The Zachary Police Department is holding its Tree Decorating Contest — Law & Order Holiday Edition through Dec. 22. The department invites people to vote for their favorite Christmas tree decorated by local businesses, one vote per person per day Donate a toy for an extra vote
Community Night is from 5 to 7 p.m. Dec 17. Stop by and take pictures with Santa, see the trees, vote, and donate toys for the Zachary Police Department Community Policing to help make a child’s Christmas wishes come true.
Shopping and more on Main
Mistletoe on Main Street is from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., Friday in downtown Zachary.
Activities include s’mores, train rides, lights in the park, Santa and Mrs. Claus, the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, food trucks, artisan vendors, snow globe photos, tree lighting, letters to Santa and shopping on Main.
Other Christmas activities include: DEC. 6
Christmas parade
The 2025 Zachary Christmas Parade will be themed “Christmas Movie Spectacular.”
It will roll at 10 a.m. Dec. 6 from Rouses on Church Street to St. John the Baptist Catholic Church.
Entry fee is $100, and the deadline to apply for a spot in the parade is Nov 17. Sign up at forms.office.com/r/b8qkhsEujS.
Black pot cooking contest set
Downtown Live at The Gazebo is holding its inaugural Bayou Black Pot Cook-Off on Dec 6 during the Zachary Christmas Parade Downtown Each team chooses what goes in their dish.
Awards will be presented for first, second and third place along with a People’s Choice Award. Register at forms.office.com/r/SWigFGsZvj. Team entry is $80 by Nov 28. Then it rises to $100.
Tasting wristbands will be $5. The group is seeking volunteer musicians to play in the gazebo.
RULES: 1. All dishes must be cooked in a cast-iron pot No open fires.
2. One 10x10 canopy is allowed per team.
3. Each team must have a fire extinguisher readily available.
4. Cooking teams that chose to sell full-size plates must provide their own plates and utensils. (Sampling bowls for judging will be provided.)
5. Dishes must be completed by 11 a.m. For information or questions please email us at downtownlivezachary@gmail.com.
The schedule, rain or shine, is 5:30 a.m., register and begin; 8:30 a.m., registration ends; 11 a.m., food ready to serve and judging begins; and 12:30 p.m., winner announced.
Nutcracker music
Books & Music celebrates the
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MERRY AND BRIGHT
Christmas lights are shining all around Zachary Photographer Sonya Goss took her camera around town Sunday in search of the holiday spirit, and she found decorated houses and businesses brightly lit. Send us photos from your favorite holiday lights and displays. Email photos to zachary@ theadvocate.com.
Residents sue council, owners over go-kart track permit
BY OLIVIA MCCLURE
Upset about the Zachary City Council’s recent blessing of a go-kart racetrack in their neighborhood, a group of residents calling themselves Zachary’s Citizens for Justice is suing the city and the track over the decision, saying it runs afoul of
track needs the permit because it isn’t a residential land use, and the W.J. Wicker Road area is zoned as residential. At the meeting where the permit was granted on a 3-2 vote, residents complained that the track — which already had been operating for several months without the permit — generates a significant amount of noise that disrupts their lifestyle. Many have lived on the road, which has large lots and a country feel that evokes the Zachary of yesteryear, for decades.
Backers, however, argued the track is a positive for the community, offering a constructive activity for youngsters, a gathering place for families and economic benefits for businesses in the city
When the council OK’d the permit, it included several stipulations, such as limiting when races can be held. But that wasn’t enough to ease the minds of W.J. Wicker Road residents. So they organized Zachary’s Citizens for Justice, hired an attorney and filed a lawsuit against the city and the track.
“These residents believe the permit was granted improperly because the proposed use is not allowed within the residential area,” resident Diane Fletcher told the council at its Nov 25 meeting. “Their suit also argues that there are several zoning and procedural standards that are not followed and they were not adequately addressed during the approval process. These concerns include whether the project complies with the existing zoning rules, how it may affect noise, traffic and whether it’s compatible with the residential
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Zachary headed to next round of playoffs
Team is one game closer to state title
BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer
The long road to the Caesars Superdome is nearing its end, with schools needing to clear just one more hurdle to reach the state title game.
