100 Years Ago in Bienville Parish – Parish High School Graduates of 1921

Arcadia, Castor, Gibsland-Coleman, Saline and Ringgold recently held their high school graduation ceremonies in May as they have done for well over a century.  100 years ago this week, high schools throughout the parish held graduation ceremonies at their respective schools, some of which no longer exist.      

Through the years, with populations moving to other areas for one reason or another, some schools have had to close.  Included in the list of high schools which no longer exist are Bienville and Bryceland.  Bienville operates a Pre-K school.  For reasons unknown, Shady Grove’s graduates were not included in the list.

Do you recognize the names of any of the high school graduates from 1921?

Arcadia School

  • W.B. Allen
  • A. Price Aycock
  • U.G. Brunston, Jr.
  • Carrol Davis
  • H.C. Durrett
  • W.W. Jones
  • Bennett Jones
  • Ernest Murphy
  • Elton D. Murphy
  • T.B. Smart
  • Curtis Taylor
  • Lessie Allen
  • Zelma Austin
  • Cascille Calcotte
  • Lenoir Capers
  • Willie Daniel
  • LaVerna Fowler
  • Kathleen Harp
  • Lizzie Mae Jackson
  • Mary Madden
  • Esther Belle Mosely
  • Effie Lillian Ragan
  • Wenonah Sutton

Gibsland School

  • Gladys Brown
  • Ida Brown
  • Roy Berry
  • Morell Baker
  • Elaine Burleigh
  • Joe Mat Copeland
  • Mamie Cargill
  • Mary Cook
  • Hickson Carter
  • Holstun Fleming
  • Ruth Hart
  • Hazel Lazarus
  • Dwight Martin
  • Blanche Phillips
  • Herbert Phillips
  • Muarine Strong
  • Clovis Willis

Castor School

  • Opal Corley
  • Claire Matthews
  • Daisy McGuire
  • Irene Neal
  • Lory Williams
  • Azalee White

Bryceland School

  • Gertrude Bailey
  • Irene Coker
  • Arthur J. Emerson
  • Nellie H. Gilbert
  • Viola Shows
  • Guy M. Sutton

Bienville School

  • Mamie Brunston
  • Vernie Brown
  • Vera Mae Crawford
  • Hazel Horton
  • Agnes Lucky
  • Ola Shively
  • Era Snyder
  • Achsah Thrasher
  • Rubie Tilley
  • Otha White

Saline School

  • L.T. Frey, Jr.
  • Carr Hodges
  • Gladys Mixon
  • Marie Harper
  • Vera Readhimer
  • Mamie Rogers
  • Edna McKinney

Ringgold School

  • Homer T. Rogers
  • Blanche Williams
  • Audrey Martin
  • Ruth Alexander
  • Mattie Pope
  • Thelma Davis
  • Maggie L. Frye
  • Opal O. Osborne
  • Irma M. Hill
  • Willis Gladson
  • Sidney Burkhalter

Supreme Court Agrees to Hear MS Abortion Case

By Royal Alexander/Opinion

This past Monday the Supreme Court agreed to hear the legal defense by the state of Mississippi of its limit on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

Mississippi’s law prohibits abortion when “the probable gestational age of the unborn human being” is “greater than” 15 weeks “except in a medical emergency or in the case of a severe fetal abnormality,” which is defined in the law as a condition that is determined to be “incompatible with life outside the womb.”

We should note that polling over the decades since the Roe v. Wade abortion decision in 1973—that “found” a right to abortion in the 14th Amendment—reflects that two-thirds or more of the American public believe an abortion should largely be illegal in the second trimester.

We should also note that the Roe Court in 1973, in an “exercise of raw judicial power” as described by Justice Byron White in that decision, illegitimately federalized the abortion issue thereby removing from each state the determination of abortion. In its arrogance, the majority of the Roe Court thought it was “settling” the abortion debate. The exact opposite has occurred. The issue is as divisive and polarizing today as it ever was.

This action by the Supreme Court in Roe violated our constitutional system of co-federalism that exists between the 50 states and the federal government. In Roe, the Supreme Court purported to find a fundamental right to abortion in the liberty clause (i.e., “Life, Liberty or Property” may not be deprived from us “without due process of law”) of the 14th Amendment. One can understand how the liberty interest in the 14th Amendment could reasonably allow for a “zone of privacy” free from state (or federal) intrusion regarding matters such as intimate adult, family or marital privacy and relations, sexuality generally, and contraception. However, no plausible or credible reading of the liberty clause can be understood to confer a right to abort the life of a separate and distinct unborn baby.

