By Royal Alexander

This is a dangerous time for America.

Why?

Because as the Wall Street Journal states, “for the first time in U.S. history, the prosecutorial power of the federal government has been used against a former President who is also running against the sitting president.” (WSJ, 6-10-2023.)  

That’s scary. 

Using the power of government to eliminate political opponents is what happens in dictatorships.  It’s what happens in places like China, N. Korea and Iran and banana republics like Venezuela where the strongman in power uses the military to crush his political opposition.

It’s not supposed to happen in America, but it is happening here.

The Trump indictment is nothing other than the Biden forces trying to destroy their chief rival for the presidency and they have formally weaponized our federal government to do it.

We can stop pretending this decision to indict was removed from the influence of the Biden White House.  That’s laughable.  The Special Counsel who brought this indictment was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland to create the appearance of separation, but the special counsel’s recommendation can be overruled by AG Garland who is going to do what the Biden White House tells him to do.

That’s why many Americans believe the Biden White House is orchestrating this political persecution.

Former federal prosecutor Francey Hakes stated she believes President Trump and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have been treated “so differently” when it comes to allegedly mishandling classified documents. (Newsmax, 6-12-23).

“She (Hillary Clinton) was treated so differently,” Hakes stated. “She was brought in to interview at the FBI.  She was allowed to have her lawyers with her.  Her lawyers were given immunity before they were allowed to sit with her. Nobody ever seized her server to look at it, to do any kind of forensic review of it and you have here President Trump … his lawyers were actually brought into the grand jury and ordered by a judge to testify as to things that would ordinarily be considered privilege.  There was a raid on Mar-a-Lago and then there was a grand jury investigation and then there was a special counsel.  Trump and Clinton were definitely treated differently so it’s hard for me to see Lady Justice with her blindfold on at this moment.” (Newsmax, 6-12-23)

Former law professor, liberal Democrat Alan Dershowitz has stated his grave doubts about the strength of this indictment.

“Is it strong enough to justify an indictment of the leading candidate to challenge the president in next year’s election? Even with the recorded statements, this case isn’t nearly as strong as the one that led to President Richard Nixon’s resignation in 1974.  Nixon was almost certainly guilty of destroying evidence, bribing witnesses and other acts of obstruction.  Many of the charges in this case are matters of degree.  Nor have prosecutors any evidence that Mr. Trump’s actions damaged national security more than those of Mr. Biden, Mr. Pence and Mrs. Clinton did.” (WSJ, 6-12, 23).

Former Asst. U.S. Attorney Andrew McCarthy underscores this point stating “we have a long record that now goes on for years with Hillary Clinton the most notorious case of it, where you have a two-tiered justice system and its obvious that the quality of justice that people get is dependent on their partisan affiliation or whether they are connected to people in the ruling class or not.”  (FOX News).

Hillary Clinton kept 33,000 classified emails, Joe Biden had multiple locations including the floor of his garage at home with classified documents he could not legally possess as Vice President; even Barack Obama withheld documents—but none of them were raided by the FBI as Trump was, and certainly none but Trump was ever criminally charged.

And all of this is to say nothing about the latest information that then-VP Joe Biden took $5 million dollars in a bride from a higher up at Burisma, the Ukrainian energy giant.  Are we really supposed to believe that the rushing out of the Trump indictment as the Biden bribery case explodes is coincidental?

This is also to say nothing of the coverup of the Hunter Biden laptop by the FBI and DOJ, all the while Biden’s own classified document scandal has disappeared from the public radar.  

Again, this is the weaponization of the federal government against the chief political opponent of the regime in power.  As Americans who believe in equal justice under law, we simply cannot tolerate it.

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Julian and Ramona Bolog from Romania will be at Martin Baptist Church Wednesday (6-28) at 6:00 pm.  Bro. Richard Kaufman invited everyone to come meet the Bologs next Wednesday.    

From Julian “I wanted to ask you if the Lord opened any doors for us to meet churches or individuals who are interested in the student ministry in Romania, while we are in Louisiana!”

Julian–We are very happy to tell you that God opened a door for us to travel to the US this summer and God willing, we hope to be in Shreveport at the beginning of July. We will be there for a short time, but we would very much like to see you and have fellowship with you!

Our kids, Tudor 10 and Alexya 7 will be with us.

