The following arrests were made by local law enforcement officers from July 6 – July 12.
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The Bunkie Police Department announced last week that Chief Byron O. Juneau has successfully completed the Louisiana Law Enforcement Executive Management Institute, conducted this week before at the Louisiana State Police Joint Emergency Services Training Center.
The Louisiana Law Enforcement Executive Management Institute is a mandatory executive leadership program for all newly elected Chiefs of Police throughout the State of Louisiana. The program is designed to strengthen executive leadership, organizational management, and decision-making while promoting the highest standards of professionalism in law enforcement.
Chief Juneau’s successful completion of this institute reflects his commitment to professional development and to providing exceptional leadership for the Bunkie Police Department. His continued dedication to serving the citizens of Bunkie embodies the department’s core values of Pride, Courtesy, and Integrity.
The Bunkie Police Department congratulates Chief Juneau on this significant accomplishment and looks forward to the continued leadership and service he brings to the City of Bunkie and the community they are honored to serve.
As Avoyelles Parish prepares for an exciting new school year, bus routes for the 2026-2027 school year are now available online.
Parents and guardians are encouraged to review their child’s bus information before the first day of school to help ensure a smooth start to the year.
View bus routes at: www.avoyellespsb.com/busroutes
For questions about a child’s transportation, contact the child’s school or the Avoyelles Parish Schools Transportation Department.
Hot and humid weather will continue across Avoyelles Parish through the upcoming week as a typical late-July pattern remains in place. Afternoon temperatures will reach the lower to middle 90s each day, while scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop during the afternoon and evening hours. Any stronger storms could produce brief heavy rainfall, gusty winds and frequent lightning.
Wednesday, July 22: Partly sunny and hot with scattered afternoon thunderstorms. High near 93, low around 75.
Thursday, July 23: Mostly sunny and humid with only a slight chance of an isolated afternoon thunderstorm. High near 94, low around 75.
Friday, July 24: Hot with a mix of sunshine and clouds. Scattered afternoon thunderstorms are expected. High around 95, low near 75.
Saturday, July 25: Partly sunny with continued heat and humidity. A few afternoon thunderstorms remain possible. High near 94, low around 74.
Sunday, July 26: Mostly cloudy with scattered showers and thunderstorms becoming more widespread during the afternoon. High near 91, low around 73.
Monday, July 27: Warm and humid with intervals of clouds and sunshine. Afternoon thunderstorms continue to be possible. High near 92, low around 73.
Tuesday, July 28: Partly sunny with another chance of scattered afternoon showers and thunderstorms. High in the lower 90s, low in the lower 70s.
Central Louisiana will remain under a persistent summertime weather pattern through the week, featuring hot afternoons, high humidity and daily pop-up thunderstorms. Heat index values may exceed 100 degrees during the afternoon, so residents are encouraged to stay hydrated, take frequent breaks if working outdoors, and seek shelter immediately if thunderstorms approach.
As Avoyelles Parish prepares for the 2026-2027 school year, an important update to the middle school dress code has been made.
Middle school students may wear uniform shirts in either GOLD or GRAY for the 2026-2027 school year.
All uniform shirts must still display the required school logo. Looking ahead to the 2027-2028 school year, middle school uniform shirts will transition to GRAY ONLY.
To help ensure accurate and consistent reporting, the Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services (DCFS) is reminding media partners that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is administered by the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH), not DCFS.
Some recent news coverage has referenced DCFS in connection with SNAP-related issues. We understand the confusion, as some buildings where LDH provides SNAP services still display older signage that has not yet been updated. While signage updates are underway, DCFS no longer administers SNAP.
All reporting on SNAP operations, services, or issues should identify the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) as the responsible agency. Referring to DCFS in connection with SNAP may unintentionally misdirect residents seeking assistance and contribute to public confusion.
For questions regarding SNAP benefits, applications, or case information, the public should contact LAHelpU at 1-888-524-3578 or visit the LDH SNAP webpage.
Mark those calendars for the Avoyelles Parish Back-to-School Bash. Join the Avoyelles Parish School Board as they kick off the 2026-2027 school year with an evening of fun, excitement, and community on Thursday, July 30, 3:30-7pm, at Avoyelles High School.
