On Friday, March 19th, Governor John Bel Edwards announced his appointments to several Louisiana boards and commissions.

Governor Edwards appointed Harlie E. “Gene” Reynolds of Dubberly, in neighboring Webster Parish, to the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission. The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission serves to protect, conserve and replenish the natural resources and wildlife of the state.  Reynolds is retired and will serve at-large.  

Governor Edwards also appointed fifteen new commissioners to the Louisiana Emergency Response Commission (LERC) which coordinates and supervises implementation of the federal hazardous materials Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act within Louisiana. The LERC develops, coordinates, and leads the state emergency management program, enabling effective preparation for, response to, and recovery from emergencies and disasters in order to save lives, reduce human suffering, and minimize property loss.

Source:  Office of the Governor. “Gov. Edwards Announces Boards and Commissions Appointments.” Accessed March 21, 2021. https://gov.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/newsroom/detail/3042.

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• March 14
  • Ethan Anderson (Coushatta)
    • Failure to Appear Warrant (Misdemeanor)
  • Erick Knox (Bienville)
    • Operating a Vehicle While Under Suspension for Certain Prior Offense (Misdemeanor)
    • Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle (Felony)
• March 15
  • Andrew Bolyer Jr. (Jamestown)
    • Domestic Abuse Battery (Misdemeanor)
    • Unauthorized Entry of an Inhabited Dwelling (Felony)
    • Violation of Probation/Parole
  • Bridget Owens (Ringgold)
    • Violation of Probation/Parole
• March 16
  • Joshua Robinson (Ruston)
    • Theft (Misdemeanor)
    • Theft (Felony)
  • Patrick Tisby (Irving, TX)
    • Operating a Vehicle with Suspended License; No License Issued – Principal
    • Maximum Speed Limit – Principal
• March 17
  • Joseph King (Florida)
    • Battery of a Police Officer (Misdemeanor) – 4 Counts 
    • Disturbing the Peace – Appearing in an Intoxicated Condition (Misdemeanor) – 2 Counts
  • Octavious Morgan (Jonesboro)
    • Failure to Appear Warrant (Misdemeanor)
  • John Thibodeaux (Bogue, MS)
    • Violation of Probation/Parole
• March 19
  • Charles Beason (Castor)
    • Violation of Protective Orders (Felony)
    • Stalking (Felony)(Crime of Violence)
  • Kristy Lord (Minden)
    • Failure to Appear Warrant (Misdemeanor)
• March 20
  • Albert Cox (Arcadia)
    • Possession of Cannabinoids/Synthetic Marijuana (Felony)
  • Ryan Stassen (Ruston)
    • Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated (Misdemeanor)
    • Possession of Marijuana 2nd Offense (Misdemeanor)
    • Careless Operation

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Cassie Williams (DEM, 29%) and Michael Melerine (REP, 28%) will be up on the ballot in a runoff for the April 24 election. The BESE District 4 seat represents ten parishes in Northwest Louisiana, including Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, De Soto, Natchitoches, Red River, Sabine, Vernon, Webster, and Winn.  Voter turnout in the ten parishes was low at about 10%, while voter turnout in Bienville Parish was a little higher at 12%.  Williams and Melerine ran a close race and received a total of 10,764 votes and 10,359 votes respectively in the ten parishes.   

Here are some important dates to remember:

• March 24 – Last day to register in person or by mail
• April 3 – Last day to register online
• April 10-17 (excluding Sunday) 8:30am- 6:00 pm – Early voting will be held at the Bienville Parish Registrar’s Office
• April 20 – Last day to request a mail ballot
• April 23 – Last day for my office to receive a mail ballot

According to the Bienville Parish Registrar of Voters, “Bienville Parish has a total of 9,244 voters. Only 1,111 voters cast their vote in this election. Broken down, that’s 59 early voters, 324 mail ballots returned (we mail out 737), and 728 election day voters. That’s only a 12% turnout. Let’s do better Bienville Parish, cast your vote this April!”

