Job Vacancy:
Supervisor, Winn Parish School Board

Certification Preference:
Type A teaching certificate with a Masters degree or higher; EDL 1 ·, 2, or 3 or letter indicating eligibility to receive EDL 1 upon employment 

Preferred Qualifications: 
(1) Five or more years of successful teaching experience
(2) Administrative experience
(3) Experience in school transportation, including but not limited to driving, scheduling, routing, and maintenance.

Term of Employment:
12 months

Deadline for Application:
Thursday, July 1, 2021, noon

Remarks:
Copies of all credentials, including current Louisiana teaching certificate, MUST accompany the application.

Selected applicants will be scheduled for interviews.

Submit letter of application and resume’ to:
Alfred L. Simmons
Winn Parish School Board
Post Office Box 430
Winnfield, LA 71483

The Winn Parish School Board is an equal opportunity employer, and provides equal educational opportunities in all programs and activities. No person is discriminated against because of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disabling condition.

Jennette Bergstedt-Cormier, MD

Dr. Jennette Bergstedt-Cormier received her degree in Pediatrics from the Louisiana State University-Shreveport campus. Board-certified since 1994, Bergstedt-Cormier was the chief resident of the LSUS Medical Center before moving to Sulphur in 1995. “I’ve always loved children,” she said. “But what really drew me to this profession was in school at LSUS. While in the early stages of study, you try many different kinds of medicine, and I just clicked with Pediatrics immediately.” After having the responsibility of private practice for several years, in Lake Charles, La, she was ready to slow things down a little bit. Bergstedt-Cormier most wants to establish that connection with her young patients and their parents. “I like trying to see the entire family picture,” she said. “It’s a team effort to care for a child. I’m here to help you and advise you.” Getting behind the family model of WCHC is a welcome change from practicing in a bigger city.

The Goldonna Baptist Church is hosting their, “Destination Dig”, bible school at 6:00pm starting on July 11 through July 16. A kid-friendly supper will be served to the VBS goers nightly. The church is still serving meals on Wednesday nights utilizing the donation from the Tony Chachere Company. This is the gift that keeps multiplying and feeding the five thousand. Dinners are served beginning at 5:30 every Wednesday night except for the Wednesday of VBS week. These meals will continue until the end of August. The week after Labor Day they will resume their Kingdom Kid ministry on Wednesday nights 6:00 to 7:15. This ministry was put on hold during COVID19. Everyone is looking forward to this excitement as it is one of the community favorites!

For everyone who ever attended Goldonna High School before it closed, there will be a reunion on July 10 at the Goldonna Baptist Church. The menu will include fried fish and all of the trimmings that you need to have a successful meal. You can contact Linda Dupree to reserve your spot. July 1st is the deadline to make your intentions known. Tickets are $20. Please spread the word to all of your classmates who may have attended.

According to Goldonna Town Hall, tax collection from the recently passed tax will begin on July . The Goldonna Christmas in the Park Committee is busy working on new ideas and details for the 2021 Christmas in the Park. The town is gearing up for the arrival of a new patrol truck. Along with this, the State will be assessing speed limit signs and updating them accordingly.

If you have news that you would like to share please contact Reba Phelps jreba.phelps@gmail.com

Stanley Bert Eisen was born on January 20, 1952, in New York City. On that day, doctors and nurses immediately realized Stanley had been born with a congenital deformity known as Microtia. The deformity prevented his ear from forming properly and left him deaf in his right ear. Rather than being deaf in his right ear, it would be better stated that he was deaf on his right side because there was no right ear. Stanley was born with a stump where his right ear should have been.

