Castor will play in the Doyline Basketball Jamboree tomorrow.  Take a look at the schedule below.

None reported

Yesterday, October 20, was Pink Out Day at Bienville school.  Teachers, students, parents, community leaders, and other members of the public gathered at Bienville school to raise awareness for breast cancer.  Principal Harris spoke in the cafeteria about the struggles and fear surrounding the cancer.  He pointed out that almost everyone present had some connection to someone who has struggled with or is struggling with breast cancer.  Ms. Samantha’s Pre-K class presented several people with pink goodie bags.  Following the reception, everyone met in the courtyard and released pink balloons.

by Brad Dison

If you have had occasion to pass through Taylor recently, you will have noticed a hive of activity at the construction site of the $240 million Hunt Forest Products sawmill.  Crews have poured the concrete and erected the steel framework for the mill.   Workers still have a long way to go.  The mill is expected to begin production in the late 2023 or early 2024. 

On Wednesday, a neighbor of mine said he had to wait over six hours to unload logs at a different sawmill.  The new Hunt Forest Products sawmill will be a state-of-the-art facility.  In a previous Journal article, Richie LeBlanc, President of Hunt Forest Products said the estimated turnaround time from scale to scale will be about 12 to 14 minutes. 

If you get the chance, take a ride through Taylor and take a look at the future sawmill.

The Hornets are 5-2 and will take on Homer in an away game this evening at 7 p.m.  

Take a look at the schedule below.

Early voting for the November 8th election will begin Tuesday, October 25th and run through Tuesday, November 1st (excluding Sunday) from 8:30 am – 6:00 pm at the Bienville Parish Registrar of Voters Office, 100 Courthouse Dr., Suite 1400, (200 Gap Farm Rd for GPS guidance) Arcadia, LA.

Please remember, in accordance with state law many districts have changed. It is important to view your sample ballot prior to arriving at the polls. To do so you can visit http://www.geauxvote.com or come by my office to view a posted copy. As always, if you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact us by phone at 318-263-7407 or email at bienvillerov@sos.la.gov.

Thank you,
Nickie Warren
Bienville Parish Registrar of Voters

1512 – Martin Luther joined the theological faculty of the University of Wittenberg.

1520 – Ferdinand Magellan discovered a strait now known as the Strait of Magellan.

1520 – João Álvares Fagundes discovered the islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, bestowing them their original name of “Islands of the 11,000 Virgins.”

1774 – The flag of Taunton, Massachusetts was the first to include the word “Liberty.”

1797 – In Boston Harbor, the 44-gun United States Navy frigate USS Constitution was launched.

1805 – Napoleonic Wars: A British fleet led by Lord Nelson defeated a combined French and Spanish fleet under Admiral Villeneuve in the Battle of Trafalgar.

1824 – Portland cement was patented.

1854 – Florence Nightingale and a staff of 38 nurses were sent to the Crimean War.

1861 – American Civil War: Union forces under Colonel Edward Baker were defeated by Confederate troops in the second major battle of the war.

1867 – The Medicine Lodge Treaty was signed by southern Great Plains Indian leaders. The treaty required Native American Plains tribes to relocate to a reservation in the western Indian Territory.

1879 – Thomas Edison applied for a patent for his design for an incandescent light bulb.

1892 – Opening ceremonies for the World’s Columbian Exposition were held in Chicago, though because construction was behind schedule, the exposition did not open until May 1, 1893.

1908 – A Saturday Evening Post advertisement offered a chance to buy a two-sided record from Columbia.

1921 – President Warren G. Harding delivered the first speech by a sitting U.S. president against lynching in the Deep South.

1940 – The first edition of the Ernest Hemingway novel For Whom the Bell Tolls was published.

1944 – World War II: The first kamikaze attack damaged HMAS Australia as the Battle of Leyte Gulf begins.

1944 – World War II: The Nemmersdorf massacre against German civilians took place.

1944 – World War II: The city of Aachen fell to American forces after three weeks of fighting, the first German city to fall to the Allies.

1945 – In the 1945 French legislative election French women voted for the first time.

1958 – Buddy Holly recorded his last studio session. Holly and the Crickets recorded “True Love Ways,” “Moondreams,” “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore,” and “Raining in my Heart.”

