By Natalie Covher

Many trees have been damaged by recent weather events and this has a lot of people wondering about the trees on their property. BDC specializes in hazardous tree removal, tree trimming, preservation and deep root fertilization. If a storm has left a tree or debris on your roof or garage they can use their crane to remove it safely. Hurricane season is on its way; let BDC come out and do a free risk analysis of your trees. Most of the time people wait to call a tree service company until a tree is really bad. During a risk analysis, trained professionals can find things homeowners don’t see and come up with a plan to reduce the risk of damage.

“I treat my customers like I want my mother or grandmother treated,” said owner Cecil Zito. “A customer can call today and if I’m in town I can usually come by that day. If I’m in Alexandria, I can schedule to come see you in a week or two. You can trust us to not butcher your trees. Improper cuts can cause a limb to die. We’ll thin approximately 1/3 of the canopy out of the tree, reducing the risk of limbs breaking.”

BDC has a licensed arborist and is fully insured with more than just general liability, but also workers’ compensation. This means that not only will the property be insured, but there will be no liability for the homeowner if someone is hurt in their yard. Have a professional properly maintain your trees for adequate street-side clearance. Trimming isn’t just for looks. It can help prepare your trees for ice, snow and wind.

A recent customer mentioned that after BDC trimmed his tree it no longer danced in the wind during strong storms like it had in the past. Trimming trees allows air to go through them, helping them to weather storms better. See photo below for that customer’s recently trimmed tree.

For more customer reviews visit their website http://bdctreeservice.com/. For information or to schedule an analysis call (318) 419-3076.

We go out on a limb to remove hazardous trees so you don’t have to.

Get competitive tree removal prices without sacrificing quality.

 

 

 

Update:  On June 2, 2016 around 10:30 a.m. Natchitoches Police Department Detectives arrested Robert Deshawn Clark (B/M, d.o.b. 10/20/1995 of Natchitoches) for First Degree Murder in reference to the Thomas Street homicide.  Robert Deshawn Clark was arrested without incident outside of his residence.

Update:  On May 29, 2016 Justin Walker died as a result of his injuries.

The Natchitoches Police Department is investigating a shooting that took place Saturday night on Thomas Street.  On May 28, 2016 around 11:09 p.m., Officers with the Natchitoches Police Department responded to Thomas Street near the intersection of Howell Street in reference to someone shooting in the area. Upon Officers arrival they located Justin Walker (B/M, 18 y.o.a. of Natchitoches) suffering from several gunshot wounds.

Justin Walker was air lifted to University Health in Shreveport with life threatening injuries.

If you would like to report suspicious activity or an emergency please contact the Natchitoches Police Department at (318) 352-8101 or if you have additional information in regards to this investigation please contact Detective Jeff Townson at (318) 357-9852.  Remember all information given shall remain confidential.  

Detective John Greely
Natchitoches Police Department

Northwestern State University’s Women’s Varsity 4+ boat finished second in the nation at the American Collegiate Rowing Association National Championship Regatta on Lake Lanier in Gainesville, Georgia. This is the first time NSU has won a medal at the competition.

The boat with rowers Jami LeBlanc of Jennings, Melissa Pesacreta of Lafayette, Glory Deaton of Pineville, Holly Smith of Baton Rouge, and coxed by Nicole Plunkett of New Orleans finished with a time of 7:54.294 behind champion University of California – Irvine.

“We knew the girls had the potential, but to have our program do so well on a national level is unprecedented,” said NSU Crew Coach Jason Stelly. “The girls worked so hard and are very deserving of their achievements. There are no words that fully describe how proud I am. I feel very honored and lucky to coach them.”

Marquette was third in the grand finals followed by Chicago, Oregon, the University of California – Davis, Ohio State and Northwestern University

“The race itself was perfect,” said Stelly. “We knew they could be in contention for the medals as long as they stuck to what they worked on. We had a certain game plan going into the finals and the girls executed perfectly. When they are lined up next to the other boats, they really step up and perform their best. They really are a textbook definition of teamwork. I am very proud of them.”

