The Village of Robeline will hold its monthly meeting this Thursday, June 26 at 6 p.m. in the police depot. Besides the normal financial reports, the 2025-2026 budget vote and sewer bond ordinance vote will be on the agenda. Everyone is invited to come be a part of the meeting.
The Robeline Heritage Society will hold a fish fry fundraiser this Saturday, June 28 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Robeline park. Plates are $12 and orders of 5 or more can be delivered. You can pre-order by contacting Courtney Stoker 318-602-8682 or Frances Walker 318-581-6489. All proceeds will go towards festival activities.
As you may have noticed the Heritage Society is in the process of giving the jail in the park some TLC. We’ve also decided to use the east side of our building on Hwy. 6 to put a permanent sign for the festival and its dates. It has been ordered and should be ready soon.
We also decided as an ongoing fundraiser to post gold level donors on the sides of the festival sign on the Heritage building. Each sign will be 18×24 and will stay up from Sept. 1 until next September. Donors may contact Frances Walker 318- 581-6489, Courtney Freeman 318-354-7019, Courtney Stoker 318-602-8682, or Theresa Gibson 318-332-4968. We can also be reached by email at cfreeman51989@yahoo.com. As this is the 1st year and was not included in our initial donation mailer in January, please be assured if you have already donated your initial donation will count towards reaching gold level donor status.
The Natchitoches Parish School Board invites the community to attend the 2025 Back to School Expo on Monday, July 21 from 4:30-6:30 PM at NSU’s Prather Coliseum, as the district gears up for a new school year filled with sweet opportunities.
With the theme “How Sweet It Is to Learn with NPSB,” families can look forward to an exciting, interactive event that celebrates education and helps prepare students for a successful school year. Students will receive and can enjoy the following:
FREE backpacks filled with school supplies (while supplies last) Sweet treats Haircut vouchers Door prizes School registration assistance Supply lists and info from each NPSB school
Representatives from all Natchitoches Parish Schools will be on-site to answer questions and help families feel confident and ready for the new year.
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) is currently updating the Statewide Transportation Plan and is inviting residents, commuters, and business owners to provide input through an online survey available until June 30.
The plan, last updated in 2015, will serve as a blueprint for shaping the future of Louisiana’s transportation system. The updated plan is expected to be finalized in 2025 and is designed to address the evolving needs of a modern transportation network—balancing safety, infrastructure longevity, environmental sustainability, and economic growth.
DOTD’s effort is guided by the theme “Shaping Louisiana’s Future: Your Journey, Our Priority,” emphasizing the importance of aligning transportation planning with the needs of the public. Transportation in Louisiana encompasses more than just roads—it’s about efficiently and safely moving people and goods across the state and the country.
To ensure the plan reflects the priorities of Louisianans, DOTD has identified six overarching goals:
Safety – Provide safe and secure travel across all modes of transportation.
Preservation – Maintain the state’s multimodal infrastructure in a state of good repair.
Resilience – Strengthen the system’s ability to withstand and recover from extreme weather and other disruptions.
Community Development and Enhancement – Ensure the transportation network serves all citizens and supports broader community goals.
Economic Competitiveness – Foster a transportation system that drives employment, commerce, and tourism.
Environmental Sustainability – Make transportation decisions that are respectful of Louisiana’s environment, culture, and history.
Public input will play a critical role in refining these goals and guiding investment decisions over the coming years. Whether priorities lie in road improvements, bridge repairs, public transit, or freight logistics, community feedback will help shape the vision for how Louisiana moves forward.
The public is encouraged to complete the brief survey by visiting latransportationplan.la.gov/survey.
With growing demand, technological advancement, and shifting infrastructure needs, DOTD is committed to planning for a transportation system that supports safety, sustainability, and long-term growth. Public participation is essential to creating a plan that reflects the values and vision of all Louisianans.
We’re back for round two – and the deals are still Join us this Tuesday and Wednesday from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM at 214 Texas Street!
80% OFF all Christmas
70% OFF everyday home + seasonal
Deep discounts you won’t want to miss
Shoppers will enjoy 70% off all inventory and an incredible 80% off all Christmas merchandise during this limited-time event. The sale includes a wide selection of home décor, gifts, seasonal items, and more—perfect for restyling your space or stocking up for future gifting.
Bring your shopping bag and come early—quantities are limited and the best items go fast!
READY TO WORK: Photographer Addison Evans takes a moment to get her picture taken at the College World Series, where she provided coverage for the Shreveport-Bossier Journal. (Courtesy photo)
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Addison Evans is a 17-year-old photographer from Natchitoches with a growing portfolio in sports media, including her just-completed coverage of LSU at the College World Series for the Shreveport-Bossier Journal. She recently completed a six-month internship with Northwestern State Baseball and has covered high school baseball across north Louisiana. Evans is a recent high school graduate and incoming freshman at LSU.)