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• Mary Lee Sproles Ortego
  May 29, 1949 – March 18, 2021
  Service:  TBA
• Mandy Dee Sanson
  June 16, 1938 – March 19, 2021
  Service: Monday, March 22nd at 11:00 AM at Prosperity Baptist Church
• Mary Lucille Howard
  August 24, 1932 – March 21, 2021
  Service: Friday, March 26th at 10:00am at Walnut Ridge Baptist Church in Quitman
• Mike McCart
  April 11, 1961 – March 21, 2021
  Service: Monday, April 5th at 7 pm at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home in Natchitoches

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Would you throw $9 million worth of Louisiana taxpayer’s money out of your car or truck window?

If you travel almost anywhere in the parish, you will see lots of litter along the roadways.  Louisiana is considered the “Sportsman’s Paradise,” but it is hard to imagine paradise as being litter-strewn.  Coke and beer bottles, cigarette boxes, cardboard boxes, Styrofoam containers, shopping bags, aluminum cans, deer corn bags, and a myriad of other types of litter have been along the roadways for so long that they have become faded by the Sun.  It is common to drive along any road in the parish and see deer corn bags and other litter scooting across the road ahead like tumbleweeds. 

According to the Louisiana DOTD, they spend about $9 million per year picking up an average of 63,000 cubic yards of litter from along Louisiana’s interstate and rural roadways.  That is money that the DOTD could spend repairing and repaving roads.  $9 million is enough money to pave approximately 90 miles of roadway.  

In Louisiana, it is illegal to allow a load to become loose and spill onto the highway (RS 32:383).  Littering itself is also against the law and carries varying fines depending on the severity (RS 30:2531).  Those convicted of litter violations face fines between $175 and $1,000 and up to 8 hours in a litter abatement work program.  Simple littering such as trash flying out the back of a pickup truck carries up to $175 in fines and court costs.  Intentional littering such as deliberately throwing trash out of a window onto a roadway brings up to a $250 fine.  Gross littering such as depositing large amounts of trash into a ditch or having an illegal dumpsite carries $500 to $1,000 in fines.
Dumping violations can carry higher fines and additional penalties, depending on the severity of the dumpsite and the damage to the environment.

What Can I Do To Help?

• Clean out or secure items in truck beds.
• Do not throw cigarette butts or other trash out of your car.
• Carry a litterbag in your car.
• Securely cover trash containers to prevent animals from spreading litter.
• Gather friends and family and voluntarily pick up litter in your neighborhood.  (Send pictures of your cleanup operation to BPJNewsLA@gmail.com) 
• If you witness littering or illegal dumping violations, call the anti-litter hotline at 1-888-LITRBUG (888-548-7284).

Sources:

1. Louisiana Department of Transpiration and Development. “Dotd Brings Attention to Litter Problem, Asks Everyone to Keep Louisiana Beautiful.” December 7, 2020. http://wwwapps.dotd.la.gov/administration/announcements/Announcement.aspx?key=25332#:~:text=In%20Louisiana%2C%20it%20is%20illegal,which%20is%20the%20Louisiana%20Dept..
2. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. “Report Littering.” Accessed March 11, 2021. https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/report-littering.         

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Edwin Mason, Principal at Crawford Elementary, was named Bienville Parish’s Principal of the Year.

Mr. Mason has been an educator since 1998.  He became an Assistant Principal at Crawford Elementary in 2004 and served in this capacity until 2012.  He became a Principal in 2015 in Natchitoches Parish at Natchitoches Junior High. Mr. Mason said, “It was a moment of accomplishment for the many faculty, staff, and students I have served over the years.” He is a lifelong resident of Arcadia. He attended Crawford Elementary under his dad, Edward Mason, Sr., as principal.  He graduated from Arcadia High School. He attended Grambling State University and received a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and received his Masters plus 30 from Louisiana Tech University in Curriculum and Instruction.

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Help save someone’s life this Sunday, March 21st, by donating blood.  The LifeShare Bus will be at Grace Baptist Church in Brewton’s Mill, (14426 Hwy 126) from 12:30-5:30 p.m. There will be food, door prizes, games, and a bounce house for the little ones. 

