A 16 year old Castor High School student was taken into custody on Thursday, October 28, 2021 at the school after a pistol and alcohol were recovered from his vehicle which was parked on the school parking lot. Alcohol was also confiscated from the student’s backpack which was located in the school building. The School Resource Officer, Deputy Scott Phillips, issued summonses to the student for juvenile in possession of a firearm, carrying a firearm in a firearm free school zone, minor in possession of alcohol and on a traffic violation, passing in a no passing zone, which occurred just prior to school convening. BPSO had received numerous complaints about the student’s erratic driving in the past. The student was later released to the student’s guardian pending court proceedings.

The Police Jury held a Special Meeting Wednesday morning to discuss the water sector program match requests, a Shady Grove Recreation District board appointment, lifting the mask mandate for the courthouse, and requests from the chamber of commerce.

Please see the following minutes as provided by the Police Jury and watch the live-streamed video of the meeting.

Earlier today, Bienville Parish School Superintendent William Wysinger posted on the school board’s Facebook page, “Beginning, Thursday, October 28, 2021, masks will be highly recommended but optional at all Bienville Parish Schools due to Governor John Bel Edwards lifting the statewide mask mandate. We will continue with all COVID-19 mitigation efforts and continue to follow all quarantine guidelines as determined by the CDC and the Louisiana Department of Health.

Masks will continue to be required on all school buses as mandated by President Joe Biden’s Executive Order.

In the event of high positivity or transmission at any of our schools, we may revert back to requiring masking.”

Yesterday evening, downtown Arcadia was full of parents, children and pets, many of which were in festive Halloween costumes.  Local businesses decorated their trunks for Trunk or Treat.  Clowns, scarecrows, superheroes, firemen, army men, ghosts, and a variety of other characters came in search of candy, snacks, and to play the many games which were set up in the depot.  There were no tricks, only treats at Arcadia’s Fall Festival.       

On Wednesday, just before 2:00 p.m., Troopers assigned to Louisiana State Police Troop G began investigating a two-vehicle crash on I-20, just east of US Hwy 80 (Ada / Taylor). The crash claimed the life of 22-year-old Jamarcea Washington.

The initial investigation revealed a 2020 International tractor-trailer, driven by 48-year-old Shannon Carson, of Prosperity, SC, was traveling east on I-20. At the same time, a 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe, driven by Washington, was traveling behind the International. An unrelated crash previously occurred just ahead of the vehicles, which caused traffic to slow. The international slowed as it approached the slowed traffic. For reasons still under investigation, Washington lost control of the Chevrolet and struck the rear of the trailer. After the impact, the Chevrolet exited the roadway into the ditch.

Sources told the our sister journal, the Lincoln Parish Journal, that Washington was a GSU student and member of famed Tiger Marching Band. Due to the loss of one of its members, the band will not be performing at the football game against Florida A&M this weekend.

At this time, Washington’s restraint use is unknown. He suffered fatal injuries as a result of the crash and was pronounced dead on the scene. Carson was restrained and was not injured.

Impairment is not suspected to be a factor in this crash; however, routine toxicology samples were taken and submitted for analysis. The crash remains under investigation.

Troopers remind motorists to be extra cautious when traveling during periods of heavy rainfall or other inclement weather. Motorists should ensure they have proper tire tread and drive at speeds below the posted speed limits to prevent “hydroplaning.” Always allow a greater following distance when driving on wet roads.

In 2021, Troop G has investigated 30 fatal crashes, resulting in 32 deaths.

Early voting for the November 13th election begins this Saturday, Oct. 30th – Saturday, Nov. 6th (excluding Sunday) from 8:30am – 6:00pm at the Bienville Parish Courthouse, 100 Courthouse Dr., Arcadia, LA (200 Gap Farm Rd. for GPS guidance).

Registrar of Voters Nacole Warren said, “Sample ballots are available at geauxvote.com. A sample ballet is also posted outside the Registrar of Voters office for your convenience.  If you have any questions or concerns, please call 318-263-7407 or email bienvillerov@sos.la.gov.”