The Women’s Varsity 4+ advanced to the national championships after getting their first conference title at the Southern Intercollegiate Rowing Association Conference Championships.

More than 160 colleges and universities compete in the ACRA.

Northwestern State University was named the fourth Most Affordable Online College for 2016 in the U.S., according to the website rankings.com.

The site’s research team applied a strict set of filters to narrow down a list of more than 3,000 schools currently offering distance programs to 20 institutions. Rather than simply rank each school by tuition cost, the team assembled five core metrics, containing 15 individual data points, to score each school against. In addition to price, those data points measured each institution’s commitment to online students, as well as the quality of their academics and admissions.

“Completing a degree is often a dream for many people because the cost may be preventing it from becoming a reality,” said Dr. Darlene Williams, vice president for technology, innovation and economic development. “Northwestern State University’s quality online programs provide flexibility and convenience but also maintain affordability to ensure that anyone with the desire can achieve their dream of completing a degree.”

Northwestern State has Louisiana’s first and largest electronic campus at nsula.edu/ensu. The university offers 38 online degree programs. Internet-only students do not pay out of state fees. Northwestern State is currently developing several competency-based programs specifically for online students, some of which can be applied to a full baccalaureate degree.

Several online degree programs at Northwestern State have been ranked among the best in the nation. Northwestern State’s online RN to BSN program, along with bachelor’s programs in computer information systems, criminal justice and psychology were ranked first in the country by Nonprofit Colleges Online. The bachelor’s in accounting was ranked second and the master’s in education was seventh. The bachelor’s in addiction studies was chosen as the fifth best in the country by bestcolleges.com.

Rankings.com works with industry experts to rank and award the top products and resources in every area, from the commercial marketplace to the communities in which we live. The site’s fully-transparent, objective testing process is guided by strictly data-driven methodologies, created in conjunction with experts and unique to each ranking.

Christopher Gistarb, a recent graduate of Natchitoches Central High School was awarded with a scholarship at a reception given by the Krewe of Excellence in his honor. He will enroll at NSU in the fall. Shown with him are his mother Valerie McCoy and Krewe of Excellence President LaMarr McGaskey.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Parish President Rick Nowlin has announced his intention to make an appointment to the Parish Tourist Commission. Any non-profit organization that has an interest in the tourism industry in Natchitoches Parish may nominate a person for appointment. Nominations and contact information may be mailed to the Office of the President, P. O. Box 799, 200 Church Street, Natchitoches 71458-0779, or by calling Mrs. Lynda Vance, Executive Assistant to the President at (318) 352-2714, or by sending an email to admin@npgov.org .

Rick Nowlin
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
200 CHURCH STREET
NATCHITOCHES, LOUISIANA 71457

In his nearly two decades as an assistant coach, Lane Burroughs learned how far the respect of a superior could travel. After completing his fourth season at the helm of the Northwestern State baseball program, it was Burroughs’ turn to offer those words to a pair of his aides. Burroughs announced Wednesday the promotion of Bobby Barbier to associate head coach and G.T. McCullough to the role of recruiting coordinator.

“This is something both of these guys deserve,” Burroughs said. “After being an assistant for 18 years, I know how important it is to hear from the people you work for that you’re doing a good job and they believe in you.”

Barbier recently completed his second season in his second stint as a Demons assistant.

“I am very honored coach Burroughs would think highly enough of me to promote me to associate head coach,” said Barbier, who spent two seasons alongside former coach Mitch Gaspard as a Demons assistant.

McCullough has been a part of Burroughs’ staff since the skipper arrived in Natchitoches in 2012.

He has served as the director of baseball operations and as a volunteer assistant coach before being elevated to assistant coach prior to the 2015 season. McCullough’s work with the Demons outfielders helped Nick Heath swipe a school-record 35 bases in 2016 while earning third-team All-Southland Conference honors.

