Central City News

By Woody Jenkins Editor, Central City News As the month of July 2005 neared, the people of Central waited in anticipation.  Fear that Gov. Kathleen Blanco would refuse to appoint an interim mayor, police chief and City Council subsided when Central’s state legislators, Reps. Donald Ray Kennard and Bodi White, announced that they had made […]

Devon Gales was a star athlete for Central High School and an even better person, bringing love and encouragement to his teammates. He was good enough to win a football scholarship to Southern University.  However, his dream of playing college ball was ended by a tragic injury while Southern was playing the University of Georgia.  […]

When the world says comply with illegal and unconstitutional mandates, what would you do? Rev. Tony Spell stood against the Governor, law enforcement, and the media to protect the First Amendment and the right of people to worship in church.  Threatened with imprisonment, he never gave in and Life Tabernacle never closed its doors. In […]

Gil Matherne grew up poor in Lafourche Parish, but he was a fine athlete and earned a football scholarship to ULM in Monroe, where he met a beautiful young cheerleader. After college, Gil and Michelle moved to Central where they started GM Cable, now one of the largest providers of fiber optics in Louisiana.  In […]

At Central High, Daniel Wesley was known for his wit and school spirit.  His father was an Emergency Medical Technician and Daniel studied to be an EMT at Central High.  At 5:40 p.m. on Nov. 27, 2016, during his senior year, Daniel was on Essen Lane in Baton Rouge when he saw a horrible tragedy […]

Jr. Shelton was Mayor of Central during the Great Flood of 2016, when more than 85 percent of the homes in Central flooded — the worse natural disaster in Central in at least 150 years.  Mayor Shelton exemplified the highest standard of public service, helping thousands of flood victims in a time of extreme crisis, […]

Woody Jenkins Editor, Central City News I was born in Baton Rouge and have lived here almost my entire life, but five formative years were spent in Rougon, a rural area of Pointe Coupee Parish. I was an only child, and we lived on a farm. No other children lived nearby. From 1951-1956 when I […]

Russell Starns Founder, City of Central When I look back at where we were before becoming a city and compare it to where we are now, many things come to mind. I’m so glad we have maintained our core values of conservatism, honesty, and integrity throughout this journey. These principles have guided our decisions, shaped […]

David Barrow Mayor, City of Central (2019-2023) I enjoyed my tenure with the City of Central from starting off as chairman of the first Planning & Zoning Commission in 2005 to becoming Chief Administrative Officer in 2007 under Mayor Mac Watts (the best Mayor Central has ever had) to becoming Mayor in 2019.  It was […]

May 2005 was an important time in the history of Central. On April 19, the Central City News began publication, and two days later the voters of Central voted to incorporate Central as Louisiana’s newest city.  May 2005 was a time of great excitement but also apprehension about the future. All eyes in the capital […]