Northwestern State basketball Jalan West felt a little pressure competing against University president Dr. Jim Henderson Monday night, and that was even before their much-anticipated game of H-O-R-S-E started.

After falling behind two letters to one, West was even more jumpy, but it was Henderson feeling the butterflies at the end.

West took a jumper over the head of Tonia, Henderson’s wife of 22 years, and drained a 20-footer that eventually sealed the H-O-R-S-E game Monday evening in Henderson’s own backyard, nicknamed “The Brickyard” because of the red-brick patio in the president’s on-campus home.

Henderson, 46, admitted he couldn’t concentrate with his beautiful wife in close proximity, after he short-armed his final shot to lose.

“It was a dirty trick,” Henderson said in a post-game discussion with Jalan. “(Tonia) distracts me to this day. She’s right in front of me, and all I could think about was the butterflies in my stomach.

“There’s no way I could make that shot with that beautiful creature from Gueydan (Louisiana) standing in front of me.”

West admitted he improvised the last shot, especially after missing several long-range attempts while seated from the patio chair.

“I just saw a pretty face in the crowd and figured it would go in my favor,” West said. “It was a distraction for him, and it worked.”

West, the NCAA’s 16^th-leading scorer averaging 20 points per game this past season, is used to getting his buckets down the road in historic Prather Coliseum.

But one July 2 tweet after driving past Henderson’s house eventually brought him to Henderson’s backyard, complete with a portable Spalding basketball goal, a large oak tree with a dangling yellow rope and a pitched tent to replace the airplane hangar-shaped coliseum.

“Never noticed @DrJBHenderson had a goal in the backyard, wonder if I could get a game of horse sometime soon…,” West tweeted from his @jalanwest12 account.

Henderson quipped on July 3 that NSU alumni needed to donate $100 for every letter he scores and $1,000 for every letter West scores.

But the wily academic, whose late father Clem was a state championship-winning prep basketball coach at Fair Park High, had the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major All-American on his heels early.

Laying in a reclined patio chair at least 15 feet away from the hoop, Henderson banked in his first shot, to the cheers of the 50 fans in attendance.

“It was great for me to get the first shot to go down, to get that first letter on him,” Henderson said.

West missed, and he failed to make several other trick shots before finally making a traditional jumper to find his rhythm.

That make evened the score with an ‘H’ apiece, and Henderson fended off another letter by answering West’s angled shot over the side of the backboard.

Henderson nailed a long jumper as the ultimate underdog snatched a one-letter lead (H to H-O).

“If you hadn’t of got going with your jump shot – I had you on the ropes,” Henderson said. “My whole goal was just to make it longer than five shots.

“To get two letters to me was like climbing Mount Everest.”

West responded, “Yeah you had me. That’s why I had to get my shot going. I had to see my ball go in – otherwise I would have lost.

“But I had to keep the game a little close. If I would have won in five shots, I might have not been able to graduate,” said the senior-to-be. “At first I thought I was in a lose-lose situation, but now I think we’re both winners because I built your confidence up.”

West’s 25-foot underhand shot from the back patio’s brick columns started the rout. West mocked Henderson by making a “fundamental backboard” shot that Henderson previously missed for the third letter before the point guard placed one foot on a table and another on a chair for Henderson’s ‘R.’

A rematch is anticipated in Prather Coliseum in October. Henderson said he didn’t want to damage the psyche of his star heading into the season.

“Ohh, that’s why we didn’t win the Southland Conference last year,” Henderson joked after West missed a shot that scored his ‘O.’

“But now he has the confidence to win the Southland title,” Henderson said post-game. “As a university president, you have to be to humiliate yourself on the behalf of the University and think long-term.

West responded, “You’re like a point guard, thinking seven plays ahead. I only think two or three plays ahead.”

The trick shots were aplenty, but nothing crazy like inviting a guest defender like West’s former Demon teammate, Will Mosley, the NCAA”s fifth-leading career shotblocker.

Whatever the result of the next H-O-R-S-E game, the connection between “#CoolPrez” (West’s Twitter moniker for Henderson) wise to the ways of social media and a silky-smooth star point guard hopefully destined to play under the bright NBA lights was evident.

“We’re so fortunate to have Jalan on campus in Natchitoches – he is what a scholar-athlete is supposed to be,” Henderson said. “He engages the community and is a leader on campus, and he plays basketball like nobody’s business.”

Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Deputies have arrested three men in connection with approximately ¼ quarter pound of suspected marijuana seized during a traffic stop on Saturday evening according Natchitoches Sheriff Victor Jones Jr.

On Saturday evening August 1st at approximately 7:00pm, Deputies assigned to the NPSO Criminal Patrol Division were patrolling on University Parkway near Natchitoches when they stopped a 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe for speeding and other traffic offenses.

Deputies identified the driver of the vehicle as Antonio Fleming of Natchitoches, La.

Two other male passengers were identified as Tyu Evans and Allen Watkins of Winnfield, La.

Deputies say when Fleming exited the vehicle they observed items associated with narcotics activity in plain view in the vehicle.

Deputies also say while issuing Fleming a citation for the traffic offenses, they asked him if he had ever been arrested in which he stated “no”.  Deputies learned during a criminal history background check (Fleming) was on Parole for a Illegal Possession of Stolen Things and Simple Burglary conviction until 2016.

During a local warrants check, deputies also learned Allen Watkins was wanted by the Tenth Judicial District Court for Failure to Appear on March 28, 2014 for Possession of CDS I Marijuana.

Deputies suspected criminal activity and contacted agents with the Natchitoches Office of State Probation and Parole who authorized a search of the vehicle for illegal items.

During a search of the vehicle, deputies seized approximately ¼ quarter pound of suspected marijuana, one suspected marijuana blunt, and baggies commonly used to store illegal narcotics for street sales in the console of the vehicle.

Deputies arrested:

Antonio L. Fleming, 24, of the 4900 block of La. Hwy 3278, Natchitoches, La., booked into the Natchitoches Parish Detention Center charged with Possession of CDS I Marijuana and Parole Violation.

Tyu Andre Evans, 23, of the 1500 block of Orange Street, Winnfield, La., booked into the Natchitoches Parish Detention Center charged with Possession of CDS Schedule I Marijuana with Intent to Distribute and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Allen D. Watkins, 23, of the 1500 block of S. Gum Street, Winnfield, La., booked into the Natchitoches Parish Detention Center charged with 1-count of Failure to Appear in the Tenth Judicial District Court for Possession of Marijuana.