By ADDISON EVANS, Special to the Journal
Four years ago, as a high school freshman picking up a camera for the first time, I never imagined it would lead me to Omaha – photographing LSU Baseball’s historic eighth national championship win.
Over a week before claiming the national title, LSU opened its College World Series run against Arkansas. I arrived nearly eight hours before first pitch, eager to get a feel for where I would be shooting. One wrong turn landed me in the UCLA dugout – right in the middle of their warmups.
That simple mistake sparked an unexpected connection with a UCLA staff member – another woman passionate about working in baseball. At the time, I thought: Wow, this might be the coolest accidental turn of my life. I had no idea just how right— and wrong — I would be.
That one turn sparked 10 days of once-in-a-lifetime experiences most 17-year-olds only dream of: capturing team arrivals, game action, postgame celebrations, and press conferences at the ultimate destination for a college baseball team or fan — Omaha.
I met Kayli Hartzell and Claire Ryerson, college students working with the NCAA’s CWS media staff, who shared the same passion for sports. Though I had prior sports media experience, Omaha offered something different – mentorship and guidance at a very high level. Every question I asked seemed to land in the hands of the right person.
As the road to the championship unfolded, so did my vision for how I wanted to document it. My personal mantra became “explore to get creative shots.” I did just that – experimenting from the upper concourse levels, behind players on deck, and even in the dugout. A brief, accidental visit to the Murray State bullpen reminded me that not every boundary is meant to be crossed.
Playing it safe for LSU’s Game 2 against UCLA led to a clean, but uninspired gallery. That’s when I recognized that the best shots come from trusting my instincts and pushing creative boundaries.
From that point on, I treated every game like any other – focused on the essence of baseball: the fans, atmosphere, player interactions, and everything in between.
With every resource imaginable at my fingertips, I made sure to use them. When a media opportunity came up in the LSU locker room, I took it — introducing myself to staff, chatting with players, and shooting pregame and postgame from the field. I learned that if you act like you know what you’re doing, eventually, you start to believe it — and others do, too.
As a longtime fan of disposable cameras, once the finals were set, I handed out a few to players from LSU and Coastal Carolina. I had done something similar during my internship with Northwestern State Baseball on a road trip to Pepperdine and it was a hit. I wanted to give players the chance to document their experience from their own perspective, using a creative outlet I love.
After LSU’s second win over Arkansas sealed the Tigers’ ticket to the finals, the pressure to get creative shots increased. The team had to beat Coastal Carolina twice for the title, giving me up to three games to capture the full story.
Following the 4-6-3 double play that ended the championship game, my lens went straight to the iconic dogpile forming near the mound. To document it as a photographer was incredible, and as a lifelong LSU fan and incoming freshman there, it was deeply personal.
After heading inside the media workroom to start editing, I heard music echoing in the hallway. Tiger Baseball was on the move, Turtlebox speakers blaring. Wherever they were going, I was, too. I quickly grabbed my camera and followed them to the Road to Omaha statue. Watching the team celebrate together, blasting their favorite songs, was a special moment to capture.
That reminded me why I fell in love with photography in the first place. It’s never just about the game — it’s about telling the story: the energy, the emotion, the moments few notice, or no one sees.
Being at the College World Series gave me the perfect chance to do that. And for a Louisiana girl who grew up supporting LSU in the stands at Alex Box Stadium, photographing the Tigers claiming their eighth national title was more than just a career milestone. It was a celebration of years spent supporting LSU Baseball – a moment where my younger self could see how far that love has carried me.
To check out Evans’ portfolio from the College World Series, visit her AE Photography Instagram account — addionfilm.
(Portrait by CHRIS BROWN, Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame)
By KEVIN FOOTE, Written for the LSWA
Sometimes it’s a good idea to listen to the advice of your older brothers.
There was one particular decision, though, when St. Thomas More boys basketball coach Danny Broussard is certainly glad he opted for his gut feeling instead.
After graduating from Meaux High in rural Vermilion Parish in 1977, Broussard’s first thought was to become a coach.
After all, his two older brothers Rickey and Brent were already coaches and the family was always heavily involved in athletics.
“They were kind of trying to talk me out of it,” Broussard said. “They said things like, ‘Oh, it’s tough, you don’t make a whole lot of money and it’s long hours, so why don’t you do something else?’”
So Broussard spent his entire freshman year at then-USL in Lafayette in general studies, hoping to decide what his future would hold along the way.
He thought about being a pharmacist. He always had a big personality and loved talking to and helping people.
“The only problem with that was pharmacy school was in Monroe and I didn’t want to go way up there and also there were too many chemistry courses,” Broussard said. “I was good at math, but not chemistry.”
After the second semester, his advisor came to him demanding a decision.
