Catahoula News Booster Serving Catahoula Parish since 1853 Jonesville, La. 1 Section Wednesday, February 26, 2020 Vol. 173 No. 08 50 Cents Rural Prosperity Summit addresses economic decline Thirty-three out of 64 Louisiana parishes are the federal government and state governments ond fastest growing company in the state, South- in “persistent poverty”, having suffered in that addressing 252 distressed counties and parishes ern Designs in Vidalia, Louisiana, moderated a condition for thirty years or more. This is accord- in six southeastern U.S. states including Louisiana panel on “Rural Entrepreneurship” on the first ing to data presented at the Louisiana Rural Pros- plus Illinois and Missouri. day of the conference. He offered that in a small perity Summit on February 18th and 19th held at Mayor Ceasar drew applause from the crowd community, a small business start-up can em- the Holiday Inn in Alexandria, Louisiana. when discussing schools, a foundational neces- ployee a significant percentage of the available A parish in persistent poverty is defined as sity of prosperous communities, saying, “We’ve local workforce. Hughes said that in a town of one having 20% or more of residents in pover- got to make parents accountable for children’s only a few hundred workers, a couple of dozen ty for thirty years or longer. The 33 parishes, of behavior in schools.” Ceasar complained that, “A jobs could do a lot of good and that means im- which Catahoula is one, averaged a poverty rate lot of them graduate from high school function- provement doesn’t depend on catching a big em- of 24.7% of its citizens. More than 27% of Cata- ally illiterate.” ployer to hire hundreds. Hughes pointed out that houla Parish residents live in poverty. Leslie Durham of DRA poured cold water on his company alone with only 40 people employs Jonesville’s Mayor Milton Ceasar was a panelist the crowd by telling them that if they were on a 1% of Vidalia’s available workforce. in the final session of the conference on Thursday rural water system and paying $7 a month for wa- Conference presenters also emphasized the afternoon. Joe Rosier of the Rapides Foundation ter, they probably should be paying $30. Durham importance of broadband and its ability to give moderated the discussion that included ex-state said that often when communities need money, rural communities global reach and presence. senator Nobel Ellington and Leslie Durham, a she has to say, “We don’t have any money for The Federal Communications Commission de- Tensas Parish native who is the Louisiana Gover- that. If this is important to you, do something fines broadband as an internet connection pro- nor’s Designee to the Delta Regional Authority about it.” viding download speeds of at least 25Mbps and (DRA). The DRA is a co-operative combination of Tance Hughes, founder and owner of the sec- upload speeds of 3 Mbps. Concordia Electric scheduled election committee meeting The Election Committee, appointed by the Board of Directors on February 13, 2020, has the responsibility of seeing that the election of board members is carried out according to the Bylaws of the Cooperative. They are also responsible for nominating qualified members to be elected to the Board of Directors for the 2020 Annual Membership Meeting. Election Committee Members are as follows: Judy Punchard, 174 Juanita Drive, Jones- ville, LA 71343; Louise Jones, 469 Kirby Lane, Jena, LA 71342; Donald Wayne Money, 363 RURAL PROSPERITY SUMMIT speakers left to right are; Rapides Foundation moderator, Joe Alexander Road, Clayton, LA 71326; Char- Rosier; Jim Clinton, President and CEO of Central La. Economic Development Authority; Noble El- lotte (Sis) Jones, 681 Mason Rd, Jonesville, lington, Director of Gov.’s Rural Revitalization Commission; Leslie Durham, Gov.’s Designee to Delta LA 71343; Steve Moreland, 11254 Hwy 129, Regional Authority; Jonesville Mayor Milton Ceasar, and State Senator Mike Reese. Monterey, LA 71354; Jane King, 4185 Hwy 923, Jonesville, LA 71343; Carol Sanders, 136 USDA-NRCS in Louisiana announces sign-up B. B. Beard Rd, Monterey, LA 71354; Hilda Husbands, 179 K. Ranch Road, Jena, LA 71342 period for conservation financial assistance and Debbie Taylor, 12665 Highway 8, Jones- ALEXANDRIA, Louisiana – tives through EQIP that allows are looking for ways to improve ville, LA 71343. The U.S. Department of Agricul- targeted funding for high prior- the natural resources of their The Committee met yesterday, Tuesday, ture (USDA), Natural Resources ity practices, impaired water- farm and boost production to February 25, 2020 at 6 pm at Concordia Elec- Conservation Service (NRCS) in sheds and targeted plant and contact their local field office tric Cooperative, Inc. Headquarters at 1865 Louisiana announced the 1st wildlife species. Some of these and submit an application,” Hwy 84 Jonesville, LA 71343. signup period for applications targeted funding opportuni- said Chad Kacir, state conser- EXCERPTS FROM THE BYLAWS for the Environmental Quality ties include: National Water vationist for NRCS in Louisiana. Article III – Directors Incentives Program (EQIP) and Quality Initiative (NWQI) and “NRCS provides producers with Section 2 – Qualifications and Tenure Regional Conservation Part- Mississippi River Basin Initia- financial resources and one- No member shall be eligible to become or nership Program (RCPP-EQIP) tive (MRBI), Longleaf Pine Ini- on-one help to plan and imple- remain a director or to hold any position of in fiscal year (FY) 2020 ends on tiative (LLPI), On-Farm Energy ment conservation practices trust in the Cooperative who is not a bonafide March 6, 2020. Initiative, Seasonal High Tunnel through these programs.” resident in the area served by the Cooperative Financial assistance through Initiative, Organic Initiative, NRCS accepts applications and who has not been a member of the Co- these programs is available to Working Lands for Wildlife- Go- on a continuous basis but due operative for a period of at least one (1) year help farmers and landowners pher Tortoise, and Migratory to limited funding, producers prior to qualifying to seek office, or who is in plan and implement conserva- Bird Habitat Initiative (MBHI). with applications submitted any way employed by or financially interested tion practices to improve water NRCS is also accepting ap- by March 6, 2020, will have a in a competing enterprise or a business sell- quality, build healthier soil, im- plications for the Gulf Coast higher chance of application ing electric energy or supplies to the Cooper- prove grazing and forestlands, Water and Wildlife RCPP-EQIP approval in 2020. Applications ative…and no person shall take or hold office conserve energy, enhance or- project. This project targets received after that date will be as a director who is the incumbent of or candi- ganic operations, establish or water quality and improving accepted and may be consid- date for an elective public office in connection improve wildlife habitat and surface water irrigation on rice ered for funding in a second with which a salary is paid or who is a close achieve other environmental operations in Acadia, Allen, Be- ranking review cycle. relative of any other member of the Board of benefits on cropland and pas- auregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, For more information on Directors. ture, forestland, and associat- Evangeline, Jefferson Davis, La- NRCS Farm Bill programs, visit Section 3. Nominations ed agricultural land including fayette, St. Landry, St. Martin nrcs.usda.gov/farmbill or con- …any fifteen (15) or more members may farmsteads. and Vermilion parishes. tact your local NRCS field of- make other nominations in writing over their NRCS offers special initia- “I encourage producers who fice. signatures…, Last day for receipt of nomina- tions by petitions shall be Thursday, March 12, 2020 at 2 PM at the Headquarters of Con- *Sports Pages 8A & 9A cordia Electric Cooperative, Inc. 1865 Hwy 84, *Heard Cemetery 6A Jonesville, LA 71343 See BOARD continued on Page 2A Index: *Nelson 7A *Obits 5A.