Category Archives: Ascension

Things just got more memorable recently when the Louisiana Sports Writers Association released its All-State track and field team. There were four of Ascension Parish's top track stars on the list.

The 2017 season saw some marvelous performances by the parishs top track and field stars and their teams.

From multiple individual standouts taking home state titles, to the Ascension Catholic girls team claiming their third straight state championship, it was surely a year to remember.

Things just got more memorable recently when the Louisiana Sports Writers Association released its All-State track and field team. There were four of Ascension Parishs top track stars on the list.

Headlining the boys All-State team was Dutchtowns Parker McBride. McBride made the All-State team for the 800 event.

He had the fastest time in the state this season for the 800 with a time of one minute and 52.68 seconds.

McBride won district, regional and state titles in the 800 this season. He was also a member of the Baton Rouge areas All-Metro team.

McBride is a Southeastern Louisiana signee.

Just last month, he made the trip to Greensboro, N.C., to compete in the New Balance Nationals Outdoor event.

The Griffins finished as runners-up in District 5-5A this season, and they finished fifth at the regional meet.

The only other Ascension Parish boys track star to make the All-State team was Donaldsonvilles Davon Wright. Wright made the team in the shot put event.

Wright helped lead theTigers to a seventh-place finish at the District 6-3A meet and a 14th-place finish at the state meet.

He had the fifth-best performance in the shot put this season with a measurement of 53 feet and 6.5 inches.

After winning the state title in the event last year, Wright won a district championship in the shot put this season and finished as runner-up at both the regional and state meets.

He also made the All-Metro team. Wright is a recent Tulane football commit.

The Lady Griffins finished third at the District 5-5A meet, and they landed in seventh at the state meet.

Spearheading their efforts were Leah Scott and Tara Stuntz.

Scott made the All-State team for the second straight season in the long jump event and the triple jump.

She had the best long jump in the state this year with a measurement of 19 feet and six inches. Her triple jump was tied for fourth-best at 37 feet and 11 inches.

Scott won district and regional titles in both events. At the state meet, she won the triple jump championship for the second straight season and finished as runner-up in the long jump.

Stuntz made the All-State team for the 3,200 event. She had the third-fastest time in the 3,200 this year at 11 minutes and 23.81 seconds.

Stuntz was runner-up in the event at the district, regional and state meets.

Both Scott and Stuntz made the All-Metro team as well.

Stuntz is a 2017 Southeastern signee, along with two other parish runners in Ascension Catholics 1A 800, 1,600 and 3,200 state champion Sophie Daigle and the Bulldogs Logan Thibodeaux.

Originally posted here:

Four Ascension track stars make All-State team - Donaldsonville Chief

During the Star Trek: Discovery panel at San Diego Comic-Con, Sonequa Martin-Green revealed that her character, First Officer Michael Burnham, was Spocks adoptive sister. Martin-Green, who will be the shows lead, when it premiere is September, took part in several one-on-one interviews after the panel. During one of those interviews, she described her characters motivations and internal struggle.

Describing her character on the series, Martin-Green said:

Michael Burnham is the first officer of the [Starship] Shenzhou. Its interesting to see this world through the eyes of a first officer because the path of upward mobility is something that we havent seen in this way. So youre following someone who aspires to be greater and to climb that ladder. So, you see this ascension every step of the way and its a continual ascension not one that gets wrapped up anytime soon. You see it and you see the effects of my environment, of my background, of my upbringing the effects of the people that Im around, all affecting that path.

As Michael Burnham, Im a principled woman. The ideologies of Starfleet are emblematic to my personality, for sure but I also have this Vulcan indoctrination. So, youre seeing all of that clash.

You can watch Martin-Green discuss her character in the video embedded below.

Star Trek: Discoverys 15-episode first season is set to premiere on Sunday, September 24at 8:30 PM ET on CBS. Immediately following the first episodes release, the second episode will be available in the U.S. onCBS All Access, with subsequent episodes released on Sundays. The first eight episodes will run from September 24 through November 5, with the series returning in January 2018.

TrekNews.net is your dedicated source for all the latest news onStar Trek: Discovery. Follow@TrekNewsneton Twitter,TrekNewson Facebook,TrekNewson Instagram andTrekNewsneton YouTube.

(feature image: Star Trek on Youtube)

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Sonequa Martin-Green Talks Michael Burnham's Ascension, Vulcan Indoctrination - TrekNews.net

THURSDAY

DISCOVERING EMAIL: 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.,Ascension Parish Library, Gonzales branch. This workshop will cover a brief history of email, discuss its uses, cover the various types and features, as well as a hands-on practice. For more information, call (225) 647-3955.

