale
The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections announced tickets are on sale for the upcoming annual Angola Prison Rodeo held at Louisiana State Penitentiary in West Feliciana Parish.
The rodeo dates are Oct. 5, 12, 19 and 26.
The gates will open each Sunday at 8 a.m. with the rodeo set to start at 2 p.m. Crafts including jewelry, leathercrafts, paintings, woodworking, lawn and garden furniture, barbecue pits, and toys will be on sale. Reserved seats are $20.
Pony rides, carnival games, an antique carousel and more will be available for children.
To purchase rodeo tickets, visit angolarodeo. com, or call (225) 655-2030 or (225) 655-2607 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rodeo proceeds assist with funding cuttingedge reentry and rehabilitation programs. Email Leila Pitchford at lpitchford@ theadvocate.com.
Hood Container Corp. operates a containerboard and kraft paper mill in St.
Francisville
Leila Pitchford AROUND THE FELICIANAS
Flag football coming
West Feliciana Parish Parks and Recreation has opened registration for flag football. Register online at wfprec.com by Aug. 2. Coaches and referees are also needed. If interested, contact mpatten@wfparish.com or (225) 784-8447.
Use golf carts safely
The St. Francisville’s Mayor’s Office sent a reminder about golf cart use on the streets in town.
“As part of our commitment to ensuring a safe and enjoyable community for everyone, we want to remind all residents about the responsible use of golf carts in town,” the email said.
The actions listed include:
Follow traffic laws: Obey all posted signs, speed limits and designated pathways Drive carefully: Always keep your speed reasonable, especially in areas with pedestrians or children.
No overloading: Do not exceed the maximum capacity of your golf cart.
Use seat belts and restraints: Children should be secured in proper restraints at all times. If your golf cart is equipped with seat belts, use them.
No underage drivers: Only licensed
ä See AROUND, page 2G
DEMOCRAT
Havard releases video of ‘poke’ that got him convicted
BY AIDAN MCCAHILL Staff writer
Three days after Kenny Havard was convicted of simple battery for poking political opponent Chuck Spillman, the West Feliciana Parish President has released a video of the encounter to the public.
Footage of the face-off, which took place shortly before a December Parish Council meeting, shows Havard dressed in a dark vest approaching Spillman with his left pointer finger raised before poking him near the mouth. Havard then recoils and backs away as Spillman erupts in anger
“I’m right handed, if I was going to hit somebody I would definitely hit him with my right hand,” Havard said in an interview Can’t see the video embedded above? Click here.
The quarrel arose when Spillman, a known critic of Havard’s, began raising questions in front of a TV reporter about a land deal Havard helped orchestrate.
“The lady was putting her camera up,” said Havard. “I told her, get your camera, because if he calls me a thief I’m going to kick his ass and I want everybody to watch it.”
Spillman, however, did not call Havard a thief. The video shows that after the poke, the two men walked inside the government office building, continuing to spar with words but not fists.
Spillman later filed the police report. On July 21, Havard was fined $125 by the St. Francisville Mayor’s Court for simple battery, plus $30 in court fees, which he paid the same day In 2023, Spillman ran for parish
president but lost in a landslide during Havard’s reelection bid. Since then, the two have not got along.
“It’s not about me losing to him. Nobody ran against him so I said ‘yea, I’ll do it,’” Spillman told The Advocate. “What happened is that all this corruption started. We want answers for the land deal, the data center.”
In December of 2024, Havard filed a protective order against Spillman, after which Spillman responded by filing his own against Havard, according to court records. After the two were brought to court the next month, both dropped their orders.
