The inaugural festival brings 10 artists and two nights of country music to Natchitoches as Northwestern State University launches an annual event with ambitions to become North Louisiana’s premier music festival. Get your tickets now at topofthebootmusicfest.com.
By Cole Gentry, Chief Marketing Officer at Northwestern State University
On Oct. 16 and 17, Northwestern State University will welcome country music fans, alumni, students, families and visitors to Natchitoches for the inaugural Top of the Boot Music Festival. The two-day event will bring established country stars, rising artists and Louisiana talent to the NSU campus for a fall weekend centered on live music, good times and the people you want beside you.
Friday, Oct. 16, opens with co-headliners Lee Brice and Louisiana native Dylan Scott.
Brice brings a catalog that includes eight No. 1 country singles and songs such as “I Drive Your Truck,” “I Don’t Dance,” “Hard to Love” and “One of Them Girls.” Scott returns to his home state with four No. 1 songs on the U.S. Country Airplay charts, including “My Girl,” “New Truck,” “Can’t Have Mine” and “This Town’s Been Too Good to Us.”
Lanie Gardner, Jackson Wendell and Clay LaBeff complete Friday’s lineup.
Saturday, Oct. 17, features Flatland Cavalry as the night’s headliner. The Texas Country and Americana group has earned three ACM Group of the Year nominations from 2024 through 2026. Ian Munsick, Rodney Atkins, Laine Hardy and Bottomland round out Saturday’s lineup.
Across two nights, 10 artists will take the stage at Northwestern State.
The reach of Top of the Boot extends well beyond Natchitoches. Marketing for the festival stretches across a multi-state region from Little Rock, Arkansas, to Jackson, Mississippi, south to New Orleans, Louisiana and west to Houston and Dallas, Texas.
That reach reflects the scale of the vision. Top of the Boot is being built as an annual destination event with the goal of becoming North Louisiana’s premier music festival, bringing country music fans from across Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and Texas to Natchitoches each fall.
The festival will take place behind the NSU Soccer Complex along Tarleton Drive. Food trucks, vendors and two nights of performances will create a place for friends, families and loved ones to spend a fall weekend together.
For alumni, it is a reason to come home. For prospective students and families, it is another way to experience Northwestern State. For visitors, it is an invitation to spend time on campus and in Natchitoches while enjoying one of North Louisiana’s largest new entertainment events.
Northwestern State Athletics also has a direct stake in the festival’s success. The event was created to benefit NSU student-athletes while showcasing the university and Natchitoches to visitors from across the region.
Every annual tradition has a first year. For Top of the Boot, that year is 2026. Bring your friends. Bring your family. Come back to NSU or experience our campus for the first time. Spend two nights with some of country music’s biggest names and be there at the beginning of something built to return year after year.
Top of the Boot Music Festival Oct. 16-17, 2026 Northwestern State University Natchitoches, Louisiana
Donna Arender of Webster Parish has been named the grand prize winner of the Dolly Parton Weekend Getaway to Natchitoches, organizers announced Monday.
The $600 getaway package includes $300 in food cards, $200 in travel cash, and a $100 gas card to fund a weekend trip to Louisiana’s oldest city.
The popular promotion drew more than 4,400 entries from residents across Louisiana. Participating entries represented 27 parishes statewide: Acadia, Allen, Avoyelles, Beauregard, Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Calcasieu, Caldwell, Claiborne, De Soto, East Baton Rouge, Evangeline, Grant, Jackson, Jefferson Davis, Lafayette, LaSalle, Lincoln, Natchitoches, Orleans, Ouachita, Rapides, Red River, Sabine, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Tammany, Terrebonne, Union, Vernon, Webster, and Winn.
Organizers expressed appreciation to the thousands of readers who participated and congratulated Donna Arender of Webster Parish on winning the weekend retreat.
There’s no better place to celebrate Dolly Parton than the Louisiana town where one of her most beloved characters came to life.
This October 9–11, Natchitoches invites visitors to spend a weekend celebrating Dolly with Truvy’s Blush & Bashful Weekend: A Dolly Parton Celebration. Inspired by Dolly’s unforgettable role as Truvy Jones in Steel Magnolias, the three-day celebration brings together music, movies, local businesses and plenty of pink for a weekend in the heart of Louisiana’s oldest city.
Natchitoches has long held a special connection to Steel Magnolias. The beloved film was shot in and around the city, and decades later, visitors still come to Natchitoches to experience the places that made the movie so memorable. This October, that connection takes center stage as the community celebrates Dolly’s legacy in true Natchitoches fashion.
The celebration begins Friday, October 9, with Dolly Bingo at the LSHOF at 5:30 p.m. Later that evening, channel your inner Dolly and head to Mama’s Blues Room for karaoke beginning at 8:30 p.m.
On Saturday, October 10, start the morning with Books & Butterflies from 8 a.m. to noon at the Natchitoches Farmers Market. The celebration continues throughout the day with Truvy’s Downtown Traipse, inviting visitors to explore Natchitoches’ historic downtown and experience Truvy’s Specials offered by participating businesses.
Saturday evening, tease up your hair and get ready for Truvy’s Big Hair Affair at Parkway Cinema 6 at 7 p.m. It’s a fitting way to celebrate a character, a movie and a little bit of Southern style that have become part of Natchitoches history.
The weekend wraps up Sunday, October 11, with a Blush & Bashful Brunch at Flying Heart Brewery beginning at 9 a.m.
While you’re here, make a weekend of it. Stroll the brick streets of the Natchitoches Historic District, shop local boutiques, enjoy Louisiana flavors, take in the beauty of Cane River and discover the filming locations that helped bring Steel Magnolias to the big screen. As Louisiana’s oldest city, Natchitoches offers the perfect backdrop for a weekend filled with history, Southern charm and plenty to explore.
Whether you’ve loved Dolly for decades, can quote Steel Magnolias from beginning to end, or simply need an excuse for a girls’ weekend in Natchitoches, Truvy’s Blush & Bashful Weekend is your invitation to celebrate friendship, Southern charm and the legacy of a woman whose talent and spirit have touched generations.
Pack something pink, bring your best big hair and join us October 9–11, 2026, in Natchitoches, Louisiana.
For complete event information, updates and weekend details, visit Truvy’s Blush & Bashful Weekend: A Dolly Parton Celebration at Natchitoches.com. Visitors can also explore Natchitoches.com for lodging, dining, attractions and everything needed to plan a weekend getaway.
The Parish Journals of Louisiana are giving one statewide reader the opportunity to enjoy a special weekend in Natchitoches Parish during the Dolly Parton Celebration.
One qualifying reader will receive a $600 travel package to help make the trip possible.
The prize package includes:
$300 Food Card
$200 Travel Cash
$100 Gas Card
The winner will be selected from the statewide pool of eligible qualifiers on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
The getaway is intended for the winner to visit Natchitoches Parish during the Dolly Parton Celebration weekend, Friday, Oct. 9 through Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026.
Events being planned for the weekend include Dolly Bingo at the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, Dolly Karaoke, downtown dining and drink specials, the Melrose Arts and Crafts Festival, the Creole Festival at St. Augustine Church, Butterflies and Books at the Natchitoches Farmers Market, Steel Magnolias-themed activities, shopping and entertainment along Front Street, Truvy’s Big Hair Affair on the riverbank and a Blush & Bashful Brunch.
Some celebration events remain tentative and individual schedules, locations and activities may change.
Each participating Journal will have its own signup link, but all eligible qualifiers will be combined into one statewide pool from which the winner will be selected.
There is no cost to participate.
Every eligible qualifier who completes the registration process will also receive a Lifetime Free Subscription to the Journal through which the reader qualified, delivered directly to the email address provided during registration.
There’s no better place to celebrate Dolly Parton than the Louisiana town where one of her most beloved characters came to life.
This October 9–11, Natchitoches invites visitors to spend a weekend celebrating Dolly with Truvy’s Blush & Bashful Weekend: A Dolly Parton Celebration. Inspired by Dolly’s unforgettable role as Truvy Jones in Steel Magnolias, the three-day celebration brings together music, movies, local businesses and plenty of pink for a weekend in the heart of Louisiana’s oldest city.
Natchitoches has long held a special connection to Steel Magnolias. The beloved film was shot in and around the city, and decades later, visitors still come to Natchitoches to experience the places that made the movie so memorable. This October, that connection takes center stage as the community celebrates Dolly’s legacy in true Natchitoches fashion.
The celebration begins Friday, October 9, with Dolly Bingo at the LSHOF at 5:30 p.m. Later that evening, channel your inner Dolly and head to Mama’s Blues Room for karaoke beginning at 8:30 p.m.
On Saturday, October 10, start the morning with Books & Butterflies from 8 a.m. to noon at the Natchitoches Farmers Market. The celebration continues throughout the day with Truvy’s Downtown Traipse, inviting visitors to explore Natchitoches’ historic downtown and experience Truvy’s Specials offered by participating businesses.
Saturday evening, tease up your hair and get ready for Truvy’s Big Hair Affair at Parkway Cinema 6 at 7 p.m. It’s a fitting way to celebrate a character, a movie and a little bit of Southern style that have become part of Natchitoches history.
The weekend wraps up Sunday, October 11, with a Blush & Bashful Brunch at Flying Heart Brewery beginning at 9 a.m.
While you’re here, make a weekend of it. Stroll the brick streets of the Natchitoches Historic District, shop local boutiques, enjoy Louisiana flavors, take in the beauty of Cane River and discover the filming locations that helped bring Steel Magnolias to the big screen. As Louisiana’s oldest city, Natchitoches offers the perfect backdrop for a weekend filled with history, Southern charm and plenty to explore.
Whether you’ve loved Dolly for decades, can quote Steel Magnolias from beginning to end, or simply need an excuse for a girls’ weekend in Natchitoches, Truvy’s Blush & Bashful Weekend is your invitation to celebrate friendship, Southern charm and the legacy of a woman whose talent and spirit have touched generations.
Pack something pink, bring your best big hair and join us October 9–11, 2026, in Natchitoches, Louisiana.
For complete event information, updates and weekend details, visit Truvy’s Blush & Bashful Weekend: A Dolly Parton Celebration at Natchitoches.com. Visitors can also explore Natchitoches.com for lodging, dining, attractions and everything needed to plan a weekend getaway.
The Parish Journals of Louisiana are giving one statewide reader the opportunity to enjoy a special weekend in Natchitoches Parish during the Dolly Parton Celebration.
One qualifying reader will receive a $600 travel package to help make the trip possible.
The prize package includes:
$300 Food Card
$200 Travel Cash
$100 Gas Card
The winner will be selected from the statewide pool of eligible qualifiers on Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.
The getaway is intended for the winner to visit Natchitoches Parish during the Dolly Parton Celebration weekend, Friday, Oct. 9 through Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026.
Events being planned for the weekend include Dolly Bingo at the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, Dolly Karaoke, downtown dining and drink specials, the Melrose Arts and Crafts Festival, the Creole Festival at St. Augustine Church, Butterflies and Books at the Natchitoches Farmers Market, Steel Magnolias-themed activities, shopping and entertainment along Front Street, Truvy’s Big Hair Affair on the riverbank and a Blush & Bashful Brunch.
Some celebration events remain tentative and individual schedules, locations and activities may change.
Each participating Journal will have its own signup link, but all eligible qualifiers will be combined into one statewide pool from which the winner will be selected.
There is no cost to participate.
Every eligible qualifier who completes the registration process will also receive a Lifetime Free Subscription to the Journal through which the reader qualified, delivered directly to the email address provided during registration.
NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State University is welcoming its largest entering freshman class in three years this fall, with 1,120 first-time freshmen choosing NSU for fall 2026. The class represents a 6 percent increase over last year and continues a trend of growth in Northwestern State’s traditional student population.
The fall 2026 entering class also arrives with one of the strongest academic profiles in recent years, posting an average ACT score of 21.7 and an average high school GPA of 3.4. The class’s average ACT score is well above Louisiana’s average, reflecting the continued strength and academic quality of Northwestern’s incoming students.
The academic strength of the class is further reflected in the 114 high school valedictorians and 22 salutatorians who selected Northwestern State.
“This is the type of growth we want to see at Northwestern,” said NSU President James T. Genovese. “We are attracting talented students who want the complete college experience, and they are choosing a university where they can receive an outstanding education while developing the relationships and experiences that prepare them for life after graduation. The strength of this freshman class is a testament to the work taking place across our university.”
NSU’s reach continues to extend well beyond Natchitoches. Members of the entering class represent 10 states, 25 countries and six continents, creating an increasingly diverse student body while the university simultaneously strengthens its connection to its home community.
A record 112 members of the entering class are from Natchitoches Parish, the largest number in the last decade. NSU also continues to draw students from throughout northwest and central Louisiana. Some of the largest feeder schools include Tioga High School with 28, Airline High School with 27, Parkway High School with 26 and Pineville High School with 24.
Demand for the residential Northwestern experience remains strong. Campus housing is again at 100 percent occupancy, filling University Place I and II, University Columns and Varnado Hall. The second consecutive year of full housing reflects continued demand for the traditional, face-to-face college experience on the Natchitoches campus.
“The numbers within this freshman class tell an exciting story about where NSU is headed,” said Vanner Erikson, director of enrollment at Northwestern State. “We have more first-time freshmen, a strong academic profile, record participation from Natchitoches Parish and students coming to NSU from around the world. When you combine that with full housing, we are seeing important indicators that our focus on the traditional student experience is working.”
Student success is another significant component of the fall 2026 enrollment picture. Northwestern’s first-to-third-semester retention rate reached 70 percent, exceeding the Louisiana average of 64 percent and placing NSU among the strongest-performing institutions in the region.
The retention rate reflects a university-wide emphasis on helping students successfully transition from their first year into their second.
“Recruiting a student is only the beginning,” Erikson said. “Our responsibility is to help that student persist, graduate and ultimately accomplish what brought them to Northwestern in the first place. Seeing 70 percent of our freshmen continue into their second year tells us that the work being done by our faculty and staff is making a difference.”
At the 14-day count, overall fall 2026 enrollment was 8,245 students, compared with 8,402 in fall 2025. The decline was attributable largely to increased degree completion, including students progressing more quickly through accelerated programs.
Graduate enrollment increased to 904 students, and NSU enrolled more dual enrollment students than in fall 2025. These gains reflect continued efforts to expand graduate education, strengthen partnerships with Louisiana high schools and provide flexible pathways for students seeking college credit and advanced credentials.
“Our goal has never been simply to chase a headcount,” Genovese said. “We are focused on sustainable enrollment, attracting students who are prepared to succeed and creating an environment that makes them want to remain at Northwestern through graduation. Growth in our freshman class, strong retention and full residence halls are important signs of progress toward that goal.”
Northwestern continues to serve students throughout Louisiana through its Natchitoches campus, instructional sites and eNSU online programs while expanding recruitment efforts in Louisiana, Texas and other markets. With a 17-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio, Northwestern offers students the personalized attention of a private education at a public university.
The university has also continued to invest in the student experience, academic programs and facilities, including the $45 million Robert Alost Hall, which opened in fall 2025 as a new academic hub on the Natchitoches campus.
With a larger freshman class, a strong academic profile, record enrollment from its home parish, full residence halls and retention above the state average, Northwestern officials say the fall 2026 enrollment picture provides important evidence that the university’s focus on recruitment, student success and the traditional campus experience is producing results.
“Students and families are recognizing what makes Northwestern special,” Genovese said. “They find outstanding academic programs, faculty and staff who know them personally and a campus community where they can belong. We are proud to welcome this exceptional class to the Demon family.”
BENTLEY, La. — Chuck Carpenter, a Grant Parish native and conservative independent candidate, has officially announced his campaign for the U.S. Senate, entering the race with a challenge against Louisiana’s election system and established political leadership.
Carpenter, 41, of Bentley, is running as an independent under the campaign banner “Unbought. Unbossed. Unparty.” His candidacy follows legal action filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana (Carpenter v. Landry), in which he challenged Gov. Jeff Landry, Attorney General Liz Murrill, and Secretary of State Nancy Landry over the state’s closed-party primary system after attempting to qualify for the federal ballot.
“Millions of Louisiana voices were silenced in Louisiana’s new closed-party primaries to the detriment of Louisiana’s independent-minded voices for change,” Carpenter said in his campaign announcement. “They would not give Louisiana’s independent-minded voices a fair shot at getting elected to office, so we went to court to defend ballot access.”
Carpenter’s policy platform features a series of commitments aimed at working families, economic development, and electoral reform. Key priorities include:
Insurance and Healthcare: Establishing a public national insurance program designed to lower state property and casualty rates while expanding universal health coverage.
Workforce and Technology: Implementing taxation on artificial intelligence systems to support Social Security solvency and preserve human employment.
Family and Economic Support: Expanding the Child Tax Credit to $6,000 alongside federally protected paid family leave and job security provisions.
Infrastructure: Developing a high-speed freight and passenger rail corridor along the planned Interstate 14 route through Central Louisiana.
Election Reform: Sponsoring the American Ballot Access and Election Integrity Act to establish uniform federal candidate qualification rules and protect voter participation.
Carpenter’s campaign committee filings with the Federal Election Commission are currently prepared and pending, with candidate qualification proceedings active in federal court.
More information on the campaign, platform details, and campaign materials are available on the candidate’s website at chuckforsenate.com.
Footnotes & Candidate Field Voters seeking official candidate listings, certified ballot information, and sample ballots can consult the Louisiana Secretary of State Voter Portal or use the state’s GeauxVote Mobile Portal. Additional race tracking is compiled by independent election resources such as Ballotpedia.
The U.S. Senate race is a statewide election, meaning voters in all 64 Louisiana parishes vote on the same contest.
Julia Letlow (Republican): U.S. representative representing Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District. Letlow secured the Republican nomination following the state primary and runoff elections.
Jamie Davis (Democrat): Tensas Parish police juror and farmer. Davis secured the Democratic nomination following the party’s primary and runoff contests.
NATCHITOCHES – As James T. Genovese completes his second year as president of Northwestern State University, the institution is reporting gains in student persistence, academic outcomes, workforce-focused programs, private support and athletics while continuing to address enrollment and graduation challenges.
Since taking office in 2024, Genovese has organized the university’s work around five strategic focus areas: the Student Experience, Academic Excellence, Market Responsiveness, Community Enrichment and Athletic Prominence. University officials said those priorities have guided efforts in recruitment, retention, academic programming, capital projects, technology and external partnerships.
“Our first two years have been about strengthening the foundation of Northwestern while keeping our attention fixed on the future,” Genovese said. “We have made significant progress because our faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors and partners believe deeply in this University and in the role Northwestern plays in Louisiana.”
Student recruitment and retention have remained central to that work.
Overall enrollment declined from 8,523 in Fall 2024 to 8,402 in Fall 2025, but entering freshman enrollment increased to 1,065. Preliminary Fall 2026 figures provided by the university show approximately 1,120 entering freshmen, which will represent the university’s largest freshman class in three years when the official 14-day enrollment count is finalized.
The Fall 2026 entering class arrived with one of the strongest academic profiles in recent years, posting an average ACT score of 21.7 and an average high school GPA of 3.4. The class’s average ACT score is well above Louisiana’s average, reflecting the continued strength and academic quality of Northwestern’s incoming students.
Northwestern’s first-to-third semester retention rate reached 70 percent, exceeding the Louisiana average of approximately 64 percent and placing NSU among the strongest-performing institutions in the region. NSU has responded to retention and graduation challenges by strengthening early intervention, proactive financial-aid communication, academic mapping, stop-out recovery and support beyond the first year.
Student satisfaction provided another measure of progress. In the first year of Genovese’s presidency, 70 percent of students reported overall satisfaction, compared with 52 percent nationally, according to university survey data. Seventy-four percent said they intended to re-enroll, compared with 60 percent nationally.
The survey data showed gains in campus services, student-centeredness, registration and recruitment, financial aid, counseling, safety and campus conditions. Northwestern exceeded University of Louisiana System and national norms across most measures included in the survey.
Student involvement also increased. Membership in recognized student organizations grew from 823 to 1,292, while participation in living-learning communities increased from 68 to 168 students. The university also expanded or improved spaces supporting accessibility services, collegiate recovery and eSports.
Career preparation grew through Handshake, which connected a network of more than 30,000 students, alumni and employers. NSU approved 1,610 new employers during 2025-26. Among graduates responding to the university’s First Destination Survey, 93.3 percent reported employment, continued education or military service.
“Students should feel that Northwestern knows them, supports them and is preparing them for a meaningful life and career,” Genovese said. “The gains in satisfaction and persistence are encouraging, but we know our work must continue until more students who begin at Northwestern complete their degrees.”
Academic programs also expanded in areas tied to workforce demand.
The College of Nursing and School of Allied Health, which serves nearly 2,500 students across Alexandria, Leesville and Fort Polk, Natchitoches, Shreveport and online, added new nursing pathways and launched the Master of Science in Allied Health.
Allied Health enrollment increased 19 percent, from 412 to 491 students. Radiography enrollment rose from 100 to 182, while Diagnostic Medical Sonography increased from 86 to 115.
Student outcomes included nursing graduates exceeding state and national first-time NCLEX-RN pass rates, a 96 percent certification pass rate for Radiography graduates and 100 percent pass rates on the Sonography Principles and Instrumentation examination for the 2025 and 2026 Diagnostic Medical Sonography classes. Radiography also received the maximum eight-year accreditation term from the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology.
External awards are supporting additional healthcare education and workforce development. A $4 million Louisiana Department of Health award and a $2.597 million federal Health Resources and Services Administration award are supporting rural healthcare education, clinical training, student assistance and workforce expansion. More than $1.3 million in scholarships, stipends and traineeships assisted 239 students during 2025-26.
Other academic areas reported growth as well.
The Gallaspy College of Education and Human Development received nearly $8 million in grants during fiscal year 2025-26 supporting education, behavioral health, child welfare, early childhood development, workforce preparation and student success.
In the College of Arts and Sciences, new Computer Science and Sport Analytics concentrations within the Mathematics degree program helped increase Mathematics enrollment by more than 400 percent since 2024, according to university data. The college also engaged more than 5,600 K-12 students through School of STEM outreach events, camps, festivals and recruitment activities.
The College of Business and Technology expanded opportunities in applied technology, cybersecurity and workforce preparation. The School of Business received an extension of its accreditation from AACSB International, while Hospitality Management and Tourism maintained its status as Louisiana’s only four-year hospitality program accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration.
The college also opened the Sandbox Application Development Lab and established the Cyber Demons Tech Club. A Computer Information Systems team competed for the first time in program history in the International Collegiate Programming Contest North America South Central Regional.
Across the university, 78.1 percent of academic programs have been created or updated within the past five years. NSU also offers 37 certificate programs in areas ranging from healthcare and education to strategic communication, leadership and professional ethics.
Programs launched or advanced during Genovese’s first two years include the Master of Social Work, Master of Science in Allied Health, new Mathematics concentrations, an online Master of Music in Music Education and redesigned pathways in nursing and criminal justice. The university also expanded options in event management, hospitality, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing.
Industry engagement accompanied those academic changes. In 2025-26, students participated in 416 documented interactions with business and industry through career fairs, guest speakers, field experiences, interviews and service-learning projects. University administrators completed 56 additional engagements with industry partners.
Technology investments included creation of a continuously monitored Security Operations Center in partnership with the Louisiana Optical Network Infrastructure and other state agencies, increased internet capacity at the Alexandria and Leesville sites and modernization of the university’s network, data center and disaster-recovery systems.
Major facility investments also changed the learning environment. The $45 million Alost Hall opened with classrooms, laboratories, simulation spaces, a cafe and faculty offices. Iberville Dining Hall underwent a $2 million renovation, A.A. Fredericks Auditorium received improvements, and classrooms, laboratories and instructional technology were upgraded across campuses.
Eligible faculty and staff received a 3 percent cost-of-living adjustment on Jan. 1, 2026, following a 2.5 percent adjustment in January 2025.
State support in the 2026 legislative session included approximately $2.54 million in additional operating funding. Capital outlay legislation included $6.9 million in Priority 1 funding for Innovation Park and $7 million in Priority 1 funding for Warrington Hall in Shreveport.
Private support also increased. The NSU Foundation reported $8.04 million in fiscal year 2026 revenue, up 6.9 percent, while restricted endowment assets grew to $87.26 million university wide. Major gifts supported scholarships, professorships, academic programs and facilities, including a $1.5 million private gift supporting the David and Sherry Morgan Health Performance Center, which is scheduled to open on October 23.
Community engagement remained another focus. NSU reported at least 228,378 hours of professionally based service with 194 campus and community partners in 2025-26. That work supported healthcare, education, public safety, economic development, the arts and environmental stewardship.
Athletics posted gains in academics, competition and facilities.
Student-athletes maintained an overall GPA above 3.2 in both reporting years. In 2025-26, 211 earned Dean’s List or President’s List recognition, 216 were named to the Southland Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll, and the department’s multiyear Academic Progress Rate rose for the third consecutive year to 970.
Seven teams earned perfect single-year Academic Progress Rate scores of 1,000. Women’s track and field won a third consecutive Southland Conference outdoor championship, soccer captured the conference regular-season championship, as did tennis, and six varsity teams finished in the upper third of the league.
Athletic facility improvements included approximately $1.9 million for artificial turf at the baseball and softball facilities, $593,000 in scoreboard upgrades and $1.7 million for a new track surface and lighting.
Looking ahead, Genovese said NSU will continue focusing on enrollment growth and degree completion, high-demand and flexible credentials, faculty investment, emerging technology, experiential learning, private support and partnerships. Work also will continue on Innovation Park, Warrington Hall and projects intended to support the student experience.
“These accomplishments belong to the entire Northwestern family,” Genovese said. “We have built momentum, but we are not finished. Our responsibility is to honor Northwestern’s history, respond to the needs of the present and prepare Louisiana for the future.”
The Grant High School football team flashed potential last season and now the Cougars have their sights set on big progress this fall.
The regular season starts on Sept. 5, but this Friday in Natchitoches at Turpin Stadium on the Northwestern State University campus, the Cougars get a final tune-up. Grant will play its closest rival, Tioga, in the Battle on the Bricks NRMC Jamboree in a two-quarter game kicking off at 6 o’clock.
Tioga and Grant are no longer in the same district, so this will be the only meeting of the teams this season. While the excitement of playing the Indians is undeniable, it’s not the focus for coach Jarvous Felton or his players.
Felton is excited about the evolution of the Cougar football program in his fourth year as head coach. He was an assistant coach before being promoted.
“Seeing the way the community and the school as a whole has changed tremendously from 2018 ‘til now, gives me something to be excited about. Something like this doesn’t happen overnight. It takes lots of work by lots of people that want to seek growth and see change,” he said. “And we’re finally at that point to where Grant High School is tapping on the door to becoming something special here in Central Louisiana. I’m excited for our progress and thankful for our community and how people help this program be successful.”
As to the specifics of having the 2026 season be all the Cougars want it to be, Felton said there’s a basic step to be taken.
“The main deal is for us is just finish the fight. Looking over the years, we’ve always been in a position to be successful or finish games and win those games. But we just still haven’t finished to the level we intend to reach,” he said. “Creating that sense of belief and a sense of encouragement for our kids to understand they can complete the task is changing the culture. It does not occur overnight, it takes time. So we’ve been doing a lot of things for our kids.”
The players have shouldered their share of the responsibility.
“Each year we have our kids give us three standards to define who we want to be as a team. They came up with commitment, accountability, and toughness,” said Felton.