BABY TIME: 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.,Ascension Parish Library,Gonzales and Dutchtown branches. Registration is required.For information, call Gonzales at (225) 647-3955 orDutchtown at (225) 673-8699.Preschool program.

BILINGUAL STORY TIME: 11 a.m. to noon,Ascension Parish Library, Gonzales branch. For children of all ages, who speak Spanish, English or both. For more information, call Gonzales at (225) 647-3955.

ADOLESCENT SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT GROUP: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., Ascension Counseling Center, 1112A S.E. Ascension Complex, Gonzales. Meets every Monday and Thursday. (225) 450-1016.

TOPS (TAKING OFF POUNDS SENSIBLY): 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., Carpenters Chapel, 41181 La. 933, Prairieville. Weight support group meets every Thursday night. Weigh-in from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. followed by meeting. For information, call Sylvia Triche at (225) 313-3180.

END OF SUMMER CONSTRUCTION ZONE PARTY: 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., Ascension Parish Library, Dutchtown branch. The library will provide the hard hats. Call (225) 673-8699.

LOSS AND GRIEF EDUCATION AND SUPPORT MEETING: 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.,St. Elizabeth Hospital, Sister Linda conference room,1125 W. La. 30, Gonzales. For anyone who has experienced loss of any kind. Facilitated by the Grief Recovery Center to help with the grieving process. Meets every Thursday. For information, emaildiane.hodges@steh.comor call (225) 621-2906. Meets every Thursday.

NOT A #NUMBER: 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.,Ascension Parish Library, Gonzales branch. An interactive prevention curriculum designed to teach youth how to protect themselves from human trafficking and exploitation through information, critical thinking and skill development. Registration is required at (225) 621-2906.

ADULT SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT GROUP: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.,Ascension Counseling Center, 1112A S.E. Ascension Complex, Gonzales. Meets every Tuesday and Thursday. (225) 450-1016.

YOUNG AT HEART: SENIOR HEALTH & WELLNESS EXPO: 9 a.m. to noon, Lamar-Dixon Expo Center, 9039 S. St. Landry Ave., Gonzales. Hosted by St. Elizabeth Hospital, seniors 50 and up can come and enjoy free screenings, demonstrations, information and giveaways. For more information, call (225) 647-5000. steh.com.

INTRODUCTION TO PUBLISHER: 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., Ascension Parish Library, Gonzales branch. Participants will become familiar with and practice using the basic tools of Microsoft Publisher 2013.For more information, call Gonzales at (225) 647-3955.

END OF SUMMER CONSTRUCTION ZONE PARTY: 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.,Ascension Parish Library, Gonzales. Call (225) 647-3955.

GUN & KNIFE SHOW: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday & 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Lamar-Dixon Expo Center, 9039 S. St. Landry Ave., Gonzales. See hundreds of displays of new and old guns, ammo, gun parts, books, knives, jewelry, camouflage and related items at discount prices. Admission is $9/adults, $2/children 6-11, under 18 with parent only. Law enforcement officer in uniform admitted free. capgunshows.com

WEEKENDS AT CABELA'S: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Cabela's, 2200 W. Cabela's Parkway, Gonzales. For information, visitcabelas.comor call (225) 743-3400.

CARS FOR KIDS: BACK 2 SCHOOL CAR SHOW: Noon, Lamar-Dixon Expo Center, 9039 S. St. Landry Ave., Gonzales. Vehicle registration is 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., judging starts at 4 p.m. with trophy presentation at 6 p.m. Door prizes will be given away every hour. Book sacks and school supplies will be given away between 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call Mark at (225) 485-4148 or Frannie at (225) 802-0539.

SPACE EXPLORATION: 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.,Ascension Parish Library, Gonzales branch.Find out how and why planets circle around the sun and make your own model of the solar system. For more information, call (225) 647-3955.

YULE BALL: 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.,Ascension Parish Library, Galvez branch. Magical and muggle teens of all sorts are welcome to don their finest garb and dance the night away at the end of summer Yule Ball. Wizardly and formal attire is welcome. Less formal muggle apparel is also appropriate. For more information, call (225) 622-3339.

ADOLESCENT SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT GROUP: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., Ascension Counseling Center, 1112A S.E. Ascension Complex, Gonzales. Meets every Monday and Thursday. (225) 450-1016.