1959 – In New York City, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum opened to the public.

1959 – President Dwight D. Eisenhower approved the transfer of all US Army space-related activities to NASA, including most of the Army Ballistic Missile Agency.

1964 – The movie musical My Fair Lady made its world premier in New York.

1965 – Comet Ikeya–Seki approached perihelion and passed 279,617 miles from the sun.

1967 – The National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam organized a march of fifty thousand people from the Lincoln Memorial to the Pentagon.

1973 – Fred Dryer of the Los Angeles Rams became the first player in NFL history to score two safeties in the same game.

1974 – Queen’s single “Killer Queen” was released.

1976 – At the Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Canada, Keith Moon played his final tour date with The Who.

1977 – “Bat Out Of Hell” was released by Meat Loaf.

1978 – Australian civilian pilot Frederick Valentich vanished over the Bass Strait south of Melbourne, after reporting contact with an unidentified aircraft.

1983 – The meter was defined as the distance light travels in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 of a second.

1992 – The erotic photograph book, Sex, was released by Madonna. The first run of 500,000 copies sold out.

1992 – Elton John files a $35 Million lawsuit accusing a reporter from the TV show “Hard Copy” of falsely stating that he had moved to Atlanta to be near an AIDS treatment center.

1994 – North Korea and the United States signed an Agreed Framework that required North Korea to stop its nuclear weapons program and agree to inspections.

1995 – Shannon Hoon (Blind Melon) died of a cocaine overdose at the age of 28.

1998 – Alice Cooper filed suit against KISS members Paul Stanley and Bruce Kulick alleging their song “Dreamin'” sounds too much like the song “Eighteen” by Cooper.

2005 – Images of the dwarf planet Eris were taken and subsequently used in documenting its discovery.

2011 – Iraq War: President Barack Obama announced that the withdrawal of United States troops from Iraq would be complete by the end of the year.

2021 – A shooting occurred on the set of the film Rust, in which actor Alec Baldwin discharged a prop weapon which had been loaded, and killed the director of photography, Halyna Hutchins, and injured director Joel Souza.

Baton Rouge, La. – The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development announced yesterday that it will begin issuing special permits to vehicles transporting hay during the current federally declared drought emergency. § RS 32:387 (6) grants the DOTD Secretary the authority to issue special permits to vehicles transporting hay due to a disaster or emergency.

Permit fees will be $10 and will be valid for only as long as the declared drought emergency exists, not to exceed one year.

Restrictions that apply are the following:

a. Vehicles transporting hay bales loaded side by side shall not exceed 12 feet in width and 14 feet in height. All other weight and dimension restrictions and requirements still apply.

b. Travel is limited to daylight hours beginning at sunrise and ending at sunset and is limited by all no-movement requirements on certain holidays.

c. Vehicles must travel with the required signs and flags properly placed and indicating that they carry oversized loads.

d. Vehicles must be equipped with mirrors that allow drivers to have a clear view of the highway to least 200 feet to the rear of the vehicle.

e. Loads must be securely bound to the transporting vehicles.

f. Carriers, owners and drivers of any vehicle being operated are responsible for verifying in advance that the actual dimensions and weights of the vehicles and loads are acceptable for all routes being traveled.

g. It is the responsibility of the carriers, owners, and drivers to track the status of the declared emergencies. In the event the emergency expires prior to the one-year period, the owner, carrier, and driver shall be responsible for terminating use of the permit. Information regarding the status of declared emergencies and to obtain a special permit may call the DOTD Permit Office toll free at (800) 654-1433 or (225) 343-2345 for the Baton Rouge area.

h. No vehicle shall exceed weight limits posted for bridges and similar structures, or relieve any vehicle or carrier, owner or driver of any vehicle from compliance with any restrictions other than those specified, or from any statute, rule, order or other legal requirement.

Print this page to work the puzzle. If you are unable to print this page you can download it by clicking “Download” below.

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:

“XE OEIVXQGEIM CGWI GJ EHA UHYAB CGSGEL.” ~ JHDYXAIJ

Previous Cryptoquote solution: “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” ~ Anne Frank

It never fails, if there’s a bass tournament on the Red River, there will usually be some kind of issue or controversy. But for some reason, with most events on the Red, crybabies seem to come out of nowhere and want to complain about something they heard or saw someone do. Probably every tournament director that’s ever put on an event on this body of water has had to deal with accusations about an angler who THEY think did something illegal. Now they won’t necessarily have any proof, but they will complain hoping it will lead to the angler being disqualified from the event.

