Ms. Mary Nash, age 79, was laid to rest on Saturday, May 16th in the Shiloh Cemetery in Bienville, LA after passing away on May 10th. Paradise Funeral Home in Jonesboro conducted the private graveside service.

A private graveside service was held at the Pleasant Grove Cemetery in Clay, LA on Thursday, May 14, 202 for Mr. Clyde Davis who went to be with the Lord at the age of 82. Services were conducted by the Paradise Funeral Home in Jonesboro, LA.

Mrs. Betty Ruth Womack was joyfully escorted through the portals of Heaven and into the presence of our Lord and Savior on May 12, 2020. Betty Hall Womack was a proud “Wife” of 62 years and cherished her title as “Mom” to her 3 children. She was employed by Southwestern Bell Telephone Company for several years before she and her husband Kenneth Mize Womack began operating their successful flooring business.

For entertainment Betty cherished her time visiting family and friends and meeting with her “Red Hat Ladies.” She also enjoyed being a part of several ministries in the Houston area, including teaching young children in Sunday School, establishing a new church, and praying for and counseling with people. Her house was always a meeting place including for the Boy Scout Troops where the “Den Mother” welcomed everyone with the love of Christ that was apparent in all her actions.

Those that are left to cherish her memory are her children, Tony Womack & Tye, LaDonna Green & Terry, Kenneth Hurl Womack & Lisa; grandchildren, Shawn Womack, John Quarles, Kasi Kendrick, Dustin Womack, William Womack; 8 great grandchildren. Mrs. Womack was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth Mize Womack; parents, Hoke Hurl Hall & Virgie Mary (Armer) Hall; sisters, Mary Hall Griffin, Wanda Hall Hopping.

Funeral services were held on Saturday, May 16, 2020 in the chapel of Edmonds Funeral Home of Jonesboro with interment following at Springhill Cemetery near Jonesboro. Serving the family as pallbearers were Shawn Womack, John Quarles, Seth Lowe, Mize Womack, Dustin Womack, Max Quarles, William Womack.

Mrs. Sharon Kay Horton, age 76 of Quitman, was escorted into the presence of the Lord Sunday, May 10, 2020 following a lengthy period of declining health. The loving wife, mother, grandmother and daughter owned and operated the Git-N-Go convenience store with her husband from 1978 to 1995. She was a genuine friend of all and never met a stranger, no matter who they were. A memorial service to honor her life was held on May 15th at her residence.

Those left to cherish her memory are her husband of over 58 years, Donald Wayne Horton; children, Johnny Jay Horton, Delmon Loryn Horton & Judy, Penny D. Hinton & Kemp; grandchildren, Marsha Freeman & Leyon, Ray Hattaway & Jessica, Del Horton & Christy, Max Horton, Dusty Hinton & Kat, Johnathan Horton, Cody Hinton & Megan; 21 great-grandchildren; 3 great-great-grandchildren; siblings Dale Junior Jones/ Buddy, Jeraldine Smiley, Shelia Jones. She was preceded in death by her parents, Ernest Dale & Betty Jane (Sparks) Jones; sisters, Rebecca Harmon, Connie Railton, Deborah Yansak.

Do you know these subjects or identify the owner of the vehicle shown below?

The Jackson Parish Sheriff’s Office is requesting your help. Around April 27, 2020 two unidentified males committed a theft in the North part of Jackson Parish. If you know who these people are please contact Crime Stoppers of North Delta at 318-388-CASH (2274), or via Facebook, or on the P3 tips app from your app store, or at www.crimestoppersnorthdelta.com Remember calls are confidential, you never give your name, never go to court.

While the rest of the state seems to be trending downward to the point that Governor Jon Bel Edwards decreed that he would authorize that the state resume normal business trading on May 15th in Jackson Parish the numbers continue to rise.

According to reports supplied by the Jackson Parish Sheriff’s Office the death total has now reached four which is twice as many as a week ago. Positive test cases have also increased now sitting at 112 as of May 11th. Of those 90 are active cases, two are hospitalized and 18 have recovered.

“Please pray for all those affected by the virus and the health care workers taking care of them,” said Jackson Parish Sheriff Andy Brown in a Facebook submittal. “I encourage people to be responsible and do their part to use personal protective equipment if you get out in areas where other people are gathered.”

