sketching with charcoal, but said she has done watercolors and recently tried oil painting in addition to acrylics.
As for why she chose to feature the water towerto represent the town of Clinton she said she vividly remembers seeing it the first time she came to Clinton aboutfiveyears ago. She added that althoughthe tower is really rusty and that she prefersrealismin her artwork, she chose the colors to show “the vibrancy of the town” of Clinton today and also its smalltown charm. The mediumshe used is acrylic. She said she had been urged by Vice Chair Heather Halbrook of the Clinton Is Home organization to enter the contest.
Gray shared she alsowon first place with her artat the Midsouth Association of Independent Schools competition in 2023. As for herfuture aftergraduation, she is considering attending college at Southeastern Louisiana University and majoring in accounting.
Plans for the 200th birthday celebration on Oct. 5 willinclude live bands and performances, guest speakers and oral histories, vendors, afood truck roundup and much more organizers reported. It will be held from 2to9 p.m. and further plans will be announced.
Reminiscing, longtime Clinton resident and Clinton Is Home Chair Marsha Kemp expressed some of her concerns about preserving valuablehistorical buildings, papers and other resources.
Aformer librarian, she expressed hope that the oral historyproject with Audubon Regional Library would take hold and grow Chatting continued around the table with businesswoman Halbrook, who is the owner of TheGreen Door and HMercantile, who said her memories are more recentasshe cameto Clinton in 1997. Culpepper,who grew up in Clinton, attended Silliman Institute and graduated from Clinton High School in 1988. She lived in Lafayette but returnedto
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Atyson Brown, 17; Amonte Franklin, 19; andSamuelMims, 22,all of St.Francisville, for second-degree murder in theAug. 20,2022, slaying of Jackie Johnson, 18,also of St. Francisville.
The panel also indictedZephaniahGreen, 17, of St. Francisville, for manslaughterin the same case.
D’Aquilla said Johnson,Brown, Franklin and Mims allegedly approached Green at an apartment complex near the intersection of U.S.61and Burnett Road with the intention of robbing him, usingthe pretext that they wanted to buymarijuana from the youth.
Gunfire broke out after the five met, and Johnson wasfatallywounded.Video surveillance later showed Brown,Mims and Franklin carrying Johnson into the West Feliciana Hospital emergencyroom, D’Aquillasaid.
Officers investigating theshooting found marijuana in Green’sapartment and later recovered apistol thatGreen allegedly threw away,the district attorney said. Although Green andBrown were 15 yearsold when Johnsonwas killed,the grand jury indicted them as adults, the district attorney said.
The grand jury also indictedAngola inmate Jeremy Ricard, 37, for first-degree murder in the death of inmateJosephPhillips, with theindictment noting the victim was older than 65 when he was killed. West FelicianaParish Sheriff Brian Spillman said the attack occurred on Dec. 29, 2022, at Angola Camp C. Ricard is accused of severely beating Phillipsinthe attack, andthe 68-year-old inmate died several days later Phillips was 5feet, 6inches tall and
her hometown in 2020. Other family names of Culpepper’srelatives are Boeneke and Hooge. Culpepper said she recently remarked to her brother and acousin about growing up in Clinton that “we couldn’thave had a better childhood.” For more information about the Clinton Is Home Bicentennial Event, email clintonishome@gmail.com or go to the event’sFacebook page.
weighed only 115 pounds, the sheriff said.
“Ricard was much younger and stronger than Phillips,” Spillman said.
In the other Angola case, the grand jury charged inmates Willie Jones, 46, and Mark R. Thomas, 42, with second-degree murder in thestabbing deathofRobert Clark,45, on April 2when thethree were allowed out of their cells and gotinto afight on their cellblock tier,D’Aquilla said.
The district attorney saidClarkisaccused of starting the fight but turned as if to walk away when Jones and Thomas allegedlystabbed him. Each of theinmates was armed with aprison-made knife, or “shank,” D’Aquilla said.
Clark was originally sent to Angolato serve a75-year sentence for armedrobbery,but he later was sentenced to life in prison in the death of afellow inmate.
Thegrandjury investigated the deathof aCatahoula Correctional Centerinmate, Raymond Huddleston, during an escape attempt but declined to charge the twocorrectional officers involved, Mark Cagle, 56, andJohnnyNelson, 53, D’Aquilla said.
Huddleston, 46, of Baton Rouge, attempted to escape with the prison’svan after faking aseizure and brieflygaining possession of one officer’shandgun, State Policesaid after investigating the May 1incident
The officers, who were en route to court in Baton Rouge with Huddleston and anotherprisoner,stopped at aU.S.61truck stop in West Feliciana Parish south of the Mississippi state line to check on Huddleston. When they opened the rear of the van, Huddleston, who had removed his restraints, attacked the officers and briefly disarmed one of them, State Police said.