While we are there we are praying that God would lead us to new ministry partners and we would like to ask you, if possible, to introduce us to some brothers or sisters who have a heart for missions and young people.  That would be a tremendous help.

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Report from the Red River Sheriff’s Office for June 9-15,  2023

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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First Baptist of Coushatta will hold vacation Bible school July 24^th through  28^th for Pre K through sixth grade.  The theme is Keepers of the Kingdom, standing strong in today’s battle for truth.

Vacation Bible School is going on this week at Elizabeth Full Gospel BC.  Sessions nightly at 6:30 through June 23^rd.

Clara Springs Camp reminded everyone “we can’t wait to see you Friday for the June Fourth Friday Fish Fry. Grand Cane Baptist Church will be the hosts.

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Report from the Red River Sheriff’s Office for June 9-15,  2023

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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The 2023 Summer Reading Program at the Red River Parish Library is underway.  Call or come by the Library to get started.

The reading program is for all children ages two to seventeen.  A different number of books required to be read is based on the child’s age.

The program concludes July 24th with a special End-Of-The-Summer program.  Special prizes will be awarded for attaining and surpassing reading goals.

Also this summer the library has scheduled a series of summer activities with special guests performing on Mondays at 2:00 pm and games or crafts on Thursdays at 2:00 pm.

The guest lineup kicks off Monday June 26^th with the kids favorite Harvey Rabbit and Friends.

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The final recognitions of the school year were made as Students of the Month from Red River Schools at the school board meeting Monday.  Superintendent Alison Strong read their nomination statements.

Red River Elementary School – Rylan Haire

Rylan is a one-of-a-kind fourth grader at RRES!  To know him is to love him. He does not meet a stranger. His personality beams through his smile.  Throughout the day, he encourages his peers to do their best. Rylan is always thinking of his classmates before himself.  He is a hard worker when it comes to his academics. This year, Rylan has shown significant gains in reading, writing, and math. This young man continues to strive for excellence in the classroom; he is genuinely a great student.  Nominated by Ms. Leleux.

Red River Academic Academy – Noah Woodson

Students like Noah are the reason RRAA has an A rating with the state educational department.  He began the year like any other. But little did he know that this was the year he was gonna learn what was meant by the statement “Hard work pays off.”  I saw what Noah didn’t see – his potential and the young man he is destined to become.  After finally convincing/bullying him to put in the work required to become awesome, he began to see the fruits of his labor. Grades came up to C’s and B’s, and even A’s.  More importantly than that is the fact that he went from not caring about his work or success to being the top student in class. That says more about the student Noah is than I could ever say. He may not have started off so awesome, but he surely ended up that way! Nominated by Mrs. Fields.

Red River Junior High – Kaleah Crawford

Kaleah has such a big heart! She displays a hugely positive attitude towards others and toward learning.  Kaleah is respectful to peers and teachers.  She is an outstanding athlete and works hard in her daily practice to become the best she can be.  She can be counted on to be a team player. It has been a true pleasure to have Kaleah in my class and I am proud to name her as Student of the Month!  Nominated by Coach Hogan.

Red River High School – Hadeel Hizam

Hadeel, a junior at RRHS, is a deserving candidate for Student of the Month. She always treats classmates, teachers and staff with respect. As a responsible student, she strives to reach her personal goals. She completes her work on time, but still willingly makes time to help her peers and share her knowledge with them.   Being a talented writer who strives for perfection is just one of her many assets. Mature beyond her years, Hadeel is an excellent Role model who challenges herself to be the best she can be.  Nominated by Mrs. Guidry.

This concludes the VFW and Auxiliary 7287’s Student of the Year program in Red River public and private schools.  The Coushatta VFW teamed up with Lott Oil/Chevron to present each student each month a certificate and gift card in recognition of their excellence in pursuing their goals.          

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On Monday, the Red River Parish School Board was introduced to Warren Bowman.  He was selected as the Quality Kid of the Month, an award presented by Quality Companies of Coushatta.

Warren was nominated by Coach Harris.  Here is his nomination statement:

Warren Bowman is the epitome of what it means to be a Quality Kid. Quality is character with respect to fineness or grade of excellence.  Warren is a phenomenal student athlete that exceeds all limits to become the best version of himself.  Warren possesses traits such as accountability, responsibility, passion, integrity, discipline and a great work ethic. He exemplifies leadership among his peers through his daily actions.  There is never a moment when I feel like I cannot count on him to show up and show out, especially during basketball games. He is the type of kid that lives for the big moments and embraces failure with open arms to allow himself to grow. I believe Warren has a very bright future; I am excited to be front row watching him develop into a great athlete, but more importantly into a remarkable young man of character.

