LAKE CHARLES – With one look from his fellow Northwestern State guard Jon Sanders II, Micah Thomas knew he had an opportunity to push the Demons into tonight’s Southland Conference Tournament semifinals at the Legacy Center.

And push he did.

Thomas’ wide-open transition 3-pointer with 17.3 seconds remaining Monday evening lifted the No. 4 seed Demons over fifth-seeded Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 66-63, and into their third tournament semifinal in the past five seasons.

“When I saw Jon grab that rebound, he gave me a look,” Thomas said. “I sprinted. I put my head down and got ready to shoot.”

Thomas’ shot was the 12^th made 3-pointer for the Demons (16-15), who advance to play No. 1 seed McNeese on the Cowboys’ home floor, Joe Dumars Court, in this afternoon’s  6 p.m. semifinal.  The game will be carried nationally on ESPNU, not the usual ESPN+ platform.

The decisive trey also came after the Islanders (20-14) had erased a 10-point halftime deficit when Dian Wright-Forde split a pair of free throws with 1:13 to play.

Thomas’ game-winner was the final punch in a back-and-forth second half that saw the Islanders continually whittle down the Demons’ lead only to see Northwestern deliver repeated counterpunches.

The Islanders started the second half on an 11-3 run that cut the lead to two before Love Bettis’ personal 5-0 run made it a three-possession game.

Bettis finished with a team-high 17 points – 12 of which came in a first half where the Demons connected on 7 of 11 3-pointers. Three of those came in a game-opening 11-0 run in the first 118 seconds.

“I was a little bit in awe,” second-year head coach Rick Cabrera said. “They scored those 11 points off defense. I don’t know if I called a play. They got stops, pitched the ball ahead, found Landyn (Jumawan), found Micah, found Love (Bettis). I was in shock, but trust me, I was in a good mood.”

Northwestern’s first-half lead grew to as much as 16 points before the Islanders launched their comeback.

“We knew Corpus was going to make a run,” Cabrera said. “Good teams cut the run a little shorter than others. We did that. They never took a lead. We just figured it out. I’m all about the Jimmies and Joes, and our Jimmies and Joes were good tonight. The credit goes to them.”

Thomas’ shot was made possible by a wild sequence that saw Willie Williams challenge a potential go-ahead layup by Wright-Forde before grabbing the rebound and flipping it to Sanders, who found Thomas for the game-winning bucket.

The carom was the final of Williams’ game- and career-high 13 rebounds, which included six of Northwestern’s 11 offensive rebounds.

Next up for the Demons is a third meeting of the season with the regular-season champion Cowboys.

“The elephant’s in the room,” Cabrera said. “They’re a very good team. We were down four points here with four minutes to go. We had a lot of self-inflicted wounds down the stretch. We know we can win the game, but we have to do more of the right things.”

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LAKE CHARLES — In the biggest games, your best players need to step up. Monday, the big three for the Northwestern State women’s basketball team showed up in a very decisive way.

The trio of Mya Blake, Vernell Atamah and Sharna Ayres combined for 57 points as the No. 5 Demons (16-14) held on for a 66-63 victory over No. 6 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (15-17) at the Legacy Center in the first round of the Southland Conference Tournament.

It is the first conference tournament victory for the Northwestern women since 2015.

The win sets up a rematch with No. 4 UIW, which won two hotly-contested meetings with Northwestern this season. Tip time for the SLC tourney quarterfinal is 11 a.m. today with coverage on ESPN+.

“Talk about resilience,” NSU coach Anna Nimz said. “All I know is they fought for 40 minutes and knocked off an incredibly good Corpus team, the reigning champs of this tournament. I am incredibly pleased with them and it is a good taste to get that first game out of the way. I am just proud of them.”

With the Demons clinging to a three-point lead with less than two seconds remaining, Blake missed both free throws but hustled in between a group of Islanders rebounders to grab the ball for the game-clinching offensive rebound, one of 15 for the Demons.

Blake scored 18 points, but the offensive rebound proved to be her biggest play of the day.

That rebound epitomized the effort put forth by the Demons, as they dominated the glass, winning the rebounding battle 49-32.

The offensive rebound put an end to a furious rally by AMCC, one in which the No. 8 seed made four consecutive 3-pointers in the final minute to cut a 10-point deficit to three.

The game was kept a bit ajar late, as Northwestern split on three consecutive trips to the free throw line.

Propelling NSU’s attack all day was Sharna Ayres, who buried six 3-pointers amidst a game-high 21 points. Her deep balls put her at 201 made triples throughout her  career, the fourth Demons’ women’s player to reach 200 made 3-pointers.

In addition to her six, Northwestern made nine 3-pointers as a team, giving the Demons 209 made triples on the season, just three shy of tying the school record for made 3-pointers in a season.

Ayres buried four 3-pointers in the second half to give the Demons some much-needed breathing space, all of which came in crucial moments.

