Court cases filed in Ascension Parish between June 26-30.

Rockett Williams v. United Parcel Services Inc., Southern Tire Mart LLC and Bridgestone Bandag LLC, damages.

Neighbors Federal Credit Union v. Heath Hoyt Atkins and Crystal Atkins, executory judgment.

Nancy Vidrine v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co and Alison Templet, damages.

Pelican Point Operations LLC v. Joshua Hebert, injunction.

Aaron A. Payton v. State of Louisiana Department Public Safety Control, judicial review.

Everbank v. John David Miller, Julie T. Miller aka Julie Templet Miller aka Julie M. Miller and Julie M. Templet, executory process.

Yolanda Martin v. Shondrica Dejoie, Progressive Paloverde Insurance Com. and Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., damages.

Leroy Hebert Jr. v. Imperial Fire and Casualty Company, Benita Esquivel, Hector Esquivel Rodriguez and Louisiana Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Co., damages.

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. v. Michael Green and Progressive Security Insurance Co., damages.

Ally Financial Inc. v. Monica V. Jackson and Raymond C. Jackson, contract.

Autovest LLC v. Shandra Marie Bennett, open account.

Citibank Na v. Vera F. Boudreaux, open account.

Donna K. Poirrier and Mark Poirrier Jr. v. Jorge F. Mejia, Luis O. Orellana, Progressive Security Insurance Co. and Safeco Insruance Co. of Oregon, damages.

Cavalry SPV I LLC v. Gregory K. Dawson, open account.

The Quikrete Companies LLC v. SMI Companies Global Inc, open account.

JPMorgan Chase Bank National Associa v. Gina F. Sachse aka Gina Fryery, executory process.

Kodi Haynes v. Progressive Security Insurance Co. and Jason Decoteau, damages.

Bonnie Bourgeois v. Milwaukee Casualty Insurance Co., Three Ames Inc, Pest Control Cottons and Jacob R. Blocker, damages.

Midfirst Bank v. David Artieta, executory process.

Wells Fargo Bank NA v. Jason A. Worthington aka Jason Worthington, executory process.

Jackie Toval v. Anpac Louisiana Insurance Co. and Dina Hendrix, damages.

Dlj Mortgage Capital Inc v. Jerret P. Featherston and Tara Ringe Featherston, executory process.

American Express Bank FSB v. Andrew E. Bayard, open account.

Discover Bank v. Jeannine K. Massey, open account.

John Davis Jr. v. Nicole Tharp and USAA, damages.

State Farm Fire and Casualty Co. v. Bubbie Gunter and Allstate Insurance Co., damages.

Velenessia Smith v. Lowes Home Centers LLC dba 2645 Lowes, damages.

Geico Casualty Insurance Co. and Raymond Tamplain v. Humberto Salgado, damages.

Credit Acceptance Corp. v. Noel Menard and Mandy Menard, executory judgment.

Stephanie Pinell v. Ciara V. Nixon and Allstate Vehicle & Property Insurance Co., damages.

FAMILY SUITS

Chad Michael Cressionnie v. Crystal Baham Cressionnnie, divorce.

Gonzales Angel M. Rojas v. Sanchez Maria G. Vazquez, divorce.

Douglas V. Palmer Jr. v. Lainey Leboeuf Palmer, divorce.

Wesley Joseph Mueller v. Lauren Troxclair Mueller, divorce.

Joyce Allen, state Department of Children and Family Services v. Leonard Brown, paternity.

Deandre Williams, state Department of Children and Family Services v. Jerome Roberts Jr., paternity.

Latoya Sanders, state Department of Children and Family Services v. Leroy LeBlanc, paternity.

Lacarla Nicholas, state Department of Children and Family Services v. Michael Bovie, paternity.

Jace Christopher Engels v. Crystal Dawn Turner, divorce.

Leann Dixon, state Department of Children and Family Services, and Cohen Minor Harrison v. Chas Harrison, paternity.

Kelly Pardue, state Department of Children and Family Services, and Stephanie Alexander v. Alexander Cole Jr., paternity.

Povial Ward, state Department of Children and Family Services and Taylor Ward v. Odell Phillips Jr., paternity.

Wennifer Southall, state Department of Children and Family Services and Tramaiya Southall v. Trales Lewis, paternity.

Blaire Taber, state Department of Children and Family Services v. Bonaventure Devin, paternity.

Buffy Ancale Evans v. Martin Thomas Evans, divorce.

Nina C. Drago v. Brandon Drago, divorce.

Asusena Medrano v. Cesar Augusto Medrano, divorce.

Brittnie Gautreau Wascom v. Cody Wascom, divorce.

Tyler Anthony Michel v. Kailyn Roper Michel, divorce.

J. Carwin Terrell v. Evelyn J. Terrell, divorce.

Jodie Edwards McGregory v. Barry Lynn McGregory, divorce.

Waldrop Susan Robinson v. Allen Ray Waldrop, divorce.

Succession of Shelton H. Babin Jr.

Succession of Pearl L. Daigle

Succession of Martin Alfred Goynes

Go here to read the rest:

Ascension Parish Civil Court Cases for June 26-30, 2017 - The Advocate

Holiday market

Its Christmas in July when the Jolly Jingles Market sets up this weekend at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Centers Trademart Building. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Admission to the semiannual gift and general merchandise market is $5 per person. Parking is free and strollers are welcome. Goody bags will be distributed to the first 500 shoppers.

St. Mark Catholic Church of Gonzales invites parishioners ages 55 and older to a senior citizen get-together after the 4 p.m. Mass on Saturday in the Father DeMaria Activity Center. Seniors will enjoy a meal, followed by bingo and fellowship.

Registration is required. Call Evelyn Rousseau at (225) 647-5731 to leave a name and phone number.

Ascension Parish Library's summer reading program offers a variety of events for youths of all ages.

BROWN BEAR: Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the childrens classic with fun and games, 10:30 a.m. Monday, Donaldsonville. For all ages.

BUILD A BIRDHOUSE: Construct and decorate a birdhouse out of fun foam, 2 p.m. Monday, Gonzales. For all ages.

SPACE EXPLORATION: Learn about planetary movement and make a model of the solar system, 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Donaldsonville. For all ages.

HARRY POTTER INTERACTIVE MOVIE NIGHT: The movie Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone comes to life with an assortment of fun props, with costumes encouraged: 6:30 p.m. July 20, Gonzales. For children, teens and adults.

FRIDA KAHLOS BIRTHDAY: Celebrate the Mexican artist by playing lotera and making floral headbands, 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dutchtown. For teens entering grades six through 12.

HARRY POTTER YULE BALL: Celebrate the end of summer with a Harry Potter themed Yule Ball, with wizardly and formal attire welcome, 4 p.m. July 20, Donaldsonville. For teens entering grades six through 12.

Ascension Parish Librarys Kanji Klub meets at 6 p.m. Monday at the Gonzales Branch. Members will watch the French anim Time Jam: Valerian & Laureline and craft nebula jars.

Kanji Klub is open to ages 18 and older. Cosplay is welcome. Call (225) 647-3955 for details.

Learn about musculoskeletal disorders and how to prevent them at PB&J Protect Your Bones and Joints at 11 a.m. Wednesday in St. Elizabeth Hospitals Sister Linda conference room.

The free class for teens, led by certified orthopedic nurse Charla B. Johnson, is aimed at preventing injury and promoting bone and joint health. A light lunch will be served.

Registration is required; call (225) 621-2906.

The Class of 1977 of East Ascension High School will gather for its 40th class reunion at 6 p.m. Aug. 19 at the Clarion Conference Center in Gonzales.

All East Ascension High graduating classes are invited to the celebration, which includes food, a cash bar, dancing and music by Kenny Fife.

