Category Archives: Ascension

Friday, February 17, 2017 at 1:45 p.m.

Ascension Coffee on Oak Lawn is a bustling place. Pay a visit any afternoon and you'll find most of the tables full with people deeply engaged in conversation, whether it's business types sizing each other up for a deal, or friends catching up over cappuccinos and croissants. The customers are so engaged, in fact, that when a few members of the Stompcast stopped by for a flash mob performance, not one person batted an eye.

Stomp, a wordless show in which everyday objects are turned into percussive instruments, first got its start in England in the '90s. It opened in the U.S. four years later, where it has run continuously at the Orpheum Theater in New York City ever since. The cast has played some pretty big gigs, like Bill Clinton's Millenium Celebration and the 2012 Olympics in London.

Now the Stomp tourhas come to the Music Hall at Fair Park (909 1st Ave.), and Globetrek Productions invited four of Stomp's cast members, Andrew Brought, Artis Olds, Krystal Renee and Ivan Salazar, to visit Ascension while they're in town and do their thing for the latest video in Globetrek's busking series. Watch the video to see what happens when salt shakers, water glasses and demitasse spoons are turned into instruments at one of Dallas' most popular coffee shops.

And if you haven't had the chance to see the full production of Stomp in its two-decade-plus run, you still have time to make it happen. The show continues through Sunday, with evening performances at 7:30 p.m. each day and matinees at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $15 to $90 at ticketmaster.com.

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The Stomp Cast Visited Ascension Coffee and Made a Ruckus With ... - Dallas Observer

GONZALES Ascension Parish Sheriff Jeff Wiley fired Deputy James Atkins II on Tuesday just hours before Gonzales Police arrested him over a domestic incident with his former girlfriend from nearly a week earlier.

Officers arrested Atkins, 34, 910 Janice Ave., Gonzales, on one count of simple battery alleged to have happened at his home Feb. 8, city police said.

James Atkins II, a former Ascension Parish Sheriffs deputy, was arrested Tuesday on a count

The termination and arrest are a major turnabout for Atkins, who had been with the Sheriff's Office more than seven years, was shot in the hand during a traffic stop in early 2015 and had only recently returned to full-time status after several surgeries.

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DONALDSONVILLE The man accused of shooting an Ascension Parish sheriffs deputy in the han

Wiley said the domestic dispute prompted a standard internal investigation and led deputies to uncover other activities that were not crimes but showed Atkins "was not on task while on duty for extended periods of time."

"Some of the information we found, related to, but not directly, to the battery at the house, concerned us enough that we terminated him," Wiley said Thursday.

Wiley offered no additional specifics.

Atkins' arrest also came after Gonzales officers arrested the former girlfriend first, on the day of the Feb. 8 dispute, and had let Atkins remain free for several days.

Capricia Powe, 35, of Donaldsonville, was booked on counts of disturbing the peace and simple criminal damage to property and was released from Ascension Parish Prison a little more than two hours later on her own recognizance.

When asked why Atkins was not also arrested on Feb. 8, as can happen in domestic cases to offer a cooling down period, Gonzales Police Detective Sgt. Steven Nethken said what officers ended up uncovering in the incident is not how it was initially reported to them.

In addition, Atkins and Powe do not live together and Powe had left Atkins' home, lessening the need for a cooling off period, Nethken said.

Atkins had called city officers to his home on Feb. 8, accusing Powe of swinging a dumbbell at his car several times and damaging his vehicle, Nethken said.

At the time, Nethken added, Powe already had left Atkins' home and officers were not able to get her story but they saw the damage to Atkins' car and arrested her.

The next day, Powe went to city police to try to bring charges against Atkins,Nethken said, but officers at that point had to investigate the allegations Powe had made against Atkins.

By Monday, Powe told reporters standing outside the Parish Courthouse in Gonzales on a separate legal matter that she was having a hard time finding a local agency to bring charges against Atkins, who had bruised her arm.

Three young children were with her at the time, she said, showing reporters her bruised left arm.

Contacted about Powe's claims, Nethken said officers were continuing to investigate the Feb. 8 incident and hoped to make an arrest of Atkins, which happened Tuesday afternoon.

Atkins was released from Ascension Parish Prison on his own recognizance about an hour after being booked Tuesday evening.

Follow David J. Mitchell on Twitter, @NewsieDave.

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Fired Ascension deputy arrested nearly a week after ex-girlfriend's arrest in domestic dispute - The Advocate

World-renowned iconographers were in Mount Pleasant this week to teach a 10-day workshop on Icon Painting at Holy Ascension Church in I'On. Anton and Ekaterina Daineko were here teaching the course and painting daily with a class of 10 students who traveled from around the country to participate under their tutelage.

Over the course of the class, the students completed a gilded icon of St. Nicholas.

