By JIM BUTLER

The School Board is expected to approve almost $1 million in change orders for two construction projects at a special meeting today.

Both are the result of costs associated with addition of storm shelters – one at Alexandria Senior High, the other at L.S. Rugg Elementary.

The contracts are part of a bond issue approved several years ago for Wards 1 and 8 schools.

A $205,000 increase in the ASH contract will bring it to $12.58 million. Addition of 137 days takes substantial completion by MD Descant to December 2026.

The change includes that in the price of steel, an increase of $59,000 due to recent tariff increases, according to the supplier.

About 290,000 pounds of steel in 12 different products are called for in the construction specifications.

The Rugg shelter will add $775,000 to the school renovation project, also under contract with Descant.

The change brings the contract total to $4.4 million, extending substantial completion to March 15, 2026.

The board is also expected to award a contract for a Tioga High Fieldhouse. Bids were opened Monday afternoon.

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There’s an aura about the College World Series that makes it more fun to watch than a regular season Major League Baseball game. Why so? There are a few reasons.

The games feature the best teams in the sport. The eight teams that qualify deserve to be there. They all traverse some tough roads to get there, clinching the berth with a best-of-three Super Regional playoff against another high caliber team.

Each game is important. Even though it’s a double-elimination tournament, it’s important to win the first game. When LSU is in the CWS, it’s important to win the first game for the city of Omaha, as the Tigers did in fine fashion Saturday night against Arkansas, to ensure their fans stay there for a decent length of time and spend lots of money.

By winning the first game, you give yourself some breathing room in that you can absorb a loss and still have a path to the finals. And you can better manage the pitching staff and potentially rest key players. Also, although it’s not impossible to win after losing the first game, a team that wins the first game has better odds of winning the championship.

Each CWS game is a pressure cooker. it’s a close game, you may find yourself on the edge of your seat in each inning, especially the late innings. In the final inning, you can live or die with each at-bat, even each pitch.

That college teams are competing stirs the “old school spirit” for the college you attended or the university you liked as a kid. Or you might want to pull for a team simply because it is playing against a team you despise.

The folks behind the cameras at this event are top shelf. The broadcasters are usually good, too.

Someone who doesn’t care to watch the CWS recently told me all that matters is whether the team wins or loses and you can wait until the game is over to find out the answer. So why watch for hours?

That’s like asking, why sit in vigil with a sick patient? All that matters is whether he/she lives or dies. Or why spend days, weeks or longer reading  a book, when you can just get the CliffsNotes?

To appreciate going around the block, you cannot cut corners. Life is a journey. It’s about caring for one another over the long haul. The finish line – in life and in sports — is the reward for the sweat, the struggles, the pains. It is the prize for “keeping your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you,” as Rudyard Kipling wrote in “If.”

There are exceptions for not watching an entire game. During those times when your team is losing and playing poorly, it helps to step out and take a break, take a deep breath, walk off the steam, fire up the weed eater. Do whatever it takes to maintain your sanity and avoid kicking the furniture or the cat.

I unreservedly made an exception last Saturday afternoon for a dear soul I know – a beautiful woman who is confined to her room in an assisted living center. She is confined to her bed, her comfortable chair or, to get around, her wheelchair. She is 100 years old and is scheduled to hit 101 late next month.

Note I wrote “hit 101,” because that’s what she’ll do – with fists clenched — if she makes it to that age. It’s not a goal. She asked me why God doesn’t take her “and let me ascend.” She’s ready. More than ready. And, as she admitted, “I’m tired.”

How do you answer that?

I said, “I understand God’s preparing a mansion for you, and He’s not finished with it yet.”

She smiled weakly, and I said, ”As long as you’re down here …” and gestured as if preparing a bear hug, and she asked, “Hold on?”

I nodded, and, thinking of something she might like to do, I told her she could watch the Tigers play in the College World Series that started that evening at 6 o’clock. She is a big LSU fan.

“I might watch the first part but not the whole game,” she said. “Heck, I’m already ready for bed. But the first thing in the morning, I’ll check to see the score.”       

“Sounds good,” I said, giving her a hug before leaving her room.

