Aubrey Prewitt, daughter of Kandice and Tracy Prewitt, has been selected as Mangham Junior High’s Student of the Year as well as the Richland Parish Schools Student of the Year for 2016-2017.
She is an active member of her church and community as well as an outstanding student.
Prewitt’s accomplishments include being a Banner Roll student, top AR reader, a member of MJH 4-H Club and the Vice President of MJH Junior Beta Club.
Her community accomplishments include participation in the Patriot’s Pen Writing Contest, a nationwide youth essay competition that gives students an opportunity to express their views on an annual patriotic theme. The competition is sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. This year’s theme was “The America I Believe in.” Prewitt’s essay, representing the local Christian-Phillips Post 3375 took first place. She placed third in the district for 2016-2017.
In February, Aubrey will once again represent MJH in Baton Rouge for the Regional Finals of the National History Bee. In last year’s History Bee competition, Prewitt scored high enough at the State level to participate in the National Finals held in Chicago.

A Locally Led Conservation Meeting will be held in Richland Parish to identify resource concerns for the Boeuf River SWCD. The meeting will be held at 9 a.m. Feb. 167 at the Rayville Civic Center.
Resting in the hands of local community members is the future of valuable natural resources and the decisions that are made to conserve, enhance and sustain the integrity of soil, water and air quality in throughout Louisiana.
Conservation of our resources can not be achieved by one group, government agency or the individual – it takes cooperative conservation.
Cooperative conservation starts first with the active involvement of the individual community member who helps to identify the resource needs of the community. Community involvement helps local Soil and Water Conservation Districts and the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service assess and prioritize resource concerns on a community level. Local natural resource priorities help direct technical and financial assistance decisions that NRCS and SWCD make throughout the year.
Locally led conservation efforts are successful with the help from our residents.
Please, become involved in locally led conservation. Your involvement is significantly important to the locally led conservation process and all partners involved in conservation.
At the Locally Led Conservation Meeting you will be able to voice concerns, provide comments and help to identify conservation issues. Save the date, and help our community make sound conservation decisions – become an active part of locally led conservation and cooperative conservation efforts.
For more information on the Locally Led Conservation Meeting, contact the Rayville NRCS and Boeuf River SWCD field office today by calling 728-2081, Ext 3. Our office is located at 141 Industrial Loop, Rayville.
For additional information concerning the programs or assistance that we provide, visit us on the web at www.la.nrcs.usda.gov. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.

The Rayville Police Department made the following arrests for the week of Jan. 16-22.
• Roryi Pines, 32, 301 Britton St., Rayville; no driver’s license.
• Edward Bass, 33, 467 Dacron St., Rayville; harassment.
• Boyce R. Carter, 23, 1835 Hwy 135, Rayville; driving under suspension.
• Marilyn Rawls, 43, 77 Davis Lake Drive, Rayville; driving under suspension.
• Bobby J. McDonald, 35, 127B South Circle Drive, Rayville; theft less than $300.
• Trumaine L. Grace, 34, 124 Alabama St., Rayville; driving under suspension and open container.
• Melissa Harvey, 50, 901 South Second St., Monroe; shop lifting (first offense).
• Antwan Johnson, 36, 316 Russell St., Apt. 29, Rayville; failure to appear (disobedience to a police officer).
• Tyra T. Abraham, 33, 303 Park Lane, Bastrop; disturbing the peace by loud music.
• Natasha Smith, 37, 106 Traditional Drive, Rayville; harassment.
• Two juveniles were charged with disturbing the peace by fighting.
• • •
The Rayville Police Department issued a total of nine traffic citations this week. That number includes four for speeding and one each for expired driver’s license, careless operation with an accident, improper backing with an accident, running a stop sign and failure to carry registration.
• • •
Rayville Police Chief Willie Robinson said that on Jan. 16, he was privileged to spend the day at the parade and observance of Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday.
He enjoyed the blessing of being with the youth. He feels that quality time spend with youth and talking to them about positive things will bring about positive things in their life.
“We must continue to combat those things in our community that will have a negative impact on the life of our young people,” he said. “We, as leaders, must continue to be role models and mentors for our youth and tell them the right things to do. Remember the Rayville Police Department is always here to help.”
Chief Robinson would also like to encourage parents to talk to their young people about the importance of keeping their criminal record clean.
“Having a criminal background makes it difficult to get into colleges and to get good jobs later in life,” he said. “We want our young people to have the best opportunities to succeed.”
The chief advised that parents should encourage their children to be involved in positive activities such as church, school athletic programs, academic clubs, sports or band. These types of activities help children develop strong values, discipline and a good work ethic.
“Teach your children that fighting is not acceptable and that there are other ways of dealing conflict,” he said. “Instill in your children a love for God, a love for people and a good set of moral values -- all these things will greatly increase their hope of having a life of purpose. Our youth are our future. Let’s work together to make our future bright.”
Chief Robinson encourages all citizens to come by the Rayville Police Department at 900 Harrison St. or to call 728-4431 if you need his help in any way.

