Latest news with #Sulphur
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Chickasaw Nation Hosts Workshop for First American Princesses
The Chickasaw Nation Genealogy Program hosted a princess workshop for the five tribes' royalty in May at the Chickasaw Cultural Center, Sulphur, Oklahoma. Princesses from the Chickasaw, Cherokee, Choctaw, Muscogee and Seminole Nations were in attendance. Never miss Indian Country's biggest stories and breaking news. Click here to sign up to get our reporting sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Chickasaw Nation Genealogy Manager Wilson Seawright served as master of ceremonies for the event, leading the introduction and panel questions. 'Princesses are held in high regard, not only in the Chickasaw Nation, but all five tribes,' Seawright said. 'We consider them ambassadors to the public.' Brandon White Eagle, the Chickasaw Nation Language Education Coordinator, led the invocation in Chickasaw, followed by a Lord's Prayer performance by each tribe's princesses. Each princess was asked to introduce herself, allowing the young women to learn more about one another and create networking opportunities across princess programs. Princesses were able to listen and engage in a group panel discussion with leading cultural ambassadors for each tribe. The purpose of the panel was to educate the princesses on historical information and traditions about each tribe present. 'These princesses are ambassadors for the state of Oklahoma,' Seawright said. 'It behooves them to know information about all the tribes.' Panelists included: LaDonna Brown, Chickasaw Nation Director of Anthropology; Ian Thompson, Choctaw Nation Tribal Historic Preservation Officer; Jake Tiger, Seminole Nation Cultural Technician; and RaeLynn Butler, Muscogee Nation Secretary of Culture and Humanities. Panel questions discussed traditional regalia, food delicacies, games, Removal and creation stories among the five tribes. Each panelist also discussed the homeland of the tribe they represented. Brown spoke of the historic Homeland of the Chickasaw people, which includes parts of present-day north Mississippi, northwest Alabama, west Tennessee and southwest Kentucky. 'Abaꞌ Bínniꞌliꞌ (He Who Sits Above) led us to this Homeland,' Brown said. 'When we followed this sacred pole, the Itti' Fabassa' Holitto'pa', to our Homeland, he (Creator) brought us to that area. It's not just a place that our ancestors carved out a niche for ourselves. We believe God gave us that land to live in and to live in forever.' The princesses fellowshipped together during lunch at the Aaimpa' Café. Of the menu items, pashofa was a fan favorite. Pashofa is a traditional food among the Chickasaw people and has been declared the national dish of the Chickasaw Nation, made with cracked-pearl hominy and pork. For the final portion of the workshop, the princesses strolled down to the Chikasha Inchokka' Traditional Village. They gathered in the Council House, where a traditional hair demonstration took place. T'ata Begay, a tribal researcher for the Choctaw Nation, led a presentation and demonstration on traditional hairstyles worn by both men and women of the Choctaw Nation. 'The Choctaw people were identified as the Pashi Falaya, which is the 'Long Haired People,'' Begay said. 'Something that also helped to identify the Choctaw men was a long lock of hair that was placed on the right side in front of the ear.' Begay said Choctaw women were often seen wearing their long locks in top knots and other buns, fastened in place with ribbons. Many women also used animal fats, such as bear fat, as a substance to hold their hair in place. Following the Choctaw presentation was the Seminole Nation with a traditional hairstyles presentation by Jake Tiger. He emphasized the importance and significance of bear grease among the five tribes for their hairstyles. As he discussed, Begay provided a sample that was passed around for the princesses to see, smell and touch. LaDonna Brown led the presentation for the Chickasaw Nation while a live demonstration was completed with a Chickasaw barber and two Chickasaw models. The barber cut the two models' hair in a pre-Removal warrior style cut. The barber then used bear grease in the final part of the Chickasaw presentation to finish the style. Learn more about the Chickasaw Princess Program and upcoming events. The Chickasaw Princess Program is a long-standing, annual tradition first established in 1963. The program selects exemplary young Chickasaw women to serve as Chickasaw Nation tribal royalty each year. The young leaders are tasked with demonstrating servant leadership throughout their reign while carrying out the mission of the Chickasaw Nation: to enhance the overall quality of life of the Chickasaw people. Chickasaw princesses must be Chickasaw citizens residing within the Chickasaw Nation. Additional eligibility requirements apply. Young women interested in becoming 2025-2026 Chickasaw Royalty are welcome to attend the 'Princess in Training' event July 26, in Ada, Oklahoma. Instructors will go over necessary eligibility and documents, teach about traditional dress, discuss pageant tips and tricks, provide language lessons, and practice interview skills. The event will take place 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. To RSVP for the 'Princess in Training' event, email Solve the daily Crossword
