1 between White Castle and Donaldsonville traditionally has been one of the quieter parts of a drive whenever I’ve taken the Sunshine Bridge 1 corridor between White Castle and Donaldsonville It’s due to last week’s announcement by Gov Jeff Landry and President Donald Trump that a $5.8 billion Hyundai steel plant will locate in Donaldsonville it’s been that quiet stretch of highway where some of us have exerted a little more force on the accelerator It’s a mostly desolate stretch of highway where motorists may find a trooper every now and then but little else other than vehicles going from one parish to another Hyundai promises 1,500 jobs at its steel plant in Donaldsonville — and that’s full-time jobs as Iberville Parish President Chris Daigle said last week The scope of the project is regional and statewide in terms of job creation but the parish seat of Ascension Parish will not be the only Westbank area to see transition The impact of the plant will likely stretch into Iberville Parish in terms of new jobs and support industry Parish President Chris Daigle said last week He said last week the 10-mile stretch may be the most economically impacted area for the state of Louisiana in the next five or 10 years The Town of White Castle could benefit quite well from the steel plant Some of the area is landlocked for farming but the “right dollar amount” offered may or may not convince some landowners to sell but there’s plenty credence to the saying “money talks.” The move could bring more business to a town that has seen its commercial sector wither in the past 50 years It once had two or three car dealerships and a bustling downtown area but younger people found better opportunity elsewhere How much the Hyundai steel plant changes White Castle is anybody’s guess and it could become the “bedroom community” for the corridor heading to the steel plant Some people may not like the thought of a growth in population or other elements that could make big changes for a community But a community needs a population to survive It needs residents with solid income to make it grow and thrive The lack of those elements is what sends a town into decline If you’ve ever driven Louisiana towns along the Mississippi Delta — Waterproof and Lake Providence in East Carroll — you get a classic example of what happens when opportunity passes up an area With the above-average pay the new industry will bring the Hyundai steel plant in Donalsonville could be the difference-maker for White Castle and more prospective residents may choose to call it “home.”  The steel plant and its support businesses could be the best thing to happen to White Castle in decades The Krewe of Donaldsonville's Mardi Gras parade announced details in a news release ahead of the Feb The Grand Marshal is District 58 State Rep James Parish and a graduate of Southern University with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and a minor in mathematics He is employed at BASF Corporation in Geismar and currently serves as an electrical maintenance engineer in the power distribution group Brass represents the residents of Ascension James and Iberville parishes at the state level He was recognized as the Legislator of the Year by the Louisiana School Board Association the Legislator of the Year by the Fifth Circuit Judges Association and awarded the Joe D May Excellence in Public Policy Award by the Louisiana Community and Technical College System Brass is a resident of Vacherie and has a daughter who attends Howard University in Washington John Diez has been crowned King of the parade Amant High School and Nicholls State University state and federal government levels in the Baton Rouge area and the nation's capital He is married to Renni Rossi Diez and they have two children Diez has played a key role in expanding vocational training on the west side of Ascension Parish and helped with the creation of the West Ascension Economic Development District She attended White Castle High School and furthered her education at Commercial College in Baton Rouge A resident of Donaldsonville for more than 40 years She is also the owner of 3 Sisters Bar and Lounge Lewis served as the sponsor for past parades in the city for many years He was raised in Donaldsonville and is a 2012 graduate of Donaldsonville High School He has continued his education at Southern University working toward a bachelor's degree in education White is currently employed by DHS where he is an educator and band director He also coaches youth basketball for the Biddy Basketball League the Louisiana Hoyas AAU organization and Lowery Middle School His passion for music led him to starting his own production business with the help of the late DJ Thriller and Dj Yug He is married to Kelsey Landry White and they have two children She is a bilingual and multicultural Latina advocate She has lived in Louisiana for nearly 15 years Chavez earned her bachelor's degree in international trade and diplomacy she achieved her American citizenship in 2016 She has been a high school teacher since 2020 Chavez is also a volunteer at the Donaldsonville Fire Department serving as event coordinator from 2015 to 2023 as well as a member of the policy council for Ascension Head Start as a community representative and volunteer for the City of Donaldsonville with translations and the equity and integration committee Wanda “The Angel of Faith” August and Lionel “LFSportz” Franklin will serve as the grandstand parade announcers again They previously served as announcers during the Christmas parade "I am thrilled we were able to bring back the Christmas parade in December 2024 and now the Donaldsonville Mardi Gras parade vehicles will participant in parade," Mayor Leroy Sullivan said in the release "The parade committee and I invite surrounding communities to come The parade committee members are Tamiko Francis Garrison (chair) The presenting sponsor is TJC Group and the purple sponsor is West Ascension Parish Hospital (doing business as Prevost Memorial Hospital) The committee also acknowledged the assistance of the volunteer parade route captains: members of ASAP Riders Advocate staff photo by PATRICK DENNIS shot on 5-25-08 The Ascension Parish Courthouse in Donaldsonville's historic district The Ascension Parish Courthouse in Donaldsonville is framed by oak branches and fountain in Louisiana Square Donaldsonville's leaders have failed to properly provide documents detailing how it spends federal grants and awards to auditors for seven years in a row This was one of several findings in the city's recently released 2024 fiscal year audit Governments that spend more than $750,000 in federal grants in a fiscal year are required by law to prepare such a document called a Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards the document is used to accurately report how money is used by the federal government and granting agencies as well as determine how federal programs are audited Donaldsonville has failed to provide such a report to auditors since the 2018 fiscal year although it’s not clear if it’s passed the expenditure threshold each year The audit's findings — some of which have been reported for multiple years — were presented Jan before being posted on the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s website “The records were not maintained in a manner which allowed the SEFA to be prepared in an efficient manner to ensure accuracy and completeness,” auditors wrote the city has agreed to design controls to ensure it gets properly prepared but it has responded with the same sentiment to each audit since 2018 Mayor Leroy Sullivan said the city had a small finance department run mostly by Chief Finance Officer Sandra Williams “We’re doing the best that we can with the small group that we have We have received a lot of money in federal grants … and we have contracted with someone to handle just that portion because it is too much for Sandra to do by herself,” Sullivan said we’re doing the things that we need to do.” He also said no fraud or missing money was reported in the