Adversity doesn’t make you special. Everyone faces it at some point or another. What makes you special is how you respond to the hardship when it finds you.

For Northwestern State senior defensive lineman JeMarcus Marshall, his life could have been defined by adversity. Instead, Marshall is writing his own definition, and in the process, is helping others do the same.

The 6-4, 260-pound defensive end hails from Monroe, where he starred for Ouachita Parish High School before signing with NSU.

“Everything just felt right on my visit (to NSU),” Marshall said. “The coaches and players all treated me like family.”

After redshirting for the Demons, Marshall had a breakout year when he took the field in 2013, registering 8.5 sacks as a freshman. He was named to the College Sports Journal FCS All-Freshman All-America Team.

Then, three games into a promising sophomore year, adversity struck. After returning a fumble for a touchdown to start a rout of Southern, Marshall was diagnosed with a bulging disc in his back that would require surgery. His season, and perhaps his career, was over.

All of his emotion boiled over after the first game he missed, when the Demons played ancient rival Louisiana Tech for the first time in 20 years, and NSU pulled off the 30-27 comeback win in Ruston.

While down, Marshall refused to let the injury knock him out. Instead, he focused on the things he could control: schoolwork and recovery.

A psychology major, he delved into his studies and was named to the 2014 Southland Conference Commissioner’s Fall Honor Roll.

He attacked his physical therapy process, despite not knowing what the outcome would bring. If pain was the only thing standing in the way of joining his brothers again, then there was no stopping Marshall from a return to action.

Now a senior, Marshall is fourth on the team in tackles, tied for second in sacks, and tied for first in interceptions, all while playing with a litany of injuries throughout the year.

Already holding a degree in psychology, Marshall is currently enrolled in the counseling psychology graduate program at NSU. He aspires to one day open a family counseling clinic.

The Northwestern State University Jazz Orchestra will perform Monday, Nov. 7 at 7:30 p.m. in Magale Recital Hall. Admission is free and open to the public. Associate Professor of Trumpet Galindo Rodriguez conducts the Jazz Orchestra.

The concert will feature Northwestern State alumnus and faculty member David Steele on clarinet.

The Jazz Orchestra will perform “My Man Bill” by Rob McConnell featuring Ronald Rodriguez on piano, Jimmy Leach on vibraphone and Kenyon Johnson on tenor saxophone, “Concerto for Clarinet” by Artie Shaw and transcribed by Miles Collins featuring Steele, “Blue Cellophane” by Duke Ellington and transcribed by David Berger featuring John Floyd on trombone and “One Bass Hit” by Dizzy Gillespie, Walter Fuller and Ray Brown and arranged by Walter “Gil” Fuller and edited by Rob Duboff and Jeffrey Sultande and featuring Jose Colon on bass and Kazue Seo on trumpet.

Also on the program are “Samba Dees Gotta Do It” by Tom Kubis featuring Seo, Ian Cassidy on tenor saxophone, Wes Scholten on trombone and Jack Dyre on baritone saxophone, “Misty” by Erroll Garner and arranged by Dave Wolpe and featuring Scholten, “Snakes” by Bob Berg and arranged by Mike Crotty featuring Seo, Johnson, Leach, Dyre, Rodriguez and Jack Salyer on alto saxophone and “Nica’s Dream” by Horace Silver and arranged by Michael P. Mossman featuring Salyer and Nathan Roth on trumpet.

Go Demons!

Registration for the spring 2016 semester will begin Monday, Nov. 7 at Northwestern State University and students are encouraged to begin the process of signing up for classes as soon as possible.

Northwestern State students can begin the registration procedure by meeting with their advisor. They can begin signing up for spring classes through NSU Connect which is available at my.nsula.edu.

Graduate students, seniors, authorized ADA students with a permit, honor students with a cumulative 3.5 grade point average and 12 or more hours, active military veterans and ROTC cadets and student-athletes can begin registering on Nov. 7.

Juniors can start signing up on Nov. 8 and sophomores can begin registering on Nov. 9. On Nov. 10, freshmen and non-traditional students (adults 25 and over) with less than 30 hours can start registering.

Registration for the spring semester is available through Jan. 16, 2017. Spring classes start on Jan. 17. Late registration will be held Jan. 17-25.

For more information on spring registration at Northwestern State, go to nsula.edu/registrar.

A small town where everyone except the hero begins turning into Rhionoceroses. Will the hero succumb, as well? Will he find love in a world overtaken by horned pachyderms?
To find out the answers to these burning questions, and much more, attend the stage production of “Rhinoceros” by Eugene Ionesco as presented by the Department of Creative and Performing Arts at the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts.

