Billy Sam Austin
July 15, 1938 – March 20, 2024
Service: Saturday, April 6 at 11am at Old Armistead Chapel
Notice of Death – April 2, 2024
Month: April 2024
Coushatta Chute DAR chapter celebrates at the state convention
Several members of the Coushatta Chute Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution attended the 115th state convention in Lafayette from March 14 to 16, 2024. The chapter was recognized during the convention for promoting DAR’s three mission areas–Historic preservation, patriotism, and education. In all, the Coushatta Chute Chapter left the convention with thirteen awards.
One proud moment for the chapter was the recognition of having tea thrown in the Boston Harbor on December 16, 2023, as part of the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. At this anniversary, the chapter also had the distinction of having two members whose ancestor, John Marston, was present at the historic event.
The chapter reached a Level 1 Chapter Achievement, recognition for its public online presence, and presentation of flag codes to the area.
The Veterans Tree, sponsored by the chapter and the parish library, was recognized as an outstanding Americanism activity and a service to the active military, and chapter members’ volunteer hours in area schools earned them a community classroom award.
An individual award went to Virginia Webb for completing a leadership training members course. There were also several Sparkle recognitions for volunteer hours, collecting books for libraries, supporting active-duty military and their families, and bringing in new members.
The last award honored a chapter member who logged over 645 miles flying a veteran to medical appointments. Florence Bethard is recognized as having flown more than 220 missions in her years associated with Pilots for Patients.
If you are interested in researching your ancestry to become a potential member of DAR, you may contact Norma Lester at nslester@cp-tel.net.
Week: 03/22/2024 – 03/28/2024
All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
TAYLOR, RODNEY
31 B M 3/24/2024 3/26/2024
FAILURE TO HONOR WRITTEN PROMISE TO APPEAR –
TRAFFIC ARRAIGNMENT $3,000.00 (CONCURRENT)
OUT OF PARISH FUGITIVE WARRANT – NATCHITOCHES PARISH
ARRESTING AGENCY: RED RIVER PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE
EDWARDS, DEWITT
19 B M 3/24/2024 INCARCERATED DOMESTIC ABUSE BATTERY $50,000.00 (CONCURRENT)
VIOLATION OF PROTECTIVE ORDERS $75,000.00 (CONCURRENT)
THEFT OF A VALUE LESS THAN $1,000 $2,000.00 (CONCURRENT)
FAILURE TO APPEAR – PRETRIAL $150,000.00 (CONCURRENT)
FAILURE TO APPEAR – PRETRIAL $150,000.00 (CONCURRENT)
FAILURE TO APPEAR – PRETRIAL $150,000.00 (CONCURRENT)
BOND SURRENDERED FROM ARREST ON 06/05/2023 $25,000.00 (CONSECUTIVE)
TOTAL BOND AMOUNT: $175,000.00
ARRESTING AGENCY: COUSHATTA POLICE DEPARTMENT
JOHNSON, HILLARD
34 B M 3/26/202 INCARCERATED
CRIMINAL TRESPASS PENDING
RESISTING AN OFFICER PENDING
POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA PENDING
ARRESTING AGENCY: RED RIVER PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Tobacco Plus to host St. Jude fishing tournament
Tobacco Plus will host their 3rd Annual Fishing for A Cure tournament to benefit St. Jude Children’s Hospital on April 27 on the Red River at Grand Encore in Natchitoches.
Entry fee is $170 per boat (includes big bass). Three places are guaranteed. Five fish limit.
Take off is at safe daylight and weigh in is at 3pm. Take off is in order of sign up.
This will be a family friendly event. There will be jambalaya plates, raffle items, an auction, and more.
Contact Logan DuBois at 318.664.8355 or Lacey DuBois at 318.290.0344 for more information or to register.
ALL PROCEEDS are donated to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
CHRISTUS Health stresses importance of cancer screenings
(SHREVEPORT, Louisiana) – The recent announcement by Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, about her cancer diagnosis has brought attention to the increase in certain cancers among younger adults and the availability of screenings.
Middleton, 42, said the cancer was discovered after she had abdominal surgery earlier in the year, although the type of cancer was not specified.
