Red River Under Burn Ban

State Fire Marshal H. “Butch” Browning and Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain have issued a cease and desist order for all private burning, pursuant to authority under R.S. 40:1602, for the following parishes: Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Caldwell, Cameron, Catahoula, Concordia, Grant, Jackson, Jeff Davis, LaSalle, Lincoln, Natchitoches, Ouachita, Rapides, Red River, Sabine, Union, Vernon and Winn.

Private burning shall only be allowed by permission of the local fire department or local government. This order is effective as of 8 a.m., August 31, 2020 and shall remain in effect until rescinded. 

“The extensive damage caused Hurricane Laura includes several water systems. That means many communities are without adequate water service for potential fire suppression needs,” said State Fire Marshal H. “Butch” Browning, “This order will hopefully assist local first responders by reducing unnecessary fire calls that they will be challenged to answer due to a lack of infrastructure, resources and personnel already tasked with Laura recovery efforts.”

This ban shall not apply to prescribed burns by the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, by those trained and certified by the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, or by those who conduct prescribed burning as a “generally accepted agriculture practice” as defined by the Louisiana Right to Farm Law (R.S. 3:3601 et seq.). 

Violation of this Fire Marshal order could result in criminal and/or civil penalties.


OEP Emergency Supplies Distribution

ATTN: Red River Parish Citizens 

Due to the current power outage caused by Hurricane Laura, our office has secured a limited supply of water and MRE’s. We will begin distribution of these supplies tomorrow morning at 10 am at the Red River Parish Central Fire Department 205 Ringgold Ave Coushatta, La 71019.

These supplies are only available to Red River Parish residents who currently are without power. We will require proof of residency before supplies will be given. Remember, we have only a limited amount of supplies and it will be first come first serve to those in need.


Red River Escapes Major Damage

On Thursday, Hurricane Laura blew through Coushatta at mid-morning and by noon was headed north out of our area.  In the storm’s wake were numerous trees down and some structures suffered minor damage.  The Journal drove the area when the storm’s eye appeared.  It seems that the damage was not heavy in town.

Downtown there were a couple of sections of the roof of Shaw Timber blowing in the wind.  Most of the tin blew off the east side of the empty building that once housed part of Mary Ann’s.  There were sections of siding blowing loose on the town maintenance building in the Industrial Park.  And there was small damage noted on the shed behind EMS.

Several roadside advertising signs blew over and some suffered damage.  Mailboxes were another casualty of the storm. Damage was extensive to the row of mailboxes that serve the MaxWay center.

If we missed any major damage on your property, let us know and send pictures.  Contact us via email RedRiverParishJournal@gmail.com or by text at 318-564-3609.


Widespread Power Outages

Laura did major damage to the power distribution infrastructure in Red River Parish.  Both CLECO and SWEPCO crews are out assessing the damage.

The lights came back fairly quickly, if they went out at all, within the town of Coushatta.  CLECO serves the town.  Rural areas were not as lucky.

Here is the assessment from SWEPCO concerning their service area, which includes much of rural Red River.

Outage update

o   At 11 a.m., more than 125,000 SWEPCO customers were without power.

o   112,000 of the affected customers are in northwest and central Louisiana.

o   Early reports include widespread damage with trees, utility poles and wires down across major roadways.

o   The number of customers without power continues to climb as heavy rains with hurricane- and tropical-storm-force winds head north.

o   The storm moved into the Valley District as a Category 2 hurricane with 100 mph maximum sustained winds.

The radar photo below shows Laura at full fury bearing down on Red River Parish.  The storm brought very high winds that caused many trees to fall and disrupt the utility lines.


Trees Down All Over the Parish

Most of the damage from Hurricane Laura was trees knocked down or broken.  Most roads in the parish had at least one tree across them.  Crews from the police jury and state DOTD were out all day clearing the debris and allowing traffic to flow.

The most spectacular downed tree the Journal noted was a very large oak that fell across US 71 north just before the fire station.  City police assisted motorists in getting around that tree.  It was resting on the utility lines and bending utility poles.

Trees were noted down in Springville on Patton Street.  A large tree blew down and blocked LA 480 (Red Oak Rd.).  There The Journal found an 18-wheeler driver and two volunteers trying to clear the road.  They backed up the truck and used it to push the tree out of the roadway.

Another tree was down and blocking Mount Olive Rd.  We talked with a Police Jury employee who said that the Mount Olive and Patton Street trees had been removed.  A police jury crew removed a tree down in Whispering Pines subdivision. 