This year’s Bassmaster Central Open out of Red River South Marina was no exception and not without controversy, as former Natchitoches, Louisiana, resident and Major League Fishing Pro Keith Poche took top honors and finally conquered the mighty Red River. This was Keith’s first win on the Red River after several top-10 finishes. The Red fits Keith’s style of shallow-water fishing, which is why he’s had great success. But a few years ago in a previous Central Open event, Keith was accused of cutting a pipe in front of a culvert down in Pool 4 to gain access to backwater …. which was proven that he never did. Some anglers just can’t stand it when another angler outsmarts the rest of the field by thinking outside the box. “Outsmarts” may not be the right word, but more that they took a risk another angler would not.

In this year’s 2022 Central Open event, Pro Angler Keith Poche decided to fish out of the same 18-foot aluminum boat with a 90-horsepower engine that he has used all year. While the rest of the field fished out of twenty- and twenty-one-foot fiberglass boats with 250 horsepower engines. These bigger boats limit anglers as to where they can fish, especially when it comes to reaching certain backwater areas that are true honey holes that the Red River is famous for. But this 18-foot aluminum boat did allow him to do just that….get into backwater other anglers could not. There was nothing illegal about what Keith was doing.

Understand, B.A.S.S. does not restrict what size boat you can fish out of in a Bassmaster Central Open event. However, a rule states, “Whatever boat you start the season out of, you must finish the season in that same boat.” For Keith, that was the case, as he’s fished out of this same aluminum boat in all of his previous Bassmaster Open events.

Here’s the controversy that occurred. With Keith leading going into the final day, someone decide they were going to make it awfully hard for him to win this event. Another angler or anglers (not yet determined) who did not make the final day cut launched their boat at 11:00 PM the night before the final day and went to the rock jetty cut Keith was going through off the main river and placed big rocks at the mouth. This prevented Keith from being able to go through it and get to his backwater area. As Keith arrived at the rock jetty cut on the morning of the final day, he saw that someone had tried to eliminate his only path through the rocks. There is a B.A.S.S. rule that states, “At no time may an angler get out of his boat to gain access to any backwater area.” But a strange thing occurred as Keith called the tournament director and informed him of what had taken place. Two suspicious observers who had followed Keith to this cut on the final morning voluntarily got out of their boat and moved the rocks. At no point did Keith ever ask these guys to do this, and he said they were acting very strangely. So, then he began to wonder, could these be the guys who tried to sabotage the cut in the first place? In the meantime, Keith just had to make sure he did not violate the rule of physically getting out of his boat to gain access.

Now from this angler’s perspective, it would be a great way for these two guys to look innocent by attempting to help Keith out. I mean, who would ever suspect the two guys who got out of their boat to help Keith by removing the rocks? Not sure, but maybe they felt guilty and realized what they had done the night before just was not right. Maybe they wanted to try and make things right by being good Samaritans and moving the rocks. Hmmm, now I don’t pretend to be Sherlock Holmes, but it is something to think about.

For this Central Open event, Keith committed himself to the idea of staying in shallow water and getting into backwater areas that other anglers could not. These were fish that had not been pressured by other anglers during the official practice period. Keith did his homework and found a way to make it happen and got the job done to secure the victory. But some anglers did not approve of the way he secured the win. So rather than going the extra mile as Keith Poche did, they chose to take unadvised action by doing something immoral and unethical. In the end, Keith Poche prevailed and conquered a body of water, that as Keith put it, “has been a thorn in his side.” Till next time, good luck, good fishing, and don’t forget to wear your sunscreen!

Steve Graf
Hook’N Up & Track’N Down Show &
Tackle Talk Live

The Redskins will take on Beekman Charter in an Away game tonight.  Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m.

If you are a student, parent, teacher, or coach, you can submit your photos and/or video of sports or other newsworthy events to the Bienville Parish Journal.  Email: BPJNewsLA@gmail.com

Take a look at the schedule below.

