LASALLE PARISH, La. — Hot weather will continue across LaSalle Parish through the weekend, with afternoon temperatures remaining in the upper 90s and only a slight chance of rain during the forecast period, according to the National Weather Service.
Wednesday will be sunny and hot with a high near 99 degrees. Southwest winds will be around 5 mph. Wednesday night will be partly cloudy with a low around 76.
Thursday will remain sunny and hot with a high near 98 degrees. Thursday night will be partly cloudy with a low around 75.
Friday will be mostly sunny and hot with a high near 98 degrees. Friday night will bring a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1 a.m. Otherwise, skies will be partly cloudy with a low around 73.
Saturday will be sunny and hot with a high near 98 degrees. Saturday night will be mostly clear with a low around 73.
Sunday will continue the sunny and hot pattern with a high near 98 degrees.
LOUISIANA — Louisiana State Police is reminding motorists that the state’s expanded Move Over Law is now in effect, extending protections to disabled, immobilized and nonoperational vehicles displaying hazard lights, flashing lights or another emergency warning device.
Under the expanded law, motorists approaching a roadside vehicle on a highway with two or more lanes traveling in the same direction should safely move into a lane away from the vehicle.
If changing lanes is unsafe or impossible, or if a motorist is traveling on a two-lane highway, drivers should slow to a reasonably safe speed and maintain a speed appropriate for road conditions.
The law applies regardless of whether motorists encounter blue emergency lights, amber warning lights or the flashing hazard lights of a stranded motorist.
Louisiana’s Move Over Law also continues to require motorists to yield the right-of-way to emergency vehicles using audible or visual warning signals unless otherwise directed by a police officer.
Louisiana State Police emphasized that the law is intended to provide additional space for first responders, roadside workers and stranded motorists to remain safe.
“Different lights. Same responsibility,” Louisiana State Police stated. “Move over. Slow down. Give them room.”
The LSU AgCenter will host its 2026 Grazing School, a five-session program designed to provide information and hands-on experience covering a variety of topics related to forage production for livestock operations.
The Grazing School will begin Sept. 16 and continue through Nov. 10. Sessions will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with lunch and refreshments provided.
The five sessions and topics include:
Sept. 16 – Session I: Soil Fertility and Health; Components of Grazing Plans
Oct. 1 – Session II: Comparing Forage Species and Weed Management
Louisiana has a long history of officials cutting deals with private interests at the public’s expense. During the oil and gas boom, the state left severance tax revenue on the table while enforcement gaps let industry pollute our air, water, and land for decades. Governor Jeff Landry has accelerated that pattern faster than any of his predecessors. He installed an unqualified Secretary of Environmental Quality, then reorganized the Department of Natural Resources into something even statehouse reporters can’t fully explain. This year the legislature signed off on tax breaks and NDAs for AI data centers, keeping voters in the dark about what those companies are getting and what they’re using.
Now it’s SpaceX’s turn, and it’s the biggest giveaway yet.
The Landry administration is negotiating to hand over roughly 130,000 acres on Pecan Island, in Vermilion Parish, for a rocket blast pad, not a research facility, the kind Boca Chica, Texas is still fighting over. That land is reportedly tied to Exxon’s punishment, part of a coastal damages settlement for decades of polluting our marshes, though the settlement itself is sealed by court order. If that reporting holds up, instead of restoring the land, the state is routing it straight to Elon Musk.
Pecan Island is about the worst possible place for this. The coast there has been sinking and washing away for decades, and hurricanes are speeding it up. The site borders two wildlife refuges and some of the best hunting and fishing water left in this state, the kind “Sportsman’s Paradise” was supposed to protect. If this goes through, we can stop pretending coastal restoration is a real priority in Louisiana.
The legislature already greased the wheels this session, passing tax breaks and liability shields for unnamed “aerospace” companies and exempting them from public records requests. So, when something goes wrong, and something eventually will, Louisianans may not have the right to sue, and may not even have the right to know. Now Trump’s FAA wants to waive thirteen federal environmental and health laws, including the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act, so Musk doesn’t have to deal with “regulatory burden.”
We don’t even know the full extent of what Musk stands to gain. We know the eligibility thresholds in the tax break bills, not the actual value of what’s being handed over. Given how this Republican-controlled legislature has handled every other corporate giveaway this year, there’s little reason to think this deal is any different.
