Tax notices have been mailed out to Bienville Parish property owners. Due to the delay in mailing no penalties will be assessed on payments made prior to February 1, 2025.

The Bienville Parish Police Jury held their regular monthly meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 11. 

Among the items discussed in the regular meeting, reports on approvals to several recommendations from the Public Works Committee were provided as well as an approval to an emergency payment for A/C repair. The meeting also served as a public hearing for the adoption of the 2025 budget, which was unanimously approved via roll call. The Jury also presented and voted on a multi-part ordinance regarding changes to election precincts in the parish. This was followed by a resolution to request financial assistance from the State of Louisiana through the Office of Community Development to improve the water facilities in Bienville Parish. Several other bills and proposals were presented and voted on. 

The complete minutes can be viewed below.  

The following arrests were made by local law enforcement officers.

12/08/24

Tallaneisha Fields of Arcadia was arrested for Operating a Vehicle with a Suspended License and No License Issued.

12/10/24

Cameron Jessup of Bossier City was arrested for the following offenses: Possession of a Firearm/Carry.Concealed Weapon by Convicted Felon; Possession or Distribution of Drug Paraphernalia (Misdemeanor); Prohibited Acts – Schedule IV (Felony); Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine (Felony); Illegal Possession of Stolen Firearm (Felony); Simple Criminal Damage to Property (Misdemeanor); 2 counts of Criminal Trespass (Misdemeanor); 2 counts of Identity Theft; Violation of Probation/Parole; and Fugitive.

Terry Vernon of Arcadia was arrested for Criminal Trespass (Misdemeanor).

Jessica Young of Bossier City was arrested for Possession of Methamphetamine Less Than 28 Grams (Felony) and 2 counts of Criminal Trespass (Misdemeanor).

12/11/24

Robert Weathers of Ringgold was arrested for Distribution of Methamphetamine (Felony).

James Colbert IV of Bossier was arrested for Simple Criminal Damage to Property (Felony); Illegal Carrying of Weapons (Felony); Illegal Use of Weapons or Dangerous Instrumentalities – Weapons Law Violation (Felony); and Second Degree Murder (Felony).

James Foy of Ringgold was arrested for Aggravated Battery with a Dangerous Weapon (Felony).

12/12/24

Jakyrie Byner of Fort Worth, TX, was arrested on a Failure to Appear warrant (Felony).

Keetyvric Abney of Gibsland was arrested for Theft by Shoplifting (Misdemeanor); Enter/Remain After Being Forbidden – Immovable Structure (Misdemeanor); and Simply Robbery (Felony).

12/13/24

Joe McCallum of Lone Oak, TX, was arrested for Vehicle Registration Expired (Misdemeanor) and 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.

The Bienville Parish School Board is accepting applications for a Child-Specific Paraprofessional position at Saline High School. BPSB began accepting applications on Monday, Dec. 16, and will continue accepting applications through Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. 

Applicants must possess a high school diploma or HISET (General Equivalency Diploma). This qualification must be met at the time the application is submitted. The applicant must possess the physical ability and stamina to assist in meeting the health needs, personal hygiene, and movement of students. In addition, a pre-employment drug screening and a background check are required.

Applications may be picked up form the main office at Saline High School or from the Bienville Parish School Board website link: https://5il.co/2hy5h

Completed applications should be submitted to: 

Dr. Byron Lyons, Superintendent
Bienville Parish School Board
1956 First Street
Post Office Box 418
Arcadia, LA 71001

Email: byron.lyons@bpsb.us

Phone: 318-263-9416 / Fax: 318-263-3100

She’s a pediatrician who had 30 years of experience in the field even before moving back closer to home to join Lincoln Community Health Center in 2019, working with health problems and complications that arise in patients ages birth through 21.

Her name is Dr. Angela Odom-Austin, a Shreveport native who received her undergraduate degree in general biology at Dillard University in New Orleans before heading to medical school at Duke in North Carolina. In that process, she had done summer research at LSU Medical Center in Shreveport in deep tissue burns then took on intense studies of the immune system at Dillard.

“I really wanted to go to medical school,” she told the Journal, with reference to her studies of immunology. Her training was honed during those years by working in the medical field through a series of pandemics. “I was at Duke in the middle of the AIDS pandemic. Early on, people in the medical community were panicked about how you deal with handling those affected folks. But we learned.”

She said the same fear “in the early going” of COVID was witnessed. By that time, Dr. Odom had worked through AIDS, Avian flu, SARS, Ebola then COVID. “The rule is ‘First, do no harm.’ But then you must accept that we’re here to help our community. So we help others.”