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards announced Monday, May 11 the state will enter Phase 1 of reopening effective Friday, May 15.The new phase will loosen restrictions the governor put in place in March as a way to lessen the spread of the COVID-19.

The governor said the following types of locations will be allowed to reopen Friday, with a limit in place of 25% of their normal capacity: Churches, restaurants, coffee shops, and cafes (including indoor table-side service), movie theaters, zoos and aquariums (no touching exhibits), gyms and fitness centers, hair and nail salons, retails store with exterior exits (such as anchor stores at malls),casinos, video poker parlors, and racetracks (no spectators),bars and breweries with a Louisiana Dept. of Health food permit.

The following types of businesses will remain closed: massage establishments and spas, tattoo parlors, carnivals, amusement parks, water parks, trampoline parks, arcades, fairs, bars and breweries without LDH food permits, pool halls, contact sports, children’s play centers, playgrounds, theme parks, adult entertainment venues, and other similar businesses.

“Because of the Stay-at-Home order, Louisianans were able to dramatically improve our trajectory, reduce the number of new cases, keep our healthcare system from being overrun, and save lives,” said Edwards. “It is because of this hard work that I, in consultation with public health experts and business and industry leaders, feel confident that all across the state we can move forward with entering into Phase One.”

“Because we meet the White House statewide threshold criteria, starting on Friday, additional businesses may open with reasonable limitations to ensure safety for their employees and their customers,” continued Gov. Edwards. “Those who are at high risk of dying from COVID-19, including the elderly, residents of long-term care facilities, and those with poor control of certain illnesses, should continue to stay at home and only leave their homes only for essential reasons, like seeking medical care, going to an essential job, or getting food.”

Think you know where you can catch a weighty stringer of three bass on Caney Lake? This Thursday evening, May 14th, you and a partner get a chance to show your confidence by entering in the “3 Bass Blast” Team Fishing Tournament sponsored by Hook’s Marina.

The tournament is open to everyone and will take place from the hours of 6:30 – 9:00 PM. All contestants will launch from Hook’s Marina. Contestants 16 years or younger must be accompanied by a parent or guardian with written permission. You can weigh-in your stringer at any time but you must have your catch on the weight keepers tables by no later than 9:45 PM. A fish must be alive to be counted and all fish will immediately be released back into the lake after being weighed.

Entry fee is $30.00 per boat with an 80% payout to the winner. You can also enter the “Big Bass” competition for $10.00 which has a 100% payback. If you are fortunate to catch a “tag fish” you will be awarded $10.00. There will also be a drawing for a free fishing rod held at the final weight-in time.

Additional rules are that no contestant is allowed to fish on the lake the day of the tourney and all fish weighed must be at least 12 inches long. No contestant can leave a boat to obtain a fish and you must fish with a rod and reel using artificial lures. Also there is also no trolling allowed.

No alcoholic consumption is permitted prior to weigh-in and all contestants are responsible for understanding and abiding by local, state and federal laws. For any questions please contact Tournament Director Benson Bagwell at 318-249-2347.

Two people from Lincoln Parish and one from Hodge were arrested by the Jackson Parish Sheriff’s Office during the first week of the month of May. Charges ranged from theft, disturbing the peace, contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile and possession of marijuana.

Earl William Thomas of Ruston, age 26, was arrested on May 3rd at 11:30 AM for theft and issued a citation. Gabriellel Brown of Grambling, age 26, was nabbed at 7:31 PM on May 3rd and issued a citation for disturbing the peace and Tristen Patton of Hodge, age 18, received citations for contributing to the delinquency of a child and possession of marijuana on May 5th at 2:42 PM.

An ordinance that would amend the Jonesboro Flood Protection Code (JFPC) and another that will adjust the 2020-2021 budget for the Town of Jonesboro highlights the May 12th Jonesboro Board of Aldermen tele-conference meeting agenda.

Ordinance 2020-001 will ask Aldermen Nia Evans-Johnson, Devin Flowers, James Ginn, Robbie Siadek and Pete Stringer to incorporate modifications of the JFPC and the Flood Insurance Study (FIS) in order to comply with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) notice dated February 19, 2020. The second ordinance, #2020-002 would adjust the town budget for 2020-2021 based on estimated receipts and expenditures for the Town of Jonesboro for the same period of time.

