The Natchitoches Parish School Board approved the 2020-2021 School Calendar during its meeting Feb. 6.

Ida B. Wells led a full life in her 68 years a life filled with more than enough accomplishments for several people. Her life is all the more remarkable when one considers the obstacles she faced and overcame. Born into slavery in Holly Springs, Mississippi in 1862, her parents perished in the yellow fever epidemic of 1878. At the age of 16, Wells took a job as a teacher in rural Mississippi to support her brothers and sisters. She taught there for two years while continuing her education at nearby Shaw University (now Rust College.) She then moved to Memphis, Tennessee with several of her siblings to take a teaching job there.

It was in Memphis that she started her journalistic career and activism. She wrote for and co-owned The Memphis Free Speech and Headlight newspaper. She wrote of the unequal and inferior conditions in the Black schools as well as the indignities of the Jim Crow system. In 1884, a conductor on the Chesapeake, Ohio and Southwest Railroad told her to move from the ladies’ coach to the Colored car. She refused. The conductor attempted to physically remove her. She braced herself in the seat and bit his hand. He returned with two other men and physically removed her from the train. Over ten years before the Plessey v. Ferguson case was to enshrine Jim Crow for a generation, Ida Wells sued the railroad. She won her case, but the railroad appealed and the Tennessee Supreme Court reversed the verdict. Her writings on the unfairness of the educational system to Black children led to her dismissal as a schoolteacher in Memphis.

Ida Wells is perhaps best known for her unwavering opposition to lynching. The brutal lynching of three Black men in Memphis who were guilty of nothing more than operating a grocery store that competed with a White owned business gave focus to her writing. They had successfully defended themselves from an attack by the store owner and several of his friends. In the fight, two Whites were wounded. The three owners of the grocery store were arrested. Later that night, a mob broke into the jail, took them away and killed them.

The incident inspired Wells to write Southern Horrors: Lynch Law in All Its Phases as well as The Red Record, in which she investigated some of the lynchings that were taking place throughout the South in the post-Reconstruction era as Jim Crow enforced a second class status upon the African-American population.

Ida B. Wells was more than a writer, she was a woman of courage and character. Unjustly ordered to leave her seat and move to the train’s “Colored car” she refused, was assaulted and thrown off the train, only to have her victorious lawsuit thrown out by her state’s Supreme Court. Her writings on the condition of the segregated schools in her area cost her her job. After an editorial in which she dared to question the claim that lynching was the result of assaults upon White women, her newspaper in Memphis was burned to the ground and a price put on her head. She did not stop. She moved to Chicago and continued to write. She would not give into threats.

In addition to her writings on the evils of lynching and segregation, she was also a tireless proponent of Women’s Rights, speaking throughout the country and abroad on the subject.. Wells was also one of the founding members of the NAACP. Throughout her life, she fought injustice, often facing physical danger in doing so.  She simply refused to abide the limits placed on her race and sex by the society of her time. The United States of America is a better place for this brave and principled woman having had her as a citizen. As we look back upon Ida B. Wells’ place in our history, may we continue to strive to be the kind of nation that gives opportunity to all of its people.

Natchitoches Junior High School J.A.G. would like to extend its gratitude to Weyerhaeuser for sponsoring our program. We are thankful to Weyerhaeuser for their generosity.

Pictured is Braylon Pattain, Amare Warren, Zamarion Payton, Lonnie Colbert, Zakeriyah Culbert, Callie Encalade, Sean Moran, India Tousaint, Ronald Smith, Kristie Irchirl, Jacquelyn Rainwater, Craft Jackson, Demarkcus Nichols, Shona Moses, Crystal Newsome, and Joe Duirden Sr.

Brad Laird has stressed attention to detail since taking over as the football coach of his alma mater prior to the 2018 season.

One look at Northwestern State’s football signing class of 2020 makes it clear Laird feels the same way when it comes to recruiting.

Laird and his staff introduced their full signing class in the ballroom of the Friedman Student Union on Wednesday afternoon, introducing the 15 high school signees and eight junior-college transfers who comprise the group.

“One thing you look at with the 23 signees, you look at their GPA and you see championships,” Laird said. “When I say GPA, you look at the bios and you see a lot of 3.0 GPAs and above and a lot of championships. I believe what you do on the field and off the field will work together to create championships. This class is very balanced from an offensive and defensive standpoint, which is where we thought we would be.”

The Demons signed 12 offensive players, 10 defensive players and one specialist for the 2020 season.

Offensively, Northwestern State added four linemen, four wide receivers, a trio of running backs and one tight end.

The Demons split their four offensive line signees between the junior college and high school ranks.

Jones County Junior College’s Logan Canerdy (6-3, 295) and Navarro College’s Jalen Momerelle (6-6, 305) bring championship experience with them. Canerdy helped Jones County win the Mississippi Bowl as a freshman while Momerelle, who started seven games at Texas State as a freshman, was a key part of Navarro’s 2019 state championship team.

That duo is paired with high school signees Jordan McClaine (6-3, 280) of Ruston and Brayden Staggs (6-4, 285) of Langham Creek (Texas) High School. Staggs was a three-star prospect as rated by 247Sports.com while McClaine was one of 10 players who signed with the Demons in the December early signing period.

“It starts up front,” Laird said. “We lost five guys on the offensive line who went on to graduate, so you have to find guys who can come in and play. We did it in a couple of ways. We have two older guys who have experience and a couple of younger guys coming from programs that will allow them the opportunity to compete right away. It was the same thing at wide receiver. We have older guys with experience and younger guys from successful programs. That was the vision we have when you look at last year and where we are at 2020.”

Junior college products Marquise Bridges (6-1, 193) was the second-leading receiver for the national champion Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College squad while Andy Pierre-Antoine (6-1, 180) helped lead Reedley College to a pair of conference championships.

Bridges snagged 43 passes for 782 yards and six touchdowns and was a Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges All-Academic Team selection while Pierre-Antoine led Reedley with 44 catches, 706 yards and eight touchdowns.

The Demons went to New Orleans to add two prep receivers, bringing St. Augustine’s Jaheim Walters (6-2, 184) and Warren Easton’s Jewell Holmes III to the fold.