Clerk of Court Eddie Holmes recently explained the Proposed Constitutional Amendments for the upcoming election.  Early voting begins tomorrow.  Click on the link below the breakdown for the complete guide to the 2021 Constitutional Amendments.

AMENDMENT #1: Tax Commission

If you vote…..
YES = I want there to be an single Tax Commission that oversees, collects and distributes ALL sales tax in the State.
NO = I want to keep the current system where a local agency in each parish collects and distributes sales taxes.

Amendment #2: Tax Reform

If you vote…
YES = I want to lower the State income tax rate from 6% to 4.75% and give up any federal tax deduction I could claim. I also want there to be tax reforms relating to businesses.
NO = I want to keep the State income tax rates the same and keep my federal tax deduction.

This one is more complicated and the ballot wording is terrible. This amendment changes several income tax laws for individuals and businesses.

Amendment #3: Levee District Tax Authority

If you vote…..
YES = I want levee districts created after 2005 but before October 2021 to be able to get property tax funding without needing to hold an election.
NO = I want new levee districts to require voter approval before getting any property tax funding.

This is not an issue we see in our parish, but requires a constitutional change. You may want to check with any friends or family living in the southern part of the State about their opinion.

Amendment #4: State Budget Balancing

If you vote…..
YES = When the State cannot balance the budget through regular means, I want them to be able to cut funding from constitutionally protected sources by 10% instead of 5%.
NO = I don’t want the State to be able to cut any additional funds above the current 5% from sources protected by the constitution.

This one is complicated as well… short version is that the LA Constitution guarantees certain agencies and programs their yearly budget/funding. Only when the budget cannot be balanced through cutting normal means (usually education and health care), the governor can cut 5% from theses protected funds.

The tradition of celebrating Halloween originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints. Soon, All Saints Day incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows Eve, and later Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved into a day of activities like trick-or-treating, carving jack-o-lanterns, festive gatherings, donning costumes and eating treats.

Halloween’s origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago, mostly in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1.  This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31 they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth.

The celebration of Halloween was extremely limited in colonial New England because of the rigid Protestant belief systems there. Halloween was much more common in Maryland and the southern colonies.  As the beliefs and customs of different European ethnic groups and the American Indians meshed, a distinctly American version of Halloween began to emerge. The first celebrations included “play parties,” which were public events held to celebrate the harvest. Neighbors would share stories of the dead, tell each other’s fortunes, dance and sing.  Colonial Halloween festivities also featured the telling of ghost stories and mischief-making of all kinds. By the middle of the 19th century, annual autumn festivities were common, but Halloween was not yet celebrated everywhere in the country.  In the second half of the 19th century, America was flooded with new immigrants. These new immigrants, especially the millions of Irish fleeing the Irish Potato Famine, helped to popularize the celebration of Halloween nationally.

Borrowing from European traditions, Americans began to dress up in costumes and go house to house asking for food or money, a practice that eventually became today’s “trick-or-treat” tradition. Young women believed that on Halloween they could divine the name or appearance of their future husband by doing tricks with yarn, apple parings or mirrors.  In the late 1800s, there was a move in America to mold Halloween into a holiday focused on community and neighborly get-togethers. At the turn of the century, Halloween parties for both children and adults became the most common way to celebrate the day. Parties focused on games, foods of the season and festive costumes.  Halloween lost most of its superstitious and religious overtones by the beginning of the twentieth century.

By the 1920s and 1930s, Halloween had become a secular but community-centered holiday, with parades and town-wide Halloween parties as the featured entertainment. Despite the best efforts of many schools and communities, vandalism began to plague some celebrations in many communities during this time.  By the 1950s, town leaders had successfully limited vandalism and Halloween had evolved into a holiday directed mainly at the young. Due to the high numbers of young children during the fifties baby boom, parties moved from town civic centers into the classroom or home, where they could be more easily accommodated.

Between 1920 and 1950, the centuries-old practice of trick-or-treating was also revived. Trick-or-treating was a relatively inexpensive way for an entire community to share the Halloween celebration. In theory, families could also prevent tricks being played on them by providing the neighborhood children with small treats.  Thus, a new American tradition was born, and it has continued to grow. Today, Americans spend an estimated $6 billion annually on Halloween, making it the country’s second largest commercial holiday after Christmas.