The young doctor did her pediatric residency at Eastern Virginia Graduate School of Medicine (Old Dominion) and stayed in Virginia where she had family for the next 30 years with her medical practice and raising her own family. She came to Ruston at Lincoln Community Health Center in 2019. “My mom was still living in Shreveport but getting on in age and needed me near. I wanted to get back to Louisiana.” She put out the word and Trinity Community Health Centers of Louisiana responded. “It was not quite Shreveport but close enough. Since I also have family in Grambling and as a child, I went to Girl Scouts camp there, this brings good memories. As a Federally Qualified Health Center, Trinity serves an underserved community. I’m quite happy to be here.”

Faith and church are important parts in Dr. Odom’s life. A member of New Rocky Valley Baptist Church in Grambling, she notes that during the COVID pandemic, many learned to worship online so she is able to do that occasionally with several of her churches back in Virginia.

“So what do I do outside of work?” she asks. “I enjoy looking in on the Ruston Community Men’s Shed, a place for woodworking and fellowship. Men and women get together, repair and build projects for those who need help. And they build friendships.”

Bienville Parish Library surveyed its staff and got a list of favorite “Gotta Watch Christmas Movies!” There’s tons more to this list but they had to start somewhere. Some selections from the list include: 

It’s a Charlie Brown Christmas
It’s a Wonderful Life!
The Bishop’s Wife
Elf
Frosty the Snowman
All of the Home Alone movies
Die Hard
Nightmare Before Christmas
The Muppets Christmas Carol
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
The Polar Express
Miracle on 34th Street
A White Christmas

Check out BPL’s Facebook profile for the full list and to add more in the comments. Tune in soon for a list of Christmas songs.

Most fathers would do just about anything to protect their daughters from harm, criticism, and unhappiness.  Margaret’s father was no different.  In December 1950, Margaret, a soprano singer, performed at the famous Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee to crowds who were enthusiastic about her “winning manner, discriminating selection of music, and naturalness.”  She had had many successes in concert and solo roles with several orchestras.  On this particular night, Margaret was accompanied by Herman Allison on piano.  When the curtain rose, Margaret greeted the large, cheering crowd wearing a concert dress of sari material, billowy material woven of gold and silver threads, which had been a gift from the wife of the Prime Minister of Pakistan.  One critic reported that she won over the audience “before she sang a note.”  During her performance, she sang such difficult selections as “The Nightingale” by Schubert, “The Nut Tree,” by Schumann, and an aria from “Le Nozze de Figaro.”  So enthused was the audience that night that Margaret performed two encores.

While many other critics wrote positive reviews, 34-year-old Paul Hume, music editor for The Washington Post, was less than impressed.  Hume wrote that Margaret “cannot sing very well” and “is flat a good deal of the time.”  “There are a few moments during her recital,” he wrote, “when one can relax and feel confident that she will make her goal, which is the end of the song…  It is an extremely unpleasant duty to record such unhappy facts about so honestly appealing a personality.  But as long as [Margaret] sings as she has for three years, and does today, we seem to have no recourse unless it is to omit comment on her programs altogether.”  It was a biting review.      

In response, Margaret said that she had not had time to read the review but he, Paul Hume, “has a perfect right to say whatever he thinks.”  She had received other negative reviews from critics in the past, but concert hall, radio, and television audiences adored her.  Despite the critics, people flocked to see her perform.  Margaret brushed off the negative review.  Margaret’s father, however, was enraged by Hume’s review.  He wrote a scathing letter to Hume in which he said, “I have just read your lousy review buried in the back pages.  You sound like a frustrated old man who never made a success, an eight-ulcer man on a four-ulcer job, and all four ulcers working.”  Margaret’s father’s anger grew as he continued to write.  “I never met you but if I do, you’ll need a new nose and plenty of beefsteak and perhaps a supporter below.”  In the letter, Margaret’s father threatened to “beat [him] up, from top to bottom.”  On the following day, newspapers reprinted parts of Margaret’s father’s letter.  At first, Margaret was surprised and did not believe her father wrote the scathing letter.  When she learned that her father had written the letter, she told the press that she had “no comment to make.”  Margaret’s father explained that he had written the letter out of love for his daughter.

On March 27, 2002, more than five decades later, Margaret’s father’s letter to Paul Hume was auctioned by the world-famous Christie’s Auction House.  The letter sold for $193,000.  You see, Margaret’s father wrote the letter on White House stationery. Margaret’s father was President Harry Truman.

Sources:

1.      “Truman, Harry. Autograph letter signed (H.S.T.” to Paul Hume, Music Critic of the Washington Post, D.C., 6 December 1950,” Christies.com, https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-3886900.

2.     The Tennessean (Nashville, Tennessee), December 9, 1950, p.1.

3.     St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 24, 1950, p.13.

Mallory is my daughter-in-law. She was here this last weekend. There was a shopping adventure on Saturday and that evening she was wrapping the presents. Mallory is one of “those” gift wrappers. I stood and watched her wrap gifts. With engineering precision, she made one cut of the wrapping paper. The ends of the gifts wrapped were perfect. She used a minimum amount of tape. She did it with the skill of a
neurosurgeon and the speed of a NASCAR pit crew member. I gave up attempts at gift wrapping decades ago. A gift bag is a blessing for people like me.

