On Thursday, Red River will host the district baseball tournament.  There will be three games on Thursday to be played at the new Red River Sports Complex.

There will be semi-final games tomorrow, both of them beginning at 4:00 pm.  On the natural grass field Lakeview will play Winnfield.  Lakeview is last in district play with an 0-3 record.  Winnfield is on top with 3-0.

The other game will be Many vs Red River played on the turf field.  Red River is 2-1 in district play and Many is 1-2.

The winners of those games will face each other for the district title.  That final game is scheduled on the turf field for 6:00 pm Thursday.

Playoffs for the state title begin next week.  LHSAA should release the brackets over the coming weekend. As of Tuesday night, the LHSAA Power Rankings had Winnfield #6 in the state, Many at #7 and Red River ranked #13.

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According to a recent statement, The Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana (TRSL) provided $2.3 billion in retirement income in Fiscal Year 2021.  North Louisiana retirees and beneficiaries took home $422 million.  Of that amount, $3,738,562 went to retirees in Red River Parish.  On average, this translates to Red River retirees in the teacher’s system getting $2158 more than the federal poverty level for a family of four.

“As the largest public retirement system in Louisiana, we are proud of the positive impact we have on the state’s economy,” said Katherine Whitney, director of the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana. “TRSL’s benefit payments give more than 81,600 retirees and beneficiaries the buying power to support their communities. Their years of hard work are rewarded with a stable retirement income that allows them to invest in the local economy. Whether they’re buying groceries at the supermarket or picking up plants at the nursery, they are a powerful part of Louisiana’s economic engine.”

To see the local impact, check the chart below.  Red River recipients averaged less than $30,000 (average $29,908.47).  According to the US Census Bureau this is average for the state.  Louisiana’s per capita income is stated at $29,522.  The median household income was $50,580.  Red River retirees on the teacher retirement system on average have a slightly higher income than the statewide per capita income.  And their income is $2158 higher than the Federal Poverty Guidelines for a family of 4 at $27,750.

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By Autumn McCoy

The Red River Lady Bulldogs ended the regular season with a record of 13 wins and 7 loses. After the Lady Bulldogs earned the #18 seed in the LHSAA Class 2A Softball State Playoffs, they travelled 3.5 hours, south, to take on #15 Loreauville, Saturday April 16th.

The Bulldogs hit well during the first inning, but Gracie Baker # 9, catcher, would create the only run Red River would score for the entire game. When the Lady Tigers were at bat, they were only able to score 4. It was shaping up to be a good, close game.

The second inning was very much the turning point of the game though. The Lady Bulldogs would not score again. Bryn Danzy # 4, pitcher, struggled to find the almost non-existent strike zone. The Lady Bulldogs allowed the home team to score an astounding 15 runs in the bottom of the second inning before getting the three outs needed to end the inning.

After the third inning started and was shaping up much like the previous one, Harley Sepulvado # 11 relieved Danzy. The Lady Bulldogs fell to the Lady Tigers 1-19 after just three innings. They made a total of 6 errors for the whole game, and the home team had zero.

Loreauville will go on to play the winner of #2 ranked Port Barre and #31 ranked Lake Arthur in the next round of the playoffs. The Lady Bulldogs’ season is over, and that was the toughest pill to swallow for the three Seniors.

They can hold their heads high because they were able to teach their young team, made up of seven freshmen, a lot this season and lead them to their first playoff appearance. Baker, catcher, hopes to go on to play college ball as a Louisiana Tech Bulldog, and we wish her the best of luck. Gracie Lindsey # 12, first baseman, plans to go to cosmetology school, and Tess Zegel # 17, outfield, will return home to the Netherlands after graduation as she is a foreign exchange student.  This playoff appearance was also the final game for Zachary Thrasher as Head Coach.

Their Lady Bulldog team and coaches wish them all the best of luck in their future endeavors.

By Teddy Allen

Maybe springtime made me think of it. Could have been the smell of fresh cotton on Easter.

Or my neck just hurt.

But in an instant, it was boyhood again, and with it the hazy memory of a red streak on your sweaty little neck, a sign of a rite of passage, long gone now thanks to all the modern conveniences.

In sports, getting “clotheslined” means getting knocked down by a guy’s outstretched arm at neck level. Your neck is just running along minding its own business when suddenly an angry arm hits it and stops it; the bottom part of your non-neck body keeps going, but obviously not for long.