Cost is $50 per person in advance or $55 at the door. Registration forms will be emailed upon request. Email trudybates@yahoo.com or l.rhett.bourgeois@gmail.com for details.

Contact Darlene Denstorff by phone, (225) 388-0215 or (225) 603-1996; or email, ascension@theadvocate.com or ddenstorff@theadvocate.com. Deadline: noon Monday.

Read more:

Around Ascension for July 13, 2017 - The Advocate

Greg Fischer Editor-in-chief @AscensionEditor

Local Ascension professionals and pro dancers entertained a large crowd at the Lamar Dixon 4-H building on Saturday, July 8 with a parish version of the popular TV show Dancing with the Stars.

The fundraiser, coined Dancing for a Cause (DFC), was a huge success according to Arc of East Ascension's Public Relations and Marketing Director Sharon Morris and also Sheriff Jeff Wiley in his opening remarks. The night was full of cheers and laughter.

"What [people] can expect tonight is hard work and dedication from some business employees in the community who have dedicated their time and raised money for the Arc," Arc of East Ascension President Allison Hudson said. "They will be dancing. They have had six weeks of practice with professional dancers, and they have enjoyed raising money. We are thankful for all of the funds that they raised, obviously for the Arc, that will go towards our individuals."

Louis LeFebrve III of Main Street Dental Care stole the show. He had an enormous group cheering on he and his partner, Alyssa Babin. Besides winning the competition, he outsold the runner up more than twice. His business raised $14,990 for the Arc of EA. In second place was Jackie Baumann with $7440, and in third place was Jackie Tisdell with $6650.

Coincidentally, the judges picks coincided with the top three fundraisers. Tisdell was also the fan favorite.

"I would like to thank the community and all sponsors for their generosity and support," Morris said. "Special Thanks to Alsie Dunbar for getting some of the gifts donated for the Star Dancers."

Food and drink was abundant. This year's DFC event ran from 6-10 p.m.

Originally posted here:

Arc of East Ascension holds landmark DFC fundraiser - Weekly Citizen

SEATTLE Although Chris Smith didnt get the decision in his first major league start, Ryon Healy made sure Oaklands 36-year-old right-hander contributed to an Athletics victory.

Healy bounced a ground-rule RBI double to right-center with two outs in the ninth inning Saturday night to give the As a 4-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners after Smith pitched six solid innings.

That was like a personal goal. Walking to the field today, you think about it and I said if I can get six innings, three runs in the big leagues, thats a quality start, said Smith, called up Saturday from Triple-A Nashville. Its a little different in the minor leagues, but to do it in the big leagues, that was like a good personal pat on the back.

Rajai Davis opened the ninth with a slow-rolling infield single to third off Edwin Diaz (2-4), who relieved to open the inning. Davis stole second as Matt Joyce struck out. Yonder Alonso was walked intentionally with two outs and Healy then ripped an 0-2 slider into the gap.

I was one pitch away and I missed that slider, Diaz said. I threw a fastball up and in, and he looked back. I was supposed to go with the fastball again, but I decided to throw the slider, but I missed in the middle and he hit it pretty good.

Sean Doolittle (1-0) pitched the eighth for the victory. Santiago Casilla finished for his 15th save, despite allowing a two-out double.

Alonso and Marcus Semien had solo homers for the Athletics off rookie Andrew Moore, who allowed three runs in six innings in his third start.

Smith, called up from Triple-A Nashville, made his first major league start after 63 relief appearances. He left after six innings tied 3-3. The right-hander allowed six hits, struck out four and walked one. Smiths career record remains 1-0 with a victory in relief in 2008 with Boston.

I was hoping to get him into the sixth today and he gave us six and allowed us to go to the three guys that we go to to tie or win games, Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. He did every bit of his job and probably a little bit more. It was fun to see.

Semien, activated off the disabled list Thursday after missing 74 games, snapped a 2-2 tie in the fifth with his first homer, a one-out solo shot.

Jarrod Dyson knotted it 3-3 when he opened the bottom half with his fifth home run.

Oakland took a 1-0 lead in the second on singles by Healy, Bruce Maxwell and Jaycob Brugman and made it to 2-0 in the third on Alonsos 20th homer.

Seattle tied it in the bottom half on doubles by Dyson and Jean Segura and Ben Gamels RBI single.

Mariners right fielder Mitch Haniger saved at least one run in the fourth with a running grab of Davis drive deep into the corner to end the inning with two aboard.

It might be one and done, so I was really enjoying it, Smith said. But, at the same time, I was really trying to lock it in. I can go from zero to 100 in the blink of an eye, so I had to slow myself down. Really take it in, but really know that, hey, Ive got a job to do.

On Sunday, Oakland rookie RHP Daniel Gossett (1-3, 6.23 ERA) closes out the four-game series at Safeco Field. He has walked just three in 26 innings in his five starts since being called up, but has allowed seven homers.

Seattle will counter with Felix Hernandez (3-3, 5.04 ERA), who makes his fourth start since coming off the DL on June 23. The longtime ace, who entered the season with a career 3.16 ERA, is 1-1 with has a 5.50 ERA since return after missing almost two months with right shoulder inflammation.

Seattle infielder Shawn OMalley (recovering appendix surgery) made his first two rehab appearances in the Arizona rookie league, both times in the leadoff spot as DH. He went 2 for 2 on Friday with a triple, and three walks. OMalley had one hit in three at-bats Saturday with an RBI.

Oakland catcher Josh Phegley was reinstated from the paternity list after missing three games. Catcher Ryan Lavarnway, who was called up from Nashville on Wednesday, was designated for assignment.

More MLB articles

View original post here:

Andrew Moore's ascension keeps his mom on the edge of her seat - The Register-Guard

Ascension Parish is about to receive a big batch of federal reimbursement dollars for money it shelled out for debris removal from the August flood.

U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., informed Parish President Kenny Matassa Thursday that the parish was about to receive $5.9 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Ken Dawson, parish chief administrative officer, told the Parish Council Thursday night about Matassas telephone conversation with Kennedy earlier in the day regarding the coming reimbursement dollars.

Were all very happy about that, that at least were getting some moneys back for all the moneys that were expended to assist the residents of Ascension," Dawson said. "It doesnt mean that is everything, but that at least has been released and we can put it back into the general fund."

In all, $9.02 million has been spent on debris removal for which the parish is seeking 90 percent reimbursement from FEMA, according to a tally by the parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.

We should be getting more, Dawson later told a council member who asked if more funds were expected from FEMA.

Council Chairman Bill Dawson said the first batch of FEMA dollars amount to a 92 percent reimbursement on $6.4 million in debris removal costs.

Parish officials are currently making final debris removal pass that they expect will not be eligible for reimbursement. The cost to the parish of the final pickup is expected to be about $165,000.

Follow David J. Mitchell on Twitter, @NewsieDave.

See original here:

Ascension Parish officials notified big federal check on its way for flood debris removal costs - The Advocate

GONZALES A Hammond man whom Ascension Parish prosecutors called a "DWI veteran" was sentenced to 18 years in prison after his conviction for a sixth driving while intoxicated arrest that happened while he was on parole for his fifth DWI, according to court documents.

Dylan E. Hart, 55, 44090 Millie Road,was involved in a minor two-vehicle crash with no injuries July 31, 2015,near the intersection of La. 70 and La. 3120 in Ascension Parish.

A breath-test found Hart had a blood-alcohol content of 0.16 percent, prosecutors with the 23rd Judicial District said in a statement.A blood-alcohol content of 0.08 percent is considered presumptive evidence of drunken driving in Louisiana.

A state district judge sentenced Hart to a 12-year prison sentence that came as part of a plea deal with Assistant District Attorney Phil Maples, prosecutors said.

But Hart's new prison sentence will be added to the remaining, unserved six years that he was sentenced to in 2011 for a fifth DWI conviction in Tangipahoa Parish, according to court documents.

