Journal Services Staff

Thanksgiving has always been more than a holiday. It is a pause button placed firmly near the end of the year—a reminder that despite the speed, noise, and pressure of modern life, there are some things too important to neglect. Chief among them is family.

In a world that constantly pushes us toward the next deadline, the next notification, the next obligation, Thanksgiving invites us to slow down long enough to truly see the people in front of us. It reminds us that our connections with one another are not distractions from life—they are life. The table we gather around, the conversations we share, and the traditions we pass from one generation to the next form the foundation of who we are and who we hope to be.

For many families, this year has not been easy. Economic uncertainty, rising costs, health challenges, and the lingering strain of national division have all taken their toll. Yet Thanksgiving teaches us that even in difficult seasons, gratitude can anchor us. It helps us focus not on what is missing, but on what remains: love, loyalty, shared memories, and the people who continue to stand by us even when the world feels unsteady.

Putting family first does not require grand gestures. It can be as simple as setting our phones aside for a few hours, listening without distraction, or offering a sincere thank-you to someone who quietly keeps everything running. It means showing up—with patience, with kindness, and with a willingness to forgive the small imperfections that every family carries. It means recognizing that time is precious, that moments are fleeting, and that the relationships around us deserve our best attention, not just our leftover energy.

This Thanksgiving, let us choose to be fully present. Let us remember that family is not defined solely by blood, but by commitment, compassion, and the people who walk beside us through every season. Let us honor the elders who shaped us, encourage the children who are watching us, and embrace those who may be feeling the weight of the holidays more than they want to admit.

Above all, let us make the conscious choice to put family first—not just on Thanksgiving Day, but throughout the year ahead. Because long after the dishes are washed and the leftovers are gone, it is our bonds with one another that will sustain us, steady us, and shape the stories we pass down.

May this Thanksgiving bring warmth to your home, peace to your heart, and a renewed appreciation for the people who make your life meaningful.

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Vernon Parish authorities are renewing their request for information in the twelve-year-old homicide of Danny Holt, whose death on November 23, 2013, remains an open case.

Deputies were dispatched at about 10 a.m. that morning after a woman called 911 and reported that her boyfriend had committed suicide inside a residence on Section Line Road. Investigators later identified the caller as Holt’s live-in girlfriend.

According to deputies, the witness stated that she and Holt had been arguing just before he placed a .22-caliber rifle under his chin and pulled the trigger. Forensic analysis later determined that Holt had not shot himself. Evidence confirmed he was shot in the back of the head from a short distance.

Investigators reported that the girlfriend was seated in front of Holt at the time of the shooting, giving her a clear line of sight to where the shooter would have been positioned. Despite the findings, the witness has continued to maintain that Holt died by suicide, a claim investigators say contradicts the physical evidence.

Deputies stated that the witness has been uncooperative and has declined to identify the person responsible. The woman has also affirmed that she and Holt were alone in the home at the time of his death. Early in the investigation, she obtained legal representation, and her attorney instructed law enforcement to cease contact, preventing further interviews. Under Louisiana law, withholding information in this circumstance does not constitute obstruction of justice.

Holt, described by his family as a devoted father, son and brother, was killed before his mother passed away, leaving her without answers about what happened. Investigators said Holt’s family continues to seek the truth and deserves closure.

Anyone with information related to Holt’s death is asked to contact the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office at 337-238-1311.

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Louisiana drivers are finally seeing relief after years of some of the highest auto insurance premiums in the nation. More than 20 insurers have filed rate decreases in 2025, with new reductions taking effect in December.

Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple announced November 21 that the declines are a direct result of Governor Jeff Landry’s 2025 tort and insurance reform package—considered the most sweeping legal reform effort in state history.

Major Carriers Cutting Rates

Several top insurers have already secured approval for significant decreases:

• Encompass Insurance (National General program): 15% reduction for 1,516 customers, effective Dec. 8.

• Allstate Insurance: 8.1% reduction for standard policies and 6% for non-standard policies, impacting 10,333 policyholders beginning Dec. 16.

Other major carriers—including GEICO, State Farm, Progressive, Liberty Mutual, and Louisiana Farm Bureau—have filed similar decreases throughout the year.

