HHERALDING OOVER A CCENTURY OF NNEWS CCOVERAGE •• 1903-20131903-2013 LIFESTYLES SPORTS NSU AD the CARNIVAL RECEIVES ROYALTY AWARD 75¢ Copy See Page 1B See Page 8A The Natchitoches Times And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free, John 8:32. Weekend Edition, January 26-27, 2013 Natchitoches, Louisiana • Since 1714 Seventy-Five Cents the Copy Letters to the Editor Let us know what you think, Sheriff comments write a letter to the editor. See Page 4A for details. Natchitoches Times e-mail [email protected] on abused horses at Visit our website at: www.natchitochestimes.com Williams Avenue farm WEATHER Sheriff Victor Jones Jr. said Thursday that his office has HIGH LOW been investigating complaints of animal abuse at Ryder’s River 62 54 Ridge Horse farm for over a year and have been working with the son of the owner to improve conditions there. Jones said in January of 2012 his office received a complaint Area Deaths of abuse at the farm on Williams Avenue. River Ridge is owned BILLY NORMAN by Firal Ryder and the horses have been in the care of his son, ROBERT L. GUYOTT Clay, since his father is in a nursing home. After getting the complaint, Jones assigned Dep. Rob DIXIE DEE SCRIBER Walsworth to the case. Walsworth visited the farm and found MALCOLM WADE ROND “PAPADO” some horses in poor condition. Walsworth arranged for visits ROSE MARIE CATANESE by a state veterinarian and representatives of the La. Brand Commission. After that, Jones said that Clay Ryder began ELVA DELEON MORELAND working with officials to improve the conditions and began tak- Obituaries Page 2A ing some of the original 150 horses to rescue facilities. Construction began Tuesday on the new retaining wall for the American Cemetery at the Jones said there were 150 thoroughbred horses on 60 acres at corner of Demeziere and Second Street. Derek Payne is the contractor. The stabilization the farm, an area too small to support that number of horses. Council to meet started through efforts of the Natchitoches Historic District Development Commission Walsworth made about 20 visits to the farm during the last The first regular meeting (NHDDC) and is being finalized through a cooperative endeavor with the Cane River year with the last one being Dec. 8. “Some of the horses were of the Natchitoches Parish Heritage Area, the City of Natchitoches and Northwestern State University’s Archeology down in weight but there was nothing alarming,” Jones said. Council will be Monday, Jan. Department. See related story Page 3A. “And Clay was working with Rob and did everything we asked 28 at 5:30 p.m. in the Parish him to do.” Council Meeting place, Room Jones said there was one dead horse on the farm but he had 211, Second Floor of the American Cemetery retaining wall no way of knowing what killed the horse. Natchitoches Parish Jones said the furor over the conditions at the farm escalat- Courthouse. ed last week when members of a horse rescue group, Remember being replaced through joint effort Me Rescue, began calling his office about the conditions. The group also began an e-mail and social media awareness NSU preparing By Steven Niette campaign about conditions at the farm. In an e-mail they want- The Historic District Development ed Clay Ryder charged with “a felony count for every dead for nursing Commission met on a day when the sun was horse and cruelty charges for every other horse.” actually shining, perhaps as a sign of the for- Jones said that over the weekend, a La. State Police heli- ward progress being made in the copter flew over the farm. La. State Police then met with Jones doctorate Natchitoches Historic Landmark District. and Walsworth and requested they arrest Ryder. Jones said he Payne Williams opened the Thursday A letter of intent for a told them he would not arrest Ryder because of his past coop- meeting with a call to order. Minutes were Doctor of Nursing Practice eration. approved for the last meeting in November degree at Northwestern State He said Ryder then contacted attorney Bill West and on and a financial report was presented to the University has been approved Tuesday they met with Jones and Assistant District Attorney members. As of Dec. 31, 2012, the commis- by the Louisiana Board of Billy Joe Harrington. The result was that they gave Ryder sion’s fund balance was $318,646. Regents. another 30 days to improve the conditions and step up the Old business included discussion on the The university will now efforts to get rid of the horses, to which Ryder agreed. American Cemetery Walkway Project, the develop a proposal for the pro- “He put out more hay on Wednesday and he’s trying to get rid Docent Program, the Demeziere Wall Project