“Not only Sharna’s shot making, but her leadership, was important,” Nimz said. “She’s used to taking tough shots and she hit some very big shots and it is pretty impressive since she hasn’t practiced in the last 48 hours coming off a pretty tough ankle sprain and it is a testament to how bad she wanted it for the team and the program. I am very proud of her — not just offensively, but defensively as well.”

Early in the second half, AMCC scored four straight points to tie the score at 28 and Northwestern’s best perimeter guard Nia Hardison suffered a leg injury and had to be helped off the floor.

The team played for Hardison, the Natchitoches senior who did not return to play. Ayres buried her first triple of the second half on the following offensive trip and Northwestern never relinquished the lead the rest of the way.

“You saw it on their faces,” Nimz said. “I think it went from winning it personally to winning it for Nia. She guards the No. 1 on every team and is a big heartbeat in our program. Obviously, we hate to lose her, but even on the bench on crutches, she made us tougher. The girls fought for her and fought to the very final stretch.”

SLC Freshman of the Year Vernell Atamah made sure the Demons started fast, scoring eight of her 18 in the first seven minutes, nearly outscoring the Islanders by herself in the opening frame.

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Thanks to a $7000 grant from the Summerlee Foundation, a Dallas based organization committed to the protection of animals, community cats throughout Natchitoches Parish are being given a second chance in life. The grant provided funds to trap, neuter, and return (TNR) 100 community cats in the parish within one year’s time. Homeless and feral cats are trapped, sterilized, vaccinated against rabies, given an ear tip (a painless procedure that diagonally notches the ear so that spayed and neutered cats can be identified), and then released back into their natural environment.

“The response has been phenomenal,” said Karn Richoux, Secretary of FAUNA, an animal rescue group in Natchitoches. “Several members of the community work individually or as teams throughout the city and parish to trap feral cats, and they, or other volunteers take them to be spayed or neutered, then return them to their natural habitat. The more people hear about this project, the more interested and responsive they become.”

Glenrose Pitt, a retired school teacher and longtime animal advocate and cat rescuer, heard about the program and had the idea to issue a challenge to continue to fund the initiative. She donated $1000 for the community cat TNR Program and encouraged others to do what they can to help. Carolyn Breedlove, who has been trapping cats in her area for years to be spayed or neutered and returned, donated an equal amount.

“The Trap Neuter Release grant was so needed as Natchitoches had no program for community cats, who are homeless and can range from feral to friendly,” added Richoux. “The old solution was trapping and euthanizing which is not an acceptable practice. Studies show that removing community cats creates a vacuum effect, which opens up the area for an influx of new cats. This creates an endless cycle of trapping and killing. Conversely, trapping, neutering, and releasing the cats back into their community will, over time, reduce the number of cats in the colony, prevent further births of unwanted kittens, and lower nuisance behaviors of unaltered cats. Animal shelters and rescue groups across the country have moved toward this forward-thinking approach, and FAUNA is excited to be able to bring this innovative practice to Natchitoches Parish. The TNR program is aligned with the mission of both FAUNA and Summerlee Foundation.”

According to Debbie Tebbetts, Coordinator for Spay Natchitoches, a division of FAUNA, in just three months after the grant was obtained, over 100 cats were spayed and neutered, with calls for new locations coming in weekly.

With such an unexpected response, the Summerlee funds have been expended, and the private donations are going fast. In order to continue this much-needed program, FAUNA, Glenrose and Carolyn are challenging you to donate to the TNR program so more cats can be spayed/neutered.

FAUNA extends its sincere appreciation to Summerlee Foundation, to MaKayla Holoubek, a grad student and the grant writer, and to everyone who has volunteered their time and efforts for this cause, as well as those who have generously donated funds for the project. 

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NOTICE: If you feel you have been defrauded in a real estate transaction within the State of Louisiana, please contact your attorney, explain the details and they will advise you of the next steps.

The Louisiana Real Estate Recovery Fund was established for the purpose of reimbursing persons adjudged to have suffered monetary damages in the course of a real estate transaction wherein a real estate licensee violated the Louisiana Real Estate License Law. The fund is maintained at a minimum level of four hundred thousand dollars.

Eligibility for the fund is established when a claimant pursuing recovery from a licensee in civil court proceedings has exhausted all avenues of collection from the judgment debtor pursuant to receiving a full judgment in a court of competent jurisdiction. At the time the civil court action is initiated, the claimant must notify the Commission by certified mail and the Commission may intervene in the judicial proceedings.

Payments for claims arising out of the same transaction shall not exceed the aggregate limit of twenty thousand dollars, regardless of the number of claimants or parcels of real estate involved in the transaction. Payments for claims based on a judgment against any one licensee shall not exceed the aggregate limit of fifty thousand dollars.

The Commission may allow an aggrieved party to submit a claim by notarized affidavit when the claim is based on actions of one or more licensees who have been sanctioned by the Commission in an adjudicatory proceeding. if the hearing record corroborates the affidavit submitted by the claimant and the amount of the claim does not exceed two thousand dollars.

Payment from the recovery fund may not be made as reimbursement for any damages other than actual damages suffered by the claimant. Payment from the fund for other costs related to or pursuant to civil proceedings, such as attorney fees, court costs, medical damages and punitive damages, is prohibited.

