News

Renovation work at East Carroll Parish schools is nearing completion, according to Meagan Brown, superintendent, who gave the school board a preview of final costs at a special meeting Monday. The contract for work on the new administration building has increased from $434,000 to $665,129, according to Brown.

A new “interrogation of students” policy was approved by the East Carroll Parish School Board at its regular meeting earlier this month. Meagan Brown, school superintendent, said there is a need for the policy to protect the district’s students.

March is celebrated as National Nutrition Month a time to promote health and nutrition, and was initiated by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in 1973. This annual campaign encourages people of all ages to take small steps towards better nutrition and overall health. In Louisiana, approximately 38% to 40% of the population is obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control, and this is largely attributed to our rich, high-calorie cuisine!

I want y’all to be real careful today. It is officially Alien Abduction Day.

At committee meetings of the East Carroll Parish Police Jury on March 5, jurors discussed the rural fire department’s lack of regular maintenance to its facilities. Juror Roger Clement and President Kendall Thompson met prior to committee meetings with Fire Chief Tim Braswell, as well as several volunteer firefighters to discuss their current practices and brainstorm ways to improve.

Early voting on a ballot that contains four constitutional amendment proposals continues through Saturday, March 22 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Thunderstorms swept through East Carroll Parish Saturday, March 15, spawning a tornado, with damaging winds and dumping rainfall from four to five inches in the parish. The severe storm cell continued to move east, wreaking havoc throughout Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama, according to Kendall Parks, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

March 2025 THURSDAY 13 Learning Lab • 5:30-- 7pm • cooking demos, tastings, hands-on skills • First Baptist Church • registration required, call 318-405-6712, 318-- 435-2908 or 318-728-- 3216 • sponsored by LSU AgCenter FRIDAY 14 Chair exercise for adults • 10am • ECP Library SATURDAY 15 SUNDAY 16 MONDAY 17 Chair exercise for adults • 10am • ECP Library TUESDAY 18 SNAP benefit signup 9:30am-3pm East Carroll Parish Community Action Agency WEDNESDAY 19 Chair exercise for adults • 10am • ECP Library THURSDAY 20 LAKE PROVIDENCE HOUSING AUTHORITY 12 noon • LPHA office, Foster St. LAKE PROVIDENCE BOARD OF ALDERMEN 5:30pm • in the Mayor’s C ourt room, City Hall.

SNAP benefit signup Tuesday @ 9:30am-3pm East Carroll Parish Community Action Agency EAST CARROLL PARISH SCHOOL BOARD 1st Tuesday of month @ 6:30 pm • in the Media R oom, Administration building DEPT OF PUBLIC SAFETY DRIVER’S LICENSE OFFICE 1st Thursday of month from 9am-3 pm (lunch 12-1) East Carroll Parish Police Jury office building (old health unit) EAST CARROLL PARISH POLICE JURY 2nd Tuesday of month @ 12 noon • in the Police Jury Meeting Room EAST CARROLL HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD 2nd Wednesday of month @ 10am • at Housing Authority, Mike Ave. LAKE PROVIDENCE HOUSING AUTHORITY 3rd Thursday of month @ 12 noon LPHA office, Foster St.

What began as an investigation into a burglary turnedintoamajordrugbust in West Carroll Parish. East Carroll Sheriff Investigator Tystin White said that the sheriff’s office received a call from Victor’s Truck Stop about a theft. The suspect allegedly arrived at the truck stop in a van that was parked behind the store. He then walked around the building and entered the store through the front door. The suspect went to the showers area of the truck stop and removed a tile from the ceiling, climbed into it, and traversed the length of the building before dropping into the room where the safe was located. The suspect then removed $15,600 cash from the safe before exiting the way he had gained access, dropping to the store’s floor, and leaving out the front door. A second suspect was the lookout. He exited the van and was picked up in the front of the store by a third suspect in a black Cadillac. The suspect that entered the store left in the van. Investigators were able to get a description of the vehicle, and a check of the black Cadillac revealed that it was owned by Marvin Terry of Lake Providence. Officers went to Terry’s residence where he was picked up and brought to the sheriff’s office for questioning. Based on information received from the suspect, investigators learned that a residence in Oak Grove was connected with the burglary. East Carroll investigators contacted the Oak Grove Police Department and received their assistance in executing a search warrant of the residence at 502 South Briggs Street, Oak Grove. The search warrant was executed by the Oak Grove Police Department with assistance from the East Carroll Parish Sheriff’s Office and the West Carroll Parish Sheriff’s Office. A search of the residence yielded 20 pounds of raw marijuana in vacuum-sealed packaging, approximately 500 Xanax pills, approximately 24 ounces of Promethazine with Codeine, and a Hi-Point 995 9MM with multiple extended magazines. The gun was later discovered to have been stolen out of Ouachita Parish. The street value of the drugs was in excess of $50,000. At the time of the search warrant, Terry was in the custody of the East Carroll Parish Sheriff’s Office facing charges of principal to simple burglary. Terry posted a $12,000 bond in East Carroll and was released to West Carroll officials where he remains incarcerated on a $195,000 bond. West Carroll charges against Terry include: possession of schedule 1 w/ intent to distribute – marijuana; possession of schedule IV w/ intent to distribute – Xanax; two counts of possession of schedule V – promethazine with codeine; possession of a legend drug without prescription – sildenafil; possession of a stolen firearm; felon in possession of a firearm; and possession of a firearm with a controlled dangerous substance. Investigator White said that the remaining two subjects had returned to Texas according to information they received. East Carroll Parish has issued a warrant for their arrests and indicated that they are willing to extradite the two individuals back to Louisiana.