“At the end of every year, you sit down and re-evaluate your program, things you can do better, things you can improve on,” Burroughs said. “I want to show there is consistency in our coaching staff, to let recruits and people know we have defined roles. As an assistant, you want your role to be defined. After talking with these guys, this is the right time to make these decisions.”

Due to the forecast of inclement weather this weekend, the Cookin’ on the Cane BBQ Competition will undergo some changes. Everything will still take place on the downtown riverbank, rain or shine.

Judging for the IBCA Competition will begin at noon Saturday, June 4. There are $5,500 in cash prizes and awards will be given to first, second and third place and grand champion.

Since this event is a State Championship, with points counting towards the Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbeque, the event cannot be postponed or cancelled.  The cookers traveling to Natchitoches are counting on the points for their season.  After consulting with the IBCA Head Judges, event organizers decided to cancel the People’s Choice portion of the competition and the live music.  Although the weather will change the event slightly from previous years, organizers still welcome the community to show some Natchitoches hospitality.

“They love coming to our great town and we feel it is important to give them the competition they were hoping for,” said Alan Pasch. “We thank you for your understanding.”

It’s amazing what can happen in 30 hours. Yesterday doctors found two tumors in my mom’s brain.  After a petscan today, we can confirm that there are no other tumors in her body and more than likely we are looking at a primary brain tumor.  We are discussing options for a brain biopsy to know what type of tumor this is and the course of treatment that needs to be taken.  We would appreciate your prayers for wisdom and healing in the next few weeks.  Mom is in good spirits. I am in Baton Rouge with her and will stay until….

Pam Long Jordan posted this message June 1 at 6:09 p.m. on Facebook to update friends and family members.

By Joe Darby

Some readers may recall that I wrote a couple of months back that I was thinking about trading in my 2005 PT Cruiser convertible.
Well, I’m still driving Petey, as we call him, and one of the reasons — although admittedly a small reason — is that the car has a cassette tape player. It’s probably impossible to find a new car with that accessory these days.

And that feature of Petey is important to me because I have a huge stash of cassette tapes, some going back to the 1970s, probably. They range from classical to old country and western to cool jazz and Civil War music. And I enjoy listening to them just as much today as I did when they were new.

I do have an aging radio and cassette player in my study, but it’s cool to be able to listen to my old music on the road, too.
Mary and I also have a portable record player from the 1950s or ’60s, which we purchased from an antique store on Front Street. At this point, I have only about a couple of dozen long-playing 33 1/3 albums from the old days, a small part of my original collection. (To learn what 33 1/3 means, keep reading.)

But my records are pretty cool too. They include a nice selection of classic Louisiana Cajun music, some recorded in the 1930s and I expect that those albums would be quite hard to find now. And who remembers Santo and Johnny? Or Mickey and Sylvia? Yep, those duos are in my rather varied collection also.

Mary has a really nice collection of 45 records — if only we could find them.

Here’s a quick tutorial for younger readers on old records. The numbers 33 1/3 and 45 refer to the revolutions per minute, or rpm, that the records would make on the turn table.

The “long-playing” 33 1/3 albums had five or six songs on each side and didn’t really play for that long. The 45 records, called singles, contained only one song per side, were cheap and so were popular with teenagers. There was an even older record version that did 77 rpm. They, too, only had one song per side and seemed to spin madly around the turn table. I remember dropping bits of wadded up paper on Mother’s 77 records as they played and watching the paper fly off into the room.

But Mary and I are part of the modern age, too. Well, the modern age as it was perhaps 15 or so years ago. We have CD players, both in the house and in the cars, and like to listen to them. Again, the range is wide — classical, jazz, Cajun. By now you no doubt know our musical tastes.

However, CDs are as modern as we get. We’ve never had an MP3 and I don’t know how to download music — or particularly want to know. I must admit that there’s very little music being produced today that I want to hear, unless it would be something along the lines of a great new rendition of Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto.

