News

On July 2, the DeSoto Parish Chamber of Commerce hosted a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Healing Hearts Counseling Center in Stonewall. The new business specializes in therapy for children, teens, and families navigating life’s challenges with compassion and support.

Group therapy sessions started in June. They included Self Worth for Girls, Navigating for Adolescent Boys, How to Better Communicate with Your Teen. For more information about these groups, they are formed by appointment only, with limited space per session.

Healing Hearts is located at 5258 Stonewall-Frierson Road, located next to the Stonewall Branch of Progressive National Bank. Their phone number is 318– 431–8596.

With yesterday’s announcement of the retirement of Holly Kennedy-Jones, there were indeed some big shoes to fill here at the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff and Chief’s personal Executive Assistant fields many calls, organizes many projects and calendars, and a whole host of other important projects. The search for the perfect replacement was simply a no-brainer, as Sheriff Richardson didn’t have to look far: We ask you to join us in welcoming Mrs. Captolia “Cap” Triplett!

Sheriff Jayson Richardson has announced that his and Chief Monica Cason’s Executive Assistant and right hand lady has finally cashed in on the pension and traded in her badge for a…trading post. Yes, Holly is the owner of the new Grand Cane Trading Post, which recently held their ribbon cutting ceremony. If you’ve ever tried to reach Sheriff Richardson, Chief Cason, and even Sheriff Rodney Arbuckle, you’ve probably spoken with Mrs. Holly Kennedy-Jones. She was the vibrant and sweet glue that coordinated all of the chaos behind the scenes.

Holly officially retired on Monday, July 14 and you can now find her at her new business The Grand Cane Trading Post. Her shop is slapped full of treasures you just didn’t know you needed.

DeSotoParish’samazing educators, Ms. Lori Sebren, Ms. Carla White, Ms. Petriello, and Ms. Wilson, participated in the Building Thinking Classrooms conference in Seattle, where they immersed themselves in strategies to foster deeper student thinking.

Inspired by Peter Liljedahl’s research, they learned how to spark engagement with “Thinking Tasks,” use “Visibly Random Groupings” for collaboration, and leverage “Vertical Non-Permanent Surfaces” to make thinking visible.

We’re incredibly excited for them to bring these transformative practices back to our classrooms and elevate learning across DeSoto Parish.

Last week the DeSoto Parish School Board wished farewell to two wonderful employees of the DeSoto Parish School System. Both ladies have consistently exemplified the DeSoto Difference daily!! Mrs. Janice Lingle retires after 36 years of service from the classroom to the central office. Mrs. Grace Carlson is relocating with her family. We wish both ladies well; they will both be missed tremendously!

On July 1, a ceremonial groundbreaking was held for the new DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office and Detention Center in Mansfield.

Over 40 years ago in the heart of a growing community a sturdy building rose from the ground — born of steel, brick and ambition. The DeSoto Parish Police Jury, tasked with the responsibility of constructing and maintaining a Sheriff’s office and Detention facility, built what was at that time a state-of-the-art facility. Built in 1985, the facility stood as a response to growing incarceration rates, evolving public safety concerns and the legal standards of the day. At its peak, it represented modern corrections practice-designed to house inmates securely, process individuals efficiently, and support law enforcement and judicial systems in a rapidly changing society.

During the state of Louisiana’s 4-H University held on the LSU Campus in Baton Rouge, Ami Altom was recognized as the 2025 Northwest Louisiana 4-H Agent of the year. Her award was presented by Kayla McGuire from the state 4-H office.

Ms. McGuire said, “It is my honor to recognize Mrs. Ami Altom as the 2025 Northwest 4-H Agent of the Year. In just over a year, Ami has reignited the spirit of 4-H in DeSoto Parish with passion, vision, and unwavering dedication.

She launched the parish’s first-ever 4-H auction and started new clubs in horses, cooking, and arts—creating exciting opportunities for youth to grow and thrive. Under her leadership, enrollment and engagement have soared, and struggling programs are now vibrant and strong. Mrs. Ami is more than an agent— she’s a mentor, a cheerleader, and a role model. She shows up to every event with a smile and a heart full of encouragement. As one parent shared, “She makes every kid believe in themselves.”

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. Unfortunately due to the death of Rickey (and Lona Lee’s son) in February 2025, the name has been upgraded to include the entire Warren Family.

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 125, Issue 1 effective July 1, 2025. The Enterprise officially marked its 125th anniversary to begin its 125th year of publication.

In 2021, we had to leave our much-loved 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.

Over 40 years ago in the heart of a growing community a sturdy building rose from the ground — born of steel, brick and ambition. The DeSoto Parish Police Jury, tasked with the responsibility of constructing and maintaining a Sheriff’s office and Detention facility, built what was at that time a state-of-the-art facility. Built in 1985, the facility stood as a response to growing incarceration rates, evolving public safety concerns and the legal standards of the day. At its peak, it represented modern corrections practice- designed to house inmates securely, process individuals efficiently, and support law enforcement and judicial systems in a rapidly changing society.

Now, over 40 years later, the once-modern structure has reached the end of its useful life. In its place, just a couple blocks away, a new Sheriff’s office and Detention facility is being constructed-not just as a replacement, but as a reimaging of what a correctional facility can be in the 21st century.