Have a Safe and Happy Halloween!

Source:  History.com. “History of Halloween.” November 18, 2009. history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween.

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:

“SWXQ WR TQKSSE RWHYSQ, MCD FQ WLRWRD VL HKJWLA WD IVHYSWIKDQU.” ~ IVLXCIWCR

Previous Cryptoquote solution:  “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you’ve imagined.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

When it comes to soft plastic lures, one thing anglers will say is that “color does not matter.” But I’m going to give my perspective on why it does. For years both novice and professional bass fishermen have made a case for why the color of your bait doesn’t matter. They say it’s more about the presentation than it is the color of the bait itself. This may be true in some isolated cases, but if that’s true, then why do manufacturers make soft plastic worms in so many colors? Is it to catch fish or is it to catch anglers?

Today’s anglers are overwhelmed with color selection by many of the top name brands like Strike King, V&M, Gary Yamamoto, Zoom, and Reaction Innovation, just to name a few. Each of these manufacturers produce some of the best soft plastics ever made. But colors in the bass fishing world are not your standard red, blue or greens. They have very creative names like red bug, tequila sunrise, green pumpkin, watermelon and my personal favorite, black emerald. Bait companies are even more creative than the original box of 64 crayons when it comes to color options. You may remember this from your childhood days when Crayola crayons had names like Brick Red, Burnt Orange, Chestnut, and even Bittersweet. But today’s box of crayons might include Inchworm, Granny Smith Apple, Caribbean Green, Tropical Rainforest, or my personal favorite Permanent Geranium Lake. Who comes up with these names? How is a child or an angler today, suppose to understand or learn the different color pallets of this magnitude?

Well, bass fishermen new to the industry are in the same boat. How is an angler supposed to know the difference between crab apple or plum? Well crab apple, also known as red bug by some companies, are red worms with green flake. But back in the day when soft plastic baits were first invented by Nick Crème of Crème Lures, crab apple was the original red worm with green flake. By the way, it was at the Cleveland Sportsman’s Show in 1951 that Nick Crème introduced and sold over 9600 packs of soft plastic worms which jumpstarted the soft plastic industry. Today the king of soft plastics is a company by the name of Zoom, which started manufacturing soft plastic baits in 1977.

As you can see, the color pallets of the bass fishing world all depend on what company is producing the baits. But does color really matter when it comes to catching bass? I say yes, because I’ve seen days where you can throw red bugs and then switch to green pumpkin and start catching fish. Just like this past August, I was pre-fishing for a tournament on Sam Rayburn and was throwing one of my favorite V&M baits called a Baby Swamp Hog in watermelon/red with basically zero bites in the first three hours. I switched to Gleason Candy and it was like someone turned on a light switch. Making this change in color allowed me to finish in 2nd place in that event. I’m also of the opinion that if color doesn’t matter, then why do they make so many color options for anglers to choose from? Now I will admit that some colors are designed to catch anglers rather than fish, but in general, the array of color choices allows an angler to experiment and try something that maybe the bass have not seen.

So, the next time you’re in your favorite tackle store, make sure you know what color soft plastic you’re looking for. Know the difference between watermelon/red and green pumpkin with red flakes. If you’re not sure, ask someone to help you. Till next time, good luck, good fishing, and don’t forget to set the hook!

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

312 – Constantine the Great entered Rome after his victory at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, staged a grand adventus in the city, and was met with popular jubilation. Maxentius’ body was fished out of the Tiber and beheaded.

1390 – First trial for witchcraft in Paris which led to the death of three people.

1618 – English adventurer, writer, and courtier Sir Walter Raleigh was beheaded for allegedly conspiring against James I of England.

1692 – Court of Oyer and Terminer, convened for Salem witch trials, dissolved.

1787 – Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni received its first performance in Prague.

1811 – The first Ohio River steamboat left Pittsburgh for New Orleans.

1814 – “Demologos”, the first steam-powered warship, was launched in New York for the US Navy.

