The Red River Parish Journal wants to thank American Bank for once again being the title sponsor for this year’s Football Pick’em contest. Tyler Insurance Agency is the anchor sponsorship for a second year in a row.  These two businesses love football and love to see you win.   

We also want to thank BOM, Red River Council on Aging, David Beard Builders, 4B Garage, Jimmy Keel-Greg Tilley’s, Pathway Tire, and Tray Murray-State Farm for their Pick’em Partnerships within the contest. If you would like to be a Pick’em Partner, email redriverparishjournal@gmail.com for more details. Only a limited number of slots remain.

Are you ready for some football?!?

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

The Red River Parish Journal and American Bank are proud to bring you the 2025 Football Pick’em Contest anchored by Tyler Insurance.

START PICKING NOW – This week’s contests –>   2025 Pick Em Form

Each week the picking will remain open until 4 p.m. on Thursdays.

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 college and high school football games (ties will be broken by tiebreaker consisting of guessing the total points scored in one of our weekly contests).

The American Bank and Tyler Insurance Agency Football Pick’em Contest will be conducted over 10 regular-season weeks of the season, starting with Week 1 games (August 28-31) 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 be our first winner!

Week 1: Charles Crockett
Week 2: Michael Birdsong

Monday, September 22

Partly cloudy. High 91F. Winds S at 5 to 10mph.

Mostly clear skies overnight. Low 72F. Winds light and variable. 

Tuesday, September 23

Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 92F. Winds S at 5 to 10mph.

Partly cloudy skies early followed by increasing clouds with showers developing overnight. Low 73F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.

 BATON ROUGE, La.—Secretary of State Nancy Landry announces that newly redesigned absentee voting envelopes will be used for the October 11 elections. Voters who have requested an absentee ballot for the upcoming elections should expect to see these redesigned envelopes in the coming days.

“Our redesigned absentee ballot envelopes come with larger print and easier-to-read instructions,” Secretary Landry said. “These envelopes will ensure that voters more clearly understand how to vote absentee-by-mail while maintaining the stringent election security measures Louisiana deserves and expects.”

Voters are encouraged to view this video, produced by the Secretary of State’s Office, which explains how to vote absentee-by-mail using these new envelopes.

Voters with any questions should contact the Secretary of State’s Elections Division at 800.883.2805 or their parish Registrar of Voters Office.

Partner Rodney Harrington says that with the proliferation of leasing going on in Natchitoches and surrounding parishes, many landowners are at a loss of what they should do and whether or not they are making the right move to lease their property.

Harrington said he worked many years as a petroleum land man meeting with landowners on behalf of oil and gas leasing companies to try and convince them to lease their property.  

“It’s usually a good idea to lease your land as opposed to leaving it unleased,” said Harrington, “But you want to make certain you are making the best deal possible and that the terms of the lease are the most favorable to you.”

“You need to remember that the agents working for the leasing companies, or ‘lease hounds,’ as they are sometimes called.”  Harrington continued, “They are trying to get the best deal possible for their company and lease your property under the terms most favorable to them.  That’s their job.”  Harrington also said that his previous employment as a petroleum land man gives him a unique perspective.

“I know how these guys think,” he said.  “It’s not that they’re trying to take advantage of landowners for the most part, it’s just that, as I said, their job is to make the best deal possible for their employer.”  He did say there are also some “bad actors” out there.

Harrington said that he has recently represented several clients in Natchitoches Parish in lease negotiations and has been able to obtain significant increases in the bonus payments they were offered and significant improvements to their lease terms.  He also worked extensively in the field during the first Haynesville Shale Boom several years ago.

The Harrington Law Firm is an AV Rated firm by Martindale-Hubble, ranking it in the top 10% of all law firms in the nation.            

The attorneys also represent clients in the areas of Personal Injury, Bankruptcy, Social Security Disability, Wills and Successions.

You can reach Rodney Harrington at the Harrington Law Firm at 352-5900 or call that number for a free consultation. 

The SEC will announce the football opponents for the next four years for every SEC school on a one-hour television special, SEC Now: 2026-29 Football Opponents Reveal, scheduled for Tuesday Sept 23 at 6pm on SEC Network.

Victorious Life Ministries will present Times of Refreshing Revival Wed Sept 24 at 7pm. Pastor Derrick Newton will serve as the Revivalist. 