Additional items to be discussed and voted on are:

1. Approval to accept bids for surplus items
2. Approval to accept bids for fuel
3. Approval of a task order between the Town of Jonesboro and Denmon Engineering
4. Approval of resolution #2020-022 regarding Denmon Engineering
5. Approval of department head reports (Fire, Police, Public Works)
6. Approval of termination and new hires for Police Department
7. Approval of April minutes and bills to be paid

The meeting will conclude with comments from each Council member and Mayor Leslie Thompson.

For the last two months the Jackson Parish Police Jury (JPPJ) has been forced to conduct their monthly meeting over the phone. That will no longer be the case as at 5:30 PM on May 18th at the Charles H. Garrett Community Center in Jonesboro the JPPJ will hold an open meeting that the public is invited to.

The meeting is the regularly May meeting that was supposed to be held on May 11th but postponed to allow face to face discussion among jurors and the public. The following statement was also issued

“We are taking precautions during this time to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our residents and employees. Additional measures will be taken at our facility to ensure proper social distancing.”

Additional meetings scheduled to be held this week are:

1. Recreation District Board 5/18 @ 12:00 pm
2. Library Board 5/18 @ 4:30 PM
3. Tourism Board 5/18 @ 5:30 PM
4. Hodge Fire Protection District 5/18 @ 6:00 PM

Please check to verify if these are open meetings or not before showing up.

You can’t catch ‘em unless you are wetting a hook……

The temperature is starting to rise but the “bite” on Caney Lake is still hot as ever. Seems not to matter whether you are fishing for bass, bream, catfish or crappie nice stringers of fish were reported among local anglers this past week. This is evidenced by the pictures of several lunkers caught shown below.

According to information given by several anglers that the Jackson Parish Journal was able to catch up with the best luck when it came to landing the big bass was by using Black Tarantulas and Red Shad. Also good catches have been made using shad colored 4 ½’ swim baits with a chartreuse tail. Bream and Crappie have been found to be congregating in large numbers around sunken tops.

The Coronavirus has taken another victim. This time it is not a person that has been lost to Jackson Parish residents but instead a key place of business. On Wednesday, May 6th, the Circle K convenient store located on the corner of Hwy 4 and Hwy 167 shuttered their doors closing one of the few retail combination gas station/store in Jonesboro.

This marks the 28th store of the nationwide chain that has been forced to close during the epidemic and the fourth in the state of Louisiana. Attempts to contact the Louisiana regional headquarters were unsuccessful but in a note provided on the Circle K website by CEO Brian Hannasch it was stated that the intent is to re-open all the closed stores once the danger of spreading the Coronavirus has passed.

Ann Folks Garrett, age 82 of Jonesboro, LA, passed away on May 7, 2020. Ann was born on February 23, 1938, in Shreveport, Louisiana to Frank E. Folks and Nettie D. Walsworth. On January 8, 1955 she became the bride of Dr. Charles H. Garrett.

“Mrs. Ann” as she was fondly known to her many friends worked with her husband at the Jonesboro Veterinary Clinic until he closed his office at the time of his death. They were married for 55 years. Ann enjoyed her family and supporting her children in their many activities. She was a devoted and active member of the Jonesboro United Methodist Church. She also shared her love of Jesus through a card ministry to those who were sick and was known to give pocket crosses to friends and clients of the Vet Clinic.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Charles Garrett, her brother Bobby Joe Folks, and her parents. Left to cherish her memory are her children: Charmelle (Jack Rouse), Charlotte (Pierre Guidroz), Chuck (Melinda), Bob (Karen), and Cherie’ (Jim Bosch). Included are also twelve grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren and her sister-in-law, Pat Folks.

A private graveside service was held at Gala Traina Memorial Cemetery under the direction of Kilpatrick Funeral Home of Ruston. Should friends desire, memorial contributions may be sent to Jonesboro-Hodge United Methodist Church, 402 4th St, Jonesboro, LA. 71251. Online condolences can be sent to the family at www.kilpatrickfuneralhomes.com.

Mr. Joe Charles Jones, age 84 of Jonesboro, left this world to meet his savior, surrounded by his family and pastor, on Wednesday, May 6, 2020. “Pappy”, as he was known by all of his family, was born on January 12, 1936 in Jonesboro, Louisiana to Reg and Fannie Joe (King) Jones.

He received his education degree from Louisiana Tech University in 1958 and taught driver education in the Jackson Parish School System for the next 35 years. On June 17, 1961, Joe married the love of his life, Nancy Elizabeth Melton and they raised three children.

