News

Chief Bryan Ross is a Mansfield native. He is a graduate of Mansfield High School and a graduate of Northwestern State University. In 2016, he joined the City of Mansfield Fire Department as a Firefighter. Chief Ross has continued to further his education during his tenure by obtaining various certifications. In addition to being a certified Firefighter, Chief Ross is certified as a Fire Service Instructor and is a licensed EMS Practitioner in the State of Louisiana. He was promoted to Captain of the Mansfield Fire Department in 2018 and was later promoted to Fire Chief of the Mansfield Fire Department in 2022.

Chief Bryan Ross was an award recipient at the 36th Annual Shreveport-Bossier- DeSoto African American Awards Banquet on February 10, 2024. Chief Ross was recognized as being the First African American Male Captain for the Mansfield Fire Department and for being the First African American Male Fire Chief for the Mansfield Fire Department.

Desoto Parish Sheriff’s Office SWAT, SROs, Investigators, Dispatchers, and Training Unit (among others) have been doing a complete walkthrough of the North DeSoto campuses today. This exercise is aimed at ensuring all first responders are familiar with the entire campus layout front to back, top to bottom. Examples of potential scenarios can be discussed, questioned, and answered. Just one more step in ensuring safety, and an effective response if that need should ever arise.

Walkthroughs and training exercises such as this are done at all area schools in rotation, and will continue through the week. We are grateful to these men and women who take part in this training to better equip themselves to best serve students and staff.

On February 17, DeSoto Sheriff Lt. Robert “Robbo” Davidson (retired) was contacted that he was to serve again as appointee from the Speaker of the House of the Louisiana Commission of Law Enforcement and the Administration of Criminal Justice by R. S. 15:1202.

Speaker Phillip R. DeVillier added that he had notified the executive director of the Commission, Jim Craft, of Davidson’s appointment. DeVillier also thanked Davidson for his willingness to serve in this capacity once again.

Davidson was also appointed in past administrations by Gov. Edwin Edwards, Gov. Buddy Roemer, Gov. Mike Foster, Speaker of the Floor Joe Salter, Speaker Taylor Barnes of New Iberia, and Speaker Clay Schexnayder of St. Martin.

This will be Davidson’s 7th four-year term to serve.

A benefit Fish Fry for cancer patient Jason Burson is set for Friday, March 1 from 11:00 a.m. until sold out at the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Substation in Stonewall, located at 1746 Hwy 171. Preorders are requested at $15.00 per plate.

You can order through Venmo- @Brandy- Pearce-2, or Paypal-@ Brandypearce77 or reserve your plate and pay the day of the event with cash or check. Deliveries can be made within a 20 mile radius but must be made by February 28, 2024.

Jason has recently been diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma and is currently taking treatments in Arkansas. Please consider donating to support this precious family during this hard time. All proceeds will to directly to the Burson family for traveling, lodging, and any other expenses that may arise.

Also, a benefit account has been set up a Community Bank of Louisiana in the name of Jason and Lisa Burson Benefit.

Please remember this family in your thoughts and prayers.

Sending a SHOUT OUT to all of our DeSoto Sheriff School Resource Officers (SROs) for their hard work and dedication to our DeSoto Parish Schools! These guys and gals commit every day to ensuring safety, and pride themselves in building positive relationships with our students.

Thank you for all that you do!

Representative Larry Bagley is trying to make Inspection also known as Brake Stickers in Louisiana a thing of the past. The bill failed twice before, but he’s hoping that the third time is charm.

Bagley stated that he brought it twice before during the first four years that he ran for office and had no problem getting the votes that he needed, but the governor was not in favor of pushing it and the Louisiana State Police fought it both times.

The State police were in favor of the sticker because if the sticker had expired on a vehicle there usually was something wrong with the vehicle to prevent a successful inspection.

They also received the fees that were generated by purchasing the sticker.

The 2024 Northwest Louisiana Region Master Cattlemen Course has been set to begin February 27, 2024. Classes will be held once a week in the evening for ten weeks at the LSU AgCenter DeSoto Parish Extension Office, located at 10117 Hwy. 171 in Grand Cane. Tuition is $200 per person, which includes all classes, materials and evening meals. Those completing the course will also receive a Master Cattleman metal farm sign to display.

Classes, which include one topic per week, are Pasture Agronomy, Pasture Weed Management, Cattle Nutrition, Economics and Marketing, Reproduction, Animal Health, Breeding and Selection, End Product, Beef Quality Assurance Certification and Cattle Handling.

Space is limited so contact Lee Faulk at afaulk@agcenter.lsu. edu or 318-245-4200 or Joshua Salley at lsalley@ agcenter.lsu.edu or 318-872-0533.

DeSoto Parish Sheriff Deputies, LSP Troop E , Troop G, and Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Deputies were involved in a vehicle and foot pursuit that entered DeSoto Parish in the late evening hours on Wednesday and lasted through the early morning hours on Thursday, February 15.

The pursuit, which began with LSP Troop E and Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Deputies, entered the south end of DeSoto Parish on Interstate 49 just after 8:30pm. DeSoto Sheriff’s Deputies were able to respond and deploy spike strips in the Northbound lane near the Asseff Exit that stopped a 2017 Nissan Altima and led to the immediate arrest of one passenger, Tyshaela Tashon Davison, a 24 year old black female of Alexandria, LA. Davison was found to have multiple active warrants out of Rapides Parish at the time of her arrest.

North DeSoto High School Recieves $10,000 as 2024 NIET Founders Award Finalist; Louisiana School Among Four Nationwide Being Considered for $50,000 Grand Prize

The National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) announced today that North DeSoto High School in DeSoto Parish Schools, Louisiana, won $10,000 for its selection as an NIET Founder’s Award finalist. The prestigious Founder’s Award was created by Lowell Milken in 2008 to honor one school in the United States each year for exceptional implementation of NIET’s principles to build educator excellence and advance student success. North DeSoto High School is among five schools across the country under consideration for the $50,000 grand prize, which will be announced at NIET’s national conference on February 29.

Stanley High School’s 2024 Homecoming Court