It is said that at times youth can be a strong advantage. At other times it can be a liability. For the Riverdale Academy basketball teams the “State A” tournament was one of those times.

Riverdale’s Lady Rebels were eliminated in the first round by the Lady Eagles from Marvell 57 to 44. The Rebels suffered defeat at the hands of the T-Birds from Desoto School 48 to 32.

But the score is not the whole story. Expectations were high going into the season. After all both boys and girls had been crowned state champions at the “State A” last spring. Then came graduation, which took a number of seniors on to bigger and better opportunities in life.

The 2018-19 teams were young with only one graduating senior. Youth might have been a liability this year. It certainly is an advantage for next year and into the future.

Congratulations to boys coach Steve Weir and girls coach Morgan Garrett for training the teams and getting the players to contribute all they could this year. Riverdale’s coaches are the type of coach a player loves to play for. They demand excellence and the players seem to want to give it.

And they know how to turn youth into a great advantage.

So we say congratulations to this year’s team for all they have done. But we caution that the best is waiting in the wings.

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Juniors and Seniors in the parish are eligible to get their prom dress at no cost. It’s part of the Cinderella Project’s 7th Annual Dress Giveaway. The event will be Saturday, March 2nd at Ayers Career College. 

Did you know the average cost of a prom ticket is $60? Buying a dress, shoes, a purse and accessories can add up! 

Any junior or senior student from Northwest Louisiana who is in financial need of a 

dress is eligible to receive a free dress at this year’s Dress Giveaway. Students are required to bring a report card, a letter from their counselor/principal or some form of identification proving their enrollment in High School. 

Students will be guided through The Cinderella Project’s extensive dress inventory by a volunteer personal shopper who will help them try on and select the perfect dress. Each student will have 30 minutes to shop. Because of limited dressing room space, students may have to wait to enter the Dress Giveaway. No pre-event registration will  be required.

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The Lady Bulldogs charge ahead in pursuit of the state basketball title. On Monday evening they defeated the Lady Trojans from East Beauregard High. Final score was 63 to 37. 

Top point scorers for Red River were Makiya “Mae Mae” Hallmon, Morgyn Payne, Makaila “Seed” Lewis and Kaitlyn Antilley. With four players in double figures or better the Lady Bulldogs are hard to beat. 

Meanwhile, across the bracket, Rapides High School was turning away a challenge from Independence. Final score had the Lady Mustangs ahead by 20 at 77 to 57. With that win Rapides secured the home court for the next round. 

On Thursday, the Lady Bulldogs make the trip to Lecompte. It’s a long trip down I-49. Journal Sports will be there with live play-by-play beginning about 6:00 pm. 

Meanwhile, Red River’s boys team begins their road to Marsh Madness and the state championship. First step is at home Friday night. The Bulldogs will host St. Helena College and Career Academy from Greensburg, LA. Everyone turn out at the Dog Pound and welcome St. Helena. Journal Sports will have that game live Friday night about 6:00.

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The other day the Journal heard from Katie Bethard. She said according to area media reports, the Red River School Cafeterias were found to be free of health violations. And that Red River was the only parish in northwest Louisiana that can claim that title. Thanks to cafeteria workers for keeping a clean shop to assure the health of our children. 

Red River Fire Auxiliary is having a hamburger lunch on Friday, February 22, 2019 10am to 2pm at the central fire station, 205 Ringgold Avenue. $7.00 for hamburger, chips, cookie, and a drink. Call Cyndy at 932-6676 or 

Jasmine at 663-0560 to order. Come dine in or pickup at central fire station. 

Will deliver to business in city limits. 

Congratulations to Rebecca Prosperie. She made the Dean’s List at Louisiana College for the fall term.

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Riverdale Basketball – CLICK HERE 

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On Thursday night the Red River Lady Bulldogs began their quest for the state basketball title in 2-A. Before tip-off Coach Missy Antilley said, “It starts all over. Doesn’t matter that we are 28 and 6 overall or a perfect 6 and 0 in district. It starts all over!”

The Lady Eagles came to the Dog Pound from Rosepine High School. They only have 8 players on their roster and were ranked 27th in the state.

Red River took command of the game as they have so many times this season. The Lady Bulldogs were up 10 points at the end of the first quarter and the gap widened considerably from there.

Final score was Red River 88 and Rosepine 40. The Bulldogs move on. Next contest is Monday night February 18th. Red River will host East Beauregard. They defeated D’Arbonne Woods Charter Thursday night to advance to round two.

Journal Sports will take the air at 5:50 Monday night for round two of the Red River Girls playoff trip in search of a state championship.