All three suspects remain in the Natchitoches Detention Center awaiting bond.

Deputies believe the seized narcotics was intended for distribution in Natchitoches and Winn Parishes.

Two females in the vehicle were released and not charged with criminal offenses.

Deputies assigned to the NPSO Criminal Patrol Unit made the arrests.

Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Deputies have arrested a Saline man on felony drug charges during a traffic stop on Saturday night according to the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office.
On Sunday morning August 2nd, at approximately 12:10am, Deputies assigned to the NPSO Criminal Patrol Unit were patrolling in the City of Natchitoches when they stopped a 2001 Cadillac Deville on Second
Street for a traffic violation.

Deputies identified the driver of the vehicle as Eddie Wayne Scallion Jr. of Saline, La.

A 15 year old juvenile was also observed in the vehicle.

Deputies say during the traffic stop, they observed suspected narcotics in plain view in the vehicle.

NPSO drug detection K-9 “Misty” also alerted to the vehicle for the presence of a narcotics odor.

Deputies conducted a search of the vehicle, seizing a bag containing suspected crystal methamphetamine.

The seized narcotics will be submitted to the North La. Crime Lab for narcotics analysis.

As a result, deputies arrested:
Eddie Wayne Scallion Jr., 18, of the 300 block of Albert Scallion Road, Saline, La., transported and booked into the Natchitoches Parish Detention Center charged with Possession of CDS Schedule II Methamphetamine, and Illegal Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance in the Presence of Persons under the Age of 17.

Scallion remains in the Natchitoches Detention Center awaiting bond.

The juvenile was released into the custody of a grandparent.

Deputies assigned to the NPSO Criminal Patrol Unit made the arrest.

To understand where we are, one needs to study the past.  Start with the August 31, 1970, United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit case#30031 and then see  the matrix showing where the Natchitoches Parish School Board stands today with respect to the Parish-Desegregation Status as of 2010:

431 F.2d 1111

John ROBERTSON et al., Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. NATCHITOCHES PARISH SCHOOL BOARD et al., Defendants-Appellees.

No. 30031.

United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit.

Aug. 31, 1970.

Jack Greenberg, Margrett Ford, Norman J. Chachkin, New York City, Jesse Stone, Shreveport, La., A. P. Tureaud, New Orleans, La., for plaintiffs-appellants.

Ronald C. Martin, Dist. Atty., Natchitoches, La., for defendants-appellees.

Before WISDOM, COLEMAN and SIMPSON, Circuit Judges.

COLEMAN, Circuit Judge:

1

The establishment of a unitary school system in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, was before this Court en banc sub nom. Hall v. St. Helena Parish School Board, 5 Cir., 1969, 417 F.2d 801. We there required the submission and implementation of a plan which would achieve unitary results.

2

Without detailing the proceedings which have since taken place in the District Court, the present appeal is from a judgment dated June 1, 1970.

3

The Natchitoches Parish School system includes all schools in the parish, including the City of Natchitoches. The parish is approximately 44 miles long from North to South and has a width of 35 miles from East to West. It covers 1,297 square miles and is one of the largest parishes in the State. It is bisected or ‘cut up’ by the Red River and numerous lakes formed from old beds of the river. Many areas are heavily forested and sparsely populated.

4

In the 1,157 square miles situated outside the City of Natchitoches, there are 2410 white school pupils and 2295 Negro pupils. In the City of Natchitoches there are 2,056 white pupils and 2,101 Negro pupils.

5

When we remanded the case in 1969 a bi-racial committee was formed. This committee filed written recommendations with the District Court. The desegregation plan approved by the Court was also approved by the bi-racial committee, except that the Court ordered more extensive pairing of schools than the committee had recommended.

6

HEW filed a proposed plan for 1969-1970. There were subsequent negotiations in depth with the Natchitoches Parish School Board, resulting in several changes in the HEW position. The HEW team had spent two days in this extensive parish. At the hearing the District Judge stated that ‘The HEW plan is frankly, in this Court’s judgment, completely unworkable and impractical’. In any event there was no current HEW plan in 1970.

7

Although the Parish School Board governs all schools in the parish, both inside and outside the city, we believe a logical consideration of the plan now before us would best be promoted by separately examining the city schools (Ward 1) and the rural schools (Wards 2 through 10). The testimony shows that the wards were established long prior to the Brown decisions of 1954 and the record indicates no racial factors in the establishment of the ward lines.

8

The Court approved plan included a majority to minority transfer provision, although it did not contain the absolute priorities more recently ordered by this Court.

9

* THE CITY OF NATCHITOCHES

10

(Ward 1)

11

The projected racial composition of the student bodies in the city is as follows:

12

School                      White   Negro

North Natchitoches    1-6   416     400
Northwestern Elem     1-6   166     159
Parks                 1-6   249     239
Weaver                1-6   249     239
East Natchitoches     7-8   148     142
Northwest. Jr. High   7-8   219     211
Natchitoches Central  9-12  609     711
                           -----   -----
                           2,056   2,101

13

No student body within the city will be racially identifiable and the plan for the city obviously meets all requirements in this regard.

 

II

THE SCHOOLS OUTSIDE THE CITY

14

We now examine the effect and results of the plan as applied to the rural areas, as exemplified by the following table of projected pupil attendance for the 1970-1971 school year.

WARD 2. 320 square miles1

Ashland, K-12 168 white, 68 Negro

Goldonna, K-12 271 white, 90 Negro

15

The distance from Ashland to Goldonna is 23 miles. The pupil population of this ward is less than two per square mile. Much of the ward is occupied by Kisatchie National Forest. The school formerly at Reidheimer-Creston with 66 Negro students was closed in 1969. The two remaining schools are zoned by a line approved by the bi-racial committee.

16

WARD 3. 102 square miles.

Fairview-Alpha, K-12 222 white, 7 Negro

17

This ward is bisected by Red River. There are no bridges. Only those pupils residing North or East of the river attend Fairview-Alpha. This school has an excellent physical plant but is immediately adjacent to the parish boundary, on the North side of the ward.

18

WARD 4. 287 square miles.

19

Campti Elementary, K-6 184 white, 167 Negro

20

Campti High, 7-12 153 white, 139 Negro

21

These schools were paired, although the bi-racial committee recommended that only two elementary grades be paired. Clarence, with 196 Negro students and 67 white students in 1969-1970, was closed.

