The Bienville Democrat

07/18/2024

HOMER, La. – A Ringgold man who had been on the run for more than three decades said he didn’t mean any harm when he shot a man back then.

07/06/2024

Due to no water in the building, the Bienville Parish Policy Jury has issued a proclamation to close the courthouse.

Since the building will be closed to the public and by authority of the declaration, the clerk's will be closed for the remainder of the day effective immediately.

Business will resume Monday, July 8th.

06/21/2024

06/21/2024

Thank you to all the Vendors that have reached out this Festival Year!!!!! Alex, Stephanie and I (Anna Duck) have had an ABUNDANCE of NEW Vendors & Old Vendors that use to come but stopped coming over the years to rejoin this WONDERFUL Festival of ours!!!

Help Spread the festive word & let your friends & family know that this years 2024 Saline Watermelon Festival will F I N A L L Y have the streets F U L L of all TYPES of V E N D O R S even if we have to stretch down Highway 9 with Vendors we will do so!!! New power poles are being built & soon added to extend the Festival Main Street!!

I (Anna Duck) want to personally thank this years brand NEW Saline Watermelon Festival Committee….

Cherry Fredericks Perkins-Vice President, Pageant Director, T-shirt Technician
Alex Byrd-Treasurer, Vendor Director,T-shirt Designer
Michelle Carr Goben-Secretary, Pageant Production, Watermelon Games
Stephanie Goss-Singing karaoke Director Parade Director, KidsNight,Vendor Coordinator
Lee Cavazos-Operations Manager
Ginnie Goben-Parade Coordinator
Bruce Harp-Maintenance Coordinator
Herman Tatum-AssistantParade Director,VendorTeam
Don Duck-Plumbing/Electrical Director
Anna Duck-President, Sponsor Coordinator, Vendor Coordinator, KidsNight, Assistant Pageant Director, Advertising Manager, Slam Fest Arm Wrestling Coordinator, Car Show Coordinator, T-shirt designer

06/21/2024

06/18/2024

Road or Lane Status
BRIDGE CLOSURE: LA 4 bridge over drain, Bienville Parish
Tuesday, June 18, 2024 9:22 AM
BRIDGE CLOSURE: LA 4 bridge over drain, Bienville Parish

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development advises motorists that beginning on Monday, June 24, 2024, the LA 4 bridge over an unnamed waterway near the Bienville/Jackson Parish line in Bienville Parish will be closed.

This closure is scheduled to be in place until Friday, June 28, 2024, and is necessary to allow for DOTD crews to repairs to the structure.

This bridge is located approximately 1.3 miles west of the Jackson Parish line, near Pine Grove Road. (see included map)

Restrictions/Permits: Total road closure at the specified location. All vehicles wishing to travel through on LA 4 will need to utilize an alternate route.

Alternate Route: Detour signage will be in place.

This work will be performed WEATHER PERMITTING.

Safety reminder:

DOTD appreciates your patience and reminds you to please drive with caution through the construction site and be on the lookout for work crews and their equipment.

Area residents should exercise caution when driving, walking, or biking near an active construction zone.

Additional information:

Call 511, visit www.511la.org, or download the Louisiana 511 mobile app for additional information. Out-of-state travelers may call 1-888-ROAD-511 (1-888-762-3511). Motorists may also monitor the LA DOTD website at www.dotd.la.gov, by selecting MyDOTD, or by visiting the DOTD Facebook and Twitter pages.

06/10/2024

Road or Lane Status
UPDATE - REOPENED - BRIDGE CLOSURE: LA 793 over slough, Bienville Parish
Friday, June 07, 2024 4:22 PM
UPDATE - REOPENED - BRIDGE CLOSURE: LA 793 over slough, Bienville Parish

(UPDATE): DOTD advises motorists that these repairs are complete and this bridge has been REOPENED. We appreciate your patience while this work was underway.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(UPDATE): DOTD advises motorists that this bridge closure will be extended through Friday, June 7, 2024 due to recent inclement weather. We appreciate your patience.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Original notification:

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development advises motorists that beginning on Monday, May 20, 2024, the LA 793 over an unnamed waterway in Bienville Parish will be closed.