At the end of 2016, Entergy of Louisiana made an extremely generous gift of $1 million to various organizations with the purpose of improving the workforce of Louisiana.
Specifically $500,000 will go toward Northeast Louisiana, and $250,000 of that gift will be directed to Richland Parish. The Northeast Louisiana Economic Alliance and the Richland Parish Chamber of Commerce are currently applying for a federal grant to match this gift for an additional $250,000 toward the economic development prospects of Richland Parish.
The primary use of these funds will be to implement the C4M program (Certification For Manufacturing) into the curriculum of the Richland Parish School system. C4M is a state of the art program that teaches students the skills needed to immediately find employment in an advanced manufacturing facility. In other, more industrious states, C4M has been a staple in high school education for many years, where thousands of high school graduates enjoy good paying jobs that otherwise would be unavailable to them.
NELEA has confirmed that several major multinational corporations would be very interested in building a facility in Richland Parish if our school system (and surrounding school systems) produced a significant number of C4M certificate holders. The West Carroll Parish school system has thus far lead the way for this program in our area, utilizing a vibrant C4M program.
They should be commended for this effort in the face of rising costs and tight budgets.
An advanced manufacturing plant in Richland Parish would forever change the world for its citizens.
These are great jobs that carry an economic multiplier, because that extra income to the area would spark additional growth in the banking, retail and construction industries of Northeast Louisiana. This would create an industrial revolution that would forever modernize the economy of Richland Parish.
We must thank Entergy for this wonderful investment in the future of Northeast Louisiana. Even though this amount of money will not cover the total cost to make these changes, it will lay the groundwork and help develop the blueprint for our most aspiring dreams.
If you are interested in becoming a member of the Richland Parish Chamber of Commerce, please email us at richlandparishchamber@gmail.com. Visit our new website richlandparishchamber.org. Also check out our Facebook page and give us a like! We greatly appreciate your support.

Scott Franklin is chairman of the Richland Parish Chamber of Commerce.

Rhymes Library will host a presentation by Carole Cotton Winn about her book, "My Darling, A World War II Scrapbook, at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 21.
She will also speak at the Richland Parish Library in Rayville at 5 p.m. Feb. 21.
This full color hardcover volume is a personal account of World War II as experienced by her father, W.D. Cotton, a Rayville lawyer for many years.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has begun replacing Big Roaring Bayou Bridge at Big Lake Wildlife Management Area.
Fina Road from Louisiana Hwy. 4 to Trusler Lake Road will be closed during the duration of the bridge replacement work.
The project is scheduled to be completed by May 2017.
Big Lake WMA, which consists of 19,231 acres, is located in Franklin, Madison and Tensas parishes approximately 12 miles east of Gilbert.
The eastern boundary of Big Lake WMA is contiguous with a portion of the western boundary of Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge.
Together, these areas form one of the largest remaining tracts of bottomland hardwood forests that historically composed the lower Mississippi River floodplain from lower Illinois to the Gulf of Mexico.
For more information on Big Lake WMA, go to http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/wma/32646 .

