Red River Parish Fire Protection District and John Woodfin, Fire Chief, recently shared that Red River Parish is now under a BURN BAN due to the risk of wildfires from our current drought conditions.

All outdoor burning is currently prohibited until adequate moisture is returned in vegetation and the risk of wildfires has decreased.

The burn ban will remain in effect until further notice. 

By Matt Vines

EAST POINT – The last time the Riverdale Academy girls stepped onto the basketball court, the Lady Rebels couldn’t quite crack through in the Class 2A State Tournament and punch their ticket to the overall state tournament.

All but one Lady Rebel returns and will step back on to the floor when the season begins Saturday at Silliman Institute for a 1 p.m. tip.

Riverdale coach Trey Pittman said these Lady Rebels are already in mid-season form after a 24-5 record this past season.

“We lost just one senior post player in Madison Chamberlin,” Pittman said. “We look to be in mid-season form already, and we better be ready with a Class 5A opponent on Saturday.

“Our guards are the strength of our team again with Mary Claire Jones, Jadyn King and Hanna Huddleston.”

Jones was selected to the MAIS Future’s All-Star game this past season as a sophomore.

But Riverdale does have some inside presence with posts Makayla Pickett and Julia Grace Riggs.

“I think Jones and Pickett are the two best players in the MAIS in our classification,” Pittman said. “Pickett and King are our captains, and the girls work very hard because of the leadership of those two.”

Pittman pulled double duty with the boys and girls in his first season back on the Riverdale sideline, but he’ll focus just on the girls this season.

Back-to-back practices after undergoing back surgery took its toll.

But assistant coach Ty Jones assumes the lead role of a boys team that looks to take the next step after reaching the Class 2A state tournament with a fourth-place finish at regionals.

The Rebels don’t start their season until Nov. 11, and they’ll attempt to rebuild from a team that lost five seniors off a 10-win team.

Coushatta
10/24/2024

The Coushatta Police Department shared a social media reminder to inform drivers who pass through the school zone of Red River Elementary on Ashland Road (Hwy 155) that traffic is closely monitored.

Officers monitor traffic to ensure safe travel for school buses and passenger vehicles transporting children to and from RRE. This includes monitoring drivers who may be using cell phones or other electronic handheld devices while driving, monitoring children who are not properly restrained inside vehicles, speeding, and disobedience to police officers’ traffic directions.

Operating a vehicle in a school zone while using a cell phone or other handheld electronic device can result in penalties of up to $500-$1000.

Improperly restraining a child can carry penalties of up to $500.

Speeding in a school zone penalties vary depending on the speed of the traveling vehicle.

Failing to comply with the orders of a police officer directing traffic carries a penalty of $186.

Quota West Monroe is collecting gently worn or new shoes to raise money for Academy of Collaborative Education (ACE). 

The shoes will be sent to 3rd world countries where many people have no shoes.

ACE will be paid by the pound of the shoes collected. 100% of money received will go to ACE.

Any type shoe is welcome and needed.

You can drop off your shoes at First Methodist Church, Front Street, weekdays between 9-11am or at Red River Council on Aging weekdays between 8am-12pm.

Shoes will be collected until Wednesday, October 30.

For more information contact Kelley Lee at 318.471.3391. 

Matt Vines

Riverdale healed up significantly during its bye week, and the Rebels are ready to end the regular season with a bang when they host Tensas Academy on Friday.

Riverdale (2-6, 1-1) can secure second place in District 3-1A with a win against Tensas (1-9, 1-1).

The Rebels have battled injuries and little depth all season, but coach Nathan Edie said his boys are about as healthy as they can be at the end of a football season.

Edie added that quarterback/linebacker Ashton Almond and running back/defensive Kaidyn Williams have recovered from injuries that forced them to leave the 58-28 loss to Wilkinson County Christian Academy two weeks ago.

“We had a good bye week, and we healed up a bit,” Edie said. “At this point in the season, injuries take longer to heal.