“He says that I stalk him, he’s just blowing stuff off,” said Spillman. “I told the judge I raise my hand for the truth, I said evidently he don’t.”
on
A screenshot from released
BY TIMOTHY BOONE
Staff writer
Hood Container said it will spend $118.9 million to expand its St. Francisville paper mill, a move that will boost production capacity at the facility
The expansion, set to begin in summer 2026, will retain the 295 jobs at the mill, Louisiana Economic Development announced Tuesday The work will create 650 construction jobs. The work will involve upgrading the primary paper machine at the mill, boosting production capacity by 80,000 tons per year
This will boost the amount of wood chips and recycled boxes the plant buys each year
Hood Container acquired the 61-year-old former Crown Zellerbach and Tembec mill in 2015, after it emerged from federal bankruptcy protection filed by an interim owner
Since then, the company has invested more than $160 million to upgrade the plant, which is located on the Mississippi River. The mill produces kraft paper, a sturdy brown material used for packaging, wrapping and crafts, and kraft linerboard, a corrugated product used in packaging and displays Company invests $119M to expand St. Francisville paper mill
ä See MILL, page 2G
Some of the approximately 40 parents and children
the
programs.
SNAKES IN THE LIBRARY
BY MELINDA RAWLS HOWELL Contributing writer
Getting people to change their attitudes about snakes is a difficult task Knowing more about Louisiana’s snakes can help change some minds.
The Hood family members educated, reassured and influenced adults and children with their entertaining presentations on July 11 at the three Audubon Regional Library branches.
The Louisiana Snake Education and Identification program brought live snakes, facts and a bit of humor to the library branches, sharing safety tips while encouraging giving the snakes safe passage.
The mom, Rachel, explained that she once really, really disliked snakes. Many people’s first feelings toward them are fear and hate, she said. She changed, she said, from a parent allowing
one snake as an interesting pet, a corn snake named Chris, to a parent with about 35 snakes in the family
Learning about them and teaching others eventually became a full-time family business. They now visit schools, libraries and other events to spread their message. One of the important first things for children to know, she said, is that if you see a snake, “don’t approach it or try to touch or grab it.” Instead, go tell an adult, she said. If the adult doesn’t know what kind of snake it is and can safely take a picture of the live snake, she continued, they can “send it to us and we can identify it.” Sending a picture of a dead snake is not really what they want to see, she said. Snakes are a part of nature and have a good role, explained the group, which can relocate the snake some-
times. The dad, Kevin, said there are 48 known species of snakes in Louisiana, and only seven are venomous. Small snakes eat things like garden pests. The larger ones eat frogs, fish and other pests or rodents like rats, which have been known to chew electrical wires and cause house fires.
Native Louisiana snakes are part of the ecological system and are needed here, he said.
He said snake bites are actually rare, but if it happens go to the hospital immediately You do not need to get the snake or know specifically what kind it is, he said. Snakes bite when they are disturbed or frightened, he explained.
He humorously asked the children if snakes have any arms or legs to hit you with to protect
ä See SNAKES, page 2G
Wilson teen headed to Harvard
Grace Weathersby already studied at Yale
BY MELINDA RAWLS HOWELL Contributing writer
In late August a promising teen from the village of Wilson in East Feliciana Parish will leave her rural background and travel to a new environment — Harvard University and metropolitan Cambridge, Massachusetts, just across the Charles River from Boston.
There she will begin her freshman year at Harvard to study at the Ivy League school. She is 17-year-old Grace Elizabeth Weathersby Weathersby grew up in Wilson. Much of her family is from East Feliciana. Her mother, Vickie Jones, graduated from Jackson High School in 1990. Her maternal grandparents are Arthur and Jere Dean (Williams) Booker of Wilson and the late Emmett Thomas of Clinton. Paternal grandparents are the late Leo and Alsee (Wilson) Weathersby of Gloster, Mississippi.
Educational background
Weathersby attended Slaughter Elementary School in East Feliciana, where she was identified as a gifted student in the second grade. She also attended Slaughter Community Charter School, where she graduated as the school’s valedictorian May 16 with a 4.407 grade-point average. Her high school guidance counselor, April Peterson, described Weathersby as “humble, graceful, unfailingly polite, kind and driven.”
She received numerous honors and earned many awards during
Grace Elizabeth Weathersby graduated in May as valedictorian of Slaughter Community Charter School Class of 2025. ä See
footage shows the West Feliciana Parish president’s interaction with a former political opponent. Havard was later convicted of simple battery.
