After escapes, lawsuits and an arrest, preserve in East Feliciana is up
BY AIDAN MCCAHILL Staff writer
Ligon
On a Friday in January at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport, as passengers filed off a flight from Costa Rica into a looming winter ice storm, de put ies were waiting at the gate for a Louisiana zoo owner known for sloth selfies and otter swims. In his 30s, Gabe Ligon has spent much of his life trav-
The Lane Foundation is holding its
Bourbon, BBQ
eling the world in the name of conservation — serving as board president of Kids Saving the Rainforest, a Costa Rica-based nonprofit that rescues and rehabilitates sloths, parrots and primates. But for over four months, a warrant had been out for his arrest for felony theft. Upon landing Ligon was booked as a fugitive into the Tarrant County Jail. The arrest capped a busy and tumultuous few years for Ligon, who runs Magnolia Wilds, a private zoo in the East Feliciana Parish
See SALE, page 2G
Former St. Francisville Mayor Billy D’Aquilla dies at age 85
BY JAMES MINTON Contributing writer
Family members and officials remembered former St. Francisville Mayor Billy D’Aquilla as a dedicated public servant
D’Aquilla, 85, died Sunday morning at his home, his son, District Attorney Sam D’Aquilla said.
“He never met somebody he didn’t get along with,” Sam D’Aquilla said. “I learned from him how important it is to call people back, to be responsive.”
D’Aquilla left office in December 2020 after a 48-year career that included service as the town’s mayor, mayor pro-tem and alderman.
“When we were kids, we used to play under the table they were meeting at,” Sam D’Aquilla said. Funeral services for D’Aquilla, one of the longest-serving public officials in the Feliciana parishes, are set for noon Thursday, April 16. Visitation will be before the service from 9 a.m to noon. Both are at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in St. Francisville.
Billy D’Aquilla served 12 years as an alderman, including eight years as mayor protem, before he was elected mayor in 1984.
A proclamation issued when his final term ended in December 2020 commended him for maintaining an open-door policy as mayor, for leaving the town in excellent financial shape, working with other public officials in the parish and state and promoting the town through his service in various capacities through the Louisiana Municipal Association.
His final accomplishment in office was promoting a half-cent sales tax to partially ä See MAYOR, page 3G
Police Jury takes stance against carbon capture
BY JAMES MINTON Contributing writer
After twice delaying action on a resolution opposing carbon capture and sequestration, the East Feliciana Parish Police Jury finally adopted the measure at its April 6 meeting.
The resolution was requested by Rep. Robbie Carter, of neighboring St. Helena Parish, at an earlier meeting but twice jurors said they wanted to get more information about the process before voting on the resolution.
Carbon capture and sequestration, or CCS, involves removing carbon dioxide from industrial emissions, transporting it by pipeline to injection wells and pumping it deep underground for long-term storage.
The state Legislature is addressing several aspects of the process in the current session, but a bill to prevent pipeline operators from building pipelines across private property using “eminent domain” recently fell short of passing.
Eminent domain is the power to seize private property for public use, such as roads and pipelines, provided the owners are compensated.
The topic also has been injected into the primary battle among the three Republican candidates seeking the nomination for a U.S. Senate seat now held by Bill Cassidy Gov Jeff Landry is a strong proponent of the technology
The resolution, approved by an 8-0-1 jury vote, says the risks associated with CCS and pipeline infrastructure include:
n The potential for ruptured pipelines and subsequent toxic releases.
n The risk of groundwater and drinking water contamination from leaking injection wells. n The possibility of increased seismic activity caused by injecting high-pressure fluids underground.
The resolution opposes CCS projects within the parish and asks the Legislature and state agencies to impose a moratorium on injection wells permits.
See CARBON, page 4G
St. Francisville cop
suspected of giving drugs to woman who drowned in hotel bathtub
BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer
A St. Francisville police officer accused of improperly driving a woman around in his cruiser the night she drowned in a hotel bathtub — a death originally thought to be an overdose or a suicide is now suspected of having given her drugs, the district attorney says.
Richard Parsons Jr — who resigned 2022, shortly after the drowning — was charged last year with malfeasance in office for allegedly having given Rene Horton a ride in his cruiser Photos recovered from Parson’s phone during the drowning investigation tied him to both Horton’s death and to a separate incident involving the sexual battery of a man, District Attorney Sam D’Aquilla said.
On Thursday D’Aquilla submitted a warrant to re-arrest 39-year-old Parsons on a count of negligent homicide in Horton’s death. He was booked on the sexual battery charge in October 2025 and the malfeasance charge in August 2025.