1863 – Eighteen countries met in Geneva and agreed to form the International Red Cross.

1863 – American Civil War: Battle of Wauhatchie: Forces under Union General Ulysses S. Grant repelled a Confederate attack led by General James Longstreet. Union forces thus opened a supply line into Chattanooga, Tennessee.

1901 – In Amherst, Massachusetts, nurse Jane Toppan was arrested for murdering the Davis family of Boston with an overdose of morphine.

1901 – Leon Czolgosz, the assassin of U.S. President William McKinley, was executed by electrocution.

1918 – The German High Seas Fleet was incapacitated when sailors mutinied, an action which triggered the German Revolution of 1918–19.

1929 – The New York Stock Exchange crashed in what is called the Crash of ’29 or “Black Tuesday”, which ended the Great Bull Market of the 1920s and was the beginning of the Great Depression.

1936 – Cole Porters musical “Red Hot And Blue”, starring Ethel Merman, Jimmy Durante, and Bob Hope, opened at the Alvin Theatre, NYC;.  It ran for 183 performances.

1941 – The Holocaust: In the Kaunas Ghetto, over 10,000 Jews were shot by German occupiers at the Ninth Fort, a massacre known as the “Great Action”.

1945 – The first ballpoint pen went on sale.  

1956 – NBC anchors Chet Huntley and David Brinkley first teamed up in “The Huntley–Brinkley Report”.

1960 – An airplane carrying the Cal Poly football team crashed on takeoff in Toledo, Ohio.  Of the 48 on board, 22 were killed, including both pilots, 16 players, a student manager, and a Cal Poly football booster.

1960 – Cassius Clay’s [Muhammad Ali] first professional fight.  He beat Tunney Hunsaker on points in 6 rounds in Louisville, Kentucky.

1967 – London criminal Jack McVitie was murdered by the Kray twins, which led to their eventual imprisonment and downfall.

1969 – The first-ever computer-to-computer link was established on ARPANET, the precursor to the Internet.

1969 – US Supreme Court ordered an end to all school segregation “at once”.

1975 – ‘Yorkshire Ripper’ Peter Sutcliffe killed his first victim, Wilma McCann.

1982 – Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson released “The Girl is Mine”.

1991 – The American Galileo spacecraft made its closest approach to 951 Gaspra, and became the first probe to visit an asteroid.

1993 – “The Sign” single released in Europe by Ace of Base.

1994 – Francisco Martin Duran fired over two dozen shots at the White House; he was later convicted of trying to kill US President Bill Clinton.

1998 – Space Shuttle Discovery blasted off on STS-95 with 77-year-old John Glenn on board, which made him the oldest person at the time to go into space.

1998 – ATSC HDTV broadcasting in the United States was inaugurated with the launch of the STS-95 space shuttle mission.

2004 – Arabic news network, Al Jazeera broadcasted an excerpt from a video of Osama bin Laden in which the terrorist leader first admitted direct responsibility for the September 11, 2001 attacks and referenced the 2004 U.S. presidential election.

Since the early settlement of Bienville parish, lumber and sawmills were cornerstone industries. Lumber provided by the rich forests fueled the physical and economic needs of the parish and surrounding areas. Around the early 20th century, timber and lumberyards were often small settlements of their own. The remote location and long hours made it difficult to get the necessities in life like groceries and even currency. As such, companies would issue their own tokens which could be used to purchase goods on site at the` company owned commissary. The practice was popular in many instances during the time, but most prevalent in lumber and mining camps. These bits of coin went by many names, like.. due bills, scrips, checks, or flickers. In Louisiana, we called them bronzenes, doo-ga-loos, and cherry balls. I have no idea why, but we Louisianians are a creative folk. I like to say doo-ga-loo so I’m going to use that.

