State Senator for District 31 Louie Bernard said he and his family members located in Natchitoches Parish are coping without electricity in the wake of Hurricane Laura, but they’re not hurting as much as a lot of folks.

“There’s such massive damage to power lines that it’s to be expected,” he said during an interview with the Natchitoches Parish Journal on Sept. 2.

Bernard has taken a position of support when it comes to his role amidst recovery efforts. He likened it to having 10 quarterbacks on the field, which is a recipe for disaster. Bernard is working with Mary Jones, Assistant Director for the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness; Natchitoches Mayor Ronnie Williams Jr., and Parish President John Richmond to help meet the needs of residents within his district. As he receives calls, he’s filtering information to the right parties. He’s also handling Medicaid, Veterans Affairs and water system issues as they arise.

Bernard had a meeting with SWEPCO President COO Malcolm Smoak on Sept. 2 to receive an update on the restoration efforts in the Natchitoches area. To put the overall situation into layman’s terms, imagine drawing a rectangle around Natchitoches, Many and Winn Parishes. There’s substations located in the south of Natchitoches Parish, near Interstate 49 and in Winnfield. The one in Winnfield is the issue right now, but it should be repaired by Sept. 3. Fixing this substation will free up linemen to start connecting wires, which will cause a ripple effect.

Add to all this, the fact that some stations are fed by Entergy and some by CLECO. Bernard said there’s a lot of cooperation between the electric services at play. While he’s praying the estimated restoration time happens, Bernard said it very well may take 2-3 more days.

“Hurricane Laura is the biggest storm to ever hit our area and it shows,” he said.

Homes are on different feeds which explains why one section may see their lights come back on while other nearby homes may remain without power.

One positive piece of news is that Natchitoches Parish has been added to the list of parishes that are available for individual disaster assistance. Five out of the six parishes that make up Bernard’s district have been approved for disaster assistance. Anyone with claims, expenses, and damages can fill out a form, which will be submitted directly to Homeland Security in Baton Rouge.

Bernard also added that he’s been impressed by the Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts (LSMSA) and Northwestern State University, who opened 200 dorm rooms to house linemen who have traveled from outside the state to help with restoration efforts.

“This is a huge thing for our community,” he said. “It’s great to see everyone working in concert.”

Overall, Bernard asks everyone to be patient. There’s over 3,000 linemen working in Natchitoches and surrounding areas.

“This just goes to show you how much damage there is,” said Bernard.

While not directly related to recovery efforts, Bernard said he is also working on encouraging state officials to think outside the box and find a way to allow family members to visit their loved ones who are quarantined inside nursing homes. He’s not trying to minimize the risk posed to the vulnerable elderly population, but many haven’t seen their relatives since March 9 due to Covid restrictions. It’s a serious matter and Bernard feels there should be ways to accommodate visitations, even if it means outdoors, 10-feet apart with masks on.

Gov. John Bel Edwards filed a memorandum on Sept. 2 in the lawsuit regarding COVID-19 protections for the November presidential election asking the judge to direct Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin to implement the same election plan that was used for the recent elections in July and August. That plan, which was crafted by the Secretary of State and supported by the Governor and a majority of the Louisiana Legislature, offered expanded absentee voting by mail for more Louisianans affected by COVID for the upcoming elections in November and December.

The Governor refused to accept the Secretary of State’s plan for the November election because it directly contradicts the guidance of the CDC and medical experts and would require people under quarantine or who are symptomatic and those who are at high risk for serious complications and their caregivers to vote in person. It also reduces the number of early voting days from what was offered in July and August. States like Kentucky and Alabama have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by allowing much greater access to absentee balloting, but under the Secretary of State’s plan, Louisiana would have gone in the wrong direction.

“Nothing about the Secretary of State’s emergency election plan takes into account the scope of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Louisianans should not have to risk their lives to vote, which is exactly what will happen if tens of thousands of Louisianans with medical conditions that put them at high risk for COVID complications are forced to vote in person in November and December,” Gov. Edwards said. “We owe it to the people of Louisiana to get this emergency election plan right, and the Secretary of State’s plan is just 100 percent wrong.”

