Hearing set on ordinance that could revise several sections
BY KIM CHATELAIN
Contributing writer
The Slidell City Council has introduced an ordinance that would set up a public vote in December on seven propositions to revise
various sections of the city charter, and none of them deal with changing term limits for top city decision-makers.
The ordinance, which was unveiled but not discussed at the council’s June 9 meeting, is sched-
uled to be the subject of a public hearing at the council’s June 23 meeting. A vote could be taken at that time. If approved by the council, the ordinance would order calling a special election in Slidell on Dec
12. It would also authorize the application to the Louisiana Bond Commission for its consent. The proposed charter changes include:
n Establishing new rules for the election of a mayor or a police
chief in cases where the post is vacated midterm.
n Whether various positions in government, including the city’s chief administrative officer, assistant police chief and the assistant director of any city department, should be exempted from the civil
ROW, ROW, ROW YOUR BOATS
Boaters compete on Bayou Liberty
BY SHEILA GRISSETT
Staff writer
The 69th Bayou Liberty
Pirogue Races on June 7 featured plenty of good-natured competition, familiar food, live music, heritage artisans and even a dunking booth for elected officials and others who maybe didn’t get wet during the races. It was a celebration of families, freedom and the water-based heritage that helps bind this close Slidell community and it didn’t move far from its roots — which made it all the more special.
Clair Brown, of Nashville, exults in her win among girls 13 to 16 years old.
Caroline Voelkel Boudreaux marvels at her good fortune
Editor’s note: “Where are they now?”
The St. Tammany Farmer asked that question about some of the best athletes in local sports history and then we went out and found them. Throughout this summer, we’ll reacquaint readers with some of these familiar faces. We’ll take a deep dive into the success stories that began in parish youth leagues, continued at local high schools and then colleges near and far Many of these homegrown talents played professional sports, too, reaching the pinnacle of athletic achievement. This week, we feature Caroline Boudreaux, a former soccer star at St. Scholastica Academy
Others praise her hard work
BY DARREN COOPER Contributing writer
From soccer star at St. Scholastica Academy to team MVP at Rhodes College and member of the team USA handball national pool, Caroline Bou-
dreaux (nee Voelkel) looks back at it all with wonder
“I am just so grateful every day,” said Boudreaux, a Covington resident and now a mother of three. “I am constantly thinking, who is this person? How did I get so lucky? I am so full of gratitude.”
“If you told me to pick a kid out of all the ones I have seen as the best, she would be
Boudreaux, 39, wasn’t blessed with tremendous physical gifts. She is 5-foot-5, but she was always athletic, determined and, maybe most important of all, had the perspective of saying why not, instead of why
on that short list,” longtime SSA athletic director and coach Charles Richard said. Boudreaux’s parents, Mark and Mimi, weren’t athletes. This is not a parents-forcedtheir-kid-to-play story They signed young Caroline up for ballet class and she remembers having a full-on crashout “I balled up crying and
PHOTO BY MATT DOBBINS
Competitors Liam Flucke left and Beau Carter battle for position at the start of their race for boys 8
Boudreaux
See FORTUNE, page 2A ä See SLIDELL,
Council again delays vote in hospital-park controversy
BY KIM CHATELAIN
Contributing writer
For the second time in six weeks, the Slidell City Council on June 9 got an earful from citizens who object to the proposed relocation of a park next to Slidell Memorial Hospital to clear the way for a hospital parking lot.
And for the second time, the council postponed a decision on the controversial plan that has forced members to weigh the needs of the hospital against the will of nearby residents who view the park as a buffer against the encroachment of the medical center
The council voted 8-0 to postpone the decision until
its Aug. 11 meeting. The issue was discussed at length at the council’s April 28 meeting before being deferred the first time. A new slate of council members elected in the spring will be sworn in on July 1, meaning the decision on the park will fall to a council with a different makeup.
At the June 9 meeting, council member Megan Haggerty sought the second delay she said, to allow more time for the hospital and citizens of the adjacent Brugier neighborhood to find common ground on the issue now dividing them.
The deferral vote came after a series of speakers
implored the council to vote down the ordinance Council approval would allow the park to be moved a couple of blocks east from its present location, just off 11th Street and Florida Avenue, to Broadmoor Street Brugier residents said the park serves as a buffer between the hospital and homes in their community.
The hospital wants to build a 168-space parking lot on the park property.
“We’re drawing a line in the sand,” said Buddy Lloyd, a former councilman and resident of the Brugier neighborhood.
Wendy Hinton, president of the Brugier Homeowners Association, read a letter that
pointed out a 2011 ordinance involving the revocation of a city right of way to allow for construction of the park. Under the ordinance, the hospital was to maintain the park for 25 years.
The ordinance now before the council would amend that 15-year-old ordinance, allowing the hospital to move the park and setting the stage for the rezoning request that will be needed for the parking lot.
The issue got heated when a letter opposing the plan was read from the podium. The anonymous writer blasted the plan and was critical of Haggerty, saying the councilwoman cares more about the hospital’s master plan than the Brugier neighborhood.
“It’s time to put people before pavement,” according to the letter
Haggerty, who has lived in Brugier for 25 years, fired back, saying she wished the letter writer would have appeared before the council.
“To say that I have not bent over backwards and tried to resolve this issue with our community is completely false,” said Haggerty, who was reelected to her District C seat with 70% of the vote in the May 16 election.
Haggerty explained that the issue is tied to a $51.5 million bond issue approved by Slidell voters last year for hospital expansion.
That expansion involves the enlargement of the hos-
pital’s emergency room, which is one of the city’s most pressing needs, she said. Without extra parking for the emergency room, the much-needed expansion could be put in jeopardy
The deferral of the council’s vote on the ordinance is designed to give members of the Brugier neighborhood and hospital officials time to meet and find a solution to the problem, Haggerty said. On July 1, five new members will be inaugurated to the council, while current members Leslie Denham, Trey Brownfield, Nick DiSanti and Haggerty were reelected to new four-year terms.
Slidell seeks public input for city’s Mobility Master Plan
Staff report
Slidell has launched a Mobility Master Plan to guide future transportation improvements across all modes of travel and provide multiple opportunities for public input throughout the planning process. The plan will assess the existing transportation system, identify gaps, and develop solutions to reduce congestion and emissions, support future growth, and enhance quality of life for residents.
FORTUNE
Continued from page 1A
begged to be taken away,” Boudreaux said.
So, her parents put a ball in her hand and let their daughter play: soccer, basketball and softball. Boudreaux was never into a lot of travel ball or AAU ball; she said she just played because it was fun.
Richard still thinks if Boudreaux had been on the Doves softball team as a sophomore they would have won the state title, but she had to sit out the season after transferring in from Covington High School.
On the soccer field, Boudreaux was an attacking center midfielder, in the middle of everything, setting up the offense, scoring goals, rushing back to play defense.
“She was just a great soccer player, and she and those kids at the time were really the ones that catapulted the soccer program to excellence,” Richard said.
Boudreaux said she certainly wasn’t the tallest and definitely not the fastest.
“But I think I just had a love and a drive and a work ethic,” she said. “The feedback that I got was that I was coachable. I didn’t know I was very good. I just did my thing.” Sort of as a challenge, Boudreaux went out for the Doves volleyball team as a senior Richard told her she’d probably make the team, but wouldn’t play much.