This blood drive is in memory of Michael Ryder.  Michael was killed in 2015 when the work truck he was a passenger in was struck by a train.  Michael and two other young men were killed. Michael was 24. He graduated from Saline High School in 2009.  Michael was a volunteer firefighter and an organ donor. He gave blood anytime he saw the LifeShare bus no matter how much of a hurry he was in. He knew how important donating blood was and always felt like he should do his part to save a life.

Lori Williams, mother of Michael, said, “This will be the third one I’ve hosted. It just struck me one day when I was telling someone about him [Michael] donating [blood] and I gave LifeShare a call… and here we are doing our third one.”  For more information, text Lori at 318-663-2097 or send her a Facebook message.

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Bienville Parish schools will be closed for Spring Break, March 22nd-26th.  Classes will resume Monday, March 29th.  

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Election day is tomorrow.  The only item which will appear on the ballot is the election of District 4 Bese (Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education).  Every vote counts. 

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Print this page to work the puzzle.

Instructions:
ZCIRPZCI is EINSTEIN
In Cryptoquotes, one letter stands for another. In the example above, Z is used for two E’s, I for the two N’s, etc. Single letters, double letters, apostrophes, the length and formation of the words are all hints. The code letters change with each puzzle.

TODAY’S CRYPTOQUOTE:

“DJ WDJK TKNK CNKPDFXYUWK DX TLZWP FKYAK XL UK WDJK, YGP UK TDXOLZX JWYILN.” ~ KWKYGLN NLLAKIKWX

Cryptoquote solution from March 12th:  “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” ~ Walt Disney

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DID YOU KNOW… Your neighborhood Bienville Parish Library can help you learn a new language. You don’t need to pay for a language course — not when you have “PRONUNCIATOR” – you have the worlds’ languages at your fingertips! Pronunciator is a fun and FREE way to learn any of 163 languages! There is even a new COVID-19 language course in 101 languages. The course is meant to assist both the public and healthcare providers when communicating across multiple languages. The course is designed to give you those tools in as little as two weeks! Learn online, either on your desktop computer or mobile device.

Let’s say you need to brush up on your Spanish or French you took in High School or College or perhaps you’re about to go on a trip of a lifetime, and you need to brush up on your French, Italian, or German. Learn conversational phrases while learning a bit about the country, the culture, the music, and the people. With PRONUNCIATOR you can even learn American Sign Language!

There’s a lot to discover at http://www.bienvillelibrary.org! All you need is a Bienville Parish Library card! Come in and get your “passport” to the world – ask your favorite librarian how to get started!

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The boys and girls golf teams from Saline finished second in the Ringgold High School Golf Tournament.  Castor High girls took third place in the tournament.  Saline’s Kassidi Adkins had the “longest drive” and “closest to the pin” in the girls category.  Castor’s Justice Rasbury had the “longest drive” in the boys category.  Ringgold’s Shnyia Chase won third place in the girls individual award.  Castor’s Gage Jordan and Thad Bates won second and third places respectively in the boys individual award.

Play took place at the Coushatta Country Club on Monday. Teams from six area schools participated in the event.

• Top boys teams were:
  First – Many High School
  Second – Saline High School
  Third – Red River High School
• Top girls teams were:
  First – Many High School
  Second – Saline High School
  Third – Castor High School
• Closest to the Pin:
  Girls – Kassidi Adkins – Saline High School
• Longest Drive:
  Girls – Kassidi Adkins – Saline High School
  Boys – Justice Rasbury – Castor High School
• Girls Individual Awards:
  First – MaKenzie Tedder – Many High School
  Second – Madison Holcomb – Many High School
  Third – Shnyia Chase – Ringgold High School
• Boys Individual Awards:
  First – Holtz Helms – Lakeview High School
  Second – Gage Jordan – Castor High School
  Third – Thad Bates – Castor High School

The next area high school golf tournament will be held March 29th. Saline High will host the tournament. It will be held at the Coushatta Country Club.