This happens often in TV wrestling. Standard move. It is the cousin of the “lariat,” which is the classic clothesline, only with the offending arm moving forward like a hatchet.

Crowd pleaser.

But in unrehearsed arenas, most often on the football field and daily ‘way back when’ on the school playground, the clothesline was Standard Operating Procedure. Everyone’s neck knew this going in and, if you were a victim, you held no hard feelings … at least not at once you’d caught your breath and felt your neck pipe would live to breathe again.

But the saying itself — clotheslined — would be lost on the youth of today. We knew exactly what it meant and why it fit perfectly. We knew because our moms had clotheslines.

They are rare as an honest soul these days, the clotheslines of our youth. We all have inside clothes dryers now. Even in the 1960s, some people had electric clothes dryers inside their actual homes. Awesome.

But the rest of us had dryers, too. They were just non-electric and hung in the backyard.

The most basic of rural clotheslines were a pair of cross pipes about 20 feet apart, maybe 30, and three or four rows of heavy twine or light wire connected the two. On those were clothes pins holding up various blouses and socks and jeans and underwear.

Very few secrets in rural life concerning haberdashery.

The ends of the cross pipes were hollow, so we’d stick 6-ounce Dr Pepper bottles in the ends to keep the wasps from homesteading. There was a step stool, in case little sis had to help “hurry and get in the wash” before a brewing rain.

You didn’t want the clothesline right in the middle of the backyard because that would mess up playing, but you couldn’t hem it in; the wind needed a fair shot to dry the clothes. Our backyard was big enough so that our clothesline was pushed to the back third. Sweet. It just made the run to the back door a little longer if you were hurrying in under a sprinkle with a quickly gathered load.

The only problem with clotheslines came if you were playing around one you weren’t familiar with. You were the visiting team in another kid’s yard. The lines were high enough so we wouldn’t run into them unless … unless you were on your bike. If you hit a clothesline, it was like being whipped off your bike by an invisible and unforgiving, very healthy and surprisingly strong string.

What the…?!

The days you saw a buddy get clotheslined while on his bike — the bike would keep going and your friend would half somersault in the air before landing on his back — those days were the jewels of childhood.

It was always funny — when it happened to somebody else.

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

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By Molly Seales

On Thursday, April 7, 29 of Riverdale’s top students represented their school at the MAIS Overall Reading Fair in Pearl, Mississippi. At overall, students compete against all classes of schools. Riverdale is a Class A school, which means we are one of the smallest in the MAIS. We competed against, and placed against, 5A schools. This is an accomplishment to truly be proud of!

This year we had more students place than ever before as our readers continue to pave the way to put Riverdale at the top at overall one day really soon! We had two groups that won 1^st place on their projects at overall. They were the 3^rd grade group non-fiction team of Milton Guidry and Benton Yount. They also won 1^st place in best portrayal of character. The other 1^st place team, composed of sophomores Georgia Carlisle and Emily Nettles, won in the high school group non-fiction category. They also won 1^st place in best portrayal of character. Our other 1^st place award went to 3^rd graders Dally Bell and Hope Williamson, who did a group fiction project. Dally and Hope had 12 entrants in their category, so 1^st place was a huge accomplishment!

We had several other students place 2^nd or 3^rd. Third grader Kylie Davis placed 2^nd in individual fiction, while 8^th grader Ben Moseley placed 2^nd in junior high individual non-fiction. 6^th graders Hayden Cason, Jackson Hillman, and Kaden McNeely placed 3^rd in group non-fiction, while 8^th graders Alaina Boyd and Ayla Knotts placed 3^rd in group non-fiction for junior high. 7^th grader Layken Gates took 3^rd place in junior high non=fiction best portrayal of character.

My mom, Bethany Seales, teaches junior high ELA and is the school reading fair sponsor. She had an opportunity to judge at the overall reading fair. I asked her what her thoughts were on the experience. She said, “That was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Every project that we judged was so good and worthy of placing. Unfortunately, you can only pick three. I’m not sure if I want to judge again next year. It’s a lot of pressure.” She also said, “I am so proud of all of our reading fair participants, from the school level all the way to overall. It does my heart good to see that there are some children left who love reading. Reading has become somewhat of a lost art since the evolution of more and more technology. I would like to give a huge thank you to the parents who helped make this experience possible for their children. I appreciate you and the support you gave your children during this fun and educational venture.”

