The Southland Conference announced its 2024 football league schedule Thursday with Northwestern State playing four of its seven league games at home.

The Demons will start and end the conference season at home, opening league play by hosting Lamar on Oct. 5. NSU closes the 2024 season at home with a matchup against HCU.

In between, the Demons will play UIW (Oct. 26) and McNeese (Nov. 16) at home, welcoming the Cowboys to Turpin Stadium for the first time since October 2021.

Northwestern State will travel to face Southeastern (Oct. 19), Texas A&M-Commerce (Nov. 2) and defending Southland Conference champion Nicholls (Nov. 9) in conference play.

The remainder of Northwestern State’s 12-game schedule as well as season-ticket information will be announced at a later date.

Unless someone slammed a shopping cart into your shin or cut you off in traffic or sat you buy a drunk uncle at Present Opening Time, you might have counted your blessings in the past few says.

The spirit surrounding Christmastime and the New Year usually lends itself to such positive behavior.

Smelling coffee brewing and watching our 17-month-old granddaughter eat an apple and tell the puppy to ‘Get down!’ (a new phrase learned on Christmas Day) and considering that I can sense these things, even at the advanced stage of my development, reminds me that I might be the luckiest piece of protoplasm you could ever meet.

If not the luckiest, then at least in the Top 10 or so. There is really no other excuse for me even being here except by some mistake of nature. 

First came winning the Uterine Lottery thanks to my personal mother, and then being born in America and not on some hill in some country whose name I can’t pronounce or even locate without Google and a map.

So started a chain of events of God putting people along my wayward path to teach and encourage and inspire. One of those has a birthday December 28, and since I’ve missed writing to tell him “Happy Birthday” for 80 consecutive years, I won’t make that mistake again this time.

He’s had other jobs before and after, but Keith Prince was the sports information director at Louisiana Tech for 25 years, beginning in 1969 through the time I was there as a student in the early 1980s. It was outside what is now Scotty Robertson Memorial Gym that he asked me if I wanted to go to graduate school and be his graduate assistant.

Once I finished laughing, I thanked him and reminded him it had already taken me six years to earn a four-year degree. But … besides being organized and efficient and a wonderful writer and athlete, he is a kind and persistent man, sneaky convincing, a teacher by example, and I signed on with him for what ended up being one of the great adventures of my life. Even graduated in the legit two years, like a person with any sense is supposed to do.

Sports information directors are today called Associate Athletic Directors for Strategic Communications, or something like that. The job is the same as always though: promote your student-athletes, cover the games, never get ahead, and have four days off a year.

It’s a job that requires stamina, talent, grace, and the ability to deal with egos that often accompany your more dynamic competitors. 

To make us better, Mr. Prince introduced us, maybe even shared us, to others who did his job at their schools, to Bob Anderson at what was then Northeast, to Collie Nicholson at Grambling, Jerry Pierce at Northwestern State, Larry Hymel at Southeastern, the incomparable Louis Bonnette at McNeese State, and a bunch of others. They became our teachers but also our friends. Tremendous break. 

Mr. Prince had all the tools, but his best attribute was grace under pressure. That, and the ability to convince you that you could earn a place. He gave me and so many others a chance. And he showed us the way. Still does.

For those reasons and many more, I hope this is his best birthday yet.  

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

All Persons Are Presumed Innocent Until Proven Guilty

HENDERSON, KINFORD
19 B M 12/16/2023 INCARCERATED
ARRESTING AGENCY: RED RIVER PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE
POSSESSION OF FIREARM IN PRESENCE OF A CONTROLLED DANGEROUS SUBSTANCE $50,000.00
ILLEGAL CARRYING OF WEAPONS $50,000.00
RUN CONCURRENT WITH BOND ON CHARGES OF PREVIOUS ARREST
TOTAL BOND AMOUNT: $1,000,000.00

JONES, JAKYVEONE
18 B M 12/16/2023 12/19/2023
ARRESTING AGENCY: RED RIVER PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE
POSSESSION OF SCHEDULE I MARIJUANA WITH INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE $10,000.00

ANDERSON, JONATHAN
43 B M 12/17/2023 INCARCERATED
ARRESTING AGENCY: RED RIVER PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE
FAILURE TO APPEAR – FINES & COSTS $650.00 OR 60 DAYS IN JAIL

LONG II, JOEL DAN
36 W M 12/19/2023 12/20/2023
ARRESTING AGENCY: LOUISIANA PROBATION & PAROLE
OUT OF PARISH FUGITIVE WARRANT – RAPIDES PARISH

PEOPLES, DERRICK
52 B M 12/19/2023 INCARCERATED
ARRESTING AGENCY: RED RIVER PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE
FAILURE TO APPEAR – CRIMINAL NEGLECT OF FAMILY $310.00 TOWARDS CHILD SUPPORT

JACKSON, JAYLON
20 B M 12/20/2023 INCARCERATED
ARRESTING AGENCY: RED RIVER PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE
POSSESSION OF SCHEDULE I MARIJUANA WITH INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE PENDING
ILLEGAL CARRYING OF WEAPONS PENDING

GANTT, LOGAN
21 W M 12/20/2023 12/21/2023
ARRESTING AGENCY: LOUISIANA STATE POLICE
OPEN CONTAINER VIOLATION
ILLEGAL POSSESSION OF STOLEN FIREARMS
DRIVING ON ROADWAY LANED FOR TRAFFIC
O.R. BOND

MCINTYRE, CARL
31 B M 12/20/2023 12/21/2023
ARRESTING AGENCY: LOUISIANA STATE POLICE
FAILURE TO APPEAR – FINES & COSTS $330.00 OR 30 DAYS IN JAIL
(FINE PAID)

THOMPSON, DUSTIN
41 W M 12/21/2023 12/21/2023
ARRESTING AGENCY: RED RIVER PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE
OUT OF PARISH FUGITIVE WARRANT – WINN PARISH

HADWIN, LARRY
54 W M 12/21/2023 12/22/2023
ARRESTING AGENCY: RED RIVER PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE
OUT OF PARISH FUGITIVE WARRANT – BOSSIER PARISH

Mu Omega Zeta Chapter Sneaker Ball will be held December 30. Tickets cost $25. All proceeds will support their scholarship fund. 

