Castor Tigers out-hit Weston 8 to 7, but it wasn’t enough in a 7-6 loss on Monday.
In the first inning, the Tigers got their offense started. Drake Freeman doubled on a 2-2 count, scoring one run.
Weston pulled away for good with 6 runs in the fourth inning.
Castor scored 3 runs in the third inning. The offensive firepower by Castor was led by Dylan Waters and Freeman, all driving in runs in the inning.
Will Bradford was on the mound for Castor. The right-hander lasted six innings, allowing 7 hits and 7 runs while walking one.
Castor launched one home run on the day. Freeman had a homer in the third inning.
The Tigers tallied 8 hits in the game. Freeman and Waters each managed multiple hits for Castor. Freeman went 3-for-4 at the plate to lead the Tigers in hits.
LA. State Rep. Danny McCormick recently introduced House Bill 617, seeking to have Louisiana designated and declared a “sanctuary” state for fossil fuels in order to protect our oil and gas industry—a critically important part of our state’s economy—that is again under attack, this time by the Biden Administration.
There is certainly precedent for Rep. McCormick’s legislation. We’ve seen sanctuary cities and states across the country, even without enabling legislation like McCormick’s, refuse to help enforce federal immigration law regarding the location and deportation of illegal aliens, often including criminal aliens. So, the idea of a state ignoring federal law is not new.
And, while McCormick’s legislation will face an uphill fight due to the Supremacy Clause of our U.S. Constitution—which essentially declares that federal law trumps state law—that in no way diminishes the principle underscoring the legislation.
We are talking about the principle of state sovereignty. We must remember that our Constitution created and designed our federal government and the 50 state governments to exist as co-equal sovereigns. This principle of state sovereignty is powerfully pronounced and preserved by the 10th Amendment which clearly and succinctly declares that those rights not specifically and expressly enumerated in our Constitution as being granted to the federal government are reserved to and for the states and the people.
Derived from the 10thAmendment, the legal theory upon which the legislation is based is the concept of nullification. This is the process by which a state would nullify or declare null and void a federal law that violates the Constitution. Here, the constitutional violation arguably includes the fact that the oil and gas industry, a major Louisiana industry with tens of thousands of jobs flowing directly and indirectly from it, are the “property” of Louisiana companies and individual citizens that are being deprived “without due process of law.” This also arguably amounts to a 5th Amendment “taking” for a “public use” but “without just compensation.”
[We should note that the production of fossil fuels has been attacked relentlessly, worldwide, supposedly to combat the eons-old cyclical warming and cooling of our planet. However, according to Dr. Patrick Moore, a Greenpeace co-founder, “there is nonscientific proof that human emissions of carbon dioxide are the dominant cause of the minor warming of the Earth’s atmosphere over the past 100 years … no actual proof, as it is understood in science, actually exists.”]
McCormick’s legislation, similar to the way sanctuary cities and states have disregarded federal immigration law, would likely work like this: the federal government would obviously still be free to enforce its own anti-oil and gas regulations with its own resources but states like Louisiana could simply say to the feds “we are not going to cooperate in helping you enforce those laws” with our own efforts, funds, assets, or resources. This is because the U.S. Supreme Court has held that, while the federal government may dangle federal dollars in front of states in order to incentivize certain conduct, it may not “commandeer” the states and force them to do so.
It is beyond dispute that the economic impact of federal laws and regulations on Louisiana’s oil and gas industry has been devastating. For this reason, we can and must find a way to balance energy and industry with good environmental stewardship while remembering that the worst environment one can be in is to be cold, hungry, and unemployed.
[I am confident that if the Biden Administration also overreaches on other issues like 2nd Amendment gun rights and gun ownership, we will see more states undertake efforts like this one.]
Again, this undertaking will obviously face many obstacles but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth the effort. Our Framers fully recognized that co-equal, shared power between the federal and state governments would necessarily involve tensions and friction, which they viewed as healthy in our system of dual sovereignty.
QUALIFICATIONS: High School Diploma or equivalent, Associate or Bachelor’s Degree preferred, excellent communication skills, and proficiency in computer skills.
SALARY: According to Parish Salary Schedule
TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT: 12 months
WHERE TO APPLY: Linda Page, Personnel Director
Natchitoches Parish School Board P. O. Box 16 Natchitoches, LA 71458-0016 (318) 352-2358
DEADLINE: Monday, May 3, 2021 4:00 p.m.