gram, which must be of the horses,” Jones said. “We told him to take care of it or we and the National Historic Foundation Park. approved by the Board of will arrest him.” Payne Williams updated the commission Supervisors for the University Jones said Ryder inherited too many horses to take care of on the American Cemetery Walkway Project. of Louisiana System and the and should have taken better care of the horses than he did. The cemetery walkway has been completed Board of Regents. Jones said he believes the horses are being better cared for and Williams is getting a bid for adding The Doctor of Nursing now and believes Ryder will take more action. “I owe it to him handrails in the walkway area. Also, the com- Derek Payne said only one tree will be Practice (DNP) degree would to be fair. After all his cooperation over the past year, I wasn’t mission is considering adding benches for a lost in the project. be a practice-focused doctoral going to hastily get a warrant. He’s making progress.” sitting area. Demeziere Wall Project. The wall is over 110 degree for nurses seeking to Jones said there are about 57 horses left at the farm. Sharon Gahagan discussed the Docent years old and is scheduled for replacement. further their career in Program. A docent is a voluntary tour guide, The project was supposed to begin Friday, advanced nursing practice. and the tour guides for the Natchitoches Jan. 11 but was postponed because of weath- Courses would be delivered Docent Program were from the National Park er. Construction was reset to begin Tuesday, 911 answered over primarily via the Internet and Service. The free walking tours were avail- Jan. 22. Demeziere Street will be closed for at compressed video. able in November and December, lasted for least two weeks once construction begins. Northwestern State one and one-half hours and covered one-half “Once this is done,” Williams said, “fear of President Dr. Randall J. Web 17,000 calls in 2012 of a mile. 18 tours were offered with a total of the wall falling in will subside.” said,“Because of our leader- 205 visitors. “Visitors were excited that there The contractor is Derrick Payne and the The 911 office received 17,872 will be approximately $4,957. ship role in the state in online was something additional to do,” Gahagan project is going to cost about $80,000. calls during 2012 according to Phase II of the address veri- education, the Regents’ action said. New business included discussion of the annual report that Willis fication process continues. includes collaboration with The tours began at the National Historic planting shrubbery along the wall. Also, Carter gave during the meeting Carter said that 6,000 addresses public universities in south Foundation and focused on French influence Williams said that a sidewalk will run along- Tuesday. Carter is director of were not verified after Phase I. Louisiana in offering core in the city. Gahagan said the Docent Program side the street, which will decrease the the Natchitoches Parish The addresses that were courses for the degree elec- could eventually offer tours focusing on other chances of accidents. Commissioners com- Communications District. dropped were for properties tronically. Considering historic features of Natchitoches and be mented that the cemetery is quite popular Other highlights of the that had no physical address, Northwestern’s prominent advertised throughout the Historic District. among visitors and what is being done to report included 31 activations were post office boxes or were role in nursing education for Payne Williams gave an update on the improve it is great. of the emergency weather sys- out-of-town owners. The over 60 years and the empha- tem sirens; 128 new address remaining verification will be sis on quality health care in assignments; 8,936 address veri- done in-house and it will take 3 our region, we feel offering fications; and 1,410 hits to the weeks to physically verify the DNP is a logical progres- website. them. sion for our program.” Carter said work continues The audit of the financial Northwestern State’s pro- on the Natchitoches Parish year that ended Dec. 31 report- gram would be the only one of Emergency Communications ed a $1.3 million fund balance. its type available in north Center with the State’s coopera- Line revenue generated See NSU Page 3A tive endeavor agreement being $128,172; wireless lines gener- reviewed for legal and financial ate $385,573. content. Expenses for 2012 were Carter said $42,000 of State $385,573 with revenue at funding for the center has been $399,179. Carter said the $13,605 spent for architectural plan- deficit will be funded when out- Index ning fees.