Union Hall Baptist Church will host “Speak Jesus Paint Party” on Thursday, January 4 at 6pm. Artist and Speaker is Pam Keith. Cost is $25. All materials included. You can Venmo or PayPal pamrkeith@aol.com.

Red River Parish Library will host their next RRPL Genealogists (Ancestor Hunters) class on Wednesday, January 17 from 10am-12pm. Dr. Virginia Webb and library staff will be available to help you research using library resources, including Ancestry.com. You may bring your own laptop or use a library laptop if you wish. No registration is required. For more information, call 318-932-5614. Classes are scheduled the third Wednesday of each month. 

East Point Mt. Zion B.C. (2570 Hwy 71) will celebrate and honor Lady Nicole Eason for eight years of service with a brunch on January 20 at 10:30am in the Fellowship Hall. Ladies are asked to wear black attire. Speaker for the event is Lady Barbara Vaught. 

The Northwest District Pen of 3 Commercial Heifer Show and Sale will take place January 23 at 11am at the Red River Livestock Auction Barn, Coushatta. Come out and support local Northwest 4-Hers and buy some cattle. The regular sale will proceed immediately after the 4-Hers.

Diane Dryden Saffel
October 8, 1956 – December 22, 2023
Service: Wednesday, December 27 at 11am at Creston Baptist Church

Red River High School Juniors Rafe Suggs and Shelby Pickett were recently honored by the Masonic Lodge with the Honesty and Integrity Award. Both were recognized at the annual gathering of members.

Rafe Suggs is the son of Jeffrey and Christy Cannon Suggs. He currently has a GPA of 4.2 and recently scored 25 on his ACT. He is completing his third college course this semester and plans to attend college at ULL or ULM majoring in kinesiology with a focus in sports training/therapy. Rafe plays on the offensive line for the Bulldogs football team and plays infield on the RR Baseball team. He serves as an officer of RRHS 4-H and a member of the Junior Leaders. During 4-H U last summer, he competed as part of a team in sports broadcasting and placed 6th in the state. They plan to return this summer and take first. He is an active member of First Baptist Coushatta.

Shelby Pickett is the daughter of Autumn McCoy. She is an honor roll student and is currently on the Superintendent’s List. She plays shortstop on the Lady Bulldogs Softball team and enjoys summer softball league. She’s also a member of the golf team since fourth grade. Shelby is considering teaching and fine arts degrees at Northwestern State University. She is currently in the ED Rising program at RRHS. Shelby is the treasure for Junior Leaders and is also on the Student Council. She is a member of Bethel Baptist Church in Martin.

At the December 20 Special Called Meeting of the Police Jury voted to approve ADA Carbon Solution’s ITEP application. This approval gives ADA an 80% reduction of parish taxes on a proposed expansion to the manufacturing plant.

In a short two-item agenda and with only three visitors present, the meeting opened and adjourned in less than 5 minutes. In the last regular meeting that ran more than an hour in front of a packed room, the members voted to table the discussion of the application and set a special called meeting to allow more time for information gathering.

This meeting the recommendation to approve the application came in the form of a motion by Jessie Davis and seconded by Young. There was no discussion, and the roll call vote was unanimous.

The next item on the agenda was to take action on the Cooperative Endeavor Agreement with ADA Carbon Solution. The motion came from Davis and seconded by Young. This roll call vote was unanimous as well.

Davis then moved to adjourn the meeting. Immediately following the meeting, the agreement was signed by ADA Representative Deke Williamson, Jessie Davis, and Tray Murray, President.

The Journal has made a public records request for both the Red River Parish Police Jury agreement and the Red River Parish School Board agreement with ADA.

I didn’t intend to return to this topic so soon but was so appalled this week I felt compelled to.

The presidents of Harvard, MIT and University of Pennsylvania were unable—after being asked several times to do so—to say that calls for the genocide of Jews violated their student codes. One of the three has now resigned, with another holding on only by the sharpened claws of her ferocious identity politics, after their disastrous appearance before a U.S. House Committee last week.

What happened?

The three college presidents were pressed about the massive protests on their campuses where chants calling for the genocide of Jews, “intifada,” and “from the river to the sea” were heard. All three awkwardly dodged the question or claimed it did not violate their policies as such, and whether the characterization of such vile hate speech violated school policy depended on the “context.”

That’s insane.

The presidents attempted to draw a false moral equivalence between calls for the genocide of Jews—equating it to Islamophobia—despite virtually no evidence Islamophobia is a problem even remotely comparable to the shocking wave of hate directed at Jews. (H. Grossman, Fox News, 12-08-2023) . In fact, “critics say that putting incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia together is to equivocate the two, when Jews are the #1 targets for hate crimes, according to the latest statistics. Jewish people comprise 2.4% of the U.S. population but make up 60% of hate crimes linked to religion.” (Id.).

Now, back to the three university presidents.

During the hearing, U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik repeatedly asked the presidents whether calling for the genocide of Jews constituted bullying, harassment, and intimidation in violation of their institution’s codes of conduct. All three dodged giving a “yes” or “no” answer, saying, as noted above, that it depended on the context and seeming to suggest that only if gatherings of students chanting genocidal slogans crossed into “conduct” would it be prohibited.

My God. Can you imagine if black people were being verbally targeted for slaughter and elimination! What about transgender people? What about the mentally handicapped? What about gay people, Asians, or American Indians? The Leftist uproar would shake the globe. But not for Jews. They can be threatened with murder and only when the knife comes to the throat, it might be condemned at Harvard.

This intellectual dishonesty is well summarized by the Wall Street Journal:

“Calling for perspective and balance on an atrocity that warrants neither reveals their (universities) long-held preferences … The American professoriate leans heavily Democratic. On elite campuses it’s nearly unanimous. Conservatives, libertarians and classical liberals who work in higher education report high levels of self-censorship. Students write essays arguing positions they don’t hold simply to please their progressive professors. Doing otherwise would damage their transcripts. Rational discourse on an issue like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict simply isn’t allowed. Only the academic postmodern progressive lens is tolerated.” (C. Asness, WSJ, 12-13-23).