PHOTOS BY MELINDA RAWLS HOWELL
at
Jackson branch of the Audubon Regional Library who turned out for the three Louisiana Snake Education and Identification
Kevin Hood shows the audience of children and adults a large snakeskin here at a program
Louisiana Snake Education and Identification at the Jackson branch of the Audubon Regional Library. He sometimes gets calls and goes out to catch snakes from people’s homes and then relocates them to a better place.
PROVIDED PHOTO
Criticism over employee training addressed
BY JAMES MINTON Contributing writer
Countering negative comments on social media, East Feliciana Parish police jurors complimented parish public works employees for a recent training session.
Juror Chrissie O’Quin said “Facebook warriors were full of themselves” a week earlier for claiming that the jury wasted time and money by assembling “10 trucks, 20 employees and a woman with a clipboard” from an extended period of time on a parish road.
O’Quin invited Public Works Director Derrick Hill to explain the activity, and he said the employees were participating in a training session offered
EAST FELICIANA PARISH POLICE JURY
through LSU’s Transportation Research Center
The center’s Local Technical Assistance Program session featured an on-site inspection of an asphalt road where employees learned what causes certain types of road failures and the best way to repair them.
The jury also takes LTAP training to qualify as bridge inspectors governed by state and federal regulations, Hill added.
O”Quin said that when she and Juror Keith Mills attempted to answer the Facebook criticism, the “commenters turned on us.”
O’Quin and other jurors complimented Hill and the DPW employees for taking
the initiative to acquire pro-
fessional training.
Mills said employees should take advantage of every opportunity for training that is offered, and said parish residents who have questions about operations in the field should call the Police Jury office for information.
Jurors urged to explain Oct. 11 tax on ballot
On another matter, jury President Louis Kent urged jurors to start campaigning for an Oct. 11 ballot measure that would correct how revenue from a property tax already on the books is divided.
PHOTO BY MELINDA RAWLS HOWELL
Wearing her Copperhead venom saves lives T-shirt is, right, Ann Hood breast cancer survivor along with her husband Jack. They are Kevin Hood’s parents and said they often attend his presentations about snake education and identification. Wear Louisiana in another of their businesses.
SNAKES
Continued from page 1G
themselves? Because the answer is no, he continued, they strike or bite when they feel threatened and cannot get away If you see a snake passing through your yard, he continued, it’s probably looking for food or shelter Maybe the snake used to live where a new development has sprung up, he quipped. Sometimes it is not as easy to identify snakes, he said. For instance, the shape of the eyes and the head do not always follow the common rules. His talk also included information about myths concerning snakes. For example, baby snakes can bite without injected venom — dry bites. Also, if injected, the amount of venom is less because it is stored in the smaller head of the young snake. Another myth is that moth balls repel snakes. He explained that snakes cannot smell them and therefore do not avoid them They showed a photo of a snake curled up around what he said it probably
MILL
Continued from page 1G
Susan B. Bourgeois, LED secretary, said investments like the one Hood Container is making boost the manufacturing base and the timber economy, two industries that have deep roots in Louisiana.
“The timber industry plays a key role in growing Louisiana’s agribusiness sector, which is one of the priority areas we’ve identified for future growth in our
thought was a small “white rock.” Moth balls are also bad because they melt and get in the soil and water and are “toxic to pets and wildlife,” he added. He said most people are unaware that snake venom is actually very useful. The copperhead snake venom is used to fight breast cancer He added that there are other medicines, like blood pressure medicines, that use snake venom. The presentation, in which sons Kyler and Landon also participated, included several nonvenomous snakes, a rainbow python, which is not native to Louisiana, and a snakeskin.
Two other Hood family members were in the audience and were briefly recognized. They were (parents/grandparents) Jack and Ann Hood. She is a breast cancer survivor — and they were both wearing T-shirts with information about copperhead venom being used to fight breast cancer For information about Louisiana Snake Education and Identification, visit louisianasnakeid.com or Louisiana Snake ID on Facebook, or call (225) 405-1927 or (225) 573-0517.
