News

A lot of people in Sabine Parish are pet lovers but what happens when you let your dogs and cats run loose? They get hit by cars, have litters of unwanted kittens and puppies, and sometimes end up in the animal shelter where they are euthanized if they are not adopted or transferred out to another rescue agency.

The Town of Many now has two state-licensed Animal Control officers who have picked up 16 dogs and 14 cats since August this year, but they can only work within the Town’s limits. “I hate this part of my job”, said Cecil Jordan, Town of Many Street employee who helps with animal control. “Why do people have animals then let them run loose to get killed on the road or waste away tied up in the yard without food and shelter? It just does not make any sense,” he said sadly.

Representative Rodney Schamerhorn will host be holding a series of Town Hall Meetings to be held in January at locations in Hornbeck, Florien, Robeline and Many. Enthusiastic to provide information on topics of interest, Representative Schamerhorn will explain to constituents how they can have their voices heard on issues relating to them and their communities.

Main topic of discussion will be the DODT highway construction priority program for the upcoming fiscal year and its impact on the District 24 region. In addition, a discussion of services provided to the communities by the District 24 office throughout the pandemic and on a regular basis. Representative Schamerhorn will also focus on the upcoming Legislative session by identifying specific issues he will be addressing; to include Grandparent’s Rights, Restitution for financial costs related to crime, and Hunting Regulations in regard to methods of taking game.

In 2012, the Louisiana Legislative Session enacted The Early Childhood Education Act that began a uniform accountability system for publically funded early childhood programs. With this system, Louisiana early childhood programs are rated on a scale from 1-7. The rating categories are 7.00-6.00 Excellent, 5.99-5.25 High Proficient, 5.24-4.50 Proficient, 4.49-3.00 Approaching Proficient, and 2.99-1.00 Unsatisfactory. These ratings are based on rigorous observations conducted by trained early childhood educators using the nationally renowned Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) tool. Research has found that Pre-K classrooms with higher CLASS ratings result in better prepared kindergartners.

A dedicated group of local citizens have undertaken quite the large task, that of cleaning up and refurbishing the Belmont Cemetery.

The project began in August after Ruth Touchton Jeffery got the ball rolling.

“My parents are buried there,” she said. “My son is also buried there, and we were lucky to be able to have him interred at the location.”

She noticed the state of many tombstones in the cemetery and that restoration and maintenance was needed to bring the final resting place of numerous Sabine Parish residents, including World War II and Confederate veterans, to its proper state.

The assembled group meets once a month and uses a Saturday to perform their duties.

“I just wanted to do something meaningful, but the more we work the more amazing everything becomes,” Jeffery said.

Not only is ground maintenance performed, but the group is leveling and resetting stones, cutting and clearing trees, and much more.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, as the old saying goes. Much like last year, this year has brought about a lot of uncertainty for many of us, for good and bad. For Gary Ammons of the Robeline area, it has been a little bit of both.

Before the coronavirus pandemic began last year, Gary was quite the connoisseur of Christmas. Lights abounded at his home near the Robeline community in the years previous to 2020. The sounds of a country music Christmas wafted through the air from his record player. A film buff, Gary spent innumerable hours watching Christmas movies every year. He recognized it as an observance for family and was a beloved time of seeing his twin daughters, Arica and Arin, grow up into a pair of magnificent, successful women.

However, the times we live in are cruel.

Ze’Quarrius “Cadillac” Rhone was born and raised in Many. Now, his accomplishments are now garnering attention from his community.

“Since I was born I’ve always had some kind of ball in my hand,” Cadillac says. “Growing up with my three brothers: Rickey Woods, Quan Sweet, and Jayvion Smart, there was always competition and that made me want to win at everything.”

“During my high school career I accomplished my dreams of being a state champion and a chance to play Division 1 football,” he said.

Cadillac is thankful for his parents, Rickey Rhone and San Slate, as they have pushed him to be the best he can at everything he does. He was constantly reminded that academics comes before sports, which he points to as being a reason he maintained a 4.0 GPS throughout his time at Many High School. He was also honored to be on the All-State Academic Team.

A chance meeting began the story of this at a Pizza Hut years ago year’s Many Christmas Parade Honorary Grand Marshals John Wayne and Tina McCormic.

“The first night I started working at Pizza Hut, he tells me he’s going to marry me,” Tina said of the chance meeting. “A year later, that following New Year’s Eve we got married.”

Today, the couple have raised their two children, Timothy and Tabitha, in the town where they first met. Timmi is a major in the U.S. Army, stationed in Arlington, Virginia. Tabitha is married to Daniel Strawn and they live in Natchitoches, where she works for the Natchitoches School Board Office.

Even with an empty nest, the two show their dedication to local sports in a huge way, as John Wayne is well known for the barbecue chicken lunches he cooks with a small army of dedicated friends for any number of local charities and sports teams. It’s an absolutely delicious way to support the local youth and community.

The award-winning and widely-recognized Many High School Band will perform their annual Christmas concert at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 16 at the Many Community Center.

As is tradition, the band will present a wide variety of Christmas and holiday themed music.

Admission will be $6 for adults and $2 for children.

All are invited for a night of music with one of the state’s premier high school music programs.

After a slow start from both teams that saw barely any score in the first half, it was the Amite Warriors and not the Many Tigers holding up the state championship trophy on December 10.

The game was quite competitive for both teams, and the Warriors seemed to have the answer to the high powered running game of the Many Tigers from the start.

Amite scored a field goal only minutes before halftime for the first score of the game. They’d add on another touchdown in the third quarter.

London Williams scored the Tiger’s only touchdown, which left the final score 17-6 and not allowing the Tigers an expected repeat of last year’s championship.

Be sure to check out next week’s Index for pictures and more coverage of Sabine Parish’s football team.

A first responder is a real-life hero that responds first to an emergency or accident. Our Town is blessed to have people who care enough about others to risk their own lives in an effort to save someone else’s.

The Town of Many is proud to have Police Officers, Sheriff’s Deputies, Fire Fighters, EMTs and Medical Personnel including doctors and nurses, that live and work all around the Parish to save the lives of others. We have asked them to serve as our Grand Marshals for the Merry Many Christmas Parade on December 18, at 2 pm.