When you’re 100 and tired, the game is not the thing. It’s the final score that counts.

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Nine students from LSU Baton Rouge excavated part of the original site of the Louisiana State Seminary of Learning & Military Academy, the precursor of Louisiana State University, in Pineville on June 13. The dig, a fitting way to celebrate 2025 Archeology Day, is the result of a collaboration between LSU, LSU-A, and The Forest Service, who owns the land where the site is situated.

The students are excavating the cistern from the school’s main building. When the campus was destroyed by a fire in 1869, the cistern was filled with debris from the destroyed buildings. The students used ground penetrating radar to locate the remains of the structures and are digging through the debris with small shovels and sifting through the materials looking for artifacts. It is hot and painstaking work but has already unearthed quite a few items that tell the story of LSU’s early days.  Dr. Matthew Helmer, an affiliate professor of anthropology at LSU-A, is supervising the excavation. The nine LSU students and Conan Mills, an LSU Master’s degree student who is doing his thesis on the history of the Pineville site, enjoyed the hospitality of the LSU-A campus where they will be staying during the dig.

In addition to the main building, the students will also be excavating the site where Col David F. Boyd, the head of the school in Pineville at the time of the fire, had his home. There are no surviving buildings from the old Louisiana State Seminary of Learning & Military Academy, only the evidence of foundations and waste pits.

The site features a walking trail and historic markers that explain the site’s history. The area is on highway 71 next to the forest service building and across from the VA Hospital. One has to wonder how different our region would be were it not for an inoperative fire in 1869.

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If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video might be worth 10,000.

Case in point – click on the video above to get a look at the food, fun and frolic that everyone involved will enjoy at lunchtime next Friday, June 27, in Alexandria, in the only out-of-town activity during the three-day 2025 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration in Natchitoches.

The LSHOF’s big party starts June 26, with the Thursday evening Welcome Reception, free to all from 5-7 at the LSHOF Museum on the Front Street traffic circle in downtown Natchitoches.

Then the scene shifts to Alexandria and Four Seasons Bowling Center for the Celebrity Bowling Bash presented by BOM. Everyone is encouraged to come ready for tons of fun, along with plenty of food and an open bar.

To enter or get more information visit LaSportsHall.com and click on the Induction Week button, or call 318-238-4255. Advance registration is necessary.

The bowling party will begin at 11:30 a.m. with lunch catered by Walk On’s Sports Bistreaux for everyone in the house – bowlers and spectators. That’s right – you don’t have to bowl to enjoy the party. Admission is $50 for adults and $25 for youth to mingle, eat, and watch the action.

Bowlers can enter as individuals ($100) or as a team ($400). Teams can be four people paired with a celebrity, or five friends playing without a celebrity.

The headliners on the lanes Friday will be the Class of 2025 LSHOF inductees, some who can actually bowl – but all will be geared up for a fun event. Among the other celebrities will be previously inducted Hall of Famers and Louisiana sports stars, including many who may ultimately be inducted in future years.

The five-person teams warm up extensively (have fun!) and ultimately play a 10-frame game, with the top team winning prizes. The top five individual bowlers and top five celebrities will have playoffs. The bowling party will wrap up about 2 o’clock, in plenty of time for everyone to make it back to Natchitoches for that evening’s free Rockin’ River Fest starting at 6 on the downtown riverbank stage, and the VIP Taste of Tailgating inside Mama’s Oyster House and the Blues Room beginning at 7.

One of the most festive events of the Induction Celebration, the Celebrity Bowling Bash presented by BOM is fit for avid bowlers — or those who just like to have fun.

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The Town of Cheneyville announced its new hours for Town Hall. It will be open Monday through Thursday, 8:30am to 4pm. Friday hours will be 8:30am to 1pm. It will closed on Saturday and Sunday.

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The City of Alexandria announced that more than 300 volunteers stepped up through the CleanAlex initiative—collecting over 14,000 pounds of litter from streets, sidewalks, and neighborhoods. That dedication earned the city the Outstanding City Award from Keep Louisiana Beautiful and Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser.