Stanley recalled that he had a “less than optimal childhood.” His parents refused to acknowledge that Stanley had a deformity. Rather than explaining his deformity and that he was half-deaf, his parents simply ignored the issue altogether. Stanley recognized his deformity at an early age when people would stare at the right side of his face. Stanley looked into mirrors and compared his left ear and the stump on the opposite side. He knew he was different. Stanley had trouble hearing on his right side, but his family never spoke of his half-deafness. Stanly recalled, “I was an angry, dysfunctional kid with a real image problem and a hearing problem that put me under constant scrutiny. My family’s way was, ‘Everything’s OK. Forward, march.’ But the idea that you make someone stronger by ignoring their pain shouldn’t be called ‘tough love.’ It should just be called ‘no love.’”

Stanley also struggled to fit in at school. Being deaf on his right side, Stanley found it hard to tell from which direction sounds originated. When everyone else responded to a sound by looking in a certain direction, Stanley usually looked the other way. In a crowded room, he had a hard time differentiating people’s voices. All of the voices sounded like jumbled up gibberish. Because of his deformity, the other students at his school treated him cruelly. They teased and bullied him endlessly. Stanley struggled with depression and social isolation. He became a loner as his distrust of people grew. Continue reading →

By: Royal Alexander/Opinion

To say this development is positive news for Louisiana’s decimated oil and gas industry would be to understate.

A powerful shot of hope and optimism was injected into Louisiana and numerous other states this week when a Louisiana federal judge issued a nationwide preliminary injunction ruling that the ban on new oil and gas leases imposed by the Biden Administration must be lifted. Finding that the ban failed to offer “any rational explanation” for its imposition, the court, through the grant of the injunction, reversed a January 2021 executive order by Pres. Biden that halted lease sales on federal lands and in federal waters and requires the Department of Interior to immediately restart its leasing program.

Twelve other states joined Louisiana in the suit in opposition to the ban. We should note that not only is this decision significant for the oil and gas industry itself, but also because the sale of the leases and resulting royalties generate millions of dollars in revenues for federal, state, and local governments. The states argued, and the court agreed, that the moratorium on new oil and gas leases on federal lands and waters will cause irreparable harm to these states in several ways, including reducing funding for bonuses, ground rent, royalties, and rentals, and causing job losses and the higher gas prices with which the country is now being blasted.

The court acknowledged that “even though existing leases are proceeding, the fact that new oil and gas leases on federal lands and in federal waters are paused will ultimately result in losses to plaintiff states which they will likely not be able to recover.” The states further argued, and the court again agreed, that the moratorium by the Biden Administration was “arbitrary and capricious” due to the fact that there was “an omission of any rational explanation in canceling the leases and in enacting the pause.” The court found that the Administration also erred from a procedural standpoint because it “should have given notice and allowed for comment before issuing the pause” as required by the Administrative Procedure Act.
Continue reading →

WINN:
Bobby Joe Brewton
September 28, 1936 – June 18, 2021
Service: Wednesday, June 23 at 10 am at Antioch Community Cemetery in Brewton’s Mill

Richard Irwin Bagwell
April 27, 1948 – June 18, 2021
Service: Wednesday, June 23 at 10 am at Southern Funeral Home in Winnfield

Twilla Dell Evans Parker
November 20, 1934 – June 16, 2021
Service: Wednesday, June 23 at 2 pm in the Southern Funeral Home Chapel

NATCHITOCHES:
Elsie LaCour
June 22, 2021
Service: Saturday, June 26 at 11 am at the Abundant Life Church on Ben Drive in Natchitoches

Mildred DeLois Lauw Moore
May 12, 1941 – June 20, 2021
Service: Wednesday, June 23 at 2 pm in the chapel of Blanchard St. Denis Funeral Home in Natchitoches

Arnetta McPhearson Hyams
August 14, 1941 – September 23, 2020
Memorial Mass: Saturday, June 26 at 9 am at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church
Graveside Interment Service: Saturday, June 26 at 10 am at the American Cemetery in Natchitoches. All are welcome to attend.

