The NCHS Football team held a Golf Scramble fundraiser Saturday, July 8 at the Northwestern Hills Golf Course. Eighteen teams of four golfers set out for a fun day of competition. Some of the holes had some creative interpretations of golfing rules, including one at which the golfer could choose to use a baseball bat in lieu of a golf club, a surprisingly effective way to get the ball to the green. The golfers enjoyed a jambalaya lunch after their 18 holes.

The scramble was fun for a good cause. The 128 young men of Chief football have been hard at work under veteran coach Jess Curtis. Coach Curtis is in his first year at the helm of the Chiefs after a legendary tenure at Many High School. The money raised will be used in defraying some of the program’s expenses such as uniforms and food on the road.

The NCHS Chief will make their first home appearance on the gridiron September 8 as they face off against the Opelousas Tigers. The Natchitoches Parish Journal extends its best wishes for a safe and victorious season. Go Chiefs!

Longtime Northwestern State director of athletics Greg Burke has been named Director of Business Development and Public Relations for the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Foundation.

Burke, who drew national acclaim for his work as NSU’s AD from 1996-2022, started his new role this week, said LSHOF Foundation CEO/President Ronnie Rantz.

Burke’s initial focus will center on assisting with partnership opportunities, including attendance at events, for the approaching Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame induction weekend July 27-29.

Future priorities will include establishing a membership structure for annual support, developing annual and long-term sponsorship and partnership opportunities and embarking on long-term funding sources which will maintain and enhance the future profile of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum at 800 Front Street in Natchitoches.

“It is both inspiring and a privilege to have a role in continuing to develop the brand and legacy of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in its ‘hometown’ of Natchitoches and on a statewide level,” said Burke. “I look forward to working with Ronnie Rantz, Doug Ireland, the Foundation board and others to further develop the vision and mission of the Hall of Fame and to position it for sustained success and growth.”

Except for four years at the University of Akron as a development officer in his home state, Burke has lived in Natchitoches since 1986, and traveled throughout Louisiana extensively in his roles as assistant AD and then AD at Northwestern State, and since retiring from the university.

He has done fundraising and development work along with marketing, public relations and extensive administrative duties, raising millions of dollars for NSU Athletics and contributing to a long list of milestones for the Demons. He has also been active in community and regional affairs as a board member and officer of multiple service and civic organizations, and is a board member of the Friends of Louisiana Sports and History (FLASH) local museum support group.

“The opportunity to bring Greg onto our Foundation team is a big step forward for us,” said Rantz. “He knows Louisiana, is well known around Louisiana, and loves Louisiana sports. He is widely admired around the state and country for who he is and for his career in intercollegiate athletics, and he has a passion for Natchitoches and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame that makes him an ideal addition for us.”

Burke worked in the private sector during the past year, traveling extensively to meet with stakeholders and potential partners.

“Greg is the consummate professional, and a people-person who will develop relationships around Louisiana and will strengthen existing bonds,” said Ireland, the Hall of Fame chairman and Foundation executive director since 1990. “His personality and skill set would be assets to any organization and they are tailor-made for the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Foundation.”

Burke can be reached via e-mail at gregburke@lasportshall.com or through the LSHOF Foundation office in Natchitoches at 318-238-4255.

The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame includes 25 Pro Football Hall of Fame members, 18 Olympic medalists including 11 gold medal winners, 12 members of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, seven of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players, seven National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees, 42 College Football Hall of Fame members, nine National High School Hall of Fame enshrinees, jockeys with a combined 16 Triple Crown victories, six world boxing champions, nine Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinees, seven College Baseball Hall of Fame inductees, 10 College Basketball Hall of Fame members, four NBA Finals MVPs, four winners of major professional golf championships, five National Museum of (Thoroughbred) Racing and Hall of Fame inductees and two Super Bowl MVPs.

The 2023 Induction Celebration will kick off Thursday, July 27, with a press conference and reception. The three-day festivities include two receptions, a free youth sports clinic, a bowling party, and a Friday night riverbank concert in Natchitoches. Tickets for the Induction Ceremony, bowling party and two VIP events, along with sponsorship opportunities, are available now through the LaSportsHall.com website.

The 2023 Induction Celebration will be hosted by the LSHOF Foundation, the support organization for the Hall of Fame. The LSHOF Foundation was established as a 501 c 3 non-profit entity in 1975 and is governed by a statewide board of directors.

The Louisiana Gumbo Cook-Off is returning to the Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival on Saturday July 22, in air-conditioned Prather Coliseum located at 220 South Jefferson Street on the Northwestern State University campus in Natchitoches. In honor of this year’s festival theme, Celebrating Louisiana’s Cultural Gumbo, the festival will see the long-awaited return of the Gumbo Cookoff, in which professionals and hobbyists alike can compete in any of three categories and demonstrate their cooking skills. Registration and the Cooks’ Meeting will take place at 8 a.m. Tasting and judging will begin at 12:30 p.m. with winners be announced at 2:30 p.m. There is no fee to compete in the Cookoff. Gumbo must be cooked on-site outside of Prather Coliseum.

The Gumbo Cook-Off is the Louisiana Folklife Center’s way of celebrating the state’s unique and storied foodways, as well as the rich culture behind the cooking of gumbo. The ways of preparing gumbo and the ingredients used are as varied as the people who cook it, so there is no better way to embody this year’s festival theme of Celebrating Louisiana’s Cultural Gumbo.

Competitors will be given a 10’ x 20’ space outside of Prather Coliseum to set up either propane burners or cookfires to prepare their gumbo. Running water will be available on the premises, but all other supplies must be brought by the head cook. All gumbo must be cooked on-site, with no commercial or pre-made roux allowed. Poultry, meat, seafood, rice and broth or stock may be prepared in advance or on-site, and canned broth is allowed. Gumbo must be heated to a boil on-site, and gumbo must be prepared in as sanitary a manner as possible. Chefs must prepare at least two gallons of gumbo for the competition. For the complete list of rules, please visit our website at nsula.edu/folklife/.

“A Buck A Cup” gumbo sales to the public for the People’s Choice category will begin at 1 p.m. Festival attendees will be invited to purchase gumbo and vote on which gumbo they most enjoyed. Chefs participating in “A Buck A Cup” must provide their own bowls, spoons and napkins.

The Gumbo Cook-Off is being held at the Natchitoches-NSU Louisiana Folklife Festival. In addition to the cook-off, this year’s festival will include the Louisiana State Fiddle Championship, three stages with live music, and many crafts and food vendors. The festival’s curated showcase of Louisiana folk musicians, food vendors and traditional crafts persons will open at 9 a.m., with live entertainment scheduled for 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. The family-oriented festival is fully wheelchair accessible. Tickets are $10 at the door for all events, or $6 for an evening pass to all events after 5 p.m. Children 12 and under are admitted free.

Support for the festival is provided by grants from the Cane River National Heritage Area, Inc., the City of Natchitoches, the Louisiana Division of the Arts Decentralized Arts Fund Program, the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the Louisiana Office of Tourism, the Natchitoches Historic District Development Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation, the Shreveport Regional Arts Council and the State of Louisiana.

The Kiwanis Club of Natchitoches held its weekly meeting on Thursday, July 6 where club president Craig George gave updates on club news and upcoming events. Club secretary Craig Caskey gave a brief committee update on the October 7th 5K Color Run and Pancake Festival.

Former club president Richard Rose introduced head baseball coach Chris Bertrand. Bertrand gave a great presentation on the plans for the transition period on coach staffing as well as his outlook on preparing for the upcoming NSU baseball season.

Bath Days are held monthly from April until October, on the second Saturday of the month (unless noted). July’s Bath Day will be held on Saturday, July 8, from 9am – 1pm, at Tractor Supply in Natchitoches. FAUNA will be holding the event.

All funds raised go to the animals in our care and the upkeep of the facilities to house them, as well as assisting our fosters in caring for the animals they have graciously taken into their homes.

We will be offering baths for dogs, $10 up to 60 lbs. and $15 for over 60 lbs. Nail clipping and anal glad expression, performed by vet techs, for $10 for each service.

We encourage pet owners to bring any special shampoo you have specifically for your dog and a towel.

Few activities are as satisfying to me, a deer hunter, as to have driven the last nail and sawed the last plank on a deer stand I built myself. I honestly think I get as much satisfaction and enjoyment out of practicing my crude brand of carpentry on a deer stand I built myself as the hunting experience itself.

Over the years, I have come up with some doozies. The first box stand I ever constructed by myself had to have help to keep from toppling over. I nailed a two-by-four from one shaky leg of the stand to a nearby sturdy tree to give support. It lasted a couple of years before giving up the ghost.

My favorite homemade stand was built on the ground. Perhaps the elevated stand that toppled over taught me a lesson. Using a post hole digger, I placed four corner posts in the ground and built the stand from plywood around it, complete with floor and roof. If this stand were to fall over, I wouldn’t be hurt because I’d only have about six inches to fall.

One of the things that I dread is heading out to my deer stands during the off season to prepare them for fall and winter hunting. One thing I have learned is that during the off season, my stands enter the time-share program as other creatures take over in my absence.

On one occasion, I cautiously eased up to peer into my stand and found a hawk nest. Another time, I climbed into the stand and was preparing to take a seat on the cushion I’d left there at the end of last season. As I adjusted the cushion before sitting down, something moved inside the cushion. Puzzled, I poked a stick in a small hole in the material and jumped back astonished as eight flying squirrels vacated the warm and cozy cushion that had been their home for months.

On another occasion, I checked my stand to find that a family of buzzards had taken the window I’d left open as an invitation to come on in and make themselves at home. Have you ever had to clean up behind a family of buzzards? Believe me, it’s not for the person with a weak stomach. I debated about possibly dowsing on some gasoline, lighting a match and burning the stinking stand to the ground. Starting over may have been a better option.

A friend of mine made a pre-season check of his box stand to find that bats had worked their way beneath the camouflage material covering his stand, causing him to swat at fleeing bats for a few moments.

I eventually got to the point of making my stands critter-proof to keep flying squirrels, bats and buzzards away.

However, there is one pest I can count on, in fact almost guarantee that will be there once I make my first inspection of my stand before hunting season kicks off.

Wasps. No matter how tightly you think you have your stand closed, they’ll find a way to get in and frankly, wasps do not take kindly to being disturbed. Thus, before climbing the first rung of the ladder to my stand, I’ll have one hand on the rung and the other wrapped around a can of wasp spray.

There is a measure of satisfaction in sitting back with an air of smugness in admiring the deer stand that you have constructed by your own hands. However, time-share critters like flying squirrels, bats, buzzards and wasps apparently pay little attention to the contract that says they have to share. 

Contact Glynn at glynnharris37@gmail.com

Preparation is the key to doing well on any tournament trail. But in the tournament bass fishing world, it can also test an angler’s patience.

Anglers spend hours and days pre-fishing for schools of quality fish that will help put them either in the winner’s circle or at least in line to get a check. There’s a saying with bass fishermen that “time on the water” is critical to being competitive.

Let’s look at another famous quote with bass fishermen: ”What a difference a day makes!” There’s no telling how many times anglers have found quality fish during practice, only to be left wondering on tournament day, “Where did they go?”

My last tournament on Sam Rayburn was a prime example. The fishing overall was tough and summer temperatures were hitting the mid 90’s. Not only was it hot, but there was little to no wind which makes fishing difficult on any body of water. When you tell people it was a beautiful day, in bass fishing terms that means the fishing was probably not very good. Pretty bluebird days do not usually equate to great fishing days.

This tournament, my electronics played a big role in me locating a school of bass offshore in 15 to 18 feet of water. It had a high spot of about 10 foot that was holding a solid school of bass. During my final practice day after coming across this little honey hole, I made two casts onto this spot with a big redbug colored V&M Straight Wild worm when the rod loaded up with a solid 3.5-pound bass. This was what I was looking for!

Any time you can catch fish over 3 pounds on a spot, that’s a good thing. My next cast resulted in a 4-pounder and now I was excited. Realizing that quality fish were present, I pulled up the trolling motor and left the scene, counting on this spot for tournament day.

But guess what? I ran into the same thing that happens so many times when you find a good group of fish on one spot in practice — overnight they get smaller! For some reason my 3- and 4-pound fish I found the day before turned into 1.79, 1.74. 1.72. 1.59 and 1.76. Five fish that were just under 9 pounds total. Every fish I caught looked like it had come out of the same mold!

One thing you must understand about bass, they tend to group up the same size as others in the school. Again, this is not unusual in that it often happens that bigger bass will leave a spot only to be replaced by smaller ones. It’s as if a memo was sent out the night before my tournament alerting all the good fish to move off this hump.

After catching and culling three times with a worm, I decided to show them something different as I picked up a Strike King 3XD crankbait. Immediately I started catching fish and hoped they would be bigger fish. But no, they continued to be in the 1.75-pound range which was not helping me at all. My co-angler, who was fishing out of the back of the boat, was also catching fish, but of the same size I was. We both tried different techniques, but the results were still the same — small fish!

I finished 18th overall in this event but should have finished much higher IF my fish had not gotten smaller or if the good fish hadn’t read that stupid memo.

That’s what makes tournament fishing so frustrating. You spend hours and days trying to find quality bass and for whatever reason, they just disappear. Sometimes all the preparation in the world doesn’t help if the fish don’t cooperate.

‘Til next time, good luck, good fishing and please wear good sun-protective clothing and your sunscreen. If you think you’re immune to getting Melanoma — think again!

Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com

March 20, 1934 — July 2, 2023

Mr. Pesnell was also a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He and his wife, Gloria, were happily married for almost 63 years – – from August 16, 1958, until her death on April 13, 2021.

He loved his children and did everything he could to raise them properly. He doted, however, on his grandchildren and went to great lengths to develop and expand their hearts, their minds, and their horizons.

Mr. Pesnell was preceded in death by his parents, Van Gordon Pesnell and Maggie Oda Lee Youngblood Pesnell; his wife, Gloria Faye Fletcher Pesnell; his sisters, Glenda Mae Pesnell Burch and Sharon Genet Pesnell Hamlin; and his foster brother, Robert Lee Williams.

Left to cherish his memory are his children, John Whitney Pesnell and wife, Tedy; William Alan Pesnell and wife, Evelyn; James Gordon Pesnell; Douglas Wade Pesnell and wife Angela; and Susan Elizabeth Pesnell; his sister, Betty Sue Pesnell Ambrose and husband, Jack; his brother, Gordon Drew Pesnell and wife, Jean; and his brothers-in-law, John Gilland Burch and Bruce Arnold Hamlin. Also surviving Mr. Pesnell are his grandchildren, Shaelyn Cheyenne Schmidt, Sierra Caroline Pesnell, Sheridan Colleen Pesnell, William Marshall Pesnell, and Katelyn Elizabeth Pesnell, and his step-grandchildren, Kristina Louise Rushing, Jessie Pearl Perez, John Robert Perez, Gregory George Perez, Carl Ernest Perez, and Nellie Grace Perez.

Honoring Mr. Pesnell as pall bearers are his nephews and great-nephews, Christopher Drew Pesnell, David Bruce Hamlin, Jeremy Clay Hamlin, Matthew Gilland Burch, and William Bert Fletcher, and his step-grandson, Gregory George Perez.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorials may be made to First Baptist Church of Shreveport, 543 Ockley Drive, Shreveport, Louisiana, 71106; Longstraw Baptist Church, 1799 Styles Ranch Road, Choudrant, Louisiana, 71227; the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home, 7200 Desiard Street, Monroe, Louisiana, 71203; or the charity of the donor’s choice.

Mark your calendars for July 11th, 24th, 25th, 31st, and August 1st !

OMC Natchitoches is hosting a Pediatric Care Summer Wellness Fest! Our services include sick child visits, immunizations/vaccines, and back-to-school sports/wellness physicals. Walk-ins are welcome or call 318-352-9299 for an appointment.

“Because Caring For You Is What We Do!”

Let me introduce myself.

I am July 5th and I get no respect. That’s because I follow July 4th, the grandest, most noisy, most patriotic and, at times, most obnoxious (as in hot dog eating contests) holiday of the summer.

It’s sort of like the hangover from New Year’s Eve on January 1st but the 1st has the Rose Parade and bowl games and black-eyed peas.

I am July 5th and I’m feeling like forgotten lagniappe.

After July 4th’s boast of being one of the most important days in history with the signing of the Declaration of Independence, you know what happened on July 5, 1776?

General George Washington gave Polish engineer and recent American immigrant Thaddeus Kosciuszko his first assignment as a volunteer with the Continental Army: to build Fort Billingsport in Paulsboro, N.J.

Is THAT something to spice up a resume for This Day in History?

I am July 5th and I feel like Andrew Johnson, the guy who followed Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States.

I am July 5th, and some call me Ray, and no, it’s not for Ray Charles, who sang the most soul-stirring rendition of “America the Beautiful.” They call me Ray, for Ray Perkins, who succeeded legendary football coach Bear Bryant as the head football coach at the University of Alabama.

Occasionally, a big bang can follow another big bang like Fireworks over Buhlow (July 3rd) and Rocking the Red (July 4th), but I am July 5th and get no respect. I am Bobby Murcer following back-to-back Hall of Famers Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle as the starting centerfielder for the Yankees.

I am July 5th and an oh-by-the-way sort of day. I am the group of Spanish settlers and native Tumucuans who celebrated a meal of thanksgiving together in St. Augustine, Florida on September 8, 1565. That was 55 years before the pilgrims set foot on Plymouth Rock and celebrated what most regard as the first Thanksgiving in America. Granted, Florida was under Spanish rule at the time, but just saying.

Then again, I am July 5th and there are some anniversaries I can celebrate: in the first all-American final at Wimbledon in 1927, Helen Wills Moody beat Helen Jacobs, 6-1, 6-2; and in 1934, Lou Gehrig hit his then-record 17th grand slam in Yankees’ 8-3 win over Washington, passing Babe Ruth’s total.

Larry Doby of the Cleveland Indians became the first Black player in the American League on July 5, 1947, in a game against the Chicago White Sox.

Then again, I am July 5th and I am Larry Doby becoming the SECOND Black man to play in Major League Baseball behind Jackie Robinson.

My guess is most of us can empathize more with the second fiddle than the orchestra conductor.    

Bob Tompkins enjoyed a 43-year newspaper career as an award-winning writer and editor, serving the last 39 years at the Town Talk in Alexandria through most of 2015. He is a member of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame as a past winner of the LSWA’s Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism. An Alexandria resident, Tompkins is a contributing columnist sharing his talents with Natchitoches Parish Journal readers.

“May my life be like a great hospitable tree, and may weary wanderers find in me a rest.”
~ John Henry Jowett

Samuel James “Sam” Friedman was born in Shreveport, Louisiana on January 4, 1937, and died peacefully in his sleep in Glenville, North Carolina on July 2, 2023, at a remarkably youthful 86.

He was preceded in death by his son, Kerry Friedman; his great-granddaughter, Annaley Ratliff; and his parents, Elizabeth H. and Sylvan N. Friedman.

He is survived by his wife, Edwina Bagwell Friedman; his children, Elizabeth Edwards (and husband Stephen) and Greg Friedman (and wife Hanna); his grandchildren, Erin Ratliff, James Lee Friedman, Ian Edwards, and Ava Edwards; and his great-granddaughter, Audrey Ratliff.

Sam showed an early interest in agriculture and animal husbandry and in high school proudly served as National FFA President. Upon his graduation from Natchitoches High in 1954, he attended LSU where he earned a bachelor’s degree in animal science. He continued his studies at Louisiana State University Law School (now Paul M. Hebert Law Center) and obtained his Juris Doctor in 1961. After graduation, he served for two years in the army and was discharged with the rank of Captain. He returned to Natchitoches and entered into private law practice.

In 1973, he left his law partnership to form Safari Management, a hotel development and management company. This firm started with the acquisition of the Holiday Inn-Brownwood, TX. Next, he and his partners built the Holiday Inn-Natchitoches, and they soon owned and/or operated more than 20 Holiday Inns, a Hilton, and 3 Residence Inns. He was elected to the Board of Directors and served as President of the International Association of Holiday Inns, Inc., the franchise organization of Holiday Inn owners.

In 1977, he became the principal shareholder and president of Traber Agency, a general insurance agency corporation in Natchitoches. He sold the agency to the Bank of Montgomery in 2016.

In 1979, Sam acquired property in Clay County, TX, and organized Lone Star Hereford Ranch, one of the premier Hereford cattle operations in the United States. He operated it until he sold it in 1990.

In 1989, he was honored to be elected to the Board of Directors of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry.

Sam valued his ties to LSU and was a zealous Tiger fan all his life. He continued to support his alma mater after graduation by being actively involved in the Alumni Association and heading the fund drive for many years in Natchitoches Parish. He was a member of the Louisiana State University Foundation, and in 1984 he was appointed to a six-year term on the Louisiana State University Board of Supervisors, serving as Chairman for the 1986/87 school year. In 2000, he worked extensively with the LSU Alumni Association to develop Lod Cook Hotel on campus that still operates successfully today.

In the ‘80s, Sam realized that the hotel industry was changing, and he decided to stay ahead of the curve. In 1988, he divested himself of his roadside Holiday Inns and formed a new company, Dimension Development, with the mission of developing primarily extended-stay, suite hotels. He first focused on Homewood Suites, an emerging conceptual hotel still in development, and he participated in establishing the design and operating standards for the brand. He subsequently served as a founding member and Chairman of the Homewood Suites by Hilton Franchise Advisory Council for 17 years until he retired as Chair Emeritus.

Through the years, the company also acquired full-service and luxury hotels. Today Dimension operates 80 hotels in 15 states. The thriving company recently held a leadership conference in New Orleans that coincided with Sam’s 50th anniversary in the hotel business. Sam was feted with an evening of tributes that began with a second line and culminated at a dinner at Galatoire’s with family, friends, and past and present business associates toasting Sam’s accomplishments and contributions to the hospitality industry and his vision in shaping the all-suite hotel market.

Sam viewed his time on earth as a great adventure and life a wilderness to be explored. He loved mountains and lakes, salt water and deep-sea fishing, fine wine, and sparkling conversation, and he was a connoisseur of anything culinary-related. He was in his element when he was entertaining, and he excelled at it. He was the consummate host, bon vivant, and good friend. With his charisma and an unparalleled gift of storytelling, he worked a room, much to the delight of everyone in it. It has been said that if you choose your passion as your job, you will never work a day in your life. When Sam found the hotel business, he discovered his passion and spent his personal and professional life doing what came naturally to him, offering hospitality and respite to family, friends, and strangers.

Funeral services are under the direction of Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home. Visitation will be at the Natchitoches Events Center Thursday, July 6, from 5:00 until 8:00. The funeral will take place at the Events Center Friday, July 7, at 11:30, with Rabbi Judy Ginsburgh officiating. Burial will be at Memory Lawn Cemetery. A reception at the Events Center will follow the service.

Pallbearers will be Mike Berman, Calvin Braxton, Mike Cahn, Kevin Dunn, Paul Harden, and Bobby Mancil.

Honorary pallbearers will be Ed DeSousa, Jeff Fisher, Fred Flippin, Ed Horton, Jack Guenther, Allan Rose, and Lovan Thomas.

Sam’s kindness, generosity, and hospitable nature were not limited to people. He was also an animal lover and advocate and, through the years, made room in his home and his life for countless dogs, cats, birds, and various species of wildlife. Recently, Edwina and Sam saw a need for a shelter and pet adoption center to serve Natchitoches Parish and donated land to the animal rescue group, Friends All United for Natchitoches Animals (FAUNA), to expedite the project. He was excited about it and immersed in fundraising ideas to build the facility. Those who wish to honor Sam’s memory may do so by donating to FAUNA Shelter Construction Fund, P.O. Box 2552, Natchitoches, LA 71457, or to a cause of their choice.

July 13, 1950 — July 2, 2023

A service to honor the life of Mr. Terry Lynn McQuillin, Sr. will be held at 2pm on Wednesday, July 5, 2023 at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home with Bro. Butch Rogers officiating. Burial will follow at Memory Lawn Cemetery in Natchitoches. The family will receive friends from 10 am until service time on July 5th at Blanchard-St. Denis.

Steve Pezant announces his candidacy for Sheriff of Natchitoches Parish for the October 2023 Election.
Steve is the current Chief Deputy of the Natchitoches Ward 1 City Marshal’s Office. He is also a retired Louisiana State Trooper and former Pike County (MS) Sheriff’s Deputy. Steve began his law enforcement career in 1990 with the Pike County Sheriff’s Office, then in 1993 he was hired by the Louisiana State Police and served as a Trooper for 26 years, assigned to Troop E, with Natchitoches Parish being his main assigned area. In March of 2020, Steve was hired by the Natchitoches Ward 1 City Marshall’s Office, and currently serves as the Chief Deputy.

As Steve has stated before, “I am running for the Office of Sheriff, not against anyone.”

Contact Steve Pezant at 318-471-4772 or votepezant@outlook.com for more information or to join the campaign.