audit Sullivan did not respond to requests for comment this week EisnerAmper issued an unmodified opinion on the Donaldsonville audit which means they think all financial statements were presented fairly That opinion is what "all local auditees should strive to achieve,"  according to the legislative auditor's website However, the report stated the city lacked internal financial controls was not in compliance with Louisiana law and was possibly not in compliance with other federal regulations The city issued a corrective action plan in response to the findings a standard procedure when violations are found The audit found Donaldsonville submitted a report late to the U.S Department of the Treasury for the second year in a row and said the government didn't comply with federal procedures that require the city to maintain documentation of vendor suspension or disbarment the Local Government Budget Act requires government entities to revise their budgets when projected revenues fail to meet the budgeted amount by more than 5% Donaldsonville has failed to do that since 2021 City management said it concurred with all findings and said it would make changes to comply with the findings Email Christopher Cartwright at christopher.cartwright@theadvocate.com This story is only for subscribers like you${formattedName Email notifications are only sent once a day News Tips:newstips@theadvocate.com Other questions:subscriberservices@theadvocate.com Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Donaldsonville Mayor Leroy Sullivan and Gonzales Mayor Tim Riley have announced events May 1 in the Ascension Parish cities in celebration of the National Day of Prayer The Gonzales event will be at city hall beginning at 9:30 a.m., according to a Facebook post on the city's official page it will be held at the Lemann Memorial Center Video of the program will be shared to the city's official Facebook page The purpose of nationwide event is to unite the country in prayer asking for guidance and blessings for the country and its leaders Gonzales Weekly Citizen and Donaldsonville Chief, part of the USA Today Network of Louisiana, cover Ascension Parish and the greater Baton Rouge area. Follow at facebook.com/WeeklyCitizen and facebook.com/DonaldsonvilleChief Ansel Cantin representing Solar Alternatives answers questions about the electric Ford F-150 Lightening from Lance Rodrigue during the Earth Day event held at the River Road African American Museum in Donaldsonville on Tuesday Stafford Agee admires a Ford F-150 Lightening that was on display during the Earth Day event held at the River Road African American Museum in Donaldsonville on Tuesday dances in a drum circle lead by Mama Jamilah during the Earth Day event held at the River Road African American Museum in Donaldsonville on Tuesday technical team lead with Louisiana Clean Fuels speaks during the Earth Day event held at the River Road African American Museum in Donaldsonville on Tuesday walks through the Freedom Garden to take pictures during the Earth Day event held at the River Road African American Museum in Donaldsonville on Tuesday A circle of bricks commemorating families’ histories lie nearby the Freedom Garden in the back of the River Road African American Museum in Donaldsonville pictured on Tuesday Marley Jones fixes the chain on his waist while Germaine Lawrence fixes him a snowball during the Earth Day event held at the River Road African American Museum in Donaldsonville on Tuesday Executive Director of River Road African American Museum speaks during the Earth Day event held at the museum in Donaldsonville on Tuesday A nonprofit leading a multiyear initiative to increase clean transportation access in Donaldsonville says it is looking to install several electric vehicle chargers in the city If completed, the installation will be the largest collection of electric chargers on the west bank for miles around, according to a U.S. Department of Energy charger map. While the east bank has charging stations in Gonzales Addis and Thibodaux are the closest west bank communities with chargers Representatives for Louisiana Clean Fuels mentioned the work during an Earth Day event Tuesday at the River Road African American Museum's Rosenwald School the technical team lead for the organization said the nonprofit is trying to get three to six electric vehicle chargers for the community no timeline has been set for the charger installation "Donaldsonville is a very tourism-based community so one of the potential sites is at the museum itself the River Road African American Museum," he said "Louisiana Square … that's another location that we're really looking at." Donaldsonville is one of the poorest communities in the state Census Bureau estimating a poverty rate of around 43% Hermann said many residents travel by bike and don't own cars making reliable access to jobs in Gonzales nearly impossible "One of the potential projects that we'd really love to get working but has a lot of challenges associated with it is to get some form of transit between the two communities," he said adding that such a project could be a van pool or typical bus system Those ideas emerged through surveys and listening sessions held in the community which resulted in a Transportation Action Plan "The way that we approached our work with Donaldsonville was to really make sure that as much as possible … we don't come in with ideas about what should be done in the community," Hermann said Louisiana Clean Fuels displayed several electric vehicles and answered questions about them Representatives from the United Houma Nation and Atakapa-Ishak Nation also spoke massages and yoga sessions were offered to attendees It was the second Earth Day event hosted by the River Road African American Museum Executive Director L'Oreal Evans said the celebration was intended to remind residents to be good stewards of the planet and each other "That's what this is about: working cohesively in order to remind ourselves that this is what we do," she said "… We have everything from physical healing to mental and spiritual healing." Donaldsonville Mayor Leroy Sullivan told members that River Parishes Community College plans to open a campus on the west side of Ascension Parish to address the workforce needs of the planned Hyundai steel plant President Donald Trump, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry and several elected officials celebrated the announcement of the first-of-its-kind $5.8 billion project along the west side of the Mississippi River "I think it's great for the west bank of Ascension Parish and for the City of Donaldsonville," Sullivan said during his mayor's report "A lot of people always say nothing is going on If you listened to what was being said yesterday this has been in the works for more than 15 months There was a lot of behind-the-scenes work to get this to happen." RPCC is the lead training and workforce development partner for the project RPCC announced it will provide hands-on skills training to equip locals for careers in industrial maintenance I mean our people here in the City of Donaldsonville and the surrounding areas in order to be able to get those jobs," Sullivan said so we won't have to worry about our people going across the river." which is a subsidiary of Hyundai-Kia Motor Group will bring an estimated 1,300 direct jobs and thousands of indirect jobs with the project The mayor pointed out that one of the changes expected for the area is the proposed Hwy which would connect to the current highway at Hwy James Parish and create a new corridor in the Assumption and Iberville parishes area "We don't want all of this development to come and then everything bypasses the City of Donaldsonville," he said Kia and other automakers in the United States could break ground as early as the third quarter of 2026 in the RiverPlex MegaPark the 17,000-acre industrial zone west of the city it was noted that Donaldsonville was mentioned in worldwide news reports as the major announcement was made at the White House in Washington what if it's that.' I