The 2018 NSU Football Victory Tour has been scheduled for July 16th through 25th. Coushatta is not on this year’s schedule. The tour had stopped in the parish the last couple of years.

This year’s tour starts in New Orleans and makes stops in Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Houston, Many, Shreveport and Alexandria. The schedule and ticket information is available at the NSUDemons.com website.

The tour will feature new Northwestern Head Coach Brad Laird, his staff and some of the players. They will be the featured guests at the stops which are expected to last about two hours. Door prizes will be awarded at each stop.

Here is a reminder for seniors. If you get food boxes from the Red River Council on Aging, Monday is the next pick-up day. Boxes will be available all morning from the COA on Front Street.

The Red River Parish Police Jury is moving the date of its September meeting. The new date will be Thursday, September 6th. The normal meeting is the first Monday of each month. Tax Assessor Becky Craig requested the change at the jury’s July meeting. Craig told The Journal moving the date will give her office time to receive assessment appeals and get them to the jury.

The Summer Dinner Theatre at NSU will perform the murder mystery “Here’s Killing You Kid” July 25-28 and August 1-4 on the A.A. Fredericks Auditorium stage at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $30 and advance reservations are required. For information or reservations, call (318) 357-4218.

This is the 242nd birthday of our nation. On this day in 1776 the 13 British Colonies signed the Declaration of Independence declaring that these United States should be free and independent of Great Britain.

Some background on today’s holiday from history.com:
“The Fourth of July – also known as Independence Day or July 4th – has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941, but the tradition of Independence Day celebrations goes back to the 18th century and the American Revolution. On July 2nd, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later delegates from the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776 to the present day, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues.”

Here is a description of the day from brittanica.com.”

“American Revolution, also called United States War of Independence or American Revolutionary War, (1775–83), insurrection by which 13 of Great Britain’s North American colonies won political independence and went on to form the United States of America. The war followed more than a decade of growing estrangement between the British crown and a large and influential segment of its North American colonies that was caused by British attempts to assert greater control over colonial affairs after having long adhered to a policy of salutary neglect.

Our national symbol is Uncle Sam. From Britanica.com comes this description of how our national symbol came about.”

“The origin of the term Uncle Sam, though disputed, is usually associated with a businessman from Troy, New York, Samuel Wilson, known affectionately as “Uncle Sam” Wilson. The barrels of beef that he supplied the army during the War of 1812 were stamped “U.S.” to indicate government property. That identification is said to have led to the widespread use of the nickname Uncle Sam for the United States, and a resolution passed by Congress in 1961 recognized Wilson as the namesake of the national symbol.”

There is a similar
version of Uncle Sam from history.com:

“On this day in 1813, the United States gets its nickname, Uncle Sam. The name is linked to Samuel Wilson, a meat packer from Troy, New York, who supplied barrels of beef to the United States Army during the War of 1812. Wilson (1766-1854) stamped the barrels with “U.S.” for United States, but soldiers began referring to the grub as “Uncle Sam’s.” The local newspaper picked up on the story and Uncle Sam eventually gained widespread acceptance as the nickname for the U.S. federal government. In the late 1860s and 1870s, political cartoonist Thomas Nast (1840-1902) began popularizing the image of Uncle Sam. Nast continued to evolve the image, eventually giving Sam the white beard and stars-and-stripes suit that are associated with the character today.

“The German-born Nast was also credited with creating the modern image of Santa Claus as well as coming up with the donkey as a symbol for the Democratic Party and the elephant as a symbol for the Republicans. Nast also famously lampooned the corruption of New York City’s Tammany Hall in his editorial cartoons and was, in part, responsible for the downfall of Tammany leader William Tweed. Perhaps the most famous image of Uncle Sam was created by artist James Montgomery Flagg (1877-1960). In Flagg’s version, Uncle Sam wears a tall top hat and blue jacket and is pointing straight ahead at the viewer. During World War I, this portrait of Sam with the words “I Want You For The U.S. Army” was used as a recruiting poster.”

You may not realize that the Revolutionary War did not lead to creation of the United States of America. That did not happen until 1789. And George Washington was not our first President. It was Samuel Huntington who served as President of the Continental Congress from March 1, 1781 to July 10 1781. But that is a story for another time.

 

Here are some thoughts about our national birthday from people you know in the area. First from Shane Felts, Chief of the Red River Parish Fire Protection District:

“Just everyone be very, very careful shooting fireworks. They are very dangerous and also it’s very dry. Wouldn’t take much to start a very bad grass/brush/woods fire. Also be very careful cooking outdoors. All it takes is one drop of fire to start a big grass fire.

