‘Let me win. But if I cannot
let me be brave in the attempt.’
Scooby-Doo helps schools celebrate Breakfast Week
a Scooby-Doo-themed breakfast celebration with members of the Springfield Fire Department from Livingston Parish Fire Protection District No. 2 who played games and interacted with students.
Research shows that students who participate in school breakfast tend to have better attendance rates and fewer
STAFF PHOTO BY JAVIER GALLEGOS
School on Feb
PHOTO BY VIC COUVILLION
PROVIDED PHOTO
Kayla Authement and Tracey Quamme dress as Scooby-Doo characters for the Springfield Elementary School’s celebration of National School Breakfast Week.
Livingston school leaders honor ‘Yes I Can!’ winners
Community news report
The Special Education “Yes I Can!” award winners and honorees recently were honored by Livingston Parish School leaders during a ceremony at First Pentecostal Church in Denham Springs.
Thirty-four students were honored, with six winners selected from the group.
The nominees were selected by their teachers in the categories of academics, art, school/community, selfadvocacy technology and transition. A winner was selected from each category to advance to the national level competition.
The district’s six “Yes I Can!” Award winners include:
n Roman Diaz of North Live Oak Elementary in the academics category He was nominated by special education teacher Rachel Bradley
n Carson Aucoin of Walker Junior High in the art category He was nominated by teacher Lori Thompson
n Blayson Miller of Northside Elementary in the school/community category He was nominated by teacher Brice Larson.
ter Elementary; Marie Garciam, Gray’s Creek Elementary; Ella Barnett, Holden High School; Blayson Miller, Northside Elementary; and Lance Swindle, Springfield Elementary n Self Advocacy: Galen Simon, Juban Parc Elementary; Sophia Lee, Live Oak Junior High; Jared Peters, Livingston Parish Virtual School; Izaic Kirby Lewis Vincent Elementary; Victoria Tripp, Walker High School; and Colton Jackson, Westside Junior High n Technology: Alex Parrish, Seventh Ward Elementary n Transition: Brent Gardiner, Albany High School; Daniel Dupont, Live Oak High School; and Andrew Roache, Springfield High School
n Alex Parrish of Seventh Ward Elementary School in the technology category He was nominated by teacher Kim Pickett.
n Brent Gardiner of Albany High School in the transition category. He was nominated by transition specialist Krystal Pauli.
n Jared Peters of the Livingston Parish Virtual School in the self-advocacy category He was nominated by school administrator Lorna Ott.
Tractor Supply
building second store in Livingston
BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD Staff writer
Walker is getting a new Tractor Supply Co. store that will be the national farm supplies retailer’s second location in Livingston Parish.
Work recently started to build the roughly 15,000-square-foot store Residents can expect it to open early in 2026, according to the construction contract.
The store is being built directly behind the Jack in the Box and adjacent to Furniture Gallery on Walker South Road, just off of Interstate 12. It will be across the road from Walmart.
The publicly traded chain bought the 4-acre tract on Walker South Road for $795,000 from an ownership group that included Baton Rouge-based Talbot & Talbot Inc., according to court records.
Tractor Supply and its construction contractor WIMCO Corp. are spending almost $5 million to build the store. The building contract signed at the beginning of February says the contractor will meet “substantial completion” of the work no later than 360 days following the official start date.
Walker Mayor Pro Tem Scarlett Milton Major shared news of the Tractor Supply coming next year on Facebook. Crews can be seen digging on the property as construction got underway
Tractor Supply has two other locations in the Capital Region, in Central and Denham Springs, which opened in 2013.
All the parish’s “Yes I Can!” Award nominees include:
n Academics: Ashton Bardwell, Albany Lower Middle School; Timothy Hoover, Denham Springs Junior High; Brent Lawless, French Settlement Elementary; Isabella Maggio, French Settlement High School; Layla Bentley, Levi Milton Elementary; Maisy
Melancon, Live Oak Middle School; Destin Clark, Maurepas High School; Zoe Graham, North Corbin Elementary School; Roman Diaz, North Live Oak Elementary; Bracelyn Nicolosi, Springfield Middle School; Zacharias Graham, Southside Elementary; and Collin Eppinett, Walker Elementary n Art: David “Beau” Everitt, Live Oak Elementary; Hank Gremillion, South Live Oak Elementary; Duvontre Battie, Southside Junior High; and Carson Aucoin, Walker Junior High n School/Community: Olivia Rimes, Doyle Elementary; Zach Ruiz, Doyle High School; Katie Meyers, Denham Springs High School; Adalind Nevels, Fresh Wa-
The awards program is sponsored by the National Council for Exceptional Children, which honors children and youth with disabilities who have excelled in their selected category, a news release said.