Sen. Francis Thompson has been awarded the Top Advocate award by the North Louisiana Economic Partnership.
North Louisiana Economic Partnership announced the winners of its Top Awards, which honor projects or persons that made a tremendous impact in economic development during the NLEP 2017 Annual Meeting Jan. 25 at Sam’s Town Hotel in Shreveport.
The Top Advocate award recognizes an elected official serving in NLEP’s 14 parish region who has shown outstanding leadership in economic development. This year’s Top Advocate is Senator Francis Thompson. His lifetime of work exemplifies a career built on championing the economic welfare of communities in North Louisiana. His most recent economic development accomplishment includes leading efforts in the state legislature that resulted in an additional $500,000 in revenue for NLEP.
These additional dollars were used toward providing some seed funding for Louisiana Tech Research Institute that will be housed in Bossier City in collaboration with the Cyber Innovation Center and funding for an economic impact study of the Ouachita and Black Rivers being conducted by the University of Louisiana at Monroe. The study will be part of an initiative to maintain the water levels and hours of operation of the rivers and will be submitted to the Army Corps of Engineer.
The additional funding secured by Senator Thompson for NLEP also enhanced our financial commitment to Regional Air Service Alliance in northwest Louisiana; partially funded two site selector tours, showcasing Lincoln, Ouachita, and Natchitoches Parishes, and an outbound marketing trip to Atlanta, Georgia and Greenville, South Carolina. The funding will also go toward supporting a site selector tour later this year in Caddo and Bossier Parishes.

The Rayville Police Department made the following arrests for the week of Jan. 23-29.
• Cashannon Martinez, 24, 578,Girard Road, Oak Grove; no driver’s license.
• Stacey Means, 56, 213 Earline St., Rayville; no driver’s license.
• Ozell Martinez, 34, 125 Waldorf St., Rayville; expired driver’s license, no proof of insurance and no brake light (two required).
• Lyndell Washington, 45, 19 Baker Lane, Rayville; simple burglary.
• One juvenile was charged with aggravated battery.
• • •
The Rayville Police Department issued a total of 42 traffic citations this week. That number includes 32 for speeding, three for no proof of insurance, two for expired driver’s license and one each for running a stop sign, no seat belt, no driver’s license in possession, improper turn, and expired license plate.
• • •
Rayville Police Chief Willie Robinson would like to remind motorists to slow down.
A posted speed limit is the maximum safe speed motorists can drive in a particular area based on many factors. Drivers should make sure they wear their seat belts and that all passengers wear them as well.
All motorists should make sure they have all their necessary documents with them at all times when operating their vehicle and that the vehicle is well maintained and equipped for the road.
“You must have a valid driver’s license, proof of insurance, current motor vehicle inspection sticker and vehicle registration any time you operate a vehicle,” stated the chief. “If not, you will receive a citation for each unavailable document. This could lead to some pretty expensive fines.”
Chief Robinson encourages all citizens to come by the Rayville Police Department at 900 Harrison St. or to call 728-4431 if you need his help in any way.

Shane Faulkner, certified flight paramedic with the Rayville Air Evac Lifeteam base, recently earned his 500th patient flight wings.
He joined Air Evac five years ago after working with AMR Monroe for five years. Faulkner received his paramedic training at Bossier Parish Community College.
The Monroe resident said the best part of working for Air Evac is caring for the critically ill and injured patients.
“This job also combines two of my favorite things – medicine and aviation,” Faulkner added.
About Air Evac Lifeteam
Air Evac Lifeteam, headquartered in O’Fallon, Mo., is the largest independently owned and operated air medical service provider in the United States, with more than 130 air medical bases across 15 states.
Air Evac is the leading provider of helicopter air ambulance services to communities in need of rapid medical transport to advanced emergency health care.
Flight crews, consisting of a pilot, flight nurse and flight paramedic, are on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week to respond to the scene of an emergency, or provide transportation between medical facilities.
For more information, please visit www.lifeteam.net, or like us on Facebook.

