Lakeview Jr./Sr. High School cordially invites the community of Campti and the surrounding areas to come out for a FREE barbecue event on Thursday, May 23 at 6 pm to meet the new school principal, Chase Stepp.

The barbecue dinner will be provided by Sweetie’s BBQ at 6:30pm. The event will be held in the Lakeview High School’s multipurpose room. This is a great opportunity for students, staff, and families to get to know their new principal in a fun and interactive way.

The Natchitoches Parish School Board will also be conducting a Town Hall Meeting at Lakeview Jr./Sr. High School at 6pm to gain insight from community members regarding the district’s progress during the 2023-2024 school year.

Come on out and enjoy an evening of food, fun, and great conversations!

The Special Events Committee of Campti is proud to present the inaugural Hometown Heroes Awards Banquet scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 19. This new annual event honors community members from business, education, public service, and the neighborhood. These heroes have continued to believe in Campti by performing heroic and extraordinary acts of kindness. A community is so much more than just a group of people: it’s the spirit created when everyone works together with their neighbors to help one another. In Campti, some individuals are driven to volunteer, motivate, create, and donate to their hometown. We call these special people Hometown Heroes. Sometimes the best Heroes aren’t on a big screen, they’re right in your own backyard. It’s important to honor people in small towns who are truly making a difference. From inspiring kids to protecting the nation, everyday Heroes can make a big difference. Campti believes small towns are the heart and soul of America, and believes it’s time they received recognition. It’s important to honor people in small towns who are truly making a difference.

Mission and Values

Campti’s Hometown Hero Awards Banquet celebrates individuals who embody the spirit of philanthropy. These individuals show a remarkable commitment in both their personal and professional lives to improving the community while continuing to preserve and promote the history of the great town and create a better home for everyone in the future through the work they do today.

The Northwestern Hills Golf Course will hold a Natchitoches Youth Golf Camp June 4-6 from 8:30-11 :30 am, sponsored by Natchitoches Golf Association.

The camp is open to girls and boys ages 7-15. The fee is $60 a person.

Attendees will focus on skill work on putting, chipping and driving. Instructors will spend time each day on the three. Youth golf clubs are available to any child that might need them for the golf camp. There will be a Drive, Chip and Putt contest at the end of each day. Snacks and cold drinks will be provided.

The Natchitoches Art Guild began the first of its “Paint and Plant” events at Natchitoches’ Fort St Jean Baptiste Wednesday, May 15. The group planted a sapling on the fort’s grounds and then spent the day painting various scenes that caught their artistic interest.

The Natchitoches Art Guild will return to the fort to plant and paint a second tree. Other areas to be planted and painted include the NSU campus and the downtown riverbank. Art and planting trees is a winning combination for our city!

Louisiana Revised Statutes 44:35 provides:

A. Any person who has been denied the right to inspect, copy, reproduce, or obtain a copy or reproduction of a record under the provisions of this Chapter, either by a determination of the custodian or by the passage of five days, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal public holidays, from the date of his in-person, written, or electronic request without receiving a determination in writing by the custodian or an estimate of the time reasonably necessary for collection, segregation, redaction, examination, or review of a records request, may institute proceedings for the issuance of a writ of mandamus, injunctive or declaratory relief, together with attorney fees, costs and damages as provided for by this Section, in the district court for the parish in which the office of the custodian is located.

B. In any suit filed under Subsection A above, the court has jurisdiction to enjoin the custodian from withholding records or to issue a writ of mandamus ordering the production of any records improperly withheld from the person seeking disclosure. The court shall determine the matter de nova and the burden is on the custodian to sustain his action. The court may view the documents in controversy in camera before reaching a decision. Any noncompliance with the order of the court may be punished as contempt of court.

An informed citizenry provides a bulwark against official corruption and holds officials accountable, two elements essential to democratic government. – N.L.R.B. v. Robbins Tire & Rubber Co., 437 U.S. 214, 98 S.Ct. 2311 (1978).

FINAL JUDGMENT – STATUTORY PENALTIES AND ATTORNEY’S FEES

Plantiff: William Alan Pesnell and Douglass Wade Pesnell

Defendants: Ronnie Williams, Jr. and Stacy McQuery

Relief Requested: Attorney’s Fees, Costs and Cost of the Court

Relief: Granted

Awarded: $5,705.00 in attorney fees, $21.50 in expenses and civil penalties in the amount of $800.00.