Initially, this benefited both parties as it meant the company did not have to keep as much cash on hand and the worker would have easy access to goods. However, in some instances, the practice was abused and companies might pay all wages in doo-ga-loos. The doo-ga-loos would only be redeemable at the company store which often had higher priced goods than in town. There was even the practice of letting workers borrow against future wages in exchange for some doo-ga-loos. These type practices prevented workers from being able to save or generate any sort of real wealth from their labor. Swing in the gas station and see how much gas you can get for pocket of Chuck E. Cheese tokens. I mean doo-ga-loos. Fortunately, the practice was banned under the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act.

The hardships created by the practice was the topic of the popular song Sixteen Tons. My favorite rendition is by Tennessee Ernie Ford.

Below is an actual token (doo-ga-loo) used by the Waldron Lumber Company near Gibsland circa 1920. The surrounding area supported many such lumber mills. It’s good for “5 in merchandise”.

Special thanks to William Choate for sharing this piece from his personal collection and for the information!

The Bienville Parish Library Hosts the Arcadia Family Pharmacy with “Fight Flu – Get a Flu Vaccine!”

The pharmacy technicians and nurses from the Arcadia Family Pharmacy, will be available to administer the flu shot at the Bienville Parish Library – Arcadia Main, located at 2768 Maple Street in Arcadia this morning, October 29, 2021, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. All you need to bring with you to get the flu shot is your insurance card and valid photo ID!

In case you’re wondering why you should get the influenza vaccine here a few reasons why you should consider getting your flu shot this year:

The flu is more serious than you may realize.

During the average flu season, more than 200,000 people in the United States are hospitalized each year for illnesses associated with seasonal influenza virus infections. Certain groups of adults are at higher risk for serious illness and complications from the flu, including: People with asthma and diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. People who are 65 and older, and people with cancer.

The flu vaccine is the most effective way to prevent illness caused by seasonal influenza viruses.

If you receive the flu vaccine it reduces a person’s risk of developing flu-related illness – serious enough to require a doctor’s visit – by 61 percent!

Last year’s flu shot won’t provide adequate protection from the flu this year.

Like any kind of vaccine, your body’s immune response to the vaccine gradually declines, so an annual vaccine is needed to provide a longer-term protection. Second, flu viruses are constantly changing. Each year, the strains covered in the flu vaccine are reviewed and adjusted.

If you would like to register to get a flu shot contact Jackie Cato at 318-263-7410 extension 2405. For more information about the flu shot, and if you are eligible to receive the flu vaccine, contact the Arcadia Family Pharmacy at 318-263-3948 and speak to the pharmacist.

The Arcadia Hornets will take on the Ringgold Redskins at the Ringgold field tonight at 7 p.m.  This is a district game.

None reported.

Yesterday, Gov. John Bel Edwards announced he will lift Louisiana’s statewide mask mandate in all settings except for K-12 schools, after sustained improvement across the state in terms of new cases, test positivity and hospitalizations. The Governor’s updated order allows school districts to opt out of the mask mandate as long as they continue to follow the existing quarantine guidelines recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to better separate exposed students and faculty members from others and avoid outbreaks on campus.

CDC guidance still says everyone 2 years of age or older who is not fully vaccinated should wear a mask in indoor public places. And if you are fully vaccinated, to maximize protection from the Delta variant, wear a mask indoors in public if you are in an area with high transmission. People who have a health condition or are taking medications that weaken their immune system may not be fully protected even if they are fully vaccinated. They should continue to take all precautions recommended for unvaccinated people, including wearing a well-fitted mask, until advised otherwise by their healthcare provider. At this time, in light of the Delta variant, CDC recommends universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status.

Yesterday, the Governor said, “Today, I am cautiously optimistic and very relieved that the worst of this fourth surge of COVID is clearly behind us, which is a direct result of the people of Louisiana who stepped up to the plate when we needed them to and put their masks back on, got vaccinated, and took extra precautions to stay safe. That’s why we are able to lift the statewide mask mandate,” said Gov. Edwards. “While the K-12 mask mandate will be in place, school districts can opt out if they follow the existing, evidence-based CDC quarantine guidance. This new order does offer a way for local leaders to end the school mask mandate, if they so choose. Let me be clear – Louisiana has been a leader in bringing students safely back into the classroom. And they have done that by following public health guidance including on masking and quarantine. Public health experts and I encourage schools to stay that course. But because case numbers are going down and have reached a new baseline I do believe it’s an appropriate time to give schools more autonomy. It’s not lost on me that while Louisiana has seen 18 children die of COVID, half of those deaths came in the last three months, as the much more contagious Delta variant surged throughout our state.”