The two artists are a married couple from Minsk, Belarus. Last summer they hosted a class in Vermont that Mount Pleasant resident and Holy Ascension parishioner Dee Rhodes attended, and she extended an invitation for the couple to travel to Charleston to present their class here.

Their journey to becoming Master Iconographers was intense and competitive. While studying at the same State Academy of Art, the couple did not even meet until a trip to Moscow. Anton was already seen as a virtuoso and one of the best drawing students, working with a stipend from the president. They discovered common interests, which included iconography, and their relationship grew, eventually getting married in 1999 and forming a close working partnership.

They have worked together for 20 years, the first 10 in the icon studio at the newly built St. Elizabeth Convent in Minsk, the last 10 years on their own.

The fall of the Soviet Union left a huge empty desert, making it difficult to find books or material on iconography, though icons could still be found in museums. And while the artistic passion came naturally, the skill was perfected over hours and days and months of practice.

Ekaterina said, "I am honored to be teaching in such an authentic orthodox place as Holy Ascension."

A sampling of the works of master iconographer Anton Daineko.

And while 10 full days of study is rigorous, it is essential to show participants each and every step as thoroughly as possible.

"It's essentially an initial overview and why each step is necessary,"Ekaterina said.

"Anton and Ekaterina come to teach iconography (the painting of Holy Images) at Holy Ascension to continue the living tradition of the Christian belief in the Incarnation that God became man, took flesh, and come to save the world," said Father John Parker, of Holy Ascension."In John 3:16, that famous verse, we remember, 'for God so loved the world, that He gave his only-begotten Son, so that whosoever believes in Him, should not perish, but have eternal life.' When St. John says 'world', he could have said, 'ecumene,' meaning the inhabitants - people of the world. But he said instead, 'God so loved the kosmos' - the whole created universe, that He sent His Son. The incarnation of God in the flesh - the birth and life of Jesus - is the supreme act of God to save all of creation," he said.

"The Icon is one portion of that act. First it is an image of Jesus, who, according to the Bible, is 'the image of the invisible God.' But the act of making an icon redeems fallen creation: trees from the fallen world are made into a board. Gauze made from plants is glued with rabbit-skin glue to that board and covered with plaster ground from stones. Paints are made by grinding stone into pigments, and mixed with egg yolks for egg-tempera. And the image is painted from dark to light, to show the saving of the world from darkness by Jesus, the light of the world."

It takes a minimum of a month to create the icon board, which is considered an art in and of itself. They are handmade and any flaw can ruin an icon.

The ancient technology of grinding the stone and mineral and adding egg yolk as a mediumfor color is a preservation technique that will allow the icon to last for several hundred years. It takes several months to complete the icon.

It is an intricate process that brings forth the faith of the Orthodox religion through this traditional art form. And as Jonathan Pageau of the Orthodox Arts Journal wrote in July 2016 about the couple, "their imagery remains firmly grounded in iconographic principles and canon."

"It is hard to express. You cannot describe the art in words and what you are feeling when you are doing it because words are not enough,"Ekaterina said. "The image of God is one's own vision."

However, with an Icon there are limitations because they are used with the purpose of Orthodox worship. There is a responsibility to create with meaningful purpose and spiritual reverence.

With an Icon there are limitations because they are used with the purpose of Orthodox worship. There is a responsibility to create with meaningful purpose and spiritual reverence.

Some ask: Arent icons idols? Father Parker responded this way, "Christian worship is, from Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4, through early church history, and to the present day, a participation in the eternal worship of God in Heaven.

"From the very early centuries, churches were adorned with frescos and panel icons depicting Jesus, his mother, and the saints to give visual word to that reality described in the letter to the Hebrews, 'since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us run, therefore, the race set before us.' Anton and Ekaterina teach an ancient art that contributes directly to the beauty of the worship of God, a portion of heaven that we experience on Earth."

"One of the gifts that God has given to us at Holy Ascension, is an array of very talented artists and craftsmen - those who have designed and built and adorned our church to be a meeting of heaven and Earth. This master class was an opportunity to share that gift."

Visit the Dainekos'website, ikona-skiniya.com to learn more about them and their work. For more information on future workshops, contact Dee Rhodes at deerhodes@me.com.

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Master icon painters share their unique craft at Holy Ascension - Moultrie News

Thursday, 16 February 2017 22:56 GMT By Brenna Hillier

Two new World of Darkness games out right now within a month of Werewolf: The Apocalypses announce? Every 90s kid RPG nerd in the building is getting misty-eyed.

Vampire: The Masquerade is a brand legendary among video games for classic, broken Troika RPG Bloodlines, but for those whose hobbies include tabletop gaming its only the tip of the iceberg.

World of Darkness, the huge family of pen-and-paper RPGS to which Vampire: The Masquerade belongs, is back in action all of sudden and a bunch of us nerds are falling over ourselves in excitement as a result.