“Once we have all three standards established, we’ve got to understand what the definitions of those three standards are and what is required to sustain them, what that truly means. Because we can sit here and say that we’re going to be committed, we’re going to each other accountable, we’re going to be tough but, it doesn’t work until we actually don’t just talk the talk, we walk the walk. Ultimately they’re going to be out there playing the game. If they set those goals, we’re going to hold them to that and our coaches have done a really good job with that.”
Entering the 2026 season, Felton believes Grant football is on the rise.
“We’re right there,” Felton said. “I tell our kids, it’s the little things that can define who you are, and I don’t think not just not them, but I don’t think us as coaches, everybody in our program fully understands how small, detailed things can affect the overall outcome, the big picture. Getting our kids to understand that is what you’re trying to do.”
The short-term goal for Friday night’s meeting with Tioga?
“Just execute. There were times this past week when we weren’t executing as fast as we could have, or should have, what we expected to do at this point. This is about fixing those mistakes. Also, we have some tweaks in spots, offense and defense, to evaluate kids and see where they fit. Grant typically hasn’t had the numbers to have good competition for playing time but now we do, and that has helped a lot this offseason.”
What if one concert could bring together people who love classic hymns, contemporary Christian music, love country music by artists like Dolly Parton, Alison Krauss, Brooks & Dunn & Jelly Roll, those who love Southern Gospel and traditional Black Gospel, along with those who grew up listening to the Eagles, the Beatles, James Taylor, STYX and classic rock?
There’s one that can.
It’s an Amazing! Rhythm Disciples (ARD) concert.
The Disciples’ mantra is “Familiar Music. Timeless Message.” They like to describe their concerts as seven very accomplished musicians with very diverse backgrounds coming together to make “A VERY Joyful Noise!”
ARD was born in Natchitoches, Louisiana, in the fall of 2024, when seven musicians who also happened to be friends came together to play music, have fun and praise God—and ended up forming a unique music ministry.
“It all came together very quickly and very organically,” said bassist Keith “Don’t call Me Shirley” Shirley. “We were just jamming around and having fun. We would play a Southern Gospel song, then a contemporary Christian song, then a country song, then a classic rock song. Sometimes we would almost accidentally mash them together, look at each other and say, ‘Hey, that works!’”
Shirley gives credit where he believes it belongs.
“We knew the good Lord had His hand in this from the get-go,” he said. “The blending of the various musical styles—or ‘mashups,’ as we call them—came together so naturally and so quickly that we knew God was doing something.”
Don’t let all the joking fool you. There is an extraordinary amount of musical experience on an ARD stage.
Among the Disciples are four members of the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, current and former church music directors and ministers, and musicians holding at least five music degrees, including a doctorate. Violinist Andrei Kurti studied at the Moscow Conservatory and has performed at Carnegie Hall and in concert halls throughout Europe.
Altogether, the group stopped counting after passing 300 years of combined musical performance experience.
But ARD is difficult to put into a musical box.
“I don’t think you can pigeonhole us as a Gospel group or even simply a Christian music group,” said vocalist Julia Brown. “What we see happening over and over at our concerts is that folks who don’t normally listen to Christian music hear us play a classic rock song or even a current country song reinterpreted through the lens of faith, and they think, ‘Hey, I know that song!’ Before they know it, they’re hearing a contemporary Christian song or a Southern Gospel song and finding that they like it, in spite of themselves.”
“Familiar music is the bridge, and Jesus is where the bridge leads.”
The Amazing! Rhythm Disciples have performed at churches of various denominations, non-denominational churches, festivals and other events. Along the way, they have watched people of different generations, races, backgrounds and faith traditions come together to laugh, cry , praise and sing along while hearing a message centered unmistakably on Jesus Christ.
“We take music people know, along with humor and fun, and use it to open the door,” said one of the Disciples. “Then we walk through that door with them. And no one receives a bigger blessing than us.”
That connection is at the heart of an ARD concert.
“We’re constantly striving to connect with someone in the audience and convey the message that no matter what problems you’re having in your life, you don’t have to face them alone. There’s strength and hope in Jesus. If we reach one person, it’s all been worth it.”
After a recent Disciples concert at a church, an elderly lady approached the group with just one word to describe what she had experienced:
“Joyous.”
The band couldn’t have asked for a better description.
ARD believes sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ doesn’t have to be somber. There can be laughter. There can be great music. There can be familiar songs, unexpected arrangements, stories, memories and plenty of fun.
And there can be joy.
That’s why the Amazing! Rhythm Disciples plan to keep doing exactly what they set out to do:
Making a VERY Joyful Noise!
THE AMAZING! RHYTHM DISCIPLES Familiar Music. Timeless Message. Making a VERY Joyful Noise!
Long before she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame or celebrated globally as a cultural icon, Dolly Parton made an indelible mark on the brick streets and riverbanks of Natchitoches.
When filming began in the summer of 1988 for Steel Magnolias, the film adaptation of Natchitoches native Robert Harling’s beloved play, Parton brought larger-than-life warmth to the role of Truvy Jones. Behind the styling chair of Truvy’s beauty salon, Parton captured the sharp humor, resilient spirit, and deep community bonds that define small-town Louisiana life.
For local residents who watched the production take over the historic district, Parton was more than a visiting Hollywood star. Between takes at the historic home on Jefferson Street and scenes shot across town, her trademark hospitality and down-to-earth charm left a lasting imprint on the community that remains vibrant decades later.
Parton died Tuesday at the age of 80, leaving an indelible mark on millions of fans worldwide and an enduring place in the heart of Natchitoches.
By Corey Poole
When Dolly Parton came to Natchitoches in 1988 to film Steel Magnolias, the city became a temporary home for Hollywood stars, movie crews and people hoping to catch a glimpse of the production. For some Natchitoches residents, however, the memories that remain nearly four decades later have little to do with the cameras.
They remember Parton herself.
They remember her sitting and talking with people between scenes. They remember her stepping onto the field at Northwestern State University to perform “9 to 5” with the marching band. They remember her taking the time to speak with a young fan and later, picking up the phone to wish that same girl a Merry Christmas.
Following news of Parton’s passing Aug. 25, Natchitoches residents Jackie Reed Horton, Bill Brent, and Coley and Sharon Gahagan reflected on the time Parton spent in the city and the impressions she left behind.
For Horton, those memories began on the Steel Magnolias set. She served as Parton’s stand-in for scenes filmed in a replica of Truvy’s Beauty Spot. While the cameras were being prepared, Horton would stand where Parton would later stand so the grips and lighting crew could adjust the large lights and camera angles.
“It was really very interesting to see how they did all of that,” Horton recalled.
The production had recreated the beauty shop in remarkable detail, including the wallpaper. Horton watched as crews moved pieces of the set around to accommodate the large movie cameras and achieve the shots director Herbert Ross wanted.
But what Horton remembers most was getting to know Parton.
She described Parton as extremely friendly and down to earth. While other stars often returned to their trailers between scenes, Horton said Parton frequently remained on set, visiting and talking with people.
“She would sit there and talk with you,” Horton said.
One of those conversations resulted in a connection between Parton and a local nail technician. Parton noticed Horton’s acrylic nails and asked who did them. She had her assistant get the technician’s number, and Horton said Jennifer Threadgill subsequently went to do Parton’s nails while she was in Natchitoches.
Horton also remembered hearing Ross comment on Parton’s professionalism. She said he noted that Parton was always among the first people on set, already dressed, prepared and familiar with her lines.
While Horton experienced Parton on the movie set, Brent remembers helping bring her to Northwestern State’s football field.
Brent was the university’s band director when Steel Magnolias came to Natchitoches. As production got underway, NSU became closely intertwined with the movie. Thousands of people came through the university during casting for extras, while the band room, choir room and orchestra room were used by the production for rehearsals before a sound stage was constructed.
Brent said the idea eventually emerged to make the first home football game of the 1988 season a tribute to Steel Magnolias. Once Parton agreed to a surprise performance, Brent found an arranger to prepare the song “9 to 5” in the key she requested, and the band made a cassette tape for her to practice with.
His understanding was that Parton practiced with the recording in the car on her way to the game. When she arrived, a large Lincoln drove onto the Astroturf. Parton stepped out carrying a purple and white pom-pom and joined the band, which was met with thunderous applause and cheering.
“It was a huge success,” Brent said. For the members of the band, the moment became a memory they would carry for the rest of their lives.
For Coley and Sharon Gahagan, their memories of Parton are tied directly to their Williams Avenue home.
Their house was used for the Christmas party scene in Steel Magnolias, when the women gather together in support of Sally Field’s character.
The Gahagans remember the production arriving at their home with an almost overwhelming level of preparation. Before filming began, crews descended on the house to determine whether it would work for the production. Once it was selected, the house was transformed for the movie. Five Christmas trees were fully decorated inside, while the production meticulously arranged the decorations, food and other details.
The only problem was the weather.
The movie was filmed during the heat of August and September, but portrayed winter scenes and events. A large air-conditioning truck was brought to the Gahagan’s property, with ductwork running into the house. During filming, the lights would come on and the air conditioning would shut off. The process would be repeated over and over until the scene was captured to the director’s satisfaction.
For the Gahagans, though, one of the most meaningful memories of Parton involved someone who was not part of the movie at all. A young girl named Jeannie Scott, a family friend, was a devoted Parton fan. She would visit the Gahagans’ home during filming and had created a scrapbook filled with newspaper articles and other memorabilia from the production.
Parton took notice of her.
She would sit with Jeannie and talk to her, compliment her and make her feel included. At one point, Parton signed Jeannie’s scrapbook.
But the story did not end when filming in Natchitoches was over.
The following Christmas, the telephone rang at the Scott family’s home. The caller asked if Jeannie was there and identified herself as Dolly Parton. Jeannie’s mother initially thought someone was playing a cruel joke.
However, it truly was Dolly Parton and she was calling to wish Jeannie a Merry Christmas.
For the Gahagans, that phone call has remained one of the clearest examples of the person they remember.
“She was very, very gracious,” Coley said. “Very kind.”
Sharon remembered how Parton consistently took the time to speak with people, including those working behind the scenes and the local residents who encountered her during filming. That same sentiment runs through the memories of all three interviews.
Natchitoches had become a movie set, and Parton was one of the biggest stars in it. But to the people who encountered her, she was also the woman who stopped to talk, asked about someone’s nails, thanked a college marching band by sending them flowers, signed a scrapbook and made a Christmas phone call.
For Horton, Brent and the Gahagans, those moments have remained long after the cameras stopped rolling. The sets were dismantled, the stars went home and Steel Magnolias became part of Natchitoches history.
But for those who were there, Dolly Parton left something more personal behind.
She left memories of kindness.
And those are the memories Natchitoches residents are carrying with them as they remember her.
The cast of “Steel Magnolias,” from left: Dolly Parton, Sally Field, Olympia Dukakis, Shirley MacLaine, Julia Roberts, and Daryl Hannah. The 1989 film was shot on location in Natchitoches. (Photo courtesy of TriStar Pictures)
Texas has a documented long-term water problem and is aggressively planning future supplies. Louisiana has major new industrial and data-center water demands of its own. Because the two states share interconnected river systems, Louisiana should conduct and publicly release a comprehensive study of the cumulative effects before major water commitments are made.
That question matters because Louisiana citizens have watched enormous economic-development projects negotiated under NDAs, public authorities become major players in private industrial development, fights over eminent domain and permanent underground CO₂ injection, massive transmission projects, thousands of acres targeted for solar development, rapidly expanding data centers, and even discussions involving nuclear development and radioactive-waste disposal.
Researchers at the University of Texas reported in May 2026 that Texas data-center growth could eventually account for 𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝘀 𝟵% 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟰𝟬 under a high-growth scenario.
Louisiana is facing many of the same questions as enormous data-center and industrial projects move into our state.
The Texas Water Development Board adopted its 2027 State Water Plan on July 23, 2026.
Texas estimates that implementing more than 3,000 recommended water-management projects through 2080 will require nearly $174 billion in capital investment.
Even if Texas builds all of those projects, its plan still projects approximately 𝟭.𝟲 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗲-𝗳𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝗻𝗺𝗲𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟴𝟬.
Texas also warns that without the recommended strategies, roughly one out of every four Texans in 2080 could have less than half of the municipal water supply needed during a drought of record.
North Texas already takes water from 𝗟𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝘅𝗼𝗺𝗮 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿, and additional Texoma conveyance infrastructure is being developed.
Texas planning also identifies additional supplies involving 𝗪𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝗸𝗲 and the proposed 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗻 𝗡𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗿 on the Sulphur River; 𝗟𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗢’ 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀, which feeds Big Cypress Bayou toward Caddo Lake; and 𝗧𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗼 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗱 on the Sabine River.
These are not all one project. Some are operating, some proposed, and some are long-range strategies.
But Louisiana should not look at each one in isolation and ignore the cumulative question.
The Sulphur River belongs to the larger Red River drainage system.
Lake O’ the Pines controls flows into Big Cypress Bayou toward 𝗖𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗼 𝗟𝗮𝗸𝗲, a Texas-Louisiana water system. The Corps of Engineers has documented that reservoir operations altered the natural downstream flow regime enough that special releases have been used to restore portions of that flow.
Texas planning identifies approximately 𝟳𝟱,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗲-𝗳𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 from Lake O’ the Pines as a potential North Texas supply strategy and approximately 𝟭𝟮𝟮,𝟮𝟬𝟬 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗲-𝗳𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 associated with Wright Patman.
𝗧𝗢𝗟𝗘𝗗𝗢 𝗕𝗘𝗡𝗗 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗗 𝗕𝗘 𝗔 𝗪𝗔𝗞𝗘-𝗨𝗣 𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗟.
For decades, many Louisiana citizens probably would have laughed if somebody suggested Louisiana might someday discuss selling Toledo Bend water to Texas.
Then it became a real public-policy discussion.
Residents pushed back. Public meetings were held. Controversy followed.
Louisiana law expressly gives the Sabine River Authority power to enter contracts involving the sale, distribution, or consumption of water within or outside Louisiana, subject to required approvals.
Nobody has shown us a document saying Texas is going to reroute the Red River.
We are not claiming one exists.
But Texas already takes water from the Red River system and is planning or studying additional supplies from tributaries connected to that regional drainage.
So what happens when you add all of those withdrawals together?
What happens at Shreveport?
What happens at Alexandria?
What happens during drought?
And what happens underground?
The 𝗥𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘃𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗳𝗲𝗿 is hydraulically connected to the river in significant areas. When the river rises, water can move into surrounding alluvial sediments and contribute to groundwater recharge and bank storage.
If major upstream withdrawals materially alter river levels, flow duration, or high-water periods, Louisiana needs to know whether recharge could decline, groundwater levels could fall, hydraulic gradients could change, or poorer-quality groundwater could move differently.
If significant quantities of water are transferred from Toledo Bend or elsewhere in the Sabine system, the concern does not stop at the reservoir shoreline.
The Sabine continues south toward Sabine Lake and the Gulf. Freshwater flow affects salinity, wetlands, fisheries, ecosystems, municipalities, and industry.
Change the amount and timing of freshwater long enough, and downstream systems can change with it.
The Calcasieu is a separate basin, but southwest Louisiana’s water resources do not exist in isolation. If one source becomes less dependable, demand can shift elsewhere.
𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀.
𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗜𝗦 𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗕𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗦 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬.
Louisiana officials may not like citizens asking these questions.
But they created the atmosphere that makes us ask them.
When citizens repeatedly watch public business conducted under NDAs, they stop assuming silence means nothing is happening.
When enormous projects are negotiated before communities understand them, citizens stop accepting:
“Don’t worry about it.”
Louisiana citizens have watched eminent-domain battles, permanent underground CO₂ injection, huge transmission projects, enormous solar developments, data centers beside rural communities, nuclear and radioactive-waste discussions, and actual discussions about sending Toledo Bend water to Texas.
Texas is identifying reservoirs, pipelines, interbasin transfers, drought strategies, and future supplies while planning for population growth, industrial expansion, and data-center demand.
Where is the cumulative analysis combining Lake Texoma, the Red River, Wright Patman, Marvin Nichols, Lake O’ the Pines, Caddo Lake, Toledo Bend, the Sabine, the Red River alluvial aquifer, the Chicot, industrial growth, data-center demand, and drought?
Maybe Texas can develop all of these supplies without materially harming Louisiana.
Fine.
𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁.
Model it.
Put the numbers on the table.
Show us what happens to the Red River at Shreveport and Alexandria, Caddo Lake, Toledo Bend, the Sabine, the Red River alluvial aquifer, and the Chicot.
Show us what happens under drought conditions.
And model it while accounting for the unprecedented growth in AI data centers, power generation, and industrial development across both states.
Because Louisiana citizens should have learned one lesson by now:
Region C Water Planning Group — North Texas water-management strategies, including Lake Texoma, Lake O’ the Pines, Wright Patman, Marvin Nichols, Toledo Bend, Red River off-channel storage, and other potential supplies:
North Texas Municipal Water District — Texoma Two-Step program; additional pipelines designed to add approximately 90 million gallons per day of Lake Texoma conveyance capacity:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — Big Cypress Bayou / Caddo Lake Sustainable Rivers Program; documents the downstream connection between Lake O’ the Pines, Big Cypress Bayou, and Caddo Lake:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — Lake O’ the Pines / Ferrells Bridge Dam Water Control Manual and environmental-flow information for Big Cypress Bayou and Caddo Lake:
U.S. Geological Survey — Relation of water levels in the Red River alluvial aquifer to the Red River, documenting river/aquifer hydraulic relationships:
U.S. Geological Survey — Louisiana groundwater withdrawals dataset; approximately 960 million gallons per day, or about 51% of Louisiana groundwater withdrawals, came from the Chicot aquifer system:
Louisiana has a long history of officials cutting deals with private interests at the public’s expense. During the oil and gas boom, the state left severance tax revenue on the table while enforcement gaps let industry pollute our air, water, and land for decades. Governor Jeff Landry has accelerated that pattern faster than any of his predecessors. He installed an unqualified Secretary of Environmental Quality, then reorganized the Department of Natural Resources into something even statehouse reporters can’t fully explain. This year the legislature signed off on tax breaks and NDAs for AI data centers, keeping voters in the dark about what those companies are getting and what they’re using.
Now it’s SpaceX’s turn, and it’s the biggest giveaway yet.
The Landry administration is negotiating to hand over roughly 130,000 acres on Pecan Island, in Vermilion Parish, for a rocket blast pad, not a research facility, the kind Boca Chica, Texas is still fighting over. That land is reportedly tied to Exxon’s punishment, part of a coastal damages settlement for decades of polluting our marshes, though the settlement itself is sealed by court order. If that reporting holds up, instead of restoring the land, the state is routing it straight to Elon Musk.
Pecan Island is about the worst possible place for this. The coast there has been sinking and washing away for decades, and hurricanes are speeding it up. The site borders two wildlife refuges and some of the best hunting and fishing water left in this state, the kind “Sportsman’s Paradise” was supposed to protect. If this goes through, we can stop pretending coastal restoration is a real priority in Louisiana.
The legislature already greased the wheels this session, passing tax breaks and liability shields for unnamed “aerospace” companies and exempting them from public records requests. So, when something goes wrong, and something eventually will, Louisianans may not have the right to sue, and may not even have the right to know. Now Trump’s FAA wants to waive thirteen federal environmental and health laws, including the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act, so Musk doesn’t have to deal with “regulatory burden.”
We don’t even know the full extent of what Musk stands to gain. We know the eligibility thresholds in the tax break bills, not the actual value of what’s being handed over. Given how this Republican-controlled legislature has handled every other corporate giveaway this year, there’s little reason to think this deal is any different.
Local officials keep telling us we must accept this to “compete.” I don’t buy it. A state that can only land these deals by throwing out the rule of law and hiding negotiations behind NDAs is giving Louisiana away, one 130,000-acre parcel at a time.
Most Louisianans haven’t been told what this deal actually involves. That’s worth being angry about. Ask your legislators what they voted for this spring, and whether they’ll say so publicly.
Qualifying for the upcoming election cycle has officially concluded, setting the field of candidates who will appear on the local ballot. Across the parish, voters will consider candidates seeking office at every level of leadership, from key judicial seats and school board positions to municipal offices and parish-wide boards.
To help keep our readers informed, Journal Staff has compiled a complete roster of candidates who have qualified for contested races. Below is the official list of candidates, organized by office, along with their political party affiliation and direct contact details to help you connect with those seeking to represent our community.
Good stewardship requires the discipline to save, but also the courage to invest in the future.
That philosophy guided Northwestern State University throughout the 2025–2026 fiscal year.
During the year, Northwestern strategically invested $4.5 million of accumulated reserves in campus improvements. Those investments included replacing aging technology infrastructure that had reached the end of its useful life; enhancing nursing instructional resources and biology laboratories; replacing fire alarm systems; completing painting, plaster and restroom renovations; improving HVAC systems; and upgrading athletic facilities.
Athletic improvements included a new NCAA Division I track surface, upgraded scoreboards in Prather Coliseum and instant-replay technology that meets Southland Conference standards.
These projects represent far more than expenditures. They are investments in Northwestern’s students, employees and future.
“When President Genovese arrived at Northwestern in August 2024, I had already been here about eight months and was developing a thorough understanding of the University’s finances,” Chief Financial Officer Rodney Wilson said. “We were fortunate to inherit healthy reserves that gave us the flexibility to invest in our campus. Good stewardship requires balance. We cannot spend every dollar we have, but we also cannot allow resources to sit unused while our facilities and infrastructure decline.”
The impact of those investments is already visible. Nursing students in Alost Hall will train with modern instructional resources designed for today’s healthcare environment. Biology laboratories serving more than 520 undergraduate students have been transformed with new flooring, refreshed instructional spaces and improved accessibility. The renovations provide current students with a modern learning environment while allowing the University to welcome hundreds of prospective students each year into facilities that reflect the quality of the education taking place inside them.
The University’s investments extended beyond facilities. Through Northwestern’s Strategic Enrollment Management Plan, new enrollment specialist positions will strengthen retention and student success by helping more students successfully progress from their freshman to sophomore years.
The University’s year-end financial results reflect these measured investments. Northwestern began the fiscal year with a $64.7 million fund balance and closed with $59.8 million. Of the $4.9 million reduction, $4.5 million (92%) was deliberately invested in the campus.
Even after making those investments, Northwestern finishes the fiscal year with one of the strongest liquidity and reserve positions among its peer institutions in Louisiana. These final results alleviate concerns raised by an earlier news report that pointed to a preliminary projection of a deficit rather than the University’s completed fiscal year.
Northwestern also made a deliberate investment in its employees by providing a 3 percent cost-of-living adjustment during the fiscal year. The adjustment was not an extraordinary salary increase. It was intended to help employees keep pace with inflation while partially offsetting a 7.75 percent increase in state employee health insurance premiums. Without it, many faculty and staff members would have experienced a reduction in take-home pay.
Looking Ahead
Northwestern began the 2026–2027 fiscal year with a balanced budget. A budget is an estimate of anticipated revenues and expenditures. From this point forward, the University has the opportunity to maintain that balance, improve upon it and finish the year with a surplus, or make strategic investments from reserves to address emerging priorities and unforeseen needs.
Higher education continues to face significant challenges, and Northwestern has not been immune. Enrollment drives nearly every major source of university funding, making it the single most important factor in Northwestern’s long-term financial health.
Between fall 2021 and fall 2024, Northwestern’s enrollment declined by 2,212 students—an average loss of approximately 737 students per year. Losses of that magnitude cannot be reversed overnight. After two years of focused effort, however, the decline has begun to stabilize.
Recovery does not begin with growth. It begins by stopping the decline, and stabilization is the first important measure leading into progress.
“When an airplane loses altitude, the first step is to pull the nose up and level the aircraft before it can begin to climb,” President James T. Genovese said. “That is where Northwestern is today. We have worked hard to address a significant enrollment decline, and the indicators are beginning to move in the right direction. We are not yet at our destination, but we are level, gaining momentum and preparing to rise.”
Spring 2026 enrollment was essentially flat compared with spring 2025, providing encouraging confirmation that the years-long downward trend has begun to level. During summer 2026, student credit-hour production increased by 3 percent over the previous year, meaning students enrolled in fuller academic course loads. First-year retention continues to improve, the average ACT score of incoming students has increased, and on-campus housing is at or near full occupancy.
Together, these indicators point to a student body that is increasingly engaged, better prepared for college and committed to earning a degree. Stabilization is not the destination, but it is the necessary foundation for renewed enrollment growth.
Another important component of Northwestern’s enrollment strategy is the continuing expansion of dual enrollment, through which high school students earn college credit.
Dual enrollment presents both a challenge and an opportunity. Although Northwestern receives less tuition revenue from a dual-enrollment student than from a traditional undergraduate, each participating high school student is also a prospective Demon. Introducing students to Northwestern while they are still in high school creates an opportunity to welcome them back after graduation to complete their undergraduate degrees. That transition is critical to the University’s long-term enrollment strategy. If Northwestern is not serving those students, another university will.
Classes for the fall semester will begin Aug. 17. The University’s official fall enrollment will be determined on the 14th class day.
POLLOCK, La. — Pollock Elementary School is looking to add new members to its cafeteria team and is now accepting applications for several food service positions ahead of the upcoming school year.
The school has announced openings for:
Lunchroom Technicians
Lunchroom Manager
School officials encourage individuals who enjoy working in a school environment and serving students to apply. Those interested in learning more about the available positions are encouraged to contact Erica Firment by email at Erica.Firment@gpsb.org.
Applications can be submitted through the Grant Parish School Board website at http://www.grantpsb.org. The available positions offer an opportunity to play an important role in supporting students by helping provide nutritious meals in a positive and welcoming school environment.
Pollock Elementary encourages qualified applicants to apply as soon as possible as the school prepares for the start of the 2026-2027 academic year.
Today, we’re celebrating three remarkable Grant Parish Public Schools alumni who grew up together, learned together, and each followed a different path to extraordinary success. Some stories are simply too special to tell one at a time.
𝑴𝒆𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒓 𝑺𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔: Dr. Natalie Brimer Maxey, Dr. Samantha Brimer Zeringue and Dr. Amanda Brimer Dubois,
The daughters of Sam and Judy Brimer, these three remarkable women have remained deeply rooted in the community that shaped them. While each has followed a unique career path, they continue to invest in Grant Parish by raising their families here, serving in their church, and leading with excellence in their professions.
𝗗𝗿. 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝘅𝗲𝘆 earned her B.S.in Engineering from Louisiana Tech University before completing her Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at Georgia Tech. Today, she serves as Vice President of Academic Affairs at Louisiana Christian University, where she is helping shape the future of higher education by mentoring the next generation of leaders and inspiring students to use their knowledge, innovation, and integrity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
𝗗𝗿. 𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗮 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗭𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗲, 𝗠𝗗 earned her medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine before completing her General Surgery residency at Tulane University Medical Center. Today, she serves as a board-certified Trauma, Critical Care, and General Surgeon at Rapides Regional Medical Center, where she provides expert care to patients facing some of life’s most serious medical emergencies. Her skill, compassion, and dedication make a lasting difference for countless patients and families across Central Louisiana.
𝗗𝗿. 𝗔𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝘂𝗯𝗼𝗶𝘀 earned her undergraduate from Louisiana Tech University then continued until she received her Ph.D. She now serves as Associate Professor of Biology and Director of the Honors Program at LSU of Alexandria. Though she originally envisioned a career in a research laboratory rather than the classroom, Dr. Dubois discovered a passion for teaching which has her developing the next generation of scientists, healthcare professionals, and leaders.
𝙏𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨.
𝙏𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙧𝙨.
𝙊𝙣𝙚 𝙂𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣.
Their story is a reminder that success looks different for everyone—but it often begins with a strong education, a supportive community, and a commitment to serving others.
Your Grant Parish family is incredibly proud of each of you.
We all honor the events of June 6, 1944. It was a monumental task and should be recognized for the bravery and sacrifices of all involved on that day. It was the beginning of the end of Hitler’s Thousand Year Reich. It would be another year to finish it but we did and the world rejoiced. But there was another completely different war taking place in the Pacific theatre.
The United States military, along with Australia, England and a few others were fighting the Imperial Japanese in the Pacific. Beach landings such as Normandy were happening on a more frequent basis. At Normandy 160,000 soldiers hit the beaches on that famous day. Casualties were horrendous. Too many killed, maimed and injured (2,500 killed in action, 5,000 injured and an untold number of missing). In comparison on July 21, 1944, 65,000 hit the beach on Guam, spearheaded by the United States Marines, United States Army and our allies. The staggering results of that landing were 1,718 killed and 6,000 wounded.
I take up this comparison not from a historical perspective but from a personal one. You see I happened to be quite familiar with a participant in the Pacific Theatre. He was Private First Class Joseph Bernard Rhodes USMC Co D 1St Bn (Pioneers) 19th Marines Third Marine Division.
He was never one to talk about those days, as many of “Our Greatest Generation” participants, chose not to. On one particular day back when nothing was digital I had received my National Geographic magazine with its coveted fold out map. This particular issue was entitled “The Pacific Theatre”. As I had the map spread out on the kitchen table my Father walks in the side door asking what I was doing. I explained in short detail; he walked up standing behind me and started detailing his 3 year adventure. He pointed to each island that he had been to and explained very briefly what had happened and why he was there. When he got to Guam his only comment was “and that’s when I got to come home.”
There were no other comments after that. I sensed that there would be no questions or answers after that. Everything had gotten put back in that mental box and locked away.
Guam, what was so important about that island, aside from the strategic placement, it was an American Territory until December 10, 1941 when the Imperial Japanese captured it.
Later in life I started doing a little research on my Dad’s role in this part of history. The most intriguing part was trying to understand what one particular word meant “PIONEER”. There is no clear meaning as it is no longer used. But following that trail the best I could manage was that in today’s military jargon he was a combat engineer. Ask today’s military people and they give you this description that has no bearing on the 1940’s. Basically from what I could piece together here is my definition.
USMC PIONEER (n): Operates as member of crew of specially trained troops in constructing and repairing roads and bridges, removing natural and man-made obstacles to facilitate movement of friendly forces, executing demolitions, and creating man-made obstacles to prevent or slow advance of enemy force. My Dad’s training records indicate that he was qualified on most heavy equipment and specialized in putting potable water systems in place. His actual classification was part of the 3 man crew for heavy machine gun Browning M1919.
My Dad hit the beaches of Guam on the initial wave on July 21st. He was wounded on July 22nd and evacuated to a hospital ship to start his journey home to begin building a “normal” life. But he was reminded every day that he took a step of that hidden part of his life. I could see the physical pain that stayed as a reminder but I often wonder about the mental pain so many of those guys carried with them. I thought us as a family lived a normal life. That perspective changed as I grew older. I know I was loved as a child and throughout my life. But the words were never spoken by him or me until too late in life. I remember the phone call as clear as yesterday. He apologized for the personal troubles his actions had cased in my life and said he wanted me to know that he loved me. After shedding tears with a sense of relief I told him that I was proud to have been by his side and that I had always loved him and even more now. He passed shortly after that and finally found peace after the early 1940’s.
So when we pause to honor those who gave more than enough for us please honor all who have defended us and our way of life not just the ones from that particular event. REMEMBER THEM ALL.
A Brief History of the Invasion of Guam
The Battle of Guam, codenamed W-Day, commenced on July 21, 1944, as a vital piece of the American campaign to recapture territory lost to the Japanese Empire early in World War II. Japan had captured the U.S. territory on December 10, 1941, just days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, subjecting the local Chamorro population to a brutal occupation.
Reclaiming the island was strategically paramount for the Allies. Guam’s large size and deep-water harbors made it an ideal base for upcoming operations against the Philippines and Taiwan, while its airfields would put Japan within range of the new American B-29 Superfortress bombers.
The assault began with an intense, multi-day naval and aerial bombardment to soften Japanese defenses. When the 3rd Marine Division, the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade, and the Army’s 77th Infantry Division finally hit the western beaches on W-Day, they faced fierce resistance from roughly 18,500 dug-in Japanese defenders. Despite steep limestone cliffs and heavily fortified machine-gun positions, Allied forces secured the beachheads. After weeks of brutal, close-quarters jungle warfare, heavy nighttime counterattacks, and massive casualties on both sides, the island was officially declared secure on August 10, 1944.
Well, well, well, you just never know what life will throw at you until it does. In early June of this year, after going through a few cardio tests like an EKG, ultrasound and a stress test, we (Dr. Chris Ingram and I) felt like everything was going to be okay.
Nothing really showed up during the tests that was alarming. Then a few days later, Dr. Ingram looked at my imaging and saw a shadow that got his attention. During my consultation, I could tell by his reaction while going over the imaging with my wife and I that he was very concerned.
Now my first reaction, like anyone else who thinks there’s nothing wrong, was that it can’t be that bad. I mean I’m only 65 years old and fit as a racing horse that’s been put out to pasture.
But then reality set in and after a heart Cath two days later, doctors discovered that there were seven blockages! That’s right, seven! Two in the back that had almost 100% blockage and 5 frontal arteries with partial blockage.
Finally, they had my attention and no longer could I deny that there was an issue. I then knew that this was something that would require extensive surgery to fix. My summer plans were now going to be altered dramatically.
It also explained why I was having the issues I had been experiencing during my last two bass tournaments. During and after both event’s, exhaustion does not describe how bad I felt.
I had major muscle fatigue and tightness across the shoulders. Leaning over to pick up a rod on the deck of the boat resulted in almost total black out, especially once the heat of the day set in from noon till 3:00. At first, I chalked it up to maybe being dehydrated or just getting too hot.
But at the end of my last tournament on the Red River with thirty minutes left before weigh-in, the rod I was holding in my left hand felt like it weighed 20 pounds. No chest pain, no arm pain, just extreme muscle fatigue.
But the worst part was when I had to beach my boat at the weigh-in and walk up the long 50 yard boat ramp to retrieve my truck and boat trailer. It felt like the walk of shame as I glanced around hoping no one was watching me. It was all I could do to put one foot in front of the other.
As I got in my truck, I just sat there for ten minutes trying to recover. Then once I got my boat on trailer, I had to climb into the back of my boat and get my fish out of the live well and into my weigh-bag. Then tote the bag of fish to the scales, which really pulled my energy level down to zero.
Once again, I got back in the truck to head home but sat there for at least fifteen minutes trying to catch my breath and recover. I knew something was wrong as I’ve never experienced this kind of fatigue even during my worst two-a-day football workouts from my high school or college days.
It got worse, as I arrived back home and parked the boat, I basically rolled out of the truck and walked into the house where I literally collapsed on the floor. My wife walked in and asked if I was ok to which I responded, “No!”
She then realized I was not good and got me a cold towel for my face. I laid on the floor for about forty minutes just so I could get enough energy to take a shower.
My thoughts and reasoning were, “It’s just hot (95 degrees). Maybe I didn’t drink enough water and just got too hot.” But as it turned out, there were some major issues going on internally. Problems that could not be fixed with medication or more exercise.
I owe a huge thank you to Dr. Chris Ingram and my personal physician Dr. Anil Matta for their persistence and due diligence in putting me through tests that, at the time, I thought were unnecessary.
After all, based on MY many years of medical experience and watching You Tube videos on heart related issues, I just knew nothing was wrong! Yeah right! Ha, a typical man who thinks he knows more than any doctor.
So, here’s the moral of this story. First, listen and pay attention to what your body is telling you. Understand your symptoms and what they mean. Second, trust your doctor and follow the directions he or she gives you on what needs to be done because it will probably save your life.
Update: It’s been over a week (June 29th) since my quadruple bypass surgery and I’m doing much better. Still a long way to go but making progress every day. Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers during this tough time.
James Genovese will be the next president of Northwestern State University (Chris ReichCourtesy of Northwestern State University)
By Piper Hutchinson, Louisiana Illuminator
Northwestern State president says his plan is ‘wasting away in Margaritaville’
State Sen. Alan Seabaugh takes credit for ousting Northwestern State University’s president in 2024 and, with the backing of Gov. Jeff Landry, replacing him with former Louisiana Supreme Court Justice Jimmy Genovese.
Two years later, Genovese says he isn’t able to count on either of his two supporters to advance his plans for the school, which include starting the first law school in North Louisiana.
In recent interviews, Genovese said his feud with Seabaugh, a Republican whose district includes the Natchitoches campus, is costing Northwestern State much-needed cash from the state. And it was Landry who came up with the idea to open a law school at the university, but the governor has since dropped his support of the plan, he said
“It wasn’t my idea,” Genovese said. “When I came on board … there were discussions coming out of the governor’s office regarding a law school, so I just went with the flow.”
When asked if the governor supports a new law school at Northwestern State, Landry spokeswoman Kate Kelly said that decision is completely up to the Board of Regents, which oversees higher education in Louisiana.
While he maintains the governor still privately backs the idea, Genovese said two factors have led Landry away from providing any public or material support. The first, Genovese said, is Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, whose district includes Tulane University, home to one of the state’s four law schools. Genovese said the governor doesn’t want to get crosswise with a legislative leader he needs to advance his agenda.
“The last thing Louisiana needs is more lawyers,” Henry said when reached for comment about Genovese’s proposal.
Another obstacle, Genovese said, is that promoting a new law school might create the impression that Landry supports trial attorneys. The governor himself is an attorney and has received campaign contributions from trial lawyers.
“There was this nasty fight … between the insurance industry and the trial lawyers, and I don’t think the governor wants to be labeled a trial lawyer person,” Genovese said.
Genovese provided a copy of his law school proposal he said he submitted to the Board of Regents and the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors, which oversees Northwestern State. Genovese and UL System board member Robert “Skeeter” Salim, Genovese’s lifelong friend and a prominent trial attorney in the state, requested the Regents expedite their review process so it could receive approval from the UL System Board just a month after it was proposed.
Emails the Illuminator obtained through a public records request show Board of Regents staff discussed the matter with Commissioner of Higher Education Kim Hunter Reed, who was not comfortable with an expedited review. Genovese and Salim have not brought the law school pitch to the full UL System board.
Genovese described his proposal as “wasting away in Margaritaville,” a reference to the Jimmy Buffet song.
Despite no further moves to make the proposal a reality, Genovese has continued to publicly advocate for the law school in speeches and in news interviews, rankling state lawmakers and other stakeholders.
“If the Board of Regents wanted another law school, they would do it,” said state Rep. Jack McFarland, R-Jonesboro, whose district includes Natchitoches. “So I don’t know why he continues to talk and advocate for things like that and get people’s hopes up, when obviously an application to do a law school has not moved within the Board of Regents.”
From reference to rival
While he seemingly tilts at windmills for a new law school, Genovese has also feuded with the lawmaker who got him the job at Northwestern State.
Seabaugh, an conservative lawmaker, said in an interview last week his first order of business after joining the Louisiana Senate in 2024 was ousting Marcus Jones, the first Black leader at Northwestern State, who Seabaugh said was responsible for the school “going downhill in many ways.”
Sen. Alan Seabaugh
After being forced to resign, Jones returned to the University of Louisiana System office as executive vice president and chief operating officer.
Seabaugh proposed Genovese replace Jones in Natchitoches. Landry also backed Genovese for the job.
“Nobody was more responsible for putting him there than me,” Seabaugh said.
Genovese, despite having had no experience in higher education leadership, touted his budget expertise when interviewing with faculty and staff for the president’s job. He took credit for securing money for the Louisiana Supreme Court during his time as an associate justice from 2017-24.
That claimed fiscal prowess isn’t reflected in the state budget that takes effect Wednesday, however.
Northwestern State was the only public university in Louisiana to receive no additional funding in the primary budget bill on top of what each campus is required to receive. It was also the only campus left out of the supplemental budget, where lawmakers dole out millions for special projects. These special projects find their way into the budget at the request of lawmakers, usually senators.
When asked about Northwestern State’s omission in the budget, Genovese blamed Seabaugh.
“We don’t have a senator that helps us,” Genovese said. “[Seabaugh has] been mad at me from day one. I … hardly even know this guy.”
‘I don’t think he’s suited for the job’
Genovese said the feud started because he refused to fire Northwestern State employees Seabaugh asked him to dismiss. Since then, Genovese said, Seabaugh hasn’t answered his phone calls.
Seabaugh said none of that is true. By his account, he never asked Genovese to fire anybody but rather warned him not to take advice from the same people he viewed as leading Jones astray.
Jones has not responded to a request for comment.
Seabaugh also said he hasn’t refused any calls from Genovese, because he hasn’t gotten any to reject.
“If they want me to put something in the budget, they might want to ask,” Seabaugh said.
Though he wouldn’t characterize the tension between the two leaders as a “disagreement,” Seabaugh expressed frustration in the way Genovese handled the first major hire of his administration.
Genovese brought in former Northwestern State basketball coach Mike McConathy as a special adviser in fall 2024 shortly after he was hired. McConathy is a Louisiana basketball coaching legend who was recently inducted into the state’s Sports Hall of Fame. He also ran against Seabaugh in his 2023 Senate bid.
Seabaugh said he didn’t mind that he hired McConathy, but he did take issue with how Genovese addressed it with him.
“When he called me, he said, ‘I know this is going to piss you off, but I don’t care. I’m doing it anyway,’” Seabaugh recounted.
Genovese said that was not the language he used but confirmed he did call Seabaugh as a courtesy to tell him he was hiring McConathy, which he said angered the senator.
The two confirmed they haven’t talked since that call in 2024.
“He doesn’t know how to ask,” Seabaugh said. “I think he’s used to being a judge and telling people what to do. I don’t think he’s suited for the job he’s in.”
“The university has not improved and it’s not going to as long as he’s there,” the senator added.
Spending in question
McFarland, who leads the legislature’s budget-writing committee, said some of Genovese’s “decision making has been questioned.”
McFarland didn’t detail the gripes he has heard from lawmakers, but a look into Northwestern State’s budget shows warning signs of financial difficulties ahead.
Genovese has raised pay for Northwestern State’s approximately 800 employees three times in less than two years, despite the university operating at a deficit. The university projects a shortfall of $13.4 million for the fiscal year that ended Tuesday, according to a UL System financial report. The university has covered the cost by spending down its cash reserves.
Other UL System schools are in worse financial positions, but Northwestern State’s spending has raised the eyebrows of its board members, who questioned Genovese about the deficit at last week’s meeting. Genovese said the university was likely to end the next fiscal year in the black, possibly with a surplus.
While Genovense’s spending at Northwestern State has increased, enrollment at the school has dropped. Its student body reached 8,847 in 2023 and fell to 8,402 for fall 2025, a 5% decrease. Less than a quarter of NSU students attend class on campus, which means they bring in less revenue for the school.
Other schools in the UL System are also experiencing enrollment declines, but most are adjusting their budgets to match.
“We’re closely monitoring the enrollment projections and being optimistic that they will be able to turn the tide on their own,” UL System President Rick Gallot, Genovese’s boss, said about the budget situation.
Photo and Article Courtesy of the Louisiana Illuminator
As Northwestern State University (NSU) looks ahead to the Fall 2026 semester, internal tracking data reveals that high school dual enrollment programs are projected to play an even larger role in the university’s total headcount than in previous semesters.
According to an official institutional research document, the university has set an aggressive Next Fall Target of 7,879 undergraduate students. However, a closer look at the tracking metrics shows that nearly one-third of that entire target population is made up of high school students.
The ‘Enrollment Mask’ Expands
The university separates its high school and introductory enrollment into two tracking categories: University (Non-Prep) and University (Prep). For the upcoming Fall 2026 semester, the university’s targets for these categories are:
UNIV (Non-Prep) Target: 351 students
UNIV (Prep) Target: 2,183 students
Total High School Target: 2,534 students
If NSU hits its goals, dual enrollment students will account for 32.2%—nearly one out of every three—of the total undergraduate student body. This represents a significant shift from previous years, expanding the “Enrollment Mask” that higher education analysts say allows institutions to report stable or growing total headcounts while masking a structural decline in full-time, on-campus students.
Current Summer Progress
As of June 24, 2026, registration tracking shows the university still has a long hill to climb before reaching its census goals, which is typical for this point in the summer cycle.
The university’s Current Enrollment stands at 4,732 out of the 7,879 target. When isolating the true degree-seeking undergraduate numbers from the high school dual enrollment categories, the breakdown shows:
Total Reported Current Enrollment: 4,732*
Current Dual Enrollment (Prep & Non-Prep): 768
True Current Undergraduate Enrollment: 3,964**
*Note: Across the university’s broader tracking metrics, true undergraduate enrollment stands at 3,964; however, it should be noted that many of these students are online-only or attend classes outside of the main campus in Natchitoches.
While a vast majority of the targeted 2,534 high school students will be registered later in the summer as school districts finalize their schedules, the physical campus infrastructure remains tied to the 3,964 true undergraduates currently on the books.
Budget vs. Body Count
The economic reality for the Natchitoches campus remains stark. Traditional undergraduate students pay full tuition and generate critical “auxiliary revenue” through campus housing, meal plans, and student fees. In contrast, dual enrollment students pay deeply discounted contract rates or receive state-funded exemptions.
The physical presence of these students on campus remains rare. While a select few students from local institutions like Natchitoches Central and the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts (LSMSA) are granted rare permission to attend classes in person, the vast majority of the dual enrollment population completes coursework remotely or at their respective high schools.
As the university pushes toward its ultimate master plan under leadership to stabilize total institutional footing, the tracking data indicates that the path to high headcount numbers relies more heavily than ever on the high school demographic.
**Note Dual Enrollment (DE) students are excluded from “True Enrollment” figures above. While these students are academically valuable, their reduced tuition and minimal use of campus facilities mean they do not reflect the institutional sustainability or the market demand for the university’s core physical and residential services.