According to D’Aquilla, Parsons dropped Horton off at the Francis Hotel around 3:45 a.m. on March 7, 2022, just before the end of his shift. He then returned to the hotel once he was off the clock.
Parson told investigators he found Horton drowned in the room’s bathtub, at which point he called police, D’Aquilla said.
The original investigation found Horton had accidentally drowned, or possibly committed suicide, after an overdose of her own prescription medicine, he said.
STAFF PHOTOS BY MICHAEL JOHNSON
at the Magnolia Wilds preserve in Ethel.
he was sued by a Texas business partner over a preserve they had started there three years earlier By early 2025, he was working to improve a different private zoo, a venture with a north Louisiana couple that also ended in a lawsuit — and, eventually, the warrant.
And since the news broke of his arrest, former employees have criticized Ligon’s management of his Ethel zoo, claiming frequent animal deaths and escapes as well as substandard facilities that pose dangers to workers.
On a recent weekday in March, Ligon showed off his zoo — which he put up for sale a few weeks prior to his arrest — to explain his side of the story
Located off a winding country highway, the place was still open to the public, though the parking lot sat empty Ligon spoke hurriedly but was eager to answer questions.
He defended himself against the mismanagement claims by his former employees and denied the allegations of theft. He did acknowledge that some of his former practices were not ideal.
“I’m not saying we’re perfect. We’ve had issues,” he said. But he insisted the zoo has since improved its standards. He pointed to a federal inspection report issued just last month that found no violations there.
“There’s definitely things we’ve done in the past that I regret doing and we’ve evolved from,” Ligon added. Deals, lawsuits and an arrest
A year before the fight over the north Louisiana zoo, a separate business venture soured.
In 2021, Ligon and his friend Tyler Thomas bought land in Los Fresnos, Texas, and started a wildlife preserve called Fragile Planet. Three years later, that partnership had unraveled to the point that Thomas sued Ligon.
Thomas and another partner in the business “soon became troubled by Ligon’s volatile temper” and “frequent verbal and emotional abuse” of the park workers, the lawsuit says. He would often disappear, unreachable for weeks at a time, Thomas claimed.
Eventually, Thomas filed a restraining order to keep Ligon off the property
“Since his departure, I will say staff morale is higher than it’s ever been and the park is performing better than it ever has,” Thomas said recently Ligon declined to comment on the lawsuit, citing a nondisparagement clause as part of a settlement that was reached between the two in 2025. By that time, Ligon was
cords system, and train new staff. Cormane added he paid Ligon another $90,000 for more animals, including sloths, anteaters and porcupines.
But Cormane claims none of the animals arrived, and according to the lawsuit the couple later filed, Ligon spent much of the 90-day contract period out of the country
“He stayed in Costa Rica for three months,” Cormane said. “Anything that he did do, we’ve had to go back and re-do.”
Jan Blanchard, hired by the Cormanes to manage animal care during the overhaul and fired in August, tells a different story
preserve.
‘Coffee pot is broken’
Private zoos are inspected yearly by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, part of the U.S Department of Agriculture. Over the years, inspectors have documented violations of the Animal Welfare Act involving enclosure size, cleanliness and security at Barnhill and Magnolia Wilds, though less so after the rebranding.
citations years and months before the incident, according to USDA reports. The 30 Animal Welfare Act violations spanning five years led the USDA to fine Barnhill $5,200 in 2023, along with seizing the giraffe.
Brittany Peet, a lawyer for the Animal Legal Defense Fund, said it is rare for the USDA to take any sort of action against private zoos, which have far looser oversight than those accredited by the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums. She added that many Animal Welfare Act regulations are vague enough to invite interpretation, and most private zoos are only inspected about once a year
“There are essentially no penalties to violating the Animal Welfare Act until the USDA brings an actual enforcement action against you, and that only happens to a handful of facilities each year,” she said.
Five former staff members told The Advocate that when word of an upcoming inspection came in, a warning would go out in code over the radios they carried: “The coffee pot is broken.”
That meant being on high alert, speaking only essential radio traffic and making sure the enclosures look brand new, several employees explained.
a barn while they were trying to clip its wings It resembled “an alligator flying in the sky,” one employee said.
Nunez says everyone was told to go back to work. She and other employees say it was never found.
“We all just left and went back to the barn,” said Nunez. “We didn’t do anything to try and catch it or alert local authorities.”
Ligon said he recalls seeing one stork flying but claims it did not escape the premises. He added he later sold it to Gone Wild, the park owned by the Cormanes.
The following summer, Lyle, a 2-foot baby Nile crocodile, was moved outside a shed after mauling a bird that had escaped its enclosure, Alford and another employee said. After a few days of living in a plastic trough outside, Lyle went missing, they say, and couldn’t be found.
