By Brad Dison

It was New Year’s Day 1958.  The place was one where you would least expect a celebration, the oldest prison in California, San Quentin.  For the previous 42 years, the Musicians Union in San Francisco had provided entertainment for the prisoners on New Year’s Day.  This was the 43rd annual New Year’s Day show. 

Prior to the show, the prisoners began a letter-writing campaign to the performer they wanted to see most.  They had heard that the artist would be in the area at the time.  They considered this artist one of their own based on the lyrics of a hit song he had recorded in 1955 and requested that he perform the song at the New Year’s Day event.  The song was Folsom Prison Blues.  Their letters were addressed to Johnny Cash.  

Playing prisons was not new to Johnny Cash.  He began receiving letters from inmates all over the United States immediately following the release of Folsom Prison Blues and had previously performed at prisons.  Johnny Cash was winding down a string of personal appearances in late 1957.  The last paying show on this tour was on New Year’s Eve in Oakland, California.  Johnny Cash agreed to play at San Quentin for free.

Most entertainers would have had at least a slight reservation at the thought of playing in front of 4,000 hardened criminals, some of which were scheduled to die for their crimes, but not Johnny Cash.  When Johnny Cash walked onto the stage, the prisoners cheered.  Their applause died down as Johnny Cash tried to speak.  He had almost completely lost his voice from his previous performances.

In the audience was a 20-year-old prisoner number A45200.  This prisoner had spent much of his youth in juvenile detention centers for various crimes and was serving a three-year sentence in San Quentin for attempted robbery.  Although he had never met Johnny Cash, the prisoner was concerned for the singer’s safety.  If he was unable to perform as expected, the prisoner knew the event could easily turn into a riot. 

Johnny Cash was struggling to sing.  In between songs, Johnny Cash asked one of the prison guards for a glass of water.  The guard stood like a statue; his only movement from exuberantly chewing gum.  With the whole captive audience looking on, including prisoner number A45200, Johnny Cash mimicked the guard’s gum chewing.  This single act, which none of the prisoners would have attempted for fear of reprisals, won over the audience.  Prisoner number A45200 was mesmerized by the power Johnny Cash had over the crowd.  

The prisoners applauded after each song.  When he played Folsom Prison Blues, according to news reports, the prisoners “practically tore down the place applauding.”  Johnny Cash said it was one of the most appreciative audiences he had ever had, even if it was a captive audience.  Another newspaper reporter wrote the fitting headline “Johnny Steals The Show At San Quentin.”

Johnny Cash’s New Year’s Eve performance at San Quentin changed the direction of prisoner number A45200’s life.  The prisoner saw how enthralled the other audience members were at Johnny Cash’s performance.  The prisoner knew how to play guitar but had not seriously considered a career in music until that performance.  He spent the remainder of his prison term, including his 21st birthday, writing songs.  In 1960, prisoner number A45200 was released from prison.  In 1963, he had his first hit single.  Two more followed in 1964, and in 1966, he scored his first number one hit song.  In his decades-long career, the prisoner topped the country singles chart 38 times. 

Had Johnny Cash not played the San Quentin New Year’s Day show, the world might never have heard of prisoner number A45200.  He once wrote that he turned 21 in prison, and no one could steer him right.  Prisoner number A45200, who was steered right by Johnny Cash, was Merle Haggard. 

Sources:

1. The Memphis Press-Scimitar (Memphis, Tennessee), January 3, 1958, p.13.
2. Daily Independent Journal (San Rafael, California), December 31, 1958, p.21.
3. YouTube.com. “Merle Haggard Talks About Watching Johnny Cash in Prison.” Accessed August 29, 2022. youtu.be/Lc0ixeDxkh0.

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September is National Voter Registration Month. The Louisiana Secretary of State’s office said the in person or by mail registration deadline for the November 8 election is approaching.

The in-person registration deadline is October 11^th, and the online deadline is October 18^th.  If you are not registered, visit geauxvote.com or call the state  Elections Hotline at 800-883-2805 for more information. Get ready to Geaux Vote Louisiana.

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The Red River Parish School Board is accepting applications for a high school teacher/nurse. The teacher/nurse will teach, supervise, evaluate students as they practice clinical skills, and provide school nurse duties as needed.

The requirements are as follows:

must possess a current Louisiana licensure as a registered professional nurse

minimum of three years’ experience as a registered nurse

possess intermediate skills in Microsoft Word and Google

Submit applications at the Red River Parish School Board and at  http://www.rrbulldogs.com. Deadline for submission is September 7, 2022.

For more information, you may contact Nicole Eason by email neason@rrbulldogs.com or 318-271-3150.