MANDEVILLE
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totaling hundreds of dollars.
“We are charging residents for a utility they are not consuming,” Vogeltanz said. “I find that to be unacceptable.”
The authors of the ordinance stressed that no one would see their bills increase under the ordinance.
The cap is not a long-term solution to the utility rate controversy that surfaced last year But Vogeltanz said it would provide relief for some high water usage customers while improvements
The project began in November and will continue through fall 2027, culminating in a comprehensive plan that documents existing conditions, identifies recommended projects and solutions, and outlines funding and implementation strategies to achieve those goals.
The effort is funded through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Grant Program, which supports projects that improve access to daily needs, reconnect communities and advance equitable outcomes, with a focus on disadvantaged communities. The public is encouraged to learn more about the Mobility Master Plan and share their thoughts at several upcoming community events. Project team representatives will attend the Slidell Heritage Fest on June 27, beginning at 5 p.m., in Heritage Park. Residents, business owners, workers, and visitors are invited to stop by ask questions, learn more about the project, and pro-
Instead she became the team’s setter that season, never leaving the court.
“I played the full rotation,” Boudreaux said. “I was just determined.”
After helping the Doves reach the state soccer finals as a junior, the program was loaded in Boudreaux’s senior year They played Dutchtown in the playoffs. Like a scene from a sports movie, the game was played in a driving rainstorm.
Both Boudreaux and Richard remember Doves shots sticking in puddles and mud near the Dutchtown goal. Eventually, Dutchtown scored on the one chance they had. Boudreaux left the field both crushed and committed.
“It was devastating,” she
to the overall utility rate structure are studied
Discon echoed those sentiments, saying research is needed to reform rates.
“I do think this is the right thing to do,” Discon said. “We can do better for our residents” than what the current system provides.
The utility rate issue came to light last year when a new rate structure approved by the council in January kicked in. Residents complained that their monthly water and sewerage charges, which appear on the same bill, rose by more than 100% in some cases. Prior to the new rate structure, the city had been heav-
said. “But in that exact moment I made the decision that my career was not ending.”
After considering Tulane, Millsaps and Wofford, Boudreaux opted to go to Rhodes College, a liberal arts school in Memphis. She made an All-Region team playing for the Lynx and was team MVP in her senior season in 2007.
After that, the story could have ended. Boudreaux got a job, started working at her father’s architecture firm Studio MV She coached at Cabrini, though she lacked real coaching experience. And still, that was not the end of her athletic journey
Boudreaux was on a 2014 road trip with her future husband, Kyle, and near Auburn, Alabama, they made a stop
ily subsidizing the cost of operating the municipal water system for more than a decade.
Those subsidies ran afoul of regulations of the Louisiana Water Sector Program, which provides grant money to local water systems for infrastructure improvements.
To receive some $2.2 million from the program, Mandeville’s water system must be self-sustaining, meaning operating revenues must match expenditures.
The Water Sector Program funded a study conducted by Manchac Consulting Group that outlined a new rate structure to achieve that goal.
at an outdoor shop to look at paddle board equipment. While there, Boudreaux struck up a conversation with a man who was a member of the national handball team. He told her that women’s tryouts were happening in about 30 minutes near the shop.
Intrigued, Boudreaux went to watch.
Why not?
She loved the fast-paced sport that’s a mix of football, soccer and volleyball She later tried out and was given a spot in the national team pool, the larger group that practices together She moved to Alabama and started working remotely “I was like, how do you turn your back on this?” Boudreaux said.
Under a complex formula, customers’ sewerage bills are being calculated under a “volume rate” of $3.25 per 1,000 gallons of water used per month above a 3,000-gallon threshold.
As a result, customers who water their lawns or have swimming pools are paying sewerage rates that are grossly inflated, supporters of the ordinance said.
Councilman Jason Zuckerman argued against the rate cap, questioning the impact it would have on the city operating budget. His effort to defer action on the ordinance was voted down.
Jessica Farno, the city’s finance director, said the cap
vide feedback that will help shape the future of transportation in Slidell. Individuals needing ADA accommodations, language interpretation, or other assistance are encouraged to contact SlidellMMP@gmail. com at least seven days before an event.
For more information about the plan, including a survey, visit bit.ly/Slidell_MMP They will remain available through July 15.
Richard asks his own question: “How many kids do you know who never play a sport and then make the national team?”
Team USA was not an international power in handball and was fighting for a spot in the Rio Olympics.
During practice, Boudreaux went up for a long pass and took an accidental elbow to
likely wouldn’t have a significant impact on the budget. However, she also noted that under the current rate structure, the water and sewerage fund is likely to experience a budget shortfall.
Over the next year, Vogeltanz said the city should investigate basing sewerage rates on a so-called “winter quarter averaging” method, whereby monthly sewerage charges throughout the year are based on the customer’s average consumption during the preceding months of December, January, and February
There was also discussion over whether a private vendor could be employed to
The survey allows residents and visitors to share their transportation priorities, concerns, and ideas through interactive mapping and budgeting exercises designed to ensure public input is incorporated into the planning process. Visitors can also sign up to receive email updates about the project.
the back of her head. It was a severe concussion — Boudreaux estimated she had a couple others from soccer — that ended her days of contact sports. But she looks back with no regrets. She got to wear a Team USA jersey and shout “U-S-A” in a team huddle.
Boudreaux and her husband married in November 2015. He’s a cyclist and a triathlete. Boudreaux does yoga and pilates in the morning to keep fit, and they now have three kids, ages 8, 6 and 4. The first little girl went to a ballet class and loved it. “She is so into it,” Boudreaux laughed. “I am now backstage just eating it all up.”
The other two kids seem athletic, but it’s way too early to tell.
“The girls better be coming to SSA,” Richard said. “I will still be here.”
Approaching her 40th birthday Boudreaux had one thing on her wishlist: tickets for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, and she got them for handball.
Boudreaux enjoys working, and traveling and taking care of her kids. She credited a lot of her coaches for giving her the right perspective. After all, they call it “playing” sports not “working” sports.
“I had such phenomenal role models that showed me all the life lessons that sports can teach you and I still draw on those teachings: control the ‘controllables,’ ” Boudreaux said. “And find joy in the game.”
run the utility’s billing system.
Zuckerman, who along with council member Jill Lane voted against the ordinance, said the entire rate structure needs to be ditched and replaced by a more equitable one. Others indicated the shortfall could be a harbinger for an overall rate increase.
Vogeltanz admitted that the ordinance is not a cureall.
“This ordinance is in no way shape or form great,” Vogeltanz said. “In the legal business, we say a good settlement is when everyone walks away unhappy This is an unhappy ordinance.”
