Finalnotice of delinquent property taxes available
Staff report
In anticipation of its annual tax sale on July 15,the St.Tammany ParishSheriff’s Office is advertising the list of delinquent properties in the July 10 edition of The St. Tammany Farmer
The list, which previously was printed in theSt. Tammany Farmer on June 19, also is posted under“Public Notices”on the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office website. The public notices include approximately 1,481 properties withtaxes due to theparishand themunicipalitiesof Slidell, Mandeville, Covington,Pearl River,AbitaSprings and Madisonville. In accordance with L.R.S. 47:2153, this is the last of two public notices of properties still delinquent for the 2023 tax year The list printed in today’sSt. Tammany Farmer,and on the Sheriff’s Office website, both have been updated to reflect only properties on which taxes are still due.
Property tax bills for2023 were mailed on Nov.16, 2023. Delinquent notices were sent on Feb. 12 and again on May 17.
The STPSO has contracted with SRI, Inc. to utilize its online tax sale platform. The sale will take place at www.zeusauction.com, beginning at 8a.m. and closing at 4p.m. on July 15. Those interestedinparticipating in the sale will be required to create an account on the website and register forthe St. Tammany Parish sale. Registration will be open through noon on July 10. Registrants will have access to aLouisianaspecific practice sale to become familiar with the features of the program. For more information about the process, call SRI at (800) 800-9588. Delinquent taxpayersare strongly encouraged to make their payments by noon on July 12 so payments can be recorded, and those properties removed from the website before the sale begins.
It was opening day of the 2001 Major League Baseball season and Kansas City Royals pitcher Blake Stein was at the original Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, famously known as “The House that Ruth Built” and “the Cathedral of Baseball.”
That illustrious ballpark is a long way from Stein’shometown of Folsom, Louisiana, in more ways than one. But the visit there on that April day is remembered by the St. Tammany Parish hometown hero as somewhat of an inflection point in his life’sjourney
While doing his pregame stretching exercises on the legendary field, Stein’spager went off. Life was about to throw the big right-hander a curveball.
The pager alerted him that his wife, Ellen, had gone into labor with their first child back in Kansas City —about 1,100 miles away Stein was second in the Royals’ rotation and slated to be the starting pitcher against the Yankees two days later.Nevertheless, he got on aplane and flew to Kansas City in time to see the birth of the couple’sdaughter, Corinne.
Aquick turnaround got Stein back to New York in time to make his scheduled start against the Yankees, ateam that went on to win the pennant that year.Hewas opposed on the mound by three-time MLB All-Star Andy Pettitte. The game didn’tgowell for Stein, who was pulled in the
PHOTOSBYGRANT THERKILDSEN
in July 1byLouisiana Supreme CourtJustice William J. Crain as Smith’swife,
TammanyParishClerk of CourtJessica JenkinsBrewster
sworn in to office July 1byLouisiana Supreme CourtJusticeWilliam J. Crain in the St. TammanyParishJustice Center in Covington.
second inning in what was eventually an 8-3 loss for the Royals. It was atough day at the ballpark, but one that wouldeventually provide priceless perspective to one of St. Tammany Parish’sbest athletes
“It was acrazy few days,” Stein recalled in an interview July 1. “I come home after not pitching welland I walk into the apartment and there’sEllen with our new baby,Corrine. All of the worries went away “As hard as we push ourselves to meet the standards we set for ourselves, this was areality check of what’sreally important family.”
These days
Now 50, Stein is an assistant principal for discipline and attendanceatMcGillToolen Catholic High School in Mobile, Alabama. He and Ellen have five children. Corrineisnow 23 and an emergency room nurse. The youngest, Bennett, is in fifth grade.Inbetween are Meghan, asenior at Troy University; Kendall, a17-year-oldcollege freshman; and Evan, ajunior at McGill-Toolen.
Ask what takes up his free time these days and the former major leaguer returns to atheme emanating from the moment 23 years ago after that rough outing against the Yankees.
“I’ve been involved in whatever my kids have been involved in,” Stein said. “I really enjoy it.”
WhenCorrine was on the softball team at McGillToolen, her dad helped coach for three years When the girl’sgolf coach retired, Steincoached that team, which included his daughter Meghan.
“I coached golf for about three years, which was kind of cool becauseIgot to coach Meghan in golf and they won the state championship her senior year,” he said. “That was fun.” Kendall was involvedin color guard. Stein said he could be of little help there. But when Evan made the McGill-Toolen baseball team, the former big league definitely could lend some expertise there,and has for three years now.Youngest son, Bennett, lovesmultiple sports.
“Between coaching park ball and at the high school, that’swhat occupies my time,” he said.
Glorydays
Johnny Dragg, head baseball coach at Covington High School from 1984 to 2006, remembers coaching Stein when the kid from
Folsom was agangly,6-foot5 teenager who played both basketball and baseball while excelling in the classroom. On the mound, he flashed afastballinthe mid80s and played third base and firstbasewhen he was not pitching.
“He never got outtothe (baseball) field until basketball season was over and that put him behind,” Dragg said. “He was along, lanky kid who didn’treach his full potential in high school.”
