Every vote from the major TikTok Sports outlets from around the country has been tabulated, and the result is no surprise: 

Nasdaq University of Georgia A&T&M is picked to repeat as BC$ national champion — even though each member of the team agreed to a restructured contract and less money this fall for more money later.

“This will allow us to invest more money on transfers to fill immediate needs,” coach Tommy “Dough” DiCosmo said. “The restructuring of the contracts speaks to the unselfishness of this team. Humbles me as a coach. They won it all last year and they’re more than willing to wait for a few hundred thousand down the road instead of cash right now for the best chance to repeat.”

The usually unflappable DiCosmo stopped and appeared to choke back tears before saying, “It’s not the wins I’ll remember, or the championships, or the trophies … well, I mean, I WILL remember the wins and the championships and the trophies because those things got me a house off No.7 fairway and some beach property. But what I’ll also remember — besides the trophies and some pretty solid investments that should allow me to retire year after next with the lifestyle I’m accustomed to, minus the locker room smell — is how these guys were willing to take some deferred stocks instead of cash up front. ‘Unselfish’ is the word that comes to my mind.”

He stopped, gathered himself, then said, barely above a whisper, “Old school.”

“The team that pays together, stays together,” team captain and All-American linebacker CD “Low Blow” Lee said. “Word.”

Lee is one of a triplet set of linebackers on an ATM team that dominated last year. As a trio, Lee and brothers CA and CB registered more than 300 tackles.

“If there’s been a better combo of linebackers to ever play, I sure ain’t seen ’em,” defensive coordinator Bowler Johnson said. “And won’t, not in this lifetime.”

The triplets’ little brother CC anchors the secondary at strong safety. One of the bigger safeties to ever play the game, the 6-6, 225-pound baby of the Lee bunch runs a 4.4, can bench a small county and is one of the reasons opponents attempted just two passes of more than 15 yards all season. While each was completed, one resulted in a limp-off, the other in a cart-off.

The offense starts with Jimmy “No Shoes” Taylor, a barefooted wonder who confuses defenses and electrifies fans with his daring runs, rocket arm, and six-car garage. A senior from the tobacco fields of small-town Virginia, Taylor missed the first week of fall drills after wrecking his Jag on the drive from his summer home in Jackson Hole.

“He’ll be ready for the opener,” offensive coordinator and NFL Hall of Fame receiver Quincy “Eye Black” Fontenette said. “Insurance covered the Jag; also got Jimmy a new deal with an insurance company whose name I can’t say right now, but I have some pamphlets I’ll be happy to hand you after practice.”

Elo “6-Sport” Capers, everybody’s favorite running back, is healthy after having spent the summer “lifting weights, getting my shoulder back right, and rotating the tires on my Audi,” the heralded junior said. Besides football, Capers has lettered in basketball, baseball, track and field, breakdancing, and advanced/varsity trampoline.

He’s good, but the Guys Up Front might be better. The self-proclaimed Best Dressed Offensive Line in Football (each player wears a necktie during games), the ATM offensive line is anchored by center Trudell “Big Hands” Patterson and guards Blaze “Big Feet” Butler and Grayson “Big Fill-in-the-Blank” Katona. 

“Every girl’s crazy ’bout a sharp-dressed man,” the shy and popular Katona said. 

The offense usually plays with only one tackle, but opposing defensive coordinators will testify that at a cat-quick 7-2, 360, Moses “Where He At?” Abraham sort of counts as two guys anyway.

ATM opens the season against Wofford.

Picked to finish second this season are The New York Stock Exchange University of Alabama AT&T Fightin’ Benjamins.

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

In 2004 I decided to take my fishing to another level by fishing as a co-angler on the defuncted FLW Tour, now called Major League Fishing (MLF). I fished this level for two seasons while expanding my bass fishing knowledge. To fish with the best anglers in the world was quite the privilege and made me realize just how lucky I was to get in the boat with pro anglers like Clark Wendlandt, Dion Hibdon, and Kelly Jordon. But I also got to wet a hook in some of the best bass lakes in America.

One of my first favorites would be Lake Okeechobee in South Florida. This is a place like no other I have fished in my entire career. It is a great fishery, but also intimidating with its massive expanse of wide-open cattails patches and hydrilla grass beds. 

To navigate this lake without GPS would be a nightmare and almost impossible to return to an area where you caught fish the day before, as the entire lake looks the same. But when it comes to big bass, this lake is in a class all to itself where massive largemouth bass in the ten-pound range are fairly common. It’s not unusual for a tournament angler to bring in a 30-pound 5 fish limit. 

Next, Kentucky Lake! During the early 2000’s this lake was on fire and a magnet for major bass tournaments due to its great fishing. Two things played a key role in what made this lake so good…. current and ledges. Kentucky Lake is known as a great current lake as bass set up on these deep-water ledges waiting to ambush just about any lure an angler might want to throw. It’s also one of many great lakes along the Tennessee River chain. While the lake was on the decline a few years ago, it has now rebounded, and the fishing is once again really good. 