The officer managed to retrieve the weapon before Huddleston attempted to flee in thevan. At least one of them fired at Huddleston, and he waspronounced dead at West Feliciana Parish Hospital, according to State Police.
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$22,524 for the parish library; and $9,000 for the parish hospital. Later in the lengthy meeting, council member Justin Metz asked his colleagues to approve arevised zoning map that included changes to the map introduced for consideration in June. Anew zoning map is needed to complete the revised land development code that passed last year Metz’smotion died for lack of asecond after alengthy discussion in which council members and some members of the audience said the changes Metz proposed were not discussed during apublic meeting. One change Metz offered was to eliminate ahistoricdistrictoverlay that was carried over from the current map, but the other changes were not outlined.
AROUND
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voting rights
n be aresident in the state and parish in which they seek to register and vote n apply at least 20 days before an election if registering online or 30 days before an election if registering in person orbymail.
Citizens with avalid Louisiana driver’s license or Louisiana ID card can register online24hours aday,seven days aweek by visiting https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/. Louisiana residents can also register in person at theirparish Registrar of Voters Office, when they applyfor or renew their driver’slicense at any Office of Motor Vehicles, or when obtaining services at public assistance agencies and Armed Forces recruitment offices.
Help cleanupClinton
Volunteers are needed to help clean Clinton before the Bicentennial celebration Oct. 5. Work is planned for 7a.m. Sept. 21. Meet at The Green Door at HMercantile, Clinton.
Librarybookclubmeeting
The Jackson Branch of the Audubon Regional Library is hosting abook club starting at 11 a.m. Thursday,Sept. 19, and meeting Oct. 17, Nov.14and Dec. 12. Bring abook you are reading for the discussion and hear about what others are reading. Coffee provided. Be sure to check the schedules at www audubonregional.net and www.wfplibrary org to learn about activities they are hosting.
Council attorney Dannie Garrett said the proposed changes should be voted on individually in ameeting with public input allowed.
Eventually,the council voted 4-1 to submit all proposed changes at aNov.12meeting. Earlier,Metz successfully got the council to hold off appointments to the Port Commission, which asked the Legislature last year to dissolve it because it had no funding and no projects on the drawing board. The commission is asubdivision of the state government, but the Parish Council appoints some of its members. It has four vacant seats.
The Legislature created the commission yearsago when parish leaderswerediscussing apossible site for barges to offload containershipments.ParishPresidentKenny Havard said the state is notlikely to provide funds for the agency,given the number of Louisiana deep-water ports that need dredging and other improvements.
Mammograms in thearea
The Woman’sHospital mammography coach is offering 3D mammograms in Clinton and nearby communities. Physician’s orders are required and appointments are strongly encouraged. Call (225) 683-5292 to schedule.
The coach will be at RKM Primary Clinton, 11190 Jackson St., on Sept. 24. Visit womans.org to see the schedule for other communities, including Baker and Zachary OLLI registration open
Registration for OLLI runs through Oct. 2. Classes are Sept. 23 to Nov.2.Visit OLLI in the Felicianas on Facebook, ce.lsu.edu/ olli or contact ollifelicianasmembership@ gmail.com forinformation.
Save thedate
n Christmas in the Country in St. Francisville is set for Dec. 6-8.
n Yellow Leaf Arts Festival is 10 a.m. to 5p.m. Oct. 26-27 in Parker Park, St. Francisville.
n The Southern Garden Symposium is Oct. 18 at Rosedown in St. Francisville. Speakers are Marianne Willburn and Scott Beuerlein. Visit www.thesoutherngardensymposium.org for details and registration.
n The Feliciana Wildflower Festival will be June 7and the group is seeking applications for vendors and guest speakers. Visit www.facebook.com/FelicianaWildflowerProject for information.
Sendnewsand events for East and West Feliciana parishes to extra@theadvocate. com by noon Friday or call (225) 3880731.
PHOTO BY MELINDARAWLS HOWELL
Lilah Gray shows her winning painting of the old Clinton water tower.The artwork will be featured on the official T-shirts for the upcoming 200th celebration of Clinton’s birthday
EAST ANDWESTFELICIANA
ACTIVITIES
The schedules for West andEastFeliciana CouncilonAgingfacilities areasfollows:
WEST FELICIANA
n 12292 Jackson Road, St. Francisville,(225) 6356719
n Start time for all activities is10a.m
FIRST AND THIRD MONDAY: Line dance
FOURTH MONDAY: Religious service
TUESDAYS: Nutritioneducation
WEDNESDAYS: Exercise/yoga
THURSDAYS: Bible study
FRIDAYS: Bingo/movie/excursion
n All people 60 and older in West Feliciana Parish areinvited to join.
n Fortransportationtothe center or questions, call (225) 635-6719.
