Northwestern State coach Mike McConathy loves to sign Louisiana kids, and the Demons stayed in state with the addition of Scotlandville point guard Carvell Teasett.

Teasett led the Baton Rouge high school to two Division I state championships in the past two seasons.

The all-state selection averaged 15 points, three assists, three rebounds and two steals as a senior.

“This is a great day for the future of the NSU program with the addition of a player of Carvell’s caliber,” McConathy said. “Carvell is a winner, using unselfish leadership skills to guide his team to state championships while putting up great stats.

“He knows when to score and when to get the ball in his teammates hands. Carvell displays a calmness on the court and is a true competitor every day.”

With the 6-foot-1 guard running the show, Scotlandville compiled an 88-4 record in the past two seasons.

In this year’s title game, Teasett scored 20 points and made five 3-pointers as Scotlandville topped St. Augustine for the second year in a row in the Division I penultimate game.

Teasett shot 43 percent from long range this season, making 85 total for a Hornets’ team that was ranked No. 12 in the nation entering the state championship game.

“Carvell played for one the most successful high school programs in our state and has come to understand hard work and preparation playing for coach Carlos Sample,” McConathy said. “He is very talented in all areas of the game, but the most important thing is that he’s a winner.

“He takes advantage of what the defense gives him. He’s also a great on-the-ball defender.”

In Teasett’s junior season, the Hornets went 33-2 as Teasett averaged 19 points, five rebounds and three assists.

McConathy calls Teasett an “exact fit” for what NSU wants to add to its returning group, which could have as many as 14 of its 16 players that pushed the Demons to a fourth-place finish in the Southland Conference.

As a freshman, Teasett helped Southern Lab to the Class 1A state title game.

Teasett joins Captain Shreve post Kendal Coleman is NSU’s signing class.

“We look forward to the impact he’ll have in our program,” McConathy said. “He is a gym rat that truly loves to play the game.

“He has great family support at home, and he’s a very serious student that represents what student-athlete stands for.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Submitted photos

The Natchitoches Humane Society will hold a drive thru fundraiser at Raising Cane’s to feed the animals in their care on Tuesday, April 28 from 4-8 PM.

If you’re not able to get out during this time but want to help, you can order dog or cat food online and NHS members will pick it up curbside at Tractor Supply or Valley Farmers Co-op (318) 352-6426).

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/4health-small-bites-formula-adult-dog-food-35-lb-bag

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/4health-puppy-formula-dog-food-35-lb-bag

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/4health-all-life-stages-cat-food-18-lb-bag?cm_vc=-10005

Please note that the State Law limits number of people during the visitation period and attendance at the service to ten (10) or less and that social distancing be observed! This must be strictly enforced! Thank you in advance for your cooperation. It is designed for the safety of the family, our staff and the general public.

NATCHITOCHES:
William “Bill” Marshall Puls
October 19, 1934 – April 15, 2020
Arrangements TBA

SABINE:
Kenneth “Kenny” D. McCormick
November 27, 1936 – April 20, 2020
Arrangements TBA

WINN:
Jeanette Cook Horn
July 22, 1941 – April 20, 2020
Arrangements TBA

RED RIVER:
Sylvia Delores Davis
February 19, 1948 – April 20, 2020
Private Graveside Service: Thursday, April 23 at 10 am at Bethel Cemetery. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, a memorial service will be held at a later date.

After working with the President of the Senate, Speaker of the House, chairmen of both House and Senate committees, as well as the Attorney General, a temporary plan was announced by Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin, which is considered the best path forward to ensure voter access and maintenance of integrity and security in the election process.

● Emergency COVID-19 related excuse absentee-by-mail applications: For Louisiana voters affected by or concerned with the spread of COVID-19, a temporary, emergency application would allow those voters to receive an absentee ballot for the July and/or August elections. This plan covers five COVID-19 related excuses, drawn from CDC guidelines or federal legislation: those at higher risk for COVID-19 due to CDC-identified underlying health issues; those subject to medically necessary quarantines or isolation orders; those advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine; those experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and seeking diagnosis; those caring for certain individuals. Further, this plan requires a witness signature on the absentee ballot envelope flap.