The thread of successful junior college transfers continued through the offensive backfield as the Demons added Kilgore College’s Scooter Adams (5-9, 190) and College of the Canyons’ Cayden Dunn (5-10, 190), a pair of speedsters to the running back rotation.

Adams was an early signee who already is on campus while Dunn will join the fold later as will Lafayette Christian Academy’s Logan Gabriel, who also was a December signee.

Both Adams and Dunn played at championship programs with Kilgore winning the conference regular-season title and a Heart of Texas Bowl championship while Dunn’s College of the Canyons collected consecutive division titles in its conference. Dunn averaged six yards per carry in his two seasons at College of the Canyons while Adams proved to be a versatile running back, capable of catching passes as well.

“With where our roster is at the running back position, you have immediate needs as we go through the 15 days of spring practice and the summer,” Laird said. “I’m looking forward to seeing the guys we’re talking about here on National Signing Day develop from now until that first game (against Incarnate Word) on Sept. 3.”

Monte Johnson, a 6-foot-5, 220-pound tight end from Burleson (Texas) Centennial High School, rounded out the Demons’ offensive signees. Johnson, like many of the signing class, is a multi-sport athlete who also plays on Centennial’s top-10 ranked basketball team.

Defensively, the Demons went a little more balanced with a focus on the secondary.

NSU inked six defensive backs in its 2020 class, starting with East Mississippi Community College’s PJ Herrington, part of the Lions’ national championship team in 2018.

Herrington was an early signee and already is on campus while the remainder of the defensive backs in the class are all high school signees: Captain Shreve’s Malik Carey, Natea “Tay” Coleman of Beaumont (Texas) West Brook, Kevin Davis Jr. of Freeport (Texas) Brazosport, Isaiah Robinson of Parkway in Bossier City and Dante Thomas of longtime Louisiana power John Curtis High School.

“(Safety) was and will continue to be a focus, because recruiting is happening 365 days a year,” Laird said. “This is National Signing Day, but we will continue to recruit. We lost five safeties who graduated and took a lot of experience with them.

“We’re bringing in guys with experience plus guys who come from programs that have won championships and play right way. It’s the same way at corner, and then you see the guys who have the ability to play both spots. That excites us.”

The remainder of Northwestern State’s defensive signees had a distinctive Louisiana flavor, something Laird has focused on in recent recruiting cycles.

“We have seven signees within a two-hour radius and another from right across the state line,” Laird said. “Four of them are from north Louisiana. You look at that two-hour radius, it’s something we’ve talked about since Day 1. There is good talent in that radius.”

Up front, the Demons added size in North DeSoto’s Johnny Mitchell Jr. (6-3, 310) and a versatile force in Crowley’s Kendal Harmon (6-2, 273). Mitchell is a three-time state indoor shot put champion who also plans to compete in track and field at Northwestern State. Harmon compiled 247 career tackles, including 41 for a loss, and had an interception return for a touchdown.

At the linebacker level, the Demons added another Lafayette Christian product in Princeton Malbrue (6-2, 205), the Defensive Most Valuable Player of the Knights’ state championship game victory in December, and Gilmer (Texas) High linebacker Malik Williams, who was an all-district selection as both a fullback and a linebacker.

The Demons also added Trinity Valley Community College kicker Eddie Godina, an NJCAA All-American who connected on a national JUCO record 26 field goals and already has enrolled at Northwestern State.

“Not only from a football standpoint, but the opportunity for families to be able to watch their kids was a big factor in these young men making that decision to stay close to home,” Laird said. “They can say, ‘Mom and Dad can see me play on Saturday afternoon or Saturday night and get back home. Family’s important to us at Northwestern State just like the people. You see that across the board with these 23 signees. The people they will bring with them and the enthusiasm they bring excites us as a staff.”

2020 Northwestern State Signing Class 23 signees (15 high school, 8 junior college)

Scooter Adams, RB, 5-9, 190, Kilgore College, Hallettsville, Texas
Marquise Bridges, WR, 6-1, 193, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Brookhaven Mississippi
Logan Canerdy, OL, 6-3, 295, Jones County Junior College, Caledonia, Mississippi
Malik Carey, CB, 6-2, 185, Captain Shreve HS, Shreveport, Louisiana
Natea “Tay” Coleman, S, 6-0, 185, West Brook HS, Beaumont, Texas
Kevin Davis Jr., S, 6-0, 180, Brazosport HS, Freeport, Texas
Cayden Dunn, RB, 5-10, 190, College of the Canyons, Los Angeles, California
Logan Gabriel, RB, 5-11, 220 Lafayette Christian Academy, Opelousas, Louisiana
Eddie Godina, K, 5-11, 195, Trinity Valley Community College, Whitehouse, Texas
Kendal Harmon, DL, 6-2, 273, Crowley HS, Crowley, Louisiana
PJ Herrington, DB, 5-10, 185, East Mississippi Community College, Natchez, Mississippi
Jewell Holmes III, WR, 6-2, 188, Warren Easton HS, New Orleans, Louisiana
Monte Johnson, TE, 6-5, 220, Burleson Centennial HS, Burleson, Texas
Princeton Malbrue, OLB, 6-2, 205, Lafayette Christian Academy, Carencro, Louisiana
Jordan McClaine, OL, 6-3, 280, Ruston HS, Ruston, Louisiana
Johnny Mitchell Jr., DL, 6-3, 310, North DeSoto HS, Stonewall, Louisiana
Jalen Momerelle, OL, 6-6, 305, Navarro College, Houston, Texas
Andy Pierre-Antoine, WR, 6-1, 180, Reedley College, North Miami, Florida
Isaiah Robinson, DB, 6-1, 185, Parkway HS, Bossier City, Louisiana
Brayden Staggs, OL, 6-4, 285, Langham Creek HS, Cypress, Texas
Dante Thomas, DB, 6-0, 175, John Curtis HS, Hammond, Louisiana
Jaheim Walters, WR, 6-2, 184, St. Augustine HS, New Orleans, Louisiana
Malik Williams, LB, 6-0, 205, Gilmer HS, Gilmer, Texas

Photo Credit: Leah Jackson/Northwestern State University

 

I-49; Natchitoches Parish; Cable Barriers
SPN: H.012196
Control Section 455-06

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) advises the public that on Monday, Feb. 10, construction will begin on I-49 in Natchitoches Parish. This work will extend the entire length of the interstate through Natchitoches Parish.

