When a first grader slipped and fell on the sidewalk while coming into church, the pastor tried to comfort him.
“Remember, big boys don’t cry.”
“Cry,” the little boy replied. “I’m going to sue.”
Sometimes it seems that people would rather have money than comfort, but we all know there are times in life when we would settle for comfort.
In recent days, I’ve seen a lot of tears. I’ve seen homeowners weep as they watched volunteers remove massive trees from their damaged homes. Last Tuesday, I saw several little preschoolers crying their eyes out as their parents dropped them off for their first day of school. For some, it was their first experience of being separated from their mother. I saw a few tears in the eyes of the moms too.
Some of the saddest tears of the week were tears that came last Saturday when a beautifully planned outdoor wedding had to be quickly relocated inside due to a sudden storm. Just an hour before the ceremony was scheduled to begin, the wind and rain came out of nowhere. The tears turned to joy however, as family and friends rallied together to pull off one of the most memorable weddings I’ve ever been a part of.
I’ve always been amazed by people who have the gift of comforting others. Most people want to comfort those who are hurting but they don’t always know how. Some people make the mistake of trying to give advice during times of pain or grief. In the Bible there is the story of a man who suffered the loss of his family, his possessions, even his health. His friends came to him with a desire to comfort but instead they each one went to great lengths offering their opinions and suggestions which provided no comfort at all.
I’m not sure why we feel so obligated to talk in times of pain. The truth is that the best comfort we can give is simply providing a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on. The essence of comfort is feeling what the other person is feeling, not explaining their pain. I love the story of the little girl who lived next door to an elderly man whose wife had recently died. When she returned home after a visit, her mother asked, “ What did you and Mr. Smith talk about for so long?” She said, “We didn’t say anything, we just cried together.” May the Lord help all of us to grow in the grace of comforting others. I’m convinced there are more than enough counselors, but a great shortage of comforters.
Flutist Dennette McDermott and bassoonist Douglas Bakenhus will present a faculty recital, “From Baroque to Galant,” on Monday, Sept 14 at 7:30 p.m. in Magale Recital Hall.
In keeping with School of Creative and Performing Arts guidelines, admission is limited to 72 NSU students only. Masks are required and social distancing should be observed. The concert will be livestreamed at capa.nsula.edu/livestream.
McDermott is professor of flute and coordinator of graduate studies at Northwestern State, where she has taught since 1990. McDermott has performed in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, England, Canada, Honduras, Russia, Spain and throughout the United States, including numerous performances at National Flute Association Conventions.
In 2015, her interest in baroque flute led to the opportunity to participate in the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute (and again in 2017 and 2018), an intensive training program on historical instruments, where she studied flute with Claire Guimond and Jed Wentz. In addition, she participated in the Twin Cities Baroque Music program (2016 and 2017), where she studied with Wilbert Hazelzet. In 2019 She was selected from an audition to participate with The American Bach Soloists Academy in San Francisco where she studied with Sandra Miller. She also participated in the Seattle Baroque Flute Course taught by Janet See and Kathy Stewart. McDermott plays baroque flute with the Austin Baroque Orchestra, a period music ensemble that specializes in music of the renaissance, baroque and classical periods. Earlier this year, she performed with the Ritornello Baroque Collective of San Diego.
McDermott holds degrees from Michigan State University (BM), The University of Michigan (MM) and The University of North Texas (DMA).
Bakenhus is the music director and conductor of the Natchitoches-Northwestern Symphony at Northwestern State, where he also teaches bassoon, aural skills, string methods, and conducting. His music degrees are from the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University-Commerce. He has completed additional graduate courses in conducting and bassoon performance at the University of Michigan. Bakenhus has been the music director of the Northeast Texas Symphony since 2002, and he has held teachings positions at Texas Lutheran University and the University of Mississippi. He has taught public school orchestras in Austin ISD and Cy-Fair ISD and has made several recent guest conducting appearances throughout the region and abroad, including the Sinfonietta Bratislava in Slovakia, and the San Pedro Sula City Chamber Orchestra in Honduras.
He has also performed abroad with the NSU Faculty Woodwind Trio in Canada, Slovakia, England and the Czech Republic. He regularly performs in orchestras throughout the Ark-La-Tex region, including the Shreveport, Longview, South Arkansas and Texarkana symphony orchestras. Bakenhus has participated in the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute on baroque bassoon and has made recent appearances with the Baroque Artists of Shreveport, the Austin Baroque Orchestra, Ars Lyrica of Houston, the Houston Bach Society and the Mercury: The Orchestra Redefined (Houston).
An increase in mosquitoes following Hurricane Laura is causing problems for livestock owners.
“What we are seeing are swarms of mosquitoes that are preying on exhausted and stressed livestock,” said Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M. “While parishes are spraying to mitigate the problem, I also urge livestock owners to spray their pastures or use products that can be applied to the animals,” added Strain.
Those products must be used according to label instructions. If used on a food-producing animal, it must be approved for that species. Nutritional supplements should be given under the direction of a veterinarian; and, the use of fans to keep the pests away is also beneficial.
Typically, mosquito-borne diseases such as Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile Virus (WNV), which mostly impact horses, can be fought by vaccinating the animals. In this situation, it seems to be a number of factors. Swarms of mosquitoes, combined with environmentally stressed livestock that cannot escape the pests, are causing problems for livestock and their owners.
Nineteen Northwestern State University faculty have received tenure and 15 have received promotion effective with the start of the 2020-21 academic year. according to Dr. Greg Handel, provost and vice president for academic affairs. The Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System approved the tenure and promotion recommendations.
Faculty who received tenure were Phyllis Lear, Daniel McDonald and Louis Collier Hyams of the School of Creative and Performing Arts, Nabin Sapkota of the Department of Engineering Technology, Dr. Donald Johnston, Lisa Wilhite and Sheri Wilson of the College of Nursing and School of Allied Health, Dr. Christopher Lyles and Dr. Jerry Brunson of the School of Biological and Physical Sciences, Dr. Christopher Gilson, Frank Hall and Michele Holcomb of the Department of Criminal Justice, History and Social Sciences, Dr. Judith Covington and Dr. Nicholas Richardson of the Department of Mathematics and Dr. Marcia Hardy, Dr. Eddie Horton, Carmella Parker, Dr. Curtis Penrod and Dr. Sarah Wright of the School of Business.
Those promoted to professor were Dr. Mark Melder and Dr. Tommy I. Hailey of the Department of Criminal Justice, History and Social Sciences and Hyams.
Promoted to associate professor were Lyles, Dr. Ann Deshotels of the College of Nursing and School of Allied Health, Lear, Gilson, Dr. Xinjia Chen of the Department of Engineering Technology, Dr. Melissa Aldredge, Dr. Eddie Horton, Dr. Curtis Penrod and Dr. Jason Powell and Dr. Danny Upshaw of the School of Business and Denise Bailey of the Department of Social Work.
D’Nissa Hester of the School of Creative and Performing Arts was promoted to assistant professor.
