Archive of Recent Front Page items

New Fire Truck!

It’s been 12-years since the City of Pineville had a new fire truck, but this Christmas, there’s a big fire engine under the tree! Fire Station No. 3 on Susek Drive houses Pineville's new Sutphen pumper truck. Last December, the city was awarded a $225,000 grant through the 2003 "Assistance to Firefighters" program made possible by the Office of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The city's portion of the matching grant was 10 percent or $25,000. Engine #30 and related equipment cost $250,000 and can pump 1,250 gallons of water a minute. It's a state-of-the-art truck, with computerized pressuring of the truck’s throttle and water gauges, and adds a nice shot-in-the-arm to the department’s morale. As the Pineville Fire Department works to maintain it’s Class 2 fire rating, adding a more dependable and faster responding unit will add to the ability to protect and serve the citizens of Pineville.

Susek Drive Meeting

Over 100 area residents turned out on December 2nd at the St. Michael's Episcopal Church for an informational meeting on the Susek Drive project, sponsored by the City of Pineville. Mayor Clarence Fields and District 5 Councilman Nathan Martin worked with Dennis Frost of St. Michael's to organize the informational meeting designed to provide a project overview in regards to timeline, costs, right-of-way acquisition, etc. to all interested. 

City Engineer Tom David gave a historical overview and then explained the current process. The Susek Drive project began in April of 1990 and has gone through 3 administrations to get to where it is today. Currently the City is purchasing rights-of-way and planning the relocation of utilities. Once that is completed the bids will go out and hopefully construction will begin in early 2006.

When the project is completed, Susek Drive will be similar in appearance to Edgewood Drive, a smooth concrete road, complete with curbs and gutters. Construction time for the construction phase is 18 months, weather permitting. (Photos courtesy of The Northside Journal.)

Korean War Vets Remembered

Highway 28 East in Pineville is known for a lot of things…from its heavy traffic to growth and economic development…it is a main artery of Pineville life. Now this well known thoroughfare will have another unique claim…the first Louisiana highway dedicated to the Honor and Remembrance of Living and Deceased Veterans of the Korean War. Often referred to as the “Forgotten War”, travelers along Highway 28 East will now see signage (see photo) to remind them of it’s renaming as the Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway. The Crossroads Chapter #205 hosted the dedication ceremony to recognize the efforts of the Louisiana Legislative action and the signage erected by the Department of Transportation and Development. Pictured with one of the new highway markers is Chapter member Clyde Durham, State Senator Joe McPherson, Chapter Commander John Dupre, Pineville Mayor Clarence Fields, Ret. Lt. Col. Lou Dechert (National President of the KWVA) and Chapter Secretary Cameron Hudson.

The “STAGE” is Set Stage Store manager Rodrick Mache and Pineville Mayor Clarence Fields (pictured at top right) joined members of the Central Louisiana Chamber of Commerce…and a long line of waiting customers (pictured second from top on right) in cutting the ribbon and welcoming Stage Department Store to the Kings Country Shopping Center. Stage is occupying 18,000 square feet of the former Delchamps Store and gives Kings Country the anchor tenant that has been missing since Wal-Mart moved in 1998. Stage Stores Inc. brings nationally recognized brand name apparel, accessories, cosmetics and footwear for the entire family and targets their store development to mid-size cities. The company operates under Stage, Bealls and Palais Royal names throughout the South Central states, and under the Peebles name across the Mid-Atlantic, Southeastern and Midwestern states. Stage Stores Inc. has over 520 stores in 28 states. Another new addition is Rent-A-Center, which is now open between Rite-Aid and Subway. Rent-A-Center is occupying 4,000-square feet that has also been vacant for several years and lasted housed Shoe Town. The addition of Rent-A-Center now provides two new bookends for Rite-Aid, which has toiled without another anchor tenant for quite some time. With Stage and Dollar General now open…Kings Country will again be the place to shop.

Auto Center Opens on Hwy. 165

Pennzoil Xpress Auto Center has opened at 1966 Monroe Highway, in the area known as “Crazy Quilt”, next to Colburn’s Plumbing Supply. Xpress Auto Center has become the latest business to develop along Highway 165 between the Expressway and Pineville High School.