With no other favorable options in mind, Broussard said, “I’m going to education.”
Indeed, Broussard’s first thought was right on target.
Over four decades later, Broussard is entering the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame as one of the nation’s most successful coaches in the history of high school basketball. The three-day Class of 2025 Induction Celebration begins Thursday in Natchitoches, with event information available at LaSportsHall.com.
It wasn’t that his brothers didn’t think young Danny could coach. In fact, he had already proven he could.
As a senior at Meaux High, Broussard coached the school’s 4H basketball team to a tournament title in Kaplan.
“I found guys at Meaux,” he remembered. “We put together a little team of fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth graders and we won. That’s kind of when I got hooked. I remember thinking, ‘This is fun. I love this.’ Getting them together and preparing them and then seeing the results.”
Two years later, Broussard helped Tommy Picard coach a Babe Ruth youth baseball team to the state championship and before the team’s ace pitcher punctured a lung during the series, “I “I think we could have won regionals.”
Big brother Rickey wasn’t surprised by those early signs of success.
“I never had any doubt that Danny could accomplish great things,” said Rickey, who led Nicholls State’s basketball team to two NCAA Tournament appearances. “There was just something about him.”
Upon graduating college, young Danny faced another big decision.
Incredibly, he got an offer from Hanson Memorial in Franklin to be the program’s head basketball coach. Broussard asked for the weekend to ponder his options, although he was ready to accept the offer.
Once again, his older brother had other ideas. While Danny was communicating with Hanson, a math teacher at the new Lafayette school St. Thomas More where Rickey was the head basketball coach decided to run the math department at Fatima instead, just weeks before the start of school.
So Rickey implored his younger brother to talk to STM’s administration before accepting the Hanson Memorial job.
“They offered me $3-4,000 more a year to be a freshman baseball, basketball and football coach,” Broussard laughed. “That’s a lot of money to a kid right out of college, so I took it.”
As a football coach, things didn’t go very well. The Cougars’ freshman squad went 0-8 and didn’t score a point, but he showed promise in basketball.
Amazingly, another big decision was right around the corner.
Rickey’s assistant coach from Fatima, Stephen Rees, decided to head to medical school, so now Danny moved into the spot as the Cougars’ top basketball assistant.
Then early in year two, Rickey got a call from Ragin’ Cajuns head coach Bobby Paschal with an offer to join his staff. He accepted.
“I remember asking Rickey, ‘So who is going to coach St. Thomas More?’ and he said, ‘You are.’”
Naturally, the 22-year-old’s stomach got real tight in a hurry, but big brother knew he was doing.
“I had no doubt in my mind that he could do it,” Rickey said. “The only question was, would they give him the job? There was a contingent of people (on the STM board) that wanted to go after a coach from New Orleans. I had to go to the board.
“I told them, ‘Just give him a shot. He knows all the plays and the players like him.’”
Fast-forward 41 years and Broussard ranks as the No. 6 coach nationally in wins with 1,162 – that’s 171 wins from being the winningest coach ever. He’s led the Cougars to six state championships, five state runners-up, 20 Top 28 appearances, 27 district championships and 18 30-win seasons.
“It’s a testament to his longevity and consistency and success,” former player Lyle Mouton said of Broussard’s Hall of Fame induction. “The way he tells it, he became a coach by default. I guess sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good. He has proven it was a great decision and it wasn’t luck.
“You don’t do it for this long with so much success if it was just luck all the way.”
Any remaining doubters were proven wrong when Broussard led the Cougars to the state championship in 1986.
“By that year, I had settled into my own,” Broussard said. “I could see the program developing.”
By 1987, the Cougars were ranked No. 21 nationally in the USA Today poll, led by Mouton, the future LSU basketball and baseball player, and future UL Lafayette point guard Eric Mouton.
Broussard’s actual glory years on the floor were yet to come.
Finally in 2013 came that second state title, followed by four more since then.
Many believe this past season might have been the best coaching job of his career.
One year after being briefly benched by triple bypass surgery, Broussard guided his 2025 Cougars to the state championship game and then led the STM coaching staff to a victory coaching the West All-Stars in the McDonald’s All-American game in New York.
“This is one great year for Danny Broussard,” Lyle Mouton laughed.
Three fun-filled days and nights make Natchitoches the festive focal point in our state Thursday evening, Friday and Saturday with the 2025 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration and you and yours are invited.
The LSHOF’s Class of 2025 will be enshrined Saturday night at the Natchitoches Events Center to culminate the 66th Induction Celebration. A seating reconfiguration last week created additional seating up to 900 and a few dozen tickets remain available at LaSportsHall.com.
The Induction Celebration will kick off Thursday with the free admission Welcome Reception from 5-7 p.m. at the Hall of Fame museum at 800 Front Street.