“This awards program offers our system a wonderful opportunity to showcase our students and their abilities. We are very proud of our winners and wish them the best as they are given consideration at the national level,” LPPS Special Education Director Eric Penalber said.
Livingston Parish Library circulation soars
Community news report
As Livingston Parish Library Board and other elected officials were discussing cutting the system’s budget, library usage went up.
In 2024, patrons checked out approximately 588,402 items, an increase of 14.1% from the previous year, according to a news release.
After months of turmoil, the Livingston Parish Library Board of Control restored the libraries’ 2025 budget at its Feb. 18 meeting, bringing back from the
chopping block multiple programs, events and access to online services hosted by the library system
The majority of the board, along with Parish President Randy Delatte using his ex-officio status to vote, approved restoring the 2025 budget. The former library board in December had approved an amended budget that cut or decreased funding across multiple areas.
The former board’s cuts were met with backlash from parish residents and ultimately led the parish
council to wipe the board clean in January and reappoint mainly new members.
Since then, the majority of new board members have worked to restore parts of the budget and on Tuesday restored it in its entirety
From January through December 2024, library patrons checked out approximately 588,402 items, which includes both physical and electronic materials.
The largest increases came in eContent, which accounted for a system-record 175,682 circulations in 2024.
North Oaks, SLU partner on work-study, internships for athletic training students
Community news report
North Oaks Health Systemhas partnered with Southeastern Louisiana University’s Department of Kinesiology and Health Studies to help recruit top students pursuing a master’s of science degree in athletic training.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, athletic training is one of the fastest growing health care professions, a news release said. Certified athletic trainers play a role in the health and wellness of active populations, working in diverse settings — including sports, in medical and industrial fields, and the military, law enforcement and perform-
ing arts.
North Oaks offers qualified aspiring athletic trainers the opportunity to participate in post-graduate work-study and internship opportunities through its sports medicine program, the release said. North Oaks Sports Medicine also is the exclusive provider of sports medicine and sports performance services for 14 area schools in Tangipahoa and Livingston parishes.
To be eligible for these opportunities, applicants must first be accepted into Southeastern’s MSAT program, complete the required prerequisite courses with a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA, and have at least 40 hours of observa-
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tion under a certified athletic trainer Additional application materials include a personal statement letters of recommendation and a current resume.
Dr Charity Bryan, head of Southeastern’s Department of Kinesiology and Health Studies, said, “Southeastern Louisiana University offers the best MSAT program in Louisiana, and our partnership with North Oaks enhances its value and competitiveness.”
To learn more about athletic training careers with North Oaks Health System, contact North Oaks Sports Medicine Manager Steven Poche at poches@ northoaks.org or (985) 230-6177.
Of that total, library patrons checked out a record number of eBooks (66,739), eAudiobooks (90,318), and eVideos (10,594). Patrons also scored year-to-year increases for eMusic and eMagazine circulations.
For the library’s physical collection, patrons totaled approximately 412,720 circulations, an increase of 12.3% from 2023 (367,307). The library’s physical collection includes books, learning kits, hobby kits, celebration kits, movies, video games, board games,
cultural passes, launchpads and tablets. To see everything the library has to offer, visit www.mylpl.info/booksandmore. Total circulations (physical and electronic): n 2023: 515,565 n 2024: 588,402
Physical circulations: n 2023: 367,307 n 2024: 412,720 (12.3% increase) Electronic circulations: n 2023: 148,258 n 2024: 175,682 (18.4% increase)
Livingston Parish announces kindergarten registration, pre-K application assistance
Community news report
Livingston Parish public schools will hold districtwide kindergarten registration and prekindergarten Application Assistance Days on March 28 and April 4.
The days are for parents wishing to enroll their children in kindergarten or apply for prekindergarten classes for the 2025-26 school year
Parents can visit lpsb.org beginning March 14 to complete the kindergarten registration form before their assigned home-based school visit.
Parents who are interested in applying for prekindergarten should complete the online application by visiting http://applytolppsearlychildhood.schoolmint.com. This
application portal for Round 1 opened Feb. 1 and will close May 1. On either March 28 or April 4, depending on their home-based school, parents of upcoming kindergarten students are encouraged to visit the school from 9 a.m. to noon, while parents seeking assistance with prekindergarten applications will attend from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Parents needing assistance in determining their child’s home-based school can contact the School Board office at (225) 686-7044 or visit lpsb. org and click the “Bus Schedules” link. Currently enrolled kindergarten and prekindergarten students will not attend school on the day assistance is being provided at their school.
