Avoyelles Pages Past

By Donna Culotta
90 Years Ago
From our May 2, 1936 editions
Mr. John B. Armand of Mansura passed away. Emeric Didier declared his candidacy for Marksville mayor.
Miss Kinta Sanchez, Miss Marksville High, represented Avoyelles as a maid in the Sugar Cane Festival.
Governor James Noe commissioned Dr. Mary Mims as director of the State Sociological Service, as a colonel-aide-de-camp on his staff.
The Marksville Cotton Gin was allegedly damaged by dynamite.

80 Years Ago
From our May 4, 1946 editions
O.J. Scallan of Marksville High School broke the record in the parish 440 yard dash and tied the 200 yard dash.
Avoyelles Home Demonstration Agent Mrs. Mary Leigh Tassin urged the public to can wild fruit.
The Community Civic Club of Bunkie was planning a summer recreational program for the children of Bunkie.
The State Parent-Teacher Association opposed the proposed 1% sales tax.

70 Years Ago
From our May 5, 1956 editions
Lynn Perkins of Moreauville won reserve champion at the State Livestock Show.
The Moreauville track team won the State Track Meet.
Bobby Reynolds, a member of the Marksville High School Band, won a position on the LSU High School Honor Band.
Leon Gremillion was named Knight of the Year by the Plaucheville Knights of Columbus Council.
Caroline Cappel of Marksville was named chairman of the Interdormitory Council at LSU.
Hewitt A. Thevenot of Cottonport was awarded the Good Conduct Medal while serving aboard a Pacific Fleet seaplane.

60 Years Ago
From our May 5, 1966 editions
Andy O’Brien, a junior at Bunkie High School, was selected to participate in the National Science Foundation’s summer program at LSU.
The Cochon de Lait Festival drew an estimated crowd of 45,000.
William Dodd, state superintendent of public education, was the guest speaker at the Avoyelles Parish Junior Deputy Sheriff graduation.
Marksville won first place in the district Cleanest City Contest.
New majorettes for Bunkie High School elected to serve for the upcoming year were:
- Christine Galland
- Lydia Pearson
- Mary Ellen Temple
- Carlyn Hukins
- Jane Thompson
- Linda Howard
Simmesport High seniors Steve Parsons and Steve Rabalais were invited to a petroleum engineering seminar at LSU.
Miss Linda Pastor was named Sweetheart of the Bordelonville FFA Chapter.
Connie Annelle Smith of Effie was chosen as state FHA secretary.

50 Years Ago
From our May 6, 1976 editions
Tom Ducote was elected president of the Bunkie Lions Club.
Bill Dick was elected president of the Marksville Jaycees.
Trent Descant from Bunkie was the only trackster in Cenla that qualified for the state Class-AA meet at LSU.
Gary Mayeux of Moreauville received an academic scholarship to McNeese University in Lake Charles.
Marksville native Donald Brouillette was named manager of gas reserves for Louisiana Intrastate Gas Corp.

40 Years Ago
From our May 8, 1986 editions
The Knights of Columbus at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Cottonport challenged the Cottonport Fire Department to a game of donkey basketball.
USL’s new football coach, Nelson Stokley, gave the address at the Bunkie High All-Sports Banquet.
Congressman Cathy Long announced that Marksville would receive a $1 million public housing grant.
Congressman John Breaux was the first candidate ever to win the support of every parishwide public official.

30 Years Ago
From our May 2, 1996 editions
Gasoline prices soared to $1.19 a gallon for regular. It was a 20% increase over two weeks ago when it was .99 cents a gallon.
Dan Michel of Marksville received the Harnett T. Kane Award for significant contributions to the field of historic preservation in Louisiana.
Annie Soileau was crowned Corn Festival Queen. Her court members were:
- Latisha Rousseau
- Crystal Normand
- Amber Descant
The St. Joe Lady Eagles softball team advanced to the State Class-C semi-finals but were defeated by Hicks High School.
Mark Carrol, representing Habitat for Humanity, was the guest speaker at the Rotary Club.
Kicking off the city-wide participation in the 10th anniversary La. Corn Festival would be the judging of businesses and residential decorations on Friday. Also planned were lizard races and corn cooking contests.

20 Years Ago
From our May 4, 2006 editions
Nancy Landry and Justine Baudin, who both attended LaSAS, were featured on an MTV episode of “Tiara Girls.”
Representative Monica Walker was chosen as the grand marshal of the Cochon de Lait Festival parade.
Herbert Guillot, Jr. was convicted on federal charges of conspiracy, money laundering and hiding assets.
Avoyelles Parish School Board president Jim Guillory said the financial situation of the school system was in crisis but was slowly working back to solvency.

10 Years Ago
From our May 5, 2016 editions
Former Marksville Chief of Police Newman Greenhouse joined the Bunkie Police Department and served as a full-time officer.
Gerard Marcotte, Scott Aymond and Laken Guillot were arrested and believed to have stolen three 18-wheelers and a farm tractor in Bunkie.
FEMA efforts in Avoyelles after March flooding were winding to a close.
Brittany Marie Daigrepont of Marksville was crowned Miss LSUA for 2016. Daigrepont was a junior majoring in Elementary Education and a member of the Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana.
Morgan Lally, Chasity Bordelon, Ashli Dunlap and Allison Augustine were runway models at the cancer fundraiser “Runway for the Relay.”