DENHAM SPRINGS, La. - U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy and Parish President Randy Delatte addressed local business and community leaders on Wednesday morning during the annual State of the Parish event, sponsored by the Livingston Parish Chamber of Commerce. They offered updates on infrastructure, parish projects, and the value of small businesses, such as French Settlement Roasting Co.
U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy emphasized his continued support for what he called the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” officially known as the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. He described it as a strong piece of legislation that will fund critical infrastructure projects and create jobs nationwide.
“It’s a good bill,” Cassidy said, noting that it will fund infrastructure projects and create jobs across the country. He also highlighted ongoing federal efforts to expand broadband access in rural communities, including parts of Livingston Parish.
Before wrapping up his remarks, Cassidy introduced Delatte as “a great parish president,” turning the microphone over for Delatte’s State of the Parish address.
“Livingston Parish is in good shape,” Delatte said at the start of his address, praising the Livingston Parish Council as “underrated” and crediting them with helping elevate the parish’s standards over the past 19 months.
“The result is that we’ve received $200 million in grants over the past 18 months for various projects,” Delatte said. Among those, he noted, are major flood mitigation efforts aimed at preventing another disaster like the 2016 flood.
He also announced that the parish has broken ground on a new 13,000-square-foot animal shelter, and gave special recognition to Maurice Durbin for her advocacy and contributions to that project.
Other recent progress, according to Delatte, includes:
Approval of 21 new commercial projects
Three new cell phone towers
A significant improvement in the parish’s floodplain rating, from Class 9 to Class 7, translates to a 15% reduction in flood insurance premiums for residents
Zero worker’s compensation claims and only one parish automobile incident over the past 18 months — a statistic Delatte said helps reduce parish insurance costs
Delatte also highlighted a major win in the parish’s flood preparedness efforts: Livingston’s FEMA Community Rating System (CRS) score recently improved from a Class 9 to a Class 7, resulting in a 15 percent reduction in flood insurance premiums for residents. He credited the parish’s mitigation work and staff diligence for the improved rating and said the goal is to lower the rating even further, ideally to a Class 5.
Delatte closed his remarks by honoring Billy and Shannon LaGrange, owners of French Settlement Roasting Co., with a special parish proclamation naming French Settlement Coffee as the official coffee of Livingston Parish.
He shared the company’s origin story, how it began with roasting one pound of coffee a day using a popcorn popper, and praised its growth to producing 2,000 pounds daily. The coffee, he noted, was even served to Cassidy’s staff in Washington, D.C., during Senate hearings.
“French Settlement Roasting Co. is more than great coffee,” Delatte said. “It’s a veteran-owned, homegrown success story that brings pride to Livingston Parish. When something made right here in our community is being enjoyed on the Senate floor in Washington, that’s worth celebrating.”
He also highlighted the company’s community partnerships with local schools, churches, and nonprofits for fundraising efforts.
“While many small businesses contribute to the success and character of Livingston Parish, French Settlement Roasting Co. stands out as a symbol of what happens when passion, hard work, and community spirit come together,” he said.
The event was hosted by the Livingston Parish Chamber of Commerce and featured a welcome from Deric Murphy, the 2025 Chamber Board Chair. Chamber President April Wehrs also introduced the members of the Leadership Livingston Class of 2025, which includes representatives from various sectors, including government, healthcare, business, education, and nonprofits.
Members of the 2025 class are:
Buffy Anderson – City of Denham Springs
Rick Banker – North Oaks Health System
Tiffany Battistella – Livingston Parish Public Schools
Chase Bernard – Client Technology Services
Calvin Bowden – Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office
Jennifer Brooks – Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana
Aaron Brown – Quality Engineering & Surveying
Thomas “Bruiser” Bryson – Livingston Parish Government
John Cavalier – Cavalier House Books
Landon Collins – Olivier Group
Olivier Doin – Rouge Painters
Michelle Dupuy – Ochsner Health
Emily Glascock – Baton Rouge Area Foundation
Melita Hatch – Regions Bank
Heather Hill – Our Lady of the Lake Livingston
Maurice “Scooter” Keen – Livingston Parish Government
Raymond Lee Jr. – Denham Springs Marshal
John Mangus – Livingston Parish Council
Kelsey Murray – City of Walker
Kelly Pittman – Premier Geotech and Testing
John Ponder – Site Pro Construction
Erin Sandefur – Livingston Parish Council
Alexis Steward – BRECO Federal Credit Union
Luke Yoes – Hannis T. Bourgeois
