The 2017 Andouille Pageant was held last weekend, Sept. 23, and I had the honor again of serving as Master of Ceremonies.

2016 Miss Andouille Queen Janet Nelson and Teen Andouille Queen Kash’Mir Foley relinquished their crowns after serving St. John in an honorable capacity.

Congratulations to the new 2017 Miss Andouille Queen, Laeh Alexander, and Teen Andouille Queen Patience Pray on winning their titles.

We look forward to you representing St. John in your new official capacity.

Congratulations to the other contestants on their participation and placement in this year’s pageant.

If you haven’t had a chance to see this year’s Andouille Festival poster, it’s something you do not want to miss. Local artist Dana B. Wallace, for the second year in a row, did a phenomenal job with the drawing and incorporating breast cancer awareness with her artwork. Festival posters can be purchased at this year’s festival.

This year’s Andouille Festival will be held Oct. 13, 14 and 15 at 2900 U.S. 51 in LaPlace, next to the St. John Civic Center. It is being presented by St. John the Baptist Parish, along with Marathon Petroleum Company.

We hope you and your family can come out and support this annual event for the community, and we hope you have a smokin’ good time.

Residents are encouraged to use best practices when being proactive fighting the bite and preventing mosquito infestation. Several weeks ago St. John Mosquito Control detected positive cases of the West Nile Virus in St. John the Baptist Parish, in the LaPlace area (Zone 60b).

Follow-up traps were placed and analyzed for the presence of disease. The Mosquito Company is trapping throughout the entire Parish on a regular basis and testing those for mosquito-borne diseases.

Residents in the immediate area received information regarding the heightened potential for encephalitis infection in the neighborhood along with recommendations for personal protection and yard sanitation.

Additional spraying took place post these findings. I encourage everyone to visit sjbparish.com for safety tips on how to protect yourself and your home.

Michael P. Wright is St. John the Baptist Parish Council District 5 representative and Council vice chairman. Contact him at District5@sjbparish.com or m.wright@sjbparish.com.