Earlier in the week, both of the Riverdale Academy basketball teams were victorious in the first contests of the “South A” Tournament. Tuesday evening the Lady Rebels easily defeated Rebul Academy from Learned, Mississippi 41 to 15. The girls team will play Tensas Academy today at 4:00 pm.

Also on Tuesday the Riverdale boys team defeated Discovery Christian School 42 to 24. They advance to play Union Christian This evening at 6:30. UC gave the Rebels a hard time in the South A last year.

Playoff games for both Red River and Riverdale will be carried live on The Journal. Look for the links to the broadcasts to be posted shortly before game time on our website and social media pages.

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The annual Lenten Lunches at Coushatta’s First Methodist Church begin on March 13th. The pastor is Dr. Curtis Carroll, and this year the church is inviting the community each Wednesday through Lent. 

Dr. Carroll said, “We are inviting pastors from various churches in our area to speak each week. The first speaker will be Bro. Nathan Davis from First Baptist Church.” 

The format for the Lenten Lunches will be lunch served beginning at noon followed by a short devotional message. Ladies of First Methodist and Wesley Chapel prepare delicious soups and deserts each week. Dr. Carroll said, “We’ll feed the body and then the soul to all who attend.” 

Here is the complete schedule: 

March 13th – Bro. Nathan Davis of First Baptist Church in Coushatta 

March 20th – Doug Cain of First United Methodist Church in Natchitoches 

March 27th – Nicholas Owino Onyach of St. George’s Catholic Church in Coushatta 

April 3rd – Bro. Richard Kaufman of Martin Baptist Church 

April 10th – Rev Clair Carter, Director of the Wesley Foundation at NSU 

For more information, call First Methodist Church at 318-932-4069 or check the church’s Facebook page.

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Easter is April 21st this year. Although that may seem like a long time, it isn’t to Wayne and Nancy Spears. They are the founders of Abbie Lane Retreat in south Red River Parish. 

Wayne Spears explained the plans to the Men’s Breakfast held recently at Martin Baptist Church. Spears said, “We are planning a sunrise experience along our prayer trail. It will be a neat experience with participants walking from Gethsemane to Calvary and on to the Empty Tomb.” 

At each station, Spears explained that a local pastor would present a brief presentation on the meaning of each location leading up to finding the tomb empty at the conclusion of the service. 

There will be a message plus music and singing as participants make the trek form station to station. Spears invited area churches and groups to come to Abbie Lane before Easter. He invited whole churches to come and walk the prayer trail. 

For more information, call Abbie Lane at 318-505-8578. Abbie Lane is located on US 71 in south Red River Parish. 

“My vision,” said Spears, “Is to bring the community together and cross over boundaries that we have built up over the years.”

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The Red River Parish Health Unit is teaming up with the H.E.A.R.T. Program to provide free heart healthy screenings to residents of Red River Parish. H.E.A.R.T. stands for Health Education Awareness Response Team. It was brought to the parish by the MLK Health Center in Shreveport. 

This free event will be held at the Parish health unit on Red Oak Road on Wednesday, February 26th. It will be held from 10 am to 1:30 pm. The public is invited to take part. 

February is American Heart Month. Awareness saves lives…so come for your free heart healthy screenings. The first 20 screening participants will receive a Subway gift card. 

This message provided by the MLK Health Center and Pharmacy and it is funded by BHP

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Tan Junkies is now open in Coushatta. That ends a decade long absence of the availability of a tanning salon in the area. That absence left an opportunity for Distie Gibson and her mother Jo Rambin. 

About a month ago Gibson opened Tan Junkies. They created the tanning salon in a vacant commercial space in the Max Way Shopping Center. Gibson told The Journal the equipment became available so she and Rambin began the search for a location. 

The first person they talked to was C. W. Belcher. Gibson said he had a vacancy that perfectly fit her needs. As Gibson tells it, “It was a big empty space. I was able to customize it to fit the needs of the shop. We put up walls, built tanning rooms and decorated it just like I wanted it.” 

Gibson said, “We have several tanning beds available of varying strength tanning bulbs. We also have a good selection of lotions including moisturizer and indoor tanning lotions. Our clients can get just the tan they are seeking.” 

They have memberships available including unlimited tanning memberships. “For one monthly fee, our clients can tan as many times as they like,” said Gibson. 

Tan Junkies is located just down from Pizza Hut in the Max Way Shopping Center. They are open from 11:00 am until 7:00 pm Monday through Saturday and from 2:00 to 5:00 pm on Sundays. For more information, call Tan Junkies at 318-271-8267. 

Gibson said, “It’s been ten long years since there was a tanning salon in Coushatta. I am glad to offer this service again to our area.”

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The Red River High School Band and Choir is producing Little Shop of Horrors this spring. Little Shop of Horrors was a Broadway musical and it was a movie starring Rick Moranis. Now it is coming to Coushatta March 28th. 

Band Director Yasmine Jason told The Journal the production will feature members of the High School and Junior High Bands as well as the choirs from both schools. Jason said, “The kids in first block are making the plant, named Audrey Two, from scratch.” A prototype is shown in the photo with this article. She added, “In the movie it was a man-eating plant, but in our production, no one is devoured. It will be PG rated with no blood!” 

The sets and just about everything else are being constructed by students. “Everything is being made from scratch,” added Jason. She added, “We have some really good singers singing these parts. It blew me away, their talented improvisational and vocal capabilities.” 

The Red River production of Little Shop of Horrors is set for March 28th. There will be a performance during the day for students. The public performance will start at 6:00 pm.

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What do you do with your American flag after it becomes torn, worn, or faded? Proper disposal of flags that are no longer serviceable is available locally. Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7287 collects old flags and disposes of them. 

If your flag needs retiring, take it to the collection box located at Randy’s Hardware on Highway 71. The box is accessible during Randy’s business hours. 

The Coushatta VFW Post had a surplus mail box refurbished and painted by a custom paint shop in Bossier City several years ago. Randy’s Hardware donated space on the store’s front porch to mount it. Most flags fit through the opening in the box. If it is too large, Randy will hold it and notify the VFW Post. 

Proper disposal of retired US flags is a community service offered by the local Veterans of Foreign Wars and Auxiliary. For information, call the post at 318-932-6557.

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Hickory Grove Baptist Church is hosting a concert Sunday February 17th. It starts at 10:30. Their Facebook post says there will be a soup lunch to follow. 

The winter Playday series has concluded at Red River Cowboy Church. Awards will be presented on Sunday, March 10th at 5:00 pm. The church asks contestants to notify them of how many will be attending the awards ceremony. 

The Journal wants to thank the many people in our area who contribute stories, pictures and ideas to this digital publication. While saying thanks, I know that there are many other events your church or group is holding that don’t get much publicity. If you class is holding a reunion, or you find a group of old Coushatta pictures in the attic, share them with your neighbors. So get to writing. Send stories and pictures to RedRiverParishJournal@gmail.com. 

One side benefit of attending the basketball playoff games is the varied and interesting places to dine. The Journal found a gem in Lake Providence called Zip’s Cajun Restaurant. I pigged out on crawfish etouffe and boiled shrimp. Thanks to Zan and his staff at Zip’s.

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Last Thursday a 17 year old juvenile held at the Ware Youth Center just north of Coushatta committed Suicide. On Saturday, a 13 year old boy also held at Ware took his life. Two suicides in less than 72 hours. 

Ware Executive Director Joey Cox confirmed the deaths in a brief release to the news media. Cox said, “Our thoughts and prayers are with both of these young men and their families and friends during this difficult time.” 

The deaths are under investigation by the Sheriff’s Office. Spokesman Troy Murray issued this statement to The Journal: 

“At this point I can confirm that the Red River Parish Sheriff’s Office is investigating two apparent suicides that occurred last week at Ware Youth Center. The first incident involved a seventeen year old male and the second a thirteen year old male. Both incidents took place within an approximate forty-eight hour time period.” 

Spokesman Bill Davis of the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the two boys had both been sent to Ware from Bossier Parish. Davis gave this statement to The Journal: 

“In late December, Bossier Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to a residence in Bossier Parish where a 17-year-old was acting erratic and intoxicated in the yard of the residence. Deputies arrived on scene, and the 17-year-old was arrested and charged with resisting by false information (kept giving wrong last name to deputies), simple escape (after leaving patrol vehicle while cuffed), theft and disturbing the peace. He was transported to W.A.R.E. Detention Center on Dec. 26. 

“On Feb. 1, 2019, deputies were called to Haughton Middle School where they determined a 13-year-old had set toilet paper on fire in a school restroom. He was charged with aggravated arson (school was in session with some 1,200 students in attendance, causing some $4,700 in damage) and transported to W.A.R.E. Detention Center.” 

The investigation by the Red River Parish Sheriff’s Office is ongoing. Identities of the two youths has not been made public.

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Did you see the huge plume of black smoke lingering over Coushatta most of the morning on Monday? Something was surely on fire. 

It was a controlled burn. A house near the Junior High School was being burned and the Fire Department was standing by, spraying water on the inferno to make sure the fire did not get away. 

That house and the one in front of it had been vacant for some time. The property was recently acquired by the Red River Parish School Board. The house nearest the street had been demolished and was just a pile of rubble. The house in the rear was taken out by the controlled blaze. 