● Expansion of in-person early voting: While maintaining the same voter ID requirements under current law, in-person early voting would be expanded from seven days to thirteen days to ensure maximum capability for social distancing. This includes three Saturdays of early voting for the July 11, 2020 and August 15, 2020 elections.

● Change of polling location for some voters: For voters who normally vote at polling locations associated with Louisiana’s senior population across several parishes, the polling place will be moved to a new location for the July and August elections. Voters affected by this change will be notified in a timely manner.

● Heightened precautions at in-person voting locations: For those who choose to take advantage of in-person voting, either during early voting or on election day, we are taking extra precautions to ensure the health and safety of polling commissioners and voters. This includes maintaining social distancing guidelines, offering hand sanitizer to voters, and distributing masks and gloves to polling commissioners.

For more information on what steps we are taking to conduct honest and fair elections during this pandemic, or to find out how you can vote in the July 11, 2020 and August 15, 2020 elections, head to GeauxVote.com.

Defend Against COVID-19

Stay home. Follow the Governor’s Stay at Home Order. Only leave your home if it is necessary for essential work or for essential items. Click here to read the Stay at Home order that expires on April 30.

Defend Against COVID-19. Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough and shortness of breath. Recognize the symptoms. Cover your cough. Wash your hands. Stay home especially if you are sick.

Maintain a Social Distance of 6ft. Social distancing means keeping 6ft. of physical space between yourself and others. This helps to prevent the spread of illness.

Notice is hereby given that the regular meeting of the Natchitoches Historic District Commission meeting scheduled for Monday, May 4, 2020 has been canceled. The next scheduled meeting is Monday, June 1, 2020.

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, (DOTD), advises the public that on Wednesday, April 22 construction will begin on LA 120 in Natchitoches Parish. This work will take place on the bridge located approximately 1.5 Miles West from the intersection of I-49 and LA 120 at the Bayou Julien Bridge.

The intent of this project is to remove timber trestle bridges, improve drainage structures, insert precast concrete piles, cast-in-place concrete slap span bridges, clear and grub, grading, apply in-place cement in the base and subgrade layers, apply lime treatment to the subgrade, and then apply asphalt concrete pavement followed by permanent striping on the roadway and other related work.

The public is advised to remain alert to construction signs and changing roadway conditions. LA 120 will remain closed at this location until further notice. This work is weather dependent.

The project was awarded to the low bidder, W.E. McDonald and Son, LLC, in the amount of $5,188,195.89.

Permit/Detour section
All through traffic will be detoured. The detour route will be I-49 and LA 478.

Safety Reminder
DOTD appreciates your patience and reminds you to please drive with caution through the construction site and be on the lookout for work crews and their equipment.

Additional Information
Call (318) 561-5100 or (800) 542-3509 or 511 or visit http://www.511LA.org for additional information.

The Jefferson Highway Association is its meeting the week of April 17 elected its newest Board Member. We are proud to announce that member is Arlene Gould from Natchitoches, Louisiana. Arlene was the special host of our 2019 conference in Natchitoches and also is a charter member of the Jefferson Highway Association.

Arlene started in the Hospitality Industry in Natchitoches, LA while studying at Northwestern State University and worked for Upper Crust Corp. assisting in opening several Mr. Gatti’s Restaurants located in Natchitoches, Shreveport, Bossier and Alexandria, La and stores located in Marshall, Lufkin and Nacogdoches, Texas.

Her food and beverage experience took her back to her hometown of New Orleans where she worked for the Doubletree Hotel overseeing the Food and Beverage outlets. Arlene continued her studies at the University of New Orleans Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Program and studied at Delgado Community College to become a licensed tour guide for the City of New Orleans.

Arlene later worked for LeMeridien Hotels and Resorts as Director of Human Resources and was responsible for the recruitment, orientation, training, benefits administration and employee counseling for over 300 employees in New Orleans before transferring to LeMeridien Hotel in Beverly Hills where she lived and worked for 5 years before returning to Natchitoches.

Upon her return to Natchitoches she was Curator at Melrose Plantation, a National Historic Landmark and worked with APHN (Association for Preservation of Historic Natchitoches) before joining the Natchitoches Convention and Visitors Bureau.