Todays update is the release of two new World of Darkness games. Vampire: Prelude (thats its app name; the full title its Vampire The Masquerade: We Eat Blood and All Our Friends Are Dead) and Mage the Ascension: Refuge are both described as interactive fiction, and are presented in messaging format, suggesting World of Darkness has fully embraced the modern technological era.

You can buy these two games individually on both Google Play and the App Store, or grab them bundled as World of Darkness Preludes: Vampire and Mage on Steam. You can do it right now.

The two new releases follow on from the announcement of Werewolf: The Apocalypse, a game which seems to be as much about punching nazis as anything else, after more than a decade without a single World of Darkness video game release.

This is presumably all thanks to Paradox Interactives acquisition of World of Darkness studio White Wolf after CCP gave up on its eight year attempt to build a World of Darkness MMO.

Its all really happening, pals. World of Darkness video games are coming out. Before you know it well be painting our fingernails black again.

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New Vampire: The Masquerade and Mage: The Ascension games show White Wolf, World of Darkness are officially out ... - VG247

GONZALES A former East Ascension High assistant athletic trainer and health teacher has pleaded guilty to prohibited sexual conduct with a 17-year-old female student last year, part of a plea agreement that allowed him to avoid jail time.

Louis Carl Aguillard, 34, 39340 Hunter's Trace, Prairieville, received on Monday a suspended six-month jail sentence with six months probation, during which he cannot teach or coach, his plea agreement says.

Aguillard must also pay a $1,000 fine and give 100 hours of community service.

Tyler Cavalier, spokesman for the 23rd Judicial District Attorney's Office, said the victim did not want to testify at trial, which was set to start Wednesday morning in Gonzales.

"We feel that based on the circumstances surrounding the case, with the victim not wanting to testify, we had the best possible outcome," Cavalier said Wednesday.

He noted the suspended prison sentence and fine were the maximum allowed by the charge to which Aguillard pleaded, which was prohibited sexual conduct between an educator and a student.

Aguillard, who was an assistant trainer for all of the Gonzales high schools youth sports programs, had worked at East Ascension High since 2014 but stopped working there some time before his arrest May 25, school officials said.

After a weeklong investigation, Aguillard turned himself in to police May 25, the same day that students finished school for the year. Police said at the time thata teacher had reported concerns to a faculty member who shared those concerns with police.

Prosecutors later charged Aguillard with felony malfeasance in office and the misdemeanor count to which he ended up pleading Monday at the Parish Courthouse Annex in Gonzales.

The felony malfeasance count was dropped as part of his plea Monday before Judge Thomas Kliebert Jr. of the 23rd Judicial District Court, online minutes say.

Online records show Aguillard's license to teach has been expired since August. Under state law and licensing rules, the conviction would have been grounds for suspending or revoking his license, a state education official said.

Aguillard's attorney, J. Rodney Messina, did not return a message for comment left Tuesday evening. Assistant District Attorney Shawn Bush prosecuted the case.

Follow David J. Mitchell on Twitter, @NewsieDave.

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Former Ascension schools teacher pleads guilty to sexual contact with student - The Advocate

This feels so strange it might as well be a Tuesday. Or a Thursday.

For the first time in the (storied?) history of WAC Wednesday, New Mexico State is not batting leadoff. That spot belongs to Cal State Bakersfield, which snapped the Aggies 20-game winning streak, and shed nationwide light on what WAC followers have known all year.

The Roadrunners are good.

Their suffocating defense was on display against NMSU, as they limited the leagues most efficient offense to a season-worst 0.75 points per possession. Much of this was due to constant pressure on the perimeter from Dedrick Basile, Jaylin Airington and Brent Wrapp.

Damiyne Durham was on display too.

His 13 first half points created separation that CSUB would never relinquish. If youre looking for the type of combustible, streaky shooter that could carry a team in March, hes it. The talented sophomore takes 43.0 percent of his teams shots when hes on the floor, the highest rate in the country.

The win also might have had some program-building significance. Last years WAC Tournament thriller aside, the Roadrunners had never beaten NMSU in 12 all-time regular season meetings.

We havent scored the ball well against them. Weve always been able to defend them pretty well, but we havent scored well enough to win games like we did tonight, Rod Barnes said in a release after the game.

The Roadrunners avoided a letdown and took care of business against UTRGV, behind Durham (17 points) and Matt Smith (13 points, 10 rebounds), who scored in double figures for the sixth straight game. Coupled with NMSUs loss in Phoenix, CSUB moved into sole possession of first place at 8-1.

With that, we get our first non-NMSU Twitter embed of the season. Youve earned it, CSUB.

On to the power rankings:

Last week, we talked about NMSUs perimeter depth. Ready for a 180?

The Aggies have a talented four-man perimeter rotation, along with three other players that have seen time this year. But their potential depth took a major hit when the team announced that Sidy NDir - who was the teams leading scorer when he was injured in December - would not return this year.

Paul Weir thinks the team may be taxed.

Paul Weir says on his postgame radio interview that the players might be tired and that he may have pushed them too hard with the new style.

NMSU is playing faster this year than it did the last few seasons under Marvin Menzies, and has used the press frequently. The tired theory certainly seemed to fit as GCU went on a late 19-0 run (more on that below) to finish off the Aggies on Saturday. It was almost jarring to see the bottom fall out after NMSU had come out of the half slicing the Lopes on the interior to build a 10-point lead.

Braxton Huggins may be especially feeling the effects of a big uptick in minutes. Hes averaged just 7.8 points over the past six games, while shooting 8-for-37 (21.6%) from three.

The good news for NMSU?

The eight team league means that the Aggies play just four games from now until March 4.

How do you sum up GCUs whiplash finish against NMSU?

"Unbelievable," GCU head coach Dan Majerle [said in a release]. "We came out in the second half and there was a point they were shooting 81 percent from the floor. I mean they went on a run, they went up 10 and we had to find a way to get tougher. We did that.

The Lopes 19-0 late second half run dealt the Aggies their second consecutive loss.

Defensively, the entire team seemed to pitch in, whether it was a Dewayne Russell steal, Darrion Clarks rebounding, Gerard Martin taking a charge or Oscar Frayer playing tough man defense on Ian Baker. The Aggies also simply just missed some open shots, which may speak to some tired legs.

The win must be a great late season treat in the final year GCU wont make the trip to Las Vegas. But there may be a bigger prize in play.

Winning out, with a little help, would see the 6-3 Lopes tied atop the league. This wont be easy, as theyd need to sweep their next two games on the Northwest swing, and then win a seriously difficult game in Bakersfield to close the season.

The scenario also requires CSUB to drop a non-GCU game, and for NMSU to lose again too. For what its worth, kenpom.com projects both teams to finish at 12-2, just out of the Lopes grasp.

In a season full of twists, UMKC is trending upward at the right time.

Were just trying to get into a groove going into the conference tournament to end the year. Its the best time to get rolling, LaVell Boyd said after Roos beat UVU last week.

UMKC got off to its best start since 2001-02 at 6-2, but then fell into a valley. Martez Harrison was removed from the program, and the Roos endured a 1-8 stretch that included no Div. I wins in the month of December.

Yet theyve come out the other end. Theyre above .500 and have won four-straight games, punctuated by a 30-point win against Seattle last Saturday that pushed their league record to 6-4. If the WAC has a middle tier below CSUB/NMSU/GCU, the Roos have set themselves apart.

Kareem Richardson and his staff appear to be pushing all the right buttons.

Kyle Steward is playing the best basketball of his career and has blossomed into a consistent scoring threat alongside Boyd. Fellow seniors Dashawn King, Darnell Tillman, Broderick Newbill and Broderick Robinson are all playing quality minutes. And the youth has developed too, with freshman Xavier Bishop playing good defense and taking some of the playmaking burden off of Boyd.

Last week the claim was made that UVU had never produced an NBA player. Courtesy of UMKCs great play-by-play announcer Steven Davis, this was wrong: current Phoenix Sun Ronnie Price is a proud UVU alum and hall of famer. And hes had an impressive NBA career to boot, which is now going on 11 seasons.

CSU Bakersfield at Utah Valley | Feb. 16, 9:00 PM ET | UVU TV

Calling the Wolverines an enigma might be lazy, but thats where were going. Theyve run the spectrum this season from puzzling losses (CSU at home), to valiant defeats (NMSU at home) to thrilling wins (at BYU). Isaac Neilson can be a force down low and if the three-pointers fall, they can beat anyone in the league. Is this a trap for CSUB?

Though the Grammys are in the rear view mirror, were still feeling musical. Heres hoping this list doesnt disappoint like James Hetfields microphone.

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WAC Wednesday: CSUB's ascension, iconic songs and more - Mid-Major Madness

Parish wrestlers compete in LHSAA tournament

Last weekend, the Allstate Sugar Bowl LHSAA Wrestling Tournament was held at the CenturyLink Center in Bossier City.

In Division I, the St. Amant Gators finished in sixth place with 161.0 points. The East Ascension Spartans finished ninth with 130.5 points and the Dutchtown Griffins came in at No. 23 with 36.5 points.

Three parish wrestlers made it to the finals. In the 126-pound weight class, Brier Babin, of St. Amant, placed second as he lost the final match to Jared Thieler, of St. Pauls, in a 9-3 decision. The 182-pound class final featured two parish wrestlers: Sage Nugent, of St. Amant, took on Sidney Mitchell, of East Ascension, and won the state title in an 8-4 decision.

When the game started in Dutchtown on Friday night, the East Ascension Spartans were still undefeated in 5-5A district play, but you couldnt tell it by the way the Griffins started off.

The Griffin defense was the factor early on and stifled the Spartan offense, keeping the score low and close in the first quarter. The Spartans offense picked it up a little in the second quarter, but the Griffins still kept it close with the score 42-38 in the fourth quarter.

The Spartans (23-6, 8-0) finally pulled away from the Griffins (16-11, 3-5) in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter and finished with the 55-42 win to stay undefeated in district play.

Spartan guard Jimel London led all scorers with 13 points and LeAaron Cain added 10 points, but the surprise of the game was Justin Harris and Cameron Wire combined for 23 points, six rebounds and two blocked shots. Shedrick Smith finished with 8 points.

Neil Caldwell and Brumfield led the Griffins with 8 points each.

The Lady Spartans basketball team finished the season with two impressive wins over St. Amant 68-28 and Dutchtown 76-39. Head coach Dennis Chandler said he hopes his team will ride the wave into the playoffs as the Spartans finish 23-1, 10-0 in district play and a 22-game win streak. EAs only loss was at the start of the season (second game) to A.J. Ellender from Houma in tournament play.

East Ascension has six seniors on the team but relies on its bench as well, with some sophomores and freshmen who are well-equipped to contribute to the team effort.

In a close contest, East Iberville handed the Ascension Catholic boys a 62-60 defeat on Feb. 7. East Iberville's offense was too much for the Bulldogs to handle and went into halftime down 40-19. The Bulldogs mounted an impressive second-half comeback by outscoring the Tigers 31-22 but came up 2 points short.

Jacoby Stewart led the Bulldogs with 20 points, while Kebori Hunter tossed in 18, Jamill Truxillo scored 9, Jamar Barber 7, Kevin Gautreau 3 and Jevon Yarbrough 3.

The Bulldogs dropped another close one on Feb. 10 when they lost to St. John 43-45.

After holding a slim 18-17 halftime lead, the Donaldsonville Tigers ripped off a 21-point third quarter that paved the way for their 57-52 win over the Parkview Baptist Eagles on Feb. 7. Jacoby Simon led all scorers with 29 points. Terry Holmes added 8, Ladarius Jackson threw in 7, Dwayne Johnson scored 5, JaCoby Smith scored 4, and J. Williams and E. Wilson scored 2 each.

The Tigers lost to University Lab School 54-92 on Feb. 10.

The Donaldsonville Lady Tigers played the Lady Eagles pretty close for three quarters, trailing 26-23 at halftime and 43-36 at the end of three quarters. Parkview blew things open in the fourth quarter and outscored Donaldsonville 31-12 and went on to a 73-50 victory.

It took a while, but after a regulation game, one overtime period and some extra time, the St. Amant Gators overcame the Denham Springs Yellow Jackets and came away with a 3-2 win. The win advances the Gator soccer team to the quarterfinals in the state tournament.

St. Amant opened up the scoring and took the lead in the seventh minute when Briggs Bourgeois sent in his trademark long throw to Caleb Cretini, who struck a header into the goal. After what seemed like an eternity with plenty of physical play, Denham Springs tied the match in the 66th minute when Cameron Hamby hit a header from a corner kick.

The eighth-seeded Gators took the lead again in the first overtime period when Matt Parker scored in the 96th minute. It took only a minute for the ninth-seeded Yellow Jackets to tie the game when a long ball got by the Gators into the net.

In the second overtime, Bourgeois made another long throw in and Parker did it again with another header, winning the game for St. Amant and sending the team into the quarterfinals of the Division I playoffs for the first time since 2011.

St. Amant will have played three-time defending state champion and No. 1 seed St. Pauls by press time in the next round.

Registration for the West Ascension Youth Baseball and Softball has begun and will run through April 1. League play runs April through early June for boys and girls ages 4 to 15. Forms can be downloaded by going to ascensionparish.net and clicking on "Departments" then "Recreation."

The league play in Donaldsonville will consist of T-ball (4 to 5 years old), machine pitch (6 to 8 years old), kid pitch (9 to 10, 11 to 12 and 13 to 15 years old). Registration forms will be sent home through area schools. Call Director Troy LeBoeuf at (225) 715-7389.

The temptation is great to start this column off with, Man, springtime is here because of the mild weather we are having, but it is only the second week of February. Theres a good possibility that we still have some cold weather in the works, but its going to be hard to turn things back as far as fishing is concerned. So its time for a State of the Pier address.

About three weeks ago, I went to one of the spots where dipping crawfish is usually good. I made a few rakes with my net to see how the crop might be going and found plenty of crawfish, but alas, they were small, too small to fish with, so back in the water they went.

