News

Plans are currently underway by the Historic Grand Cane Association (HGCA) for “The Village Market at Grand Cane” set for Saturday, April 17 from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. The event was formerly known as Grand Cane Trade Days and has had several successful runs. If you are interested in being a vendor you can contact HGCA at grandcanehistoric@gmail.com , call them at 318-858-0800, or message them on Facebook at Historic Grand Cane Association.

These events, like many others held in the Village, are to attract visitors and tourism to Grand Cane, DeSoto Parish, and Northwest Louisiana as a whole. HGCA consists of a group of citizens that love their historic village and want to share its many charms and history with visitors.

Some restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19 in Louisiana, including strict occupancy restrictions for bars and restaurants, will be eased this week following sustained improvements in COVID-19 hospitalizations and vaccinations, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Tuesday. Social distancing of six feet will still be required in businesses and Louisiana’s statewide mask mandate remains in place.

The Louisiana Department of Education today announced the 2022 Teacher and Principal of the Year Semifinalists. The 48 semifinalists are elementary, middle and high school educators from school systems across the state. Finalists will be selected from this group and announced live at the 2021 Teacher Leader Summit during the plenary event on May 25 in New Orleans. DeSoto Parish is honored to announce that North DeSoto Upper Elementary

Teacher Leah Darden is in the Semifinalists category. The DPSB website reads, “Leah’s commitment to student success exemplifies the teaching profession and she DeSoto Strong! We wish her the best of luck.”

Early voting will begin on April 10 and end on April 17, 2021 (with the exception of Sunday, April 11) when DeSoto voters go to the polls to early vote in a run-off between Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) candidates Michael Melerine-R and Cassie Williams-D and whether or not to pass a 1 mill property tax allocated for Animal Services.

The BESE seat became vacant when Tony Davis resigned taking a job in another state.

Those that live in District 2 will cast their preference for Kyle D. Kennington-R or Ronald “Ronnie” Allen-R. The Kennington-Allen runoff in District 2 will fill the seat vacated by Judge Nicholas Gasper, who resigned his Jury sear after winning the election to serve the 42nd Judicial Division. His appointment, Bradley Sepulvado, expressed no wishes to run for the seat full time upon accepting the position.

Ethan P. Arbuckle has been named one of SB (Shreveport-Bossier) Magazine’s Top Attorneys for 2019. He is a graduate of North DeSoto High School, LSUS, and Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge.

After graduation, Arbuckle worked for a firm in Shreveport for a few months before opening his general practice firm in Stonewall that focuses on divorce custody law, probate/succession law, estate planning law, and personal injury law. His future plans are to grow his firm and continue to do what’s best for anyone seeking his assistance.

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Sheriff Jayson Richardson and his staff would recently held a party to celebrate the retirement of Deputy Tommy Williamson.

Williamson has worked with the DeSoto Sheriff’s Office for 12 years, beginning as jailer in the DeSoto Detention Center. Soon it was discovered that he was not only a hard worker but a skilled farmer with outstanding agricultural capabilities. Williamson then chose an opportunity to take a position in Special Services, which including going out with the inmates to clean, work in gardens, and various other duties that have been vital to DPSO.

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U.S. Congressman for the 4th District Mike Johnson has accepted an invitation to be the keynote speaker for the DeSoto GOP Luncheon on Thursday, April 8 at 12:00 p.m. at the Stonewall Community Center, located at 5208 Hwy 3276 (Stonewall-Frierson Road). Johnson will be providing an update on what is currently going on in Washington, D. C. He will also be available to answer questions and for photographs.

Also, DeSoto Parish Police Jury Administrator Steve Brown will speak and provide information on the upcoming tax on the April ballot to support animal services in DeSoto. He, too, will be available to answer questions after speaking.

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Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell is awarding nearly $2.5 million in grants to local governments and parish school systems in Northwest Louisiana to promote energy efficiency.

Energy upgrades funded by the grants include high-efficiency LED lights in buildings operated by local public agencies.

“These improvements will lower electric bills by thousands of dollars for these public institutions,” Campbell said.

The LPSC Energy Efficiency program for public entities and political subdivisions is an offshoot of the commission’s “Quick Start” Energy Efficiency program, which since 2013 has helped residential and commercial utility customers lower their electricity consumption across Louisiana. Participating utilities are SWEPCO, Entergy and CLECO.

The Battle of Pleasant Hill Reenactment Committee and Miss Battle of Pleasant Hill, Autumn Palmer, are hard at work planning and promoting the 157th Anniversary event scheduled for April 9-11, 2021. This year’s event will mark the 157th Anniversary of the largest Civil War battle fought west of the Mississippi River and is held on the ground hallowed those many years ago by the blood of Americans locked in mortal combat.

The 2021 Battle of Pleasant Hill Re-enactment is sure to surprise audiences and honor the memory of one of the most significant battles of the Civil War. The committee would like to encourage the surrounding communities to keep the upcoming event in mind and to attend the event, which is free to the public, in April.

All Louisianans 16 years old or older are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine beginning Monday, March 29, following news from the federal government that Louisiana’s allocation of vaccine doses will significantly increase next week, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced today.

Since the start of the vaccination process, Louisiana’s weekly allocations of vaccine from the federal government have more than doubled, with Louisiana now slated to get more than 148,000 first doses directly next week, in addition to vaccine doses provided to partner pharmacies in a federal pharmacy program as well as the Federally Qualified Health Care Center program. More than one million Louisianans have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. With the B.1.1.7., or U.K. variant, continuing to increase in Louisiana and neighboring states, it is essential to get Louisiana vaccinated as quickly and equitably as possible.