Natchitoches City Council will have a pre-council meeting on Monday, April 13 beginning at 5 p.m. and ending at 5:30 p.m. to discuss non-agenda items. The City Council meeting will begin promptly at 5:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Monday of each month and will be reserved to only items on the Agenda.  The public is invited to both the pre-council meetings and council meetings with the understanding that items not on the agenda will not be discussed at the scheduled council meetings, but the public is welcome to discuss any topic at the pre-council meetings.  The City Council Meetings are held at the Natchitoches City Council Chambers, located at 716 Second St. in Natchitoches.

PAID CONTENT

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The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development announces the substantial completion of the $7.3 million project to repair a nearly 7 mile section of LA 9 in Natchitoches Parish.

The project, which stretched from LA 156 to US 71 in the Town of Campti, included base repairs at certain locations to strengthen the roadway, drainage work, milling to remove old asphalt, fresh asphalt paving along the entire project, new striping & signage, and related work.

LA 9 is an important connector route that stretches through several parishes, and provides access to towns such as Campti, Arcadia, and Homer.

This type of investment in the state’s transportation system is another step toward modernizing the network, improving quality of life for citizens and visitors, and strengthening connectivity for communities across Louisiana.

As always, DOTD appreciates the patience of the traveling public while construction activities were underway.

This project was made possible by funding from the Louisiana Transportation Infrastructure Fund (LTIF 1.0).

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Cannons roared and gunfire reverberated through the quiet village of Pleasant Hill April 10 through 12 as Union and Confederate armies clashed in one of the battles of Union General Nathan P. Banks’ Red River Campaign. Unlike the actual battle in 1864, the cannon and rifle fire did not result in a storm of lead and iron and the casualties “resurrected” after the battle was over.

Thursday, April 9 marked the 162nd anniversary of the Battle of Pleasant Hill. The first re-enactment was held in 1964 on the 100th anniversary of the battle. After a hiatus of several years, the re-enactment went on to become a beloved tradition presented on, or as close as possible to, the anniversary of the battle. This year’s re-enactment is the 46th one. The Battle of Pleasant Hill re-enactment is a rarity in that it commemorates a specific battle and takes place on the actual battlefield. The site is about 3 miles from the modern site of the Village of Pleasant Hill. This year’s re-enactment featured over 450 participants from Louisiana and neighboring states.

Friday featured an open camp held for local educators so school groups could come and learn about life in the Civil War era. Camp Taylor was also introduced this year. It is a child friendly area with games, crafts, and educational activities for children. Saturday and Sunday each featured battles fought before a large crowd of hundreds of spectators as well as the newly crowned 2026-2027 Battle of Pleasant Hill Queen, Chloe Cramer, her court and a contingent of visiting fair and festival queens from across Louisiana. Miss Cramer was crowned by the 2025-2026 Queen, Miss Michelle Hood, before Sunday’s battle reenactment.

In addition to the battles on Saturday and Sunday, there was a parade and period ball Saturday, as well as a memorial luminaria ceremony commemorating the soldiers who fell in the Battle of Pleasant Hill. Sunday featured a period church service open to all. 

The Battle of Pleasant Hill re-enactment is an educational and family-friendly event that offers something to history aficionados of every age. The Battle of Pleasant Hill re-enactment is one of the myriad of festivals, concerts and other events that make life in Louisiana anything but boring. The Parish Journals of Louisiana congratulate the re-enactors and volunteers whose hard work is evidenced throughout the well organized and fun event. The Battle of Pleasant Hill re-enactment is a superb example of what a small town can accomplish working together. 

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To all Natchitoches Parish Citizens that received a summons for Jury Service for Monday April 6:

The jury was moved to Tuesday morning at 9:00.

The Jury has now been cancelled because all business in front of the court has been cleared.

For all juries, there is a number on your summons that you should call for updates. That
message is typically updated by 4:00 pm on Fridays. The number is 318-352-2034.

Remember that no phones are allowed in the Courtroom.

David Stamey
Clerk of Court Natchitoches Parish
318-352-8152

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To all Natchitoches Parish Citizens that received a summons for Jury Service for Monday April 6 – Today:

The Jury has been pushed back to Tuesday morning April 7 at 9:00 am – Tomorrow.  Please report to the courtroom of the Natchitoches Parish Courthouse.  Jurors do not need to report on Monday morning but please be ready to appear Tuesday at 9:00 am – Tomorrow.

For this jury please call Monday after 4:00. The number is 318-352-2034.

