Category Archives: Ascension

The Bellas Test Their History Smarts

Below is the latest Bella Brains video which features The Bella Twins testing their knowledge of American History:

As noted, Road Warrior Animal appeared at this years WrestleCon, and spoke with The Hannibal TV during the weekend events. In the video below, Animal talks WWE 205 Live, The Authors of Pain in NXT, and also had the following to say on The Ascension:

The Ascension needs to quit trying to be the Road Warriors. Theyre never going to be the Road Warriors.

As noted, Finn Balor is scheduled to be backstage at WWE Raw in Columbus tonight, where he will be evaluated following the concussion he suffered on Raw last week. Below are a couple of photos of Balor arriving in Columbus, courtesy of WZ reader Scott Douglas:

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Road Warrior Animal on Ascension Copying Road Warriors, Finn Balor Arrives For Raw Tonight (Photos), The Bellas ... - Wrestlezone

The Hindu

DMDK denies reports of Premalatha's ascension - The Hindu The Hindu With DMDK chief Vijayakant reportedly reeling under health issues, there have been growing calls from party circles to bring his wife Premalatha to the forefront. and more »

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DMDK denies reports of Premalatha's ascension - The Hindu - The Hindu

Apr 2, 2017; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Caris LeVert (22) puts up a shot against Atlanta Hawks in the second quarter at Barclays Center. Nets win 91-82. Mandatory Credit: Nicole Sweet-USA TODAY Sports

Brooklyn Nets vs. Chicago Bulls Takeaways and Grades by Sandy Mui

Nothin But Nets Seeks New Writers by Phil Watson

Going into the 2016 NBA Draft, general managers were hesitant toselectCaris LeVert due to his foot injuries and subsequent foot surgeries. So hesitant in fact that the Michigan senior wrote an open letter on the Players Tribune reassuring general managers around the league of his potential.

Want your voice heard? Join the Nothin' But Nets team!

LeVert was selected with the 20th overall pick by the Indiana Pacers. The Brooklyn Nets would trade Thaddeus Young to Indiana for the rights to the Michigan prospect, and the Nets would have their first-round pick.

Going into that draft, Brooklyn did not have a 2016 first-round pick due to the infamous trade with Boston. Interestingly enough, Young, who was essentially traded straight up for LeVert, was acquired in a one-for-one trade that shipped Kevin Garnett home to Minnesota. So the Nets, in essence, got one of their picks back from that disastrous trade.

After making his professional debut in December 2016, LeVert would go on to play in 57 games and start in 26 of them. He averaged 8.2 points on 45 percent shooting from the field, 3.3 rebounds and 1.9 steals in 21.7 minutes per game for his rookie season.

The final month of the season was the rookies most impressive. LeVert averaged 12.3 points on 47.8 percent shooting from the field, 3.7 rebounds and two assists per game inthe month of April.

In the rookie rankings, LeVert finished 10th in points per game, 10th in rebounds per game, sixthin steals per game and ninthin minutes, behind fellow rookie Isaiah Whitehead, who finished eighth. Interestingly enough, the self-described point-slash-shooting guard also finished 14th among rookies in assists per game. Not bad for the guy who was selected20th.

The 22-year-old has been so impressive that it is widely believed that next year, he will be in the teams starting rotation. Whether he is starting at shooting guard or small forward, its clear the Nets rookie has shown versatility. He can either initiate the play and create offense, or play off the ball on the wing.

LeVert could be considered the first piece to general managerSean Marks foundation for the Nets future. When Brooklyn is on the clock during the 2017 NBA Draft, hypothetically, are they not selecting a player they believe will play well withLeVert?

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LeVert's Ascension in Shortened Rookie Campaign - Nothin' But Nets

Staff Report

Volunteers are the heartbeat of Girl Scouting. Girl Scouts Louisiana East recognized its adult volunteers as well as outstanding principals and religious leaders at the councils Annual Meeting on April 1, with special council-level recognition going to a select few. Among those honored were Ascension Parish residents Monique Brown, Brenda Shuff and Brandi Stallings.

The Years of Service Pin is given to adult members registered with Girl Scouts of the USA for 20 or more years of active volunteer service. Shuff received this award because of her commitment to Girl Scout for 25 years within multiple councils.