“But we’ll be a full go on Friday. Kaidyn and Ashton are two of the toughest kids you’ll find on a football field, and they are ready to go.”

When Riverdale has been healthy, they’ve been a handful for opponents.

The Rebels trailed district champion WCCA but just one score at halftime before injuries impacted the final result.

Riverdale was relatively healthy in its 34-14 win against Franklin Academy three weeks ago.

They’ll face a Tensas squad who is riding high after suffering through a winless season until last week’s 48-6 thumping of Franklin.

Tensas has proven it can move the ball and put up points as its offense has scored at least 20 points in four games.

“Tensas is a young, athletic team,” Edie said. “If we don’t contain their skill players and they have free run, they can put up a lot points on the board.

“Defensively, they are quick, bring pressure and fly to the ball.”

Defense has been more of the issue as opponents have piled on 48 or more points in eight contests.
Riverdale would like to lean on its offensive and defensive lines to establish both lines of scrimmage and wear down the Tensas bunch.

The Rebels are 2-6 on the field, but River Oaks could be forfeiting all of its wins if the Mustangs don’t win an appeal with the MidSouth Association of Independent Schools.

A win against Tensas and its River Oaks forfeit win could mean Riverdale hosts a first-round playoff game.

But first, the Rebels want to send their seniors out with a win in their final home game.

Senior captains Williams and Logan Gryder lead a four-player class that includes Brayden Pearah and Logan Martin.

John B. “Jack” Kelly was a sports fanatic. During World War I, Jack served in the army and became a champion boxer. Following the war, Jack rejoined his father’s highly successful bricklaying firm called “Kelly for Brickwork.” The postwar boom quickly made Jack a millionaire. Jack’s wealth freed him up to spend long hours perfecting his skill at sculling, rowing a long, thin needle-shaped boat with two oars.

Jack’s dedication paid off. In a short time, he won six national championships and was the single scull champion of the United States. Jack’s talents were such that he competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics at Antwerp, Belgium. On that warm August day, Jack’s first event was the single scull, one person per boat. Jack’s competitor, J. Beresford, jumped ahead at the start of the race and held the lead for the first 750 meters.

Newspapers said that Jack got a “last spurt” of energy and closed the gap when they were just 150 meters from the finish line. Jack took the lead and crossed the finish line a full boat length before Beresford. Jack won the gold medal in the single scull. Back on dry land, Jack and Beresford were too tired to even shake hands. Jack had little time to celebrate.

30 minutes later, he competed in the double scull with his cousin as his teammate and they won gold. Four years later, Jack and his cousin competed in the double scull in the 1924 Paris Olympics and won gold again. Jack was the first rower in history to win three gold medals.

In 1923, Jack met a girl named Margaret Majer at a swimming competition. Margaret drew Jack’s attention for multiple reasons. Margaret, also a fierce competitor, won first place in the women’s competition. Margaret was also a cover-girl model with a degree in physical education. She later became the first woman to teach physical education at the University of Pennsylvania and at Women’s Medical College. In January 1924, six months before the Paris Olympics, Jack and Margaret married.

Together, Jack and Margaret had four children; Margaret, whom they called Peggy, John Kelly Jr., whom they called Kell, Patricia, and Elizabeth Anne, whom they called Lizanne. Jack and Margaret expected all of their children to be as competitive in sports as they were. Peggy, Kell, and Lizanne lived up to their expectations. Kell competed in the 1948, 1952, 1956, and 1960 Olympics. He won gold medals at the 1955 and 1959 Pan American Games and the 1949 European Championships. Peggy and Lizanne competed as well at the college level. Then, there was Patricia.

Patricia was absolutely uninterested in competitive sports. She enjoyed swimming but not competition swimming. She liked to swim just for fun, which Patricia’s parents were unable to comprehend. Patricia was only somewhat interested in academia. Her math grades were so low that she was rejected from her first choice of colleges. She eventually enrolled in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Soon after graduation, she began working as an actress, an occupation her father thought was “a slim cut above streetwalker.” She appeared in thirty films including “Dial M for Murder,” “Rear Window,” and “High Society,” before she decided to retire at the height of her career. Patricia, the outcast of the family, the girl who was not expected to amount to anything, became the most famous member of the family. Patricia was the middle name of movie star and Princess of Monaco, Grace Kelly.