In addition to the Jefferson Highway Association Arlene serves as a board member for Louisiana Travel Association and the Louisiana Association for Convention and Visitors Bureaus. Arlene’s hobbies include spoiling her nieces, nephews and dogs, traveling, cooking and photography. She has been to 16 countries and 22 states and claims she hasn’t been everywhere but it’s on her list.

We are now honored to have her on our Board of Directors from the great state of Louisiana.

The Jefferson Highway Association, named after Thomas Jefferson, was formed in 1915 to build a highway from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada to New Orleans, Louisiana, in the United States. The highway was the idea of Edwin T. Meredith (of Iowa), publisher of Successful Farming and Better Homes and Gardens and later Secretary of Agriculture under President Woodrow Wilson, who thought the highway would be economically beneficial to the region’s farmers.

In November of 1915 a meeting was held with representatives from all the Louisiana Purchase states to organize an association for the purpose of constructing an international highway from Winnipeg in Canada to New Orleans, Louisiana.

Flash forward to March of 2011. Thanks to the hard work of Mike Conlin, interested individuals met in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, to discuss the re-birth of the Jefferson Highway Association. They wrote the current by-laws and elected the first executive board of officers at this meeting.

The Jefferson Highway Association is organized exclusively for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes and shall work for and promote the preservation of the Jefferson Highway in the United States of America and Canada.

By Vatican News

Pope Francis has appointed Father Robert Marshall as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Alexandria, Louisiana, in the USA. Bishop-elect Marshall succeeds Bishop David Talley, who was appointed by Pope Francis as Bishop of Memphis in March 2019.

Bishop-elect Marshall was born in Memphis, Tennessee on June 17, 1959. He attended Christian Brothers University in Memphis (1977-1980) where he received a Bachelor of Arts in History. In 1983, he received a Juris Doctorate from the Humphreys School of Law at the University of Memphis, and a Master of Divinity from Notre Dame Seminary in New Orleans in 2000. Prior to entering seminary, Father Marshall worked as a civil attorney. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 10, 2000 for the Diocese of Memphis.

Father Marshall’s assignments in the Diocese of Memphis after ordination include: Parochial Vicar at Incarnation Church in Collierville (2000-2002); Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Humboldt and St. Matthew Parish in Milan (2002-2004); Pastor of the Church of the Ascension in Memphis (2004-2012); Pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Cordova (2012-2017); and Parochial Administrator of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Memphis (2017-2019). Since 2019, Bishop-elect Marshall has served as Vicar General for the Diocese of Memphis and Pastor of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

The Diocese of Alexandria comprises 11,108 square miles in the State of Louisiana with a total population of 389,837 of which 35,402 are Catholic.

In a world where most things have been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, graduation will actually come two weeks early for 123 Practical Nursing students at Central Louisiana Technical Community College (CLTCC).

Mignonne Ater, Dean of Nursing and Allied Health based at the school’s Ferriday Campus, said the original date for graduation was May 13. “Two weeks may not sound like a lot, but when you are looking for employment it can be significant. We are glad we were able to do this for our students and communities.”

Ater noted that due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Louisiana State Board of Practical Nurse Examiners is issuing temporary licensure for Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN) in an effort to bolster the number of healthcare workers available.

“Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a need for LPNs in acute care and especially in long-term care,” Ater said. “On March 13, just before the pandemic restrictions, we had a regional career fair in Alexandria and at that point there was a big demand for LPNs. I do expect that demand is still there.”

Seven of the eight CLTCC campuses offer an LPN program, and of those six had classes set to graduate in mid-May. All six of those campuses – Alexandria, Ferriday, Huey P. Long in Winnfield, Lamar Salter in Leesville, Ward H. Nash-Avoyelles Campus in Cottonport, and Rod Brady in Jena – were able to complete their programs in time for a May 1 graduation.

“We have not reduced any hours or coursework,” Ater noted. “We were able to expedite the program without the need to impact instruction.”