Show dates are Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 10-13. Evening shows begin at 7 p.m. Nov. 10-12, with matinee performances at 2 p.m. Nov. 12-13. All performances will be held in the Black Box located in the Center for Performance and Technology located on the LSMSA campus.

This funny, disturbing and surreal play raises questions about conformity, morality, mob mentality and fascism.

“What I like most about ‘Rhinoceros’ is the message that it is trying to get across to the audience,” said Charlie Roppolo, a junior from Denham Springs, who performs in the play. “It has a beautiful mix between comedy and horror that the audience will absolutely love (hopefully).”

First-year junior Ashton Behrendsen, of Natchitoches, serves on the tech crew.
His favorite thing about “Rhinoceros” is the sudden changes in the atmosphere of the play.

“I think everyone should come and try to see ‘Rhinoceros’ because it is not just a play, it is an experience,” he said.

Other performers include Sidney Paulk, a senior from Deville; Hayden Fisher, a senior from Denham Springs; Sierra Bailey, a senior from Hammond; Milla Reddick, a junior from Grand Cane; Grace Dumdaw, a senior from Mandeville; Annie Noel, a senior from Mandeville; Shona McCullough, a senior from Baton Rouge; Kelsey Meshell, a senior from Bossier City; and Lucy Rhymes, a senior from Breaux Bridge.

The stage crew includes Parker Felterman, a senior from Patterson; Caroline Adkins, a sophomore from Shreveport; Caitlin Foster, a junior from LaPlace; Beth Fontenot, a senior from Ville Platte; Rory Marziale, a senior from Bush; Z Matt, a senior from Washington; Ben Bordelon, a senior from Mandeville; Chas Chapman, a senior from Haughton; Emily Ann Dart, a junior from Bossier City; Molly Gonsoulin, a junior from Franklin; Tom Matuschka, a senior from Baton Rouge; Allyssa Neubauer, a junior from Lake Charles; Samantha Neubauer, a senior from Lake Charles; KC Saxon, a junior from Livingston; and Caitlyn Morrison, a junior from Gloster.

For more information, contact Jeff Thomakos at jthomakos@lsmsa.edu.

A 2015 graduate of Northwestern State University created a scholarship to benefit young minority males seeking a degree, while honoring his mother, a single parent. Trevor McCray of Baton Rouge created the Davis-McCray Minority Male Scholarship with eligibility open to undergraduate students in any major for $500 for two semesters. Applicants must submit an essay, three letters of recommendation and maintain a grade point average of 2.5 or better for both semesters. The first scholarship will be awarded for the Fall 2017 semester.

“I’m hoping to give someone a better opportunity than I had going through my undergraduate journey with a financial struggle. I also hope to give someone the opportunity to excel at their studies without the burden of financial crisis bearing down on them,” McCray said. “My ultimate aspiration with this scholarship is to encourage minority males that regardless of their situation, there is nothing they cannot conquer.”

McCray earned a degree in criminal justice with a minor in pre-law and paralegal studies at NSU last December. He is pursuing a master’s degree in Student Affairs in Higher Education at Louisiana State University. He noticed that minority student resources at predominantly white institutions were underfunded and he wanted to create a gift to ease the financial burden for minority males.

“Trevor was a hardworking, involved student at NSU,” said Jamie Flanagan, director of Student Support Services. “He was active within several organizations on campus and participated in many service activities which included giving back to the community on and off Northwestern’s campus. He has always promoted academics and the need for more black males to educate themselves and become productive citizens.”

McCray included his mother’s maiden name, Davis, in the scholarship as a way to honor her. He described his mother, Casandra M. Davis, as “a powerful, intelligent and caring lady that never asked for much and has gone without to make sure everyone else had what they need.”

Five Northwestern State football players, including one starter, have been suspended for Saturday’s Southland Conference game at Abilene Christian due to violations of team rules, head coach Jay Thomas said Friday.

All of the suspensions are for the ACU game only, said Thomas, who said some of the violations are unrelated.

“We’ve had a few guys who made disappointing mistakes and there are consequences. We are all held to the same standards,” said Thomas. “These young men will be back playing next week, having paid a hard price considering all the work that goes into getting ready to perform in 11 games a season. I’m confident they are wiser for the experience.”

Starting senior receiver Tuff McClain and four freshmen are not on the trip to play ACU. The freshmen suspended include two who have started a combined nine games in the NSU secondary, safety Nick Forde (five games) and cornerback Ian Edwards (four games). Edwards was expected to start at ACU before the disciplinary measures were determined earlier this week.

Also suspended for the ACU game were two second-teamers, offensive tackle Jonathan Hubbard and tight end Luke Termin.

