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Leesville Leader
Local Authors Autograph Party to celebrate literary successes
By Emily Burleigh The inaugural Local Authors Autograph Party is set for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 13, in the meeting room of the Vernon Parish Library, 1401 Nolan Trace in Leesville. Twelve authors from Vernon and surrounding parishes will gather to sign and sell their books: James Bonner, Nancy El Koubi, Leanne […]
Leesville Fire Department makes city history with Class 3 rating
By Emily Burleigh For the first time in the city of Leesville’s history, the Leesville Fire Department has achieved a class rating of three from the Professional Insurance Association of Louisiana (PIAL). PIAL is a private, non-profit association made up of all insurance companies that are licensed to write fire and certain coverage within the […]
SW La.’s eclipse forecast cloudy, wet
Those who hope to witness Monday’s total solar eclipse may see the sun obscured by clouds and rainfall instead of by the moon. A series of low-pressure systems are expected to move across the region next week, creating widespread showers and thunderstorms in Southwest Louisiana. National Weather Service Lake Charles meteorologist Marti Calhoun said the […]
Fastwyre plans grand opening celebration
Special to the News Leader Fastwyre Broadband, a premier provider of affordable, reliable high-speed internet service delivered through a state-of-the-art fiber-optic network in communities across America, continues to upgrade and expand its fiber-optic network in Southwest and South Central Louisiana to provide some of the fastest internet speeds in the region. Previously operating as Cameron […]
House Education Committee advances 10 Commandments bill
By Piper Naudin | LSU Manship School News Service The House Education Committee voted 10-3 Thursday to advance a bill to require public schools to display the 10 Commandments. House Bill 7l, by Rep. Dodie Horton, R-Haughton, is attempting to navigate the traditional legal divide between church and state. Under the bill, which next goes […]
Local Authors Autograph Party set for April 13
In celebration of National Library Week on Saturday, April 13, the Vernon Parish Library will host a Local Authors Autograph Party, where local authors will sell and sign their books from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the meeting room at the Main Branch. More than 10 local authors have been scheduled so far. Light […]
Army Emergency Relief 2024 campaign kicks off with day of fun
By Porsha Auzenne | Fort Johnson Public Affairs Office Fort Johnson kicked off the 2024 Army Emergency Relief campaign March 1. The day commenced with a 2-mile fun run at Warrior Hills Golf Course, where the Fort Johnson community joined together in the early morning hours to start this year’s campaign with a bang. For more […]
Jeremy Deamon has a ‘passion for educating the youth of tomorrow and seeing them become successful’
By Emily Burleigh Jeremy Deamon, 37, instills values in his students that will guide them into a life of productivity and success. Nurturing the lives and minds of young people is the cornerstone of developing a connected and constructive community, he said. “Education helps the community by filling it with productive citizens who are capable […]
Kennedy announces $5.2 million in flood protection aid for Vernon, Calcasieu
U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced $5,204,785 in Federal Emergency Management Agency grants for Louisiana disaster aid. “Flood damage to a home or business is not only a nightmare, but it’s also dangerous. This $5.2 million will support flood protection for folks in Calcasieu Parish as well […]
Vernon School Board voices opposition to education savings accounts
By Emily Burleigh The Vernon Parish School Board has expressed opposition to the education savings account legislation that is being debated during the 2024 regular legislative session: HB 745 and SB 313. On Wednesday, the board released a resolution that urges the Vernon Parish legislative delegation to “vote no on any bill proposing an Education […]
Cleco power customers eligible to receive energy saving resources
By Emily Burleigh Through an energy efficiency program called Power Wise, Cleco Power Customers are eligible to receive energy saving resources for homes and businesses. Cleco Power – a subsidiary of regional holding company Corporate Holdings LLC – is a regulated electric public utility that owns nine generating units. In 2014, Cleco began offering an […]
Work continues on Leesville airport projects
By Emily Burleigh Work on the Leesville Municipal Airport is still in progress. At the Leesville City Council meeting on Monday, March 25, the council approved three pay requests for the airport’s North Ramp Taxiway and Drainage Project. One pay request was for $62,647.06 to William Equipment Services. The other two pay requests were for […]
DeRidder artists to show work at Gallery One Ellleven
By Emily Burleigh From March 28 until April 27, the art of select artists from RealARt DeRidder will be exhibited in Gallery One Ellleven, 111 S. 3rd St. in Leesville. The arts community in West Central Louisiana is vast, including “community orchestras, jazz ensembles, visual artist studios, school theater productions, bluegrass bands, singer/songwriters, quilters and […]
Senate passes Kennedy bill to protect hydropower projects
The Senate passed legislation from U.S. Sens. John Kennedy and Bill Cassidy, both Louisiana Republicans, that would protect two hydropower construction projects in the J. Bennett Johnston Waterway on Louisiana’s Red River. “Hydropower is an important part of our all-of-the-above energy policy, and these projects would bring construction jobs to our state. It would be […]
Teacher D’Antoinette ‘Dee’ Jackson: ‘We must educate, encourage and elevate every student’
By Emily Burleigh D’Antoinette “Dee” Jackson, 41, loves math. She wants others to love it, too. She is an eighth-grade math teacher at Lake Charles Charter Academy. The subject has always been her favorite because of the expansive applications mathematics has. “Math is fun and it helps us develop problem solving skills that can extend […]
Leesville grad opens Mockler Beverage
Timothy and Patrick Mockler along with Chris Davis, president of Mockler Beverage, have purchased Southwest Beverage Company, the Anheuser-Busch distributor in Lake Charles, Alexandria and Leesville from Ben Marriner. The sale includes the facilities and staff at each location, which means continued employment for the employees of Southwest Beverage. “I’m from here. I grew up here,” […]
Leesville Event Center grand opening today
By Emily Burleigh The grand opening of the highly anticipated Leesville Event Center is taking place at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, March 15. The Leesville Event Center, located at 608 Nolan Trace, is slated to be the “premiere event center for West Central Louisiana,” according to the City of Leesville. The center will be the […]
Teacher Martha Dalton has ‘the honor’ of preparing her students for their next steps in life
By Emily Burleigh Lake Charles College Prep teacher Martha Dalton, 57, enjoys working with high school students because she has the honor of preparing them for the next step in their lives and guiding them into adulthood. Education helps to prepare the future workforce for the community, she said. As a math teacher, she is […]
WEATHER WATCH: Stormy weekend in forecast
A stormy weekend is in Southwest Louisiana’s forecast with up to 3 inches of rainfall possible. The National Weather Service’s Lake Charles office said there is a marginal risk for severe thunderstorms most of Friday. Storm Warning Coordinator Doug Cramer said a cold front is moving into the area on Friday and is expected to […]
WEATHER WATCH: Severe storms in Friday’s forecast
Southwest Louisiana is under a slight risk for severe storms — including damaging winds, large hail and possibly a few tornadoes — most of the day Friday. Wind gusts could reach as high as 60 mph, according to the National Weather Service’s Lake Charles office. “Some good news in that rainfall amounts have decreased and […]
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