Service restoration in the wake of Hurricane Laura

We know how important your Suddenlink service is to you. Hurricane Laura caused significant damage across the Gulf Coast region that resulted in widespread service disruptions.

We appreciate your patience and we are offering a credit for the time that your Suddenlink service was not available after power was restored.

To request this credit, go to My Account, sign in with your Suddenlink username and password, and click “Request a Credit.”

Thanks for being a Suddenlink customer.

Sept. 4, 2020 – Cleco had restored power to roughly 119,507, or 85 percent, of the 140,000 customers affected by Hurricane Laura.

Damage Assessment Continues

With system assessment and restoration efforts ongoing, the company continues to find damage to its system.

Distribution damage to date
Crews have found 1,600 downed or broken poles, 1,000 damaged transformers, 4,600 damaged crossarms, 5,500 trees on power lines and approximately 350 miles of distribution conductor down.

Transmission damage to date
Crews have found 409 trees reported on transmission lines and 167 transmission structures damaged.

Restoration Assessment

Below are restoration updates for impacted parishes. Please note that unexpected damage could impact restoration efforts. Cleco will report updates on areas as they become available. For the most up-to-date information, follow the company on Facebook @ClecoPower and visit Cleco’s website at cleco.com.

Allen Parish
Elizabeth
Saturday, Sept. 5 expected restoration

Oakdale
Monday, Sept. 7 expected restoration

Oberlin
Wednesday, Sept. 9
Power restored to customers in city limits. Estimate power restoration to remaining customers outside city limits by Wednesday, Sept. 9

Kinder
Wednesday, Sept. 9
Power restored to customers in city limits. Estimate power restoration to customers outside city limits by Wednesday, Sept. 9

Grant Parish
Pollock
Friday, Sept. 4
Barron Road off Hwy. 165 N.
Humphries off Hwy. 165 N.
Crawford Loop
Martin Acres
Sherwood Forest
Springhill Road and Springhill Loop

Saturday, Sept. 5
One town water well
Lumberton Subdivision
Crews are working on Dyson Circle Road and expect a two to three-day restoration effort

Monday, Sept. 7
The main line on Hwy. 8 toward Fishville – Bodies Landing

Thursday, Sept. 10
Camp Hardtner area from Hunt Plywood Plant
Colfax

Friday, Sept. 4
Control House Road and Youngblood Road
Dixon Hill Road
Slayter Nichols Road

Saturday, Sept. 5
Main line on Hwy. 8 South

Sunday, Sept. 6
Nantachie area

Monday, Sept. 7
Katherine Cove
US 71 and Smith Road

Friday, Sept. 11
Iatt Dam Road – Hyde Landing – Abe Hall Road

Dry Prong
Friday, Sept. 4
Larry Braxley Road – Bethel Church Road

Sunday, Sept. 6
Hwy. 123 W.

Friday, Sept. 11
Landfill Rd./Liberty Chappel Road
Crews began working on Nelms Loop today, Friday, Sept. 4. Currently, no estimated restoration time.

Bentley
Work on Hwy 8 from Bentley going west to Parsonage Road, Grey Circle Road, Tommy Smith Road and Mundy Loop is ongoing
Expect to restore power today, Friday, Sept. 4 to some customers along Hwy. 8

Rapides Parish
Pineville
Friday, Sept. 4
Wildwood
Pearce Road
Stone Gate Villa Townhouses (possibly)

Saturday, Sept. 5
Windy Lane
Wonder Lane
Wood Drift Circle
Northwood Drive
Sandy Lane
Audrey Drive
Kathy Drive

Libuse/Esler Field
Friday, Sept. 4
Holiday Boulevard
Lake Drive
Holiday Circle
Choctaw Hill
Arrowhead

Saturday, Sept. 5
Donahue Ferry Road
Grand Pierre
Dauzart Lane

Glenmora
Monday, Sept. 7
Power restored to 85 percent of customers. Estimate power will be restored to remaining customers by Monday, Sept. 7.

Forest Hill
Tuesday, Sept. 8
Power restored to 85 percent of customers. Estimate power will be restored to remaining customers by Tuesday, Sept. 8.

Sabine Parish
Friday, Sept. 4
Zwolle, Many, Toledo Bend Corridor

Vernon Parish
Saturday, Sept. 5
Lions Camp Club Community

Monday, Sept. 7
Lee Hill Subdivision
Leesville city limits
Crews continue to work scattered outages.

Beauregard Parish
DeRidder – Power restored to critical infrastructure, and some downtown businesses. Since yesterday, Sept. 3, power restored to 888 customers. Extreme damage; restoration will be a multiweek effort.
Merryville – Crews are working in this area and will remain until power is restored to all customers. Extreme damage; restoration will be a multiweek project.

Calcasieu Parish
Dequincy – One of the hardest hit areas. Crews are working to clear debris and assess damage. Infrastructure must be rebuilt before power can be restored.