So, this old curmudgeon and my curmudgeonette are content to hear our old fashioned music the old fashioned way. As we like to say, if it ain’t Baroque, don’t fix it.

By Corey Poole

Darrell Johnston and Josiah Laubenstein drove into Natchitoches Tuesday afternoon, May 31. The two filmmakers are documenting their journey down the historic Jefferson Highway, which covers 1,500 miles from Winnipeg, Canada to New Orleans. On the road for 25 days, they have 5 days left until the end of their journey in New Orleans.

The best part of their trip is their ride, a 1954 Dodge Royal that belonged to Johnston’s great grandmother. She drove the car on part of the Jefferson Highway in the past as she took a trip from Johnston’s hometown of Leon, Iowa to Park Rapids, Minn.

Built in the 1910s as part of the National Auto Trail system and named after President Thomas Jefferson, the route was solidified in 1916.

Known as the “Pine to Palm” Highway, it was promoted as a vacation pipeline.It was replaced in the 1920s with a numbered U.S. Highway system.

Celebrating the highway’s centennial year in 2016, the documentary is funded through the Meredith Corporation in Des Moines, Iowa. Edwin “ET” Meredith first founded his company in 1902 and his original magazine publication was eventually retitled Better Homes and Gardens.

Meredith was also the driving force behind the formation of the Jefferson Highway Association, where he served as president.

The Jefferson Highway documentary is the third film for Johnston and Laubenstein.

The duo began in 2011 documenting a hitchhiking journey from Iowa to Portland, Ore. Their work is shown on ShortsTV and public television in Tennessee.

“We’re just two bumbling friends on adventures,” said Laubenstein.

Keeping to the rule of thirds, they tackle adventures in their films that incorporate history, humor and adventure. Their films also challenge viewers, implore them to take risks and empower them to do it.

Johnston and Laubenstein are also meeting with the mayors in each city they stop in to ask for a proclamation declaring the day of their arrival as Drive the Jefferson Highway Day.

Mayor Lee Posey presented them with a proclamation declaring June 1 as Drive the Jefferson Highway Day in the City of Natchitoches.

The proclamation states that there is a need for more awareness of the Jefferson Highway, a major early highway that ran through Natchitoches and reached from Winnipeg to New Orleans, making it the first international highway traversing the United States from north to south through the Mississippi Valley; and there is a campaign to secure marking by the Louisiana DOTD of the Jefferson Highway route in Louisiana as a heritage byway; and a special day recognizing the Jefferson Highway would bring a greater awareness of that historically important highway in Natchitoches, the state and the nation.

 

Natchitoches District Attorney Van Kyzar spoke to the Rotary Club of Natchitoches Tuesday, May 31. During the meeting, the club awarded four college scholarships to local high schoolers. From left are Rotary President Kendall Perkins, Kyzar and Brett Brunson, Rotarian.

The 50th anniversary of Northwestern State’s unbeaten, top-ranked 1966 football team has been set for Oct. 21-22, the university’s homecoming weekend, with all team members and family members invited to participate.

Major events during the weekend include a Friday evening banquet, the Saturday morning N-Club Hall of Fame ceremony and the 6 p.m. homecoming football game at Turpin Stadium against longtime rival McNeese. The 1966 Demons will be recognized on the field at the game, said the reunion organizer, NSU assistant athletic director Haley Blount.

Coached by Jack Clayton, the Demons finished 9-0, won the Gulf States Conference championship and were ranked No. 1 nationally in the NAIA poll. They capped their perfect season with a comeback win at home, 27-24, over Southeastern Louisiana.

Five players on the 1966 team — All-American defensive back Al Dodd, quarterback Don Guidry, offensive lineman Ross Gwinn, receiver Al Phillips and Dick Reding – are on the Top 100 Demon Players if All-Time roster selected during the 2007 centennial celebration of NSU football.

For additional information about the reunion, email Blount at blounth@nsula.edu or call her at 318-357-4278.

