Helen Louise Cox
April 1, 1923 to January 29, 2022
Graveside service 2:00 pm Monday January 31, 2022 at Beulah Cemetery.
Ventrice “Sue” Aline Aton
April 24, 1927 to January 30, 2022
Funeral Service 2:00 pm Tuesday, February 1, 2022 at Rocket-Nettles Chapel.
Students in Red River have a two week break beginning Monday. Winter break is January 31st through February 11th. The first week is called Intercession, or a week for students to catch up on their studies.
The High School sent out invitations for February Intercession. They were posted on social media, they went home with students, and they were mailed out. High School posted, “We are looking forward to a great week of learning and fun.”
The Winter Break at Riverdale Academy begins on February 14th.
The Red River Parish Library has undertaken a new project. It will make research easier and more convenient for patrons.
Librarian Trey Lewis said, “We have digitized our collection of Coushatta Citizen newspapers and the Red River Our Heritage history book. Both will be available online soon on our website.” Lewis did not give the date for that availability.
“Right now, if you would like to search these publications please use the web address redriverlibrary.advantage-preservation.com,” said Lewis, He added, “The website is fairly user friendly. If you have any issues come by the library and we can walk you through it.”
The goal of this project is to give everyone access to decades of newspapers as well as the parish history book. They may be difficult to come across now.
By Molly Seales
The week of January 17-21 was a good one for Riverdale basketball with the teams having a perfect week, winning 6 out of 6 games. On January 17, the varsity teams picked up 2 district wins against Central School. The Lady Rebels got a huge 66-12 win over the Lady Pioneers, who mostly have JV aged players. The starters and sixth man didn’t dress out, allowing the other varsity players to get some quality playing minutes. Georgia Carlisle led all scorers with 20 points and also led the team in steals with 8. Makayla Pickett had 8 points and led the team in rebounding with 9 boards. Emily Nettles had 8 points, 5 rebounds, 5 deflections, and 3 steals. Madison Chamberlin was solid across the board with 8 points, 4 deflections, 3 steals, 2 assists, and 2 rebounds. Haylee Smith and Gracie Stephens added 5 points each. Jadyn King had a great night with 4 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 steals, and 5 deflections. Emily Kirkland had 4 points, while Emma Giddings and Kacie Harper added 2 points each. The varsity boys also had an easy time with Central, winning 60-37. Ty Jones had a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Caden Long added 15 points and 8 rebounds. Kyle Guillory had 7 points and 5 rebounds. Denver Williams had 2 points and had 10 boards, while Ryder Huddleston pulled down 8 rebounds of his own. Ben Almond had 5 points, 5 rebounds, and led the team in steals with 4. Thad Bates had 4 points, Reagan Huddleston had 3 points, and Mason Murray and Jace Wilhite had 2 points each, and Hayden Hillman chipped in a free throw.
On Friday, January 21, the JV and Varsity Rebels got 4 exciting wins over Union Christian Academy. The JV girls played first and defeated UCA 38-13. Haylee Smith had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Jadyn King added 8 points, 3 assists, and 3 deflections. Hanna Catherine Huddleston also had 8 points, along with 5 steals, 3 assists, 3 deflections, and 2 rebounds. Chloe Jordan had 4 points and 6 rebounds, while Makayla Pickett, Ally Kate Hillman, and Kynnedi Taylor had 2 points each. The JV boys game was an exciting one with Riverdale winning 37-35 in the last minute of the game. Ashton Almond led the team in scoring with 16 points. He also had 4 steals and 4 assists. Aston Hester added 8 points, 6 deflections, 4 rebounds, and 4 steals. Logan Gryder had 6 points and 4 rebounds. Colton Caskey had 5 points and was leading rebounder with 11 boards. Cannon Breedlove had 2 points, including the go-ahead free throw in the last minute of the game. He also had 9 steals, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 deflections. The varsity Lady Rebels defeated UCA 60-12, with the starters seeing no action after halftime. Rylee Kate Woodard led the team in scoring with 18 points. She also had 9 steals, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 deflections. Mary Claire Jones added 12 points along with 4 assists, 4 steals, and 3 deflections. Kenley Loftin had 11 points, 6 deflections, 4 rebounds, 4 steals, 2 assists, and 2 blocked shots. Renee Prosperie had 6 points, and Haylee Smith had 4 points. Jessie Kate Cobb had 3 points and led the team in rebounding with 11 boards. Emily Nettles, Makayla Pickett, and Jadyn King had 2 points each. The varsity boys’ game was a great spectator’s game with the Rebels coming out on top of UCA 59-55. Ty Jones had 33 points, 4 deflections, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. Caden Long added 8 points and had 6 rebounds. Denver Williams had 6 points and led in rebounding with 10 boards. Ryder Huddleston had 6 points and 4 rebounds. Ben Almond and Reagan Huddleston had 3 points each, while Almond led the team in deflections with 5 and Huddleston led the team in assists with 4.