Mr. Joe was an avid supporter of all sports in Jackson Parish but he held a special place in his heart for the athletic program at Jonesboro-Hodge High School where he could always be seen in attendance, regardless of sport, even during the days of his declining health.

With his “Spirit Club” by his side, Pappy’s high-spirited voice could be heard throughout the crowds keeping the officials on their toes. From 1958 until 2008, Pappy missed only one J-H football game and that was due to him being hospitalized. Up until his retirement, Pappy volunteered to drive J-H students and players alike to the games.

Mr. Jones was preceded in death by his mother and father; his in-laws, Cy and Mildred Melton and brother-in-law, Wayne Melton. Those left to cherish his memory are his loving wife of 59 years, Nancy; Son, Ken Jones (Terry); Jill Jones Hampton (Cliff); Janet Jones Carter (Eric); grandchildren, Dusty Hampton (Heather), Rhen Jones (Rebecca), Holly Hampton Dodson (Justin), Rhett Jones, Cody Carter, Nicole Carter, Tyler Carter, Olivia Kate Carter; Great Grandchildren, Cy and Saylor Hampton, Corey Carter, Aria and Avery Dodson, Emmalyn Jones; brother, William Paul Jones (Billie Faye); sister-in-law, Enid Barr Melton; niece, Paula Jones Williams; Nephews, Bill Jones and Shane Melton; and a host of cousins and friends.

A public walk-through viewing was held on Saturday, May 9, 2020 at the Edmonds Funeral Home Chapel in Jonesboro from 1PM until 3 PM followed by a graveside service at 3:30 PM at the Garden of Memories in Jonesboro with Rev. Randy Dark officiating.

Mr. Bobby Joe Gray, age 85 of Jonesboro, passed away Wednesday, May 6, 2020 surrounded by his family following a period of declining heart health. He was a fan of the Saints and LSU. Mr. Gray also enjoyed being outdoors and found a way to be outside any chance he could where he especially enjoyed hunting and fishing He also liked to garden, especially growing lots of tomatoes and found much joy in giving those tomatoes away.
Mr. Gray proudly served his country in the United States Army and the United States National Guard. He was so fond of the color black that most everything he owned was that color including his cars, trucks, and boats even down to the mercury outboard motor.

He began working in the paper mill in 1958 and retired in 1999 after over 40 years of employment and will be remembered for the hard work he put into his every day family life to provide for his family. He loved his family and was a very loving, devoted father and grandfather.

Those left to cherish his memory are his daughters, Donna L. Sanders (David L.), Sharon R. Mathis; grandchildren, Derek L. Sanders (Kylie), Priscilla N. Coleman (Cliff), Tabbatha M. Gannon (Wesley); great grandchildren, Autumn, Christian, Hunter, Caleb, Mason, Kenzie, Lexi, Cullen; sister in law, Linda Gray; a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by wife, Mary Elizabeth (Harrington) Gray; parents, Ernest Eugene and Ethel Inda (Holleman) Gray; siblings, Billie Ruth (Gray) Scoggins, John David Gray.

A graveside service was held Tuesday, May 12, 2020 at 11:00AM in Jonesboro Cemetery with Reverend Bill Staples officiating. Entombment was under the direction of Southern-Edmonds Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers the family has asked that donations be made to your favorite charity in his honor.

Mr. Oscar Eugene Lawrence, age 69 of Jonesboro, went to his heavenly home on Saturday, May 9, 2020 after a lengthy illness. He was born to Gertrude and Oscar Lawrence on December 13, 1950. He had two loves of his life, race cars and Peggy Nan Dark, who he married on March 5, 1968. His first job was driving a skidder for his father’s logging business before moving to Orange, Texas; where he worked in a Navy shipyard. After bringing his family back to Jackson Parish and residing in Chatham, LA he provided for his wife and sons by working in the oilfield.

Those left to cherish his memory are his mother, Gertrude Lawrence, age 102; his sons, Joe Lawrence, Josh Lawrence and Robyn, Jason Lawrence, Joshua Lawrence, Jr.; grandchildren, Angela Brouillete and Richard, Kimberly James and Jamie, Jazzmine Stuckey, Natalie Lawrence, Landon Lawrence, Cayliee Lawrence; great grandchildren, Ariel Burnett, Soloman James, Abigail James; sisters, Sue Stevens, Patricia Wiltcher; brother in law, Michael Dark and Sarah; sister in laws, Deborah Foster and Joe Joe, Sue Robinson and Peanut, Doris Bridges; and a slew (meaning more than we can count) of nieces, nephews other family and friends. Preceding Mr. Lawrence in death are his wife, Peggy (Dark) Lawrence; granddaughter, April Lawrence; father, Oscar Lawrence.

