News

GREYHOUND FEVER

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Welsh Greyhound supporters turned out to support their team in their matchup with Amite Friday for the Class 2A State Finals. Amite defeated the Greyhounds 47-20.

Gator Chateau project enters final phases

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The city’s favorite resident reptiles should have a brand new home by spring, as contractors are now working on the final phases of the Gator Chateau project.

The new 5,000-square-foot facility is located at the Louisiana Oil and Gas Park and will include an indoor area to hold baby alligators, a covered pond area for viewing larger alligators and a back deck viewing area, according to marketing director Dione Sabelhaus.

Last week the lining of the pond was installed, Sabelhaus said.

Ordinance prohibits vessel mooring, tying

LAKE ARTHUR - Officials here approved an ordinance this week that prohibits tying or mooring most vessels to the town park’s pier.

According to the ordinance, only pleasure boats may be tied to the structure. Vessels prohibited from tying or mooring include all other boats, barges and other floating objects. However, tying or mooring is allowed in the event of a life-threatening emergency.

Officials: Jail ‘substantially complete’

Parish officials say the new $9.4 million regional jail facility is now substantially complete.

The new Jeff Davis Sheriff’s Office (JDSO) jail facility is located on a 17.5-acre site off U.S. 90 west of Jennings. The facility includes a central control room, separate recreation yards for male and female inmates, isolation cells and a vehicular sally port.

While construction was originally planned to be completed by August, inclement weather and other delays put the project behind schedule.

GIVING AND RECEIVING

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Jeff Davis 4H Jr. Leaders gathered for their annual Christmas party this week, where members exchanged gifts and also collected and wrapped items to be given to residents at Southwest Louisiana Veterans Home.

Christmas trees need proper care

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When it comes to Christmas trees, you have two basic choices: living or artificial. Although artificial trees have their place, and manufacturers are producing some startlingly realistic versions, I’m going to focus on the living types, as you would expect in a gardening column.

Living Christmas trees can be further divided into those that are cut and those growing in pots. Let’s start off with cut trees.

Stayin’ alive

LaHouse to offer energy code verifiers, HVAC certification trainings in January

BATON ROUGE — The LSU AgCenter LaHouse Resource Center is offering two training and certification classes to help contractors, inspectors and prospective energy code verifiers meet or exceed Louisiana residential energy code requirements — and avoid common problems of homes in this hot, humid climate.

A Duct and Envelope Tightness (DET) Verifier certification class will be held January 8-9. The class is designed for those who seek certification to test and verify Louisiana energy code building and duct tightness requirements.

Arbor Day activities set for Jan. 19 at Botanic Gardens

BATON ROUGE — The 10th annual Arbor Day at Burden in the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens is scheduled for Jan. 19, 2019, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The event in the Barton Arboretum will offer visitors the opportunity to plant a native tree sapling to continue reforesting Burden Woods, which was damaged by Hurricane Gustav in 2008. People who plant trees will be provided with GPS locations so they can return and see their trees grow.

Other activities will include a scavenger hunt, children’s activities featuring harnessed tree-climbing, hayrides and more.

Hart steps down as Oscars host over his past anti-gay tweets

NEW YORK (AP) — Just two days after being named host of the Academy Awards, Kevin Hart stepped down following an outcry over past homophobic tweets by the comedian.

Capping a swift and dramatic fallout, Hart wrote on Twitter just after midnight Friday that he was withdrawing as Oscars host because he didn’t want to be a distraction. “I sincerely apologize to the LGBTQ community for my insensitive words from my past,” wrote Hart.

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