The right to recover shall be forever barred unless application is made within one hundred eighty days from the date a person established eligibility to recover from the Fund.

Detailed requirements for establishing eligibility to recover from the Recovery Fund are specified below.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a form prescribed for submitting applications for recovery from the Recovery Fund?

No. Applications are to be submitted by letter to the Commission requesting payment from the Fund. Enclose the original or certified copies of all documents filed by or on behalf of the claimant with a court of competent jurisdiction and documents issued by a court or other entity in connection with the effort to recover.

What steps must be taken to institute action to recover from the Recovery Fund?

The Louisiana Real Estate License Law specifically requires claimants to notify the Commission by certified mail at the time action to recover is initiated. This is accomplished by sending a letter to the Commission with a copy of the petition bearing a stamp that indicates the date on which the petition was filed with the court.

Can a licensed real estate broker or salesperson, who acted as a principal in a real estate transaction, submit a claim to the Commission for recovery from the Recovery Fund?

Yes, provided the conditions for establishing eligibility for recovery have been satisfied.

How do I contact the Recovery Fund?

You may email the Recovery Fund at recovery@lrec.gov.

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The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD), advises the public that on Tuesday, March 11, 2025 from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM, weather permitting, Bridge #083500530414631 on LA 1-X over CANE RIVER will be closed to all traffic for bridge maintenance. The bridge is on LA 1-X (Church St) in Natchitoches, LA, and is located 0.01 miles south of the LA 1224 Intersection.

Permit/Detour section
The road will be closed to all traffic while the inspection is being performed by LA DOTD personnel.
No detour will be provided.

Safety Reminder
DOTD appreciates your patience and reminds you to please drive with caution around the construction sites and be on the lookout for work crews and their equipment.

Additional Information
Motorists can access the latest updates on real-time traffic and road conditions using the 511 Traveler Information System by dialing 511 from their telephone and saying the route or region on which they are seeking information. Out-of-state travelers can call 1-888-ROAD-511 (1-888-762-3511). Travelers can also access this information by visiting the 511 Traveler Information Web site at http://www.511la.org. Additionally, you can follow the Traffic Management Center on Twitter: (@Alex Traffic). Motorists may also monitor the LA DOTD website @ http://www.dotd.la.gov and the DOTD Facebook page.

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LAKE CHARLES – What a difference 12 months makes.

A year ago, the Northwestern State men’s basketball team entered the Southland Conference Tournament on the heels of its longest losing streak in league play.

Now the fourth-seeded Demons head into the tournament riding the wave of a season-best four-game win streak that earned them a first-round bye and a day off Sunday.

“I can’t deny that going in with four straight wins is a good feeling, but at the end of the day, you start to ask yourself, ‘Does it really matter when the ball is thrown up by the referee?’” second-year head coach Rick Cabrera said. “The game of basketball is determined through preparation, how you’re going to attack the other team’s defense, et cetera. I feel confident in my players. I know I have some guys who can go in there and do something special.”

The potential for a special run through the conference tournament begins this afternoon at 5 in the Legacy Center on Joe Dumars Court at McNeese.

The No. 4 seed Demons will face fifth-seeded Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, which eliminated No. 8 seed Houston Christian Sunday evening.

Northwestern faced the Islanders once, falling to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 73-64, on the road in a Jan. 13 game.

“Throughout the season, you get better, matchups change, people play better or are not playing,” junior guard Landyn Jumawan said. “We’ll go back to the drawing board and watch film. At the end of the day, we’re going to be us. We’re going to play defense, pick up for 94 feet, play with toughness, play with grit and play hard.”

That has been a staple for NSU, which ranked third in the Southland in scoring defense (66.4 points per game) and field-goal percentage defense (41.1) in league play.

After the Demons allowed 73 points in the loss at Corpus Christi, they responded by holding eight of their final 13 conference opponents to 65 or fewer points per game.

Meanwhile, Northwestern’s offense awakened late. After a five-game stretch where the Demons did not crack the 60-point mark, Northwestern averaged 69.8 points per game in their season-ending, four-game win streak.

“Everyone knows who we are and what they can do best,” said junior guard Micah Thomas, the Demons’ second-leading scorer (12.1 ppg) and top 3-point shooter (57 made 3s). “Coach is putting us in the best situations to allow us to showcase who we are and what we can do.”

A win today sends NSU into the semifinal round against top-seeded McNeese Tuesday at 5. Coverage of all SLC Tournament games can be seen on ESPN+.

ALL-SLC HONORS:  Senior forward Addison Patterson and junior forward Jerald Colonel earned spots on the All-SLC teams chosen by the league coaches.

Patterson, a 6-foot-7 native of Canada, was named second team on the 10-player All-Southland Conference roster. Colonel was selected to the league’s five-man All-Defensive Team.