Sources:

1. Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), August 30, 1920, p.17.

2. Donald Spoto, High Society: the Life of Grace Kelly (New York: Crown Publishers, 2009) 34.

National Make a Difference Day is a yearly event that takes place on the fourth Saturday of October. This year it is observed on Saturday, October 26.

It was established in 1992 by USA Weekend magazine to inspire people to make a positive impact in their communities. The day is a celebration of community spirit. 

When it comes to bass fishing, there are a lot of great lakes in our region of the country that are loaded with trophy-size largemouth bass. Several lakes come to mind — Toledo Bend, Sam Rayburn, Caddo and Lake Fork to name a few. Louisiana has another lake that falls into this same category: Caney Lake, in Jackson Parish. 

Located in the heart of north Louisiana a few miles east of Jonesboro and south of Monroe off state Hwy. 34, Caney Lake pretty much dominates the landscape and has produced many of the top 10 record bass ever caught in Louisiana waters. 

It’s a 5,000-acre lake created by the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries in 1986 as a part of its “Trophy Lake” program; and boy, it has not disappointed. Caney has seen a lot of changes over the years especially when it comes to grass (Hydrilla). It also has a great supply of coon-tail moss, dollar pads and milfoil, creating plenty of quality cover for bass to hide.

From the beginning, as part of the Louisiana Trophy Lake program, a slot limit was introduced from 15 to 19 inches. This slot allowed for good quality fish to spawn and reproduce. This means that any fish caught inside the slot must be released immediately. 

But it was only a few years ago that Caney was anything but a trophy lake as grass carp were introduced and almost destroyed this great fishery. Today, it has rebounded and is loaded with solid areas of grass (Hydrilla) with good structure as well. 

The bass have responded with record fish being brought to the scales. In order to win a tournament on this lake, you’ll need anywhere from 22 to 28 pounds with your best five fish.

On December 28, 2023, a new state record for the largest five-fish stringer came in on Caney as Colby Dark and Gage Struben of the Louisiana Tech Bass Fishing Team weighed-in an incredible 48.6 pound stringer!

But this lake is much more than a bass fishery, as the crappie and bream population is extremely strong. The problem is with great fishing comes a lot of traffic, as anglers from all over the region compete for the better places on the lake. There’s also a good selection of boat docks if that’s your preferred choice of cover. 

The lake is such a beautiful place to go fishing but understand that you may have to sit in line to launch your boat. This is especially true during the peak fishing season of early spring, but there are plenty of ramps to choose from around the lake.  

It’s also a great family lake with plenty of room to ski, tube or just go swimming. Jimmy Davis State Park is an excellent place to set up camp for a long weekend and enjoy a great playground and a really nice beach area. The state park also offers campsites and cabins along with two large family lodges. 

All of this is a testament to how good Caney Lake is today, and it doesn’t appear it will be slowing down anytime soon. If it’s the big bass you’re after, the best time to catch one of these Caney lunkers would be from December through April. 

Assuming you’re looking for a great place to enjoy the great outdoors and maybe catch the biggest bass of your life, take the time to explore Caney Lake. It truly is a hidden gem in north Louisiana.

Due to the recent national TV exposure and publicity from Major League Fishing (MLF), it’s no longer a secret! To learn more about this awesome fishery, go to caneylakelife.com

Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com

Southern Spirit Transmission plans a 324 mile transmission line across North Louisiana to Mississippi to Texas.

Louisiana will not get any electricity from the line.

A new state law protects landowners from expropriation in cases like this.

For More Information, contact Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell at 318-676-7464

Paid Content

Double B & Co present Fall-O-Ween Saturday, October 26 from 5-8pm in Grand Cane Park. There will be games, petting zoo, pumpkin contest, a Makers Market, food vendors, scavenger hunt., lots of candy and  a cake walk. Costumes are encourage. Plenty of photo opportunities.