Zachary High took a step closer to the dome with a win Friday The Broncos are no strangers to deep playoff runs. Zachary has won four state titles since 2015, with its most recent in 2021.
Zachary finds itself back in the Division I nonselect semifinals, but this run has been different. The Broncos (9-3) lost three of their last four games of the regular sea-
son and entered the playoffs as the No. 13 seed. After beating Salmen 48-15 in the first round, the Broncos have turned into road warriors. Zachary then upset No. 4 Denham Springs 44-21 in the regional round. The Broncos faced No. 5 Central in the quarterfinals. The Wildcats beat Zachary 35-33 when the teams met in the regular season at Zachary High School. Down 27-24 in the rematch, Zachary quarterback Michael Kirby scored on a 4-yard keeper with just 11 seconds left to send his Broncos to the semifinals in a 31-27 win. Zachary trailed 21-14 at the break, but used a big defensive showing to fuel the comeback. Now, Zachary will face No. 1 Ruston (10-2) with a chance to make it to the Division I nonselect state title.
PHOTOS BY SONYA GOSS
One Zachary resident in High Plains Crossing decorates their yard with a reindeer and sleigh. Christmas lights at Lane Regional Medical Center
The Crump family starting off their holidays with Joy
White lights display at HugYourPeople Memorial Park
The Christmas tree at Zachary City Hall.
Contributing writer
PHOTO BY PATRICK DENNIS
Zachary running back Tylek Lewis breaks into the open for a long touchdown run as Catholic defensive back Blaine Bradford defends during their game in Memorial Stadium Thursday.
Zachary honors veterans with road renaming
Community news report
On Veterans Day, Zachary unveiled a new Veterans Parkway sign over the existing West Park Road to direct residents to the Regional Veterans Park.
“We were honored to rename the street in recognition of the veterans who because of their service allow us to live freely,” said Zachary Mayor David McDavid.
The unveiling took place immediately following the annual flag-raising ceremony on Nov. 11 and marked the official start of the Veterans Day parade in downtown Zachary
L.J. Baker, chief strategic initiative officer at Lane Regional Medical Center, Frank Corcoran, CEO of Lane Regional Medical Center, and McDavid joined to reveal the new sign.
“Renaming West Park Road to Veterans Parkway is a powerful tribute to the brave men and women who have served our nation. As a veteran, I’m honored to be part of this moment alongside Mayor McDavid. This new name will stand as a lasting reminder of the sacrifices made and the gratitude we owe our veterans,” Baker said.
AROUND
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holiday season with a “Nutcracker Suite” freeze dance, some very jingly bells, and the book “The Boy Who Said Wow” by Tom Boss about a nonverbal boy who goes to a concert and says “Wow!”. Children will engage in hands-on musical and movement activities with teaching artists from the Kids’ Orchestra. All ages and skill levels are welcome. The Kids Orchestra event will be at the Zachary Branch Library at 11 a.m. Dec. 6. It is available at other branches. Baker bike giveaway
The city of Baker is holding a bicycle and toy giveaway at 10 a.m. Dec. 6 at Baker Municipal Building 3325 Groom Road. Recipients must turn in a registration form to City Hall by
Nov 27. DEC. 13
Market at St. John
The annual Mistletoe Market is from 9 a.m to 2 p.m. Dec. 13 at St. John the Baptist Activity Center on Lee Street in Zachary Pictures and story time with Santa will be available at 10 a.m. Chase Santa in race
The Zachary Charity League Chasing Santa 5K and half-mile fun run are Dec. 13. Runners who catch Santa win a special prize. The race starts and ends at Zachary High, passing five of the area’s seven schools. Strollers are welcome. Warmup is at 8:15 a.m followed by the national anthem The half-mile event starts at 8:30 a.m., and the 5K, a chip-timed race, is at 9 a.m Cookies and cocoa will be served post-race. Kids who finish the half-
mile run get to choose a toy from Santa’s bag, and ornaments will be given to the 5K finishers.