22

WARD 5. 225 square miles.

Allen, K-12 25 white, 465 Negro

Marthaville, K-12 338 white, 35 Negro

 23

The white children assigned to Allen in 1969-1970 withdrew from the public school system. These schools are twelve miles apart. Total student capacity at Allen is 575-690, at Marthaville, 500-600, with a total capacity of 1075-1290 to accommodate 863 students.

24

WARD 6. 156 square miles.

Robeline, K-12 273 white, 125 Negro

25

Shady Grove, which had 84 Negro students in 1968-1969 was closed.

26

WARD 7. 240 square miles.

Provencal, K-12 313 white, 50 Negro

27

Much of this ward is occupied by the Kisatchie National Forest and has less than two pupils per square mile.

28

WARD 8. 200 square miles.

Gorum, K-12 227 white, 0 Negro

29

This ward runs across the entire South side of the parish, with about one pupil per square mile. No Negro families reside in this ward.

30

WARD 9. 168 square miles.

Natchez, K-6 0 white, 279 Negro

St. Matthews, K-12 0 white, 531 Negro

31

Many of the children in this ward attend parochial school. The St. Matthews school has an excellent physical plant. The area is inhabited largely by mulatto people, who are opposed to giving up their school, according to the undisputed evidence.

32

WARD 10. 216 square miles.

Springhill, K-6 115 white, 191 Negro

Cloutierville, 7-12 123 white, 148 Negro

33

Both schools were formerly K-12, one all black and one all white, and were paired to attain the above results.

III

RESULTS ACHIEVED

34

The 4157 students in the City of Natchitoches will attend seven schools, all free of racial identification.

35

In the rural areas, dispersed over an area of 1157 square miles, interspersed by a major river, lakes, and National Forests, four schools have been paired and three schools have been closed in an effort to bring the system in compliance with the Constitution. The process has had the active participation and approval of a bi-racial committee. Fourteen rural schools remain, a little more than one school per hundred square miles. The student bodies of the following schools are not racially identifiable: Ashland, Goldonna, Campti Elementary, Campti High, Robeline, Provencal, Springhill, and Cloutierville.

36

Fairview-Alpha is (but for seven students) all white. This school is cut off by the Red River, so the composition of the student body is caused by immutable geography, not racial reasons. There is no good cause for doing away with a good school plant.

37

In Ward 5, Allen is almost all black and Marthaville is nearly all white. These schools are twelve miles apart. HEW proposed that Marthaville be grades, 1-4, Robeline be grades 5-8, and Allen be grades 9-12. The parish asserts that HEW later agreed to leave Robeline intact (closing Shady Grove) and that Marthaville and Allen be operated as neighborhood schools. A zone line between Allen and Marthaville, recommended by the bi-racial committee, was established. It failed, however, because the white students assigned to Allen withdrew from the public school system. Theoretically, these schools could be paired. A good look at the map indicates the great distance children would be compelled to travel to effectuate the criss-cross between the two plants. Marthaville is in the extreme southwest corner of the ward, about two miles from both the South and the West boundaries of the parish. Neither plant has the capacity to handle all the pupils in the ward. If Allen were closed the burden of the long distance travel would fall almost altogether on the Negro children who now conveniently attend Allen. Moreover, all the children would have to travel to the extreme southwestern corner of the ward. This Court, of course, cannot alter geography. There might be some other plan, however, which would work within educational realities, such as a subzone. We shall direct another effort in Ward 5.

38

This brings us to Gorum, all white, in Ward 8. This ward is hemmed on three sides by the parish boundaries. No Negro families live in the ward. It has 227 pupils in a 200 square mile area. This is a classic example of the situation encountered by a panel of this Court in Pate v. Dade County School Board, 5 Cir., 1970 (Nos. 29,039 and 29,179, August 12, 1970) in which the Court was compelled to hold that there simply was no practical way to desegregate several schools because of their peculiar geographical location.

39

We next encounter Natchez and St. Matthews in Ward 9. HEW agreed that St. Matthews be continued as a High School. This is the school where there is an excellent physical plant and many of the patrons are mulattos who do not wish to give up their school. The record shows that the mulattos once had the school as their own but more recently individuals of a higher percentage of Negro blood have been included, with the result that the student body is now counted as all black. This, of course, is an unusual situation. HEW did not wish to interfere with St. Matthews, the School Board did not wish to do so, and the plaintiff-appellants do not suggest that we do so.

40

HEW did recommend that Natchez be paired across the zone lines with Provencal in Ward 7. We see from the map that there is no road directly connecting these two schools. Yet, a fresh study might produce a realistic solution for the situation at Natchez. As in Allen and Marthaville we shall direct that such action be taken. Further study should be given to the practicability of pairing the schools in Ward 9 with those in Ward 7, at Provencal or with those in the City of Natchitoches.

CONCLUSION

41

We, of course, must appraise the school system as a whole, Green v. County School Board of New Kent County, 1968, 391 U.S. 430, 88 S.Ct. 1689, 20 L.Ed.2d 716.

42

Were it not for the problems at Allen, Marthaville, and Natchez, attended by 779 Negro students in the rural areas of the parish, we could confidently adjudicate the existence of a unitary system in Natchitoches Parish. Such a pronouncement may yet be required by inescapable factors not reasonably subject to adjustment by the school board or the courts. We are of the opinion, however, that a genuine effort must first be made to improve the non-racial identification of these schools. This effort should be made, in depth, with due regard for educational realities, by HEW, the Parish School Board, and the bi-racial Advisory Committee, the results to be submitted to the findings and appraisal of the District Court, consistently with the Constitutional principles involved.

43

In view of the obvious difficulties to be encountered, the impending opening of the schools, and the progress already attained toward the accomplishment of a unitary system in Natchitoches Parish, we retain jurisdiction of this appeal and remand the case to the District Court with directions that the parish schools be operated under the existing plan for the first semester of the 1970-1971 school year. See Calhoun v. Cook, 5 Cir., 1970, 430 F.2d 1174.

44

We request the District Court to direct that with all possible expedition the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, the Parish School Board, and the bi-racial Advisory Committee make a thorough study in depth and report as quickly as possible as to any educationally feasible plan or plans which would further desegregate the schools named, in keeping with appropriate Constitutional standards. The District Court will hold any necessary hearings and make findings of fact, all of which is promptly to be reported to this Court for action thereon, without the necessity of additional appeals.