This is the intellectual rot that has poisoned our American institutions of “higher learning” for decades—masquerading as political correctness—coming home to roost. This is where we are with the Woke American Left. There can be no dissenting thought, no genuine exchange of ideas. Rather, you are either Woke, or you are silenced. Censored. Cancelled. Free speech in the context of genuine academic freedom is largely non-existent in American higher education. Many of us have observed this academic censorship for years but the virulent antisemitism we are currently witnessing on college campuses is a stark and disturbing reminder.

Finally, we must all be alert to the growth of this malignant mind virus and vigilant in defense of our safety in view of the warning of Martin Niemöller, a German theologian and Lutheran pastor best known for his opposition to the Nazi regime during the late 1930s. Rev. Niemoller is well known for his widely quoted 1946 poem “First they came …”

“In Germany they came first for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up.”

We must speak now.

Royal Alexander

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 20, 2023
Contact: Kevin Calbert

Students meeting eligibility requirements may exercise option to appeal beginning December 20

The Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) policy establishing an appeals process for the state’s graduation testing requirement went into effect Wednesday, December 20, 2023.

The EXCELL (Expanded Criteria for Every Learner in Louisiana) process provides an appeal option for seniors who have demonstrated the knowledge and skills sufficient to graduate, but struggle with difficulties related to standardized tests, such as English Language learners and students with other learning challenges.

“With the creation of the EXCELL graduation test appeal policy, Louisiana is right-sizing its use of standardized tests,” said BESE President Dr. Holly Boffy. “The potential for this appeals process to create connections between educators and workforce leaders is tremendous. These relationships will translate into meaningful career opportunities for our most vulnerable students and provide a better overall alignment of students’ high school experiences with their post-secondary pursuits.”

Students seeking an appeal must meet the following requirements:

1. Complete all Carnegie unit requirements for TOPS University or TOPS Tech Career Diploma
2. Demonstrate content proficiency by:
   • Meeting the standard assessment requirement in a content pair (must test at least twice and complete at least 30 hours of co-requisite or remedial instruction) -and/or-
   • Creating a portfolio of work aligned to the standards for one subject in the LEAP 2025 pair unfulfilled by the standardized test score (future seniors must create a portfolio for both subjects in a pair)
3. Demonstrate evidence of employability by earning one of the following:
   • A Silver or higher rating on ACT WorkKeys (National Career Readiness Certificate) -or-
   • A TOPS Tech award – or –
   • A Louisiana JumpStart-approved Industry Based Credential
4. Meet with a local career support organization who can help connect them to opportunities after graduation.

Beginning December 20, 2023, students meeting the policy’s eligibility requirements, including those who would have graduated with the Class of 2023, may exercise the option to appeal. School districts with seniors who have met all other graduation criteria may move forward with the School-Building Level Committee (SBLC) process to determine if students meet the appeals process criteria. All appeals will be administered at the local school level, and participating students are still required to take the LEAP assessment. Midyear LEAP assessment results currently coming in may be used to help schools to determine which students should file an appeal.

The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) has developed initial implementation and portfolio guidance for local school systems, which may be accessed here. School administrators should refer to this information in assisting students initiating appeals and contact the LDOE for additional details.

The final policy (reflected in sections 717, 2321, and 2322 of Bulletin 741, Louisiana Handbook for School Administrators) has been published in the December 2023 edition of the Louisiana Register and is available for viewing online here (the policy is found on pages 2091-2094).

# # #

BESE is the administrative policymaking body for elementary and secondary schools in Louisiana. The Board sets key education initiatives and works to outline an education agenda to achieve continuous improvement of public education as measured by student and school achievement.

For Immediate Release
December 21, 2023

Letter follows Senate Democrats adjourning for the year after failing to take any legislative action to address the crisis unfolding at the border

WASHINGTON — Speaker Johnson sent a letter to the White House today urging President Biden to immediately take executive actions available under existing immigration laws to stem the record tide of illegal immigration.

Today’s letter is particularly urgent given this week set a new record for migrant encounters in a single day. Additionally, Senate Majority Leader Schumer adjourned the Senate yesterday for the year without taking any legislative action to address the humanitarian crisis unfolding at the border.

Key excerpt from the letter:

This catastrophe requires your administration’s full attention and commitment, particularly since Senate Majority Leader Schumer adjourned the Senate yesterday for the year without considering the commonsense solutions in our House bill (H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act of 2023) or taking any other legislative action to address the matter…

I urge you to immediately take executive actions available to you under existing immigration laws to stem the record tide of illegal immigration. Immediate executive actions should include the following:

• End catch-and-release, and either turn back or detain all illegal aliens encountered between ports of entry.

• Cease exploitation of parole authority, and ensure it is granted solely “on a case-by-case basis” instead of using parole for entire classes of aliens.

• Reinstate previous, and pursue new, asylum cooperative agreements and begin to negotiate with Mexico to reinstitute the Remain in Mexico program.

• Expand the use of expedited removal so that more aliens are screened and immediately removed if they cannot demonstrate asylum eligibility.

• Immediately renew construction of the border wall.

Full text of the letter:

The southern border of our nation is being overrun and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is at a breaking point. This catastrophe requires your administration’s full attention and commitment, particularly since Senate Majority Leader Schumer adjourned the Senate yesterday for the year without considering the commonsense solutions in our House bill (H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act of 2023) or taking any other legislative action to address the matter.

In Fiscal Year (FY) 2023, CBP encountered a record 2.48 million illegal aliens at our southern border, in addition to nearly 670,000 so-called “got-a-ways.”  On average, more than 8,400 illegal aliens entered our country every single day over the last year. While those numbers are shocking, they are projected to be even worse in FY2024. Just this week, the record for illegal crossings in a single day was broken yet again. 

The wide-open border has caused unspeakable human tragedy for migrants and certainly for our own citizens. During FY2023, CBP seized “enough fentanyl to kill the entire U.S. population,” and fentanyl poisoning is now the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-45.  Countless children and adults have been victims of human trafficking and cartels have been emboldened and enriched. Local communities have been devastated and terrorists and dangerous criminals have entered illegally and dispersed across our country. We are now more vulnerable to a terrorist attack on our homeland than ever.