Mallory was so peaceful as she was wrapping at the speed of light.

This time of year, requires speed. Everyone promises it to us. The Postal Service, UPS, and FedEx promise they are the speediest. I’m waiting for one of them to promise overnight delivery on Christmas Eve. Although I think St. Nick and the Elf union would fight that infringement on their gig. Amazon has amazing speed, but you pay for it. Their free delivery takes from 3-5 business days, or you can opt for their expensive express delivery which will arrive in 4-6 business days. In many cases the free shipping
is quicker than the express shipping you pay for. Go figure.

Here’s the thing, I’m wondering if we should be working on our “slowing skills.”

I lived in Natchitoches for ten years. I loved the Christmas lights! At the residential end of the Church Street bridge there is a sign that says Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. The challenge is that the traffic lights are directly in front of the sign. So, if you are a visitor to that city and you don’t know that secret, you often are challenged to see and follow the traffic lights.

I remember one evening trying to hurry home across the Church Street bridge.

In front of me was a van from the state of Hittite. (Don’t want to tell you the state lest I offend.) This van was driving 2 miles an hour over the bridge at 5:30 p.m. These out-of-state guests were looking at the wonderful light display on the other side of the river. This nice van driver speeding at two miles an hour looking at the lights was not looking at the road. Twice the van hit the curb on the Church Street Bridge. That is no small curb. They didn’t seem too bothered by their dual collisions with the curb. At the end of the road, they stopped at the green light. They met the big sign hiding the traffic lights. I waited patiently for as long as I could stand it, then I sent them an audible automotive suggestion that they complete their right turn.

Paul wrote, “But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law.” I wonder how long it took for time to fully come? Christmas day is getting ever closer.

Maybe we would be more faithful witnesses to our faith if we learned some slowing skills. Be patient with people in the parking lot, the check-out line, over worked wait staff in the diner, and those you love who are also caught in the Christmas speed trap. Be patient with those who are having their first Christmas without loved ones or without their children being home. Practice patience with those who are not moving at the same Christmas speed.

Learn “slowing skills” and wait, Christmas always arrives on time.

The Arcadia Events Center played host to the Bienville Parish Leadership Appreciation Luncheon on Monday, Dec. 16. Taking place between 11am and 2pm, the event featured opening remarks by BPSB Superintendent Dr. Byron Lyons. 

Last night, my leadership team gathered for our 37th annual Christmas dinner—a tradition I cherish. It’s a moment to pause, reflect, and thank the incredible hard-working and dedicated people who make everything we do possible. This tradition brings together our leadership team, C-Suite, admin staff, and their significant others for an evening of barbecue ribs and ribeye steaks at Donanelle’s, my favorite dive joint that’s become sacred to our team.

This dinner is where I hand out Christmas bonuses and share my gratitude each year. It’s the prelude to our big annual celebration—the Christmas party for the entire team. That event brings together all 150 team members and their plus-ones for great food, an open bar, a DJ, and dancing. But last night was different.

Last night was about reflecting on a year of transformation.

In the early days, I hosted the leadership dinners at home. I cooked for our small management team and thanked them around my dining room table. Bonuses were modest, and I often skipped mine to make sure the team was taken care of. Over time, we added significant others, brought in kitchen staff to help, and eventually moved to a restaurant. In 2004, we settled at Donanelle’s, and it’s been our spot ever since. The team wouldn’t let us move it now if we tried.

Back then, the challenges were simpler. I juggled it all—branding, menu development, marketing, culture, systems, finances, and training. It worked for a while, but as we grew, my shortcomings became clear.

We’ve weathered tight times—breaking even, scraping small profits, or taking losses—before, during, and after COVID. Looking back, those struggles came down to one thing: my failure to lead effectively. I didn’t build the right team. By trying to do too much, I often did far less. 

That approach doesn’t scale. I spent too much time outside my skill set, which pulled me away from where I’m at my best—imaging, branding, marketing, design, menu development, and knowing what the market wants.

The turning point came when I surrounded myself with the right people.

Today, we have a stellar leadership team. Our COO runs systems, management, and culture with precision. Our CFO and CIO handle inventory, forecasting, budgeting, and financials better than I ever could. Our Chief Culinary Officer leads food development, training, and team building with passion and expertise.

They’re far more effective than I ever was alone. Their leadership—alongside our restaurant and office team leaders—ripples through the company, impacting all 400 team members. Building this team took time, but the results speak for themselves.

This year, we hit record sales and profits. More importantly, our culture is thriving again. We’ve got the right people in the right seats. For years, we were blessed to hire A+ candidates. Post-COVID, we were hiring warm bodies, and managing warm bodies is a whole different game. It wasn’t easy.

