Category Archives: Ascension

Practice ACT at the Library

Dont miss your opportunity to prepare for the ACT at the Ascension Parish Library. The library will administer a free practice test on Saturday at the Donaldsonville location, courtesy of Princeton Review of Baton Rouge.

Practice tests start at 9 a.m. and last approximately 4 hours. Space is limited, so registration is required. Those students interested should register by calling any location of the Ascension Parish Library. Remember to bring a calculator to the test.

The Ascension Parish Master Gardeners Association, under the direction of the LSU Agricultural Center, will present the last of the spring library series of educational workshops with gardening and landscaping tips geared to both novice and advanced gardeners.

The Gardening JackpotFree Plants and Information workshop starts at 6:30 p.m. April 25 at the Ascension Parish Library in Gonzales.

Bring your list of gardening questions about citrus, ornamentals, perennials or vegetables.

Craig Roussel, Ascension Parish/St. James Parish county agent with LSU AgCenter, will conduct a question-and-answer session on a wide range of gardening topics.

After the talk, participate in a plant swap. Bring your labeled plants, cuttings, bulbs or seeds to exchange with local gardeners.

To register, call (225) 647-3955.

Teen singers, songwriters, poets and musicians are invited to show off their skills at Teen Open Mic night at the Ascension Parish Library in Dutchtown.

The library will provide a microphone and an audience.

The program starts at 6:30 p.m. Performers should prepare 10 minutes of material.

Registration is not required. For more information, call (225) 673-8699.

Whether you are a first-time builder or a master at Lego construction, you are sure to have a fun time putting the pieces together at Ascension Parish Librarys Lego Club. Try to construct our Lego Challenge or simply build whatever you like during the 11 a.m. program on April 29 at the Donaldsonville branch.

Lego Club is open to children of all ages. Duplo Blocks and Mega Bloks will be available for younger children. Please remember to leave your own Legos at home.

For more information, call (225) 473-8052.

On April 29, Capital Area United Way is hosting a Donaldsonville Day of Caring atThe Church in Donaldsonville.

Capital Area United Way is partnering with St. Elizabeth Hospital and The Church in Donaldsonville to achieve a positive and healthy impact in the community, a news release said.

The event, set from 9 a.m. to noon, will include health screenings, community resources, informational sessions and childrens activities throughout the morning. There also will be a Mobile Food Pantry, sponsored by BASF through a partnership with the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank and Volunteer Ascension, on site for Donaldsonville residents, who can receive free food items including fresh fruit and vegetables, along with non-perishable items.

To volunteer through United Way, visit cauw.org/volunteer or call (225) 346-5802.

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Around Ascension for April 20, 2017 - The Advocate

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Abdella, a senior at Ascension Episcopal, is signed to play tennis at Loyola University in New Orleans. He's ranked as the No. 12 tennis prospect in the state by the Tennis Recruiting Network.

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Jacob Abdella, Ascension Episcopal(Photo: Submitted photo)

Abdella, a senior at Ascension Episcopal, is signed to play tennis at Loyola University in New Orleans. He's ranked as the No. 12 tennis prospect in the state by the Tennis Recruiting Network.

The senior will compete in the state championship events in Monroe on April 24 and 25 of next week and helped Ascension Episcopal secure their first boy's state championship in 2016 by reaching the state finals in doubles.

Abdella helped win the 2017 Regional Doubles Championship this season after winning it last season as well. .

Abdella has excelled off the tennis court as well as on it.

He was awarded the "Loyola"academic scholarship as well as the "Jesuit Identity" Merit Scholarship from Loyola University. He participates in honors and dual-enrollment classes at Ascension Episcopal, is a member of the Young Republicans Club and helps coach at Le Triomphe summer camps.

Abdella will join his brother, Brandon, at Loyola next year and plans on majoring in political science.

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High Achiever of the Week: Ascension Episcopal's Jacob Abdella - The Daily Advertiser

Kamil Glik's play in the back has helped fuel Monaco's aggressive, high-scoring attack.