Why This Matters for Louisiana

The 2025 reform package included 27 bills aimed at reducing excessive litigation and improving regulatory oversight. Key changes include:

• Comparative Fault Update: Plaintiffs barred from recovery if 51% or more at fault.

• “No Pay, No Play” Expansion: Uninsured drivers now face a $100,000 threshold for bodily injury and property damage before they can recover.

• Collateral Source Rule Revision: Plaintiffs may recover only actual paid medical costs—not inflated billed amounts.

• Commissioner Oversight: New authority to reject excessive rate hikes and increase transparency.

• Removal of the Housley Presumption: Requires medical evidence to link injuries directly to accidents.

State officials say these reforms target Louisiana’s historically high litigation rates—nearly triple the national average for bodily injury claims.

Looking Ahead

The rate decreases now appearing across the market indicate that the reforms are gaining traction. More carriers are expected to file downward adjustments through 2026 as Louisiana works to stabilize auto insurance costs for families and businesses across North Louisiana.

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Christian Living Fellowship reported that more than 200 turkeys were given out on Nov. 22 as part of the church’s annual community outreach effort.

Church leaders thanked members for volunteering their time to assist with the distribution and for helping support local families ahead of the holiday weekend.

The church also held its annual Thanksgiving service on Sunday, followed by a free gumbo lunch open to all attendees.

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The Vernon Parish Police Jury announced that its offices will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday beginning Wednesday, November 26, 2025. All offices will reopen on Monday, December 1, 2025.

Officials extended well wishes to residents across the parish, encouraging everyone to enjoy a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday.

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The Joint Transportation, Highways, & Public Works Committee will conduct a legislative public hearing on Tuesday, Dec. 2 at 2:30 p.m. The purpose of the hearing – commonly referred to as the annual DOTD Road Show – is to review the highway construction priorities for the fiscal year 2026-2027.

Location:

Pineville City Hall
Council Meeting Room
910 Main Street
Pineville, LA 71360

District 08 (Avoyelles, Grant, Natchitoches, Rapides, Sabine, Vernon, & Winn Parishes)

Each DOTD District will be hosting its own Road Show to allow legislators, other elected officials, DOTD representatives and the general public to discuss and obtain information about construction projects in the preliminary FY 2026-2027 Highway Priority Program and how those projects will affect each area of the state.

All those interested are invited to attend the Road Show and will be afforded an opportunity to express their views.

Oral testimony may be supplemented by presenting important facts and documentation in writing. Written statements and comments should be handed to the committee conducting the hearing, or mailed to the following address, postmarked within 45 calendar days following the hearing:

Joint Transportation, Highways, & Public Works Committee
C/O LA DOTD (Section 45)
P.O. Box 94245
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9245

To read more information about planned construction projects for District 08 in the preliminary FY 26-27 Highway Priority Program, go online to bit.ly/4ohVkUj.

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Sports has been a huge part of my life, especially when it comes to baseball and football. I’ve always taken pride in the fact that I never used any form of performance-enhancing drugs to play at a high level. In my mind, this would be a form of cheating, and I made a conscious choice to never be a part of that culture of athletes.

I saw first-hand how some athletes abused and became victims of decisions and choices they made. It was a huge eye-opening experience my first spring training with the Montreal Expos organization as I saw how many players were using enhancers to perform at a high level.

I saw the organization basically turn a blind eye to what players were doing to become better. Oh, it was no secret, and most players did not try and hide what they were using as it was on full display in their lockers. It was just another form of cheating!

Cheating has now become rampant in the tournament bass fishing world. It seems that in every tournament, someone breaks a rule, fails a polygraph test and gets disqualified.

In the past three years, it has gotten worse — from professional anglers getting caught to amateur anglers trying to win specialty events like big bass tournaments. What happened to the days of anglers going out and fishing with honesty and following the rules?

Why has there been such a surge in anglers’ cheating? The first answer is probably the amount of money tournaments are putting up. Even the lower levels of MLF (Major League Fishing) and the B.A.S.S. organizations have anglers fishing for hundreds of thousands of dollars and opportunities to advance up the ladder of professional bass fishing.

