NPSO Community Services Division deputies attended the Natchitoches Council on Aging Health Fair Nov. 6.
Deputies handed out pamphlets to the senior citizens in attendance and spoke to them concerning other issues that benefit them in Natchitoches Parish.
Natchitoches will hold a Dedication and Unveiling Ceremony for its Rue Beauport Riverfront project, funded by the Cane River Waterway Commission and the City of Natchitoches, on Thursday, Nov. 16 at 5:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend the ceremony followed by a stroll along the new promenade overlooking Cane River Lake.
The Riverfront project features an amphitheater with seating for 700+ people, a brand new stage and Santa Claus House. A plaza overlook leading to a new handicap accessible ramp also adds a much needed feature to the Riverfront.
By Leah Jackson, NSU News Bureau Director of Informational Services
Northwestern State President Dr. Chris Maggio has been invited to serve on the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Advance Mental Health Best Practices Strategies task force.
Maggio, who is a former NSU student-athlete and coach, will attend meetings in Indianapolis Thursday and Friday sponsored by the NCAA Sport Science Institute. The task force will identify strategies to support the implementation of the Mental Health Best Practices document released by the NCAA Sport Science Institute in January 2016.
“Objectives of the meeting are to identify strategies to operationalize existing best practices, identify existing education tools and models of care and identify emerging issues not already addressed with the inclusion of minority health interests and a broader range of campus stake holders,” Maggio said. “The opportunity to serve on this panel provides opportunities for positive, meaningful input on these important issues from Northwestern and the Southland Conference.”
Last year, the NCAA Sport Science Institute and leading mental health organizations across the country developed a seminal publication in support of college athlete mental health and wellness, “Inter-Association Consensus Document: Best Practices for Understanding and Supporting Student-Athlete Mental Wellness (Mental Health Best Practices).”
An outcome of the NCAA Mental Health Task Force and a practical extension of the NCAA publication “Mind, Body and Sport: Understanding and Supporting Student-Athlete Mental Wellness,” the Mental Health Best Practices was developed and endorsed by 25 of the most prominent medical, higher education and sports medicine organizations in the nation and designed to offer resource-independent recommendations for member schools to support and promote student-athlete mental health in partnership with campus stakeholders.
More information is available at ncaa.org/sport-science-institute.
KNWD – 91.7 FM the Demon, Northwestern State University’s student-run radio station, will present Neon Inferno, an EDM Hip-Hop concert, from 7-11 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17. Artists will include DJENKO, St. Branham, jnabsbeats, The Street Corner and Bexrdwn
The outdoor event will be at the NSU Columns on Normal Hill, the oldest part of the campus, between Russell Hall and Warren Easton, the NSU Elementary Lab School building. The first 100 students receive light refracting glasses.
For more information, contact Gabrielle Dantoni at gdantoni034344@nsula.edu.
Natchitoches Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force Agents arrested a Jefferson Davis Parish man on felony drug charges during a traffic stop on Interstate-49 near Cloutierville on Sunday according to Natchitoches Parish Sheriff Victor Jones Jr.
NMJDTF Criminal Patrol Unit deputies stopped a northbound 2017 Ford Expedition on Nov. 5 at 1:45 pm for Speeding 98 miles per hour in a posted 75 mph speed zone on I-49 near the Cloutierville exit.
Agents identified the operator of the vehicle as Mister Castille of the Jennings area.
During the traffic stop, agents learned Castille’s driver’s license was suspended and they smelled a strong marijuana odor.
Agents say while talking to one of the vehicle occupants (identified as Ernest C. Nathan II, 38 of Jennings) he reached into his pockets handing them two bags of suspected marijuana.
A search of the vehicle also led to the seizure of several pharmaceutical narcotic pills identified as alprazolam, tramadol and vyvanse.
Nathan confessed that all narcotics on his person and in the vehicle belonged to him.
As a result agents arrested:
Ernest Christopher Nathan II, 38, of the 1700 block of Wilbur Rochelle Street, Jennings, La. was transported and booked into the Natchitoches Parish Detention Center charged with Possession of CDS I Marijuana, Illegal Possession of CDS Schedule II Narcotics and 2-counts of Illegal Possession of CDS Schedule IV Alprazolam and Tramadol.
Nathan remains in the Natchitoches Detention Center awaiting bond.
Castille was cited for Speeding 98/75, Driving under Suspension and released along with the other passenger without criminal charges.
The seized narcotics will be submitted to the crime lab for narcotics analysis and identification for prosecution purposes.
Deputy B. Smith made the arrest.
Have you seen the glorious hanging baskets on Front Street in Natchitoches and wondered, “How do they do that?” The Master Gardeners of Natchitoches Parish did, so they went to the source: Natchitoches’ Office of Community Development’s Beautification Crew. Matt Dillion said he would be happy to teach them, and since the best way to learn is by doing, he put them to work!
The secrets to those giant, round, lush displays of horticultural glory? Healthy plants, a good plan, two hours of labor per basket, and more Sphagnum moss than you can imagine. Seriously. Imagine how much moss you might need to hold the plants tightly in place and ensure no dirt shows. Got it? Now triple that.
The Master Gardeners know that any day is a great day when their hands are in potting soil. They enjoyed learning a new skill and helping our City’s incredible beautification team.
The Louisiana Master Gardener Program is a volunteer development program offered by the LSU AgCenter. Master Gardener volunteers are highly trained and provide proven, research-based educational programs to Louisiana residents. For more information visit https://www.facebook.com/NatchitochesMasterGardener/ or visit their booth at the Natchitoches Farmers’ Market.
Northwestern State University observed Military Appreciation Day during the Nov. 4 home football game and continued the tradition of honoring members of the military. This week’s honorary captains who performed the coin toss were NSU alumni Master Sergeant Todd Derrick of Shreveport and Captain Jimmie Watson of Fort Polk.
Derrick is a native of Many and graduated from NSU in 2000. He has served over 27 years in the military, including combat service in Iraq and Kuwait. Derrick is assigned to the Army National Guard Joint-Force Headquarters and currently serves as NSU’s ROTC instructor at LSU-Shreveport. He has been instrumental in building Northwestern State’s ROTC program with partnership schools.
A native of Brookhaven, Mississippi, Watson was commissioned as an officer through NSU’s ROTC program in 2012 and Watson commands Charlie Company, 710th Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Division, 10th Mountain at Fort Polk. He has over 19 years of military service with combat service in Bosnia, Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan. His wife Shauntay joined him to cheer on the Demons.
Edna Ruth Thiels
October 24, 1935 – November 3, 2017
Visitation: Tuesday, Nov. 7 from 9-11 am at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Alexandria
Service: Tuesday, Nov. 7 at 11 am at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Interment: Hemphill Star Cemetery
Ivory D. Augustus
November 3, 2017
Visitation: Saturday, Nov. 11 from 8-10:45 am at the Winnfield Memorial Funeral Home
Service: Saturday, Nov. 11 at 11:30 am St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church of Bermuda
Interment: St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church cemetery
Carl Merrick LaBorde
December 30, 1963 – November 4, 2017
Visitation: Tuesday, Nov. 7 from 8-9:30 am at the Kramer of Fifth Ward Funeral Home
Service: Tuesday, Nov. 7 at 10 am in St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church
Interment: St. Francis de Sales Cemetery Mausoleum
By Kevin Shannahan
This Saturday, November 4th saw Northwestern State University hosting a record 963 prospective students and their families for a day of fun and learning about the many opportunities afforded by NSU. The busy day started with a browse in which the visiting students and their families met with representatives of the various student organizations at NSU and learned of the myriad of opportunities they offer. NSU’s In-Side View continued a 32 year tradition with guest speaker Steven Morgan who offered perspectives on life interspaced with his down home humor. At the conclusion of his speech, NSU President Dr. Chris Maggio and Director of University Recruiting Jana Lucky presented Mr. Morgan with the “Nth Degree”, the highest honor the university can bestow on a non alumnus. Students who applied for admissions and scholarships by that day could have their scholarship package in place by December. The day ended with NSU treating the future Demons to free admission to the football game against Abilene Christian University.
The Natchitoches Parish Journal wishes to congratulate Ms. Lucky and her staff on the fruits of their hard work. We are looking forward to seeing this new generation of students come to NSU and do great things with their lives!
The Natchitoches Coalition on Homelessness takes pride in serving those in need in our community. One of its community service projects includes “Share A Meal,” which is held on the last Thursday of the month at the Skybox on Martin Luther King Jr Drive from 4-6 pm.
The Coalition continues to network with various agencies in our community, as a means of supporting its endeavors. In doing so, its goal is to make its presence known in the community, to provide needed assistance, and to gain support from the community leaders, and the community as a whole. Volunteers and suggestions are always welcome as the Coalition moves progressively forward.
The Coalition works from 410 Sixth Street in Natchitoches. For more information call 318-352-8931.
The McNeely family was recognized during the recent NSU v ACU football game for their generous donation of a $100,000.00 scholarship for 1st generation students attending Northwestern State University. The scholarship is named in memory of their parents Ludlow & Bless McNeely. Charles “Sandy” McNeely, his wife Lee B. McNeely, and brother Ludlow McNeely were recognized by NSU President Dr. Chris Maggio for their donation. Their mother Bless served the Northwestern State University community during her 32 year career. Helping our state’s young people achieve their dreams is indeed a fitting way to honor their parents’ memory. The Natchitoches Parish Journal joins the NSU family in thanking the McNeely’s for their generosity.
The Spirit of Northwestern Marching Band at Northwestern State University has begun a crowd funding event to raise money for the purchase of new uniforms.
Director of Bands Dr. Jeffrey C. Mathews said the band is in the process of replacing 350 uniforms. Each uniform costs just over $500. Funding from the university along with other donations has raised a portion of the money needed. Donations can be made by going to app.mobilecause.com/vf/NSUBAND or by texting NSUBAND to 71777.
“We hope all those who support and enjoy the Spirit of Northwestern can help us in this campaign,” said Mathews. “Donations of any amount will be accepted and appreciated. This will be a major step toward keeping the Spirit of Northwestern among the nation’s best marching bands.”
Mathews said donors could become a uniform sponsor by making a gift of $350. Sponsors will be recognized on a plaque that will hang outside the William E. Brent Band Room.
With more than 300 members, the Spirit of Northwestern Marching Band is the largest spirit group at NSU and is open to any major. The Spirit of Northwestern was a finalist for the 2011 Sudler Trophy, an award to identify and recognize collegiate marching bands of particular excellence that have made outstanding contributions to the American way of life. NSU’s band participated in the 2011 New Year’s Day Parade and Festival in London and the 2015 St. Patrick’s Festival Parade in Dublin, Ireland. Northwestern State’s band was named one of the top eight in the country a college-oriented website.
The Master Gardeners of Natchitoches Parish invites the public to the next meeting meeting Wednesday, Nov. 8 at 10 am at 560 2d Street in Natchitoches. Refreshments will be available at 9:30 a.m.
The Louisiana Master Gardener Program is a volunteer development program offered by the LSU AgCenter. Master Gardeners are highly trained and provide proven, research-based educational programs to Louisiana residents.
For more information or for daily tips on North Louisiana gardening, go to https://www.facebook.com/NatchitochesMasterGardener/
The NSU Men’s & Women’s Basketball teams kicked off the upcoming season with a bang Thursday, November 2nd. The NSU Tip-Of Event introduced this year’s players to an enthusiastic crowd of Demon fans. Both teams played a scrimmage, giving the crowd a taste of upcoming hardwood action. The scrimmages were interspaced by rousing performances by the various NSU Spirit groups. The NSU Band’s “Drumline” came out for a fun performance using choreographed moves and expert drumming – with wooden stools instead of drums. The Purple Haze, NSU’s Spirit Band, made its debut by coaxing Vic the Demon was into joining the dunking contest with surprisingly good results. The opposing teams and errant referees had better be ready for them!
Come see the Demons play their first home game against Letourneau University on November 12th in a doubleheader with both the men’s and women’s teams going into action.
The Natchitoches Parish Journal was delighted to see former Lakeview standout Malik Metoyer back in action after an injury last season. It is indeed a pleasure to see this fine young man back in a Demon uniform. Fork ’em Demons!
Natchitoches Pairsh Early Voting
Early voting for the November 18th general election. Early voting dates are Friday, November 3rd through Saturday, November 11th. There will be no early voting on Friday November 10th due to the observance of Veterans Day. Open from 8:30 am – 6 pm.
| Totals as of 11/04/17 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WARD | WHITE | BLACK | OTHER | TOTAL | % |
| 1 | 174 | 48 | 02 | 224 | 78.32% |
| 2 | 19 | 06 | 00 | 25 | 8.74% |
| 3 | 13 | 03 | 01 | 17 | 5.96% |
| 4 | 16 | 03 | 01 | 20 | 6.98% |
| 222 | 60 | 04 | 286 | 100% | |
Northwestern State University’s Theatre and Dance program will present Modern in Motion V on Nov. 10-12 at Lee H. Nelson Hall, the headquarters of the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training at 645 University Parkway on the NSU campus. Performance time is Nov. 10-11 at 6:30 p.m. and Nov. 12 at 2 p.m.
Tickets for the Nov. 10 Gala performance is $50 with a $10 discount for veterans. Gala tickets include a reception at Maglieaux’s on the Cane after the performance. Admission on Nov. 11-12 is $5. For ticket information contact Brett Garfinkel at (318) 357-5788 or at garfinkelb@nsula.edu.
Modern in Motion V will be performed in the oldest building on Northwestern State’s campus. Nelson Hall was constructed in 1923 and was used as a women’s gymnasium for many years until the facility was closed in 1970. The building was entered into the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. Nelson Hall was renovated in the late 1990s and became the NCPTT headquarters in 2001.
“The space is so beautiful and we are glad to be able to use it. We will be able to get students in the building and show them what the NCPTT does,” said Garfinkel. “This the first time many of the students have performed a site specific work. They are understanding the process and rising to the occasion.”
Choreography is by Garfinkel, Kirstin Riehl and Cher Anabo.
“This is the first time the three of us have worked together,” said Garfinkel. “We are choreographing based on the space at the NCPTT. The choreographers are working separately, then will bring it all together for the performance.”
The cast of Modern in Motion V is DeAngelo Renard, Emily Ricalde, Anna Birbiglia, Taylor Young and Dwight Robinette of New Orleans, Asher Van Meter and Thomas Hadzeriga of Edmond, Oklahoma, Katherine Langlois of Baton Rouge, Luther Brooks and Adele Hebert of Lafayette and Cathleen Oviedo of Covington.
The cast also includes Alphonse Engram of DeRidder, Skilynn Fontenot of Eunice. C.J. Anderson of Pineville, Vilma Patricia Castro of San Pedro Sula, Honduras, Madi Wood and Brittany Davis of Houston, Elaina Guerrero of Shreveport, Alexz Hattier and Ashley Henry of Slidell, Sidney Gilder of Crowley, Alex Hood of Leesville and Tara Lane of Little Rock, Arkansas.
Senior Campaign Coordinator for the United Way of Northwest Louisiana Serena Gray spoke to the Rotary Club of Natchitoches at its Oct. 31 meeting. She shared her personal experience of how she was born into poverty in Los Angles, then moved to Louisiana where she and her family received support from many of the agencies funded by United Way.
Pictured from left are Rotary Club of Natchitoches President David Zolzer and Serena Gray (photo by Richard White).
In recognition of all that donors do to keep Northwestern State University a thriving part of the community, NSU held its fourth annual “Thank a Donor Day”, where students, athletes and staff gathered to show their appreciation in the form of hand-written letters.
Thursday’s gathering in Alumni Plaza is Dr. Haley Taitano’s brainchild, who herself is a former Lady Demon student-athlete as a four-year pole vaulter and record holder on the NSU track and field team.
“It is cool to see how far the event has come in just four years,” Taitano said. “In the beginning, we did not have a lot of people show up because they did not know what it was.
“But now, our student-athletes know what it is and they want to do it. They come and spend more time than we ask them to because they want to thank the donors, and they want to be involved, so it has been cool to see its evolution take place.”
From its origins in the student union ballroom to now being an outdoor event with live music and food provided through a partnership with the NSU and the Demons Unlimited foundations, participation has become an on-campus tradition that allows student-athletes from all sports to pen a letter to a donor of their choosing.
Fresh off participating for the Lady Demons in the Southland Conference’s Cross Country Championships, senior Emily Sitarz took the time to show how much the donor support means to her.
“It is a great feeling knowing that people who have stood in our shoes, or walked on this campus, continue to support it,” Sitarz said. “It inspires us and makes us want to be the best athlete, and best person, for those that came before us at NSU.”
Sitarz thinks the event is just one of the ways NSU mirrors what the city of Natchitoches and its community represent.
“One of the key selling parts for me actually committing to NSU was the sense of community I felt, and I think this day just helps accent that community feel and lets everyone know it is real, said Sitarz, a native of Mount Albert, Ontario, Canada.”
Another student who found time in the throes of preparing for the upcoming season was sophomore pitcher Evan Daigle.
“It is just such a great opportunity to be able to give something back to them,” Daigle said. “They give so much for us to be able to participate, and we appreciate what they do.
“I know it means a lot to them getting a thank you letter each year, but it really means a lot more to us to get the chance to show how thankful we truly are.”
Participation campus-wide was in the hundreds, and a group of Colombian music students serenaded the letter-writers for about half of the four-hour event.
Aline Cochran
June 30, 1930 – November 4, 2017
Service: Monday, Nov. 6 at 2 pm at Rockett-Nettles Funeral Home Chapel in Coushatta
Interment: Bethel Cemetery
Edna Ruth Thiels
October 24, 1935 – November 3, 2017
Visitation: Tuesday, Nov. 7 from 9-11 am at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Alexandria
Service: Tuesday, Nov. 7 at 11 am at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Interment: Hemphill Star Cemetery
Ivory D. Augustus
November 3, 2017
Visitation: Saturday, Nov. 11 from 8-10:45 am at the Winnfield Memorial Funeral Home
Service: Saturday, Nov. 11 at 11:30 am St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church of Bermuda
Interment: St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church cemetery
Sylvia C. Paul
November 3, 2017
Arrangements TBA
Gerald Wayne Bell
October 11, 1949 – October 28, 2017
Service: Monday, Nov. 6 at 6 pm at Trinity Christian Center in Forest Hill
Bobby R. McCray
October 28, 2017
Arrangements TBA
Rev. Calvin Gray
October 26, 2017
Arrangements TBA
Mayo Cook
November 1, 1961 – October 24, 2017
Arrangements TBA
Early Sunday morning time will go backwards. Daylight Saving Time ends officially. Most people set their clocks back an hour before going to bed, or they will be an hour early for church.
Who ever thought up such a system? An article in USA Today said it was one of our most famous founding fathers. Here is a part of that story:
“Credit — or blame — for the biannual shift goes back to Benjamin Franklin, who published An Economical Project for Diminishing the Cost of Light in a 1784 journal after he noticed that people burned candles at night but slept past dawn.
“But he never saw his plan put into action. The U.S. first implemented daylight saving during World War I as a way to conserve fuel with the Standard Time Act of 1918, also known as the Calder Act. In World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt implemented a year-round daylight saving time that was commonly known as “War Time.”
“In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Uniform Time Act into law.
Under the act, states and territories can opt out of daylight saving. It isn’t observed in Arizona (except the Navajo Nation), Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, according to the Congressional Research Service.
“Daylight saving is observed in approximately 70 countries, including most of those in North America and Europe. We don’t go back to daylight saving until Sunday, March 11, 2018, about a week before spring begins.”
Whether we are observing standard time or daylight saving time, most folks DVRs are still flashing 12:00:00. Set your clocks back Saturday night and we’ll see you in church, on time, Sunday morning.