Congressman Ralph Abraham, M.D., R-Alto, announced the following satellite office hours for Caldwell, East Carroll, Franklin, Jackson, Lincoln, Madison, Morehouse, Richland, Tensas and West Carroll parishes.
Constituents are encouraged to visit with the staff during these office hours if they need help with any federal agency. Staff members are also available during business hours at the Northeast Louisiana District Office in Monroe, which can be reached at 322-3500.
Richland Parish: Richland Parish Courthouse Police Jury meeting room, 708 Julia. St., Rayville, from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the second Monday of every month, beginning Feb. 13.
West Carroll Parish: West Carroll Parish Courthouse Police Jury room, 1074 South Briggs St., Oak Grove, from 2 – 4:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of every month, beginning Feb. 14.
Caldwell Parish: Caldwell Parish Courthouse Annex conference room, 201 Main St., Columbia from 9 – 11:30 a.m. on the third Tuesday of every month, beginning Feb. 21.
Franklin Parish: Franklin Parish Courthouse Police Jury conference room, 6550 Main St., Winnsboro, from 2 – 4:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of every month, beginning Feb. 21.
Tensas Parish: Tensas Parish Courthouse Police jury room, 12 Hancock St., St. Joseph, from 9 – 11:30 a.m. on the fourth Tuesday of every month, beginning Feb. 28.
Madison Parish: Madison Parish Courthouse Police Jury room, 100 N. Cedar St., Tallulah, from 2 – 4:30 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of every month, beginning Feb. 28.
More information on satellite office hours and services provided through Dr. Abraham’s office can be found online at Abraham.house.gov.

Four Richland Parish students earned academic honors this semester at Northwestern State University.
Emily Rawls of Rayville was one of 1,117 students named to the Fall 2016 Honor Roll at Northwestern State University.
Students on the Honor Roll earned a grade point average of between 3.0 and 3.49.
Leslie Sharbono of Rayville was one of 1,135 students named to the Fall 2016 Dean’s List at Northwestern State University. Students on the list earned a grade point average of between 3.5 and 3.99.
Shelley Godard of Delhi and Mary Rogers of Rayville were among 653 students named to the Fall 2016 President’s List at Northwestern State University. Students on the list earned a grade point average of 4.0.

American Legion Tommie Cook Post #122 will host the Historical Oratorical Scholarship program competition at 10 a.m. Feb. 11 at the Rayville United Methodist Church Family Life Center in Rayville. The public is invited.
The contest exists to develop deeper knowledge and appreciation for the U.S. Constitution among high school students. Since 1938, the program has presented participants with an academic speaking challenge that teaches important leadership qualities, the history of our nation’s laws, the ability to think and speak clearly, and an understanding of the duties, responsibilities, rights and privileges of American citizenship.
The public is invited to attend the competition and support the young men and women who will be speaking about patriotism.

United Way of Northeast Louisiana recently hosted the Dollars & $ense Reality Fair Jan. 26 at the Rayville Civic Center for more than 150 Delhi, Mangham, Rayville and Tensas Parish high school students.
Sponsored by Cross Keys Bank, the Dollars & $ense Reality Fair is a financial education simulation during which high school students actively learn how to make better financial decisions and gain knowledge of budgeting, saving, and spending.
This marks the third consecutive year United Way of Northeast Louisiana has hosted this event for Richland and Tensas Parish students.
A total of 35 community volunteers from AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana, Bancorp South, Capital One, Chase, Citizens Progressive Bank, CLAHEC, Cross Keys Bank, Delta Sigma Theta-Monroe Alumnae Chapter, Richland Parish School Board, and Richland State Bank participated in the simulation. Cross Keys Bank Vice President of Lending Bradley Bridges lead a financial counseling session following the exercise.
United Way of Northeast Louisiana is committed to helping hard-working individuals and families become more financially stable. The Dollars & $ense Reality Fair education simulation gives students a real-life look into developing a budget and spending plan while teaching them how to make sound financial decisions that will help them take control of their finances and their future.
Upon completion of the Dollars & $ense Reality Fair, students will have increased their understanding of the source and uses of their income, while beginning to develop responsible attitudes towards budgeting, spending and saving.
A follow-up curriculum developed by the University of Louisiana at Monroe is also offered upon completion of the simulation to further enrich students’ learning.
United Way of Northeast Louisiana works with volunteers, donors, and other organizations locally create lasting change in the areas of Education, Financial Stability, Health, and Basic & Emergency Needs—the building blocks for a good quality of life.
For more information about United Way of Northeast Louisiana, dial 2-1-1 on any landline or mobile phone, a free call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or visit www.unitedwaynela.org.