Each year 4-H members who are in the 8th-12th grade are eligible to participate in 4-H University to demonstrate their skills in more than 40 competitive events. It is a culmination of a 4-H member’s year of hard work and dedication. Events range from Agricultural Use Demonstration, Automotive Care, Fishing Sports, Public Speaking, Fashion Revue, and more! Through competing, youth demonstrate life skills in teamwork, decision making, problem solving, resiliency, and many more. Each competitive event allows youth an opportunity for personal growth, skill mastery, and other life skills vital to functioning members of society.
Red River 4-H Junior Leaders are having a special Spring Bulb Fundraiser during the month of February to raise money for our Junior Leaders to attend 4-H University on LSU Baton Rouge Campus in June. (I attached the order form that has a picture and description of the item that we are selling.) Orders can be placed by calling the office at 932-4342 or contacting a 4-H junior leader (7-12th grade 4-H member). The last day to order is February 23rd. Plants should be delivered to Coushatta the first week of March.
By Steve Graf
“Just say no!” This has been the slogan to fight the drug war going on in this country since former First Lady Nancy Reagan introduced it in 1982. Her work was extensive and diligent in fighting the war on drugs. This fight still continues today, and it appears it’s a war we’re losing. With little to no border control and our government leaders refusing to recognize that we have a border crisis, the battle rages on. As a teen growing up in East Texas, I had very little exposure to the drug world, but knew it existed. In the 1970’s, marijuana, speed and cocaine were the drugs of choice for those that chose that route looking to get high. Today I’ll give you my perspective on my drug of choice back then, one that I’m still addicted to and crave today.
As most of you already know, athletics have played a huge role in my life and are responsible for the opportunities that have come my way over the years. I enjoyed a great high school career, running track and playing both baseball and football, which included winning the Texas 3A State Baseball Championship in 1978. I was blessed with a football/baseball scholarship to Northwestern State that resulted in being drafted by the Montreal Expos (today’s Washington Nationals) in 1983.
Sports for me, was a drug that came with both highs and lows. Drug addicts talk about how they just can’t get enough of whatever they’re craving. For me, I could relate because I was the same way. I could not get enough of the rush that sports gave me. I thought about it 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I would dream of getting my next high by hitting a home run, making a great play, or scoring a touchdown. Success in the sports arena came fairly easy for me, as God blessed me with good athletic ability.
But let’s talk about my first addiction…. bass fishing. Fishing has been an addiction for me since I caught my first bass as a kid walking the banks of our ranch stock ponds. This all started for me in the summer of 1969 when I got my first Zebco rod and reel combo. I was basically self-taught. I remember getting my hands on a copy of Bassmaster magazine that was full of tips and technique illustrations anyone could follow. One of the gifts I got on my 10th birthday was a subscription to Bassmaster magazine. BEST GIFT EVER!!!! Back then there were only a few fishing shows that existed. I watched “Fishing with Virgil Ward” and “Outdoors with John Fox.” Both were great, but then I found a show called “The Bassmaster’s,” hosted by legendary Bob Cobb. This introduced me to guys who actually fished for a living. Are you kidding me? You could make a living catching bass?!!! Now this had my full attention, and I could not wait for it to come on each week. I remember watching anglers like Tommy Martin, Bill Dance, Rick Clunn and Roland Martin, guys who became legends of the sport.