A tree fell on Church Street.  It knocked a transformer off the utility pole and left it in a ditch.  There was also a power line down across Carroll Street between the funeral home and flower shop.

Around the parish several instances of trees either lying on power lines or trees taking down the lines as they fell.  The damage to the utility lines in the parish may cause lengthy delays in getting the power restored.

The Journal noted that while there were many trees down, not one was seen that fell on a house or building.  Unlike prior storms that have blown through, Laura seems to have done little major structural damage.


Phase Two Stretched to September 11th

On Wednesday, Gov. John Bel Edwards signed an order that extends Phase Two and the statewide mask mandate, closure of bars to on-site consumption and gathering size limits in Louisiana for another two weeks, until September 11, 2020. Despite progress in slowing the spread of COVID-19 in the state, The White House Coronavirus Task Force still has Louisiana in the red zone for new cases, just as schools and colleges return to campus and Hurricane Laura is set to impact the state. Further, almost half of the state’s parishes have positivity rates in excess of 10 percent. 

The Governor’s current order would have expired today. Edwards signed a new order on Wednesday.

“Louisiana has seen improvement in slowing the spread of COVID-19, and this would not be possible without the hard work of the people of Louisiana who have faithfully followed the mitigation measures, including wearing their masks when in public,” said Gov. Edwards. “While we have seen drops in hospitalizations and new COVID-19 cases, we also know that we have more people moving around because of schools and colleges going back to in-person classes, which is one of the reasons we will stay in Phase 2 for another two weeks. The White House Coronavirus Task Force also continues to recommend that Louisiana keep its current mitigation measures in place, as Louisiana remains in the red zone for new cases and many of our parishes continue to have testing positivity rates higher than 10 percent.

To read the Governor’s new proclamation, click on the link below.

 


High School Student Update

Students return to school on Monday.  So late in the week Red River High Principal JC Dickey posted some information for students before they return next week:

Hello Red River High School Students and Parents, 

This is J.C. Dickey, your principal.  We are just a few days away from school starting and there is some important information that you need to know.  We are excited about the start of the 2020-2021 school year!  In an effort to transition students into new procedures and practices for school,  Red River High School will implement a “Smooth Transition” to begin the year.  On Monday, August 31, 9th and 10th grade students will report to school.  On Tuesday, September 1, 11th and 12th grade students will report to school.  On Wednesday September 2, all students will report to school as normal. School will start at 7:45am and end at 3:15pm, Monday-Thursday.  No students will be allowed on campus before 7:20am. 

The first 3 days of school all students, whether virtual or in person, will have to take a mandatory English and Math diagnostic test.  On Monday, August 31st, 9th and 10th grade students will log into Edgenuity and take the mandatory English diagnostic.  On Tuesday, September 1st, 11th and 12th grade students will log into Edgenuity and take a mandatory English diagnostic.  On Wednesday, September 2nd, all students will log into Edgenuity and take a mandatory Math diagnostic.  These tests must be completed on the assigned days.    

Originally, we were going to have a virtual Meet the Teacher on Friday but because of the hurricane and possible building closures we will have to postpone this meeting until next week.  Your children will get this notification in their Google Classroom. 

Over the next few days, you will receive more callouts and emails explaining car rider lines, drivers, bus drop-offs, breakfast and lunch options, how temperatures will be checked and other important information. Please listen and read all the information being sent out.  As always, if you have any questions, please call me at the school any time.

 


Volleyball For High and Jr. High Girls

Red River High School Posted…

As you all know we started a High School Volleyball team last year. They are set to begin play the 2nd week in Sept. for the 2020 season. The head coach is Ellie Drew a teacher at the junior high school.

Coach Drew wanted us to share this information with any junior high students who may be interested in learning about volleyball and start getting prepared for high school volleyball when you get to Red River High. This is a great opportunity for RRJHS girls. For any additional information email Coach Drew at edrew@rrbulldogs.com.

 


Knock Out Cacer Benefit for Randy Desadier

Benefit Battle Royal United We Stand/Together We Fight on Saturday, September 19, 2020 at the Black Lake Crawfish Shack on HWY 9.

As most of you know Randy Desadier, a hard working provider and father of 3 amazing children, recently was faced with great adversity.  A few months ago, America was struck by a COVID-19 pandemic which put a lot of folks out of work, including Randy.