They also received the Volunteer of Excellence award, which recognizes those volunteers who have contributed outstanding service while partnering directly with girls in any pathway to implement the Girl Scout Leadership Experience through the use of the National Program Portfolio or who have contributed service in support of the councils mission delivery to girl and adult members.

Brown, a Junior Girl Scout troop leader, is described as a leader who exhibits calm and positive energy. Her girls are excited to complete badge work and projects because she allows them to make the activities their own.

Known as a Gem by her parents, Shuff allows her leadership skills to shine through and inspire her girls to become notable leaders as well.

Stallings was nominated for this award because she eagerly stepped in to a leadership position when their troop lost a leader. She is pegged as providing her girls with the necessary tools needed to succeed.

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Ascension Girl Scout volunteers receive recognition - Weekly Citizen

April 15, 2017 Miguel Dela Cruz

Fans enjoyed extra League of Legends as the second match of the day also went the full five games. Vietnams GIGABYTE Marinescompleted the reverse sweep against Malaysias KL Hunters. The Marines will be joining Ascension Gaming in the Finals on Sunday at the Samsung Hall in SM Aura.

Games 1 and 2 went the way of Kuala Lumpur Hunters. Their momentum from the group stages carried over on to the playoffs. After strong performances from Qaspiels Rengar and Shiros Renekton, Hunters looked to close out in Game 3.

Going into GPL, the GIGABYTE Marines were the favorites to win. With their 12-0 season inVietnam Championship Series A and 3-0 finals against Young Generation, they were the team to watch.

Game 3 was where the Marines threw a curveball at the Hunters. They drafted up a 4-AP team comp with Kennen top, Zilean mid, Ziggs APC, and Karma support, rounded out with a Graves jungle. This threw the Hunters off guard and the Marines took the win.

In game 4, although Shiro got his Renekton and Qaspiel was on the Rengar again, it was not enough asthe Marines dominated 19-7.Stark finished 3/0/6 on Rumble, Levi finished 8/1/5 on Graves, Optimus finished 2/1/9 on Leblanc, and Slay finished 6/1/6 on Caitlyn.

With Silver Scrapes playing for the second time around, tensions were high as the series was tied 2-2. Both teams looked to draft compositions they were comfortable with, and what they thought the enemy was not prepared to fight against. Hunters Shiro picked up a Fizz and Arrhedge was on Taliyah. Marines answered with Talon on Optimus and Archiee on Sona.In the end, Optimus went off in a 15/0/5 performance and the Marines took the win.

The GIGABYTE Marines head off into the finals where they will face off against Ascension Gaming. The finals take place Sunday April 16 at the Samsung Hall in SM Aura. The winner goes on to represent SEA at the Mid-Season Invitational in Brazil.

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GIGABYTE Marines complete reverse sweep against KL Hunters, face Ascension Gaming in GPL Spring 2-17 Finals - Inquirer.net

The Young Voices of Ascension Gavel Club became the first Gavel Club in Toastmasters District 68 when members met in March.

Toastmasters, a nonprofit organization that focuses on developing public speaking and leadership skills, recognized the Ascension Gavel Club as the first of its kind in southern Louisiana.

Mohammad Qayoom, the program quality director of Toastmasters District 68, congratulated club members for their hard work and progress during the March 26 club chartering ceremony held at the Ascension Parish Sheriffs Training Center in Gonzales.

Among the 10 most common fears, public speaking ranks above the fear of committing suicide, Qayoom said, commending club members for overcoming their fear of public speaking.

Skye Taylor, an eighth-grader at Gonzales Middle School, said being in the Ascension Gavel Club has helped her conquer her No. 1 fear: public speaking.

Im very shy, and this helps me get out there and say the things I want to say," Taylor said. "Its really brought me out of my shell."

Michelle Taylor, Skyes mother, said the club program is free, and they are working on building membership.

Members will do peer reviews of each others speeches and progress, said Michelle Taylor. They learn to give constructive criticism, and it also teaches them listening skills.

Im really noticing my daughters improvement, she added.

Nia Comery said that joining the club has jump started her future. She is working on getting an associates degree along with her high school diploma.

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy acknowledged the program in a letter read during the chartering, and Gonzales Mayor Barney Arceneaux spoke to students encouraging them and designating Sunday as Ascension Gavel Club Date.