“Simply put, Secretary Ardoin’s plan for the November and December elections does not adequately protect the constitutional right to vote. Further, it is contrary to the recommendations of the CDC and public health experts. We can and must do better. I am hopeful that the Court will find a way to order that we implement a safe election plan for the fall elections. At a minimum, this should be the same election plan that we just used for the July and August elections to protect the health and safety of the people of Louisiana,” said Governor Edwards.

“Plans are continuing at Northwestern State University for resuming all in-person and online classes Tuesday, Sept. 8, on all NSU campuses.

There has been substantial progress in power restoration and clean-up efforts across Northwest Louisiana. The cooperative effort among utility company workers, city and parish officials, National Guard and other military personnel, local and state first responders and others involved in this massive undertaking has been impressive and is deeply appreciated.

Several student services offices are open on campus and operations continue to expand each day. The University Bookstore, Watson Library, WRAC, Chick-fil-A and Café DeMon are open with modified operating hours. Please refer to the university website for their current hours of operation. The Recreation Complex Golf Course is scheduled to reopen Friday.

Numerous students and university employees have been negatively impacted by the storm, and the Northwestern State Foundation has created a Hurricane Assistance Fund to generate revenues to assist them. Businesses and individuals may contribute to the fund through the Northwestern State Foundation at northwesternstatealumni.com/hurricane-fund/.

Some corporations are providing grants for hurricane assistance, and the NSU Foundation is preparing applications for grant funds as well.

The NSU Food Pantry is open and accepting contributions and providing canned goods and other food and supplies to students. Should you need information or wish to make a donation to the Food Pantry please contact Reatha Cox at coxr@nsula.edu.

McNeese State University, our sister institution in the University of Louisiana System, sustained enormous damage when Hurricane Laura hit the Lake Charles area. The university is planning to resume online classes later this month, and NSU has offered assistance to McNeese students who might need access to housing, dining services, computer labs, library resources, counseling and other facilities and services available at NSU.

There is a new link on the university’s webpage for students, faculty and staff to submit questions or requests for information, nsu.la/LauraQuestions. NSU personnel are continually monitoring the site and will provide information and assistance as quickly as possible.

Your patience and understanding in these difficult times are deeply appreciated. We look forward to resuming classes and other regular operations after Labor Day. Please let us know if we may assist you in any way.

The City of Natchitoches has been fortunate to receive additional donations of water from area businesses for those in need, in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura. If you are in need of water you can stop by the Natchitoches Events Center located at 750 Second Street from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 3rd.

Recipients will need to enter the Events Center via Third Street and proceed thru the parking lot to the front circle drive, exiting through the north end.

Cases of water will be distributed on a first come first serve basis. If you know of anyone in need, please share this information and have them drive thru.

For more information, please contact the Mayor’s office at (318) 352-2772.

The Louisiana Department of Health verified two additional deaths tied to Hurricane Laura as of Sept. 2, bringing the state’s current death toll to 17.

A 36-year-old man and a woman in her 80s died of heat-related illness following the storm. Both deaths were in Beauregard Parish.

Below are details on the 17 deaths LDH has verified to date:

14-year-old female, Vernon Parish, fallen tree
51-year-old male, Jackson Parish, fallen tree
68-year-old male, Acadia Parish, fallen tree
64-year-old female, Allen Parish, fallen tree
Male, Calcasieu Parish, drowning
24-year-old male, Calcasieu Parish, carbon monoxide poisoning from generator
56-year-old female, Calcasieu Parish, carbon monoxide poisoning from generator
61-year-old male, Calcasieu Parish, carbon monoxide poisoning from generator
81-year-old female, Calcasieu Parish, carbon monoxide poisoning from generator
72-year-old male, Calcasieu Parish, carbon monoxide poisoning from generator
84-year-old male, Allen Parish, carbon monoxide poisoning from generator
80-year-old female, Allen Parish, carbon monoxide poisoning from generator
57-year-old male, Calcasieu Parish, head injury after falling from roof
One resident, Calcasieu Parish, carbon monoxide poisoning
49-year-old male, Rapides Parish, storm cleanup
36-year-old male, Beauregard Parish, heat-related illness
80- to 89-year-old female, Beauregard Parish, heat-related illness
Those at greatest risk for heat-related illness include infants and children up to 4 years of age, people 65 years of age and older, people who are overweight, and people who are ill or on certain medications.

