The St. Tammany Farmer 10-08-2025 by The Advocate

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Borchert, Fandal face off in Oct. 11 vote

BY ANDREW CANULETTE Staff writer

The two candidates in the special election for Slidell Mayor have campaigned for the job longer than a victory on Oct. 11 will guarantee as the city’s chief executive. But that’s done little to dim the competitive ﬁre between current Slidell Mayor Bill Borchert and Slidell Police Chief Randy Fandal as they battle to ﬁnish the incomplete term of former Mayor Greg Cromer who resigned in January

to take a job in Gov. Jeff Landry’s administration. Cromer was elected to a second term as the Camellia City’s mayor without opposition in 2022. After running unsuccessfully for St. Tammany Parish President in 2023, Cromer traded the remainder of his mayoral term for the job as liaison between the Governor’s Ofﬁce and the Department of Transportation and Development. As the City Council member at large with the most votes in the 2022 election, Borchert was named mayor in January when Cromer stepped down. Whoever wins the Oct. 11 election will be mayor through June 30, a run of approximately 8 1/2 months that would complete the four-year term Cromer won in 2022.

Both Borchert and Fandal would be eligible to run for a full fouryear term in the 2026 Municipal Primary New candidates could qualify for the office, as well, though all talk in Slidell has been on the special election that ﬁnally will be decided Oct. 11.

Regardless of Saturday’s victor, another mayoral election will take place April 18 with a runoff, if necessary scheduled for May 30.

Borchert, a local businessman, served two terms as the District G Council member before twice winning city-wide at-large seats Fandal, a lifelong police officer, was elected Slidell’s Police Chief in December 2016 following former

chief Randy Smith’s election as St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Fandal finished Smith’s term and twice more was elected chief — without opposition in 2018 and with 82% of the vote in a head-tohead race against Rhett Rodriguez in 2022. Registered voters from Wards 8 & 9 (Slidell proper and surrounding areas) also will decide if they want to extend a $39 annual parcel fee to beneﬁt the St. Tammany

Woman who lodged 150+ complaints created job posting at request of board chair

BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer

When the St. Tammany Library Board of Control shared the job posting for a new parish library director last week, it raised some eyebrows at Parish President Mike Cooper’s ofﬁce. The formatting of the job posting seemed off and it was unlike that of similar parish job postings, according to Cooper’s spokesperson, Michael Vinsanau.

The job posting, it turns out, was generated with Perplexity artiﬁcial intelligence software by Connie Phillips, a St. Tammany Parish resident who helped found the St. Tammany Library Accountability Project and, at one point, had lodged more than 150 challenges of material in the parish’s public library Cooper called the job posting “unprofessional” and an “embarrassment.” The library director will oversee a budget of more than $13 million and direct 113 full-time and 41 part-time employees. “The drafting of the job description by an outside source is inappropriate, and whomever allowed this to occur should be removed from the (Library Board of Control) for this obvious lapse in judgment,” Cooper said in a statement.

PHOTO BY MATT DOBBINS

Makaylah Dowell sits on a Slidell Police motorcycle with an assist from SPD’s Chris Sevin during the National Night Out hosted by Slidell Police. ä More photos. PAGE 4A

STAFF PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER

The St. Tammany Parish Fair is a multiday event and it’s sometimes necessary to take a little break. Jaxtyn Walters and Wyatt Oubre, both 11, take theirs on a couple of accommodating cows as

ST. TAMMANY PARISH FAIR

Roman Theriot, 9, and Royal Theriot, 8, pose as they have fun during the annual St. Tammany Parish Fair in Covington on Oct. 3.

Wyatt Oubre hangs out on a cow as he hands out with friends during the fair

Jaee Prysock performs.

St. Tammany Parish Fair

St. Tammany Parish Fair visitors ride the rides.

Eggs win ribbons in the Floral and Crop Exhibits building .

Ribbons are awarded to watermelons in the Floral and Crop Exhibits.

walk

St. Tammany Parish Fairgrounds. Sweets

Tailynn Dillard, 12, sits with Syd, a Nigerian dwarf goat at the fairgrounds.

There’s nothing quite like the St. Tammany Parish Fair for its fans each year

STAFF PHOTOS BY SOPHIA GERMER

The St. Tammany Parish Fair holds something special for everyone. For Vincent Arona and 1-year-old Finn, it was a few gentle moments with Rosie, a dwarf Dexter calf.

ST. TAMMANY PARISH FAIR

Chuck Branton, chair of the board that will pick the new director, argued there was nothing wrong with Phillips helping with the job posting. He said Phillips is a friend of his and that the job posting reﬂected what he and Phillips had discussed.

“(Phillips) put together what I asked her to put together That is my document. People want to complain about it, let them complain to me,” Branton said in an interview Phillips said in a text message that “it was a ﬁve-minute courtesy to help people who had not done this before.” She added, “I would run another query for them if they needed it.”

‘The issue is not the use of AI’

The controversy around Phillips’ role in the job posting comes as political and religious groups have started to weigh in on the search for a new director in a parish that has been embroiled in a yearslong controversy over library books with LGBTQ+ and sexual themes.

Longtime Library Director Kelly LaRocca left the post in September

The library board has voted against hiring a consultant to help ﬁnd a new director, something that Cooper, who sits on the board, had advocated for Instead, at Branton’s suggestion, the board established a search committee consisting of Branton and two other board members.

Phillips and Branton discussed the job posting multiple times, Branton said. He said the committee approved Phillips’ document at a meeting on Sept. 29.

The job posting, which is on the library system’s website, calls for someone with either a master’s degree in library science or a master’s in business administration or equivalent. It lacks many of the details that a 2018 job posting for the same position had, such as the number of library employees or the number of library branches in St. Tammany

“(Phillips) helped me produce a document that was what the committee wanted,” Branton said. He said Phillips does not give him advice on what to do as a board member “I make up my own mind.”

Vinsanau questioned the decision to have Phillips do it.

“It’s inappropriate that it was made by an activist using AI,” Vinsanau said. “It would be inappropriate if this was made by either side.”

Council member Jeff Corbin said Branton should have gone to the library staff for help. “It doesn’t smell right,” Corbin said in an interview. He said the consultant would have cost a fraction of the library’s total budget.

CouncilmemberDavidCougle,who helped found the library accountability project with Phillips, wrote in an email to St. Tammany residents that “considering a consultant would have charged the taxpayers of St. Tammany for the same service, I appreciate Ms. Phillips providing this for free.”

In 2023, the St. Tammany Library was inundated with challenges of books, some of which included LGBTQ+ topics. Phillips at one point had lodged more than 150 “statements of concern” about material in St. Tammany’s library system, though she said she has since retracted them.

The St. Tammany Library Alliance, which was formed to protect access to a diverse range of library books, said “the issue is not the use of AI; the issue is the source of the material,” calling Phillips’ involvement a “profound breach of transparency and fairness in the hiring process.”

“For the integrity of the library system, the Library Alliance demands Mr Branton be immediately removed from his leadership position,” the group said in a statement.

Tammany Parish Fair A cow stands in a pen as

fairgoer looks over the animals. Sharing a moment of duckling love

A rabbit lies in its enclosure at the fair

Riders stand by the pens of some spirited animals at the parish fairgrounds.

Rides at the St. Tammany Parish Fair can bring both smiles and chills.

and fairgoers alike. It

Slidell police Night Out is big hit with the kids

BY SHEILA GRISSETT Staff writer

The Slidell Police Depart-

ment’s National Night Out on Oct. 2 drew plenty of visitors, and with all the law enforcement equipment on hand — from police dogs and two helicopterstoSWATequipmentand police motorcycles it was a specialdrawforkidsofallages

Add to that some trickor-treating, free pizza, food cooked up by the Slidell Police Association and offerings by local businesses, Heritage Park was the happening place to be. Families could make a night of it without spending a dime. National Night Out is an annual event that allows police and other ﬁrst responders to connect with residents at a pressure-free social event in the park.

Kids check out the State Police helicopter

Folsom held its Night Out in late September; the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s office and the city of Mandeville on Oct. 7; and the Covington Police on Oct. 8.

BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer

Many people who spoke before the St. Tammany Parish Council during an Oct. 2 meeting seemed to agree on one thing: Across the parish residential septic systems areleakinguntreatedsewage into the waterways. For several years now, parish officials have been discussing and debating legislationthatwouldrequireinspectionsofresidentialseptic systems every three years. After the Parish Council indefinitely postponed the legislation in 2023, council membersJeffCorbinandJoe Impastato brought it back in

BY ANDREW CANULETTE Staff writer

Oct 15 will be the last day to register to vote in-person for the Nov 15 Municipal Parochial General Election in St. Tammany Parish Anyone wanting to register in person must provide ID that shows a St. Tammany Parish address. St. Tammany Registrar of Voters Ofﬁces are located at 601 N. Jefferson Ave. in Covington, on the ground ﬂoor of the justice center parking garage; and at 520 Old Spanish Trail, Suite 2F, in Slidell (the former Towers Building.)

The ofﬁces are open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays, though the Slidell Office is closed from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch.

Anyone using the Geaux Vote online registration system may register through Oct. 25 If registering by mail, applications must be received or postmarked by Nov 14.

There are three items on the ballot in different areas of St. Tammany on Nov 15. They include: n Voters in Recreation District No. 11 in the Abita Springs area are being asked to supplant a current 10-year, 10-mill property tax with a 20-year 9.26-mill property tax.

The 10-mill tax was approved by voters in 2021 and was estimated to raise approximately $730,000 annually for operation and maintenance of recreation district facilities. The tax is set to expire at the end of 2032.

Property owners would get a slight tax break if the proposal passes, but the district would nearly double its intake (an estimated $1.35 million annually) because of rapid growth in the area.

n Fire Protection District No. 3 in the Lacombe area is asking those voters to accept a single 34.95-mill property tax and do away with a 25.01-mill tax passed in 2021 and another 9.94-mill tax approved in 2017. The 34.95-mill levy is a 20-year proposal that would net approxi-

VOTE

Continued from page 1A

Parish Fire Protection District

No. 1. The fee, which fire district officials say amounts to approximately 11 cents per day for each developed parcel of land in the district, is a 10-year proposal that would generate approximately $1.3 million annually to subsidize the Slidell-area fire district, which serves some 108,000 residents and answered about 10,000 calls in 2024.

The parcel fee first was approved by Slidell-area voters in 2006 following a property tax hiatus that was put in place while residents rebuilt their houses and businesses following the destruction of Hurricane Katrina. The fee was reapproved by voters in 2016

mately $3.464 million annually for ﬁre protection services in the district. A portion of the millage would be paid to state retirement systems.

n Fire Protection District No. 7, which covers a large portion of east-central St. Tammany seeks to renew a 5.21-mill property tax that would bring in approximately $315,900 annually, beginning in 2027 and running through 2036.

Military Road group will host parish, fire officials

The Military Road Alliance will meet Oct. 8 at Boyet Junior High School at 7 p.m.

Speakers will include Chris Tissue, Director of the St. Tammany Parish Dept. of Utilities, who will provide an update on various water line projects underway in the area. Also, representatives of St. Tammany Parish Fire Protection District No. 1 will discuss a renewal of the $39 parcel fee that is collected annually from owners of developed land in the 8th and 9th wards of the parish (Slidell and surrounding unincorporated areas.) The fee, which ﬁrst was approved in 2006 and again in 2016, would extend another 10 years if approved by voters on the Oct. 11 ballot. The parcel fee raises approximately $1.3 million annually for the Slidell-area fire department, the seventh-largest in the state, according to Fire Chief Chris Kaufmann.

All members of the public are invited to attend MRA meetings. The Alliance does not endorse individual candidates for ofﬁce, but from time to time may take a position on parish issues and initiatives, such as bond issues, taxes and renewals. For more information, call MRA President Robert Broome at (985) 774-1662 or go to the group’s Facebook page, https://facebook.com/ mraslidell.

and Fire District No. 1 Chief Chris Kaufmann said the fee is crucial to his agency because it allows for guaranteed revenue, not to mention ﬁnancial diversity, during disasters such as Katrina or during economic turndowns.

All polls throughout Wards 8 and 9 will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Oct. 11. Only registered voters who are Slidell residents can cast a ballot in the mayoral election, though anyone voting on Oct. 11 can participate in the ﬁre department’s parcel fee renewal. All voters must have valid ID to cast a ballot.

For more information on the Oct. 11 election, go online to www.sosla.gov, www stprov.org, or www sttammanyclerk.org.

Email Andrew Canulette at acanulette@sttammanyfarmer net

August, but with a signiﬁcant update: Homeowners would no longer have to pay for the inspections, thanks to money provided by St. Tammany Mosquito Abatement, the agencythathandlesmosquito spraying in the parish. Previously,inspectionswouldhave cost $100. But the council didn’t bite. In August, it postponed the legislation again, this time to October In the meantime, Impastato and Corbin made other changes, like lowering the fines homeowners have to payiftheydon’tcomplyfrom $100 a day to $100 a month, and allowing residents to pay for a private company to con-

duct the inspections instead of the parish’s Department of Environmental Services. Corbin and Impastato also have changed the area in which inspections will be required. Now, inspections will be limited to below the parish’surbangrowthboundary, which is currently set well north of I-12. That has brought on board council member Cheryl Tanner who said in an interview that the vast majority of her council district will now not be subject to inspection requirements.

But while environmental groups like the Pontchartrain Conservancy and North ShoreRiverWatchexpressed

support of the legislation during the council’s Oct. 2 meeting, some council members continued to argue the legislation was too-far reaching. Some residents also raised concerns about affording repairs for failing septic systems.

A ‘Band-Aid’

To help households pay for repairs or replacements for septic systems, Corbin said the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development has grants available for households under certain income levels. To help low-income residents with household incomes over that threshold, meanwhile,

Corbin said the council is working to ﬁnd credit unions and banks that can provide low-income loans.

“We know, if we do nothing, what the outcome will be,” Corbin said in an interview

He argues the legislation will help spread awareness among citizens about the problem: Up to 50% of the approximately 36,000 on-site sewage disposal systems, commonly called septic systems, are failing by some estimates. “It will drive education of residents of St. Tammany.”

Council member Arthur Laughlin, meanwhile, who supported postponing the

ordinance until January, blamed parish government and past elected parish ofﬁcials for allowing the spread of septic systems in the ﬁrst place. “The last thing we can do is blame y’all for our mistake,” he told residents at the meeting.

“I think all of us agree we need to do something, but we disagree on what the solution is,” Laughlin said later in an interview He said he wanted to concentrate efforts on establishing a regional sewer system and at the same time study the causes of pollution in the waterways, saying he thought larger treatment plants could be driving the issue.

PHOTOS BY MATT DOBBINS

Scarlett Babin hangs from her dad, Steven Babin while her twin, Steele Babin, is perched on his uncle Stefan Pichon.

Brantley and Maddelynn Baker sit in the Slidell Police Department SWAT truck.