After already experiencing a lack of funds due to limited employment opportunities, Randy was diagnosed with Stage 4 Color Cancer.  After two weeks of treatment, the cancer has started to spread all over his body.

With prayer, love and support from his Family and friends, may GOD walk tall with Randy and his children in their time of need.

In an effort to draw the community to help, we will be selling BBQ plates to raise money to help Randy and his family.

BBQ Plate Lunch

$10.00 per Plate
Leg Quarter, Sausage Link, Baked Beans, Dirty Rice, Bread and a Drink.

  • Deliver Order available for large orders (10 or more)
  • “Split-the-Pot” $2.00 Ticket – Drawing on Saturday, September 19, 2020 (Need not be present to win)
  • For Pre-Orders contact Katie Litton (318)508-1297

Donations Accepted or Questions contact:
David Flack (318)663-1970
Matt Flack (318)652-1532
Robert Watson (318)771-2737


ETC… for Friday, August 28th.

Laura caused an interruption in daily life in Red River Parish.  If you plan on attending an event today or this weekend, call ahead to see if it will be held or it will be rescheduled.  The Journal noted on social media that many churches and groups were juggling their schedule due to the storm.

Many businesses in Coushatta were closed on Thursday.  Most are expected to reopen on Friday.  Again, check before going, just to make sure.

Riverdale Academy will play their second “home” football game on Saturday afternoon.  They are traveling to SIA in Rolling Fork, MS for a 4:00 pm kickoff against Briarfield.  The game was moved to Mississippi due to the Phase Two reopening status of Louisiana.

Journal Sports will provide a live video stream of the game.  An audio stream will also be provided.  Both will be up about fifteen minutes prior to the start of the broadcast.  The audio stream may be found on the website menu bar.  The video of the game will be on the Red River Parish Journal’s Facebook page.

A final note.  This edition was assembled on a wing and a prayer. The hope is that there is enough power left in a battery back-up to get the stories posted.  I am also posting to social media early so there is still enough light coming in the bathroom window to see what I am doing.

I see some pictures from readers on my email when I look at my phone, but there is not power to the device to get them into this edition.  How about everyone else send their pictures from Laura and we’ll put them in an album on Wednesday.  Send via email to RedRiverParishJournal@gmail.com or text to 318-564-3609.


Laura Visits and Leaves

Hurricane Laura blew through Coushatta at mid-morning and by noon was headed north out of our area.  In the storm’s wake were numerous trees down and some structures suffered minor damage.  The Journal drove the area when the storm’s eye appeared.  It seems that the damage was not heavy in town.

Trees were noted down in Springville on Patton Street.  A large tree blew down and blocked LA 480 (Red Oak Rd.).  There The Journal found an 18-wheeler driver and two volunteers trying to clear the road.  They backed up the truck and used it to push the tree out of the roadway.

Another tree was down and blocking Mount Olive Rd.  We talked with a Police Jury employee who said that the Mount Olive and Patton Street trees had been removed.  They also removed a tree down in Whispering Pines subdivision.

A tree fell on Church Street.  It knocked a transformer off the utility pole and left it in a ditch.  There was also a power line down across Carroll Street between the funeral home and flower shop.

Downtown there were a couple of sections of the roof of Shaw Timber blowing in the wind.  Most of the tin blew off the east side of the empty building that once housed part of Mary Ann’s.  There were sections of siding blowing loose on the town maintenance building in the Industrial Park.  And there was small damage noted on the shed behind EMS.

From the areas The Journal surveyed this morning it does not appear any structures sustained major damage.  We did not see any houses or businesses with trees down across them.

If we missed any major damage on your property, let us know and send pictures.  Contact us via email RedRiverParishJournal@gmail.com or by text at 318-564-3609.


Laura’s Effects Have Arrived

The rain generated in advance of Hurricane Laura has arrived in Red River Parish.  We are under a hurricane warning until 12:45 pm.  From Weather.com, the latest local forecast calls for strong tropical storm force wind of 55 to 70 mph with gusts to 90 mph.  Plan for life-threatening wind  equivalent to a Cat 1 or 2 hurricane force.

A flash flood watch is in effect.  Peak rainfall amounts of an additional 4-8 inches with locally higher amounts.  The warning said plan for major flooding from heavy rainfall especially in low lying areas.

The forecasts say Laura is a dangerous storm and it is reaching farther into north Louisiana than previous storms.  Radar indicates Laura is moving in a generally northerly direction.  It appears the eye of the storm is just south of Leesville in western Louisiana at 6:45 am.

