News

By Pam Folse Contributing Writer

By resolution passed at the November 1st meeting, the St. James Parish Council agreed to accept $26,833.25 from Millennium Galvanizing, LLC as payment for an invoice dated September 1, 2016.

The amount represents the cost of materials, labor and equipment for a new main-line installation and a gas meter connection at the Millennium site located at 91130 Winnie Road in Convent. The resolution also allows the Council to seek recovery of additional money owed if further documentation substantiates that additional money is owed.

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Keesler Air Force Base, Miss.:

Lt. Col. Ivan J. Deroche, 403rd Operations Group chief of standardization and evaluation, was recently named the Air Force Reserve Command's nominee for the 2017 National Aeronautical Association’s Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy. The award was established by the NAA in 1948 to honor the memory of Orville and Wilbur Wright and is presented every year to an American for significant public service of enduring value to aviation in the United States. Previous recipients include Harrison Ford (2010), John Glenn (2003), Neil Armstrong (2001), Lt. Gen. James Doolittle (1952), and Charles Lindbergh (1949).

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Several members of the St. James Retired Teachers Association attended the recent LRTA state conference October 23-25 in Metairie and participated in breakout sessions on Leadership, Membership, Program, and Legislation.

Secretary of State Tom Schedler’s keynote address on “Power of the Vote” and St. Charles retired educator Merlyna Valentine’s motivational speech on facing adversity were well received by the audience.

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Registrar of Voters, Lisa G. Medine, announces early voting for the November 18, 2017 State Treasurer runoff election.

Early Voting will be held on the Third Floor of the Convent Courthouse and the Vacherie Courthouse Annex, located at 2631 LA 20 West beginning Friday, November 3, 2017 thru Saturday, November 11, 2017.

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By Kelly Richardson

On Sunday, October 29, 2017, the Lutcher High Swim Teams competed in the Capital City Swim League High School Finals in Baton Rouge.

A great day of swimming concluded in record breaking fashion for the Girls Team.

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By Pam Folse

St. James Parish, as well as other parts of southeast Louisiana, is known for its hospitality.

We open our homes on Christmas Eve to strangers who come to enjoy the bonfires. We don’t just extend hospitality here at home, but everywhere we go. That’s where this story begins.

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By Pam Folse Contributing Writer

Several west bank residents, most of them parents of St. James High School students, attended the St. James Parish School Board Building Committee Meeting held Tuesday, October 24th in Lutcher. They were there to learn more about the plans for the St. James High School baseball facility, since the bids on the new concession stand and bathroom building and four ball fields were $727,000 over budget.

Board President George Nassar explained that the Board passed a $56 million bond issue to finance building and construction projects at all parish schools. The Board received $10 million from the sale of St. James High School to Yuhaung Chemical, giving them a total of $66 million to spend. However, the total bids on all the projects was $76 million, or $10 million over budget.

By David Reynaud

Ashley Poché, the Assistant St. James Parish Director of Finance who was indicted last September on two counts of Malfeasance in Office, appeared in court last Thursday in Convent to hear a Motion to Quash/dismiss the charges brought against her.

Poché is accused of: 1) Using a Parish issued cell phone for personal use and/or loaned the phone to a non-government individual for which excessive data fees incurred in excess of $700 dollars; and 2) While working for the Parish, she allegedly prepared campaign finance reports for St. James Parish Councilman Ralph Patin in exchange for $100 dollars, and that she used a parish fax machine to transmit the reports to the Louisiana Board of Ethics.

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By Pam Folse Contributing Writer

Although Dr. Casamir Mericq died in 1855, visitors to St. Joseph Plantation in Vacherie can be a guest at his wake as part of the mourning tours being offered through November 3 at the riverside mansion.

Those who go this weekend, October 27th and 28th, will meet some of the members of his family as portrayed by actors of “Crazy ‘Bout History Tours”.

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By Pam Folse Contributing Writer

Wendy Bolding watched her mother struggle through breast cancer twice.

She walked the journey with her through surgery, treatments and back to health. She was aware of the rolling emotions experienced by a woman when diagnosed and the way chemo and radiation rob your energy.

Because of her mom’s history with breast cancer, when she was in her late 40s and early 50s, Wendy started having regular mammograms before age 40 and did self-exams frequently.

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