EAST FELICIANA
n 11102 Bank St., Clinton
n 3699 La. 10, Jackson
Wednesday, Sept. 18
ARTCLASS: 9a.m.
DEVOTIONAL: 11:15 a.m.
LUNCH: 11:30 a.m.
Thursday, Sept. 19
BINGO: 10:30 a.m.
LUNCH: 11:30 a.m.
Friday, Sept. 20
TAICHI: 10:45 a.m.
LUNCH: 11:30 a.m.
Monday, Sept. 23
EXERCISE CLASS: 10:45 a.m.
LUNCH: 11:30 a.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 24
BINGO: 10:30 a.m.
LUNCH: 11:30 a.m.
Transportation Transportationisprovidedto East Feliciana Parish residents of anyage for appointments in East Feliciana, West Felicianaand East Baton Rouge parishes Mondaythrough Friday. Call (225) 683-9862 to schedule atransportationappointment.
WEST FELICIANAPARISHBOOKINGS
The following people were booked into theWestFeliciana Parish Detention Center between Sept.2-8:
SEPT.7
ARCHIBALD,DAVID: 36; 9745 Morris Road, St. Francisville; bench warrant,fugitive warrant, ATVonroadway,theft of amotor vehicle
SEPT.8
ARNOLD,DEREK: 55; 1233Mount Pleasant Road, Zachary; reckless operation of avehicle, driving underthe influence
PHOTO BY MELINDARAWLS HOWELL
Help forgrants, calendar plannedfor COA
BY MELINDARAWLS HOWELL
Contributingwriter
Leea Russell, director of Arts Education and Accessibilitywiththe Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, praised the EastFeliciana Council on Aging and offered technical support and resources duringthe local group’sAug. 30 gathering.
Russell attended the 2024 Senior Art Show held in conjunction with the endof-summer party for COA attendees. She thanked the COA’s volunteer art teacher, Caroline Harrell, for the invitation, praising thebeautiful artwork that was displayed on stage at the Jackson site. Russell saidshe hopes to helpthe coun-
cil secure funds for arts related needs.
The focus for project grants is for “creative aging …art education forelders …teaching skills versus passive education. We wantseniors painting, sculpting, drawing, writing music …actively participating in the creative process,” she said.
Russell said in Louisiana data shows that the aging population has grown 12% in the past 10 years. She added thatstudies have shown the “cognitive benefitsof participating in the arts” for seniors as well as the benefitsfromsocial interaction.
Their quality of life is improved through active participation in the arts, she said.
Shepledged to assist thecouncil in its
grant writing by helping with applications and providing training thatisavailable via webinar.She said she will work with COA Director Cyndi McManus to get the agency prepared for the application period which begins in May 2025. TheCOA next semester of artclasses begins this month and is funded by donations and raffles. The group hopes to earn funds from the sale of its new calendar Harrell said. A2025 calendar featuring the paintings of East Feliciana COA seniors is in the works. The cost is $20, with all funds raised to buy art supplies. Anyone interested in more information about theclasses or to place an order for acalendar can contact theCOA at (225) 683-9862.
Leea Russell, of the Louisiana Division of the Arts, speaks at the East Feliciana COASenior ArtShowwith Director Cyndi McManusm right, and artteacher Caroline Harrell, left.
BY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer
Paul Leo Ortego never said his version of the helicopterwas fancy It wasn’t.
But that didn’tpreventthe Alexandria resident’smachine from flying with apilot onboard.
Which is something Igor Sikorsky couldn’tclaim when test flying his firsthelicopter in 1910.Sikorsky is credited with being one of the originators of the helicopter, but his first effortdidn’t support the weight of apilot.
Ortego’s1924 machine could
Which answers AndrewMiller’s question about the Alexandriainventor.The 11-year-old Slaughter resident has an interest in cars and airplanes and has recently learned some of the history behind these inventions.
One of those histories is thestory he was told about the possibility of aLouisianan who played apartin the helicopter’shistory
“Was there aman from our state who invented the helicopter?” he asked.
Well, not exactly.The concept for ahelicopter was on the drawing boardlong before Ortego’sbirth in 1895. When he wasn’tcreatingthe mysterybehind “The Mona Lisa,” Leonardo da Vinci was studying human anatomy and makingtechnical drawings for mechanical devices.
One of these drawings was the conceptofahelicopter,that he called an “aerial screw” —thatwas about 1480.