Visit runsignup.com/Race/ LA/Zachary/ZacharyCharityLeagueChasingSanta5K to sign up. Register by Dec. 1 to receive a T-shirt.
The 5K runners are given an hour to finish. Street reopen at 10 a.m. 5K runners may run the half-mile run for no extra fee. Strollers are welcome. A warmup is at 8:15 a.m. and the national anthem is at 8:25 a.m.
Race proceeds go toward scholarships, teacher grants and Snack Packs for Kids, which provides healthy snacks over the weekend for children who come from food insecure homes.
Baker parade
The Baker Christmas parade, “Home for the Holidays,” is at 10 a.m. Dec. 13. Parade participants should register at tinyurl.
Builtfor YOU! Bui t for Quality Care
com/4ye6n35v
Library mystery party
Visit the Pride-Chaneyville Branch Library, 13600 PridePort Hudson Road, for an Ugly Christmas Sweater Murder Mystery Party at 3 p.m. Dec. 13. DEC. 22
Library holiday music
Madam Dulcimer and Lady Chops will present lively dulcimer and drum holiday music for the whole family
Among the many shows are the 10 a.m. show at Baker Branch Library and the 2 p.m. show at Zachary Branch Library on Dec. 22. Registration may be required; call the specific location directly All children under the age of 9 must be accompanied by an adult.
Email Leila Pitchford at lpitchford@theadvocate. com.
Continued from page 1G
neighborhood.”
The situation, Fletcher said, should be of concern to everyone in Zachary
“The City Council is actively voting against our master plan and our future land use guidelines protection in place to ensure responsible growth and to preserve the character of the neighborhood,” she said. “So, if these standards can be set aside here, they can be set aside anywhere in Zachary That means it’s your streets, your property value and your quality of life will be impacted.”
One of her neighbors, Larry Perkins, urged the council to rethink its decision.
“When you make a mistake, be big enough to admit you’ve made the mistake and correct it before you go to court,” he said.
The movement has attracted support not only on W.J. Wicker Road but also in surrounding neighborhoods — including Millwood Creek Court, located just south of W.J. Wicker Road. Two residents of that street told the council they believe its recent vote fits a pattern of indifference toward certain parts of the city
“It seems like that area on the east side of the city is just neglected and dumped on on a continuous basis,” said one of the residents, Lee Coleman.
He said he is dismayed to see leaders ignoring the rules at the expense of residents’ quality of life.
“When we have things in place, we have to follow what’s in place,” Coleman said. “As elected officials, we all know we take oaths of office to these things, and if we don’t follow them, we have nothing. We have chaos. And what you have is an uproar in the community So if you guys wanted to stir up the community, you just did.”
Another Zachary’s Citizens for Justice supporter is Donald J. “Pete” Charlet, a former council member He noted the rarity of residents suing the city
“not developers or outside investors, but local citizens,” he said.
He went on to deliver a scathing assessment of the council’s behavior of late — which has been characterized by confusion over meeting procedures and frequent arguments.
“The principles of collective leadership seem to be nonexistent,” he said. “For the past three years, I’ve been patient and I’ve been forgiving, but really, intellectually, how can I expect this council to understand the principles of the law or our master plan when you continue to struggle with the simple ‘Robert’s Rules of Order’? At first I laughed, but I’ve stopped laughing because it’s embarrassing to me, and it’s another reflection of your incompetence.” With elections approaching in 2026, Charlet said he is “prayerful that some of you simply will not run for reelection.”
Voters, he predicted, will remember the council’s stance on the racetrack permit.
“I see nothing but political suicide. Of course, you just raised salaries so that, in your words, more competent people would run for office,” he said, referring to council members’ recent vote to increase pay for the mayor, police chief and themselves effective January 2027. “How self-deprecating can you be?”