A viewing was held for Mr. Lawrence on Monday, May 11, 2020 in Southern-Edmonds Funeral Home Chapel from 10:00AM-12:00PM followed by the Funeral services at 12:00PM with Sister Julie Tippen officiating. Burial took place in Springhill Cemetery under the direction of Southern-Edmonds Funeral Home in Jonesboro. Serving the family as pallbearers will be Michael Dark, Shane Walker, Chris Tippen, Mitchell Kennedy, Lane Tippen and Brian Evans.

The family would like to thank the staff of Meadowview Nursing & Rehab for treating Gene like family. Special thanks to his “Baby”, Chanell Hamilton for going above and beyond her call of duty. Thanks also go to Post Acute (Lifecare) staff and doctors in Shreveport for taking excellent care of him the past several weeks. We appreciate you all and God bless our heroes!

Louisiana reported 20 new coronavirus deaths Sunday, the lowest single-day death total in weeks. New cases and hospitalizations also trended downward Sunday as the state remains under Gov. John Bel Edwards’ stay-at-home order, which remains in place through May 15th. The state’s death toll stands at 1,969.

The Louisiana’s Department of Health reported 200 new cases Sunday, also one of the lowest single-day totals in weeks, for a total of 29,340 cases. Hospitalizations declined by 15 Sunday to 1,530, while the number of patients on ventilators ticked up by five to 213. Unlike the statewide trend Jackson Parish continued to show an increase in COVID-19 cases. As of May 4, 2020 the numbers supplied by the Jackson Parish Sheriff’s Office showed:
1. Positive cases tested – 89
2. Recovered – 13
3. Hospitalized – 4
4. Deaths – 2
5. Active cases – 74

Gov. John Bel Edwards formally extended Louisiana’s Stay at Home order until May 15 as the state continues to slow the spread of COVID-19 to meet the White House threshold criteria for opening more of our economy. In recent days and weeks, Louisiana has seen a drop in new case counts and hospitalizations in some, but not all, regions of the state, though the death rate continues to be high.

More than 1,800 people in Louisiana have died from COVID-19. And while more than 17,000 people are estimated by the Louisiana Department of Health as being recovered a little over 10,000 people in Louisiana are still sick, giving Louisiana a high disease burden.

“My decision to extend the Stay at Home order was based on sound science and data and the recommendations of multiple public health experts and doctors as the best shot Louisiana has to protect the health of all people,” Gov. Edwards said. “We simply don’t meet the qualifications to move to Phase 1 yet, but all Louisianans should be hopeful that we will soon. Brighter days are ahead for Louisiana, and I am proud not only of our health care heroes and frontline essential workers, but also of our people who have shown extreme strength during this tough time and have largely abided by the Stay at Home order. We will get through this together and resume the celebrations we have had to put on hold when we are able to come together again safely.”

“Let me be clear – many businesses in Louisiana are allowed to open and operate as long as their employees wear face masks or coverings, limit the number of people on premises as outlined in the order and enforce social distancing. Businesses owners will need to review the order to be sure that they understand if their business may be open and how it may operate, if it is. In the coming days we will be providing additional information and tools to help business owners understand the guidance for Phase 1 so that they can protect the health and safety of their customers and their employees.”

Three noteworthy changes in the new Stay at Home order include:
1. Malls will remain closed to the public, but stores may open for curbside delivery.
2. Restaurants will be allowed to open their outside areas for patrons to eat meals only, without tableside service.
3. All employees of a business who have contact with the public must wear a mask or face covering.

Additionally, both the CDC and the Louisiana Department of Health strongly urge everyone to wear masks or face coverings when in public.

Hopefully, Louisiana will meet the White House criteria and move to Phase 1 on May 15, provided symptoms, new case counts and hospitalizations decrease and the state continues to surge testing and contact tracing capacity. Phase 1 lifts the Stay at Home order and eases restrictions on some public spaces like houses of worship and restaurants and opens other businesses that have been closed such as barber shops and salons, but with restrictions on occupancy and strict requirements for personal distancing and masks to keep everyone safe. As Louisiana prepares to move forward to the next phase, the state will begin issuing guidance and additional resources for businesses, in the coming days and weeks.

