The Northwestern State University Music Academy will begin its spring semester on Monday, January 14. 

The academy is under the direction of Northwestern State music faculty Dr. Christine Allen and Dr. Francis Yang and offers piano, violin, guitar and percussion lessons for students of all ages as well as adults.

Robyn Tan and Ramon Barralaga will teach piano. Chance Watley will teach violin. Jake English and Jose Miguel Colon will offer guitar lessons, and Juan Manuel Santos will teach percussion. Tan recently earned a master’s degree at NSU. The other instructors are undergraduate students.

Last year, academy students performed in a Christmas concert and spring recital. Students also participated in the National Federation of Music Clubs Festival, the Central Music Teachers’ Association Sonatina Festival and the Louisiana Music Teachers Association Upper Elementary Auditions.

For more information on the NSU Music Academy, contact Yang at yangf@nsula.edu.

Public Notice:

Cane River Lake is currently at 98.5 MSL and falling. The lake and landings are now open to navigation. After a flood event it is important that boat operators use caution while navigating on the lake, as there could be floating debris in the main channel. Please remember to boat safe, sober, and always wear your life jackets.  Questions – contact
Betty Fuller 318-357-3007 office or 318-617-3235 cell.

Betty Fuller
Commission Administrator

Rotary Club of Natchitoches met at Northwestern State University (NSU) for its Jan. 8 meeting to learn more about the 3-D Anatomage Table from the NSU Director of the School of Biological and Physical Sciences, Dr. Francene J. Lemoine and other faculty members. Drs. Jerry Brunson, Jonathan Akin, Allyson Spence, Millard Mangrum, and John Byrd helped demonstrate the Anatomage Table used in teaching biology and physical science in 3-D to all NSU students (Photos by Dr. Ron McBride).

Artwork by several Northwestern State University graduate students is on exhibit at the Shreveport Regional Arts Council Central Artstation Gallery. The exhibit is open to the public from now until January 16 at the Artstation Gallery, 801 Crockett Street, Shreveport.

Open during business hours, the exhibit features new work Nancy Notes, Hillary Frazier, Wendy Hazey, Jeffrey Nieman, Kimberly Parker, Madilyn Anderson, Hollis Ervin and Osvaldo Ferrer. The display includes a variety of mediums, including drawings, paintings, prints, jewelry, ink on paper and ceramics.

More information is available at https://www.shrevearts.org/central-artstation/ or by calling (318) 673-6500.

City Bank staff members had a great time feeding the NSU Men’s and Women’s Basketball Teams at Prather Coliseum on Jan. 7. City Bank is a proud supporter of Demon Athletics and wanted to show its appreciation. The student athletes were feed grilled hamburgers with all the trimmings and homemade potato salad. The grill masters were Darrell Hickman, Chad Hancock, Brandon McKee and Josh Pierson. The servers were John Ackel, Micky Hennigan, Shanna Baker, David Guillet and Kenny Thomas.

 

NATCHITOCHES PARISH:

Frederick Cree Boring, III
March 23, 1947 – January 3, 2019

John H. Vercher
March 23, 1937 – January 6, 2019
Visitation: Friday, January 11 from 5-8 pm at Blanchard- St. Denis Funeral Home in Natchitoches
Service: Saturday, January 12 at 11 am at Blanchard – St. Denis Funeral Home
Interment: St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery in the Trichel Community

David Benjamin Walmsley
July 23, 1935 – January 26, 2018
Service: January 12 at 2 pm at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home in Natchitoches

Betty Jane (Murray) Davenport
April 7, 1934 – January 7, 2019
Visitation: Wednesday, January 9 from 10-11 am at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home
Service: Wednesday, January 9 at 11 am at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home
Interment: Memory Lawn Cemetery

Buzz Salard
March 21, 1937 – January 6, 2019
Interment: Saturday, January 12 at 2 pm at Emmanuel Cemetery in Chopin

R. L. Braden
January 7, 2019
Arrangements TBA through Winnfield Memorial Funeral Home of Natchitoches

Jamilla Pattain
September 29, 1990 – January 2, 2019
Visitation: Saturday, January 12 from 10-11 am at the Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church near Clarence
Service: Saturday, January 12 at 11 am at the Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church
Interment: Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church Cemetery

RAPIDES PARISH:

Terrell Bernard
August 12, 1956 – January 6, 2019
Visitation: Wednesday, January 9 from 8-9:30 am at Kramer of Fifth Ward
Service: Wednesday, January 9 at 10 am at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church
Interment: Our Lady of Lourdes Cemetery

WINN PARISH:

Shirley Branch Brantley
September 3, 1936 – January 6, 2019
Service: Wednesday, January 9 at 10 am at Southern Funeral Home|
Interment: Harmony Grove Cemetery in Dodson

The Natchitoches Parish Planning Commission met Monday, Jan 7th to consider several items. Present were: George Miniturn, Leslie Bayonne, Travis Guin, Jill Cox, Laney Wright, Henry Kinberger and Interim Planning Director David Kees, Jr. Meryland Robinson, Garland Brown and Kasey Rodgers were absent.

The meeting started with a call to order and a roll call. The minutes of the December 3rd meeting were then unanimously adopted (Agenda Below). The council unanimously approved the following three items:

EXHIBIT #1 – Commission to consider a plat submission by Chief Rufus Davis, Jr. for a partition survey of a 7.67 acres tract of land for the purpose of a sale. The property is located in Section 10, T9N, R9W with an address of 4500 Highway 485.

EXHIBIT #2 – Commission to consider a plat submission by Mr. Billy Fair for a survey and partition of a 1.7 acre tract of land into Lot E1 consisting of 0.827 acres, and Lot E2 consisting of 0.879 acres for the purpose of a sale. The property is located in Section 4, T9N, R8W at the intersection of Posey Road and St. Luke Church Road.

Exhibit #3 – Commission to consider a zoning variance for a proposed electric pole site for Southwestern Electric Power Company. The property is currently owned by Randall G. Page and is located in Section 17, T13N, R6W.

The commissioners were joined by Miss Nevaeh Silk, a 5th grader at Natchitoches Magnet School and granddaughter of Commissioner Jill Cox. Nevaeh accompanied her grandmother to learn about local government. The Natchitoches Parish Journal wishes her all the best in her studies and is looking forward to her trip to the Registrar of Voters a few years hence.

Planning Commission Meeting Agenda 1-07-2018

School is back in session at the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts and day one of Special Projects Week is in full-swing! Special Projects classes break up the monotony of a normal class structure while still keeping the students engaged in subjects they find most interesting. Students pursue a topic or skill that is of interest to them, and projects include everything from community service to field trips and unique research opportunities.

Instructor of French Nathalie Malti offers a “Creole Culture in Louisiana” special project class, which allows students to learn the historical and contemporary influence of Creole culture in the Cane River area.

For the more tech-savvy students, Senior Lecturer of Math and Computer Science David Andersen provides a crash course on TensorFlow APIs. Joining Andersen is Jeff Carollo, who works as a staff software engineer at Google.

In “Death Mourning, and Cemeteries,” Associate Lecturer of English Emily Allen leads students on a survey of death/burial rituals and their greater influence on society and cultures.

Maria Sanchez, the school’s senior lecturer of Spanish, helps students explore their roots by providing a “Family History/Genealogy” class. Students trace back their family tree and lineage through online resources.

Senior Lecturer of Piano Charles Jones provides students with a specialized study called “The Life and Music of Mozart,” which explores the composer’s history and impact on the world of music.

Associate Lecturer of Chemistry Stephen Costin (center) joins students for a game of Clue in a special project class titled “Reducing Stress by Playing Games.”

Associate Lecturer of English Pamela Francis leads a special project class titled “The Art and Literature of War.”

Instructor of Latin Morris Tichenor has students exploring 15th century manuscripts in his Bibliophile special project class. The LSMSA Foundation provided the manuscripts for this class.

Season tickets for Northwestern State baseball are on sale now and come with additional enticements for potential purchasers.

In addition to 30 home games at the new-look Brown-Stroud Field, fans who purchase season tickets will have a five-day head start on purchasing single-game tickets.

Season-ticket holders will have the ability to purchase single-game tickets beginning Jan. 18. Current Demons Unlimited Foundation donors also will have that same priority opportunity. Those tickets will go on sale to the general public Jan. 23.

The 2019 Northwestern State home baseball schedule features the Feb. 20 home opener against preseason No. 1 LSU, the Tigers’ first visit to Natchitoches since 2014. It also includes home series against Little Rock, state rivals Southern and Grambling and Southland Conference foes Lamar, New Orleans, Nicholls, McNeese and Incarnate Word. NSU also will host state rivals ULM and Louisiana Tech in mid-week action.