The intent of this project is to install cable barrier along the median of I-49.

The contractor will be required to maintain thru traffic at all times, but periodic lane closures and delays can be expected. The public is advised to remain alert to construction signs and changing roadway conditions.

The project was awarded to the low bidder, Progressive Construction Co., LLC in the amount of $5,700,646.52. The work associated with this project should take approximately 200 working days to complete.

Permit/Detour section
There are no detours at this time associated with these lane closures.
NOTE: There will be no width restrictions associated with the lane closures.

Safety Reminder
All construction activity is weather dependent and may be rescheduled in the event of inclement weather. DOTD appreciates the motoring public’s patience and reminds drivers to please exercise caution when traveling through work zone areas and be on the lookout for work crews and their equipment.

Additional Information
Motorists can access the latest updates on real-time traffic and road conditions using the 511 Traveler Information System by dialing 511 from their telephone and saying the route or region on which they are seeking information. Out-of-state travelers can call 1-888-ROAD-511 (1-888-762-3511). Travelers can also access this information by visiting the 511 Traveler Information Web site at http://www.511la.org. Additionally, you can follow the Traffic Management Center on Twitter: (@Alex Traffic). Motorists may also monitor the LA DOTD website @ http://www.dotd.la.gov and the DOTD Facebook page.

NSU– “Punches being thrown from the sky.”

That is how assistant softball coach Brooke Boening described on Twitter the news of former Northwestern State defensive lineman Wade Williams’ death in a plane crash Thursday in Jackson Parish.

Williams’ death was the third suffered by someone with ties to the Northwestern State football team since Dec. 28 and the fourth since former Demons defensive back Manuel Mukes IV was slain in Los Angeles on Aug. 18, 2019.

The plane crash that took the lives of Williams and two other passengers came just five days after the death of longtime Northwestern State coach and former student-athlete Johnnie Emmons. It came less than two months after NSU alumna and Cox Sports Television and WDSU reporter Carley McCord perished in a Dec. 28 plane crash and almost six months after Mukes was shot and killed in California.

“Early in the recruiting process, in 2008 when we signed him, I went to Groveton, Texas, and sat in the coach’s office talking to him about Wade,” said NSU head coach Brad Laird, who was the defensive coordinator at the time. “They talked about what Wade was going to bring off the field as much as they did on the field. We just went through the signing day process, and you see video of what these guys do on the field, but it’s what they do off the field that matters more, and Wade exemplified that as well as a student-athlete could.

“His faith, his Christian walk, was evident. He brought people in. He was a leader, not just on the field as far as being a captain, but he led people to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes during his five years here. The things he did for his family and what he did in raising them, he exemplified that as a student-athlete at Northwestern State.”

Williams, who is survived by his wife, Amanda, and daughter, Rosalie, lettered four years for the Demons from 2009-12 after redshirting in 2008. He was an honorable mention All-Southland Conference defensive lineman in 2010 and was an Academic All-Southland Conference selection in 2011 and 2012.

He was the 2012 Jack Clayton Award winner, earning the distinction of being the senior NSU football player who is dedicated to academics and shows coach Jack Clayton’s trademark characteristics of leadership, integrity and work ethic.

Williams’ genial demeanor changed when he crossed the white lines at Turpin Stadium or on the road.

“Wade was a different type of guy,” said associate head coach De’Von Lockett, the longest-tenured current NSU assistant. “He was a God-fearing man who could convince you to turn over a new leaf, but in the three hours of competition, he was a madman. He gave you everything he had in the three hours of playing the game. He was motivated. He knew what he wanted to do. I hurt for him and his family, especially having a family myself.”

While Laird and Lockett were on staff during Williams’ NSU playing career, current Demon defensive line coach LeDell Love lined up alongside Williams for two seasons.

“Being a former Demon and having gone what these guys have gone through, I feel like I have a deeper connection with our players,” Love said. “When they finish their career, you wish them the best. It always hits home when tragedies like this occur, but when it is someone you went to school with and went through the same things with, you truly feel like you lost a family member.

“We weren’t just two guys who were teammates. We were in the same position meeting room. I finished the year before Ricky (Isaac, who was killed in a December 2012 traffic accident while on duty as a Natchitoches Parish sheriff’s deputy) and two years before Wade. We all three lined up and played alongside each other. It’s just tough because those are guys you’ve been around. There’s a deeper love you have for those guys. It’s tough to lose them, but even tougher with the way it happened.”

That sentiment pervades the Northwestern State athletic department and its culture.

“We have a saying around here that goes ‘Once a Demon, always a Demon,’” Director of Athletics Greg Burke said. “In other words, you may physically leave Natchitoches but you are forever part of a special bond that you shared with teammates, coaches, staff and administrators. For NSU Demons, past and present, the close, family environment that is a trademark of this athletic program must and will sustain us through the sadness that has permeated our lives over the past several months.”

News of the crash began to spread Thursday evening as many members of the NSU football staff and athletic department gathered at Emmons’ funeral services, continuing to challenge the emotional stability of a staff that has lost three alumni under the age of 31 since August.

That span began with the loss of Mukes, a defensive back who lettered from 2014-16.

“I had Mukes in my position group,” said Lockett, who spoke at Mukes’ funeral service in Baton Rouge. “That was one of the toughest speeches I ever had to give. I didn’t know what I was going to say, but I knew what type of person Manny was. He was a guy who also believed in the Word. A lot of times, we see guys out of context, and we don’t understand what they’re going through from a spiritual standpoint. Most people misunderstood Manny Mukes, but he was a spiritual person.”

Former NSU head coach Jay Thomas coached both Williams and Mukes, first as Williams’ position coach and then as Mukes’ head coach.

Although their Northwestern State careers never overlapped, Williams and Mukes enjoyed shared characteristics.

“Wade was an amazing guy,” Thomas said. “He was a true man’s man, and there are different facets of Wade being a man and he covered everything that’s good about it. You wish everyone in the world had a piece of Wade Williams in them, and it would be a better place.