American Press
22-07-2025
- Sport
- American Press
Long road to national title, Ty LaVergne tames bulls at NHSFR
Rodeo life means thousands of miles and countless hours on the road, but it allows for ample time for reflection. DeQuincy sophomore bull rider Ty LaVergne spent 15 hours and 1,000 miles from Shawnee, Oklahoma, to Rock Springs, Wyoming, thinking about his scoreless week at the International Finals Youth Rodeo. By the time he arrived at the National High School Finals Rodeo, he knew what he had to do and won his first high school national championship. 'I just knew I had to do my job,' LaVergne said. The championship came down to the final round on Saturday at the Sweetwater Events Complex. LaVergne watched the other 19 short-go round qualifiers make a run at the title before he got his shot close 10 p.m. that evening. He needed 63.5 points, but left no doubt that he is one of the rising bull riders in the country with a career-best 87-point ride. After a couple of leaps right out of the game, the bull didn't take it easy on LaVergne as he spun left away from his hand. He spun LaVergne round three times, but he held on for the highest-scoring ride of the week. He didn't show any nerves in his first NHSFR appearance and was the only bull rider to score 80-plus points in all three rounds. He won the first go-round with 86 points and was fifth in the second-go round with 80 points. 'It feels pretty good,' LaVergne said. 'I had a lot of fun. 'I drew really good (bulls) and executed. I drew to win.' LaVergne finished with 253 points while runner-up Wyatt Bowman (Plain City, Utah) had 229.5 points. Carter Shaw of Haughton was third with 228 points. LaVergne's championship at the NHSFR is the first for a Louisiana cowboy or cowgirl since 2020, when Sulphur's Kolby Stelly was the top bull rider and Josey Murphy won the breakaway title. LaVergne and his older brother, Wyatt, each won state championships in May at the Louisiana High School Finals Rodeo at Burton Coliseum. LaVergne beat defending state champion Brennan Polito 126.4-102.25. The elder LaVergne, the four-time defending Louisiana saddle bronc riding state champion, was looking to win his first NHSFR title, but got off to a rough start after his horse flipped over out of the chute in the first-go round and he was bucked off on his re-ride. He placed seventh in the second-go round at 75.5 but didn't make the short-go round. Wyatt was named as the 2025 recipient of the 35th annual Lane Frost Memorial Scholarship of $4,000. He placed third at the IFYR the week before. Also at the IFYR, Fisher Burnworth of DeQuincy won the bareback riding title with rides of 74, 78 and 83 points. Sulphur's William Gunter finished ninth in steer wrestling at the NHSFR with an aggregate time of 25.37 seconds. His top time was 5.25 seconds, the second-best time in the short-go round on Saturday. He placed third in the first-go round at 5.17 seconds before a 14.95-second time in the second-go round.
Fast Company
18-07-2025
- General
- Fast Company
There is a bizarre red-state quest to prevent community air quality monitoring
For years, Cynthia Robertson had a particular morning routine: Every day, she would display a flag on her front porch in Sulphur, Louisiana, the color of which corresponded to the current air quality. On one far end of the spectrum, a purple flag meant there was hazardous air filled with particulate matter, and everyone's health effects were increased; on the other end, a green flag meant the air quality was 'satisfactory,' with air pollution posing little or no risk. In between were red, orange, and yellow flags. Residents already know there's pollution in their neighborhood, thanks primarily to the 16-plus industrial plants that surround their city. 'We can smell it,' Robertson says. But the flags helped to quantify just how bad the air was on any particular day. Robertson is the executive director of Micah 6:8 Mission, an environmental nonprofit in Southwest Louisiana. The front porch where she would display flags was actually the nonprofit's property, where there's also a community garden, an orchard, a pond, goats, chickens, and educational programs open to the community. Micah 6:8 Mission would also post a picture of the day's flag, and the color chart explaining its meaning, to its Facebook page—details that helped residents gauge whether they should be spending time outdoors, or wait it out inside. 'Particulate matter is a killer,' Robertson says, referring to particles that are 2.5 micrometers or less in size, and which can come from all sorts of pollution, from vehicle exhaust to burning fuels. 'That tells you, 'Don't go out and garden this morning. Wait until the air calms down after the overnight releases from the plants.'' The super-early-rate deadline for Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies Awards is Friday, July 25, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today.