For me, there’s always been something about the moment you set the hook and a fish starts to pull drag. The adrenaline rush is unmatched and unexplainable! You don’t know how big your catch is until you see it jump out of the water as it is trying to throw your bait, or you swing it in the boat. Even today, despite the many bass I’ve caught over my lifetime, I still get this huge rush of excitement. So, I guess this makes me an addict! I just can’t get enough bass fishing action! It can be so rewarding, whether you’re catching small one-to-two-pound bass or five and six pounders. It’s still the same rush!
To wrap this up, if you’ve never had a fishing experience before, find someone to take you who knows what they’re doing. Go hire a fishing guide or an experienced angler who can teach you the ins and outs of fishing. If you want to get high, go fishing…whether it’s for bass, crappie, redfish or trout! The species doesn’t matter; the high is still the same. But beware, it can be addicting! Till next time, good luck, good fishing and don’t forget to set the hook!
4-H club members in the parish recently surprised teachers with survival kits. What does a teacher need to “survive” you ask?
The message from 4-H was, “A big thank you for your hard work and dedication. Enjoy these treats from Red River 4-H.”
Here is the contest list of the survival kits:
Pencil – to list your blessings every day,
Sharpie Pen – to color your day,
Candy – when you need a sweet escape!
Caffeine!
Pipe Cleaners – for flexibility,
Wiggly Eye – when you need eyes in the back of your head,
Jingle Bell – ring for help,
Clothespin – hang in there,
Toothpick – remind you to pick the good qualities especially in yourself, and
A band – for flexibility.
The Teacher Survival Kits were distributed to schools in the parish.
Basketball graduating seniors at Riverdale Academy will be celebrated next Thursday. The Rebels host Briarfield Academy for a set of games beginning at 6:00 pm.
Riverdale said, “Make plans to join us as we honor our senior basketball players & cheerleaders on February 3, 2022!”
There will be a pep rally at the school at 2:00 pm. The senior presentations will be made prior to the varsity girls game at 6:00 pm.
By Royal Alexander
The Federal Reserve should never lose sight of the fact that its own funding—as well as the trillions of dollars in financial assets it manages—all derive from the strength and prosperity of the United State and the American taxpayer.
Many of us have heard the term “Federal Reserve” or “The Fed” but may not be certain about what it is and what its role in our government is. Some have referred to The Fed as the “bank for banks”; In simplest terms it is the central bank of the United States and it defines itself as having been created to provide the nation with a “safe, flexible and stable monetary and financial system.” It was also created to act as an independent body, not tied to any presidential administration or partisan agenda.
The Fed is comprised of the Fed Chairman and the Board of Governors who are nominated by the president (and then must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate), a rotating group of Federal Reserve Bank presidents across the country and the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). Its primary purpose is to keep the American economy strong—by taking steps to ensure high employment, steady and consistent economic growth, as well as controlling and moderating the effects of inflation.
How does it do these things?
Well, it has a number of financial tools at its disposal but perhaps its most important tool—and the one for which it is best known—is its ability to control interest rates, which means controlling the cost of borrowing money. This is generally how it works: the American people need to borrow money from banks which means that banks need to borrow money from some other entity. That entity is the Federal Reserve. And, when banks borrow money from The Fed, The Fed gets to determine what interest rate those borrowing banks will pay on their loans. That’s why any action The Fed takes to raise or lower interest rates affects everything we consumers need and use in our lives including things like credit cards, car loans and the mortgages on our homes.
What does this mean for our economy?
Well, The Fed’s greatest power is that, for example, if the economy is sluggish and not performing well, it lowers interest rates which tends to encourage businesses to expand and people to begin spending again because the cost of borrowing that money is now cheaper after interest rates are lowered. Conversely, if The Fed members feel the economy is growing too quickly and “overheating” in a way that causes inflation it can and will increase interest rates to slow expansion and spending thereby “cooling off” the economy.
