Governor Jeff Landry has moved at a dizzying legislative pace since being elected governor and one very significant change made to Louisiana law is what is referred to as “Truth in Sentencing.”

What is Truth in Sentencing?

The long and short of it is that for years Judges, District Attorneys and Defense Attorneys have essentially had to estimate the actual amount of time a convicted individual would be incarcerated. Louisiana was said to have a “high rate of indeterminacy” in sentencing and the stated purpose of the new law is to simplify time computation by the Louisiana Department of Corrections.

Currently, the rule of thumb was that a conviction or plea that did not involve a Crime of Violence under Louisiana law would have an inmate serve approximately 1/3rd of their given sentence. So, for example, with a nonviolent crime like Simple Burglary, the accused could either plead to or be convicted of and sentenced to, hypothetically, 6 years in prison. The individual would serve approximately 1/3rd of the 6 years, or two years. On the other hand, if an individual pled to or was convicted of a crime of violence, they would serve approximately 2/3rds of the 6 year sentence, or 4 years.

That has now all changed.

In the 2024 Special Session of the Louisiana Legislature, the relevant statute, LA. R.S. 15:571.3, was amended and re-enacted. The relevant part of the statute is referred to as Diminution of Sentence for good time served. The new law changed the amount of good time credit (i.e. reduction) that can be earned to a maximum of 15% for all offenses except when the individual is what is known as an Habitual Offender or the crime involves a sex offense. (which are not allowed to earn any good time). Unlike before, the new law does not differentiate between violent and nonviolent offenses. Again, the declared purpose of this change is to provide truth, or greater accuracy, in sentencing.

So, what is the crux of the new law?

Well, these changes only apply to offenses that were committed on or after August 1, 2024, and the Good Time Rates after that date will be 85% for all offenses except, again, sex offenses and habitual offenders who will not be eligible for any good time served. Sex and habitual offenders will earn credit for any time served prior to their conviction but will not earn any additional good time credit. One caveat is that offenders may earn up to 12 months of additional credit for the completion of treatment and rehabilitation programming as provided for in LA. R.S. 15:828. Finally, the new law clarifies that when an offender has served 85% of their sentence they will be released on Unsupervised Parole for the remainder of their sentence.

Let me also share two other categories of offense that have been amended. The first is Drug Court Screening and Eligibility, with Act 572 providing that a defendant who meets the eligibility and suitability criteria can be offered by the court an opportunity to participate in the program and undergo treatment. Second, Act 648 provides that in a felony case, the court shall not/may not terminate probation early, or as “unsatisfactory,” and release the defendant if the conviction was for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, vehicular homicide, or First Degree vehicular negligent injuring.

One other issue I am asked about frequently. Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. The new law mandates that a consecutive (it’s usually concurrent) sentence be imposed if a person convicted was on probation or parole at the time of the new offense.

That’s quite a change!

I believe the goal of ensuring truth in sentencing is good public policy. I think a defendant, as a matter of due process of law, must be informed of what time they will actually serve for their offense. I also feel it is important, as a matter of both the legal process and judicial efficiency, that judges, DAs, and criminal defense attorneys know exactly what a sentence entails in order to know how to proceed in a case whether it be a plea or a trial.

I will be curious to see how these changes impact crime and incarceration in Louisiana. Whether additional statutory tweaks will be needed remains to be seen but the effort to increase both the constitutionally required ‘fair warning’ and notice of what is prohibited under law, resulting in what penalty, is laudable.

Royal Alexander

Fairview Baptist Church would like for all parents/guardians of teenagers in grades 7-12 to participate with their teen on Wednesday, August 28 from 5:30-7:30pm. Parents will be given the opportunity to see the program, eat, fellowship and worship together. There will also be an important parent meeting after worship.

The Red River Parish Rodeo will take place September 20 and 21 at 7pm. There will be mutton bustin and a calf scramble for the kids. 

Louisiana Homesteader Conference is Oct. 11-12 from 12 pm to 5 pm at the LSU Research Station

Lurlene Blanchard McElwee
September 8, 1932 – August 21, 2024
Graveside services will be held Friday, August 23, 2024 at 10am at Bethany Cemetery in Coushatta.

Dennis Clark
September 1, 1970 – August 18, 2024
Services will be held Saturday, August 24, 2024 at 11am at Elizabeth Full Gospel in Coushatta

Margie Murphy Trichell
April 26, 1938 – August 20, 2024
Graveside services will be held Saturday, August 24, 2024 at 11am at Zion Baptist Church Cemetery in Fairview Alpha.

Jaecinea Purnell
December 31, 2003 – August 12, 2024
Services will be held Saturday, August 24, 2024 at 11am at Eternal Peace Funeral Home in Natchitoches

Are you ready for some football?!?

The bigger question is: Are you ready to win $100 in cash …? On Friday, September 6, we launch our Football Pick’em Contest.

Win $100 weekly just by picking the winners in ten high school football games. You must also pick the total number of points scored in tie-breaker games. You can win $100 with some knowledge and a little good luck. MUST BE 18 TO PARTICIPATE. All you need is an e-mail address.

The contest will last 10 weeks.

If you are not a regular Red River Parish Journal reader, just visit redriverparishjournal.com. Click-JOIN. Your copy of RRPJ is delivered free of charge at 6:55am every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

The list of games to pick will come out in the Wednesday edition, and you will have until Friday at 4pm to make and submit your selections. The weekly winner will be announced in the following Wednesday’s edition of the Red River Parish Journal.

We are thrilled to welcome back American Bank as our title sponsor. Tyler Insurance Agency is this year’s Anchor sponsor. We also want to thank Better Finance for their Pick’em Partnership within the contest. If you want to be a Pick’em Partner, email redriverparishjournal@gmail.com for more details. Only a limited number of slots are available.

Matt Vines

Red River football hosting scrimmage Thursday
The time has finally come for the Red River football team to hit somebody other than a teammate.
The Bulldogs will host Bossier High in a scrimmage Thursday at 6 p.m.
Red River is slated to play in the Bayou Jamb at ULM the next week before kicking off the regular season at Catholic-Pointe Coupee on Sept. 6.
Red River will attempt to build on a three-win season from last year, but one in which the Bulldogs held a 16-point halftime lead in the first round of the playoffs before an eventual loss to No. 7 seed Pine.

Riverdale softball heading into home stretch
The Riverdale Academy softball team is heading into the home stretch of its schedule with just five games left in the regular season.
Two of those will happen in the next week whenever the Lady Rebels head to Central School on Thursday and Claiborne Academy on Aug. 29.
Riverdale is 1-3 in games in which a score was reported, but three games in the past week are still missing scores.
The one recent reported score was a 10-9 loss at Tensas Academy, whom Riverdale is scheduled to play two more times in September.
The MAIS regional playoffs are set to begin Sept. 30 with the Class AA championships taking place the next week.

Matt Vines

EAST POINT – Riverdale Academy will attempt to bounce back from a season-opening loss when the Rebels head to Tallulah Academy on Friday.

Riverdale is in a bit of an unfamiliar place given that the Rebels have won their first game in every season since 2019.

But the Rebels have plenty of lessons to learn from their 35-14 loss to Prairie View Academy, lessons they intend to load up for the trip east into the Mississippi River Delta.

“The beginning of the game showed the type of team we can be,” said Riverdale coach Nathan Edie. “I think our boys know what it will take for them to be the best they can be.

“And as coaches (Denver Williams and I) know what we need to do to be better also.”

Ashton Almond and Kaidyn Williams shared quarterback snaps as Edie sought to keep each guy as fresh as possible.

Almond’s 61-yard run set up a Williams’ short touchdown scamper as Riverdale raced to score on its opening drive against Prairie View, but the Spartans responded with 28 points over the next three quarters to take a commanding lead.

Almond led the way on the ground with 112 yards on 16 carries and a fourth-quarter touchdown. Williams completed Riverdale’s only two passes (2-4 for 52 yards) while Almond missed on both of his pass attempts.

Tanner Carlisle snagged a 44-yard pass while Almond added an eight-yard catch.

Defensively, Almond tallied a team-high seven tackles with Carlisle chipping in three.

Riverdale actually outgained Prairie View 252-250, but converting just 3-9 on third down slowed the Rebels.

Riverdale would love to control the clock on long, meandering drives, but Tallulah showed plenty of offensive pop in its opening week.

Tallulah enters Friday’s matchup at 1-0, using a strong second half to pull away from Tensas Academy in a 48-26 win.

The Trojans raced to a 28-6 lead before a pair of Tensas Academy scores sliced the lead to 10 at halftime.
But tight end Denton Ray caught two of quarterback Luke Moberley’s three touchdown passes as the Trojans proved to be too much.