Locally most businesses are closed.  Fuel outlets saw a rush of people filling up vehicles and fuel containers late in the day.  The Chevron announced late Wednesday that they were closing at midnight.  Other local businesses announced they would be opening late, many around 1:00 pm today.

The Library is closed today and possibly tomorrow depending upon conditions following the passing of Laura.  The Christus Rural Health Clinic in Coushatta is closed today.  Christus said there may be limited providers at the Coushatta Clinic and there is a possible late opening.  So is the dental clinic.  Call first before going.

Both SWEPCO and CLECO have announced power outages in the area.  They both say they are assessing the situation and planning to implement repairs and restore power as soon as possible.  Use care around downed utility poles or lines to prevent risk of electrical shock.

Riverdale Academy announced on social media that they would be closed both Thursday and Friday. Red River public schools are closed today.  Only teachers have reported so far.  First students begin reporting on Monday.

Be Safe.  The Journal will update the situation throughout the

day.

 


Gov. Edwards Signs Order Extending Phase Two

Gov. John Bel Edwards signed an order today (Aug 26th) that extends Phase Two and the statewide mask mandate, closure of bars to on-site consumption and gathering size limits in Louisiana for another two weeks, until September 11, 2020. Despite progress in slowing the spread of COVID-19 in the state, The White House Coronavirus Task Force still has Louisiana in the red zone for new cases, just as schools and colleges return to campus and Hurricane Laura is set to impact the state. Further, almost half of the state’s parishes have positivity rates in excess of 10 percent. 

The Governor’s current order expires on Friday, August 28. He signed a new order today. 

“Louisiana has seen improvement in slowing the spread of COVID-19, and this would not be possible without the hard work of the people of Louisiana who have faithfully followed the mitigation measures, including wearing their masks when in public,” said Gov. Edwards. “While we have seen drops in hospitalizations and new COVID-19 cases, we also know that we have more people moving around because of schools and colleges going back to in-person classes, which is one of the reasons we will stay in Phase 2 for another two weeks. The White House Coronavirus Task Force also continues to recommend that Louisiana keep its current mitigation measures in place, as Louisiana remains in the red zone for new cases and many of our parishes continue to have testing positivity rates higher than 10 percent.

Just this week, I had a conversation with Dr. Deborah Birx, who is coordinating the response for the White House, and she noted Louisiana’s improvement, but also recommended that we keep the current measures in place until we get positivity, cases and hospitalizations even lower. In addition, Hurricane Laura has caused Louisiana to pause its testing, which means that we will be flying blind with data for a couple of weeks when we need it the most to gauge the impact of resuming K-12 schools and higher education. Finally, tens of thousands of our neighbors from southwestern Louisiana, the area with the highest priority, ahead of Hurricane Laura’s landfall, and there will be additional sheltering after the storm – perhaps for an extended period of time. Extending Phase 2 until September 11 will allow us time to restart our testing and assess where we are after the storm.”


Riverdale Game is Saturday

Riverdale Academy will travel to Rolling Fork, Mississippi to play their next football game.  The game was relocated due to this state remaining in Phase Two of reopening.

Athletic Director Ty Hester notified the Journal that the game will be Saturday, August 29th.  Kickoff will be at 4:00 pm.  The game will be played at Sharkey Issaquena Academy.

Rolling Fork, MS is located north of Vicksburg on US 61.  Estimated driving time is 3 hours and 30 minutes.

Rebel Sports will be on the air about 3:45 pm with a live video stream and a live audio stream.  You may watch the game on Facebook/RedRiverParishJournal.  The audio feed is on RedRiverParishJournal.com.  Click on “Listen Rebels” on the menu bar.

Fans may sign up to recieve text message alerts before each game.  You will also get a complimentary email subscription to The Journal.  Here is the link to sign up for the alerts:  https://form.jotform.com/63427407805154

 


Hurricane Warning

Many people in our area were roused from their sleep at 4:30 Wednesday morning with a “Hurricane Warning” alert on their phones.  The message said the warning was in effect for our area.

Here is the most recent post from the National Weather Service:

Laura to Become a Major Hurricane; Warnings Posted Along the Northern Gulf Coast

Hurricane Laura continues to rapidly strengthen and is now forecast to reach Category 4 by this afternoon over the northwest Gulf of Mexico. Laura is expected to produce a life-threatening storm surge, extreme winds, and flash flooding over eastern Texas and Louisiana later today. Hurricane, Storm Surge and Tropical Storm warnings are in effect over far east Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas.