“Abdominal cancer can include any cancer such as stomach, colon, ovarian, uterine, cervical or cancer related to the liver,” said Dr. Deepika Ralla, hematologist and oncologist at CHRISTUS Highland Medical Center and Bossier Cancer Center. “The ones with good prognosis are the ones found in earlier stages, usually colon cancer and cervical cancer.”
The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force now recommends adults start getting screened for colorectal cancer at age 45. New cases of colon cancer have been declining among adults 65 and older but have increased 1% to 2% annually in people younger than 55 since the mid-1990s, according to the American Cancer Society.
“For colon cancer, the guidelines have recently changed. Previously it was 50 years old but now it’s 45 because we’re seeing these cancers earlier in a younger age group,” Ralla said. “If somebody has a family history that puts them at risk, then they will have to do the screening earlier.”
Symptoms for cancer in the abdomen can include weight gain, persistent pain, change in the color or consistency of the stool, discomfort such as bloating and an enlarged stomach, Ralla said.
Ralla said it’s important to be specific when talking about cancer in the abdomen.
“Each cancer is different so when we say abdominal cancer, we have to mention the type and avoid the word abdominal,” she said. “Abdominal cancer can be as simple as colon cancer stage 1 or as bad as ovarian cancer stage 4.”
Although colon cancer screening is the most effective cancer screening, Ralla said, it’s still underutilized. March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.
“If someone is highly against colonoscopies, there are stool tests they can do,” she said. “And if someone in your family had cancer early in life and you have genetic syndromes, it’s time to talk to your physician.”
LSU Shreveport revved up for 2024 summer camps
SHREVEPORT – LSUS Continuing Education is raising the educational bar with the power of STREAM (Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Art, and Math) summer day camps for kids and teens in the community. LSUS youth camp programs offer an array of fun and educational experiences to stem the summer slide.
Kids ages six to 18 can discover diverse interests, meet new friends, and create memories that last a lifetime.
Registration is open to the public for the more than 50 summer camps offered on LSUS’s campus throughout June and July. Call 318-798-4177 or visit www.lsus.edu/youthcamps for camp details and to register.
“LSUS is dedicated to offering lifelong learning opportunities for our community,” said Leigh Anne Chambers, Interim Executive Director of Enrollment Management for LSUS. “One of our more beloved programs is our extensive summer camp series, available every June and July. Our goal is to ignite a passion for lifelong learning in the younger generation.”
As the digital age progresses rapidly, developing lifelong learning is crucial to mental sharpness, self-development, confidence, better mental health, and more opportunities.
Lifelong learning also prevents boredom, and with LSUS summer camps throughout June and July, kids can discover new areas of interest through hands-on learning.
Each summer camp is designed with the tools and activities to engage kids’ imagination and encourage exploration of interests.
Summer is the perfect opportunity for kids’ abilities to soar as they develop new modes of thinking, express ideas through art, and play team-building sports.
LSUS is revved up to offer a variety of STREAM summer camps, including new camp offerings and the return of top-level favorites.