Congratulations to all of our overall reading fair winners!

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Courtyard of Natchitoches: Full Time, Part Time, & PRN

Required Education and Experience

1. High School graduate or equivalent.
2. Current Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) certification in the State of Louisiana.
3. Current Basic Cardiac Life Support certification or must obtain within three (3) months of hire date.

Offering Sign-On Bonuses • Great Salaries & Benefits

To view and apply to these openings, please visit: nrmchospital.org/jobs/.

If you have questions or would like to speak to our Recruiter, please contact Larissa Cameron at 318-214-5819 or at larissa.cameron@nrmchospital.org

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By Molly Seals

On Thursday, April 14, the Riverdale JV track team traveled to Canton, MS, to participate in the JV District Track where they came away with district runner-up. Every one of our JV track team members placed in their events!

In the 100-meter hurdles, 7^th grader Allie Murphy placed 1^st, and 6^th grader Lexie Pearah placed 3^rd. In the 300-meter hurdles, 8^th grader Alaina Boyd placed 1^st. In the 100-meter dash, Murphy placed 3^rd and Pearah placed 4^th. In the 200-meter dash, A .Boyd placed 3^rd and 6^th grader Kaleigh Pickett placed 4^th. In the 400-meter dash, 9^th grader Shirley Boyd placed 4^th.

In the 4 x 100 relay, the team of A. Boyd, Pickett, Murphy, and Pearah placed 2^nd, while the 4 x 200 relay team of Pearah, Pickett, S. Boyd, and A. Boyd also placed second. In the final relay, the 4 x 400, the team of Pearah, S. Boyd, Murphy, and Pickett also placed 2^nd.

In field events, Riverdale had a strong showing as well. Shirley Boyd placed 3^rd in the long jump. 8^th Grader Makayla Pickett placed first in the discus, throwing her personal best of 70 feet.  Alaina Boyd took 3^rd place in discus. In the shot put, 9^th grader Kacie Harper took 2^nd place, and 8^th grader Julia Grace Riggs took 1^st place. Riggs is on track to follow in the footsteps of her big sister, Jaylee Riggs Wyatt, a 2017 graduate of Riverdale. Jaylee was district and state champion in shot put in 2016 and 2017, her junior and senior years.

The JV track team would like to give a huge thanks to parents Joni Riggs and Maressa Halbmaier. Today, Wednesday April 20th the track team will travel to Clarksdale, MS, for the varsity district championship. Good luck Rebels!

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By Brad Dison

Paul was born in Quincy, Illinois in 1915.  Five years later, Paul and his family moved to Davenport, Iowa, where Paul’s father became a candy wholesaler.  In 1924, Paul and his family moved to Hialeah, Florida, a principal city of the Miami metropolitan area.  By this time, Paul’s father was a partner in the Tibbets & Smith wholesale candy company.  Paul’s father’s work as a candy wholesaler put Paul in a situation which changed the trajectory of his and countless others’ lives.

Doug Davis was an aviation enthusiast.  In 1917, when Doug was eighteen-years-old, the United States entered World War I.  Doug quit school and enlisted in the United States Air Service, forerunner of the Air Force.  Doug excelled as a pilot and graduated at the top of his class.  His talents were such that, rather than sending him into combat, the Air Service determined that Doug’s talents would be better utilized as a flight instructor, a job he excelled at for two years.  In 1919, Doug was discharged from the Air Service, but was determined to keep flying.  He purchased a surplus Curtiss JN “Jenny” trainer biplane from the government and formed the Doug Davis Flying Circus.

Flying Circuses were a popular form of entertainment following World War I.  In flying circuses, daredevil pilots called barnstormers performed dangerous airplane stunts which seemed to defy the laws of physics.  Some of these death-defying stunts included spins, dives, loop-the-loops, barrel rolls, wing walking, stunt parachuting, target shooting, dancing on the plane’s wings during flight, midair plane transfers, and even playing tennis.

In 1924, Otto Schnering, owner of the Curtiss Candy Company, was looking for an innovative way to advertise his company’s new candy bar called Baby Ruth.  After witnessing the large crowds that gathered for the stunt shows, Otto decided to sponsor a flying circus.  He convinced Doug to merge the Doug Davis Flying Circus with another flying circus and formed the Baby Ruth Flying Circus.