“These mistakes are not characteristic of the guys in our program and the young men who made them,” said Thomas. “This is just a set of poor decisions that brought us to a teachable moment not only for the five guys we have to leave home this weekend, but for everyone involved with Demon football.”

NSU kicks off at 6 p.m. Saturday against ACU, then is home to host No. 1-ranked, unbeaten Sam Houston State next Saturday night, and wraps up the season Nov. 19 at Stephen F. Austin.

The Natchitoches Parish School Board met Thursday, November 3rd, at the school district headquarters. Present at the meeting were members Garner, Harris, Wilson, Wilson, Melder, Daniels, Danzy, Hilton & Guidroz. School Board members Graham and Metoyer were absent.

The evening’s surprise happened at the beginning of the meeting at the Finance, Facilities, Services & Insurance Report. A motion to accept the bid of J&J Electric to build a canopy over the pickup and drop off areas at Marthaville as well as replace the lighting with LED lights and install new HVAC controls was rejected by a unanimous vote. The winning bid was $550,000.00 while the expected cost was $440,000.00. Of the three firms that expressed an interest, only one actually made a bid. The board will revisit the situation and look into splitting the project up and adding roof work at the next meeting.

The board unanimously accepted the other items with little discussion.

Earnestine Winslow, 6th grade teacher at Fairview Alpha and President of the Natchitoches Chapter of the Louisiana Educators Association, invited the board and general public to a presentation Thursday, November 10th from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the FRJ Junior High on the new Every Student Succeeds Act (ESA) which will replace the No Child Left Being Act this upcoming school year.

Danny Von Kanel updated the board on the L. P. Vaughn School of Fine Arts and invited them to its upcoming 5k run and fundraiser and Fine Arts Fair Luncheon.

Mrs. Bennette, acting Special Education Director, gave a presentation on progress in improving services to the children receiving services as well as reading programs such as “My Reading Coach” and the Sonday System. She and the board also discussed counseling and discipline.

Anita Dubois, Supervisor of Child Welfare and Attendance, and Vanessa Stanfield of the Natchitoches Sheriff’s Office gave an update on truancy in the parish schools. Ms. Stanfield detailed the process by which children and their parents come to her purview. For the period of August, 2016 to now, there have been 226 referrals leading to the arrest of 2 parents on 1 charge of Improper Supervision. This offense carries a penalty ranging from a $250.00 fine to 30 days in jail with community service.

Two of the items, grants from the Rapides Foundation for “Girls on the Run” and “ Math Assessment Strategic Solutions” were discussed previously at the Tuesday agenda meeting.

The young men of Boy Scout Troop 60, sponsored by FUMC Natchitoches, attended the meeting as part of earning the Communications Merit Badge.

Kirk Soileau, MHA, FACHE, CEO, Natchitoches Regional Medical Center, Natchitoches, LA

When Kirk Soileau joined Natchitoches Regional Medical Center (NRMC) back in 2013, employee engagement was in the 18th percentile and patients rated the emergency department in the 1st percentile. As a result, NRMC was losing market share with 59 percent migration of patients to other area hospitals.

So Soileau set some ambitious goals to energize the board, leaders, employees, and physicians. He wanted NRMC to aim high: to achieve the 95th percentile for patient satisfaction, be recognized as a top 100 hospital nationwide, and become a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award winner within five years.

Three years into this journey, employee engagement has jumped to the 87th percentile and the medical center was just named a top 100 hospital by the Safe Care Institute based on its quality and safety record. NRMC is just about to submit its first application to Baldrige, too.

“It’s a marathon; not a sprint,” Soileau explains. “We’re really building momentum now because everyone is very engaged in achieving these goals.” His secret? Communicate clear expectations, provide the right tools and support to meet them, and demand personal accountability for results. Here’s how he’s doing it:

Ironclad Standards of Behavior
Not only does every new employee sign NRMC’s standards of behavior at orientation, but every single employee is expected to re-sign them annually, just as employees at Studer Group do. The standards, which were developed by an employee committee, are non-negotiable. In fact, every associate knows that an excuse of “it’s not my job” will earn a termination.

Employee Forums for Engagement
At these quarterly roundtables for all employees, Soileau focuses on goals over the next six months, shares performance on financial metrics and quality, highlights a standard of behavior; and introduces new trainings.

Attendance is mandatory. If you don’t attend, you’re not eligible to participate in success share. It’s one reason why NRMC enjoys a 99 percent employee participation rate from its 730 associates on its annual engagement survey. (Only those who work 15 hours or more per week and have been with the organization 90 days are invited to take the survey.)