Join the Shreveport-Bossier Astronomical Society, Inc. to celebrate National Astronomy Day and the 35th Anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope with an evening observation session at the Shreveport Observatory on Sat Sept 27 from 7:30 to 10pm.

Northwestern State University will hold a ribbon-cutting for Dr. Robert Alost Hall, the university’s state-of-the-art academic hub that opened this semester. The ceremony will take place at 3pm Fri Oct 3 in conjunction with the university’s Homecoming festivities.

Alost Hall is located at 160 Sam Sibley Drive, the former site of Caddo Hall, a 1960s residential facility that was razed in preparation for the new building. Alost Hall replaces John S. Kyser Hall, constructed in 1968, as the university’s main academic building. Parking for the ribbon-cutting will be available at the adjacent commuter parking lot.The ribbon-cutting is one event in a full slate planned for Homecoming weekend.  For a full schedule, visit www.northwesternstatealumni.com/homecoming. 

The NW Region Red River Research Station will host the Louisiana Homesteader Conference Oct 17-18. It will feature 15 expert speakers discussing a wide range of topics. There will be over 100 vendors showcasing their products, fun activities for kids and several food trucks.

Textron Aviation Defense is kicking off a nationwide tour showcasing the Beechcraft M-346N’s advanced capabilities as a ready-now solution for the US Navy’s Undergraduate Jet Training System. 

According to Louisiana Crawfish, purging crawfish requires holding crawfish in an aerated, freshwater system for 12 to 24 hours or more.

Shreveport Regional Airport announced it had its busiest summer in 44 years, and it was also the fourth busiest summer in the airport’s 23-year-history.

NONE

The Red River Parish Rodeo is this weekend!  Tonight and tomorrow night at 7pm. 

Admission is just $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for children, making it an affordable outing for the whole family. This year’s lineup will feature classic crowd favorites, including mutton bustin’ and the always popular calf scramble. 

Every child that attends a Red River Parish school was given a COMPLIMENTARY RODEO TICKET that admits one child with a paying adult.

This year’s rodeo is dedicated to Henry Horton. The dedication presentation will take place during the rodeo Saturday night. 

Mabile’s Corner Pharmacy will provide flu shots at the Red River Council on Aging, 1824 Front Street,  Friday, October 3 from 8-10am. 

Bring your insurance, Medicaid and/or Medicare cards with you.

RRCOA is not responsible for any payments. 

Matt Vines

EAST POINT – After two road games resulted in shutout losses, the Riverdale Academy football team will certainly be glad to be back in the friendly confines of their own stadium Friday.

The Rebels (0-3) will host Porter’s Chapel Academy (1-3) after facing three power programs to start the season.

Riverdale’s offense has been hampered by injury, particularly to quarterback Tanner Carlisle.

Head coach Nathan Edie said Carlisle is improving each day, and he can’t wait to see what a fully healthy Carlisle will look like.

“Tanner is getting better, but it’s a slow process that’s frustrating him,” Edie said. “He wants to be at full speed, but the body only heals so fast.

“He is getting more comfortable at the quarterback position and is beginning to understand more of what he has to do.”

The Rebels are familiar with navigating quarterback injuries after Ashton Almond missed time at several points of 2024, and Almond is banged up after playing a role in which he lines up at running back or receiver.

Almond will be a game-time decision with Edie adding that the offense and defense are preparing for both scenarios.

Riverdale’s offense has managed just six points in its first three games, but the Porter’s Chapel defense has struggled at times against a similarly tough schedule.

The Vicksburg, Miss., school is coming off a 46-14 loss to Claiborne Academy and fell 44-14 to Briarfield earlier this season.

The Eagles’ defense has also had good showings in a 42-14 win against Kemper Academy and a 20-14 loss to Wilkinson County Christian Academy.

Riverdale has two common opponents with PCA, losing to Briarfield (48-0) and Claiborne (50-6).
Edie said the Rebels will need to match PCA’s aggressiveness.

“PCA has competed well against some very good teams,” Edie said. “I think they are a very athletic group who likes to be aggressive on both sides of the ball.

“They like to blitz a lot, so we need to be able to pick that up and stay away from negative plays. They key for us will be to not shy away from their aggressiveness and to attack them.”