As part of their flying circus show, Doug would select a spectator seemingly at random from the crowd to join him in a flight to perform a special task.  In reality, the spectators were preselected and were somehow connected with the Curtiss Candy Company.  In 1927, the Baby Ruth Flying Circus was scheduled to perform at the Hialeah Park Race Track, a dog racing and horse racing track near Paul’s home.  As the son of Curtiss Candy Company’s main wholesaler for the area, Paul was chosen to fly with Doug.  Before the show, Doug explained the task that Paul would perform.  Paul was excited but nervous because it was his first flight in an airplane.  Doug and Paul took off from the racetrack and flew a large sweeping turn over the racetrack.  As they flew over the crowd, Paul began throwing Baby Ruth candy bars from the biplane as he had been instructed.  Each candy bar was attached to a small parachute which enabled them to coast safely down to the cheering crowds.  Paul said later, “From that day on, I knew I had to fly.”

Paul wanted to become a pilot but Paul’s father wanted him to become a doctor.  In 1933, Paul graduated from Western Military Academy.  Paul went to the University of Florida to work on his undergraduate degree.  While there, with the encouragement of his mother, Paul took flying lessons.  To satisfy his father’s wishes, he began his pre-med studies at the University of Cincinnati, but, after a year-and-a-half, Paul decided against becoming a medical doctor.  Instead, he enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps to become a pilot.  

Paul had a distinguished military career.  In 1938, Paul was commissioned as a second lieutenant and received his pilot rating.  In 1940 and 1941, Paul served as Brigadier General George S. Patton’s personal pilot.  When the United States entered World War II, Paul was the commanding officer of a bombardment squadron of B-17s.  He captained numerous bomber aircraft during his military career, rose through the ranks, and retired in 1966 as a Brigadier General.  Paul is remembered for a single bombing mission he flew in the final year of World War II.  On August 5, 1945, eighteen years after Paul dropped Baby Ruth candy bars from an airplane, Paul Tibbets flew the Enola Gay, a bomber named after his mother, that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. 

Photo caption:  A Curtiss JN-4 “Jenny” in 1918

Sources:

1. SeattleTimes.com “Paul Tibbets, Pilot Who Bombed Hiroshima, Dies at 92.” Accessed April 10, 2022.seattletimes.com/nation-world/paul-tibbets-pilot-who-bombed-hiroshima-dies-at-92/
2. Scott Magelssen, Performing Flight: From the Barnstormers to Space Tourism (University of Michigan Press, 2020), p.38.
3. The Miami Herald, August 6, 1978, p.31.
4. The Miami News, August 6, 1982, p.6.
5. Dayton Daily News, November 28, 1989, p.25.
6. Chicago Tribune, February 2, 2003, p.1-17.

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The residents of Green Meadow Haven were surprised last Friday with “Bunny Bags” full of goodies for Easter.  The bags were a joint effort of Mabile’s Pharmacy, the Sewing God’s Love ladies of Coushatta, and Green Meadow Haven. 

Everyone pitched in and delivered the surprise with the help of none other than the Easter bunny.  Many thanks to all who made contributions or helped to make the event possible. 

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By Molly Seales

On Thursday afternoon, April 14, Riverdale Baseball hosted Shreveport Force in a home game for senior night. The Rebels came away with a huge 23-8 win. Before the game, senior baseball players and golf team members were recognized at senior night.

Senior golf team members Reagan Huddleston, son of Matt and Celeste Huddleston, and Ty Jones, son of Tyler Jones and Julie Jones were honored for their contributions to the RA Golf Team. Both Huddleston and Jones were members of the 2021 Class A Championship Golf Team, which is looking to defend its title next week. Last year in the championship match, Huddleston had a 1^st place individual finish in Class A, while Jones was not far behind with a 4^th place individual finish. Good luck to them next week!

Senior baseball players Chandler Nettles, son of Josh and Heather Nettles; Monroe McCarty, son of Monroe and Lisa McCarty; Jake Messenger, son of Clay and Ashlie Messenger; Denver Williams, son of Rodney and Brandy Williams, and Jones were honored for their dedication to the sport of baseball.

