News

Louisiana Treasury’s Unclaimed Property Program has added $7.9 million in uncashed state income tax refunds from the Louisiana Department of Revenue (LDR). These funds are available to be claimed now.

Each year, the Louisiana Unclaimed Property Program receives funds from LDR stemming from uncashed state tax refunds. This year, the allocation consists of 26,273 unclaimed Louisiana tax refunds. These funds are now easily accessible to individuals who might have inadvertently lost track of their tax refunds.

“This $7.9 million belongs to the people of Louisiana, and we are eager to assist them in claiming what is rightfully theirs,” said State Treasurer John M. Schroder. “We make claiming your money easy. You can check online at LaCash-Claim.org, or even from your smartphone using the LaWallet app.”

On Saturday, November 18, the Logansport Christmas Festival will kick off with over forty vendors, a car show, parade, lighting of the Christmas lights, and music. They were invited to join the “Trail of Lights” this year that runs from Marshall, Texas to Natchitoches, and places in between. Come by a part of this year’s fun that kicks off our holiday season in DeSoto Parish. For more information you can find them on Facebook and at www.logansportchristmas. com This year’s theme will be “A Small Town Christmas”.

It’s that time again, when the entire parish comes together to make DeSoto Parish look its best. The Keep DeSoto Beautiful campaign works year round to monitor trash hot spots, but Saturday, November 18 has been selected as the designated day for a parish-wide cleanup. All civic, church and school organizations and clubs are encouraged to participate in this parish-wide event.

On Tuesday, November 07, 2023, it was brought to our attention that a resident inside DeSoto Parish had received a call from someone claiming to be with the Federal Bureau of Investigations. The scammer claimed that the individual was under investigation, and provided a fake Federal ID#, Case #, and asked for information such as the last four digits of the individuals social security number. Since this call was received by a resident of our Parish, the resident seeks to inform others, especially our elderly community, that this scammer went the extra-mile to appear legitimate. We obviously do not want anyone to fall victim to these scams, so here are some tips to consider if you receive a similar call: - First remember, these scammers change their tactics up often, and certain details mentioned above are subject to change. It is up to you to protect your identity and finances by remaining vigilant and wary of a potential scam.

The Logansport Lady Tiger team celebrated with their teammates Avery Creech, Pitcher and McKynzie Smith, Catcher/Outfield, as they signed their National Letter of Intent to continue their academic and athletic careers at the next level. Avery signed with National Park College in Hot Springs, Arkansas and McKynzie signed with Angelina College in Lufkin, TX. While at LHS, Smith carried a .410 batting average, 36 RBI’s and 5 HR’s. She was selected as 1st Team All District Team and the Louisiana Softball Coaches Association’s All State Team as an Outfielder. Avery has amassed a 66-32 record as a Lady Tiger and a career ERA of 3.25 and 246 career strikeouts with 149 in her Sophomore season alone. In 2021 she was selected to the All District team as a Utility player (2nd team) and in 2022 1st Team All District Pitcher. With the 2024 season just around the corner, these ladies are excited to get the spring season officially underway.

Yvonne Badiali was surprised with a birthday party at Quilting, Tuesday October 17. Her friend Jan Clemons organized cake and invitees to visit Ms. Yvonne that morning. The Fellowship Hall filled with quilting friends, family, and her church family. We all shared memories, birthday cards, cake and ice cream.

Yvonne Badiali is the only “active” charter member of DeSoto Quilters. This group was formed over 32 years ago. We meet every Tuesday and Thursday (except for major holidays) from 9-2 at Emmanuel Baptist Church on 1314 Polk Street, Mansfield, La. Our monthly meetings are held the first Tuesday of each month and our monthly dues are $10.00. All with a love for quilts are welcome.

Over the week of October 29th to November 4 the Joaquin Volunteer Fire Department had 3 calls. Here’s a summary of the week’s events.

Monday night at 9:36pm a call came in for smoke in an apartment after the resident turned on their furnace. The resident reported that there was no active fire but was concerned that a fire might break out and requested that the JVFD check out the furnace. Members of the JVFD responded and found that some components of the heater had burned up causing the smoke, but there was no further danger of a fire starting.

Later Monday night at 10:41pm another call was received for a single vehicle accident at the Sabine River bridge. The driver of a white sedan had run off of the road just before the bridge and traveled down a hill, colliding with some large rocks. The driver was unharmed in the accident and declined medical attention, meanwhile the vehicle sustained damage to the front end but was otherwise still operational.

Veterans Day gives Americans the opportunity to celebrate the bravery and sacrifice of all U.S. veterans. However, most Americans confuse this holiday with Memorial Day, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

What’s more, some Americans don’t know why we commemorate our Veterans on November 11. It’s imperative that all Americans know the history of Veterans Day so that we can honor our former service members properly.

Veterans Day, formerly known as Armistice Day, was originally set as a U.S. legal holiday to honor the end of World War I, which officially took place on November 11, 1918. In legislation that was passed in 1938, November 11 was “dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and known as ‘Armistice Day.’” As such, this new legal holiday honored World War I veterans.

In the late evening hours of November 3, 2023, Deputies with the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to 1608 Mary Street in Mansfield, Louisiana, in reference to a shooting. Upon arrival, deputies located a black male lying face down on the ground, not moving or breathing, who appeared to be suffering from a gunshot wound. Deputies rendered CPR, and the victim was transported to DeSoto Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased. At this moment we can confirm the deceased was identified as 26yo Frank Edwards Jr. of Mansfield. Our condolences to family and friends during this difficult time.

This in an ongoing investigation. Further information regarding a suspect may be released as new details emerge. If you or someone you know has information pertaining to this case, please contact our office at 318-872-3956 to speak with an investigator. You may also submit a tip anonymously at www.P3Tips.com

Thank you to our amazing bus operators, who always go the extra mile to ensure that our students arrive and depart at their respective destinations safely. We celebrate National Bus Safety Week to highlight the amazing work that you all do daily. The DeSoto Parish School Board is always looking for some skilled and smiling drivers for our buses. #TheDeSotoDIfference