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The Arcadia Ice & Fuel Co’s plant was completed and began operation last week, which is very gratifying to the people of Arcadia, as they are now assured of getting ice regularly and at a much cheaper price than they have in the past.

The plant is housed in a brick building which was erected especially for that purpose and the machinery is all new and up-to-date, and the capacity of the plant is from 12 to 15 tons per day or every 24 hours.  This new enterprise is a credit to our town and Arcadia people are justly proud of their ice plant.

Superintendent Lawrence Daniel informs us that he has already purchased machinery for an ice cream factory which will be installed at a very early date, and that he will be able to furnish Arcadia and vicinity ice cream equally as cheap as outside factories and that there will be a saving of the express charges, which is quite an item.

We feel sure that the new ice plant and the ice cream factory will be a success under the management of Mr. Daniel, as he is capable and energetic, and possesses the determination that it takes to succeed in business.

Source:  The Bienville Democrat, March 17, 1921, p.1.

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March 19th Sudoku
Click on the pdf below and print.
Enjoy the puzzle.

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Click on the following link for a free lifetime subscription to the Bienville Parish Journal. You will receive current local news in an email on publishing days (currently Wednesday and Friday mornings). You can unsubscribe at any time. Bienville Parish Journal does not share email addresses with anyone.

Click here to Join for Free

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No one is more blessed than the bass fishermen in this part of the country. By this I mean the Ark-La-Tex region. Nowhere in the great USA do you have access to better bass fishing than we do. Every year Bassmaster Magazine publishes its “Best Bass Lakes in America” publication and it always has three or four lakes from our region as an angler destination. Most of the time, they base their rankings off tournament results. While this is a great barometer, it doesn’t always tell the whole story. Some anglers base their own personal rankings off how many fish they catch or maybe the lake’s potential for huge largemouth bass in the 10 pound plus range.

Over the next two weeks, I’ll attempt to break down the two of the best. Let’s start with the legendary Lake Fork located in the heart of East Texas just south of Sulphur Springs. It can best be described as “Wow” and just might be the number one fishery in the country. If you’re looking to catch that fish of a lifetime, Lake Fork would be right at the top of the list. No lake in the state of Texas has more entries into the state record books than Lake Fork. Ever since it opened in the early 80’s, this impoundment has been on the bucket list for anglers all across America. If you don’t believe me, just look up the number of bass fishing guides for Lake Fork and you’ll realize there must be something to it. I actually remember my first trip to Lake Fork back in the early 90s. We literally had to wait in line to launch our boat for over an hour and this was ten years after the lake had officially opened!

To give you an idea of how good this lake can be, I took a trip with 4 Time Lake Fork Guide of the Year Johnny Guice, with my daughter and two of her college basketball teammates. On day one we caught 35 bass in 4 hours and all were between 5 and 9 pounds apiece! Day two was pretty much the same with 30 bass all over 4 pounds! Lake Fork is also a crappie destination as well but the lake will get a lot of pressure especially this time of year as folks north of the Mason-Dixon line converge on this southern body of water.

Another example of the potential of Lake Fork, is by looking at the results of several B.A.S.S. Pro Tour events like the Texas Bass Fest in which anglers shattered records for the most pounds caught with one pro angler catching over 100 pounds of fish during the four day event. Even with so many tournaments taking place and with all the fishing pressure, Lake Fork continues to produce both quality and quantity.

The lake has several great resorts but none better than Lake Fork Marina and Motel just outside of Alba, Texas. They have everything an angler is looking for from a super nice motel to lake house rentals along with an awesome RV park. They offer a great restaurant, gas, ice, outerwear and a nice selection of bait and tackle to catch those huge Lake Fork bass. So if you’re looking for a great fishing trip with the potential to catch the biggest bass of your life, book a trip to Lake Fork Texas! Next week we’ll take a look at another great Texas fishery in Sam Rayburn. Till next time, don’t forget to set the hook!

