Fleur de Lis Christmas Craft Market is coming to Natchitoches on November 27th. The Fleur de Lis Christmas Craft Market will celebrate its 17th year in operation on Saturday, Nov. 27 from 9 am – 4:30 pm at the Natchitoches Events Center, located at 750 Second Street in Natchitoches. This event is free and open to the public.

There will be gifts for the whole family, from adults to children. Over 110 vendors from a four-state area will come to Natchitoches to sell their wares.

“The best part is everything offered at our craft market is handmade,” said organizer Cheryl Gianforte.

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The Louisiana Department of Insurance Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) urges Medicare beneficiaries to ignore unsolicited calls offering to help them switch to a different Medicare plan during the ongoing Medicare Open Enrollment.

Scammers try to generate commissions by booking Medicare beneficiaries into a new plan. Insurance agents are not allowed to make cold calls to solicit business, so agents sometimes engage outside marketers to call Medicare beneficiaries and promise to put them into “a better” plan. In fact, the call has nothing to do with placing someone in a more appropriate plan and may often result in the Medicare beneficiary ending up in a worse plan.

The Louisiana Department of Insurance SHIIP program wants Medicare beneficiaries to know that they should never get a call about Medicare from someone with whom they don’t already have a relationship. Medicare Open Enrollment runs through Dec. 7.

Medicare beneficiaries can protect themselves by doing the following:

Do not engage with unsolicited callers who want to talk with you about Medicare.
Do not give unsolicited callers your name, your Medicare identification number or your Social Security number. Scammers could use this information to make changes to your plan without your knowledge.

If you do get an unsolicited call about Medicare, ask the caller for their name and license number, then call Medicare or call our SHIIP program to report what you experienced.

If you discover that your plan has been switched without your knowledge, call the Louisiana Department of Insurance SHIIP program so that we can ask Medicare to change it back.

If you have questions about Medicare, call a trusted partner like SHIIP or the Senior Medicare Patrol.

If you have questions or are concerned you or a loved one may have been a victim of a scam, you can contact SHIIP at 1-800-259-5300 or the Senior Medicare Patrol at 877-272-8720.

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Former Times sportswriter Jim McLain died a little more than three years ago, something I’d forgotten about until I saw him the other day in Shreveport.

It is not often you get to talk to your friends, in person, after they die. But Mr. McLain, a reporter for nearly 40 years and a member of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame since 1995 when he was presented the Distinguished Service Award, is nothing if not durable. Even after he’d died, he’d gone about his business, pro that he is.

Turns out that, according to Jim, the only really good part about being dead and not knowing about it is the being, as he describes it, “blissfully unaware.” But once he found out he was dead, well, it was a bit of a different ballgame.

“I might not have known I was dead for several more weeks if I hadn’t gotten a call from my doctor’s office,” he said.

The woman was pleasant when he answered but confused when, after she asked his name, he identified himself as the proposed deceased. The doctor’s secretary even asked to speak to his wife, who verified she’d been cooking and washing clothes all week for the same 80-year-old she’d been married to for half a century.

Mrs. McLain had done that work for nothing, according to the government. A recent Medicare claim filed on behalf of Mr. McLain had bounced back with the notation that, according to the latest records, he was dead.

Sorry. But there you have it. Who said life, or death, was fair?

Jim suggested refiling the claim. Probably a typing error had occurred, he reasoned. But the following Wednesday after the mail arrived, he heard his wife yelling through the shower door, something about the Caddo Parish Registrar of Voters removing him – well, removing his corpse – from the voter rolls. “Hate to say it,” she said, “but it looks like this time, you really are dead.”

Thought No. 1 for Mr. Jim: “Wasted shower.” Thought No. 2: “The government has lost me and if I’m to be found, I have to send out my own search party.” Thought No. 3: “Why am I still hungry?”