The Rayville Police Department made the following arrests for the week of Jan. 30 through Feb. 5.
• Tom Phillips, 26, 203 Dacron St., Rayville; simple burglary.
• Hunter A. Marcum, 18, 1907 Girod Road, Rayville; switched license plate, no driver’s license and no proof of insurance.
• Destiny C. Daniels, 19, 1737 Highway 618, Winnsboro; improper use of a dealer tag, failure to secure license and registration, no driver’s license and no insurance.
• Shakenna Gipson, 116A Massey K Drive, Rayville; aggravated battery.
• Jamal I. Metoyer, 30, 316 Russell St., Apt. 17, Rayville; speeding, no proof of insurance and driving under suspension.
• Hoxie Fair, 19, 7 Loop Road, Delhi; house burglary.
• Rashad Naylor, 18, 315 Blackmon St., Rayville; simple burglary.
• Samuel Washington, 37, 122 Valley St., Delhi; illegal possession of stolen things.
• Frederick Wheeler, 40, 1902 Louisa St., Rayville; disturbing the peace by profanity (second offense).
• Shelby L. Stampley, 26, 223 Glenda St., Rayville; no driver’s license and careless operation with an accident.
• Courtney L. Anding, 28, 207 South Second St., Monroe; disturbing the peace by loud music (first offense) and open container.
• • •
The Rayville Police Department issued a total of eight traffic citations this week. That number includes four for speeding, two for no insurance and one each for no seat belt and following too close with an accident.
• • •
Rayville Police Chief Willie Robinson would like to caution people about buying goods from private sources.
“Unless you are absolutely certain that the items you are buying really belong to the person you are buying them from, think twice before making the purchase,” he said. “As they say, lack of knowledge is no excuse. If you buy stolen goods, you can be arrested and charged for that, even if you didn’t know the goods were stolen.”
Chief Robinson advised that all citizens need to be aware if they have knowledge of a crime and do not report it, they can be arrested and charged with accessory after the fact.
“It’s very important that you inform law enforcement officers if you have any information about any crimes that have been committed,” the chief said. “Not only does this help you avoid criminal charges yourself, it helps protect the whole community. This is just good citizenship.”
Chief Robinson encourages all citizens to come by the Rayville Police Department at 900 Harrison St. or to call 728-4431 if you need his help in any way.

The American Legion Fifth District Historical Oratorical Scholarship program competition will be held from 2-4 p.m. Feb. 18 at the Rayville United Methodist Church Family Life Center in Rayville. The public is invited.
The contest exists to develop deeper knowledge and appreciation for the U.S. Constitution among high school students. Since 1938, the program has presented participants with an academic speaking challenge that teaches important leadership qualities, the history of our nation’s laws, the ability to think and speak clearly, and an understanding of the duties, responsibilities, rights and privileges of American citizenship.
The public is invited to attend the competition and support the young men and women who will be speaking about patriotism.

Resting in the hands of our local community members is the future of our valuable natural resources and the decisions that are made to conserve, enhance and sustain the integrity of soil, water and air quality in throughout Louisiana.
Conservation of our resources can not be achieved by one group, government agency or the individual – it takes cooperative conservation.
Cooperative conservation starts first with the active involvement of the individual community member who helps to identify the resource needs of the community.
Community involvement helps local Soil and Water Conservation Districts and the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service assess and prioritize resource concerns on a community level.
Local natural resource priorities help direct technical and financial assistance decisions that NRCS and SWCD make throughout the year.
Locally led conservation efforts are successful with the help from our residents. Please, become involved in locally led conservation.
A Locally Led Conservation Meeting will be held in Richland Parish to identify resource concerns for the Boeuf River SWCD. The meeting will be held at 9 a.m. Feb. 16 at the Rayville Civic Center. Your involvement is significantly important to the locally led conservation process and all partners involved in conservation. At the Locally Led Conservation Meeting you will be able to voice concerns, provide comments and help to identify conservation issues. Save the date, and help our community make sound conservation decisions – become an active part of locally led conservation and cooperative conservation efforts.
For more information on the Locally Led Conservation Meeting, contact the Rayville NRCS and Boeuf River SWCD field office today by calling 728-2081, Ext 3. The office is located at 141 Industrial Loop, Rayville.
For additional information concerning the programs or assistance that we provide, visit us on the web at www.la.nrcs.usda.gov. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.

