Do you recognize this vehicle? Yesterday, two white males made off with multiple items from a residence in Saline including the 4 wheeler and trailer seen in the photo above.
Ms. Janice Toms posted the following on her Facebook page last night: “This Honda 4-wheeler and Remington R25 gun were stolen from our home since the rain last night in Saline, along with a 16 ft. Performance (that’s what is stamped on tongue) trailer and a Thompson’s Center Encore muzzleloader with a separate 30-06 barrel with Bushnell scope. If anyone tries to sell to you they are stolen. If you have any info about these please let us know.”
The two males then made their way to Bryceland where they stole more items from a farm.
Ms. Simone Wart shared the photo from her security camera (photo above) along with the following information: “Please be on the look out for these sorry POS!! They stole our Kawasaki mule and a brand new air compressor from our farm in Bryceland. They were seen heading north on Hwy. 9 going towards Arcadia shortly after 3pm. Two white males, one wearing a white cap, the other looks like he has on a green shirt. The truck has a distinctive front end with different colored headlight glass. Y’all need to check your deer cameras. Please share this post and catch these criminals!!”
If you have any information, please contact the Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Office at 318-263-2215.
On Wednesday, the Journal published an article entitled “Gibsland Officials Cited in Investigative Audit; Report Sent to DA.” Click Here to read the original article. The Journal has since received a copy of the complete Auditor’s Investigation. Please see 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
The Police Jury held their regular monthly meeting on Wednesday, October 12, 2022.
Please see full video and official minutes below.
By Josh Beavers
My entire life I have been led to believe that the northeastern part of these great United States is a hive of scum and villainy. A hive of scum and villainy to a southerner at least.
Nothing but rude folk, my father told me countless times. I heard it over and over when I told him I’d like to go to a Red Sox game or see where Stephen King lived.
No way, he’d say. Baby killers and godless heathens. I believed him. Why wouldn’t I? He was my dad.
Up until the past few days, I’d never gone further northeast than Washington DC. Completely covered the west and south, but I had that childhood anti-northeast bias drilled into me, so venturing that way was a non-starter.
But at 44 years old I found myself in New York State. Up into Boston. On to Salem and then to Maine and Stephen King’s house.
Imagine the surprise when all I found that way were rolling hills, mountains dressed in fall colors more beautiful than anything we get to see down Pelican State way, and more republican political signs (including that really controversial guy with the orange hue) than anything I’ve ever seen in the Reddest red republican parts in these southern states we call home.
And I heard nothing but “hello” and “please” and “thank you” and “yes, sir” and “no, sir.” And I saw nothing but waves and smiles and beautiful bricked streets and signs of heritage in old churches and colonial structures serving as testaments to a time when people believed in a cause and would risk comfort for something larger than themselves.
And I saw American flags. And I saw signs for the Lions Club and the Kiwanis and the Civitans. And I saw clean streets and cleaner roadways. And I saw gun shops and corner stores selling deer corn. And I saw billboards and yard signs professing a love of Jesus and a call to turn from the weak ways of man and turn to the words of the Savior, Redeemer, Bread of Life, Lord, Creator, Son of the Living God, Only Begotten Son, Beloved Son, Holy One of Israel, Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, the King of Kings.
I saw people going to church on Sunday. I saw billboards and yard signs professing prayer for their communities. I saw people reading and smiling at my Webster Parish Men of Courage shirt as I walked the streets of Boston, of Salem, of Portland, of Buffalo, of Niagara, of Cooperstown, of New Haven, of Mystic, of Cambridge, of Bangor. I was even told “God bless you” a few times after. I saw people unconcerned with what man dictated and more concerned with doing what their hearts and soul told them.
So back to dad. My father did what a lot of us do. He passed along the words of politicians and their friends in the mainstream media. He believed them. He trusted them. Those making laws and policies and claiming to work in our interests. But in reality, they are only looking to divide us. Both sides. Never trust a politician on faith no matter if they have an R or a D behind their name. Because many are all the same. Make them earn that trust.
These people use geography and distance to create divisions based on perceived cultural differences and varied values in order to manipulate the populace to keep voting Red or to keep voting Blue so they can remain in office and keep the machine going to line their pockets from lobbyists and special interests. They profit off our anger toward and fear of each other.
It’s all a sickening game to them. One that’s end goal is to pile money atop money. There’s no interest in solving problems because solving problems doesn’t make money. Solving problems eliminates fear. And if we all knew, and saw firsthand, the people who live on the other side of the nation are just like us then we might unite and stop being swayed by those higher on the economic ladder.
In New York and Massachusetts and Maine and Vermont, I saw guys in overalls and young people playing basketball. I saw schools with signs for Friday morning pep rallies and Friday night football.
I saw college football on the screens at restaurants. I saw an LSU game blaring at an eatery in downtown Salem, right across from the memorial where people were murdered for standing up to people in power. Their charge? Witchcraft. But in reality, they made the politicians mad and they paid the ultimate price.
I saw American flags. A lot more of them. Actually more than I see down Louisiana way.
But it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. I saw poverty. I saw homelessness. I saw the hulking shells of former American industry where our people worked with their hands and made things to provide a life for families. I saw the death of the middle class and signs of a world where the American Dream used to be a nation where everyone could provide for their family and not become the latest TikTok star or earn a spot on a reality tv show where buffoonery is praised and thought is scorned.
I saw what came before NAFTA and trickle-down economics and the great lie that tax cuts for the rich would make life better for the rest of us. I saw what came of the great promise that a global economy would make goods cheaper. It did. But at the expense and destruction of the middle class and the rapid expansion of the lower. Do you realize the average CEO’s pay has increased by 1,460.2 percent more than the average worker’s in the last 44 years? The average work is you and me and the “godless heathens and baby killers” up north. But yeah, the guy making $10 an hour in Rochester, New York, is the problem.
I saw the ancient signs of an America that sat atop the other nations of the world and hadn’t yet begun to only care about Netflix and canceling others via digital bullying.
I saw a prettier South and I met people who would be just as comfortable in Sibley and Shreveport and Many and Bossier and Minden and Marshall as they would in Salem or Buffalo or Boston or Niagara or Bangor or Manchester.
In short, I saw people like you and me. I saw pride and love of country.
I saw what could be one people divided only by geography and distance and not the false narrative that the other guys were cruel and cowardly and “what’s wrong with this country.”
I saw the final evidence that let me know my dad, and likely your dad and all the dads of kids now, was wrong.
These people aren’t my enemy. They are me. I hope one day we can all realize we are stronger United than divided. I hope we can realize that there’s much more that unites us than divides us.
As a great man once said, “For the great enemy of truth is very often not the lie–deliberate, contrived and dishonest–but the myth–persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic. Too often we hold fast to the cliches of our forebears. We subject all facts to a prefabricated set of interpretations. We enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.”
That guy was a “yankee.” A guy you were likely taught to hate. And a guy who was 100 percent correct.
There’s more that unites us than divides us.
Josh Beavers is a teacher and a writer. He has been recognized five times by the Louisiana Press Association for excellence in opinion writing.
In accordance with La R.S. 18:535, the Bienville Parish Board of Election Supervisors hereby issues notice of all polling locations in Bienville Parish.
Nacole Warren
Bienville Parish Registrar of Voters
100 Courthouse Dr. Ste 1400
Arcadia, LA 71001
(318) 263-7407
bienvillerov@sos.la.gov
1066 – The Norman conquest of England began with the Battle of Hastings.
1322 – Robert the Bruce of Scotland defeated King Edward II of England at the Battle of Old Byland, and forced Edward to accept Scotland’s independence.
1586 – Mary, Queen of Scots, went on trial for conspiracy against Queen Elizabeth I of England.
1656 – The General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony enacted the first punitive legislation against the Religious Society of Friends.
1758 – Seven Years’ War: Frederick the Great suffered a rare defeat at the Battle of Hochkirch.
1774 – American Revolution: The First Continental Congress denounced the British Parliament’s Intolerable Acts and demanded British concessions.
1863 – American Civil War: Confederate troops under the command of A. P. Hill failed to drive the Union Army completely out of Virginia.
1884 – George Eastman received a U.S. Government patent on his new paper-strip photographic film.
1888 – Louis Le Prince filmed the first motion picture, Roundhay Garden Scene.
1908 – The Chicago Cubs defeated the Detroit Tigers, 2–0, and clinched the 1908 World Series; this would be their last until winning the 2016 World Series.
1910 – English aviator Claude Grahame-White landed his aircraft on Executive Avenue near the White House in Washington, D.C.
1912 – Former president Theodore Roosevelt was shot and mildly wounded by John Flammang Schrank. With the fresh wound in his chest, and the bullet still within it, Roosevelt delivered his scheduled speech.
1913 – Senghenydd colliery disaster, the United Kingdom’s worst coal mining accident, claimed the lives of 439 miners.
1933 – Germany withdrew from the League of Nations and World Disarmament Conference.
1939 – World War II: The German submarine U-47 sank the British battleship HMS Royal Oak within her harbor at Scapa Flow, Scotland.
1940 – World War II: The Balham underground station disaster killed sixty-six people during the London Blitz.
1943 – World War II: Prisoners at Sobibor extermination camp covertly assassinated most of the on-duty SS officers and then staged a mass breakout.
1943 – World War II: The United States Eighth Air Force lost 60 of 291 B-17 Flying Fortresses during the Second Raid on Schweinfurt.
1947 – Chuck Yeager became the first person to exceed the speed of sound.
1949 – The Smith Act trials of Communist Party leaders in the United States convicted eleven defendants of conspiring to advocate the violent overthrow of the federal government.
1952 – Korean War: The Battle of Triangle Hill was the biggest and bloodiest battle of 1952.
1955 – Buddy Holly, Larry Welborn, and Bob Montgomery open for Bill Haley & the Comets in Lubbock, TX. Eddie Crandell saw the show later arranges for Holly to record his first demo.
1962 – The Cuban Missile Crisis began when an American reconnaissance aircraft took photographs of Soviet ballistic missiles being installed in Cuba.
1964 – Martin Luther King Jr. received the Nobel Peace Prize for combating racial inequality through nonviolence.
1964 – The secret marriage of Charlie Watts (Rolling Stones) to Shirley Ann Arnold took place.
1964 – The Soviet Presidium and the Communist Party Central Committee each voted to accept Nikita Khrushchev’s “voluntary” request to retire from his offices.
1966 – Grace Slick made her first appearance with Jefferson Airplane.
1968 – Apollo program: The first live television broadcast by American astronauts in orbit was performed by the Apollo 7 crew.
1968 – Jim Hines became the first man ever to break the so-called “ten-second barrier” in the 100-meter sprint with a time of 9.95 seconds.
1972 – Joe Cocker was arrested with his band in Adelaide, Australia. The police claimed to have confiscated marijuana, heroin and hypodermic syringes.
1975 – “Rock and Roll All Nite (Live)” / “Rock and Roll All Nite” was released by KISS.
1977 – Bing Crosby died of a heart attack at the age of 76.
1979 – The first National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights drew approximately 100,000 people.
1982 – U.S. President Ronald Reagan proclaimed a War on Drugs.
1990 – Composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein died at the age of 72.
1997 – The soundtrack to the film “Casablanca” was released for the first time.
1998 – Eric Rudolph was charged with six bombings, including the 1996 Centennial Olympic Park bombing in Atlanta, Georgia.
2000 – A lawsuit was filed against Don Henley in Little Rock, AR. The suit claimed that a fan was hit in the forehead with a maraca during on October 4, 2000 concert.
2003 – The Steve Bartman Incident took place at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. The incident explained: Marlins batter Luis Castillo hit a fly ball into foul territory in left field. Cubs outfielder Moisés Alou pursued the ball and leapt near the fence in an attempt to make the catch. Along with other spectators seated against the wall, Cubs fan Steve Bartman reached for the ball, but he deflected it, disrupting Alou’s potential catch; the umpire judged the play not to be fan interference. If Alou had caught the ball, it would have been the second out in the inning, and the Cubs would have been just four outs away from winning their first National League pennant since 1945.
2004 – Pinnacle Airlines Flight 3701 crashed in Jefferson City, Missouri. The two pilots (the aircraft’s only occupants) were killed.
2004 – The iTunes Music Store reached 150 million songs sold.
2012 – Felix Baumgartner successfully jumped to Earth from a balloon in the stratosphere.
2021 – About 10,000 American employees of John Deere went on strike.
The Ringgold Redskins take on Glenbrook in their homecoming game tonight. The game begins at 7:00 p.m.
Go Redskins!!!
Take a look at the schedule below.
| Date/Time | Opponent | Home/Away | Win/Loss | Final Score |
| Sept. 2 at 7 pm | Northwood-Lena | Home | Loss | 0-38 |
| Sept. 9 at 7 pm | Lakeside | Away | Loss | 12-46 |
| Sept. 16 at 7 pm | Tensas | Away | Loss | 14-28 |
| Sept. 23 at 7 pm | Plain Dealing | Away | Win | 36-34 |
| Sept. 30 at 7 pm | Homer | Away | Loss | 8-65 |
| Oct. 7 at 7 pm | Arcadia | Away | Loss | 0-36 |
| Oct. 14 at 7 pm | Glenbrook (Homecoming) | Home | ||
| Oct. 21 at 7 pm | Beekman Charter | Away | ||
| Oct. 28 at 7:30 pm | Haynesville | Away | ||
| Nov. 4 at 7 pm | Magnolia School of Excellence | Home |
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:
“ZQY YQEKFGTDJ OS OA SZCS EQHQKB EFFK YCOS C AOEMJF NQNFES HFTQGF ASCGSOEM SQ ONIGQWF SZF YQGJK.” ~ CEEF TGCER
Previous Cryptoquote solution: “The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.” ~ Amelia Earhart
In the tournament bass fishing world, there are certain bodies of water that anglers both hate and love. It’s kind of like the Dallas Cowboys, you either love them or hate them, and there’s not much in between. The mighty Red River falls into the hate category for a lot of anglers, but from my perspective, I love it!
Here’s why… if there’s one thing the Red River does for a bass tournament, it levels the playing field. It’s truly a body of water that can really frustrate anglers due to its unpredictability. Bass on the Red is like a magic act, they can literally disappear. The fish you find today cannot be counted on for tomorrow since the bait fish have a tendency to move. When the bait fish relocate, the bass go with them. Another issue with the river is its reputation for burning anglers who try to go back to the same fish two days in a row. Professional angler, Chris Lane, proved this theory to be correct when he was asked what pattern he used to win the 42nd Annual Bassmaster Classic on the Red River in 2012. Chris said the key to his victory was to not fish the same areas two days in a row. He discovered this during his practice time preparing for this event.
When anglers are asked the best way to catch bass on the Red, they’ll make reference to what bass fishermen call “junk fishing.” This means that anglers will use a plethora of baits from spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and topwater to soft plastics all in one day just to fill their limit for weigh-in. This is what makes the Red such a unique body of water and tends to level the playing field for all anglers.
So why do so many tournament anglers hate the mighty Red River? For starters, it has been known to be very hard on a boat. Too many lower units on outboard engines have been destroyed due to guys running in areas they should have been idling through. Rock jetties and sand bars, which at times can hide just under the water’s surface can create a navigation nightmare. The river is a constant changing entity as the water can fluctuate several feet depending on the time of year. This will create and rearrange sandbars all up and down the river system. But the number one problem is when boaters cut corners too close to the ends of rock jetties. It’s just like any other body of water that you’re not familiar with… if you’re not sure what lies beneath the surface….idle! So many anglers have boat damage because they don’t take the time to learn where you can and cannot run. The golden rule for boaters coming to the Red River…stay between the buoys on the main river and when entering the backwater cuts off the main river, idle through the first time so you can see how deep or shallow the cut really is.
With back-to-back historic floods in 2015 & 2016, the Red River underwent complete flushing of its ecosystem. This flood devastated the river and destroyed all vegetation that bass need to thrive. Before the floods, it was common to see five fish limits tipping the scales in the 16-to-20-pound range. But since the flood, the weights have really dropped off with anglers weighing anywhere from 10 to 13 pounds as evident with the recent B.A.S.S. Central Open event. The recovery has taken longer than anyone expected, but it appears better days are ahead as bass habitat is returning to the backwater areas that held so many bass.
As of October 1, 2021, thanks to the Red River Waterway Commission, the river is on the rebound as they have implemented a $100,000 bass restocking program for all pools 1 – 5. Pools one and two get 10%, pool 3 gets 20%, pool 4 gets 25% and pool 5 gets 35%. Each pool delivery will consist of 20% F1 hybrids and 80% pure Florida bass. That’s 72,000 pure Florida’s and 18,000 F1 hybrid largemouth bass being stocked all up and down the Red River.
Over the years, Red River has been very good to me with a few wins, a couple of runner-ups and Top 10 finishes. For me, it really is like the Dallas Cowboys….I love the river! Every angler has what they call their “home water,” and for me, it’s the Red River! I hope you’ve enjoyed this angler’s perspective on the love-hate relationship that anglers have for this awesome body of water. Understand this, fishing the Red or any river system is a different animal and requires a different approach than fishing a lake. But the best advice for anyone fishing the Red River, keep an open mind and don’t be afraid to try different baits. 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 Hornets will play Haynesville in a home game tonight at 7 p.m. Arcadia is 5-1 so far this season.
At halftime Arcadia High School will recognize the ten seniors on the 2022 – 23 Arcadia Hornets football team!
Take a look at the slideshow and schedule below.
| Date/Time | Opponent | Home/Away | Win/Loss | Final Score |
| Sept. 2 at 7 p.m. | Lakeside | Home | Win | 26-12 |
| Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. | Delhi | Home | Win | 34-6 |
| Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. | Lincoln Prep. | Home | Win | 44-0 |
| Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. | Bolton | Away | Win | 34-21 |
| Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. | Glenbrook | Away | Loss | 20-53 |
| Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. | Ringgold | Home | Win | 36-0 |
| Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. | Haynesville | Home | ||
| Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. | Homer | Away | ||
| Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. | Magnolia School of Excellence | Away | ||
| Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. | Plain Dealing | Away |
According to KTBS, A disregard by town officials of state law, inadequate record-keeping, filing late audits, and a failure to reclassify Gibsland because of its population decline may be violations of state and other laws, according to an investigative audit filed Monday. A copy of the audit has been provided to the Bienville Parish District Attorney’s Office for review.
The investigation was initiated after state auditors received multiple complaints about the town’s use of funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office cited public officials for the following:
The town may have violated state law since it could not provide records to demonstrate a properly adopted budget for the fiscal year ending June 30.
Gibsland Mayor Ray Ivory and Alderman Julius Pearson appear to have violated state law by disregarding requirements of the Local Government Budget Act, Lawrason Act, and Public Bid Law in the performance of their duties. Ivory and Pearson signed town checks to pay unbudgeted and unauthorized salary incentives to elected officials and town employees without a board-approved budget or an ordinance to increase pay for the elected officials and town clerk. Ivory and Pearson also signed town checks to purchase three vehicles for the town without a board-approved budget and without advertising the purchase for bid.
Town Clerk Rockettia Brown works part-time for the town of Gibsland and full-time as the town of Arcadia’s clerk. According to the Gibsland’s QuickBooks (accounting software) records, Brown was paid for 80 hours of work bi-weekly (full-time) until Feb. 4, 2019, when her hours were reduced to 45 hours bi-weekly (part-time). Brown’s payroll records stopped showing the number of hours worked after Aug. 19, 2019. Ivory did not set a part-time schedule for her, and there is no record of hours she worked. Since the Mayor does not require Brown to work a specified number of hours or keep records of the hours she works, but authorizes her to receive the full budgeted amount, he may have violated the state constitution and state law.
The town’s last annual audit was for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2020. Ivory is responsible for ensuring the Town completes its annual audit of its financial statements and submits the audit to the Louisiana Legislative Auditor no later than six months after the end of the fiscal year. Since the town did not complete its audit in a timely manner, Ivory may have violated state law.
The town currently operates under the Lawrason Act as a town and has five elected aldermen. Federal census data indicates that Gibsland has had fewer than 1,001 inhabitants since at least 2010. Based on this information, the town should be classified as a village and have only three elected aldermen. The U.S. Census Bureau put the town’s population at 731 in 2022. Because the town did not adopt a resolution requesting the governor to change its classification, the town may have violated state law.
Ivory defended the payments to the council and staff in a one-page letter to state Auditor Michael Waguespack. He explained how they worked “tirelessly” to protect the “community and ourselves against COVID-19.” Ivory said the town’s aged water system required around-the-clock monitoring so there was no downtime for anyone, including himself, to maintain the town’s infrastructure and services. He said the base pay of $200 for the council and $300 for the mayor were not a concern during the pandemic. “In spite of the pandemic, our involvement with the town never ceased,” Ivory wrote.
In a separate letter, Ivory defended the clerk’s pay. He said there is no way to keep track of the calls and emails between him and the clerk. He noted when she was off for COVID and surgery she continued to work from home paying bills and handling the town’s business. “It should be noted that Rockettia is a vital element to the town of Gibsland, she has earned a professional reputation and upholds the guidelines for which our town stands. Being said, it is my obligation to ensure that she remains with the town of Gibsland,” Ivory wrote. “As mayor, I will continue to upholds my duties and responsibilities including ensuring that my, our staff and council, are treated lawfully and fairly within the guidelines of the Louisiana Municipal Association and our town attorney, Pamela Breedlove.”
Ray Ivory is up for re-election for the Town of Gibsland’s mayor. His opponent is Jeannie Y. Richardson.
Five people qualified for the five Alderman positions for the Town of Gibsland, which means that they are unopposed. The candidates are Angela “Nub” Adams, Gary Durham, Dianna Pearson, Julius Pearson (named in the auditor’s report), and Debra “Deb” Rushing.
The Police Jury will hold its regular monthly meeting this morning, October 12, at 9:00 am at the Bienville Parish Courthouse.
The Bienville Parish Journal will live stream this meeting.
According to Clerk of Court Eddie Holmes, Jury service for Monday, October 17h has been CANCELLED. All potential cases have been resolved.
You may disregard your summons and do NOT need to appear.
No excuses or payments will be issued after cancellation is timely announced.
The Arcadia Hornets played their homecoming game Friday against the Ringgold Redskins. The Hornets scalped the Redskins. The final score was Hornets 36, Redskins 0.
The Hornets are scheduled to take on Haynesville in a home game Friday evening at 7 p.m.
Take a look at the video recap and schedule below.
| Date/Time | Opponent | Home/Away | Win/Loss | Final Score |
| Sept. 2 at 7 p.m. | Lakeside | Home | Win | 26-12 |
| Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. | Delhi | Home | Win | 34-6 |
| Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. | Lincoln Prep. | Home | Win | 44-0 |
| Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. | Bolton | Away | Win | 34-21 |
| Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. | Glenbrook | Away | Loss | 20-53 |
| Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. | Ringgold | Home | Win | 36-0 |
| Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. | Haynesville | Home | ||
| Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. | Homer | Away | ||
| Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. | Magnolia School of Excellence | Away | ||
| Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. | Plain Dealing | Away |
Dr. James Andrews brings quite a resume to Shreveport Thursday night when the internationally known sports surgeon returns to his home state to educate and inform concerning the development and protection of young athletes, an issue near and dear to his football-playing, pole-vaulting, ligament-repairing heart.
The one-hour community forum, free and open to the public, begins at 5:30 p.m. at BHP Billiton YMCA, 3455 Knight Street in Shreveport.
The event is hosted jointly by YMCA Northwest Louisiana (a continuation of its community lecture series) and Ochsner LSU Health; earlier this year, Ochsner Health announced an exclusive five-year partnership with Andrews and the Andrews Institute he co-founded to form the Ochsner Andrews Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Institute.
This won’t be a one-and-done appearance by Andrews, 80 and a proud son of Claiborne Parish and Homer.
“The thing I’ll stress most is we have to try to prevent injuries in youth sports,” said Andrews, a vigorous proponent of young athletes playing more than only one sport. “Injuries in youth sports have increased 10-fold since 2000. One of the things I’m most passionate about is getting the message out about injury patterns and what we can do to prevent that. We’ll try to take that message all over the state through Ochsner. I’ve been to all their facilities and I’ll be coming back periodically.”
Good thing, because this is a subject right in the good doctor’s wheelhouse. Because before he became a certified and trained doctor and surgeon dedicated to injury prevention, education and research in orthopedic and sports medicine …
before he became one of the most well-known orthopedic surgeons and sports medicine specialists in the world …
before he operated on top-shelf athletes such as John Smoltz, Drew Brees, Jack Nicklaus, Michael Jordan and Bo Jackson …
before he became team doctor for the Alabama Crimson Tide, Tampa Bay Rays, Auburn University Tigers and Washington Redskins …
before he became a Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame inductee in 2008 as the recipient of the Dave Dixon Louisiana Sports Leadership Award …
before he was honored with his own bobblehead doll at a Pensacola Blue Wahoos minor league game last summer (I know, right?!) …
Before all that, he was other things.
Like a Homer High School Iron Man.
He and his Pelican teammates captured the imagination of the state in the fall of 1957 when Homer High finished 11-2-1 and state AA runners-up — despite fielding just 18 players. The storied Iron Men. Six of those players went to LSU and played sports other than football, including Andrews, an SEC champion pole vaulter.
Like his close friend and C.E. Byrd High grad Dr. Billy Bundrick, now retired but for more than 40 years the area’s renowned sports medicine doctor and surgeon — Louisiana Tech’s training room and new softball stadium are named in honor of the former Bulldog football team captain — Andrews knew sports up close.
“He’s one of the best orthopedic sports medicine doctors ever to come out of Louisiana,” Andrews said of Bundrick. “He was a couple of years ahead of me, and when he put on any sports medicine conference, I was there. He was taking care of Tech when he could barely get over there to do it because of the demand for him from his patients and local teams.
“He knew how athletes thought, how football players thought,” Andrews said. “That gave us one-upmanship about being a team physician because we were so directly involved in athletics.”
“Plus,” Bundrick said, “James was like I was: we were both just eaten up with it.”
They do love it.
“It’s what we were put on Earth to do,” Bundrick said.
So, concerning your children, it’s not a waste of time to listen to nearly 100 years of celebrated sports medicine practice talking when both Andrews and Bundrick, Dr. A and Dr. B, warn of the serious issues confronting young athletes.
“We (parents and coaches) have to start paying better attention,” Bundrick said.
Andrews’ goal through Ochsner is to preach the S.T.O.P/Sports Trauma and Overuse Prevention program and to stress the need for the state to adopt sports injury accreditation programs for youth coaches.
“We’re going to get our athletic trainers around here up to date about what we’re doing,” Andrews said. “Trainers are our first responders when it comes to athletic injuries. We’ll have programs for players and coaches and parents to attend. That’s the main message: we’re going to learn how to keep from getting hurt at a young age.”
Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu
The State Fair of Louisiana is quickly approaching. The fair is home to rides, food, AgMagic, livestock, competitive exhibits and so much more. Competitive exhibits are a great way to showcase your skills with a chance to win some money. Competitive exhibits are open to youth and adults who are residents of Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas.
All competitive exhibit items must be entered Thursday, October 20, 2022, for judging on Friday, October 21, 2022.
This year, the Bienville Parish LSU AgCenter office will be accepting exhibits for those who cannot or don’t want to travel to Shreveport for submission on October 20th. Anyone who is interested in entering one or multiple items should bring them to the Extension Office, 2710 Maple St, Arcadia, next to the parish library no later than 4:00pm on Tuesday, October 18, 2022. LSU AgCenter Agents will bring exhibits to the fairgrounds for judging. If you have questions about what items can be submitted or need further details, please reach out to 318-263-7400.
Saline junior high softball moved to 5-1 on the season last Thursday night after beating Castor 6-2 and 6-5.
Aly fine and Bella Blewer were the winning pitchers.
Addison Breeland lead the offense with a double and home run.
I do not pretend to know someone else’s pain. But I can scarcely deny that the hardest moments in my own life have centered on loss.
The loss of trust, the loss of finances, the loss of hope, and worst of all, the loss of a loved one.
I do not pretend to know someone else’s pain. Yet I cannot imagine I’m alone in this sentiment regarding loss. How we cope in such situations defines us as a person. You learn a lot about yourself when you lose. You learn if you’re the kind of person who is a good friend, the kind of person who is a good spouse, a good parent, a good son, or a good daughter.
You learn a lot. And what you learn may not always be what you’d like to know when you start to pull yourself out of the mire.
We do things we’re not proud of. We say things that we wish could be unsaid. Grief and anger are emotions that take on a life of their own. They can consume, they can cloud, and they can deceive. Grief and anger bring out the worst in us. They lead to rash decisions; in the past they have been the cause of mobs, riots, and destruction.
But to the individual, grief and anger can be a pit. They can be an abyss of darkness and despair. The thing about a hole is that no matter how long it takes to climb out, it’s a lot easier and quicker to fall right back in. But if you make it out of that pit, and stay out for a while, an even uglier cousin follows grief and anger.
His name is shame.
You may wonder what I’m rambling about here. Truth is, I’m not sure. I’ve been thinking about loss lately, about perceived fairness and the always perceived inequitable distribution of good fortunes. It’s a common human trait, the perception of being mistreated, of being wronged and that you are forsaken. You are not forsaken. None of us are. That’s the hardest part sometimes. Coming to that conclusion can bring the shame as sure as summer brings storms in the Gulf.
I have a friend, a writer who worked for the newspaper in Shreveport. I still have one of his printed columns. He had been wrestling with some personal demons, things of which he was not proud. And while he spoke in generalities, the message was clear. He was sorry to those he had wronged, and he forgave those who had wronged him.
One of the lines he used, taken from a film, is a reminder for us all: “Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.”
And while we need to remember those words, the one thing I want to leave you with is the following thought.
The two most beautiful words in any language are: I forgive.
I realize that. So, I say, I forgive.
Josh Beavers is a teacher and a writer. He has been recognized five times for excellence in opinion writing by the Louisiana Press Association.
It all began at the Bienville Parish Library Ringgold Branch. Branch manager Naomi Wyatt began the patron appreciation program to acknowledge the community’s men and women who support the library by utilizing its services. It quickly became a systemwide patron appreciation program!
Each time a patron visits the library, his or her name is registered for a drawing. At the end of the week, a name is drawn, and that individual is our — Patron of the Week! We show our gratitude with a picture displayed in the library and with their permission on social media.
In the old days, becoming a library patron was by invitation only, and you went through a heavy vetting process to become a “patron”. You needed a sponsor and only after a stringent review by other members of the library, and sometimes, a “substantial” monetary donation, were you given access to read the books that were part of the library’s private collection.
Today, the term ‘library patron’ is the only holdover from the early days of private town libraries. Most property owners in Bienville Parish are patrons of the library. A portion, called a “mil” (1/10th of a penny equals a mil) of parish property tax dollars go to support things like the Bienville Parish Library system so it can:
all of this and more is available – because of YOU!