With students not meeting on campus due to restrictions put in place across the state to slow the spread of COVID-19, instruction shifted to online classes and virtual simulations. That shift actually helped open the door for the accelerated timeline. “It just worked out. With the students not being in traditional clinicals and performing approved virtual simulations it provided opportunities to complete by the May 1 date,” Ater said.

“Students are definitely excited about being able to complete early and enter the workforce,” Ater said. With the temporary licensure process, she said students could be working as soon as two weeks after they graduate.

While the graduation date has been moved up, due to current social distancing guidelines a formal graduation ceremony will be postponed. “Normally we would have a pinning ceremony,” Ater said. “That is on hold for now, but we do plan to find a way to celebrate face to face when this pandemic is over.”

“We are very proud of our Practical Nursing students, instructors, and campus leaders for answering the call to serve in this pandemic. These nursing professions are at the heart of Cenla’s essential workforce in the fight against COVID-19,” said Jimmy Sawtelle, CLTCC Chancellor.

After exploring all the possible options and consulting with other academic camps in the state and nation, the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 sessions of Summer @LSMSA as the nation continues to battle COVID-19.

“It is unfortunate that we have had to come to this decision, but the health and well-being of our campers, their families, and our staff is very important to us,” said Thorn LaCaze, Summer @LSMSA Director. “We look forward to delivering the LSMSA experience to middle schoolers again next summer.”

More than 80% of the registrations were filled at the time of cancellation by middle school students across the state. All registrants will receive a full refund of their payments toward the $399 registration fee.

Summer @LSMSA has been a very popular option for students looking for academic enrichment in June. The camp is open to any student currently in grades 6, 7, or 8 who is interested in exploratory learning with some of the nation’s top ranked teachers. More details on our popular summer camp can be found at http://www.LSMSA.edu/Summer.

Picture: Emma Guillory, of Mamou, on left, and Elizabeth Orgeron, of Thibodeaux, demonstrate their “war cry” during a Gladiator Battle activity at Summer @LSMSA 2019.

Northwestern State University hosted a historic landscapes consultant earlier this year to move forward with an initiative to complete a campus tree survey.

David Driapsa is a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), a past national chair of the ASLA Historic Preservation Professional Practice Network and past ASLA national chair/coordinator of the Historic American Landscapes Survey. Driapsa conducted a tree survey to create a digital map of trees on the NSU campus. The project will eventually tie into the Grits and Mary Ryan Gresham Bird Trail and serve as a guide for future tree plantings and replacements of heritage tree species.

“This mapping involves several related, sequential and coordinated tasks,” Driapsa explained. “The first task occurred prior to my arriving on campus, which involved updating in digital format an AutoCAD map of the 333 acres of campus lying within the project boundaries between University Parkway, Chaplin’s Lake, and Tarlton Drive.”

Driapsa carried the updated map into the field to record tree measurements and fields notes and further update the campus map during that course of his work.

“The campus map that I produced for this project actually is a set of 10 sheets of drawings at the scale of 50 feet to the inch,” he said. “I also produced an overall map of the entire project area at the scale of 200 feet to the inch. Dogwood Valley is another map that I have prepared, this at the large scale of 20 feet to the inch.”

The tree survey initiative began last fall when NSU’s Student Government Association received a grant from the Cane River National Heritage Area in partnership with the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. The project will serve as a base map for the planning and routing of one or more campus tree and bird trails and serve as a guide for future tree plantings and replacements of heritage tree species.

On campus, Driapsa measured the diameter of tree trunks with a flexible tape measure that translates the tree circumference to tree diameter.

“Each day I measured trees on campus, then I transferred that field data collected into AutoCAD, building up my digital database of trees on the NSU campus,” Driapsa said. “I had given myself a month, but, with the rising global pandemic, I consistently worked through long days and the weekends to successfully complete my goal of data collection.”

With the fieldwork completed and the data entered into AutoCAD as a digital map, Driapsa’s final tasks are to create the presentation graphics phase that will complete the project.

“With these tasks now completed, I have turned to analysis and to producing the graphic arts to identify heritage trees, surviving trees planted by [NSU biology professors} H.J. Young and George Williamson in the first half of 20th century, trees planted by NSU professors between the 1950s to 1980s and all the existing trees on campus,” he said.