APPLICATIONS: Application packet should consist of a letter of application, resume’, official transcript, and two letters of reference.
Yes, Adults BINGO has returned to the Arcadia Main Library! “Our first BINGO program was April 16th and we all had a wonderful time,” says Jackie Cato, BPL Adult Outreach Services Coordinator. “It was so good to see everyone – even though we were masked!”
The Adult BINGO program is limited to 10 players and reservations are required.
“We’re planning to host here at the Arcadia Main Library twice monthly.” Cato says, “So, unless there’s a scheduling conflict BINGO will start promptly at 1:00 p.m. every other Friday.”
The next BINGO program scheduled is on April 30th in the large meeting room.
State COVID protocols are observed and masks are required while in the library.
For more information, or to reserve your seat, Adult BPL patrons should call 318-263-7410 ext. 5.
“Once we reach capacity,” Cato says, “We will hold their name and contact information for the next scheduled BINGO program.”
1635 – Virginia Governor John Harvey accused of treason and removed from office
1770 – British Captain James Cook, aboard the Endeavour, landed at Botany Bay in Australia
1789 – Fletcher Christian led a mutiny on HMS Bounty against its captain William Bligh in the South Pacific
1818 – US President James Monroe proclaimed naval disarmament on Great Lakes and Lake Champlain
1855 – First veterinary college in US incorporated in Boston
1881 – Billy the Kid escaped from the Lincoln County jail in Lincoln, New Mexico
1914 – 181 died in coal mine collapse at Eccles, West Virginia
1919 – First jump with US Army Air Corps (rip-cord type) parachute (Les Irvin)
1924 – 119 died in coal mine disaster at Benwood, West Virginia (ten years to the day of the Eccles collapse)
1930 – First night organized baseball game played in Independence, Kansas
1937 – First commercial flight across Pacific operated by Pan Am
1940 – Glenn Miller recorded “Pennsylvania 6-5000”
1942 – “Word War II” titled so as a result of Gallup Poll
1942 – Nightly “dim-out” began along US East Coast
1944 – Exercise “Tiger” ended with 750 US soldiers dead in D-Day rehearsal after their convoy ships were attacked by German torpedo boats off Slapton Sands, Devon.
1949 – Former Philippine First Lady Aurora Quezon, 61, assassinated while en route to dedicate a hospital in memory of her late husband; her daughter and 10 others also killed
1952 – Dwight D. Eisenhower resigned as Supreme Commander of NATO
1956 – Cincinnati Reds outfielder Frank Robinson hit his 1st of 586 homeruns
1967 – Muhammad Ali refused induction into the army and stripped of his boxing title
1967 – The Douglas Aircraft Company behind schedule with deliveries of the DC-8 and DC-9 and close to bankruptcy agreed to merge with the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation to form McDonnell Douglas
1969 – Charles de Gaulle resigned as president of France
1972 – Courts awarded the 1968 Kentucky Derby prize money to second place winner due to the winner being given drugs before the race
1975 – John Lennon appeared on “Tonight” and Ringo Starr appeared on “Smother Brothers”
1986 – Soviet TV news program Vremya announced a nuclear accident at Chernobyl nuclear power station 2 days after the event
1988 – Aloha Airlines Flight 243 Boeing 737 roof tore off in flight. Flight attendant Clarabelle Lansing died after being ejected from the airplane. Another 65 passengers and crew were injured.
1989 – Iran protested the sale of “Satanic Verses” by Salman Rushdie
1994 – Aldrich Ames, former CIA officer, and his wife Rosario pled guilty to spying for the Soviet Union and Russia
1996 – In Australia’s worst massacre in modern history, Martin Bryant shot and killed 35 in Port Arthur, Tasmania. This led to a compulsory gun buy back program and major changes to gun control laws.
