The Advocate Watchman (12/18/14)

Page 1

The

W atchman

1st Year, No. 11

THURSDAY

SERVING THE PARISHES OF EAST FELICIANA, WEST FELICIANA AND ST. HELENA THEADVOCATE.COM

DECEMBER 18, 2014 H $1.00

East Feliciana

West Feliciana

Police Jury OKs sales tax extension

New fire station to be built at The Bluffs

Funds go to garbage collection, road work

BY HOWARD ARCENEAUX

BY JAMES MINTON

Special to The Advocate

Special to The Advocate CLINTON — The East Feliciana Parish Police Jury adopted ordinances Tuesday to continue collecting sales taxes for garbage collection and road and bridge work. The taxes, totaling 2 percent on the dollar, would have expired Dec. 31, but voters in the Dec. 6 election narrowly approved renewing them for another 10 years. “We need to thank the public. It was a close election, but they were all renewed,” jury President Lewis Kent said of the four tax proposals on the ballot. The first proposition, for a three-fourths-cent sales tax for garbage collection service, passed by a vote of 3,542 to 3,010. The second, a one-fourthcent sales tax also for garbage service, passed 3,485 to 3,036. The third proposal, a 1-cent sales tax divided among the Police Jury and the parish’s five municipalities by a population formula for road and bridge work, was favored by 3,576 voters while 3,058 opposed it. Slaughter Mayor Robert Jackson complained last month that the distribution formula is outdated and shortchanges his town, but jurors said it was too late to change the formula because it was included in the proposition already on the ballot. They told Jackson the parish could consider changing the formula in a special election next year, but Parish Manager J.R. Rouchon said basing it on the 2010 federal census would result in four municipalities losing money to Slaughter and the Police Jury. The population formula has been used for years and apparently was based on a decadesäSee SALES TAX, page 5G

INSIDE East Feliciana............5G West Feliciana...........2G St. Helena .................8G Crossword .................6G Sports .......................1H

Advocate staff photos by BILL FEIG

James Pierce looks over the chains waiting to be used in the bicycle restoration room at Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. The inmates at Angola restore bikes and building wooden toys to give to local children as Christmas presents through local sheriff’s offices.

SANTA’SWORKSHOP

ABOVE: Wooden cars, trucks, tractors and planes hang from the ceiling while awaiting dispersal in The Toy Shop at Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. RIGHT: Peter Mule talks about the ratio of one car to four wheels in front of a bin full of wheels in the wood shop area.

Thanks to an innovative partnership between the West Feliciana Fire Protection District 1 and the parish’s hospital, a new fire station soon will be constructed near The Bluffs. The fire protection district is a mostly volunteer organization that serves the unincorporated areas of the parish, providing fire protection and emergency services. A bid for $649,000 by Blount General Contractors of Walker has been accepted to build the 4,664-square-foot fire station, and the final plans were approved by the fire district’s and the hospital’s boards of commissioners. The station will include a 2,500-square-foot engine bay for two fire trucks and an ambulance. It also will have two separate living quarters, both slightly more than 1,000 square feet. Construction is expected to begin this month with a completion date of Aug. 15. “The Fire Department had been trying to get it built for about 10 years,” Fire Chief James Wood said. “The Property Insurance Association of Louisiana has rated us as Class 5 on a 10-point scale and told us we needed a station in The Bluffs area because the other stations are too far away.” The property for the station, about a half-acre, was donated by Bluffs owner Claude Penn, near the entrance sign at the development’s front entrance off La. 965. Wood said the station will serve The Bluffs and the surrounding area. There are 10 stations in the district, another one in St. FranäSee STATION, page 2G

Big turnout at NTCC veterinary, equine event BY STEPHANIE WARREN

swarren@theadvocate.com

More than 100 people, including state officials, were present at the Veterinary Technology/Equine event on Dec. 4 at Northshore Technical Community College Florida Parishes Campus in Greensburg. NTCC Dean Sharon Hornsby said the objective of the event was to promote the program offerings for the associate applied science degree and veterinary technology and equine noncredit programs, and to discuss the plans to build the new vet tech lab/equine barn. Hornsby said the event organizers

St. Helena

expansion to the current programs. “The new facility will enable students to practice essential tasks on also took the opportunity to talk to campus in an authentic vet clinic/ those attending about investing in the equine environment, as well as serve as a facility in which to train local programs. “By making a charitable donation, farmers, ranchers, equine owners, those funds will truly serve as an in- racetrack groomers and handlers, as vestment toward the construction of well as local residents,” Wainwright our vet AAS veterinary technology said. Mike Strain, state commissioner of and noncredit equine program, and will be used solely for that purpose,” agriculture, was the keynote speaker. Strain provided an overview of the imHornsby said. NTCC Chancellor William S. Wain- portance of agriculture in Louisiana. Strain, a veterinarian, talked about wright said the students and community are eager for the construction of the the demand for large animal practitiobarn, which will serve as a significant ners in the industry. He emphasized

the importance of the AAS veterinary technician and equine programs to train residents to provide quality care to animals. State Rep. John Bel Edwards also spoke at the event. Edwards provided support for the new road that connects the campus to La. 10, Hornsby said. Hornsby and Brennan Fitzgerald Lee, veterinarian and program director of the vet tech program, provided a PowerPoint presentation on the current programs and the plans for the future expansion of the programs with the completion of the construction of äSee NTCC, page 8G

Oil Changes, Brakes, Alignments, Check Engine Lights, A/C Repairs, Shocks, Struts, Tires


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