Clearly this was a recipe I would not pass up. I adapted this from a Louisiana Cookin’ recipe. It was light and rich all at the same time. I highly recommend buying fresh shrimp for this. You will be glad you did!

If you can soak beans overnight or all day before time to make supper, you can make this! I also made Half Baked Harvest’s 5 Ingredient Beer Bread to go with it (and topped with our favorite homemade strawberry jam). SO SO GOOD. Meals like this make me feel like life is together even when it most definitely is not!

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons butter, divided
4 slices bacon, diced
1 pound fresh peeled large shrimp
1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon kosher salt, divided
1/4 cup butter
1 bunch green onions, diced
1 pound dry white beans, soaked overnight and drained
6 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:
Soak beans overnight. Drain.
In a large Dutch oven heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat.
Add bacon and cook, stirring until crispy. Remove from the pot.
In a large bowl toss together the shrimp, garlic, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Increase heat to medium-high and add shrimp to pot.
Cook 3 minutes until pink. Remove from pot.
In the same pot add 1/4 cup butter. Add green onion, cook until soft. Stir in beans, broth, and remaining salt. Increase heat to boiling. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until beans are tender but not falling apart, about 30-45 minutes.
Stir in parsley and lemon juice. Return bacon and shrimp to the pot. Heat on low for 5 minutes.

*Recipe adapted from Louisiana Cookin’.

(Ashley Madden is a wife, mother and published cookbook author from Minden, La.)

We called it the “lie-ba-rare-ry” or “lie-berry” but of course it’s properly The Library, and on this National Library Week we honor the place where each of us, in our hometowns and school houses, spent a large part of our formative years in this glorious building that held more fact and fiction than you could digest in a dozen lifetimes.

The Writer’s Almanac reminds me that the Library of Congress, or “Gramps” as all the other libraries call it, was founded this week in 1800. Had 964 books and nine maps. 

Today, it’s a bit of a different ballgame, and if you work there, you best buckle your chinstrap. The Library of Congress has more than 17 million books now, plus recordings and art and lots of maps (like, way more than the original nine) and gets 15,000 new items each workday. They’ve got books like Hamlet had the crazies.

Speaking of, maybe the Library of Congress’s birth is why we celebrate this final week of April as National Library Week, but maybe it’s because the Bard of Avon and pretty good hand, William Shakespeare, is thought to have been born April 23, 1564, and for certain died on the same date, 52 years later, I forswear. He’s considered our greatest English dramatist and was also clever in the sonnet game:

Haply I think on thee, and then my state,
Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven’s gate;
For thy sweet love remember’d such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.

Except for that one time you were mean to me

And I thought, “What the heck; I’ll go ahead and scorn.”

He was a handful, ol’ William was.

So when you go by your local library branch this week, maybe tip your cap to this magical place, a joint that has plenty for kids of all ages, a place that connects the community and shares internet for job seekers and self-educators, a rest stop for movie night and craft night and poetry readings, if such is your thing.

And books. If you haven’t read or listened to one lately, here are a few I’ve finished so far this year, and brief reviews, just to rattle your cage and get you to thinking.

Amor Towles was an investments pro in Manhattan for 20 years, writing on the side, and is now a fulltime novelist and thank goodness. He is a wizard of time and place, a handy vocabulary but not high-falutin’, and tremendous with characters. My favorite of his three books is A Gentleman in Moscow, about an aristocrat sentenced to life in a luxury hotel across from the Kremlin in 1920, soon to be a Showtime/Paramount series starring Ewan McGregor as Count Alexander Rostov, now one of my favorite fictional people.

The Lincoln Highway is about four boys in 1954 who mean to go to San Francisco and end up in New York, and Rules of Civility stars a wonderful female character, Katey Kontent, a normal girl thrown into high society in post-depression New York City. Doesn’t sound like much, but I wish I could read each of them again for the first time.

Did not enjoy Ghost Storyby Peter Straub, although it was a hit when released in 1979 and the movie (Fred Astaire and some other biggies were in it) was good, which is why I wanted to read it. Mistake.

Did not like The Haunting of Hill House, 1959, from Shirley Jackson (she wrote the short story The Lotterythat we all read in high school). I wish Hill House had been only a short story.

And didn’t enjoy Fahrenheit 451, the 1953 classic by Ray Bradbury. It’s about banning books and so in the current climate, I thought I’d catch up. Instead, I wish I’d have banned myself from reading it. No doubt it was timely, though, 70 years ago.

More fiction I did like was Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, speaking of catching up, as this is the Stephen King short story, more of a novella, that the movie is based on. The movie is better but the story, of justice and hope and friendship and humanity, is just so good.

Stoner by John Williams didn’t get a lot of raves in 1965 when released but it is beautifully written “academic” or “campus” novel about a farm boy who becomes an English professor and comes to terms with a life that didn’t go as he’d planned. And why I’ve felt recently like reading novels 60 years old is a mystery even to my own personal self.

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (2022) starring a talking octopus named Marcellus (or at least he shares his thoughts) is about how we are better together, whether we have two arms or whether we have eight.

Out of room, so, suggested non-fiction I’ve read this year, and would recommend each, depending on your interests.

The Storyteller’s Nashville by Tom T. Hall, if you like Tom T. Hall.

Jerry Lee Lewis: His Own Story, by Rick Bragg, if you like Jerry Lee Lewis or are just interested in a fellow Louisianan.

Killer Triggers and I Will Find You, by Joe Kenda, the Colorado detective who became famous through TV’s Homicide Hunters. If you’re a fan, you might prefer the audio versions; he narrates them.

Something Wonderful: Rogers and Hammerstein by Todd Purdum; this bureau has a fascination with musical theatre.

On Writing by Stephen King. His wife pulled the draft of Carrie out of the trash and suggested he keep trying so …

And finally, enjoyed To Wake the Giant, Pearl Harbor historical fiction by Jeff Shaara, a longtime pro in the war arena, and Unsinkable, which is not fiction but is the real thing about five men aboard the World War II destroyer USS Plunkett, and especially their “problem” that day at Anzio. Studs.

Happy reading or listening, and happy National Library Week. Got anything to share?

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu or Twitter@MamaLuvsManning 

1478 – Pazzi conspirators attacked Lorenzo and killed Giuliano de’Medici.

1514 – Copernicus made his first observations of Saturn.

1607 – The British established an American colony at Cape Henry, Virginia. It was the first permanent English establishment in the Western Hemisphere.

1819 – The first Odd Fellows lodge in the U.S. was established in Baltimore, MD.

1865 – Joseph E. Johnston surrendered the Army of Tennessee to Sherman during the American Civil War.

1865 – John Wilkes Booth was killed by the U.S. Federal Cavalry.

1906 – In Hawaii, motion pictures were shown for the first time.

1921 – Weather broadcasts were heard for the first time on radio in St. Louis, MO.

1929 – First non-stop flight from England to India was completed.

1931 – New York Yankee Lou Gehrig hit a home run but was called out for passing a runner.

1931 – NBC premiered “Lum and Abner.” It was on the air for 24 years.

1937 – German planes attacked Guernica, Spain, during the Spanish Civil War for the Spanish nationalist government. This raid is considered one of the first to be attacks on a civilian population by a modern air force.

1937 – “LIFE” magazine was printed without the word “LIFE” on the cover.

1937 – “Lorenzo Jones” premiered on NBC radio.

1941 – An organ was played at a baseball stadium for the first time in Chicago, IL.

1945 – Marshal Henri Philippe Petain, the head of France’s Vichy government during World War II, was arrested.

1952 – Patty Berg set a new record for major women’s golf competition when she shot a 64 over 18 holes in a tournament in Richmond, CA.

1954 – Grace Kelly was on the cover of “LIFE” magazine.

1964 – The African nations of Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form Tanzania.

1964 – The Boston Celtics won their sixth consecutive NBA title. They won two more before the streak came to an end.

1968 – Students seized the administration building at Ohio State University.

1982 – The British announced that Argentina had surrendered on South Georgia.

1983 – Dow Jones Industrial Average broke 1,200 for first time.

1985 – In Argentina, a fire at a mental hospital killed 79 people and injured 247.

1986 – The world’s worst nuclear disaster to date occurred at Chernobyl, in Kiev. Thirty-one people died in the incident and thousands more were exposed to radioactive material.

1998 – Auxiliary Bishop Juan Gerardi Conedera was bludgeoned to death two days after a report he’d compiled on atrocities during Guatemala’s 36-year civil war was made public.

2000 – Charles Wang and Sanjay Kumar purchased the NHL’s New York Islanders.

2002 – In Erfurt, Germany, an expelled student killed 17 people at his former school. The student then killed himself.

Please send all non-profit events to bpjnewsla@gmail.com

April 24-28 (7 p.m.)

Tent Meeting – Downtown Ringgold near Gazebo behind First Baptist

For more information call #903- 276- 7873

April 28 (9 a.m. – 2 p.m.)

Local Job Fair – Gibsland Branch Library 

Vendors will be available to answer questions and review applications and resumes on the spot. 

April 28 ( 6 p.m.)

ACT-SO Apolla Style Talent Show – Crawford Elementary Gym 

Opened to 9-12th grade students

April 29

Parish-wide sales tax renewal election.

If you have any questions please reach out to Bienville Registrar Nickie Warren at 318-263-7407 or email bienvillerov@sos.la.gov

April 30 (10 a.m. – 2 p.m.)

First Pentecostal Church of Arcadia – Friends and Family Day

There will be food, games, activities and giveaways.

May 1 (9 a.m. – 1 p.m.)

Castor Farmers Market – Castor Rails to Trails Pavilion

May 6 (11 a.m. – 3 p.m.)

Mt. Lebanon Historical Society’s – Stagecoach Trail Day Festival

May 11-12

Castor High School Kindergarten Round-up for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year

May 12

4th Annual Louisiana Sheriffs for St. Jude Golf Tournament – Trails End Golf Course – 400 Par Road 256 in Arcadia

Registration is at 8 a.m. and tee off at 9 a.m.

May 26 at 5 p.m. – May 27 at 6 p.m.

The Authentic Bonnie and Clyde Festival – Downtown Gibsland

Please check out their Facebook event page for a full list of speakers, performances, and parade times

The following arrests were made by local law enforcement agencies.

04/16/23

Jacovyian Kemp was arrested for no driver’s license.

Ethan Durr of Castor was arrested for flight from an officer, child support obligation, aggravated assault with a firearm, operating a vehicle with a suspended license/no license issued, resisting an officer and simple burglary in inhabited dwelling. 

04/17/23

Edtreum Loyd of Jonesboro was arrested for vehicular homicide – Murder & Nonnegligent Manslaughter, reckless operation with accident and possession of marijuana.

04/18/23

Travis Grillette of Jamestown was arrested for telephone communications/ improper language/ harassment.

04/19/23

Veronica Patterson of Arcadia was arrested for resisting an officer and aggravated assault. 

Mekhi Weathers of Bossier City was arrested for first degree murder. 

Kimberly Vizena of Arcadia was arrested for operating a vehicle with a suspended license/ no license issued. 

LaDerrick Randle was arrested as a fugitive for illegal carrying of a weapon in the presence of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of a fiream/ carry concealed weapon by a convicted felon, possession of distribution of drug paraphernalia, possession of methamphetamine and violation of probation/ parole.

04/21/23

Cystal Harrell of Springhill was arrested for failure to appear. 

Thomas Coleman of Caledonia, Mississippi was arrested for first offense D.W.I. and driving on a roadway laned for traffic. 

04/22/23

Brayan Perdomo was arrested for no driver’s license. 

Notice of Death – April 25, 2023

Margie Arnold

Oct. 12, 1938 – April 21, 2023

Shongaloo, La.

Visitation: 3 until 4:30 p.m. Thursday, April 27, 2023, Bailey Funeral Home.

Funeral service: 4:30 p.m., immediately following visitation.

Sue Walker Camp

Dec. 16, 1944 – April 21, 2023

Shongaloo/Minden, La.

Visitation: 5 until 7 p.m. Thursday, April 27, 2023, Bailey Funeral Home, Springhill.

Funeral service: 10 a.m. Friday, April 28, 2023, Bailey Funeral Home Chapel, Springhill.

Burial: Western Cemetery, Emerson, Ark.

Henry Luther Boggs

June 10, 1934 – April 24, 2023

Visitation and memorial service: 10 a.m. Saturday, April 29, 2023, Cottage Grove Presbyterian Church, Plain Dealing, La.

Judy Ann Wise

January 24, 1948 – April 20, 2023

Shongaloo, La.

Visitation: 1 until 2 p.m. Saturday, April 29, Old Shongaloo Rock Church.

Funeral service: 2 p.m. immediately following visitation.

Burial: Old Shongaloo Cemetery, under the direction of Bailey Funeral Home, Springhill, La.

Mable Wilson

Castor, La.

Visitation: 2 until 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 26, 2023, Rockett-Nettles Funeral Home Chapel, Coushatta.

Kenneth Edward Rice

August 22, 1950 – April 1, 2023

Ringgold, La.

Visitation: 10 a.m. Saturday, May 13, 2023 at Barksdale Baptist Church.

Celebration of Life to follow immediately.

Bienville Parish Journal publishes paid complete obituaries – unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $80. Contact your funeral provider or bpjnewsla@gmail.com . Must be paid in advance of publication. (Above death notices are free of charge.)

Castor – Yesterday evening, April 22, just before 6:00 p.m., Troopers assigned to Louisiana State Police Troop G began investigating a single-vehicle fatality crash on LA Highway 4 just east of Haysfield Road. This crash claimed the life of 57-year-old Shavon Sullivan.

The initial investigation revealed that a 2018 Kia Soul, driven by Sullivan, was traveling east on LA Highway 4. For reasons still under investigation, the Kia exited the roadway and struck a mailbox before colliding with a tree. As a result of the impact, the vehicle became fully engulfed in flames.

Sullivan, who was properly restrained, was pronounced deceased on the scene. Impairment is unknown at this time; however, routine toxicology samples were collected and will be submitted for analysis. This crash remains under investigation.

While not all crashes are survivable, seat belts can greatly decrease the occupant’s chance of death and will greatly reduce the extent of injury.

Although the exact cause of this crash remains under investigation, distracted driving remains a significant cause of many preventable crashes. Troopers would like to remind all drivers to stay vigilant while operating any motor vehicle. By taking your attention away from the road, even for a brief moment, you are unable to observe and react to the changing road conditions ahead.

In 2023, Troop G has investigated 10 fatal crashes, resulting in 10 deaths

By Bonnie Culverhouse

A local man who showed up for a court date today (Friday) is behind bars as alleged shooter #6 in the Ewell Park case. 

Tyler Thornton, 20, of the 1300 block of Peachtree Road, Dubberly is charged with four counts of attempted second degree murder and illegal use of a weapons during a crime of violence. His bond is set at $1.125 million.

“We’ve been waiting all week to see if he (Thornton) would show up for his Webster Parish Court date today, and he didn’t disappoint,” said Minden Police Chief Jared McIver. “He must not have known we were looking for him because he came for a totally unrelated case.”

McIver said the Ewell Park case has “snowballed” because most of the alleged shooters are wanted on other charges, as well.

This brings the number of Webster Parish suspects to four. Claiborne Parish has two that have been arrested.

“These are two different gangs that were shooting at each other that day at the park,” McIver said. “One is from Webster – TTS (Trained to Step). The other is from Homer. It was a gang rivalry. They are constantly having turf wars.”

McIver said there are spinoffs of TTS, and his department is working hard to shut down all of them.

“We want them to know they are not welcome here,” he said, adding that Ringgold gangs are a problem in Webster, too. “I hope as we continue doing what we are doing, it is going to send a message that they can go and do their gang activities somewhere else.”

In addition to Thornton, others arrested from Webster include the following:

Jaquez Deontae Burdette, 18, of Shell Street, Dixie Inn, was extradited from Arkansas Tuesday where he had been arrested by Southern Arkansas University Police.

Reginald Moore Jr., 19, of Heflin, is charged with 4 counts of attempted second degree murder and 1 count of illegal use of weapons.

Jaylen Teal, 22, of Minden, is charged with four counts of attempted second degree murder and one count of illegal use of a weapon during a crime of violence.

Claiborne Parish yielded these arrests:

Tekeldrick K. Webb, aka K-7, 19, from Haynesville.

“Homer Police pulled him over in a traffic stop,” McIver said. “When they ran his information, they found he was wanted out of Minden for the shooting.”

Webb’s bonds total $500,000.

Jamontae Holyfield, 21, of Homer is charged with 4 counts of attempted second degree murder and 4 counts of carjacking. Holyfield allegedly entered a car with persons who were not involved in the shooting and then demanded to be taken to another location.

Four persons were shot during the permitted event at the city-owned park April 2. None of the injuries were fatal.

McIver said he feels there is only one alleged shooter still on the run.

“We are getting super close to arresting him,” he said.

This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

A Shreveport man wanted since last August of 2022 was arrested Wednesday afternoon, April 19, at the Bienville II apartment complex in Ringgold.

The U.S. Marshals Task Force with the assistance of the Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Special Response Team apprehended LaDerrick Randle, 32, and arrested him on a warrant issued by the Shreveport Police Department.

The shooting that occurred last year in the 4000 block of Walker Street in Shreveport, left a woman with life-threatening injuries.

Randle was arrested as a fugitive from Caddo Parish for attempted second-degree murder, Claiborne Parish for second-degree battery charges, and Bienville Parish for drugs and weapons charges.

According to Bienville Parish Sheriff John Ballance, Randle was taken into custody without incident and was discovered to be armed with a semiautomatic pistol at the time of this arrest.

“He also had on his person a quantity of methamphetamine and a pipe commonly used for smoking illegal drugs,” said Ballance. 

Randall was booked into the Bienville Parish Jail and was later transferred to Claiborne Parish where he awaits a 72-hour hearing.

This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

By Paige Nash

Ringgold High School graduate of 2021, Chelsea Hullaby, was just named to the Grambling State University President’s List for the second time.

In order to qualify for this honor students must be attending full-time and retain a 3.5 grade point average.

Hullaby is majoring in Nursing with a minor in Child Development at GSU. She felt led to pursue this degree due to the current shortage of health care workers.

“Knowing we need healthcare workers is pushing me harder and harder everyday,” said Hullaby. “There is a shortage of Registered Nurses. I am in this field to save lives.”

After graduating from RHS she moved to Grambling to be closer to the college, but she has plans to return to her hometown equipped with the tools to better serve and the mindset to make a difference in her community.

“After graduating from Grambling State University, I plan to work in a hospital in the intensive care unit specializing in Neonatal,” she said. “After practicing for two or three years, I plan on coming back to my stomping grounds and becoming a Nurse Practitioner.”

Hullaby is dedicated to studying and remaining on the path God has laid out before her.

She said, “I pray that I help encourage children younger than me and tell them to have faith in God and listen to his word. He will direct your path as your journey begins.”

Hullaby will continue studying hard and attempting to remain on the President’s List throughout her college career.

“No matter what your vision might be, it’s important to identify the end goal of your education so that you can maintain the motivation to push through,” said Hullaby.

An arrest has been made in a fatal drive-by shooting that happened Easter Sunday night, April 9, at the Bienville II apartment complex in Ringgold.

Wednesday morning, April 19, Bossier City Police Department picked up Mekhi Idonte Weathers, age 20, who listed the address of Camellia Street in Bossier City. He was arrested on warrant from the Second Judicial Court charging him with First Degree Murder. 

Weathers is alleged to have shot 21-year-old Javaski Jackson. When RPD arrived on the scene Easter Sunday they discovered the victim on the ground with a bullet wound. He was transferred to Oschner’s LSU in Shreveport where he later succumbed to his injuries. 

According to RPD Chief Peterson, undisclosed evidence gathered as part of the investigation led to the charge of first-degree murder rather than second-degree murder and they are currently looking into additional possible suspects. 

Peterson could not disclose a motive at this time. The investigation is still considered ongoing. 

The Bienville Parish sheriff’s Criminal Investigation Division assisted Ringgold police with the investigation.

Weathers was booked into the Bienville Parish Jail on a charge of first-degree murder in the death of Jackson. He was later transferred to Claiborne Parish Jail. No bond has been set. 

This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

The LHSAA released the brackets for the high school baseball playoffs Tuesday, April 18. They are doing this a little differently this year. Divisions I-III will be playing all playoff rounds as a Best of 3 series.

The Saline Bobcats and Castor Tigers were the only Bienville Parish team to progress to the playoffs this season in the Division V non-select group.

The Bobcats, sitting in the number 19 spot traveled to Desoto Parish yesterday, April 20, to play the number 14 seed, the Stanley Panthers. It was a tough game. The Bobcats only scored one, losing 1-11 in the fifth inning.

The number 24 team, the Castor Tigers, played number 9, Bell City, at Bell City yesterday, as well. They wrapped up their season with a shut out by Bell City, losing 0-8 in the 7th inning.

By Bonnie Culverhouse

Hopefully, most people will never know the pain of poverty. But they can learn what it feels like, along with the joy of compassion.

April 28 through 30, Trinity United Methodist Church in Ruston, is hosting “The Compassion Journey,” an interactive experience designed to educate visitors about the realities of life in extreme poverty.

“Participants will be invited on a self-guided journey where they will be immersed in the daily life of Kevin, a child sponsored by Compassion International,” said Marie Burns, Director of Outreach & Sr. Adult Ministries at Trinity. “Kevin is growing up under the weight of poverty in the nation of Kenya.”

This event, sponsored by Compassion International, provides an opportunity for visitors to experience elements of another culture and to discuss the experience through break-out style discussions.

“The experience includes 1,000 square feet of exhibit space featuring interactive elements that highlight the challenging circumstances Kevin faces,” Burns said. “You also experience life through his eyes as it applies to food, security, education and safety, as well as the help and hope Compassion provides through the sponsorship program.”

Compassion Journey uses individual iPods and headsets to offer visitors a sense of what life is like in extremely poverty-stricken areas around the world.

Founded in 1952, Compassion International is a Christian child development organization that works to release children from poverty in Jesus’ name. More than 1.4 billion people live on less than $1.25 per day.

Trinity UMC is located at 1000 Woodward Ave., Ruston, La. 71270. For more information, contact Burns at 318-251-0750.

The event is free and was created with families in mind, so children are welcome. Visitors are encouraged to register to attend and find more information about the event at journey.compassion.com .

FOR LOVE THE BOOT WEEK

Love the Boot Week, April 17-23, 2023, is Louisiana’s Largest Litter Cleanup

Organized by Keep Louisiana Beautiful

On Saturday, April 22 at 10 a.m., Town of Ringgold will host Litter pick- up/Beautification as part of Love the Boot Week, Louisiana’s largest litter cleanup effort held in conjunction with Earth Week, April 17-23, 2023. Love the Boot Week is organized by Keep Louisiana Beautiful and supported by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor.

They will meet up at the town hall to go out into the community to pick-up litter and complete a beautification project.

Litter is not a new problem for Louisiana’s 64 parishes. For decades, litter has become increasingly detrimental to our communities, leading to a multitude of repercussions such as:

• Blight on natural areas, cities, towns, roadways, and waterways
• Death of wildlife due to polluted habitats
• Decline in quality of life in neighborhoods
• A negative impact on economic development, infrastructure, and tourism
• Flooding caused by storm drains clogged with litter and debris

Despite spending over $40 million in litter abatement each year, Louisiana is still experiencing shocking levels of litter statewide.

“Sportsman’s Paradise won’t be litter-free overnight, but by coming together during Love the Boot Week, we can bring awareness to the issue and take steps toward achieving a more beautiful Louisiana,” says Susan Russell, Executive Director of Keep Louisiana Beautiful.

Following the conclusion of Love the Boot Week, Keep Louisiana Beautiful will release an outcomes report summarizing the collective impact of the registered cleanup and beautification events. This report will include the total number of events, volunteers, bags of trash collected, pounds of trash collected, and other relevant statistics.

Volunteers can register for the Town of Ringgold cleanup event at http://www.lovetheboot.org.

Love the Boot Week is made possible by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, Coca-Cola, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana.

For more information about Love the Boot Week, visit http://www.lovetheboot.org. or contact info@keeplouisianabeautiful.org.

About Town of Ringgold

The town of Ringgold is located in the state of Louisiana, in Bienville Parish. Ringgold is a town in Louisiana with a population of about 1,345.

About Keep Louisiana Beautiful

Keep Louisiana Beautiful is an anti‐litter and community improvement non-profit organization focused on achieving a clean and beautiful Louisiana through education, enforcement, public awareness, and community engagement. Keep Louisiana Beautiful is affiliated with Keep America Beautiful and comprised of a statewide network of 40 Community Affiliates and seven University Affiliates. Learn more at http://www.keeplouisianabeautiful.org

The Providence Cemetery committee would like to announce the yearly service has been cancelled this year. But you still have time to pay your annual fee for upkeep.

Each individual family or single person over 18 years old is asked to pay $35. Please submit mail payments to :

         Providence Cemetery Memorial
         C/O Gloria Adams
         P.O. Box 396
         Ringgold, LA 71068

Please make all checks/money orders payable to Providence Colored Cemetery or bring monies to Theodis Roberson or Gloria Adams. All payments are due by May 21, 2023.

There have been a few things that have dictated the direction my life would take. First off, that 10 inch bass I caught down on Molido behind my boyhood home signaled the start of my love for chunking and winding a rod and reel after bass.

When the first wood duck came barreling down through the flooded timber intent on landing on the water and my old 12 gauge double barrel dropped him at my feet, I fell in love with duck hunting.

There was that time before the duck and the bass conquests happened, our up-the-road neighbor, Bud Pennington, pointed out a lump on a limb where his squirrel dog was barking and bawling at the base of the tree. He explained that that lump was no knot; it was a fox squirrel, my aim was true and as my first ever squirrel hit the ground and thus began my lifetime love of the sport of chasing October squirrels.

Continuing on my trek through my bank of memories, the yapping and howling of a pack of beagles signaled that a deer was headed in my direction. I was on my first deer hunt in Claiborne Parish near Summerfield when a 10 point buck burst from cover to the pipeline I was watching. Slinging buckshot in his direction, I watched him tumble and once again, I had found yet another sport that had me in its grip.

Bass, ducks, squirrels and bucks were all put on the back burner when I stumbled on the sport that has captivated me like no other. The date was April 13, 1992 when I accepted an invitation to chase turkeys in Alabama. To be honest, I really didn’t care about leaving the bream beds until outdoor writer friend, John Phillips tossed out nuggets, like free air fare, a shotgun, a guide and an array of camo clothing that I decided the bream could wait a week or so while I took advantage of the opportunity to do something I had never tried, and that was to give spring turkey hunting a try.

When my guide, Skinny Hallmark, called to a gobbler on the roost and I heard him gobble, spit and drum as he strutted toward where I sat, no bass, duck, squirrel or deer could make my heart thump like mine was doing as the big gobbler stepped in front of my gun and I got him.

I determined then and there that I may never kill another one but I was determined to learn all I could about wild turkeys, how to call them and how to be sure there would be turkeys around when I wanted to hunt. This led me to become a member of the North Central Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) and to become involved in promoting the annual banquet our chapter had each year. I was impressed with the fact that the funds generated at the annual banquet are one of the main reasons we have wild turkeys to hunt in Louisiana today.

Last year I attended the banquet but attendance and involvement had been severely curtailed by the Covid epidemic that was successful in shutting down a host of worthy activities.

The banquet our chapter held a couple of weeks ago was like a breath of fresh air. Whereas fewer than 100 were at the banquet a year ago, I scanned the crowd of some 250-275 enthusiastic hunters who bid on auction items to the tune of raising in the neighborhood of $50,000, funds that will go to activities favoring wild turkeys.

“This was a building year for us, and we couldn’t be more pleased with the turnout and interest shown this year” said chapter president Mike Rainwater, “and we hope to be able to do even more in coming years.”

For the sake of these special birds, I sincerely hope so.

Miyamito Musashi, perhaps the most famous and revered Samurai who ever lived, said “A warrior should not have a favorite weapon.” On its face that might seem like a contradictory statement coming from a Samurai, because it’s a known fact that the preferred weapon of any Samurai was the katana. However, I think people familiar with Musashi and his teachings understand that what he meant was, he didn’t need his katana. Furthermore, the katana, while the preferred weapon of the Samurai, was not the only weapon with which they were proficient. To put Musashi’s words into more modern terms, Clint Smith, founder, and CEO of Thunder Ranch, tells his patrons to be “students of weapons-craft.”

What does it mean to be “a student of weapons-craft?” For starters, you must come to the realization that you could be in a gunfight with a gun that isn’t yours. If that’s a real possibility, which it is, wouldn’t it behoove you to have a working knowledge of other weapons besides the ones you own?

Did you know that roughly one in five (20%) of all guns in all the world are some variation of a Kalashnikov rifle? For those of you not fluent in Russian surnames, Kalashnikov is probably the most important one you’ll ever need to know. Mikhail Kalashnikov is the creator of the AK-47 rifle. Today, his rifle platform is manufactured all over the globe, in multiple calibers – not just the original 7.62×39.

However, of the approximately 100,000,000 AK rifles in existence, an estimated 75% of them are chambered in the original caliber. Having hit the battlefield in 1947, it’s a weapon that has clearly stood the test of time and since its inception has impacted modern warfare more than any other standard infantry weapon. What I’m getting at here is, wouldn’t it be a good idea for you to know how to operate and fire the most prolific firearm in the history of the world?

As globally popular as the AK has become, here in America, the AR-15 holds the top spot as our nation’s most popular weapon – with an estimated 44,000,000 of them being privately owned in this country alone. #MERICA! Invented by Eugene Stoner in the 1950s, the Armalite Rifle (AR) has been going head-to-head with the Kalashnikov in combat zones all over the world. If you’re an avid reader of this article, you might own one or more of these rifles yourself. If not, AR platform rifles would be very high on the priority list of weapons you should know how to operate.

When I teach classes, I often ask the ladies attending “How many guns are in your home that you don’t know how to operate?” The number is usually pretty high because their husbands, or other men in their lives have multiple guns that the ladies have never been taught to use. I’m not picking on the ladies – it just tends to be the norm – probably because husbands and boyfriends are awful teachers, and their women would rather avoid their incessant yelling and extreme lack of patience. The men buy a bunch of guns (many without their wife’s knowledge) and use them (or don’t) for a variety of different things. My follow-up question is usually something like, “If your gun (the obligatory 5-shot snubby or .380 your gun-dumb husband bought for you) isn’t immediately accessible, and one of your husband’s guns was the closest to you when you’re home alone and someone kicked in your door, what would you do?” The responses can sometimes be rather comical, but what I’ve never heard is, “I’d figure out how to use my husband’s gun,” because they know that’s not a realistic response in that scenario.

Hey, it’s not just women. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen cops (full-grown men) come across various types of firearms during traffic stops, house searches, or other day-to-day activities in law enforcement, and have NO IDEA how to clear (unload) the weapon. Many times, other cops have handed me a gun and asked me to clear it because they have no idea how it works. It’s a little sad and rather unnerving.

Here in the American south, to say we have a plethora of firearms common to our region, would be a major understatement. Below, I’ll list some of the various guns that are most common and suggest that if you’re unfamiliar with them, you should absolutely research how to use them. Because as previously stated, you might not be fighting with your gun.
1.) AR platform rifles.
2.) AK platform rifles.
3.) Polymer framed, striker fired handguns, i.e., Glocks, Caniks, S&W M&Ps, Sig Sauer P320, etc.
4.) Pump action shotguns, i.e., Remington 870s, and Mossberg 500s.
5.) Semi-automatic shotguns, i.e., Remington 1100s, Benellis, and Berettas.
6.) Single-shot and double barrel shotguns.
7.) Bolt action rifles.
8.) Lever action rifles.
9.) Semi-automatic rifles other than numbers 1 and 2 on this list.
10.) Double action revolvers.
11.) Single action revolvers.
12.) Single / Double action semi-automatic pistols, i.e., the Beretta model 92.
13.) The 1911. Yeah, I included it, but I made sure it was unlucky #13 on the list. You should know how they work, but you shouldn’t buy one for personal or home defense – unless you intend to use it as an impact weapon and beat an intruder to death with it.

You have no way of knowing when or where your fight will take place, and you don’t know what weaponry might be available to you at the time. Even if you’re already armed with your everyday carry gun, if there’s an AK or an 870 nearby, wouldn’t you much rather have one of those in your hand? If you’re not sure how to answer that question, let me help you out… YES! You don’t have to buy every model of firearm on the planet to have a working knowledge of the ones you’re most likely to encounter, but you can do your homework, and make yourself more prepared tomorrow than you are today. Until next week…

Avoid what you can. Defeat what you can’t.
-Ryan

Please submit your questions to Ryan via email at Ryan@9and1tactical.com

(Ryan Barnette is not a licensed attorney or a medical provider, and no information provided in “Slicing the Pie,” or any other publication authored by Ryan Barnette should be construed, in any way, as official legal, or medical advice.)

I feel as if I have shared a good bit of valuable advice here and there. I have often said that it is hard to have a clear perspective and know the value of a moment until it is in the past. I have harped on living in and soaking up those sweet moments while you are in the midst of them. I have mentioned not looking too far into the future or wishing away the days- even the not so fabulous ones.  

Parenthood is a lifelong commitment from the moment of conception until the end of your time here on Earth. It is a long road full of ups and downs, hills and valleys, curves and straightaways. You never know what is ahead of you, but you can always look back and see where you have been and how far you have come. Those memories serve as reminders of those sweet, cuddly newborns, the rambunctious toddlers, the annoyed pre-teens, the hormonal teens, the confused young adults and your grown children who now have kids of their own. While they are beginning their brand-new path of parenthood, you have a few decades under your belt and plenty of advice to share (if they are willing to listen). 

I am not there yet myself, I only have about a decade under my own belt, but my younger family members and friends who are new to parenthood often come to me for advice on certain subjects and you better believe I turn to my own mother probably once a day to ask for advice, vent or even cry on occasion. That is one of the perks of having a group of mom friends and family and trust me you need them. Being able to share those valuable lived experiences between you, so that maybe you can learn a few things you could do differently or in some cases- what not to do. 

I often find myself reminiscing on the road I have traveled this far and wondering what I would tell myself if I could go back in time before I began this journey. When I asked other moms of course I was met with an abundance of differentiating responses, but some of the more common replies included spending more time playing, taking more photos, being more patient, not worrying about the messes or setting such high expectations. 

One of the best pieces of advice I have ever received since becoming a parent and one I need to remind myself of often is, “don’t take credit when your kids excel and don’t blame yourself when they don’t.” We are not responsible for their choices. Don’t get me wrong, we are here to guide and teach our children. We should equip them with the tools they will need to be successful, loving, respectful and forgiving adults. But they are humans, just like us. They will make their own choices, just like we did and do, and sometimes those choices don’t align with our own, but they should be given the freedom to decide and make a path of their own. A path that will make them happy and fulfilled. 

If you met yourself at the start of your own parenthood journey, what advice would you give yourself?

(Paige Nash is a wife, mother of three, digital journalist for the Webster Parish Journal and publisher for the Bienville and Claiborne Parish Journals.)

BARBERINO-TAVARNELLE, TUSCANY— Things are different over here. It’s not just the language. Spaces are smaller. Roads are tighter. Bathrooms are tinier. But there’s a reason for all of that. The roads are tighter because many were built over one thousand years ago and were meant to accommodate horses, carriages, wagons, and people traveling by foot. The bathrooms in the historic city centers are smaller because those buildings were built 700 years ago before in and plumbing was a thing.

I tell my guests to embrace the differences. Sure, we could travel to Cleveland and have larger hotel rooms, bigger restaurants, and English speaking servers. But we’d be in Cleveland. As it is, we are in Tuscany, one of the most beautiful and amazing places on earth.

Traditions are different in every country. That’s why we travel to them. We go there, we embrace the differences, appreciate the culture and heritage, and we learn that everyone is unique, yet at the same time, alike in so many ways.

One thing that has surprised me over the years— especially in this part of Italy— is the reverence for potato chips. Simple potato chips are almost always served during cocktails. I first noticed this as a guest in people’s homes, when they would bring out a small bowl of basic potato chips to nibble on. Occasionally they would add pistachios or something to the before-dinner-antipasti mix, but always potato chips. If there was a buffet dinner the table will be set with various local cheeses, meats, fruits, assorted crostini, several bruschetti, and potato chips.

Restaurants serve basic potato chips as well, and not just the casual trattorias and osterias. I knew it must be a thing when visiting Villa San Michelle a five-star hotel in Fiesole high above Florence. My group ordered cocktails and the formally dressed servers brought out a bowl of potato chips.

I’m not complaining. I love potato chips. I think I might start serving them at the bar of our Italian restaurants. The problem is no one in America would think that’s an authentic and legitimate Italian thing. Potato chips are pretty workmanlike in America. Had I not spent so much time over here I would think so too.

I have had a lifelong love affair with potato chips. As a kid we ate Rice’s brand potato chips. They were made locally. I wonder if all potato chips were made locally back then? Either way, mine were, and I don’t think I truly appreciated that until this moment. It’s just another reason to love Hattiesburg, the town where I grew up, and still live today.

The greatest treat in all in kiddom was getting to visit the Rice’s potato chip factory. I’m not sure what would impress 10-year-old Robert more than a potato chip factory. My grandparents lived in New York and took me to all the sites and museums there. My uncle lived in Washington DC and took me to the Smithsonian and all of the monuments. But I would imagine— in 1971— if you would have asked me, “Robert, what’s the most impressive thing you have ever seen?” I would have said the Rice’s potato chip factory in Hattiesburg Ms. I was lucky to have been able to visit the plant twice. Once on a school field trip and another time with my Cub Scout troop. We ate them fresh out of the hot oil.

Sometime in the mid 70s all my friends started eating Charles Chips. They came in big tin cans that they kept on the counter in their kitchen. They were delivered directly to their houses. We never had Charles Chips. I assumed they were for the rich folks, and we couldn’t afford them. Today I know that Charles Chips are made in Pennsylvania. Rice’s were made across town. My mom was local before local was cool.

Sometime in high school I started using applesauce as a dip for my potato chips. Most people are highly offended by that pairing when I speak of it, but it’s contempt prior to investigation. Give it a shot. The salty and sweet, crunchy and smooth, pair well.

Then Pringles potato chips came out and the pairing stepped up a notch. Pringles and applesauce are excellent.

Most probably think I should turn in my culinary legitimacy card for liking Pringles potato chips. After all they’re not real potato chips. They are just processed pieces of potato pulp that have been formed into the same exact shape and uniformly stacked into a cardboard can. The people at Rice’s potato chips in Hattiesburg would have never done anything like that. They sliced, fried, and bagged their potatoes. But Pringles are good. And apparently, they’re good enough for the Italians because there are tons of them over here.

One thing I discovered in the grocery stores here in Tuscany is a different flavor of Pringles that isn’t available in America. They are called Pringles Paprika, and they are excellent! (Author’s note: I rarely, if ever, use an explanation point when writing. I reserve them for the rare occasion that needs true emphasis. Pringles Paprika chips deserve all the emphasis I can give them).

Pringles Paprika have been dusted with some orange stuff that I’m sure was developed in a lab somewhere. But they taste great.  I don’t know if they are made over here or shipped over here because the label is written in Italian and the font is way too small for these eyes. But if they are made in America and Pringles is holding out on us and shipping them all to Italy, I am going to file a complaint.

I have discovered so many great dishes and food items in my travels over here for the past 12 years. I, by no means, would put Paprika Pringles anywhere near the top of the list. But it’s on the list.

I stock both villas with breakfast foods and snack foods for our guests. The breakfast items I stock are typical fruits, cereals, granola, coffee, and the like. The snack foods are pistachios, Nutella cookies, fruit, olives, cheeses, prosciutto, salami, and Pringles Paprika. Want to take a guess which item gets eaten first? Yep, Pringles Paprika, every time.

I once had a group that ate so many, I purchased an entire case at the grocery store and brought it back to the 14 people staying in that villa. Within two days they were all gone. When they found out Pringles Paprika couldn’t be purchased in America, a lot of them put cans in their luggage.

It’s not fair. The Italians have so much history. They birthed the Renaissance, and have Pringles Paprika, too. I’m glad the people at Rice’s potato chips aren’t around to witness this.

My son arrived yesterday. We took him to a five-star hotel on the edge of town for cocktails. The restaurant in the hotel has a Michelin star. When we sat down, they brought us a small bowl of potato chips. Maybe it’s time we Americans start looking at the lowly potato chip in a new light and give it the reverence it deserves.

Onward.

Crawfish Stuffed Baked Potatoes

8 large Baking potatoes, scrubbed clean

2 Tbl  Olive oil

2 Tbl  Kosher salt

8 sheets Aluminum foil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Oil potatoes, sprinkle with salt and wrap in foil. Bake 50 minutes. Allow potatoes to cool slightly.

Filling

1 lb Bacon, thick-sliced and diced

1 Tbl  Garlic, minced

1 lb Crawfish tails, cooked, peeled, drained, and roughly chopped

2 tsp Creole Seasoning

1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning

1 tsp Salt

1 1 /2 tsp Black pepper

Potato pulp from eight baked potatoes

1/2 cup Butter

3/4 cup Sour cream

1 Egg, slightly beaten

1 cup Green onions, sliced

8 oz Sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Render bacon in a large skillet until crisp, drain half of the fat. Stir in garlic, seasonings and crawfish meat and cook three minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. Cut tops off of baked potatoes and, using a spoon, remove as much of the cooked-potato pulp as you can (Leave enough to keep the shells sturdy).

Using a potato masher, combine cooked potato, butter, egg, and sour cream. Fold in bacon mixture, cheese and green onions. Overstuff the potatoes and place in a large buttered baking dish. Bake for 40 minutes and serve. Yield: eight large potatoes

(Robert St. John is a chef, restaurateur and published cookbook author who lives in Hattiesburg, Miss.)

1139 – The Second Lateran Council opened in Rome.

1534 – Jacques Cartier, a French explorer, set sail from St. Malo to explore the North American coastline.

1653 – In England, Oliver Cromwell expelled the Long Parliament for trying to pass the Perpetuation Bill that would have kept Parliament in the hands of only a few members.

1657 – English Admiral Robert Blake fought his last battle when he destroyed the Spanish fleet in Santa Cruz Bay.

1689 – The siege of Londonderry began. Supporters of James II attacked the city.

1769 – Ottawa Chief Pontiac was murdered by an Illinois Indian in Cahokia.

1775 – American troops began the siege of British-held Boston.

1792 – France declared war on Austria, Prussia, and Sardinia. It was the start of the French Revolutionary wars.

1809 – Napoleon defeated Austria at Battle of Abensberg, Bavaria.

1832 – Hot Springs National Park was intially created by an act of the U.S. Congress. It was the first time a piece of land was set aside by the U.S. government to preserve the area for recreation. The area was made a national park on March 4, 1921.

1836 – The U.S. territory of Wisconsin was created by the U.S. Congress.

1837 – Erastus B. Bigelow was granted a patent for his power loom.

1841 – In Philadelphia, PA, Edgar Allen Poe’s first detective story, “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” was published in Graham’s Magazine.

1861 – Robert E. Lee resigned from U.S. Army.

1865 – Safety matches were first advertised.

1879 – First mobile home (horse drawn) was used in a journey from London to Cyprus.

1902 – Scientists Marie and Pierre Curie isolated the radioactive element radium.

1912 – Fenway Park opened as the home of the Boston Red Sox.

1916 – Sir Roger Casement landed in Ireland to incite rebellion against the British. Casement, a British diplomat, was captured within hours and was hanged for high treason on August 3.

1916 – Chicago’s Wrigley Field held its first Cubs game with the first National League game at the ballpark. The Cubs beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-6 in 11 innings.

1919 – The Polish Army captured Vilno, Lithuania from the Soviets.

1940 – The First electron microscope was demonstrated by RCA.

1942 – Pierre Laval, the premier of Vichy France, in a radio broadcast, establishes a policy of “true reconciliation with Germany.”

1945 – Soviet troops began their attack on Berlin.

1945 – During World War II, Allied forces took control of the German cities of Nuremberg and Stuttgart.

1953 – Operation Little Switch began in Korea. It was the exchange of sick and wounded prisoners of war. Thirty Americans were freed.

1953 – The Boston marathon was won by Keizo Yamada with a record time of 2:18:51.

1959 – “Desilu Playhouse” on CBS-TV presented a two-part show titled “The Untouchables.”

1961 – FM stereo broadcasting was approved by the FCC.

1962 – The New Orleans Citizens’ Council offered a free one-way ride for black people to move to northern states.

1967 – U.S. planes bombed Haiphong for first time during the Vietnam War.

1971 – The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the use of busing to achieve racial desegregation in schools.

1972 – The manned lunar module from Apollo 16 landed on the moon.

1977 – Woody Allen’s film “Annie Hall” premiered.

1981 – A spokesman for the U.S. Nave announced that the U.S. was accepting full responsibility for the sinking of the Nissho Maru on April 9.

1982 – The Activision game Pitfall! was released for the Atari 2600 game system.

1984 – Britain announced that its administration of Hong Kong would cease in 1997.

1985 – In Madrid, Santiago Carillo was purged from the Communist Party. Carillo was a founder of Eurocommunism.

1987 – In Argentina, President Raul Alfonsin quelled a military revolt.

1988 – The U.S. Air Forces’ Stealth (B-2 bomber) was officially unveiled.

1989 – Scientist announced the successful testing of high-definition TV.

1991 – Mikhail Gorbachev became the first Soviet head of state to visit South Korea.

1992 – The worlds largest fair, Expo ’92, opened in Seville, Spain.

1998 – Kenyan runner Moses Tanui, 32, won the Boston Marathon for the second time. He also registered the third fastest time with 2 hours 7 minutes and 34 seconds.

1999 – Jane Seymour received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

2016 – The U.S. Treasury Department announced a plan for Harriet Tubman to replace Andrew Jackson as the portrait on the $20 bill.

Please send all non-profit events to bpjnewsla@gmail.com

April 22 (9 a.m. – 12 p.m.)

Arcadia “Love the Boot” Clean-up/ Beautification Event – Meeting point is at City Hall.

Register to volunteer at lovetheboot.org 

April 22 ( 10 a.m.)

Ringgold “Love the Boot” Clean-up/Beautification Event – Meeting point is at the field in front of Town Hall.

Register to volunteer at lovetheboot.org

April 28 (9 a.m. – 2 p.m.)

Local Job Fair – Gibsland Branch Library 

Vendors will be available to answer questions and review applications and resumes on the spot. 

April 29

Parish-wide sales tax renewal election.

If you have any questions please reach out to Bienville Registrar Nickie Warren at 318-263-7407 or email bienvillerov@sos.la.gov

April 30 (10 a.m. – 2 p.m.)

First Pentecostal Church of Arcadia – Friends and Family Day

There will be food, games, activities and giveaways.

May 1 (9 a.m. – 1 p.m.)

Castor Farmers Market – Castor Rails to Trails Pavilion

May 6 (11 a.m. – 3 p.m.)

Mt. Lebanon Historical Society’s – Stagecoach Trail Day Festival

May 11-12

Castor High School Kindergarten Round-up for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year

May 12

4th Annual Louisiana Sheriffs for St. Jude Golf Tournament – Trails End Golf Course – 400 Par Road 256 in Arcadia

Registration is at 8 a.m. and tee off at 9 a.m.

Notice of Death – April 20, 2023

Pearl Faye Whittington Eaton

March 16, 1925 – April 14, 2023

Graveside service: 11 a.m. Saturday, April 22, 2023, Mt. Lebanon Cemetery.

Mary Helen Sikes

Visitation: 10 a.m. until noon Saturday, April 22, 2023 at Sarepta Missionary Baptist Church, Sarepta, La.

Funeral service: noon, immediately following visitation.

Burial: Old Sarepta Cemetery, under the direction of Bailey Funeral Home, Springhill.

Sidney Louis Grillot III

Oct. 1, 1947 – April 18, 2023

Rosary service: 1:30 p.m. Saturday, April 22, 2023 at Bailey Funeral Home Chapel, Springhill, La.

Visitation: 2 until 4 p.m. Saturday, April 22, 2023.

Funeral service: 4 p.m., immediately following visitation.

Burial: Springhill Cemetery, under the direction of Bailey Funeral Home.

Kenneth Edward Rice

August 22, 1950 – April 1, 2023

Ringgold, La.

Visitation: 10 a.m. Saturday, May 13, 2023 at Barksdale Baptist Church.

Celebration of Life to follow immediately.

Bienville Parish Journal publishes paid complete obituaries – unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $80. Contact your funeral provider or bpjnewsla@gmail.com . Must be paid in advance of publication. (Above death notices are free of charge.)

An arrest has been made in connection with the Easter Sunday drive-by shooting that took the life of 21-year-old Javaski D. Jackson.

Mekhi Weathers, age 20, who listed an address of 4875 Camellia Street, Bossier City, was arrested today, April 19, by Bossier City Police Department on an arrest warrant from the Second Judicial Court charging him with First Degree Murder.

According to Bienville Parish Sheriff John Ballance, Weather has been booked into the Bienville Parish Sheriff Office jail with no bond.

The shooting occurred in the parking lot of the Bienville II apartment complex on the evening of April 9. When Ringgold Police Department arrived at the scene they discovered the victim laying on the ground with a bullet wound. He was transported to Oschner’s LSU in Shreveport where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Ringgold Police Department led the investigation with the assistance of the Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division. 

The identity of the victim who lost his life due to a drive-by shooting that took place at the Bienville II Apartments in Ringgold has been released.  

Javaski D. Jackson, 21, was shot outside the apartments on Easter Sunday, April 9. He was transferred to LSU Health Shreveport Emergency room and underwent surgery but succumbed to his injuries not long after.  

According to Ringgold Police Chief Freddie Peterson, about 20 shots were fired outside of the apartment with multiple rounds hitting the building.  

While investigating they received information that someone driving a silver Toyota Camry was seen entering the parking lot before rolling down the window and opening fire.  

At this point in the investigation, there have been no arrests. 

“We do have some suspects that we’re looking at. We have leads, but it’s an ongoing investigation.” said Peterson.

The Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Office is assisting the Ringgold Police Department on this investigation. 

You can contact either agency to provide any information that may be helpful in solving this case. To reach Chief Peterson call 318-894-4690 and to contact the Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Office call 3180263-2215.  

Chief Petterson says the tips will remain anonymous.