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The Foster Grandparents of DeSoto Parish celebrated an incredible milestone on Friday, October 25, marking 60 years of dedicated service to children and schools across the parish. Themed “Superheroes of DeSoto Parish,” this year’s celebration honored the compassionate volunteers whose time, care, and commitment continue to make a lasting impact in classrooms and communities.

The recognition luncheon took place at the DeSoto Parish School Board Administration Building, where local leaders and guests gathered to express their appreciation. Mayor Thomas Jones, Superintendent Clay Corley, and Sheriff Jayson Richardson participated in the program, offering the prayer, welcome, and leading the Foster Grandparent Pledge. Other distinguished guests included Dr. Kimberly Harvell of SUSLA, Ms. Lorey Polley of Volunteers of Louisiana, and Mr. Scott Green, Commissioner of Volunteer Louisiana.

Keep Louisiana Beautiful (KLB) and Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser are pleased to share a new animated video created to teach Louisiana’s elementary school students about the harmful effects of litter and how they can help keep their communities clean.

“Louisiana’s future depends on the next generation, and that’s why it’s so important to teach our young people to take pride in their state,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. “This new animated video from Keep Louisiana Beautiful makes learning about litter fun and memorable, showing kids that everyone — no matter how young — can be a Leader Against Litter.”

Congratulations to DeSoto Parish Schools for being formally recognized by the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education at their Board meeting on October 14 Superintendent Clay Corley proudly accepted the recognition for DeSoto Parish being one of the top-performing districts in the state for both growth and overall performance on the Math LEAP Assessments for the 2024–2025 school year. (pictured with (far left), Jamie Hebert, Executive Director of Numeracy and (far right) Dr. Jenna Chiasson, Deputy Superintendent- Louisiana Department of Education) This achievement is a clear reflection of DPSB’s core value of a commitment to high performance. It underscores the incredible hard work, of our phenomenal students and the tireless efforts of our amazing teachers. Your commitment to excellence is what makes DeSoto Parish Schools shine.

Podnah’s that has had a chain in Shreveport-Bossier for the last several years is expanded to DeSoto Parish and will open at 121 Panther Drive, Suite 100 in Stonewall on Wednesday, October 22 at 10:00 a.m. Make plans to stop by and sample varieties from the menu as we welcome them to Stonewall.

DeSoto Parish Schools was proudly represented at the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (Louisiana BESE) meeting on Wednesday, October 15, where the Louisiana Department of Education and Louisiana BESE recognized two exceptional educators from our district!

Anesha Ross, 2026 Louisiana Principal of the Year Finalist, and Charday Wilson, 2024 Milken Educator Awards Winner, were each honored for their remarkable leadership, dedication, and impact on students and staff across our schools.

Their recognition on the state level is a testament to the incredible talent, passion, and commitment to excellence that define DeSoto Parish Schools. We couldn’t be prouder of these exceptional educators who continue to inspire and lead the way in Louisiana education.

The owner has reached out requesting that our office share the following post out of Natchitoches Parish. Please read and share. If you should have information please reach out to the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office at 318–352–4104.

A 2023 CanAm Defender HD10 was stolen from a residence located in the Allen community near Robeline last night.

The theft occured between the hours of 12:00am and 5:00am today.

The Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office is investigating the case.

A $2,500 cash reward is being offered by the owner for information leading to the arrest of the individual( s) responsible.

Celebrating Excellence in DeSoto Parish Schools

At last night’s board meeting, we proudly recognized our September Employees of the Month: Support Staff of the Month — Eunice Harris, NDMS Teacher of the Month — Jennifer May, SHSN ew Teacher of the Month — Katy Cash, LHS Leader of the Month — Leah Bush, MES A special thank you to our community partners ANECA Federal Credit Union, Market-Place Chevrolet Stonewall, and RBW Consulting for sponsoring and supporting this initiative. Your partnership helps us celebrate the incredible people making a difference in our schools every day.

Join us for our final weekend performance of BackAlley’s popular music celebration, “How Time Slips Away,” featuring Rocky Maddox with Terry Sparks and Friends, at BackAlley Community Theatre in Grand Cane. Show dates are Friday and Saturday, September 26 and 27 @ 7:00 pm. Make your reservation at backalleygrandcane. com. Season Ticket holders should use your code to reserve your seats. If you need assistance, call our box office at 318– 461–0202.

DeSoto Quilters quilt show will be Friday October 3 and Saturday October 4, from9 am til 4 pm, at Emmanuel Baptist church fellowship Hall, 1314 Polk St. Mansfield, La. The show features many quilts made by the members. There is no admission to the show. Members have been busy making crafts to sell. There will be bowl cozies, pot holders, make-up bags, chapstick holders, hair scrunchies, composition book covers, scissor holders, corner book marks and much more! We have all made door prizes that will be given away each hour to a lucky guest. Lunch will be served for $10.00. A choice of chicken salad croissant or pulled pork sandwich, with chips drink and dessert. You may dine in with us or take away Each guest is encouraged to vote for their favorite quilt. It is an honor to the quilt maker to win the Viewers Choice. DeSoto Quilters meets each month as a quilting community to learn new techniques and share knowledge of our craft.

Books and Biscuits Book Club met Tuesday, September 2, at Village Cuisine Catering and Cafe in Grand Cane where we enjoyed a delicious meal, discussion, and laughter with friends. The book for our September review was “The Boys in the Boat” by Daniel James Brown. Genie Wanamaker led a thorough and enjoyable review of the book, leading everyone to share in lively discussion and wonderful insights about the story.