Even big bass events have anglers fishing for over $100,000 for catching one fish! Like anything else, when there’s a lot of money on the line, it seems to bring out the worst in people. Just like in any form of criminal activity, just follow the money.

Some anglers will say that there are just too many rules. We all know that the more rules you have in any sport, the more that must be enforced. This makes a bass tournament director’s job even more difficult.

So how do we hit the reset button and get anglers to find their moral compass and follow the rules? I’m not sure we can put the genie back into the bottle, as our society in general has so many people with no morals who will do whatever they can in order to win or get ahead in life.

I think the first course of action must be making the punishment fit the crime. Organizations must come down harder on these individuals who think it’s OK to cheat! Guidelines need to be established for the severity of the rule or rules that have been violated.

We aren’t looking for anyone to go before the firing squad, but suspending anglers for the entire season would be a great start. The harder you come down on these anglers, the more they will think twice about cheating.

Maybe we need to go the legal route, as cheating in a bass tournament is considered fraud. By making a few examples with prosecution, it will probably make others think twice about bending the rules.

These are sad times we live in and it’s a shame we have so many anglers that think it’s OK to cheat. This is one of many reasons why tournament participation is down nationwide. But with more severe punishment, maybe we can reset the course of tournament bass fishing.

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My friend bought her daughter a car. Not a fancy one—no heated seats, no moonroof, no button that launches it into orbit. Just a good ol’ reliable vehicle to get her from dorm room to dining room and back again for those sacred college holidays like Thanksgiving, when students return home to eat, sleep, and pretend they still remember how to do laundry.

One day, the daughter had a flat tire. No big deal—she had AAA on speed dial, right next to “Mom” and “Pizza.” She called the flat tire hotline and waited for the cavalry. The AAA guy showed up, popped the trunk, checked under the mat, looked in the glove box, maybe even peeked under the seats. No spare tire. No jack. No tools. Just a lot of empty space and one very confused roadside technician.

Cue the anguished phone call to Mom: “Mom! There’s no spare tire! I’m stranded! The car is broken! The dealership sold us a lemon! I’m going to die here next to the Chick-fil-A!”

Now, I know this mom. She’s articulate. She’s passionate. She’s fluent in “colorful metaphors.” I’ve heard her use her big girl words before, and let’s just say she doesn’t need a thesaurus when she’s fired up.

She called the dealership and unleashed a verbal tsunami. Somewhere in the background, I imagine the receptionist ducking under the desk and whispering, “It’s her. The metaphor lady.”

Just as Mom was winding up for Round Two, the dealership guy calmly asked, “Ma’am, is your daughter’s car a 2023 model?”
 “Yes,” she snapped.
 “Well,” he said, “that car comes with run-flat tires. You can drive up to 50 miles on a flat. There’s no spare because you don’t need one.”

Silence.
 Then a dial tone.
 I don’t think Mom apologized. I think she just hung up and prayed the Holy Spirit would interpret her sighs.

 

Now, I’m grateful this wasn’t my story. But let’s be honest—I drive cars with spare tires. I think. I mean, I assume they’re in there somewhere. Probably under the mysterious carpet flap in the trunk next to the ancient granola bar and the rogue umbrella. Maybe I should check.

But this story made me laugh. It reminded me that sometimes we panic before we understand. We yell before we read the manual. We assume the worst before we remember that God might’ve already built in a solution.

And that brings me to Thanksgiving. It’s almost here. Can you believe how fast this year flew by? I blinked and it was Advent again. I’m thankful for so much—especially for you, dear reader. You’ve prayed for us, encouraged us, and shared stories that have become sermons, devotionals, and the occasional punchline.

I’m thankful for my church family, my neighbors, and the beautiful traffic chaos of life in Ruston, Louisiana. I’m thankful for the characters in my life—especially the ones who call me with flat tire emergencies and teach me new vocabulary.

So, this Thanksgiving, take a moment. Look at life through grateful eyes. Even the flat tires. Even the missing spares. Even the run-flat moments when you realize God’s grace lets you keep going, even when you feel deflated.

Thank you for being part of the ride. And if you’re wondering whether your car has a spare… maybe check before you call Mom.