Another great lake I fished during my FLW days was Beaver Lake Arkansas. This lake is a structure fisherman’s dream and was where the “shaky head” craze first started. The shaky head is a small ball head jig (usually 1/8 oz. or 3/16 oz.) with a light wire hook. 

This technique is usually fished on a spinning rod with light line anywhere from 8 to 10-pound test. Known as a bottom dragging bait, this technique is great for catching finicky bass. Beaver Lake is where this technique started and has become a main stay method for catching bass all across the country. 

Closer to home, and a place that just might be the best bass lake in America as named a couple of years by Bassmaster Magazine, is Lake Sam Rayburn!  Located just across the Louisiana/Texas state line in East Texas, Sam Rayburn is the crown jewel of the bass fishing world. Anglers commonly weigh-in 30-pound stringers almost year around. 

Whether you like to fish deep or shallow, Rayburn offers you the opportunity to fish anyway you desire. It is a great deep structure fishing lake, along with plenty of shallow cover for bass to hide. Probably the number one technique used here is the Carolina rig. This is a drag the bottom technique with a ¾ or 1 ounce tungsten weight with a 3-foot leader using a baby brush hog in watermelon/red. 

Rayburn is also the second biggest lake in Texas and gets more tournament fishing pressure than any other body of water. It’s truly amazing how each week this lake gets pounded but continues to put out 20- and 30-pound stringers.

Other great lakes that I’ve had the pleasure to fish include Lake Hartwell and Santee Cooper South Carolina, Lake Eufaula in Oklahoma and South Alabama, Lake Chickamauga and Old Hickory in Tennessee, Toledo Bend, Lake Fork and a lake I grew up on Lake Monticello located just outside of Mt. Pleasant, Texas. But one of my newest favorites is East Texas’ very own Lake of the Pines. This lake has been a sleeping giant but in recent years has really become a very popular bass tournament lake.

While some will disagree, another place that has a special place in my heart is the mighty Red River! This body of water has become one of my personal favorites. I’ve had quite a bit of success on the Red River and it seems to suit my style of fishing. 

I guess you could say I have been truly blessed to get the opportunity to fish some of the best fisheries in America. Along the way, I’ve made an endless list of friends of both professional anglers and weekend warriors. It has been through this list of anglers that I have been able to sustain a great outdoors radio/podcast program for 17 years called Hook’N Up & Track’N Down. 

But I’ve also had a little help with two great co-hosts, Gary McCoy and Mike Echols. Together we have been able to put together an outdoors program that’s both highly entertaining and educational. 

To wrap this up, we are lucky to live in a country with so many great places to wet a hook in the many lakes and rivers loaded with great fish catching opportunities. Not only can anglers bring in great stringers but can make some great memories just as I have done!

Till next time, good luck, good fishing and make sure to introduce a kid to the great outdoors. 

Steve Graf

Angler’s Perspective

The following arrests were made by local law enforcement agencies.

08/04/24

Aundrels West of Minden was arrested for exceeding the maximum speed limit (interstate or controlled access highway.)

08/06/24

Erin Graham of Minden was arrested for failure to appear. 

Jujan Johnson of El Dorado, Ark. was arrested for simple littering.

Wade Bryan of Heflin was arrested for criminal trespass of a movable structure, manufacture/possession of delayed action incendiary devices, aggravated arson in an inhabited dwelling, attempted second degree murder, aggravated assault with a firearm, aggravated burglary, simple criminal damage to property, intimidating, impeding or injuring witnesses/officers by aggravated assault. 

08/07/24

Albert Madison of Ringgold was arrested for no driver’s license and failure to appear. 

08/08/24

Frederick Johnson of Heflin was arrested for two counts of distribution of methamphetamine.

Mary Talley, no address provided, was arrested for domestic abuse battery with child endangerment and simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling. 

Patricia Williams of Ruston was arrested for second degree battery, criminal trespass and disturbing the peace. 

08/09/24

Charles Smith of Quitman was arrested for four counts of third degree rape and two counts of molestation of a juvenile.

08/10/24

Jordin Boddie of Gibsland was arrested for simple battery. 

Denissa Mirtha of Arcadia was arrested for simple battery.

Jang Yang of Arcadia was arrested as a fugitive and for aggravated battery with a dangerous weapon.

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 – Aug. 13, 2024

Joy Storey

March 21, 1934 – August 10, 2024

Arcadia, La.

Visitation: 1 p.m. Tuesday, August 13, 2024, Rose-Neath Funeral Home, Arcadia, La.

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

Burial: 3 p.m. Oak Grove Cemetery.

Phillip “Pete” Brunson

June 24, 1943 – August 11, 2024

Visitation: 5 until 7 p.m. Wednesday, August 14, 2024, Rose-Neath Funeral Home, Minden.