Fast forward three weeks and I tried a different spot and they had grown quite nicely. Most were big enough for catching bream (which is one of my favorite ways to catch them) and a few were big enough to use for catfish. This was just about a perfect combination: a warm weekend and just the right bait to spend a day on my pier and give the crawfish a try.

I baited up the three rods I keep on the pier on a recent Thursday night to get a little head start and went to bed in anticipation of catching a few fish, especially the bream to have a fish fry.

The good thing about this kind of fishing is that you dont need to be in a big hurry. My sweetheart and wife of 38 years made us some coffee after getting up about 6:30, and we sat around sipping our hot beverages and enjoyed some conversation around the Food Channel and Fox News. About 7:30, I headed down to the pier and started my day on the dock.

Before we get started with the actual fish catching, lets talk about how easy it is to do this. First comes the bait. You can go to a big-box store or tackle shop and buy an affordable dipping net. Then you have to find a location to catch the crawfish.

They are in ditches, but you have to find the ones that hold some water just about year-round and have some type of vegetation. Try a few different spots until you find them. A few dips is all it takes to find out if theyre there.

In late winter, the adult crawfish have had their little ones in the ground. When the days start getting longer, they venture out into the ditches and start to feed and hence grow. Once they get too big for panfish, they can be used for catfish or other bigger fish. But when they are small, just about anything eats them. Just think about how much you like to eat crawfish. Theres no wonder why fish love to eat them, too.

Next comes the setup: A cane pole or small spinning or spin cast rod and reel will do. Fishing on the bottom is my most productive technique this time of year. Tie a No. 4 or No. 6 hook on the end of the line and put a small split shot weight about 4 inches above the hook. The slower the fall the better, so use as small a sinker as you can to make sure the presentation is slow. The water is still cold this time of year, so the fish arent quite as active as when the water is warm.

Insert the hook at the tail end of the crawfish and thread it up to the head. Let the bait down to the bottom and slightly pop it up 5 or 6 inches and let it slowly sink back down every 10 seconds or so. The bite could come as a slight tap you feel, but usually they hit it on the fall, so paying attention to the line for any type of movement is important. Sometimes the weight and bait just stops falling. Set the hook if there is any doubt.

When the line was baited up and dropped into the water, the action didnt start right away. Ive found it takes about five to 10 minutes for a fish to find your bait and hit it. Sure enough, about five minutes in, the first bream got hooked. It was too small, so back in the water it went.

But that started the process. When one fish bites, it scatters scent from the crawfish it tries to eat, so that draws other fish. They also come to see what the commotion is all about. Theyre kind of curious, just like people. Sure enough, it all started to happen. I caught another and then another. The process repeated itself every time I quit fishing and went inside. When I returned, the same scenario repeated itself.

So, how did things turn out? Not too shabby. I finished catching over 60 bream, keeping 27. One bass fell victim to the crawfish, one sac-a-lait and 17 catfish hit the live box. Some of the catfish came on the rods I had set out, but most of them were caught on my spinning rod and baby crawfish, including the biggest one, a 3-pound channel catfish. So, the State of the Pier is pretty good.

On Feb. 11, the second of three Bass Nation High School qualifying bass tournaments was held on the Calcasieu River. Eight Ascension Parish teams competed, and four of the teams finished in the top 50 for the event that featured 124 teams of anglers. Awards were given to the top 15 teams that took part in the event.

Sam Bergeron and Andres Barletta fished the event and placed seventh, bringing in five bass that weighed in at 8.95 pounds. The team also had a 3.26-pound big bass. Finishing in 14th place was the team of Cade Fortenberry and Brennan Paxton. The two anglers also weighed in five keeper bass for a total of 7.21 pounds.

John White and Connor Kuriger weighed four for 5.70 pounds and a 26th place finish, while Bryce Schexnaydre and Kade Duplantis weighed 4.31 pounds and 40th place. Grant Bourque and Ethan Smart weighed 3.38 pounds and finished 50th.

The top two teams might not have won the event, but their two combined finishes in the first two tournaments have them one and two in the total standings. Bergeron and Barletta are on top of the standings, while Fortenberry and Paxton are only 6 points behind. The final high school qualifier will be held out Bayou Segnette on March 25.

If the boys can hold their spots through the next event, the top two teams qualify for the National High School Tournament on Kentucky Lake through the qualifiers. Also, the top two finishers from state tournament head to the nationals. Good luck to the two teams.

Lyle Johnson covers sports for The Ascension Advocate. He can be contacted at reelman@eatel.net or ascension@theadvocate.com.

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Ascension Athletics for Feb. 16, 2017 - The Advocate

GONZALES The District 5-5A basketball showdown between McKinley and East Ascension was everything that was expected of the top two teams.