All of this is the direct result of your administration’s policies. You have clearly undermined America’s sovereignty and security by ending the Remain in Mexico policy, reinstating catch-and-release, suspending asylum cooperative agreements with other nations, ignoring existing restraints on the abuse of parole, and halting border wall construction. You also undermined Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) core mission, and even used a smartphone app to facilitate the release of border crossers into the United States.

Foreseeing this catastrophe, the House of Representatives led in developing reforms to secure America’s borders. We passed H.R. 2 more than six months ago, but Senate Democrats have refused to act on it. While a bipartisan group of Senators has begun extensive negotiations over the past few weeks to try to find a compromise, they have not yet been able to finalize an agreement. Statutory reforms designed to restore operational control at our southern border must be enacted, but the crisis at our southern border has deteriorated to such an extent that significant action can wait no longer. It must start now, and it must start with you.

I urge you to immediately take executive actions available to you under existing immigration laws to stem the record tide of illegal immigration. Immediate executive actions should include the following:

• End catch-and-release, and either turn back or detain all illegal aliens encountered between ports of entry.
• Cease exploitation of parole authority, and ensure it is granted solely “on a case-by-case basis” instead of using parole for entire classes of aliens.
• Reinstate previous, and pursue new, asylum cooperative agreements and begin to negotiate with Mexico to reinstitute the Remain in Mexico program.
• Expand the use of expedited removal so that more aliens are screened and immediately removed if they cannot demonstrate asylum eligibility.
• Immediately renew construction of the border wall.

I also urge you to utilize Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to regain operational control of the border. That provision empowers the President to “suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or nonimmigrants or impose on the entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate” if the President “finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States.” 

Sincerely,
Mike Johnson
Speaker of the House 

While Thanksgiving is a great holiday, Christmas is without a doubt my favorite. There are so many things that make it special, but it’s the memories of Christmas past that make it number one for me. We’ve all had a specific Christmas that carries special memories for each of us. It’s not always about the gifts you got or didn’t get, but it’s about sharing time with family and friends. Yes, the gifts were great, but in our younger innocent years, that’s not what made Christmas special.

Every year you got a lot of new stuff, but first you had to make room for the new stuff by getting rid of the things you got the year before. It was a continuous cycle and ritual that you had to go through every Christmas. I remember calling my best friend on Christmas morning and telling him everything I got. But the funny thing about that conversation was the fact that I usually had a hard time remembering what I did get.

As I got older, it made me realize that it wasn’t the gifts that made Christmas special. It was more about all the moments shared with family and friends at parties or driving around town and looking at Christmas lights. It was the food, like my mom’s pecan pie and homemade fruit salad. It was going downtown to see the annual Christmas parade the day after Thanksgiving, which was a great way to kick off the Christmas season.

It was picking out a real tree until our family decided to go the artificial route. I even remember my grandparents having this weird white Christmas tree with a rainbow-colored lamp that rotated different colors onto the tree. I thought it was the worst Christmas tree of all time and whoever came up with this idea should have been taken out behind the woodshed and severely beaten.

But for me, it was more about the anticipation of Christmas Eve and believing that jolly Ol’ Saint Nick was headed my way. It was tuning into the 10 o’clock news that night and watching the Santa tracker as I laid two feet on the floor in front of the TV. Where is he right now and how soon will he be coming to my house?

As a youngster, I was a true believer, but could not wrap my head around how he would get into my house since we did not have a chimney. How was this man, bigger than life, going to enter my house and leave the gifts I so desired and had earned? It’s amazing the imagination you had as a kid and the thought process that went with it.

Finally, the big day arrived after a long and sleepless night trying to hear Santa’s arrival. I remember waking up at 5:00 AM on Christmas morning and having to lie in bed until everyone was up, wondering did the big man leave me the Hot Wheels Track or the Daisy BB gun I requested, or would it be underwear and clothes that I did not request? Did he remember the new bike I desired with the sissy bar and chopper handlebars? I gave him plenty of options so surely, he left at least one of those! After the gifts were opened and I was dressed for the day, I remember going outside and looking for sleigh marks or deer tracks as proof that he actually came.

Then the day comes when someone delivers the shocking news that Santa isn’t real! It puts that little bit of doubt in your mind and makes you question Santa’s true existence. They would destroy your beliefs with common sense facts and tell you that the big fat man in the red suit does not exist! They would try to reason with you how impossible it would be for a full-size man who eats nothing but cookies and drinks lots of milk would ever fit down a chimney! It was hard to argue with that!

But, in the back of your mind, you’re thinking the “know it all” kid just might be mistaken….. or is he? He puts just enough doubt in your mind that you feel that the only way to find out for sure is by asking your mom. Moms never lie and she would never tell you something that’s not true!

Then your mom says to you that it doesn’t matter what anyone says, and tells you to ask yourself, “Do YOU believe?” She never actually answers your question, and she leaves you continuing to think that maybe he is real. This is what keeps the magic of Christmas alive. The one thing I always told my kids as each of them at some point ask the age-old question, “Does Santa really exist?” was, “If you stop believing, he will stop leaving.”

Now the day finally comes when you know the answer, but it sure was a lot more fun when you thought differently and just weren’t quite sure. Your imagination as a child is what made Christmas so special. That’s still the case today, as there’s nothing more fun and exciting than to see that twinkle in a kid’s eye as they see jolly Ol’ Saint Nick.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this look back in time when all of us had that special believing look in our eye. It’s always fun going back in time and remembering the things that made each Christmas so special. As we get older, we realize that it’s more about the times we share with family and friends that makes Christmas so special. To each of you, Merry Christmas, and may all your dreams and wishes come true. Remember, believing is not always about seeing.

Steve Graf

Louisiana State Police shared the following message recently on their Facebook page:

Amidst the hustle and bustle of the busy holiday season, ensuring the safety of our roadways remains the utmost priority for our dedicated Troopers.