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By Brad Dison

Willie Johnson was born on January 25, 1897.  His poor sharecropper parents struggled to survive off of what they grew in the poor earth in Pendleton, Texas.  At some point, Willie and his family moved to a farm with far better soil near Marlin, Texas.  When Willie was five years old, his father got Willie a homemade cigar box guitar.  Willie quickly learned to play the cheap instrument.  According to Willie’s widow, when Willie was seven years old, his father and stepmother got into a physical altercation allegedly over Willie’s stepmother’s infidelities.  During the brawl, Willie’s stepmother was holding a caustic solution of lye water.  As Willie’s father and stepmother fought, the caustic solution splashed into Willie’s eyes and completely blinded him.  From that moment on, he was known as Blind Willie Johnson.  

Blind Willie’s lack of sight made working in the fields nearly impossible.  Blind Willie sang and played his guitar while his family worked in the fields.  In a way, Blind Willie helped more with his voice and guitar than he would have if he had not been blinded.  His songs kept up morale in the fields and set the pace for planting and harvesting crops.  In his twenties, Blind Willie began playing a Stella brand guitar and singing religious songs on the street corners of Marlin, Texas.  He tied a tin cup to the neck of his guitar.  Upon hearing the unmistakable clink of a coin or coins dropping into his tin cup, Blind Willie gave an appreciative nod and a smile.

In December 1927, a talent scout set up a makeshift recording studio for Columbia Records in Dallas, Texas.  The scout had heard of Blind Willie’s talent and invited him to a recording session.  On that cool December day, Blind Willie recorded six songs including “Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground.”  Columbia initially released two songs from Blind Willie’s session “I Know His Blood Can Make Me Whole,” and “Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed.”  Selling more than 15,000 copies, Blind Willie’s first record sold more than Columbia’s most established star, Bessie Smith.  With the success of his first record, Columbia’s talent scout brought Blind Willie in for four more recording sessions between 1927 and 1930.  In total, Blind Willie completed 30 songs.  Blind Willie’s rise to stardom seemed to be assured until the Great Depression left most of his fans with no spare money for buying records.  Blind Willie’s professional music career ended with little fanfare.  Sadly, Blind Willie Johnson and his recordings are largely forgotten today.  Although sales of his first record far exceeded expectations, he was far from reaching the required $1 million from the sale of at least 500,000 units for the Recording Industry Association of America to award Blind Willie a gold record.  

In August and September 1977, NASA launched two robotic interstellar probes named Voyager 1 and Voyager 2.  Both space probes carried numerous instruments for recording a wide array of measurements, taking photographs, recording audio, and transmitting that information back to scientists on Earth.  Also included on the space probes were two phonograph records which contained over a hundred imprinted images which displayed different aspects of life on Earth as well as the sounds of frogs, crickets, volcanoes, laughter, a human heartbeat, footsteps, animal sounds, 27 pieces of music, and greetings in 59 languages.  Etched onto each record were pictures showing how to play the sound recordings and how to retrieve the photos using equipment which was located near the records on the space probes.  NASA included this information to show the diversity of life and culture on Earth in the event that they come into contact with an advanced alien civilization.  Voyager 1 is traveling at over 38,000 miles per hour and has reached a distance of 14.8 billion miles from Earth.  Voyager 2 is traveling at over 34,000 miles per hour and has reached 12.4 billion miles from Earth.  At their current trajectories, it will take another 14,000 to 28,000 years before Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 will exit our Solar System.

Although Blind Willie Johnson never earned a gold record on Earth, he certainly earned a gold record in space.  His recording of “Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground” is one of the 27 songs included on the gold-plated “The Sounds of Earth” record which is still traveling through space.  Perhaps one day in the distant future, in a galaxy far away, one of the first sounds an advanced alien civilization will hear from our small planet will be that of Blind Willie Johnson.  “The Sounds of Earth” records can remain playable for more than 1 billion years.   

Sources:

1. NASA. 2019. “Voyager – the Golden Record.” Nasa.gov. 2019. voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/golden-record/.
2. Pinkard, Ryan. 2016. Review of Dark Was the Night: The Legacy of Blind Willie Johnson. Tidal.com. February 26, 2016. tidal.com/magazine/article/dark-was-the-night-the-legacy-of-blind-willie-johnson-share/1-23219.

