JOB OPPORTUNITY: GROUNDMAN LABORER

POSITION: Electrical Department – Groundman Laborer

QUALIFICATIONS: Work requirements will be to trim trees and branches, the ability to operate a chainsaw safely, heavy lifting  will be required at times. Must have a valid driver’s license and work towards obtaining a CDL license.

Overtime, standby and dependability is required. 

EDUCATION: High School Diploma or Equivalent.

CONTACT:
City of Natchitoches, Human Resources Department 
1400 Sabine St.
P.O. Box 37
Natchitoches, LA 71458-0037. 

Applications may also be picked up upstairs at City Hall, located at  700 Second St., or you may download an application on line at  www.natchitochesla.gov 

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS:  Applications will be accepted through September 14, 2021 

THE CITY OF NATCHITOCHES IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

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BEAUMONT, Texas – In a key match against a familiar opponent, Northwestern State stepped up in a major way when it counted most to win a 3-1 (18-25, 25-13, 26-24, 25-18) decision at Lamar on Saturday afternoon.

“This was the most important match to this point in the season for us,” head coach Sean Kiracofe said. “It wasn’t that long ago that Lamar was in our conference so that was a conference match in my opinion. It matters. We did not play well when we saw them in the Spring so there was a little bit of some retribution there for us too. To have that close set at the end was important for us to be able to pull that out, do your job and win those points.”

The Lady Demons did not get off to a favorable start in the first set. Multiple attack errors and balls missing the line by several inches all but handed the 1-0 match led to the Cardinals. Eleven errors in the first set, nearly as many as they had the rest of the match combined, put the Lady Demons behind following the 25-18 opener.

The second set was a much different story.

After a couple of early errors things began to fall into place with a 15-4 swing that made things a runaway win for the Lady Demons. Breanna Burrell and Symone Wesley started finding their swings and tips during the stretch and four of the final six points of the set came on NSU kills from four different players.

The critical set in the match was easily the third, with both teams vying to take control and pick up a needed win. A back-and-forth, incredibly close set went down to the wire and beyond the normal 25 points needed, with the Lady Demons showing plenty of grit to get the job done.

Down by three late in the frame with the tension in the gym at its peak and the crowd fully investing into every swing, an NSU block from Audrey Quesnel and Kate Idrogo after a long rally was the spark that lit the fire.

The turning-point play that prevented the Cardinals from reaching set point was the first of four straight points for NSU that presented the first set point in the other direction. Lamar evened the set at 24 with a kill but emphatic blasts from Wesley and Jaylibeth Garcia-Rosa quickly put things to bed for NSU at 26-24.

For the second match in a row three players had double-figure kills for the Demons. Wesley, Garcia-Rosa and Burrell accomplished the task against Lamar with none bigger than the final two of the third set.

“There are going to be tense moments where we have to win that one thing and you have to win that one battle, whatever it is,” Kiracofe said. “But when you look at the match as a whole you have to be able to spread that stuff out so you’re not one dimensional the entire time. So, it was good that we were able to have that distribution from an offensive standpoint.”

The Cardinals seemed unphased by the emotional loss of the third set, jumping out to an 8-2 lead in the fourth on five kills and three blocks.

NSU was able to stay the course and chipped away at the early deficit and took the 14-13 lead on a Burrell dagger. Her kill was part of a 13-3 NSU run started by a kill and ace from Piper Boydstun and punctuated by a kill and solo block from Garcia-Rosa that made it a 21-15 game.

A Lamar miss gave the final point to the Demons one serve after Wesley picked up her 11th kill of the match.

Wesley and Haley Hoang each received all-tournament for the weekend. It is the second selection of the season for Wesley after tallying 31 kills and 26 dig and the first for Hoang who collected 50 digs for a 5.0 per set average.

The Lady Demons return to Prather Coliseum on Tuesday for a 5:30 p.m. match with Jackson State.

Photo Credit: Jeff Kellum, Lamar Athletics

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NATCHITOCHES:
Jim McArthur
March 15, 1939 – September 09, 2021
Service: Wednesday, September 15 at 10 am at Central Baptist Church in Robeline

Elijah L. Thomas
January 14, 2006 – September 09, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Frank William Snodgrass, Jr.
September 22, 1965 – September 08, 2021
Service: Tuesday, September 14 at 2 pm at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home

Felenn Sowell
September 08, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Fannie Willis
September 07, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Lloyd “REV” Smith
September 07, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Minnie Johnson
September 04, 2021
Arrangements TBA

SABINE:
Truly James Higgins
April 11, 1928 – September 9, 2021
Service: Tuesday, September 14 at 10 am at Warren Meadows Funeral Home Chapel

WINN:
Lela Mae McAllister Cockerham
August 10, 1938 – September 10, 2021
Service: Tuesday, September 14 at 11 am at Old Union Baptist Church

RED RIVER:
Donald Duane Guy
August 06, 1955 – September 11, 2021
There will be no memorial service.

