Head football coaches Blaine McCorkle (NSU), Brad Laird (Natchitoches Central), Kedrin Seastrunk (St. Mary’s) and Lawrence Seawood Jr. (Lakeview) shared information about their 2025 teams and provided plenty of insight into points of emphasis and philosophies Saturday at the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum.

The coaches were featured in a noon program, “The 5th Quarter: Natchitoches Parish Football Coaches Discuss the 2025 Season” hosted by the Natchitoches Leadership Through Athletics Committee, and co-sponsored by FLASH (Friends of Louisiana Sports and History), the local museum’s support organization.

While there was some basic discussion previewing each team’s outlook, the focus was more value-centered, with each of the coaches stressing that they look at far more than Xs and Os and try to pass along life lessons to their athletes. They had praise for the players and their efforts.

Each team was represented by student-athletes, with nearly the entire St. Mary’s team on hand for the free program expertly moderated by Natchitoches Junior High principal Bobby Benjamin, a member of the Leadership Through Athletics committee.

McCorkle brought his three team captains along with local and area players on the Demons’ roster.

The high school teams begin preseason workouts today. The Demons have been practicing since last Tuesday.

Natchitoches’ Ben D. Johnson Center was packed as several hundred area children and their families enjoyed an afternoon of fun activities and free school supplies. The Back to School Expo, in its 9^th year, was sponsored by local civic groups Krewe of the 9 and the Getting Them Ready Committee, aided by a number of community partners.

Kingdom First Ministries sponsored an inflatable jumping house and games. After playing, the children could cool off with a free snocone courtesy of the church. Inside, church members offered backpacks to the children and parents could look through a supply of gently used school uniforms, all at no cost. In the front of the church, volunteers from Samaritan’s Feet, International had new shoes for children to wear to school.

The Back to School Expo is a true community effort. The hardworking barbers of Sly’s Barbershop once again volunteered their talents to ensure that young men started school looking their best. Dr Oghale Eleyae and his wife Trisha, an RN, checked blood pressure and did basic health checks. Bridges by Garielle, Alpha Kappa Alpha alumni chapter, Jack and Jill of America and the Emanuel Temple Lodge No. 141 filled the youngsters’ new backpacks with candy, paper, pencils, and other items. Kay’s Kreations brought Bluey and several of his cartoon friends to life as they walked around the crowd.

This event was more than a fun afternoon and free school supplies. The volunteers, people the children see in their daily lives, showed by their actions that school is important and that there are people who care about them and will help them succeed.

Several areas of the City of Natchitoches experienced a power outage on Friday, August 2, due to a disruption involving a CLECO transmission line coming out of Clarence.

Although the City no longer purchases electricity from CLECO, the company still owns and operates key transmission lines that supply power to local residents. The outage occurred for reasons that were initially unknown, prompting immediate response efforts from the Natchitoches Utility Department.

City utility crews worked alongside CLECO personnel to identify the cause and restore service as quickly as possible. Power was gradually returned to affected areas following the coordinated repair efforts.

Officials thanked residents for their patience during the outage and emphasized the importance of the ongoing partnership with CLECO in maintaining essential infrastructure, even after changes in energy providers.

The Natchitoches Parish Clerk of Court’s Office is partnering with the Cane River National Heritage Area (CRNHA) on a new preservation project aimed at digitizing and translating the parish’s historic French Archives, dating from 1738 to 1803.

Clerk of Court David Stamey recently welcomed CRNHA Director Rebecca Blankenbaker and her staff for an inside look at the archives and operations of the Clerk’s Office. The collaboration will focus on making centuries-old documents more accessible to the public, with an emphasis on education and historical research.

The French Archives collection is a significant resource for genealogists, historians, and anyone interested in learning more about Colonial Natchitoches. Once digitized and transcribed, the documents will be available to a broader audience, offering insight into early Louisiana history and the region’s colonial past.

Over the past decade, the Clerk’s Office has steadily expanded its digital offerings, including conveyance, civil, succession, and criminal records. Current efforts are focused on completing the digitization and indexing of conveyance records from 1905 to 1920.

Both offices see the project as a major step forward in historical preservation and public access. CRNHA noted the archives are “proof that time travel is possible,” as they provide a direct window into the lives and stories of early Natchitoches.

The initiative is expected to benefit amateur and professional researchers alike, while strengthening public understanding of the area’s rich heritage.

Beautiful, rare Sibley Lake waterfront lot available in the established neighborhood of Oak Point Estates. Perfect location to build your Dream Home.

Address for lot is 112 Cypress Cove on a quiet cul-de-sac street. Lot has 128 feet of water frontage with picturesque lake views.