In 2020, we re-concepted our fine-dining restaurant—a COVID casualty—into a Tex-Mex spot. On opening night, we were 25 people short. We made it work, but it exposed cracks in our foundation. Cracks I’d created by not prioritizing leadership and culture sooner.

Last night, the transformation was clear. Our mission— “We give our guests exceptional experiences through fanatical, wall-to-wall hospitality”— is no longer just a statement; it’s a daily focus. I always believed in it, but I hadn’t communicated it well. The same goes for our core values: hospitality, quality, consistency, cleanliness, and community. Today, they’re not just words—they’re the heartbeat of everything we do.

This cultural rebirth didn’t happen overnight. It took our leadership team, restaurant managers, and every team member who bought into the vision. 

Something reignited in me over the past two years. I feel like that 26-year-old again—the one who opened a restaurant on a shoestring budget, lived in a one-room garage apartment until he was 30, worked 90-hour weeks, and paid himself $250 a week just to keep the doors open. I loved every minute of it. Back then, it was the bricks, mortar, and equipment that mattered most.

Now I understand: the team isn’t part of the restaurant. They ARE the restaurant.

Early on, I thought our purpose was simple: prioritize (in order) customers, co-workers, and community. That was in the customer-is-always-right days of the 1980s and 1990s. But a few years ago, I flipped that script. Our purpose shifted to: “We exist to support our team, delight our guests, and serve our community.” Put the team first, and they’ll take care of the guests. It’s a simple truth that’s transformed everything.

We asked ourselves, “What do we need to do to become the best place to work in the restaurant industry in our region?” And we reverse-engineered it from there.

Last night, as I looked around the room, I saw more than a leadership team. I saw people who believed in me when I didn’t always lead them well. I saw a group of individuals who carried us through tough times and helped us come out stronger.

I’ve learned that all business problems are people problems. Conversely, all business successes are people successes. This year’s achievements are a direct result of the incredible team I’m blessed to work alongside every day.

Our next chapter is about growth. We’re expanding, and to do that, we are building our bench. But I have no doubt we’ll rise to the challenge; thanks to the team we’ve built.

To my team: thank you for making us who we are—and who we’ll become.

Onward.

Hoisin Glazed Chicken Wings

1 gallon water

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup sugar

2 Tbl kosher salt

1 1/2 Tbl crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 cup white vinegar

2 Tbl fresh ginger, minced

3 lbs. fresh chicken wings

2 jars hoisin sauce (7-oz each)

1/4  cups sugar

1/4 cup water

1 Tbl fresh jalapenos, small dice 

2 tsp minced garlic

1 Tbl fresh lime juice

1 Tbl Hot sauce

In a large stock pot, combine the water, soy sauce, sugar, salt, red pepper flakes, vinegar and ginger. Bring this mixture to a simmer, and allow it to cook for 10 minutes. Place the chicken wings into the simmering mixture. Once the water returns to simmer, cook the wings for 20 minutes.

Using a large colander, strain and discard the liquid. Allow the chicken wings to cool in the refrigerator for one hour. This step may be done 1-2 days in advance.

Preheat oven to 250

Line a large baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the hoisin sauce, sugar, water, jalapeños, garlic, lime juice and hot sauce. Remove half of this mixture for later use.

Toss the pre-cooked wings in the mixing bowl, coating them well with the sauce. Arrange them on the foil lined baking sheet, and cover them completely with another sheet of aluminum foil. Bake for 50 minutes. Remove the foil and place the remaining sauce in to a large mixing bowl. Gently place the wings in the bowl, and toss them with the sauce. Return the wings to the baking sheet. Turn the oven up to 275 and return the wings to the oven, uncovered. Bake for 45 minutes.

Remove from the oven and serve.

Yield: Eight to ten servings

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

I was thrilled to read that Meta (Facebook) had selected Holly Ridge in Franklin Parish (near Monroe, Louisiana) as the site of its planned $10 billion Artificial Intelligence data center.  Governor Jeff Landry stated that “this investment is a game changer for our state.”  He further noted “this project is expected to be the largest private capital investment in the state’s history.”  Wow!

However, this tremendous success is nearly two decades in the making.

In 2006, I was serving in D.C. as Chief of Staff for U.S. Congressman Rodney Alexander (no relation).  One of the many projects Congressman Alexander was working on was assisting Governor Kathleen Blanco with preparing the Holly Ridge, Louisiana mega site location in Congressman Alexander’s 5th Congressional District.