2001 – Millionaire Dennis Tito became the world’s first space tourist
2018 – Shaquem Griffin was the first one-handed person to be drafted into the NFL, for the Seattle Seahawks
2018 – World’s largest child sacrifice, 140 remains uncovered by archaeologists near Trujillo, Peru, dating back 550 years to Chimú civilization
2019 TV series “Game of Thrones: The Long Night” episode debuts with the longest battle ever screened (nearly 80 minutes), surpassing “Lord of the Rings” Battle of Helm’s Deep (44 minutes)
2019 – American diver Victor Vescovo maed the deepest dive ever to the bottom of the Mariana trench, the deepest oceanic trench on Earth at 10,927m (35,849ft), and finds a plastic bag
2019 – Disney says Marvel film “Avengers: Endgame” made estimated $1.2 billion worldwide, first film to make more than 1 billion on opening
2020 – US confirmed cases of COVID-19 pass 1 million, while death toll of 58,365 surpassed that of US soldiers killed in Vietnam War
2020 – US Department of Defense released three declassified videos of possible UFOs from 2004 and 2015
Members of Dorcheat-Bistineau Chapter DAR, which includes members from Bienville Parish, met at St. John’s Church in Minden on April 13th. This month’s theme was A Tribute to Native Americans. Linda Watson gave a presentation about the life of Pocahontas. Hostesses for this month’s meeting were Shirley Cobb, Mary Long, and Linda Watson.
Our annual DAR State Conference was held through a Zoom meeting again this year, and our chapter received several awards. All but one of the State Level winners of the DAR American History Essay Contest were from Webster Parish. They are: Anna Grace Vining (5th grade), Addison Bond (6th grade), and Cade Vining (8th grade). Because our chapter had three State level winners, we received the First Place Achievement Recognition Award in American History. Donna Sutton, our Genealogy Preservation Chair, received a top award at State for a major project involving the preservation of antique Bible records.
We are excited to welcome Nancy Holmes as a new member to our chapter. Her patriot ancestor is Robert McGinty. His biography is in a book called “A Twig of the McGinty Family Tree” by Garnie William McGinty, shelved at the Ringgold Branch Library. Robert McGinty was born in 1746 in Augusta Co, VA. When he was about 16 his father moved the family to North Carolina, and Robert attended school in Mecklenburg. He married Deborah Wright, the daughter of a Baptist minister. In 1779, they moved to Columbia Co, GA, and Robert served as a Private in the local militia. During the war, Georgia settlers were driven from their homes by the British, and they went as refugees into the Carolinas. After the war, Robert and his family returned to their ruined cabin and lands. Robert received 250 acres of bounty land and a bonus for refugee service. A few years later, he was licensed to preach at Phillip Mill Baptist Church. According to Campbell’s History of Georgia Baptists, Robert was a person of easy and polite manners, a man of general information, and a sound and sensible preacher. Robert died in Monroe Co, GA, on February 10, 1841.
Was one of your ancestors part of the American Revolution (1775-1783)? Researching your family has never been easier, and DAR members can help you. A membership in DAR connects you with a group of women who are passionate about history and service, with local projects that help veterans and inspire students. Please like our Facebook page: Daughters of the American Revolution – Dorcheat-Bistineau Chapter, and contact us at dorcheat-bistineau@yahoo.com.
Faron David Brown April 29, 1957 – April 25, 2021 Visitation will be from 12:00 p.m. until 1:30 p.m. at Rockett Funeral Home, Ringgold on Thursday, April 29th. Graveside services will be held Thursday, April 29th at 2:00 p.m. in Little Hope Cemetery, Castor, LA.
Avis Walsworth July 02, 1940 – April 25, 2021 A private graveside service will be held today.
Beverly Ann Curry June 23, 1956 – April 25, 2021 Service: TBA
Gary Jackson ? – April 26, 2021 Service: TBA
Billy Love May 31, 1950 – April 26, 2021 Service: TBA
Cleta Mae Wayne- Hankton March 27, 1931 – April 24, 2021 Visitation: Friday, April 30th at 2:00 p.m. at 701 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Farmerville
Baby Ja’Myia Michelle Walker April 23, 2021 Service: Friday, April 30th at 2:00 p.m. at Point Pleasant Road in Homer
Yesterday, on Earth Day, the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA) was introduced in Congress. The bipartisan bill will dedicate $1.3 billion annually to state fish and wildlife agencies and an additional $97.5 million for tribal fish and wildlife managers. The passage of this act would provide dedicated funding to conserve fish and wildlife species of greatest conservation need – before federal listing under the Endangered Species Act is warranted. In addition to protecting valuable natural resources, this bill would also create an estimated 33,000 jobs throughout the United States each year.
