HHERALDING OOVER A CCENTURY OF NNEWS CCOVERAGE •• 1903-20141903-2014 LIFESTYLES SPORTS LOCAL SINGERS LAKEVIEW, NCHS FROM CONTINUE THE VOICE PLAYOFF RUNS See Page 1B See Page 5A The Natchitoches Times And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free, John 8:32. Weekend Edition, March 8-9, 2014 Natchitoches, Louisiana • Since 1714 Seventy-Five Cents the Copy Clash of Purple and Gold Police Dept. reports higher clear ratio Letters to the Editor Let us know what you think, write a letter to the editor. than national average See Page 4A for details. The Natchitoches Police cent decrease in number of Natchitoches Times e-mail Dept. had nearly a 37 percent arrests for 2012. [email protected] clear ratio of cases in 2013, a The NPD answered 29,975 Visit our website at: statistic that is a good deal calls for service in 2013, an www.natchitochestimes.com higher than the national aver- average of 82.1 calls per age of 18 percent, according 24/hour period. That is a 1 A crowd of 2136 filled the the statistical report for last percent increase over 2012. WEATHER Brown-Stroud Field ball- year. The 18 percent clearance The Traffic and Patrol park March 6 as the rate is for non-metropolitan Division wrote 4,178 tickets HIGH LOW Northwestern State areas. for the following offenses: seat 68 46 Demons baseball team The Criminal Investigation belt 1,094; speeding 593; red hosted the No. 4-ranked Division investigated 1,651 light violation 287; top sign LSU Tigers for the first cases and cleared 627, 16 more violation 301; DWI 113; and Area Deaths time since 2003. The Tigers than in 2012. other 1,790. took an 8-1 win in the mid- The Juvenile Division Traffic tickets accounted Belva V. Davis week contest. At left, Margaret O. Guillory cleared 187 of 188 reported for the largest part of the total Northwestern State junior cases. $417,043 collected for fines and Obituaries Page 2A second baseman Joel Officers arrested 1,879 fees. Atkinson looks to turn a adults and 176 juveniles for a Fines for traffic tickets double play after tagging total of 2055. That is a 26 per- accounted for $184,673. Veterans Park to out LSU sophomore Andrew Stevenson. See require funds page 5A for story. The Natchitoches Parish Veterans Park committee will discuss fundraising at its School board debates sock designs, jeggings meeting Thursday, March 13 at 3 p.m. at the City Bank School board sales tax col- and parents. regarding hoodies. Students boardroom of the downtown lections in December were Board member Donna in third grade and below can branch. down over 5 percent for the Masson said the committee wear “hoodies” to school but The committee estimates same period in 2012, or lent weight to opinions of cannot wear the hoods inside. the park is 85 percent com- $68,000, Supervisor of teachers and principals on Students in fourth through plete but needs $30,000 to com- Business Affairs Steven such issues as non-traditional 12 grades cannot wear jackets plete inscription of war dead Solomon reported at the com- designs of socks described as with hoods. on the monument, concrete mittee meeting Tuesday. “outlandish.” A new item in the hand- replacement, wiring, lighting, Despite the bad showing in Board member Joella book is the addition of jeg- water, signage and landscap- December, collections are Wilson said she didn’t see gings. They are prohibited. ing. nearly 1 percent above 2012 in how socks that were covered The discussion of “what are The committee hopes to the year-to-date category. by pants legs could be a dis- jeggings” provided some complete the park for a dedi- The school board received traction. humor since some of the cation on Veteran’s Day. $1.1 million in sales tax in “We let teachers and prin- male board members were The committee will send December. cipals have input on such not aware that they are leg- out a fundraising letter the The longest discussion was issues as socks and hoods. gings made from denim. week of March 10. about the student handbook They felt they were a distrac- Students are also prohibit- that was reviewed by a com- tion to education,” Masson ed from wearing anything in Kindergarten draw mittee of teachers, princi- said. their hair that indicates gang pals, school board members The policy has not changed affiliation. ends March 21 Scammers target seniors in several stings NSU Elementary Lab is school is accepting applica- NPD Capt. Brad Walker tions for the 2014-2015 kinder- says there is an unusual ‘The City of Natchitoches never, never, never garten draw. amount of scam activity in calls to tell you that your bill is overdue’ Applications must be sub- Natchitoches and warns resi- The Natchitoches Police Department compiled figures for mitted by Friday, March 21 at dents to be cautious about giv- - Capt. Brad Walker 2013 case breakdowns, clearance rate and records payments. 