Louisiana

Heart of Louisiana: La Poussiere

Published

2 years ago

August 22, 2022

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – There are only a few of the previous Louisiana dance halls nonetheless standing. However within the city of Breaux Bridge, you may nonetheless kick up just a little mud on the dance flooring to the sound of reside cajun and zydeco music.

La Poussiere dance corridor in Breaux Bridge has had reside music and energetic dancers spinning throughout the dance flooring since 1955. In truth, the title La Poussiere comes from all of that dancing.

“That’s french phrase for the mud,” mentioned Lawrence Patin.

Lawrence Patin has been the supervisor right here since he was 18 years previous, that’s 55 years in the past. His dad opened the place at one other location throughout the road.

“He began that enterprise there and had cajun music each saturday evening. He was true to his heritage. He was extra regarding, preserving the tradition and the music,” mentioned Patin.

However this friday evening is a break from custom. Jeffery Broussard and the creole cowboys are the primary zydeco band to play at La Poussiere. Usually it’s all cajun on a regular basis.

“You simply have watch out, we by no means did zydeco earlier than. Zydeco wasn’t fashionable, however now you’ve gotten a clientele that need just a little little bit of that, so we do some little bit of that now,” Patin mentioned.

“Looks as if a really good place, hoping we pack it out. It sounds prefer it has an excellent sound, so i’m able to have an excellent evening,” mentioned Jeffery Broussard.

Broussard has been enjoying creole zydeco music professionally since he was eight years previous, he grew up in it.

“My father was Delton Broussard, he had the band Delton Broussard and the Lawtell playboys. I’ve been round music all my life, i’m gonna persist with my roots as a result of the younger individuals come out typically when i’m enjoying. I need them to be taught extra in regards to the tradition, and see what this music is de facto about,” Broussard mentioned.

Again if you began this, each city had not less than one possibly two or three dance halls. They had been in all places throughout south Louisiana.

“I can let you know proper now, over right here, we had most likely 10 to 12,” Patin mentioned.

Actually a few hundred throughout south Louisiana.

“Oh sure. That or possibly much more, each neighborhood had 4 or 5,” Patin mentioned.

What occurred to all of them?

“I feel altering of the time, individuals received uncovered extra to the surface world,” mentioned Patin.

Now a 3rd era, Patin’s daughter, helps to run the dance corridor. Nothing like a dance corridor on a saturday evening.

Yeah, nothing like that. Afterward, they may notice after they lose it, they misplaced it. I imply, when you lose it, you lose it,” Patin mentioned.

However La Poussiere is proof. They haven’t misplaced it but with reside bands and devoted dancers. Nonetheless kicking up just a little mud right here each weekend.

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Louisiana

Centenary College of Louisiana kicked off its year-long bicentennial celebration Wednesday

Published

5 hours ago

January 9, 2025

Press Room

Centenary College of Louisiana kicked off its year-long bicentennial celebration Wednesday

On a bright and chilly winter day, Centenary College of Louisiana kicked off its bicentennial year with a birthday celebration including a proclamation from the City of Shreveport and music by Centenary choir.

It was a grand start to the bicentennial year. Centenary College of Louisiana president, Dr. Christopher L. Holoman said, “we are really excited to be looking back at 200 years, an amazing history. We are so proud of that, but we are even prouder of what we are going to be in the future.”

Centenary College of Louisiana is a national liberal arts college in the heart of Shreveport. This college is deemed the oldest chartered liberal arts college west of the Mississippi River, founded in 1825.

Holoman said, “200 years is an amazing length of time…Centenary is older than time zones. Centenary is older than golden doodles.”

City of Shreveport mayor, Tom Arceneaux read the citywide proclamation and said, “I am thrilled to be here for more than one reason. One, I’m really glad that Centenary is 200 years old. And two I’m glad to be here 12 days after hip replacement surgery.”

Wednesday’s birthday party is just the start of year-long celebration of special events and gatherings. These events include:

special exhibit at the College’s Meadows Museum of Art
festive neighborhood party during the Krewe of Highland Mardi Gras parade
alumni trip to Centenary’s original campus in Jackson, Louisiana
campus art stroll showcasing the talents of the Centenary community

The bicentennial commemoration will conclude with a gala event, Spotlight Centenary, in December 2025.

To keep up with all the bicentennial year events visit centenary200.com.

Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com.

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Louisiana

U.S. Attorney for Western District of Louisiana announces resignation

Published

13 hours ago

January 9, 2025

Press Room

U.S. Attorney for Western District of Louisiana announces resignation

SHREVEPORT, LAFAYETTE, MONROE, ALEXANDRIA, LAKE CHARLES La. (KALB) – On January 8, the U.S. Attorney’s office announced that Brandon Brown would resign as as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana.

As U.S. Attorney for the Western District of La., Brown acted as the chief law enforcement officer for 42 of 64 parishes in the state, overseeing every federal civil and criminal case in the district.

Brown’s last day in office is set for January 20.

Brown was nominated to the position on November 15, 2021 by President Joe Biden, was confirmed by the Senate on December 7 and sworn in on December 10.

U.S. Attorney Brown released the following statement about his tenure:

During his tenure, Brown became the U.S. Fifth Circuit’s representative on Attorney General Merrick Garland’s Attorney General Advisory Committee (AGAC), which assists the AG in creating policy for each of the 94 districts.

According to the release, U.S. Attorney Brown prosecuted hundreds of firearms cases and set a high priority on those related to drugs, public corruption, child pornography, and human trafficking.

They said due to these efforts, both Monroe and Shreveport saw significant decline in violent crime rates.

Alexander Van Hook will reportedly assume the role of U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana until a successor can be nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate.

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Louisiana

Two more candidates join Baton Rouge and Lafayette state Senate races on day 2 of qualifying

Published

20 hours ago

January 8, 2025

Press Room

Two more candidates join Baton Rouge and Lafayette state Senate races on day 2 of qualifying

Two more candidates qualified on Wednesday to run for open seats in the Louisiana Senate.

One of the vacancies is to represent District 14 in Baton Rouge and the other is to represent District 23 in Lafayette.

Carolyn Hill signed up to run in Baton Rouge on the second of the three-day qualifying period, which closes Thursday afternoon. She is running as a Democrat.

Hill, 42, has a career in policy social work and currently works for East Baton Rouge Parish Schools. She also founded and owns Hill and Hills Associates, a political consulting firm that supports candidates running for office.

In 2011, she won a race to represent District 8 on the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. She lost a 2015 bid for reelection to BESE.

In Lafayette, Republican Jesse Regan formally qualified to run for state Senate.

Regan was elected to represent District 3 on the Broussard City Council in 2019. He won reelection in 2022.

Regan is a mortgage lender at Preferred Lending Solutions. He also co-founded DJD Development Group and co-owns Madison Banquet & Reception Centre in Broussard, according to an online biography.

The candidates who signed up Wednesday join four others who qualified Tuesday.

Democrats Quentin Anthony Anderson and state Rep. Larry Selders qualified in Baton Rouge, and Republican state Rep. Brach Myers and Kristopher Harrison, who is running unaffiliated, qualified in Lafayette.

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