Russian-American aviation pioneer Sikorsky’s first effort appeared in 1910, builtwhile he was living in Russia. It could fly,but it couldn’ttransport apilot
So, did Ortego know about Sikorsky’swork before he started his own? Maybe. Or maybe he was justinterested in the ideaofacraft that could lift itself vertically with no need for arunway
“First, you need to know alittle bit aboutPaul Leo Ortego,”said Alexandria historian Michael Wynne “He was born in Avoyelles Parish, just south of Alexandria, and his family moved when he was young.” Wynne wrote about Ortegoinhis 2020 self-published book,“Charles Frederick page and Paul Leo Ortego: Heroes in the Birth of Aviation in America.” Ortego, Wynne writes, was called
“Leo”bythose whoknewhim.His family lived at 1204Elliot St.
“That site is now avacantlot,” said Wynne.“LeoOrtegoserved in World WarI,where he flew biplanes in the first Aeronautic Squadron for the UnitedStates. He wrecked his plane acoupleoftimes, and according to later accountsininterviews, he said he realized that if his plane couldgoupand down,aswell as left andright or horizontal,pilots wouldn’tberunning in the mountainsand other things.”
Meanwhile, Ortego surprised his family by bringing home aGermanbride at the war’send. But being home and even the prospect of startinga family didn’tdeter him from hisidea for inventing anew kind ofplane.
“He gets home and starts building ahelicopter,” Wynne said. “Sikorskyisoftencredited withthe first helicopter,but hishelicopter —his first helicopter in 1910 —was operated by remote control. It wentupa few feet, then came down.”
Again, there is no documentationastowhether or not Ortego knew this —and even if he did, Sikorsky’seffortsdidn’tinfluence Ortego’swork
He was simply driven by hisinterest, which eventually led him to acareer at Ryan Aeronautical Corp.inSan Diego, the same company that built Charles Lindbergh’s plane, the SpiritofSt. Louis
But first, his work would takehim to the shed behind his family home.
That’swhere he built his skeletal, airplane-shaped contraption topped by rotary blades.
“Leo Ortegowas not aman to stand idly by and wish for something,” Wynne writes in his book.
“He went tohis tool kit, dugup somealuminum and boxwood and invented thehelicopter andhis invention was original enough to get him apatent on his device, thoughhenevergot acent for this particular invention.”
It wasn’tsleek or pretty,but that wasn’t thepoint.
Ortego tested his invention on the south corner of Alexandria’sBolton andRapides avenues,where the machinevertically lifted him between 10 and 15 feet off the ground longenough to secure the patent.
“Itdropped to the ground due to some mechanical failure,” Wynne said. “The test site is now thesite of theAlexandriaGlass Co., which
PROVIDED PHOTO BY CAMMIEHENRY RESEARCH CENTER/ NORTHWESTERN STATEUNIVERSITY
In 1922, Paul Leo Ortegocreated the first working helicopter in Alexandria and tested it on the corner of the city’s Bolton and Rapides avenues. Ortegopiloted the machine between 10 and 15 feet in the air, which secured him apatent.
is closed.All the neighborhood children were there. Now,what proof do we have of this?Well, somebody took five photographs of it going up in theair.”
The patent was granted on Jan. 5, 1926.
Meanwhile, Ortego tried to reenlist in theArmyAir Corps at the United States’ entrance into World WarIIbut was denied because of his age.
“That’s when he turned to the Ryan Aeronautical Corp. in California,” Wynne said. “He went there to work with airplanes, and while there, he was recognized in one of the issues of the company’s magazine, the ‘Flying Reporter,’ as one of the earliest designers of the helicopter.”
But the helicopter wasn’tOrtego’s only invention. Wynne said the inventor’s secondwife, Verda, who died on Aug. 20, 1978, still hadthe plans for other inventions on which he was working shortly before his death.
“Hisplanswere for the Ortego Heli-Car, an automobile that could fly,aswell as move along streets andhighways,” Wynne said. “He also wasworking on aplane that reliedonhelium in storage tanks for added buoyancy.”
PROVIDED PHOTOBYMICHAEL D. WYNNE Paul Leo OrtegoservedinWorld WarI,where he flew biplanes in the first Aeronautics Squadron for the United States
Ortego and his wife are buried in theAlexandria National Cemetery, which is actually located across the Red River in Pineville. As forthe helicopter,Sikorsky never gave up hispursuitofthe flying machine. He migrated to the United States in 1919, andwithin four years, founded the Sikorsky Aero Engineering Corp. on Long Island, New York. Sikorsky kept tweaking his invention until1942, when theSikorsky R-4 became the first helicopterto reach full-scale production.