The late Governor Blanco recognized early on that this large piece of land, situated as it was on Interstate 20 and within the proximity of Interstate 49 in Shreveport, could provide an ideal location for some major industry.  So, Gov. Blanco pushed her Department of Economic Development to focus on getting the land certified as “site ready.”  She then sought potential suitors and led an economic development trip to Asia for that purpose.  (During her tenure, one of Gov. Blanco’s signature achievements was landing Union Tank Car Co. in Alexandria, LA, also in Congressman Alexander’s congressional district).  

Governor Blanco invited Congressman Alexander to accompany her on the Asia trip, but he was unable to do so due to several major votes in Congress as well as critical votes on the House Appropriations Committee, on which he sat.  He simply couldn’t afford to be away.  So, I volunteered to travel with Governor Blanco in support of the 5th Congressional District.

What a trip.  

One event involved Governor Blanco and our group meeting with the Vice President of Toyota Motor Company.  I remember being briefed on the way over that the Japanese people are a shy, highly respectful people and not to be loud or overly expressive in the typical American and Louisiana way!  However, Coach Raymond Blanco, the Governor’s husband, departed our plane and immediately provided a bear hug to the leader of the greeting party at the airport who seemed at first taken aback but then smiled warmly.  I got the feeling we were not the first Americans who had not adhered to the “hands off” protocol.  

Toyota appeared genuinely receptive to our pitch and had a number of questions for Gov. Blanco and her economic development team, headed by Michael Olivier, who was well prepared.  I remember my one utterance was to tell the VP of Toyota that “there really is no place as special as Louisiana and no potential plant site as promising for Toyota as our Holly Ridge site.” (I also note the years of lobbying by economic developer, Tana Trichel, to bring this project to fruition).

Next, we headed to Beijing, China. I noticed that the moment we had gotten into Chinese air space all our phones and electronic devices said “China” on them.  I realized that our devices were likely being monitored by the Chinese communist government.

In Beijing, we toured several major industries.  I was reminded that in a communist country there is no need for permits, environmental impact statements or any other delays.  Once the government decided a project was needed, it was undertaken and completed.  One evening we were invited to a formal dinner.  I sat down and looked around.  It struck me that I had never before, and likely never would again, eat dinner in a room full of communists.  It was surreal.  I remember Gov. Blanco and her staff enthusiastically pitching, through interpreters, Louisiana generally and our mega site location specifically.  

Gov. Blanco emphasized that Louisiana would be a great business partner and would offer very competitive economic incentives to Chinese companies that located to Louisiana.  I felt the Chinese leadership at the table were listening closely.

Returning home, I was hopeful about the prospect of Asian investment in Louisiana, and especially at the Holly Ridge site.  That didn’t happen at that time but the extensive preparation that went into getting the property “site ready” is what made this decision possible by Meta. Without the foresight of Governor Blanco and the unconditional support of Congressman Alexander, this decision by Meta could not have occurred.

I also salute Governor Landry and his staff for doing the work necessary to cross the finish line of this unprecedented economic victory for Louisiana. 

The holidays can be a busy time of the year, but this quick and easy mirliton dressing will bring
you and your family some Louisiana holiday cheer. This dressing is just one of the many recipes
you can make with mirliton, also called vegetable pear, chayote, or mango squash. Follow the
recipe below or watch LSU AgCenter nutrition & community health agent Quincy Vidrine prepare
this classic mirliton dressing recipe. For more information about healthy eating and active living,
contact your local LSU AgCenter nutrition and community health agent.

Ingredients:

 2 teaspoons canola oil
 4 mirlitons, scalded, peeled and cubed
 1 onion, chopped
 1 green bell pepper, chopped
 1/4 cup celery, chopped
 1/4 pound ground beef
 1/4 pound ground turkey
 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice or crumbled cornbread
 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
 Creole seasoning to taste

Instructions:

1. In a heavy 10-inch skillet, heat oil and sauté mirliton, onion, bell pepper, and celery until
   mirliton is soft.
2. Add beef and turkey and continue cooking until meat is done.
3. Add rice or cornbread, Worcestershire sauce, and Creole seasoning. Cook until well-
   heated.
4. Serve immediately. Can refrigerate and reheat or freeze.

Serves: 8 | Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 40 minutes

Each year on December 18, Answer the Phone Like Buddy the Elf Day encourages fans of the hit movie Elf to embrace their inner Buddy with his signature greeting: “Buddy the Elf, what’s your favorite color?” This playful tradition brings laughter and festive cheer to the holiday season.

Modern holiday films like Elf have sparked quirky traditions that add a sense of joy to December. From dressing up as Buddy to organizing themed watch parties, these activities remind us to embrace the magic and silliness of the season.

So, pick up the phone, channel Buddy, and let the holiday spirit ring through your words—it’s a simple way to spread joy.

David Lane Bumgardner
April 25, 1942 – December 15, 2024
Service: Thursday, December 19, 2024, 10am at Ramah Baptist Church, Castor.

Norman Johnson
February 6, 1953 – December 7, 2024
Service: Saturday, December 21, 2024, at 10:30am at First Baptist Church, Plain Dealing.