Remember that no phones are allowed in the Courtroom.

David Stamey
Clerk of Court Natchitoches Parish
318-352-8152

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To all Natchitoches Parish Citizens that received a summons for Jury Service for Monday April 6:

The Jury has been pushed back to Tuesday morning April 7 at 9:00 am.  Please report to the courtroom of the Natchitoches Parish Courthouse.  Jurors do not need to report on Monday morning but please be ready to appear Tuesday at 9:00 am.

For all juries, there is a number on your summons that you should call for updates.   That message is typically updated by 4:00 pm on Fridays.  

For this jury please call Monday after 4:00. The number is 318-352-2034.

Remember that no phones are allowed in the Courtroom.

David Stamey
Clerk of Court Natchitoches Parish
318-352-8152

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For all Natchitoches Parish Citizens that received a Jury Summons for Monday March 23, 2026 (TODAY), all business in front of the 10 Judicial District Court has been completed and this jury has been cancelled. Thanks for your willingness to serve. 

David Stamey
Clerk of Court Natchitoches Parish
318-352-8152

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NSU Elementary Lab is proud to announce its Honor Roll students for this Nine Weeks.

A HONOR ROLL
3RD GRADE
Kaleb Bernard
Nolan Briley
Luke Busby
Graham Chasteen
Anne Michael Deblieux
Britain Fredieu
Cameron Gilley
Asher Guillory
Emma Hammonds
Chip Hocke
Harper Isbell
Lilly Johnson
Abigail Lacour
Chesleigh Lambert
Emma Snyder
Alison Stokes
Rosalie Yazdani
Ava Demery
Keno Eleyae
Jaelynn Garcie
Edmund Harrington
Isabelle Lacour
Max Mckee
Austyn Peddy
Harper Powell
Cora Slay
Kaislyn Stepp
Cole Vance
Nella Wardell
Hardee Waters
Anniston Wilkerson

4TH GRADE
Millie Anderson
Jackson Crow
Easton Graves
Luca Hamilton
Hadlee Jimmerson
Henry Killion
Micah Lofton
Oliver McCart
Dax Murphy
Owen Parrish
Tinley Roberts
Cora Sales
Philip Tichenor
Maria Weber
Daisy Worthington-Laborde
Abigail Carnline
Percy Eloi
Eliana Figueroa
Landri Leblanc
Emmitt Maggio
Megan Morris
Emma Outlaw
Andrew Stevens
Aubrey Turner
Yutai Yao

5th Grade
Maro Ajise
Gavina Cano Campos
Revill Dean
Harrison Farley
Dylan Perot
Alayna Pinkney
Emery Wilson
Rocky Xye
James Yi
Mckinley Church
Crislee Daugherty
Kennedy Harrell
Harris Hubier
Kohen Kaufman
Miller Owens
Levi Penrod
Daniela Rodriguez
Caroline Terrell
Witt Walker
Trae Williams

A/B HONOR ROLL

3RD GRADE
Reid Conner
Lillanne Cox
Sadie Grant
Madilyn Lee
Gabriel Newell
Jadix Delatte
Charsen Marshall
Isabella Moffett
Isaac Rodriguez

4th Grade
Kelsey Bennett
Dalton Boyd
Genevieve Dowden
Juliana Edwards
Alston Hubier
Sophia Kuhn
Aubrey Rachal
Tristan Sauce
Jakob St Clair
Ledger Brumley
Landon Cabrera
Ava Chevalier
Madisyn Helaire
Kennedy Johnson
Mason Leblanc
Isabella Mitchell
Rhett Ragan
Gemma Raney
Audrey Ratliff

5th Grade
Brinley Cedars
Kendal Beasley
Karter Braxton
Tommy Brunson
Maxon Deen
Ansley Dranguet
Lucy Dupre
Zelda Hester
Lily Hudlow
Abigail Lafosse
Jonah Prestridge
Avery Small
Bryson Albers
Abigal Gilley
Maddex Jones
Justin Keller
Nina Long
Henry Moffett
Journey Phanor
Briana Prudhomme
Jeriann Vickers
Shiya Weber
Madelyn Wilkerson
Carleigh Wyatt

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For all Natchitoches Parish Citizens that received a Jury Summons for Monday Feb. 2, 2026 (TODAY), all business in front of the 10 Judicial District Court’s  jury term has been completed and this jury has been cancelled. Thanks for your willingness to serve. 