The Demons’ leading scorer at 13.3 points per game, Patterson also leads the team with 40 steals while ranking in the top 15 in the league in free throw percentage (6^th, 74.5), assists (7^th, 3.1 per game), steals (7^th, 1.4), assist-to-turnover ratio (7^th, 1.2), scoring (11^th) and rebounding (15^th, 5.4).

A Georgia native,  Colonel finished the season with a conference-leading 64 total blocks while also leading the league in blocks per game (2.3). Entering the Southland Conference Tournament, Colonel ranks 15th nationally in blocks per game and 17th in blocks per game.

In addition to his shot-blocking prowess, Colonel ranked 13^th in the Southland in rebounds per game (5.6) and was 15^th in defensive rebounds per game (3.7).

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LAKE CHARLES — For the first time since the 2015-16 season, Northwestern State’s women’s basketball team heads into the Southland Conference Tournament with a winning record.

That earned Northwestern (15-14, 12-8 in the SLC) the No. 5 seed in the conference tournament and a first-round matchup against No. 8 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (15-16, 7-13) in the first round today. NSU seeks its first conference tournament victory since 2015.

Tipoff is at 11 a.m. All SLC Tournament games can be seen on ESPN+. The Demons enter on a two-game winning streak and have won four of their last five.

“There’s a lot more confidence in this year’s team,” head coach Anna Nimz said. “In past seasons, they did all the work and got us to that first round and I think this year’s group is ready to take that next step. I think they are playing confidently. With Mya Blake as our point guard. I’ve talked about her calmness and confidence that I think she provides to everybody else.

“There is excitement about it being the tournament, but I think there is an overall calmness and genuine locked-in feeling as opposed to jitters.”

In the only meeting this season, the Demons had to come back in the fourth for a 46-42 victory in Corpus Christi. Blake poured in 15 of her game-high 17 in the fourth quarter to key NSU’s first victory om 13 tries over the Islanders.

After a loss to UIW, Northwestern has won two in a row, by an average of 19 points per game.

“We came off a really disappointing loss to UIW and finished tied for fourth (in the SLC standings),” Nimz said. “But to have back-to-back games where were able to re-focus our defensive efforts and hold two good scoring offenses to around 50 points, and we capitalized more offensively. We were able to re-gain some of that confidence.”

Blake was named both first team all-conference and newcomer of the year following one of the most impressive seasons in recent history for Northwestern.

Four times she scored at least 30 points in a game, the only player to do that this season in the Southland.

“This being one of my best seasons, it’s meant a lot to me,” Blake said. “This is my first time going to the playoffs in college, so I am really excited about that.”

During league play, the senior averaged 19.6 points per game, nearly three points ahead of second place Nora Francois.

Blake ranked in the top 15 in points, rebounds, assists and steals per game, including the top three in points, assists and assist-to-turnover ratio.

Blake was joined with all-conference recognition by freshman of the year Vernell Atamah and all-defensive team member Jasmin Dixon.

Atamah is the first Demon to be named freshman of the year since Janelle Perez in 2013.

Her 405 points and 200 rebounds puts her in the top five among freshmen all-time at NSU in both scoring and rebounding, one of only two Demons who can say that along with program legend Joskeen Garner.

While Blake and Atamah are the headliners, Natchitoches native Nia Hardison has been playing her best basketball offensively of the season. She is coming off a career-high 21-point outburst on her Senior Night last Wednesday against East Texas A&M.

After not reaching double figures in her first 18 games, the senior has done so five times in her last 10, averaging 9.6 ppg in those 10.

Like the last matchup, this could come down to the defensive end of the floor, which is led by Dixon and Hardison.

The Islanders have held four of the last seven opponents under 55 points in regulation, including regular season champion Southeastern Louisiana, while the Demons have held each of their last two opponents under the 60-point mark.

While the Islanders are the eighth seed, they aren’t your typical eight seed, as they are the only team to knock off SLU, doing so 54-52 on March 1 to cement their spot in the conference tournament.

They are also the defending tournament champion, winning over 2024 regular season champion Lamar to advance to the NCAA Tournament and returned five of their top six scorers from last year’s tournament team.

The winner today advances to the quarterfinals to face No. 4 UIW on Tuesday at 11 a.m.

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Northwestern State’s baseball team evened its Southland Conference record at 3-3 over the weekend with a series sweep of visiting Incarnate Word, coming back to win 5-4 in 10 innings Friday night, then rolling 12-4 Saturday and holding off the Cardinals 5-4 Sunday.

In Sunday afternoon’s series finale, NSU gradually built a 5-1 lead and withstood a three-run ninth-inning that saw UIW get the tying run to third base with two outs.

“That was like a Mike Rowe ‘Dirty Jobs’ win,” second-year Northwester coach Chris Bertrand said. “That was the dirtiest thing you can imagine. We know we didn’t play the cleanest baseball, and we didn’t play up to the standard as far as execution. However, there is always a lesson to be learned, and we learned how to sweep someone. We learned how to stay in the fight even though some things weren’t going our way.”

Northwestern (8-7, 3-3) moved on top in the fifth inning when Samuel Stephenson delivered a bases-loaded sacrifice fly.