JOB SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET: 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., Ascension Parish Library, Gonzales branch. Learn how to use the internet as a vital tool in your job search. For more information, call (225) 647-3955.

SCORE-SMALL BUSINESS COUNSELING & MENTORING: 9 a.m. to noon, Ascension Parish Library, Gonzales branch. Free on-site counseling for new business start-ups and mentoring for existing businesses. To schedule an appointment, call (225) 381-7130. To learn more, visit the SCORE website at scorebr.org.

ADULT SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT GROUP: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.,Ascension Counseling Center, 1112A S.E. Ascension Complex, Gonzales. Meets every Tuesday and Thursday. (225) 450-1016.

AL-ANON MEETING: 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.,St. Elizabeth Hospital, 1125 W. La. 30, Gonzales. Sister Linda conference room. Free. Call (225) 924-0029 for information. Meets every Tuesday.

KOKUSAIKA: 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., Ascension Parish Library, Gonzales branch. Add some Asian flair to your bedroom after we show you how to make your very own Sakura (Cherry Blossom) paper lantern.For more information, call (225) 647-3955.

LIBRARY BOOK CLUB: Noon to 1 p.m., Ascension Parish Library, Donaldsonville branch. If you are interested in attending a book club meeting at any location, call to see if space is available. Registration is required. (225) 473-8052.

ADOLESCENT SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT GROUP: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., Ascension Counseling Center, 1112A S.E. Ascension Complex, Gonzales. Meets every Monday and Thursday. (225) 450-1016.

TOPS (TAKING OFF POUNDS SENSIBLY): 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., Carpenters Chapel, 41181 La. 933, Prairieville. Weight support group meets every Thursday night. Weigh-in from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. followed by meeting. For information, call Sylvia Triche at (225) 313-3180.

LOSS AND GRIEF EDUCATION AND SUPPORT MEETING: 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.,St. Elizabeth Hospital, Sister Linda conference room,1125 W. La. 30, Gonzales. For anyone who has experienced loss of any kind. Facilitated by the Grief Recovery Center to help with the grieving process. Meets every Thursday. For information, emaildiane.hodges@steh.comor call (225) 621-2906. Meets every Thursday.

ADULT SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT GROUP: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.,Ascension Counseling Center, 1112A S.E. Ascension Complex, Gonzales. Meets every Tuesday and Thursday. (225) 450-1016.

LIBRARY BOOK CLUB: 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.,Ascension Parish Library, Dutchtown, Gonzales & Galvez branches. If you are interested in attending a book club meeting at any location, call to see if space is available. Registration is required. For more information, call Dutchtown at (225) 673-8699, Gonzales at (225) 647-3955 and Galvez at (225) 622-3339.

Originally posted here:

Ascension Parish calendar for July 27-Aug 3, 2017 - The Advocate

(Metal Blade) US: 23 Jun 2017 UK: 23 Jun 2017

Goatwhore, the thrashing metal quartet from New Orleans, have fashioned their style beyond the fuzzed out sludge championed by fellow Cajuns like Eyehategod and Crowbar. With tempos and riffs closer to extreme metal and lyrical themes not far removed from black metal, they represent an amalgamation of aggressive subgenres that pierces as much as it gnaws. Vengeful Ascension, their seventh full-length album, arrives as the band marks their 20th anniversary of down-tuned riffs, double kicks, and devil-inspired imagery. Rather than phone in another record as a means to get back on the road, Goatwhore has produced an album more textured and nuanced than the typical metal record.

Tribal drums foreshadow the buzzsaw guitar on opening track Forsaken. Louis B. Falgousts raspy screams about Lucifer above Zack Simmons blast beats solidify their blackened influence while guitarist Sammy Duets bleeding arpeggiated chords add momentary new dimensions. Whether overt or subtle, Goatwhore has little regard for keeping the various stands and styles of metal separated by their sound. Consider the Kerry King inspired guitar solo amidst the hardcore vibe in Under the Flesh, Into the Soul. Likewise, the bluesy fills amidst the doom-laden hex of Where the Sun is Silent make the track too moody and complex to be a simple headbanger.

The band has developed a precision that undoubtedly served them well during the recording sessions. Vengeful Ascension was recorded on reel-to-reel tape, an analog method noted for its warmth and authenticity but occasionally cursed for its difficulty and technical demands on the performers. Whereas digital can tighten up any band into a well-oiled machine with a few key clicks, analog requires a group, especially one as manic as Goatwhore, to be completely locked into one another, as takes can be mercilessly limited. This knowledge makes the pinpoint trashing accuracy of Chaos Arcane all the more impressive knowing the risks of the medium. Likewise, Abandon Indoctrination with its blacked thrashing, is precise when it needs to be and loose when it serves the song best, demonstrating an act at the top of their game.