Heat stroke is the most serious heat-related illness, occurring when the body’s temperature rises rapidly, the sweating mechanism fails and the body is unable to cool down. Body temperature may rise to 106°F or higher within 10 to 15 minutes. Heat stroke can cause death or permanent disability if emergency treatment is not provided.

Warning signs of heat stroke vary but may include the following:

An extremely high body temperature (above 103°F)
Red, hot, and dry skin (no sweating)
Rapid, strong pulse
Throbbing headache
Dizziness
Nausea
Confusion
Unconsciousness

If you see any of these signs, have someone call for immediate medical assistance while you begin cooling the victim. Do the following:

Get the victim to a shady area.

Cool the victim rapidly, using whatever methods you can. For example, immerse the victim in a tub of cool water; place the person in a cool shower; spray the victim with cool water from a garden hose; sponge the person with cool water; or if the humidity is low, wrap the victim in a cool, wet sheet and fan him or her vigorously.
Monitor body temperature and continue cooling efforts until the body temperature drops to 101-102°F.

If emergency medical personnel are delayed, call the hospital emergency room for further instructions.

Do not give the victim alcohol to drink.
Get medical assistance as soon as possible.

Northwestern State fans have a chance to win a custom Vic the Demon bobblehead in an upcoming raffle.

Thirty bobbleheads will be raffled off during a Facebook Live drawing on Sept. 18 at noon, conducted through the NSU Demons Unlimited Foundation page (@DemonsUnlimited).

Raffle tickets are $10 each or $25 for a set of three tickets and can be purchased starting today www.nsudemons.com/vicraffle or at the NSU Fieldhouse.

Individuals who buy multiple tickets can win multiple bobbleheads.

All proceeds benefit NSU’s DUF, a non-profit fundraising arm of NSU Athletics that helps funds scholarships and support all 14 of the school’s Division I programs.

The DUF is increasingly focused on raising private money with decreases in revenue from the coronavirus pandemic and Hurricane Laura and increases in expenses such as an extra year of scholarships awarded to fifth-year athletes and storm-related clean up.

For more information, contact deputy athletics director Dr. Hailey Taitano at blounth@nsula.edu.

This directive is applicable to the State of Louisiana, Department of Education (“LDOE”), and all public, private, and charter PK-12 schools (“schools”) in Louisiana, including every “elementary school”, “middle school”, and “high school”, as those terms are defined in La. R.S. 17:236. The State of Louisiana, Department of Health (“LOH”) is committed to taking critical steps to ensure public health and safety and provide necessary health information. This Reporting and Data Sharing Order shall be EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY and shall remain in effect until rescinded by subsequent order of the State Health Officer (“SHO”).

POSITION: Natchitoches Events Center – General Manager

DESCRIPTION: Directs the day to day operations of the Events Center including development, programming, financial management, marketing, operations and community relations for the facility.

QUALIFICATIONS: Degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Communications or related field. Prior experience in a related field is preferred.

CONTACT: City of Natchitoches, Human Resources Department located at 1400 Sabine Street, or P.O. Box 37, Natchitoches, LA 71458-0037. Applications may also be picked up upstairs at City hall, located at 700 Second St., or you may download an application on line at http://www.natchitochesla.gov

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: Applications will be accepted Through: September 8, 2020

THE CITY OF NATCHITOCHES IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.

Cellist Paul Christopher will present a solo recital at Northwestern State University on Thursday, Sept. 10 in Magale Recital Hall.

This recital will follow the COVID-19 protocols as established by NSU’s School of Creative and Performing Arts. There will be two recitals, one at 6 p.m. for NSU students and another at 7:30 p.m. for the general public. Each performance will last approximately 45 minutes. Masks and social distancing are required. There will be a limit of 80 attendees at each recital. The performance will be live streamed at capa.nsula.edu/livestream.

Christopher will perform works for unaccompanied cello by three Pulitzer Prize winning American composers, Donald Martino, Roger Sessions and Charles Wuorinen.

Christopher is an associate professor of music theory and low strings at Northwestern State. He has appeared as soloist with orchestras in Colorado, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas, and Panamá. Christopher has performed guest artist recitals in Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, Tennessee, Texas, Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama and South Korea. He has presented and performed at conferences in Alabama, Louisiana, New Mexico, North Carolina and Ohio.