Comprehensive Statewide Strategic Plan,” Bourgeois said in a statement.
The work is expected to be completed in May 2027, when the mill has its annual outage.
The state offered the company an incentive package that includes a $800,000 Modernization Tax Credit spread over a five-year period. Hood Container is also expected to use the state’s Industrial Tax Exemption Program.
Email Timothy Boone at tboone@theadvocate.com.
“This is not a new tax,” Kent said jurors must emphasize as they discuss the proposition with their constituents. “It’s a renewal.”
But because of technical reasons embodied in state law, the ballot proposition is titled, “In-Lieu Millage,” rather than a renewal.
Facing a general fund shortage, jurors voted May 5 to call the election to change how revenues from a 3-mill tax are divided.
A 3-mill tax renewed for 10 years in November 2023 supports the parish Health Unit’s operations, but the proposition allows revenues above the Health Unit’s annual needs to be divided between the jury’s General Fund and Road and Bridge Fund.
At one time, the surplus
AROUND
Continued from page 1G
was divided 50-50 between the two funds, but, for some reason that current jurors say they cannot explain, an earlier renewal proposition changed the split to 90% to roads and bridges and 10% to the general fund.
This year, the Road and Bridge Fund has had enough money to operate in the black, while the general fund is struggling to meet its obligations. If approved by the voters, the proposition would allow the jury to allocate surplus funds as it sees fit, rather than on a strict 90-10 basis, through 2035. Because no statewide issues or local or state candidates will be on the ballot, the jury must pay for the entire cost, now estimated at $38,700. Earlier the par-
and authorized adults should operate golf carts. No children under the legal driving age are permitted to drive.
No drinking and driving: Operating a golf cart under the influence of alcohol or any impairing substance is strictly prohibited and poses serious safety risks.
Remember all golf carts need to be registered with the town of St Francisville on an annual basis. https://stfrancisville.net/departments/
Cat Island group announces walk planned, incremental openings of restricted areas
Friends of Cat Island announced on Facebook that the river has dropped enough to allow a partial opening of Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge, allowing access to the Black Fork area.
The refuge beyond this point remains closed. Incremental opening will occur as conditions improve.
The group also announced its third annual Fall Migration Birding and Nature Walks will be Sept. 6. The bird walk is 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. The nature walk is 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Both walks will be about 3 miles. The exact location on the refuge will be based on refuge conditions at the time. Experts will be there to assist with species identification. This event is free but register by contacting either William Daniel at (225) 721-0090 or epewhd@icloud.com or Jesse Means at (225) 936-6529 or jesselmeans3@amail.com.
Specify what walk you want to do: the birding walk or the nature walk.
Blood drive coming
A community blood drive will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Aug. 12 in the Main Conference Room at West Feliciana Hospital. Visit www.tbcdonors.org/donor/auth/signin to sign up for an appointment.
Shopping event coming
The annual Pop and Shop event in St. Francisville is set for 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 23. Honoring veterans
n Plans are underway for the 2025 Veterans Day Program set for 10 a.m., Nov 8 at the Feliciana Veterans Park in Jackson. Anyone interested in participating or helping should contact U.S. Air Force veteran Jim Parker at (225) 245-2831.
n Clinton is Home Foundation hosts Meet the Veterans on Nov 8 at The Green Door at H Mercantile Clinton.
n Plans for a memorial park for Clinton are developing and interest and support have been shown, according to spokesperson Marsha Kemp. She said Clinton Mayor Mark Kemp and Jim Parker discussed various things with her at a recent meeting. Plans are to form a committee of veterans, their family members, and people from the community to further pursue the project. If interested, call or text (225) 439-9705.
ish School Board proposed several tax renewal propositions for an Oct. 11 vote that would have lowered the jury’s cost, but Kent said the School Board recently canceled their election.
