August 2019

Hathaway family impacted by cancer

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Prayers & Love

HATHAWAY – Thirty-fouryear-old Winter LaVergne and her family are on a difficult journey. Described as a strong, courageous woman, however, she and husband Josh only ask for prayers and love.

The parents of Gracee, 12, Kirsten, 10, and Audree, 3, the couple recently welcomed son Jrue earlier than expected.

Josh said his wife learned July 10 that there is cancer in her brain, liver, lungs, adrenal gland, bones, colon, ovaries and spine. Staff at MD Anderson in Houston also found blood clots in her lungs.

Sprucing Up the Strand

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The historic Strand Theater is getting a bit of a facelift. The old carpeting has been removed and the concrete underneath is getting a fresh coat of paint. Actor Carson Turgeon has volunteered his time to spruce up a place he calls his home.

DA’s race not underway until 2020

While Jeff Davis voters will face a full ballot this fall, they will not see a district attorney’s race until next year.

Last week District Attorney Michael Cassidy announced he would not be seeking re-election in the 2020 race. In a press release, Cassidy confirmed that longtime Assistant District Attorney Kevin Millican had informally announced his plans to pursue the top seat.

City to purchase new truck for JFD

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The City of Jennings has allotted $530,000 for the purchase of a new tanker pumper unit for the fire department.

Fire Chief Bobby Vasseur said they are currently going through the process of getting specifications drawn up and getting equipment together.

“The new tanker pumper will replace one of our older trucks and allow us to move a second truck to a reserve position,” said Vasseur. “The estimated cost for both the truck and its equipment will be approximately $500,000.”

The new truck will be a combination unit with both tanker and pumper capabilities.

Learn to read your weeds

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Weeds can be a major pain for the home gardener. They compete for nutrients, water and light, and let’s face it, they’re just ugly. Summer days make growing easy for weeds. When some of our summer ornamental plants become stressed in the heat and extended periods of drought, weeds find it optimal, and they set up camp.

Weeds are really just any plant that is growing where we don’t want it to be. In school we were taught they are just a plant out of place.

Cattle producer conference set for Oct. 4-5

WEST MONROE —Beef cattle producers can hear from industry experts on how to add value to their operations at a stockmanship and stewardship conference on Oct. 4-5 at the Ike Hamilton Expo Center in West Monroe.

Supported by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the conference is sponsored regionally through a partnership with the LSU AgCenter, Southern University Ag Center and University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.

The conference is part of the Stockmanship and Stewardship 2019 regional tour featuring cattle experts Curt Pate, Ron Gill and others.

BULLDOGS AIMING FOR BOUNCE-BACK YEAR

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When speaking of high school football in Southwest Louisiana, Jennings High School (JHS) has indeed placed itself in the upper echelon of schools when it comes to building a program that has maintained stability over the course of time. As yet another group of Bulldogs prepare for the 2019 season, legendary JHS Head Coach Rusty Phelps also enters his 24th year at the school primed to continue the tradition that is Bulldog Football.

Lose the 2020 vision, focus on this year

This is a major election year yet it sometimes seems not everyone knows that. In 2020 Americans will once again decide on who will be the next president, so of course that race is already receiving incredible attention. As seen on page one of today’s edition, Jeff Davis residents are already wondering what its 2020 district attorney race will look like.

Smile! You’re on camera

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Jennings police are encouraging homeowners to purchase and install security cameras around properties to not only deter crime but also have available evidence should any crime occur. Just last month I went security camera shopping myself.

The real injustice of rapper Meek Mill’s saga

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Last week, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania (my old employer) ruled that rapper Meek Mill was entitled to a new trial on his 2008 drug conviction, the same conviction that kept him on probation for 11 years and dogged him all through his meteoric rise in the music industry.