Officials in Red River Parish are concerned about the frequency and severity of recent earthquakes in the area. While some officials believe the earthquakes may be related to fracking and injection sites, state geologists say more data is needed to make a determination.

This week a discussion with parish officials and the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources began with questions centered on the frequency of the tremors in our area. For state geologists the frequency of the earthquakes and the severity were not of immediate concern. The frequency usually reaches 30-40 before initiating a study. All but one event has been below 3.0 on the Richter Scale, and the geologist explained this was a minor event. “Your area may have many more seismic events, or you may see it end with this last one. We cannot determine what will happen.”

Residents of Red River Parish expressed concern about the frequency and severity of earthquakes, with many asking if the situation will worsen and when it will stop.

Officials at LDNR stated that no study of earthquakes in the area exists to compare the current situation. They explained that more data is needed to make a determination and that more earthquakes would help gather better data. However, this does not provide comfort to those who have experienced their homes shaking.

Next, the questions began to move to the possibility of problems with oil and gas drilling in the area. Officials from LDNR explained that reports indicate that fracking in the area of the earthquakes had ceased before the first earthquake occurred. They next discussed that they are studying the information for injection wells in the area. A study of prior reports, questioning operators of the wells, and requesting site inspections may help to determine if any of the earthquakes could be attributed in any way to oil and gas production in this area. At least a week would be needed to begin to analyze the given information.

Injection wells are used to inject fluids associated with oil and natural gas production. Class II fluids are primarily brines (salt water) that are brought to the surface while producing oil and gas. She said that with drilling, there is always a byproduct, and this waste must be disposed of. This disposal is now done by injecting it back into the earth. Annual reports of the pressure and depth of injection wells are due to LDNR each April. Over 4000 injection wells are in the State of Louisiana. Red River has at least seven.

Next week, a presentation on injection wells and more information from the collected data will be presented to area officials. In the meantime, emergency responders in the parish have begun preparing for the possibility of more frequent and increased severity of earthquakes.

Red River Parish Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness posted earthquake preparedness information on their Facebook page and webpage, Redriverready.com.

Red River Parish Sheriff’s Office
January 30, 2024

On January 30, 2024, ten Red River Academic Academy (RRAA) students earned graduation certificates for successfully completing the requirements of the DARE program. Red River Parish Sheriff’s Deputy/DARE Officer Irvin Raphiel Jr. officiated the ceremony.

DARE, which stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education, is a program designed to teach students the dangers of using drugs, alcohol, and tobacco as well as “how to say no” using DARE’s five resistance strategies. Topics covered include communication skills, peer pressure, stress, and bullying along with facts and health effects of using drugs, alcohol, and tobacco. Students also learned the DARE Decision Making Model which is designed to help them make safe and responsible choices throughout their lives.

While all the students did an awesome job, each year one member of the fifth grade class is selected as a workbook winner while another is recognized for writing the best DARE essay. Congratulations to 2023-24 workbook winner Emanuel Nelson and essay winner Kaiden Humphery!

Several students participated in the program by leading the Pledge of Allegiance, reading the winning DARE essay, and performing inspirational readings. All the DARE graduates did a great job of entertaining those in attendance by singing the DARE song. Fifth grade teacher Mrs. Pickett announced the names of the graduates who, in turn, were greeted by Chief Deputy Moore, Sheriff Glen Edwards, and Principal Daniels as Deputy Raphiel presented their certificates.

Sheriff Edwards briefly spoke to the students about the benefits of what they learned in DARE as well as the importance of the relationship they established with Deputy Raphiel. He also emphasized that the role of law enforcement in general, and the Red River Parish Sheriff’s Office specifically, is to help those in our community, including the students. Principal Daniels wrapped up the program before dismissing the class and visitors.

It was a great year and a great class! Deputy Raphiel would like to thank Mrs. Pickett as well as Principal Daniels for their support of DARE, the fifth grade students for their hard work, the parents for entrusting their children to us, and Sheriff Edwards for making the program available.

Sheriff Edwards would like to thank the Red River Parish School Board, RRAA faculty/administration, and Deputy Raphiel for working together to ensure that the DARE program was once again a huge success.

Congratulations 2023-24 RRAA DARE graduating class! Job well done!

(UPDATE 1/29/2024): Due to recent inclement weather, this work has been RESCHEDULED to take place on Thursday, February 1, 2024.

The road closure is anticipated to be in place until Saturday, February 3, 2024.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Original notification:

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development advises motorists that beginning on Monday, January 22, 2024, a section of LA 514 in Red River Parish will be closed.

The closure is scheduled to be in place until Monday, January 29, 2024, and is necessary to allow for a pipeline repair that runs under LA 514. This work is being performed by a private contractor.