45

After such study, the parties are encouraged to stipulate a solution, if possible for them to do so.

46

So ordered.

---

The Tulane University Cowen institute – Parish-Desegregation Status as of 2010:

Parish-Desegregation-Status-Summary

The Natchitoches Parish Journal received this submission from Dennis Coleman. The views and opinions expressed are those of Mr. Coleman and not necessarily those of the Natchitoches Parish Journal.  If you have an article for publishing consideration by the NPJ, please send it to NPJNatLa@gmail.com.

With little more than a month to the qualifying date, I find little to be excited about with the fall election, and that is disappointing. The Parish President Rick Nowlin
exhibited unprecedented leadership when he appointed the Advisory Commission to study the structural and financial needs of the Natchitoches Parish roads.  However, after receiving the report, the parish council became suspiciously quiet and
wouldn’t allow the people of Natchitoches Parish to decide if a tax was appropriate or not. Most people I’ve talked to feel that is a decision best made by the taxpayer but
the council, touting unofficial and unpublished “Polls,” decided that an election would be unnecessary. The council offered no public comment and of course no alternative plan. The ‘all-knowing’ council, in the spirit of heavy-handed politics, made their
silence on the issue seem overwhelmingly loud.

Yes, there are those citizens who continue to pay expensive automobile repairs and cuss the roads and seem determined  that no tax will pass. As they are private
citizens, this is their choice. The council, however sought and were elected to positions of leadership.  Yet nothing new has been forthcoming. While most would agree that the parish council has offered no plan or answers, their silence seems only to raise more questions.

Back in November of 2012 there seemed to be a loose cannon running amok with
the police jury’s checkbook. Seven (7) specific roads received some funding for repairs. Each of these roads received some sort of a “lick and a promise.”  In some cases, though, the “repair” only covered a part of the road. It seemed the juror in question had a bit of a problem with the bid law, since there is a law which requires the parish to employ the bid process on anything over $150,000.  Well, when anyone has a contractor, who can work without supervision or oversight, the process is
“simplified.” The “trusted” contractor was told to not go over the $150,000 threshold, and that is what was done. Total cost on the seven (7) roads $883,622.73.

So, If you’re blessed to live on Grappes Bluff, Patrick Road, Post MillRoad, Cloud Crossing, Breazeale Springs, Old Bethel Church Road or Lake Gorum Road, you will
remember that flurry of activity back then, and some will remember that the job wasn’t completed. Oh, the repairs were definitely needed, but anyone would question the timing and the spending since the police jury had exhausted its
budget. Again, the wizard came through with another underhanded deal. All that was done was to transfer a sum from the Solid Waste Fund and since that didn’t cover everything, the ‘deficiency’ could easily be passed on to the incoming Home Rule Charter.

One must ask, who benefitted from this? Certainly not the taxpayer and not the parish.  The contractor? The ‘loose cannon’ juror? The questions continue to
come up and are as plentiful as potholes in Natchitoches Parish.

On Saturday morning August 1st at approximately 9:45am, NPSO Deputies, Louisiana State Police, Campti Police, Natchitoches Fire District #9, and Natchitoches Regional Medical Center EMS Paramedics responded to a single-vehicle crash on La. Hwy 480 east of Campti, La.

The driver and passenger of the 2003 Ford pickup truck were not transported.

The crash is being investigated by Troopers assigned to Louisiana State Police, Troop-E Alexandria.

Northwestern State University’s online bachelor’s program in accounting has been ranked as the number two accounting program in the country, according to the website onlineu.org.

The site is the second one to rank Northwestern State’s online accounting program as the number two program in the U.S. In May, the accounting program was recognized by nonprofitcollegesonline.com as the second ranked program in the country.

The program moved up 12 spots in this year’s rankings. NSU’s accounting program was the least expensive ranked program with tuition of less than $5,000 annually.

“We are pleased to receive further affirmation of the quality of our accounting program,” said Coordinator of Accounting Dr. Nat Briscoe. “This ranking shows our students are well prepared to enter the workforce after earning their degree. It also shows we provide an outstanding education at a low cost which reduces the financial burden on students.”

Briscoe said the program is designed for those students who want a strong education in accounting specific areas as well as a general education in all areas of business.  The program requires a minimum of 120 credits for completion. The Bachelor of Science in Accounting program prepares diverse career paths by offering courses in financial and managerial accounting, cost accounting, tax, audit, accounting information systems and governmental accounting.

The accounting program is part of NSU’s School of Business which is internationally accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International, (AACSBI), which represents the highest standard of achievement for business schools worldwide. Fewer than 20 percent of the business schools in the world achieve AACSBI accreditation and it is the hallmark of excellence in business education.

Instruction is provided by terminally degreed faculty with significant business experience. Northwestern State offers all requirements necessary to take the Certified Public Accounting (CPA) exam.

The rankings are available at onlineu.org/top-colleges/accounting. You can learn about NSU’s accounting degree program at business.nsula.edu/accounting.

Paying tribute to the driving force behind the creation of Northwestern State’s innovative tailgating area near Turpin Stadium featuring cable television connections and other amenities, the Demons will rename it “Donald’s Demon Alley” to honor the late Donald Horton of Coushatta, announced NSU director of athletics Greg Burke.

Horton, 68, served as NSU Athletic Association President for more than 12 years before his passing in June 2013. He drew the plans for the tailgating zone south of Turpin Stadium, NSU’s football stadium, with cable TV, water and electrical connections provided to patrons, changing the face of game day activity at Northwestern when it was opened for the 2003 season.

Commonly known as the “Demon Alley” since then, the area now features the Collins Family Pavilion and is the cornerstone for avid tailgating prior to NSU home football games. Signage will be erected and dedicated at “Donald’s Demon Alley” during a ceremony on Thursday afternoon, Sept. 3, in the hours prior to the 6 p.m. kickoff for the NSU season opener at Turpin Stadium, the White Out Game against Southeastern Louisiana.

“It is most fitting that the NSU football tailgating area is named in honor of Donald Horton,” said Burke, about to begin his 20^th year as the Demons’ director of athletics. “I still remember the day that Donald walked into my office with the hand-sketched rendition of a concept which he envisioned would greatly enhance the Demon football game day experience, and he was right.  Tailgating has grown exponentially since the ‘full service’ tailgate locations designed by Donald were installed over a decade ago and associating his name with this pre-game spot is a meaningful way to recognize him for his vision.”

