By KEVIN CHIRISlidell news bureauSLIDELL – The St. Tammany Parish Councilwill have new leadership starting in 2026 andthe new chairman ishoping to calm a fewemotions and differences when she takesover.Parish CouncilmanCheryl Tanner wasvoted as the new chairman for 2026 and saidshe hopes to bring a different approach thatmight settle down whathas been outbursts anddownright argumentsright in the middle ofthe meetings betweensome council members.Tanner replacesCouncilman Joe Impastato in the chairmanspot, who has remainedsurprisingly calm whiletrying to referee theproblems in recentmonths that have beencreeping up more frequently lately due to alot of issues that haveseen council memberson very different sidesof topics.That was obvious inthe most recent meetingwhen Council MembersJerry Binder and ArthurLaughlin, who coincidentally sit next to eachother on the councildais, had a back-andforth that started following Laughlin’sordinance introduced amonth ago that attempted to remove allthree remaining boardmembers from the St.Tammany MosquitoAbatement District.Binder, the senior councilman with over 20years of experience,was not happy about it,including what hecalled “misinformation”that was passed in emails and Social Mediaposts.(See Tanner, Pg. 7A)By KEVIN CHIRISlidell news bureauSLIDELL – Infinity Science Center CEOMichelle Anderson admits she growsweary of hearing visitors walk out and actso surprised to have enjoyed such a highlyeducational and entertaining visit.“Everybody says the same thing oncethey know what we have here,” she said.“It’s a hidden gem.”Despite how often Anderson hears thatremark, the truth about Infinity—for thosewho take the time to visit across the Mississippi state line to the first exit on Interstate10 East—Infinity Science Center truly is ahidden gem, and one that deserves morepeople to know about it.Since opening in 2012, the 70,000-squarefoot complex attracts much of its attentionby those riding past it on I-10 and noticingthe giant Saturn 5 Booster rocket that sitsoutside and can hardly be missed.The rocket, when seen up close, is fascinating to examine and could easily be seenas a good enough reason to visit all by itself.(See Infinity, Pg. 8A)By KEVIN CHIRISlidell news bureauSLIDELL – Almost twomonths after SheriffRandy Smith informedParish President MikeCooper that he wasgoing to pull all securityfrom major parish offices on Dec. 31, 2025,due to lack of paymentfor services by theparish, Smith said therehas been no meetings toresolve the situation.That led to Smith holding a meeting onWednesday morningwith top officials fromparish offices to make itperfectly clear that thesecurity for the JusticeCenter will be pulled atthe end of the month.(See STPSO, Pg. 6A)By KEVIN CHIRISlidell news bureauSLIDELL – The ongoing tension between theSt. Tammany ParishCouncil and MosquitoAbatement District ledto another contentiouscouncil meeting withcouncil members arguing with each other, andmembers of the publiccomplaining about sitting through a four-hourmeeting, and then having the issue they camefor completely removed.The Parish Counciland Mosquito Abatement District (MAD)clashed several monthsago when a new parishfinance review committee dubbed the Transparency and ResearchAccountability Committee, headed by 50 independent parishbusinessmen, took adeep dive into thebudget of the district.(See MAD, Pg. 10A)Sheriff: Cooper hasn’ttried to find solutionCheryl Tanner elected with unanimous voteNearby Science Center great family outingNew P.C. chair seeks cooler heads for councilMAD ousting getsdropped by councilInfinity: A Hidden GemParishsecurityendingThursday, December 11, 2025 Vol. 17/No. 50FREE!TODAY’S INSPIRATION“When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.”—Matthew 2:10 Managed WiFi US-Based Customer Serv Low-Latency Network Symmetrical Upload & w Unlimited Data 100% Fiber-Optic NetworDo svicewnload Speedk Differ reDiscorence odayover The T yProvidFiber InterLocally OwSlidell’s Oder!rnetwnedONLY‘Quite honestly, I’mfed up with thewhole situation.’--Sheriff Randy SmithHEROES WHOCOOK IS HIGHLYATTENDED.See more, pg. 9A.The Saturn V booster rocket gets plenty of attention from travelers on I-10 East who pass the Infinity Science Center outside display. It is 138 feet long and 33 feet in diameter, part of a largerrocket that, when fully fueled, would weigh 6.2 million pounds and stands 363 feet tall. (Staff photo by Kevin Chiri.)Two of the astronautspace suits provideinteresting factsabout what it is reallylike to wear one intospace.‘The parish has a lotof problems rightnow and I hope tobe a calming voicein taking this leadership role.’‐‐Council Chairman Cheryl Tanner
Page 2A Thursday, December 11, 2025 THE SLIDELL INDEPENDENT tyd f f tg y$#\"! fiff ffl\"ffi!fl ffiffi% R% A% L% Planning% Investment StrategiesOUR SERVICES:and for your fut \"\"!\"\"RetirementAnnuitiesLife Insurance\"ture. Jay Badeaux Jay Badeaux Amber Andre ff ffSouthern ffiliated.11/2025 Member FINRA/SIPC. www.lincolninvestment.com Investment ffered through Lincoln Investment, Broker r,Advisory services offered through Capital Analysts or Lincoln Investment, Registered Advisers. Securities of -DealerAnchor Financial Group and the above firms are independent and non-afyMondaveldMondSChiay January 12, 2d Development elopment Centst Baptistay Je the da6:30-7:45 6:30-7:45 pmFird De2026ate!terNeExtew HouFresComOpen Housetraordinary Care!urs, New Paymensh Year, Fresh Starme see what makes ush Yan,!t Plart!usTHfbcslidThursComHE BEST Comdell.org 985-643-2day February 5, 20mmunity RegistratioSTART for BRIGHT FUTme see what makes uS!2275026onTURESusSLIDELL – The longtime city ofSlidell holiday celebration kicks offthis Friday night, Dec. 12, at HeritagePark as Christmas Under the Stars debuts in a new, expanded format.Slidell Mayor Randy Fandal made adecision to combine the formerChristmas Under the Stars display atGriffith Park with Bayou Christmas,which has been held for over 10 yearsat Heritage Park.Both events will now be open together at Heritage Park, starting thisFriday night at 6 p.m., where theevening will be highlighted with alive musical performance by Witness.Christmas Under the Stars continues on Saturday, Dec. 13, with musicby the Ozone Music Foundation, thennext weekend on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 19 and 20, there will be theFat City Swing Band on Friday and theOzone Music Foundation performerson Saturday.The fun begins at 6 p.m. each nightand continues until 9 p.m.The entire Heritage Park event isfree to the public as a gift from thecity, including over 100,000 lights inthe Bayou Christmas display, whilebeing joined by the Christmas Underthe Stars display that includes festivedecorations, visits with Santa and Mrs.Claus, the life-size Christmas Cottages and Slidell’s Nativity.Christmas Under the Stars opens Friday nightSLIDELL -- The Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs (LDVA) invites the public to join them onSaturday, December 13, as one of thefour state’s veterans cemeteries participate in Wreaths Across America.Ceremonies are free, open to the public, and will take place at SoutheastLouisiana Veterans Cemetery, Slidellat 11 a.m.Each ceremony will be followed bythe placement of wreaths on everyveteran’s grave. Vet wreaths to be set on graves this Sat.INTEGHONESTfor over 40 Our comm Our commfor over 40 HONESTINTEGRITYTY ANDyears...mitmentyears...TY ANDRITYAFTER in all we in all weDon’t waMARKET AND EXTENDEWE ACCEPTe do.ait:ED WARRANTIES!Faster, Better S ,Don t waService!ait:
THE SLIDELL INDEPENDENT Thursday, December 11, 2025 Page 3Apreserve their financial future.We help families protect andWe help businesses reduce risk.We help consumers save money.WE ARE INTHE BUSINt to you.NESS OF HELPING PEOPLEMotorcycle InsuranceTV InsuranceBoat InsuranceAuto InsuranceLet us protect anything importanAe InsuranceUmbrella CoverageCommercial InsuranceRV InsuranceHomeowner InsuranceMotorcycle InsuranceLifRenters InsuranceGeneral LiabilityFlood InsuranceWorkers Compelebrwner Chris WSlidell, LA2250 Gause Blvd East, 3rd FloorA 70461 (985) 732-4104For more iChris@workmaO Workmac rating a Readers Can with his familynformation:angroup.orgfa y,Choice recognition.workmanins.com'&%$#&&\"!\" #fiff\"fflffi$\"flff%ffi210/.-,+*)-('&-%$#&\"!' fiffffl-ffifl 2fl) '-fl . !!'&%$#&&\"!\"fi#\"flff%ffi/1.-fl*+-%$#&-(\"!' fiffffl-ffifl ffifl) '-fl . !!' #$&#\" \" %fi%ff\"$fl'-)+--!&+\"\"\"'fffi\"#ff#$ffffl'flff- flffl'fi$ -fi+#+ff -! -!$&!ff+- ff!fl) -(flff-+*)* -fl*+* -*+**+*ffflffl'* -fifffl)ff+*fl*+fl -)!fl- flffl' \"\"\"#&%ffi\"#ffiff\"#,fl$ '*-,+$!+0-+fl+ff-)fl'-(+fl$+**-++fffffl$*+**-)!-( --\"flff) ff+fl)-+*-/-fl'&-\"!*)-'*fffl'+*-+)+&COVINGTON – Calling the crime “the mostheinous we prosecute,”by District AttorneyCollin Sims, a Slidellman was found guilty ofFirst-Degree Rape of aChild Under 13 and Sexual Battery Involving aVictim Under the Age of13, after a 22nd DistrictCourt jury found theman guilty in only 19minutes of deliberations.The conviction followed a thorough investigation and four-daytrial that took place inJudge Tara Zeller’scourtroom, detailing thebrutal sexual assault ofthe child victim, whichoccurred in Slidell inJuly 2022. The case wastried by Assistant District Attorneys IainDover and TiffanyDover.The victim was approached by GeorgeStarks, age 32, on a bicycle, offering for her tosmoke marijuana withhim. The two then left ina silver or white sedanhe also had on thescene, making one initial stop at a Shell Station, where surveillancefootage confirmed thedefendant and victimwere together, beforeStarks drove the victimtoward her home.The court heard testimony stating that Starksstopped his vehicle andsexually assaulted thevictim, including forcingher to expose herselfand digitally penetrating her. The victim, toescape the situation,briefly convinced Starksto drive to a secludedlocation at the dead endof Bull Run, but at that location, Starks forciblypulled the child fromthe vehicle and performed anal sex beforethe victim managed torun away, and Starksfled the scene.The victim reportedthe assault to her grandmother the followingmorning, who immediately contacted the St.Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office (STPSO). Lead DetectivePatrick Rigney of theSTPSO Special Victim’sUnit conducted an extensive and meticulousinvestigation, at whichtime Starks initially denied any interaction before later admitting hemet her and drove to theShell Station after beingconfronted with photographic evidence fromthe gas station’s surveillance camera. Starks denied ever inappropriately touchingor assaulting the victim,however, the sexual assault examination kit aswell as the clothingworn by the victim atthe time of the assaultwere sent to the St. Tammany Parish Coroner’sOffice where DNA testing confirmed the defendant’s DNA waslocated on the victim. At trial, the defendantchanged his version ofevents and insteadstated that the victim assaulted him by forciblyputting her finger in hismouth in order to obtainhis DNA to rub on herbody. The jury ultimately found his testimony to becontradicted by the evidence and the victim’sconsistent statements.District AttorneyCollin Sims issued astatement regarding theverdict:“This is a victory forjustice and for the protection of our children.The crime committedby George Starks isamong the most heinouswe prosecute. Thanks tothe courage of the victim and the diligentwork of our prosecutorsand the St. TammanyParish Sheriff’s Office,we have held this offender accountable.This verdict sends aclear message thatpredators who targetthe most vulnerablemembers of our community will be met withthe full force of the law.”Sims emphasized thatthis outcome was theproduct of exceptionalinteragency collaboration and praised the investigative efforts of theSt. Tammany ParishSheriff’s Office, particularly Lead DetectivePatrick Rigney – whoflew in from Kosovo totestify, as he is currentlydeployed with the National Guard, as well asHope House, the Morgan Rae Center forHope and the St. Tammany Parish Coroner’sOffice.Starks is facing amandatory life sentence. A sentencinghearing is scheduled forJanuary 27, 2026.George StarksJury finds Slidell man guilty ofrape, sexual assault on child
I got a tip from myfriend Mike Perkins,owner of Deep SouthGold in Slidell, that hehas something at hisstore from now until Saturday that you reallymight want to check outif you are looking forsomething special anddifferent for Christmas.And he also said thepricing will be incredible.Mike has been operating Deep South Gold,as well as his CausewayCoin store in Metairie,and his Mandevillestore, for over 40 years.He built a reputation asan honest, fair gold andsilver dealer and that’swhy he has been successful for this long.This week he hasbeen holding an EstateSale that is loaded withvintage and special jewelry pieces he has purchased over the yearsfrom various sales. Thejewelry is cleaned, shining like new, and will beavailable for amazingprices, but the sale endsSaturday.I know many peoplelooking for somethingreally cool for a Christmas present and this really should fill the bill,especially for men likeme who want somethingunique for your girl.If you are looking for agreat Christmas presentfor that special someone, I suggest you takethe time to stop by theSlidell store (only location for the sale), whichends on Saturday, Dec.13.Besides the estatesale jewelry items, healso has some greatprices for diamondrings and chains, sodon’t miss it.The Slidell store is located in the HobbyLobby shopping centeron Gause Boulevard.----Speaking of something special and unusual to enjoy for theholidays, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church isholding a Germanchurch service this Saturday, Dec. 13, startingat 2 p.m.Rev. Bob Belknap willbe officiating the special Advent Service andthere will be Germanand English liturgy andhymns. They will evenhave a post-service gettogether with refreshments served.For those of you whohave German ties thiswould be pretty specialto attend, but even if youdon’t, the service promises to be unique toenjoy.The church is locatedat 35300 Home EstateDr. in Slidell.----Another Christmasouting for you and yourfamily is kicking off thisFriday night in HeritagePark where a new presentation from the city ofSlidell will begin thisweek, something thatnew Mayor Randy Fandal has orchestrated.The city has hostedChristmas Under theStars for many years,with the annual event inGriffith Park next to theSlidell Municipal Auditorium. It has alwaysbeen a favorite for manyin Slidell with a dozendifferent things goingon.There were over 20Christmas trees decorated by different localnon-profit and charitygroups; Santa and Mrs.Claus met children inthe evenings for pictures; many local choirsor children’s groupsperformed at night;plus, the park was decorated with lots of holiday items.While ChristmasUnder the Stars wasbeing held in Slidell forclose to 30 years, a newand very cool outstanding display was broughtto the city 11 years agowhen Tommy Benascoand Danny Blackburncreated Bayou Christmas, all to help theSlidell Boys & Girls Clubraise money to keeptheir operation open.Danny and Tommytook it upon themselvesto have kids from theclub help them createimpressive lighting displays, something thatwas added to in theearly years and grew tohaving over 100,000Christmas lights.They added a skatingrink, local vendors,food, and games for thekids and families whocame. And most amazing forboth events is that bothChristmas Under theStars and Bayou Christmas were free to thepublic! Mayor Fandal decided that this year hewanted to create onesingle Christmas outingfor families, so he hascombined the two andput them both in Heritage Park, actually asone big Christmas presentation for locals.It all starts at 6 p.m. onFriday night, continuingon Saturday, then alsothe following Saturdayand Sunday, Dec. 19 and20.Head on out for agreat family outing, allthanks to our city, andlet’s hope for a fewflakes of snow to add thefinal touch.Kevin Chiri can bereached by e-mail [email protected] to do something great for Slidell?Shop local.Yes, it’s a well-known phrase, but such an important one.There are two weeks left before Christmas andplenty of time for you to consider the Slidell-ownedstores, which offer plenty of great deals.When Covid hit the country in 2020 there wasquite a focus on trying to help small businesses,since they were affected so dramatically by theforced closures for so long.One study that was released showed the incredible difference there is when spending your moneyat local stores, national stores, or with Amazon.When $100 is spent at a Slidell store, there is anaverage of $49 of that money which stays in thelocal economy through various ways. Local peopleare being paid to work here, Slidell stores almostalways spend their money for supplies with otherlocal stores, and local business owners have a muchbetter track record for giving to area non-profitsand charity groups.When $100 is spent with a national, corporatestore, only $12 of that money stays in the local economy, and when $100 is spent with Amazon or an online store, only $1 remains in the local economy.The numbers don’t lie. And if you know a Slidellbusiness owner, you probably know that their focusis so much on supporting the community that supports them.We’ve heard from many Slidell business ownerswho are competing with well-known national stores,and they frequently say very clearly that they willmatch the prices of places like Walmart or Lowe’s.Additionally, and probably most importantly, youget great customer service when you visit a Slidellstore since it means a lot to them to know they willsee you in their store again.Customer service really does matter and thereare many studies which reflect the better customerservice from local people who work at locallyowned businesses.Too many people are quick to go on Amazon tobuy Christmas presents, and we aren’t saying it istotally wrong since the corporate giant certainlyhas anything you want at your fingertips, and frequently at great prices.But at least give the local guy a chance first. You might be surprised at what you find if youspend the extra time to visit Slidell stores for yourshopping.And you might find it’s actually still fun to headout on a Saturday for a day of shopping the storeswith someone you love.Page 4A Thursday, December 11, 2025 THE SLIDELL INDEPENDENTSlidell Independent Submission GuidelinesThe Slidell Independent is interested in publishing your information and need pictures and/orstories submitted to the newspaper through e-mail.We run any newsworthy information for free, and generallyhave it in the paper within twoweeks of the time it is submitted.Here is how you can have yourinformation published in ourpaper:E-mail: [email protected] make your story a textfile of some kind, preferably aWord file, then attach it to the email. Pictures should be saved as jpgfiles and also attached.Please try to minimize yourpictures to one or two with eachspecial event you send, unless itis something that requires morethan a couple of pictures. If you do have multiple picturesto send, you might find it worksbetter to send the pictures in twoor three separate e-mails, so thefile is not so large to overload thee-mail system.If you have a special event youwould like reporter coverage for,please e-mail that in also, and wewill consider it for our staff. Weassign reporters to local schoolsfor special events.If you have any further questions, call Publisher Kevin Chiri at985-607-8852 or email him [email protected] OpinionsEDITORIALGreat Christmas presents and showsBY KEVIN CHIRIThe Slidell IndependentFickle[FIH-kәl]\"She was not a fickle fan — she supported the team, win or lose.\"\"I'm just too fickle — I can't decide what I want for dinner.\"The alliterative idiom \"fickle fortune\" can be traced back to Shakespeare. In \"Romeo and Juliet,\" Juliet cries, \"O fortune, fortune! All men call thee fickle.\" Fate remains a fickle friend.In Old English, the original spelling was \"fickol,\" with Germanic roots. The meaning of \"changeable and capricious\" is the modern definition and does not necessarily carry malicious intent. However, the original definition of \"fickol\" was \"deceitful.\"Old English, 13th century — Part of Speech: AdjectiveChanging frequently, especially as regards one's loyalties or affections.What it meansAbout FickleExamples of Fickle in a sentenceDid you Know?Origin:The Slidell Independent welcomes “Lettersto the Editor.”Letters must be no longer than 500 words,and The Slidell Independent reserves theright to edit the letters as needed.Please e-mail letters to:[email protected].‘Letters to the Editor’Don’t forget to give thelocals a tryTHE SLIDELL INDEPENDENT STAFFTHE SLIDELL INDEPENDENTP.O. BOX 3130Slidell, La. [email protected] Slidell Independent is a locally owned and operated newspaper that serves the eastern St. TammanyParish area, including Slidell, Lacombe and PearlRiver.It is distributed through free circulation in the eastern St. Tammany region, while also available for purchase at local stores.The Slidell Independent is published once a weekon Thursday, distributed as an A.M. publication.Reproduction of any portion of the paper is not permitted without authorization of The Slidell Independent.‘Your Community, Your Slidell Newspaper’The Slidell IndependentKEVIN CHIRI: Editor and [email protected] WEISHEIT: News Editor [email protected]