Just last night, shortly after 9:00 p.m., Troopers assigned to Troop G were engaged in traffic control following a previous crash that occurred during the Independence Bowl. Despite being properly positioned, with emergency lights activated, our Trooper was unexpectedly struck head-on. Thankfully, both our Trooper and the other driver involved sustained only minor injuries.

In light of this incident, Troopers wish to remind citizens to bear in mind the significance of Louisiana’s “Move Over” law, which serves to safeguard everyone. Whether you find yourself approaching a law enforcement vehicle, a tow truck, or even a citizen changing a flat tire on the roadside, it is imperative to exercise caution, reduce your speed, and most importantly, MOVE OVER to ensure their safety. In the event that moving over is not feasible, reduce your speed until you have safely passed the vehicle.

By adhering to these simple yet crucial guidelines, we can collectively contribute to the preservation of a secure and harmonious roadway environment. Let us all play our part in making Louisiana roadways safer.

This Saturday, December 23 is the DRONE SHOW in Natchitoches. Free Admission to the Riverfront and Front Street. The lineup of events: 
• 10am–6pm – Holiday Kids Fest on the Downtown Riverbank
• Before Fireworks—DRONE SHOW!
• 7pm – Fireworks over Cane River Lake
Music on the Riverbank Stage
• 4:30pm – Becky & the ShuffleKings
• 7:15pm – Chase Tyler
Visit natchitocheschristmas.com for more information. 

Wesley Chapel Methodist Church will hold Christmas Eve Services at 9am and 4pm. Everyone is invited. 

The Coushatta First Methodist Church invites everyone to join them for Candlelight Christmas Eve service Sunday, December 24.  A come and go communion will be held from 4pm-5pm with the service beginning at 5pm.

HELP WANTED: Amazon now hiring for some positions at one of its Shreveport facilities. Here’s what you need to know to apply at  http://tinyurl.com/3u9d6pe4

NONE

Magnolia Bend Academy Coushatta’s December Student of the Month is Harper Davis.

Harper is an 8th grade student. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Tyler and Joanna Poche and Mr. and Mrs. Logan and Katelynn Davis. Harper spends the majority of her lunch time each Monday and Tuesday running the Beta Snack Stand in addition to coming on Wednesdays to run it and to help the MBA staff with anything that is needed. When our Principal, Mrs. Michelle, was asked why she nominated Harper, she replied, “Harper is a great student and she always comes up to volunteer on Wednesday for Beta. I can ask her to do anything and it’s always “Yes, ma’am”! For her special treat, Harper chose Skittles and a Coke.

December’s Staff Spotlight: Mrs. Shawn Powell and Mrs. Jennifer Freeman

“This year is Mrs. Powell’s first year working with us at Magnolia Bend Academy. She teaches our 4th-6th grade Science and Math classes. She was married in 2011 to Nolon Powell, Jr. She enjoyed Math class at Florien High School and graduated from NSU with 3 degrees-impressive! Her dream job is currently her job teaching here, which she very much enjoys. Mrs. Powell loves basketball, but sadly none of her boys played the sport. She has a single dog and three cats. Mrs. Powell would love a trip to Iceland to see its wonders such as the Northern Lights. A fun fact about Mrs. Powell is that she would have her dream home settled on a beach in Italy.”
–Dillon Thames, YB Staff

“Mrs. Jennifer is the Senior class and Yearbook teacher as well as the MBA Homeschool Director. When asked if she always wanted to teach, Mrs. Jennifer said, Yes, when I was a child but that changed when I was graduating high school.” Mrs. Jennifer didn’t go to college after High School because she wanted to start a family but recently graduated from NSU’s continuing education program in November for Phlebotomy. Mrs. Jennifer has been an employee of MBA for seven years. Before beginning work here, she worked as a taxidermist. Her favorite thing about working at MBA is the students and her favorite thing to teach is Geography. A random fact about Mrs. Jennifer is that her dream car is a 1947 Plymouth Special De Luxe, black of course! Mrs. Jennifer’s dream is to live in a little mountain town in Arkansas and own a bookstore.”
—Chassidy Powell, YB Staff

The Northwest District Pen of 3 Commercial Heifer Show and Sale will take place January 23 at 11am at the Red River Livestock Auction Barn. 

Come out and support local Northwest 4-Hers and buy some cattle.

The regular sale will proceed immediately after the 4-Hers. 

(With Christmas 2023 here, I’d like to share a portion of one of the chapters in my new book, “Bamboozled By A Bobcat” regarding what Christmas was like during my growing up years in Goldonna.)

“Christmas at my house growing up. Man, what special memories. I think it all started with a trip our family took to the woods out back to find a Christmas tree. It was not easy to find one perfectly shaped. One side would look good, but the back side was skimpy because of growing next to a big tree.

“No problem. Mother would just set the tree in the corner and turn the skimpy side to the wall. Decorations were simple – red roping, icicles, a few colored balls. No lights for one simple reason – electricity had not made its way to Goldonna during the early years of my growing up.

“Another favorite memory are the smells that came from my mama’s kitchen – wood duck roasting in a cast iron pot, gravy dark and rich, cornbread dressing, a hen, not a turkey, roasting. We never had turkey growing up, but no problem, we were catching a chicken from the yard, wringing the neck, and scalding it.

“Desserts? Oh my! Chocolate pie, pecan pie and my all-time favorite, applesauce cake. Even today, my wife Kay and my daughter, Cathy, make me an applesauce cake for Christmas. It just wouldn’t be Christmas without it.

“The night before Christmas, Tom and I would go over from our house on one hill to the next hill where our cousins, Doug and Sambo, lived. We’d build a big bonfire and shoot fireworks. I especially remember those big red two-inch firecrackers that could remove a finger if handled carelessly.

“After fireworks, it was off to bed, but sleep was not easy to come by because I couldn’t help thinking about what I might find under the tree the next morning. Tom and I would often wake up and jump out of bed long before daylight to see what was under the tree, and I was never disappointed.

“We didn’t get the fancy stuff kids get today but a BB gun, toy truck, hard candy, apple and orange, and maybe a board game.