LSUS June Summer Camps
Aquatic Artistry Ages 6 – 9 (Starts on 6/10)
BioSlime Spectacular Ages 10 -13 (Starts on 6/10)
Bubble Bonanza Showcase Ages 8 – 11 (Starts 6/10)
Lemonade Day Academy Ages 8 – 12 (Starts 6/10)
Mark Making Ages 8 – 15 (Starts 6/10)
Mindstorm Robotics in Python Basic Ages 10 – 14 (Starts 6/10)
Land & Sea Artventures Ages 10 – 13 (Starts 6/17)
Become a Junior Detector Ages 11 – 15 (Starts 6/17)
Summer Slime Time: Exploring Earth’s Wonders Ages 6 – 9 (Starts 6/17)
Space Exploration Ages 8 -11 (Starts 6/17)
Imagining Your Very Own Dreamhouse Ages 8 -15 (Starts 6/17)
Debate for Beginners Ages 12 – 18 (Starts 6/17)
Soccer with Radi Baltov Ages 10 – 13 (Starts 6/24)
LSUS July Summer Camps
Sea Creature Masquerade Ages 10 – 13 (Starts 7/8)
The Sound of Music Ages 8 – 11 (Starts 7/8)
Fun 3D Printing for Kids Ages 8 and Up (Starts 7/8)
Robotics Engineering Basic Ages 14 -17 (Starts 7/8)
E-Sports Camp Ages 12 – 16 (Starts 7/8)
Fantasy & Sci Fi Writing for Teens Ages 13 – 18 (Starts 7/15)
Color Splash Art Ages 8 – 11 (Starts 7/15)
Northern Lights Ages 8 -11 (Starts 7/15)
Civil Engineering Basics Ages 11 – 13 (Starts 7/15)
Robotics Teams in Shreveport Ages 12 – 18 (Starts 7/15)
Safe Sitter Essentials with CPR Ages 11 – 14 at the Willis Knighton Innovation Center
Online Summer Bridge Path Program Grades 1 – 8
LSUS Continuing Education provides quality-learning experiences with professional instructors offering a flexible course schedule on campus and at other locations throughout the regional community for a multi-faceted and diverse population based on their educational needs. For more information and a full list of courses, please visit www.lsus.edu/continuing-educat
Tater Reynolds goes wire-to-wire, wins MLF Toyota Series presented by T-H Marine at Toledo Bend Reservoir
In the days leading up to the Southwestern Division stop on Toledo Bend, Tater Reynolds had a pretty good feeling about his chances of winning his first Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats trophy. On Sunday, the Florien, Louisiana, native proclaimed that it would take between 80 and 90 pounds to win the three-day event and that he liked his chances of getting there.
Reynolds made good on his prediction, bagging nearly 30 pounds (29-15) on Day 3 to bring his total to 83-4. What he didn’t envision was how far ahead that would place him from the rest of the 114-boat field.
Reynolds topped runner-up Cole Moore by 21-10; which is the second-largest margin of victory in Toyota Series history, trailing only Alec Morrison’s 24-pound romp on Sam Rayburn last May. Interestingly, Reynolds finished second to Morrison in that event, while Morrison finished third this week.
For the win, Reynolds earned $32,539 and a spot in the Toyota Series Championship, which will be contested on Wheeler Lake in November.
During a week in which falling water temperatures made for a tricky bite on Toledo Bend, Reynolds made the fishing look easy. He led by more than 5 pounds after sacking up 28-15 on Day 1, then added 24-6 on Day 2, which extended his lead into the double digits.
Thursday, he started on a spot that he’d largely been saving, aside from catching two keepers there the day prior. He quickly boated a 5-pounder, then his biggest bass of the day, an 8-7. Those two fish would have been more than enough to earn the trophy.
“I had been saving that one,” Reynolds said of the spot, a point near the main lake where bass were ending their postspawn journeys. “Every day I could save it, them fish that were coming out of the creek, they were steadily loading up on that spot. The more days I could leave it be, the better.”
From there, Reynolds ran to another staging area and caught two more in the 5-pound range. With the morning bite fading, he switched gears to targeting individual fish using Garmin LiveScope. Around 12:40 p.m., when he caught a 6-pounder on an Alabama rig, he admitted to himself that his lead was safe. He strapped down his rods and spent the rest of the afternoon around the bank, trying to help his co-angler catch a limit.
“It was a good feeling,” Reynolds said. “I got that one in the boat, and I was like, ‘Thank you, Lord. That’s it. That’s sealed up, right there.’”
Reynolds’ final-day total marked the biggest bag of the event. He accounted for three of the four largest limits.
In the end, the only real drama was whether or not he would break Morrison’s record for margin of victory.
Reynolds admitted that the thought crossed his mind, and he believes he likely would have done so had he fished a bit cleaner. In the minutes after hoisting the trophy, he half-jokingly kicked himself over missed fish, particularly three big ones that he hooked and lost on Day 1.
“I think if I would have just caught one of them big ones the first day that I lost — because I actually had them hooked up, they just pulled off,” Reynolds said. “If I just would have had one of them three, I probably would have broken the record.”
Between guiding for crappie and fishing local tournaments on the lake, Reynolds spends more time on Toledo Bend than just about anyone. He also won a Phoenix Bass Fishing League event on the Louisiana-Texas border reservoir earlier this month.