What do you wonder about the people, places and culture of Louisiana?
Curious Louisiana is anew project thatconnects you with our newsroom’s reporting to find the answers to Louisianaspecific questions youmay have wondered about for years. The weekly feature, set to launch later thissummer,will focusonareader-submitted question each weektoreport on storiesthatmatter to youthe most. Youshare your questions about Louisiana —and our journalists track down answers. If you asked the question, we will connect with you and keep you updated along the way as we dig deeper into Louisiana’soddities. To submit aquestion, go to theadvocate.com/curious louisiana.
PROVIDED IMAGE BY MICHAEL WYNNE
The patent drawing for Alexandriaresident Paul Leo Ortego’shelicopter.The patent was grated in 1926.
Louisiana’sNationalMerit
semifinalists announced
BY CHARLES LUSSIER Staff writer
Atotal of 237 high school seniors in Louisiana have been namedNational Merit semifinalists. They are among16,000 semifinalists named from across the nation out of the class of 2025. They are now in the running for about 6,870 NationalMerit scholarships worthnearly $26 million that will be offered in the spring. The 237 Louisiana semifinalists, who were announced this week, are the students who scored the highestin the state during the 2023 administration of the PSAT, a preliminary test to the wellknown SATcollege placement exam. Thatisupfrom last year when Louisianahad 199 National Merit semifinalists. Of these semifinalists, 144 are from the New Orleans metro area, 49 arefrom the Baton Rouge area, and nine are from Acadiana. The Houma-Thibodaux-Morgan Cityarea has one semifinalist, and Lake Charles has two.
Thirty-two arefromnorth Louisiana, 17 of them from Shreveport. Jesuit HighinNew Orleans has27semifinalists, themost of any school in thestate, followed by Baton Rouge MagnetHigh with 19 semifinalists For the Baton Rouge area, Catholic Highhas 10 semifinalists, while Episcopal High has six Fourteen high schools across Louisiana had at least five semifinalists. Caddo Magnet in Shreveport, with 12, and Louisiana School for Math, Science and The Arts in Natchitoches, with five, are theonlynorth Louisiana schoolsinthat group.
Here are the area semifinalists: Ascension Christian High in Gonzales: Charlotte E. Henagan. AlbanyHigh: Michael Kober Baton RougeMagnet High: Nicole Baumgartner; Thuy Bui; Keya Chanda-Rastogi; Owen Dong;RyanFeng; Varun Gala; Leyna Huynh; RoyanJoshi;Frances Kantrow; Eva Lockridge; Sofia Lockridge;Benjamin Namikas; AbhinavPathak; Emily Phan; SebastianSchoegl;
Kaitlyn Smith, Tejasvi Tyagi; RyanWilson; Spencer Yan. Catholic High in Baton Rouge: Elliott Eagleton;Joseph Huynh; Caldwell Kerth; Ayden Leonardt;Thomas Miller; EthanNoel;Noah Olson;Cesar Rico; Hayes Turner; Michael Wilhelm Jr
Central High: CaseyLeblanc, Quentin Wright. Dutchtown High in Geismar: Benjamin P. Hidalgo; Mei L. Satler; Jacob J. Weber
The Dunham School in Baton Rouge: George Harrod.
Episcopal High in Baton Rouge: BenjaminBarney; Beau Legnon; Miniya Malone; AmeliaMoore;Addison Reynolds;Luke Stelly
Homeschool/Online School: JosiahK.Pyles of Ethel.
Live Oak High in Watson: ZacharyMcMenis
St. Joseph’sAcademy in Baton Rouge: Mia Barfieldand Audrey Elliott.
Silliman Institute in Clinton: Denny W. Qiu.
Walker High: River W. Barnett.
Email CharlesLussier at clussier@theadvocate.com and followhim on Twitter, @Charles_Lussier
Vessel and Steve Neal were present. JeremySanders wasab‐sent. Fire ChiefRickDud‐ley wasalsopresent APPROVE/AMEND AGENDA:Motionwas madebyMr. Pohlmann secondbyMs. Vessel to approveagenda. Motion carried allinfavor,No nays.