Activities will include games, prizes, food, and family-friendly fun for all ages.
Whether a child is starting kindergarten, entering middle school, beginning high school, or returning for another year, this event is a great opportunity to connect with schools, community partners, and other families as APSB prepares for a successful school year.
AFSB looks forward to celebrating the start of another year of learning, growth, and achievement with students, staff, and families.
The Avoyelles Council on Aging is presenting an Inside Garage Sale on Friday, July 31, and Saturday, Aug. 1, from 7am to 1pm, at the Avoyelles Council on Aging (224 South Preston, Marksville).
The sale will feature furniture, clothing of all sizes, and much much more. Everything must go – all proceeds go to the Senior Citizens Meals Program.
Hot dog lunches will be for sale on Friday.
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) has released its 2026-27 hunting regulation pamphlet online at the LDWF website. For the complete regulations, go to the seasons and regulations LDWF webpage.
The pamphlet contains hunting rules, regulations, season dates and major changes for the 2026-27 season, including hunting information on LDWF’s Wildlife Management Areas and Louisiana’s federal lands.
Printed copies of the pamphlets will be available in August at LDWF offices throughout the state and at vendors where hunting and fishing licenses are sold.
For more information, contact Dr. Jeffrey Duguay at jduguay@wlf.la.gov.
If I have learned nothing else over my many years of tournament bass fishing, it’s the fact that it’s a young man’s sport. Being young has its privileges, especially when it comes to energy levels and mobility. At the age of 65, I no longer hop around the boat like a rat on crack.
Now I’m a little more cautious in making sure I don’t hang a toe getting up on the front deck of my Caymas boat. I’m just trying to maintain my balance and make sure that I don’t fall in the lake!
I’ve also noticed that the older I have gotten, the further it seems to be from the driver’s seat console to the front of my boat. Just putting the trolling motor in the water also requires a little more energy now, even with high-tech lift-assist-systems that trolling motors have today.
Even tying on a new lure can be a challenge as I need my reading glasses just to see what I’m doing. Threading fishing line through the eye of a hook requires skill that used to be automatic; now it’s an adventure and a test of my patience!
One aspect that today’s young anglers seem to do a better job of is covering water and fishing as many places as they can in a day’s time. Older guys tend to stay in one area longer and fish it thoroughly just because we don’t want to take the time or exert the energy to move.
I have also noticed the younger generation of today are not very likely to offer much help for the older guys who might be launching their boats by themselves.
This was something I was always conscious of during my younger days. If I saw an older gentleman trying to launch his boat by himself, I always offered a helping hand. I think it’s just the way my generation was raised, to always be looking out for the elderly.
Even today, and now that I’m the older guy at the ramp, I’ll still offer ANY angler assistance. It’s just good manners.
In today’s tournament world, I find myself trying to stay in better shape just so I can compete with these young guns. To compete on any tournament trail, you must spend time on the water.
A good angler will practice 8-10 hours a day in the boat trying to locate as many schools of bass as he can. It’s not uncommon for the really good anglers to practice from sunup to sundown. Again, nothing will make you a better angler than time on the water!
These are the anglers who will not only cash more checks but will also be holding up the trophy at the end of the tournament. You cannot compete in today’s bass fishing world by taking shortcuts or only fishing for a few hours a day, no matter how good you think you are.
Another issue at my age is that some days, fishing is literally a grind and a test of your patience. The bass don’t always bite all day long and there are only a few small windows of opportunity where the bass will feed. If you’re not on the water, you will miss those opportunities.
There will be some days that you will ask yourself, “Why am I out here?” But these are the days that will separate the good anglers from the average ones. The good anglers will stay on the lake and make every attempt to figure out how to make the fish bite.
This is called persistence and determination, which can go a long way in having tournament success. It’s also called focus, which I find is a lot harder to maintain as I’ve gotten older. Focus ensures that you don’t miss those windows of opportunity when you get that unexpected bite.
One thing that has not changed, even at the age of 65, is my desire to compete. I’m still that same competitive soul who gets so much joy in a high finish and beating the younger generation. We’ve all heard, age is just a number. That’s true until you reach what you think is that age …then reality sets in.
Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com