Members of the Ascension Parish Council’s Strategic Planning Committee approved Monday a proposal from Chief Administrative Officer Cedric Grant to overhaul the method by which engineering firms are selected for parish projects.

Parish Councilman Chris Loar pitched to the council’s Recreation Committee Tuesday an idea for a total renovation of the current Oak Grove Community Center and adjoining park space.

Gonzales has turned to its Police Department to address what Mayor Johnny Berthelot termed “a serious situation” regarding “numerous” violations of a city ordinance prohibiting multiple families from living in residences zoned for single families.

After hearing pleas from friends and relatives of a Gonzales teen who died along Roddy Road in June, the Parish Council’s Transportation Committee vowed to make renovations to the roadway.

The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office has reportedly closed the case on Casey Joseph Coco, 24, of Ascension Parish, whose body was found at the abandoned Swaggart complex dormitories in south Baton Rouge.

The Gonzales Weekly Citizen recently named former Donaldsonville Chief editor Peter Silas Pasqua as its new sports editor.

Results of a recent poll commissioned by Parish President Tommy Martinez show that road conditions are at the forefront of public concern in Ascension Parish, and that those polled would support a half-cent sales tax if dedicated to road improvements.

As students headed to school for the first day of classes in Ascension Parish public schools Friday, turbulent weather caused system officials to scramble in the early hours to fix power issues at some campuses.

Pecan Grove Elementary School Principal Margie Meyers stressed the importance of the Rotary Club of Gonzales literacy program and gave members pointers on how to make their efforts more effective at the club meeting Aug. 5.

The Home Rule Charter Commission tweaked its operating procedure Wednesday and spent the better part of two hours discussing what to include and when to include what it includes in the commission agenda from now through January.

The East Ascension Consolidated Gravity Drainage District’s Board of Commissioners discussed Monday possibly returning control of its operations to the parish president after six months of separation.

Meanwhile, opponents expressed fears that progress made since splitting from parish government would be lost and that dedicated drainage funding could be moved to other avenues.

The town council unanimously declined to act on a request by Police Chief Earl Theriot to terminate police officer Tina Burd at the meeting Tuesday.