Please view and read the attached court documents
Final Judgement
Written Reasons for Judgement – A MUST READ

PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST: 10th Judicial Court awards Cost & Fees against the Ronnie Williams Administration

The Natchitoches Parish School Board recognized the Lakeview Boys/Girls Basketball teams, Teacher of the Year recipients. 

At the May 7 committee meeting Superintendent Dr. Grant Eloi presented his report to the board. This included an update on the Goldonna community, which recently passed its millage to keep the doors to the Godonna Elementary School open. Superintendent Eloi spoke to the board of staffing issues. Currently 60 percent of their staff has either signed contracts with other schools [in and out of Natchitoches Parish] or is in the process of exiting the school. 

“We are concerned about opening that school with effective and/or certified personnel,” he said. He will keep the board up to date on the situation over the next three meetings. “We do obviously believe it’s probably out of possible fear because of what’s gone on for the past few months,” Eloi added.

There’s been an eight-student decrease from February, although there hasn’t been concern from parents looking to pull their children from the school. The numbers will continue to be monitored.

Agenda items included:

TABLED – Motion to approve moving to HUB International as the new Cafeteria Plan management provider starting August 2024 with open enrollment. 

Allow bidding to start immediately on replacement of existing A/C systems at NCHS contingent upon approval by LDOE for ESSER III funding

TABLED – Approve updated Salary Schedule for 2024-2025

TABLED – Accept 1)purchase offer from Bruce Petes on land on Hwy 9, Creston LA for $3,500 and 2) offer from Crystal Gayle Malone for land on Flora-Natchez Rd, Natchez LA for $6,000 and authorize Dr. Grant Eloi to sign all closing documents required to transfer ownership.

Approve Change order #2 for the HVAC/Bathroom remodel for the Central Office covering new energy efficient windows, additional data and electrical receptacles, fix and roof leaks

Approve Change Order #3 – Energy Efficient Windows for the Central Office renovations to increase the A/C efficiency contingent upon LDOE approval.

Approve resolution for canvassing the returns and declaring the results of the special election held in Consolidated School District No. 7 of the Parish of Natchitoches, State of Louisiana,on Saturday, April 27, 2024, to authorize the levy of a special tax therein.

Approve amended teacher relocation stipend policy.

Approve NPSB’s LDOE MFP differentiated pay distribution for instructional staff.

TABLED – Approve recommendations for Simbli Policy 814.60-Student Participation in Athletic Programs.

TABLED – Approve recommendations to Simbli Policy 814.70-Substance Testing of Athletes.

Approve Superintendent’s recommended procedures for delayed start due to weather or other circumstances in the 2024-2025 school year.

Approve updated job descriptions for all non-school domiciled district positions.

Their hats kept getting dirtier.

With every practice and with every game, their little black hats with the orange oriole on the fronts got a little nastier, a little older, a little more broken in, a little more grown up.

First a film of dusty beige from the opener, the game against the team in the dark blue jerseys. Infield dirt from the game against the Maroon Team. More from the game against the Greens. And the best dirt of all, the dirt that came from playing the feared Red Team, the ’27 Yankees of the 7-and-8-year-olds Coach Pitch B League.

Some hats were wet from Icees and sweat. Some were sticky, too, but not from resin or pine tar: from candy.

They were great hats.

I had never coached people this little. They’d never played anything but T-ball. So there were awkward moments, like at the first practice.

“When you play catcher, you’ll be required to wear an athletic cup.”

Puzzled looks. I was the teacher and had just introduced long division.

“Ask your parents,” I said. A good coach knows how to delegate responsibility.

Second practice: No one wanted to play catcher.

That second practice was probably our most important one of the season. The reason: each guy made up his own nickname.

The Bruiser. The Heat. Rookie. Rocket. Hotball. Fastball. The Smacker. The Blur, later changed to The Flash because, well, ballplayers will just do that sometimes. It’s a “feel” thing. You don’t ask.

Other nicknames were more mysterious. Top Catch. Dragonman. Hammerhead. The Point. Their meanings were known only to God, to administrators at the highest level of the Little League organization, and to the boys who proudly wore the nicknames in white letters pressed on the sleeves of their orange jerseys.