The Friday schedule begins with the Mardi Gras Bowling Bash presented by BOM at Four Seasons Bowling Center in Alexandria. There’s still room for individual and team entries with participants enjoying lunch catered by Walk-On’s while warm up for the competition takes place at the 40-alley facility.
Two of south Louisiana’s hottest musical acts from the Baton Rouge area will take the stage for the coolest concert for miles around, the absolutely free Rockin’ River Fest party Friday evening.
The Lauren Lee Band will get the party started and The Chase Tyler Band is the featured act on the Rue Beauport stage bordering Cane River Lake smack dab in the middle of the City of Lights’ historic and beautiful downtown district.
In conjunction with the Rockin’ River Fest is the VIP Taste of Tailgating party, a ticketed indoor-outdoor event that is approaching capacity on the Front Street bricks and inside Mama’s Oyster House, Papa’s and the Blues Room.
The slate on Saturday kicks off with the free LSHOF Junior Training Camp led by community relations personnel from the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans, along with Northwestern State coaches and this year’s Hall of Fame inductees, on the NSU campus at the Webb Wellness and Recreation Center and Turpin Stadium. This event is presented by Natchitoches Regional Medical Center and is nearing capacity. Free registration for kids ages 7-16 is required and can be easily accomplished at LaSportsHall.com.
At noon Saturday, the Round Table Luncheon presented by the Tiger Athletic Foundation is set for Riverside Reserve on Mill Street. Fox Sports broadcaster Tim Brando emcees an entertaining program.
Festivities culminate Saturday evening with the Induction Reception at the LSHOF museum beginning at 5, followed at 7 by the Induction Ceremony at the Natchitoches Events Center. Northwestern State University and State Farm Agents of Louisiana are presenting sponsors Saturday evening.
Louisiana Public Broadcasting will televise the ceremony live from 7-9:30.
The VIP Taste of Tailgating, the Bowling Bash, the Round Table Luncheon and the Induction Reception and Ceremony are ticketed events requiring purchase in advance through LaSportsHall.com or by calling 318-238-4255.
The Thursday reception, the Friday evening River Fest and the Junior Training Camp are free.
The Class of 2025 is headlined by two men pivotal in LSU’s 2003 football national championship – coach Nick Saban and Andrew Whitworth, a champion at West Monroe High School, LSU and in the NFL during a 16-year pro career. More sparkle is provided by pro basketball All-Stars Vickie Johnson and Danny Granger, the state’s winningest all-time college baseball coach Joe Scheuermann and Danny Broussard, one of the nation’s most successful high school basketball coaches, in this year’s induction class.
It also includes LSU gymnastics great and NCAA individual champion April Burkholder, transformational Catholic-Baton Rouge high school football coach Dale Weiner and George “Bobby” Soileau, a four-time high school and 1956 NCAA boxing champion at LSU who also won a state crown as a football coach at his alma mater, Sacred Heart High School in Ville Platte.
LSU graduate Herb Vincent, now a longstanding associate commissioner of the Southeastern Conference, is receiving the Hall’s Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award with his enshrinement.
Also being honored: Ed Daniels, a generational television sports broadcaster in New Orleans, and Glenn Guilbeau, one of the nation’s more decorated sportswriters in a career that has seen him cover LSU, state college, high school and pro sports along with stories across the South and around the SEC. They are being inducted as recipients of the Louisiana Sports Writers Association’s Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism.
During the span of a lifetime, we are met with this question. For example, when is it time to change jobs, get married, have kids, or retire? Everyone has a different timeline for each of these questions. But the one thing we ALL want is the ability to make these decisions when we are ready and on our own terms.
Everyone that has played a particular sport, especially at a high level, wants to walk away when they are ready, not when someone tells them they are no longer good enough.
I’ve always wanted to be in control no matter what, and the one thing I’ve always told myself was, “When it’s no longer fun or I’m no longer competitive, it’s time to walk away.” I have applied this rule of thumb throughout my athletic career and will do so with regards to my fishing career.
I’ve been fishing tournaments since the early 1990’s and have enjoyed almost every minute of it! Sure, there’ve been some ups and downs just like any other sport, but the friends I have made and the good times I’ve shared with so many can never be taken away.
Another aspect I still enjoy today is trying to figure out how to catch bass. This never gets old for me. And the feeling I get when it all comes together for a tournament, well there’s just no better feeling in the world! It’s what motivates me and drives my competitive fire!
Over the years, people who don’t know or understand the sport of bass fishing think it is all luck. Nothing could be further from the truth because if that was the case, why are the same anglers always near the top of the standings?
They say luck is where preparation meets opportunity. I’m a firm believer in that saying because if you want to compete with the best anglers on any circuit, you have to do your homework and spend lots of time on the water. In bass fishing, “time on the water” is essential to being successful.