“My most memorable gift was when we were really small and we each got a pedal car. Daddy had found them somewhere, maybe in somebody’s garbage, but he brought them home, hammered out the dents and gave them a shiny coat of blue paint. I guarantee you no brand-new, store-bought pedal car would come close to providing the thrill we got when we saw those blue cars under the tree.

“Probably my favorite Christmas memory was when it came time to sit down for the noon meal Mother had prepared. Before we sat down, she prepared a tray with everything we were about to enjoy, and the whole family would walk through the pine thicket to the home of an old couple and share our food with them. Otherwise they would not have had such a fine meal.

“It taught me something that has stuck with me all my life, and that is the joy of giving. What sticks out in my mind the most is the lesson it taught us kids as Mother and Daddy used the occasion to remind us about the greatest gift ever given when God sent his son Jesus Christ to Earth to show us how to live and then to die and take the penalty of our sins on himself.

“Though our faith in what He did, we have the promise of life everlasting in His presence when our days on Earth are ended.”

Having said that, I’d like to wish my readers and listeners your very best Christmas ever.

Grambling State University has named Mickey Joseph as the 15th head football coach, announced by Vice-President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Trayvean Scott on Monday morning.

Jospeh brings a wealth of coaching experience spanning three decades to Grambling. His most recent stop was at the University of Nebraska, his alma mater, where he served as associate head coach, wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator during the 2022 season. He completed the 2022 campaign as interim head coach for the Cornhuskers.

Prior to NU, he spent five seasons on staff at LSU. In 2017, he joined the Tigers as wide receivers coach. He was elevated to associate head coach in 2020. Joseph was a key member of LSU’s 2019 national championship staff. His receivers set an FBS record with 60 touchdown receptions and helping Joe Burrow claim a Heisman Trophy amassing 5,671 passing yards.

In 2019, LSU assembled the best group of receivers in SEC history. The Tigers’ three starters—Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and Terrace Marshall—combined for 241 receptions for 3,991 yards and 51 touchdowns.

His reputation and for recruiting and developing wide receivers were highlighted at LSU when he was recognized as a Rivals Top 25 recruiter. had four wide receivers selected in the first three rounds of the 2020 and 2021 NFL Drafts (2020 and 2021). That includes Chase, who was the 2021 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after being selected with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 Draft and Jefferson, the 22nd pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The Marrero, La. native was part of an offensive staff that helped LSU set several SEC records in 2019, including passing yards (6,024), passing TDs (61) and total offense per game (568.4) en route to a 15-0 season and national championship. Joseph also helped LSU post a 10-3 record in 2018 and a 9-4 mark in 2017.

In 2016, Joseph worked as running backs coach at neighboring Louisiana Tech. He helped the Bulldogs to a 9-5 record and win in the Armed Forces Bowl. The Bulldogs ranked No. 2 in the nation in scoring in 2016, averaging 44.3 points per game. Tech averaged 514.9 total yards game, which included 363.4 passing and 151.6 on the ground.

Joseph is no stranger to Grambling State. From 2014 to 2015 he served as wide receivers coach and special teams coach for the G-Men. When he arrived at Grambling, the Tigers were coming off a 1-10 record in 2013. In the two years he spent with the G-Men, Grambling finished 7-5 (2014) and 9-3 with a SWAC West Championship in 2015.

In 2015, Joseph’s receivers totaled 2,250 receiving yards and 25 touchdowns as Grambling’s scoring offense ranked fourth and passing offense ranked 21st among all FCS programs nationally.

Prior to Grambling, he was the special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach at Alcorn State in 2013, helping the school to a 9-3 record, its most wins in 30 years.

He spent five seasons at Langston University from 2008 to 2012, elevating to head coach in 2011. He led the Lions to 13-7 record in two seasons.

Joseph got his first collegiate coaching job at Wayne State College in Nebraska in 1997, which he followed with a season at his high school alma mater Archbishop Shaw High School in New Orleans in 1998. From there, Joseph served as a graduate assistant at Tulane in 1999 and then coached receivers at Alabama State in 2000.
He coached quarterbacks at Nicholls State for three years (2001-03) and then spent two seasons as the running backs coach at Central Oklahoma (2004-05).

Before his tenure at Langston, Joseph served as the head football coach and Director of Athletics for Desire Street Academy, a private school in the New Orleans’ Ninth Ward area. His main goal was to help get young kids out of the underprivileged area to improve their overall quality of life through sports. At the time of Hurricane Katrina, Joseph was responsible of moving the private school to Florida along with relocating the student- athletes. That year, the team had a record of 1-3, however, in 2008 Joseph turned the team around to a 10-3 record. Seven out of 25 players were able to sign with NCAA Division I programs.

During the summer of 2012 he also spent time with Houston Texans as part of an NFL minority internship. While in Houston, Joseph worked with the running backs and all aspects of the special teams units.

Joseph played quarterback at Nebraska from 1988-91. As a junior Joseph led the Cornhuskers to a 9-3 overall mark after accounting for 21 touchdowns (11 rushing, 10 passing). In his four years at Nebraska, the Cornhuskers posted a 39-9-1 overall mark and appeared in the Orange Bowl twice, the Citrus Bowl and the Fiesta Bowl.
In four years with the Cornhuskers, Joseph played in 34 regular season games and accounted for 30 touchdowns (16 rushing, 14 passing). His best season came as a junior in 1990 when he played in all 12 games, throwing for 624 yards and 11 touchdowns to go along with 554 rushing yards and 10 TDs.

Joseph was the top recruit coming out of Archbishop Shaw High School in Marrero when he was recruited to the University of Nebraska. In 1987, he was awarded Gatorade Player of the Year and First-Team Parade All-American. The standout football player was also a two-time All-State MVP and three-time All-District MVP.

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Source: gsutigers.com

By Doug De Graffenried

It feels like Hallmark channel syrupy sentimentality has washed over into sound biblical exegesis. Maybe I should blame it on all the “truth” floating around on Facebook. After all Facebook and Instagram are bastions of Biblical knowledge and wisdom. I have experienced an outbreak of Levitical shepherds and sheep. I have even heard of these Levitical shepherds swaddling sheep so they would remain pure and without blemish until the time of sacrifice. I know I’m an old dude, but I never heard of anything like this until three years ago. I heard it from a preacher who was speaking at a non-church event. He waxed poetic about the swaddling of a baby and how the shepherds would understand that. As I recall, he went on and on about shepherds swaddling Levitical sheep. I was too tired to go home and look it all up. 