From a democratic and constitutional perspective, the correct outcome would be for the Supreme Court to allow each of the 50 states to decide the abortion issue for themselves as was the case before 1973. Liberal states like New York or California would likely continue with virtually unlimited access to abortion while conservative states like Mississippi and Louisiana would place strict limits or ban the practice.

The Supreme Court, when agreeing to hear a case, carefully and precisely poses the question it will answer and the issue it will address. This is particularly so in a case like this one that involves a constitutional issue. The Court has stated that the issue in this Mississippi case is “whether all pre-viability prohibitions on elective abortions are unconstitutional.” In past decades “viability” (being able to survive outside of the mother’s womb) was thought to occur no earlier than 23-24 weeks. As noted below that view has changed.

The Mississippi law has likely chosen the 15-week time period because medical advances have determined that at 15 weeks an unborn baby becomes conscious of pain. The state then has, its legal argument goes, a legitimate and compelling interest in protecting unborn babies who can feel pain. By 15 weeks, Mississippi also argues, the unborn baby has had critical and undeniable physiological development.

Mississippi, like Louisiana, is a state that views unborn human life as sacred, possessing intrinsic dignity and worthy of protection. No doubt the amazing advances that have been made in the field of fetology (study of the fetus, which means “little one”) and sonography (use of sonograms during pregnancy) permanently put an end to the lie that we don’t know whether a baby is growing in the womb. (There is, and at about 21 days has a heartbeat). In fact, it is the powerful, graphic resonance of the unborn baby on the sonogram screen that often convinces the mother to keep her baby.

Two very important things would be accomplished by the Supreme Court upholding and affirming the Mississippi law: one, we would be allowing our democratic system of co-federalism to function by returning the issue of abortion to the states where it belongs; and two, we would be taking another important step in reaffirming the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death.


Summer Reading Program Begins at Your Bienville Parish Library

Summer Reading Program Registration begins and the first performance is: Animalogy. They kick off our 2021“Tails and Tales” Summer Reading Program with a bark, squawk, squeak, maybe a hiss, and lots of giggles!

What is Animalogy? It’s an educational wildlife outreach organization that teaches the next generation about the natural world. Human and Animal Ambassadors will give an up-close view of domestic and wild animals, and how we can protect wildlife habitats. Below are the program times for each library:

  • Thursday, June 3rd
    Arcadia at 10:00 a.m.
    Ringgold at 2:00 p.m.
  • Friday, June 4th
    Castor at 10:00 a.m.
    Saline at 2:00 p.m.

Traditionally, summer reading programs are designed to encourage elementary-aged children to keep reading during summer vacation. Last year, our Summer Reading Program was entirely virtual, with Children’s Librarian Cheryl Hough reading stories and presenting crafts through our Facebook Group page. This year we’re returning to our regular program schedule with live performers! Children, parents/guardians and older siblings can now visit the library, pick out their own books, and start collecting their “brag tags”!

WHAT ARE BRAG TAGS?

This is a new Summer Reading Program reward and there are ten brag tags to snag! When you register your children for the Summer Reading Program you’ll pick up all the materials they’ll need to get started, and “snag” their first brag tag! Preventing the “summer slide” continues to be the main objective of summer reading programs. This new reading incentive gives your reader extra motivation to read and collect all ten tags. It will impress teachers with how many books/pages they read during their summer vacation!

The 2021 Summer Reading Program is designed to help:

  • Children be more motivated to read.
  • Children develop positive attitudes about reading, books, and the library.
  • Children maintain their reading skills during summer vacation.
  • Children have access to experiences that further their sense of discovery.
  • Children have access to experiences through which they can learn to work cooperatively.
  • Most of all – HELP CHILDREN HAVE FUN!

Look for the Pull & Post Fridge Flyer in the Bienville Parish Library Event Guide for dates, times, and list of performers. You’ll also find all you need to know at your Bienville Parish Library and in the Summer Reading Program brochure!


Today in History – May 26

1783 – A Great Jubilee Day held at North Stratford, Connecticut, celebrated the end of fighting in the American Revolution.

1805 – Lewis and Clark first sighted the Rocky Mountains.

1857 – Dred Scott was emancipated by the Blow family, his original owners.