“What better way to celebrate Earth Day than with the introduction of this landmark wildlife funding bill,” said LDWF Secretary Jack Montoucet. “The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act would allow us to accelerate recovery of more than 362 species at risk of extinction in our state. Louisiana is blessed with an abundance of natural resources, and these resources would help to ensure we can preserve this heritage for current and future generations.”
RAWA would provide approximately $16 million to Louisiana annually, thereby allowing LDWF to accelerate conservation efforts outlined in the Louisiana Wildlife Action Plan. This plan has been implementing proactive, voluntary, successful conservation since 2005; however, its implementation has been limited, because of inadequate funding.
RAWA funds would be used to accelerate recovery of at-risk species by addressing critical data gaps. By conducting surveys and research projects, LDWF biologists would collect the additional data required to best manage species and their habitats, reduce key threats, and promote population increases.
Some examples of the species at risk in Louisiana are: Louisiana Pearlshell (mussel), Louisiana Pinesnake, Alligator Snapping Turtle, Frosted Elfin (butterfly), and Black Rail (bird).
Cassie Williams (Democrat) and Michael Melerine (Republican) will be the only item on the ballot in a runoff for BESE District 4. BESE is short for the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. 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.
During early voting, the Registrar’s Office had a total of 98 voters to cast their ballot in person over the 7 day period. At the close of business Saturday they also had 297 mail in ballots received. The Registrar’s Office will be able to accept mail ballots until 4:30 pm today. The Registrar’s Office will not accept mail ballots on election day!!! Polls will open tomorrow morning at 7:00 am and close at 8:00 pm. GO VOTE!
In addition to local news and sports, the Bienville Parish Journal has just launched a historic video collection within the Bienville Parish Historic Photo Archive. The purpose and mission of this archive is for the preservation of local historical photographs, homemade films, and memorabilia, while making them easily accessible.
Brad Dison, editor of the Bienville Parish Journal, purchased equipment to transfer 8mm and super 8mm films into high-quality digital format. If you have 8mm or super 8mm films which may contain anything pertaining to Bienville Parish and would like them transferred into digital format, please contact the journal at BPJNewsLA@gmail.com.
The Bienville Parish Journal encourages everyone to add your historic photos and videos which relate to Bienville Parish to the archive. It’s free and easy. Your photos and videos will be preserved for posterity and will be made available for easy access on the website. To add your historic photos and videos to the archive, please email the Bienville Parish Journal at BPJNewsLA@gmail.com.
The video above was filmed on Sunday, November 16, 1969, by Joe Harper, Saline’s barber, at the formal opening of the newly constructed Bank of Saline (now called Sabine State Bank).
The video above was filmed circa 1970 by Joe Harper. The beginning of the film shows Shavon and Eric Sullivan playing followed by views of several citizens in downtown Saline.
The video above shows Gary, Carolyn, and Jereme Dison before church, followed by scenes at Carolina Baptist Church circa 1971.
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.
QUALIFICATIONS: High School Diploma or equivalent, Associate or Bachelor’s Degree preferred, excellent communication skills, and proficiency in computer skills.
SALARY: According to Parish Salary Schedule
TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT: 12 months
WHERE TO APPLY: Linda Page, Personnel Director
Natchitoches Parish School Board P. O. Box 16 Natchitoches, LA 71458-0016 (318) 352-2358
DEADLINE: Monday, May 3, 2021 4:00 p.m.
APPLICATIONS: Application packet should consist of a letter of application, resume’, official transcript, and two letters of reference.
A mass meeting was held at the [Gibsland] town hall by the representative citizens Monday night [April 18, 1921] and it was decided to install an electric light plant here at once. J.H. Houck was appointed chairman of the meeting and appointed L.W. Baker, L.W. Hamner, and Henry Sherman as a committee to solicit subscriptions. Another committee was appointed, composed of M.M. Press, John Abney and Mr. Broadwell, to see about specifications. Half the amount needed to construct the plant was raised during the meeting and the rest will be rushed to final completion in the next few days.
Source: the Shreveport Times, April 20, 1921, p.3.