Those jerseys. Some wore them game day or not, along with white baseball pants and cap. Every weekday morning since the season started, I felt I was dropping my son off at a Catholic baseball school.

There were moments. The classic run-it-in from right field instead of throw it. Orioles seeing who could throw his glove the highest — during a game. An outfielder lying down in the inviting right field grass while a batter, no enemy of his, dug in. The evening Hammerhead looked at me after I struck him out on a pitch three feet outside and said politely on his way back to the dugout, his bat on his fragile shoulder, his helmet swallowing his head, “That wasn’t a very good pitch, sir.” 

Heart sinkage.

Aside from the occasional whiff, we ended up being pretty good. And we seemed to have fun: We high-fived all the time and showed up looking sharp and practiced hard and played hard, and even though we weren’t supposed to keep score, I could see them over there in the dugout counting on their little fingers. We made some errors but we hit some homers, too, some frozen ropes, some shots. We ran the bases and we slide and we crossed home, and we never met a snack we didn’t like.

Dirty hats. The rhythmic smacking of gum around the diamond. Those swings from the heels, the swings of boys with big dreams.

And now it’s over. Just that quickly. We break for fishing and card-playing and a few public appearances, all the things ballplayers do in the long and lonely off-season.

We’ll gather again in the spring, and they’ll be fine boys, I’m sure, and it will be fun, but it won’t be the exact same group. It won’t be the exact same ’97 Orioles.

They gave me a spring to bronze and fold up and stick in my pocket and remember. And to them my hat, much older and (sad to say) much cleaner than theirs, is forever off.

(June 3, 1997)

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

The Natchitoches Parish Tourist Commission held a special called meeting on May 14, entering into executive session to discuss matters related to the search for the new executive director for the Natchitoches Convention and Visitors Bureau. Retiring Executive Director Arlene Gould’s last day is June 28. The commission will vote to choose the candidate to fill her position at its May 21 regularly scheduled meeting.

Just like NBA player Alan Iverson once said, ”We’re talking about practice?” Yes, today we’re talking about practice and how important it can be for an angler to be successful.  My recent 11^th-place finish at Sam Rayburn in the ABA Pro League was a reminder of just how important practice can be.

The problem with practice this time of year (spring) is that conditions can change overnight, or worse, by the hour. But nevertheless, we will see how time on the water is important to being successful and how we as anglers must keep an open mind, especially on tournament day.

Let’s start with Day 1 of practice. Conditions were very mild with warm daily temperatures reaching the lower 80’s and a mild northwest wind at 5 to 10 mph. But one thing that would be a definite factor in this event was the rising water level.

The East Texas region had been inundated with torrential rain the week of this event with as much as 10 inches falling just north of Sam Rayburn. This created a much-needed steady rise all across Sam Rayburn. The lake had been approximately 6.5 feet low prior to this tournament, creating all sorts of obstacles for anglers to navigate around, making for some nervous boat rides. 

I made a decision to go shallow and shrink the lake by limiting my options and fishing fairly close to the tournament site. I wanted to really get into an area, learn it, and figure out what the bass were doing in this particular part of the lake. This proved to be a very productive move as there was plenty of cover with patches of lily pads and hydrilla in several pockets I had chosen to concentrate on.

Now with rising water on any lake, bass have a tendency to move up and head for the shallows. First thing I realized on Day 1 of practice was there were a good number of quality bass roaming the shallows as I caught a few fish in the 3-to-4-pound range. Based off a previous event I researched from the week before, I noticed the weights were down and that 12 to 14 pounds would probably be good enough to get a check.

Over a two-day period of practice, I found three areas holding quality fish and decided to rotate through each over the course of my tournament day. But one area was especially promising as I caught three good fish and shook off 10 others late on the final day of practice.  So, what does it mean to shake fish off? It’s where an angler fishes a bait with either a bent over hook or fishing the bait hookless, making sure he never hooks the fish.

Years ago, a fellow angler showed me this tip that I now use when practicing for a tournament and I don’t want to hook fish prior to the event. It’s called a screw lock and allows me to fish a soft plastic bait, like a worm or creature bait, without using a hook. The fish still bite the bait and in most cases I can see or feel if they are quality fish or not.

