News

Participation is needed from individuals, businesses, and groups to participate in the 2023 Fall Festival in Winnfield. It will be held on Tuesday, Oct 31 from 5:30 – 7:30 pm. It will fun from Main St to the First United Methodist Church to the Louisiana Political Museum.

There will be a costume contest beginning at 5:30 at the Louisiana Political Museum. Registration begins at 5:00 PM. The age groups include: 0-3 years, 4-7 years, 8-10 years, 11-13 years, 14-17 years, 18 years & Up, theme groups, and pets (one category).

A Pumpkin Decorating Contest will begin at 5:30 PM with registration at 5:00 at the Louisiana Political Museum. The age groups include: Pre-K – 1st grade, 2nd – 5th grade, 68th grade. Please attach child’s name, parent’s name & a contact phone number to the pumpkin.

Saturday, Oct 28 from 5:00pm – 7:00pm, the Village of Goldonna will host their first annual “Pumpkins in the Park” event. Everyone is invited to bring your decorated pumpkin to the town hall between the hours of 3:30pm - 5:00pm that day to have it displayed along the walking track.

The categories will include age 7 and under, 8-12 year olds, 13-18 year olds and 19 and above. Bring your decorated, carved or however you decide to create it.

Get your flu shot! A flu vaccination event will be held on Thursday, October 28 at the Winn Parish Health Unit, 301 W Main St. #101, Winnfield. COVID and MPOX Vaccinations are also available at most Louisiana Dept of Health locations with no out of pocket costs, however your insurance will be billed.

The regular monthly meeting of the WPPJ was held on Monday, Oct 16, 2023. A motion was made by jury member Deionne Carpenter to approve the following monthly/weekly invoices: General Fund ($58,603.95), Road Fund ($93,775.55), Health Unit ($2,576.33), Sales Tax ($83,686.05), Weekly Invoices ($265,806.36). The grand total of those invoices was $504,448.24. That motion passed.

Carpenter also made a motion to adopt a Resolution to assist the Village of Sikes by repairing pot holes, installing a new culvert and adding rock on Grady Simmons Road. That motion carried.

The following motions were also offered and approved: Motion to adopt a Resolution for the annual certification with the State of La. Off System Bridge Replacement Program.

Motion to approve the issuance of bonds pursuant to Section 1:47(f) of the Internal Revenue Code of 196, as amended.

Winn Parish Fire District 3 was recently dispatched to Winn Lumber in reference to a fire in the engine compartment of a loader. Upon arrival, Firefighters found the loader to be fully involved and quickly deployed a handline and extinguished the fire.

The Winnfield Middle School Football ended the 2023 season with a record of 7-1-1. Coach Chance Williams said “This team got better and better as the year progressed and I’m extremely proud of the team’s growth.” “I’m also very proud of the effort and fight that we showed in each game.” “Going into each game I knew we were not going to be out-hustled.” “The 7th grade has 32 players and 8th grade is comprised of 31 players for a total of 63 players which is well over 75% of the boys attending WMS and that means our Football program is very much a positive influence on our young men.”

DART has been serving victims of domestic violence here in Winn Parish since 2012. Those services have included safety planning, legal advocacy, shelter, counseling, awareness, and community education. Each year more victims have come forward seeking help that DART has gladly provided.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. A time that advocates across the nation unite in their efforts to end domestic violence. It is a somber time as well. It’s a time to remember those who lost their lives to domestic violence. With that, DART plans a candlelight vigil in each parish that their organization provides services to.

Kiwanis held its annual installation banquet on October 9th at the Louisiana Political Museum. The Kiwanis year runs from October 1st through September 30th.

President Kim Futrell opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance led by Les Michie, the invocation by Lamar Tarver and everyone gave our defining statement. Then we enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by Linda Peavy.

The special guest was our 2023-24 Lt. Governor Vickie Snowden from the Leesville Kiwanis club. She was accompanied by some members of her club.

President Kim Futrell presented Bryan Price with his pin and new member certificate.

Then Lt. Governor Snowden installed the officers for the 2023-24 year of Kiwanis. Board members are Steve Bates, Joe Evans, Ethel Howell, Jason Tarver and Dylan Womack. Dr. Bill Gaddis is Secretary-Treasurer, Mary Lou Blackley is Vice-President, Rita James is President-Elect, Kim Futrell is Past-President and Margaret Coon is President.

Winnfield, La. (10/01/2023) – Until this year, rural communities in Louisiana had limited options for improving sidewalks. Thanks to recent changes in Louisiana’s Transportation Alternatives Program, Winnfield has received approximately $1 million dollars to improve local pedestrian infrastructure.

The Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) is a federally funded program administered through the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) that focuses on creating “complete streets,” which address the needs of all road users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and people with disabilities. This includes building safe, accessible sidewalks that connect residents to everyday destinations like schools, grocery stores, parks, and libraries.