Braden Benton knocked an RBI single in the seventh for a 3-1 edge. Northwestern tacked on two runs in the eighth on a Rocco Gump single – a hit that loomed large in the ninth as UIW (8-7, 0-3) rallied. With the tying run 90 feet away, Demon reliever Bryce Leonard and Cameron Crotte engaged in a nine-pitch battle that included six foul balls before Leonard blew an elevated fastball by Crotte to seal the win.

In Friday’s opener, NSU fell behind 4-0 against UIW’s ace, a returning All-SLC first team pitcher. But the Demons chipped away, forced extra innings and won on a bases-loaded error. In Saturday’s romp, Northwestern scored nine runs with two out, and a five-run fifth inning blew open the contest.

The Demons continue their season-long six-game homestand Tuesday night against Grambling. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. at Brown-Stroud Field.

TENNIS: The Lady Demons handled visiting UIW 5-2 on Friday afternoon to move their Southland Conference record to 3-0, but will get a strong challenge today when defending conference champion Texas A&M-Corpus Christi visits the Jack Fisher Tennis Complex for an 11 a.m. match.

Recent N-Club Hall of Fame inductee Olga Bazhanova Moore is the Islanders’ associate head coach. She played on one NCAA Tournament team for Northwestern and later coached the 2015 Lady Demons to the NCAA Tournament. The Islanders have won their last 28 matches against SLC opponents dating back to 2022 and have an overall 12-1 record this spring, 2-0 in conference play. NSU was the last Southland team to beat Corpus Christi.

SOFTBALL:  The Demons were swinging for wins in their last at-bats of the last two games of their SLC series against visiting Houston Christian but unlike a weekend earlier against No. 20 Mississippi State, couldn’t get the decisive plays and were swept in three games Friday and Saturday.

After HCU won the first game Friday 8-3, NSU had the tying run in scoring position in each of the last two innings of the nightcap but fell 7-5. Saturday, the Demons overcame a six-run third inning by the Huskies (9-11, 3-0) and tied the game after a pair of three-run frames before the visitors pushed across two go-ahead runs and again denied a late push by Northwestern (3-20, 0-3).

In Game 3, Peyton Peck went 4-for-4 with two RBI for the Demons, including a home run and a leadoff double in the bottom of the seventh.

The Demons play host to Baylor, coached by former NSU football player and assistant softball coach Glenn Moore, Tuesday evening at 6. Moore’s wife Janice, a Campti native, was inducted in the N-Club Hall of Fame last fall for her career as a record-breaking Southland Conference champion high jumper during their college days.

First-year Northwestern coach Jenny Fuller played for Moore at Baylor and began her coaching career on his staff.

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September 11, 1978 – March 8, 2025

Kathy Michell Conlay, 46, of Ashland, Louisiana, was welcomed home into the arms of Jesus on Saturday, March 8, 2025 surrounded by her family and friends.

Visitation for Kathy, will be held from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 11, 2025 at Rockett-Nettles Funeral Home in Coushatta, Louisiana. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, March 12, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. at Rockett-Nettles Funeral Home Chapel with Bro. Mark Crook officiating and Bro. Ronnie assisting. Interment will follow at Weaver Cemetery in Chestnut, Louisiana.

Kathy was born on September 11, 1978 in Natchitoches, Louisiana and passed away on March 8, 2025.
Kathy was a true daddy’s girl. Some of her most treasured childhood memories were with her daddy hunting and fishing. As the years passed, her bond with her mother grew even stronger. Her mom was truly her best friend and confidant.

Kathy’s heart of gold shone through in everything she did. Her kindness and love knew no bounds, and nowhere was this more evident than in the way she welcomed OakLynn’s father, Pablo, into her life as her own son.

Kathy was affectionally called “Nonna” by her pride and joy, her granddaughter, OakLynn Ann. To know Kathy was to love her. She had a heart of gold, a laughter and a smile that was contagious and the kindest spirit. Her memory will live on in the lives of her family and friends. She will remain forever in the hearts of those who knew and loved her.

Kathy was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents Terry and “Chuck” Holland and paternal grandparents Nelson and Dorothy Conlay and her special friend, Ronnie Dowden.

Left to cherish her memories are her daughter KatLynn Conlay (Pablo), granddaughter OakLynn Conlay, parents, Donna and Richie Horn and Nelson and Connie Conlay, brothers Casey Cobb (Kevin), Randall Quick (Misty), and sister Crystal Stiles (Clint) along with numerous aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers will be Randall Quick, Dakota Holland, Carson Holland, Cody Holland, James Freeman, Kolby Meshell, Ben Wood and Jim Williams. Honorary pallbearers will be Terry Wayne Holland, Thomas Holland, Joe Holland, Fred Holland, Jimmy Horn and Jack Rushing.

The family would like to extend their deepest gratitude to the nurses and staff at Natchitoches Regional Medical Center for their compassionate care and support.

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HAMMOND – With five senior starters, the Lakeview Lady Gators finally climbed to the top of the mountain Friday afternoon.