THE SLIDELL INDEPENDENT Thursday, December 11, 2025 fl C Longo, Longo Ted Steve CIMA®CFP®,ChFC®, CRT Collins, Mayeaux Chris Michael RPS®,CFP® Longo Lawson Mo Amy Stephanie M orreale Clantony Tracy l CMarc 2054 Gause Blvd. East Slidell | 985-IN-PERSON CO M MATIONSHIP | flffi fiff ffl \" ffff ! ' &%$# \" ffff PERSONAL REL -445-1042 | LongogrM UNIC ATIONPRO -AC TIVE OU roup.netTREAC HSLIDELL BUSINESS News and NotesPage 5A7 Brew, a drive-thru beverage concept offering over 20,000 uniquedrink combinations, cut its ribbon inSlidell at 1648 Gause Blvd., which included a generous donation of$13,500 to the Slidell Ladies for Liberty, a local non-profit that sendsmonthly care packages to local U.S.soldiers who are deployed. The St.Tammany Chamber hosted the grandopening, after 7 Brew gave awaythousands of cups of coffee and specialty drinks in recent weeks toallow the locals to be introduced totheir products. Caroline Stephens,22, is the manager of the Slidell location, with the company based inArkansas and now having over 300locations in the U.S.7 Brew now open in Slidell, donation to Ladies for LibertyThe 7 Brew Crew, as theyare named, took a briefpause from their busydrive-thru lines for thisphoto. Included in the staffis (standing from left) JadaPotter, Jason Lagarde, KiMcNight, Katie Reynolds,Store Manager CarolineStephens, Benji Stephens,Regional Manager Sebastian Bedford andSarai Aguilar. (In front fromleft) Drake Krummel,Jaiden Palma and RaylynnBruce.The Slidell Ladies for Liberty were thrilled to the point of tears when 7 Brew Manager CarolineStephens presented them with a check for $13,500, partially from proceeds in the early weeks ofbusiness, along with the corporate donation to the local non-profit that sends monthly care boxesto Slidell soldiers deployed in the U.S. Military.Slidell Mayor Randy Fandal helped 7 Brew Manager Caroline Stephens with the grand opening ribbon cutting at their 1648 Gause Boulevard location.
(From Pg. 1A)Smith said that shortlyafter he sent a letter toCooper in Octoberabout the situation therewas a meeting Coopertried to set up, but thesheriff said he was unable to attend, “andsince then I’ve beentold he is telling peopleI didn’t show up for themeeting. I never agreedto meet since I was outof town.” Since then,there has been no attempt by Cooper tomeet with Smith, thesheriff said.Cooper did not respond to questions fromThe Slidell Independenton the matter, a policyhe has maintained fornearly two years withthis publication.The only action fromparish governmentsince Smith threatenedto pull all security fromthe Justice Center, theTowers Building inSlidell and the parishadministrative complexon Koop Drive in Mandeville, was a similar action Cooper has beentaking for years—suinganother St. Tammanygovernmental agency.Cooper filed yet another lawsuit against theSheriff’s Office, asking ajudge to force Smith toprovide the securityservices.“That is ridiculoussince it is the parish’s responsibility to providesecurity for these offices,” Smith said.“Quite honestly, I’mfed up with the wholesituation,” said Smith.“They haven’t paid usmuch of anything allyear for the securityservices and at somepoint, we can’t keepproviding it for free.”Smith said the cost toprovide security for theJustice Center is approximately $1.1 millionfor the year, which entails providing 12deputies at all times.The parish has onlypaid the Sheriff’s Office$2.7 million in 2025 outof the total budget thatpromised $8.7 million.Parish governmenthas been dealing with abudget crisis that is onlygetting worse by theday. It was six years agowhen Cooper ran for office the first time andtalked extensivelyabout the pending financial problems downthe road, due to statemandated costs and ageneral fund to paythem all that is onlybringing in approximately $15 million ayear. At last count, thestate mandated fees totaled close to $22 million a year.However, Cooper hasfailed to offer any substantial solution to fixthe situation other thanconstantly going to thepublic for more taxes,something that hasbeen rejected seventimes in the past sevenyears.Smith said he is prettysurprised that Cooperhas not made more of aneffort to meet and try tofind a solution for theproblem.“As soon as we senthim the letter informinghim of the services ending December 31, I expected him to reach outto me to see how we canresolve this,” Smith said.“I’ve had the district attorney, judges, the assessor and clerk ofcourt all talk to me, butnot the parish president.“Instead, his solutionis to file another lawsuit,” he said.Since being in office,Cooper has sued several other St. Tammanygovernmental agencies,always over money. Hehas suits against theCoroner’s Office, theDistrict Attorney, over adozen parish agenciesto see how little theparish can pay themeach year, and a separate suit against theSheriff’s Office for statemandated expensesthat are owed—separateof the current problem.Smith said he is stateordered to keep thebailiffs in the judge’scourtrooms so he willdo that to obey the law,but otherwise, he saidother security will bewithdrawn.“I’ve also heard hehas been meeting withthe Covington PoliceDepartment to see whatthey would charge toprovide security,” Smithadded. “But he can’tseem to contact me totalk about this. I’ve hadit with trying to workthis out.“It’s discouraging tobe at this place, especially since we are already going into the2026 budget year,”Smith added. “And asfor pulling security, it’sthe last thing we want todo in this day and age,but we have no choice.They have to pay for thisand they refuse.”Page 6A THE SLIDELL INDEPENDENTSheriff Randy SmithSTPSO: Security to end at Justice CenterThursday, December 11, 2025save you BIG bucks!specialize in low-mileage VEHMake the drive to Picayune wlow-mileage useLooking for a gckdMaveric2023 ForHICLES towhere wed car?greatstk# P25-11450k milesCLEAN!,4,1-ownerXLT HYBRID$22,977Sentra SV2023 Ni64k milesAutomatic,ssVsanYour L ow-Mileage Headqu -Mile g quarters601-798-8682Mon-Fri: 8 to 5:30 Sat: 8 to 2herringfordlincoln.com820 Memorial Blvd Picayune, MS 39466signature sidesspecialties thatexquisite steakScarlet’s SteaksEAKS & S elegant dessertst are paired with and seafoodood offersSTs & SeafSEAFOODMississippi Gulfmost memorabMake your reseand high-class ture sidesY-SPC or viFor reservations plesigna888-PLAf Coast.ble experience on theervation today for the customer service.serts,sit OPENTABLE.COM, elegant desease call9380 Central Avenue • D’IbervillMust be 21 or older. 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(From Pg. 1A)Impastato tried tobring cooler heads tothe discussion by stating during the meeting,“please, the level of disrespect is unbelievable,” in referring tooutbursts from the audience as they listened toLaughlin and Binder.Then he told the twocouncilmen during anew episode, “gentlemen, you are going tohave to step in the backif you are going to havethis conversion.”Tanner, now in hersixth year on the council, hopes to put an endto those kinds of publicoutbursts, somethingshe believes will beaided by her calm demeanor.“I’ve never been oneto talk a lot during themeetings, but I thinkthat when I do speak it’sbecause I have something of value to say, andI think the others listento me because of that,”she said.“The parish has a lotof problems right nowand I hope to be a calming voice in taking thisleadership role,” sheadded.The vote for the chairmanship of the ParishCouncil is a big dealsince the chairman hasthe power to appointothers to key committees, and is in charge ofrunning the meetings.It was a bit of a surprise that at the end ofthe election process,Tanner was the only onenominated and won theposition unanimously.Impastato had expressed interest in remaining the chair, andCouncilman Jeff Corbinhad also shown interestto become chairman,after he had served asvice-chairman in thepast year.It is a frequent practice to see the vicechairman elected aschairman the next year,but neither apparentlyhad the votes to win andtherefore neither wasnominated for the 2026chairmanship.Tanner became acouncil member in Julyof 2020 when formerCouncilman RichardTanner, her husband,passed away, and shewas selected to serveout the remaining threeand-a-half years on histerm. Then, in 2023 shewon election on her ownfor another four-yearterm.Tanner has workedwith a division of theLSU Medical Center forover 30 years and is retiring at the end of 2025,which will give hermore time to focus onthe chairman position.She was CFO at her jobin recent years, andserved the past fouryears as the chairman ofthe Parish Council Finance Committee, experience that shebelieves to be valuableas she steps into thenew, important position.