Friday, September 19

Mainly sunny with a few afternoon clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. High 92F. Winds light and variable.

A few clouds overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 66F. Winds light and variable. 

Saturday, September 20

Sunny with some afternoon clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 94F. Winds light and variable.

A few clouds overnight. Low 69F. Winds light and variable. 

Sunday, September 21

Sunny with a few clouds. High 91F. Winds light and variable. 

A few clouds from time to time overnight. Low 71F. Winds light and variable.

Matt Vines

When the Red River football team heads to perennial football power Oak Grove on Friday, coach Travis Gary wants his Bulldogs to take a lesson learned in the St. Mary’s win this past week.

“The main take away from the St. Mary’s win is that we cannot allow our opponent to have more energy and play with more effort than us,” Gary said. “We’ve applied that by bringing high energy all week in practice.”

The Bulldogs (1-1) will need to more than match Oak Grove’s energy, a team that beat Red River 55-8 in 2024 en route to a No. 3 seed in the Division III Non-Select playoffs.

The Tigers are a household name built on country toughness that’s maintained its elite status long after the Vic Dalrymple days.

“They have a championship pedigree, so we have to come in and match it if not double the intensity they bring,” Gary said. “We have to execute and eliminate mental errors and play with as much energy and effort as possible.”

Accomplish that, and the Bulldogs will likely be satisfied no matter the end result.

It’s not like Oak Grove (1-1) is indestructible – the Tigers got blown out by Calvary Baptist 30-7 in the opener.

But Oak Grove rebounded with a 53-21 win against Crossett (Ark.), starting with 25 first-quarter points.
The Tigers jumped out to a big lead against Red River this past season as well, so the Bulldogs will be ready coming off the bus and start fast.

While Red River is already posting better results than the 2024 team that started 1-4 but won its first district title since 2005, Gary said his guys are coming along in the new schemes the first-year head coach installed.

“We are learning,” Gary said. “This system is new to these guys.

“We’ve worked on it all summer, but when the bullets are flying, things are a little different. I see that we’re adjusting and that the game is beginning to slow down for us.”

Peggy Lou Snyder was born in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1909. Peggy Lou’s adventures in the entertainment industry began when she was just six weeks old and her parents brought her onstage in a play in which they were performing. Peggy Lou’s father, Roy Hilliard Snyder, was an actor and director at the Princess Theater in Des Moines. Her mother, Hazel, was a musical comedy actress. Roy and Hazel adopted Roy’s middle name, Hilliard, as their professional last name. At three years old, Peggy Lou got her first speaking role in a comedic play called “Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch.” When not in school, Peggy Lou was working on the stage with and, as she got older, without her parents.

In 1930, Peggy Lou and her parents moved to New York City for more acting opportunities. In August of that year, she began a brief and troubled marriage with comedian Roy Sedley. In 1931, Peggy Lou appeared in her first film entitled “Musical Justice,” in which she fittingly played the wife in a divorce hearing. It was her first of many films. In 1932, Oswald, an attorney who decided he enjoyed playing his saxophone and singing with his band more than practicing law, met Peggy Lou when she was the mistress of ceremonies at a New York night club. Soon thereafter, the band leader hired Peggy Lou to share vocal duties in his band. “It was strictly a business arrangement initially,” Peggy Lou later explained, but when her marriage ended, she married the band leader. In the following year, Peggy Lou made her radio debut.

Peggy Lou was a star of every entertainment medium of the era. She was performing on stage, on recordings, and on radio with her husband, and she was also acting in Hollywood films. Her schedule was hectic. In 1936, her schedule grew more hectic when she had her first child, a son named David. Four years later, she had a son named Eric. Peggy Lou struggled to balance her career and family. Something had to give. Between 1931 and 1944, in addition to her other performances, Peggy Lou had appeared in 19 films. Then, Peggy Lou and her husband decided that she would pause her film career, and they would focus more on their family. Before you judge her husband too harshly, it was he who came up with a plan in which the whole family could spend every day working together. Twenty years later, she said, “I’m Lucky. How many actresses get the chance to work with their family every day?” It was a whole new adventure.