After a close first half, the teams traded runs in the final two quarters before East Ascension held on for a 46-44 win at the Spartans gym.

East Ascension (25-6, 9-0) had already wrapped up the district title but still has its eye on earning a top-four playoff seeding. McKinley (19-12, 5-4) can wrap up sole possession of second place with a win over Catholic High in its final district contest.

East Ascension coach Barry Whittington complimented his teams poise after the Spartans fell behind 38-30 to start the fourth quarter.

These kids have seen a lot, Whittington said. We had some close games we didnt win last year and we had some this year. Its helped us to not panic.

We managed the clock well at the end and that helped us a lot.

Cameron Wire led the Spartans with 15 points with support from LeAaron Cain (13) and Jimel London (10). McKinley also had a trio in double figures with Patrick Collier (12), Tyrese Radford (11) and Marcus Coleman (10).

McKinleys Josh Gofdeon scored the first basket of the fourth quarter giving the Panthers a 38-30 lead. EA responded with a 13-0 run over the next four minutes.

Cain scored six points and London added four during the run. The Spartans, who benefited from five McKinley turnovers during the run, led 43-38 after Londons driving basket with two minutes left.

McKinley got as close as 43-42 after Colemans 3-pointer and a free throw by Radford. Justin Harris then fed Wire for an inside basket to put EA up 45-42 with 30 second to go.

Gordon scored again to cut the Panthers deficit to one. London hit a free throw before Frederick Carrs attempt at atying basket was off the mark as time ran out.

A big thing was the 50-50 balls, McKinley coach Harold Boudreaux said. Youve got to get them. Another big part of the game was key turnovers. It was just a tough game.

East Ascension took a 24-23 halftime lead, but McKinley made five of its first six shots to start the third quarter. A.J. Lee and Radford each scored four points as McKinley took a 33-27 lead.

The Panthers lead grew to 36-27 with 1:20 left in the quarter. EAs Marques Anderson hit a free throw and Cole Hatcher beat the buzzer with an inside bucket as McKinleys lead was trimmed to 36-30 after three quarters.

The third quarter has been one of our better quarters, and we werent knocking down shots, Whittington said. We didnt have good body language or chemistry. We switched over to a full-court press and got some turnovers.

Boudreaux gave East Ascension credit for playing well all season.

Lets give it to East Ascension, he said. They were prepared tonight. Theyve got some good seniors and this is their year.

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East Ascension holds off upset-minded McKilney 46-44 - The Advocate

Gonzales man pleads guilty to Illegal Narcotics Possession

On Feb. 6, Jamie Bourgeois of 41082 Busy Needles Road, Gonzales, age 46, pled guilty to Possession of a Schedule I Controlled Dangerous Substance. Bourgeois was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Charles Chuck Long, and presiding over this matter was the Honorable Judge Tess Stromberg. The guilty plea was the result of a plea agreement with prosecutors following a report of narcotics activity in the Gonzales area.

On Oct. 3, 2016, Ascension Parish Sheriffs Deputies were dispatched to a business on Airline Highway in Gonzales following a report of narcotics activity. An off-duty police officer advised dispatchers that he observed a male subject shooting heroin in the parking lot of a Gonzales convenience store. The off-duty officer observed the subject get into a vehicle with two other individuals and followed them as they traveled to another nearby business.

Upon arrival, sheriffs deputies were able to locate the vehicle in question and make contact with its occupants. Deputies were granted consent to search the vehicle by its registered owner. During the search, deputies located a pink plastic baggie containing heroin residue. When questioned, the owner of the vehicle told deputies that Bourgeois had just finished taking a hit of heroin.

The off-duty police officer identified Bourgeois as being the individual he saw ingesting the heroin. Bourgeois was arrested and transported to the Ascension Parish Detention Center where he was booked accordingly.

Upon entering a guilty plea to the above charge, as per the plea agreement with prosecutors, Judge Stromberg ordered that Bourgeois be committed to the Louisiana Department of Corrections for a period of three years with credit for time served.

South Carolina contractor arrested for fraud in connection with flood

Ascension Parish Sheriffs Office Major Kevin Hanna reports the arrest of 49-year-old Gregory Gager of Pratt St., Sharon, S. C. for residential contractor fraud and engaging in business of contracting without a license.

On Nov. 5, 2016, deputies received a complaint from a Prairieville homeowner who stated she hired Gager to repair her home after the August 2016 flood. The agreed contract was executed in September 2016 for repairs in the amount of $19,500. The victim paid Gager in three draws, between Sept. 12 and Oct. 3, totaling over $17,000 for repairs that was never completed.

In late October, Gager contacted the victim via text message telling her he needed additional money from her to complete the repairs. She responded that he had not yet completed the repairs of the $17,000 that she had already paid him.