want to encourage everyone to be patient other businesses that will locate in the area," Sullivan said The mayor emphasized that local leaders will work together to attract businesses that will benefit the city and increase the tax base The key component is making sure our people are educated and trained to get those good-paying jobs," Sullivan said He pointed out that average salaries will be $95,000 a year have the wherewithal to go and get the training and be ready There wouldn't be any reason for them not to hire people from this area if they're qualified," the mayor said He also emphasized the importance of the changes benefitting the residents of the area "That means we have to have housing development I can tell you my phone has been ringing off the hook As the area accommodates a "generational shift," working together as a team will be key "We're going to have to stand up on some things because there will be attacks," the mayor said "There will be people criticizing things that are happening." That will include speaking up for the community what happened yesterday is just the beginning of what's going to happen in order to change the whole outlook of Donaldsonville and this area on the west bank of Ascension Parish," Sullivan said According to the documents released by the company production at the plant could begin as early as 2029 "There will be jobs available when they start breaking ground," the mayor said In the months leading up to the announcement individuals connected to the project were unable to talk about the plans since they signed non-disclosure agreements The local announcement event held at the Price LeBlanc PACE Center in Gonzales and the nationwide briefing at the White House made the news official "This is a game changer for the area and there is more to come," Sullivan said A Donaldsonville mayoral candidate who was arrested, accused of profiting more than $25,000 from the sale of stolen copper wire the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office said in a news release Glenn Price turned himself in to the Sheriff's Office on Thursday on additional felony counts of money laundering over $100,000 and illegal transmission of monetary funds was originally booked into the Ascension Parish Jail on Oct 11 on counts of illegal possession of stolen things over $25,000 and a misdemeanor count of operating a business without a license Detectives with the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office were investigating the theft and illegal sale of a telecommunication company's copper wire that had been stolen from utility poles in Livingston and East Feliciana parishes Price allegedly purchased the stolen wire from Theodore Myers Price then sold the stolen copper to a Baton Rouge recycling center without the necessary license or documentation Price illegally profited upward of $25,000 Myers was arrested on fugitive charges and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon Price could not immediately be reached for comment Additional details were not immediately available Anyone with information on the case is urged to call the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office anonymously at (225) 621-4636 or text 847411 to its anonymous tip line Tips can also be sent to Crime Stoppers at 225-344-STOP (7867) Email Gabby Jimenez at gabby.jimenez@theadvocate.com Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInDONALDVONSILLE (WAFB) - Three people have been found guilty in connection with a deadly 2022 shooting in Donaldsonville According to the 23rd Judicial District Attorney’s Office and aggravated criminal damage to property at a home on West 2nd Street in Donaldsonville and claimed the life of Cedrick Mumphrey They added that he was found in the driveway of his home with multiple gunshot wounds He was taken to a hospital and died from his injuries detectives secured surveillance video that showed the victim and another person talking in the driveway of the home They added that the video later shows three people wearing dark clothing and masks approach the driveway and produce handguns and the three masked people took off from the scene About 45 spent shell casings were found at the scene of the shooting by detectives area citizens helped detectives identify the shooters as Starks The three convicted suspects are in the Ascension Parish Jail and are awaiting sentencing Prosecutors said a charge of second-degree murder alone carries a mandatory life sentence Click here to report a typo Click here to subscribe to our WAFB 9 News daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox The West Ascension Parish Hospital Board in Donaldsonville has plans to build a new hospital and reach a partnership with the Our Lady of the Lake Health System in Baton Rouge while in the midst of an ongoing lawsuit by an architect who has claimed he has not been paid for his previous services Attorney Timothy Pujol filed the lawsuit Feb who made claim at the time to $790,484 worth of work performed the lawsuit seeks interest on the money allegedly owed which has accumulated to an estimated $876,000 The five-member board discussed the matter in executive session during the March 27 meeting at the hospital's conference room at 301 Memorial Dr addressed the board during the public comment period was not in attendance at the monthly meeting Chauvin opened his prepared remarks by saying the board which oversees the hospital funded by a half-cent sales tax has been costing the taxpayers thousands of dollars When Chauvin began to talk about vice chair Glenn Price's past involvement in the justice system chair Bill Dawson said he could not "personally attack somebody" and should speak only about the agenda item "I don't want your personal views about anything and it doesn't belong at the podium," Dawson said during a back-and-forth conversation with the speaker "It doesn't belong here because you just don't like what I have to say," Chauvin responded Dawson allowed him to continue speaking but after he announced his time had expired "I'm going to adjourn the meeting," Dawson said at one point the board agreed to enter executive session after Chauvin concluded speaking The members did not discuss the lawsuit prior to the session In correspondence with the USA TODAY Network Chauvin said his father is a retired Army veteran and a distinguished architect with more than 50 years of service He alleged that the board members know that they owe the money "It's absurdly shameful and appalling that this new board is not only refusing to pay Henry but doing so all while charging forward on a new endeavor purchasing property and seemingly ordering yet more consulting services for a brand-new hospital," Chauvin said in an email "A more responsible board would settle out old business prior to moving forward." The hospital has undergone many changes over the last several months under the leadership of CEO Shelton Anthony who has previous experience as a manager in hospitals the council scrutinized the leadership of the hospital the council voted 8-0 to replace the previous hospital board who was a former parish council member and one-time parish utilities director a community group leader and two-time candidate for mayor of the City of Donaldsonville educator Tanya Mitchell and attorney Falcon Mire Additionally, the hospital's previous longtime administrator, Vince Cataldo, retired at the end of 2023 the hospital has purchased property behind the current facilities according to the parish assessor's online records the March 27 meeting marked the debut of the livestream video of the monthly board meetings The hospital account can be found on YouTube at West Ascension Parish Hospital Board members expect the hospital's 16-passenger van with wheelchair capacity to return soon The van was brought to a shop for new tires and other maintenance Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInST (WAFB) - Troopers with Louisiana State Police are investigating after a crash near the Sunshine Bridge left a Donaldsonville man dead and a juvenile seriously