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Jewell House Shelter requests emergency funding from the Caddo Commission | Louisiana

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www.thecentersquare.com – By Emilee Calametti | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-04-02 12:18:00

(The Center Square) — Pittre Walker, a longtime community advocate for youth, stood before the Caddo Commission asking for emergency funding to continue to run the Jewell House Shelter in this week’s work session.

Jewel House opened in 2008, and since has helped young girls and women ages 14-24 in the city have somewhere to go. The youth center is in need of funding to continue to operate. Jewell House Shelter can house up to six girls at any time, and it takes eight employees to run the 24-hour shelter.

“We’ve had a young lady just recently graduated from LSU, went to med school, and she was actually living in a car when she came to us, but she was determined. She was valedictorian of her high school,” said Walker at Monday’s meeting. “She was determined to make a great life for herself.”

Ordinance No. 6526 on new business in the commission looks to amend the budget for the Oil and Gas fund and Riverboat fund to provide $30,000 for youth outreach services doing business as Jewell House.

This ordinance, introduced by Commissioner Stormy Gage-Watts, also notes the funds will be used to provide temporary housing for juvenile girls on probation as an alternative to detention. 

Many grants and funding usually provided to the shelter have not come in yet, pushing Walker to ask the commission for emergency money to operate for the next 90 days.

According to Walker, they work closely with schools, juvenile courts, hospital counselors and other places in the community to help young women who can’t go back home. Unlike other shelters, the Jewell House does not cap the stays at 30 or 45 days.

The Jewell House has a very high success rate of taking in young women and working with them to go off to college and become taxpaying citizens in the community, claimed Walker. 

Walker shared that one girl arrived when she was 14 years old. She remained there until she was 18 and graduated high school. The young girl is now working towards going to college. 

In the future, she has plans to open a “Willy’s Home for Boys” to take in younger men within the city as the Jewell House does for young women. Apart from the OJJ or OCS, Walker said there is nowhere for young boys to go in the community who need help. 

The council voted to advance the motion with nine in support and one opposed. Commissioner John Atkins was the lone vote against the ordinance.

Emilee Ruth Calametti serves as staff reporter for The Center Square covering the Northwestern Louisiana region. She holds her M.A. in English from Georgia State University and soon, an additional M.A. in Journalism from New York University. Emilee has bylines in DIG Magazine, Houstonia Magazine, Bookstr, inRegister, The Click News, and the Virginia Woolf Miscellany. She is a Louisiana native with over seven years of journalism experience.

The post Jewell House Shelter requests emergency funding from the Caddo Commission | Louisiana appeared first on www.thecentersquare.com

News from the South - Louisiana News Feed

Saturday 10 PM Tropics Update: One far-off tropical wave to watch

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www.youtube.com – WWLTV – 2025-09-13 22:34:05

SUMMARY: A tropical wave near Africa is emerging over the Atlantic but remains disorganized. The National Hurricane Center gives it a 60% chance to develop into a depression or tropical storm, possibly becoming Gabrielle. This system may move northward, staying over the open Atlantic and away from the Gulf, posing no immediate threat. Since the last named storm in late August, stable air, dry conditions, and increased wind shear have suppressed tropical activity in the Atlantic. The next storm names are Gabrielle, Humberto, and Imelda, with only the current wave showing potential for development at this time.

Meteorologist Alexandra Cranford tracks a lone disturbance with a chance of development on Saturday night, September 13, 2025.

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Haynes wanted in on Wildlife bribery scheme too, informant says

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thecurrentla.com – Leslie Turk – 2025-09-11 15:30:00

SUMMARY: Dusty Guidry, a former consultant who pleaded guilty to accepting $800,000 in bribes, testified that Assistant District Attorney Gary Haynes sought involvement in a bribery scheme at the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries. Haynes, on trial for conspiracy, bribery, money laundering, and obstruction, was previously appointed to run Lafayette’s pretrial diversion program after supporting DA Don Landry. Guidry revealed Haynes pressured him to include him in a similar diversion program scheme at Wildlife & Fisheries, receiving checks totaling $90,000. The scheme involved splitting bribes among Guidry, vendor Leonard Franques, and former department secretary Jack Montoucet, who has also been charged. The statewide program never launched.

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The post Haynes wanted in on Wildlife bribery scheme too, informant says appeared first on thecurrentla.com

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OPPJ Comprehensive Plan

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www.youtube.com – KTVE – 2025-09-10 21:15:08

SUMMARY: The Ouachita Parish Police Jury is conducting a series of community meetings to gather public input for their comprehensive plan guiding future growth. Police Jury members, including Larry Bratton from District D, emphasize the importance of reflecting residents’ voices in the master plan. Community members participated in interactive stations, allocating resources to priorities like infrastructure and downtown development, to help shape goals for the next 2, 5, and 20 years. Landscape architect Matt Pizatella and partners from Atlas support the effort. Bratton stresses that without proactive planning, the parish risks costly and less beneficial outcomes in the long term.

OPPJ Comprehensive Plan

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