FROM SHADOWS TO SPOTLIGHT

The St. Tammany Parish social calendar is ﬁlled with important events throughout the year. We’ve asked organizers to help us highlight people who work behind the scenes to quietly make our most beloved events successful We’re calling the feature “From Shadows to Spotlight” and letting it be a reminder that not only is one of our area’s biggest events coming up, but also to remind readers the tremendous effect one caring person can have on our community. Be well!

Andrew Canulette, editor, St. Tammany Farmer

Sue Wilder is a force behind Wild Things in Lacombe

BY JESSICA SAGGIO

Contributing writer

Money doesn’t grow on trees, but wildlife volunteer Sue Wilder makes sure it grows for trees. And animals. And the bayou And the preservation of the Louisiana ecosystem, among a long list of other things that the Friends of the Louisiana Wildlife Refuges nonproﬁt supports Wilder is the quiet number cruncher behind the Friends’ organization, its treasurer But she’s also the one who co-coordinates Wild Things, a fan-favorite nature event hosted at the Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge in Lacombe every year The event connects visitors with nature through experiences with live animals, boat rides, canoe tours, exhibitions, a 5K, live music and food It returns Oct. 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Wilder works for months in preparation alongside Ranger Rebecca Larkins to make the event a success each year

While the event is free for guests, it’s also the biggest fundraiser for the Friends organization. Proceeds from sponsorships and food sales beneﬁt the nonproﬁt, and Wilder is the champion behind the scenes making that happen

The nonproﬁt supports the refuges through various efforts to bolster visitor services. Wilder not only handles the coordination of the sponsors, but she also oversees even the tiny details like making sure there are cash drawers or ways for people to pay via credit card Larkins handles the exhibitors while Wilder manages the donations, sponsorships, music, food and bookkeeping. And for an event that attracts more than 7,000 people every year that can be a big job but a job well worth it, she said.

“We call Sue ‘Super Sue’ here at the Southeast Louisiana National Wildlife complex,” said Larkins. “Sue is always there to lend a hand, have a listening ear or brainstorm what we can do to connect

Krewe of Bogue Falaya names Tim Lantrip grand marshal for 2026

BY LISA VON EBERSTEIN

Contributing writer

Carnival spirit pulsed in the heart of Covington as the Krewe of Bogue Falaya revealed its 2026 grand marshal, English Tea Room & Eatery owner Tim Lantrip, during its annual soiree and ﬂoat selection on Sept 30 at the Southern Hotel.

Lantrip, a longtime community leader and business owner, was honored before krewe members, elected ofﬁcials and parade supporters. “This year’s chosen grand marshal is really special to the community,” said Co-Captain Amy Tucker

“So, what’s unique about this krewe is that we are primarily a business-run Mardi Gras. (It’s) not a typical krewe. Our businesses support this. And then what they do is, they support their employees and families and let them ride as a treat,” she said. The krewe also donates to a nonproﬁt selected each year by the grand marshal.

Lantrip has made his popular tea room a destination for culture and hospitality, and he also has worked in construction, real estate and banking. He received the St. Tammany Parish President’s Award and the Patron of the Arts Award, and is active in the Covington Garden Club and Church of the King in Mandeville.

“As a business owner and active community member, he is beloved by so many and will serve our krewe well,” said Captain Larry Rolling.

Following the announcement, a beaming Lantrip said, “I want to live in St Tammany Parish. It’s the best place in the world. And the best place in St. Tammany, to me, is Covington. It’s such a privilege to do this.”

The event also buzzed with the excitement of ﬂoat selection, as a representative from each participating business selected a ﬂoat theme in the order of numbers they drew

The 2026 theme, “Reality of Imagination,” will feature 24 floats, 800 riders, marching bands and community groups on Mardi Gras, Feb. 17. Many of the krewe’s throws are unique and branded to the businesses. New for the parade this year will be the Krewe of Karts, 20 decorated golf carts competing for the Best Kart title. Also new for the krewe will be its Inaugural Masquerade Ball on Jan. 17 at The River Mill Center in Covington. “It’s going to be so dark and sexy and wonderful,” Tucker said.

Parade festivities begin on Lundi Gras, Feb. 16, with Lantrip arriving by boat on the Bogue Falaya. A second-line will parade to the Southern Hotel for a ceremony and presentation of keys to the city to Lantrip, followed by a Champagne and king cake celebration open to the public Parish President Mike Cooper praised the krewe’s growth.

“We’ve ﬁnally come to not being just a little local parade, but now a parade that everybody looks forward to on Mardi Gras Day Those that were going across the lake, or going to Mobile, or going to Alexandria for Mardi Gras, are now staying in Covington for Mardi Gras, because this is the place to be the culture, the character of Covington, is where people want to be. We’re so happy that we brought it to this point.”

For more information, log on to carnivalincovington.com.

WILD THINGS

WHAT: An annual event that connects people with nature by providing hands-on experiences

WHERE: Bayou Laombe Visitor Center grounds, 61389 La. 434, Lacombe.

WHAT ELSE: Live critters and nature exhibits, boat and canoe rides, a 5K, live music, kids activities and food/beverages for sale

WHEN: Oct. 11 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

HOW MUCH: Event is free for guests, but raises for money for Friends through sponsor fees, food sales, etc.

MORE INFO: Call (985) 882-2000 or go to www flwr.org/event-details/wildthings-2025-1

people to nature.”

And that’s the ultimate goal, explained Wilder: Connect people to nature and ignite a passion to preserve the area’s natural resources for generations to come.

“I’m doing work that enhances the conservation of wildlife and helps people understand the importance of it,” said Wilder “ We touch a lot of people at one event that can change the minds of younger people so they can, in turn, help preserve the natural resources for the future.”

Wilder is no stranger to wildlife conservation, either She spent a career in the ﬁeld, working as a refuge employee for 25 years. But when she retired in 2018, it didn’t take long for her to dive right back in, this time as a volunteer, joining the board of the Friends organization. It’s a “personal investment,” she explained — and one that really matters to her She joked that her drive to work was an hour from her home in Long Beach, Mississippi, but even after she retired, she kept making the commute to volunteer But hey that’s what you do for a place you love, she said.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Sue Wilder is treasurer of the nonprofit Friends of the Louisiana Wildlife Rufuges and a quiet, but powerful, force behind the popular Wild Things nature event coming up Oct. 11 at the Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge in Lacombe.

PHOTO BY BOBBY GILBOY

Krewe of Bogue Falaya Capt. Larry Rolling; Jan Lantrip; 2026 Krewe Grand Marshal Tim Lantrip; and Krewe Co-Captain Amy Tucker

Hospital fundraiser near Covington targets cancer

The St. Tammany Cancer Center — A Campus of Ochsner Medical Center — held its Gala at The Greenwood near Covington on Oct 2 to raise money to help better the lives of northshore cancer patients and their families by helping provide advanced comprehensive cancer care and compassionate support. Attendees, many wearing themed cocktail attire, stepped into a jungle-like party venue with music by Groovy 7, entertainers, a live auction and a rafﬂe. It was a night that combined fun and fundraising, giving and hope, in the continuing battle against cancer

History lover Ron Usner to curate the Slidell Museum

BY JESSICA SAGGIO

Contributing writer

Ron Usner can rattle off a dozen stories about the old days in Slidell. He remembers when NASA employees started taking up residence in the area, the days before Textron became an industrial hub and when Slidell High was the only high school in town. He moved to Slidell when he was 9, he said, and now, at nearly 80 years old, he has seen a complete transformation of the town he has called home for nearly all of his life. And that’s why when Mayor Bill Borchert offered him the opportunity to curate the Slidell Museum, he jumped at the opportunity “It just fell right in my lap,” said Usner Usner has always been enthralled with history, he said. He has a degree in sociology and a master’s in history, and despite a career in banking and ﬁnance, studying the days of yesteryear has always been a passion. And in Slidell, he, too, is a piece of that history

“A lot of things presented in the museum, I grew up with,” he said. Usner takes on the part-time role following the departure of John Fitzmorris, who served as the acting curator over the summer before leaving to resume teaching duties at the University of New Orleans.

“We are excited to announce that Mr Ron is the new curator of the Slidell Museum,” said Alex Carollo, director of the city’s Department of Cultural & Public Affairs.

“With his extensive education and experience, he brings a wealth of knowledge about Slidell’s history He looks forward to learning even more about Slidell and sharing our community’s story with both residents and visitors.”

Usner will take over the duties of managing the museum, guiding guests and continuing “the museum’s mission of collecting, researching, preserving, and sharing Slidell’s history.”

The museum is open Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m to 4 p.m., at 2020 First St Admission is free, but large groups are encouraged to schedule a tour ahead of time.

Usner

PHOTOS BY BOBBY GILBOY

Scott Sharp, Tristin Avant, Laurie Blasini, Angela Avant, Sandra Dipietro, Alex Dipietro (in hat)

Renee Christman, Emily Revere, Anna Johnston

Rebecca Hernandez, Manny Dominguez

Melanie Rudolph, Steve Coffman, Hannah Billiot

Joan Coffman, Mary Gardner, Kevin Gardner

Randy and Tiffany Ford, Kristy Cessna and Dash Cessna

Courtney Knott

Fall Seminar offers holiday ideas, seed saving tips

BY SUZIE HUNT

Contributing writer

An internationally recognized ﬂoral designer and a renowned horticulturist dedicated to preserving heirloom seed will headline the 2025 Fall Seminar sponsored by the St. Tammany Master Gardener Association and LSU Ag Center on Oct. 17 in Mandeville.

Laura Dowling, a former chief floral designer at the White House, will lecture on “The Art of Holiday Design,” and John Coykendall, the longtime master gardener at Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee, will share his deep knowledge of conserving heirloom plants and seeds.

In addition to horticultural superstar speakers, there will also be plant- and garden-friendly shopping provided by local businesses and sponsors said Earlyn Jaster, association president and chair for the event.

The seminar will be held at Church of the King, 22205 Little Creek Road, from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

“On the stage, Laura will decorate a fresh 10-foot-tall Fraser ﬁr brought in from a tree farm in Asheville, North Carolina. She’ll be sharing her tips and tricks to producing a gorgeous tree,” said Jaster Dowling will also create wreaths, garlands and topiaries using fresh plants and materials.

Dowling was the White House chief ﬂoral designer from 2009-2015, chosen after a nationwide search and only the sixth person to ever hold that position. She is the author of several books and is known for her artistic, French-inspired and garden-style designs.

At the seminar she will sign copies of her latest book, “Designing Christmas,” released last month.

Coykendall’s presentation, “Seed Saving and Preserving One Seed at a Time,” is also bound to interest gardeners who share his passion for conserving seed planted by previous generations For almost 30 years, Coykendall, who is also a classically trained artist, has been the master gardener at Blackberry Farm, described by Garden & Gun magazine as a “lavish epicurean resort” in the Smoky Mountains. Coykendall’s story and his mission as a well-known “seed saver” across the South has been chronicled in a PBS documentary In it, he declared of heirloom seed, “I can’t let these things be lost under my care.”

Jaster said he will talk about the process of rescuing such pass-along seed and heirloom plants.

“John will tell us ﬁrsthand stories about his passion for collecting and recording rare seeds, as well as stories about the rhythms of daily life on farms across generations,” said Jaster According to the Blackberry Farm website, the documentary and other sources,

John Coykendall, the longtime Master Gardener at Blackberry Farm in Tennessee and a renowned heirloom seed conservationist, will share stories and advice from his decades of experience with attendees at the upcoming St. Tammany Master Gardener Association’s 2025 Fall Seminar

Coykendall has been a longtime participant in the Washington Parish Fair in nearby Franklinton. And for more than four decades, he has traveled from the Volunteer State to Louisiana, forging longlasting friendships with local farmers and gardeners, collecting oral histories, “recipes and wisdom and certainly saving and swapping seed.”

Coykendall will be available at the seminar to sign copies of his book, “Preserving Our Roots: My Journey to Save Seeds and Stories.”

Presented by the St. Tammany Parish Master Gardener Association, the fall seminar is one of the group’s largest fundraisers of the year, and Jaster said proceeds from the day will help to support the organization’s 21 outreach projects throughout the parish.

Some of those include the Lacombe Butterﬂy Garden, Lang House Museum, the herb gardens at several St Tammany public libraries and the Florida Parishes Juvenile Detention Center The group also sponsors “Ask a Master Gardener” information booths at the farmers markets in Slidell and Covington.

Doors open at 8 a.m. and the program begins at 9:30 a.m. Tickets are $60 per person and include lunch. All seats are reserved.

St. Tammany Master Gardeners will also hold a rafﬂe during the event to give away one of the demonstration pieces Dowling creates during her presentation.

For more information or to buy tickets, go to www.stmastergardender.org/event while tickets last.

St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce co-hosting National Civics Bee

Staff report

The St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce is partnering with its parent organization to bring the National Civics Bee to south Louisiana, an annual initiative that invites students in grades sixth through eighth to showcase their civics knowledge, engage in their communities, and build trust in others and institutions through a nonpartisan competition.

The National Civics Bee begins with a written essay and culminates in live events at the regional state and national levels where

students can compete for cash prizes at each level. Finalists who advance to the National Championship in Washington, D.C., will also compete for national recognition and a $100,000 contribution to a 529 education savings plan. The ﬁrstplace winner in each state may also secure a $5,000 donation for their school.

“Informed and active citizens contribute to a strong country a strong economy and a strong workforce,” says Michelle Biggs, vice president of the St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce. “Unfortunately in today’s society, the lack of

civil discourse on social media reduces the value and substance of political debate. With this exciting program, we can turn to civics to teach us how to disagree agreeably and move forward together When students learn about our nation’s past they are more prepared to deal with issues in the present and future.”

The essay application portal opened Sept. 8 and closes Feb. 3, 2026, and south Louisiana students are invited to apply. For more information, visit https://sttammanychamber org/civicsbee/.

Wooden Boat Festival poster revealed in Madisonville

BY LISA VON EBERSTEIN

Contributing writer

Growing up visiting Madisonville relatives, Mackenzie Stewart rarely missed a Wooden Boat Festival. Now at 22, she’s one of the youngestartiststodesignitsofﬁcial poster, unveiled Sept. 25 at the Maritime Museum Louisiana, just ahead of the Oct 18-19 event in town along the Tchefuncte River

Each year, the museum commissions a new design as the festival’s signature artwork. Alexis Hocevar, board president, said the selection committee asked artists to capture not only wooden boatsbutthefullcharacterof the event — from the music andvendorstoMadisonville’s historic lighthouse. Stewart didexactlythat,pullingthose elements together into one image.

Her colorful painting in acrylics depicts the Tchefuncte River, the lighthouse in the distance, the Maritime Museum, vendor tents and a nod to the festival’s popular “Quick nDirty”boatbuilding contest and race.

“I grew up on the (Tickfaw) River and have been coming to the Wooden Boat Festival since I was a baby,” Stewart said. “I’ve always had strong relationships here, and it felt like a second home most of the time, but I’ve been familiar with obviously the lighthouse, and the museum and that was kind of the inspiration behind everything.

She earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of South Alabama and is pursuing a master’s degree at Southeastern Louisiana University “Art’s always just been kind of a constant, though, in the background,” she said.

WOODEN BOAT FESTIVAL EVENTS

WHAT: Maritime Mania Pirate Party with pirate-themed costumes, live music, food and silent auction kicks off the festival.

WHEN: Oct. 17, 7:30-10:30 p.m.

WHERE: 133 Mabel Dr., Madisonville

HOW MUCH: Mania tickets are $75 each or $125 per couple and available online at maritimemuseumlouisiana.org/maniatickets

NEXT: Wooden Boat Festival

WHAT: More than 100 wooden boats on display, food and art/ craft vendors, live music, children’s activities and the “Quick ‘n Dirty” boatbuilding contest/race

WHEN: Oct. 18-19, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. each day

WHERE: Tchefuncte riverfront in historic Madisonville

HOW MUCH: Fest tickets are $15 for ages 13 and up; 12 and under, free; available at the gate or online at maritimemuseumlouisiana.org/woodenboatfestivaltickets

Stewart has also designed poster art for the Amite Oyster Festival the SLU School of Nursing gala and now the Maritime Museum. She has been an art vendor at the WoodenBoatFestivalandthe Music & Art Festival.

“She does really nice stuff that’s unique,” Hocevar said.

The two-day Wooden Boat Festival, presented by Maritime Museum Louisiana, draws scores of boats and thousands of visitors for live music, food and maritime traditions. Proceeds benefit the museum and its efforts, including preservation of the historic lighthouse at the mouth of the Tchefuncte.

“My main focus was the museum being recognized in the poster because they put on the festival every year Without the museum, the festival would not occur,” Stewart said.

PROVIDED PHOTOS

Laura Dowling, a former chief floral designer at the White House, will lecture on “The Art of Holiday Design’ at the 2025 Fall Seminar sponsored by the St. Tammany Master Gardener Association and the LSU AgCenter on Oct. 17 near Mandeville.

PROVIDED PHOTO

At 22, Mackenzie Stewart is one of the youngest artists to design an official poster for the Wooden Boat Festival.

25 years ago

St. Tammany Parish Hospital has appointed its new chief operating executive after a three-month national search.

Patti Ellish, who currently is chief operating officer of Memorial Health System of East Texas in Lufkin, was appointed by the hospital’s board of directors at its meeting Monday night. Ellish was chosen after a search firm, Pitts Management, reviewed 350 candidates for the job. The field was narrowed to a few candidates who were interviewed by a physician-led search committee.

Hospital board chairman John Evans said Ellish is a good ﬁt for St. Tammany

“She brings energy, experience and vision to the position, and we are delighted to have her on board,” Evans said.

Ellish was appointed by a unanimous vote of the board. She was unavailable for comment, with a spokesperson for the Texas hospital saying Ellish was ill and left work early Tuesday.

Last week, two candidates (including Ellish) came back for interviews, and the board ﬁnally narrowed its choice to Ellish. She has been serving as CEO of the Texas hospital system for the past ﬁve years It includes a 235-bed main facility, plus 3 acute care hospitals and a long-term acute care facility, all in Lufkin.

Prior to joining Memorial Health system, Ellish was director of nursing at West Jefferson Medical Center in Jefferson Parish. She also has experience in hospital construction logistics. Ellis earned a master’s degree in hospital administration from Tulane University in 1994 and as a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

50 years ago

The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway was closed briefly Sunday morning when a runaway tugboat threatened to hit the world’s longest bridge The Coast Guard was successful in rescuing the four-man crew, one of which was Kenneth Alexius, of Folsom

The 65-foot tugboat, the Herb S., capsized after drifting out of control at around 5:24 a.m. Sunday A Coast Guard helicopter and a 40foot cutter were dispatched to the scene about 1/2-mile east of the Causeway and 51/2 miles from the south shore.

Others rescued from the boat were identiﬁed as J.D. Warren of Franklinton, Vernon Saxton of Gretna, and James Courtney of Marrero. The vessel was owned by Schouest Marine Service, Inc, of Harvey, it was said, and is now awaiting salvage operations. The cause of the accident was being investigated Monday

The Causeway Commission last week instituted ﬁnancial arrangements leading to installation of a warning system to tell of tugboat collisions with the bridge. Such events have caused the deaths of nine persons since 1955, it was said, thus prompting the closing of the bridge Sunday morning upon notiﬁcation of the runaway tug.

75 years ago

Three Covington sisters, Miriam, Louise and Virginia Gaines, all pitched their lot with Uncle Sam this week when they enlisted in the armed forces of their country The sisters became Women of the Air Force (WAF) on Tuesday, after leaving Covington on the 6 a.m. bus for New Orleans where they were given ﬁnal instructions by Corp. Sue G. Fine, non-commissioned ofﬁcer in charge of WAC-WAF procurement.

They have a brother, Pfc. Cecil Roy Gaines, already in the service, stationed in Hawaii as a telephone technician Roy has been in the Army more than two years now

The three sisters enlisted for a period of four years period they left New Orleans Wednesday for Lackland Air Force Base at San Antonio, Tex. for basic training, which will take six weeks. After ﬁnishing, they will be sent to a specialists’ school. They are the daughters of Mr and Mrs. M. L. Gaines, 206 Kemper St., Covington

100 years ago

The first Teachers’ Institute of the session was held at the new Covington high school Saturday with Superintendent Elmer E. Lyon presiding

There were 89 teachers present and 15 absent. After the business session, Mr A.B. Church state agent of the Insurance Company of North America, and Mr S. L. Webb, representing the Louisiana Fire Prevention Bureau, addressed the assembly Several means by which the school will get special reductions in their insurance rates were pointed out, such as doing away with all dark closets, teaching ﬁre prevention and holding regular inspections. Those appointed delegates to attend the state convention of teachers, which will be held in Baton Rouge in November, were Supt. Lyon, Prof Radcliffe, Miss Magnolia Thom and Mr Wingo. Besides the delegates many of the teachers contemplate attending the convention.

125 years ago

LOST On the Military Road between the 3-mile still and Covington, one pair of gold spectacles, in black case. Case is marked Griswold. A reward of $5 will be paid for their return to this ofﬁce Geo. Menetre.

A mega tailgate party in Covington helps others

The Exchange Club of West St. Tammany held its annual Ultimate Tailgate Party on Sept. 27 at the Covington Trailhead, partying to help kick off football seasons for the Saints, LSU and Tulane, while raising money to help northshore children and families who need a hand. It was a great way to bring tailgaters and sports fans together to party for a good cause.

Rebecca and Owen Birkett with daughter Brianna

Randy Thompson and Michelle Barcelona

PHOTOS BY HERB GOMEZ Matt Rolf, Rachael Rolf Brooke Jakins, Tyler Duplechin

Jamie Ray Brittany, Nicole Moreau, Sara Stoltz

Gloria Beacham, Soul Saint, Sister Soul

Geoff Philippus, Ashley Jakins, Brooke Jakins

Edna Wikel, Liz Broekman, Aimee Eeikel, Tiffany Turner Phillip Davis

Four Unplugged entertained the Exchange Club of West St. Tammany crowd gathered in Covington to start the football season.

Seasonal events all over St. Tammany in October

It’s that time of year again, and there’s plenty of festivities for everyone in St. Tammany Parish. Monster Mash, Oct. 18

Tote the kids out for a good time and a good cause at the annual Monster Mash at Bogue Falaya Park in Covington from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.The event includes trick-or-treating, cookie decorating, music, crafts and carnival rides, among other activities.Advance tickets for children are $15, or $20 at the gate Adult tickets are $5 and those under age 2 are free. Proceeds from the event benefit the St. Tammany Health System Parenting Center Field of Screams, Oct. 18

For those who dare, take a terrifying sunset stroll down the Blue Swamp Creek Nature Trail in Covington.The city’s fire and police departments have teamed up to create “eerie stage scenes” along the trail with a host of unexpected haunts showing up along the route In other words, be ready for a few jump scares.This event is free and intended for older children, teens and adults. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.

Nightmare on Columbia, Oct 18

The cocktails, mocktails, beer and wine will flow on Columbia Street for this Halloween tradition The annual event takes place on Columbia Street in Covington and features a host of tents to sample different beverages, a costume contest and live music.This adults-only Halloween party starts with a 5 p.m. sampling of all the yummies, followed by DJ music at the city trailhead beginning at 7:30 p.m. and the costume contest at 8 p.m.Tickets cost $45. Trick-or-treat at Fontainebleau, Oct 18 & 25

For those looking to get their candy fix a little early, check out the trick-or-treat event at Fontainebleau State Park near Mandeville from 4 p.m to 6 p.m.The trick-or-treating will take place in the campground area of the park, and all roads that intertwine through that portion will be closed. Cost to participate is the regular park fee of $3 per person.Those under age 3 or over 65 are free.

Whisperings, Oct. 19

When history and Halloween collide, it can get a bit spooky And that’s exactly what is expected to happen at this season’s Whisperings event hosted by the Covington Heritage Foundation. The event will be hosted at the old Seiler Hotel, which is now the Columbia Street Taproom, from 5 p.m to 7 p.m. Here, guests will unpack the secrets of the historic hotel that was once known as the “headquarters for traveling men.”

Learn about the chilling history of the Seiler family and perhaps meet one of the haunts that still call it home.The event is sold out due to a limited capacity, but Whisperings is a Halloween staple each year on the west side of the parish.

Make note for next year if you don’t already have tickets.

Aldersgate UMC Trunk or Treat, Oct. 19

A community favorite in Slidell,Aldersgate

United Methodist Church’s trunk or treat is back for another year The candy extravaganza will feature more than 40 decorated trunks full of goodies and will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.The event will also include face painting, a cake walk, yard games, a selfie station and visits from the Slidell Fire Department and St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office.Admission is free.

Slidell Zombie Crawl, Oct. 24

Look alive, zombies! It’s almost time to crawl down to Olde Towne Slidell for another favorite Halloween pastime.The Slidell Zombie Crawl, suitable for all ages, features trick-or-treating, live music, costume contests, bounce houses, face painting pumpkin decorating and local art vendors.This year’s crawl will take place from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. throughout the Olde Towne Slidell/downtown area.This is a free and pet-friendly event sponsored by the Olde Towne Merchants Association.

ACCESS Boo Fest, Oct. 25

Dozens of civic groups and more will set up along the walking path and green space adjacent to Lakeview Regional Medical Center,

95 Judge Tanner Blvd., between Covington and Mandeville, for the annual ACCESS Louisiana Boo Fest. For only $2 per person, guests can visit six different on-site trick-or-treat “neighborhoods”, as well as decorate pumpkins, have fun with arts, crafts, games, face painting, a photo booth and more. Food and drinks will available for purchase, too. Children are encouraged to costume for the title of “Scariest,”

“Most Original” and the coveted “Kids Choice” Award.All proceeds go to ACCESS (Adapting and Changing Children’s Environments with Successful Solutions) Louisiana, which benefits children with disabilities and their families. Gates open at 9 a.m. for families with special-needs children and the general public is welcome from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, go online to accesslouisiana.org.

Pearl River Trunk or Treat, Oct. 25 Venture over to Pearl River for another opportunity to load those buckets with a little extra sugar This year’s free trunk or treat will take place from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Honey Island Swamp Museum and Research Center Horror in Nature at Castine Center, Oct. 28 What’s a horror flick without deep, dark woods or a spooky swamp? Nature often sets the scene for terrifying tales and horror films.

Come learn about their parallels from Master Naturalist Jessica McDaniel at the Castine Center at Pelican Park near Mandeville.This educational and free event will take place at 6:30 p.m. and will leave guests with a new appreciation of how nature shapes the genre that “helps us experience and confront our fears.”While no gory or inappropriate materials will be shown, this event is best for ages 10 and up.

Trick-or-Treat at Rev Peter Atkins Park, Oct. 31

For a family night of fun on Halloween, bring the kiddos to the Peter Atkins Park in Covington for a free trick-or-treating event.The soiree will take place from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and feature face painting, candy, Halloween crafts, games and costume contests.

Abita Springs Trunk-or-Treat, Oct. 31

Take a hike to the Abita Springs Trailhead on Halloween from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. for the town’s All Hallows’ Eve celebration.The trunk or treat event features, of course, trick-or-treating but also food, games, a photo booth and a haunted house.This event is free and hosted by the town of Abita Springs.

Compiled by Jessica Saggio

Fall for Art to focus on Michael Guidry’s vibrant work

BY SARAH BONNETTE Contributing writer

Asachild,NewOrleansartist Michael Guidry distinctly remembers a ﬁeld trip to the New Orleans Museum of Art to see displayed artifacts from King Tut’s reign in ancient Egypt.

“Leading up to it, we did a deep dive into everything about the discovery and Egyptian art. It probably was close to being one of my ﬁrst introductions to art,” he said. Guidry has parlayed his early fascination with Egyptian art into his modern nature paintings by working in variationsofatheme,orwhat he calls “motifs.”

In one collection, he depicted right-facing alligators. Some interact with butterflies, hummingbirds and other in-flight creatures; others are surrounded by shells and flowers. He’s also painted singular pineapples against brocade backgrounds, different portraits of Napoleon, birds in flight, and more.

“Once I’ve developed a motif, the profile is almost always facing the same way Then, I just apply new ideas and change around the story or the components,” he said adding that he’s recreating elements from Japanese antiqueprintsinhislatestpaintings.

Art lovers will get the chance to see 12 of Guidry’s large-scale oil paintings when his new solo exhibition, “LouisianaNaturePaintings,” opens Oct. 11 in the Barranger Gallery of the St. Tammany Art Association. The exhibition’s reception will be part of Fall for Art, STAA’s autumnal celebration of the arts in downtown Covington. ThefreeeventwillincludemusicbySoulTribeand Cameron Hartill and dance

PROVIDED PHOTO Fall for Art will include an opening reception for ‘Louisiana Nature Paintings,’ an exhibition of new work by New Orleans artist Michael Guidry, in the Barranger Gallery of the Art House. Guidry creates modern versions of Louisiana’s flora and fauna including his ‘White Alligator with Louisiana Iris.

performances from Dancescape Studio. Additionally, businesses will extend their hours to feature live music, artists and shopping. New this year is the Artist Quick Fire Challenge, a competition in which artists will be given a standing easel, canvas, table and just 30 minutes to create a piece of live art.Afterbeingjudgedbythe STAA and Mo’s Art Supply representatives, the winning artistwillgeta$100giftcard.

“It’sgoingtobealotoffun,” said Maggy Case-Eymard said, adding that all the completed pieces will be donated to STAA and auctioned at its next fundraiser

Festivalgoers also can shop for local art at the sprawling art market along Columbia Street, see a pottery dem-

onstration by ceramic artist Vanessa Hock in front of Columbia Street Academy of Art,andsiplibationsfromthe Geaux Mobile Bar near the intersection of Boston and Columbia streets.

Yet all the vibrancy of Fall for Art’s activities will not overshadow Guidry’s vividly colorful works inside the Art House. His eye-catching color palettes were discovered by accident, he says after a foray into working with encaustics for texture.

