Cooler Weather, Back to School, Football Reigns

Fall is in the air, and everyone is back to school in Central.  Enrollment in the Central Community School System has hit 4,560 so far, and Central High School has 1,546 students for the fall semester. Football began with the jamboree last Friday night with Central High at East Ascension.

Things actually seem quite normal, which is rare in the 19-year history of the City of Central.

The year 2005 was a very significant year. We launched the Central City News on Thursday, April 14, 2005. Two days later, on April 16, the people of Central voted to incorporate as a new city. 

Gov. Kathleen Blanco appointed the first Mayor, Mac Watts, and the new City Council.  They were sworn in on July 11, 2005, and the City of Central came into existence.

But something else very dramatic happened the very next month — Hurricane Katrina slammed into Louisiana on August 29, 2005, with 140 mph winds. Central did not experience the full force of the storm but did have hurricane force winds that felled thousands of trees, blocked roads, and knocked out power for days. At the Central City News, power was out and we produced the paper using a generator.

For months, Central was the logistical center for helicopters and trucks bringing relief to the New Orleans area. There was the atmosphere of a war zone with military vehicles everywhere.

Starting with Katrina, Central experienced one hurricane or other disaster after another. Most notable were Hurricane Ida, the flood of 2016 and the years of Covid.

Now, finally, all of that seems behind us and things have returned to normal. The start of the 2024-2025 school year appears to a wonderful moment in time.

Central Mayor Wade Evans said Central has indeed been blessed. He said, “God has His hand on us.  If we follow His will, He will protect and guide us.”

He said part of God’s direction is showing us the importance of having a good Master Plan for dealing with emergencies.

“Preparation is key for dealing with emergencies. Fortunately, we have a good Master Plan, and everyone in government knows what to do.  For example, when there is the threat of a heavy rain, we immediately go to the 19 hotspots we have identified.  Those are the places that must be cleared of any debris, in order to deal with heavy rain,” he said.

“There’s not a lot of fanfare in preparing for emergencies.  For example, this summer we trained for the possibility of a school shooting. We did not train with cardboard cut outs but with real people.  You need to know what is involved in trying to move a 300-pound man in emergencies.”

He said, “It’s better to be prepared and have nothing happen than to be unprepared and have something terrible happen.”

“I feel we are better prepared than ever,” the Mayor said.