Tree planting on the NSU campus dates back to at least the early 1900s. Many large trees survive in the Normal Hill Historic District surrounding the site of the former Bullard mansion, where the school was established. At one time over 150 species of trees existed on the campus.

The early tree plantings by Young and Williamson pre-dated or coincided with plantings by the Federal New Deal Era Public Works Administration in the late 1930s to early 1940s. Dr. George Ware is credited with planting trees during the 1950s-1960s. Another planting of campus trees occurring during the 1970s-1980s is attributed to Robert Daspit.

“Dr. Ware arranged the first tree walk in 1966. Bob Despit arranged a tree walk used from the 1970s to the 1980s and the most recent tree walk was arranged in 2018 by Dick Stalling,” Driapsa said. “I am adding a separate layer in AutoCAD coded to show unique, heritage and interesting specimen trees that will be included in an updated tree walk. Accessibility will a priority, with alternative loops currently under study to render the entire tree walk accessible.”

NSU SGA President Jacob Ellis said the project will enhance the beauty and value of the campus for years to come.

“It will hopefully encourage students to get outside more and lead healthier lives,” Ellis said.

David Driapsa, a landscape architect and consultant and expert in historic preservation planning, conducted a survey and is creating a digital map of trees on the Northwestern State University campus. The map will serve as a base for the planning and routing of one or more campus tree and bird trails and serve as a guide for future tree plantings and replacements of heritage tree species.

At a recent Covid-19 press conference Gov. John Bel Edwards proclaimed that Louisianans were just going to have to accept “living in a new normal” for an indefinite period of time. An April 16th CNN online column declared that “the new normal” would include mass temperature checks, mandatory use of face masks, and admitted Orwellian government monitoring of cellphone locations in the guise of protecting public health. The World Health Organization also continues to push this narrative with WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom stating that his organization was focused on seeing that “communities are fully educated, engaged and empowered to adjust to the new normal.”

While there is no doubt that the Covid-19 virus has disrupted our lives and created a great deal of angst and anxiety about the days to come, we must be vigilant in seeing that our future as a state and nation is shaped and defined by “We the People” and not by government bureaucrats, liberal pundits, or power-hungry politicians. Last week President Trump released his guidelines for Opening Up America Again, a three-phase plan based on facts and verifiable data designed to re-start the economy and restore our personal liberties in a manner that also protects public health.

In my opinion, Governor Edwards has thus far shown impressive leadership ability and has done a good job of keeping the public informed about the impacts of this devastating viral outbreak on our state. The drastic measures initially undertaken to “flatten the curve” have been successful, and we are now in a position to adopt President Trump’s recommendations and begin opening up Louisiana again before our state economy plunges to a depth from which it may never recover. The time to act is now, and I strongly encourage the governor to let his Stay at Home Executive Order expire on April 30th and allow local officials to determine the best course of action for their parish or municipality.

So what is the new normal going to look like for District 22? I hope it looks a lot like the old normal – only better. I am a firm believer in American ingenuity, perseverance, and self-reliance. I believe that the pioneer spirit that drove our forefathers across the high seas in pursuit of freedom, liberty, and equality still lives in our hearts and minds. I believe the words spoken by President Truman following the end of WW2 still ring true today – “America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination, and unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.”

I pray that this deadly virus will be eradicated from our land, as I pray that we will be united with an iron will and unwavering resolve to move forward not with a spirit of fear, but with a spirit of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. I am looking forward to returning to the old normal and to the simple things citizens of District 22 enjoy so much – things like a cup of coffee with the Urania Knotheads, lunch at Red River Livestock in Coushatta, fried catfish at Lakewood Inn on Black Lake, strolling down Front Street in Natchitoches, little league baseball in Pollock, and worshipping our Sovereign God in church with friends and family.

The Internal Revenue Service today issued a special alert for several groups of federal benefit recipients to act by this Wednesday, April 22, if they didn’t file a tax return in 2018 or 2019 and have dependents so they can quickly receive the full amount of their Economic Impact Payment.