He called his local Social Security Administration, hoping to avoid the fiscal pinch of missed checks and the like since, as the Medicare episode had taught him – and as the mutual funds people who wanted to settle his estate would soon tell him – the money gets sort of shut off or redirected once you start showing up dead. This happens to an estimated 14,000 people a year; if the Social Security Administration accidentally kills you, or lists you as dead, it’s good to let them know they have fumbled. You want to get off their Death Master File. You want to be, in the parlance of the agency, “resurrected” or “un-dead.” It’s not too much to ask, and in simplest terms, this is generally what is advised for you to do: go into the Social Security office with proper ID, the forms listing you as deceased, and prove that you have not “got dead.”

Turns out that in Jim’s case, an out-of-state funeral home had turned in his social Security number, obviously by mistake. The problem was quickly solved, a real shot in the arm to Jim but also for his loyal wife, who wasn’t doing all that cooking and cleaning for nothing after all.

Though he never found out how he died, Jim did find out when: March 12. “I have circled the 12th of March on every calendar since,” he said. “The Feds attempted to eliminate me once. They could try again.”

In the spare time that he’s been alive since retiring, Jim has written “Double Team Trap,” a Cold War spy thriller available online. If you pick up a copy he’s sure to sign it for you – if you can get to him before the government does. – August 24, 2014

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

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Writing the Goldonna News for the past year has been quite rewarding and I have met many new amazing people in the area. It has been pure joy for me. But I have to say that this past weekend when I decided to visit all three churches while they were having Thanksgiving meals proved to be the icing on the cake. Literally.

My first stop of the day was my dad’s church, River of Life. For over thirty years this congregation has been worshiping together and breaking bread together. Every one of the church members have their favorite meals that others cook and they are not shy about making requests. Sunday’s dinner on the grounds did not disappoint with its bounty of Thanksgiving traditional items. There was no shortage of casseroles, turkey, ham and enough desserts for each church member to have one of their very own. The congregation also shared what they were thankful for and had the chance to win a Christmas Daily Devotional. Michelle Morgan was the winner of the prize!

From there I made my way up the hill to Goldonna Assembly of God. The ladies were cleaning the kitchen and packing up the food. The whole church came together for Sunday Service and the Thanksgiving Feast. Soon after the dining hall was cleaned up they were prepping for the Christian group, The McClanahan’s to begin their singing. You could feel the love and excitement in the air. This was my first trip to the church with their renovated sanctuary. On my way out I asked one of the church members if the pews were new or painted…they were quick to brag on the new double padded pew cushions. I couldn’t leave without trying it for myself. They were exquisite and ready for a lengthy sermon.

This means that Brother Timmy can preach as long as he wants and the parishioners will not flee in the name of comfort.

As soon as I walked into my last stop at Goldonna Baptist Church, I instantly smelled home cooked food and church folk laughing and carrying on with one another. This is where I was politely coerced to sit and enjoy some pumpkin pie and great company. Truth be known they did not have to twist my arm very much. I quickly grabbed the pie, fork and plate like it was second nature. It was hard not to notice that it was mostly the men of the church who were cleaning up and serving, not saying the ladies were not doing their part….It was a blessing to see everyone involved.

While I was there I was able to catch up with my old neighbors from my days living in Goldonna and my new friend, Village Alderman, Reed Franklin. I may or may not have volunteered to drive a van of Senior Citizens to Branson in the near future. Needless to say it was a true blessing being in the presence of so many children of God.

All of the churches that I was blessed enough to visit had one common thread. They were small in numbers but loaded with brotherly love. If you are in the area and looking for a church you would feel welcomed and loved at every single one of them. I give them a solid rating of 10 for every rating system possible.

As the National holiday of Thanksgiving comes to an end later this week it does not mean that you cannot continue to live a thankful life. There are so many of God’s blessings that are showered on us daily and they deserve to be noticed all year round. Just driving down Main Street in Goldonna and gazing at the beautiful red Bradford Pear Trees will have you feeling very grateful for God’s beauty.

Don’t forget all things Christmas in the Park will be coming up next week and don’t forget the Saline Creek Christmas Tree Farm!

