News

City of Mansfield Fire Dept. met a hero on Sept. 5 in the form of Harold Vawters. Vawters happened to be at the right place at the right time and ended up saving a life.

Vawters was traveling north on Norris Street when he saw smoke coming from a residence. He stopped his truck. He heard someone moaning from inside, so he opened the residence’s home. A man ran out but told him a second man was trapped inside. 

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The home of Dwena Henry exploded after a gas leak ignited on Monday, Sept. 18. Henry was rushed to University Health’s Burn Unit to treat burns she received during the incident.

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Last month, Stonewall Town Council introduced an ordinance to abolish the Stonewall Police Department and Office of the Chief of Police. The council officially passed the ordinance at their meeting on Sept. 12.

After the ordinance passed, Mayor Charles Waldon requested two council members stay behind after the meeting to witness Chief of Police Tommy Dufrene turn over the unused police cars to the town. Dufrene said he would not release the cars until the mayor signed the letter he sent to Town Hall.

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While trying to figure out ways to cut excess spending from the budget, the Police Jury voiced what they believed was a discrepancy in their financial report at the regular meeting in August. Airport Manager Randi Walding has since cleared up concerns about wrongful submission of the budget item.

During the Aug. 14th meeting, the Police Jury received a $3,500 invoice for the chain link fence by the entrance to the C. E. “Rusty” Williams Airport that was damaged by a storm and had to have an emergency repair right before Balloons Over DeSoto. District B-4 Juror Jeri Burrell witnessed a “plane” fly into the fence and blamed the airport for lying about the reason behind the fence’s destruction.

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Recently, leaders within the Louisiana State Legislature visited the DeSoto Parish School System. The legislators became aware of the system’s successes and wanted to visit, firsthand, to better understand the practices driving positive student outcomes.

The legislators desired a working meeting to learn and ask questions.

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City of Mansfield Fire Dept. firefighter Mike Gonzales was injured while responding to a call during Tropical Storm Harvey. A large pine tree fell across the Custom Engine #1’s pump panel, which is where firefighters operate the hose. Although the truck is currently out of commission, the firefighter was not severely injured.

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Last week, Hurricane Harvey hit Texas before coming back inland for a second round as a Tropical Storm. Many people in Texas and Louisiana have been affected by this natural disaster. DeSoto Parish was lucky with minimal damage.

According to OHSEP Administrator Todd Edwards, DeSoto Parish got really lucky compared to other places, and it could have been worse.

Harvey brought a lot of rain to the southern part of the parish, and trees were blown down.

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The desperate fight for survival of Third Division, 13th Army Corps, during the Battle of Mansfield is often overlooked in Civil War discussions and studies. At 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16, come to Mansfield State Historic Site and learn more about one of the longest sustained actions of the battle. Using the museum’s extensive Crossroads Phase exhibit as a backdrop, find out more about this critical stage of the Battle of Mansfield.

The determined stand at the Crossroads by General Robert Cameron’s division of Midwesterners laid the groundwork for the late-evening repulse of Taylor’s Confederates by Emory’s 19th Corps troops at Chapman’s Bayou. So intense was the fighting at the Crossroads area that Lt. Colonel Lorenzo Thomas, whose 3rd Massachusetts Cavalry attempted to support Cameron’s beleaguered line, exhorted his men to “Try to think you are dead and buried, and you will have no fear.”

The agenda for the City of Mansfield City Council meeting on Aug. 28 included approving Police Chief Gary Hobb’s recommendation to offer fulltime employment to two patrol officers with the Mansfield Police Department. The council voted and approved offering Gabriel Whitaker, Jr. and David A. Self full-time employment.

According to Hobbs, both employees started in April.

Although Whitaker did not have previous experience, Hobbs said he has done an excellent job, and they are planning to send him to the academy to get certified.

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