Local officials keep telling us we must accept this to “compete.” I don’t buy it. A state that can only land these deals by throwing out the rule of law and hiding negotiations behind NDAs is giving Louisiana away, one 130,000-acre parcel at a time.
Most Louisianans haven’t been told what this deal actually involves. That’s worth being angry about. Ask your legislators what they voted for this spring, and whether they’ll say so publicly.
The 4-H Shooting Sports program is seeking volunteers interested in becoming Level 1 instructors to help mentor youth and provide additional opportunities for young participants.
According to information provided in an upcoming training announcement, volunteers can become certified in several shooting sports disciplines, including rifle, archery, shotgun and pistol. The program is designed to help youth build skills, confidence and leadership through 4-H Shooting Sports.
Three Level 1 instructor training sessions are scheduled for October:
Oct. 17 – DeSoto Parish: Training will cover Air Rifle/BB/.22 Rifle, Archery, Hunting Skills and Shotgun. The registration deadline is Oct. 9.
Oct. 24 – Ouachita Parish: Training will cover Air Rifle/BB/.22 Rifle, Archery, Coordinator and Shotgun. The registration deadline is Oct. 16.
Oct. 31 – Acadia Parish: Training will cover Air Pistol/.22 Pistol, Air Rifle/BB/.22 Rifle, Archery and Shotgun. The registration deadline is Oct. 23.
All training dates are scheduled for 2026, and participants must be active in 4-H Online.
Organizers emphasized that additional instructors can create more opportunities for youth to participate in the program while giving volunteers a chance to mentor young people and make a lasting impact.
Those interested in becoming an instructor are encouraged to visit with a current 4-H Shooting Sports coach or contact their local 4-H office for additional information.
As an angler who has fished it all: BFL’s, Toyota Series, ABA Solo 150’s, ABA Pro League, Bassmaster Opens, Fisher’s of Men, Media Bass, Angler’s Choice and too many others I just can’t remember, I can say that some of these were great tournament trails and some were just OK.
Now don’t get me wrong, there’s never been a circuit that I didn’t enjoy, but there’s an issue I would like to address. Major League Fishing (MLF) is taking the BFL’s from a pro/am draw format and making it a team/solo trail, hoping they can get their numbers up.
Do we really need another team trail? I think I speak for a lot of anglers who still like to fish solo/individual trails and the last thing anglers need is another team trail as we have too many already! Since the demise of ABA dropping the Solo 150 and the Pro Leagues, the only remaining individual trails are the Bassmaster Opens and the Toyota Series.
Both of these are very expensive with the Toyota’s costing an angler on the pro side $1,700 per event while the B.A.S.S Opens will cost you $2,000. The BFL was considered an entry level circuit designed for the working man but will now cost you $500 per event as a team/solo entry.
Years ago, the BFL’s would draw a full field of 200 boaters (which used to be the case) due to the low entry fee, but their payback was the worst of any circuit out there as they took part of BFL’s money to help support its upper-level circuits, therefore shorting the anglers supporting the BFL’s.
Another issue has been that ever since the “Live Scope” controversy started, BLF participation has gone down dramatically as so many anglers refuse to participate in events where this technology is allowed. Boaters and co-anglers walked away faster than a hook set.
So, after a few years of low turnouts for the BFL’s, Major League Fishing (MLF) will be taking this circuit in a totally different direction. I hope they thought this through as it has just eliminated the last remaining pro/am circuit for the lower level of tournament bass fishing.
As an angler who loves fishing a solo/individual circuit, I really wish MLF would have put the same amount of guaranteed first place money of $10,000 and kept the original format of a pro/am circuit. Anglers would have flocked for this kind of guarantee!
The next issue is the fact that there will be no limit on using forward-facing sonar (FFS) for 2027 when fishing the BFL Team Trail. This will bring out many of the younger anglers who have grown up using FFS. But one thing I wish MLF would adopt for 2027 is only allowing the use of FFS every other tournament like Bassmaster does with their schedule.
This would help to level the playing field especially with the older generation of anglers particularly on lakes where local anglers tend to dominate. As far as what to do with forward-facing sonar in the long run, we may not have a choice as some states, starting with Florida, are looking to ban FFS altogether.
If this happens, other state organizations will follow suit and implement the same rule. Then FFS will no longer be an issue for tournament organizations to deal with.