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

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Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Deputies, Louisiana State Police, Natchitoches Regional Medical Center EMS, NPSO Rescue and Natchitoches Parish Fire Protection District #6 responded to the scene of a single-vehicle injury crash on Nov. 23 at 1:40 pm on I-49 near milepost #142 (southbound) north of Natchitoches according to the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office.

The operator of the vehicle from Oklahoma was transported from the scene to an Alexandria hospital with moderate injuries.

NPSO Release

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As a health system, NRMC reinvests profits into our campus and technology to bring the latest advances to our community. Imaging plays an important role in a patient’s overall health as it is often an important first step in diagnosing an illness, injury or health condition. It can also be used to monitor a patient’s recovery or ongoing health condition. At NRMC, we are committed to bringing excellent imaging capabilities to our community.

The Multispecialty Clinic, located on the NRMC campus, is equipped with some of the most recent advances in imaging technology including the Siemens Go.Top, 64-slice CT scanner with 3D capability. This donut shaped scanner has many advantages including the ability of imaging grouping. This means that the scanner can view, for example, the head, neck, chest, abdomen and pelvis in one scan instead of relying on multiple scans and scanning sessions. For people with metal prosthetics, the scanner is able to capture clear pictures without distortion unlike older technology which often had a scatter effect near the metal site. The dose of radiation is lower with this scanner, and technologists can view and talk with patients at all times. The scanner quickly constructs images eliminating the need for patients to wait on the table for extended periods of time.

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The Parish Journal’s family is proud to announce that one of our own, Executive Editor of the Winn Parish Journal, Jodi Taylor, has been chosen to be a Delta Leadership Institute Executive Academy Fellow.
According to the press release distributed by the Delta Regional Authority, the DLI is an extensive, nine-month executive leadership program that brings together public, private, and nonprofit sector leaders from the Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt.

The DLI Executive Academy empowers fellows with the tools, experiences, and networks needed to address local and regional challenges. Sessions led by local, regional, and national experts cover policy areas such as infrastructure and transportation, small business and entrepreneurship, workforce development, public health, and other sectors necessary to facilitate economic growth in the region. As a result, DLI fellows graduate with improved decision-making skills, policy development know-how, strengthened leadership capacity, and a mutual understanding of regional, state, and local cultures and issues.

“Every Parish Journal’s editor strives to make a difference in the parish they serve. To that end, I’m very excited to be chosen to be a DLI Fellow to learn all I can to help Winn parish and the Delta Region of Louisiana,” stated Mrs. Taylor.

The 252 counties and parishes served by the Delta Regional Authority make up one of the most distressed regions of the country, facing profound economic, health, educational, and infrastructure challenges. The Delta Leadership Institute was created to empower a corps of leaders with the tools, experiences, and networks to address these local and regional challenges. The DLI Executive Academy trains leaders from diverse backgrounds, sectors, and industries to improve the economic competitiveness and social viability of the Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt.

The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) is a federal-state partnership created by Congress in 2000 to promote and encourage the economic development of the lower Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt regions. DRA invests in projects supporting transportation infrastructure, basic public infrastructure, workforce training, and business development. DRA’s mission is to help create jobs, build communities, and improve the lives of those who reside in the 252 counties and parishes of the eight-state region.

To read the full press release click here. https://dra.gov/newsroom/press-release/delta-regional-authority-announces-2022-delta-leadership-institute-executiv/

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NATCHITOCHES – Head coach Anna Nimz continues to span the globe in the expansion of the Northwestern State women’s basketball brand with the addition of Australian-born Bella Peterson to the next recruiting class.

The 5-foot-8 forward from Pascoe Vale, a suburb of Melbourne, added her name to the next Lady Demon class during the early signing period this month.

Peterson is a three-sport athlete, excelling at both basketball and track & field.

On court she has played in the Victorian Junior Basketball League, the highest level of junior competition in Melbourne, for several year with a VJBL championship and runner up to her name.

She was named defensive player of the year and earned Victorian Metro All-State team honors this past season.

