Pineville Appoints Ron Parker as Permanent Fire Chief; Kessler to Transition Out
City of Pineville
The City of Pineville has a new permanent fire chief following action at the September 8 City Council meeting, where Mayor Joe Bishop recommended and the council approved the appointment of Fire Captain Ron Parker to lead the department. The appointment closes the chapter on the civil service dispute surrounding interim chief Kenneth Kessler, a 28-year department veteran who was found by the Pineville Municipal Fire and Police Civil Service Board to lack a valid high school diploma — a requirement to serve as a firefighter under civil service rules. With Parker’s appointment as permanent chief, Kessler is required to vacate his interim title. Mayor Bishop indicated Kessler, who has sufficient years of service to retire, may be offered a position within the mayor’s administration.
LCU Art Professor Hannah Fulton’s Photo Selected for 2027 Louisiana Promotional Calendar
Louisiana Christian University
Louisiana Christian University Assistant Professor of Art Hannah Fulton has had a photograph selected for inclusion in the 2027 Louisiana Promotional Calendar, earning statewide recognition for her work.
National Hunting and Fishing Day at LDWF Woodworth — September 26
Rapides Regional Medical Center, LDWF
Rapides Regional Medical Center is again co-sponsoring Louisiana’s National Hunting and Fishing Day on Friday, September 26, from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Outdoor Education Center in Woodworth on Robinson Bridge Road. RRMC personnel will teach ATV safety and Stop the Bleed training. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, visit wlf.la.gov/page/nhfd.
TRAFFIC REMINDER — Nightly Lane Closures on US 165 North in Pineville
Drivers on U.S. 165 North in Pineville should expect nightly alternating lane closures near Lowe’s and the U.S. 167 northbound off-ramp. Work runs Monday nights through Friday mornings, 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., weather permitting, through the end of September 2026. DOTD advises drivers to reduce speed, use caution around construction workers and equipment, and allow extra travel time.