The Natchitoches Historic District Development Commission (NHDDC) received a proposal from CP-TEL at its Feb. 21 meeting, which addressed the need for updating the WiFi coverage in the Historic District.

The current equipment, which provides free WiFi access to visitors and residents on Front Street and the downtown riverbank, is dated. CP-TEL would donate the internet circuit with a low band width for this update project. When visitors log on they will hot a splash page asking them if they’d like to pay to access a higher band width. There’s also an option to give festival organizers higher bandwidth connections for up to 20 devices with special network IDs.

NHDDC Treasurer David Stamey said the commission would probably have to carry the brunt of this load. CP-TEL Account Manager Stewart Carnline presented the commission with quotes for 1, 3, and 5-year agreements. Chairman Van Erikson said the prices are tough, but it’s a needed feature in the downtown area. The next step is to look for anyone interested in partnering with the NHDDC on the project. The commission will meet in May to get its first look at the proposed budget for the next fiscal year and will vote on it in June, so Stamey said he needs something by May 1 so he can try to work it into the budget.

Moving on to other tech updates, the City’s new website will be available for a soft launch on Monday. In tandem with this, the new widget will be ready for a mid-March launch once the City website is live.

The widget provides an RSS feed which pulls in events from other business and organization calendars so they can be found all in one place. There’s an App component as well, which would help visitors plan their trip to Natchitoches based on what events are coming up.

It also offers geo fencing, beacons and push notifications. Beacons would alert visitors to ongoing special inside stores as they walk by them. Push notifications would alert them to any schedule changes for events or festivals.

Yet another exciting addition to the area is the start of a bike share program, which will be fully implementable by June or July. Erikson said they will work with the Bantam Strategy Group to determine the exact date of implementation. They’re considering waiting until the City, DOTD, and the Rapides Area Planning Commission finish a bike and pedestrian master plan for Natchitoches, which is underway. However, this particular project could take around a year to implement.

The Cane River Waterway Commission is working on a plan to dredge Cane River Lake North of the Church St. Bridge. Jim Rhodes said it’s amazing how shallow the river gets. They’re looking to dredge 12 feet deep with wide channel in the middle.

While the Steel Magnolia movie is returning to theaters for three days in May to celebrate its 30th anniversary, it will not appear in Natchitoches until Nov. 8-14. Mark Your Calendars for this special treat, which Tourist Office Executive Director Arlene Gould said is more appropriate because November is the month the movie was released 30 years ago.

Upcoming events include:

NSU Events:

March 9 – N Side View Day

March 22 – Long Purple Line Luncheon in the Student Union

March 22 – Flavor of Louisiana Event in Prather

April 13 – Dragon Boat Races, which will be a student-led festival for the first time

May 5 – Track & Field Southland Conference Tournament

May 7-10 – Softball Southland Conference Tournament

May 10 – Graduation/Reunions

May 23-24 – Freshman Connection Session I

May 30-31 – Freshman Connection Session II

June 19-20 – Freshman Connection Session III

July 9 – Freshman Connection Session IV

July 27 – Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival

July 27 – Louisiana State Fiddle Championship

Other Events:

Feb. 23 – Cloutierville Mardi Gras Parade

March 2 – Krewe of Dionysos

March 2- Krewe of Wag-Wag-us Mardi Gras Parades

March 12 – CASA Awareness Social

March 14-16 – Friends of the Natchitoches Parish Library Book Sale

March 16 – Ann Williams Brittain Butterfly Release

March 16 – NYP Pub Crawl

March 23 – Bloomin’ on the Bricks

April 5-7 – Girls Weekend

April 6-7 – Melrose Arts & Crafts Festival

April 27 – Kiwanis Pancake Festival and 5K

April 27- Find Your Park Festival

Drake Owens, executive director of the NSU Foundation, and Steve Kauf, general manager at Sodexo, spoke at the Natchitoches Area Chamber of Commerce’s monthly luncheon on Feb. 20. They discussed some of the new additions to NSU, like Cafe DeMon and Chick-fil-A. Adding amenities like these to Northwestern’s campus benefits the educational and cultural welfare of the university’s students, faculty, and staff.