American Press
11-07-2025
- Sport
- American Press
Portal door swinging at ULL, Ragin' Cajuns keep ties to SW Louisiana
Barbe's Landon Victorian delivers a pitch against Sulphur during a nonselect Division I semifinal in 2023 at McMurry Park in Sulphur. (Leroy Tadermy / Special to the American Press) Although a few players have transferred out, the Louisiana-Lafayette baseball team is maintaining its strong connection to Southwest Louisiana. The team released a list of 10 transfers on social media on Tuesday, which included a pair of former Barbe High School standouts in two-sport star Landon Victorian and 2023 Louisiana Sports Writers Association Mr. Baseball Donovan Lasalle. Three area players — former Sam Houston High players Luke Yuhasz and Sam Ardoin, and former Singer High pitcher Tate Hess — entered the NCAA transfer portal. They are part of a group of 14 Ragin' Cajun players who started searching for a new school on June 2 when the portal opened. With the addition of incoming freshmen Cole Flanagan, who helped lead Sam Houston to its first state championship since 2001, the Cajuns will have six area players on their 2026 roster, including Griffin Hebert (Sam Houston), Owen Galt (Barbe) and Kasen Bellard (Barbe). The trio started a combined 67 games as freshmen. After two seasons at Oklahoma State, Lasalle announced on June 12 his intention to transfer to Louisiana-Lafayette with two years of eligibility remaining. As a senior at Barbe in 2023, Lasalle hit 10 home runs, including a grand slam in the Bucs' 10-4 state championship win over West Monroe. He batted .510 with 43 RBIs, 57 runs scored and 33 stolen bases. The outfielder batted .194 for Oklahoma State with three home runs and eight RBIs in 43 games. Victorian, who signed with LSU coming out of high school, played for Oklahoma last season. The 6-foot-3, 178-pound right-hander appeared in one game for the Sooners, against Texas Southern in February. He pitched two innings with one strikeout and one walk and allowed no runs. At Barbe, Victorian was the star on the mound as a junior during the Bucs' championship run in 2023. He went 8-0 with a 0.98 earned run average. He had 80 strikeouts and six walks in 50 innings. After playing three seasons for the Cajuns, two in the outfield and one at first base, Yuhasz, who played baseball and football in high school, is transferring to South Carolina. Yuhasz, who made the Sun Belt Conference all-tournament team, hit .320 with 25 runs, 26 RBIs and six home runs. Right-handed pitcher Hess is headed to Dallas Baptist with two years of eligibility left. He went 6-3 in 2025 with 65 strikeouts in 58 2/3 innings and a 5.68 ERA. After starting in 27 games as a sophomore at second base for the Cajuns, Ardoin is headed to Northwestern State in Natchitoches. Ardoin, the son of former MLB catcher Danny Ardoin, played for Texas as a freshman. The Cajuns also lost their pitching coach, former ULL all-American pitcher and Barbe standout Gunner Leger. He resigned last week after two seasons to take the same position at Southern Mississippi.
American Press
29-06-2025
- Business
- American Press
Sulphur applies for funding for water plant, senior citizen center repairs
(Special to the American Press) The Sulphur City Council approved two cooperative endeavor agreements (CEAs) to receive reimbursement funds from the Louisiana Department of Treasury during a special meeting on Tuesday. During the 2024 legislative session, state lawmakers dedicated $113 million to be distributed to Louisiana nonprofits and charitable organizations — museums, churches, health care organizations — and to local governments through the supplemental appropriations bill, which passed as Act 776. Sulphur Mayor Mike Danahay said at the meeting the city received word from state Sen. Jeremy Stine in April 2024 that Sulphur qualified for two dedications: $250,000 for water plant equipment and $200,000 for general appropriations. The $250,000 allocation will be put towards the replacement of equipment of water plants, but does not designate which plants will receive replacements. Danahay said the funds will be used 'wherever necessary' for the city's water plants. The $200,000 will reimburse the city for improvements to the senior citizen center. Public Works Director Austin Abrahams said some of these repairs included the replacement of an air conditioning unit, a new stove, electrical work, tinted windows and the replacement of the main building's tile. The other $150,000 of the $200,000 allocation will reimburse fire hydrant replacements. He said the city will be able to replace about 20 of the 11,000 hydrants in the city. He said the reimbursements have a 'pretty quick turnaround' once the CEAs are submitted, less than six months. After projects are completed, the reimbursements will be sent from the state and placed in the city's general fund, which funds capital projects. The city is operating on a 'compressed' timeline to sign the CEAs and return the documentation to the state before June 30, Danahay said. They were notified of the awarded funds on May 12 and received the CEAs on May 19. The items were introduced during the regular June meeting. While the CEAs are required to be completed, returned and acted upon by the Louisiana Treasury by June 30, Abrahams said that the city will file an extension for the projects that cannot be completed by the end of the month.