Tropical Storm and Hurricane warnings are now in effect for portions of the Four-States region. Hurricane force winds are likely in the hurricane warning, and hurricane force gusts are possible in the Tropical Storm warning. Heavy rain is also likely, with flash flooding possible.

There is a flash flood watch for all of northwest Louisiana through 7:00 pm on Friday.  Use caution if you have to be on the roads.

The Journal will update the forecast and latest weather conditions as Hurricane Laura makes its way into Louisiana.


There’s a Storm Headed Our Way

Hurricane Laura is heading toward Louisiana.  The storm is expected to be up to a category 3 hurricane by landfall. It will arrive in the Red River area on Thursday.  Governor John Bell Edwards issued this warning:

“Now is the time to make sure that you and your family are prepared for whatever Hurricane Laura may bring.” The Governor’s warning came during automated telephone calls placed to homeowners across the state on Tuesday.  He repeated the precautions during a 6:00 pm news briefing.

Looking at forecasts from the National Weather Service in Shreveport the impact on our parish will be in the form of a lot of rain.  The projections say Red River, along with Natchitoches, Winn, Grant, Sabine and DeSoto parishes will be in for 4 to 6 inches of rain.  The rainfall is expected Wednesday night late through Thursday.

A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for Red River and Winn and parishes to our north.  There is a Hurricane Watch for Natchitoches, DeSoto, and Grant and parishes south.  That warning was elevated to a Hurricane Warning early Wednesday.

The Red River Office of Emergency Preparedness and Homeland Security echoed the expectation of a lot of rain.  OEP Director Shane Hubbard advises taking normal precautions.  Hubbard said, “There will be the possibility of flash flooding, depending upon the amount of rain we get.  Make sure you have a three day supply of food and water.  Be prepared for a possible loss of power if downed trees interrupt power.”  But otherwise Hubbard said to stay in touch with weather advisories in the event things change.

SWEPCO is making preparations in anticipation of interruptions in the power supply.  Customers who are on life support systems or need uninterrupted electric service for health reasons should make alternate arrangements in preparation for potential power outages.  

“Restoring power after the hurricane passes could take multiple days,” said Drew Seidel, SWEPCO vice president of Distribution Region Operations. “We will make every effort to get the lights back on as soon as possible, and we want our customers to be prepared.” 

Strong winds and heavy rain are forecast in northwest and central Louisiana and East Texas from late Wednesday through Thursday. Tropical-storm-force wind gusts and rain on Thursday are likely near Texarkana and possible near Fayetteville, Arkansas.

SWEPCO has secured more than 1,000 line and tree personnel to assist company crews in responding to power outages that may be caused by Hurricane Laura across the company’s three-state service territory. 


Reopening Phase Two Will Continue

Tuesday morning Governor Edwards said Louisiana will remain in Phase 2 of the coronavirus recovery.  Governor John Bel Edwards told 107.3 talk radio in Baton Rouge of the extension Tuesday morning.  The story is also being reported by New Orleans media outlets.  Just how long that extension would be for is not certain at this time.

During his media briefing Tuesday evening Edwards confirmed the extension.  He said that he will hold another briefing for the media at 11:30 Wednesday.  And Edwards promised details on the extension of Phase Two during that briefing. 

The order to be extended requires masks be worn by people in public and in businesses, requires six-feet social distancing, limits most businesses to 50 percent of normal capacity, and requires bars to remain closed.

The Governor was quoted by WWL in New Orleans. “We’ve got to see an extension of the proclamation, exactly what that extension is going to be I don’t know yet,” he said but he said that an announcement would be made soon.  The current proclamation expires on Friday.

Edwards cited four major factors in the decision to extend that included:

  • Having the K-12 and college populations returning to campus
  • Possibly having to use mass transit to evacuate residents in Hurricane Laura’s path and having to use shelters
  • Not having the level of information and data they normally do as many of the state’s drive-thru testing sites are shuttered this week due to tropical storms
  • Despite doing better on key coronavirus numbers, the state is still seeing “more new cases over the last seven days than you want to see per 100,000 population.

“About half of our parishes are still well above 10 percent positivity.”

He said he had a call with Dr. Birx from the White House COVID Task Force and that she still had some concerns about the state of coronavirus in Louisiana.

Edwards also said that he is concerned because only hospitals and clinics are testing right now since most of the drive-thru testing has been suspended due to the storms.