Subject to restrictions of the Oak Point Estates Homeowner’s Association.

Single Lot: $82,500.00

Contact Owner:
Cell: 318-393-8536

eMail: mes022@yahoo.com

Ward: One
Type: Real Property
Legal: Lot 57 of Oak Point Estates Subdivision, Phase #3 in Section 47-9-7 (112 Cypress Cove)

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Road improvements are moving forward in the Breda Town neighborhood as part of the Housing Development Street Project, made possible through grant funding secured by the City of Natchitoches.

The project aims to provide smoother, safer streets for residents and is one of several infrastructure improvements currently underway across the city.

City officials expressed appreciation to residents for their patience during construction and emphasized the continued commitment to enhancing neighborhoods through targeted investment and development.

More updates will be shared as progress continues.

Members of the St. Mary’s Catholic School Class of 2026 joined faculty and staff at the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception for the annual Back to School Mass.

The gathering marked a meaningful start to the new school year, especially for the incoming seniors as they begin their final year grounded in faith and surrounded by their school community.

Several teachers and staff were also present as the St. Mary’s family came together to pray for guidance, strength, and blessings for the academic year ahead.

The NSU Music Academy is accepting students for the Fall 2025 semester.

The NSU Music Academy provides private lessons in piano, guitar, percussion and voice for students ages six and up on the campus of Northwestern State University. Directed by NSU faculty Dr. Francis Yang and Dr. John Price, the academy features dedicated instructors who are current graduate and undergraduate music students at Northwestern.

Last spring, students showcased their progress in an end of semester recital held in Magale Recital Hall. Students also participated in the annual NSU Music Festival, performing for adjudicators and earning spots in an honors recital. This fall, students will have opportunities to perform in an ensemble concert and a Christmas recital.

Academy students have taken part in the National Federation of Music Clubs Festival, the Central Music Teachers’ Association Sonatina Festival and the Louisiana Music Teachers Association Upper Elementary Auditions.

Fall lessons start Monday, Aug. 25. To enroll or learn more, visit https://www.nsula.edu/musicacademy/

In an email to members of the school board and staff….

I have had a great time these last 5 years serving as the Business Manager for NPSB. I am announcing today that I will be retiring/ resigning from my duties as Director of Finance effective September 30, 2025. I will be pursuing other business opportunities that I have been working on the last 8 months. It has been a pleasure getting to know everyone and I wish y’all good luck in the future progress with NPSB

Thank you all.

The Natchitoches Regional Medical Center recently honored longtime nurse and healthcare leader Charlotte Rhodes with a retirement celebration recognizing her 44½ years of dedicated service in the nursing profession.

The event highlighted Rhodes’ distinguished career, including her last 13 years at Natchitoches Regional Medical Center (NRMC), where she served with compassion, professionalism, and excellence. City officials, colleagues, and community members gathered to express their gratitude for her lasting contributions to healthcare in the region.

Rhodes was praised for her leadership in opening the NRMC Walk-In Clinic in 2014 and guiding its transition into a Rural Health Clinic, greatly expanding access to primary care services across the area. She also played a critical role in the expansion of the Primary Care Clinic to serve Medicaid patients, contributing to more than 325,000 patient visits during her tenure.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Rhodes quickly adapted operations at the Walk-In Clinic to serve as a testing and vaccination center. She also led efforts to expand Telehealth services to local schools, ensuring continued care during a time of crisis.

In her most recent role, she spearheaded Medication Management Therapy initiatives to help patients better understand and manage their medications—efforts that improved outcomes and promoted long-term wellness throughout the community.

A proclamation was presented to Charlotte, formally recognizing Rhodes recognizing her and expressing the appreciation of the Natchitoches City Council. In in, the City referred to her as a mentor, role model, and source of strength whose dedication has left a lasting impact on the local healthcare system.

City leaders and attendees extended their heartfelt congratulations and best wishes for a retirement filled with the same joy, purpose, and compassion that defined her career.

Join the LEMOINE team as a construction craftworker and contribute to a vital project on the City’s Infrastructure improvements @ the Natchitoches Water Treatment Plant, 200 Mill Street!  We’re looking for skilled individuals with experience in concrete forming & water treatment plant work.  As a member of our workforce, you’ll handle tasks such as formwork, concrete placement/finish, misc steel & pipe erection, and process equipment installation while collaborating with our project foreman and team members.

Responsibilities may include:

• Reading blueprints and construction plans
• Measuring and cutting materials
• Installing precast conc structures, erection of metals & piping
• Constructing forms and pouring concrete
• Operating hand and power tools

Qualifications:

• Must lift/carry up to 55 lbs.
• Ability to perform repetitive tasks, including kneeling, bending, and working on uneven surfaces.
• Experience in general construction activities is a plus.