Sarah Jolene Gourdon
September 02, 1971 – June 16, 2021
Service: Thursday, June 24 at 10 am at Clearlake Cemetery in Goldonna

Bobby Ray Thomas
September 14, 1931 – June 16, 2021
Service: Wednesday, June 23 at 2 pm at L. C. Weaver Cemetery in Campti

Cynita Nash
June 16, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Edward Sewell, Sr.
June 16, 2021
Service: Saturday, June 26 at 2 pm in the Winnfield Memorial Funeral Home Chapel, located at 318 North Street in Natchitoches

Freddie Lee Jackson
June 01, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Delegates from FFA chapters across Louisiana voted on June 2 to elect the 2021-2022 State Officer Team. For the second time in its 92 year history, the election took place virtually via the Louisiana FFA website, an accommodation necessitated by the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. The annual State Convention happened in a modified in-person format on June 7 through June 10.

Fourteen candidates from around the state vied for ten positions. The candidates participated in a virtual State Nominating Committee on May 29-30 in which they faced an interview panel made of FFA members and agricultural industry representatives. The candidates answered questions to test their FFA and agricultural knowledge, developed and delivered speeches, and completed a group activity to evaluate their planning and cooperation skills.

Based on these interviews, the committee nominated a slate of ten candidates. These candidates were unopposed, and were officially elected on June 2.

The 2021-2022 Louisiana FFA State Officer Team includes:
President – Peyton Little, Winnfield
Secretary – Haley Faciane, Ponchatoula
Vice President – Kassidy Kelley, Ruston
Vice President – Bryson Johnson, Tioga
Vice President – Cesilee Oliver, Kinder
Vice President – Kylee Triche, Central Lafourche
Treasurer – Kennedy Pellerin, Acadiana
Reporter – Emmerson Lyons, Beau Chene
Sentinel – Parker Carlino, Winnfield
Parliamentarian – Abbygail Davis, Pearl River
The new team’s term will run through June 2022.

The Louisiana FFA Association is composed of 11,300 student members from 204 FFA chapters in 51 parishes. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education. FFA operates under a federal charter granted by the 81st United States Congress, and it is an integral part of public instruction in agriculture. For more, visit the
Louisiana FFA Association online at http://www.laffa.org and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Pictured below: Peyton Little left, Parker Carlina right

The Bank of Winnfield is excited to announce that today they will re-open their Northside branch located at 5932 Highway 167 N in Winnfield. 

Like many Winn Parish residents, the Bank of Winnfield’s Northside branch received extensive damage from a broken water pipe during the snowstorm in February of this year. 

“We appreciate everyone’s patience as we have worked to repair the Northside branch,  we are happy to have both branches up and running in order to help us provide excellent customer service to our customers which always our number one priority,” said BOW President Buddy Heard.

Louisiana’s two high school diploma pathways include the TOPS University Pathway for students who plan on attending a four-year college or university, requiring students to complete coursework that will qualify them for TOPS scholarships, and the JumpStart Pathway for students interested in preparing for college and career, requiring students to complete coursework that prepares them to continue their education at a technical or community college.

JumpStart students are also required to earn industry credentials that will help them attain entry-level employment. Winnfield Senior High School offers students the opportunity to earn credentials during high school that prepares them to become contributing members of society. All students, including those on a TOPS University pathway, can earn industry credentials in high school. During the last four years, the 2021 graduating class earned the following industry credentials:

AWS Certified Welder Level 1; NCCER Welding Level 1; NCCER Welding Level 2 – 2 students

Carpenters International Training Fund Core – 9 students

Carpenters International Training Fund Level 1 – 1 student

Certified Nursing Aide – 3 students

Customer Service and Sales Certification – 2 students

Microsoft Word Specialist; Microsoft Powerpoint Specialist – 1 student

ACT National Career Readiness Certificate – 40 students

FEMA – IS – 700B National Incident Management System Certification – 47 students

Louisiana Micro-Enterprise Credential – 6 students

NCCER CORE – 9 students

OSHA – 10 General Industry – 2 students

S/P2 Safety and Pollution Prevention – 66 students

CPR/AED Certification – 65 students

Agrotechnology – 6 students

Agricultural Career Development and Leadership Credentials – 5 students

Additionally, students can earn a credential in Forestry or FAA Part 107 Small Unmanned Aircraft Operations. Winnfield Senior High School is always looking to increase the opportunities for students following a TOPS University or a JumpStart diploma pathway.