While not strictly a concept album, the theme of Ascension focuses on Lucifer and the notion of rising above struggles and tribulations. The text is inherently dark and sinisterits about Lucifer, after all. Still, one can abstract messages of redemption from Falgousts words, in particular during the narrative progression of Where the Sun Is Silent. With his raspy vocal delivery Falgoust comes off as a narrator, a refreshing contrast to the (with all due Chris Barnes loving respect) incomprehensible guttural ravages traditionally championed by extreme metal.

The filtered vocals and acoustic guitars on the title track give it the most textured vibe of the record. Duet balances straightforward power chords with etherial single note lines, a decidedly more complex affair than a typical by the books mid-tempo chugathon. His solo is notably melodic anddare I saycatchy, yet it doesnt betray the bands staunchly anti-commercial style. Its revealing that Goatwhore named their album after this tune, the most layered and sonically complex one on the recording. Its not entirely false to read into this as the group accepting the slightly experimental tendencies of a metal band still evolving 20 years into their career.

Those Who Denied Gods Will, the albums closer, begins with a black metal onslaught raining fire down from the sky before moving into more epic and oddly beautiful moments. The track as a whole isnt too removed from the rest of the album, but its sudden moments like the Duets tremolo-picked lines doubling the chords or his undeniably melodic solo that reveal a band more concerned with building upon a metal foundation rather than retreading ideas.

Rating:

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Vengeful Ascension - PopMatters

RACINE COUNTY Since July 2011, Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin and Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare now Ascension have teamed up to train nearly 1,500 people in the health care and customer service industries.

Of that number, which includes people from Racine County, 426 have been permanently placed within Wheaton/Ascension.

The program that facilitates this opportunity for placement is dubbed Project Prism.

Applicants work through Goodwills TalentBridge program to get paid training by Ascension in either medical group operations or patient access/business office in order to create great patient advocates, according to Suzanne Maldonado, managing director of professional services for TalentBridge.

Prism was born of a desire for better customer service for Ascension customers. Trainees need not have an extensive work history, but soft skills and a strong sense of empathy, emotional intelligence, critical thinking and organization are preferred, if not required, Maldonado said.

The biggest change from a hiring perspective is: In health care there was a big focus on people who worked in health care before, Maldonado said.

By shifting the narrow focus of prior experience to a larger swath of workers who have good soft skills, it has fostered a more fluid workforce, she said.

One such example is Mirabel Berinyuy Kongnyuy, a woman originally from Cameroon who now lives in Greenfield. Growing up, she said, she knew the job market in her home country was sparse at best.

Kongnyuy said she observed people who went through years and years of school but did not get hired for any work, so she took a gamble and came to the United States last February. She started in Project Prism in August and was hired by Ascension as a customer service representative.

There was somewhat of a language barrier at first though she and most people she knew in Cameroon are bilingual but Kongnyuy said she quickly picked everything up.

I thought people might not accept my culture, Kongnyuy said. (My classmates) made me feel at home.

Customer service representatives are started at $13 to $14 an hour, Maldonado said. This allowed Kongnyuy to help out her family back home.

When you can train people and make them comfortable in jobs, thats when they succeed, said Cheryl Lightholder, manager of communications for Goodwill.

The program itself lasts about 11 weeks, starting with three full days of training with Goodwill, then 10 to 11 weeks with Ascension.

Though Ascenions takeover of Wheaton could have easily thrown a wrench into Project Prism, the transition was smooth, and Prism will continue as it has been for the past six years until further notice, Maldonado said.

Read the original:

Ascension, Goodwill program leads to job placements - Journal Times

I cant hand them shiny trophies or whisk them away to Hollywood for the glamorous red-carpet treatment, but Ive written this column to honor these parish athletes for their terrific play throughout the season.

All of the biggest stars in entertainment and in sports showed up for the ESPY Awards last week.

There, professional and collegiate athletes were honored for their great achievements during the sports year.

Well, I thought Ascension high-school athletes deserved the same recognition.

I cant hand them shiny trophies or whisk them away to Hollywood for the glamorous red-carpet treatment, but Ive written this column to honor these parish athletes for their terrific play throughout the season.

The first award is for Breakthrough Athlete of the Year. There are many players that could have earned this distinction.

Off of the top of my head, I can think of two freshmen softball players in St. Amants Alyssa Romano and Dutchtowns Paige Patterson.

Ultimately, I decided to go with East Ascension football player Cameron Wire.

Prior to last season, Wire was strictly known for his exploits on the basketball court. As a football player, he was still a work in progress.

However, Wire seemed to flip the switch in 2016. He came out of nowhere to earn a starting job on the Spartans offensive line.

In addition to making the all-district and All-Parish teams, Wire became one of the hottest prospects in the area and received scholarship offers from powerhouses like Alabama and Florida State. He ultimately chose to make his verbal commitment to LSU over the summer.

He now heads into his senior season as one of the top offensive linemen in the state.

For Best Game, look no further than the classic the Ascension Catholic baseball team had against Central Catholic in the state semifinals.

The Bulldogs took a 4-0 lead against the defending Class 1A state champions, just to see Central Catholic storm back to tie the game.

The contest remained deadlocked after seven innings, creating bonus baseball.

After 11 tension-filled innings, the game finally came to a close when Central Catholics Mitchell Lemoine came up with a walkoff RBI single to punch their ticket to the title game.

The nod for Best Coach goes to St. Amant footballs David Oliver.

Oliver was one of the many residents of St. Amant that had their house flooded last August. Many players on his team suffered the same fate.

Despite dealing with the personal hardships, he was able to get his squad ready for the 2016 season, and they had the best year of any team in the parish.

The Gators went 9-1 during the regular season, finished as runner-up in District 5-5A and reached the state quarterfinals.

Best Comeback Athlete goes to Dutchtown football player Kyle Sarrazin.

Sarrazin came into 2016 hungry after being forced to miss almost all of 2015 with a serious knee injury.

He recovered beautifully, becoming a great anchor for the Griffins defensive line, on his way to being named all-district and All-Parish. He signed with Louisiana College.

Best Female Athlete goes to St. Amants Taylor Tidwell. Tidwell was the driving force behind both the Lady Gators volleyball and softball teamsboth of which reached the state quarterfinals.

In volleyball, she was named All-State and the districts MVP. In softball (where shes committed to LSU) she made first-team All-District, All-Parish and All-State.

Best Male Athlete goes to St. Amants Briggs Bourgeois. Bourgeois was a standout in three sports for the Gators.

In football, he was All-State and district MVP. He also signed with Southern Miss.

In soccer, he was district MVP for the fourth straight season and the states Offensive MVP, and in baseball, he was a starter on a Gator squad that reached the second round of the playoffs.

The Best Moment would have to be when the St. Amant football team played their first home game at The Pit on Sept. 9. Just a few weeks earlier, the stadium was under water.

It was a great moment for the St. Amant community as they were able to come together and experience a little bit of normalcy in the face of so much strife and heartache.

The Best Upset was during the boys basketball regular season when Donaldsonville made a road trip to face two-time defending 3A champion University.

The Tigers were huge underdogs, but they werent intimidated. Ladarius Jackson hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer that gave them a scintillating 81-78 victory.

University went on to finish the season as Division II runner-up.

The distinction of Best Team goes to the Ascension Catholic baseball squad.

The Bulldogs had a terrific regular season, and in the first two rounds of the playoffs, they dominatedwinning by a combined score of 17-3.

This pushed them through to the state semifinals for the first time since 2005.

There, they played defending champion Central Catholic in the 11-inning marathon, falling just short of the championship game.

Nine of their players made the All-District 6-1A team.

Continue reading here:

Ascension ESPY's - Weekly Citizen

Jesus ascension is a key event in the history of redemption. The ascension of Jesus is when he returned to heaven, and is recorded for us in Acts 1:1-11. In fact, his ascension into heaven is on par in importance with his death and resurrection. Without the ascension, redemption would be incomplete.

Why? Without the ascension we would not have a high priest in heaven who is praying for us. If youre not sure whether thats even necessary, Id encourage you to read through the Old Testament. It makes clear that we cannot approach God without a mediator. In the Old Testament the mediator was the high priest, and the New Testament declares that we have an even better High Priest in Jesus!

But the ascension raises some questions. What was supposed to happen after Jesus ascended into heaven? If Jesus was just going to be gone for a generation, or two, then it might not have been much of a problem. However, he left with no indication of when he would return. Moreover, here we are almost two-thousand years later and still no return.

Some in church history have tried to make up a kind of return. Some will say that he returned in 70 AD at the destruction of the Temple. Others pinpoint a specific date much later, like 1914. What is clear, though, is that none of these dates really line up with what Jesus said his return would be like (new creation, end of sin and sorrow, etc). Others have tried to argue that Jesus left the kingdom-building up to his disciples. This is where we get ideas like Christendom or attempts to make America into a Christian country.

It should be comforting to know that Jesus own disciples at that time didnt fully understand it all. In Acts 1:6 they come to Jesus and ask, Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?

John Calvin famously says of this verse that there are more errors here than words. Throughout Jesus ministry, the disciples misunderstood what he had come to do. When he was rejected in a town, two of his disciples asked if they should call down fire from heaven to consume the people, reminiscent of Gods judgment against Sodom and Gomorrah. Jesus rebuked them.

When Jesus tells his disciples that he must suffer death, Peter tells him no. Jesus rebukes him with the stinging words, Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.

Just as in those instances, so here they do not fully comprehend what Jesus has told them. They display three errors: they think that the time is now; they think that it is geo-political kingdom that Jesus came to establish; and they think that the center of the Kingdom is in a particular land.

They still miss the point. They do not understand that Jesus is not just the fulfillment of the Messianic King but the fulfillment of all of Gods promises. He is the true Israel; he brings the kingdom. All of it centers on him.

What, then, should they do? Jesus tells them, It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:7-8)

The first helpful part of this answer from Jesus is that his disciples are not supposed to worry about dates. Whenever you see someone predicting the return of Jesus, then, theyre doing something that theyre not supposed to do. Its not for them to know. God is working things according to his timetable, not ours.

What are we supposed to do then? If were not just to wait around for the kingdom to come, but were also not supposed to force the kingdom to come, what do we do? Jesus is just as clear here. They were to wait for the Holy Spirit (who comes in Acts 2) and then they are to be witnesses to Christ. That is, they were to begin the ordinary work of the church. This is the very thing that he commanded in the Great Commission. The church is to be active in spreading the Gospel of Christ. This is precisely what the book of Acts is all about.

Pastor Everett Henes, the pastor of the Hillsdale Orthodox Presbyterian Church, can be reached at pastorhenes@gmail.com.

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The task of the church - The Hillsdale Daily News

Over 1,300 4-Hers from across Louisiana traveled to the LSU campus in Baton Rouge, June 20-23, for an Out of This World experience at 4-H University. During 4-H University, 4-Hers can choose to compete in one of over 40 different competitions or attend the non-competitive clover college, run for a 4-H State Office position or 4-H State Board, serve as a voting delegate, and attend educational programs.

In addition to learning and competing, youth get an inside view of the college experience. 4-Hers get to stay on the LSU campus in the dorms, learn the campus by traveling to different locations for contests and educational programs, and attend assemblies in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

This years 4-H University theme was 4-H is Out of this World and Ascension Parish 4-H was well represented with 18 4-Hers participating in a wide range of contests and educational programs.

In addition to contest winners, several 4-Hers were selected to serve on a 4-H State Board after submitting a written application and going through a rigorous interview process. James Daigle was selected to serve on that State 4-H Shooting Sports Board for a two year term, Stacey Kloosterman was selected to serve on the State 4-H Fashion Board for a second one year term, Caitlin Marquis and Kinslei Scroggs were both selected to serve on the State 4-H Citizenship board for a one year term. Each of these 4-Hers will assist their fellow board members in planning and conducting state 4-H Activities in their respective board areas.

Two 4-Hers from each parish served as voting delegates to participate in the business activities of 4-H University. Ascension 4-Hs delegates, Charles Sanchez and Makenna Babin, assisted in the democratic process of electing the State 4-H Officers, Regional Representatives and conducting the yearly business of the 4-H organization.

2017 Ascension Parish 4-H Results:

ATV Safety: Blue Ribbon Winner - Paige Zeringue

Fashion Review- Creative Choice: Fourth Place- Stacey Kloosterman

Fishing Sports Team: Fourth Place- James Daigle, Alex Milazzo, and Noah Stafford

Fishing Sports Individual Awards: Blue Ribbon - James Daigle; Blue Ribbon - Alex Milazzo

Horticulture Demonstration (team): Fourth Place Allie Daigle and Maci Schexnayder

Insect Identification: Blue Ribbon Winner Zoe Schwaller

Louisiana Chef (team): Blue Ribbon Winners Charles Sanchez and Zack Zeringue

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Ascension 4-H'ers Out of This World at 4-HU - Donaldsonville Chief

I can't hand them shiny trophies or whisk them away to Hollywood for the glamorous red-carpet treatment, but I've written this column to honor these parish athletes for their terrific play throughout the season.

