News

Since the start of this term in office in mid-2018, Mansfield Mayor John Mayweather has had an on-going campaign to clean up the streets, yards and other thoroughfares with the city. It has been his mission to make every effort to keep the city street free of trash and debris.

He has announced that the next “City-Wide – Let’s Clean Up Mansfield Day” will be this Saturday, March 27 from 8:00 a.m. until noon. Volunteers participating in this cleanup initiative are asked to assemble on the parking lot of Mansfield City Hall just before 8:00 a.m. to gather cleaning supplies and receive any other instructions. Any and all Mansfield residents are encouraged to join this effort as we work tirelessly to restore our city to a cleaner and neater environment. Our target, little by little, is the entire city.

DeSoto Parish was one of eight school systems recently announced by the Louisiana Department of Education that will receive $50,000 Fast Forward regional planning grants. The Fast Forward Initiative is designed to increase the number of high school graduates who earn an associate’s degree and participate in apprenticeship programs across the state.

DeSoto, along with other districts in Northwest Louisiana, will join together with post-secondary schools, business partners and economic development organizations. Through this collaboration, students who are on TOPS University and TOPS Jump Start graduation pathways can earn associate degrees or participate in a staterecognized pre-apprenticeship/apprenticeship programs. “We are excited about the advantages this grant will provide for our students,” said Dale Morvan, Board President.

Stonewall Mayor Randy Rodgers was recently appointed to serve on the Board of Directors for the Louisiana Municipal Association. The LMA is made up of 305 members and consists of 127 villages, 111 towns, 65 cities and two parishes. Each local government belongs to one of ten LMA Districts (A-J) and is grouped into population tiers. Since its inception in 1926, the Association continues to promote local governments by shaping legislation, providing education on municipal issues, and exchanging ideas and experiences among elected official leaders throughout the state. The voice of municipal government cannot be overlooked at the State Capitol. The Association’s success is contingent upon the support and engagement of the LMA membership. We congratulate Mayor Rodgers, who was chosen to complete the term of another mayor after his passing.

With March being designated Colorectal Cancer Awareness month, Vincent Sedminik, Board member of “Taking Aim at Cancer in Louisiana” (TACL) and Director of the Willis Knighton Cancer Center, made a recent trip to DeSoto Regional Health Center to meet with DRHS CEO Todd Eppler and local officials. Mansfield Mayor John Mayweather proclaimed that March was Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month in Mansfield, and Gastrointestinal Specialist Dr. David Scott answered questions regarding the procedure and ratios of results from his patients.

Since COVID seems to have been the main health concern for over a year it seems that colonoscopies have fallen down in numbers of people being tested. Sedminik and Dr. Scott want to raise the awareness of this important test and get screening back on track.

Starting March 29, all essential workers, including people working in food service and grocery stores, manufacturing, construction, clergy and other essential jobs are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccines in Louisiana, regardless of their underlying health conditions, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced today.

Newly eligible populations also include postal, transportation, judiciary and media workers, faculty and staff of institutes of higher education and more frontline government workers. This group, called Priority Group 1-B, Tier Two, covers essential workers not previously eligible. (See full list below.)

Local historian and retired educator Raymond Powell has announced his retirement from the Louisiana Teacher’s Association as of March 1, 2021, after 30 years of service. Actually, Powell is retiring from FOUR LRTA positions including that of President, Chairman of the Constitutional By-Laws, from the Legislative Committee, and from the appointed position of State Parliamentarian, a post that he has held for 15 years.

Powell was a 1941 graduate of Logansport High School and was the only athlete to ever receive a sports scholarship in Boxing. He attended and participated in his sport at Southwestern Louisiana University, which then had the “Bulldogs” as their mascot (before the days of the Ragin’ Cajuns).

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The Louisiana Department of Education announced the eight school systems that will receive $50,000 Fast Forward regional planning grants. The Fast Forward initiative is designed to increase the number of high school graduates who earn an associate’s degree or participate in a high-demand apprenticeship program before graduation. The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education approved the allocations today during their March meeting.

In January, the Department released a request for applications to support the development of new student pathways as part of its Fast Forward initiative. Planning grants are being awarded to a lead regional secondary school system and its higher education partner in each of the state’s eight regions. The Department and Board of Regents each contributed $200,000 for the total grant cost of $400,000.

On Wednesday, March 10, 2021, shortly after 9:30 p.m., the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigations/Bossier Field Office (LSP/BFO) responded to an officer-involved shooting in Red River Parish. LSP/BFO was requested to investigate the shooting by the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office (DPSO) and Red River Parish Sheriff’s Office (RRPSO).

North DeSoto Upper Elementary 5th Grader Hayden Heaberlin receives his awards as his school’s Student of the Year in addition to winning DeSoto Parish Student of the Year. DeSoto Superintendent of Schools Clay Corley congratulates Hayden on behalf of the school board.

Cedetric Canada, an 8th Grade student at Mansfield Middle School won honors as his school’s Student of the Year in addition to being selected at the DeSoto 8th Grade Student of the Year. Superintendent Clay Corley presents two commemorative plaques to Cedetric to honor his achievements.

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At approximately 6:39 am, Thursday, March 11, 2021 the Mansfield Police Department received a report of a possible Break-in at the Pattison’s Fashion Building located in the 100 block of North Jefferson Street.

Upon arrival officers discovered that entry was gained to the building through a broken window. Blood was located on the broken glass and a sample was taken to the North Louisiana Crime lab for possible comparison.

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