Funeral service: 10 a.m. Thursday, August 15, 2024, Rose-Neath Funeral Home, Minden.

Burial: 11:15 a.m. Bistineau Cemetery.

Kathy Deloris Harris

Dec. 2, 1964 – Aug. 2, 2024

Homer, La. 

Funeral service: 11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 16, 2024, Friendship Baptist Church, Haynesville, La. 

Burial will follow at Colquitt Cemetery.

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.)

On the morning of Friday, August 2, the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office (CPSO) was notified of a possible shooting on Maddry Road in Claiborne Parish. CPSO Deputy Sheriffs responded to Maddry Road where they found that Bradley Joseph Swint, 42, of Arcadia, Louisiana had been shot; Swint was pronounced dead.

CPSO Detectives responded to the scene and were soon after joined by Detectives of the Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office. Working jointly, Detectives from both agencies were able to locate Marrisa Cheyenne Pauley, 31 of Minden, Louisiana at a residence in Dubberly, Louisiana. Detectives were able to determine that Pauley and others participated in the homicide of Swint. Detectives arrested Pauley and booked her at the Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center as fugitive from Claiborne Parish.

Second Judicial District Court of Louisiana Arrest Warrants were issued for Pauley, Michael Tendle Wright, 23 of West Monroe, Louisiana, and Kris Scott Tomlinson, 50 of West Monroe; each was charged with Second degree murder.

On Tuesday, August 6, 2024, Deputy Sheriffs of the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office and members of the United States Marshals Violent Offender Task Force located and apprehended Wright at a residence in the Deville Community of Rapides Parish. Wright was booked in Rapides Parish and later transferred to the Claiborne Parish Detention Center.

On Wednesday, August 7, 2024, Tomlinson turned himself in at the CPSO. Tomlinson was booked and incarcerated at the Claiborne Parish Detention Center.

Detectives believe Pauley, Wright, and Tomlinson collaborated to lure Swint to the rural location where he was shot.

The investigation is ongoing.

CPSO Detectives were, in addition to the agencies and personnel already mentioned, assisted by the Madison Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office. The arrests were results of cooperation among the multiple agencies.

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

By Michelle Bates

If all goes as planned, Arcadia’s Hazel Street could see some revamping and improvements to its drainage system through the Hazel Street Flood Mitigation Project.

The $4.7 million project will be paid for through the Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery. Mayor O’Landis Millican said the project would include the construction of a lift station at the Arcadia Events Center, renovation of the Daniel Street lift station as well around the pond around the Events Center.

“We’re going to try to buy some land from Gap Farms to build a park with a pond and walking trail around it,” he said. “You can do those things to create a gathering body of water as well as alleviate any damages that’s caused on town property or equipment. The biggest problem we’ve run into is the Daniel Street lift station would flood.

“We have to submit a report once a month, and we’re keeping the ball rolling on that,” he continued.

This would help alleviate flooding all along Hazel Street, he said, adding the resolution (passed unanimously) details what’s included in the grant, as well as the Fair Housing Act. The town advertised for engineering services in The Advocate in Baton Rouge, the Shreveport Times, the Monroe News-Star and the Ruston Daily Leader as well as The Bienville Democrat. The Bienville Parish Journal also shared it online.

“I believe we have two companies, one out of Canada,” he said, adding that the $4.7 million grant is the largest the Town of Arcadia has ever received.

In other news, Millican said the annual audit was done and completed by June 30.

“It’s been submitted pending approval from the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office,” he said. “That will be posted to their website and you (council members) should get the audit and financials next week for the last two months.”

Millican also discussed the roofs at Henderson Jordan Memorial Park, saying some of the roofs are falling in.

“They were built wrong,” he said. “The ceiling (on the porch) is about to fall down. We’re looking at about $18,000 to renovate the roof and deck area, and that’s just with materials and supplies.”

At Arcadia’s kiddie park, the town will begin painting the equipment in August and work their way to others, the mayor said.

Signage at most of the parks will be replaced, except the one at Henderson Jordan Memorial Park. The signs at the Willie Abney Center, Poulan Field, Jessie Lee Roberson Memorial Park and the Jessie Lee Kelly Park will be replaced.

The town will continue to seek grants to improve parks and recreation, Millican said. He spoke to the director of the Louisiana Parks Association who will provide a list of grants available in which the town will apply.

Work has also begun on the Community Garden. The shed is in and dirt is beginning to be moved to create the garden space. District 5 Councilman said a trench will be dug for the sprinkler system, and got the supplies from Taylor’s Feed and work is beginning on a fence for the perimeter of the garden. The money used for the community garden has come from a $10,000 grant from the Louisiana Lieutenant
Governor’s Office.

The next town council meeting will be at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 13.

By Wesley Harris 

Courtesy of Lincoln Parish Journal

A new Louisiana law allowing carry of concealed firearms without a permit includes numerous provisions gun owners must consider, according to a long-time Ruston law enforcement official.  