You may not remember Peggy Lou for her film career which included roles in Hollywood classics such as “Follow the Fleet” with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, “Cocoanut Grove” with co-star Fred MacMurray, and “Honeymoon Lodge,” which also featured her husband. You have probably never heard the names Peggy Lou Snyder or Peggy Lou Hilliard, but for 22 years, she entertained millions of people on radio and television as America’s favorite mother. You see, Peggy Lou’s most notable adventures began when she, under her lifelong stage name, created with her husband a radio show which evolved into a television show called “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.”

Sources:

1. The Cedar Rapids Gazette, August 29, 1976, p.40.

2. The York Dispatch, October 4, 1994, p.2.

3. The Des Moines Register, December 24, 2000, p.19.

4. “Harriet Nelson,” IMDb.com, accessed September 7, 2025, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0384948/?ref_=tt_cst_t_2

Department confirms fifth resident death, 26 cases

Baton Rouge, La. (September 16, 2025) — The Louisiana Department of Health is confirming the fifth death this year from Vibrio vulnificus and continuing to urge residents to take precautions to prevent infection. The Department is still seeing a higher number of Vibrio cases and deaths than are typically reported. 

Vibrio are bacteria that naturally live in coastal waters and are found in higher numbers from May to October, when water temperatures are warmer. Vibrio bacteria can cause illness when an open wound is exposed to coastal waters or when a person eats raw or undercooked seafood, particularly oysters. 

About a dozen species of Vibrio can cause human illness, including gastrointestinal illness, wound infections, or blood poisoning (septicemia). Some Vibrio species, such as Vibrio vulnificus, can cause severe and life-threatening infections. Many people with Vibrio vulnificus infection can become seriously ill and need intensive care or limb amputation. About 1 in 5 people with this infection die, sometimes within a day or two of becoming ill.

So far in 2025, 26 cases have been reported among Louisiana residents. All of these patients were hospitalized, and five of these illnesses resulted in death. Of those 26 cases, 85% reported wound/seawater exposure, and 24 of the 26 (92%) are reported to have at least one underlying health condition. During the same time period over the previous 10 years, an average of 10 Vibrio vulnificus cases and one death have been reported annually in Louisiana.

Nationally, 150 to 200 cases of Vibrio vulnificus are reported annually in the U.S., with approximately 50% of cases occurring in Gulf States (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida). To date, in the U.S., Louisiana and Florida have seen the greatest number of cases and deaths.

Anyone can get a Vibrio infection. However, some medical conditions and treatments can increase your risk for infection and severe complications, including:

• Having liver disease, cancer, diabetes, HIV, or thalassemia,
• Receiving immune-suppressing therapy for the treatment of a disease,
• Taking medicine that decreases stomach acid levels, and
• Having had recent stomach surgery.

Signs and symptoms

• Gastrointestinal infection:
• Watery diarrhea
• Stomach cramps
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Fever
• Chills

• Vibrio wound infection:
• Fever
• Redness
• Pain
• Swelling
• Warmth
• Discoloration 
• Discharge

• Vibrio bloodstream infection:
• Fever
• Chills
• Dangerously low blood pressure
• Blistering skin lesions

Precautions that can help keep you safe

• Stay out of brackish or salt water if you have a wound (including cuts and scrapes), or cover your wound with a waterproof bandage if there’s a possibility it could come into contact with brackish or salt water, raw seafood, or raw seafood juices.
• Wash wounds and cuts thoroughly with soap and water if they have been exposed to brackish or salt water, raw seafood, or raw seafood juices.
• If you develop a skin infection, tell your medical provider if your skin has come into contact with brackish or salt water, raw seafood, or raw seafood juices.
• Use caution when consuming raw or undercooked seafood, especially if you have a weakened immune system, are pregnant, or have certain medical conditions like liver or stomach disorders.
• Always wash your hands with soap and water after handling raw shellfish.
• Avoid contaminating cooked seafood with raw seafood and their juices.

If you are in a group at higher risk for severe infection:

• Wear clothes and shoes that can protect you from cuts and scrapes when in brackish or salt water.
• Wear protective gloves when handling raw seafood.