Ready to take the next step in your career? Apply now: Carpenter I Application

Or send your resume to recruitment@1lemoine.com.

Equal Opportunity Employer

A four-time All-American, several Southland Conference champions and two members of a team responsible for the most iconic moment in Northwestern State athletics’ history highlight the 2025 N-Club Hall of Fame class announced Thursday.

The 13-member group, which was chosen through a combination of a public vote of Northwestern letterwinners and deliberation of a selection committee, will be honored during a 10 a.m. induction ceremony Oct. 4.

Cody Fillinich, a four-time All-American in the javelin, leads a class that spans seven Northwestern sports. Three Demon football players – punter Mike Crow, running back Derrick Johnese and wide receiver/return specialist Toby Zeigler – and three Demon men’s basketball players – guards Josh Hancock, Tyrone Mitchell and Jermaine Wallace – will give their programs multiple inductees.

Softball also is represented by multiple inductees – pitcher Amanda Glenn and coach Gay McNutt.

Amanda Bennett (women’s basketball), Heather Penico (soccer) and David Reynolds (baseball) complete the competitive-ballot selections.

Natchitoches resident Layne Miller, a former Demon baseball player whose constant support over five-plus decades has endeared him to generations of student-athletes and coaches, was voted as the Distinguished Service Award honoree.

Miller briefly played baseball at Northwestern. His oldest daughter, Lauren, played softball at NSU. Miller has served as a board member for the Demon Booster Club/NSU Athletic Association/Demons Unlimited Foundation beginning nearly 50 years ago and has served as chef for innumerable team meals and tailgate feasts. A native of Mongomery, Miller has helped establish relationships with coaches and administrators that has allowed them to develop support systems that have been vital to their success.

Fillinich competed from 2004-09, earning four All-American honors in his signature event, the javelin. He added a runner-up finish at the USA Juniors competition and represented Team USA at the Junior Pan-Am Games. Among his All-American honors were two first-team finishes, including a No. 4 finish at the NCAA Outdoors. At the end of his career, he was the second four-time All-American male javelin thrower ever in the NCAA.

All three Demon basketball players made their marks on NCAA Tournament teams. Mitchell and Wallace were key pieces of two straight Southland Conference regular-season championship squads.

Hancock was chosen as a member of the “Fab 50” portion of the Northwestern All-Century Team, which honored the first 100 years of Demon basketball. A point guard, Hancock earned a pair of Academic All-Southland Conference honors. Known for his distribution skills at the point – he finished with 307 career assists, sixth in program history at the end of his career – Hancock sealed the Demons’ first NCAA Tournament victory as a senior in 2001 by connecting on a final-minute, 3-pointer to defeat Winthrop.

Mitchell etched his name in the school record book as the program’s all-time steals leader with 264 – a mark that still stands 20 years after his career concluded. Mitchell earned second-team All-Southland Conference and was part of the SLC All-Tournament Team in 2005-06 when the “Demons of Destiny” knocked off Mississippi State, Oklahoma State and Oregon State in the regular season before authoring one of the most remarkable NCAA Tournament buzzer beaters against third-seeded Iowa. A rock in the lineup, Mitchell led the Southland in both steals and assists in 2004-05 as the Demons won the first of two consecutive Southland regular-season titles.

Wallace began his career as the 2002-03 Southland Conference Freshman of the Year and capped it with the game-winning 3-pointer in the Demons’ 64-63 NCAA Tournament upset of Iowa on March 17, 2006. A two-time All-Southland Conference selection, Wallace still ranks 13^th on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,427 points. He averaged double-figure points in each of his first three seasons, topped by a 15.5 mark as a sophomore. His 200 career 3-pointers stood as a school record for nearly a decade.

Just as Mitchell and Wallace shared a locker room and a Northwestern roster, so did football’s Johnese and Zeigler, who played together for three seasons from 2002-04.

Johnese departed as the program’s top scorer (212 points) with his mark still standing as the most points by a non-kicker. His 34 career touchdowns also top the program’s career list while his 3,085 rushing yards remain fourth despite sharing time in the backfield. His 3,371 all-purpose yards remain ninth in school history. A two-time, first-team All-Southland selection, Johnese was the 2004 Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Year while helping the Demons reach the 2002 and 2004 FCS Playoffs.

Zeigler was a versatile weapon who could torch defenses and cut up special teams coverage units. A two-time All-Southland return specialist, Zeigler capped his career as the Southland, state and school record-holder in career punt return average (12.5 on 108 career returns). That mark also ranked second in FCS history. The Demons’ all-time all-purpose yardage record holder (4,943), Zeigler also matched the then-career reception record with 99.