His understanding of what the bass were up to played a pivotal role this week. Reynolds firmly believes that about 80% of Toledo Bend’s bass have already spawned, while most anglers targeted fish in and around spawning areas. However, his winning spots were nothing sneaky.
Reynolds started practice looking for fish relating to timber or creek channels near spawning areas. When he struck out there, he tried classic summertime haunts. After coming up empty, the process of elimination led him to check secondary points near the main lake — classic staging spots.
“They either stage on points, stage on timber coming out of the creek, or they’re just going to leave,” Reynolds said. “I ‘Scoped the open stuff, the obvious stuff — the timber, the creek channels. They wasn’t there. So, I was like, well, I know they’re not back there spawning, because I’d say 80% of them done spawned. So, I know they’re not back there spawning, they’ve got to be traveling. And I checked the main lake, the summer stuff, and they weren’t quite there yet, either. So, I was like, man, they’ve got to be on the points, secondary points coming out of pockets.”
Finding the bass feeding most actively in the mornings, Reynolds primarily caught them using crankbaits. In the 10- to 15-foot range, he used a 6th Sense Crush 300DD on 15-pound Strike King Tour Grade Fluorocarbon. The spot where he started Day 3 was a bit deeper, about 20 feet, and closer to the main lake. There, he turned to the 6th Sense Cloud 9 C25, which he tied to 17-pound fluorocarbon.
When bass stopped responding to the crankbait, Reynolds switched to a few different dragging presentations. His main offering was a 6th Sense Divine Magnum Shakey Worm, which he affixed to a 1/2-ounce shaky head.
While Reynolds has established himself as one of the best local anglers in an area full of hammers, he doesn’t see himself touring nationally unless he comes across a major influx of cash (like, say, winning the $200,000 first-place prize at the Toyota Series Championship).
After all, there’s plenty of high-level fishing in Southeast Texas and Louisiana to keep him occupied. Plus, he enjoys fishing in front of family and friends, which gathered en masse to witness his coronation at Thursday’s weigh-in. Reynolds said their support “means the world to me” and made his first multi-day tournament win as a pro even sweeter.
“I hope it doesn’t take too long before I win another one, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything right now,” he said. “The feeling doesn’t feel like it can get any better.”
The top 10 pros on Toledo Bend Reservoir finished:
1st: Tater Reynolds, Florien, La., 15 bass, 83-4, $32,539
2nd: Cole Moore, Anacoco, La., 15 bass, 61-10, $13,493 (includes $1,000 Phoenix MLF Bonus)
3rd: Alec Morrison, Peru, N.Y., 15 bass, 61-1, $9,672
4th: Jaden Parrish, Liberty, Texas, 15 bass, 56-13, $8,060
5th: Todd Castledine, Nacogdoches, Texas, 15 bass, 56-12, $7,254
6th: Marshall Hughes, Hemphill, Texas, 15 bass, 55-11, $6,448
7th: Dylan Thompson, Forney, Texas, 15 bass, 53-15, $5,642
8th: Zane Parker, Kingwood, Texas, 15 bass, 53-14, $4,836
9th: Richard Madole, Many, La., 15 bass, 50-14, $4,030
10th: Russell Cecil, Willis, Texas, 13 bass, 50-11, $3,724
Complete results can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Pro Russell Cecil of Willis, Texas, earned Tuesday’s $500 Berkley Big Bass Award with a largemouth weighing in at 9 pounds, 7 ounces. Wednesday’s $500 Berkley Big Bass Award was earned by pro Cody Ross of Livingston, Texas, who brought a 9-pound, 15-ouncer to the scale.
Tanner Crim of Castroville, Texas, won the Strike King Co-angler Division Thursday with a three-day total of 10 bass weighing 27 pounds, 10 ounces. Crim took home the top co-angler prize package worth $33,500, including a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard motor.
