BY GIGI LIMAN Staff writer
Race to replace DA Perrilloux begins ELECTION
In one week, the field of candidates for district attorney in Louisiana’s 21st Judicial District will be set. For the first time in 30 years, it will not include Scott Perrilloux’s name.
The longtime district attorney is stepping down, opening the race to succeed him as top prosecutor across Livingston, St. Helena and Tangipahoa parishes. The deadline to qualify for the November
election is Friday Whoever replaces Perrilloux will hold one of the most powerful offices in the region, deciding, for some 280,000 people across the three parishes, who gets charged with a crime, who is offered a plea and who is sent to prison They will also lead more than two dozen attorneys and set the strategy for trials. Two candidates have stepped forward so far, and while both are Republicans, they otherwise present divergent options for voters.
Longtime Assistant District Attorney Brad Cascio is running on his experience in the district attorney’s office, and former Louisiana Rep. Sherman Mack is run-
ning on being the outside-the-box candidate. Mack is “the candidate for change,” he said. After achieving nearly all his professional and political goals, he is running for district attorney to try to give back to the community he grew up in, he said.
Mack has spent his career working as a lawyer and lawmaker, but never as a prosecutor This, he says, makes him no less qualified. Having both argued cases in the courtroom and written laws in the
legislature, he understands the law from all angles.
Mack served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 2012 to 2024. He chaired the chamber’s criminal justice committee and authored several bills, including one that strengthened the state’s DWI laws and another that made it a crime to electronically abuse elderly and incapacitated people.
He has also practiced law for 25
Darlene Denstorff
At the library
Check out some of the programs planned at the Denham Springs-Walker Branch of the Livingston Parish Library Contact the branch at (225) 686-4140 or visit www.mylpl. info for more details on any events at the library
Tuesday, Aug. 11, 3 p.m., Hobbit Door Wreath (ages 18+): Join the library staff for a hands-on craft where you’ll design a hobbit-door wreath. Registration is required.
Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2 p.m., Seaux Easy (ages 18+): Whether you’re a sewing pro or just picking up a needle for the first time, the library’s sewing group is the perfect place to create, learn and connect Dive into projects like tote bags, holiday decorations, or pattern-based creations — or bring your own project to work on. Bring your supplies, ideas and leave inspired! Registration is required only for new attendees.
Thursday, Aug. 13, 10:30 a.m., Bilingual Storytime (ages 0-8): This interactive bilingual storytime is for children and caretakers that combines stories, songs and activities in both Spanish and English.
Thursday, Aug. 13, 6 p.m., Bag Tag Bash (ages 5-18): Kids and teens can craft a backpack nametag complete with ribbons, buttons and lots of personality
State of the Parish talk Livingston Parish President Randy Delatte will present his State of the Parish address at noon Aug. 12 during a Livingston Chamber of Commerce meeting at Forrest Grove Plantation, 8743 Stephenson Drive in Denham Springs. The deadline to register is noon Aug. 10. Tickets are $35 for members and $60 for others. To register visit, business. livingstonparishchamber.org/ events/details/state-of-livingston-parish-parish-presidentrandy-delatte-8752
Learn to be a poll commissioner
People interested in becoming an Election Day poll commissioner are invited to a New Commissioner class at 6 p.m. Aug. 31 at the Livingston Parish Courthouse, 20300 Government Blvd., Livingston. Sign-up is not necessary, just show up on Aug. 31. This is only for people wanting to become a commissioner Current commissioners do not have to attend.
Drum sounds fill room as ‘Lady Chops’ visits
BY RICHARD MEEK Contributing writer
With the lyrics of “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” still ringing in her young ears, 7-year-old Eberleigh Sambola looked up at her mom and asked, “Can I have a set of drums?” which was met with a quick “no.”
For 8-year-old Hayden Duffy, the news was a bit more promising, whose mother, when asked the same question, left open the wee bit of a possibility
Sambola and Duffy were among more than 30 children who were entertained in a lively musical presentation by Elizabeth Vidos on July 14 at the Albany-Springfield branch of the Livingston Parish Library Vidos, whose stage name is “Lady Chops” because of her acumen on the drums, used the Broadway musical “Mary Poppins” as the backdrop for
her performance, which included the youngsters playing such instruments as spoons, foot tambourines and wrist jingles.