On Sunday morning, October 15, 1922, after surveilling the Driskill community for some time, Sheriff J.E. Currie and his deputies arrested John Pyles and Jap Bowman in separate arrests for violating prohibition laws.  Deputies located a whiskey still on the back of John Pyles’s farm and another on the back of Jap Bowman’s farm.  On that Sunday morning, deputies caught Jap Bowman in the act of preparing the still for making the “poison.”  Both men were arrested and held on $1,500.00 bond each.  Sheriff Currie was certain that he had sufficient evidence for convictions of both men.

Bonus:  Fifteen tramps, sometimes referred to as hobos, stole a ride on an eastbound Vicksburg, Shreveport and Pacific train.  25 tramps jumped a train in Shreveport.  At Gibsland, railroad employees put the tramps out of the train.  15 of them snuck back onto the train as it departed at Gibsland.  The train passed through Arcadia without incident.  However, the train derailed when it was about three miles west of Ruston.  17 freight cars caught fire and were completely destroyed.  Of the fifteen tramps aboard the train, only eight were accounted for.  Seven were believed to have perished in the accident.  

Source: Bienville Democrat, October 19, 1922, p.1.

None reported

The Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Office (BPSO) is reporting a theft of a 4-wheeler from a residence in the southeastern area of Castor off LA Highway 507. The 4-wheeler, a red 2018 Honda TRX Ridgeline (VIN 1HFTE4565J4301592), was stolen from where it was parked next to the residence. The theft occurred during the evening between 10 p.m. and the following day on October 14th, 2022. The picture above is of the stolen 4-wheeler.

If anyone has any information concerning this theft or other thefts in the area, please contact Lt. Robert Skapura of the Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Office at 318-263-2215 or via email at Rskapura@bienvillesheriff.org.

CASA held their annual Car Show in Historic Downtown Arcadia Saturday.  The cars drew a sizeable crowd.  People enjoyed speaking with the car owners about their cool collectible cars.  Many of us dreamed of owning our favorite of the lot.  Here are just some of the impressive vehicles. 

Two Saline softball players, Adysen Breeland and Alyson Fine, competed this past weekend in the Ronald McDonald Triple Crown 18U Elite G1 Impact playoffs in Houston, Texas.  G1 Impact is a faith-based softball league that specializes in baseball and softball.  

The G1 team played Houston Heat Elite – Pickett and tied 4-4.  The G1 team then played Adrenaline Softball of Texas and won 15-12.

Congratulations, Adysen and Alyson!!!

The Arcadia Hornets slip to 5-2 after their loss to the Haynesville Golden Tornados Friday night. 

The final score was Hornets 18, Golden Tornados 47.  

The Hornets are scheduled to take on Homer in an away game Friday evening at 7 p.m.  

Take a look at the video recap and schedule below.

What is your organization and purpose?  

The Bridge Alzheimer’s & Dementia Resource Center is a non-profit organization, formerly called the Alzheimer’s Agency of Shreveport/Bossier. The name was changed to better illustrate our local mission. 

 Our mission is to provide resources, education, and support services for those diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias; their family members, and their caregivers in the local area; as well as to promote awareness in the community.  

 Our vision is to “Create a community where no one affected by Alzheimer’s and Dementia makes the journey alone.” 

What are the Alzheimer’s stats nationwide?  

Nationwide, more than 6 million people, age 65 and over, are living with Alzheimer’s and that number is expected to increase 20% by 2025. 

How many people are affected by Alzheimer’s in our area?  

The Center for Brain Health at LSU Health, Shreveport estimates over 85,000 people are affected by Alzheimer’s within a 75-mile radius of Shreveport.  

What is your organization doing to help this community?  

We are working diligently and with urgency to address the unmet needs of people in Northwest Louisiana affected by Alzheimer’s and other dementias. We help by assessing individual client needs, guiding, and supporting caregivers, responding to requests for help and information, educating the public, providing resources, and overall helping to navigate the care system.  

What services do you provide?  

We have care navigators to help you through the journey and a Licensed Professional Counselor for one-on-one meetings or to talk with family members.  We offer memory screenings, monthly education workshops, fun and engaging activities for caregivers and their loved ones with dementia, a printed and online local resource directory, and assistance in legal matters. We teach families how to maintain dignity of their loved ones and help nurture relationships throughout the disease process. We have a speaker’s bureau for education and training for civic groups, healthcare providers, faith-based organizations, law enforcement agencies, and other organizations. We also facilitate caregiver support groups in the community. 

