News

Mansfield High School’s Athletic Booster Club has a tradition of selling fireworks as one of their annual main fundraisers. This year is no exception as the familiar fireworks stand returns to the former Market Basket grocery store parking lot, located on Hwy 84 (Washington Avenue).

MHS Boosters’ stand opened at noon on December 18 and will continue to sell fireworks, sparklers, Roman candles, etc. until 12:01 PM on January 1. Hours are 10:00 AM until 9:00 PM, but can run over during busy times. Go out and show your Wolverine Pride as you show them your support with a purchase or two!

Coach Fletcher Carter and Robert “Bull” Kent stress that this is the ONLY Mansfield High School Booster firework’s stand in the city and the competitors in town are not related to their fundraising efforts. No matter what the weather is like from freezing to summer-like, you’ll find these dedicated men working to make all the money that they can to support MHS’s Wolverine football.

Blaine Hodges, Assistant Vice President at Community Bank of Louisiana, was recently installed as Membership Chairman of the Louisiana Bankers Education Council. He had previously served on the board as a Member at Large.

Hodges is a graduate of Northwestern State University where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree, specializing him in the areas of business, management, marketing, and related support services.

He began is banking career in Loan Review at the Bank of Jena in May 2009. Once transferring to Community Bank in Mansfield in October 2010, he served as a Credit Analyst and later was named Assistant Branch Manager at Community Bank’s Gloster Branch. He was promoted to Assistant Vice President in January 2021, serving Community as an employee for 11 years. He is certified as a Notary Public for the State of Louisiana, and had served as the President of the DeSoto Parish Chamber of Commerce for the last 3 terms.

On December 13, 2021 the Joaquin Volunteer Fire Department held their annual officer election. Over this past year there were several big changes to the department, including losing the Fire Chief of the past 11 years, Perry Pugh, to COVID-19. Therefore, this election saw the most shake-up in quite a while.

The results are as follows: Fire Chief- Jeremy Boyett, a veteran of the department for 30 years and former Assistant Chief to Pugh for the last 11; Assistant Chief- Rusty Wilson; 2nd Assistant Chief- Michael Stephens; Secretary/Treasurer- Athena Ezernack, a relatively new member to the department, and the first female member to hold an office in the Department’s 49 years; Training Officer- Stephen Ewing; Fire Marshall- Jeremy Boyett; Assistant Fire Marshall- Nat Rogers; Traffic Officer- Tommy Boyett; Maintenance Officer- Michael Bates; Chaplain- Steve Cockrell; Safety Officer- Steve Cockrell; and Reporter- Brock Pugh.

The City of Mansfield is announcing a rate increase in their sewerage user fees, effective January 1, 2022. Current sewer rates have been in effect for better than 17 years. The last rate change occurred in January 2004. The ever-increasing costs of maintaining the City’s Sewer Treatment Plant now necessitate a need to increase user fees to satisfy the costs associated with operating this facility. The operating costs related to plant operations have steadily increased over the years. Those increased expenses must now be passed on to the property owners/customers who use these services. Below is an overview of the current fee structure, and below that is a summary of the new fee schedule effective in January 2022:

Present Sewer Fees:

Inside City of Mansfield Corporate Cimits:

A flat rate of nine dollars and ninety-five cents ($9.95) per month; plus Eighty-nine cents ($0.89) per one thousand (1,000) gallons of water consumed.

The Board of Aldermen met in regular session on November 22nd with Mayor John H. Mayweather, Sr. calling the meeting to order. Alderman Kervin D. Campbell offered the Invocation. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Alderwoman Mary J. Green. Following the pledge, the roll call was suspended. However the following officials were recorded as in attendance at this regular meeting of the city council with Mayor John H. Mayweather, Sr., -, Mary J. Green –District A, Christopher S. Thomas –District B, Mitchell L. Lewis –District C, and Kervin D. Campbell –District E all present. Joseph Hall, Jr. of District D was absent. City Hall Personnel, Dept. Heads, & Other City Personnel Present included Gwendolyn Jones (Deputy Clerk), Annette Blue (Police Chief), Billy Locke (Asst. Police Chief), Bryan Ross (Captain –Fire Dept.), Christopher Samuels (Firefighter –Fire Dept.), and NaKiesha Turner (Firefighter –Fire Dept.). Press Present: None.

A concerned group of DeSoto and Mansfield citizens have banded together for a food drive. Their gathered goods will be contributed to the Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana, who help many individuals and families, not just through the holidays, but all year long.

If you would like to donate any non-perishable items, such as canned goods, staples like rice, sugar, flour, etc. The dropping off spot is at DeSoto Fire District 8 off of Hwy 175 in Mansfield. The hours are 8:00 a.m. through 4:30 a.m. at the front office. Anytime after that, please come to the back door of the facility.

The deadline for Christmas donations is December 21, but late donations are still wel and accepted to be used throughout the year.

Together we can help solve hunger! The Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana and local volunteers thank you for your help and support.

On December 11, voters that live within the city limits of Logansport will make the decision whether to pass the legalization of selling and purchasing liquor, while voters in DeSoto’s School District 3 (Stanley School area) will decide on passing a proposition with an estimated 16 mills to be levied for school improvements.

Proposition 1 in the Town of Logansport states, “Shall the sale of beverages of alcoholic content containing not more than six percent alcohol by volume be permitted by package only and not for consumption on the premises in the Town of Logansport? This would be to purchase wine or beer at package stores only.

The DeSoto Parish Police Jury will host a blood drive on Friday, December 17, from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. at the Mansfield Sheriff ’s Office, located at 205 Franklin. The theme for this drive is ” ‘Tis the Season for Giving Blood Drive”. To sign up or for more information call Phillip Maxwell of LifeShare at 318-935-9838.

Also, if you are a member of the military (whether active duty, Guard, or Reserve), Firefighter, Law Enforcement Officer, or EMS, you can earn your Challenge Coin by donating four units of blood in a calendar year in the Blood Donor Award Program by registering at LifeShare.org/coin.

Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin is reminding voters that early voting for the Dec. 11 election began Saturday, November 27, and continues through Saturday, Dec. 4, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, excluding Sunday, Nov. 28. Citizens who want to vote early may do so in person at their parish Registrar of Voters Office, located at 104 Crosby Street in Mansfield or at the satellite office located at 1746 Hwy 171 in Stonewall.

DeSoto voters in Logansport and Stanley will only be the only ones voting, with Logansport voters to express their approval or denial of propositions regarding the sale of alcohol in various locations and volume. Stanley area voters that live in the District 3 School Zone will decide if they want to pass a bond proposal to incur debt of $8,500,000 not to exceed running more than 20 years, with an estimated 16 mills to be levied in the first year of issue.

If you have any questions call the DeSoto Registrar of Voters office at 318-872-1149.

In the corporate world, holding regular meetings with a company’s officials is a necessary component for performing that company’s daily business operations. These meetings are basically an exchange of financial data and business directives among company officers and colleagues to help keep an organization focused on its goals and missions. However, they are often mundane and monotonous assemblies. But the regular meeting of the Mansfield Board of Aldermen held on November 8th, was anything but mundane. After action had been taken on the business items listed on the agenda, the last item to be heard was a presentation to Mansfield’s Mayor, John Mayweather, Sr., by the Mansfield Middle School’s Gentlemen’s Club. Out of a 35-member group, a total of 24 club members were present to bestow a few of gifts upon the Mayor.