The City expressed gratitude to the volunteers who put their boots on the ground and whose hard work made a real difference. 

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With summer in full swing, the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) is reminding residents to take measures to prevent heat-related illness.

Heat can be dangerous. When it is hot outside, the body eliminates excess heat through sweating and increases blood flow to the skin. Humidity makes it more difficult for the body to cool itself. Heat-related illness (HRI), or hyperthermia, occurs when the body is unable to maintain a normal temperature, resulting in heat exhaustion or life-threatening heat stroke. 

Everyone is susceptible to illness during extreme heat, but some people are at greater risk:

• Older adults, who do not sweat as much as younger adults and are more likely to have chronic health conditions.
• People with chronic health conditions, such as heart or kidney disease, respiratory conditions, high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity.
• People using medications that interfere with thermoregulation, fluid balance, or increased skin sensitivity to sun exposure. Learn more from CDC’s Heat and Medications – Guidance for Clinicians. 
• People using illicit substances and alcohol. In 2023, one-third of all heat fatalities in Louisiana involved substance use. Learn more here.
• Outdoor workers and some indoor workers who work in a hot, non-air-conditioned environment.
• Athletes and people who exercise outdoors.
• Unhoused individuals and people who live in buildings or homes with no air conditioning.
• Socially isolated individuals and people with limited mobility.
• Infants and young children, who are sensitive to the effects of high temperatures and rely on others to control their environments.
• Pregnant women, who experience more bodily stress and are more likely to become dehydrated. 

In 2024, LDH tracked 51 heat-related deaths and 4,463 emergency department (ED) visits for heat-related illness. There were 88 heat-related deaths and 6,142 ED visits for heat-related illness in 2023. 

Heat illness can be mild or severe. Residents, workers, and employers need to know the symptoms of heat illness and treatments to prevent heat stroke or death.

LDH offers a suite of resources at ldh.la.gov/heat to help Louisianans stay safe during the hot summer months. The dashboard offers Louisianans a comprehensive view of ED visits for HRI across the state. Updated weekly, the dashboard provides detailed information by day, parish, LDH region, age, sex, and race. It also allows users to explore potential connections between daily HRI counts and maximum and minimum temperatures. 

Louisiana’s heat can be brutal, especially for outdoor workers spending all day in the sun. Staying hydrated and taking breaks in the shade are essential to staying safe on the job. The heat dashboard includes guidance for employers in the full heat toolkit on how to keep employees safe during extreme heat. 

There are several strategies people can use to protect themselves and others from heat-related illness.

• Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water, even when not thirsty. If sweating a lot, drink electrolyte-containing liquids, such as sports drinks, to replace salt and minerals. Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and sugary drinks.
• Stay informed. Keep an eye on weather forecasts and heat advisories to know when extreme heat is coming and how long it may last.
• Stay in air-conditioned spaces. If a home is not air-conditioned, visit a cooling center, library, or shopping mall. During extreme heat events, seek cooling centers in the community. To find a cooling centers throughout around the state, pay attention to news outlets.
• Reach out. Contact the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) if in need of help with home-energy expenses, such as bills, cooling equipment, or repairs.
• Keep home cool. Wait until evening to use hot appliances such as the oven, dryer, or iron. Wash hot-water loads of laundry at night. Close blinds and curtains during the day. Use window reflectors designed to reflect heat outside.
• Dress appropriately. Wear sunscreen, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses outside. Wear loose-fitting, lightweight, and light-colored clothing to reflect heat and sunlight. 
• Avoid outdoor activities during the hottest part of the day, typically 10am to 4pm.
• Never leave children or pets alone in vehicles. Look before locking. 
• Check meds. Talk to the doctor or pharmacist to see if any medications affect the body’s ability to regulate temperature.
• Look after each other. Check in on family, friends, and neighbors, particularly older adults, those without air conditioning, and those who spend most of their time alone.

For people who work outside, remember: Water, rest, and shade.

• Water: Drink water every 15 minutes. Have electrolyte drinks on hand in addition to water when performing strenuous, sweat-producing tasks for extended periods. Equip all work areas with water that is clean and potable, cool, free of charge, and close to worksite and break areas.
• Rest: Take and encourage frequent rest breaks that are long enough to recover from the heat and for the heart rate to slow (at least 5 minutes). Provide seating. Do not wait until symptoms occur to rest. 
• Shade: Provide a shady or cool location to take breaks and recover from the heat, a large enough area for workers to be distanced from each other and comfortable underneath. If vehicles are used as a rest area, park the vehicles in the shade and cool them with air conditioning before use.

Visit ldh.la.gov/heat for additional information about heat-related illnesses in Louisiana, along with signs, symptoms, and guidance.

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In the City of Pineville, code enforcement is handled by members of the Pineville Police Department. 

The PPD is committed to keeping the community clean, safe, and free from blighted properties. The department has taken steps to make it easier than ever for residents to report potential code violations.

If anyone notices a concern, simply visit PinevillePD.com/code-enforcement and fill out a quick form. The report will be sent directly to one of the Code Enforcement Officers. While these officers work hard on current cases, they can’t be everywhere at once and that’s where public reporting comes in.

By reporting violations, the public is helping the PPD protect property values, maintain safety, and preserve the beauty of Pineville. 

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Edi was pregnant with her first child.  Her pregnancy was considered normal until she started experiencing severe pains in her abdomen.  She feared for her unborn child.  Her husband rushed her to the hospital, and doctors diagnosed her with appendicitis.  As part of her treatment, they put ice on her stomach.  The doctors feared the treatment was unsuccessful and advised Edi to abort the child.  They explained that abortion would be the best solution because they knew the child would be born with some kind of disability.  You see, the doctors had misdiagnosed Edi and feared their odd treatment had jeopardized the fetus.  Despite the dangers to herself and her child, and despite the possibility of the child being born with a disability, Edi refused the doctors’ advice.  She was determined to have her baby.

On September 22, 1958, Edi gave birth to a son.  As the doctors predicted, the child was born with a disability, congenital glaucoma.  Edi’s son was born with damaged optic nerves which were responsible for transmitting visual information from the eyes to the brain.  The boy was only partially blind.  The extremely short-sighted boy could see everything but only from up close.  By the time the boy was three-and-a-half years old, he had undergone 13 operations to try to improve his eyesight, but none of them worked.  When he was seven, his parents sent him to a boarding school for visually impaired children because no local school would allow him to enroll.  His family visited him at the boarding school once a month, and the boy returned home for holidays.  Then, an incident happened which Edi’s son said was the worst moment of his life.  The boy was playing the position of goalkeeper in a game of football — you and I would call this soccer — at the school for the visually impaired.  It was Edi’s son’s first time as a goalie, and it would be his last.  One of the players kicked the ball and it struck Edi’s son directly in the face.  The force of the strike caused a hemorrhage and darkness fell over the boy forever.  

Edi’s son may have lacked sight, but his hearing was perfect.  At the young age of six, the boy began taking piano lessons.  His interest in music led him to learn to play the drums, flute, guitar, saxophone, trombone, and trumpet.  Following high school, Edi’s son went to college where he studied law.  He supported himself through college by playing in piano bars.  Once he earned his law degree, he worked as a court-appointed attorney.  Edi’s son could have continued his occupation as an attorney and his story of achievement would certainly have been impressive, but, to our benefit, another career came calling.      

Had Edi taken the advice of her doctors, we would never have heard a voice which has been on 15 solo studio albums, three greatest hits albums, nine complete operas, and has sold more the 75 million records worldwide… so far.  Celine Dion once said, “If God would have a singing voice, he must sound a lot like…Andrea Bocelli.” 

 Sources:

1.      John Hooper, “Tenor’s story acclaimed by anti-abortion campaigners,” The Guardian, June 10, 2010, accessed June 15, 2025, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jun/10/andrea-bocelli-abortion-italy.

2.      Thomas Edward, “Andrea Bocelli recalls the incident that left him blind: ‘That’s when darkness fell,’” Smooth Radio, September 9, 2024, accessed June 15, 2025, https://www.smoothradio.com/news/music/andrea-bocelli-blind-why-how/.