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LORMAN, Mississippi – Time and again Northwestern State’s Purple Swarm defense bent but did not break Saturday night.

Then the north end of Spinks-Casem Stadium struck again.

Alcorn’s Felix Harper spun into that end zone on a 1-yard touchdown run with 4:11 to play, capping a Braves’ fourth-quarter rally that dropped Northwestern State, 13-10, in non-conference action.

“In that type of ball game – as well as we played defensively for four quarters – the opportunity they had – the one big play – puts you in a tough situation,” fourth-year head coach Brad Laird said. “Defensively, we played well. We played hard. We were able to get off the field. When you’re in those tight games, it’s often that one play.”

While Harper’s touchdown regained the lead for Alcorn (1-1), the one play the Demons (0-2) would like to have back came on third and 10 from the Braves 46.

Harper found Manny Jones for a field-flipping, 50-yard completion that gave Alcorn a first-and-goal at the NSU 4.

Even then, it took the Braves three cracks from the 4 before Harper twisted in for the go-ahead score.

“Last week, it’s on film – we had 28 missed tackles,” said senior linebacker Ja’Quay Pough, who finished with 12 tackles and a sack. “This game, we weren’t letting it happen again. We had to prove our defense is still top-notch in the conference.”

The Purple Swarm limited Alcorn to 122 yards on 41 carries, an average of 3 yards per rush in a game where neither team found much running room.

NSU managed just 71 yards on 36 carries as Alcorn outgained the Demons, 326-293.

Still, Northwestern State made Kendrick Price’s early 18-yard touchdown catch from Kaleb Fletcher stand up.

Fletcher’s grab put the Demons up 7-3 with 49 seconds to play in the first quarter, but the Demons barely were able to put any additional distance between them and the Braves.

While the Purple Swarm held the Braves to 146 yards and three points in the middle two quarters, Alcorn kept the Demons similarly at bay.

For the second straight week, Northwestern State was in position to seize the momentum immediately after halftime.

PJ Herrington, playing roughly 40 miles from his hometown of Natchez, returned the opening kickoff of the half 41 yards to the NSU 47, and the Demons were off and running until a pivotal third-down play in the shadows of the north end zone.

Facing third-and-goal from the 3, Fletcher lost the handle and dove on the ball at the Alcorn 15-yard line. Eddie Godina shook off a delay of game penalty to hit his first field goal of the season – a 37-yarder – to put the Demons back up seven.

Settling for the field goal loomed large throughout the final quarter, especially during Alcorn’s go-ahead, 10-play, 92-yard drive.

“We talked about coming out of the gates in the second half, and we did that, getting the ball down there,” Laird said. “Having the opportunity on third down and then settling for the field goal … then they get the seven points late, and that was the difference in the ball game.

“In this type of football game, when you play this well defensively and you don’t have that many chances offensively, you have to take advantage. I’m proud of our guys and the way they fought. This football game is one we have to win in the fourth quarter.”

The Demons return home Sept. 18 to face UT Martin in NSU’s home opener. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Turpin Stadium.

Photo:  Credit: Chris Reich/NSU Photographic Services

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The St. Mary’s football team lined up against a second straight Class 3A opponent Friday night at Turpin Stadium, but this time, the Class A Tigers were the superior team, bottling up Buckeye’s Panthers 38-6.

Abbeville’s Wildcats, the season-opening foe, had abundant talent and looked like a team poised for its best season in over a decade on Sept. 3 in a 43-23 victory over the TIgers.

But in the season’s second contest, SMHS kept visiting Buckeye bottled up all night and took control just before halftime with a couple of scores sandwiched around a fumble recovery by Kolton Norsworthy deep in Panthers’ territory. That pivotal exchange over 61 seconds expanded a one-score lead to a 21-0 halftime bulge.

The Tigers (1-1) outgained a much-bigger Buckeye squad by 283-152, and allowed the Panthers only five first downs. SMHS forced five turnovers, including interceptions by Graeme Fidelak and Ethan Busby, while Logan Watson and Peyton Mitchell had the other fumble recoveries.

“I thought our defense played a hell of a game. Apart from the last minute of the ballgame, we shut them out,” said St. Mary’s coach Aaron York. “Our defense played very physical.

