Funeral services for Evelyn Cox Ebert will be held at 10:00 am on Thursday, May 7, 2015 at Blanchard – St. Denis Funeral Home in Natchitoches, LA with Dr. Mike Honzell officiating. Interment will follow at Memory Lawn Cemetery in Natchitoches, LA. The family will receive friends from 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm on May 6, 2015 at Blanchard – St. Denis Funeral Home in Natchitoches, LA.

Evelyn Ebert, 84 years of age, passed away May 4, 2015. Evelyn was born July 24, 1930 in Natchitoches, LA. She lived her life to serve her God and her family. She was a faithful Christian and charter member of Calvary Baptist Church in Natchitoches, LA. She spent most of her life in the Oak Grove Community near Natchitoches. Evelyn was very independent, which was evident by her strong will and tenacity to not let life’s circumstances get her down. She enjoyed many hobbies, including traveling, reading, playing bingo, and sewing, but she was most fond of quilting. She enjoyed the simple things in life, and will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

She is survived by her sons, Cecil Wade Ebert and his wife Rhonda of Campti, LA, Allen Lane Ebert and his wife Debbie of Campti, LA, Douglas Clay Ebert and his wife Kathy of Provencal, LA, and Lowell Ray Evert and his wife Janice of Natchitoches, LA; one sister, Yvinne Badiali of Mansfield, LA; seven grandchildren, Rhonette Mansell and her husband Rich, Casey Ebert, Brandy Kaiser and her husband Adam, Amanda Miller and her husband Jeremy, Jason Ebert, Justin Ebert, and Kayla Adkins and her husband Nathan; and nine great grandchildren, Kristen Sonnier, Emily Sonnier, Cody Wade Ebert, Max Kaiser, Brittany Miller, Logan Miller, Jacob Miller, Evelyn Miller, and Annah Adkins.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Ira Cecil Ebert; her parents, Arie Monroe Cox and Flora Belle Nix Cox; her brother, Clyde M. Cox; and her brother-in-law, Leslie Badiali.

Those honored to serve as pallbearers will be Casey Ebert, Jason Ebert, Justin Ebert, Adam Kaiser, Jeremy Miller, and Nathan Adkins.

 

PUBLIC HEARING

City of Natchitoches, Louisiana

The City of Natchitoches will hold a public hearing at 5:00 PM on May 11, 2015, at the Natchitoches Arts Center, 716 Second Street. The purpose of the meeting is to obtain views on the housing and community development needs of the City and to discuss the submission of an application for funding under the State of Louisiana FY 2016/2017 Louisiana Community Development Block Grant (LCDBG) Program. The following items will be discussed at the hearing:

The amount of funds available for proposed community development and housing activities;

1. The range of activities available that may be undertaken, including the estimated amount of funds proposed to be used for activities that will benefit persons of low and moderate incomes;
2. The plans of the City for minimizing displaced persons as a result of activities assisted with such funds and the benefits to be provided by the City to persons actually displaced as a result of such activities; and
3. The City’s past performance on LCDBG projects funded by the State of Louisiana.

All citizens, particularly low and moderate income persons and residents of slum and blighted areas of the City are encouraged to attend this meeting.

Accommodations will be made for persons with disabilities and non-English speaking individuals provided that a three day notice is received by the City.

Those citizens unable to attend this hearing may submit their views and proposals until May 26, 2015 in writing to:

City of Natchitoches
Post Office Box 37
Natchitoches, Louisiana 71457

Honorable Lee Posey, Mayor

Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Detectives have arrested a second man in connection with the April 17thdogfighting scheme investigation in the Oak Grove community near Natchitoches according to Natchitoches Parish Sheriff Victor Jones Jr.

On April 17th,  Deputies assigned to the NPSO Criminal Investigations Division,and Patrol Division assisted by the Natchitoches Police Animal Control and NPDC Animal Control Units executed a search warrant in the 1500 block of Eight Mile Loop near Natchitoches, La.

Other items seized included a dog treadmill and pulley system attached to a nearby building to build the animals strength, bite bags attached to metal coil springs used to increase bite strength and latching, whey protein, and creatine for muscle growth, whips, and several bottles of wound cleanser.

Detectives also seized a portable computer, ammunition, two police scanners, drug paraphernalia, and two all terrain vehicles, one of which has been found to be stolen in Sabine Parish, La.

Four dogs were euthanized.

Since that time April 17, NPSO detectives have continued the investigation looking for other suspects involved in the dogfighting.  Detectives also consulted with Natchitoches Parish District Attorney Van Kyzar.

On Friday May 1st, NPSO Detectives arrested Chase Alan Skinner, 27, of the 1500 block of Eight Mile Loop, Natchitoches, La. while in the Natchitoches Parish Detention Center on unrelated charges for 1-count of Possession of a Firearm by a Person convicted of a Felony, 1-count of Aggravated Cruelty to Animals,  Principle to Dogfighting, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

No bond has been set on Skinner.