It is part of the school building project. The property was acquired by the board and the houses were removed to make way for a street. This will improve access to parking areas and the new sports complex now under construction.

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One of those rare moments in life came along Monday night, February 4th. Riverdale Academy basketball teams were playing their final matches of the regular season before going into the playoffs this week. 

It was Senior Night. There is only one graduating senior playing for Riverdale this year. She is Alyssa Woodard. Alyssa was honored on Tuesday night. But that’s not the most memorable moment. 

Alyssa had sat out much of the season due to an injury. But Alyssa was always there on the bench rooting for her Lady Rebels. But to sit out your final game at your alma mater had to be a disappointment. 

Riverdale hosted Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts on the final night of the regular season. LSMSA is known for their academic prowess, not on the basketball court. They played hard but were no match for the Lady Rebels. 

Late in the game, Riverdale called for a substitution. Alyssa Woodard walked on crutches to the scorer’s table to check in. Her teammates and the LSMSA players all retreated to the far end of the court. Then Alyssa made her way to a spot just under the LSMSA basket. She gave her crutches to the referee and found her footing. 

Alyssa’s younger sister, Raylee Cate Woodard, inbounded the ball to her and Alyssa put it in the net. A time out was called while the Lady Rebels ran to her, embracing and congratulating Alyssa for playing in and scoring in her final game at Riverdale. 

And the crowd went wild!

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Every month, we are recognizing staff members as our “Most Valuable Players” MVP. These faculty members are recognized for their attendance, positive spirit, team effort, and their motivation to do above and beyond. 

For the month of February our MVP Staff are administrative support staff members who ensure our students receive all the services and supports needed to meet their academic, emotional, and social/behavioral needs. These four ladies go above and beyond for the students and their parents, and they are seconds away from a teacher or staff member’s call for help. They are diligent in all that they do. Our MVP staff are Brenda Iverson, Counselor, Crystal Williams, Counselor, Gina Birdsong, Social Worker, and Lilli McDonald, Behavior Interventionist. 

RRES Staff Recognition Committee awarded the staff with a treat bag with their favorite snacks, a duty free lunch, a certificate, and picture on the MVP spotlight bulletin board. In addition, our our wonderful PAW Parents will present them with sweet treats from a local baker. 

Article submitted by Shenell R. Deville, Principal of Red River Elementary School.

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The weatherman has earned his pay this year. He has been challenged to keep up with northwest Louisiana’s ever changing weather. 

One of the pictures with this article is the beautifully blooming peach orchard at Ed Lester’s Farm. The other is ice, or sleet, or maybe snow on a vehicle. Do both belong that close together? 

Blooming peach trees remind us that spring is on the way. The perennial blubs are starting to bloom across the parish and the grass is starting to grow. Could spring be on the way? 

But the thermometer says 32 degrees, perhaps less, when we get up in the morning. But wait a minute, another day it said 60+ when we were waking up. And it was so cold a few days that precipitation took on a very solid look and feel. 

Grandma used to say, “Before going out to the house behind the house, pack your fur coat and palm leaf fan. You never know what the weather is going to be like when you come out!”

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The honor rolls have been publicized by Northwestern State University. Many Red River students are included. Here are the lists: 

President’s List 

Six hundred and fifty-four students were named to the Fall 2018 President’s List at Northwestern State University. Students on the list earned a grade point average of 4.0. Those named to the President’s List from Coushatta are as follows: 

Sydney Anderson, Kaylee Antilley, Debra Hanson, Jon Hester, Mary James, Cynthia Lawson, Baley McAlexander, and Precious Smith. 

Dean’s List 

One thousand two hundred sixty students were named to the Fall 2018 Dean’s List at Northwestern State University. Students on the list earned a grade point average of between 3.5 and 3.99. Those named to the Dean’s List from Coushatta are as follows: 

Kori Allen, La’Zaria Clark, Elizabeth Cummins, Dillon Foshee, Jason Gross, Ashley Guye, Tawanda Johnson, Sidney Jones, Emily King, Jeremy Lawson, William Lee, Aaron Murray, Allison Pearah, Jon Russell, Amey Sepulvado, Carmie Williams, and Caroline Wren. 

Honor List 

One thousand one hundred thirty-one undergraduate students at Northwestern State University were named to the Honor List for the Fall 2018 semester. Students on the Honor Roll must be enrolled full-time at Northwestern State and have a grade point average of between 3.0 and 3.49. Students named to the Honor List from Coushatta are as follows: 

Journi Brown, Brandon Gay, Erikka Johnson, Aston Lester, Tianna Rock, Deja Sibley, and Mikailah Smith.

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