I’m so tired of talking about it and yet no matter what decisions are made from ANY organization, everyone has their own opinion if this technology is good or bad, as the division continues nationwide on this topic.
It appears this year’s three-hour FFS rule for the BFL’s and the Toyota Series has been the most popular and if that’s the direction they want to go, so be it … I DON’T CARE! Even if they choose to take it away completely… I DON’T CARE! Just make a decision, stick with it and move on!
I know this article will draw some comments and I welcome everyone’s opinion. We have enough team trails nationwide and need more solo or individual circuits to help balance things outs and give anglers another option.
Good luck, good fishing, stay cool and be safe out there if you’re going to brave the heat to wet a hook.
Texas has a documented long-term water problem and is aggressively planning future supplies. Louisiana has major new industrial and data-center water demands of its own. Because the two states share interconnected river systems, Louisiana should conduct and publicly release a comprehensive study of the cumulative effects before major water commitments are made.
That question matters because Louisiana citizens have watched enormous economic-development projects negotiated under NDAs, public authorities become major players in private industrial development, fights over eminent domain and permanent underground CO₂ injection, massive transmission projects, thousands of acres targeted for solar development, rapidly expanding data centers, and even discussions involving nuclear development and radioactive-waste disposal.
Researchers at the University of Texas reported in May 2026 that Texas data-center growth could eventually account for 𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝘀 𝟵% 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟰𝟬 under a high-growth scenario.
Louisiana is facing many of the same questions as enormous data-center and industrial projects move into our state.
The Texas Water Development Board adopted its 2027 State Water Plan on July 23, 2026.
Texas estimates that implementing more than 3,000 recommended water-management projects through 2080 will require nearly $174 billion in capital investment.
Even if Texas builds all of those projects, its plan still projects approximately 𝟭.𝟲 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗲-𝗳𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝗻𝗺𝗲𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟴𝟬.
Texas also warns that without the recommended strategies, roughly one out of every four Texans in 2080 could have less than half of the municipal water supply needed during a drought of record.
North Texas already takes water from 𝗟𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝘅𝗼𝗺𝗮 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿, and additional Texoma conveyance infrastructure is being developed.
Texas planning also identifies additional supplies involving 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝗸𝗲 and the proposed 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗻 𝗡𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗿 on the Sulphur River; 𝗟𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗢’ 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀, which feeds Big Cypress Bayou toward Caddo Lake; and 𝗧𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗼 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗱 on the Sabine River.
These are not all one project. Some are operating, some proposed, and some are long-range strategies.
But Louisiana should not look at each one in isolation and ignore the cumulative question.
The Sulphur River belongs to the larger Red River drainage system.
Lake O’ the Pines controls flows into Big Cypress Bayou toward 𝗖𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗼 𝗟𝗮𝗸𝗲, a Texas-Louisiana water system. The Corps of Engineers has documented that reservoir operations altered the natural downstream flow regime enough that special releases have been used to restore portions of that flow.
Texas planning identifies approximately 𝟳𝟱,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗲-𝗳𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 from Lake O’ the Pines as a potential North Texas supply strategy and approximately 𝟭𝟮𝟮,𝟮𝟬𝟬 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗲-𝗳𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 associated with Wright Patman.
𝗧𝗢𝗟𝗘𝗗𝗢 𝗕𝗘𝗡𝗗 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗗 𝗕𝗘 𝗔 𝗪𝗔𝗞𝗘-𝗨𝗣 𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗟.
For decades, many Louisiana citizens probably would have laughed if somebody suggested Louisiana might someday discuss selling Toledo Bend water to Texas.
Then it became a real public-policy discussion.
Residents pushed back. Public meetings were held. Controversy followed.
Louisiana law expressly gives the Sabine River Authority power to enter contracts involving the sale, distribution, or consumption of water within or outside Louisiana, subject to required approvals.
Nobody has shown us a document saying Texas is going to reroute the Red River.
We are not claiming one exists.
But Texas already takes water from the Red River system and is planning or studying additional supplies from tributaries connected to that regional drainage.
So what happens when you add all of those withdrawals together?
What happens at Shreveport?
What happens at Alexandria?
What happens during drought?
And what happens underground?
The 𝗥𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘃𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗳𝗲𝗿 is hydraulically connected to the river in significant areas. When the river rises, water can move into surrounding alluvial sediments and contribute to groundwater recharge and bank storage.
