Parish President Rick Nowlin has announced his intention to make an appointment to fill two (2) vacancies on the Saline Lake Game And Fish Preserve Commission. Persons interested in serving on the Saline Lake Game And Fish Preserve Commission may submit their name and contact information by mailing it to the Office of the President, P. O. Box 799, 200 Church Street, Natchitoches 71458-0779; by calling Mrs. Lynda Vance, Executive Assistant to the President at (318) 352-2714; or by sending an email to admin@npgov.org. Mrs. Vance will provide all interested persons the application instructions.

Joe Cunningham, III

Education reform in the state currently underway again as the powers in Baton Rouge work on a new, Not Common Core set of standards for the state. The tremendous amount of political pressure to get rid of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) is due in large part to frustrated parents who have no idea how to help their children and teachers who were inadequately prepared for the CCSS and are largely resistant to changes in how they teach.

That’s not to say that CCSS doesn’t have its weaknesses. Essentially, there is a lot lost in translation from standards to curriculum, and it is increasing frustrations across the state and the U.S., particularly in math. The CCSS for English and Language Arts don’t usually result in the same issues that you see in the math standards-based books, but there are some things that crop up (readings and questions with particular a political bent, mostly).

Because of this and a frankly botched implementation of the standards in the state, there is a sense of chaos in education here in Louisiana.

The CCSS were an attempt to reform education and increase the educational output of American schools. While I don’t necessarily dislike the standards, and certainly agree that we need them, there is more to education than just the standards of teaching. Education reform in the United States has to be just as much about culture as it is about anything else.

This is why education reform policies that don’t include reforms of the systems as a whole are never truly successful. The major issues of the day – violent acts, abuse of power, erosion of traditional morals – can very well trace their roots to cultural change and a failure of education. If we have a system in place that promotes education through competition, offers parents choice, and focuses on identifying and combatting negative perceptions of education in poorer cultural groups (this is seen especially in inner city black communities and rural white communities).

When we can address the issues and bring about real reform in schools, not just reforms in what we teach, then we can get somewhere as a nation. Until that time, we’re just going through the motions.

Joe Cunningham is a conservative commentator, Front Page Editor at RedState.com, contributor to The Hayride, and a teacher in south Louisiana. You can find him on Twitter at @JoePCunningham and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/jcunninghamwrites.

Northwestern State University’s Gallaspy College of Education and Human Development will induct new members into its Hall of Distinguished Educators during Homecoming 2015 festivities on Saturday, Oct. 17.

Honorees are Anna Swafford Bernard of Baton Rouge, Stuart Bird of Bullard, Texas, Marvin Leahrohn Caldwell of Shreveport, Fred Fulton of Palestine, Texas, and Dr. Grady Harper and Douglas McLaren of Natchitoches.  Those inducted into the Hall of Distinguished Educators must have graduated from Northwestern State at least 30 years prior to nomination.

This year, the College created a new honor, the Outstanding Young Professionals in Education Award.  These honorees are Dr. Cade Brumley of Stonewall and April Giddens of Natchitoches.  This award recognizes outstanding young professionals who made contributions in Pre-K through higher education or to the profession of education through teaching, research or community service.  Nominees must be 40 years old or younger, have at least 10 years of meritorious service to education and gained prominence in some areas of teaching, administrative achievement, contributions to research, leadership in professional associations, contributions to professional literature or outstanding community service.

Induction ceremonies will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 17 in the auditorium of the Teacher Education Center on the NSU campus.  Prior to the ceremony, a reception will begin at 9:30 a.m., which will include a reunion for education graduates from 1995 and 2005.

Bernard graduated from Northwestern State with a degree in elementary education in 1963.  She earned a master of education/reading specialist at Louisiana State University in 1975, +30 at LSU in 1977 and an education specialist degree in administration and supervision at LSU in 1978.  She began her career as a classroom teacher in elementary and middle schools and later served as an assistant principal, principal and supervisor.  Since 2000, she has acted as an educational consultant, first for the Louisiana Department of Education and currently for the National Association of Charter School Authorizers.

