The 45th Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival will be held on Saturday, July 19, in air-conditioned Prather Coliseum located at 220 South Jefferson Street on the campus of Northwestern State University in Natchitoches. The festival’s curated showcase of Louisiana folk musicians, food vendors and traditional crafts persons will open at 9 a.m., with live entertainment scheduled from 9:30am until 9:30pm. The family-oriented festival is fully wheelchair accessible. Children 12 and under are admitted free. Tickets are $10 at the door for all events, or $6 for an evening pass to all events after 5pm. 

The festival features three stages of music. Music headliners include Cajun band Amis du Teche, zydeco band Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band, blues artist D.K. Harrell, western swing artist the Kristyn Harris Band, roots band Smithfield Fair, gospel group the Amazing! Rhythm Disciples and swamp pop dance band the Has Beans. The festival also includes numerous food vendors offering traditional Louisiana cuisine. Outdoor activities feature demonstrations of traditional blacksmithing, Dutch oven cooking and a child-friendly hands-on demonstration of a 19th century wash day. 

In honor of this year’s theme, “Crafting Louisiana,” more than 80 crafts vendors have been invited to display and discuss their traditional work with those attending the festival. Craftspeople are expected to display beadwork, baskets, cowhide chair covers, alligator jewelry, Pysanky eggs, Native American crafts and pottery. Other expected craftspeople will display needlework, wood carvings, handmade toys and dolls, paintings, sculpture, homemade soap, spinning & weaving, handcrafted knives, handmade brooms, walking sticks, folk art quilts and more. 

The Festival will include a Red Beans and Rice Cookoff, in which professionals and hobbyists alike can compete in one of multiple categories and demonstrate their cooking skills. Registration and the cooks’ meeting will take place at 8am. Tasting and judging will begin at 12:30pm with winners to be announced at 3:30pm. There is no fee to compete in the Cookoff. Red beans & rice must be cooked on-site outside of Prather Coliseum, but beans may be pre-soaked. 

The Annual Louisiana State Fiddle Championship will be held at 1pm in Magale Recital Hall. There will be a non-championship class and a championship class. A twin fiddle category will also be held. Registration is at noon in the first-floor foyer outside Magale Recital Hall. The Fiddle Championship winner will perform on the main stage in Prather Coliseum at 5pm. 

The festival includes several opportunities for patrons to engage directly with Louisiana folk culture. Free dance lessons include line dancing taught by the Classy Steppers, Celtic dance taught by the Thistle Dancers and Pipers and Cajun and zydeco dancing taught by the Cajun French Music Association Dance Troupe. Interactive activities include a yodeling demonstration by Kristyn Harris, dancing with the Louisiana Czech Heritage Dancers, a son jarocho fandango dance by the Armadillos Tejano and a musical spoons workshop taught by folk musician Clancey Stewart, with 50 free musical spoons given to workshop attendees. 

“The festival bridges the distance between artists and the festival patrons, thus breaking the artificial barriers between artists and audience,” said Dr. Shane Rasmussen, director of the festival and NSU’s Louisiana Folklife Center. “Rather than watching from the sidelines, everyone who takes part in these activities will share and engage in Louisiana’s rich culture.” 

KidFest will be available from 9am to 4pm. Kidfest is an area dedicated to child-friendly activities and is a fun way for children to examine their own cultural and family traditions as well as those from around the state. 

Narrative sessions will be held in the festival N-Club Room from 10am to 6pm and feature presentations on traditional dolls and dollmaking, Creole architecture, Mexican fiddle styles and folk artist Clementine Hunter, with music informances on the blues with D.K. Harrell and roots music with Smithfield Fair. ASL interpretation, assistive listening devices and audio description for these cultural discussions will be made available upon prior request.  

This year also features several pre-Festival events which are free and open to the general public. Fiddlin’ with the Finest will be held at the Many Depot Museum on June 14 and will include several Louisiana State Fiddle Champions discussing and performing traditional fiddling. Attendees are invited to bring their own acoustic instruments for a folk music jam session. A second free pre-festival event, A Life of Zydeco, a Musical Informance with Chubby Carrier, will be held on June 21 at the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum in Natchitoches with Grammy winner Carrier discussing the cultural significance of zydeco to Louisiana with Rasmussen. A third pre-festival event will be an interactive crafts workshop, with Creole and Native American tradition bearers sharing their cultural knowledge. It will be held at the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum on July 12. Free crafting materials will be provided for attendees. 