injured in St State police identified the victim as Demaricus Kensie According to LSP’s preliminary investigation Kensie was driving a 2019 Jeep Wrangler east on Highway 70 when the vehicle traveled off the roadway to the right and overturned and he died at the scene from his injuries A juvenile passenger was taken to the hospital with serious injuries the roadway was shut down overnight while crews responded to the scene State police do not yet know if impairment was involved in this crash but they confirmed a standard toxicology sample was taken for analysis Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInDONALDSONVILLE (WAFB) - Moviegoers may recognize some of the locations in an upcoming movie starring Michael B which went by the title “Grilled Cheese” during its production was filmed in Donaldsonville in April of 2024 It was originally set to come out on March 7 RELATED: The Movie “Grilled Cheese” starring Michael B Jordan has finished filming in Donaldsonville “Sinners” is a supernatural horror film about twin brothers trying to leave their troubled lives behind and return to their hometown to start again only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back Jordan teams back up with “Black Panther” and “Creed” Director Ryan Coogler for this film Besides Donaldsonville, Louisiana Entertainment reports that “Sinners” was filmed in various locations around Louisiana Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInASCENSION PARISH (WAFB) - Multiple law enforcement agencies are on the scene of a train derailment in Ascension Parish Troopers with Louisiana State Police are asking drivers to avoid an area of Donaldsonville after the train went off of its track on Friday morning According to LSP, waste spilled during the event, but it is not a threat to the public. The Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office confirmed the spill was not hazardous “We want the community to know that everyone is safe We have no hazardous material leaks at this time There’s only a white powder substance on the ground that is non-hazardous Photos show a dozen train cars off the track Highway 70 at Highway 3089 in Ascension Parish was closed for multiple hours due to the train derailment The railroad crossing re-opened around 1 p.m crews will be working to clear the derailed train cars and repair the tracks over the next several days Deputies said the cause of the derailment remains under investigation and the sheriff’s office is working closely with Union Pacific (WAFB) - The first of at least two suspected burglars are behind bars as part of an investigation into a sports store burglary in Ascension Parish According to the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office approximately $10,000 worth of shoes and clothing items were stolen from the sports store which is located on Highway 3089 in Donaldsonville At least two people were involved in the burglary according to the detectives’ investigation was arrested and booked into the Ascension Parish Jail after being identified as one of the burglars She is facing charges for simple burglary and theft of $5,000 but less than $25,000 The sheriff’s office confirmed more arrests are pending South Korean automotive manufacturer Hyundai plans to build a steel mill in Ascension Parish near Donaldsonville The steel mill would supply the Hyundai and Kia vehicle assembly plants in the United States several parish officials and the governor declined comment Local officials have hinted at a potential project in the works for the RiverPlex MegaPark a 17,000-acre industrial zone west of Donaldsonville on the west bank of the Mississippi River within roughly a 40-mile radius of Baton Rouge Ascension Economic Development Corp. has touted the land for its proximity to the industrial corridor Much of the land along the bend in the river from Donaldsonville to the Iberville Parish line is rural and currently is used by most to grow sugarcane The Korea Economic Daily, a business newspaper in South Korea, reported Hyundai was considering building its first overseas steel mill in New Orleans The company reportedly has been looking at Louisiana Hyundai officials confirmed they were reviewing the construction of a steel mill in the U.S but declined to provide additional details the project could break ground as early as spring 2026 and finish by 2029 This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page This is a photograph of the Donaldsonville Courthouse ca Sandra Stokes lies on a neighboring tomb to get a good view of the iron safety band being taken off of the tomb at Ascension of our Lord Cemetery in Donaldsonville on Wednesday Jordan Kaplan steps over the brick walls at the exposed top of the tomb while finishing up restoration at Ascension of our Lord Cemetery in Donaldsonville on Wednesday CF Industries in Donaldsonville as seen on Friday Jordan Kaplan shows off a half dime dated in the 1800s found at the tomb during restoration work at Ascension of our Lord Cemetery in Donaldsonville on Wednesday founder of the River Road African American Museum and executive director of the Amistad Research Center gives an oral history of the River Road’s Administrative Office in Donaldsonville on Thursday which also serves a museum dedicated to African American doctors who practiced in Donaldsonville Kathe Hambrick points to a historic news clipping about a doctor who previously worked in Donaldsonville at the River Road African American Museum Adminiistrative Office on Thursday Mayor Lawrence Regira of Donaldsonville points to part of town marker which cites the contribution to medical science by Doctor Francois M received a dramatic distinction in medical history that would for long years go unnoticed and that even today is not fully realized within and outside of this community Here a French doctor performed the second successful Caesarean section in the United States and the first in Louisiana Marking place of birth of the late Governor Francis T this plaque was unveiled in ceremonies Saturday at Donaldsonville by Mrs talk about the sugarcane planter invented by Leonard's father as the machine sits behind Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office Substation 2 where it is in the process of being restored with help from the APSO Sheriff Bobby Webre was there to look it over the machine will be donated to the River Road African American Museum “They have a great opportunity to develop a cultural economy that can bring in some of that money and foster an appreciation for the people who are there,” said L'Oréal Evans executive director of nonprofit River Road African American Museum Strolling Railroad Avenue in Donaldsonville, you'll see the second-oldest Jewish synagogue building in Louisiana there's an open park of live oaks and Spanish moss hanging from crepe myrtles at the site of the state capitol building nearly 200 years ago Although it was a short-lived move, the small city still prides itself on the governmental distinction and holds it dear as one of several historical touchstones in the community. The Louisiana legislature passed a bill two centuries ago this week to pave the way for the state government seat's transfer from New Orleans to Ascension Parish Mayor Leroy Sullivan said the significance of the city's history "is monumental." “That’s history that could never be rewritten," he said of the little city being the Louisiana capital from 1830-1831 "It's something that no one can take away from the city.” Donaldsonville finds itself at an inflection point Following decades of declining economic and political power — despite its status as the parish seat — new industries are looking to move into the region on the east bank of the Mississippi River How this wave of economic development shakes out could determine the community’s trajectory for many years Companies such as CF Industries hope to construct new ammonia plants in the area, while carbon sequestration proposals have brought significant pushback from residents Some local leaders think the city should prioritize smaller businesses