A tentative itinerary is posted online, with more details to follow at http://nsudemons.com/sports/2016/4/28/1966-football-team-reunion.aspx?path=football

The push toward a fourth NCAA Tournament appearance this decade for the Northwestern State Lady Demons tennis team is underway with head coach Olga Bazhanova announcing the signing of an outstanding junior player.

Judit Castillo Gargallo will join the NSU program this fall after winning several Spanish national junior tournaments and posting wins over world top 500 International Tennis Federation junior competitors.

She played soccer in a school team, and competed at a championship level in track and field and cross country, along with her tennis activities. Also an outstanding student, she is the youngest of three children, with her two older siblings each holding master’s degrees

“We are very excited to have Judit as a part of our program. She is an excellent student and will be a great fit for our team,” said Bazhanova. “Judit is very athletic with strong work ethic and very motivated to be a part of our successful program.”

Bazhanova has led the Lady Demons to two straight Southland Conference Tournament championship matches, with the 2015 team winning and reaching the third NCAA Tournament this decade. NSU has played in the last four Southland Tournament finals, the first two with Bazhanova as assistant coach.

The NSU program also has consistently received annual academic honors from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Natalya Krutova, a 2016 graduate, is on the Academic All-America ballot.

Rosene Walker, Natchitoches Parish Council on Aging; Wanda Holden, Natchitoches Parish Council on Aging; Patrice Parker, Natchitoches Parish Council on Aging; Tripp Dungan, Cleco’s principal governmental services representative; and Alice Barrios, Natchitoches Parish Council on Aging, organize 30 fans Cleco donated to the agency on Tuesday, May 31, 2016 as part of Cleco’s Annual Fan Drive. The fans will be given to seniors to help stay cool and help manage energy bills this summer.

The Natchitoches Parish Library’s newest item for checkout has hit the shelves: Playaway Launchpads. These pre-loaded tablets will be available at both the Main Library Branch and the Northeast Branch. Each tablet is geared towards a specific age group ranging from Pre-K to 8th grade.

The tablets have several apps and games that cover various subject matter such as math, reading, critical thinking, creativity, school review and school preparation. Each device comes in a hard plastic carrying case with a USB cord and charger included. Instructions are included onthe use of the tablet and Children’s Circulation Staff have familiarized themselves with the devices and are ready to demonstrate their ease of use.
Adult patrons may check out one Launchpad at a time for one week and may checkout another atthe time of return.

“The Launchpads would be an excellent addition to books on a road trip to keep a child’s interest and still maintain an educational aspect,” said Children’s Librarian Annabel Jones.

Melinda McMillan, EdwardLaCour and Bryce LaCour were the first patrons to check out the library’s new Launchpad tablets.  Photo: Middle

Playaway Launchpads include a protective rubber bumper case for the tablet, a USB cord and charging adapter, and a storage case.  Photo: Right

Two of a kind doubled Northwestern State’s list of qualifiers for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in two weeks May 27.

Demons’ freshman Micah Larkins and sophomore Amir James punched tickets for the national meet in Eugene, Ore., as NSU and LSU were the only two teams at the NCAA’s East Preliminary Round to qualify a pair of 100 meter runners for the national meet.

Larkins (10.32) and James (10.39) finished 3-4 in the first of three regional final heats. Larkins automatically qualified with his third place finish, and as it turned out, James won a head-to-head duel with Troy’s Hakim Montgomery, fifth in 10.41, for the final national qualifying spot.

The young Demons joined two NSU seniors, Ashley Aldredge in the javelin and Emmanuel Williams in the long jump, making travel plans to compete June 8-11 in “TrackTown USA.”

The top three finishers in each of the three eight-man regional final races, along with the next three fastest times, advanced Friday. Larkins knew as he crossed the finish line that he was heading west.

When the times in the next two heats were posted, and James’ journey to Eugene was assured, Larkins felt even happier.

“That’s a double thrill. One of my closest friends, my teammate, and it makes a great moment even more memorable,” he said.