An exciting upgrade to the University Parkway corridor will be the installation of a push button, multi-flash pedestrian crosswalk at its intersection with North Street. Construction should begin within 2 months. Some of the sidewalk on the North Street side will need to be repaired and a sidewalk will be poured on the Watson Library side of the street. Owens said they’re close to getting the project permitted and approved and a public hearing will be held soon.

This is in response to increased traffic through the area with the addition of the new parking lot in front of Watson Library for better public access to Cafe DeMon, and the NSU Marketplace and Chick-fil-A across the street. Students will be able to access these amenities with the assurance of a safe walk across the busy street.

The university will continue to explore additional public-private partnerships, which is what will get NSU into the future and sustain the economic growth they’re experiencing now, according to Owens.

Kauf said he appreciates NSU’s open-mindedness toward these new partnerships. Having a coffee shop and restaurant that are open to the public as well as the campus, makes it a more viable business model in the long run. The Chick-fil-A is the first off campus, open to the public, licensee of its kind in the nation, according to Kauf. It served 25,000 nuggets in the first three days it was open, along with 450 gallons of lemonade.

Some upcoming projects NSU is working on include:

Partnership with City in regards to Parc Natchitoches and NSU Intramurals

Seeking more property along University Parkway to enhance/increase the footprint of the campus

Looking into what NSU’s role can be in the rehabilitation of the old ADM facility on Mill Street

Is there a need for more housing development?

Work is underway on a contract, which would bring a Steak n’ Shake to the Student Union

In celebration of Black History Month, Natchitoches Regional Medical Center is pleased to announce that Cathy Harris, a national speaker on diversity, will be presenting Unity & Community: Leading the Way for Us All. All civic, church and business leaders along with community members are encouraged to attend this engaging luncheon starting at 11:30 a.m., Tuesday, February 26, 2019 in NRMC’s Listach Conference Room. To reserve seating for this presentation and complimentary luncheon, please contact Cathy Jacobs, NRMC Community Relations Director. Seating is limited.

Ms. Harris, Founder and President of C. Harris Companies, will discuss how to embrace diversity and ways a community can come together to live in harmony. Known for her experiential, highly interactive, engaging, and thought-providing presentations, she is a nationally acclaimed speaker.

“Cathy has worked with corporations and businesses across the United States,” explained Kirk Soileau, CEO of NRMC. “We welcome her to our campus and our community as part of our Black History Month Celebrations. She is passionate about bringing people together to create stronger relationships. By focusing on unity, harmony, and cohesiveness, she moves people beyond their personal biases and assumptions towards respectful relationships.”

Seating is limited. Please RSVP Cathy Jacobs, NRMC Community Relations Director, at 318-214-4513.

About Cathy Harris
Cathy Harris is known for her generous spirit, which is evidenced by her community service projects and civic engagement. A versatile professional, she is a dynamic keynote speaker and skilled facilitator. The recipient of numerous honors and awards, she is a sixteen-year member of the Diversity Professional Experts Group of the National Speakers Association.

About Natchitoches Regional Medical Center
Natchitoches Regional Medical Center began as a community hospital in 1955 and has grown into a 216-bed healthcare system with 750 Associates and more than 100 active and consulting physicians on its medical staff. The system is comprised of the 96-bed acute care facility, a skilled nursing home, assisted living complex, and an extensive network of clinics throughout the parish. NRMC is an affiliate of Christus Health.

Students in grades 1-2 at LP Vaughn received Terrific Kid certificates for the month of February from the Natchitoches Kiwanis Club recognizing them for their character development, self-esteem and perseverance.

Pictured on front row from left are Rhaighan Evans, Kaylee Jones, Hailey Slate, Lauren McDowell, Lester Bennett, Bella Hardy, Harmoni Morrow, Noah Beaudion, Amiya Obialo, KeyNyria Robinson, William Ayres, and Jaycob Birdsong. On back row are Kiwanian Kristy Sampey, Zoey Carter, A’Mya Metoyer, Alaysiah Turner, Karen Burton, Aubrie Grimmett, Ladarrius Smith, Halayah Wafer, Avion Robinson, Aalissa Solitaure, Jaleah Addison and Terrific Kid Sponsor Carmella McCart.

Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Deputies, Louisiana Department of Probation and Parole Agents assigned to the Natchitoches District, volunteers and family members of Donnie Collins Jr. are searching by ground and water along La. Hwy 1, the Johnson Chute Road area and Bayou Pierre for any clues that may give detectives a lead in his disappearance in December according to Natchitoches Parish Sheriff Victor Jones.