Masks will still be mandated by federal regulation, including on mass transit and in health care facilities. They will not be mandated in most places, including government buildings, college and university campuses and businesses. School districts may opt out of the mask mandate if they choose to, but only if they continue to adhere to CDC quarantine guidance.

“We are encouraged about our current COVID trends, but remain mindful of our profound loss as a result of the last surge and cognizant that we will remain vulnerable to an equally damaging surge unless more of our friends, family and neighbors choose to get vaccinated,” said State Health Officer Dr. Joseph Kanter.

Local governments and private businesses may choose to continue to require and enforce mask requirements under the Governor’s order, which goes into effect on Wednesday, October 27.

SCHOOL AND GENERAL QUARANTINE GUIDANCE

Under the CDC and LDH guidance that schools without mask mandates must follow, asymptomatic individuals who may have been in close contact (within 6 feet of someone infected with COVID-19 for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period) to someone infected with COVID-19 should quarantine.

Under the following criteria quarantine is not necessary:

• Individuals who are fully vaccinated at the time of exposure and remain asymptomatic
• Individuals who previously tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 90 days and remain asymptomatic
• If both the positive case and the contact were masked AND were ≥ 3 feet of each other and remain asymptomatic (only applies to students in structured K-12 settings)

Duration: The standard length is 14 days; however, schools can choose to use shortened quarantine options.

Options to shorten quarantine include:

• If no symptoms develop during quarantine AND they have a negative antigen or PCR/molecular test collected on day 5, 6, or 7 after last exposure: they may quarantine for 7 days from last contact with a COVID-19 case OR
• If no symptoms develop during quarantine and no testing is done: they may quarantine for 10 days from last contact with a COVID-19 case

At this time, the CDC advises that fully vaccinated individuals who are not experiencing COVID symptoms do not need to quarantine following an exposure to COVID-19, and LDH is not yet altering this guidance.

Anyone with symptoms of COVID-19, even those who are fully vaccinated or without a known exposure, should get tested.

Anyone who tests positive should immediately isolate. Isolation (for those who test positive for COVID-19) typically consists of:

• If symptomatic, at least 10 days since symptoms first appeared, symptoms are improving, and at least 24 hours with no fever without fever-reducing medication
• If asymptomatic but with a positive test, 10 days from the time the test sample was collected
  Call 211 to find a COVID-19 testing site near you.

HOW TO GET A COVID VACCINE IN LOUISIANA

Everyone aged 12 and older is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in Louisiana. The FDA has only authorized one of the three COVID-19 vaccines – from Pfizer – for children ages 12 to 17. Parents should confirm with the vaccine provider that their child is under 18 to ensure Pfizer vaccine is available before making an appointment.

• COVID-19 vaccines are widely available at more than 1,000 locations in all of Louisiana’s 64 parishes, including at pharmacies, hospitals, health care clinics, and doctor’s offices.
• For a list of locations, visit LDH’s vaccine directory or visit vaccines.gov, which is maintained by the federal government.
• To get a list of vaccine locations near you text your ZIP code to GETVAX (438829) in English, or VACUNA (822862) in Spanish.
• If you have questions, would like to speak with a medical professional, or need help scheduling an appointment, call 211 or Louisiana’s vaccine hotline at 1-855-453-0774.

Don’t miss a single article with your Free Subscription to the Bienville Parish Journal.  

Already get the Journal in your email?  Tell a friend.

Bienville Parish Journal is your source for local News, Sports, Information, and live-streamed events.

The Police Jury will hold a Special Meeting this morning at 9:00 a.m. to discuss the Water Sector Program Match Request and a Shady Grove Recreation District Board Appointment.

The Bienville Parish Journal will Live-Stream this meeting.

On Monday, October 25, the Louisiana State Police, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office and Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Office participated in the honor guard for retired Sheriff Joe Storey’s interment at the Arcadia Cemetery.