“They didn’t report it; they didn’t do anything,” said Alford. “There is a loose crocodile in Ethel somewhere.”
Ligon said he did not recall the escape, but does remember selling a caiman a few years back.
heavily involved with another zoo. A central Louisiana couple — John and his wife Paula Cormane were considering closing down a drive-thru safari and petting zoo they’d owned for 18 years in Grant Parish. But they decided to give the family business, Gone Wild Safari, one more shot So they reached out to Ligon, the couple said, for help.
As a 20-year-old, Ligon had bought a single acre from his grandfather in Ethel and, within a decade, had turned it into a 100-acre wildlife preserve called Barnhill Preserve, now Magnolia Wilds.
In the small world of private zoos, the Cormanes had known Ligon for years through animal trades. In early 2025, they invited him to Grant Parish to see if his model could save their business, they said.
Soon, Ligon and Hunter Hullet, the executive director of Magnolia Wilds, proposed a 90-day contract to “leverage our successful blueprint” and transform the Cormanes’ safari park.
“With a strategic investment of $130,000, we will implement critical infrastructure, marketing, staffing, and guest-experience upgrades that position Gone Wild Safari to generate $1 million or more in additional revenue,” the contract says. The deal was inked in April 2025. John Cormane says he took out more than half a million dollars in loans to build new animal enclosures, remodel the bathroom and gift shop create a new website and digital re-
DEMOCRAT
“The contract itself, the Cormanes were reneging on it left and right,” said Blanchard. “They weren’t doing their part.”
She says Ligon or Hullet came up each week to oversee progress, hired professionals to build enclosures and found two veterinarians for the park. But the Cormanes repeatedly ignored or undid the work and refused to hire the vets, she said, and Ligon withheld animals like sloths and anteaters only after seeing that their enclosures were not ready
As reopening day in October drew closer, it didn’t appear any of the work was going to be completed, and the disagreements turned explosive in front of staff, Blanchard recalls.
“It sounded like a domestic violence episode,” Blanchard said. “I had seen them argue before in front of me, but never that bad.”
In August, John Cormane reported to authorities that he was still owed $93,200 worth of work from Ligon, and the arrest warrant was soon issued.
Grant Parish Sheriff Stephen McCain says deputies contacted Ligon multiple times about turning himself in. Ligon counters that he was not notified of the warrant until January
He was extradited to Grant Parish, where he says he immediately posted bail. Ligon said he can’t comment on the ongoing lawsuit until he deals with the criminal charges.
Blanchard and others, commenting on widely circulated Facebook posts, question why the dispute ever escalated into an airport arrest. But the fallout renewed scrutiny of Ligon’s wildlife
Between 2021 to 2023, the USDA documented three alpacas and a red river hog dying of parasites, a sloth that died after three weeks of untreated diarrhea and a Mexican hair dwarf porcupine that escaped from its enclosure and was never found.
In October 2023, a boy wandered to the back of a hyena enclosure, stuck his hand through the gates and was bitten, according to several local news reports. In response, Barnhill claimed the enclosure had passed multiple USDA inspections and said the child had ignored clear off-limits markings. However, the enclosure had received several
Ligon says the term was simply a way of communicating to staff to be professional, “just letting everyone know USDA is here and to be on your best behavior.”
Two days before a 2024 inspection, former employees say two Indian-crested porcupines dug out of an enclosure and escaped. Shelby Alford and Valerie Nunez say one, named Rebel, was found dead the day of the inspection after being run over by a car They say the carcass was scraped off the road and hidden from inspectors.
Ligon said he was not aware of the incident.
In 2023, employees recall, a Marabou stork — a massive scavenger with a wingspan up to 10 feet — escaped
Staff say in 2024, Ligon brought in a female Geoffroy’s cat to breed with a male, Felix Former workers, including Nunez, said Ligon directed staff to place the female in the lockdown area of Felix’s enclosure despite warnings that the two hadn’t been properly introduced. They say the male, already highly aggressive and prescribed antipsychotic medication, dug under the barrier that same day and fatally crushed the female’s skull.
Ligon called it an unfortunate but not uncommon outcome when introducing wild cats. Felix, he noted, is no longer showing signs of anxiety
“We’re not going to try to breed him again,” he added. Alford recalls complaining for months about a lack of a lockdown for an African red river hog named Hamilton.
ä See SALE, page 3G
PROVIDED PHOTO Gabe Ligon shows off a sloth during an animal education presentation at Jackson Elementary School in East Feliciana Parish.
STAFF PHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON
dromedary camel, walks around the safari area at Magnolia Wilds in Ethel.
