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The East Carroll Parish School Board held a short regular meeting last Tuesday, December 2, at the school board office. Board members considered a perfunctory agenda that approved normal agenda items, including adoption of minutes and a number of policies for the school system. The board also accepted the sole bid of Robertson Produce for produce for the schools.

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The latest federal government shutdown drew attention to the large numbers of people in Louisiana, particularly children, who depend on the federal food stamp program for assistance. Nearly half of all state residents whose households receive monthly payments for food from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, are under the age of 18.

Banner offices will be closed Wednesday, Dec. 24 to Friday, Dec.

East Carroll Parish School District was named a Top Growing School System by the Louisiana Department of Education recently. East Carroll’s district performance score was a C, placing them seventh on a list of top growing school systems, after going from 69.2 district performance score last year to 72.7 this year, due probably to improved performance by the high school.

Last week, the Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that the cost of Medicare premiums would increase by 9.7% in 2026 for 67.6 million beneficiaries — 949,495 of whom live in Louisiana.

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In October last year, the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation (LTHP) launched the Louisiana Register of Historic Cemeteries, a public database to increase awareness of historic cemeteries for their protection, maintenance and respect for those buried within them. One year later, the organization has registered nearly 300 historic cemeteries throughout every parish of the state. A visual glossary with hundreds of photos and storymaps of notable individuals provide a greater understanding of Louisiana cemeteries.

Sara Blakely Denman and Mason Crews Fortenberry were wed November 1, 2025, at Stanton Hall in Natchez, Mississippi. Wayne Parker officiated.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I sure did. I drove to Branson, Missouri, all by myself and met my brother, sister-in-law, niece and nephew. We had such a great time. The trip wasn’t bad. I have an older vehicle, and I still have a CD player, so I listen to audio CDs. And I had a great one. (And yes, I also played Christmas music).