The roadway will be closed approximately 0.5 miles east of US 71. (see included map)

Restrictions/Permits: Total road closure at the specified location. All vehicles will need to detour.

Alternate Route: Traffic will be detoured through the Village of Edgefield via US 71 and US 371.

This work will be performed WEATHER PERMITTING.

Safety reminder:

DOTD appreciates your patience and reminds you to please drive with caution through the construction site and be on the lookout for work crews and their equipment.

Area residents should exercise caution when driving, walking, or biking near an active construction zone.

Additional information:

Call 511, visit http://www.511la.org, or download the Louisiana 511 mobile app for additional information. Out-of-state travelers may call 1-888-ROAD-511 (1-888-762-3511). Motorists may also monitor the LA DOTD website at http://www.dotd.la.gov, by selecting MyDOTD, or by visiting the DOTD Facebook and Twitter pages.

After what we have gone through weather-wise over the past two weeks, I might have an inkling of why all this has come to be.

Could it be something called El Nino or La Nina? I don’t have a clue what these weather phenomena is all about but I’m searching for something – anything – to explain why we here in the south have taken such a beating from Mother Nature.

It all started last summer. As April showers brought May flowers, the clouds which up to then had been friendly, blessed us with sufficient rains to get things going. Tomatoes were up and growing crimson and plump, purple hull peas were sprouting and we could hardly wait to pick a mess, cook a pot of them and serve them up with a pone of homemade cornbread and slices of those beautiful tomatoes.

Then, just like that, Mother Nature shut off the spigot. Days turned into weeks that turned into months without rain. We watched our ponds slowly shrink in size until all that was left was dry cracks as the pond that was once home to crawfish and turtles and frogs and minnows. Cows in the pasture would walk by, give what was once their water hole a longing look, swish tails at horseflies and sadly walk away.

We had a neighborhood red tailed hawk that spent much of the day on the power line overlooking the pond, looking for a morsel. As the pond disappeared, so did the hawk. Why hang around to sit and look at cracked ground?

Finally, the skies became more friendly and gave us a few showers. The pond bottom became a puddle; dry cracks thirstily lapping up the scant few gallons of precious liquid.

Things started looking up somewhat in November and December giving us a false hope that whatever Mother Nature had against us was beginning to wane just a bit.

Then came January. We welcomed the New Year clinging to the hope that finally things would start to settle out and return to a semblance of normalcy. The weatherman began talking about an event due the middle of the month that caused us a bit of concern. An artic front was due around January 14 with the forecast of not only frigid temperatures but with the possibility of frozen precipitation.

No problem, we were duped into thinking. It’s January and a little snow might provide a bit of excitement and would probably be gone the next day. Boy was that a misnomer. We went to bed Sunday night with falling temperatures and by daybreak Monday, we were wrapped up with snow, sleet and ice with a temperature in the 20s and heading south.

We became prisoners to the elements; there was no way we could leave the house and that became a growing concern as I watched the level in my jug of milk sink lower and lower. We were down to eating the last end pieces of the remaining loaf of bread. The heating unit never seemed to shut off and take a breath before kicking on again. I might have to float a loan to pay my utility bill.

Finally, things thawed enough to drive the road to the grocery store to replenish the milk and bread. By week’s end, we could at least function a bit better. Things looking much better, right?

Forecast for last week said otherwise. All the rain we missed last summer was dumped on us all at one time with heavy rain all week long.

I found a statement on-line that says it better than I can.

“It’s like Mother Nature is mad and keeps storming out, then comes back yelling, ‘And one more thing’!”

Doug De Graffenried

Several years ago, I did a funeral at First United Methodist Church in Houston. It was a Saturday funeral, which meant a drive through East Texas to be back in my church on Sunday. The amusing part of the story is that I had already buried this man once in Bienville Parish. His daughter wanted him to be relocated. So, I drove to Houston with the dearly departed in the backseat of my car. For those of you wondering, he was cremated! I’m wondering about those of you who were wondering.

On the way back home, through the woods of east Texas, I found out how strange life is.

There were three businesses that caught my attention. The first was a psychic who was giving readings in a pop-up camper. I know that because the sign was attached to the pop-up camper. I guess the psychic knew when the law was showing up and would take down the camper and move out of town. I don’t believe in psychics at all, but this was funny. A psychic on wheels makes sense. If they are really psychics, they should know who needs psychic readings and could go to them. The psychic could have a slogan, “have visions will travel.”

The second business was an “RV supply center and Notary.” From the looks of the shack, business was not very good. There were a couple of broken-down RVs in front of the shack and the sign was hand printed and tied to the tree in front of the shack. I hope the person had better notary skills than RV knowledge.

