Washington

Washington-Marion students making BIG impact for community's LITTLES – American Press

Published

2 years ago

May 22, 2024

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Washington-Marion students making BIG impact for community’s LITTLES

Published 10:06 am Wednesday, May 22, 2024

: Terri Bachand, Tellurian LEAD Coordinator, standing from left; Corry Allen, WMHS LEAD Faculty Advisory; Adrianna Edwards; Jeniffer Williams; Armund Wilson; Christopher Broussard; Alaziah Woods; Alivia Maguire; Erin Davison, CEO Big Brothers Big Sisters SWLA; Heather Hohensee Tellurian Director Government & Public Affairs. Seated Left to Right: Aniaya Simon; Anaysia Edwards; Lakendria Bushnell; De’Asia Batiste; Ashly Reyes. Not Pictured: Kaydynn Thurman. (Special to the American Press)

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Louisiana has received a $20,000 donation from the 2023-24 Washington-Marion High School LEAD Council to help support the new food pantry located at its headquarters.

A ribbon-cutting for the food pantry was held on Monday with members of the LEAD Council giving a presentation on their project.

The LEAD (leadership, enrichment and development) Council is a partnership-based initiative instituted at Sulphur High School in 2017 by Tellurian to cultivate future leaders. In 2019, the initiative expanded to WMHS.

Each year, students are appointed to the council following an intense application and interview process. They are given a $20,000 grant and one rule, “Do good in your community.” They meet with local elected officials, non-profit organizations and business leaders to identify community needs. After determining these needs, the council develops and executes projects to mitigate them.

Council member De’Asia Batiste said she was interested in the initiative because she wanted to make a tangible difference.

“I was interested in LEAD because I felt as a teenager we are not often listened to, but I learned through this program that by being a leader, even as a teenager, I have a voice and can make an impact in the community,” she said.

After the group of 13 students met with BBBS-SWLA CEO Erin Davison, they realized the organization was a perfect fit.

“When we learned that Big Brothers Big Sisters programs have been proven to help children realize their potential and build their futures, we wanted to be a part of that,” Batiste said.

While BBBS-SWLA offers a variety of programing, the WMHS LEAD Council supported the BBBS MentorU Program, a curriculum-based mentoring group that works with children ages 12 to 16 in Calcasieu Parish who are at risk of dropping out of school.

Alongside Tellurian LEAD Coordinator Terri Bachand and WMHS Faculty Advisor Corry Allen, the council developed and led monthly dialogues for the MentorU program. Topics that were discussed include Black History Month and peer pressure.

The council also created the on-site pantry for BBBS-SWLA that will benefit MentorU students and BBBS Littles alike. The pantry will be stocked with food and hygiene items. To help support the pantry, as well as the MentorU Summer Camp program, they donated their $20,000 grant from Tellurian to the organization.

Heather Hohensee, director of government and public affairs for Tellurian, said they are impressed by WMHS council members year after year.

“The council members continue to amaze us by selecting truly worthy challenges to face and developing programs and partnerships that are making lasting differences in their community. Southwest Louisiana has some very bright leaders emerging for its future.”

Davison told the American Press that BBBS-SWLA will operate the pantry for as long as it is sustainable, especially since this is a long-term goal she has had for the organization.

“Both Tellurian and the Washington-Marion LEAD Council fulfilled a wish list item of mine, to have a food and necessities closet. My Littles and families will continue to thrive because of a simple gift of food, shampoo or water.”

The pantry will be a critical resource during the summer camp. Davis said more than 85 percent of the students who attend are from asset-limited income-constrained employed (ALICE) families.

“Most of the youth are from families working, earning wages, but are just above the federal poverty line and make too much annually to qualify for public assistance programs.”

The MentorU Big Futures Summer Academy is a five-day mini-academy centered around the “four E’s” — education, employment, enlistment and entrepreneurship. Students participate in activities about career pathways, financial literacy, positive relationships and physical fitness, to name a few.

