News Articles
The Natchitoches Parish Council meeting will be held on Monday, Sept. 21 at 5:30 p.m. The meeting will take place in the Council Board Room, #211 on the 2nd Floor of the Courthouse.
Agenda for tonight’s meeting:
PAID CONTENT
Natchitoches Parish Fire District 6 was dispatched to a grass fire on Bermuda Road Friday, Sept. 18, 2026.
Upon arrival, units found a large grass fire bordering an agricultural field that was rapidly extending into a tree line.
A drone was used to determine the size of the fire and check for possible exposures. NPFD6 units extinguished the fire with units staged in the agricultural field and along the roadside.
The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry was contacted for assistance and responded to establish a fire line in the wooded area to prevent further extension.
Engines 1 and 17 responded, along with Rescue 1 and seven NPFD6 members.
A burn ban remains in effect for all of Natchitoches Parish, and there is an extreme fire risk due to continued dry conditions with low humidity.
Kamryn Dawson was crowned Miss Merry Christmas 2026 during the Natchitoches Queens Pageant on Sunday, Sept. 20.
Dawson, a senior at Natchitoches Central High School, is the daughter of Mark and Ragin Dawson.
Eighteen young women competed for the title of Miss Merry Christmas and the distinction of being chosen as a Christmas Belle.
Six young women were chosen as the 2026 Natchitoches Christmas Belles:
• Camille Procell, senior at St. Mary’s School
• Ava Wren, senior at St. Mary’s School
• Daija Hampton, senior at Natchitoches Central High School
• Charity Marshall, senior at Natchitoches Central High School
• Carlie Spears, senior at Lakeview High School
• Summer Rushing, senior at St. Mary’s School
Jayna Curry and Katlyn King both received the Barbara Kirsch Memorial Miss Congeniality Award. The award was established to remember the positive influence Barbara had on others.
The Natchitoches Queens Pageant also featured local Miss and Teen titles. The following young women were crowned during Sunday’s event:
Miss Cane River’s Teen — Vivienne LeBlanc
Miss Natchitoches City of Lights Teen — Landry Edwards
Miss Natchitoches City of Lights — Lauryn Vernon
Miss Cane River — Jalia Shepherd
Miss Natchitoches Parish — Jesse Foshee
Economic Development Announcement Set Tuesday at Parish Port
Louisiana Central, North Louisiana Economic Partnership, Natchitoches Economic Development Alliance
Louisiana Central, the North Louisiana Economic Partnership and the Natchitoches Economic Development Alliance will hold a special economic development announcement at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22, at the Natchitoches Parish Port in Campti. The announcement concerns a new opportunity for the Natchitoches Parish Port and the Central Louisiana Regional Port through Louisiana Economic Development’s FastSites program. The port is located at 5690 Highway 486 in Campti.
Parish Council Hears Property Tax Protests Tonight
Natchitoches Parish Government
The Natchitoches Parish Council meets at 5:30 p.m. today in Room 211 of the Natchitoches Parish Courthouse, 200 Church St., to receive protests and hear complaints on 2026 property values fixed by the Natchitoches Parish Assessor. Tonight’s session follows the Sept. 14 deadline for filing written appeals with the parish president. The council holds its regular monthly meeting on the third Monday of each month, and meetings are streamed on the parish’s YouTube channel.
St. Peter Baptist Church in Campti Marks 159th Anniversary Oct. 4
St. Peter Baptist Church
St. Peter Baptist Church in Campti will celebrate its 159th church anniversary at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4. The Rev. Alfred Williams III is pastor. Special guests include the Rev. Byron King, assistant pastor, along with the choir and church family of Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church of Clarence. The public is invited.
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The Natchitoches Historic District Development Commission met Sept. 17. The commission reported a balance of $437,082.92 as of Aug. 31, with an August check register totaling $94,622.67.
The check register included a $75,000 check to the Cane River National Heritage Area. The money was received in error from the state and was intended for CRNHA for the Main Street Grant received through HDBA/Main Street.