During her career, Bernard has represented colleagues at national conventions, served as an officer on several professional associations, worked with Louisiana Department of Education leadership and evaluations teams and served as a trainer, mentor, principal and supervisor for East Baton Rouge Parish schools.

Bird graduated from Northwestern State with a bachelor’s in music education in 1974 and earned a master’s in music education at NSU in 1980. He earned superintendent certification at Stephen F. Austin University in 1999.  He began his career as a band director in Sabine and Natchitoches parishes before moving to the Carthage, Texas, ISD, where he became a high school principal, serving from 1990-2000 when he was named principal at Jacksonville, Texas, ISD.  He was named Jacksonville superintendent in 2002 and since 2012 has served as superintendent of Troup, Texas ISD, where he has overseen improvements in the district academically, in areas of technology and instruction and set in motion the process to replace three facilities.

Bird had much success during his years as a music educator where bands under his direction consistently earned first division ratings in marching and concert competitions.  He was named NSU’s Alumni Band Director of the Year in 1992 and has been active in numerous professional organizations that advance music education and he continues to mentor young administrators, teachers and band directors.

Caldwell earned a degree in health and physical education at NSU in 1970, a master’s in school administration and supervision at Louisiana State University in 1975 and +30 hours in school curriculum at Louisiana Tech in 1978.  He spent his career in Caddo Parish as a teacher and coach and later as supervisor of health and physical education.  He was also an adjunct professor at LSU-Shreveport.  Caldwell wrote and published over 30 physical education and motivational books and presented workshops and programs at the local, state and national levels for students, teachers and the public.

Caldwell served on Louisiana Department of Education committees developing curriculum guides in health and physical education, served as director to YMCA and Kiwanis camps and developed a recreational and fitness program for daycares.  He also created the “Every Child A Winner” program that ensured every child had opportunity for success through creative physical education activities. He earned many honors in Caddo Parish, including Coach of the Year, Educator of the Year, Outstanding Young Man of the Year, and NSU’s Distinguished Alumni Award, presented by the Department of Health and Physical Education.

Fulton earned a degree in health and physical education at NSU in 1965 and a master’s in health and physical education in 1972. He completed post M.Ed. hours in educational administration, supervision and reading.  Fulton began his career in Sabine and Beauregard parishes before joining the administration at Northwestern State as dean of students and director of student life and later as vice president for student affairs. His last service was as superintendent of schools for Slocum ISD in Elkhart, Texas.

Fulton worked in the public schools systems as a classroom teacher and coached track, cross country, football and basketball before moving into administration as assistant principal for instruction, principal at DeRidder High School and assistant superintendent for instruction and personnel/director of curriculum for the Beauregard Parish central office.  He noted that one of the most rewarding days of his career was his appointment to director of student life at Northwestern State.

Harper earned a bachelor’s degree in art from Louisiana College in 1955, a master’s in art education at NSU in 1957, a master’s of fine arts at Stephen F. Austin University in 1969 and a Ph.D. from Louisiana State University in 1969. He taught art at the junior high level beginning in 1955 and at the college level from 1959 until his retirement in 1990.  Harper was a professor of art at Northwestern State from 1969-1990 where he served as chairman of the art department for three years, before serving as director of Northwestern Abroad, the university’s student international travel program.

Harper enjoyed a long, successful and influential career as an educator and visual artist.  He took art to the community with adjunct workshops, exhibits, demonstrations and international art study abroad programs open to students and the community. During his career, Harper exhibited art in numerous galleries in the southern United States and in private collections nationwide and was recognized with many awards and accolades.  He was admitted to numerous juried exhibits and art shows, often receiving awards or acknowledgements for work submitted. He served on the editorial board for Louisiana Life magazine from 1981-85 and authored many published works on painting techniques and art education.

