On Friday, Arcadia High School Principal Leroy Hamilton, Jr., said, “We would like to congratulate all our students on a very successful year! Though it was a challenging year for all, our Hornets persevered and demonstrated how they are all AMBITIOUS, HARDWORKING, and SUCCESSFUL! We would also like to recognize the Senior High Students that excelled academically this year by earning a 3.5 Grade Point Average (GPA) or Higher.”
3.50 – 3.99 GPA:
Angelica Blake
Jada Breazeale
Alaysia Brice
Korde Cortez
Bobby Crawford, III
Jaylin Croney
Jamen Davis
Jakyla Gray
Thomas Harmon
Vanterian Haulcy
Erin Jenkins
Esmeralda Leonardo-Amado
Anterrio Morris
Antinya Patterson
Shania Pope
Mikayla Pousson
Sydney Rogers
Tinaya Rogers
Jamyria Shepherd
Jamarion Webb
Makayla White
Chasity Winzer
4.00 GPA:
Dimitri Carr, II
Kalel Harmon
Shar’Meciyah Castle
“We are proud of all of you, and can not wait to see what you accomplish next!”
On Sunday afternoon, May 16th, five teenagers went swimming in Flat Lick Creek, about five miles south of Highway 2. At around 4:45 p.m., a Claiborne Parish 911 operator received a report of two missing swimmers in the creek.
Deputies arrived on scene and spoke with the three teenage boys.
Several other agencies in north Louisiana responded to the scene to help with the search.
At around 6:00 p.m., divers began searching the water. Minutes later, they recovered the bodies of Tavious Tate and Donald Owens, both 16 years old and both from Springhill.
Claiborne Parish Coroner Dr. Mark Haynes pronounced the victims dead. Their bodies were transported to Little Rock, Arkansas for autopsies.
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development advises motorists to travel with caution if they must drive in hazardous weather conditions as areas of the state are forecast to be impacted by severe weather and heavy rainfall.
During inclement weather, drivers should be aware and adhere to the following tips:
Do not drive, unless you must.
Do not drive distracted.
Turn around, do not drive through water. “Turn around, don’t drown.”
Be aware of wind gusts.
Avoid driving through areas with downed lines or other debris.
Never use cruise control when visibility is low or the road is wet.
Plan for more travel time.
Leave extra room between vehicles.
Always use headlights when windshield wipers are on. It is a law.
Never move any road closed signs.
If necessary, DOTD will make the appropriate decisions to close roadways when safe to do so and resources are available, close moveable bridges, and suspend or reduce the ferry services for the safety of the traveling public.
Motorists are encouraged to check the status of road conditions prior to traveling by using the following resources for the latest information regarding road conditions:
Motorists can check http://www.511la.org or dial 511 to remain up-to-date on the latest closures. Out-of-state travelers can access the system by calling 1-888-ROAD-511 (1-888-762-3511).
Additional information can be found at DOTD’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
1535 – French explorer Jacques Cartier set sail on his second voyage to North America with three ships, 110 men, and Chief Donnacona’s two sons (whom Cartier had kidnapped during his first voyage).
1536 – Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII of England, was beheaded for adultery, treason, and incest.
1568 – Queen Elizabeth I of England ordered the arrest of Mary, Queen of Scots.
1857 – Americans William Francis Channing and Moses G. Farmer patented the electric fire alarm.
1892 – Charles Brady King invented the pneumatic hammer.
1910 – Passage of Earth through tail of Halley’s Comet caused near-panic.
1959 – The North Vietnamese Army established Group 559, whose responsibility was to determine how to maintain supply lines to South Vietnam; the resulting route was the Ho Chi Minh trail.
1961 – Venera program: Venera 1 became the first man-made object to fly by another planet by passing Venus (the probe had lost contact with Earth a month earlier and did not send back any data).
1962 – A birthday salute to U.S. President John F. Kennedy took place at Madison Square Garden, New York City. The highlight was Marilyn Monroe’s rendition of “Happy Birthday”.
1963 – The New York Post Sunday Magazine published Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail.
1977 – Film “Smokey & the Bandit” starring Burt Reynolds, Sally Field and Jackie Gleason premiered in New York City.
1979 – “In The Navy” by Village People hit #3.
1999 – Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, directed by George Lucas, starring Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman and Liam Neeson was released in cinemas.
2007 – “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”, directed by Gore Verbinksi, starring Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley and Orlando Bloom premiered in Anaheim, California. It was the most expensive film ($300 million) made at the time.
2018 – The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was held at St George’s Chapel, Windsor, with an estimated global audience of 1.9 billion.
Early Saturday morning, May 15th, nine teams of anglers entered the His Mission Bass Tournament at Mill Creek Reservoir. At the final weigh-in, Jerrad Friday won with 5 bass which weighed 21 lbs. Trance and Joshua Grigg came in second place. It was Jerrad, Trance and Joshua’s first time fishing Mill Creek Reservoir.
His Mission is a local non-profit multi-denominational team of men and women who have done countless projects for the betterment of the community including working on the homes of the less-fortunate at no cost to the homeowner. In the past His Mission team members helped build an orphanage and churches on the Yucatan Peninsula, and numerous projects in the foothills of Tennessee. Most recently, His Mission has turned their attention to local missions in Bienville, Jackson, Lincoln, and Winn Parishes. His Mission board members include Ken Roberts, Keith Duck, Edward Lindsey, and Glen Davis.
DID YOU KNOW… When you visit the Bienville Parish Library website, http://www.bienvillelibrary.org you’re in for a treat! At the top of the page is a set of icons called: QUICK LINKS, the Online Catalog is where you’ll find a new feature in the searchable database. Let’s take a quick tour!
1) Click the ONLINE CATALOG icon and Log in to your Account. The log-in is located on the upper right of your screen. You’ll need your 14-digit library card barcode number, and your password, (first 4-digits of your birthday)
2) Now in KEYWORD SEARCH field, type in the title or author you’re trying to locate. For example, “detective and mystery stories”.
3) Just beneath are two additional drop-down menus. Click the down arrow to the right of the SEARCH BY field and select, GENRE.
4) In the LIMIT BY field is another drop-down menu where you can select specifically what you’d like to see. If you leave the default setting of ALL FORMATS you can see everything available in the online collection, (Overdrive/Libby, etc.) and the Bienville Parish Library system’s physical collections.
5) To the right is where you can REFINE YOUR SEARCH by drilling down to even what Bienville Parish Library you want to locate your “detective and mystery stories”.
We’re just a few clicks from the treat!
6) Scroll down through the collection… Ah-ha! You found a book that’s caught your attention! Click on the title and scroll down to: EXPLORE SUMMARY, ABOUT THE AUTHOR, AND MORE.
7) HERE’S THE TREAT! The added feature now assembles more books, e-books, audio-books, and series collections by the author. If you scroll a little bit further…
8) YOU MAY ALSO LIKE! This whole section has even more recommendations from your selected author. It pulls together more authors that write in the genre you’ve searched, added more titles that fit your keyword search, and best of all?
From the comfort of your home, you can browse through the entire curation and find where those titles are located, and if they’re available for check out. Add them to your ACCOUNT READING LIST so you can keep track of items you’d like to read later.
Nancy Hanks was born on February 5, 1784, in what is now Antioch, West Virginia. As with most women of the era, Nancy learned the required skills needed on the frontier. She learned to cultivate crops, to cook what she grew, to make and mend clothing, and to read the Bible. She eventually became known as an excellent seamstress.
On June 12, 1806, Nancy married a man named Thomas. They had three children, a daughter followed by two sons, one of which died in infancy. Thomas took whatever work he could find. He worked odd jobs, and at different times worked as a farmer, carpenter, and cabinetmaker. By all accounts, Nancy was superior to her husband. She was mild tempered, caring, and intellectually inclined but not classically educated. It was she who taught her surviving children to read and write. Thomas could neither read nor write.
(Ageratina altissima, also known as White Snakeroot)
Nancy and her family lived in southern Indiana, where it was exceptionally dry in the summer of 1818. The cattle were unable to find enough grasses in the pastures on which to graze and went into wooded areas in search of food. In the rich, moist soil just along the edge of the woods, the cattle found an abundance of plants to eat. One plant that the cattle grazed on was White Snakeroot. With its fluffy, snow-white flowers which reached heights between 18-48 inches, White Snakeroot was an attractive and easy food source for the cattle.
In September of 1818, a large number of people in the area began to sicken from an illness known by names such as puking fever, sick stomach, the slows, and the trembles. Symptoms included loss of appetite, weakness, listlessness, muscle stiffness, vague pains, vomiting, abdominal discomfort, severe constipation, and, in the worst cases, coma before death.
Nancy went from house to house to help those who contracted the sickness. Among those she helped was one of Nancy’s best friends, a Mrs. Brooner. Nancy spent countless hours at Mrs. Brooner’s bedside. Few people who contracted the illness survived. Mrs. Brooner was sure she would die from the disease and expressed her concern to Nancy. With a warm smile and a gentle touch, Nancy reassured her that she would soon recover. Nancy meant well and did everything she could to comfort Mrs. Brooner as well as several other sick neighbors.
Nancy soon began to show symptoms of the sickness. Within a short time, she became so unwell that she could no longer aid others. Like her sick neighbors, Nancy was confined to her bed. Nancy’s condition worsened with every passing day. During that time, several of her neighbors, including Mrs. Brooner, died from the illness. Nancy’s health continued to deteriorate and she slipped into a coma. On October 5, 1818, after suffering from the illness for about two weeks, Nancy died. She was just 34 years old.
Preparing for a funeral on the frontier was difficult. There was no funeral home in the area, and Thomas and his two children had to make all of the preparations for burial themselves. Thomas’s eleven-year-old daughter took care of the household affairs while Thomas and his nine-year-old son built Nancy’s coffin. Thomas measured and cut planks while his son whittled pegs to hold the planks together. They had no nails. With the help of neighbors, Thomas and his son dug Nancy’s grave and held a short but meaningful graveside service for her.
What was this mysterious illness that killed Nancy and several of their neighbors? Until the twentieth century, medical science had almost no understanding of this particular sickness. Scientists discovered that the illness that struck many in southern Indiana in that summer of 1818 was what we now call “Milk Sickness.” Nancy and her neighbors drank fresh milk from local cows who grazed on White Snakeroot, which is poisonous to humans but, evidently, not to cows. Like Nancy, her son was intellectually inclined and self-educated. He became a successful attorney and climbed the ladder of success. He became a legislator, a U.S. Congressman, and then, President of the United States. Nancy’s married name was Nancy Hanks Lincoln. It was she who named her son… Abraham.
Sources: 1. Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minnesota), April 15, 1923, p.67. 2. “White Snakeroot: The Plant That Killed Abraham Lincoln’s Mother,” National Park Service, accessed May 12, 2021, https://www.nps.gov/abli/planyourvisit/milksickness.htm.
“If the Arabs put down their weapons today, there would be no more violence. If The Jews put down their weapons today, there would be no more Israel’.” Benjamin Netanyahu
On May 14, 1948, 73 years ago, Israel became an independent nation state. It was soon attacked and has been ever since. As rockets again rain down on Israel—a country of about 9 million that’s roughly the size of New Jersey—from the Gaza Strip the world is again confronted with a narrative that never changes: much of the Middle East—and their proxies—seeks the annihilation of that country as an article of faith and first principle of their governments.
The current violence being imposed on Israel is being carried out by terror groups Hamas, the Iran-supported Palestinian militant group, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Over 1,800 rockets have been fired into the country in the last few days with most of them targeting Israeli civilians. (There Would be far more harm done and deaths resulting without Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system which exists with U.S financial and technical support).
What we must understand is that Hamas runs the Palestinian government in Gaza even though every recent U.S. Administration, Republican or Democrat, has declared Hamas a terrorist organization. So, this terrorist organization that is the elected government of Gaza is firing missiles and rockets into the civilian population of Israel. However, when Israel defends itself and responds Hamas often puts children in front of the targets it knows Israel is likely to attack so when they are killed Hamas can dishonestly appear to claim the moral high ground by accusing Israel of killing innocent children. This is truly sickening but a simple if grotesque summary of Israel’s Existence.
The Biden Administration has now ham-handedly responded with a call for “de-escalation” of this situation as though there is a moral equivalence between the unprovoked attacks on Israel by these terror groups and Israel’s unquestioned right to defend itself. This new conflict reveals the stark contrast between the Trump Administration, which shepherded a number of historic peace agreements in the Middle East (and for which President Trump has received multiple Nobel Peace Prize nominations), and the Biden Administration, which in 4 months has led to the outbreak of any war in the Middle East.
(The Biden Administration is modeling its Middle East policy after the Obama Administration which clearly and conspicuously favored Iran. Recall President Obama’s disastrous nuclear “deal” in which Iran “committed” to halting its development of enriched uranium for at least 10 years. In return, it had strict economic sanctions lifted and received billions of dollars from the Obama Administration. This cash was very likely used by Iran to fund acts of terror, wars, and purchase weapons to kill Americans and Israelis. This is all a fraud. Iran cannot be trusted. The only way to ensure that a perennially bad and dangerous actor like Iran stops developing nuclear weapons is to destroy its capability to do so and then closely monitor it).
Israel is simply unlike any of the U.S.’s other allies in the world and there are many reasons Americans Passionately love and support it. Those Reasons include its ancient religious history and sacred role as the birthplace of Christianity and origin of the Judeo-Christian tradition. Its eternal significance is founded on its connection and proximity to Christ’s birth, death, resurrection, and ascension into Heaven. They also include God’s promise to Abraham that the Jews were His chosen people and that He would grant to Abraham and his descendants the land that is Israel today. Lastly, Israel has always been America’s Strongest ally in the region and one of its strongest allies in the world.
The Biden Administration must quickly and clearly signal to the world that it will stand with Israel. The U.S. cannot appear to accept that there is any moral equivalence between the actions of Israel and these terrorists. There is none and America undermines its credibility in the world and weakens our trusted ally when it hesitates to decisively note and embrace this fact. As we learned from President Obama’s cowardly and impotent “red line “approach to Syria after it gassed its own people, when the U.S appears to hesitate between good and evil, evil forces like Hamas—and its sponsor, Iran—are emboldened.
On Sunday, May 23rd, New Pilgrims Rest Baptist Church in Arcadia will host its 43rd Pastoral Appreciation with special guest Pastor Kenneth Sapp of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church. The Park and Praise service begins at 10:00 a.m.
Is your church hosting an event? Let the Bienville Parish Journal know by emailing BPJNewsLA@gmail.com.
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 building 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.
On Tuesday, May 18th, you will have the opportunity to become a Bienville Parish Election Commissioner. You can help by serving your community and protecting your constitutional right. You’ll earn some extra pocket money too.
To apply to become an Election Commissioner, go into the courtroom (upstairs) inside the Arcadia Courthouse on Tuesday, May 18th, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. Interested persons must be registered voters in Bienville Parish. There will be a short class with a test.
Yesterday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifted its mask mandate ONLY for people who have been fully vaccinated.
In a press release, the CDC said “COVID-19 vaccines are effective at protecting you from getting sick. Based on what we know about COVID-19 vaccines, people who have been fully vaccinated can start to do some things that they had stopped doing because of the pandemic.”
If you are fully vaccinated, you can resume activities that you did prior to the pandemic.
Fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.
If you haven’t been vaccinated yet, find a vaccine.
In general, people are considered fully vaccinated:
2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or
2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine
If you don’t meet these requirements, regardless of your age, you are NOT fully vaccinated. Keep taking all precautions until you are fully vaccinated.
If you have a condition or are taking medications that weaken your immune system, you may NOT be fully protected even if you are fully vaccinated. Talk to your healthcare provider. Even after vaccination, you may need to continue taking all precautions.
If you’ve been fully vaccinated:
You can resume activities that you did prior to the pandemic.
You can resume activities without wearing a mask or staying 6 feet apart, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.
If you travel in the United States, you do not need to get tested before or after travel or self-quarantine after travel.
You need to pay close attention to the situation at your international destination before traveling outside the United States.
You do NOT need to get tested before leaving the United States unless your destination requires it.
You still need to show a negative test result or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before boarding an international flight to the United States.
You should still get tested 3-5 days after international travel.
You do NOT need to self-quarantine after arriving in the United States.
If you’ve been around someone who has COVID-19, you do not need to stay away from others or get tested unless you have symptoms.
However, if you live or work in a correctional or detention facility or a homeless shelter and are around someone who has COVID-19, you should still get tested, even if you don’t have symptoms.
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development’s regional safety coalition, Destination Zero Deaths, is bringing awareness to distracted driving through a new statewide contest geared towards middle and high school students. This contest is designed to encourage young drivers to advocate for safe driving decisions and become the voice of positive messaging in their respective campuses and communities.
In 2019, a study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that Louisiana is the seventh deadliest state for distracted driving fatalities. According to the latest data, 186 people were killed in crashes involving distracted drivers in 2019 and 479 people were seriously injured. Texting while driving is an especially problematic trend among younger drivers who accounted for 16% of the distracted driving deaths on our roadways in 2019.
The contest is open to students in grades sixth to 12th statewide and must contain a distracted driving safety message through the creation of a meme or short video. Submissions opened May 3 and will close Sept. 10, with winners announced Oct. 17-23. Students have the opportunity to win various monetary prizes, ranging from $100 to $750.
For more information, on how to join statewide efforts to help reduce the number of serious injuries and fatalities on our roadways caused by distracted driving and to help us meet Destination Zero Deaths goal, please visit www.destinationzerodeaths.com.
(In 1920, the crew of the Louisiana & North West’s daily passenger train No.9 pauses for a photograph at union station in Gibsland)
The new library in Gibsland needs photos for a mural! They are especially looking for pictures of old homes, historical buildings, and landmarks in the Gibsland area. The Gibsland branch of the Bienville Parish Library should be completed this Fall.
If you have pictures to contribute, please email them to kettlermc@gmail.com.
The International Space Station will be visible to the naked eye tonight and tomorrow night.
Tonight, it will become visible at 9:58 PM in the southwestern sky and will travel to the northeast. It will be visible for about five or six minutes.
Tomorrow night, it will become visible at 9:10 PM in the southwestern sky and will travel to the northeast. It will be visible for about seven minutes.
The space station will look like a bright star, like the North Star, and will be moving quickly across the evening sky.
The space station passes overhead many times a day but lighting conditions usually make it difficult or impossible to see. All sightings will occur within a few hours before or after sunrise or sunset. This is the optimum viewing period as the sun reflects off the space station and contrasts against the darker sky.
If you already receive the Journal in your email, you’re already signed up for the giveaway. Please 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.
On Wednesday, the Bienville Parish Police Jury held its regular monthly meeting. Among the items discussed in the meeting, the Police Jury unanimously agreed to accept a donation of property from Celia A. Jones to be used in conjunction with a branch library in Gibsland, Louisiana.
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:
“RJKK CJ SVM L HPDUJR. RJSWI CJ SVM L DJCJCEJD. LVGPKGJ CJ SVM L KJSDV.” ~ EJVZSCLV HDSVNKLV
Cryptoquote solution from May 7th: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
Yesterday, Governor Edwards testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources about recent federal offshore oil and gas developments. Specifically, he will address the adverse impact that a protracted moratorium on mineral leases in the Gulf of Mexico will have on Louisiana’s economy. In addition, he will highlight the state’s ongoing work on climate initiatives.
An excerpt of his submitted testimony is below:
“Thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today on two of the largest challenges facing my state: taking responsible actions to address climate change while navigating successfully the transition in our energy industry – an industry that is so vital to our economy. Both the effects of climate change and the economic health of our state are affected directly by federal policy regarding the production of oil and gas resources on the Outer Continental Shelf in the Gulf of Mexico and the distribution of federal revenues derived therefrom.
I note that a number of states represented on this committee are affected directly by federal policy regarding oil and gas production on federal lands and waters: Alaska, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Wyoming. Several other states represented on this committee are also confronted, like Louisiana, with major issues relating to the energy transition that is in its early stages in our nation: Colorado, Oklahoma and West Virginia. As leaders elected by all the people in these states, you know, as do I, how critical federal policy decisions are regarding both climate and energy policy.
Louisiana cannot afford to ignore climate changes that are attributable to the release of greenhouse gases nor can we afford blanket restrictions on oil and gas development in our nation.
I urge this Congress and the Biden Administration to pursue a responsible and balanced approach to adapting to the impacts of climate change while still pursuing safe and responsible oil and gas exploration in the Gulf of Mexico.”
Click below to read the Governor’s full written testimony that was submitted to the committee
Carolina Baptist Church will host its Homecoming this Sunday, May 16th at 10:00 a.m. Music will be by Ricky Houck and the speaker will be Brother Stuart Toms. There will be a covered dish lunch following the homecoming.
Is your church hosting an event? Contact the Bienville Parish Journal at BPJNewsLA@gmail.com.