On Wednesday, two world class 29-year-old centre-backs will try to lead their respective teams into the Champions League semifinals.

Both had to overcome significant difficulties in their young years. Both were discarded by top clubs. Both were rescued and put back on track at Bari by Italian national team coach Giampiero Ventura. Both went on to become legends in Turin. Both were absolutely superb at Euro 2016.

Yet while fans tend to know all about Leonardo Bonucci of Juventus, Monaco's Polish stalwart, Kamil Glik, remains relatively low-profile. It's time to fix that injustice, because Glik's life story is truly remarkable, which is why Michal Zichlarz wrote Glik's biography, named Liczy Sie Charakter (The Character Matters). If it wasn't for his phenomenal mental strength, Glik would never have become a top footballer.

The story began long before Glik can remember -- he nearly died of sepsis before celebrating his second birthday. When his parents brought him to the hospital, the doctors didn't give Kamil much of a chance to survive, but his recovery was fast to the point of being described as a miracle.

More miracles were needed along the way. Jacek Glik, Kamil's father -- a heavy drinker who eventually died of alcoholism when Kamil was 21 --was frequently violent towards his wife. Kamil always took her side during the quarrels, once even throwing a boot at his father, according to The Character Matters. It is easy to understand why the teenager was desperate to leave home and escape the tough neighbourhood, but clubs in his homeland refused to give him a chance.

Simply put, Glik was not considered good enough. Cracovia Krakow owner Janusz Filipiak described him as an "old Skoda car," and trials at Legia Warsaw, Lech Poznan and Odra Wodzislaw led to nothing.

Finally, the only option was tiny UD Horadada, a club from a picturesque town of Pilar de la Horadada on the southern coast of Spain, who had good ties with the WPS Wodzislaw Slaski academy and regularly signed young Poles. Glik was bold enough to leave everything and start an unusual adventure at the age of 17.

Horadada are known for nurturing promising talents, and Glik's progress was followed by Liverpool and Valencia, before a Real Madrid scout spotted him and recommended that the club sign him. Glik impressed on a trial and spent one-and-a-half years at Real Madrid C, the club's third team that played in the fourth division. He played alongside Jose Callejon and Dani Parejo and regularly trained with the first team, meeting idols such as Raul and Iker Casillas.

However, when Real Madrid's coach, Jose Maria Salmeron, left for Alaves in 2008, everything changed. His successor, Antonio Carlavilla, preferred local players he had known for a long time, and Glik was discarded.

He had no option but to return to his homeland. Once again, big teams didn't show interest, and Glik joined the modest Piast Gliwice, who narrowly avoided relegation in 2009 before going down a year later with the worst defensive record in the league.

Glik wasn't to blame for their struggles, though, and his performances caught the eye of Palermo, who are always hunting for anonymous prospects. However, the move to Sicily didn't go smoothly, and he didn't play a single minute under Delio Rossi. He badly needed to meet a coach who would believe in him. At long last, luck was on his side in January 2011.

Ventura worked at Bari in those days, but his team were rock bottom of Serie A following Bonucci's departure to Juventus the previous summer. The coach, who signed Bonucci from Inter and made him believe in himself, was looking for a new centre-back and took Glik on loan.

Even though Ventura left the club by February, and Bari were eventually relegated, Glik made a positive impression on his mentor, who duly asked his new club Torino to sign him permanently.

That is when Glik's career really started. He spent five hugely successful seasons at Torino under his beloved coach, and later recalled in his biography: "Ventura is the person whom I owe the most. He did a lot to make me a player I am today."

The Pole gradually became one of the toughest and most feared centre-backs in Serie A. Torino fans worshipped him, especially after he chose to stay with the club despite interest from Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich and Manchester United.

Fearless at the back, Glik also proved to be a dangerous weapon up front, scoring eight goals in all competitions during the 2014-15 season. He became the first foreigner since the 1960s to be named Torino captain.

"Kamil has great leadership qualities. He works and thinks for others on the pitch," former Poland and Juventus star Zbigniew Boniek said.

Glik is used to overcoming difficulties, and even the trauma of getting dramatically left out of Poland's Euro 2012 squad with the tournament on home soil didn't derail his progress. He was adamant to prove the decision was wrong, and made his point at Euro 2016.

Imperious in central defence alongside Michal Pazdan, Glik made sure Poland only conceded two goals in five matches and was clearly one of the best stars on show.

That is when the time had come to move on from Torino. With Ventura leaving to take over the Italian national team from Antonio Conte, Glik decided to step up and play in the Champions League. He chose AS Monaco, who paid 11million for his services.

With the Pole calling the shots at the back, Portuguese coach Leondaro Jardim was able to change his cautious approach and turn Monaco into the most thrilling attacking unit in Europe. Now, after beating Manchester City in the round of 16, they are on the verge of throwing Borussia Dortmund out as well.

The Monegasques could then be drawn against Real Madrid, which would enable Glik to come full circle and meet the club that once let him go. He would meet them as one of the best centre-backs in Europe, even though he's still massively underrated.

That perception should change if Monaco win the trophy, and that is not such an unlikely scenario. As Glik has proved throughout his incredible journey, nothing is impossible if your character is really strong.

Michael Yokhin is ESPN FC's European football writer. Follow him on Twitter: @Yokhin

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Monaco Kamil Glik conquers obstacles in ascension to stardom ... - ESPN FC (blog)

5-5A baseball district title goes down to the wire

Three teams are very much still in the race for the 5-5A district baseball title. The Dutchtown Griffins and the St. Amant Gators are the two Ascension Parish teams still in the hunt while the Catholic High School Bears sit in the drivers seat and are in control of their own destiny.

Catholic High is 23-7 on the season and 7-1 in district play. Dutchtown is 20-12 while holding a 6-2 district record, while the Gators are 15-12 overall and hold the same 6-2 district mark.

Dutchtown split their two games against the Bears last week, losing 8-6 in the first game and coming out on top 8-4 in the April 13 game. The Griffins and Gators face each other in the final two games which gives Catholic another advantage. The Bears face McKinley who are 7-19 overall and 2-6 in district.

All three teams will have played their first game this week by press time. Dutchtown will host St. Amant on Thursday at Griffin Field with the first pitch scheduled for 6 p.m.

Girls scores: Dutchtown takes first place with 11 points. St. Amant was close behind with 109 points for second place. Ascension Catholic High finished seventh with 25 points, while Donaldsonville High finished in eighth place with 16 and East Ascension finished ninth with 3 points.

Boys scores: Dutchtown made it a double with 101 points for first place. St. Amant finished in sixth place with 51 points, Donaldsonville took seventh place with 39 points, East Ascension eighth with 35 points and Ascension Catholic ninth with 16 points.

Girls Track

100 meter: 3. Quinntyrce Bell, Donaldsonville, 12.86.

200 meter: 3. Laiya Palmer, St. Amant, 27.08.

400 meter: 3. Phoebe Poche, Dutchtown, 1:02.80.

800 meter: 1. Tara Stuntz, Dutchtown, 2:27.46. 2. Stephanie Breaux, Ascension Catholic, 2:34.64. 3. Haley Dupre, Ascension Catholic, 2:38.57.

1,600 meter: 1. Sophie Daigle, Ascension Catholic, 5:26.68.

3,200 meter: 3. Madison Norcross, Dutchtown, 13:36.34.

100-meter hurdles: 1. Nyah Williams, Dutchtown, 16.05. 3. Regan West, St. Amant, 17.52.

300-meter hurdles: 2. Regan West, St. Amant, 49.37. 3. Hannah Laplace, St. Amant, 50.17.

4x100 relay: 2. St. Amant, 50.09.

4x200 relay: 3. St. Amant, 1:47.05.

4x400 relay: 3. Dutchtown, 4:17.48.

Girls Field Events

Pole Vault: 1. Carol Wells, Dutchtown, 9-00. 2. Jillian Parks, St. Amant, 8-00.