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Major Cyber Attack at OMV Vendor, Louisianans Should Act Urgently to Protect Their Identities

Louisiana’s Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV) is one of a still undetermined number of government entities, major businesses and organizations to be affected by the unprecedented MOVEit data breach.

MOVEit is an industry-leading third party data transfer service used to send large files. It is widely used across the country and around the world, and reports are rapidly emerging of newly discovered exposures of sensitive data in this major international cyber attack.

There is no indication at this time that cyber attackers who breached MOVEit have sold, used, shared or released the OMV data obtained from the MOVEit attack. The cyber attackers have not contacted state government. But all Louisianans should take immediate steps to safeguard their identity. 

OMV believes that all Louisianans with a state-issued driver’s license, ID, or car registration have likely had the following data exposed to the cyber attackers:

• Name
• Address
• Social Security Number
• Birthdate
• Height
• Eye Color
• Driver’s License Number
• Vehicle Registration Information
• Handicap Placard Information

Gov. John Bel Edwards met with the Unified Command Group at 11 a.m. Thursday to be briefed on the incident, where he instructed the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP), Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV), Louisiana State Police (LSP), and the Office of Technology Services (OTS) to act to inform Louisianans of the breach and their best next steps as soon as possible.

We recommend all Louisianans take the following steps immediately: 

1. Prevent Unauthorized New Account Openings or Loans and Monitor Your Credit

Individuals can freeze and unfreeze their credit for free, which stops others from opening new accounts and borrowing money in your name. Freezing your credit does not prevent the use of any existing credit cards or bank accounts. Freezing your credit may be done quickly online or by contacting the three major credit bureaus by phone: 

Experian 1-888-397-3742 www.experian.com/freeze

Equifax 1-800-685-1111 www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze/

TransUnion (888) 909-8872 www.transunion.com/credit-freeze

Please also request and review your credit report from these agencies to look for suspicious activity.

2. Change All Passwords

As an additional precaution, consider changing all passwords for online accounts (examples: banking, social media, and healthcare portals) in the event your personal data was used to access these accounts. Utilize multi-factor authentication when able. Learn more about password protection at www.CISA.gov.

3. Protect Your Tax Refund and Returns with the Internal Revenue Service

To prevent someone else from filing returns or receiving your federal tax refund, request an “Identity Protection Pin” from the Internal Revenue Service by signing up at: https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/get-an-identity-protection-pin or calling the IRS at 1-800-829-1040. 

4. Check your Social Security Benefits

All individuals who are eligible, applied for, and/or are receiving social security benefits (including disability), please consider registering for a ssa.gov account at https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/ to stop others from stealing your benefits. If you suspect Social Security fraud, call the Office of Inspector General hotline at 1-800-269-0271, Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 or file a complaint online at oig.ssa.gov.

5. Report Suspected Identity Theft

If you suspect any abnormal activity involving your data, including financial information, contact the Federal Trade Commission at 1-877-FTC-HELP or visit www.ReportFraud.FTC.govimmediately. 

The State of Louisiana will be issuing additional information in the coming days. Additional tips on protecting your data and identity can be found at nextsteps.la.gov and www.IdentityTheft.gov.

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The Red River Parish School Board is accepting applications for School Food Service Warehouseman Assistant. 

Qualifications: 

• Must have high school diploma, GED certificate

To apply click here “Support Application”. Email your application to kbethard@rrbulldogs.com or applications available at the Central Office. 

For more information or to request a job description, you may contact Nicole Eason at neason@rrbulldogs.com. 

Deadline for application submission is June 16. 

Nicole M. Eason 

Red River Parish School Board

Human Resources Department 

Red River Parish Public Schools Mission Statement

Red River Parish Schools provide excellent education: 

Every Child, Every Day, Whatever it Takes.

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The June meeting of the Red River Parish School Board highlighted the students, teachers, support personnel and others who have been selected as the leaders in their field.  They were introduced to the board by Superintendent Alison Strong.

The Teachers of the Year were Megan Inman from Red River Elementary, Sherry Pickett from Red River Academic Academy, Ellie Drew from Red River Junior High, and Henry Kirts from Red River High School.