Red River High School Baseball will hold their 2nd Annual Bulldog Baseball Halloween Costume Scrimmage October 29 at 5pm. Admission $5.

First Baptist Church Coushatta will host Trunk or Treat Wednesday, October 30 from 5-7pm. Events include a jumper, inflatable twister, food, and fellowship. Popcorn and hot dogs will be served.

Red River High School will hold a Blood Drive Thursday, November 7 from 9am-2pm in the RRHS Gym. Donors will receive a Blood Donors Sleigh sweatshirt.

NONE

Congratulations are in order to picker winner Ben Ledbetter for winning Week Seven of the Football Pick’Em Contest in the Red River Parish Journal.

To enter this week’s contest, CLICK HERE!  https://tinyurl.com/RRPJPickem
(Games played on October 25, 2024)

The Red River Parish Journal and American Bank are proud to bring you the 2024 High School Football Pick’em Contest presented by American Bank.

Anyone is eligible to participate for FREE and each week’s winner will go home with a $100.00 cash prize.  Each week the winner will be the participant with the best record out of 10 selected high school football games (ties will be broken by two separate tiebreakers consisting of guessing the total points scored in two of our weekly contests).

The American Bank & Tyler Insurance Agency High School Football Pick’em Contest will be conducted over the 10 regular season weeks of the High School season starting with Week 1 games (Sept. 6) and running through the end of November.

There is no entry fee, just like there is no cost to subscribe to the Red River Parish Journal.

All contest decisions by Red River Parish Journal (RRPJ) management are final. Weekly winners will be notified on Monday and will be requested to take a photo that will run that week in the RRPJ.

Every participant will receive a FREE subscription to the RRPJ, if you’re not already signed up for the easily-navigated, convenient 6:55 a.m. Monday-Wednesday-Friday e-mail. Enjoy it all, for FREE, and enter each week’s contest. You could collect $100.00 each week!

________________________

The Red River Parish Journal wants to thank American Bank & Tyler Insurance Agency for their title and presenting sponsorships of this year’s High School pick’em contest.

We also want to thank Better Finance and C&K BBQ for their Pick’em Partnerships within the contest.

Week 1: Pam Williams
Week 2: Debbie Bamburg
Week 3: Ty Birdsong
Week 4: Taylor Lee
Week 5: Venessa Birdsong
Week 6: Venessa Birdsong
Week 7: Ben Ledbetter

On October 20, 2024, The Coushatta Chute Chapter DAR honored Margaret Jones as their woman in American History for 2024 with a framed recognition certificate, medal, and reception following the meeting. DAR Chapters are encouraged to select a notable woman from their state or community to honor. Mrs. Jones was chosen for her outstanding contribution to the United States military and our community.

Born the second of six children, she met and married Air Force man Lem Jones in 1951. She continues to call Lem “My Hero” to this day. Their 72-year marriage spanned Lem’s military career and the military careers of all four of their boys (3 Air Force, 1 Army). Together, they shared over 120 combined years of service to the nation. She organized 15 moves during this career, lived in four countries, and spent a year alone with four boys while her husband deployed to Vietnam. In a touching tribute to their mother, the sons of Mrs. Jones described their mother’s heroism at home as their father flew 159 combat missions over Vietnam in an F-4.

When her family moved back to Lem’s hometown of Coushatta, she immersed herself in the community. She taught art lessons to the youth and adults, organized charity events, and became an important figure in the First Methodist Church Coushatta. She has been a member of the Coushatta Chamber of Commerce and has been commissioned by several businesses and churches to paint murals and display her art. She has spent a lifetime promoting patriotism and cherishing this community.

Last week, a traffic stop led to the arrests of two Red River Parish residents on drug charges according to Natchitoches Parish Sheriff Stuart Wright.