Lane Regional Medical Center has earned aprestigious 4-Star Ratingfromthe Centers forMedicare&Medicaid Services (CMS) placing us in the toptier of hospitals nationwide and making us theonly hospitalinour region with this distinction.
Out of 157 hospitals in Louisiana, only 11 received 4stars Lane is one of them. When it comes to your health, choose afacility thatiscommitted to exceptional patientcare, safetyand outcomes Choose Lane.
PROVIDED PHOTO
From left, L.J Baker, chief strategic initiative officer at Lane Regional Medical Center Frank Corcoran, CEO of Lane Regional Medical Center and Zachary Mayor David McDavid join to reveal the new sign at Veterans Parkway.
Upgrade kicked off for Groom Road
report
The East Baton Rouge City-Parish administration, Baker Mayor Darnell Waites and District 2 Metro Council Member Anthony Kenney recently kicked off construction on Phase 1 of the MOVEBR Groom Road Corridor Improvements project. Groom Road is a major roadway in Baker, providing access to schools, churches and businesses, and connecting Plank Road and La. 19.
The groundbreaking was held at Park Ridge Achievement Academy, 5905 Groom Road, which is in the boundaries of the first phase of construction that will begin just west of
the McHugh Road intersection and continue east to Plank Road. Phase 2 will continue west to La. 19/ Main Street. A news release said this project will enhance the Groom Road Corridor making it safer for pedestrians and cyclists by reconfiguring wide travel lanes to provide a complete streets concept and dedicated turn lanes. When complete, Groom Road will have 8-foot-wide shared-use paths on both sides of the roadway Improvements include: n Drainage improvements to help alleviate local flooding with the addition of drain inlets and upsized piping in certain areas
Zachary student member of the West Texas A&M University’s Ranch Horse team
Community news report West Texas A&M University’s Ranch Horse teams took two of the top spots at its final competition of the fall, and one student rider won a world championship. Team members include Kaylea Marionneaux, a freshman agricultural business and economics major from Zachary One team was named
the limited non-pro division. She is the reigning National Intercollegiate Ranch & Stock Horse Association collegiate reserve national champion.
n Asphalt overlay for new roadway surfacing and concrete pads installed for boarding and offloading
locations
Pedestrian crosswalks
and the school n New school
bus
n 34 Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible
n Low level landscaping improvements along the corridor right-ofway The contractor is KCR Contractors and the project amount is $5.6 million. A notice-to-proceed with construction was issued by the city-parish to begin Nov 17, and construction is expected to last about 17 months.
ZHS senior selected for YEA program
Community news report
Zach ary High School senior Zahara Firven has been selected for a spot in the Young Entrepreneurs Academy of Baton Rouge for the 20252026 school year, the Zachary Community School District and Zachary High School announced. The Young Entrepreneurs Acad-
emy transforms local middle and high school students into real, confident entrepreneurs, a news release said Through the yearlong program, students in grades 6-12 generate business ideas, conduct market research, write business plans, pitch to a panel of investors, and launch their very own companies. Firven will be mentored by Baton Rouge business leaders and educators. There will be a CEO roundtable, a community pitch, and graduation from the program during the spring. The program is hosted at the LSU
E.J. Ourso College of Business, which gives Firven access to LSU faculty from the Stephenson Department of Entrepreneurship and Information Systems, fellows of the system, LSU Innovation Park, a prototyping center and the LSU Student Incubator for networking space and counseling. Graduates of the program qualify for LSU credit if enrolled at LSU within four years. The YEA is excited about the cohort of young entrepreneurs and what they will learn and accomplish this year, the release said.
Firven
Zachary man faces charges in deer hunting violation
Community news report
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agents recently cited a Zachary man for alleged deer hunting violations in East Baton Rouge Parish.