1868 – The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson ended with his acquittal by one vote.

1896 – Nicholas II became the last Tsar of Imperial Russia.

1897 – Dracula, a Gothic horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker, was published.

1897 – The original manuscript of William Bradford’s history, “Of Plymouth Plantation” was returned to the Governor of Massachusetts by the Bishop of London after being taken during the American Revolutionary War.

1923 – The first 24 Hours of Le Mans was held and has since been run annually in June.

1927 – The last Ford Model T rolled off the assembly line after a production run of 15,007,003 vehicles.

1937 – Walter Reuther and members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) clashed with Ford Motor Company security guards at the River Rouge Complex complex in Dearborn, Michigan, during the Battle of the Overpass.

1940 – First successful helicopter flight in US: Vought-Sikorsky US-300 designed by Igor Sikorsky.

1942 – Belgium Jews were required by Nazis to wear a Jewish star.

1946 -US Patent filed for a hydrogen bomb.

1966 – A Buddhist set himself on fire at US consulate in Hué, South Vietnam.

1967 – The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was released.

1968 – H-dagurinn in Iceland: Traffic changed from driving on the left to driving on the right overnight.

1969 – Apollo program: Apollo 10 returned to Earth after a successful eight-day test of all the components needed for the forthcoming first manned moon landing.

1969 – John Lennon and Yoko Ono began their second bed-in for peace (Queen Elizabeth Hotel, Montreal).

1973 – The Beatles’ “Beatles 1967-1970” album went to #1.

1975 – “Rhinestone Cowboy” single wasvreleased by Glen Campbell (Billboard Song of the Year 1975).

1977 – George Willig climbed the South Tower of New York City’s World Trade Center.  He was fined 1 cent for each of 110 stories he climbed.

1993 – In Major League Baseball, Carlos Martinez famously hit a ball off Jose Canseco’s head for a home run.

1998 – The first “National Sorry Day” was held in Australia, and reconciliation events were held nationally, and attended by over a million people.

2004 – United States Army veteran Terry Nichols was found guilty of 161 state murder charges for helping carry out the Oklahoma City bombing.


Castor’s Family Dollar/Dollar Tree Combo Store To Open Soon

The new Family Dollar/Dollar Tree Combo store in Castor is slated to open in about three weeks.  A “Now Hiring” sign has been hanging in the store window for over a week but there was no clear way to apply.  Those interested in applying can do so by clicking this link.  Click Here.

The store has a tentative opening date of June 17, 2021.

The combination stores usually range from 9,000 to 11,000 square feet. At 11,351 square feet, the Castor store will be the largest one they have built to date, at a cost of approximately $850,000.00.

Family Dollar asserted that “Historically, small towns have had very limited retail options. Shoppers often travel long distances to meet all of their shopping needs. We are changing that.” The combo store is building on the success of both brands, Dollar Tree and Family Dollar. “We have created a new format for populations of 3,000 to 4,000.”


Notice of Death – May 25

  • Mary Beth Jones Hope
    January 10, 1948 – May 20, 2021
    Visitation will be at 9:00 a.m. at Rockett Funeral Home in Ringgold.
    Graveside services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, May 27, 2021 at Providence Cemetery in Ringgold. 
  • Connie Edwards Page
    December 27, 1954 – May 22, 2021
    Visitation will be from 1:30 until service time on Sunday, May 23, 2021 at Rockett Funeral Home Chapel in Ringgold. 
    Funeral services will be held at 3:00 P.M., Sunday, May 23, 2021 in Rockett Funeral Home Chapel in Ringgold.  Burial will follow in Williamson Cemetery.
  • Andre Dion Anderson
    July 20, 1975 – May 22, 2021
    Service: TBA

Elizabeth Suzanne Ortego

Mrs. Elizabeth “Suzanne” Wright Ortego, age 64 of Farmerville, walked through Heaven’s gates Thursday, May 20, 2021, where she will rest eternally at the right hand of Jesus.

Suzanne, affectionately known as Sissy by her family and friends, entered into the world on July 27, 1956 with a fierceness and boldness that soon became her trademark. Her life motto, which she quickly reverberated to anyone within earshot was, “Women rule the world!” And she did just that.

Suzanne served in the medical field as a compassionate nurse for many years. Those who were privileged enough to be under the direction of her care sing her praises to this day.