Improvements at Brown-Stroud Field include two new suites, an expanded press box chairback seats, two new suites and a total of 656 chairback seats.

The Demons, who captured the first Southland Conference Tournament championship in program history in May, start the 2019 season by hosting LSU, which starts an eight-game homestand, the longest home stretch for Northwestern State since 2014.

To purchase tickets, call the Northwestern State Athletics Ticket Office at 318-357-4268 or log onto http://www.NSUDemons.com/tickets.

Neither Jazz Ferguson or Myles Ward played for the Northwestern State football team in 2017, but when they hit the field last fall, each made their mark distinctively.

Monday, they were rewarded with another round of All-America honors. Ferguson, a junior receiver, was a second-team pick on the Phil Steele FCS All-America Team while Ward, a redshirt freshman kick returner, made Steele’s FCS Freshman All-America squad as a third-team selection.

The veteran college football analyst announced his FCS All-America squads in the wake of Saturday’s national championship game won by North Dakota State. Ferguson received his fourth All-America recognition, previously included on the Associated Press, STATS LLC and Hero Sports squads. Ward was also honored by Hero Sports on its Freshman All-America team.

Ferguson, who began his college career at LSU, made a year’s wait worth it at NSU. After a season on the scout team in 2017 establishing his academic eligibility, he set six school records while earning All-Southland Conference and All-Louisiana Offensive Player of the Year honors with 1,117 yards receiving on 66 catches, scoring 13 touchdowns and averaging 101.5 yards receiving per game for the Demons.

The 6-5, 220-pounder from St. Francisville and West Feliciana High School ranked in the NCAA FCS top 20 nationally in four stats: sixth in receiving TDs, ninth in receiving yards, 14th in receiving yards per game, and 20th in receptions per game (6.0). In his only year at NSU, announcing last month that he will be a candidate for the NFL Draft, Ferguson was a key figure as the Demons were sixth nationally in team pass yards per game (320.9).

Ferguson’s six school records: yards in a season, TD catches, receiving yards per game, 100-yard receiving games (six), TD catches in a game (three, at Abilene Christian). Following a two-point conversion catch with 27 seconds left to force overtime vs. No. 18 McNeese on Nov. 10 in Turpin Stadium, his two catches in the second OT, a 19-yarder down the middle followed immediately by a six-yard fade route, won the game. Ferguson made an instant slash with a season long 71-yard catch and run for a touchdown in the opener at Texas A&M.

Ward made his Demon debut a year later than hoped, thanks to a shoulder injury that sidelined him for his true freshman season in 2017.

Ward, a 5-10, 184-pound redshirt freshman speedster from Harvey and De La Salle High School, owned a 25.6 average on 28 kickoff returns that ranked 21st nationally, second in the Southland. He had a 94-yard touchdown runback to open the second half in the season finale at Stephen F. Austin to start a winning rally from a 16-7 deficit.

Ward also got spot duty at running back and receiver in 2018 and figures to be a bigger part of the NSU offense going forward. He was a second-team All-Louisiana pick as a return specialist.

Wednesday is National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, so Northwestern State Athletics will honor local law enforcement officials at that evening’s 6:30 Demon basketball game in Prather Coliseum.

NSU Athletics has provided 100 free tickets to the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Natchitoches Police Department and NSU Campus Police. Tickets for any other law enforcement officials and their families are just $5 at the door with presentation of a badge or ID.

Before the Demons’ Southland Conference contest against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, law enforcement personnel and their families can eat free beginning at 5:30. With presentation of their Law Enforcement Appreciation Day game ticket, they can enjoy free pizza provided by Domino’s and chicken fingers and sweet tea from Raising Cane’s for as long as supplies last.

NSU Athletics will give away “NSU Back the Blue” T-shirts to the first 100 guests in the door.

At halftime of the Demons’ contest, teams comprised of NPSO and NPD staff will compete in a basketball game, with a trophy and bragging rights going to the winner. NSU Campus Police will officiate the special matchup.

Dr. Haley Taitano, associate athletic director for external affairs at NSU, said launching the Law Enforcement Appreciation Day event for basketball was a logical step forward.

“We always host various Military Appreciation games and events, and we thought honoring our law enforcement was equally important. They do so much for us not only here at NSU, but in our communities and across the state and nation. it’s nice to do something to recognize them,” she said.