The Fed prides itself on being independent from normal political pressure because its members serve fixed terms, it is independently funded and therefore not held reliant upon Congress for its funding, and while the power of a president to remove a member exists, it rarely ever happens.
Should The Fed be audited? It should. Why? Because as we noted above it possesses enormous power to impact the American (and thereby, global) economy and it is largely unanswerable for its actions. An audit of The Fed would not upset the current balance, but it would give the president, Congress, and the American people the opportunity to see exactly what it does. After all, it’s still funded by American tax dollars.
U.S. Senator Rand Paul introduced a bill to “Audit The Fed” that was entitled the “Federal Reserve Transparency Act.” Senator Paul’s bill would do several things, including requiring the nonpartisan, independent Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a thorough audit of all transactions, deliberations, decisions, or actions regarding financial and monetary policy.
As U.S. Senator John Kennedy (LA) succinctly pointed out in a 2017 letter to The Hill newspaper:
“A few years after the 2008 financial collapse, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) got a rare opportunity to peek behind the curtain at the Federal Reserve. Although the review was limited in scope, the GAO was able to audit the agency’s emergency loan programs. What it found was troubling to say the least.
This rare audit found conflicts of interest and no-bid contracts. It also revealed that the Fed authorized $16 trillion in bailouts to businesses and banks without so much as a whisper in the Capitol hallway to Congress. Unsurprisingly, the Federal Reserve would prefer not to be audited further with any degree of substance by the GAO, especially on interest rate decisions. Yet the Federal Reserve insists its reluctance is centered on fears of political interference. (Emphasis added).
Yet, The Fed doesn’t want an auditor peeking over its shoulder as it makes decisions that will impact millions of families. Instead, The Fed is asking us to just trust that everything will work out. And we’re supposed to believe that it’s best for Congress to be blindfolded in its role as public guardian of the American economy. I don’t buy it. It’s time to audit the Fed.” (U.S. Sen. John Kennedy letter to The Hill on 12/18/17).
The Heritage Foundation also notes that “… the Fed has strenuously resisted providing detailed information relating to specific transactions. The Fed’s determined lack of transparency in this area has raised red flags among policymakers, leading to Freedom of Information Act filings with the Fed and proposed legislation in Congress to subject the Fed to an outside audit of its activities …” (Heritage economist, J.D. Foster, 2009).
As former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis once said, “sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.” We are a Republic based upon our U.S. Constitution which prescribes that we govern ourselves as a representative democracy. Our form of government doesn’t allow for unchecked and unfettered power over our citizens, and this is especially so regarding an entity like The Fed which impacts so much of American life. It must be the subject of an audit that will provide transparency, accountability, and public confidence in its policy decisions.
Red River High is distributing information to students about required testing in order to graduate. They also are offering multiple opportunities to test or to improve test scores achieved earlier.
ACT, LEAP 2025, ACT WorkKeys, and Advanced Placement testing contribute to more that 50-% of the school performance score. These high stakes assessments prepare students for college or the workforce.
Some highlights include:
ACT Test dates April 2 and June 11
LEAP 2025 testing will be done during May. Dates to be announced.
ACT WorkKeys testing begins in 10th grade with a goal of passing all three sections by the end of the senior year.
And AP courses offer students the chance to earn college credit while in high school. Testing is a part of each AP course taken.
Check with school guidance counselors or the Red River High social media pages for more information.
The River Parish School Board is accepting applications for the following position:
District Data Manager (salary starting at 49K plus supplements)
Applicants must have a master’s degree in Education. 3-5 years of successful experience in entering, querying, and exporting data, regardless of platform required. Experience in school-based informational data systems is preferred.
Performance Responsibilities:
All interested applicants should apply online at http://www.rrbulldogs.com. Deadline to apply, January 31, 2022.