If major upstream withdrawals materially alter river levels, flow duration, or high-water periods, Louisiana needs to know whether recharge could decline, groundwater levels could fall, hydraulic gradients could change, or poorer-quality groundwater could move differently.
If significant quantities of water are transferred from Toledo Bend or elsewhere in the Sabine system, the concern does not stop at the reservoir shoreline.
The Sabine continues south toward Sabine Lake and the Gulf. Freshwater flow affects salinity, wetlands, fisheries, ecosystems, municipalities, and industry.
Change the amount and timing of freshwater long enough, and downstream systems can change with it.
The Calcasieu is a separate basin, but southwest Louisiana’s water resources do not exist in isolation. If one source becomes less dependable, demand can shift elsewhere.
𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀.
𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗜𝗦 𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗕𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗦 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬.
Louisiana officials may not like citizens asking these questions.
But they created the atmosphere that makes us ask them.
When citizens repeatedly watch public business conducted under NDAs, they stop assuming silence means nothing is happening.
When enormous projects are negotiated before communities understand them, citizens stop accepting:
“Don’t worry about it.”
Louisiana citizens have watched eminent-domain battles, permanent underground CO₂ injection, huge transmission projects, enormous solar developments, data centers beside rural communities, nuclear and radioactive-waste discussions, and actual discussions about sending Toledo Bend water to Texas.
Texas is identifying reservoirs, pipelines, interbasin transfers, drought strategies, and future supplies while planning for population growth, industrial expansion, and data-center demand.
Where is the cumulative analysis combining Lake Texoma, the Red River, Wright Patman, Marvin Nichols, Lake O’ the Pines, Caddo Lake, Toledo Bend, the Sabine, the Red River alluvial aquifer, the Chicot, industrial growth, data-center demand, and drought?
Maybe Texas can develop all of these supplies without materially harming Louisiana.
Fine.
𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁.
Model it.
Put the numbers on the table.
Show us what happens to the Red River at Shreveport and Alexandria, Caddo Lake, Toledo Bend, the Sabine, the Red River alluvial aquifer, and the Chicot.
Show us what happens under drought conditions.
And model it while accounting for the unprecedented growth in AI data centers, power generation, and industrial development across both states.
Because Louisiana citizens should have learned one lesson by now:
Region C Water Planning Group — North Texas water-management strategies, including Lake Texoma, Lake O’ the Pines, Wright Patman, Marvin Nichols, Toledo Bend, Red River off-channel storage, and other potential supplies:
North Texas Municipal Water District — Texoma Two-Step program; additional pipelines designed to add approximately 90 million gallons per day of Lake Texoma conveyance capacity:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — Big Cypress Bayou / Caddo Lake Sustainable Rivers Program; documents the downstream connection between Lake O’ the Pines, Big Cypress Bayou, and Caddo Lake:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — Lake O’ the Pines / Ferrells Bridge Dam Water Control Manual and environmental-flow information for Big Cypress Bayou and Caddo Lake:
U.S. Geological Survey — Relation of water levels in the Red River alluvial aquifer to the Red River, documenting river/aquifer hydraulic relationships:
U.S. Geological Survey — Louisiana groundwater withdrawals dataset; approximately 960 million gallons per day, or about 51% of Louisiana groundwater withdrawals, came from the Chicot aquifer system:
It is a little early for Christmas music, but that old Christmas song has been running through my mind this morning.
I am sitting in my new little 4-by-6-foot office, practicing my pastor emeritus skills. Apparently one of those skills is sitting still long enough to notice what is going on around you. After years of meetings, sermons, phone calls, hospital visits, committee reports, and somebody always needing to know where the extension cord is, sitting quietly feels almost suspicious.
But this morning, I am listening.
Right now, the church building is silent. That will change soon.
Today is the first day of school for our preschool children. We have 104 children enrolled, which means that in a little while this silence is going to disappear. I expect to hear laughter, crying, little feet running down hallways, teachers giving instructions, parents saying goodbye, and perhaps one child announcing loudly that he absolutely does not intend to participate in whatever has been planned for him.
In other words, I expect to hear life.
And I cannot wait.
While I sit here listening for those sounds, another question occurs to me:
What are we listening for? And who are we listening to?
Jesus talked a surprising amount about listening.