Brunson earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree at the University of Louisiana at Monroe and a doctorate at LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport. He previously taught at ULM and LSUHSC – Shreveport. Brunson held the Malcolm Feist Predoctoral Fellowship from the Institute for Cardiovascular Disease and Imaging at LSUHSC. Brunson has made more than a dozen presentations at state, regional and national conferences and has published articles in national professional journals. He is active in several professional organizations.
Covington joined NSU’s faculty in 2018 and has three decades of collegiate teaching experience. She holds the Dr. William Timon Endowed Professorship. An NSU alumna Covington was a 2015 recipient of the Deborah and Franklin Tepper Haimo Award for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics. The award is presented by the Mathematics Association of America to up to three people annually. She is the only Louisiana recipient. Covington is an active speaker and presenter on the national level. She has served on the leadership team for Project NExT, a program of the Mathematical Association of America for 14 years – the longest term anyone has served. This is a national program for new and recent Ph.D. graduates in the mathematical sciences. Her father, Thomas Covington, was a long-time faculty member at NSU.
Gilson is a 2006 graduate of Northwestern State. He earned the M.A. and Ph.D. in history at Texas A&M University, completing a dissertation entitled “Strange and Terrible Wonders: Climate Change in the Early Modern World” in 2015. His research focuses on the relationship between climate and history, particularly during the Little Ice Age of 1550-1850. Other research interests include the environmental history of the Red River Valley and sustainability and urban planning in the American South. Gilson has presented his research at the Symposium on Medieval and Renaissance Studies and at meetings of the Northeast Modern Language Association and the Association of American Geographers. He teaches introductory and advanced courses in geography, world history and American history.
Hall is the Director of Institutional Effectiveness and an associate professor in the Department of Criminal Justice, History, and Social Sciences. Hall is a retired military intelligence colonel with 28 years of service in the U.S. Army. Hall has been at Northwestern for six years. While he does teach a few undergraduate courses in criminal justice, his primary teaching responsibilities are in the homeland security graduate program. He currently resides in Natchitoches with his wife, Sid.
Hardy received her Ph.D. from the University of California-Los Angeles. She is the recipient of the Barry Smiley Professorship Award and is a 2019 University of Alicante Spain Erasmus + Mobility Award recipient. Hardy received the 2018 Northwestern College of Business & Technology “Excellence in Teaching” Award and was honored in Trademark “Women of Distinction.” She served as a two-term Faculty Senate President at Northwestern State University. Hardy has numerous publications in the field of leadership and management. and is co-author of the McGraw-Irwin book entitled, “EDI: A Guide to Electronic Data Interchange and Electronic Commerce Applications in the Healthcare Industry.”
Holcomb is the coordinator of criminal justice and teaches courses in criminal justice and unified public safety administration and is involved in developing new courses for the Department of Criminal Justice, History and Social Sciences. She has been a member of Northwestern State’s faculty for six years after more than a decade of work in area coroners’ offices and experience in the field of corrections. Holcomb earned a bachelor’s degree at Louisiana State, a master’s at the University of Phoenix and a post master’s certificate in global security and intelligence from NSU. She holds membership in state and national emergency medical organizations.
Horton has been a member of NSU’s faculty for six years. He holds the Bryant and Heloise Lewis Endowed Professorship in Business. Horton’s focus area includes networking, network security and forensics. He oversees the new Cisco certification at NSU as well as the CompTIA certifications. He has teaching experience with both online and traditional classes. Horton works directly with industry and education to grow current program at NSU and provide graduates who meet employer’s needs. He created the NSU Cisco Academy, CompTIA Academy and most recently the AWS Academy. Horton is the recipient of the FBD/ABIS (Federation of Business Disciplines/Association of Business Information Systems) paper of the year, to be published in the JRBIS (Journal of Research in Business Information Systems) journal.
Hyams is the coordinator for the MA in Art. Prior to arriving at NSU Hyams was an associate professor of digital art and multimedia at Georgetown University. He received a MFA in Integrated Electronic Arts emphasizing performance art from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY. He received a MA in weld metal sculpture and traditional fine arts from Northwestern State University and earned his undergraduate in photography and journalism from Louisiana Tech University. Hyams grew up as a service dependent in Thailand and Germany. His academic research in art and music has taken him to Brazil, Sweden, Belgium, France, Austria, Scotland, Ireland, Canada and Ghana. He leads the 50 Man Machine performance ensemble and the Prof Hyams Art Car Series founded with support from BMW and Mazda.
Johnston is an associate professor and the interprofessional research and instructional technology coordinator for the College of Nursing School of Allied Health. He has led numerous doctoral and graduate students, both as a major professor and committee member. Johnston has worked with other universities and health system partners across Louisiana to increase and enhance nursing research capacity. He was awarded three NIH/AACN grants for the All of US Research program and was responsible for leading and coordinated events in Shreveport, Lafayette and Baton Rouge between state institutions. His recent leadership experience working with nursing undergraduate faculty and Information Technology on iPad implementation, ATI proctored testing application development and ExamSoft Secure Assessment Software has enhanced the university.
Lear is a visual arts educator and art historian. At present her visual arts work utilizes textile and fiber. Lear’s field of research is the prehistoric American culture of Poverty Point. She studies one artifact specifically, Poverty Point Objects. She earned a bachelor’s at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, a master’s at NSU and LSU and an MFA from Louisiana Tech. Her research has been published in archaeological journals and her art has regularly been displayed around the country earning numerous awards. Lear was a recipient of the Derby Endowed Professorship.
Lyles is an associate professor and interim director of the School of Biological and Physical Sciences. He obtained a B.S. in Biology from Northwestern State, a M.S. in marine and environmental biology from Nicholls State University and his Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Oklahoma. Lyles has 15 years of experience using chromatography and mass spectral analysis equipment to address both abiotic and biotic chemical changes in the environment. More specifically, his research focuses on projects that elucidated the biochemical pathways for the degradation of recalcitrant compounds under anaerobic conditions. Lyles also teaches general chemistry, biochemistry and microbiology along with respective laboratories.
McDonald is assistant director of bands and assistant professor of music at Northwestern State. At NSU, he directs the “Spirit of Northwestern” Marching Band, the “Purple Haze” Basketball Band, Wind Ensemble, Magale Concert Band and teaches courses in student leadership, music education and conducting. He earned a B.A. in music and a M.M. in instrumental conducting from the University of Connecticut. He has conducted and directed ensembles that have performed at the 2019 WASBE Conference (Buñol, Spain) and in venues throughout the United States and around the world. He serves on the national Athletic Bands Committee and is chair of the Louisiana chapter of College Band Directors National Association. He is active in several professional organizations.
Parker is an associate professor and coordinator of outreach and special projects for the School of Business at NSU. She has been licensed to practice law in the State of Louisiana for over seventeen years. Parker teaches cyber business law, business law, international comparative management and other classes. She is a former assistant attorney general for the State of Louisiana and a former field counsel for an insurance company. Parker has a B.S. in business administration from the Louisiana Scholars’ College at Northwestern State. She earned her Juris Doctor as well as a Certificate of International Studies from the Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. Parker obtained her Master of Business Administration from the University of New Orleans.