His Mission will host a Bass Tournament at Black Lake Tomorrow from safe daylight until the 2 pm weigh-in at the west wind public boat ramp. (Go over Black Lake bridge, take first road on the left, stay straight and you will come to the ramp)
His Mission is a local non-profit multi-denominational team of men and women who have done countless projects for the betterment of the community including working on the homes of the less-fortunate at no cost to the homeowner. In the past His Mission team members helped build an orphanage and churches on the Yucatan Peninsula, and numerous projects in the foothills of Tennessee. Most recently, His Mission has turned their attention to local missions in Bienville, Jackson, Lincoln, and Winn Parishes. His Mission board members include Ken Roberts, Keith Duck, Edward Lindsey, and Glen Davis.
$80 entry ($20 to His Mission Team, $10 Big Bass, $50 Overall)
There are a few things that really set me off when it comes to angler/boater incidents both on and off the water. Things that make you ask the question “How dumb are Ya?” Today I’m going to give you a few examples of what I mean and hopefully you won’t fall into one of these categories. Some of these situations I’ve heard about from other anglers but most I’ve witnessed personally. If you’re wondering if I’m being judgmental, the answer is yes!
I’m so tired of seeing people do stupid stuff especially at the boat ramp. If you’re an angler or a boater, listen up! Please do me and everyone else a favor! DON’T BLOCK THE BOAT RAMP! Load your boat with all your gear before you back down the ramp. This happens all the time where an angler or pleasure boater waits to unhook his tie down straps, remove the motor mate, put in the plug, load the ice chest, fix a sandwich and place their rods in the boat. Oh, and I forgot to mention, that after they’ve done all these other things and get in the boat to back it off the trailer, they forgot to unhook the front. Do ALL this before you back down the ramp and launching your boat will only take a minute or two versus ten minutes. Please stop doing this! Do ALL your prep work before you get on the ramp!
This next category I call “cutters.” These are bass anglers who like to cut off or cut in front of another angler on the water. A prime example that I’ve experienced in my last two trips to Toledo Bend occurred when I was fishing a main lake point about thirty yards off the bank when another angler came around the same point that I’m obviously fishing. As I make another cast towards the point, I notice that instead of going around me, this anger decides to go between me and the bank and is literally twenty feet from my boat! The first problem I had with this idiot, is that he never even acknowledged that I was there. The second problem was the fact he actually trolled directly over my fishing line and still never acknowledged my presence. Needless to say, after I shouted a few expletives questioning this man’s intelligence, I just could not believe what I had witnessed. After a case of water rage, I literally wanted to physically hurt this man! I wished I had videoed this incident so I could post it on Facebook on what not to do when fishing a point that another angler is also fishing. Again, this has happened to me my last two trips to Toledo Bend. I just don’t understand what people are thinking!
This next incident took place on Sam Rayburn in March while fishing the ABA Solo Top 150 Tour event. Now you have to understand that anglers who fish this tournament trail, do so without co-anglers or partners. This is not a team bass tournament, so anglers have to launch their boats by themselves. This means as you back your boat off the trailer, you need a place to park it so you can pull your trailer off the ramp and park it in the parking lot. The problem was, as the first 10 or 15 anglers launched their boats, they decided it was a smart idea to park along the bank and alongside the boat dock This made it impossible for the other 65 anglers to find a place to park their boats so other anglers could launch as well. Just like the “cutters” at Toledo Bend, I could not pass up the opportunity to inform this group of anglers of just how dumb they are. I mean it’s just common sense that everyone cannot park next to the boat ramp while other anglers are trying to launch their boats. Again, “How dumb are Ya?”
I hope today that you’ve learned a few things about what NOT to do at a boat ramp and on the water. With so many anglers and pleasure boaters on the water today, it’s important that everyone be conscious of what they are doing and how their actions might affect other boaters. I feel like it should be required that anyone operating a boat of any size be required to take a boating safety course and that the unwritten rules of etiquette be taught as part of this course. Until next time, if you hear someone chewing out another angler or boater on any body of water, it’s probably just me trying to educate a few people. Good luck, good fishing and don’t forget to set the hook!