Riverdale battled past Tallulah, 20-12, this past season.

Red River Parish 4-H will hold an informational meeting for 4-H Shooting Sports September 10, 2024 at the LSU AgCenter Red River Parish 4-H Office (1919 Alonzo St) at pm.

This is a meeting for anyone interested in participating in Shooting Sports.

The meeting is open to students in grades 4-12 and students must be at least 9 years old. 

Disciplines include: .22 Pistol, .22 Rifle, Shotgun, Archery. There will also be BB if there is a volunteer who agrees to be trained as a coach.

All shooters Age 10-18 must have completed Hunters Education.

Returning Shooters should attend this meeting to register for this year.

For more information contact us at 319-932-4342.

(Red River Parish Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness and the Red River Parish Sheriff’s Office are planning a La. Hunters Ed Class September 23-25 sign up at http://louisianaoutdoors.com/)

Glenn Wheeler is a longtime friend of mine. As a fellow outdoor journalist, our friendship developed over the years through our association with outdoor writer conferences. In addition to being a journalist, Wheeler is also Sheriff of Newton County Arkansas and from time to time, his duties involve trying to locate a missing person. This is where Mellie Martin enters the picture.

Martin, who along with husband Jay, own and operate Dubach Heat and Air but her sideline involves raising and training hounds, not just any hounds. Her focus is on bloodhounds. A few weeks ago, Martin learned of a missing person in Newton County Arkansas and offered to bring her hounds there to assist. Here’s where I entered the picture. Martin conveyed a message from my friend Sheriff Wheeler that piqued my interest enough to try and learn about raising and training bloodhounds.

“As a member of the Delta Elite K9 Search and Rescue team, I have been involved in raising and training bloodhounds for the past eight years,” Martin said. “My interest in bloodhounds was the result of an incident where a special needs child left home and met with a tragic accident. I thought that if the child could have been found and rescued before the accident happened, the result would not have ended in tragedy.”

The more she learned about bloodhounds and what they can do, the more intrigued she became so she began raising and training bloodhounds some eight years ago. What she has learned about these remarkable dogs is fascinating.

“Bloodhounds have about 270 million scent receptors in their noses compared to about 5 million we humans have. These dogs can be trained to find a specific person even after they have been gone two or three days,” she said.

“Each person’s scent is individualized in the same way that no two people have the same fingerprint. Before a search begins, an article, such as a cap or pillow case that no one else has used is presented to the dog and it is homed in only on that one person.”

Martin says she is called on average about two times a month to bring her dogs to where a missing person has been reported. Not only do they search for run-aways but also criminals who may be on the run.

“We don’t compete with law enforcement agencies that utilize dogs; we work with them. Our area of responsibility involves serving all of Louisiana north of Alexandria over to East Texas and just south of Little Rock, AR as well as portions of Mississippi. We wait for law enforcement agencies to contact us before offering the services of our dogs,” Martin said.

Martin’s work with her dogs is on a strictly volunteer basis where no fee is charged. I am reminded of the similarity of what she does with her dogs and the organization deer hunters utilize to find wounded deer.
“My most rewarding event took place in south Arkansas when an elderly and sickly gentleman had been missing for 36 hours and family assumed he had probably passed away somewhere. My dogs were able to locate him, alive but dehydrated, and when we came back with him riding with us on a side-by-side, I joined with the family shedding happy tears. Just seeing that dog I have trained find someone in such a situation is so rewarding,” she said.

To learn more about what has been done and can be done with bloodhounds, go on-line to Delta Elite K9 Search and Rescue Team.

FISHING REPORT

BLACK BAYOU – Fishing is slow. A few crappie have been caught around the trees. Contact Honey Hole Tackle Shop 323-8707 for latest information.

BUSSEY BRAKE – Hot weather has slowed things a bit. Bass best early mornings on topwaters and big plastic worms later in the day. Crappie fishing has been fair fishing around deep brush. Bream fishing has slowed. For latest information, contact the Honey Hole at 323-8707.

OUACHITA RIVER – Crappie fishing has improved around deep brush in the river. Bass fishing has improved fishing shad imitation lures in the cuts. For latest information, contact the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.

LAKE D’ARBONNE –. Bass have been best early morning on topwaters. swim baits and square billed crank baits fished around the edge of the grass. Soft plastics and crank baits working best later. When lake begins drawdown, moving water should turn them on. Crappie are good on the flats in 12-14 foot water and along the edges of the channels and hitting shiners and jigs. Bream are off the beds and scattered. Catfishing is good fishing cold worms off the banks. For latest information, call Anderson Sport Center at 368-9669 or Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.

LAKE CLAIBORNE –Bass fishing is best at night fishing soft plastics and dark spinners and crank baits around lighted piers. Some have been caught early mornings on topwater lures fished along the edges of grass. Crappie are in deep water and are best around submerged brush on shiners and jigs. Bream are slow. No report on Stripers. For latest information, call Kel’s Cove at 927-2264 or Terzia Tackle at 278-4498.

CANEY LAKE – Bass fishing has been fair early mornings fishing topwater lures around the grass. Some are also being caught at night on plastic worms and deep diving crank baits. During the day, deep diving crank baits and soft plastics fished on underwater humps is best. Bream fishing has slowed as the fish are scattered. Crappie are fair fishing jigs or shiners around submerged tops. For information contact Caney Lake Landing at 259-6649, Hooks Marina at 249-2347, Terzia Tackle at 278-4498 or the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.

LAKE POVERTY POINT – Catfishing has been good while others are slow. For latest reports, call Poverty Point Marina at 318/878-0101.

LAKE YUCATAN – The water is at a standstill with slow fall expected. Fishing overall is quite slow. For info call Surplus City Landing at 318/467-2259.

The Red River Parish Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness and the Red River Parish Sheriff’s Office are partnering together to offer a Louisiana Hunter Education Course.

The three-day class will be held September 23-25, 2024 from 6:00 to 10:00 each night. The training is free and all necessary equipment will be provided.

APPLICANTS MUST CREATE AN ACCOUNT AND PRE-REGISTER AT: https://louisianaoutdoors.com/

Location:
Red River Parish Central Fire Station
205 Ringgold Ave
Coushatta, LA 71019

For more information, please contact Shane Hubbard at (318) 932-8502.

An event is unfolding around us. Even readers of this article have a perspective on it.

For Educators this is an annual occurrence. They have prepared for this episode for weeks. They busy themselves with lesson plans, room decorations, seating charts, and wondering which student will thrive and which student will struggle because of this event. They are confident, even in the face of the unknown, of their skills and experience.

For parents the annual event is like a whirlwind. Parents have been praying for this event since the sounding of the last school bell in May. They have met the challenges of the summer taxi service. They have endured parties, sleep overs, and travel ball tournaments. They have refereed spats with siblings, negotiated time share for the video games, and prayed a healthy amount of prayers dealing with the length of the summer. They are actually happy this event is finally here.

I am a casual observer of this occurrence. I know it is happening because the front of Walmart is filled with school supplies. I note for you the school supplies have now been replaced with Halloween candy. I have observed an increase in traffic. I personally must decide which route to take to work. I must negotiate a left turn onto Cooktown Road from the Interstate. My time of arrival at the exit determines my direction of travel. I have enjoyed some philosophical thought and discussion about taking the left-hand turn chance or driving past the exit and backtracking.

The students are the ones most affected by this event. They slept with impunity all summer. They have relaxed and excelled at play and goofing off. They were kids all summer and now that summer is gone. Some will celebrate the start of their senior year. Some experience all the trials and tribulations of being a freshman. Still others are starting school for the first time.

One event, the start of school, and there are many perspectives about the same event depending on your frame of reference. The teachers are ready, the parents delighted, the children face it with mixed emotions. Even us casual observers see the event differently depending on traffic and the time of day.

When you are deep in the middle of an event in your life, remember there are numerous lenses through which you can view the event. Those lenses are called your mindset. The one event was going back to school. I only described four perspectives. Can you imagine how complex perspectives could become? In many cases the educator is both a parent and a student. The student might also be a parent. You see how quickly a simple thing becomes complex.

The next time an event is happening, it might mean taking a deep breath and being in that moment. In a moment of curiosity you might ask, what does Jesus want me to learn now? In His kingdom we are all students.

Doug de Graffenried is Pastor of Trinity Methodist Church in Ruston.

You can contact Doug at dougsponderings@gmail.com

Northwestern State University is welcoming 21 new faculty for the 2024-25 academic year, according to Executive Vice President and Provost Dr. Greg Handel.