Penrod started working at Northwestern State in the Office of Institutional Research in 2004. He worked there until 2014 when he joined the School of Business as an assistant professor and coordinator of computer information systems. Earlier this year, he became the senior coordinator of business programs. He has taught classes including introduction to computer information systems, spreadsheet applications, software development, database systems, multimedia communication and presentation, advanced database systems, web applications: client-side development and web applications: Server-Side Development. He holds an MBA from Louisiana State University – Shreveport, a GC in computer information systems from Georgia Southwestern State University, and a Ph.D. in business administration with a specialization in applied computer science from Northcentral University.
Richardson attended Louisiana Tech University earning a degree in computer science and decided for graduate school to go into applied computational analysis and modeling, which combines computer science and mathematics. He concentrated on developing computer simulations for mathematics and other sciences on the LONI supercomputers. Some of these simulations were purely computational while others had graphical components to aid in research and experiments. He taught mathematics at NSU’s Shreveport campus for three years before coming to the Natchitoches campus to teach mathematics and computer science. In computer science, he recently began using robots to teach students how to program.
Sapkota has been a member of Northwestern State’s faculty for six years teaching courses in industrial engineering technology and electronics engineering technology and serving on numerous university committees. He has published research in national and international professional journals and has made numerous professional presentations at a variety of conferences. His professional activity includes membership in several national and international organizations. Sapkota has provided consultations to local and national industries on process improvement using OR, industrial simulations and CI methodologies. He recently worked with a local industry on an ergonomics study report to improve operations and safety. Sapkota earned a bachelor’s at Regional Engineering College in Tamilnadu, India, and a master’s and doctorate at the University of Central Florida.
Wilhite is an assistant professor of nursing at Northwestern State. Her nursing career began at NSU where she earned a BSN in 1993. She earned her MSN in Nursing Education from Northwestern in 2008 and her post master’s certificate from Northwestern in family nurse practitioner in 2013. Her nursing background is primarily woman’s health and clinical education. She currently serves as a board member for the Shreveport District Nurses Association. Wilhite spends her free time with her husband and two sons as well as watching football and baseball. She is an active member in her church community and enjoys spending time outdoors with friends and family.
Wilson is the Deborah Olds Endowed Professor at NSU and previously held the Opal Wimberly Endowed Professorship. Wilson earned bachelor’s degrees at Wiley College and Grambling State University and a master’s at the University of Phoenix. Wilson has been a member of NSU’ s faculty for six years after working for eight years as a registered nurse. She participated in the Parkinson Foundation’s Edmond J. Safra Visiting Nurse Scholar Faculty Program. Wilson has made presentations for national groups and is active in professional organizations. She has contributed to the American Nurses Association Gerontology Review Course by writing and reviewing questions.
Wright holds a Ph.D. in business administration with an applied computer science specialization and a master’s in computer information systems. Wright has taught CIS courses at NSU since 2002. Wright has five refereed journal publications, has published seven refereed proceedings and has presented at regional conferences. She has been co-principal investigator for two Board of Regents grants, and principal investigator for two State Farm Enhancement Grants. The grants were fully funded and allowed the School of Business to create a mobile applications development lab, a networking lab and an AR/VR lab that provide students with hands on experiences to better prepare them for the workforce. Wright is working with the education department with the second cohort of middle school teachers participating in CLIPR/TEP Grant.
Aldredge holds a Doctor of Business Administration in Advanced Accounting and has over 25 years of teaching experience at the collegiate level. She currently serves as the coordinator of accounting for the College of Business and Technology at Northwestern State. In 2019, she received the NSU Alumni Association Excellence in Teaching Award and was awarded the Poindexter Foundation Endowed Professorship in Accounting. Aldredge is a certified public accountant with prior “Big 8” public accounting experience and is an active member of the Louisiana Society of CPAs where she serves on the Accounting Education Issues Committee. She is also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and consults part-time as a CPA.
Bailey earned a bachelor’s degree from NSU and an MSW from Stephen F. Austin State University. She served in NSU’s Student Support Services office before joining the social work faculty in 2013. Her paper, “Sacred Duties: The Roles of the Children’s Aid Society and the New York Foundling Hospital in the Orphan Train Movement,” was accepted for presentation at The Orphan Train Interdisciplinary Colloquium at the University of Nebraska in 2018. She has presented four times at the Louisiana Studies Conference, which includes scholars in a variety of disciplines. Bailey serves as coordinator of the NSU Student Food Pantry and faculty advisor for the NSU Social Work Club. She was named NSU Faculty Advisor of the Year in 2019-2020.
Chen joined NSU in 2016. Before joining NSU, he has been teaching in Louisiana State University and Southern University for more than ten years. He also has two years of industrial experiences in information technology. Chen’s teaching and research interests are in the general area of electrical engineering and computer sciences. He has reshaped several courses to enhance the hands-on ability of ET students and prepare them for industrial jobs. Chen researches circuit systems, controls, communications, signal processing, machine learning, probability, and statistics with engineering applications. He has published two book chapters and 18 peered review papers in internationally prestigious journals and 29 peered review papers in proceeding of international conferences.
Deshotels has been a member of NSU’s faculty since 1992. She earned a bachelor’s at the University of Southwestern Louisiana, a master’s at NSU and a doctorate at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. She has published in national professional journals and has made presentations on the local, state and national levels. Many of those local presentations have been invaluable in promoting NSU’s nursing program. In 2018, Deshotels was named one of Louisiana’s Great 100 Nurses. At NSU, she has held the Coughlin-Saunders, Robert Rife Saunders and Rapides Regional Medical Center Endowed Professorships. She is active in several professional organizations.
Hailey began his career at NSU in 1994. Hailey teaches classes in introductory anthropology, archaeology and physical anthropology. Experiential learning is a key part of education, and Hailey has engaged students in projects and experiences throughout the U.S. and internationally. Hailey is developing the NSU Drone Initiative, recognizing the importance of remote technologies in many academic fields, and will incorporate classes from across campus to make the program applicable to career goals of a wide range of NSU students. He is working on the NSU Belize Initiative, which seeks to combine the efforts of several NSU departments and universities in Louisiana, Texas, and Belize to afford students the opportunity to establish far-reaching personal and professional connections and the type of personal development that can only come from international travel experiences.
Hester has taught at NSU as an adjunct and instructor since 2010. She teaches vocal majors and minors and students in musical theatre. Hester held the Danny and Lenn Dohmann Prince Endowed Professorship in Voice in 2017. She earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Northwestern State. Hester has continued her education at the Taos Opera Institute and was selected to attend the International performing Arts Institute in Kiefersfelden, Germany. She is active in several national professional organizations. She regularly performs with the Natchitoches-Northwestern Symphony, the NSU Jazz Orchestra, Wind Symphony and Percussion Ensemble and in faculty recitals and concerts. Hester also performs with the Red River Chorale, the Kisatchie Sound and with her husband in the DAT Acoustic Act, a folk/acoustic duo.
Melder grew up in Natchitoches, the son of teachers Dr. Ellis Melder and Coach Trent Melder. He served in the Marine Corps and after leaving the service, earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology at NSU and his master’s and Ph.D. at LSU in sociology. He has published and presented research on militia movements and racial differences in female perpetrated intimate partner homicide. He currently serves as head of the Department of Criminal Justice, History and Social Sciences at NSU and teaches courses on race and ethnicity, gender, crime, social movements and terrorism.
Powell is an associate professor of computer information systems. He has a Bachelor and Master of Computer Science from Stephen F. Austin State University and a Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of North Texas. His teaching focus is computer programming, databases, and data analytics, and his research interests include multidisciplinary applications of computer science. In 2020, he was elected as secretary of the Association of Business Information Systems and currently serves NSU as a faculty senator and the QEP coordinator for computer information systems.
Upshaw holds the David D. Morgan Endowed Professorship and is an associate professor of marketing in the College of Business & Technology. A graduate of Louisiana Tech’s D.B.A program, he also holds degrees in English (B.A., M.A.) and business (M.B.A) from The University of Louisiana at Monroe. Prior to employment at NSU, he owned a real-estate business, taught marketing at Spring Hill College, taught English at ULM, and worked in the insurance industry.
Upshaw frequently publishes and presents at conferences, with recent articles featured in the “Marketing Education Review” and the “Journal of Marketing Development and Competitiveness.” In class, he offers his students a compelling learning experience and fun, interactive environment.
NPL– Federal disaster assistance, through FEMA, has been made available to Natchitoches Parish residents who were affected by Hurricane Laura. For residents in rural parts of Natchitoches Parish, the Natchitoches Parish Library (NPL) will be using its bookmobile and schoolmobile to offer in accessing and completing the online form at www.disasterassistance.gov. The NPL’s mobile branches will be making stops in the communities and towns across Natchitoches Parish under a modified schedule through October 2. NPL staff will provide a Wi-Fi connection and laptop to those needing to register and file for disaster assistance. Parish residents may also visit either library location – Main Branch in Natchitoches or the Northeast Branch in Campti – for one-on-one assistance.
The Natchitoches Parish School Board will also be providing access and assistance via laptops and wi-fi by visiting the following schools during normal school hours:
Marthaville Elementary School Provencal Elementary School Goldonna Elementary School Lakeview High School
Before coming to any location or one of the scheduled mobile branches’ stops, be sure that you have contacted your insurance company beforehand to check whether the damages you have incurred are covered under their policy. You will also need to have with you the following information:
Your insurance policy number, along with the agent or company name of coverage,
A general list of damages and losses, Your social security number, A current phone number where you may be reached, And your address at the time of the disaster And where you are now staying when applying for FEMA disaster assistance.
Disaster assistance may include temporary housing and home repair grants, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to aid individuals and business owners in recovering from the effects of the disaster.
Those affected by Hurricane Laura should register with FEMA even if they have registered for previous disasters as each is considered a separate event eligible for assistance. While assistance is tax free and grants do not have to be repaid, monies must be used solely for recovery expenses.
Infrastructure is a critical aspect of everyday life. It supports our transportation system and stimulates economic growth for the country. At the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD), we are committed to enhancing the quality of life for our residents through our transportation systems.
The week of September 14 marks the beginning of United for Infrastructure: A Week to Champion America’s Infrastructure, a week dedicated to bringing transportation organizations from across the country together to advocate and provide education on the nation’s infrastructure. This year’s theme is fitting as DOTD continues to need more resources and funding to support Louisiana’s motorists. In order to continue preserving our existing roadways and building new roadway systems, we must have a reliable and steady revenue stream. The state relies on a 20-cent gas tax to address infrastructure needs, though more than four cents is dedicated to the TIMED program. After this, remaining revenue goes to the Transportation Trust Fund to address our current needs which has lost more than 50 percent of its value since it hasn’t changed since the 1980s.
Since Governor Edwards took office in January 2016, more than $3.6 billion has been invested toward infrastructure projects throughout the state, totaling to 1,452 projects and nearly 5,000 miles. In Central Louisiana, over $213 million totaling 141 projects and more than 534 miles has been invested in the form of maintenance and new construction. Some of those projects include the US 71 Railroad overpass replacement project, addition of the Motorist Assistance Patrol service that provides a valuable resource to stranded drivers in most of the state’s metropolitan areas, and two roundabouts to improve traffic congestion and safety at busy intersections in both Alexandria and Pineville.
This fiscal year alone, we will invest an estimated $50 million in multimodal needs, which include critical projects such as the Mississippi River Deepening Project. While significant, this investment pales in comparison to the needs in our state. DOTD has demonstrated it can produce major projects across the state such as the critical investments in roadway safety in the form of several roundabouts in the Central Louisiana (Alexandria) region. The Leesville roundabout at the intersection of LA 184 and LA 468 began in 2018 at a cost of $2.2 million, replacing the traditional 4-leg intersection with a single lane roundabout. Based on crash history, this intersection was a prime candidate for a roundabout to vastly improve safety.
Jackson Street at Horseshoe Drive in Alexandria is now the home to a brand new single lane roundabout, at an investment of $1.8 million for the corridor. Construction began in 2019, replacing the stop-controlled intersection and moving traffic through the residential and commercial area with renewed mobility for both motorists and pedestrians. In May 2020, work began on the $1 million Susek Drive/Edgewood Drive Roundabout in Pineville. The busy intersection was closed to traffic while the contractor transformed the stop-controlled configuration into a single-lane roundabout, opening the door for greatly improved traffic flow in front of Pineville Junior High School. The project was complete before the new school year began in August, providing reduced congestion through the corridor. Without a steady revenue stream, new projects will be few and far between as the funding from the 1986 gas tax will be primarily used to maintain the system that is already in place.
Louisiana has four of the top five longest bridges in the United States. And there are more than 13,000 bridges in the state and more than 16,600 miles of roadway. Five Mississippi River ports carry 25 percent of U.S. waterborne commerce, 60 percent of the nation’s grain, and 20 percent of the nation’s coal. Louisiana also moves goods over nearly 3,000 miles of rail line. We should build on these resources as opposed to being limited by disinvestment.
Infrastructure matters to our country, economy, and communities, as this is the gateway to providing access to goods, services, and traveling needs. This department works hard to ensure that each vital transportation system is maintained to enhance business development and improve commuter convenience.
Infrastructure is vital to our economy, our everyday travel, and lifestyle. We often take these benefits for granted as we go about our daily lives. But, as the needs continue to grow, and the funding continues to dwindle, it’s important to take this week to realize how important and impactful infrastructure is to our daily lives.
The beautiful Cane River lake served as the backdrop to the riverbank stage in downtown Natchitoches as four Natchitoches Central High School class of 2020 seniors were awarded scholarships from the Krewe of Excellence Mardi Gras krewe.
Ron Helaire, the organization’s president, welcomed the students, their family members and friends to the awards ceremony. Pictured above, from left are recipients Carlos Moses, Mali Simmons, Chancellor Davis and Jaylon Braxton.
“We are honored to have such an outstanding group of students to apply for our scholarships this year. Moreover, our 2020 winners. They are definitely tomorrow’s thorough leaders,” said Olga Nell LeBrum, the Krewe’s scholarship chairperson.
The students received a colorful personal keepsake plaque, the scholarship award and a letter of commendation. They are enrolled in their respective colleges of choice: University of Louisiana- Monroe, Centenary College, Louisiana Tech University and Louisiana State University.
Braxton, technically a junior-year student, completed all of the required Carnegie units and graduated a year early.
The krewe is a not-for-profit organization and opened the application process up to eligible senior-year students at Lakeview, Louisiana School for Math Science and the Arts, Natchitoches Central and St. Mary’s High Schools.
Here is the full text of the news release from the Louisiana High School Athletic Association concerning the decision to go ahead with contact sports. The football portion is in bold type.
Executive Committee Votes to Move Forward With Football
LHSAA Executive Director, Eddie Bonine, met with the Louisiana House of Representatives and LHSAA Executive Committee to discuss the 2020 fall football season.
On August 25, Governor John Bel Edwards announced the extension of Phase II until September 11, 2020 pushing back the start of the fall football season.
Executive Director, Eddie Bonine, met with the LHSAA Executive Committee today to further discuss the 2020 fall football season after meeting with the Louisiana House of Representatives on Friday, September 4. The Executive Committee voted 22-1 to begin contact sports in LHSAA Competition Stage 1. The LHSAA cannot overturn any government order disallowing the start of contact sports in their parish.
Cross country, swimming and volleyball began competition in Phase II. The Executive Committee approved that Football can begin practice in full pads tomorrow, September 10th. Also, on the agenda, the Executive Committee voted to approve a football schedule that includes a scrimmage (9/24 – 9/26), eight games (starting with their week 3 game on 10/1 – 10/3) with a 32 team playoff bracket (beginning 11/27 – 11/28). The 2020 Prep Classic will be held on December 26-28 in New Orleans at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
Under Article 4.4.4 in the LHSAA Constitution, the Board approved the select schools participation at the same venues as the non-select schools for the 2020-2021 school year.
“It’s exciting that the LHSAA can contribute to some sort of normality for the students and schools.” said Executive Director, Eddie Bonine.
The LHSAA staff has developed fall sport-specific event guidelines with help from Dr. Stewart, from the Tulane Sports and the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee, for schools when conducting interscholastic competition. Competition guidelines will be posted in the near future.
NATCHITOCHES: Derrick Ray Amoriko June 25, 1969 – August 26, 2020 Service: Saturday, September 12 at 2 pm at Coldwater Baptist Church in the Hagewood community
WINN: Emily Elizabeth Thomas September 13, 2018 – September 8, 2020 Service: Sunday, September 13 at 2 pm at Southern Funeral Home
Ronnie Lynn Walker January 18, 1972 – September 09, 2020 Service: Tuesday, September 15 at 3 pm at Hurricane Grove Baptist Church, located at 337 Hurricane Grove Rd. in Sikes
Hazel Ruth Chapman January 18, 1933 – September 8, 2020 Service: Friday, Sept. 11 at 2 pm at the Jena Cemetery
Elinor Anne Derr July 24, 1925 – August 28, 2020 Service: Saturday, September 12 at 10 am at the Southern Funeral Home Chapel in Winnfield
RED RIVER: Timothy John Lewandowski May 06, 1952 – September 05, 2020 Service: Friday, September 11 at 10 am at Mary Queen of Peace Catholic Church, located at 7738 Barksdale Blvd. in Bossier City
Mark “Thro Down” Owen Carden September 27, 1962 – September 07, 2020 Service: Friday, September 11 at 5 pm at Rockett-Nettles Funeral Home Chapel
If you, your business or a member of your non-profit organization would like to appear on The Magnolia Minute, then contact us at the email or number below!
The Magnolia Minute Natchitoches Parish Journal magnoliaminute.npj@gmail.com 318-354-4000 #6
BATON ROUGE, La. — If you were affected by Hurricane Laura from Aug. 22-27 and you live in Acadia, Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Grant, Jackson, Jefferson Davis, Lincoln, Natchitoches, Ouachita, Rapides, Sabine, Vermilion, Vernon, or Winn Parish, you may be eligible for FEMA help.
Assistance provided by FEMA for homeowners and renters can include grants for rent and repairs to make their primary home habitable. It can also help other serious disaster-related needs like replacing essential household items, medical and dental expenses and funeral and burial costs.
Survivors should file an insurance claim at the same time as they apply to FEMA. Save yourself time, if you have insurance, you must file a claim.
If you have uninsured or underinsured losses, contact FEMA by either going online to disasterassistance.gov, downloading the FEMA app or by calling the helpline at 800-621-3362 or TTY 800-462-7585.
Information that you need to have when you register includes:
• Address of the damaged primary dwelling where the damage occurred
• Current mailing address
• Current telephone number
• Insurance information
• Total household annual income
• Routing and account number for checking or savings account so FEMA can directly
transfer disaster assistance funds
• A description of disaster-caused damage and losses
Home Inspections and COVID-19
If you reported that you cannot or may not be able to safely live in your home, it may be necessary for FEMA to perform an inspection of the damaged dwelling. Due to COVID-19, home inspections may be conducted remotely by phone.
For remote inspections, FEMA inspectors will contact you by phone to ask questions about the type and extent of damage sustained. Remote inspections provide a new way of evaluating damage — comparable to traditional, in-person inspections – and expedite the delivery of recovery assistance to survivors based on their eligibility.
If you had minimal damage and can live in your home, you will not automatically be scheduled for a home inspection when applying to FEMA. If you find significant disaster-caused damage after you apply to FEMA, you can request an inspection.
Part of the FEMA disaster assistance registration process includes providing a call back phone number for FEMA to contact you to set up a home inspection for damages caused by the disaster and other helpline information.
Applicants using a relay service, such as your videophone, InnoCaption or CapTel, should provide your specific number assigned to that service. It is important that FEMA is able to contact you, and you should be aware phone calls from FEMA may come from an unidentified number.
If you have any questions, you can always contact the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362. For TTY call 800-462-7585. If you use 711 or Video Relay service, please call 800-621-3362.
SWEPCO leaders, the Louisiana National Guard and Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell met with local leaders, community members, and Department Supervisors. Some of these included Natchitoches Parish Sheriff Stuart Wright, Northwestern State University President Dr. Chris Maggio, Natchitoches Mayor Ronnie Williams Jr., and District 31 State Senator Louie Bernard.
Mutual assistance between power companies like AEP, SWEPCO, and Entergy has been instrumental in the recovery efforts following Hurricane Laura’s path of destruction through Louisiana. It also took cooperation with the Parish and City governments and NSU, who housed hundreds of linemen on its campus. Officials held four discussions about transmissions, distribution, communications, and external affairs.