NPSO Patrol Operations Bureau deputies stopped a 2010 Cadillac CTS in the 1700 block of La. Hwy 6 near Natchitoches on Oct. 15 around 8:29 pm for an altered and obstructed license plate.

Deputies identified the driver of the vehicle as Nikebra N. Guye, 47 of Coushatta.

Deputies say while speaking with Guye, she stated that she purchased the vehicle from a private seller in Shreveport, and the temporary license plate, marked in a magic marker probably came like that when the private seller purchased the vehicle from another seller.”

Deputies smelled a strong marijuana smoke odor coming from Guye’s person. Deputies say when they asked Guye if she had been smoking marijuana, she replied “you only smelling a “black and mild” she had just smoked, then she changed her story stating “she had just smoked marijuana and had about a gram in the vehicle.”

A passenger in the vehicle was identified as Eric V. Kirkendoll, 37 of Coushatta.

A back-up unit responded to assist for officer safety.

During a probable cause search of the vehicle, deputies discovered 2-cellophane bags contacted approximately 9 grams of suspected marijuana and a glass smoking pipe commonly used to smoke illegal narcotics.

A search of Kirkendoll’s person led to the discovery of approximately ½-gram of suspected methamphetamine that he stated that he intended to sell as a “side-hustle” to make some extra money.

Both Guye and Kirkendoll were placed under arrest without incident.

As a result:
– Nikebra Guye, was issued citations for Possession of CDS I Marijuana, Altered License Plate and Expired License Plate.
Guye was released pending a court appearance.
-Eric V. Kirkendoll, was transported and booked into the Natchitoches Parish Detention Center charged with Possession of CDS I Marijuana, Possession of CDS II Methamphetamine and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

The seized evidence will be submitted to the crime lab for narcotics analysis. No mughsot image available for Guye who was issued citations and released at scene.

Involved in the arrests were: Deputy Cpl. D. Halliburton and Deputy T. Hortman.

By Jeanni Ritchie

Joe Domina, known to many as Backpacker Joe, is returning to Central Louisiana as he drives back to his home In Indiana.

Backpacker Joe began a cross-country trip across America on foot in August of 2023. His goal was to pray for America while specifically praying against the love of money, attention/distractions, status, fear of man, and sex outside of marriage. Mid-journey he added self-preservation to his list as he began noticing how much fear was in the people of this country and their coping mechanism became control.

I understood that well as it was one of the last things I was able to let go of in my quest to fully surrender to the Lord. Joe simply quotes John 12:25: Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. (NLT)

In all, Backpacker Joe traveled 3375 miles in 346 days, attending masses and other denominational services, visiting sacred shrines, filling eight journals, and meeting and praying with people along the way. He relied on the Lord for food and shelter, staying on the side of the road, in backyards, at bus stations, gas stations, cornfields, with friends and family and welcoming hosts, restaurant drive-throughs, in offered Airbnbs, and once on a Hollywood sidewalk. The purpose was never about time or distance but the journey itself.

In some ways it was two different journeys. He’d traveled for five months in relative anonymity before reaching Natchez, Mississippi where his story began circulating on social media. By the time he reached Central Louisiana, Joe was somewhat of a celebrity. People drove up and down highways hoping for a #backpackerjoe sighting. Cards were stuffed with gifts and well-wishes. Photos were taken and plastered to social media.

Lakin Gremillion created the Facebook page Where Is Backpacker Joe? and thousands followed his journey through the rest of the country as well as posted their own encounters.

The journey would once again be quieter as he left Louisiana though the Lord sent a companion in a young man named “Elijah.” Elijah and Joe met on the road after he left Louisiana, both traveling for Christ and joined together for the remainder of the trek. Without the prominence he’d had in Louisiana, it was at times harder but also more rewarding.

Joe recounts the time they were thirsty and tired with nothing in sight for miles as they walked across the Texas Panhandle. Out of nowhere a truck pulled up and offered them water. Seeing God provide for your needs without ever voicing them is a powerful lesson in faith.