Along with being focal figures in tailgating at NSU for decades, he and his wife Pat were involved with countless Demons athletic events and fundraisers for many years. They hosted the annual Red River Parish “Victory Tour” stops at their Coushatta home from 2003-12. They hosted hospitality stations at the annual Don’t Die Wondering Golf Classic supporting Lady Demon basketball each August.

The Hortons’ support of NSU has long been a family affair, noted Burke.   “I am glad that Donald’s wife, Pat, along with their two sons John and Leland will be in attendance at our home opener for the official dedication of ‘Donald’s Demon Alley.’  Donald and Pat always made NSU such an important part of their lives and I have no doubt that their passion for NSU permeated the Horton household through the years,” said Burke.

Horton, a Tulane Law School graduate, was a key figure in creation of the John K. Kelly Grand Bayou Waterway in Red River Parish, while serving as legal counsel for the Red River Waterway Commission. He was half-owner in The Famous Natchitoches Louisiana Meat Pie Company, which distributes the unique dish nationally and maintains substantial operations in Coushatta.   He was a member of the Athletic Association Board of Directors for almost 30 years, serving as president for most of Burke’s two decades years as director of athletics. He and Pat were vital to the development of the bi-annual Scholarship Auction that raises funds supporting NSU student-athletes.

Under 70 tickets remained available Friday morning for Tuesday evening’s screening of the ESPN 30 For 30 Short Film “Delaney” at NSU’s Magale Recital Hall.

Tickets, $10 each, are available at NSUDemons.com or by calling the NSU Ticket Office at 357-4268 during business hours Monday or Tuesday. If any remain, they will be available at the Magale Recital Hall Tuesday evening when a 6:30 reception precedes the 7 p.m. screening hosted by “Delaney” producer Grant Curtis and the Demons Unlimited Foundation.

Casual attire is welcomed for the event, which should conclude about 8:15. After the film, which runs approximately 20 minutes, a panel of former teammates and friends of Joe Delaney will discuss the film and his life. Delaney, a two-sport All-American who became a Pro Bowl running back for the Kansas City Chiefs, perished in a June 1983 attempt to rescue three drowning children, one who survived.

A  “Delaney” screening is also being held on Wednesday night in Shreveport. For ticket information for that event, visit LaSportsHall.com. The film will debut Aug. 19 on ESPN platforms to be announced soon by the network.

Curtis has been a producer on the “Spider-Man” film trilogy, “Oz the Great and Powerful,” and is currently involved with “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2.”

Since the early nineteen nineties, the Reserve Unit of the Natchitoches Police Department has provided important services to the Natchitoches community and its citizens.  Reserve officers are utilized as additional manpower for events and on patrol as well as offering a visible police presence in the Historic District during the holidays and numerous festivals.

New reserve officers are trained by experienced certified law enforcement trainers during a two month academy.

This training is performed at night for the convenience of the trainee.

Applications for the reserve unit are now being accepted until August 17^th
Anyone interested can contact Lieutenant Stan Williams at 318-357-3878 or Sergeant Jeff Townson at 318-357-3852.”

Did I tell you about the time I was stuck on I-10 in New Orleans?

I was visiting a preacher friend of mine and we had gone to New Orleans East to drool over the books at the seminary bookstore. My preacher friend had a 3 o’clock appointment back in his office on the Westbank of New Orleans. We were headed back and the traffic on I-10 into town had backed up. We were both grousing about the idiot who likely was in an accident at the Claiborne exit. The closer we came to down town the more obvious that our traffic prognostication was correct. The accident was in the left lane and that was our shortcut to the Westbank. We wedged over into the middle lane to pass the accident.

As we rolled by my friend cried, “Oh no, it’s Stephanie!”

I pulled ahead and parked in front of the accident in the left lane. It was my friend’s daughter Stephanie. She had rear-ended someone in her Volvo. She was fine. Actually she was mad because she and the other party were waiting for the police to come do whatever they do at accidents. While her car remained in the left lane the other party had moved to the opposite shoulder and already had Morris Bart at the scene of the accident.

Stephanie was fine. The Volvo, which means “I run” would run despite the crumpled front end. My friend hugged his little girl and assured her it was OK. He then looked at me and said, “I need to meet this couple about their wedding would you wait with Stephanie until the police come?” I said the dumbest thing I have ever said in my life, “Sure.” As I watched the tail lights of my car vanish in the direction of the West bank I had this sick sinking feeling.

I should have told him to wait and I would have done the wedding conversation. I should have said, “Lets abandon this heap and all go to the Westbank.” I didn’t.

I stood with Stephanie and the crumpled Volvo on I-10 blocking the inside lane for two hours. Dad never returned with my car! I learned so many words of encouragement from passing motorists. Stephanie who was really cute received several offers from passing male motorists. I also learned that despite her innocent appearance, Stephanie knew how to respond in kind to some of the words and gestures being shared with us by delayed passing motorists. It was an afternoon from hell!

Two hours later the police showed up, spent five minutes at the accident sight and said, “Move the vehicle.” I had already opened the crumpled hood so I knew what needed to be done to the car. I took off my tennis shoe, used the string to pull the radiator off of the fan. I tied the radiator to the remains of the front of the car. I told Stephanie, “Get in, I’ll drive.”

We safely traversed the distance to my friend’s Parsonage on the Westbank. I thought about that story because my friend’s mother died this week and I’m making plans to go to the funeral. I’m going to ask Stephanie if she remembers our afternoon together in New Orleans. If her kids are there, they will be old enough to hear the story, complete with a recounting of Stephanie’s colorful vocabulary.

I’m glad I was there to help. It is much funnier now than when it was happening.

Jesus never said that helping another person would be easy.

Joe Cunningham is a conservative commentator, Front Page Editor at RedState.com, and a teacher in south Louisiana. You can find him on Twitter at @joec_esquire.

Donald Trump is a thing in national presidential politics. A lot of people are frankly shocked at this, but it’s happening. I don’t particularly care for the guy as a candidate – he has been a major Democrat donor (including to Hillary Clinton), he is for single-payer, etc. – but there is something about his campaign that people in Washington D.C. can’t quite pick out.

“Why is Donald Trump a thing,” they ask. That curiosity has turned to outright anger. They don’t like that he’s making some headway and now leading in several polls. They are certain that Trump will pave the way for Hillary in 2016. I don’t blame them for their anger. I am angry as well. But, there is a simple reason that these GOP folks are overlooking or ignoring.

