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Leesville Leader
Top 10 stories of 2023: Wildfires rage in SW La.
By Emily Burleigh In late August and into September, Southwest Louisiana found itself grappling with an unprecedented wildfire — the Tiger Island Fire. The fire burned almost 32,000 acres in Beauregard and Vernon parishes. The statewide burn ban that was instituted in early August was a prelude to the wildfire. Gov. John Bel Edwards declared […]
For teacher Baylee Treme, trust is nurtured and relationships are ‘continually being built’
By Emily Burleigh While sixth grade social studies teacher Baylee Treme, 22, may be young, her teaching style is “old school.” She was born and raised — and is still rooted — in Sulphur and graduated from Sulphur High School in 2019. She earned her bachelor’s in general studies from McNeese State University in 2022 […]
Fort Johnson soldier takes time to complete degree, gets ‘traditional’ college experience
Special to the Leesville Leader Darren Polk has had an unconventional academic career that included online classes, a U.S. Army deployment and getting married. But this past semester, he was able to be a man about campus at Northwestern State University, taking face-to-face classes and participating in student life. Polk graduates today with an Associate […]
Leesville celebrates second healthy audit in as many years
By Emily Burleigh Leesville Mayor Rick Allen and the Leesville City Council celebrated a perfect and healthy audit report for the 2022-2023 fiscal year at the Leesville City Council meeting on Monday. Allen said this is the second time in the city’s history that this feat has been achieved. With less than one percent of […]
Teacher Virginia Guidry: Sharing Spanish culture with students ‘the most beautiful experience’
By Emily Burleigh Spanish teacher Virginia Guidry, 52, believes in the importance of learning Spanish as a second language. She was born in Oviedo, Spain, and graduated from Ausev High School in her hometown. She then made her move to the United States to attend Northwestern State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in […]
Weather Watch: Damaging wind, large hail, lightning expected this weekend
Damaging wind gusts, large hail and frequent cloud-to-ground lightning will be the primary hazards with a line of thunderstorms expected to arrive in Southwest Louisiana on Saturday. Widespread rainfall amounts are likely in the half-an-inch range, said Doug Cramer, warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Lake Charles office. The thunderstorms are expected to […]
Teacher Thomas McGrady: ‘I want to pass on the wisdom given to me’
By Emily Burleigh In the classroom of Thomas McGrady, 35, the process of learning is more important than performance. All of his students know that “progress is more important than perfection” and there is “nothing wrong with being wrong.” He teaches 10th grade general biology and 12th grade advanced and AP biology at Lake Charles […]
Benoit Ford devastated by fire, but remains open for business
By Emily Burleighr Benoit Ford in DeRidder was devastated by a fire over the weekend, but they are still open for business. At about 4:30 a.m. Saturday morning the Rosepine Fire Department responded to a call regarding a fire at the dealership, according to the Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal. In a 10-minute video […]
WEATHER WATCH: Severe weather headed to SW La.
A severe weather threat is in the forecast for Southwest Louisiana this afternoon and into tonight. Donald Jones, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Lake Charles office, said the storms are associated with a cold front headed to the area from the west. “These storms are going to remain individualized for the next few […]
Vernon voters approve multiple tax propositions on ballot
Vernon voters approved multiple tax continuations and renewals on Saturday’s ballot and appointed a justice of the peace for Ward 8. Two 10-year tax continuations for Road District 3 were approved by voters. Proposition one was approved with 262 votes, or 65 percent. Proposition two was approved with 255 votes, or 64 percent. Two 10-year […]
Military community, Vernon Parish celebrate completion of technology-enhanced learning centers
By Emily Burleigh Gov. John Bel Edwards, alongside several state and local dignitaries, gathered to celebrate the completion of five technology-enhanced learning centers in the Vernon Parish school district. In September 2020, the U.S. Department of Defense granted $7.5 million through the Defense Community Infrastructure Pilot (DCIP) Program to build the centers at the five […]
Teacher Katrise Reado-Clark: ‘Learning can be hands-on and fun’
By Emily Burleigh Sulphur native Katrise Reado-Clark, 39, believes every student has the potential to succeed — all they need is the right tools and the right motivations. She teaches first grade at Southwest Louisiana Charter Academy and, in her classroom, she recognizes different learning styles and differentiates instruction to meet the needs of each […]
Fastwyre brings fast fiber-optic network to Leesville
Fastwyre Broadband said this week it will begin providing a robust fiber-optic broadband network to residents and businesses in Leesville. Already launched in DeRidder, Fastwyre features a fiber-to-the-premises infrastructure enhancement that delivers high-speed internet to help customers meet their data transmission, online video conferencing, e-commerce, virtual learning, entertainment and telehealth needs. High-speed internet ranges from […]
Fort Johnson pays tribute to veterans
By Emily Burleigh A Veterans Day ceremony was hosted Thursday by the Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Johnson. For those at Fort Johnson, Veterans Day is not just a holiday, but a “reminder of the best of America,” according to Brig. Gen. David W. Gardner, commanding general, Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Johnson. […]
Teacher Jacqueline Hebert: Watching students grow, be successful ‘greatest reward’
By Emily Burleigh Jacqueline Hebert, 34, teaches pre-K because she wants to ensure students begin their educational journey on the right foot with positive and fruitful experiences. “I get to lay the foundation for which other grades can build upon. I want to inspire my students to become lifelong learners and to find joy in […]
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