McLaren earned an undergraduate degree in 1967 and a master’s at Stephen F. Austin in 1961.  He began his career as a teacher and coach at Logansport High School before serving on the DeSoto Parish School Board as director of Special Services, director of Integration and Reapportionment and later Superintendent of Schools.  He retired in 1983 to go into private business.

During his tenure as an administrator, McLaren initiated and implemented the Four Phase program that garnered national recognition and oversaw the building of North DeSoto High School. Prior to that, during his years as a classroom teacher, he taught grammar at the junior high level and coached football and girls basketball, where he was able to impart life lessons among his students.

Brumley earned a bachelor’s degree in health and human performance with a minor in social studies at Northwestern State in 2002, a master’s in education administration from LSU-S in 2004 and a doctorate in education leadership at Stephen F. Austin in 2007.   He began his career as a teacher and coach in Caddo Parish before serving as a teacher, coach, assistant principal and later principal in Sabine Parish.  He has served as DeSoto Parish Superintendent of Schools since 2012.

Giddens earned a bachelors degree in elementary education in 1996, a master’s in 1998 and + 30 at NSU and is working towards completion of a doctorate in curriculum, instruction and assessment.  She has worked in the classroom as an elementary and middle school teacher in Sabine and Natchitoches Parish schools and served as a literacy integration specialist in Natchitoches.  She is currently a master teacher at Natchitoches Central High School and an adjunct instructor at Northwestern State.

Giddens has been engaged in leadership training for future teachers and regularly presents at local, state and national professional development seminars.  She has received several honors during her career and was named Louisiana’s 2012 Teacher of the Year.

Information on Northwestern State’s 2015 Homecoming celebration is available at nsula.edu and northwesternalumni.com/Homecoming2015.

Natchitoches Parish Veterans and Memorial Park Project Agenda

1)    Welcome to guest and new members

2)    Progress on State Grants –Park/Flag Lighting, Dedication Plaque,
Landscaping, Tree Removal

3)    Financial Report – Dee Fowler

4)    Paver Update – Donna Masson

5)    Vote on:

1. Options for broken concrete replacement and work at the base of the Fountain – Scott Waskom
2. Podium

6)    Park Informational Flyer –Ron McBride

7)    Future plans – George Minturn

8)    Park Facebook – Truman Manard

9)    Planning for  Veteran’s Day November 11,  2:30 – Program Theme is Honoring Our Living WWII Veterans. The names of all living Natchitoches Area Veterans will be included in the program with personal recognition for those able to attend the ceremony.

(Please help us collect the names for this important event !)

For more information please contact Grant Bowden at  357-3106 or Bob Gillan at 352-7746.

Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Deputies have arrested a Campti man in connection with a residential burglary in north Natchitoches Parish according to Natchitoches Parish Sheriff Victor Jones Jr.

On Sunday October 4th at approximately 3:57pm, Deputies assigned to the NPSO Patrol Division responded to a reported residence burglary in the 400 block of Stiles Road north of Campti, La.

Deputies learned while speaking with the complainant, forced entry into the residence was gained through a side door.

Items reported stolen were a Stoegar 12- gauge shotgun, Remington 870 12-gauge shotgun, a .22 caliber revolver, ammunition and a pair of Justin boots.

Deputies processed and photographed the crime scene for evidence.

As the investigation progressed, deputies received reliable information that led to a person of interest identified as Breenen L. Stiles.

Approximately 1-hour later, deputies located Stiles and while speaking with him learned of his involvement in the burglary.

Some of the stolen items were recovered from Stiles vehicle while the other items were recovered at an undisclosed location.

Deputies arrested:

Breenen L. Stiles, 20 of the 100 block of Stiles Road, Campti, La. was transported and booked into the Natchitoches Parish Detention Center charged with 1-count of Simple Burglary.

Stiles remains in the Natchitoches Detention Center.

The investigation is continuing.

Deputy Mike Wilson and Reserve Deputy K. Samuel made the arrest.

