Arthur Lee Brown, Jr.

January 2, 1945 to November 14, 2021

Services Saturday November 27, 2021 at 11:00 am at Mount Olive Baptist Church

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First United Methodist Church on Front Street will begin a series of Advent Lunches next Wednesday.  Each event will include lunch and a short devotion.  This series runs every Wednesday until Christmas.

BETA club at Magnolia Bend Academy will sponsor two blood drives this school year.    The first will be January 25th and the second will be April 5th.    We will publish more information closer to the event.

Everyone likes holiday treats.  Same for local 4-H club members.  It was hard not to get in the holiday spirit with this group!  Mrs. Kimberlyn, our FCS agent, helped us create food mixes in mason jars, candy cane hot cocoa pops and bath salts, trees and peppermint bark.

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By Christy Suggs

The Red River Bulldogs traveled to Rosepine to take on the Eagles in the 2nd Round of 2A football Playoffs.  Rosepine took first possession and easily scored in the first few minutes. This would set the tone for the 1st half of the game. Red River was unable to score any points in the 2 quarters. Rosepine capitalized on this and put up 21 points going into the half. 

The Bulldogs did not let the first half be the end of the story. They came out with a vengeance fighting for the season not to end. The Dawgs scored off a Quarterback run by Tre Smith from Rosepine’s 5 yard line.  Ryder Hogan kicked in the Point after Touchdown. The Bulldog defense came out ready too, getting a sack on third down forcing the Eagles to punt. On a 38 yard pass to Antron Williams the bulldogs put another touchdown on the board and Ryder Hogan topped it off with a PAT. This made the score RR 14- Rosepine 21.  On the following kickoff, the Bulldog special teams unit forced a fumble on Rosepine’s 33 yard.  The Dawgs would not let this opportunity go by and score off a 13 yard run by QB Tre Smith. (RR 21-Rosepine 21). The third quarter ended tied. 

The Eagles scored off a 10 yard run early in the 4th quarter (RR 21-Rosepine 28).  But the Dawgs would not let that stop them. Red River replied with a touchdown from Stanley Maxie on the next drive once again tying the score at 28. On fourth down, the Eagles tried to be tricky with a fake punt but were unsuccessful and gave the ball to the Bulldogs at midfield. Red River took the ball with time winding down.  The Dawgs would have one last play before the game would go into overtime. Tre Smith passed the ball to Stanley Maxie who would run about 12 yards before lateraling it forward to D’Evin McDonald who ran it in. The touchdown was called back and the quarter ended.

The Dawgs started on Defense in overtime. The Eagle put up the first touchdown and PAT. Red River would not go quietly into the night. On a fourth down effort, Tre Smith threw a 5 yard pass to D’Evin McDonald for a touchdown. Ryder Hogan kept us in the game with a PAT that forced a double overtime . The Dawgs got the ball first in the second overtime, scoring on a pass to Stanley Maxie and Hogan with the PAT.  The Eagles would score on their turn to make the score 42-41 Red River leading by 1. Instead of going for 1 point, the Eagles decided to go for a 2 point conversion. This would either end the Eagles season or they would be moving on to the third round. As the ball was snapped the whole place was quiet. The Quarterback would take the ball to the left side, putting it inside and barely making it across the line, making the score 43-42.

From Head Coach Jeff Harper:

I’m proud of our team and coaches. Friday night was painful because we didn’t accomplish what we set out to do at the beginning of the season. I’m heartbroken for our seniors who played their last high school game for Red River.

I’m proud of how they responded to adversity. We played one of the worst halves of football this season. We responded well in the second half by scoring 21 consecutive points to tie the game before heading into the fourth quarter.

As coaches that’s what we want from our guys. We didn’t quit, we responded. When things were against them they kept moving forward.

Late in the fourth quarter we had the ball, a timeout, and the opportunity to win the game in regulation. That’s all we can ask for from our team. We had a chance to win the game. I’m proud of our team and grateful to everyone who supported us this year.

Thanks to Quality Ford for the game photo.

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The Coushatta Chamber of Commerce has announced the winner of the Coushatta Shopping Event competition.  She is Brittany Borders.

Many merchants in town participating in the two day shopping event last week.  To enter contestants went to at least four participating merchants to shop.  They made a purchase of at least $20 from one of them.  The Journal published a special code word that a contestant could use to increase their chance of winning.

For her effort, Borders won a basket of prizes filled with more than $350 of gift certificates and merchandise.  Congratulations to Brittany Borders.

The Chamber termed Filling Santa’s Sleigh was a great success!  There were 122 participant cards to draw from.  Thank you to all the businesses that participated!

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The Coushatta/Red River Chamber of Commerce 2021 business Christmas judging contest is underway.  The holidays are right around the corner and this year we are asking businesses to decorate for the holidays. 

The Chamber’s contest is offering cash prizes.  For 1st Place the prize is $200.00.  Second place wins $100.00.  The third place finisher will get a Prize Gift Basket.

Contest Guidelines:

1. Judging will occur on December 2-4, 2021
2. Businesses will be judged on:
3. Design and display
4. Creativity
5. Overall Curb appeal or WOW!

The Chamber said the judging will be done by 6 judges and tallied by 2 individuals.  The winning businesses will be announced at the parade on December 9, 2021.

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The Journal reported several weeks ago that Red River High would remain in class 2A for the next two years.  Now LHSAA has reconfigured the districts for the major sports and Red River’s district will have a new look.

These will be the district opponents for the next two years:

Jonesboro-Hodge,

Lakeview, Mansfield,

Many, and

Winnfield.

The re-alignment is effective with the 2022-23 sports seasons.  The LHSAA is giving schools who are unhappy with the alignment until 1:00 pm on Monday November 29 to appeal.

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On Friday, Red River High and Red River Junior High joined the National Honor Society.  The schools inducted their first classes of members.  Both induction ceremonies took place in the high school auditorium.

Proud friends and relatives applauded for the new members as they were introduced.  They took their oath and received certificates of membership.  Marco Reyes is the society Advisor.

First Inducted class of Red River High’s National Honor Society:

Shakerry Ashworth

Gracie  Baker

La’Dabriana  Calhoun

Vilasia  Calhoun

Brett  Danzy

Seth  Durr 

Keauna Henderson

Madison  Hillin

Ryder  Hogan

Kaitlyn  Housley

Keegan  King

Hayley  Loe

Payal  Patel

Latasia  Perkins

Talasia  Smith

Zintayvious  Smith

Ayana  Williams

Kayla  Williams

Korie  Williamson

Jeyden Young

Red River Junior High reported On Friday, 11/19/21, RRJH inducted it’s very first class of National Junior Honor Society members. We are so proud of our kids and congratulate them! We are excited to see you leading the pack, participating in community service, and setting both a character and academic example for others. Thanks to the NJHS sponsor, Dustie Jo Rambin Gibson, for serving in this capacity and getting this ceremony together. Awesome job to all.

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By Teddy Allen

Former Times sportswriter Jim McLain died a little more than three years ago, something I’d forgotten about until I saw him the other day in Shreveport.

It is not often you get to talk to your friends, in person, after they die. But Mr. McLain, a reporter for nearly 40 years and a member of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame since 1995 when he was presented the Distinguished Service Award, is nothing if not durable. Even after he’d died, he’d gone about his business, pro that he is.

Turns out that, according to Jim, the only really good part about being dead and not knowing about it is the being, as he describes it, “blissfully unaware.” But once he found out he was dead, well, it was a bit of a different ballgame.

“I might not have known I was dead for several more weeks if I hadn’t gotten a call from my doctor’s office,” he said.

The woman was pleasant when he answered but confused when, after she asked his name, he identified himself as the proposed deceased. The doctor’s secretary even asked to speak to his wife, who verified she’d been cooking and washing clothes all week for the same 80-year-old she’d been married to for half a century.

Mrs. McLain had done that work for nothing, according to the government. A recent Medicare claim filed on behalf of Mr. McLain had bounced back with the notation that, according to the latest records, he was dead.

Sorry. But there you have it. Who said life, or death, was fair?

Jim suggested refiling the claim. Probably a typing error had occurred, he reasoned. But the following Wednesday after the mail arrived, he heard his wife yelling through the shower door, something about the Caddo Parish Registrar of Voters removing him – well, removing his corpse – from the voter rolls. “Hate to say it,” she said, “but it looks like this time, you really are dead.”

Thought No. 1 for Mr. Jim: “Wasted shower.” Thought No. 2: “The government has lost me and if I’m to be found, I have to send out my own search party.” Thought No. 3: “Why am I still hungry?”

He called his local Social Security Administration, hoping to avoid the fiscal pinch of missed checks and the like since, as the Medicare episode had taught him – and as the mutual funds people who wanted to settle his estate would soon tell him – the money gets sort of shut off or redirected once you start showing up dead. This happens to an estimated 14,000 people a year; if the Social Security Administration accidentally kills you, or lists you as dead, it’s good to let them know they have fumbled. You want to get off their Death Master File. You want to be, in the parlance of the agency, “resurrected” or “un-dead.” It’s not too much to ask, and in simplest terms, this is generally what is advised for you to do: go into the Social Security office with proper ID, the forms listing you as deceased, and prove that you have not “got dead.”

Turns out that in Jim’s case, an out-of-state funeral home had turned in his social Security number, obviously by mistake. The problem was quickly solved, a real shot in the arm to Jim but also for his loyal wife, who wasn’t doing all that cooking and cleaning for nothing after all.

Though he never found out how he died, Jim did find out when: March 12. “I have circled the 12th of March on every calendar since,” he said. “The Feds attempted to eliminate me once. They could try again.”

In the spare time that he’s been alive since retiring, Jim has written “Double Team Trap,” a Cold War spy thriller available online. If you pick up a copy he’s sure to sign it for you – if you can get to him before the government does. – August 24, 2014

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

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As a health system, NRMC reinvests profits into our campus and technology to bring the latest advances to our community. Imaging plays an important role in a patient’s overall health as it is often an important first step in diagnosing an illness, injury or health condition. It can also be used to monitor a patient’s recovery or ongoing health condition. At NRMC, we are committed to bringing excellent imaging capabilities to our community.

The Multispecialty Clinic, located on the NRMC campus, is equipped with some of the most recent advances in imaging technology including the Siemens Go. Top, 64-slice CT scanner with 3D capability. This donut shaped scanner has many advantages including the ability of imaging grouping. This means that the scanner can view, for example, the head, neck, chest, abdomen and pelvis in one scan instead of relying on multiple scans and scanning sessions. For people with metal prosthetics, the scanner is able to capture clear pictures without distortion unlike older technology which often had a scatter effect near the metal site. The dose of radiation is lower with this scanner, and technologists can view and talk with patients at all times. The scanner quickly constructs images eliminating the need for patients to wait on the table for extended periods of time.

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Northwest 4-H Region junior leaders (7-12th grade) are getting together on the Natchitoches Riverbank and Red River 4-H is joining them.  You MUST sign up and pay by December 8th so set you a reminder!!!  You also MUST be an enrolled member to go. 

Sign up here: forms.gle/Wvjm4a6UXR2PdUtA7

Registration is still open for Fashion Camp, Culinary Camp, and Photography camp, but not for long!  Call today if you are interested!

Call the office 932-4342 if you want to sign up for any of these camps!

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By Royal Alexander

As we prepare to observe Thanksgiving 2021, there are many thoughts that come to mind. 

This has been another challenging year for many of us.  Many of us have experienced both success and loss.  Our nation still seems divided although the patriotism and sense of community we see in our cities and towns is simply not what is reflected in the national media.  Most of us go to work every day, love and support our families, assist our friends and neighbors if possible, attend religious services if we wish, and try to remain prayerfully hopeful about the future.  While the economy has experienced fits and starts—and in some business and industries workers remain difficult to find due to the Covid shutdown—it will undoubtedly rebound if we give it half a chance and don’t overburden it with onerous taxes and stifling federal regulations.  American ingenuity, entrepreneurship and hard work will again be our guiding lights and will lead us through these difficult economic and political times.

I have also found that it helps when I focus on being thankful—and I feel we are all more at peace—when we get off of social media and ignore the daily bitterness and acrimony reflected in national politics, instead turning our attention to our faith and our families.  I believe that sincere gratitude for our many blessings as Americans is the true key to happiness in this life and salvation in the next.  That is the real source of peace and tranquility and for that we can certainly be thankful.

Further, on the importance of gratitude for our many blessings as Americans, and the need for prayerful reflection on the truth that what binds us all together as Americans is far greater than what divides us, I close with an excerpt from President Reagan’s 1987 Thanksgiving Proclamation, the words of which still ring true to me.

“Thanksgiving Day is one of our most beloved holidays, an occasion set aside by Americans from earliest times to thank our Maker prayerfully and humbly for the blessings and the care He bestows on us and on our beautiful, bountiful land.  Through the decades, through the centuries, in log cabins, country churches, cathedrals, homes, and halls, the American people have paused to give thanks to God, in times of peace and plenty or of danger and distress.

Acknowledgement of dependence on God’s favor was, in fact, our fledgling Nation’s very first order of business.  When the delegates to the First Continental Congress met in Philadelphia in 1774, they overcame discord by uniting in prayer for our country.  Despite the differences among them as they began their work, they found common voice in the 35th Psalm, which concludes with a verse of joyous gratitude, “And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.”

In 1789 the government established by that great charter of freedom, our Constitution, and “the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed,” were cited by George Washington in the first Presidential Thanksgiving Proclamation as among “the great and various favors” conferred upon us by the Lord and Ruler of Nations.  As we thank the God our first President called “that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be,” we have even greater cause for gratitude than the fresh triumphs that inspired Washington’s prose.

We have seen the splendor of our natural resources spread across the tables of the world, and we have seen the splendor of freedom coursing with new vigor through the channels of history.  The cause for which we give thanks, for which so many of our citizens through the years have given their lives, has endured over 200 years—a blessing to us and a light to all mankind.

On Thanksgiving Day, 1987, let us, in this unbroken chain of observance, dedicate ourselves to honor anew the Author of Liberty and to publicly acknowledge our debt to all those who have sacrificed so much in our behalf.  May our gratitude always be coupled with petitions for divine guidance and protection for our Nation and with ready help for our neighbors in time of need.” (Pres. Ronald Reagan, 1987).

Happy Thanksgiving!

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The Parish Journal’s family is proud to announce that one of our own, Executive Editor of the Winn Parish Journal, Jodi Taylor, has been chosen to be a Delta Leadership Institute Executive Academy Fellow.  According to the press release distributed by the Delta Regional Authority, the DLI is an extensive, nine-month executive leadership program that brings together public, private, and nonprofit sector leaders from the Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt.

Taylor is pictured on the last row, third photo.

The DLI Executive Academy empowers fellows with the tools, experiences, and networks needed to address local and regional challenges. Sessions led by local, regional, and national experts cover policy areas such as infrastructure and transportation, small business and entrepreneurship, workforce development, public health, and other sectors necessary to facilitate economic growth in the region. As a result, DLI fellows graduate with improved decision-making skills, policy development know-how, strengthened leadership capacity, and a mutual understanding of regional, state, and local cultures and issues.

“Every Parish Journal’s editor strives to make a difference in the parish they serve. To that end, I’m very excited to be chosen to be a DLI Fellow to learn all I can to help Winn parish and the Delta Region of Louisiana,” stated Mrs. Taylor.

The 252 counties and parishes served by the Delta Regional Authority make up one of the most distressed regions of the country, facing profound economic, health, educational, and infrastructure challenges. The Delta Leadership Institute was created to empower a corps of leaders with the tools, experiences, and networks to address these local and regional challenges. The DLI Executive Academy trains leaders from diverse backgrounds, sectors, and industries to improve the economic competitiveness and social viability of the Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt.

The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) is a federal-state partnership created by Congress in 2000 to promote and encourage the economic development of the lower Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt regions. DRA invests in projects supporting transportation infrastructure, basic public infrastructure, workforce training, and business development. DRA’s mission is to help create jobs, build communities, and improve the lives of those who reside in the 252 counties and parishes of the eight-state region.

The Red River Parish Journal adds our congratulations to Jodi.  Thanks for all you contribute to the Journal’s efforts to bring our readers accurate, unbiased local news for our respective parishes.

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By Brad Dison

On February 11, 1802, Lydia Maria Francis was born in Medford, Massachusetts.  She went by her middle name, Maria, pronounced Muh-rye-uh.  She was well-educated and after finishing high school became a schoolteacher.  In addition to teaching, Maria wrote for newspapers and other publications on a wide variety of subjects.  She became something of a local celebrity.  At 22 years old, Maria published her first book entitled “Hobomok” too much success.  Her second book entitled “The Rebels: A Tale of the Revolution”, was set in her home state of Massachusetts.  It, too, was successful.  She wrote a cookbook, “The Frugal Housewife”, which was considered the authoritative cookbook for much of the United States.

Maria’s passion, however, was for the abolition of slavery.  In 1828, Maria married David Lee Child, a Massachusetts lawyer.  Together, Maria and her husband edited the National Anti-Slavery Standard in New York.  As early as 1833, Maria fought for the abolitionist cause with her “Appeal for that class of Americans called Africans,” the first anti-slavery work printed in book form in the United States.  In 1859, when John Brown was arrested for leading an anti-slavery raid in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, Maria wrote to Brown and volunteered to be his nurse.  She sent a copy of her letter to Virginia’s governor who denied her request and reprimanded her for her sentiments.  The author of her obituary contended that Maria’s writings “undoubtedly had a great effect in helping to create the anti-slavery sentiment of New England,” and noted that “her pen never grew weary in the cause of abolition until the unexpected end was reached.”   

Maria is less remembered for her anti-slavery writings and more for a simple poem she wrote about the anticipation she felt at visiting her grandfather’s house near the Mystic River in Medford, Massachusetts.  If you visit Medford today, you can still see Lydia’s grandfather’s house and the Mystic River.  However, the house looks much different than the one from Maria’s childhood.  Maria’s grandfather transformed the small single-story farmhouse into a majestic 2-story home.  Sadly, the lush woodland surrounding grandfather’s house has been replaced by residential housing.  You will probably recognize her poem though it has been altered with the passage of time.  Originally, Maria’s poem spoke of “wood” in the singular usage rather than its plural form, “woods.”  Maria’s poem mentions going to her grandfather’s house, not grandmother’s house, and most of us incorrectly associate it with Christmas.  Lydia Maria Child’s poem recalls a visit on Thanksgiving Day:

Over the river and through the wood,

To grandfather’s house we go.

The horse knows the way

To carry the sleigh

Through the white and drifted snow.

Over the river and through the wood–

Oh, how the wind doth blow!

It stings the toes

And bites the nose,

As over the ground we go.

Over the river and through the wood,

To have a first-rate play,

hear the bells ring,

“Ting-a-ling-ling!”

Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day!

Over the river and through the wood,

Trot fast my dapple grey!

Spring over the ground,

Like a hunting hound!

For this is Thanksgiving Day.

Over the river and through the wood,

And straight through the barnyard gate,

We seem to go

Extremely slow,

It is so hard to wait!

Over the river and through the wood

Now grandmother’s cap I spy!

Hurrah for the fun!

Is the pudding done?

Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!

Source:

1. The Paxton Record (Paxton, Illinois), November 28, 1872, p.3.
2. Hartford Courant (Hartford, Connecticut), October 21, 1880, p.2.

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Come join our team in Coushatta.  The Universal Teller position is responsible for conducting and processing various types of customer bank transactions while delivering the “BC Bank Experience.” This includes providing prompt, efficient and friendly customer service to customers while adhering to bank teller policy and procedure guidelines. This position also requires tellers to maintain a balanced cash drawer and become skilled in the ability to build customer relationships that identify products and services to meet the customer’s banking needs.

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Judy Lane Foster

October 21, 1942 to November 20, 2021

Graveside Service 1:00 pm Wednesday, November 24, 2021

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Red River Cowboy Church will not have riding this Thursday night and no sorting next Sunday the 28th due to the holiday and Youth event. We will resume on Dec 2nd and Dec 5th. Happy Thanksgiving and God bless!

Northwestern State University’s Department of Engineering Technology will host its Fall Robotics Competition and Smart Structures Show (RC&S3) Dec. 1. All middle schools within a 200-mile radius of Natchitoches city are welcome to participate in the competition. The event will include educational experiences and social activities for the prospective future college students.

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Report from the Red River Sheriff’s Office for the week ending November 21, 2021.

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The street is open after months of closure due to sewer repairs.  Here is the advisory from the state transportation department.

UPDATE: DOTD advises motorists that the Town of Coushatta has completed repairs to their sewer line and US 84 (East Carroll Street) has been REOPENED.

It was late in May when a sewer leak caused a cave in on East Carroll Street.  Here is the Journal report on the closure.

https://redriverparishjournal.com/2021/05/27/east-carroll-closed-for-sewer-repair/

The street had been closed almost six months.  This caused all the traffic that normally flows through town to be re-routed on Ringgold Avenue. 

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This week students from Jeff Edwards’ art class at Red River High were busy painting holiday scenes on store windows on Front Street.  It appeared that work would be completed prior to schools letting out for Thanksgiving.

They were not alone.  Many of the businesses in Coushatta are decorating their door or their windows and getting into the holiday spirit.  Businesses are competing for cash and prizes for the best decoration.

The chill in the air is inspiring others to join in and put up their holiday decorations.  Home decorating usually gets underway in earnest right after Thanksgiving.

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The Coushatta Chamber has adjusted the route of the Coushatta Christmas Parade back to the traditional route.  The route had been changed due to the closure of a portion of East Carroll Street.  Now that sewer repairs have been completed, the parade route can move back to the usual route through town.

Line-up for the parade will begin at 3:30 pm on Thursday December 9^th.  The parade will form up in the industrial park.  It will roll at 4:30 and end up on Front Street.  The end point will be the parking lot by the railroad in front of First Methodist Church.

After the parade ends and the various groups perform on Front Street, everyone is invited to stick around for a fireworks spectacular.  Fireworks are scheduled for 6:00 pm.

There will be plenty of food vendors and other vendors as well.  To get more information on becoming a vendor, see the flyer at the bottom of this article. 

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By Molly Seales

You couldn’t have asked any more of them. They lost senior Monroe McCarty to a season ending injury in the October 1^st victory vs. Franklin Academy. They regrouped, and they pushed forward. They ran harder-hit harder-fought harder. They were ready to prove themselves on October 15 at senior night. With a little over 2:00 left in the district game vs. WCCA, another senior Jake Messenger went down to a season ending ankle injury. They never gave up and defeated WCCA to clinch the district title. They could have hung their heads. They could have given up. They could have lost hope as they thought about two of their key players being gone, but they didn’t. They got a fire in their eyes that even the strongest critic could not extinguish. Seniors Denver Williams, Ty Jones, Chandler Nettles, Kaden Cason, and Reagan Huddleston wanted a shot at that championship-not only for themselves, but for Jake, Monroe, the coaches, and the rest of the team.

They came out and handily defeated Tensas in the quarterfinal game. That made them want it more. They knew the November 12^th game against Briarfield would be a tough one. The Rebels defeated Briarfield early in the season 12-6 in the homecoming game. This time they were the underdog, but you never would have known it when they stepped on the field that night. The fought hard-hit hard-played hard-left everything they had on that football field. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite enough. At the end of regulation, the game was deadlocked 0-0. In overtime, Riverdale got the ball first at the 10-yard line for four downs and were unable to push the ball into the endzone. Briarfield then had their turn for their four downs. It was on their final down that Briarfield’s quarterback fumbled, and their receiver was able to pick up the ball and barely take it into the endzone. That final play gave Briarfield the 6-0 win, denying the Rebels a second straight shot at a championship.

I was able to catch up with a few of the Riverdale coaches to get their final thoughts on an outstanding season. Head coach Jared Smelser said, “It was the gutsy performance you except from our guys and the type of playoff game that you expect. Both team’s defenses came out with a mission. It was an all-out battle that makes football fun. Unfortunately, we didn’t come out on top. If you told me that the game would end in a 0-0 tie in regulation, I wouldn’t have believed you, but that’s how determined these two teams were to stop each other’s offense. I’ve heard this is the lowest score in 8-man football history. I would have to check the record books to confirm it. I’m extremely proud of my team. I’m sad that it ended this way. I’ll continue to work hard in the off-season to reassess some coaching decisions and look for innovative ways to improve on some things.”

Assistant coaches Jensen Spillum and Cody Hillman expressed similar thoughts. Coach Cody told me, “The Briarfield loss is a tough one. It’s going to take a while to get over. In no way does that mean I am disappointed in this team. I couldn’t be prouder of those boys. Not one time did they give up or quit fighting. They gave every ounce of fight they had in them. The best team doesn’t always win the game, and I believe that to be the case here. Luck was on Briarfield’s side at the end of the game, period. Go Rebels!” Coach Jensen said, “This team had to fight through a lot of adversity, and many times they were counted out. Losing two key seniors in Jake Messenger and Monroe McCarty was quite the setback, but we had a lot of young guys step up when their names were called. This season showed that Riverdale Academy features a team and not just a few players. Every single young man contributed all the way from JV and scout team, to starters on Friday nights. I will always beam with pride when talking about the 2021 Riverdale Rebels. I think we have a great nucleus of talent and skill coming back next season, and I cannot wait to get to work in the offseason with them. Go Rebels!”

On behalf of the cheerleaders, faculty, staff, and fans, I would like to say thank you to the 2021 football team for giving us such a wonderful ride and showing us, as well as so many others, that true Rebels never give up. Your determination has been an inspiration to us all. To our seniors-Denver, Ty, Chandler, Kaden, Jake, Monroe, and Reagan-thank you for your leadership, both on and off of the field. You are all amazing and will never be replaced under the Friday night lights. We wish you all the best of luck in the future! Thanks for the memories! Until next year….once a Rebel, always a Rebel!

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Operation Christmas Child has been filling shoe boxes with goodies for kids this holiday season.  Many churches and groups in our area have joined the effort. 

There was a very large stack of shoe boxes at Magnolia Baptist Church.  The church said, “Praise the Lord! 136 shoeboxes. Awesome participation and ministry!”

At Riverdale Academy, Brandy Merry posted, “I am beyond proud of these kiddos!  7th and 8th grade donated over 50 shoeboxes for the Operation Christmas Child shoebox ministry. “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”  Hebrews 13:16 NIV

We are Riverdale!”

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Red River 4-H members are being given an opportunity to sign up for Camp Culinary. 

This could make a great holiday gift!

Camp Culinary will be held on December 17 and 18 at Camp Grant Walker! This Fri-Sat program is open to all youth between 9-13 years old and will feature an introduction to the rich cultural history of Cajun Cuisine.  LSU AgCenter Area Nutrition Agents and Formally Trained Chefs Quincy Vidrine & Kimberlyn Jones, along with LSU AgCenter Area Nutrition Agent Breanna Stabb will be conducting the camp.

Campers will have the opportunity to explore the 7 Nations of Cajun and Creole cuisine through the creation of various dishes people commonly associate with Louisiana and Cajun Cooking. With most of our time spent in the kitchen, this program is a sure to be a hit with any youth seeking to build valuable cooking skills and knowledge! Camp cost is $150.

To register your child for this program, please go to this website to the Online Registration Form.

fs10.formsite.com/lsuagcenter/bkve1jd60a/index.html

For additional information, call the 4-H office at 932-4342.

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