Category Archives: Ascension

Some healthcare workers at Ascension St. John said they're looking for new jobs after they said they were not allowed to opt out of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

In July, Ascension said it would require all employees get a vaccine by November or people would lose their jobs.

Many nurses and healthcare workers contacted News on 6, saying their exemption requests were denied and they feel they have no choice but to leave.

"I love helping people," said Rachael Parker. "I'm a people advocate."

That's why Parker went into nursing nearly 30 years ago. She was an ICU nurse for several years and most recently the stroke coordinator at Ascension Saint John.

"COVID is bad, I've been a patient myself," she said.

Ascension told all employees they must be fully vaccinated by November 12.

Parker said she has had two terrible reactions to vaccines in the past including kidney failure, so she requested a medical exemption.

"I have health issues that make me question taking the vaccine," she said. "I'm not negating it for anyone else."

Parker said it was denied, so she had no option but to quit.

"I had a lot of Ascension employees reach out to me," said Jeremy Strang.

Strang said he's also worked in healthcare for 30 years and helped many nurses request faith-based exemptions for the vaccine.

"I've done faith-based exceptions for 15 years from the flu vaccine," he said.

Several St. John nurses said their religious requests were denied and the company's response was they would cause "undue hardship to the organization" and "increased risk."

These nurses said it's a slap in the face after a year and a half on the frontlines and said patients are the ones who will truly suffer.

"This vaccine is never going to be a one size fits all," Parker said.

Ascension and Ascension St. John didn't respond to a media request before 4:30 p.m. Thursday.

Oklahoma's Attorney General said Thursday there is no rule currently in place that requires employers to mandate the vaccine. He said if a federal rule does go into place, his office will ask for an injunction.

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Some Tulsa Healthcare Workers Quit Over COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate - News On 6

Filmed in 2019 before the onset of the pandemic, Ascension is a documentary by Chinese-American director Jessica Kingdon about social divisions and social climbing in contemporary China.

Shot in 51 locations across the country, the movieaccording to the production notesis observational and essayistic, impressionistic, examining, among other things, the juxtaposition of wealth and poverty and the often coercive relationships between the various levels of capitalist enterprise.

The film had its world premiere at New Yorks Tribeca Film Festival in June, where it won Best Documentary Feature. It has recently been released in the US by MTV Documentary Films.

My aim in Ascension, continues Kingdon, is to draw the viewers attention to the universal aspects of industrial creation and consumption, and pose questions about who benefits from industrial enterprise. In any nation, the benefits are rarely apparent at the bottom of the chain.

The filmmaker explains that she did not mean to single out China as the exemplar of capitalist indignity. Rather, she uses this factory of the world to illustrate the daily realities of industrial systems, both in one nation and around the world.

The movies title is drawn from a poem by the filmmakers great-grandfather written in 1912, just after the fall of the Qing empire.

Ascensions official description reads in part: The film ascends through the levels of the capitalist structure: workers running factory production, the middle class selling to aspirational consumers, and the elites reveling in a new level of hedonistic enjoyment. In traveling up the rungs of Chinas social ladder, the filmmakers show that the contemporary Chinese Dream remains an elusive fantasy for most.

This 97-minute snapshot of China is divided into three sections. The first is the strongest and most revealing. Recruiters for large foreign companies, shouting over loudspeakers like carnival barkers, attempt to entice the jobless: Rides free to the factory ... dorm and food provided ... no health test required20 yuan [$3.10 per hour] ... dorms four people per room (no more than eight!) ... includes air conditioning ... Its for the new Huawei phone ... Earn 220 yuan [a day] at Foxconn ... no criminal record no tattoos allowed ... be as non-tattooed as possible

The camera takes in billboards, with such messages as Work hard, and all wishes come true.

In Kingdons film, we see a number of different sections of the multimillion-strong Chinese working class, from miners digging up rare earths for powering batteries to employees in a fish processing facility, from workers in bottled water factories to those in plants making sex dolls and Ralph Lauren clothing.

The filmmaker took particular care to convey viscerally the sights and sounds of work. Kingdon comments: We lavd [placed a lavalier microphone on] people working in factories as much as we could in order to get first-person sound. One of my favorite sound moments is when the young woman on the water bottle assembly line pauses to take a sip from her portable thermos ... Then there is the moment of those ladies shoes pumping the pedals in the plastic bottle cap factory.

The logic of the global economy finds ironic expression in the fact that the anti-Chinese fanatic Trumps 2020 campaign had its Keep America Great merchandise produced in China, for obvious economic reasons!