For a full schedule of events, as well as registration forms to participate in the Louisiana State Fiddle Championship and the Red Beans & Rice Cookoff contact the Louisiana Folklife Center at 318-357-4332 or email folklife@nsula.edu or go to louisianafolklife.nsula.edu. 

Support for the festival is provided by grants from the Cane River National Heritage Area, Inc., the City of Natchitoches, the Louisiana Division of the Arts Decentralized Arts Fund Program, the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the Louisiana Office of Tourism, the Natchitoches Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Natchitoches Historic District Development Commission, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation, the Shreveport Regional Arts Council, and the State of Louisiana. The festival is sponsored by C&H Precision Machining, City Bank, Cleco, Evans Family, LLC, Exchange Bank, the Family Doctors of Natchitoches, the Harrington Law Firm, Natchitoches Wood Preserving Company and Young Estate, LLC. 

We would like to invite all of our friends and neighbors to a special informational meeting focused on carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) and Eminent Domain—topics that are growing in importance across our region.

This educational gathering is not intended to persuade one way or another, but rather to allow you to become educated on an important topic that engages our families. We have invited qualified professionals to explain what CCS is, how it works, and what implications it and Eminent Domain may have for our communities. It will be an open forum where questions are welcomed and honest discussion encouraged.

July 1st, 2025 • 6pm • Pine Ridge Baptist Church

We must become better educated on the complex issues that have the potential to seriously affect our lives and the lives of our future generation to come. By understanding the facts, we can speak with wisdom, compassion, and truth when questions arise.

I sincerely hope you will make every effort to attend and join us in this thoughtful and respectful dialogue.

Let us remember the words of Hosea 4:6 – “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”

Thank you for your time,

Pine Ridge Baptist Church
6026 LA-112
Melder, LA 71433

The Elliot Cabrini route will end services early today June 27. Bus service for this route will operate from 6am to 2pm and will go down at 2pm.

By JIM BUTLER

An architectural firm has been chosen for design of the 56-bed regional juvenile detention facility at Renaissance.

The board of the eight-parish detention district has formalized the Cooperative Endeavor Agreement with the state Office of Facility Planning and Control for the $38 million project and this month settled on a design group.

Grace Hebert Curtis, which has offices in five Louisiana cities as well as 16 locations in Texas and Florida, was selected, assuming no state objections. Design experience with detention facilities is listed as a key factor.

The Renaissance district was chosen earlier this year for funding in the initial competitive round for detention facilities expansion funds, particularly for housing 17-year-olds either awaiting case disposition or convicted.

Rapides, Grant, Avoyelles, LaSalle, Vernon, Winn, Catahoula and Concordia Parishes comprise the district.

Rapides, through an existing property tax, will provide about $2.2 million of the $2.67 million in initial estimated operating costs from the parishes.

The Office of Juvenile Justice will provide $1.55 million in guaranteed daily bed rate compensation for holding 17 of the 56 beds in reserve for state-assigned offenders.

The facility will be at the current Renaissance property, Vandenburg Drive & Bayou Rapides Road.

Alexandria Police Chief Chad Gremillion issued a statement on Tuesday regarding a news story shared by KALB on Monday, June 23. The following is Chief Gremillion’s statement on the story.

“Yesterday, Colin Vedros of KALB aired a story regarding the Alexandria Police Department and a traffic fatality that occurred last Wednesday. In the segment, Mr. Vedros claimed to have reached out to the Alexandria Police Department (APD) for comment. To date, I am not aware of any such request made directly to APD. While a request may have been made to a mayoral assistant, such a request is not a request to the police department concerning a law enforcement matter.

I have personally reviewed the body camera footage of the officer’s interaction with the individual featured in KALB’s story. The officer acted with professionalism, compassion, and in full accordance with the law. He properly advised the individual of her Miranda rights, as required by law. Failure to do so would have constituted a violation of her constitutional rights. What I witnessed in my review of the body camera footage was a textbook example of appropriate, lawful police conduct. The officer treated this driver with professionalism, concern, and compassion while trying to calm her and put her at ease during the tragic event.

I stand firmly behind the actions of our officer and the values we uphold: accountability, professionalism, and duty. These values guide our actions every day, and I believe they were clearly demonstrated during this terrible incident.