“Drake Griffiin, Mixon Bankston, Kolton Norsworthy and Graeme Fidelak really stood out on the defensive side. Apart from one or two long runs, Buckeye didn’t sniff a thing. They were big and they tried to lean on us, but we handled it.”

Griffin led the Tigers with 6.5 tackles while Fidelak had 4.5 and both of Bankston’s stops were tackles for loss. Norsworthy collected five tackles and Ben Bienvenu made four.

“We played a little bit better this week, and I didn’t think we played badly last week,” said York. “We definitely weren’t dealing with the same caliber athletes as Abbeville had last week, but it is always good to beat a Class 3A school.”

Tigers’ tailback Jadyn Jackson got the Tigers out front early in the second quarter, scampering 20 yards for a score 10:44 before halftime. Payne Williams drilled the first of his five extra-point kicks for a 7-0 lead.

Quarterback Adam Parker capped a methodical drive on a 3-yard keeper at the 1:46 mark with Williams making it 14-0. Norsworthy’s fumble recovery shortly afterward gave SMHS a short field in the waning seconds, and Griffin slammed across with 45 ticks remaining to pad the spread to 21-0 after Williams’ PAT kick.

St. Mary’s again put two TDs together in a tight package in the middle of the second half. Parker tossed a five-yard scoring strike to Fidelak with 1:34 to go in the third period, and Jackson’s 1-yard TD three seconds into the fourth quarter boosted the home team ahead 35-0.

Three minutes later, Williams made it a 17-point burst when he booted a 38-yard field goal for a 38-0 spread. Buckeye (1-1) averted the shutout with a touchdown in the game’s final minutes.

“We ran the ball fairly well, and our offense was a lot better overall,” said York. “We played fast on both sides of the ball. We spread ‘em out and that gave their defense some fits. We were able to run our counters and our zones very effectively.

“The kids played a lot harder tonight (than in the opener). Last week was kind of an eye opener – they saw real game speed, and now they’ve adapted to it. We’ve picked up our pace on our side of the ball.”

A very distinct advantage is the leg of Williams. Along with perfection on his placement kicks, the sophomore had three touchbacks with booming kickoffs.

“That’s a plus when you’re pinning the other team on the 20 over and over,” said York.

The comfortable margin allowed the Tigers to empty their bench in the final 12 minutes.

“Everybody got to play tonight, so younger and inexperienced guys got some valuable experience and that gets us better every time out,” said York.

Next time out, St. Mary’s heads south on I-49 for a rivalry game with Holy Savior Menard in Alexandria.

That matchup next Friday had the Tiger coaches forgoing the “24-hour rule” that generally allows a day to savor a victory before beginning extensive work on the next game.

“We’ve got about a 24-minute rule,” said York. “Our staff is looking at Menard right now.”

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Join Trini & Ashley LIVE for  River Blackout Bingo!   Your chance to win begins at 7 am on 94.9 The River.

JACKPOT $150.00

To obtain you Virtual Bingo Card:   just TEXT the following and be ready to play.  Cards are limited, so get your card ASAP!

TEXT “riverbingo” (all one word) to 21000

Trini & Ashley will start call the numbers starting at 7:15am.

If you have a Blackout Bingo, be the first caller to the River Lines: 318-581-4025.

The first Blackout Bingo to call and verify their card as a winning card wins the jackpot!

Note: One Winner per game.

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Cane River Creole National Historical Park will host a FREE night photography workshop at Magnolia Plantation on Saturday, Sept. 18. The workshop will take place from 8-11 pm and is limited to ten participants. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 318-352-0383 x316.

Come experience your park after dark! Join professional photographer Annabel Jones to learn techniques and tips for night photography. Bring a camera with manual mode capabilities (bulb mode preferred), tripod, and a flashlight. Magnolia Plantation is located at 5549 Highway 119, Derry/Cloutierville, LA. Due to a road closure Magnolia Plantation can only be accessed from the southern end of Highway 119 via LA Highway 1.

The grounds of Oakland and Magnolia Plantations are open daily from 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Nearly 80 original buildings remain, many open for self-guided tours including several that are historically furnished from Wednesday through Sunday. Park staff conduct tours of the plantation grounds daily Wednesday through Sunday. In addition, the park offers a cell phone tour. The Oakland Main House is open for self-guided tours from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The Magnolia Main House is privately owned and is not open to the public. For more information, call the park at 318-352-0383, ext. 316.