Ruston City Marshal Curtis Hawkins said anyone contemplating carrying a concealed weapon needs to research the new law and still consider obtaining a concealed carry permit because of the training component of the process. 

While Louisiana has allowed open carry of a firearm for decades, in approving the new law the state joins 28 others in dropping the requirement for a government-issued permit to carry a concealed firearm. Permits will still be issued to those who desire one. 

A longtime firearms instructor, Hawkins encourages obtaining the permit. 

“When you take the concealed carry class, you get the benefit of a certified instructor walking you through many critical topics step by step—basic safety, loading & unloading, fundamentals of shooting, types of ammunition, different shooting positions, child access prevention, state laws on when you can use force, and actual live range shooting.”

Hawkins says responsible carry of a firearm includes knowing the law. “When you drive a car, you better be familiar with the traffic laws or you could be issued a ticket, be involved in an accident, or incur civil liability and criminal charges. Misuse of a firearm can cause you to face criminal charges and civil liability.”.

“Use of force laws can be very complicated,” Hawkins says. Having an instructor go through these laws and provide you scenarios where they could be applied is just a small but vital part of the class.”  

Hawkins, a retired Ruston Police lieutenant, said a person cannot carry a concealed weapon under the following conditions:  

• Under the age of 18  
• Under the influence of alcohol over a .05% blood alcohol content  
• Under the influence of any controlled dangerous substance  
• As a named defendant in a restraining order  
• Convicted felon  

Hawkins said any property owner or designee can prohibit access to persons with a concealed gun with or without a concealed carry permit. In addition, the list of places where concealed weapons are prohibited is lengthy, even with the carry permit, including courthouses and churches: 

• Any place where firearms are banned by state or federal law. 
• A law enforcement office, station, or building.  
• A detention facility, prison, or jail.  
• A courthouse or courtroom; judges are exempted in their own courtrooms.  
• Any polling place.  
• A municipal building or other public building, only if the building or is utilized as the meeting place of the governing authority of a political subdivision.  
• The state capitol building.  
• Any part of an airport facility where the carrying of firearms is prohibited under federal law; exempted are firearms encased for shipment as lawful baggage.  

• Any church, synagogue, mosque, or other similar place of worship, unless authorized by the person who has authority over the administration of the place of worship.  
• At a parade or demonstration for which a permit is issued by a governmental entity.  
• Any portion of the permitted area of an establishment selling alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises.  
• Any school, school campus, or school bus.  

Any person carrying a concealed handgun must inform any law enforcement officer who approaches of the weapon. The person must submit to a pat down and allow the law enforcement officer to temporarily disarm him. Never reach for the firearm, Hawkins warned, but only notify the officer and follow instructions.  

Penalties for failure to comply with this statute can lead to arrest, seizure of the firearm and criminal charges. A conviction can lead to loss of the right to carry a firearm. 

Shawn White has been writing sports for various publications like The Shreveport Times, Shreveport Bossier Journal, Minden Press-Herald, Webster Parish Journal, and New Orleans Advocate. 

He will be continuing to write sports for both the Bienville Parish Journal and Claiborne Parish Journal in the upcoming 2024-25 season. He also owns the website and app available for iPhones and Samsung Galaxy called Under The Radar NWLA. He will begin his 10th year writing sports.

Shawn is local to Northwest Louisiana where he graduated from Doyline High School where he played basketball and was on the track team. He also graduated from LSU-Shreveport and attended Northwestern State and Louisiana Tech. 

Remaining in the Ark-La-Tex for the majority of his life, Shawn and his wife, Leigh have raised their two sons Jackson and Carter in Bossier City where they attended Airline High School. Jackson will graduate from LSU in the fall and Carter will begin his college career at NSU where he will be a pitcher for the Demons. Shawn and Leigh are active members at their home church Airline Baptist in Bossier City.  

On August 3, Captain John Rut sat down and wrote “in haste” a letter to the King of England in which he described the condition of his crew.  “Pleasing your honourable Grace to hear of your servant John Rut, with all his company here in good health, thanks be to God and your Grace’s ship the Mary Gilford.” 

A few months earlier, Robert Thorne, a Bristol merchant, convinced the king to finance an expedition to find a northwest passage to the Orient around or through the North American continent.  Finding a new and quicker route to China, Thorne reasoned, would increase the king’s wealth as well as his own.  The king agreed and put John Rut in command of two well-armed ships. 

On June 10, the Mary Guildford, captained by John Rut, and the Samson, captained by a man known only as “Master Grube,” left Plymouth Harbor and sailed west across the Atlantic Ocean.  For three weeks, the two ships sailed in calm seas and stayed within sight of each other.  Then, on the night of July 1, a severe summer storm materialized.  The crews of both ships fought the high, pounding waves through heavy rain to keep their ships afloat.  Bolts of lightning lit up the skies for split seconds at a time, but the crews were too busy trying to survive to keep each other’s ship in their sights.  Finally, the waves began to die down.  The storm was letting up.  John Rut and the crew of the Mary Guildford looked in all directions through their spyglasses, but they could not locate the Samson.  John Rut wrote, “I trust in almighty Jesu to hear good news of her.  And please your Grace, we were considering and a’writing of all our order, how we would wash us and what course we would draw, [and] so departed southward to seek our fellow.”

In the letter, John Rut explained that they changed course again.  “[We] ran in our course to the northward … and there we found many great islands of ice and deep water; we found no sounding, and then we durst not go further to the northward for fear of more ice.”  On August 3, the Mary Guildford entered into St. John’s harbor, Newfoundland.  In the harbor, which John Rut referred to as “a good haven,” they encountered “eleven sail of Normans, and one Brittaine, and two Portugall barks, and all a’fishing, and so we are ready to depart toward Cape de Bas [as] shortly as we have fished, and so along the coast till we may meet with our fellow (the Samson), and [with] all the diligence that lies in me [as] we were commanded at our departing.” 

Unfortunately, the crew of the Mary Guildford never located their fellow ship, the Samson.  The Samson and its crew disappeared.  Most people at the time, and modern historians agree, that they were probably victims of the brutal storm mentioned in the letter.  John Rut ended the letter, “And thus, Jesu save and keep your honorable Grace, and all your honorable Rever(ences), in the Haven of Saint John, the third day of August.  By your servant John Rut to his uttermost of his power.”  Once John Rut completed the letter, he exchanged it with another ship’s captain, possibly one of the 14 fishing ships in St. John’s “haven.”  At the time, captains on outbound voyages exchanged letters with captains of ships who were heading back toward the outbound ship’s port.  Letters often passed between several ships before reaching their intended recipients.  John Rut’s letter eventually made its way across the Atlantic Ocean to King Henry VIII and into its place in history.  John Rut’s letter, portions of it which you have just read, was the first known letter mailed from the new world, the first letter sent from North America.  John Rut wrote and mailed the letter on August 3, 1527.      

Sources:

1.      “Today in 1527,” The Writer’s Almanac with Garrison Keillor, https://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/index.php%3Fdate=2011%252F08%252F03.html

2.     “August 3, 1527 – the First Known Letter from North America Is Sent by John Rut While at St. John’s, Newfoundland.,” Center for Teaching the Rule of Law, August 3, 2021, https://www.thecenterforruleoflaw.org/rule-of-law-blog/july-3-1527-the-first-known-letter-from-north-america-is-sent-by-john-rut-while-at-st-johns-newfoundland.

3.     “Rut, John,” Dictionary of Canadian Biography, accessed August 5, 2024, https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/rut_john_1E.html.

Sorry guys, I had to take a week off to recuperate from our beach getaway.  

Overall, the four-day trip was a good time. We spent most of the days with our feet in the sand and noses full of saltwater. During the evenings, we were scarfing down yummy seafood and hunting crabs. In between all of this, we could be found lounging around the beach house relaxing, visiting and letting all eight of the grandkids play.  

But I digress, this column is not going to be a detailed account of our vacation, but instead I decided to write about my lovely father. Somehow, he got stuck riding with me on the nine-hour trip to Panama City.  

I think we made it an hour into the trip before he made his FIRST complaint. But before I get too far into those details, I need to give you a little background.  

First of all, this was my dad’s first trip to the beach in his whole life. He is 58…I think? Somewhere around there. You get the picture. He is the definition of a homebody. He goes to work every day and goes home. During the weekend, you can catch him in his boat on the lake. That is the extent of his traveling, so even getting him to agree to go on this trip was an accomplishment in itself.  

So, with that being said I expected some complaining to take place, but an hour in… come on dad. I quickly decided that I would compile a list of his grumbles.  

Kicking this off with a modest grievance, I was freezing him out of the car (remember I am in early menopause, so this wasn’t discredited) and he wished he would have brought a blanket. Followed shortly by, “I thought your car drove better than this and what is that smell?!” 

I did get to experience a couple short hours of silence as him and the three girls (who have yet to complain) fell asleep. Then, he woke up to tell me his body was hurting from riding. We are halfway there. Soon after that, we had to stop to let the ol’ man take a pee break. Followed by another pee break about an hour after that and an hour after that… the man’s bladder is the size of a PEA apparently (no pun intended).

We reach the first signs of the beach in Alabama. Dad says, “Just drop me off here.” Nope, still a couple more hours to go. At this point his body is no longer sore but is now NUMB.  

I am not going to go into details about all his quibbles after a not so short stop at Buc-ee’s. (May need a Part II for that one.) 

We finally made it. Whew! Dad spends ONE whole hour on the beach during this trip. Yes, you read that right. ONE HOUR. Not one day. ONE HOUR! His complaining subsided after he was comfortably placed at the beach house where he spent pretty much the rest of his vacation.  

Then, the dreaded drive home. Dad decided this time instead of being the passenger, he was going to drive. We stopped for a quick breakfast around 10 a.m. before hitting the road. It was a pretty quiet trip until about 4 p.m. when the kids were about to starve to death. Now, not to completely blame dad, the route the GPS took us home was a rural one and there were not a lot of places to stop.  

After about another hour of driving and him trying to convince my THREE kids to split ONE leftover donut from this morning until we got back into Louisiana, I finally convinced him to stop at a McDonald’s. Everyone had a full belly and empty bladder, and we were well on our way to the house.  

The funniest part of this whole expedition though was the cheers that left my dad’s mouth as we crossed the Louisiana state line. You would have thought he won the lottery. But I guess when all you need in life is a good week’s worth of honest work, a cold beer in the evenings and the anticipation of getting a hook wet on the weekends, he is already rich where it counts.

(Paige Gurgainers is a mom of three girls, digital journalist for Webster Parish Journal and publisher of Bienville Parish Journal and Claiborne Parish Journal.)

The Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs is proud to honor all Purple Heart recipients this Wednesday, Aug. 7 on National Purple Heart Day. LDVA Secretary Charlton Meginley and Military Order of the Purple Heart Louisiana State Commander Deron Santiny encourage all Louisianians to wear purple to acknowledge recipients for their selfless sacrifice to our country.

“Today’s freedom and individual liberties enjoyed by all 342 million Americans was, in large part, purchased by the blood of those wounded or killed in combat defending our great nation,” said Secretary Meginley. “It is our duty to never forget those whose lives, and the lives of their loved ones, changed in an instant that all started with the voluntary ‘Send me’.”

“As a Purple Heart recipient, I received an award that no service member wants to receive, yet it symbolizes one of the most meaningful things I’ve done in my life, which was to serve my country at all costs,” said Commander Santiny. “It’s an honor for me to serve as state commander, and as a Veterans Affairs Commission member representing Louisiana’s Purple Heart recipients as MOPH’s designee, working with the LDVA team to best serve them and their families.”

LDVA awards the Louisiana Veterans Honor Medal to eligible veterans with an honorable discharge; to Purple Heart recipients; to veterans or the families of veterans who were prisoners of war/missing in action; or to the families of veterans killed in action. Veterans or veterans’ family members may apply for a medal(s) online at vetaffairs.la.gov/honormedal; via email at veteran@la.gov; or by phone at 225.219.5000.

National Purple Heart Day is celebrated annually on Aug. 7 honoring the nearly two million servicemen and women for their sacrifice while serving in the United States Armed Forces. The Purple Heart, originally referred to as the Badge of Military Merit, is the military’s oldest medal created by Gen. George Washington in 1782.

Working moms (and dads) know what’s involved when they get a call from the school about a sick child. Certainly there’s concern over the child’s health but there’s also the issue of lost work time as they pick up the child, try to find a doctor and likely stay home the rest of the day with the little one.

Trinity Community Health Centers in both Winn and Rapides parishes have incorporated a system of care within their network that can resolve the lost-work problem while providing professional health care for children. It’s called a School-Based Health Clinic. This past school year they saw over 4,500* students through this service.

Candace Hubbard, a family nurse practitioner at Winn’s School-Based Clinic, explains. “The focus of our clinic is keeping kids healthy and in-school. We handle cases of acute illness so that the parent doesn’t have to leave work to get a doctor’s appointment. But we’re more. We also offer wellness visits in an effort to keep the children healthy and to head off later problems.”

The nurse practitioner assures that Trinity performs follow-up calls and works closely with parents in all cases. Through contact with the Trinity professionals, Hubbard says, “the children see us. They know who we are. This helps eliminate the ‘fear factor’ of going to the doctor. Because of this, kids take on a bigger role of taking care of themselves with little things like brushing their teeth and wearing seatbelts.”

As they say, “And there’s more…” Trinity’s School-Based Clinics offer not only basic health care for the children but also offer a dental clinic, behavioral health services as well as vision and hearing screenings.

In its operation, the Trinity staff works closely with the schools and school nurses to provide this service. “I love being able to work in the same area where my children go to school,” says Hubbard. “I love the family-centered environment, bringing health care to people who might not afford it otherwise. We fill the gaps in areas like transportation. I truly believe we are meeting those needs.”

Candace Hubbard and husband Shane have two children, Alison and Gabriel Wren, who are students at Winnfield Senior High School. She joined the Trinity Community Health Center family in 2013, assisting in the launch of the school-based clinic when it was a pilot program. That clinic was initially located in the old Winnfield Intermediate School building but shifted to the old Adult Learning Center around the corner following Hurricane Laura.

The Lakeview High School graduate received her BS degree in nursing from NSU in 2005 and her MS degree in nursing, also at NSU, in 2013. In the interim, she worked as an RN in the Natchitoches Hospital’s labor & delivery department.

*School-based student services numbers for the 2023-24 school year were 655 for dental cleaning, 904 behavioral health, 2,503 medical (sickness & wellness visits), 338 sports physicals and 189 flu shots.
“Our mission at Trinity Community Health Centers has always been to provide quality healthcare services to students and their families, regardless their ability to pay,” says CEO Deano Thornton

If you’ve never seen a race walk, it’s like watching a lot of discomforted people hurrying, with determined and stressful purpose, to get to the nearest bathroom.

That, you’ve seen. And experienced.

If you’ve successfully navigated such a familiar situation but you’ve never seen it as a competition but are eager to, you are in for the same feeling of relief and afterglow today. Because FINALLY — it’s here! 

I kid you not.

Today — Wednesday, August 7 — the marathon race walk mixed relay competition will be decided, over the hills and through the woods in the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. 

For more than 42 kilometers, a male and female competitor will alternate every 10 kilometers or so until they’ve crossed the finish line, which in American miles is 26 and a smidge. Male-female-male-female. No baton to pass at each relay point, just a low five. Like tag team wrestling.

Will take between 4-and-a-half to 5 hours, give or take: no one knows for sure since this is an Olympic first.

This is no slap at walking. This bureau is pro-walk. Like to walk. LOVE to walk. Try to walk two or three miles a day, 10,000-steps-plus and all that. 

But casually. Not competitively. The only things I try to beat while walking are the sun and my age. 

Those of a certain age will remember race walking in black-and-white on television, either at the Olympics in the 1960s or on “Wide, Wide World of (Sometimes Walking) Sports, and Jim McKay trying to come up with something to say while, with Jim, we watched a pack of people walking as if they really, REALLY wanted to start running. 

Want a professional challenge? Try step-by-step play-by-play.

Best wishes.

Let’s face it: race walking is goofy. It requires a gait that demands you swallow your pride, and maybe a corn cob, at the door. It is not for either the faint of heart or the faint of colon.

It’s a tough sport. 

Race walking became an Olympic sport back in 1908 at the London Summer Olympics, and I can only imagine how:

“Hey, Uncle Jules, since you’re the head of the Olympic Committee this go-’round, think you can make a sport for me? I would like to compete and get a medal but methinks jumping and especially the running, by golly, that appears tiresome.”

Boom! Race walk.

Those who can, run, do; those who can’t, walk.

Alas, this seems to be a part of Olympic fever. When you watch (or more likely just hear, like me) about some of these sports, doesn’t it sound like, “Well, I did all that 50 years ago —at church camp.”

Ping pong and trampoline. Skateboarding and bicycle jumping. And the most daring, pride-swallowing stretch of all, 3-on-3 basketball. Now we are taking real sports and dividing them up? Next is 2-on-2 basketball and then 3-on-3 soccer and on it goes.

If we ARE going to have 3-on-3 Olympic basketball, it should be “call your own fouls.” How is it true 3-on-3 otherwise?

Come on guys … 

This is not an edict or proposal to do away with any of the Olympic “sports.” It’s like college football bowl games: if someone wants to play them and watch them and pay for them to be played, great. If it’s college football bowl games, I’m watching. Some of these Olympic things, neg. 

To each his own.

I’m just saying this: don’t sell this stuff to me as Real Olympics. We know that while the Alamo Bowl is a college bowl game, it’s not one of the Big Six bowl games. And while breakdancing is called an Olympic sport now, it’s not the 100m or the 4×400. To paraphrase, don’t walk on me and tell me you’re running.  

For the record, Americans aren’t walkers of the Olympic variety. We scored a silver back in Antwerp in ’20 (NINETEEN 20) and a couple of bronze deals 50 years ago. In the individual 20-kilometer competitions last week, the winners were from Ecuador and China. Took between 80 to 85 minutes to walk the 12-and-a-half American miles.

That’s booking it for a walk, between 8 and 9 miles per hour.

The Americans? We didn’t walk. And we ain’t medley walking today, either. We’ll be running and jumping.

Anyway, that’s it. Gotta run…

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

Funeral services for Barbara Christian Ellis will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 7, 2024, at Rose-Neath Funeral Home in Arcadia, with burial to follow at Alabama Cemetery. Bro. Taff Watts and Rev. Don Callaway will officiate the services. A visitation will be held on Tuesday from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. 

Barbara was born on December 19, 1945, in Arcadia, LA to DeWitt and Maudie Bell Woodard Christian. She passed away on August 1, 2024, in Shreveport, LA with her loving children by her side. Barbara earned her Master’s Degree in Education and taught elementary school in Bienville Parish for over 43 years. She enjoyed baking and making Christmas candy. She also enjoyed going to the casino. Barbara was affectionately known to her nieces and nephews as Big Bobby. She was a devoted wife to her husband James, and their 5 hungry kids. Barbara was an absolute treasure to those that knew her and will be greatly missed by those that had the privilege of knowing her. 

Barbara is preceded in death by her husband, James Ellis, parents DeWitt and Maudie Christian, brothers Herbert Christian and Woodard Christian, sister Estelle Christian, and by half-brothers Purvis Christian and Ralph Christian.

Those left to cherish her memory are her children; Jason Ellis and Tanya Lay, Krystal Pearce and husband Marc, Brandon Ellis and Amy, Brittani Grafton and husband Mark, and Michael Ellis and wife Brooke, grandchildren; Trent Ellis, Chandler, Aiden, Ethan, Everly, and Ellis Pearce, Tayler and Christian Ellis, and Kloey and Kohen Ellis, great granddaughter, Lainey Ellis, brothers, Kenneth Christian and Louis Christian and wife Marzel, and by numerous other nieces, nephews, and other loving family and friends.

Serving as pallbearers will be Mikie Pearce, Aaron Christian, Colvin Robinson, Jeffery Huckaby, David Williams, Billy Ledford, Bob Kellogg, and Clifford Williams. Honorary pallbearers will be Keith Boyett, Bobby Christian, and Richie Burke.

The following arrests were made by local law enforcement agencies.

07/28/24

Eddie Williams of Grenada, Ms. was arrested for operating a vehicle with a suspended license; no license issued. 

Brittany Graves of Coushatta was arrested for possession of methamphetamine (less than 28 grams) and possession or distribution of drug paraphernalia. 

Joshua Graves of Natchitoches was arrested for possession of marijuana (14 grams of less), possession or distribution of drug paraphernalia and operating a vehicle while intoxicated. 

Ariel Peair of Castor was arrested for failure to appear warrant. 

Mardoqueo Vasquez of LaGrange, Ga. was arrested for exceeding the maximum speed limit and no driver’s license. 

Thomas Howell of Castor was arrested for violation of probation/parole.

07/31/24

Kristopher Rupp of Ponca, Ok. was arrested for failure to display license plate, no driver’s license, conspiracy to distribute Schedule II and possession of Schedule I with intent to distribute. 

Havion Love of Ringgold was arrested for two counts of failure to appear – execution of sentence. 

Keilon Boston of Ruston was arrested for failure to appear – execution of sentence. 

Lakedrick Simpson of Gibsland was arrested for child support obligation, possession of a firearm/carry concealed weapon by a convicted felon, possession of cocaine (less than 28 grams), possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession or distribution of drug paraphernalia and illegal carrying of a weapon in the presence of a controlled dangerous substance. 

Cheryl Uzzle of Ringgold was arrested for domestic abuse battery. 

Jason Lay of Arcadia was arrested for three counts of distribution of methamphetamine.

Kassidy Cowin of Tulsa, Ok. was arrested for possession of Schedule I with intent to distribute, attempt or conspiring to distribute or possess with intent to distribute Schedule I drug.  

08/01/24

Jakyrie Byner of Fort Worth, Tx. was arrested as a fugitive. 

08/02/24

Derek King of Quitman was arrested for flight from an officer, violation of stop sign with no injury, operating a vehicle with a suspended license, possession of marijuana over 14 grams (2nd offense), and possession or distribution of drug paraphernalia. 

Edward Hall of Monroe was arrested as a fugitive for two counts of monetary instrument abuse. 

08/03/24

April Richardson of Arcadia was arrested for issuing worthless checks and failure to appear – execution of sentence. 

Brandon Tobin of Arcadia was arrested for domestic abuse battery. 

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 – August 6, 2024

Barbara Ellis

Dec. 19, 1945 – Aug. 1, 2024

Arcadia, La.

Visitation: 5 – 7 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 06, 2024, Rose-Neath Funeral Home, Arcadia, La.

Funeral service: 11 – noon, Wednesday, Aug. 07, 2024, Rose-Neath Funeral Home, Arcadia, La.

Burial will follow at Alabama Baptist Church Cemetery. 

Arlisa Evans Greer

Aug. 20, 1971 – July 31, 2024

Arcadia, La.

Visitation: 1 – 6 p.m., Thursday, August 08, 2024, Memorial Funeral Home, Arcadia, La. 

Funeral service: 11 a.m., Friday, August 09, 2024, Memorial Funeral Home, Arcadia, La. 

Gloria Farmer Caskey

Nov. 07, 1939 – Aug. 05, 2024

Homer, La. 

Visitation: 10 – 11 a.m., Friday, August 09, 2024, First Baptist Church of Homer, Homer, La.

Funeral service will immediately follow visitation.

Joyce Moreland Rawls

July 02, 1938 – July 30, 2024

Homer, La.

Visitation: Saturday, August 10, 2024, 2 – 3 p.m., Rose-Neath Funeral Home, Homer, La. 

Memorial service will be held following visitation from 3 – 4 p.m.

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.)