Ruth Whatley
February 10, 1938 – December 6, 2024
Service: Friday, December 20, 2024, 2pm at Providence Cemetery, Ringgold.

Walter Dale Hay
December 2, 1946 – November 25, 2024
Service: Sunday, December 22, 2024, 2pm at the Rockett Funeral Home, Ringgold.

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.)

The Bienville Parish Police Jury will be convening for their July regular meeting today, Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 9 a.m. at the Bienville Parish Courthouse in Arcadia. 

Agenda:

The following arrests were made by local law enforcement.

12/01/24

Christhian Arriaga of Hampton, IL was arrested for violating the Minimum Speed Limit and Driver Must Be Licensed.

Casey Smedley of Quitman was arrested for Failure to Appear Warrant – Misdemeanor – Principal.

Erica Harper of Arcadia was arrested for Operating a Vehicle with Suspended License; No License Issued; and No Seat Belt (1st Offense).

Chad Young of Arcadia was arrested for Distribution/Manufacture of Crack Cocaine (Felony); Resisting an Officer with Force or Violence (Felony) – minor injury, two counts; Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute; and Possession or Distribution of Drug Paraphernalia – Misdemeanor.

12/02/24

Miguel Dardon of Rhome, TX, was arrested for violating Driver Must Be Licensed.

Jesus Espitia of Wilmer, TX, was arrested for violating Driver Must Be Licensed.

12/04/24

Jacobee Adams of Ringgold was arrested for Violation of Probation/Parole; Criminal Conspiracy (Felony); and Assault by Drive-By Shooting (Felony).

Mims, Almeycia of Arcadia was arrested for Failure to Appear Warrant – Misdemeanor.

Robert Sneed III of Taylor was arrested for Possession of Firearm/Carry.Concealed Weapon by Convicted Felon (Felony); Violation of Probation/Parole; Theft (Felony); Fugitive; and Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle (Felony).

12/05/24

Renee Mingo of Ringgold was arrested for Expired or Cancelled License Plate and Expired Motor Vehicle Inspection.

Johnny Jenkins of Athens was arrested for Fugitive.

Larry Anderson of Louisiana was arrested for Criminal Trespass (Misdemeanor).

12/06/24

Maria Lozano of Arcadia was arrested for Resisting an Officer with Force or Violence (Felony) – minor injury; Resisting an Officer (Misdemeanor); and Aggravated Assault with a Firearm (Felony).

12/07/24
Raven Dunn of Ruston was arrested for Failure to Appear Warrant – Misdemeanor.

My success today is rooted in the failures of my past.

Failure can be a necessary ingredient for success, and the earlier it happens, the better. I learned this the hard way, stumbling more times than I care to count. But each failure, no matter how brutal, was a steppingstone.

Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing.

Here’s the raw truth. In my late teens, I was a mess. Addiction had a chokehold on my life, and I was on a runaway luge to hell. Fired from multiple jobs because I couldn’t show up on time, I had tons of desire but zero discipline and self-control. My brother fired me from his landscaping business, twice. He was right to do so; I was unreliable, aimless, and reckless.

By 21, I had resigned myself to a bleak future. I didn’t think I’d live to see 30. Though, the hard truth is— the way I was living— I probably wouldn’t have made it to 25. Thankfully, I got clean and sober at 21, but sobriety isn’t a cure-all. It’s just the beginning.

Even after turning my life around, I made countless mistakes. Business failures, financial crises, near bankruptcies—moments so crushing I had to ask others for help, sometimes on the verge of collapse. Yet, with every setback, I learned and I kept moving forward.

When I first opened restaurants, I made every rookie mistake in the book. Leadership was foreign to me, and I was reactive instead of proactive. From the outside, things looked successful. But the reality? There was nothing left on the bottom line at the end of the month. A business isn’t a success because of positive outward appearances. True success lies in doing the right things, fostering a strong culture, and turning a profit. That takes time, focus, and— in my case— occasional failures.

For decades, my leadership was lacking. I wasn’t leading my team as I should have been. COVID exposed cracks in our culture that had been hidden for years. Pre-COVID, we had the luxury of always hiring A+ candidates, thanks to being in a town with two universities. Managing top-tier talent is easy and can hide a lot of warts. But during the post-COVID labor shortage, we were doing all we could do to just bring in warm bodies. Leading a team like that takes a completely different skill set.

I wasn’t ready for it. Our leadership team wasn’t ready for it. The transition was rough. Though two years ago, something clicked. I became a stronger leader. I zeroed in on my leadership team, and they began leading their team members. Slowly but surely, we started firing on all cylinders, and we regained our culture.

Today, our company is in its best shape, ever. After 37 years as a restaurant owner that’s a rare feat. It didn’t come from luck—it came from hard lessons learned during those years in the valley, and a dedicated team with purpose and a commitment to our core values and mission.