Doug de Graffenried is the Senior Pastor of Trinity Methodist Church in Ruston, Louisiana. You can reach Doug at his email: DougDeGraffenried

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Waste Connections issued an update outlining its adjusted schedule for the Thanksgiving holiday.

All operations will be shut down on Thursday, Nov. 27 in observance of the holiday. Normal Friday routes are scheduled to run as usual on Friday morning.

Collection for Thursday’s route will take place on Monday, with all subsequent routes running one day behind throughout the week. The schedule will return to normal on Friday.

Officials stated the adjustment allows trucks to be emptied on Friday and ensures regular service can resume Monday morning.

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In the summer of 2021, a new neighbor moved into what had been a peaceful mobile home park in Coon Rapids, Minnesota, a suburb just north of Minneapolis. Until then, the residents of the mobile home park held regular barbecues and other outdoor gatherings when the cold Minnesota weather allowed. Their kids played outside and walked to and from the bus stop without the slightest hint of hesitation. The trailer park residents got along well with each other. That all changed when the new neighbor moved in.

The new neighbor was a bully who victimized the residents of the mobile home park. The bully chased them, taunted them, and sometimes attacked them. The residents were unable to relax even when they were inside their own homes because the bully peaked through their windows and made sounds that they said became terrifying to them. One day, 41-year-old Rachael Gross was carrying her groceries from her car to her home when the bully dropped down from her roof and knocked her to the ground.

During the struggle that followed, the bully ripped her jacket before Rachael was able to escape into her house. Her groceries lay scattered on her front lawn. The bully even followed Rachael to the nearby nursing home where she worked and to her favorite local restaurant. Each time, Rachael rushed inside to safety. The bully always stopped just shy of following her in. During another attack, Rachael slung water from her water bottle onto the bully. The shock from the water gave her just enough time to get inside before the bully ran back toward her. After numerous attacks, Rachael and her neighbors began to carry sticks, brooms, golf clubs, and baseball bats anytime they went outside. Rachael and her neighbors called the authorities on several occasions, but the bully continued to terrorize the neighborhood.

Because Rachael was most often the target of the bully, her neighbors began to suspect that she was somehow helping him despite her emphatic denials.

Rachael felt trapped. She said, “I’m pretty stressed out and pretty anxious all the time. I can’t even have peace. I’m so exhausted. I hope this gets a solution and somebody comes to help so I don’t have to deal with this anymore, and so that we can all have a peaceful summer with our kids and our grandkids and actually have a barbecue and just relax.” Summer turned into fall and there was no relief from the bully.

Parents had to walk their kids to and from the bust stop armed with a variety of weapons. The kids used their backpacks as shields. The neighborhood cancelled all of their usual outside activities including trick-or-treating at Halloween. For two years, the residents of the trailer park lived in fear of the bully. In the fall of 2023, reports of the bullying ended. Rumors persist that someone in the mobile home park murdered the bully. Perhaps they were all involved in the murder conspiracy. Some of the rumors go as far as to say that there is no evidence to be found because the residents ate the bully during a Thanksgiving celebration. The new neighbor which plagued that mobile home park was a wild turkey. Happy Thanksgiving!

Sources:

1. Kirsten Mitchell, “‘This turkey has literally taken over our life’: Wild turkey terrorizing neighbors in Coon Rapids,” CBS News, January 21, 2023, accessed November 16, 2025, https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/wild-turkey-terrorizing-neighbors-in-coon-rapids/.

2. The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa), March 5, 2023, p.5M.

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British archaeologist Howard Carter knelt before a newly uncovered doorway deep in the Valley of the Kings on November 26, 1922. With trembling hands, he peered through a small hole, held up a candle, and saw what he would later describe as “wonderful things.”

Moments earlier, Carter and his team had broken the seal to the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun — a 3,000-year-old resting place untouched by grave robbers. Inside were chariots, gilded shrines, jewelry, and the solid gold coffin of the boy king.

Carter’s discovery, funded by British nobleman Lord Carnarvon, became an international sensation. Newspapers worldwide splashed photographs of glittering treasures and mysterious hieroglyphs, sparking “Egyptomania” across the West.