PHOTO BY BOBBY GILBOY Kyle and Caroline Boudreaux are living in Covington and are raising their children, from left George, 4; Mary, 8; and Lucille, 6
PROVIDED PHOTOS Caroline at age 13 at the Mandeville Soccer Club
Caroline at Rhodes College
BOATS
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The first Bayou Liberty race day in June 1951 was held to raise money to build a new St. Genevieve Catholic Church, and all these years later, the races still begin and end at the St. Genevieve landing. St. Genevieve’s pastor, the Rev. Gerald Seiler, blessed the races before the first heat, and proceeds will be used to benefit some church needs and several nonprofits that serve the local area It was the kind of day that produced no losers, only some people who didn’t get to the finish line first during this family day on the bayou co-sponsored by the nonprofit Bayou Liberty Heritage Foundation and the Foggy Bottom Marina
SLIDELL
Continued from page 1A
service team.
n Whether the residency requirement for police chief
candidates should be extended from one year to two years to match requirements for mayor and City Council.
n Changing procedures for Civil Service Board appointments. The proposed charter revision ordinance does not include a
Will Walsten waits for the start of this year’s first pirogue race in Bayou Liberty — his 56th year of competing The Bayou Liberty Heritage Foundation was created last year by Walsten, Craig Sollberger and Phil Galatas to help reinvigorate the pirogue races on the bayou.
proposition to modify the section of Slidell’s charter dealing with term limits. Term limits for the city’s elected officials emerged as a key issue during the April 21 special City Council meeting to discuss what charter change issues should be
MADISONVILLE
Town council adopts balanced budget
with employee raises
Measure also sets aside money for new water well
BY JIM DERRY Contributing writer
The Madisonville Town Council unanimously approved an $8.3 million budget for the 2027 fiscal year that begins July 1, and it includes an 11% pay raise for its employees and money set aside for capital improvements and the upcoming water well project. It was a 5-0 vote with no debate from either the public or anyone on the council June 10 in what was one of the shorter meetings of the year.
Overall, the budget is 7.2% higher than it was for the fiscal year that will conclude at the end of June, and its projected surplus goes down from $1.7 million last year to a projected $1.4 million this coming year
Among the expected revenue, $2.05 million is budgeted from sales and use taxes, while $4.27 million is coming from gas fees.
“It’s a good budget. We have expenditures that are very much needed to go along with capital improvements,” Mayor Jean
put before voters.
As it stands, council members, the mayor and the police chief are limited to two consecutive fouryears terms. That would remain the same under the proposed ordinance. The council conducted public
Pelloat said. “It’s not only with our utilities, but in projects on the riverfront. We continue to try and improve the quality of life “It’s a very conservative budget; I resist overestimating income. I have had a surplus every year since I have been mayor and I wanted to continue that.” That surplus allows the town to do much of the work it needs to do and allows for better chances to get help from the state with capital outlay projects.
They hope to begin work very shortly on a highly publicized $3 million water well that will be housed near the site of a current well off the 1000 block of Pine Street, and engineers currently are writing specifications for bids. In other notes, Madisonville is planning its 15th annual Old-Fashioned Fourth of July Celebration, and Town Hall is already decked out for the country’s 250th birthday. The all-day event will take place on the riverfront from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. with a fireworks show set to round out the festivities just after sunset. There will be several games for kids, a roostercrowing contest and a horseshoe tournament for adults.
meetings on April 7, April 21 and May 19 to gather public input on the need and desirability for placing various charter change issues before voters. The propositions emerged in part from discussions held at those meetings.
PHOTO BY MATT DOBBINS
Hamilton Hall, left, and Joe Dardar battle for the finish line and win the two-man canoe race
St. Tammany again calls for sales tax vote
Parish Council puts levy on Dec. 12 ballot
BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer
Warning of cuts to the criminal justice system if additional money isn’t found, the St. Tammany Parish Council voted earlier this month to ask voters to approve a sales tax coming to local ballots in December
At the end of April, the Council announced its intention to move forward with a sales tax to fill its funding gap, picking the sales tax over two other options — a property tax and franchise fees — but the June 4 vote makes it official.
The quarter-cent sales tax for all of St. Tammany Parish will now be on the Dec. 12 ballot The Council had previously planned to put the tax on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot, which will also have U.S. Senate and Congressional races, but Council members said they wanted more time for voter education and were worried about the number of constitutional amendments on the November ballot.
“This initiative is far too important for our community to get caught up in a statewide ‘no’ vote, as we have seen in multiple elections over the last couple of years,” Council member Joe Impastato said.
The Council’s vote was 13-0, with Council member Rick Smith absent. If approved in December, the sales tax would take effect on April 1, 2027.
Backlash
The
And it didn’t help that the June 4 Council meeting came as St. Tammany residents were reeling from the news that Sheriff Randy Smith had surrendered earlier that day on charges of battery and disturbing the peace, stemming from an incident at a Madisonville-area restaurant on May 29.
Though the new sales tax would not directly go to Smith’s office, it would help cover expenses at the parish jail, which the Sheriff’s Office officially oversees. Jail funding is a sore topic for Smith and parish government, which have been locked in litigation for years over who must pay for the jail.
St. Tammany ChamberPAC, the political arm of the St Tammany Chamber of Commerce, as well as the group Concerned Citizens of St. Tammany, urged parish officials to show precisely how the new tax will be “net-neutral” through reductions to other taxes, as officials have claimed.
In voting to put the tax proposition on the December ballot, Council members have cited an urgent need for funding for the 22nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office, courthouse and jail, and, starting in 2028, the St. Tammany Parish Coroner’s Office.
But in response to the outcry the parish decided to limit the tax’s lifespan to five years.
A quarter-cent sales tax is expected to generate around $18 million annually Parish government initially looked at .3% sales tax, which would generate $22 million, but Council Chair Cheryl Tanner said they were able to reduce the amount they were asking for by approximately $4 million by iden-
tifying some areas for cuts.
But possibly the biggest question that Council members had not publicly addressed until the June 4 meeting was how the Council planned to offset the sales tax increase through reductions in other taxes to make the sales overall “net neutral.” For months, parish officials have promised that any new tax to pay for the criminal justice system would come with a reduction in taxes in other areas.
Council Administrator Mary Burckell said in an interview and over email that expected reductions in parish government property tax rates between 2024 and 2026, not including special taxing districts like mosquito abatement, would likely be enough to offset the sales tax increase.
She said parish government is expected to decrease its property taxes by 4.59-mills between 2024 and 2026, though not all of the reductions have been officially approved by the Council.
St. Tammany voters have rejected tax propositions to help fund the criminal justice system six different times in the last decade Since voters have repeatedly rejected dedicated taxes for those agencies like the district attorney’s office, they have to rely on the parish’s tapped-out $16 million general fund.
But now, officials are warning voters, cuts to services at these agencies could come starting in 2027 if a new revenue source isn’t found.
Email Willie Swett at willie. swett@theadvocate.com.
St. Tammany school board opposes Landry plan
Governor’s order would take money from districts for teachers stipend
BY JIM DERRY Contributing writer
St. Tammany Parish School
Board members knew passing a “thumbs-down” resolution to Gov Jeff Landry’s proposed executive order taking money from most school districts’ Minimum Foundation Plans to give teachers a one-time stipend was nothing but a long shot, but they also figured they had nothing to lose.
On June 11 at the Robert C. Brooks Educational Complex in Slidell, the board voted 140, with one member absent, to send their message to Baton Rouge.