Though not required by the USDA, lockdown areas are used to secure larger animals to let staff safely clean enclosures or set out food.
Alford said that in 2024, Ligon asked her to scrub algae out of a pool in Hamilton’s enclosure. So Alford threw some food about 15 feet away from the water, on one side of the enclosure, then got to work cleaning the other It wasn’t long before she heard the footsteps, she recalls.
“I turn around and he immediately starts mauling me. He hooks me in the knee,” she said.
Alford remembers dropping to a fetal position as Hamilton tried to roll her over Eventually, the hog left her alone
“You can’t fight a hog, you can’t do that, it just makes it worse,” she said.
Alford said the attack left her with a 3.5-inch gash on her knee.
Soon, Ligon showed up with a rock in his hand, Alford said, then opened the enclosure so she could escape. A visitor who was an emergency room worker fashioned a tourniquet around her knee, Alford recalls, before she was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where she was sent into surgery
Ligon said the incident was documented and Alford received workers’ compensation.
‘Help the planet’
On a sunny spring morning, Ligon sat on the back of a mud-spattered four-wheeler as his father drove through Magnolia Wilds. Blackbuck antelope and rheas huge flightless birds similar to os-
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visitors hold sloths.
Ligon was charming as he showed the property, allowing photos of every exhibit none of which appeared noticeably cramped or dirty
“Any photos are better than my mugshot these days,” he said.
The previous month, USDA workers had visited the preserve but reported they couldn’t conduct an inspection because “a responsible adult was not available.”
Ligon said that was because he wasn’t there — though inspectors did meet with the preserve’s veterinarian and front desk staff, he said.
After returning a week later, USDA inspectors found no violations at the preserve, which now houses 151 animals, the report says.
trade is allowed and supports the local economy
“Everything we have is legal and done with permits,” he said.
He also said up-close encounters with exotic animals ultimately do more good than harm.
“We take tuna fish and animals from the wild every day to eat them,” he said. “Most kids that see a sloth are going to be a little more inspired to protect that animal in the future.”
“The USDA overstepped boundaries and denied us our 4th amendment rights,” he said in a video posted to Facebook. “I’m reaching out to you as a Southerner, as an American. please pay attention to this.”
Ligon says the effect of the giraffe seizure on the park’s reputation was drastic. He said Barnhill’s revenue dropped by $1 million that year, forcing him to rebrand the park to Magnolia Wilds in 2024.
triches — roamed the fields, and as the vehicle slowed, Ligon let out a guttural moo. Within seconds, Clyde, a 1,200-pound dromedary camel, gingerly approached.
“They pee down their leg,” he said about the one-humped species. “In the desert, the evaporation helps cool them off.”
The camel was in the “Safari Park” portion of Magnolia Wilds, where most of the animals have already been sold off. In a narrow barn, a giraffe named Manny stood near a small window, waiting to be shipped to another facility within hours.
“We’re trying to restructure right now to stay alive to fight another day,” Ligon said.
Ligon said the park has made many changes, including no longer allowing handson encounters with any animals except the otters.
For $200, guests can swim with baby otters. Former workers say that as the otters got older, they would start to bite guests, occasionally drawing blood. In 2021, a
USDA inspector cited Barnhill with a violation after observing children calling out to employees that they were being bitten by otters.
“They were almost always bites,” said Josh Webb, who worked at the preserve in 2025 “I would guess maybe one or two a week.”
Once a certain threshold of bites was reached, the otters were sold, Webb and other former workers said.
On the recent visit with Ligon, two small otters playfully wrestled in a bathtub, eyeing him as he approached.
A small swimming pool sat next to their enclosure. He said the pair was fixed, which improved their behavior, and added that he’s unaware of any bites beyond those documented by the USDA.
Another past draw for his park was the opportunity to handle, feed and take pictures with sloths. Two former employees say one juvenile sloth named Rocket had to be restrained during such encounters, stopped eating and eventually died. Ligon said the park no longer lets
Ligon defends many of his practices — such as stocking his zoo with animals caught in the wild — that are condemned by animal rights organizations such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and Animal Legal Defense Fund.
A self-described “conservationist cowboy,” Ligon called those groups “extremist,” arguing that anyone who supports them also shouldn’t hunt, fish or own a purebred dog.
In 2021, USDA inspectors found no acquisition records required for all zoo animals — for otters, sloths, goats, armadillos, water buffalo and an African serval cat One report by the Sloth Institute, a nonprofit in Costa Rica that has been critical of Ligon’s practices, analyzed federal data on the importation of animals and found that from 2011 to 2021, Barnhill Preserve imported 71 wildcaught sloths from the country of Guyana.
