The Louisiana Department of Health is urging residents to prioritize water safety as summer approaches, reminding families that strong safety practices can help prevent drownings and serious water-related injuries, particularly among children.

The reminder comes as Gov. Jeff Landry has proclaimed May as Louisiana Children’s Trust Fund Swim Safety Month.

According to recent data compiled by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the fourth leading cause of injury-related deaths among children ages 0 to 14 in Louisiana.

LDH officials said most drownings are preventable and often happen quickly and quietly. Between 2022 and 2024, 55 children drowned in Louisiana, according to the LDH Office of Public Health. More than half of those children were unsupervised, and 42 percent drowned in water areas without proper protective barriers. Most incidents occurred in swimming pools.

An additional 54 children were hospitalized due to nonfatal drownings or near-drownings, which health officials say can lead to lifelong disabilities and permanent developmental impacts.

State health officials are encouraging parents and caregivers to actively supervise children whenever they are near water, keep young children within arm’s reach and never leave children unattended around pools, lakes or other bodies of water.

The department also recommends enrolling children in swim lessons at an early age, installing protective barriers and self-latching gates around pools, ensuring pools and spas have compliant drain covers and teaching children to avoid pool drains.

Officials say extra caution should be used in open water environments such as lakes and beaches, where conditions can include low visibility, changing depths, currents and underwater hazards.

Families are also encouraged to use U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets during boating and water recreation activities, avoid alcohol while swimming or supervising children and learn CPR and basic rescue skills in case of emergencies.

Additional water safety information, swim lesson resources and CPR class information are available through the Louisiana Department of Health.

The Natchitoches Junior High JAG members have expressed appreciation to Mrs. Katrice Below and the Bank of Montgomery for their continued partnership and support of the program.

Through the bank’s contributions, JAG students are able to take part in a range of opportunities, including educational experiences, leadership development activities, workforce readiness training, and community service projects throughout the school year.

Program representatives noted that support from community partners such as the Bank of Montgomery plays an important role in helping students build skills that strengthen their academic, social, and professional growth.

The NJH JAG program extended its gratitude for the ongoing commitment to the success and development of its members.

BATON ROUGE — Louisiana families may qualify for SUN Bucks, a summer grocery assistance program providing a one-time $120 benefit for each eligible school-aged child to help purchase food during the summer break.

The program applies to children ages 5 to 18 and is designed to assist families while school meal programs are unavailable during the summer months.

Most eligible children will automatically receive the benefit and do not need to apply. Automatic eligibility includes children born between Aug. 20, 2007, and July 1, 2020, who received SNAP, FITAP, KCSP or income-based Medicaid benefits at any time between July 1, 2025, and Aug. 20, 2026.

Children may also automatically qualify if they attend a school participating in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program and were approved individually for free or reduced-price meals.

Some families, however, will need to submit an application. This includes households with children attending Community Eligibility Provision schools where all students receive free meals but no meal application was completed. Families may also qualify based on household income even if they do not meet the automatic eligibility categories.

Applications for summer 2026 benefits will be accepted through Aug. 20, 2026. Approved applicants typically receive benefits within three weeks of approval.

Officials say SUN Bucks benefits will begin distribution in mid-May. Families already receiving SNAP or those who participated in SUN Bucks last summer will have benefits added to their existing EBT card. Other households will receive a preloaded EBT card by mail in a plain white envelope addressed to the child.

Families are encouraged to verify their mailing address information with Medicaid, FITAP, KCSP and their child’s school to avoid delays in receiving benefits.

SUN Bucks cards can be activated through the LifeInCheck app, by calling 888-997-1117 or online through the LifeInCheck EBT system. Cardholders will need the child’s Social Security information, birthdate and ZIP code to complete activation.

Officials also remind families to choose secure PIN numbers and avoid common patterns such as repeated or consecutive digits.

BOM Bank is proud to sponsor the Cane River National Heritage Area Mini Golf Tournament on Thursday, April 30! Proceeds from the tournament will support the future Cane River Discovery Center, an exciting new interactive visitor and learning space designed for children and families in our community. The event is at Timber Ridge Adventure Park (formerly Dark Woods).

Pictured left to right: BOM’s Jaliyah Addison and Kacy Young.

The monthly Young at Heart luncheon for seniors was held May 6 at First United Methodist Church, bringing together community members for music, food and fellowship.

Entertainment for the event was provided by the Amazing Rhythm Disciples Band, which performed a selection of old-time gospel music along with several “mash-up” arrangements combining hymns and secular songs. Band members included Henry Reggans, Johnny Dunn, Rodney Harrington, John Richmond and Keith Shirley.

The group also recognized May birthdays for June Durr and Deborah Caron, with Durr celebrating her 95th birthday this month. Pat Megason and Ken Megason were also recognized for their 64th wedding anniversary.

Harvey Polk served as master of ceremonies, while Gary Willis offered the prayer before the meal. Decorations for the luncheon were provided by the church’s Koinonia Circle.

Young at Heart meets on the first Wednesday of each month at 11 a.m. in Bostick Hall at First United Methodist Church. Organizers say the gathering is non-denominational and open to all senior citizens in the community. Attendees are asked to pay a $5 fee or bring a covered dish to share.

The group will take a summer break during June and July, with the next meeting scheduled for Aug. 5.

The City of Natchitoches Planning and Zoning Department recently recognized Bobby Claibornefor more than 25 years of service to the Planning and Zoning Commission.

City officials thanked Claiborne for his longstanding leadership, vision and dedication to the community through his work with the commission.

The recognition honored his contributions to planning and development efforts in Natchitoches over more than two decades of service.

LSMSA seeks applicants for full-time Director of Academic affairs position

The Director of Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Officer (DAA) provides leadership and supervision of the teaching faculty and students while maintaining daily operations of the Office of Academic Affairs. 

The DAA directly supervises department chairs, the Registrar and Chief Articulation Officer, and the Academic Resource & Media Manager. They communicate regularly with students, faculty/staff and parents regarding the academic programs and services of the School and work directly with the Executive Director to successfully support the overall leadership and guidance of the School.

The DAA shall make sound and timely decisions by analyzing facts; reach logical conclusions by use of foresight and planning; work independently but seek help from the right source when appropriate; and respond promptly to safety and security concerns. As a School ambassador, the DAA will support the School’s mission and its students in both the context of the job and involvement in their extra-curricular and co-curricular activities.

Applicants should be dedicated to working in an environment that is highly focused on student development and support. Further, applicants should have a commitment to their own personal and professional development and have a desire to be a collaborative member of a team. 

The job description, duties, and required/preferred qualifications can be found here.

Salary range for this 12-month position is $105,000 – $115,000.

Application Process

Application review begins immediately and remains open until the position is filled.   Please complete the standard application form on the School website at LSMSA | Employment and attach it with a cover letter, resume, contact information for three references, and an official transcript from your final degree-granting institution to:  employment@lsmsa.edu.  Please submit your application as one PDF file that includes all the above if possible.

LSMSA is a selective admission, public residential high school located in Natchitoches, LA. LSMSA has a 40-year legacy of a preeminent college-level living/learning experience for high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors. LSMSA, located adjacent to the Northwestern State University campus, is a National Blue Ribbon School which, in 2023 and 2024, was rated No 1 for Best Public High School Teachers in Louisiana according to Niche.com and was named a World’s Leading Boarding School by Fortune Magazine in 2023.  

LSMSA does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, or age and prohibits such discrimination in any education program or activity that it operates. Individuals may report concerns or questions online at http://www.lsmsa.edu/nondiscrimination

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) reminds the public that increased water temperatures, storms, and extended cloudy weather can lead to fish kills in inland and nearshore waters across the state. These events are typically caused by low dissolved oxygen (hypoxia), which often occurs in warm water, since it has a lower carrying capacity for oxygen than cooler water.  Conditions such as stagnant water, heavy rainfall, decaying vegetation, or increased nutrient runoff contribute to hypoxic conditions—especially in shallow bayous, marshes, and ponds.

Fish kills may affect certain species or sizes more than others. For example, shad are sensitive to hypoxia, and are often the first or only fish that experience a fish kill, while some species, like gar, can breathe air and are resistant to hypoxic conditions. Other species have varying levels of tolerance to hypoxic conditions. 

While fish kills can temporarily impact recreational and commercial fishing, aquatic ecosystems in Louisiana are resilient and typically recover naturally. Even in large fish kills, some fish will find refuge from hypoxic conditions in the affected waterbody or connected waterbodies and survive. Scavengers and decomposers help break down fish remains, and most systems recover over time. If conditions remain favorable, fish populations often rebound after major kills within one to two years without the need for stocking, and young fish benefit from reduced competition and increased resources. However, fish kills caused by pollution or chemical spills can occur at any time and may require additional response.

Documenting fish kills in Louisiana, whether caused by natural or human-caused events, is important to responsibly manage fisheries resources. Please report any observed fish kill to LDWF so biologists can investigate and document the kill as soon as possible. For information on how to report a fish kill or more information about the causes of fish kills, go online to wlf.louisiana.gov/page/fish-kills.

One look at the Southland Conference baseball standings tells the story of what is on the line for the Northwestern State baseball team this weekend.

As the Demons prepare to open their final three-game, regular-season series at McNeese on 6 p.m. today, they are perfectly fine with knowing what’s ahead of them – until the game starts.

“The scenarios need to be discussed and need to be recognized, but once they say, ‘Play ball,’ you have to throw all of those numbers and scenarios and records out the window,” NSU head coach Chris Bertrand said. “We’re preparing for what we know is a very well-balanced team, a very hot team right now. A team that is coming off having the pitcher and the hitter of the week in our conference. They’re hot right now. We know they’re very well coached and will be very well prepared. We are preparing ourselves for what we know is, once you recognize what the scenarios are and what is out in front of you, you have to do a good job of saying yes (to it), but putting that away and preparing yourself for a well-prepared, well-coached, very balanced and hot baseball team. We have to answer the bell in that regard.”

In addition to today’s opener, the series also includes a 6 p.m. Friday night matchup and a 2 p.m. Saturday series finale. All three games will air on ESPN+ with radio coverage on 100.7 FM KZBL for the first two games of the series. The third game of the series will have free streaming audio available through www.NSUDemons.com and the Northwestern State Athletics mobile app, which can be downloaded free for Apple and Android devices.

For the Demons (25-21 overall, 16-11 in the SLC) everything is in front of them.

Northwestern enters the weekend with a mathematical chance to become outright Southland Conference champions. The Demons also could find themselves in the lower half of the bracket for the Southland Conference Tournament, which begins May 14 at the campuses of the top two finishers in the conference.

Northwestern sits two games behind conference-leading Southeastern Louisiana and one game behind second-place Lamar. The Demons do not own the tiebreaker with either team they are chasing.

“It seems like we find ourselves in these types of situation year after year,” Bertrand said. “It’s a matter of balancing it out. I’m proud of the situation we’ve put ourselves in to be in contention. I’m proud that there is still so much to play for. At the same time, we have to balance that with the idea that it still becomes, to some degree, about us in the way we go out and play, the way we respond to things that happen, the way we go out and know there is everything we want out in front of us. We still have to not allow that to be a distraction or to force us into a pressing situation. We still have to go out and play Demon baseball.”

Much of that success starts on the mound where the Demons lead the Southland Conference in ERA (4.38) and rank second in that category in league games only (4.55).

Northwestern will send right-handers Dylan Marionneaux (4-2, 3.64) and Kevin Robinson (0-3, 3.45) to the mound in the first two games, with the Game 3starter to be determined. McNeese will counter with left-hander Cooper Golden (2-4, 6.04), right-hander Eric Nachtsheim (6-3, 3.63) and right-hander Carlos Garcia (0-1, 3.21) in its rotation.

“There’s that element of balance,” Bertrand said. “We’re proud of the guys who have toed the rubber and had good performances and given us chances to win. Regardless of the results, I’m proud of the next-man-up attitude as we’ve battled some things. I’m proud of the fact that when our guys toe the rubber they fight and compete. Good performances and results come from pitching clean. When we pitch clean, when we execute pitches, when we get off the field with two outs, when we put the at-bat away when we get to two strikes, obviously, good things happen. We want those guys to have success and taste success, but what we also recognize is our responsibility in other phases of the game to complement them.

“We want the defense and the offense and the way we play to complement the great performance and the great jobs our pitchers have done throughout the course of this season.”

The Natchitoches Parish School Board concluded its May 5 committee meeting by discussing a wide range of operational issues, from traffic safety concerns to the first-ever student-led proposal for changes to the district dress code.

The second half of the meeting focused heavily on policy formalization, including a new handbook for middle school athletics and contract updates.

In an effort to bring structure to what Dr. Eloi described as the “Wild West,” the board reviewed a new 12-page Middle School Sports Handbook. Developed with input from coaches and Board Member Chad Fredieu, the document aims to align middle school sports with Louisiana High School Athletic Association (LHSAA) standards.

Key features of the handbook include:

• Game Minimums/Maximums: Ensuring coaches play enough games to justify stipends while preventing over-scheduling.

• Gate Fees: Setting a minimum of $5 and a maximum of $7 to cover referee costs and equipment.

• District Championships: Reviving a formal district-wide competitive structure including local schools plus Red River and St. Mary’s.

• Coaching Certification: A proposal to require non-faculty coaches to be CECP (Coaches Education and Certification Program) certified to mitigate liability and health risks like heat stroke.

Board members expressed concern that the certification requirement might discourage parent volunteers. Dr. Eloi agreed to research whether the course could be taken virtually or if a local safety course could be substituted.

For the first time in recent memory, students are set to present a proposal to the board. The students, participating in a civic action project, are requesting that “spirit shirts” be offered in multiple colors (such as white in addition to the standard maroon at Central) to provide more variety within the dress code.

“I told them to start small—no cell phones or anything crazy—and learn the process of participating in civic action,” Dr. Eloi said. The proposal is expected to be formally introduced at the next full board meeting.

Financial and personnel updates included:

• Sales Tax Revenue: Finance Director Mrs. Dunn reported that March sales tax collections were down nearly 4% ($94,000) compared to the previous year. However, the district remains 1.3% ahead for the year and has collected 75% of its budgeted projections.

• HR and Retirements: HR Director Ramona Blander announced that the annual retirement party is scheduled for May 27. She also reminded the board of Teacher Appreciation events, including a leadership-hosted car wash.

• Head Start Transition: The board discussed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to transition services from “Save the Children” to “Prime Time Head Start,” the new grantee for the area.

The board also discussed several key contracts, including:

• Echo Ride: A bus contract update that incorporated 100% of the changes requested by the board’s attorneys.

• Food and Milk Bids: Approval of recommendations for the 2026-2027 school year, following an appeals hearing that upheld the disqualification of a non-compliant bidder.

Agenda items will be voted on at the full board meeting on Tuesday, May 12.

A stretch of unsettled weather is expected to move through the area beginning Wednesday, bringing multiple chances of showers and thunderstorms along with a noticeable drop in temperatures before a gradual warm-up into the weekend.

Rain chances increase significantly on Wednesday, with scattered storms possible in the morning becoming more widespread by the afternoon. Highs are expected to reach the mid 80s, with breezy conditions at times. Showers and thunderstorms are likely to continue into Wednesday night, with cooler air moving in after midnight as lows dip into the lower 60s.

Thursday will bring a marked cooldown, with highs only reaching the lower 70s under mostly cloudy skies. Rain chances remain in the forecast, though coverage will be more scattered. Cooler conditions persist into Thursday night, with lows falling into the upper 50s.

By Friday, temperatures begin a slight rebound, climbing into the mid 70s. Rain chances will continue through the day, with scattered showers and thunderstorms possible. Conditions remain mostly cloudy into Friday night, with a lower chance of rain.

Heading into the weekend, a warming trend returns. Highs climb back into the mid 80s on Saturday with partly cloudy skies and a continued chance of isolated storms. Rain chances decrease slightly Saturday night.

Sunday brings warmer conditions, with highs reaching the upper 80s and only a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms during the day. Rain chances increase again Sunday night as clouds build back into the area.

The start of the new week will feature a mix of clouds and sunshine. Monday carries a slight chance of morning showers before clearing in the afternoon, with highs in the lower 80s. Cooler overnight temperatures are expected Monday night, dropping into the mid 50s.

By Tuesday, conditions improve further with mostly sunny skies and highs in the lower 80s, signaling a brief return to more stable weather across the parish.

See Natchitoches Parish on page 16.

Is there a phrase more terrifying to the modern grocery shopper than “UNEXPECTED ITEM IN BAGGING AREA”? (Except, perhaps, “ITEM REMOVED FROM BAGGING AREA.”) 

We’ve all been there: The panicked fumble, the furious (yet ultimately futile) pressing of the “clear error” button, the desperate eye-contact with the one store employee who is now also side-eyeing your entire existence. The worst part? The machine never understands your motivation. It doesn’t know about the snack craving, the mid-afternoon energy slump, or the urgent need for specifically this kind of chip. It only knows that something isn’t “registered” and now you’re the unexpected item.

Just… just give me the snacks, you heartless electronic demon.

In addition to capturing four total conference championships, Northwestern State’s student-athletes delivered in the classroom as well during the 2024-25 academic year.

Northwestern’s 12 athletic programs combined for a 986 overall score in the NCAA’s annual Academic Progress Rate calculation, the program’s second-best score since the metric was devised in 2003.

The APR provides a real-time look at a program’s academic success each semester by tracking the progress of each student-athlete on scholarship. The APR accounts for eligibility and retention and provides a measure of each Division I team’s performance compared to its peers.

Overall, seven Northwestern programs notched perfect 1,000 scores in the metric -– more than double the number from the 2023-24 report. That cumulative success led to the 986 overall mark, which qualified Northwestern to receive the NCAA Academic Unit -– a financial incentive awarded to departments who post a score of 985 or greater.

It marks the first time since the 2022-23 report for Northwestern to qualify for the academic unit, which was first awarded in spring 2020.

“The performance of our student-athletes in their fields of competition and within the classroom emphasizes the dual nature of their titles,” Director of Athletics Kevin Bostian said. “Excellence in both competition and academics are core values of our athletic program, and this year’s APR report stamps our student-athletes as having achieved success in both realms. Having seven programs land perfect APR marks in the current state of college athletics is a remarkable achievement that reflects on both the hard work of our student-athletes balancing all of their myriad responsibilities and the impact of our student-athlete development staff, who have helped foster a culture of responsibility and success away from competition.”

The seven programs that collected perfect scores were baseball, men’s basketball, men’s cross country, softball, soccer, tennis and volleyball. The women’s track and field program posted its second straight 990 mark – an improvement of 19 points over its score from two years ago.

Both men’s cross country and tennis have posted multi-year rates of 1,000 after this report. Multi-year rates cover team scores across a four-year period.

In addition to those programs, five programs have produced multi-year rates of 975 or above: volleyball (989), soccer (985), baseball (977), softball (975) and women’s track and field (975).