Dylan Odom was chosen as the 2016-2017 Student of the year.
He is the son of Misty and Damien Odom. Dylan is a member of Beouf River Baptist Church in Bee Bayou, and takes great pride in attending church every Sunday and Wednesday.
Dylan has been a member of the Hornet football team for four years.
He received All District Academic in football his sophomore and junior year. He is a member of the National Honor Society, student council, yearbook staff, and Fellowship of Christian Students.
Dylan has been in the gifted program for the past two years and continues to excel in academics.
After graduating, he plans to attend Louisiana Tech, where he will major in biology and eventually become a doctor.
His hobbies include spending time with his family and friends at home and in church, as well as, watching and playing football.

Andrew David McQueen earned a PhD in Environmental Toxicology from Clemson University (South Carolina) in December 2016.
Andrew is a 2001 graduate of Rayville High School and earned his undergraduate degree in Toxicology from the University of Louisiana at Monroe. After earning a master’s degree at Clemson, Andrew worked for a subcontractor of British Petroleum (BP).
He was part of a team of scientists that collected oil/water ocean samples after the blow-out disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.
He and his wife Cindy, and their two sons, Ethan and Samuel, will be moving to Mississippi where Andrew has accepted a job at the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Waterways Experiment Station, based in Vicksburg.
Andrew is the son of David and Shirley McQueen of Mangham.

The Rayville Police Department made the following arrests for the week of Feb. 6-12.
• Keith Dugan, 34, Merrick St., Rayville; disturbing the peace.
• Anitsha Kelley, 33, 131 Theresa St., Rayville; disturbing the peace by fighting.
• Charles Reynolds, 46, 229 Church St., Rayville, disturbing the peace by fighting.
• Lela Dean, 33, 207 Quail St., Rayville; disobedience to a police officer.
• Two juveniles were charged with simple battery.
• • •
The Rayville Police Department issued a total of nine traffic citations this week. That number includes three for speeding and one each for failure to yield, expired license plate, modified exhaust, expired inspection sicker, following too close with an accident and expired driver’s license.
• • •
Rayville Police Chief Willie Robinson would like to remind all citizens of Rayville to exercise common courtesy when having barbecues and other outdoor gatherings.
The chief advised that citizens should remember to keep the loudness of their music (at home and in vehicles) at a respectful level to avoid being cited for disturbing the peace by loud music.
“You should also be mindful and respectful of your neighbors by keeping your visitors from obstructing your neighbor’s property when parking their vehicles,” he said.
Chief Robinson advised that making Rayville a safe place for all citizens is one of his primary objectives.
Chief Robinson encourages all citizens to come by the Rayville Police Department at 900 Harrison St. or to call 728-4431 if you need his help in any way.

A car chase ended with the arrest of a Monroe man recently.
The Richland Parish Sheriff’s Office received a complaint of a suspicious vehicle Feb. 8 on LA 135 south of 4 Forks.
A responding deputy was run off the road by an oncoming vehicle that matched the description of the suspicious vehicle. The deputy attempted to stop the vehicle which was weaving across the yellow line causing a danger to oncoming traffic.
Other Richland Parish deputies responded as the vehicle refused to stop and continued for approximately eight miles before deputies set up a roadblock ending the chase.
The driver, Terrence Moore, 36, of Monroe, was arrested and charged with careless operation, flight from an officer, resisting an officer, no driver’s license, improper registration, expired inspection sticker and no proof of insurance.