They got sweet revenge while winning the state championship in the LHSAA’s Non-Select Division IV, defeating defending state champion Arcadia 38-34 at the University Center in Hammond as part of Marsh Madness.

Arcadia had drubbed Lakeview 60-29 in last year’s state semifinals. This time around, the Lady Gators were on a mission. They scored the game’s first eight points and never trailed, holding off the Lady Hornets’ comeback with excellent defense and clutch free throw shooting in the closing minutes Friday.

It’s the first state title in Lakeview girls basketball history. It came a few years after coach Dewaskie Fuller took over a program at its low point.

“Nothing but the Good Lord. This program, we built it from scratch. When we took it over, we were 1-21. We put in hard work and dedication, trusted God, and trusted each other,” he said. “We’re just grateful. A lot of hard work went into this.

“To lose in the third round twice, then to make it to state and then lose, and y’all know about the embarrassment last year, I’m just grateful,” said Fuller.

“I started with them (the senior class). They’ve been with me forever, it seems like,” he said. “They’re like my daughters. They’re going to be missed.”

It was the second straight four-point win in Hammond for Lakeview (30-4), which was the No. 1 seed in the Division IV bracket and beat Midland 48-44 Monday in the semifinals. In the championship contest, the Lady Gators led by 12 in the second quarter, were up 20-10 at halftime and weathered a fierce rally by Arcadia, which was the No. 2 seed.

The Lady Hornets closed within two points with 5:54 remaining, but Da’Zya Johnson quickly doubled the Lakeview lead on a layup from an assist by Najahe Davis, her fifth of the day. Timberlyn Washington, who had seven vital fourth-period points, hit a basket for a 31-25 advantage, but Arcadia kept coming, moving within three.

Johnson grabbed an offensive rebound and scored with 2:18 to go for a 33-28 lead, but Arcadia came back to close within 34-32 with 1:05 left. Washington sank two pressure free throws with 35 seconds to go and added two more down the stretch to preserve the Lakeview lead.

Johnson was chosen as the game’s Outstanding Player. She scored 10 points and had 8 rebounds, and her first-half production staked Lakeview to the lead it never relinquished.  Last season, she played at Northwood-Lena and helped that team win the Division IV championship before transferring north to Lakeview.

“She got frustrated in the semifinals,” said Fuller. “I told her in the semifinal game, for us to be successful, we were going to have to go through her. We knew that she had the advantage down low, and she had a championship pedigree. She is already a (state) champion. For her to come out and put the hard work and effort to make sure her sister (Washington) was a champion, that shows you the true character of Da’Zya Johnson.”

Johnson overcame a serious knee injury after transferring. She briefly left Friday’s game after a collision in the third quarter, was helped to the locker room, and quickly returned to finish the game.

“The past year I’ve been through a lot with basketball. I tore my ACL and my meniscus. I never thought I could be back here,” she said. “Honestly, depression, my mental state, I really went downhill when I tore my knee. For me to come (to Lakeview), to know ‘T’ has my back, to know she was always uplifting me, it does feel great to win it. This is my sister, and I feel like I’ve been with this girl my whole life.

“I’m just emotional right now. I know I won it last year, but this is special,” said Johnson.

“T” is Washington, who will certainly soon earn All-State first team honors for a third straight year. She passed the 2,000-career point milestone earlier this season and added to her total Friday with a team-high 13 points.

“It had never been done on the girls side, so of course it means a lot to us,” she said. “To know we made history for Campti, that’s big.

“When the buzzer went off, you had laughter, you had tears,” said Washington. ‘Whew! It was an amazing feeling.”

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Natchitoches Central used double-figure scoring from five players, including two off the bench, Friday night and thumped visiting Covington 79-62 in an LHSAA Non-Select Division I state quarterfinal boys basketball playoff game in front of a packed house at The Teepee.

The victory advances the Chiefs (26-5) to their eighth state semifinal appearance since 2012, and their second in a row. Last year NCHS reached the state championship game. NCHS won it all in 2014 and 2016.

NCHS, the fourth seed in the Non-Select Division I playoff bracket, will collide with the No. 1-ranked Zachary Broncos (31-4) Thursday night at 8 in Lake Charles at Burton Coliseum. The winner reaches the state finals Saturday night at 8 in the LHSAA’s Marsh Madness boys tournament.

Khaelyb Creighton and JD Demery both scored 15 points, while the Chiefs got 14 apiece from Duke Nelson and Jaden Braden and 11 by Harold Remo as they drubbed Covington Friday night.

NCHS was up 41-33 at halftime. The lead quickly rose to double digits and never dropped under 10 afterward.

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Petitioner contributed approximately $116,000.00  in addition to the initial capital contributions for repairs to the homes to make them ready for sale.