On Wednesday, June 16, 2021, the special guest of the Winnfield Rotary Club was Jennifer Smith, RN instructor for Central Louisiana Technical and Community College (CLTCC) Huey P. Long campus here in Winnfield. She was introduced by Rotarian of the week, Jeff Johnson, dean of the Huey P. Long campus of CLTCC, who invited her to speak to Rotarians about the school’s Practical Nursing program.

Ms. Smith began her own nursing career at the Winn VoTech School, where she earned her nurse’s aide certificate and worked as a CNA while completing her practical nursing certificate in 1998. She moved to East Texas, worked as a nurse at Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview and earned her Associate Degree in Nursing in 2005. In 2010, Ms. Smith earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing. She worked in the intensive care unit and later became the clinical director of the medical-surgical unit at Good Shepherd.

In 2012, Ms. Smith returned to Winnfield and became an instructor at the local CLTCC campus, first as a pharmacy technician instructor, then in the patient care technician program, and currently in the practical nursing program. Ms. Smith said her talent for teaching showed up as early as her VoTech days when she naturally began to help her classmates in the nursing program, even devising practice tests to help them pass the real tests. In her nursing practice, she enjoyed having nursing students follow her in their clinical courses and explaining various nursing practices for different illnesses and treatments. So when she relocated back to the area, the CLTCC was a natural fit for her.
Continue reading →

City of Winnfield Police Department

Name: Tiffany J. King
Date: 6-14-2021
Address: Winnfield, LA
Race: Black
Gender: Female
Age: 32
Charge: Simple Battery, Resisting an Officer by Physical Violence, Misrepresentation During Booking

Name: Ronald E. Rials, Jr.
Date: 6-14-2021
Address: Joyce, LA
Race: White
Gender: Male
Age: 46
Charge: Driving on Roadway Laned for Traffic, Driving Under Suspension

Name: Ashley D. Smith
Date: 6-15-2021
Address: Winnfield, LA 
Race: White 
Gender: Female
Age: 31
Charge: Stop Signs & Yields Signs, Driving Under Suspension

Name: Nicole L. Ferguson
Date: 6-15-2021
Address: Winnfield, LA 
Race: White
Gender: Female
Age: 49
Charge: Failure to Appear

Name: Derrick D. Holden
Date: 6-15-2021
Address: Winnfield, LA
Race: Black
Gender: Male
Age: 42
Charge: Driving Under Suspension

Name: Antristinny M. Chatman
Date: 6-17-2021
Address: Winnfield, LA
Race: Black
Gender: Female
Age: 22
Charge: Failure to Appear

Name: Kendrick D. Fountain
Date: 6-18-2021
Address: Winnfield, LA
Race: Black
Gender: Male
Age: 36
Charge: Domestic Abuse Battery, Violations of Protective Orders, Criminal Damage to Property

Name: Jack Gray, Jr.
Date: 6-18-2021
Address: Saline, LA
Race: Black
Gender: Male
Age: 53
Charge: Failure to Register, Security Required, Driving Under Suspension

Name: Demonyea L. Foster
Date: 6-18-2021
Address: Winnfield, LA
Race: Black
Gender: Female
Age: 20
Charge: Theft

Name: Robert H. Barnes
Date: 6-19-2021
Address: Winnfield, LA
Race: White
Gender: Male
Age: 21
Charge: Speeding 77 in a 45, Possession of Schedule I (Ecstacy)

Name: Quinton Harrington
Date: 6-20-2021
Address: Winnfield, LA
Race: White
Gender: Male
Age: 34
Charge: Expired Registration, Security Required, Prohibited Acts, Driving Under Suspension