Northwestern State University finished its 14-day count at 8,245 students, including its largest entering freshman class in three years with 1,120 students, a 6% increase from last year. Recruiting efforts for fall 2027 have already begun.
Upcoming NSU events include: Family Day and a football game Sept. 26, the Top of the Boot Festival Oct. 16-17, Homecoming Oct. 24, a volleyball home game Oct. 1 and NSide View Day Oct. 3. Modern in Motion with CAPA is scheduled for Sept. 22-26.
Christmas Season brochures were distributed, and fireworks will be held three times this year from both ends of the riverbank, during the Christmas Festival weekend and the following two weekends. Kim Mulkey will serve as Celebrity Captain of the 100th Christmas Festival. Approximately 40 previous Miss Merry Christmas winners will serve as grand marshals of the parade.
The upcoming Natchitoches Classic Car Show on Oct. 2-3 has approximately 300 cars registered.
The Convention and Visitors Bureau is promoting fall festivals and Christmas events, including the Oct. 9-11 Blush and Bashful weekend celebrating Dolly/Truvy. Events will include Dolly Bingo at the LASHOF, Dolly karaoke at Mama’s and a Big Hair Affair at Parkways Cinemas featuring Steel Magnolias. Rodney Harrington and his crew [Johnny Earthquake and the Moondogs] will perform a sing-along before the film.
The Cane River National Heritage Area will host Mighty Machines Day at Parc Natchitoches on Nov. 14. The event will feature heavy machinery, big trucks, tractors, SWAT vehicles, ambulances and other equipment, along with STEM activities and SWAT obstacle courses. Admission will be $25 per car, with proceeds benefiting the Cane River Discovery Center.
The Natchitoches Historic Foundation’s Christmas Tour of Homes has already been selling online, with 1,060 tickets sold toward a goal of 1,200. New additions this year will include carolers and Santa during Friday night candlelight tours. The foundation will also offer a Steel Magnolias walking tour. A Rumba event will be held Oct. 8 on the riverbank and will include a Colombian band, Colombian food truck and adult beverages. The foundation is also working on a new website and has increased its social media activity.
Flyers have been distributed for the Association for the Preservation of Historic Natchitoches’ (APHN) 52nd Annual Melrose Arts & Crafts Festival, scheduled for Oct. 10-11 in partnership with the St. Augustine’s Creole Historic Festival.
Miss Merry Christmas will was held Sept. 19 at 5 p.m. at the Natchitoches Events Center. The Farmers Market will begin Oct. 10 for six weeks.
The Pumpkin Patch will open Sept. 26.
The Natchitoches Parish Council on Aging honored its caregivers with a luncheon Sept. 16.
The organization thanked its caregivers for helping take care of seniors and recognized Pauline Avis with Shreveport Rehabilitation Hospital for speaking to the caregivers.
The Natchitoches Parish Council on Aging also thanked the following vendors for bringing door prizes and helping serve the food: Ginger Prince with Harbor Hospice, Parker Lee with Compass, Laura Lee with Specialty Rehab, Tameka Walker and Kelcie Sepulvado with Superior Hospice, Nikki Fredieu Booker with Centerwell Home Health, Katrina Booker with Wal-Mart and Maxie Gourdon with Hand in Hand Hospice.
Jim Croce had just wrapped up a show in Northwestern State University’s Prather Coliseum in Natchitoches, La. Croce boarded a small chartered plane to travel to his next show in Sherman, Texas. Sadly, the plane never made it much past the runway. In what was later described as solely a pilot error, the Beechcraft E18S failed to clear a pecan tree while taking off and crashed. All six people aboard were killed.
An investigation showed that the plane crashed on takeoff after clipping a pecan
tree at the end of the runway. The plane failed to gain enough altitude to clear the tree and did not maneuver to avoid it, even though it was the only tree for hundreds of yards. It was reported as dark, but with clear sky, calm winds, and over five miles of visibility with haze darkness limiting use of visual references.
