The National Day of Prayer was hosted locally by the Sabine Ministerial Alliance under the direction of Pastor Cyle Clayton of Calvary Baptist Church last Thursday, May 2. Usually, the annual service is held at District Attorney Don Burkett’s office parking lot, but due to rain, the location was moved inside to the Town of Many City Hall.
Pastors and participants from across Sabine prayed for the nation, state and our locals last week at the National Day of Prayer on May 2. At left is the Posting of Colors by local VFW members; at right, DA Don Burkett speaks to the crowd before Pastor Cyle Clayton, right, prays for the judiciary.
Many Police Chief Cheryl Wooley, left, listens as Sabine Parish Sheriff Aaron Mitchell, center, talks about the dangers deputies, police officers and other first responders face daily. Pastor James Tidwell, right, prayed for law enforcement at the National Day of Prayer.
Left, Supt. of Sabine Schools Shane Wright addresses the audience before Pastor James Ericson, shown center, prays; at right, Mayor of Many Robert Hable voices his support for the event and welcomes everyone to City Hall.
Pastor Brian Coplin, left, listens as Laurie Gentry shares about the power of prayer.
At left, Pastor Logan Brock prays for area churches; at right, Pastor Nick Remedies speaks to the crowd before praying for the United States.
To start the prayer service, Pastor Clayton prayed for the judiciary. Also offering prayers were Marshall Ingle, Calvary Baptist, who prayed for the Armed Forces; Pastor James Tidwell, Toledo Bend Church of Christ, who prayed for law enforcement; Pastor Frank Ebarb, Word of Truth, who prayed for local government; Pastor James Ericson, Friendship Church of the Nazarene, who prayed for schools and students; Pastor Brian Coplin, First United Methodist, who prayed for state government; Pastor Logan Brock, Trinity Baptist, who prayed for churches; Father Tim Hurd, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, who prayed for the poor and needy, and Pastor Nick Remedies, The Bridge, who prayed for the nation.
Taking part with remarks were Sabine District Attorney Don Burkett, Sheriff Aaron Mitchell, Many Police Chief Cheryl Wooley, Mayor Robert Hable, Supt. of Schools Shane Wright, Laurie Gentry on behalf of the Office of Senator Alan Seabaugh, and Buster Jordan of First Baptist in Zwolle, who provided sound and led the singing of the National Anthem and “God Bless America.”
As we have said for years, our nation, state, and its leaders need the prayers of the faithful. It is more important now than ever before.
Sen. Alan Seabaugh joined LSU students at Friday’s pro-American display to counter the anti-Semitic hate speech running rampant at top U.S. universities. He is shown here, center left, with his Senate floor aide and LSU student Ethan Vogin, center.
As we have watched chaos unfold at universities across the nation as students and agitators sided with terrorist group Hamas, we are mighty proud of our own Sen. Alan Seabaugh, who joined pro-American students countering those demonstrations at LSU on Friday.
While pro-Palestinian protestors exercised their First Amendment rights to chant hateful speech, in Baton Rouge they were met with an overpowering response of “U-S-A” by student patriots.
“I am proud to stand with patriotic LSU students against the pro-terrorist demonstrators,” Sen. Seabaugh shared on social media Friday.
His Senate floor aide, Ethan Vogin, who is Jewish and organized the counter-protest, characterized the pro-Palestinian demonstrators to Fox News Digital, “They are people who are protecting and standing behind terrorists. Palestine is run by Hamas. I support the free people of Palestine, but I do not support their terrorist government.”
In other developments, Sen. Seabaugh also issued a statement addressing the concerns of many District 31 constituents who have been anxious about the Biden Administration’s sweeping Title IX changes made recently.
Pres. Biden’s revisions of the historic legislation, which was originally set in place to protect the rights of biological women, now offers protection to transgender individuals who may identify as women (or other genders.)
Concerns voiced across the state and certainly within District 31 included deep apprehension toward biological males being allowed to use the same restroom and locker facilities as biological females, as well as uncertainty about how overnight travel for students would be handled when biological males and biological females are traveling together for school events.
“I stand for the rights of Louisiana women,” Sen. Seabaugh emphasized last week. “Louisiana has filed a lawsuit against Pres. Joe Biden and his U.S. Department of Education over their new Title IX regulations,” he explained, sharing a quote from Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill as follows:
“This is all for a political agenda, ignoring significant safety concerns for young women students in pre-schools, elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, colleges and universities across Louisiana and the entire country. These schools now have to change the way they behave and the way they speak, and whether they can have private spaces for little girls or women. It is enormously invasive, and it is much more than a suggestion; it is a mandate that well exceeds their statutory authority. This all coming from people who don’t even know how to define the word ‘woman.’ I will always stand up for children and families across this state.”
