News

On March 09, 2024, DeSoto Parish Sheriff Dispatch was notified by Guardian Alarm Systems of a suspicious person in the parking lot of Marketplace Chevy off of I-49 in Stonewall. Dispatch was able to quickly notify nearby patrol deputies who responded within 5 minutes of the initial call. The first deputy to arrive was able to locate the subject who immediately fled on foot. After a short foot pursuit, deputies were able to take the subject into custody. The suspect was found to be in possession of several items presumed to be used in the process of stealing vehicles from other car dealership lots. Other responding deputies also located a second suspect walking down Hwy 3276, who turned out to be an accomplice in this incident. Both subjects have been arrested and charged with multiple counts of conspiracy to commit vehicle theft.

Logansport’s Chamber of Commerce has announced that the 3rd Annual Egg-Stravaganza on the Sabine will be held on Saturday, March 30 beginning at 1:00 p.m. at Dennis Freeman Memorial Riverfront Park (108 N. 2nd Street) in Logansport. There will be games and food, along with the Egg Drop from the helicopter.

The event is sponsored by the Logansport Chamber and DeSoto Parish Tourist Bureau, with help from the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office. Bring your sunscreen, insect repellant, folding chairs, blankets, and Easter baskets for this family day of fun.

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development advises motorists that beginning on Thursday, March 21, 2024, LA 5 from Thomas Road to LA 3015 (Longstreet) in DeSoto Parish will be closed.

This closure is scheduled to be in place until Thursday, March 28th, and is necessary to allow the contractor to replace a cross drain pipe as part of the ongoing LA 5 overlay project.

Local traffic north and south of the pipe location will be allowed access, though the roadway will be fully closed to through traffic.

The location of the pipe replacement is approximately 1.1 miles south of LA 3015 (see included map).

The entire $15.3 million project stretches from Thomas Road to Keatchie, and is anticipated to be complete in Summer 2025, weather permitting.

Restrictions/Permits: Total road closure at the specified location. All through traffic will need to utilize an alternate route.

Alternate Route: Detour signage will be in place.

Last week, outgoing DeSoto Parish Clerk of Court Jeremy Evans entered a guilty please to two misdemeanor counts of electioneering during his arraignment in DeSoto District Court. District Judge Amy Burford Mc-Cartney sentenced Evans to the maximum of $500 plus court costs. Evans was prosecuted by the state attorney general’s office.

Louisiana State Police investigators arrested Evans in October in connection due to a complaint that he violated a law prohibiting campaigning in nursing homes during a certain time period. Photographs were posted on Evan’s social media page the previous month with him wearing a shirt inscribed with “Re-Elect Jeremy Evans” with his campaign literature in his hands as he visited the facilities.

Louisiana Registrar of Voters Association’s Secretary-Treasurer Brian J. Champagne has announced officers and board members for 2024-25. DeSoto Parish Registrar of Voters Amanda Raynes has been named as a 3 year term member to the Board.

In addition to being named to the Board of Directors, Raynes has been elected to serve on the Constitution and Bylaws Committee and the Legislative Committee.

Raynes was also appointed to by Louisiana Registrar of Voters Association, Inc. by President Stephen Raborn to serve as Chair to the Resolutions and Memorials Committee along with DeSoto Deputy Registrar of Voters Karen Clark, Samantha Singletary, Abby Pugh, and Allison Chadwick.

DeSoto is well represented state-wide on the Louisiana ROV Association Inc. and we congratulate Raynes and her deputies on their newly acquired titles.

Governor Jeff Landry recently announced new appointments to serve on the Louisiana Lottery Corporation, the Ernest N. Morial – New Orleans Exhibition Hall Authority, the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL), the Parish Boards of Election Supervisors, and the State Board of Commerce and Industry. Hannah Gamble Gramm of DeSoto Parish was appointed to the Board of Election Supervisors.

Congratulations to the North DeSoto High School Griffins wrestling team for their incredible achievement as LHSAA Division II State Champions! The DeSoto Parish School Board is proud to see their hard work and dedication. They were formally recognized at the monthly school board meeting. Go Griffins

State Fire Marshal Chief Bryan J. Adams is continuing to push for all Louisiana homes to have working smoke alarms following two more lives lost this year in home fires where there were no working smoke alarms.

Just after 4 a.m. on Friday, March 1, the DeSoto Fire District #2 responded to a call for a house fire located in the 200 block of Littleton Road in Keachi. Unfortunately, firefighters located a deceased female victim in a bedroom.

Official identification and cause of death are pending with the parish Coroner’s Office, however, the victim is believed to be the 67-year-old female homeowner.

While the extent of the damage has deputies still working to determine the cause of this fire, it was confirmed that the home did not have working smoke alarms.

Hunters Education is coming to a close at this moment as students are currently testing. Over 60 students, many of which are gearing up for 4-H Shooting Sports, gathered at the DeSoto Sheriff Training Center to complete a three-day hunter certification. Moments ago after all students participated in a skeet shoot, two Top Shooters were announced and rewarded with a nice trophy to take home. Those winners were: 1st Place – Colton McPhearson

2nd Place – Trace Cox Congrats to all of our students, many conquering their own fears in shooting a shotgun! We look forward to another course to be offered later in the year! (to be announced). There are several others we want to thank for sponsoring, speaking, and assisting in this course, and we will certainly do that in another post next week.

The Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV) is relocating its existing Shreveport field office on Normandie Drive to a new location on Financial Plaza, near I-20 and Pines Road. The new location at 6005 Financial Plaza will open for business at 8 a.m. on Monday, March 11, 2024. A grand opening ceremony and ribbon cutting will follow at 10 a.m.

The new Shreveport OMV office is located less than one mile west of the I-20/I-220 split. The entrance on Rasberry Lane is across from the Westwood Village apartment complex. The design of the new field office will allow OMV field office staff to operate more efficiently and provide customers with a more convenient experience.