Others who died in the crash were charter pilot Robert N. Elliott, comedian George Stevens, manager and booking agent Kenneth D. Cortose, and road manager Dennis Rast. Croce was just 30 years old.
Bad, Bad Leroy Brown
I Got A Name
Operator (That’s Not the Way It Feels)
Time In A Bottle
You Don’t Mess Around With Jim
Louisiana is about to put serious money behind advanced manufacturing. Louisiana Economic Development announced Sept. 18 that a new Manufacturing Extension Partnership award will bring more than $15 million in combined federal, state and partner investment to help smaller manufacturers adopt AI, robotics, automation and other technologies.
Natchitoches should treat that as a workforce-development challenge, not simply a technology purchase. Northwestern State is already opening free October workshops in statistical quality control and project management, supported by Weyerhaeuser.
As employers add AI, training should include a four-part verification test. First, can a worker perform the core task without AI? Second, can the worker use AI to improve speed or quality? Third, can the worker independently check the result against source data, standards or physical reality? Fourth, can the worker detect and override a plausible AI error inserted during training?
That last step matters. A worker who can operate an AI tool but cannot recognize when it is wrong is not ready to supervise it.
Louisiana’s manufacturing investment can raise productivity and strengthen local careers. The best outcome comes when technology adoption increases human judgment rather than quietly replacing it.
—
Gleb Tsipursky, PhD, a behavioral scientist, CEO of Disaster Avoidance Experts, and author of The Psychology of AI Adoption at Work: From Resistance to Results (Georgetown University Press, 2026). https://
Dr. Hiram “Pete” Gregory will be featured speaker at a meeting of the Natchitoches Genealogical and Historical Association at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22 at the Old Courthouse Museum, 600 Second St.
The presentation will acknowledge September as Hispanic Heritage Month. Gregory’s talk will be “Los Adaesaños: People on the Border, Cowboys and Indians (1723-today).”
Gregory is a professor of anthropology at Northwestern State University and an esteemed expert on history, anthropology and archaeology, particularly as it relates to Native Americans. He has served on NSU faculty for 65 years and has been honored by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities and Louisiana Office of Cultural Development.
Information on the Natchitoches Genealogical and Historical Association is available at https://www.nghala.org/.
Several hundred students from every high school in the parish convened at NSU’s student union ballroom on Sept. 14 for the Natchitoches Parish College and Career Fair. Northwestern State University, NSU Army ROTC and the Scholars’ College were joined by colleges, universities and vocational schools throughout Louisiana.
The parish’s high school juniors and seniors were able to speak one on one with college representatives and learn about the opportunities offered by our state’s higher educational institutions.
Whitney Perot has been named the winner of the Natchitoches Parish Journal’s Reader Appreciation Giveaway, taking home a $300 Walmart gift card.
Registration for the giveaway opened earlier this month and concluded Thursday, Sept. 17. Perot was selected from the pool of eligible qualifiers and announced Friday as the recipient of the $300 prize.
The giveaway was held as part of the Journal’s ongoing effort to thank readers across the parish for supporting local news and making the publication a part of their daily routine.
In addition to the grand prize drawing, all eligible readers who registered during the contest period received a lifetime free subscription to the Journal, delivered straight to their email inbox.
The Journal thanks everyone who participated and congratulates Whitney Perot on winning this edition of the Reader Appreciation Giveaway
NEW CONTEST STARTING WEDNESDAY
St. Mary’s blasted rival Menard in the annual Bishop’s Bowl contest Friday night at Turpin Stadium, while Lakeview scored its first homefield win in three seasons and state champion Sterlington dispatched visiting Natchitoches Central in parish high school football contests.
Oddly, St. Mary’s and Lakeview both won by the same score, 46-14. But the games were decidedly different as Lakeview struggled until the third quarter, and St. Mary’s did not.
