SERVING THE PARISHES OF EAST FELICIANA AND WEST FELICIANA
DEMOCRAT THE ST. FRANCISVILLE
T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M
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W e d n e s d ay, M ay 13, 2026
$1.00N
Sister Helen breathes new life into ‘Dead Man Walking’ BY FRANCES Y. SPENCER Contributing writer
PHOTO BY FRANCES Y. SPENCER
Sister Helen Prejean signs copies of her new book ‘Dead Man Walking Graphic Edition’ on Thursday.
Area residents gathered May 7 to hear from a living legend of social justice, Sister Helen Prejean, and her longtime collaborator, Rose Vines, as they introduced a new chapter in a decadeslong crusade. The event, held at the Conundrum bookstore, centered on the release of “Dead Man Walking: Graphic Edition,” a visual adaptation of Prejean’s landmark 1993 memoir. Since its original publication, the story has become a cultural touchstone, spawning a 1995 Academy Award-winning film, a stage play, and an acclaimed opera. Now, Prejean and Vines have partnered to translate the power-
ful narrative into a graphic novel format, featuring illustrations by Catherine Anyango Grünewald. The venue was deeply symbolic. St. Francisville sits within West Feliciana Parish, the same jurisdiction that houses the Angola State Penitentiary. It was within those walls that Patrick Sonnier — the death-row inmate whose story sits at the heart of the original book — was executed on April 5, 1984. During the talk, Prejean and Vines reflected on the gravity of returning to the parish where their work began. They spoke to a standing-room-only crowd about their tireless efforts to abolish capital punishment, a mission that has spanned more than 40 years. Vines said the original book opened a conversation about the
death penalty in the United States. “When Sister Helen accompanied two men to their executions it was a secret ritual done in people’s names, but they didn’t know about it, and so she eventually wrote the book,” she said. “It had a big impact on the conversation and public opinion about the death penalty. When it came out, 80% of the population supported the death penalty — 90% in Louisiana. Now it’s pretty close to 50% and it’s just been declining ever since.” The Graphic Edition does not shy away from the harsh realities of the system. By combining the original memoir’s content with imagery, the book illustrates the human impact of capital punishment,
ä See SISTER HELEN, page 2G
LAUNCHED
Leila Pitchford
into the future
AROUND THE FELICIANAS
Hospital seeks information
West Feliciana High celebrates 2026 graduates
BY FRANCES Y. SPENCER
West Feliciana Hospital is conducting a Community Health Needs Assessment. Visit feedback.wfph.org/jfe/ form/SV_881bgKKpPvHTsnY to fill it out. Participation helps influence healthcare services, address critical needs, identify pressing health issues and areas where improvements are necessary, and enhance community wellbeing.
Contributing writer
West Feliciana Parish High School held graduation ceremonies Friday in the school gymnasium. Honor graduates, scholarship recipients, Beta Club members, and graduates entering the military were recognized during the program. Principal Karolyn Taylor gave the departing remarks. Superintendent Hollis Milton and Assistant Superintendent Abby Cochran assisted in the presentation of diplomas.
ä See GRADUATES, page 6G
Library tax renewal coming Election day for the renewal of the existing 2.5 mill tax for Audubon Regional Library is May 16. An information flyer is available at the library branches and on its website at www. audubonregional.net. The millage is not a new tax and it is the same amount as passed in 2017, said a library system spokesperson. The tax funds are used to provide services at the library’s branches in Jackson, Clinton and Greensburg.
Extension Office to hold Master Gardener Class The East Feliciana Parish Extension office in Clinton will hold a Master Gardener Class beginning Aug. 12. The class meet on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to noon and will conclude Nov. 18. The course fee is $200. Classes will be held at the East Feliciana Parish Extension Office, 4419 Idlewild Road, Clinton. The application is available at www.lsuagcenter. com/FelicianaMG or contact County Agent Jessie Hoover at jhoover@agcenter.lsu.edu or (225) 683-3101. Applications are due to Hoover by June 26. The Louisiana Master Gardener Program is a volunteer development program offered by the LSU AgCenter. Master Gardener volunteers are highly trained and provide proven, research-based educational programs to Louisiana residents. Participants in the Master Gardener class receive 40-plus hours of horticulture training in topics such as botany, plant propagation, entomology, plant pathology, weed science, soils, pesticide safety, lawn care,
ä See AROUND, page 2G
PHOTOS BY FRANCES Y. SPENCER
Tyler Jolla returns to his seat after receiving his diploma Friday during the West Feliciana High School graduation.
Tyler Brian with his ‘Amazing World of Gumball’ themed mortarboard offers greetings.
East Feliciana Police Jury sets Industrial Development Board hearing for solar farm rules ponders how to spend expected data center windfall WEST FELICIANA
BY JAMES MINTON Contributing writer
BY JAMES MINTON
Maybe not. West Feliciana Parish officials now believe fulfilling those wish lists may be possible The sheriff wants a new jail and with construction of a large data center focused primarily on artifipay raises for his deputies. The parish president wants to cial intelligence now underway on begin a major road improvement La. 964 at the southern end of the program. parish. The School Board wants to give Big money, as much as $10 milhefty pay raises, improve school lion, is expected to flow into parish buildings and offer more educa- coffers later this year from Hut 8, tional programs for its students. ä See DATA CENTER, page 3G Pipe dreams? Contributing writer
The East Feliciana Parish Police Jury set a 5 p.m. June 1 public hearing on a proposed ordinance regulating solar farms, overriding a juror who wanted to delay the process to consider higher permit fees. Juror Richard Oliveaux asked his colleagues at their May 4 meeting to postpone setting a hearing to give them time to consider a fee schedule in Washington Parish’s regulations. Jurors have said in earlier meetings that several solar-powered electric generating plants
are on the drawing board, with some perhaps tied to a data center under construction in West Feliciana Parish. Oliveaux said East Feliciana’s fee will be too low. The proposed East Feliciana fee is $5,000 for a solar array of 500 acres or less, or $10,000 for a electric generating array of more than 500 acres, plus $5 for each acre above 500. Washington Parish’s fee is 1% of the total construction cost, which Oliveaux said would be significantly higher. “If y’all want to give it away…
ä See RULES, page 4G