The top 10 Strike King co-anglers on Toledo Bend Reservoir finished:
1st: Tanner Crim, Castroville, Texas, 10 bass, 27-7, Phoenix 518 Pro boat w/115-hp Mercury outboard
2nd: Luke Wyle, College Station, Texas, 11 bass, 24-12, $4,114
3rd: Leavitt Hamilton, Gonzales, La., 11 bass, 22-9, $3,291
4th: Sakae Ushio, Tonawanda, N.Y., eight bass, 21-12, $2,880
5th: Robert Davis, Lufkin, Texas, eight bass, 21-8, $2,468
6th: William Easley, Pollok, Texas, 11 bass, 21-4, $2,057
7th: Korby Friday, Elizabeth, La., eight bass, 19-10, $1,646
8th: Errol Sigue, Jeanerette, La., nine bass, 19-6, $1,440
9th: Alejandro Rodriguez, San Antonio, Texas, nine bass, 18-11, $1,234
10th: Justin Overstreet, Brookeland, Texas, eight bass, 18-4, $1,029
Jimmy Wells, Jr., of Collinsville, Illinois, earned Tuesday’s $150 Berkley Big Bass co-angler award with a 6-pound, 12-ounce fish, while the Wednesday’s Day 2 $150 co-angler award went to Neil Raedel of Taylor Surly of Colorado Springs, Colorado, who caught a 6-pound, 8-ounce bass.
After two events in the 2024 Toyota Series Southwestern Division, Cole Moore of Anacoco, Louisiana, leads the Fishing Clash Southwestern Division Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 516 points, while Sakae Ushio of Tonawanda, New York, leads the Fishing Clash Southwestern Division Co-Angler of the Year race with 516 points.
The Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats at Toledo Bend Reservoir was hosted by Toledo Bend Lake Country. It was the second of three regular-season tournaments for the Toyota Series Southwestern Division. The next event for the Toyota Series Southwestern Division anglers will be the Toyota Series at Lake Eufaula, May 16-18, in Eufaula, Oklahoma. For a complete schedule of events, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The 2024 Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats consists of six divisions – Central, Northern, Plains, Southern, Southwestern and the Western Division Presented by Tackle Warehouse – each holding three regular-season events, along with the International and Wild Card divisions. Anglers who fish in any of the six divisions or the Wild Card division and finish in the top 25 will qualify for the no-entry-fee Toyota Series Championship for a shot at winning up to $235,000 and a qualification to REDCREST 2025. The winning Strike King co-angler at the championship earns a new Phoenix 518 Pro bass boat with a 115-horsepower Mercury outboard. The 2024 Toyota Series Championship will be held Nov. 7-9 on Wheeler Lake in Huntsville, Alabama, and is hosted by the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Madison County Commission, and the Huntsville Sports Commission.
Proud sponsors of the 2024 MLF Toyota Series include: 7Brew, Abu Garcia, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, BUBBA, E3, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, FX Custom Rods, General Tire, Lew’s, Mercury, Mossy Oak, Onyx, Phoenix, Polaris, Power-Pole, Strike King, Suzuki, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota and YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Toyota Series updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, Discovery Channel, Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 17 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
This & That…Monday, April 1, 2024
Red River 4-H needs help collecting items for their blessing bags. Red River students will assemble the bags during achievement day as part of their state service, homelessness and hunger. Items can be brought to the school club leaders or the 4-H office during the month of April. Items needed:
Personal care: wipes, comb/brush, toothbrush, toothpaste, lotion, Germ X, Chapstick, deodorant, socks
Protein: meat pouches, canned meat, beef sticks, protein bars
Snacks: granola bars, peanut butter crackers, cheese crackers
Riverdale Varsity Cheer is holding a Color Run on Saturday, April 6 at Grand Bayou Resort from 10am-12pm. This fundraiser contributes to the fun activities and celebrations the cheerleaders have for the students throughout the year. The event is a fun, family experience for all ages.
The 44th Annual Battle of Pleasant Hill Re-enactment and Festival will take place April 12-14. The re-enactments and activities in the re-enactors camp will take place 3 miles north of Pleasant Hill at 23271 Hwy. 175. April 9 marks the 160th anniversary of the battle. Visit battleofpleasanthill.com for event schedule and more information.
Notice of Death – March 31, 2024
Norma Jean Willett King
July 19, 1934 — March 28, 2024
Service: Tuesday, April 2 at 1pm at Rose Neath Funeral Homes – Coushatta
Billy Sam Austin
July 15, 1938 – March 20, 2024
Service: Saturday, April 6 at 11am at Old Armistead Chapel
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