According to Kingdon, the excesses of consumerism demand mostly useless objects as they move from the factory to the outside world, where they will live a short life before being turned into polluting waste. Along these lines, she includes scenes from the New South China Mall in Dongguan and the New Century Global Center in Chengdu.

Middle-class ambition is the focus of the second segment. Hopefuls attend workshops and seminars, like Star Boss Entrepreneurial Camp, a two-day workshop where the motto is Monetize Your Personal Brand. At the end, the participants announce their goals. One young man jarringly proclaims: After two days of training, I decided to work to death!

Lets bring the pride of Chinas 5,000-year history to show the world the prettiest smiles, says one motivational speaker. Apparently, self-help gurus are everywhere! There is the International Butler Academy in Chengdu, where drinking glasses are designed to accommodate larger European noses, and the Genghis Security Academy in Beijing for bodyguard training.

The section on the wealthy towards the end of the film is the briefest. In an upscale restaurant, a group of young men and women boast that China is a global player now. A maid prepares a room in a super-posh hotel.

Nathan Truesdells cinematography elegantly suggests the vastness and variations of the country, accentuated by Dan Deacons score. In any event, imagery and sound must count for a good deal in the narration-less documentary.

It is significant that Kingdon pays no attention to the propaganda about communist China. She makes no bones about the fact that China is a highly developed capitalist country with a pronounced and growing social divide. However, she equally makes clear that her film is not meant to be an indictment of that system, rather it is merely an exploration of the paradox of progress.

The result is an intriguing work, but a passive one. Understanding present-day China would involve seriously and painstakingly examining where the society came from. The country underwent convulsive events in the 20th century, above all, the 1949 Revolution. How is it possible that a country ruled by a Communist Party has been transformed into the dog-eat-dog capitalist society that Kingdon portrays? A host of historical questions arise. The directors instincts are generally healthy, but they only take her so far.

Impressionistically gazing on a social phenomenon as complex as China produces some riveting material. However, unless the filmmaker is equipped with a store of historical and social knowledge, her probing camera may generate striking images, but the most profound truths will remain hidden.

Nonetheless, Kingdons documentary accomplishes some of its aims. She asserts: The status anxiety and the alienation of modern capitalism which are apparent in the film are states of being which I found profoundly familiar from my life in the United States. These are ways of being that are increasingly the norm across cultures, and not just in China.

My hope, she continues, is that the familiarity of these anxieties will lead American viewers to question their own ideas about the differences and similarities between the two nations, and examine the unconscious biases they may hold about the superiority of their country. This is not an insignificant objective, particularly given the anti-Chinese propaganda barrage centered in the US.

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Ascension: Social division and social ambition in China - WSWS

Back in the 2019-2020 off-season when the Pittsburgh Pirates sent veteran outfielder Starling Marte to the Arizona Diamondbacks for a two-player package, many set their sights on Liover Peguero. Peguero at the time was considered a very high ceiling shortstop but would need to refine his skills to reach that ceiling.

Overall, he was considered a prospect to watch. One that could break out in the next few years. Fast forward to 2021 and hes become one of baseballs most notable shortstop prospects. FanGraphs currently ranks him #67 and MLB Pipeline has him at #85. Pretty good for a guy who started out both lists as a borderline top 100 prospect (#119 per FanGraphs and a Just Missed Out prospect by MLB Pipeline).

Peguero had a solid season at High-A Greensboro. Throughout 417 plate appearances, the shortstop batted .270/.332/.444 with 14 home runs, 19 doubles, a .338 wOBA, and 108 wRC+. While those werent close to the likes of his teammates such as Matthew Fraizer or Nick Gonzales, they were quite solid given more context.

Peguero was one of the youngest players at High-A Greensboro. He was about the age of the average Bradenton Marauders player and there were 8 different players who appeared in at least 12 games at the Florida Coast League of similar or older age to Peguero. Overall, Greensboro players were about two-and-a-half years older than the talented shortstop. The aforementioned Gonzales and Fraizer were both 2 and 3 years older than Liover by the end of the campaign. So while his bottom line numbers may not stand out among the crowd, being an above league average hitter while also being much younger than your competition is impressive.

Peguero is more of a hit-over-power kind of player. His hit tool projects at 60, which is reaching elite territory. But dont get hit-over-power confused with no power at all. Pegueros power has slowly been improving since his professional debut in 2018.