Crow’s career marks of 276 punts and 11,028 punt yardage remain school records. Crow earned first-team All-Gulf Star Conference and All-Louisiana honors as a junior in 1985 when Northwestern led the FCS in net punting average at 40.4 yards. In addition to his career marks, Crow owns single-season school records of 74 punts (1984) and 2,929 yards (1985).

McNutt and Glenn did not cross paths in Natchitoches, but they each left an indelible mark on the Lady Demon softball program.

McNutt led the program to its first two NCAA Tournament appearances (1998, 2000) as part of a three-year run of Southland Conference titles from 1998-2000. In those three seasons, McNutt led Northwestern to a 112-55 mark, a .671 winning percentage. The 1998 season, in which Northwestern went 40-18 and 23-3 in Southland play, snapped a skid of five straight losing seasons. Her 161 career victories are third in program history.

Glenn was a two-way standout whose name peppers the school record book as both a hitter and a pitcher. In the circle, Glenn posted two of the top-four strikeout seasons in school history, fanning 236 batters in 2006 (3^rd) and another 2016 in 2007 (4^th). Glenn ranks second all-time in career strikeouts with 568 and is third in innings pitched with 560. A two-time first-team All-Louisiana selection who added two third-team All-Southland honors, Glenn slugged 29 career home runs, Glenn’s 125 RBIs remain fourth in program career history.

Penico was a pivotal piece of the success the Northwestern soccer program enjoyed in the early 2000s. The 2005 Southland Conference Player of the Year, Penico lead the Lady Demons to a Southland Conference Tournament crown and an NCAA Tournament appearance. The 2002 SLC Freshman of the Year as NSU grabbed an SLC Tournament championship was a two-time All-Southland and two-time All-Louisiana selection during her career, which saw her score 21 goals and finish with 53 points in 78 games.

Bennett was also a key piece of an NCAA Tournament program. The 2003-04 Southland Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Bennett was an All-Southland Tournament selection in 2004 as the Lady Demons swept the regular-season and tournament titles, advancing to the NCAA Tournament. A first-team All-Southland pick in 2003-04, Bennett earned second-team All-SLC honors the next season. A two-time Academic All-District and Academic All-Southland pick, Bennett finished her career with 1,163 points, which still ranks 26^th in program history, and sank 177 3-pointers, now eighth in school history.

Reynolds started three seasons at shortstop for the Demon baseball team, earning All-TransAmerica Athletic Conference and All-Louisiana honors as a freshman when he hit .274 with six home runs and 34 RBIs. Reynolds was a 22^nd-round draft pick of the Chicago White Sox. Reynolds shifted primarily to the mound in the pros, going 36-28 with 22 saves while also playing some infield  in his minor league career, spent mostly in Double-A.

The City of Natchitoches has been blanketed in purple. This week, student volunteers delivered Northwestern State University yard signs, flags, stickers and other items that show Demon pride to businesses and residences in the first wave of the Proud to Be Purple campaign. 

“We visited over 100 businesses,” said Amy Lee, director of Marketing and Branding. “We had the student athlete team members from football, baseball, women’s basketball and volleyball helping out.”

More items will be distributed when student ambassadors arrive on campus, Lee said. To sign up and view a message from NSU President James Genovese, visit http://www.nsu.la/purple.

The initiative focuses on boosting school spirit and strengthening community partnerships through visual displays of support for NSU with branded flags, yard signs, window decals and more.

Northwestern State Move-In Weekend is Saturday, Aug. 15-16, with classes set to begin Monday, Aug. 18. Administrators hope to see the city of Natchitoches decked out in purple to welcome students and their families and promote the home opening women’s soccer match against Alcorn State at 1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 24 and the season opening football game, also against Alcorn, at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28.

Information on Northwestern State is available at http://www.nsula.edu. Information on NSU Athletics is available at https://nsudemons.com/.

Beautiful, rare Sibley Lake waterfront lot available in the established neighborhood of Oak Point Estates. Perfect location to build your Dream Home.

Address for lot is 112 Cypress Cove on a quiet cul-de-sac street. Lot has 128 feet of water frontage with picturesque lake views.

Subject to restrictions of the Oak Point Estates Homeowner’s Association.

Single Lot: $82,500.00

Contact Owner:
Cell: 318-393-8536

eMail: mes022@yahoo.com

Ward: One
Type: Real Property
Legal: Lot 57 of Oak Point Estates Subdivision, Phase #3 in Section 47-9-7 (112 Cypress Cove)

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