Choose your location
Leesville Leader
UPDATE: Fort Johnson’s namesake decorated World War I veteran who embodied ‘warrior spirit’
By Emily Burleigh On the grass of Warrior Field Tuesday morning, America’s Premier Combat Training Center was renamed to honor Sgt. William Henry Johnson, a decorated World War 1 veteran who embodied the warrior spirit. The redesignation of the Leesville base — which houses the Army Joint Readiness Training Center — from Fort Polk to […]
It’s official: Fort Polk now Fort Johnson
Fort Polk became Fort Johnson on Tuesday in honor of Sgt. William Henry Johnson, a World War I Medal of Honor recipient from North Carolina who served in the New York National Guard’s 369th U.S. Infantry Regiment. The 369th Infantry Regiment was ordered into battle in 1918, and Johnson and his unit were brigaded with a French […]
Cassidy, colleagues reintroduce legislation to provide public with transparency of social media platforms
Special to the News Leader U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La.; Chris Coon, D-Del.’ Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.; John Cornyn, R-Texas; Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.; and Mitt Romney, R-Utah, have introduced the Platform Accountability and Transparency Act, a bipartisan bill to increase transparency around social media companies. “It’s clear Big Tech companies will abuse their power when allowed […]
Louisiana House votes to lift state spending cap
By Allison Allsop | LSU Manship School News Service BATON ROUGE — The House voted 85-19 Wednesday to raise the Legislature’s limit on spending to make use of much of the large pile of extra cash flowing into state coffers. Senate Concurrent Resolution 3 would raise the expenditure limit for this fiscal year and next. This […]
Military heroes remembered on Memorial Day
Special to the News Leader FORT POLK — First observed after the Civil War, Memorial Day was initially called “Decoration Day.” Families gathered to remember their loved ones killed in service by decorating gravesites with flowers or flags. Each year, on the last Monday in May, this tradition continues across America. The Joint Readiness Training […]
Sowela grad finds community in a nontraditional field
By Emily Burleigh While attending Sowela Technical Community College, Markell Jolivette, 23, was the only man in his classes. In this female-dominated space, he found community. Last week he graduated from Sowela with a certificate of technical studies in sterile processing, the cleaning and sterilization of tools and devices used during medical procedures. Jolivette happened […]
Crime tops worries of Louisiana residents, survey finds
By Eliza Stanley | LSU Manship School News Service BATON ROUGE — Crime is the top concern for Louisiana residents for the first time in 20 years, according to an LSU survey released Tuesday. The Louisiana Survey, conducted by LSU’s Reilly Center for Media and Public Affairs, shows crime is the primary concern for about one-fifth […]
NOAA: Low chance of tropical cyclone development in Gulf
There is a 20 percent chance of tropical cyclone development over the next seven days in the Gulf of Mexico, the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration announced Tuesday — just two days before the official start of hurricane season. The system is forecast to move generally eastward from the central Gulf of Mexico into the […]
Artist Profile: Isabelle Massart-Bursh
By Emily Burleigh When Isabelle Massart-Bursh, 57, was offered the chance to become the art teacher at Leesville Junior High School in 2001, she took it in a heartbeat. She was born, raised and educated in Belgium, but moved to Louisiana through the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana teacher exchange program. “With […]
House committee rejects bill to abolish death penalty
By Jenna Bridges | LSU Manship School News Service BATON ROUGE — A House committee on Wednesday rejected a bill, 11-4, to abolish the death penalty. Rep. Kyle M. Green, Jr., D-Marrero, presented House Bill 228 to the House Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice, citing the “racial bend” toward African Americans, the financial benefits to […]
Convicted killer of Leesville woman denied parole a third time
A former Fort Polk soldier convicted in the 1988 kidnapping, rape and murder of a Leesville woman has been denied parole a third time. Samuel Galbraith appeared before the Louisiana Probation and Parole board on Wednesday. His parole request was denied in a 2-1 vote; he can apply for parole again in two years. Galbraith was […]
BOSS soldiers congregate, make connections at crawfish boil
By Angie Thorne | Public Affairs Office FORT POLK — The chance to enjoy a little Louisiana culture in the form of a crawfish boil was more than Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers members could resist. BOSS hosted the boil and single soldiers showed up in force to enjoy every step of the process from cleaning […]
Louisiana audit finds issues with hurricane recovery loans
By Victor Skinner | The Center Square Louisiana officials continue to uncover millions in noncompliant federal loans tied to hurricane recovery efforts, while they also struggled to report progress on programs to the federal government. The findings and others were included in a financial audit report of the Executive Department for fiscal year 2022 produced by […]
Tornado watch issued for Vernon Parish
A tornado watch has been issued for portions of western and central Louisiana — including Vernon Parish and the Fort Polk area — and is in effect until 5 p.m. Storms this morning across northern and central Louisiana have had the potential for tornadoes and damaging wind gusts, and this activity could affect portions of […]
La. audit finds overpayments in foster care program
By Victor Skinner | The Center Square Problems with billings at the Department of Public Safety and Corrections resulted in more than $100,000 in overpayments during the last fiscal year, according to the Louisiana Legislative Auditor. LLA Mike Waguespack published an audit report for the Department of Public Safety and Corrections’ Office of Juvenile Justice on […]
ELECTION RESULTS: All eight tax propositions approved in Vernon
All eight tax propositions on Vernon Parish ballots were overwhelming approved by voters on Saturday. All of the propositions benefit area school districts. A 10-year, 8.12 mills parishwide school tax proposition for maintenance and operations of schools was approved by 81 percent. The proposition received 1,335 yes votes and 321 no votes, according to complete […]
Louisiana House Education Committee approves several school choice bills
The Center Square Legislation moving through the Louisiana House would expand school choice options for families, and prohibit discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity with students. The House Education Committee on Tuesday approved two measures designed to open up school choice opportunities for families. House Bill 98, sponsored by state Rep. Lance Harris, R-Alexandria, […]
Saturday is Election Day across SW La.
Saturday will be Election Day across Southwest Louisiana. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Ballots will feature tax propositions in Beauregard and Vernon parishes. The ballot items include: Beauregard A 10-year, parishwide school district proposition for maintenance and operations of schools; the millage renewal authorizes the school board to continue to […]
PHOTO GALLERY: Military Appreciation Day
The Greater Beauregard Chamber of Commerce and the city of DeRidder are proud partners with the 519th Military Police Battalion Stationed at Fort Polk. Once a year the organizations team up to host the entire battalion for a family fun day at the DeRidder Dixie Youth Ball Field. (Photos Special to the Leesville Leader)
Reinvestments at Fort Polk continue to improve on-post housing, enhance quality of life
Special to the News Leader With quality of life as a top priority for Fort Polk leadership, Corvias — a solutions provider to the Department of Defense — continues its commitment to operate, maintain and provide service to the more than 4,800 residents of on-base housing at Fort Polk. In 2021, Corvias announced a commitment […]
Leesville Leader
198+
Posts
334K+
Views
TheLeesvilleLeader.com is the digital news site for its affiliated print publication, the Leesville Leader. TheLeesvilleLeader.com newsroom is located in Leesville, Louisiana, and covers community news and sports in Leesville, Vernon Parish, Louisiana, and the surrounding area.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.