Town of Jena
Town
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Parish	La Salle
Area	5.4 sq mi (14 km²)
- land	5.4 sq mi (14 km²)
- water	0.0 sq mi (0 km²), 0%
Center
- coordinates	31°41′24″N 92°07′29″W / 31.69, -92.12472Coordinates: 31°41′24″N 92°07′29″W / 31.69, -92.12472
- elevation	167 ft (50.9 m)
Population	2,971 (2000)
Density	552.7 /sq mi (213.4 /km²)
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
- summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	71342
Area code	318
Location of Jena in Louisiana
Location of Louisiana in the United States

The town of Jena (pronunciation: IPA: /ˈdʒiːnə/) is the seat of La Salle Parish, in the U.S. state of Louisiana.^[1][2] Its population was 2,971 at the 2000 census.

In September 2007, Jena was plunged into the national headlines in the United States for the racial tension surrounding the school system and the Jena Six. The community is 86 percent white in racial composition.

History and politics

Jena was named for Jena, Germany, where French Emperor Napoleon I won the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt in 1806.

U.S. Representative Speedy O. Long (1928–2006), a segregationist Democrat, practiced law in Jena prior to his congressional service (1965–1973). He was later the La Salle Parish district attorney from 1973–1985. Considered the most conservative of the Long family candidates, Speedy Long twice lost bids for governor of Louisiana and once for insurance commissioner. He was a state senator from 1956–1964.

Jena and La Salle Parish have been heavily Republican since the end of the Solid South era. In 1972, Jena supported the Republican gubernatorial canidate David C. Treen, who lost that year to Edwin Washington Edwards. In the 2003 gubernatorial race, however, La Salle Parish voted for the Democratic Lieutenant Governor, Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, rather than the young Republican challenger, Bobby Jindal, an Indian American who went on to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Metairie in Jefferson Parish. Blanco received 2,974 votes (61 percent) to Jindal's 1,917 ballots (39 percent). In the October 20, 2007 gubernatorial jungle primary, however,^[3] Jindal handily carried La Salle Parish with 3,125 ballots (55.08 percent). Walter Boasso, one of two recognized Democratic challengers, ran second in La Salle Parish with 833 ballots (14.68 percent).

La Salle Parish in 2007 also supported the defeated Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, Country music singer Sammy Kershaw of Vermilion Parish in south Louisiana.

Jena is the birthplace of former Louisiana Republican state chairman Mike Francis, an oil driller in Crowley and Lafayette. Francis headed the Louisiana Republican Party from 1994 to 2000.

George Reuben Trussell (1911-2008) served on the elected La Salle Parish Police Jury (county commission in other states) for more than a quarter century and as president of the body for fifteen years. He was also a former member of the La Salle Development Board. At the time of his death, he was the oldest member of the Midway Baptist Church in Jena, where he was a long-time deacon. Trussell was born in Arcadia, the seat of Bienville Parish.^[4]

Surrounding communities

• Midway
• Trout
• Nebo
• Webb Quarters
• Summerville
• Eden
• Goodpine
• Possum Point
• Belah
• Fellowship
• White Sulphur Springs
• Mackeral
• Rogers
• Searcy
• Whitehouse
• Rhinehart

Demographics

As of the census^[5] of 2000, there were 2,971 people,^[2] 1,135 households, and 749 families residing in the town. The population density was 552.7 people per square mile (213.2/km²). There were 1,264 housing units at an average density of 235.2/sq mi (90.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 85.56% White, 12.02% African American, 0.67% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.50% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.21% of the population.

There were 1,135 households, out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were non-families. 31.4% of all households were 21 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the town of Jena, the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 22.5% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 98.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $30,938, and the median income for a family was $39,848. Males had a median income of $31,332 versus $18,317 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,761. About 9.9% of families and 15.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.2% of those under age 18 and 17.0% of those age 65 or over.

Medical Services

Hospital Service District #2 of LaSalle Parish, also known as LaSalle General Hospital, is a 60-bed medical facility, with a 24 hour Emergency Department, a home health, a 101 bed nursing home, and physical therapy. The hospital is currently undertaking a $4 million dollar expansion project.^[6]

Business development

• Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. has built a 100,000 sq.ft. Supercenter on U.S. Route 84 West, a main east-west route between Interstate 49 and Natchez, Mississippi.
• Ace Hardware opened a new 28,000 sq ft store in downtown Jena.
• Southern Heritage Bank opened its new two-story, 12,000 sq.ft. building.
• Homeland Federal Saving Bank from Columbia, Louisiana has opened a new branch in Jena.
• Arrows Industries opened a new expansion. They now employ over 100 people.
• Jena Town Hall has moved into the old Southern Heritage Bank building in downtown Jena.
• Dollar General has re-located to a larger facility across from McDonald's.
• GEO Group is currently expanding the former Wackenhut Corrections Facility to house detainees, costing $30 million dollars.

Education

The La Salle Parish School Board is also located in Jena.

The following schools serve Jena

• Jena High School, 9–12 (Jena)
• Jena Junior High School, 7 & 8 (Jena)
• Goodpine Middle School, 4–6 (Unincorporated La Salle Parish)
• Jena Elementary School, PreK - 3 (Jena)

Racial tension and the Jena Six

Main article: Jena Six

Jena has gained international attention for supposedly being an example of the "new 'stealth' racism" and "reverse discrimination" in the United States^[7][8][9] with focus through a National Public Radio prime time story on July 30.^[10] The town was also featured in a BBC documentary, This World: "Race hate in Louisiana".^[11]

References

External links

• LaSalle General Hospital
• LaSalle Parish School Board
• Catahoula National Wildlife Refuge

v • d • e Municipalities and communities of La Salle Parish, Louisiana
Parish seat: Jena
Towns	Jena | Olla | Tullos | Urania
Census-designated places	Midway