“Manny was just a good guy, a good, hard-working teammate. He was a Baton Rouge guy, so I always felt – with me being from the Baton Rouge area – we had that 225 connection. He really enjoyed being around the guys, laughing and joking in the locker room. Then there was the serious side of Manny. He was serious about his job, what he had to do and how he trained. Manny Mukes was a really special guy.”

Thomas said he heard the news of Williams’ passing through a network of former Demon defensive linemen and former assistant coach Jake Landoll as Thomas was en route to Emmons’ funeral services.

“That’s how strong the bond is within that room,” said Thomas, speaking in a measured tone that belied the emotions near the surface.

“Everybody has their own lives and went their separate ways, but they still look out for each other. The bond we all have – whether it’s coach-player, player-player or the coaches on the team – we spend a lot of time together, probably more time with each other than with our own families. It’s the true meaning of a family. It doesn’t matter where you go and what other job you have, you’re still going to remain close to that family you were a part of.”

It is that close-knit, family bond that has allowed the Demon football staff to continue to function despite the recent losses, which also have provided not-so-subtle reminders of life’s fragility.

“What you’ve seen is a family that comes closer together during tough times, and these are tough times,” Laird said. “We want to ask, ‘Why?’ The things we can take from a Manny Mukes, a Carley McCord, a Johnnie Emmons, a Wade Williams and the lives they lived, is to have fun and enjoy every day. Don’t take one day for granted. As coaches, starting with me, we can share that with our team to enjoy the process, enjoy where they are and make good memories along the way.

“You look back, as we all do during these times, and you say, ‘I need to call this person.’ I’ve done that. I think we’ve all done that over the course of the last six months. Sometimes, we take for granted friendship. We take for granted that young man or young woman is doing OK. When it hits home like it has, whether it’s LeDell Love, Jay Thomas, De’Von Lockett or (former NSU head coach) Bradley Dale Peveto, guys who have had an influence on these lives we are talking about, it means a little more. It makes you realize sometimes you need to pick up the phone just to say, ‘Hello, how you doing?’”

Photo Credit: Gary Hardamon/NSU Photographic Services

Here is a look at the week of Feb. 9-15 at Northwestern State University.

Feb. 11 – Career Fair, Friedman Student Union Ballroom, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Feb. 11 – Natchitoches-Northwestern Symphony Orchestra, Magale Recital Hall, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 12 – Men’s basketball vs. Incarnate Word, Prather Coliseum, 6:30 p.m.

Feb. 13 – Pikes for a Cure, Cane River Brewing Company, 6 p.m.

Feb. 13-27 – New Media Showcase, Varnado Hall Ballroom, 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Feb. 13 – Columns Café, Family and Consumer Sciences Building, 6 p. m. – 8 p.m.

Feb. 13-15 – Northwestern Theatre and Dance presents “Moving Through Time,” A.A. Fredericks Auditorium, 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 14 – Science Showcase, 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., Magale Recital Hall, Bienvenu Hall, Fournet Hall, Kyser Hall

Feb. 14-16 – Natchitoches Historic District Development Commission Lady Demon Classic, Lady Demon Diamond

Feb. 14 – Women’s tennis vs. Alcorn, 2 p.m.

Feb. 14 – Baseball vs. Wichita State, 6:30 p.m., Brown-Stroud Field

Feb. 15 – Women’s basketball vs. McNeese, Prather Coliseum, 1 p.m.

Feb. 15 — Northwestern Theatre and Dance presents “Moving Through Time,” A.A. Fredericks Auditorium, 2 p.m.

Feb. 15 – Baseball vs. Wichita State, 2 p.m., Brown-Stroud Field

Feb. 15 – Men’s basketball vs. McNeese, Prather Coliseum, 3 p.m.

Six hundred and twenty-seven students were named to the Fall 2019 President’s List at Northwestern State University. Students on the list earned a grade point average of 4.0. Those named to the President’s List listed by hometown (in Natchitoches and surrounding areas) are as follows.

Alexandria — Zoe Barton, ArMarion Baylor, Alexis Flowers, Leslie Ford, Lara Hill, Kay Laborde, Taylar Lee, Fredrecka Lewis, Madalyn Mayer, Madeline Mitchell, Jennifer Prevot, Sailor Reed, Imani Ricks, Faith Stevenson;

Barksdale AFB — Jeanine Matthews, Bridget Miller;

Bossier City — Austin Averitt, Christian Baker, Jayde Barnett, Hannah Brooks, Jonathan Castillo, April Ceffalia, Makenzie Chaffin, Callie Crockett, Catherine Dean, Rachel Elmore, Alaina Freeman, Hannah Gaspard, Hannah Gates, Matt Gaydos, Peyton Harville, Savanna Head, Jodi Hill, Nicholas Hopkins, Nourain Jamhour, Michaela Jenkins, Anqumesha Jeter, Haley Joncas, Mary Jones, Chelsea Laverdiere, Arielle Martignetti, Michelle Moline, Alexa Montgomery, Autumn Parish, Jasmine Roberson , Jalyn Robertson, Madeline Saucedo, Gerald Shouse, Bonnie Singletary, Ashlynn Stewart, Kortney Toellner, Kaitlyn Walker, DeAnndrea White, Claudette Wilbert-Patton;

Boyce – Martha Hopewell, Paige Mcfarland;

Campti – Kristen Breedlove, Paige Cason, Morgan Etheredge, Ronald Reliford;

Coushatta – Elizabeth Cummins, Jon Hester, Erikka Johnson, Carmie Williams, Charli Williams;

Florien – Ashley Carter, Caroline Matthews, Dylan Roberts;

Fork Polk – Martha Petitt, Erica Arnold, Karen Da Silva, Elizabeth Flores, Earlene Michele Moore, Sela Nelson, LaTasha Pingel, Nohora Valencia Camacho, Kevin Zingwa Nkafu;

Goldonna – Harley Godwin;

Leesville — Jebediah Barrett, Gracyn Bruno, Victoria Butler, Anthony Cantrell, Carter Coriell, Tiffany DeGrafenread, Connor Donaldson, Julie Dowden-McShan, Seth Ducote, Magdalen Dye, Elizabeth Harvey, Kelsea Mckinney, Kaitlyn Pajinag, Brittany Paris, Brandon Seaman, Carrie Sellers, Darrin Smith, Alicia Stanford, Kristin Whistine;