The Support Persons of the year introduce were Donnisha Mims from Red River Elementary, Tammra Eason from Red River Academic Academy, and Victoria McDuffy from Red River High School.

Others were Jeanette Sibley named Food Service Support Person of the Year and Belinda Rhodes the Bus Operator of the Year.  Board member Cleve Miller received a Service Award for 35 years of service on the school board.

Also at the meeting, the new Assistant Principal Red River High School, Patrick Lindsey was introduced with his spouse.

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By Steve Graf

In the world of sports, they say competition makes everybody better. It brings out the best in an athlete who has a competitive fire trying to earn his spot on the team. But in the world of tournament bass fishing, this may not be the case. While having too many athletes is usually not a problem, having too many fishing circuits can be. Today, anglers are faced with a plethora of bass trails to follow. Let’s take a look at the factors that help an angler decide what they are going to fish and why.

In our part of the country, we call the Ark-La-Tex, the issue of what to fish has reared its ugly head. Anglers in this region have no shortage of tournament trails to choose from. But as we all know, there are basically only four weekends in a month and anglers are having to pick and choose what trails they want to follow. So just how many trails are there? At my last count, I came up with 17 different organizations, all of which offer great incentives to fish. So how do anglers today decide what trail or trails they are going to follow?

It usually comes down to economics and the costs involved. First, anglers look at what lakes the trail is going to. Next, they look at how far the destination is for each tournament. Are the tournaments close to home or will they have to travel hours for each event? What’s the entry fee for each event? Higher level tournament trails usually require higher entry fees. Fees can range from $200 up to $1500 depending on the circuit. Other factors include how much it will cost for hotel or private accommodations, food expenses, and gasoline costs for both the truck and the boat.

Then they look at how competitive do they think they can be in a particular circuit. Can they realistically compete with the anglers fishing a specific trail? This is a major factor since some trails draw a higher level of fishermen than others. Every angler just wants to be competitive or at least have a decent shot at collecting a check to help offset expenses.

With all this being said, there are presently 17 bass fishing tournament trails in this region and there are just not enough fishermen to go around. One thing that continues to set all tournament circuits apart is what is called “guaranteed” payback. This means that if a trail is offering $20,000 guaranteed for first place, anglers tend to flock to that kind of payback rather than a circuit that’s offering $20,000 based on the “number of boats” that show up. Guaranteed tournaments will always outdraw a tournament that has a payback based on the number of boats.

So, what circuits will probably survive out of the 17 offered? It’s hard to say because each one has its own dedicated group of anglers that will stay loyal. It’s not necessarily the tournament trail they’re loyal to, but rather it’s the tournament director. Tournament directors who take the time to get to know their anglers and build a relationship stand a greater chance of their circuit surviving. Anglers can be a very loyal bunch, but only if they enjoy the trail they are fishing and feel a connection to the director. However, one thing is clear. Not all 17 tournament trails will survive. There are simply just not enough weekends in a month for all of them to make it. Till next time, good luck, good fishing, and don’t forget your sunscreen and good protective clothing.

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Mel Schwem Sims

JAN 24, 1955 – MAY 25, 2023

A celebration of life will be held at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, June 17, 2023 at 4546 Highway 783, Ringgold, Louisiana 71068.

The Red River Parish Journal publishes “Remembrances” – unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $70. The obituary will be included in the emails sent to subscribers.  Contact your funeral provider or RedRiverParishJournal@gmail.com. Must be paid in advance of publication.

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The Village of Martin has posted new rules for renting their hall.  Beginning September 1 all hall rentals will be $100 rental and $100 cleaning fee ( cleaning fee will be returned if hall is clean. ). Also, no water slides or blow up jumpers will be allowed. 

Beginning Monday blast off with Vacation Bible School at First Methodist Coushatta.  It will be June 19-22, Monday-Thursday Evening from 5:30-8:00. A meal will be served each night.

Ages 4 years to students finishing 5th grade.

VBS at Open Door Fellowship will be June 18-22 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm each evening.  The theme is Twists & Turns.

The local Parish Health Unit will be closed June 16, 2023 in observance of Juneteenth and will reopen on June 19th with normal hours from 8AM-4:30PM.

Sunday is Father’s Day.  New Life Church will have a special service at 10:30 am. Donuts and coffee will be served beforehand, and they will have a gift for each dad.

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Friends of the Library have been busy with projects at RRES and RRAA.