Gov. Edwards intends to make his next announcement on moving to Phase 1 in Louisiana on or by May 11. Members of the public can continue to get information from the Governor’s office on Coronavirus.la.gov and by texting LACOVID to 67283.

Early to bed. Early to rise. Fish like heck and make up lies……… age old Fisherman’s Creed

It is a passage of spring and fortunately one of the few things left in this “new world order” that you can still do. It doesn’t go against “social distancing” requirements as often times it is an individual activity. Even when there is more than one that takes part they are usually at least six feet apart. What am I referring to? Going fishing!!!!!

Here in Jackson Parish we are blessed to be the home of one of the south’s best fishing holes in Caney Lake especially this time of year. Not only do the “big bass” that our local lake is famous for seem to find their way into the many boats that troll the banks and backwaters but the brim, perch and catfish also find their way into the frying pans as well.

Want some proof? Check out some of the photos that have been taken recently. Also if you happen to snap a “goodun” send pics to jpjjacksonla@gmail.com.

COVID-19 has had a profound effect on people for the past three months in terms of loss of life and economic costs. But it also may be playing a role in the potential decline of the Eastern wild turkey population

Bret Collier, an associate professor in the LSU AgCenter School of Renewable Natural Resources, is one of the nation’s leading researchers regarding wild turkeys. He and Michael Chamberlain, a professor at the University of Georgia, are examining preliminary data on harvesting wild turkeys across the southeastern United States during the pandemic and are concerned that an increasing number of hunters and their efforts are leading to a much higher number of mature birds being harvested than in a typical year.

“Right now, we are seeing an increase in harvest on public lands and an increase in hunter days afield,” Collier said. “Wild turkey harvest in Louisiana was 15% higher by the third week of the 2020 season relative to the 2019 season.”

An Eastern wild turkey nest with hatched eggs. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, more hunters are taking to the woods in the southeastern United States and are harvesting more turkeys. This could cause a drop in the population number of turkeys in the region. According to Collier, turkey harvest is a function of hunter effort — more hunters in the woods means more harvested birds.Even if hunters do not harvest a gobbler, the increasing number of hunters can interfere with the breeding process.

“Wild turkeys are the only gamebird in the contiguous United States hunted specifically before and during the breeding season and when females are incubating nests,” Collier said. “More hunters mean an increased likelihood of disturbing a hen on the nest. Research shows hens disturbed early in the incubation process are more likely to abandon the nest.”

With schools across the nation being closed one of the best weeks in a teacher’s year is sadly going unnoticed. It is Teacher Appreciation Week! Normally this week first graders to seniors in high school would be bringing their teachers cards, flowers, apples and all kinds of gifts to show their appreciation.

What makes a great teacher? The answer is simple but yet complex. Great teachers are masters of their subject matter. They exhibit expertise in the subjects they are teaching and spend time continuing to gain new knowledge in their field. They present material in an enthusiastic manner and instill a hunger in their students to learn more on their own. Among some of the most important qualities of a good teacher include understanding, patience, and compassion. The teachers of Jackson Parish have these qualities and more.

Great teachers also set high expectations for all students. They expect that all students can and will achieve greatness in their classroom and they never give up on any student who walks through their classroom door. Great teachers have clear objectives so that they can build the anticipation for learning in their students and create lifelong learners. They also tirelessly create the perfect lesson plan so that all of their students will have the materials and opportunities each one individually needs in order to succeed.

Devotion to their students and a desire to see them be successful after they leave their classrooms and continue learning every day of their lives make our teachers the amazing educators who we appreciate every day.

Especially at a time like this everyone should reach out to thank all who teach in this parish and those that have taught many years and now are enjoying retirement. Give a shout to those who molded our minds and our lives. Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!

The Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal lifted a statewide burn ban on Thursday afternoon that was in place for almost one month. Amid the coronavirus crisis, the burn ban was initially issued March 24 to minimize the amount of fire-related accidents during the stay-at-home order while families are stuck at home.

As the government prepares to move forward with reopening the state, the ban has been lifted however residents are urged to remain compliant with the restrictions that are still in place. The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality’s guidance on legal, open burning materials can be found here.