Lena – Taylor Nichols;

Mansfield – Samantha Powell, Khadajah Taylor;

Many – Rachel Bensinger, Skyler Ezernack, Scott Gowen, Haydn Knight, Chloe Leach, Jaleah Lee, Alexander Martinez, Toni Mitcham, Hunter Walker;

Marthaville – Emeri Manasco, Hanna Pardee, Shelton Powell;

Natchez — Daisy Noel, Brittany Slaughter,

Natchitoches – Kara Arrington, Sarah Aviles, Dylan Bennett, Taylor Burch, Deasia Burrell, Jazzare Burrell, Ladiamond Burrell, Maria Carmona-Ruiz, Valerie Chadick, Laura Coffey, Elliot Davis, Aubry Dennis, Ashley Dranguet, Abbie Gandy, Samantha Hall, Kaitlin Hatten, Karrington Johnson, Taylor Johnson, Madeline Joubert; LiZhang Matuschka, Miranda Mayeaux, Jordan Mitchell, Brooklyn Noe, Abigail Poe, Jonah Poe, Maria Moreno Ponte, Shalondria Rainey, Darian Raymond, Melissa Remo, Emily Salter, Madison Shade, Kristin Smith, Veronica Sturman, Hans Andersen Tan, Madeline Taylor, Hannah Thomas, William Torrent, Maeli Usleton, Raegan Washington, Anna Waxley, Daniel Whatley, DaJha White;

Oak Grove — Victoria Spann;

Pineville – Malak Abdelhadi, Taylor Bailey, Melissa Barnhill, Riley Bell, Carl Berlin, Tasha Blanchard, Raegan Brocato, Madison Brown, Emily Dawson, Amber Edmisson, Erin Fallis, Kloe Franklin, Caleb Granvel, Jaclyn Lambright, Michael Martin, Emily McCarty, Cade Mitchell, Alysa Pearson, Katelyn Ryland, Kylie Ryland, Gretchen Speir, Erika Thornton, Sydney Toms; Anna Upshaw, Wesley Williams;

Provencal — Christopher Jennings;

Robeline — Jessica Clark, Hannah Chanler, Jonathan Chism, Keira Huff, Alyssa Maley, Laura Olguin, Caleb Wester;

Saline — Madelyn Cheatwood, Alexandra Taylor,

Shreveport — Joshua Abner, Alyssa Ainsworth, Charmon Bates, Erin Brown, Kaylan Campbell, Tazarea Clark, Kesherion Collins, Allison Darty, Abigail Davis, Katasha Draper, Whitney Elster, Isabelle Foisy, Peyton Gamble, Dejohn Garrison, JaSae Gatlin, Leah Gould, Destinee Green, Taylor Guin, Chianti Hicks, Deaveon Jones, Jason Jones, Sana Khatib, Mary Murray, Brett Kessel, Lindsay Laprarie, Brandon Larkin, Akilah Lewis, Katherine Lind, Maxey McSwain, Emily Mayfield, Dylan Molenhour, Aaron Navarre, Sarah Payne, Elizabeth Peterson, Britney Powell, Angel Rankins, Shelby Sandefur, Zachary Sanders, Cynthia Shahriar, Shelby Sowers, Rashima Stewart, Amanda Strother, Lindsey Sullivan, Alexis Taylor, Jordan Taylor, Brian Thomas, Cecelia Tucker, Debriar Wilson, Cara Wineinger, Jonathan Zavalydriga;

Winnfield — Simona Curry, Joshua Goins, Kassidy Grantadams;

Zwolle — Shakelia Maxie, Courtney McDaniel, Karley Parrie, Konner Parrie;

Rotarian Jessica McGrath introduced Mike McConathy, NSU head basketball coach as the Feb. 4 speaker for the Rotary Club of Natchitoches. She noted that in addition to being an outstanding coach that he was a roll model and active in her church. He noted in his 37 years of coaching that he wanted to have a direct impact on his players. He enjoys reaching out to former players and said it really helps him to be a better coach and has “made a difference in what we do as coaches.” He is proud of his 90% graduation rate. He also noted that recruiting continues to be a challenge with so many schools trying to recruit the same players. He noted that he has coached over 1170 games and enjoyed every one.

Arlene Gould, Executive Director of the Natchitoches Convention and Visitors Bureau, was installed as Vice-Chairman of the Louisiana Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus (LACVB) Board of Directors during the association’s January meeting in Charenton, LA.

“I am honored to be serving LACVB and the statewide convention and visitor industry,” said Arlene Gould, “This organization plays an important role in connecting travel industry organizations throughout the state and helping them work together to attract convention and tourism business. I look forward to working with my fellow board members to keep the momentum going.”
New officers installed include the following: Timothy Bush, with Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism, as chairman; Stacy Brown, with the Shreveport-Bossier Convention & Tourist Bureau, as treasurer; Carla Tate, with the Tangipahoa Parish Convention & Visitors Bureau, as secretary; and Eric Edwards, with the Livingston Parish Convention & Visitors Bureau, as immediate past chairman.

“We are thrilled that our members have selected a slate of industry leaders from throughout the state to lead this organization as we work to position the convention and visitor industry as an important economic driver and provide members opportunities to market their communities as travel destinations,” said Jill Kidder, LACVB president and CEO.

What: Autism Support Group Meeting, (Voices 4 Autism)

When: February 22, 2020

Where: Natchitoches Parish Library

450 Second St. on the 3th Floor Meeting Room

Time: 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Many parents of children on the Autism Spectrum, life can seem very different and distant from the experiences of many other families and it can be possible to feel that there is no way that they can ask for or expect other people to understand their experiences. Voices 4 Autism offer a place for parents to share experiences, to get information and advice.

Contact: 318-529-0638

Northwestern State University announced the names of 1143 students named to the Dean’s List for the Fall 2019 semester. Students on the Dean’s List must be enrolled fulltime at NSU and have a grade point average of between 3.5 and 3.99. Students by hometown (in Natchitoches and surrounding areas) are as follows.