NATCHITOCHES –  Four-time major league baseball All-Star pitcher Ben Sheets, NBA standout P.J. Brown, University of Michigan and NFL star Anthony Thomas, and two longtime highly-successful coaches, Tulane baseball coach Rick Jones and prep football coach Jim Hightower, headline eight 2016 inductees chosen for the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.

Also in the class: Janice Joseph Richard, a two-time All-America basketball player and highly successful coach at her alma mater, Louisiana College, along with Xavier University; Arthur “Red” Swanson, Southeastern Louisiana’s most successful football coach who became an impactful figure in LSU sports history; and “Gentleman” Dave Malarcher, a great player and manager in Negro Leagues baseball. That trio will be inducted posthumously.

They will be enshrined Saturday, June 25, in Natchitoches to culminate the 2016Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration June 23-25.

The 2016Induction Class will be showcased in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Museum, operated by the Louisiana State Museum system in a partnership with the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. The striking two-story, 27,500-square foot structure faces Cane River Lake in the National Historic Landmark District of Natchitoches and has garnered worldwide architectural acclaim and rave reviews for its contents since its grand opening during the 2013 Hall of Fame induction weekend.

A 35-member Louisiana Sports Writers Association committee selected the 2016 inductees. The panel considered 113nominees from 28 different sport categories on a 24-page ballot, said Hall of Fame chairman Doug Ireland.

The eight new inductees will raise the total of Hall of Fame members to 326competitors honored since the first induction class —  baseball’s Mel Ott, world champion boxer Tony Canzoneri and LSU football great Gaynell Tinsley — were enshrined in 1959 after their election a year earlier.

Also to be enshrined next summer will be three other Hall of Fame inductees, the winner of the 2016 Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award and the recipients of the 2016 Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism presented by the LSWA. Those inductees will be announced later this year.

The complete 11-person Class of 2016 will bring the membership in the Hall of Fame to 400 men and women, including 16 Dixon Award winners and 58 sports journalists.

Brown and Thomas each starred at Winnfield High School in rural Winn Parish, and are the only the second unrelated pair of athletes from the same high school to be enshrined in the same induction class.In the Class of 1998, football star John Petitbon and golf champion Pat Browne were alumni of New Orleans’ Jesuit High School.

Sheets won an Olympic gold medal as part of Team USA’s 2000 championship team after a breakout college career at UL Monroe, then made four major league All-Star Game appearances (2001, 2004, 2007, 2008) in 10 big league seasons. The right hander starred at St. Amant High School, then overwhelmed hitters for ULM before being a first-round MLB draft pick, 10^th overall, by the Milwaukee Brewers in 1999. Two years later, he earned a spot in the Brewers’ rotation and was chosen for his first All-Star Game. A power pitcher with excellent control, he won 94 games with a 3.35 career earned run average, striking out 1,325 in 1,596 innings while issuing only 369 unintentional walks.

Brown shined collegiately at Louisiana Tech before a 15-year NBA career, three times making the NBA’s All-Defensive Team. He averaged 9.9 points and 7.7 rebounds in 1,089 games, starting 990 for five pro teams, including four years with New Orleans. The 6-11 forward/center capped his career in 2007-08 by helping the Boston Celtics win the NBA championship. In five seasons, he posted a double-figure scoring average, topped by an 11.4 figure in 1998-99 for Miami. He was consistently productive, averaging at least 8 points in 12 seasons and at least 7 rebounds in nine years. At Tech, he averaged 10.1 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.0 blocks despite playing a modest 26 minutes per game for the Bulldogs.

Thomas combined bruising power, speed and agility to set a state prep record with 106 career touchdowns and ran for 7,594 yards at Winnfield, earning high school All-America honors. He headed to Michigan and as a freshman in 2007, the “A-Train” helped the Wolverines win a national championship. The 6-2, 221-pound running back finished his college career with 15 school records, including rushing (4,472 yards) and rushing TDs (55). A second-round NFL Draft pick in 2001, he was the Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year after running for 1,183 yards and seven scores in 14 games for Chicago. He played four years in Chicago and also played for Dallas, New Orleans and Buffalo.

