EachWednesday, L’Observateur recognizes individuals and businesses in the River Parishes that have gone “above and beyond” in their efforts to make this a better place to live, work and play.

We believe an integral part of a community’s wellbeing is an attitude and arena where people who do good things who work to improve life for others … who try to make a difference are recognized and saluted. Because this is a salute to members of the community of the entire River Parishes, we solicit your recommendations for groups or individuals to be considered for inclusion.

This week we salute:

• Former East St. John High School basketball standout Jamaan Kenner for being a standout performer on the basketball court and in the classroom. Kenner is a starter for the Xavier Gold Nuggets in New Orleans and maintains a 3.62 GPA in biology/pre-med. He was also recently accepted to the LSU School of Medicine in Shreveport.

• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and others involved in a project to memorialize a pair of cemeteries within the Bonnet Carre Spillway that hold the remains of former slaves and some of their descendants. The corps wants to transform the areas into parks that tell the stories of some of the people buried within them.

• The competitive cheerleaders at St. Charles Borromeo School in Destrehan, who recently took first place in the Worldwide Spirit Association’s Crescent City Cup competition in Westwego. The group competed against schools from across the New Orleans metro area.

• Officials with NuStar Logistics, who recently announced plans for a $365 million expansion at the company’s petroleum tank terminal in St. James Parish. The endeavor will add 32 new jobs and could bring as many as 260 indirect jobs to the area.