“I’ve got a lot of finance background professionally,” sheremarked, “and I knowthat has helped me withthe council, and shouldhelp moving forward toaddress some of thesebig issues the parish isfacing.”She immediatelypointed to the ongoingbudget crunch theparish has faced for sixyears, something that ismoving into an extremely critical stagefor 2026 after ParishPresident Mike Cooperslashed the District Attorney’s Office, JusticeCenter and jail operation funding by 30 percent.“Those departmentsare all state mandatedcosts that we mustfund,” Tanner said. “Andwe have to figure outwhat to do with the mandated costs.”She also said that the2-cent road sales taxthat got a lot of attentionearlier this year whenthe parish tried to getvoter approval to rededicate a portion to publicsafety needs to be considered with a renewalcoming up within thenext five years.“I’ve talked to severalstate legislators alreadyand I think we can getsome help with that insome way,” she said.At the end of the day,Tanner said her top goalis to “prove to the publicthat we can work together and work out theproblems the parish hashad. I think I can helpget that done.”The vice-chair position was consideredafter Tanner waselected chair, but afterCouncil Members Maureen O’Brien and RickSmith were nominatedfor the position, the voteto select one of themwas 7-7 on four straightattempts. The matterwas then postponeduntil the January councilmeeting.THE SLIDELL INDEPENDENT Thursday, December 11, 2025 Page 7AJoe Impastato was replaced by CherylTanner in recent council vote.“Phrases”By Myles MellorAcross1. Juice drinks5. Luxury home features9. Extension14. San Francisco rail system15. Gold medalist Lipinski16. Alpine classic17. Snug as a ____19. \"___ and his money ...\"20. Indigenous22. School of thought23. Huntsman Center team24. Provoke26. Come to ___ with29. Contemplate34. Harry Potter's best friend35. Pitch37. Stuck in a __38. ___ be good if39. A little chat40. Bishop or rook41. Data Act, abbr.42. Newsman Peter43. Tuscan time period44. Surveying instruments46. It's on the ___48. 'Monty Python' opener49. Tow behind you51. All-purpose vehicle, forshort53. \"Caught you, at long last!\"59. Taken ____61. Hackneyed condition62. Special Forces cap63. Rake feature64. Incurs65. Form an intersection66. Writes67. Card gameDown1. Mamma Mia singers2. Quick stroke3. Consequently4. Incite5. Kind of coach6. Home to Notre Dame7. Give ___ for one's money8. Prose epic9. \"I see!\"10. Beards11. \"Vaya con ___\"12. Laker, Lamar13. Opposite of all18. Louse babies21. Occupy25. \"Let Freedom ___\"26. Dishonest money27. Helicopter propeller28. Soul singer Arie29. Flying fish eaters30. Lizard look-alike31. Knight's protection32. Watchman33. Bunsen burner cousins35. ___ the Redeemer, statuethat looks over Rio36. It ___ apples!39. Play group45. Some relations46. Batting practice backdrop47. Accounting concepts49. Islamic spirit50. Solemn ceremonies51. Global car service52. Hawaiian staple54. Start of many addresses55. Great Lake56. Request57. Court grp.58. \"Check this out!\"59. Start of a children's song60. Gold units, abbr.Slidell PuzzlerFor puzzle answers see page 6B. SUDOKU by Myles Mellor and Susan Flanagan“Birds” by Myles MellorFind 15 words in any direction. Circle when found.TANNER: New chairman elected with unanimous vote flffifflfffi !\"#!$ffi%&'(flffifflfffi !\"#!$ffi$$!ff%)*+ ,-. *ff! - / \"!0 %1&+2-2*2.3444.&+2-2*2.3BUSINESSSLID CENTERDELLDAVID J. HILDEBRANDPARKER BALL, D.Dall agesDT, D.D.Sell, LAD.S.ld Spanish TrailA 70458Dental Wellness for a(985) 643-0304 1430 Olslidellfamilydentistry.com Slide
Page 8A Thursday, December 11, 2025 THE SLIDELL INDEPENDENTINIFNITY: Space center has something for everyone(From Pg. 1A)But once inside Infinity, the Earth, ocean andspace exhibits are morethan entertaining, not tomention highly educational for the averageperson, or those with aspecial interest in spaceand science.“We have a place ofinfinite possibilities tolearn and simply enjoywhat we have here,” Anderson said, now fiveyears into the CEO position. Affiliated with NASAand nearby StennisSpace Center, the exhibits draw from reallife space and oceanexploration conductedat 30 labs and offices ofresearch.Inside Infinity thereare dozens of real exhibits of previouslyused NASA space rockets, a giant Boeing 787engine you can see upclose, the Apollo 4Command Module currently on loan from theSmithsonian Air &Space museum, the astronaut suits worn frompast missions in space,and the real first SaturnV launch module thatflew in 1967 and reentered the Earth’s atmosphere at 24,917 milesper hour to test the heatshield.Among some of thenumerous exhibits aretwo theaters, one that is3D, a carnivorous plantsconservatory, hurricaneprediction lab, Perception Unleased experience, a deep oceanexplorer experience,Apollo 19 Saturday Vfirst stage rocket, and aF-1 rocket engine.Biloxi native FredHaise, a retired Apollo13 astronaut, remains anardent supporter of Infinity and makes frequent visits to schoolsand other speaking opportunities in the regionto inform the publicabout the center.One of Haise’s actualastronaut suits is on display, which provides interesting informationabout space travel in itself since it explains thatonce the suit is pressurized it gets hard, making it difficult to movelimbs and fingers.“It’s why they did the‘bunny hop’ when yousaw them on the moon,”the display notes, highlighting one of severalhundred fascinating bitsof information. Anderson said sheloves the opportunity todirect the center aftercoming five years ago,following 13 years as ateacher in K-12 and college, followed by sixyears working with theMississippi EconomicDevelopment agency.She has a Master’s Degree and is currentlyworking on her doctorate but said she hasfound a great job inPearlington, MS, andwants to continue to educate the public aboutthe “hidden gem” currently being visited byclose to 70,000 people ayear.One of the most frequent questions she isasked revolves aroundhow the huge Saturn Vrocket was transportedto the site. “It was mostly bywater, but then the lastdistance was traveledwith huge trucks goingoneto two miles per hour,”she said with a smile.The center is visited alot by school classes ofall ages, as well ashomeschool children. Theyoffer a discount onticket prices for groupsof 20 or more.Infinity is open fromA ugust through May from 9to 4 on Wednesdaythrough Saturday. InJune and July, they areopen from 10 to 5.Staff photos byKevin ChiriA homeschoolgroup visiting forthe day came wellprepared withyoung OliverCohen-Henriquezwearing his astronaut suit, accompanied byhis sister Alma andmother CynthiaCastro.A hurricane prediction lab explains how scientists predict storm season.A RollsRoyce 1000Boeing 787Dreamlinerengine, plusan up-closelook of the incredible engineeringwork neededto createsuch a machine.The Delta 4 Rocket: RS-68 Swamp to Space: Tells the story of the Stennis Space Center being builtin the middle of what was swampland.The Apollo 4 Command Module currently on loan from the SmithsonianAir & Space Museum that flew on the first Saturn V launch in 1967, an unmanned trip that went 11,234 miles high.
THE SLIDELL INDEPENDENT Page 9AStaff photos by Kevin ChiriWinnersThursday, December 11, 2025The Children’s Advocacy Center-Hope House is oneof St. Tammany’s most important non-profit organizations, providing specially trained individualsto interview children who have been the victims ofsexual crimes. The group relies on community donations to function and do a great service, such asover 400 interviews in the past year. The biggestfundraiser each year is the Heroes Who Cook event,which brought in 16 teams this year, pairing one localleader with a top area restaurant. The food was offthe chart from top chefs around the North Shore.Heroes Who Cook bring big names and big flavorSlidell artist Joshua Wichterich and his wifeNatasha.MOST MONEY RAISED (Online before the event) 1st Place - Nick & Patrice LaRocca and Roux 25 2nd Place - Adam Acquistapace and Acquistapace's 3rd Place - Anthony Rutledge & Connor Brown and Farm To Fire Louisiana JUDGE'S CHOICE (A blind tasting by 3 guest judges) 1st Place - Roux 25 and Nick & Patrice LaRocca 2nd Place - Valencia Covington & Michele Echols 3rd Place - Farm To Fire Louisiana and Anthony Rutledge & Connor Brown PEOPLE'S CHOICE (Tip tickets collected at the event) 1st Place - Valencia Covington & Michele Echols 2nd Place - Roux 25 and Nick & Patrice LaRocca 3rd Place - Bon Sake Sushi & Bar and Senator Beth Mizell & Joan Coffman MOST CREATIVE CAMPAIGN Adam Acquistapace and Acquistapace's (with over 2,000 individual donors contributing to the campaign) Camille Clark and Richard Clark.Covington artist Colette Martin created thisbeautiful painting during the event, showing off her technique to aspiring artistAbby Batina, age 10.Cary Menard and Melody Menard (left), withParish Councilman Larry Rolling.St. Tammany Chamber President Lacey Osborne, withPage McClelland, and Caroline and Lance Theriot.Dan Oppenheim, Judge Patti Oppenheim, BarbaraPhillips and Parish Councilman Pat Phillips.Adam Acquistapace doubled up for his contribution to the event, serving as a well-knownbusiness leader who also has the food at his Acquistapace Supermarket to prepare andserve delicious food. With him was (from left) the entire Haynes family that included Jay,Bonny, Madelyn, Katie, Jayson and Kelly.Parish President Mike Cooper, with his wifeCatherine (right) were joined by one of hisbrothers, Chris, and his wife Tricia.The Hampshire restaurant was represented byExecutive Chef Sherif Payne, with owner/chefRyan Gall.Bon Sake Sushi & Bar in Covington presented some of the tastiest foodin the event, cooking for Sen. Beth Mizell. Team members on hand were(front row from left) Marie Nelson-Brunner, Jamie Bonsack, Sam Smith,Belle Nguyen and Nina Lewis. (Back row from left) Fanci Hoffman, co-owner Reed Ingram, co-owner Rodney Bonsack, Harrison Brown andEthan Macaluso.Sheriff Randy Smith (left) supported the eventagain, along with Maria and Frank Pyburn fromDiCristina restaurant.