She loved the beach. Granted, her toes rarely touched the sand, but from the safety of her balcony, the sound of the waves crashing on the shore brought peace to her soul. She loved shopping, but rarely bought anything for herself because her giving heart was too busy searching for a special prize for someone else.

Suzanne made friends everywhere she went. From the bag boy at Brookshire’s to the owner of the local flower shop, everyone in town knew Mrs. Suzanne the moment she walked through the door. There is no doubt that after she drew her last breath on this earth, she drew her next breath in the presence of God.

Those left to cherish her memory is her beloved husband of over 29 years, Sam Ortego; daughters, Amanda Rowley (Matt), Ashley Tisdale (Jeremy), Amber Williams (Michael), Destini Miller (Eddie); grandchildren, Julia Bubrig, Kyle Henshaw, Brodi Rowley, Maddax Rowley, Tully Dauser, Tegan Dauser, Ayden Ortego, Stone Williams, Kaiden Williams; brother, Wayne Lee Wright, Jr. (Lynette); sister, Pam Munsterman (Kurt); a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Wayne Lee and Joy Yvonne (Toney) Wright; stepmother, Earline Wright; sister, Toney Deanne Wright.

Friends may visit on Sunday, May 23, 2021 from 5:00-8:00pm in the chapel of Southern-Edmonds Funeral Home.

A home-going celebration will be held on Monday, May 24, 2021 at 11:00am in the chapel of Southern-Edmonds Funeral Home with Reverend Chris Witt officiating.

Burial will follow in Garden of Memories Cemetery under the direction of Southern-Edmonds Funeral Home.

Serving the family as pallbearers will be Jeremy Tisdale, Michael Williams, Brodi Rowley, Tully Dauser, Kyle Henshaw, Mark Hartley.


LA Pediatricians, Nurses, Researchers Want You to Take the COVID-19 Vaccine

Medical professionals from across the state are lining up in support of the three safe, effective and widely available COVID vaccines, urging Louisiana residents to go Sleeves Up to protect themselves and their families from COVID-19.

Last week, following FDA authorization and CDC recommendations, the state made Louisianans 12 to 15 years old eligible for the vaccine. So far, nearly 1.4 million people – one out of every three eligible Louisianans – are fully vaccinated. Already 5,725 newly eligible 12 to 15 year-olds, excluding trial participants, have started the vaccination process.

In an open letter to the state on Thursday (May 20), State Health Officer Dr. Joseph Kanter joined 12 pediatricians to encourage parents to vaccinate their children against COVID-19, especially as summer camps begin. Parents should look ahead to the coming school year in August, which can be more normal for their children if COVID-19 is under control and more children are vaccinated.

“While most children have been spared serious complications, many have become ill with COVID-19, and some have been hospitalized and died. COVID-19 has spread through families, causing fear, disruption and sacrifice. Sadly, COVID-19 has already claimed the lives of over 10,000 Louisianans, including 7 children. Vaccination of adults and children is necessary to prevent the continued spread of this virus in our communities and the emergence of the variants that threaten to prolong this pandemic,” the doctors wrote.

“By their social nature, teens have proven to be very effective spreaders of COVID-19. The availability of COVID vaccines in 12- to 15-year-olds can make the coming school year safer and more normal, but only if families and adolescents choose to get vaccinated,” the 13 doctors continued. “Vaccination against COVID-19 is important for the health of all our children.”

In a letter to the editor of The Advocate on Sunday (May 16), Tracey Moffat, Ochsner Health’s chief nursing officer, called choosing to take the COVID-19 one of the “most impactful decisions” Louisianans can make. As the leader of Ochsner’s 8,000 nurses who worked tirelessly alongside other health care heroes to fight the COVID pandemic and save lives, Moffat implored Louisianans to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

“Every vaccine dose saves lives. We’ve seen young, fit people — even children — lose their battles,” Moffat wrote. “Many more deal with life-altering symptoms months after being infected. If you suspect that the healthcare workers who talk nonstop about the vaccine have an angle, you’re right. We want to preserve life.”

Also writing in the Advocate this week, researchers from Louisiana State University and Tulane University highlighted the ways that Louisiana’s medical researchers joined together to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Ultimately, this spirit of cooperation worldwide allowed researchers to “unravel the mysteries of the virus,” wrote Dr. Ustusto Ochoa, director of LSU Health’s Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center and Dr. Prescott Deininger, director of Tulane’s Cancer Center.

“It is critical to understand that every Louisianian can play an important role in defeating COVID-19,” the researchers wrote in The Advocate. “While millions have gotten vaccinated, many more have yet to roll up their sleeves. Vaccines are safe and effective weapons to defeat the virus. Everyone needs to do their part to bolster herd immunity and contribute to our public health. This crisis has proved what can be achieved by working together.”

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the results of its largest study of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to date, which found that among health care workers who were fully vaccinated, their risk of becoming sick with COVID-19 was reduced by 94 percent. This effectiveness study covered a network of 500,000 health care professionals. In Louisiana, health care professionals were among the first people to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, starting in December 2020.

There are currently about 1,500 locations in Louisiana that offer the COVID-19 vaccine. To get your questions answered, find a provider or event near you, to get your appointment scheduled or to get your questions answered by a medical professional, just call the COVID Vaccine Hotline at 855-453-0774. The hotline is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday.

For a person younger than age 18, parental/caregiver consent is needed to get the shot. To make it easy, the Louisiana Department of Health has developed a consent form that can be found on its website here. The recent guidance issued by the CDC states the Pfizer vaccine is safe and effective for people between the ages of 12 and 15. In clinical trials, the Pfizer vaccine has demonstrated 100 percent effectiveness in children as young as 12 years old with minimal side effects.

The reviews by the FDA and the CDC concluded that people ages 12 and above will not have side effects that are different from people who have already been vaccinated. These side effects are mild and include moderate pain or swelling in the arm where the shot was given, fever, chills, tiredness and/or headaches. These are normal side effects that usually go away within a couple of days.


CASA to Host Bingo Tonight

CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children) is hosting a bingo fundraiser tonight, May 21st, at 6:00 pm at the CASA office at 2578 Maple Street in Arcadia.

$20 will get you 10 bingo games and a meal.

All proceeds go to Christmas CASA. Each Christmas, CASA has a big Christmas celebration for CASA kids who are in foster care.


Today in History – May 21st

1703 – Daniel Defoe was imprisoned on charges of seditious libel.

1758 – Ten-year-old Mary Campbell was abducted in Pennsylvania by Lenape during the French and Indian War. She was returned six and a half years later.

1792 – A lava dome collapsed on Mount Unzen, near the city of Shimbara on the Japanese island of Kyūshū, which created a deadly tsunami that killed nearly 15,000 people.

1819 – First bicycles (swift walkers) in US were introduced in New York City.

1851 – Slavery in Colombia was abolished.

1881 – The American Red Cross was established by Clara Barton in Washington, D.C.

1917 – The Great Atlanta fire of 1917 caused $5.5 million in damages, destroyed some 300 acres including 2,000 homes, businesses and churches, displaced about 10,000 people but led to only one fatality (due to heart attack).

1918 – US House of Representatives passed an amendment allowing women to vote.

1924 – University of Chicago Students Nathan Leopold & Richard Loeb kidnapped and killed 14-year-old Bobby Franks to demonstrate their supposed intellectual superiority by committing a “perfect crime”.

1927 – Charles Lindbergh touched down at Le Bourget Field in Paris, completing the world’s first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean.

1932 – Bad weather forced Amelia Earhart to land in a pasture in Derry, Northern Ireland, and she thereby became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

1934 – Oskaloosa, Iowa, became the first municipality in the United States to fingerprint all of its citizens.

1946 – Physicist Louis Slotin was exposed to a lethal dose of radiation while preparing a plutonium core experiment at the Los Alamos lab. He died 9 days later and the accident ended all hands-on nuclear assembly work at Los Alamos.

1969 – Robert F. Kennedy’s murderer Sirhan Sirhan sentenced to death, later commuted to life imprisonment.

1977 – Electric Light Orchestra released “Telephone Line” in the UK; it would peak in the Top 10 in the UK and US.

1979 – White Night riots occured in San Francisco after Dan White was given a lenient sentence for assassinating Mayor George Moscone and the openly gay elected official Harvey Milk.

1980 – “Star Wars Episode V – Empire Strikes Back”, produced by George Lucas opened in cinemas in UK and North America.

1992 – After 30 seasons, Johnny Carson hosted his penultimate episode and last featuring guests (Robin Williams and Bette Midler) of The Tonight Show.

2005 – The tallest roller coaster in the world, Kingda Ka opened at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey.

2017 – Barnum & Bailey Circus performed for the last time at the Nassau Coliseum in New York City after 146 years.


LDWF Enforcement Will Be Out in Full Force During Safe Boating Week

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division will be participating in “Safe Boating Week” from May 22-28, which signifies the beginning of the spring and summer boating season.

LDWF will again be reminding all boaters to be safe, responsible and knowledgeable while on the water during this safe boating week. Safe Boating Week is a time for all boaters to inspect their vessels to ensure that all required safety equipment is on board and that vessels are in good working condition.

LDWF agents will be out in full force as always during the week to perform boating safety checks that includes making sure all personal flotation device (PFD) regulations are being followed and that each vessel has a sober operator.

“We can’t stress enough the importance of how wearing a personal flotation device and having a sober operator could save your life while on the water,” said Lt. Col. Rachel Zechenelly, the state’s safe boating law administrator. “We want people to have a good time while boating, but we also want people to come back home safe to their loved ones at the same time.”

Each vessel should have enough PFDs on board for all occupants. LDWF regulations also state that anyone 16 years of age and younger must wear a PFD while underway in vessels less than 26-foot long. For more boating and PFD regulations, please visit http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov and click on the “Boating” tab.

Alcohol use is one of the leading causes of boating crash incidents and fatalities on the water. Alcohol consumption impairs a boater’s judgment, balance, vision and reaction time. The penalties for operating or driving a vessel while intoxicated (DWI) are the same as driving a vehicle. Anyone cited for a DWI on the water or on the road will lose his or her driver’s license and boating privileges for the specified time ordered by the judge in the case.

LDWF also wants to remind anybody born after Jan. 1, 1984 that they are required to successfully complete a National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) boating education course to operate a motorboat over 10 horsepower. Since the safe boating course’s inception in 2003, over 137,000 boaters have been certified in Louisiana.

LDWF offers these classes free of charge statewide. For more information and to schedule a safe boating course, please visit www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/boater-education.

In 2020, Louisiana reported 24 boating fatalities. So far, in 2021 Louisiana has reported nine fatalities.


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:

“EWK FKHE OSZ UDHE FKOPEMXPN EWMSBH MS EWK IDLNZ GOSSDE FK HKKS DL KYKS EDPGWKZ – EWKA UPHE FK XKNE IMEW EWK WKOLE.” ~ WKNKS JKNNKL

Cryptoquote solution from May 14th: “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” ~ Benjamin Franklin


Get the Most from Your Library Account

DID YOU KNOW… When you visit the Bienville Parish Library website, www.bienvillelibrary.org there is quite a bit you can do even before your next visit to your neighborhood Bienville Parish Library! At the top of the page is a set of icons called: QUICK LINKS, My Account is the second icon and where our quick overview tour is taking you today!

1) Click the MY ACCOUNT icon and Log-in. The first text box is where you’ll enter your 14-digit library card barcode number, and your password, (first 4-digits of your birthday).

2) ITEMS OUT – To the right is a column where you can check to see what items you have still checked out. This section is especially good when you have a lot of children’s books checked out. You can check your “items out” list and gather up everything before your next library visit!

3) FINES AND FEES – Think you might have overdue fines? Check here and see and when you come into your library you can arrange to clear your account – if you have lingering fines it can prevent you from borrowing from the online services like Hoopla or Overdrive/Libby!

4) READING HISTORY – Can’t remember if you’ve read it? This section lets you quickly scan your reading history. Click the columns and place everything in the date order you checked it out or list in alphabetical by author or title. If you visit more than one library in the system, it will also indicate which library you used.

5) SAVED SEARCHES – If you have searched for a certain author you might want to try at a later date, or if you’re thinking about trying something totally new, you can save those searches. By saving an “item search” you can select books, audio-books, eBooks, even DVDs that you might want to transfer into your reading/materials lists.

6) MY LISTS – We all go through cycles of reading, one month we’re reading mysteries, and the next month we’re reading historical romances. You can create different books lists and save them so that when you’re ready for a mystery or a romance, you can check your lists and see what’s next. You can check the availability and call and ask for it to be placed on hold for you or if you’re reading a series – all of the series titles will be on one list that you can refer back to. The great thing about building a reading list is – if a title is unavailable, the image of the book or title be “grayed” out. This lets you know the BPL system does not have this particular title. Now you can put in a request through Interlibrary Loans (ILL,) and order the title from other libraries in the state, or from anywhere in the world!

Next time, we’ll go through building an ITEM LIST and then let your favorite Bienville Parish Librarian help you find your next great read! If you need more information or need help accessing your BPL Account, give them a call, or ask them when you visit about how to use your BPL Account to your maximum benefit! See YOU at the Library!


Co-Ed Softball Tournament at Pecan Park Set for Tomorrow

Pecan Park Softball Field will host a co-ed softball tournament tomorrow, May 22nd.  The winning team will win a cash prize.

Rules for the co-ed game:

  • 50 minute time limit
  • Winner of each game umpires next game
  • 7 males/3 females; 8 males/4 females
  • Guys hit Pro M or Classic M balls; girls hit any
  • No Ultra’s or Senior League Bats
  • No frozen balls
  • Players start with a 1-1 count with a courtesy
  • 3 Homerun limit then an out.
  • Homerun bands $50/team

**Halo Rule will be used at pitcher’s discretion.

$200.00 per team. **10 teams only**

For more information call:
Lindsey 318-513-0084, or Skyler 318-548-3292


LA Treasury Department to Help Struggling Renters and Landlords

The State of Louisiana has launched the U.S. Treasury Emergency Rental Assistance Program to provide emergency rental and utility assistance to Louisiana residents who are at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Both landlords and renters may apply. The program can provide assistance for past-due rent and forward rent payments for applicants, as well as utility costs.

If you qualify, the program offers:

  • Past-due rent dating back to as early as April 1, 2020
  • Forward rent paid in increments of up to three months
  • Past-due utility bills including some penalty fees, up to 15 months


Click Here to Apply For Assistance.


Sign Up for Bienville Parish Journal’s $100 Giveaway

Registering for the giveaway is easy. No purchase is necessary.

Click here and enter your name and email address before May 31st.

Bienville Parish Journal does not share your email address with anyone.

If you already receive the Journal in your email, you’re already signed up for the giveaway. Be sure to tell a friend.

The winner will be selected at random on June 1st and contacted via the provided email address. If the winner fails to respond within 72 hours, another name will be drawn. The winner will be announced in the Bienville Parish Journal.

We are giving everyone who registers a complimentary subscription of the Bienville Parish Journal. Get all your local news in one place every Wednesday and Friday morning.

If you have any questions, please email the journal at BPJNewsLA@gmail.com or call the editor at 318-332-0558.


Angler’s Perspective: Catching Bass After the Spawn

It’s a sad time of year for most bass anglers as the spawn is over and the fish are in transition back to their summer haunts. It’s the time of year anglers call “post spawn.” The fishing can be pretty tough but there’s also a feeding period at this time for bass as they fatten up from the weight they lost during the spawn. The spawn takes a lot out of bass physically and they need time to recover. This is also the time of the year when the shad spawn kicks in. Funny how Mother Nature knows exactly how and when to make things happen. Her timing is impeccable and with the shad in their spawning stage now, this allows the bass to feed up and recover quicker.

So where can you find the bass after the spawn? Well, you might want to start looking at the same place you looked when they were in the pre-spawn stage which is mainly the first drop off headed back out to deeper water. Understand that the first drop might be as small as a one-foot break line, or it could be the first 5-to-10-foot drop. Deep water drop off is relative to what lake you’re fishing. For example, the Red River the first drop might only be the first two-foot break line off the bank. But on Toledo Bend or Sam Rayburn, it could be the first 10 to 15 foot drop off the bank. Every lake is different but any slight change in depth is all it takes to hold fish, but this gives you a starting point to look.

Another place to look, the boat docks; especially docks close to deeper water. Bass like to get next to something vertical for some reason and I don’t know why. Boat docks that are on main lake points are great places to look for bass after the spawn. Another feature to look for is brush tops around the boat docks. These make great places to fish because brush tops usually hold bait fish for the bass to feed on whether it’s shad or bream. Bass really go after the bream this time of year as the bream pull into the shallows and spawn after the bass are done. This is a great time to throw bream-colored baits like green pumpkin, watermelon/red and just about anything with green flakes will work like the color called Junebug.

I cannot state enough how tough the bass fishing can be this time of year. But once the bass recover and get into their summer patterns, bass fishing will improve. Now is also the time when the big 10- and 12-inch worms (like the V&M Wild Thang) become a big player in catching bass. Deep diving crank baits are also a great choice as some bass will pull out and suspend over deeper water. Chartreuse and blue or shad colored crank baits are a good choice depending on watercolor. Small ¼ oz. spinnerbaits thrown in shallow water will also catch bass as the small blades tend to match the hatch of the shad spawn.

I hope this helps you understand the dynamics of what anglers call the “post spawn” and where you can expect the bass to be. Just like any other time of year, you just have to go into search mode and figure it out. But hopefully I’ve given you an idea of where to start your search for the largemouth bass. Till next time, don’t forget to set the hook!

Steve Graf
Owner/Co-host
Hook’N Up & Track’N Down Show
And Tackle Talk Live


Notice of Death – May 20

  • Bill W. Sanders
    December 21, 1940 – May 19, 2021
    Visitation: Sunday, May 23, 2021 from 12:30 p.m. until 2:30 p.m at Southern Funeral Home in Winnfield.
    Graveside service:  Sunday, May 23rd at 3:00 p.m. at Goldonna Cemetery.
  • Lee Allen “Bubba” Nugent
    June 28, 1994 – May 19, 2021
    Visitation:  Saturday, May 22, 2021 from 12:00 P.M. until 2:00 p.m. in the Rockett Funeral Home Chapel in Ringgold.
    Service:  Saturday, May 22, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. in the Rockett Funeral Home Chapel in Ringgold. Interment will follow In Pleasant Grove Cemetery in Ringgold.
  • Janet D. Lowry
    June 10, 1959 – May 19, 2021
    Visitation: Thursday, May 20, 2021 from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Rockett Funeral Home in Ringgold.
    Service: Friday, May 21, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. in the Rockett Funeral Home Chapel in Ringgold. Interment will follow in Providence Cemetery in Ringgold.

Bid Accepted for the Arcadia Outlet Mall

According to Mayor O’Landis Millican, the Town of Arcadia has accepted the highest bid for the Arcadia Outlet Mall. 

Phillip McGee of Ruston entered the highest bid at $500,000.00 and agreed to honor the existing contracts with the current mall tenants. 

Mayor Millican expects to complete the closing contracts later this week or next week.

Current tenants include

  • All Seasons Scrubs & Uniforms
  • Scrugg’s Corner New & Used Furniture
  • S&P’s Barber & Styling Acadmey
  • Lady Lee Beauty Supply
  • XeKUTE Clothing Boutique
  • Pafford Uniforms

Flags to be Flown at Half-Staff in Honor of Former Governor “Buddy” Roemer

On Monday, May 17th, former Governor Charles Elson “Buddy” Roemer III died at the age of 77 after a long battle with diabetes.  He was surrounded by his family.  “Buddy” Roemer served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1981 until 1988, and governor of Louisiana from 1988 until 1992.

Current Governor John Bel Edwards has issued an executive order which states that “the flags of the United States and the State of Louisiana shall be flown at half-staff over the State Capitol and all state buildings from sunrise on May 17, 2021 through the day of his interment.” 

This morning, Governor Edwards issued the following statement on the death of former Governor Charles Elson “Buddy” Roemer III who served as Louisiana’s 52nd governor.

“From the fields of Scopena to the halls of Congress and then the Governor’s Mansion, Buddy Roemer proudly represented the state he so dearly loved. His astute intellect led him to enter Harvard at the young age of 16, but he still returned to Louisiana, driven by a desire to serve. I am especially grateful for the balanced, pragmatic approach he took as governor during a turbulent time for our state’s budget. I hope that we will all carry on his legacy by espousing his positive, passionate approach to public service. Donna and I ask that you join your prayers to ours in praying for Governor Roemer’s family and friends during this difficult time.”

Governor Edwards has ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff in honor of Governor Roemer’s life and legacy on May 17, 2021, until the day of his interment.


Flash Flood Watch; Sand and Sandbags Available in Castor and Saline

The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watch for our region until Thursday morning, but rain is predicted until Friday evening.  The National Weather Service warned “NEVER drive through flooded roadways – you do not know the condition of the road under the water. Turn Around Don’t Drown.”

Yesterday, in anticipation of heavy rain, the parish Police Jury delivered sand and sand bags to two locations in the southern part of the parish.

  • Castor school ( just inside gate at new gym on left side)
  • Beside the fire station in Saline.

According to District 6 Police Juror Michael Nelson, “You will need to bring a shovel to fill them.”