News

Since 1913, Goldonna School has touched the lives of not only the local community, but also the surrounding communities. From students to administration and staff, there is a great history there that will continue even as the doors have closed.

As the school year ended in May, so did the school. Due to the impact of the closure of the Red River mill in Campti, decisions had to be made that included the closing of a school that has much history and great memories for so many.

The uniqueness of Goldonna School spreads far. Many of the teachers that taught there were once students of the school. There was a closeness that only little “country schools” could experience. The small community of Goldonna rallied behind the school from day one. Each time there was a discussion raised concerning a possible closure, the community stepped up and did whatever was needed to help it continue to thrive. That included a special 10 mill tax that passed last year.

Tuesday, March 27, 2025 the Kiwanis club honored their 2025 scholarship recipients. Chairman of the Scholarship Committee Lamar Tarver introduced the recipients to the club. These students were all outstanding in their high school years with their grades and their activities. Those graduating seniors were Emily Nevils (daughter of Kim and Chris Nevils), Addison Griffin (daughter of Lyndsey and Wayne Griffin), and Mason Green (son of Michael and Mary Green). Emily is planning to attend the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, Va., pursuing a degree in public policy and history. She may go into consulting or become an attorney. Addison Griffin will attend University of Louisiana at Lafayette to pursue a degree in nursing. After becoming an RN and working two years she wants to attend a nurse anesthetist program. Mason Green will attend Louisiana Tech in forestry to obtain a degree in forest management. All three of these young people received a $1000 check and a certificate.

Speakers for Kiwanis on Tuesday, May 20th were Troy Rogers and Gary Foster from the Masonic Lodge. Troy Rogers gave a little history of the Lodge. It is the oldest continuous organization in Winn parish having begun in 1857. One familiar name to the group was Eugene Love who was a mason and wrote several books about masonry. Miranda Atkins read a poem titled “I Remember” written by Susan Winters whose son is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Then Gary Foster explained The Vacant Chair. In the lodge you progress through the chairs until you are Mason of the Lodge. In researching Memorial Day and the Masons he came across a closed ceremony in another state where they brought in an empty chair, said a few words and left. He decided to elaborate on this idea and added music bringing in the empty chair to “Amazing Grace”. Then they added reenactment soldiers. Then they added the apron, which is the highest honor a mason can have. The soldiers from the past reenactment is symbolic.

You have two weeks to return your registration for the WHS/WSHS alumni reunion. If you need a registration form, call or text 318-628-0540. The coffee is Saturday, June 28 from 10-12 at the Winnfield Senior High School activity room. There is no charge for the coffee, but we need a head count for the caterer. The banquet will be that evening at the Civic Center located at the fairgrounds with meet and greet from 5 to 6 and the banquet starting at 6. The cost of the banquet is $20 per person and must be paid in advance. No money will be accepted at the door and no one will be admitted without paying in advance. The 75 class has been working for a year to put on an entertaining reunion. Please make plans and join us for an enjoyable evening.

Reminder: Class of 1976, make plans to meet with the standing committee at the coffee.

Just before 1:30am, Sunday May 18, WPFD was dispatched to a reported fire in the boiler room fuel storage area at Hunt’s lumber on Thomas Mill rd. Upon arrival, IC immediately requested mutual aid from Winnfield Fire Dept specifically for the use of their aerial ladder and also a second page out for additional personnel. IC then instructed FFs to deploy a portable water tank to began drafting operations to sustain a master stream device. FFs them deployed an 1.75” handline into the working portion of the boiler room to extinguish small fires that had extended from the fuel storage area. Once WFD arrived, their aerial master stream was deployed to direct water on the large piles of wood chips and also the into the silo near the boiler room. Once the main fire was knocked down, FFs began overhaul procedures using 1.75” handlines. A request was also made to Hunt’s management to begin removing fuel from the affected area using heavy equipment.

The Winnfield Fire Department along with the Winn Parish Fire District 3 recently attended a driver/operator mobile water supply class at CLTCC in Winnfield. Firefighter Dawson Lundy taught the class. Following the class students were proctored on the hands on skills followed by a written test. The department is proud to say that now most of full time personnel are now mobile water supply certified.

Employees from Winnfield Recreation Department recently attended emergency shelter training to help strengthen their community’s preparedness. This training is a vital step in ensuring that emergency shelter operations run smoothly and safely in the event of a disaster. The City of Winnfield is proud to invest in the safety and resilience of the community through continued staff development. Cindy Tilton of the Winn Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness and The American Red Cross played a big part in setting up this event.