Detectives have been investigating Mr. Collins disappearance since December 11 when family members contacted the NPSO reporting him missing.

Deputies are currently looking for 44-year-old Donnie E. Collins Jr., W/M, Hgt/510, 200 pounds with light brown hair and blue eyes of Natchitoches, La.

Collins was last seen wearing denim jeans and a sweatshirt.

On Friday night December 7 at approximately 10:45pm, Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Deputies and Louisiana State Police responded to a single-vehicle crash on La. Hwy 1 near Johnson Chute involving a white 2002 Toyota pickup truck owned by Collins, however, he was not at the scene when law enforcement arrived.

The vehicle was towed by a local wrecker service.

Family members told deputies they hadn’t seen or heard from Collins since December 7, 2018.

Deputies checked with hospitals in the area.

This is the third time, deputies have returned to the area looking for clues or any evidence that could aid them in the investigation.

An aerial search of the area has also been conducted.

His cell phone and wallet were reportedly found in the crashed vehicle.

Detectives are currently involved and actively investigating Collins dissappearance.

If you have any information please contact the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office at 318.352.6432 or the NPSO Criminal Investigations Division at 318.357.7830.

Detective Jonathan Byles is case agent.

Collins has been entered into the National Crime Information Center as a missing person.

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The Northwestern State track and field teams had an athlete voted Southland Conference Athlete of the Week for a fourth straight week Wednesday, as All-American sprinter Micah Larkins took home the weekly award for the male track category for his performance this past Friday at the LSU Twilight meet.

Larkins ran a season-best 6.66 in the 60 meter dash in Baton Rouge, winning the event in the final regular-season meet of the 2019 indoor season. The time moves the senior into the Southland’s top spot and the nation’s 25th place. The Princeton native was part of the seventh place men’s 4×100 relay team at the Outdoor NCAA Championship this past summer in Eugene, Oregon.

Junior Jasmyn Steels won female field athlete of the week in back-to-back weeks earlier this month after a pair of gold medal finishes in the long jump. In that time frame, Steels turned in a personal-best jump of 20-9 ¼ ,which currently ranks seventh in the nation, first in the Southland, and second in the school record book, only 1 ¼ inches behind by four-time All-American Stephanie Sowell in 2004.

Ceaser Stephens claimed male field athlete of the week with his winning triple jump (50-9 ½ ) at the LSU Bayou Bengal meet on Feb. 1. His mark of 51-8 ¼ jumped at the UA Tyson Invitational is currently the 25th best in the country and best in the SLC.

Natashia Jackson was the first NSU athlete to be honored by the conference this season. The junior was voted female track athlete of the week after winning the 400 meter dash at the Pittsburg State Invitational on Jan. 26 with a time of 55.11.

NSU heads to Birmingham, Alabama, for the Southland Conference Indoor Championships on Feb. 24 and 25.

Martha Hopewell of Alexandria, an Early Childhood Education major and member of Phi Mu Fraternity at Northwestern State University, organized a service learning project for the Kappa Iota Chapter to collect school supplies to support the NSU Early Childhood Education Cradle to College project. The Cradle to College project is an initiative that focuses on remapping the Cradle to Prison Pipeline into a Cradle to College Pipeline by providing early literacy activities and familial support to local at-risk students. Donations of school supplies and books are always needed.

To make a contribution, contact Dr. Michelle Fazio-Brunson at faziom@nsula.edu.

Rotarian with the Program David Guillet welcomed Natchitoches Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Arlene Gould to the Rotary Club of Natchitoches monthly meeting on Feb. 19. Gould shared the economic impact tourism had on Natchitoches in 2018. Pictured from left are Rotary President-elect Josh Axsom, Gould, and Guillet (Photo by Dr. Ron McBride).

BOM made a donation for Village of Robeline ballpark restoration. Pictured are Kevin O’Con and Dewayne Chelette.

The Natchitoches Soil and Water Conservation District will hold a Cover Crop Field Day on March 19 from 9:30 am – 12:30 pm at the Shell Beach Boat Launch. Lunch will be provided. Attendees will learn about the benefits of cover crops, how to get started, what to plant, and what financial assistance is available. Call 318-352-7100 (ext. 3) to RSVP.