I can’t help but think that Louisiana, a nearly halfway point in Backpacker Joe’s journey both in time and distance, was a gift from the Lord. It was a mountaintop experience and reward for Joe’s obedience. One can never stay on the mountaintop, the work must be done in the valley, but you can certainly celebrate while you’re there.

There was cause to celebrate. In the Lord’s divine timing, Backpacker Joe turned 30 as he traveled from Alexandria to Natchitoches. Driving up to deliver cards to Joe on his birthday, we were visiting on the side of the road as a dozen cars drove by waving and shouting “Happy Birthday” to a stranger the entire state had wrapped its arms around. It was incredible.

After arriving on the beaches of Santa Monica with Elijah and Joe’s mom Keltie who’d flown to California to walk the last day of the journey with her son, Joe spent some time in Las Vegas with family. He then began the slow drive back to Indiana stopping at National Parks along the way. He is scheduled to arrive in Louisiana this week.

“I am so grateful for all of the help and prayers from everyone. I definitely felt the love in Louisiana,” Joe shares. It is why he’s been planning a return visit.

Wanting to visit with those he met as well as those who didn’t get a chance to meet him, Joe has scheduled an informal meet and greet in Natchitoches on Friday, October 25 from 12-3 PM at StoryBrew Coffee Cafe, 780 Front Street Suite 104.

On Saturday, October 26 we will host a reception at Our Lady of Prompt Succor Church’s Divine Providence Center from 12-3 PM. The reception will be open to the public. There is no cost to attend but we would greatly appreciate guests bringing a dessert or appetizer. The DPC is located at 530 21st Street, Alexandria.

Welcome back to Louisiana, Backpacker Joe!

For more info on these events or how you can help, email Jeanni at jeanniritchie54@gmail.com.

To enter this week’s contest, CLICK HERE! https://form.jotform.com/241823431109146
(Games played on October 25, 2024)

Are you ready for some football?!?

Bigger question. Are you ready to win $100.00 in cash and prizes each week?

The Red River Parish Journal and American Bank are proud to bring you the 2024 High School Football Pick’em Contest presented by American Bank.

Anyone is eligible to participate for FREE and each week’s winner will go home with a $100.00 cash prize.  Each week the winner will be the participant with the best record out of 10 selected high school football games (ties will be broken by two separate tiebreakers consisting of guessing the total points scored in two of our weekly contests).

The American Bank & Tyler Insurance Agency High School Football Pick’em Contest will be conducted over the 10 regular season weeks of the High School season starting with Week 1 games (Sept. 6) and running through the end of November.

There is no entry fee, just like there is no cost to subscribe to the Red River Parish Journal.

All contest decisions by Red River Parish Journal (RRPJ) management are final. Weekly winners will be notified on Monday and will be requested to take a photo that will run that week in the RRPJ.

Every participant will receive a FREE subscription to the RRPJ, if you’re not already signed up for the easily-navigated, convenient 6:55 a.m. Monday-Wednesday-Friday e-mail. Enjoy it all, for FREE, and enter each week’s contest. You could collect $100.00 each week!

________________________

The Red River Parish Journal wants to thank American Bank & Tyler Insurance Agency for their title and presenting sponsorships of this year’s High School pick’em contest.

We also want to thank Better Finance and C&K BBQ for their Pick’em Partnerships within the contest.

Early voting began on October 18 for the Nov 5, 2024, election. By the end of the third day of voting, 605 had cast ballots in Red River Parish. Statics from Friday-Monday show that 409 voted in person and 196 absentee ballots.

Other statistics include:
360 Female and 245 Male
399 White
197 Black
9 Other
251 Democrat
296 Republican
58 Other

Voting numbers by District:
District One: 82
District Two: 79
District Three: 81
District Four: 67
District Five: 89
District Six: 75
District Seven: 132

Please pick the beep you like best.

Beep is defined as “a short, relatively high-pitched tone produced by a horn, electronic device, or the like as a signal, summons, or warning.” It is also a way of describing how some forms of media edit out unseemly words. If I were doing this on the radio you might hear, “Oh BEEP, I dropped the hot casserole dish on the floor after I removed it from the microwave upon hearing the aforementioned microwave emit a beep.” Beep is example of onomatopoeia.

