And just like that, the hay bales begin to magically appear in The Plains. It’s fall, y’all! Cozy up with a PSL and enjoy the Harvest Edition. It’s free to you thanks to our Community Partners.

Ever heard the legend of Alice the Witch? Turns out there’s way more to the story and person behind the legend. Bre researched dutifully and even visited the grave of Alice Penny Taylor in a historic Zachary cemetery — alone. Her findings are chronicled on page 24, along with insights from renowned forensic pathologist Mary Manhein.

On the less spooky side, we’re giving you an inside tour of the home Anthony & Phyllis Butler spent more than a year renovating. The couple turned an outdated ranch house into a contemporary stunner.

There’s a new voice in our expat column series! Guest columnist and Arkansas native, Jodi Sheilds, takes up the pen to poke a little fun at the differences between Louisiana and neighboring Arkansas in “What is Sweater Weather?” on page 11. 

We visited the Zachary Farmers Market to showcase some of our favorite fall finds, from jewelry to pickled veggies to signs for the man cave.

As the best season of all descends, we cannot mention fall 2022 without a nod to the upcoming Nov. 8 election. Porch & Parish The Podcast wrapped up the Meet the Candidates episodes. Try yelling, “Alexa, play Porch and Parish The Podcast on Amazon Music!”

Since starting the podcast in January, we’ve interviewed 40+ community leaders and influencers.

One guest has kept us thinking.  Kenny Nguyen, CEO of ThreeSixtyEight Media talked business, branding and marketing with us on episode 34. Kenny has been featured locally and nationally from Shark Tank to the Forbes list of top 5,000 growing companies. His advice to Baton Rouge: we can become the creative epicenter of the South.

Kenny gave three action steps each of us can take in Zachary to build the brand of our city:

1.) Share positive stories and avoid disparaging our city. Channel negativity felt about our city into positive action. If you have time to complain about it, you have time to make it better.

2.) Pick up litter. Litter can mean more crime, lower property values and fewer businesses interested in coming to our city. It could also mean a hefty fine (up to $1,000!). Avoid the temptation to toss your trash and make it everyone’s problem. Let’s Keep Zachary Beautiful.

3.) Get involved! Find a group of friends and neighbors who share one of your passions and get connected. Whether it’s pickleball, politics or picking up trash, get connected with your neighbors and do your thing. If you’re looking for somewhere to start, check out the Community Calendar at porchandparish.com.

As always, if you have questions, comments or story ideas, we want to hear from you! Email [email protected].