Mistletoe brings kisses for some, headaches for others

Say the word mistletoe, and many of us think of the holiday tradition of receiving a kiss underneath a cluster if green leaves.But if you mention mistletoe to a horticulturist, you might get a different response. That’s because mistletoe isn’t exactly all fun and games.

ENTERTAINMENT, NEWS & EVENTS

OngoingNatchitoches Christmas Festival continues through Jan. 6. Every Saturday there is live music, kids activities, fireworks and more. Tickets are available to purchase online by going to natchitocheschristmas. com Santa Claus House on south end of Downtown Riverbank open through Dec.

Brown, Wachenheim added to Demon staff

As he builds the future of Northwestern State football, head coach Blaine McCorkle reached into his past to fill a couple of holes on his staff.

Public input on environmental impact of tree assistance, farm facility storage programs taken through Jan. 10

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) welcomes input on the assessment of environmental impacts on two programs – the Tree Assistance Program (TAP) and Farm Storage Facility Loan (FSFL) program. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting comments until Jan.

Northwestern State announces formation of Fork ’EM Collective

Northwestern State Athletics announced the launch of the Fork ‘EM Collective, the official Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) collective for Demons’ student-athletes.

Winter celebrations and coldest temperatures

The winter solstice marks the Northern Hemisphere’s first day of winter and the day with the fewest hours of sunlight. It usually occurs around December 21st, like this year, and has been celebrated worldwide since ancient times.

More Louisiana teachers choosing to remain in the profession

The preview of an annual report finds rate of teachers leaving down 2 percent.•More Louisiana teachers are choosing to remain in the profession. The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) previewed findings from their upcoming Teacher Exit Data Report today.

JUST TALKIN

JT hopes you survived the Christmas season without incident.He heard one fellow explain he adopted a new viewpoint this Christmas. It was to deck the halls and not your family.—— JT used to love college football. He doesn’t so much anymore.

Jazz R&B Festival!

Need a good gift? The BAR-KAYS, top, and “Redneck Woman” Gretchen Wilson, right, will be among the performers at the 2025 Natchitoches Jazz/R&B Festival May 9 - 10 on the downtown Natchitoches Riverbank.

Jazz/R&B Festival previews varied lineup of entertainers

Where in the world can you go to one music festival and see a platinum- selling, award winning “Redneck Woman” Country artist on the same stage as a legendary, also platinum selling Funk/R&B showband, along with a faithful recreation of the record-breaking, billion dollar Taylor Swift concert...