On Monday, June 6th,  Joy and Judy Cannon worked with the 5th and 6th grade classes from RRAA on an art project at the library.

On Tuesday, June 7th, they had both 3rd grade classes in the morning and Mrs. Fields’ 4th grade class in the afternoon.

On June 7th and 8th, members of “Friends of the Library” teamed up with Red River Parish Sheriff’s deputies to speak with Red River Elementary students about swimming and water safety skills. The Sheriff’s Office also brought along its rescue boat and discussed boating safety as well.

As many families head to the pool, lake, and river this summer, this is valuable information that will help keep our children safe.  Sheriff Edwards and the Red River Parish Sheriff’s Office wish everyone a safe and enjoyable summer.

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Red River Academic Academy GEMS (Girls Empowered and Motivated to Succeed) Club took a field trip on Wednesday, May 31, 2023 to reenforce their etiquette lesson that was taught at their May meeting.

The girls went to Natchitoches and ate at Merci Beaucoup Restaurant for lunch. After lunch they explored the beautiful historic district of Natchitoches.

The girls shopped at the sweets shops, candy store, and took pictures at the Riverbank. It was a wonderful and worthy experience for the GEMS. Each and every one of them enjoyed the trip.

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By Teddy Allen

The 2023 College World Series begins Friday at Charles Schwab Field in “Omaha! Omaha!,” or, as our LSU friends like to say, Geauxmaha! (Is there no END to this “geaux” stuff?!)

Love or hate LSU, you have to admit — in any moment that passes for sanity, even among the LSU Haters out there — that the college game is better when LSU is good.

And this year, the Tigers are pretty good, or whatever phrase you’d wish to use to describe a team that wins 48 games, a Regional, a Super Regional, and winds up in Geauxmaha.

LSU is back for the first time since 2017, an eternity for Tiger fans. LSU most recently won it in 2009 and won four in seven seasons — 1991, ’93 (Airline High’s Todd Walker was the CWS Most Outstanding Player), and ’96-’97. If the Tigers can win this year, they’ll have seven all-time, second only to USC and one ahead of Texas.

A lot’s going on …

(For the whole story, read Everything Matters in Baseball: The Skip Bertman Story, by our old friend Glenn Guilbeau, (or Guilbeaux, if you prefer. Page 51 is my favorite because yours truly is on it, as is the song I wrote for Skip in 1989ish. Thank you, Glenn. Mighty fine book. Baseball coaches in Louisiana should send the Skipster chocolates every day; he was the difference that made the difference for college baseball in our state.)

So back in the summertime, we offered an Introduction to ‘Sports Talking’ and determined that The World of Sports has a language all its own, and that each individual sport has an even more specialized lingo. A field goal is different in football than in basketball. “Pin” is one thing in bowling and another in wrestling. A skater spins lots and lands; a second baseman spins once and throws.

And on like that.

We wrote about football (played by gridders on a gridiron) and basketball, or roundball, played with a rock, and how in hoops, foul trouble is when you are in danger of disqualification because you’ve done an extreme number of illegal things, not to be confused with foul trouble caused by sitting next to a fan who smells like an old sneaker, or fowl trouble, when the concession stand runs out of chicken tenders.

Now, let’s get ready for baseball or hardball, by introducing some everyday words that mean one thing in baseball (and sometimes, something else in real life).

A hose is an arm and if you throw fast and true, you have a hose. A good defender can flash the leather and has the good hands. Wheels are legs and good ones mean you are fast; no wheels mean you are no threat to steal or swipe a bag/base, but hopefully, you are not so terribly, horribly slow that you can’t score from third on a triple or even on a homer that leaves the yard/park.

Some of the CWS players had a chance out of high school to become bonus babies, or young players who sign for a big bonus payment on top of a salary. A bonus baby is also the second baby out of the womb when there are twins; triplets mean mom gets two bonus babies.

A cut fastball is a ball that breaks away from the arm that threw it; in other words, it breaks toward the pitcher’s glove-hand side. A cut fastball is also a fastball that wasn’t good enough to make the varsity.

A backdoor slider or backdoor breaker appears to the batter to be off the plate — right before it breaks over the plate and late. Bummer for the batter. (In real life, a backdoor slider it is one of us Baptists who used to attend church regularly but now gets to Sunday school late — if at all.)

A tater is a homer run; it’s also the nickname of the 5-9, 285-pound third baseman.

