Stroll through spring gardens. Page 8H
The
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THURSDAY APRIL 30, 2015
SERVING THE PARISHES OF EAST FELICIANA, WEST FELICIANA AND ST. HELENA
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THEADVOCATE.COM
1st Year, No. 29
Council to seek OK for bonds to build hospital BY HOWARD ARCENEAUX
for final approval, would be repaid by revenue generated by the hospital, said Alan OffST. FRANCISVILLE — The West ner, a bond attorney with New Feliciana Parish Council gave Orleans-based Foley & Judell. The new 53,000-square-foot its nod Monday to more than $25.5 million in hospital rev- hospital is planned to be built enue bonds to cover the cost of along Burnett Road and conbuilding a new parish hospital. nected by a soon-to-be-built The bonds, which now head road to the existing hospital to the state Bond Commission structure. The road will proSpecial to The Advocate
vide a traffic artery for the roughly 12-acre campus. The project was designed by Curtis Group Architects and Grace Hebert Architects. The new hospital is designed as a modern brick-and-glass structure featuring 12 inpatient beds, a fully equipped emergency room, an imaging center with new equipment, a
beefed-up lab, plus room for more services. The council also heard a lengthy presentation from James Jenkins, of Municipal Code Corporation, the company hired by the parish to update the parish’s codes. Jenkins presented a “proof that’s probably 85 percent complete� of the updated codes in a 400-page docu-
ment available on the parish’s website, wfparish.org. “It’s a one-stop shop for all building regulations,� Jenkins said. After the document has been reviewed and vetted by the parish staff, the council and the public, it will be voted on for adoption by the council. An ordinance also was intro-
duced to amend the parish’s general fund budget to cover an additional $66,693 to pay for litigation expenses and lawyers’ fees in the lawsuit filed by the Lambert Gravel Company and the heirs of Paul A. Lambert Sr. over a piece of disputed riverfront property. So far, the suit has cost the parish more than $572,579.
School Board OKs salary increases Employee pay frozen past two years BY HOWARD ARCENEAUX Special to The Advocate
ST. FRANCISVILLE — The West Feliciana Parish School Board voted unanimously Tuesday to lift the salary schedule freeze, allowing all but about 40 school district employees to receive annual step increases. School Board Administrator Ruthie Davis said there is enough money in the projected 2015-16 budget to cover the estimated $240,000 annual expense that unfreezing the raises will cost the School Board. This is the second school year that system employees with 25 or fewer years have not received the annual step increases in their pay. Employees with more than 25 years with the system are not eligible for additional annual increases. Unfreezing the salaries was identified as one of the top priorities at the School Board’s annual strategic planning retreat in March. Superintendent Hollis Milton previously said one parish supervisor is retiring, freeing roughly $100,000 a year, and the parish has been approved for a state LA4 grant, which provides fund-
Advocate staff photo by STEPHANIE WARREN
Construction has begun on the movie set for the upcoming filming of a movie in downtown Clinton. Several building, including McKnight’s, 12321 St Helena St, have already been constructed into the Civil War setting.
Back in time Buildings in Clinton, Jackson get facelifts for movie,TV show filming
BY STACY GILL and STEPHANIE WARREN| sgill@the advocate.com, swarren@theadvocate.com
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INSIDE East Feliciana............4G St. Helena .................5G West Feliciana...........6G Sports .......................1H Crossword .................2H
Photo provided by BETTY COLLINS
Louisiana’s reputation as Hollywood south is ringing true these days in two East Feliciana towns as filming for one cable television series is underway in Jackson and production is ramping up in Clinton for a movie. Both towns are expecting economic advantages from film crews working in the areas. The two towns are seeing paved streets turned into dirt roads and the construction of sets for the Civil War-era productions.
Jackson residents have probably noticed some recent changes to the downThe Centenary Inn in Jackson has been transformed into the town area. fictitious Franklin Hotel, and Charter Street has been overlaid Charter Street, also know as La. 10, has become a dirt road, and the historic with dirt by production crews filming scenes for the new WGN Centenary Inn has been transformed into the Franklin Hotel by the production America drama, ‘Underground’, about a group of slaves that crews of the Civil War-era cable series “Underground.â€? aim to travel along the Underground Railroad after making a daring escape from a Georgia plantation. äSee BACK, page 2G
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