Her athletic ability has been showcased by the more than 80 medals she’s received in seven different tack & field events including the triple jump, 200 meters, hurdles and various relays.

She claimed first in the triple at the state competition in 2019 and grabbed third in the long jump that same year. She was also named the girl’s champion for her school, Box Hill Senior Secondary College, in 2019.

“Bella is going to bring length and incredible speed to our backcourt,” Nimz said. “She is a high-energy player that can score on all three levels and create well off the bounce. Bella is an exciting addition and we can’t wait to get her to campus.”

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Parish Sheriff’s Deputy Carl Willis completed the Alexandria Regional Police Academy on Nov. 18, according to Sheriff Stuart Wright.

The graduation ceremony was held at Alexandria City Hall.

Class cadets attended over 650 hours of training throughout the academy in areas of criminal law, patrol activities, report writing, physical fitness, defensive tactics, officer survival, DWI, ethics, chemical weapons, and other law enforcement topics.

Deputy Willis will return to the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office for additional in-house training in policy and procedure, National Incident Command Systems and be assigned to a field training officer before he is released to patrol and other duties in Natchitoches Parish.
Congratulations to Deputy Carl Willis.

We also thank the entire Alexandria Regional Police Academy Staff for their professionalism during the academy session.

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NATCHITOCHES – Acclaimed north Louisiana writer Teddy Allen and influential central Louisiana reporter, editor and publisher Garland Forman Jr. have been selected for the 2022 Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism from the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.

The duo will be inducted in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame next June, LSWA president Raymond Partsch III and Hall of Fame chairman Doug Ireland announced Tuesday.

Allen, who has been north Louisiana’s preeminent feature columnist for over 30 years, has been nationally recognized for his writing while working in Shreveport, New Orleans and Ruston. Author of three books, Allen has been a focal figure for the university communications department at his alma mater, Louisiana Tech, since 2008, and has been part of the Hall of Fame selection committee for two decades-plus.

Forman is the only person to serve as president of both the Louisiana Press Association and the LSWA. While winning hundreds of state writing and editing awards including news, sports and outdoors coverage from both organizations, the Pineville native and Louisiana Christian University alumnus has been a pivotal leader for the LSWA and for over 25 years has been on the Hall of Fame selection committee.

The DSA honor, to be made official next summer in Natchitoches, means Allen and Forman will be among an elite 12-person Class of 2022 being inducted in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. They were selected from a 29-person pool of outstanding nominees for the state’s top sports journalism honor.

The Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism recipients are chosen by the 40-member Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame selection committee based on nominees’ professional accomplishments in local, state, regional and even national circles, with leadership in the LSWA as a beneficial factor and three decades of work in the profession as a requirement.

Distinguished Service Award winners are enshrined in the Hall of Fame along with the 455 current athletes, sports journalists, coaches and administrators chosen since 1959. Just 69 leading figures in the state’s sports media have been honored with the Distinguished Service Award since its inception 39 years ago in 1982.

Allen and Forman will be among the 2022 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Class to be spotlighted in the annual Induction Ceremony on Saturday evening, June 25, at the Natchitoches Events Center. The Induction Ceremony culminates the 2022 Induction Celebration beginning Thursday afternoon, June 23, with press conference at the Hall of Fame museum at 800 Front Street in Natchitoches.

A pair of six-time Pro Bowl NFL linemen, New Orleans Saints’ offensive guard Jahri Evans and Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Kyle Williams, join the late Tony Robichaux, No. 1 on the wins list for state college baseball coaches, among a star-studded group of nine 2022 competitive ballot inductees.

The LSHOF Class of 2022 also includes two of the greatest women athletes in LSU history, three-time national champion gymnast Susan Jackson and two-time first-team All-America softball pitcher Britni Sneed Newman. Williams, who helped the Tigers’ football team win the 2003 national championship, is joined by another of LSU’s all-time great linemen, the late Eric Andolsek, and pro rodeo great Steve Duhon among the 2022 inductees.