What concerns me is the apparent lack of these same values in KALB’s reporting. Mr. Vedros’ portrayal of the situation was misleading and inflammatory. His approach was driven by his desire to create a story rather than by a genuine pursuit of truth or journalistic integrity. The term “fake news” has often been used in recent years—I now understand firsthand what that can mean when reporting prioritizes sensationalism and clicks over facts. This story was NEVER fact checked by Mr. Vedros.

Perhaps what is most troubling is that there is a family that was revictimized by this non-newsworthy story. This event happened last Wednesday and was covered not only statewide, but was picked up by the “national” news wire. Now, five days later, a mother and father are about to bury their 6-year-old child while they continue to have their seriously injured 12-year-old cared for in a hospital, and support their other family members who are dealing with a seriously injured child as well.  All for a click on social media.

I urge the media to approach these matters with the seriousness and responsibility they deserve. The public deserves accurate information not non-factual narratives crafted for attention at the expense of truth.”

By HARRISON VALENTINE, Written for the LSWA

Before there was Haleigh Bryant, Sarah Finnegan or Ashleigh Gnat, there was a 14-time All-American at LSU. An NCAA beam champion, and an SEC Gymnast of the Year, who was setting the foundation and helping vault LSU gymnastics into a perennial power.

That was April Burkholder, a native of Houston, but an LSU Tiger through and through. Just ask her legendary coach D-D Breaux, who experienced it all in her 43 years as leader of the LSU program.

Breaux coached 250 All-Americans and 89 All-SEC selections during her illustrious tenure that in 2017 landed her in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. Burkholder was as driven as any of them, she said, high praise coming from one of the sport’s greatest pioneers.

“She was intense,” Breaux said. “She had that Eye of the Tiger. Nothing was going to stop her. Nothing was going to stand in her way. She wanted to win championships. She wanted to do anything she could possibly do to put an exclamation point on her gymnastics.”

Now Burkholder will join her coach in the state’s sports shrine during the 2025 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration this weekend in Natchitoches. Festivities start this evening with a free Welcome Reception at the LSHOF Museum (800 Front Street, Natchitoches) from 5-7.

Friday, the BOM Mardi Gras Bowling Bash fills lunchtime with fun at Four Seasons Bowling Center in Alexandria.  Check LaSportsHall.com for event information.

Not only did Burkholder’s greatness pay dividends for LSU on the mat, but it also translated into fan interest never previously seen in an LSU program that once competed in the Carl Maddox Field House or before sparse crowds in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

In 2025, the Tigers finished with four consecutive sellouts for the first time in school history. A total of 13,476 people attended the final meet against Georgia. Those numbers, historic in nature, were sparked by gymnasts like Burkholder and coaches like Breaux, who generated excitement that Tiger fans feel today.

“She was the beginning of us being able to market and promote and really put people in the seats,” Breaux said. “The fact that, when she left, we were selling season tickets and putting 6,000 people in the stands, that was the beginning of what we see now.”

When you boast a resume like Burkholder’s – whose list of accolades spill off the page – it’s almost impossible to pick one moment that stands out. For Breaux, it was the final event of her senior year, capturing the 2006 NCAA championship on balance beam. All that hard work culminating in the ultimate prize on the ultimate stage. How fitting.

“Everything she did was just awesome,” Breaux said. “She never won a national championship until her senior year. Numerous All-American honors and numerous SEC honors. But that coveted national title had evaded her. In my career, I’ve had three or four beam national championships, and every one are special people because the event requires so much focus and repetition of training.”

Burkholder got an early start in the sport, inspired by her big sister and encouraged by her parents.

“My sister was four years older than me and had been in gymnastics a year before I started,” she said. “I was 3 and I was jumping all over the place. I broke five bones before I was 5 years old, I cracked my skull open when I was 2, so I think part of my introduction to gymnastics was my parents wanting me to learn how to fall.”

She was a quick study, and gymnastics had a magnetic pull that became the dominant influence as she grew up. Although she thrived competitively, it came at a cost.

“I loved performing. Floor was always my favorite event because of that. Dance was a big part also for me,” said Burkholder. “It was all I knew, really. I was training 10 hours a day by the time I was 10 years old. I honestly didn’t even really have time for school. My education took a back seat and suffered a little bit, so I had to overcome a lot of obstacles.

“I had a scholarship waiting for me that I couldn’t take because I wasn’t academically eligible. I had to wait a year after I graduated high school to fix some things before I could come to LSU.  D-D was very helpful in helping me get eligible, and she was pretty adamant about getting me to LSU.”

By then, she was a highly-coveted recruit.