Beyond the headlines, the find transformed archaeology. Tutankhamun’s tomb offered an unprecedented glimpse into Egypt’s 18th Dynasty, revealing burial rituals, art, and craftsmanship of extraordinary sophistication.

The work of cataloging and preserving the artifacts took a decade. Even today, much of Carter’s meticulous documentation guides modern Egyptologists.

November 26, 1922, remains a defining date in archaeological history — the day the modern world reconnected with one of antiquity’s most famous rulers, and when “wonderful things” reignited humanity’s fascination with ancient Egypt.

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Willie Sue Gosnell
Services held on Nov. 23

Antoinette R. Williams
Services held on Nov. 25

Dale Lee Willis Sr.
Saturday, November 29, 2025 at 1:00 P.M. at Labby Memorial Funeral Home in Leesville

Vernon Parish Journal publishes paid obituaries – unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $95. Contact your funeral provider or vpjnewsla@gmail.com. Must be paid in advance of publication. (Notice of Deaths shown above are FREE of charge. You may email them to vpjnewsla@gmail.com).

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The Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office announced it is actively investigating items sold during an event at Reeves Auction and Livestock in Reeves, Louisiana, on or around November 15, 2025.

Investigators are seeking to identify individuals who may have purchased specific items during the auction. Officials said the information could be important to the progress of the ongoing inquiry.

The items of interest include:

• Two-barrel saddles
• Coca-Cola collection, including a fan and glassware
• Summit climbing stand
• Champion generator
• 28-inch Maxxis ATV tires

Anyone who acquired these items during the auction and believes they may have information relevant to the investigation is asked to contact Detective Sullivan at the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office at 337-238-1311.

Authorities said cooperation from the public is appreciated as they continue their efforts in the case.

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Sheriff Sam Craft of the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office announces recent arrests made by VPSO.

November 17, 2025

Douglas John Juneau II, age 47, of Pineville, was arrested on an outstanding Bench Warrant. Bond was set at $ 2500.00 and Juneau remains in the VPSO jail.

November 19, 2025

Craig Hopkins, age 56, of Leesville, was arrested and charged with one count of Distribution of Marijuana, one count of Distribution of Cocaine, one count of Distribution of a Schedule III Narcotic, one count of Obstruction of Justice – Evidence Tampering, one count of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, one count of Resisted an Officer, one count of Licensee to have License in Immediate Possession, one count of Turning Movements and Required Signals, ad one count of Speeding. Bond has been set at $204,667. Hopkins remains in the VPSO jail.

Brett Chebon Washington II, age 30, of Sugarland, Texas, was arrested on an out of jurisdiction warrant from Kerr County, Texas. Washington remains in the VPSO jail awaiting extradition to the State of Texas.

ALL PERSONS ARE PRESUMED INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY IN A COURT OF LAW.

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Vernon Parish District Attorney Terry Lambright reports the conviction of James Joseph Karlson, 54 of New Llano, of first-degree rape with a victim under the age of 13. The trial of Karlson began on Nov. 17 in the 30th Judicial District Court before the Honorable Judge C. Anthony Eaves. Jurors began hearing testimony on Nov. 18 and the jury received the case for consideration on Nov. 20. The jurors returned a verdict of guilty of first-degree rape, with a victim under the age of 13, after less than 30 minutes of deliberation.

“The facts of this case were very disturbing and difficult,” said Lambright. “I want to thank the victim and the victim’s family in this case for working with our office to get this case to trial. I also wish to thank the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Rapides Children’s Advocacy Center for the very professional work done in this investigation.”

Karlson will be sentenced to serve life in prison with the Louisiana Department of Corrections without the benefit of probation or parole based on his conviction. This case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Ronald Seastrunk.

“I want to thank Mr. Seastrunk for all of his hard work in preparing and prosecuting this case,” said Lambright. “Cases of this nature are very emotional not only for the victims and their families but everyone in the judicial process to include the jurors. My office will continue to work hard every day to protect the people of Vernon Parish and do everything within my authority to remove those individuals who pose a threat.”