Jones was Tulane’s baseball coach for 21 years before his 2014 retirement, and guided the Green Wave to 12 NCAA Tournament appearances highlighted by College World Series berths in 2001 and 2005. The former Georgia Tech assistant posted an 814-439-2 record at Tulane, the most wins and best winning percentage (.649) in program history.  Jones won Baseball America’s 2005 national Coach of the Year award when the Wave spent most of the season ranked No. 1 in the country and made its second trip to Omaha for the CWS. While developing 24 All-America players, Jones became one of the college game’s most respected skippers and served as Team USA’s head coach in the summer of 2009.

Hightower is the second-winningest high school football coach in state history and ranks among the top 25active coaches in the country with 379 victories early in his 41^st season as a head coach. Entering the season at 376-116-1 with a .762 winning percentage, Hightower has been at Lafayette’s St. Thomas More for 30 years, entering 2015 with a 249-89 record while guiding his teams to 27 consecutive playoff appearances since 1988, winning 13 district championships. He has never had a losing season, beginning his head coaching career at Catholic-Pointe Coupee in 1975, where his 1978 football team won a state title and he captured another as baseball coach.  Hightower is believed to be the only football coach to win a district crown in all classes in Louisiana (1A and 2A at CHSPC, 3A, 4A and 5A at STM).

Richard’s combination of playing and coaching basketball credentials earned her selection. The Alexandria native was a hometown hero as a two-time first-team NAIA All-American at Louisiana College who in 1986 led the Lady Wildcats to a 31-3 record, a No. 1 national ranking and third place at the NAIA Tournament in Kansas City. A four-time All-Gulf Coast Athletic Conference selection, she scored over 2,300 points and issued more than 700 assists. In 16 seasons as a head coach, Richard was 307-163 at Xavier, San Jose State and LC. From 1992-98 at Xavier, she was an amazing 159-34 with a winning percentage of .824 that is tops in school history, guiding the Nuggets to five consecutive regular season and GCAC Tournament titles. Beginning in 2006, she battled breast cancer in the last four years of her life, and still was 55-23 in three seasons at her alma mater, including a 24-3 record and a conference title in her final season of 2009-10.

Malarcher, a New Orleans native, became one of the best third basemen and most versatile players in the Negro Leagues prior to serving in World War I, then emerged as a shrewd tactician as a highly successful manager. After earning his college degree from New Orleans University, which later became Dillard, he went into pro baseball and earned comparisons with Baseball Hall of Famer Judy Johnson among the Negro League’s third basemen. A lifetime .272 hitter, he became manager of the Chicago American Giants, the dominant team in the Negro American League in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Malarcher became player/manager in 1926 and guided the Giants to two pennants, plus World Series titles the only two seasons they were played during his managerial career, which featured a 379-230 (.622) record.

Swanson, born in Quitman in Jackson Parish, stood out as Southeastern Louisiana’s football coach, going 41-17-4 from 1931-37 with a .674 winning percentage that is the best in school history. Also head football coach for a season at UL Lafayette, and briefly during World War II head basketball and head baseball coach at LSU, Swanson’s greatest impact came as an assistant coach and ace recruiter for the football program at his alma mater, where he played in the first game in Tiger Stadium. He was the pivotal figure in bringing abundant talent to Baton Rouge, notably future pro stars and LSU legends Y.A. Tittle and Jerry Stovall, long after he was the high school football and track coach of LSU All-American and world-record shot putter “Baby Jack” Torrance. He also convinced future major league star Joe Adcock, then exclusively an LSU basketball player, to give college baseball a try.