APPROVE/AMENDMIN‐
UTES:Motionwas made byMs. Vessel,secondby Mr. Stewarttoapprove July15, 2024 minutesas written.Motioncarried all in favor, No nays
CPAREPORT: Nothingto report
LEGALREPORT: Nothing toreport
ADDEDAGENDAITEMS: •Motionwas made by Mr. Young, second by Ms Perkerson to approvethe Budgettoactuals as of July31, 2024. Motion car‐riedall in favor, no nays •Motionwas made by Mr. Young, second by Mr Pohlmanntoapprovethe Audit Engagement Letter withJohnS.Downing & Company.Motioncarried all in favor, no nays FINANCECOMMITTEE RE‐PORT:Nothing to report PERSONNELL REPORT: Nothing to report BUILDING COMMITTEE REPORT:Nothing to re‐port
CHIEF’SREPORT: Chief Dudleyadvised that at the Septembermeeting hewould be bringing backtothe boardthe pa‐perwork to roll forward the Millage. He advised thathedidn’tproperly notifythe Mediaonthe publichearing andthat hewas goingtohaveto re-advertisefor thepub‐lic hearingthatwillbe heldonSeptember 16th. Also, ChiefDudleyad‐vised that he waswork‐ing on gettingeverything together to give to the auditorsfor last year’s audit PUBLIC COMMENT:No comment ADJOURNMENT: Motion madebyMr. Young, sec‐ond by Mr.Pohlmannto adjourn meeting. Motion carried allinfavor.No Nays SteveNeal Chairman Willia Parkerson Secretary/ Treasurer APPOVEDBYBOARD: Monday,September 16, 2024
106348-SEP 18-1T
g y p leges,servitudes,appur‐tenances andadvan‐tagesthereunto belong‐ingorinanywise apper‐taining, situated in the Parish of West Feliciana, StateofLouisiana,and beingdesignatedasLOT SIXTY-THREEA (63-A) OAKLEY VILLAGE, PHASE III, on mappreparedby Ferris Engineeringand Surveying, Inc.,originally datedSeptember 20 1999, andrevised by WilliamC.Monroe, P.E., P.L.S.,February24, 2003 entitled "OakleyVillage, PhaseIII, TheBluffs on Thompson Cree" recorded as Original No 85638 in therecords of theClerk of Courtfor the Parish of West Feliciana, StateofLouisiana,said lothavingsuchmeasure‐mentsand dimensions andbeing subjectto such servitudes and othermatters aremore fullyshown on said plat; subjecttorestrictions, servitudes,rights-of-way andoutstanding mineral rights of record affecting theproperty. Theaddressofthe prop‐erty is believed to be 5902Afton VillaWay SaintFrancisville, LA 70775.
TERMSOFSALE: CASH to thehighest bidder WITH appraisement,atauction andaccording to law.
BRIANL.SPILLMAN SHERIFFAND EX-OFFICIO AUCTIONEER WEST FELICIANAPARISH 101728-aug21-sept 18-2t
g Meeting this27th day of August2024 at 11936 Ferdinand Street,St. Francisville LA. Thepublicmeetingwas calledtoorder at 5:30 pm withthe followingmem‐berspresent,Mayor Robert“Bobee” Leake, AldermanAbbyT Cochran,AldermanAn‐drewD’Aquilla,Alderman James “Rucker” Leake, CollinHowell, andAlder‐man Gigi Robertson Prayer ledby: Gigi Robertson Pledge ledby: Mayor Robert“Bobee” Leake Motion made by Abby T. Cochran,secondedby CollinHowelltoapprove the agenda as presented. Allinfavor noneopposed.Motion carried Motion made by Andrew D’Aquilla seconded by James “Rucker” Leake, to accept, and approvethe minutes fromthe RegularMeeting onAugust13, 2024. Allin favor,noneopposed Motion carried. PUBLIC MEETING: Public Meetingwas openedat5:31pm No Public Comments BUSINESS ITEMS: NEWBUISNESS: A. Motion wasmadeby AbbyT.Cochran sec‐onded by Collin Howell to approveawardingthe bid forthe Emergency Erosion Projectin Audubon HillstoArbour ConstructionLLC with the Base BidplusAddi‐tiveAlternate in the amount of $347,650.00.All infavor,noneopposed Motioncarried
B.Motionwas made by GigiRobertson seconded byAbbyT.Cochran to ap‐prove therenewal of the CooperativeAgreement between LSUAgCenter and theTownofSt. Fran‐cisville. Allinfavor,none opposed. Motion carried. ADJOURNMENT: Themotionwas made by GigiRobertson,seconded byCollinHowelltoad‐journ at 5:49 pm.All in favor,noneopposed.Mo‐tioncarried s/StacyOrr,Clerk /s/Robert P. Leake, Mayor 106313-SEP18-1T
PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that thePLANNINGAND ZONING BOARDofTHE TOWN OF ST.FRAN‐CISVILLE will hold aPUB‐LICHEARING on Wednes‐day-October2,2024, at 5:30 pm o’clockat9896 RoyalSt. OldMarketHall, St.Francisville, Louisiana. Applicant, St.Francisville Area Foundation (SFAF) in accordance with the ComprehensiveZoning Ordinancefor theTown of St.Francisville, is re‐questing aREZONINGof theparcel(s) of property labeledTract Ylocated on PrincevilleSt.,St. Francisville,Louisiana consisting of 12.14acres locatedinSection 44 T3S-R3Wfromthe pre‐sent zoning of LI (Light Industrial)toRM1 (Multi‐ple-Family Residential) i h h d d i i
p y with the deed restriction to only allowSingle-Unit &Two-Unit(Duplex) dwellingstobebuilt Thepublicisinvited to attend In accordancewiththe American with Disabili‐ties Act, if youneedspe‐cial assistance,please contactLaurieWalsh at (225)635-3688 Laurie Walsh Town of St.Francisville P.O. Box400 (225)635-3688 105172-SEP 11-18-25-3T
STATEOFLOUISIANA TOWN OF ST.FRAN‐CISVILLE ORDINANCENO. 2024-8 MOTION BY:AbbyT Cochran SECONDED BY:James Rucker”Leake ORDINANCEADOPTING THE GENERALALIMONY ADJUSTED”MILLAGE RATES IN THETOWNOF ST. FRANSCIVILLE FOR 2024 TAXYEAR. SECTION1.BEITOR‐DAINEDbythe Mayorand Board of Aldermen of the TownofSt. Francisville Louisiana,inregular and legal sessionconvened, thatthe Town of St.Fran‐cisvilleofthe Parish of WestFeliciana Louisiana,ina public meetingheldonSeptem‐ber 10, 2024, which meet‐ing wasconducted in ac‐cordancewiththe Open Meetings Lawand the additional requirements ofArticle VII, Section 23(C) of theLouisiana
PARISH OF WEST FELICIANA ORDINANCE 2024 September 09-02
Constitution andR.S 47:1705(B), that thefol‐lowingadjustedmillage rates be andtheyare herebylevieduponthe dollarofeachassessed valuation of allproperty which is subjecttoad valorem taxation within saidTownfor theyear 2024for thepurpose of raising revenue: MILLAGE 5.180mills GeneralAlimony (5148001): SECTION2.BEITFUR‐THERRESOLVEDthatthe Assessor of theParishof WestFeliciana,shall ex‐tenduponthe assess‐mentrollfor theyear 2024the taxesherein levied, andthe taxcol‐lectorofsaidParishshall collect andremit the sametosaidtaxingau‐thority in accordance withlaw Theforegoing ordinance was read in full; theroll was called on theadop‐tionthereof,and theor‐dinance wasadoptedby the followingvotes: YEAS:AbbyT.Cochran James “Rucker” Leake and Gigi Robertson NAYS:none ABSTAINED: none ABSENT:Andrew D’Aquillaand Collin Howell ATTEST: APPROVED THIS 10th DAY OFSEPTEMBER 2024 StacyOrr, Town Clerk TOWN OF ST FRANCISVILLE Robert “Bobee” Leake,
PUBLIC NOTICETown of St.Francisville Planning andZoningReg‐ular MeetingMinutes from the Wednesday-August 7, 2024,meetingthatwas held at 5:30pm at theOld Market Hall 9896 RoyalStreet,St. Francisville,La. •The meetingwas called toorder at 5:30pm •PledgeofAllegianceled by: PatVince •Prayerwas offeredby: Jesse MeansIII •Pleaseplace your phonesonsilence •Commissioners pre‐sent: Sara Wilson Rogers Pat Vince, JesseMeans III, MichaelPercy and James Dart Commissioners absent: •Staff present: Laurie Walsh andBen Klein (Town Attorney) PUBLIC NOTICEMINUTESOFPUBLIC MEETINGHELDAugust 12, 2024 TheBoard of Commis‐sionersofthe West Feli‐cianaParishCommuni‐cationsDistrictmet in Public MeetingonMon‐day, August 12, 2024 at theWestFeliciana Parish EmergencyOperations Center locatedat9938 West FelicianaParkway St Francisville Louisiana.
I. ChairpersonBillie Giroir called themeeting to orderat9:02AM.
II. BoardMembers pre‐sent at roll call:Chairper‐sonBillieGiroir, WFPSO; Town Attorney BenKlein; Fire ChiefRickDudley; Hospital Administrator LeeChastant. Dir. of Homeland Security designee TimDeLaney WFPSO. BoardMembers absent at roll call:Chief of Police RandyMetz; Director of Public Works Julius Metz. Others present: Cathy Cavin, Bookkeeper; KatieGray, Communica‐tionsSupervisor; Bonnie Reames,Clerk
III. Prayer wasled by Ben Klein.
IV.The Pledge of Alle‐giance wasled by Rick Dudley
V. Therewas no public comment.
VI.A motion wasmade by BenKlein to approve theminutes from theJuly 8meeting;motionwas seconded by Rick Dud‐ley; no opposition;mo‐tion carried.
