By Paige Nash

Shoppers of the Minden Walmart Supercenter may have noticed a larger presence of law enforcement on the premises last Thursday, Dec. 14. Fortunately, in this case all was well. As a matter of fact, it was quite merry.

A few Arcadia Police Department officers along with Chief Cierra Murphy showed up with over a dozen students from Bienville Parish for a “Shop with a Cop” event.

Murphy coordinated with Crawford Elementary School Principal Edwin Mason and the Walmart corporation to ensure these children were able to celebrate Christmas by filling up a shopping cart with all of the toys, gadgets, fidgets, games and whatever else their hearts desired.

According to Murphy, Principal Mason was able to provide the names of the individuals who would benefit most from the event.

Mason said, “My experience and relationships within the community helped me to determine the students. The students seemed to enjoy it greatly and appreciated the love shown to them.”

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) has updated the licensing system to allow individuals to renew their licenses before expiration. Previously, license holders had to wait until their license expired before repurchasing it.

Once you renew your license, the expiration resets to 365 days after your renewal.

Auto-Renew

License holders may also sign up for license auto-renew through our licensing website. This feature will automatically renew your license the moment it expires without any additional action on your part.

Auto-renew is available for most hunting and fishing licenses. This feature allows you to store payment information in the system and elect to have your license(s) renewed automatically every year. LDWF reminds users of a $3.50 convenience fee with any online transaction, including auto-renew.

In your LouisianaOutdoors.com account, you can select which annual licenses you’d like to auto-renew. LDWF will automatically renew your licenses at the purchase price plus the convenience fee using your stored credit card information. You will receive a reminder email 30 days and 7 days before the renewal date. 

---

The Advent Season will soon be upon us. Will your church be hosting special Advent and Christmas services and events?

Email to bpjnewsla@gmail.com and we will include them in Bienville Parish Journal, where we proudly say “Merry Christmas.”

December 24 (10 a.m.)

First Baptist Church of Gibsland – Candlelight Service

Magnolia Baptist Church of Saline – Candlelight Service

December 24 (10:30 a.m.)

Hope Church of Ringgold – Christmas Eve Candlelight Service 

Resurrection Fellowship at Cypress Springs Baptist – Candlelight Service

December 24 (11 a.m.)

Carolina Baptist Church of Saline – Candlelight Christmas Service

December 24 (5:30 p.m.)

FUMC of Castor – Candlelight Service

December 25

FUMC of Castor – Christmas Morning Service

---

Merry Christmas from the Bienville Parish Journal. 

We would like to wish you a bright, warm and happy holiday season. Thank you for your continued support. 

We will be back on December 27th. 

---

(With Christmas 2023 here, I’d like to share a portion of one of the chapters in my new book, “Bamboozled By A Bobcat” regarding what Christmas was like during my growing up  years in Goldonna.)

“Christmas at my house growing up. Man, what special memories. I think it all started with a trip our family took to the woods out back to find a Christmas tree. It was not easy to find  one perfectly shaped. One side would look good, but the back side was skimpy because of growing next to a big tree.

“No problem. Mother would just set the tree in the corner and turn the skimpy side to the wall. Decorations were simple – red roping, icicles, a few colored balls. No lights for one simple reason – electricity had not made its way to Goldonna during the early years of my growing up.

“Another favorite memory are the smells that came from my mama’s kitchen – wood duck roasting in a cast iron pot, gravy dark and rich, cornbread dressing, a hen, not a turkey, roasting. We never had turkey growing up, but no problem, we were catching a chicken from the yard, wringing the neck, and scalding it.

“Desserts? Oh my! Chocolate pie, pecan pie and my all-time favorite, applesauce cake. Even today, my wife Kay and my daughter, Cathy, make me an applesauce cake for Christmas. It just wouldn’t be Christmas without it.

“The night before Christmas, Tom and I would go over from our house on one hill to the next hill where our cousins, Doug and Sambo, lived. We’d build a big bonfire and shoot fireworks. I especially remember those big red two-inch firecrackers that could remove a finger if handled carelessly.

“After fireworks, it was off to bed, but sleep was not easy to come by because I couldn’t help thinking about what I might find under the tree the next morning. Tom and I would often wake up and jump out of bed long before daylight to see what was under the tree, and I wasnever disappointed.

“We didn’t get the fancy stuff kids get today but a BB gun, toy truck, hard candy, apple and orange, and maybe a board game.

“My most memorable gift was when we were really small and we each got a pedal car. Daddy had found them somewhere, maybe in somebody’s garbage, but he brought them home, hammered out the dents and gave them a shiny coat of blue paint. I guarantee you no brand-new, store-bought pedal car would come close to providing the thrill we got when we saw those blue cars under the tree.

“Probably my favorite Christmas memory was when it came time to sit down for the noon meal Mother had prepared. Before we sat down, she prepared a tray with everything we were about to enjoy, and the whole family would walk through the pine thicket to the home of an old couple and share our food with them. Otherwise they would not have had such a fine meal.

“It taught me something that has stuck with me all my life, and that is the joy of giving. What sticks out in my mind the most is the lesson it taught us kids as Mother and Daddy used the occasion to remind us about the greatest gift ever given when God sent his son Jesus Christ to Earth to show us how to live and then to die and take the penalty of our sins on himself.

“Though our faith in what He did, we have the promise of life everlasting in His presence when our days on Earth are ended.” Having said that, I’d like to wish my readers and listeners your very best Christmas ever.

---

Jimmy Lai.  I was generally familiar with him and his struggle, but recent developments have brought me greater clarity.

He is a native of Hong Kong, a businessman who has owned newspapers, including his publication, Apple Daily, which was seized from him for no legal reason.  He is now on (a sham) trial for alleged “national security” charges, which is the time-honored method by which authoritarian governments crush and smother liberty.

The U.S. Embassy in China made this statement: “The United States condemns the prosecution of pro-democracy advocate and media owner Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong under the PRC-imposed National Security Law.  Lai has been held in pre-trial detention for more than 1,000 days, and Hong Kong and Beijing authorities have denied him his choice of legal representation.  We urge Beijing and Hong Kong authorities to respect press freedom in Hong Kong.  Actions that stifle press freedom and restrict the free flow of information … have undermined Hong Kong’s democratic institutions and harmed Hong Kong’s reputation as an international business and financial hub. We call on Hong Kong authorities to immediately release Jimmy Lai and all others imprisoned for defending their rights.”

While this statement highlights America’s position, the U.S. Government could do far more.  In fact, as The Heritage Foundation has observed, “it’s unlikely that President Joe Biden brought up the name Jimmy Lai in conversations with China’s communist dictator, Xi Jinping.  At least the records don’t show it.  But Lai’s impending trial in Hong Kong represents a classic showdown between a tireless defender of freedom and a brutal regime.”   Nevertheless “Lai richly deserves America’s benedictions and prayers, and Biden makes a mistake in not using his bully pulpit to press for his release.  Lai fought for freedom vigorously for decades in Hong Kong until Xi’s truculence burned it down by throwing him into prison in 2020.”  (M. Gonzalez, The Heritage Foundation, Nov. 21, 2022). 

Lai has not only demonstrated his strong belief in freedom of speech but is also credited with a major role in fostering Hong Kong’s economic liberty and, consequently, its great economic success.  These are tremendous accomplishments—and unprecedented—in a communist country like China that stifles individual liberty and economic freedom. 

As noted by the Wall Street Journal, “Lai poses no threat to China’s national security, only to the CCP’s lust for absolute power.  Both Lai and Xi are obsessed with liberty—Jimmy with expanding it and Xi with crushing it.  After all other publications bent a knee to Beijing following the ‘97 handover, Jimmy’s Apple Daily empire continued to advocate continuing Hong Kong’s free way of life.  No tyrant can live alongside the free flow of information.” (W. McGurn, WSJ, 12-19-2023).

However, while compelling, that is not what I find most captivating and intriguing about Mr. Lai, a convert to Catholicism who is willing to die in defense of his commitment to freedom.  Rather, it’s his strong faith in God that, to me, rings out with a clarion call.  His Christian faith, by all accounts, is what anchors him and informs his life devoted to his wife and his six children—and to freedom.

In an interview published by the Wall Street Journal we learn of Mr. Lai’s interaction with another lover of freedom, former Soviet citizen, Natan Sharansky, in 2020.  Lai and Sharansky discussed “how important it is never to back down and to live as a free man even in prison by rejecting the lies the government pushes.” (W. McGurn, WSJ, 12-19-2023).

Then Sharansky, in as powerful a statement of life’s struggle as I have seen, encouraged Lai to “regard the burden laid on him as a blessing” such that “if you were chosen by faith, by God, by your people to lead, to be the example of this moment, it’s a great responsibility but it’s also a great joy. So enjoy it!” (Id.)

What a powerful statement of hope and faith.  

Now, the dangerous road ahead for Lai in his trial will provide him an international platform from which to courageously reflect the timeless truths instilled in every human being: we are made in the image and likeness of God and, for that reason, possess intrinsic value, dignity, and the fundamental human right to be free, a right given to us by God and, therefore, a right that no government can take away. 

One such example is worth more to life than the stained triumphs of 10,000 Caesars. (Author unknown).

(Shreveport attorney, Royal Alexander, worked in D.C. in the U.S. House of Representatives for nearly 8 years for two different Members of Congress from Louisiana. He has witnessed up close several Speaker races.)

Everyone has a favorite holiday. Many of my friends are partial to Halloween. They have fond memories of trick-or-treating through the neighborhoods of their youth and still dress in costume every time October 31^st rolls around. Several people I know are fond of Thanksgiving, mostly because hunting season is cranking up and the deer camp is seat and ready. I certainly know a fair share of Fourth of July enthusiasts who look forward to their annual weeklong beach trip. I also have friends who look forward to blowing it out on New Year’s Eve, ones who wait all year long for spring break, and others who live for Easter.

I love Christmas.

December 25th is my favorite holiday and it’s not even close. It’s always been my favorite and no other holiday has matched it for 62 years. As a kid I’m sure I liked Christmas because of the toys I received that morning. But what I didn’t realize as I was dreaming of bicycles and new stereo systems— and opening GI Joes and Legos— was that the memories that were being forged in my subconscious had nothing to do with material things.

It was all about family.

My brother and I grew up in a home with a single mom. It is just now hitting me— as I type this sentence— that we were the only family in the neighborhood with a family dynamic such as that. It’s funny that I’ve never thought of it before, but it’s true. My neighborhood was full of the typical mom, dad, 2.5 kids, and a dog. It’s not that I just now realized everyone I knew came from an archetypal home dynamic, it’s that my childhood was so memorable and filled with love that I never felt our situation was unlike any others because we lived in an environment that contained a key element in childhood security and happiness— community.

It has been said that it takes a village to raise a child. I am living proof of that adage, and whereas there were a few years in my late teens that the community had their hands full and were probably ready to kick me out of the tribe, I was able to come out on the other end in one piece, largely due to the love and support from my family and that community.

My mother was widowed in her early thirties. My brother was 10. I was six. As monumental as the death of a parent is it had little effect on me, emotionally. We lacked the material things my friends had— and that may have bothered me at the time, but I don’t remember ever feeing that way— but the relational aspects of life were so much richer and fuller for my brother and me because of my parent’s friends and their children.

In the mid-sixties, my father and many of his childhood friends and contemporaries purchased lots together in a new neighborhood that was being developed on the west end of my hometown of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. My parents were in the middle of finalizing the architectural drawings for the home when he passed away. Instead of playing it safe financially, and staying in the house we were living in, my mother scaled down the footprint and moved into the neighborhood as planned. It turned out to be the single wisest decision she ever made.

That neighborhood, at that time, was a magical, wholesome, and happy place for a young boy. I didn’t have a father in the house, but I had a dozen others in homes nearby. My grandparents and other extended family members were also a huge influence, and I’m sure they gave my mother substantial financial support.

The drill on Christmas morning was always the same. The day started early. The only kids who woke up earlier than us were the Hemeter boys who lived next door, and whose father was the architect who helped my mom with the house. My brother and I were allowed to go into the den where the stockings were hung, but we had to wait until the grandparents and an aunt or two got there before we were allowed in the living room where the tree and presents were held.

Christmas was a big deal for us because toys weren’t gifted throughout the year. Birthdays and Christmas were the only times a new toy was going to show up at our house. Funny, I can only remember a couple of the toys I received over the years, but I can remember almost all the Christmas Eve meals, Christmas breakfasts, and time spent with my loved ones in that house and theirs.

My mom was a public school art teacher. We didn’t have much money. But as a 62-year old man I can see how rich we truly were. We had family and friends, and it’s family and friends that make the season, not the stuff. It’s family and friends that lead to a fuller life. It’s family and friends that make Christmas my favorite holiday.

Many don’t have a family to spend time with this Christmas. Let’s all be ever mindful of that and stay connected. Connection is the key. The season is hard on many for various reasons. Let’s do what we can to share our blessings, but mostly let’s share our time, our love, and our support. Give a friend a call. Share a meal with a neighbor who lives alone. Run errands. Cook food. Being present is the present. That is the true currency of Christmas.

May God bless you and yours this holiday season.

Onward.

Orange Country Ham

2 Tbl Unsalted Butter

1 1/2 lbs. Country Ham, sliced 1/8-1/4” thick

1/4 cup Orange Juice, freshly squeezed

2 Tbl Orange Marmalade

1/4 cup Pure Maple Syrup

1 1/2 tsp Black Pepper, freshly ground

Place a large heavy duty skillet over medium-high heat. Melt half of the butter and just as it begins to brown, place the ham slices in the skillet. Brown each side and place ham on a baking sheet. Repeat this process to brown the remaining ham.

Lower the heat and place the orange juice, marmalade and maple syrup in the ham skillet. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning. Add the ham back into the skillet along with the black pepper. Use a pair of tongs to move the ham and coat each slice with the glaze. When the ham is coated and hot, remove from the heat and serve immediately.

Yield:

6-8 servings

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

---

---

1715 – James Stuart, the “Old Pretender”, landed at Petershead after his exile in France.

1775 – A Continental naval fleet was organized in the rebellious American colonies under the command of Ezek Hopkins.

1807 – The U.S. Congress passed the Embargo Act, designed to force peace between Britain and France by cutting off all trade with Europe.

1864 – During the American Civil War, Union Gen. William T. Sherman sent a message to U.S. President Lincoln from Georgia. The message read, “I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the city of Savannah.”

1877 – The “American Bicycling Journal” went on sale for the first time.

1894 – The United States Golf Association was formed in New York City.

1894 – French army officer Alfred Dreyfus was convicted of treason in a court-martial that triggered worldwide charges of anti-Semitism. Dreyfus was eventually vindicated.

1895 – German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen made the first X-ray, of his wife’s hand.

1910 – U.S. Postal savings stamps were issued for the first time. They were discontinued in 1914.

1939 – Gloria Jacobs became the first girl to hold a world pistol record when she shot 299 out of a possible 300 points. She was 17 years old at the time.

1943 – Sporting goods manufacturers received permission to use synthetic rubber for the core of baseballs.

1941 – British Prime Minister Winston Churchill arrived in Washington for a wartime conference with U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt.

1956 – Colo, the first gorilla to be born in captivity, was born at the Columbus, Ohio zoo.

1956 – The last British and French forces evacuated Egypt.

1961 – James Davis became the first U.S. soldier to die in Vietnam, while U.S. involvement was still limited to the provision of military advisers.

1976 – The last show of “Let’s Make A Deal” was aired.

1984 – New York City resident Bernhard Goetz shot four black youths on a Manhattan subway. Goetz claimed they were about to rob him.

1989 – Romania’s hard-line Communist ruler, Nicolae Ceausescu, was overthrown in a popular uprising.

1990 – Lech Walesa was sworn in as Poland’s first popularly elected president.

1991 – The body of Lt. Col. William R. Higgins, an American hostage murdered by his captors, was found along a highway in Lebanon.

1996 – A car bomb exploded in Belfast, injuring a known IRA supporter. Police suspected that Protestant loyalists were responsible for the attack.

1998 – A unit of RJR Nabsico pled guilty to attempting to smuggle cigarettes into Canada.

2001 – Thirty Afghans, including two women, were sworn in as part of the new interim government in Afghanistan. Hamid Karzai was the head of the post-Taliban government.

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

December 23 (10 a.m.)

Annual Toy Drive – Crawford Elementary School 

January 20 (9 – 2:30 p.m.)

Bobcat Cheerleading Clinic

January 13 (6 p.m.)

Public Auction hosted by Faulk Auction Co. – 1968 N. Railroad Ave, Arcadia.

January 19 – 20 (8 – 4 p.m.)

Saline SWCD Tree Sale, 2263 Hall Street, Ringgold

---

Notice of Death – December 21, 2023

Freddie Mae Palmer

July 30, 1960 – Dec. 14, 2023

Ringgold, La.

Visitation: 2 -6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, Memorial Funeral Home, Ringgold.

Funeral service: 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023, Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Ringgold.

Interment: 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023, Isrealite Cemetery, Ringgold.

Bobbie Jean McDaniel

May 17, 1947 – Dec. 6, 2023

Homer, La.

Visitation: 1 – 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023, Memorial Funeral Home, Homer.

Funeral service: 12 noon, Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, Antioch Baptist Church, Homer.

Interment: 2 p.m., Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, Antioch Cemetery, Homer.

Stanley Ganard Johnson

Lisbon, La.

June 2, 1966 – Dec. 14, 2023

Funeral Service: 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, New Hopewell Baptist Church, Bernice

Interment: 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, Salem CME Church, Lisbon

Mitchell J. Monroe

Arcadia, La.

Sept. 16, 1969 – Dec. 14, 2023

Visitation: 1 – 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, Memorial Funeral Home, Arcadia

Funeral service: 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023, Memorial Funeral Home, Arcadia

Graveside service: 12:30 p.m. Saturday Dec. 23, 2023, St. Luke Cemetery, Arcadia.

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 no charge.)

---

---

By Michelle Bates

The Bienville Parish School Board has chosen a new superintendent.

Dr. Byron Lyons, Ph.D., of Tallahassee, Florida is coming home to Louisiana to lead Bienville Parish schools with more than 30 years in education. His current position is as principal at Paul Breaux Middle School in Lafayette Parish.

“We’ve always had the desire to get back to Louisiana, and we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to do that,” he said. “Our home is in Tallahassee, and my wife and my son haven’t gotten the chance to move yet. Things have happened so quickly in Lafayette.”

Hailing from northeast Louisiana, Lyons has spent the better part of his career across the United States in Ohio, Michigan and Louisiana.

A 1999 graduate of Grambling State University, Lyons has completed his state alternative teacher education program, has a master’s degree plus 30 graduate hours, BBA out of state college or university and Ph.D. out of state college or university. His teaching certificate, valid for life, includes social studies, provisional secondary school principal, supervisor of student teaching and schools superintendent.

In a special meeting Monday, Dec. 18, the school board voted by ballot twice to get a majority vote. Each board member was to vote for one candidate, and with seven board members, four votes equal a majority vote. School Board Attorney Elmer Noah said they must have four votes, and the board will continue to vote until they reached a majority.

In round one of voting, Sharolyn Boston, District 1, voted for Candidate Kenneth Gipson; Oswald Townsend, District 2, voted for Lyons; Derrika Bailey, District 3, voted for Lyons; Darren Iverson, District 4, voted for Lyons; Martha Grigg, District 5, voted for Scott Canady; Colton Guin, District 6, voted for Canady; and Donald Calloway, District 7 voted for Canady.

In round two of voting, all the votes were the same except Boston changed her vote in favor of Lyons.

Following the vote that reached the majority (round two), the board unanimously affirmed Lyons as the board’s choice for Bienville Parish Superintendent of Schools.

Candidates who applied for the job included Lyons, Canady, Gipson, Dr. Rebecca Wilson of Minden, and Dr. Delarious Stewart of Largo, Maryland. Stewart dropped out as a candidate because he asked the board to do his interview by Zoom, and the board refused to do any interviews by Zoom, emphasizing all candidates must come in person. Once he learned that, he asked to be withdrawn from consideration.

Lyons will be offered the job, and it will be pending approval and agreement on the terms of the contract.

---

By Paige Nash

Emery Belton, an attorney representing Pattern Energy, attended the Bienville Parish Police Jury (BPPJ) meeting held last week to ask for the jury to approve a resolution stating they are in favor of Southern Spirit Transmission establishing a line to begin at the Texas/Louisiana border and travel approximately 400 miles to Mississippi. A portion of this transmission line will cross through Bienville Parish affecting a little over 70 land owners.

Belton provided two maps, one showing a general map as it travels through the state and another showing the route projected to go through the parish.

“Generally speaking this is the route. Although, the company is very busy working with land owners. In some cases there needs to be slight revisions as they work with landowners to get permissions to install the line on their property,” said Belton.

He explained this would be a Direct Current line. The power will be brought in from the Texas Grid System to a $750M converter station that will be installed outside of Mansfield to convert from Alternating Power (AC) to Direct Current (DC) Power. It would ship across Louisiana to Mississippi to be converted back to DC Power, then it will be sold to various energy companies.

According to Belton, this power would also be available to be shared between grids during times of high energy demands and would allow substantial electric ratepayers savings across the region since it will be privately funded by Pattern Energy.

“What the resolution does is basically gives a high level description of the project. It basically says that it is 320 miles of high voltage direct current line with approximately 200 miles in Louisiana and 30 miles in particular here in Bienville,” said Belton.

He also stated that this project would be investing $2B in Louisiana. It would create over 2,000 construction jobs with hopes to hire locally. The line would increase property tax revenue by about $340M with Bienville Parish seeing $26.5M equating to $660K a year for the parish. He continued by saying it would generate approximately $11M in direct local economic impact.

According to the map laying out the projected route of the transmission, it appears that the route will be primarily located in Districts 6 and 7.

“They approach these land owners. Some sign immediately and some take more negotiations and work, but they are progressing at a good rate,” said Belton.

BPPJ President Bates asked whether or not the company held public meetings to get input from landowners to see what their thoughts are on this project.

Belton explained, “I have information on Bienville Parish- how many tracts and people who have signed already. This may give you some comfort. In Bienville Parish there are 76 tracts that are affected. Out of the 76, 66 have already granted survey permission for the company to go across their property and out of the 76 again, 18 landowners have already moved forward with signing the right-of-way agreement itself. The survey permission is the initial authorization and that is when negotiations begin. If 66 of the 76 have already granted permission, then they know about it.”

The right-of-way would be 180 feet. It is determined by the amount of voltage traveling on the line, which is 3,000 megawatts with the voltage being 500 kilowatts.

According to Parish Attorney Danny Newell if the jury passed the resolution stating that the jury is in favor of the transmission line that it would not obligate them to do anything. He said, “It is really not a contract. It is not obligating the police jury to do anything. You are basically acknowledging your support of the project. They would probably like to go to the Public Service Commission to say all the juries support the project.”

District 1 Juror Bill Sims asked, “How many parishes have given you a resolution?”

Belton explained that Jackson Parish, Franklin Parish and Ouachita Parish have granted them a resolution. He will be meeting with East Carroll Parish and Desoto Parish next month, along with Desoto Parish which will be receiving the $750M Converter Station and lines. He has not scheduled with Richmond Parish yet due to high turnover in the jury after the last election cycle. Belton has held previous meeting in Red River Parish.

“There are some folks in Red River, a handful of large landowners, that aren’t particularly thrilled with it. We are going to continue to work with them. They all have lawyers and they are doing their thing,” said Belton.

Juror Sims explained his hesitancy with approving the resolution due to new juror, Keith Duck, stepping into the District 7 seat after the first of the year. He said, “We have a new juror coming on in one of these areas that you are talking about. Right now he does not have a say so. I think we should put this off until we get our new juror here.”

The jury voted to table approving the resolution until the January monthly meeting where they would discuss further and in the meantime work on getting more input for the residents being affected in Districts 6 and 7.

---

By Shawn White

(Under the Radar NWLA)

It’s good to be a Lady Hornet.  Arcadia (13-2) claimed their third championship for the season as they won the Minden Holiday Classic over the past weekend.  DeAsia Alexander was named as the tournament MVP while Jakyria Cockerham and Rhyanna Abney each were added to the all-tournament team.  They have also taken the Lakeside and Bienville Parish Tournament.  The Arcadia Lady Hornets are currently also the No. 1 ranked team in the Division IV Non Select power rankings according to Geaux Preps.com.   

Another team that is riding high in the power rankings is the Castor Lady Tigers (11-2).  The Lady Tigers swept both games this week against Ouachita Christian and Class 4A Bossier.   Castor is currently ranked at No. 9 in the Division V Non Select power rankings.  

Ringgold Redskins also made it to their third consecutive tournament championship.  The Redskins (11-5) fell in the finals to the Calvary Cavaliers.  Jbari Adams and Jordyn Williams were selected for the Minden Holiday Classic all-tournament team and are currently ranked at No. 3 in the Division IV Nonselect boys power rankings.

Also banging the door in the Top 10 of Division V boys power rankings are the Gibsland-Coleman Bulldogs (8-6) who are currently at No. 6.  The Bulldogs had a rough week starting with a loss to in-parish rival Ringgold.   Took a win over Loyola and fell in the next round to 5A Parkway.   

Boys

Monday, December 11

Ruston 76, Arcadia 55

Ringgold 60, Gibsland-Coleman 49

Saline 61, Ouachita Christian 56

Tuesday, December 12

Sterlington 56, Castor 48

Wednesday, December 13

Gibsland-Coleman 54, Loyola Prep 42

Ringgold 49, Green Oaks 33

Thursday, December 14

Red River 82, Castor 62

Parkway 95, Gibsland-Coleman 40

Ringgold 65, Mansfield 40

Friday, December 15

Arcadia 68, Byrd 54

Ringgold 60, Minden 45

Choudrant 68, Saline 66

Saturday, December 16

Benton 54, Arcadia 43 

Calvary 52, Ringgold 43

Girls

Monday, December 11

Ruston 65, Arcadia 45

Gibsland-Coleman 48, Ringgold 37

Ouachita Christian 45, Saline 21

Tuesday, December 12

Sterlington 54, Castor 49

North Webster 53, Ringgold 43

Wednesday, December 13

Arcadia 52, Loyola Prep 20

Gibsland-Coleman 53, North Caddo 21

Minden 57, Ringgold 50

Thursday, December 14

Castor 54, Bossier 27

Mansfield 54, Gibsland-Coleman 31

Richwood 53, Ringgold 37

Friday, December 15

Arcadia 43, Mansfield 29

Choudrant 33, Saline 21

Saturday, December 16

Arcadia 50, Minden 33

Starting 5 – Boys

Jbari Adams, Ringgold

Eli Ferguson, Saline

Trent Ledbetter, Saline

Jordyn Williams, Ringgold

Omarion Carr, Arcadia

Next 5 – Boys

Nash Warren, Castor

Gavon Dailey, Saline

Dawson Wood, Castor

LaDaunte McCoy, Ringgold

Maddox Williams, Saline

Starting 5 – Girls

Baleigh Haulcy, Gibsland-Coleman

Ambree Collinsworth, Castor

Sky McMullan, Castor

DeAsia Alexander, Arcadia

Lyric Reed, Ringgold

Next 5 – Girls

Kalena Smith, Castor

Timeria Gray, Castor

Janasia Hullaby, Ringgold

Alana Gray, Saline

Justice Young, Arcadia

Top Performances – Boys

Trent Ledbetter, Saline: Ledbetter scored 30 in win over Ouachita Christian

Jbari Adams, Ringgold:  Adams scored 28 in win over Minden

Jbari Adams, Ringgold:  Adams scored 22 in win over Gibsland-Coleman

Eli Ferguson, Saline:  Ferguson scored 22 in loss to Choudrant

Jordyn Wilson, Ringgold:  Wilson scored 20 points in win over Mansfield

Maddox Williams, Saline, Williams scored 18 in loss to Choudrant

LaDaunte McCoy, Ringgold, McCoy scored 17 in loss to Calvary

Jordyn Wilson, Ringgold: Wilson scored 16 points in win over Green Oaks

Ryheem Abney, Arcadia:  Abney scored 16 points in win over Byrd

Tyreun Fields, Arcadia:  Fields scored 16 points in win over Byrd

Kristopher Jackson, Arcadia, Jackson scored 15 points in win over Byrd

Top Performances

Baleigh Haulcy, Gibsland-Coleman:  Haulcy scored 35 points in win over Ringgold

Baleigh Haulcy, Gibsland-Coleman: Haulcy scored 27 points in win over North Caddo

Lyric Reed, Ringgold:  Reed scored 20 points in loss to Minden

Janasia Hullaby, Ringgold:  Hullaby scored 19 in loss to Minden

Baleigh Haulcy, Gibsland-Coleman:  Haulcy scored 19 points in loss to Mansfield

DeAsia Alexander, Arcadia:  Alexander scored 17 points in win over Minden

DeAsia Alexander, Arcadia: Alexander scored 16 points in win over Loyola Prep

Timeria Gray, Castor:  Gray scored 16 points in win over Bossier

Justice Young, Arcadia:  Young scored 15 points in loss to Ruston

Arianna Williams, Arcadia:  Williams scored 15 point in win over Loyola Prep

Daniel W. Newell, District Attorney for the Second Judicial District in and for the Parish of Bienville, makes the following announcement relative to disposition of cases in Bienville Parish on the dates indicated:

09-05-23

Rothell M. Davenport of Arcadia, LA—Pled guilty to Resisting an Officer with Force or Violence. He was sentenced to 3 years hard labor, which was suspended. He was placed on 2 years supervised probation. He pled guilty to Battery of a Dating Partner and Threatening a Public Official. He was sentenced to 6 months in parish jail on each, which was suspended. These charges will run concurrently.

Jack Daniel Lafield of Benton, LA—Pled guilty to Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was sentenced to 6 months in parish jail.

Deoderick Durrell Russell of Arcadia, LA—Pled guilty to two counts of Distribution of Schedule II CDS-Methamphetamine. He was sentenced to 6 years hard labor for each. These charges will run concurrently.

Curtis F. Underwood of Bienville, LA—Pled guilty to Possession of Schedule II CDS-Methamphetamine. He was sentenced to 2 years hard labor, which was suspended. He also pled guilty to two counts of Distribution of Schedule II CDS- Methamphetamine. He was sentenced to 10 years hard labor on each count, which was suspended. These charges will run concurrently. All of these sentences will run consecutively to each other. He was placed on 3 years supervised probation.

09-26-23

Krishannon Vonshay Bradford of Bienville, LA—Pled guilty to Domestic Abuse Battery. She was sentenced to 6 months in parish jail, which all time was suspended except for the time served in jail. She was placed on 1 year supervised probation.

11-29-23

Bruce Rushing of Castor, LA—Pled guilty to Possession of Schedule II CDS- Cocaine. He was sentenced to 18 months hard labor.

Nathan Jeremy Urquiza of West Monroe, LA—Pled guilty to two counts of Theft Over $5,000 but Less Than $25,000. He was sentenced to 10 years hard labor for each, with all but 4 years suspended. He will be placed on 3 years supervised probation when he is released.

Seanrashaad Jahmaad Wallace of Dallas, TX—Pled guilty to two counts of Aggravated Assault. He was sentenced to 6 months in parish jail, which was suspended. These charges will run consecutively. He was placed on 2 years supervised probation.

---

---

By Bonnie Culverhouse

Qualifying has ended for the March 23 election with a few local offices,  district representatives and national election seats on the ballot for Bienville Parish voters.

Mayors of Saline and Lucky had no opposition. Dorothy Satcher remains mayor of Saline, while Desmond Venzant retains the office for Lucky.

Saline Police Chief Sammy Matthews will be heading up that department again.

Saline has five alderpersons and five qualified for those positions: Jimmie R. Rogers, Marvin “Buddy” Parker, Brandy Branch, Brenda Matthews and Robert “RD” Slayton.

No one qualified to run for the three aldermen or police chief positions in Lucky.

• The deadline to register to vote in person, by mail or at the OMV Office is Feb. 21.    
• The deadline to register to vote through the GeauxVote Online Registration System is March 2.
• Early voting is March 9-16 (excluding Sunday, March 10) from 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
• The deadline to request an absentee ballot is March 19 by 4:30 p.m. (other than military and overseas voters). You can request an absentee ballot online through our Voter Portal or in writing through your Registrar of Voters Office.
• The deadline for a registrar of voters to receive a voted absentee ballot is March 22 by 4:30 p.m. (other than military and overseas voters).
• On election day, the polls are open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.

The Advent Season will soon be upon us. Will your church be hosting special Advent and Christmas services and events?

Email to bpjnewsla@gmail.com and we will include them in Bienville Parish Journal, where we proudly say “Merry Christmas.”

December 21 (6 p.m.)

St. Duty C.M.E. Church of Arcadia – Come Home for Christmas (Fellowship, Food and Fun)

December 24 (10 a.m.)

First Baptist Church of Gibsland – Candlelight Service

Magnolia Baptist Church of Saline – Candlelight Service

December 24 (10:30 a.m.)

Hope Church of Ringgold – Christmas Eve Candlelight Service 

Resurrection Fellowship at Cypress Springs Baptist – Candlelight Service

December 24 (11 a.m.)

Carolina Baptist Church of Saline – Candlelight Christmas Service

December 24 (5:30 p.m.)

FUMC of Castor – Candlelight Service

December 25

FUMC of Castor – Christmas Morning Service

---

While Thanksgiving is a great holiday, Christmas is without a doubt my favorite. There are so many things that make it special, but it’s the memories of Christmas past that make it number one for me. We’ve all had a specific Christmas that carries special memories for each of us. It’s not always about the gifts you got or didn’t get, but it’s about sharing time with family and friends. Yes, the gifts were great, but in our younger innocent years, that’s not what made Christmas special.

Every year you got a lot of new stuff, but first you had to make room for the new stuff by getting rid of the things you got the year before. It was a continuous cycle and ritual that you had to go through every Christmas. I remember calling my best friend on Christmas morning and telling him everything I got. But the funny thing about that conversation was the fact that I usually had a hard time remembering what I did get.

As I got older, it made me realize that it wasn’t the gifts that made Christmas special. It was more about all the moments shared with family and friends at parties or driving around town and looking at Christmas lights. It was the food, like my mom’s pecan pie and homemade fruit salad. It was going downtown to see the annual Christmas parade the day after Thanksgiving, which was a great way to kick off the Christmas season.

It was picking out a real tree until our family decided to go the artificial route. I even remember my grandparents having this weird white Christmas tree with a rainbow-colored lamp that rotated different colors onto the tree. I thought it was the worst Christmas tree of all time and whoever came up with this idea should have been taken out behind the woodshed and severely beaten.  

But for me, it was more about the anticipation of Christmas Eve and believing that jolly Ol’ Saint Nick was headed my way. It was tuning into the 10 o’clock news that night and watching the Santa tracker as I laid two feet on the floor in front of the TV. Where is he right now and how soon will he be coming to my house?

As a youngster, I was a true believer, but could not wrap my head around how he would get into my house since we did not have a chimney. How was this man, bigger than life, going to enter my house and leave the gifts I so desired and had earned? It’s amazing the imagination you had as a kid and the thought process that went with it.

Finally, the big day arrived after a long and sleepless night trying to hear Santa’s arrival. I remember waking up at 5:00 AM on Christmas morning and having to lie in bed until everyone was up, wondering did the big man leave me the Hot Wheels Track or the Daisy BB gun I requested, or would it be underwear and clothes that I did not request? Did he remember the new bike I desired with the sissy bar and chopper handlebars? I gave him plenty of options so surely, he left at least one of those! After the gifts were opened and I was dressed for the day, I remember going outside and looking for sleigh marks or deer tracks as proof that he actually came.

Then the day comes when someone delivers the shocking news that Santa isn’t real! It puts that little bit of doubt in your mind and makes you question Santa’s true existence. They would destroy your beliefs with common sense facts and tell you that the big fat man in the red suit does not exist! They would try to reason with you how impossible it would be for a full-size man who eats nothing but cookies and drinks lots of milk would ever fit down a chimney! It was hard to argue with that!

 But, in the back of your mind, you’re thinking the “know it all” kid just might be mistaken….. or is he? He puts just enough doubt in your mind that you feel that the only way to find out for sure is by asking your mom. Moms never lie and she would never tell you something that’s not true!  

 Then your mom says to you that it doesn’t matter what anyone says, and tells you to ask yourself, “Do YOU believe?” She never actually answers your question, and she leaves you continuing to think that maybe he is real. This is what keeps the magic of Christmas alive. The one thing I always told my kids as each of them at some point ask the age-old question, “Does Santa really exist?” was, “If you stop believing, he will stop leaving.” 

 Now the day finally comes when you know the answer, but it sure was a lot more fun when you thought differently and just weren’t quite sure. Your imagination as a child is what made Christmas so special. That’s still the case today, as there’s nothing more fun and exciting than to see that twinkle in a kid’s eye as they see jolly Ol’ Saint Nick.

 I hope you’ve enjoyed this look back in time when all of us had that special believing look in our eye. It’s always fun going back in time and remembering the things that made each Christmas so special. As we get older, we realize that it’s more about the times we share with family and friends that makes Christmas so special. To each of you, Merry Christmas, and may all your dreams and wishes come true.  Remember, believing is not always about seeing.

Steve Graf

Angler’s Perspective

---

---

In October of 1962, the world was at the brink of destruction.  For 13 terrifying days, October 16th to 28th, the Cuban Missile Crisis was the closest we have ever come to total nuclear annihilation.  The Soviet Union, under the leadership of Nakita Khrushchev, had moved nuclear missiles to Cuba, just 90 miles from Florida.  While the whole world was holding its proverbial breath, a record producer asked the husband-and-wife songwriting team Noel Regney and Gloria Shayne to write a Christmas song.  They were asked to write a Christmas song during the Cuban Missile Crisis!  The fate of the world rested on the abilities of Nakita Khrushchev and John F. Kennedy to come to some sort of peaceful agreement which seemed unlikely.  Noel and Gloria were just as anxious as the rest of the world and struggled to write about festively wrapped packages under the Christmas tree, joyful sleigh rides through the freshly fallen snow, or about Santa Claus flying around the world with his eight, maybe nine, reindeer.  Nuclear war could begin at any moment.  They wondered if anyone would be alive to hear the song. 

Noel was no stranger to war.  Noel was born Léon Schlienger in France in 1922.  At some point during or immediately following World War II, Léon Schlienger reversed the letters of his first name, then dropped the first four letters of his last name and rearranged them to become Noel Regney.  In the early summer of 1940, when France fell to Hitler’s invading force, Noel was drafted into the German army.  He spoke German as fluently as French, which the Germans saw as an asset.  Noel was no fan of Nazis.  He joined the French Resistance and became a double agent.  He once led a group of German soldiers into an ambush.  During the shooting affray, Noel was shot in the arm either by a French Resistance fighter or a German soldier.  He continued to work as a double agent for a short time but eventually deserted the German army altogether.  On May 7, 1945, the German Third Reich surrendered unconditionally, but the war continued with Japan.  On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb above the Japanese city of Hiroshima.  When Japan refused to surrender, the United States dropped a second atomic bomb above Nagasaki three days later.  Finally, the Japanese surrendered, and World War II came to an end.  Noel learned of the destructive power of the atomic bombs in newspapers.  In 1952, Noel moved to Manhattan where he fell in love with Gloria, a pianist and composer.

Noel and Gloria’s task was a daunting one.  The record producer thought a holiday song would ease people’s anxiety.  Noel had not wanted to write a Christmas song because of the over commercialization of the holiday, but he agreed with the producer.  During a somber walk back to his home in Manhattan, Noel noted a sense of despair in the air.  No one smiled.  He kept walking until he saw two mothers with their babies in strollers.  Noel remembered that “The little angels were looking at each other and smiling.  All of a sudden, my mood was extraordinary.”   

Normally, Noel composed the music and Gloria wrote the lyrics, but Noel was inspired by the two little angels.  His pace quickened.  As soon as Noel arrived at his home, he began writing.  Gloria read the lyrics and, as if by divine intervention, a melody began playing in her head.  They had their song on paper, but they were unable to sing it.  Gloria said, “Noel wrote a beautiful song, and I wrote the music.  We couldn’t sing it, though; it broke us up.  We cried.  Our little song broke us up.  You must realize there was a threat of nuclear war at that time.” 

In the song, Noel wrote that the child, Jesus, would bring goodness and light.  The star with a tail as big as a kite was not meant as a reference to the Christmas star but a nuclear bomb enroute to its target.  The tail referred to the exhaust from the rocket.  The most obvious connection to the Cuban Missile Crisis was their plea for peace, “Pray for peace, people everywhere.”  Thankfully, Soviet Premier Nakitia Khrushchev and U.S. President John F. Kennedy came to an agreement and averted nuclear war.  When we hear Noel and Gloria’s song today, the Cuban Missile Crisis does not immediately come to mind.  Now you know that the threat of total nuclear annihilation led to the holiday classic “Do You Hear What I hear?”  We should all strive for peace on Earth and goodwill to all.  Merry Christmas!

Source: 

1.       Mary Jo Dangel “Do You Hear What I Hear?: The Story Behind the Song,” Franciscan Media, December 2017, https://www.franciscanmedia.org/st-anthony-messenger/december-2017/do-you-hear-what-i-hear-the-story-behind-the-song/.

2.     Edgar B. Herwick III, “Do You Know The Story Behind ‘Do You Hear What I Hear’?” WGBH.org, originally published December 18, 2019, updated August 28, 2023,  https://www.wgbh.org/news/local/2019-12-18/do-you-know-the-story-behind-do-you-hear-what-i-hear.

---

Candy Cane Breakfast is fun to whip up and put on the Christmas table! Use cherry or strawberry pie filling. I make this every year and little hands love it. It also makes great leftovers!

Ingredients:

2 cans crescent rolls
1 (8 ounce) cream cheese spread, softened
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1 can cherry pie filling
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  On a cookie sheet arrange the crescent roll triangles pointing inward into the shape of a candy cane with the edges overlapping.  Lightly press triangles together to seal.  I used exactly 1 1/2 packages. 

With a hand mixer, mix cream cheese and sugar.  Add egg.  Using a teaspoon, spoon the mixture onto dough leaving 1” of dough exposed.  You will have extra mixture.  (Roll it up in the leftover crescent rolls)! 

Add teaspoons of cherry filling over cream cheese mixture.  Fold tips of dough over toward the right side.  At this point I had to gently shape the dough into more of a candy cane shape I wanted.  Bake 15-20 minutes. 

Mix together powdered sugar and milk to make the glaze.  Let candy cane cool slightly before adding glaze.

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

---

My friends call it BowlFest, this most wonderful time of the college football year when you can’t swing a cornerback without hitting a Diesel Driving Academy Arkansas Bowl or a Sparkling Caffeine Ice Classic.

It’s a beautiful thing. 

It’s easy to get caught up in the momentum of bowl games and holidays and start betting actual real money on the games. Santa doesn’t want you overdoing it. And he’s watching you … 

The day I quit betting on ballgames was the day I thought I was about to lose $100 plus juice and nearly started crying like a small wet child.

March Madness. 1993ish? Back when having 100 bucks meant something. I’d bet Xavier to cover against Indiana or the other way around. In the past I’d bet $5 here and there, maybe 10. We figured we were betting $5 to have $5 worth of fun, because nothing makes you interested in a game the way “having action” on it does. Suddenly you’re interested in an Oregon State vs. Louisville score, fanatically so.

But now I was stepping out and betting a Buck, like a big boy, like I had $100 to lose.

It went down to the wire. Was listening on a transistor radio. Sitting in a cheap table chair on Archer Avenue in Shreveport. Living and dying. “If I can get out of this, I’ll never bet again.”

My guys covered. I’d won 100 large. And retired. Wasn’t worth it. I had to work too hard for that little piece of money.

Since then, the stakes have gotten back to normal. I’m in a group that “bets” all the bowl games with the overall winner getting the pot. The capital outlay is about 18 cents a game.

The feeling is the same. Pride. Bragging rights. The joy of thinking of where you’ll spend the $5 each of the guys will have to cough up. Even though both the risk and reward are so tiny, you’ll still pay more attention to the SMU vs. Boston College Fenway Bowl than any sane man should.

Before legal betting in our neck of the woods, you had to “know a guy.” Benny the Bookie or Sam the Human Point Spread. Now you just need your smartphone and a credit card. 

Draft Kings. FanDuel. Promo codes. “Free money” to get you going.

Sounds like fun. And with a limit, I bet it is. I just got to thinking that I might as well flip a coin because … 

How do I know whether or not the starting center just got a “Dear John” letter from his girlfriend;

Or if the quarterback just failed a big math test;

Or if the professional strong safety might have taken something recreationally before the game, the one I just bet a Honey Bun on.

“Too rich for my blood!” I hear a yokel saying …

You can bet spreads, over/unders, moneylines, parlays, teasers. Prop bets. Futures, in which case you’re betting on something that hasn’t happened yet as always, except this won’t happen for a long, long time. (The Orioles are +1,500 to win the 2024 World Series.)

If all these easy ways of betting — even on stuff mid-game, like coin flips or total interceptions — were available by phone 40 years ago, I might still be glued to that chair on Archer, sure I would get rich by the time they were cutting down nets at the Final Four. 

But I backed down. I bet that I really didn’t know what I was doing. And that there would be days when the guys I’d bet on wouldn’t know what they were doing either. 

Probably a good bet.

(But … who you got in the Boca Raton Bowl? Asking for a friend …) 

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

1606 – The “Susan Constant,” “Godspeed” and “Discovery” set sail from London. Their landing at Jamestown, VA, was the start of the first permanent English settlement in America.

1699 – Peter the Great ordered that the Russian New Year be changed from September 1 to January 1.

1790 – The first successful cotton mill in the United States began operating at Pawtucket, RI.

1803 – The United States Senate ratified a treaty that included the Louisiana Territories from France for $15 million. The transfer was completed with formal ceremonies in New Orleans.

1820 – The state of Missouri enacted legislation to tax bachelors between the ages of 21-50 for being unmarried. The tax was $1 a year.

1860 – South Carolina became the first state to secede from the American Union.

1864 – Confederate forces evacuated Savannah, GA as Union Gen. William T. Sherman continued his “March to the Sea.”

1879 – Thomas A. Edison privately demonstrated his incandescent light at Menlo Park, NJ.

1880 – New York’s Broadway became known as the “Great White Way” when it was lighted by electricity.

1892 – Alexander T. Brown and George Stillman patented the pneumatic tire.

1928 – Mail delivery by dog sled began in Lewiston, ME.

1933 – The film “Flying Down to Rio” was first shown in New York.

1938 – Vladimir Kosma Zworykin patented the iconoscope television system.

1946 – The Frank Capra film “It’s A Wonderful Life” had a preview showing for charity at New York City’s Globe Theatre, a day before its “official” world premiere. James Stewart and Donna Reed star in the film.

1946 – In Indochina (Vietnam), full-scale guerrilla warfare between Vietnam partisans and French troops began.

1954 – Buick Motor Company signed Jackie Gleason to one of the largest contracts ever entered into with an entertainer. Gleason agreed to produce 78 half-hour shows over a two-year period for $6,142,500.

1962 – A world indoor pole-vault record was set by Don Meyers when he cleared 16 feet, 1-1/4 inches.