Senior Monroe McCarty got the start on the mound for Riverdale and picked up his first win of the season. Nettles got his first start this season, handling 1^st base. Senior Denver Williams had a great day at the plate going 3 for 3 with 4 RBIs and 3 runs scored. Freshman Aston Hester also had a good outing at the plate going 3 for 4 with 3 RBIs and 3 runs scored. Senior Jake Messenger went 2 for 3 at the plate with 4 runs scored. Freshman Colton Caskey was 2 for 2 on the day with 1 RBI and 2 runs scored. Sophomore Ryder Huddleston was 1 for 2 with 2 RBIs and a run scored, while senior Ty Jones was 1 for 2 with a run scored. McCarty had an RBI and scored 2 runs, while the remaining runs came from Mason Murray (1,) Kaidyn Williams (3,) and Landen Barrett (4.)

Riverdale Tennis Team Gets Wins on Senior Night

On Thursday, April 14, the Riverdale Academy hosted the Tensas Chiefs for a district match. It was also senior night for our senior tennis players Sidney Free, Denver Williams, Chandler Nettles, and Monroe McCarty. They were honored at their last home match.

The Rebel tennis team had a good day with all players doing a great job. We had several individuals/teams come out on top, and the rest played some really close matches. Winning their matches were #1 girl’s singles player, junior Emma Clemons; our #2 girl’s doubles team of Chloe Jordan and Charity Williamson; and our #1 boy’s doubles team of Luke Greer and Will Jones. Congratulations to these Riverdale Rebels!

The tennis team will have a rematch with Tensas on Wednesday, April 20, as they travel to St. Joseph! Good luck!

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Lavon Tandy Warren, Sr.

March 18, 1928 to April 16, 2022

View full obituary here:

https://redriverparishjournal.com/2022/04/19/40539/

Sally Joline Lowring

March 30, 1984 to April 15, 2022

Funeral service 1:00 pm Thursday, April 21, 2022 at Rockett-Nettles Chapel.

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The Red River Sheriff’s Office is reporting the K-9 team of Sgt. Petersen and K-9 Aron recently assisted NPSO and others in the apprehension of a Natchitoches Parish man following a six hour standoff in Goldonna.

Charles Chase Nobles, 42, of Goldonna was wanted by all three parishes on charges ranging from narcotics, theft, cruelty to animals, traffic, illegal possession of stolen things and other charges, but when law enforcement would come in contact with him in the past couple of months, he would elude them by running in the woods on foot or on an all-terrain vehicle.

The suspect was notified that the K-9 would be released into the house where he was holed-up.  He refused to surrender and the K-9 was released, leading to taking Nobles into custody.

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A funeral service celebrating the life of Lavon Tandy Warren, Sr., 94, will be held at 2:00 PM, Tuesday, April 19, 2022, at Castor Assembly of God Church with Bro. Donald Nailes, Bro. James Nailes, and Bro. Jeff Scott officiating. Interment will follow in Ebenezer Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5:00 PM until 9:00 PM, Monday, April 18, 2022, at the church. The services were under the direction of Kilpatrick’s Rose-Neath Funeral Home.

Mr. Warren was born on March 18, 1928, in Ashland, LA to Tandy Cade and Rosie Lee Sullivan Warren and passed away April 16, 2022, in Castor, LA.

Mr. Warren was preceded in death by his parents; daughter, Kathryn Warren; grandchild, Brian Glen Warren; sisters, Sybil Evans and Shirley Norred; and brothers, Alburn, Winfred, Wesley, D.C., and Wiley Nailes.

Left to cherish his memory are wife of 73 years, Lola Mae Nailes Warren; sons, Clayton Warren (Leilia Kay), Jerry Warren (Stacey), and Tandy Warren, Jr. (Ying); daughters, Deliah Warren, Anita Cantrell (Jerry), and Teresa Harper (Charles); and a host of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Honoring Mr. Warren as pallbearers will be Randy Christian, Nick Christian, Scotty Warren, Daniel Warren, Jeremy Warren, Josh Cook, Barry Warren and Brian Mullen. Serving as honorary pallbearers are A.J. Cook, Parker Christian, Bickham Warren, Zach Williams and Levi Cook.

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Report from the Red River Sheriff’s Office for the week ending Saturday, April 16, 2022.

This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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By Christy Suggs

Week 6 RR faced off with some tough teams and finished the week with 3 wins 1 loss.

3/28 St. Mary’s 1 Vs. RR 2

Both teams were strong on the hill but RR came out on top defeating St. Mary’s 2-1. Tyler Hughes allowed just four hits. Things got moving in the first inning when Ryder Hogan singled on a 3-2 count scoring two runs. Hughes took the win for RR pitching 7 innings, allowing 4  hits and 1 run while striking out 10 and walking 0.  Hughes, Hogan and Luke Williamson each collected one  hit to lead the Bulldogs.

