By KEVIN SHANNAHAN

Rapides Parish and central Louisiana posted an impressive economic win as Ucore Rare Metals, Inc. hosted a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday for its Louisiana Strategic Metals Complex at England Airpark.

Ucore CEO Pat Ryan was joined by his leadership team, representatives from Louisiana’s Congressional delegation, leaders of England Airpark, representatives of the U.S. Department of Defense, and other dignitaries. Officials from Louisiana Economic Development and various central Louisiana governmental agencies and elected officials were joined by leaders from the Rapides Chamber of Commerce as well as Alexandria Mayor Jacques Roy in turning over the first shovels of dirt.

The 80,800-square foot facility will be refining rare earth oxides from rare earth concentrates sourced from U.S.-friendly countries around the world. The raw materials will arrive at the port of New Orleans and be shipped to England Air Park in one-ton sacks. UCORE will then refine the concentrates using its patented Rapid SX process and extract the various rare earth metals.

The facility is projected to produce 11,000 tons of rare earth oxides each year. The complex is expected to produce over 100 direct jobs and approximately 298 indirect jobs. Alexandria’s Ratcliff Construction was selected to build the facility’s infrastructure within the existing former warehouse.

These metals are absolutely essential in a modern economy. They are critical components in everything from cell phones to electronics, lasers and petroleum refining, to name a few applications. They are also essential components in many systems essential to our military and national security.

Presently, the vast majority of the world’s supply of rare earth metals are produced in communist China, making the USA vulnerable to stoppages. The Louisiana Rare Earth Element Processing Facility is a key early step providing America with a future free of foreign leverage in this critical area.

Oak Hill Fire Department has released its data relating to calls made between May 15 and May 26.

Traffic Hazard – 2
Medical – 11
Accident – 1
Battery – 1
Alarm – 1
Fire Alarm – 1
Brush Fire – 1
Misc Fire – 1

This data makes for a total number of 19 calls for the reporting period, and a total number of 192 for the year.

The Woodworth shooting range will be closed from June 2 to June 22 for required berm maintenance, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced. The required work will take an estimated three weeks to complete if there are no delays due to weather conditions.

For the most up-to-date Woodworth Shooting Range hours of operation, closure and event information, please visit LDWF on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/p/Woodworth-Shooting-Range-100086109337370/

The Woodworth Shooting Range is located at 661 Robinson Bridge Road in Woodworth. 

The Rapides Parish School Board will provide free breakfast and lunch at summer meal sites for children 18 and under starting Monday, June 2. 

Parents/guardians won’t need to fill out any forms in order for their children to eat free this summer. All they have to do is bring the children to one of the meal sites during the allotted time to get free breakfast and lunch. 

There are 14 different meal sites across Rapides Parish for children to obtain these meals. Most of the school meal sites will be closed on Fridays. Exceptions to this are Alexandria Senior High and Peabody Magnet High, so on Fridays, these are the sites for breakfast and lunch.

There are is one requirement for this summer program: all of the breakfast and lunch meals must be eaten on site.

According to Erma Davis, Director of Child Nutrition, “They can’t take any meals from the site. Everything has to be eaten on site, and everything has to be taken.”

The summer feeding program is stricter than the regular school year program. Children who show up after the allotted time, they will not be able to eat. 

“If the breakfast is from 7 to 8, and you are bringing your child at 8:01, we can’t provide a service for them,” said Davis. “If they are already in line, we will serve them, but if they are coming through the door and it’s after the hours, we are not allowed to do that.”

Spectral Sisters Productions (SSP) presents “What Had Happened Was…,” an evening of provocatively original ten-minute plays, Friday, May 30, through Sunday, June 1.

SSP’s 10-Minute Play Festival features contest-winning works by local and regional writers and casts of local players. Shows are at 7:30pm on Friday and Saturday (May 30–31) and 2:30pm on Sunday, June 1.

All tickets are $10, general admission, and can be purchased at the door. Parental discretion is advised. Some performances may contain adult-themed subject matter or language.

A groundbreaking ceremony is set at England Airpark today at 3:30 for the Louisiana Strategic Metals Complex, Ucore Rare Metals Inc.’s first commercial rare earth element refining facility.