This closure is scheduled to be in place for approximately 14 days, and is necessary to allow for DOTD crews to performs repairs to the bridge abutment.

This bridge is located approximately 0.72 miles west of the intersection with LA 794 (see included map).

Restrictions/Permits: Total road closure at the specified location. All vehicles will need to utilize an alternate route.

Alternate Route: Detour signage will be in place.

This work will be performed WEATHER PERMITTING.

Safety reminder:

DOTD appreciates your patience and reminds you to please drive with caution through the construction site and be on the lookout for work crews and their equipment.

Area residents should exercise caution when driving, walking, or biking near an active construction zone.

Additional information:

Call 511, visit www.511la.org, or download the Louisiana 511 mobile app for additional information. Out-of-state travelers may call 1-888-ROAD-511 (1-888-762-3511). Motorists may also monitor the LA DOTD website at www.dotd.la.gov, by selecting MyDOTD, or by visiting the DOTD Facebook and Twitter pages.

06/05/2024

ATTENTION: PLEASE SHARE! The Arcadia Brookshire’s will be closed today until further notice. Brookshire’s officials say they are experiencing sewer issues and remain closed until the problem is resolved.

06/05/2024

ATTENTION: The Arcadia Brookshire’s is closed today due to sewer issues within the building. Brookshire’s officials say the store will be closed until further notice. PLEASE SHARE!

06/05/2024

BEFORE THE CHILDREN'S SRP KICK-OFF THAT STARTS TODAY (JUNE 5TH) --🥳 🥳 🥳 WE WANT CONGRATULATE THE BIENVILLE PARISH LIBRARY SYSTEM TOP ADULT READER - Ms. Debbie Carlisle! 🥳 🥳 🥳

The Adult Reading Program officially kicks off the Children’s Summer Reading Program that begins today at the Gibsland Branch at 2:00pm. The annual theme "ADVENTURE BEGINS AT THE LIBRARY!" comes from the Collaborative Summer Library Program or CSLP a nationwide organization that collaborates with libraries to create an inclusive literacy-based program enjoyable for all ages, provides a reproducible program with a unified theme, and shares resources and professional support.

Ms. Carlisle expressed it best, “I took every opportunity to read! Before you knew it, I’d read eighty books!” When asked what her favorite kind of books she enjoyed reading, her answer was emphatic – Amish series novels. “I thoroughly enjoyed the Amish series. The stories were so good, and I also learned a bit about the Amish culture.”

🥳 🥳 🥳 We encourage all our readers, adults and children to take a page from Ms. Carlisle's book 😉READ, READ, and READ!

🥳 🥳 🥳 SEE YOU AT THE LIBRARY!!! 🥳 🥳 🥳

05/31/2024

They are some of the best!!!

Providing youth, adults and moms with an effective faith based solution to life controlling problems.

05/31/2024

By Pat Culverhouse Webster Parish has a new deputy sheriff. He’s a lot younger than your average deputy, but he’s packed a lot of life into only 12 years. He’s much smaller than your average law en…

05/31/2024

Free Fishing Weekend June 8, 9

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) invites you to take part in its annual Free Fishing Weekend on Saturday, June 8, and Sunday, June 9. Louisiana’s Free Fishing Weekend allows residents and visitors to fish Louisiana waters without an otherwise required fishing license.

“Each year we designate a weekend of fishing with no need to purchase a fishing license as an incentive for families and friends to enjoy one of our states most beloved pastimes,” explained LDWF Secretary Madison Sheahan. “Please take this opportunity to make memories with your loved ones, and introduce them to the great sport of fishing.”

While a fishing license is not required, all fishing regulations, including size, season, catch limits and gear restrictions will remain in effect during Free Fishing Weekend.

For an added bonus, LDWF has stocked adult-sized catfish at 17 ponds across the state as part of the Get Out and Fish! Program. No boat? No problem! Go to our website or page to find locations of ponds, date of stocking, and tips on how to catch and cook your catfish.

In addition, a Recreational Offshore Landing Permit (ROLP) is still needed during Free Fishing weekend when possessing tunas, billfish, swordfish, amberjacks, groupers, snappers, hinds, cobia, wahoo, dolphinfish, and gray triggerfish. When registering for an ROLP, anglers should choose the “Free Fishing Weekend” option for the license type. Anglers can skip the “LDWF Fishing License Number” field. A Free Fishing Weekend ROLP will be valid Saturday, June 8, and Sunday, June 9 only.