When the Pittsburgh Pirates acquired Peguero, his power was only projected to be a 40, which isnt great by any means. But now he projects with 45-game power. Plus his raw power has always been projected at 50. He also had a single-season best ISO, posting a solid .174 mark this year.

His increased power potential is one of the major reasons he has climbed prospect rankings. Originally a wire-frame, slap hitter, Peguero now stands at a 61, 200-pound frame. Hes added 40 pounds since his first professional season in 2018 with his rookie weight coming in at just 160 pounds. That falls somewhere in the middle of Javier Baez (6-foot, 190 pounds) and Trevor Story (62, 213 pounds). However, the added bulk hasnt slowed him down yet. Hes still a projected plus runner and swiped 28 bases this year. He also projects as an above-average fielder with a strong enough arm to remain at shortstop long term.

The only knocks that can be made about Peguero so far is his plate discipline and batted ball rates. He only had a 7.9% walk rate and 25.2% strikeout rate. He also had a 49.8% ground ball rate and sub-20% line drive rate (18.6%). But the so-so plate discipline numbers arent uncommon for a young player. His batted ball numbers arent anything that cant be fixed with some fine tuning to his swing or approach at the plate.

Peguero has become not just one of baseballs higher-end prospects, but one of the better overall shortstop prospects. Hes increased his power potential to an average level, but his size suggests he could be better than what the grades project when it comes to slugging. Hes one of the most exciting players to watch in the system. Theres a good chance that Peguero takes yet another step forward and starts the 2022 season at Double-A. While hed be extremely young for the level, Peguero has proven that hes good enough to play with the older kids.

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Pittsburgh Pirates Prospects: The Ascension of Liover Peguero - Rum Bunter

GONZALES, La. (BRPROUD) United States Senator Bill Cassidy is going to be in Ascension Parish on Thursday morning.

Senator Cassidy is joining Ascension Parish President Clint Cointment and LSU Center for Energy Studies researcher Dr. Greg Upton at the Clarion Inn and Conference Center.

At 8:30 a.m., those three men are going to speak about the next generation of the chemical industry in Louisiana.

Along with Cassidy, Cointment and Upton, chemical plant managers and representatives from Louisiana energy companies are expected to attend this gathering.

Senator Cassidy is expected to elaborate on the SCALE Act.

According to Senator Cassidy, The SCALE Act would support long-term Louisiana production by developing carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) infrastructure to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

The Clarion Inn and Conference Center is located at 1500 LA Hwy. 30 W.

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U.S. Senator, LSU researcher and Ascension Parish president delving into the next generation of the chemical industry in Louisiana - BRProud.com

Almost everything is made in China nowadayseverything. I was brainstorming different factories to shoot in, explains Jessica Kingdon, director of the documentaryAscension, about Chinas industrial supply chain. I thought about how Chinas an innovator of A.I., and the first thing that popped up was A.I. sex doll.

You might be surprised at the craftsmanship involved: Meticulously, women workers paint areolas rosy pink with their fingers, hand trim bikini lines, and mold the rubber with hot iron rods. (I immediately looked up the cost of such a premium sex doll after seeing how painstakingly handmade they are; the number can soar into the tens of thousands.) It was the pinnacle of irony in the workplace, Kingdon says. You see all these women tenderly making these dolls for the most base of male desire, but at the same time for them its just a job.

Its the most memorable scene from one of the years most compelling documentaries, an image-driven, impressionistic portrait of Mainland Chinas factories, workers, and consumers. Through a series of mesmerizing vignettes that ascend from the factory floors to the aspirations of the middle class and the hedonism of the newly moneyed elite, Kingdons feature directorial debut reveals sharp observations about labor, consumerism, and wealth both in the worlds second-largest economy and our own.

The New Yorkbased filmmaker was drawn to China partly because of her heritage (her mother is Chinese) and the countrys drastic changes within mere decades. A nation that used to be known as the worlds factory is now also one of the largest consumer markets in the world, Kingdon says. Im interested in the philosophical question of the paradox of progress: what capitalism looks like, what progress really means. Seeing capitalism in a different context helps mirror it back to our own culture.

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Ascension Reveals the Absurdity and Humanity Behind the Made-in-China Label - Vogue

Ascension Catholic used a stingy defense to win its district opener 43-22 over White Castle on the road.

White Castle played on its brand new turf for the first time, the visiting Bulldogs played tough defense and made some timely offensive plays to go to 3-1 on the season.