Hart was given an eight-year prison sentence but six years were suspended, according to the court. He served the two-year sentence in an in-home incarceration and was ordered to participate in driver improvement and substance abuse programs.

In handing down the latest sentence for Hart last week, state Judge Thomas Kliebert Jr. of the 23rd Judicial District Court ordered that the six-year sentence from the 2011 conviction was to be served consecutively with the 12-year sentence.

Kliebert issued written reasons.

The judge noted Hart's history of crimes involving substance abuse and that he had been on parole at the time of his arrest in July 2015.

"The Court also notes that the defendant has been afforded the opportunity of rehabilitation and substance abuse assistance while on active probation on at least three occasions, failed to fully utilize the resources available to him, and continued to involve himself with substance abuse and operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated in total disregard of our laws," Kliebert wrote.

In addition to the prison time and other conditions, Kliebert also fined Hart $5,000.

Hart agreed to the plea deal March 13 after the judge planned to allow prosecutors to introduce at trial his five previous DWI convictions in Tangipahoa Parish going back to 2003, according to court documents.

Follow David J. Mitchell on Twitter, @NewsieDave.

Originally posted here:

Sixth DWI conviction for Hammond man in Ascension results in nearly two decades of prison time - The Advocate

GREEN BAY As underdog training-camp narratives go, Joe Callahans improbable run for a spot on the Green Bay Packers 53-man roster last summer has to rank among the more compelling since the teams renaissance began 25 years ago.

While there have been plenty of other out-of-nowhere stories cornerback Tramon Williams 2007 ascension is up there, too and other longshots who earned their keep with unexpectedly impressive preseason performances, Callahan was supposed to be little more than a camp arm last year.

Coach Mike McCarthy had decided to limit two-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers preseason snaps, and hed earmarked the extra exhibition playing time for young backup Brett Hundley not some 6-foot-nothin, Division III unknown.

But when an ankle injury limited Hundley to just seven preseason passes, Callahan shined so much so that McCarthy was telling everyone by camps end how Callahan had earned a spot on the team as the No. 3 quarterback. (How the hell does he not make the team? McCarthy asked rhetorically and forcefully after Callahan made it). And more than a few longtime observers couldnt help but see some Brett Favre-ian improv in the kids game.

A year later, Callahan is preparing for his second NFL training camp the Packers first practice is in three weeks, on July 27 with an eye on being more than just a heartwarming story going forward.

I still have to prove myself, Callahan said during organized team activity practices last month. I need to show how much Ive improved.

Callahan did just that during the spring quarterback school and OTA practices, and itll be interesting to see how good the Packers feel about Callahan if Hundley puts together an impressive enough preseason to attract trade suitors. It seems unlikely theyd turn the No. 2 job over to him if they moved Hundley when Hundley started drawing interest during the April NFL Draft, the Packers reportedly were planning to bring in a veteran to replace him but after what Callahan did last year, who can bet against him?

To know where he came from, trying just to get somebody to look at him, to see him go from there to where he finished and what he did, for me, knowing Joe personally, it was awesome, Hundley said. Knowing it was my playing time, its frustrating to a point. But its also intriguing to me when you can see somebody grow from where he started to where he finished. That was awesome.

As much as the Packers liked Callahan, they actually bid him adieu last Oct. 13 when injuries forced them to shuffle the roster. The team waived him with the intention of signing him to the practice squad when he went unclaimed, and McCarthy, who didnt want Callahan cut to begin with, was livid when the New Orleans Saints claimed his pet project.

Callahan spent just over a week with the Saints before being released, but then the Cleveland Browns claimed him and kept him on their 53-man roster for more than a month before cutting him on Nov. 29.

The Packers finally got him back on the practice squad on Dec. 2, then promoted him onto the 53-man roster again on Dec. 17, keeping him there through the end of the year.

As well as Callahan played last summer he completed 54 of 88 passes (61.4 percent) for 499 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions (88.2 rating) he was playing mostly on the instinct and play-making knack he showed in college at Wesley College in Dover, Del. As a three-year starter for the Wolverines, Callahan went 33-7 and threw for 12,852 yards and 130 touchdowns, including 5,068 yards and 55 touchdowns in 2015, when he won the Gagliardi Trophy, the Division III equivalent of the Heisman Trophy.

Scrambling and making something out of nothing was a key part of Callahans college production, and the Packers coaches like that aspect of his game. But the next step is for him to make more plays while doing so within the framework of the offense.

Thats a big part of it. Second year, you can go through any read in the offense and hell spit the read right out to you. So hes picking it up, quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt said. He just has to continue to do what hes doing.

Hes growing. His footwork has gotten a lot better, his understanding of the offense has gotten better in his second year. Just continue to do that and then show it in the preseason when he gets to play.

Originally posted here:

Green Bay Packers: Joe Callahan continues ascension at QB - Chippewa Herald

Ascension Parish has miles and miles of state and federal highways, but they are both a blessing and a curse.

Because for every Airline Highway and I-10, there are dozens of narrow, two-lane state highways. It's hard to get funding to make repairs or widen the roads, yet they continue to sprout with new homes in this fast-growing parish.

At the same time, some Ascension residents are unwilling to use local tax revenue to upgrade what they see as the states responsibility.

State Sen. Eddie Lambert, R-Prairieville, has pushed the past several years for funds to improve two-lane La. 42, a major commuter corridor through Prairieville, and La. 930. The latter is a narrow, winding off-shoot from La. 42 that serves bus traffic from Prairieville Middle School, but only barely.

Earlier this year, the state Bond Commission approved more than $21 million in construction funding from an earlier budget cycle to widen nearly four miles of La. 42 to four and five lanes.

The apparent low-bidder has been recommended for award, a DOTD spokesman said. After the award, work could start on the $27.5 million construction job in three to four months.

But, $7.56 million targeted to do the La. 930 project was one of 36 line-item vetoes from the governor.

The project, which would improve safety by widening existing lanes, adding shoulders and realigning a curve, was at the very top of Gov. John Bel Edwards recent veto message.

When asked Friday if the line-item veto was payback for Republican resistance to Edwards budget plans or simply finding a way to save money, Lambert responded, Probably a little bit of both.

Lambert supported Edwards budget, and he said the Governors Office thanked him for the vote. He noted that while La. 930 was chopped, another, smaller intersection project in his district survived the veto.

The failure of efforts to boost state aid for roads and bridges means key projects statewide

But his Ascension colleague, State Rep. Tony Bacala, R-Prairieville, opposed the final budget bill and was among the toughest budget hawks in the House. La. 930 is in both mens districts. Bacala could not be reached for comment Friday on the veto.

Rodney Mallett, DOTD spokesman, said La. 930, which still needs utilities moved before construction can start, is on hold as the state addresses a growing list of statewide needs with diminishing funds.

Mallett said La. 42 was considered a higher priority for construction funding than La. 930. He also pointed out the state has recently awarded a $72 million contract to widen I-10 from Highland Road to La. 73 in Prairieville.

Lambert said DOTD is pushing to have the parish take responsibility for La. 930 through a state exchange program. It would lead to one-time state upgrades before the highway is handed over to the parish. Lambert said he would keep pursuing state funding anyway.

Ima just keep bugging them, he said.

Follow David J. Mitchell on Twitter, @NewsieDave.

See the original post here:

Politics in play? Road construction project in Ascension Parish vetoed by Gov. John Bel Edwards - The Advocate

The nine dancers who signed up for Dancing for a Cause are fine-tuning their dance steps and making the last-minute adjustments to their costumes.

They'll bring their sambas, jives and rumbas to the stage 7 p.m. Saturday at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center 4-H Building.

The event raises money for the Arc of East Ascension, a nonprofit that provides services for disabled residents in the parish.