Ligon acknowledged some of the preserve’s sloths have been wild-caught but said the
Another practice criticized by animal rights groups and many of Ligon’s former employees is taking animals home for care Three former workers, including Nunez and Alford, say they routinely took home baby sloths, kangaroos, porcupines, lynxes and African servals to provide neonatal care for months at a time.
That would require USDA inspection and approval of homes, says Brittany Peet the Animal Legal Defense Fund lawyer Ligon said taking animals home is common at zoos, adding that his park has largely moved away from it.
He traces the park’s troubles to one night in September 2023 when the USDA seized Brazos the giraffe. Inspectors had documented continued failure to provide him adequate veterinary care, “resulting in a state of unrelieved suffering.”
Ligon said he fired his attending vet and hired a “giraffe specialist” durin{span style=”text-decoration: underline;”}g{/span} a probation period of heightened oversight, but Brazos — who was later found to have a parasite — was taken and donated to another facility anyway Shortly after, Ligon launched a campaign to raise money to sue the USDA, a lawsuit that is ongoing.
Then, in early 2026, shortly before his arrest, Ligon announced he was selling the park, its branding and the animals. The park is still open — and on the market.
Ligon chalked up some of the problems at his Ethel zoo to the disputes over his ventures elsewhere.
“Bad business relationships in other states did pull my attention away from here,” he said.
After his arrest, Ligon says, he stepped down as board president for Kids Saving the Rainforest but still owns 49 acres of the nonprofit’s land in Costa Rica, which he bought in 2022.
He said he’s looking to get out of the business but hasn’t yet found a buyer for Magnolia Wilds.
“I’m in a very bad situation in life right now and so is my business,” said Ligon. “I want to do what I can to help the planet and inspire kids for the future, but I don’t know what that’s going to mean for me.”
Ligon doesn’t think the industry will last much longer Cormane, the business partner who accused him of theft, said the same.
“The more things that go on like this, the worse it gets for us,” said Cormane. “In all honesty, the government wants these places shut down.”
fund a new sewage treatment plant to replace an oxidation pond system that was often flooded by the Mississippi River
The treatment plant is now operating, and the town is finishing the project by closing the oxidation ponds to meet state standards. When he left office, D’Aquilla circulated a list of grants, totaling nearly $5.4 million, that he helped obtain during a 15-year period for public
works projects, utility system improvements, streets and bridges and new equipment.
“He loved his family and he loved his community,” said West Feliciana Parish President Kenny Havard.
“He made my job and the jobs of people who came after him easier,”
Havard said. “People want to be here. I call St. Francisville ‘Hallmark with a little touch of Mayberry.’” Rucker Leake, who served alongside Billy D’Aquilla as an alderman, then served as mayor pro tem under him, said “Mr D’Aquilla loved
to help people, he was always out there, trying to help them.”
Billy D’Aquilla’s survivors also include a daughter, Mary Dreher, and St. Francisville’s current mayor his son Andy D’Aquilla. Advocate writer Ellyn Couvillion contributed to this story
STAFF PHOTOS BY MICHAEL JOHNSON
A giraffe stands in its barn at the Magnolia Wilds preserve in Ethel.
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Jury Vice President Chrissie O’Quin abstained in the vote, saying she does not yet have enough information on the subject.
Tourist Commission future
On another matter, the jury continued its move to revive the parish Tourist Commission by voting to allow Paul Davidson, Tiff Terrell and Smitty Schmit to serve out the remainder of their terms and appointing Corbin Barnes to the panel.
Davidson said the commission had been working with the LSU AgCenter on projects to promote tourism when the COVID-19 pandemic began but didn’t get back to meeting after that period of 2020.
O’Quin commended Davidson for his work in organizing and promoting an event to promote wildflowers in Clinton, saying they attracted many visitors to the area.
Barnes is the son of former police juror E.S. “Bugs” Barnes and said he is looking forward to promoting the parish. He is a professional touring musician and has participated in cultural promotions inside and outside the state.
In other action
Jurors also appointed Markell Lewis Sr to the board of commissioners for the Audubon Regional Library The library, which serves East Feliciana and St. Helena parishes, has a proposition on the May 16 election ballot asking voters in both parishes to renew a 2.5-mill property tax that funds the library system. If approved, the tax would be collected for an additional 10 years
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Because Horton’s death wasn’t considered a homicide in 2022, crime scene photos and videos have since been deleted, D’Aquilla said. The evidence connected to the male victim recovered from Parsons’ phone has prompted authorities to investigate whether Horton had been drugged, D’Aquilla said. Evidence from the phone allegedly showed Parsons performing a sexual act on a man who appeared to be unconscious, D’Aquilla said. When the man was contacted by police, he told them he had not consented to the act, he said.