PROVIDED PHOTO BY TAYLOR HUBBS PHOTOGRAPHY
Livingston Parish Public Schools’ winners of the ‘Yes I Can!’ Award gather with school leaders, from left, Livingston Parish Superintendent Jody Purvis, left, and Director of Special Education Eric Penalber right gather with the winners of the Yes I Can!’ awards, second from left, Roman Diaz, Carson Aucoin, Blayson Miller Jared Peters, Alex Parrish and Brent Gardiner
PROVIDED PHOTOS
Participating in the Springfield Elementary School’s Breakfast Awareness Celebration are, pictured at the bottom, Cheryl Quamme (as Creepy Chef); standing front row, left to right, Fire Department Lt. Bruce Woodson, Christy Graves (as Fred), Mayor Tommy Abels, Town Hall
Clerk Marie Kreutzer, SES Assistant Principal Miracle Aucoin, Tracey Quamme (as Daphne), Assistant Fire Chief Tommy Caves; standing back row, left to right, Cindy Yuhasz (as Scooby Doo), Kayla Authement (as Velma), Fire Department volunteer Stephen Hambrick, SES
Principal Michelle Brown, Fire Department volunteers Austin Hambrick, Justin Hartley and Dakota Guitreau.
BREAKFAST
Continued from page 1G
supervisor of the Child Nutrition Programs
She attributed the increased participation to the greater accessibility and convenience of school breakfast for all students, as well as
new menu offerings.
Springfield Fire Department Lt. Bruce Woodson and Fireman Justin Hartley assisted with the Springfield Elementary School’s National School Breakfast celebration, by manning game stations and interacting with students.
“Our menus reflect the tastes and preferences of our students, so recently we have emphasized increasing opportunities for students to sample potential breakfast items and provide feedback,” Purvis said. Purvis said that feedback has already been incorporated into menu planning for next school year
AROUND
Continued from page 1G
saints. Following this tableau, the doors to the hall will be opened and the public will be invited to come in for the dinner
St. Patrick’s Day parade set
Denham Springs’ Main Street program is holding a St. Patrick’s Day parade March 15. To register or for more information, call parade chair Mitch Droge, (225) 235-2123.
Lenten gumbo Fridays planned
Dine on seafood gumbo or chicken and sausage gumbo from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
March 14, March 21, March 28, April 4 and April 11 at St. Francis Episcopal Church, 726 Maple St., Denham Springs.
The gumbo is $10 per plate. For information, call (225) 665-2707 or email stfrancisgumbo.square.site.
Masquerade Gala planned
The Livingston Parish Chamber of Commerce is planning a Masquerade Gala on March 28 at Carter Plantation in Springfield.
The gala includes live music, casino games, prizes and silent and live auctions. For tickets, visit tinyurl.com/88f6trkf.
Volunteers provide free income tax help
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program is providing free tax preparation assistance at the Southeastern Livingston Center, in Walker through April 15.
For eligibility guidelines, other information or to schedule an appointment, visit www.cauw.org/VITA or call (225)
CRUSADE
Continued from page 1G
properly accommodated and able to clearly hear and understand the messages being shared.
He said the Rev Leo Miller, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Denham Springs, invited him to bring his message of salvation to the people of Livingston Parish. Gage said that 40 churches in Livingston Parish are involved in the crusade and are assisting in the planning for the anticipated large crowds that will attend the 7 p.m. sessions. In addition to the sessions that Gage will address, oth-
923-2114.
DSHS Athletic Hall of Fame accepting nominations
The Denham Springs High School Athletic Hall of Fame and title sponsor Hood Dental Care are accepting nominations for its next class of inductees through March 31. Hall of Fame nomination guidelines are available on the high school’s website at www.denhamspringshs.org or by picking up a copy at the school office. For information, contact Julie Jacobsen at julie.jacobsen@lpsb.org or (225) 4056838.
Baseball, softball registration underway Livingston Parks and Recreation’s Baseball and Softball League registration is underway The league is in the last stages of construction on renovations to its facility In the spring, players in the league will be able to compete on five new turf fields with new LED lights. Anyone interested in coaching can email jkinchen@ townoflivingston.com. To register, visit form.jotform.com/250363776892166. March 13 is the registration deadline.
Farmers market
The Four Seasons Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to noon every Saturday at the city parking lot at Hummel Street and Railroad Avenue. Fresh vegetables, fruits and handmade items are on sale from vendors.