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BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA — The Preamble to the Constitution of the State of Louisiana states, “We, the people of Louisiana,…desiring to protect individual rights to life, liberty, and property;…do ordain and establish this constitution. Article 1, Declaration of Rights, declares the origin and purpose of Government by stating, “All government, of right, originates with the people, is founded on their will alone, and is instituted to protect the rights of the individual and for the good of the whole.  Its only legitimate ends are to secure justice for all, preserve peace, protect the rights, and promote the happiness and general welfare of the people. The rights enumerated in this Article are inalienable by the state and shall be preserved inviolate by the state. “ 

The LA Constitution is the will of the people and therefore the foundation of authority for the Louisiana Government. This constitution both grants power and restricts power. It’s ultimate aim in granting and restricting power is to form a government which the principle purpose, “only legitimate ends” is to protect the rights of men, of these rights, the most basic are Life, Liberty and Property. Any action taken by any branch of our government which violates our Constitution and abridges these rights must be challenged and declared unlawful.

Beginning in 2020, the Louisiana Legislature passed a series of special laws granting special privileges to private companies engaged in the carbon capture and sequestration industry. Through these special laws, the Legislature stripped Louisiana citizens of their Constitutional protections against expropriation of private property by non-utility service providing private companies for private gain. In these special laws, the Legislature granted the power of eminent domain to private companies in violation of Constitutional guarantees and protections, in particular, the right to Property. It is our firm position that these special laws are in violation of the LA Constitution, specifically Article 1, Sections 1, 2, and 4, Article 3, Sec 12 as well as additional sections. 

Today, our organization, Save My Louisiana, a citizen organization dedicated to safeguarding the fundamental rights and public safety of the citizens of Louisiana has exercised our right to petition our government for corrective action of what we believe to be unconstitutional law. We are petitioning the Judicial Branch to review these laws and establish that they are indeed in violation of the Constitution of Louisiana and that they be struck from the law thereby restoring Louisianaian’s fundamental Right to Property. 

Prior to filing this petition today, our organization petitioned members of the Legislature and the Governor to correct this egregious and overt trampling of Constitutional guarantees and protections. As the fact of our standing here today testifies, neither Legislators nor the Governor have taken acceptable corrective action in response to our concerns. 

Legislators have offered excuses for this massive failure stating that they either didn’t read or understand the bills that created this situation yet still they voted for them. It was not until this organization and others like it discovered this treachery of negligence that Legislators began “working” to correct the situation. Although Legislators seek full forgiveness for their negligence, they have only offered anemic half-measures to correct their whole measure offense. Their actions seem more like threading a needle to placate citizens with a false sense of security while protecting the carbon capture and sequestration industry’s “right” to exercise eminent domain. They also continue to deceive citizens that no eminent domain danger exists. The problem with their statements is that RS 19, Sec 2, paragraph 10 and 11 and RS 30:1108, A(1) states “Any storage operator is hereby authorized…to exercise the power of eminent domain and expropriate needed property to acquire surface and subsurface rights and property interests necessary…”. The authorization to utilize the power of eminent domain for the carbon capture and sequestration industry is still in full force. 

The Governor’s response to our petition was to issue an executive order, which, in part cited a “Landowner Bill of Rights for Geological Sequestration Projects” as created by the same laws the Legislature neglectfully passed. The problem with this approach is that Louisiana citizens already have Constitutional guarantees to property which are far more restrictive. New laws can make the taking of property more restrictive but in no case less restrictive than the Constitution.

So here we are today, having been woefully disappointed by both the legislative and executive branches, we are now petitioning our remaining branch of government for redress of our grievance. These special laws created by the Legislature exceeding it’s authorized powers and ignored by the Governor are unconstitutional and this petition before the court will prove that fact to be the case. 

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The City of Leesville has received one of the strongest financial audits in its history, placing the municipality in what auditors describe as outstanding condition. The annual audit, presented this week, showed no compliance issues, a completely clean unmodified opinion, and financial reserves that far exceed national benchmarks.

According to Burton Kolder CPA, whose firm performs 35 to 40 municipal audits each year, the results speak for themselves. “Whoever takes over this city is going to be taking over a city that’s in great shape,” Kolder said during the presentation.