“I love to choose music that is a throwback for a lot of the parents and grandparents that are coming to my shows,” Vidos, who performs in 130 to 150 shows annually in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Arkansas, including 80 in June and July, said. “I love having all ages at my shows.”
Vidos said she started performing as Lady Chops in 2012, following a career that led her to New York City and a 10-year run in the off Broadway musical “Stomp.” In the beginning, her mission was to be entertaining to all, regardless of age. She said no performer wants to see “someone on their cellphone” during their show
“But that means it’s on me to make sure I am entertaining enough to hold everybody in that room,” she said. “I
am also choosing things the parents are going to recognize and will want to talk about with their kids later
“Their smiles say it all.”
Vidos’ show was a frenetic 60 minutes but the intensity level went up a couple of notches during the musical’s signature song “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” Much to the delight of the young people, Vidos was interactive throughout the show, dancing and singing with the children, allowing them to play an array of offbeat musical instruments such as spoons and most important providing a morning of memories.
“That is number one, I want the kids to have a positive experience with music,” Vidos said. “There should never be a negative association with playing instruments or making music.”
PHOTO BY RICHARD MEEK
One of the most entertaining portion of the Lady Chops performance at the Albany Library on July 14 was the audience, that included youths and their parents, joining in to sing the most popular song from the Broadway musical ‘Mary Poppins.’
School Board sues Roseland, mayor over property seizure
BY GIGI LIMAN Staff writer
The Tangipahoa Parish School Board has filed suit against the Town of Roseland and Mayor Van Showers, alleging the municipality unlawfully seized school property and has left it without parking just weeks before the start of the school year
The fight is over a piece of land across from Roseland Montessori School, where the school’s teachers and faculty park. The board says the town has taken control of the land to build a community center and blocked the school’s access to it.
“In three weeks, we will have teachers that will be showing up, and we have no place for our
Denham Venom wins Indiana Robotics Invitational
Community news report
Denham Springs High’s robotics team won the Indiana Robotics Invitational July 18.
Denham Venom, the FIRST Robotics Competition team at Denham Springs High School, won the competition in Indianapolis, defeating the event’s top-seeded alliance in the finals.
Competition in the Indiana Robotics Invitational is by invitation only Teams cannot earn a spot by winning during the season. They must apply, and organizers select the field, a news release said
Three years ago, Denham Venom became the first Louisiana team invited to the event. This year’s field of 50 included 21 teams ranked among the top 100 in the world and two that reached the final field at the FIRST World Championship Denham Venom finished second out of the 50 teams in qualifying play and went undefeated through the playoff rounds to capture the win.
“This victory closes a season in which the Denham Springs team won the Pikes Peak, Magnolia, and Bayou regionals, becoming the first Louisiana team in FIRST Robotics history to win three regional competitions in a single year,” said
TANGIPAHOA
teachers to park — on our land,” School Board member Tom Tolar said at a July 7 meeting where the board voted to move forward with the suit.
Judge William Dykes of the 21st Judicial District Court has ordered Showers and the town to remove the fencing on the property pending future rulings from the court The case’s first hearing is scheduled for Aug. 3
The parking area is made up of two adjoining plots: one the town gave the school district in 1910 for a high school building and another the town has leased to the school since 2005. The joint land is the only parking available to
the Roseland Montessori teachers, aside from a few spaces a nearby church lends the school.
The town first approached the school board about building a community center on the land more than a year ago, board members said at the July 7 meeting. The board was not opposed to the idea. Before signing off, though, members said they would need assurance that the new community center would preserve parking for teachers Tolar said he and other board members tried to work with the town, but their requests to meet went unanswered.
Over the past year, the town moved ahead with the project without the school board’s permission or, the lawsuit argues, the proper legal authority The
town first erected barricades around the property, later removing them after being confronted by school board representatives. Then, this summer, it demolished the old high school building and fenced off access to the property, according to the lawsuit.
The crux of the dispute is a reversionary clause in the 1910 deed that transferred the land from the town to the school board The deed, granted to provide land for the high school, says the property would revert to the town should it ever cease to be used as a school.
In a June 2025 email announcing that the town intended to reclaim the land, attorney Sophia Riley said the reversionary clause had been triggered because the property was no longer being used as
a school. “It is our understanding that the school on this property was closed nearly 70 years ago,” Riley wrote.
The school board, meanwhile, claims that the reversionary clause in the deed does not apply, because the land is being used by the school system for school purposes.