Sen. Alan Seabaugh serves District 31, which is comprised of Sabine and Red River Parishes in total as well as parts of Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, DeSoto, Natchitoches, Rapides, Webster and Winn Parishes.
Auditions will be held Saturday, May 11, for a Motown show to be presented at Sabine Theater in downtown Many on Friday, June 21.
Vocalists and those who play guitar, trumpet, trombone and saxophone, all ages, are asked to be there at 4 p.m. this Saturday ready to show off their Motown moxie.
Don't miss our longtime friends, Becky Birdwell of Marthaville, husband Lyle and son Leighton and their band at the Natchitoches Jazz/R&B Festival this weekend! Becky Birdwell and the Shuffle Kings will appear at 2:20 p.m. on Saturday, May 11, at the Fleur De Lis Stage in downtown Natchitoches.
Sabine Parish Superintendent of Schools Shane Wright, right, was guest speaker at the Tuesday, May 7, meeting of the Vultures Club in Many. Shown listening in the background is attorney Danny Dyess. Shane discussed many issues dealing with the school system in the parish and answered questions from those interested.
Speaking at the Sabine Tourist Commission's Power Hour last week were the Managers of North and South Toledo Bend State Parks, Laura Wilson, left, and Scott Vidrine, center. They are shown here visiting with Commission Director Georgia Craven, at right.
The Sabine Parish Tourist Commission held their quarterly Power Hour event on Tuesday, April 30, at The Dover House in Florien. Power Hour was initiated by the Tourist Commission to bring Sabine Parish business owners, officials, tourism partners, and concerned citizens together to learn about new tourism and hospitality related topics and their economic benefits to the area.
During this Power Hour event, attendees met and heard from the North and South Toledo Bend State Park Managers, Laura Wilson and Scott Vidrine, about park improvements, additions, and future plans. Highlights from the discussion included North Toledo Bend’s addition of all-terrain battery-powered chairs that give visitors the ability to navigate trails and areas of the park not suitable for conventional wheelchairs. The chairs can be reserved in advance free of charge for use.
South Toledo Bend State Park’s hiking trails are concrete, which many of the listeners were surprised to learn, making them easy for everyone to use and enjoy.
In addition to new hiking trails, attendees got to hear about new park amenities such as disc golf courses at both North and South Toledo Bend State Parks, and a new event pavilion available for day use at North Toledo Bend.
The Toledo Bend area is fortunate to have two state parks that offer event spaces, cabins, swimming pools, beautiful beaches and much more. There are plans for continued improvements in the future, making these parks most enjoyable for visitors and locals alike.
The Sabine Parish Tourist Commission’s Power Hour events are free and open to the public. The next event date is tentatively scheduled for July 18. Those who would like to receive notice about upcoming events, suggest a topic to discuss, or be considered as a venue for the next event should contact Kelsi Horn at kelsi@toledobendlakecountry.com or (318) 256-5880.
(Special thanks to Sabine Tourist Commission Marketing & Events Manager Kelsi Horn for the above article.)
The April Sales Tax report has been issued by Wanda Rivers, Sabine Sales/Use Tax Administrator. Total collections for April 2024 were $2,836,829.21, compared to $3,522,316.71 collected in April last year. This is down by $685,487.50. The complete report follows:
$529 for College Up for Grabs
Sabine families and families across the state will soon have a chance to win $529 toward their child’s college education. The effort by the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOSFA) highlights National 529 Day.
During the month of May, LOSFA will celebrate 529 Day with a drawing to win $529. The office administers Louisiana’s three 529 saving plans, known as the Student Tuition Assistance & Revenue Trust (START and START K12) programs, and the state’s 529A saving program, known as the Louisiana Achieving a Better Life Experience (LA ABLE) program.
Between May 1 and May 29, Louisiana residents who make a minimum deposit of $29 into a Louisiana 529 Saving Plan account will be entered into a drawing to receive $529 deposited into their START, START K12, or LA ABLE account. New account holders must open an account and deposit at least $29 to qualify for the drawing. At the end of the month, LOSFA will randomly select a recipient who participated to win $529, which will be deposited in the START, START K12, or LA ABLE account of their choice.
May 29 (5/29) is recognized nationally as 529 College Savings Plan Day, which refers to special tax-advantaged accounts to help families save for higher education expenses based on section 529 of the tax code. The minimum amount to open a Louisiana 529 savings plan account is $10.
Recently, Savingforcollege.com named Louisiana's START 529 Saving Program the lowest-fee 529 plan in the country in their updated 529 fee study.
The three 529 savings plans mentioned above are detailed at START savings plan, START K12 savings plan and The Louisiana Achieving a Better Life Experience (LA ABLE).
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