A twinbill is a doubleheader, a twin killing is a double play, and a twinbill killing is when a doubleheader gets rained out.

A yakker is a curveball, also called an Uncle Charlie — “Caught him looking at ol’ Uncle Chuck!” A yakker is also a female yak — a yak her — or one who hunts yaks, or a sick person who can’t keep their food down. A very good curveball hitter is a yakker whacker, sometimes called a yacker smacker.

If a player is on deck he is the next batter up after the one at the plate, and if a plyer is to bat after the batter on deck, he is said to be in the hole — although it began as in the hold, a nautical term like on deck is; in the hold is by definition just beneath the deck of a ship, as in the storage area. So, in baseball if you are on deck, then I am in the hold and batting after you. Nautical terms were common in the 1800s

when baseball started but things evolve, and “in the hold” is sadly gone forever; the great unwashed win again).

So … enjoy the CWS. “Let’s have a clue out there! Here we go! See you at the yard.

Ready BREAK!” Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

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The Red River Parish School System is accepting applications for the position of Assistant Principal for the Red River Elementary School.

The Red River Elementary School Assistant Principal reports to the Principal and Superintendent of Red River Parish Schools. The Assistant Principal is responsible for providing high caliber educational leadership to the school, ensuring the safety and well-being of students, building strong family partnerships, selecting, hiring, supervising and evaluating staff in accordance with district policies, preparing and administering the school budget, and overseeing the school building and its operations and activities.

Salary: 75K starting pay for no experience (supplements are included in salary) Commensurate with experience.

Qualifications:

Provisional Principal, Principal, Educational Leadership or eligible for LDOE licensure once employed in administrative position.

Master’s and/ or Advanced degree from an accredited college or university, with graduate level courses in school administration and educational leadership.

Excellent communications and interpersonal skills.

Experience in staff supervision and evaluation and in budget development and administration.

Knowledge of early childhood/developmental learning and growth, behavioral response and best SEL practices.

Ability to provide inclusive and effective educational leadership of general and special education instructional programs.

Deadline for application submission June 16, 2023.

Apply online at http://www.rrbulldogs.com or you may contact Nicole Eason 318-271-3150 for more information.

Nicole M. Eason

Red River Parish School Board

Human Resources Department

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The Red River Parish School System is accepting applications for the position of Algebra 1 teacher.

Salary for 1st year teacher with no experience: 60K (this includes supplements)

Qualifications:

Valid Teaching Certification (884 Algebra 1, 388 Math 6-12, 389 Math K-12, or 889 Math for Professionals) or

Eligible for a Practitioner’s License as confirmed by a local university or alternative certification program

Apply online at http://www.rrbulldogs.com or contact Nicole Eason 318-271-3150 for more information.

Nicole M. Eason

Red River Parish School Board

Human Resources Department

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By Royal Alexander

I have often pondered the principles of marketing.

Whether we are talking about McDonalds, Coca Cola, the NFL, Target, or Anheuser-Busch—and its previously popular Bud Light beer—I would think the most important consideration would be to successfully target (no pun intended) the most likely consumers of the product and then do everything to gain, keep and increase the greatest market share possible.

In other words, as has always been the case in the corporate world before the “social justice” and Woke movements, the fundamental fiduciary duty to shareholders was to maximize profits.  Period.

Well, corporate America has changed, and not for the better.

What we are seeing and hearing as Target, Anheuser-Busch, and others lose billions and irreparably damage their brands is the economic “roar” of millions of Americans that we will no longer accept corporate elites shoving cultural imperialism down our throats.

Millions of tolerant, patriotic Americans have finally said enough– “stop force feeding us liberal sexual orthodoxy.”

As a result of these boycotts, Target and Anheuser-Busch have now lost a combined $40.8 billion in market value over their LGBTQ Pride-focused marketing campaigns. (S. Perry. The Daily Signal, 6-6-23).  In short, they are bleeding value with no end in sight.

Why have American consumers responded in this way?

Because we’re sick of being bombarded by and graphically exposed to—and we are way past being asked to merely accept alternative lifestyles—“Pride” and transgenderism. 

We fundamentally reject the idea that young children are prepared to receive or process any information about human sexuality or have even the slightest capacity to decide—often without their parent’s knowledge—whether they should amputate their own bodies at age 6 because a boy may think for a while that he’s a girl.