3/31 Double Header against Mansfield means double win.

19-3  Red River managed a win even through a big push by Mansfield in the fourth inning. The Bulldogs fired up the offense in the first inning, when Chris Carper singled on a 1-1 count, scoring 2 runs.  RR tallied 8 runs in the fourth inning. The rally was led by singles from Trenton Grigg and Kenneth Lazarus, by John Dickey and Luke Williamson, a walk by Tyler Hughes and a triple by Eli Harper. Ryder Hogan pitched, allowing only 2 hits and 0 runs over 3 innings, striking out 5 and walking 0. Lazarus threw one inning in relief out of the bullpen.  Lazarus recorded the last 3 outs to earn the save.  Red River Bulldogs Varsity had nine hits in the game. Grigg and Carper each managed multiple hits. Carper and Grigg each collected two hits to lead the Red River Bulldogs. Bulldogs Varsity tore up the base paths, as five players stole at least two bases. Hughes led the way with four.

Game 2 RR 14- Mansfield 5

Red River Bulldogs Varsity weathered a scare by Mansfield in the fourth inning where the  Bulldogs coughed up three runs, but still won 14-5. The big inning for Mansfield came thanks to a groundout by Jeremy Youngblood and an error on a ball put in play by Jalon Ebard .

The Bulldogs got things moving in the first inning, when Terrell Gary singled on a 1-0 count, scoring two runs. They tallied six runs in the third inning. Kenneth Thomas, Pierce Kellogg, Jacob Kellogg, and Jayden Stewart each drove in runs during the inning. John Dickey earned the win. The ace lasted two and two-thirds innings, allowing two hits and two runs while striking out seven. Ethan Williamson threw two and a third innings in relief out of the bullpen. Williamson recorded the last seven outs to earn the save for Red River Bulldogs Varsity.

RR collected 11 hits Kellogg, Hunter Tingle, and Gary each managed multiple hits. Kellogg went 3-for-4 at the plate to lead in hits. Red River Bulldogs Varsity stole 11 bases during the game as three players stole more than one. Tingle led the way with three.

4/2 RR 0 vs. Minden 10 The Bulldogs had trouble keeping up with Minden. One error led to many and they just couldn’t get going.  One bright spot was a double by Pierce Kellogg in the first inning. Jackson took the win for Minden. The hurler lasted five innings, allowing one hit and zero runs while striking out seven and walking zero. Tyler Hughes took the loss for the Red River Bulldogs.. He  allowed two hits and six runs over three innings, striking out two and walking one. Kellogg led Red River Bulldogs Varsity with one hit in two at bats.

Coach Reed had this to say about the games against St. Mary’s, Mansfield and Minden.” St. Mary’s win was a state championship caliber win. A Huge victory for this young team. The Minden game isn’t something you want to happen but needs to happen, a little reality check before this last stretch of the season. The game showed where we are weak and I think the adjustments we made Sunday will help prevent a breakdown like we had (against Minden).

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This year marks the 48th year for the Melrose Arts and Crafts Festival! Vendors will display their wares beneath the gorgeous live oak trees of Melrose. Artists and crafters will show and sell their original paintings, gourmet foods, jewelry, clothing, plants, toys, woodworking products, and more! The festival is sponsored by the Association for the Preservation of Historic Natchitoches (APHN) and all proceeds go directly to the upkeep and preservation of Melrose Plantation.

Festival Hours are Saturday 9 – 5 and Sunday 10 – 4.

Tickets are $5 for adults and $2 for kids ages 6 – 12.

Tickets sold at the gate.

Pre-purchase tickets at Eventbrite.com…search Melrose Arts and Crafts Festival.

Also available:

– guided tours of our historic buildings for $5

– food and drinks

Hand sanitizer stations will be available. Our festival will abide by LA health guidelines applicable at the time of the festival.

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By Autumn McCoy

The Lady Bulldogs hosted Green Oaks Friday, April 8, for their Senior Game. Seniors include Gracie Baker # 9, catcher, Gracie Lindsey # 12, first baseman, and  Tess Zegel # 17, center fielder. They were honored and presented with their families before the game during a short ceremony.

After holding the opposition to zero runs in the first inning, Red River dominated the bottom half of the first inning with an astounding 12 runs! Shelby Pickett # 5, third baseman, started things off for the home team with a double that became a in the park homerun with an error by Green Oaks. Lindsey had a beautiful bunt, as well, that turned into and RBI when Destiny Davis # 15, short stop, scored from third. The Lady Bulldogs got over half way through the line up for a second time before Green Oaks would finally end the inning.

Red River had two pitchers for the game, Bryn Danzy # 4 who pitched the first two innings and Baker pitched the last inning. Danzy went to catcher for the final inning. Green Oaks would not score at all until the final inning, and Red River would add six more runs in the second inning and two more in the third and final inning.

On Thursday, April 12^th the Lady Bulldogs hosted the Southwood Lady Cowboys for their final home game of the regular season. It was a tough game for the home team.

The Ladies got down in the first inning and were unable to ever gain footing. Harley Sepulvado # 11 led things off on the mound for the Lady Bulldogs, and Shelby Pickett would come in for relief during the final inning for her first time on the mound this season. Danzy was in at catcher as Baker and Davis were both on the injured list. Danzy and Sarah Cormier # 18 each had one hit for the Lady Bulldogs.

The final score was Southwood 17 and Red River 1. As disappointing as the loss was, the Lady Bulldogs are still headed to the playoffs. They look forward to a trip to the playoffs to hopefully get Coach Zachary Thrasher his first playoff before his steps down as head coach after this season.

Red River High said the Lady Bulldogs earn the #18 seed in the LHSAA Class 2A Softball state playoffs.  They travel to take on #15 Loreauville on Saturday April 16th at 12:00pm.

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By Royal Alexander

New York Times and Washington Post finally admit the story was true.

Many of us already knew the truth regarding the damaging and scandalous details of the Hunter Biden laptop story.  We knew it during the 2020 presidential election.  We knew it when the New York Post, one of the oldest and largest newspapers in the world, first broke the story, which was immediately suppressed by the Deep State and Big Tech, including Twitter and Facebook.  Why?  Because it not only contained sordid details of the corrupt dealings of Hunter Biden personally—leveraging his family connections with other nations in exchange for enormous sums of money—but also it directly implicated then-presidential candidate, Joe Biden, himself.

Remember, the 2020 New York Post story contained news of the discovery of emails revealing that Hunter Biden, clearly traded upon his dad’s then-position as Vice President by gaining favors solely by virtue of his last name that benefited the Ukrainian energy company, Burisma, and his family to the tune of millions from Ukraine, Russia, and China.  In fact, one 2015 email indicates that Vadym Pozharskyi, a Burma adviser, thanked Hunter Biden for “giving an opportunity” to meet former VP Joe Biden. Numerous other emails refer to Joe Biden as “the Big Guy.”

This revelation of influence-peddling by Hunter Biden just prior to the election was obviously newsworthy given that the former VP had repeatedly said he had “never spoken to my son about his overseas business dealings.”  The new emails strongly suggest that Joe Biden was not only aware of his son’s business dealings but actually participated in meetings to benefit him.   Thus, it is clear that Joe Biden lied directly to the American people throughout the 2020 campaign and in the Presidential Debates.

The Wall Street Journal recently noted that “Hunter Biden spent years entwining the family in questionable ventures in Ukraine, Russia, and China, even as his father’s biggest foreign-policy concerns are Ukraine, Russia, and China.  This history raises legitimate questions about counterintelligence and extortion, even as it puts a spotlight on how honest President Biden has been in claiming no knowledge of his son’s doings.”

But, again, the media and tech giants blocked access to this damaging news about Joe Biden and, only now, a year and a half after the presidential election, are the allegations confirmed as true.  What exacerbates this media dishonesty and complicity is the fact that polling reflects a full 16% of Biden voters would have changed their minds and not voted for Joe Biden for president had they known of the laptop scandal at the time. 

But they didn’t know because much of the national media—and social media—today are not objective gatherers of facts and truth.  Rather, Big Media is the mouthpiece of the Democrat Party and the national Left, and that is why they are not trusted.

According to Gallup, for example, TV news is the second least trusted institution in America, at 18 percent, barely edging Congress.

This media dishonesty matters because tight races in three key swing states had a big electoral impact as “just 44,000 votes in Georgia, Arizona and Wisconsin separated Biden and Trump from a tie in the Electoral College.”

If Biden and Trump had tied 269 to 269 in the Electoral College, the Constitution provides that the President be chosen in the House of Representatives with each state having one vote for president, with a candidate needing 26 states to win and the winner decided very likely by which party had a majority in each state’s delegation.   At the time, the Republicans had majorities in 26 state delegations with the Democrats in control of 23 and Pennsylvania with a delegation split between Rs and Ds.

So, with 16% of Biden voters changing their mind had they known about the laptop scandal, and only 44 thousand votes in three states being the difference between a tie in the Electoral College, and the majority of U.S. House (Republican) state delegations voting for Trump to break the tie, in quashing the laptop story the media may have changed the election result and, therefore, American and world history.

Whatever anyone thinks of Trump and his mean tweets, outlandish statements and over-the-top personality, he left the country in far better shape than the countless economic, foreign policy, and cultural disasters that Joe Biden has caused in barely over a year.

This, again, is why millions of Americans don’t trust these institutions.

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Four students, one from each public school were honored at the School Board meeting on Monday.  Each received a certificate and gift card to Dairy Queen.

Red River Elementary’s student of the month is Kaiden Humphery.

Kaiden, a 3rd grader at RRES, is an amazing, hard-working young man.  He always gives 100%; he has set high expectations for himself and works extremely hard to conquer any and every obstacle. When tasks are difficult, he does not quit or give up. Kaiden does not hesitate to ask questions. He is a leader in the classroom, whose behavior serves as a model of excellence for his classmates. This young man is eager and excited to learn on a daily basis.  Kaiden was nominated by Mrs. Arnold.

Daniel Grigg was selected from Red River Academic Academy.

Daniel is one of the most humble students i know. He is respectful to both teachers and students. He is always willing to help the teacher and other students. He gives 100% effort on all academic assignments, even when it is very challenging for him.  It is his effort level and commitment that impress me the most. Even though he struggles at times, he never gives up trying. He tries to figure out where he went wrong himself before asking for help. He has a strong support system, and that helps a lot in the classroom.  Daniel is just a great kid. He was nominated by Mrs. Johnson.

The Student of the Month at Red River Junior High is Daylyn James.

It is our honor and privilege to have this sweet young lady in our class. She is a diligent worker who strives to excel in her classwork. She is well-liked by her peers and is a joy to teach.  She is always quick to lend a helping hand when needed.  Congratulations to Daylyn – a true Red River superstar! The nomination was submitted by Mrs. Murray.

Niasia Latson is Red River High’s Student of the Month.

Niasia is a student that is being recognized for her great attitude and hard work. She is always respectful of herself, of me and of her peers. She is always kind and mindful of how she treats people. She completes assignments in a timely manner and never needs to be reminded of school or classroom rules.  She is a very quiet person, so when called upon, she may not be eager to answer, but she never shows an attitude.  I am glad I had the opportunity to teach her. She was nominated by Mrs. Keith.

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Teams from 11 schools in Natchitoches and Red River parishes participated in the 2022 Red River Games – Special Olympics Louisiana and Art Festival earlier this month.  The event included track and field competitions and recreation time for the athletes.

“Our participants were so empowered when we would cheer them on across the finish line and their smiles made it all worth it,” said Linzi Lampert, event chair. “We all agreed that we would do it over and over again. All of the volunteers learned to work as a team and to step up in an area where they were needed.”

The motto of Special Olympics, which inspires thousands of communities to support the organization, is “Let me win.  But if I cannot win let me be brave in the attempt.”

Over 60 athletes from NSU Elementary Lab, Provencal, L.P. Vaughn, Lakeview, Fairview-Alpha, East Natchitoches, Natchitoches Jr. High School, Red River, Natchitoches Central, Weaver and Marthaville participated, according to Lampert.  Athletes and supporters from the Natchitoches Association for Retarded Citizens (NARC) also participated. Each athlete received a t-shirt and goody bag, as well as a snack and lunch.

The Red River Games were hosted by Northwestern State University’s Presidential Leadership Program with volunteers from the Student Government Association, University Programming Council, College Panhellenic Council, Interfraternity Council, National Panhellenic Council, Order of Omega, Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society and individual volunteers, including student-athletes and coaches. The Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office, City of Natchitoches Police Department and BOM Bank supported the event.

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The Red River Parish Schools are seeking teachers in all areas.

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