State Rep. Tony Bacala also made an appearance, congratulating club members in his speech.

I applaud you guys, not for wanting to learn to speak, said Bacala, but for wanting to learn to be leaders.

I only wish I had this opportunity when I was growing up, said Qayoom, who has volunteered for the program for four years.

You are going to make a difference in your life, the life of your parents, the community and the world, Qayoom told club members in his final remarks.

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Talking the talk: South Louisiana gains first Gavel Club for Youth - The Advocate

Pilgrimage Way of the Cross

Holy Rosary Catholic Church's Pilgrimage Way of the Cross starts at 6 a.m. Friday at the church.

Pilgrimage organizers describe the 8-mile walk as "one of prayer, reflection, silence and mediation on the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ."

The day begins with breakfast at Holy Rosary and the walk starts at 7 a.m. Lunch will be served at St. Anne Catholic Church in Sorrento and the walk ends at Holy Rosary at 3 p.m.

Anyone taking part is invited to write prayer petitions to be carried with the cross. Prayer petitions are to be placed in the basket in the lobby of the church.

Anyone planning to attend is asked to call Time Lessard at (225) 715-5103, or email Donovan Scioneaux at doncno@eatel.net

Tweens can make butterfly decorations out of pasta and paint to display in clay pots at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Gonzales Branch of Ascension Parish Library.

The program is intended for grades four through eight. Call (225) 647-3955 for details.

The Rev. Allen Williams, pastor of Bethel AME Church in Dequincy, will be the guest preacher at Trinity AME Church, 1420 S. Darla Ave., in Gonzales, at 9 a.m. Easter Sunday.

Williams graduated from Payne Theological Seminary in Wilberforce, Ohio, where he earned his master of divinity degree in 2012. He was ordained an itinerant deacon in 2010 and an itinerant elder in 2012.

The Edge Church at 3353 La. 44 is holding its annual Easter Eggstravaganza from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. All activities are free and open to the public.

The family-friendly day includes an Easter egg hunt for children, an adults vs. children softball game, inflatables and water slides for the kids, food and beverages.

Ascension Parish Librarys Kanji Klub meets at 6 p.m. Monday at the Gonzales Branch to paint Guardians of the Galaxy-inspired bandanas, learn a Japanese word and watch anime. This months feature is Haikyu!!

Kanji Klub is for adults ages 18 and older interested in expanding appreciation and cultural understanding through watching anime and cosplay-related crafting. Call (225) 647-3955 for details.

Find fellowship with others who are coping with someones drinking problems at Al-Anon meetings at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and April 25 at St. Elizabeth Hospitals Sister Linda conference room.

Ascension Parish Librarys Storybook STEAM program will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in Dutchtown, April 20 in Gonzales and April 25 in Donaldsonville. Participation is limited to children ages 4 through 6 and their families.

The program combines classic fairy tales with interactive science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics activities for a fun learning experience.

Tweens in grades four through eight can learn to tie-dye with Sharpie markers at 4 p.m. April 20 at the Donaldsonville Branch of Ascension Parish Library.

Participants should bring a white or light-colored cotton T-shirt, pillowcase or socks. All other materials will be provided.

The 14th annual Alexis Angel Sale featuring plants, arts, crafts and jambalaya will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 22 at 14340 Villar Road, Gonzales. Jambalaya is $6 a plate and will be available from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

A blood drive will be held during the event from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The sale is held yearly during National Donate Life Month on the Saturday after Easter in honor of Alexis Cole Porta, whose heart, kidneys, pancreas, liver, corneas and large bones were donated to more than seven people. Family and friends provide the plants and crafts sold during the event.

Proceeds benefit Donate Life Louisiana to support organ donor awareness.

Visit alexisangelsale.com or facebook/com/alexisangelsale for details.

The Donaldsonville Branch of Ascension Parish Library will offer a free practice ACT test courtesy of Princeton Review of Baton Rouge at 9 a.m. April 22.

The test takes approximately four hours. Students should bring a calculator.

Space is limited; call any Ascension Parish Library branch to register.