So, to answer the question of, “How do we know when it’s time?” – for me, it will be when I can no longer compete with the young guns of the tournament bass fishing world or when it’s no longer fun.
But if all my fishing buddies continue to fish, I’ll still hang around. This has become the main reason I’m still competing today. I’ve been blessed with some of the best dudes an angler could ask for when it comes to travel partners.
We’ve shared in some awesome times, ate some great meals and told a lot of fish stories, some true and some just pure lies! These same stories have been repeated time and time again and are told as if it was the first time we have ever heard them. But that’s ok, it’s all a part of the memories being made that make every trip special.
One thing about tournament anglers, they are unique in many ways and are a little stingy when it comes to fishing information. We’ll try and help each other a little, but may not always reveal every detail on how we are catching fish.
There’s also a great bond with all anglers that travel and stay together on the road. Each is always willing to help the other in their time of need, whether it’s a boat breakdown on the water or a blown trailer tire on the road. They are like the Marines; no man will be left behind!
This is why I’m still doing it at the age of 64 and will continue as long as my health is good, I can still get bites, and hopefully cash a check once in a while.
‘Til next time, here’s to wishing all anglers tight lines and good times fishing!
Two guest speakers were welcomed at the June 24 Rotary meeting. First, the Director of Business Development and Public Relations for the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Greg Burke gave an overview for the 2025 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Class. The 12 Inductees will be in Natchitoches June 26-28 and available for free activities for children and families. For more information visit their website LaSportsHall.com
Second, Rotarian with the Program Richard Armstrong introduced the Associate Director of Innovation NSU Office of Economic Development and Advancement Jill Leo who gave a PowerPoint overview of the new Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts and Northwestern State University Innovation Park. For more information on this collaboration, please visit nsula.edu/edio
Doug McGuire was the Senior Minister of Trinity Methodist Church through the 1960’s. He was a great guy. In his retirement he acquired his private pilot’s license. Years ago, I was known to spend hours in the air with Doug. Doug has gone on to his reward. He was filled with preacher aphorisms. His advice was wise. He encouraged, “Always enter the pulpit with a full heart and an empty bladder. And don’t get them reversed!” He also said, “If a sermon is worth preaching once it is worth preaching again.” I wonder if that holds true for these articles.
To wit.
A dog was on a safari with this master, but he got lost chasing butterflies. He then noticed out of his peripheral vision that a lion was slowly sneaking up to attack him. He saw a pile of bones nearby. Pretending not to see the lion, the dog started chomping on a bone. He hollered, “Boy, the lion sure tasted good!” The lion decided that this must be a very ferocious dog, so he left.
But a monkey watched all of this. He chased down the lion and told him the truth. Furious, the lion turned around to go eat the dog. The monkey jumped on the lion’s back intending to watch the whole thing unfold before him. Realizing what had happened, the quick-thinking dog grabbed another bone and hollered, “Where is that stupid monkey? He should have brought me another lion by now!”
It is a great story. Don’t you wish you could be like that dog and be that quick witted? Sure you do! When someone zings you at work, you stew about it all that night and you finally figure out what you could have said to that person. Or after an argument you stew until you finally think of what you should have said.
In my line of work, I want to be comforting and Godly when someone seeks my wisdom or advice. Often, I am neither and I toss and turn until I come up with a better answer to a person’s question or concern.
Most of us wish we could think faster and say the right word at the right time.
I wonder how many of us read this story and thought, “maybe it is best not to get lost in the first place.” I think that was the ultimate point.
Doug de Graffenried is the Senior Pastor of Trinity Methodist Church in Ruston, Louisiana. You can reach Doug at his email: DougDeGraffenried
“Someone must have slandered Joseph K. for one morning, without having done anything truly wrong, he was arrested.” – “The Trial” by Franz Kafka
“ICE detains Marine Corps veteran’s wife who was still breastfeeding their baby” Jack Brook, Associate Press, Sun, June 22, 2025
Unlike the prosecutorial bureaucracy of Kafka’s Trial, judge, jury, and executioner – all are out in the open in America. ‘No one person is judge, jury, and executioner in this country—that’s what the legal system is for.’ And yet some people play dumb, seemingly confusing habeas corpus for heavy corpses. Just for a few laughs.
So, someone must have slandered Paola Clouatre . . .
In Paola’s case, it’s the poignant aftermath of her mother’s failure to appear at an immigration hearing. “She was not aware of the removal order,” Paola’s husband Adrian Clouatre said, “so she was not knowingly defying it,” he said. “If she had been arrested, she would have been deported long ago, and we would never have met.”
They met, they fell in love, and they were married. Holy is their union.
Set asunder by the long ICE-y arm of law, they are united in each other’s arms, the arms bearing each other’s tattooed name. Holy be their names.
