Hazel Stewart Gray Calvet
October 31, 1936 – April 16, 2024
Service: Monday, April 22 at 2pm at United Baptist Church
Hazel Adeline Bamburg
February 2, 1924 – April 18, 2024
Service: Wednesday, April 24 at 2pm at Martin Baptist Church
For 65 years, the Bailey’s Sandwich Shop has served the best burgers around from the iconic red and white shop on the corner of Front Street and Alonzo. On Apr 27, 2024, this location will close, and the burger shop will move. The new location proposed is south on Hwy 71 in a building attached to the Silver Dollar. According to owners Robbie and Damon Gardner, this location will allow for indoor seating, an expanded menu, and a drive-thru option.
Built during the late 40s by Mrs. Homer Lee Taylor and Fannie McDonald, the small hotdog stand served the community waiting on trains and browsing the stores on Front Street. Its most famous times began in the late 50s and continues to be recognized state-wide as Bailey’s.
Losing this well-known location will be a loss for Coushatta, but time marches on, and as the town grows and improves, so must our shops and restaurants. Gardner says, “We are excited for the change that’s coming. We appreciate all our customers and can’t wait to see y’all in the new location.”
If you want a walk back in time or maybe just a picture for posterity, hurry and get a burger at Bailey’s Sandwich Shop.
Matt Vines
COUSHATTA – The Red River Bulldogs will get a taste of football in a college stadium as they’ll take part in Bayou Jamb at the University of Louisiana Monroe.
Red River will face off against Jonesboro-Hodge on August 31 (Saturday) at noon.
The jamboree typically features one half of football as teams prepare for the regular season.
Other games on the Saturday schedule – St. Fredrick vs. D’Arbonne Woods (10 a.m.), Jena vs. Many (4 p.m.), Neville vs. Ruston (6 p.m.) and Evangel vs. West Monroe.
The Bayou Jamb kicks off Friday with Cedar Creek vs. Ouachita Christian (4 p.m.), Richwood vs. Oak Grove (6 p.m.) and Natchitoches Central vs. Ouachita (8 p.m.).
The Bulldogs do have two games of their 2024 schedule published – Week 1 at Catholic-Pointe Coupee and Week 6 at Mansfield.
Red River is coming off a 3-7 season in which the Bulldogs slogged through an incredibly difficult schedule that included Haughton, Parkway, Woodlawn and Logansport along with a difficult district slate.
Jonesboro-Hodge was one of Red River’s three wins, which came consecutively against Hodge, Lakeview and Winnfield.
The Bulldogs made the playoffs as a No. 26 seed and built a 16-point halftime lead before falling to Pine, 38-16.
Riverdale baseball
The Riverdale baseball team’s regular season ends today with a double header at home against Tallulah Academy.
The doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.
The Rebels (3-13) snapped an eight-game losing streak with a 3-2 win against Claiborne Academy on April 12.
Talullah Academy is 7-7 this season.
WASHINGTON — Speaker Johnson released a fact sheet document on the national security supplemental legislation.
The national security supplemental legislation is made up of four separate bills and provides resources to Israel, Ukraine, and the Indo-Pacific, as well as measures to counter adversaries in each region.
This week, the House will also address border security legislation that would end Biden’s border catastrophe.
Read the fact sheet HERE.
Speaker Johnson joined Fox Business and CNN to discuss the House’s supplemental national security legislation
WASHINGTON — After announcing the House’s national security supplemental plan, Speaker Johnson joined Larry Kudlow on Fox Business’ Kudlow and Jake Tapper on CNN’s The Lead to discuss the House plan, the need for urgent border security measures, and the motion to vacate.
“What we’ve done is taken the Senate supplemental bill, and we’ve improved the process and the policy, and that’s a really important thing,” Speaker Johnson said.
On the supplemental national security package:
What we’ve done is we’ve taken the senate supplemental bill, and we’ve improved the process and the policy, and that’s a really important thing. What we’ve done for example, in the Ukraine piece of this, is we’ve added the loan instrument concept, we’ve added the REPO Act – which everybody knows is the seizure of corrupt Russian oligarchs’ assets – to be used to fund the effort in Ukraine. We introduced a lot of new accountabilities and oversight. The Congress has a responsibility to do and the strategy shift as well. We’re going to require within 45 days, the White House to deliver to Congress a meaningful plan. What is the endgame here? What’s the objective and how are we going to accomplish this and bring this conflict to an end?
By the way Larry, on Ukraine, 80% of what we’ll spend here goes to America’s industrial defense base, and that’s a replenishment of our stocks and weapons. And I think that’s a really important point. We’re also adding sanctions against Russia and Iran and all our adversaries including China, and that’s a really important thing as well.
So, the House will do its will and have a rigorous amendment process to the underlying legislation.
On the urgent need to support U.S. allies:
You got to be tough on your adversaries. The problem is you and I both know, Larry, this President is projecting weakness on the world stage and that’s why all our nation’s enemies are acting so provocatively. On the Israel example, I mean, President Biden and Chuck Schumer had been criticizing Israel and appeasing Iran, that strategy should be exactly the opposite. We should be helping Israel and they’ve been turning their backs on them.
And then of course, this encourages Xi and encourages China, when they see that we’re not going to stand strong and we’re not going to put the flag in the ground so to speak and hold the line. They’re going to act, they’re going to move, and we’re concerned about what China may do in Taiwan. We talk about it all the time. We’re certainly concerned about Iran’s open aggression now against Israel, our dear friend and ally. And Russia, of course, is still on the march in Ukraine. We must stand strong. A strong America is good for the entire world. We bring stability and peace – the perception that America is strong is important and has been since World War II and we cannot let down that responsibility.