“Now encaustics is a big industry, but at the time, there weren’t that many available. So, I had to make them all myself. I had these pigments and the wax and I was building these colors,” he says. “I wanted to recreate those textures, so I started making my

own oil paints. I really wanted to reduce my palette, but I was discovering all these colors when I was making them.”

Guidry, who grew up in Metairie, admits to having an artistic mind as a child but didn’t pursue becoming an artist. While earning a degree in journalism at Louisiana State University, he took classes in sculpture and painting to “learn more about it,” he says. “I learned a lot of people don’t have God-given talent,butyoucanteachyourself to do the things you want to do through daily practice. After living in New York City brieﬂy he ultimately re-

FALL FOR ART

WHAT: The St.Tammany Art Association’s autumn celebration of fine art, music, dance and more WHEN: Oct. 11 from 6 to 9 p.m.

WHERE: Downtown Covington HOW MUCH: Free MORE INFO: www.sttammany. art/ffa2025

turned to Louisiana to study at the New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts. “The main reason I wanted to come back to New Orleans was to study

there and learn how everything was done traditionally,” Guidry says, adding that he stillprepshispaintingsurfaces in the way he was taught there. His whimsically narrative interpretations of nature first shown at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and now widely collected — are often inspired by visits tohisonly-accessible-by-boat fishing camp in Lafourche Parish. “There’s a lot of getting lost,” he says of taking his boat out. “You end up sitting up in a little duck pond ﬁshing, and all of the sudden, youstartnoticingeverything. It’s a beautiful thing.”

Halloween season is upon us and festivities are planned for goblins of all ages.

Washboard Chaz Blues Trio to take Dew Drop stage

BY SHEILA GRISSETT Staff writer

The Washboard Chaz Blues Trio will likely play some soul-stirring blues with sounds as timeless as the city of New Orleans itself on Oct. 11 at the Dew Drop Jazz & Social Hall in Old Mandeville.

The group is led by the man himself, Washboard Chaz Leary, a natural who ﬁnds the beauty of busking for strangers on Royal Street one day, then packing in a big festival crowd the next.

You see him everywhere, in the clubs that feel like home and featured in some of New Orleans’ best-known groups, including the Palmetto Bug Stompers, the Tin Men, and his namesake Blues Trio. All three groups played the French Quarter Fest this year, then the trio and Tin Men went on to play Jazz Fest before leaving town for some regular gigs elsewhere. And soon they’ll take over the Dew Drop stage to entertain the crowds that come to see and hear authentic musicians perform authentic music

The trio blends blues into a toe-tapping, heart-thumping experience that goes from the back porch to a street corner celebration, one that keeps audiences grinning, grooving and coming back for more, the Dew Drop says of the musicians who will perform the hall’s second concert of this fall season. The other trio members, Andy J. Forest (songwriter-harmonica player-guitaristsongwriter) and Jonathan Freilich (guitarist-composer-bandleader-teacher), are also

accomplished New Orleans musical journeymen with bios as deep as the river at high tide. Forest, for example, has recorded 23 albums, mostly his original songs, and like Leary and Freilich, plays regularly with several New Orleans groups, as well as touring and playing gigs in

The Mande Milkshakers have another ball in Mandeville

Oh, what a night. Another Polka Dots and Pearls Ball took place in the Castine Center near Mandeville on Sept. 20, a new Milk Queen took her throne and the Mande Milkshakers — who love throwing their big ball each year — did seem to have another night to remember This all-female krewe of walkers, marchers, dancers and philanthropists partied to a theme of “The Time of Our Lives,” and if the pearls ﬁt, wear them And they do. Just spot the dots year-round at multiple fundraisers, community events and parades wearing their signature red and white polka-dot dresses and pearls. Having fun is a mantra of this group, but so is doing good. As part of the ball that was such fun for the Milkshakers, the night’s auction also raised some $20,000 for their designated charity of the year, The Brain Injury Association of Louisiana.

WHO: The Washboard Chaz Blues Trio

WHEN: Oct. 11, from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m; doors open 5:30 p.m.

WHERE: 430 Lamarque St., Mandeville

HOW MUCH: Adults are $10 (cash preferred); kids and students free; no advance tickets sold. WHAT ELSE: Beer, wine, sodas and water (cash only) at the bar Hot plate dinners of fried chicken, fried fish and all the fixins’ sold next door by The First Free Mission Baptist Church (cash preferred).

SEATING: Inside

players in New Orleans.”

meanwhile, has made two

or so Jazz Fest appearances and composes works of jazz, klezmer, chamber music and opera. He formed the Naked on the Floor Quintet and the Naked Orchestra, an experimental orchestra to exclusively play his original compositions. He also co-founded NO Klezmer All-Stars (NOKAS), a pioneering klezmer ensemble that really adds the

PROVIDED PHOTO

The Washboard Chaz Blues Trio includes, from left, Jonathan Freilich, Chaz Leary and Andy J Forest

PROVIDED PHOTO

New Mande Milkshake

Queen Michelle Theriot

Renee Donewar and Judy Jenkins

PHOTOS BY GRANT THERKILDSEN

Jason and Joanna Slaton, Kelvin and Stacey Norman Katie and Brandon Maras

Madeline Lohman, Emily Capenter, Christian Serpas, Melissa Serpas, Glenn Booksh

Darrell Boilselle, Lauri Perry, Christina Hulin

Dana Hubbard and Donielle East-Mitter

Jennifer Kuhne and Chris Lackey

Laighton and Cinamon Higbee

AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOODS

Armed Forces. Program takes place in the Worship Center at 10 a.m. and concludes with lunch at noon. Cost is $15, payable at the door. Registration for this limited-seating event is a must by Oct. 15 at FBCCOV.org/adults-55

AMERICANA: The next Friends of the Slidell Library fall concert series in eastern St. Tammany takes place Oct. 15 from 6 p.m to 7:30 p.m. at the South Slidell branch library 3901 Pontchartrain Drive, with Jupiter Flood playing roots rock folk Americana in the branch meeting room.

THEATER DRAMEDY: See what has been called “the funniest (story) ever to make you cry” with the Oct. 10-19 production of “Steel Magnolias” at Slidell

tle Theatre. Written by Robert Harling and directed by Karen Shields, the story revolves around six Southern women in Chinquapin, La., who bond over life’s joys and its heartbreaks. Most of the play is set in Truvy’s beauty salon, a special place for each of the six, and in some ways, the incubator in which their bonds grow and are strengthened. It’s a drama and a comedy, but no matter what you call it, it’s a story not to be forgotten. Oct. 10-12 and Oct. 17-19. Adults $25; students and seniors, $20. Get them at slidelllittletheatre.org/tickets.

BANG: The setting is smalltown Mississippi a few days before the Fourth of July Carnelle Scott (known locally as “Miss Hot Tamale”) is rehearsing furiously for the Miss Firecracker Contest and hoping that a victory will salvage her tarnished reputation and allow her to leave town in

a blaze of glory doesn’t the unexpected ays happen? w of crazy relatives complicates matters. But wait, can Popeye save these nutty folks in Brookhaven, Miss.? Tickets to “The Miss Firecracker Contest” shows at 30 by Ninety Theater in Mandeville are $14 to $22 for shows Oct. 11-12, 17-19 and 24-26. Tony Lagman directs, assisted by Merry Antoon.

HORROR: See the cult hit “Rocky Horror Picture Show” on Oct. 17 at the Cutting Edge Theater, 767 Robert Blvd., in Slidell. It’s a classic that just seems to get better every year, even though you know sweethearts Brad and Janet will have a ﬂat tire during a storm, discover the eerie mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter and meet a houseful of wild characters, including a rocking biker and a creepy butler. So see it again. One 8 p.m. show. Remaining tickets are $38 to $48.50; get them at cuttingedgetheater.com.

YIKES: Be part of the Rocky Horror Picture Show Shadowcast at 30 by Ninety Theatre in Mandeville on Oct. 30-31, but only if you are 17 years or older. Shout the callbacks, dance the Time Warp, and have a blast, but keep it safe for cast, crew, and other patrons. Theater staff will guide the participation moments. There will be a live shadow cast performing in sync with this classic Halloween season ﬁlm. There will be a Rocky Horror costume contest each night for participants to strut their stuff on the runway before the show. (Prizes and bragging rights go to the winner(s).) Please do NOT bring outside props; prop bags will be sold in the lobby, and absolutely no rice or open ﬂames. Oct. 30 show at 8 p.m.; the Halloween night show at 10 p.m. Check online for pre-show details.

ART

POP UP: The Mandeville Artists Guild will hold a PoP Up Art Market on Nov. 9 from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Mandeville Trailhead, 675 Laﬁtte St. Members will display a variety of art for sale. Free for members; $10 for others. Join the guild for $50 at Mandevilleartistguild.com.

A packed Abita Springs Opry set for Oct. 18

BY SHEILA GRISSETT Staff writer

The second of four Abita Springs Opry fall season concerts takes place Oct. 18 with a mix of roots music typical of the region’s only traditional opry The show will open with The Bad Penny Pleasuremakers, featuring the husband-wife team of Matt Bell and Joy Patterson. The pair has performed many times in many conﬁgurations on the Opry stage and elsewhere. They are such favorites of the Opry crowd that the Pleasuremakers — specializing in popular music from the turn of the century through the 1940’s, including early jazz, acoustic and country blues — have now come on board as one of the house bands in Abita Springs. Crosswind will perform the second set, playing the bluegrass music that has always been part of the Abita Springs Opry and its predecessor, the Piney Woods Opry The group includes four members from Fair River Station and the dobro player was with the popular Driskill Mountain Boys All are accomplished musicians who together perform a mix of bluegrass, gospel and traditional country music Next up will be Miss Martha and her Good Time Gang, a New Orleans band expected to bring old-time country music so important in an opry show “We all love that rich traditional

try music, especially when it’s got that twang,” the Abita Springs Opry producers said.

PROVIDED PHOTO Husband and wife performers Matt Bell and Joy Patterson are the heart and soul of The Bad Penny Pleasuremakers performing Oct. 18 at the Abita Springs Opry.

all wellseasoned musicians who have been around for many years performing at the New Orleans Jazz Fest and oth-

ABITA SPRINGS OPRY

WHO: Regional musicians playing multiple genres, including bluegrass, traditional country and rhythm and blues.

WHEN: Oct. 18, show 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.; doors open 5:45 p.m.

WHERE: Abita Town Hall, 22161 Level St.

HOW MUCH: All seats $20. Buy in advance at (504) 214-7777 or buy at door on first-come/first-served basis.

SEATING: Line starts forming as early as 5 p.m. to buy tickets at the door

WHAT ELSE: Before the show, buy gumbo, hot dogs, homemade baked treats, and beverages prepared and sold outside by local nonprofits.

JAMS: After the show, all invited to jam with musicians across the street at Abita Brew Pub

er venues, will close out the night’s show They perform traditional New Orleans rhythm and blues and should be a natural fit in the Opry lineup. The Abita Springs Opry is an homage and recreation of the original and popular Piney Woods Opry that was the first to play for a decade on third Saturday nights in the historic Abita Springs Town Hall. Today’s Opry provides a greater mix of music than its forerunner, which is done to represent the many roots of the region’s diverse people. But first and foremost, it continues to honor the old-timey country and bluegrass music of its own northshore heritage.

CONNECTIONS: The Atrium Gallery continues its Mary Ann Haase exhibition through Oct. 31 at the Christwood residential complex, 100 Christwood Blvd. (access via Brewster Road entrance) near Covington. Gallery open to the public from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Friday, at no charge.

COMMUNITY GUMBO

TASTING: The second annual Northshore Beer Festival happens Oct. 12 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Mandeville Trailhead. Craft beer from multiple breweries for tasting; food and craft vendors; live music; and a kid’s zone. GA tickets $60, $10 for designated drivers; VIP tickets $100 and up and $30 for VIP designated drivers; children under 12 free with a ticketed adult. Proceeds beneﬁt the Miracle League Northshore, a nonproﬁt providing children of all abilities the chance to play organized sports together. Tickets at eventbrite; more info at miracleleaguenorthshore.org.

FLYING: The Hammond Northshore Regional Airshow takes place Oct. 11-12 with the WWII Warbird performers and static displays; the U.S

THURSDAY |OCT 9TH| STARTS AT 10AM Orleans Parish Sheriff’sOfficeSurplus 723 S. Rendon Street |New Orleans,LA

Preview: Wed10/8from9AM -3PM |Kubota L2800HST Tractor, Billy Goat OutbackBrush Cutter,PressureWashers, Push Mowers,(12) Ford CrownVics, Ford F250,(5) Mercury GrandMarquis,FordF150, Ford Expedition,Chevy Colorado,Chevy Silverado, ChevyMalibu, (3) ChevyImpala’s, AirCompressor, CrownVic Motor.

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THURSDAY |OCT 23RD| STARTSAT9AM City of Covington, STP Sheriff, Town of PearlRiver,STP School Board, ESTCity Court, STPFireProtectionDistrict5, US Bankruptcy Assets, Bank Repos &Others 101 Magnolia Street |Slidell, LA Preview: Wed10/22 from 9AM- 3PM |60+Vehicles& Trailers,(2) Boatsw/Trailers, KobelcoExcavator,JDLoader, JD 6430 Tractor w/Boom,CAT Mini Excavator,PressureWashers,ZeroTurnMowers, Trek Police Bikes, PhoneBooths, Woods3-PtTillerAttachment, Hyd AugerScrew SkidsteerAttachment, Tools, Office Furniture,

FILE PHOTO BY SCOTT THRELKELD

Karen Waldrup performs recently Catch her at the Harbor Center on Oct. 14.

Farmer Football 5

District play to open with a bang

District play has ofﬁcially arrived in St. Tammany Parish this week, as every team besides Northlake Christian will play a district rival on Friday If you’re a football fan in the parish, you probably have two games circled on your calendar — Mandeville at Covington and Franklinton at Lakeshore.