All of the biggest stars in entertainment and in sports showed up for the ESPY Awards last week.

There, professional and collegiate athletes were honored for their great achievements during the sports year.

Well, I thought Ascension high-school athletes deserved the same recognition.

I cant hand them shiny trophies or whisk them away to Hollywood for the glamorous red-carpet treatment, but Ive written this column to honor these parish athletes for their terrific play throughout the season.

The first award is for Breakthrough Athlete of the Year. There are many players that could have earned this distinction.

Off of the top of my head, I can think of two freshmen softball players in St. Amants Alyssa Romano and Dutchtowns Paige Patterson.

Ultimately, I decided to go with East Ascension football player Cameron Wire.

Prior to last season, Wire was strictly known for his exploits on the basketball court. As a football player, he was still a work in progress.

However, Wire seemed to flip the switch in 2016. He came out of nowhere to earn a starting job on the Spartans offensive line.

In addition to making the all-district and All-Parish teams, Wire became one of the hottest prospects in the area and received scholarship offers from powerhouses like Alabama and Florida State. He ultimately chose to make his verbal commitment to LSU over the summer.

He now heads into his senior season as one of the top offensive linemen in the state.

For Best Game, look no further than the classic the Ascension Catholic baseball team had against Central Catholic in the state semifinals.

The Bulldogs took a 4-0 lead against the defending Class 1A state champions, just to see Central Catholic storm back to tie the game.

The contest remained deadlocked after seven innings, creating bonus baseball.

After 11 tension-filled innings, the game finally came to a close when Central Catholics Mitchell Lemoine came up with a walkoff RBI single to punch their ticket to the title game.

The nod for Best Coach goes to St. Amant footballs David Oliver.

Oliver was one of the many residents of St. Amant that had their house flooded last August. Many players on his team suffered the same fate.

Despite dealing with the personal hardships, he was able to get his squad ready for the 2016 season, and they had the best year of any team in the parish.

The Gators went 9-1 during the regular season, finished as runner-up in District 5-5A and reached the state quarterfinals.

Best Comeback Athlete goes to Dutchtown football player Kyle Sarrazin.

Sarrazin came into 2016 hungry after being forced to miss almost all of 2015 with a serious knee injury.

He recovered beautifully, becoming a great anchor for the Griffins defensive line, on his way to being named all-district and All-Parish. He signed with Louisiana College.

Best Female Athlete goes to St. Amants Taylor Tidwell. Tidwell was the driving force behind both the Lady Gators volleyball and softball teamsboth of which reached the state quarterfinals.

In volleyball, she was named All-State and the districts MVP. In softball (where shes committed to LSU) she made first-team All-District, All-Parish and All-State.

Best Male Athlete goes to St. Amants Briggs Bourgeois. Bourgeois was a standout in three sports for the Gators.

In football, he was All-State and district MVP. He also signed with Southern Miss.

In soccer, he was district MVP for the fourth straight season and the states Offensive MVP, and in baseball, he was a starter on a Gator squad that reached the second round of the playoffs.

The Best Moment would have to be when the St. Amant football team played their first home game at The Pit on Sept. 9. Just a few weeks earlier, the stadium was under water.

It was a great moment for the St. Amant community as they were able to come together and experience a little bit of normalcy in the face of so much strife and heartache.

The Best Upset was during the boys basketball regular season when Donaldsonville made a road trip to face two-time defending 3A champion University.

The Tigers were huge underdogs, but they werent intimidated. Ladarius Jackson hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer that gave them a scintillating 81-78 victory.

University went on to finish the season as Division II runner-up.

The distinction of Best Team goes to the Ascension Catholic baseball squad.

The Bulldogs had a terrific regular season, and in the first two rounds of the playoffs, they dominatedwinning by a combined score of 17-3.

This pushed them through to the state semifinals for the first time since 2005.

There, they played defending champion Central Catholic in the 11-inning marathon, falling just short of the championship game.

Nine of their players made the All-District 6-1A team.

The rest is here:

Ascension ESPY's - Donaldsonville Chief

GONZALES State highway officials will unveil plans next month to improve traffic flow through the La. 44 corridor south of Interstate 10 in Ascension Parish where major housing projects have sproutedover the past two decades and more are on the way.

