News

On May 13, members of the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office had the honor of speaking to the Mansfield Lions Club during their luncheon at the Clista Calhoun Center in Mansfield.

Representing DPSO were PIO Mark Pierce, Sgt. Kelby Pearah and Dy. Nolan Perot of the K9 Division, Sgt. Austin Whitten of the Drone Division, and Pilot Sam Wunder of the Air Support Division. K9 Karen and K9 Cujo were also in attendance and enjoyed meeting those present.

Throughout the presentation, deputies discussed how K9s, drones, aviation assets, and public information efforts often work together behind the scenes during dangerous or rapidly changing incidents. Topics ranged from public communication during emergencies, to how technology and specialized units assist deputies in the field, to the role K9s can play in school safety and law enforcement operations.

On May 12, the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office had the opportunity to visit Joaquin High School and spend time with students across multiple grade levels, from Elementary through Middle School.

Students were able to see firsthand many of the specialized tools and divisions used by DPSO each day, including our new helicopter and drone from the Aviation Division, the Hydratrek Amphibious Vehicle and boat from the Marine Division, the DPSO Command Center, the Traffic Division Mustang, the SWAT Division BearCat, and a live K9 demonstration from our K9 Division.

One of the best parts of the morning was allowing students to not only ask questions, but also climb inside, explore, and interact with the equipment and deputies who use it in real-world situations. Events like these help build positive relationships with young people while giving them a better understanding of the many different ways law enforcement serves the community.

At the DPSO School Board meeting held on May 7 board meeting, we proudly recognized our May Employees of the Month: Support Staff of the Month — LaKeisha Smith, NDHS Teacher of the Month — Ketara Allen, MMS New Teacher of the Month — Amy Petriello, SHS Leader of the Month — Lindsay Burford, NDLE A special thank you to our community partners Aneca Federal Credit Union, Alera Group, MarketPlace Chevrolet Stonewall, and RBW Consulting for sponsoring and supporting this initiative. Your partnership helps us celebrate the incredible people making a difference in our schools every day.

Deputy Chief Phillip Daniels, who leads the DeSoto Parish Sheriff 911 Communications District, attended the week-long 2026 APCO/ NENA Symposium held at LIVE! Casino in Bossier City, where more than 400 public safety professionals from across Louisiana gathered for training, collaboration, and networking.

On April 27, Deputy Chief Daniels was honored with the President’s Award, chosen and presented by Louisiana APCO Chapter President LaQuita Collins. This recognition reflects his continued dedication to advancing public safety communications and supporting the 9-1-1 community.

DeSoto Parish Schools are proud to announce significant gains in early literacy for the 2025–2026 academic year, highlighting the district’s ongoing commitment to student success. Recent data from the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) assessment shows measurable improvement in reading proficiency across kindergarten through third grade.

Districtwide results indicate that the percentage of K-3 students reading at or above grade level increased from 70% at the end of the 2024–2025 school year to 80% in 2025–2026— representing a notable 10-point gain.

“This growth reflects the strong commitment of our educators, students, and families to excellence in early literacy,” said Willa Smith, Supervisor of Student Learning.

Since The Enterprise prints before May 2, we can only wish all three teams good luck in hopes that they all move on to the State playoff games. DeSoto Parish is proud of these teams, as well as the Lady Wolverines of Mansfield, for making it to the playoff rounds.

North DeSoto Softball (#1) is scheduled to play Iota (#5) at 2:30 p.m. at Frasch Park on Field 16 on May 2.

Stanley Softball (#1) is scheduled to play Anacoco (#4) at 12:00 p.m. at Frasch Park on Field 17 on May 2.

Logansport Softball (#4) is scheduled to play LaSalle (#1) at 2:30 p.m. at Frasch Park on Field 18 on May 2,

The DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office is proud to recognize Deputy Nolan Perot and his K9 partner, Cujo, on successfully completing the 12-week Basic K9 Handler’s Course for patrol operations. Deputy Perot, who brings nearly 9 years of total law enforcement experience — including time in corrections, patrol, and 5 years on SWAT — has now added K9 handler to his service to our parish.

Throughout the course, the team trained in obedience, suspect apprehension, tracking, area and building searches, and real-world deployment scenarios. On the final day, Deputy Perot and Cujo completed a one-mile track — unknown to the handler with only a possible direction of travel — with precision and success. This accomplishment reflects the discipline, commitment, and trust required to form a strong K9 team.

On April 16th, we celebrated North DeSoto High School students who are taking the next step toward bright futures as they commit to high-wage, high-demand career pathways during National CTE Signing Day.

Just like student- athletes signing scholarships, these students are officially signing with industry partners — launching their professional journeys with purpose and confidence.

Through our CTE paid internship program, these students have already gained valuable, hands-on experience in real-world settings. Signing Day represents the culmination of their hard work, dedication, and commitment to excellence.

We are proud to see our students living out our core values and preparing to make an impact in our community and beyond.

Over the weekend, the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office sent a team of 12 volunteers to take part in the statewide Love the Boot cleanup effort, focusing on Highway 3015. In a short time, the group collected over 30 bags of trash — making a visible difference in an area many of us travel every day.

This is just one example of the pride our deputies and staff take in serving DeSoto Parish, both on and off duty. We’re thankful for the opportunity to give back to the community we call home!

Crystal Burns, an Edward Jones financial advisor in the community, recently received the firm’s Goodknight Plan Completion Award for her efforts to provide a greater level of service to her clients while helping the firm continue its steady growth. She was one of only 1,491 financial advisors firm wide to receive the award.

The two-year Goodknight Program allows a veteran financial advisor to mentor a newer financial advisor and transition some clients and their accounts, with the goals of improving client service for every client and growing the Edward Jones branch network. The program started in 1978 when then-financial advisor Jim Goodknight pioneered the process and forever changed the way Edward Jones does business.

Burns’ office is located at 403 Polk Street in Mansfield.