They have completely shut out the base of the Republican party in order to keep special interests happy. It may shock you to know that a very large group of conservative voters do not like big businesses running the party or the country. They don’t like that the biggest beneficiaries of government are special interest groups. They want something different.

Enter Donald Trump. The GOP Leadership has completely given up on securing the border and solving immigration. Trump, already well-known and a crowd-holder, speaks out against the GOP’s capitulation on the subject, and the conservative base is enthralled. His poll numbers shoot up, and he will be on the debate stage on August 6.

Is Trump going to win? No. Is he going to go third party and ruin things? Well, maybe (though he did assure the folks at RedState he was not going to – his invitation to their big Gathering the weekend of the debate would’ve been revoked).  However, the conservatives will move on and find someone else they like.

Trump’s campaign will fizzle out as the other candidates get into their grooves and the novelty of Trump wears off. Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and others will be there to get those supporters. Polling right now really only means that the person on top has been very visible. They don’t mean the person on top is going to win.

But the GOP leadership needs to re-evaluate its priorities before they drive off any and all support they have left. And, given how things in Congress looked this past week… well, that might not be so far off.

by Matt Vines, NSU Sports Information Graduate Assistant

LAKE CHARLES – Every season in every conference across the country, football coaches describe preseason league polls as instruments of entertaining conjecture with no real predictive value.

Northwestern State was picked fifth in the Southland Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, but coach Jay Thomas and the Demons hope that this poll is accurate.

It’s not that the Demons want to see themselves fifth in the final SLC standings, but NSU has won three of its four regular season Southland titles (1988, 1997 and 2004) and made two additional playoff appearances (2001 and 2002) when picked to finish fifth in the preseason.

“Being picked in that spot is kind of ironic, and hopefully it works out like those years did,” said Thomas, whose 6-6 records in his first two seasons as NSU head coach broke a streak of four consecutive losing campaigns. “We feel like we have the team that can get it done, but it will have to come together.

“A lot of that happens in camp, so hopefully we can pull that together really quick with some of the new faces. I think it’s fair for us to be in that (fifth spot), but maybe we can be that dark horse in the end.”

Senior receiver Ed Eagan (purple shirt) will spearhead a stable of offensive weapons that is arguably the deepest in the Southland Conference.

SLC Commissioner Tom Burnett joked with NSU receiver Ed Eagan, who is picked at three different positions on the conference preseason team, that he’s surprised to learn that Eagan is just one person at Tuesday night’s dinner.

Eagan, who appeared as a first-team receiver, punt returner and all-purpose player, said he doesn’t have a favorite responsibility among the many duties he performs for the Demons.

“That’s a hard question,” said Eagan, who started his college career as a cornerback after intercepting five passes in one high school game at Holy Cross in New Orleans. “I’ve been switching around as a corner and receiver, but punt returner has been my one constant as a position. I like receiver as well.

“(Having played cornerback) I can see what they are trying to do to me, but I’ll do whatever my team needs me to do … I do like scoring touchdowns more than getting hit.”

The only question on NSU’s offense is what quarterback will be tossing Eagan and others the ball.

Former LSU and Vanderbilt quarterback Stephen Rivers transferred to NSU this summer, throwing his hat into a ring that included as many as five other quarterbacks this spring.

Eagan, who’s been named a preseason All-American as an all-purpose player, said he’s developed a strong relationship with Rivers in a short time, but he knows quarterbacks like sophomore J.D. Almond (Haughton), junior Daniel Hazlewood and junior college transfer Joel Blumenthal will compete well with Rivers.

Thomas characterized the competition as a “huge battle” heading into fall camp, which begins Aug. 6, just a few weeks before the Demons kick off their regular season against defending Southland co-champion Southeastern on Sept. 3 in Turpin Stadium.

“Adding Stephen into that mix makes it a lot more heated,” Thomas said. “Joel is very talented and athletic with a very strong arm, and he’ll have three more years with us.

“Almond has been in our program since Day 1 as a freshman, and he’s really developed well and his knowledge is starting to improve. Almond has the talent and moxie I look for in a quarterback to handle what I call the gray elements of the game. Hazlewood is a talented guy as well. It might be a difficult decision in the end, but it will be fun, different and exciting to think about all the things we can do. Whoever our quarterback or our quarterback combination will be, he won’t have to win the game by himself. We just need him to be a good distributor of the football and make good decisions.”

Leading a defensive contingent with a mix of youth and experience, Armstrong said the defense is adjusting to new defensive coordinator Daryl Daye. Armstrong, who was recruited by Thomas when Thomas was NSU’s defensive line coach, will play for his fourth defensive coordinator in his NSU career.

“It’s always been a challenge changing defensive coordinators, but even with the changes, we’ve had similar schemes,” said Armstrong, who is one of three Natchitoches natives likely to be starters. “It hasn’t been too hard for the defense to pick up. Daye is a great guy, and he has a great personality. It’s been a lot of fun.”
Likely more challenging than the defensive coordinator changes was the defensive line battling a rash of injuries, which include six defensive linemen missing significant time during the season.

Armstrong will anchor a deep front that will play in front of relatively experienced linebackers and safeties.

Thomas coached under Daye at Division II Missouri Southern and with Daye at Nicholls State, calling Daye his best friend.

“It’s been great to have your best buddy working with you on staff.  “It was great having (former defensive coordinator) Mike Lucas, a former head coach as well, on staff.

“It’s very comforting having Daye there, and it’s been different because I’m used to sitting on the side of the table with him at the head of the table. But I think the kids are really buying into his personality, and he’s a gung-ho coach who likes to get after it and has fun with the kids. Our defense is talented but young in a lot of areas. We do have a number of guys back who have played a ton, but he’s got some work to do there. His wisdom will be great to have.”

Natchitoches Parish Fire District 7 responds to a one vehicle accident with minor injuries on Hwy 120 west of Marthaville.

Natchitoches Parish Fire District 7 covers 288 square miles. District 7 is located in the west part of Natchitoches Parish. There are 6 stations within Fire District 7.  There are 16 units in service – It’s takes a lot to keep a fire district together. In March our 3 new 2014 Freight Liner fire units arrived. One of the trucks replaced was donated to a fire department close to Ruston Louisiana.   Natchitoches Parish Fire District 7 is an all volunteer unit.  We are expecting later this year to order more fire units to replace our older units. The older units getting replaced are 1981 models. Every 5 years the insurance commissioner sends a group down to look at the equipment to make sure it is up to date.  They review the paper work and make sure the water can be pumped at their standards.  It takes a lot of money to keep a fire department going. Without the Fire Department Districts of Natchitoches Parish,  good folks could not get insurance or it would be so costly they couldn’t afford it.