Again and again he said, “Let anyone with ears listen.” He told his disciples to pay attention to what they heard. And in John’s Gospel Jesus described his relationship with us this way: “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.”
Apparently discipleship involves more than talking.
That includes prayer.
We usually think of prayer as talking to God, and certainly it is. We bring God our worries, hopes, fears, families, decisions, illnesses, disappointments, and dreams. We pray because we believe God listens and responds because God loves us.
But here is the harder question:
After we finish talking, do we listen?
Sometimes my prayers resemble leaving a voicemail for God.
“Lord, here are the problems. Here is what I need. Here is what I think you ought to do. Thank you very much. Amen.”
Click.
And then I am off to the next thing.
Maybe prayer occasionally needs a little silence at the end.
“Speak, Lord. I’m listening.”
Perhaps God’s answer will come through Scripture. Perhaps through another person. Perhaps through an unexpected thought, a nudging of conscience, a door opening—or closing. And sometimes God may simply give us the quiet assurance that we are loved and that we do not walk alone.
Soon the hallway will be filled with 104 little reminders that silence does not last forever.
But for this moment, it is quiet.
So I am listening.
Listening for children.
Listening for life.
Listening for God.
There is great joy in discovering that amid all the noise of this world, the Shepherd is still speaking.
The question is not only, “Do you hear what I hear?”
More than a century before commercial air travel became routine, Orville Wright was born Aug. 19, 1871, in Dayton, Ohio.
Orville Wright would go on to become one of aviation’s most important pioneers alongside his brother, Wilbur. The Wright brothers developed and flew the first successful powered airplane in 1903, changing transportation and opening a new chapter in human history.
Their achievement did not come easily. The brothers spent years studying flight, building gliders and conducting experiments before successfully controlling a powered aircraft.
Orville’s Aug. 19 birthday is also shared by another name associated with groundbreaking technology: Gene Roddenberry, creator of “Star Trek,” was born on the same date in 1921. Former President Bill Clinton was also born Aug. 19, 1946.
Aug. 19 has been the date of several other notable moments in history, including the 1812 battle in which the USS Constitution defeated the British ship HMS Guerrière and earned the nickname “Old Ironsides.” In 1960, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 5, carrying two dogs that became the first animals to survive an orbital flight and return safely to Earth.
But for aviation, Aug. 19 carries a particularly fitting connection: it marks the birth of the man who, with his brother, helped turn the dream of human flight into reality.
Rachel lived on the island of Saint Croix in the Caribbean. She married Johann Lavien and they had a son named Peter, but Johann was such an abusive husband that Rachel left for her own safety. In retaliation, Johann had her imprisoned for adultery. Upon her release, Rachel sailed from Saint Croix to another island in the Caribbean called Saint Kitts. There, she met a Scottish trader named James. Shortly thereafter, Rachel’s father died and left her a seaside lot on the nearby island of Nevis. She and James moved there together but could not marry because she was still technically married to Johann. Rachel had two sons with James, James Jr. and Alex. After a little over ten years together, James abandoned Rachel and his children. Some historians argue that James left to protect Rachel and their illegitimate children from legal action brought on by Johann. Whatever the reason, Rachel and her two sons sailed back to Saint Croix. Three years after James left, Rachel and Alex contracted yellow fever. Alex made a full recovery, but Rachel did not. She died at the young age of 39.
Things went from bad to worse. James Jr. and Alex became orphans. Because she was still married to Johann at the time of his death, he had control of her estate. Johann sold all of Rachel, James Jr., and Alex’s possessions in an auction. For a few months, James Jr. and Alex lived with their cousin, Peter Lytton, until he died by suicide. James Jr. became an apprentice to a carpenter and Alex became a clerk at an import/export company on the island. Alex was not yet a teenager.