David Stamey
Clerk of Court Natchitoches Parish
318-352-8152

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For all Natchitoches Parish Citizens that received a Jury Summons for Monday Feb. 2, 2026, all business in front of the 10 Judicial District Court’s  jury term has been completed and this jury has been cancelled. Thanks for your willingness to serve. 

David Stamey
Clerk of Court Natchitoches Parish
318-352-8152

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For all Natchitoches Parish citizens that were summoned to the jury scheduled for Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, your obligation is over and you are dismissed. All business before the court for Monday has been settled. Thanks for your help.

David Stamey
Clerk of Court Natchitoches Parish
318-352-8152

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For all Natchitoches Parish citizens that were summoned to the jury scheduled for Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, your obligation is over and you are dismissed. All business before the court for Monday has been settled. Thanks for your help.

David Stamey
Clerk of Court Natchitoches Parish
318-352-8152

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NSU Elementary Lab is proud to announce its Honor Roll students for this Nine Weeks.

A Honor Roll

3rd Grade:
Austyn Peddy, 
Harper Powell
, Cora Slay, 
Kaislyn Stepp, 
Cole Vance
, Nella Wardell
, Hardee Waters, Anniston Wilkerson
, Ava Demery
, Keno Eleyae
, Jaelynn Garcie
, Edmund Harrington, 
Isabelle Lacour
, Max Mckee
, Emma Snyder
, Alison Stokes
, Rosalie Yazadani
, Kaleb Bernard
, Nolan Briley
, Luke Busby
, Graham Chasteen
, Anne Michael Deblieux
, Britain Fredieu
, Cameron Gilley, 
Asher Guillory
, Emma Hammonds
, Chip Hocke, 
Harper Isbell
, Lilly Johnson

4th Grade:
Dax Murphy
, Owen Parrish
, Aubrey Rachal, 
Tinley Roberts
, Philip Tichenor
, Yutai Yao, 
Ledger Brumley, 
Easton Graves, 
Luca Hamilton
, Alston Hubier
, Hadlee Jimmerson
, Henry Killion
, Micah Lofton
, Oliver McCart
, Megan Morris, 
Emma Outlaw
, Rhett Ragan, 
Gemma Raney
, Maria Weber, 
Daisy Worthington-Laborde
, Percy Eloi, 
Eliana Figueroa
, Kennedy Johnson, 
Landri Leblanc
, Mason Leblanc, 
Emmitt Maggio

5th Grade:
Miller Owens, 
Levi Penrod
, Daniela Rodriguez
, Caroline Terrell
, Jeriann Vickers
, Trae Williams
, Abigail Gilley
, Kennedy Harrell
, Kohen Kaufman, 
Dylan Perot
, Alayna Pinkney
, Emery Wilson, 
Rocky Xue
, James Yi
, Maro Ajise, 
Gavina Cano Campos, 
Brinley Cedars, 
Revill Dean, 
William Farley

A/B Honor Roll

3rd Grade:
Reid Conner, 
Sadie Grant
, Madilyn Lee, 
Gabriel Newell
, John Smith
, Jadix Delatte
, Abigail Lacour
, Charsen Marshall, 
Chesleigh Lambert, 
Isabella Moffett, 
Gabriel Morvant
, Isaac Rodriguez

4th Grade
Kelsey Bennett
, Dalton Boyd
, Jackson Crow
, Genevieve Dowden
, Sophia Kuhn
, Cora Sales, 
Tristan Sauce, 
Jakob St Clair
, Landon Cabrera, 
Abigail Carnline
, Madisyn Helaire
, Gerald Mitchell, 
Isabella Mitchell
, Ellie Norwood, 
Audrey Ratliff
, August Vanzant
, Aubrey Turner
, Andrew Stevens

5th Grade
Mckinley Church, 
Crislee Daugherty
, Harris Hubier
, Maddex Jones, 
Justin Keller
, Nina Long, 
Henry Moffett
, Journey Phanor, 
Brianna Prudhomme
, Carleigh Wyatt
, Madelyn Wilkerson, 
Witt Walker
, Kendal Beasley,
Tommy Brunson, 
Karter Braxton, 
Lucy Dupre, 
Zelda Hester
, Lily Hudlow
, Abigail Lafosse, 
Jonah Prestridge, 
Avery Small

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To all Natchitoches Parish citizens that received a summons for Jury service for December 15, 2025 (Monday), the business scheduled for that date has been completed and the jury has been cancelled and your obligation is complete.  

The 10th Judicial District of Natchitoches Parish thanks you for you willingness to serve and wishes you a Merry Christmas.  