Baton Rouge-Episcopal High School track and field/cross country coach Claney Duplechin enters the Hall next summer still active, with his teams capturing an astounding 64 LHSAA crowns in his career. Rounding out the Class of 2022 is the late Dr. Eddie Flynn, who as a Loyola-New Orleans student won the 1932 Olympic welterweight boxing gold medal for the USA, the last gold medal for an American boxer for 20 years.

Also honored with enshrinement in the Class of 2022 will be the Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award winner, to be announced Wednesday.

The 2022 inductees will be showcased in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Museum, operated by the Louisiana State Museum system in a partnership with the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. The striking $23 million, two-story, 27,500-square foot structure faces Cane River Lake in the National Historic Landmark District of Natchitoches and has garnered worldwide architectural acclaim and rave reviews for its contents since its grand opening during the 2013 Hall of Fame induction weekend.

The selection of Allen and Forman was announced Tuesday by LSWA president Raymond Partsch III.

“We could probably fill a wing of the Hall of Fame with the amount of hardware that Teddy and Garland have won in their storied careers, which is saying something. But for me, what stands out about this year’s DSA honorees is how they are truly two of the most unselfish individuals that you will be blessed to encounter in our business,” said Partsch.

“From Teddy stepping up to serve as master of ceremonies for the LHSOF Induction year after year to Garland’s tireless work with both the LSWA and LPA, their sacrifices and behind-the-scenes efforts have been immensely valuable to both the LSWA and the LSHOF. We have been truly blessed to have both Teddy and Garland to be a part of our state’s storied sports history and there is no better way to honor them than having them inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.”

One of Louisiana’s more beloved writers, of sports and other things, Allen has piled up awards from the LSWA and many other entities since the mid-1980s. He worked for the Shreveport Journal and The Times in Shreveport, then for the Times-Picayune in New Orleans, first covering LSU and then expanding his role to step into the slot as primary columnist as the iconic Peter Finney gradually downshifted his contributions. Recently joining the Online Journals group of 10 northwest Louisiana parish publications, headlined by the Lincoln Parish Journal and the Natchitoches Parish Journal, Allen was previously a featured columnist for Gannett’s north Louisiana papers over the last three decades.

After returning to Shreveport with The Times in the early ‘90s, Allen moved east to his beloved alma mater, Louisiana Tech (bachelor’s 1982, master’s 1984), in 2008 as a writer and editor in the university communications department. Over the last decade, he has done radio broadcasting for Tech sports (football color analyst, and recently, some baseball play-by-play) and serving as a master of ceremonies for many events at the university and for the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony for the better part of the last two decades.

He has multiple times won prestigious honors including the Associated Press Sports Editors national feature writing award and the LSWA Story of the Year, Columnist of the Year, and Sportswriter of the Year awards. For his general interest columns, he has earned both the Ernie Pyle Award as the top columnist in Mississippi and Louisiana and been named Columnist of the Year in the LPA.

Allen’s work has been featured in the Poynter Institute’s annual “Best Newspaper Writing.”

He is co-founder of DesignatedWriters.com, an online publication including columns, features and video segments.

For four-plus decades, Forman has developed a reputation for being one of the most honored, well-respected sports journalists in not only Central Louisiana but the entire state.

Forman started reporting while a student at then-Louisiana College in the late 1970s. That led to freelance work for both the Eunice News and Ville Platte Gazette in 1980. Seven years later, Forman was named managing editor of the Bunkie Record and remained there until the fall of 2018 when he was named publisher of the Ville Platte Gazette and six other papers.

During his 31 years at The Bunkie Record in Avoyelles Parish, Forman served as the primary reporter for high school athletics and outdoors. In addition to his duties covering news as the managing editor, he was the parish high schools’ beat reporter, an outdoors writer, and photographer. Forman also covered the LSU Tigers and other college programs throughout the state.

While at the Bunkie Record he received over 400 Louisiana Press Association (LPA) awards for his writing including over an estimated 150 awards in sports writing, sports photography and layout.