For more information

• About Vibrio Infection
• Preventing Vibrio Infection

About the Louisiana Department of Health

The Louisiana Department of Health strives to protect and promote health statewide and to ensure access to medical, preventive, and rehabilitative services for all state residents. The Louisiana Department of Health includes the Office of Public Health, Office of Aging and Adult Services, Office of Behavioral Health, Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities, Office on Women’s Health and Community Health, and Healthy Louisiana (Medicaid). To learn more, visit ldh.la.gov or follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Media Contacts:
Emma Herrock, Communications Director
emma.herrock@la.gov

Laila Elagamy, Press Secretary
laila.elagamy@la.gov

LSUS is hosting the fifth annual Conference for Young Adult Literature Louisiana on Nov. 7 in the Noel Memorial Library.

The day-long event begins at 9 a.m. and ends with an evening keynote reception by young adult author Brittany N. Williams.

Educators will receive seven continuing education hours (0.7 CE units) for participation.

Registration cost is $40 with students gaining access for $20.

“The conference is aimed at college, high school and middle school educators, students in teacher education programs, literature majors, librarians, and young adult scholars,” said Brian Sherman, dean of LSUS’s Noel Memorial Library. “It’s a great opportunity to connect with fellow educators, share best practices, and collaborate to promote learning strategies for young adults.

“Aspiring educators are able to hear from current educators on how they integrate current young adult novels into the curriculum and how they teach traditional texts with modern adaptations.”

Attendees can learn in 14 different sessions throughout the day, varying from how “Harry Potter” inspires young readers to explore traditional narratives to young adult adaptions of “The Tragedy of Hamlet.”
Other sessions include exploring environmentalism for all ages through “Jurassic World,” responding to young adults with interactive storytelling, and teaching Gen Z in the age of artificial intelligence.

“This conference is also a venue for discussing how advocates can best serve teens in helping them overcome adversity in their lives and creating programming that allows young adults to learn and grow,” Sherman said.

The keynote speaker Williams is the author of the young adult historical fantasy “That Self-Same Metal,” which is the first book in the Forge & Fracture Saga. Other titles include “Saint Seducing Gold” and “Iron Tongue of Midnight.”

A classically-trained actress who studied musical theatre at Howard University and Shakespearean performance at the Royal Central School of Speech & Drama in London, Williams published short stories in The Gambit Weekly, Fireside Magazine and the Star Wars anthology “From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back.”

For more information, email cyall@lsus.edu or call 318-798-4131.

Today we are going to throw a few spitballs and see what sticks. This article is going to cover what’s going in our world today and what needs to be talked about.

In the bass fishing world, congratulations to Team USA for winning the World Championship., topping teams from Japan, Germany, Canada, Italy, Portugal and Serbia to name a few. Bass fishing truly has become a global sport that may become an Olympic sport one day.

One of the members of Team USA was fishing pro Jacob Wheeler, who just won his fourth Major League Fishing (MLF) Angler of the Year title. This guy continues to set the bar for all anglers with incredible consistency and his total domination of the sport.

Speaking of domination, there’s a young man in East Texas who has made a name for himself as a consistent winner. Longview’s Zach Fogle is someone we’ll remember. He has been the American Bass Anglers (ABA) Angler of the Year the past two seasons.

Zach will be taking his fishing to the next level next year with the Toyota Series and the BFL’S. All of us are glad to see Zach move up in the world as we’re all tired of donating to his future fishing endeavors!

Next, let’s talk about one of the legends of bass fishing announcing his retirement. For 30 years California’s Skeet Reece has set the standard for what it means to be a professional angler. Other than Kevin Van Dam, no one has capitalized on their fishing success better than Skeet.

He’s an angler known for his business prowess and bright yellow fishing rods, truck and shoes. He’s a master at branding and taking advantage of the worldwide bass fishing market. I would like to wish Skeet happy days in his retirement.

Nothing is more exciting than the start of football season and nothing goes by faster as we are already into Week 3 or 4 depending on what state you’re in (Texas high schools kick off a week earlier than on this side of the Sabine River and Toledo Bend). The Dallas Cowboys have been a pleasant surprise as they opened playing very competitively with their conference rival, the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. In Week 2 the ‘Boys defeated the New York Giants in an overtime thriller, 40-37.

With football well underway, it means that hunting season is here, starting with dove season. A dove hunt is nothing more than a social gathering that gets hunters excited to pull the trigger. A passing cold front, days getting shorter, and fall foliage puts everything in motion for all hunters.