“I pretty much had any choice I wanted, and LSU was my first trip. It wasn’t that far away from home, one state over, and it was my first choice, especially after I took my visit. It felt like home, all the way around,” said Burkholder.

Burkholder took her academics more seriously although she didn’t have the laser focus on her post-competitive career. She changed her major several times ad ultimately graduated in general studies with minors in sociology, communication studies and dance.

“That allowed me to take classes that I felt would be very useful in life, not knowing yet what I wanted to do for a career,” she said, noting that it proved to be an ideal foundation for what has become a career in alcoholic beverage sales for world-renowned Disaronno, which notably produces the world’s favorite Italian liqueur. She oversees the company’s accounts in south Texas and all of Louisiana.

That vocation introduced her to a Houston-area restaurant manager, Andrew Coulter, who has since entered the construction business. They married July 13, 2020 and last year April gave birth to 13-month-old daughter Adelyn Dawn, who shares her mom’s middle name and already, a love for dancing.

While national championships, record-breaking crowds, and billions of social media engagements have become the “new norm” for the Tiger program, it wasn’t always like that. Far from it, actually. Burkholder, along with Breaux, were key to building LSU gymnastics into what it is today – one of the hottest tickets in town.

Burkholder stepped onto LSU’s campus in 2002 as a rising star and left as the most decorated gymnast in school history four years later. Today, even after the program’s first NCAA championship in 2024 and numerous great teams and great gymnasts, Burkholder’s accomplishments still rank among the very best in LSU history.

When she left LSU, Burkholder had won a total of 108 individual event titles, setting a program record. Her eight perfect 10s (four on floor exercise, two on vault and two on beam) are still tied for the fourth-most in LSU history. And her 39.875 all-around score in 2003 in a meet with Centenary and Texas Woman’s University stood as the program’s best mark for 21 years until a 39.925 by Bryant in 2024.

During her time as a Tiger, Burkholder compiled 14 All-American honors (seventh-most ever at LSU), and was two-time SEC and NCAA Central Region Gymnast of the Year in addition to being a four-time All-SEC selection. As the program continued to grow, so did she.

“She’s an example of what it means to work hard and achieve more,” Breaux said. “Every year she got better, achieved more – and she was great when she arrived.”

Burkholder is deeply appreciative of her impending enshrinement in the state sports shrine – as only the fourth gymnast, following 1984 Olympic gold medalist Kathy Johnson along with Breaux and another Tiger great, 2019 inductee Susan Jackson.

“After dedicating my life to this sport, and having to overcome a lot of obstacles, a lot of challenges, this puts it all together and makes it that much more meaningful,” said Burkholder, who turns 42 on July 2. “Hearing about the process and seeing everyone who’s been inducted and those who are in this class, it’s really special to reach this point. It solidifies things and makes it all worth it.”

Contact Harrison at hvalen3@lsu.edu

The Town of Boyce has announced that its next Council Meeting will take place on Wednesday, July 2, at 6pm at the Town Hall. The council meeting will be preceded by a public hearing at 5:45pm. 

Arrests are accusations, not convictions.

June 25

Ashley Brook Asbury, 36, Alexandria – possession of CDS, paraphernalia, $3,000 bail;

James Robert Ates, 44, Des Moines, Iowa – OWI first offense, improper turn, $1,100 bail;

Gavin David Lee Beaubouef, 20, Ball – first degree rape, sexual battery, $250,000 bail;

Amelia Grace Delrie, 21, Pineville – two counts illegal use of weapons/dangerous instrumentalities, aggravated criminal damage, resisting an officer, misrepresentation during booking, disturbing the peace, $31,500 bail;

Tommie Hastings, 51, Aimwell – aggravated assault domestic abuse, Louisiana fugitive, $2,500 bail;

Dantaveas Diante Lindsey, 31, Alexandria – two counts possession of CDS, obstruction of justice, safety belt violation, two counts contempt of court, $9,600 bail.

