Monthly Archives: October 2019

Our Lady of the Lake Ascension will present these community education programs in October.

TOTAL JOINT REPLACEMENT: A free class for people considering knee or hip replacement surgery will be held at 11 a.m. Oct. 28, in the Sister Linda Conference Room at Our Lady of the Lake Ascension, 1125 W. La. 30, Gonzales. Participants will meet Our Lady of the Lake Ascension health professionals who will discuss the whole process,from pre-admission to rehabilitation. To register, call (225)621-2906 or email Diane.Hodges@fmolhs.org.

HEALING ARTS WORKSHOP: A free program on using art toincrease self-awareness, cope with symptoms, and manage stress will be held from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Oct. 22 in the St. Francis Conference Room in Medical Plaza I ofOur Lady of the Lake Ascension, 1125 W. La. 30, Gonzales. To register, call Rachel Mumphrey at (225) 644-1205.

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HEALTH FAIR EXPO: TheCapital Area Agency on Aging will hold its annual Health Fair Expo from 8 a.m. to noon Thursday, Oct. 31, at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center, 9039 S. St. Landry Ave., Gonzales. There will be numerous free health screenings, plus educational materials and handouts. To register, go to http://www.capitalaaa.org.

LIVE WELL ASCENSION:Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center in Gonzales, in conjunction with the Gonzales Area Foundation, is providing free, convenient access to a host of cancer screenings at its Live Well Ascension event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, atJambalaya Park 1015 E. Cornerview St., Gonzales. Cancer screenings will include breast (appointment required), colorectal, oral, prostate and skin, as well as blood pressure and glucose checks. To make an appointment for breast screening, call (225)621-2906 or email Diane.Hodges@fmolhs.org.

GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP: The Grief Recovery Center holds a meeting for people who have experienced loss of any kind at 6 p.m. Thursdays in theSister Linda Conference Room at Our Lady of the Lake Ascension, 1125 W. La. 30, Gonzales. The next meeting will be Oct. 3.

SMOKING CESSATION Louisiana residents who smoked a cigarette before Sept. 1, 1998, are eligible for free medications and group and individual counseling to help them quit, through the Smoking Cessation Trust.Services are provided at Our Lady of the Lake Ascension, Our Lady of the Lake Baton Rouge and Our Lady of the Lake Livingston. Registration is required; to register for the program meeting in theSister Linda Conference Room at Our Lady of the Lake Ascension, 1125 W. La. 30, Gonzales, call (225) 757-2455.

MINDFUL YOGA: The Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center presents free yoga classes for cancer survivors and caregivers at 10 a.m. Wednesdays atThe City Room 1006 W. La. 30, Gonzales; the next class will be Oct. 9. To register, contact Rachel Mumphrey at (225) 644-1205 or rmumphrey@marybird.com.

CANCER SUPPORT GROUP: The Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center presents a support group helpingcancer survivors and caregivers reduce stress, enhance the immune system, increase sense of well-being, and improve self-care at 1 p.m. Wednesdays at the center,1104 W. La. 30, Gonzales; the next class will be Oct. 9.

WALKING GROUP:The Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center has organized a walking group for cancer survivors and caregivers that meets at 9 a.m. Thursdays atJambalaya Park, 1015 E. Cornerview St., Gonzales. The next walk will be Oct. 10.

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Our Lady of the Lake Ascension plans health education programs - The Advocate

Make plans for trunk-or-treat

Decorated cars with candy-filled trunks will line up for a trunk-or-treat event from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 29 at the Gonzales Healthcare Center, 905 W. Cornerview St. To register your trunk, call (225) 644-5358. Donations of candy can be dropped off in the admissions office through Oct. 25.

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Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office is hosting two Boo with the Badge events.

One is at the Holy Rosary Catholic Church's La LeFte des Bayous in St. Amant. Members of the Sheriff's Office and Ascension Parish Fire District 1 will join the festival for family night festivities from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. for a safe trick-or treating event. Local businesses and organizations will distribute candy.

The second Boo with the Badge is from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 31 at the Hickley M. Waguespack Center in Donaldsonville.

The Ascension Parish 4-H is taking orders through Oct. 30 for sweet potatoes and pecans to support the Ascension Parish 4-H Foundation's scholarships and programs. The Thanksgiving feast essentials can be picked up between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Nov. 20-21 at the 4-H office at Lamar Dixon, 9039 S. St. Landry Road, Gonzales. (Thanksgiving is Nov. 28.)

The sweet potato prices are $12 for a 10-pound box or $25 for a 40-pound box. The price for peeled pecans is $30 for a 3-pound box. To place an order, contact an Ascension Parish 4-Her or the Ascension Parish 4-H Office at (225) 621-5799.

Online registration for the 2019 Ascension Youth Basketball Association program for boys and girls ages six to fifteen runs through Oct. 31. The registration fee is $80 per child. Visit http://www.ayba.info for the link and instructions.

The Ascension Veterans Memorial Park Foundation is taking orders for a wreath to place on the graves of veterans this Christmas season.

The deadline to order a wreath for veterans graves will be Nov. 30. The program is part of the nationwide Wreaths Across America program to remember and honor the deceased veterans during the holidays. The cost of a wreath is $15. Wreaths ordered through the AVMP Foundation can be specifically placed on the graves of Ascension veterans through volunteers or families can pick up the wreaths and place on the graves. Donations are also accepted to place a wreath on the grave of any veterans.

This year, the AVMP Foundation will be honoring peacetime veterans for their service. Wreaths will be available at the ceremony to be held at 11 a.m. Dec. 14 at the Ascension Veterans Memorial Park in Gonzales. For more information or to order a wreath, visit http://www.facebook.com/AscensionVeteransPark or email ascvetspark@gmail.com.

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Around Ascension for Oct. 24, 2019 | Ascension - The Advocate

Ascension Picture: Syfy

One of Syfys best titles currently on Netflix is currently scheduled to be removed from Netflix in the United States and almost every other Netflix region in November 2019. Heres why you should revisit the series and when its scheduled to leave.

Syfy is mainly known for sci-fi series with smaller budgets to streamers such as Netflix, Amazon or HBO but this 2014 series broke most peoples expectations and delivered a fantastic well-received limited series.

The series follows an expedition to populate a new world that comes under fire when a womans murder puts the project at risk.

The series featured a relatively unknown cast including Tricia Helfer, Brian Van Holt, Andrea Roth, Gil Bellows, and Brandon Bell. Ascension was created by Philip Levens.

Now notably Netflix split the three-part limited series up into 6 episodes. Netflixs versions roughly span 40 minutes apiece whereas the original series aired episodes at an hour and a half each.

The series was added to Netflix in every region of the world in 2016 although the United States has had it streaming since June 18th, 2016.

Currently, all regions of Netflix will be seeing Ascension season 1 removed on November 17th, 2019.

Itll leave at roughly 12:00 AM PST.

The removal date applies to multiple regions that weve gathered thanks to Unogs.

There are also a few other regions that have it listed to expire come November too.

November will see quite a few big titles leave Netflix including Blue Bloods and Last Tango in Halifax.

No future streaming home for Ascension has been announced just yet but given the direction of travel at the moment, wed expect NBC Universal to keep it back for its upcoming Peacock platform.

The only other location could be of Debmar-Mercurys choosing who, alongside NBC, distributes the series.

Beyond the US, the series will likely be distributed in a case by case basis.

Will you miss Ascension once it leaves Netflix? Let us know in the comments.

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Syfy Limited Series Ascension Leaving Netflix in November 2019 - What's on Netflix

KALAMAZOO, MI -- Ascension Borgess Hospital will offer free heart screenings Saturday morning.

The Healthy Heart Project will run from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26 at Ascension Borgess Heart Institute located at 1722 Shaffer St.

Nearly half of all U.S. adults have some type of cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association.

In May, Borgess screened 185 patients. Of those, four were sent straight to the emergency room, Chris Hunt, Borgess Senior Marketing Specialist, said.

Participants will get free heart screenings with on-the-spot results and a one-on-one conversation with a doctor.

If additional treatment is needed after the screening it is no longer part of the free screening. The Healthy Heart Project include the following services:

Electrocardiogram (EKG). Measures the electrical activity of your heartbeat. Electrodes with adhesive pads are attached to the skin of your chest, arms, and legs.

Blood Pressure screening: Measures the pressure your blood is exerting against your artery walls. A blood pressure cuff is used.

Body Mass Index: A calculation to identify whether an adult is at a healthy weight.

Blood glucose test (no fasting required): Measures your blood sugar levels which may help to determine diabetes. A finger prick is required and a glucometer is used.

Heart Risk Assessment: May determines the likelihood of developing heart disease, heart attack or stroke in the future. A questionnaire is used.

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Free heart screenings at Ascension Borgess Hospital - MLive.com

Overview

Ascension Island lies in an isolated expanse of the South Atlantic Ocean midway between Angola and Brazil. Part of the United Kingdom Overseas Territory of St. Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha, the volcanic island measures just 88 square kilometres (34 square miles). The surrounding waters are rich with biodiversity and serve as a critical stopping place for migratory species, such as green sea turtles.

This critically important ecosystem warrants protection. Highly mobile species stop in these waters seeking food and shelter from the open seas as they travel across the ocean. The area supports healthy populations of marine mammals and fish, including 11 fish species found nowhere else. The island is home to the second-largest nesting population of green sea turtles in the Atlantic, along with 11 types of seabirds that nest on the island and feed in its rich waters.

The Ascension Island Council (AIC) and the U.K. Government both support steps to safeguard biodiversity in these waters through establishment of a large marine protected area (MPA). Encompassing the islands entire exclusive economic zone, the MPA would be twice the size of the United Kingdoms land mass. Industrial fishing and mineral extraction would be prohibited within its boundaries.

Recognising the declining health of the worlds ocean ecosystems, the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2016 recommended that 30 per cent of all marine habitats be protected in order to sustain and continue the growth of marine biodiversity. Later that year, the U.K. Government publicly committed to protect 4 million square kilometres (1.5 million square miles) of its waters through what is known as its Blue Belt policy. This ambitious framework included a goal of protecting at least 50 per cent of the area around Ascension Island.

In March 2019, the U.K. Government agreed to support the Ascension Island Councils proposal to designate a 443,000-square-kilometre (171,000-square-mile) MPA that would cover the islands entire exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Commercial fishing and mineral extraction would be banned throughout the MPA, but recreational and sport fishing still would be allowed up to 12 nautical miles (22 kilometres) from shore. If designated, the Ascension Island MPA would cover more than twice the area that the U.K. Government committed to protect in 2016. Such an action would represent significant progress in the national governments effort to implement comprehensive protections for the marine environment of its Overseas Territories.

Because of its isolation, Ascension has largely avoided intensive commercial fishing. As a result, these waters are among the most intact in the Atlantic, providing a home to some of the worlds largest tuna, marlin, and sailfish.

Green sea turtles return from their feeding grounds in Brazil and the Caribbean once they reach maturitywhich can take decadesto nest on the beaches of their birth. The turtles were regularly harvested on Ascension until the practice was banned in the 1930s. Theirnumbers began to recover in the 1970s, andalthough still listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red Listthe species is rebounding. Critically endangered hawksbill turtles also have been observed in local waters, although they arent known to nest on the island.1

A variety of marine mammals frequent Ascensions waters, including bottlenose dolphins, humpback whales, sperm whales, and Gervais beaked whales. Humpbacks return to these seas from the Southern Ocean during the late winter and early spring to mate and give birth.2

Sperm whales and other migratory species can be found in the waters surrounding Ascension Island. Getty Images

The fish that live in these waters include larger migratory species, such as various sharks, and smaller reef-dwelling species, such as the Ascension goby. There are 11 endemic species of fish, including the resplendent angelfish. Other common species include the rock hind grouper, yellowfin tuna, spotted moray eel, and Atlantic blue marlin.3 In addition, shoreline shark sightings have increased in recent years.

Experts believe Ascension provided a home for millions of seabirds before humans arrived in 1815. In the following years, those populations were almost entirely wiped out by predators introduced by early settlers. After feral cats were eradicated in 2009, bird populations began to rise. The island is now home to more than 500,000 seabirds of 11 species and is considered a haven for the brown noddy,sooty tern, 4 Boatswain Bird Island, a few hundred metres from Ascensions northeast coast, is an important nesting site and home to 10 per cent of the Atlantic population of masked booby and 17 per cent of the Atlantics red-billed tropic birds. Other species that dwell on Ascensions cliffs include the black noddy, white tern, yellow-billed tropic bird, brown booby, red-footed booby, and the Madeiran storm petrel.5 Fishing pressure remains limited in the region around Ascension, but the islands rich biodiversity remains at risk without protections in place.

Ten percent of the masked booby population lives on Ascension Island. Getty Images

Highly protected MPAs mitigate the effects of climate change by building resilience into the ecosystem, helping to buffer against future uncertainty in management and environmental fluctuations.6 Over time, the ability of Ascensions marine environment to cope with the impact of climate change could increase under strong protection, helping to safeguard the species that live there, area biodiversity, and the people who depend on a healthy marine environment.