To register for an ROLP, please go to https://ldwf.wlf.la.gov/rolp/login.

LDWF reminds the public that, at any time outside of Free Fishing Weekend, anglers 18 and older must possess a Louisiana fishing license to fish in any Louisiana public waters. Anyone who decides to continue fishing for the remainder of the year must purchase a state fishing license at https://louisianaoutdoors.com/.

By purchasing a fishing license, you also help provide funding for public fishing and boating access, fishing programs and education, and fisheries management through the Sport Fish Restoration Fund.

05/31/2024

UPDATE - EXTENDED - BRIDGE CLOSURE: LA 793 over slough, Bienville Parish

(UPDATE): DOTD advises motorists that this bridge closure will be extended through Friday, June 7, 2024 due to recent inclement weather. We appreciate your patience.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Original notification:

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development advises motorists that beginning on Monday, May 20, 2024, the LA 793 over an unnamed waterway in Bienville Parish will be closed.

This closure is scheduled to be in place for approximately 14 days, and is necessary to allow for DOTD crews to performs repairs to the bridge abutment.

This bridge is located approximately 0.72 miles west of the intersection with LA 794 (see included map).

Restrictions/Permits: Total road closure at the specified location. All vehicles will need to utilize an alternate route.

Alternate Route: Detour signage will be in place.

This work will be performed WEATHER PERMITTING.

Safety reminder:

DOTD appreciates your patience and reminds you to please drive with caution through the construction site and be on the lookout for work crews and their equipment.

Area residents should exercise caution when driving, walking, or biking near an active construction zone.

Additional information:

Call 511, visit www.511la.org, or download the Louisiana 511 mobile app for additional information. Out-of-state travelers may call 1-888-ROAD-511 (1-888-762-3511). Motorists may also monitor the LA DOTD website at www.dotd.la.gov, by selecting MyDOTD, or by visiting the DOTD Facebook and Twitter pages.

05/24/2024

LDWF Enforcement Division Reminding Boaters to Boat Safe This Memorial Day Weekend

As the 2024 Safe Boating Week (May 18-24) is winding down and the Memorial Day Weekend is kicking off, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division wants to remind everyone to boat responsibly this weekend.

“Memorial Day Weekend is a great time to get out on the waterways of Louisiana with school being out and the weather being nice,” said Major Clay Marques, the state’s boating law administrator. “We want everyone to have a great time on the water, but more importantly we want everyone to come home safe. Please have a sober operator, wear your personal flotation devices, and keep up-to-date on the weather this weekend while boating.”

Alcohol use is one of the leading causes of boating crash incidents and fatalities on the water. Alcohol consumption impairs a boater's judgment, balance, vision, and reaction time. The penalties for operating or driving a vessel while intoxicated (DWI) are the same as driving a vehicle. Anyone cited for a DWI on the water or on the road will lose his or her driver's license and boating privileges for the specified time ordered by the judge in the case.

Between 2019-23, there were 107 boating fatalities. Of those 107 fatalities, alcohol was a factor in 23 fatalities, with 88 of the fatalities recovered not wearing a personal flotation device (PFD) and 97 of the fatalities failing to take a safe boating education course. To date in 2024, Louisiana has reported three boating fatalities.

Each vessel should have enough PFDs on board for all occupants. LDWF regulations also state that anyone 16 years of age and younger must wear a PFD while underway in vessels less than 26-foot long. For more boating and PFD regulations, please visit www.wlf.louisiana.gov and click on the “Boating” tab.

LDWF also wants to remind anybody born after Jan. 1, 1984 that they are required to successfully complete a National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) boating education course to operate a motorboat over 10 horsepower. Since the safe boating course’s inception in 2003, over 160,000 boaters have been certified in Louisiana.

LDWF offers these classes free of charge statewide. For more information and to schedule a safe boating course, please visit www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/boater-education.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is responsible for managing and protecting Louisiana’s abundant natural resources. The department issues hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses, as well as boat titles and registrations.