Long Jump: 1. Leah Scott, Dutchtown, 18-00.50. 2. Paige Garcia, St. Amant, 16-02.00.

Triple Jump: 1. Leah Scott, Dutchtown, 36-04.00. 2. McKenzie Brooks, St. Amant, 33-06.50.

Shot Put: 2. Victoria Irondi, Dutchtown, 35-03.50. 3. Mia Gaines, Dutchtown, 34-10.00.

Discus: 2. Mia Gaines, Dutchtown, 114-07. 3. Victoria Irondi, Dutchtown, 99-06.

Javelin: 1. Morgan Tidwell, St. Amant, 105-06. 2. Carley Fontenot, St. Amant, 95-08.

Boys Track

100 meter: 1. Christian Bell, Donaldsonville, 11.05. 3. Tajhe Jones, St. Amant, 11.20.

200 meter: 2. Christian Bell, Donaldsonville, 22.79. 3. Tajhe Jones, St. Amant, 22.80.

400 meter: 3. Fabien Jenkins, St. Amant, 52.30.

800 meter: 1. Parker McBride, Dutchtown, 1:55.02. 2. Zach Hatfield, Dutchtown, 2:02.77. 3. Thomas Daigle, Ascension Catholic, 2:07.84.

1,600 meter: 1. Alec Snell, Dutchtown, 4:43.72. 2. Kaleb Chanet, East Ascension, 4:44.50.

3,200 meter: 2. Thomas Daigle, Ascension Catholic, 10:32.99. 3. Keleb Chanet, East Ascension, 10:47.95.

110-meter hurdles: 1. Noah Gray, Dutchtown, 15.35.

300-meter hurdles: 1. VanShon Grayson, Dutchtown, 43.42.

4x100 relay: 2. Donaldsonville, 42.48. 3. Dutchtown, 42.78.

4x200 relay: 3. St. Amant, 1:30.67.

4x400 relay: 2. Dutchtown, 3:26.30.

Boys Field Events

High Jump: 3. Jerome Turner, St. Amant, 6-00.

Long Jump: 3. Carlon Cayette, East Ascension, 20-01.25.

Triple Jump: 3. J Kelvin Reddix, Dutchtown, 40-08.

Shot Put: 1. Davon Wright, Donaldsonville, 54-07. 3. Kyle Sarrazin, Dutchtown, 48-10.50.

Discus: 2. Jordan Zuppardo, Dutchtown, 141-11.

Senior point guard Alynzia Morris, who helped lead the East Ascension Girls basketball team to a 26-2 season record and a 10-0 finish in district play, was named honorable mention in Class 5A All-State selections.

Senior point guard LeAaron Cain, who helped lead the Spartans to a 29-7 overall record and 11-0 district record, was named honorable mention as well.

The Bassmaster tournament trail was founded in 1967 by Ray Scott, and the first Bassmaster Classic was held in 1971 on Lake Mead, Nevada. It became a force in bass fishing back then and still is today. Bassmaster launched a college division and eventually a high school division.

Three years ago, Bassmaster began to recognize 12 standout high school anglers that are selected as members of the exclusive Bassmaster High School All-American Fishing Team presented by Dicks Sporting Goods. This class is made up of exceptional young fishermen who not only are first-class bass anglers but also excel in academics, conservation initiatives and community service.

We are proud to welcome an exceptional group of anglers to our 2017 class of High School All-Americans, said Bruce Akin, B.A.S.S. CEO. Each year, we see competitive applications from across the country, and every angler is so impressive.

In 2017 Bassmaster received more than 380 applications from students in grades 10-12 that were sent in from 40 states across the nation. Of these, 69 were chosen as Bassmaster All-State anglers. That list included Cade Fortenberry.

After reviewing the young anglers tournament rsums along with community service activities and recommendations from coaches and school officials, a panel of judges further narrowed the field to the top 12 high school anglers in the country.

Fortenberry was named to that team, as well. Fortenberry is a senior at St. Amant High School and will be competing in his third Bassmaster High School National Championship in June. In 2016, Fortenberry earned two wins in high school state tournament qualifiers one where he bested 131 teams on the Red River.

Fortenberry is a member of the Ascension Anglers bass team that has earned his way to the top in competition fishing among the best anglers in the nation. In addition to that accomplishment, Fortenberry has taken part in multiple cleanup days, volunteered with the Angling Against Autism team bass tournament and helped provide relief aid for victims of the Louisiana floods.

During local child care facility field trips, Fortenberry served as a fishing guide. He baited their poles, took their catches off the hooks and enjoyed sharing his knowledge of the sport, according to his father, Gilbert.

The team has been invited to participate in a special Bassmaster High School All-American Bass Tournament being held in conjunction with the 2017 Toyota Bassmaster Texas Fest benefiting the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department event, a fan-favorite festival that will be held May 17-21 on Sam Rayburn Reservoir out of Lufkin, Texas. Each All-American angler will be paired with an Elite Series pro for the one-day derby to be held at a nearby fishery.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will host the 13th annual Step Outside Day on May 13 at Sherburne Wildlife Management Area. The WMA is located in Lottie on the northern end of the Atchafalaya Basin. This popular event will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This outdoor education program, hosted by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries,will take place next to scenic Big Alabama Bayou near Sherburne WMA headquarters, and best of all, the event is free and open to the public.

Some of the events planned for Step Outside Day include pontoon boat rides, canoeing, target and trap shooting, fishing and archery. Children can take part in bluebird box building and turkey and duck calling. All equipment will be provided.

Exhibits on the Louisiana black bear, other wildlife and fish species and water safety will be available. Refreshments and lunch will be provided as well as drawings for door prizes. Alcoholic beverages are not permitted.

The Sherburne WMA headquarters is located at 1132 Sherburne Road in Lottie.

For more information, contact Tony Vidrine at (337) 948-0255 or tvidrine@wlf.la.gov or Cody Haynes at (337) 948-0255 or jhaynes@wlf.la.gov.

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Ascension Athletics for April 20, 2017 - The Advocate

Kate MacArthur estimates she's met three to four people a day, from public office, industry, real estate, tourism and just about every association in the parish, in her first 30 days as the head of the Ascension Economic Development Corp.

"It's helping me understand the pulse and the needs of the community and how everyone works together," said MacArthur, who began on March 20 as president and chief executive officer of the economic development group.

Her takeaway so far: "Everyone is working on making Ascension grow. They're all focused on the same mission."

MacArthur, who has previously worked with the Zachary Chamber of Commerce and the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, replaces Mike Eades, who left last fall for a new position in South Carolina.

Kate MacArthur, the executive director of the Zachary Chamber of Commerce, has been named pr

The nonprofit Ascension Economic Development Corp. is funded by the Ascension Parish government, the city of Gonzales, the Baton Rouge Area Chamber and the Industrial Development Board of Ascension Parish to help promote and assist business development.

One of MacArthur's first goals, she says, is to develop a strategic marketing plan for 17,000 contiguous acres of undeveloped land on the west bank of the parish with more than nine miles of Mississippi River frontage.

The Ascension Parish Council has created an industrial overlay district for the land that enables heavy, medium and light industrial uses, along with limited commercial and residential uses, for the 17,000 acres collectively called the River-Plex Mega-Park of Louisiana.

With a dock and rail feasibility study already in hand, funded by the AEDC, the Baton Rouge Area Chamber and the Louisiana Economic Development department, the next step is marketing, MacArthur said.

"We'll be putting together an international marketing plan" over the next few months, she said.

MacArthur came to the AEDC from the Zachary Chamber of Commerce, which she headed for four years. Before that, she was director of business intelligence for five years for the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, recruiting and retaining businesses in the nine-parish metro area.

A native of the Philadelphia area, with a master's in economic development from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, MacArthur has also worked with the Myrtle Beach Regional Economic Development Corp. in South Carolina as director of marketing and existing industry and as a business analyst for the Area Development Partnership in Hattiesburg.

In Ascension Parish, MacArthur said, she's learned that one of the top concerns for officials and residents is traffic specifically, La. 30, the mostly two-lane state highway off Interstate 10 that's home to numerous industrial plants as well as the Tanger Outlet shopping center.

"We will keep trying to figure out how to get this higher on the DOTD (Department of Transportation and Development) list" of highway improvement projects, she said.

The Ascension Economic Development Corp. will also be closely following the legislative session, which opened April 10, to "monitor anything that might have an economic impact," MacArthur said.

A top concern of local industry leaders is the tax climate of the state and "what's going to shake out" of the legislative session, she said.

"Businesses that are looking to move to Louisiana are also concerned" about what may be coming down the pike as the state seeks to solve its budget problems, she said.

"We hope we'll have some direction by the end of the year," MacArthur said.

Follow Ellyn Couvillion on Twitter, @EllynCouvillion.

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New Ascension Parish economic development head gears up in new role - The Advocate

GONZALES A Prairieville man drove up to a mobile home in Ascension Parish late Tuesday morning, got into an argument with a childhood friend with whom he had shared a family dinner recently and shot him dead on the front porch, sheriffs deputies said.

Investigators are still trying to determine why Donovan Darville shot Clarence Harvey, 27, in front of the mobile home in the Country Ridge subdivision,Chief Sheriffs Deputy Bobby Webre said Tuesday afternoon.

I think they were together a few days ago, and everything was OK, Webre said in an interview.

Webre said witnesses saw Darville and Harvey get into an argument after Darville and second man drove to the home about 11:30 a.m.

Darville, 27, 39248 Germany Road, Prairieville, got out of the car and fired four or five shots at Harvey. As Darville fired, Harvey was heading back to the porch of the mobile home in the 39000 block of Country Drive north of Gonzales.

Clarence was walking toward the porch and got on the porch and one of the shots struck him and killed him, Webre said.

By mid-afternoon Tuesday, sheriffs deputies had a portion of Country Drive cordoned off with yellow police tape while crime scene investigators milled about the property taking measurements.

Darville remained at large for a few hours but was found Tuesday 4:15 p.m. walking on Airline Highway in Prairieville near the Wal-mart store, Webre said.

He said Darville was expected to be booked on a count of second-degree murder.

Deputies said Tuesday evening they were still looking for Jerald Wall, 31, the Gonzales man who allegedly was riding with Darville in a maroon 2011 Honda Accord at the time of the shooting

Webre said Wall, who is only wanted for questioning at this time, was last seen driving the four-door Accord with Louisiana license plate XKS974. Deputies provided pictures of Wall and of the back of the car to the media.

The slaying stunned the mother and sister of Harvey, who watched with other family and friends Tuesday afternoon in lawn chairs on a friends nearby property as sheriffs deputies investigated the scene of the shooting.

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Rhona Harvey, Harveys mom, said her son had known Darville since they were young children and attended East Ascension High School together. She said Darville was at her house earlier this month for her grandson's birthday party.

"Donovan, you just came to the house. I just fed you. Why you took his life, Donovan? Why? Why," Harvey, 53, said Tuesday afternoon in an interview.

Rhona Harvey said the men had gotten into an argument recently, possibly over a woman, but she didn't think it was that serious.

She said detectives had questioned a woman who drove a red sedan parked Tuesday afternoon in the driveway of the mobile home where Clarence Harvey was shot. Rhona Harvey said her son was a friend of that woman.

Lt. Col. Ward Webb, sheriffs chief of operations, said detectives were interviewing witnesses who were present at the mobile home at the time of the shooting but he did not have information on their identities or their relationship to Clarence Harvey.

Deputies were unable immediately to provide criminal histories on Darville and Wall, but Ascension Parish court records show both men and the victim, Clarence Harvey, had had past run-ins with the law.

Online jail records and Ascension court minutes show that Darville was released from Ascension Parish Prison on March 13 after finishing his jail time for two misdemeanor simple battery convictions.