Steve Graf Owner/Co-host Hook’N Up & Track’N Down Show And Tackle Talk Live
1516 – Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria endorsed “The German Beer Purity Law” (Reinheitsgebot) and added to it standards for the sale of beer in Bavaria, ensuring beer is only brewed from three ingredients – water, malt and hops
1597 – William Shakespeare’s “The Merry Wives of Windsor” was first performed, with Queen Elizabeth I of England in attendance
1661 – English king Charles II was crowned in London
1662 – Connecticut was chartered as an English colony
1702 – Queen Anne was crowned at Westminster Abbey, London
1861 – Robert E. Lee was named commander of Virginia Confederate forces (US Civil War)
1867 – Queen Victoria & Napoleon III turned down plans for a channel tunnel
1900 – First know use of the word “hillbillie” (NY Journal)
1931 – US gangster film “The Public Enemy” starring James Cagney and Jean Harlow premiered
1940 – Dance hall fire killed at least 198 people in Natchez, Mississippi
1945 – Concentration camp Flossenburg was liberated
1954 – Hammerin’ Hank Aaron hit first of his 755 homeruns
1965 – “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” single was released by the Four Tops (Billboard Song of the Year 1965)
1968 – United Methodist Church formed
1969 – Sirhan Sirhan sentenced to death for killing US Senator Robert F. Kennedy (later computed to life sentence)
1972 – Apollo 16 astronauts explore the Moon’s surface
1977 – Dr. Allen Bussey completed 20,302 yo-yo loops
1982 – The 8-bit personal home computer the Sinclair ZX Spectrum was released (goes on to sell 5 million worldwide)
1984 – AIDS-virus identified as HTLV-III (acquired immune deficiency syndrome)
1985 – New Coke debuts; Coca-Cola announced it is changing its secret flavor formula
1989 – Wine merchant William Sokolin broke a bottle of 1787 Château Margaux, possibly belonging to Thomas Jefferson, worth $500,000 at the Four Seasons restaurant in New York
DID YOU KNOW … Your neighborhood Bienville Parish Library has access to the TUMBLE BOOKS LIBRARY! The Tumble Books Library is an online collection of animated talking picture books, which teach kids the joy of reading in a format they love. Tumble Books are created by taking existing picture books, adding animation, sound, music, and narration to produce an electronic picture book which children can read, or have read to them. Each story comes with puzzles and games geared to ensure reading comprehension.
READ-ALONG BOOKS Now older students or more accomplished readers can read the collection of read-along chapter books. Read-along titles feature narration, sentence highlighting, and automatic page turning.
LANGUAGE LEARNING The Tumble Books Library features a growing selection of books in Spanish and French. The language drop down menu allows users to view the entire website in Spanish or French. Instructions, news and descriptions of books are all in Spanish or French. Helpful for ESL, Bilingual, and French and Spanish programs.
As with both TEEN TUMBLE CLOUD and the TUMBLE BOOKS LIBRARY, there are sections with word counts, grade reading levels, AR points, and instructor/homeschool lesson plans, and interactive fun quizzes on the books or videos to help children with comprehension and retention.
HOW TO GET TO TUMBLE BOOKS LIBRARY Select your favorite browser and head over to http://www.bienvillelibrary.org and click DATABASES. The right hand column at the very bottom of the page you’ll find the TUMBLE BOOKS LIBRARY. When you click the Tumble Books icon, you’ll gain access to tons of e-books, videos, games, and interactive puzzles making reluctant readers — eager readers! If you’d like more information on the TUMBLE BOOKS Library or any of the other applications in the online DATABASES, give your favorite Bienville Parish Librarian a call, or come in and test drive the database on our public use computers! It’s FREE and all you need is a library card —- Don’t have a library card? No problem — come in and let’s get TUMBLING!
The Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs is currently reaching out to all Louisiana World War II women veterans. We will be honoring this special group of heroes during a June ceremony in Baton Rouge. We are currently preparing to hold a luncheon which will include a guest speaker and a ceremony in which we will present Louisiana honor medals, women veteran lapel pins and LDVA challenge coins.
If you are a Louisiana WWII woman veteran, or you know a Louisiana WWII woman veteran, please reach out to LDVA Director of Outreach Larry Williams at larry.williams@la.gov or 225.276.8626. If the veteran is not able to attend the luncheon and presentation of awards, we will mail them their awards.
The Bienville Parish Journal would also like to spotlight Louisiana WWII women veterans. Please contact the journal at BPJNewsLA@gmail.com or call Brad at 318-332-0558.
Gov. John Bel Edwards joined officials from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development and the Louisiana Legislature on Monday to announce that, as part of the 2020 Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, the state of Louisiana has received approximately $216 million to be allocated for road and infrastructure projects throughout the state. This $1.4 trillion relief package was passed by Congress last year.