Name: John L. Crawford
Date: 6-20-2021
Address: Winnfield, LA
Race: White
Gender: Male
Age: 55
Charge: Turn Signals, Display of Plate, Stopping, Standing or Parking, Failure to Register, Expired MVI, Security Required, Driving Under Suspension

Name: Charles A. Mackey, Jr.
Date: 6-20-2021
Address: Winnfield, LA
Race: Black
Gender: Male
Age: 50
Charge: Simple Battery

The Winn Parish Police Jury will meet for a regular meeting today at 5:00 PM at the Parish Courthouse located at 119 West Main Street, Room 112. 

AGENDA

I. Call to Order.
II. Invocation and Pledge.
III. Amendments or deletions.
IV. Adoption of Agenda.
V. Adoption of Minutes-May 17, 2021-Regular Meeting and June 3, 2021-Roads, Bridges & Solid Waste Committee Meeting.
VI. Announcements and Comments.

(1) Mr. Perry Holmes, Road Superintendent-To give a road update.

VII. GUESTS:

(1) Mr. Tommy Martin-to discuss fireworks in the Parish.

VIII. BUSINESS:

(1) Mr. Kirk Miles-Motion to approve monthly invoices.
(2) Mr. Frank McLaren-Motion of Intent to lower the speed limit to 15 mph on Preacher Sanders Road.
(3) Mr. Joshua McAllister-Motion to award Administrative Consultant contract to Frye Magee, LLC for the LCD BG HV AC program.

–Motion to award Engineering Services contract to Shuler Consulting Company for the LCDBG HVAC program, subject to receiving Office of Community Development approval.
–Motion to award Engineering Services contract for the 2022/23 LCDBG Public Facilities program.

IX. Announcements and Comments:

Dear Community Members,

Thank you Goldonna!

This month marks one full year that I have been blessed to have been chosen as Goldonna Elementary and Junior High School’s principal. I remember being in my office this time last year and several community members visiting the school to meet the new principal. It was the most warming feeling to be welcomed to Goldonna, and I dearly cherish those receiving visits. Next, the school year began, and it was definitely one for the record! Throughout the year our students were eager to learn and our parents were understanding of all of the school and state COVID guidelines and procedures. A school year that potentially could have been the most difficult, due to the amazing citizens of Goldonna, was absolutely one of my favorite years thus far in my career. Everyday was a wonderful day to be a Goldonna Wildcat!

This year has had its successes as well as challenges, but I strongly feel that with our amazing students, supportive parents, and strong community we have had an overall wonderful school year. I would like to thank everyone for welcoming me into your community and I look forward to many more years of serving the community, being a part of the school, and seeing all of the amazing things our children will accomplish!

I would also like to remind the parents who have applied online for Pre-K registration that it is now time to complete the process by uploading your documents to teachingtomorrownow.com

We still have room so please do not hesitate to contact the school for more information. We are looking forward to a wonderful school year this August.

Sincerely,

Cor Beth Manuel
Goldonna Principal
318-727-9449
cmanuel@npsb.la

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Enforcement Division is encouraging any potential applicant for the next Cadet Academy to take the required civil service test by July 30, 2021.

The LDWF Enforcement Division plans on announcing their 34th Cadet Academy sometime in August. Once the announcement is made, the application period will be open for 21 days on the Louisiana Civil Service website for the job title “Wildlife Enforcement Cadet”.

It is a requirement that all applicants take the Law Enforcement and Protective Services (LEAPS) Series 9500 civil service test by July 30, 2021, and get a score of 77 or above to be eligible for the next Cadet Academy.

If someone has already taken the LEAPS 9500 test and received a score of 77 or above, please check with civil service to make sure it is still up to date.

In order to schedule the LEAPS 9500 civil service exam, please visit https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/louisiana/jobs/152095-0/9500-leaps-test.

For more information on becoming an LDWF enforcement agent, please visit https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/become-an-agent