Then it grew into Levitical shepherds, who took care of the Levitical sheep meant for temple sacrifice. The Mishnah allows that animals destined for temple sacrifice would be raised around Bethlehem. These shepherds are in the region, so certainly these were Levitical shepherds raising Levitical sheep. Except, there are two Bethlehem’s in Palestine in the first century. Which Bethlehem are we talking about? It will make a difference in your sheep story.

The other problem with Levitical shepherd is the notion of a shepherd in first century Palestine. Shepherds were thieves and robbers. Their station in life was so low that they were not competent to be witnesses in judicial matters. When Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd.” He is introducing a radical new concept to his audience. Shepherds can be good. They can care for the sheep. They can be trusted. One author long ago said, Jesus as the good shepherd is an oxymoron. The shepherds, hearing the angel’s announcement were not good guys. They were felonious fellows watching the sheep at night.

Nope, I don’t believe Facebook and Hallmark have this exegesis right. The shepherds were night shift shepherds. They were the dregs of the dregs. It is to these outcasts the birth is announced. The first people coming to Jesus were not the religion professionals like preachers and priests. The first people to visit Jesus, didn’t really fit into the religious narrative or lifestyle. That is the point.

Christmas is about the unexpected love and grace of God. It flows freely, even to night shift shepherds. It flows all the way to you and me.

Oh, one more thing about Jesus in swaddling clothes. That didn’t remind the shepherds about some mythical sacrificial lamb swaddled to protect it. No, the scoundrel shepherds would have figured out that the good news came in the form of a newborn.

The story is powerful, just the way it is. You don’t need to read anything else into the love of God born in Jesus. In the end, all you and I need to know is Jesus.

Makynli Delcambre of New Iberia is junior and a double major at Northwestern State University with plans to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance in May 2025 and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in December 2025.

Makynli, who has been dancing since age 5 and teaching dance since eighth grade, is current captain of Purple Pizzazz Pom Line, which is preparing for UDA (Universal Dance Association) national dance team competition, one of the biggest competitions in the world, in Orlando, Florida, in January. In addition to serving as a two-time Freshman Connector and involvement with the President’s Leadership Program, she is a member of Purple Jackets, Dance Organization of Students and Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority.

Having wrapped up the marathon that is the NSU Christmas Gala – nine shows over three days – before jumping into finals week, Makynli sat down with NSU to talk about dance, personal and professional growth and plans for the future.  The conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

NSU:  Tell us about Gala prep. 

Makynli:  Gala prep starts in October.  We have auditions the second or third week of fall semester.  We go through all that rehearsal time.  We have tech week where we do two runs almost every night. We check lighting, backdrops, make sure the show runs smoothly. We come up on the stage and do spacing.  We have dress rehearsal.  I was in Rockettes and toy soldiers, so it was lots of kicks.  This year the soldiers did tap, so I did lots of tapping.  It was a super fun time, but it really is a marathon and it’s a fun experience. 

NSU: Who were your first dance students?

Makynli:  I taught the babies, the three- and four years-olds. I taught all the way through high school, our select dancers, which is our competition team.  I also taught tumbling at 16 and I was a cheerleader and a dancer my whole life, so I taught all through high school at my studio [Paige’s Dance and Cheer Studio] and then came to college.  I currently teach at Elite Cheer-Nastics.  I teach dance and tumbling. As the captain of pom line, I do a lot of teaching there.  I run practices. I teach skills.  I teach classes.

NSU:  What are some leadership experiences you’ve had as an officer and now captain of the pom line?

Makynli:  I do a lot of jobs, everything from paperwork to running practice to choreography sometimes.  I do a plethora of things and some of the most fun opportunities have been leading the team at UDA camp in the summer.  Camps are always so fun, we get so close.  We spend so much time together. And through football season and basketball season, calling cheers and chants and being on the sidelines with everybody is a really great time.

NSU:  What attracted you to Northwestern?

Makynli: I went to a college fair and the recruiter was on pom line at some point and she was telling me about how it’s a cheer team and a dance team, we do both, and that piqued my interest.  From there I took a tour.  I loved it.  It’s a great environment and felt very friendly, like a family.

NSU: What are some memorable experiences you’ve had with pom and the dance program?

Makynli:  There have been so many. I’ve gotten to travel a lot through pom line and the dance department.  Last year, the dance department went to American College Dance Association at Sam Houston State University.  It was one of the most fun dance conferences I’ve ever been to.  I experienced so many new styles.  I got to take a Latin dance class, partnering stuff.  For pom line, I got to go to UDA Nationals, and perform on stage at Disneyworld at the ESPN Sports Center my freshman year.  That was the first year pom line had ever gone to UDA anything, camp or nationals.  I was one of seven that went.

NSU: How do your experiences impact your own teaching and mentoring?

Makynli: I have taught for a long time, but my time at NSU has taught me how to be a better mentor, a better leader and a better teacher.  I’ve learned skills that I never would have gotten anywhere else. If you knew me as a freshman, I was a completely different person. I was shy, didn’t talk to too many people.  Now you can’t get me to shut up.

NSU:  It sounds like you have good time management skills, too.

Maklynli: That’s the key to life.

NSU: How is the team getting ready for UDA Nationals?

Maklynli:  We have a ton of practices.  We are going to be here for a lot of our Christmas break, practicing, preparing, getting ready, learning our choreography.  We had a choreographer come in and teach it to us.  We’re really excited.  We have practices twice a day most days, in the mornings and the afternoons.  We’re working on skills. We are fund raising and that’s a big part. We’re also trying to get everything together so we have a good trip. 

NSU: What are some ways people can support the pom line?

Makynli:  Some of the best ways are coming out to our events. We’ll have a showcase at a basketball game in January.  Come to games and cheer us on.  We have a ton of fund raisers going on. Look out for the Pom Line Instagram (nsulapomline), our teammates’ Instagram.  We are trying to raise money.