In part, the resolution reads, “Executive Order 26047 proposes educator and employee stipends that result in local school systems absorbing the financial impacts through existing funding streams.” It also says, “The board believes educator compensation should be funded through sustainable state investments without reducing local educational funding or creating additional tax burdens upon the citizens of Louisiana.” It was commended by almost everyone in the room, including St. Tammany Federation of Teachers president Brant Osborn, who said the
STPSB was the only board he knew of in the state to put together such a resolution.
Superintendent of Schools Frank Jabbia went to Baton Rouge last week to talk to BESE and state legislators, and he met with other area leaders more recently to explain how this will affect the school system.
Landry’s plan, if passed, would give a one-time stipend of $2,000 to teachers and $1,000 to eligible support staff. Administrators and many nonteachers would get nothing extra.
Jabbia previously told The St. Tammany Farmer that $9.8 million would be
removed from its Minimum Foundation Plan if the executive order goes through, and that it could cost the district closer to $13 million. The budget was supposed to be finalized and in place by the end of the fiscal year on June 30. There will be some bigtime changes for the district to make if legislators vote by a two-thirds margin on June 23 to approve the governor’s order, he said. “We’re 88% driven by salaries and benefits. To make these changes, it would have to be personnel-related.”
The Minimum Foundation Program (MFP) is a formula
established to determine the cost of a minimum program of education in all public elementary and secondary schools — what it costs to provide each Louisiana student with the minimum educational foundation necessary for future success. The resulting calculation is then used to help distribute funds among parish, city and other local school systems. It’s per cost, per student money that each district receives.
The approved resolution was drawn up by District 12 representative Michelle Hirstius, who says it was important to her and her fellow board members to make their feelings known. They can only hope enough people will hear it.
“Gov Landry made this promise that, ‘We’re going to have this raise for our teachers because they’re so wonderful,’ but he’s going to take it out of our money and it’s going to be a stipend? No, you did not fulfill your promise,” Hirstius said. “On top of that, the legislators went and voted for their own raise. So you have the money to give them a raise, but you can’t find the money for us?
“He tells us to tighten our belts, but why don’t they tighten their own belts? That’s what upset me. They should be increasing our MFP, not decreasing it. I wanted to take a stand and say something, so I did.”
Charges dropped against anti-ICE protesters in Pearl River
BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer
Northshore prosecutors are dropping charges against three people arrested in January during a small protest against President Donald Trump’s immigration policies in Pearl River, after the prosecutors said the protesters’ speech was protected by the First Amendment.
54, both of Pearl River, were arrested by the Pearl River Police when officers accused them of illegally blocking traffic and using profanity at a small anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protest at a busy intersection.
In April, Northshore District Attorney Collin Sims’ office charged the trio with disturbing the peace, resist-
June 8, Sims said his office decided to dismiss the case after they could not find a witness who could testify that the protesters were obstructing the roadway And if they were not, he said their speech was protected by the First Amendment.
“If you’re yelling ‘F You fascist,’ all that’s fine, as long as it’s not being screamed from the middle of a road-
The protesters’ video of their arrest sparked heated debate online in St. Tammany Parish earlier this year and prompted a larger protest at the same intersection in Pearl River in February
Spell’s motion was set to be heard June 8 at the St. Tammany Parish courthouse in Covington, but before a ruling was issued on the motion, Sims’ office asked to have the charges dismissed.
The video featured a tense exchange between the protesters and the police over what kinds of speech are protected under the Constitution. should be dismissed because the protesters’ “F*** ICE” sign and their use of the middle finger were all protected.
“I’m pleased that the DA’s they had not accepted the charges to begin with, but better late than never.” In a statement, protester Kourtnie Potkoski thanked Spell and attorney Bruce Hamilton, of the Tulane First Amendment Clinic, for their assistance.
“I think it is extremely important right now, while the country is so divided, to realize that we all have no ,”
STAFF FILE PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD
The St Tammany Parish Council voted earlier this month to ask voters to approve a sales tax coming to local ballots in December
St. Tammany Animal Services in mayday mode
50 dogs must leave by June 22
BY SHEILA GRISSETT Staff writer
St. Tammany Parish Animal Services has launched “Operation: Fight for 50”, and officials at the parish shelter said even the United Cajun Navy has responded to the alert to save several dozen animals by June 22. The rising homeless animal population in the parish Animal Services’ shelter near Lacombe far exceeds the number it can humanely house, and the public is being asked to step up and foster or adopt one or more dogs by the deadline to bring the shelter’s population back in line.
“We have to get down to a manageable number of animals. Living in crates and kennels is not humane over sustained periods of time. So today, we’re sounding the mayday
The shelter is designed to hold 120 dogs at a time but was housing 200 dogs when Fight for 50 was launched earlier this month, services and shelter Director Robert Bremer said in a June 7 video posted to the group’s
Facebook page.
“Everyone needs to understand this is serious. We are in mayday and we’ve been able to avoid euthanasia before by the community helping and here we are again,” Bremer said. “But we have to get down to capacity It isn’t sustainable to operate 150% over capacity day after day, and we need your help. Dogs living in crates in our hallways? What kind of life is that?
“June 22 is the due date for these animals and it makes me sick to my stomach to even say that because euthanasia is not what I am about or my staff or our volunteers So please help us. All these dogs and cats deserve homes.”
St Tammany Parish Animal Services placed more than 4,000 animals in homes last year alone, according to statistics.
During the mayday alert, adoption fees for dogs older than 6 months are being waived, but adoption/foster requirements are not being relaxed. Bremer said the answer to the crisis is not to take an animal out of miserable circumstances and put them into a situation only slightly less miserable.
But instead, the answer
rests with people who love animals and want to be part of the solution.
“We need everyone You
don’t have to do everything. You just have to do something,” according to Animal Services, recommending this
list of action options:
n Adopt one animal; fees are waived and animals already have been spayed, neutered, have their shots and are chipped.
n Foster one animal, even for two weeks; fostering is free.
n Connect Animal Services with another rescue group that can help.
n Share the message with others; costs nothing.
Because the number of homeless animals spikes in late spring/early summer, the shelters and rescue groups that parish Animal Services often turns to when in need are also overcrowded. It’s why Animal Services staff say the solution this summer will come from people who can open their homes to help.
There also is an overpopulation of cats at the parish shelter; however, since dogs are larger and generally require more space, shelter officials have emphasized the need to find homes for canines at this time. Of course, anyone looking to adopt a feline is encouraged to visit the shelter, as well.
St. Tammany Parish Animal Services shelter operates at 31078 La 36 (just west of La. 434 north of Lacombe).
Visit it to talk over options with staff and volunteers and meet the adoptable residents. The facility is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday To help get through the crisis, the shelter is offering some extended hours on various days, but regularly check the shelter Facebook page to see those and other updates as they are posted at facebook.com/animalservices/. More information can be found online at www.sttammany.gov/pets or stpasprograms@sttammany.gov Follow the link to “See our Adoptable Pets” for all the details on each listed animal, plus look for the list of 50 animals at the most risk due to being at the shelter the longest time. Call (985) 809-0183 with questions not answered online Because staff and volunteers are extra busy caring for the increased animal population and answering queries coming in about Fight for 50, the phones are busier than ever The staff suggests visiting the shelter no appointment required during the crisis — to have questions answered, to meet adoptable animals, and hopefully, decide to foster or adopt.