On one hot August day, a powerful hurricane devastated Saint Croix and changed the course of Alex’s life. Well, not the hurricane itself, but a letter Alex wrote which described the hurricane. Alex wrote the letter to his father. Alex’s mentor, a minister and newspaper editor, was impressed with the letter and published in the local newspaper. “Honoured Sir,” Alex Wrote, “I take up my pen just to give you an imperfect account of one of the most dreadful Hurricanes that memory or any records whatever can trace, which happened here on the 31st ultimo at night.” Ultimo was short for “in the previous month.” As he neared the end of his letter, Alex wrote, “I am afraid, Sir, you will think this description more the effort of imagination, than a true picture of realities. But I can affirm with the greatest truth, that there is not a single circumstance touched upon, which I have not absolutely been an eyewitness to.” When the people of Saint Croix read the article, they were also impressed. Those who knew Alex knew he was illegitimate and uneducated, but they knew how hard he worked. They paid for Alex to come to North America for a proper education and to give him a chance at a better life. Alex did not squander the opportunity. While in college, war broke out and Alex joined the military. Within a short time, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel because of leadership abilities and became the chief staff aid to the general in charge of the whole war. After the war, Alex became a delegate to Congress, practiced law, and founded a bank. When the general he served under became President of the United States, he chose Alex as his Secretary of the Treasury. Because of this position, those of us who still carry cash can see him on our $10 bills. Alex, that illegitimate orphan who achieved the American dream, who was a signer of the U.S. Constitution, was Alexander Hamilton. And it all started because of a letter to his father.
The following report displays all bookings made at the LaSalle Parish Jail between the dates listed. These arrests were made by LaSalle Parish Sheriff’s Office and surrounding local and state agencies. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The LaSalle Parish Sheriff’s Office is launching Camp Thrive, a new program designed to give local students hands-on experience in graphic design and marketing.
The first Camp Thrive program, “Graphic Design: Design With a Message,” will be open to LaSalle Parish students in fifth through 12th grades. Participants will learn about graphic design in marketing through individual and collaborative art projects.
The fall program will be led by instructor Kim Aldrich, with Cheryl Otwell serving as site coach.
Classes are scheduled for Mondays from Sept. 14 through Oct. 26, along with Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026. Sessions will be held from 9 a.m. to noon at the LEDD Office, 1850B Second Street in Jena.
The Sheriff’s Office described the graphic design program as the first of what officials hope will be many Camp Thrive opportunities offered to area students.
Registration is now open, but space is limited. Parents or guardians can register students by scanning the QR code provided on the
Camp Thrive flyer and completing the registration form or by using the registration link provided by the Sheriff’s Office in the comments of its announcement.
Those with questions or who experience problems registering can contact Deputy Jenny Parker at jparker@lasalleso.com or 318-992-7364.
LASALLE PARISH, La. — LaSalle Parish will see a prolonged stretch of hot, sunny weather through the weekend, with afternoon temperatures reaching the upper 90s, according to the National Weather Service.
Wednesday will be sunny and hot with a high near 96 degrees. Southwest winds will range from 5 to 10 mph. Wednesday night will be mostly clear with a low around 75.
Thursday will remain sunny and hot with a high near 96. Thursday night will be mostly clear as temperatures fall to around 71.
Friday will bring another sunny and hot day with a high near 96 degrees. Mostly clear skies are expected Friday night with a low around 73.
Temperatures will climb slightly for the weekend. Saturday will be sunny and hot with a high near 97. Saturday night will remain mostly clear with a low around 73.
Sunday will continue the same pattern, with sunny skies and a high near 97 degrees.
With little relief from the heat expected during the daytime hours, residents should stay hydrated, take frequent breaks when outdoors and avoid strenuous activities during the hottest part of the day.
Students at Fellowship Elementary School recently received a closer look at careers in physical, occupational and speech therapy through the MedStart Program.
Members of the LaSalle General Hospital Therapies and Fitness Team visited the school as part of the program offered through AHEC, sharing information about their professions and the ways therapists help patients improve their health and independence.
Matthew Jackson, PT, DPT, LOT, MOT, discussed physical therapy and explained how physical therapists work with patients to improve strength, mobility, balance and overall physical function following an injury, illness or surgery.
Kailey Appleby, LOTR, introduced students to occupational therapy, explaining how occupational therapists help patients gain greater independence with everyday activities such as dressing, writing, eating and self-care. She also discussed the profession’s role in supporting fine motor skills and cognitive development.
Destinee Paul, MS, L-SLP, CCC-SLP, discussed the broad scope of speech therapy. Her presentation covered speech and language development, articulation, voice, fluency and cognition, as well as the treatment of swallowing disorders.
The hospital said the outreach provided an opportunity for its therapists to share their knowledge while introducing young students to the variety of careers available in healthcare.
LaSalle General Hospital said its team hopes programs such as MedStart will encourage the next generation to explore healthcare professions while helping students better understand the work performed by therapists in their community.