The third business was my favorite of the three East Texas candidates for Chamber of Commerce business of the year. The third business was “East Texas PC Service Candle and Gift Shop.” Talk about not having a business plan! Or maybe they wanted to touch all the bases. I’ll bet they stocked their gift shop with candles bought on the Internet using a refurbished computer. They should have bought some commas for their sign. I did try to imagine what a PC Service Candle would look like. It could have been a Politically Correct Service Candle and Gift Shop. Trying to imagine a “service candle” gave me a brain hiccup. I took the sign at face value, appreciated the need for commas, and vowed to quit overthinking things!

Do you have the feeling that these businesses might give their customers “the business?” They looked like they didn’t have a commitment to their business. They looked random and like a BBB complaint waiting to happen.

Have you ever felt life was giving you “the business?” I have too.

My advice, which is free, is to find a church! We will never give you “the business.”

Northwestern State University’s Department of Fine and Graphic Art will present the 2024 Faculty Exhibition through the month of February in Orville Hanchey Gallery.

Artwork and design created by Art Department fulltime faculty Matt DeFord, Leslie Gruesbeck, Mirla Gonzalez Enriquez, Corbin Covher, Collier Hyams, Edgar Cano-Lopez, Jonathan Clayton and Sean Callender will be featured. 

An opening reception will take place from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1.  Guests can visit with the artists and discuss their work.  The event is free and open to the public.

Orville Hanchey Gallery is located in the Creative and Performing Arts Complex, 140 Central Avenue, Natchitoches. Gallery hours are 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9 a.m.-noon Fridays. 

For more information, contact DeFord at defordm@nsula.edu or (318) 357-5476. 

For immediate release

Baton Rouge, LA. – The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) will work in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to award $4.6 million through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program (RFSI). After a competitive review process, the program will award money for equipment-only and infrastructure projects to Louisiana food and farm businesses, as well as other eligible entities, including nonprofits, local government entities, tribal governments, schools, and hospitals. The application window opens on February 7, 2024, and will last through April 15, 2024. 

In May 2023, the USDA announced the availability of up to $420 million through the RFSI program to strengthen local and regional food systems. Through this program, the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has entered into cooperative agreements with state agencies, commissions, and departments responsible for agricultural and commercial activities throughout U.S. territories. 

The goal of the program is to build resilience in the middle-of-the-food-supply-chain, increase and streamline markets for small farms and local businesses, and support the development of value-added products for consumers that will lead to fair prices, fair wages, and new job opportunities. RFSI is authorized by the American Rescue Plan. 

Interested applicants are encouraged to attend an upcoming meeting for more information about the application and grant award process.  

To register for any of the trainings listed, visit LDAF RFSI Outreach Event Registration (jotform.com). For additional information on the program and frequently asked questions about the RFSI grant process, please visit Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure | Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (la.gov) or contact RFSI@ldaf.state.la.us.

(Editor’s note: One of prop bets for Super Bowl LVIII [or 58 if you’re tired of Roman numerals, which we don’t use except at Super Bowl time because we are not Roman, DUUH! ] is whether Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce will propose to superpower Taylor Swift, who has recently been classified as her own planet, displacing Pluto, on the field. As of Tuesday, odds were long on Super Love Sunday: to wager on “no proposal,” you’d have to bet $2,200 and, if there were no proposal, you’d win $100 and get your $2,200 back. Betting-wise, not a great proposal.)

Sunday’s two NFL conference championships games were examples of why it would be fun for coaches to interview journalists now and then, instead of always the other way around. 

Because first, the games were shining examples of why sports are the only true reality television.

Baltimore had the best running game in the NFL in the regular season, rushed for 229 yards in a 34-10 route of Houston Jan. 20 in the AFC Divisional round — and ran the ball only 16 times in a 17-10 loss to Kansas City in the AFC title game. The Ravens running backs rushed just six times. The Ravens defense held Kansas City and Patrick Mahomes scoreless in the third quarter, gave up just 17 points, but did not even really try to run, just expected quarterback Lamar Jackson to be Superman and/or silver-armed Tom Brady, so did NOT do “what brung ’em,” and lost. 

Detroit pretty much DID do what brung ’em, but they lost too, 34-31 in San Francisco. Dan Campbell, a big man who in three years as head coach has turned Detroit’s franchise around and made them winners for the first time since Moses was cleaning Red Sea slime off his sandals, has gambled since he took over the team, running and gunning on fourth down, rolling the dice, all that sort of thing. Playing with a reckless, carefree confidence. Those results paid off — until they didn’t Sunday, when ill-timed fourth-down decisions in a game with No Tomorrow didn’t go as Campbell and Detroit and their long-suffering fans had hoped. 

“Part of the gig,” Campbell said afterward, having been around long enough to know you win some, you lose some, you get praised for some, you get criticized for some, but you dress out for all of them. He didn’t read the room right Sunday, but you’ve got to love the guy.