The Louisiana SMC will produce high-purity rare earth oxides from mixed rare earth chemical concentrates obtained from multiple global feedstock sources. The 80,800-square-foot brownfield facility is under a long-term lease agreement with the England Authority, the entity that manages England Airpark, the repurposed U.S. Air Force base transformed into a regional economic hub.

Today’s event will take place at 2015 Chanute Drive (Building 1315) in England Airpark.

“Breaking ground on the SMC is a pivotal moment – for Ucore and for North American critical mineral processing,” said Ucore chairman and CEO Pat Ryan.

“We are very fortunate to have a host of strong partners at the local, regional, state, and federal levels. This includes the England Authority, Louisiana Central, the State of Louisiana, and the U.S. Department of Defense. We thank all of our supporters as we continue our work to develop a secure, domestic rare earth element supply chain.”

The Louisiana SMC is the first step in Ucore’s commercial deployment of the RapidSX™ technology platform, a patent-pending advanced solvent extraction process that aims to reshape the rare earth industry with faster, more efficient, and more environmentally sound separation methods.

Once operational, the SMC will produce commercial quantities of critical rare earth elements, such as neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium, which are essential to produce rare earth permanent magnets for electric vehicles, wind turbines, and national defense applications.

The project has significant federal and state funding.

Ucore recently agreed on an $18.4 million project extension from the U.S. Department of Defense under the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment Program. This grant funding will be used to initiate construction and equipment procurement for the Louisiana SMC. The DoD support reflects the strategic importance of securing a domestic supply chain for rare earth materials critical to national defense, Ucore officials said.

In addition to federal funding, the State of Louisiana and local partners have assembled a $15 million incentive package, including:

Industrial Tax Exemption Program (“ITEP”): up to $8.2 million in ad-valorem tax savings over 10 years;

Infrastructure Grant: $900,000 for facility upgrades;

Facility Offset: $360,000 over 24 months to reduce initial lease costs;

Additional support includes payroll rebates, LED FastStart™ workforce training, and expedited state permitting, officials said.

Ucore’s press release said the incentives underscore Louisiana’s commitment to establishing Alexandria as a key node in North America’s emerging critical mineral supply chain.

England Airpark has been a critical partner in supporting Ucore’s vision for the Strategic Metals Complex. As the operator of the former England Air Force Base, the England Authority has transformed the site into a thriving commercial and industrial hub.

England Airpark has provided Ucore with a strategically located, infrastructure-ready site within a federally designated Foreign Trade Zone. This allows Ucore to benefit from potential duty deferrals, reductions, or eliminations on imported feedstock materials, enhancing the global competitiveness of its rare earth processing operations.

The Town of Cheneyville welcomes the public to the 1st Junefest Shindig on Saturday, June 7, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

There will be food, music, arts and crafts, and lots of family fun. DJ Train will be live. There will be a free car show; registration starts at 10 a.m.

Junefest Shindig will also feature a live performance by Korey Broussard at 6 p.m. For more information and booth opportunities, call the Cheneyville Town Hall at 318-279-2155.

The Alexander Police Department has made an arrest in connection with the May 21 shooting death of 17-year-old Corey Brooks that occurred in the 4000 block of Clark Street.

20-year-old Tre’Quan Stanley has been arrested and charged with the following:

• One count of Criminal Conspiracy to Commit Armed Robbery,
• One count of Principal to Second-Degree Murder, and
• One count of Accessory After the Fact to Second-Degree Murder.

Stanley is currently in custody as the investigation into this violent crime continues.

The Alexander Police Department is actively seeking the public’s assistance in locating two additional suspects involved in this case:

• Shemell Jacobs, 17-year-old Black male, wanted for Armed Robbery and Second-Degree Murder; and
• Keldrick Jordan, 18 years old, is also wanted for Armed Robbery and Second-Degree Murder.

Both individuals should be considered armed and dangerous. Do not approach them. Anyone with information on their whereabouts is urged to contact the Alexander Police Department immediately.

Chief Chad Gremillion issued the following statement: “I urge every member of our community to come forward with any information regarding the whereabouts of these dangerous offenders. Your help is critical to ensuring the safety of our neighborhoods. Let me be clear, anyone found protecting or harboring these violent individuals will be held accountable and arrested. We will not tolerate those who stand in the way of justice.”