Their $1,200 payments will be issued soon and, in order to add the $500 per eligible child amount to these payments, the IRS needs the dependent information before the payments are issued. Otherwise, their payment at this time will be $1,200 and, by law, the additional $500 per eligible child amount would be paid in association with a return filing for tax year 2020.

Following extensive work by the IRS and other government agencies, $1,200 automatic payments will be starting soon for those receiving Social Security retirement, survivor or disability benefits (SSDI), Railroad Retirement benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Veterans Affairs beneficiaries who didn’t file a tax return in the last two years. No action is needed by these groups; they will automatically receive their $1,200 payment.

For those benefit recipients with children who aren’t required to file a tax return, an extra step is needed to quickly add $500 per eligible child onto their automatic payment of $1,200.

For people in these groups who have a qualifying child and didn’t file a 2018 or 2019 tax return, they have a limited window to register to have $500 per eligible child added automatically to their soon-to-be-received $1,200 Economic Impact Payment. A quick trip to a special non-filer tool on IRS.gov by noon Eastern time, Wednesday, April 22, for some of these groups may help put all of their eligible Economic Income Payment into a single payment.

“We want to ‘Plus $500’ these recipients with children so they can get their maximum Economic Impact Payment of $1,200 plus $500 for each eligible child as quickly as possible,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. “They’ll get $1,200 automatically, but they need to act quickly and register at IRS.gov to get the extra $500 per child added to their payment. These groups don’t normally have a return filing obligation and may not realize they qualify for a larger payment. We’re asking people and organizations throughout the country to share this information widely and help the IRS with the Plus $500 Push.”

To help spread the word to recipients with children about this special “Plus $500 Push,” the IRS has additional material available on a special partners page that can be shared with friends, family members and community groups. This effort will focus on the initial April 22 deadline and continue this spring to reach as many people as possible since the child payments will continue to be made in the weeks and months ahead.

Have a child but don’t file a tax return? Visit IRS.gov now

Those receiving federal benefits – including Social Security retirement, survivor or disability benefits (SSDI), Railroad Retirement benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Veterans Administration benefits – who have with children and who weren’t required file a tax return in 2018 or 2019 should visit the Non-Filer: Enter Payment Info Here tool on IRS.gov. By quickly taking steps to enter information on the IRS website about them and their qualifying children, they can receive the $500 per dependent child payment automatically in addition to their $1,200 individual payment. Otherwise, their payment at this time will be $1,200 and, by law, the additional $500 per eligible child amount would be paid in association with a return filing for tax year 2020.

First window affects SSA/RRB recipients with children; SSI and VA recipients have slightly more time to add $500 to automatic payments

For certain SSA / RRB beneficiaries who don’t normally file a tax return and do not register with the IRS by April 22, they will still be eligible to receive the separate payment of $500 per qualifying child. For those who miss the April 22 deadline, their payment at this time will be $1,200 and, by law, the additional $500 per eligible child amount would be paid in association with a return filing for tax year 2020. They will not be eligible to use the Non-Filer tool to add eligible children once their $1,200 payment has been issued.

SSI and VA beneficiaries have some additional time beyond April 22 to add their children since their $1,200 automatic payments will be made at a later date. SSI recipients will receive their automatic payments in early May, and the VA payment schedule for beneficiaries who receive Compensation and Pension (C&P) benefit payments is still being determined. If they have children and aren’t required to file a tax return, both groups are urged to use the Non-Filer tool as soon as possible. Once their $1,200 payment has been issued, they will not be eligible to use the Non-Filer tool to add eligible children. Their payment will be $1,200 and, by law, the additional $500 per eligible child amount would be paid in association with a return filing for tax year 2020.

No action needed by most taxpayers

The Treasury Department will make these automatic payments to SSA, SSI, RRB and VA recipients. Recipients will generally receive the automatic $1,200 payments by direct deposit, Direct Express debit card or by paper check, just as they would normally receive their benefits.

For information about Social Security retirement, survivors and disability insurance beneficiaries, please visit the SSA website at SSA.gov. For more information related to veterans and their beneficiaries who receive Compensation and Pension (C&P) benefit payments from VA, please visit VA.gov.

