TyQuincey Kilbourne is defensive MVP of 6-2A’s AllDistrict squad.
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SERVING THE PARISHES OF EAST FELICIANA, WEST FELICIANA AND ST. HELENA THEADVOCATE.COM
1st Year, No. 13
THURSDAY JANUARY 8, 2015 H $1.00
New education center showcases energy production Entergy building houses updated exhibits BY HOWARD ARCENEAUX Special to The Advocate
Advocate staff photo by STEPHANIE WARREN
St. Helena Parish Deputy George Baker is seen with his new partner, Gundy, as they prepare to patrol. Baker got the dog last month through the rescue program Universal K9.
Win-win for dogs, law enforcement
ST. FRANCISVILLE — Imagine the experience of traveling deep underground in a coal mine elevator. Or meeting Thomas Edison and hearing him explain how he invented the light bulb. Those are just two of the featured exhibits about the production of energy in the recently unveiled Energy Education Center on the second floor of Entergy’s administrative building at River Bend Nuclear Station. The new center is the result of a collaborative partnership between members of the North American Young Generation in Nuclear chapter at River Bend and the Louisiana Nuclear Society. The new center is in the same space as the old information center. “I saw we had all of this capability right here and we hadn’t done much with
it for a long time,” said Jeff Hausaman, a nuclear reactor engineer with River Bend who spearheaded the education center project. “The resources were here and we weren’t utilizing them.” Since September, Hausaman and a group of volunteers worked during their off time and on weekends to finish the new education center. They have updated many of the old exhibits that were in place, and they’ve added a number of new ones as well. They also modernized the center to make learning about energy and its production appealing to youngsters of all ages. Hausaman said he first came up with the idea after a visit to the LIGO Science Education Center in Livingston Parish. “We wanted to use the resources that were here and äSee CENTER, page 2G
Agency trains shelter dogs to sniff out drugs
BY STEPHANIE WARREN
swarren@theadvocate.com
Gundy, a rescued blue heeler, is the latest member of the St. Helena Parish Sheriff’s Office. Gundy, who arrived last month at the Sheriff’s Office, will patrol the streets with his new partner, Deputy George Baker.
INSIDE East Feliciana..........5G West Feliciana.........3G St. Helena ...............7G Crossword ...............8G Sports .....................1H
Purebred drug dogs can cost up to $35,000 once they are trained, but Sheriff Nat Williams said it cost his office $2,900 to put Gundy on duty. Williams said he applied for a grant through the Universal K9 program to purchase the dog. The program rescues dogs from shelters and trains them to sniff out contraband. The dogs are trained to look for marijuana, meth, heroin, cocaine and ecstasy, he said. Once the dogs are trained, they are sold at discounted prices or given to law enforcement agencies.
It’s a win for the dog and a win for small departments like St. Helena Parish that don’t have a lot of money. “The department is grateful for this program. We were able to rescue a dog, utilize him and give him back to the community,” Williams said. Baker attended a two-week training program in San Antonio, Texas, with Gundy before he could bring him back to Greensburg. Training included obedience, leash control and how to handle searching vehicles and buildings. Before that, Gundy went through äSee WIN-WIN, page 2G
Photo provided by MARY BROUSSARD
Jeff Hausaman, left, and James LaBorde, of the River Bend Nuclear Station, look over one of the new exhibits at the Energy Education Center at Entergy in St. Francisville. Hausaman, a nuclear reactor engineer with River Bend, spearheaded the education center project.
Police Jury announces leadership, priorities BY JAMES MINTON
Special to The Advocate CLINTON — East Feliciana Parish Police Juror Dennis Aucoin regained his post as jury president by a 5-4 vote Monday in the jury’s first meeting of the year. Outgoing President Louis Kent took the gavel from Aucoin a year ago by a 5-4 vote, but District 7 Juror Sean Smith was the swing vote in Monday’s
balloting. Smith joined the jury in August as the successor to longtime Juror Karl “Bubba” Chaney, who died in July after a lengthy illness. Chaney had voted for Kent in the January 2014 election, but Smith supported Aucoin on Monday. Aucoin voted for himself and also drew support from Larry Beauchamp, Chris Hall and Ed Brooks. Kent voted for himself and
got support from Dwight Hill, Keith Mills and Jason McCray. Beauchamp, the jury’s vice president, nominated Brooks as his replacement, and Kent was the only juror voting against Brooks. Aucoin named Beauchamp as chairman of the Finance Committee, replacing Hill. He also named himself and Hall as Finance Committee members, but he held off on naming jurors to other committees.
Aucoin said one of his priorities in the coming year will be to secure more federal and state grants. “We’re leaving a lot of money on the table,” Aucoin said, adding that he believes neighboring St. Helena Parish is securing grants that East Feliciana is missing. During 2014, the jury repaved 33 miles of parish roads but only lowered the jury’s cash position by $1 million,
Parish Manager J.R. Rouchon said. The jury also added three pieces of road equipment to its inventory and successfully renewed four taxes that were expiring, he said. On another matter, the jury renewed its insurance coverage on parish buildings, equipment and vehicles for a price of $121,329. A representative of Dart Insurance Agency said the figure is about $900 more than the total premium for 2014.
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