Here’s the truth: for a long time, I was more focused on my competition than my own business. In the early 2000s, when other bars and restaurants started opening in Hattiesburg, I overreacted. I spent countless Friday and Saturday nights driving around town, checking other people’s parking lots. When I saw more cars at their establishments, I felt dismayed, even defeated.

I made the same mistake when chain restaurants started invading our town in the 1990s. I reconfigured our menus and concepts to compete with them, but it didn’t feel authentic. Eventually, I realized the best path forward was to stop reacting and focus on who we are and what we do best. Once we doubled down on our core values—hospitality, quality, consistency, cleanliness, and community—business bloomed.

But here’s what I didn’t understand until recently: leadership is about focus. When I finally stopped worrying about everyone else’s parking lots and started working on my own restaurants, everything changed. Sales soared, and our culture came roaring back.

The longer I stay in business, the clearer it becomes: all business problems are people problems. Success isn’t about chasing trends or keeping up with competitors. It’s about having the right people in the right places, living your mission, sticking to your foundational principles, and being true to your core values and concept.

In this industry, persistence is key. Over the years, I’ve had to re-concept restaurants multiple times. Some probably see that as failure; I see it as growth. Change isn’t failure—it’s evolution. Every pivot has made us stronger.

Persistence pays.

Here’s a true story. In the 1990s we spent a decade as the number one on-premise retailer (non-casino) of liquor and wine in Mississippi. For years, our bar business was booming, partly because there was relatively no competition in town. It’s easy to thrive when you’re the only bull in the pen. When competitors entered the market, I panicked. I overreacted instead of leading, and it cost us.

Now, after decades of lessons, I understand what true success looks like. It’s not about being the biggest or the flashiest. It’s about staying focused on your mission, taking care of your team, committing to excellence every single day, and putting money on the bottom line.

I’ve been in the restaurant industry for 43 years. I’ve seen early peaks, long valleys, and everything in between. At 63, I think I’ve finally hit my stride as a leader. And you know what? I wouldn’t have it any other way. The lessons I’ve learned—the failures I’ve endured—are what made this possible. Today we are strong, healthy, thriving, and better than ever.

To anyone reading this, especially those in the throes of failure: don’t give up. Failure isn’t the end; it’s the beginning. The kid who cries after losing the big game isn’t defeated—he or she is learning the resilience it takes to win. That kid cares. That kid will wind up a winner in life.

I’ve stopped driving around town on Friday nights, worrying about others’ parking lots. I stay in ours, which, thanks to a dedicated team and plenty of determination, is now full most nights. Failure may write the first chapter of success, but the story only unfolds when you have the resolve to keep turning the pages.

Success, as I’ve come to understand it, is simply the sum of failures turned into lessons. My journey to success— to the degree that I’ve had any success— has been marked by stumbles, setbacks, and a relentless will to keep moving forward. I’ve never really thought of myself as a winner. I’m more of a loser who refuses to quit. I owe any success I’ve found to persistence, and it’s the reason I’ll keep striving.

Onward.

Cajun Enchiladas

1/2 cup butter, divided

1/2 cup yellow onion, small dice

1/2 cup canned jalapeños, drained and chopped fine

1/3 cup green bell pepper, small dice

1 TBL Creole Seasoning, divided

1 1/2 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup sour cream

4 cups Monterey jack cheese, shredded and divided

1/2 pound fresh shrimp, 61/70 count

1/2 pound lump crab meat

1/2 pound peel crawfish tails

1/3 cup green onions, sliced thinly

8 – 8inch flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 325

In a medium sauce pot, melt half of the butter over medium-high heat. Cook the onions, jalapeños, bell pepper and half of the Creole Seasoning for 3-4 minutes, stirring often to prevent the vegetables from browning. Add the whipping cream and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Add in the sour cream and half of the shredded cheese and stir with a wire whisk until the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

Melt the remaining butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the uncooked shrimp with the remaining Creole seasoning and sauté the seasoned shrimp for 3-5 minutes. Add in the crawfish tails, crab and green onions and cook for 2 minutes longer.

Fold the cooked seafood into the sour cream mixture.

Use a large spoon and place approximately 1/3 cup of the mixture into the center of each tortilla. Roll the tortillas and place them side by side in an 8×10 baking dish.

Spoon the remaining mixture over the top of the filled tortillas. Cover the baking dish with a piece of parchment paper, followed by aluminum foil. Use a small knife and make 4-5 small slits in the foil covering.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and parchment paper and sprinkle the top with the remaining shredded cheese. Bake for 10-12 more minutes. 

Allow the enchiladas to rest for 15 minutes before serving. 