“As the wife of someone who has dedicated his life to law enforcement, this event is especially dear to my heart,” said Taitano. “We’re excited to give back a little to those who do so much to protect us.”

The law enforcement teams will be led by head coaches, Merry Byers for the sheriff’s office and Capt. Brad Walker for city police, who will also be honorary coaches for the Demons.

Byers has been with the NPSO for 10 years and is chief of the Community Services Division. A former college student-athlete, she has also been a volunteer track and field coach at NSU for the last decade.

Walker is commander over the NPD patrol division. He has experience in many facets of the department including patrol, criminal investigations, commander of criminal investigations. He has been at the Natchitoches Police Department for over 20 years and was honored as the department’s coach because for many years he’s been an integral part of a fundraising game between NPSO and NPD, doing most of the organizing.

For more information about NSU’s Law Enforcement Appreciation Day at Wednesday’s 6:30 Demon basketball game in Prather Coliseum, contact Taitano at 318-357-4278 or visit NSUDemons.com.

 

NATCHITOCHES PARISH:

Buzz Salard
March 21, 1937 – January 6, 2019
Interment: Saturday, January 12 at 2 pm at Emmanuel Cemetery in Chopin

R. L. Braden
January 7, 2019
Arrangements TBA through Winnfield Memorial Funeral Home of Natchitoches

Jamilla Pattain
September 29, 1990 – January 2, 2019
Visitation: Saturday, January 12 from 10-11 am at the Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church near Clarence
Service: Saturday, January 12 at 11 am at the Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church
Interment: Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church Cemetery

WINN PARISH:

Shirley Branch Brantley
September 3, 1936 – January 6, 2019
Service: Wednesday, January 9 at 10 am at Southern Funeral Home
Interment: Harmony Grove Cemetery in Dodson

OTHER:

Joe David Varner
July 14, 1951 – December 31, 2018

On Dec. 26 at approximately 7 p.m. DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a call that involved an abandoned vehicle and altercation that was witnessed in the parking lot of a business east of Mansfield, La. Upon arrival, deputies were able to locate an abandoned vehicle owned by a female employee who had not shown up for work that day. Deputies obtained cell phone information and were able to locate the female at Natchitoches Central Jr. High School with her abductor who was a coach at the school. With assistance from Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office, the suspect, Brian Young (B/M – DOB – 09/05/1986) was taken into custody by Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office and further investigation is being conducted at this time.  Young has been booked for Kidnapping and Domestic Violence.

Desoto Sheriff Press Release

 

January 7, 2019

Johnson, Thomas & Cunningham, CPA’s is please to announce it will now be known as:

THOMAS, CUNNINGHAM, BROADWAY & TODTENBIER, CPA’S

Continuing to prepare individual and corporate income tax returns, provide audit, accounting and bookkeeping services, and representation before the IRS and Department of Revenue.
– PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
– INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION
– DECADES OF SUCCESS

THOMAS, CUNNINGHAM, BROADWAY & TODTENBIER, CPA’S
321 Bienville Street
Natchitoches, LA 71457
Phone: (318) 352-3652
Phone (318) 352-4447
Fax http://www.tcbtcpa.com

 

By Kevin Shannahan

Kevin’s Gallery

The Northwestern State University men’s and women’s’ basketball teams were in action against McNeese State Saturday, Jan 5th at NSU’s Prather Coliseum. The women’s team made an auspicious start to the evening’s doubleheader with a decisive 82 to 63 rout of the Lady Cowboys.

The men’s contest was a bit closer with the lead going back and forth until the Demons put the game firmly out of the Cowboy’s reach in an epic second half that kept the hometown crowd on its feet for much of the time.

A small but dedicated group of young women from the NSU Pom-Line tossed shirts to the crowd, led cheers and kept spirits high throughout both games. Nor did they give any foul shooting McNeese players a moment’s peace. Some of the Demon’s youngest fans were recognized at halftime at the Super1 Kid’s Game Ceremony. The youngsters were treated to pizza and other treats as they cheered the Demons to victory.

The Natchitoches Parish Public School system has proven to be a rich source of players for the Northwestern State University basketball team. Former NCHS Chief Brian White and Malik Metoyer, a former Lakeview Gator, contributed 18 points between them to the Demon’s score. It is a joy to see young men and women from our parish go on to success on the court and in the classroom. This season will be my final year photographing Malik in high school and college. He is well on his way to earning his degree. Brian White is a freshman starting his journey as a student-athlete at NSU. We are looking forward to seeing him on the stage receiving his diploma in a few years.