Alexandria – Lili Bedoya, Lauren Biehler, Madeine Blake, Ariyanna Bonton, Bo Bowers, Jasmine Brown, Morgan Bryant, Caleb Byon, Erik Carver, Katelynn Chenevert, Sharenthia Chew, Dshaun Coleman, Noel Cusick, Joshua Dorsey, D’Marcus Dumars, Marlayna Fontenot, Maria Ford, Kaitlyn Goudeau, JNae Hammond, Jaliyah Jasper, Leslie Katz, Hunter Lewis, Bailey Mahfouz, Dean Mayeux, LaShanda Moss, Madison Ogorek, Shauntae Perry, Alyssa Rivers, Zachary Robets, Caleb Ross, Mary Sampson, Savannah Sices, Steve Speed, Mohammad Suleiman, Hailey Urena, Jenna Wade, Nicholas Zona;

Barksdale AFB – Andrew Dubriske, Sarah Lake;

Bossier City – Brittany Alvarez, Trevor Barnhill, Brittany Batchelor, Elizabeth Blair, Quintin Braley, Katie Briggs, Kendall Caple, Izabela Carabelli, Claire Carlyle, Marga David, Megan Evans, Rachael Feaster, Jordan Garner, Courtney Giddens, Sydney Gootee, Ashanti Hill, Tyler Jewell, Jonatan Jimenez, Elizabeth Jones, Shane Kaiser, Jordan Markle, Madisen Martin, Sarah Mclelland, Anna Mcmillon, Gabrielle Mockerman, Julie Montgomery, Araceli Morales, Daniel Morris, Yuridia Olea, Courtney Parker, Adriana Patton, Cierra Rachal, Melissa Raley, Elizabeth Rich, Jami Rivers, Shelby Shea, Caleb Shearin, Hope Spaw, Tori Spraggins, Savannah Stevens, Kaylee Stewart, Taylor Stoker, Savannah Swaim, Benjamin Tanner, James Taylor, Sarah Varnado, Mia Ware, Madalyn Watson, Courtney Wilson, Dominique Wineglass, Madison Wyatt, Eric Zheng;

Boyce – Hannah Aslin, Seth Baggett, Savanna Budnik, Natalie Dear, Dylan Frazier, Kaylin Gauthier, Devin Hilliard, Stephen Juneau, Anna Lacombe, Hannah Miller, Kaitlyn Miller, Rilee Nichols, Ashley Smith, Madison Smith, Jodie Martin, Kionna Mitchell,

Campti – Allison Friday, Madelynne Greer, Kourtney Horton, Madison Mclaren, Dalton Parker;

Cloutierville – Alexis Cutee, Alexia Gistarb;

Converse – Hayley Farmer, Jared Jagneaux, Mattie Pratt, Triston Waldon;

Coushatta – Kaylee Antilley, Faith Cason, La’Zaria Clark, Precious Drake, Jason Gross, Madison Hale, Kaylee Merry, Aaron Murray, Hannah Parham, Elizabeth Ross;

Florien – Diego Almanza, Travis Cook, Kaitlyn Foshee, Kawliga Forehand, Terry Foshee, Cullen Hopkins, Faith Hopkins, Abby Parker, Noah Parker, Presley Stewart, Shari Wilson;

Fort Polk – Courtney Armstead, Emily Colvin, Jamie Curtis, Vera Dallman, Ja Gillard, Nerishlyan Gotay Ramos, LeAnne Kimray, Andrea Marquez, Ana Murray, Blaise Nkengafac, Chelisse Rosario, Nicole Rupe, Gene Smith, MelvinJohn Tabonares, TeKweena Wilson, Christian Wood;

Goldonna – Aleander Guillory;

Leesville – Dakota Abrams, Emily Camacho, Angie Culbert, Baylor Dillon, Brandno Furlow, Shannon Goody, Amber Johnson, Emilee Keuten, Brandy Kreeger, Christina Lluvera, Tiffany Lyons, Sierra Martin, Kylie McAllister, Emily Moore, Chloe Rouleau, Alexis Sepulvado, Savanna Stephens, Devin Toups, Jailea Weaver, Amber Willard, Kristy Willis, Cheyene Wise;

Lena – Juan Gonzalez, Weslee Pickering;

Mansfield – Allyson Adams, Queletha Booker, Demetric Preston, Madison Welborn;

Many – Gabrielle Bryant, Patrick Colston, Alyssa Duchesne, Emilly Holcomb Layton Knowles, Charles LaFollette, Lesli Leach, Shelbie Martinez, Tanner Mizell, Seth Ozsoy, Lora Peace, Leanna Phillips, Tessa Reeves, Carly Settle, Amanda Simmons, Annalise Sylvia;

Marthaville – Emily Ford, Thomas Lirette, Pleasant;

Natchez – Michele Bishop, Aylin Rivera, Lauren Seawood, Morgan Slaughter;

Natchitoches – Alissa Addison, Sharlexus Addison, Kayla Anderson, Tyler Anderson, Alexander Antoon, Cheryl Armstrong, Taylor Aucoin, Thomas Balthazar, Kamryn Barnhill, Brock Barrios, Gracie Bennett, Gavin Bergeron, Megan Berry, Kacy Bonds, Demetrius Boulieu, Hannah Branam, Maelana Braxton, Alexandra Brossett, Lindsay Brumley, Savannah Bynog, Gilda Chan, Lane Clevenger, Daisha Cohen, Donna Cooper, Leanna Coy, Chase Crane, Kenneth Darcy, Joshua Davis, Heather Day, Sean Day, Hannah Deranger, Kailey Doyle, Jacob Ellis, Akilah Farris, Mary Fletcher, Tyler Flynn, Daniela Forero Salcedo, Kara Gandy, Ruth Garcia Rodriguez, Taylor Garland, Brian Geraghty, Abby Guillory, Cody Hambly, Valentina Herazo Alvarez, Brandon Holley, John Howell, Maina Ibn Mohammed, Dania Irchirl, Jaquinta Jackson, Sharniece Jones, Alexis Kitishian, Robert Lee, Sarahjane Ladut, Cristofer Larcarte, Karlee Laurence, Carlomagno Leon Jimenez, Savannah Maricle, Tyler McCain, Rylie Mcfarlain, Nestor Mercado-Garcia, Amber Minor, Coy Morgan, Tori Morgoan, Terry Moses, Sydney Normand, Tristan Neitte, Weston Noe, Myles Nolley, Meya Nutt, Donovan Ohnoutka, Jay Oliphant, Kiara Padilla, Meredith Phelps, Laura Pritchard, Wyatt Quinn, Heather Reich, LaKendria Remo, Alejandro Restrepo Cardozo, Jazlyn Revels, Emily Ryder, Emily Scott, Lawson Scott, Jonathan Simmons, Trayvon Snow, Tyler Snyder, Josie Stamey, James Stanfield, Blake Teekell, David Thibodaux, Harrison Thomas, Virginia Tudor, Eva Venzant, Christopher Vienne, Elizabeth Vienne, Rian Villalobos, Derek Walle, Deondra White, Nicholas Wiggins;