This is what might have happened had Campbell gone to the press box 45 minutes after the game and had a press conference with the writers, tables turned, concerning several stories and TV reports that all those critical failures to convert fourth downs contributed to Detroit’s loss, which they did. Same as they’d have contributed to a win had they succeeded.

Coach: “So here’s the lede you wrote: ‘Four chances. Four chances on fourth down for Detroit to show the football world what it’s made of. The Lions blew them all.’ You start a sentence with a NUMERAL and end a sentence with a PREPOSITION?! Where did you learn grammar, K-Mart?”

Writer: “I got your ‘starting a sentence with a number’ right here. How about ‘Four score and seven years ago.’ Sound familiar? How about this?: ‘Sugar and spice and everything nice. That’s what little girls are made OF.’ It’s only one of the most famous nursery rhymes ever and has been around 10 times longer than since Detroit last won a playoff game.”

Coach, to another writer: “You start a story with ‘It,’ the ultimate in lazy. You wrote, ‘It will go down as one of the great blunders in NFL Championship history.’ As in, ‘I can’t think of how to describe ‘it’ right off the bat so I’ll just say ‘it’ and explain later. Hopefully.’ Pitiful.”

Writer: “Really? REALLY? ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.’ If it’s good enough for Chuck Dickens, it’s good enough for me. I almost went with ‘Call me Ishmael,’ ‘Ishmael’ being Arabic for ‘Guy Who Should Have Taken The Field Goal.’”

Coach: “You said our second-half defense was a ‘colander.’ Did you mean ‘sieve’? The phrase is ‘a sieve-like defense,’ not a ‘colander’ defense.”

Writer: “Sieve. Colander. Sling blade. Kaiser blade. Potato. PoTAHto. You’re nit-pickin’ now! Tell me, when’s the last time you wrote on deadline? The next time will be the first time, that’s when. You make a B+ on a freshman theme or win an award from the Optimist Club for an essay and think you’re Grantland Rice. I’m done here: I still have to write a column and a sidebar…”

Coach: “Well why not try for something lighter, something more optimistic, something like, ‘It was the best of times, it was the could-have-been-a-little-better of times…’”

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

A recovery from addiction program using the 2nd Edition of B-Free (from Addiction) Curriculum will begin beginning their 2nd Semester on February 18th @ 5pm. at Abundant Life Worship Center in Coushatta, La., on the corner of Ashland and Army Roads.  Learn with others to overcome hang-ups, hurts and harmful habits. 

LSU AgCenter suggests the best times to prune certain fruit trees, shrubs and vines in Louisiana are as follows: Apple: Jan-Feb, Blackberry: After harvest in early summer, Blueberry (Rabbiteye): After harvest in June or July, Fig: Jan-Feb, Muscadines: Jan-Feb, Pawpaw: Jan-Feb, Peach: Jan-Feb, Pear: Jan-Feb, Plum: Jan-Feb, Oriental Persimmon: Jan-Feb. 

The Village of Hall Summit will host their 3rd Annual Easter Egg Hunt for kids age 12 and under on March 16 from 10am – 12pm at the Hall Summit Community Center and Walking Track. Hot dogs, chips and drinks will be available after the hunt. For more information call the office at 318.932.5355. 

Bill Temple
March 18, 1944 – January 29, 2024
Service: Wednesday, January 31 at 2pm at Rocket Funeral Home Chapel – Ringgold

The Red River Parish School System has adopted a new form of school-to-home communication called ParentSquare. This unified communications platform is designed to keep parents and guardians informed and encourage greater engagement and connection with our schools.

It provides a safe way for district administrators, school principals, teachers, staff, and parents to:
-Send and receive school and class information
-Share pictures and files
-See calendar items
-Sign up to volunteer
-Schedule parent-teacher conferences and much more . . . all in one centralized place.

You can watch a ParentSquare Overview Video here: https://youtu.be/xOaxk_u0mqA?si=RxmK1cKIsxE-uRZr

All district and school, grade level and classroom information will now be sent to your computer or phone via email and/or text. For even more convenience, download the ParentSquare app (available for free for iOS and Android devices).

For questions, contact your child’s school.

Amanda Cason has been selected as Teacher of the Year at Riverdale Academy. Mrs. Cason was selected by her peers for her positive attitude and her love of math, the subject she teaches.

Faculty members say she makes learning fun, while holding students accountable. Her students love her class, even though she teaches a difficult subject. 

“I am so blessed that Riverdale chose me. When I became a stay at home mom, I said I would never go back to teaching. The Lord had different plans. Mrs. Jamie asked me to come teach about 6 years ago, and I told her I would have to think about it. After lots of praying, I am so glad that the Lord led me to RA. I found where I belong,” said Cason.

Mrs. Cason is loved and well respected by all at RA–her colleagues, students and the parents. 

Cason added, “I am so thankful for my wonderful group of friends/colleagues, and I couldn’t ask for a better group of students to teach. And to top it off, I get to see my own kids throughout the day. Thank you RA for being such a blessing to me.”

A funeral service celebrating the life of Larry Len Raley, 77, will be held at 10:00 AM, Monday, January 29, 2024, at Liberty Baptist Church in the Martin community with Bro. Harry Bamburg officiating. Interment will follow in Holley Springs Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 2:00 PM until 5:00 PM, Sunday, January 28, 2024, at Kilpatrick’s Rose-Neath Funeral Home in Coushatta.

Larry was born on March 7, 1946, in Coushatta, LA to Lawrence E. and Nona Yarbrough Raley and passed at his residence, January 25, 2024, in Coushatta, LA.

Larry was preceded in death by his parents. Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Glenda D. Weaver Raley; sons, Todd Raley (Bobbie) and Shane Raley (Lori); grandchildren, Holly Raley, Cohen Raley, Sydney Raley, Eddie Thompson, Michael Thompson, Maci McCullogh and Kyle Sanders; seven great grandchildren; and host of friends and other relatives.

Honoring Larry as pallbearers will be Zach Hester, Jerry Hester, Eric Breedlove, Nick Thomas, Eddie Thompson and Clay Vaughn. Serving as honorary pallbearers will be Joe Pickett, Terrell Hester, Ben Bryant and Charles Crawford.

Keep Northwestern State Beautiful was selected as a recipient of a Keep Louisiana Beautiful (KLB) University Affiliate Grant. KLB is the state’s premier anti-litter and community improvement organization.

The $5,000 grant will reduce single-use plastic waste on campus.  Grant funds will be used to purchase a filtered-water bottle filling station and distribute 350 refillable stainless-steel drinking bottles on NSU’s Natchitoches campus. Keep Northwestern State Beautiful partnered with the NSU Conservation Club to develop the grant proposal. NSU Conservation Club is a Recognized Student Organization on campus that strives to bring together like-minded individuals interested in natural science and conservation. Students from the club will distribute water bottles and conduct outreach to recipients about the Conversations Club’s goals, events and meetings.

“We’re excited about this partnership and look forward to working with the Conservation Club and other student groups in the future. We believe that this grant will not only help reduce waste, but also deliver the important message about the value of teamwork and collaboration towards achieving common goals,” said Steven Gruesbeck, NSU’s director of Service-Learning.

The University Affiliate Grant program was developed as part of a $500,000 five-year EPA Gulf of Mexico Trash-Free Waters Grant secured in 2021 by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, with Keep Louisiana beautiful as a sub-recipient. The funding has created and launched the University Affiliate Program, developed a litter assessment app, developed educational training videos for campus communities in addition to grant opportunities for University Affiliates. The program is in response to growing interest in sustainability, waste reduction, and litter prevention at the university level.

NSU became a university affiliate of Keep Louisiana Beautiful last year and is committed to continuing improvement in sustainability and environmental issues by promoting student environmental stewardship and engagement. The primary purpose of the university affiliate program is to educate and engage the next generation of business owners and community leaders on environmental issues such as waste reduction, litter prevention and marine debris that have long-term effects on our state and the Gulf of Mexico.

“This program has enhanced the beautification of our already beautiful campus. NSU will continue to educate our campus community on waste reduction and sustainability. The faculty, staff, and students of NSU look forward to being a long-time participant in the Keep Louisiana Beautiful program,” said Jennifer Kelly, executive director of University Affairs.

Keep Louisiana Beautiful’s mission is to promote personal, corporate and community responsibility for a clean and beautiful Louisiana. Through programs, and statewide network of affiliates and partners, KLB provides tools and resources to prevent litter, reduce waste, increase recycling and beautify spaces. Keep Louisiana Beautiful is a non-profit organization dedicated to achieving a cleaner, greener Louisiana through litter reduction and beautification initiatives. To get involved, visit keeplouisianabeautiful.org.

Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser and Volunteer Louisiana are seeking nominations for outstanding volunteers and national service members for the 2024 Champions of Service Awards. Nominations are open to any person, group, or business that has demonstrated exceptional commitment and made significant contributions to volunteerism in the great state of Louisiana. Nominations will close on Wednesday, January 31, 2024.

Champions can be individuals, groups, or businesses that have made outstanding service contributions to their communities. Seven geographic regions throughout the state will each have one Champion of Service recognized. In addition to individual awards, an AmeriCorps member and a volunteer group will also be awarded.