Watch out for scams related to Economic Impact Payments

The IRS urges taxpayers to be on the lookout for scams related to the Economic Impact Payments. There is no fee required to receive these payments.

Please note that the State Law limits number of people during the visitation period and attendance at the service to ten (10) or less and that social distancing be observed! This must be strictly enforced! Thank you in advance for your cooperation. It is designed for the safety of the family, our staff and the general public.

NATCHITOCHES:
William “Bill” Marshall Puls
October 19, 1934 – April 15, 2020
Arrangements TBA

Mark Fox
April 17, 2020
Arrangements TBA

Eloise Armstrong
April 19, 2020
Arrangements TBA

Bernadine W. Peters
April 17, 2020
Arrangements TBA

Adell Sims Scott
April 15, 2020
Arrangements TBA

L. V. Jackson
April 14, 2020
Arrangements TBA

Mary Isaac
March 31, 2020
Arrangements TBA

Florida Mae Brown
September 2, 1944 – March 19, 2020
Arrangements TBA

RED RIVER:
Sylvia Delores Davis
February 19, 1948 – April 20, 2020
Private Graveside Service: Thursday, April 23 at 10 am at Bethel Cemetery. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, a memorial service will be held at a later date.

Defend Against COVID-19

Stay home. Follow the Governor’s Stay at Home Order. Only leave your home if it is necessary for essential work or for essential items. Click here to read the Stay at Home order that expires on April 30.

Defend Against COVID-19. Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough and shortness of breath. Recognize the symptoms. Cover your cough. Wash your hands. Stay home especially if you are sick.

Maintain a Social Distance of 6ft. Social distancing means keeping 6ft. of physical space between yourself and others. This helps to prevent the spread of illness.

The Parish Council met via teleconference on Monday, April 20. The most prominent agenda items dealt with Payne Subdivison’s streets and sewer system.

The Council adopted Ordinance No. 005-2020 creating Natchitoches Parish Sewer District No. 2, establishing the geographical boundaries of the District, creating a Board of Commissioners to manage the District and establishing the makeup and the authority of the Board.

This is a step in the right direction toward the Payne Subdivision Sewer System being fixed and properly managed.

The other item the Council approved was to award the contract to Tarver Industries, LLC, of Alexandria for the resurfacing of Payne Subdivision, Phase 2 for a total of contract of $848,037.97.

Other agenda items included:

Council to confirm the appointment of Mr. Brian Benefield to replace Mr. Justin Shilling on the Fire District No. 1 Board.
Council to confirm the appointment of Mr. Wayne Ocon to replace Mr. Bubba Ivy on the Fire District No. 7 Board.
Council to confirm the appointment of Mr. John Louis Morgan to replace Mr. Matthew Faircloth on the Fire District No. 1 Board.
Council to award bids for the following Highway Items:

Base Coarse Aggregate SB2 —-Madden
Bottom Ash——————–Charah
Crushed Stone
Stone Riprap 3X5————–Big 4
Stone Rip Rap 30lb————Madden
Base Coarse Aggregate Glauconite (Green Rock)————Big 4
Silty Clay Soil—————FFT Trucking
Grader Blades—————–Doggett
DEF Fluid———————Fastenal

First Introduction of proposed Ordinances:

Council to Introduce Ordinance No. 006-2020 to effect a zoning change from I-A Industry-Agriculture District to a B-1 Business District for the purpose of establishing a medical clinic on a 2.62 acre tract of land, parcel #0063008500, situated in Section 9, T8N, R9W along Highway 6 in Robeline, as shown on the Survey attached hereto, approved by the Parish Planning Commission on April 6, 2020.

Items that did not make it on the agenda(needed to be a unanimous vote to add it to the agenda)included the following:

Council to consider approving permanent relocation of Creston polling place to Creston Baptist Church (Patsy Ward Hoover voted against).

Enter into an agreement with Attorney Tony Tillman pertaining to donation of Payne Subdivision Sewer System from TESI (Patsy Ward Hoover voted against).

The City of Natchitoches would like to notify the public that East Fifth Street from Stephens Avenue to Henry Boulevard will be closed again to traffic this week beginning Tuesday, April 21st for Lawler Construction to cut and cap the existing waterline and connect customers to the new water main. Traffic will be detoured to Williams Avenue until the job is completed.