Natchitoches Mayor Ronnie Williams spoke at a joint press conference hosted by the city of Natchitoches and Natchitoches Parish Government Friday at Northwestern State University where officials discussed ongoing hurricane recovery efforts in the region, including the restoration of power and other services. The press conference took place near a temporary basecamp, visible in the background, where about 800 linemen from around the country are being housed as they work around the clock to restore power to affected areas.

Also joining the press conference were, from left, Col. Ken Baillie, Louisiana National Guard; City of Natchitoches Fire Chief John Wynn, Natchitoches Parish President John Richmond, Natchitoches Police Chief Mickey Dove, Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell, SWEPCO President Malcom Smoak and NSU’s Director of University Affairs Jennifer Kelly.

Sept. 4, 2020 – SWEPCO estimates power will be restored to 95% of customers in the Hornbeck area by 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8. Community-by-community restoration estimates are listed below.

“We know our customers are struggling in the devastation left behind by Hurricane Laura,” said Malcolm Smoak, SWEPCO president and chief operating officer. “Our crews are committed to working through this exceptional storm damage and getting your lights on. There is no holiday weekend for us or for folks without power. Thousands of line and tree personnel are working to restore power as safely and quickly as possible.”

Workers have identified more than 1,400 utility poles broken by Hurricane Laura, including more than 770 in the Hornbeck area.

Overall, 12 of 29 circuits serving the Natchitoches area have been fully repaired, One of the 17 circuits serving communities near Hornbeck has been completely fixed. Three additional circuits are 95% complete.

At 6 p.m. Friday, SWEPCO reported 17,300 customers without power in Central Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura, including 11,300 in the Hornbeck area and 6,000 in the Natchitoches area.

Estimated Times of Restoration

Estimates are for 95% of customers who can take power. Many customers’ power will be restored sooner.

Hornbeck Area:

Leesville – Friday 11:59 PM – North to Anacoco & East on Hwy 111
Saturday 11:59 PM – Hawthorne to Foul Road on Hwy 8; Golf course to Tank Trail on 117 North

Monday 11:59 PM – East 28 & Slagle Road

Noble – Friday 11:59 PM – Ebarb School, North Toledo State Park, 191 South

Negreet – Saturday 11:59 PM – Hwy 476 & Hwy 191 South; Hwy 191 North to 1215 & Hwy 6 West to State Line

Hornbeck – Friday 11:59 PM – Anacoco – Hwy 111W
Saturday 11:59 PM – Hornbeck – Burr Ferry
Sunday 11:59 PM – Florien city limits to Hwy 463 to Hwy 191
Monday 11:59 PM – Plainview & Peason

Kurthwood – Monday 11:59 PM – North on 117 to Kisatchie fire tower; South to Tank Trail on Hwy 117 & Hwy 465

Hicks – Saturday 11:59 PM – To Simpson – parish line Tuesday 11:59 PM – Hicks to Slagle – Hwy 8 to Simpson; Hwy 121 to Leander

Many – Saturday 11:59:00 PM – South to Florien – East on 118 to Mt. Carmel Church
Sunday 11:59 PM – Hwy 6 West of Many, Airport, Shut Eye Road, to Negreet Road

Natchitoches Area:

Provencal 
10 p.m. Friday – Hagewood Hwy 6 to Hwy 504 Oak Grove community
10 p.m. Saturday – Hwy 120 Provencal and east to Cypress
10 p.m. Sunday –Hagewood Hwy. 6 to Robeline
10 p.m. Monday – Provencal and south on Hwy. 117 to Belwood

Verda
10 p.m. Sunday – Verda Hwy 122 to Montgomery; Verda Hwy. 471 and Hwy 122 to Dry Prong
10 p.m. Monday – Hwy. 471 Verda to Atlanta, La;

Derry
10 p.m. Saturday – Derry La Hwy. 119 to Melrose; Derry La Hwy 1 north to Cypress, La
10 p.m. Sunday – Derry La Hwy. 1 south to Marco

Many 
10 p.m. Friday – Many Marthaville Rd
10 p.m. Sunday – Many Hwy 6 runs east to Robeline Ft. Jessup area

Marthaville
10 p.m. Saturday – Marthaville Hwy. 120 to Robeline; Marthaville Hwy 120 to Natchitoches Parish/Sabine Parish line

Cane River
10 p.m. Saturday- Hwy. 1 south to Natchez and Hwy 1 bypass to I-49

Grand Ecore
10 p.m. Sunday – Hwy. 6 west of Grand Ecore and Clarence community, St. Maurice, Montgomery

Campti
10 p.m. Friday – Campti Hwy 71 south to Clarence
10 p.m. Saturday – Campti Hwy. 71 north to Fairview;
10 p.m. Monday – Campti Hwy. 480 east to Sandy Point

Colfax
10 p.m. Monday – Colfax Hwy 492 to Rock Hill community, Meade Rd

Outage Update
Crews continue to repair power lines that deliver electricity from those substations to homes and businesses across Central Louisiana.

SWEPCO has restored power to 24,700 Central Louisiana customers. At the peak after the hurricane, 42,000 customer were without power in Bienville, DeSoto, Grant, Natchitoches, Red River, Sabine, Vernon and Winn parishes.

