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Leesville Leader
Ceremony held at Fort Johnson for deploying troops
By Emily Burleigh Two ceremonies were held on Mountain Field at Fort Johnson on Friday. A colors casing ceremony was held for the 3rd Brigade Light Infantry, 10th Mountain Division (3/10). Within the month, about 2,700 soldiers will be deployed from Fort Johnson to the Mihail Kogalniceau Air Base (MKAB) in Romania, near the Black […]
SW La. expected to feel some ‘indirect impacts’ from Tropical Storm Alberto
Tropical Storm Alberto formed on Wednesday in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico, the first named storm of the hurricane season. Alberto, which is bringing strong winds, heavy rainfall and some flooding along the coasts of Texas and Mexico, is expected to make landfall in northern Mexico Thursday. The National Hurricane Center said Wednesday afternoon that […]
Is Tornado Alley shifting eastward? La. residents say it is
By Emily Burleigh For the past few decades, data shows that Tornado Alley is shifting eastward. The scientific journal Nature published a study in 2018 that showed there have been more tornadoes in the Mississippi River Valley than in the original Tornado Alley — the nickname for an area with relatively higher instances of confirmed […]
Local Eagle Scout candidate establishes flag retirement boxes
By Karen Sampson | Public Affairs Ryan Barnett Jr., a senior patrol leader and an Eagle Scout candidate from Boy Scouts of America, Fort Johnson Troop 124, took part in a ceremony to place an official U.S. Flag retirement box at the Fort Johnson Visitor’s Center May 22. Col. CJ Lopez, Fort Johnson garrison commander, spoke at the ceremony and said […]
First legislative session was mixed bag for Landry
By Elizabeth White and Maddie Scott | LSU Manship School News Service BATON ROUGE – Gov. Jeff Landry took office with a conservative agenda and a Republican super-majority in the Legislature after eight years of a Democratic governor, promising sweeping changes in this year’s legislative session. A major focus of Landry’s agenda was to reorganize the […]
Fort Johnson security guard helps save neighbor’s home
By Antoine Aaron FORT JOHNSON — Fort Johnson Directorate of Emergency Services security guard Karla Garcia exhibited bravery March 2, as she raced to save her neighbor’s home from what could have been a devastating fire. Garcia had just completed a 13-hour shift. As she went to let her dogs out, she spotted flames engulfing […]
Fort Johnson halfway to donation goal at campaign midpoint
By Porsha Auzeene FORT JOHNSON — With less than one month left in the 2024 Army Emergency Relief campaign, Fort Johnson has garnered a total of more than $50,000 in donations. With a goal of $100,000, the installation is steadily working closer to making this target a reality. AER’s mission is to provide grants, interest-free loans and scholarships […]
Landry, state superintendent push for classroom changes
By Emily Burleigh The Vernon Parish School Board has announced their support for the recommendations created by the Let Teachers Teach workgroup. A group of 29 Louisiana teachers began meeting at the beginning of the year to determine best practices for improving the teachers’ work life and prioritizing instruction in the classroom. They identified 18 […]
Fort Johnson youth wins Boys, Girls Club Louisiana Military Youth of Year
By Angie Thorne | Fort Johnson FORT JOHNSON — Emmalee Polk recently attended the Louisiana Youth of the Year Event in Baton Rouge, representing the Fort Johnson Middle School and Teen Center and the Boys and Girls Club of America. Polk won the title of Louisiana Military Youth of the Year for 2024 and a […]
All SW La. school districts support Title IX lawsuit
By Emily Burleigh Every public school district in Southwest Louisiana supports the Title IX lawsuit that was filed against the U.S. Department of Education last month. On April 29, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill announced the state of Louisiana and the Louisiana Department of Education filed suit over the new rules under Title IX, a […]
Anita Falcon’s relationship with her students often reaches beyond the classroom
By Emily Burleigh Anita Abshire Falcon, 47, wanted to teach in the same environment she was taught in. After 20 years at Immaculate Conception Catholic School, she is sure she has accomplished her mission. Born and raised in Crowley, Falcon attended St. Michael Catholic School for much of her grade school education. During her Catholic […]
WEATHER UPDATE: Another bout of severe weather awaits SW La.
Another bout of severe weather and heavy rainfall awaits Southwest Louisiana today. National Weather Service Lake Charles meteorologist Donald Jones said multiple rounds of rain will roll through the area through Friday night, possibly Saturday morning. “The good news is I think we’re going to get all of the activity out of here by Saturday […]
New photography exhibit opens Saturday at Leesville art gallery
By Emily Burleigh An opening reception for a new photography exhibit, “The Thing About Trains” will be held at GALLERY ONE EIIIEVEN at 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 18. The exhibit is about trains, and those that ride and operate them. It features over 60 photographs of steam trains and locomotives shot by the family […]
SW La. not done with wet weather forecasts
Southwest Louisiana is looking at another round of heavy rainfall and possible flash flooding Thursday and Friday — along with a low-end risk for severe weather. The combination of an upper-level storm system and an incoming front containing an abundance of moisture will provide the perfect combination for periods of heavy rainfall starting Thursday afternoon, […]
Leesville Council looking to curb park vandalism
By Emily Burleigh The Leesville City Council is asking residents to help curve vandalism in Myrtle Park, 1103 King’s Rd. At the City Council meeting on Monday, Councilmember-at-large Phillip Hunt expressed aggravation at ongoing vandalism in Leesville parks, specifically Myrtle Park — a park that features a basketball court, frisbee golf course, pickleball courts, playground equipment […]
WEATHER WATCH: Severe thunderstorms expected this afternoon, tonight
Another round of severe thunderstorms are expected to develop this afternoon into tonight. Storms will be capable of producing damaging winds over 60 mph, large, destructive hail and tornadoes, National Weather Service Lake Charles Storm Warning Coordinator Doug Cramer said. “A warm threat today is going to be very important as these thunderstorms develop,” Cramer […]
Northwestern State honors local graduates
NATCHITOCHES — Several Southwest Louisiana students were among those honored by Northwestern State University during spring commencement exercises that took place this week. Local graduates include: Anacoco — Katelyn Haymon, Bachelor of General Studies; Lindsey Alligood, Isabella McCall, Hunter Rabalais, Jennifer Thornton, Bachelor of Science. DeRidder — Kynadee Delome, Associate of Science in Nursing; Haydn […]
Holley Fontenot loves to help students develop as writers, critical thinkers
By Emily Burleigh At St. Louis Catholic High School, Holley Fontenot, 38, gets to pursue her two passions: literature and language. She teaches French at every high school grade level and AP English IV to seniors. While both subjects have their differences, they are both “rooted in developing global citizens with an appreciation for different […]
Fort Johnson a driving economic force for central, SW La.
By Emily Burleigh Fort Johnson is an economic tether for Vernon Parish — and the Louisiana Armed Forces Alliance (LAFA) aims to continue to grow the installation’s impact. Military installations bolster local economies, said Avon Knowlton, executive director of LAFA. In 2022, the military impact of military assets, contractor and military spending in Louisiana totaled […]
Sowela offering emergency medical training at Leesville campus
Sowela Technical Community College’s Office of Workforce Solutions is now registering for Emergency Medical Training (EMT) with classes meeting Tuesday and Thursday evenings and one Saturday a month starting Tuesday, June 25 — a convenient training option for individuals who are working and want to upskill their credentials or make a career change. Students will […]
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