Tell us more about the caregiver support groups. 

Support groups are vital to the caregiver. It’s an opportunity for the caregiver to express their emotions in a non-judgmental way. Caregivers learn that they are not going through this journey alone and they have a peer group that knows exactly what each other is going through. Groups meet for an hour once or twice a month – you can attend as many as you need. 

Do you have events the public can attend?  

The Second Annual Education Conference in Northwest Louisiana, “A Positive Approach to Dementia,” is scheduled for Friday, November 4, from 8:00 am until 4:00 pm at First United Methodist Church, Shreveport. The keynote address will be given by a national speaker with the Teepa Snow Foundation, well-known in the world of dementia. This conference is the only one of its kind in Northwest Louisiana.  

Where are you located?  

We are located in the heart of Shreveport at 851 Olive Street. However, we are willing to travel to where we are needed in Northwest Louisiana. 

Can you give us some fun tips for improving brain health?  

Try brushing your teeth with your non-dominate hand, wear earplugs to experience the world without sound, or learn a new musical instrument or something that is completely new to you. 

The Ringgold Redskins took on Glenbrook in their Homecoming game Friday night.  The Redskins fought hard but lost to Glenbrook.  The final score was 15-48.  

The Redskins are scheduled to take on Beekman Charter in an Away game this Friday night.  Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m.

If you are a student, parent, teacher, or coach, you can submit your photos and/or video of sports or other newsworthy events to the Bienville Parish Journal.  Email: BPJNewsLA@gmail.com

Take a look at the schedule below.

Do YOU know what is happening?

“Coach” Mike
McCONATHY

has an important
Announcement to make
and he wants you
to join him!

Thursday
October 27, 2022

Natchitoches Event Center
Doors open at 4:30 – 7:00

Light refreshments – Casual

• Paid for by the McConathy for State Senate Campaign

1216 – King John of England died at Newark-on-Trent and was succeeded by his nine-year-old son Henry.

1512 – Martin Luther became a doctor of theology.

1579 – James VI of Scotland was celebrated as an adult ruler by a festival in Edinburgh.

1781 – American Revolutionary War: The siege of Yorktown came to an end.

1789 – John Jay was sworn in as the first Chief Justice of the United States.

1812 – The French invasion of Russia failed when Napoleon began his retreat from Moscow.

1813 – War of the Sixth Coalition: Napoleon was forced to retreat from Germany after the Battle of Leipzig.

1864 – American Civil War: The Battle of Cedar Creek ended the last Confederate threat to Washington, DC.

1864 – American Civil War: Confederate agents based in Canada robbed three banks in Saint Albans, Vermont.

1921 – The Portuguese Prime Minister and several officials were murdered in the Bloody Night coup.

1938 – The Bob Crosby Orchestra recorded “I’m Free.”

1943 – Streptomycin, the first antibiotic remedy for tuberculosis, was isolated by researchers at Rutgers University.

1944 – United States forces landed in the Philippines.

1953 – Singer Julius LaRosa was fired publicly on “Arthur Godfrey Time” by Godfrey.

1956 – The Soviet Union and Japan signed a Joint Declaration, officially ending the state of war between the two countries that had existed since August 1945.

1960 – The United States imposed a near-total trade embargo against Cuba.

1966 – The Yardbirds arrived in New York for their first U.S. tour.

1967 – “I Second That Emotion” by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles was released by Tamla-Motown.

1973 – President Nixon rejected an Appeals Court decision that he turn over the Watergate tapes.

1979 – Prince’s second album “Prince” was released.

1987 – The United States Navy conducted Operation Nimble Archer, an attack on two Iranian oil platforms in the Persian Gulf.

1987 – Black Monday: The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell by 22%, 508 points.

1992 – The Metallica single “Wherever I May Roam” was released.

1998 – Mark Nieto filed a lawsuit against Aerosmith for alleged hearing loss after he attended an Aerosmith concert.

2003 – Mother Teresa was beatified by Pope John Paul II.

2004 – Thirteen people were killed when Corporate Airlines Flight 5966 crashed in Adair County, Missouri, whilst on approach to Kirksville Regional Airport.