$11.3 million will be spent on statewide electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Whether Bienville Parish will be part of the infrastructure project remains unclear.
The Act allocates $155 million to be used at the state’s discretion, $30 million specifically for bridge repair and/or replacement, $20 million for the state’s large metro areas and $11.3 million for electric vehicle charging infrastructures. DOTD selected projects across the state from needs identified through technical analyses and through legislative and public input gathered at recent and past hearings on the Highway Priority Program. The list of projects is provided below.
“As you are all aware, the state’s roads and bridges are in great need of repair and upgrade,” said Gov. John Bel Edwards. “Addressing these needs has been a priority of my administration. We have proven what we can do when we have funds and have invested over $3 billion in infrastructure since 2016, despite a 1980s revenue stream as the main source of funding. Louisiana’s transportation infrastructure will benefit greatly from this additional funding, and I know DOTD Secretary Shawn Wilson has worked tirelessly to find projects that will be most beneficial.”
“This $216 million is the next step in addressing Louisiana’s infrastructure needs,” said Dr. Cassidy. “We have more to do. Continuing this effort is my goal.”
“I’m grateful to our Congressional Delegation, especially Senator Bill Cassidy and his staff, for his unwavering support for our industry and his efforts to make this a reality,” said Secretary Wilson. “We will certainly use these funds to replace funds that were lost as a result of the coronavirus and apply them to some of the most needed projects in all regions of Louisiana. Unlike previous federal bills, these funds can be used for operating costs. While none will be used for DOTD salaries, supplies or travel, we will replace some of our heavy equipment used by District forces in maintaining our state-owned highways and bridges.”
Projects receiving funds are:
Preservation
LA 308: from Theriot Canal to St. Charles Bridge, Lafourche Parish, milling and overlay, $1.9 million
LA 648: from LA 20 to LA 1, Lafourche & Terrebonne parishes, milling and overlay, $1.7 million
LA 18: from Barataria Blvd. to Louisiana St., Jefferson Parish, milling and overlay, $2 million
LA 406: left turn lane at Green Trails, Plaquemines Parish, $450,000
LA 31: from St. Martinville to LA 92-1, St. Martin Parish, patching and overlay, $2 million
LA 173: from LA 1 to U.S. 71, Caddo Parish, asphalt overlay, $900,000
LA 2: from West Carroll Parish line to U.S. 65, East Carroll Parish, overlay, $2.1 million
LA 15: from U.S. 425 to Ouachita Parish line, Richland Parish, asphalt overlay, $3.3 million
LA 108: from I-10 to LA 1256, Calcasieu Parish, patching, cold planing, and overlay, $4.1 million
LA 99 and LA 102: from LA 3086 to LA 26, Jefferson Davis Parish, milling and overlay, $1.7 million
U.S. 71: turn lanes for emergency staging area, Rapides Parish, $1 million
LA 119: embankment slide repairs, Natchitoches Parish, $5 million
LA 914, LA 915, and LA 916: Catahoula Parish, patching and overlay, $2.1 million
LA 68: from U.S. 61 to LA 964, East Feliciana Parish, stabilize and overlay, $2.9 million
LA 78: from U.S. 190 to LA 1, Pointe Coupee Parish, patching, thinning, and overlay, $1.5 million
LA 441: from LA 42 to I-12, Livingston Parish, milling and overlay, $900,000
LA 16: from Livingston Parish line to LA 63, St. Helena Parish, milling and overlay, $3 million
Major Investment
I-49: work TBD, Lafayette Parish, $50 million
I-20: widening from U.S. 165 to approximately 2 miles eastward, Ouachita Parish $20 million
I-20: from Monkhouse Dr. East to Greenwood Rd. at I-20/I-49, Caddo Parish, $15 million
U.S. 190 utility relocation: St. Landry Parish, $8 million
Direct Category Expenditure
Bridge replacement and rehabilitation, Calcasieu Parish, $29.4 million
Electric vehicle charging infrastructure, statewide, $11.3 million
Allocations for greater than 200,000 population, metropolitan planning organizations, $19.9 million
District Priorities
$26 million to the district offices for regional congestion relief and equipment replacement
Surplus
The Administration is requesting TTF match Highway Priority Program, statewide, $35 million