Yield: 6-8 servings

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

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) and Governor Jeff Landry announced in a press conference on Dec. 9, a conservation partnership between LDWF and Healing Road Foundation to support black bear conservation and military veterans in the Sportsman’s Paradise. Through this partnership agreement, the Healing Road Foundation was able to raffle a Louisiana black bear harvest permit for the 2024 season to a Louisiana military veteran.

The Healing Road Foundation is a veteran-founded and managed organization dedicated to providing life-changing outdoor experiences to wounded veterans, survivors and their children to help reconnect families and lead them on a path to rehabilitation and healing. Through partnering with the Healing Road Foundation, LDWF is able to give back to those who have served our country and advance black bear management efforts to provide more hunting opportunities to sportsmen of Louisiana.

Louisiana is currently holding its first black bear hunt in more than 35 years after recovery of the species in 2016. The season, in which 10 hunting permits have been distributed, will conclude Dec. 22 in Bear Management Area 4, which includes Tensas, Madison, East Carroll and West Carroll parishes and portions of Richland, Franklin, and Catahoula parishes.

“Today is another huge win for Louisiana’s hunters, sportsmen, conservationists, and veterans. Louisiana has a proven track record when it comes to species conservation! Thank you to Secretary Madison Sheahan and the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, as well as the Healing Road Foundation, for your hard work in making this Louisiana hunting tradition a reality again,” said Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry.

“Being able to hunt in the Sportsman’s Paradise is a freedom we can only enjoy because of those who have served and sacrificed for our country,” said LDWF Secretary Madison Sheahan. “It is an honor and privilege to partner with the Healing Road Foundation to provide this exciting hunting opportunity to not just a sportsman in Louisiana, but a military veteran who has served our country with pride.”

“Healing Road Foundation is proud to be a partner with the LDWF in the Louisiana Black Bear conservation program,’’ the Foundation said. “It is at the heart of our core mission of providing life-changing outdoor experiences for wounded veterans, survivors, and their children. We strive to be a national leader in relationship rehabilitation and healing for wounded veterans and their families through experiencing nature and its conservation for future generations of Americans.’’

LDWF would like to thank Louisiana State Representative Neil Riser, R-Columbia, for a provision in his legislation on black bear conservation last spring which allowed LDWF to conduct a search for a partner like Healing Road Foundation.

All black bear lottery fees and license revenue, including that of the auctioned permit, will be reinvested directly into the Louisiana Black Bear Program. These funds will assist LDWF biologists in continuing to conduct bear management operations such as annual live trapping and radio-collaring of bears, winter den checks to monitor reproductive rates, and non-invasive hair sampling to monitor range expansion.

The Louisiana black bear is one of the state’s most recent conservation success stories. The animal was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1992. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of many stakeholders to monitor black bear population numbers, restore habitat and protect the bear for the long term, it was removed from the list in 2016.

For more information on Healing Road Foundation, go to thehealingroad.org/. For more information on the management of the Louisiana black bear, go to youtube.com/watch?v=OB_oXGkwDUA. For more information on the Louisiana black bear, go to wlf.louisiana.gov/subhome/louisiana-black-bear. And for more information on the black bear hunting lottery, go to wlf.louisiana.gov/page/black-bear-hunting-lottery.

The Bienville Parish Chamber of Commerce invites the public to a week of Christmas Open Houses in Arcadia and Bienville Parish. The locations of the open houses are as follows: 

The office of U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) will host four Constituent Assistance Events in Northwest Louisiana, one of them in Bienville Parish, this coming Thursday and Friday for constituents needing assistance with federal agencies ranging from the Social Security Administration to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. A staff member for Senator Cassidy will be on hand to help constituents fill out privacy release forms authorizing the Senator to assist them.

Information for the Bienville Parish event is as follows: 

WHAT:         Constituent Assistance Event in Bienville Parish

WHEN:         Thursday, December 12, 9-10am

WHERE:      Ringgold Town Hall, 2135 Hall St., Ringgold, LA 71068

Some of the decorations from the Reindeer Run have to come down, but since the weather is good this week, Castor High decided to leave some of them up to enjoy with a movie night.

This Friday, Dec. 13, Illumination’s The Grinch (to finish off Grinch Day) is showing at the track at 6pm. Here’s the deal: individuals who paid for a Reindeer Run shirt or pass, come on in for free. Individuals who didn’t buy a Reindeer Run shirt or pass, it is $5 per person to watch the movie. The reindeer shirt does not have to be worn unless the individual wants to; there will be an honor system at the gate.

Full disclosure: Santa will not be there, no photo booth or door prizes, no games, no crafts, and no races; the only thing happening is soaking up the decorations and watching the show. Bring a chair and blanket to the event. The track will be available for one last stroll after the movie. Movie style concessions will be sold, so popcorn, candy, nachos, hot dogs, sausage dogs, and drinks will be available. All proceeds from the night go to Castor FBLA and Castor FCCLA.