For all of SWEPCO, power has been restored to almost 119,000 customers, or about 87%, of those without power after Hurricane Laura struck SWEPCO’s service area as a Category 2 storm on Thursday, Aug. 27.

September 2, 2020

FROM: City of Natchitoches
Purchasing Department
1400 Sabine Street
Natchitoches, LA 71457

RFP NO. 0267

BID TITLE: Debris Removal and Disposal Services – Hurricane Laura

The RFP can be viewed and downloaded from the City of Natchitoches’ web site at www.natchitochesla.gov

SEALED RFP PROPOSALS WILL BE RECEIVED UNTIL 2:00 PM, September 8, 2020

PLACE:
AT THE OFFICE OF EDD LEE
DIRECTOR OF PURCHASING
1400 SABINE STREET, NATCHITOCHES, LA 71457.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT THE FOLLOWING:

Edd Lee
DIRECTOR OF PURCHASING
(318) 357-3824

 

NATCHITOCHES:
Bertha Wardsworth of Natchitoches, Louisiana
August 31, 2020
Arrangements TBA

Rev. Simpson “COOTAU” Williams
September 1, 2020
Arrangements TBA

Annie Lee Petite
January 20, 1949 – August 26, 2020
Service: Saturday, September 5 at 11 am in the Jackson Square Cemetery. ALL ATTENDING MUST WEAR FACIAL MASKS AND OBSERVE SOCIAL DISTANCING.

SABINE:
Nellie Rice Law
February 27, 1923 – September 3, 2020
Service: Saturday, September 5 at 11 am at Ebenezer Baptist Church

James Bart Crittenden
July 2, 1971 – August 31, 2020
Service: Sunday, September 6 at 2 pm at Warren Meadows Funeral Home Chapel

WINN:
Roger Vines
September 21, 1950 – September 03, 2020
Arrangements TBA

Parker Levi Cummings
January 03, 1991 – September 03, 2020
Service: Sunday, September 6 at 2:30 pm at First Baptist Church

Repairs have been completed to 19 of the 20 substations knocked out of service by Hurricane Laura. Crews continue to repair power lines that deliver electricity from those substations to homes and businesses across Central Louisiana. 

As of 7 p.m. Thursday, 21,000 customers remained without service.

“We are installing a 1-megawatt generator as an alternate source of power for a substation near Leesville – the last substation serving SWEPCO customers that was damaged by the hurricane,” said Drew Seidel, SWEPCO vice president of Distribution Region Operations. “As we’ve worked to repair the substations, hundreds of line crews continue to rebuild the power lines fed by the substations.”

Approximately 1,100 poles were damaged or broken by Hurricane Laura, Seidel said. Replacing utility poles is some of the most time-consuming work in storm restoration.

“It may take a crew working safely and quickly five hours to replace a single pole,” Seidel said. “Repair work takes longer if a tree crew needs to cut trees away from downed lines or the broken pole is difficult to access – across standing water or mired in mud.” 

Crews add cross-arms, insulators and other hardware to the poles, install transformers in some locations, and get the conductors back up in the air. Throughout the process, workers focus on safety, especially regarding lines that may be energized. 

“With the magnitude of this storm, we are working as safely and quickly as possible in hundreds of locations to replace poles and other equipment to restore power to our customers,” Seidel said.

Estimated Times of Restoration

 SWEPCO has provided details on estimated times of restoration for communities in the Natchitoches area. More localized information for communities in the Hornbeck area will be provided when available.

Estimates are for 95% of customers who can take power. Many customers will be restored sooner.

Hornbeck and surrounding communities:

10 p.m. Sunday (more detailed information to come)

Natchitoches Area: 

Provencal –

10 p.m. Friday – Hagewood Hwy 6 to Hwy 504 Oak Grove community

10 p.m. Saturday – Hwy 120 Provencal and east to Cypress

10 p.m. Sunday – Provencal and south on Hwy. 117 to Belwood; Hagewood Hwy. 6 to Robeline

Verda –

10 p.m. Saturday – Hwy. 471 Verda to Atlanta, La; Verda Hwy. 471 and Hwy 122 to Dry Prong

10 p.m. Sunday – Verda Hwy 122 to Montgomery

Derry – 

10 p.m. Thursday – Derry La Hwy 1 north to Cypress, La

10 p.m. Friday – Derry La  Hwy. 119 to Melrose

10 p.m. Saturday – Derry La Hwy. 1 south to Marco

Many –

10 p.m. Friday – Many Marthaville Rd

10 p.m. Sunday – Many Hwy 6 runs east to Robeline Ft. Jessup area

Marthaville –

10 p.m. Thursday – Marthaville Hwy 487 to Ajax

10 p.m. Saturday – Marthaville Hwy. 120 to Robeline; Marthaville Hwy 120 to Natchitoches Parish/Sabine Parish line

Cane River –

10 p.m. Saturday- Hwy. 1 south to Natchez and Hwy 1 bypass to I-49

Grand Ecore –

10 p.m. Thursday – Hwy 6 at Grand Ecore and Hwy. 3191 Oak Grove community

10 p.m. Sunday – Hwy. 6 west of Grand Ecore and Clarence community, St. Maurice, Montgomery