“We’re going to be blinded this week on data to affect our decisions,” he said.

Figures from the Louisiana Department of Health issued Tuesday at noon indicated that there have been two more COVID-19 deaths in Red River Parish since last Thursday.  The number of residents who have died of the virus is put at 19.  309 parish residents have tested positive.


State Offices Closing Wed & Thur 

Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne announced that all state offices will close statewide Wednesday, Aug. 26, and Thursday, Aug. 27.   All agency heads are responsible for determining those essential personnel who should remain on duty, report for duty or those who should report to alternate work sites as necessary. 

Officials continue to monitor conditions throughout the state, and this announcement may be  updated. This office closure applies to all nonessential employees, including those authorized to work  from home due to COVID- 19. 

Employees in areas under evacuation orders should seek further  guidance from their supervisors.  This announcement was posted on the Commissioner of Administration’s site.


Riverdale Downs PVA in Home Opener

By Molly Seales with photos by Ryan Prosperie

For the start of the football season at Riverdale Academy, the Rebels travelled to ACCS in Natchez, Mississippi to play their “home opener.”  The team played against the PVA Spartans and took the win with a score of 36 to 20. 

Coach Jared Smelser said, “Overall I thought we did a good job.  I’m proud of them.  We came out like we were on a mission.  PVA is well coached and plays hard; they are a good team. Our defensive coordinator, Nathan Edie, did a good job having the defense ready.  We played quick and hit hard.  When you have a good defense, it will help you win games.  We had some miscues that we will fix and prepare for Briarfield.  PVA is the state runner up and Briarfield is the defending state champion, so we don’t have time to relax.”

Mary Almond, known as Mae Mae to many of the students at Riverdale, is a long-time fan and supporter of Riverdale Academy.  Her sons played football for the Rebels in the late `80s and early `90s, and now she has the chance to watch her grandsons in action.  She had this to say about the season, “I am excited to have all six of my grandsons back at the same school this year  Having all 6 of them plus a great nephew on the team this year is just fantastic.  Football season has always been a favorite at our house, because it meant so much to Tremmell.  There is such an excitement among all team members.  I’ve watched not only mine, but all of these boys play and develop into great players.  We may have one of the best teams Riverdale has seen.  I certainly hope so!”  Mary’s grandsons are seniors Parker Almond, Witt Almond, and Paul Messenger; junior Jake Messenger; sophomore Ben Almond; and 7th grader Ashton Almond.  Her great nephew is junior Ty Jones. 

Senior Witt Almond had a great night at quarterback going 6/11 in passing for 114 yards and 1 touchdown.  He also rushed for 17 yards. Senior Paul Messenger had 11 carries for 128 yards and 2 touchdowns.  Junior Jake Messenger had 7 carries for 91 yards and 2 touchdowns as well.  Senior Brennan Edie had 5 carries for 51 yards.  Team total was 287 rushing yards on 29 carries and 4 touchdowns. Senior Parker Almond had 3 receptions for 68 yards, while his younger brother sophomore Ben Almond had 1 reception for 11 yards.  Paul Messenger had one reception for 10 yards, and Jake Messenger had one reception for 25 yards and a touchdown. Riverdale passed for 114 yards with 6 receptions and 1 touchdown.

The Rebels were strong defensively as well. Defensive Player of the Game Jake Messenger was on fire with 7 solo tackles, 3 assists, 1 fumble recovery, and 2 interceptions.  Paul Messenger had 3 solo tackles and 4 assists. Junior Denver Williams had 3 solo tackles with 1 assist (2 TFL.)  Parker Almond had 3 solo tackles with 2 assists (1 TFL.)  Junior Ty Jones had 2 solo tackles with 6 assists.  Sophomore Tyler Parker had 2 solo tackles and 1 assist.  Brennan Edie had 1 solo tackle and 2 assists.  Freshman Ryder Huddleston also had a great night with 1 solo tackle, 2 assists, and had two crucial PBU’s.  The Riverdale defense held the PVA Spartans to 178 yards passing and 60 yards rushing.

If Friday’s game is any indication, it’s going to be a great year for Riverdale football!


Rebels Take On Briarfield

UPDATE:

The game will be Saturday, August 29th.  Kickoff is 4:00 pm.  The game will be played at Sharkey Issaquena Academy in Rolling Fork, MS.  SIA is located north of Vicksburg, MS on US 61 and the drive takes about 3 hours and 31 minutes.