In addition to his prolific work as a journalist or as some have called him, a “country journalist,” the affable Forman is known for his tireless service with the LPA and LSWA. Forman served on numerous LSWA All-State selection boards. In 2005, he was awarded the prestigious Mac Russo Award for his contributions to the progress and ideals of the LSWA. Forman has also served for 25 years and counting on the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame selection committee.

Now based in Ville Platte, he currently oversees 13 weekly newspapers as publisher for the Louisiana State Newspapers group across north and central Louisiana.

The 2022 Induction Celebration will kick off Thursday, June 23, with a press conference and reception. The three-day festivities include two receptions, a youth sports clinic, a bowling party, and a Friday night riverbank concert in Natchitoches. Tickets for the Saturday night, June 25 Induction Ceremony, along with congratulatory advertising and sponsorship opportunities, are available through the LaSportsHall.com website.

Anyone can receive quarterly e-mails about the 2022 Induction Celebration and other Hall of Fame news by signing up on the LaSportsHall.com website.

The Induction Celebration weekend will be hosted by the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Foundation, the support organization for the Hall of Fame. The LSHOF Foundation was established as a 501 c 3 non-profit entity in 1975 and is governed by a statewide board of directors. For information on sponsorship opportunities, contact Foundation President/CEO Ronnie Rantz at 225-802-6040.

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SABINE:
Wesley Nathan Fredieu
October 10, 1936 – November 21, 2021
Service: Wednesday, November 24 at 10 am at Warren Meadows Funeral Home Chapel

WINN:
Carolyn Jeanette Maggio
January 13, 1950 – November 21, 2021
Service: Friday, November 26 at 1 pm at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church

Linda Marchand
October 03, 1943 – November 22, 2021
Service: Saturday, November 27 at 11 am at Southern Funeral Home

RED RIVER:
Judy Lane Foster
October 07, 2021 – November 20, 2021
Service: Wednesday, November 24 at 1 pm at Thomas-Wren Cemetery

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The Natchitoches City Council was introduced to the new Finance Director for the City of Natchitoches at its meeting on Nov. 22. The introduction was held via a phone call as Steven Hickman was not able to attend in person.

Hickman has financing experience in real estate and is a former Instructor of Business at Northwestern State University. He is scheduled to start work on Dec. 13 and a special called meeting will be scheduled to confirm him as the new Finance Director before the Council’s next meeting on Dec. 13.

AGENDA:

PRESENTATION OF MISS MERRY CHRISTMAS AND CHRISTMAS BELLES
Miss Merry Christmas – Julia Ferrell

Christmas Belles – Amelia Broadway, Anna C. Coleman, Tinley Durr, Liliana Geier, Madison Raymond, Natalie Spillman

ORDINANCES – FINAL:
Award The Bid For Caustic Soda For The Water Treatment Plant (Bid No. 0642)

Award The Bid For Liquid Chlorine For The Water Treatment Plant (Bid No. 0621)

Award The Bid For Renovation Of The Texas And Pacific Railroad Depot (Bid No. 0627)

Amend Chapter 20 Of The Code Of Ordinances Of The City Of Natchitoches Relative To Establishing The Natchitoches Fairness, Equality, And Inclusion Program, And To Otherwise Provide With Respect Thereto.

Furnish The Marshal Of The City Of Natchitoches, State Of Louisiana, With Suitable Office Facilities And Otherwise Providing With Respect Thereto.

ORDINANCES – INTRODUCTION:
Approve An Amendment To That Lease Entered Into With The United States Government For The Lease All Or A Portion Of The Property Located At 607 Trudeau Street/Depot Street And 720 Sixth Street

The next scheduled City Council meeting will be December 13, 2021.

The City of Natchitoches offices will be closed Thursday, November 25th and Friday, November 26, 2021 for the Thanksgiving Holidays.

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I appreciate the extra coverage about the rebuilding of the six miles of abandoned road.  The Allen-Marthaville Road.  It runs from Allen to Weeks Road, takes a left turn, then goes to Marthaville, ending at Hwy 120. I repeat, on this road is no bus routes, mail routes, cemetery, no residents, ONLY one deer camp and deer leases after deer leases.