Hooking bass a day or two before an event will cause them not to bite. Anglers call this “sore mouthing” them. But there are times when I’m on a new body of water that I’m not familiar with that I will hook a few fish just to see what size bass are in that area.  

During my two days of practice, it did not take long for me to figure out that a weightless fluke, a speed worm with an 1/8-ounce weight, and a chatterbait would be my top baits for this event. Wind was a huge factor as well and was an important key to certain areas being more productive than areas with little to no wind.

As tournament day rolled around, I headed for my best area that I felt I could catch my five-fish limit rather quickly. This held true as I boated five decent keeper fish before 8 a.m. and began to cull up for the rest of the day. The day started out with calm winds, but that all changed by 11 as winds shifted out of the south at 20-25 mph for the rest of the day, making it tough to place the bait where you wanted.

But it was on those windy banks or pockets, with scattered hydrilla patches in two feet or less, where fish seemed to be feeding heavily on shad. Therefore, the chatterbait became my main bait for the rest of the day. I was able to cull several fish, but my culls were only in ounces and not in pounds. I finished with around 13 pounds total for this event, placing me in 11^th overall. Most events are decided by who gets the kicker or bigger bites of a 5- or 6-pound fish. That big bite never came for me in this tournament, which is why I finished 11th.

The best part of this event for me was that I moved up in the ABA Pro League Angler of the Year standings from 27^th to 7^th. Only the top 10 for AOY at the end of the season qualify for the Ray Scott National Championship which will be held at Lake Eufaula, Alabama in April 2025. So, from my perspective, this was a very important event and now I must continue to do well in order to put myself in position to make another Ray Scott Championship.

‘Til next time, good luck, good fishing and when in doubt, set the hook!

Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com

Two Northwestern State University nursing degree programs report nearly 100 percent pass rate of the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), the exam that determines if recently graduated nursing students are safe to practice.  

The Fall 2023 pass rate for graduates of NSU’s Associate of Science in Nursing graduates is 100 percent with 57 of 57 graduates passing the first attempt at the NCLEX. The ASN spring 2023 first time pass rate was 97.5 percent with 40 of 41 students passing. For the 2023 calendar year, the ASN program’s NCLEX exam first time pass rate was 98.9 percent, 97 of 98 graduates. For graduates of NSU’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing, first-time passage rate for Fall 2023 graduates is 96.7 percent, 84 out of 86 graduates. The summer 2023 BSN first time NCLEX exam pass rate was 99.1 percent, 114 of 115 that tested.  

“This speaks volumes to the quality of our programs. We have been consistently above national and state averages and our stakeholders see that our graduates are well prepared,” said Lisa Wilhite, coordinator of NSU’s Associate of Science in Nursing program.   

Aspiring nurses are required to pass the NCLEX to earn licensure to legally practice nursing in the United States. NCLEX measures the competencies required of entry-level nurses in a rapidly changing healthcare landscape and ensures that graduates make quality nursing judgements and provide safe patient care. NCLEX candidates must be graduates of an accredited institution.  

Myla Landry, coordinator of NSU’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, said faculty begin preparing students for the NCLEX at the first level by including questions on exams that are similar to those on the actual test.  They also use case studies similar to those on the NCLEX in class and in clinicals.  

NSU Nursing faculty said they encourage graduates to continue towards more advanced degrees.  Northwestern State offers nursing degrees at the associate, bachelor’s, masters’ and doctoral levels.  

Landry and Wilhite both said that nursing – and teaching future nurses – is rewarding for individuals who are compassionate, hard-working and resilient.    

“The nursing profession is highly regarded and has remained the most trusted profession for many years,” Wilhite said. “The majority of our graduates work in Louisiana primarily in hospital settings and the majority have jobs prior to graduation.”   

Information on degree programs offered through NSUs College of Nursing and School of Allied Health is available athttps://www.nsula.edu/nursing/nursing-programs/. 

The Natchitoches Council recognized Employee Of The Month LaShonda Burton at its May 13 meeting. LaShonda works for the City’s Parks and Recreation Department.

Other agenda items included: 

PROCLAMATION: 

Declare May 19 – 25, 2024 As National Travel And Tourism Week In The City Of Natchitoches 

ORDINANCES – FINAL: 

Award The Bid Consisting Of Fuel Facility Improvements, Airport Improvement Program No. 3-22-0034-031-2024 (Bid No. 0666) 

Amend The 2023-2024 Budget To Reflect Additional Revenues And Expenditures. 

