News

Rayville native John E.  Newson Sr., was honored for 50 years of excellence as a musician and educator June 9 at Martin’s Crosswinds in Greenbelt, Maryland.

Newson retired as director of university bands at Howard University in 2018 after 50 years in music education.

A Rayville native, Newsom is a graduate of the Class of 1965, Eula D Britton. and the son of Roosevelt and Zipporah Newson.

District 34 State Senator Francis Thompson announces plans for the state to invest approximately $37 million in capital improvement projects in Senate District 34 and the surrounding area. 

The plans for these important projects were accounted for in the state’s construction budget, or House Bill 2. This year, HB 2 totaled about $3.4 billion and groups projects into different priorities. The projects included in HB 2 for Northeast Louisiana range from transportation and public works projects to the construction of new economic development and recreational facilities.

Richland Parish’s unemployment rate dropped more than half a percent in April according to figures released last week by the Louisiana Workforce Commission.

The parish unemployment rate fell from 5.4 percent in March to 4.7 percent in April. This is also down from 5.8 percent a year ago.

This translates into 388 people looking for work in April, down from 443 in March and 481 in April 2018.

Currently, there are 7,791 people working in the parish, down from 7,791 in March and 7,810 in last April.