NSU: What do you plan to do after graduation?

Makynli: I really want to do the Disney College Program.  I decided to wait till after graduation because I love it here and I don’t want to leave early and have to come back or put a pause on college.  I also eventually want to open a studio.  I don’t know if it will be directly out of college, but eventually that’s my goal.

NSU:  How would you encourage other dancers to attend Northwestern?

Makynli:  Our Creative and Performing Arts program has given me so many opportunities. ADCA, which was one of the best trips of my life.  I made so many connections. NSU is the only school in the state that offers a BFA in dance, so that drew me here.  The faculty, staff, professors and coaches are amazing.  They really take care of their students and the coaches of the performances group are big on giving the dancers opportunities and making sure their dancers are having a great experience.

A literacy grant from International Paper Foundation will enable Northwestern State University’s Gallaspy College of Education and Human Development to create a Center for Excellence in Teaching to serve aspiring teachers through mentoring, service projects and well-being awareness.

The IP Foundation presented the $5,000 grant to administrators in the School of Education where components are already in place to improve teacher preparation. Creating a Center for Excellence will enhance and centralize those initiatives, according to Dr. Neeru Deep, interim dean of the College.

Deep plans to create and deliver well-being workshops to current and future students while Dr. Katrina Jordan, director of the School of Education, will guide mentorship and implement literacy changes in the curriculum and Dr. Michelle Brunson, professor, will continue to coordinate the Cradle to College Pipeline service-learning project, a literacy and intervention initiative aimed at redirecting at-risk children who are statistically more likely to be incarcerated later in life.

“The Center for Excellence in Teaching will be a one-stop-shop to meet the needs of initial certification students in the School of Education,” Jordan said.

The School will partner with NSU’s Academic Success Center and the Center’s director, Dr. Bob Jordan, who will provide tutors, mentors and coaches for students.

“The help the students will receive can be anything from time management skills to Praxis test assistance, including the new literacy tests, to intervention plans and beyond,” Jordan said. “The Center for Excellence in Teaching will create helpful videos and materials that will be linked through the School of Education website. We are also partnering with Dr. Brunson’s service-learning project to take literacy learning a step farther. Our partnership with the Center for Positivity and Dr. Deep will ensure that the students are receiving not only academic help but also assistance in managing their well-being.”

The Cradle to College service-learning initiative seeks to provide youngsters and their families with literacy activities, resources and support so they can engage in reading and play activities at home. The project has been an important component of the student experience for several years.

“We are happy to help develop a multi-dimensional program that will equip future educators with the skills to effectively and equitably deliver literacy instruction and intervention support to the students they serve,” said Dr. Alissa Campbell Shaw, executive director of the IP Foundation.

We are so very thankful to the International Paper Foundation for supporting this initiative,” Deep said.

Information on NSU’s School of Education is available at https://www.nsula.edu/education/.

IP Grant:

A grant from the International Paper Foundation is supporting the creation of a Center for Excellence in Teaching in NSU’s School of Education. From left are IP Red River Mill Communications Coordinator Alexa Steele, Dr. Michelle Fazio-Brunson, Mill Manager Scott Lonadier, Dr. Katrina Jordan and Dr. Neeru Deep.

My friends call it BowlFest, this most wonderful time of the college football year when you can’t swing a cornerback without hitting a Diesel Driving Academy Arkansas Bowl or a Sparkling Caffeine Ice Classic.

It’s a beautiful thing. 

It’s easy to get caught up in the momentum of bowl games and holidays and start betting actual real money on the games. Santa doesn’t want you overdoing it. And he’s watching you … 

The day I quit betting on ballgames was the day I thought I was about to lose $100 plus juice and nearly started crying like a small wet child.

March Madness. 1993ish? Back when having 100 bucks meant something. I’d bet Xavier to cover against Indiana or the other way around. In the past I’d bet $5 here and there, maybe 10. We figured we were betting $5 to have $5 worth of fun, because nothing makes you interested in a game the way “having action” on it does. Suddenly you’re interested in an Oregon State vs. Louisville score, fanatically so.

But now I was stepping out and betting a Buck, like a big boy, like I had $100 to lose.

It went down to the wire. Was listening on a transistor radio. Sitting in a cheap table chair on Archer Avenue in Shreveport. Living and dying. “If I can get out of this, I’ll never bet again.”

My guys covered. I’d won 100 large. And retired. Wasn’t worth it. I had to work too hard for that little piece of money.

Since then, the stakes have gotten back to normal. I’m in a group that “bets” all the bowl games with the overall winner getting the pot. The capital outlay is about 18 cents a game.

The feeling is the same. Pride. Bragging rights. The joy of thinking of where you’ll spend the $5 each of the guys will have to cough up. Even though both the risk and reward are so tiny, you’ll still pay more attention to the SMU vs. Boston College Fenway Bowl than any sane man should.

Before legal betting in our neck of the woods, you had to “know a guy.” Benny the Bookie or Sam the Human Point Spread. Now you just need your smartphone and a credit card. 

Draft Kings. FanDuel. Promo codes. “Free money” to get you going.

Sounds like fun. And with a limit, I bet it is. I just got to thinking that I might as well flip a coin because…

How do I know whether or not the starting center just got a “Dear John” letter from his girlfriend;

Or if the quarterback just failed a big math test;

Or if the professional strong safety might have taken something recreationally before the game, the one I just bet a Honey Bun on.

“Too rich for my blood!” I hear a yokel saying …

You can bet spreads, over/unders, moneylines, parlays, teasers. Prop bets. Futures, in which case you’re betting on something that hasn’t happened yet as always, except this won’t happen for a long, long time. (The Orioles are +1,500 to win the 2024 World Series.)

If all these easy ways of betting — even on stuff mid-game, like coin flips or total interceptions — were available by phone 40 years ago, I might still be glued to that chair on Archer, sure I would get rich by the time they were cutting down nets at the Final Four. 

But I backed down. I bet that I really didn’t know what I was doing. And that there would be days when the guys I’d bet on wouldn’t know what they were doing either. 

Probably a good bet.

(But … who you got in the Boca Raton Bowl? Asking for a friend …) 

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu