Riverdale led off weekend football with a game on Thursday.  From the opening whistle, the Rebels dominated the Cougars from Franklin Academy.

Early in the evening a light rain began.  By the end of the first half, it was raining hard.  Video was streamed by Rodney Williams, and he said the other team forfeited at half time.

Final score was Riverdale 49 and Franklin 0.  Riverdale is now 7-1 on the season.  They are also ranked number one in their district.  Reporter Molly Seales will have the complete game report next Wednesday in the Journal.

On Friday night the Red River Bulldogs host defending state champion Many Tigers at the Dawg Pound.  Red River’s offense has scored more points than any other team in Louisiana, including all divisions. 

This fall, Red River is 3-1 overall with a 1-0 district record.  Many is 3-1 overall and this will be their first district contest.

For the past several seasons Many has dominated Red River.  The Bulldogs under first year coach Jeff Harper are looking to change that Friday night.  The Dawgs offense will concentrate on increasing the 207 points they have scored so far.  Friday night kickoff is at 7:00 pm.

The school said during the week that parking would be at a premium due to school facility construction.  Tailgating WILL NOT take place this week to accommodate more vehicles.

Photo Credit:  Rodney Williams

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The Lady Rebels have earned a spot in the Class AA Softball tournament.  Their first game is Saturday morning.  The Rebel Sendoff is scheduled for this afternoon. 

Riverdale said they will line the sidewalk in front of the school for the sendoff.  Bring noise makers and signs wishing the Lady Rebels good luck.  The sendoff will be at 1:00 pm today.

The bracket for the Class AA tournament in Magee, MS this weekend is posted below. Riverdale’s Lady Rebels first game is Saturday morning at 11:00 am.  They will play Columbus Christian, the #4 team in the North AA tournament.

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Now is the time, ladies, to push excuses and reasoning to the back burner and get that mammogram scheduled. Even in the uncertainty of present day, it remains clear we can’t let the pandemic stop us from taking care of our health. Breast Cancer hasn’t stopped because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In fact, the American Cancer Society estimates 276,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed this year alone. This alarming statistic comes with a plea for women to understand the importance of scheduling an annual mammogram.

Mammograms are the most important tool physicians have for early detection of breast cancer, even when individuals have no signs or symptoms. Mammography has helped reduce breast cancer deaths in the U.S. by nearly 40-percent since 1990. It is recommended women get an annual mammogram starting at age 40. For those with a family history of breast cancer, that is sometimes younger.

Family history isn’t the only thing putting women at high risk for breast cancer. Studies have shown the risk for breast cancer is due to a combination of factors that including simply being a woman and getting older. Other risk factors include reproductive history and genetic mutations.

CHRISTUS Coushatta offers the most advanced technology available for early detection of breast cancer. Digital 3D Mammography has proven to increase the detection of breast cancer. It captures multiple images, or slices, of the breast from several angles, creating a 3D image making masses and breast cancer easier to detect. This type of mammogram is also particularly helpful in women with dense breast tissue by allowing for a more sensitive evaluation. Finding the breast cancer easier means being able to treat it sooner. 3D Mammograms can be scheduled at CHRISTUS Coushatta Health Care Center.

Putting off the mammogram, as of late, has been rooted in uncertainty, apprehension, availability, and fear of exposure to COVID-19. It is important for women to realize it’s very safe to get a mammogram. Your safety is our priority. Enhanced practices during COVID include spreading appointments to limit crowding in waiting rooms, mask mandate in our facilities, and constant cleaning and sanitizing to ensure an optimal healing environment.

If you’re thinking about skipping your mammogram (again this year) because of COVID-19, it’s just not a good idea to do so. Nothing will keep us from making your breast health a priority, whether you need a mammogram, help choosing the right physician or treatment plan. Let’s get started together-No Excuses!

Furnished by Christus Coushatta

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Red River High School has received face masks from a local church for students who need one.  The school said, “We would like to thank Victorious Life Ministries of Coushatta for donating face masks for our RRHS and RRJHS students.”

It is a uniform requirement for students to come prepared to school every day with a mask and ready to learn.  The school said, “These will come in handy to give to students who forget every once and a while or break theirs throughout the day.”

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Next Week is Fall Break.  Magnolia Bend Academy wished students and faculty happy fall break! Don’t forget that our Coushatta campus will have fall break October 4-6th.

All students and staff will return October 11th for classes. We pray that everyone has a safe and relaxing break and we will see you soon!

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What is the best way to inaugurate a new sports venue?  With a win.  Congratulations to Lady Bulldog Volleyball.  This week they played the first game ever in the new junior high gym.  And the Lady Bulldogs came to play.  History was made. 

The Lady Bulldogs won in 3 straight sets against Magnolia Charter. 

25 to 12

25 to 11

25 to 17

Dawg fans came out and supported the team too.  The crowd numbered 200 plus in the new gym.

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By Steve Graf

With anything new, there are always growing pains. Whether it’s a new job, career move, or maybe a life altering event like Covid 19, we never know the date or the time when these things will happen. High school bass fishing has exploded on a national level and the growing pains are obvious. Today, I’ll give you my perspective on the problems and some of the solutions that I feel will make a difference.

Over the last few years, I’ve had the honor and privilege to speak to high school anglers and their families. The first thing I noticed with high school anglers is their perception of what professional bass fishing really is. All they seem to focus on is what they see on TV or in magazines, along with the logoed jersey’s the pro’s wear. What they don’t understand are the sacrifices anglers and their families make for the pros to go out and make a living by trying to be the best at catching little green fish called bass. They see the cool truck and boat wraps with advertising promoting all their sponsors. They watch the You Tube videos the pros put out on a regular basis which, by the way, are all very insightful and educational for both novice and high-level anglers. But during my speaking engagements with these high school teams, the first question from a high school young man every time I open the floor up for questions is, “How do I get sponsors?” These young anglers think that getting sponsors is the end-all that will enable them to turn professional.

Here’s the reality…making it as a professional bass angler is a long shot at best. The game has changed over the last ten years and it’s no longer about catching bass and winning tournaments. Today’s professional angler must have the ability to sell not only himself, but a product as well. Sponsors today want a guy who is social media savvy, has good communication skills, and can promote and sell. It’s all about the return on the dollar. Can or will the angler be able to help the company he’s representing, sell more product?  I always tell young anglers today, take business classes and above all else, take a speech class. An angler must be able to stand up in front of a crowd and talk intelligently. Catching bass and winning tournaments are still important, but some anglers are making a good living simply because they are great promoters, not only of themselves, but the companies they represent. 

Let’s get back to the question of the day,…is high school bass fishing good or bad? The biggest issue with this level at this time, is the fact that a lot of high school kids are not being taught proper fishing etiquette. I’ll compare it to Little League baseball. You have parents and coaches volunteering their time to provide leadership and teach kids the skills they need to improve and get better as baseball players. But some of these volunteers have no clue on how to do this, but at least they’re stepping up and doing what nobody else wants to do. It’s the same for high school bass fishing. You have boat captains (usually dads) stepping up and driving the boat so their kids can participate in the bass tournaments. I truly applaud all those who volunteer their time just so their kids can fish a tournament. But here’s the problem, these same volunteers have no clue on what tournament etiquette even is. Therefore, there are so many confrontations on the water today with older tournament anglers, who understand the unwritten rules of the water.  I make it a point to start every lecture I give with tournament etiquette. They need someone to teach them what it means to cut someone off, to understand what hole jumping is, to know the proper way to launch their boat without blocking the boat ramp and creating chaos. They need to be taught to respect another angler’s space or spot they’re actively fishing, and that it’s not good etiquette to use binoculars to see where a popular angler is fishing and then go and fish his spot after he leaves. These are just a few of the things that inexperienced boat captains and young anglers today do not know. Legendary Pro Dion Hibdon (former Bassmaster Classic and FLW Champion) told me years ago that the number one problem on the water today is that the young anglers coming up don’t understand fishing etiquette. He said that fishing etiquette should be a required course, just like hunter safety, before an angler can fish tournaments.

To wrap this up, my biggest complaint currently is the fact that these high school tournaments are too big. It’s not unusual to have 500 boats in a tournament and that’s way too many, not only from a conservation standpoint, but safety issues as well.  These events need to limit the number of boats they allow for a high school tournament. Other major bass fishing circuits have limits, why not high school? I still believe high school bass fishing is awesome and great for the sport and its future. But just like any other sport, it needs to be taught the right way by people who know and understand the unwritten rules of the water. I know there will be someone who thinks I’m anti-high school fishing, but nothing could be further from the truth. I just want these youngsters to learn and be taught the right way so everyone can get along on the water. Good luck, good fishing and don’t forget to set the hook!

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This week started the music and performing arts units for the Junior High School 7th and 8th grade students. 

Recently Red River Parish Schools welcomed new band director and director of creative arts Mr. Jibri Houston. Mr. Houston is a retired member of the United States Marine Corps with over 15 years of music education experience.

Every 7th and 8th grade student at RRJHS is learning about different instruments, sounds, vibrations, and frequency.  The school said, “Our new music instructor Mr. Houston is doing a great job building an appreciation of music.”

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The Overall Winner of the Color the Clown Contest is Remington Bamberg, a first grader at Riverdale Academy. Lisa Keith, a 6th grader from Red River Junior High won Overall Design the Clown Contest.

Both winners have been invited to attend the Rodeo Saturday night and ride in the Parade of Champions.

The fair posted, “In case you didn’t realize it, Red River Parish has abundance of creative and talented young people.  Thanks again and all entries are displayed in the exhibit building.

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Louisiana 4-H and Red River 4-H clubs are getting ready for a special month during October.  Farm to School Month kicked off on October 1st.

The 4-H students will be celebrating by sharing videos, ideas for activities and lessons, and much more! There will also be a Farm to School photo contest.

To learn more and take the Farm to School Challenge go to:  //bit.ly/3lrnuOa!

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Who says history is boring?  Not Red River Junior High’s Mr. Brian Ross.  He wore his revolutionary war uniform to school.  Ross’ students acted out skits they made up about parts of the revolutionary war. 

Seventh Grade History class got outside and performed their skits with Mr. Ross.  Mr. Ross

is bringing History back to life.

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Barmore documentary premiere, statue unveiling planned for Homecoming 2021.  The premiere of Coach: The Leon Barmore Story, an 84-minute documentary featuring the man who helped guide Louisiana Tech’s Lady Techsters to 13 Final Fours, eight national title games, and three national championships, will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 21, in Howard Auditorium. Admission is free.

The film celebrates the legacy of a Ruston native who starred for Tech’s Bulldogs as a player, then coached himself into enshrinement in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (2003), the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame (2003), the Louisiana Tech Athletics Hall of Fame (2003) and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame (2004).

The film was directed by University Videographer Carter Carroll and produced by University Communications.

Then at 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 22, the Leon Barmore statue will be unveiled on the front steps of the Thomas Assembly Center, the building where Barmore’s teams dominated opponents – with a record of 300-17 – during his time as Tech’s coach. The public is invited to attend this event too, part of Tech’s 2021 Homecoming Weekend.

Tech Athletics partnered with world-renowned sculptor Brian Hanlon to create the tribute. Hanlon has created more than 550 public and private art pieces during the past 35 years and is the official sculptor of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Barmore joined the Lady Techster coaching staff in 1977. During the next glorious 25 years until his retirement in 2002, he built a record of 576-87, the highest winning percentage in the history of both men’s and women’s college basketball.

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Red River Elementary will hold their Book Fair will be next week.  The fair runs Monday October 4^th through Thursday October 8th.

Pictures will be made the following week.  Head Start and Pre-K students will have pictures made on Tuesday October 12^th.  Kindergarten through second grade pictures will be taken on Tuesday October 13^th.  And on Thursday October 14^ththe third through fifth graders will have their pictures taken.

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Business Math is learning about the stock market.  Riverdale Academy calls it The Stock Market Game!

What if you had $100,000.00 to invest?  What to buy, what to sell, what to keep?  Riverdale’s business math students are finding out about the stock market by experiencing it.

The students are competing nationally until December 3rd. Each group has “$100,000.00” to invest.  Which portfolio will be the winner?

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New Hope #3 invites everyone to come and join us in celebrating our Pastor’s 11th Anniversary.  They are celebrating Pastor Taurus and Lady Vanessa Johnson.

The celebration is at 9:00 am on Sunday, October 3, 2021 during morning worship services. Apostle Sebastian Babers of Restoration Apostolic Ministries will be the special guest.

New Hope #3 is located on LA 1 at Hanna.

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This Sunday will be Camo Day at Red River Cowboy Church.  They posted, “Come have fun.”

Red River 4-H issued a correction concerning the Pumpkin Decorating Contest:

UPDATE:  Drop off day was wrong!  Pumpkins may be dropped off Friday from 3-4pm before they are judged at 4:00.  Then stay and Play at Play street from 4-6 pm.  If you are participating in the BB contest, you can bring your pumpkin Friday morning.

The NSU Jazz Orchestra will present a concert on Wednesday, October 6 at 7:30 p.m. in Magale Recital Hall. Admission is free and open to the public.

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This week School Superintendent Alison Hughes had an opportunity to present the many improvements being made in the Red River school facilities.  They toured the new classroom and sports facility construction.

NSU President Dr. Marcus Jones and Grambling State President Rick Gallot came to visit to Red River High.  They were met by Coushatta Mayor Johnny Cox and State Representative Kenny Cox.

In addition to viewing Red River’s new facilities, Hughes said, “They came to speak to students about opportunities at their universities.”

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Bulldog Football is currently the highest scoring offense in the state for all classes.  So far, Red River has put 207 points on the board.  That was reported by Geaux Preps.com.  A screen shot of their ranking is below.

Here is a report on their first District Win from Christy Scruggs

The Red River Bulldogs went to Winnfield Tigers to open district play.  It was another nail biting, clawing your way out of a hole game for the Bulldogs.  Winnfield kicked off to the Bulldogs. Unfortunately, they were unable to score.  After several failed drives for both teams, the Tigers opened up the scoring door at 2:02 left in the first quarter.

Two minutes into the 2nd quarter, the Bulldogs put 6 points on the board with a TD. The Tigers blocked Ryder Hogan’s PAT.  Winnfield followed up with a touchdown and PAT making it RR 6 – WHS 14.  RR tried to get things going with several drives, but nothing happened. One highlight of the half was an interception by Stanley Maxie with a good return but no TD. The Bulldogs went to the lock room down 6-17.

One thing DAWG fans have learned this season is to NEVER Count the DAWGS out. They came out of the locker rooms fired up and ready to play. Winnfield started the 3rd with the ball.  However,  they couldn’t do anything because the 1st play, of the drive Bulldog Jyrel Jones forced a fumble and the bulldogs recovered it.  Capitalizing on this new momentum, the dawgs scored a touchdown and was successful at a 2 point conversion to make the score 14-17. 

The Bulldogs stopped a tigers drive, received a punt with a great return that put them on the Tigers 14 yard line. This led to a 1 play TD, giving the Dawgs the lead for the first time 21-17.  Another touchdown was scored from an onside kick that the Bulldogs recovered. The Dawgs scored a total of 4 touchdowns, 1 2 point conversion, and 3 PATs in the 3rd.  Bulldogs led 35 to 17 starting the 4th quarter.

After a few errors on Red River’s and Winnfield’s offense, a few shutdown drives, and a major penalty by Red River, the teams only added one scoring plays to their totals bringing the final score to Red River 41 Winnfield 25.

A large crowd is expected Friday night when the Dogs host state champion Many Tigers.  This Friday at home our Bulldogs will be put to the test as the defending state champs Many come to town at 7pm.  It will be number 6 vs 8 in power rankings both 3 and 1.   We need to pack the stands and cheer on our dogs.  Tickets may be purchased at the High School office.

On Tuesday the school posted this Important Announcement for

Many Game on Friday, 10/1/21.

Due to the large crowd expected for Friday’s game and the construction that we have ongoing.  The parking lots will not open for parking until 5:30 pm.   There will be no tailgating allowed that occupies parking spots.  The parking lots will be for vehicle parking only.   We appreciate the interest in tailgating and supporting the Bulldogs but at this time we must accommodate all the fans needing parking spots.   Thank you for your understanding.

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By Molly Seales

Sometimes in sports, as in life, you have to sit back and wait for your time.  For three Lady Rebel softball players, that time came this week. Unsung heroes emerged as the Lady Rebels blew through the South AA Tournament, compiling a record of 4-0 as they brought the title and the blue trophy home to East Point.  8^th grader Julia Grace Riggs got the call Saturday when teammate, 3^rd baseman Kylie Donald was out due to illness.  Riggs stepped up big, picking up 3 hits and 2 RBIs in the tournament, as well as playing stellar defense at 3^rd base. Junior pitcher Jessie Kate Cobb who has been Riverdale’s ace all season struggled early in the championship game against Humphreys. In the 1^st inning, junior Emma Clemons was called in from the bullpen to take over in the circle. Clemons looked like a seasoned pro and seemed like she was under no pressure as she picked up the win in the game. She pitched 5 1/3 innings, struck out 5 batters, and allowed only 3 earned runs. Cobb re-entered the game in the final inning to get the save. Quite possibly the biggest Cinderella story of the tournament was freshman Haylee Smith.  In the semifinal game, senior outfielder Rylee Kate Woodard injured her collar bone in a collision at first base and was unable to return to that game or the championship game.  Smith, who had seen very little varsity playing time this year, knew what she had to do and left her mark in Sterlington.  In addition to a crucial catch of a fly ball in the outfield, Smith picked up 3 hits, including a double and a triple, drove in 4 runs, and scored 3 times. Perhaps the moment she will never forget was her last at bat in the bottom of the 7^th inning in the championship game.  With 2 outs and the score tied 15-15, Smith knew it was her moment.  She put a hard-hit ball into play, which was bobbled by the Humphreys defense, allowing Clemons to come home and score the winning run. The Lady Rebels played some of the best team softball of their lives!

In their first game Saturday, the Lady Rebels made easy word of the Rebul Academy Lady Raiders.  It took the Lady Rebels only 3 innings to defeat the Raiders 17-2.  Jessie Kate Cobb picked up the win in the circle, allowing only 2 hits, 0 earned runs, and striking out 4 batters. Senior Renee Prosperie did the most damage at the plate, going 3 for 3 with 3 RBIs. Senior Rylee Kate Woodard was also 3 for 3 in the game, including a double and an RBI.  Freshman Jadyn King had 2 hits and 2 RBIs, while Emma Clemons tripled and had an RBI.  Cobb and 8^th grader Hanna Catherine Huddleston each had a hit and an RBI. Julia Grace Riggs added a hit.

Their next opponent of the day was Prentiss Academy, and once again, the Lady Rebels came out ready to play. Once again, it took only 3 innings for the Lady Rebels to take care of business, defeating Prentiss 18-3.  Cobb got the win in the circle, striking out 6 batters while allowing only 2 hits and 1 earned runs. King had 2 hits and 2 RBIs, while Cobb and Clemons each went 2 for 2 with an RBI each. Huddleston added a hit and 2 RBIs, while Prosperie and 8^th grader Mary Claire Jones each added a hit and an RBI. Woodard added a hit. These two wins sent them into Monday’s winner’s bracket.

At 11:00 a.m. on Monday, September 27, the Lady Rebels took on the Briarfield Lady Rebels and showed them there was only room for one Rebel team on the field, and that team was Riverdale. Riverdale defeated Briarfield 17-5 in 5 innings. Cobb picked up the win, going all 5 innings. She struck out 4 batters, allowed 4 hits and only 3 earned runs. Clemons had 2 hits, including a double, and 2 RBIs, and Cobb also had 2 hits and 2 RBIs. Haylee Smith had a double with 3 RBIs, while Julia Grace Riggs had a triple with an RBI.  Huddleston had a hit, while Prosperie and freshman Chloe Jordan both had a hit and an RBI. King added 2 RBIs while Woodard, and Jones each added an RBI. This win set the stage for the championship game with Humphreys Academy.  If the Lady Rebels could gain one more victory, the South AA Championship would be theirs.

The Lady Rebels were the home team, and as the game began, Cobb uncharacteristically struggled a little, quite possibly from the heat and fatigue of throwing 3 stellar games in just a little over 48 hours. She got the start, and Emma Clemons came in during the last 1/3 of the first inning. This nail biter went on the full 7 innings with Riverdale hanging on to win 16-15 in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the 7^th inning. Clemons picked up the win for the Rebels, while Cobb re-entered and got the save. The Lady Rebels had an outstanding 20 hits in the championship game. With fellow senior Woodard out due to an injury, Prosperie stepped up big and showed senior leadership. She had 4 hits and 3 RBIs in the game. Haylee Smith had 2 hits, including a triple, and an RBI.  Cobb had 3 hits and 3 RBIs, while Jordan also had 3 hits, including a double, and an RBI.  King and Jones each had 2 hits and 2 RBIs, while Huddleston had 2 hits and an RBI.  Riggs added a hit and an RBI, while Clemons had a double and an RBI.

The Lady Rebels had an outstanding 2 days of play.  In four games, they stole a total of 27 bases, with courtesy runners 8^th grader Gracie Stephens and sophomore Sky McMullan getting their job done on the base paths, collecting 7 of those stolen bases between the two of them.  The Lady Rebels had 111 total at-bats and struck out only 11 times. 

The Lady Rebels enter the Class AA Tournament, which will be held beginning Saturday in Magee, MS, as a number one seed. They will play their first game Saturday at 11:00 a.m.  If the Lady Rebels continue to play like they have been, they are expected to be strong contenders to bring home the Class AA trophy to East Point.  Good luck ladies! We are so proud of you all!

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By Molly Seales

On Friday, September 24, the Riverdale Ragin’ Rebels traveled to West Monroe for their 2nd district game against the Northeast Baptist School Knights.  The Rebels made quick work of the Knights, with a first quarter score of 40-0.  Head Coach Jared Smelser began making substitutions in the second quarter, and all Rebel players saw action in the game. The final score was 64-0 in favor of Riverdale.  This improved their district record to 2-0 and their overall record to 6-1. I asked Coach Jared about his thoughts about the game.  He said, “The guys came out and played. The defense didn’t give them a chance to get their offense going and allowed us to have the short side of the field. Offense had some big plays from Jake Messenger. Offensively, I felt like we finally got an identity. We need to continue to improve. Our offensive line allowed us to run whatever play we wanted to. We clicked, and it looked fast.”

The Rebel offense was on fire! They had 15 offensive plays for 206 yards and 8 touchdowns. Senior lineman Kaden Cason and senior center Chandler Nettles made some outstanding blocks for their teammates. Senior Jake Messenger had a 34-yard punt return for a touchdown.  Messenger also had 6 carries for 91 yards and 5 touchdowns. Sophomore Kyle Guillory had 4 carries for 44 yards and a touchdown, while junior Ben Almond had 2 carries for 10 yards and a touchdown. Freshman Kaidyn Williams had 2 carries for 6 yards. Sophomore quarterback Ryder Huddleston was 1/1 in passing for 55 yards and a touchdown.  Senior Monroe McCarty was his target and ran it into the end zone.  McCarty, Messenger, Huddleston, and senior Ty “Bones” Jones each had a 2-point conversion.  Jones was 2 for 4 in kicking the extra point.

The Rebel defense completely stifled the Knights. They held them to 2/16 in passing for 0 yards, 1 interception, and 2 sacks for -7 yards. The Knights attempted 20 rushes for -6 yards and 3 fumbles, all of which were recovered by the Rebels.  Quite possibly the highlight of the game came from senior defensive/offensive lineman Denver Williams.  He spends his Friday nights protecting his boys, but this Friday, they helped protect him. A Knight fumbled the ball on the 15-yard line, and Williams picked it up and headed for the end zone.  McCarty, Huddleston, Jones, and Messenger fell in behind him to assure that no Knight would even get close as he ran it in for a touchdown. The celebration in the end zone was electric. In addition to his touchdown, Williams had a solo tackle, an assist, a sack resulting in a loss of a yard, and 3 TFL.  McCarty had 4 solo tackles, 2 assists (1 TFL), and 2 PBU.  Messenger had 1 solo tackle and 1 assist (1 TFL.) Jones had a solo tackle, an assist, a sack resulting in a loss of 6 yards, and 2 TFL. Ben Almond had 1 solo tackle and 1 interception for 10 yards, while his brother, 8th grader Ashton Almond, had 2 solo tackles, 2 assists, and 1 PBU. Guillory had a solo tackle with a TFL, while Huddleston had 2 assists (1 TFL), and 1 PBU.  Junior James Wagoner had 2 solo tackles and 1 assist, while junior Tyler Parker had 2 fumble recoveries. Sophomore Hayden Hillman had 2 assists (2 TFL.) Kaidyn Williams had 1 assist (1 TFL) and 1 PBU, while freshman Logan Gryder had 1 assist.

This week the Rebels will play on Thursday, September 30, instead of on Friday. The Franklin Academy Cougars will come to East Point for the game.  Kickoff will be at 6:00 p.m. Thursday night at Marston Stadium.  Come out and cheer on your Rebels!

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First Methodist and Wesley Chapel churches have a new Bible study underway.  Pastor Stuart Sherman said, “Join us for Bible Study each Tuesday at 1 pm at Wesley Chapel or at 6:30 pm at First UMC. We are currently studying the minor prophets. Everyone is welcome to attend.”

Starting next Sunday, Brother Stuart will begin a new 8-week sermon series, “Questions God Asks.” Everyone is welcome to join us at Wesley Chapel at 9 am or First UMC at 10:50 am.

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A crowd turned out Friday evening for catfish, hush puppies, all the trimmings plus killer bread pudding for dessert.  The occasion was the Fourth Friday Fish Fry at Clara Springs Camp.

Mandi Mills said, “Thank you Westside Baptist Church for helping us feed 304 people tonight at our September Fourth Friday Fish Fry!! Special thanks to Malcolm Durr for the display of Clara Springs artifacts!”

The Journal was there signing people up for our emails of each edition.  We were also signing up DeSoto Parish residents for the new DeSoto Parish Journal.

As we were leaving, Bubba Mills reminded us that the October 22^nd fish fry would be the last one of this year.  So mark you calendar now for the fourth Friday in October.

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In 1945, General inherited a large multilevel house which was in disrepair.  The wooden structure was in danger of collapsing and the masonry was crumbling.  The floors creaked and swayed, especially when walked on.  The light fixtures in the lower rooms swayed when someone walked on the floors above.  One light fixture in the house seemed to be lower with each passing day.  General referred to the creaking and moaning of the house’s rotting timbers as ghosts.  General had an architect inspect the house who remarked that “the beams [in the house] are staying up there from force of habit only.”  The house was in danger of collapsing.  The last straw came in June of 1948 when a leg of a piano crashed through an upper floor and through the ceiling of the dining room.  In November of 1949, General moved into a residence nearby so that the house he inherited could be reconstructed.  The house had too much sentimental value for it to be demolished.

Not everyone liked General.  In fact, some people wanted to kill General, and he knew it.  For this reason, General surrounded himself with bodyguards, some of which were police officers.

At about 2:15 on the afternoon of November 1, 1950, two men, Griselio Torresola and Oscar Collazo, set a plan into motion to murder General.  They had learned that General had moved into the temporary residence.  Griselio approached the residence from the west side, while Oscar approached from the east.  Police officer Donald Birdzell stood on the front steps of the residence.  Oscar, with pistol in hand, snuck up behind the Birdzell and pulled the trigger.  Snap!!!  Oscar had forgotten to chamber a round in his pistol.  Birdzell turned as Oscar chambered a round.  Oscar fired the pistol and struck Birdzell in his right knee.  As Oscar approached the steps which led to the front door, another bodyguard stepped out of the residence and shot Oscar in the chest.  Oscar collapsed and writhed in pain at the foot of the steps.

Meanwhile, on the west side of the residence, Griselio shot police officer Leslie Coffelt four times at close range.  He turned his pistol on policeman Joseph Downs and shot him three times.  Griselio shot officer Birdzell in his other knee. Griselio had no more rounds in the gun and stopped to reload.  General, who had been taking a nap on the second floor, peered out of a window directly over the front door to see what the commotion was.  General was a First World War combat veteran and was not frightened by the gunfire.  People yelled for General to get away from the window.  He obeyed their command.  At that moment, Coffelt, though severely injured, fired a single shot at Griselio before falling to the ground unconscious.  The bullet from Coffelt’s pistol struck Griselio in the head and killed him instantly.

When the shooting was over, three guards were wounded including 40-year-old Leslie Coffelt, who died later that evening during surgery.  Oscar survived and spent the next 29 years in prison.  In an interview with Time magazine about the murder plot, General calmly said, “the only thing you have to worry about is bad luck.”  General grinned and said, “I never have bad luck.”  General remarked that he was unafraid because he “had been shot at by professionals” during the First World War.

Although the shooting lasted less than a minute, General survived a murder attempt in what was described as “the biggest gunfight in Secret Service history.”  You see, the house General inherited was the White House.  General was the Secret Service’s code name for… President Harry Truman.

Sources:

1. The Philadelphia Inquirer, November 2, 1950, p.1.
2. Mahan, Sydney. “66 Years Ago Today, President Truman Survived an Assassination Attempt at Blair House.” Washingtonian. November 1, 2016. washingtonian.com/2016/11/01/president-truman-assassination-attempt-blair-house/

Photo caption:  The entrance to General’s temporary residence (1) where one of the would-be assassins was wounded.  The other tumbled into bushes (2), fatally shot.  Shots were fired from sentry box (3) at the gunmen while two guards were wounded in the other box (4).  A guard on duty at the entrance steps was wounded and stumbled into the street (5). General appeared at window (6).

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