The road closure will start beginning at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, April 21 and will remain closed until Thursday, April 23 at 12 p.m.

During this road closure, traffic may detour around the work site via Williams Avenue or any of the other adjacent city streets. When traveling near the work zone, motorists are advised to exercise caution and to observe all warning signs and flagger instructions.

For more information, please contact the Mayor’s office at (318) 352-2772.

By Brad Dison

In the 1960s and 1970s, everyone, it seemed, was interested in the space program. With Sputnik, the Russians put the first artificial satellite into orbit around the Earth. A Russian cosmonaut became the first human to journey into outer space. American astronauts, not to be outdone by the Russians, accepted the challenge with the creation of NASA, and made many firsts in the space race including the first photographs of the Earth from space and the first spacewalk. President John F. Kennedy pledged “before the decade is out of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth,” a feat Americans accomplished in July, 1969. The space race continued in the 1970s with astronauts and cosmonauts making several trips to the Moon.

The excitement of the space program in the 1960s and 1970s was waning in the 1980s. Television stations no longer interrupted regular scheduled programming with rocket or space shuttle launches, transmissions from space, or landings. For many people, space exploration had become boring. Children, especially, had a hard time relating to and even understanding the tedious technical jargon the astronauts used. NASA searched for ways to boost children’s interest in space exploration and the space program.

On November 10, 1969, PBS began airing Sesame Street, a children’s educational television series which featured interactions between Muppets and humans. Big Bird has been a featured character on Sesame Street since its debut. The popularity of Sesame Street soared. The show’s audience grew to include people in about 150 countries. Children all over the world recognized and loved Big Bird.

In the early 1980s, a representative of NASA contacted Caroll Spinney, the man who performed Big Bird from 1969 to 2018. NASA proposed that they send Caroll along with the Big Bird costume into orbit around the Earth. The plan was for Big Bird to make a worldwide television broadcast from space. Big Bird would be and “outer-space ambassador to children all over the world.” Caroll talked the proposition over with Debra Gilroy, his wife and manager. They both agreed that it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that he could not pass up. “All kids loved Big Bird,” Caroll later explained, “but not all kids loved NASA. It’s not as exciting as ‘Star Wars’.” Return of the Jedi, the third installment in the Star Wars franchise, was playing in theaters when Nasa representatives contacted Caroll. After their short discussion, Caroll and Debra decided that Big Bird would go into space.

Scientists at NASA began working on the logistics of putting Big Bird into orbit. NASA faced two challenges with this plan; Caroll would have to undergo extensive training at NASA, and the scientists would have to get the 8-foot 2-inch Big Bird costume to fit into the storage compartments of the space shuttle. Caroll recalled that “the space shuttle was like being in two vans put together. There’s not a lot of room.” Scientists used a mockup of the space shuttle and filled it with mock ups of all of the experiments and equipment that would be aboard on the mission. Finally, they looked for room to store the Big Bird costume. Scientists rearranged as much as possible on the shuttle but eventually concluded that the Big Bird costume was just too large to fit in the cramped storage spaces on the space shuttle. NASA cancelled Big Bird’s trip into space.

NASA scientists eventually decided on a different program called Teacher in Space. They reviewed applications from over 11,000 teachers and selected a Social Studies teacher from Concord, New Hampshire, called Christa McAuliffe. On January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger lifted off from the launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. 73 Seconds into the flight, the space shuttle disintegrated and killed everyone on board including Christa McAuliffe, Big Bird’s replacement.

Sources:
The Alexandria Town Talk, January 3, 1986, p.39.
Florida Today, January 29, 1986, p.1.
Hartford Courant, June 10, 2015, p.D1.
“John F. Kennedy ‘Landing a Man on the Moon’ Address to Congress – May 25, 1961.” Video, 3:46. https://youtu.be/TUXuV7XbZvU.
I Am Big Bird: the Caroll Spinney Story. Directed by Dave LaMattina and Chad Walker. New York City, New York: Copper Pot Pictures, 2015