and tourism in light of its historic appeal The push to move the capital to Donaldsonville was driven by multiple factors including an attempt to draw power away from New Orleans they considered New Orleans had too much influence over the state’s politics,” Long said “And so moving the capital in some ways was an attempt to equalize the influence of the more rural parts of the state versus the city of New Orleans.” the original law ordered the seat of government to be moved from New Orleans to Donaldsonville on Dec Two weeks later, on Feb. 19, the state legislature passed another law postponing the move until 1829 The legislature finally convened in Donaldsonville in 1830 the capitol building now home to Louisiana Square across from the Ascension Parish courthouse But Donaldsonville’s time in the sun was brief “They meet in Donaldsonville only very briefly and come back … It’s kind of like a pyrrhic victory,” Long said of the legislature but it turns out it’s not really what they want.” State lawmakers moved the capital back to New Orleans in early January 1831 and Long said one reason was the capitol building itself had a leaky roof Baton Rouge became the Louisiana capital city and remains the government seat there were lots of nonsubstantive reasons to go back (to New Orleans) … in terms of being a cosmopolitan area with a lot of creature comforts,” she said “… Those were very different kinds of locales at that period of time.” The Donaldsonville community remains the government seat of Ascension Parish but most local political operations occur in Gonzales emblematic of the political and economic power shift Ascension Parish council member Oliver Joseph recalled different times when he lived in Donaldsonville in the 1970s more business and more community involvement,” he said Joseph mentioned the construction of Interstate 10 on the Mississippi River's west bank as a factor in the economic decline across the river in Ascension And when you lose population … you don’t have the tax base,” Joseph said so many things that could have come to the city of Donaldsonville,” he stated “You hear all the time about before the interstate was built on the east bank the west bank of Ascension Parish was a place that was really flowing and growing.” Donaldsonville also lost significant political power within the parish when the population boom in Gonzales and Prairieville led to the creation of more council districts there the west bank had four police jury representatives represents the entire west bank and a portion of the east bank north of the Sunshine Bridge Donaldsonville played host to several important figures and moments which revolutionized the sugar cane industry the town depends on potential economic changes "(It) is incumbent upon me and the rest of the elected officials and leaders of this community to make sure that we cross over into an area where there’s prosperity for those that live here in the city.” Some local leaders think they can bring jobs although many residents fear pollution from additional manufacturing plants while Ascension Clean Energy ammonia plant officials say they would add 350 full-time jobs There's divergent opinions on ways to improve the city’s economic condition. Many officials, like Sullivan, view the plants as providing good jobs. To that end, River Parish Community College runs a night school job training and welding program in town that strives to give residents the skills for industrial careers But many citizens object to the industrial projects said a proposed carbon capture test well would be situated right near where he lives executive director of the nonprofit River Road African American Museum said Donaldsonville could prioritize its location and history to “clutch that sunshine” and attract financial resources and visitors “They have a great opportunity to develop a cultural economy that can bring in some of that money and foster an appreciation for the people who are there,” she said “Because the people who are there have many talents Residents seeking information on the $7.5 billion Ascension Clean Energy project a hydrogen-ammonia production facility proposed for a 1,700-acre site at the RiverPlex MegaPark along the west bank of Ascension Parish can now connect with the company at its new office in Donaldsonville The Donaldsonville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Ascension Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the office at 215 Railroad Ave "We appreciate the opportunity to work with local officials and residents and value the positive response we have received thus far,” ACE Senior Vice President of Project Development Vee Godley said in a news release responsibly and in an environmentally responsible way to provide clean energy the world needs We have an open-door policy and look forward to continued engagement with our local stakeholders." located in the Modeste area along the Mississippi River initially will produce 2.4 million metric tons per annum of clean ammonia with an expansion in subsequent phases to 7.2 Modeste is an unincorporated community north of the City of Donaldsonville and east of the Town of White Castle in neighboring Iberville Parish will bring an estimated 350 permanent jobs 1,500 construction jobs and more than 1,200 indirect jobs to the region the project has hired local resident Dwayne Thomas to serve as community relations manager The release also noted potential contractors and vendors can sign-up through a portal on the project's website at www.cleanhydrogenworks.com the ACE Opportunity Program has been developing with River Parishes Community College to support training and paid internship opportunities for local residents a final investment decision is expected in late 2025 An estimated three-year construction period would begin following the decision with startup targeted for 2029 Donaldsonville and Gonzales will celebrate Mardi Gras this year with parades through the two Ascension Parish cities The season also includes local events to mark the Mardi Gras season The Krewe of Ascension Mambo parade will begin at 2 p.m The route begins along Irma Boulevard near the Gonzales Civic Center and travels down Burnside Avenue before ending at the intersection of Hwy also scheduled a Mardi Gras masquerade ball from 6 p.m The City of Donaldsonville, the parish seat along the west bank of the river, brought back the Mardi Gras parade in 2025 after a successful Christmas parade rolled through the historic district in December last year Donaldsonville's parade has been set for 2 p.m More information can be found on the official City of Donaldsonville Facebook page, which is facebook.com/DonaldsonvilleLA, and the website at donaldsonville-la.gov the Donaldsonville Elks celebrated the annual freedom ball Feb and Domarus Grey sit outside Allen’s porch to escape the heat of the powerless-house and watch an Entergy truck drive by in Donaldsonville on Tuesday Allen said their power had been restored since the storm last week but lost power again earlier that afternoon An Entergy employee checks out a malfunctioning transformer that left nearby residents without power in Donaldsonville AGS Tree Services employee Ulysses Rosado operates a wood chipper while cleaning up fallen trees in Donaldsonville on Tuesday stands on top of a row of logs after cleaning up a resident’s property following damage from Hurricane Francine in Donaldsonville on Tuesday A pile of collected debris lies on the curb in Donaldsonville on Tuesday Ascension Parish was hit hard by Hurricane Francine last Wednesday. Trees toppled and power lines fell, and Entergy reported more than 28,000 parish customers were without power the day after the storm The number of outages fell quickly as crews crossed the region, with Entergy estimating that 90% of the parish would have its power back by Saturday night But Donaldsonville Mayor Leroy Sullivan said the company initially told him the city wasn’t included in that estimation that does not include the city of Donaldsonville … Donaldsonville will be on the 16th,’” five days