Joseph Halm

Let’s tackle the District 6-5A showdown at Jack Salter Stadium

ﬁrst Last year, this game was a battle of unbeatens that came down to turnovers as Mandeville held on for a 35-33 victory The 2025 version will likely come down to defense again, but I expect a lower-scoring affair Yes, Mandeville (3-2) is coming off a 35-point outburst against Northshore, but it was the Skippers’ defense that won that game for them. Last week, the Skippers’ defense and special teams recorded a blocked punt, a blocked extra point two turnovers on downs — including one inside the 5-yard line — an interception and a fumble returned for a touchdown That happened in just one game Covington (4-1) needed 21 fourth-quarter points to pull away from Fontainebleau as the Lions held their opponent to single digits for the third time this season. In ﬁve games, the Lions’ defense is allowing just 11.2 points per game with 26 TFLs, 12 sacks and 10 takeaways

In short, it will be an extremely physically demanding game to open District 6-5A play One last stat is that both teams attempted 17 passes last week, so expect those running games to be key As is usually the case, this one should be another close game Just a few miles south, Franklinton travels to Lakeshore in a rematch of last year’s Division II nonselect quarterﬁnal game that the Demons won 41-40 on a cold night in Franklinton The Demons also won last year’s district contest 35-28 to snap an 8-game Lakeshore win streak in the series. The story of this game is, unfortunately, injuries. Both teams have had good seasons up to this point, but the injury bug bit hard in Week 5 Lakeshore (4-1) lost three starters defensive end Chaise Doré, receiver/defensive back Kyle Gegenheimer and running back/linebacker Oudrey Gros — during a 35-28 loss at Salmen Gegenheimer’s injury occurred on the third offensive play after he nearly scored on a 52-yard catch and run, while Gros left the game late in the second quarter after being tackled on a running play. Lakeshore coach Brent Indest said Gegenheimer and Gros are going to be out for a while Senior rover Caleb Larson, who missed the Salmen game, could return this week Those are some big blows to absorb as the defending state runners-up come to town Franklinton (3-2) has its own injury issues, as senior quarterback Jacob Crain suffered a hand injury against undefeated Jewel Sumner last week The initial results look like Crain will be OK, but it is something to monitor because his play is what sets that Demons’ offense apart.

This game will be another battle, but those injuries will have a huge impact on exactly how it plays out.

Another game to watch is the District 7-5A opener between Northshore (1-4) and Salmen (32). It’s a big rivalry game that the teams have split over the past four years, with three of the contests decided by a touchdown or less.

Three games. Three cities. Three reasons that Friday nights are always entertaining

The full parish schedule is below, but ﬁrst, our Farmer Football 5 rankings.

ä See HALM, page 5B

SPARTAN DEFENSE

Salmen scores 21 points off turnovers to knock off undefeated Lakeshore

BY JOSEPH HALM Staff writer

To say that the Salmen football team had Oct. 2, 2025, circled on their calendar for the past year might be an understatement.

Yes, a football season is more than one game, but the Spartans felt that they let one slip away last year against Lakeshore, their former district rivals.

So the team went to work in the weight room, in the ﬁlm room and on the turf at Spartan Stadium with a singular focus to be better in 2025.

The work paid off with 21 points off turnovers and two fourth-quarter defensive stops as the Spartans held on for a 35-28 nondistrict victory over Lakeshore.

“This win validates all the hard work that the kids have been doing for 12 months now,” Salmen coach Eric Chuter said. “It reinvigorates our locker room, and we’ll be ready to get back to work tomorrow We start district next week, so now, we’re 0-0, and we’re ready to go into district.”

Before the Spartans (3-2) turn the page to District 7-5A play against Northshore on Oct. 10, they took a moment to enjoy a wild victory over Lakeshore, which suffered its ﬁrst loss of the season.

The Spartans ran just 16 offensive plays in the first half but held a 28-14 halftime lead. Salmen turned

three Lakeshore fumbles into 21 points, including two fumble recoveries returned for touchdowns.

The Spartans’ first fumble recovery was by Kevin Smiles, who ripped the ball away from running back Shawn Brown near the goal line and returned it to the 25-

yard line. A few plays later, Da’John Howard found a wide-open Kashius Sampson, who raced 65 yards for the score and a 14-7 lead early in the second quarter

“It was beautiful,” Robinson said. “I loved it. If I can’t score on offense, I’m going to score on defense We’re very happy (about the win)

ä See SALMEN, page 4B

Then, the Spartans’ defense began its stretch of back-to-back touchdowns as Cam’ron Robinson scooped up a fumble forced by junior Reginald Bouie and raced 25 yards for a 21-7

Covington rallies for 28-7 win

BY MIKE PERVEL Contributing writer

Covington found itself in a tough situation.

The Lions were on the road against parish rival Fontainebleau and trailed by a touchdown midway through the third quarter The visitors needed an offensive spark.

Covington found that ﬂame from its running game as the Lions reeled off 28 unanswered points en route to a 28-7 nondistrict win at the Dawg Pound on Oct. 2.

Oct. 1.

“When we ﬁnally established our running game, we were able to take control. Our young offensive line did some good things, opening holes for Jake (Pompa) and Rodney (Clark), helping us convert key ﬁrst downs. Those two are hardnosed, physical runners who came up big,” Covington coach Greg Salter said.

“We need to play cleaner, more balanced football. As the head coach, I need to get us to play more disciplined football, moving forward.”

Both defensive units dominated play in a scoreless ﬁrst half that saw just 123 yards of total offense.

Fontainebleau (2-3) put the ﬁrst points on the board when quarterback Conner Tyson hit Sheldon Asmore from 15 yards out for a 7-0 advantage with 5:58 left in the third quarter That lead was short-lived, however, as the Lions tied the game on a 66-yard TD catch and run by Jiwaun Brock with 1:41 left in the third quarter Junior QB Matthew Fussell (6-of-16 passing for 91 yards) launched a perfectly thrown ball to Brock, who hauled in the overthe-shoulder catch in stride.

ä See COVINGTON, page 11B

Frerman, Lange power Fontainebleau win at PJP II

BY JOSEPH HALM Staff writer

Fontainebleau coach Kacie Mulé gave her team a simple message. Locked in a battle during Pope John Paul II’s Pink Game on Oct. 1, the long-time head coach told her players that going ﬁve sets “would not be in their best interest.” Andyet,theJaguarswerewithin a single point of forcing that ﬁfth set before senior Marley Lange came up with several big plays, including the match-clinching block as the Bulldogs ground out a 25-19, 21-25, 25-20, 27-25 nondistrict victory

“We really just had to focus and minimize our mistakes,” said Lange, who ﬁnished with a matchhigh 18 kills and three aces. “The whole ﬁrst part of the match, we were really lackadaisical. We just had to really lock in and focus. We have to work on our connections as hitters, as defenders and passing well.” It was a battle from the start for Fontainebleau (12-7). The Bulldogs looked good in spurts as they claimed the opening set, but the Jaguars found their footing in the second set to even the match. The Bulldogs never trailed in the third set and led by as much as 20-11 before holding on for a 25-20 victory. Fontainebleau was cruising before a string of errors and gritty play by PJP II (6-5) allowed the Jaguars to cut the lead to 23-20 A thunderous Lange kill changed the momentum.

“I think our passes got better towards the end,” said senior Ava Frerman (22 digs, 14 kills). “We struggled in serve-receive in the beginning, especially with communication. We weren’t getting digs up that we should have. They hit a lot of stuff off-speed, and we weren’t ready for it. We started to

lead.

PHOTO BY HERB GOMEZ

Salmen’s Kevin Smiles, right, rips the ball away from Lakeshore’s Shawn Brown on Oct. 2.

PHOTO BY MATT DOBBINS

Fontainebleau senior Marley Lange records one of her 18 kills during a four-set win at Pope John Paul II on

Mandeville grabs momentum to beat Northshore

BY MIKE GEGENHEIMER

Contributing writer

A lot of teams would have been deflated after allowing a punt return for a touchdown with 19 seconds to play in the first half. Many more would have quit after giving up a long touchdown drive on the first possession of the second half to lose the lead.

Not the Skippers.

Where many high school teams would have laid down and given up, Mandeville fought back. And not only did it ﬁght back, it turned what could have been a demoralizing, steamroll loss into a runaway 35-19 nondistrict win over Northshore at Sidney Theriot Stadium on Oct. 2. No matter what Northshore threw at them, the Skippers’ defense never let up. By game’s end, Mandeville recorded a blocked punt, a blocked extra point, two turnovers on downs including one inside the 5-yard line — an interception and, the blue and white cherry on top, a fumble returned for a touchdown.

It was exactly the performance they needed after a difﬁcult loss at Slidell the week before.

“The whole mindset this week was to go 3-2,” junior safety Dylan Henry said. “When (the touchdown drive) happened, they had the momentum, but we kept our heads up We kept the mentality that we’re going 3-2 and we’re not losing to them, especially on Homecoming.”

Henry was a major part of the defensive showcase in the second half when he was in the right place at the right time for the scoop-andscore touchdown midway through the fourth quarter that effectively put any dreams of a Northshore comeback out of reach It is his second defensive touchdown of the season.

The night was ﬁlled with major momentum swings for the Skippers (3-2). Late in the third quarter, senior running back Jax

Sluggish start, miscues doom St. Paul’s against U-High

BY JASON RUSSELL

Contributing writer

St. Paul’s knew it would be a challenge as perennial power University-Baton Rouge came to Hunter Stadium on Oct 3.

It would take a strong effort on both sides of the ball to derail the Cubs, who scored 64 points last week. Unfortunately for the Wolves, a shaky defensive start and miscues on offense put St. Paul’s behind early, and the Wolves could never recover, en route to a 36-25 defeat

“I love the effort that our kids gave, but for us right now it’s attention to detail,” St. Paul’s coach Kenny Sears said. “It was the little things that got us beat tonight

“We just need to work hard on our focus so we can play better in the second half (of the season).”

U-High (3-2) scored on its second play from scrimmage, getting a 61yard touchdown pass from Ethan McGlynn to Lawson Dixon for a quick 7-0 lead. From there, the Cubs used a fast-paced, no-huddle offense to wear down St. Paul’s, scoring on its only other possession of the first quarter to go up 14-0. St. Paul’s cracked the scoreboard with a 29-yard field goal to start the second quarter, but then fumbled the ball on the first play of its next possession, with U-High’s Emmanuel Moses returning the fumble 35 yards for a score.

The Wolves (3-2) did score twice more in the second quarter, sandwiching TDs around a 12-play scoring drive by University as the Cubs took a 29-17 halftime lead.

“They certainly wore us down in the ﬁrst half, but I thought we

played a better game in the second half,” Sears said. “We had our opportunities but didn’t capitalize on them.”

The third quarter was scoreless, but St Paul’s got to the U-High 1-yard line three minutes into the fourth. Wolves’ quarterback Brady Pierson tried a quarterback sneak but fumbled just before the goal line, and U-High’s DJ Coleman picked up the ball and returned it 99 yards for another defensive touchdown, essentially icing the game.

Behind 36-17, St. Paul’s staged a valiant effort to come back, scoring with six minutes left and converting a 2-point pass to cut the lead to 36-25. But a converted fourth down on a fake punt by UHigh, as well as an interception with less than two minutes remaining in the game, ended any comeback hopes.

Despite the loss, running back Cody Corales did break the 100yard barrier, going for 132 yards and a score. Pierson ﬁnished with 156 yards passing and a touchdown, while also posting a rushing score.

Pierson said the experience of playing a good U-High team will help as District 6-5A play opens on Oct. 10 against Hammond.

“That was a real good team we played,” Pierson said. “We don’t like playing bad teams before district. It shows us the talent we have and helps with our momentum going into district.”

SCORE BY QUARTERS

plays as much as their own missed opportunities.

The Northshore offense moved effectively for most of the night on the back of running back Ramon Williams. Williams ran 31 times for 175 yards until he eventually left the game due to an injury

But the trouble was that the Panthers struggled to turn those yards into points. Twice in the ﬁrst half, Northshore failed to score any points in the red zone, once by a turnover on downs and the second due to a fumble.

“It’s really deflating,” Northshore coach Bobby Sanders said of the goal-line stops. “It is what it is. It’s minor miscues here and there. I probably made a bad call on one of them. But other than that, it’s gap responsibility We just seem to not understand it yet, and here we are in Week 5,

run. The Rebels struggled offensively, amassing just 55 yards in the first half. They finished with 141 yards in the game. Senior Brayden Hutchison was 4-for-9 passing for 34 yards, adding 47 yards rushing on 11 carries. Durand finished with 20 carries for 54 yards. Defensively, Dawson Dreux had an interception in the first half, while Ethan Bowman had three solo tackles and five assists COVINGTON 28, FONTAINEBLEAU 7: See story, Page 1B. HAMMOND 35, SLIDELL 28: See story, Page 3B. MANDEVILLE 35, NORTHSHORE 19: See story, above SALMEN 35, LAKESHORE 28:

broke through to block a punt at the Pan-

thers’ 5-yard line. One play later, O’Quin punched it in for a touchdown, his second of the night.

The offense fed off the defensive highlights as sophomores Will Estep and Jack Lejeune teamed up for 22 carries for 169 yards. Lejeune also scored a touchdown.

“We got three (turnovers) in the second half and those are momentum plays and our kids fed off it,” Mandeville coach Craig Jones said “Listen they had all the momentum. They had the punt return right before halftime, then they had a six-minute drive to take the lead. And our kids just responded. I’m extremely proud of them.”

Of course, the other side of Mandeville’s excitement is Northshore’s frustration. The Panthers (1-4) don’t see Mandeville’s great

WEEK 5 FOOTBALL RECAP

See story, Page 1B.

FRIDAY, OCT. 3

HANNAN 34, ST. THOMAS

AQUINAS 7: The Hawks (2-3) racked up over 300 yards of total offense as they cruised to a road victory. Junior running back Riley Jones had another big night, finishing with 126 yards and two TDs on 21 carries. Jones also had a 42-yard catch. Junior Paul Hoyt added two rushing TDs. Junior quarterback Braden Sprang returned and tossed a 18-yard TD pass to Carter Speerly in the first half. Sprang finished 7-of-12 passing for 168 yards and a score. NORTHLAKE CHRISTIAN 37, BREAUX BRIDGE 7: The Wolverines (2-2) led wire-to-wire for an impressive road victory

as Northlake scored 37 points for the second time in two weeks. Senior running back Kameron Casnave rushed for touchdowns of 17, 55, 10 and 3 yards while running in three 2-point conversion attempts. Quarterback Sam Grant opened the scoring with a 21yard TD run as the Wolverines scored ﬁrst and never trailed. Defensively, NCS forced two ﬁrst-half turnovers including a fumble recovery on the opening drive. POPE JOHN PAUL II 28, ST MARTIN’S 12: The Jaguars’ offense controlled the clock while the defense came up with an interception just before halftime and forced two turnovers on downs in the second half to seal the victory at Tony Porter Field. PJP

II (3-2) scored on the opening drive, thanks to a 10-yard Landon Guidry run to take a 7-0 lead. They never trailed, but the game looked like a track meet early. St. Martin’s answered with a 2-yard TD run by Donny Lawrence, but the PAT was no good to preserve a 7-6 lead. Dominik Smith responded with a 6-yard TD run in the ﬁrst minute of the second quarter. Once again, Lawrence answered — this time with an 18-yard TD run — but the Saints (2-3) failed on a 2-point conversion attempt to make it 14-12. The Jaguars started to pull away as Jack Roniger scored

O’Quin

Mandeville’s Braxton Paddio puts a powerful hit on Northshore’s Ramon Williams.

PHOTOS BY JOE TROMBATORE

Northshore’s JJ Gonzales is stopped on fourth-and-goal by the Mandeville defense on Oct. 2

PHOTOS BY JOEY MICHEL

Paul’s defense on Oct. 3.