I’m wondering if you have discovered that beeps have become BEEP annoying.

The microwave cooks food quickly and it beeps. Mine will emit a beep until you open the door or select the stop button. I guess the microwave doesn’t want you to forget the sumptuous TV dinner you have just warmed up for your evening repast.

The oven beeps. It beeps when it is heated to the selected temperature. It beeps when there is one minute remaining for the cooking time. It beeps until you hit the shut up button and turn the timer off. The oven will beep at you all night until you do something.

The house alarm system beeps. It beeps when you turn it on or off, when the power is interrupted for more than three minutes or so. I guess if the house is burning down or being burglarized the thing will beep. If the power goes off and you don’t reset the alarm, it beeps until you reset it acknowledging the “power went off recently and stayed off a while” beep. Each button you press on the control panel beeps when you press it. That is four beeps to set the alarm which then does this chirping beep thing to let you know it is set. It then beeps to let you know you have a certain number of seconds to get out of the BEEPING house before alarm goes off.

To avoid the beeping madness, I escaped to the BEEPING car. The car has a mystery beep that I have yet to interpret. I have one of those pushbutton cars. Sometimes when I shut it off and open the door, it beeps at me. I have yet to figure out what I have done wrong or what I have left on for the car to protest my exit. Maybe the car is saying, “Bye.”

The car beeps at me when I’m too close to another car, the wall at the bank drive thru, when someone is crossing behind me in the parking lot, when I change lanes without signaling, when I change radio stations, and when I select the apps button to turn on the map functions.

This morning, I pulled into the office parking space. The car beeped at me. I sat down at my desk and my computer was doing some kind of beeping about something Bill Gates and Microsoft didn’t like. Oh BEEP!!!

Because things beep at us, we develop a BEEPING immunity. I was only paying attention because I was researching the beeps around me.

We condition ourselves to filter out the annoyances of life, such as the things that beep.

Please Lord do not allow us to filter out people, they are not annoyances but people you love for whom you died. I need to go now and spend time confessing my sins in this area, what about you?

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

You can contact Doug at dougsponderings@gmail.com

WASHINGTON, DC — Over the next two weeks, Speaker Johnson’s district staff will host satellite office hours throughout Louisiana’s 4^th Congressional District to assist constituents who need assistance navigating federal agencies.

The district staff members will be available to assist Louisianians with federal agency programs such as Social Security, Medicare, military and veterans’ issues. Staff are also available to help constituents obtain the status of pending cases and check the status of passport applications. 

Additional dates and times will be announced later this week. For additional information or questions, please call Speaker Johnson’s Bossier City Office at 318-840-0309.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23

Caddo Parish

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM

Vivian Town Hall

112 West Alabama Ave.

Vivian, LA 71082

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25

Claiborne Parish

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Haynesville Town Hall

1711 Main St.

Haynesville, LA 71038

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25

Bienville Parish

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Ringgold Town Hall

2135 Hall St.

Ringgold, LA 71068

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30

Allen Parish

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM

Kinder City Hall

333 8^th St.

Kinder, LA 70648

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30

Union Parish

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Town of Farmerville City Hall

1024 Sterlington Hwy.

Farmerville, LA 71241 

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30

Evangeline Parish

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Evangeline Public Library, Ville Platte Branch

916 W. Main St.

Ville Platte, LA 70586

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 30

Beauregard Parish

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

South Beauregard Recreation Center

6719 Hwy. 12

Ragley, LA 70657

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31

Vernon Parish

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM

Hornbeck Town Hall

939 Hammond St.

Hornbeck, LA 71439

While it’s the thought that counts, maybe it’s not the best idea to buy your preacher a case of beer to show your thanks during Pastor Appreciation Month. 

Not that there’s anything wrong with that. But … there’s a time and place for everything under the sun and, well, maybe just a gift certificate for supper or groceries would be more appropriate. 