Wall has had various drug arrests and convictions, some as recent as 2014, while Harvey had been convicted of unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling, drug possession and burglary as recently as 2012.

But Harveys mother and sister said he had turned his life around, was trying to live right and be the funny, smart and supportive guy they knew.

He was no longer the person he was five years ago. He changed. He changed. He changed for the better, said his sister, Martha Harvey, 25.

Rhona Harvey said the loss of her son, the second oldest of six children, hurts all the more because she had recently given thanks on Facebook that all her children were still living.

"You see stuff like this on TV, who would think that'd be my son laying up in there," she said. "I just got off Facebook thanking God that all six of my kids was still living and all my grand kids. Now I got five."

Anyone with information on the shooting or Darvilles whereabouts is asked to contact the Ascension Parish Sheriffs Office at (225) 621-4636 or Crimestoppers at (225) 344-7867.

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Once childhood buddies: Tuesday shooting ends life of Gonzales man, lands Prairieville friend in custody - The Advocate

A statement on the RAF Brize Norton website said officials would be limiting the number of non-essential population there due to capacity issues.

St Helena, by contrast has a population of around 4,500, whose leaders have been desperately trying to boost the islands economy by improving transport links.

Because its airstrip can only accommodate short-haul aircraft, islanders rely on flights to RAF Ascension in order to reach the UK, a link which has now been severed.

For this to happen on the back of the situation with the St Helena runway is a farce, bordering on tragedy, said Lord Foulkes.

The problems with RMS St Helena make it even worse.

An MOD spokesman said: As part of on-going monitoring of the state of repair of the Ascension Island runway, we have made the decision to not fly the Voyager aircraft to Ascension for our routine flight from 14 Apr 2017 for safety reasons.

We will ensure the continuation of military support to the Falkland Islands through an alternative hub, and are working with the Foreign Office to put temporary measures in place to support the people who live and work on Ascension Island and the Falkland Islands.

Originally posted here:

British Antarctic scientists among those stranded as crumbling Ascension Island runway closed to big aircraft - Telegraph.co.uk

GONZALES Some Ascension Parish public schools damaged by the August flood may need to meet new building codes when they undergo renovation.

Todd Mann, project manager with the consulting firm CSRS, of Baton Rouge, told Ascension Parish School Board members Tuesday that state law requires that if the repair of a flooded building costs more than 50 percent of the physical value of the building, the rebuilding must be up to present-day building codes.

If the cost of repairs is less than 50 percent, buildings are grandfathered under the codes in place when they were built, Mann said.

Repairs now in the works at both St. Amant Primary and St. Amant Middle came in at less than 50 percent of the value of the buildings, Chad Lynch, the school district's director of planning and construction, said at the board's Strategic Planning Committee meeting.

Other flood-damaged schools are St. Amant High, Lake Elementary, Galvez Middle and Galvez Primary. A school district warehouse in Sorrento that housed several departments also was severely damaged.

Architects are in the process of providing a detailed analysis of the damage and the repair costs.

What a difference two words can make.

Also on Tuesday, board members met the consultant who will work on the boundary planning process for school attendance in the next few years as three new primary schools and a new middle school are built.

Mike Hefner, a demographer with Geographic Planning and Demographic Services, of Lafayette, will be working with the school district to draw up new attendance boundaries, a process that involves public input.

New primary schools are coming to Bullion Crossing, La. 73 and Germany Road; a new middle school will be built on Bluff Road.

"We like to use natural features (such as) roads, highways and waterways," for attendance boundaries, Hefner said.

Also on Tuesday, board members heard good news from insurance consultant Len Fontaine that the district's health care fund has a surplus of $756,000 in the first quarter of the year, largely because of a decrease in medical claims and prescription claims.

Follow Ellyn Couvillion on Twitter, @EllynCouvillion.

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Some flood-damaged Ascension schools may need to meet new building codes - The Advocate

The East Ascension baseball team's season, both overall and in District 5-5A play, may not have gone according to plan.

But that hasnt deterred the Spartans from creating momentum for the upcoming state playoffs.