Or be forced to tolerate Target’s policy of allowing our young daughters to be followed into the girl’s bathroom by a full-grown man who “identifies” as a woman.

Or the farce that biological men who are “transitioning” to “female” can fairly be allowed to compete against biological females.

Well, the roof blew off when Target “released nationwide Pride-focused merchandise targeting children, including ‘tuck friendly’ swimsuits for boys who identify as girls, but have not yet amputated their sexual organs.  For good measure, it also offered kid-friendly products designed by a self-identified “trans Satanist.”  (S. Perry, The Daily Signal, 6-6-23).

We really shouldn’t be surprised by Target’s action.  After all, this is the same company that was caught partnering with an organization—the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)—that hides children’s gender transition from parents and advocates teaching gender ideology at all grade levels. (N. Silverio, Daily Caller, May 26, 2023).

So, why do millions of Americans object to such offensive products and messaging?

It’s because we reject the cold, sterile, and godless view of life, faith and family which distorts gender and biology beyond all recognition.  Quite to the contrary, we view ourselves as made in the image and likeness of God and are the creation of the Creator who defined us, body and soul. 

 And we believe that while the two genders are morally equal in every sense, males and females are vastly different physiologically and acting as though they are the same is not only a Big Lie but it’s a cruelty to confuse the most vulnerable among us about themselves in order to advance a toxic ideology through chemical castration or genital mutilation in order to fill the bank accounts of doctors and hospitals who profit from the billion dollar Sex Change Industrial Complex.  According to research, the U.S. sex reassignment surgery market size was estimated at $ 1.9 billion in 2021 and was expected to reach $2.1 billion in 2022.

That’s why parents are so concerned about the targeting of young adolescents on social media to confuse and then persuade them that they are transgender.  Parents feel that their children are under siege, and as children have become more isolated and more tied to their telephone screens, there’s been an explosion of children identifying as transgender.

These children are vulnerable to messages that say their problems fitting in can be solved by recognizing that they were born in the wrong body.  Tragically though, the puberty blockers and surgeries being handed out to adolescents will cause a lifetime of physical health problems which has led to laws against gender assignment surgery.

May the boycotts continue until this lesson is learned.

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By Journal Publisher John Brewer

A friend from church asked me where I had been the past week.  Well, I was on a road trip to New Mexico.  So, I thought I would let you in on all the “FUN.”

I left here on Tuesday, June 6^th. Driving in my 59-year old Mustang convertible.  Sally, the Mustang did just fine. On Friday morning June 9, 2023 I proudly raised the Shreveport Mustang Club flag at the National Mustang Show in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

It was a long drive, about 880 miles to get there. And a very long Thursday cleaning and polishing in the hotel parking lot. Due to a miscalculation, I had parked within range of the sprinklers that bring a touch of green to a perched land. I am sure the grass appreciated it more than Sally did!

More cleaning Friday at the show site, the Balloon Festival Park in Albuquerque.  All 300 car owners cleaned and polished and sweated to the oldies blaring on the PA system.

Thanks to several lotions and potions that Donna and other Shreveport club members had suggested all the water spots and pollen came off. Yes, there was pollen aplenty. Everything is blooming out here. They have received much  more rainfall than usual. And the hills are alive with the green of vegetation.

It was a great trip.  It was an occasion to renew old friendships, like Steve who drove his Shelby all the way from Illinois.  I got to see the “Cadillac Ranch” just west of Amarillo on I-40.  I got ribs at my favorite rib joint, Bodacious in Marshall.  The baked salmon salad at the Pyramid Hotel was first rate.  And the spectacular view of the plains and mountains made the trip worth it.

Now all I have to do is spend a day getting the bugs off my old Mustang.  Then Start getting ready for the next road trip in September.

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The Red River Parish School Board is accepting applications for School Food Service Warehouseman Assistant. 

Qualifications: 

• Must have high school diploma, GED certificate

To apply click here “Support Application”. Email your application to kbethard@rrbulldogs.com or applications available at the Central Office. 

For more information or to request a job description, you may contact Nicole Eason at neason@rrbulldogs.com. 

Deadline for application submission is June 16. 

Nicole M. Eason 

Red River Parish School Board

Human Resources Department 

Red River Parish Public Schools Mission Statement

Red River Parish Schools provide excellent education: 

Every Child, Every Day, Whatever it Takes.

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