Cottonport News

Henry A. Gremillion, DDS, has been named dean of the LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, School of Dentistry.

Here are the complete but unofficial results from voting in Central Louisiana on Saturday, Oct.

So far, state agencies are staying afloat as they absorb more than $500 million in hurricane-related expenses but local governments are looking at the prospect of going under unless federal assistance bails ...

Rebecca Hall has spent a lot of time and money developing residential and commercial properties in West Monroe's downtown area.

A Simmesport pharmacist convicted of killing his wife will have to serve at least 34 years in prison after he received the maximum sentence allowed for manslaughter during an emotional hearing this morning.

Archives from August 17, 2008 Join fight against sex predators Louisiana has given private citizens and law enforcement officials another tool for use in keeping track of sex offenders.

By Tom Bonnette • tbonnette@thetowntalk.com • August 16, 2008

Most Central Louisiana school districts improved their ACT scores this year but still fell slightly below the state's average composite score of 20.3. In Rapides Parish, the ACT composite score remained steady at 20.1, neither dropping nor improving from 2007.

Schools Superintendent Gary Jones said raising student's future ACT performance is an emphasis for the district this year.

He said seeing other parish scores moving closer to Rapides Parish makes him think remaining static "is not good enough."

Many state colleges and universities use the ACT, which tests students in English, math, reading and science, to determine eligibility for admissions and scholarships as well as placement in college courses

The state's composite score went from a 20.1 in 2007 to 20.3. It includes public and nonpublic school students.

Jones said Rapides Parish is looking at ACT composite scores in conjunction with other indicators to gauge the district's educational success and form a plan to address district needs.

Susan Welch, Avoyelles Parish's superintendant of secondary education, said she was proud of her district's score, which improved to an average of 19.6 from 19.3.

"We are excited about it," she said. "Our school (district) is showing a big improvement from past years."

Welch said programs in Avoyelles, such as a new ACT online course, are helping to raise test scores. ACT scores in Avoyelles have gone up more than a full point since 2004.

The New York Times Published August 6, 1889

Aug. 5.--Information has been received here of a duel fought yesterday morning near Cottonport, Avoyles Parish, between Harry Ducate and his son-in-law Charlie Armour.

There were about fifty men present at the fight, which took place on the banks of the bayou. The men approached each other and commenced firing. Both combatants fell.

An examination disclosed the fact that Ducate had been struck in the stomach with seven buckshot, making a fatal wound, while Armour’s right knee had been shattered by a rifle ball. The fight grew out of an altercation at a ball the night before.

Published on August 12, 1998, The Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.)

Marksville man's convictions net 72 1/4 years in prison

A Marksville man will serve more than 70 years in prison for a series of bank robberies, a federal judge ordered Tuesday. U.S. District Judge Richard Haik ordered Manuel David Hernandez to serve 72 years and three months in prison for his convictions on robbery and weapons charges. Hernandez also must pay $86,739.50 in restitution to the three banks he robbed and serve five years of supervised release after he completes his sentence.

Hernadez's brother, Charles Hernandez, 28, of Cottonport pleaded guilty to two counts of principal to armed robbery. He admitted to being the driver of the getaway car in the Carencro and Denham Springs robberies. Charles Hernandez also testified about his brother's involvement.

by The Times-Picayune Monday July 28, 2008, 7:15 AM

Seven contractors in Louisiana have been found by the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division to owe $11,289 in back wages to construction workers who were not properly paid in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

"Those workers who contributed their labor to the hurricane recovery effort must be paid according to prevailing federal wage laws," said Cynthia Watson, the Wage and Hour Division's regional administrator in the Southwest. "We are pleased that these employees will receive the wages they are owed."

The seven companies failed to pay employees the proper prevailing wage rates and/or fringe benefits that they were entitled to receive under federal contracts. Additionally, some employees were not paid overtime compensation when working in excess of 40 hours per week.

The companies are: Merrick Construction in Cottonport; Phylway Construction in Thibodeaux; New Line Environmental in New Orleans; Bucktown Contractor & Co. and Grillot Construction, both in Kenner; Clark Construction Enterprises in St. Martinville; and Economy Grass in Ethel, La.

A 21-year-old Cottonport man walked into the Alexandria Public Safety Building Friday night to report he had been carjacked and robbed.

According to the police report, the victim reported being "waved at" by two men while he was stopped in the 2300 block of Overton Street about 8:30 p.m. Friday. The victim said one of the men brandished a handgun when he rolled the car window down. Police said the victim was robbed of his 2007 Honda Civic, cell phone and wallet with his driver's license credit cards and $50 cash.

Unless you won the lottery this week you would probably be excited to find money owed to you. You may be thinking, ‘I have never forgotten about money owed to me’, this may be true, but what about the monies you are not aware of? For example, an inheritance, savings bond, royalties, and rebates.

I recently visited the Louisiana Department of Treasury website and found that Cottonport residents have money waiting to be claimed. Several Cottonport residents have in excess of $100 owed to them, and I also found a resident that has a safety deposit box waiting to be claimed from Capitol One.

Surprised? Well, don’t be. It has been reported that funds are owed to millions of Americans and instead of making any sizable effort to contact the rightful owners, the state is now proposing to spend this money to handle there own budget problems.

Chances are you haven’t heard about the free search that is available through the Unclaimed Money Database found at the Louisiana Treasury website.

It is easy and it is free to collect the money that is rightfully yours.

You may be surprised of the good you can find when you find yourself being a good neighbor and helping others.

Here are just a few of the people in Cottonport who have money waiting to be claimed.

ALEXANDER PATRICIA, ARMAND ZELIAN, BECKHAM GROVER CARL, BROUILLETTE RICKEY S SR, BRYANT CHARLES P, BUTLER MILTON C, CELESTINE EMILE, CHENEVERT TROY, COUVILLION ELISE, DAULTON RUTH BURBAGE, DUCOTE BERTHA B, GUILLORY OLIVE S, DUPLECHIEN HARRIETTE, DUPONT WAYNE P, COCO WILL C, GAGNARD ALVIN D, GAGNARD CHRISTAIN LYNN, GALLAND GRADY P,GASPARD VERNA W,GOUDEAU L J, GOUDEAU RICKY P,IRVING ROY J, JUNEAU KIRK, MOREAU JILL, PATTERSON LATONYA,RACHAL RACHEL,ROSE GARDEN CLUB, ROZAS CHERYL, SAMPSON MARY, SHARPE MELVIN R, SOUTH LOUISIANA MITIGATION, TABOR STANLEY JAMES, TANNER REBECCA, TASSIN ESNAR, THEVENOT CALEB, THIRFTWAY PHARMACY, TURNER MINERVA, WINN R PRICE, WM LYLES MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND

Three readers have stepped forward to accept the Eat Louisiana Challenge. For the rest of the week, they will be trying their best to eat only Louisiana-grown food and will be chronicling their experiences in ...

Johnny O'Neal is playing somewhere right now. That much is all but certain. The longhaired, guitar-toting singer-songwriter appears Friday night - and every Friday night - at Portico on Tower Drive in Monroe, ...

On Monday, July 07, 2008, at 6:29 am, Louisiana State Police Troop E responded to a fatal crash involving two vehicles.

The Chief Tusquahoma chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution hosted a program about the history of West Monroe featuring Larry Foreman of the Ouachita Parish Public Library.

Opelousas police seek rape suspect The Opelousas Police Department is searching for a suspect accused of repeatedly raping and robbing a 59-year-old woman at a local motel early Tuesday.

St. Landry Parish - The St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office reported booking the following people Thursday : Wendy Nicole Arnaud, 30, 800 N. Third St., Lot 5, Eunice, charged with obstruction of justice, ...

“It was a New Orleans battery but it did a lot of recruiting in the area”

The story of Fort DeRussy, which played a role in the Red River Campaign during the Civil War, will be the subject of the Saturday meeting of the Imperial St. via Daily World

“Like eight o'clock in the morning until four that evening. You have all those hours with just you and you're kids”

On May 3rd the Avoyelles Correctional Center in Cottonport will break a few rules to allow fathers in prison to see their children for an entire day. via KALB-TV Alexandria