2005 – Saddam Hussein went on trial in Baghdad for crimes against humanity.

It almost seems like the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag has been around forever. I would wager that from an early age most of us stood at attention, placed our right hand over our heart while facing the American flag in class, and recited the Pledge of Allegiance. For most Americans, it’s as easy to recite as counting from one to ten. Although we have recited the pledge countless times throughout our lives, we still include the strategically placed pauses which were designed to aid in memorization.
The Pledge of Allegiance, however, has taken many forms and has evolved through the years. In the late 1880s and early 1890s, patriotism was waning due to the difficulties of the Civil War. In 1887, Captain George Balch, a Civil War veteran, drafted the first known pledge to an American flag to help teach children, especially immigrant children, loyalty to the United States. In addition, Balch helped distribute American flags to classrooms. His pledge was quickly adopted by schools across the United States. It read:

“We give our heads and hearts to God and our country; one country, one language, one flag!”

It left something to be desired but remained the accepted pledge until the 1923 National Flag Conference. Each time Reverend Francis Bellamy heard the pledge he shuddered. In 1892, Bellamy drafted his pledge and submitted it to The Youth’s Companion, a popular children’s magazine, as part of a celebration of the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s arrival in America. Bellamy drafted his pledge to be short, to the point, and, most of all, respectable. Bellamy’s pledge read:

“I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

Bellamy’s pledge soon caught on in classrooms as well. Two pledges of allegiance would have certainly been confusing. The Youth’s Companion included a schedule of events, which included Bellamy’s pledge to celebrate Christopher Columbus’s arrival and pushed for its universal use in all schools throughout the United States. In an act of patriotism after reading newspaper and magazine articles about Columbus, including the one in The Youth’s Companion which included Bellamy’s pledge, Benjamin Harrison, President of the United States at the time, declared October 12, 1892, as Columbus Day. Despite Balch’s best efforts, Bellamy’s pledge became more popular.

Many people worried that Bellamy’s pledge was not precise enough. They were concerned that immigrants who recited “I pledge allegiance to my flag” could become confused and could be pledging allegiance to the flag of their birth country. At the 1923 National Flag Conference, delegates altered Bellamy’s pledge. This version reads:

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States, and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

The words “of America” were added after “the flag of the United States” the following year. On June 22, 1942, nearly two decades after the National Flag Conference, Congress officially adopted the following Pledge of Allegiance:

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

Something is still missing from the form as we know it today. On February 12, 1948, attorney Louis Albert Bowman recited the Pledge of Allegiance at a meeting of the Illinois Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. Bowman was the chaplain. Bowman added two simple but important words which have occasionally caused controversy. With every recitation of the pledge, he included his own addition. Those two words were “Under God.” The new addition to the pledge quickly spread. On Flag Day, June 14, 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the bill into law which made Bowman’s addition official. Thus, the Pledge of Allegiance is as we know it.

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

The wording of the Pledge isn’t the only part of the recitation which has changed. While reciting the pledge, each of us places our right hand over our heart. To remove that hand during the pledge feels nothing less than disgraceful, almost blasphemous. Along with the wording of the pledge, Bellamy created what became known as the Bellamy salute. Rather than placing our hand over our heart, Bellamy’s salute was done by outstretching the right hand aimed toward the flag with the palm down. The Bellamy salute was the official salute to the flag from 1882 until December 22, 1942, when Congress officially replaced the Bellamy salute with the right hand over the heart. It was ultimately replaced because Bellamy’s salute was adopted by Germany as the Nazi salute.

October 9

• Demarion McCarter – Arcadia
  • Domestic Abuse Battery Involving Serious Bodily Injury – Felony
• Dquayvion Jackson – No Location Listed
  • Driver Must Be Licensed
  • Reckless Operation Without Accident – Misdemeanor

October 10

• Ivy Tibbs – Arcadia
  • Resisting An Officer – Misdemeanor – 2 Counts
  • Criminal Mischief – Remaining in Place of Business After Being Directed to Leave – Misdemeanor
• Brandon White – Castor
  • Aggravated Battery with Dangerous Weapon – Felony
  • Carjacking – Felony