The report highlighted a steady upward trend since 2021. Each year the city has increased its financial stability, its operating reserves and its ability to fund essential services without strain.

One of the most striking figures is the city’s current operating equity. Leesville now has 559 days of reserves in the bank. That equals 18.6 months of operating revenue even if every income source suddenly stopped. For comparison, the national standard for cities is roughly sixty days. Leesville has nearly nine times that amount.

Financial performance in the most recent fiscal year also exceeded expectations. Revenues came in 3.15 percent higher than projected while expenses finished 9.07 percent below what was budgeted. This strong combination in the year ended June 30, 2025 and from the operating results in previous years, enabled the City of Leesville to have a true cash surplus of about 19.2 million dollars at June 30, 2025. The city has also consistently increased its days of surplus operations every year since 2021.

The audit also pointed to higher spending on repairs and improvements to public infrastructure. Roads, water systems and public facilities saw increased investment. These upgrades were completed while the city still operated under budget. The water and sewer system in particular continues to show a healthy operating margin with revenue outperforming costs, a challenge for many municipalities across Louisiana.

Kolder noted that out of all the audits his firm conducts for cities across the state, Leesville’s stands out as one of the strongest. With rising reserves, responsible budgeting and no compliance problems, the city is entering the next fiscal year in a position of exceptional strength.

City officials say the results reflect years of careful planning and financial discipline. The audit confirms that Leesville is not only stable but thriving and prepared for future growth.

NOTE: The official audit report for FY 2024-25 will not be published until it has been presented during the City Council meeting on December 8, 2025.

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Vernon Parish Sheriff Sam Craft addressed the 97th Session Graduating Class of the Alexandria Regional Police Academy, where three Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies completed their training.

Deputy Jeffery Townson Jr., Deputy Gavin Hicks, and Deputy Tristen Welch were among the graduates recognized during the ceremony.

Sheriff Craft congratulated the new officers and the entire graduating class on their accomplishment and wished them success as they begin their service in law enforcement.

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Anyone knowing the whereabouts of the Loan and Security Agreements and Disclosure Statement as outlined be, we need to hear from you:

DATE: On or About 07/20/2021
EXECUTED BY: Ryan J. Yeagley
AMOUNT: $24,764.00
In Favor of: La Capitol Federal Credit Union

If you have any knowledge or know the whereabouts, please contact Attorney Sharon Whitlow at 225-217-0060

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Vernon Parish School District has once again been recognized among Louisiana’s top-performing school systems, earning an Academic A rating with an SPS score of 93.4 for the 2024–2025 school year.

Superintendent James Williams released the following statement celebrating the achievement and the collective effort behind it:

“Vernon Parish has a long-standing tradition of academic excellence, and our 2024-2025 Academic A rating (SPS 93.4) continues to be a direct result of the determination and growth mind-set of our district leadership team, administrators, teachers, students, parents, and support personnel. With the 1.3-point growth from the prior year, Vernon remains among the top 10 districts in the state. Our focus for 2025-2026 is GROWTH!”

The district plans to continue building on this momentum as it prepares for the upcoming academic year.

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A Vernon Parish student was among those honored during Northwestern State University’s fall induction ceremony for Phi Beta Delta, the international scholars honor society.

Shae Wetzel of Pitkin was inducted as part of the Eta Mu chapter’s 2024 class and was also named the chapter’s first student vice president, marking a notable achievement for the Vernon Parish community.
Wetzel joined fellow inductees Santiago Tobon Cardona and Maria Camilla Valencia Gonzalez of Pereira, Colombia; Salome Aristizabal Aguirre of Santa Rosa de Cabal, Colombia; Tatiana Wing Lam Wu of Cartagena, Colombia; and Katherine Clary, Angee Mariana Bedoya Rivera and Shakera Williams, all of Natchitoches.

Phi Beta Delta promotes international education, recognizes high academic performance and encourages a global perspective among university students, faculty and staff. NSU’s Eta Mu chapter supports this mission through lectures, study abroad panels and scholarships for students seeking academic and cultural experiences abroad.

Founded in 1986, Phi Beta Delta is the first honor society dedicated to honoring scholarly achievement in international education, with chapters across the world fostering global understanding and academic excellence.

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