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A Baton Rouge district court judge is scheduled to announce his ruling today (Wednesday, January 8) on whether one of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s signature education bills violates the state constitution. But in a surprise turn of events in late December, an attorney defending the controversial law noted that it is “flawed” and “imperfect.” 

 

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The employment figures for LaSalle Parish remained strong as the Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC) released civilian labor force data for the month of November 2013. LaSalle Parish’s unemployment rate dropped from4.7 percent in October to 4.3 percent in November 

 

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The annual “Christmas for Needy Children” raffle ticket fundraiser concluded on December 13 with the winner drawings at the Jena Wal-Mart Supercenter. Top ticket sellers are shown with APPLES program tutors and liaison at the drawing: front row (left to right) LaSalle Junior High top seller Hannah Couvillion, Nebo Elementary top seller Preston Webb, Jena Elementary top seller Adalynn Brinson and Good Pine Middle top seller Nicholas Pritchard and back row (l to r) Homeless Liaison Debbie McCartney, tutor Connie McCann, tutor Phyllis Alexander, tutor Rose Brown and tutor Emma Longmire 

 

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New laws enacted by the Louisiana Legislature during its 2013 regular session, which went into effect in August, deal with the way any taxing body conducts their meetings and/or call tax millage elections. Act No. 363 deals with the requirements of any non-elected board or commission that has the authority to levy a tax. 

 

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The “Christmas for Needy Children” raffle ticket fundraiser for the A.P.P.L.E.S. (Assistance Program for People in the La- Salle Parish Education System) program culminated on Friday, December 13th, as the winning tickets were drawn at the Jena Wal-Mart Supercenter. 

 

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Former Centennial Cultural Center (CCC) President Fern McKeithen dressed in old style clothing for a recent visit from Good Pine Middle fourth graders to the CCC. McKeithen told the students stories about traditions and daily life of the “old days” such as using a kerosene lamp, sharecropping, cooking over a wood-burning stove and about Mawmaw Nelly, her mother-in-law. Current CCC President Doug Hallmark (far left) cooked gingerbread over the stove with assistance from his daughter, Shawnda Pritt (center). “We’ve been doing the day of Mawmaw Nelly storytelling nearly a decade for area students but this is the first time we’ve had a group from Jena,” McKeithen said. “I love that the kids respond to it the way they do. We want to teach them to be thankful and to learn a good work ethic. Everything we do at the center has a purpose. My heart is for young people and this is all about them growing and making good decisions.”

 

Two LaSalle Parish schools collected top amounts of non-perishable goods in the seventh annual Suddenlink “Connecting to Those in Need” food drive for The Food Bank of Central Louisiana. In competition with schools from other parishes, LaSalle High School received first place ($500) in the high school division and Jena Junior High School received third ($100) in their respective division.

 

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Members of the LaSalle Parish Police Jury adopted their 2014 budget totaling just over $6.65 million at their regular December meeting held Monday night of last week after conducting a public hearing to receive comments on the budget. With no comments being received, either oral or written, jurors adopted the budget for the coming year 

 

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Jena High Student Michael Bowen blows a duck call he made as his classmates and his teacher, Russell Dorton, looks on during their visit to the LaSalle Parish School Board meeting last week. Dorton’s special education class were honored guests at the meeting to lead the pledge and showcase the duck calls the class is making as part of their community based training class. Dorton said the project has been really good for the students and he is very proud of them and their hard work. Shown in background is School Board/Superintendent Secretary Mary Brewer 

 

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Jena High School junior Bryttanye Erwin was chosen as the winner of the recent Most Beautiful Pageant, sponsored by the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) club at JHS. Bryttanye is the daughter of Ellis and Stacye Erwin of Jena. In the pageant, she represented the Anchor Club. 

 

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