ST. MARY’S 46, MENARD 14: The Tigers (3-0) won for the fifth time in its last six meetings with Menard, in convincing fashion. John Paul Thibodaux ran for 168 yards and four touchdowns, including plays covering 78 and 55 yards, and his brother Jacob added two more TDs on short runs and was a defensive stalwart with five tackles for loss.
Tigers quarterback Preston Tilley threw for 193 yards on 14 of 21 accuracy, with 76 yards going to tight end Dennis Morgan on five catches.
The outcome returned the Bishop’s Cup to St. Mary’s. Menard took a muddy 7-6 home victory last fall.
The Tigers defense will be tested next week at Grant.
STERLINGTON 42, NCHS 7: At Sterlington, the Panthers looked ready to win their third straight Non-Select Division III state title as they put away the Chiefs (0-3).
The NCHS touchdown came on a 15-yard catch by Kaden Kuykendoll from Kobe Jones.
The Chiefs stay on the road next Friday, visiting Tioga.
LAKEVIEW 46, MAGNOLIA SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE 14: The Gators halted the state’s second-longest losing skid last week with a 35-0 win at Plain Dealing, then extended the state’s second-longest losing streak Friday night by pulling away from the Shreveport-based Mariners after halftime.
It was the same script as Lakeview (2-1) followed at Plain Dealing, taking control in the final two quarters. The Gators led just 14-8 at halftime.
Freshman running back Brycen Snith scored on three long plays – receptions of 44 and 48 yards from freshman Jamarcus Rushing, and a 78-yard punt return that sparked Lakeview’s 30-point second half.
The Lakeview defense pitched a shutout for the second straight Friday. The Mariners touchdowns were on returns, an 80-yard punt runback in the first half and a fourth-period 78-yard kickoff return, both by Jadarien Peterson, Magnolia’s first points in its three losses.
The Gators won their homecoming game, their first homefield triumph since Sept. 15, 2023.
They will be playing much tougher competition next Friday night in Springhill against North Webster.
OGDEN, Utah – Against a mountain backdrop on Saturday night in Northwestern State’s first football trip to Utah, the first five minutes created a steep hill the Demons could not quite climb.
The Demons (0-4) fell behind 21-0 in the opening 5:18 before settling in and battling Weber State (2-2) for the remainder of the night in a 49-20 loss at Stewart Stadium.
“For three quarters I think we played about as good as we’ve played since we’ve been here, but you’ve got to play four,” head coach Blaine McCorkle said. “And usually when you say that it’s the fourth quarter but tonight it was the first. We spotted them 21 right off the bat with some bad special teams. Our guys fought really hard. They battled and stayed in it but the early start really was the story of the game.”
Weber State marched 51 yards on six plays on the opening possession to take the early lead, and Northwestern answered with one of its better drives of the night.
Making his first start in a Demon uniform, quarterback Zach Wilcke moved NSU 75 yards in eight plays, including a 40-yard completion to Camryn Davis on a fade down the right sideline.
The drive stalled inside the Weber State red zone, however, and a 36-yard field goal attempt was blocked and returned for a touchdown, giving the Wildcats a 14-0 lead with 9:42 left in the first quarter.
A fumble on the next NSU possession gave Weber State a short field, and the Wildcats needed just two plays to turn it into a 23-yard touchdown run and a 21-0 advantage.
The 21-point burst came in just five minutes, 18 seconds.
The Demons didn’t yield.
Wilcke directed an 18-play, 70-yard drive on the ensuing possession that consumed nearly seven minutes, helping Northwestern regain its footing despite the drive ultimately ending without points.
“Really proud of Zach tonight,” McCorkle said. “It was his first start and he put a lot into this game in his preparation. He wanted to play well and he did. He gave us a chance to compete and stay in the game. He’s going to be sore tomorrow. He ran the ball hard and played extremely hard.”
Wilcke finished 26-for-52 for 291 yards and three touchdowns, all career highs. He also rushed for 49 yards.