On April 17th, Ivory Hicks, 43, of the 1500 block of Eight Mile Loop, Natchitoches, La. was booked into the Natchitoches Parish Detention Center charged with Aggravated Cruelty to Animals, Dogfighting, Possession of a Firearm by a Person convicted of a Felony.

Hicks was released on bond.

Detectives say the investigation is still ongoing.

Natchitoches Parish President Rick Nowlin announces that the railroad crossing on Brickyard Road will be closed to all traffic from 6:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. on Friday, May 8, for the replacement of rails by Union Pacific Railroad. In addition, the crossing on Industrial Avenue will be closed to all traffic from 6:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 9, for the replacement of rails at that location.

For more information, please contact Mr. Nick Verret, Director of Public Works for the Parish of Natchitoches, at (318) 357-2200.

LOUISIANA – The Office of the Louisiana Attorney General said the deadline for filing claims under a settlement with Sirius XM Radio is near. Attorney General Buddy Caldwell issued the reminder to consumers that the deadline is May 3. To be considered for restitution under the settlement, consumers must file a claim related to conduct from July 28, 2008 to Dec. 4, 2014, which involved “an identifiable loss that has not been previously resolved through other means.” Sirius XM Radio Inc. of New York agreed to pay $3.8 million and provide restitution to eligible consumers related to misleading advertising and billing practices. http://www.wafb.com/story/28942978/ag-issues-reminder-about-filing-claims-against-sirius-xm-as-deadline-nears

Press Release: Attorney General’s Office – Louisiana

The ad hoc Advisory Commission on Parish Roads will hold its first meeting on Thursday, May 7, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. The meeting will be held in Room 211 on the 2nd floor of the Parish Courthouse, located at 200 Church St, Natchitoches. Parish President Rick Nowlin will be on hand to discuss the purpose of the Commission. The meeting is open to the public.

PARISH OF NATCHITOCHES
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
200 CHURCH STREET
NATCHITOCHES, LOUISIANA 71457
Press Release: 05-01-15

If the Bible tells us that “God laughs” could it be that a sense of humor is divine?
The Library of Life, Love and Laughter has compiled some fascination statistics.
Did you know…

* Studies have pinpointed 18 different kinds of smiles? The most common and recognizable is the smile of enjoyment. (Who does the research for this sort of thing? Wouldn’t you love to have his job? I could see his college transcript. Freshman year he takes classes like Upturned Mouth 101. Later he studies the Abnormal Psychology of Smiles, like The Smirk: A Smile Gone Wrong. Finally, he’d graduate to courses such as Advanced Guffawing. Where do I sign up?)

* Thirteen muscles are used for our smiling mechanism, but 50 muscles are required for frowning? (Want to preserve your face value? Smile! You have to frown nearly a quarter of a million times to make one wrinkle. As someone has said, “Let all your lines be laugh-lines.”)

* Laughter lowers the levels of cortisol in the body? Cortisol suppresses the immune system. Lowering these levels enhances the work of the immune system and may help prevent disease.

* That you can stimulate your heart and lungs, elevate your blood pressure, and temporarily improve breathing capacity by laughing? In terms of exercise, you can get the same benefits from laughing 100 times a day as you can from 10 minutes worth of rowing? (Why sweat when you can laugh?)

* Charles Darwin believed that one’s facial expression can actually influence one’s moods? (Studies in bio-feedback confirm Darwin’s belief. We smile so that we may feel good, not just because we already feel good. Want to feel better? Even on your gloomiest day, walk around with a silly grin on your face. Of course, people will wonder what you’ve been up to.)

* Laughing for 15 seconds adds two days to the life span?
Very impressive statistics, eh? Laughter is helpful to your total well-being. It’s one of the most impressive gifts you can give to yourself. But Chicken Little League always has serious saints spying on smiling people who remind us that being silly is some form of sin.

Psychologist and educator Patricia Keith-Spiegel, in the first chapter of THE PSYCHOLOGY OF HUMOR, tells of one researcher’s cold analysis of the purely physical side of laughter. This researcher saw laughter not as an occasion for merriment but as an expression of the Heimlich maneuver. The description covers, among other details, spasms of the diaphragm, movements of the upper body, dilations of the nostrils, bulging of the eyes, and vibrations of the jaw. “Upon reading this objective description of laughter,” Keith-Spiegel observes, “one gets the feeling that a person engaging in this act must be critically ill rather than enjoying himself.” Maybe you have met this overly serious person.

The sinners, prostitutes, and children enjoyed hanging out with Jesus. Do you think it had anything to do with His smile and His laughter?