Stand-Up Meetings for Patient Concerns
“We have a relentless focus on zero patient harm,” notes Soileau. “So if we fail a patient, we call a 5- or 10-minute stand-up meeting to resolve it within one business day. If we can’t fix it that quickly, we pull the group back together.” (It’s perhaps no surprise then that the AHA Research & Educational Trust just featured NRMC in two national case studies for best practices on early elective deliveries and falls reduction.)

But stand-up meetings aren’t just for clinical errors. Any behavior that fails a patient counts. When one very ill patient was treated without compassion or timely registration in the ED recently, she was asked to come back and share her experience with the ED admissions team, nurses, triage RNs, and members of the quality team.

Reseating Managers on the Bus
When Soileau first joined the organization, leaders and employees were disengaged. People waited to be told what to do instead of bringing solutions.

So after performing 360-degree assessments on all managers and conducting highmiddlelow® performer conversations to assess strengths and weaknesses, leaders “re-seated” fully one-third of managers in new jobs.

Today, everyone at NRMC is positive, proactive, and committed. “You have to have a learning organization to have a safe organization,” Soileau adds. “It’s no different than time-outs in the OR. If a leader or associate is fearful for their job for acknowledging or addressing a safety or quality concern, then that’s a recipe for disaster. Today, we have hardwired a culture of honesty and proactive behavior.” Can a Baldrige Award be far behind?

By Laura Prissy Scott

With less than 5 days remaining in the race for 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal Judge, it appears that NP District Attorney, Van Kyzar, is favored to carry the race against his opponent, LaSalle Parish District Judge, Chris Peters.

Peters’ father, Judge Jimmie Peters, currently holds the title of Appellant Judge for 3rd Circuit, however, a vacancy was created when he chose not to file for re-election. The open seat will be filled from sub-districts of Avoyelles, Catahoula, Concordia, Grant, LaSalle, Natchitoches, Rapides and Sabine Parishes.

The 3rd Circuit Appeal Judge hears all civil and criminal court case appeals for 21 central and southwestern parishes of Louisiana.

As a state judge, Peters believes he has been through the “trenches” and has the necessary experience.

Kyzar says he can serve the people best because of his experience as an “active DA, not just a supervising DA.” The former Northwestern State Footballer has decades of experience in the legal profession and knows the court system. He’s eager to apply that experience as an Appellant Court Judge.

It appears that Kyzar is favored to win especially when one considers the glowing endorsements from a number of Louisiana State district attorneys, Senators Jay Luneau and Gerald Long, and Sheriffs Victor Jones (Natchitoches) and Ronnie Richardson (Sabine).

However, there is one key lapse that can derail a successful electoral bid – low voter turnout. Voter turnout is crucial for all candidates including the favored ones like Kyzar.

Kyzar asks “everyone to get out and vote—not just for me to represent you on the Court of Appeal, but also to express your voice for the future of our State and Nation.”

Tom Schedler, Secretary of State, hosts a clearinghouse called GeauxVote for all election-related information to increase voter participation throughout Louisiana.
For more information on the candidates and issues access:
http://www.sos.la.gov/electionsandvoting/Pages/default.aspx

GEAUX Vote!

By Kevin Shannahan/Opinion

I am not a sports fan. I have never watched a NFL or NBA game for more than a few passing seconds. I am utterly indifferent to LSU’s fortunes, or lack of them, in this, or any other season. That gives me a different perspective on the split between select and non-select schools in the Louisiana High School Athletic Association playoffs. This isn’t high statecraft, it is high school sports. Could we please take a deep breath and calm down?

An official with the LHSAA, an organization that exemplifies the expression “tempest in a teapot,” and an amusing pomposity, recently referred to the association as “the proverbial dumpster fire.” In case his subtle point was lost on his audience, a helpful photograph of a flaming dumpster was included. It wasn’t the most politic statement, but it is not entirely inaccurate.

I may not care about sports, but I do care about the young people playing them in our state’s high schools. I have photographed our local high school teams for the past seven years. The finer points of what is going on may escape me, but I have aquired a good deal of respect for many of the coaches and players. They, and their fellow athletes, are ill served by both the status quo and the new select/non-select split. One can debate the merits of the split, and the myriad of dysfunctional rules, but that is missing the point. Somewhere along the line, we have lost sight of the whole point of why we have athletics in the schools in the first place. Why are shady transfers, grade manipulation, illegal recruiting, and any number of abuses so routine, rather than shameful exceptions, that there is a need felt for more regulation? Nonsense! What is needed is for someone to be the adult in the room and say that sports are an adjunct to a high school’s mission of educating their students and preparing them for adult life. They are not an end in themselves. We all need to take a step back and take a long hard look in the mirror. What is wrong cannot be fixed by piling on more layers of regulation. The fault lies within us.