1963 – The Berlin Wall was opened for the first time to West Berliners. It was only for the holiday season. It closed again on January 6, 1964.

1968 – Author John Steinbeck died at the age of 66.

1973 – The Spanish premier Carrero Blanco was assassinated in Madrid.

1987 – More than 3,000 people were killed when the Dona Paz, a Philippine passenger ship, collided with the tanker Vector off Mindoro island, setting off a double explosion.

1989 – General Noriega, Panama’s former dictator, was overthrown by a United States invasion force invited by the new civilian government. The project was known as Operation Just Cause.

1990 – The world’s first website and server go live at CERN. The first website was http://info.cern.ch/hypertext/WWW/TheProject.html.

1991 – Ante Markovic resigned as federal Prime Minister of Yugoslavia.

1991 – Oliver Stone’s “JFK” opened in the U.S.

1994 – Marcelino Corniel, a homeless man, was shot and mortally wounded by White House security officers. He had brandished a knife near the executive mansion.

1994 – Ivan Lendl retired after a 17-year tennis career.

1995 – An American Airlines Boeing 757 en route to Cali, Colombia, crashed into a mountain, killing all but four of the 163 people aboard.

1996 – Doctors reported that a Cypriot woman who had taken fertility drugs was carrying about 11 embryos.

1998 – In Houston, TX, a 27-year-old woman gave birth to the only known living set of octuplets.

1999 – The Vermont Supreme Court ruled that homosexual couples were entitled to the same benefits and protections as wedded couples of the opposite sex.

1999 – Sovereignty over the colony of Macao was transferred from Portugal to China.

2001 – The U.S. Congress passed a $20 billion package to finance the war against terrorism taking place in Afghanistan.

2001 – Argentina’s President Fernando De la Rua resigned after two years in power.

2001 – The first British peacekeepers arrived in Afghanistan to help the nation heal after decades of war.

---

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

December 21 (9 a.m. – 8 p.m.)

Jane Marie’s Holly Jolly Warehouse Sale – One day only 

Arcadia Outlet Mall 

December 21 (6 p.m.)

St. Duty C.M.E. Church – Come Home for Christmas (Fellowship, Food and Fun)

December 23 (10 a.m.)

Annual Toy Drive – Crawford Elementary School 

January 20 (9 – 2:30 p.m.)

Bobcat Cheerleading Clinic

January 13 (6 p.m.)

Public Auction hosted by Faulk Auction Co. – 1968 N. Railroad Ave, Arcadia.

January 19 – 20 (8 – 4 p.m.)

Saline SWCD Tree Sale, 2263 Hall Street, Ringgold

---

The following arrests were made by local law enforcement agencies.

December 10

Danny Hullaby, 58, of Ringgold, was arrested for failure to register and notify as a sex offender.

December 11

Kevonna Dailey, 27, of Rinnggold, was arrested for failure to appear (two counts).

Jamal Harris, 22, of Jackson, Mississippi, was arrested for possession or distribution of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana and illegal carrying of a weapon in the presence of a controlled dangerous substance. 

December 12

Raymon Bolyer, 68, of Sibley, was arrested for criminal trespass of an immovable structure.

December 13

Kari Hicks, 33, of Bossier City, was arrested for theft.

Derek Rutherford, 35, of Bossier City, was arrested for theft (two counts). 

December 14

Marcus Lard, Jr., 21, of Castor, was arrested for resisting an officer. 

Keidy Soto, 25, of West, was arrested for exceeding the maximum speed limit and no driver’s license. 

Shelly Renee Chelette, 41, of Arcadia, was arrested by the Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office as a fugitive from Lincoln Parish and Ruston Police. 

December 15

Pushaina Robles Yhoney, 25, of Springs, Texas, was arrested for no driver’s license. 

Thomas Cobb, Jr., 46, of Saline, was arrested for failure to appear. 

Johnathon Langley, 33, of Minden, was arrested for violation of probation/parole. 

Rodney Nash, 38, of Jonesboro, was arrested for no driver’s license and exceeding the maximum speed limit. 

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.

---

Notice of Death – December 19, 2023

Carl Wayne Ferrell

Feb 3, 1949 – Dec. 15, 2023

Arcadia, La.

Graveside service: 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, New Bethel Cemetery, Arcadia.

Henry C. Pietsch

July 19, 1946 – Dec. 17, 2023

Ringgold/Heflin, La.

Funeral service: 2 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023, Rockett Funeral Home Chapel, Ringgold, La.

Burial: following service at Bistineau Cemetery, Heflin, La.

Freddie Mae Palmer

July 30, 1960 – Dec. 14, 2023

Ringgold, La.

Visitation: 2 -6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, Memorial Funeral Home, Ringgold.

Funeral service: 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023, Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Ringgold.

Interment: 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023, Isrealite Cemetery, Ringgold.

Bobbie Jean McDaniel

May 17, 1947 – Dec. 6, 2023

Homer, La.

Visitation: 1 – 5 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023, Memorial Funeral Home, Homer.

Funeral service: 12 noon, Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, Antioch Baptist Church, Homer.

Interment: 2 p.m., Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, Antioch Cemetery, Homer.

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 no charge.)

---

By Paige Nash

Doug Salvaterra will be retiring from his position as Fire Chief of Arcadia Fire Department (AFD) upon taking a job as the new principal of Saline High School, effective Jan 1, 2024. 

He presented his letter notifying the council. He said, “I intend to continue to serve them in any way I can, but my promotion within my civilian position for the Bienville Parish School Board has made it logistically impossible to manage the fire department in a manner that is consistent with my standards or with the effectiveness the citizens of Arcadia deserve.”

Under his recommendation and with the decrease in volunteer manpower and increased cost of operation, the Arcadia Town Council will have to decide whether to merge the AFD with the North Bienville Fire Department (NBFD). 

Salvaterra recommended the town donate the vehicles that are paid for, sell the one they are currently making notes on or have the NBFD take up the notes if they choose to do so. This would free up well over $40K a year when you take into consideration the monthly notes, insurance and upkeep.  

Salvaterra provided the council with a copy of a cooperative endeavor agreement between the Bossier Parish Fire Department No. 7 and the Town of Plain Dealing with similar circumstances. 

“In order to cover the cost of fire protection, NBFD uses a millage which the Town of Arcadia has never voted for,” said Salvaterra. “The way those two parties dealt with that; they contacted the tax assessor to determine how much Plain dealing was going to pay in millage.” 

If the Town of Arcadia voted to consolidate the two departments, they would pay roughly $17K a year until they get a millage put before the voters and passed. 

The council expressed their appreciation to Salvaterra for his service to the town and fire department for the last decade.  

Salvaterra closed by saying, “Should the Mayor or the Town Council desire any input from me on the difficult decisions ahead, I assure you I will be willing to assist in any way I can. Though I will no longer hold the title of Fire Chief, I will always be an active member of the Arcadia community and family.”

 

---