The Demons’ defense provided the next spark. On the second play of the ensuing Weber State possession, Diego Sanchez intercepted, giving NSU possession at midfield.
Nine plays later, Wilcke found Brendan Webb for a four-yard touchdown on an out route, putting Northwestern on the board. The Wildcats blocked the ensuing extra point, making the score 21-6.
After forcing a punt and holding for a missed field goal, the Demons had a chance to further cut into the deficit with an 11-play drive that reached the Weber State 15-yard line, but again came away without points.
Weber State closed the half with a 10-play, 61-yard touchdown drive to take a 28-6 lead into the break.
Despite the deficit and the rough start, the Demons moved the ball effectively, totaling 238 yards in the first half compared to 214 for the Wildcats.
The Wildcats extended their lead with touchdowns on their first two possessions of the second half, but the Demons continued to fight.
KB Anderson-Dale jumped a route late in the third quarter for his first career interception, giving the Demons the ball at the Weber State nine-yard line. They capitalized on their second takeaway of the night, with Wilcke finding Joseph Moreland on fourth-and-goal from the 5-yard line for a touchdown.
“The defense has the ability to make some plays but we really have no room for error,” McCorkle said. “We’re still a little bit thin in some spots, have to play smarter in some spots and have to tackle better. That’s been a theme for us and it’s a really hard answer to get to, but we’re going to keep working on it.”
Northwestern added one more touchdown in the fourth quarter, a 28-yard touchdown pass from Wilcke to Zay Davis on a misdirection play that developed into a screen.
The 389 yards of total offense by the Demons were the most against an FCS opponent in McCorkle’s three seasons rebuilding the program.
“This football team played really hard against a really good opponent in a really tough situation coming across the country,” McCorkle said. “I’m proud of them.”
A sweltering Jack Fisher Tennis Complex was just one challenge laid in front of the Northwestern State tennis team in Saturday’s final day of the Lady Demon Invitational.
No matter, the host team handled nearly every obstacle in its way, especially in singles competition.
Graduate student Zoi Spyrou and freshmen Nico Tagami and Zala Vnuk all completed perfect runs through their draws with each having to battle deep into their lone singles matches of the day.
“The girls handled adversity and frustration and all the emotions that are involved in a match in a very highly effective manner,” fourth-year head coach Marcos Morelli said.
Despite taking down Tyler Junior College’s Katina Estefania Zepeda Barrios in straight sets, Spyrou had to earn it.
After grabbing a 6-4 first-set victory, Spyrou found herself trailing midway through the second set before winning the final three games to seal the White Draw championship and avoid a super tiebreaker.
“She came into the match not feeling great,” Morelli said. “As the match went on, the situation was getting tougher, but she was super tough. She pushed through, and I’m proud of her.”
Martina Acebedo Bonocore set Northwestern’s perfect singles day in motion, cruising past Stephen F. Austin’s Avery Kinsey, 6-1, 6-0 to clinch the Yellow Draw’s consolation championship.
VOLLEYBALL: In Troy, Ala., NSU extended its winning streak to seven matches before tournament host Troy prevailed 3-0 (25-12, 25-22 and 25-22) over the Demons on Saturday.
Northwestern defeated Murray State 3-1 (25-17, 22-25, 25-19 and 25-17) and The Citadel 3-1 (25-17, 25-17, 24-26 and 25-19) in earlier matches in the Troy Invitational.
The Southland Conference season starts on the road this week, Thursday at Houston Christian and Saturday at Incarnate Word.
“I tip my hat to Troy,” said Demons head coach Ben Kaszeta. “They were a little too much for us. They were disciplined and attacked our defense in different ways than others did. We came to this tournament to play them because I knew they were a really good program that will help us prepare for conference play. I’m happy with how we fought after the first set. They hit us hard and we responded. Not fast enough but responded well.
”We definitely got better tonight. We even had leads going to the end of the other two sets. This should help us prepare for our first weekend in conference.”
Individuals summoned for jury duty on Tuesday, Sept. 22, are instructed to check their reporting status the afternoon prior to their scheduled appearance.