“Northwestern continues to attract excellent faculty who support our academic mission,” said Handel. “Their expertise, scholarly and creative activities, and their contributions will continue to provide students with excellent teaching, professional connections,
and top-notch advising as students navigate the university and move toward graduation. We are fortunate to have another stellar cadre of new faculty joining our Northwestern State Family.”

Joining the faculty in the College of Business and Technology are Ashley Haire, Timothy Bratt, David Horton and Douglas Moran.

The Dear School of Creative and Performing Arts welcomes new faculty members Sean Callander, Shane Thomas, Nhan Ho, Trevor Bailey, and Marisol Balderrama,

New faculty in the Department of English, Languages and Cultural Studies are Nahhas El, Shea Montgomery and Oona Zbitkovskis.

Joining the faculty in the College of Nursing and School of Allied Health are Jessica Love, Lakyn Aymond, Stephen Brandao, Jessica Ferguson, Albert Velvotta, Houston Lacobee, Ashley Bruzzell, Cynthia McDonald and Meryn Olivier.

Sports Shock of the Day No. 1: Notre Dame has suspended its men’s swimming program for at least one academic year because investigations “both internal and external” (which we think are the only kinds of investigations?) have revealed a widespread gambling issue that violated NCAA rules.

Sports Shock of the Day No. 2: Notre Dame has a men’s swimming program?

Before any fans of Irish Swimming panic, know that the Notre Dame women’s team and both diving teams are not affected by the disciplinary action. 

Sports Shock of the Day No. 3. Notre Dave has a women’s swim team and TWO diving teams?!

What is NOT shocking is that the NCAA has picked on a swimming team. And in a big way.

The NCAA didn’t tell the student-athletes to just quit running on the concrete, as our moms did back in the day at the community cement pond.

The NCAA didn’t tell the student-athletes just to rest for 30 minutes after eating that Rice Krispie Treat to safeguard against cramps. 

The NCAA didn’t tell the student-athletes to powder dry after showers to hold down the possibility of a nasty itch problem in a delicate area.

Neg. Instead, the NCAA drained the program’s pool for a whole year.

A couple of things here: 

Competitive swimming is not football or baseball or hoops in terms of fanatical popularity. BUT … it’s as hard as any other sport and much harder than some, and fans who love it REALLY love it. (Remember how, just a couple weeks ago, we couldn’t wait to see what Katie Ledecky would do next? Anyone remember Michael Phelps? Mark Spitz? Uhh … YES.)

And that’s just the swimming. We haven’t even talked yet about diving, in which the student-athlete is required to do tricks in the air BEFORE hitting the water and swimming.

When you’re talking competitive swimming and diving, you’re not talking about dogpaddling in the kiddie pool.

But what swimming IS is an easy target for the NCAA if the organization — and we use that term loosely — wants to pretend it has more than only a couple of disciplinary teeth. 

In 2021, the transfer regulations were changed to allow students in some Division I sports to transfer schools without having to sit out a year. Those rules have been altered since, most significantly this past spring when it was ruled that athletes could transfer as many times as they wished, without penalty.

In other words, the NCAA didn’t think things through thoroughly, or at all, in 2021.

Same with NIL. No guardrails. Pitch ’til you win. “Yeah, we guess that’s OK, sure…”

So college sports have totally gotten out of the NCAA’s greedy little hands. Except … 

… except when it comes to Notre Dame’s men’s swimming program, which, after a long dry spell, surfaced with its first Top-10 finish at the NCAA championships in March, a first in program history.

And here is why the NCAA stepped in: the men’s team bet on each other’s swimming performances. Over/under lines and all that. 

ND swimmer No. 1 before practice: “I bet Ricky swims the 1000m freestyle in less than 49 seconds today. Five bucks.”

Other ND swimmer, (heretofore to be called ‘ND swimmer No. 2’: “No way!”

ND swimmer No 1: “Way.”

ND swimmer No. 2: “I’ll take it!”

ND swimmer named Ricky: “That’s a lot of pressure but … here goes!”

ND swimmer No. 1: “Anybody else want some of this?…”

So stupid.

I have never been around a swim team, but I have been around golf teams and, while the great unwashed might be blissfully unaware of this, I have never seen a college golf team that didn’t “bet” before practice. Usually on the first tee. Always very casually. Like as casually as breathing. Often with carryovers from the day before and the day before that. 

Now and then a bit of money might change hands, and sometimes a payoff might be in burger or Icee form, but “bets” are all part of the game in these semi-individual contests.

There is no official sports book for swimming. Or for golf practice. Same goes, as far as I know, for college bowling or archery. And there is no danger, as far as I can see, in wagering a buck to see how fast Ricky might swim on any ordinary Tuesday or whether or not I can get it closest to the pin on a par 3 to, you know, perk up a boring day.

That’s called fun. Makes perfect sense.

But when it comes to rhyme or reason concerning the NCAA, all bets are off.

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

The CHRITUS Coushatta Kid’s Clinic will host a Blessing & Grand Opening on Friday, August 23, 2024 at 10am.

The Friends of the Mansfield Female College presents “A Bridal Vendor Fair” at the Clista Calhoun Event Center in Mansfield on August 25 from 2-5pm.

The Red River Research Station in Bossier has several fun events planned:
Sept. 14–Backyard Fruit & Nut production
Oct. 11-12: 2nd Annual Louisiana Homesteader Conference with Corn maze and Hayride
Oct. 26: Harvest Time at the Farm with Corn maze, Hayride/Ag Education & Outdoor movie
Dec. 14: Christmas at the Farm with Family Christmas movie and a Visit from Santa & Mrs. Claus

Gary Eugene Watts
September 21, 1959 – August 12, 2024
Service: Wednesday August 21, 2024 at 10am at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Ringgold 

Jaecinea Purnell
December 31, 2003 – August 12, 2024
Service: Saturday, August 24, 2024 at 11am at Eternal Peace Funeral Home, 726 3rd Street in Natchitoches

Phase 2 will be rolled out in waves based on eligibility groups over the next several weeks, impacting around 320,000 Louisiana school-aged children. Eligible students include those who received Medicaid, Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program (FITAP), or Kinship Care Subsidy Program (KCSP) benefits during the 2023-2024 school year, as well as children who qualified for free or reduced-price school meals. Each child will receive a one-time payment of $120 loaded onto a newly issued EBT card, arriving by mail.

Recipients are advised to look out for plain white envelopes with an Erie, Pennsylvania, return address containing their SUN Bucks card and activation instructions. Envelopes will be addressed to the eligible child. Families with more than one child may receive their children’s cards at different times.

SUN Bucks can be used to purchase SNAP-eligible food items at stores that accept EBT cards. The benefits must be used within 122 days from the date of issuance.

There will also be a Phase 3. The application period for children not automatically certified in Phases 1 and 2 will open in late August. This phase primarily serves students at Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) schools, where all students received free or reduced-price school meals regardless of household income. CEP school students whose household income would qualify them for the National School Lunch Program (below 185% of federal poverty limit) are eligible to receive SUN Bucks, and if they are not certified during Phases 1 or 2, will need to apply during Phase 3. Detailed information about the application process will be available soon on the SUN Bucks website.

A dedicated SUN Bucks helpline is available at 833-323-7482, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Families with questions or who need to update their mailing addresses can call the helpline for assistance. Questions can also be emailed to SUNBucks@la.gov

New Louisiana Absentee Voting laws went into effect August 1. They are a part of the state’s election integrity legislative package.

Act 380 stops anyone other than an immediate family member from sending more than one marked ballot per election through the mail. This keeps an individual from possbily filling out multiple ballots and dropping them off at the post office or bringing them in person to the registrar’s office. 

Act 302 makes it illegal for anyone other than an immediate family member of the voter or an employee of the Registrar of Voters office to assist with the absentee ballot of more than one voter. The law helps in the undue influence of an individual on the voter and restricts a person from assisting multiple individuals. 

 Act 317 states that no person, except for an immediate family member, can distribute an absentee application to any person who has not requested one. It further states that only immediate family members of the voter shall submit more than one completed application. 

The law states that an immediate family member is defined as: “the individual’s children, the spouses of this children, his brothers and their spouses, his sisters and their spouses, his parents, his spouse and the parents of his spouse.”

For more information contact the Red River Parish Registrar of Voters Office at 318.932.5027.

Red River Parish 4-H was fortunate to have a LSU AgCenter intern, Avery Barber, over the summer. 

Avery attends Louisiana Tech majoring in Early Childhood Education. 