Ex-school board member, retired probation officer, arrested in dust-up
BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer
A second person has been arrested in connection with a fight at a Madisonville-area steakhouse last month in which St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith allegedly battered one of his critics, authorities say Gregory Jules Saurage, 62, turned himself in to agents with Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill’s office on June 8 at the St. Tammany Parish jail. He was booked with one count of principal to second-degree battery, a felony Agents with Murrill’s office believe Saurage identified the alleged victim, St. Tammany Parish resident Bobby Couvillion, to Smith and encouraged the sheriff
to attack him. Agents said that after Saurage pointed out Couvillion at Keith Young’s Steakhouse on May 29, he pounded his fists together in an “aggressive suggestive” manner. Investigators believe Saurage was “signaling Smith to attack Couvillion.” A short while later, Smith dragged Couvillion from the bar and punched him, resulting in a concussion, investigators said. The incident followed years of tension between Smith and Couvillion, who has frequently lobbed harsh attacks against the sheriff on social media. Smith’s office arrested Couvillion in 2019 for cyberstalking.
Saurage is a former St. Tammany Parish School Board member, retired probation officer, part-time
bounty hunter and organizes a Mardi Gras parade in Folsom. State records also show that a man with Saurage’s name and phone number is a licensed bail bondsman in the state of Louisiana.
Reached by phone on June 8, Saurage declined to comment. He was released on a $7,500 bond, according to jail records.
The first arrest in the case came days earlier on Thursday, when Sheriff Smith turned himself in after Murrill’s office obtained an arrest warrant for seconddegree battery, a felony, and two counts of disturbing the peace. He was booked and quickly released on a $10,000 bond.
Smith has not appeared publicly to speak about the alleged attack, but he apolo-
gized to his family, parish residents and sheriff’s department employees in an email issued around the time of his arrest He also offered something of an explanation for his actions, saying that he found it difficult to ignore personal attacks against his wife online.
New details
Information provided by Murrill’s office on June 8 included new details about the events that unfolded before Smith allegedly attacked Couvillion.
Saurage arrived at Keith Young’s Steakhouse at approximately 11:45 a.m. on May 29 and Smith arrived shortly after They had food and drinks, Saurage told investigators. The receipt from Smith’s visit included
18 drinks, investigators said. At one point, a man approached Smith and told Smith that Couvillion was sitting at the bar and to “watch your back,” according to Saurage.
Later, when Saurage walked past Couvillion at the bar, Saurage allegedly made the suggestive gesture to Smith.
Soon after, Smith grabbed Couvillion from behind, grabbed him in a choke hold, and “violently” pulled him from a tall bar seat and threw him to the ground, investigators allege. While Couvillion was on the ground, Smith hit Couvillion and a struggle ensued until bystanders, including Saurage, pulled Smith off, investigators said. Saurage told investigators he did not remember making
FROM THE FILES OF THE FARMER
any motions to Smith about Couvillion. But he did say he helped break up the fight and afterward ushered Smith out of the restaurant. Saurage also said that at Smith’s request, he drove Smith home in a Sheriff’s Office vehicle. Based partly on video evidence and the fact that Saurage helped Smith leave the scene, investigators found Saurage in violation of principal to second-degree battery Judge Alan Black of the 22nd J.D.C. signed the arrest warrant on June 8 at 10:39 a.m. Principal to second-degree battery, like second-degree battery itself, can come with up to eight years in prison. Email Willie Swett at willie.swett@theadvocate. com.
25 YEARS AGO
Blake Stein went 11/2 months between victories, but has since notched two straight wins for the Kansas City Royals Stein, a native of Folsom and graduate of Covington High, improved his season record to 3-4 after notching wins over the Arizona Diamondbacks last Saturday and the Texas Rangers on May 31. Stein, a right-hander, went seven full innings in his latest start, allowing no runs, four hits and three walks. He struck out five and lowered his earned run average to 5.47.
“That’s the best I’ve followed a game plan, I think in my career,” said Stein after the win over the Diamondbacks. “I was moving my fastball around, changing speeds. I had a little bit of it all today.”
50 YEARS AGO
“They’re going to spend all the money and leave us with the debts,” said Mayor Elect Bernard Smith following a Mandeville Town Council meeting last week where several multi-thousand dollar projects were okayed. Smith will take office on Sept. 1 and he is concerned with the projects pursued by the present council. Mayor Paul Cordes and four of the five present council members will be leaving office then. A main concern to Smith is the $144,000 recreation budget.
“I will have to come up with $72,000 in matching funds for that project,” Smith said. “And as it looks, most of the money is going for tennis courts and playground facilities behind the new town hall.”
Smith is pushing for a more rounded recreation project, however, something that would locate playground equipment in several areas around town
Mayor Cordes assured Smith that he and the council would not leave office with an empty city treasury “But we cannot borrow any more money,” Smith said. “The town is up to the hilt in debt.”
75 YEARS AGO
The St. Tammany Parish Hospital Committee met Monday of this week at the courthouse in Covington and named its officers for the next year Oliver J. Hebert was named chairman, with L. L. Landon, vicechairman. Others on the committee are Mrs. Norma Core, of Covington; Gus Fritchie, of Slidell, and Dr. M J. Duplantis, of Covington. After the election of the committee officers, the first business to be taken up was the selection of a site for the new hospital for the parish. Dr Duplantis was named chairman of a committee composed of Mrs Core and Mr Fritchie to make plans to the site of the building. It was stated that the committee was open to offers for the site and all would be considered Site committee stated that the size of the plot of ground needed was approximately 11/2 squares (that would be approximately 135,000 square feet of space for the building and grounds.)
This size was mentioned because of the possibility of expansion in the future, with the thought that other buildings may be needed at
some time.
The hospital has been made possible by the voting of a $175,000 bond issue in March of this year With the financial help of the federal government, the amount available for the construction and necessary equipment will be approximately $360,000, Chairman Hebert said.
100 YEARS AGO
To the woolgrowers of St. Tammany, I am glad to announce that you may have samples of wool graded and scoured, free of charge, by filing an application with the Bureau of Agriculture and Economics, Washington, D.C., where a wool scouring laboratory is now available for conducting such tests, as facilities will permit.
When your application for grades and tests are made, you will receive a parcel post mailing sack for insuring and taking the sample of wool so that when you get a grade and staple, it will be a representative of your lot of raw wool in the grease. This should be of very great value to you, as when you go to the market with your wool, you will know the grade and government standards that you are offering for sale When you get a copy of your grades, I would be very glad to know just how our wool ranks with the wool produced elsewhere in the United States.
Signed, O. G. Price, County Agent.
125 YEARS AGO
The Covington Mineral Oil Com-
Notice is hereby given pursuant to Article 7, Section 23(C) of the Louisiana Constitution and R S 47:1705(B) that a public hearing/meeting of Fire Protection District No 7 Board of Commissioners in St Tammany Parish will be held in Council Chambers at St Tammany Parish Government Complex, located at 21490 Koop Drive, Mandeville, Louisiana 70471 on Tuesday, July 21, 2026 at 7:00 pm to consider levying additional or increased millage rates without further voter approval or adopting the adjusted millage rates after reassessment and rolling forward to rates not to exceed the prior year ’ s maximum The current years estimated amount of tax revenues to be collected is $1,073,681 35 The estimated amountoftaxrevenuestobecollectedinthenext year from the increased millage is $1159 206 02 and the amount of increase in taxes attributable to the millage increase is $85,524 67
pany is still securing subscriptions to the stock. This is an important movement and should not be allowed to collapse until the desired object is obtained.
The only way to find out whether there is oil in this vicinity is to put down a well to a reasonable depth, and this will probably be done. We owe it to ourselves and posterity to thoroughly investigate the matter Otherwise, there will always be a lingering doubt in the minds of the people as to whether or not we are living over an oil pool of fabulous value. A thorough test should be made to settle the matter
offeredtostudentsat
Christ Episcopal names new division head of Lower School
Staff report
Christ Episcopal School has named Christy Barzizza as its next Lower School division head, effective July 1.
Barzizza distinguished her self among the candidates through her passion for working with children, her warmth, and her commitment to educating the whole child by balancing rigorous academics with spiritual formation and moral development, school officials said. She recognizes the importance of a Lower School where children are known, challenged, supported, and shaped within a community rooted in belonging, service, and faith.
Lower School years,” said incoming Head of School the Rev Charles Latour These are the years when children begin to discover who they are as learners, friends, leaders, and beloved children of God. Christy brings the experience, warmth, faith, and whole-child approach needed to help our teachers, families, and students grow and thrive.”
“Christy’s love for students is immediately evident, as is her deep commitment to the
An experienced educator and Episcopal school leader, Barzizza comes to Christ Episcopal in Covington from Memphis, Tenn. She holds a master’s degree in teaching from the University of Memphis; a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama; and over the course of her career she has served
schools in a variety of roles, including classroom teacher, literacy coach, team leader and admissions director She has honed her leadership skills as the executive director of a nonprofit organization and managing partner of an independent bookstore Her broad professional background allows her to bring educational expertise, mission-driven leadership, a collaborative spirit, and strategic thinking to her work, while keeping children, teachers, and families at the center of every decision, the school’s leadership said.
As CES moves into its next chapter, Barzizza’s leadership will help strengthen the Lower School as a learning community where children are known, loved, challenged, and prepared to grow with confidence, faith, purpose and joy school officials said.
PROVIDED
Brandon Buckner, Aubree Arthur, Addyson Guillot and Peyton Richthofen.
Mandeville Lions Club gives scholarships to five
Staff report
The Mandeville Lions Club has awarded scholarships to five exceptional local 2026 high school graduates to help them advance their academic careers and support their transition into higher education this fall.
“We are incredibly proud to support these dedicated young adults as they take the next step in their educational journeys.
ner meetings, the scholarships went to:
n Micah Nagy, Fontainebleau High School, will attend LSU to major in mechanical engineering.
n Brandon Buckner, Fontainebleau High School, is also headed to LSU to pursue a degree in kinesiology and business.
n Aubree Arthur, Mandeville High School, will attend the University of Louisiana at Lafayette to study architecture.
Staff report
The Good Samaritan Ministry’s annual school supply and backpack program registration begins June 24 for low income families in the Slidell, Pearl River and Alton schools. Good Sam will give a backpack and schoolspecific required supplies to each of the first 300 children approved in pre-kindergarten through 8th grades.
To apply, the child’s family must be SNAP participants or be families with special or emergency needs, and those
will be decided on a case-bycase basis
Only applications submitted by July 7 can be considered or until the limit of 300 children is approved, whichever comes first. For this reason, Good Sams recommends making applications as soon as possible once the process opens; that provides the best chance for getting children approved before the limit is reached. Applications will be taken in the St. Luke Family Life Center’s Classrooms D and E, 910 Cross Gates Blvd., on
the following dates: n Wednesday, June 24, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. n Saturday, June 27, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. n Tuesday, July 7, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Applicants must apply in person and bring with them a current picture ID and a current SNAP printout that lists each child’s name, Social Security number, birth date, as well as household income. Applications will not be taken without a current SNAP printout.
“Each of these students has demonstrated remarkable academic achievement and leadership, embodying the spirit of excellence our community values. We wish them the absolute best in their future endeavors,” said Jason Band, president of the Mandeville Lions Club.
Awarded during the club’s April 28 din-
n Addyson Guillot, Lakeshore High School, will study business and finance at the University of Southern Mississippi.
n Peyton Richthofen, Lakeshore High School, will major in nursing at Louisiana Tech University For more information about the Mandeville Lions Club or its scholarship program, visit their Facebook page at www facebook.com/mandevillelionsclub.
Cypress Connections graduates
three
Staff report
Three students from St. Tammany Parish have just graduated from Cypress Connections Academy as part of its inaugural graduating class. The three moved their tassels from
right to left as their teachers, family and friends cheered them on.
The new graduates include Kaitlyn Gerard, Walter Keller and Alex Noble. Cypress is an online public school program and a learning pod of the Lafayette Renaissance Charter Academy
PHOTO BY SCOTT HERNANDEZ
Mandeville Lions Club President Jason Band, from left, awarded his organization’s 2026 scholarships to Micah Nagy,
Barzizza
Northshore man sentenced to life for two murders
Man convicted of killing Covington’s Rev. Otis Young, Ruth Prats
BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer
A state judge said on June
plus 40 years for obstruction of justice.
said during Monday’s sentencing.
8 that Antonio Tyson will spend the rest of his life in prison after pleading guilty last month to the 2022 murders of a Covington priest and church worker, killings that took two “extraordinarily gentle hearts” from the community District Judge Ellen Creel handed down Tyson’s sentence, ordering him to serve two consecutive life sentences for the slayings of the Rev Otis Young and Ruth Prats,
Tyson entered a guilty plea in May for two first-degree murder counts, avoiding a potential death penalty As part of the deal, Tyson will be held on death row at the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, District Attorney Collin Sims said. The 49-year-old was accused of the brutal deaths of Young, a retired priest at St. Peter Catholic Church in Covington, and Prats, a longtime church worker who helped care for Young. He was arrested hours after their badly burned bodies were discovered behind a downtown Covington business.
Months before the murders, Tyson had been released from Rayburn Correctional Facility after serving 30 years of a 40-year prison sentence for forcible rape, armed robbery and burglary
Both Young and Prats lived “lives of service, lives of faith, lives of love,” Creel
Defense attorneys for Tyson had argued that his intellectual impairments would disqualify him from receiving the death penalty The defense provided evidence, according to Sims, that included historical IQ tests showing Tyson’s intellectual disabilities going back to childhood. They also introduced MRI findings that showed traumatic brain injury
Sims said his office had multiple discussions with the families and that they agreed to the plea negotiations.
“I did not lose my resolve in wanting the death penalty after three and a half years,” said Norman Elfer, Young’s brother-in-law, during the sentencing. But he said the plea agreement “secured the maximum punishment legally available.”
Kerry Cuccia, one of Tyson’s four defense attorneys, said in an interview on June 8 that the sentence “was the
for
Magnolia Trace recognized as first ‘Lighthouse School’ in St.
BY DARREN COOPER Contributing writer
By embodying the pillars of the Leader In Me educational philosophy, Magnolia Trace Elementary in Mandeville has been recognized as a Lighthouse School — the first school in St. Tammany Parish to be awarded such recognition and one of eight in the state.
“It’s a pretty big deal,” Magnolia Trace Elementary Principal Jamie Breaux said. “From the outside looking in, I know it can look like so many things here are all moving at the same time, but that’s part of empowering our students as leaders, giving everyone a purpose, a mission and clarity on our goals.”
The Leader In Me program comes from the FranklinCovey leadership company — a worldwide firm that loosely bases its paradigm on the “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” creed espoused in the book Covey first published in 1989 In the school environment, Magnolia Trace, a school of approximately 375 kids in second and third grades, modeling these standards require recognizing that every student can be a leader; every student has a gift/ is a genius; empowering students to lead their own learning; and including the family structure in the process.
Breaux, the principal since August 2021, became aware of the Leader In Me
philosophy when her niece was attending a school that espoused its qualities. She was struck by the changes in her niece’s behavior and maturity and brought it with her to Magnolia Trace.
The methodology could be as simple as creating action committees that clean up in the cafeteria or after recess, or having students perform in-house roles/jobs.
Breaux said she meets with Student Lighthouse teams almost daily and that decisions are made collectively with the greater good in mind.
“It’s a totally different way of thinking,” said Magnolia Trace Elementary second grade teacher Nicole Chotto. “It’s leadership skills, where you are preparing them for the outside world. It’s not just teaching academics It’s teaching the whole person life skills and how to contribute to our society.”
Chotto cited two examples of how she has the Leader in Me program work. The first was a student who didn’t have English as their native language but set their own goals on how quickly they wanted to be able to read and speak it — and accomplished those goals.
The second was a student who was having trouble outside of school who sought an in-school mentor of their own volition that inspired them to reach higher standards.
“I know it sounds like fluff,” said Chotto, a teach-
PROVIDED PHOTOS
Antonio Tyson was sentence to two consecutive life sentences for the
appropriate result under the law.”
During the sentencing hearing, family members described Young and Prats as devoted Catholics and dedicated parishioners of St. Peter Catholic Church in Covington.
“They were, both of them, people with extraordinarily gentle hearts,” said the Rev Daniel Brouillette, who succeeded Young at the church.
Prats and Young cared deeply for each other, the family members said. After Young suffered a stroke that affected his mobility, Prats would drive him around to see people in need, Elfer said.
Young came to the priesthood late in life, entering the seminary in his 40s, after working as an accountant at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s office at NASA’s
Michoud facility in New Or-
leans East. After serving as a priest in Belle Chasse and Marrero, he moved to St. Peter in Covington, where he became friends with Prats, a former second-grade teacher and longtime volunteer with the church. Prats had first gone to St Peter’s to seek solace following a miscarriage early in her marriage, her sister said, but soon she started volunteering. Her experience with the Catholic church went back to her childhood, when she and her sister were sent to a boarding school run by Benedictine nuns.
Tyson did not speak at the June 8 sentencing, but his younger brother, Lester “Mike” Tyson, apologized to the family of Young and Prats.
“You have our deepest, deepest sympathy,” Lester Tyson told the family “We will keep you in our thoughts and prayers.”
New Juneteenth leader builds reunion-style celebration
BY KADEE KRIEGER Contributing writer
The new chair of Coving-
ton’s Juneteenth Friends and Family Celebration is building on the event’s foundation and expanding it with a mini resource fair, a family history station and a reunion-style atmosphere with plenty of community bonding.
such as a mini resource fair of lesser-known community programs; a family history station where parents and kids can create a family tree together; and a formal program featuring both youth and adult speakers.
JUNETEENTH FRIENDS AND FAMILY REUNION
er for 18 years. “And a lot of people are not believers, but I’ve lived it and witnessed the growth. It’s incredible in every way.”
Being recognized as a Lighthouse school by the Leader In Me program stamps the school as one that has built the foundation for this style of learning and has seen positive outcomes.
It’s a long process —
Breaux said it takes at least three years for it to crystallize in the school community
“As an administrator, it brings a joy to education because you’re developing the whole child and you’re teaching them beyond just their grades,” Breaux said. “What we are doing is interwoven with the whole school and teaching them what a productive community looks like.”
District officials added their own praise.
“This is such a remarkable achievement from a fantastic school in our district,” Superintendent Frank Jabbia said in a news release announcing the honor “Magnolia Trace Elementary achieving Lighthouse Status is a direct reflection of all their hard work, dedication, and constant commitment. We are so proud to celebrate this honor along with everyone from teachers to families that have helped to guide our students to becoming one of only eight Lighthouse Schools in the state.”
“This event is about building community bonds and bringing people together,” said Pamala McKay, heading up the event for the first time. “It’s important that people know that the meaning of the holiday is freedom, and it can help to teach our youth that God has ordered our steps and they can do anything.”
“This event is a reminder of where we come from and inspiration for the future,” she said “What you put in the world, what you grow in the world, is what you eat. Juneteenth helps us know who we are and where we are going.”
A Biloxi native, McKay said one of the first people she met when moving to Abita Springs nearly 20 years ago was Peter Lewis, a community activist, former city council member, founder of the Covington Juneteenth event in 2020 and the nonprofit organization One Covington that supports it Lewis and McKay worked together on other events through the years, including Martin Luther King Jr celebrations. When he said he had to step away from coordinating the Juneteenth event in order to care for his daughter recovering from health issues, Lewis said McKay was the perfect person to step in.
“Hopefully, by next year, I’ll return back full time helping with the events,” he said, vowing to bring back the popular Junior Juneteenth Fashion Show in 2027. He said One Covington is always seeking volunteers to help bring Juneteenth and other events to life.
In the meantime McKay jumped into the task of chair with excitement “I’m passionate about the message that the event spreads,” she said.
McKay said her contribution as chair is to build on the foundation that Lewis began and add elements,
She encouraged participants to wear family reunion shirts to create a familial atmosphere. “That is the vibe: a family reunion. Because we are all a family — Black, White, every culture and background.”
Food and hydration stations will be provided, but participants are encouraged to bring their own chairs, blankets, tents and tables.
The June 19 event will take place at the Rev Peter Atkins Park in Covington, 701 N. Tyler St. The park will open for families to set up chairs and tables at 8 a.m. The Juneteenth parade starts from there at 9 a.m. and returns to the park to finish the celebration.
The parade of motorcycles, bikes and dancing groups will depart from the park and head down Filmore Street to Columbia Street, then turn onto Tyler Street to return to the park. A program of
WHAT: Covington’s annual Juneteenth celebration WHERE: The Rev. Peter Atkins Park, 701 N.Tyler St. WHEN: June 19, 9 a.m. HOW MUCH: Admission is without charge, but families should bring chairs, blankets or tents.
EXTRAS: Park opens for set-up at 8 a.m., with parade starting from the park at 9 a.m. MORE INFO: Call Pamala
speakers will immediately follow the parade.
Among the resource vendors who will offer information during the event are the Covington Police Department, Covington Fire Department, Acadian Ambulance Service, Veteran of Foreign Wars Post 7286, Covington Community Church, NAACP, First Missionary Baptist Church, Doughty Chapel AME Church, Indivisible St. Tammany, Northlake Homeless Coalition, God’s Unchanging Hands Feeding Ministry and Dazzlin’ Diamonds.
slaying of the Rev. Otis Young, left, and Ruth Prats.
THEATER
GIRLS GET HIM: The musical comedy “9 to 5” continues for three more days, June 19-21, at the Evangeline Theater, 2635 N. Causeway Blvd., in Mandeville Incorporating the music of Dolly Parton, the book by Patricia Renick and what audiences remember most from the hit movie (with Parton, Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda), three female co-workers team up in their 1970s-era office to wrest control of their workplace from a sexist, bigoted boss, played at Evangeline by Michael Lloyd Graves. It’s an empowering tale of friendship revenge and standing up for what’s right for oneself and for others. Nicole Bariwick portrays Violet; Emily Carmadelle is Doralee; and Brandi Lopez plays Judy Directed by Gordon and Emily Carmadelle, with music direction by Reagan Hightower. Additional cast includes Cat Schully-Williams, Patty Blanchard, Bella Rusche, Casey Lipscomb, Barrett Baumgartner, Andrew Niemann, Jayna Young, Allen Bryant, Ken Richard, Alyssa Scallan and Julia Freas. Shows at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; reserve seating $32 at Evangelinetheater.com.
SISTER LOVE: The Cutting Edge Center of the Arts, aka the Cutting Edge Theater, continues with “Frozen” for three more shows June 19-20 at 767 Robert Blvd. in Slidell. Based on the popular animated Disney feature film of the same name, the show is set in the kingdom of Arendelle and features sister-princesses Anna and Elsa, who grow up sheltered in their castle, isolated from the world and increasingly distant from one other. When Elsa is crowned queen, the magical powers she’s desperately tried to conceal from her sister take control, and she flees into the mountains. As a ferocious winter descends, Anna undertakes her own epic journey to bring her sister home — with help from some very special characters, Kristoff, Sven and Olaf. It’s a powerful tale about the real meaning of love Tickets at www.cuttingedgetheater.com/event/.
CHICKEN RANCH: 30 by Ninety Theatre presents “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas”
GO BANANAS: The American Legion Post 16 in Covington is beginning to prepare for its sixth annual Great American Legion Banana Split Celebration on Aug. 22, and they are looking for some volunteers — including a good-spirited one willing to wear the event’s bright yellow banana mascot costume. This is a sweet, unique event that has grown, and this year, any profits made from the sale of old-fashioned banana splits and ice cream sundaes will be donated to the Northshore Food Bank. Volunteers are needed to help with all tasks relating to staging and promoting the celebration including someone familiar with Canva to provide expertise in preparing event flyers. Potential volunteers are asked to call (985) 334-3036 or (985) 892-0677 to discuss or sign up. BREWS & BARKS: Larry Brew Fest 2026 happens June 27 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Castine Center in Pelican Park near Mandeville, a celebration of craft beer, music, food and animal advocacy, all indoors. Every dollar raised will directly benefit Northshore Humane Society. Samples of 50-100 homebrew beers from clubs across the state, all
Though often underestimated due to her glamorous
lovers welcome to play and sing favorite pieces of Celtic music. Visit thesession.org/ tunes to find music catalog or go to nstms.org for details.
707-7676.
obsessive nature.
with a large cast of seasoned community theater vets and stage newcomers in this well-known, R-rated musical comedy for two more weekends, June 19-28, in Mandeville. This happy-go-lucky view of small-town vice and statewide political sidestepping recounts the good times and the demise of the Chicken Ranch, known since the 1850s as one of the better “pleasure palaces” in Texas. Governors, senators, mayors and even victorious college football teams flocked to Miss Mona’s cozy bordello until their Puritan nemesis, Watchdog, focused his TV cameras and righteous indignation on the ranch. Jason Leader directs; Jonathan Sturcken directs the music; Frank Gonzalez, the band; and Halle Koepp, the choreography. Elizabeth
Hartnett stars as the sharpwitted madam and James Rivard as Sheriff Earl Dodd, the local lawman who is fiercely protective of Mona and her business. Shows at 2:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. at 880 Lafayette St.; tickets $27-$34 at 30byninety org/shows
MUSIC SLIDELL: Touring country music artists Morgan Myles and Mark Mackay will perform one show on June 25 at the Cutting Edge Center of the Arts in Slidell. Both entertained earlier this year at the legendary Troubadour, a West Hollywood venue that continuously hosts established
musicians and emerging artists. Myles finished in the top 3 of NBC’s “The Voice” season 2022 and made her Grand Ole Opry debut the next year. Mack ay makes pure Americana music that blends rock ‘n roll with country soul, a multi-instrumentalist and touring artist who performs more than 100 shows a year. Get $40 tickets to the 7 p.m. show at 767 Robert Blvd. online at cuttingedgetheater. com/.
JUNE
MUSIC: Two free performances June 20 and June 24 at the Avanti Senior Living community in Covington at 2234 Watercross Parkway The first, in honor of Father’s Day, features the Timeless Glow Youth performing troupe, led by Cuilan Li, from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. The youth will play Eastern and Western instruments. Then on June 24, from 1 p.m.-2 p.m., the seven-piece Covington Farmers Market String Band, led by Jan Biggs and Lou Martin, will perform a Summer Musical Gig. The seven vocalists will accompany themselves with guitars, a mandolin and basses. The public is invited to both free events.
IRISH: Free traditional Irish session June 18 (every third Thursday) from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the backroom of Abita Brew Pub, 72011 Holly St. Musicians and music-
FUNDRAISERS
NORTHSHORE STRINGS: This free slow-fast session with Madeline Hill on June 28 (every final Sunday) provides excellent opportunity to play fiddle tunes, especially Celtic fiddle tunes. In the first half of session, tunes are played at slower tempos, with veteran string educators there to offer insight and encouragement to student musicians. In the second half, tempos increase to normal performance speeds. From noon to 2 p.m. at St. John’s Coffeehouse, 535 E. Boston St., downtown Covington. DOWN BY THE RIVER: A free Thursday evening concert at the Columbia Street Landing by Bogue Falaya River in downtown Covington, 100 N. Columbia St., is set for June 19, weather permitting. Bring friends, the family, folding chairs for seating and picnics from home to enjoy music starting at 6 p.m. For the most current lineup of bands and potential rain cancellations, check the Office of Cultural Arts & Events Facebook page.
ART
DUNBAR GALLERY: The final few days are here to see the Mixed Media 2026 exhibition in the George Dunbar Gallery in the Slidell Cultural Center at City Hall, 2055 Second St., in Olde Towne through June 26. Gallery hours 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays by appointment only. Call (985) 646-4375.
HEALING: The latest St. Tammany Hospital Foundation’s Healing Arts Rotating Gallery Series is being exhibited on the first floor of the Covington hospital through Aug. 17. COMMUNITY GUMBO
WIDOWS: The next general meeting of the Widows’ Social Club of Slidell takes place June 27 at 10 a.m. in the John Wesley Center at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 360 Robert Blvd. The speaker will be Colby Billiot, Consumer Advocacy Division, Louisiana Department of Insurance, to discuss the fortified roof grant program and what his department is doing to try and lower homeowners’ in-