For more information, you may contact Nicole Eason at 318-271-2150.
Nicole M. Eason
Red River Parish School Board
Human Resources Department
Northwestern State University will hold Spring 2022 commencement exercises with four ceremonies at 10:00 am and 2:00 pm both Wednesday, May 11 and Thursday, May 12. . Commencement will take place in Prather Coliseum. The ceremonies will be streamed live on the university’s website, nsula.edu.
Graduation isn’t until May and the details are quite lengthy. Please read down to learn where and when your student will graduate. Save this information for future reference.
According to University Registrar Barbara Prescott, graduates and guests should note some changes in entrance and exit procedures for the upcoming ceremonies. Graduates will enter the Coliseum on the west side facing the Kappa Sigma House. Guests for graduates with last names beginning A-L should use entrance and exits on the east of Prather Coliseum, which faces the tennis courts. Guests for graduates with last names beginning M-Z should use entrance and exits on the west side of Prather Coliseum, facing the Kappa Sigma House.
ADA accessibility entrance is located at the main entrance at the front of the Coliseum.
Faculty and stage party will enter on the east side of Prather Coliseum, the side facing the tennis courts.
The Spring 2022 commencement schedule is as follows.
10 a.m. Wednesday, May 11
College of Nursing and School of Allied Health (Bachelor and Associate Degrees)
BAS – Allied Health
BS – Radiologic Sciences
BSN – Bachelor of Science in Nursing
ASN – Associate of Science in Nursing
2 p.m. Wednesday, May 11
Graduate School (Graduate Degrees)
College of Arts and Sciences
MA – Art, English
MM – Music
MS – Homeland Security
College of Nursing and School of Allied Health
DNP – Doctor of Nursing Practice
MS – Radiologic Sciences
MSN – Master of Science in Nursing
Gallaspy Family College of Education & Human Development
EDD – Adult Learning and Development
EDS – Educational Leadership and Instruction
MA – Adult Learning & Development, Counseling, Student Affairs in Higher Education
MAT – Early Childhood Education-Grades PK-3, Elementary Education-Grades 1-5, Elementary Education and Special Education Mild/Moderate-Grades 1-5, Middle School Education-Grades 4-8, Middle School Education and Special Education Mild/Moderate-Grades 4-8, Secondary Education-Grades 6-12, Secondary Education and Special Education Mild/Moderate-Grades 6-12
MED – Curriculum and Instruction, Early Childhood Education, Educational Leadership, Educational Technology Leadership, Special Education
MS – Health and Human Performance, Psychology-Clinical
College of Business and Technology (Bachelor Degrees)
BS – Accounting, Business Administration, Computer Information Systems, Hospitality
Management &Tourism
10 a.m. Thursday, May 12
College of Arts and Sciences (Bachelor and Associate Degrees)
BA – Communication, Criminal Justice, English, History, Liberal Arts
BFA – Dance, Fine and Graphic Arts
BGS – General Studies
BM – Music
BS – Applied Microbiology, Biology, Electronics Engineering Technology, Industrial Engineering Technology, Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Theatre, Unified Public Safety Administration
AD – Veterinary Technology
AGS – Associate of General Studies
AS – Engineering Technology
Louisiana Scholars’ College (Bachelor Degrees)
BA – Communication, Criminal Justice, English, History, Liberal Arts
BFA – Fine & Graphic Arts
BM – Music
BME – Music Education-Instrumental-Grades K-12, Music Education-Vocal-Grades K-12
BS – Accounting, Applied Microbiology, Biology, Business Administration, Computer Information Systems, Electronic Engineering Technology, Elementary Education-Grades 1-5, Health and Exercise Science, Hospitality Management and Tourism, Industrial Engineering Technology, Mathematics, Physical Sciences, Psychology, Secondary Education and Teaching, Theatre, Unified Public Safety Administration
BSW – Social Work
2 p.m. Thursday, May 12
Gallaspy Family College of Education & Human Development (Bachelor Degrees)
BME – Music Education-Instrumental-Grades K-12, Music Education-Vocal-Grades K-12, Music Education-Vocal/Instrumental -Grades K-12
BS – Addiction Studies, Child and Family Studies, Early Childhood Education-Grades Pre-K-3, Elementary Education-Grades 1-5, Health and Exercise Science, Health and Physical Education-Grades K-12, Psychology, Secondary Education and Teaching
BSW – Social Work
Wesley Chapel will join together in a fellowship meal of soup and side dishes this Sunday, Jan. 30 at 12 noon in the fellowship hall. Following the meal, there will be a short planning meeting for this year. Everyone is encouraged to join us for lunch and to share your ideas for this new year.
UPDATE – ROAD CLOSURE: LA 507 near Womack in Red River Parish
(UPDATE 1/25/2022): DOTD advises motorists that this road closure on LA 507 in Red River Parish has been extended to Saturday, January 29, 2022, weather permitting. We appreciate the public’s patience.
CHRISTUS Shreveport-Bossier Health System is pleased to announce the new Cardiovascular Center of Excellence at CHRISTUS Highland Medical Center is now open.
This state-of-the-art heart center is the capstone project of a $43 million investment to completely transform the existing hospital footprint. The CHRISTUS Cardiovascular Center completes a series of expansion projects over the past 5 years that have included a new, tripled-in-size Emergency Room, 16 new inpatient beds and new ICU beds. With a devoted entrance, family space and parking, the Cardiovascular Center of Excellence is designed for optimum patient experience and unmatched diagnostic, therapeutic and surgical care.
The first Fourth Friday Fish Fry of the year will be tonight at Clara Springs Camp. Fairview Baptist Church will be our hosts for the evening. Pay $10 for all you can eat Fried fish, sides, homemade bread pudding…and homemade ice cream! We will start serving this evening at 5:00 pm.
Social Springs Community Water System said, “The Boil Advisory for our South Well has been lifted. Thank y’all for your patience.”
Red River Parish’s School Covid Nurse reported to the School Board this month, compared to other districts we are doing well.”
Paula Clark said new guidelines went into effect within the past month concerning quarantines and mask wearing for school employees. She said in the event of exposure and close contact with a person with COVID, the ten day quarantine has been reduced to five days and then wearing a mask for five more days. Clark added, “if the person is up to date on vaccinations and has no symptoms, they can continue to work with a mask.”
Looking at the numbers, Clark said there are ten people now out on all of the campuses in the parish. Seven are due to a close contact to someone with COVID and three are due to a positive COVID test. “It is amazingly low,” added Clark.
Additional honors have been bestowed on the Red River Football Team. Coach Jeff Harper reported that Louisiana Sportsline has added several Bulldogs to their all state team.
Coach Harper said, “Thank you Louisiana Sportsline for recognizing these athletes for the LSL All-State team. Players recognized were:
1st team ATH – Tre Smith
1st team WR – D’evan McDonald
1st team Punter – Ryder Hogan
1st team KR – Stanley Maxie
2nd team WR – Antron Williams
2nd team OL – Ashanti Cole
2nd team LB – Jyrel Jones
Red River Athletics added their congratulations. “Proud of our student athletes and coaches. Their hard work continues to be recognized.”
By State Representative Gabe Firment
On Tuesday, February 1st the Louisiana State Legislature will convene a 3 week special session for redistricting, or the redrawing of political boundary lines based on new census data. Federal and state laws require that most political boundaries be redrawn every 10 years, including Congressional districts, state legislative seats, the Public Service Commission, and BESE districts. Louisiana’s six Congressional districts are required to be essentially equal in population, while the other districts are allowed to have a 10% differential.
The most significant issue facing the legislature’s redistricting efforts is the stagnant population growth the state experienced the past 10 years and the continued shift in population from North Louisiana to parishes primarily located south of Interstate 10. Louisiana’s population only grew at a rate of 2.74% over the past decade compared to 10.22% by neighboring Southern states. The loss of population in North and Central Louisiana will likely lead to the loss of a state Senate district, at least one state House of Representatives district, and potentially even the loss of a Congressional district.
Losing a Congressional district to South Louisiana would be a big blow to North Louisiana, as it would further weaken our influence and likely leave us just one voice in Congress to represent a vast and diverse geographic region encompassing Shreveport, Monroe, Alexandria and all points in between. Governor Edwards has also stated that he wants to create a second Congressional district with a majority black population, however, it is illegal to create districts solely based on racial gerrymandering. Although Republicans in the state House and Senate have significant majorities, the governor can veto any redistricting plan that he does not agree with.
The importance of the upcoming redistricting session cannot be overstated as it will shape the political landscape of our state for at least the next 10 years. It is absolutely critical that we have political boundaries that allow for people to be represented by elected officials who share their values and will go to Washington D.C. or Baton Rouge and fight for the interests and beliefs of those they represent. You can find more Census information here: census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/2020-population-and-housing-state-data.html and more redistricting information here: redist.legis.la.gov/2020_Files/MtgFiles/PowerPoint.pdf.
Of course you can always contact me about this issue or anything else at (318)765-9606 or gfirment@legis.la.gov. Thank you and God Bless.
The Red River Parish School Board posted the value of an education.
We recently read that if the 1.3 million dropouts across the nation from the Class of 2010 had graduated, it’s possible they could have generated as much as $337 billion more in earnings over the course of their lifetimes.
At the Red River Parish School Board, it is our commitment to do everything possible to assure that every student in our system graduates with a quality education that will give them the skills needed to lead a successful life.
Editor’s Note: The latest information available puts the graduation rate from Red River High School at 96%.
By Nicole Tull
The District 8 Baptist Convention held their annual meeting at Clara Springs Baptist Encampment in Pelican on Thursday, January 21, 2022. District 8 includes southern Baptist churches in DeSoto, Red River, Sabine and Natchitoches parishes. The camp served up a delicious dinner to all of those in attendance. The campground is a ministry of District 8 and are gracious to host meetings of all kinds during the year.
The meeting began with worship and an encouraging message from the outgoing president, Richard Tull, pastor of Mt. Olivet in Logansport. He proposed “Reset Our Sights” for the believer brought out of Ephesians 1.
The various ministries gave their updates and reports. Mary Gore at Toledo Bend Baptist Resort is so proud to have a new building being built. Rev. Bill Collins is excited for the less inhibited collegiate activities at NSU. Bubba Mills informed of the moved cabins and new building for meetings at the campground.
A new slate of officers was elected. Cyle Clayton, pastor of Calvary Baptist of Many is the new president. Shawn Thrapp, pastor of First Baptist Logansport is First Vice-President. Jay Begbie, pastor of Grand Ecore in Natchitoches is Second Vice-President. Charles Verret was reelected Recording Secretary and Jack Bell was reelected as Treasurer.
Tonight, the Red River basketball teams travel to North Caddo for a pair of non-district contests. The Bulldogs are 1-1 in district and the Lady Bulldogs are 0-2.
Over the past week, the Bulldogs earned two victories out of three games. Against North Webster on January 24th, the Bulldogs scored 90 to 28. Last Friday at the Dawg Pound Winnfield went down to defeat 78 to 69. Their first district contest against Lakeview was a loss with the Gators outscoring 86 to 73.
The Lady Bulldogs lost two district matches last week. They were defeated by Lakeview 84 to 14 and against Winnfield 68 to7.
‘This week they travel to North Caddo. On Friday Red River travels to Many for a pair of district games.
By Teddy Allen
“And the answer is: What do you call a person who has no chance of correctly answering more than three questions, tops, on any single episode of Jeopardy!?”
“What is a Jeopardy! Deadbeat?”
“Correct! The judges would have also taken ‘What is Most any Normal Person?’”
No one is in jeopardy of me beating them on Jeopardy!, four decades old and the most-watched TV game show of all-time. The questions — or answers, if you prefer — are cast-iron tough. Harder than an acre of ash.