Page 10A THE SLIDELL INDEPENDENTMAD: Parish Council drops ousting of board(From Pg. 1A)Their findings were presented tothe Parish Council’s new GovernmentEfficiency Committee and led to comments about the results ranging from“mismanagement,” “inefficiencies”and “egregious” spending practices.That started the war between thecouncil and MAD that quickly led to alawsuit filed by the Mosquito District,asking a judge to halt the council fromlooking into their books any further.MAD Director Kevin Caillouet, whohas refused several invitations by thecouncil to appear and answer questions, instead held a two-and-a-halfhour presentation at his office torefute the findings of the review.When Parish Councilman ArthurLaughlin learned about the lawsuit, heintroduced an ordinance that soughtto remove the three remaining MADboard members, part of the leadership that approved the expenditures,including an OK to the lawsuit. Twopositions are currently vacant and willbe decided on in the next two months.“It’s a scary thing to think that just ahint of us (the Parish Council) showing interest in the finances of the Mosquito District and what do they do?They sue us,” he said. Councilman Jerry Binder was incensed that Laughlin would go so far,something that got worse after SocialMedia posts and e-mails from Laughlin that Binder called “misinformation.”“A month ago (after the ordinancewas introduced) we got 50 emailsfrom the public, not one for removingthe (MAD) chairman of that board.And tonight, I’m seeing ordinary people of all ages because we have a colleague who wants all three membersremoved,” Binder said to Laughlin,who was sitting right next to him onthe council dais.After over a dozen comments fromthe public at the meeting, amongmany who came for the board removal issue, Laughlin’s ordinancedied on the floor after an initial motion to postpone it failed, then Bindermoved to remove the ordinance altogether, something that passed unanimously—including Laughlin’s vote.“I was willing to let the thing go andnot even make a symbolic vote sinceit was clear the majority of the councilis not ready to make tough decisionslike this,” Laughlin said. “This parishis going broke. We have to make serious, tough decisions about things andthis was definitely a chance for thecouncil members to show how seriousthey are—or not.”While both sides await a judges ruling on the lawsuit, including a requestby the MAD lawyers to recuse everyjudge from the 22nd District, it waslearned this week that the ParishCouncil will have to spend more oftheir own money to hire outside council.Laughlin was among many who expressed their displeasure with thatnews, considering the parish is facingan intense budget shortage already.While Laughlin did not appear tohave much support on the ordinanceto remove the three MAD board members, Councilman Kathy Seiden didjoin him in voicing her displeasurewith the way things are going.“What is disrespectful is using$28,000 of taxpayer money to sue thislegislative body. We simply wanted tolook at their funding and wheremoney is spent. Everyone should beappalled they are using that (taxpayer) money for this,” she said.The Mosquito District board approved spending up to $250,000 oftheir revenue, most of which comesfrom taxpayers through a propertytax, to sue the council.Newly-elected Council ChairmanCheryl Tanner added her two cents tothe situation by stating, “I’m notpleased with it at all. A lot of thingshave gotten out of control.”During the public comments, whichincluded MAD Board MembersKathryn Townsend and Glen Boyerspeaking, both joined many from thepublic who urged the council to handle the ordinance from Laughlin, oneway or another.“You need to not postpone this,”Boyer said. “A lot of people came hereto talk about this so you hear the facts.There is no cause or reason for this(firing the board). Everyone knowsthis is a political stunt. Please move onso we can continue doing what we aredoing with the district.”Another member of the publicechoed the thoughts of many whospoke by saying, “it’s disrespectful foryou guys to make us sit here for fourhours and then say, sorry, we’re notdoing this tonight.”The differences that were airedpublicly between Laughlin andBinder had one final comment fromanother councilman in Rick Smithfrom Covington.“The more I hear of this the moresickened I am,” Smith said.As for the future of the MosquitoDistrict, no attempt has been made todisband them or try and get some oftheir $10 million annual revenue forother parish departments, a claimmade by many, including Caillouet.What has occurred in light of the finance review revelations is that theCouncil Government Efficiency Committee has made a recommendationto the full council to reduce the Mosquito District millage from 3 mills to 2mills. The district has offered to dropit to 2.91. 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THE SLIDELL INDEPENDENT Thursday, December 11, 2025 Page 11ACheck out these LOCAL businesses for great gifts and services
Page 12A THE SLIDELL INDEPENDENTFormer sheriff’s employeearrested on D.V. chargeThursday, December 11, 2025 Featuring our greFROM THE S LVA FAFOR OVER 30 YESERVING SLIDELL’S BEST SEALV GGIO F1194 HarboTuesday 11 a.mFriday &11 a.m.Su11 a.mClosed985.64 eatAMILYEARSEAFOODLor Dr. - Slidell- Thursday:m. - 9 p.m.& Saturday:. - 10 p.m.ndaym. - 9 p.m.d Monday41.0464 Featu uring our gre eat ffi fl ffi fl fl \"\"!fiffffifffi ffifflffi # $ &% ffiffl!( ' *) + , $ !.fflfi\"!fiffi-ff / % +fl 0 $ SLIDELL -- The local Slidell Chapter1396 of the National Active & RetiredFederal Employees Association willhold their Christmas luncheron onFriday, December 12 at noon at Fatty'sSeafood Restaurant, 1300 Gause BlvdW., Slidell. There will be an installation of officers for the coming year. The cost perperson is $27 paid in advance.Anyone interested in attending theChristmas luncheon can notify ElroyNoel. at 985-290-0757 or email: [email protected]. SLIDELL – A former St. TammanyParish Sheriff’s Office employee hasbeen arrested for domestic violence,Sheriff’s Office Spokesman Lt.Suzanne Carboni reported.On Wednesday, Dec. 3, 34-year-oldSean Gowan was terminated and arrested for Domestic Abuse Batterywith Child Endangerment. He isbeing booked into the St. TammanyParish Correctional Center.Gowan, who was a sergeant in thecriminal patrol division, was terminated following an investigation bythe STPSO Public Integrity Bureauand Major Crimes Division.Gowan had been employed with theSt. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Officesince October 2014.“Any time an allegation is made involving one of our own, we take it extremely seriously. No one is above thelaw, and the trust of our communitydepends on our willingness to holdourselves accountable,” Sheriff RandySmith said. “Federal employees to meet Dec. 12ShowersWalk-inOFF$1000TRANSFORWTubsWalk-inOFF$1500RM YOUR BATHROOMWFeel confident ve beaExplore Our Walk-In Tubs andfor Enhanced SAFETY and TimelF . Livbyly.d Showers.ess BEAUTY!utifullybyWe also provide customWe are more than a flooriin Tubs.mng store!works4u.com9 ext. 1ell • LAuaranteeer 20 Years!MERICAN-MADEANTYdsrRRAcrylic Shower/Baths & WalkWe also provide customBATHWORKS ext. 2 • www.bathw985-781-79991860 Shortcut Hwy, Slideor All Flooring NeedMan fac rer Lifetime Product GuServing the Gulf Coast for oveufFy√ FREE IN-HOME C LTATIONS √ AM√ ONE-YEAR INSTALLATION WARONSULTAAtur√
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Page 2B THE SLIDELL INDEPENDENTAbney Country AireAutumn LakesAvery EstatesBay RidgeBelle AcresBreckenridgeThe BluffsCornerstoneCross CreekCross GatesDoubloon Bayou EstatesForest RidgeFox HollowFrench Branch EstatesFrenchmen’s EstatesHoliday AcresHolly Ridge (at River Oaks)Kensington EstatesKingspointLake VillageLakeshore EstatesLakeshore VillagesThe LandingsMagnolia ForestMagnolia RidgeMeadow LakePirates HarborQuail RidgeRavenwoodRigolets EstatesRivercrestRiver GardensRiver OaksSummerfieldTaylor TraceThe SettlementTreasure IsleTurtle CreekWillow WoodThe Question of Mosquito ProtectionA weekly news update on areas east of I-10 and I-59MILITARY ROAD TODAYThursday, December 11, 2025LA. SENATOR ROBERT “BOB” OWENDISTRICT #1250 Bouscaren St.—St. 201Slidell, LA. 70458100 Port Blvd.