I would like to return to first principles here. What is the purpose of high school sports? What benefits do we wish our sons and daughters to earn from their time as athletes? What lessons do we wish them to learn? Conversely, to what bad examples and wrong lessons are the athletes being exposed? What can we, the taxpayers, citizens, parents and families of Louisiana, do to address these problems?

The students are not the problem, the adults are. Purposely failing your child in 6th grade so he will be bigger in high school is incomprehensible to me, yet it is distressingly common. How many private “academies” do we have in the state who have no African American students who are not on a sports team? How many athletes age out or are forced out by injury, thus left ill equipped for the real world off the court or field; a real world that is quite uninterested in their fast fading athletic glory? How often do we witness parental behavior at a game that is boorish at best and occasionally criminal? All too many coaches lose control of themselves and reguarly launch into obscenity laced tantrums. They demean the positions of trust they hold and warp the development of the young men in their charge.

What is to become of a young man who never learned that the rules apply to him, whose athletic prowess allowed him to slide by with his behavior and his studies? The rules really do apply to everyone. That is a hard lesson to learn at 19 after you’ve been arrested. I can think of several young men from my teaching days that suffered from stunted lives, star athletes who were coddled rather than taught. It would have been better for them to have never played.

These things have consequences. Unfortunately, the price is paid by the young men who are suffering from bad examples and misplaced priorities. What lessons does a coach’s obscenity laden tantrum teach the young men on the team and the school community? This is how a man deals with adversity? This is how a man conducts himself? Those young men will be out in the world soon enough. They deserve good examples. We don’t need more rules. We need adults.

The Natchitoches SWCD is accepting applications for its Feral Hog Damage Control Program thru Dec. 16. The Feral Hog program assists landowners with the control of feral hog populations and the associated diseases and damages within the Red River Valley area of Natchitoches Parish. The Natchitoches SWCD encourages landowners to enroll and recommends that they contact adjoining landowners to get them enrolled in the Feral Hog Program because this facilitates the control of the hogs in the area.

The Districts Feral Hog Control Program cost to landowners this year is $.60 per acre for enrolled acres with a minimum of $100 for tracts smaller than 167 acres in size. This will include helicopter aerial gunning by USDA APHIS Wildlife Service in February or March 2017 and the use of Natchitoches SWCD state of the art remote operated cellular trapping systems throughout the year (based on availability). This will also include assistance from the APHIS Wildlife trapper to further reduce hog damage.

Landowners will need to call the Natchitoches SWCD Office to schedule an appointment with Benny Dobson or J.D. Cox to sign up for the program at 318-352-7100 ext. 3.

The Natchitoches SWCD removed 381 feral hogs through the February 2016 aerial gunning program and 196 by trapping from Jan. 1 – Oct. 24 in the cooperative program area for a total of 577 hogs removed. The Natchitoches SWCD has removed a TOTAL 2,176 feral hogs over the past 3 years of the program.

Natchitoches Pecans. Inc., is a family owned and operated pecan orchard where duties are shared in bringing the crop to market, from scouting insects, fertilizing, pruning, and minding the store each Fall. Mark Swanson sees to the everyday operations while his wife Julie takes care of Little Eva’s Pecan Store and the mail order business. Mothers, brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews all help wherever needed.

Our story began in in 1986 when a portion of Little Eva Plantation was put up for sale. Our family had been in agriculture all of their lives – cotton and cattle farming. A pecan orchard was a type of farming so yea it should not be any big deal to just add pecan farming to our menu. So we purchased 465 acres of Little Eva and incorporated on October 12, 1987. What an adventure we have been on!! As they say the best lessons are the ones that you pay for yourself!!!

The orchard was in need of thinning so the first year we took out around 1500 trees. We called in scientists from the LSU Pecan Station for recommendations as to disease and pest management and what pieces of equipment were required for a successful pecan operation. So off we went with quite a few hundred thousand dollars invested. The second and third year we sold only “In-Shell”” and “Cracked Pecans” from the existing warehouse that was located right off LA Highway 1 during peak pecan harvest months of October through December. Highway 1 was very busy and we had many customers that signed our guest book. When Interstate 49 opened the traffic on Highway 1 was no more. So we started our mail order by mailing out brochures to our previous customers. Our client base grew each year and by 2000 we had our first website along with an 800 number. We expanded our offering with shelled pecans, pecan candies, pralines, coffee, pecan gift tins, gift baskets etc. along with Louisiana themed items that are unique and cannot be found just anywhere.

Our original retail location was located in the front portion of the warehouse. It was freezing when the temperature was cold and quite toasty on the days when our good old Louisiana weather dealt us that humid sweltering heat.