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Washington

Tulip Day Washington draws buzz as sign-up site goes down

Published

6 hours ago

March 2, 2026

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WASHINGTON – Coming up this month, spring’s most colorful new event: Tulip Day Washington.

What we know:

On March 15, 2026, Tulip Day Washington will transform DC’s National Mall into a vibrant tulip-picking garden beautiful views of U.S. Capitol

This one-day event will take place from 11:15 AM – 4:15 PM, offering a floral showcase of approximately 150,000 tulips; visitors are invited to pick their choice of 10 tulips for free upon arrival.

Dig deeper:

The registration site for Tulip Day is currently down, showing users “This site is currently unavailable. If you’re the owner of this website, please contact your hosting provider to get this resolved.”

Users on social media say the event may be sold out.

Check tulipday.eu for updates.

The backstory:

The event is organized by the Embassy of the Netherlands and Royal Anthos, a Dutch trade association, in honor of America’s 250th birthday. The display of tulips will be in the shape of the number 250.

The bulbs come from the Netherlands, but are being grown in Virginia and New Jersey.

These won’t be the first tulips on the National Mall, however. The Floral Library, also known as the Tulip Library, features 93 beds of flowers near the Tidal Basin. The Floral Library was established in 1969, and is maintained by the National Park Services. These flowers, though, are to be enjoyed only – not to be picked.

Things To Do in the DMVNewsWashington, D.C.

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Washington

PHOTOS: Long Beach State Dirtbags vs. Washington State, Baseball

Published

18 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

PHOTOS: Long Beach State Dirtbags vs. Washington State, Baseball

The562’s coverage of Dirtbags Baseball for the 2026 season is sponsored by P2S, Inc. Visit p2sinc.com to learn more.

Long Beach State dropped a 9-7 decision against Washington State on Sunday afternoon, closing out a busy weekend on Bohl Diamond at Blair Field.

The visiting Cougars took the lead for good in the eighth inning when Long Beach Poly grad Ryan Skjonsby delivered a game-winning two-run single with two outs and the bases loaded. Skjonsby was 2-for-4 with a walk, a run scored and three RBIs for Washington State in their road victory.

For the Dirtbags, catcher Damon Valdez scored twice and had a key two-run single in the sixth to help lead a Long Beach comeback. Trevor Goldenetz had a pair of hits at the top of the order, including an RBI triple. Camden Gasser walked twice and singled, improving his on-base percentage to .574 on the season.

Long Beach State (4-7) will be back in action at home on Tuesday with an exhibition match against Waseda University from Japan. The Dirtbags will then visit San Diego State on Wednesday and open Big West play at UC Santa Barbara this weekend.

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Washington

Week Ahead in Washington: March 1

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) – Operation “Epic Fury” — the weekend military operations carried out by the U.S. and Israel against targets in Iran — tops the agenda for Congress as lawmakers return to Washington.

Sunday, President Donald Trump said the new leadership in Iran wants to talk to the Trump Administration.

Democrats in both chambers called for Congress to return as soon as possible for classified briefings on Iran, followed by a move to vote on the War Powers Act. The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war on another country.

Congress’ return to Washington was originally delayed due to the start of the 2026 midterm elections cycle.

Tuesday, voters in Arkansas, North Carolina and Texas head to the polls for primary elections.

North Carolina and Texas are drawing significant attention, as both states are facing congressional redistricting and competitive primary races for Senate seats.

In Texas, incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R) is facing primary challenges from state Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt. On the Democratic side, Rep. Jasmine Crockett is facing state Rep. James Talarico.

In North Carolina, candidates are vying to replacing retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R) . They include former Governor Roy Cooper (D) and former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley.

Also this week, the Rev. Jesse Jackson is laid to rest. He will be honored Wednesday in Washington before a final memorial service Saturday. Jackson died Feb. 17.

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