Petitioner made the following contributions to each joint venture in CASH for the purchase of these properties:

4360 Highway Alt. 2, Haynesville, LA	$34,150.00
1526 Creswell, Shreveport, LA	$31,750.00
5411 Dixie Lane, Alexandria, LA	$69,500.00
1707 Palmer Chapel Road, Pineville, LA	$30,000.00
2426 Marye Street, Alexandria, LA	$19,950.00
10036 Coshise Drive, Denham Springs, LA	$19,000.00
3250 Highway 487, Marthaville, LA	$30,000.00
8812 McCain Road, Shreveport, LA	$00.000 (See Document)
Total Investment by Petitioner	$234,350.00

A Status Conference to select a Trial Date for the Petition for Accounting has been scheduled.

 

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Petitioners obtained a Judgment on October 28, 2024 in the Parish of Avoyelles in the matter entitled Rickie Dale Thomas, ET UX VERSUS Rodrick McIntosh in the amount of $27,500.00, plus reasonable attorney fees in the amount of $5,000.00 together with legal interest and all court costs.

This judgment was obtained by a granted Motion for Summary Judgment in the 12th Judicial District Court of Avoyelles.

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Once you become a Christian, you will have no troubles, no sickness, no trials, and definitely no tribulations. People will love you all the time, your children will be perfect, you will never burn the dinner and everything will be coming up roses. Struggles? What’s that? Now that you decided to follow Jesus, you have left all of your turmoil in the past.

Just typing that made me laugh nervously under my breath, because I personally know better. It is a lie bigger than Texas.

My daughters always call me an “over-poster,” mainly because I routinely share all of our life details on social media. The over posting truly began when I started sharing my past struggles of growing up poor, making horrible decisions while navigating becoming a single mother with a half-empty nest, moving a child five states away, battling chubbiness, beginning a hobby of writing, and running for public office. Who doesn’t want to hear about all of that craziness?

One of the main reasons for the openness about our life in general was because I spent the last two decades of my life living the big Christian lie. I was pretending to be a perfect, front-row Baptist (not back row), with the perfect family who never experienced misery or adversity. But, one day God stopped me in my tracks and reminded me everyone has hills and valleys in life, even Christians. Or dare I say, especially Christians!

The transparency of our lives has been accompanied by blessings beyond measure. I cannot pass up the chance to share how Jesus has met us right where we are, during all of our struggles. We have never felt alone or abandoned by God. I could never truly verbalize how it fills my heart with joy to be stopped on the street only for someone to tell me, “you truly make me feel normal with your struggles” or “thank you for sharing because I was really feeling defeated”. Too many Christians pretend life is perfect just because they are saved.

It is truly the big Christian life. We will have hard times but we also have a savior.

The biggest blessing is actually getting on the other side of painful moments only to realize that you were not alone and God was actually busy making a way where there was no way.

Christians who do face hard times are not tempted to throw in the Christian towel. My daughters and I whole-heartedly know that there will be a stunning silver lining, a bountiful blessing, too many lessons to count, humor galore and beautiful moments. This is what it feels like to have peace that surpasses all understanding. We know life will have pitfalls but we already know the outcome.

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Isaiah 41:10

Reba Phelps jreba.phelps@gmail.com

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Smart, Hardworking and Well Prepared-NSU Teacher Education Majors Attend NSU’s 2025 Teacher Job Fair

Northwestern State University held its annual Job Fair for Teachers Thursday, March 6 at the university’s student union ballroom. Approximately 100 NSU Education Majors took the opportunity to meet with representatives of 25 school districts from around Louisiana and Texas. Our own Natchitoches Parish school system was ably represented Linda Page, Alexa Bernard-Conday and Carissa Davis.

The young men and women in NSU’s teacher residency are an impressive group. They are exactly the type of smart, hard working young people one would want teaching our children and are a superb reflection on their alma mater. The Natchitoches Parish Journal wishes them all the best in their future endeavors. We would also love to see them build their lives as teachers in Natchitoches Parish!

Note: The beginning salary in the Natchitoches Parish School District for a teacher with a bachelor’s degree is $51,875.00 per the district’s website, including sales tax payments. That salary is quite competitive, especially considering our cost of living is considerably less than in other areas. The Natchitoches Parish school system is a wonderful place to start your teaching career! Ms. Linda Page, Director of Human Resources, may be reached at 318-352-2358, ext. 1157.

Continue your article here…

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HAMMOND — The matchup is painfully familiar but the opportunity is one the Lakeview Lady Gators basketball team has craved throughout the past year as they take the court this afternoon to play for the Non-Select Division IV state championship.

The top-seeded Lady Gators (29-4) will square off with No. 2 Arcadia (30-4) at 4 o’clock in the University Center on the Southeastern Louisiana University campus. The teams met last season in the state semifinals and the Lady Hornets, who went on to claim the state title, blew out Lakeview.

That 60-29 defeat has fueled Lakeview’s team since then. Led by two-time first-team All-State guard Timberlyn Washington, Lakeview has won 21 straight games. The last loss was to two-time defending Division I state champion Parkway, 49-41, on Dec. 10. Parkway is back in the big school championship game again.

Today’s contest will be broadcast on 100.7 FM KZBL and can be seen on a pay per view basis on NFHSNetwork.com or the LHSAANetwork app.