LSMSA—Six performing arts students at the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts (LSMSA) showcased song and dance selections during the school’s Departmental Recital, which was held on Feb. 14 in the Center for Performance and Technology Recital Hall.

Abigail LeBlanc (’19) and Madeline Lorio (’21) collaborated on an improvisational dance piece to the song “Hourglass” by Sleeping at Last. Sopranos Allison Jonson (’21) and Brynlee Daigle (’19) sang “Caro mio ben” and “Nuit d’etoiles,” respectively. Soprano Madison Kavanaugh (’21) performed “Will You” from “Grey Gardens,” and soprano Sydney Sorbet (’20) closed out the show with the song “Art is Calling for Me” from “The Enchantress”.

The performers were students of Senior Lecturer of Voice and Chorale Lisa Benner and Instructor of Dance Crystal Lewis. Many of the pieces featured piano accompaniment by Dr. Charles Jones, LSMSA’s senior lecturer of piano.

Departmental Recitals at LSMSA are held twice per semester, with students performing song arrangements, dance numbers and theatrical skits. The events are free and open to the public.

Small class sizes at LSMSA allow for performing arts students to receive individualized attention from esteemed faculty members at the top of their field.

NATCHITOCHES PARISH:

Mary Jane Bonier
February 19, 2019
Arrangements TBA

Doris Washington
February 15, 2019
Arrangements TBA

Beulah Helaire Jackson
February 15, 2019
Arrangements TBA

John Clark
April 7, 1950 – February 14, 2019
Service: Saturday, February 23 at 2 pm at the Winnfield Memorial Funeral Home Chapel in Natchitoches

Sharon LaCaze
August 3, 1970 – February 14, 2019
Visitation: Saturday, February 23 from 9-11 am at the Winnfield Memorial Funeral Home
Service: Saturday, February 23 at 11 am in the Winnfield Memorial Funeral Home Chapel
Interment: Rockford Baptist Church Cemetery

SABINE PARISH:

Betty Jo Davis Ebarb
July 24, 1934 – February 15, 2019
Visitation: Thursday, February 21 at 10:30 am at Warren Meadows Funeral Home in Zwolle
Service: Thursday, February 21 at 2 pm at Warren Meadows Funeral Home
Interment: St. Joseph Cemetery

RAPIDES PARISH:

Betty Raye Plummer Litton
August 7, 1929 – February 19, 2019
Visitation: Saturday, February 23 from 8-11 am at Beulah Baptist Church in Cheneyville
Service: Saturday, February 23 at 11 am at Beulah Baptist Church in Cheneyville
Interment: Alexandria Memorial Gardens

Dale Skinner, Superintendent of Natchitoches Parish Schools, spoke to the Boys to Men Club at the Natchitoches Jr. High. Skinner addressed the students on topics including: setting high goals, being willing to do the right things, treating everyone with respect and integrity, and defining your expectations, just to name a few.

The Boys to Men Club is a youth organization that is designed to teach young males life skills, prior to entering high school, that they do not get within the classroom.

Photographed on front from left are Supt. Dale Skinner, Jamarius Henry, Rytaveon Thomas, Club Director Jermaine Thomas, and Jaydian Creel. On back row are Nicholos Delaney, Kamryn Garner, Fred Jackson, Ronald Smith, Arnold Scott, Dequallin Newton, and Anthony Benning.

Boys to Men Club Director Jermaine Thomas said the club has had a great deal of success thus far and that at this point, the guys are addressing their priorities by focusing more on academics and upcoming state testing in April.

If you would like to support the Boys to Men Club contact Mr. Jermaine Thomas at NJH during school hours or email at jermaine.thomas@nat.k12.la.us.

Sharpco Hotels Group welcomes new Sales Manager Elaine Sparks to its team. Elaine comes with 27 years of experience. Now she’s come full circle to work with several properties, including the Best Western where she began her career in the hotel industry.

Sharpco Hotels Group Owner Jay Shaplin said he’s excited to bring a new face on board.

“We’ve worked in competition with one another since Elaine’s first days at Best Western,” said Sharplin. “But we’ve remained friends and the timing was perfect when I knew she was available to come and work for us again. She has more experience than anyone else in our market.”

Elaine will work to let people know what the company has to offer including four different brands, competitive prices, and great amenities.

“Each property has its own personality,” she said. “I love welcoming people when they come to stay with us. It’s never the same day in the hospitality industry.”

Elaine is a Natchitoches native. She is married to John Sparks and they have three daughters, three grandchildren and one great grandson. They are members of the New Life Evangelism Center.

“I love Natchitoches,” she said. “The history in itself is something you can be proud of. At Sharpco Hotels Group we’re all about good customer service and our renowned Southern hospitality.”

Sharplin said he’s excited about the company’s overall success. They witnessed a jump in occupancy in 2018 and 2019 already started off better than 2018.

“We hope to build off this success with the staff we have, including Elaine,” he said. “she brings a wide knowledge of the market to our team and is well respected.”

Sharpco Hotels Group’s properties include Best Western, Days Inn, Comfort Inn Suites, and Holiday Inn Express. To contact Elaine email esparks@sharpcohotels.com or call the sales office at 318-352-7532. For more information go online to sharpcohotels.com.

Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon is announcing the twelfth successful round of depopulation for the Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation (Citizens). As the state’s insurer of last resort, Citizens offers property insurance to any home or business owner that cannot otherwise obtain it, at rates adjusted annually to keep it noncompetitive with the private market.

“I’m pleased to announce the first depopulation under the new rules for the Take-Out Program,” said Commissioner Donelon. “We’ve worked closely with Citizens and the Legislature to ensure the stability of the Corporation for future storm seasons.”

During the annual depopulation process Citizens is required to open up its book of business and offer to transfer policies to the private market. This depopulation results in lower premiums for policyholders and reduces the potential for future assessments, which are charged to all property insurance consumers across the state when Citizens’ exposure exceeds their reinsurance coverage and cash availability. During the 2018 Regular Legislative Session, a measure was passed that made changes to the Citizens Take-Out Program.

Act 131 changes the Take-Out Program from a requirement to open their book of business each year into a possibility to offer policies to the voluntary market with governing board approval. It further allows Citizens to base their offerings on geographic and risk characteristics that reduce its exposure while allowing Citizens’ leadership to ensure that the insurer of last resort has sufficient infrastructure to fulfill its obligations following Louisiana’s next severe weather event.

According to Citizens, this year five companies requested 633 residential policies, from a pool of approximately 2,000 policies made available for depopulation. All five companies participating in this year’s round of depopulation have previously participated in the program. They are Access Home Insurance Company, Maison Insurance Company, Ocean Harbor Casualty Insurance Company, Safepoint Insurance Company, and Spinnaker Insurance Company. A letter from Citizens notifies consumers whose policies are selected for depopulation. Policyholders have until February 28, 2019 to opt out of moving to a private company and choose to stay with Citizens. 

About the Louisiana Department of Insurance:The Louisiana Department of Insurance works to improve competition in the state’s insurance market while assisting individuals and businesses with the information and resources they need to be informed consumers of insurance. As a regulator, the LDI enforces the laws that provide a fair and stable marketplace and makes certain that insurers comply with the laws in place to protect policyholders. You can contact the LDI by calling 1-800-259-5300.

NSU– Northwestern State’s home-opening baseball game against No. 1 LSU has been postponed because of rain and field conditions.

The game will be played at 6 p.m. on March 12 at Brown-Stroud Field. Northwestern State’s regularly scheduled game on that date against LSU-Alexandria also has been rescheduled for 6 p.m. March 13.

As stated on the tickets for the original Feb. 20 game against LSU, there is no refund policy. Tickets purchased for that game will be honored for the March 12 game OR another Northwestern State home game in the 2019 season.

The tickets do not need to be exchanged for new tickets. Fans are asked simply bring their tickets to the game and they will be accepted. The full ticket policy is available at http://www.nsudemons.com/ticketingpolicy.

For more information regarding the ticket policy, contact the Northwestern State Athletics Ticket Office at 318-357-4268 or email Assistant Athletic Director for Ticket Operations Mike Jacklich at jacklichm@nsula.edu.

Alexandria native Marie Gagnard, the first Louisiana product to become a professional tennis umpire, is the 2019 winner of the Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award presented by the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.