Parsons is believed to have committed the battery in May 2022, according to his indictment.
Parson’s is expected to be booked on negligent homicide next week, D’Aquilla said. The investigation into Horton’s death is ongoing, he said.
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19-year-old wanted in rape of 16-year-old
BY OLIVIA TEES Staff writer
A man is wanted by police for allegedly driving a 16-year-old he met on Snapchat from her house in Ethel to his apartment in downtown Baton Rouge and then raping her The man then allegedly kicked her out of his apartment and a food delivery driver drove her back to her house in Ethel, according to a warrant for his arrest East Feliciana Parish
Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call about a runaway juvenile on March 1 off of La. 955 East and learned the victim went missing at around 8:30 p.m., police say The victim left a note that said she was leaving with Sean Patrick St. Cyr, 19, according to the arrest warrant.
Several hours later, police returned to the residence when the victim had returned, but appeared to be under the influence of an unknown substance, the
warrant says.
Police transported her to Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital for treatment, where a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner confirmed she had injuries consistent with sexual assault and tested positive for an STI, police said.
According to the arrest warrant, St. Cyr drove to the victim’s house in Ethel and told the victim to get in his car and then drove her to his apartment in the Lake Towers apartment complex
in downtown Baton Rouge.
After arriving at the apartment complex, the pair allegedly had consensual sexual contact before St. Cyr gave the victim more marijuana. She lost consciousness after that and woke to find him attempting to engage in more sexual activity, police said.
At some point later, the victim asked to go home and St. Cyr refused and kicked her out of his apartment. A food delivery driver saw the victim and drove her home, where her guardians called
Area Junior Angus members place well at LSU show
PROVIDED PHOTO LOUISIANA JUNIOR ANGUS ASSOCIATION. Junior Angus members won top honors in senior showmanship at the 2026 LSU AgCenter Livestock Show’s Junior Angus Show, Feb 20, 2026, in Gonzales. From left are Rory Forbes, Zachary, champion; Addison Sibley, Pine Grove, reserve champion; Camryn Greene, Slaughter, third; McKenna Walters, Pearl River fourth; and Camille Bieber Mamou, fifth. Forbes was named overall showman.
the police, according to the arrest warrant. St. Cyr met the victim on Snapchat on Feb. 28, and they had been in communication since, police said.
The Baton Rouge Police Department was notified of the sexual assault complaint by the East Feliciana Parish Sheriff’s Office. St. Cyr is wanted by BRPD on charges of third-degree rape, misdemeanor carnal knowledge of a juvenile and contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.
The schedules for West and East Feliciana Council on Aging facilities are as follows:
WEST FELICIANA
n 12292 Jackson Road, St. Francisville, (225) 635-6719
n Start time for all activities is 10 a.m.
FIRST AND THIRD
MONDAY: Line dance
FOURTH MONDAY: Religious service
TUESDAYS: Nutrition education
WEDNESDAYS: Exercise/yoga
THURSDAYS: Bible study
FRIDAYS: Bingo/movie/excursion n All people 60 and older in West Feliciana Parish are invited to join. n For transportation to the center or questions, call (225) 635-6719.
EAST FELICIANA
n 11102 Bank St., Clinton n 3699 La. 10, Jackson
Wednesday, April 15 SEWING/QUILTING CLASS: 10 a.m.
11:30 a.m. Transportation n Transportation is provided to East Feliciana Parish residents of any age for appointments in East Feliciana, West Feliciana and East Baton Rouge parishes Monday through Friday. Call (225) 683-9862 to schedule a transportation appointment. EAST AND WEST FELICIANA COUNCIL ON AGING ACTIVITIES
noon
Spring high school sports in postseason
BY RICHARD MEEK Contributing writer
Here’s an update on Feliciana sports.
Baseball
West Feliciana
West Feliciana enters the playoffs after finishing third in the District 6-4A tournament. The Saints, 21-13, 5-3, lost to St. Michael 5-3 in the semifinals April 8 but answered with a 13-3 rout of Plaquemine on April 10.
West Feliciana entered the district tournament coming off a 16-1 district win against Broadmoor on April 6 and nondistrict wins against Central Private when Blake Landry tossed a no-hitter, also April 6, and Delta Charter one day later
Senior pitcher Cole Schexnayder struck out three against Plaquemine. Schexnayder, who enters the postseason batting .400, was also threefor-four with four RBIs.
Senior Caden Bell and junior Preston Bennett were three-for-three. Bell drove in three runs and Bennett
General admission wristbands are $50 each and provide access to all tastings and entertainment. Attendees must be 21 years of age or older to purchase tickets and attend the event.