• Demonstrating excellence in volunteerism, community service, national service, civic, social, or corporate responsibility.
• Displaying creative utilization of people, resources, and opportunities.
• Playing a significant role in advocating for volunteerism within the local community.
• Making an outstanding contribution to community service efforts.

Submit nominations here

I found it interesting to read this week that Wall Street investors are “conceding that former President Donald Trump will likely win the GOP primary for the 2024 presidential race.” (The Epoch Times, Jack Phillips, 1/24/2024). These remarks were made just before Trump won the New Hampshire primary. He also won Iowa earlier this month with strong support from his working class and middle-class base which has not been diminished in their support by the politically motivated law-fare being waged against him.

In fact, pundits across the political spectrum have concluded that the Biden’s unprecedented election interference caused by the numerous political legal cases that have been filed against Trump—the numerous indictments and efforts to deprive American’s of their right to vote by removing Trump from state ballots—have provided jet fuel to the Republican nomination and to his consistent lead over Biden in national and key swing state polls.

However, as interesting as that is, I found another set of comments even more insightful. Major Wall Street investor, Jamie Dimon, who is JPMorgan Chase CEO said he agreed with multiple statements and policies that were made by Trump on immigration, taxes, and the economy.

“Take a step back, be honest. He was kind of right about NATO, kind of right on immigration. He grew the economy quite well. Trade tax reform worked. He was right about some of China,” Further, “he wasn’t wrong about some of these critical issues, and that’s why” people voted for him. “I wish Democrats would think a little more carefully when they talk about MAGA,” he said, referencing the Trump “Make America Great Again” slogan. “I think this negative talk about MAGA is going to hurt Biden’s election campaign.” He further stated that “Democrats and President Biden are basically scapegoating them [saying] that you are like him.” (The Epoch Times).

Mr. Dimon understates the Trump record. President Trump was not merely “kind of right” on NATO; he was completely right and only by calling out the other NATO nations in his bulldogged fashion have those other nations begun to pay into that organization anywhere close to their financial obligations—which is still many billions short of America’s annual NATO contribution. Mr. Dimon also vastly understates that Trump was “kind of right on immigration.” Pres. Trump has been dead right on immigration and the scourge of drugs—including fentanyl that kills Americans daily—crime, human and child trafficking and terrorists who daily come over our southern (and increasingly, northern) border. It’s estimated that 8 million illegals have come into our country during the Biden Administration. I do agree with Mr. Dimon that President Trump “grew the economy quite well” and that “tax reform worked.” In fact, the Trump tax cuts caused the economy to explode with growth.

However, I was most intrigued by Mr. Dimon’s observation that the “negative talk about MAGA is going to hurt Biden’s election campaign” and that the Biden campaign makes a mistake when it “scapegoats” Trump supporters.

This scapegoating of Trump supporters to which Mr. Dimon refers calls to mind Hillary Clinton’s recommendation that the “cult-like’ Trump supporters be “formally deprogrammed.” Of course, we also recall her 2016 accusation in which she deemed Trump supporters to be a part of a “basket of deplorables” … “You know, … you could put half of Trump’s supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables. The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamaphobic—you name it.” These Clinton comments were also reminiscent of those of then-presidential candidate, Barack Obama, who stated about religious conservatives “they get bitter, they cling to their guns and religion.”

What a breathtaking misunderstanding of the beliefs and motivations of roughly half of the American people. We support Trump because he is the only hope we see to preserve any semblance of the America we grew up in and deeply cherish. He’s the only national figure we see who can again possibly slow the rapid acceleration of our federal government toward a socialist form of government and our American culture into the godless cesspool that currently smothers us.

It is for these beliefs and values that MAGA Americans are scapegoated, ridiculed, and mocked. And that is why we stand with Trump. Because he stands with and fights for us. As Trump said, ‘in reality, they’re not after me. They are after you, and I am just in the way.’

May he long remain ‘in the way.’

Royal Alexander

Soccer registration is now open at Open Door Fellowship. Online registration will be open January 22 through March 1. Games will be played on April 6, 13, 20, 27 and May 4, 11. Children in grades PK (4) through 6 can register. Go to http://www.odfcoushatta.com/sports to register or sign up to volunteer.

The Red River Parish Library will host Valentine’s Day Bingo on Wednesday, February 14 from 1-2pm or as long as the prizes hold out.

The LSU AgCenter is offering a paid summer internship where interns will learn how to plan and conduct extension programs by working alongside educators at a parish extension office. Positions are available within Youth Development, Food and Health, and Agriculture and Natural Resources. Current or rising college junior, senior or graduate students are invited to apply by March 15, 2024. Apply here: http://tinyurl.com/AgCenterExtension24

Larry Len Raley
March 7, 1946 — January 25, 2024
Service: Monday, January 29 at 10am at Liberty Baptist Church – Martin

Lt Col (ret) Lem C. Jones
September 7, 1931 — January 20, 2024
Service: Monday, January 29 at 1pm at First Methodist Church – Coushatta

What does it mean to be a mom and have not one but two of your children in the military? The Journal interviewed Coushatta’s Donnisha Mims to find out.

From her job at the Red River School Board office, Mrs. Mims expressed her nervousness and pride for her children. The siblings are both Red River High School graduates and are out in the world making a difference.

“As parents, we decided that a college education would be up to them. We support them in every way possible, but we believe that if a person has to work for their opportunities, then it will mean more.”

“Lucas, our son, joined the Army first. He has had experiences with people from all walks of life. He loves his job and is trained to be professional in all environments. He is one of the main reasons our daughter, Jadon, decided to join the military.”

Jadon looked at two possible military branches: the Air Force and the Navy. She chose the Navy partly due to their recruiting and partially to see the world up close. She is now learning the skills needed to be a yeoman. She loves that she can make a difference in the world and her hometown. She believes that a strong Navy is instrumental in maintaining the security of the United States coastal region and protecting democracy.

As her mom, Mims says she speaks with her frequently and enjoys hearing about her training. “I am not always happy to hear everything she is required to do, like have night watch. It makes me nervous sometimes, but then I remember that I must trust that she is trained to do her job. Her father, however, took some encouragement. It was hard to see his girl head off to possible harm.”

“I think it is a blessing that my children are able to go to different countries, spend time with peers from all over the world, and see that every place is different and yet the same.” Mims also says that both of her children have had positive experiences in their training and activities.

“I love that they now know and have experienced people and things that they could never have known if they stayed right here.”

When asked how it feels to see her kids leave, she answered, “I have faith that we raised them right and that they will do well. I have faith that they will be kept safe. I just have to rely on my faith at all times. I have another child who is considering the military. I may just have one in the Air Force in the future.

BY MATT VINES, Red River Parish Journal

EAST POINT — The Riverdale Academy girls rolled their winning streak to nine games with a pair of district wins earlier this week. 

Riverdale (15-2, 6-0 MAIS District 4-2A) hammered Central School and Northeast Baptist by more than 40 points each as they inch closer to a district title. The Northeast Baptist score (66-3) was particularly noteworthy as Riverdale allowed its fewest points of the season. 

The Lady Rebels traveled to Union Christian for a Thursday evening tilt in a game that ended after deadline, but Union Christian entered the contest winless this season. 

A win Thursday sets the stage for the de facto district championship game tonight with second-place Briarfield Academy (16-4, 6-1). 

Riverdale won the first meeting 50-36 in East Point, and now the Lady Rebels load up the bus to make the long trip to Lake Providence in the far northeastern corner of the state. 

After the Briarfield contest, Riverdale still has four more regular-season bouts, including two in district. 

Riverdale heads to Westside Christian on Monday, hosts Union Christian (Tuesday) and Claiborne Academy (Friday) before ending the regular season on Feb. 3 by hosting the Louisiana School. 

Boys on a hot streak of their own 

The Riverdale boys picked up two wins this week with victories against Central School and Northeast Baptist to sweep the season series. 

The Rebels’ defense also produced a season low in points allowed in a 77-8 win against Northeast Baptist on Tuesday, 

The Rebels (6-7, 4-2 MAIS 4-2A) were heavily favored heading into Thursday’s night matchup with Union Christian that ended after deadline. 

A win tees up a battle for second place in the district at Briarfield Academy (15-2, 6-1) tonight. Briarfield was in the driver’s seat in district before being topped by Claiborne Academy this week. 

Briarfield won the first meeting with Riverdale, 49-35, in East Point.  

The remaining boys schedule mirrors the girls slate, with particular importance placed on Friday’s Briarfield meeting and the Feb. 2 date with Claiborne Academy. 

Should Riverdale squeak by Briarfield and win the games in which they are favored, they could play for a share of the district title against Claiborne Academy. 

Claiborne won the first meeting, 58-49, in Haynesville. 

Students enrolled at Magnolia Bend Academy participated in the Americanism Program Competition. 

Veterans of Foreign War sponsor the Americanism Program each year to educate youth about patriotism. The program incorporates age-appropriate coloring, drawing, or an essay, beginning at kindergarten and encompassing students through the twelfth grade.

The following students earned awards:
• Jessie Adams (K) won 1st place.
• Raelynn Edwards (2nd) won Overall and 1st place.
• Anderson Carney (3rd) won 3rd Place
• Jonathan Marin (4th) won Overall and 1st place.
• Violet Foster (4th) won 2nd place.
• Rachyl Moseley (5th) won Overall and 1st place.
• Aylah Cottingham (5th) won 2nd place.
• Harper Armstrong (5th) won 3rd place.
• Tate Weems (6th) won 1st place and was also invited to the VFW Honors Banquet.
• Carter Birdwell (6th) won 2nd place.
• Jaxon Townsend (7th) won 3rd place.
• Aidan Carney (9th) won 2nd place.
• Brooklyn Johnson (10th) won 1st place and was also invited to the VFW Honors Banquet.
• Charleigh Davis (10th) won 3rd place.

Steve Graf

Over the many decades of professional bass fishing, electronics have made more advances in a shorter time than any other item on a bass boat. These are even more advanced than the high-tech engines that push a bass boat today at speeds exceeding 80 MPH and are more fuel-efficient and quieter than ever. But nothing has created more controversy than the latest advancement in electronics. Forward-facing sonar is the newest and most controversial technology, maybe ever. Today, I’ll give you my perspective as a guy who uses and competes against guys with one of these $ 5,000 units on their boat.

Let’s start with the fact that I am not against any advancement that improves fishing. Baseball has changed the ball to get more distance off the bat. Golf has made the same type of strides with their new and innovative advancements in golf balls and clubs, so much so that golf has decided to pull the reins back and make golf balls that don’t fly as far because they are making certain golf courses obsolete.

Forward-facing sonar has created the same controversy with a unit that shows fish swimming up to 100 feet away. You can see them in real-time on a screen as big as the one in your living room. So why the controversy? Well, the fishing purists, or old timers as we call them, hate this new piece of equipment because they feel like some anglers (especially the younger anglers) have a distinct advantage. It’s made instant champions out of anglers who have just gone through puberty—young boys who have just put away their GI Joe collection.

Fishing instincts or years of experience are no longer as important as they were 10 years ago. Young anglers today are making a quicker rise to the professional ranks without having “paid their dues” like many of the legends we know today. Tournament bass fishing is a whole new ballgame all due to forward-facing sonar. This technology has made finding fish too easy and allows anglers to target the bigger fish in the school and pick them off one big fish at a time.

That’s right, I said BIG fish. Here’s part of the controversy: forward-facing sonar allows an angler to zero in on the bigger fish in a school, brush top, or isolated stump, picking them off like blackberries on the vine. This new technology also directly threatens the breeding population of bass and other species like crappie.

Gone are the days of an angler wasting time pulling into a pocket and fan-casting for fish until he caught one. Now, anglers pull into a cove, put the trolling motor down with a transducer for FF sonar, and start to scan the area in a matter of seconds like some form of radar. They locate the fish and then attempt to catch those fish with whatever techniques work best.

It still needs to be made clear where this new technology is headed with regard to tournaments. But it’s about 50/50 on opinions for or against it. The B.A.S.S. organization will interview anglers after each of their Elite Series events in 2024 to come to a conclusion, which may result in rule changes for 2025. So, stay tuned…. more to come on this as we go further into the B.A.S.S. and Major League (MLF) tournament schedules.

Based on my experience and talking to people involved, I see it both ways: being banned or allowed. One benefit tournament, like the DeSpino Tire Children’s Miracle Network event on Toledo Bend, has decided to ban this technology to level the playing field. As far as I can report, this is the first tournament to make such a decision. It will be interesting to see if it affects the number of entries.

But as far as professional anglers are concerned, it all depends on which angler you ask. Here’s the bigger question: are we developing top-level anglers today with this new technology, or are we creating robotic angling nerds who don’t have the skills that professional anglers should possess? These skills would include reading the water and understanding bass behavior and how they react under different conditions. Most young up-and-coming anglers today lack this knowledge or the instincts to compete at the highest level WITHOUT this new forward-facing sonar.

Here’s a great example. A friend of mine fished the co-angler (amateur) side of a recent tournament at Sam Rayburn and drew a young 18-year-old as his pro for the day. Around mid-morning, all the electronics went blank on his boat, sending the young angler into panic mode. He had no idea how to fish without his forward-facing sonar or how he would navigate the rest of the day. It was as if his XBOX video game went out, and he could no longer play! This is just one example of how unprepared some of today’s young anglers are. Most do not possess the skills necessary to compete with anglers much older who have years of experience to fall back on if they lose their electronics.

In some ways, we are not doing a good job of developing the next generation of anglers. We are setting them up for failure, especially if major organizations like the B.A.S.S. Elite Series and MLF (Major League Fishing) ban this new technology. All this being said, these electronic companies who created this monster have invested too much money just to stop making them. Tournament anglers make up a small portion of the overall bass fishing population. Even if some tournament organizations decide to ban this technology, the average weekend warrior (non-tournament angler) will continue to use it.

Until next time, good luck, good fishing, and make sure to apply your sunscreen even during the cold weather months.