Three Gonzales City Council members rejected an agreement with Ascension Parish to clear the way for AP Baseball and Gonzales’ Diamond Youth leagues to play ball this year.  It was the third time this council considered the agreement after deferring consideration on December 8 and rejecting the agreement on January 12.  Mayor Tim Riley placed […]

Ascension Parish Councilman Joel Robert was sued yesterday, the Petition for Damages alleging that Robert made “false, scandalous and defamatory” allegations about the petitioner, Gerald Phillips, Jr.  Petitioner is the spouse of Ruth Phillips who happens to be one of Parish President Clint Cointment’s top aides.  The suit stems from a social media back and […]

In a report tonight to the St. Helena Parish Police Jury, a representative of the Amite River Basin Commission (ARBC) highlighted efforts with Congresswoman Julia Letlow to restore areas of the Amite River that will reduce flood risk and improve quality of life. The report also detailed ARBC’s “year of firsts.” ARBC Executive Director Paul Sawyer reported on $2,000,000 secured by Congresswoman Julia Letlow […]

A decade ago, Ascension’s Parish Council began considering wide-ranging changes to the Development Code related to drainage, among them limiting the amount of fill material employed to elevate structures.  Gaining momentum after the disastrous Flood of 2016, the governing authority imposed more severe limitations which have resulted in certain “unintended consequences” impacting small lot owners.  […]

Amid Parish Council concerns (a couple of members anyway) that Ascension is paying too much for its new Animal Shelter, Companion Animal Rescue of Ascension (CARA) continues oversight of the current shelter on Airline Hwy in Sorrento.  The Parish Council approved CARA’s annual budget on Thursday, appropriating $450,000 without objection as part of its Consent […]

Liberty Fence owner, James Saizan, appeared before Louisiana’s Licensing Board for Contractors (the Board) last week, unsuccessfully defending charges that he violated Revised Statute 37:2158 six times while performing various work for the City of Gonzales in 2024.  The statute requires a contractor to possess a valid license to perform certain types of work when […]

A major milestone has unlocked $30 million in state funding for the regional Bayou Manchac flood mitigation project — a partnership between Ascension, Iberville, East Baton Rouge, and the City of St. George. A new Hydrology & Hydraulics (H&H) study shows the project will lower flood levels by approximately 2.5 inches, helping move more water […]

Councilman Kirk Boudreaux went of script (or agenda) at the end of Monday’s meeting of Gonzales’ City Council to stress the importance of hiring a qualified applicant to oversee the city’s Performing Arts, Conference & Events (PACE) Center.  Jaycee Gill left the position last week, taking a position with Ascension Chamber of Commerce.  Gill was […]

Mayor Tim Riley was served with a Petition for Mandamus against the City of Gonzales, filed by Liberty Fence & Supply LLC (Liberty Fence) on October 9.  Also named Party-Defendant is former Chief Financial Officer Brandon Boylan who no longer serves in the Finance Department but retains the title of City Clerk.  Boylan’s inclusion concerns an April […]