JOURNAL STAFF

College football officially kicks off next Saturday, Sept. 3, in the first week of an exciting regular season.

It’s going to be more exciting, week after week since you can win $250 by picking the winning teams.

Fans have until this TODAY  4 to enter the Week One  Natchitoches Parish Journal College Football Pick ‘Em Contest. Anyone has the chance to win a $250 prize as the week’s top predictor of 10 college games, featuring NSU, LSU, Grambling, and other teams of local interest.

The contests will be conducted weekly during the football season. There is no entry charge, just like there is no cost to subscribe to the Natchitoches Parish Journal.

Participation is very simple. Just click on this link:
CLICK HERE: WEEK ONE

The Pick ‘Em portal opens to a menu of game-by-game matchups, with an easy click to pick winning teams for each contest. Two games will be used as tiebreakers, with participants predicting the total points scored in those games.

It takes 20-30 seconds to sign up and not much longer than that to make your picks.

Entries are open now for the first week’s contest picking the winners from Sept. 3.

Each week, the entries will remain open this week until 4 p.m. TODAY.

One person will win each week’s $250 prize, to be announced in the Journal early the following week as the subsequent Pick ‘Em Contest launches. All contest decisions by NPJ management are final.

Every participant will receive a FREE subscription to the Journal if you’re not already signed up for the easily-navigated, convenient 6:55 a.m. daily e-mail.

A panel of Journal writers and local celebrities will also pick the games each week, but won’t be eligible to win the cash prizes. Their individual picks will NOT be publicized, just the week’s final win-loss results and the season’s record for each picker.

It will be fun for participants to compare their weekly records to the panel of experts and celebrities to be announced next week.

Enjoy it all, for FREE, and enter each week’s contest. You could collect $250, maybe more than once!

Notes: Just ONE $250.00 winner per week. Only your FIRST submission will count, any others you submit will be excluded.

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Did you know that Natchitoches Parish Fire District 6 has roughly 20,000 feet of hose in service? That’s almost 4 miles of hose!

The final trucks of NPFD6 annual hose testing were tested on Aug. 27. Every piece of hose in service and in reserve is tested annually to ensure that it meets the pressure specifications of NFPA standards. Couplings and hose jackets are examined for wear and each piece of hose is logged and inventoried. It is necessary to remove every piece of attack line and supply line off of every apparatus for testing. This provides a great opportunity for members to refresh hose handling, hose lays and hose loading skills.

NPFD6 members also participated in support training. Training included hands-on exercises that allowed members to practice vital skills used on the fire ground such as proper equipment staging, SCBA use and maintenance, scene size-up and scene awareness and safety. Each NPFD6 member has a critical role on a scene that ensures the department is able to work effectively and efficiently.

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ABBEVILLE — Sometimes the toughest challenge may be the first one.

That’s a scenario that could be facing St. Mary’s as the Tigers open the season Friday at Class 3A Abbeville, which ranks No. 9 in its class in the Louisiana Sports Writers Association preseason football poll. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

The Class 1A Tigers are no strangers to respect in the poll themselves as they are receiving votes in their division, but the road test to start the regular season may prove one of the most difficult of the season.

Abbeville posted an 11-2 record last season, reaching the third round of the playoffs. They dumped Crowley, 34-0, during jamboree action this past week.

“It’s a fun game,” Tiger head coach Aaron York said about the annual battle with Abbeville. “They are big and fast. We are playing a team that made a deep run in the 3A playoffs last year.”

But York has constantly reminded his team that there is a reason high school football games are played, no matter how formidable the task at hand appears.

“If it were a given (the final outcome of this week’s game), then there would be no reason for us to load up the bus and go play the game,” York emphasized. “We, as coaches, have told the kids that we have a chance to win this game, and we have a chance to win each game this season.

“That’s why we put in the hard work we have done. This game is a measuring stick for us for the rest of the year. Why not go play a game like this to find out where we are at this point in the season?”

St. Mary’s, 8-3 overall this past season and a first-round playoff appearance, fell short during their 2021 meeting with Abbeville, 43-23.

However, after last week’s effort in a jamboree battle with Lakeview, York is pleased with the Tigers effort and focus going into this week’s season opener.

“I have told the players all along, our biggest enemy this season is ourselves,” York said. “We have to concentrate on what we do and do our best in accomplishing our game plan each week. We have a few things to clean up, and we are working hard on those this week.”

Lakeview excited about new turf, familiar foe

NATCHITOCHES — A pregame ceremony to dedicate the new turf installed in the swamp will be part of the kickoff celebration for Lakeview this Friday as it hosts D’Arbonne Woods Charter in the season opener.

Lakeview head coach Brandon Helms, in his 29th year overall in coaching, said he and the Gator community are most appreciative for the new stadium turf and the upgrades to other facilities as well.

“We just have so many people to thank for our facilities,” Helms said.

Among those Helms referenced for appreciation were school board member Eugene Garner and the Reverend Steve Harris along with other stakeholders who helped make the dream of upgraded facilities come to fruition.

“This is a top-class facility,” Helms continued. “I went to them with a dream, and they stepped up, took it and ran with it.

“Within nine months, we were beginning construction. We are just so excited to showcase our facility. The kids and our community deserve this recognition because they have poured so much of themselves into this program. This is when a dream becomes reality.”

Turning to the battle on the field, Helms said his squad is familiar with D’Arbonne Woods.

“This will be four years (consecutively) that we have played them,” Helms said of the Timberwolves. “They are very physical and well coached. They line up and say, ‘Here we are,’ and then they come right at you. D’Arbonne Woods is very sound and disciplined in what they do. This will be a good test for us early in the season.”

Lakeview has won two of the previous three matchups with D’Arbonne Woods, but the Timberwolves captured the win this past season with a 33-22 victory.

Helms said his team has focused on effort and execution after a lackluster performance against St. Mary’s in a 24-6 jamboree decision.

“I was a little disappointed in the jamboree,” Helms said. “We are working on getting those things corrected this week.”

The Timberwolves, based in Farmerville, posted a 6-4 record during the 2021 campaign and were ousted in the first round of the playoffs, losing to Franklin 54-7.

Lakeview went 1-9, including the loss to D’Arbonne Woods in Week 7.

“Simply, we have several players that need to show up, step forward, and contribute like we know they can,” Helms said. “Our players have worked very hard so far, and we just have to correct some mistakes. It is going to be a very good week of practice.”

Photo: Elizabeth Yopp/St. Mary’s 

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L.P. Vaughn Elementary School and its teachers had the honor of speaking with Louisiana State Superintendent Dr. Cade Brumley about Louisiana’s first K-2 Accountability Plan on Aug. 29.

The Louisiana Department of Education adopted a K-2 Accountability Plan at the end of August to combat the State’s literacy crisis and bring more accountability to educational systems.

Dr. Brumley spoke with teachers at L.P. Vaughn Elementary School about Louisiana’s literacy crisis and what actions teachers can take to ensure students are learning how to read in the early years of education.

L.P. Vaughn teachers discussed their struggles in the classroom and brainstormed ideas on how to transform their school and elevate the role of a teacher.

“Teaching is incredibly difficult work,” says Dr. Brumley. “It is the profession that starts all other professions. We must do a better job of compensating, listening to, and understanding obstacles that get in our way.”

The Natchitoches Parish School Board is proud to have Dr. Brumley spark these conversations with its teachers and staff. Educators are valued professionals, and the State can’t function without them. The Natchitoches Parish School District is going to be a shining star in the next few years.

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New members of the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts (LSMSA) ‘s faculty and staff at LSMSA for the 2022-23 school year are Cle’lie Aubin, Ariyanna Bonton, Dr. Christopher Bouton, Dr. Zheng Chen, Alejandro Dager, Shuxiang Li, and Don’Keitia Swayne.

Adjunct Yoga Instructor Cle’lie Aubin received her yoga training certification in 2018. Aubin says teaching has spoken to her heart since she realized the impact yoga had on her life more than 20 years ago, and believes LSMSA is the perfect environment for such a creative outlet.

Ariyanna Bonton will serve as Student Life Advisor. Bonton holds a Bachelor’s in Biology with a concentration in Biomedical Science from NSU and comes to LSMSA with several years of experience in the medical field.

History instructor Dr. Christopher Bouton received his Bachelor’s in History from Hamilton College before completing his Master’s and doctorate at the University of Delaware. Widely published, Dr. Bouton is no stranger to the Louisiana School – he previously taught World History as an adjunct instructor and is married to LSMSA alumnus and lecturer of history Dr. Casey Green (’05).

Instructor of Mathematics Dr. Zheng Chen holds two doctorates — his Ph.D in Mathematics from Fudan University in China and his Ph.D in Applied and Computational Mathematics from Florida State University. A university math instructor for the past 30 years, Chen’s goal is to help LSMSA students improve their ability in reasoning, problem-solving, and self-learning mathematics.

Resident Assistant Alejandro Dager is a counseling graduate student at NSU with a concentration in clinical mental health. The native of Colombia also received his Bachelor’s degree from NSU, where he served as president of the Psi Chi Honor Society for Psychology and editor of Argus Art and Literary Magazine.

Shuxiang Li, Chinese Language Instructor, received her Bachelor’s in Chinese Language and Literature Education from Hebei Normal University in Shijiazhuang and Master’s in Theories of Literature and Art from Shandong Normal University in Jinan. Li has been a professional Chinese instructor for more than 20 years, most recently at Monticello Academy in Salt Lake City. She is dedicated to fostering a student-centered Chinese immersion environment at LSMSA while helping students become successful and confident in Chinese learning and application.

Don’Keitia Swayne, Student Life Advisor, received her Bachelor’s in Business Administration from NSU and has taught, assisted, and counseled students in several settings. She looks forward to the opportunity to contribute to the next generation by helping Louisiana School students.

“We could not be more thrilled to welcome these new faces to LSMSA,” said Executive Director Dr. Steve Horton. “It’s wonderful to bring fresh perspectives and energy to what is already an esteemed and enthusiastic faculty and staff.”

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BOM Bank has received the bid to fund a two million dollar loan for the City of Natchitoches’ Train Depot Rehabilitation Project. The City of Natchitoches, Cane River National Heritage Area (CRNHA), Cane River Creole National Historical Park (CRNHP) and DSW Construction hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the Depot Rehabilitation Project on Thursday, January 13, 2022. The Texas and Pacific Railway Depot was constructed in 1927 and closed its doors to passenger rail transportation in the 1960s, encapsulating its segregated entrances and waiting rooms. Today, the structure remains one of the last segregated train stations within Louisiana and has a deep connection to the City’s African American community. “For nearly four decades the community of Natchitoches has tried to preserve and rehabilitate the Depot into a museum that depicts the stories of African Americans in Natchitoches,” remarked Rebecca Blankenbaker, Executive Director of CRNHA. Mayor Ronnie Williams stated, “The city is thrilled to partner with the BOM a community-centered local bank, on the renovation of the Train Depot. The Depot project will have a substantial impact not just on West Natchitoches but on the entire Natchitoches community.”

BOM’s President and CEO Ken Hale stated, “BOM Bank is excited to embark on this project with the City of Natchitoches for the rehabilitation project, and to encourage economic development in west Natchitoches.” The Depot will house new offices for the National Park Service, a visitor center and a community lecture hall/theater for the CRNHP. Rebecca Blankenbaker stated, “The Train Depot will depict the African American experience of Natchitoches and Cane River. While the park downriver at Oakland and Magnolia explores their experiences from slavery to sharecropping and tenant farming. The depot will discuss topics of segregation, civil rights and the great migration to larger cities conveying full African American experience from slavery to civil rights to today.”

BOM Bank is a certified Community Development Financial Institution with a focus on volunteerism servicing the unbanked and underbanked population. It offers tailored resources including a credit builder program and a certified BankOn checking account for those outside of the mainstream financial system and those working to have healthy financial habits. BOM gives back heavily to the communities it serves, and in 2021 its staff volunteered over 4,000 hours of community service.

BOM Bank has been providing customers with a variety of products and services since 1903. BOM expanded into Natchitoches Parish by opening a location in Derry, Louisiana in 1996. When we opened our Derry location, the bank had $18 million in assets and now the bank has grown to over $800 million in assets with over $80 million in capital. BOM now employs over 140 staff members among 17 branches in Grant, Natchitoches, Sabine, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, and Rapides parishes in Louisiana in addition to Sabine and Angelina County in Texas serving over 30,000 customers. For a complete list of locations, as well as products and services, visit bofm.com or follow us on social media @bomest1903.

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Northwestern State welcomes 25 new faculty for 2022-23 academic year

Northwestern State University is welcoming 25 new faculty for the 2022-23 academic year, according to Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Greg Handel.

Name: Rebecca Allen
Terminal or final degree earned including the institution: MFA, Interdisciplinary Dance Performance, Tulane University
Subjects you will be teaching this year: ballet, modern dance, contemporary dance, senior seminar
Why are you glad to be a member of Northwestern State’s faculty? I am excited to be here to work with the lively and eager students I have. I have an interest in cross disciplinary work so I am happy to be on a campus with so many brilliant people in various fields who are passionate about their work and dedicated to sharing it.

Name: Donna Baker
Terminal or final degree earned including the institution: MSLS, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Subjects you will be teaching this year: I will be joining the Watson Memorial Library faculty as the head archivist for the Cammie G. Henry Research Center. I will be supporting and assisting our students, faculty, staff and researchers with their instruction, research and creative projects. That I will start at the beginning of National Archives Month bodes well.
Why are you glad to be a member of Northwestern State’s faculty? The Cammie G. Henry Research Center holds wonderful and diverse materials that are highly respected in the research community.  It is an ideal setting for any archivist/librarian to practice their craft.  I am already dreaming and planning on how to continue and enhance the great work the Center has already done.

Name: Donna Barnett
Terminal or final degree earned including the institution: MSN-FNP, Loyola University New Orleans
Subjects you will be teaching this year: Nursing 2500,  2510
Why are you glad to be a member of Northwestern State’s faculty? It’s great to be of service for students

Name: LaQuesha Bloomer
Terminal or final degree earned including the institution: Master of Science in Nursing from Capella University
Subjects you will be teaching this year:  I will be teaching Women’s Health in the 3^rd Level of the BSN program.
Why are you glad to be a member of Northwestern State’s faculty?   I am proud to be a member of Northwestern State’s faculty because the faculty here at the College of Nursing and School of Allied Health is truly a family. They care about not only the students, but they are genuinely concerned about the well-being of their faculty members as well. They realize that for faculty to give their best, they have to be their best which means a great deal to me as a new faculty member.

Name: Krislyn Chenevert                 
Terminal or final degree earned including the institution: Master’s of Science in Nursing – Maternal Child Nursing Education; Northwestern State University of Louisiana
Subjects you will be teaching this year: Medical Surgical Nursing in the Associate of Science in Nursing program at the Alexandria Campus
Why are you glad to be a member of Northwestern State’s faculty? I thoroughly enjoyed obtaining my Master’s degree from NSU and have felt “at home” from the very first time I interacted with everyone. I am ecstatic to be able to merge my passions for education and nursing together into one role.

Name: Samantha Culver
Terminal or final degree earned including the institution: Master of Arts in College Counseling, Eastern Michigan University
Subjects you will be teaching this year: University Studies
Why are you glad to be a member of Northwestern State’s faculty?  I’m excited to help students start navigating higher education and help them with the best (and sometimes scariest) parts of being a college student. I also love the tight-knit community and look forward to being a part of it.

Name: Jennifer Evans
Terminal or final degree earned including the institution: MSRS, Northwestern State University
Subjects you will be teaching this year: Introduction to Imaging, Introduction to Healthcare, Sonography Sectional Anatomy, Sonography Abdomen I, Patient Care, Sonography Clinic, Ultrasound Physics
Why are you glad to be a member of Northwestern State’s faculty?   I have always loved NSU and the city of Natchitoches. Over the past several years, I have hoped to someday be a part of an ultrasound program at NSU. I am looking forward to getting to know the students and helping them learn the skills necessary to become skilled sonographers and quality healthcare providers.

Name:  Shannon S. Gresham, M.S., LAC, CCS
Terminal or final degree earned including the institution: Master of Science in Clinical Psychology; Northwestern State University (2006)
Subjects you will be teaching this year: Introduction to Addiction Disorders, Addiction Studies Screening and Assessment, Introduction to Psychology, Physiological Psychology
Why are you glad to be a member of Northwestern State’s faculty? My career goal has been to retire teaching in post-secondary education; to do that at my alma mater is priceless. I am so excited to teach upcoming professionals in this field that is so close to my heart.

Name: Thamsanqa Jongile
Terminal or final degree earned including the institution: Hospitality Management Ph.D. (ABD), University of Mississippi
Subjects you will be teaching this year: Survey of Hospitality and Tourism, Statistics, Lodging Management, International Travel Preparation
Why are you glad to be a member of Northwestern State’s faculty?  I work in a department with a supportive group of individuals who are passionate about what they do, it allows me the opportunity to do what I love to do to the best of my ability, and it allows me an opportunity to do something that I find meaningful.

Name: Daniel Ley
Terminal or final degree earned including the institution: Master of Music, Northwestern State University 
Subjects you will be teaching this year:  I will be music director for shows, coaching voice students, teaching voice class, teaching music theory, as well as playing piano for choirs, opera program. 
Why are you glad to be a member of Northwestern State’s faculty?  I’m excited to be a part of the NSU family because of the incredible faculty, staff and students that we have.  There is a great energy on this campus and I’m excited to see what we can accomplish. 

Name: Nicole Lobdell
Terminal or final degree earned including the institution: PhD in English, University of Georgia
Subjects you will be teaching this year: English and Gender & Sexuality Studies
Why are you glad to be a member of Northwestern State’s faculty?  I value the faculty’s commitment to meeting students where they are, and I am proud to join a faculty that provides students with the education and skill sets relevant to the world today and any personal and professional endeavors they will undertake.

Name: Erin McDonnell, BSN, RN

Terminal or final degree earned including the institution: Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Northwestern State University; Master of Science in Nursing from Western Governors University (graduating in March 2023).
Subjects you will be teaching this year: BSN 3rd Level – Pediatrics, Methods of Medication Calculation (Dosage Calculation)
Why are you glad to be a member of Northwestern State’s faculty? Northwestern State has always been a big part of my life. I am a third generation NSU alum and I met my husband here in 2009. I have learned so much from my previous professors/mentors and I am excited to work alongside them while we educate the next generation of nurses.

Name: Lauren Mitchell
Terminal or final degree earned including the institution:  Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) from LSUHSC – Shreveport
Subjects you will be teaching this year:  Anatomy and Physiology, Biological Principles 
Why are you glad to be a member of Northwestern State’s faculty? I feel at home at NSU. Between my studies and my time as a student athlete (Lady Demons Tennis), NSU has helped shape me into the person that I am today. I am excited to be able to share my expertise and experience with students to make their experience here as wonderful as mine was.

Name: Sangyeon (Sean) Park
Terminal or final degree earned including the institution: PhD (ABD) in Curriculum and Instruction (specification: Mathematics education), College of Education, University of Florida
Subjects you will be teaching this year: Mathematics Content and Pedagogy, Science Content and Pedagogy, Assessment
Why are you glad to be a member of Northwestern State’s faculty?  Northwestern State is a very exotic and historical institution that has the potential to accomplish the slogan, “Being local is being global.”

Name: Alexandria Parra
Terminal or final degree earned including the institution: D.M.A. University of Utah
Subjects you will be teaching this year: graduate and undergraduate courses in music and fine arts
Why are you glad to be a member of Northwestern State’s faculty?   I am so excited to connect with the students at NSU. Getting to teach music students is so rewarding and I am honored to be part of their music and academic journey.

Name: Dr. Kent W. Peacock
Terminal or final degree earned including the institution: Ph.D., History – Florida State University
Subjects you will be teaching this year: United States History and African American History
Why are you glad to be a member of Northwestern State’s faculty?  I am excited to be at an institution where the students have a great eagerness to learn and are supported by so many faculty and staff truly invested in their intellectual and social growth. As a historian and teacher of history, I look forward to all the opportunities the region’s unique history and numerous historical resources at NSU and in the area provide to help us learn about the past so we can better understand our current communities.

Name: Adam Philley
Terminal or final degree earned including the institution: Master of Music in Choral Conducting from The University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Subjects you will be teaching this year: I will be teaching Lyrica and Cane River Singers as well as applied voice lessons.
Why are you glad to be a member of Northwestern State’s faculty? I have long been aware of the high quality of music that NSU has produced. I was a visiting artist last spring, directing the Cane River Singers, and was introduced to the kind, compassionate, and welcoming NSU community. I can’t wait to join the ranks of the incredibly talented and accomplished faculty in CAPA and the music department.

Name: Colleen Pinar
Terminal or final degree earned including the institution: Ph.D Texas Tech University
Subject you will be teaching this year: Music Education
Why are you glad to be a member of Northwestern State’s faculty?  I am blessed to be able to teach music education to the students at Northwestern State University. I look forward to meeting everyone and being part of the NSU family.

Name: Dr. Sonja Smith Polley (ABD), LPC-S, NCC 
Terminal or final degree earned including the institution: Obtaining my PhD,  in Counselor Education and Supervision,  from University of Holy Cross. Degree will be conferred in December of ‘22.   
Subjects you will be teaching this year: Counseling Internship and Supervision for School Counseling.  
Why are you glad to be a member of Northwestern State’s faculty? I received my M.A. in Counseling from NSU. I have a passion for the Counseling profession. My desire is to help equip the counseling students to be the best they can be in their future profession. What better place to do this than at the university that poured so much into me?  

Name: Anthony Pursell
Terminal or final degree earned including the institution: Doctor of Arts (DA) from Ball State University
Subjects you will be teaching this year:  Wind Symphony, Chamber Winds, Instrumental Conducting, Brass Techniques for Music Educators.
Why are you glad to be a member of Northwestern State’s faculty? Northwestern State has always been a source of inspiration for me personally. I experienced the quality of the events the band program offers as a high school band director when I brought my students to campus in the 1990s. I am excited to now be the person offering these same events to the educators and students in the state.

Name: Alexis Sczepanik
Terminal or final degree earned including the institution: Doctorate of Musical Arts (DMA) in Horn Performance with a related field in Music Theory, The University of North Texas
Subjects you will be teaching this year: Exploring the Arts, Horn Lessons, Horn Studio, Horn Ensemble
Why are you glad to be a member of Northwestern State’s faculty?  The faculty and students have been so welcoming. I am excited to add to the already thriving CAPA department and work with our amazing students. Go Demons!

Name: Shelia Smith, MSN, RN
Terminal or final degree earned including the institution: MSN, Grand Canyon University
Subjects you will be teaching this year: I will be teaching BSN first level Simulation Lab for the 2022-23 academic year
Why are you glad to be a member of Northwestern State’s faculty?  I am excited to be a member of the NSU faculty because this institution plays an integral role in helping to shape our ever-evolving healthcare system in this community. I have a passion for education, and I am super excited to have an opportunity to be a part of this amazing institution.

Name: David Steele
Terminal or final degree earned including the institution: Master of Music from the University of New Mexico
Subjects you will be teaching this year: music, fine arts, Director of Demon Heat Colorguard, Faculty Rector of Varnado Hall
Why are you glad to be a member of Northwestern State’s faculty?   I’ve served as adjunct faculty for several years, and I am finally excited to serve Northwestern State University as a full-time faculty member. I’m excited to continue working with the incredible staff and faculty of the Creative and Performing Arts Department as we continue to serve our students, the university, and the community of Natchitoches through the arts.

Name: Tyler Travillian
Terminal or final degree earned including the institution: Ph.D in Classical Studies from Boston University
Subjects you will be teaching this year: Texts and Traditions, Critical Reading, Critical Writing, Greek Moral Philosophy
Why are you glad to be a member of Northwestern State’s faculty? I am honored to be a part of the Louisiana Scholars’ College, where I can contribute a thoughtful and integrated liberal arts education that welcomes students from all across the state.  I look forward to leading it through many more years of helping students find their excellence.

Name: Anna Upshaw 
Terminal or final degree earned including the institution: MBA from Louisiana Tech University 
Subjects you will be teaching this year: Computer Information Systems: Excel, Word, and Amazon Web Services courses 
Why are you glad to be a member of Northwestern State’s faculty?  I have taken classes at 4 different universities in Louisiana while earning my Bachelor of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees. Northwestern has the best atmosphere, by far, of all of them. I love the interaction between the faculty and students and the pride they both have in the school and city. I look forward to becoming part of the NSU family. 

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This project will be funded by Federal Funds, so no local funding or Bonds are required.

Notice is hereby given that the Natchitoches Parish School Board will receive sealed bids from LA licensed general contractors until 2:00 P.M., Wednesday, September 28, 2022, for:

JOB #2022-09 A NEW TECHNOLOGY CENTER FOR NATCHITOCHES PARISH SCHOOL BOARD NATCHITOCHES, LOUISIANA

Bids will be accepted until the date and time specified and will be publicly opened and read aloud at that time in the School Board’s Office, 310 Royal St., Natchitoches, Louisiana 71457. All submittal packages will be stamped or marked to acknowledge timely receipt. The sole responsibility for proper mailing or delivery of any bid in compliance with this advertisement is that of the bidder. Bids received after the date and time of opening will not be considered.

A non-mandatory Pre-bid Conference will be held at 1:00 P.M. on Monday, September 19, 2022, at the school board office: 310 Royal St., Natchitoches, Louisiana 71457. Bidders must check in at the office.

All bids must be accompanied by bid security equal to five percent (5%) of the base bid and all alternates and must be in the form of a certified check, cashier’s check, or bid bond written by a company licensed to do business in the State of Louisiana.

Complete bid documents may be obtained from Yeager, Watson & Associates, LLC, 118 S. Trenton St., Ruston, LA 71270-4432, (318) 202-5708, upon receipt of a deposit of $100.00 for each set of documents. The deposit is fully-refundable to all plan holders upon return of the documents, in good condition, no later than fifteen (15) days after receipt of bids. The deposits for all other sets of documents will not be refunded. Bid-related materials and electronic submittal of bids may be found at:

WWW.CENTRALBIDDING.COM

For questions relating to the electronic bidding process, please call Central Bidding at (225) 810-4814. Electronic bid documents are also available for a purchase price of $20 from the architect’s office or by the membership to the following Plan Rooms: LAGC, ConstructConnect, Dodge, or ISqFt.

The Natchitoches Parish School Board is an equal opportunity agency dedicated to a policy of non-discrimination regarding Title VI, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

The Natchitoches Parish School Board reserves the right to reject any and all bids.

/s/ Grant Eloi
Grant Eloi, Secretary-Treasurer Natchitoches Parish School Board

Publication Dates:
29 August 2022
01 September 2022
08 September 2022

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Women’s Mission United members enjoyed the monthly WMU meeting at Old Bethel Baptist Church on Aug. 27. They discussed the fun that’s planned for the rest of 2022. Those who attended were Lanell Settle, Liz Durr, Katrina Griffin, Emily Ammons and Dorothy Gibson.

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Martindale-Hubbell, the leading worldwide legal information service, which has been been providing background information on lawyers and law firms in the United States and other countries for over 150 years, has given The Harrington Law Firm and partner C. Rodney Harrington an “AV Preeminent Rating, the company’s highest possible rating.

According to Martindale-Hubbell, the AV Preeminent Rating, which is established by the company obtaining peer reviews from other attorneys in the same geographical area, recognizes law firms and attorneys for their strong legal ability and high ethical standards.

An elite group of approximately 10 percent of all firms and attorneys hold an AV Preeminent Rating, a designation recognized as “The Gold Standard” of legal ratings and recognized worldwide by buyers and referrers of legal services.

The Harrington Law Firm and C. Rodney Harrington are included in that elite group.

C. Rodney Harrington says the rating, while appreciated, is humbling.

“It is especially humbling and gratifying to know that our peers and colleagues, who we deal with on a daily basis, thought enough of us to give us this Preeminent Rating”, said Harrington, “To think that we’re recognized among the top 10 percent of all attorneys and firms in the nation is simply unbelievable.”

The Harrington Law Firm is composed of partners C. Rodney Harrington and C. Edward “Eddie” Harrington and is located at 459 Jefferson St., Natchitoches, La. 71457. Their areas of practice are Personal Injury, Medical Malpractice, Bankruptcy, Social Security Disability, Wills and Successions, and Divorces.

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The Department of Music in the Dear School of Creative and Performing Arts at Northwestern State University will present its annual Faculty Showcase on Tuesday, Sept. 6 at 7:30 p.m. in Magale Recital Hall. Admission is free and open to the public. A livestream will be available at capa.nsula.edu/livestream.

The program will include “Canzona per sonar septimi toni a 8 from ‘Sacræ Symphoniæ’” by Giovanni Gabrielli and edited by Robert King with Galindo Rodriguez, Dr. Alexis Sczepanik, Dr. Masahito Kuroda and Dr. J. Mark Thompson in Choir I and Dr. Adam Hudlow, Dr. Greg Handel, Dr. John Dunn and Dr. Anthony Pursell in Choir II, “Caprice en forme de valse” by Paul Bonneau with Dr. Paul Forsyth on saxophone and “Song to the Moon” from “Rusalka” by Antonin Dvorak featuring soprano Dr. Marcy McKee and Dan Ley on piano.

The showcase also includes “Khorumi” by S. Tsintsadze featuring Sofiko Tchechelashvili on viola and Dr. John Price on piano, “24.5 Preludios para piano” by Arturo Rodas with Dr. Francis Yang on piano, Dr. Oliver Molina on his arrangement of “Drum Factory” by Cory Hills, baritone Dr. Robert Cardwell featured on “Chanson Romanesque” by Maurice Ravel and “Chanson de la mort de Don Quichotte” by Jacques Ibert with Ley on piano, “Tango Gelosia” by Ayser Vancin featuring Leah Forsyth on oboe and Handel on piano and “Gavotta” by Giovanni Bottesini with Justin Kujawski on double bass on Ley on piano.

The program also features “Adagio from Sonata No. 1 for Violin Solo, BWV 1001” by J.S. Bach featuring Dr. Andrej Kurti on violin, “Mei” by Kazuo Fukushima featuring Dr. Alexandria Parra on flute, “Akmatova Songs” by John Tavener with soprano Dr. Terrie Sanders and Paul Christopher on cello, “Fantasia no. 3 originally in B minor, for bassoon in D minor” by Georg Philipp Telemann with Dr. Douglas Bakenhus on bassoon and “Venise, Op. 33” from “Deux Esquisses italiennes” by Teresa Carreño featuring Price.

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District Attorney Billy Joe Harrington announced today that a grand jury considered evidence and allegations regarding a May 2022 homicide in Campti.

As a result, the grand jury formally indicted Darrion Simmons, 20, of Campti, with 2nd degree murder in the shooting death of Darnell Browder.

Additionally, Simmons is charged with theft over $5,000 relating to two stolen all-terrain vehicles that were found nearby the scene of the homicide.

Simmons will be arraigned at a later date.

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Former Northwestern State men’s basketball coach Wayne Yates passed away earlier this month at age 84.

Yates’ family will hold a private memorial for the internment of his ashes after Yates succumbed to a lengthy battle with cancer.

An All-American at Memphis and a 1961 first-round NBA Draft selection of the Los Angeles Lakers, Yates inherited a five-win NSU team and turned it into a 19-win squad two years later. He coached a pair of NBA Draft picks with the Demons – Wayne Waggoner (Dallas, 6th round, 1982) and Johnny Martin (Dallas, 4th round, 1983).

Waggoner is an N-Club Hall of Famer who credited Yates with opening the door for Waggoner’s NBA career as well as bringing Waggoner back to Northwestern State as an assistant coach after his playing career ended.

“After the season, there was a tournament called the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament in Virginia,” Waggoner said. “He said, ‘Wayne, you’re good enough to play professionally at the next level – whether that’s in the NBA or overseas.’ He made a phone call and told me, ‘You’ll get an invitation to the Portsmouth Invitational.’ I went and led my team in scoring for two games and got on the map really quickly.

“He was responsible for that. After I got cut, he called me the next day to offer me the assistant job at Northwestern State. I wish he could have known and been more certain about how I felt about what he did for me.”

Following his five-season Demon career, which was highlighted by a 19-9 mark in Waggoner’s senior season of 1981-82, Yates remained in the area, coaching football and basketball at Montgomery High School and basketball at Northwood High School in Lena.

While with the Gators, his connection with Northwestern State grew deeper after Clifton Lee signed with the Demons and became an N-Club Hall of Fame performer, including playing a leading role in the Demons’ 2006 NCAA Tournament upset of third-seeded Iowa.

Lee played three seasons for Yates, earning All-CENLA honors as a senior. He credited the 6-foot-9 Yates with “lighting a competitive fire” inside him and his prep teammates.

“Coach Yates was something,” said Lee, the 2006 Southland Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player. “We had athletic PE in seventh period, and he’d bring his shorts and shoes and play with us. He didn’t hold any punches back either. He’d catch you with a nice elbow to the chest. He made you play hard.

“He was a coach who did everything. He dusted the floors. He had his CDL. He’d drive the buses to games. He did everything.”

That included instilling off-the-court values that dovetailed with those he taught on the court.

According to Waggoner, one of Yates’ mantras at Northwestern State was, “It’s hard, but it’s fair.” Moving from college hoops to the prep game did not change Yates’ outlook.

“He always preached that,” Lee said. “He always said playing basketball was a privilege. If we didn’t take care of our business in the classroom, there was no place for us on the floor. He also told us, ‘If you want it, go out and take it.’ He didn’t want us to leave it up to the refs or to anyone else in our life.”

Graphic by Jason Pugh/NSU Sports Information

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The Goldonna community is known as one that is close-knit and very compassionate with its neighbors. When a neighbor recently needed assistance, Goldonna residents answered the call for help.

Mrs. Gail Roy was recently diagnosed with Cancer and needed help with expenses that were becoming too much to bear. The area churches rallied and collected donations and she wanted to wholeheartedly thank everyone for their support, and thank all of the local churches and the surrounding community for their love offerings. This fundraiser is still not over if you still wish to donate to Mrs. Gail Roy and her husband. Gail has been battling cancer and other health issues, Any donations would be greatly appreciated as they will help with fuel expenses and any other expenses that may occur. If anyone is still wishing to donate you can contact her at 318-875-2651 and their mailing address is 116 Sonny black RD Creston LA 71070.

On September 4, 2022, Goldonna Baptist Church will officially welcome Pastor Ben Dupree, his wife Kristin, and sons, Reagan and Michael as full-time ministers. Service will begin at 11:00.

The Goldonna Assembly of God Church will hold a revival starting September 2nd through September 8th.

Sept 2nd, 3rd & 4th- Gerald Crabb
Sept 5th – Dr. Al Harris and Praise Team
Sept 6th – Kerry McNaughton & AOG Praise Team
Sept 7th – Todd Gregory & The McClanahans
Sept 8th – Tim Higdon & Praise Team

As you can see there is always something wonderful going on in the hills of Goldonna. Christmas in the Park is gearing up and still need volunteers for this jolly ole festival. Please contact Mayor Smith if you would like to be on the committee.

If you have news to share please email Reba Phelps at jreba.phelps@gmail.com

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JOURNAL STAFF

College football officially kicks off next Saturday, Sept. 3, in the first week of an exciting regular season.

It’s going to be more exciting, week after week since you can win $250 by picking the winning teams.

Fans have until this Thursday (tomorrow) afternoon at 4 to enter the Week One  Natchitoches Parish Journal College Football Pick ‘Em Contest. Anyone has the chance to win a $250 prize as the week’s top predictor of 10 college games, featuring NSU, LSU, Grambling, and other teams of local interest.

The contests will be conducted weekly during the football season. There is no entry charge, just like there is no cost to subscribe to the Natchitoches Parish Journal.

Participation is very simple. Just click on this link:
CLICK HERE: WEEK ONE

The Pick ‘Em portal opens to a menu of game-by-game matchups, with an easy click to pick winning teams for each contest. Two games will be used as tiebreakers, with participants predicting the total points scored in those games.

It takes 20-30 seconds to sign up and not much longer than that to make your picks.

Entries are open now for the first week’s contest picking the winners from Sept. 3.

Each week, the entries will remain open this week until 4 p.m. Thursday (tomorrow).

One person will win each week’s $250 prize, to be announced in the Journal early the following week as the subsequent Pick ‘Em Contest launches. All contest decisions by NPJ management are final.

Every participant will receive a FREE subscription to the Journal if you’re not already signed up for the easily-navigated, convenient 6:55 a.m. daily e-mail.

A panel of Journal writers and local celebrities will also pick the games each week, but won’t be eligible to win the cash prizes. Their individual picks will NOT be publicized, just the week’s final win-loss results and the season’s record for each picker.

It will be fun for participants to compare their weekly records to the panel of experts and celebrities to be announced next week.

Enjoy it all, for FREE, and enter each week’s contest. You could collect $250, maybe more than once!

Notes: Just ONE $250.00 winner per week. Only your FIRST submission will count, any others you submit will be excluded.

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The following is a Public Service Announcement from The Division of the Least of These Things to Worry About, Ever, My Brethren.  

A guy created a website and, for a while there, had people believing he’d recruited well-meaning and caring atheists who’d care for the pets of Christians after their rapture.  

In other words, “Send money. Rest easy.” 

I’ll hang on a second while you read that again because me my own self had to ponder it too, the first time I heard it; I had never had the thought either. Ever. And it’s not because I don’t love my pets. I do. But … while I’ve heard bizarre things, this might be at the top of the heap. 

Bizarro Mountain. 

Bizarro Mountain Range, even. 

NPR reported that a guy charged “hundreds of people more than $100 apiece, promising the business would care for their pets after the owners were carried up to Heaven. The self-described animal-loving atheist called his site Eternal Earth-Bound Pets. The New Hampshire Insurance Department thought some monkey business might be going on and decided to investigate”. 

Props to the New Hampshire Insurance Department, which seldom gets props. 

Life’s not fair. 

Anyway, the New Hampshire Insurance Department guy in charge of Pre-Rapture Pets, Etc. guy said it was a hoax. Which it was, same as the After the Rapture Pet Care site inventor admitted. 

I think they said this pre-rapture. Lord, I hope so. 

But I’ll give both guys points for creativity. 

For my pet’s future, I’d bet it on the After the Rapture Pet Care guy. He charged only a $10 registration fee, because those Left Behind were going to “care for the pets they rescue as their own, including being financially responsible for them,” the site claimed. 

Indulge me for a sec, and if you’ve read this far, you already have. The After the Rapture Pet Care guy, or (ATRPCG), also typed this on his site, under the ingenious “Frequently Asked Questions” part, (which I thought was a nice touch): 

Who are these Volunteer Pet Caretakers and how do I know they’ll take good care of my pets? 

Most Volunteer Pet Caretakers fit this description: 

• They are atheists or another non-Christian religion; 
• They love animals enough to register with us even though they do not believe there will be a Rapture (or are agnostic about it); 
• (My words, because this bullet point was the part about how they’d treat your pets as their own — their still-alive-but-non-raptured own.)  

Another of the FAQ’s questions is, “Isn’t the world going to be totally collapsed after the Rapture?” It’s a long answer on the website, but the short answer from this bureau is, “Yes. That’s an affirmation. Bet your hat. If you have gift cards, use them ASAP. If you have one from After the Rapture Pet Care, well … ” 

Lord have mercy …  

We conclude with a sobering thought, I think from Mark Twain, and it’s one of my favorite thoughts, at least one of my favorite sobering ones, and should ease the mind of all us pet lovers who are worried about how things might end up for animals we loved, as if God who created them isn’t aware: 

“Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.” 

Amen. 

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu 

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In 2000, Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation started in the front yard of four-year-old Alexandra “Alex” Scott’s home in Philadelphia. Alex was fighting cancer and wanted to raise money to find cures for all children who were suffering from it. Alex set up a lemonade stand in her front yard and soon after, people from across the nation set up their own lemonade stands to support her efforts to find cures for pediatric cancer. When she passed away at the age of eight, she had raised over one million dollars. Since then, the foundation bearing her name has evolved into a national fundraising movement and is one of the leading funders of pediatric cancer research in the United States and Canada.

Kick-It is a program of the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation and a national volunteer-driven effort focused solely on raising money for childhood cancer research. In 2009, Kick-It was founded in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, by ten-year-old Quinn Clarke during his second battle with cancer. Quinn asked his parents if he could have a kickball game to raise money for cancer research and was shocked when more than 500 people supported his game. In 2012, Ohio All-State football player, Matt Colella, who had battled cancer as a middle school student, started the Kick-It Champions program by asking others to pledge a dollar amount for each point he made as his high school’s football team’s kicker or by making a one-time donation towards his fundraising goal.

Payne Williams is a junior kicker for the St. Mary’s Catholic School football team. In July, while attending the Kohl’s Kicking Scholarship Camp in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, he learned about and registered with Kick-It Champions to help raise funds to aid in cancer research. Supporters can help Payne raise funds by donating an amount for each time he scores a point, either through a successful field goal or extra point, or by making a one-time donation.

All funds raised through the Kick-It Champions program go directly to Alex’s Lemonade Stand for Childhood Cancer Research, a registered 501(c)3 charity, which has funded projects at nearly 150 leadings hospitals and institutions across the United States and Canada. Since 2000, more than 250 million dollars has been raised to fund over 1,000 research projects.

In order to donate, please go to Alex’s Lemonade Stand at www.alexslemonade.org/mypage/2992952. Thank you for supporting pediatric cancer research.

Photos by Amanda Scarborough, Michelle Longlois and Mandy Parker

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Northwestern State Professor Emeritus of English Dr. Julie Kane will be honored at a solo show recognizing her for being the winner of the 2021 Shreveport Regional Arts Council’s Critic’s Choice: Literary Award on Friday, Sept. 16 from 5 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. at ArtSpace located at 708 Texas Street in Shreveport.

The show is free and open to the public and it will also include visual art exhibits by Eric Francis and Debra Roberson and a literary exhibit by poet Genaro Ky-Ly Smith, the 2022 Critic’s Choice: Literary Award winner.

Kane’s solo show will be a poetry video titled “I Will Not Write a Pandemic Poem.” The video is collaboration between Kane, who wrote and read the poems used for the video, filmmaker Melody Gilbert, an associate professor of New Media, Journalism, and Communication Arts at NSU, who produced the video, Gilbert’s film student Anna Duplantis, who served as art director, and professional film editor Igor Myakotin who has collaborated with Gilbert in the past. Kane said the film is just under 20 minutes.

The annual art series, presented by the Shreveport Regional Arts Council, invites regional artists to submit one piece of new, original work for review by professional national critics. There were 100 submissions in the categories of literary, performing and visual arts.

Each winner was awarded $2,000 to be used toward developing a solo show, which is hosted by SRAC/Artspace the next year. The judge in the literary arts competition was poet Greg Brownderville, an associate professor of English at SMU and editor-in-chief of the Southwest Review.

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A graveside service will be held for Mrs. Irene Bryant McGee at Goldonna Cemetery, 1215 N Goodwill St., Goldonna, LA 71031 on Friday September 2, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. Her grandson, Lonnie Scarborough will conduct the service.

Mrs. McGee celebrated her 102nd birthday on June 17 and went to be with her Lord on August 28, 2022. She was the daughter of Curlie Franklin and Iva Priscilla Bryant. She was postmaster at Goldonna Post Office for 36 years, where she lovingly served her patrons. In addition, she served as bookkeeper for a family owned business. She enjoyed worshiping and fellowship at Goldonna Baptist Church where she was a faithful choir member and taught Jr. girls.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Gordon McGee, her parents, a sister, three brothers and her son-in-law, Gilbert Scarborough. She is survived by her son, Larry McGee and wife, Sharon and her daughter, Marilyn Scarborough. She had five grandchildren, Larenda McGee, Leigh Ann Linder, Nathan Scarborough (Karen), Gina Holstead (Lee) and Lonnie Scarborough (Ginger); ten great grandchildren, Logan Thomas, Jackson McGee, Brodie Linder, Shelbie Linder, Clancy Scarborough (Brittany), Clay Scarborough, Justin Holstead (Anna), Katie Holstead Schoening (Joel), Lucas Scarborough (Taylor) and Graham Scarborough; three great-great grandchildren, Sutton Scarborough, Charlie Schoening and Addie Holstead also numerous nieces and nephews.

She cared deeply for her family who loved her in return. A favorite scripture verse was “Be still and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10. A motto that she lived by to the fullest was “Live, Love and Laugh!” The family wants to thank the many friends who sent letters and cards and prayed for her. We appreciate her church family who were so attentive to her in the later years she was able to live in her home.

A special thanks to caregivers Rhonda, Crystal, Teresa, Peggy, Margaret, Sammie and Queen as well as the staff of Azalea Estates Assisted Living and the staff of The Guest House. She truly valued each of you.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be given to Goldonna Cemetery Fund addressed to Rod Bedgood, P.O. Box 263, Goldonna, LA 71031 or to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 1501 Kings Hwy, Shreveport, LA 71104

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