Classes at Lakeview were called off for today to allow students, faculty and staff to make the four-hour trip to Hammond to support the team. A large crowd gathered on campus Thursday for a sendoff as the Lady Gators headed back south.

They advanced to the finals by holding off Midland 48-44 Monday in a semifinal game, after hammering Homer 50-13 in a second-round game following a first-round bye.  Arcadia topped White Castle 55-47 Monday in a game the Lady Hornets led by 21.

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The Natchitoches Central Chiefs are on their homecourt tonight at 6:30 in an LHSAA Non-Select Division I boys basketball state quarterfinal playoff game, hoping to make a return to Marsh Madness next week in Lake Charles.

NCHS reached the state championship game last season, the latest in a series of trips to the state tournament this century.

The Chiefs (25-5) knocked out Neville 74-64 in a second-round game Tuesday night at the Teepee. As the tournament’s fourth seed, NCHS earned a first-round bye.

Covington, the 12^th seed, won two home games to reach the quarterfinals, edging No. 21 Slidell 54-50 and then holding off NCHS’s District 1-5A colleagues from Airline, 65-60, Tuesday night. The Chiefs are the 1-5A champions.

Admission for tonight’s game is $10 cash. A free live stream will be available at NCHSChiefs.live.

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Wait ‘til next year sounds pretty hollow today to the Lakeview Gators boys basketball team, which fell a couple of seconds away from an unlikely return to the LHSAA’s Marsh Madness state tournament in a 47-46 homecourt loss Thursday night to East Iberviille.

The outcome ended Lakeview’s season with a 25-6 record. The Gators and visiting Tigers (19-14) played an extremely competitive state quarterfinal game before East Iberview ripped the lead away from Lakeview on a shot in the lane that dropped in with under a second remaining.

The Gators had only one senior, Jamarcus Reliford, and were thought to be in a rebuilding mode after four starters graduated following last year’s trip to the state championship game. But veteran coach Brian Williams and his staff got the best out of the Lakeview squad and the tradition-rich program greatly exceeded most expectations. The Gators won 14 of their last 16 games and came just a couple of seconds away from getting back to the state’s high school basketball showcase event.

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As the Northwestern State baseball team opens the home portion of its 2025 Southland Conference schedule, it does so against a team that finds itself in a similar situation.

The Demons host Incarnate Word at 6:30 p.m. today  in Northwestern’s home Southland opener. The game is part of a three-game series that also includes a 2 p.m. Saturday matchup and a 1 p.m. Sunday matinee finale. All three games will air on ESPN+.

Both the Demons (5-7, 0-3) and Cardinals (8-5, 0-3) suffered sweeps in their conference-opening series. Northwestern fell to Southeastern Louisiana in three games in Hammond while UIW dropped all three of its games to Houston Christian at home.

Each team bounced back to grab a midweek win Tuesday with Northwestern thumping LeTourneau, 18-1, while UIW walked off a 7-6 win against Texas State.

“They’re coming off a great midweek win against an unbelievable Sun Belt team in Texas State,” second-year head coach Chris Bertrand said. “For us, it goes back to the way we talked to our team (after the weekend). I’m sure a lot of the same things are happening on the other side. You focus not on 0-3. You focus not on losing three baseball games. You focus on what happened, how do I own it and how can I take from it?”

SOFTBALL:  Northwestern picked up what will stand as one of the biggest upset wins of the entire 2025 softball season this past weekend.

The youngest team in the country not only beat the No. 20 ranked team in the nation in Mississippi State, they did so in shutout fashion with freshman Brooklyn Stohler holding the high-powered Bulldog lineup to just three hits in the game.

She benefited from a four-run sixth inning that pushed the NSU lead to five as she completed her conference leading seventh complete game of the year to earn her first career shutout.

Now it is what do the Demons (3-17) do with that win as they enter the most important portion of the schedule – conference play.

NSU hosts HCU (6-11) in the first Southland Conference series of the season beginning with the standard first-day doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m. today, with Saturday’s single game set for a noon start. All games will air on ESPN+.

While the Demons are focused on UIW, lots of people are eager to see if the win over Mississippi State is one the team can build on – including first-year coach Jenny Fuller.

“I think that it’s going to give us a lot of confidence heading into this weekend,” Fuller said. “HCU has some good players on their team, but what we did on Sunday should give us the confidence that we can play with anybody no matter. Hopefully we keep that same attitude that we had against Mississippi State and take care of business.”

TENNIS:  The Lady Demons host a pivotal Southland Conference clash against newcomer UTRGV today at 1 p.m. at the Jack Fisher Tennis Complex.

The match, initially scheduled for Saturday, was moved up a day to avoid possible rainy weather.

The Lady Demons (2-5, 2-0) are riding high after a dominant 6-1 victory over Nicholls earlier this week in Thibodaux. Today’s match will begin a string of three homecourt matches, continuing next week with contests against teams coached by two former NSU head coaches, Olga Bazhanova Moore and Jonas Brobeck. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi visits Monday and Rhode Island comes in to play Wednesday.

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