On border security:
Some of my colleagues want the Speaker of the House to have a magic wand. If we could close the border ourselves, we would have done it a long time ago. We passed HR 2 over a year ago, it’s sitting on Chuck Schumer’s desk. That had all the components. It closes the border, changes asylum processes and problems, ends catch and release and in reinstates remain in Mexico. All the things that President Trump had done so effectively, Biden reflexively did the opposite. And that’s been the problem.
We pass resolutions, we pass the laws, they sit on Chuck Schumer’s desk in the Senate because again, the Democrats run the Senate, the Democrats run the White House, and they want an open border. That voter ID, the idea that you would have to prove that you’re a US citizen to vote in a US election, a federal election, is critically important. We’re going to move that in the days ahead as well. That’s what we were talking about at Mar a Lago at the press conference.
But the American people demand this, they deserve it. We know the border is a catastrophe. And the reason that we’re bringing to the floor this week, the End the Border Catastrophe Act, is because it’s aptly named. And it describes what is on the hearts and minds of every single American. It doesn’t matter where you live. I’ve been in 23 states in the last seven or eight weeks Larry traveling around the country. It doesn’t matter whether I’m out west, upstate New York, deep south, Midwest, it’s all the same. Everybody knows, this is what we must do. If you don’t have a secure border, you don’t have sovereignty; you don’t have security. You don’t even really have a nation. And that’s what Joe Biden has put at risk. And that’s why we had to impeach Mayorkas.
On President Biden’s weakness:
I think this sets up the next election, the next administration, the next president, and I believe [Trump is] going to win – in a better position. I think that President Trump is strong enough that he could enter the world stage and broker a peace deal in Ukraine, if Russia is still advancing at that time. I mean, I think he has the strong enough hand to be able to do that. And that’s why this election is so important. There’s a very stark contrast – you know we didn’t have all these global conflicts. We didn’t have hot wars around the globe when Donald Trump was the president. You know why? Because our adversaries feared him and respected. They don’t fear and respect Joseph Biden. And that’s a real problem for all of us.
On the motion to vacate:
I’m not asking the Democrats to get involved in that I believe the house will do as well. Look, I’m trying to govern and lead this institution at a very interesting, unprecedented time. We have challenges right now that no previous generation has faced. Newt Gingrich posted a few days ago on social media. The speaker’s job is effectively impossible. Now he said that I’m doing the hardest job that maybe it has ever been in the history of the U.S. House. Maybe, he said, arguably since the Civil War. Why because we live in a very divided time and very divisive politics in the age of social media. 24-hour news cycle, where everybody can express their opinions every moment of the day but things they’re disgruntled about. It makes a lot of challenges, but we’re going to get through this. Listen, we are the greatest nation in the history of the world. Okay, we are going to show that we’re going to keep the train on the tracks and not get derailed and get involved in all of this. It’s such a dangerous time on the world stage and that look, I don’t walk around thinking about the motion to vacate. It’s a procedural matter here that I think it’s been abused in recent times. Maybe at some point we change. Right now, I’ve got to do my job. And so do all my colleagues. And I’m confident at the end of the day, in spite of all the drama, and all the palace intrigue, I think we’re gonna get that done.
For every athlete the day comes when you’re no longer able to compete either due to age or a career-ending injury. Well, for today’s senior bass pros, or what most call the legends of the sport, that day might be approaching a lot sooner than many of them had planned. Today, let’s look at why so many of these elderly pros are looking to load their boats and go home — for good.
Just like any other sport, athletes come to a point in their careers in which they start to contemplate retirement. There comes a day for all athletes where you just can’t compete anymore. So many of today’s bass fishing pros are at that point, mainly due to a technological advancement called forward-facing sonar (FFS). Nothing has impacted the bass fishing world like this latest form of technology.
So, why is this technology having such an impact on the older anglers? Well, I guess it’s the fact that FFS has played right into the hands of the younger generation of anglers moving up into professional bass fishing. They have embraced this technology and taken it to another level which has cut their learning curve and their ability to find fish by 75 percent. Today’s young anglers all grew up playing video games and FFS for these young anglers is nothing more than just that: a video game.
The old school anglers have not embraced this technology nearly as well as the younger guys and it shows in the tournament results. For proof, look at the Angler of the Year (AOY) standings and you’ll see names like Matt Herren, Lee Livesay, John Cox, Greg Hackney, Jason Christie, Michael Iaconelli, and the 4-time World champion, Rick Clunn. As of this writing, all are in the bottom 50 of the AOY standings.
So why are the older anglers not accepting FFS? Some feel that FFS is not good for the sport in the long run and would like to see some restrictions or rule changes made to help level the playing field and protect the fisheries. But most will tell you that this technology is here to stay as some of the older anglers are now starting to question if they are going to try and get better with FFS or just get out of the sport all together. Most of these anglers will wait and see if B.A.S.S. or MLF make any major rule adjustments to their circuits regarding FFS before they decide to leave the sport they love so much.
My conversations with several professional anglers have revealed there is some resentment to these new young anglers taking over the sport. The legends of the sport don’t like the fact that these young up-and-coming anglers haven’t paid their dues and are not just winning but dominating events immediately. The techniques that used to work for the older guys and how they have fished their whole career no longer allows them to be as competitive as they once were. This has been a shock and blow to their egos.
For the older anglers, it took years of time on the water to obtain the knowledge they possess while these young guns are doing a better job of adapting to the new technology that’s available. No longer do young anglers have to go through the painful task of fishing daylight ‘til dark in order to compete with the legendary pros.