East Ascension erased deficits of 3-0 and 9-3 with a stretch of 11 unanswered runs, and reliever Brandon Foncree didnt allow an earned run, leading the Spartans to a 16-10 victory over host Parkview Baptist in a game that lasted more than three hours Monday night.

This is fantastic, EA coach Britt Waguespack said. Were by no means out of anything. Were not where we thought we would be, but thats OK. You either come out better, or you get worse. Right now, it looks like were playing our best baseball at the end, and thats what matters.

East Ascension (15-16) completes District 5-5A play Tuesday, hosting Broadmoor in a doubleheader that begins at 4 p.m. The Spartans have won four of their past five.

Parkview (15-13) the District 6-3A leader opens a key series for the league championship, traveling to Brusly on Wednesday and hosting the Panthers on Friday. Both games are at 6 p.m.

Foncree (3-2) came on with an out in the bottom of the third and limited Parkview to three hits and no runs until the Eagles pushed across an unearned run. Foncree struck out three and walked four over 4.2 innings.

Brandon threw well and gave us a chance, Waguespack said.

Right fielder Ross Powers gave Parkview a 3-0 lead with a bases-loaded triple against starting pitcher Noah Fontenot. East Ascension made it 3-3 in the second inning with run-producing hits from Ryan Williams, Jacob Thompson and Grant Griffin.

Parkview increased its lead with a run in the second and took a 9-3 advantage with five runs on four hits in the third. EA scored four times in the fourth and batted around in the sixth, adding five runs on three hits including Noah Fontenots RBI single down the third-base line that tied the score at 9.

The Spartans go-ahead run was courtesy of the third of four Parkview errors, and first baseman Cam Schexnaildre added a two-run single.

Fontenot (2 for 4, 2 RBIs) and Thompson (2 for 4, RBI) paced EAs offensive output against five Parkview pitchers. Jared Kilcrease (2 for 4, RBI), Nathan Boe (2 for 3, 2 RBIs) and LSU signee Daniel Cabrera (1-2, 3B, RBI) led the way for Parkview.

Theyre a well-coached team, and we respect their program a ton, Waguespack said. I told the guys, if we stayed within ourselves and start swinging at some good pitches, well give ourselves a chance.

BRUSLY 21, NEW ORLEANS MILITARY-MARITIME 0: Top-seeded Brusly (28-4) set up a Class 3A regional-round game at 5:30 p.m. Thursday against No. 17 Kaplan, the defending 3A champion, by scoring 17 runs in the first inning.

Mary Cathryn-Comeaux and Saylor Young combined on a three-inning prefect game. Young, who homered for the second time in four games, had three RBIs. She needed just 10 pitches to retire New Orleans Military-Maritime in the third inning.

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Baseball: East Ascension outslugs Parkview Baptist 16-10 - The Advocate

BATON ROUGE FEMA has delegated $10 million to four East Baton Rouge and Ascension Parish schools for recovery efforts following the August flood.

FEMA's Public Assistance program awarded more than $3.3 million to the East Baton Rouge School Board for remediation at Park Forest Middle School and Park Forest Elementary School. Additionally, the Ascension Parish School Board will receive $3.5 million for St. Amant High School and about $2.8 million will help the Central Community School System pay for permanent repairs to Tanglewood Elementary School.

The program recently awarded about $77 million to schools following the August flood in Tangipahoa, Ascension, East Feliciana and East Baton Rouge parishes. Funding covered emergency protective measures, construction, remediation and utility assistance.

As of April 14, FEMA's Public Assistance program has delegated nearly $341 million to reimburse local and state governments along with private non-profits for the repair and replacement of disaster-damaged facilities.

FEMA's program helps to repair or replace critical infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, public buildings and schools. The program offers supplemental financial assistance on a cost-sharing basis. FEMA typically reimburses 75 percent of eligible PA expenses. However, FEMA will reimburse applicants 90 percent of eligible PA expenses given the magnitude of the August floods.

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FEMA program delegates $10 million to EBR and Ascension schools - WBRZ