BP Journal Has Launched Bienville Parish Historic Photo Archive

In addition to local news and sports, the Bienville Parish Journal has just launched the Bienville Parish Historic Photo Archive.  The purpose and mission of this archive is for the preservation of local historical photographs, homemade films, and memorabilia, while making them easily accessible.  The collection currently has hundreds of photos dating back to the turn of the twentieth century including vintage family photos, photos of the different Bienville Parish courthouses, festivals, sports teams, schools photos, newspaper clippings, and a collection of Bonnie and Clyde photos.  Hundreds more photos will be added to the collections in the coming days.   

To access the photo collections, click here or go to BienvilleParishJournal.com and click on “Historic Photos.” 

The Bienville Parish Journal encourages everyone to add your historic photos which relate to Bienville Parish to the archive.  It’s free and easy.  Your photos will be preserved for posterity and will be made available for easy access on the website.  To add your historic photos to the archive, please email the Bienville Parish Journal at BPJNewsLA@gmail.com. 

Be sure to sign up for a free subscription to the Journal to receive local news and sports delivered to your email.  Click “Join” at the top of this page. 

The following is a sample of what is currently in the archive:

Joe Harper, Lavon Harper, William Velton Harper, and Billy Velton Harper (from the Lavon Harper Sullivan Collection)

“Nig” Thrasher and Charlie Mazie (from the Laron Mazie Collection)

Arcadia High School marching band circa 1933 (from the Brad Dison Collection)

1954-55 Class Picture (from the Wanda Dison Bell Collection)

$10 Bill from Frist National Bank of Arcadia (from the Brad Dison Collection)

Marriage License from 1925 (from the Elaine Dison Collinsworth Collection)

Four RBI Day For Jaxon Page Brings Victory For Redskins Over Homer

Redskins defeated Homer 20-10 on Monday thanks in part to Jaxon Page, who drove in four runners. Page drove in runs on a groundout in the first, a single in the second, and a single in the third.  Homer scored seven runs in the first inning, but Redskins still managed to pull out the victory. 

Redskins pulled away for good with 12 runs in the second inning. In the second Cain Johnston drew a walk, scoring one run, Jacob Grigg singled on a 2-0 count, scoring two runs, Jackson Moore drew a walk, scoring one run, Redskins scored on a stolen base during Teravion Weathers’s at bat. Then Weathers doubled , driving in one, Bradyen Barber singled on a 0-1 count, scoring one run, Page singled on a 2-1 count, scoring two runs, and Redskins scored on a stolen base during Monroe McCarty’s at bat. Then McCarty homered , driving in two.

Jarred Durr was credited with the victory for Redskins. The ace lasted one-third of an inning, allowing four hits and seven runs while striking out one. Rylan Parks threw three and two-thirds innings in relief out of the bullpen.

Redskins hit one home run on the day. McCarty had a homer in the second inning.

Redskins racked up 19 hits. Barber, Grigg, McCarty, Page, and Parks each managed multiple hits for Redskins. Barber went 4-for-4 at the plate to lead Redskins in hits. Grigg led Redskins with seven stolen bases, as they ran wild on the base paths with 33 stolen bases. Redskins didn’t commit a single error in the field. Grigg had the most chances in the field with five.


Library Offers Small Business Reference Center

DID YOU KNOW… Your neighborhood Bienville Parish Library has access to the Small Business Reference Center Database! This wonderful asset provides up to date information on relevant topics from starting a company, operations management and sales to growing or rescuing a business. The database contains nearly 400 full-text periodicals and over 450 full-text reference books. Items include: “LLC vs Incorporation”, “Starting a 501(c)3” “Dealing with Problem Employees”, “Women in Business” and more!
The section of business videos provides critical information for business owners. Interviews, ‘lessons learned’ features, lectures and ‘how to’ videos help foster success in all aspects of starting and growing a business.
A collection of state-specific resources, such as demographic data, fastest growing cities, licenses and permits, organizations, and more that are important to the start and development of businesses. So if you’re thinking of a small business start-up or have specific questions about your small business check the SMALL BUSINESS REFERENCE CENTER! You can find this database by going to: http://www.bienvillelibrary.org and clicking the DATABASES quick link. Scroll down the right column until you see the green Small Business Reference Center icon. There you have access to a powerful tool to help you in growing your success in business!


Saline Bobcats Unable to Recover from Montgomery’s Early Lead

Saline Bobcats Varsity fell behind early and couldn’t come back in a 3-2 loss to Montgomery on Friday. 

The pitching was strong on both sides. Saline pitchers struck out five, while Montgomery struck out 14.

Shawn Staggs started the game for Saline Bobcats Varsity. The righthander allowed three hits and three runs over six innings, striking out five and walking one.

Logan Parker went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead Saline Bobcats Varsity in hits.

Final score, Saline 2, Montgomery 3.


The Unsinkable Ship

by Brad Dison

It was the largest ship afloat. At over 800 feet in length, nearly three football fields long, it was a floating city. Its engineers used cutting edge technology in every facet of its design. It was considered to be the fastest and safest ship afloat. Each officer aboard the ship was hand-picked based on his prior service record and on a rigid seamanship examination which focused on sea currents, tides, geography, and wind. Its crew was also hand-picked based on the strictest of criteria. The ship boasted two brass bands, two orchestras, and a theatrical company. It had a company of physicians and fireman in case of emergencies.

Engineers designed the ship with nineteen water-tight compartments which could be closed in thirty seconds by simply turning a single lever. Engineers designed the doors of the water-tight compartments in such a way that they would close automatically if they came into contact with rushing water. The ship could stay afloat even if as many as nine of the nineteen compartments flooded. Many people, including its designers, builders, and owners, considered the ship to be unsinkable.

Engineers designed the ship specifically for passenger traffic with every known convenience and comfort imaginable. Every possible amenity was made available to first-class passengers, fewer amenities for second-class passengers, and even fewer for third-class. The likelihood of the ship being destroyed by fire was unimaginable because the ship would not transport combustible cargo. Due to all of the ship’s safety features which rendered it practically unsinkable, the ship carried only twenty-four lifeboats, the number required by law. Cumbersome lifeboats detracted from the travelers’ views of the ocean. Similarly, the ship carried only the number of cork lifejackets required by law. Only about two dozen circular life-buoys decorated the decks of the ship. The buoys were almost considered decorations rather than life-saving devices.

Engineers determined that the ship was safest when traveling at full speed whether in calm waters, in fog, or during storms, for at least four reasons. First, if the ship struck another vessel, the force of the impact would be distributed over a larger area if it was traveling at full speed. Due to the strength of the ship’s construction, the other vessel would sustain the brunt of the damage. Second, due to the ship’s speed, weight, and construction, it would almost certainly destroy the other vessel, probably cut it in two, if traveling at full speed while only receiving damages that could be easily remedied with a paint brush. Traveling at only half speed, the ship would sustain more damages to its bows. Third, at full speed the ship could more easily steer itself out of danger than at half speed. Forth, in case of striking an iceberg, the ships bows would only be crushed in a few feet further at full speed than at half speed. At most, only three of the water-tight compartments would flood, which left six to spare before the ship was in danger of sinking.

On a cold, April night, the ship sailed at full speed in a dense fog in the North Atlantic Ocean. In the bowels of the great ship, members of the black gang, crewmen who garnered the nickname because they were covered with sweat and coal dust, moved coal by shovel and cart into one of the numerous furnaces. The passengers, oblivious to the workers toiling away below, enjoyed a variety of music, food, and other forms of entertainment. Some passengers sat in steamer chairs along the decks in the chilly, salty air.

In the crow’s nest, the highest lookout point on the ship, a single crewman struggled to spot any sign of danger in the thick fog. Most of the passengers were well asleep by this point. “All’s well,” the crewman shouted from the crow’s nest at exactly 1 a.m. At 2 a.m., the crewman in the crow’s nest called out “All’s well,” again. He yelled the same at 3 a.m. A few minutes after 3 a.m., the crewman in the crow’s nest yelled that there was something ahead that he was unable to make out. In the thick fog, the crewman could only make out the faintest outline. He yelled to officers below that it must be another ship. The crewmen tried to turn the ship to avoid a collision, but it was too late. Then the crewmen saw that it was not another ship but a large iceberg. The ship made only a slight shudder when it struck the iceberg. Most of the passengers were unaware that they had struck anything. The ship’s crew was only slightly concerned because the ship was unsinkable.

Conditions on the ship quickly spiraled out of control. Water quickly filled one water-tight compartment after another. The ship began to list. Passengers were awakened by the numerous sounds of plates, glasses, and a host of other items as they crashed to the floor. They scurried to the ship’s decks to see what had happened. Few passengers donned life jackets, and even fewer made it into the less-than-adequate number of lifeboats. The ship sank slowly into the frigid waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. Most of the passengers and crew perished in the sinking of the unsinkable ship.

People around the world know the story of the Titanic, and how the ship sank after it struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean with an enormous loss of life. However, the story you read above was a work of fiction, a novella by Morgan Robertson. The name of the ship in Robertson’s novella was not the Titanic. The fictional ship he created was called the Titan. His book, originally entitled Futility, seemingly recounted the events of the wreck of the Titanic. However, Robertson’s Futility was published … in 1898, fourteen years before the Titanic sank.

Source: Robertson, Morgan. Futility. Rahway, N.J.: The Quinn and Boden Co. Press, 1898.


Ringgold Falls To Mansfield After Sixth Inning Score

Ringgold Redskins stayed in it until the end, but Mansfield pulled away late in a 9-8 victory on Tuesday. The game was tied at seven with Mansfield batting in the bottom of the sixth when #16 grounded out, scoring one run.

Monroe McCarty collected four hits for Ringgold. McCarty singled in the first, singled in the third, singled in the fifth, and singled in the sixth.

Ringgold got things started in the first inning when McCarty singled on a 3-2 count, scoring one run.

McCarty pitched five and two-thirds innings, allowing 11 hits and nine runs while striking out nine.

Ringgold totaled 14 hits. McCarty, Jackson Moore, Montgomery Durr, and Rylan Parks all managed multiple hits for the Redskins. McCarty led with four hits in four at bats. Ringgold didn’t commit a single error. Jacob Grigg made the most plays with seven. Jarred Durr led Ringgold with five stolen bases, as they ran wild on the base paths with 14 stolen bases.

Final score:  Mansfield 9, Ringgold 8.


100 Years Ago in Bienville Parish – Sheriff Arrested Fugitive in Danville

Last Wednesday’s “100 Years Ago in Bienville Parish” article entitled “Man Slain By Son at Danville,” described how a son killed his father in Danville.  During the search for the suspect, Sheriff Currie located a whiskey still which altered the course of the investigation.  Click here to read the article “Man Slain By Son at Danville.” 

According to an article in the March 31, 1921 issue of the Bienville Democrat, “Frazier Williams, who on Sunday night, March 20th, shot and killed his father near Danville, was captured Thursday, March 24th, by Sheriff Currie, four days after the crime was committed.  He was arrest at Danville.  

It is to the credit of Sheriff Currie that the [man] was a prisoner and in jail within only four days after his crime was committed, and the he had also obtained a confession from him, and by doing so, eliminated the expense to the taxpayers of Bienville Parish, of a costly trial by a jury, which might have been anywhere from a few hundred to a thousand dollars or more.

It is to the credit of all of our parish officers concerned that justice in this case has not been delayed.  Following the confession, the [man] entered a plea of guilty in open court and was sentenced by Judge Reynold to serve ten years in the penitentiary at hard labor.”


Will Bradford Drives In Four As Castor Tigers Varsity Wins Over Dodson

Four runs batted in from Will Bradford helped lead Castor Tigers Varsity past Dodson 12-2 on Monday. Bradford drove in runs on a sacrifice fly in the first, a single in the third, a single in the fourth, and a single in the fifth.

Castor Tigers got things moving in the first inning, when Bradford’s sac fly scored one run for Castor.

Castor put up four runs in the fourth inning. Castor batters contributing to the big inning included Drake Freeman, Bradford, and Dylan Waters, all knocking in runs in the inning.

Freeman led things off on the mound for Castor. The pitcher lasted two innings, allowing no hits and no runs while striking out three.

Castor totaled 12 hits. Cade Young, Bradford, and Gage Jordan all managed multiple hits for Castor. Young led Castor with four hits in four at bats. Castor stole eight bases during the game as three players stole more than one. Bradford led the way with two.


Arrest Report

March 21

  • John Lonidier (Arcadia)
    • Simple Battery of the Infirm (Misdemeanor) – Principal

March 22

  • Michael Daniels (Ringgold)
    • Battery of a Police Officer (Felony) Major Injury, 2 counts
    • Resisting an Officer with Force or Violence (Felony) Major Injury, 2 counts
  • Lance Gorden (West Monroe)
    • Child Passenger Restraint System
    • Careless Operation
    • Operating a Vehicle while Intoxicated (Misdemeanor)
  • Damarcus Nolan (Minden)
    • Violation of Probation/Parole
    • Failure to Appear – Execution of Sentence

March 24

  • Frances Burge (Ringgold)
    • Prohibited Acts – Schedule II
    • Possession of Marijuana 1st Offense (Misdemeanor)
    • Possession or Distribution of Drug Paraphernalia (Misdemeanor)
    • Possession of Methamphetamine Less Than 28 Grams (Felony)
  • Victor Harris (Arcadia)
    • D.W.I – 1st Offence (BAC .08 to .15) (Misdemeanor)
    • Driving on Roadway Laned for Traffic
    • Operating a Vehicle with Suspended License; No License Issued
    • Possession of Alcoholic Beverages in Motor Vehicles

March 26

  • Taylor Smith (Arcadia)
    • Operating Vehicle with Suspended License; Other Offenses 

Saline Lady Bobcats Take Late Lead Over Simsboro

Simsboro Lady Tigers Varsity stayed in it until the end, but Saline pulled away late in a 10-9 victory on Friday. The game was tied at eight with Saline batting in the bottom of the sixth when Kylie Bates singled on a 2-2 count, scoring two runs.

Jaydan Williams led things off in the circle for Saline. The fireballer lasted seven innings, allowing ten hits and nine runs while striking out eight.

Saline collected eight hits on the day. Kylie Bates, Terrilynn Cloud, and Ava Toms each had multiple hits for Saline. Saline tore up the base paths, as three players stole at least two bases. Jordan Williams led the way with three.

Final score: Saline 10, Simsboro 9.


Today in History

1736 – Bellevue Hospital was founded in a New York City almshouse.  It was the first public hospital in the United States.

1861 – Confederacy took over mint at New Orleans (US Civil War)

1870 – Thomas Mundy Peterson of Perth Amboy, New Jersey was the first African American to vote in the US under provisions of the 15th Amendment to the Constitution.

1880 – Wabash, Indiana became the first town to claim to be completely illuminated by electric lighting.

1889 – Eiffel Tower officially opened in Paris. Built for the Exposition Universelle, at 300m high it retained the record for the tallest man made structure for 41 years.

1903 – Richard Pearse flew a monoplane several hundred yards in New Zealand.

1917 – The Danish West Indies were officially ceded to the US for $25 million and renamed the Virgin Islands.

1918 – The first daylight savings time in US went into effect.

1923 – The first dance marathon was held in New York City. Alma Cummings set the record of 27 hours with 6 different partners.

1932 – Ford publicly unveiled its V-8 engine.

1933 – Congress authorized the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).

1939 – “The Hound of Baskervilles,” first of 14 films starring Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson was released.

1958 – US Navy formed its atomic submarine division.  On the same day, the USSR suspended its nuclear weapons tests and urged US and Britain to do the same.

1966 – USSR launched Luna 10, the first lunar orbiter.

1967 – Jimi Hendrix burned his first guitar on stage (London)

1968 – US President Lyndon B. Johnson announced in an address to the nation that he would not seek re-election.

1972 – The Official Beatles Fan Club closed down.

1972 – Final day of the rum ration in the Royal Canadian Navy.

1973 – Muhammad Ali suffered a broken jaw in a shock split-points decision loss to Ken Norton over 12 rounds in San Diego; Ali won in a rematch in another controversial split decision.

1983 – “Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life,” was released in the US.

1991 – Danny Bonaduce attacked a transvestite prostitute in Phoenix, Arizona.

2020 – British pensioner Robert Weighton became the world’s oldest man at 112 years.


2nd Amendment, Gun Rights Poised to Return to Supreme Court

Royal Alexander/Opinion

The latest legal challenge concerns a New York law governing licenses to carry concealed handguns in public but there are potentially a host of others as well.

The U.S. Supreme Court appears poised to strengthen and expand 2nd Amendment rights after a decade of no action on the issue. The Court has several current opportunities to further address the scope of its Heller decision that generally pose one legal question: how far may states go in restricting the individual right to carry guns outside a home.

These various legal challenges have worked their way up to the Supreme Court and now require at least four members of the Court to vote to grant the application to hear the cases.
These challenges include the New York law as well as multiple other cases nationally presenting distinct legal issues.

The Supreme Court has not directly addressed the issue of gun rights since its landmark rulings in 2008 and 2010. The 2008 Heller decision held that the right to keep and bear arms was both a collective (military and law enforcement) right as well as an individual right. The 2010 McDonald decision simply held that the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment extended to the states and municipalities the 2nd Amendment’s right to keep and bear arms.

Several months ago, the Court considered a different prohibition by New York City that kept gun owners from transporting firearms to ranges or second homes outside of the city but then decided not to hear the case after NY City officials repealed that prohibition, rendering that case moot.

During its 10-year break, the Court’s inactivity allowed a number of questionable gun laws and regulations to be passed and then remain law. These included, for example, a suburban Chicago ban on semi-automatic weapons, a variety of prohibitions across the country against carrying guns in public, age limits for carrying guns in Texas and requiring citizens to disable or lock up guns when not in use in San Francisco.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett, as a federal appeals court judge, dissented from a 2019 opinion that banned convicted felons from owning a gun. That Kanter case involved a man, Rickey Kanter, who had pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud. Judge Barrett wrote in her dissent that the gun ban went too far because it was being applied to someone who had not been convicted of a violent crime, only mail fraud.

In her dissent, then-judge Barrett wrote that “history is consistent with common sense: It demonstrates that legislatures have the power to prohibit dangerous people from possessing guns. But that power extends only to people who are dangerous. Founding-era legislatures did not strip felons of the right to bear arms simply because of their status as felons.”

Still other gun rights issues now pending before the Supreme Court involve a Pennsylvania man who pleaded guilty to driving under the influence in 2005 who is challenging the ban on purchasing or owning a gun. In another, a Pennsylvania woman who pleaded guilty to making a false statement on her tax returns sued over the ban. Also, the frequently reversed U.S. 9th Circuit recently upheld a Hawaii gun regulation that limits the ability of citizens to openly carry guns in public.

Further, in yet another New York State case, two residents sought a license to carry guns outside their home but were denied because they supposedly didn’t meet the state’s requirement that they have a “special need for self-protection” above and beyond what’s required by the general public. (That standard is so broad I doubt many of us could meet it but undoubtedly our right to self-defense is a “special need” for millions of us!).

Our Constitutional rights are rights that are “fundamental to the Nation’s scheme of ordered liberty and deeply rooted in this Nation’s history and tradition.” None of those rights are more important than the 2nd Amendment and the Court should strive to further enshrine and protect it.


Castor Runs Away With Early Lead Over Ringgold

Ringgold Redskins fell behind early and couldn’t come back in a 14-4 loss to Castor on Friday. Castor scored on a single by #25, a double by #44, and a stolen base by #52 in the first inning. 

The Redskins struggled to contain the high-powered offense of Castor, giving up 14 runs.

Castor got things started in the first inning. #25 singled on a 2-0 count, scoring one run.

Castor scored six runs in the fifth inning. The big inning for Castor came thanks to a single by #25, a groundout by #52, and a double by #19.

#1 took the win for Castor. The hurler allowed three hits and two runs over one inning, striking out one. #25 threw four innings in relief out of the bullpen.

Monroe McCarty took the loss for Redskins. The bulldog surrendered six runs on six hits over three innings, striking out two.
Bradyen Barber went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead Redskins in hits. Redskins didn’t commit a single error in the field. McCarty had five chances in the field, the most on the team.

Castor scattered 11 hits in the game. #25, #22, and #12 all managed multiple hits for Castor. Castor was sure-handed in the field and didn’t commit a single error. #44 had the most chances in the field with eight. Castor tore up the base paths, as seven players stole at least two bases. #44 led the way with six.

Ethan Latour, Landyn Crow, Gage Jordan, Cade Young, and Will Bradford each collected one hit to lead Castor Tigers Varsity. Austin Cooper led Castor Tigers Varsity with two stolen bases, as they ran wild on the base paths with nine stolen bases.

Final Score: Castor 14, Ringgold 4


Notice of Death – March 30


  • Edward Marion Scallion
    July 28, 1943 – March 25, 2021
    Service: Today, March 31, 2021 at 1 p.m. at Rockett-Nettles Funeral Home Chapel in Coushatta
  • Doris Marian Powell Driever
    March 05, 1926 – March 27, 2021
    Service: TBA 
  • Miriam Maria Kelly
    February 05, 1936 – March 28, 2021
    Service: Thursday, April 1, 2021 at Harmony Grove Cemetery near Dodson
  • Alice Lorene Weeks
    November 10, 1926 – March 28, 2021
    Service: TBA

EMERGENCY ROAD CLOSURE: LA 9 Overpass & I-20 Eastbound

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development advises motorists that, effective immediately, the LA 9 overpass over I-20, as well as BOTH eastbound lanes of I-20 near Arcadia in Bienville Parish are closed.

This closure is due to emergency repairs that are necessary on the LA 9 overpass bridge deck.

I-20 eastbound will be reopened when the concrete patching is complete, although the LA 9 overpass will need to be closed overnight to allow for concrete curing.

Please be prepared for delays and congestion during the closure of I-20 eastbound, as DOTD crews work to repair the overpass. As always, we appreciate the public’s patience.

Alternate route: I-20 eastbound traffic is being diverted off at Exit 67 (LA 9) and back on again at the interchange on-ramp.

Restrictions/Permits: N/A

This work will be performed WEATHER PERMITTING.

Safety Reminder:  DOTD appreciates your patience and reminds you to please drive with caution through the construction site and be on the lookout for work crews and their equipment.  Area residents should exercise caution when driving, walking, or biking near an active construction zone.

Additional information:

Call 511, visit http://www.511la.org, or download the Louisiana 511 mobile app for additional information. Out-of-state travelers may call I-888-ROAD-511 (1-888-762-3511). Motorists may also monitor the LA DOTD website at wwwsp.dotd.la.gov, by selecting MyDOTD, or by visiting the DOTD Facebook and Twitter pages.

Contact information:

Erin Buchanan
Public Information Officer
Shreveport-Bossier District
(318) 549-8402
erin.buchanan@la.gov


Campbell Awarding $2.5 Million in Energy-Efficiency Grants to Area Governments Including Bienville Parish

SHREVEPORT, LA. – Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell is awarding nearly $2.5 million in grants to local governments and parish school systems in Northwest Louisiana to promote energy efficiency.

Energy upgrades funded by the grants include high-efficiency LED lights in buildings operated by local public agencies.

“These improvements will lower electric bills by thousands of dollars for these public institutions,” Campbell said.

The LPSC Energy Efficiency program for public entities and political subdivisions is an offshoot of the commission’s “Quick Start” Energy Efficiency program, which since 2013 has helped residential and commercial utility customers lower their electricity consumption across Louisiana. Participating utilities are SWEPCO, Entergy and CLECO.

“Energy Efficiency is a cost-effective way to reduce energy costs, improve building comfort and preserve our environment,” Campbell said. “Every dollar that our local governments and public bodies save on their electric bills is a dollar that can help them improve service to the public in other ways.”

The recipients of Campbell’s 2021 efficiency grants for Northwest Louisiana public institutions are:
Bienville Parish School Board: $296,330.00
• De Soto Parish Police Jury: $220,893.00
• Red River Parish School Board: $165,947.00
• Webster Parish School Board: $385,000.00
• City of Shreveport: $250,000.00
• Caddo Parish Fire District 8: $50,000.00
• Winn Parish School Board: $57,571.00
• Town of Greenwood: $17,837.00
• De Soto Parish School Board: $913,632.00
• Bossier Parish Community College: $500,000.00

The next round of LPSC District 5 grants will be awarded in 2022. The deadline for applying is January 31, 2022.

For more information, contact Gary Hobbs in Campbell’s LPSC District 5 office in Shreveport, 318-676-7464 or gary.hobbs@la.gov.


Starting Monday, All Louisianans 16 or Older will be Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine

All Louisianans 16 years old or older will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine beginning Monday, March 29, following news from the federal government that Louisiana’s allocation of vaccine doses will significantly increase next week, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced Wednesday.

Since the start of the vaccination process, Louisiana’s weekly allocations of vaccine from the federal government have more than doubled, with Louisiana now slated to get more than 148,000 first doses directly next week, in addition to vaccine doses provided to partner pharmacies in a federal pharmacy program as well as the Federally Qualified Health Care Center program. More than one million Louisianans have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. With the B.1.1.7., or U.K. variant, continuing to increase in Louisiana and neighboring states, it is essential to get Louisiana vaccinated as quickly and equitably as possible.

“Based on the doses that we will have available in the coming week, now is absolutely the time to expand vaccine eligibility as broadly as we possibly can, which is to everyone age 16 or older in Louisiana. This is an exciting development, but the hard work of making sure our family members, friends, coworkers and neighbors all have access to the vaccine will continue for months,” Gov. Edwards said. “Our goal has been to get vaccine doses we receive into someone’s arm within seven days of the doses arriving, because a shot sitting on a shelf doesn’t help us end this pandemic. All three available vaccines are safe and effective for every community and they represent our best hope of being able to Bring Louisiana Back.”

Currently, all people in Louisiana who are 65 and older, all health care workers, people ages 16 to 64 with certain health conditions and people 16 or older in certain essential jobs are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in Louisiana. Starting Monday, March 29, all of the eligibility guidelines will be dropped in Louisiana and anyone who is 16 or older will be eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

Appointments will still be required and providers may need time to update their scheduling systems, which means that people may have to wait a few days to schedule their appointments for next week. There are three authorized COVID-19 vaccines used in the United States: two-dose vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna and a one-dose shot from Johnson & Johnson. People ages 16 and 17 are only eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine, and they should consult their primary care doctor or vaccine provider to ensure the proper vaccine is administered.

“I am deeply grateful for Louisiana’s health care workers and vaccine providers who have worked tirelessly not only to treat sick patients, but now to vaccinate our people. This has been an absolutely unprecedented effort and Louisiana’s nurses, doctors and other health care workers have risen to the occasion each and every time they’ve been called upon. I hope people will be patient over the next few days as providers begin accepting appointments. Please know that there will be enough doses for everyone who wants a shot to get one eventually,” Gov. Edwards said.

Last week, the Louisiana Department of Health launched the Bring Back Louisiana grassroots campaign, which will bring COVID-19 vaccines to communities of concern through community events and targeted outreach. To sign up to volunteer for this effort, click here.

For information about where to get the COVID-19 vaccine in Louisiana and for more information, visit COVIDVaccine.la.gov.


Today in History

127 – Greek astronomer and mathematician Ptolemy began his observations of the heavens (until 141 AD)

1804 – Congress ordered the removal of Indians east of Mississippi to Louisiana

1804 – Territory of Orleans organized in Louisiana Purchase

1845 – Patent awarded for adhesive medicated plaster, precursor of band-aid

1937 – Joe DiMaggio took Ty Cobb’s advice and replaced his 40 oz. bat with a 36 oz. one

1943 – Elsie S. Ott was 1st woman to be awarded US Air Force Medal

1945 – The Raising of the Flag on Iwo Jima.  Allies led by US Marine Corps secured the island of Iwo Jima from Imperial Japanese Army, after 18,000 Japanese & 6,000 Americans killed

1953 – Dr. Jonas Salk announced that he had successfully tested a vaccine to prevent polio, clinical trials began the next year

1955 – “Ballad of Davy Crockett” version recorded by Hill Hayes became the #1 record in US

1970 – 500th nuclear explosion announced by the US since 1945

1971 – “Benny Hill Show” topped TV ratings

1973 – TV Soap “The Young & the Restless” premiered on CBS

1976 – Wings released “Wings at the Speed of Sound” album

1982 – Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder released the single “Ebony & Ivory” in the UK

1986 – Geffen records signed Guns & Roses

1987 – National Federation of State High School Associations adopted the college 3 point shot (21 feet)

1997 – Thirty-nine bodies found in the Heaven’s Gate cult suicides

1999 – The “Melissa worm” infected Microsoft word processing and e-mail systems around the world.

2005 – “Doctor Who” returned to BBC TV after 16 years with the debut of Christopher Eccleston as the Ninth Doctor and Billie Piper as Rose

2018 – “The Black Panther” became the highest grossing superhero film in America earning $630.9m

2019 – Stolen Pablo Picasso painting “Buste de Femme” (Dora Maar) (1938) recovered after 20 years by Dutch art detective


Interstate Closure: I-20 at the LA 532 Overpass Near Minden

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development advises motorists that on beginning on Tuesday, March 30, 2021, there will be nighttime full closures on I-20 eastbound and westbound at the LA 532 interchange near Minden in Webster Parish.

Traffic will be diverted to the interchange ramps and back to the interstate.

These closures are scheduled to take place from approximately 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. nightly from Tuesday, March 30th through Friday, April 2nd, and are necessary to allow the contractor to hang concrete girders for the new LA 532 overpass currently under construction.

Work on the project to replace the LA 532 overpass is ongoing and is anticipated to be complete in late Fall 2021.

This work will be performed WEATHER PERMITTING.

Safety Reminder:  DOTD appreciates your patience and reminds you to please drive with caution through the construction site and be on the lookout for work crews and their equipment.  Area residents should exercise caution when driving, walking, or biking near an active construction zone.

Additional information:

Call 511, visit http://www.511la.org, or download the Louisiana 511 mobile app for additional information. Out-of-state travelers may call I-888-ROAD-511 (1-888-762-3511). Motorists may also monitor the LA DOTD website at wwwsp.dotd.la.gov, by selecting MyDOTD, or by visiting the DOTD Facebook and Twitter pages.

Contact information:

Erin Buchanan
Public Information Officer
Shreveport-Bossier District
(318) 549-8402
erin.buchanan@la.gov


Cryptoquote

Print this page to work the puzzle.

Instructions:
ZCIRPZCI is EINSTEIN
In Cryptoquotes, one letter stands for another. In the example above, Z is used for two E’s, I for the two N’s, etc. Single letters, double letters, apostrophes, the length and formation of the words are all hints. The code letters change with each puzzle.

TODAY’S CRYPTOQUOTE:

DE SHM KHHX WZ TBWZ SHM BWJF DU KDEF, SHM’KK WKTWSN BWJF LHOF. DE SHM KHHX WZ TBWZ SHM VHU’Z BWJF DU KDEF, SHM’KK UFJFO BWJF FUHMQB. ~ HAOWB TDUEOFS

Cryptoquote solution from March 19th:  “If life were predictable it would cease to be life, and be without flavor.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt


Saline Bobcats Varsity Falls to Red River

Ethan Roberts Pitching

In the last inning, Saline Bobcats Varsity got their offense started when Shawn Staggs singled on a 1-0 count, scoring one run.

Red River pulled away for good with four runs in the third inning.  In the third, #3 singled on the first pitch of the at bat, scoring one run, #2 singled on a 3-2 count, scoring one run, and #9 singled on a 1-2 count, scoring one run.

#24 led things off on the mound for Red River.  The hurler allowed three hits and two runs over five innings, striking out four.

Ethan Roberts toed the rubber for Saline.  The pitcher surrendered five runs on five hits over two and a third innings, striking out three.  Staggs threw three and two-thirds innings in relief.

Jacob Jones, Hunter Laborde, and Staggs all had one hit to lead Saline.  Saline tore up the base paths, as two players stole at least two bases.  Will Dison led the way with three.

Red River totaled nine hits in the game.  #3 and #14 all managed multiple hits or Red River.  #3 led Red River with three hits in four at bats.

Final score: Red River 5, Saline 3.

Shawn Staggs Pitching, Will Dison Catching

Library Helps You Tackle Technology with Ease

DID YOU KNOW… If you are new to computers, haven’t used them for a while, are a little unsure and uncomfortable, or just need a bit of a refresher, your Bienville Parish Library has access to DigitalLearn. org in the DATABASES section of the http://www.bienvillelibrary.org website.

Click on the DATABASES icon, scroll down until you find, DIGITALLEARN.ORG — there you’ll find the tools to help you tackle technology at your own pace and gain the confidence you need to succeed! The mini-courses run from 9 minutes to 20 minutes in length, and are user friendly and broken down into easy to apply tasks.

Need to get an email address? Need to brush up on buying a plane ticket online? How about using social media? There’s even a course on how to recognize an online scam!

If you need extra help, drop into your neighborhood Bienville Parish Library and ask your favorite librarian to help you log on today! All you need is a library card! — Don’t have a library card? No problem – We can help you! We’re open, safe and secure. See you at the library!