Proceeds from the event directly benefit the Lane Foundation, supporting initiatives that advance patient care, expand services and improve the overall health of the region. Tickets are available for purchase online at https://www.lanermc.org/bourbon-bbqand-wine.
Movie in the park set
Parker Park, 5730 Commerce St., St. Francisville, is hosting a Family Movie Night, at 7 p.m., April, 24. The feature is Zootopia 2. Bring lawn chairs and blankets. The West Feliciana high Beta Club will sell concessions.
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Entry is a can of tune that will be donated to the local food pantry
one.
Junior Peyton Landry was one-fortwo with one RBI. In the loss to St. Michael sophomore pitcher Emmett Whitman struck out three, Brooks Hebert two strikeouts and Jackson fanned one. At the plate, sophomore Parker Girlinghouse drove in one RBI on one hit and Landry drew three walks.
Junior Hollier Pierrelee held Broadmoor hitless in the 10-run rule victory and Callegan drove in four RBIs and Bennett two.
Landry struck out five in his nohitter against Central Private, which the Saints won 3-0. Schexnayder had two hits and drove in three runs against Central Private.
Senior Myles Callegan earned the win in the 18-5 victory against Delta Charter with three strikeouts and yielding two earned runs, Schexnayder had three hits that included a home run and pair of doubles and five RBIs. Tanner Savoy added a double with two RBIs in his two at-bats.
Cemetery cleaning needed
A request was posted on Facebook for help cleaning the Scott Cemetery, 29143220 Miller Road, Jackson. It is next to the DeLee Cemetery
The request asks for help mowing and taking out encroaching pine trees Helpers are asked to check the area for headstones before working.
Celebrate trains
The Greater Baton Rouge Model Railroaders, which meets in Jackson on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month, will be part of a family-friendly celebration of trains and transportation. Enjoy hands-on activities, model train demos, live steam trains, exhibitions and planetarium shows inside the Louisiana Art & Science Museum, which is an old railroad depot.
The event is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 18 Highlights include a chance to operate model trains including “Thomas and Friends,” train displays, vendors, door prizes, live steam train action, interactive STEAM activities and exhibitions celebrating Baton Rouge’s railway history Train Day admission and full
West Feliciana coach Gannon Achord singled out Landry for his no-hitter and credited Schexnayder for his regular-season batting average of 420.
The Saints are in the playoffs, which begin this week.
East Feliciana
The Tigers entered their final three-game stretch of the regular season hoping to rebound from a 16-0 shutout at Independence on April 7.
Independence scored two runs in the first inning and broke it open with an eight-run second. Independence added three runs in the third and fourth innings to close out the 10-run rule victory
Ke’Marion Matthews collected two of the Tigers’ four hits.
Kameron Wilson continues to lead the Tigers, 6-12-1, 2-2 District 8-2A, with a .476 batting average. Matthews has a team-high 29 stolen bases and Aiden Johnson has scored 23 runs. Johnson is also anchoring the defense with a .964 fielding percentage.
day access to the Irene W. Pennington
Planetarium are included with regular museum entry
West Feliciana library hosts Louisiana Orphan Train Program
The West Feliciana Parish Library is inviting the community to explore an often overlooked chapter of American history: the Louisiana Orphan Train. Martha Aubert and James Douget, of the Louisiana Orphan Train Museum, will present a program at 6 p.m. Friday, April 17, at the library, 5114 Burnett Road, in St. Francisville. They will share historical insight, stories and information about how this migration of children influenced families throughout Louisiana. For information, email Aubert at laorphantrain@gmail.com.
Spring events abound
Spring Creek Car Show: 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. April 18, 7188 U.S. 61, St. Francisville It will feature cars, a raffle, shopping, games and activities. Pick up a registration form at Madewell Nutrition or The Chill Mill, both in Spring Creek Shopping Center, or text or call (225) 535-6601.
Silliman Institute
The Wildcats are scheduled to close out the regular season with a critical doubleheader at Oak Forest Academy on April 17 that could shake up the district standings.
Silliman, 12-2, 1-0 MAIA District 4-A, has a one-game lead over Jackson Prep and is two games ahead of Oak Forest.
Softball
Slaughter 6-13, 1-2, dropped a 5-0 decision to Plaquemine on April 9 and was scheduled to close out the regular season April 13 at North Iberville.
Rylee Maglone had two of the Knights’ four hits against Plaquemine.
Kolbi Goulette pitched six innings for Slaughter, allowing three hits, one run and struck out four before giving way to Alyssa Faust, who gave up four hits and four runs in the seventh.