“I’m hoping that the school and the Town of Roseland can reach an agreement and an understanding on this situation.” Showers said. He declined to comment further
School Board President Trent Anthony also declined to comment, citing the pending hearing. Counsel for both parties did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
The winning alliance members and their robots at a recent
2481, the Roboteers of Tremont, Illinois, as its first pick and
4499, the Highlanders of Fort Collins, Colorado, as a
Denham Venom Coach Daniel Eiland.
He said the team went on to finish third in the Hopper Division at the FIRST World Championship in Houston in April and ended the season ranked 26th in the world out of more than 3,700 teams.
“We are very proud of the students’ accomplishments. Their diligence in mastering their knowledge and skill in robotics has resulted in significant victories and well-deserved recognition,” he said.
“For most coaches, this is an event you watch other programs attend,” Eiland said. “Our students walked into a room no one expected them to be in and proved they belonged.”
playoff competition.
Elizabeth Vilos demonstrates
to play one of the many instruments
DRUM
Continued from page 1G
She called libraries, where she performs the overwhelming majority of her shows, special because they provide an outlet to artists like herself to give kids an opportunity to learn new things in a safe place where they are there to learn and not be judged.
“Some kids have come up to me and said they saw me when they were 8 years old and now they are in a marching band at school,” Vidos, a native of Morgan City and resident of Ruston, said. “Mission accomplished.” She acknowledged her responsibility to make each show unique and entertaining, so her mindset is every performance will be her best of the summer
“We are all making memories together and that is what I love about what the libraries are doing,” Vidos added.
Sambola, perhaps in another plea to her mother, said her favorite part of the show was being able to play the drums and shakers.
“I learned a lot,” she said, which would bring a smile to Lady Chops’ face.
Email Richard Meek at livingston@ theadvocate.com
PROVIDED PHOTOS
robotics meet. As the second-seeded alliance captain, Denham Venom chose Team
Team 27, Team RUSH of Clarkston, Michigan, as its second pick, then added Team
backup robot. The alliance went undefeated in
Denham Venom Drive team members celebrating their win at a robotics competition, hugging are Jacob Duke, Evan Durbin, and Kerven Lindor Jr
At one point, Elizabeth Viros led a parade around the room playing of her own instruments during her Lady Chops performance.
PHOTOS BY RICHARD MEEK
Working together as one, several youngsters put their own talents on display through the use of the bongos.
to students how
she used during her ‘Lady Chops’ performance at the Albany Library on July 14.
years. Founding his own firm in 2000, he has represented clients in personal injury, family law, successions, probate, criminal litigation and civil proceedings.
He has not yet released a detailed platform, but his top priority is to put in place policies and standards meant to give the public more confidence in the office and to increase community outreach, he said.
It would not be unprecedented for an attorney with scant prosecutorial experience to be elected as district attorney Hillar Moore, the longtime East Baton Rouge district attorney, spent over a decade as a defense lawyer before winning that office.
Cascio is running on the idea that the job should go to someone who has tried cases against defendants.
who try to convict defendants, and defense attorneys, who try to acquit them, are two completely different positions, he said.
Defense attorneys choose “to take money from pedophiles, drug dealers, and murderers, and to work hard to keep them on the street,” he said “That’s not the mindset of a chief prosecutor.”
Both candidates have already been raising money, filming ads and meeting voters. Elected leaders will decide who to endorse for the first time in decades. Cascio has landed the endorsement of one key figure: Perrilloux.
AROUND
Continued from page 1G
St. Jude, Shriners community fundraiser
Support the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Baton Rouge and the Shriners Burn Unit on Aug. 29 at the Livingston Parish Fairgrounds at a community fundraiser hosted by Sheri’s Daiquiris.
There will be live music; a barbecue cookoff; car, truck and Jeep show; and other activities. For additional information, contact (225) 615-6637.
Hungarian Festival plans
“I’m the only candidate who has been a prosecutor,” he said “My opponent has never he hasn’t even prosecuted a traffic ticket, let alone a serious crime.”