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September is Library Card Sign-up Month, a time when the Natchitoches Parish Library (NPL) joins the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries nationwide to remind parents, caregivers, and students that signing up for a library card is the first step on the path to academic achievement and lifelong learning.

There is nothing more empowering than signing up for your own library card. Through access to technology, media resources, and educational programs, a library card gives students the tools to succeed in the classroom and provides people of all ages opportunities to pursue their dreams and passions.

The NPL offers everything from early literacy programs to live and virtual homework help, introducing the opportunity to transform lives and communities through education. At the NPL, you’ll find a wide variety of educational resources and activities, including no-cost ACT/SAT and HiSET practice testing, along with digital checkout of books, and online access to learning modules for coding, photography, and other technology skills.

“Libraries play an important role in the education and development of their communities,” said Alan Niette, NPL Community Outreach Coordinator. “For students in our parish, we have library programs that serve all ages and backgrounds, such as in-person after school tutoring for Pre-K through 5th grades, as well as online live tutors seven days a week for all grade levels, including college.”

The NPL, along with libraries everywhere, continue to adapt and expand services to meet the evolving needs of their communities. During September, the NPL will have a “Library Quiz” for teens and adults to compete for a chance to win a Kindle Fire, courtesy of the Friends of the Natchitoches Parish Library. The quiz can be picked up at any circulation desk and must be completed and turned in by 6 PM Thursday, September 30th.

This year, Marley Dias, founder of #1000BlackGirlBooks, author, and executive producer is taking on a new role as honorary chair of Library Card Sign-Up Month. In her new role, Dias will promote the value of libraries and encourage everyone to get their very own library card.

Since 1987, Library Card Sign-up Month has been held each September to mark the beginning of the school year. During the month, the ALA and libraries work together in a national effort to ensure every child signs up for their own library card.

For more information on getting a library card you may visit either library branch location or call 318-357-3280.

 

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NATCHITOCHES:
Frank William Snodgrass, Jr.
September 22, 1965 – September 08, 2021
Service: Tuesday, September 14 at 2 pm at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home

Felenn Sowell
September 08, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Fannie Willis
September 07, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Lloyd “REV” Smith
September 07, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Minnie Johnson
September 04, 2021
Arrangements TBA

WINN:
Esean Smith
September 11, 2003 – September 6, 2021
Arrangements TBA

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I wrote the piece below in 2016, on the 15th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. I struggle even more so now than I did then with the thought of how to commemorate an event that took the lives of several thousand of our fellow citizens and the death or maiming of several thousands more in the wars that followed in the years after the attacks. The 20th anniversary of 9-11 finds the nation in a pensive mood as the Taliban retakes Afghanistan, the nation finds itself over a year into the COVID pandemic and suffering a crisis of confidence not seen since the dark days of the fall of Saigon and the failed Iranian rescue mission.

America is a different place than it was five years ago, and a vastly different and darker place than it was in 2001. As I look back over the 20 years since 9-11 and the thousands of deaths in terrorist attacks and battles since then, I can only look to the Nation’s past.

“It is for us, the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work…that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that, government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

Those words from Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address call upon us to dedicate ourselves to the work of building our nation into what it was called to be. Resolve to be a better person each day. Resolve to make your family and community a better place to live each day. Be a better citizen. Make their sacrifice count! Be worthy of them.

The original piece is below.

By Kevin Shannahan


September 11, 2016

On this, the 15th anniversary of the Sept. 11th attacks, media is saturated with various tributes and commemorations all imploring us to “never forget.” As I look back over the past 15 years, each of which have seen the nation at war, I see the Sept. 11th attacks recede into historical memory. This is natural as time passes, and not an entirely bad thing. Time does not always heal all wounds, but it does provide perspective.

What I do find objectionable is the passive tone of many of the commemorations. The
attacks were indeed a tragedy. Over 3,000 people lost their lives that day as they went about their everyday business, unaware of the impending attack. The lives cut short, the families torn asunder by the loss of a spouse, the orphans created, that was a tragedy. All too often however, the commemorations fail to make the distinction that the deaths were the result of an unprovoked attack upon innocent civilians, rather than the result of a tornado or other agent of random chance and misfortune. Nor do they celebrate the courage of the police officers, firemen and ordinary citizens who rose to the occasion, often at the cost of their lives.

I want to celebrate Rick Rescorla, Jorge Velazquez, and Godwin Forde. They repeatedly went back into the burning World Trade Center to lead people out. They died on their last attempt as the Tower collapsed with them still inside. This was not Rescorla’s first time in the World Trade Center after an attack. In the 1993 bombing, he spent 12 hours inside the building helping firefighters find and rescue people. As a platoon leader in Vietnam, he fought in the Ia Drang Valley, earning a Silver Star. He was 62 when he died fighting a different enemy.