Campti –

10 p.m. Friday – Campti Hwy 71 south to Clarence

10 p.m. Saturday – Campti Hwy. 71 north to Fairview; Campti Hwy. 480 east to Sandy Point

Belmont –

10 p.m. Thursday – Belmont Hwy. 175 south to Many and Hwy 175 north to Pleasant Hill

Creston – 

10 p.m. Thursday – Creston Hwy. 9 to Campti, Bells Camp community

Colfax –

10 p.m. Saturday – Colfax Hwy 492 to Rock Hill community, Meade Rd

 

Outage Update

Approximately 21,000 customers remain without power in eight Central Louisiana parishes, including 12,800 in the Hornbeck area, 7,300 in the Natchitoches area and 900 in the Mansfield area. 

SWEPCO has restored power to 21,000 Central Louisiana customers. At the peak after the hurricane, 42,000 customer were without power in Bienville, DeSoto, Grant, Natchitoches, Red River, Sabine, Vernon and Winn parishes.

For all of SWEPCO, power has been restored to 115,000 customers, or about 85%, of those without power after Hurricane Laura struck SWEPCO’s service area as a Category 2 storm on Thursday, Aug. 27. 

New City Councilman for District 4, Rosemary Washington Elie, was sworn in on Sept. 3 at the Natchitoches Parish Clerk of Court’s office.

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Hurricane Laura made landfall early last Thursday morning leaving major damage throughout Louisiana. It was about 4 a.m. when the storm began blowing through Natchitoches. I like many of you, watched on weather radar as the storm’s eye crossed over Sibley Lake. It was very discouraging to sit in the dark, listening to trees fall and power transformers blow after all our community has been through lately. It’s been a tough summer and I don’t know of anyone who wanted it to end with a hurricane.

The Storm left a good deal of damage, but the sun came up and brought encouragement with it. It’s hard to stay discouraged when you see neighbors walking down the street checking on neighbors. It was encouraging to see neighborhood children picking up sticks and assisting elderly neighbors along the street. I’m not sure about every neighborhood, but in many of them by noon the power saws were humming and cleanup was already underway. By Friday we were calling neighbors we didn’t know by their first name. What a blessing to see the community pulling together putting things back together!

Psalm 148 begins with, “Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the heights above…” Later in verse 8 there’s the interesting phrase, “Praise the Lord for the stormy winds fulfilling His word.” I’m not sure of everything that phrase means, but it definitely means that God has a unique way of using even the storms of life to fulfill His promises and remind us of His goodness and grace.

Yes, storms and difficulties are some of life’s best teachers. They teach us that the material things of this world are replaceable and should be held loosely. On the other hand good friends and family are invaluable and worth holding close to the heart. Storms also provide us an opportunity to engage in life’s greatest joy, which is serving and blessing others rather than sitting idle in the heat and dark. Jesus himself said “I came to serve, not to be served.” (Mark 10:45) He was once asked what was the greatest commandment and He answered “to love God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind, and the second, to love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39)

I realize many are still struggling and dealing with damage from the storm. Please know that you are not alone and God’s grace is often only a prayer away. It’s interesting how bad storms seem to always be followed by good stories and unexpected blessings. One day we will tell stories about the year that started with a pandemic and ended with a hurricane. Hopefully our stories will include many highlights of God’s awesome goodness and grace!

Topic No. 418 Unemployment Compensation

As we recover from the damages of Hurricane Laura, it is important to protect your yourself and your property from potential fraud during Post-Storm recovery. After a natural disaster, contractors and workers from out of town will arrive to offer recovery related services such as home repair, tree cutting, and debris removal.  Many of these companies are legitimate businesses who provide professional services for a fair cost.

However, citizens must be aware of potential scammers who prey on people during this time of suffering. It is important to protect yourself from being a victim of post-storm fraud.

NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University is serving as a basecamp and staging area to utility crews from around the United States and Canada this week as linemen travel to Louisiana to restore power to storm-battered areas in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura. Thousands of people across the state have been without power since Laura made landfall in Cameron as a Category 4 storm late Wednesday, Aug. 26 and early Thursday, Aug. 27.

Logistics are facilitated through Storm Services LLC, in cooperation with regional service provider Southwestern Electric Power Company. Storm Services offers complete mobile infrastructure and disaster services and specializes in providing logistics for large numbers of workers who are temporarily relocated and require housing, food, water, laundry and sanitary facilities when a natural disaster or regional emergency occurs. The basecamp is one of eight currently up and running in Louisiana.

SWEPCO began wrapping up recovery in the Shreveport-Bossier area earlier this week and relocated its staging area at CenturyLink Center to Northwestern State.

A huge dining tent is erected in NSU’s main commuter parking lot in the center of campus with dozens of mobile sleep trailers lined up in parking lots near university residence halls for the crews that work 16-hour days. The sleep trailers can accommodate up to 30 workers each. Fleets of utility work trucks are parked at Prather Coliseum and workers are bused to and from the housing and dining facilities to start and end their shifts.

The Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts also coordinated to house linemen and other workers in nearby Caddo Hall.

“SWEPCO contacted NSU and the Louisiana School about using our campus to facilitate their mobilization,” said Jennifer Kelly, director of University Affairs. “There is nowhere else in Natchitoches Parish, the heart of SWEPCO’s Valley District, where they can park trucks and set up services for the workers.”

SWEPCO employees Mary Burton and Vera Severin were working as housing coordinators for the crews. Burton, AMR coordinator for SWEPCO, said the dining facility fed about 450 workers Tuesday and about 800 Wednesday with more expected to arrive.

The operation began Monday and workers were told to be prepared to stay through Saturday, said Severin, who is a field revenue specialist for SWEPCO. The crews are prepared hot meals served in an air-conditioned facility while also maintaining social distancing and COVID-19 safety protocols.

“With so many people across the state without power, we at NSU are happy to offer assistance to those who are working non-stop to restore power to residents and businesses,” said NSU President Dr. Chris Maggio. NSU suspended classes through Tuesday, Sept. 8, which freed up the large parking lots for the use of the basecamp. Caddo Hall is currently available as LSMSA is holding virtual classes this semester due to COVID-19.

Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell toured the basecamp Wednesday with Maggio Kelly.

SWEPCO also assisted Northwestern with their campus clean-up process after the storm blew down trees and power lines, Kelly said.

As of mid-day Wednesday, SWEPCO had restored service to about 40 percent of its 42,000 customers in the Valley District.

Jess Jobe sprinted around Turpin Stadium on a warm afternoon in early March, encouraging student-athletes who were in the infancy of spring camp.

Wife and co-head coach Anna Jobe gave birth to the couple’s first child, Sterling, the day before.

The coaching duo planned extensively how to build on a young team that rallied to tie NSU’s program record with 13 wins while raising a newborn.

Within a week, the coronavirus pandemic shut down sports across the nation.

Soccer camp paused. Recruiting trips halted. Classes moved online as students scattered back to their hometowns.

And the Jobes were able to experience each of Sterling’s milestones together instead of in shifts.

“Obviously things didn’t go as planned with the pandemic,” said Jess Jobe, who is entering his third season in Natchitoches with Anna. “We wanted to get Sterling on a schedule that would free up Anna for practices, and we would lean on some individuals in the community for help.

“We have a section of our press box that could be made into a makeshift nursery. But the really special part of this experience for us has been being able to spend a lot more time with him because of the pandemic. It took a lot of things way out of order and disrupted our daily lives and the focus we had with our team, but we got to really see him grow and develop. We got to know him and got our feet underneath us as parents. We were allowed to get into a rhythm. It’s been a really special time for us as a family.”

“Flexible.” It’s the word the Jobes use most often when describing how one navigates entering parenthood for the first time during a pandemic with tremendous uncertainty around athletics.

“It’s been a whirlwind, planning for the unexpected and not knowing what’s going to happen,” said Anna Jobe, who corralled a squirming Sterling as he reached for her lapel microphone and her hair. “But we’ve tried to be flexible and roll with the punches – we’ve been committed to doing that and the players have been great with it.

“Initially, we wanted to get Sterling on a routine and get settled in as new parents. Both sets of our family were committed to come and help, and the Natchitoches community as well as our First Baptist Natchitoches family has been awesome. To be able to see Sterling develop so rapidly together has been really special for us, and we’ve tried to soak up every moment.”

NSU teammates have soaked up moments with the family’s new addition in gatherings at the couple’s house on the banks of Cane River Lake.

Socially distanced and wearing masks, players have watched Sterling but haven’t been able to hold him yet.

“This team has been so excited and supportive since we told them we were pregnant,” Anna Jobe said. “They’ve seen us go through every step, and now that he’s here, they’re anxious to hold him and be sisters of sorts.

“Their enthusiasm has been brought more enthusiasm to Jess and I. Having a child hasn’t changed us as coaches, but it’s reiterated the things we feel are important in our program. It’s brought hands and feet and a face to the things we do because it’s made the things we try to instill in our players way more personal. We get to start from the ground up in molding a human soul, and these girls have prepared me to be a parent.”

Watching a child’s development is similar to watching a team’s growth, explained Jess Jobe.

The 2019 Lady Demons went from barely crawling to sprinting toward a Southland Conference title in a matter of weeks.

Packed with 23 freshmen and sophomores, NSU exploded after an 0-5 start to finish 13-8-1 and second in league play (8-2-1).

The Lady Demons knocked off eventual champion Lamar and roared through the league tournament to the championship game before falling to the Cardinals, 3-1.

“We had a rough start, but we never stopped believing,” said Jess Jobe, who was named Louisiana co-head coaches of the year with Anna by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association after they guided the second-youngest team in the nation to the league title game. “It’s a tribute to the coaching staff that kept pushing to find solutions and combinations and a tribute to the players who kept believing that can we play meaningful games at the end of our season despite the 0-5 start.

“We grinded out the first win at Jackson State, and it wasn’t pretty or great. But we grabbed every little bit of momentum and kept running with it.”

