News

The annual Jena Christmas parade will be held this Friday, December 9, beginning at 6 p.m., with Acting UP Director and long-time Jena High educator Mike Adams, serving as Grand Marshal. The Jena Merchants Association and Colonial Trails, sponsors of the event, have announced the theme of the parade this year: “It’s a Magical Christmas.”

The parade will line up in the Jena Town Park and start promptly at 6 p.m., going onto U.S. 84 from Sycamore Street, traveling west through downtown Jena, turning north on First Street (LA 127) and ending at Elm Street.

Marty LaCaze with Tudor, Inc. was in the old Strand Theater building in Jena last week taking measurements of the ceiling area as the company gets ready to begin the renovation work on the facility. At their November meeting, the Jena Town Council authorized Mayor LaDawn Edwards to sign a contract with Tudor, Inc. for the renovation project, which will restore the theater building back to its original condition, and provide unique opportunities for theater productions, banquets, and other events in the 75-year-old building.

This Saturday is Election Day in LaSalle Parish with polls opening at 7 a.m. and remaining open until 8 p.m., according to LaSalle Clerk of Court Steve D. Andrews, Chief Election Officer for the parish.

“The most important decision facing voters on Saturday is the selection of a U.S. Senator for Louisiana to replace Sen. David Vitter, who chose not to seek re-election,” Andrews said.

Pearl Harbor bombed 75 years ago, today!

Today, December 7, marks exactly 75 years since the Japanese surprised the United States of America with the bombing of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii; a day President Franklin D. Roosevelt would describe the following day before a joint session of Congress in declaring war upon Japan as, “a date which will live in infamy.”

The attack on Pearl Harbor would thrust the United States into World War II against Japan, Germany, and Italy but that date, December 7, 1941, is one that is remembered by all those still living today, much like the day President John Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas on November 22, 1963 and the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Early voting for the December 10th runoff election began last Saturday, November 26, and will run through this Saturday, Dec. 3rd, according to LaSalle Registrar of Voters Angie Sandifer.

Mail-out ballots have been sent out and those wishing to cast an early ballot in person may do so at the Registrar of Voters’ office, across the street from the LaSalle Parish Courthouse, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Momentous leap - DPS score 104.6

The LaSalle Parish School District is one of only 16 districts in the state to receive a grade of “A” and is ranked 10th in the state - the first time in LaSalle’s history to receive the distinction since the state started grading districts under the new format in 1997.

The 2015-2016 Student Performance Scores were released right before the Thanksgiving break by the Louisiana Department of Education and LaSalle officials couldn’t be more proud of how the district ranked.