Since 2015, Great British Oceans (GBO), a coalition of environmental non-governmental organisations that include the Blue Marine Foundation, Greenpeace-U.K., Marine Conservation Society, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Zoological Society of London, and The Pew Trusts, has advocated for an ambitious implementation of the U.K. Governments Blue Belt policy. With support from the Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy Project, GBO has called for the protection of Ascensions waters and has partnered with the Ascension Island Council over several years to study the best path forward.

A school of horse-eye jacks in the waters around Ascension Island. A wide range of fish, including larger species such as sharks, live in these waters. Paul Colley

Effective monitoring and enforcement is critical to an MPAs success. Remote monitoring can help solve the challenges posed by large-scale MPAs or those established in distant and isolated waters. That task can be handled in large part by capabilities such as Oversea Ocean Monitor, which was developed by Pew and Satellite Applications Catapult. Initially called Project Eyes on the Seas, the technology combines satellite data, fishing authorizations, and artificial intelligence to detect illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing for further assessment and investigation.

This platform has already been used extensively to monitor vessel activity in Ascensions waters and has helped enforce the Blue Belt policy. The analyses by Oversea Ocean Monitor have assisted in setting baselines to inform future management decisions. The technology helps ensure IUU fishing does not undermine marine conservation measures that ban commercial fishing.7

The Ascension Island MPA would help safeguard a critical and irreplaceable ocean ecosystem, and strengthen the U.K. and its Overseas Territories position as global leaders in marine conservation. Establishment of this protected area would also mean that the U.K. has protected over 30 per cent of its waters with fully protected MPAs.

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Protections for Ascension Island, the Crossroads of the Atlantic - The Pew Charitable Trusts

Ascension Parish law enforcement and school authorities are investigating reports that a male Dutchtown High School teacher had inappropriate interactions with a student, a sheriff's spokeswoman said.

The parish Sheriffs Office said it was investigating complaints but could not identify the teacher or student nor provide any further information about the alleged interactions, a spokeswoman said.

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Whenever there is suspected inappropriate interactions between an employee and a student, we report it to law enforcement, as required, and conduct an internal investigation," said Jackie Tisdell, school spokeswoman. "Once our investigation is complete, we will release the appropriate information.

She would not say whether the teacher remains at the school.

"I cannot give any details about a personnel matter," Tisdell said.

WBRZ, citing unnamed sources, reported the teacher was removed from campus.

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Unnamed Dutchtown High teacher investigated over 'inappropriate interactions' allegation - The Advocate

Ascension Parish Deputies Joshua Delery and Dwanya Black graduated from the Capital Area Regional Training Academy in Baton Rouge on Oct. 15, earning certification by the Louisiana Peace Officers Standards and Training Council.

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Black received the top academic award and the male physical fitness award.

The Capital Area Regional Training Academy is operated by the East Baton Rouge Sheriffs Office. The program includes physical training and lessons in legal and report writing and law enforcement history.

A total of 45 students, representing 20 different agencies from across the state, graduated from the 592-hour, 14-week long program. They learned law enforcement history, firearms use, legal and report writing, officer survival techniques, physical training and many other topics.

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Two Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office deputies earn peace officer certification - The Advocate

MOSINEE - Ascension's medical transport arm, Spirit, will now fly one of its helicopters out of Mosinee.

For the past two years, Spirit 1 was based out of the Stevens Point Municipal Airport. After a land lease agreement for a new hangar fell through in Stevens Point, Spirit 1 will relocate to an existing hangar at Central Wisconsin Airport (CWA).

"Central Wisconsin Airport in Mosinee was one that really fit what we're trying to do as a service," said Spirit EMS outreach coordinator. "They're very centrally located from all of our hospitals from Stevens Point to the north and it allows us an opportunity to be based at an airport where we have 24-hour security, 24-hour snow removal and all of the things that go with being at a larger airport."

"We're just excited to have them here," said CWA director Brian Grefe. "Having a 24-hour medical operation ready to respond is a very big deal for not only the airport but the airport board."

The Central Wisconsin Joint Airport Board approved a lease agreement at CWA October 18. The project will still require approval from the City of Mosinee Plan Commission and the state. Once approved, Ascension's new hangar at CWA is expected to be complete by August 2020.

Spirit 2 will remain at the Howard Young Medical Center in Woodruff and Spirit 3 will continue to call Arbor Vitae home.

Spirit transports nearly 5,000 patients every year through ambulance and air.

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Ascension's Spirit 1 helicopter relocated to Central Wisconsin Airport in Mosinee - WJFW-TV