—St. 20Chalmette, LA [email protected]. Rep. Stephanie Berault District 761808 Front Street—St. 204Slidell, LA 70458(985) 640-9795 [email protected] OR FWITH WEIGHT LOUSED ALONE F FAshotsnshakes.comFamous Weight Loss Pow OSS SHOTS ORAST WEIGHT LOSSm or drdiet.comwder Psychopharmacologist! fifffl fifi fiff! fifffl fiBoard of Internal Medicine! fifffl fiSlidell PhysicianStanford A. Owen M.D.Created byLearn more: 888-460-6286WITH WEIGHT LOSS SHOTS ORUSED ALONE FOR FAST WEIGHT LOSSThis page sponsored by.....Mosquito protection, orrather the cost of mosquitoprotection, has been all inthe news recently. Why?Because St TammanyParish, looking for moneyto run essential functions,is examining where highspending occurs, assuming the notion that portionsof such money could bedistributed to other areasin need.Many, if not most, property or sales tax revenuesare dedicated to specificfunctions, such as Mosquito Abatement to mosquito control or the 2-centsales tax dedicated toparish roads and bridgesonly. These are taxes votedupon by residents. Boththese taxes have been renewed by voters by relatively large margins. I have little knowledgeof the revenue question,but as a physician andparish resident who livesvery near the marsh (aswe all do in the MilitaryRoad Area), I do havesome reasons to want better than average mosquitocontrol. My house literallysits next to a collection sitefor mosquito analysis (nextlot over). West Nile, Eastern Equine encephalitis,and several other viruseshave tested positive fromthat lot. My brother, 50 yearsago, married a Colombianwho took him on an excursion to the remote Amazonian town of Leticia,Columbia. The mayorslept in the jail which wasthe only structure in townwith screens. The mayortold my brother, after finding out he was from(Opelousas), Louisiana, “Ihave been to every continent on earth exceptAntarctica, to the NorthSlopes of Alaska, anddeepest Africa, and I cansay, without hesitation, theworst mosquitos in theworld are in Slidell,Louisiana!”Slidell—the worst in theworld--before mosquitoprotection. Ed Scogin, former State Representativefor Slidell, told me of trying to raise cattle when hewas young. It was impossible: the cattle suffocatedto death from swarms ofinhaled mosquitos--beforemosquito protection. Ifanyone wants to get a tasteof no mosquito protection,go to Highway 90 nearLake Catherine, pull over,then stand there for 10minutes—I dare you!When putting out campaign signs for my son(Sen. Bob Owen), that isthe only area I dreadedgetting out of the truck!Below is a list of diseases, identified in thiscommunity, that arespread by mosquitos: •Chikungunya Virus: Avirus causing fever and severe joint pain, primarilyfound in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the now theAmericas.•Dengue: A viral infection which can cause highfever, severe headache,and joint pain, and in severe cases, internal bleeding. I personallyexperienced Dengue andwas the only day of work Imissed from illness in 46years of practice—horrible pain! •Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE): A rare butvery serious viral diseasein the United States thatcan cause brain inflammation with a high mortalityrate.•Japanese Encephalitis:A viral disease found historically in Asia that cancause severe brain infection. Recent cases are reported in the Americas.•La Crosse Encephalitis:A virus common in theupper Midwest and Appalachian regions of theU.S., primarily affectingchildren.•Malaria: A life-threatening parasitic disease, mostcommon in tropical countries, that causes fever,chills, and flu-like symptoms. Malaria was endemic here. •St. Louis Encephalitis: Aviral illness found in theU.S. that can cause feverand headache, and in rarecases, brain inflammation,especially in older adults.•West Nile Virus: Themost common mosquitoborne disease in the contiguous United States,which often causes nosymptoms but can lead tosevere neurological illnessand death. •Yellow Fever: A viraldisease occurring in tropical areas of Africa andSouth America that cancause jaundice and severeillness. Yellow fever wascommon in our area untileradication of the specificmosquito vector. My greatgrandfather was madesurgeon general ofLouisiana after finding amechanism to tent-eradicate the mosquito inhomes. •Zika Virus: A viral infection that is often asymptomatic but can causeserious birth defects whenacquired during pregnancy including fetusesborn without brains.•Lymphatic Filariasis: Aparasitic disease transmitted by mosquitoes thatcauses severe disfigurement and disability globally.•Heartworm: A parasiticworm disease, primarily aconcern for dogs and cats,but can also infect humans. Whatever the outcomeparish officials decide inmanaging Mosquito Control, take your time! I wantto continue to go outsidemy house and I do notwant another viral episodelike Dengue—once wasmore than enough for me! Stanford A. Owen [email protected] ColumnBY DR. STAN OWEN
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Call Erie Metal Roofs: 1-855-582-6043 (LASCAN)THE SLIDELL INDEPENDENT Thursday, December 11, 2025 Page 3BAlcohol PermitJay Ps LLC is applying to the Office of Alcohol &Tobacco Control of the State of Louisiana for apermit to sell beverages of high and low alcoholcontent at retail in the Parish of St. Tammany at thefollowing address: 3991 Pontchartrain Dr Slidell, Louisiana 70458 Jay Ps LLC Members: Jamie Partman 1501 Gause Blvd., Ste. 1 Slidell LA 7985-643-3111Locally owned and operatedWE ARE HERE FOR YOU!!!70458. Steve Di BROKER / OWxonNERVALUE, VALUE, VALUE ydditionallyThis home is situated on two lots outside of the city limits. Space isn't an issue here as this home has spacious rooms. A y,this home is equipped with solar panels to help reduce your electricity costs. This is a bank-owned property.MLS# 2531353 $ 168,500M W 234057 TUPELO AV W d 985 502 821VE19-2654L-DE-SACREADY TO BE LOVEDHV fBeautifully remodeled home featuring waterproof laminate flooring and quartz countertops. Enjoy peace of mind with a new VAC system, new roof, and brand-new windows. MLS# 2528296 $ 249,900CULLots and lots of possibilities for this home This is106 LEONELL CIRtie TMatt Wood 985-502-821Kris Tousinau 985-640-RCLE8219tie T 40-26542106 LEONELL CIR Matt Wood 985-502-8Kris Tousinau 985-64DistinctiveLots and lots of possibilities for this home. This isa 4-bedroom, 2-bath home located in Windsor Place Subdivision. Split floor plan. Large den, separate living room, and spacious bonus room off the laundry area. This is a bank-owned property. MLS# 2523894 $ 189,900eSlidell.comtie TMatt W 2106 HEMLOCK COU Wood 985-502-821Kris Tousinau 985-640-URT19-2654LEGAL
Do you struggle totrust God when Heleads you in a new direction? Is it hard to believe that God has aplan for you – at yourage? When the angelGabriel told Mary thatGod had chosen her, avirgin, to give birth tothe Messiah (see Luke1:26-38), Mary couldhave presented validreasons why this didn’tfit into her plans. Shecould have explained toGabriel how it mightcause Joseph to call offtheir wedding. Or Marycould have refusedGod’s plan because shedidn’t want to endurethe gossip about herout-of-wedlock pregnancy.Yet, Mary (possiblyonly 12-16 years old) responded to Gabriel’snews by saying, “Behold, I am the servant ofthe Lord; let it be to meaccording to your word”(Luke 1:38 ESV).I admire Mary’s mature faith and respecther confidence in God,even when circumstances seemed unbelievable. It’s amazinghow this young womanrecognized her Lord’sright to guide her life inthe way He had chosenfor her. I want to have thesame type of yieldedspirit. Even more, I want toemulate Mary’s complete trust in her Father’s love for her, whichgave her the confidenceto say yes to God whenHe revealed His extraordinary will for her.I wonder, when thecircumstances surrounding God’s will forus seem extraordinary,do we respond with thesame faith? I fear thatmany of us (myself included) are more likelyto present our case as towhy we can’t – or won’t– comply.Just as it happened toMary in the Christmasstory, God’s directionfor us may include facing rejection from thoseclosest to us, being misjudged by our neighbors or having to startover in an unfamiliarplace. What would happen ifwe trusted God’s lovefor us? If we believedHe could do whateverwas necessary to pavethe way for His will to bedone in our lives? Evenif it seems impossible.Even if it costs us everything.Consider what Marywould have missed ifshe’d said no to God’splan. And how it wouldhave changed not onlyher life and eternal destiny, but ours as well.Choosing a differentpath than the one Godhas for us can lead tonegative – and possiblydisastrous – outcomesfor us and those impacted by our choices. Not to mention thatwe’d miss out on someunbelievably extraordinary adventures.(Sheryl Hilker Boldt,a Slidell High graduate,author of the blog,www.TodayCanBeDifferent.net. She can bereached at [email protected].)Slidell InspirationTo submit an article to the Slidell Inspiration page, e-mail [email protected] Shelby created the Shelby Cobra.Two better knownCobra versions are theShelbys GT350 andGT500 licensed to Fordto add muscle to theirnewly introduced Mustangs. I was a passengeraboard a 1967 PontiacGTO on NASA RoadOne in front of theNASA Manned Spacecraft Center, when theGTO muscle car attempted to race anearby Shelby GT350.It was no contest. Allwe saw were the taillights of the Shelby disappearing in thedistance. Another Shelby thathas made the news recently is Shelby, NorthCarolina. HurricaneHelene slammed thissmall town with highwinds and rain causingsevere damage. NearbyCamp Mystic, a summercamp for little girls,headlined the news as27 children perished. Ipassed through ShelbyNC on a ThanksgivingDay vacation. I saw noobvious signs of thehardship these fellowAmericans experienced.We stopped at a localStarbucks, and I paid forthe coffee and pastrytreats for my fellow travelers. While waiting forour custom ordereddrinks I went back tothe counter to buy asnack. The lady barrister saw me gazing at thepastries and asked ifshe could help me. Ipointed to the IcedLemon Loaf which shehanded me in a paperbag. I stepped to the cashregister and indicated Iwould pay by scanningmy iPhone. She gaveme a pleasant wave withthe back of her hand indicating I could leave,as she smiled and said,“I’ve got this.” I thoughtI misunderstood herand moved my phonetoward the scanner. Shegracefully placed herhand in front of thescanner and repeated,“I’ve got this.” I lookedat her and calculatedher to be on one side orthe other of twenty,thinking she probablyneeded the $5.00 morethan me. She read mymind and politelyshooed me away. Ithanked her with thebiggest smile I couldmuster. I made my way backto the car, puzzlingabout what just tookplace. Something shesaw prompted her totreat me. Maybe I reminded her of hergrandpa, or perhapssome stranger whohelped her recoverfrom the hurricane.Most likely she was justbeing nice. My mentor in the Lordtaught me a life-changing behavior forty yearsago that I use all thetime. He said, “Whenever someone offersyou a gift, accept it witha gracious ‘Thank you’.Because you never wantto rob a person of theblessing of God theywill receive for giving toyou.”I believe that serverjust wanted to bless meand she has. I immediately thought of writingthis article and sharehow often God blessesus from strangers. I willlikely never see heragain, in this life, but Iwas blessed by her. Youtoo are now blessed byhearing her story.Maybe you can find astranger to bless. It willbe fun.