Conlee Flotte was batting a teamhigh .613 heading into the season finale. She has also driven in 14 runs with stolen 15 bases.
Tunica Hills Yard Sale Trail: 8 a.m. April 24 to 4 p.m. April 26. The trail for the multifamily progressive yard sale will follow Angola Road, Old Tunica Road and the Greenwood area A Facebook group is available at facebook.com/ groups/832172577337930 to see details as they are posted. Clinton is Home’s An Evening of Art and Music: 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. April 25, St. Helena Street and surrounding area. Artists and vendors (ages 18 and older) are invited to enter the Featured Artist Contest for
FELICIANA SPORTS
Jackson comes together for Easter Sunrise Service
BY MELINDA RAWLS HOWELL
Six churches came together for the third annual Jackson Easter Sunrise Service. The service included song and prayer, scripture, the sermon, fellowship and more.
The 7 a.m. gathering was relocated indoors. Rainstorms the night before left the lawn too soggy at the traditional location of Centenary Historic Site in Jackson
The celebration included pastors and members from various Christian denominations and congregations who gathered in the nearby Jackson United Methodist Church sanctuary JUMC Rev Michael Munro welcomed all and opened the worship service. The Rev Clint Stewart, of Ethel Baptist Church gave the invocation. It was followed by one of the two hymns in the service led by Linda Karam of JUMC. Special music was then offered by evangelist Michael Elliott, of Jackson. The Rev Joey Holt of the Lighthouse Church followed and led all in prayer
The Rev Daniel Harris, of Mount Gideon Baptist Church, offered music along with members of the church choir
The Rev Pastor William Free, of the Jackson Church of Christ, read the gospel. The Easter Sunday sermon was delivered by Gloria King, member of New Charleston Baptist Church of Jackson. It was followed by another hymn. The sending forth and the benediction was given by Munro.
Assisi Heights residents celebrate March birthdays
WEST FELICIANA PARISH BOOKINGS
The following people were booked into the West Feliciana Parish Detention Center between March 16-April 5:
MARCH 17
CUMMINGS, JONIREA: 19, 7600 block of Solitude Road, St. Francisville first offense driving under the influence, sleeping, possession of Schedule I
MARCH 18
PARKER, NORRIS: 54, 11200 block of Highway
61, St. Francisville, probation violation
MARCH 19
BEHRENS, CHASE: 30, 11200 block of Highway
61, St. Francisville, illegal use of weapons/dangerous instrument/weapon
MARCH 22
CARTER, TRENTON: 34, 600 block of Ash St., Centreville, Mississippi, reckless operation of a vehicle, fugitive warrant, bench warrant
SULLIVAN, ALFRED: 34; 5500 block of Blackmore Road; St. Francisville; driving under the influence-first offense
MARCH 30
CUMMINGS, CHIQUITA: 37; 6600 block of Greenwood Road, St. Francisville; two counts
aggravated assault Johnson, Christopher: 22; 8000 block of Solitude Road, St. Francisville; unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling, probation violation
MARCH 31
COBB, BRANDON: 39; 7800 block of Solitude Road, St. Francisville; battery of a dating partner HONORE, DILLEN: 21; 7200 block of Bob White Drive, St. Francisville; fugitive warrant, battery of a dating partner JONES, WILLIE: 46; 17500 block of Tunica Trace, Angola; attempt second degree murder MALBROUGH, CLIFF: 46; 0 block of 17531 Tunica Trace, Angola; child sex abuse materials under the age of 13; seven counts pornography involving juveniles ROBINSON, JOHNATHAN: 44; 0 block of LSP Angola; aggravated second-degree battery SLACK, CHARLES: 26; 100 block of Claudia
APRIL
Contributing writer
The Rev. William Free reads scripture at the Easter service.
The Rev. Joey Holt, of Lighthouse Church, leads the congregation in prayer
Evangelist Michael Elliott offers special music.
PHOTOS BY MELINDA RAWLS HOWELL
Voices soared in celebration from members of the Mount Gideon Baptist Church along with the Rev Daniel Harris at the piano during an Easter sunrise service.
The Rev. Michael Munro opened and closed the sunrise Easter service at the Jackson United Methodist Church.
Gloria King member of New Charleston Baptist Church, delivers the sermon at the Easter Sunrise Service at the Jackson United Methodist Church.
PROVIDED PHOTO
Gathering at the recent Assisi Heights March birthday party are, from left, Wilbert Riley, Linda Stevens, Patricia Fourrier, Vivian Canoy, Christina McGuire and Karen Law. The residents of Assisi Heights enjoyed bingo and refreshments during the recent celebration.