“I pray that we don’t ever have another tragedy like this one,” said Campbell. “Thank God they [SWEPCO] bought Valley Electric, a great little rural electric co-op formed in the 40s. They got where they were broke. They didn’t have any money. Had this [Hurricane Laura] happened during Valley Electric it would have been a lot worse… SWEPCO is a strong national company with a lot of resources. I hate the storm but I’m glad SWEPCO owned Valley Electric territory when this storm happened.”
As you probably know, because of the Coronavirus, most organizations that serve the public are trying creative alternatives to the conventional meeting in order to keep the public in the loop. Some hold video conferences. Others give the public call in numbers and allow them to attend meetings by phone. At the very least, they put up a notice on their usual meeting location site telling whether they are meeting or not and offer further instructions on how to do business with them, or list contact numbers. As far as I could determine, for their last quarterly meeting, the Natchitoches Community Improvement Foundation (NCIF) did none of the above. Yet, you would expect them to do at least the minimum, as they have been given the responsibility of distributing 1.8 million in funds designated for the citizens of Natchitoches in the form of grants and scholarships. But recently, when I tried to find out whether and where they were having their July quarterly meeting, it was a real struggle and expedition to get any kind of response from NCIF. The simple truth is, when it comes to accessing meetings, I have found it has kind of always been this way. Even before Covid 19 hit town.
Here is specifically what I mean. In June, I began to try to find out if there was going to be a July meeting and if so, where it would be held. It is supposed to be advertised in the paper two weeks in advance. For a month I searched the local paper but there was nothing in it about any meeting. So I mailed a letter to the secretary, Mildred Joseph asking if the foundation was meeting and if so when and where. I got no response. At a store, I saw Board Member Brenda Milner and asked where the meeting would be held. She said she did not know anything. Another day, I saw NCIF Treasurer Oswald Taylor and put the question to him. He said there would be no meeting and vaguely shared that he did not want to do an online meeting. But even if they were not going to meet shouldn’t a notice have been put out saying so? Their bylaws require NCIF to notify the public about quarterly meetings in advance. So shouldn’t notices about meeting cancellations be part of that?
Then, something happened that I believe serves as the ideal illustration of what is wrong. I found the Natchitoches Community Improvement website online. I went on the homepage it had a heading about meetings alright, but they were all for 2019 only. Yes, 2019. No listings at all for 2020. Check out the visual of screen shot accompanying this article, (sorry the typeface is very light and hard to read). The dateline in the corner of the computer screen reads “9/8, 2020”). But wait, not only that, the site did not even tell where the meetings were to be held. It just listed date and month of each meeting and again, it was for last year. In other words, if you went on their site this year to find a meeting date for this year, you got only meeting days, with no locations for last year. And even then, it said at the end, TBD (to be determined). Implications are that even last year, they did not post the locations of the meetings. Wow. Hey, it’s simple: If you are not having public meetings, tell the public.
How then can the public attend public meetings when they cannot find out where they are being held? I showed the screen shot to a few random citizens. I asked what their impressions would be if they logged on and saw it. One woman said, “Doesn’t sound like they want you to attend”. A young man then pointed to the “TBD” noting that even last year, they never posted locations. A second woman mentioned it looked like they need to update their website and shared it would not give her confidence in them.
Perhaps, if NCIF made it easier for the public to attend meetings, they would not be in a position where $19,500 is still unaccounted for. I am referring to a 2014 by an auditor which reported $19,500 in money managed by NCIF as being unaccounted for. To this day, the foundation has not documented or explained what happened to that money. NCIF is a foundation that was court ordered by a District Judge to distribute money awarded in a settlement after Tennessee Gas spilled pcbs in Sibley Lake in the late 1990s. The funds are to be given to citizens in Natchitoches in the form of grants and scholarships in the areas of education, recreation, housing and economic development. The foundation has 1.8 million in money designated for the public. It has been involved in both controversy and lawsuits. How they manage meetings and advertise or rather, do not advertise them maybe gives you a clue as to why.
The Natchitoches Community Improvement Foundation board members are: Oswald Taylor, Mildred Joseph, Gwen Antee Hardison-Davis, Shaniqua Hoover, Brenda Milner, Gwendolyn Williams, Edwin Deon Powe, Renee Porter, DeMarquis Hamilton (the following are sitting on the board although according to NCIF bylaws, their term limits are up: Leo Walker, Diane Blake Jones).
Virtual Application Process Rolling Out in Phases, Starting September 10th
BATON ROUGE- The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) received approval on Sept. 8 to begin virtual Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (DSNAP) operations in sixteen parishes to provide additional food aid to families impacted by Hurricane Laura. The program will run in phases, with the first phase beginning Thursday, Sept. 10.
DSNAP, formerly called Disaster Food Stamps, provides food assistance to eligible households who do not receive regular SNAP benefits and who need help buying groceries due to lost income or damages following a disaster. The state must request that the federal government initiate DSNAP, but can only make the request after the president activates the Stafford Act and approves the parish for Individual Assistance (IA). Each IA-approved parish must also request DSNAP before the benefits can be provided to eligible residents of that parish.
The 16 parishes that have been approved for IA and have requested DSNAP are Acadia, Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Grant, Jackson, Jefferson Davis, Lincoln, Natchitoches, Ouachita, Rapides, Sabine, Vermilion, Vernon and Winn.
DSNAP will operate in the approved parishes in two phases, with Phase 1 beginning Sept. 10 for nine parishes and Phase 2 beginning Sept. 17 for seven parishes. If additional parishes are approved for IA and request DSNAP, DCFS will add a third phase of DSNAP beginning Sept. 23. For a complete schedule, see below.
SNAP recipients are not eligible for DSNAP and should not apply. Information about SNAP benefits changes related to Hurricane Laura, including replacement benefits for food lost due to power outages, can be found at http://www.dcfs.la.gov/SNAPLaura.
What Applicants Need to Know
Due to concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic, DSNAP applications will be handled by phone, and benefits cards will be mailed or sent through FedEx to approved applicants.
Residents in the approved parishes for each phase will be assigned a day, based on the first letter of their last name, to call the LAHelpU Customer Service Center to apply for DSNAP. On their designated day, residents will call 1-888-LA-HELP-U (1-888-524-3578), between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Translation services are available for individuals whose primary language is not English.
DCFS is anticipating significant interest in the DSNAP program. Three steps residents can take before calling to apply that will help reduce call wait times are:
Register online first. Step-by-step instructions for this can be found at http://www.dcfs.la.gov/DSNAP. Download the LA Wallet mobile app for identity and residency verification. Information on the app, including download links, can be found at LAWallet.com. Gather all information needed for the application. A list of what is needed can be found in the FAQs at http://www.dcfs.la.gov/DSNAP.
When residents call to apply, a worker will verify the applicant’s identity and residency, and obtain information about their income, resources and disaster-related expenses. Applicants will be told on the phone immediately after completing their application whether they have been approved to receive DSNAP and, if so, the amount of benefits they will receive. Applicants also will receive a letter by mail, confirming the eligibility decision made on their application.
Applicants may name an Authorized Representative (AR) to apply for DSNAP benefits on their behalf. The head of household must authorize the person to serve as AR on their behalf, and the worker will need to speak to the head of household to confirm that they agree for the AR to speak on their behalf.
Application Schedule
Phase 1: Acadia, Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Jefferson Davis, Rapides, Vermilion and Vernon Parishes
Application period opens on Thursday, Sept. 10, with residents calling to apply according to the following schedule:
Day 1 (Sept. 10) – Residents with last names beginning with A-C Day 2 (Sept. 11) – D-G Day 3 (Sept. 12) – H-L Day 4 (Sept. 13) – M-R Day 5 (Sept. 14) – S-Z Day 6 & 7 (Sept. 15-16) – Open for all (letters A-Z) in the Phase 1 parishes
Application period opens on Thursday, Sept. 17, with residents calling to apply according to the following schedule:
Day 1 (Sept. 17) – Residents with last names beginning with A-C Day 2 (Sept. 18) – D-G Day 3 (Sept. 19) – H-L Day 4 (Sept. 20) – M-R Day 5 (Sept. 21) – S-Z Days 6 & 7 (Sept. 22-23) – Open for all (letters A-Z) in the Phase 2 parishes
Additional information about DSNAP can be found by texting LADSNAP to 898-211 or at www.dcfs.la.gov/DSNAP.
The Red Cross Disaster Relief Team wants to meet the public impacted by Hurricane Laura according to Natchitoches Parish Asst. Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Mary Jones.
TODAY – The Red Cross will be feeding approximately 500 hot meals Thursday, Sept. 10 at 5 pm at St. John the Baptist Caholic Church Parking Lot in Cloutierville.
The address is 423 Hwy 495, Cloutierville, La.
Everyone is invited to meet the Red Cross.
Deputies will also bring bagged ice for distribution.
New Orleans − Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson announced today that considering the state of emergency declared statewide by Governor John Bel Edwards as a result of then-Tropical Storm Laura on August 21, 2020 in Executive Proclamation Number 108 JBE 2020 and the catastrophic damage that Hurricane Laura has caused in the state, the Louisiana Supreme Court has issued an emergency Order suspending deadlines in criminal matters in 21 parishes: Acadia, Allen, Beauregard, Bienville, Calcasieu, Cameron, Claiborne, Grant, Jackson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lincoln, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Ouachita, Rapides, Sabine, Union, Vermilion, Vernon, and Winn.
The Order reads as follows:
Emergency suspension of time limitations. All time periods, limitations, and delays pertaining to the initiation, continuation, prosecution, defense, appeal, and post-conviction relief of any prosecution of any state or municipal criminal, juvenile, wildlife, or traffic matter within the parishes of Acadia, Allen, Beauregard, Bienville, Calcasieu, Cameron, Claiborne, Grant, Jackson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, Lincoln, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Ouachita, Rapides, Sabine, Union, Vermilion, Vernon and Winn are hereby suspended for a period of 30 days commencing from August 21, 2020.
Prior Order. Part 2 of the Order of this Court dated September 2, 2020 suspending time limitations in Calcasieu Parish for ninety (90) days commencing on September 2, 2020 is hereby rescinded in accordance with Louisiana Code of Criminal Procedure Article 955D and replaced with the time limitation specified above. All other provisions of the September 2, 2020 Order remain in effect.
For more information visit lasc.org or contact Louisiana Supreme Court Public Information Specialist/Coordinator Trina S. Vincent at (504) 310-2590.
The Service League of Natchitoches partnered with several local businesses and entities to provide meals to local Linemen, City of Natchitoches workers, Parish workers and the Water Works District 2 workers. On Friday, Sept. 4 these organizations partnered with NSU to fix barbecue plate lunches to deliver to local linemen working in our area to restore power. On Wednesday, Sept. 9, Merci Beaucoup so graciously fixed pans of Chicken Fettuccine, Green Beans, Rolls and dessert to provide to the City of Natchitoches workers, Parish workers and Water Works District 2 workers.
The following businesses joined forces with the Service League of Natchitoches to make this event a success: Exchange Bank and Trust, Ronnie’s Collision, S&S Industrial Supply, Cunningham Insurance Agency, Wurster Oil, Platinum Driving School, Friends of Terri Ann Callia, Lions Club of Natchitoches, Eric’s Auto Paint and Collision, Kindred at Home, Merci Beaucoup Restaurant, Engage Federal Credit Union, Lil Rascals Learning Center, Trinity Integrated Health and Wellness Center and International Paper-Red River Mill. We are glad we were able to show appreciation to the individuals who have been working tirelessly to get our great city operating once again!
Annual Student Athlete Scholarship Awarded for Outstanding Contribution to Northwestern Community
Lott Oil Company is excited to announce Waylon Washington as the 2020 Recipient of the annual Luther W. Lott Sr. Memorial Scholarship. The Annual Luther W. Lott Sr. Memorial Scholarship is a four-year scholarship established by the Lott family for a full-time NSU student who is an exemplary member of the Northwestern State University Community and a dependent of a Lott Oil Employee. Waylon’s father, Martin Washington, is a six-year employee of Lott Oil’s Natchitoches facility.
A Junior Communications major and member of the Demon Football Team, Waylon is a transfer from Itasca Community College in Grand Rapids, Minnesota where he received multiple academic and athletic awards including Dean’s List in 2018 and All-Conference Defensive Back in 2019. He was a member of the 2019-20 Elite Team selected by the Minnesota College Athletic Conference. According to the Red River Parish Journal, the MCAC conference stated, “The Elite Team award recognizes student-athletes who combined outstanding academic and athletic performance through the 2019-20 season. Honorees must have earned MCAC All-Academic as well as All-Division, All-Conference, All-Region and/or All-American honors. There were a total of 117 athletes who earned this prestigious award.”
A graduate of Red River High School in Coushatta, Waylon is actively involved in the Natchitoches community as a volunteer with Feed My Starving Children and Chris Waddell Day.
The Luther W. Lott Sr. Memorial Scholarship is a four-year scholarship established by the Lott family for a full-time NSU student who is the dependent of a Lott Oil employee. Waylon’s father, Martin Washington, is a six-year employee of Lott Oil’s Natchitoches facility.
About Lott Oil
Founded in 1965 and headquartered in Natchitoches, Louisiana, Lott Oil is a regional leader in fuels, lubricants, and related products and services for industrial, commercial fleet, automotive, and retail customers throughout Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas. Winner of the Chevron Regal Award and the Exxon Mobil Circle of Excellence Award, Lott Oil is a trusted leader in the national oil and gas industry.
For information on supporting student scholarships through the NSU Foundation call the Foundation at 318.357.4414.
Baton Rouge, La. (September 9, 2020) – Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Mike Strain, D.V.M., said a multi-parish burn ban issued after Hurricane Laura remains in effect.
“I’d like to remind everyone that a burn ban is still in place. Between dry conditions, areas that are still struggling to get water systems up and running again and rural fire departments in which resources are already stretched, it is important that citizens abide by the burn ban restrictions,” said Strain. “What we do not need are people burning piles of debris and those fires getting out of control with limited resources to put out those fires.”
The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) is currently working with the timber industry to establish damage assessments post Hurricane Laura. Timber is the largest commodity in the state valued at approximately $3.5 billion.
At the end of August, Strain and State Fire Marshal H. Butch Browning issued a cease and desists order for all private burning, pursuant to authority under R.S. 40:1602, for the following parishes: Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Caldwell, Cameron, Catahoula, Concordia, Grant, Jackson, Jefferson Davis, LaSalle, Lincoln, Natchitoches, Ouachita, Rapides, Red River, Sabine, Union, Vernon and Winn.
The ban does not apply to prescribed burns by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF), by those trained and certified by the LDAF, or by those who conduct prescribed burning as a “generally accepted agriculture practice” as defined by the Louisiana Right to Farm Law (R.S. 3:3601 et seq.).
Natchitoches, LA — Cane River Creole National Historical Park is pleased to announce that Oakland Plantation will reopen to the public on Thursday, Sept. 10, following a two-week closure due to Hurricane Laura.
Over the past week, park staff and members of the National Park Service Arborist Incident Response team have worked to remove a significant number of downed and hazard trees throughout the plantation grounds. Staff have been working tirelessly to clean and stabilize the park after Hurricane Laura caused minimal to moderate damage on Thursday, Aug. 27.
“We are incredibly fortunate to be able to reopen Oakland Plantation so quickly, largely in part to the outside assistance we received from our neighboring national park units and specialized arborist team. Power was restored to both plantations on Friday, which allowed clean-up efforts to move quicker than anticipated,” said Cane River Creole National Historical Park Superintendent Carrie Mardorf. “However, as Oakland reopens, Magnolia Plantation will remain closed due to ongoing hurricane clean-up efforts.”
Following guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state and local public health authorities, Cane River Creole National Historical Park is also opening the visitor restrooms and an outdoor visitor services tent and bookstore at Oakland Plantation. The National Park Service (NPS) is working servicewide with federal, state, and local public health authorities to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and using a phased approach to increase access on a park-by-park basis.
Beginning Thursday, Sept. 10, the park will offer new access to the following buildings at Oakland, with limited occupancy.
Visitor Restrooms at the Oakland Plantation Entrance Pavilion Outdoor Visitor Services Tent at Oakland Store with Cooperating Association Bookstore Oakland Plantation Cook’s Cabin In addition, the following spaces continue to be available:
Oakland Plantation Grounds Oakland Trails Oakland Visitor Parking Lot Oakland Plantation Overseer’s House Oakland Plantation North Slave/Tenant Cabin With public health and safety in mind, the following facilities remain closed at this time:
Oakland Plantation Main House Oakland Plantation Store Other sites at Cane River Creole National Historical Park remain closed or have limited access due to Hurricane Laura recovery:
Magnolia Plantation, closed until further notice as work continues to remove downed trees and hazardous limbs from the park grounds. Park Headquarters and Curation Facility, open by appointment only. The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners continues to be paramount. At Cane River Creole NHP, our operational approach continues to be centered on examining each facility function and service to ensure those operations comply with current public health guidance and are regularly monitored. We continue to work closely with the NPS Office of Public Health using CDC guidance to ensure public areas and workspaces are safe and clean.
A safe and enjoyable park experience begins at home. The NPS encourages visitors to plan their visit by checking the park’s website and social media for current conditions and travel tips. The CDC has offered guidance to help people recreating in parks and open spaces prevent the spread of infectious diseases. We ask the public to be our partner in recreating responsibly, by following CDC and state and local guidance, social distancing, and wearing a face covering when social distance cannot be maintained.
The Historic District Business Association will hold its 9th Annual “Crows on the Cane” Scarecrow Contest, on Oct. 9. This is a great opportunity to showcase your creativity while also decorating the downtown area as we welcome the fall season! Entry forms are due by October 8th to the Natchitoches Main Street Office (781 Front Street/ctucker@natchitochesla.gov).
Any businesses, organizations, non-profits, schools, or individuals are welcome to participate in the scarecrow contest. All entries will be displayed in the Historic District for judging (Businesses may display in front of their store or in their store windows). We encourage all entries to remain on display throughout the month of October. Cash prizes will be awarded.
Check-in will be at the Natchitoches Main Street Office (781 Front Street) on Oct. 9 from 8-10 AM.
For more information, contact the Main Street Office at 318.357.3822
We have now seen the national conventions of both major American political parties. Each presented their plans and platforms for governing. There should be no confusion about any of this because they have each written and stated them clearly and emphatically. What did we learn about their respective policies and agendas? The differences are stunning.
Let’s begin this week with the Biden-Harris agenda. It embraces virtually all of the socialist platform advanced by Bernie Sanders.
This includes the effort to destroy suburban neighborhoods, posing a threat to roughly two thirds of the American people including a substantial number of Black, Latino and Asian Americans who live in suburbs across America. How so? Biden-Harris seeks to advance a social engineering scheme—entitled Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing—that would result in a federal takeover of local zoning laws. The Biden-Harris plan is to, regardless of local preferences and local control, mandate that suburban neighborhoods with single-family homes and minimum lot sizes build high-density affordable housing right in the middle of these neighborhoods.
Biden-Harris also means vigorous support for abortion generally but also specifically allowing our taxpayer dollars to pay for abortions up to and through the ninth month of pregnancy; open borders and free federal benefits, including Covid relief payments, to those in the country illegally; Biden’s commitment to Beto O’Rourke that he would lead the gun control effort, including compulsory confiscation of firearms, in direct violation of the 2nd Amendment; Support for defunding the police while praising weak, leftist Democratic mayors who coddle, and prosecutors who won’t prosecute, criminals and their violence and destruction.
Biden-Harris means support of the national teachers’ unions that, among many other things, completely oppose charter schools and school choice, which would unquestionably free millions of American schoolchildren from failing schools. Some teachers’ unions have also threatened that they won’t return to school until the police are defunded and will no longer allow for Resource Police Officers on campus when they do return. Regarding unions, there would also be a major effort to repeal right-to-work laws and advance other efforts such as “card check,” a process that deceptively leads employees to vote to organize when they believe they are only agreeing to a secret ballot election.
More disturbing is that this agenda is based upon political identity and “critical race theory.” Critical race theory has as its foundation the belief that every societal flaw is based upon sexism, racism or some other form of prejudice or “systemic bias”—and so the interactions and relationships of our citizens must be closely monitored for conformity with ethnic and gender categories. All of this, of course, is to say nothing of the forced redistribution of wealth (our taxes), a massive dose of new taxes and regulation, government-run health care, elimination of the oil and gas industry and feverish devotion to the false religion of climate change.
The views and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Natchitoches Parish Journal. If you have an article or story of interest for publishing consideration by the NPJ, please send it to NPJNatLa@gmail.com.