ORDINANCES – INTRODUCTION: 

Authorize The Mayor Of The City Of Natchitoches To Award The Bid For Water Treatment Facility Improvements, Phase 1 (Bid No. 0667) 

Approve A Cooperative Endeavor Agreement And Indemnification, Defense And Hold Harmless Agreement With The Cane River Waterway District And The Cane River National Heritage Area To Provide For The Development And Construction Of Improvements On The Mill Street District Riverbank, Authorizing The Mayor, Ronnie Williams, To Execute The Cooperative Endeavor Agreement On Behalf Of The City Of Natchitoches. 

Fifth Supplemental Bond Ordinance Authorizing The Issuance By The City Of Natchitoches, State Of Louisiana, Of Its, Taxable Utilities Revenue Bonds, Series 2024, In An Amount Of $2,700,000 Prescribing The Form, Terms And Provisions Of Said Bonds; Providing For The Payment Thereof; Entering Into Certain Other Covenants And Agreements In Connection With The Security And Payment Of Said Bonds; Selling Said Bonds To The Drinking Water Revolving Loan Fund; And Authorizing The Execution Of A Loan And Pledge Agreement And Other Loan Documents With The Louisiana Department Of Health; Providing For The Delivery Of The Bonds To Said Department; And Providing For Other Matters In Connection Therewith. 

RESOLUTIONS: 

Accept The Terms Of A Lease Of Certain Real Property From The Housing Authority 

Execute Change Order No. 1 To The Contract Between The City Of Natchitoches And Martin Metal Construction, LLC Love Louisiana Outdoors Project – Professor F.M. Richardson Park Improvements (BID NO. 0664) 

ANNOUNCEMENTS: 

 The next scheduled City Council meeting will be Tuesday, May 28, 2024. 

 The offices of the City of Natchitoches will be closed on Monday, May 27, 2024 for Memorial Day. 

 The regularly scheduled City Council Meeting for Monday, May 27, 2024 has been re-scheduled to Tuesday, May 28, 2024 due to Memorial Day. 

The Natchitoches City Council recognized members of the third cohort of the Mayor’s Youth Council, which includes students from all high schools throughout the Parish, led by Tiffany Williams. The students are able to collaborate in ways they wouldn’t have otherwise, learn about civic engagement, and learn about Natchitoches and its history.

Natchitoches native, LSMSA senior and returning Youth Council member Diamond Smith said they’ve created goals of getting a student member on the Natchitoches Parish School Board and engaging in community outreach for Earth Day. Looking forward to becoming more involved in the community, the council brainstormed ideas and put them into action planning events and educating the community.

“These past two years have been very exciting for me,” said Diamond. “I’m so extremely grateful that I got to experience the opportunity to give back to my community which shaped me into the person I am today.”

Sibley Lake is now closed until further notice. The boat ramps on Sibley Lake are closed due to high water levels. A notification will be posted when the ramps reopen. We do apologize for this inconvenience at this time. 

Forty high school students from Lakeview High School and Natchitoches Central High School participated in this academic year’s sixth and final Healthcare Academic and Career Exploration (ACE) event at Northwestern State University. Since last fall, ACE has engaged with nearly 400 high schoolers from Allen, Catahoula, Grant, Natchitoches, Rapides and Winn parishes. The program’s goal is to raise student awareness of healthcare academic and career opportunities, including behavioral health.

“Our project is funded by a Future of HealthC.A.R.E. Program Grant from The Rapides Foundation which seeks to increase the number of qualified central Louisiana students enrolling in healthcare training programs or entering the healthcare workforce,” said Steven Gruesbeck, ACEexecutive director. 

During the no-cost May 10 program, eight healthcare content experts from NSU and Central Louisiana Technical Community College led high schoolers in discussing nursing, radiologic science, social work and psychology/addiction studies.

Students were also invited to engage with faculty to learn about dual enrollment classes that offer a head start towards healthcare workforce readiness, certification programs, associate and bachelor’s degree programs, summer camps and year-round programs that raise awareness of academic and career opportunities in healthcare.

Information on Healthcare ACE is available at https://www.nsula.edu/healthcareace/.  Gruesbeck can be reached at sgruesbeck@nsula.edu.