Send news and events for Livingston and Tangipahoa parishes to livingston@ theadvocate.com by 4 p.m. Friday or call (225) 388-0731.
er ministers will be bringing special messages to the faithful. A mass choir will provide sacred music for the crusade, Gage said He said the event, “will be a power packed experience We are inviting all who want to hear the word of God to attend the crusade and especially we are appealing to the unchurched.”
Gage, who leads five or six such crusades a year, said he is concerned about the dwindling numbers who attend church services on a regular basis.
“The need to bring the people of this nation back to God is urgent and has never been greater,” he said. The harvest time is now As a people we have been called by the ‘great commission,’ to turn our lives back to God and the churches. We are called by God to be his hands and feet and his voice,” he said. He explained that studies show that 5,000 churches have closed their doors each year for the past several years.
“It is sad to note that 85% of the evangelical churches have reported declining weekly attendance,” he said. “Unfortunately, a little more than half of all churches have not heard of the ‘great commission.’ Through our Go Tell America we are trying to bring people back to their local churches. I believe every church is to be a task force for evangelism.”
Revyour engines and getready to experience an adrenaline rush at the Louisiana Sportsman Show when the legendaryNo. 22 Shell-Pennzoil show car rolls intoLaPlace March 28-30.
Getinthe driversseatand feel what it’s liketomakelaps at 180 mphwiththe Shell-sponsored racingsimulatorpods
TheLouisiana Sportsman Show features indoor and outdoor exhibitsfromsome of thebiggestvendorsinthe state. This is also aplace wheresmall and creative entrepreneurs connectwiththe culture of Louisiana.The 2025 Show promisesto be better than ever with free parking,a large kids’activityzone and afood court featuringsome of thetop restaurants from theRiver Parishes.Bring thefamily and enjoythe show!
Doyle boys basketball playoff hopes still alive
Going on the road for Friday’s first round
Division III nonselect playoff game the Doyle boys basketball team already knew what awaited them if they pulled off the win.
The No. 16-seeded Tigers’ reward for defeating No 16 Green Oaks 49-48 in Shreveport, one of the longest road trips Doyle could possibly face, was another long journey This trip takes Doyle to northeast Louisiana, where top-seeded Madison awaits after a first-round bye.
It’s just where Doyle wants to be, according to coach Daniel Kennedy.
“It’s another good, long trip, but that’s all right. We’re still playing,” he said. Doyle is still playing after gutting out the final minutes against Green Oaks.
It was a win that showed Doyle was capable of handling a hostile environment. It also evolved into a chance for the Tigers to win without relying on 3-point shooting, a change from the offensive approach they used most of the season.
Jachin Kennedy made two 3-pointers and led Doyle with 16 points, but the Tigers finished with just three 3-pointers for the game.
Other contributors were Cooper Yuratich with 11 points and Jackson McCaskill with 7. Yuratich also stepped up on defense, and took five charges in the game. Freshman guard Brodie Keen scored 7 points, and drew praise for his ball-handling and free throw shooting in the fourth quarter The Tigers’ effort in the game prompted Kennedy to call it his team’s best all-around performance of the season.
team. We found a way to match their athleticism and physicality.”
Doyle showed poise in the game’s final minutes. After the game was tied with two minutes to go, clutch free-throw shooting helped the Tigers take the lead for good. Green Oaks had two free throws to tie the game with seven seconds left, but missed the second. The Tigers grabbed the rebound and ran out the clock. Doyle will be looking to keep its season running in its regional round game at Madison.
“We matched them on defense and rebounding, and we found a way to get enough offense without shooting 3s,” Kennedy said. “Normally we make a lot of 3s but we found a way to win without relying on the 3-point shot.”
“I’ve been really proud of our guys all year because we challenged them,” Kennedy said. “We’re a young, smaller team and we had to go on the road to play a very physical, tough and athletic Green Oaks
Livingston athletes compete in Special Olympics trials
Charles Salzer covers Livingston sports for the Livingston-Tangipahoa
their
Student athlete Micah Fontenot leaps for a long jump
STAFF PHOTOS BY JAVIER GALLEGOS
Tori Tornabene races with student athlete Mason Singleton during the 2025 Livingston Parish Special Olympics at Live Oak High School on Feb 26.
Student athlete Tilford White shakes hands with Wyatt Tynes, congratulating him on his race.
Student athlete Angel Johnson, left, smiles after hurling a softball
Student athlete Robin May runs into a first place finish as Elijah Williams comes in second in their race.
Student athletes race to the finish line during the 2025 Livingston Parish Special Olympics at Live Oak High School.
Student athlete Ben Bonura crosses the finish line for his race.