November 2021

Residents urged to shop locally

While holiday shoppers anticipate the upcoming department sales for Black Friday, consumers are reminded to keep small businesses in Jeff Davis Parish in mind while looking for the perfect Christmas gift this year.

Jeff Davis Economic Development CEO Creed Romano encourages shoppers to support their local economy by supporting local businesses.

Parks promote quality of life

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The success of a city’s parks doesn’t always necessarily translate to a dollar amount directly, however, it can be critical to the health and happiness of its citizens.

Parks provide a vital green space for everyone to enjoy. They offer youth a healthy outlet of play and adults a place to exercise or gather with family and friends.

AgCenter accepting entries for 2023 Get It Growing calendar

BATON ROUGE — Got an eye for photography? The LSU AgCenter wants your best shots of lawns, gardens, flowers, trees and vegetables.

Faculty at the AgCenter are beginning to put together the 2023 edition of the popular Get It Growing calendar. They’re seeking high-quality photos from across Louisiana to illustrate the publication, which features seasonal gardening advice and horticultural how-to articles.

Dorothy Hymel Fletcher

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LAKE ARTHUR — Funeral services for Mrs. Dorothy Hymel Fletcher, 93, were held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021, in Miguez Funeral Home Chapel in Lake Arthur, with Rev. Craig Davis officiating. Burial will follow in Lakeview Cemetery under the direction of Miguez Funeral Home.

Visitation was held Saturday from 9:30 a.m. until the time of service.

Mrs. Fletcher passed away at 12:48 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021, in Jennings American Legion Hospital.

She was born March 26, 1928, in Lake Arthur to Richard and Eucrelia Richard Hymel.

Support local businesses without spending a dime

Jennings is a city that is packed with fantastic local businesses.

There are ways we can support our small businesses without spending a dime.

According to the New York Times, in the early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic, consumers buoyed small businesses with gift card purchases and online fundraising campaigns. But as the pandemic persisted and restrictions constrained operating hours, many independent businesses continue to struggle.

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,

We live in a small town and I never could understand why we can’t respect each other and see eye to eye as human beings. I came to the conclusion that it’s always been about which side of the tracks you live on. We’re going into 2022 and it hasn’t changed. We still have two sets of laws. Depending on your parents’ and grandparents’ status in the community, you could be either judged or given a second chance.

AUDUBON ZOO WELCOMES RESCUED YOUNG JAGUAR

(AP) — The New Orleans Audubon Zoo has taken in a 7-month-old female jaguar that was rescued from wildlife trafficking, zoo officials announced.

The jaguar was rescued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums then asked the New Orleans zoo to care for it because it already has the experience and equipment to house jaguars. The zoo received the jaguar on Oct. 14

New rice mill breaks ground

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LACASSINE — State and local officials were on hand Thursday for the groundbreaking of the Southwest Louisiana Rail Facility’s new rice mill in Lacassine, which is expected to open up new global markets to area rice farmers.

The state-of-the-art $21 million rice milling facility is being built on threeacres of land at the Lacassine Industrial Park.

Gov. John Bel Edwards and Commissioner of Agriculture Mark Strain were the keynote speakers.

Magnetic Personalities

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Blazers 4-H Club members Tripp and Zoe Watkins (above) and Molly Labauve (right) enjoy projects exploring electromagnetic activity at a recent Submitted photos

La. starts mapping infrastructure spending

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Members of Congress are still bickering over the wisdom of passing a $1 trillion infrastructure package, but Louisiana lawmakers and state officials have moved to developing plans for spending the influx of cash for roads, bridges, coastal protection, broadband internet and more.