Chief Gremillion added: “Our community calls law enforcement to action every day, asking for safer streets and protection for their families. Now is the time to stand together and show that we are tired of the violence tearing apart our neighborhoods. If you know where these offenders are, help us bring them to justice. Let your voice lead us to them—because real change starts with the courage to speak up.”

This is currently an ongoing investigation.

If anyone has any information about this incident or any other type of crime in the Alexandria area, contact the Alexandria Police Detective Division at the phone number 318-441-6416 or APD Dispatch 318-441-6559. Information can be emailed to detectives at APDDetectives@cityofalex.com.

For a cash reward, call Crime Stoppers of CenLa at 318-443-7867. The Crime Stoppers P3 Tipster App can also be downloaded to leave tips and get a claim number for a cash reward at www.p3tips.com/community/mobile.

Arrests are accusations, not convictions.

May 28

Robert Wayne Bates II, 31, Forest Hill – aggravated battery, $10,000 bail;

Makala Blue, 29, Alexandria – possession of CDS, paraphernalia, $2,000 bail;

Antonio Vantweze Cross, 48, Pineville – possession of CDS, $2,500 bail;

Dylan Scott Epnett, 28, Alexandria – possession of CDS, $2,500 bail;

Zachary Gill, 33, Alexandria – simple battery on the infirmed, cruelty to the infirmed, $500 bail;

Mary Helen Jordan, 39, Pineville – possession of CDS, paraphernalia, resisting an officer, four counts of contempt of court, misbrand/adulterate drugs to defraud or mislead, $8,500 bail;

Marque Quinn Lavalais, 37, Pineville – aggravated resisting police officer with force or violence, misrepresentation during booking, safety belt violation, $600 bail;

Tre’Quan Stanley, 20, Alexandria – second degree murder, criminal conspiracy, accessory after the fact, no bail data.

May 27

Jamarius Quantay Austin, 28, Alexandria – theft, simple battery, $1,000 bail;

Ashley Nichole Grantham, 42, Alexandria – five counts contempt of court, possession of CDS, $16,500 bail;

Conner Hartdegen, 24, New Iberia – second degree battery, contempt of court, $35,000 bail;

Tony Tyrone Monette, 40, Oakdale – possession of fentanyl, parole violations, Louisiana fugitive, $1,000 bail;

Janet R. Phillips, 64, Pineville – two counts possession of CDS, drug paraphernalia, turning violation, driving under suspension, switch MVI, failure to secure registration, two counts contempt of court, $6,300 bail;

Juliann Lacey Rashall, 29, Boyce – producing manufacturing distributing with intent CDS, parole violations, contempt of court, $22,500 bail;

Devonte Dewayne Washington, 29, Alexandria – second degree battery, manufacture transfer or possession of machine guns, contempt of court, $100,500 bail.

May 26

Richard Kyle Beaubouef, 48, Deville – possession of firearm by convicted felon, simple burglary, criminal trespass, $20,500 bail;

Aubrey Scott Coutee, 36, N/A – Louisiana fugitive, two counts contempt of court, $2,000 bail;

Adam John Davis, 34, Lecompte – aggravated battery, domestic abuse battery, contempt of court, $3,000 bail;

Angela Christine Deville, 43, Pineville – four counts contempt of court, $20,000 bail;

Levi Drumgoole, 66, Alexandria – possession of CDS, running a stop sign, resisting an officer, possession of marijuana, paraphernalia, $4,100 bail;

Matt Eric Harmson, 55, Deville – criminal trespass, simple burglary, two counts contempt of court, $21,500 bail;

Hosie Charles Jordan III, 46, Pineville – attempted manslaughter, $250,000 bail;

Antijuan Deante Miller, 22, Rayville – Louisiana fugitive, no bail data;

Brian Scott Montgomery, 55, Deville – OWI first offense, obstruction of highway, possession of CDS, driving under suspension, two counts contempt of court, $79,000 bail;

Garrett Matthew Ryder, 20, Pineville – OWI first offense, $1,000 bail.