(Pastor Morris St Angelo, Lead Minister ofSlidell Ministers Association. Email:[email protected] for Morris StAngelo on YouTubeand Facebook.)By MORRIS ST. ANGELOSLIDELL MINISTERSASSOCIATIONAdvent comes from the Latinwords “ad” (to) and “venio”(come), which means: to come, orcoming. Advent is the liturgicalseason to experience the threecomings of our Lord and Savior,Jesus Christ. 1-Christ’s coming toBethlehem in humility, 2-Christ’scoming to sanctify us in the sacraments and the life of the Church, 3-Christ’s coming in glory on the lastday to establish the fullness of Hiskingdom. This year, I propose celebratingnot only the three comings ofChrist, but also our three comingsto Christ, as follows:1. Let's come to meet Christ inhis first coming by reading at leastone of the Gospels and savoringthe fulfillment of the prophecies ofHis coming; like He would receiveDavid’s throne (2 Samuel 7:12-13),He would be from the tribe ofJudah (Genesis 49:10), He wouldbe conceived in the virgin's womb(Isaiah 7:14), He would be born inBethlehem (Micah 5:1-2), He wouldspend a season in Egypt (Hosea11:1), He would ride into Jerusalemon a donkey (Zechariah 9:9), Hewould be spat and beaten (Isaiah5-:6), He would resurrect (Job19:25-27; Ps 49:15)2. Let's come to meet Christamong us by actively participatingin the Church services, liturgies,Sacraments, Christmas songs,Psalm readings, Nativity enactments, prayer services. “For wheretwo or more are gathered in myname, there I am in the midst ofthem,” (Matthew 18:20) 3. Let's meet Christ in his glorious third coming on the last day, byimagining what it will be like tostand in His presence. Will I kneel?Will I dance? Will I hide? Will Ilaugh or will I cry? So, this Adventtime may serve us well to meditateon our mortality, not morbidly, butconstructively, putting in perspective what really matters in ourlives. Thinking about our mortalitycould help us live the rest of ourlives in the way, the truth, and thelife, and in doing so reach everlasting life in Christ our savior. So, inthis Advent, let's renew our faith inthe world to come strengthened bythe words of Christ, who said, “Andthis is the will of him who sent me,that I shall lose none of all those hehas given me, but raise them up onthe last day” (John 6:39)This Advent, we pray: Come,Lord Jesus, as we come to you.(Carlos Ramirez can bereached by email [email protected].)Advent: a time tocome to ChristBy CARLOS RAMIREZHispanic ApostolateBy SHERYLHILKER BOLDTGuest ColumnistWhat extraordinary adventures are we missing out on?An unexpected blessing by the barristerPaul tells us in II Timothy chapter 3, that inthe last days, periloustimes will come andreprobate men willcome to deceive andlead astray believers inJesus. Paul tells us toavoid these evil deluders. Have nothing to dowith them. They aregoing to try to makepeople believe the liethat God does not careabout our everydaylives and that He is notgoing to be involvedwith providing, protecting, healing, and givingus power to overcomeany situation that shouldarise.We are to live by theWord of God. We don’tgo by what we see orfeel, we go by the Wordof God that’s real because we are covenantpeople. We are to be awitness of the goodnessof God and the powerand dominion He hasgiven us. Genesis 1:26tells us that God hasgiven us power and dominion over everythingon the earth. Are we tokeep this scripture a secret? By no means. Weare to put every word ofGod into practice everyday. We live by the faithof the Son of God who isthe living Word. John1:1,14. S Heb. 4:12 tellsus that the Word of Godis alive and full ofpower. 2 Cor. 4:13teaches us that we are tobelieve and speak theWord since we have thesame spirit of faith thatGod used in creatingthe Universe. Speakingthe Word activates thepower that is inherent init. Mark 11:23-24 alsotells us to speak theWord that we believe inour heart so that wemay receive what weask for. Faith is the activation of the belief wehave received in ourheart by hearing(Rhema) the Word ofGod and faith is activated by speakingwords out of our mouth.Faith comes by hearingand hearing by theWord of God. Believeand speak in order toreceive.God has given us allthings that pertain to lifeand godliness. 2 Peter1:3. God loves us somuch that He has already provided everything we will ever needto live a blessed life. Hegave us His writtenWord so that we couldverify what He has donefor us and what He hasgiven us. He even gaveus instructions in HisWord on how to receiveeverything we will everneed from Him. Hemade it so simple thateven a child can understand it.Our job is to read ourBible every day, studywhat we read, and dowhat it tells us to do inorder to be prosperousin every area of life. Believe, speak, and receive.(Peggy R. Clark is aPrison Chaplain withMaranatha Grace Ministries,[email protected]) Believe, speak and receiveBy PEGGY CLARKPrison Chaplainwith MaranathaGrace MinistriesPage 4B Thursday, December 11, 2025 THE SLIDELL INDEPENDENT
THE SLIDELL INDEPENDENT Thursday, December 11, 2025 Page 5B58516 Pearl Acres Rd., Slidell985-643-6017Pastor Jerry Smith -- StateLicensed Christian CounselingSunday Service: Bible Study,9:15am; Worship, 10:30am.Ministries: Early LearningCenter, Sewing Ministry, Ministries for all ages.Choir/Orchestra/Praise TeamDiscovergrace.usSMA is for Pastors and Christian Ministers togather in unity. We are united in Jesus Christ, crucified and resurrected. If you have a Christianministry of any kind and would like to be involvedin our work, we would love to have you join us.For more information: [email protected] Morris St. Angelo or Chaplain David ZieglerSlidell Minister’s Association 62340 Highway 1090, Pearl River985-863-9444www.generationsnola.comLead Pastor Chad CocranSunday Worship: 9am & 10:30amGenerations Youth meets everyWednesday evening at 7pmBible classes and small groupsmeet midweek.Generations Church2263 2nd St., corner of 2nd andRobert St., Slidell 678-372-0470camelliacitychurch.comPastors Brenn and Kristin ButtsService: Sunday at 10amCamellia City Church433 Erlanger Ave, Slidell985-643-6437www.firstumcslidell.orgSunday Worship: 9:45am & 11amAdult Classes on Sunday9:30am & 9:45amPreK-6th grade on Sunday9:45am & 11amCrossroads youth ministrySunday, 5pm-7 pmFirst United Methodist Church of Slidell1000 Caruso Blvd., Unit 415,Slidell, LA 70461985-661-2086brideadornedchurch.orgPastor Joseph PedreiraSunday Service: 10amYouth & Young Adults:Wednesday: 6:30pmBride Adorned Church35300 Home Estate Drive, Slidell, LA 70460985 641-2109“Blessing Box”Find us at - facebook.com/GoodShepherdLutheranChurchSlidellReverend Robert BelknapSunday Worship Service: 10:30amSunday School & Adult Bible Study9amMid-week Bible Study:Thursday 11:30am Good Shepherd Lutheran Church LCMSGrace Memorial Baptist Church2395 East Gause Road,SlidellWorship: 10a.m.Classic hymns, Bible exposition, communion,and prayerBible Study, 7p.m. Wednesdays at 211 Hollow Rock CourtDr. Ansley Orfila, pastor985-886-148057209 Allen Road, SlidellSunday Worship: 8a.m. & 10a.m.Vibrant worship, practicalteaching, and ministry for children and studentsPastor Carlos Cage, 985-643-2929www.communitych.com Church of the Savior61305 Airport Road Slidell(985) 726-5179Whitedove.orgFB: WhiteDoveFellowshipPastors Tom & Michelle MillerSundays @10amCelebrate RecoveryWednesdays @ 7pmYoung Adult Bible StudyThursdays @ 6:30pmIntercessory PrayerMondays @ 6pmWhite Dove Church NorthshoreCommunity Church Slidell890 Robert Blvd., SlidellPastor Robert RobinsonServices: Sunday School, 9:30am;Worship, 10:30am.Wednesday Bible Study: 5:45pm985-290-4123Covenant Baptist Church388 Robert Blvd, Slidell985-643-8760 www.pentecostalsonline.orgFacebook: First PentecostalChurch of SlidellDonald Bryan, PastorService Times:Sundays at 10:30amWednesdays at 7pmBilling Address: 388 RobertBlvd, Slidell, LA 70458First Pentecostal ChurchReserve your spot on this page for only $10 a week. Contact Jenny at [email protected] or 985-607-8852.2 0 2 2R E A DERS’ C HOI C E A W A R D SPart-Time In-Home Nanny Needed – Cross Gates NeighborhoodSeeking a reliable, caring nanny for January and February to provide in-home childcare in the Cross Gates area for one infant. Position is part-time, 10–15 hours per week, with flexible scheduling. Ideal candidate is experienced, an effective communicator, shares biblical values, and is comfortable caring for young children in a pet friendly home setting. Responsibilities include:Competitive hourly rate. References required. CPR credentials preferred. To apply or inquire, please contact [email protected].• Feeding, changing, and basic infant care• Engaging play and age-appropriate activities• Limited associated responsibilities including washing bottles, starting child’s laundry, etc. Donate Your CarImagine the Diff erence You Can Make • Every donated vehicle will be properly recycled, reducing waste and harmful emissions.• Vehicle donations are fully tax-deductible and the proceeds help provide services to help the blind and visually impaired.Help Prevent Blindness Get A Vision Screening AnnuallyFREE TOWING & TAX DEDUCTIBLEWhen you donate your car, you’ll receive:Call 1-855-605-1801 a $200 restaurant voucher a 2-night, 3-day hotel stay at one of 50 locations12 HOLIDAY WINESonly $7999+ BONUS GIFTSGo to GetOSWine.com/Sip136or call 1.866.965.2306 and mention code AHNE001 Powered by LaithwaitesOmaha Steaks Wine is operated independently from Omaha Steaks, LLC. Full terms and conditions online. Void where prohibited by law.SAVE $155