Gagnard has worked the U.S. Open 29 times since 1984, including the last 26 years in a row, being on court for seven championship singles finals. On June 8 during the Hall of Fame’s 2019 Induction Dinner and Ceremony in Natchitoches, she will become the 19th recipient of the Dixon Award since its inception in 2005.

A graduate of Alexandria’s Bolton High School and Pineville’s Louisiana College, Gagnard was the first ever tennis scholarship recipient at LC. She is a member of the Wildcat Athletic Association Hall of Fame and has been a professional tennis official for 37 years.

The Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award has been presented annually by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association’s 35-member Hall of Fame selection committee to an individual who has played a decisive role as a sports leader or administrator benefiting Louisiana and/or bringing credit to Louisiana on the national and international level.

Dixon Award winners are enshrined as Hall of Fame members and are featured in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Museum in Natchitoches. Gagnard is the Dixon Award’s second woman recipient, preceded in 2017 by college basketball administrator Sue Donohoe.

Gagnard will be among the 2019 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Class to be spotlighted in the annual Induction Dinner and Ceremonies on Saturday evening, June 8, at the Natchitoches Events Center. The Induction Dinner and Ceremonies are the highlight of the 2019 Induction Celebration beginning Thursday afternoon, June 6, with a regionally-televised (Cox Sports Television) press conference at the Hall of Fame museum at 800 Front Street in Natchitoches.

Five-time NFL Most Valuable Player Peyton Manning and former LSU football coach Les Miles, who won 77 percent of his games and a national championship in 11 seasons with the Tigers, join five-time USA Olympic volleyball standout Danielle Scott-Arruda among a star-studded group of eight competitive ballot inductees chosen for the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.

The LSHOF Class of 2019 also includes championship coaches Roger Cador (Southern University baseball) and Charles Smith (Alexandria-Peabody Magnet high school basketball), Louisiana Tech quarterback and Canadian Football League Hall of Fame member Matt Dunigan, along with LSU football great Max Fugler, an All-American on the Tigers’ 1958 national championship team, and T. Barrett “Teaberry” Porter, a member of the Rodeo Hall of Fame.

Also honored with enshrinement this summer are influential sportswriter and editor Philip Timothy and iconic Louisiana Tech broadcaster Dave Nitz, who were selected for the 2019 Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism

The 2019 Induction Class will be showcased in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Museum, operated by the Louisiana State Museum system in a partnership with the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. The striking $23 million, two-story, 27,500-square foot structure faces Cane River Lake in the National Historic Landmark District of Natchitoches and has garnered worldwide architectural acclaim and rave reviews for its contents since its grand opening during the 2013 Hall of Fame induction weekend.

Gagnard’s selection was jointly announced by Hall of Fame chairman Doug Ireland and LSWA president Lenny Vangilder. Last year’s Dixon Award recipient was Steve Gleason, the former New Orleans Saints player who has become globally acknowledged as one of the world’s leading advocates for people diagnosed with ALS, commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

Gagnard, a Lafayette resident, became the first Louisiana official to work a Grand Slam final in 2010, as a line judge during the U.S. Open women’s final.

Her involvement at the U.S. national championship is nearing 30 years in spite of the fact until 2012, she was not a full-time official, unlike most of her colleagues. She has worked one U.S. men’s singles final (2012) and six U.S. women’s singles finals, along with several doubles and mixed doubles finals.

Notably, she worked the fiery Naomi Osaka/Serena Williams championship match at the 2018 Open.

She was the first Louisiana resident to officiate at the Davis Cup (2006) world men’s national team competition and the Federation Cup (2007), the women’s equivalent.

Gagnard worked the Davis Cup in 2018, 2012, and 2009 and got her start in that prestigious international event with a 2006 match between the United States and Chile. She has also worked three Fed Cup matches, two in 2007 and one in 2008.

Gagnard was part of two state championship tennis teams at different competitive levels in 2009 – 7.5 and 8.5.

The 2019 Induction Celebration weekend will be hosted by the LSWA and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Foundation, the support organization for the Hall of Fame. The LSHOF Foundation was established as a 501 c 3 non-profit entity in 1975 and is governed by a statewide board of directors.

For information on participation and sponsorship opportunities, contact Foundation President/CEO Ronnie Rantz at 225-802-6040 or RonnieRantz@LaSportsHall.com. Standard and customized sponsorships are available.