3 p.m. Applications are avail- ing personal information to Traffic tickets accounted for the most revenue, bringing in Walker says. “Neither do The resident decided not to able to download and print telephone solicitors. $184,673 of the $417,043 collected. Bench warrant fees fol- other utility companies. They take the service and hung up from www.nsuelab.com and The most recent one report- lowed at $87,472. See page Crime Statistics page 3A for types just cut off your service but but the scammer called back are also available in the ed to NPD three times this of crime reported in 2005-2013. school office. week and two times last week they do not call requesting and tried to intimidate her A current utility bill show- is someone telling residents money.” into buying the service. ing proof of residency is that their utility services will Walker said that telephone Clerk of Court Louie City Council releases agenda required with the application. be disconnected if they do not scammers often prey on Bernard says scammers are There will be another short service. Tuition for Elementary Lab send payment. seniors but cautions everyone even using the jury system. agenda when the City Council The Mayor will award the School is $1,875 annually and They ask for prepaid debit to be skeptical of unsolicited He has had reports of tele- meets Monday, March 10. The bid for the relocation of water must be paid by May 1 of the cards, credit card numbers phone calls requesting money phone scammers soliciting pre-meeting begins at 5 p.m. lines under the LCDBG Street attending school year. A $100 and other financial informa- and financial information. personal information on the and the meeting begins at 5:30 Project. supply fee is due upon enroll- tion. The amount they request A Natchitoches Times read- premise that the resident did p.m. at the Natchitoches Arts The Council will authorize ment. No phone calls.For is similar to what the utility er called to report another not appear for jury duty. Center. Mayor Lee Posey to execute a more information about E- bills usually are each month scam in which a caller tried to The scammers seek person- There will be the introduc- cooperative endeavor agree- Lab’s enrollment policies, leading people to think the call sell her a service to detect al information such as Social tion of a zoning ordinance ment between the City and visit the website. is valid. computer viruses. The caller Security number. requested by Apostolic House NSU in which the City will “The City of Natchitoches talked to the resident for about “No one will ever call you if of Refuge to establish a remove diseased trees across never, never, never calls to tell 45 minutes and nearly had her you didn’t appear for jury church at 1132 Dixie St. The the street from the NSU main you that your bill is overdue,” convinced to buy the service. duty,” Bernard said. request is to change the zon- gate. ing from R-1 to R-1 special The City will establish a Lemee House will spotlight colonial heritage exception. pocket park on the small piece The Council will introduce of property. Frontier Of Empires, an for the King of France, the Colonial an ordinance to change rates The next meeting this exhibition of Colonial fort on what was then an Period and related to security lighting month will be March 24. Heritage, will be Saturday, island in the Red River will offer a March 8 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. at became the westernmost out- unique the Lemee House sponsored post of the French Empire. It glimpse into Temperature plunge is most by the Association for the held the border of the French the changes Index Preservation of Historic Colony from the encroach- made over the change ever recorded in Parish Natchitoches. This event will ment of the Spanish as they centuries to By Wiley Butler severe weather change ever be free to the public and will attempted to push their bor- the land and St. Denis National Weather Service recorded in this parish. 2A celebrate the 300th anniver- ders to the east. waterways Obituaries Cooperative Weather Snowfalls at sary of the founding of In 1763, the territory was around the original fort. Observer Natchitoches: Editorial 4A Natchitoches. transferred to Spain and in Modern day aerial pho- Natchitoches experienced Dec. 7, 2013: Trace A collection of 18th century 1800 was secretly acquired by tographs of the Historic 6B a 45-degree temperature Jan.