Christopher’s articles have been published in the Jacques Offenbach Society Newsletter, Strings, American String Teacher and Bass World. He has on appeared numerous recordings as a former member of the Nashville String Machine. Christopher has recorded music by contemporary composers Don Freund, Dinos Constantinides and Mark Lee, as well as seven recordings devoted to the cello music of Jacques Offenbach. 

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

Marjorie Laverne Richards
January 28, 1929 – August 31, 2020
Service: Wednesday, September 2 at 2:30 pm in the chapel of Edmonds Funeral Home in Jonesboro

James “Jim” Thomas Quitta
October 29, 1931 – August 30, 2020
Service: Wednesday, September 2 at 10 am at Garden of Memories in Winnfield

RED RIVER:
Molly Paul Hite
July 02, 1940 – August 28, 2020
Service: Thursday, September 3 at 2 pm at First Baptist Church

NATCHITOCHES, LOUISIANA – On September 2, 2020, the Natchitoches Parish School Board announced the new hire of Lee Waskom as the Supervisor of Business Affairs for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year.

William Lee Waskom has been a resident of Natchitoches Parish for more than 55 years and has owned multiple businesses throughout the years. Waskom graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Northwestern State University in 1986. After graduation, he founded Campus Corner, a college bookstore, which lasted over 25 years and grew to 7 locations across Northwest Louisiana.

“We are excited to welcome Mr. Waskom to our team,” says NPSB Superintendent, Grant Eloi. “With his vast years of knowledge in business and financial management, we know we hired the right person for the job, and I can’t wait to see what he will bring to our team here at NPSB.”

Waskom currently serves as the property owner and developer of Waskom Enterprises, which has grown to four different locations across the State of Louisiana. He is also currently active as a member of the Rotary Club and serves as Treasurer of the Historic District Business Association, which runs Natchitoches’ Christmas Festival and Annual Car Show.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge and bringing my experience to the table, said Waskom. 

The City of Natchitoches’ Distribution System would like to notify the public the Boil Advisory issued for the I-49 Corridor extending to Highway 6 and Old Highway 6 on Thursday, August 28, 2020 has been lifted. The Louisiana Department of Health collected a sample of water from Johnson Chute on Tuesday, September 1, 2020 and notified the City of Natchitoches on Wednesday, September 2, 2020 the water was safe for human consumption and use.

At this time there are no other boil advisories in place for Waterworks District #1 in the City of Natchitoches’ Distribution System. There has been some information distributed on social media, not by the City of Natchitoches, which has made this unclear for our customers.

The City of Natchitoches appreciates the public’s patience during this time.

Sept. 2, 2020 — Below are customer outages by parish as of 9 a.m.

Hurricane Laura brought some much needed rainfall to our area.
From the National Weather Service Shreveport office:

Here are the rainfall totals from Hurricane Laura as it moved through the region on August 27th through the early morning hours of the 28th:

New City Councilman for District 3, Chris Petite, was sworn in on Sept. 1 at the Natchitoches Parish Clerk of Court’s office.

Cleco offers more restoration updates on impacted parishes

Sept. 1, 2020 – As of 6 p.m. today, power has been restored to over 97,000 of the 140,000 customers affected by Hurricane Laura.

Below are restoration updates on impacted parishes. Cleco will report updates on areas as they become available. 

Grant and Rapides parishes

The crews in Rapides and Grant parishes have made progress restoring customers’ power. To-date, power has been restored to nearly 26,000 customers in these two parishes.

Forest Hill: Crews are working and expect to complete restoration by the end of the week.

Glenmora: Power will be restored to some customers tomorrow afternoon. It is expected that power will be restored to remaining customers by the end of the week.

DeSoto, Natchitoches, Red River and Sabine parishes

Campti: Power restored to all customers who can receive it.

Clarence: Power restored to the Port of Natchitoches.

Stanley Community on Toledo Bend: Power should be restored today to all customers who can receive it.

Pelican community: Power should be restored today to all customers who can receive it.

Natchitoches Parish: Power restored to all customers who can receive it.

Converse/Lake Area: Last night, power was restored to majority of customers who can receive power. Crews expect power to be restored to remaining customers today.

Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu and Vernon parishes

Rosepine, Leesville, DeRidder and Dequincy: These areas are heavily damaged. Crews are working and additional resources are being allocated. While crews will be working from daylight until dark, this could be a multiweek restoration project.

Oakdale: Power to critical infrastructure has been restored. Crews working on residential customers.

Town of Elizabeth: Tree trimmers currently working to remove debris. Crews estimate restoration will take four to five days.

Kinder: Power restored to the casino last night, as well as to customers inside the city limits. Crews also working to restore power to the rural areas outside the city.

Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO) continues to add crews, equipment and materials to its recovery effort in the Central Louisiana areas damaged most heavily by Hurricane Laura.

“Extensive flooding, heavy tree damage, difficult access and many other challenges make power restoration in Hornbeck, Natchitoches and the many surrounding communities especially challenging,” said Drew Seidel, SWEPCO vice president of Distribution Region Operations. “Based on additional damage assessment and what our crews are seeing in the repair work they have already completed, we are extending the estimated time of restoration for the Hornbeck area to 10 p.m. Sunday. Many customers will be back on before then, but we want customers to be prepared for the possibility of a longer outage.”

SWEPCO has restored power to 13 of the 20 substations knocked out by the hurricane. “We are making good progress on the remaining seven stations, which include several points where we are connected to the Entergy and Cleco systems,” Seidel said. “We’re aware of some public concern that this may delay their power restoration, but we are rebuilding our system and working closely with Entergy and Cleco to get as many customers restored as quickly as possible. Other than Hornbeck, we have not changed our estimated times of restoration.”

As work has wrapped up in Northwest Louisiana, crews are moving to join those already deployed in Central Louisiana. An additional base camp has opened in Natchitoches to support operations in Hornbeck and Natchitoches.

As of 7 p.m. Tuesday, about 29,000 customers in Central Louisiana remained without power, along with 400 in the Shreveport-Bossier area.

SWEPCO’s workforce has restored power to more than 106,000 customers, or about 78% of the 136,000 customers who lost power in the wake of Hurricane Laura.

Estimated Times of Restoration

Power will be restored to 95% of customers in cities and surrounding areas before the estimates below. Your power may be restored sooner.

· Shreveport – 10 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 1

· Mansfield – 10 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1

· Natchitoches – 10 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3

· Hornbeck – 10 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 6

Customers without power who are on life support systems or need uninterrupted electric service for health reasons should make alternate arrangements.

Louisiana residents can call 211 to find cooling centers and other assistance.

Working Safely

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

· 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.

· Also, be careful when driving or walking in all utility crew work zones.

Public Safety

· Downed power lines – Never touch a downed utility wire, no matter how harmless it looks. It can be difficult to distinguish between a power line and a cable or telephone line. All downed lines should be considered energized and dangerous. And don’t touch anything in contact with the line, such as trees, fences or puddles of water, since they can conduct electricity. Keep children and pets away from this potential hazard. Call SWEPCO to report any downed lines or equipment.

· 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 to Call an Electrician

· 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.

On Tuesday, our utility crews had some setbacks across the city in restoring power, but have continued to restore more customers throughout the day. If power has been restored to your area and you experience a new outage, please let us know.

Samples were sent to the lab today in reference to the Boil Advisory for the I-49 Corridor. We expect to have those results tomorrow and hoping to be able to rescind the advisory.

Additionally, our areas continues to experience heat index values between 100 and 110 degrees, making heat-related illnesses for those spending time outdoors or without air conditioning more likely. Please continue to check on your friends, relatives and neighbors who do not have power during this time and be mindful of these temperatures if you are working to clear debris of your property.

By Brad Dison

The brutal unsolved murders by the individual commonly referred to as Jack the Ripper is one of the most famous criminal cases in history. In 1888, Jack the Ripper violently murdered at least five women in London’s Whitechapel district. Some authors claim there were many more victims, several even speculate on the real identity of the murderer. However, the case remains unsolved.

Since his horrifying murder spree, newspapers columnists have used the name Jack as a place name whenever the culprit of a crime was unknown. There have been many bad Jacks such as “Jack the Kisser,” a man who kissed unwilling women, “Jack the Peeper,” what we now call a “Peeping Tom,” “Jack the Smasher,” who broke into homes and destroyed everything within without taking a single item. One irritated newspaper columnist argued that “the ‘Jack’ business has become a fad among the vicious and nothing short of a few doses of cold lead will cure it.”