Remembering Hunt
The jurors also endorsed a resolution memorializing former jury President James Francis Hunt, who died July 16. Jury records show Hunt, a retired educator and entrepreneur, represented a district southeast of Clinton from January 1984 through January 2008.
“He was a good Christian man, and one of the greatest police jurors I’ve ever known,” Kent said in calling for the resolution. “When I got elected, he taught me a lot.”
School giveaway planned
The Happi Llandiers organization will hold its annual school supplies giveaway from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Aug. 2. The material will be handed out as parents drive through the West Feliciana Middle School grounds.
Bicycles sought
Bicycles new, used, any condition can be dropped off between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through Friday at the West Feliciana Parish Sheriff’s Office CRT building, 9946 West Feliciana Parkway, St. Francisville. All donated bicycles will be refurbished by Angola inmates to be distributed in the community
Support the food pantry and more
The Good Stuff Store in St. Francisville benefits the West Feliciana Food Pantry as well as other agencies. A post from the food pantry said that about half its annual funding comes from the store. The resale shop sells gently used clothing and housewares is at 12292 Jackson Road, St. Francisville.
West Feliciana to shine at the East Baton Rouge library
West Feliciana will be a part of two meetings at the main branch of the East Baton Rouge Parish Library at Goodwood Library
These include:
n Journeying through a creek in West Feliciana, paleontologist Mason Kirkland and Museum Director James Gregory Jr discovered an odd tree root structure that, on closer inspection, turned out to be a fossil discovery, the remains of a mastodon. Learn about this find at 3 p.m., Aug. 17. Registration is required. To register visit ebrpl.co/events.
n Hope Resuscitated is a nonprofit organization that makes free Narcan available to the public. Founder Leila Ramos, a West Feliciana High graduate, began Hope Resuscitated after losing a friend to an overdose while in high school. Join her at 9:30 a.m., Aug. 30 to hear about her experiences, work and vision. Community partners will be available to offer information.
Angola Rodeo tickets on sale
The Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections announced tickets are on sale for the upcoming annual Angola Prison Rodeo held at Louisiana State Penitentiary in West Feliciana Parish.
The rodeo dates are Oct. 5, 12, 19 and 26.
The gates will open each Sunday at 8 a.m. with the rodeo set to start at 2 p.m. Crafts including jewelry, leathercrafts, paintings, woodworking, lawn and garden furniture, barbecue pits, and toys will be on sale. Reserved seats are $20.
Pony rides, carnival games, an antique carousel and more will be available for children.
To purchase rodeo tickets, visit angolarodeo. com, or call (225) 655-2030 or (225) 655-2607 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rodeo proceeds assist with funding cuttingedge reentry and rehabilitation programs. Email Leila Pitchford at lpitchford@ theadvocate.com.
Hood Container Corp. operates a containerboard and kraft paper mill in St.
DEMOCRAT
Francisville
her high school career She was active in many school clubs and organizations and participated in track and field sports activities. There her choices and level of participation was limited because of asthma.
She said she enjoyed being on the team, but was “no way a standout athlete” and was “more effective” in club activities. Her high school accomplishments resulted in multiple scholarship offers. Weathersby said she chose Harvard “due to the strength of its programs as well as the general vibe of the school.” Influences, challenges, other activities
The young honor graduate credits her mother and grandmother with influencing her saying they “always pushed me to be the best that I can be.”
Her mother described Weathersby as having grown into a young person with initiative and self-motivation. Her mother, using one of the same words used by Weathersby’s guidance counselor, said, with a smile about her daughter, “she’s driven.”
Her mother said she requested teachers to do as she did and challenge her daughter When there was no program for gifted students, teachers gave her extra educational materials, assignments and/or projects to keep her engaged Her mother did not want her daughter to be bored or idle when at school.
She and her 14-year-old sister, Camille Faith Jones, visited museums on weekends and took part in other available educational and enrichment activities that their mother actively sought out. From an early age, screen time was monitored and choices limited, her mother said
A cellphone was planned for age 16 but because of COVID Weathersby was allowed to get a phone at 15
Weathersby had “grandma time” after school and summers With her grandmother, she took part in things like picking fruit and vegetables, canning and cooking — tangerines, pears and figs. She still loves to help make gumbo, a favorite, Weatherby said
Hobbies and church
As for hobbies, Weathersby listed reading, gardening, sewing and baking In her family, reading was encouraged, required by her mother during the summer and became pleasurable as well as important. As things developed Weathersby said, “a punishment was taking books away” from us. Weathersby is a member of the youth choir at Galilee Baptist Church in Clinton.
Personality
Weathersby has become more outgoing in some ways, her mother said. She recent-
ly had several conversations with another student, and successfully encouraged him to develop his potential and pursue a college education. Weathersby is described by her mother as often doing more than one thing at a time — multitasking, juggling subjects and assignments. Weathersby confessed that sometimes it was after an occasional, brief period of procrastination.
Goals
As for long-range goals, Weathersby said she wants to help people by going into the fields of medicine or law or both. She said in medicine she thinks she might be able to help more people. At Harvard, you cannot declare a major until your sophomore year she said, and as a freshman she will be taking the required classes in math, science and such.
Early opportunity at Yale
Last fall, Weathersby was the guest speaker for the women educators of Alpha Mu, the local chapter of Delta Kappa
Gamma. She shared with them her story of an opportunity she had taken advantage of and said she “was thrilled” when she received the invitation for Yale’s Young Global Scholars program. She said the two-week program on the Yale University campus in New Haven, Connecticut, was an amazing experience.
The program had three tracks to choose, and she chose politics, law and economics. She enjoyed the talks from visiting professors and was treated to an appearance by Taylor Swift.
Another part of the program was a symposium and a capstone project. Part of the capstone project was “to create a political party that our group of three people would present during our mock election.”
Weathersby said “one of my favorite things about YYGS is that everyone there was forced to interact with people who were very different from them.” There were also family groups, which she said was “up to12 random kids from your track.” They met in the mornings for family time to get “to know each other better”
West Feliciana Hospital is here to he
twopediatric clinicsand abehavioral health team, weare here to help prepareyourkids forthe upcomingschoo
and in the evenings for breakout discussions of lecture material, she explained.
“Just at my family table there were seven different countries represented,” including the United States, Latvia, South Korea, Singapore, Tanzania, China and Norway
Friends and a glimpse of things to come
Weathersby said the program “opened my eyes to the generalizations that I make about the world. It is easy to generalize as humans.”
She continued, “however, being in YYGS helped me to separate the people from the government. It is possible to dislike a government, but that does not mean dislike its people right off the bat. And I think that is what people all over the world have a problem doing. It was being in an environment with so many types of people that helped me to realize that.
“I really loved my time at YYGS,” she said. “I was able to see a glimpse of what college will be like, and I also made friendships that I hope will last for a long time.”
Our pediatriciansoffer thehighest qualityofcareand aspeciallovingtouch.Back-to-school prep includes:
• Wellness Exams • AdvancedVision Screening
• Vaccinations
• SportsPhysicals
• AdvancedHearing Screening
If your childhas anyissues or hesitation aboutthe upcoming school year,weprovidementalhealth servicesand more foragesfiveand older with aholistic andpositiveapproach. Treatmentsinclude:
• Attention Deficit DisorderTesting
• AngerIssues
• Anxiety or Depression Issues
• Bullying Issues
• Situational& Adjustment Disorders
PHOTO
Grace Weathersby, of Wilson, far left, with other scholars during a Yale University program.
CatherineSchurman, LCSW
West Feliciana Parish Library joins museum program
Community news report
Library cardholders in several parishes can visit select Louisiana museums free of charge through the new Check Out Louisiana Museums initiative.
The pilot program expands the State Library’s Check Out Louisiana campaign to allow library patrons in participating parishes to check out an electronic pass to participating museums at no cost
EAST AND WEST FELICIANA COUNCIL ON AGING
“Louisiana boasts a colorful and fascinating history brought to life through the cultural and educational resources of our museums,” said Lt Gov Billy Nungesser. “Your library card can now be used to unlock Louisiana’s incredible museum collections and the stories of the people, places, and events that make our state so unique and a place to Feed Your Soul.”