The Arc Executive Director Norma Dukes said the dancers have worked hard to prepare a great show.

"We want to encourage people to come out and see for themselves, said event organizer Sharon Morris. "It's all about fun and supporting the Arc of East Ascension.

Dancing for a Cause is modeled after the hit ABC show "Dancing with the Stars."

The lineup includes Jackie Baumann, chief engineer with the city of Gonzales; Trevor Gautreaux, assistant vice president and branch manager of Neighbors FCU; Jackie Tisdell, public information officer for Ascension Parish public schools; Terri Kaaihue, a community liaison with Life Source Hospice; Tasheba York Leblanc, owner and manager of Triple Threat Dance Studio; Cheryl Mercedes, WAFB anchor; Malcolm Carter, plant manager at The Scotts Company; Craig A. Stevens, owner of Genesis 360 Construction; and Louis LeFebvre III, dentist and owner of Main Street Dental Care.

Ascension Clerk of Court Bridget Hannah and Ascension schools Superintendent David Alexander will emcee the fundraiser. Sheriff Jeff Wiley is the honorary chairman.

Special performances will be provided by Center Stage Performing Arts Academy, Triple Threat Dance studio and by dancers from the Arc.

The doors open at 6 p.m., and the show starts at 7 p.m.

It's not too late to pick up tickets. Tickets are $30 in advance at the Arc's office, 1122 S.E. Ascension Complex Blvd., Gonzales. Call (225) 621-2000. Tickets will be available at the door for $35 and VIP seats are $75 in advance and $80 at the door.

Read the original here:

Dancers prepare to shake it for a purpose - The Advocate

A media campaign launched by Ascension public schools and Capital Area Human Services is raising awareness of prescription drug abuse among teens.

Lock Your Meds is part of a national campaign including posters, a parent brochure, a public service announcement for radio and television and social media ads, a news release said. Local pharmacies and doctors offices are participating in the campaign, created by the National Family Partnership.

National data indicates 6.5 million people age 12 and older have abused prescription drugs, and 66 percent of youths older than 12 who abuse such drugs obtain them from friends and family, a news release said.

"Our latest data shows 4 percent of 10th-graders and 6 percent of 12th-graders in Ascension Parish admitted to abusing prescription drugs. It is even happening to 1 percent of sixth-graders right here in our community," Ascension public schools Superintendent David Alexander said. "The goal of this campaign is to bring awareness to parents and guardians about this problem and to encourage them to limit access to prescription drugs in their homes."

Learn more about the campaign and download materials at apsb.org/page/lock-your-meds. Those interested in partnering with Ascension Public Schools on the campaign can call Coordinator of Student Services Linda Lamendola at (225) 391-7272.

Read the original here:

Lock Your Meds campaign combats prescription abuse among youths - The Advocate

Gauthier & Amedee loses to Southland 2-0

In American Legion baseball, Gauthier & Amedee lost a hard-fought game to the Houma-based squad 2-0. The loss to the Southland Hogs forces the Wombats to compete in this weeks eight-team Southeast Regional at Kirsch Rooney Stadium in New Orleans. The top two teams from this regional will return to Kirsch Rooney the following week to compete in the American Legion state tournament.

Gauthier & Amedee (17-4-1) and Southland (11-4) finished district play with 3-3 records against each other that forced a winner-take-all contest with very similar results as the regular season. The game pitted G&As Dwain Guice, of St. Amant, against Southlands Gabe Gravois, of E.D. White. The two pitchers were locked in a scoreless pitchers duel throughout five innings.

Gravois only allowed three base runners until the bottom of the fifth inning. The Wombats Preston Thrash, of East Ascension, lined a single to left field and Dutchtowns Cameron Crawford followed with a two-out single. Southland went to their bullpen and Blake Freeman came in and struck out EAs Noah Fontenot to end the inning.

The Hogs took advantage of a fielding error in the top of the sixth inning to score their two runs. A sacrifice bunt was successful and intentional walk by the Wombats put runners on first and second. The next pitch was a wild pitch that moved the runners to second and third base. Gravois (2 for 3) used his bat as well as his arm and stroked a two-run single up the middle just out of the reach of a diving Thrash with the infield playing in.

Donaldsonvilles 9-and-under Cal Ripken All Stars went on another tear and captured the state championship last weekend in St. Charles. Donaldsonville went 4-0 in the tournament and previously won the district tourney without a loss and stayed unbeaten during tournament play.

Donaldsonville scorched East Feliciana 16-2 in the finals and outscored its opponents 54-15 in the four games they played in the tournament. Donaldsonville last won the 9-and-under state championship in 2011.

Donaldsonville's Camille LeBoeuf was selected the state MVP. Congratulations to the players and coaches on a successful season. Special thanks to the parents and fans for their support during the season.

When I think back to my teen days, the words surfs up first make me think of folks on the West Coast, especially California, heading to the beach to catch some waves. The Beach Boys come to mind as well. Heck, they own nine of the top 100 surfing songs, including the all-time No. 1 hit, Surf City.

One of my favorite animated movies from 2007 is Surfs Up featuring Cody Maverick, a 17-year-old rock hopper penguin who has wanted to be a professional surfer ever since a visit from surf legend Zeke "Big Z" Topanga when he was a young teen. He entered a surfing competition that was held in Hawaii.

But really, when I hear the word surf, it brings an instant photo to my mind of the beach down at Grand Isle or Elmers Island. Clear and calm waters teeming with speckled trout, redfish, white trout and lots of unexpected species lures the angler who is not faint of heart.

With a little preparation and information one could enjoy a morning doing a little wade fishing, enjoying the outdoors and probably have the opportunity to catch a few fish for dinner. Well help you accomplish this if you read on.

Lets talk preparation first. A fishing license is needed, so if youre a resident or a visitor to Louisiana, visit wlf.louisiana.gov and you can get what you need online. Your feet need protecting, so a good pair of beach shoes is a must. There are inherent dangers anywhere you wade, so the shoes can keep you from a benign crab bite or a medical incident.

The beach is associated with swimsuits and shorts, but I prefer using long pants while wade fishing to protect my legs from incidental contact with gulf creatures. That is a personal preference. But pockets go a long way in bringing extra tackle with you. Too many trips back to the bank gets tiring and cuts down on fishing time.

A fishing shirt with pockets serves the same purpose as the pants: some protection and more storage in the pockets. Short sleeves are fine. Head cover is important as well, so anything from a ball cap to a wide-brim fishing hat will do. An enterprising angler will hang a few top water baits on the hats to add to their tackle package. Sunscreen all exposed skin; the water magnifies the suns rays, and theres no need to come out of the water cooked.

Now that were dressed for the occasion, lets get to the tools of war. Keep everything as simple as you can.

A medium spinning rod with a spinning reel and 12- to 15-pound test monofilament line is a good choice for the novice or less-experienced angler. Its easy to cast and will work in windy conditions. A bait caster is fine for the experienced angler and affords more accurate casts, although thats not usually a factor while fishing in open water.

Live or natural bait seems like a good tactic, and using it does offer some advantages to the range and amount of fish you catch. To me, the pitfalls outweigh the advantages. Live bait has to be kept alive. Floating bait buckets are readily available and reasonably priced, but keeping the shrimp, minnows or croakers alive is not so easy. You end up with lots of dead bait and some of it jumps out of your hand, gets away and the fish get a free meal.

Natural bait or dead bait (bait shrimp is the most popular) attracts many trash fish. Among them are hard head catfish that have poison in their fins and usually ends up in a hospital visit if you get stuck with one while trying to remove the fish and release it. The risk is just not worth it.

Artificial bait is the way I like to go. There are a lot fewer complications involved with this route in execution for wade fishing in the surf. The choice of types is a somewhat different matter, so well keep it as simple as we can.