Agents cited Jahrii Rice, 22, for hunting deer during illegal hours and with illegal methods, taking over the daily limit of deer, failing to tag deer, hunting while under license revocation, failing to validate deer and hunting deer without possessing basic hunting and
deer hunting licenses.
Agents were told Rice was hunting deer during illegal hours near Zachary Agents did a background check and learned that Rice was hunting while under license revocation.
Agents learned that a person was hunting near Rice’s residence during illegal hours in the early morning Nov 14. When agents arrived on the scene they found Rice cleaning two does and a buck at his residence.
During questioning, Rice admitted to harvesting the three deer earlier that morning during illegal hours by utilizing a spotlight and a shotgun, according to a news release. Also during questioning, Rice admitted to harvesting two bucks on two separate days in October during illegal hours with a spotlight and shotgun.
Deer hunting in this area of the state was open to archery only when Rice harvested the two deer in October and was open to primi-
tive firearms only Nov 14. Also, the daily limit for this area of the state when Rice harvested the two does and one buck was one antlered and one antlerless deer per day Agents seized the three deer harvested Nov. 14 and donated them to a local charity Hunting deer during illegal hours brings a $900 to $950 fine and up to 120 days in jail. Hunting deer using illegal methods, hunting while under license revocation and taking over the daily limit of
deer carries a $250 to $500 fine and up to 90 days in jail for each offense Hunting without basic hunting and deer hunting licenses, failing to validate deer failing to tag deer brings up to a $350 fine for each offense. Rice will also owe civil restitution totaling $3,200 for the replacement value of the illegally taken deer Agents involved in this case are Lt. Jared Riddle and Sgt. Carl Armstrong.
ZES students become engineers for the day
Third graders at Zachary Elementary School’s engineering challenge learned about inventor Margaret E Knight, also known as “Lady Edison.”
A lifelong inventor, Knight is best known for inventing the squarebottom paper bag.
Students explored her creative process and compared it to the steps in the engineering design process, a news release said.
They then took on a challenge of their own: designing and building prototypes of seawalls to help reduce the impact of flooding during hurricanes.
Just like Margaret E. Knight and other great inventors, they tested their designs and made improvements along the way
Banks promoted to clinic operations lead for Lane
Community news report
Lane Regional Medical Center announced the promotion of Caleb Banks to clinic operations lead.
In this role, Banks will serve as a liaison between the practice management director and the clinic leadership and staff. His focus will be on ensuring operational alignment, implementing best practices, and improving communication between clinic managers and senior leadership.
Previously, Banks served as physician practice manager for Lane’s Gastroenterology, Dermatology and Surgery clinics. He has experience in clinic operations, team leadership and process improvement.
“Caleb has consistently demonstrated strong leadership and a commitment to improving clinic operations,” said Physician Practice Director Patty Williams. “He’s the perfect fit for this role, and I’m confident he will continue to make a significant im-
pact on our clinics’ performance.”
Banks is an EPIC Cadence Credentialed Trainer and holds a bachelor of science in health studies management and marketing from the University of Louisiana at Monroe.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to support our clinic teams and further enhance our operations,” said Banks.
“I look forward to collaborating with the Practice Management Director and the clinic managers to ensure our clinics run smoothly and provide the best care possible.”
ZACHARY POLICE BOOKINGS
The following people were booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison or issued a summons by the Zachary Police Department from Nov. 20-25:
QUINCY BELL: 21; 5680 Pine Tree Lane; simple battery
TERRY BROOKS: 62; 20935 Watson Drive, Zachary; failure to appear on outstanding bench warrants
KYLE ELEMORE: 21; 122 Waterfall Way, Clinton, Mississippi; fugitive warrant from East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, domestic abuse battery
STEVON FRANKLIN: 28; 4980 Lower Zachary Road Apt. 38, Zachary; criminal trespass, resisting an officer — refusal to give name or make identity known, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, fugitive warrant from East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office
DMARKUS FREEMA: 31; 4065 S. Barrow St., Baton Rouge; failure to appear on outstanding bench warrants
