News

LaSalle Parish frontline medical personnel were the first to receive the new Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination last week as the state began the process of distributing 39,000 doses of the new vaccine.

Doctors and nurses at LaSalle General Hospital in Jena and Hardtner Medical Center in Urania were given priority by the state to be the first to be vaccinated.

Governor John Bel Edwards was at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans on Monday of last week where the first vaccine in the state was administered.

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The Federal Communications Commission has announced that an estimated 332,000 rural Americans living and working in Louisiana will gain access to high-speed broadband through the Commission’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Phase I auction, according to auction results released last week.

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The audit report for year ending June 30, 2020, was the main topic of discussion at the December meeting of the Tullos Town Council as CPA David Vercher presented the summary of the audit.

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The new offices for the Tullos Police Department was officially opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony last week. Taking part in the ceremony were LaSalle Parish Sheriff Scott Franklin, Senator Glen Womack, Representative Gabe Firment, Tullos Police Chief Scott Cockerham, Tullos Mayor Karla Cockerham and Council members Sonya Johnson and Dustin Jones.

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The Jena Town Council adopted the 2021 budget for the town during its regular December meeting held on Monday morning of this week, following a public hearing to receive comments on the proposed budget.

The budget totals $5,671,907.00 in revenue; $5,154,465.79 in operating expenses; and $727,939.00 in capital improvements, for a deficit of $210,497.79.

The general fund has $2,402,257.00 in revenue; $1,742,065.79 in operating expenses; and $659,439.00 in capital improvements.

The utility fund has $2,168,150.00 in revenue; $2,092,400.00 in operating expenses; and $68,500.00 in capital improvements.

The sales tax fund has $1,101,500.00 in revenue; $1,320,000.00 in operating expenses; and nothing in capital improvements.

Mayor Pro-Tem Tommy Sandifer presided at the meeting in the absence of Mayor LaDawn Edwards who is recovering from surgery and quarantined because of being exposed to Covid-19.

LaSalle Parish voters joined others in the 5th Congressional District to elect Luke Letlow of Start as new U.S. Representative to replace retiring Congressman Ralph Abraham, M.D. of Alto.

LaSalle voters also approved a half-cent sales tax for the LaSalle Parish Police Jury dedicated to the collection and disposal of garbage in the parish. In addition, voters overwhelmingly voted against a constitutional amendment, which would have allowed appointment of out-of-state residents to serve on public and postsecondary education board of supervisors.

Over the 5th Congressional District, Letlow received 49,182 votes, or 62-percent, against 30,l24 votes, or 38-percent for his runoff opponent, State Representative Lance Harris of Alexandria.

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Central Louisiana Technical Community College (CLTCC) and Louisiana State University of Alexandria (LSUA) are partnering to help students save money as they complete general education courses while ensuring hours earned count toward a four-year academic degree.

“We are very excited about this program and the ability to partner with LSUA to benefit students throughout Central Louisiana,” said CLTCC Chancellor James Sawtelle. “Under this unique program, students can complete their general education requirements at CLTCC for a single, significantly reduced flat rate and then have the opportunity to transfer those credits to LSUA and receive up to $2,000 a year in scholarship awards from LSUA.”

LSUA Chancellor Dr. Paul Coreil reiterated Sawtelle’s sentiments.

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It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Jena and LaSalle Parish. Matthew Mitcham, with the Jena town maintenance crew, puts up a Christmas decoration in downtown Jena last Friday morning. Other decorations went up in town that day, and other towns and communities are decorated for the holidays. Many community wide Christmas events have been canceled but residents are beginning to get into the Christmas Spirit. No doubt, this Christmas and New Years will be unlike any ever witnessed, but citizens are looking forward to the end of 2020, and the beginning of a new year, which hopefully will be much brighter.

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Officials with the LaSalle Sheriff’s Office are asking taxpayers to mail their tax payments

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Property tax statements for parish and municipal taxes arrived in property owners’ mailboxes during the past week. Usually the notices are mailed in early to mid-November. Both parish and property taxes are due by Thursday, December 31, 2020.

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