For the young anglers on the rise, the game has changed as the word “scouting” today means something totally different than it did 10 years ago. The anglers who are proficient with FFS will spend their day idling, scanning, and marking schools of bass that they can come back to on tournament day. Some are not even having to wet a hook in practice in order to save their fish for the tournament. A recent example is 33-year-old pro angler, Jason Hamner, who spent 14 days on Grand Lake prior to the Bassmaster Classic doing nothing but idling and marking brush tops without ever wetting a hook.
With all this being said, will this force many of the older anglers to retire and idle off into the sunset? Several have told me that it’s something they are considering as they are frustrated with both B.A.S.S. and MLF officials for not doing more to address the (FFS) technology issue. They feel that this new technology will ruin the sport over the next five years, as due to FFS, fish no longer have a safe haven.
Fact is, all of our lakes are under assault as more anglers across the country are purchasing these high dollar forward-facing sonar units. It’s not just bass that are being affected, it’s crappie as well. So many crappie guides have told me they are concerned as well, since these FFS units are targeting the bigger breeding population.
To put a bow on this topic and from my perspective, it appears that the senior anglers of both B.A.S.S. and MLF have a choice to make. Either get on board with FFS and get better with it or take their tackle boxes and go home because I don’t see anything changing with regards to this new technology. I truly believe it’s here to stay.
Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com
This week the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) approved policy that expands the definition of work-based learning initiatives and increases the point values of work-based learning experiences such as internships and apprenticeships within the state’s K-12 accountability system.
BESE’s policy actions strengthen and advance work-based learning opportunities for Louisiana’s high school students. The accountability system will more accurately reflect the value of work-based experiences and reward schools for developing effective programs and industry partnerships, and work-based learning has been redefined in policy to raise Louisiana’s standard for quality career education opportunities.
“When I work as a substitute teacher, students ask if BESE can make school more relevant,” said BESE President Ronnie Morris. “This week the Board responded unanimously to that question, alongside a bold commitment from the Louisiana business community. BESE recognized the value of internships and apprenticeships with employer compensation as relevant learning experiences in the state’s accountability system, and these on-the-job experiences will pair well with high school financial literacy course requirements, benefiting students, employers and communities.”
“Louisiana is elevating the value of career education and giving students more opportunities to graduate high school with skills in high value trades,” said State Superintendent Dr. Cade Brumley. “BESE’s actions will benefit students, our economy, and our state.”
Work-based learning (WBL) provides opportunities for career and technical education (CTE) students to receive on-the-job training and related classroom instruction in all CTE program areas, and helps students develop job skills, identify career interests and goals, and gain experience in real-world work environments. Types of WBL experiences outlined in policy will now include cooperative education, paid internships, and structured on-the-job training as part of a paid Registered Apprenticeship recognized by the Louisiana Workforce Commission.
“Businesses are looking for skilled labor and are willing to invest in Louisiana students,” said Morris. “Internships and Registered Apprenticeships not only benefit students by introducing them to workplace experiences and expectations, but fortify the talent pipeline in our state as well. This leads to a more skilled homegrown workforce and increased economic development.”
Two policy changes were approved by BESE. The first pertains to the valuation of internships and apprenticeships within the state’s current school and district accountability system. Beginning with School Performance Scores in 2026, students completing an internship and WBL experience as defined in BESE policy will earn an additional 5 points, up to a maximum of 160 points. Additionally, students completing a Fast Forward-aligned apprenticeship will earn the same number of points as students who have earned an associate’s degree.
The second policy revision expands the definition of work-based learning experiences to include structured on-the-job training as part of a Registered Apprenticeship, requires compensation for students participating in internships, outlines WBL teacher certification requirements, and clarifies required classroom experience and job training components. BESE-defined WBL experiences will be comprised of 20% classroom time in developing “soft skills” such as financial literacy and workplace communications, and 80% of instructional time dedicated to on-the-job training.
In developing recommendations for the new policies, the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) studied the successful WBL programs of other states and worked in partnership with the Louisiana business and workforce development communities.
For more details regarding the valuation of WBL in the current state accountability system, see the policy revisions approved by BESE here.
For more details regarding updates to the definition of work based learning programs and related requirements, see the policy revisions approved by BESE here.
The mission of BESE is to provide leadership and create policies for education that expand opportunities for children, empower families and communities, and advance Louisiana in an increasingly competitive global market.
As a child, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, called Charlie by everyone who knew him, was a shy boy. He was often ridiculed in school and was usually the last student chosen to play team sports during recess. A large part of his shyness came from a speech impediment which he shared to some extent with at least six members of his large family. Conversation was hard for little Charlie. His speech was filled with awkward hesitation. He could form his thoughts perfectly, but he struggled to project his words orally. Little Charlie loved to read because the words flowed so easily. When asked to read aloud, the hesitation often returned. His speech impediment was unpredictable. Little Charlie never knew which words or phrases would cause him trouble. A word that he had spoken thousands of times without incident could suddenly become a problem. Every spoken word was a potential pitfall. The other students teased and mocked little Charlie until his speech impediment manifested into an occasional blockage. Their taunts were often answered non-verbally by little Charlie’s fists. When little Charlie was faced with a blockage, which was normally mid-sentence, he had no choice but to abruptly end the conversation without explanation.
During the Victorian era, many middle-class children created their own homemade magazines as a form of entertainment. These magazines usually contained local gossip, hand-drawn pictures, stories, and riddles thrown together seemingly at random. Through this medium, little Charlie learned that he could communicate more effectively through writing than he could verbally. Biographer Robert Douglas-Fairhurst said that for little Charlie, “The blank page released his tongue.” Whereas most of the Victorian children’s homemade magazines had no rhyme or reason, little Charlie’s magazines were thematic and normally contained a table of contents and a detailed index. For example, one of his homemade magazines pertained to things that began with the letter “M.” His magazines were usually bound with string between a cover made from a recycled school notebook.
Little Charlie never wanted to grow up. He became somewhat obsessed with all things little. For him, it appeared that once a person accepted that they had reached adulthood, the paradise of childhood was lost forever. In his own mind, little Charlie envisioned the bullies of his childhood as little people. He envisioned elephants the size of mice. He often wrote letters to friends in words that were so small that reading them required a magnifying glass.
Little Charlie’s magazines became popular with his family and friends. In them, little Charlie created whimsical worlds as well as nonsensical words. He escaped from the real world into his own creations. As a teenager, little Charlie became a published author of poems and articles. By the age of 24, everything Charlie had published had been anonymous or under assumed initials. Several of his early stories and poems were published under the initials B.B. which had a meaning that Charlie never revealed. In 1856, when Charlie submitted a story for the Comic Times, editor Edmund Yates refused to publish it under his pseudonym B.B. and insisted on an alternative. Charlie submitted a list of potential pen names which were elaborate variations on his real name such as Edgar Cuthwellis and Edgar U.C. Westhall. All but one on the list was rejected by the editor. On March 1, 1856, Charlie wrote in his diary that he and the editor had chosen a name, one which was a derivative of his first and middle names in reverse order in schoolboy Latin. He converted Ludwidge to Ludovicus then to Lewis, and Charles to Carolus then to Carroll. Nine years after adopting his pen name, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson published his most notable story “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” under the pen name Lewis Carroll.
Source: Robert Douglas-Fairhurst, The Story of Alice: Lewis Carroll and the Secret History of Wonderland(Cambridge, Massachusetts, The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2015).
BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana Wildlife Federation (LWF) is calling upon residents and businesses throughout the state to join others in turning off bright or excess lighting from 11 p.m. until 6 a.m. each day between April 15 and May 31 to help protect the billions of migratory birds that fly through Louisiana at night during this period.
Louisiana sits within the Mississippi Flyway migratory path, with the state’s vast wetlands, forests, and coastline serving as critical stops along the birds’ migration routes. Twice a year, 325 bird species travel the Mississippi Flyway, including 40% of shorebirds. During the 2023 spring migration, an estimated 450 million birds migrated through the state of Louisiana. The majority of those birds migrate at night and typically start their nightly migration about 30 to 45 minutes post-sunset, with peak flights between 10 and 11 p.m.
While the dark skies allow the migratory birds to avoid predators, take advantage of calmer air and utilize the moon and stars for navigation, it also brings with it other dangers such as bright artificial lights and the skyglow from larger cities that can confuse the birds, often causing them to fatally collide into buildings or windows.
“Our city lights can misguide birds, diverting them off course with often dire consequences. This initiative is an easy yet impactful step in helping these birds continue their incredible journey,” said Rebecca Triche, executive director of LWF. “Louisiana is well-known for the populations of migratory birds we see here at different times of the year and people care about keeping wildlife sustainable. By supporting the Lights Out initiative, businesses and individuals can take a practical step to protect the birds that briefly call Louisiana home.”
According to the National Audubon Society, which started the first Lights Out program in Chicago in 1999, just one building in a community with bright lights can cause major problems, citing a week in 2017 when nearly 400 birds were killed when they flew into windows of a 32-story Texas skyscraper because of its floodlights.
Dr. Dan Scheiman, Plants for Birds Program Manager for Audubon Delta, said, “Following that incident, the skyscraper in question joined many other buildings in Houston Audubon’s Lights Out for Birds Program, saving the lives of hundreds of thousands of birds. Each year in the United States an estimated 1 billion birds die by colliding with windows. This number is not sustainable. Every building, every Lights Out program helps reduce this threat to ensure the long-term health of our bird populations.”
Dr. Phil Stouffer, the Lee F. Mason Professor at the LSU School of Renewable Natural Resources, has been studying the problem on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge and leads the LSU Bird Window Collision Monitoring Project, which has been in place for five years. The group has recorded 569 dead birds of 75 species on the LSU campus.
“This is a problem that can be overcome,” Stouffer said. “Reducing illumination is one of the easiest approaches that we can all take. Dark skies also benefit other wildlife, and we humans might see a few more stars.”
At LWF’s February 2023 Board of Directors meeting, the organization passed a resolution requesting that “all public buildings observe ‘lights out’ as official policy of the State of Louisiana, City of Baton Rouge and other governmental entities.” The full resolution can be found at https://lawildlifefed.org/resolution/lights-out-to-save-migrating-birds/
Individuals and organizations wanting to join others in the Lights Out Initiative should follow these guidelines:
o Aim lights downwards.
o Use light shields to direct light downwards and prevent an upward glare.
o Use motion detectors and sensors so lights turn on when needed.
o Close blinds at night to limit the amount of light seen through windows.
o Adjust custodial schedules to be completed by 11:00 p.m.
o Ensure lights are turned off after custodial cleaning.
Additional Guidelines for Buildings Over 3 Stories:
o Exterior/decorative lighting.
o Lobby/atrium lights.
o Perimeter room lights on all levels.
o Floodlights.
o Lighting on interior plants/fountains.
o Lights on vacant floors.
o Lights with blue-rich white light emissions (over 3000 K in color temperature.)
o Desk lamps or task lights instead of overhead lights.
o “warm-white” or filtered LEDs outdoors (less than 3000 K in color temperature.)
Migration routes, along with the timing of the flight, can vary from day to day due to a number of factors such as the weather conditions.
Individuals can monitor the bird migration in their area by using BirdCast, a migration dashboard provided by The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Dashboards for Louisiana and selected cities are:
Louisiana – https://dashboard.birdcast.info/region/US-LA
Alexandria – https://dashboard.birdcast.info/region/US-LA-079
Baton Rouge – https://dashboard.birdcast.info/region/US-LA-033
Houma – https://dashboard.birdcast.info/region/US-LA-109
Lake Charles – https://dashboard.birdcast.info/region/US-LA-019
Lafayette – https://dashboard.birdcast.info/region/US-LA-055
Monroe – https://dashboard.birdcast.info/region/US-LA-073
New Orleans – https://dashboard.birdcast.info/region/US-LA-071
Shreveport – https://dashboard.birdcast.info/region/US-LA-017
Established in 1940, Louisiana Wildlife Federation is a statewide nonprofit organization that represents 19 affiliate organizations and more than 10,000 members dedicated to the conservation of Louisiana’s wildlife and natural resources. Louisiana Wildlife Federation is an affiliate of National Wildlife Federation and together forms a powerful network for conservation locally and nationally.
The Riverdale Freshman Class will host a fundraiser at The York Chop on April 23 from 5-8pm. The class members will wait tables for tips. The fundraiser will help the class with expenses including prom and their senior trip. Cash tips are preferred.
Clara Springs Camp will host Fourth Friday Fish Fry April 26 from 5-7pm. Hosted by Grand Cane Baptist. It is Foster Ministry Awareness Month. Everyone is asked to bring socks/underware donations for boys and girls sizes 2T-14 to give to Foster Care Closets. Foster families will eat FREE. Dinner is $15 and includes all you can eat fried fish, coleslaw, french fries, hushpuppies, pinto beans, lemon bread pudding, homemade ice cream and drinks. Kids 9 and under eat FREE. Only $10 for kids ages 10-17.
Join the Riverdale Academy Cheerleaders for a fun night of BINGO on May 3 at 6pm in the RA gym. All proceeds will go toward cheer camp and uniform fees. All prizes will be worth at least $50. Flatscreen TV for blackout winner! For questions or to purchase pre-sale deal books contact Cynthia Riggs 318.932.8699.
The Southern Plainsmen Quartet will be in concert at the Ashland Baptist Church Sunday, May 5 at 6pm.
Amanda Leigh Huish
July 12, 1990 – April 3, 2024
Graveside services: Friday, April 19 at 11am at Providence Cemetery – Ringgold
Dennis L. Azlin, Jr.
August 12, 1955 – April 17, 2024
Service: Sunday, April 21 at 2pm at Fairview Baptist Church
Matt Vines
COUSHATTA – Getting to the baseball playoffs used to be an uphill battle at Red River High, who will make its fourth straight trip this season but just fifth appearance since 2014.
But the No. 4 seed Bulldogs earned a bye into the second round, a place where Red River has been only once in at least the past decade.
Red River doesn’t have to beat an opponent this time in the first round and will await the winner of the series between No. 13 Pine Prairie and No. 20 Church Point in the Division III Non-Select playoffs.
Best-of-three series take place in each of the first three rounds before teams headed to the state tournament in Sulphur will go through single-elimination contests in the semifinals and finals.
Red River’s lone playoff win in the past decade came in 2022 when the No. 13 seed Bulldogs knocked off No. 20 Delhi Charter before falling in a series to No. 4 Bunkie.
Red River crested at the end of the regular season by winning four of its last five games, all by at least four runs.
That bumped the Bulldogs up two spots in the power rankings.
A No. 5 seed would have meant a likely second-round pairing with No. 12 Many, who topped Red River, 9-6, on April 12 in Coushatta.
Red River hasn’t faced Pine Prairie or Church Point this season.
Red River’s Hughes makes All-Star Game
Red River senior Tyler Hughes was selected for the LHSCA/LBCA Senior All-Star Series happening May 17/18 at Louisiana Christian University in Pineville.
Hughes is listed as one of two catchers on the West Squad, which includes 25 total players.
The East squad also consists of 25 players.
Hughes, a Centenary baseball signee, has also made a name for himself as a pitcher this season.
Dennis “Skinny” Hallmark passed something along to me that was special. So special in fact that what I learned on that visit to Alabama with him in 1992 ignited a passion I had never felt before or since. He guided me on my first turkey hunt and when I drew a bead on a gobbler and he dropped, I was hooked just as solidly as if I had mainlined a narcotic.
For the next 20-something years, hunting wild turkeys in spring was my passion and not only did I finally learn how to do it on my own, I have had special opportunities to pass along my love for the sport to several other rookies like I was that day in Alabama.
Sarah Hebert was the first. On opening day of turkey season for youth several years later, I was asked to do for Sarah what Skinny had done for me. In other words, I was her guide for a hunt on what was then the Jackson-Bienville wildlife management area. I was privileged to call in a gobbler for this young teenager and saw in her eyes the same fire I experienced when my Alabama gobbler bit the dust.
Still later after having several successful turkey seasons under my belt, my Ruston friend, Jody Backus, asked if I would accompany him to his property to see if I could guide him to success with gobblers that inhabited his land. He was successful in downing a big gobbler.
Each episode differs in the way it plays out. When I called the gobbler in for young Sarah Hebert, it same right off the roost to the decoy we had set out. The hunt ended quickly because soon after daylight, she was packing out her first longbeard. In Backus’ case, the weather was chilly and nasty and we were on the verge of giving up when at the last minute, a big longbeard decided to make Jody’s day.
On two other occasions, I shared my know-how with a couple of other hunters who took what they had experienced when I guided them to call in and take gobblers on their own. I wasn’t there when Carla Johnson and Ross Downer got their gobblers but their success was almost as gratifying as if I had been there.
Louisiana’s turkey season opened this past Saturday and I found out about another situation in which one hunter guided another hunter, a novice, to take their first longbeard.
My nephew, Dan Dupree, lives on Clear Lake in Natchitoches Parish with his wife, Debbie and two offspring, daughter Rachel who will graduate from college this summer as a nurse and high school senior, Johnathan, who has been successful in killing a gobbler or two.
“I had located some turkeys on our hunting lease and had gone out and scouted to sort of get them located. When opening day came, I had planned to take my dad and guide him but he wasn’t able to go,” said Johnathan. “Rachel asked me if I would take her so rather than going out to chase gobblers on my own, I agreed.”
Rachel had been successful on her deer stand having taken a nice 9 point buck this past deer season but had never tried turkey hunting. They got to the woods early and as it began to get daylight, the gobblers began waking up and long story short, Johnathon used his turkey calls to entice a big longbeard to Rachel’s gun. She dropped the 21 pound bird with a 10 ½ inch beard at 30 yards with one shot from her 20 gauge Remington.
Her reaction? “I’m hooked; I think Johnathon has created something in me that I’m going to love” she said.
That’s the way it is, one hunter helping another experience the thrill of something that means so much to the guide and ultimately to the novice hunter. In my case, my helping Sarah and Jody and Ross and Carla to getting their first gobblers was right up there in soul satisfaction equal to the day Skinny watched me jump up and down with excitement over my first.
That’s the magic turkey hunting induces.
The Research Council at Northwestern State University will hold the 37th annual Research Day Thursday, April 18. Research Day provides an opportunity for faculty, staff and undergraduate and graduate students to present their scholarly work and/or creative projects that cover a variety of disciplines that include science, literary studies, history and political science, psychology, philosophy, art, music, social sciences and service-learning.
The face-to-face conference on the Natchitoches campus takes place with synchronous oral presentations of 15 minutes with 5 minutes for questions with distance-learning students presenting via WebEx. Presentation will be from 8:15-10:50 a.m. and 12:30-3:20 p.m. in Morrison Hall A poster session will be in the Cane River Room in the Student Union from 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Phi Kappa Phi Student Research Awards will be presented to recognize outstanding research, distinguished artistic performance or creative work completed by a student, or team of students, while enrolled at NSU.
For more information about NSU Research Day, contact Dr. Betsy Cochran at cochran@nsula.edu or (318) 357-4575.
The 27th annual Natchitoches Jazz/R&B Festival will be held in historic downtown Natchitoches on the riverbank of Cane River Lake, the festival will kick off Friday evening, May 10th with “Tribute to Legends Night”. Appearing first at 7:00 p.m. will be “Lone Star Skynrd”, the award nominated Lynyrd Skynrd tribute act from Texas which faithfully recreates the atmosphere and energy of Lynyrd Skynrd concerts. Closing out Friday at 9:00 p.m. will be “Rumours-ATL”, the award-winning Fleetwood Mac tribute band out of Atlanta, Georgia which is widely recognized as the ultimate Fleetwood Mac tribute with its note for note recreation of the Mac’s hit songs.
Craig Morgan and Chapel Hart are set to headline the Main Stage on Saturday, May 11th.
Craig Morgan has been a country hit maker for over a quarter century and during his award-winning career has had seventeen charting country hits including the number ones “That’s What I Love About Sunday” and “Redneck Yacht Club”. Morgan is known for his high energy performances and is also a huge supporter of the military and veterans causes. He currently serves in the U.S. Army Reserve.
Opening for Morgan is the super-hot Nashville group “Chapel Hart” who were finalists on the hit television show “America’s Got Talent” a few years ago and then emerged again on the show’s special “Fantasy League” series which aired just a few weeks ago.
Millions have seen them on TV, they are selling out venues nationwide performing their number one hit “You Can Have him, Jolene” and many others.
Preceding “Chapel Hart” will be regional favorites “Johnny Earthquake and the Moondogs” who have been hailed as “Louisiana’s top show band” and are the only band to have appeared in all twenty-six previous festivals. They are making this a stop on their 30th anniversary “Over the Moon Tour” and promise some “special surprises” during their performance. The Moondogs performance is scheduled for 5:20 p.m. As always, they’ll deliver a high quality and high energy mix of rock and roll and R&B horn-driven favorites.
For more information and to purchase tickets, go to http://www.natchjazzfest.com.
There will be 20 bands in all performing on three stages, which will feature a wide variety of music, including country, rock ‘n’ roll, funk, soul, Gospel, Latin, Celtic, and yes, plenty of jazz and R&B. This is a family event, and as always, there will be plenty of great food and fun activities for the kids.
Often, we are judged by our shape.
Our brain comes pre-packaged with a confirmation bias that allows us to justify our own perceptions and beliefs as being accurate, realistic, and unbiased. Social psychologist Lee Ross calls this phenomenon “naïve realism,” the inescapable conviction that we perceive objects and events clearly, “as they really are.” It is this “naïve realism” that causes us to judge individuals based on their size and shape. If they are of a certain shape, we make judgments about the quality of their character based on our perception of their shape. Our perceptions and assumptions must be accurate, realistic, and unbiased because they are our perceptions.
People who are slim shaped are viewed as being active and bright. They might be judged as being quick, hardworking, and athletic. It could be true. It might not be true.
In our politically correct culture, one should not point out shapes or comment on them. Yet this happens all the time. There is much “body shaming” on the Internet which is really “size assumption shaming.” I am perpetually stunned by skinny people who are “body shamed” as being too fat.
In your mind there is a vision of the “perfect shape.” I hope your body self-image is a healthy one. Some of us have been judged by our shape. We even participate in self-talk based on what the culture teaches our shape means. I hope that no matter your shape you are taking care of your health.
And how do we talk about taking care of our health? Are you “in shape?” Currently, I am “out of shape.” I am working on “shaping up” so I can be “in shape.”
My goal is to take on the shape of Jesus. I want my heart to be shaped like His heart so I will love like He loves. I want my eyes to see the world like His eyes. I want my hands to reach out like His hands. I want each day to reflect Jesus in my life rather than my own reflection. I have discovered that Jesus challenges my assumptions and transforms my perceptions.
How do you shape up?
My friend Monica is married to Lee. They have a nine-year-old son named Grisham. The other day Lee was teaching Grisham how to measure a piece of wood before cutting it. I hope Lee reminded his son of the aphorism, “measure twice and cut once.” Grisham patiently watched his dad measure and cut the wood. I forgot to ask if Grisham was allowed to solo on his own piece of wood. The young man did have a good time with his dad.
Grisham thanked his father for taking the time to teach him the valuable lesson about measuring wood before cutting it. It is a great story about a dad slowing down enough to take time to teach his son.
Nine-year-old Grisham said to his dad, “Thank you for showing me how to do that. I know you want me to grow up to be a well-rounded individual, even though right now I am just a chunky oval.”
Grisham knows at a deep place he, like all of us, is a work in progress. His shape is not in its final form nor is yours!
Melrose, Louisiana – April 1, 2024 – Get ready to experience the magic of handcrafted wonders at the 50th Annual Melrose Arts and Crafts Festival, taking place on April 20th from 9 am to 5 pm and April 21st from 10 am to 3 pm. The festival will be held at Melrose on the Cane where attendees can immerse themselves in a vibrant showcase of unique treasures crafted by talented artisans.
Tickets for this exciting event can be purchased at https://givebutter.com/MelroseArtsAndCrafts. Attendees will be able to shop for: stunning jewelry, exquisite pottery, savory salsa, intricate woodwork, timeless iron creations, delectable desserts, and much more. Whether you’re a seasoned art enthusiast or simply looking for something special, there’s something for everyone to discover and cherish at the Melrose Arts and Crafts Festival.
Visitors can also indulge in delicious treats from food trucks while exploring the myriad of artistic offerings.
“This year marks a significant milestone as we celebrate 50 years of creativity, community, and craftsmanship at the Melrose Arts and Crafts Festival,” said Leah Dunn Witman, Executive Director. “We invite everyone to join us for a weekend filled with artistic inspiration, lively entertainment, and the joy of supporting local artisans.”
Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to celebrate five decades of artistic excellence at the 50th Annual Melrose Arts and Crafts Festival. Purchase your tickets today and join us for a weekend of creativity, community, and celebration!
For ticket information and event updates, please visit https://givebutter.com/MelroseArtsAndCrafts
Media Contact: Leah Dunn Witman, EmailMelrosePlantation@gmail.com
About the Melrose Arts and Crafts Festival: The Melrose Arts and Crafts Festival is an annual celebration of artistry, creativity, and community spirit. For 50 years, the festival has showcased the talents of local artisans and provided a platform for visitors to discover unique handcrafted treasures. Join us as we celebrate half a century of artistic excellence and continue to inspire creativity for generations to come.
DOTD advises motorists that this section of LA 515 in Red River Parish has been reopened.
Please be on the lookout for crews and equipment as the railroad company continues any necessary clean-up operations.
Didn’t recognize him behind the beard and the years so said my name and he looked up from his lunchtime burger and wiped his mouth and his handshake hand, smiled and said, “Dale Shields.”
Good lord. Dale Shields. (Not the same person, but in the same ballpark.)
One day we were talking about how to pass Mr. Jones’ senior physics class at West Monroe High School or what to do the night of our Class of 1977 graduation, and the next time we talked it was about Medicare and grandchildren in a grill on an overcast Monday.
“So, what have YOU been up to for the past 45 years?”
Some people you dodge or they dodge you by design or by destiny.
And some people you want to see but you just don’t because life happens that way.
We don’t always get to decide.
But life’s a funny dog, so it drops dessert on your plate now and then and serves up an old friend who, if you’re lucky, is either Dale Shields or something close.
He’d driven over from his home in West Monroe for some early morning turkey hunting around Downsville. Still had on his high-water rubber boots. Quietly eating. Available but not obvious. Which has always been 100 percent The Dale Shields Way.
Absolutely one of the best we’ve got in your whole Human Race Department.
Been since the 1987 class reunion since I’d seen him, so he caught me up on the most recent one, just a few years ago. Some classmates had died since the 2017 reunion “so we decided we weren’t going to wait for the 50th one,” he said, and told me about the one just a couple years ago, who was there and all.
Dale Shields. In high school, you could have asked anyone and they’d have trusted Dale with anything from a secret to your wallet or purse. Offensive tackle. FCA. Baseball. Y-Teen Beau. National Honor Society. The “A” in America.
Every single time I’ve thought of him over the past near-half century I’ve thought, for at least a nano-second, of the one-bathroom house he grew up in. One of six boys and two girls fathered by Mr. Hugh, who captained the morning bathroom and somehow got all those kids grown and off to school every day of the world. Funny what you remember. Some mornings before first period: “Hey Dale, how’d it go with the bathroom thing this morning?” Daybreak after daybreak must have instilled in him the patience of Job, an outlook optimistic, a colon of iron. Each morning an adventure.
Major tip of the ballcap to his whole wonderful family.
We talked of his recent retirement after 40 years of work with a local company, and he told me about signing up for Medicare; he’s had his Official Card for two weeks now. When 65 knocks, you and the guys talk not so much about turkey hunting and ball scores as you do about how to successfully sign up for Medicare, which to me seems about as difficult as carving Thomas Jefferson’s face into the side of Mount Rushmore.
I’m about to find out for my ownself, being just a few months younger than Dale…Time is the great mystery.
We traded phone numbers and grandchildren stories. We have one. He has No. 12 on the way, and the parents have decided not to find out the flavor yet since they already have one of each. I told him “Teddy” would work for a boy or girl; he smiled and promised to pass that along.
Dale Shields. Day made.
About an hour later I missed a call from him. Made my heart feel good to see his name on my phone. Probably going to say it was good to see me, talk again soon, that kind of deal. I called him back quickly as I could.
In his humble and sincere Dale Shields voice — I could see him smiling — he said, “Butt dial. Sorry. The ol’ butt dial.”
How old are we, right?
Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu
Castor High School will have early dismissal Tuesday, April 23 at 12 noon due to the LHSAA Regional Track Meet. The meet begins at 1pm.
An online phlebotomy technician training class will be offered by Northwestern State University’s Office of Electronic and Continuing Education in Alexandria beginning June 24.The deadline to register is June 19. This seven-week course is broken down into four parts and is designed to teach entry level phlebotomy skills to students interested in pursuing a career in phlebotomy. Students are required to complete classroom instruction and 50 venipunctures before they will be allowed to take the National Board Exam.
Upon satisfactory completion of this course, students will be eligible to take the National Board Certification Exam on site through the National Healthcareer Association. Class times, course requirements, fees and other details are available at checkout.nsula.edu or by calling (800) 376-2422 or (318) 357-6355.
The USDA is seeking partners for their summer food service program. The program, which helps ensure that children continue to receive nutritious meals when school is not in session, is currently seeking statewide partners for this year’s program. To learn more, visit https://www.ldaf.la.gov/about/news/article/usda-seeking-partners-for-summer-food-service-program
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Statewide Coalition Takes the Lead in Bolstering Louisiana Local Farming Initiatives
New Orleans, LA – Novo Nordisk has announced a 3-year, $4.1MM grant to support the production and sale of local food on small-scale farms throughout the state. This complex food systems program is the work of the Louisiana Small-Scale Agriculture Coalition (LSSAC), a coalition of seven food system organizations who work on a range of components of food system infrastructure across Louisiana. The statewide coalition consists of long-standing partner organizations the Acadiana Food Alliance, Big River Economic Agricultural Development Alliance, Louisiana Central, Market Umbrella, New Orleans Food Policy Action Council, Shreveport Green and SPROUT NOLA.
Agriculture is an important strategy for mitigating and adapting to the climate crisis that disproportionately affects New Orleans and the greater Gulf South. Although Louisiana is an agricultural state, production is focused primarily on big commodities. If there were no imported food from elsewhere, there would be only enough food grown in Louisiana to feed the state’s population for one week.
LSSAC formed in 2022 to combat statistics like these and bolster the agricultural economy while also supporting Louisianans struggling with food insecurity by creating low-cost access to fresh, healthy, local food. Beginning in March 2024, the coalition embarked on an exciting state-wide project to improve the capacity of the local food system. By focusing on infrastructure and technical assistance support for small-scale vegetable farmers, this program will increase the demand for and availability of local, fresh food across the state. Additionally, it will build connections between farmers and market outlets specifically for low income and food insecure residents.
“We know, from our work with both institutions and farmers, that gaps exist between the two. In order to have a strong local food system, LSSAC will work to help fill these gaps in innovative and collaborative ways so that more fresh, healthy, local food will be available for all Louisianans, including our youngest and most vulnerable,” says Elisa Muñoz, Executive Director of the Food Policy Action Council.
The team will work across institutional partners like food banks, early childhood education centers, schools and shelters to create market pathways that can be lasting outlets for fresh food. There will be a special focus on building partnerships with food systems leaders and organizations in under-represented parts of the state like the Southwest and Northwest. In addition, partners are supporting the development of on-farm infrastructure so farmers can scale up, increase capacity, and implement more sustainable business operations. More sustainable farm businesses will mean more fresh food across the state in perpetuity.
“At Novo Nordisk Inc. (NNI), we start and end every day driven by the mission to promote health and wellness in our communities. Through our giving we work with locally based partners, like Louisiana Small-Scale Agriculture Coalition (LSSAC), to ensure that the projects are reflective of the community’s input, expertise, and needs the community identifies,” says Jennifer Duck, Vice President, Public Affairs, Novo Nordisk Inc. “We’re proud to partner with LSSAC on meaningful solutions to improve healthy food access that will benefit the health and wellbeing of marginalized communities that will be served by this project.”
The Coushatta Police Department reminded parents and children this week through social media that the City of Coushatta has a curfew ordinance for juveniles ages 0-17.
The curfew ordinance covers the following times: Sunday-Thursday from 11pm-6am and Friday-Saturday from 12am-6am.
If juveniles are seen at night between these times without adult supervision, they will be picked up by the Coushatta Police Department. Contact will be made with the parent or guardian to retrieve the juvenile from the Coushatta Police Department.
Parents may be cited due to these curfew violations.
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