District 7 currently has 30 Volunteer fire fighters – most, if not all, have full-time jobs.  Many of them clock out after 10-12 hours on their main jobs and then go straight to a scene. Some go to bed at 10 pm, get paged out at midnight, come home at 2 am and wake again to get ready for work at 4 am. They do not get reimbursed for gas in their personal vehicles. They also do not get reimbursed for the lights/sirens on their personal vehicles. They purchase them out of their own money to better serve their community.  Everyone is encouraged to help your local fire department district. When you have a fire you depend on us.

Natchitoches Parish Fire District 7
PO Box 68
Marthaville, Louisiana 71450
318-472-9200

Northwestern State University’s Office of Electronic and Continuing Education will offer a Louisiana Concealed Carry Class Saturday, Aug. 8. The class is for those age 21 or older who want to obtain a Louisiana concealed handgun permit.

The course will be from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. in South Hall on the Northwestern State campus and at the Natchitoches Shooting Range. The cost is $110. The class will cover pistol shooting fundamentals, safe handling, use of force laws and related topics.

For more information, call (318) 357-5682, (800) 376-2422 or go to ece.nsula.edu/non-credit.

The City of Natchitoches Recreation and Parks Department will host a Back to School Bash on Saturday, August 8, 2015 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at City Park on Amulet Street in Natchitoches.  Students of all ages are invited to attend and show off their school pride in a parish-wide pep rally.

The Back to School Bash begins at 10:00 a.m. at City Park located at 300 Amulet Street. Events will include a pep rally featuring spirit groups and athletics teams from area junior high and high schools, performances by Kimmy’s Zumba and local dance troupes, and music provided by MC Lil Chris and My 93.9 FM. Additional activities include a backpack giveaway sponsored by Walmart and a school uniform drive sponsored by the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office. Concessions such as hot dogs, cotton candy, popcorn, pickles and water will also be available free of charge.

The Recreation and Parks Department is also holding a School Supply Basket and Crayola Wreath raffle as a fundraiser for the event. Tickets are $1 per chance to win either of the two items. The winner will be announced at the Back to School Bash.

The Back to School Bash is free and open to the public.

For more information on the Back to School Bash and raffle, please call the City’s Recreation and Parks Department at 318-357-3891.

Contact: Samantha Bonnette, City of Natchitoches
Phone: (318) 352-2746
E-mail: sbonnette@natchitochesla.gov

Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Deputies and the Natchitoches Parish Coroner’s Office are investigating a golf cart crash that claimed the life of a 22 year old Natchitoches man on Saturday according to Natchitoches Parish Sheriff Victor Jones Jr.

On Saturday morning July 25th at approximately 8:00am, Deputies assigned to the NPSO Patrol Division responded to reports of a missing person in the 1100 block of Miller Farm Road near Natchitoches, La.

Deputies spoke with the mother, who reported her son missing, collecting information for an offense report to issue a BOLO message to area law enforcement agencies.

Deputies say the mother was also concerned because her son was recovering from recent surgery.

Surveillance video at the residence showed the victim leaving the residence on a golf cart.

NPSO Deputies, Natchitoches Police, and neighbors started searching immediate areas.

A friend of the family also conducted an aerial flyover of the area.

While searching areas near the residence, NPSO Sgt. Ronnie Ross discovered evidence that led them to a fence row approximately 200-300 yards behind the residence near a wooded area where they located the overturned golf cart and victim deceased.

Deputies say it appears that the victim identified as Justin David Wyatt, 22, of 1154 Miller Farm Road, Natchitoches, La., was operating a 2015 golf cart when he apparently struck a fence post causing the cart to roll ejecting Wyatt causing fatal injuries.

Wyatt was pronounced dead at the scene by Natchitoches Parish Asst. Deputy Coroner Steven Clanton.

The body was transported for an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

Justin attended St. Mary’s Catholic School where he went from Pre-K until he graduated in 2011.

A gathering of family and friends to celebrate the life of Justin David Wyatt will be held Monday July 27, 2015 at Blanchard St. Denis in Natchitoches, La. from 5-8pm. Services will take place on Tuesday July 28, 2015 at 11:00am at Blanchard St. Denis with burial to follow at Memorial Lawn Cemetary in Natchitoches.

All-time greats in football, basketball, soccer, track and field and tennis will be inducted in Northwestern State’s N Club Hall of Fame Oct. 17 as part of the university’s annual homecoming celebration.

Basketball stars Charles Bloodworth and Lisa Brewer, football record-setters Brad Laird and All-American Clarence Matthews, two-time All-American triple jumper Eric Lancelin, soccer’s Holly Horn and tennis star and coach Willie Paz will be enshrined in 10 a.m. Saturday morning ceremonies at the Magale Recital Hall. The event is open free of charge to the public.

Also honored with the N Club’s Distinguished Service Award will be former head football coach A.L. Williams. Assistant athletics director and NCAA compliance director Dustin Eubanks, who is nearing two decades of service to NSU Athletics, will be presented honorary N Club membership, only the fourth time that has been awarded to a non-competitor by the association of athletic letterwinners at Northwestern State.

Induction in the N Club Hall of Fame is the highest honor NSU awards to its former student-athletes, coaches and athletic staff. The Hall of Fame display is located in Prather Coliseum.

Bloodworth and Brewer starred in Prather as trailblazing basketball competitors. Bloodworth was NSU’s first black student-athlete, transferring home to NSU in 1967 and sitting out a year before competing from 1968-70. Brewer was among the first 13 women to receive full athletic scholarships in state history, signing with the Lady Demons as a high school senior in April 1975 after a stellar career at DeRidder High School.

Bloodworth was a two-year All-Gulf States Conference selection as a power forward for coach Tynes Hildebrand’s Demons and was drafted in the NBA (Chicago) and ABA (Washington) before an injury ended his career. He averaged 17.7 points and 12.3 rebounds as a senior in 1969-70, a rebounding figure that ranks eighth best in school history for a single season. His 10.3 career rebounding average is fourth best. The Natchitoches native was chosen for the Top 100 Demon Basketball Players roster celebrating the centennial season of the sport at NSU in 2013.