Late goal-line stand decides game for Hammond

BY DAVE WOODALL

Contributing writer

It looked like Slidell might have a bit of magic left on a Thursday night at L.V McGinty Sr Stadium

The Tigers fell behind by two scores to nondistrict rival Hammond with less than ﬁve minutes to play, but with the clock ticking down, Slidell had one last chance to tie the game or even take the lead

Unfortunately for the home team, Slidell’s last chance ended on fourth down inside the 5-yard line as the Tors held on for a 35-28 victory on Oct 2.

“Once again, we started late and gave up early points,” said Slidell coach Damon Page. “We missed some early tackles, and the next thing you know, they score quick. We have to play better defensively We’ve just got to put it all together. The kids fought hard, but we have got to be better early.”

Hammond (4-1) scored ﬁrst and never trailed as the Tors reeled off a 4-play, 64-yard drive, capped by a 24-yard Zalen Bennett TD run less than four minutes into the game.

Slidell (3-2) answered with a 45yard touchdown pass from Ricky Williams III to Carlos Flemings Jr to tie it at 7 in the second quarter

That was just the beginning of a back-and-forth game.

Hammond retook the lead when Terin Jones hit Reginald Monroe for a 34-yard touchdown pass to end the first-half scoring with Hammond on top 14-7.

The Tors extend their lead to 21-7 as Jones found Monroe again, this time from 14 yards out, midway through the third quarter But that seemed to ignite the Tigers’ offense, which would score 21 points over the ﬁnal quarter and a half of football.

“We tried to start fast to get the ﬂow going,” said Flemings. “Our offense is amazing, and if we execute the way we know how, we will always be in the game.”

The Tigers ended the third quarter with a touchdown, coming on a Ja’Kwan Jones 6-yard run, to narrow the Tors’ lead to 21-14. Slidell answered again with 7:52 left in the game when Williams hit Jeremiah

FONTAINEBLEAU

Birdlow for a 20-yard touchdown pass to tie it at 21.

Once again Hammond had an answer as Bennett scored on a 1-yard run to retake the lead. Then, the backbreaker came for Slidell as Hammond’s Cardae Warford returned an interception 55 yards for a score.

But the scrappy Tigers didn’t give up, scoring on a 38-yard touchdown pass from Williams to Flemings to narrow the lead to a single score. After a failed onside kick, the Tigers’ defense held, and the offense took over with 2:26 left at the Hammond 40-yard line.

The Tigers marched down the ﬁeld, but the Tors came up with the game-sealing stop inside the 5-yard line on fourth down.

Williams ﬁnished with 131 yards passing and three TDs, along with one interception, while Jones rushed for 139 yards and a TD on 25 carries.

“We started slow once again in the ﬁrst quarter,” said Williams.

“We are a second-half team. We didn’t execute, and we made too many mistakes. But we will be back here next week for sure with a win.”

SCORE BY QUARTERS

HAMMOND | 7 | 7 | 7 | 14 — 35

SLIDELL | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 — 28

SCORING SUMMARY

FIRST QUARTER

HHS: Zalen Bennett 24 run (Ethan Young kick), 8:43, 7-0

SECOND QUARTER

SHS: Carlos Flemings Jr. 45 pass from Ricky Williams III (Brennen Heim kick), 8:36, 7-7

HHS: Reginald Monroe 34 pass from Terin Jones (Young kick), 7:15, 14-7

THIRD QUARTER

HHS: Monroe 13 pass from Jones (Young kick), 6:50, 21-7

SHS: Jones 6 run (Heim kick), 0:46, 21-14

FOURTH QUARTER

SHS: Jeremiah Birdlow 20 pass from Wil-

liams (Heim kick), 7:53, 21-21

HHS: Bennett 1 run (Young kick), 5:50, 28-21

HHS: Cardae Warford 55 interception return (Young kick), 4:31, 35-21

SHS: Flemings 38 pass from Williams (Heim kick), 3:39, 35-28

STATISTICS HAMMOND: 327 total yards (121 pass, 206 rush)

RUSHING: Zalen Bennett, 16-152, 2 TDs; Terin Jones, 13-23; Quadrez Louis, 3-10

RECEIVING: Reginald Monroe, 7-96, 2 TDs; Louis, 2-25. PASSING: Jones, 9-13, 121 yards, 2 TDs.

SLIDELL: 354 total yards (131 pass, 223 rush)

RUSHING: Ricky Williams III, 7-84; Ja’Kwan Jones, 25-139, TD

RECEIVING: Carlos Flemings, 4-99, 2 TDs; Jeremiah Birdlow, 3-32, TD

PASSING: Williams, 7-21, 131 yards, 3 TDs, INT

connect better toward the end of the match, and that was the difference.”

The momentum ping-ponged back and forth in the fourth set as the lead switched hands several times. Fontainebleau junior Emma Hollowell recorded her fourth block to give the visitors a 22-21 lead. But the Jaguars regained the lead at 24-23 before Lange’s late-match heroics.

Mulé said the senior duo of Frerman and Lange is special.

“They have run our offense all season,” Mulé said. “We have tried to ﬁnd ways to connect with some of our other hitters. We’re still ﬁguring that out Ava (Frerman) and Marley (Lange) are rocks in the front row They really are.” Junior Marianna Erickson added 18 digs while Sara Hickman and Brianna Mulé had 23 and 20 assists, respectively

While Lange said the win was much needed for the visitors, PJP II coach Erica Williams lamented her team’s sluggish start

“I feel like we started off slow,” Williams said. “We definitely did not execute the game plan that we practiced. It was a little frustrating in the beginning. We did not pass our best game, and that’s hard for us because we’re an undersized team

Fontainebleau is a great team, and their hitters made things difficult on our block.” Williams added that Kady Benedic and Allynah Lazard provided some key points against a team that made scoring difﬁcult.

The Bulldogs led wireto-wire in the opening set en route to a 25-19 victory

Slidell’s Barduca ‘calms the chaos’ for defending state champs

BY JOSEPH HALM Staff writer

Slidell middle hitter Ava Barduca’s eyes lit up.

Locked in a battle of defending state champions against perennial power Country Day, Barduca could see what was going to happen next as setter Ava Labat settled under a ball in the middle of the court near the net.

The next two seconds were a blur for the senior and the Country Day defense. A quick set to the middle and a powerful swing above the net by Barduca, followed by a thunderous thud as the volleyball crashed to the court.

“I love going up there and just putting the ball down,” the 5-foot10 senior said.

One can see why Barduca has more than 250 kills, and there is still a little under a month left in the regular season.

“She is getting kills at an incredible rate,” Slidell coach Danny Tullis said. “She hit .870 in the ﬁnals of the Woodlawn tournament. That’s impressive, and she had no errors We’re starting to use her in different ways.

Continued from page 1B Fontainebleau’s Emma Hollowell records one of her nine kills against PJP II.

The visitors raced out to a 9-3 lead, but the Jaguars slowly chipped away. A Jasira Banks ace cut the lead to 21-18 and forced a Fontainebleau timeout, but the Bulldogs responded as Lange’s kill on a free ball at the net sealed the ﬁrst-set win. The Jaguars answered in the second set, taking a 12-9 lead and never letting the Bulldogs regain the momentum. Fontainebleau

We’re trying to get her some out-of-system balls. She’s getting some crucial points in those situations.”

According to MaxPreps, she holds the seventh-best hitting percentage in the nation at .498 through 21 matches. Tullis said Barduca’s efﬁciency is special.

“We lost a lot of experience from last year in Reagan (Robinson) and Demoni (Lewis), who were two people who would get that big kill. We’ve been using a lot of different outsides, so we’re trying to ﬁgure that out. But Ava (Barduca) has been very solid for us all season. She’s been a huge part of the offense and has been very consistent,” Tullis said.

“She has improved on controlling the ball in a non-perfect situation. She handles bad sets better than she used to, and she handles the broken play and a faster pace better She’ll throw it down better She has handled the chaotic situations better this year She settles the chaos better this year.”

Robinson and Lewis accounted for 534 kills last season, so Barduca, who led the team with 393 kills last year, knew there would

be more opportunities to score.

“Since they’re gone, we needed to replace the offense that they produced, so I took it on myself and decided that I needed to step up and put the ball down more,” Barduca said. “I worked on a lot of things this summer I worked on hitting around the block and making sure to put the ball down with power.”

Barduca is embracing that leadership role as the ﬁery player celebrates her teammates’ kills with just as much passion as her own attacks. She also leads the team with 80 blocks through 21 matches.

The senior said she doesn’t plan to play in college, so with about six weeks left in her volleyball career, she is cherishing every moment.

“I just take it day by day,” Barduca said. “I want to win, and I want us to defend the state championship. I’m just focused on what it takes to do that. We are getting there. We’re learning who is going to put the ball down because we have to spread it out a little more this season. Everyone is working hard to get better.”

STAFF PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD

Slidell’s Ava Barduca has been a big part of the Tigers’ road to defending their state title.

tape to

the match.

PJP II’s Kady Benedic slams a winner past Fontainebleau’s Ava Kirsch and Emma Hollowell

PHOTOS BY MATT DOBBINS

PJP II’s Jaiden Campbell, left, and Allynah Lazard, right, pressure the shot of Fontainebleau’s Brianna Mulé.

Fontainebleau’s Ava Frerman lunges for a dig against Pope John Paul II on Oct. 1.

SALMEN

because Lakeshore is Top 10 in Louisiana, so we feel like we should be Top 10 now Last year, we came up short, so it’s a big win.”

The Titans marched down the ﬁeld on the ensuing drive before a fumble in the red zone was scooped up by Salmen senior Tyree Burton, who returned it 85 yards for a score.

“It just was execution by the defense,” Burton said “The ball was on the ground, and I just picked it up. I wasn’t going down the sidelines by myself; all of my teammates were blocking and that was it. This is a very big win. This was a family win. This was everyone sticking together and pulling through for four quarters. This was Spartan football.”

The Titans (4-1) had two quality scoring chances turn into 14 points for the other team as the Spartans took a 28-14 halftime lead. The defensive scores were a pleasant surprise to Chuter

“I was like, what is going on here? We were able to scoop and score and put up 14 points on defense In the ﬁrst half, we didn’t have many snaps offensively, but the snaps that we did have, we made count,” he said.

“I was a little disappointed in the second half. On defense, we gave up too many big plays. On offense, I don’t know if we were sleeping a little bit, but we didn’t execute as well as we wanted to. But a win is a win, and we’ll take it.”

The Spartans added a 50-yard Rey’sean Coleman TD catch and run to take a 35-14 lead just two minutes into the second half.

The Titans finally seemed to find a grip on the ball and the game as the visitors answered with a 7-yard Brody Loudermilk TD run to cut the lead to 35-21 midway through the third quarter Lakeshore was stopped twice on fourth down in Salmen territory in the fourth quarter, but the Titans made things interesting late as Dawson Latiolais recovered a fumble. The Titans marched down the field as Loudermilk scored his fourth rushing TD — this one from 8 yards out to cut the lead to 35-28 with 2:32 remaining. The Spartans were able to run out the clock after recovering the onside kick.

For Lakeshore, Brown finished with 191 yards rushing on 13 carries, but he had two costly fumbles. Loudermilk had 122 yards rushing on 25 carries and four TDs, while passing for 80 yards on a 7-of-9 clip. But injuries were the true story of the game as the Titans came in without senior Caleb Larson in the rover position. Three starters went down in the game — defensive end Chaise Doré, receiver/defensive back Kyle Gegenheimer and running back/linebacker Oudrey Gros. Gegenheimer’s injury occurred on the third offensive play after he nearly scored on a 52-yard catch and run, while Gros left the game late in the second quarter after being tackled on a running play Indest said Gegenheimer and Gros are going to be “out for a while” as the Titans prepare to open District 7-4A play against Franklinton on Oct. 10.

“We lost three starters during the game, and we were down a starter going in,” Indest said. “It was a comedy of errors tonight I really thought the defense stepped up in the second half, and we had our opportunities offensively We were stopped on downs twice in the fourth quarter, so Salmen deserves credit. Hats off to them.” SCORE BY QUARTERS

Lakeshore’s Kyle Gegenheimer hauled in a 52-yard catch on the third play of the game against Salmen. He was injured on the play and did not return.

Lakeshore’s Dylan Cusachs has the ball stripped by Salmen’s Tyree Burton.

PHOTOS BY HERB GOMEZ

Salmen’s Jimmy Chanzy spins away from Lakeshore defenders on Oct. 2. He finished with 105 yards rushing

Lakeshore quarterback Brody Loudermilk stretches out to score one of his four rushing TDs against Salmen.

Salmen’s Tyree Burton scoops up a fumble and returns it 85 yards for a touchdown.

Salmen’s Da’John Howard threw for two touchdowns and ran for another during a 35-28 win over Lakeshore.

FARMER FOOTBALL 5

1 | Lakeshore | 4-1 (Last week: 1)

This week: vs. Franklinton

I’m leaving Lakeshore here for now, because well, they are still a very good football team. They turned the ball over three times in the ﬁrst half against Salmen that led to 21 points, and they still had a chance or two in the fourth quarter to win. Coach Brent Indest called it a comedy of errors against Salmen, and he was right Despite losing three starters to injury and fumbling three times, the Titans still had a chance. That’s impressive, if not, disappointing. But those injuries are tough especially with a quality Franklinton team coming to town.

2 | St. Paul’s | 3-2 (Last week:

This week: vs. Hammond St. Paul’s predistrict gauntlet is ofﬁcially over, and a common theme has emerged — the Wolves are really good in spurts. St. Paul’s has yet to put together a complete game though, and it hurt them in losses to Brother Martin and U-High. But they were good enough to overcome their mistakes in wins over De La Salle and Kennedy Now, the question is, can the Wolves start to put together complete performances?

3 | Covington | 4-1 (Last week: 4) This week: vs. Mandeville

The Lions bounced back from their first loss by pulling away from Fontainebleau in the fourth quarter for their fourth win of the season. Covington is very talented on defense, so that seems like it will be the identity of this team. That’s perfectly fine, but the Lions need to find a way to put points on the board early in games to take control Now, they get a chance to avenge last year’s loss to Mandeville.

4 | Mandeville | 3-2 (Last week: 5) This week: at Covington

The Skippers showed their resolve as they rallied in the second half to beat Northshore. All summer long, coach Craig Jones talked about how his team was developing its identity, and then, they lost senior QB Ben Hendricks to injury That derailed the process a bit and led to the Skippers moving some pieces around, especially on offense Mandeville took a step forward last week offensively so that progress needs to continue as district opens.

5 | Salmen | 3-2 (Last week: NR) This week: vs. Northshore Welcome to rankings, Salmen. The Spartans were opportunistic to say the least against Lakeshore. It was a big win, and it was fueled in large part by the defense. That’s a good sign because this team will be able to control some games with Jimmy Chanzy running the ball. Junior QB Da’John Howard has settled in a bit, and the offense looks like it will be able to score points If the defense can create turnovers like it did against Lakeshore, Salmen is a stout squad. On the fringe: Slidell.

