St. Helena Parish 4-H Club participates in annual Shooting Sports Day. Page 1H
THURSDAY JANUARY 29, 2015
SERVING THE PARISHES OF EAST FELICIANA, WEST FELICIANA AND ST. HELENA
H $1.00
THEADVOCATE.COM
1st Year, No. 16
Jackson to mark bicentennial Saturday The birth of Jackson
BY STACY GILL
sgill@theadvocate.com On Jan. 31, 1815, a few days after the Battle of New Orleans victory, the governor of Louisiana at the State Capitol, then in New Orleans, signed into law the creation of a new parish seat to be located in the center of the parish of Feliciana, according to “Journey to War’s Eve” by Michael F. Howell. Two hundred years later, on Jan. 31, Jackson is poised to celebrate its bicentennial birthday with Founder’s Day activities. Jackson officials along with the Bicentennial Bash Commission are set to celebrate Saturday. “When creation of the town by the Legislature is put into context with the timing of the Battle of New Orleans, our history is even more interesting,” said Mary Jo Salmon, Bicentennial Bash chairwoman. “A contingent of men from this area fought in that battle.” To celebrate Jackson’s 200th birthday, Founder’s Day kicks off at 10 a.m. Saturday and ends at 4 p.m. “This is to be a lovely day featuring the best of Jackson. Fortunately it falls on a Saturday and hopefully the weather will cooperate,” Salmon said. Everyone is encouraged to wear costumes from the period, and men are asked to wear long sideburns, mustaches or beards, Salmon said. Restaurants will be offering dishes such as “Old Hickory” roast beef sandwiches or Andrew Jackson catfish po-boys. Downtown shops and artists will be promoting merchandise and artwork, and children will be invited to take part in a historic-themed scavenger hunt at Centenary State Historic Site where the Founder’s Day program begins at 3 p.m. on the front porch of the Professor’s House. Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne will speak at 3:30 p.m. followed by cake and a souvenir remembrance for youth in attendance. “On this historic occasion, we want as many people as possible, particularly citizens of Jackson, and those from other towns in East Feliciana and St. Francisville, to come out and
Advocate staff photo by STEPHANIE WARREN
St.Helena Parish Deputy Toler Smith and his new partner Bubba prepare to patrol the streets of St. Helena. Smith and Buddy arrived back home last week after training in Texas.
K-9 team complete
St. Helena Sheriff’s Department adds dog BY STEPHANIE WARREN
swarren@theadvocate.com
St. Helena Parish Deputy Toler Smith is back home in Greensburg with his new partner, a bulldog named Bubba, after attending a two-week training program in San Antonio. The new K-9 team is now complete and ready to patrol the streets of St. Helena Parish. The first dog arrived last month after St. Helena Parish Deputy George Baker was assigned to his new partner, a blue heeler named Gundy.
INSIDE East Feliciana............4G West Feliciana...........2G St. Helena .................6G Sports .......................1H
Baker also attended the two-week training program in Texas before he could bring his partner back to Greensburg. Training included obedience, leash control and how to handle searching vehicles and buildings. The new K-9 team was made possible through the Universal K9 program. The program rescues dogs from shelters and trains them to sniff out contraband. Once they are trained, they are sold to law enforcement agencies at discount prices. Smith said he is glad to be back with his new partner and is ready to hit the streets to see what he can do. “Bubba was scheduled to be euthanized the day before he was rescued by the program. I am glad he was saved, and I look forward to him helping me on the streets,” Smith said. Sheriff Nat Williams said the new K-9 team is going to be a
resource for all agencies in the parish. “By use of their keen senses, they are able to sense what people cannot. Due to their keen sense of smell, sight, agility and other abilities, they are a very valuable tool in police work,” Williams said. “We are lucky to have them,” he said. Williams said the dogs were trained to detect various narcotics and explosives. By training them with actual narcotics and chemicals used in explosives, the dogs are able to smell the distinct odors given off from these items, he said. “The St. Helena Parish Sheriff’s department is committed to taking guns and drugs off of our streets, and these dogs are trained to find them and apprehend any individual that presents themselves as a threat to our community,” Williams said.
äSee JACKSON, page 1G
Advocate staff photo by STACY GILL
Founded in 1815, Jackson is poised to celebrate its 200th birthday Saturday, Founder’s Day, which marks the beginning of a year-long Bicentennial Bash. Residents and visitors from Jackson, other East Feliciana communities and St. Francisville are invited.
This timeline is summarized from Michael F. Howell’s book. APRIL 30, 1812: Louisiana becomes the 18th state. St. Francisville, the parish seat, was the only town in Feliciana Parish, which was one large parish at the time. 1812-14: The state Legislature, in order to satisfy locals and frustrated by the arduous journey to St. Francisville, passed and then repealed an act naming a different site for a parish seat. DEC. 1814: A bill to create a new seat of justice stalled when the Legislature in New Orleans was suspended due to war. JAN. 1815: A large contingent of men from Feliciana Parish fought under Gen. Andrew Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans. JAN. 8, 1815: General Jackson and his troops defeated the British at Chalmette. JAN. 11, 1815: The Legislature approved the location of the new seat of justice for Feliciana. JAN. 31, 1815: A plan for Feliciana’s seat of justice to be in the exact center of the parish became law with the signature of the governor. No town name was mentioned in the act. APRIL 1815: On General Jackson’s return to Tennessee, he camped near Thompson Creek. BY 1816: A survey was completed and the new seat of justice was established at the exact center of Feliciana Parish on land owned by John Horton and James H. Ficklin, the latter of whom was a newly elected member of the Legislature. FEB. 1816: A donation of land, Publick Square, was given by Horton and Ficklin for the building of the new courthouse. MAY 20, 1816: The Police jury notified Judge Thomas Butler that the temporary courthouse (constructed on the site of the present-day Presbyterian Church on Bank Street) was completed. In this letter, the parish seat was not identified by name. JUNE 1816: The Feliciana Police Jury resolved that the name of the permanent seat of justice for Feliciana Parish be named Jackson.
Accountant: ‘It was a good year’ with surplus West Feliciana School Board receives audit, considers site cleanup for Pecan Grove
BY HOWARD ARCENEAUX
million, a decrease of $446,102 from 2013. Total net income for the year was more than $1.3 million, increasing the ST. FRANCISVILLE — Auditors presented total reserve fund balance to slightly a positive year-end report Wednesday more than $4.8 million. “It was a good year,” accountant to the West Feliciana Parish School Mike Schexnayder said at Tuesday’s Board for the 2013-14 fiscal year. The audit by Postlethwaite & Net- meeting. “You operated with a surplus terville indicates the School Board and you have a good strong fund balreceived $25.6 million in revenues, a ance.” He cautioned the board that, slight decrease of $69,188 from the like many others across the state, it previous year. Expenses were $24.2 will face some funding challenges in Special to The Advocate
the future. “It’s a good audit, there are no findings to report and no instances of noncompliance,” Schexnayder added. In an unrelated matter, West Feliciana Parish Director of Public Works Jim Ferguson, who is spearheading the cleanup of the old high school location on Pecan Grove, received permission from the board to begin negotiations with Baton Rouge-based Terracon for the project. He estimat-
ed the site could be cleared by the end of 2015 or early 2016. He said Parish President Kevin Couhig is working to relocate the Food Pantry and the Clothes Closet. Ferguson said if a contract can’t be reached with Terracon, two other firms would be next in line for negotiations. “This is just seeking the right to negotiate a contract with Terracon,” Ferguson said.
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