The West Feliciana Parish Library is one of a handful of librar-
ies that are offering the passes. The Livingston and Tangipahoa libraries are also a part of the program.
Cardholders of participating libraries can visit CheckOutLouisiana.org to reserve an electronic pass for available dates at any of the following museums: the 1850 House, the Cabildo, Capitol Park Museum, E.D. White Historic Site, Louisiana Civil Rights Museum, Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame &
Northwest Louisiana History Museum, The National WWII Museum, New Orleans Jazz Museum at the Old U.S. Mint, the Presbytère, and the Wedell-Williams Aviation & Cypress Sawmill Museum.
In2024,theStateLibrarylaunched the first phase of its Check Out Louisiana program, which provides free access to state parks and recreational areas. The second phase adds museums and other cultural attractions to the program.
“We’re excited to partner with the State Library to reach public library patrons who may not yet have had the opportunity to experience our collections and historic locations,” said Louisiana State Museum Director Becky Mackie. “Museums are special community resources providing enrichment and education to the public, and we look forward to welcoming many new visitors through the Check Out Louisiana program.”
Aug 1
EXERCISE CLASS: 9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.
LUNCH: 11:30 a.m.
Monday, Aug 4
EXERCISE CLASS: 9 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.
LUNCH: 11:30 a.m.
Tuesday, Aug 5
CHOIR CLASS: 9:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
BINGO: 10:30 a.m.
LUNCH: 11:30 a.m.
Transportation Transportation is provided to East Feliciana Parish residents of any age for appointments in East Feliciana, West Feliciana and East Baton Rouge parishes Monday through Friday. Call (225) 683-9862 to schedule a transportation appointment.
WEST FELICIANA PARISH BOOKINGS
The following people were booked into the West Feliciana Parish Detention Center between July 14-20:
JULY 15
FELTON, JAMINE: 37; Louisiana State Penitentiary Angola; battery of a correctional facility employee
CALLOWAY, LERON: 28; Louisiana State Penitentiary, Angola; possession with intent to distribute Schedule I
BOOKTER, CAMARI: 45; Louisiana State Penitentiary, Angola; battery of a correctional facility employee
SIMS, KEDRICK: 33; 6666 Sumrall Drive, Baton Rouge; domestic abuse battery of pregnant victim
SULLIVAN JR., LEON: 21; 5177 Carmena Road, St. Francisville; possession of firearm attempting/committing crime, possession Schedule I, expired motor vehicle inspection, obstruction to driver view or driving mechanism
JULY 18
GUILLORY, WILBERT: 54; 3034 La. 10, Jackson; bench warrant
JULY 20
SKINNER, JAMIE: 45; 1875 77th Ave., Baton Rouge; driving under the influence
first offense
West Feliciana 4-H riders qualify for regional competition
Community news report
In June, West Feliciana 4-H’ers involved with the horse project started their journey through the summer horse shows. West Feliciana had eight competitors take part in the District Horse Show in Amite at the Florida Parishes Arena on June 24-25. They competed in traditional western events, such as goat tying and roping, barrel racing, and performance events, such as western pleasure and reining. In order to advance to the Louisiana 4-H State Horse Show competitors had to either receive a blue, red or white ribbon in the event they were riding in. All of eight West Feliciana competitors at district qualified for the state show July 8-11 brought the State Horse Show at Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales. All eight competed qualified for the next level contest To qualify for Southern Regionals in Georgia, a competitor must place in the top 10 in their event. West Feliciana riders finished first in at least six categories and one was grand champion.
West Feliciana horse students qualified in stake race 13 and under, stake race 14 and over, pole bending 14 and over, barrel racing 14 and over, ground work 13
and under stock horse pleasure 13 and under, stock horse pleasure 13
PROVIDED PHOTOS
West Feliciana 4-Hers compete in summer horse shows in 2025.