SALZER
Continued from page 1G
were being put through their paces by assistant director Antonio Suarez The session, expected to last at least several hours, was just getting started. It was hard not to be impressed by the sheer size of the group which I am told is more than 200-plus strong. With a group that large, it is likely that there are members who simply prefer pursuing music rather than athletic competition Still, as someone who wasn’t big enough to be a lineman or fast enough to be a back in high school, I can appreciate the opportunity that the band provides for students to contribute to their school’s athletic success. It can help pump up the crowd and boost morale at games. In addition to doing their own part to help the
Cascio has worked as an assistant district attorney in the 21st Judicial District since he graduated from law school in 2013. Over those years, he has prosecuted more than 4,000 cases, including one that resulted in the first court-or-
dered physical castration of a sex offender in the state of Louisiana.
Among Cascio’s goals are to create an in-house investigations unit in the district attorney’s office, where none currently exists, and to expand the district’s drug court, which focuses on diversion and oversight rather than incarceration.
The roles of prosecutors,
“The understanding of the responsibility and discretion of the position is something I think Brad understands more than his opponent,” Perrilloux said.
Mack and Cascio will appear on the same ballot this fall, along with anyone else who qualifies by Friday’s deadline. The primary is Nov 3; if no one wins a majority, a runoff follows Dec. 12.
Celebrate Hungarian heritage with a weekend of family fun, food, music and entertainment at Fayard Field in Springfield with traditional Hungarian dancing and entertainment Sept. 25-27.
The Hungarian Harvest Festival will include authentic Hungarian foods and pastries. For more information, call (985) 974-6883, (225) 278-3770 or email albanymagyars@ gmail.com.
Send news and events for Livingston and Tangipahoa parishes to livingston@ theadvocate.com by 4 p.m. Friday or call (225) 603-1998.l
school obtain athletic success, the marching routines, uniforms in school colors, and the familiar school songs all create an atmosphere that
make them the heartbeat of school athletics. At Denham Springs, the Jacket Pride Marching Band will perform at foot-
THE LIVINGSTON-TANGIPAHOA ADVOCATE
10291 Hwy. 190 Walker LA 70785 or P.O. Box 309 Walker LA 70785 (225) 388-0215
PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY Online at www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/communities/livingston_tangipahoa/
EDITOR
Darlene T. Denstorff ddenstorff@theadvocate.com
OFFICE: (225) 388-0215 CELL: (225) 603-1998
COMMUNITY NEWS REPORTER Leila Pitchford livingston@theadvocate.com (225) 388-0731
SUBMISSIONS
Send your news photos or letters by 4 p.m Friday
EMAIL: livingston@theadvocate.com
FAX: (225) 388-0371 MAIL: use address above
DELIVERY ISSUES
CALL: (225) 388-0200
M–F, 6 A.M.–5 P.M SAT, 7 A.M.–10:30 A.M
SUN, 7 A.M.–11 A.M. HOLIDAYS, 6 A.M.–10 A.M. ONLINE: theadvocate.com/subscriptions
SUBSCRIPTIONS
CALL: (225) 388-0200
M–F 6 A.M.–5 P.M SAT 7 A.M.–10:30 A.M
7 A.M.–11 A.M. HOLIDAYS, 6 A.M.–10 A.M.
ONLINE: theadvocate.com/subscriptions
DISPLAY ADVERTISING JUSTIN LEWIS CELL: (504) 615-1166
Justin.lewis@theadvocate.com
M–F, 8 A.M.–5 P.M
DEADLINE: 5 p.m Friday prior to publication.
DEATH NOTICES CALL: 225-388-0289
EMAIL: obits@theadvocate.com
WEDDINGS & ENGAGEMENTS CALL: (225) 388-0738
EMAIL: nuptials@theadvocate.com
CLASSIFIEDS CALL: (225) 383-0111
EMAIL: classifieds@theadvocate.com
LEGAL ADVERTISING CALL: (225) 388-0128
EMAIL: weeklylegals@theadvocate.com
ball games alongside the school’s color guard team as well as the Jackettes, the dance team. Just like the teams they support, every
musician, color guard and dance team member will rely on each other as they work together to provide a crowd-pleasing performance. Hard work, camaraderie and school spirit? The band knows all about those things.
The Denham Springs High band takes over the football field for a practice session.
Rep. Sherman Mack Brad Cascio
“Thefuture’s
happening here in RichlandParish.”
$1.6billionfor Louisiana businesses. Cateringfor 40 peopleused to be agood week.Now they hit400.And that’sjust thetacos.Fromcoffee shops to bustours,Meta’s RichlandParish investment isalreadypayingoff forbusinesses across Louisiana.
Kaycie Coffee shop owner
Preston Tour busoperator
Lindsay Food truckowner