LaSalle Parish Schools will hold an additional training session for individuals interested in working as substitutes within the school system.
The substitute training will be held Thursday, Aug. 13, at 1 p.m. in the cafeteria of the Old Jena Elementary School.
The session is intended for anyone interested in working as a substitute who was unable to attend the district’s previous training held July 30.
School officials encouraged those who would like to work as substitutes within the LaSalle Parish School System to make plans to attend the upcoming session.
The training is part of the district’s preparations to ensure schools have qualified substitutes available when needed throughout the school year.
Fall enrollment is now open at the Central Louisiana Technical Community College Rod Brady Campus in Jena, with several educational and career-training programs available for the 2026-27 academic year.
Students can currently enroll in welding, heavy equipment operations, business courses and general education courses.
CLTCC officials said the programs are designed to serve students pursuing a new career, developing additional job skills or completing prerequisite and general education coursework.
Financial aid is available for qualifying students, and the campus is encouraging prospective students not to delay registering. The admission deadline is Aug. 13, 2026.
Those interested in enrolling can contact the Rod Brady Campus at 318-992-2910 or visit the campus at 521 E. Bradford Street in Jena.
The fall enrollment period provides LaSalle Parish residents with an opportunity to pursue technical training and academic coursework locally through CLTCC.
LaSalle High School’s Week 1 home football game against the Lakeview Gators has been rescheduled due to a shortage of available high school officials.
According to LaSalle High School Football, the game has been moved to Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026.
The schedule change was attributed to staffing shortages within the Louisiana High School Officials Association.
The matchup against Lakeview will also serve as LaSalle High School’s annual Senior Night, recognizing senior players and participants during the home game.
Fans and families planning to attend are encouraged to update their schedules to reflect the Thursday game date.
This article is well used and true. I hope I express gratitude to those who teach, especially children like I was.
I was an underachieving little hellion.
In the Baptist church, they practically drew lots to see who’d be stuck with me in Sunday school. I was the kid teachers prayed would be absent — and when I was present, they prayed harder. A lesson on the Hebrews wandering in the wilderness could, under my creative influence, end with a John Wayne shootout at high noon with the Philistines. More than one Baptist teacher quit and joined the Methodists for the sake of their sanity.
Elementary school wasn’t much different. Recess was the only part that made sense: there was a ball, you kicked the ball, and then you ran. That was education at its finest. The only reason to go back inside was Cindy Stinson sitting on the second row. All the boys loved Cindy. On Valentine’s Day she received real cards and real candy — the kind that didn’t come from the drugstore clearance bin. Naturally, we all tried to impress her. Some boys used charm. I used classroom destruction. Standing in the corner meant standing closer to Cindy, and I became an expert at slapping chalkboard erasers together like a man auditioning for janitorial percussion.
My report cards were a cry for help. My teachers were frustrated. My mother was frustrated. The school janitor was probably frustrated. I was not inspired by the academic process — unless the academic process involved recess or Cindy Stinson.
Then came fourth grade.
My teacher was Mrs. Sarah Napps, a legend whose career stretched back to the 1930s. She had taught my uncle, my mother, and half the county. She was also my mother’s piano teacher, which meant she had already survived one generation of my family. For reasons I still can’t fully explain, I took a shine to her. Maybe it was her grandmotherly demeanor. Maybe it was the mythical tales of her teaching prowess. Maybe she simply had the courage of a woman who had seen everything and feared nothing.
One afternoon, during a parentteacher conference, she invited me into the room. She looked at me — not through me, not past me — and said, “You are a smart young man. I think you can do much better in school. I expect you to do much better. You’ve made progress, and I’m proud of you. But I want you to work harder, and I know your grades will improve.”
I don’t remember anything else from that meeting. All I heard was: She believes in me.
And that changed everything. Not overnight — I didn’t suddenly become a scholarly saint — but the ship began to turn. The boy who weaponized chalkboard erasers discovered the rudiments of selfcontrol. The child who terrorized Sunday school found a teacher who saw potential instead of problems.
School has begun again for many students. I’m praying for our teachers — especially the ones who must deal with “that child.” I pray they have patience, wisdom, and the courage to place high expectations on their students. Children rise to — or sink to — the expectations set by the significant people in their lives.
My life was changed by a teacher.
And maybe that’s why the stories I love best about Jesus begin with one simple word:
