General Excellence Louisiana Press Association CENTRALCENTRAL CITYCITY National Newspaper Assn. GraduationGraduationClassClass ofof 20182018 ® EditionEdition & The Leader NEWSNEWSMay 2018 • Vol. 21, No. 6 • 40 Pages • Circulation 20,000 • 30,000 online • www.centralcitynews.us • 225-261-5055 Central High Wins State 5A Baseball Championship State Champions Again! Photos by Jolice Provost Jolice by Photos Central’s Dalton Aspholm won semi-final game in relief, had game-winning hits against Zachary, Sulphur. Central’s Brant Husser led Wildcats in pitching (9-2) and hits (44). Central’s Hunter Arnold shut out Sulphur 4-0 for state championship. Central catcher Drew Lasseigne tagged out Sulphur runner to end rally Brant Husser: Baseball Star of Stars Drew Lasseigne (7-2, 1.728 ERA) pitched perfect game in Mandeville. Sam Kennerson led team with .362. RF Quint Guerin led Wildcats in runs (37) and BB (27). BI-DISTRICT 5A CHAMPIONS Central 10 • Hahnville 3 REGIONAL 5A CHAMPIONS Parkway 2 • Central 0 Central 14 • Parkway 6 Central 13 • Parkway 1 QUARTERFINAL 5A CHAMPIONS Central 9 • Zachary 3 Zachary 10 • Central 5 Central 7 • Zachary 2 SEMI-FINAL 5A CHAMPIONS Central 10 • Barbe 5 STATE 5A CHAMPIONS Central Wildcats won their 2nd straight 5A State Championship. Central’s 9-3 victory in Game One in Zachary was pivotal moment. Central 4 • Sulphur 0 2 CENTRAL CITY NEWS Thursday, May 24, 2018 School Board Transfers Land for City Hall Lance Corporal Taylor Conrad, USMC Photos by Jolice Provost by Jolice Photos Central Community School Board members Jim Lloyd, Roxanne Atkinson, Will Easley, and Dr. David Walker with Supt. Jason Fountain as they discuss land sale to City of Central. SALE — Central Mayor Jr. Shelton and Central schools Supt. Jason Fountain signing documents to authorize sale of parcel from school system to City of Central for City Hall CENTRAL - After years of dis- a new City Hall. The City Hall will cussion, the Central Community include the Mayor’s office, a City School System made it official by Council Chamber, which will also selling a parcel of land at the corner be used for school board meetings, of Hooper and Sullivan roads to the and offices for IBTS, which pro- City of Central for construction of Central Community School Board president Dr. David Walker discussing the land sale. vides city services for Central. Congratulations to the Class of 2018 Become the CEO of Your Family Business Whether you have a multimillion dollar company that’s been around forever or you are a surviving widow who just lost her husband — or anything in between — you are a business with income, expenses, and Jeanne and Darryl Hickman assets. If you’re not handling that business We’ve been clients 10 years. 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JAMES FINANCI®AL ADVISOR® Thursday, May 24, 2018 CENTRAL CITY NEWS 3 New Central High School Principal Brandon LeGroue: A Passion for Kids Woody Jenkins Eager to take on responsibilities, Editor he made himself available wher- ever needed. Teaching at Central CENTRAL - After graduating from High meant he would have to go Denham Springs High School, back and be certified through an al- Brandon LaGroue entered LSU ternative certification program that and earned a degree in biochemis- was being offered. He weighed try. It seemed like the logical thing into that, eventually also getting to do. Several members of his fam- certified in administration. ily were physicians, and a career He became a familiar face to stu- in medicine seemed like the next dents and also to parents because step. Or perhaps he would earn a he was coaching so many sports. PhD in biochemistry. In 2012, the Central school sys- The problem was, Brandon La- tem considered creating a 9th grade Groue had little interest in medi- academy and moving it to the old cine and less in biochemistry. Starkey Academy location. “I had always played sports LaGroue loved the idea of the growing up but what I really en- 9th grade academy but hated the joyed was coaching the Biddy idea of moving the kids off the baseball team or mentoring in campus. He felt it would cut them kids!” LaGroue, now 36, said Sat- off from the mainstream of student urday, just after learning the news life at Central High School. that Central Supt. Jason Fountain When a public forum was called had named him the new principal on the issue, LaGroue bucked pro- at Central High School. tocol, went to the meeting, and “What I really wanted to do was spoke out strongly against moving teach and coach!” BRANDON LAGROUE at left in 2012 asking school board to keep the 9th Grade Acad- the 9th grade academy off campus. Brandon’s grandfather and emy at Central High and at right Saturday after his appointment as principal for Central. His passion and courage gained grandmother had moved to Central football coach. “I took every op- teacher but just to help out. the attention of then-Supt. Mike in the 1950’s, and his dad gradu- portunity they threw at me!” he He worked out of the same of- Faulk, Mr. Wales, and other school ated from Central High School in said. “That was also the year we fice as then principal Ronnie De- leaders. When the 9th grade acad- 1977. Brandon often visited his had our first child. So there was vall. Some of the students were emy was established, Brandon La- grandparents in Central, and he al- very little sleep.” He was making involved in a summer science Groue was named administrator of ways thought Central was special. a little over $20,000. “Frankly, I program but didn’t have a teacher. the 9th grade academy, a position An opening came at Starkey loved it and would have worked LaGrone stopped in and started an- he enjoyed. Academy. He was armed with his for free if I could!” he said. swering their questions and teach- During 2017-2018, he was pro- degree in biochemistry. Headmas- Unfortunately, Starkey closed, ing them science. moted to assistant principal at the ter Steve Whitlow said, “You will be and Brandon was left looking for It wasn’t long after that that Mr. high school. Then when Cen- our science and math department!” a job. The Central school system Duvall and the new principal, Bob tral principal David Prescott an- Right away, he was named Star- had been created the year before. Wells, offered him a job at Central nounced he was retiring, Brandon key’s head girls basketball coach, He was hired to work in a summer High. He was also coaching foot- was one of three applicants for head softball coach, and assistant program at Central High. Not as a ball, baseball, and basketball. See BRANDON on Page 12 Congratulations Class of 2018 John Stagg Owner Kaley Hill Owner Jill Miller Manager 4 CENTRAL CITY NEWS Thursday, May 24, 2018 Central City Hall Will Be Cornerstone Central High School at the intersection of Hooper and Sullivan roads in 1929. Those are the new buses that just replaced horse-drawn ‘hacks’ that hauled kids to school. Central — Specifically Meaning the Corner of Hooper and Sullivan — Got Its Name Because It Was ‘Central’ to One-Room Schools in Area CENTRAL — In 1857, there ter Bayou. schools into one centrally-located ter where children could go to play were many close knit communi- There was no consolidated and easily-accessible by wagon. It on the grounds or shoot goals in ties in the area now known as Cen- school in the area and small chil- was decided to place the school at the gym. On Saturday nights, the tral. Huge farms and public lands dren were taught in the homes as the junction of Settlement Road, gym became a community meet- are shown on a map of that period. older children walked to near-by which is now Sullivan Road, and ing hall when a member of the Some of the prominent names were one room schools. Four of the lon- Canal Road, which is now Hooper community would travel to Baton Evan Vaughn, Nathan Baker, Wil- gest lasting schools were Pucket Road. William S. Edwards owned Rouge and rent a silent movie for liam Sullivan, Peter Delorroche, on the north, Greenwell Springs on the property on all four corners and entertainment of the whole com- Joseph Carter, Rachael Dally, Wil- the east, Frenchtown on the south, donated thirty acres on the south- munity. Plays and minstrels were liam Edwards, and others. Water- and Woodland on the west. As the east corner as a permanent site for performed on the gym stage with ways had been named as White’s children increased and outgrew the the school. In donating the land the actors being adults and chil- Bayou, Hurricane Creek, Comite schools, the four neighborhoods of William Edwards stipulated that dren from the community.