Junior quarterback Bryce Leonard tossed two touchdowns, including a back breaking 49-yard score to Calvin Delone as the clock hit zero. The score pushed the lead to 29-6 for Ascension Catholic.

White Castle (0-4) was led by running back Jacob Green and his two touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

Ascension Catholic scored on its first possession. Leonard found his brother, Brooks, on a 43-yard crossing route to set up the Bulldogs at the 2-yard line. Texas commit JMond Tapp came in at quarterback and scored the rushing touchdown for 7-0 lead.

White Castle got on the board when defensive back Derrick Tate intercepted Leonard and returned it for a 48-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 7-6.

Ascension Catholic's defense dominated the rest of the way, including a 76-yard interception return by Khai Prean and a safety right before the half.

The brothers Leonard connected on another score in the second quarter, with Bryce throwing an 8-yard pass to Brooks.

The third quarter belonged toAscension Catholic after short touchdown runs by Tapp and fullback Adrian Prean. The Lions led 43-6 heading into the fourth quarter.

Bryce Leonard: He used his scrambling ability and his arm for two touchdown passes. He finished with 185 yards in the air. Facing constant pressure from various blitzes by White Castle, Leonard stayed poised, found receivers and avoided sacks. The third-year starter showed maturity and made good decisions.

Ascension Catholic coach Chris Schexnayder: Our defense made some big plays to get off the field on third down, plus a pick-six and a safety. We have a lot to clean up, but we came in here to face an athletic team on their field. We had respect for those guys. Happy to get the win."

Bryce Leonard:The O-line was under constant pressure tonight. They did what we saw on film, we just need to clean up a few things. Excited to get the ball to playmakers like Brooks (Leonard), C.J. (Delone), Khai (Prean) and Landon (Szubinski), we have some weapons, our defense played well tonight; good team win."

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Ascension Catholic defense leads to 43-22 victory over White Castle in district opener - The Advocate

Catholic High School took advantage of big plays early and often in Fridays 48-29 district win over East Ascension at Memorial Stadium.

Big plays set up scores oftten for Catholic. A fumble recovery by Jack Massey set up the Bears offense deep in the red zone. A 44-yard run by Tae Nicholas allowed Landon Carter to kick a chip shot through the uprights. A 39-yard catch by Shelton Sampson set the Bears up on the Spartans 1-yard line, which was quickly converted into seven points by Nicholas.

The Spartans (2-2, 0-1 5-5A) didnt shy away from the big play, either though their one touchdown in the first half came off of a 66-yard interception by Bryce Harkless, who ran it back for a touchdown.

The Bears (5-0, 1-0 5-5A) kept quarterback Troy Dunn on the move for most of the first half, forcing the senior signal caller to either tuck it and run or throw on the move. On one particular throw late in the second quarter, the intense pass rush paid off. Dunn reared back and fired a bomb deep into double coverage, only to picked off an returned by Bears defensive back Brooks Wright.

That set up a 39-yard field goal by Landon Carter with just 10 seconds left in the half.

Still, Dunn had his moments, including a 43-yard touchdown strike to Zhavier Jupiter when he was flushed from the pocket and forced to roll right before hitting the junior squarely between the numbers.

With a two-score lead, Catholic coach David Simoneaux opted to keep the playcalling conservative and leaned mostly on senior running back Corey Singleton to control the clock and move the chains. Singleton had other plans, however, when he broke through the pile at the line of scrimmage and found room up the right sideline for a 62-yard score in the third quarter. It wasnt Singletons only big play of the night, as he ripped another run of 43 yards for a touchdown.

RB Corey Singleton, Catholic: Despite a relatively quiet first half where he ceded touches to Nicholas, Singleton broke out in the second half in a big way. The senior tallied more than 100 yards on a pair of touchdown runs, his fifth multi-touchdown performance on the season.

East Ascension coach Darnell Lee: I think (Spartans defense) played well, we just have to do a better job of tackling at times. Thats been all season.

Catholic coach David Simoneaux: Theyve got a great-looking group that fought till the end. But really we were kind of inside more in the first half. We were still able to spring some but they were tough, hard-earned yards. Then we really found some big plays on the outside in the running game in the second half.

The Bears scored five touchdowns on the ground for the second time this season. Their first five-rushing touchdown performance came against Our Lady of Good Counsel (Md.).

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Catholic uses big plays to take down East Ascension in District 5-5A - The Advocate

Staff Report| Donaldsonville Chief

Assumption Parish authorities arrested a convicted felon from Belle Rose on felony charges following a traffic stop near Napoleonville.

Assumption Parish Sheriff Leland Falcon reported the arrest of Fabian Eugene Brown, 33, of Blackwell Lane, Belle Rose.

According to a news release, apatrol deputy observed a vehicle commit multiple traffic violations and initiated a traffic stop of the vehicle.

The deputy noted an odor of suspected marijuana emitting from the vehicle.

The investigating deputy determined that Brown did not have a drivers license and was a prior convicted felon.

A search of the vehicle resulted in the recovery of a large caliber handgun which had been reported stolen in Ascension Parish. A quantity of suspected marijuana was also seized.

At the time of his arrest, Brown was under two separate protective orders, and was prohibited from possessingfirearms.

Brown was booked into the Assumption Parish Detention Center on charges of:Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon,Illegal Carrying of Weapons, No Drivers License,No Seat Belt,Modified Exhaust System,Violations of Protective Order (twocounts), and Illegal Possession of a Stolen Firearm.

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Convicted felon stopped with firearm stolen from Ascension Parish, sheriff reports - Donaldsonville Chief

Ascension spray parks close for the season

Ascension Parish's two spray parks have closed for the season, officials with the Ascension Parish Recreation Department announced.

The spray park at the Oak Grove Park in Prairieville closed Sunday.

The spray park at the Sotile Pavilion in Donaldsonville closed earlier for repairs and will remain closed until late spring 2022.

The Recreation Department also stated that its Darrow Community Center will be closed indefinitely to repair damage from Hurricane Ida.

Our Lady of the Lake continues to provide COVID-19 testing from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at 2647 S. St. Elizabeth Blvd., on the campus of Our Lady of the Lake Ascension.

For information, visit olormc.com/covid-testing.

East Ascension's Cross Country team is sponsoring a homecoming fun run and cornhole tournament at 8 a.m. Oct. 16 at the high school's track. The race will follow the traditional Jambalaya Festival race route.

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The event is a fundraiser for the cross country team. Students can race for $10 wearing their school spirit shirt. Adults are $20 to race. Cornhole is $20 per person and blind draw. To register for the cornhole tournament, visit https://secure.payk12.com/school/_/153item/207304, and for the race, visit htttps://secure.payk12.com/school/_/153/item207298.

The staff at the Ascension Parish Health Unit reminds residents they can get the COVID-19 vaccine at the health unit.

The Moderna vaccine is available at the Ascension Parish Health Unit, 1024 S. East Ascension Complex Blvd., in Gonzales. Appointments are available by calling (225) 450-1425.

For information, visithttps://ldh.la.gov/covidvaccine/.

Take off Pounds Sensibly meets starting with weigh-in at 9:15 a.m. and meeting at 10 a.m. every Thursday at the fellowship hall at Carpenter's Chapel Church, 41181 La. 933, in Prairieville. Dues are $5 a month. For information, call Miriam Sanchez at (225) 202-8521.

The Recycling Center is at the Department of Public Works headquarters, 42077 Churchpoint Road, in Gonzales. Operating hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

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Around Ascension for Oct. 6, 2021 | Ascension | theadvocate.com - The Advocate

TWO Scottish space technology companies have concluded funding deals with Capital for Colleagues, which specialises in providing advice and financing for firms owned by their staff.

Scottish law firm Lindsays said yesterday it had advised Capital for Colleagues (C4C) on the conversion of an A-share investment into Ordinary shares valued at 1.75 million in Bright Ascension, a Dundee-based space software technology provider. This was alongside a 1m injection from other investors, Lindsays noted.

READ MORE:Ian McConnell: 160-mile round trip by ferry and road is bank branch axe reality

Bright Ascension offers software products and solutions for use on spacecraft and on the ground, and the investment will back expansion plans, the law firm added.

Lindsays noted C4C had also invested 800,000 in Craft Prospect, a Glasgow space engineering business which develops enabling quantum and artificial intelligence-based products and mission applications for the small satellite market. It added the deal would allow Craft Prospect to recruit additional staff as well as develop new products and services.

READ MORE:Scotland ferries: Caledonian MacBrayne should be treated as national treasure: Ian McConnell

Douglas Roberts, who leads Lindsays employee ownership team, said: Funding is often an issue for employee-owned (EO) businesses due to the focus on employees, something which C4C both understands and encourages.

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Scottish space technology firms Bright Ascension and Craft Prospect secure funding deals | HeraldScotland - HeraldScotland