WEEK 6 ST. TAMMANY FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Friday, Oct. 10

n Fontainebleau at Slidell,

7 p.m.

n Franklinton at Lakeshore, 7 p.m.

n Hammond at St. Paul’s, 7 p.m.

n Kenner Discovery at Northlake Christian, 7 p.m.

n Mandeville at Covington,

7 p.m.

n Northshore at Salmen,

7 p.m.

n Pearl River at Hannan,

7 p.m.

n Pope John Paul II at St. Thomas Aquinas, 7 p.m.

Contact Joseph Halm at jhalm@ sttammanyfarmer.net.

Taken too soon from family and friends, Paula Kreilkamp Assaf departed this world on September 14, 2025. She was born on December 23, 1946, in Rochester Minnesota the third of eight children of Dr. Bernard L Kreilkamp and Renee Rosenberger She was blessed to have been born into a musical family, where Paula and her sisters learned to sing in harmony with Renee ac‐companying on piano. The sisters were active in en‐tertaining local Catholic groups at social functions in Twin Falls Idaho. Paula met her future husband David Assaf III on a blind date at Loyola University while she was studying music therapy. They were engaged for a year and a half while she volunteered with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in Omak Washing‐ton on the Colville Reserva‐tion, and David who was drafted, served in the Air Force and Air National Guard They were married at St Dominic Catholic Church in New Orleans on July 12, 1969. En route to Colorado for their honey‐moon, they watched the moon landing, fittingly! The young couple settled in Baton Rouge, where Paula immediately joined a local choir and found vol‐unteer work at a local Catholic orphanage where she played guitar and sang for the children In 1971 they were blessed with their first child, David IV Over the next two decades they welcomed Bernard, Megan William, and Rachel. Somehow, she managed, with a coopera‐tive husband/babysitter, to be active in musical the‐ater at Baton Rouge Little Theater (aka Theatre Baton Rouge), and was awarded Best Actress in a Musical for "Nunsense" in 2000 and Best Supporting Actress in a Musical in 2012 for "Something's Afoot She also participated in the Baton Rouge Music Club Chorus traveling to local nursing homes to perform short musical productions that she scripted. Paula was equally accomplished in voice and guitar accom‐paniment, which made her a valuable resource to local parishes. She was in‐vited to be the cantor and accompanist for the weekly Diocesan Mass pre-recorded at the Catholic Life Center in Baton Rouge for several years She also traveled to St. Gabriel to cantor and play for their Saturday vigil Masses, and Sunday morn‐ings she made the trek across the river to do the same at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Maringouin On top of all this, she started the chil‐dren's liturgy program at the 9:30 Mass, began the youth group choir for the 6:00pm Sunday Mass, and ran the preschool music program for several years, all at St Thomas More in Baton Rouge Eventually, these musical activities transitioned into filling the family need for a full-time nanny for her local grand‐child When the nanny gig ran its course, and all her chicks and grand-chicks fled the nest, Paula and her husband joined a prison ministry coordinating and performing the music for monthly Masses at St Tammany Parish Jail, with support from St. Peter Parish and St Joseph Abbey, and joined by Fa‐ther Peter from the Abbey In the wake of Hurricane Katrina Paula welcomed her blind father-in-law, whose house was inun‐dated in Lakeview. Her fondest memory of this time was early morning rosaries on the patio sur‐rounded by flowers and birdsong Later, she trav‐eled to Seattle to be with her parents in their nursing home, where she supple‐mented their diets with chocolate confections and provided her father with his favorite breakfast, softboiled eggs on crackers Once again, many rosaries were prayed together After her father Bernard passed away, she invited her mother Renee, who was suffering with demen‐tia and felt lost without her husband, to come live in Baton Rouge with her and David Eventually Renee would move with them to Covington where they en‐joyed going to flower shows and attending chil‐dren's ballet and story time at the library, because she loved being around ba‐bies and children Every morning Renee expected a fire in the hearth – no mat‐ter the season! – and cof‐fee and biscotti until

joyed going to ﬂower shows and attending chil‐dren's ballet and story time at the library, because she loved being around ba‐bies and children Every morning Renee expected a ﬁre in the hearth – no mat‐ter the season! – and cof‐fee and biscotti until breakfast was ready. It was a team effort, but Paula and David loved every minute. Paula was preceded in death by her parents and her sister Mary Cowan. She leaves behind her beloved hus‐band of 56 years, David Assaf III; children, David Assaf IV (Sydney) Bernard Assaf (Stacy), Megan Assaf (Joe) William Assaf (Chris‐tine), and Rachel Aylsworth (Jason); and eight grandchildren, Simon Assaf, Timothy Assaf, Kirby Assaf, Nathan Assaf, Eliza‐beth Assaf, Noah Assaf, Lauren Assaf, and baby Ju‐lian Aylsworth from Boston, whom she was blessed to hold before she went home to her Lord E. J Fielding Funeral Home of Covington Louisiana, was honored to be entrusted with Mrs. Assaf’s funeral arrangements.

Bourgeois, Beryl

Beryl Marie Johnson Bourgeois of Lacombe, La passed away on Tuesday, September 30, 2025. She was born on November 7, 1938 in New Orleans, LA to the late Leslie Joseph John‐son and Marie Octavie Aime Johnson. Beryl was preceded in death by her husband, Rodney Matthew Bourgeois, Sr. She is sur‐vived by her children, Rod‐ney Matthew Bourgeois, Jr (Kim) Anne-Marie Bour‐geois Sturdivant (Nelson) and Mark Edward Bour‐geois (Kimberly) She is also survived by her nine grandchildren, Jessica, Hunter (Emily) and John Paul Bourgeois Katherine Andrew and Madeline Stur‐divant and Cade, Gabrielle and Amelia Bourgeois, and her great-granddaughter Eloise Bourgeois Beryl was a devoted wife mother grandmother and greatgrandmother. She enjoyed camping, reading, learning and sharing stories and spending time with her family In lieu of ﬂowers, donations can be made to St Jude’s Children’s Hospi‐tal in her memory. E.J Fielding Funeral Home were entrusted with fu‐neral arrangements.

Fazzio, Frank B.

Frank B. Fazzio passed away on Thursday, Sep‐tember 25, 2025. He was born in New Orleans, LA on April 22, 1942. He is sur‐vived by his wife Deanna Fazzio; his children, Joe Fazzio, Leslie Bird, and Mimi Fornaris (Chip); grandchildren Kevin Bird Chad Bird, Blake Bird, Mad‐die Saliba (Anthony), Jill Fornaris, Annie Fornaris; great grandchild, Sage Sal‐iba Stepchildren Sheri Morris (Norman), Steven Marcus (Lori); step grand‐children Maurie Morris, Patrick Marcus Megan Marcus, Julia Marcus. He is also survived by his sister JoAnn Mueller. He was pre‐ceded in death by his ﬁrst wife, Anne Wood Fazzio; his parents Joe Fazzio and Grace Fazzio and brother Bernard Fazzio. A New Or‐leans native he was gener‐ous, compassionate, and dedicated to all aspects of his life. He was loyal, lov‐ing and dependable to his family, friends and career He was a prominent part of the lumber industry in Louisiana He instilled a lifelong passion for the lumber business, golf and Saints and LSU football. He was adventurous and trav‐eled the world. He ap‐proached life, work and re‐lationships within intensity and energy He had a great sense of humor and was the life of the party His charismatic personality will be missed by all E.J. Fielding Funeral Home was entru ith funeral arrang

pr wre‐lationships within intensity and energy. He had a great sense of humor and was the life of the party. His charismatic personality will be missed by all. E.J Fielding Funeral Home was entrusted with funeral arrangements.

Ouder, Ruth Elizabeth McCoy Upton

Ruth Elizabeth McCoy Upton Ouder, 1930-2025 Ruth Elizabeth McCoy Upton Ouder, of Slidell, Louisiana passed away peacefully at her home on Sunday, September 21, 2025. She was 95 years old Ruth was preceded in death by her parents George and Josephine Fan‐dal McCoy; 17 brothers and sisters; her husbands, James Robert Upton and Joseph “J.C.” Ouder; and four of her six children –Ronald L. Upton, Robert A Upton, Betty Upton Watson and Kimberly Upton Smith Left to cherish Ruth’s memory are her brothers John and Fritz McCoy; her children James “Jim Upton (Tanya) and Paula Ouder (Margaret Pierce); her children-in-law, Michael Watson (Cathy) Mark “Smitty” Smith (An‐gelique), and Sheryl Harris (Brian); 11grandchildren –Ronald H. Upton (Ann), Brian Spatola, Robert W Upton, Emeric Watson (Susan) Erica Watson Smith (Raymond), Derek Upton (Alicia) Jake Smith Joshua Smith (Emily), Vic‐toria “Tori” Upton, Austin Upton (Caitlin), and Pierce “P.J.” Ouder; numerous nieces and nephews; more cousins than can be counted; and a wide circle of beloved friends. Ruth’s living legacy includes 15 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grand‐child Among Ruth’s sur‐vivors, her niece Sandy Kay Bray (Ronnie), held a special place in Ruth’s heart, providing faithful love and care after Ruth stopped driving shortly after her 90th birthday. She had the best neighbors anybody could ask for, who always made sure she was well-fed and cele‐brated. Born and raised in Slidell, Louisiana., Ruth graduated from Slidell High School in 1948 and eagerly attended the school’s an‐nual “50 Year Club” re‐union, one of her favorite dates on the calendar Ruth worked as rural letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service, where she made lasting friendships and en‐joyed traveling the country with fellow carriers on nu‐merous adventures. She worried enough for every‐one else and excelled at caring for others, espe‐cially in their time of need Fiercely independent and tough as nails it was diffi‐cult for Ruth to receive help when she finally needed it, but she ac‐cepted the limitations of advanced age and a failing heart valve with grace and genuine concern for her children and caregivers Ruth shared a love of gar‐dening with her late hus‐band J.C. She enjoyed cooking, canning and hap‐pily eating the food they grew. She made amazing jellies and preserves with local fruits. Ruth enjoyed watching wrestling on tele‐vision and attended the oc‐casional WWE match in person with her grandchil‐dren. She adored making others laugh by sharing dirty jokes or playfully de‐livering a well-timed onefinger salute In her quieter hours she could be found crafting, visiting with friends and family playing cards, bargain hunting at garage sales, doting on ba‐bies and watching “Wheel of Fortune” and “Jeopardy ” She was a longtime mem‐ber of the Apple Pie Ridge Club. In her final months Ruth was attended by Notre Dame Hospice The family is deeply grateful for the kindness and care of nurse Hannah Travis, aide Dionne Davidson and companion Margaret Ducre Arrangements by Honaker Funeral Home Inc., Slidell, LA.

Carolyn M Ponce, of Slidell, Louisiana was called to her heavenly home on September 26 2025, at the age of 86. Born on September 7, 1939, in Dothan, Alabama, Carolyn was a woman of kindness and boundless love Car‐olyn's early years were spent in the nurturing care of her parents, the late William Clyde Moody and Merita Hoyle Moody. She graduated from Murphy High School in Mobile, Al‐abama which laid the foundation for her lifelong passion for learning and teaching Carolyn's pursuit of knowledge led her to the University of Montevallo in Montevallo, Alabama, where she earned her B.A. a milestone that would shape her future and the futures of countless oth‐ers Aspiring to continue her education, Carolyn later earned her master's degree from Troy Univer‐sity in Alabama. For over three decades, Carolyn served as a dedicated teacher and administrator in St Tammany Parish Pub‐lic Schools. Her commit‐ment to education and her students was evident in every lesson she taught and every life she touched Her colleagues and stu‐dents will remember her not only for her academic contributions but also for her unwavering support Carolyn's heart was ever expansive and she found her greatest joy in her fam‐ily She is the cherished wife of 39 years to Emiliano Ponce-Arze; loving mother to Michael William Foy (Debra Trascher) and the late Mary Kathleen Foy; proud grandmother of Bruce Wayne Trascher; and beloved sister of Margaret Moody Cook and the late William Clyde Moody II. Carolyn's Christian faith guided her actions, filled her heart with compassion and led her to serve others selflessly. Her love for reading and volunteer work were expressions of her desire to grow and contribute to her commu‐nity. As a lifelong Alabama Crimson Tide College foot‐ball fan she shared her en‐thusiasm and team spirit with all who knew her. In her passing, Carolyn leaves behind a legacy of love, ed‐ucation, and faith She was a devoted wife, mother, and teacher whose influ‐ence will continue to be felt by those who were blessed to know her. We will hold close the memo‐ries of her gentle spirit and her enduring love that touched so many lives Audubon Funeral Home in Slidell were entrusted with the arrangements.

Linda Everett Roan, age 78, of Mandeville Louisiana, passed away on Tuesday, September 23 2025. She was born on De‐cember 14, 1946, in Jack‐son, Mississippi, to Eugene Rembert Everett and Ora Nell Magee Everett. Linda resided in Jackson for 35 years graduating from Provine High School in 1965. After high school she attended college at the University of Southern Mis‐sissippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi earning bache‐lor’s degrees in English and Communications in 1969, followed by a mas‐ter’s degree in Communi‐cations 1970. She also joined Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority where she served as chapter president and met many of her lifelong friends. Although she had no siblings of her own, these women became her sisters in every sense of the word and treated each other as family throughout their lives. Following grad‐uate school, Linda worked in the Communications De‐partment for the Missis‐sippi Research and Devel‐opment Center until 1981, when her family moved to New Orleans, Louisian She went back to work 1992 as the Director of Pub lic Inf ation for St. Tam ma Parish Publi Scho here she serve unt retirement in 2008. ngst her many du informing the public and parents of dis‐trict initiatives, she was critical in communicating to the media offering ofﬁ‐cial statements on behalf

Havingaplaninplacewill easetheburdenonyourloved onesandbeoneofthelast,best giftsyoucangiveyourfamily Takethenextstepandcallus todaytoscheduleyourfree pre-plannningconsultation

Orleans, Louisiana She went back to work in 1992 as the Director of Pub‐lic Information for St Tam‐many Parish Public Schools, where she served until her retirement in 2008. Amongst her many duties in informing the public and parents of dis‐trict initiatives, she was critical in communicating to the media, offering ofﬁ‐cial statements on behalf of the school system and was intricately involved in the Parish’s response after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 Linda was actively involved in the community and at Christ Episcopal Church in Covington where she re‐mained an active member until her passing, even continuing her participa‐tion with her Grace Gather‐ing bible study group via video conferencing after no longer being able to at‐tend in person Linda loved her family and friends deeply and cherished her time spent with both. She is preceded in death by her mother and father She is survived by her high school sweetheart and de‐voted husband of 56 years Thomas V. Roan, Jr.; beloved sons, Jason E Roan (Meredith) and An‐drew W. Roan (Nichol); and ﬁve cherished grandchil‐dren, Alexis, Tanner Made‐line, Landry, and Cooper She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Mollie Mc‐Donald (George); nieces, Katie and Kelly; as well as her many Magee Family cousins and other rela‐tives The family wishes to thank her extended family numerous friends and col‐leagues and medical pro‐fessionals for their love and support provided to Linda particularly as she courageously fought her illnesses over the past 18 years E. J Fielding Funeral Home of Covington Louisiana, was honored to be entrusted with Mrs Roan’s funeral arrange‐ments.

Ponce, Carolyn

Assaf, Paula Kreilkamp

Roan, Linda Everett

The big play changed the game as the Lions (4-1) scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns and finished with 217 yards of offense including 125 on the ground

Senior Jake Pompa and junior Rodney Clark took over Pompa finished with 62 yards rushing on 13 carries, including scoring runs of 2 and 6 yards.

“We needed this win to get back on track. This is redemption for us after our ﬁrst loss to Northshore last week. We need to keep moving forward, preparing for one of our biggest rivals, Mandeville, at home,” Pompa said.

“I credit my O-line for opening the holes in the second half. They came through when we needed them to. I just had to hit the hole hard and ﬁnish my runs. They helped make it happen.” Clark chipped in 63 yards rushing on nine carries, giving the Lions a balanced attack. Defensively, Covington dominated the line of scrimmage, holding the Bulldogs to 169 yards of total

PUBLICNOTICE

(103

PUBLICNOTICE

JP Morgan Chase Bank, National As‐sociation vs Edward A. Mentel, Jr (A/K/A Edward A. Mentel, Edward A. Mental Jr.) and Monica R. Burnett Mentel (A/K/A Monica R. Burnett, MonicaR.Mentel)

52)202511753 Sheriff's Civil Divi‐sion Parish of St Tam‐many State of Louisiana

PUBLICNOTICE

JPMorgan Chase Bank, National As‐sociation vs Helen Mcetrone Brannon (a/k/a Helen M. Brannon) and The UnopenedSuccession of CharlesW.Brannon

52)202513544

together with all buildings and im‐provementsthereon, and all of the rights, ways privileges, servitudes, appurte‐nances and advan‐tages thereunto be‐longing or in any‐ wise appertaining,situated in the Parish of St. Tam‐many, State of Louisiana, and being more fully de‐scribed as follows, to-wit:

LOT NO. 124, BEAU VILLAGE SUBDIVISION, PHASE III A, near the City of Mandev‐ille St Tammany Parish Louisiana.

All in accordance with Plat Map No 875-A, on file with the Clerk of Court for St Tammany Parish Louisiana.

Municipal Address: 26315 SUNRISE LAKE DR, LA‐COMBE, LA 70445-6317 Writ Amount: $134,134.86 Plaintiff Attorney: LOGS Legal Group, LLP 3510 N. CausewayBlvdSuite600 Metairie,LA70002 TermsofSale:With‐out appraisal 10% at adjudication and balance within 30 days RANDY SMITH, SHERIFF $75.15

Notice is hereby given that by virtue of a Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of the Honorable 22nd Judicial Dis‐trict Court for the Parish of St Tam‐many in the above entitled and num‐bered cause dated April 21, 2025 and to me directed I, Randy Smith Sher‐iff, have taken pos‐ session of and will offer for sale at pub‐ lic auction to the highest bidder in the courthouse located at St Tammany Parish Courthouse, 701 N Columbia St, Covington, LA 70433, beginning at 10:00 am Wednes‐day, October 22, 2025, the following property:

Property Descrip‐ tion: Allthatcertainlotor parcel of land, to‐gether with all the buildings and im‐provements thereon and all the rights, ways privileges, servitudes, appurte‐nances and advan‐tages thereunto be‐longing or in any‐ wise appertaining, being situated in St Tammany, Louisiana, being more fully de‐scribed as follows to wit, Lot 4, Starling Point Estates, (for‐merly known as The Settlement, Phase 3B), St Tammany,Louisiana.All in ac‐cordance with a plat of subdivision map filed in the records of St Tammany Parish under the date of August 2, 1999.

Municipal Address: 433 STARLING DR SLIDELL, LA 70461-3024 Writ Amount: $471,391.22

Plaintiff Attorney: LOGS Legal Group, LLP 3510 N. CausewayBlvdSuite600 Metairie,LA70002

TermsofSale:With‐out appraisal, 10% at adjudication and balance within 30 days RANDY SMITH, SHERIFF $76.11

Sheriff's Civil Divi‐sion Parish of St Tam‐many State of Louisiana

Notice is hereby given that by virtue of a Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of the Honorable 22nd Judicial Dis‐trict Court for the Parish of St Tam‐many in the above entitled and num‐bered cause dated July 2, 2025 and to me directed, I, Randy Smith, Sher‐iff, have taken pos‐ session of and will offer for sale at pub‐ lic auction to the highest bidder in the courthouse located at St Tammany Parish Courthouse, 701 N Columbia St Covington, LA 70433, beginning at 10:00 am Wednes‐day, October 22, 2025, the following property:

Property Descrip‐ tion:

A CERTAIN LOT OR PARCEL OF GROUND, together with all the build‐ings and improve‐ments thereon, and all the rights, ways, privileges, servi‐tudes, appurte‐nances and advan‐tages thereunto be‐longing or in any‐ wise appertaining,situated in St Tam‐many Parish Louisiana, and being more fully de‐scribed as follows to-wit:

LOT 11, SQUARE 42, VILLAGE OF GUTHRIE SUBDI‐VISION, St. Tam‐many Parish, Louisiana.

Said Lot 11 com‐mences 50 feet from the corner of 3rd Street and Avenue "E" and measures thence 50 feet front on 3rd Street same width in the rear by a depth of 120 feet between equal and parallellines

Municipal Address: 320 3RD ST PEARLRIVER LA 70452 Writ Amount: $9,357.08 Plaintiff Attorney: LOGS Legal Group, LLP 3510 N. CausewayBlvdSuite600 Metairie,LA70002

TermsofSale:With‐out appraisal, 10% at adjudication and balance within 30 days RANDY SMITH, SHERIFF $79.00

Lakeview

the QB and just break on the throw Our secondary did a good job, and this is a big comeback win for us.” Dwight’s interception was more than just a turnover It was a defensive lineman’s dream as he tipped the pass to himself and rumbled 38 yards for a touchdown with a minute left in the game. For Fontainebleau, Tyson

DarrenHarrisonand PriscillaHarrison

Divi‐

LPP Mortgage, Inc f/k/a LPPMortgage, LTD VS Ann McGuone Him (a/k/a Ann Hirn Ann McGuone Ann HirnMcGuone) (52)202510131

Lakeview Loan Ser‐vicing,LLC vs Andrew Brock, Sr a/k/a Andrew Brock,KevinBrock and the UnopenedSuccession of and Unknown Heirs of Gwendolyn

Gwendolyn B. Brock a/k/a Gwen‐dolynBrock (52)202414772

Sheriff's Civil Divi‐sion Parish of St. Tam‐many State of Louisiana

Notice is hereby given that by virtue of a Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of the Honorable 22nd Judicial Dis‐trict Court for the Parish of St. Tam‐many in the above entitled and num‐bered cause dated March 5, 2025 and to me directed, I, Randy Smith, Sher‐iff, have taken pos‐ session of and will offer for sale at pub‐ lic auction to the highest bidder in the courthouse located at St Tammany Parish Courthouse, 701 N Columbia St Covington, LA 70433, beginning at 10:00 am Wednes‐day October 22, 2025, the following property: Property Descrip‐ tion: Pinehurst of Kings‐point Subdivision, Phase 8M, Lot 273 as referenced in the Mortgage recorded at instrument num‐ber2230448

Municipal Address: 1402 DENMARK CT, SLIDELL, LA 70461-4564

Writ Amount: $184,794.74

Plaintiff Attorney: Law Offices of Her‐schelAdcock,Jr P.O BOX87379 BATON ROUGE LA70879

TermsofSale:With‐out appraisal 10% at adjudication and balance within 30 days RANDY SMITH, SHERIFF $66.48

dated October 3, 2023 and to me directed I, Randy Smith Sher‐iff, have taken pos‐ session of and will offer for sale at pub‐ lic auction to the highest bidder in the courthouse located at St Tammany Parish Courthouse, 701 N Columbia St, Covington, LA 70433, beginning at 10:00 am Wednes‐day, October 22, 2025, the following property: Property Descrip‐ tion: Lot 85, North Forest Subdivision, Phase One (Formerly QueensEstatesSub‐division, Phase 1) as referenced in the Mortgage recorded at instrument num‐ber2236229

Municipal Address: 107 West QUEENS DR, SLIDELL, LA 70458-1043 Writ Amount: $179,403.34 Plaintiff Attorney: Law Offices of Her‐schelAdcock,Jr P.O BOX87379 BATON ROUGE, LA70879

TermsofSale:With‐out appraisal 10% at adjudication and balance within 30 days RANDY SMITH, SHERIFF $63.12

PUBLICNOTICE LPP Mortgage Inc. f/k/a LPPMortgage LTD VS Ann McGuone Him (a/k/a Ann Hirn, Ann McGuone,Ann HirnMcGuone) (52)202510131

Sheriff’sCivil Division Parish of St. Tam‐many StateofLouisiana

Notice is hereby given that by virtue of a Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of the Honorable 22nd Judicial Dis‐trict Court for the Parish of St.

Sheriff’sCivil Division Parish of St Tam‐many StateofLouisiana Notice is hereby given that by virtue of a Writ of Seizure and Sale issued out of the Honorable 22nd Judicial

and

directed I,

Sheriff have

possession of and will offer for

at public

courthouse located at St. Tammany Parish Courthouse, 701 N Columbia St, Covington, LA 70433, beginning at 10:00 am Wednes‐day, August 13, 2025, the following property: Property Descrip‐ tion:

ALL THAT CER‐TAIN PIECE OR PORTION OF LAND, together with all the build‐ings and improve‐ments thereon, and all the rights, ways means, privileges, servitudes, prescrip‐tions,appurtenances and advantages thereunto, belong‐ing or in anywise appertaining thereto, situated in the State of Louisiana, Parish of St Tammany, lying in Section 6, Town‐ship 8 South, Range 12 East, and more particularly de‐scribed as follows to-wit: LOT 337, QUAIL CREEK SOUTH, PHASE 1, St Tam‐many Parish Louisiana, all in ac‐cordance with plat of subdivision of Kelly J. McHugh & Associates, Inc., Civil Engineers & Land Surveyors, dated February 1, 1993, recorded with the Clerk of the Court of St. Tam‐many, Louisiana, on March 17, 1993 as MapFile1111ofthe official records of the Parish of St Tammany, State of Louisiana Municipal Address: 1148 MILAN DR MANDEVILLE, LA70448-1032 Writ Amount: $54,154.61 Plaintiff Attorney: LOGS Legal Group, LLP 3510 N. CausewayBlvdSuite600 Metairie,LA70002

Terms of Sale: With appraisal, 10% at adjudication and balance within 30 days Randy Smith, Sher‐iff $83.81

Covington, LA 70433, beginning at 10:00 am Wednes‐

BEING LOT NUM‐BER 1 of SQUARE 42 of OZONE WOODS SUBDI‐VISION, ADDI‐TION NO. 2 ST TAMMANY PARISH, LOUISIANA.

All in accordance with a survey by Ivan M. Borgen C. E. dated May 1, 1986, revised Janu‐ary 22, 1987 under survey numbers 45221/46,702, a copy of which is at‐tached toa prior act recorded at Instru‐mentno.644517,St Tammany Parish, Louisiana.

Having a municipal address of 2102 Pel‐ican St., Slidell, LA 70460.

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Covington’s Braeshun Weary returns a kick against Fontainebleau.

Family Atmosphere

BY JOSEPH HALM Staff writer

Northshore senior Emelia Hope couldn’t contain the smile on her face.

The cross-country runner was about to tackle the stadium stairs as part of her team’s training on a pleasant Wednesday afternoon. Although the training is not the most enjoyable experience, the Panthers are seeing the results.

The boys and girls teams won the team titles at the Nicholls Cross Country Invitational on Sept. 27 Hope who has ﬁnished seventh or better in each of her four races this season, said she and her teammates are embracing the grind.

“Fun is deﬁnitely the baseline that builds our success. If we’re bonding as a team and working together, it creates a great environment, and it keeps us motivated. We look forward to practice,” Hope said.

“I know I’ve been a lot more motivated. I realized that I have potential in the sport. My sophomore and junior years, I enjoyed it, but I didn’t put the work in like this year It’s just all about pushing myself and training more over the summer.” And thus one ﬁnds the common refrain that is driving the Panthers this season — family atmosphere.

Panthers had ﬁve ﬁnishers in the Top 31.

This team is great,” Cooke said “It’s all about hard work and determination. Everybody on this team is always working hard. The team win was amazing. A lot of PRs happened on a good course.”

Bolmon, a senior captain, said the squad’s growth since his ﬁrst season has been exceptional.

“This team has been doing amazing,” Bolmon said. “I’ve seen it come a long way since I was an underclassman. Seeing 50, 60 people come out here is amazing. We had a big team last year but this year is even better It’s a really positive experience.”

All of those comments are music to the ears of third-year coach Vincent Ruda. “It’s a family atmosphere,” Ruda said. “They are pushing each other Before every race, we tell them to run hard, run fast and have fun. This sport can be challenging because it involves running three miles. To give them a chance to have some fun while they do it has really changed the atmosphere.”

Keene posted a time of 18 minutes, 52.72 seconds at Nicholls, while Hope was third (21:14.19). The Panthers easily took the team title with ﬁve runners in the Top 10. Keene said she is just getting started with her cross-country training since she focused on the 1,600-meter race during her AAU Junior Olympics gold medal performance over the summer

“It’s so much more than just running,” said sophomore Grace Keene, who has won her last two races “When we’re running, everyone is always screaming to keep going. When you look at the whole season, you want to keep going. There is always that mindset of pushing yourself. If everyone pushes themselves, the whole team rises together.”

“The ﬁrst two races of the season, I got second. It wasn’t what I wanted, but it was good because I was dropping time,” Keene said. “The next two races I won, and I recently set a new PR. I’ve been getting my mileage up and getting in the cross-country mindset. This is really just the beginning.”

On the boys’ side, junior Sawyer Cooke was eighth (18:11.56), while Jack Blanda (18:45.92) and Kaden Bolmon (18:57.81) ﬁnished 15th and 18th, respectively. The

Last year, the girls won their ﬁrst district title since 1986, while the boys were second. The boys last district title came in 1997.

Now, both Panthers’ teams, which boast band members, color guard members, Silver Belles dance team members, theatre students, swimmers, soccer players and ROTC members, are focused on peaking for the regional meet set for Nov 6. “Everyone’s hard work is paying off,” Keene said. “We’re excited for the rest of the season.”

The Northshore boys and girls cross-country teams celebrate their team titles at the Nicholls Cross Country Invitational on Sept. 27.

Northshore cross country runners Grace Keene, right, and Emelia Hope lead the team at the start of the Nicholls Cross Country Invitational on Sept. 27.

PHOTOS BY RYAN DARDAR

The Northshore boys and girls cross-country teams pose for a group photo at the Nicholls Cross Country Invitational on Sept. 27.