David Stamey
Clerk of Court Natchitoches Parish
318-352-8152

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FAUNA invites pet owners to bring their furry friends for a pampering session at their last Bath & Nail Clipping Fundraiser until May 2026.

When: Saturday, October 11 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Where: Tractor Supply on South Drive in Natchitoches

Services offered by loving volunteers:
Baths: $10 (under 60 lbs) or $15 (over 60 lbs)
Nail Clipping: $10
Anal Gland Expression: $10

Don’t miss this opportunity to spoil your pets while supporting FAUNA!

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Early Voting for the October 11, 2025 Election as of the Close-Of-Business on October 2, 2025.

NEW PARISHWIDE TAX ON THE BALLOT: 

Shall the Natchitoches Parish Port Commission, State of Louisiana levy a special tax of one (1) mill on all the property subject to taxation in the port area consisting of the entire parish of Natchitoches (an estimated $400,000 reasonably expected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year) for a period of ten (10) years, commencing with the year 2026 and ending with the year 2035, for any lawful purposes, including acquiring, improving and equipping port facilities, necessary infrastructure and water treatment system, railways, docks and wharves, transfer and storage facilities, and further including commercial and industrial facilities to promote economic development in Natchitoches Parish?

Total Natchitoches Parish Voters at the Courthouse Today:

TOTALS	In Person	Mail In
123	105	18

WHITE	BLACK	OTHER
73	44	6

DEM	REP	OTHER
56	48	19

MALE	FEMALE
55	68

Total Natchitoches Parish Voters During Early Voting (Courthouse & Mail-In/ABS):

TOTALS	In Person	Mail In
411	359	52

WHITE	BLACK	OTHER
262	136	13

DEM	REP	OTHER
185	164	62

MALE	FEMALE
196	215

• All data provided by the Natchitoches Parish ROV  as of October 2 at 6:00 pm

Early Voting for the October 11, 2025 Election as of the Close-Of-Business on October 1, 2025.

NEW PARISHWIDE TAX ON THE BALLOT: 

Shall the Natchitoches Parish Port Commission, State of Louisiana levy a special tax of one (1) mill on all the property subject to taxation in the port area consisting of the entire parish of Natchitoches (an estimated $400,000 reasonably expected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year) for a period of ten (10) years, commencing with the year 2026 and ending with the year 2035, for any lawful purposes, including acquiring, improving and equipping port facilities, necessary infrastructure and water treatment system, railways, docks and wharves, transfer and storage facilities, and further including commercial and industrial facilities to promote economic development in Natchitoches Parish?

Total Natchitoches Parish Voters at the Courthouse Today:

TOTALS	In Person	Mail In
103	91	12

WHITE	BLACK	OTHER
64	35	4

DEM	REP	OTHER
49	43	11

MALE	FEMALE
47	56

Total Natchitoches Parish Voters During Early Voting (Courthouse & Mail-In/ABS):

TOTALS	In Person	Mail In
288	254	34

WHITE	BLACK	OTHER
189	92	7

DEM	REP	OTHER
129	116	43

MALE	FEMALE
141	147

• All data provided by the Natchitoches Parish ROV  as of October 1 at 6:00 pm

Early Voting for the October 11, 2025 Election as of the Close-Of-Business on Monday, September 29, 2025.  

NEW PARISHWIDE TAX ON THE BALLOT: 

Shall the Natchitoches Parish Port Commission, State of Louisiana levy a special tax of one (1) mill on all the property subject to taxation in the port area consisting of the entire parish of Natchitoches (an estimated $400,000 reasonably expected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year) for a period of ten (10) years, commencing with the year 2026 and ending with the year 2035, for any lawful purposes, including acquiring, improving and equipping port facilities, necessary infrastructure and water treatment system, railways, docks and wharves, transfer and storage facilities, and further including commercial and industrial facilities to promote economic development in Natchitoches Parish?

Total Natchitoches Parish Voters at the Courthouse Today:

TOTALS	In Person	Mail In
82	77	5

WHITE	BLACK	OTHER
62	19	1

DEM	REP	OTHER
32	37	13

MALE	FEMALE
42	40

Total Natchitoches Parish Voters During Early Voting (Courthouse & Mail-In/ABS):

TOTALS	In Person	Mail In
185	163	22

WHITE	BLACK	OTHER
125	57	3

DEM	REP	OTHER
80	73	32

MALE	FEMALE
94	91

• All data provided by the Natchitoches Parish ROV  as of September 30 at 6:00 pm

Early Voting for the October 11, 2025 Election as of the Close-Of-Business on Monday, September 29, 2025.  

NEW PARISHWIDE TAX ON THE BALLOT: 

Shall the Natchitoches Parish Port Commission, State of Louisiana levy a special tax of one (1) mill on all the property subject to taxation in the port area consisting of the entire parish of Natchitoches (an estimated $400,000 reasonably expected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year) for a period of ten (10) years, commencing with the year 2026 and ending with the year 2035, for any lawful purposes, including acquiring, improving and equipping port facilities, necessary infrastructure and water treatment system, railways, docks and wharves, transfer and storage facilities, and further including commercial and industrial facilities to promote economic development in Natchitoches Parish?

Total Natchitoches Parish Voters at the Courthouse Today:

TOTALS	In Person	Mail In
65	48	17

WHITE	BLACK	OTHER
45	19	1

DEM	REP	OTHER
28	28	9

MALE	FEMALE
33	32

Total Natchitoches Parish Voters During Early Voting (Courthouse & Mail-In/ABS):

TOTALS	In Person	Mail In
103	86	17

WHITE	BLACK	OTHER
63	38	2

DEM	REP	OTHER
48	36	19

MALE	FEMALE
52	51

• All data provided by the Natchitoches Parish ROV  as of September 29 at 6:33 pm

DAY ONE: Early Voting – as of 9-27-25

The 10^th Judicial Court held two jury trials today and both were completed.  To the citizens that have been asked to report back to the courthouse Tuesday morning at 8:30, you are released.

If you have any questions, you can call the Clerk’s office at (318) 352-8152. 

The 10th JDC thanks you for your service.

David Stamey
Clerk of Court Natchitoches Parish
318-352-8152

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JOURNAL STAFF

Fans have until Thursday at 4 to enter this week’s Natchitoches Parish Journal High School Football Pick ‘Em Contest.

Anyone has the chance to win a $100.00 prize as the week’s top predictor of 10 High School Football games, featuring Natchitoches Central, Lakeview, St. Mary’s and other teams of local interest.

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

Participation is very simple. Just click on this link:

CLICK HERE TO PICK YOUR WINNERS!

The Pick ‘Em portal opens to a menu of game-by-game matchups, with easy click-to-pick winning teams for each contest. One game will be used as a tiebreaker, with participants predicting the total points scored in that game. The one with the closest total to the actual total without going over would be the winner of a tiebreaker – if needed!

It takes 20-30 seconds to select your weekly picks!

Each week the picking will remain until 4 p.m. on Thursdays.

One person will win each week’s $100 prize, to be announced in the Journal early the following week as the next Pick ‘Em Contest launches.

All contest decisions by NPJ management are final.

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

Enjoy it all, for FREE, and enter each week’s contest. You could collect $100, maybe more than once!

We also want to thank NRMC, Down Home Sausage, Family Farm & Garden, and Kathy Richmond – ReMax-Natchitoches for their Pick’em Partnerships within the contest.

Notes: Just ONE $100.00 winner per week. Only your FIRST submission will count, any others you submit will be excluded. Tiebreaker is the closest to the total points without going over.  All decisions by Management are final. Management reserves the right to cancel the contest without notice.

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Early Voting for the October 11, 2025 Election as of the Close-Of-Business on Saturday, September 27, 2025.  

NEW PARISHWIDE TAX ON THE BALLOT: 

Shall the Natchitoches Parish Port Commission, State of Louisiana levy a special tax of one (1) mill on all the property subject to taxation in the port area consisting of the entire parish of Natchitoches (an estimated $400,000 reasonably expected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year) for a period of ten (10) years, commencing with the year 2026 and ending with the year 2035, for any lawful purposes, including acquiring, improving and equipping port facilities, necessary infrastructure and water treatment system, railways, docks and wharves, transfer and storage facilities, and further including commercial and industrial facilities to promote economic development in Natchitoches Parish?

Total Natchitoches Parish Voters Today:

TOTALS	In Person	Mail In
38	38	0

WHITE	BLACK	OTHER
18	19	1

DEM	REP	OTHER
20	8	10

MALE	FEMALE
19	19

Total Natchitoches Parish Voters During Early Voting:

TOTALS	In Person	Mail In
38	38	0

WHITE	BLACK	OTHER
18	19	1

DEM	REP	OTHER
20	8	10

MALE	FEMALE
19	19

• All data provided by the Natchitoches Parish ROV  as of September 27 at 6:33 pm