Let us rally for the Clouatre family before their names get re-tattooed into numbers.
II
“ICE detains Marine Corps veteran’s wife who was still breastfeeding their baby” The AP Headline shepherded my mind to Virgo Lactans, for the act of breastfeeding exults Madonna del Latte.
And Adrian worried about the loss of formative contact between Paola and child.
“When his 3-month-old, breastfeeding daughter Lyn is hungry, he gives her a bottle of baby formula instead. He’s worried how his newborn will bond with her mother absent skin-to-skin contact.”
Natchitoches Parish Journal publishes paid obituaries – unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $95. Contact your funeral provider or npjnatla@gmail.com . Must be paid in advance of publication. (Notice of Deaths shown above are FREE of charge. You may email them tonpjnatla@gmail.com
The West Natchitoches Water Main Replacement Phase 2 in Breda Town has begun. CDE Construction LLC won the project with a bid of $601,554.20. The project is estimated to take 90 days and includes the replacement and upgrading of approximately 4591 Linear feet of undersized and deteriorating water lines.
Overseeing the project are Dalton Eichelberger President of CDE Construction, Utility Director Tim Tousek (serving as the City’s day to day point of contact providing system knowledge and support to the project), and Larry Stevens of Balar Associates (serving as inspector and Resident Project Representative).
At its June 23 meeting, the Natchitoches City Council introduced an ordinance authorizing a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement between the City of Natchitoches and the Historic District Business Association (HDBA), a local nonprofit that coordinates key tourism events such as the annual Christmas Festival and Antique Car Show.
The proposed agreement outlines a formal partnership in which the City will assign certain employees to work under the direction of the HDBA. In return, the HDBA will fully reimburse the City for all associated salary and benefit costs, including health insurance, retirement, and administrative fees. The agreement would also require HDBA to pay an annual administration fee of $5,000 per full-time employee and $1,000 per part-time employee to offset City expenses related to payroll processing and management.
Under the agreement, the assigned employees will remain under the City’s administrative policies and procedures but will be supervised by HDBA in the execution of their daily responsibilities. The cooperative effort also ensures continued support for Main Street initiatives, with the HDBA taking an active role in reporting, attending quarterly meetings, and maintaining state certification as part of Louisiana’s Main Street program.
City officials noted that similar agreements already exist with other community partners, including Cane River National Heritage Area and the Ben Johnson Foundation. Mayor Ronnie Williams Jr. emphasized that such agreements enable nonprofit partners to offer competitive benefits to their employees—benefits they otherwise could not afford—without cost to the City.
“This is a mutually beneficial effort,” said Mayor Williams. “It helps our community partners retain strong employees and remain aligned with the City’s goals, especially in areas like Main Street development and tourism.”
The ordinance, introduced for discussion only, will be placed on the agenda for a formal vote at the next City Council meeting. Members of the public and council are invited to submit questions or comments before then.
City officials also acknowledged the presence of community leaders and members of the HDBA at the meeting, including Ms. Sandra Dickens and Mr. Mike Stewart, both noted for their long-standing support of tourism and historic preservation efforts in Natchitoches.
The agreement is proposed for a five-year term with the option to extend for two additional one-year periods. Either party may terminate the agreement with 30 days’ written notice.
Other agenda items included:
PLANNING & ZONING – FINAL:
Amend Ordinance No. 64 Of 2001 By Changing Zoning Classification Of Property Described As Follows: Lot on South Side Sidney Street Being The West 20 Feet of Lot 3 and The East 20 Feet of Lot 4 of The David Pierson Lots (119 Sidney St.)
ORDINANCES – FINAL: Award The Bid For The South Williams Water Line Project (Bid No. 0675)
TABLED: Execute A Fourth Lease Amendment To Water Tower Option And Lease Agreement With New Cingular Wireless Pcs, LLC, Said Amendment Providing For An Extended Term, Providing For Consideration And Escalating Rent. City Attorney Alex Washington said he noticed some provisions in the lease that could be modified to benefit the City.
ORDINANCES – INTRODUCTION:
Award The Bid For 2025 Street Rehabilitation Program (Bid No. 0676).
RESOLUTIONS:
Enter Into A Maintenance Agreement, Including Mowing And Litter Pickup, With The State Of Louisiana, Department Of Transportation And Development, Office Of Engineering Beginning July 1, 2025 Through June 30, 2026.
Re-Appoint Alex Washington As The City Attorney And Tommy Murchison, Cloyd Benjamin Jr., Gary Conley, And Steven Oxenhandler As Assistant City Attorneys For The City Of Natchitoches.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
The next scheduled City Council meeting will be July 14, 2025. The Offices of the City of Natchitoches will be CLOSED Friday, July 4, 2025 in honor of Independence Day.
The City of Natchitoches would like to advise the public that on Friday, June 27 Front Street from Church Street to St. Denis Street will close at noon to vehicular traffic in preparation for the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Taste of Tailgating VIP event to be held at Mama’s Oyster House/Blues Room and Papa’s Bar and Grill.
The following streets will close at 9 PM in preparation for a 9:25 PM fireworks display during the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame’s Rockin’ Riverfest event on the downtown riverbank. Church Street bridge Williams Avenue from Whitfield to Henry
The roadway and bridge will open upon the conclusion of the fireworks display once the Fire Marshal has given the all-clear.
In preparation for these events, the Downtown Riverbank will remain closed to all vehicular traffic throughout the day on Friday, June 27.
The Women’s Resource Center (WRC) of Natchitoches is proud to announce its new classification as an official Maternal Wellness Center by the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH). This recognition affirms WRC’s longstanding commitment to supporting women through all stages of pregnancy and early motherhood with holistic, compassionate and life-affirming care.
As a designated Maternal Wellness Center, WRC meets the state’s expanded standards for providing comprehensive support services, including:
Pregnancy testing and options counseling
Prenatal and parenting education
Emotional and spiritual support
Referrals to local medical care and community resources
Material assistance with baby items, diapers, and essentials
“We are honored to receive this designation,” said K. Nicole Woods, Executive Director of WRC. “This is a powerful affirmation of the work our staff and volunteers have been doing for years—walking alongside women in our community and ensuring they have the resources and support they need to thrive.”
The Maternal Wellness Center classification allows the Women’s Resource Center to continue building stronger partnerships across healthcare, faith-based and community sectors, ensuring that every woman who walks through its doors is seen, heard and supported—physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Located in the heart of Natchitoches, WRC has served thousands of women and families since its founding. With this new designation, the center is poised to expand its reach and deepen its impact throughout the region.
“What began in 1989 as a mission to serve women in the Natchitoches community has grown into a volunteer-driven mission serving clients from across the state,” says Woods.
For more information about our services, volunteer opportunities or to donate, visit wrcnatchitoches.org or call 318-357-8888.
(Portrait by CHRIS BROWN, Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame)
By LENNY VANGILDER, Written for the LSWA
Joe Scheuermann was a 27-year-old assistant baseball coach at Tulane when he came to Natchitoches in June 1990 to present his father, “Rags,” for induction in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.
Curveballs are a part of baseball, and “Rags” delivered a dandy one that night. During his acceptance speech, he announced his retirement as Delgado Community College’s baseball coach.
Thirty-five years after following in his dad’s footsteps on City Park Avenue and with 1,207 victories on his record, Joe Scheuermann will join his dad to become the fourth father-son combination to be inducted into the LSHOF.
That culminates the Class of 2025 Induction Celebration in Natchitoches beginning Thursday and wrapping up with Saturday night’s induction ceremony televised live on Louisiana Public Broadcasting. Information about the Hall’s seven events over three days is available at LaSportsHall.com.
While most assume it was a done deal that Joe would replace “Rags” at Delgado, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
The younger Scheuermann came back to New Orleans and soon met with then-Delgado president Dr. James Caillier. “I don’t want to have this job because I’m Rags Scheuermann’s son,” Joe Scheuermann told his future boss.
Later that summer, he became the second head coach of what is now the oldest junior college program in any sport in Louisiana.
Though the reins had been handed down, it was still hard for the new head coach not to look over his shoulder and in the grandstand. “The first 4-5 years I was more worried about making my dad happy than I was about being a coach,” he said. “I coached too much with exterior emotion. The last two years of his life I started to relax a little bit.”
“Rags” passed away in April 1997, a week shy of his 74th birthday.
Joe Scheuermann was preparing for his 16th season at Delgado when his program – and the entire city of New Orleans – was dealt a body blow named Hurricane Katrina.
The Scheuermanns, with their house and campus under water, evacuated to New Roads. A few days later, in Baton Rouge, he met with Delgado’s chancellor, Alex Johnson.
With the college in financial straits after a lost semester and significant rebuilding costs, the message about the spring 2006 season was simple – “We can’t fund it.” The only way to have a season, and save the program started three decades earlier by his father, was to raise the money himself.
Scheuermann got that program-saving donation from a longtime supporter and friend, and the task of resuscitating a season – and a ballpark, since Kirsch-Rooney Stadium had also been inundated with several feet of flood waters – began.
Said Scheuermann: “The fact we played the year after Katrina is probably my proudest moment. It would have been easy for Delgado not to have athletics, but it made them realize how important athletics is for the college.”
One year later, the Katrina freshman class would lead Scheuermann to his first-ever Junior College World Series, 22 years after “Rags” made his only trip.
Omaha, Nebraska, is the goal each year for LSU and other NCAA Division I programs. On the NJCAA Division I level, it is Grand Junction, Colorado.
