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SERVING THE PARISHES OF EAST FELICIANA, WEST FELICIANA AND ST. HELENA THEADVOCATE.COM
1st Year, No. 19
THURSDAY
FEBRUARY 19, 2015 H $1.00
Sheriff purchases Humvees BY STEPHANIE WARREN swarren@theadvocate.com
Advocate staff photo by STEPHANIE WARREN
The St. Helena Parish Sheriff’s Office recently acquired two military-grade M998 Humvee utility trucks for use in emergencies. Checking out the additions, from left, are Detective Laurie Sibley, Chief Joe Chaney, Detective Lee Carmona and Sheriff Nat Williams.
The St. Helena Parish Sheriff’s Office has acquired two military-grade, M998 Humvee utility trucks for use in emergencies. Officials said the vehicles will be used in standoffs between suspects and law enforcement officials, school emergencies and inclement weather. Sheriff Nat Williams said his office purchased the trucks in February for $4,600 through the Louisiana Federal Property Assistance with drug seizure
St. Helena
fice assisted with the rescue of a family from Natalbany Creek area by boat because the road money awarded to the Sheriff’s was underwater,” Williams said. Office by the courts. “A flooded road would not be Williams said the former military vehicles can be easily a problem for these vehicles converted to search-and-rescue and, with a heavy winch and vehicles because of their carry- four-wheeled pulling power, ing and pulling power and the these vehicles have the ability ability to plow through high to clear limbs and trees from water because of an elevated roadways,” he said. “We should be in good shape for hurricane exhaust system. The sheriff said he is glad the season.” Williams said in addition to department was able to purresponding to worst-case scechase the rescue vehicles. “I can remember during Hur- narios in St. Helena Parish, the ricane Isaac the Sheriff’s Of- vehicles also will serve sur-
Super stylist
Bains principal resigns for new post
Clinton native Franklin works with football shows with Katy Perry
BY HOWARD ARCENEAUX Special to The Advocate
BY STEPHANIE WARREN
swarren@theadvocate.com
Katy Perry’s halftime performance at Super Bowl XLIX, hyped for months and anticipated by millions, did not disappoint. Halfway through the matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, Perry plowed through her plentiful collection of hits with help from Lenny Kravitz, Missy Elliott and Perry’s wardrobe stylist — a Clinton native — Abby Franklin. Franklin was backstage during the halftime show, working with the sharks and chess pieces, making sure the costumes were on properly. Raised by her parents, Leon “Sonny” Franklin and Norma Franklin, down a gravel road in Clinton, Franklin credits a life-saving satellite dish and her MTV-watching habit as her crash course into the fashion and music world. She said it was at the age of 14 during the Live Aid concert in July 1985 that she discovered her love for music. äSee STYLIST, page 2G
INSIDE East Feliciana West Feliciana St. Helena Sports More news
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rounding parishes. Chief Detective Joe Chaney said the department has needed the vehicles for some time now. “With these new vehicles, we now have the means to get to an area that may be underwater or trees in the roadway,” Chaney said. Williams said he intends to leave the vehicles their original military camouflage color. “We might put decals on it, label it as belonging to the St. Helena Parish Sheriff’s Office, but I think we’ll just leave them as is for now,” Williams said.
Advocate photos by HOWARD ARCENEAUX
The Watoto Children’s Choir performed their energetic ‘Oh, What Love’ production Feb. 13 at the West Feliciana High School Auditorium, one of 190 shows in the 22-member choir’s grueling six-month tour of the United States. The Watoto Choir consists of 18 orphaned African children and four adult singers.
Watoto Children’s Choir uplifts St. Francisville with performance Members of the Watoto Children’s Choir drum Feb. 13 as about 277 audience members sing and dance along. The choir performed and showed videos that told their story. Afterwards they mingled with attendees.
BY HOWARD ARCENEAUX
for by a “house mother” and live with seven other “siblings” per house. They receive an educaST. FRANCISVILLE — They sang, tion, and each community has they danced, but most of all they a center for school assemblies, inspired with their message of events and church services along with a health clinic. faith, love and hope. The theme of the Watoto The Watoto Children’s Choir performed their “Oh, What choir’s message was that deLove” production Feb. 13 at the spite all of the hardships in their West Feliciana High School Au- lives, God has rescued them and ditorium, one of 190 shows in a blessed them with redemption and purpose. six-month U.S. tour. Racheal Adongo, a 12-year-old The choir consists of 18 children and four adult singers who member of the traveling choir, are members of the Watoto com- has lived in a village near the munity in Uganda. All of the nation’s capital for four years. children have lost one or both She’s enjoying her first trip to parents, and they now live in one the United States. “I like it very much,” she said of three Watoto villages located with a big smile. “I like the food. in the Central Africa nation. Children between the ages of I like to talk to the people.” 2 and 12 are accepted into the villages, where they are cared äSee PERFORMANCE, page 2G
Special to The Advocate
ST. FRANCISVILLE — Bains Lower Elementary School Principal Raquel Square resigned effective Feb. 13 to take a similar position with a charter school organization. Square, who has been Bains Lower principal since spring 2010, will be the regional program director for Charter Schools USA, a national forprofit charter organization. Square made the announcement to the Bains Lower faculty and staff on Feb. 11. “Ms. Square has been a wonderful leader at Bains Lower since 2010. We will miss her, but we know she has a great opportunity to grow professionally,” Superintendent Hollis G. Milton said. “We wish her the best.” Milton said Square’s new position includes a substantial increase in pay and offers her the ability to grow within the organization. He said the timing was necessary for Square because she will likely be involved with planning for the upcoming year and lobbying during the upcoming legislative session. “I have had the tremendous honor to work in the West Feliciana Parish School System for the past five years,” Square said. “It has been a pleasure to work with an outstanding group of educators and leaders during my time at Bains Lower. I am extremely proud of the growth the faculty, staff and students have made during these last five years.” Milton said Square’s resignation had nothing to do with the recent arrest of a teacher. He also met with the staff and provided an outline for the spring. “We will ensure a smooth transition,” he said. Nikki Milton will run the äSee PRINCIPAL, page 2G
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