Steve Graf
Owner/Co-host
Hook’N Up & Track’N Down Show
And Tackle Talk Live

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1628 – Massachusetts Bay Colony was granted land by England

1687 – Explorer Robert Cavelier de La Salle, searching for the mouth of the Mississippi River, was murdered by his own men

1748 – Naturalization Act was passed granting Jews the right to colonize North American colonies

1831 – 1st US bank robbery, the City Bank in New York robbed of $245,000

1863 – Confederate cruiser SS Georgiana destroyed on her maiden voyage with a cargo of munitions, and medicines then valued over $1,000,000. Wreck discovered exactly 102 years later by teenage diver and pioneer underwater archaeologist E. Lee Spence.

1915 – Pluto was photographed for the first time (although unknown at the time)

1918 – US Congress authorized time zones & approved daylight saving time

1928 – “Amos & Andy” debuted on radio (NBC Blue Network-WMAQ Chicago)

1931 – Nevada legalized gambling

1964 – Sean Connery’s first day of shooting on James Bond film “Goldfinger”

1965 – The wreck of the SS Georgiana, valued at over $50,000,000, said to have been most powerful Confederate cruiser, discovered by then teenage diver and pioneer underwater archaeologist E. Lee Spence exactly 102 years after its destruction.

1974 – Jefferson Starship began their 1st tour

1975 – Pennsylvania was the first state to allow girls to compete with boys in High School sports

1981 – Two workers killed in space shuttle Columbia accident

1987 – American televangelist Jim Bakker resigned amid rape accusation by his secretary, Jessica Hahn

2003 – Airstrikes by an American and British-led coalition signaled the beginning of the invasion of Iraq, without United Nations support and in defiance of world opinion

2012 – Wendy’s overtook Burger King to become the second best-selling hamburger chain

2020 – Italian death toll from COVID-19 at 3,405 surpassed China’s official total (3,245) making it then the worst-affected country in the world

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The First Baptist Church of Castor will host the 14th Annual Fishin’ for a Mission Bass Tournament tomorrow, March 20th, at the Grand Bayou Reservoir. All contestants should be at Grand Bayou Reservoir by 5:30 a.m. to pick up your team number. All teams will be leaving the landing in the order that they entered. Teams can enter the day of the tournament at the launch. The weigh-in will be at 2:00 p.m. All proceeds will go in support of summer missions. Your participation is greatly appreciated. Remember, there will be a complimentary meal for the fishermen after the weigh-in.

$100 entry fee per 2-person team
Big Bass (Optional) will be an additional $20 per boat

First Place: 2 – $350 gift cards
Second Place: 2 – $200 gift cards
Third Place: 2 – $100
After third place, all teams will pick prizes I the order of rank.

Rules:

1. All rules stated below will remain unchanged. All decisions made by the tournament committee will be final.
2. No alcoholic beverages are allowed.
3. All contestants are expected to practice courtesy, safety, and follow local, state, and lake rules.
4. All questionable fish will be bumped, ad there will be a 0.25 penalty for dead fish.
5. There will be a maximum of 5 fish weighed in per team.
6. Observe the posted rules of the lake or launch facility before leaving the landing.
7. All contestants should be at Grand Bayou Reservoir by 5:30 a.m. to pick up your team number. All teams will be leaving the landing in the order that they entered. Teams can enter the day of the tournament at the launch. The weigh-in will be at 2:00 p.m. (Catch and Release/All fish will be left at weigh-in station)
8. Fish at your own risk: All participants are responsible for their own safety! The tournament will not be responsible for any accidents or injuries that may occur.
9. No professional fisherman allowed.

If you have any questions, please call David Lea at 318-550-1298 or Preston Young 318-540-9962.

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March 19th Word Search
Click on the pdf below and print.
Enjoy the puzzle.