“Once we got to the World Series, people bought into our program,” Scheuermann said. “Your kids remember the experience and they pass it down the line … Our expectations became Grand Junction.”
Delgado rattled off three straight trips to Grand Junction from 2014-16 and then returned for a fifth time under Scheuermann in 2023, finishing fifth.
In May 2024, Scheuermann won his 1,178th game to pass the late Tony Robichaux, a 2022 LSHOF inductee, and become the winningest college coach in Louisiana history. But that’s not how he sees it.
“I broke the junior college record for wins in Louisiana,” said Scheuermann, who played at Tulane the same time as Robichaux played at then-USL. “Every game I’ve won was at the junior college level. Tony Robichaux did it at the Division I level. That’s not the same.”
But, he added, “It’s something I will always share with him.”
On April 13 of this year – coincidentally, what would have been “Rags” Scheuermann’s 102nd birthday – Scheuermann registered his latest milestone, career win No. 1,200.
How has he gotten to this point? By being himself and convincing other families to do exactly what he did – starting your path on the two-year college level.
“Nobody understands how beneficial it is to go to junior college as an athlete,” Scheuermann said. “We’ve been able to convince Mom and Dad that Delgado isn’t a trade school.
“I’ve placed over 400 kids in four-year programs and continue to get their baseball skills developed and get their education.”
One of them was Sean McMullen, who played at Delgado in 2011 and 2012 before becoming a two-year starter at LSU.
“You never looked there,” McMullen said of Delgado. “(Scheuermann) sat me down and said, ‘How about you give us a shot … If you come here and perform, I will put you in touch with where you want to go.’ I trusted him.”
McMullen became a Pied Piper of sorts for the Dolphins, helping to recruit many of the key local pieces in the program’s three consecutive trips to Grand Junction.
“I told them, if you want to play (Division I) baseball, come here,” McMullen said. “If you hate it, you can leave and just go to college. But nobody does that. This is family. This is different.”
Not one of Scheuermann’s former players has played a day in the major leagues, which may be even a bigger credit to the coaching job he has done in 35 years.
“We’ve been able to do this with blue collar guys,” he said. “We don’t … recruit nationally.”
Scheuermann already is a member of the NJCAA Baseball Coaches and the All American Amateur Baseball Association halls of fame. Tulane’s athletic hall of fame will honor him in September with its career achievement award.
Joe and “Rags” join the trio of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning; “Dub” and Bert Jones, and Glenn and Billy Hardin as the only fathers and sons enshrined in Natchitoches.
“Archie texted me and said ‘welcome to the fraternity,’ ” Joe Scheuermann said. “When Archie Manning sends you that, it kind of hits home.”
As much as Joe Scheuermann has followed in his father’s footsteps, there’s one thing he won’t do – go on stage at the Natchitoches Events Center and announce his retirement.
“I get asked all the time, when are you going to get out?” Scheuermann said. “I’m 62, I feel great, I enjoy coaching.
“I remember my dad saying, ‘You’ll know when it’s time.’ I really don’t feel it’s time yet. It’s an occupation but I do it more for the kids and the school.”
Bid Information for Leasing of Hunting Property at NPSB
Bids/Proposals will be accepted until July 31, 2025 1:00 p.m. and will be publicly opened and read aloud at 2:00 PM in the School Board’s Central Office, 310 Royal Street, Natchitoches, Louisiana, 71457-5709.
Each Bid Package contains the complete data and process to successfully submit a Bid Package.
There are 9 Bid Information Packages attached to this notice.
06-19-25; 06-24-25; 07-10-25; 07-15-25
NPSB Approved Notice of Bid Information Packages signed letter.
The Krewe of Excellence has announced the recipients of its 2025 scholarship awards, recognizing four outstanding students for their academic excellence, leadership, and dedication to community service.
This year’s recipients are Raven Valentine, Sydney Durocher, Akeelah Wade, and Ce’Licia Vecher. Each student was selected through a highly competitive process that drew applications from across Vernon Parish. According to the Krewe, these scholars stood out through their impressive academic records, compelling personal essays, and inspiring visions for the future.
“We are inspired every year by the talent and drive of our scholarship applicants,” said a representative of the Krewe of Excellence. “This year’s recipients have shown incredible promise, and we’re thrilled to support them as they take the next step in their academic journeys.”
The Krewe emphasized that the scholarship program is designed not only to assist students financially but also to recognize individuals who embody the values of dedication, service, and excellence.
As Valentine, Durocher, Wade, and Vecher prepare to begin the next chapter of their lives, the Krewe of Excellence expressed confidence that each will continue to grow, lead, and make meaningful contributions to their communities and beyond.
“Congratulations to our recipients,” the organization stated. “Your hard work, vision, and resilience are truly commendable.”