Pineville – Savannah Hope Andries, Christina Boudreaux, Andrea Boyd, Victoria Burns, Ameliah Carpenter, Nolen Collins, Luke Conway, Caitlin Crawford, Mekenzie Gordon, Lorali Hebert, Tori Kessler, Laura Lachney, Carlee Lake, Emily Litton, Jennifer Morrow, Angela Morton, Hailey Nichols, Cinnamon Player, Wendi Powell, Rileigh Roberts, Alana Ryder, Jordan Sensat, Isabella Sisneroz, Abigail Smith, Rilee Smith, Courtney Squyres, Gage Ulrich, Morgan VanBuren, Andrew Worthy;

Pleasant Hill – Courtney Jones;

Provencal – Carson Custis, Morgan Grace, Dylan Jennings;

Ringgold – Alora Bryant, Joseph Hays, Olivia Prado, Aileeia Tipton, Caleb Vining;

Robeline – Abbie Baker, Hunter Dubois, Keely Dubois, Mallary Lester, Ember O’Bannon, Megan Palmer, George Prince, Hannah Schoth, Bradley Sparish, Rebecca Vincent;

Saline – Mackenzie Jackson, Makalya Jackson, Isabella Jones;

Shreveport – DayJah Alexander, Allen Ashley, Katelynn Benge, Maddison Benge, Ashley Benson, Hallie Bloxom, Dhajia Baugh, Micayla Bryan, Chelsea Calup, Myjoycia Cezar, Kristen Ciconte, Daniel Crews, Courtney Curtis, Destinee Davis, Troy Davis, Taylor Dixon, Kaitlyn Doyal, Lauren Edwards, Jennifer Elliott, Hannah Ellis, Christian Farmer, Chloe Farrar, Irishia Finister, David Fitzwater, Malachi Fitzwater, Carlos Garcia, Savon Gipson, Kayla Graham, Ellen Grappe, Anna Green, Matthew Haltom, Alexandra Hart, Lagerria Hinton, Daniel Holden, James Hosey, Madyson Istre, Drake Johson, Jamari Johnson, Korynthia Johnson, Nickolas Juneau, Alylse Kirkaldy, ShaDonna Klinkenberg, Kaitlyn Knighton, Madison Layfield, Hannah Lee, Sarah Lord Holoubek, Kenya Mahoney, Hunter Martin, Tifphany McClinton, Rici McDonald, Amelia McLaren, Marshall Merritt, Kelsey Metoyer, Destiny Mitchell, Danae Moreland, Cayla Morris, Hannah Nicholls, Olivia Noonan, Megan Osborn, Annabelle Parker, Ashmi Patel, Soleil Paterson, Camille Patterson, Zachary Person, Cristina Peterson, Patrik Pierce, Sierra Prelow, Kira Presley, Patricia Reed, Keyonna Roberson, Frances Robertson, Natya Rogers, Ansley Rosett, Kaitlyn Ross, KeAndrea Samuel, Yuriana Sauseda, Johnathon Schluter, Breona Smith, Cassidy Smith, Richard Smith, Sha’Mondra Smith, Christina Strumski, Joyce Taylor, Ra’Daishia Taylor, Shakari Taylor, Ronneicia Terrell, Khaila Tucker, Trevor VanEaton, Chloe Vance, Rhiannon Venable, Madison Wallace, Colbi Washington, Lakayla Whitaker, Morgan white, Destiney Williams, Gabrielle Young;

Winnfield – Harli Austin, Haley Chandler, Jonah Chandler, Landon Creel, Trenton Dill, Rhonda Duff, Jourdan Fitzgerald, Melissa Godwin, Kara Grantadams, Madisyn Hubbard, Rebecca McNeill, Elizabeth Parker, Fatima Rodriguez, Katreiona Starks, Caitlin Womack, Caroline Womack, Maggie Womack;

Zwolle – Kierstyn Cartinez, Cheyanne Ebarb, Melissa Guin, Mckenzie Leone, Larisa Malmay, Addison Rains, Holden Rivers, Chyna Sepulvado, Mckenzie Steele;

The Natchitoches-Northwestern Symphony Orchestra will perform on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m. in Magale Recital Hall. Tickets are $10. Northwestern State University, BPCC@NSU and Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts students are admitted free with a current student I.D.

Dr. Douglas Bakenhus is music director of the Natchitoches-Northwestern Symphony. Juan Pablo Paternina Paez is the guest conductor. The featured guest musicians are Northwestern State faculty Dr. Christine Allen, Dr. J. Mark Thompson and Dr. Francis Yang.

The program includes “Symphony No. 70” by Franz Joseph Haydn and “Zwei Phantasiestucke” (Two Fantasy Pieces) by Eduard Lassen edited by Thompson and featuring Thompson on bass trombone. The orchestra will also perform “Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra” by Francis Poulenc featuring Allen and Yang on piano and “Hopak” from “Sorochinsky Fair” by Modest Mussorgsky and orchestrated by Anatol Lyadov and revised and edited by Clark McAlister, “Ancient Airs and Dances, Suite No. 1” by Ottorino Respighi and “Hungarian Dance” from “The Damnation of Faust” by Hector Berlioz.

Allen, an associate professor of piano, teaches applied piano, and coordinates group piano/piano pedagogy. She performs in solo and collaborative settings including guest soloist with the Natchitoches-Northwestern Symphony and several orchestras in Michigan, Wisconsin and Idaho. For the past eight years, Allen has served as collaborative pianist with the Red River Chorale in Alexandria. She received the Johanna Magale Endowed Professorship and traveled to Poland to study with internationally recognized pianist/composer Andrzej Dutkiewicz at the Frederic Chopin Academy of Music.