Summoned jurors should call the juror hotline at 318-352-2034 after 3 p.m. Monday, Sept. 21, to find out whether they must report on Tuesday or if they have been dismissed.
Court officials remind residents that anyone summoned for jury duty should call the hotline within 24 hours of their scheduled arrival time to confirm whether their service is still required. Notices and updates may also be checked online at 10jdc.com.
Phonetic: /cal·um·ny/
Part of Speech: Noun
Definition
a misrepresentation intended to harm another’s reputation
denounced his opponent for his defamatory insinuations and calumny
the act of uttering false charges or misrepresentations maliciously calculated to harm another’s reputation
He was the target of calumny for his unpopular beliefs.
The Puzzles are now found in the Natchitoches Parish Daily Sweep each day.
Bryan Keith Callia
JAN 29, 1962 — SEP 17, 2026
Family and friends are invited to gather for visitation on Friday, September 25, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home, 848 Keyser Ave, Natchitoches, Louisiana 71457. A time to reflect and share stories of Bryan’s life will be held at 7:00 p.m. In honoring his wishes to be cremated, an inurnment at Fern Park will be held at a later date.
Natchitoches Parish Journal publishes paid obituaries – unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access.
Rescinded, September 19, 2026
Original September 18, 2026
Waterworks District #2 customers experiencing little to no water pressure will be under a boil advisory until further notice. A crew is currently working at the job site. Customers are asked to be patient regarding the matter.
The Franklin Parish Sheriff’s Office in Winnsboro contacted the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Bureau on Sept. 15 requesting assistance in locating and apprehending a Natchitoches Parish resident wanted in connection with the recent shooting of two women in Franklin Parish, according to Sheriff Stuart Wright.
Franklin Parish Sheriff’s detectives identified the suspect as 25-year-old Jada B. Williams of Natchitoches. Williams was wanted on Franklin Parish arrest warrants for two counts of Attempted Second Degree Murder, Disturbing the Peace by Fighting, and Illegal Discharge of a Firearm.
NPSO detectives were provided copies of the Franklin Parish criminal arrest warrants and immediately began an investigation to identify, locate and arrest Williams.
Through intelligence gathering, surveillance operations and law enforcement sources, NPSO detectives, with assistance from the Natchitoches SWAT Team, identified a possible location for Williams in the Payne Subdivision near Natchitoches.
Detectives obtained a search warrant signed by a 10th Judicial District Court judge for a residence in the 200 block of Cherie Loop near Natchitoches.
NPSO detectives and SWAT personnel executed the search warrant and detained several occupants of the residence. The occupants were transported to the NPSO Criminal Investigations Bureau for interviews while detectives continued efforts to locate Williams.
A short time later, Williams voluntarily surrendered to NPSO detectives without incident.
Williams was processed and transported to LaSalle Corrections/Natchitoches, where she was booked on the outstanding Franklin Parish warrants charging her with two counts of Attempted Second Degree Murder, Disturbing the Peace by Fighting, and Illegal Discharge of a Firearm.
Williams is expected to be transferred to Franklin Parish, where she will face the charges in connection with their ongoing investigation.
Sheriff Stuart Wright said, “This arrest demonstrates the importance of cooperation and communication between law enforcement agencies. When the Franklin Parish Sheriff’s Office requested our assistance, our detectives and SWAT personnel immediately began working to locate and safely apprehend the suspect. We are pleased this investigation resulted in a peaceful surrender without injury to law enforcement, the suspect, or members of the public.”
Sheriff Wright thanked the NPSO Criminal Investigations Bureau, Natchitoches SWAT Team and the Franklin Parish Sheriff’s Office for their cooperation and coordinated efforts during the investigation.
The investigation into the Franklin Parish shooting remains under the direction of the Franklin Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Involved in the apprehension were members of the NPSO Criminal Investigations Bureau, Patrol Operations Bureau and Natchitoches SWAT.