June 24

James Allen Bynog, 25, Boyce – domestic abuse battery with serious injury, no bail data;

Gloria Renee Clark, 24, Alexandria – violation of protective order, domestic abuse battery, $3,000 bail;

Tyler Mitchell Jeffrey, 39, Pineville – production or manufacturing of methamphetamine, illegal carry firearm with drugs, possession of unidentifiable firearm, paraphernalia, $15,500 bail;

Cameron Kade Holt, 24, Sieper – OWI first offense, improper window tint, $1,100 bail;

Eddie Lee Kendricks Jr, 46, Pineville – aggravated assault domestic abuse, contempt of court, $5,000 bail;

Derek Ivan Leimkuhler, 38, Pineville – possession of marijuana, illegal carry of weapon, negligent concealed carry, driver’s license not in possession, expired registration, $6,600 bail;

Calip Ashley Littleton, 23, Pineville – unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, Louisiana fugitive, six counts contempt of court, $96,000 bail;

Demetrius Demon Milton Jr, 35, Alexandria – possession of firearm by convicted felon, six counts contempt of court, $18,000 bail;

Logan Joseph Paul, 30, Boyce – simple burglary, two counts contempt of court, $150,000 bail;

Abbygale R Perkins, 26, Boyce  — possession of CDS, probation violation, $2,500 bail;

Dontrail Rubin, 22, Sunset – attempted first degree murder, disarming of peace officer, resisting an officer with force or violence, $610,000 bail;

Marcus Tyran Sanders, 41, Alexandria – possession of CDS, simple battery on the infirmed, five counts contempt of court, $32,500 bail.

June 23

James Alden Beard, 23, Pineville – domestic abuse battery strangulation, false imprisonment, probation violation, $3,000 bail;

Matthew Alexander Hill, 27, Pineville – OWI second offense, driving under suspension, modified exhaust, simple battery, contempt of court, $7,200 bail;

Jammi Jhaderius Jefferson, 20, Alexandria – resisting an officer, criminal trespass, three counts contempt of court, $58,500 bail;

Clayton Robert Lamkin, 28, Pineville – domestic abuse battery with child present, resisting an officer, Louisiana fugitive, $3,500 bail;

David Brown Lejeune, 32, Pineville – theft (second subsequent conviction), probation violation, $5,000 bail;

Gregory Demoin Mason, 51, Pineville – possession of firearm by convicted felon, running a red light, driving under suspension, $5,200 bail;

Carlos Javier Santa Maria, 34, N/A – simple burglary, $2,500 bail;

Hunter Wiley, 19, Pineville – possession of CDS, paraphernalia, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, contempt of court, resisting an officer, probation violation, $22,000 bail.

June 22

Naomi Lou Barron, 48, Pineville – Louisiana fugitive, resisting an officer, contempt of court, $5,500 bail;

Erneshia Lameka Delasbor, 25, Alexandria – domestic abuse battery with child present, $1,000 bail;

Jiyason K Singleton, 19, Alexandria – home invasion, aggravated assault with a firearm, criminal damage to property, obstruction of justice, $65,000 bail;

Brian Williams, 24, Ruby – domestic abuse aggravated assault child endangerment, $1,000 bail.

The Pineville Police Department is teaming up with Walmart in Kingsville for the PPD’s FIRST big community event together on Friday, July 25, 11am to 2pm, at the Pineville Walmart. 

The PPD invites the community to a Back to School Bash Supply Giveaway. Together with Walmart, PPD is here to help families in the community get ready for the new school year. Come by, grab some free school supplies, and let’s kick this year off the right way.

This is just the start of some great things coming to the Pineville community through its partnership with Walmart. Let’s come together, have some fun, and support students and teachers as they head back to class.

April 17, 1950 — June 21, 2025

A service celebrating the life of C C “Petey” Johnson will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, June 28, in the chapel of Blanchard St. Denis Funeral Home in Natchitoches, LA. It will be led by the Rev. Anthony Dharmaraj, MSFS, of St. Rita Catholic Church in Alexandria, LA. Brett Hortman will share a reflection on his life on behalf of the family. Interment will follow at Fern Park Cemetery.

The family will receive friends from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, June 27, in the funeral home chapel. Mr. Johnson, 75, died peacefully on Saturday, June 21.

A native of Natchitoches, LA, was the fourth of five children born to C C (Pete) and Anna Grace Elliott Johnson. He graduated from Natchitoches High School in 1968, and in 1973, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in health and physical education from Northwestern State University.

He began his career as a teacher and coach at Natchitoches Central High School and then worked at Kaffie-Frederick with his mentors, John Titus Frederick and John Levy Frederick, for several years. He later worked in hardware sales for Stratton Baldwin, and in 1985, he purchased Eckard Hardware in Alexandria, developing the business into a statewide source for locks and architectural hardware.

His passion was duck hunting and fishing. He spent countless hours in the great outdoors of Cane River, Snake Lake, Chee Chee Bay with his son, Thomas, and his lifelong friend, Dennis Arthur, finding peace in the stillness of a forest at dawn or the ripple of the lake at sunset.