after Francine hit Sullivan said at a recent city council meeting stating via email that Donaldsonville was included in the power restoration estimate estimated restoration times are when we anticipate power being restored to at least 90% of customers in a given area," she wrote "Those times can shift based off of what our crews encounter in the field while working to restore power The geography of southeast Louisiana poses unique challenges for utilities restoring power but our crews utilized specialized equipment like backyard track machines.. to safely and efficiently carry out repairs." the parish seat but separated from the rest of Ascension by the Mississippi River faced a 100% power outage during Hurricane Ida in 2021 the majority Black city has a poverty rate of 47% Sullivan emphasized that the response to the hurricane was much better than in previous years “A lot of people don't understand when Entergy comes in then they have to give the work orders to the crews,” Sullivan said But he said more crews were mobilized following calls to District 3 Public Service Commissioner Davante Lewis; Louisiana Rep “All of them got on the phone and said … ‘I want to know why was Donaldsonville going to be left out be powered up after the East bank,’” Sullivan said adding that the number of Entergy crews for Donaldsonville increased following the calls he told us he would get Entergy on the phone right now and find out why they are not getting the power back on in Donaldsonville.” A spokesperson for Carter confirmed the call between him and Sullivan Lewis said he talked with Sullivan about his concerns and brought them up to Entergy officials during the hurricane's aftermath "I feel my job is as commissioner is to really tell my local officials Entergy is making decisions based off of kind of their assessments You are as local officials making decisions based off of like where you know vulnerable communities live,” he said I will work with the utility companies and see if we can escalate our advanced those needs,’ and so that's kind of how our interaction happened around Thursday and Friday.” denied any political pressure influenced Entergy's response "[We] restore power through a thought out approach The order in which we restore customers is also deliberate," she wrote move on to large neighborhoods and then to individual homes Power is first restored to critical community infrastructure and essential services .. This returns power to the largest number of customers in the shortest amount of time." Ganz found more vulnerable communities — like those with higher levels of poverty or lack of transportation access — often face longer waits for power restoration following hurricanes While not speaking about Entergy or the Donaldsonville situation he said there is "strong evidence" of vulnerable communities facing longer wait times which analyzed data from eight major Atlantic hurricanes between January 2017 and October 2020 using the “Social Vulnerability Index” created in-part by the U.S That index creates an aggregate score based on socioeconomic and demographic factors the researchers found a ten percentile jump on the vulnerability index resulted in a 6% increase in power outage time Ganz added this might be due to the standard procedures many energy companies follow which prioritizes critical infrastructure and getting power back online to as many people as possible “We think the leading explanation is the standard procedures for recovering communities following a failure explicitly does not take into account these kinds of vulnerability characteristics,” he said “With the exception of whether there is sort of critical infrastructure in a particular area.” Although Ganz doesn't think the study lends itself to specific policy proposals he said it might allow companies and governments to adjust some of their standard operating procedures to consider prioritizing certain residents such as those who can't evacuate or depend on critical medical equipment Lewis said he was working with the public service commission to investigate and pass rules to see outage data at the zip code and census tract level "This has been something that's been a deep passion of mine and I represent the river parishes that represent the only minority majority district on the commission," he added The Donaldsonville Mardi Gras parade returned for the 2025 season drawing large crowds throughout the streets of the city's historic district After years of not hosting Christmas and Mardi Gras parades in the city a committee worked to plan the Christmas parade in December last year and the Mardi Gras parade The parade route began at the fairgrounds as floats and participants traveled Marchand Avenue and down Railroad Avenue before ending at Mississippi Street Donaldsonville Mayor Leroy Sullivan introduced the royal court and thanked the organizers for their efforts in making the second parade within the past three months another success "Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication Thanks to all of the volunteers and city workers," he said before everyone raised a toast The parade committee members included Tamiko Francis Garrison (chair) The presenting sponsor was TJC Group and the purple sponsor was West Ascension Parish Hospital (doing business as Prevost Memorial Hospital) The committee also was assisted by volunteer parade route captains Wanda August and Lionel Franklin handled announcing duties from the grandstand set up in front of city hall along Railroad Avenue Classic cars and Jeeps filled Louisiana Square with the Ascension Parish Courthouse serving as the backdrop for the annual show April 12 in the parish seat's historic district The more than 90 entries attracted a crowd of participants and spectators a band familiar with the city as it has played events in the past and the registration fee was donated to a local food pantry Ascension Credit Union and the Donaldsonville Downtown Development District KTALnews.com Louisiana from Louisiana Economic Development The Twice as Fine Texarkana Wine Festival is a highly anticipated annual event that brings together wine enthusiasts and the community for a celebration of exceptional wines The New Town Neighborhood Association in Marshall held their yearly Spring Clean Up to rejuvenate the historic neighborhood KTAL Digital Health & Wellness News for you If you’ve seen any of the area lakes and rivers you know that they are currently a bit higher than normal With another round of heavy rain expected over most of the area on Tuesday Most of the ArkLaTex has had its fair share of rain over the past few weeks Our next shot of flood-producing rainfall will arrive on Tuesday when thunderstorms bring the threat of strong winds and a few tornadoes CF Industries and the Parish of Ascension will present the 30th annual Donaldsonville Juneteenth Music Festival beginning at 11 a.m DONALDSONVILLE — A two-block stretch of La 18 near the Donaldsonville historic district will close for more than five months so workers can install steel pipes beneath the highway to carry water from the Mississippi River to Bayou Lafourche.  