Riverdale Academy’s second football game of the season is scheduled Friday night.  Due to the state being in Phase Two, the game will be played at an out-of-state neutral site.

As of late Tuesday, the location for the game had not been determined.  When it is secured, The Journal will post that time and location on social media.

Journal Sports will provide a live video feed of the event.  The video will be on Facebook live.  Search for Red River Parish Journal on Facebook.  Also, there will be a live audio feed of the game.  That location can be accessed from RedRiverParishJournal.com and clicking on the “Listen Rebels” link in the menu.

Those who have signed up for text mail alerts will get an alert with links to the game about fifteen minutes prior to the start of the broadcast.  If you have not signed up for the text message alerts, the link is below.  When signing up, everyone will get a complimentary subscription to The Journal via email.

Text message sign up here:  https://form.jotform.com/63427407805154


Dellie and Moaning Minnie

By Brad Dison

When Dellie was young, four or five years old, she showed an early proclivity for dancing.  Her parents, Ann and Fritz, enrolled her in a dance school near their home in Omaha, Nebraska.  Her talent improved almost immediately and continued to improve with each lesson.  Everyone was amazed at the young girl’s natural talent.  For Dellie, the simple act of walking across the small rooms in the family’s cramped home seemed graceful.  Rather than walking, she seemed to float and glide.  Her younger brother, however, was a frail, sickly child.  Dellie was confident and outgoing, while her brother was shy and full of self-doubt.  Where Dellie had a carefree disposition, her younger brother seemed to worry about everything.  Therefore, Dellie nicknamed him “Moaning Minnie.”

Ann and Fritz enrolled Moaning Minnie in the same dancing school as Dellie.  They hoped the continuous exercise would build his strength and confidence.  Dellie was a natural at the various dance steps, but Moaning Minnie had to practice constantly just to keep up.  When Dellie was eight years old and Moaning Minnie was five, their teacher suggested that the pair could have a successful stage career if they sought more professional training.  Following the teacher’s advice, the family moved from Omaha to New York City.

Just as their previous dance instructor had predicted, Dellie and Moaning Minnie excelled in New York.  In 1905, their dance instructor helped them secure a spot in a vaudeville act.  Dellie was nine years old and Moaning Minnie was six.  They rehearsed and performed constantly.  Well, Moaning Minnie rehearsed constantly.  Moaning Minnie later said that Dellie “hated to rehearse, but then, she didn’t need to.”  Moaning Minnie arrived at the venue hours before the first show of the day to rehearse his parts.  Dellie usually showed up minutes before she was to perform.  Patrons of the vaudeville shows paid almost all of their attention to Dellie and little to Moaning Minnie.  Critics pointed out Dellie’s beauty, but often referred to her brother as an “ugly duckling.”  Even with their differences, Dellie and Moaning Minnie were close, and remained close their entire lives. 

The siblings’ popularity grew with each performance.  Within just a few years, they had gone from playing seedy dives to playing theaters on Broadway and London’s West End.  They were in such demand that they had little time for anything other than performing complicated routines which involved singing, dancing, and acting.  Dellie still disliked rehearsing and referred to herself as “Dellie, the good-time Charlie,” a playgirl who liked to swear. 

Hollywood studio executives became aware of their talents.  They screen tested Dellie and Moaning Minnie as a duo and individually, but all parties, Dellie and Moaning Minnie included, were unhappy with the results.  One unimpressed RKO Pictures executive bluntly noted in the studio files that Moaning Minnie “can’t act…can’t sing…balding…can dance a little.”  In the vaudeville shows, Dellie and Moaning Minnie were able to judge how well their act was going by the reception of the audience.  The only audience they had for their screen tests were members of the crew who wished to be somewhere, anywhere else. 

In 1928, Dellie and Moaning Minnie performed in a play called Funny Face in the West End.  They were a hit.  The show ran for 263 performances.  On the final performance of the show, Dellie met Lord Charles Cavendish, the 9th Duke of Devonshire.  Dellie and Lord Cavendish quickly fell in love.  After a two-year courtship, Dellie proposed to Lord Cavendish, purportedly at a speakeasy.  Lord Cavendish immediately accepted, and they married on May 9, 1932.  Four days before their marriage, after performing with her brother for twenty-seven years, Dellie officially retired from the stage.  She had grown tired of the grueling schedule of theatrical life and retreated from public life.

Moaning Minnie’s future without the star of the show, Dellie, was anything but certain.  He had performed with Dellie so long that he could almost predict what she was going to do, even when she ad-libbed.  He struggled to find a replacement.  He decided that, rather than performing with a single partner as he had done with Dellie, he would search for the best person to fit the necessary role.  Finally, Moaning Minnie and another dancer rehearsed for a new Broadway production.  True to form, Dellie teased her brother in a telegram just before his first performance without her as a partner; “Now Minnie, don’t forget to moan.”

Moaning Minnie’s relentless rehearsals paid off.  The new show was a hit.  Moaning Minnie could have relaxed, but that was out of character.  Again, Hollywood studio executives at Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) asked him to sing and dance in films.  He agreed with the stipulation that during dance scenes, he would be filmed from head to toe to ensure audiences that he was doing all of the dancing and not a body double, and that the entire dance number would be one continuous shot.  Most dance sequences in films up to that point consisted of short dance clips spliced together, which, according to Moaning Minnie, lost the continuity and fluidity of the dance numbers.  The studio agreed.

In 1933, Moaning Minnie began a long and prosperous film career.  He always rehearsed for several weeks each of the complicated dance routines which only lasted a few minutes in the film.  During filming, his self-doubt was ever present.  He always thought he could perform the routine better and smoother.  Sometimes he did as many as forty takes on a single dance number, much to the chagrin of his dance partners and the film’s crew.  Anyone who ever worked with Moaning Minnie referred to him as a perfectionist.  Dellie, whose real name was Adele Marie Austerlitz, received film, radio, and television offers, but politely declined them all.  Sadly, no known film footage of Dellie and Moaning Minnie exists.   

It is hard to imagine that a man who projected such a calm, confident, and cool demeanor in films, television, and radio, was the same man whom Dellie had nicknamed Moaning Minnie because of his lack of self-confidence.  Whether with a leading lady or an inanimate object, such as golf clubs (Carefree, 1938), firecrackers (Holiday Inn, 1942), or a hat rack (Royal Wedding, 1951), Moaning Minnie always seemed to win over the crowd.  He appeared in countless live productions, over fifty film and television productions, and recorded several hit records in a career which spanned eight decades.  He danced and sang with such notables as Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Joan Crawford, Rita Hayworth, Eleanor Powell, Judy Garland, Ann Miller, Vera-Ellen, and a host of others.  In 1990, Madonna mentioned in her song “Vogue” that Moaning Minnie and his most notable costar, Ginger Rogers, could “dance on air.”  You know Moaning Minnie, whose real name was Frederick Austerlitz, as …Fred Astaire.

 

Sources:

  1. The Capital Times (Madison, Wisconsin), June 8, 1937, p.8.
  2. The Charlotte News, October 6, 1945, p.20.
  3. Tallahassee Democrat, October 10, 1976, p.63.
  4. The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 23, 1987, p.46.
  5. YouTube.com. “Golf – Fred Astaire Dancing and Playing Golf.” Accessed August 20, 2020. https://youtu.be/34viwApgPyE.
  6. YouTube.com. “Fred Astaire ‘Say It with Firecrackers’.” Accessed August 20, 2020. https://youtu.be/2LxlaCBhekU.
  7. YouTube.com. “Dancing with A Hat Rack 1951 (Fred Astaire).” Accessed August 20, 2020. https://youtu.be/faN0kPOQykM.
  8. YouTube.com. “Madonna – Vogue (Official Music Video).” Accessed August 20, 2020. https://youtu.be/GuJQSAiODqI.

Keeping Customers Safe

Posted by the Louisiana State Fire Marshall:


One of the best ways for business owners to ensure social distancing of their customers, and for citizens to create a socially distant environment for themselves and their families, is to be seated, and stay seated, when the environment allows for it.

We know facilities like places of worship, restaurants, movie theaters, salons and even fitness centers with their equipment and workout stations already have a built-in mechanism to provide seating or stations so staying apart while still together is achieved and maintained easily.

It’s the other types of businesses, like retails stores, bars, and both indoor and outdoor event venues, where we tend to find social distancing is difficult to establish and maintain. 

A great way for businesses to meet that requirement of maintaining social distancing and crowd control in their establishments is to encourage patrons to “Take A Seat, Keep Your Seat.” If not already required by the applicable OpenSafely guidelines, businesses can further encourage this type of atmosphere by offering a wait service to customers who are seated.

We want to thank the thousands of businesses who are already working hard every day to create the safest environment for their customers and staff members and we hope these tips help others achieve an even safer environment!