Many residents say the traffic is already oppressive and fear new projects under development will only make the problem worse.

The state Department of Transportation and Development has been working on studies of La. 73 in the Dutchtown area and La. 44 in Gonzales and the Burnside area as these two highway corridors have continued to feel the brunt of the population growth in Ascension, highway officials said.

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While the La. 73 "corridor study" is still under review, DOTD's corridor analysis for La. 44 between I-10 and La. 22 has led to plans to combine funds from the state, the city of Gonzales, subdivision developers and possibly parish government to see through the first phase of the concept, officials said. But there won't be enough money to extend the work all the way down to La. 22.

DOTD and other officials briefly described the first phase of improvements in advance of the public open house in Gonzales on Aug. 7 from 4 to 6 p.m.Two roundabouts would be added to La. 44 roughly between I-10 and just south of Loosemore Road. In addition, La. 44 would be widened from two to four lanes between I-10 and the first of the roundabouts planned north of Loosemore.

Even as DOTD pulls together its plans for the meeting next month, earth work is underway for the massive mixed-use Conway project in Gonzales and the 163-home Oak Lake subdivision in unincorporated Ascension across La. 44 from Conway.

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GONZALES State highway officials are conducting or planning corridor studies to see how

The area south of I-10, which is partially in Gonzales and partially in unincorporated Ascension, is already home to large subdivisions like Pelican Point, Pelican Crossing and River Ridge. More are on the drawing board, including the 951-home Conway, Oak Lake and the 780-home Riverton subdivision along nearby La. 22. Conway will also have apartments and retail and be next to a proposed public high school.

The bumper-to-bumper traffic on two-lane La. 44 became a major theme in recent years when Conway, Riverton, Oak Lake and other projects moved through local planning review.

Residents critical of those residential developments frequently spoke at the time about being unable to get onto La. 44 from Loosemore during peak travel times because of the continuous stream of traffic.

The highway is the only nearby route to I-10 from the burgeoning area that was once cane fields and cow pasture. La. 44 also serves traffic to plants along the Mississippi River.

GONZALES As Ascension political leaders consider a temporary halt on new development, the

State highway officials said they will have plans and want comments for the entire La. 44 corridor, but Rodney Mallet, DOTD spokesman, said there aren't funds to do more improvements farther south on La. 44 toward La. 22. Details on additional phases were not immediately available.

Mallett said the total cost for the first round of improvements isn't yet available. DOTD is counting on state safety funds and general obligation bond revenue to help pay for that first phase. But additional money is also expected from a variety of other sources, local officials and developers said, as developers and local governments are expected to chip in to tackle pieces and parts of the first phase of upgrades along La. 44.

For instance, the developers of Conway are expected to build a roundabout in front of their project on La. 44 and pay for part of a second northbound lane on the state highway, said Jackie Baumann, Gonzales' city engineer. The highway section would extend from the future Conway roundabout to the development's property line. The cost for the lane and roundabout are expected to be about $4.5 million.

Gonzales is contributing another $1.3 million to finish the remainder of the second northbound lane on La. 44 from Conway's north property line to I-10, Baumann said.

That cash is coming from DOTD as part of a road exchange between the city and the highway department. Gonzales is taking over long-term responsibility for another section of La. 44 for the $1.3 million and for improvements to that other section of La. 44, which runs through the heart of the city, City Clerk Clay Stafford said.

Also known as Burnside Avenue, the highway section in the center of town recently received DOTD-fundedroad, sidewalk, curb and other improvements between the Kansas City Southern railroad tracks and Cornerview Road, Stafford said.

Also, the developers of Oak Lake, which is across La. 44 from Conway and in the parish, are planning to contribute to the cost of building the second southbound lane on La. 44.

Deric Murphy, the engineering representative for that developer, said Friday that the contribution remains a subject of negotiation since Oak Lake must pay more than $300,000 in road impact fees to the parish government.

Parish government officials also said they are considering contributing to the cost of the second roundabout south of Loosemore Road if the state needs additional money.

DOTD officials said oral and written comments about plans for the La. 44 corridor can be submitted at the meeting Aug. 7 or mailed by Aug. 21 to DOTD.

The open house will be in the large conference room inside the Ascension Parish Governmental Complex, 615 E. Worthey Road, Gonzales.

Follow David J. Mitchell on Twitter, @NewsieDave.

Originally posted here:

With more growth headed to southern Ascension, DOTD considers plans to widen La. 44, add roundabout - The Advocate