The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame already includes 16 Pro Football Hall of Fame members, 18 Olympic medalists (Sheets will be the 11th gold medal winner), nine members of the Basketball Hall of Fame, seven of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players, six Baseball Hall of Fame inductees, 34 College Football Hall of Fame members,five National High School Hall of Fame enshrines, jockeys with a combined 12 Triple Crown victories, six world boxing champions, seven Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinees, seven College Baseball Hall of Fame inductees,  seven College Basketball Hall of Fame members, four NBA Finals MVPs and two Super Bowl MVPs. Biographical information on all current members is available at the LaSportsHall.com website, with a steady stream of info available at the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Facebook page and the @LaSportsHall twitter account.

The 2016 Induction Celebration will kick off Thursday, June 23 with a press conference and reception. It includes three receptions, a youth sports clinic, and a Friday, June 24golf scramble at Oak Wing Golf Course in Alexandria. Tickets for the Induction Dinner and Ceremony, and golf entries, along with congratulatory advertising and sponsorship opportunities, will be available through the LaSportsHall.com website.

Anyone can receive quarterly e-mails about the 2016 Induction Celebration and other Hall of Fame news by signing up on the LaSportsHall.com site.

Adding to the 318 sports competitors currently enshrined, 15 winners of the Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership award and 56 recipients of the Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism,  thereare 389current members of the Hall of Fame before next summer’s inductions.

The 2016 Induction Celebration weekend will be hosted by the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Foundation, the support organization for the Hall of Fame.  The LSHOF Foundation was established as a 501 c 3 non-profit entity in 1975 and is governed by a statewide board of directors.  For information on sponsorship opportunities, contact Foundation President/CEO Lisa Babin at 318-458-0166 or LisaBabin@LaSportsHall.com.  Standard and customized sponsorships are available.

For the first time this season, the Northwestern State football team had an opponent right where the Demons wanted them.

But a combination of NSU breakdowns and a strategic shift by Incarnate Word allowed the Cardinals to overcome a 14-point second-quarter deficit for a 45-31 Southland Conference triumph Saturday afternoon at Benson Stadium.

UIW (3-2 overall, 2-1 in the Southland) punted on three of its first five possessions but never again, scoring on the next six. NSU (0-5, 0-3) rang up efficient touchdown drives of 72, 40 and 75 yards on three of its first four opportunities, but didn’t get a first down on its next three as the Cardinals rallied into a 21-all tie early in the third period.

Quarterback Trent Brittain, who ran for three scores and threw for two more, put UIW on top for the first time with 23 seconds left in the third quarter with a 1-yard sneak capping a 13-play, 66-yard drive.

The Cardinals took command over the next six minutes. On the third play of the final quarter, a deep throw by

NSU starter J.D. Almond was intercepted by UIW safety Robert Johnson, who was falling backwards to the ground at his own 30. Two snaps later, Brittain ran the option left, cut upfield and breezed in untouched from 47 yards away for a 35-24 advantage.

Looking for a spark, NSU switched to another sophomore quarterback, Joel Blumenthal, but after an 11-yard throw to Cody Jones on his first play, the Demons couldn’t convert a fourth-and-inches at their 36. The Cardinals rolled downfield for a 7-yard Brittain TD toss to John Oglesby, opening a 42-24 margin.

The Demons bounced back when senior Daniel Taylor burst free over the right side and dashed 51 yards for a score with 8:26 left. Again, UIW methodically moved downfield, using 10 plays and 5:36 off the clock to produce a 37-yard Cody Seidel field goal with 2:54 remaining.

Third-team quarterback Stephen Rivers, who had a 12-yard pass preceding Taylor’s long TD, steered NSU 77 yards to the UIW 1 in the final minute, but the Demons were stuffed for a two-yard loss on first down and Rivers threw three incompletions to curtail their comeback bid.

“It’s like a laundry list of little things that added up into big things,” said Demons’ coach Jay Thomas. “Our inability to get short yardage offensively, second and third and short. Not stopping them on second and third down and long consistently, and then not stopping them at all in the second half. Sometimes their guy beats your guy up front, and there was some of that. We certainly made calls as coaches we’d like to have back that they were able to exploit.