James took pride in reaching his first national meet alongside Larkins.

“We’ve been running well all season, and against quality competition,” he said. “But to be able to send two to nationals in one event is real good for a smaller D1 program. Now our goal is to make the most of it in Oregon.”

The outpouring of community support after the loss of their family home has amazed and humbled the Axsoms. Twenty hours after the children started a GoFundMe account online to help with their parents’ loss, over $15,500 has been donated. NPSO Reserve Deputy and eldest of the nine Axsom children, Josh completed 100 pushups in 2 minutes to raise money for his parents Tuesday morning, May 31. Friends pulled together and pledged $1 for every pushup he completed.

To learn more go online to https://www.gofundme.com/27gydpt3.

Support Louisiana’s coastal resources by attending the Natchitoches Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) Banquet Wednesday, June 8 at the Natchitoches Events Center. The evening will begin with a cocktail hour at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m. and a live auction at 8 p.m.  Tickets are $65 a person or $500 for a table of 10.

Each person that walks through the door will be entered into a raffle for a Savage Axis Bolt Action Rifle. This year’s prizes are right in line with CCA’s objectives to conserve, promote and enhance the present and future availability of coastal resources for the benefit and enjoyment of the general public. Up for grabs will be two tables full of fishing equipment including tackle, rods, reels and ice chests. Don’t miss your chance to get your hands on a King Kooker complete with outdoor cooking gear and an assortment of hunting equipment. There will also be a 52 card raffle for individual items.

CCA Louisiana has been working since 1983 to advise and educate people about the conservation of Louisiana’s marine resources. CCA has been instrumental in banning gill nets in state waters and establishing redfish as a gamefish. Recently they have been working on artificial reefs to promote fish habitat and a few floating islands. With the help of school children, CCA members have used recycled water bottles and natural grasses to create mats. These mats are anchored in shallow water and over time, become part of the coastline, helping to slow erosion.

The CCA has a free statewide outreach program that runs year round to educate youth and adults about recreational fishing and the conservation of marine resources. Schools, groups and clubs can request an Outreach visit by contacting Ryan Guerin at (225) 952-9200. CCA will be at The Natchitoches Fish Hatchery Kids Fishing Derby June 4 from 8 a.m.-noon. Each child will receive a CCA membership and tackle bag.

For information or to get tickets for the banquet call Kate Laurent at (225) 952-9200.

Dr. Pete Gregory, professor of anthropology at Northwestern State University, was recognized as Archaeologist of the Year by Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser and the Louisiana Office of Culture, Recreation and Tourism on May 24. From left are Nungesser, Cheryl Smith, chief of the Jena Band of Choctaw; Gregory and Dr. Charles McGimsey, director of the Louisiana Division of Archaeology. Winners were selected from public nominations earlier this year in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council, Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation, Louisiana Archaeological Survey and Antiquities Commission, Louisiana Folklife Commission and Council for the Development of French in Louisiana. Gregory will begin his 56th year as a member of Northwestern State’s faculty this fall. He is believed to be the longest-serving employee in Northwestern’s 132-year history.

Retired Northwestern State University Professor Dr. Cathy Seymour and Dr. Eileen Kendrick, assistant professor in the Department of Teaching, Leadership and Counseling within the Gallaspy College of Education and Human Development, received the Louisiana Culture Award for Preservation Education from Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser May 24. This award was in recognition of the Natchitoches Historic Foundation’s Characters, Customs and Crypts Tour, mourning display and accompanying Natchitoches curriculum units for eighth grade students in Natchitoches Parish. The American Cemetery was established in 1714 and is one of the oldest cemeteries in Louisiana. The eighth grade tour provides enactors that portray various significant historical persons buried in the American Cemetery. The display of mourning artifacts connects the past and present traditions through the visual display. From left are Nungesser, Dr. Cathy Seymour, Dr. Dan Seymour, president of the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation; Kendrick and Nichole Hobson-Morris, executive director of the Louisiana Division of Historic Preservation.