Lambert on Budget: “We’re not doing cost of living” raises

“We’re not doing cost of living this year,” Councilwoman Terri Lambert declared on Tuesday during a Special Working Meeting of Gonzales’ City Council, a workshop called by Mayor Tim Riley intended to avert a budget fiasco like the one embarrassing the city in 2025.  “What’s funny?” Lambert challenged a handful of city employees taken aback […]

Council approves agreement allowing “quick-take” for NWI regional sewer project

Five years have elapsed since voters approved the sale of Ascension’s “wastewater utility system…and grant franchises to operate same to National Water Infrastructure (NWI).”  Last week a unanimous Parish Council resolved to execute an agreement with East Ascension Drainage Commission (EAD) to expedite the ” in the planning, acquiring and/or improving public projects, and providing […]

LOCC cuts ribbon on Gonzales location, joining west bank site

Loving Our Community Children (LOCC), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to serving and uplifting youth and families, proudly celebrated its Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony yesterday at its new location, 320 East Ascension Street, Suite 107, Gonzales, Louisiana.  LOCC board members and volunteers were joined by Mayor Tim Riley and Councilman Eddie Williams with City […]

Ordinance would prohibit communication between Planning Commission and developers

On Thursday’s Ascension Parish Council meeting agenda, three councilmen have sponsored introduction of an ordinance to prohibit Planning Commissioners from meeting privately with developers prior to consideration of new subdivisions.  Unsurprisingly, District 7 (Prairieville) Councilman Brian Hillensbeck and District 5 (it will always be Galvez to us) Councilman Todd Varnado pushed to ordinance since they […]

Access to early cancer detection will give a better chance at survival

Cancer has a way of dividing your life into before and after. I learned that when a routine procedure led doctors to discover something far more serious. What was supposed to be a straightforward surgery revealed a suspicious lump. A biopsy confirmed the unthinkable: stage 4 cancer. By the time it was found, the disease […]

Gonzales’ 2024-25 Fiscal Year audit cites Liberty Fence fiasco

Gonzales’ City Council received 2024-25 Fiscal Year financial audit, focused on “three instances of non-compliance with Louisiana Public Bid Law.”  Engaged in mid-2025, Ericksen Krentel completed the audit at the end of February in stark contrast to years past.  The firm, without identifying the “vendor,” specifically criticized a sidewalk rehabilitation job given to Liberty Fence […]

Ascension to acquire more detention area as part of 5-Year (drainage) Plan

East Ascension Drainage Commission will take up another purchase of land devoted to regional detention at its regularly scheduled meeting tomorrow.  $2.5 million for 128 acres in Geismar, the “land will be utilized for New River Regional detention as outlined in the Parish Floodplain Management Plan….This is the second land acquisition at this location (between Louis […]

“Senior staff member” accused of possible malfeasance by Councilwoman Lambert

Whether or not it is a newly formalized alliance remains to be seen, but two first term Gonzales City Councilwomen found themselves on the wrong side of multiple votes Monday night.  Cynthia Gray James seems to have cast her lot with the most vocal critic of Mayor Tim Riley’s administration, Terri Lambert who cited “a […]

3-2 vote of City Council approves agreement with Loving Our Community’s Children

City Council votes don’t come much easier than Monday’s agenda item to approve a Community Partnership with Loving Our Community’s Children (LOCC).  With a mission statement to “partner with the community to provide children and families with reliable, no-cost support that meets daily needs and fosters dignity, stability, and healing” and record of success…this was […]

Parish Council unanimously approves baseball agreement with Gonzales

Without a word of discussion last night, Ascension Parish Council approved an amended Intergovernmental Agreement with the City of Gonzales to program baseball fields inside the city.  It was accomplished on the first try by the parish governing authority, just in time for AP Baseball to commence operations on schedule Monday.  The parish vote came on […]