“You have to give them credit. They adjusted to our pressures that were hurting them, went with two tight ends and went heavy, and there’s not many pressures you can bring against that personnel. Then, we’ve got to win more individual battles and tackle better than we did,” he said. “Hat’s off to them for taking control. They didn’t turn it over, they began to get good first down yardage, and we could not get a play made to stop them,” said Thomas.

UIW held possession for 19:33 of the final 30 minutes and posted 15 first downs after halftime.

Explosive plays of 20 yards or more, an Achilles’ heel for the NSU defense all season, were again damaging: the Cardinals had six, scoring on three, as they ran for 219 yards and threw for 259.

But NSU had its best start of 2015, pushing the offensive tempo successfully to go up 14-0 on a 10-yard Chris Jones run and a 1-yarder by Taylor on its first two series. When De’Mard Llorens, a 98-yard rusher on 20 carries, tallied on a 1-yarder 9:41 before halftime to make it 21-7, all systems were on go.

UIW cut the gap in half 26 seconds before halftime, with a 1-yard Brittain keeper capping an 11-play, 70-yard march. Unknowingly to Thomas and the Demons, that’s when the tide began to turn.

“We were feeling good at halftime, with a seven-point lead, getting the second-half kickoff, the way our offense was moving,” he said. “But we went three-and-out and it flipped field position. Then they got on top, we weren’t able to get a stop, so we went for fourth-and-inches trying to keep the drive alive, and didn’t get it done. All of a sudden the boot was on the other foot.”

NSU was discouraged but didn’t fade away, giving Thomas some solace for the seven-hour bus ride home.

“Our guys battled back, to where we had an opportunity if we had scored with a minute to go, to get an onside kick and we’d have a shot at the end of the game. We didn’t get it done. Now we have a long week off to try to figure out what we need to do to get this going like it was in the first half today,” he said, considering next weekend’s open date.

“It couldn’t come at a better time,” said Thomas. “We are going to hone in on what we can do and how to solve what’s ailing us. We saw two quarters of pretty good Demon football today. We’ve got to play four.”

Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain says the U.S. Department of Agriculture has declared nine parishes as disaster areas due to recent drought.

Strain said Thursday that Natchitoches Parish is the primary disaster area.  Bienville, DeSoto, Grant, Rapides, Red River, Sabine, Vernon and Winn were named because they’re adjacent to Natchitoches Parish.

Eligible farmers and ranchers in both primary and contiguous parishes can get low-interest emergency loans from the Farm Service Agency. They have eight months from the Sept. 30 declaration date to apply.

An endowed scholarship to benefit single mothers has been established at Northwestern State University by a Natchitoches couple who wish to help women reach their education goals.  Bill and Charlotte Cross initiated the Celebration of Life Scholarship with the aim of assisting young women who face the daunting challenge of completing their degree while caring for an infant.

The Celebration of Life Scholarship will be awarded to an expectant mother and/or mother of a child aged 12 months or younger.  Single mothers will be given first preference.  The recipient must be enrolled in a minimum of six hours per semester, maintain a grade point average of 2.5 or better and demonstrate financial need.  The scholarship will be awarded to the student through graduation as long as criteria are met. Mr. and Mrs. Cross said the scholarship fills a need and they encourage others to support the endowment.

“We are trying to cause a positive action,” Mr. Cross said. “We want to help someone faced with a difficult situation finish their degree and find a career to create a better environment for herself and her child.”

“We all have special things that we support,” Mrs. Cross added. “There is a need and we are trying to so something positive.”

“The Crosses took a positive step to support an issue they care deeply about,” said Drake Owens, executive director of the NSU Foundation. “This scholarship will be beneficial for someone in a difficult situation.  It will enable a young woman to complete her education when she may not have thought that possible.”

Applications are available at the Women’s Resource Center, NSU Counseling Services, NSU Health Services, Immaculate Conception Church, Holy Cross Catholic Church and other local participating churches and agencies.

The Northwestern State Volleyball team is hosting Houston Baptist on Thursday, October 8, at 7:00 PM, and they need your help to get 1,000 fans in the stands! We will be giving away up to $1,000 worth of prizes.  For every fan in attendance, we will give away one dollar’s worth of cash or prizes! Prizes range from gift cards to Cane’s, Dickey’s, Dominos, cash cards, Adidas apparel, and more!  All you have to do for a chance to win is show up! Admission is free, and we are ready for an awesome win Thursday night, so be sure and join us, and bring your friends to pack the stands. FORK ‘EM!

October 1, 2015. The Kiwanis Club of Natchitoches installed new officers for the 2015-2016 year during their annual awards banquet on September 24, 2015 at the Natchitoches Events Center.  New officer terms began on October 1, 2015.

Kiwanis District Governor Gary Graham installed the officers, and outgoing President Tony Hernandez presided over the ceremony. Hernandez handed the reins of leadership over to new Kiwanis President, Haley Blount.  Hernandez states, “What a humbling experience to be able to serve our community as President of Kiwanis club of Natchitoches!  Thank you to everyone that took the time to help with my year as President, especially my wife Rhonda.”

According to Blount, “I am honored to serve as this year’s President of the Kiwanis Club of Natchitoches.  I promise to stay true to our mission of changing the world, one child and one community at time, starting right here in Natchitoches.  I invite all members of the Natchitoches community to join me and the Kiwanis Club of Natchitoches as we work together to enhance the quality of life of those around us.”

Joining Blount as new Club Officers were President Elect LaCarsha Babers; First Vice President Dion Boyett (Memberships); Second Vice President Rodney W. Boswell (Programs); Immediate Past President Tony Hernandez; and Secretary Lt. Gov. Richard Rose (2014-2015). Club member Nettles Brown will continue his tenure as Treasurer.

Additionally, members Mike Fox and Laura Mayeaux were appointed as first-year Club Directors, alongside standing Director’s John Cunningham, Greg Dunn, Annette Sterling Roque, Lee Waskom, and Heather Martin.

The Kiwanis Club also awarded several community awards at the banquet.

Lawman of the Year – State Trooper was awarded to two individuals this year: Retired State Trooper Michael L. Burns and Senior Trooper Christopher Wright. Officers Burns and Wright were presented their awards by Commander Jay Oliphant.

Chief Brad Walker presented the Lawman of the Year – City Police Officer award to Officer Christopher Knight.

On Tuesday, September 29, 2015 and October 1, 2015 the Natchitoches Police Department hosted eight hour training sessions on the VALOR Initiative.  The VALOR Initiative is a national training program that was designed to help prevent violence against law enforcement officers and ensure officer resilience and survivability following violent encounters experienced during the course of the officer’s duties.  In addition, VALOR responds to the precipitous increase in ambush-style assaults that have taken the lives of many law enforcement officers.

Furthermore, VALOR provides instruction and material to various levels of law enforcement, to include line officers, trainers, and chief executives.  Throughout the training, officers are provided with tools to enhance their professionalism while utilizing techniques for preventing and de-escalating situations that may result in a violent encounter.

During VALOR Training officers learn the importance of:

Identifying concealed weapons and/or armed gunmen
Pre-incident indicators of potential assault
Recognizing and defusing dangerous situations
Implementing casualty care and rescue tactics training.

Both training sessions were offered free of charge to all surroundings agencies who wished to participate in the training. Deputies from the Natchitoches Parish Sheriffs Office along with the Provencal Police Department trained with all officers of the Natchitoches Police Department. At current the Natchitoches Police Department has three instructors who actively teach the VALOR Initiative; Detective-Lieutenant Stan Williams, Detective-Sergeant Jeff Townson, and Shift Supervisor-Sergeant Steve Rachal Jr.Chief of Police Micky Dove stated, “the VALOR Training was offered in an effort to increase the overall professionalism exhibited by all officers and the training shall directly assist officers in surviving violent encounters”.