Dragg says Stein was part of astellar pitching staff that led his team to 20-win seasons,despite ateam batting average below .200. We’d scoretwo runs,and we’d win,” he said.
Stein went to Spring Hill College on abasketball and baseball scholarship, but his major success was on the diamond. In 1993, he won 12 games for Spring Hill, posting a1.81 earnedrun average and striking out 128 batters in 119innings.
In June of 1994, he was drafted in the sixth round by the St. Louis Cardinals. Three yearslater,hewas traded to the Oakland Athletics along with twoother players for Mark McGwire, one of the mostprolific homerun hitters in baseball history. He was tradedtothe Roy-
als in 1999. That 2001 season was the most productive of his career.Hemade 15 starts, finishing theseason with arecord of 7-8and an earned run average of 4.74.
On June 17, 2001, he struck out eight consecutive Milwaukee Brewers and 11 in five and two-thirds
innings. The eight consecutive strikeouts tied an American League record at the time. His last major league appearance came in 2002. Stein pitched in the minor leagues for the Pittsburgh Pirates organization before hanging up hiscleats in
Bidders seek properties at aSt. Tammanysheriff’stax sale in 2007. Bids on tax-delinquent properties once were placed in person, but nowthe annualprocess is held online. The St. TammanyParish Sheriff’sOffice hasscheduled this year’ssale for July 15.
PROPERTY
Continued from page1A
The tax sale process completesthe annualproperty tax collection cycle. The sale is not of the structure or land itself, but of atax title, which places alien against the delinquent property.Tax salebuyers pay the tax that is due, interest and other costs incurred in the collection process. Owners of propertythat sell at the tax sale have athreeyear period duringwhich they can redeem their property by paying all amounts owed at the time of redemption. The amounts collected are then used to reimburse the tax sale buyer For additional information on taxes owed or thetax sale process,call the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office Property TaxDepartment at (985) 809-8217.
OFFICE
2004. He was offered ajob as aplayer/coach in the Pirates organization but opted instead to return to Spring Hill to complete his degree, graduating in 2005. He professes to have no regrets about his baseball career,which to him is a blur
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Smith listed the accomplishments of his first two terms —increased deputy pay to retain talent,purchases of body cameras that he said shield deputies from liability,and acrisis intervention training program, to name afew —and promised to continue to keep crime low onthe northshore.
“The No. 1concern in any poll that I’ve ever run …ispublic safety,” Smith said.“We cannotaffordtogamblewith it. Youhave my utmost respect, dedication, and commitment to keeping St. Tammanyone of thesafestparishes in this state.”
The parish’scrime rate, Smith said, was at a10-year low,and itssolverate for violent crime was at 92%. His office solved eachofthe eight homicides that took place in the parish last year,and each of three that have taken place so far in 2024.
Smithtouted the360 body cameras hisofficepurchased forpatroldeputies, which he said had “saved in liability lawsuits against ourdepartment” by limiting “falsecomplaints.” The St.
“It was ablink of an eye,” he said. “It’sa shame that it feels that way.”
Veteran educator
Stein is now entering his 20th year at McGill-Toolen, joining the faculty there shortly after graduating from Spring Hill. He eventually made his way into administration, overseeing discipline at the coed high school. The now-6-foot-7 former pro pitcher said he feels well-suited to help students stay the course. He tries to provide direction to students by instilling in them apositive attitude. Although he admits his physical profile caused some problems when he first took the job.
“Working with the kids and parents and helping them handle various situation …it’sbeen very fulfilling,” he said. “Instead of looking at discipline as anegative thing, Ialways look at it as an opportunity to change behavior for the better.I really enjoy seeing these kids flourish.”
Email Kim Chatelain at kchatelaintp@gmail.com.
Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office was recently ordered to pay $185,000 to a Slidell teen after afederal jury found that adeputy,who threatened to use a Taser on the boy,had inflicted emotional distress. Brewster,meanwhile, stressed that she would bringa senseofprofessionalism and customer service to theclerk’soffice.
“This is your clerk’soffice,”she said. “Wewill be here to show you what it does.Wewillrestorethatcommitment and trust in our office.”
On thecampaigntrail, Brewsterbattered her opponent over what shedescribed as the office’sout-of-date and dysfunctional computer system, and vowed to replace it if elected. Now in office, Brewster said she would aim to replace that system, but she “cannot change the computer system immediately.”
“I know that’s adream that we all have. That will be something we will look to in December,” after November’s elections, she added.
Supporters gave both candidates standingovationsasthey wrapped up their remarks, then milled about outside the courtroom where they ate star-shaped cookies inscribed with the words “Congrats Sheriff Smith.”
PHOTO PROVIDED BY BLAKE STEIN Stein, his wife, Ellen, and their children.
PROVIDED PHOTO BY BLAKE STEIN BlakeSteinduring his time at Spring Hill Universityin Mobile, Ala.
AP FILE PHOTOBYJOHN HAYES
Oakland Athletics pitcher BlakeStein throwsa pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning June 8, 1998, in LosAngeles. Stein went 813 innings, hislongest outing in the major leagues. Oakland wonthe game, 7-3.
PROVIDED PHOTOBYBLAKE STEIN BlakeStein during his playing days at Covington High.