High Tide in theMarshIn Southeast Louisianait’s uncommon for winter conditions to let anglers fish the shallowcuts and ponds in themarsh. But that’s exactlywhat happened to JohnGibby of Mandeville onhis latest trip to Hopedale. Gibby was expecting the usual low waterthat follows a string ofcold fronts. Instead, hefound the opposite. Thewater was pushed highinto the grass, floodingthe cuts and duck pondsthat are normally lowthis time of year.As he was running outto his first spot it wasclear by the strongwinds that he didn’thave much time beforethe latest cold frontrolled through. “I mistimed this trip. I knewthe front was comingand normally the waterhere would be bottomed out. But the windwas piling the water in,and I figured I might aswell take advantage ofit.”Right from the start,Gibby began catchingtrout in a canal that ledback to a duck pond.“They weren’t shy,” hesaid. “They were hittingit hard.” Gibby caughtseveral trout in the sixteen-to-eighteen-inchrange. The trout werethick and clearlystocked up for winter.The bite kept buildingand it was not long before he connected withsomething heavier.The rod loaded upand the fish dug towardthe back of the boat. Itwas a big redfish. Thered made a run to theback which forcedGibby to move from thebow toward the stern.“When they run to theback, I run to the back,”he said. “I learned earlyon that if a redfish hitsthe trim tab it will sliceyour line.” After a longtug of war he landed abruiser twenty-five-inchredfish, the biggest hehad caught in a while.“What a fish,” he said.“This is why I love winter fishing.”With his confidencehigh, Gibby pushed farther into the marsh. Theflooded grass allowedhim to reach a pond hehad never been able tofish in winter. That movepaid off immediately.Trout were stackedalong a narrow stretchof bayou where the current pinched. Gibbymade several driftsthrough the area, witheach drift producingfish. With every hookuphe couldn’t believe theamount of fishablewater available.“We are having a really abnormal high tidefor winter,” he said.“Usually you can’t evenget back here. I cameout here on a hunch. Thetide was high so I figured, let’s go see.”Along with trout andreds, Gibby also put adrum in the boat andhad several follow hisbait all the way to theboat, surprising him inthe clear water.He switched luresthroughout the day, alternating between H&HCocahoe Minnows inthe Tuxedo color andMarsh Demon plastics.Both produced steadyaction.While most of thetrout were fourteen tosixteen inches, Gibby’sbiggest fish came on ahard hit in a stretch ofmoving water. He nettedthe fish but it jumpedout of his hand, leavingGibby shaking hishead. Even then helaughed it off. “That onewas probably an eighteen or twenty. It was acrobatic. Fun to see evenif I didn’t land it,” hesaid.By the time hewrapped up the trip hehad a full box that included trout, reds, anddrum. More importantly,he had taken a day thatlooked like a loss andturned it into a lessonabout opportunity.“It works when youget to these low pressure spots,” he said.“People ask how I plantrips. The honest answeris I don’t. I just go whenI can. Today happenedto be one of thosedays.”Upcoming TournamentsFPBA will hold its nextevent at Cypress Covein Venice on December13. For more information, contact Patrick Engerran at 985-474-6112.Pearl River TeamTrails will hold its nexttournament at CrawfordLanding on December13. For more information, call Charles Dauzatat 985-960-3260.(Keith Lusher Jr.writes a weekly column. For more info,visit NorthshoreFishingReport.com. Contact Keith [email protected].)Page 6B Thursday, December 11, 2025 THE SLIDELL INDEPENDENTHigh water opened the marsh, giving Gibby access to this bronze winter redfish.John Gibby boat-flips a thick specked trout intothe boat.Keith LusherBluetitCondorCrowEagleFinchHawkHeronsHummingbirdOspreyOwlsRavenRobinWarblerWoodpeckerWren Answers from puzzles on page 7A.
THE SLIDELL INDEPENDENT Thursday, December 11, 2025 Page 7B$7 Pancake Breakfast2ND SATURDAY OF EACH MONTH8am to 11amOpen Mond y - SuurbaWhiskey & Boundaybon MenurThursday Steak Night / Half Price BMimosa Brunch, starts 1Outside Patio Seating AvaiBottles of Wine(Select Bottles)0AM Sat & Sunlable (pet friendly)348 Robert Blvd. | Slidell, LAOur own 'Sedra BlenBreakfast & Lunch 7 DAYS A A 70458 | 985-288-4634fee' WEEK | 6am – 3pmnd CofA th ti MWE AREi f dE BACK!Happy Hour EvMargarAuthentic MeOPEN 7 DAYS A very day: 2-6ritasexican foodWEEK at 11AMY HAPPY HOUR 3-6pm YSUN BRUNCH 9am-2:30pmSAT DINNER 3pm-9:30pmSAT BRUNCH 10-2:30FRI:11am-9:30pmWED-THURS: 11am-8:30pmTUES ClosedMON 11am-8:30pmDAILSt.5817m• Butter Beans• Stuffed Bell Peppe• ya• Creole Gumbo JambalaCreole Gumbo• Jambalaya• Stuffed Bell Peppe• Butter BeansrsDaily Specials on• Smothered u ey Butter BeansTurkeButter Beans• Smothered Turkey Daily Specials on1480 Gause Blv Gau d, Ste K ay - F ay 11com Mcreolesistersnola. eMonda ridayomndasnoBlsBM dacreolesisGeNecksSlidell LA, 7 ell LA, 71 AM - 6 PM 2AM (985)-288-0505045805M88 AM(98-6)-580ll L 4585Certified Financial PlanAl ® an Knight, CFPnner™ EstatRetire appropriate professional.fered through s Financial Services, Inc. Securitiesrvices.com70458te Planningrement and eAadvisory services of22-RJFST A 12/22/2022Raymond James does not provide legal services. Please discuss these matters with theRaymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc.f / SIPC. Investment Knight Wealth Advisors is not a registered broker/dealer and is independent of Raymond James985.641.0111 | knightwealthser506 Robert Blvd | Slidell, LAoffered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRAransitioning-1272 Tid
(For more informationon services, contactHonaker at 985-641-1900 or online at:honakerforestlawn.com)John Steven “Steve”Higginbotham, age 66,of Slidell, LA, passedaway on Tuesday, November 25, 2025, after ashort illness.Born in Junction City,KS, he grew up travelingthe world with his military father, includingstays in Germany andItaly. He earned a Computer Engineering degree from MississippiState and studied aerospace engineering atGeorgia Tech, while alsoserving in the U.S. Navyas an electrician’s mateaboard submarines USSKamehameha and USSDallas.After the service heworked with pre-GPSnavigation systems, including time in Kuwait,before returning to theU.S. and working for Textron Marine, developingsoftware for controllingthe engines on theNavy’s hovercraft landing vehicle.He enjoyed travelingin the U.S. and was anelder at AtonementLutheran Church inMetairie. Page 8B Thursday, December 11, 2025 THE SLIDELL INDEPENDENT(For information onservices, contactAudubon at 985-645-0600or online at: audubonfuneralhome.com)John Robert Williams,IV, age 43, of Slidell, LA,passed away on Monday,December 1, 2025.Born in Baytown, TX, hemoved to Louisiana topursue his career withFlorida Marine Transporters, then after movingto Slidell, was involved inyouth sports as a coach.He enjoyed huntingand fishing in his sparetime.Roger CelestinBouche, Jr., age 85, of Lacombe, LA, passed wayon Monday, December 1,2025.Born in New Orleans,LA, he graduated fromCor Jesus High School,then attended LSU in NewOrleans before servingwith the Louisiana ArmyNational Guard, achieving the rank of MasterSergeant.He was an active member with the Knights ofColumbus Council#12989, and enjoyedwatching Roy Rogers“Westerns.”Richard JosephGuidry, age 85, of Slidell,LA, passed away on Tuesday, December 2, 2025.Born in St. Martinville,LA, he graduated fromWarren Easton HighSchool, then became acommercial fisherman,followed by opening theEfficient Rebore and RingService.In his spare time, he enjoyed watching westernmovies, shrimping, fishing and dancing with hiswife.Audubon Funeral HomeDr. Miguel Angel Culasso passed away onDecember 1, 2025, inSlidell, Louisiana, afteran illness. He was 78years old.Born on February 19,1947, in Esperanza, Argentina, Dr. Culasso devoted his life to theservice of othersthrough medicine. In1979, he began practicing as a family physicianin the Slidell area, wherehe became a trustedand steadfast presencein the community forover four decades. Hisunwavering commitment to his patients andhis profession was evident in every aspect ofhis work—he neverwished to retire andfound daily joy in caringfor those who relied onhim. He enjoyed hostingfriends in his legendary“asados”.Dr. Culasso’s perseverance and dedicationleft a lasting impact notonly on the lives of hispatients but also onthose who had the privilege of knowing himpersonally. His legacy isone of compassion, resilience, and tirelessservice.He is deeply mournedby his loving wife of 47years, Angie K. Culasso;his son, Miguel AntonioCulasso and daughterin-law Karen Culasso;his daughter, Lisa Culasso and son-in-lawHernan Cifre; and hischerished grandchildren, Chloe (7) and Leo(3). He was preceded indeath by his belovedson Daniel Culasso andby his parents, Antonioand Emilia Culasso. Dr. Culasso will be remembered with profound respect andaffection by all whoselives he touched. Mayhis memory bring comfort to those who knewhim and continue to inspire dedication andkindness in others.Arrangements byHonaker Funeral Home,Inc., Slidell, LA.MIGUEL ANGEL CULASSOOBITUARIESHonaker Funeral Home