Community Sisterhood is sponsoring One Smart Cookie STEM Camp this summer at First Pilgrim Baptist Church, 11453 La. 73, Geismar. Camp will be held June 5-9 and June 12-16 for students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

Camp-goers can learn about science, technology, engineering and math through activities, robotics, programming and more.

Cost is $60 per child and includes breakfast, lunch and a snack. Register online at eventbrite.com/e/stem-camp-2017-tickets-32380855009 or email communitysisterhood@cox.net.

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

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Around Ascension for April 13, 2017 | Ascension | theadvocate.com - The Advocate

BATON ROUGE A Livingston Parish grand jury has indicted a contractor on 51 counts of charges including contractor fraud after investigators say he scammed 11 victims after the flood.

The indictment in Livingston Parish comes two days after a grand jury in Ascension Parish indicted Matthew Morris on 84 counts of charges for 18 different victims. Morris was arraigned at an Ascension Parish courthouse Wednesday where he pleaded not guilty to those charges.

This indictment is only the beginning, District Attorney Scott Perrilloux said. We will continue our commitment to the victims in these cases for recovery of their losses and appropriate justice for Mr. Morris.

Morris, the owner of Complete Construction Contractors, LLC, was indicted on the following charges:

The 39-year-old was accused of charging his victims for services he either had not started or completed. Whenever a victim tried to terminate a contract, Morris would allegedlymail bills for thousands of dollars for "claim assistance" fees in addition to 50 percent of the total estimate of the job.

Multiple agencies, including Baton Rouge Police, Walker Police, Denham Springs Police and Livingston Parish Sheriffs Office had filed charges against Morris over the past several months.

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Matthew Morris pleads not guilty to 84 charges in Ascension Parish - WBRZ

GONZALES Not more than an hour after being sworn into office, newly appointed Ascension Parish Planning Commissioners Wade Schexnaydre and Ken Firmin on Wednesday rejecteda 32-home subdivision in a part of Galvez that flooded heavily in August.

The new commissioners, appointed last month by the Parish Council, were confronted in their first meeting with the hard choices their predecessors have struggled with: approve a subdivision that meets all the parish design, drainage and traffic requirements or deny such projects that neighbors say will worsen flooding and traffic.

GONZALES The Ascension Parish Planning Commission rejected subdivision plans three times i

Firmin and Schexnaydre, who replaced two first-term commissioners who also rejected such projects, formed the majority in a 2-1 vote afterhearing from residents who would live near the Hudson Cove subdivision proposed along the south side of La. 42 just west of Joe Sevario Road.

Commissioner Morrie Bishop voted against denial while Commissioner Tony Christy, serving as interim chairman, did not vote. The chairman does not vote unless to break a tie, not to create one. Commissioners Matthew Pryor, Aaron Chaisson and Julio Dumas were absent.

With the denial, the developer has the option to appeal to the Parish Council under a change enacted last month.

GONZALES A controversial three-person panel appointed by the parish president that has ser

Before the vote, residents described the level of water the August flood brought to nearby La. 42 and to the land surrounding their raised homes and worried the new project would push water on them and they would flood in the future. They also aired traffic concerns for already congested La. 42, though a traffic study found no impact.

Duane Simpson, 47, said his family has owned property in the area since the 1800s, and in the old days, people could count on the oldest homes not flooding because the early settlers would not build in low areas. But growth has changed so much that it's hard to know what areas won't flood now.

"The reason why people are flooding, we keep doing the same things again and again expecting different results, and sadly, people keep flooding, and it's unfortunate," said Simpson, who said his grandfather's house got 2 feet of water.

Proposed by developer Home South Communities, Hudson Cove would be built on land 95 percent of which is in the area defined by the National Flood Insurance Program as being at the highest risk for flooding.

But the developer had proposed turning two acres, fully one-sixth of the entire site, into a large detention pond that would account for rainfall and flooding from a 100-year inundation. The term 100-year flood describes a flood probability of a 1 percent chance happening in any given year.

Under parish policy, the dirt dug from the pond would also provide the earth to lift home sites above the elevation of the 100-year flood so the homes are no longer deemed at high risk of flooding.

Deric Murphy, the developer's engineering representative, said the parish traffic study and drainage ordinances are designed to ensure developments won't cause added impact on traffic and drainage.