Sheriff John Ballance said, “Sheriff Storey was a good man and a loyal servant to his Lord, family/friends and his constituents!”

Sheriff Storey was born in Arcadia on July 27, 1931.  After his high school graduation, he went to work at the Arcadia Motor Company where he was parts manager for 10 years. His father, Will, was the Town Marshal of Arcadia and passed away while in that position. After Mr. Will’s passing, the Town of Arcadia bestowed the physical duties of Town Marshal to Joe. Joe and his wife, Mell Rose, lived outside the city limits of Arcadia and had to move into the city limits.  That is when Joe started his law enforcement career that spanned over 38 years. He served the Town of Arcadia in the capacity of Chief of Police for 18 years, and then joined the Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Department as a deputy for 8 years. After careful consideration, Joe decided to run for the office of Sheriff, where he served the people of Bienville Parish for 12 years. Joe was a special servant to all. He loved the people, and they truly loved him back.

Tomorrow, October 28th, the Town of Arcadia will host a Fall Festival along with Trunk or Treat and Pumpkin Carving Contest.  It is sure to be a fun filled evening for all. Be sure to wear your best Halloween costume!!!

Also included in our Fall Festival will be a Best Furry Friend competition. So get those pets costume ready and head to Henderson Jordan Park between 6 and 7pm for registration and judging. Winner announced at 7:30pm.  **All pets must be on a leash at all times. Please also pick up after your friend if necessary. **

To the citizens of Bienville Fire Protection District 7,

We want to start off by saying Bienville Parish Fire Protection District 7 would like to sincerely thank the citizens of District 7 for the many years of support. Your support has been vital to the department in many ways to protect all of our citizens in many areas of public safety.

When you head to the polls in December you will see a millage RENEWAL, not a new tax on the ballot. This millage will be the same millage that you all have approved for years allowing Bienville Fire Protection District to provide FIRE/EMS/RESCUE services. This millage is renewed every 10 years.  This money is used to provided Fire, Emergency medical and Rescue responses throughout the district and is a vital millage to continue to provide these services. We will continue to provide the best services that we can and move the department forward to give the citizens of this district quality service.

With your support, the Bienville Fire Protection District 7 has completed and grown in several areas throughout the past several years.

• Improved response times with rapid response EMS vehicles and Command Vehicles. Due to very extended ambulance response times, medically trained Emergency Medical First Responders are a vital part of this district.
• Increased on duty coverage with Advanced Life Support Medical care.
• Smoke Detector Installation Program- Free Installs.
• 3 Lifepak Cardiac monitors were added to allow for better patient care while on scene awaiting medical transport.
• Interagency Operability with local, regional, state, and federal agencies.
• Applied for and received multiple grants.
• Emergency Pre-Planning throughout the entire district to include high hazard areas to help mitigate emergency scenes
• Several new Fire apparatuses to help with water supply throughout the district and to assist with PIAL rating to allow us to achieve a better rating in order to lower property insurance rates throughout the district.
• New stations have been built to house new apparatus throughout the district.
• Updated medical supplies and equipment that can be used during those critical times to help our citizens of the district.
• Certified Firefighters, Certified EMT’s, and a NREMT-Paramedic added to our staff
• A Junior Firefighter program was started to recruit the younger citizens of our district to allow them training and future job opportunities.
• Upgraded structural bunker gear and extrication gear for emergency responses.

Bienville Fire Protection District 7 will continue to strive for better protection for our citizens, we sincerely want to thank you again for your continued support and ask for your SUPPORT on the upcoming millage RENEWAL in December.

If anyone has any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the department (318) 395-3556.

Respectfully submitted,

Bienville Parish Fire Protection District 7
Fire Chief:  Chase Walsworth
Deputy Fire Chief: Bill Dabbs
Board Members: Stephen Brown, Bennie Martin, Ronnie Matthews, Cassandria Peoples

(No public funds were used in the distribution of this article)

The views and opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Bienville Parish Journal.  If you have an article or story of interest for publishing consideration by the BPJ, please send it to BPJNewsLA@gmail.com.

Did you know….?

In 1865 geologist J.B. Roberson, while examining the salt licks around Castor, exhumed a “horn of some great extinct animal measuring 13 inches in diameter and though broken, was over 3 feet in length.”

This horn possibly belonged to the giant horned bison which roamed North America over 30,000 years ago.

They were 16 feet long, 9 feet tall and weighed over 4000 pounds. The horns could measure over 7 feet tip to tip.

How’d you like to hunt one of those bad boys?

Other finds in the salt flats of our parish include mastodon bones, pottery shards, arrowheads, and a various array of fossils.

312 – Constantine is said to have received his famous Vision of the Cross.

1553 – Condemned as a heretic, Michael Servetus was burned at the stake just outside Geneva.

1682 – Philadelphia was founded in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by William Penn.

1775 – King George III expanded on his Proclamation of Rebellion in the Thirteen Colonies in his speech from the throne at the opening of Parliament.

1795 – The United States and Spain signed the Treaty of Madrid, which established the boundaries between Spanish colonies and the U.S.

1810 – United States annexed the former Spanish colony of West Florida.

1838 – Missouri governor Lilburn Boggs issued the Extermination Order, which ordered all Mormons to leave the state or be killed.

1871 – Democratic leader of Tammany Hall NY, Boss Tweed was arrested after the NY Times exposed his corruption.

1904 – The first underground New York City Subway line opened.

1914 – World War I: The new British battleship HMS Audacious was sunk by a minefield laid by the armed German merchant-cruiser Berlin.

1917 – 20,000 women marched in a suffrage parade in New York City.

1919 – Axeman of New Orleans claimed his last victim.

1936 – Mrs Wallis Simpson obtained her divorce, which eventually allowed her to marry King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, which forced his abdication from the throne.

1947 – “You Bet Your Life” with Groucho Marx premiered on ABC radio.

1954 – Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. became the first African-American general in the United States Air Force.

1954 – Walt Disney’s first TV show, “Disneyland”, premiered on ABC.

1955 – “Rebel Without a Cause”, directed by Nicholas Ray, starring James Dean and Natalie Wood, was released.

1960 – Singer Ben E. King recorded “Spanish Harlem” & “Stand By Me”.

1961 – NASA tested the first Saturn I rocket in Mission Saturn-Apollo 1.

1962 – Major Rudolf Anderson of the United States Air Force became the only direct human casualty of the Cuban Missile Crisis when his U-2 reconnaissance airplane was shot down over Cuba by a Soviet-supplied surface-to-air missile.

1962 – By refusing to agree to the firing of a nuclear torpedo at a US warship, Soviet Navy officer Vasily Arkhipov averted nuclear war.

1964 – Ronald Reagan delivered a speech on behalf of the Republican candidate for president, Barry Goldwater. The speech launched his political career and came to be known as “A Time for Choosing”.

1967 – Catholic priest Philip Berrigan and others of the ‘Baltimore Four’ protested the Vietnam War by pouring blood on Selective Service records.

1975 – Covers of both Time & Newsweek magazines featured rock singer Bruce Springsteen.

1988 – Cold War: Ronald Reagan suspended construction of the new U.S. Embassy in Moscow due to Soviet listening devices in the building structure.

1988 – “ET the Extra Terrestrial” was released to home video (14 million units presold).

1992 – United States Navy radioman Allen R. Schindler, Jr. was murdered by shipmate Terry M. Helvey for being gay, which precipitated debate about gays in the military that resulted in the United States’ “Don’t ask, don’t tell” military policy.

1995 Dramatic film “Leaving Las Vegas” directed by Mike Figgis and starring Nicolas Cage (Oscar for Best Actor) and Elisabeth Shue premiered.

2018 – A gunman opened fire on a Pittsburgh synagogue and killed 11 and injured six, including four police officers.

On Saturday, classic cars from all over the region descended upon downtown Arcadia for the 11th Annual CASA’s Cruising for a Christmas Cause Car Show.  The weather was sunny and cool.  Everyone enjoyed getting up close looks at some truly amazing vehicles.