Hundreds of police officers and fire fighters died doing their duty, faithful unto death to the citizens they were charged to protect. First responders and ordinary citizens pulled people from the rubble. In the Pentagon, Air Force Lt. General and surgeon, P.K. Carlton found himself the only trauma surgeon in the area. He personally rescued people trapped in the rubble and organized the medical response to the attack, treating people on site and commandeering passing civilian cars to take the wounded to hospitals.

I want to celebrate the men and women of Flight 93. When it became apparent what the hijackers’ true intentions were, they did not flinch from what had to be done. They were not soldiers or police officers. They were ordinary men and women. They fought the hijackers with bare hands and improvised weapons in a desperate attempt to retake the plane. We will never know with certainty what Flight 93’s target was to be. The passengers may have saved the Capitol building or the White House. Their courage launched the first counterattack of the war. They died with their face to the enemy and turned a field in rural Shanksville, Pennsylvania into sacred ground.

On this Sept. 12th, after the flags come down and the television and radio goes back to normal programming, take a look around you. The real lessons to be drawn from the 9-11 attacks are all around us. The police officers on patrol, the firefighters at the station today are no different than the men and women who ran into the World Trade Center and a burning Pentagon. When the call comes, they will answer it. Look at those harried business travelers at the airport. People just like them saved Washington D.C. from another attack.

Several young men in my old Scout Troop are starting out on their enlistments in the Marine Corps. They were toddlers in 2001 and grew up in a nation at war. They are now taking their place on the ramparts doing the hard, dangerous work that keeps our nation’s enemies at bay. Fifteen years after the attacks, I look around me from the vantage point of age and see that we still produce men and women like Todd Beamer of Flight 93 and Rick Rescorla. When the need arises, they will be there. America will endure.

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Natchitoches Central High School
Natchitoches Central  41
Peabody  14
* Played Thursday Night

St. Mary’s Catholic School
St Mary’s  38
Buckeye  6

Lakeview High School
Lakeview  40
Beekman Charter  0

Note:   NPJ Detailed High School Coverage Sunday Morning at 6:55am – Join us!

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BOM made a donation to the @bdjcenter Summer Feeding Program for children 18 and under as a partnership with the Louisiana Department of Education. They provided breakfast and lunch to 100 youth twice a day, five days a week from June21-July 31.

Pictured: BOMFS’ Jennifer Campbell, Kyler Burns, Darlene Knecht, Shannon Tucker (Ben D. Johnson- Community Resource Coordinator VISTA), BOMFS’ Reba Phelps, and BOM’s Blaise LaCour.

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By Josh Beavers

It’s been 20 years. Two decades. They’ve gone by in a blink, and many of us have forgotten as those years have passed. Other troubles have come our way. Wars. The economy. Job loss. Politicians. Division, discord, disillusionment. The destruction of what it means to be a united country.

But we need to remember.

We need to remember the shock. We need to remember the tears. We need to remember our unity.

Twenty years ago, a bright September day was darkened by the worst attack on the American people in our history.

The images are burned indelibly into memory – four hijacked American aircraft cut through a cloudless late summer sky; the World Trade Center plummeting to the earth; inky smoke billowing from the Pentagon; the wreckage of Flight 93, the call of “Let’s Roll” earning a place of immortality as heroes fought back against evil to spare further death and destruction.

Yet, I’d reckon the most heartbreaking images are those that only one or two of us have seen at any given time. These are the images of an empty seat at the dinner table. These are the images of children aging without a mother or a father.

The families of the 3,000 Americans who died that day go to bed every night with the knowledge that their husbands, wives, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, and friends will never again walk through the doors of their homes.

They were taken. Taken too soon.

In that great time of need, our pettiness was forgotten. Our politics and prejudices cast aside. We offered our neighbors a hand, and we offered the wounded aid and succor.

We reaffirmed our ties of simple humanity to one another. Community and country took precedent over class and political ideology. No matter where we came from, what God we prayed to, or what race or ethnicity we claimed, united as one American family we were.

Yet as time passed the old ways resurfaced, grievances reemerged, and squabbling returned. And today, 20 years after 9/11, this nation is arguably the most divided socially and ideologically it has been in its history.

But perhaps for a brief time we can stop our bickering. Perhaps for a brief time, a single day is all, we can remember our loss and the way it united us on that dark day and the uncertain ones that followed.

Perhaps we can remember those lives lost instead of being consumed by all our other faults.