A new pumping station is being built to supply additional freshwater to the bayou The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development suggests a five-mile detour via La 18 between Chetimatches Street and Iberville Street The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority in 2022 announced a $96 million project to triple a pump station's capacity saying the work would ultimately protect water systems in towns along Bayou Lafourche Ascension Parish government officially transferred ownership of the LaLa Regira Baseball Field to the City of Donaldsonville in a ceremony Feb The historic field located in the west bank city's fairgrounds has been the home field of the Ascension Catholic High School Bulldogs and a former semi-professional baseball team which have their own baseball field on campus and the American Legion baseball team have played games at the field in the past parish government has secured $400,000 in funding from the parish's lighting district to install new field lights An additional $133,000 from the parish's general fund will be used to renovate and upgrade the grandstands at the park "This investment is about more than just a baseball field — it's about supporting our youth strengthening our community and building a brighter future for Donaldsonville," Ascension Parish President Clint Cointment said in the announcement "Working alongside Mayor Leroy Sullivan and his administration on this project has been an honor and I look forward to seeing the impact this complex will have under their leadership I am also deeply grateful to our state legislators for their efforts in securing capital outlay funding ensuring that what we are handing over today is not just a facility but a lasting asset for our citizens athletes and fans for generations to come." DONALDSONVILLE - Seventeen cars of a train derailed at a major intersection in Donaldsonville Friday morning leaking a chemical used to stabilize chlorine used in swimming pools Officials say the clean-up process will take several days The roadway was reopened at LA 3089 and LA 70 after being closed for hours while crews worked to address the temporary blockage The Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office went on to say there were no injuries and no hazardous materials to be concerned about “There's no leakage that is posing any threat to Donaldsonville at this time everyone is safe," said Donaldsonville Mayor Leroy Sullivan they are used to carry propylene — an agent in rubber production — sulfuric acid and refrigerated oxygen cyanuric acid — a chemical used in herbicides and chlorine bleach — was released from three tank cars and efforts are underway to neutralize the acid.  "There is only a white powder substance on the ground that is non-hazardous made to make medicine," Commander Cody Melancon with the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office's Hazardous Materials team said Melancon added that deputies are working with the State Police's hazmat team and Union Pacific to clean up the scene of the train derailment It was not immediately clear what led to the derailment Though the crash happened near the campus of Donaldsonville Primary School officials told WBRZ there was no immediate danger to the school and that the campus would resume normal operations for the day “Just looking at the rails you can see the rails themselves are compromised themselves but there's no given word on what happened,” Sullivan said Deputies with the APSO said the situation would take several days to clean up but iterated that the area was safe and there was no immediate threat to the community “We just got to get the rail cars back on the tracks and get the site cleaned up as soon as possible,” Melancon said a Democratic candidate for Donaldsonville mayor to pay metal recycling business Louisiana Scrap Metal restitution of $53,492.02 after he previously pled guilty to theft and received a six-month jail sentence Lurry of the 18th Judicial District Court in West Baton Rouge Parish stipulated the civil judgement for restitution during a hearing Sept Public documents showed an appearance in court Jan when court-appointed attorney Michael Parks represented Price as he offered to withdraw his previous plea of not guilty and enter a no contest plea of guilty to an amended charge of misdemeanor theft as well as $100 to the indigent defender fund $200 to the criminal court fund and a $50 monthly supervision fee the judge ordered that Price owed $54,185.02 in restitution and Johnny L The court found there was "a well-thought-out plan to fraudulently collect money from the business," according to the document "The defendant attempts to use the identical evidence and information provided by the victim in support of their claims but instead attaches a self-serving and uncorroborated explanation he maintains is a reason to deny their claims," the order read The allegations publicly surfaced four years ago as Price first campaigned for mayor of Donaldsonville prompting media coverage as a public figure Authorities at the time accused Price of a fraudulent scheme that involved scrap metal sold through his business According to the Louisiana Secretary of State's online records the business originally filed in February 2014 and remains active and in good standing Price was awarded a job to replace the roof on the River Road African American Museum located next to city hall based on the opinions of third-party contractors that the entire roof will have to be redone 27 council meeting that the roof has a "minor issue" and called the idea of installing a new roof "ridiculous." Price emerged as a community activist in the Donaldsonville area after previously living in Texas and Georgia Price was a member of the Donaldsonville Community Care Committee at the time which was in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement The group pushed to replace the entire leadership in the city endorsing Price for mayor and challengers to the five council members none of the candidates prevailed in the 2020 election Democratic incumbent Mayor Leroy Sullivan won with 2,046 votes (61 percent) while Price recorded 995 votes (30 percent) and Travis London Price began to introduce himself during city and parish government meetings as the president of the Sunrise Community Group as he often spoke during public comment periods Price began appearing at Ascension Parish Council meetings as he took up the cause of pushing for a new hospital to be built rather than the previously proposed renovations at Prevost Memorial Hospital in Donaldsonville Following discussions over the course of multiple meetings, the parish council voted Nov. 21 last year to remove and replace the entire five-member West Ascension Hospital Board The same five individuals have remained on the board according to meeting minutes and portraits of the members shown on the West Ascension Parish Hospital (d/b/a Prevost Memorial Hospital) website and in social media posts The hospital held an open house event Sept A request for comment for this article was made to Price Sept but no response was received within the two days prior to publication What's his platform?Price's campaign signs which began appearing around the city in April and social media posts have been tagged with "a new vision." Aside from his plans to bring the new hospital, he has told media outlets, such as WAFB in Baton Rouge he plans to bring back youth summer jobs and incorporate municipal enterprise where the city will start businesses and operate them Price posted a video criticizing city leaders stating that the city has "the money in the bank" and could have used city money to provide generators to residents who could not afford them He also said in the video that early on water and ice could have been provided Ascension Parish government, in collaboration with the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness and the Louisiana National Guard, set up a distribution point for water Price has claimed on social media that he has asked the current mayor to hold a public debate When an Ascension Parish candidate forum was presented by Ascension Alumnae Chapter Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc at the parish courthouse annex in Gonzales Sept He replied to a social media post stating he and his team were knocking on doors and talking to the residents that night the Donaldsonville Area Chamber of Commerce held a candidate forum The chamber has not yet announced plans for a local candidate forum DONALDSONVILLE — Deputies have arrested a woman accused of stealing $10,000 worth of shoes and clothes from a Donaldsonville sporting goods store was arrested for her alleged involvement in the Jan Deputies said that Douzat was one of two suspects in the burglary Douzat was arrested Friday on simple burglary and theft charges and was released after she posted an $80,000 bond DONALDSONVILLE - Mayor Leroy Sullivan (D) won a fifth term Tuesday against a challenger whose campaign was marred