There was another Jack, who had his own unique crime spree. Unlike Jack the Ripper, our Jack struck in broad daylight rather than at night. Like Jack the Ripper, our Jack attacked and disappeared seemingly without a trace. Jack the Ripper’s murder spree, by most accounts, only lasted a few weeks and occurred within a small geographic region. Our Jack victimized girls in multiple cities and in multiple states. The first reports of our Jack were in Brooklyn, New York.

On Thursday morning, January 8, 1891, Miss Lulu Hewittwalked the several blocks from her home on Schermerhorn Street to her school at the corner of 3rd Avenue and State Street in Brooklyn. During her walk, Lulu felt something cold touch her neck, but thought little of it since it was a cold morning. When she arrived at school, her friends pointed out that something of hers was missing. She remembered that a man, whom she was unable to describe except that he was tall and slim, had passed unusually close to her while she was walking.

A week later, January 15, a young girl named Mamie McMurray peered into a store window on Grand Street. After a few minutes, she realized something of hers was missing. Mamie was focused on the items displayed in the shop’s window and failed to notice anyone approach her. She looked around but saw nothing and no one unusual.

On January 20, two young girls, Eva Whitehead and Nellie Kaiser, left their school at noon to visit Eva’s aunt’s home for lunch. Eva’s aunt lived just a few houses down from the school. In the middle of a crosswalk, Eva felt a slight tug and thought something had gotten caught on one of her jacket’s buttons. She adjusted her jacket and continued to her aunt’s home. When she and Nellie arrived, Eva’s aunt pointed out something was out of place. Only then did Eva realize someone had tried to steal something from her. Jack had failed this time. Eva remembered that a tall, slim man had brushed close by her side in the crosswalk. Nellie was unaware that anything had happened and had not noticed the man.

At about 8:30 a.m. on January 26, Gertrude Breast left her home and walked toward her school. During her walk, she noticed a man whom she had seen on several occasions. She had previously suspected that the man was watching her. As she neared her school, she noticed someone was walking unnaturally close to her. She turned and saw the man whom she had suspected of watching her. The man, armed with a large knife or a pair of scissors, grabbed the object of his obsession, cut it free, and quickly walked away. Gertrude was in shock. She was the first to give a proper description to police. She said the man was “about 30 years of age, 5 feet 8 inches, medium build, light mustache, black derby hat, blue pea jacket.” Even with Gertrude’s description, police were unable to locate a suspect.

At first, police doubted that the attacks had taken place. However, three young boys had seen Gertrude’s attacker, armed as Gertrude had described, just before the attack. During their investigation, police learned of other girls who had been Jack’s victims. In the Summer of 1890, Florence Billings had an almost identical encounter with Jack. Unlike Gertrude, she was unable to provide a description of Jack.

Jack seemed to disappear for a while. He, or most likely a copycat, began his dastardly deeds again in 1914, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This Jack used the darkness of “5 and 10 cent ‘movie’ theaters” to commit his crimes. Jack sat in theaters and watched as the crowd entered and took their seats. Then, he selected his victims and calmly sat directly behind them. Only after the film ended would the girls realize that they had been victimized. These incidents became so frequent that movie theaters in the region began showing warnings on their movie screens before the feature presentation.

Although Jack put a cold blade next to the throats and necks of numerous young girls, he was no murderer. Jack never physically harmed his victims. Most of them only realized they had been victimized well after the attack had taken place. Incidents such as these occurred in multiple cities in the United States. Many more cases certainly occurred but were never reported to police or printed in newspapers. Jack had a condition known as trichophilia. Jack’s obsession was cutting and collecting long braided hair. Because of his infatuation, newspapers dubbed him “Jack the Snipper.”

