News

BATON ROUGE, LA (04/07/2026)— Ashton Brinkley of Winnfield, Louisiana, was recently elected to membership into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society, at Northwestern State University of Louisiana.

Brinkley is among approximately 20,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year. Membership is by invitation only and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5 percent of juniors are eligible for membership. Graduate students in the top 10 percent of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.

I am honored to announce by candidacy for Council Woman of District #2 in Winnfield. As a proud mother of 5 and a grandmother of 6 and a long time member of Mt. Olive Church, I have devoted my life to serving our community and advocating for our families, our children and our future.

Through my work with CASA, the Strengthen Families Program and my service on the Winn Parish School Board and several medical and clinical boards, I have gained practical experience in leadership, accountability and listening to the real needs of our citizens.

I will continue to serve with integrity, transparency, and a steadfast commitment to progress and unity.

District #2 deserves a representative who works hard, stands firm for opportunity and brings people together. I humbly ask for your support as we move District #2 forward.

Together We Winn!

On Monday, April 13, just a few days away, the public will be able to see first-hand Winnfield’s newest, tallest building complex, the new Winn Community Health Center at 407 W. Court Street. The public is invited to the Grand Opening of the health center beginning at 11 a.m., announced CEO Deano Thornton.

Construction of the impressive three-story, 52,000 square foot structure has seen it rise over the past two years to occupy a footprint between W. Lafayette and W. Court streets. The building will house the expanded array of services of Winn Community Health Center as well as the seven-parish organizational support of Trinity Community Health Centers of Louisiana.

Kiwanian Chet Atkins, also a member of Beulah Baptist Church, introduced guest speaker Rev. Lamar Carpenter to the Kiwanis club. Rev. Carpenter graduated from Calvin High School in 1973 and obtained an associate degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is married to Glynda Gorham Carpenter and has pastored Beulah Baptist Church for 35 years with plans to retire from pastoring in the near future. He has had a Nursing Home ministry for many years and is a chaplain for the Winn Parish Sheriff ’s Department.

Saturday, April 18th from 8:00am-11:00am starting at the Grove Street Recreation Center (800 N. Grove St.). As part of the “Love the Boot” initiative, neighbors will gather to tackle litter and make sure Winnfield remains a place of pride for all who live and work here. The city will host a free hamburger lunch at the Rec Center following the cleanup at 11:00 am. Clean-up teams must register online through the Keep Louisiana Beautiful portal. Registration Steps: Visit keeplouisianabeautiful. org/lovethe- boot/volunteer. Type in the zip code 71483. Select April 18th.

Jackson described his return to Winnfield as the latest in the “boomerang” pattern of the lives of himself and wife of 43 years, Judi. The young couple arrived here in late 1984 where, after interactions with some local church members, he served for five years as youth minister at FBC and she was news editor of the Winn Parish Enterprise.

As they looked for Godly guidance, they next moved to Dunwoody Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA, where he was youth minister before they joined the staff of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary for 20 years (back in his hometown). Boomeranged again, he took on a shortterm interim as pastor at Dunwoody, back to Seminary them returned to Dunwoody as senior pastor for 10 years.

March 11, 2026 – approximately 1:30 PM Location: Pursuit began on US 84 in Winn Parish, Louisiana, and continued into Natchitoches Parish.

Incident Summary: Winn Parish deputy David Loftin attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a Dodge Challenger for speeding on US 84. The driver refused to stop and fled, initiating a high-speed pursuit.

During the chase, speeds exceeded 100 mph and reached approximately 109 mph at times. The vehicle traveled west on US 84 before turning onto Gum Springs Road, then onto LA 156, and eventually crossed into Natchitoches Parish.

While fleeing, the driver drove in the wrong lane and passed other vehicles illegally, creating a dangerous situation for motorists and law enforcement.

The Winnfield City Council met for its regular meeting at the Allen Building on March 10. Mayor Gerald Hamms honored two longtime Winn Parish residents with the “Hammy Award,” recognizing those who have shown “outstanding dedicational service and unwavering commitment to making a positive impact in our community.”

The first recipient of the Hammy was Audrey Calhoun, the first African American woman in the United States to earn a bachelor’s degree in forestry. Calhoun credited her accomplishments to her roots in Winnfield, citing the people she knew, the schools she attended, and everyone who made a difference in her life. “I always knew that I’d come back to Winnfield,” Calhoun said. With an inspirational career spanning from the start of the Nixon presidency through President Clinton’s second term, Winnfield is proud to be her home.

The Winn Parish Sheriff ’s Office recently conducted its annual firearms training to ensure deputies remain proficient and prepared to safely carry and use their service weapons.

The training is required by the Louisiana Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (POST), which mandates that all law enforcement officers qualify with their firearms at least once each year. The course is held at the Winn Parish Sheriff ’s Office firing range and requires officers to achieve a minimum qualifying score in order to carry a firearm while on duty.

Anastasia Wiley, District Judge shares humorous travel experiences in an address to the Winnfield Kiwanis Club, with tails of travels to Ireland. She challenged the idea that travel is not a hobby, arguing instead that such experiences are necessary to regulate one’s life and provide emotional balance. Reflecting on her time abroad, she described two distinct trips to the Emerald Isle, including a 1996 visit during graduate school and an emotional journey in 2011 to honor a friend’s late sister. She shared humorous stories of navigating the Irish countryside in a rented car, taking a rainy buggy ride to a castle, and practicing expertlevel packing that she compared to a game of Tetris.