The Lady Demons flashed their defensive capability, holding conference opponents to eight goals in 11 regular season games before pitching a pair of shutouts in the SLC Tournament to reach the title game.

The defense featured SLC Defensive Player of the Year Nicole Henry, Nicole’s twin sister and SLC first teamer Natalie Henry and third-teamer Hallie Field among others.

The Henrys are just juniors entering this season with Field as a sophomore, all in front of goalkeeper Acelya Aydogmus who will start her second season at NSU after transferring from Troy.

“Defense is the foundation of everything we do,” said Anna Jobe, who helped lead NSU to its fifth SLC Tournament title game but first since 2005. “Our offense comes from that structure, and the girls continue to buy into that.

“Our leaders on the team talk about that and developing an even stronger defense has been a point of focus this fall. It’s exciting to see these girls take an incredible experience from last year and continue to lead this team while educating the new ones coming in.”

Soccer will look different with a scheduled spring regular season.

But the coaching staff has stressed a regular-season intensity in fall practices, which will crank back up after Labor Day.

“The table is set for our 2020 season, which has been moved to 2021,” Jess Jobe said. “In some regard, we had an excuse last year of being young with not much postseason experience, but coming into this year, we’ve drawn from our experience.

“We talk to our players about assessing their role and working to increase that role within the team through hard work. But what was special about last year’s team is that everybody bought in to the point that, when it came time to perform their role in that moment, they did what was asked of them. We’re excited about what’s to come.”

And as the Lady Demons pursue a conference title, a young Sterling will be in the stands or on the sidelines, rolling around and grabbing for the nearest object he can find.

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On September 2, 2020 the Natchitoches Police Department was made aware of a social media post describing an incident that occurred in the Historic District. The social media post mentioned that an individual was harassed while jogging downtown on August 25, 2020. After looking into this matter the Natchitoches Police Department has determined that it has not received any complaints to substantiate this matter.

With cooler weather moving into Natchitoches next week; below are a few tips on how to stay safe while out and about in our city.

Always be aware and alert of your surroundings.

Plan your route ahead of time and if possible always walk or jog with a friend.

Use well-lit streets and try to avoid dark alleys or roadways.

If a stranger attempts to talk with you continue your walk or jog and do not respond.

Never ask or accept a ride from a stranger.

Consider carrying a noise-making device such as a whistle and use it if you feel you are in danger. In the event of an emergency the sound can scare off a possible attacker and help police locate you.

Carry only what you need. Try to avoid carrying a large amount of cash or wearing flashy and excessive jewelry that can bring attention to yourself.

If possible carry your cellular phone with the Natchitoches Police Department’s phone number programmed into it or dial 911 in the event of an emergency.

We are here to serve you, our citizens and visitors, if you would like to report suspicious activity or an emergency please contact the Natchitoches Police Department at (318) 352-8101. Remember all information given shall remain confidential.

 

Northwestern State University’s Eugene P. Watson Library will host a traveling exhibit, “Determined to Rise: The Woman’s Suffrage Movement in Louisiana,” that celebrates the challenges and triumphs of the women’s suffrage movement in Louisiana in celebration of the 100th anniversary of ratification of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote.

The exhibit will be on display Monday, Sept. 14-Thursday, Sept. 24 in the Academic Success Center on the first floor of the library. Library hours are 7:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday, closed Saturday and 2-10 p.m. Sunday

Developed by the Centennial Women’s Suffrage Project (CWSP) at Southeastern Louisiana University and with grant support from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities (LEH) Rebirth grant program the exhibit consists of eight panels depicting photos of Louisiana suffragists, a timeline of significant events, the movement from the African-American woman’s perspective, laws that have changed since women gained the vote and Louisiana women who have made their mark on history.

The exhibit consists of four double-sided retractable stand posters, 31.5” x 89.75”, a guest book for thoughts and reflections, suffragette costume, and video.

For more information, contact Anna MacDonald at macdonalda@nsula.edu.

The Lady Bass Anglers Association Women’s Pro Bass Tournament (scheduled for Sept. 11-12 in Natchitoches) and the “Get Hooked” program at the Louisiana Sports hall of Fame, which would have featured some of the top female competitors in the nation (scheduled for Sept. 5) have been cancelled due to hurricane Laura aftermath. Natchitoches hopes to have the LBAA back next year!

Please help the Natchitoches Police Department congratulate Officers Jonathan Jones and Rudy Glass. Each of them has been promoted to the rank of Corporal.

• 

• 

DATE: September 2, 2020

FROM: City of Natchitoches
Purchasing Department
1400 Sabine Street
Natchitoches, LA 71457

RFP NO. 0267

BID TITLE: Debris Monitoring Services – Hurricane Laura
The RFP can be viewed and downloaded from the City of Natchitoches’ web site at www.natchitochesla.gov

SEALED RFP PROPOSALS WILL BE RECEIVED UNTIL 2:00 PM on September 8, 2020. 