Brewer played three seasons at NSU and played two years of professional basketball in the Women’s Basketball League as a second-round draft pick in 1980. From 1975-78, the explosive guard scored 1,906 points (prior to 3-pointers and the now-smaller women’s ball), fifth all-time in school history. She has the third, fourth and fifth-ranked season scoring totals in Lady Demon history, averaging 20.9 points in a 91-game career, topped by 25.7 as a junior. She shot 46.1 percent from the field, holds NSU records for baskets (854) and attempts (1,852) and had 13 30-point games, including 39-point performances on back-to-back nights against UL Monroe and Louisiana Tech as a freshman.

Horn is the first Lady Demon soccer player to earn induction. She was a four-year All-Southland Conference selection, earning first-team honors in 1999 and making the second team in 1997, 1998 and 2000. The Lafayette product played for the 1997 and 2000 Southland Tournament champions, with the 2000 team advancing to NSU’s first NCAA appearance.

Laird and Matthews, who played together as Demons, were both on the program’s Top 100 Football Players of All-Time chosen during the 2007 NSU football centennial celebration. Among highlights during their careers under coach Sam Goodwin were wins at Boise State in their junior and senior seasons.

A four-year starter at quarterback, Laird holds school records for total offense (6,178 yards), passing yards (6,037) and set a record as a senior in 1995 with 113 consecutive passes without an interception that was topped last season by Zach Adkins. Three of Laird’s season passing totals rank in NSU’s career top 10 although none of his best single-game totals do, demonstrating his consistent production. A Ruston High product who is now head coach at his prep alma mater, Laird was an assistant coach for the Demons under Goodwin, Scott Stoker and Bradley Dale Peveto.

Matthews, a New Orleans-St. Augustine product, was an All-America tailback as a senior when he set the Demons single-season rushing record with 1,384 yards (now third) and scored 13 touchdowns as he broke school all-purpose yardage season (2,277 yards) and career (4,651, now second). He played in the Hula Bowl, becoming the second player in school history to earn an invitation to that postseason all-star game. Matthews stands seventh on the NSU career rushing list with 2,628 yards.

Lancelin was eighth in the triple jump at the 1994 NCAA Indoor Championships and seventh at that spring’s NCAA Outdoors to earn his pair of All-America honors. His 54-8 career best is third all-time at NSU behind marks by USA Olympians LaMark Carter and Kenta Bell, and ranks fifth all-time in Southland history. He swept the 1994 Southland Indoor and Outdoor triple jump crowns after Carter won the previous two years.

Paz played dynamically for one season, 1973, for NSU’s now-dormant men’s tennis team, helping it emerge as a nationally-prominent program under coach Johnny Emmons. He was head coach of the Lady Demons from 1995-2006 while also serving as a teacher at East Natchitoches Elementary. Paz, a two-year junior college All-American at Odessa Community College, played his junior year at Austin Peay before transferring to NSU. He was the Gulf South Conference No. 1 singles champion with a 19-4 record, and he and Carlos Blanco were the No. 1 doubles GSC runner-ups with an 11-5 mark. Paz helped Emmons’ squad to an 11-3 overall record and second in the conference.
As coach, his best season was a 14-5 overall mark including a 9-1 Southland record in 2004. His Lady Demons excelled academically, following his lead. Paz graduated with a 3.5 grade point average and obtained his master’s degree in 2000.

Williams was the Demons’ head coach from 1975-82 and coached some of the most dynamic players in school history, including Joe Delaney, Mark Duper, Bobby Hebert, Petey Perot, Gary Reasons and Sidney Thornton. He was also athletic director and helped with the design of the NSU Athletic Fieldhouse, innovative at its dedication in 1979. Williams was one of the leaders as Division I-AA football was created in 1977 and several of his teams were in the Top 20 as the NSU offensive record book was rewritten.

Eubanks is in his 19^th year on the NSU Athletics staff and his 16^th as assistant AD and NCAA compliance director. The native of Elizabeth began as a graduate assistant, then full-time assistant sports information director, and has provided compliance expertise to all NSU sports and staff members since 1999.

The seven Hall of Fame inductees along with Williams and Eubanks will be honored in the Saturday morning ceremonies on Oct. 17, then introduced at Turpin Stadium before the 6 p.m. kickoff of NSU’s homecoming football game against Lamar.

Northwestern State supporters in and around Shreveport-Bossier gather Monday evening at Superior’s Steakhouse to hear from Demon football coach Jay Thomas and kick off the second week of NSU’s annual summer Victory Tour engaging supporters and friends around the state.

Superior’s Steakhouse at 855 Pierremont Road is the site Monday for a 6 p.m. reception, with Thomas, athletics director Greg Burke and others addressing the crowd midway through the two-hour party open to the public at no charge.

In his first two years as head coach, Thomas has led the Demons to their best back-to-back seasons since 2003-04, including record-shattering offensive numbers, wins over nationally-ranked FCS foes and last year’s 30-27 victory at old rival Louisiana Tech in Ruston.

All stops along the tour will feature a brief program in which Thomas and other Demons coaches will speak to the crowd. Each stop will last approximately two hours

The Vernon Parish Tour Stop follows on Wednesday at Mexico Lindo, 2503 McRae Road in Leesville, beginning at 6.

A night later, Rapides Parish and surrounding areas are the focus when the Victory Tour comes to Alexandria at 6 p.m. on Thursday at Buffalo Wild Wings (2711 South MacArthur Drive).

The Red River Parish Tour Stop will be held Friday at the home of former Coushatta mayor Tray Murray, 185 Army Road, beginning at 6:30.

For more information on any Victory Tour stop or for details about season tickets, contact Blount via e-mail at blounth@nsula.edu or by calling her at 318-357-4278. Complete ticket information is also available at the NSUDemons.com website.

The City of Natchitoches advises the public that Watson Street, at the intersection of South Drive, will be closed Monday, July 27 through Wednesday, July 29, 2015 in conjunction with the water and sewer line relocation construction project being conducted on South Drive. Watson Street will be closed, except to local traffic, from South Drive to Williams Avenue and from South Drive to East Seventh Street.

The City of Natchitoches appreciates the public’s patience while these improvements are being made and reminds everyone to please drive with caution through the construction sites.

Samantha Bonnette
Main Street & Public Relations Manager
City of Natchitoches
781 Front Street
Natchitoches, LA 71457
Tues – Sat 7:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Office: (318) 352-2746
Cell: (318) 471-0957