The first week of December 2005 an electrical fire completely destroyed the warehouse – retail area included! We were absolutely devastated. The following weeks left us in the dilema as to whether or not we should rebuild or just throw in the towel and cut our losses. So we prayed for direction… and on April 14, 2006 which was also Good Friday of that year, we got our sign. Our cow herd calves in the spring and while checking the pastures for new calves we discovered triplet heifers!!! All three were bucking and bouncing all over the pasture. Our son, Justin came up with the names Snap, Crackle, and Pop. Having twin calves is fairly common, but triplet calves are quite rare and even more rare to have all three the same sex! So with that we rebuilt – the retail store would be apart from the warehouse. The warehouse was rebuilt on the original site but expanded a bit to provide more room for storage, shelling , and custom pecan cleaning. Our retail store was named “Little Eva’s” Pecan House. The little girl sillouette that is seen throughout our website and on our packaging corresponds to Evangeline or as we call her “Little Eva”. Eva was the young girl in the book Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

In the United Methodist church, communion is opened to everyone who wishes to receive the sacrament. We believe it is one of the means of grace through which Jesus communicates His love for us and His love for the world. Thus ends the brief theological lesson.

On Tuesday evening, November 8th at 8:00 p.m., I am inviting you to receive communion at First United Methodist Church in Natchitoches. As we used to say in my home state, “Y’all come!”

You will notice that I have scheduled the service at the same time the polls close in Louisiana. You might have noticed that this particular election cycle has been a bit acrimonious. We seem divided on many things. I know that you are on the right side of the issue and that if everyone would agree with you and vote like you do, justice, peace and righteousness would prevail. I know that because I secretly believe that too.

I need a communion service with all God’s people to be reminded that we Jesus followers answer to a higher calling. We participate in a kingdom that is not of this world. That regardless of the election results, God is still on the throne, Jesus is still Lord and the Holy Spirit is still the giver of life. You and I as Jesus followers are called to love God’s creation and God’s creatures. We are called to love.

We are not called to fix them. I have been working my relationship with Christ. I think the truth is He’s working on me. I have become convinced that one of our failings as the church is we are always trying to fix something. I can find no passage of scripture where Jesus told us to “go and fix the world.” I read many passages where we are commanded to love the world and love one another. Love is a higher calling than fixing.

So, on November 8th, I invite you to the table to the Lord to be with people who agree that Jesus is Lord. We can agree on our calling as Jesus followers to serve each other and serve our world. We can agree that God is in control. We can agree that, with Paul:

“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

That is the hope I’m inviting you to celebrate with other members of the community on Tuesday, November 8th and 8:00 p.m. in the sanctuary of First United Methodist Church in Natchitoches.

City Marshal Randy Williams wanted to inform the following people that they have outstanding bench warrants through the Natchitoches City Marshal’s Office. The names on this list did not pay their fines in full nor did they return to court on the court date they were sentenced to by City Court Judge Gahagan. These individuals will need to clear up their fines and bench warrant fees at the City Marshal’s Office located at 373 Second St. to stop any further actions:

FINE PAYMENT (F):
Thomas Henry, 944 4th St Apt A, Natch, La- Exp MVI
Arecia Carhee, 583 Meddlecreek Rd, Many, La- TBS
Donald Knox, 112 South bend Dr, Natch, La- DP
Shameal Parker, 209 Henry Ave, Natch, La- DP
Sharnedra Robinson, 500 North St Apt N-7, Natch, La- DP
Ashley White, 1101 Grace, Natch, La- DP
Kenyatta Barfield, 1108 Berry Ave, Natch, La- Simple Battery
Alvin Metoyer, 4908 Lakeview, Natch, La- License Plate Lights Required
Shafonda Murphy, 1507 Gold St, Natch, La- DP, Simple Battery
Shola Obialo, 1115 Breda, Natch, La- Exp MVI
Charolette Philyaw , 194 Yvonne St, Natch, La- TBS
Billina Sanders, 1118 Old Robeline Rd, Natch, La- DP
Jacqueline Moody, 127 Gabrielle Loop, Natch, La- NSB, No DL
Michael Nash, 211 Piermont Place, Natch, La- Exp MVI
Michael Nash, 842 Dixie St, Natch, La- Ran Red Light
Johnny Peters, 204 University Dr, Natch, La- SPOM
Niki Booth, P.O Box 1201, Many, La- TBS
Sheree Brown, 200 Lakeview Dr Apt 3007, Natch, La- DP
James Dilworth, 127 Gabriel Loop, Natch, La- Exp MVI
Rebecca Ellison, 140 Wilkerson Rd, Natch, La- TBS
Joshua Evans, 1410 Bivens, Natch, La- TBS

Trial (T):
Bryan Hardy, 1616 Northern St, Natch, La- Simple Assault
Jami Johnson, 416 A McDobson Way, Natch, La- SCDP, Criminal Abandonment
Calvin Calhoun, 1501 Jones St, Coushatta, La- TBS
Shernise Pye, 106 Chinquapin Dr, Natch, La- SPOM, Remaining on Premises
Elizabeth Sykes, 324 E Third St, Natch, La- LM
Cassandra Arthur, 262 Hwy 119, Natchez, La- LM
Chrishan Carter, 1012 Lake St, Natch, La- Letting a Disorderly Place
Christopher Carter, 310 Sanford St, Natch, La- Letting a Disorderly Place

By Wyatt Rasmussen

The Christian Scholars at Home 4-H members took the opportunity to help the less fortunate prepare for winter by collecting and donating 31 coats to the 4-H office for coordination with the Coats for Kids Drive. Members on front row from left are Ramona Rasmussen, Emily Goings, Ethan Going, Brianna Clary, Sophie Rasmussen and William Harris. On middle row are Aeyrn Fitts, Allison Goings, Zoey Fitts, Melana Hardy, Grace Hardy, John Merten, Gidget Rasmussen and Audrey Rasmussen. On back row are Rachael Gregory, Brittany Gregory, Lindsay Gregory, Claire Coffey, Coleton Anderson, Stephanie Clary, Bradford Morrison, Tayler Anderson, William Morrison and Wyatt Rasmussen.

Northwestern State University has been ranked as most affordable online college in the United States by College Choice, a leading authority in college and university rankings and resources.

College Choice researchers examined accredited colleges and universities on factors including academic quality, degree options, teaching and technical support, flexibility and total cost. Online undergraduate students pay a flat rate of $375 per credit hour up to 12 hours and $100 per credit hour after that. Online graduate students pay a flat rate of $475 per credit hour up to nine hours and $100 per credit hour after that.

“Affordability is so important when it comes to college. As a student you want to go to a good school, but don’t want to burden yourself with a high debt at such a young age,” said Haley Jones, a freshman biology/pre-vet major from Dodson. “To be able to find a school that meets your academic needs and not breaking your bank is a top priority.”

Jones works full-time at Family Dollar as an assistant manager and online classes fit into her schedule.

“I chose to start college online because it’s the most cost efficient way for me to be in college and still be able to work full time,” she said. “Being able to earn my own money and pay for college without burdening my family is very important to me, and was the deciding factor in attending on campus versus online. I think I’m getting an amazing education through NSU online.”

Northwestern State has Louisiana’s first and largest electronic campus at nsula.edu/ensu. The university offers 39 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, all 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.
NSU has been designated a 2016 Military Friendly School, a designation is awarded to colleges, universities, community colleges and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace military students and dedicate resources to ensure their success both in the classroom and after graduation.

The university recently began a competency-based program that will allow students seeking a computer information systems degree or certification to complete the program at a fraction of the time and cost. The competency-based program is a flexible education model that allows students to learn and advance at their own pace. Students advance as they demonstrate mastery of specific skills or knowledge called competencies. The structure builds upon prior knowledge and experience. A student that may already know the material can pass a pre-assessment and move to the next unit. Should a student need more time to master an area, they can slow down and focus on what they need to learn.
For more information on online degree programs, visit nsula.edu/ensu.

Some of the fourth grade students in Mrs. Jones’ Reading class at Natchitoches Magnet School made posters to commemorate October as National Bullying Prevention Month and end their studies of Unit 1.

Three instructors from the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts presented at the Louisiana Association of Teachers of Mathematics and Louisiana Science Teachers Association joint conference held Oct. 24-26 in Baton Rouge.
Dr. Allison Landry presented “Teaching with Water Models.” Her program showed participants how to use water model kits to teach about properties of water such as polarity, hydrogen bonding, cohesion, adhesion and solvency.

Landry has taught biology and related elective classes at LSMSA since 2005.
Brad Burkman led “Constructing Centers.” He used a compass and straightedge to construct the midpoints, altitudes, perpendicular bisectors and more of a triangle. Participants received a compass, ruler, colored pencils, eraser and packets of worksheets.
Burkman has taught math at LSMSA since 2003.

Dr. Chris Hynes presented “What’s in a Picture? Using ImageJ for Making Measurements.” ImageJ has been used in the classroom for making scientific measurements upon images taken by students, i.e. transform qualitative information into quantitative information. Projects can inspire pragmatic discussions of the scientific method, basic math, geometry, art, nature, science and statistics. Projects illustrated in this presentation included numerical definitions of color (what is yellow?), image subtraction (what in the image was photoshopped?), lengths, areas and angles (within microscope or geography images) and color intensity (Beer’s Law).

Hynes has taught chemistry at LSMSA since 1994.
The Louisiana Association of Teachers of Mathematics is an educational organization dedicated to the promotion of excellence in the teaching and learning of mathematics in Louisiana’s schools, to assist other organizations in promoting interest in mathematics in Louisiana and to collaborate with other organizations of teachers of mathematics.

The Louisiana Science Teachers Association is an organization of Louisiana science educators dedicated to the advancement of scientific literacy at all levels. It provides members with current information on science education, upcoming science education professional development workshops, science education grant and award opportunities, science teacher trainings as well as an annual professional development conference.

Gabrielle Edwards, a student at Natchitoches Central High School, was selected for the 2017 High School Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall. She will perform violin in February with the Honors Symphony Orchestra. Participation in one of the five Honors Ensembles is limited to the highest-rated high school performers from across the world.

Earlier this year, Gabrielle auditioned for the Honors Performance Series and was accepted after a review by the Honors Selection Board. Acceptance to the elite group is a direct result of the talent, dedication, and achievements demonstrated in her application and audition recording. Gabrielle will join other performers from 49 states, Guam, two Canadian provinces, and a number of foreign countries for a special performance at world-famous Carnegie Hall, a venue that marks the pinnacle of musical achievement.

Gabrielle has studied music for 4 years and is a member of Natchitoches Central High School orchestra under the direction of Syll Young-Olson. She attended NSU E-lab and Middle Lab where she studied under the direction of Katrice LaCour. In response to her selection as a finalist, Gabrielle threw her arms in the air and with a joyous shout said, “I made it!”

By Joe Darby

I think I may be the only American outside of northern Ohio who was not pulling for the Chicago Cubs to win the World Series.

I write this on a deadline, Wednesday afternoon, several hours before the final game of the series was set to start. So as you read this you will know whether the Cubs or the also long-suffering Cleveland Indians are World Series Champs.

I hope the Indians won, as they have gone 68 years without winning a series. Nothing to compare to the Cubs’ 108 years, I’ll grant you, but it’s still a long time.

The funny thing is, I used to be a Cubs fan. Like many people, I’d watch the Cubbies on TV, enjoying the broadcasting of the inimitable Harry Carey, as he called the game with his own special brand of enthusiasm and then, at the seventh inning stretch, lead the crowd in a great rendition of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”

Like my colleague Junior Johnson, who wrote in these spaces recently about a great trip he and some friends took on Amtrak to Chicago back in the 1980s, Mary and I took Amtrak’s City of New Orleans to Chicago in 2001.

I was a regular at the New Orleans Zephyrs games in those days and they had a baseball trivia contest in which the prize was an Amtrak coach ride to the Windy City from the Crescent City and back. The trivia question one night was: Who was the only major leaguer to hit 100 or more home runs with three different teams? I knew it was Reggie Jackson, with the Oakland A’s, New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels.

So, we won the trip and we upgraded to a small compartment rather than ride in a coach for the 19-hour trek.

We stayed in a neat little hotel just a few blocks from Wrigley Field and watched two games, one of which saw Sammy Sosa launch a home run ball right past us into the street. We also took a couple of days to rent a car and drive down to Springfield, Illinois’ capital, to visit the hometown sites related to Abraham Lincoln. Walking through the Lincoln home gave me a great feeling of connection to the man.

Anyway, as you can see, I used to like the Cubs. I particularly liked them when former LSU great Todd Walker played for them for a couple of years in the early 2000s. Then a few years later, former LSU stars, Ryan Theriot and Mike Fontenot, were half of the Cubs’ starting infield.

What happened to change my mind on pulling for the Cubs? I can’t really say. Maybe it’s just because their fans are so darned desperate, which I no doubt would be too if my team hadn’t won the big one in 108 years. But something about the Cubs began to put me off.
Everyone said they were lovable losers, so I began to think they should perhaps stay that way. Hate to see a great streak, even a losing streak, broken, I felt.

Mary has remained loyal to them. She’s not a great baseball fan but she does love the Cubs. When I was informing her about the Indians’ early victories in the Series, she told me, “I just don’t want to hear about it.”

She even said a little prayer during game three, which the Indians won anyway. I teased her and said I didn’t believe the Cubs were God’s favorites because they hadn’t won for more than a century.

By now, you will know whether what I said was true, or whether the Great Umpire in the Sky was finally awarded the Cubby fans with an early version of their own heaven.