Leah Coleman Lentz brought her annual effort to raise awareness of ovarian cancer before the Natchitoches City Council Sept. 14 as the city proclaimed September 2026 as Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.
Lentz annually spearheads Turn Teal Natchitoches in memory of her mother, Sue Gregory Coleman, who lost her battle with ovarian cancer in 2012.
Lentz, a counselor at the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts, has worked with area high schools, Northwestern State University and the Natchitoches community for several years to “Turn the Town Teal” during September and raise awareness of ovarian cancer and its impact on the community.
During the council meeting, Lentz encouraged residents to advocate for their own health, listen to their intuition and work with their health care providers.
“Please be an advocate for yourself,” Lentz told the council.
She also encouraged residents to talk with family members about ovarian cancer and asked the community to wear teal every Tuesday during September.
Lentz said awareness is important because early symptoms of ovarian cancer are commonly overlooked. Recognizing warning signs can be essential to early detection and effective treatment, while public awareness and knowledge can help lead to diagnosis before the cancer worsens.
The proclamation noted that ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women and accounts for more deaths than any other gynecologic cancer. The American Cancer Society estimates that 22,440 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year in the United States.
The proclamation also recognized the need for those affected by ovarian cancer to have access to resources and health care to prevent, detect and treat the disease.
Lentz thanked the city for its continued support of the awareness effort, as well as LSMSA and Northwestern State University.
The council approved Resolution 063 of 2026 proclaiming September 2026 as Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in the city of Natchitoches.
During the meeting, the council also recognized John Putech of the Planning and Zoning Department as employee of the month.
The council approved a six-month moratorium on applications for murals in the historic district and introduced ordinances concerning unsafe buildings, parking of commercial tractor-trailers and heavy commercial vehicles on public streets, and a temporary staging area agreement with AEP Southwestern Electric Power Company.
The council also approved a master services agreement with KSA Engineers Inc. for airport engineering services.
The next scheduled City Council meeting is Sept. 28.