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Jurors Empower Teens (JET) is a program started by the Bienville Parish Police Jury and LSU AgCenter. Since 2008 the program has gained a strong reputation among the community for its youth enrichment. During the 4-week program, youth 16 to 18 years-old are employed at various public and private businesses. Not only does the program provide a valuable first employment opportunity, but it also equips teens with practical skills:

• Goal Setting
• Resume Building
• Interview Skills
• Budgeting
• On-The-Job Etiquette
• Personal Branding

Megan Martin and Kimberlyn Jones are the new agents that are excited to continue educating the youth of Bienville Parish. Applications are now being accepted. To be eligible, participants must be 16 to 18 years old (a junior or senior start of Fall 2021), transportation during program dates, and complete application with academic references. Applications must be submitted to the LSU AgCenter Bienville office by May 7. Youth that are selected for the next step will be interviewed May 24. Jet program will run from July 6 to July 30, Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 4:00pm. If there are any questions, reach out to the office at 318-263-7400. Email knjones@agcenter.lsu.edu for an application or download it below.

The LSU AgCenter and LSU provide equal opportunities in programs and employment.

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The Laboratory Technical Consultant/Manager assumes responsibility for the technical and scientific oversight of the moderate complexity laboratory and works in conjunction with the Director of Nurses and the Medical Director of the Laboratory. The Laboratory Technical Consultant/Manager is accessible to the hospital laboratory Medical Director and Director of Nurses to provide on-site and telephone consultation as needed, development and review of laboratory policies and procedures, maintains and performs competency assessments for laboratory staff. This person also performs serological, bacteriological, biochemical, hematological and microbiological laboratory examinations and tests for use in treatment and diagnosis of disease.

Qualifications:

• Bachelors Degree in chemical, physical or biological or medical technology from an accredited institution and have at least two years of laboratory training or experience in the designated specialty or sub-spatiality area of service.
• CPR training optional.
• Requires the ability to follow verbal and written instructions.
• Requires knowledge of federal and regulatory agency standards related to health care organizations.
• Must be able to lift, pull/push a minimum of 50 lbs, lifting and moving large and heavy equipment and/or patients.

Fax resumes to (318) 319-0156 or contact Collen Welch directly in Human Resources (318) 263-4700

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None reported

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On Saturday, March 13th, fourteen teams competed in the His Mission Bass Tournament at Grand Bayou. The teams began fishing at daylight when the temperature was in the upper 50s. By the afternoon, the temperature was in the upper 70s. Just before 2 pm, boats began returning to the boat launch with their catch for the weigh in. Most importantly, the bass tournament raised $280 for His Mission, a local non-profit multi-denominational team of men and women who do projects for the betterment of the community. Here are the final results of the tournament:

First Place:  Jerry Hester & Will Giddings (not pictured)    Weigh-In: 21.35 lbs.  Payout: $425

Second Place:  Danny Carr & Glen Davis  Weigh-In:  17.60 lbs.  Payout: $195

Third Place:  Cole Britt & Jake Johnson  Weigh-In:  16.81 lbs.  Payout:  $80

Biggest Bass of the Day:  Ken Roberts  Weigh-In:  6.23 lbs.  Payout: $140

Honorable Mentions:

Eathon Liles and Damon Whitman

Bubba Pardue and Jeff Neatherland

Timbob Havard and Kane Norred

Jacob Branch

Ken Roberts and Paul Thomas

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If you (Bienville Parish resident) had damage due to the severe winter storm from February 11th – 19th, 2021, you may be eligible for financial assistance.  Governor John Bel Edwards posted the picture above on his Facebook page with the following information; “Louisianans in the Avoyelles, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Calcasieu, Catahoula, Claiborne, Concordia, DeSoto, East Baton Rouge, Franklin, Grant, LaSalle, Madison, Natchitoches, Ouachita, Rapides, Red River, Richland, Sabine, Webster, West Carroll, and Winn are encouraged to apply for Individual Assistance if they received damage from the winter storms. Visit https://www.disasterassistance.gov/ for more information.

Source:  Facebook. “3 Ways to Apply for Disaster Aid.” Accessed March 15, 2021. https://www.facebook.com/LouisianaGov/photos/a.1508187616143157/2486092631685979.

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The Internal Revenue Service has a new tool which will allow you to check your stimulus status.  You will need the following information to check your status:

1. Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Tax ID Number (ITIN)
2. Date of Birth
3. Street Address
4. Zip Code

Click here to use the “Get My Payment” tool. 

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