News

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development advises motorists that beginning on Friday, December 13, 2024 at 6:00 p.m., US 84 (Polk Street) at the Canadian Pacific Kansas City railroad crossing in the City of Mansfield in DeSoto Parish will be closed.

This road closure is scheduled to be in place until Tuesday, December 17, 2024 at approximately 5:00 p.m., and is necessary to allow the railroad company to replace two of the crossings at this location.

This crossing is located 0.22 miles west of the intersection with LA 175 (Lake Road). See included map.

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

Alternate Route: Detour signage will be in place.

This work will be performed WEATHER PERMITTING.

Christmas in Grand Cane will be something special on December 7 as residents invite you to come and celebrate the Village’s “125 Years of Christmas Tradition”.

Beginning at 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Grand Cane merchants will have their beautifully decorated shops ready to tempt you to purchase a Christmas gift or two, or even treat yourself to a purchase for yourself. Crafts, homemade gifts, and food items are just a few of the things that will be on display.

At 11:00 a.m., the traditional parade will begin, with Progressive National Bank — Grand Cane Branch’s manager, Marva Anderson, leading the way as Parade Marshall. The floats will represent the decades of time in the Village, which will thrill all ages with their holiday decorations and throws.

Some tax cuts adopted by the state House of Representatives last week were undone by a Senate committee on Tuesday when it took up major elements of the governor’s tax proposals.

The Senate Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Committee backed away from abolishing tax credits for historic preservation of buildings and production of movies and TV shows. The committee also rolled back a corporate income tax cut from a 3.5% tax rate adopted by the House to a 6% rate, not as generous as the House, but still lower than the existing top rate of 7.5%.

Meanwhile, the House has not moved forward with Gov. Jeff Landry’s original plan to pay for income tax cuts partly by creating sales taxes on more than 41 services like car washes.

In September 1620, a small ship called the Mayflower left Plymouth, England, carrying one hundred two passengers including an assortment of religious separatists seeking a new home where they could freely practice their faith and other individuals lured by the promise of prosperity and land ownership in the New World. After a treacherous and uncomfortable crossing that lasted sixty-six days, they dropped anchor near the tip of Cape Cod, far north of their intended destination at the mouth of the Hudson River. One month later, the Mayflower crossed Massachusetts Bay, where the Pilgrims, as they are now commonly known, began the work of establishing a village at Plymouth.

As the investigation progressed, Investigators identified 28-yearold Quindon Thomas from Shreveport in connection with the stolen MFD credit card, which ultimately led to the arrest of former MFD fireman Donald Anthony Jr. Investigators learned that Thomas, who has no affiliation with MFD, also engaged in numerous illegal transactions using the stolen credit card.

As a result, an arrest warrant was obtained through the 42nd JDC, charging Thomas with felony access device fraud and felony identity theft. On November 18, 2024, the Bossier City Police Department arrested Thomas for this warrant. Thomas was booked into the Bossier Parish Maximum Security Jail and will be transferred to the DeSoto Parish Detention Center at a later date.

On November 20, the Louisiana Department of Education publicly released the 2023-2024 School and District Performance Scores. DeSoto ranks second in the state of Louisiana and is one of only eleven school systems with an overall rating of “A.”

DeSoto received a District Performance Score of 95.8, an increase of 2.1 points from the previous year. The District Performance Score is calculated by combining performance in LEAP 2025 state assessments for grades 3-8 and high school courses, ACT scores, graduation rates, strength of diploma, and interests and opportunities. DeSoto Parish Schools ranks second overall in the Progress Index with a letter grade of “A” and an index of 96.5 and ranks first in the state in graduation rate at 99.1%.

DeSoto Ranks District DPS increased by 2.1 points. District Score Performance is 95.8 DeSoto Parish ranks 2nd in the state of Louisiana DeSoto Parish ranks 1st in Graduation Rate DeSoto Parish ranks 2nd in K-8 and HS Growth.

DeSoto Parish ranks 9th in HS Assessment Index.

DeSoto Parish ranks 3rd in High School Progress.

DeSoto Parish ranks 2nd in Strength of Diploma.

DeSoto Parish ranks 5th in DCAI (Dropout/ Credit Accumulation Index).

DeSoto Parish ranks 14th in ACT.

Six schools recognized as Top Gains Honorees (Mansfield High School, Mansfield Elementary, North DeSoto Lower Elementary, North DeSoto Upper Elementary, North DeSoto Middle School and North DeSoto High School) Three schools recognized as Opportunity Honorees (Mansfield High School, North DeSoto High School, and North DeSoto Middle School)

As previously posted, on November 30th we will be hosting our annual “Spirit of DeSoto” Christmas Tree Lighting event! Complete with food trucks, live local worship band performances, jump houses, and more! Another awesome feature will be setup at 6 separate booths as a giving opportunity to some of our local non-profits, listed below. Our office has been in contact with these agencies to see what they may be in need of, which is listed below. Although it’s not required at all, we certainly encourage everyone to take a look and consider bringing a donation! We can’t wait to see everyone (and Santa) on Saturday, November 30th at the Stonewall Government Plaza!!

The Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV) has implemented a groundbreaking 2024 law that overhauls delinquent debt procedures and offers relief to more than 350,000 residents saddled with unpaid fines. This pivotal legislation establishes a more equitable path for Louisianans who owe fees to OMV. Pursuant to Act 629, OMV has established a more efficient system and enacted a series of changes aimed at easing the financial burden on residents while enhancing overall fee collection processes.

“This law reflects our commitment to fairness in governance. By reforming the OMV’s reinstatement program, we are providing essential relief to our residents and getting more drivers back on the road and back to work,” said Governor Jeff Landry.

Early Voting dates for the December 7, 2024 Election are 11/22/24-11/30/24 (closed Thursday, Friday & Sunday) at both locations. In Mansfield — Registrar of Voters Office at 104 Crosby St and in Stonewall — Governmental Plaza/ Sheriff’s Substation at 1746 Hwy 171.