Lifestyle

Virginia Knight’s eighth grade class at Central Christian Academy culminated their study of Louisiana history with a trip to Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The class was able to tour the Louisiana State Capitol Building. Larry Bagley, state representative, invited the group to sit in on a committee meeting while at the state capitol and the class of Central Christian Academy was recognized as sitting in on the committee meeting. While there the class was able to learn about the history of the building such as when and why it was built and Huey Long’s involvement. Other historic sites they visited included the Old State Capitol and the Old Governor’s Mansion. Both places had wonderful guides and informative programs which gave the class insight on the lives of former governors.

Melrose, LA - The 51st Annual Melrose Arts and Crafts Festival is set to take place on May 3 and 4, 2025, at Melrose On The Cane. This highly anticipated event will feature vendors selling their hand-crafted goods, food vendors, and music.

The Melrose Arts and Crafts Festival has been a staple of the community for nearly half a century, and continues to draw thousands of visitors from across the region. This year's festival has an impressive lineup of talented artists, craftsmen, and food vendors.

'We're thrilled to once again host the Melrose Arts and Crafts Festival, and we're looking forward to welcoming visitors from near and far,' said Executive Director, Leah Dunn Witman. 'This year's festival promises to be a truly unforgettable experience, with something for everyone to enjoy.'

In addition to the numerous vendors selling handmade jewelry, pottery, woodworking, and other crafts, visitors can also enjoy delicious food from a variety of local vendors.

The 28th Natchitoches Jazz/R&B Festival is set for May 9-10 on the Downtown Riverbank.

This year’s festival is headlined by multiplatinum- selling country music superstar, Gretchen Wilson.The festival has adopted one of Wilson’s hit songs as its catch-phrase, “We’re Here for the Party…and the Music!”

The fun begins on Friday with “Tribute to Legends Night” featuring two tribute acts. The first is Bad Medicine – Iconic Bon Jovi Tribute Band at 7 p.m.

The following act, at 9 p.m., will be a Taylor Swift tribute, “Lover: An Eras Tour Experience” that recreates a portion of Swift’s Eras Tour Concert.

Saturday’s lineup includes Memphis Funk and R&B pioneers, The Bar-Kays.

The music on the Main Stage begins at 1 p.m. with Gerard Delafose and the Zydeco Gators; followed by Sonny Gullage and the Blues Groovers of New Orleans; and Natchitoches’ own star and the festival emcee, Louisiana Music Hall of Famer Trini Triggs.

Books and Biscuits Book Club met Tuesday, March 4, at Village Cuisine Catering and Cafe in Grand Cane where we enjoyed a delicious meal, discussion, and laughter. The book for our March review was “Hillbilly Elegy” by J. D. Vance.

Genie Wanamaker led an interesting and lively discussion of “Hillbilly Elegy.” J. D. Vance’s book is both an autobiography and a description of hillbilly culture, the culture of his family. Vance was raised mostly by his grandparents, who he called Papaw and Mamaw. Vance’s “Hillbilly Elegy” became a national bestseller for its raw, emotional portrait of growing up in and eventually out of a poor rural community riddled by drug addiction and instability. Vance’s account anecdotally confirmed the book’s conclusion that family stability is essential to upward mobility.

The DeSoto Parish Schools family recently had the privilege of celebrating our incredible retired teachers during a celebration in March. These dedicated educators shaped generations of students, and today, they got a special glimpse into the exciting things happening in our schools.

From reconnecting with former students to learning about the latest in DeSoto Parish Schools, it was a day filled with gratitude, joy, and shared memories. Their lasting impact is a testament to our positive and caring culture and the difference they continue to make in our community!

Thank you to all our retired teachers for your years of service and unwavering commitment to DeSoto Parish Schools!

About 50 miles from Natchitoches is the center of the Choctaw-Apache Tribe of Ebarb, an Indigenous community which, over the centuries, created a unique culture as Native people gathered at the Spanish mission at Los Adaes and later welcomed Indigenous refugees from several tribes, incorporating ancestral cultures and Spanish influences into a distinct tribal community centered in what is now Sabine Parish since the 1700s. The community took care of its members and lived off the land. The strength of the community kept it together even when a large part of its homeland was flooded in the 1960s to create the Toledo Bend Reservoir, abruptly changing the community’s relationship to the land and sending members into the surrounding towns.

Often, its story has been told by outsiders, however well-meaning. In contrast, the Choctaw-Apache Voices book series edited by two tribal members, Dr. Robert B. Caldwell Jr. and Thomas Parrie, prioritizes community voices.

Holy Smoke! Our Desoto 4-H Muzzleloader Team packed a BIG PUNCH last week. Eli Smith and Keith Ward are headed to NATIONALS!

Congratulations Team, well deserved!

Overall Results include Eli Smith -3rd, Keith Ward-4th, Beaux Holtzclaw-5th, Jacob Berry-7th, Emma Houston- 10th, and Marshall Howell-11th. Congratulations!

20,000+ volunteers will clean up and beautify Louisiana from April 5–13, 2025 Keep Louisiana Beautiful (KLB) and Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser kicked off the 4th Annual Love the Boot Week this morning with a reception and news conference at Capitol Park Museum, followed by a litter cleanup at the former Louisiana Municipal Building on North 10th Street. Love the Boot Week is Louisiana’s largest litter removal and beautification event, stretching from April 5–13, with more than 1,050 events taking place in all 64 parishes involving over 20,000 volunteers pitching in to clean up our state.

“Love the Boot Week brings everyone together to clean up litter, but more importantly, it’s a vehicle for promoting awareness and engagement with the goal of litter prevention. I encourage every person in every parish to participate,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser.

On Wednesday, March 12th the DeSoto Parish 4-H, “Menu Masters” traveled to Alexandria, La to compete in the LSU AgCenter’s 2025 State Food Challenge competition. The competition hosted fifty-eight teams from across Louisiana competing in three age divisions. Each round of the competition the teams were given a secret ingredient and 40 minutes to build a choreographed dish and construct a presentation to the judges which included a dish description, cost analysis, my plate and serving size components, nutritional knowledge, and food and kitchen safety. The “Menu Masters,” consisting of Copper Hatcher, Cooper Boyd, Cash Wheless, and Riker Rohrer, won 3rd place in Division 1 and brought the winning banner home to DeSoto Parish. This was the first time DeSoto 4-H had entered the demanding competition and after the first round the team progressed to the finals with six other teams coming away with the 3rd place victory.

Sheriff Jayson Richardson and the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office have teamed up once again with the BFF of DeSoto Animal Services for a Slumber-“ Pawty” Fundraiser! All funds donated will remain in DeSoto Parish, and will go toward the spay/neuter program to prevent overpopulation in our area. We ask that you please consider joining us in donating to this wonderful cause! We will be sharing more in the coming days to keep you updated on what our own staff are doing to assist with this ongoing fundraiser!