Top water is one of my favorite methods to catch any fish. If youre making an early morning trip, theres no better way to get started than trying them on top. Get there right at daybreak to start your fishing before you even step into the water. Big specks like to hug the shore before sunrise to feast on the bait fish thats in the shallows.

The simplest rig that will be easy to cast, change lures and easy to remove the hook from the fish is a lead head jig. A 3/16- or 1/4-ounce, unpainted head is the best size to use and the range of plastic baits that you can fish with in almost unending.

Cocahoe minnows and sparkle beetles are the most popular.

Basic colors should be determined by water clarity. If the water is dingy, dark colors with a chartreuse tail will usually work the best. Black, purple or dark blue will work well under those conditions. As the water gets clearer, change to a color that is a little more translucent (see through) like avocado, smoke or glow.

The new, modern colors that are popular cant be figured out by name but they work. Electric chicken, new penny, opening night, chicken on a chain, blue moon, lemon/lime I guess you get the picture.

OK, weve gotten the right tackle, made a cast, and we got a feisty speckled trout on the end of the line. Hes shaking his head, trying to throw the hook. Im in the water, hes in the water how am I going to land it, and what will I do if I get it off the hook?

Holding the rod in one hand, then grabbing the fish with the other (which Ive tried) usually ends up with about a 98 percent loss rate. Invest in a reasonably priced trout net with a clip that attaches to a belt loop and has a retractable lanyard. You can stretch it out, dip the fish and it returns to your side for the next victim. Pliers are a must, as well. Removal of the hook or hooks will be impossible without them 50 percent of the time.

Long stringers with a float on one end are an option to store the fish until a trip to the shore is needed to ice them down. The only problem with this is fish dangling in the water that a fish a little farther up the food chain can find them and try to eat. My preference is a floating basket that has a long rope that can be attached to a belt loop. This results in less opportunity for other stuff to eat your catch.

South Louisiana offers three spots to wade fish without having a boat. All are located off of La. 1 South. Port Fourchon is the first spot on that route. It is not as easily accessed as the other two but that might afford a less crowded spot.

Next down the line is Elmers Island. This one is a state-owned land that is easily accessed by vehicle. Unless theres been some untimely weather, one could drive down the beach and pick your spot. Grand Isle is just down the road: 7 miles of well-kept beach with a state park at the end of the road.

I know this is a lot of information to take in and process, but this is it in a nutshell. Take one rod and reel youre comfortable with, a floating basket, a retractable lanyard net, a top water bait or two, a few jug heads and some plastic baits in assorted colors and youll be set for a great experience wading with the fish. It just doesnt get any better than that.

Lyle Johnson, a writer and host of the Ascension Outdoors cable TV show, covers sports and the outdoors for The Ascension Advocate. He can be contacted at reelman@eatel.net or ascension@theadvocate.com.

Read more:

Ascension Athletics for July 6, 2017 - The Advocate

Volunteer Ascensions 20th annual School Tools Drive kicks off July 14 with the Corporate Challenge.

All parish businesses, industry, organizations and local municipalities are challenged to collect and drop off school supplies or donations at the school bus in the EATEL Corp. parking lot at 406 E. Worthey Road in Gonzales from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 14.

Community members can drop off school supplies in Volunteer Ascension boxes in front of the Gonzales and Donaldsonville Walmart stores from 8 a.m. to noon July 15.

Each year, we are amazed at the way our community comes together to make this program such a huge success," said Sherry Denig, executive director of Volunteer Ascension. Its so heartwarming to even see young children placing bags of school supplies in a collection barrel. Even at their tender age, they get how important it is to help others.

Visit http://bit.ly/2u4CqWh for details and a list of needed school supplies. Donations can be made at http://bit.ly/1JxNh0v.

View original post here:

Corporate Challenge on July 14 kicks off 20th annual Volunteer Ascension School Tools Drive - The Advocate

The healthcare sector is experiencing a pretty dramatic transformation. Healthcare reform, financing and reimbursement, and a trend toward consumerism are all shaping the way providers interact with consumers. Digitally driven consumers have inspired us to rethink the way we communicate and deliver care.

As we look to the future of healthcare marketing, the most notable transformation is the expansion of consumer options. Now more than ever, consumers have instant access to unlimited information about their choices, which heightens their expectations of us and our providers. As part of a national healthcare organization, Ascension is collaborating across our sites of care to provide responsive solutions and exceed our consumers expectations.

In the provider space, our research shows that patients value the services we provide both inside and outside our facilities. We are delivering care through processes that are digital, analytical and data-driven. From a marketing perspective, we are messaging to consumers where they are to achieve targeted, intentional and measurable results.

RELATED:Lessons from the Oscars about marketing to patients

As we inform communities of our services, we must deliver the right message to the right person at the right time. We are using grassroots research to develop predictive analytics to fully understand the populations we serve and anticipate their needs before they walk through our door. This approach considers more than just brand awareness, how providers have historically marketed their services. This change pushes us to think bigger than billboard and newspaper adswe have to be visible and available to our patients even before they need us.

As we work to prioritize digital access points, we recognize the importance of collaboration. In the past, each Ascension marketing team operated independently from one other with their own creative design, media buying, digital and social media functions. In this format, it was challenging to compare data across markets. We were missing the benefits of streamlined analytics to provide insight into whats working.

We have come together as one marketing community to support our clinical and operational integration. Throughout our One Ascension Journey, we are sharing best practices across our markets, and strengthening our brand connection and awareness nationwide. Collaboration and integration across markets includes establishing partnerships to standardize our approach. Weve implemented one CRM tool across all of our systems, and were in the process of redesigning our websites on one content management platform. This consolidation of resources creates a more consistent experience for users accessing our web entry points and allows for uniform data analysis.

Andwere putting even more resources together to better understand our consumers. We built consumer research focus groups to identify the variables that drive patients to our care sites. As a system, we needed to take off our marketing and clinical hats and see our hospitals through the consumer lens, specific to each market. The research spoke volumes. Patients appreciate that our providers are engaged and dont just diagnosethey listen, too. The populations we serve value physician dialogue to create a personalized care plan.

Were excited to be running our first-ever national campaign focused on primary care. Based on consumer insight, we created our campaign to hone in on how our caregivers take the time to understand you as a whole personnot you as a patient. We know our patients are multifaceted, and their healthcare needs are not one-dimensional. Youll see this theme in our new campaign.

This is an entirely new approach that we wouldnt have considered a few years ago, but were evolving in response to the dynamic needs of consumers in the digital age. Our shift from traditional marketing tactics to digital, data-driven strategies is proving successful, and were excited to continue developing this new marketing model.

Nick RagoneEsq. is senior vice president and chief marketing and communications officer for Ascension, the nations largest nonprofit health system and the worlds largest Catholic health system.

See more here:

Hospital Impact: How Ascension is embracing the future of healthcare marketing - FierceHealthcare

BBC News

Ascension Islanders left stranded after RAF halts flights - BBC News BBC News Ascension Island, home to around 800 people, is even more cut off than it used to be after weekly flights linking the island to the UK were stopped - due to a ... Residents of Ascension Island speak out over closure of island's ...BBC News all 2 news articles »

See the original post here:

Ascension Islanders left stranded after RAF halts flights - BBC News - BBC News

LAKE Louis Normand and John Paul Taylor used shovels to dig into the muck around bridge piles underneath Summerfield Road as traffic passed overhead in northeastern Ascension Parish.

The contractors with Durable Piling Restoration of Marksville were recently preparing to cut out and replace parts of the timber piles and do other foundation work to the two bridges that are the only way through a lowland forest and into the Summerfield subdivision along the Amite River.

The repair job, which is now nearing completion, involved two of the 19 bridges that Ascension Parish government has repaired or replaced since Parish President Kenny Matassa took office in January 2016, a parish government spokesman said.

The state Department of Transportation and Development has been busy with its own bridge repairs in the parish as well, and wrapped up emergency repairs to a bridge on La. 933 in the St. Amant area Thursday, a department spokesman said.

Ascension has 136 bridges on parish roads and another 132 bridges on state highways, and it seems every few weeks parish or state officials are announcing partial or complete bridge closures sometimes of the emergency variety, as was the work on the Summerfield Road and La. 933 bridges.

But parish and state officials said the 2016 flood in the Amite River Basin, which inundated large swaths of East Ascension Parish, did not directly damage bridges in the parish. Some officials, however, think the high water may have indirectly helped bring about the recent round of repairs.

Bill Roux, parish public works director, said last year's floodwater washed out parts of the earthen bases around some bridges and revealed rot among many of the parish's timber bridges that inspectors spotted later.

"It exposed a condition that we couldn't see before because it was all covered, and that is what the DOTD is seeing now in inspection. They said, 'Oh, wait, this is bad,'" Roux said.

Rodney Mallett, DOTD spokesman, said though the agency does its biennial inspections in odd-numbered years, the agency has issued six letters to the parish since the start of 2016 for bridgeson parish roads that needed repair. In addition to those six bridges, a seventh parish bridge was closed but has been repaired and reopened, according to a DOTD tally from early June.

More recently, DOTD also closed the La. 933bridge about one-tenth of a mile west of Joe Sevario Road on June 19. A routine inspection found large empty spaces under both of the bridge's approach slabs, Mallett said. Earth should have been where the voids were found under the bridge approaches.

Kyle Gautreau, parish government spokesman, said that since the start of 2016, the parish has spent more than $830,000 on bridge work, not including the Summerfield job. While some of that work was minor, like guard rail repairs, $483,000 was spent to replace or upgrade eight bridges. The parish often replaced old timber bridges with large concrete box culverts that had new roads laid on top of them.

Four more timber bridges weren't replaced with culverts but had supporting wooden piles replaced at a cost of an additional $312,000, Gautreau said. Once finished, the Summerfield bridges will bring that number to six, though total cost figures weren't immediately available.

Peter DeCuir, vice president and chief operating officer of Durable Piling, said DOTD and local governments often choose his services because his company can work on bridges without bridge closures, as his company was able to do on Summerfield Road, maintaining the only access route to homes in the area.

On Summerfield's bridges, DeCuir's workers cut out the damaged portion of piles, nine on one bridge and 11 on another, and replaced them with a composite material using epoxy and Kevlar.

"And it's never going to rot," DeCuir said.

The Summerfield job became more involved than first planned, though, as more damage was discovered. In addition to piles, workers had to fill in voids under some of those bridges' approaches.

DeCuir said the job is nearly complete despite delays from recent heavy rains. He said Thursday that he is waiting on water levels to drop again so he can finish protecting one of the bridge's foundations with concrete.

It appears Summerfield Road won't be the end of Durable Piling's time in Ascension Parish, though. At Roux's urging in early June, the East Ascension drainage board agreed to increase funding to Durable Piling from a maximum of $275,000 to up to $400,000 for some additional emergency repairs to Summerfield Road and for expected repairs to other damaged bridges.

"We do have other bridges that (are) coming on line with some problems we're discovering," Roux told the board, "and I want to increase it to $400,000 to make sure I have enough to take care of those things."

Follow David J. Mitchell on Twitter, @NewsieDave.

See the article here:

Flood of 2016 exposed lingering damage to Ascension bridges; repairs continue - The Advocate

Nine 9- to 14-year-old members of the Ascension Parish 4-H Club competed this past weekend at the Daisy National BB Gun Championship Match in Rogers, Arkansas.

The sharpshooters were the first team from Ascension Parish to make it to the national level for the shooting contest.

Before leaving for the event, 12-year-old Aidan Cole, of Prairieville, said, "I'm hoping to shoot the best I can. The shooting is what I look forward to the most."

To qualify, each team must have competed in the Daisy Shooting Education Program and be sponsored by an organization with adult leadership, such as 4-H.

The team competition, held at the John Q. Hammons Convention Center, started Friday and ended Monday.

The team with the overall highest score won the competition.

The Ascension 4-H group was one of three Louisiana teams competing, according to coach Jodi Daigle. The other two teams are from St. James and Franklin parishes.

James Daigle, 14, of Gonzales said he was proud to represent Ascension and Ascension 4-H shooting sports.

Jodi Daigle said the competition consists of a written exam. Then they shoot from four different positions: prone (laying down), standing, sitting and kneeling.

The team has been preparing since winning the state regionals in April.

Teams must have had at least eight hours of practice in order to compete in the national competition.

Jodi Daigle said during practice the team learns firearm safety, fundamentals of shooting in different positions, as well as Daisy rules and curriculum.

Katie Swanson, 11, from Prairieville, said, she liked learning about the safety of the guns and how to handle them. The club provided her with a chance to make new friends.

Parent Michelle Swanson said the weekend also included a grand opening ceremony, T-shirt competition and a Barter Bar area.

The Ascension 4-H Club swapped Louisiana-related trinkets with other teams across the country.

"This has all been amazing," Michelle Swanson said. "We couldn't be prouder of them. It really gives them a lot of confidence."

"They learn to focus on the next shot," Swanson added. "They can't stop and dwell on the past shot. They are really just competing against themselves. Each time they are hoping to get better."

Jaxon Swanson, 13, of Prairieville said, "We hope it brings attention to our team so we have more kids sign up in 4-H. The championship helps promote 4-H."

Along with paying out-of-pocket, the team raised money for competition expenses through sponsorships and the 4-H Club.

At presstime on Monday morning, the club was placed 25th out of 71 teams.

Here is the original post:

Ascension 4-H'ers take aim at national BB Gun Championship - The Advocate

Oil and Gas Investor (registration)

Ascension Of Saudi King's Son Will Prove Bullish For Oil Markets Oil and Gas Investor (registration) The ascension of Prince Mohammed will likely drive greater regional volatility as the kingdom becomes more likely to enact and remain engaged on his agenda, but not immediately. A rise in regional conflict (specifically with Iran) and a focus on OPEC ... and more »

Read the original:

Ascension Of Saudi King's Son Will Prove Bullish For Oil Markets - Oil and Gas Investor (registration)

I must be willing to give up what I am, in order to become what I will be. - Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

"In one drop of water are found all the secrets of all the oceans; in one aspect of You are found all the aspects of existence." - Kahlil Gilbran

Nothing man-made, not a multitude of books, nor the latest computers and the computers of the future all taken together, can ever encompass even a part of the information contained in a single Man(/Woman). One has only to know how to use it. But to know the Truth, one must have a conscious awareness and purity of thought.

Man is the only creature in the Universe who can live on all planes of existence at once. In their earthly existence most people see themselves only as an earthly, materialised manifestation. But there are those who perceive other levels of being, levels invisible to the material senses.

Prophets who believe in and talk about the end of the world - they themselves are producing mental visualisations of the end of the world. They are motivated not by faith in the Light, in the Love that is God, but by fear. And this fearful scenario is something they are fashioning for themselves." 'The Ringing Cedars of Russia' by Vladimir Megr; Book 2 of The Ringing Cedars Series. See also: Recommended Books/The Ringing Cedars Series

"You are not a soul, you are not a mind, you are not a body. You are the controller of all three." - Yogi Bhajan

True Spirituality

"The soul is going to wake up. It will know every aspect of itself, and every aspect of the souls self will know all of itself at once. You will be aware of all realities at once as you learn to ride the vibrational rate and become fourth dimensional. You are awakening Prime Creators abilities.. Prime Creators goal in creating this universe and all other universes was to develop itself to such an extent, and have so many multidimensional channels of data open, that it - whose consciousness is in all things - could become aware of itself in all things, aware of every event that all things are involved in. You are evolving that ability in yourselves. the knowing is growing, and it is a knowing of what is awakening inside of you. You must be committed all of the time. When these gifts and abilities begin to be firsthand experiences for you, you must learn to work with them no matter what. Begin to know that you are divinely guided and that all events are drawn to you for upliftment, no matter what kind of upheaval they seem to produce in your life. Earth is going through an initiation at this time. You are going through an initiation because you are part of Earth, and you cannot separate yourself from this system. Earth is transforming itself and intending to act as a domino for your solar system. It is intending to merge multiple worlds [dimensions] into one, to be grounded enough to allow all those worlds [dimensions] to exist and to translate the experience. Bringers of the Dawn; Teachings from the Pleiadians, Channelled by Barbara Marciniak

_It's Time To Wake Up - We Are All One

"If quantum mechanics hasn't profoundly shocked you, you haven't understood it yet." ~ Niels Bohr

"Once to every man and nation comes the moment to decide, In the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side; Some great cause, some great decision, offering each the bloom or blight, And the choice goes by forever, twixt that darkness and that Light." - James Lowell, 1845

Abraham Hicks : Empowering Inspiring video message

Esther Hicks channels 'Abraham' in one of the most inspirational scenes depicting 'The Law of Attraction'. Video includes Esther Hicks and Micheal Beckwith and many deleted scenes from Rhonda Byrne's film 'The Secret'.

The Secret Teachings of All Ages, Manley P Hall

Spiritual 4th, 5th and 6th Dimensionality

"It's not important that you know everything .... just the important things." - Miguel de Unamuno

St. Germain - Earth Birth Changes "It is nigh unto the ripeness of time indeed, a culmination of eons of time unto the Harvest. The time is Now... The rapture will allow you to perceive fourth density... therefore third density will no longer be able to perceive you, for you will be simultaneously existing, co-existing in the same space/time, but merely not perceived, because it is of a different frequency. The year 2012 of your time is the apex of it. It is a convergence point into unlimitedness.... Cycles - there are cycles within cycles within cycles. There are many, many, many different cycles that are culminating in this Now. The reason for the focus on planet Earth, and for all the galactic confederations coming forth unto this area of your solar system, is because the universe is in the shifting of densities.... it is also occurring to the astral body of Earth, the etheric body of Earth, and the soul body of Earth. These particular dates (2012) are all shifting, because consciousness is shifting all the time. It is a flux. It appears that it is somewhere between 2010 and 2013 of your Now..and when fourth density or super-consciousness comes upon the planet, it will not be perceiving third density and third density will not be perceiving fourth density, for they will be different dimensions then. Now they are co-existent dimensions, and when super-consciousness prevails, the shift will occur and that is called a rapture. In many references your Harvest is your fourth density transformation, your ascension. Some would call it rapture."

Welcome to 'Ascension Now'!

The spiritual graduation of Humanity will be very exciting and challenging: together we will explore new possibilities and opportunities. Light = Information, and Information is the key to understanding what is happening.

Divine Love, Light, peace and healing to all From Spirit and Messenger Spirit

This is information to which I have been guided by Spirit over the course of several years, and Spirit have asked me to bring it all together in one place for others who seek the Truth. You will feel in your heart whether it resonates with you.

We are not our physical bodies, we are spiritual beings, individuated expressions of the One Infinite Creator whose Conscious Awareness is now awakening in the Human family. It is time to remember Who We Are and to rise to our full potential. As fully-awakened Humans - the 'rainbow bridge' between Spirit and matter - we have a very important role to play in the Universe.

Divine Love, Light, peace and healing Messenger Spirit

Few consciously remember The path we chose in life. But time will show our destiny As every thought and deed Unfolds the story deep within. A story written long ago, In realms beyond our earthly reach, Of aims and aspirations For the Highest Good of All. With Spirits help and guidance And the love of those around us This time of revelation Will unveil our lives true goal. We came to help The raising of Mother Earths vibration, And the lifting of Humanity To higher realms of Light. As waves of Higher Love and Light Sweep through the Solar System, Vibrations rise And Mother Earth Expands her consciousness. Humanity awakens In the presence of Divinity, Awakens to Divinity within. Always present, dormant , waiting . For Humanitys remembrance Of our origin in Light. A new dawn awaits us; Is now within our grasp. Reach out and touch it ..

From Spirit, through Messenger Spirit

Abraham Hicks : 2012 and Beyond

Esther doesn't use the word "channeling" to describe her process, but understands if others do. For more information, please view our YouTube video entitled "Abraham Explains Who They Are", or go to http://www.abraham-hicks.com and listen to the audio entitled "Introduction To Abraham".

In this unique time in the universe when all experiencing is being accelerated, souls have been given the unprecedented opportunity to evolve out of third densitys low vibrations and physically accompany Earth into higher energy planes.

Spirit teacher Matthew Ward

Ra : Acceleration towards the Law of One

The Good Remembering, Llyn Roberts (see 'Recommended Books')

A Love That Is You

The Family of Jacob / Elohei Yaakov Website: http://www.youtube.com/colorfulteardrops / http://www.facebook.com/Loveis Brian Baruch is a conscious channeller for the "Family of Jacob". The "Family of Jacob" (Elohei Yaakov) is an inter-dimensional collective consciousness that resonates a central frequency of the united essence of All Source.

Over the ages the "Family of Jacob" have been known by many names; the higher central Sun, Tiferet, the personage of Divine as Father, the Egyptian All recognizing collective consciousness called "Ra", the Hindu Lord Vishnu, the cosmic consciousness of All Life, the Christian Trinity, the biblical archetype of the patriarch "Jacob" who coalesced All through frequencies of "merciful healing" and recognizing "truth". These are some incarnations of this family consciousness called the "Family of Jacob", and there have been many more.

Splinters of this collective consciousness are incarnated in almost every generation along the earthly tier, other aspects of this collective are ascended (angelic) intelligences that never spent time along the earthly tier, or have resonated their key resonance of truth in many other worlds and dimensions.

They offer a "bird's eye view" of true reality, and share a message of the Higher Love and compassionate healing; revealing dignity for the individual, a deep compassion and reverence for the collective; the majestic "music" from behind the veil - the coalescing of All That Is. Their sacred message carries a profound cadence that leads to the abstract co-ordinates for ascension into the fullness of inter-dimensional "wholeness".

The "Family of Jacob" explain how this game of duality consciousness is designed to help angels and imprisoned intelligences ascend to higher dimensions of intimacy with All Source by resonating All Source's intrinsic frequency of unconditional love and unity along the earthly tier.

Similar to Esther Hicks' channelled collective consciousness "Abraham" who sends the beacon of co-ordinates of creation's "Is" through the frequencies of "loving kindness" and "bountifulness", the "Family of Jacob" resonate the co-ordinates of "truth", "merciful healing" and "true (unconditional) love" to direct All how to embrace their crowns of ascension to freely reside in the dimension of the "higher central Sun" with intimacy and gratitude in All That Is.

Excerpt from:

Ascension Now

GONZALES A local health clinic born eight years ago in a partnership between St. Elizabeth Hospital in Gonzales and the Ascension Parish government has doubled its space to better serve residents who don't have health insurance.

Former office space in the Ascension Parish Health Unit off Worthey Road in Gonzales has been converted to a reception area, four patient exam rooms previously there were only two and a larger lab for medical testing for the St. Elizabeth Community Clinic that's been housed at the parish health unit since 2009.

"They love it, they absolutely love it," Paula Julian, nurse practitioner, said of her patients' appreciation of the new space.

Julian and another nurse practitioner, Kristin Martin, rotate to see patients at the community clinic on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The medical director for the St. Elizabeth Community Clinic is Dr. James D'Antoni.

The Ascension Parish Health Unit offers residents immunizations; pregnancy testing; family planning services; nutritional services for women, infants and children; and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases.

The St. Elizabeth Community Clinic there offers routine treatment, on a sliding-scale fee basis, for uninsured parish residents, ages 10 and up, with common short-term health problems or long-lasting illnesses that can be managed on an outpatient basis.

The health unit sees about 2,500 patients each month, and the community clinic each month sees about 200 patients, many of them the working poor without public or private insurance, said Kyle Gautreau, communications director for the parish government.

The ability of medical staff in the parish health unit and in the community clinic "to refer folks (to practitioners) literally across the hall from each other is the beauty of the partnership," Gautreau said.

Another resource, the Ascension Parish Counseling Center, is adjacent to the Parish Health Unit. Under the umbrella of the health unit, the center offers individual and group counseling and treatment for addictive disorders.

The parish paid for the recent renovations of the St. Elizabeth Community Clinic, with parish employees doing much of the work, said Parish President Kenny Matassa, who was director of the parish health unit before he was elected parish president in 2015.

"I saw every week the great good done under the partnership between Ascension Parish and St. Elizabeth, and I wanted to see its expansion happen," Matassa said. "The great thing is that I knew we had the capacity to complete most of the work ourselves."

The $25,000 renovation was started in January and completed in June.

St. Elizabeth Hospital, part of the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, which runs Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge and other hospitals is a missions-based hospital, said Jon Hirsch, director of marketing for St. Elizabeth.

"Part of our mission is to serve people who don't have any resources," he said.

Follow Ellyn Couvillion on Twitter, @EllynCouvillion.

See the original post here:

St. Elizabeth clinic for the uninsured gets additional space at Ascension Parish health unit - The Advocate

Chris Kaergard Journal Star political reporter @ChrisKaergardNick Vlahos Journal Star reporter @vlahosnick

For the first time in a long time, central Illinois has a seat at the head of the leadership table in the state Legislature.

That's courtesy of Bill Brady's ascension Friday to the head of the Senate Republican caucus. The Bloomington lawmaker, who has been in the Senate since 2002 and in the Legislature since 1993, succeeds Christine Radogno in the role and has enormous challenges ahead of him.

Previously he'd been a top deputy to Radogno, just as Rep. David Leitch had been a top deputy to his chamber's GOP leader, Jim Durkin. But someone representing our area in the top spot? Those are tough to find in the Legislature or in statewide elective office.

Brady is as well-positioned as anyone for the job, though.

He's more conservative than Radogno. That's a change, but one that will serve him in a caucus that is split between conservatives and more moderate suburbanites. In his years of experience, he has come to recognize politics as the art of the possible inevitably meaning compromises, if hard-fought ones. (His attempt to resurrect the "Grand Bargain" budget deal late in the spring proves it.)

This role is a chance for him to erase the impression many in the GOP have of him as "the guy who lost a totally winnable governor's race to Pat Quinn of all people." But that campaign (and failed quests for the gubernatorial nod in 2006 and 2014) have given him a better idea of the nuances of the state and of Republicans in Illinois than many others in the Legislature. That probably makes him a better leader for them.

Those runs also established him as tireless. One enduring memory we have is of him standing in the freezing cold outside Carver Arena before a Bradley game shaking every last hand as his ears went numb. He's pretty personable, so that probably accounted for a portion of his 193-vote primary victory over Sen. Kirk Dillard.

From our vantage point, he's been a bit on the periphery of Peoria affairs, but omnipresent whenever there were issues or political appearances in Tazewell County. He was a fixture and, we gather, a good resource for Washington during its post-tornado rebuilding efforts (even when that meant he shared the stage with onetime opponent Quinn). And during his statewide runs for office the guy never put on airs. We could still reach him on his cellphone with questions about local matters, even while he was bopping around the vast Land of Lincoln.

Good luck to him. If the last two and a half years are any indication, he'll need it. (C.K.)

She'll be missed

Brady has awful big shoes to fill.

Radogno was instantly recognizable as the adult in the room, someone who fought hard earlier this year to jump-start talks on a budget compromise alongside Senate President John Cullerton, with whom she had a far better rapport than, say, between House Speaker Michael Madigan and House GOP leader Jim Durkin let alone that between Madigan and Gov. Bruce Rauner.

She was knowledgeable during her visits here to speak to the paper's editorial board and got along well with folks more conservative like then-Sen. Darin LaHood, who didn't support her for the leadership position, but still respected her. And she was an independent thinker, something that had to chafe with the growing Rauner influence over lawmakers.

When your shorter columnist covered the Legislature a dozen years ago, Radogno was one of the budget experts for the Senate Republicans. And in her two decades in the chamber she had earned respect and affection across party lines as a straight-shooter, and as someone who understood the fundamentals of the legislative process.

To take but one example, state Rep. Ann Williams a pretty liberal Chicago Democrat noted Thursday on Facebook that "if we had a Christine leading each of our four caucuses, the budget impasse would have been over by now."

It's a pity for all of us that we didn't. (C.K.)

A national reminder of the local

A Bradley University political-science professor wrote an article that appeared last week on the website of a publication better known for its popular-music coverage.

Although not all of Ed Burmilas words might be music to some ears, we can advocate his nonpartisan point, at a minimum.

In The Case for Paying Less Attention to Donald Trump, Burmila suggested the public focus less on the Oval Office and more on state legislatures. That is where much of the policy that affects average Americans is made, he argues.

This being Rolling Stone, of course, Burmilas piece is heavy on gratuitious left-wing spin. It also is laden with apocalyptic rhetoric, which in spades these days comes from both sides of the partisan divide.

Burmila begins by calling Trumps five-month-old administration a disaster. He also suggests the Republicans elected to control the vast majority of governorships and state legislatures are the authors of Neanderthal education policies, ruthless legislative-district gerrymandering and brutal sentencing and policing reforms.

Donald Trump is not the problem with the GOP; he is the symptom of the party's top-to-bottom absence of principles and willingness to manipulate rules, Burmila wrote If progressives focus exclusively on Trump, that makes it easier ... for Republicans at other levels to push their loathsome agenda forward.

Lets set aside the hyperbole and focus on the gist of what Burmila is arguing.

The escapades in Washington, D.C., can be entertaining, certainly. Although the constant Blue-vs.-Red dynamic is better left for a football game.

But as a practical matter, what happens in Springfield is more relevant to Illinoisans than what happens along the Potomac River.

If the public was paying closer attention years ago to what was transpiring in the General Assembly, perhaps Illinois wouldnt be in the midst of a fiscal disaster. And our state is living proof gerrymandering is a bipartisan affliction.

Well take things a few steps further than Burmila did, at least as far as governmental levels are concerned.

Local government might be the most consequential government of all. How many times have you heard Peorians complain about potholes? Or public financing of private development projects? Or substantial increases in property taxes?

Then look at the pathetic voter-turnout rates for recent Peoria municipal elections. The disconnect is obvious. Just because CNN isnt yapping about something 24/7 doesnt mean it isnt important.

In smaller communities, also look at how many seats for city councils and village boards go uncontested or unfilled through the electoral process. Thats dangerous for democracy, not to mention public policy.

Burmilas screed might not appeal to some of our better instincts. But strip the partisan attacks and youll find an important message. All politics is local, after all. (N.V.)

Chris Kaergard (C.K.) covers politics and government. He can be reached at ckaergard@pjstar.com or 686-3255. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisKaergard. Nick Vlahos (N.V.) writes "Nick in the Morning." He can be reached at nvlahos@pjstar.com or 686-3285. Follow him on Twitter @VlahosNick.

Read the original:

Word on the Street: With Bill Brady's ascension, central Illinois picks ... - Peoria Journal Star