VII. Bookkeeper Cathy Cavinpresented thefi‐nancialreporttothe Board. Amotionwas made by LeeChastantto approvethe financial re‐port;motionwas sec‐ondedbyRickDudley; no opposition;motioncar‐ried
VIII. OldBusiness: Re‐view of CADvendor demonstrations,upcom‐ingdemobyCentral Square.Discussionof power loss issues at EOC, installation of Starlink
X. Amotionwas made by BenKlein to adjournthe meeting; motion was seconded by TimDe‐Laney; no opposition; motion carried. Meeting adjournedat9:16AM.
/s/Billie M. Giroir Chairperson 106228 Sept. 18, 1t
ORDINANCE TO SET FORTH THEADJUSTEDMILLAGE RATES ANDROLL FORWAD TO MILLAGE RATESNOT EXCEEDING THE MAXIMUM AUTHORIZEDRATEAND TO SET FORTHTHE MILLAGE RATE FOR LIBRARYSINKING DEBT FORTAX YEAR 2024.
The West Feliciana Parish Councilhereby ordains, in apublic meetingheld on September9,2024 which meetingwas conducted in accordance withthe Open Meetings Law and the additional requirements of Article VII,Section 23(C)ofthe Louisiana Constitution and R.S. 47:1705(B), that thetaxing districtvoted to increase the millage rate(s), but not in excess of the prior year’smaximumrate(s), on alltaxable property shown on theofficial assessment roll forthe year 2024, and when collected, the revenues from said taxes shallbeused only for the specificpurposes for which said taxes have been levied. Saidmillage rate(s) are:
Adjusted Rate 2024 Levy
General Alimony (1080 002):3.440 mills3.570 mills Roads, Bridges, Bldgs, Parks (1080005): 8.570 mills
Hospital District (1080 028):0.480 mills0.500 mills
Library Bond (1080 026):0.300 mills
BE IT FURTHERRESOLVEDthat the Assessorofthe Parish of West Feliciana, shall extend upon theassessment roll forthe year 2024 the taxes hereinlevied, and thetax collector of saidParish shall collectand remitthe same to said taxing authorityinaccordance withlaw
The foregoing ordinance was read in full, therollwas called on the adoption thereof,and theordinance was adopted by no less than twothirdsofthe total membershipofthe taxing authority votinginfavor as required by Article VII, Section 23(C) of theLouisiana Constitution and R.S. 47:1705(B). The votes were:
YEAS: PATE, BALLARD,METZ, TANNER,THOMPSON
NAYS:NONE
ABSTAINED: NONE ABSENT: NONE
Whereupon, thepresiding officer declared theabove ordinance adopted on this the 9TH day of September, 2024.
ATTEST: /s/ John Thompson John Thompson; Chairperson West Feliciana Parish Council
CERTIFICATE
Ihereby certify that theforegoing is atrueand exact copy of the ordinance adopted at themeeting held on September 9, 2024 at which meeting aquorum was present and voting.
St.Francisville, Louisiana, this 9th day of September, 2024.
/s/ Emily Cobb
EmilyCobb; CouncilSecretary West Feliciana Parish Council
ORDINANCE ADOPTINGTHE ADJUSTEDMILLAGE RATESFOR THEPARISHOFWESTFELICIANA FOR TAXYEAR 2024
TheWest FelicianaParish Council hereby ordains, in apublic meeting held on September 9, 2024,which meeting wasconductedin accordance with theOpen Meetings Lawand theadditional requirements of Article VII, Section 23(C) of theLouisianaConstitution andR.S 47:1705(B), that thefollowingadjusted millage ratesbeand they are hereby levied uponthe dollar of theassessed valuation of allproperty subjecttoadvalorem taxation within said Parish for theyear2024, for thepurpose of raising revenue:
(1080007):
(1080
HospitalDistrict(1080 028):0.480mills BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED that theAssessor of theParish of West Feliciana, shall extend uponthe assessmentroll for theyear2024the taxeshereinlevied,
John Thompson John Thompson; Chairperson West Feliciana Parish Council CERTIFICATE
Iherebycertify that theforegoing is atrue andexact copy of the ordinance adoptedatthe meeting held on September 9, 2024 at which meeting aquorumwas present andvoting. St. Francisville, Louisiana, this 9thday of September,2024. /s/ EmilyCobb Emily Cobb; Council Secretary West Feliciana Parish Council
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