Someone needs to foot this bill, but not us tax payers. Winter is here. Rains are on the way. How is your rural road? It was reported that I sat for several days sitting in my truck counting the loads of rock going to this road. I did not! I live on the Allen-Beulah Road. Since I have retired, I work in my front and back yard a lot of my time. I saw one white 18-wheeler truck and trailer with green fenders, one 18-wheeler truck and trailer that the truck was all white. One single bed large dump truck and one pick up with a dump trailer. There was also one day a welding truck doing repairs of some type. Plus, two white pick-ups each day besides the one pulling the dump trailer. These rock trucks were making a minimal of four to five trips each day or more. Add it up yourself. This went on for five days that I observed.

A man I know said he talked to a person at the Spanish Lake Dump who said they also ran rock trucks off of the Allen Spanish Lake Road to this same road after stopping going down my road. How much fuel, labor, wear and tear and rocks did we foot the bill for?

It is illegal for side by sides and four-wheeler to rut up parish roads, but that’s not what I’m talking about tearing up parish roads. I’m talking about licensed 4X4 pickup trucks speeding down our roads running over our pets in pursuit of a deer. These deer dog hunters have a good way to hunt everybody’s deer lease. Just stop the truck and let the dogs out and they run the deer off your lease. I am a hunter also. I buy a hunting license every year. There is nothing wrong with legal hunting as long as it is not at others expense.

Tuesday, a friend and I took a run down that reopened road to find the ruts are already starting. There has not even been an inch of rain in the last four rains and it’s taking its toll already. Enjoy your bad parish roads while you can. Two weeks after deer dog season opens, you will long for a road you can travel without ruts. My friends, maybe you need to write someone a letter concerning our roads up-keep and dog deer hunters racing down your road.

Thanks for your time.

Mark Megason

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In medical emergencies, seconds count. NPSO Deputies are normally the first responding units to arrive on the scene of a medical event, traffic crash or any other emergency with support from EMS, and Fire Department First Responders.

This week, deputies attended annual re-trainer courses recertifying in Heart Saver First Aid, American Heart Association Adult and Infant CPR and AED.

Deputies also received criminal law legal updates and other law enforcement technology information.

Most patrol units in the parish are equipped with AED units to respond quickly to heart related medical emergencies.

Certified NPSO instructors were: Deputy Colin Crow, Lt. Brandon Smith, Lt. Jonathan Roberts and Deputy Amanda Murray-Hrapmann.

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The Gordon Peters Post, Unit 10, of the American Legion Auxiliary in Natchitoches encourages you to visit our Post located at the corner of Fourth and Saint Denis Streets (the old Tin House location) for the Turning On The Lights, Saturday, Nov. 20, from 3–7 p.m. for gumbo, chili, hot dogs, drinks, etc. for sale at reasonable prices. Our Post will also be open for food sales on Saturday, Dec. 4, Christmas Festival Day, from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Parking is available on both dates at reasonable rates as well. All proceeds will benefit our local Veterans.

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RUSTON – Northwestern State put a lot of emphasis on correcting its recent slow starts heading into Monday’s contest against ULM, but it was the latter part of the first half that tripped up the Demons.

ULM extended a three-point lead with a 26-5 run in the last eight minutes of the first half to pull away to a 96-66 win at Louisiana Tech’s Thomas Assembly Center. The loss finished NSU’s participation in the Lanky Wells Memorial Classic.

The Warhawks turned up their transition attack as NSU committed a season-high 25 turnovers as the Warhawks gleaned 22 points off NSU mistakes. ULM punished NSU in the paint with a 52-28 edge and a 29-13 edge in fast-break points.

“We’re disappointed that we didn’t get these guys up and ready to go, and that’s on me and the staff,” said NSU associate head coach Jeff Moore. “We had a better start to the game today, but at the eight- or nine-minute mark, we had a huge letdown.

“ULM gets up by 10 or so, and we never responded. We shot the ball pretty poorly. We had some good looks, but they didn’t go in. The 25 turnovers today, that’s how many we had in our last two games combined, so we definitely didn’t take care of the ball. But credit ULM for solid defense and causing those.”

ULM’s Nika Metskhvarishvili scored seven of his 11 first-half points in the run, including five of the last nine points to end that first-half run. He was one of three Warhawks to score a game-high 15 points, joined by Koreem Ozier and Trey Boston to lead six Warhawks in double figures.

ULM’s Boston sparked the first-half run with a three-point play that drew Kendal Coleman’s third foul of the half. Boston scored five of his 15 points in the run.

The Warhawks blazed the nets in the first half by shooting 20-of-34 from the field and 3-of-7 from deep. The 50 points allowed in a half ties the most NSU has given up, matching SMU’s 50 points in the first half.

ULM finished shooting 56.5 percent from the floor (35-62).

NSU made four of its first five shots to open the game but connected on just 6-of-25 to end the half, which included a deep 3-pointer from Larry Owens at the halftime buzzer to ULM’s edge to 50-29. NSU went the final 8:38 without a field goal in the first half before Owens’ buzzer beater.

“I thought the biggest factor today is that we didn’t win the point of contact,” Moore said. “ULM beat us on everything, from their guy driving to the rim or one of our guys driving, they beat us to the point of contact nearly every time.”

Cedric Garrett finished with a team-high 13 points on 5-10 shooting. Coleman chipped in 10 points as he’s reached double figures in all six games this season. The second-year freshman scored in double digits five times this past season.

Freshman Emareyon McDonald tied a career-high with eight points, all in the second half. The Demons warmed up in the second half to shoot 50 percent, finishing with 41 percent for the game.

Natchitoches native Thomas Howell had his first double-double of his career with 13 points and 11 rebounds for ULM.

The Demons will see ULM again on Dec. 4 in Monroe.

NSU will have its longest break of the season with nearly a week between games as the Demons return to their home floor to host Stephen F. Austin on Sunday at 3 p.m.

PHOTO: Chris Reich/Northwestern State Photographic Services

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November 23, 2021

Greg responds to an inquiry about the possibility of La Tech rejoining the Southland Conference and resuming the Annual State Fair Classic in Shreveport every year to face the Demons

Photo: Southland Conference

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Dear Parent/Guardian,

Leap 2025 testing will begin December 6, 2021 through December 8, 2021. Leap 2025 is a standardized test required by the state for students to test in grades 9th-12th. If your child is in an English, Algebra, Geometry, U.S. History, or Biology class, he/she will participate in testing. This test is NOT optional. Your child will complete one test session per day. All tests will begin promptly at 8:00 AM, so it is very important for your child to arrive on time. Any student that is late will NOT be allowed to interrupt testing once it begins. It is also imperative for students to put forth their best effort as the results directly affect their possibility for graduation. If your child is absent on one of the testing days, make-up testing will be December 9, 2021 through December 15, 2021. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call to the school.

Thank you,

Bobby Benjamin​​
Stephanie Sewell
​​​Chelsea Calhoun

 

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From the Desk of Mayor Ronnie Williams Jr.

Today we mourn with the people of Waukesha, Wisconsin. Yesterday the driver of an SUV weaponized their vehicle and drove through the Waukesha Holiday Parade. Details surrounding this tragedy are still being released, but the latest reports state 5 dead and over 40 injured including 18 hospitalized children. In the wake of such suffering, our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Waukesha.

We also must be proactive in our plans for our very own Natchitoches Christmas Festival to ensure the safety and security of Natchitoches residents and tourists alike. Members of our city and parish public safety departments as well as City Department heads and other key stakeholders involved in the planning of the Natchitoches Christmas Festival met this morning to discuss additional safety precautions to thwart any efforts by bad actors in our community or surrounding areas.

This is what many have described as the most wonderful time of the year. While it is a time of sadness for some who have experienced loss and tragedy such as the people of Waukesha, it is also a time of hope and love. Please make kindness a priority this holiday season.

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