"We have a plan that meets the parish code. We sympathize with everything. This project is not going to make it worse," said Murphy, who noted that most of the buildings for his business in nearby Port Vincent flooded in August.

Once everyone had their say, Schexnaydre was told by the commission attorney that deferral would amount to approval because of legal deadlines. Schexnaydrethen said he understood what the parish drainage ordinance is trying to accomplish but could not support the project at an elevation people knew had flooded.

"It still concerns me now that we're putting another 30-something houses that would still be in even further danger to flooding," he said.

Then after a long pause, in which he looked down and collected his thoughts, Schexnaydre blurted out, "Mr. Christy, I'm going to make a motion to deny."

Firmin backed him. The men later formally cited flooding concerns and the low elevation of the property as the reason for the denial, as they were required to do by law.

Follow David J. Mitchell on Twitter, @NewsieDave.

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Citing flooding concerns, Ascension Parish Planning Commission rejects proposed subdivision in Galvez - The Advocate

GONZALESA consulting firm offered a mixed assessment Tuesday night of the parish's pay structure after an in-depth dive into parish government's pay structure for the past several months.

On the plus side, SSA Consultants say Ascension Parishs retirement system, unlike many others in the state, is fully funded. And it offers generous health insurance and other benefit programs.

But the results are mixed when it comes to salaries paid for different job categories, according to a report presented to the Ascension Parish Finance Committee Tuesday evening.

The consultants found that slightly more than half of the job positions pay below market value while about a fourth of employees are paid more than what their job salary range calls for.

In sum, Christel Slaughter, a partner in Baton Rouge-based SSA, described a pay and evaluation system that needs updating and adjustment but a benefit program that needed fewer tweaks.

Slaughter said the parish's compensation structure rewards longer serving employees among its 472-member workforce, not newer ones.

Alhough Ascension Parish government has low turnover among longer serving employees, Slaughter said, that dynamic is changing.

The parish is like other businesses and governments facing a major round of retirements with departing Baby Boomers who will have to be replaced by a new generation of workers with different demands, she said.

"I think from a total compensation perspective, I'm not sure that the magic that has worked with your current workforce is going to work with your next workforce," Slaughter said.

She suggested the new generation may not be as interested in hanging around to accumulate the benefits that accrue to longer serving workers and that, while the parish's pay is not far off in general, the parish does not have lucrative salaries to attract and retain some of the more skilled workers.

Slaughter said that if benefits are important to workers, Ascension is "really attractive. It is just one of the best that I have seen. I just dont know if they're making many people like that any more."

Slaughter offered seven recommendations that Parish President Kenny Matassa and the member of the councils finance committee backed for the full council to consider.

Among them, Slaughter called for freezing the pay of the 65 employees whose pay falls above the salary range for their jobs even after coming market adjustments for salary ranges are taken into account.

The 65 employees represent about half of the 116 total employees whose pay is currently above their job's current salary range. For the remainder, their pay would fall back in line after salary ranges are adjusted to current market rates.

She also called for altering compensation methods to include more merit-based pay with regular evaluations. She noted that the parish personnel manual has systems set up for evaluations but said they often are not used.

Slaughter noted many employees being paid above their pay ranges had gotten salaries that way through across-the-board, cost-of-living increases through the years.

And though many positions had below-market salary ranges, she said, it would only cost a bit more than $55,000 per year to bring the positions up the current market levels.

Slaughter said a second report on parish government's organization will be presented next month to the Council Finance Committee.

In an interview, Matassa said that, while he has not yet received the report, he is already looking at making changes in the Human Resources Department.

Martin McConnell, parish government spokesman, confirmed in an interview prior to the meeting that Cheryl Kinchen, the long-time Human Resources director, moved Monday from her post to another position in parish government.

"Cheryl Kinchen has taken a new opportunity in parish government working with Chief Administrative Officer Ken Dawson working on project management," McConnell said.

Hel declined to say whether the move was related to the coming report on parish organization and suggested Kinchen had decided to pursue a new opportunity in parish government.

Kinchen was among five top parish administrators the council has refused to ratify, as the home rule charter calls for. In November, the council put off that decision until after the SSA organizational report was finished.

Follow David J. Mitchell on Twitter, @NewsieDave.

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Consultant offers mixed assessment of Ascension Parish government pay structure - The Advocate