There is every reason to watch Jeopardy! and one big reason not to. What I hear most is, “It makes me feel stupid.” Legit response. Makes me feel more stupid. I passed feeling stupid a long time ago.
But … to those using that excuse, we offer this:
Consider an attitude adjustment. I know going in I’m not the most mature apple on the tree, so when I watch, it’s with low expectations. Extremely low. Barrel-bottom low. Again, me and millions of other stupid people have made it the most popular game show ever.
That anyone can ever actually win a match, even one, is what makes the current goings-on all that more confounding. The show’s reigning champ isn’t just beating people, she’s destroying them. Sherman through Georgia. She’s the game show equivalent of football’s 1970’s Pittsburgh Steelers.
A historic champ is Amy Schneider, a 41-year-old engineering manager from Oakland, Calif., who after Monday’s just-another-day-at-the-office rout had won 39 consecutive matches and moved into second place all-time and all by her lonesome.
She’d also pocketed $1,319,800. Hello.
She’s still way behind all-time champ Ken Jennings and his 74 straight wins. If she were chasing Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hit streak, she’d be around 30. Lot of pitchers left to face.
That said, Schneider’s got game. Monday alone, she answered questions from the categories of, among others, Government Agencies, Bodies of Water, The Crusades, Rhythm & Blues, Roman Life & Culture — quite the varied array.
As usual, she won by $10,000 — and that was after losing $25,000 in Final Jeopardy. LOST 25 large and still won by 10.
Some of Monday’s answers/questions, with the correct response in parentheses. Good luck:
“Moses’ mom put him in an ark made of this plant?” Me: “Reeds!” (Bulrush.) Dang! I KNEW I had that one … “The mission of BLM, short for this, is ‘to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the public lands.’” Me: “What is the Big Land Machine?” (Bureau of Land Management)
“Croatia’s border rivers, the Sava & Drava, are both tributaries of this one.” Me: “Uh ….” (The Gulf of Sidra)
“Pope Eugenius III launched the Second Crusade in 1145 with ‘Quantum Praedecessores,’ one of these documents named for its seal.” Me: “No WAY there was a whole other Crusade after the first one. No livin’ WAY!” (The Papal Bull.)
My guess would have been The Mama Bull. So close…
The show airs 4:30 weekdays on ABC. Sometimes I’ll record it and, if I’ve had a good day, I’ll watch maybe 10 minutes, just to be humbled, just to remind myself that while a contestant is winning on Jeopardy! each weekday, I barely know the difference between the Gulf of Sidra and the Gulf gas station down on the corner.
Always felt I had a fightin’-man’s chance back in the day with Match Game. The Price is Right. Even Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. But Jeopardy! is a different animal. It’s always the windshield; I’m always the bug.
Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu
Last Friday was Camo Day at Riverdale. It was part of the spirit effort prior to basketball games at the school. Mrs. Dana Hesson’s class had a lot of fun celebrating on Friday (and it was camo day for our basketball teams)!
A major accomplishment of the class was “100 Days of 2nd Grade. Check out the photos. Hesson said, “They are a precious group of kiddos.”
The River Parish School Board is accepting applications for the following position:
District Data Manager (salary starting at 49K plus supplements)
Applicants must have a master’s degree in Education. 3-5 years of successful experience in entering, querying, and exporting data, regardless of platform required. Experience in school-based informational data systems is preferred.
Performance Responsibilities:
All interested applicants should apply online at http://www.rrbulldogs.com. Deadline to apply, January 31, 2022.
For more information, you may contact Nicole Eason at 318-271-2150.
Nicole M. Eason
Red River Parish School Board
Human Resources Department
“This is one of my favorite Algebra projects!” Amanda Cason complimented her class on a particular activity that shrank at the end.
Cason explained, “The students graphed equations (using intercepts, point-slope form, slope-intercept form, etc.). Then used shrink paper to trace all of the equations.”
The final touch to the project, said Cason, “They got to watch their projects shrink in the toaster oven.”
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