Allen serves as pedagogy consultant and examiner for the International Visual and Performing Arts Conservatory in Singapore. She is a recognized teacher and clinician in Suzuki Piano Pedagogy and a registered Suzuki Teacher Trainer. She has appeared at conferences across the United States and Canada. A Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) certified teacher, Allen has served on the LMTA State Certification Board, as State chair of the MTNA Collegiate Artist Performance/Chamber Music Auditions, and is currently the LMTA State Chair for Collegiate Chapters. She received the Doctor of Musical Arts from Louisiana State University, Master of Music from Northwestern State University and Bachelor of Music from University of Kansas. Her teachers include Constance Carroll, Jennifer Hayghe, Willis Delony, Robert Watson and Richard Angeletti.

Thompson is a professor of Music. A veteran of the U.S. Army, he holds degrees from Murray State University, University of Southern California, and University of Iowa. A charter life member of the International Trombone Association, Thompson chairs its Advisory Council on Literature, and he is a life member of the International Tuba Euphonium Association. Formerly principal bass trombone of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, he performs bass trombone with the Shreveport, South Arkansas, and Texarkana symphonies, as well as the Lancaster (Ohio) Festival and Des Moines Metro Opera Orchestra, the I-49 Brass and Drei Bones Trombone Trio.

Yang has performed in cities such as London, Paris, Montreal, Vancouver, Buenos Aires, Quito, and Montevideo at events such as the 37th International Festival Encuentros in Buenos Aires, a lecture recital at London’s Royal Academy of Music and the VIII Bienal of Contemporary Music in Cuenca, Ecuador. Yang has given master classes in Ecuador, Argentina, Singapore, Canada, China and throughout the U.S. He has been invited to serve as adjudicator for competitions both nationally and internationally, including the Ars Nova International Piano Competition (Singapore), the Louisiana International Piano Competition and the Seattle International Piano Competition.

Yang is an associate professor of piano. He served four years as professor and director of piano studies at the Universidad de Cuenca, in Cuenca, Ecuador. Yang received his doctorate from the Université de Montréal, his master’s from the University of Kansas and a bachelor’s from the University of Michigan and studied with pianists Stephane Lemelin, Richard Angeletti, Sequeira Costa, Robert Rogers, and John Bloomfield. He is president of the Louisiana Music Teachers Association.

Northwestern State University will hold its annual Spring Career Fair Tuesday, Feb. 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Friedman Student Union.

The Spring Career Fair is sponsored by NSU’s Office of Counseling and Career Services and is for juniors and seniors at NSU who want to explore career opportunities, full-time jobs, internships, graduate and professional schools, career paths and volunteer opportunities.

Scheduled participants include the Alexandria Police Department, Heart of Hospice, Jean Simpson Personnel Services, Inc., Emerson, Louisiana State Police, the National Park Service, the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office, Natchitoches Regional Medical Center, Southern University Law Center, the Orchard Foundation, General Dynamics Information Technology, the Dallas Police Department, Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University, DFW Airport Police Department, the Ruston Police Department and the Louisiana Department of State Civil Service.

Other participants are USDA–Natural Resources Conservation Service Louisiana, Dillard’s, Inc., Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, AMERISAFE, RoyOMartin, Enterprise Holdings, KTBS LLC, Crest Industries, LLC, Fastenal Company, Shreveport Green, Dialysis Clinic Inc., Louisiana State University Graduate School, Fresenius Medical Care North America, Academic Partnerships, Mississippi College School of Law, Lafayette General Health and Heritage Properties, Inc.

NATCHITOCHES:
Leonard Lynch
April 9, 1945 – February 8, 2020
Arrangements TBA

Silas Lee Young
February 5, 2020
Service held February 8

Robert Gerald Martin
July 3, 1935 – February 6, 2020
Service held February 9

SABINE:
Keith “Big Cajun” Brown
July 18, 1967 – February 5, 2020
Service held February 8

Mae Elizabeth Joy
January 06, 1935 – February 06, 2020
Service: Tuesday, February 11 at 10 am at Christ Temple Pentecostal Church of Jena

Albert Clay White
August 25, 1924 – February 5, 2020
Service held February 8

RED RIVER
Annie Susie Ouzts 
April 3, 1959 – February 8, 2020
Visitation:  Monday from 5:00 – 9:00 P.M. at Ashland Baptist Church
Service: Tuesday, February 11, 2020 at 10am; Ashland Baptist Church
Interment:  Oak Grove Cemetery.  

By Ricky LaCour

At the Natchitoches Parish School Board’s Committee meeting Tuesday, night, Feb. 4, board member Billy Benefield opened up a discussion of the process over the next few months in interviewing and selecting the right candidate for the Superintendent position, which will become vacant in June due to Dale Skinner’s resignation.

Board members discussed the proposed dates of the selection process, the objectives, language, and changes they would like to consider for the new superintendent’s contract, and the duties, obligations and goals they would like to be made clear moving forward with their selection.

Although the interviewing will be open to the public, the public will not be allowed to ask questions during the interview process. However, Benefield encourages parents and the general public to submit questions to the school board prior to the date of the interview. He assures that all questions will be considered and addressed.

NPSB Superintendent Selection Proposed Dates

February 10 – President and Vice President will pick up application from P.O. Box. Return applications to NPSB Office to Mr. Hammonds and Ms. Gamble. Board Members will then have access to confidential copies by 4pm at the NSPB for consideration.

February 11 – The list of applicants will be made available to the public at the school board office during business hours

February 13 – Special Meeting – Vote to decide:

*Number of applications to be interviewed

*What date(s)

*Who will be interviewed

*The order they will be interviewed

*Tie Breaker Process

*How many levels/rounds of interviews

February 19 – Interviews

February 20 – Interviews. At the conclusion of the interviews, the Board will vote to:

*Determine the number of final candidates

*Select the finalist

*The order they will be interviewed

*Tie Breaker Process

*Reference checks teams

March 3 – After the regular committee meeting The Board will go into a Special Call Meeting to determine:

*Date of the final interviews

*Process