PLACE: 
AT THE OFFICE OF EDD LEE
DIRECTOR OF PURCHASING
1400 SABINE STREET
NATCHITOCHES, LA 71457.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT THE FOLLOWING:

Edd Lee
DIRECTOR OF PURCHASING
(318) 357-3824

Contestants are being sought for the 2020 Natchitoches Queens Scholarship Program to be held Saturday, September 26, 2020 at the Natchitoches Events Center. This year the Natchitoches Queens Scholarship Program includes the Miss Merry Christmas Pageant. All events will be held at the Natchitoches Events Center on Saturday, September 26, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the pageant will not be open to the public. Each participant will be allowed to bring a specified number of guests to the crowning following the completion of interviews.

The Miss Merry Christmas Pageant is open to young ladies who will be enrolled in the twelfth grade in a Natchitoches Parish school. Participants compete in scholastic achievement, interview, and opening statement. The winner will be crowned Miss Merry Christmas and will receive a cash scholarship and other prizes and awards. Christmas Belles will also be selected from the pageant. Miss Merry Christmas will serve as the official hostess of the Natchitoches Christmas Festival. She and the Christmas Belles will represent Natchitoches at various events throughout the holiday season.

There is a $75 entry fee to enter the Miss Merry Christmas Pageant. There must be at least 10 girls entered in the Miss Merry Christmas pageant for the pageant to take place. All applications and entry fees for the Miss Merry Christmas Pageant must be returned to the Main Street Office at 781 Front Street, Natchitoches, no later than Friday, September 11, 2020 at 4:30 p.m. Applications can be picked up at the Natchitoches Main Street Office Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.or requested via email. For more information, please contact Jill Leo at (318) 357-3822.

 

NATCHITOCHES:
Bertha Wardsworth of Natchitoches, Louisiana
August 31, 2020
Arrangements TBA

Rev. Simpson “COOTAU” Williams
September 1, 2020
Arrangements TBA

Annie Lee Petite
January 20, 1949 – August 26, 2020
Service: Saturday, September 5 at 11 am in the Jackson Square Cemetery. ALL ATTENDING MUST WEAR FACIAL MASKS AND OBSERVE SOCIAL DISTANCING.

SABINE:
James Bart Crittenden
July 2, 1971 – August 31, 2020
Service: Sunday, September 6 at 2 pm at Warren Meadows Funeral Home Chapel

Floyd Ray Brevelle
November 19, 1950 – September 1, 2020
Service: Friday, September 4 at 3 pm at Warren Meadows Funeral Home Chapel

Joy Dee Ferrant of Zwolle, Louisiana
July 3, 1926 – August 27, 2020
Service: Friday, September 4 at 10 am at Warren Meadows Funeral Home Chapel

Ronald Turner Britt
December 17, 1941 – August 28, 2020
Service: Friday, September 4 at 10 am at Florien City Cemetery

WINN:
Virgie Lea Wilson
September 22, 1942 – September 01, 2020
Service: Friday, September 4 at 11 am at the First Baptist Church of Jena

Doyle Douglas Lasyone
March 23, 1946 – August 29, 2020
Service: Friday, September 4 at 10 am at Kinner & Stevens Funeral Home

NCHS will provide IPAD’s to students who are registered for virtual learning. On September 3rd and 4th students will be issued an IPad. The students parent must come and sign a consent form for the student to receive the device. All virtual students must be registered at NCHS to receive an IPad.

Devices will be issued based on the following schedule:

Thursday
8:00 A-B
9:00 C-D
10:00 E-Je
11:00 Jo-L

Friday
8:00 M-O
9:00 P-R
10:00 S-V
11:00 W-Z

SWEPCO has pushed the estimated restoration times for many Central Louisiana communities to the weekend because crews have encountered more damage and difficulties with accessing work sites in the wake of Hurricane Laura.

“We recognize this is a tremendous hardship for our customers,” said Malcolm Smoak, SWEPCO president and chief operating officer. “Workers are reporting major damage to the power grid. Their repair work been slowed by standing water, mud and downed trees.”

“We’re also focused on getting more detailed restoration information to individual customers,” Smoak continued. “Updates are posted to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as well as SWEPCO.com. We appreciate your continued patience.”

Natchitoches Area Estimated Times of Restoration
(95% of customers who can take power)

Provencal –

10 p.m. Friday – Hagewood Hwy 6 to Hwy 504 Oak Grove community
10 p.m. Saturday – Hwy 120 Provencal and east to Cypress
10 p.m. Sunday – Provencal and south on Hwy. 117 to Belwood; Hagewood Hwy. 6 to Robeline

Verda –

10 p.m. Saturday – Hwy. 471 Verda to Atlanta, La; Verda Hwy. 471 and Hwy 122 to Dry Prong
10 p.m. Sunday – Verda Hwy 122 to Montgomery

Derry –

10 p.m. Thursday – Derry La Hwy 1 north to Cypress, La
10 p.m. Friday – Derry La Hwy. 119 to Melrose
10 p.m. Saturday – Derry La Hwy. 1 south to Marco

Many –

10 p.m. Friday – Many Marthaville Rd
10 p.m. Sunday – Many Hwy 6 runs east to Robeline Ft. Jessup area

Marthaville –

10 p.m. Thursday – Marthaville Hwy 487 to Ajax
10 p.m. Saturday – Marthaville Hwy. 120 to Robeline; Marthaville Hwy 120 to Natchitoches Parish/Sabine Parish line

Cane River –

10 p.m. Wednesday – Keyser Ave and Blanchard Rd, Sudberry subdivision
10 p.m. Saturday- Hwy. 1 south to Natchez and Hwy 1 bypass to I-49

Grand Ecore –

10 p.m. Thursday – Hwy 6 at Grand Ecore and Hwy. 3191 Oak Grove community
10 p.m. Sunday – Hwy. 6 west of Grand Ecore and Clarence community, St. Maurice, Montgomery

Campti –

10 p.m. Friday – Campti Hwy 71 south to Clarence
10 p.m. Saturday – Campti Hwy. 71 north to Fairview; Campti Hwy. 480 east to Sandy Point

Belmont –

10 p.m. Wednesday – Belmont Hwy. 120 to Marthaville
10 p.m. Thursday – Belmont Hwy. 175 south to Many and Hwy 175 north to Pleasant Hill

Powhattan –

10 p.m. Wednesday – Powhattan Hwy. 1 North to Hwy 174 and Hwy 174 west to Ajax; Powhattan Hwy 1 south to Natchitoches

Creston –

10 p.m. Wednesday – Creston Hwy 9 north to Reidhimer and Saline; Creston Hwy 9 Hwy. 156 to Goldonna
10 p.m. Thursday – Creston Hwy. 9 to Campti, Bells Camp community

Colfax –

10 p.m. Saturday – Colfax Hwy 492 to Rock Hill community, Meade Rd

On Tuesday, SWEPCO extended its estimated time of restoration for Hornbeck and surrounding communities to 10 p.m. Sunday, based on additional damage assessment and observations by crews working in the area. More localized information will be provided when available.

Estimates are for 95% of customers who can take power. Many customers will be restored sooner.

Outage Update

As of 6 p.m. Wednesday, approximately 25,000 customers remain without power in eight Central Louisiana parishes, which took the full force of Hurricane Laura as a Category 2 storm.

SWEPCO has restored power to 17,000 Central Louisiana customers. At the peak after the hurricane, 42,000 customer were without power in Bienville, DeSoto, Grant, Natchitoches, Red River, Sabine, Vernon and Winn parishes.

The remaining outages include 14,000 customers in the Hornbeck area, 10,000 in the Natchitoches area and less than 1,000 in the Mansfield area.

“Our base camps in Leesville, Natchitoches and Shreveport and our regular SWEPCO operations centers across Central Louisiana continue to provide staging areas for thousands of workers from 15 states and Canada,” said Drew Seidel, SWEPCO vice president of Region Distribution Operations.

“We relocated all resources from our base camp in Bossier City to the Northwestern State University campus in Natchitoches Thursday to support existing operations in Natchitoches and Hornbeck,” he said. “Each base camp provides housing, showers, meals, fuel for vehicles, and all construction materials for hundreds of personnel.”

At the peak, 94% of SWEPCO’s Central Louisiana customers were without power. Twenty of the region’s 26 substations were off-line, and 64 of the region’s 71 distribution circuits were off-line. All but three substations have been re-energized. Work continues on all primary and laterals lines on circuits across the region, along with exploring alternate feeds or solutions to restore power. SWEPCO is continuing to work with Entergy and Cleco at points where the companies’ systems are connected.

For all of SWEPCO, power has been restored to 111,000 customers, or about 82%, of those without power after Hurricane Laura struck Thursday, Aug. 27.

Public Safety

· Customers without power who are on life support systems or need uninterrupted electric service for health reasons should make alternate arrangements for extended outages. Louisiana residents can call 211 to find cooling centers and other assistance.

· Be careful when driving or walking in all utility crew work zones.

· Maintain at least six feet of physical distance between yourself and SWEPCO field personnel as we all play a crucial role in preventing the spread of coronavirus.

· Workers are practicing social distancing and other measures to stay healthy and prevent the spread of coronavirus, making the recovery effort especially challenging.

· Downed power lines – Never touch a downed utility wire, no matter how harmless it looks. Don’t touch anything in contact with the line, such as trees, fences or puddles of water. Stay away and keep others away. Call SWEPCO immediately

· Portable generators – If you use a portable or RV generator, do not plug the generator into your circuit box. Portable generators “backfeed” electricity up the line and risk the lives of repair workers and the public. Follow the manufacturers’ instructions carefully, and plug essential appliances directly into the generator.

When Customer Repairs Are Needed

· SWEPCO cannot connect power to a home or business if there is damage to the service entrance, which is owned by the customer.

· Customers need to have a qualified electrician repair this damage before power can be restored. The service entrance includes the metal box housing SWEPCO’s meter, the “weatherhead” pipe on top of the meter box, the service entrance cables running from the weatherhead through the meter box to the inside panel box, and other related facilities. Similar responsibilities apply to underground service.

· After repairs are made, contact SWEPCO to have power restored.