“Stay hydrated if you plan on being out in the heat. We hope everyone has a very safe Independence Day!! Enjoy!”

From Head Football Coach John Bachman, Sr. of Red River High School…

“When I think of the 4th of July I think about the second greatest team that was ever formed. This team was a different kind of special because to be on this team you were willing to commit your name to something far bigger than yourself but when you did you knew you could quite possibly be signing your death warrant.

“You realized the soldiers of sacrifice, commitment, loyalty, understanding, empathy, courage, persistence, toughness, faith, hope, belief, but most of all love would be the soldiers that would get through in the darkest hours.

 

“If you didn’t make it – it was ok because the idea of one nation under God was worth dying for so those who you loved the most could worship as they pleased under the one true God.

“I’m not only proud to be an American but I’m even more proud to be a Christian who is willing, like my ancestors, to die for our Christian nation.”

From Bro. James Hester of Social Springs Baptist Church

“Here are 20 things to remember this Independence Day:

1) True Freedom is found only in Christ. “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” -John 8:36

2) America was irrefutably founded as a Christian nation.

3) Christopher Columbus stated in 1504, “I was led of the Holy Spirit to carry the message of the Gospel to undiscovered lands.”

4) The Plymouth Charter states that the colony was established, “To advance the enlargement of the Christian religion to the glory of God Almighty.”

5) The Delaware Charter defines the purpose of their colony, “To further propagate the Holy Gospel.”

6) The Virginia Charter assures the right for people to live in “Christian peace” and instructed the people to, “propagate the Christian religion to such people who yet live in ignorance of the true knowledge and worship of God.”

7) The Rhode Island Compact states, “We submit our persons, lives, and estates unto our Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”

8) Before signing the Declaration of Independence, Continental Congress called signers to a time of prayer and fasting to the God of the Bible.

9) A preacher named Frances Bellamy wrote our Pledge of Allegiance.

10) A preacher named Samuel Smith wrote My Country ‘Tis of Thee

11) A preacher named John Leland wrote the introduction to the First Amendment of the Constitution.

12) Prior to the War Between the States, 90% of all of America’s College Presidents were preachers of the Gospel.

13) Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Brown, Dartmouth, William & Mary, and Columbia universities were founded by Christian preachers and were church affiliated with the expressed intent to educate young adults for Christ.

14) John Harvard was a pastor in Charlestown, Massachusetts and the man for whom Harvard University is named. He stated that its purpose was, “that every student be plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to consider well the main ends of his life and studies: to know God and Jesus Christ which is eternal life and therefore to lay Christ in the bottom as the foundation of all knowledge and learning, and see that the Lord only giveth wisdom; to let everyone seriously set himself by prayer in secret to seek Christ Jesus as Lord and Master.” Harvard’s original seal, which can still be seen at the university today, contains these words, “Truth for Christ and the Church.”

15) Columbia University wrote for its foundation that: “the chief things that are aimed in this college are to teach and gauge the children to know God and Jesus Christ and to love and serve Him in all sobriety.”

16) Some years ago, 2 researchers from Houston University spent 10 years poring over 15,000 documents to determine who our Founding Fathers quoted most. The 3 men who were quoted most often by the Founding Fathers were British philosopher John Locke, French philosopher Baron Montesque, and English judge Sir William Blackstone. That being said, our Founding Fathers quoted the Bible 4 times more often than they did Montesque and Blackstone, and 12 times more often than they quoted Locke. In fact, more than 1/3 of the Founding Father’s quotes came from Scripture.

17) Weekly church services were held for decades the United States Capitol Building.

18) The phrase, “Separation of Church and State” is nowhere to be found in the U.S. Constitution.

19) No one can deny that we began to run off the rails as a nation as we became more secular. We will remain in a downward spiral until we return to our roots as a Christian nation; more specifically, until we turn back to Christ Himself.

20) We need a Great Awakening, a true nationwide revival. God has blessed America, immeasurably so. May America resolve to bless God.

Happy Fourth.”

Please feel free to add your comments. Send them to therrjournal@gmail.com.

 

With children out of school and summer in full swing, the Fourth of July holiday is commonly filled with fireworks and fun activities. Red River Parish Sheriff Glen Edwards would like to wish everyone a happy Fourth of July and offer the following fireworks safety tips to help make it a safe one as well.
FIREWORKS SAFETY TIPS:
A responsible adult should supervise all firework activities. Never give fireworks to children.
Always wear eye protection and ignite fireworks on a paved surface whenever possible.
Light one firework at a time then quickly move away.
Never throw or point a firework toward people, animals, vehicles, structures or flammable materials.
Wet down ignition areas before lighting any fireworks and keep a ready source of water or a fire extinguisher nearby.
Never ignite or discharge fireworks into, under or from a vehicle.
Never attempt to relight a “dud” firework. Wait 20 minutes and then soak in a bucket of water.
Alcohol and fireworks do not mix.
HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY FROM THE RED RIVER PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE!

This Wednesday, many people across Louisiana will be celebrating “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” as we observe the Independence Day holiday. During this time, Louisiana highways will be filled with citizens as well as visitors from out of state celebrating America’s Independence, as well as enjoying summer travel.
Unfortunately, with the rise in travel comes the increased chance for tragedy to occur. In the month of June alone, Troopers investigated over 30 fatal crashes across the state. Trends such as impaired driving and lack of seat belt use were common factors, making many of these crashes preventable.
In an effort to reduce the number of fatality crashes, Louisiana State Police and local law enforcement agencies across the state will be working together to help keep our highways safe. As citizens enjoy Independence Day festivities, Troopers and officers will be working to remove impaired drivers from roadways through patrol efforts and DWI checkpoints. They will also be making sure that occupants of all ages are properly restrained in their vehicles, and that aggressive drivers are found and cited.
The fact remains that the Independence Day is one of the deadliest holidays of the year due to impaired driving. To make sure you and your loved ones celebrate safely, Troopers ask that you follow some simple safety tips while on our roadways. Remembering and using these simple tips while traveling will greatly increase your chances of arriving at your destination safely:
 Designate a sober driver ahead of time before you start the party.
 If you become impaired, do not drive for any reason.
 Call a taxi, ride-share, phone a sober friend or family member, or use public transit.
 If someone you know has been drinking, stop him or her from driving.
 Always make sure EVERY occupant in the vehicle is buckled up.
 Refrain from not just texting and driving, but from ALL distractions while driving.
 Keep an eye out for and share the road with motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians.
 Follow the “Move Over” law and give emergency workers room to safely work.
Motorists are reminded that up to date travel information, including road closures due to crashes or construction, may be obtained through http://www.511la.org, a free service by Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. Citizens are also urged to follow the Louisiana State Police social media pages for up to date information (www.facebook.com/LouisianaStatePolice and http://www.twitter.com/LAStatePolice).
Troopers throughout Louisiana also urge every citizen and visitor to report any hazardous situation or impaired driver to the nearest Troop by dialing *LSP (*577) from a cellular phone, or 911 to your local law enforcement agency. By everyone working together, we can all celebrate our freedoms safely this Independence Day!

The youth of Open Door Fellowship held a fundraiser on Saturday. They washed cars for donations at the corner of US 71 and Esperanza Road.

The kids enjoyed cleaning cars and trucks. And they spread the water around to each other and just about anyone who got too close.

The carwash was done to raise funds to attend camp. The youth of Open Door Fellowship will attend Tall Timbers Camp near Alexandria July 9th through 13th.

 

The Red River Parish Library hosted a fun day for children on Thursday, June 28th. The excited youngsters were treated to games of all kinds and they listened to several children’s fiction books.

Children’s Librarian Kala Sims read and discussed the books Barn Dance and Marsh Music. Sims explained what fiction is compared to non-fiction. Sims told the kids that both were works of fiction, and both contained some facts. For example Marsh Music featured several varieties of frogs. That was fact. The fiction part was the frogs taking part in music.

After the readings the children were directed to the tables covered with popular games. Parents joined in games of Checkers, Connect 4, Jenga Blocks and others. One of the most popular activities involved creating custom guitars. The kids were furnished plain white guitar cutouts and a variety of markers. The result was many brightly colored guitars.

The library programs are on hold this week for the July 4th holiday. They will resume next week.

The Library is closed to celebrate Independence Day, therefore there are no children’s activities this week. The adventures of the Sumer Reading Program resume Monday when the Red River High School Band will be there for music and fun.

The Red River Parish School Board will not hold a monthly meeting on the regular date, next Monday. The board at the June meeting decided to set July 30th as it’s meeting date, with the possibility of a called meeting if needed earlier.

Most government offices and financial agencies are closed today. So are local universities. NSU said it will be closed Wednesday, July 4 for Independence Day. Classes will resume and administrative offices will reopen Thursday, July 5. Watson Library and the Randall J. Webb Wellness, Recreation, and Activity Center will be closed July 4 and will reopen for regular hours on July 5.