by two arrests in the weeks before the vote after serving on the city council from 1993 to 2004 Challenger Glenn Price (D) had 977  votes Price was arrested twice in October, accused of money laundering and stealing copper wire AT&T representatives and officials attended a ribbon-cutting event in Donaldsonville to mark the addition of a 5G tower expected to enhance wireless coverage for citizens A 5G tower is a telecommunications site that receives and transmits 5G signals allowing faster and more reliable wireless connectivity for mobile phones and devices The officials touted the investment as a way to ensure first responders and emergency personnel are able to communicate during times of emergency which is located next to the Kocke's cement plant along Hwy said the addition serves as an investment into the company's network to make sure enhanced connectivity continues in the area He also pointed out that the tower has a generator to keep it operational during emergencies Donaldsonville Mayor Leroy Sullivan thanked everyone for attending and the company for investing in the city as well as the region "When AT&T first came to the City of Donaldsonville about wanting to put up a new tower we talked about several different sites," he said "Then I asked about the Kocke's cement plant which was out of the way and out of the view It wasn't in the view of the historic district There were a lot of obstacles we had to overcome They looked at this site and decided it was the perfect place for the tower." Sullivan also emphasized the importance of maintaining service during emergency situations "I've been mayor of the city for over 20 years," he said "I've been through several hurricanes and had the frustration of picking up my phone and trying to contact someone in order to tell them something we needed or something needing to be done and not having any service Lewis Savoie pointed to framed black-and-white photos as he recalled the history that led to him opening a new business in the Donaldsonville historic district He shared his family's history in the area Nov 15 as he first opened the doors of Cane Sugar Toffee Company unveiling a cozy coffee shop about a mile away from the fast-food chains that line the main highway through the city The soft opening marked a milestone after many weeks of renovating the space inside the building at 122 Railroad Ave. Customers were able to get their first taste of homemade sweets and Community Coffee products after much anticipation The shop is the latest sign of a potential renaissance quietly budding in the city's historic district as new businesses and ventures have been founded in recent years With additional industry proposed for the area could this be the beginning of a rebirth for the historic district Along the Mississippi River in the parish seat of Donaldsonville building has stood among the city's most iconic structures In October 2022, then-Gov. John Bel Edwards visited Donaldsonville to celebrate the renovation of the building and the initiative to begin the West Ascension Early Learning Center An open house was held in January of this year as the center welcomed children to the program which has been a partnership between Ascension Parish government and Nicholls State University CF Industries pledged to invest $1 million over five years to supplement educational programming Located in the second largest historic district in the state behind only New Orleans the property also includes the addition of Lemann Art Lofts A block away, NOËL Family Distillery, at 30 Veterans Blvd., has been operated by father/daughter owners Chip and Natalie Noel for more than a year The distillery has expanded its line of spirits and produces the official tequila of LSU Athletics the children's park across from Crescent Park has been under construction City of Donaldsonville officials have been overseeing the rebuilding of the park along the levee Gaston’s BBQ & Beer has been open for two years and recently announced the addition of a new area featuring billiards which refers to the building previously housing a bank The space was opened after the Ascension Parish Library moved from the temporary space and returned to the newly renovated branch across the street at 500 Mississippi St The newer additions have joined mainstays along the avenue such as Grapevine Cafe' During the first Donaldsonville City Council meeting of the four-year term members approved Charles Brown as chair and Michael Sullivan as vice chair The council also approved Mayor Leroy Sullivan's appointment of Spencer Long as city attorney Long recommended Ben Johnson to serve with him as assistant city attorney Members also voted for Council Clerk Jessica Folse to continue in the position after an interim period that began in August of last year LaTonya Sullivan-Prejean has been promoted to District 1 Captain for the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office Previous captain Jeff Griffin moved to District 2 District 1 serves the Donaldsonville area along the west side of the parish while District 2 and District 3 serve communities such as the Prairieville who also previously served as captain of District 1 introduced Sullivan-Prejean during the meeting the council decided to table a discussion of the five percent increase to the APSO contract Sheriff Bobby Webre informed the council that he has refrained from increasing the rate for 13 years Donaldsonville does not have a police department instead contracting with APSO for law enforcement services Officials have said an increase of about $1.50 in the household fee for law enforcement on city bills would defray the added cost Council members were expected to continue the discussion during the next committee of the whole meeting the council discussed ongoing issues with garbage pickup In November of last year, Republic Services transitioned from using a rear-load truck with workers riding on the back of it to an automatic side load truck for waste collection a letter was mailed to residents within the city limits advising that only a driver would operate the truck which utilizes a mechanical side arm that lifts cans and flips the contents into the top of the truck some residents complained about the change saying they have seen trash strewn on the ground and garbage cans left in the road The Donaldsonville Christmas parade returned in 2024 with Dr scheduled to lead the celebration as grand marshal The parade route from Marchand Drive to Railroad Avenue was slated to begin at 5:30 p.m according to parade committee chair Tamiko Francis Garrison has 26 years of service in education in Ascension Parish He earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science and mathematics from Southern University in Baton Rouge master’s degrees in supervision and administration education and pure mathematics and also completed his doctorate in science and mathematics education Robinson was an eighth-grade math teacher at Lowery Middle School and a secondary math teacher at DHS before taking on leadership roles as assistant principal at both schools and associate principal DHS "My mission is to ensure that every student at Donaldsonville High School graduates ready for college and their future careers," he said in the release they will be equipped to achieve great things I want to express my gratitude to the mayor parade committee and the City of Donaldsonville for selecting me as their 2024 Christmas parade grand marshal." Calandra Robinson and they have a daughter The parade committee also announced Santa and Mrs "I am thrilled to bring back to the residents the Donaldsonville Christmas parade with a little twist at night with lights," Mayor Leroy Sullivan said in the release "I also invite surrounding communities to visit and learn more about our history." Volunteer parade route captains are members of ASAP Riders Wanda August will serve as the grand stand parade announcer Some of the participants scheduled for the parade include the DHS Sonic Boom Box 5th Ward Volunteer Fire Department and West Ascension Early Learning Center