At this point she never could re-establish contact with Gager. Estimates were then obtained from two independent contractors who determined that the amount of work that was actually completed by Gager, to date, totaled approximately $9,000 to $10,000.

After further investigation, it was learned that Gager is not licensed through the Louisiana State Licensing Board of Contractors, which contractors are required to register with the board in order to perform services in an amount between $7,000 and $75,000.

Gager was arrested and charged with residential contractor fraud and engaging in business of contracting without a license. He was booked into the Ascension Parish Jail.

Guilty Pleas

During the week of Feb. 6 to Feb. 10, the following defendants pled guilty to various charges and were sentenced in the 23rd Judicial District Court, parishes of Ascension, Assumption and St. James.

Ascension Parish

Jamie Bourgeois, 41082 Busy Needles Road, Gonzales, 46, pled guilty to Possession of a Schedule I Controlled Dangerous Substance and was sentenced to three years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served.

Renaldo Green, 1219 S. Sybil Ave., Gonzales, 35, pled guilty to Possession of a Schedule I Controlled Dangerous Substance, Driving Under Suspension, Failure to Stop at a Stop Sign, Careless Operation, and Resisting an Officer. On the charge of Possession of a Schedule I Controlled Dangerous Substance, the defendant was sentenced to five years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served. On the charges of Driving Under Suspension, Failure to Stop at a Stop Sign, Careless Operation, and Resisting an Officer, the defendant was sentenced to 30 days in the parish jail with credit for time served on each charge. All of the imposed sentences are to run concurrent with one another.

Wilbert Thomas, 5717 Comishi Drive, Baton Rouge, 35, pled guilty to Illegal Carrying of Weapons and Possession of a Schedule II Controlled Dangerous Substance. The defendant was sentenced to five years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served on each charge. The imposed sentences are to run concurrent with one another.

Tomeka Bingham, 6820 Cezanne Ave., Baton Rouge, 44, pled guilty to Obtaining Drugs by Fraudulent Means and was sentenced to three years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served. It was ordered that one year of the imposed sentence is to be served without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. Upon release, the defendant is to be placed on two years supervised probation.

Juan Acosta, 324 New River Road, Gonzales, 36, pled guilty to Possession of a Schedule I Controlled Dangerous Substance and was sentenced to two years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served.

Brock Doucet, 13860 Brittany Court, Denham Springs, 39, pled guilty to Possession of a Schedule II Controlled Dangerous Substance, Possession of Marijuana or Synthetic Cannabinoids, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. The defendant was sentenced to five years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served.

James Granger, 1128 E. Sybil St. Gonzales, 36, pled guilty to Possession of a Schedule II Controlled Dangerous Substance, Driving Under Suspension, No Insurance, and Switched License Plates. The defendant was sentenced to three years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served, to be suspended, and placed on three years supervised probation.

Charlotte Coppenbarger, 25175 Cherry Lane, Holden, 31, pled guilty to Possession of a Schedule I Controlled Dangerous Substance and was sentenced to four years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served, to be suspended, and placed on four years supervised probation.

The above cases were prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Charles Chuck Long and Lindsey Manda. Presiding over these matters was the Honorable Judge Tess Stromberg.

Assumption Parish

Troy Canselo, 1617 Pace Blvd., New Orleans, 44, pled guilty to Attempted Armed Robbery and was sentenced to 10 years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served. The imposed sentence is to be served without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence.

The above case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Thomas Daigle, and Presiding over this matter was the Honorable Judge Jessie LeBlanc.

St. James Parish

Walter Williams, 522 E Frisco Drive, Laplace, 44, pled guilty to Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle and was sentenced to five years with the Louisiana Department of Corrections with credit for time served, to be suspended, and placed on five years supervised probation.

The above case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Bruce Mohon, and presiding over this matter was the Honorable Judge Alvin Turner Jr.

Read more:

Latest Ascension Parish crime briefs - Donaldsonville Chief

SmackDown house shows seem to be a popular target for criminals.

Less than a month after thieves jacked AJ Styles belongings at an Arkansas live event, Heath Slater and The Ascension report their rental car was busted into and a couple of their bags stolen in Oakland, California last night (Feb. 13).

Ah positivity gone. Whoever stole my backpack today is a real champion of humanity

Setting aside for the moment why tag team rivals are travelling together, from Heaths picture, it looks like the break-in occurred may have occurred at wherever they were staying and not at the venue, which would be presumably be an easier target due to lack of security.

Hopefully nothing too valuable was taken, as theres probably not much chance Oakland police are going to have time to track down Konnor & Viktors stuff. Fingers crossed nothing was taken of Heaths... he does, after all, got kids.

And, piece of advice from a guy who lives in a city with a pretty high crime rate? Dont leave bags in the car - especially not in plain view.

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Heath Slater & The Ascension had their car broken into in Oakland - Cageside Seats (blog)