News

The DeSoto Tourism Board welcomes their new Executive Director of DeSoto Parish Tourism.

Tori Rankin Dyess was raised in DeSoto Parish, where her roots run deep. After several years in South Texas, she returned home five years ago, drawn back by her love for the community and a desire to invest in its future.

Tori is married to Joey Dyess, and together they have four daughters and seven grandchildren.

As Executive Director of DeSoto Parish Tourism, Tori believes the Parish’s greatest assets are its history and its natural beauty. She’s committed to growing tourism by celebrating the stories of the land and creating opportunities for visitors to experience the outdoors that make DeSoto Parish special. She currently serves on several local boards, working alongside community leaders to bring that vision to life.

The Louisiana Department of Education has released statewide 2026 Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP) scores, and DeSoto Parish Schools students demonstrated significant academic gains, positioning the district among the state’s top-performing systems for both student growth and academic achievement.

DeSoto Among Louisiana’s Highest-Performing Districts Statewide, 36% of Louisiana students scored at the Mastery + on LEAP assessments, the highest statewide performance ever recorded.

DeSotoParishSchools significantly outpaced the state average, with 45% of students earning Mastery or Advanced, placing the district as one of the Top-10 school systems in Louisiana for overall Mastery+ performance.

The district also ranked among the state’s fastest-improving systems, increasing its overall Mastery+ rate by +3 percentage points from the previous year.

On July 7, 2026, at approximately 3:44 a.m., Detectives with the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigations were requested by the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office to investigate an officer-involved shooting that occurred on U.S. Highway 171 near U.S. Highway 84 in Mansfield. Detectives are working to process the scene and gather further information.

This is an active investigation. Further information will be released when it becomes available.

Anyone with information and/or pictures and video is urged to share that information with LSP Detectives. You may anonymously report information through the Louisiana State Police online reporting system by visiting lsp.org and clicking on Report Suspicious or Criminal Activity, or by calling the LSP Fusion Center Hotline at 1-800-434-8007.

The DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office Street Level Interdiction Unit (S.L.I.U.), in partnership with the Tri-Parish Drug Task Force, continues to aggressively target individuals involved in the possession and distribution of illegal narcotics throughout DeSoto Parish. During this month’s narcotics enforcement efforts, 18 individuals were arrested on a variety of drug-related and associated criminal offenses.

Sheriff Jayson Richardson commends the continued dedication and professionalism of the Narcotics Division, Tri-Parish Drug Task Force, and especially the members of the Street Level Interdiction Unit for their tireless efforts to remove dangerous narcotics from our communities. Their work plays an important role in protecting the citizens of DeSoto Parish by disrupting the distribution of illegal drugs and helping prevent these substances from reaching our children and those struggling with addiction.

Thomas L. Marsh, 76, of Mansfield, Louisiana

DeSoto Parish Sheriff Jayson Richardson has been installed as president of the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association, which is considered among the most politically influential organizations in the state.

Richardson, 43, began his term July 1 and was ceremonially sworn-in earlier this week at the Clista Calhoun Center in Mansfield, where his family, friends, community members and sheriffs from Louisiana and Texas attended.

“The No. 1 career honor of my life is being elected sheriff by the people who know me best, but the No. 2 honor is being selected to lead by my peers,” Richardson said in an interview with USA Today Network.

“It meant much to be able to include my friends and family in the ceremony in my home,” said Richardson, who was joined by his wife, Cassie, and their two daughters at the event.

If you notice the top of the paper (the official term is the masthead) on this week’s edition, The Enterprise and Interstate Progress has turned over to Volume 126, Issue 2. It officially rolled over on July 2, 2026 in last week’s edition. The Enterprise officially marked its 126th anniversary to begin its 126th year of publication.

In 2021, we had to leave our muchloved address at 202 Adams Street on the DeSoto Courthouse Square to move to our beautiful new office facility, located at 110 Welsh Street, still in Mansfield. We are situated behind the DeSoto Clerk of Court’s Archives building and across the street from Progressive National Bank’s drive-through at 110 Welsh Street in Mansfield. If you haven’t stopped by to see our current location, we’d love to have you come by for the grand tour of our beautiful “Lagniappe House: Home of the Enterprise”. It truly is a “little something extra” just like the name says.

After a tie vote for the Mayor of Stonewall, the runoff election on June 27 ended with Randal S. “Randy” Rodgers coming out on top with 348 (51%) voting in favor of their former mayor over the incumbent mayor Kenneth “Ken” Kaffka receiving 330 (49%) votes. Rodgers was sworn into office on July 7 and hit the ground running for the betterment of Stonewall.

Also sworn into office this past week on June 29 were Mayor Thomas Jones and the City of Mansfield’s Aldermen. Gary “Jeter” Jones replaced councilwoman Mary Linda Jones in District A.

Statewide, Julia Letlow was elected U. S. Senator who was in a runoff with Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming. Letlow received 57% of the state’s votes with Fleming garnering 43%. Letlow will replace current Senator Bill Cassidy. In DeSoto Parish Fleming received 51%.

In the Democratic party for U. S. Senator, Jamie Davis won with 80% compared to Gary Crockett’s 20%. Davis was the favorite in DeSoto with 85%.

DeSoto Parish Schools recently celebrated the retirement of a longtime educational leader whose service and dedication have helped shape the district and positively impact countless students, educators, and families.

District officials honored Brandon Burback, Director of Administration for DeSoto Parish Schools, in recognition of his years of leadership and commitment to advancing education throughout the parish.

During his tenure, Burback played a key role in supporting district operations, strengthening schools, and helping create opportunities for student success. School leaders noted that his contributions extended beyond administrative responsibilities, influencing the growth and development of both students and staff across the district.

After 37 years of dedicated service to DeSoto Parish Schools, Mrs. Jill Rutherford is retiring from our Finance Team.

Throughout her career, Mrs. Rutherford’s dedication to behindthe- scenes contributions have played an important role in supporting the daily operations of our district. Her commitment to serving our schools and community has made a lasting impact.

Thank you, Mrs. Rutherford, for your years of service to DeSoto Parish Schools. Congratulations on your well-earned retirement, and we wish you all the best in this exciting new chapter!

One of the annual events that is most anticipated in our area is the Annual Rickey Warren Memorial Fireworks Display on the banks of the Sabine River in Logansport. on Saturday, July 4, this will mark the official sixth (a year was skipped due to Covid) year that DeSoto Fire District 1 has delighted throngs of people that are drawn to DeSoto Parish and Shelby County to view the spectacular pyrotechnics show. DFD 1 Chief Mark Magee said that the show is scheduled for 9:00 p.m., but could be a little later as they wait for complete darkness in the nighttime sky to fully showcase the exhibition. The event is completely free, but donations are gladly accepted and appreciated.