Red River 4-H shared that Avery jumped in from Day 1, wherever she was needed, even going with to 4-H U and Summer Camp. She helped train for 4-H U, helped with the 2024-25 marketing/enrollment materials, decorating for Leader Conference, unpacking and organizing at 4-Hs new office.

She also stepped in when agent 4-H Jacque Fontenot was out from surgery She even presented to the Red River Council on Aging, and at the nursing home, with Junior Leader Joseph Shaver. She also planned and helped the NCH agent with the Culinary Day camp in July. 

On Friday, August 16, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the Biden-Harris administration’s attempt to vacate Louisiana’s injunction against their unlawful Title IX rule.

Justice Sotomayor emphasized in her dissent that “every Member of the Court agrees” that Louisiana is entitled to an injunction against the rule’s redefinition of sex discrimination to include gender identity.

This means that Louisiana schools will not have to comply with the Biden-Harris administration’s demand that they let boys in girls’ bathrooms as our children return to school.

“I’m grateful that the Supreme Court agreed not to block our injunction against this radical rewrite of Title IX. Other than the 19th Amendment guaranteeing our right to vote, Title IX has been the most successful law in history at ensuring equal opportunity for women in education at all levels and in collegiate athletics. This fight isn’t over, but I’ll keep fighting to block this radical agenda that eviscerates Title IX,” said Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill.

Read the ruling here

Source: Office of the Louisiana Attorney General Facebook page

After adjourning a meeting of the Joint Budget Committee, Senate President Cameron Henry and Speaker of the House Phillip DeVillier say they’ll be working together in the interim to address the initial budget forecast.

The legislature’s leadership emphasized that today’s presentation is an initial estimate and a represents a projected continuation budget for FY 25-26. The $340 million gap shared with the committee is significantly less than earlier this year and could continue to shrink.

“The House and Senate will be working collaboratively and looking at all the factors that impact the state’s budget,” said Speaker DeVillier. “We’ve been anticipating the gap from the sunset of the .45% temporary sales tax as well as the movement of the vehicle sales tax dollars into a savings account for transportation and a 2% tax exemption on business utilities. But we have options that can be considered that will balance the budget including finding efficiencies in government and creating a more predictable tax structure for the state.”

“It’s important to know the cause and effect of our budget decisions,” said President Henry. “The budget is looking better and we have time for both chambers to look for solutions to close any gap for next year,” said President Henry. “We’ll obviously focus on our priorities as we craft the budget and continue to watch the forecast models to inform that work. This is just the beginning.”

The Division of Administration testified that the $340 million shortfall does not include $248 million in additional dollars for educational initiatives provided last year including teacher and support personnel pay stipends, differentiated compensation, tutoring services, apprenticeships and internships. Legislators say those items will factor into budget discussions moving forward.

Single-game tickets for the 2024 Northwestern State football season are now on sale. The Demons, under first-year head coach Blaine McCorkle, will host five games at Turpin Stadium this year. Sept. 7 is the home opener against Prairie View A&M. NSU’s other home games this season are against Weber State on Sept. 21, and three Southland Conference matchups against Texas A&M-Commerce (Oct. 12), Lamar (Oct. 26) and McNeese (Nov. 16). For more information on single game or season ticket options visit www.nsutickets.com or call 318-357-4268.

Join the LSU AgCenter and Red River Parish Helping Hands on Thursday, September 12 at 1pm at the 4-H Office, 1919 Alonzo Street for a dynamic program aimed at boosting fruit and vegetable consumption and encouraging physical activity. Discover the joy of nutritious eating and the benefits of regular exercise in a welcoming environment. Don’t wait—take charge of your health journey now! For more details and to secure your spot, contact Jessica Salley at 318-461-2730. 

The Red River Parish Rodeo will take place September 20 and 21 at 7pm. There will be mutton bustin and a calf scramble for the kids. 

Gary Eugene Watts
September 21, 1959 – August 12, 2024
Service: Wednesday August 21, 2024 at 10am at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Ringgold 

Jaecinea Purnell
December 31, 2003 – August 12, 2024
Service: Saturday, August 24, 2024 at 11am at Eternal Peace Funeral Home, 726 3rd Street in Natchitoches

Cynthia Diane Bell Navarre
(also affectionately known by family and friends as “Dina”, “CC”, and “Goosey”)
June 28, 1974 – August 17, 2024
A memorial service will be held at a later date