Sources:
1. Buffalo Morning Express and Illustrated Buffalo Express, February 20, 1889, p.4.
2. The Brooklyn Citizen, January 21, 1891, p.1.
3. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, January 28, 1891, p.6.
4. The Hope Pioneer (Hope, North Dakota), April 22, 1892, p.2.
5. The Des Moines Register, June 5, 1905, p.5.
6. The Los Angeles Times, March 29, 1914, p.13.
7. The Sacramento Star, April 28, 1914, p.8.
8. The Ottawa Citizen, January 3, 1947, p.21.
9. The News (Paterson, New Jersey), January 22, 1947, p.30.
10. The Birmingham News, July 27, 1947, p.10.

Baton Rouge — Gov. John Bel Edwards announces that FEMA has approved an additional seven Louisiana parishes for Individual Assistance following Hurricane Laura, bringing the total number of parishes where residents are eligible for aid to 16. The newly approved parishes are Rapides, Natchitoches, Sabine, Winn, Grant, Jackson and Lincoln.

“These parishes were affected when Hurricane Laura made its way up our state, keeping its hurricane-strength winds until it exited. These residents should begin applying for aid from FEMA now. More than 71,000 Louisianans have already applied for FEMA Individual Assistance following Hurricane Laura,” Gov. Edwards said. “We continue to make the case for the additional parishes to be approved because of the severity of this terrible storm.”

Hurricane Laura made landfall on Louisiana’s coast on Thursday, August 27. Gov. Edwards’ request for a Major Disaster Declaration was approved on Friday, August 28. In his request, the Governor requested Individual Assistance, which is for people who suffered damage in the storm, for those affected in 23 parishes total. So far, FEMA has approved IA for 16 parishes.

Federal FEMA assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans for uninsured property loss and other programs to help people and businesses recover from Hurricane Laura.

People who sustained losses in Hurricane Laura in the designated parishes of Acadia, Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Jefferson Davis, Ouachita, Vermilion, Vernon, Rapides, Natchitoches, Sabine, Winn, Grant, Jackson and Lincoln can begin applying for assistance today by registering online at http://www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing and speech impaired. The toll-free telephone numbers will operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (local time) seven days a week until further notice.

More than 10,000 Louisianans are sheltered in state, with thousands more in Texas hotels as well. If you need shelter, text LASHELTER to 898-211 for information about where to go or call 211.

Even with a global pandemic and one of the worst hurricanes to hit the United States since the 1850s…our team of associates and medical staff at NRMC never missed a beat!

THANK YOU for your amazing selfless service.

The main hospital returned to full electrical services. All equipment and instrumentation are in full operation. Our generators and back up systems worked flawlessly just as we have drilled continously monthly and year after year to prepare for just such a catrophic event.

Although we will continue to experience community hardship for the unforeseeable future, all in all we were spared the devastation of our southern parishes.

The OR TEAM is capable of performing surgery. All elective cases started on Monday, August 31, 2020.

The walk-in-clinic at 740 Keyser is open for normal operations daily from 8am to 8pm.

The Coutryard of Natchitoches is under normal operations.

Our assisted living remains on emergency power at the moment.

EMS rolled during the entire event as they do 365 days a year.

For questions or comments please go to our website at www.nrmchospital.org

Be safe! Stay connected. Check on your neighbors.

Remember we remain in Phase II. Masking is required in public.

Kirk Soileau, MHA, FACHE
Chief Executive Officer
Natchitoches Regional Medical Center
504.957.3781 Mobile
318.214.4512 Office
318.214.4354 Fax
Theresa Thompson, Executive Assistant 318.214.4409

Nearly 200 SWEPCO employees stay in LSMSA dorm while restoring parish electricity

The Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts (LSMSA) is providing temporary housing for nearly 200 Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO) lineworkers from across the nation who are helping restore electricity to Natchitoches Parish following Hurricane Laura. At the peak of the storm Thursday, 136,000 Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas residents were without power.

“We’re so grateful to these workers for putting themselves in dangerous situations so we can have cold air conditioning and hot coffee,” said LSMSA Executive Director Dr. Steve Horton. “Offering a place for them to get a good night’s sleep while they’re away from their families is the least we can do to help.”

Longtime LSMSA employee Henry Llorence quickly handled logistics for LSMSA’s Caddo dormitory to accommodate workers, and SWEPCO is providing food, laundry and cleaning during their stay as well as sanitation services for the dorm.

Photo: SWEPCO sets up food stations outside of LSMSA’s dorm as workers restore electricity to Natchitoches Parish.