Nicole M. Eason

Red River Parish School Board

Human Resources Department

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By Molly Seales

The Lad Rebel softball team is on a roll with five wins in a row. On Thursday, August 25, they traveled to Grand Cane and beat Central 19-1, and on Monday, August 29 they traveled to Farmerville and defeated UCA 18-6. Then on Thursday, September 1, they traveled to Tensas and beat the Chiefs 13-3. Senior pitcher Jessie Kate Cobb picked up the win in all 3 games.

The Lady Rebels picked up 9 hits against Central, including singles by Mary Claire Jones, Kylie Donald, Jadyn King, Hanna Huddleston, Chloe Jordan, and Makayla Pickett and doubles by Emma Clemons, Jessie Kate Cobb, and Julia Grace Riggs. Cobb had 3 RBIs, followed by Makayla Pickett, Clemons, and Jordan with 2 each, and Jones, King, Riggs, and Huddleston with 1 each. The Lady Rebels had 7 stolen bases, led by Donald with two. Clemons, Jones, King, Huddleston, and Pickett had one each.

Against UCA, the Lady Rebels had 14 hits, including a double and a single by Emma Clemons and a double by Julia Grace Riggs. Jadyn King and 3 hits, and Jessie Kate Cobb and Mary Claire Jones  had 2 hits each. Kylie Donald, Hanna Huddleston, Chloe Jordan, and Haylee Smith all had singles. RBIs were as follows: Cobb with 4, Donald, Clemons, Riggs, and Smith with 2 each, and Jones, King, and Huddleston with 1 each. Clemons, Jones, and King all had a stolen base.

In the Tensas game, Jadyn King and Julia Grace Riggs led the way in hitting with 2 doubles each. Chloe Jordan had 2 hits, and Jones, Cobb, Smith, and Huddleston each had a hit. Riggs had 4 RBIs and King and Huddleston had 2 each. Donald, Jordan and Smith had an RBI each. Clemons and King each had 2 stolen bases, and Jordan and Donald had one each.

This week the Lady Rebels will play Briarfield at home on Tuesday, PVA in Bastop on Thursday, and play UCA at home on Saturday, September 10. We are proud of the Lady Rebels and wish them luck to continue their winning streak!

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J. R. Sessions

August 6, 1932 to September 4, 2022

Graveside service at 2:00 pm Wednesday, September 7, 2022 at Wesley Chapel Cemetery.

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Elizabeth Full Gospel Baptist Church is planning their 118^th Church Anniversary on September 25^th.  The theme is Fall Brawl, based on 1 Timothy 6:12.  Guest speaker is Apostle Cornell Hamilton From Bondage to Freedom at Shreveport.

Friday night Red River has its home opener in Strother Stadium.  They face the Parkway Panthers at 7:00 pm.  Riverdale Academy is on the road traveling to Briarfield Academy.

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Both parish teams were defeated this weekend.  Friday night Riverdale lost to Tallulah Academy 58 to 40.

Red River’s Bulldogs were shut out by Haughton.  Final score 35 to 0.

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Thursday night the Red River Bulldogs lost their away non-conference game against Haughton (LA) by a score of 35-0.  The Journal will have a full report on the game in next Wednesday’s edition.

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The President of Northwestern State University, Marcus Jones led a recruiting delegation to Red River High this week.  They are looking for future students.

The NSU Recruiting Office and Dr. Jones started the morning off at Red River High School.  They met with the Red River Bulldogs in several class settings. Dr. Jones even made an appearance in the Spanish I class.

Class of 2022 grad Ryder Hogan received a $3,000 scholarship from the Journal in a contest this spring.  Hogan began classes this fall.

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Congratulations to Red River High’s 2022 Homecoming Court. Homecoming Queen will be selected from our Senior Maids and crowned at halftime during the homecoming game.

This year the game will be against one of the new teams in Red River’s district, Jonesboro-Hodge.  It will be on October 7^th at Strother Stadium.

The 2022 court will consist of Senior Maids Charity Ashton, Jaedynn French-Solton, Jolene Jones, and Mynijah Williams.  Junior Maid is Bryn Danzy.  Sophomore Maid is Caitlyn Jones.  And Freshman Maid Kinya Gray.

Other members of the court are Band Sweetheart Annaston Villapando, Football Sweetheart Ikarah Reeves, and JROTC Sweetheart Shalayjah Gillum.

The Homecoming King is Leonard Mosley.  His queen will be a surprise.  The member of the court choses to reign at homecoming will be announced at halftime.  King Mosley will escort the Queen to her seat of honor to watch the remainder of the game.

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The first High School Football Pickers contest entry deadline is 4:00 pm today.  A lot of folks have put in their best guess of the game winners.  We have had hundreds of entries so far, however you still have a few hours to enter.

Winner gets $100.

Click on the banner at the top of this story or any Journal story this week to go to the entry form.  Good Luck.

First week results will be published next Wednesday in the Journal.

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By Steve Graf

Anglers who are trying to reach the highest level of professional bass fishing just had the rug jerked out from under them. For any serious bass fisherman, their dreams as youngsters of making it to the highest level of professional bass fishing (the B.A.S. S. Elite Series) are no different than those kids dreaming of making it to baseball’s Major League level. To put this in perspective and to illustrate how difficult this task can be…. less than 2% of all high school athletes get the chance to play at the collegiate level. Making it to the highest level of professional bass fishing is on par with this same stat.

To say the odds of making it to the Elite Series of professional bass fishing are not good is an understatement. I will say this, many anglers have gone bankrupt and kept divorce attorneys quite busy over the last 30 years trying to achieve this dream. Not to say it’s not possible, but the odds are not in your favor. Today, there are so many anglers pursuing this goal that our lakes have gotten very crowded with guys looking to make it. They’ll work (or fish) their way up the food chain any way possible in order to get that one opportunity. Now let me make this clear, some will lie, cheat, steal or sell their firstborn for this one chance of making it as a professional angler.

B.A.S.S. (Bass Angler’s Sportsman Society,) which is home of the Elite Series, has just made a change to the path, or yellow brick road, of getting there. Originally you had to fish what was called the “Opens.” By fishing the “Opens” first you had to commit to all three tournaments in one of three divisions called Southern, Central, and Northern. If you finished in the top 3 in the Angler of the Year standings for your division, you got an invitation to fish in the Elite Series. You then had to decide if you would accept the invitation or pass. This is where guys would refinance their homes, take out major loans or maybe sell their own blood. But if you accepted the invitation, now you had to put up the entire season’s worth of entry fees ($5000 per event) and prepare for life on the road for a total of 9 events all across the country.

You basically have over a $50,000 investment into this tournament trail, and you have not even wet a hook yet. Guys scramble to hopefully convince businesses to help them offset this cost by becoming a sponsor of this individual angler. Anglers are then at the mercy of these sponsors who made this commitment. The sponsors will use these guys for advertising and promotional needs of whatever product or products they offer. Today’s sponsors are looking for anglers that can sell and have great communication skills. They must be able to sell, or the sponsor doesn’t need them.

But this past July, B.A.S.S. changed the game plan. Now for 2023, anglers must commit to ALL NINE events of the newly formed Bassmaster Elite Qualifying Series in order to qualify for the Elite Series. For the average working man or weekend warrior, their hopes and dreams just got hooked and reeled in. The average working man can’t take off work or ask for 9 weeks of vacation. My perspective on how this came to be…B.A.S.S looked at how many anglers fished all nine Opens in 2021 and saw that 83 anglers made that commitment.

This is when the so-called “lightbulb” moment took place. They thought if we are already getting 83 anglers to fish all nine, then those guys are the ones who are serious about being professionals. So, we’ll just make it a requirement in order to make it to the Elite Series. This is when so many anglers’ dreams were shattered. Now I’m not condemning B.A.S.S. for making this move; it actually makes a lot of sense. Now, anglers that are truly committed to being a pro angler will have fewer anglers to compete against in order to do so. The field of competition just got a lot smaller!

B.A.S.S. is a great organization that has granted a lot of anglers the opportunity to pursue their dreams. They are, and have always been, the gold standard for bass fishing organizations. They have set the bar very high and have a great reputation for changing the financial fortunes of so many pro anglers, along with their affiliated sponsors. Many other organizations have challenged B.A.S.S., and many have failed to knock them off the top of the mountain. They are and will continue to be, the big dog unless another organization can promise and deliver a better product. Till next time, good luck, good fishing, and don’t forget your sunscreen.

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Clara Springs Camp is getting ready for the annual Farm and Fam day.  This is a family event, so mark your calendars.  Farm & Fam day will be back Saturday, October 1^st.

The camp is inviting vendors to bring their wares and set up a booth.  There will also be food trucks serving your favorite festival foods.  And there will be plenty of those world famous Camp Cinnamon Rolls.

Everything starts at 9:00 am on October 1.  Admission is $1.00 per person.

If you are a vendor and interested in setting up a booth, here is the site to register: clarasprings.wufoo.com/…/clara-springs-farm…/ or contact mandi@clarasprings.com for more information.

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By Royal Alexander

It’s hard to believe anything other than that the agency intends to audit the middle class.

In the recent Inflation Reduction Act (which will actually feed the fires of inflation) there is an appropriation of $80 billion to the IRS.  A chunk of this money will go to hiring 87,000 new employees and effectively doubling the current number of agents.

So why does the IRS need 87,000 new, armed agents?

The only reasonable answer that is supported with data is that the Biden Administration intends for the IRS to target the middle class in order to pay for its out-of-control spending which has caused the highest inflation in the last 40 years. 

As Heritage Foundation has observed “Auditing every single taxpayer with annual income over $1 million would require only 25,000 new IRS enforcement agents, but Democrats’ bill calls for 87,000 new agents.  What will all those extra agents be doing?”

The Biden Administration and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen have stated, “these (new) resources are absolutely not about increasing audit scrutiny on small businesses or middle-income Americans.  As we’ve been planning, our investment of these enforcement resources is designed around the Department of the Treasury’s directive that audit rates will not rise relative to recent years for households making under $400,000.”

Do we really believe that?

If we simply consider the sheer magnitude of hiring 87,000 new IRS agents—and what the IRS estimates will be $204 billion in new revenues from enforcement—do we really believe all those new audits and revenues will only involve taxpayers making over $400,000? 

The answer is a resounding and categorical ‘no’!

As Heritage Foundation Tax Expert, Rachel Greszler, has written “despite the Biden Administration’s claims, it’s almost certain that households making less than $400,000 a year would face increased audits under the Democrats’ bill, and that seems to be the true intent of the IRS.”  In support of this conclusion Greszler notes that “according to a 2021 report from the Government Accountability Office, ‘from fiscal years 2010 to 2021, the majority of the additional taxes IRS recommended from audits came from taxpayers with incomes below $200,000.’”

Heritage further states that, when we consider that “only $3.2 billion would go to taxpayer services, despite the IRS answering only 18% of the phone calls it received in 2022.  That’s a mere 9% increase for funding in things like account services, taxpayer education, and filing assistance.”  Instead, “the lion’s share of the new funding, $45.6 billion, will go to enforcement activities like new audits, litigation, asset monitoring, and collections” performed by IRS Special Agents with guns.  (Preston Brashers, Tax Policy Expert, Heritage Foundation).

In a recent posted job opening for a special agent, the IRS specified that applicants should be “willing and able to participate in arrests, execution of search warrants, and other dangerous assignments,” and able to carry “a firearm and be willing to use deadly force, if necessary.”  However, “after sparking some controversy amid the proposed expansion of the agency, the IRS deleted ‘willing to use deadly force’ from the job description.” (Fred Lucas, The Daily Signal, August 12, 2022).

But they’ll still be armed and that seems foreboding and ominous to honest, hard-working Americans.

During the U.S. House floor debate on the bill, Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., raised additional concerns about arming IRS agents. 

“This bill has new IRS agents and they are armed, and the job description tells them that they need to be required to carry a firearm and expect to use deadly force if necessary,” Boebert said. “Excessive taxation is theft.  You are using the power of the federal government for armed robbery on the taxpayers.”  

The middle class, already struggling under inflation and high food and fuel prices, doesn’t have the resources to pay a lawyer or an accountant to fight the IRS in court, so they will just pay the money and hope that the issue goes away—whether or not they owe the money. 

The realization of this threat to their livelihood and peace of mind doesn’t appear to have yet been internalized by most Americans. 

As U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall once said, “The power to tax is the power to destroy.”

All Americans must join together to stop this attempt to damage the hardworking American middle class through punitive taxation enforced by armed Special Agents.

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Focus is an annual gathering of youth at Red River Cowboy Camp at Lake End.  The date for 2022 is November 5^th.  Students in grades six through twelve are welcome to attend.

Each year Focus features outstanding speakers and worship leaders, marvelous music, and of course plenty of hot off the grill food.  On top of that there are activities in and around the arena for all ages.

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Jo Ellen Mondello

April 24, 1940 to August 28, 2022

View full obituary here:

https://redriverparishjournal.com/2022/08/29/jo-ellen-mondello/

Lee Ethel Davis

August 28, 1938 to August 23, 2022

Celebration Of Life Saturday, September 03, 2022 11:00 A.M. Elizabeth Full Gospel Baptist Church.

 

The Red River Parish Journal publishes paid obituaries – unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $70. Contact your funeral provider or RedRiverParishJournal@gmail.com. Must be paid in advance of publication. (Notice of Death shown with no link to full obituary are FREE of charge.)

 

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The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development advises motorists that

LA 514 over Bayou Chicot, Red River Parish has been re-opened. This repair work is complete and the LA 514 bridge over Bayou Chicot in Red River Parish has been reopened.

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