Xpress Auto Center is open Monday thru Friday, 8am to 6pm, and Saturday from 8am to 4pm…and offers a wide variety of tire and engine related services. The auto center compliments a three-phase development that includes an 18-bay boat storage area (viewable to the left of the auto center), and Red River Plaza, a strip-center complex yet to begin construction.

New Biz on Main Street

New business on Main Street continues to grow with the opening of Darron’s Performance Auto, which recently relocated to 1400 Military Highway, across from Pineville Marine. Owner Darron Hartley has assembled a group of ASE certified technicians with over 50-years combined experience. Darron’s is a “complete automotive repair” facility and all work is guaranteed. Darron’s Performance Auto is open from 7:30am to 5:30pm Monday thru Friday. For more information, you can call 487-9909.

Laborde Named Chief

Pineville Mayor Clarence Fields has appointed Eddie Laborde to serve as interim Fire Chief, replacing Gary Morrow, who retired last month. Laborde is a 23-year veteran of the Pineville Fire Department and was selected for the provisional appointment until the Pineville Fire and Police Civil Service board can “call for the test” and give the Mayor a qualified list of candidates to select Morrow’s successor.

Morrow retired after 12-years at Pineville’s helm and helped lead the department to it’s lowest fire rating ever in November 2000, a “Class 2”, as surveyed by the Property Insurance Association of Louisiana. “I want to commend Chief Morrow for his work with our administration and helping us realize some unprecedented goals” according to Mayor Fields. “He has earned the right to enjoy retirement due to his longtime commitment to public safety.”

Laborde is excited about the interim position and is ready to get to work. “Very few firefighters get the opportunity to be called Chief. We have a great department, and I want to say thanks to Mayor Fields and the Pineville City Council for their faith in my appointment.” Laborde says his 23-years with the City of Pineville will also serve him well. “We need to continue to develop and move our department forward to meet the needs of our growing city. It’s a challenge I look forward to.”

The Pineville Fire Department has 52-employees, with Fire Stations on College Drive behind City Hall, on Susek Drive and a station at Camp Beauregard.

Ryan’s Changing Name and Design

The facelift is continuing on what use to be Ryan’s Family Steakhouse, on Monroe Highway, in front of the Pineville Super Wal-Mart. When complete, Fire Mountain Grill will take its place.

Never heard of them? Perhaps you’re more familiar with the Ryan’s chain. If you’ve been to a Ryan’s, then you’ve pretty much been to a Fire Mountain Grill buffet. The two are owned by the same parent company, and offer similar menu items-with the exception that Fire Mountain Grill restaurants offer you steaks and chops “hot off the grill”. In addition to buffet bars that include salads, soups, hot foods, cheeses, vegetables, rolls and desserts, the restaurant will have a display grill behind Plexiglas in the front of the dining room where customers can order steaks, chicken, pork chops, ham and seafood.

Contractors on-site hope to have work completed by the second week of December, and say the change will be welcomed by customers of the popular buffet restaurant.

An Evening of Christmas Music

Monday, December 13th, beginning at 6:00PM, bring the entire family to the Main Street Community Center (708 Main St) for an "Evening of Christmas Music" sponsored by the Task Force for Children's Arts and the City of Pineville. Music begins at 6:00PM with the Grace Christian School Choir. At 6:40, it's the hand-bell choir from Kingsville Baptist Church. At 7:00, there will be a scene from the Family Playhouse production "The Adventures of Beatrix Potter and Friends". The Pineville High School Chamber Singers are next at 7:15 ... and the Louisiana College Community Band completes a great night of Christmas music at 7:45. Come on out!!!

2004 Christmas Parade

The lights are glowing and Downtown Pineville is ready for a parade! The 2004 Pineville Christmas Parade is set to roll up beautiful Main Street in Downtown Pineville, Friday, December 10th, at 7:00PM. The Pineville Christmas Parade is one of the largest in Central Louisiana, and one of the few night parades, so get there early and enjoy the beauty of the Pineville Christmas Parade. This year's Grand Marshal is Todd Hoffman, plant manager for Procter & Gamble. We are honored to have Mr. Hoffman and recognize the role that P&G is playing in the growth that Pineville is experiencing.