October 11

• Dustin Hargrove – Simsboro
  • Failure to Appear Warrant – Felony
• Travis Drake – Sibley
  • Operating Vehicle with Suspended License; Other Offenses
• Charles Fowler – Haughton
  • Possession of Methamphetamine Less Than 28 Grams – Felony
  • Possession of Marijuana 14 Grams or Less – Misdemeanor
  • Possession or Distribution of Drug Paraphernalia – Misdemeanor

October 13

• Stacy Noll – Coushatta
  • Distribution of Methamphetamine – Felony
  • Failure to Appear Warrant – Misdemeanor
• Quanterria Marshall – Monroe
  • Operating Vehicle with Suspended License; No License Issued
• Shelly Chelette – Arcadia
  • Operating Vehicle with Suspended License; Other Offenses
  • Failure to Appear Warrant – Misdemenor

October 15

• Roberto Ayala – Yucaipa, California
  • Driver Must Be Licensed
• Dennis Jones – Jackson, Mississippi
  • Operating Vehicle with Suspended License; Other Offenses
• Fidel Granados – Dallas, Texas
  • Driver Must Be Licensed
• Darren Wood – Coushatta
  • Careless Operation
  • No Seat Belt – 1st Offense
  • Vehicular Negligent Injuring – Misdemeanor
  • D.W.I. – 1st Offense (BAC .15 to .19) – Misdemeanor

You ever been around friends and remember something funny and start laughing and can’t stop and of course, they ask why and you can’t explain? 

Me too. Happened Saturday night. 

All I could tell them was I’d seen dress rehearsal for a play earlier in the week and would be going to the Sunday matinee and was already laughing — was in tears — thinking of different parts. Whatever I could tell them would not translate; I’m not that good of a communicator. 

Sometimes, you’ve just got to experience it.  

Full disclosure: these next few moments with you will be about a play that my own personal child is in. 

But also, full disclosure, it’s funny, and if you like to laugh, you should go. 

It’s Popcorn Falls, it’s at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. at Shreveport Little (But It’s A Big Deal) Theatre And Really Not That Little. The run ends with Sunday’s matinee. A coffee table book celebrating the theatre’s first century is on sale in the lobby too; only 400 pictures in there so … think about it. I’ve spent hours enjoying mine.  

So, Popcorn Falls. It isn’t Shakespeare. (Although The Bard is mentioned!, stud that he was.) It’s genius and sophisticated, but sophisticated in disguise. Here’s the Associated Press nut graph: 

“The sleepy town of Popcorn Falls is forced into bankruptcy when a neighboring town and villain threaten to turn the place into a sewage treatment plant. The town’s only hope – open a theater! Two actors play more than 20 roles in a world of farce, love, and desperation, proving once and for all that art can save the world.” 

Northwest Louisiana is so blessed to have 5-star talent in all phases of local theater. You can’t swing a cat without hitting somebody who is a bona fide director, set designer, actor, or prop whiz … we’re so lucky. There is a stage and there is air and everything else has to be created. Moods. Sense of place. Drama. Comedy. Music. Suggestions of silence. People are amazing, what they are able to create out of nothing. 

Popcorn Falls is an example. A two-man show. The actors never really leave the stage. Less than 100 minutes with a 10-minute intermission. And none of those minutes is “filler” because every second, even the scene changes, have a purpose.  

So, Casey Allen, my physical son, is one of the actors, and Barry “the Pride of Grand Cane” Larson, who has teamed with Casey in so many things that I feel as if he’s my backup son, except he doesn’t look like me, is the other actor. They are scared to death before any play they are in starts — it’s like the Boston Celtics’ Bill Russell throwing up before every game — but they are perfectly at home on stage. Strange and familiar dynamic. 

But that’s what makes this and most other plays I’ve seen here good: they care. Casey and Barry. Director Sean Dion and the subtle “add-ins” he created. Tom Serio’s set. A rolling table (you’ll see). Riley Keene’s stage managing. The sound from Barry Butler, the best in the biz. The lighting. On and on. Even the work of “Intimacy Coordinator” Liesl Cruz. (See it and you’ll know.) 

Happy for everyone because I know what they’ve invested and how much joy and honesty they bring to the day’s work. They made me laugh. Still are. It feels as if they’ve created something just for you. For no one but you. When theatre is “done right,” that’s the magic that happens.  

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu