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Notice of Death – May 25, 2023

Mary Geneva Hollenshead

May 28, 1935 – May 23, 2023

Visitation: 9 a.m. Saturday, May 27, 2023, Lebanon Church

Funeral service: 10 a.m. Saturday, immediately following visitation

Burial: Lebanon Cemetery.

John Everett Speer

Dec. 23, 1956 – May 22, 2023

Haynesville, La.

Funeral service: No information is available at this time.

Thelma Irene “Jackie” Gray

Sept. 30, 1941 – April 28, 2023

Elm Grove, La.

Memorial service: 2 p.m. Saturday, May 27, 2023, Kilpatrick’s Rose-Neath Funeral Home, Coushatta, La.

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.)

By Michelle Bates

A ribbon cutting and grand opening was held Friday, May 19, as many gathered together to celebrate the return of Trade Days.

Originally set to just be an RV resort with plenty for a family to do, owners Wade and Amanda Townsend said it just wouldn’t be the same if they didn’t bring back the famed Bonnie and Clyde Trade Days.

“I bought this place and we weren’t going to do Bonnie and Clyde Trade Days,” he said. “We were just going to do an RV park.”

Amanda Townsend said the vision was to turn it into a luxury RV park, and that’s what they’ve been working towards – are still working towards. However, they began getting phone calls asking if they were going to bring Trade Days back, and after much prayer, they decided to go for it.

“They kept asking, and I told myself if that wasn’t a sign from the good Lord, then I didn’t know what was,” he said.

As of May 19, there were more than 200 vendors there underneath the pavilion and lined up outside for craftsmen and women to sell their wares.

Trade Days weekends are every third Friday of the month, with June’s opportunity from Friday, June 16, through Sunday, June 18.

RV hookups, bathrooms and showers are available.

Vendors are still being sought for crafts, apparel, ironwork, animals, woodwork, homemade goods, food trucks and more. More information can be found online at bonnieandclyderv.com.

Before they purchased the property and developed a vision for it, Townsend said he read a book about seizing opportunities. He went in with a business partner to buy it.

While the partnership later dissolved, the Townsends spent a great amount of time and money, more than a year, cleaning up the property and getting it ready to open.

“There was a 136 acres of trash everywhere, metal, glass, it was bad,” he said. “We’ve only been running the business since January. And I started it back up and it began to pay the bills. We were close to running out of money.”

They actually set fire to the entire property to cleanse it and just allow the land to begin again. Now it hosts the Trade Days, an RV park, a Frisbee golf course, a pond stocked with fish, and they are working on getting playground equipment and other things together for children to do.

“We offer an outdoor peaceful experience for campers, free roam of the place, you can play Frisbee golf, you can fish,” he said, adding he attended a conference in Daytona Beach, Florida, and Bonnie and Clyde RV Resort and Trade Days is – to his
knowledge – the only place like it. “We touch everyone in one way or another when they come through here, and people really appreciate that.”

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The Tipton’s Texaco Service Center located at 2630 Military Road in Ringgold has reopened under new ownership. It is now owned and operated by Edward Lee and Edwards, LLC.

Although they are open for business they will only be selling fuel and doing tire repairs at this time. The location is currently under construction undergoing much needed updates and repairs with the parking lot scheduled to be redone in the upcoming weeks. 

They are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. and 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturdays.

Paying cash for fuel is now done inside the store. 

Follow their Facebook page, Tipton Service Center, for updates and future announcements. 

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May 17, 2008 – May 18, 2023

Elizabeth “Bay” Anne Moore of Ringgold, LA, stepped into the presence of her Savior on May 18th, 2023. Bay passed away at her family farm one day after her fifteenth birthday.

Bay is survived by her loving parents, Rob and Jessica Moore of Ringgold, LA.; her brothers and sister, Lewis, Sam, Art, Henry, Sully, and Betty, all of Ringgold, LA; her grandparents, Jon and Rhonda Haymon of Ruston, LA., and Don and Bobbie Moore of Ringgold, LA; and great-grandparents, J. L. Johnson of Pitkin, LA and Betty Moore of Ringgold, LA.

As a baby, her brother Lewis would try to say her name, but all he could say was “Bay.” From then on, Elizabeth was affectionately known as Bay.

Bay loved everything outdoors and everything animals. She loved riding horses, caring for her dog, Aster and her family’s many farm animals. Bay loved babies, and was a fantastic babysitter for several families in her church. Bay was like a second mother to her younger siblings, particularly her little sister Betty. She also loved learning to play the flute. 

Bay was active in her homeschool co-op, and was a member of Kingsway Baptist Church where she participated in the church’s youth group. Bay frequently volunteered at Southland Christian Camp where she served by working in the kitchen, waitressing, or babysitting for staff families. In addition to these acts of service, Bay recently achieved the rank of Junior Firefighter in the Bienville Fire Districts 4 & 5. 

To know Bay was to absolutely love her. She will be greatly missed until we meet again!

Visitation will be held in the gymnasium at Southland Christian Camp, 3555 Highway 371 Ringgold, LA on Wednesday, May 24th from 12:00-2:00 pm. A Celebration of Life Service will begin at 2:00 pm in the same location, with internment to follow at Springhill Cemetery, 275 Springhill Church Road, Ringgold, LA under the direction of Rockett Funeral Home, Ringgold, LA.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be given in honor of Bay to Southland Christian Camp. (Address above). 

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The Bienville Parish Libraries System will be hosting their annual Summer Reading Program. This year’s theme is “All Together Now,” and will be focusing on friendship, kindness and unity.

Registration for this event will be held throughout the parish at all library locations. 

June 7:

Gibsland at 2 p.m.

June 8:

Arcadia at 10 a.m.

Ringgold at 2 pm. 

June 9:

Castor Events Center at 10 a.m.

Saline at 2 p.m.

Participants can pick up their registration packets and log books that can be used to keep track of the library books they read throughout the duration of the program. Various events will be held at all Bienville Parish Library branches in conjuntion with the 2023 Summer Reading Program. Stay tuned for a complete schedule of events. 

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The Bienville Parish Registar of Voters Office is conducting their annual canvass of registered voters within the parish. 

This canvass is conducted annually to verify the addresses of voters in which the United States Postal Office cannot confirm through their National Change of Address System. 

Residents who receive an identification card or address confirmation card in the mail, please take the time to verify the information or make neccessary changes. Residents can mail the card back to the Bienville Parish Registar of Voters office or turn it into their office located at 100 Courthouse Drive Suite 1400 in Arcadia. They are asking that the cards be turned in as soon as possible.

Failure to correctly fill out and submit this information can result in a change to a resident’s voter status, delays at the polls or the inability to vote.

If you have any questions please reach out to the registar’s office at 318-263-7407 or bienvillerov@sos.la.gov

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Child abuse and neglect are preventable, and all communities benefit when children and families are well supported. Extreme stress and uncertainty for families may increase the risk of child abuse and neglect raising the need to support families and prevent abuse before it occurs.

Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana (PCAL) stresses that all community members have a role in ensuring children have positive experiences and families have the resources they need when they need them, well before they are in crisis. By focusing on the importance of creating systems and programs that put children and families first, we can help prevent child abuse.

Working with PCAL, VIA LINK offers a statewide program, Louisiana Parent Line, which provides parents with free, confidential, 24/7 access to a live specialist. Translation services are available, and the Louisiana Parent Line can be reached through phone and text 24 hours a day.  

“The Parent Line provides parents and other family members with a safe space to express their frustrations, ask parenting questions and get support,” explained LaVondra Dobbs, CEO of    VIA LINK. “Parent Line specialists are well trained and experienced in offering emotional support to parents. They focus on de-escalation and crisis intervention. They listen and understand parents’ concerns. Specialists can provide information on different services and referral. Perhaps most importantly, they can help parents develop plans for coping.”  

Yet, the Parent Line is more than a one-time call. Parents can call in as often as they want or need. The goal is to provide emotional support whenever parents need it. The specialists can also offer follow-up calls and help increase the circle of support for families. Throughout Louisiana, this free service is working to prevent child abuse by getting families the support they need.

The phone number is 833-LA-CHILD (833-522-4453). Y ou can also text us at (225) 424-1533.

For more information about PCAL, VIA LINK, or the Louisiana Parent Line, please contact Sherrard Crespo, LCSW, Director of Outreach and Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana at screspo@vialink.org or visit our website www.vialink.org.

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I was pretty excited about how well this turned out! And it really was easy. Oh, and this FROSTING!!! I have absolutely decided that I am the biggest fan of a frosting that has shortening in it. Just trust me.

Feel free to change up the colors to use this for other holidays and school events. This was a lot of fun to make; I hope you’ll go for it!

Cake
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 6 egg whites, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 cups cake flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• Red food coloring
• Blue food coloring

Frosting
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 5 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• Sprinkles

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two (or three) round cake pans with cooking spray. 
In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in egg whites, one at a time, followed by vanilla. Mix until well combined. Mix in salt and baking powder. Add half of the flour, mixing until just combined, followed by half of the milk. Repeat with remaining flour and milk. Mix until just combined and no streaks combined.  Divide batter equally between three bowls. Using food coloring, make one bowl blue and the other red. The third bowl remains white. Add small spoonfuls of each colored batter to your cake pans. Scatter colors randomly. When all batter has been used, gently swirl colors with a butter knife. Do not over mix! Bake until cakes are done. Let cool completely.

Ashley Madden Rowton is a wife, mom and published cookbook author who lives in Minden, La.

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The problem with making homemade ice cream when you were a kid is it seemed to take forever to freeze.

For-EVVV-er.

I scream, you scream, we all scream if the homemade ice cream won’t freeze.

It was like waiting for school to let out or Christmas morning to come. Though the object is the polar opposite, waiting on ice cream to freeze is the same metaphorically as waiting for the watched pot to boil.

“Is it ready yet?”

But some things are worth waiting on: A woman. Game 7. That first autumn day.

And homemade ice cream. The best things just won’t be rushed.

Seems like when we were kids that making homemade ice cream was about as common as shucking corn. On our back porch were muddy boots, a mop and broom, emergency dog food in case scraps were in short supply, a deep freeze filled with stuff in white packing paper and clear quart bags, and a gradually rotting wooden ice cream tub and briny crank handle contraption. Always in the bottom of the tub was the white rock salt residue that never quite came out.

Never did I know as a child what the rock salt was for, only that you “needed it” to “make the ice cream freeze.” That’s what the grownups said. Grownups took a lot of time not explaining stuff to us back then.

“But why?” a little person would say.

“Because I said so,” a big person would say.

It was a simpler time.

Naturally, we just assumed the salt kept the ice cream from contracting rickets.

I have since learned (off the streets) that the salt combines in some chemical way with the ice to lower the temperature a bit below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, thus assuring that the mixture inside the Magic Silver Tube, surrounded by ice, freezes.

It’s one of those science deals.

A couple of weeks ago at the beach, my high school friend J.C. Penney (the four-time Louisiana state 4-H Good Grooming Champ back in the day, which is another column for another time) ran out of salt and out of luck while attempting a homemade batch. He bought salt the next morning and added it to the ice. Less than 20 minutes of churning later, the ice cream was tight as Dick’s hat band and cold as a penguin’s nose. Sweet.

Folks don’t seem to make homemade ice cream as much today as they used to. And that’s a shame. Making homemade ice cream taught us some handy life lessons that today’s kids miss out on.

True, food folk have figured out how to make Food You Buy At The Store better. Preservatives and whatnot. Cake mixes are about as good from the box now as the ones you can make from scratch. What I’m saying here is that if you’ve eaten Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla, I can pretty much rest my case.

But in the days before electric churns, making homemade ice cream taught you patience and safety. The first thing our dads had us boys do was sit on the top of the freezer while they hand churned. This took a calendar day and you couldn’t feel your frozen butt until Tuesday.

The next growing-up step was to sit on the churn and turn it at the same time. This required dexterity and skill, because you haven’t lived until you’ve been churning and accidentally hit yourself in a delicate area. Some things you can feel, even frozen. I scream, you scream…

(From July 2012)

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

1610 – Sir Thomas Gates institutes “laws divine moral and marshal,” a harsh civil code for Jamestown.

1624 – After years of unprofitable operation Virginia’s charter was revoked and it became a royal colony.

1689 – The English Parliament passed Act of Toleration, protecting Protestants. Roman Catholics were specifically excluded from exemption.

1738 – The Methodist Church was established.

1764 – Bostonian lawyer James Otis denounced “taxation without representation” and called for the colonies to unite in demonstrating their opposition to Britain’s new tax measures.

1798 – Believing that a French invasion of Ireland was imminent, Irish nationalists rose up against the British occupation.

1816 – Emamual Leutze was born in Germany. He was most famous for his paintings “Washington Crossing the Delaware” and “Columbus Before the Queen”.

1822 – At the Battle of Pichincha, Bolivar secured independence of the Quito.

1830 – The first passenger railroad service in the U.S. began service.

1844 – Samuel F.B. Morse formally opened America’s first telegraph line. The first message was sent from Washington, DC, to Baltimore, MD. The message was “What hath God wrought?”

1859 – Charles Gounod’s “Ave Maria” was performed by Madame Caroline Miolan-Carvalho for the first time in public.

1863 – Bushwackers led by Captain William Marchbanks attacked a U.S. Federal militia party in Nevada, Missouri.

1878 – The first American bicycle race was held in Boston.

1881 – About 200 people died when the Canadian ferry Princess Victoria sank near London, Ontario.

1883 – After 14 years of construction the Brooklyn Bridge was opened to traffic.

1899 – The first public garage was opened by W.T. McCullough.

1913 – The U.S. Department of Labor entered into its first strike mediation. The dispute was between the Railroad Clerks of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad.

1930 – Amy Johnson became the first woman to fly from England to Australia.

1931 – B&O Railroad began service with the first passenger train to have air conditioning throughout. The run was between New York City and Washington, DC.

1935 – The Cincinnati Reds played the Philadelphia Phillies in the first major league baseball game at night. The switch for the floodlights was thrown by U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt.

1941 – The HMS Hood was sunk by the German battleship Bismarck in the North Atlantic. Only three people survived.

1950 – ‘Sweetwater’ (Nat) Clifton’s contract was purchased by the New York Knicks. Sweetwater played for the Harlem Globetrotters.

1954 – The first moving sidewalk in a railroad station was opened in Jersey City, NJ.

1958 – United Press International was formed through a merger of the United Press and the International News Service.

1961 – The Freedom Riders were arrested in Jackson, Mississippi.

1962 – The officials of the National Football League ruled that halftime of regular season games would be cut to 15 minutes.

1967 – California Governor Ronald Reagan greeted Charles M. Schulz at the state capitol in observance of the legislature-proclaimed “Charles Schulz Day.”

1974 – The last “Dean Martin Show” was seen on NBC. The show had been aired for 9 years.

1976 – Britain and France opened trans-Atlantic Concorde service to Washington.

1980 – The International Court of Justice issued a final decision calling for the release of the hostages taken at the U.S. embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979.

1983 – The Brooklyn Bridge’s 100th birthday was celebrated.

1983 – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the federal government had the right to deny tax breaks to schools that racially discriminate.

1986 – Montreal won its 23rd National Hockey League (NHL) Stanley Cup championship.

1990 – The Edmonton Oilers won their fifth National Hockey League (NHL) Stanley Cup.

1993 – Roman Catholic Cardinal Juan Jesus Posada Ocampo and six other people were killed at the Guadalajara, Mexico, airport in a shootout that involved drug gangs.

1993 – The Ethiopian province of Eritrea declared itself an independent nation.

1994 – The four men convicted of bombing the New York’s World Trade Center were each sentenced to 240 years in prison.

1999 – 39 miners were killed in an underground gas explosion in the Ukraine.

2000 – Five people were killed and two others wounded when two gunmen entered a Wendy’s restaurant in Flushing, Queens, New York. The gunmen tied up the victims in the basement and then shot them.

2000 – The U.S. House of Representatives approved permanent normal trade relations with China. China was not happy about some of the human rights conditions that had been attached by the U.S. lawmakers.

2000 – A Democratic Party event for Al Gore in Washington brought in $26.5 million. The amount set a new record, which had just been set the previous month by Republicans for Texas Gov. George W. Bush.

2001 – Temba Tsheri, 15, became the youngest person to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

2011 – NASA announced the development of the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) spacecraft. It is intended to facilitate exploration of the Moon, asteroids and Mars.

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

May 24 (10 a.m.)

Melisa Rudd Consulting Grand Opening – 1941 1st Street in Arcadia

May 25 (1 p.m.)

Family Bingo – Ringgold Branch Library

May 25 (5:30 p.m.)

Slabtown Meeting – Sheriff Department Annex Building Downtown Ringgold

May 26 (1:30 p.m.)

Family Bingo – Saline Branch Library 

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.

May 27 (11 a.m.)

Veteran’s Museum Dedication Ceremony

Shady Grove Recreation District of Bienville Parish  – 10896 Hwy 501 in Saline 

June 2

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.

June 3 (9 a.m. – 1 p.m.)

Farmer’s Market – Downtown Arcadia Depot

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The following arrests were made by local law enforcement agencies.

05/14/23
Jacoby Tellis of Ringgold was arrested for criminal sanctions for operating a motor vehicle not covered by security and no registration.

05/15/23

Lamarcus Clark of Castor was arrested for battery of a dating partner and simple criminal damage to property.

Carol Cooper of Ringgold was arrested for aggravated battery with a dangerous weapon and failure to appear.

Martita Matthews of Coushatta was arrested for simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling.

05/16/23

Brian Taylor of Castor was arrested for aggravated obstruction of a highway of commerce and two counts of false imprisonment: offender armed with a dangerous weapon. 

Hannah Taylor of Castor was arrested for two counts of false imprisonment: offender armed with dangerous weapon, two counts of simple battery of the infirm and simple criminal damage to property. 

05/17/23

David Rochelle of Ruston was arrested for improper turning, operating a vehicle with a suspended license, unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling and failure to appear- execution of sentence. 

Troy Gibson of Trinity, Tx., was arrested as a fugitve for operating a vehicle with a suspended license and first offence D.W.I.

05/18/23

Whitney Baker of Junction City was arrested as a fugitive. 

James Bates of Castor was arrested for aggravated obstruction of a highway of commerce, two counts of false imprisonment and two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm.

Thomas Howell of Castor was arrested for unauthorized use of food stamp coupons, cards and/or devices. 

05/19/23

Adam Smith of Castor was arrested for failure to register and notify as a sex offender. 

Kennrick Carr of Arcadia was arrested for failure to appear and two counts of child support obligation.

Trevor Abney of Arcadia was arrested for failure to appear- execution of sentence.

05/20/23

Joseph Watts of Ruston was arrested for failure to appear.

Robert Hill of Minden was arrested for contempt of court.

Chad Jones of Ruston was arrested for operating a vehicle with a suspended license/no license issued. 

Tiarra Deshonta Randle of Arcadia was arrested by Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office for a license plate light violation and as a fugitive from Tarrant County, Texas with full extradition. 

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.

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Notice of Death – May 23, 2023

Elizabeth “Bay Anne Moore

May 17, 2008 – May 18, 2023

Visitation: noon until 2p.m. Wednesday, May 24, 2023, Southland Christian Camp gymnasium, 3555 Hwy. 371, Ringgold.

Celebration of Life: 2 p.m., immediately following visitation.

Burial: Springhill Cemetery, Ringgold, La., under the direction Rockett Funeral Home, Ringgold.

Luke Partain

June 12, 2001 – May 19, 2023

Castor, La.

Funeral service: 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 24, 2023, New Ebenezer Baptist Church, Castor, La.

Burial: New Ebenezer Baptist Church Cemetery, under the direction of Rose-Neath Funeral Home, Minden, La.

John “Sam” Smith

August 25, 1930 – May 22, 2023

Homer, La.

Visitation: 9:30 a.m. until service time Wednesday, May 24, 2023, Emmanuel Baptist Church, Arcadia, La.

Celebration of Life: 11 a.m. immediately following visitation.

Thelma Irene “Jackie” Gray

Sept. 30, 1941 – April 28, 2023

Elm Grove, La.

Memorial service: 2 p.m. Saturday, May 27, 2023, Kilpatrick’s Rose-Neath Funeral Home, Coushatta, La.

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.)

Early Friday morning, May 19, just after 6:00 a.m., Troopers assigned to Louisiana State Police Troop G began  investigating a single-vehicle fatality crash on U.S. Hwy 71 just south of LA Hwy 527. This crash claimed the  life of 21-year-old Luke Partain.

The initial investigation revealed that a 2006 Chevrolet Silverado, driven by Partain, was traveling north on U.S.  Hwy 71. At the same time, a large hardwood tree uprooted from the ground and fell across both travel lanes of  the roadway. Subsequently, the Silverado impacted the tree.

Partain, who was unrestrained, suffered fatal injuries as a result of the crash. He was pronounced deceased at the  scene by the Bossier Parish Coroner’s Office. Although impairment is not suspected, routine toxicology samples  were collected and will be submitted for analysis. This crash remains under investigation.

While not all crashes are survivable, statistics show that properly wearing your seat belt will dramatically reduce  your chance of being injured or killed in a crash. Louisiana law requires that every person in a vehicle, regardless of seating position, always remain buckled up. Properly wearing your seat belt is one of the most effective ways  to save your life and reduce injuries in crashes.

In 2023, Troop G has investigated 12 fatal crashes, resulting in 12 deaths.

Contact Information:
TPR LeAnn Hodges
Louisiana State Police
Public Affairs – Troop G
Office: (318) 741-7409
LeAnn.Hodges@la.go

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Six-time Bienville Parish sheriff candidate most likely will not be attempting to qualify for a seventh shot this year following his arrest on Thursday, May 18.

James Keith Bates of Castor turned himself into the Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Office (BPSO) yesterday afternoon, facing multiple charges, a couple of which are felonies.

He was booked into the Bienville Parish Jail at 3:47 p.m. on two counts of aggravated assault with a firearm, false imprisonment and one count of aggravated obstruction of a highway of commerce.

Bates’ daughter, Hannah Taylor, along with his son-in-law, Brian Lane Taylor, both of Castor are also facing similiar charges. Hannah Taylor was charged with simple criminal damage to property and two counts of simple battery of persons with infrimities. Her husband, Brian, was charged with aggravated obstruction of a highway of commerce. Both were charged with two counts of false imprisonment, as well.

These arrests were made following an incident that took place earlier this week, on Monday, May 15, on Hickman Road in Castor.

According to BPSO Sheriff John Ballance, the three allegedly interfered with the repossession of a leased vehicle following a 10-day notice from the car lease company. The vehicle was in possession of Hannah and Brian Taylor at the time. Two representatives from the car company, age 65 and 67, showed up to the Castor residence in a personal vehicle. The pair were blocked in by Bates and both of the Taylors in an attempt to get them from taking the leased vehicle.

Bates retrieved a gun, waved it at the representatives and allegedly threatened them with it.

According to arrest records, Hannah reportedly poked one of the representatives in the forehead and chest and forecfully grabbed the arm of the other. She proceeded to hit the personal vehicle that they showed up to the residence in.

Her husband, Brian, and father, Bates, blocked both sides of the highway to prevent the two from exiting the residence.

Both of the Taylors posted bond the same day of their arrest in the amount of $150,000 and $125,000. The bond for Bates was set at $175,000.

Last election cycle, Bates lost out on his sixth attempt to fill the Bienville Parish Sheriff seat, receiving just over 10 percent of the parish’s vote.

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.

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Beginning the 2023-2024 school year Giddy Up Pediatrics will be the new pediatric provider for all Bienville Parish Schools.

Doctor and owner of Giddy Up Pediatrics Amber Chanler made the announcement on Facebook Tuesday, May 16. She said, “I am thrilled to be so involved in this community. God is blessing me left and right.”

The Bienville Parish School system is currently made up of just over 2,000 students.

As the new pediatric provider, Giddy Up Pediatrics will be assisting school nurses with managing sick or injured students while on campus.

Chanler said, “This is very convienent for working parents.”

The option of treating students virtually will also cut down the duration a student is out of the classroom missing valuable instruction time.

Giddy Up Pediatrics just held the official grand opening of their new clinic located in Arcadia last month.

They are currently accepting patients from newborn to 18 years of age. The services they offer include kid med, sports physicals, ADHD diagnosis and management, sick visits, on site labs and more. 

Giddy Up Pediatrics is open Monday – Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon.

Weekend and same day appointments are available. You can call 318-781-2310 to schedule an appointment.

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The Bienville Council on Aging will be providing box fans to the needy senior citizens in the parish this summer- free of charge.

Interested citizens must meet the following requirements:

• Sixty years of age or older
• Must be a resident of Bienville Parish
• Have not received a fan in the last two years
• Must provide proof of elgibility along with proper identification

Interested citizens can contact the Bienville Parish Council on Aging at 318-263-8936.

The fans will be available on a first come, first serve basis.

If you are interested in donating a fan, please drop it by the main office located at 2705 Beech Street in Arcadia.

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Pre-K 3 recent graduates Trent Sanders, Jayce Moore. Jasper Dison, Princeton Stewart, Makhylar Winzer, Jeremiah Crawford, Anthony Bedgood, Axle Huckabee, Malaiya Henry and Harlee Burns are ready for Pre-K 4.

They were celebrated at the graduation by friends and family as well as their teacher, Samantha Henry, and Paraprofessional, Tracy Dewhart.

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Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class Jeider Jackson Warren from Castor, Louisiana lost his life at the age of 36 on February 27, 1968.

Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class Jeider Jackson Warren was born on October 28, 1931 and had 16 years of service in the U.S. Navy, arriving in Vietnam on January 15, 1968 assigned to Support Patrol Boat 111-4 (ASPB-111-4), River Assault Squadron 11, Task Force 117 (TF-117) U.S. Naval Forces Vietnam.

On February 27, 1968 BM1 Jeider Warren was killed in action by an explosive device and died outright from multiple fragmentation wounds in Phong Dinh Province, South Vietnam.

Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class Jeider Jackson Warren is honored on the Vietnam Memorial at Panel 41E, Line 56.

He is buried at the Evergreen-Washelli Memorial Park Cemetery in Seattle, Washington.

AWARDS: Purple Heart and Good Conduct Medal.

Sources: Find A Grave – findagrave.com

Joseph Warren Hays was presented his juris doctorate degree from Loyola Law School on May 12, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana.  He grew up in Ringgold, Louisiana, is a Riverdale Academy 2016 graduate and a 2020 Northwestern State University graduate.  Joseph plans to practice law in Coushatta, Louisiana.  He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Johnny Bernard and Mr. and Mrs. John Hays.

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The pied-billed grebe is a rather nondescript water bird most of us have never heard of. However, when you mention “di-dipper”, heads nod in recognition. They’re one and the same.

Just about every country boy who spent anytime around a lake while growing up has encountered these shy little critters that are there on the surface one minute; gone the next. I see the little brown birds frequently on the surface of the lake at Lincoln Parish Park and they only let you see them for a short while. Try to get closer and they dive, popping up a few seconds later 10 feet from where they dived.

According to George Lowery’s “Louisiana Birds”, the most remarkable feature of these birds is their ability to submerge instantaneously, thus their French name of sac-a-plomb, which means “sack of lead”. Lowery also noted that it is virtually impossible to shoot a grebe because “at the flash from the muzzle, the bird submerges and is gone before the pellets arrive.” With all due respect, George, I beg to differ. Read on….

My first encounter with a grebe was down on Chee Chee Bay in Natchitoches Parish. I was in my early teens when I went to spend the night with a friend from school with the idea of going duck hunting the next morning. My friend, Arthur, lived near the lake, which made it convenient for us to be at the lakeside at first light, hoping to get some pass-shooting at a duck or two.

Arthur went one way; I went another as I waited in the cold dampness for a crack at a duck. While hunkering down behind some button willows next to the shoreline, I waited for what seemed an hour without a single duck flying my way. Then I spotted something moving on the water just up the lake from where I was. In my mind’s eye, it was a duck.

I formulated a plan to outsmart that duck and at least have something to show for my efforts that morning. By using the row of button willows as a shield, I belly-crawled through the cold mud for 100 yards until I had sneaked within shotgun range of the little brown “duck”.

When I’d gotten close enough, I eased to one knee, raised my gun, took aim, and fired. The “duck” rolled over, dead as a…..well, you know. Then I encountered a problem. The wind was blowing out and my prize was floating away toward the big lake.

Luck was on my side, though, because I spotted an old wooden boat somebody had beached just up from where I was. There was no paddle in the boat but I found a plank nearby that would serve as my paddle.

The boat was made of wood, it was big and very heavy. It took all the strength I could muster but I finally pushed and pulled; grunted and strained until I had the boat in the water. As you might expect, a boat such as this would never have been abandoned if it were still sea- worthy. It leaked; not too bad but enough that I figured I had to paddle fast to reach my duck and then get back to shore before it sank.

Flailing the water with the one-by-six plank, I was finally able to catch up with my “duck”. It was not until I had lifted it from the water that I realized my mistake. It was no duck; it was a di-dipper. I had little time to browbeat myself because the boat was sinking. I had to fight the wind and paddle with all my might to get the boat back to shore. I just barely made it before the creaky old craft filled with water. I left it in the shallows and walked ashore, wet and muddy, with my di-dipper.

For the uninformed, the pied-billed grebe is described as a “ducklike water bird closely related to LOONS.”

After this hunt, I felt I may have been that grebe’s cousin.

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If you missed last week’s article, I urge you to go back and read it, as it will provide necessary context for today’s installment. Let’s pick up where we left off, shall we?

You chose direct action. The bad guy is down. You shot him. He needed shooting. You’ve done well. You saved lives. Your actions were justifiable, reasonable, and courageous. Police sirens are approaching. “Phew! Help is on the way!” you think to yourself. They’re coming to bring you a medal for valor, right? Well, as Lee Corso would say, “Not so fast, my friend.” When the cops arrive, you find yourself handcuffed in the back seat of a police cruiser. What now? You’re the good guy, and you’re about to go to jail – that’s what.

If the cops are not already there, you need to call them yourself, even if everyone else in the store has already dialed 911. I could write an entire article on how your conversation with dispatch should go, but for now, just know that if you’re able, you should call 911, and DO NOT describe yourself as “the shooter.” That term carries a very negative connotation, and it’s not what you want the cops thinking when they arrive. As good people with guns, we will have an urge to tell 911 operators and cops everything because we genuinely want to help. Resist that. Now isn’t the time. Here’s what the cops need to know at the scene:

1.) What the bad guy did that prompted your action. Example: “He pointed his gun at the clerk and threatened to kill her.”
2.) If you’re able, point out witnesses and/or items of evidence.
3.) You want to file charges on the bad guy for the bad thing(s) he did, whether you think he’s still alive or not.

After this, tell the cops you don’t want to make any further statements or answer any questions until you’ve consulted a lawyer. Then shut your doggone mouth. This will prove more difficult than you think. Be polite but don’t be friendly. Your demeanor is crucial at this juncture. Best case scenario, there is sufficient evidence to prove you acted righteously and you’re home by the next day. Worst
case, you’re off to jail with a murder charge pending.

While under the drug-like influence of the adrenaline that’s coursing through your body, you might ask yourself, “Why am I cuffed and stuffed?” Because you just shot someone, genius.

Frankly, if you shoot someone, even under the most noble of circumstances, you should still expect arrest or, at the very least, lawful detention. The cops have an investigation to conduct, and at this point, all they know is there’s a dead guy on the floor and you’re the one who killed him. Buckle up, hero. You have a very long journey ahead of you. You should be fully prepared for a legal battle long before a gun battle ever erupts. Before ever leaving the house strapped, you should have some form of concealed carry insurance that provides you legal representation, or, at the very least, know which attorney you’re going to call for such a time as this.

Your attorney is the ONLY person you should talk to about the shooting – not your spouse, not your pastor, and certainly not the detectives. When choosing a lawyer, choose one that has experience trying self-defense cases and has a reputation of defending innocent people as opposed to one who has made a living by setting guilty people free.

My friend Ben often tells our students, “You’ll have to prove yourself innocent.” To readers who have trained in the past, think of the instructor you hired. Is he or she someone you’d want testifying on your behalf if you’re on trial for murder? Did that instructor condense your entire class into two hours and pencil whip your certificate? To readers planning to train in the future, consider the fact that any instructor you hire will play a vital role between class being dismissed and court being adjourned.

The emotional and psychological damage that can befall someone who has killed another, even in self-defense, can last a lifetime. The problems arising from this aspect of a deadly force encounter cannot be understated. You should familiarize yourself with the realities of PTSD and how to combat its effects.

I’ll end with this caveat. This article doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of its topic. What you need is training – training that’s realistic, relevant, and recent. Going to a range and shooting a static target does little, if anything, to prepare you for reality.

Remember, the secondary goal of training is to learn how to survive violence. The primary goal of training is to learn how to avoid violence in the first place. You’re gambling with your life and your freedom by betting on state-mandated, minimum training requirements to vindicate you in a court of law. Believing your concealed carry class is sufficient could cost you everything. “Good enough” is never good enough when the stakes are death or imprisonment.

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 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 advice.

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It’s an agonizing point in the season for area college baseball and softball fans.

With postseason play either looming (for baseball teams at LSU, Northwestern State, Grambling and Louisiana Tech) or underway (just off Youree Drive in the Shreveport Bracket for the LSUS baseball club, also on campus for the Bossier Parish Community College softball team, and at home at Tiger Park for LSU softball), there’s drama.

The boys of Alex Box have been No. 1 in the country since preseason projections began last fall. Until recently, when injuries and underwhelming performances have left the Tigers desperately seeking pitching past Friday night ace Paul Skenes. He’s been lights out. Lately, the rest of the LSU staff has been lit up.

Every weekend, Skenes dominates opponents and helps a noble cause. On Feb. 8, he pledged a donation of $10 per strikeout to support Folds of Honor, a non-profit organization that provides scholarships to spouses and children of American military heroes. He has 152 Ks heading into the final weekend of the regular season, with the SEC Tournament and NCAA Regional competition assured.

No doubt his NIL and pending MLB Draft signing bonus will cover his tab. The former Air Force Academy All-American will probably spike his donation to Folds of Honor, and no doubt LSU fans will contribute generously as well.

It will soothe their frustration over a dream season faltering at its peak. Plans to storm Omaha are suddenly in doubt. “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over,” said the baseball sage, Yogi Berra, and he’s been proven right countless times. (BTW, Berra DID storm Omaha – Beach. He took part in the D-Day Invasion on June 6, 1944 and initially turned down a Purple Heart after being grazed by a German bullet, because he didn’t want to alarm his mother back home in St. Louis.)

Conference tournaments are next week for LSU, NSU, Grambling and Tech. Under the radar, Grambling has won the Southwestern Athletic Conference West Division with a week left to play, owning a 20-6 record (25-24 overall). Alabama State (24-3 in the East) is the team to beat in the SWAC Tournament in Atlanta next week.

Northwestern (27-22 overall, 12-9 in the Southland) is third, but not eliminated from the championship race entering the final regular-season series at Southeastern. The Southland has no chance of an at-large NCAA bid this year and the tournament title is wide open next week in Lake Charles.

Tech baseball fans are perplexed to see the Bulldogs (26-27, 14-13) not battling for the Conference USA crown they were picked to win by league coaches in preseason. Losing their best hitter for the season before the first pitch hurt the ‘Diamond Dogs, and so did over-the-top expectations after two straight spectacular seasons and several key graduation departures.

LSUS is on the same flight plan as it followed all the way to the NAIA World Series last year. The Pilots rolled through the Red River Athletic Conference, winning 25 straight, but exited the RRAC Tournament early. Monday night the Pilots were two runs down in the ninth inning of their NAIA Tournament Shreveport Bracket opener, waiting on lightning to cease above and ignite below.

This time last year, LSUS lost its opener in the Shreveport Bracket, but scrapped back to earn a trip to Idaho for the World Series, where the Pilots reached the semifinals. They’ve done it before. After Monday’s 6-4 loss to MidAmerica Nazerene, they’ll have to do it again.

A World Series trip was on the line Tuesday for the Bossier Parish Community College softball team, after the Lady Cavs came up two runs shy of clinching one Monday on their home field.

BPCC didn’t let a second chance go to waste, pounding San Jacinto 12-3. The NJCAA World Series awaits in Oxford, Ala., at a little slice of heaven called Choccolocco Park. Before your taste buds go off the charts, the name is rooted in the local Native American heritage – and the park is exceptional, say Trip Advisor reviews.

Not to overlook the LSU Tigers softball team in Baton Rouge, where to the consternation of some – most  across the Atchafalaya Basin who are UL Lafayette loyalists – the Tigers host an NCAA regional, including the Ragin’ Cajuns, this weekend.

The teams split games in February, both winning on the road. So why do Cajun fans mind the 50-mile trip east? It will be entertaining, to say the least. And that’s just in the stands.

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com

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