"Holiday Express" lights up faces

Over 2,000 people braved the elements to tour the "Holiday Express", a holiday-themed decorated Kansas City Southern freight train that made a pass through Pineville on Tuesday, November 30. The six-car train arrived on Melrose Street in Pineville, near the Louisiana College campus, amid music and steam. The 10,000 lights of the freight cars blazed brightly into the cold, dark night. Featured on the train were a reindeer stable, gingerbread Santa and Mrs. Claus and a lighted sleigh being pulled upward by reindeer. (Photo courtesy of the Town Talk.)

Veterans Remembered

For the third year in a row, the City of Pineville had the privilege to host the annual Veteran’s Day Parade in downtown Pineville. The threat of rain all week did not dampen the spirits who those who came to honor our heroes, both past and present. Blue skies greeted thousands of parade goers who lined the streets from College Boulevard to Huey P. Long Hospital Boulevard. Pineville native Col. Tom Zabasky, who served in Operation Enduring Freedom and returns to Iraq in February, served as grand marshal of the 50-entry parade. The parade was moved from the grounds of the VA Hospital three years ago to place the event on a “bigger platform” like downtown Pineville, as space had become an issue on the hospital grounds. The City of Pineville, the Cenla-Vets organizations and the Pineville Rotary Club sponsor the annual event. (Photo courtesy of The Town Talk.)

The Pineville Police Department has united with traffic safety advocates across a five state region in a concerted drive to convince pickup truck drivers and passengers in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and the Indian Nations to “Buckle Up in Your Truck.”

State observation surveys show that well over a million pickup drivers and passengers in the five state region are still not buckling up, resulting in more than 1,000 pickup occupants dying in the five states every year in traffic crashes. Safety belt use in pickup trucks is 5 to 15 percentage points lower compared to all other passenger vehicles in the five states. Pickups are twice as likely to roll over as passenger cars in fatal crashes. About one out of every four pickups in fatal crashes involves a rollover. Wearing your safety belt reduces the risk of dying in a rollover crash by 70 to 80 percent. And buckling up is your only defense against being ejected from your vehicle, one of the most deadly things that can happen to you in a crash. National research showed that of the partially or completely ejected occupants in the rollover crashes studied that 81 percent were not using safety belts compared to only 18 percent who were.

From November 14 – November 28, Pineville Police officers will also be out in force, participating in the “Buckle Up in Your Truck” campaign and safety belt enforcement mobilization. For driving tips on how to avoid rollover crashes and injuries, visit the web at http://www.actsinc.org/rollovers.cfm. For more information of the value of Buckling Up in Your Truck, visit www.BuckleUpinYourTruck.com.

Fun Again at Buhlow Fun Park!

It’s a nice sight to see the lights burning bright again at Buhlow Fun Park. Under new ownership and management, Buhlow Fun Park had re-opened with fun for the whole family. (The sign will be changed to reflect the new name very soon.) Next to beautiful Buhlow Lake on Highway 165 across from Central Hospital, Buhlow Fun Park currently is observing “school hours” with the park open Fridays – 3:00pm to 10:00pm; and from noon till 10:00pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Buhlow Fun Park offers two go-cart racing tracks - one for adults and one for kids, 18-hole miniature golf course, batting cages for baseball and softball, an indoor 40-machine video arcade, plus concessions are available. For more information, call 442-5110.

Adult Ed. Center moves to Pineville

The Rapides Parish Adult Education Center has a new location. The old Slocum Elementary school building, at 901 Crepe Myrtle in Pineville, is the center’s new home. The Rapides Parish Adult Education Center has a nice track record with over 50-years of committed service to Central Louisiana. For more information, call 445-7017. The Rapides Parish Adult Education Center offers a variety of classes including:

• GED

• Computer

• ACT/SAT/ASVAB

• Refresher Reading, Math & English

• LA Work Ready! Certification

On the Radio!

On Tuesday, October 5, Mayor Clarence Fields and Police Chief Jay Barber were the special guests on Talkback 970 with Dave Graichen. They talked about lots of things happening around Pineville. If you have an MP3 player, you can listen to an archived copy of the interview!

Starting this month this will be a regular feature on KSYL entitled "Tuesday Talkback with the Mayor". The first Tuesday of each month Mayor Fields will be accompanied by different city officials and employees and update the KSYL listeners on happenings in Pineville. So tune in to KSYL AM970 on Tuesday, October 2 for "Tuesday Talkback with the Mayor"!

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