🗞️ Avoyelles Pages Through The Decades 📅

By Donna Culotta

90 Years Ago

From our Dec. 7, 1935 edition
Sheriff J.J. Jeansonne and Lester L. Bordelon were named as delegates from Avoyelles Parish to attend the National Rivers and Harbors Congress in New Orleans.
Avoyelles farmers were given the opportunity to buy their own farms.
Clarence Robin, an agriculture teacher in Hessmer, wrote an article on how to prune a fruit tree.
Avoyelles farmers were given the opportunity to buy their own farms.
Dr. Alton deNux, who was appointed to the school board by Gov. O.K Allen, attended his first board meeting.

80 Years Ago

From our Dec. 8, 1945 edition
Forest L. Ducote of Mansura received the Silver Star Medal from the U.S. Army.
Sandy Campbell, grandson of Mrs. J.W. Joffrion of Marksville, had a starring role in “The Rugged Path.”
Avoyelles native William “Yam” Gremillion died.
Mr. and Mrs. Philip Stanly of Bunkie received news that their son, Lt. Frank B. Stanly, had been promoted to captain. Capt. Stanly wears the Combat Service Badge, Purple Heart, the Bronze Star with Oak Leaf Cluster, and three Battle Stars.
Jack Daniels, chairman of the Alexandria-Natchez Airline Highway Commission, visited Marksville to confer with Sen. Chester Coco and State Rep. A.R. deNux relative to the construction of the new project in Avoyelles Parish.

70 Years Ago

From our Dec. 10, 1955 edition
Leila Ann Roy and George Cayer of Marksville were selected as favorites to compete for the title of “Darling of LSU.”
Ned Dufour and A.C. Monin, Jr. won a trip to New Orleans as a result of placing third in a Louisiana Division of the National Junior Vegetable Growers Association in a demonstration contest the past summer.
Mr. L.A.Cryer was Marksville’s delegate to the first White House Conference on Education in the history of the United States.

60 Years Ago

From our Dec. 9, 1965 edition
The school board voted to act as the official sponsor for the Avoyelles Poverty Program.
Assistant Postmaster E.M. Michel took the place of J.O. Brouillette, who retired.
Rev. Roland Bordelon, a priest of the Diocese of Alexandria, was appointed Papal Chamberlain by Pope Paul VI.
Mrs. Evelyn Neck Newton was honored at a retirement party from the Avoyelles Welfare Department.
Roderick A. Bordelon, son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter J. Bordelon of Bunkie, was named as market coordinator for a large dairy in Laredo, Texas.
Fire Chief Johnny Johns, volunteer recreation director for Bunkie for many years was honored along with four others with the Louisiana Recreation and Parks Association.

50 Years Ago

From our Dec. 11, 1975 edition
Merlin J. Augustine, a native of Marksville, was appointed assistant to the President of the University of Arkansas.
St. Anthony cheerleaders riding a float in the Rotary Christmas Parade were Betty Holland, Connie Bernard, Mandy Gremillion, Rosemarie Normand, Madeline Robert, Sarina Fanara, and Susan Simmons.
Wanda Ducote was selected as the Hessmer High School FFA Sweetheart.
The Dunlap Brothers of Effie performed at Lafargue High School.
Charles A. Laborde, a Marksville High School junior, participated in the All-State Orchestra.

40 Years Ago

From our Dec. 12, 1985 edition
The police jury imposed a $500 fine for anyone convicted of throwing trash on the roadside.
Mrs. Geralyn Moreau of Simmesport was the first winner of the Nights Before Christmas promotion, sponsored by the Marksville Weekly News.
Terri Smith, Richie Reynaud, Amanda Guillot and Shawn Chenevert were the winners in the Americanism Contest.
Bunkie High girls cross country track team participated in a two-mile competition at Northwestern State in Natchitoches. They were Kaki Reed, Stacey Reed, Annie Descant, Missy Gagnard, Jane Lemoine and Yvette Lemoine.
Volunteer trainer for the girls was Chris Rabalais.

30 Years Ago

From our Dec. 7, 1995 edition
Ashley Saucier, a student at Marksville High School, placed first in the Avoyelles Parish Voice of Democracy Contest by the VFW.
Harris Ducote of Mansura, who was the chairman of the Louisiana Executive Board on Aging, addressed the Governor’s Task Force of Retirement Inducement.
Nathaniel Dominick, Jules Edwards, Jermaine Mose and Chauncey Mingo, members of the Marksville High School football team, were named to the 3-AAAA All-District First Team.
State Senator Don Hines received a major appointment in the State Senate last week. Senator Hines was named the chairman of the Health & Welfare Committee. The appointment was made by incoming State Senate President Randy Ewing of Quitman.

20 Years Ago

From our Dec. 8, 2005 edition
Marksville city employees were given the option of remaining on the city’s group health insurance and paying part of the premium or receive a $200 monthly pay increase and find their own insurance.
The Washington Street Hope Center in Marksville announced that it would add a women’s alcohol recovery facility by leasing a wing at the old Marksville Hospital.
The person or persons responsible for taking the Canadian flag and cutting the flag pole at Canadaville in Simmesport wrote a letter to the sheriff office defending the deputies who were on patrol.

10 Years Ago

From our Dec. 3, 2015 edition
Avoyelles’ most notorious unsolved murder case was still active but had gone cold and the one person who may have had information on who killed Christine Mayeaux of Marksville four years ago, remained in jail.
City Judge Angelo Piazza III disputed political opponents’ allegations that city marshals duties were expanded from serving warrants and subpoenas to making traffic stops and issuing tickets to raise revenue for City Court.
Students of the Month in Bunkie were Abigail Ortego, Bunkie Elem., Evalis Hayes, Bunkie High and Teachers of the Month were Bruce Webb, Bunkie High and Peggy Joshua, Bunkie Elem.