Or a loaf of home-baked bread, leavened or unleavened.

Truth be told, we should have written this three weeks ago or at least two Sundays ago, but as things turn out, it’s perfect that it’s now.

It’s “perfect” in that October is Pastor Appreciation Month and the second Sunday of the month is (the official) Pastor Appreciation Sunday and now it’s late October and some of us (me?) are three weeks and a Sunday or two behind in getting around to thanking the preacher. 

Oops. “Though our sins were many …”

Not many of us really believe this, but pastors are people too. You know … more or less.

I grew up with one. Right there in my house. 

There is no angel that shows up once a month and changes the batteries in the preacher or priest or rabbi who shepherds your congregation. At least not in the Southern Baptist preacher I grew up with. 

Once my dad got his times mixed up and fell asleep in the easy chair when he was supposed to be officiating a wedding. Had his gall bladder out. Got a few speeding tickets. Got a few more. Said a dirty word, unrehearsed, when he walked up on a snake while looking over a tiny lot of land that was being cleared; the beautiful thing about that experience was he was with the deacons — the church was constructing a little building out back — and it was right before Wednesday night prayer meeting.

Good times.

Daddy shared with the Wednesday night flock what had just happened. He did not, thank God, share word-for-word.

The point is, they are human and have feelings and are never off the clock and can never turn the clock back, even if they walk up on a snake and wish they could. 

Bringing sheaves in can be a tough job for laymen and pastors alike, but the difference is that, if you see either at the hardware store, you’re more likely to ask one to help you find the caulk (15 seconds) and the other to help you with your crazy nephew or divorce proceedings, (which could take a hardware store eternity, and to make matters worse, the preacher is likely there on his ‘day off’).

We can start small and believe that little things really do mean a lot. My gift to the preacher this month is just to try not to get on his nerves. Each of us is gifted, remember, in some way. Still a week to go to see if I can pull that off.

You can honor your pastor too. Don’t put anything mean in the suggestion box. Stay in the sanctuary until the hymn of invitation is over. Maybe smile? 

It’s the little things. 

Pastors also accept gift certificates and, if memory serves, meat they can put in the deep freeze. 

We read stories of pastors who have stumbled or ones who are asking their congregations for another jet plane, or both. It’s a hard and often strange life for us all.

But in my experience, most pastors are like most people in that they’d do just about anything for you. Like we are, they are set upon by the same lightning bolts, big and small, the rest of us are trying to dodge, they are serving in just about the hardest job to do well that there is, and they are trying to love the flock as best as they possibly can.

They’re probably doing it much better than we could.

About that beer. Daddy told the guy, “Well, I appreciate it. Very much. But it’s not something I can use. If you know of anybody…”

And the church member said, “Well, I mean, if you’re not gonna drink it, I guess, well…”

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

Mark your calendars for Thursday, October 24, from 5-8pm in Prather Coliseum for NSU Basketball’s premiere pre-season event. There will be a live DJ, 3-point contest, dunk contest, giveaways, player introductions, season ticket pick-up, and more!

The last Fourth Friday Fish Fry of 2024 at Clara Springs Baptist Camp will be this Friday, October 25 from 5-7pm. Hosted by Salem Baptist Church. It is Pastor Appreciation Day. Pastors and their spouses 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.

First Baptist Church Coushatta will host Trunk or Treat on Wednesday, October 30 from 5-7pm in the church parking lot facing Ringgold Ave. Enjoy fun, fellowship and food including a jumper and inflatable twister as well as popcorn & hot dogs!

A beginning ceramics class, “Playing in the Mud,” will be offered through Northwestern State University’s Office of Electronic Learning and Global Education starting Nov. 7. The class will be held on Thursday from 6-8pm through Dec. 19 in Room 113 of the Fine Arts Annex. The fee is $150 plus a $20 material fee paid directly to the instructor on the first night of class. Enrollment to the class is limited. For more information or to register for classes, go to checkout.nsula.edu or call (800) 376-2422 or (318) 357-6355.