From Pages Past

By Donna Culotta

90 Years Ago — From our Nov. 9, 1935 edition

Miss Armide Mayeux of Mansura passed away.
Curtis C. Roy announced his candidacy for the state legislature.
Commander Ira Schwartzenburg consented to deliver the min address at the Armistice day program in Marksville.
Mr. G.V. Saucier announced his candidacy for Avoyelles sheriff.

80 Years Ago — From our Nov. 10, 1945 edition

Harvey G. Fields, a native of Avoyelles Parish, was honored by being placed in the third edition of the Biographical Encyclopedia of the World.
Lt. Harold A. Lanier of the U.S. Navy resumed his position with the revenue department as chief of the severance tax department.
A Victory Bond Campaign began in Avoyelles.
An all-time record 300,000 people placed orders for the 1946 Ford automobile on “V-8 Day.”
Paul Roy of Hessmer was elected to serve as reporter for the FFA at Louisiana State.

70 Years Ago — From our Nov. 12, 1955 edition

Mrs. Julius Couvillion was appointed to the Marksville town council.
Carnot L. Dupuy announced his candidacy for the office of clerk of court.
Robert Bott won championship honors at the Louisiana State Fair for his Duroc Gilt, “Lassie Lou.”
Irby Marie McCann, Mary Ellen Dunn, Mildred Dunn, Sandra Aymond, Shirley Guillory and Rose Mary Hathorn were selected as the most outstanding 4-H Club members from Lafargue High School.
Mrs. Spencer DeCuir was elected president of the Marksville Home Demonstration Club.
Curtis Roy and Charles Ray Daigle were winners in the Jersey Breed at the Louisiana Livestock and Pasture Festival.

60 Years Ago — From our Nov. 11, 1965 edition

Mr. Ardas Laborde, editor of the Alexandria Town Talk and a native of Bordelonville, was the guest speaker at the monthly assembly at St. Joseph High School.
The Marksville Jaycees in cooperation with the Avoyelles Medical Society conducted a diabetic detection program in Avoyelles schools.
John Burrow of Moreauville and Von Dubea of Marksville were appointed to the National Membership and Post Activities Committee of the American Legion.
Adam Tassin of Bordelonville was elected class representative for the freshman class at the LSU Medical Center in New Orleans.

50 Years Ago — From our Nov. 13, 1975 edition

The Defosse Home (Mansura Civic Center) was pictured as the headquarters for the Avoyelles Allons Aux Tours.
Sherwin A. Juneau was selected for a police jury position.
Kelly Anne Gremillion and Shantelle Carter were the winners of the W.O.W Rosewood Baby Contest.
Malcolm Simmons was promoted as leader of the Soil Conservation Services in Alexandria.
Claire Schneider of Marksville attended the National 4-H Congress in Chicago, Illinois.
Sebastion Carrier of Mansura was selected as one of the finalists in the 1975 Driver of the Year contest.

40 Years Ago — From our Nov. 14, 1985 edition

The Marksville Lions Club hosted Louisiana Secretary of State Jim Brown,
Marksville High and Elementary schools cancelled classes as a precautionary measure in a bomb scare.
Tommy Gauthier was selected as a candidate in the Outstanding Young Men of America program.
Tiffany Riche, Danielle Melancon and Jade Danielle Brouillette were announced as queens in the Louisiana Harvest Pageant.

30 Years Ago — From our Nov. 9, 1995 edition

Head football coach Joel Desselles at Marksville High School surprised faculty and players when he announced he was resigning from the school as athletic director and head football coach.
Mansura Middle School FFA students, under the direction of Randal Reech, built yard ornaments for Thanksgiving and Christmas and offered them for sale.
Sister Maurice Elvekrog, Superintendent of the Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Alexandria, was presented a gift from the students at Marksville Catholic School.
More than 130 children in the area attended the community Halloween party at the National Guard Armory in Marksville.

20 Years Ago — From our Nov. 10, 2005 edition

Cathy Brouillette, teacher and Reading First Coach, was appointed principal of Marksville Elementary along with Wendy Marchand who was appointed assistant principal.
Business owner Daryl Deshotel requested approval from the Hessmer town council to build a new building for his communication company. Detel, Deshotel’s business, was currently housed in the old Sue’s Boutique and employed 12 people.
Ilyada Sarama, Marksville store owner, pled guilty to bank fraud, wire fraud, two drug charges, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, structured financial transactions and making false statements to the FBI.
Avoyelles Parish was keeping All Saints Day traditions alive by placing flowers on the graves of loved ones, special Masses and the blessing of the graves.
School board members were split about making electronic posting of teacher lesson plans mandatory. The board was re-examining the topic but a decision would not be made until January.

10 Years Ago — From our Nov. 8, 2015 edition

Jeremy Mardis, six-year-old son of Chris Few and a student at Lafargue Elementary, was shot and killed by a stray bullet after two ward marshals opened fire on the vehicle they were in.
Deputy Ward Marshals Derrick Stafford and Norris J. Greenhouse had followed Few in a slow-speed chase through town. Few’s truck came to a dead end, and the ward marshals alleged Few was offering resistance before opening fire on the truck Jeremy was sitting in.
The Washington Post later ran a story citing dysfunction between ward officials and city government, describing an atmosphere of tension and miscommunication that formed the backdrop to the shooting. National media descended on Marksville as the issue took on some racial overtones involving Black officers and a white victim.
Mayor John Lemoine told a CNN reporter, when asked if there was corruption in the city, “it depends on the way you look at it,” but that he would say there is. The tragedy left the community with many questions.