Just for a day.

Because what happened on Sept.11, 2001, is one of the single most significant and tragic events in American history.

It must be respected. It must be remembered.

By everyone.

At least for a solitary day.

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NATCHITOCHES:
Frank William Snodgrass, Jr.
September 22, 1965 – September 08, 2021
Service: Tuesday, September 14 at 2 pm at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home

Felenn Sowell
September 08, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Fannie Willis
September 07, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Lloyd “REV” Smith
September 07, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Charles Henry Bobb
September 02, 2021
Service: Saturday, September 11 at 2 pm in the Winnfield Memorial Funeral Home Chapel, located at 318 North Street in Natchitoches

Minnie Johnson
September 04, 2021
Arrangements TBA

WINN:
Shirley James Tolbert
November 17, 1941 – September 09, 2021
Service: Sunday, September 12 at 2 pm at Southern Funeral Home

Esean Smith
September 11, 2003 – September 6, 2021
Arrangements TBA

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(CAMPTI)-Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Deputies arrested a Campti man on multiple criminal charges following a shots fired call in the Town of Campti on Thursday afternoon according to Natchitoches Parish Sheriff Stuart Wright.

On Thursday afternoon, September 9, 2021, at approximately 1:00pm, Deputies assigned to the NPSO Patrol Bureau responded to NATCOM 911 Center reports of shots fired in the 100 block of Vaughn Street in Campti, La.

The caller reported that an alleged disturbance ensued  between her and her boyfriend which involved her being struck in the face and shots fired at her vehicle on Vaughn Street in Campti, La.

Deputies arrived on scene shortly thereafter discovering there were no injuries.

While speaking with the victim, deputies learned the suspect identified as Fredrick T. Hall had left the area on foot before deputies arrived on scene.

Detectives assigned to the NPSO Criminal Investigations Division responded to the scene.

Deputies gathered information for an offense report from the victim, while detectives processed and collected bullet fragment evidence at the scene.

Sheriff’s deputies in marked and unmarked units began searching the area for Hall.

At approximately 1:45pm, deputies located Hall hiding near a church on Lake Street.  Hall was arrested and taken into custody without incident.

Fredrick T. Hall, 19, of the 100 block of Carter Street, Campti was transported and booked into the Natchitoches Parish Detention Center charged with Aggravated Assault with a Firearm, Aggravated Battery of a Dating Partner, and Illegal Use of a Firearm within the Town of Campti.

Hall who is out on bond on previous felony charges remains in the Natchitoches Parish Detention Center.

Detectives say the weapon has not been recovered.

If you have any information please contact the NPSO Criminal Investigations Division at 357-7830.

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The A+ Coalition, an initiative of the Natchitoches Area Chamber of Commerce, awarded a $6,800 STEAM grant to Fairview Alpha teacher Iris Yount at the Natchitoches Parish School Board meeting Thursday evening, Sept. 9. Iris teaches ELA and social studies. She wrote the grant with Samuel Wright who teaches math and science.

The grant will go toward a behavior management system called “Desk Pets.” Desk Pets are little animals students can keep at their desks that can be turned into a fun reward system and a great incentive. Students adopt a pet and can earn food and accessories. They can use their iPads with Apple Pencils to draw their own habitats for their desk pets based off a scene from the ELA unit that they’re learning about. These scenes can be printed off a new printer (loaded with lots of color ink).

Desk Pets also stretch across all the curriculums taught in the fifth grade. This will also help students visualize math problems by making them more real. It will also engage students in the process of scientific inquiry.

“This is a huge investment in our community,” said Chamber President Laura Lyles, who shared that the grant will help students for years to come. “We want to thank the businesses that contribute to the A+ Coalition and the Chamber Education Fund. They have made this possible.”

In other academic news, Dr. Kim McAlister, Dean of the Gallaspy College of Education and Human Development at Northwestern State University, spoke to the Board regarding a Memorandum of Understanding between NSU and the School District for the two NSU Lab Schools. This MOU, approved by the board at its meeting, will put infrastructure into place to meet the goal of seeing some explosive growth in both schools.

New initiatives have been put into place to pilot for the 2021-2022 school year. One is the elimination of one of the principals. Karen Coleman is now serving as director over both school campuses as a cost saving measure because the other principal position was coming from tuition dollars.

The funds have been reallocated in a way that directly benefits students. As part of the pilot, new and existing students were allowed to apply for partial tuition scholarships for the academic year. Forty-three students are receiving these scholarships for the 21-22 academic year in the amount of $35,000.

“We’re hoping this removes barriers from anyone who wants to attend the lab schools having the opportunity to do so,” she said.

In addition to this, the Educators Rising initiative has had funds allocated to purchase curriculum. The goal is to increase the pipeline of students graduating from Natchitoches Parish Schools, getting their 4-year degree in education and coming right back to Natchitoches Parish to teach. There’s a cohort at Natchitoches Central high School and one at NSU Middle Lab. The hope is that other cohorts can be started at other schools throughout the Parish.

Agenda items included:

Approve new document for the donation of the Cloutierville Elementary facility to Natchitoches Parish Fire District #1

Approve Memorandum of Understanding with Career Compass, CLTCC and BPCC

Approve the annual MOU between NSU and NPSB for facility usage

Approve 2021/2022 Consolidated Budget as presented

Amend and approve previously passed 3121 resolution to include only long term subs

Approve New positions of Early Childhood Literacy Coaches

Approve amendment to Covid Leave Policy requiring employees who are quarantined due to exposure to seek testing to shorten their quarantine

Approve 2021-2022 Pupil Progression Plan as presented

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The Natchitoches Police Department has arrested a juvenile for the homicide that occurred this morning on Highland Park Drive.

Earlier today the Natchitoches Police Department received a tip about a juvenile that said he was on Highland Park Drive when the shooting took place. Detectives were able to find out that the juvenile was in Payne Subdivision and asked the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office for assistance in locating the individual. Deputies were able to locate the individual and he was brought to the Natchitoches Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division where he was later arrested.

The juvenile is charged with Second Degree Murder and was placed in the Ware Youth Center.

If you would like to report suspicious activity please contact the Natchitoches Police Department at (318) 352-8101 or if you have additional information in regards to this investigation please contact Detective Rudy Glass at (318) 357-3878. Remember all information given shall remain confidential.

Original Story – Natchitoches Police investigate homicide on Highland Park Drive

The Natchitoches Police Department is investigating a homicide that took place early Thursday morning on Highland Park Drive.

On September 9, 2021 around 6:14 a.m., officers with the Natchitoches Police Department responded to the 1200 block of Highland Park Drive in reference to a person lying in front of a residence. Upon officers arrival they located a juvenile who wassuffering from a gunshot wound. The victim was pronounced deceased by the Natchitoches Parish Coroner’s Office as a result of his injuries.

The Natchitoches Police Department will release more details as they become available.

If you would like to report suspicious activity please contact the Natchitoches Police Department at (318) 352-8101 or if you have additional information in regards to this investigation please contact Detective Rudy Glass at (318) 357-3878. Remember all information given shall remain confidential.

How to report an anonymous tip via Natchitoches Crime Stoppers:

You can also report a tip anonymously by calling Natchitoches Crime Stoppers at (318) 238-2388. All tips remain confidential and the caller can receive a cash reward up to $2,000 for the arrest of an offender.

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Since the Coroner’s Office last posted on Aug. 5 Natchitoches Parish was at 87 COVID deaths reported. The state at the time was showing 98 a difference of 11. The Coroner’s Office has since reviewed the data and as a result these additional cases are found to be also COVID-19 related deaths. An additional 6 deaths were reported from that time, Aug. 5-23, bringing the total to 103.

Since Aug. 24 the Coroner’s Office has had 14 additional COVID 19 deaths, so that’s about 1 per day and a total of 117 deaths since the beginning.

Please continue to take precautions, isolate if you have symptoms, wear masks, sanitize, wash hands, and get vaccinated.

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BEAUMONT, Texas – Following an exciting come-from-behind victory on the road, Northwestern State takes a familiar trip to a former Southland location hoping to continue its growth.

The penultimate tournament weekend takes the Lady Demons to Beaumont for three matches against Little Rock, UAPB and Lamar. The first weekend of the season featured three teams NSU has faced at least one time before in program history.

NSU’s weekend begins with a pair of matches on Friday starting at 10 a.m. against Little Rock then again that afternoon at 4 p.m. against UAPB. The Lady Demons close the tournament with the host Lamar on Saturday afternoon. Links for live stats and video of the matches is available at nsudemons.com.

It took two full sets for the Lady Demons to fully settle into the match against Grambling on Wednesday night. By that time, they found themselves with their backs against the wall down two sets to none, facing the potential of a disappointing road sweep.

After a total of 18 attack errors in the first two sets, NSU found some of the offensive consistency it has been and continues to try and build over the final three sets. The insertion of freshman setter Piper Boydstun created a noticeable change in the offensive production as the attack percentage skyrocketed by more than 200 points in the third and fourth sets.

“In the third we did a better job getting the ball to the net so we could run the offense we wanted,” head coach Sean Kiracofe said following Wednesday’s match. “Addison (McDermott) coming in did a good job help stabilizing up in serve receive and defense. That allowed us to settle down and get back on track.”

Boydstun had 30 assists in the three sets the Lady Demons won to reverse sweep Grambling and helped three attackers – Breanna Burrell (15), Symone Wesley (14) and Kate Idrogo (12) – reach double figures in kills on the night.

NSU at times showed the talent they possess on their side of the floor to take points and extend plays. Moving into a weekend against teams with much more similar makeups it still boils down to consistency and communication to produce more growth for the team.

“There are going to be matches that we’ll be able to win on physical talent,” Kiracofe said. “But we need to start all being on the same page, so it looks the way we want it to on a consistent basis.

“When we play tough teams that are not SEC, 6-foot-3 big teams, but good teams, we know what we can rely on and what’s going to work. That ability to be repetitive and attack people in a certain way because we know that if it doesn’t work the first time, or we have an unforced error, it’s going to work the next three or four times. You just have to keep hammering away at it.”

Little Rock began the season 3-0, including a five-set win at Arkansas, but lost all three matches at the Central Arkansas Invitational a week ago. UAPB is still winless on the season, which includes their first match against Little Rock this season in Fayetteville, and Lamar’s two wins in seven total tries both came against Prairie View A&M, a pair of sweeps in each of the first two weekends.

Photo Credit: Chris Reich, NSU Photographic Services

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By Edwin Crayton/Opinion

It is not surprising that the Natchitoches Community Improvement (NCIF) often finds itself criticized for many of its controversial actions. After all, the foundation has given and continues to give critics much irresistible material with work with. For instance, it has never accounted for $19,500 which a 2014 audit revealed was unaccounted for. It currently has a “chairman” (Leo Walker) who sits in violation of the foundation’s court approved bylaws. The foundation’s own term limit rule says no one can serve more than six years in a row. Yet Walker has been in that seat seven years in a row. What is surprising however is that some of NCIF’s strongest critics were once board members of NCIF. Some of these were founding members of the group. Vincent Cofield, once an officer of the foundation recently filed a suit alleging that NCIF did not fairly handle a grant request for his current foundation Henry O Flipper Foundation (HOFF). HOFF also accused NCIF of practicing several improper procedures.

Another former board member, Billye Johnson was part of that HOFF suit and in court papers, gave testimony that was used to support HOFF’s suit against NCIF.

At the last quarterly meeting in July, Ex-Board Member Sylvia Morrow (now deceased), criticized the fact that NCIF Secretary Mildred Joseph left the meeting before it was over. Morrow asked the board how the secretary could possibly take notes when she left before the meeting was over. Later Morrow spoke to me and agreed to be quoted. She also criticized a comment by Leo Walker (the chair who is in violation of term limits). Walker had said that new members would be trained first, then asked if they wanted to be on the board. Morrow questioned that procedure and communicated to me that she had never heard of such a procedure at NCIF and that it was not that way when she was a board member (See my last article for her comments).

While ex-board member critics may not always prevail in suits or other legal actions, it seems they still tend to win their point and bring change to NCIF anyway. For instance, Cofield did not win his case, but as part of his suit he mentioned that NCIF did not print minutes in the local paper. Now they are doing that. Criticism is actually the tool that has been most effective in bringing reform to NCIF. When John Winston and Robert Jackson sued the foundation, they did not prevail technically either, but in reality, their suit sparked lots of positive changes. NCIF had to become more transparent. Elections were held in ways that opened up the doors to the public. New faces began to show up on the board. However, the foundation is obviously still not there yet, when it allows board members to cling to seats in violation of term limits and elections are not very well advertised. Neither are quarterly meetings widely promoted. After public criticism of the low grant awards, NCIF raised the total amount of annual grants from $28,000 to $51,000 (but I still believe it is much too small when you have over 2 million and that money is designated specifically for the citizens of Natchitoches).

These critics demonstrate that strong, consistent public criticism has merit and can bring positive change in ways that government officials often cannot or will not—although from time to time, judges and some government agencies have penalized or corrected NCIF. In the end, it is when NCIF hears an assertive “No” from the public, that it tends to be forced to say “Yes” to the public more often. So, stay involved and don’t be afraid to speak out. It is working.

The next quarterly NCIF meeting is scheduled for Tuesday October 12, 2021, 7pm at First Baptist Church, 1116 Amulet Street, Natchitoches.

“You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.”—John 8:32

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