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Late afternoon on November 18th, a crash involving two vehicles killed a man from Dodson. He was wearing his seat belt, but the other driver and her passenger were not. Louisiana State Troopers responded to the crash around 5:40 p.m., which occurred on LA Hwy 34 west of Holly Swamp. The crash involved a 2002 Chevrolet pickup, driven by Tina R. Cagle (W/F 39 yrs) of Dodson and a 1981 GMC pickup, driven by William C. King (W/M 60 yrs). The Chevrolet was westbound on LA Hwy 34 when Cagle lost control and crossed the centerline. This action resulted in the Chevrolet colliding headon with the eastbound GMC. 

If you’ve ever watched an episode of American Pickers on the History Channel, then you know that pickers, Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz, are on a mission to recycle America. They have spent the past 6 years hitting the back roads from coast to coast, searching for rare artifacts and national treasures that they can buy from collectors then sell in their antique shops, or add to their personal collections. They dig through boxes or piles filled with items that people have accumulated over

As we stop to take a break from our everyday activities to give thanks for our many blessings, it’s also a time many families begin making plans for the Christmas season and it’s many celebrations. This year, Winnfield has more opportunities than ever to celebrate the Christmas season, right here at home. The Kiwanis Club, City of Winnfield and Dugdemona Fest Board have joined together to make a great night of fun for the entire family.

In 2000 a coalition of partners started National Adoption Day. The day is celebrated each year on the Saturday before Thanksgiving and is a collective national effort to raise awareness of the more than 100,000 children in the United Sates waiting to find permanent, loving homes. The annual event has made the dreams of thousands of children come true by working with policymakers, practitioners and advocates to finalize adoptions and create and celebrate adopting families. A record number of Louisiana children and families will have something very special for which to be thankful this Thanksgiving. Governor John Bel Edwards declared November Adoption Awareness Month, noting that 735 children in Louisiana’s foster care system found loving, permanent homes with adoptive families between October 1, 2015 and September 30, 2016.

The Winnfield City Council held it’s regular meeting on November 15th at 6:00 p.m. The Mayor Kiah Beville called the meeting to order, Councilman Matt Miller opened the meeting with the invocation, and all in attendance joined in the Pledge of Allegiance. Before the agenda was accepted, an amendment was made to add one New Business – Non Action item, and to move one Old Business – Action Item to the December meeting agenda. Councilwoman Sarah Junkin then made a motion to adopt the amended agenda, and the motion was seconded by Councilwoman Cheryl Demery. Councilman Miller then thanked the mayor and councilmembers for showing their support of National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month by wearing purple to the meeting.

Veterans Day is a day set aside to honor our service members properly. The day was originally known as Armistice Day and was made a U.S. legal holiday to honor the end of World War I, which took place on November 11, 1918. In 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day. The original concept for the celebration was for a day observed with parades and public meetings and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11:00 a.m. In 1938, legislation was passed which made November 11 a legal federal holiday “dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and known as ‘Armistice Day.’” In 1954, after having been through both World War II and the Korean War, the 83rd U.S.

November 8, 2016 was a record-setting election day for the United States, and perhaps for Winn Parish. The televised presidential debates of 2016 were record shattering, with all-time audience highs. Ironically, some news outlets reported that voter turnout dipped to nearly its lowest point in 20 years. The number of voters is the lowest in a presidential election since 1996, when 53.5% of votingage citizens participated in the election process. The highest voter turnout was in 2008, when almost 64% of voting age citizens cast their votes. NBC called the election “one of the most bitter and wildly unpredictable campaigns in the nation’s history.” That it was. Based on social media posts, there were many people stunned by the results. Some were celebrating the win, while others took to the streets to protest the win. When President-Elect Donald Trump declared victory Tuesday night, he told supporters, “Now it’s time for America to bind the wounds of division.

It’s a long way from the Wheeling Community to the Texas Horse Racing Hall of Fame, but one man has made that journey. Nat Keiffer grew up about five miles south of Montgomery and began his education in a three-room schoolhouse. He grew up learning to plow behind mules with his Grandfather Brown, but dreamed of owning a horse of his own. By the time he got to high school, he had saved $25 to buy a horse, but his mother insisted that any horse had to be ‘broken to pull a plow to work the garden’. Young Nat Keiffer had heard that a man across the Nantachie Creek had a Cane River Mustang mare for sale, and that’s how he came about owning Maude. After graduating from Atlanta High School in 1947, Keiffer went to college and received a B.S. in General Agriculture from the University of Louisiana in Lafayette in 1952. He then joined the U.S. Marines and spent two years active duty, followed by five years in graduate school, where he earned a M.S.

On Saturday, November 12th, the Winnfield Police Department held their First Annual Motorcycle Fun Ride to benefit their Christmas “Shop With A Cop” Program. The department had this to say about the day. “Today we prepare to give back to this community. For what we anticipate will be an Annual Fundraising Event, the Winnfield Police Department sponsored a Motorcycle Fun Ride to raise funds for our Christmas “Shop with a Cop” Program. This is not limited to cops, but includes all first responders. Active participants are the Winnfield Fire Department and the Winnfield City Marshal’s Office as well as the Winn Parish Sheriff’s Office.

In 1983, President Ronald Reagan first designated November as National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month. Over 5million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s and by the year 2050, as many as 16 million will have the disease. Nearly one in three seniors who dies each year has Alzheimer’s or dementia. In2013, Alzheimer’s disease was the 6thleading cause of death in Louisiana, with 1,505deaths being attributed to the disease. That was an 86%increase from 2000.