Each week when we draw a name of an individual as our Patron of the Week or Month, we acknowledge those things that are unique about him or her. We want our patrons to know how special they are to the library staff. The people who come into the library are the same people we see in town, run into at the grocery store, and see at church. They are our neighbors and friends. With the continued support of our neighbors and Library Patrons, they make it possible to keep our doors open to serve the needs of Bienville Parish residents!
So, when you visit your neighborhood library and see all the wonderful things you can do there… Remember, it’s because of YOU, the people of Bienville Parish, and the patrons of the Bienville Parish Library! The greatest people on earth! We thank you for your continued support of your neighborhood Bienville Parish Library!
1492 – Christopher Columbus’s first expedition made landfall in the Caribbean, specifically on San Salvador Island. (Julian calendar)
1692 – The Salem witch trials were ended by a letter from Province of Massachusetts Bay Governor William Phips.
1773 – America’s first insane asylum, Eastern State Hospital in Williamsburg, Virginia, opened.
1792 – The first celebration of Columbus Day was held in New York City.
1793 – The cornerstone of Old East, the oldest state university building in the United States, was laid at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
1799 – Jeanne Geneviève Labrosse became the first woman to jump from a balloon with a parachute.
1810 – The citizens of Munich held the first Oktoberfest in celebration of the marriage of Crown Prince Louis of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen.
1892 – The Pledge of Allegiance was first recited by students in many US public schools.
1901 – President Theodore Roosevelt officially renamed the “Executive Mansion” to the White House.
1918 – A massive forest fire killed 453 people in Minnesota.
1928 – An iron lung respirator was used for the first time at Boston Children’s Hospital.
1933 – The military Alcatraz Citadel became the civilian Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary.
1944 – Frank Sinatra returned to the Paramount Theatre to a huge crowd known as the “Columbus Day Riot.”
1945 – World War II: Desmond Doss was the first conscientious objector to receive the U.S. Medal of Honor.
1957 – Little Richard tossed four diamond rings into the Hunter River in Sydney, Australia, to prove that he was giving up rock-n-roll for his faith in God. He returned to music five years later.
1959 – At the national congress of the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance in Peru, a group of leftist radicals were expelled from the party who later formed APRA Rebelde.
1960 – Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev pounded his shoe on a desk at the United Nations to protest a Philippine assertion.
1962 – The Columbus Day Storm struck the U.S. Pacific Northwest with record wind velocities. There was at least U.S. $230 million in damages and 46 people died.
1962 – Little Richard headlined a concert in New Brighton. One of the opening acts was the Beatles.
1964 – The Soviet Union launched the Voskhod 1 into Earth orbit as the first spacecraft with a multi-person crew, and the first flight without pressure suits.
1968 – John Sebastian left the band Lovin’ Spoonful to start his solo career.
1969 – The “Paul is Dead” craze began when a radio DJ played “Revolution #9” backwards.
1970 – Vietnam War: Vietnamization continued as President Richard Nixon announced that the United States would withdraw 40,000 more troops before Christmas.
1971 – Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s “Jesus Christ Superstar” debuted on Broadway.
1974 – President Nixon nominated House Majority Leader Gerald R. Ford as the successor to Vice President Spiro T. Agnew.
1975 – Rod Stewart and the Faces play their final show together. The group’s breakup was due to Stewart wanting to further his success with his solo career.
1978 – Sid Vicious (Sex Pistols) was arrested for the murder of his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen. Spungen had been found dead with several knife wounds to her abdominal area. Vicious died of a heroin overdose before his murder trial began.
1983 – Karen Carpenter received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
1984 – The Provisional Irish Republican Army failed to assassinate Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her cabinet. The bomb killed five people and wounded 31.
1988 – The Poison single “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” was released.
1994 – The Magellan spacecraft burned up in the atmosphere of Venus.
1997 – John Denver was killed when the plane he was piloting crashed into Monterey Bay, CA. He was 53 years old.
1998 – Matthew Shepard, a gay student at University of Wyoming, died five days after he was beaten outside of Laramie.
2000 – The USS Cole, a US Navy destroyer, was badly damaged by two al-Qaeda suicide bombers, killing 17 crew members and wounding at least 39.
2005 – The second Chinese human spaceflight, Shenzhou 6, was launched and carried two cosmonauts in orbit for five days.
2017 – The United States announced its decision to withdraw from UNESCO. Israel immediately followed.
2019 – The Hard Rock Hotel in New Orleans, which was under construction, collapsed, killed two and injured 20.
Ringgold High School will hold a tailgating party and homecoming football game between Ringgold and Glenbrook on Friday, October 14th.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