On the court, off the court and in their lives after college-Fork ‘Em Demons!

Sunday, January 06, 2019 at 4:41:08 PM
1/6/2019

Emergency Road Closure Due to Flooding/ High Water
La 1226: from La 1227 to end of maintenance

Natchitoches Parish
Control Section No. 359-02

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) advises the public effective immediately La 1226: from La 1227 to end of maintenance, in Natchitoches Parish, is closed due to flooding/ high water.

Permit/Detour Section
No detours are available at this time.

Travelers can find information regarding road closures by visiting the 511 Traveler Information website at http://www.511la.org or by dialing 511 from their telephone and saying the route or region about which they are seeking information. Out-of-state travelers can access the system by calling 1-888-ROAD-511 (1-888-762-3511). Additionally, you can follow the Traffic Management Center on Twitter: (@Shreveport_Traf), (@Alex_Traffic), (@Monroe_Traffic). Motorists may also monitor the LA DOTD website @ http://www.dotd.la.gov.

During unfavorable weather conditions, motorists should drive using the following safety tips:
• Drive slowly and carefully.
• Avoid driving into standing or running water.
• Avoid driving while distracted.
• Avoid using cruise control when visibility is low or road surfaces are wet.
• Always allow for extra driving time.
• Reduce speeds when visibility is low.
• Make sure there is plenty of room between vehicles.
• Avoid using highway overpasses as tornado shelters.

Baton Rouge – Louisiana has been awarded nearly $8 million to enhance the quality of early childhood education in communities across the state. The bulk of the funding, about $7.1 million, comes from a competitive federal Preschool Development Grant, and about $800,000 comes from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation as part of a private match required by the grant process. The funding will help drive faster rates of improvement and equip more classrooms with fully prepared teachers.

“In recent years Louisiana has worked diligently to create an integrated, efficient early childhood education system through policies that better serve our children and families,” said State Superintendent John White. “This award is a validation of the state’s approach and sets us up to take ambitious next steps.”

The one-year funding, which will expire in December 2019, will allow Louisiana to:

Equip communities to make informed decisions to improve local early care and education. In response to recent legislation, the Louisiana Department of Education will establish locally-led pilot programs that will establish governing structures to guide local plans and funding for early childhood.
Incorporate family homes into the statewide network of early childhood education providers. Many young children are cared for and educated in family home settings that are not currently part of the state’s early childhood network. The Department will research and study family homes to inform a strategic plan to ensure family homes have access the resources and supports needed to provide high-quality learning.
Enhance the quality of early childhood education provided to young learners. The Department will expand professional development opportunities for teachers to ensure they are fully prepared for the classroom and to equip them with the curricular tools and resources needed to provide high-quality experiences to children.
Improve systems that inform the statewide network of early childhood education providers. The Department will conduct a study of the state’s unified quality rating system and implement a program to build efficiencies by sharing resources across childcare sites, like shared substitute teacher pools or shared purchasing to maximize funding.
Early childhood education networks will receive subgrants to support the rollout of these initiatives. Subgrants will total more than $3.75 million.

“I’m proud of the Department for their successful application, and thankful for the many stakeholders that signed on the application,” said Tony Davis, a member of the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. “Among other activities, this grant will help increase parents’ knowledge of the early childhood environment and promote their involvement with local centers, which we know is key to a successful future.”

Melanie Bronfin, Executive Director of the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children, agreed. “It is wonderful that Louisiana was chosen to be one of the states to receive the Preschool Development Grant. This will provide us supports to enhance the quality of our early care and education programs.”

“However,” Bronfin added, “given that these funds cannot be used for seats, and given that we are only serving 15 percent of our children in need from birth through age three, we look forward to future opportunities to increase the publicly funded seats for our hard-working families who desperately need access to reliable, affordable, quality care for their young children.”

Louisiana currently serves nearly all 4-year-old children. But the state only serves 7 percent of in-need children birth to age two and 33 percent of in-need children age three. To date, an additional 3,130 children remain on a waiting list for services. The receipt of this Preschool Development Grant award allows the state to apply for future grant dollars to expand access to fully funded seats in early learning centers, a critical need for Louisiana children and families.