The Comite River Diversion Canal — federally approved in 1993 as a flood-protection measure for the Baton Rouge area and for over two decades under start-and-stop construction should be done by mid-2028, officials say
When the latest round of work on the canal started in 2019, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials estimated the $908 million channel would take two years to finish But the project, which will divert Comite River floodwater to the Mississippi River, hit roadblocks and repeatedly slipped past expected completion dates.
The newest timeline was discussed recently with a legislative task force tracking the diversion’s construction.
The disclosure prompted a now familiar airing of frustrations over the pace of work and questions about state and federal oversight
“My role in this is to stay committed to moving as fast as possible.” COL. SCOTTY AUTIN, commander of the Army Corps of Engineers New Orleans District
of day-to-day construction and whether better contracting terms could motivate faster work.
Another complaint centers on why federal officials can’t start the process of refashioning flood insurance rate maps before the canal is finished to account for how much it will reduce risk which could save homeowners and other policyholders money
State Sen. Rick Edmonds, R-Baton Rouge, and Greenwell Springs builder Brandon Ivey raised the idea of adding performance incentives for bigger contracts that could put a dent in the timeline.
“It would be tragic if we had an-
other event six months before it would be open and have many millions of dollars worth of damage when maybe some performance incentives would have helped,” Ivey said.
Among those fielding the questions was Col. Scotty Autin, the latest commander of the Corps’ New Orleans District to be handed responsibility for the long-running project.
The Houma native who took over in July said the U.S. Army has “a bias for action” and, with the state highway department, would try to find ways to save time in the building contracts.
“My role in this is to stay committed to moving as fast as possible,” he said, adding he would look to trim cushion days built into the contracts where possible.
He said the contracts already contain some incentives, including financial penalties for delays.
With parts already scattered, Denham Springs High School began tinkering with engineering ideas on a recent Saturday morning after learning the game for the upcoming competition season.
Robotics teams kick off season
Denham Springs High School hosts 20 teams for competition reveal
BY RICHARD MEEK Contributing writer
Four years ago, Gabe Johnston, then a freshman at Denham Springs High School, decided
to attend a meeting explaining robotics on a small scale.
“It was on a whim, and I had nothing else to
ä See ROBOTICS, page 4G
Krewe of Denham Springs Mardi Gras parade
(225) 337-0041. Krewe of Diversion 31st Mardi Gras Boat Parade planned Troy Landry will roll Feb. 7 as grand marshal in the Krewe of Diversion Mardi Gras Boat Parade. The parade, hosted by Louisiana Friends Fighting Childhood Cancer, starts
A weekend pass is $15. Kids 5 and under are free.
Sicilian festival seeks vendors The Independence Sicilian Heritage Festival is March 13-15. The festival is looking for food and craft vendors. Visit indysicilianfest.com to see forms.
Walker High cracks down on hair dye
Hundreds of students answer with petition
BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD Staff writer
After Walker High School officials enforced a dress code policy allowing only “natural colored” hair, students created a petition to change the rule, garnering over 400 signatures in a week.
Students started the online petition after the Livingston Parish high school posted a “natural hair color notice” on social media on Wednesday Jan. 14. “Per the student handbook for Walker High School, hair must be of a natural color,” the school said. “Beginning Jan. 26, any student with hair that is not a natural color will receive consequences.”
According to the student handbook, dress code violations can result in a variety of consequences from detention to suspension.
Livingston Parish Public Schools spokesperson Delia Taylor said in a statement that the districtwide dress code policy is not new and has been around since at least 2022.
ä See HAIR, page 3G
Learn something new Be sure to visit southeastern.nbsstore.
STAFF FILE PHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON Rock lines the Comite River Diversion Canal just east of La. 964 in Zachary. The 300-foot-wide, 50-foot-deep canal will route flood water from the Comite and larger Amite River Basin to the Mississippi River, reducing risk for 700,000 people in the Baton
PHOTO BY RICHARD MEEK
Also, the Corps grades its contractors, which can affect the ability of poorly
companies to get future jobs.
A concept discussed since the 1960s, the 8-mile, rock-lined channel is being sliced through forest, pasture and creeks. The route starts just east of La. 67 at the Comite and cuts westward, and downhill, on a path between Baker and Zachary With 4 additional miles of more natural diversion through Mississippi River lowlands west of U.S. 61, the canal will essentially become a man-made river able to handle floodwaters equivalent to the Arkansas River
Handling so much water has required a massive digging, building and relocation effort to make way for the 300-foot-wide, 50-foot-deep channel. That work has included construction of highway and railroad bridges to cross the new canal and the relocation of more than 60 pipelines and other utilities.
‘Challenging milestone’
Despite missing completion estimates, state officials have hit some big milestones. Fifteen of the 23 construction or land clearing phases of the project have been built or finished. By the end of 2025, construction contracts for all of the remaining phases were awarded, Corps officials said.
Autin confirmed the Corps has enough money to finish the work after cost overruns forced a major influx of new cash from Congress a few years ago as the price rose to nearly $1 billion.
Perhaps most significantly, one of the largest stumbling blocks in the latest phase of the diversion’s long history relocating two high-pressure gas pipelines owned by Florida Gas Transmission — was completed in January Gas is flowing through the rerouted lines, Autin said.
“It was a challenging milestone for this project. It took long time,” Autin said.
Officials with the Amite River Basin Commission, an original sponsor of the channel, have said they foresaw the problems the gas lines would pose in 2010 but couldn’t generate interest in tackling the problem. And state officials have complained they hit years of resistance in negotiations with the company to address the complicated and costly pipeline relocation.
The stalled work ended up delaying two canal digging phases and new bridge construction at La. 19. It took a personal visit by thenGov John Bel Edwards with Florida Gas officials in early 2022 and talks among the company, the state and the Corps to agree on reimbursement for the company’s utility relocation costs. That bill wound up at $17 million.
Final pieces
Among the key final construction pieces are the diversion structure itself and bridges at La. 19.
Once finished, the big diversion structure will sit in the Comite River just east of the new La. 67 bridge, which was built for the canal. The structure will continuously divert water from the Comite into the new channel once flooding hits a certain level.
To hold up against the pushing water, the structure will contain 40,000 cubic yards of reinforced concrete, enough to fill 12 Olympicsized swimming pools, and 142,000 linear feet of steel H-piles, enough to stretch from downtown Baton Rouge to Gonzales, Corps estimates say Despite the scope of that piece of the project, it isn’t expected to take the longest to finish. That distinction falls to constructing the final connection between a natural waterway, Bayou Baton Rouge, and the new diversion channel That work, the last of three bayou connections, is expected to take nearly three years.
“Is it really going to take that long?” asked state Sen. Valarie Hodges, a Denham Springs Republican who chairs the task force.
The work involves rock-lining the last sections of the three bayous so they can gradually dump water into the diversion. Two are in various
stages of construction or final land clearing. Corps officials said one reason the Bayou Baton Rouge part will take so long is that it requires a new bridge. Autin told Hodges that the 1,087
days set aside for the job “matches what we would see on similar complex projects,” but he added that close coordination with the contractor could speed things up.
“That’s the commitment to turn
those 1,087 (days) as efficient as we can and really deliver it,” he said.
David J. Mitchell can be reached at dmitchell@ theadvocate.com.
Hendricks joins North Oaks Eye Care Clinic in Hammond
Community news report
North Oaks Health System has added Dr. Sean Hendricks to the North Oaks Health System as the first full-time retina specialist in Tangipahoa Parish.
As a fellowship-trained retina specialist with more than two decades of experience, Hendricks treats patients with conditions affecting the retina and the back of the eye, a new release said. He provides ongoing care for chronic eye diseases, per-
forms surgeries and offers emergency eye care when needed.
“By adding a retina specialist to our ophthalmology team, we’re expanding the scope of care we provide as a trauma center,” said North Oaks Surgical Service Line Vice President Sarah Mitchell.
“Patients with retina-related needs can now receive expert treatment right here in the parish, close to home.
“One thing that can make my day in-
stantly better is seeing a smile on a previously scared patient who can tell they are visually recovering,” Hendricks said. “Communication is key because a patient who understands is both more comfortable and more helpful in reaching the best possible outcome for their vision.”
To schedule an appointment with Hendricks, call (985) 230-3937.
Following graduation from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago, Hendricks completed residencies at Tulane University in New Orleans and the LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport. He also completed a two-year surgical medical retina fellowship with the Vitreoretinal Foundation Eye Specialty Group in Memphis, Tennessee. He is a member of the American Society of Retina Specialists, the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the New Orleans Academy of Ophthalmology
STAFF PHOTOS BY MICHAEL JOHNSON
Traffic drives over a bridge on U.S 61 that is part of the finished section of the 8-mile long channel that will make up the bulk of the Comite River Diversion Canal in Zachary.
Hendricks
P.J. Varnado, the branch chief for the Baton Rouge Integrated Projects Office, gives a tour of the finished control structure near Lilly Bayou on Aug. 19, 2024 in Zachary. The structure, which was finished in 2011, is part of the Comite River Diversion Canal and slows the 45-foot drop of water flowing from the channel section of the diversion into bottomland swamps along the Mississippi
Denham Springs pushes for return to basketball glory days
Last year, the Denham Springs boys’ basketball team advanced to the LHSAA’s Marsh Madness championship tournament for the first time since the glory days of former Yellow Jacket and LSU star player Tasmin Mitchell. This week, the Jackets will begin a quest for another first since that era, a district championship. The road to the District 5-5A title will be a little different than the one the Jackets traveled in 2005. The main difference is one round of play, not the homeand-home round robin that was in place back in the day
Still, with a 19-5 record and a No. 4 rating in the Division I nonselect power rankings, Denham Springs is one of the top contenders for district honors. The other favorite is St. Amant, which is rated No. 6 with a 21-3 record. With three weeks left in the regular season, this year’s Jackets squad is still a work in progress, but it came together well last week in a 70-64 win over Parkview Baptist. The Eagles had brought an 11game winning streak into that contest.
“We’re still trying to find our way,” Denham Springs coach Kevin Caballero said after the game. “I thought we played well down the stretch, and it helps to hit big shots.” One of the biggest against Parkview came from Devin Houston, a transfer from Liberty Magnet. Houston’s 3-pointer from the left wing with 3:27 left to play gave the Jackets a 60-54 lead over Parkview, despite his coach telling him to hold
the ball.
“Devin hit a big one,” Caballero said. “I didn’t want him to shoot it, but he put it up and made it Sometimes that’s how it goes.” Houston is part of a Denham Springs lineup that has blended in returning starters Da’Jean and Da’Sean Golmond, and Jeremy Williams with a group of newcomers that includes Houston and former Live Oak standout Hayden Ray
HAIR
Continued from page 1G
“Student expectations, including dress and grooming standards, are in place to help maintain a structured, orderly learning environment that supports instruction and minimizes distractions,” Taylor said. “LPPS values our partnership with families and appreciates their understanding that our schools are responsible for enforcing policies.”
However students claim the school, and other parish schools, have always been lenient on the hair color policy, and that the announcement was a shock to them.
“Why is Walker’s hair all of a sudden a problem?” asked Amelia Johnson, whose daughter, Kitiar’a, is a sophomore at Walker High. “Wouldn’t they have
started (enforcing) that from day one?”
Kitiar’a currently has blue hair She has been dying her hair a variety of colors for over a decade.
“Everybody’s talking about (the ban). It’s the main topic of conversation,” the sophomore said. “I just think it’s so unfair Hair color isn’t a crime.” Johnson said she had always heard that the school was lenient about its haircolor policy, until now Walker High School has about 2,000 students enrolled for the school year according to the Louisiana Department of Education data. The online petition, as of Tuesday afternoon had more than 400 signatures.
“We ask the school to update the policy so students can choose bright hair colors without punishment,” the petition said.
Ray scored 15 of his 19 points in the first half, but Houston and Da’Jean Golmond stepped up in the second. Houston finished with 14 points while Golmond made five 3-pointers and led his team with 21. That kind of teamwork has Denham Springs thinking about adding a district title after advancing to last year’s state tournament.
“I looked at the Marsh Madness banner and I told
the team, ‘It took us a long time to get there,” Caballero said. “If you want to go a step further, which is what we preach, you have to win games like this. You have to play together and I’m hoping we get to that.”
Charles Salzer covers Livingston sports for the Livingston-Tangipahoa Advocate. To reach Salzer, email livingston@ theadvocate.com.
Dr Hendricks is Tangipahoa Parish’s first full-time retina
• Diagnosis and management of retinal
• Non-surgical medical treatment
• Outpatient eye surgery
• Emergency eye care Visit northoaks.org/hendricks to learn more
To schedule an
Jeremy Williams Hayden Ray
Denham Springs High boys basketball’s Devin Houston (3) guards Parkview Baptist’s Ahmir Howard.
PHOTOS BY CHARLES SALZER Denham Springs High School basketball coach Kevin Caballero, center, Hayden Ray (23) and Da’Jean Golmond (5)
Da’Sean Golmond Charles Salzer
Show off your outdoor art for Louisiana license cards
Community news report
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries sells hard collector’s license cards for $5. These optional collectible cards let owners carry all their active annual licenses on a single, long-lasting card that fits in your wallet, a news release said.
These collector cards will feature new artwork each year from Louisiana outdoor enthusiasts.
LDWF is looking for amateur or professional artists or photographers who love the Louisiana outdoors to submit iconic Louisiana outdoor artwork and photographs to be featured on this year’s hard license cards.
User-submitted, original artwork or photographs should fall into the following categories: wildlife/hunting, fish/fishing and scenic/other to be featured. Photographs or artwork may be submitted in digital format.
To participate, simply click www.wlf.louisiana. gov/page/ldwf-durablehard-license-artwork-con-
test, enter your contact information into the form, and upload your image(s) before Feb. 21.
Rules:
n Images must be taken in Louisiana
n Please do not submit images with anyone’s recognizable face.
n Image size cannot exceed 20MB
n Images should be horizontal
LDWF will announce the winners. Winners will be notified by email, will have their artwork featured on the hard license cards, and will be featured on the agency’s website and social media channels throughout the year
The hard license cards will go on sale in June and will be available for an additional $5 fee. The proceeds from the card sales help fund LDWF’s mission to manage, conserve and promote wise utilization of Louisiana’s renewable fish and wildlife resources and their supporting habitats, the release said.
ROBOTICS
Continued from page 1G
do,” Johnston said.
That decision turned out to be life changing for Johnston, who has blossomed from a shy freshman who, by his own admission, experienced difficulty talking to a senior comfortable talking to judges, doing news reports for people and serving as captain of the school’s world-class robotics team
“Robotics, this entire program, has given me a place to be myself,” he said. “I’ve learned all of the work and the experiences have been so monumental in founding who I am as a person.”
“I did not expect that at all,” he said, adding that he initially had no intention to be involved in the extracurricular activity.
“To get to the point where I am now, to be the captain of the team, I never saw myself begin in this position,” he said. “Every year the experience has allowed me to have the confidence and the personality to do what I do now.”
Johnston said through robotics coach Daniel Eiland’s class he was able to experience hands-on building, something lacking in other
classes He said it was not like going to class and taking notes but involved wiring, metal screws and other things he had previously never experienced Johnson joined his other 49 teammates and students worldwide who make up 3,700 robotics teams on a recent Saturday morning for the reveal of the game for this year, which will feature robots built by students competing on a field and either trying or playing defense.
Eiland said the game was revealed at 11:30 a.m. central time.
“We had no clue as to what the game was,” he said. Representatives from 20 area high schools gathered at Denham Springs for the reveal, which serves as the official kickoff for the robotics season that ends in May And it also signaled time for the real work to begin, including breaking down a 100-page rule book that offers what can be done or not done but no instructions on how to build the robots.
Eiland said the latest rules feature some new wrinkles, such as giving a robot 15 seconds to score and then turning around to play defense.
“What is happening now is the kids, now knowing the
game, are asking ‘What do we do?’ ” Eiland said. “We start strategizing what we need to do to be a world championship team and what is the difference between a team that is going to be a team at regionals ver-
sus a team that wins the regional and goes all the way to the world championship,” Denham Springs, like most schools that Saturday immediately went to their build sites begin the work. Mentor Rohit Gongi, a
graduate of Episcopal High School who has earned two engineering degrees and is now a first year medical school student in Shreveport, was in attendance and already working on new robot specs. Gongi, who has
SLU
of 2026
Community news report
The Southeastern Louisiana University Contemporary Art Gallery’s first
been involved in robotics for 12 years, since the age of 10, said he loves helping kids and loves mentoring but ultimately loves competing and the never-ending learning process.
“Robotics is travel ball for nerds,” Eiland said. “It is something that becomes all consuming.”
Also a mentor for the first time is NASA quality engineer Lisa Comeaux who has worked at the agency’s Michoud facility in New Orleans East for the past 25 years. Her interest in mentoring was sparked when the Livingston Parish native gave a tour at Michoud to Denham Springs High School, which is her alma mater
“I wanted to show the students that kids from Denham Springs can come work for a company like NASA because I am an example,” Comeaux said. “I want to show them if this is their aspiration, somebody from our community has done it and it is possible.” Johnston will be at every event, an unlikely leader in a position he never imagined.
“I would not be where I am without this robotics program and the experience it has offered me through high school,” he said.
works
PHOTOS BY RICHARD MEEK
Members of the Denham Springs High School First Robotics team quickly go to work on a recent Saturday morning after learning the game for the upcoming season.
Coach Daniel Eiland addresses the Denham Springs High School robotics team on a recent Saturday morning after learning the game for the upcoming season.