In 2008, Mr. Johnson married the former Janet Waters, and together they made their home in Natchitoches, where they were active members of the Krewe of Dionysos, where he reigned as Duke of Dance VIII in 2006, King XV in 2013, and he served as Captain XIX in 2017 and Captain XX in 2018. Together they traveled across the United States, but they particularly loved New Orleans, Lake Tahoe, and Mexico.

He is survived by his wife; his children, Thomas Wayne Johnson of Alexandria; Anna Laura Johnson Angel and her husband, B.W. of Oakdale; and Marie Yvonne Johnson Wilson and her husband, Jared, of Alexandria; his step children, Mandy Roberts Owens and her husband, Jason, of Marion, AR; Jeffrey Nicholas Roberts of Fayetteville, NC; his four grandchildren and five step grandchildren; Thomas Wayne Johnson Jr., of Alexandria; Bradley Ross, Benjamin (Ben) Luke, and Andrew (Drew) Cade Wilson, all of Alexandria; Mallory Elizabeth Owens of Charleston, SC, Jackson Ronald Owens, and Hudson Carter Owens of Marion, AR; and Maggie Elizabeth Roberts and Dash William Roberts of Fayetteville, NC; and two sisters, Floy Ann Johnson Law and Hona Lou Johnson Graham, both of Walker.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Grover Johnson; his sister, Linda Sue Johnson; his aunt, Martha Elliott; Hona and John Titus Frederick, and Madeline and Harold Matthews.

Serving as pallbearers for Mr. Johnson will be his grandsons, Thomas Jr., Bradley, and Ben; Jackson Owens; and Luke and Sydney Frederick. Honorary pallbearers will be his grandsons, Drew, Hudson, and Dash.

The Village of Forest Hill has issued an update to its recent boil advisory. Due to the construction on Willis Gunter Rd. a boil advisory remains in effect for residents from Vargas Nursery to the end of the line, including Bell Rd.  The village apologizes for the inconvenience, but these efforts are part of the village’s efforts to improve the water lines and install new fire hydrants.

By JIM BUTLER

GAEDA Executive Director Angie Varnado has asked the City Council to consider reappointing two members whose terms are expiring.

Her request Tuesday is included in the preliminary agenda for the Council’s July 1 meeting.

Ronald Morgan’s term expires June 30; chairman Dr. Curtis Lewis’ on July 14, according to Varnado’s letter of request.

Under GAEDA bylaws, commissioners serve four-year terms. Each of the seven City Council members nominates a GAEDA member and appointment is ordinarily rubber stamped by the council.

Morgan was nominated by District 2’s Gary Johnson; Lewis by Cynthia Perry, District 3.

There has been no indication of discontent among the parties.

The preliminary agenda does not include any proposed action regarding the three vacant GAEDA posts.

For all anyone knows those could still be unfilled when the city takes delivery of a 30-passenger trolley it is purchasing for ferrying visitors about. 

Final action on the $338,000 purchase is on the July 1 agenda. Estimated delivery time is 18 months.

Natalie Davis was born into this world on October, 21, 1956, and sadly departed on June 22, 2025. Natalie was a loyal and kindhearted spirit. She held many titles—daughter, sister, wife, aunt, grandmother—but most importantly, Mother.

Natalie did whatever she could to help those she loved. She made it her life’s mission to ensure her daughter felt loved, protected, and cared for. Her dedication to her daughter was evident in everything she did. Though life dealt Natalie a tough hand, she faced every challenge with courage, always striving to make the best of each situation. With every obstacle, she emerged stronger and more determined.

She lived most of her life in Pineville, Louisiana. Though she spent several years in Arkansas, she ultimately returned to Louisiana, the place she truly considered home. Natalie loved deeply, and when she loved someone, it was for life.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Gladys and Donald Richards; her first husband, James Mauritz; her second husband, Ronald Davis; and her sister, Melissa Richards. While she never remarried, she found love and joy again later in life with James, with whom she shared happiness until his untimely passing.

She is survived by her daughter, Misty Davis; her granddaughter, Baylee Davis; and her sisters, Susan Butler, Debbie Funderburk, Donna Duncan, and Siobhan Lyons. She also leaves behind many cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends who cherished her deeply.

Natalie will be profoundly missed by those who love her, but the Lord has called her home. We are left with treasured memories and stories that will keep her close in our hearts.

Until we meet again…