To all those who will be hitting the woods and waterways this fall for both bucks and ducks, we would like to wish each of you success in whatever game you’re pursuing. ‘Til next time, happy hunting!

Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com.

By Nolan Mckendry Sep 16, 2025

(The Center Square) – Louisiana’s new Task Force on Energy Infrastructure and Modernization held its first meeting Monday, kicking off what members called a critical effort to plan for the state’s long-term power needs as demand rises from data centers and other large-scale economic development projects.

“In the past, we’ve never really had a plan,” said Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metarie. “Our economic development opportunities – not only in north Louisiana, but in south Louisiana as well – are dependent upon having reliable power. We can’t have all of our projects be beholden to or held up by whether utilities can meet demand. That’s not fair to the taxpayers of Louisiana.”Members stressed that the state’s aging infrastructure is not fully prepared for the growth that is coming.

“Power is something we never thought we’d run out of, but now we’re seeing the demand,” Henry said. “We’re going to work with utilities and regulators, not compete with them, to figure out the best way to improve our grid and supply power for residents and businesses.”

The meeting included the election of Sen. Beth Mizell, R-Franklinton, as chair and a presentation on the state’s “Drive Initiative,” which will reorganize the Department of Energy and Natural Resources to better coordinate with the Louisiana Public Service Commission and attract federal funding for grid and power studies.

“We’ve changed our Office of Energy into a standalone office within the department,” Dustin Davidson, an energy department official, told the committee. “That allows us to partner with LPSC, universities, and even national labs to determine what the state’s energy mix should look like going forward.”

The Department of Energy and Natural Resources will soon be renamed the Department of Conservation and Energy.

Economic development officials told the task force that more than 200 projects are currently in the pipeline and that “power is the chief concern of every single one of them.” Data centers, in particular, are demanding reliable electricity and large quantities of water, placing pressure on both grid and groundwater resources.

“We have a lot of data centers that are very interested in moving down to Louisiana,” Davidson said. “And that is a huge benefit that we have and we are working closely with LED. We have taken the initiative to try to identify those permits and those actions that are needed in order to make that process as smooth as possible.”

Members discussed solutions including natural gas generation, battery storage, potential nuclear projects, and better groundwater mapping to protect drinking water while still supplying new industry. They also reviewed the recent LPSC approval of several combined-cycle natural gas units with ratepayer protections and efforts to fast-track needed generation through MISO, the regional grid operator.

Industry representatives emphasized the need for flexibility in how the new generation is developed.

“If you can develop models that allow companies to purchase power without owning or leasing generation, that unlocks new opportunities to bring generation to Louisiana that isn’t just through the utilities,” said Randy Young, a partner at Kean Miller.

Kean Miller is a legal firm that defends and strategizes with major energy industries.

The task force plans to meet over the coming months to develop recommendations.

The final Farmers Market & Maker’s Fair is tomorrow on Front Street from 7-11am. Vendors are still being accepted.

Sprout Organics is recalling some of its baby food pouches because they could be contaminated with elevated levels of lead.

The Federal Reserve announced it is cutting interest rates by a quarter-point and projected it would do so twice more this year.

The Natchitoches Meat Pie Festival is this weekend, Sept 19 & 20 in downtown Natchitoches. Tonight opens at 6pm and tomorrow at 9am with bands starting at 11:30am.

The Kiwanis Club of Natchitoches is hosting its 9th annual Kiwanis 5K Color Run and Pancake Festival. The event will take place at Northwestern State University’s Collin’s Pavilion on September 20, 2025. A full pancake breakfast will be available from 7-11 am. The pancakes will be FREE to all guests. At 8am, 1-mile fun run begins and at 8:45am the 5K Color Run kicks off. A free Kids Zone will be setup with face painting and bounce houses.

The 49th annual Red River Revel will be held for two 4-day weekends Sept 25-28 & Oct 2-5. Over 85 artists, 4 stages of music, and over 200 food options. 

Farm Pro Feed & Seed will host Customer Appreciation Day Sept 27. Enjoy free food, live music, vendors and jump house. Contact Rhetta Thomas (318.663.7940) if you have any questions or would like to be a vendor.

If you are going to the Louisiana State Fair this year, buy your tickets online at http://www.statefairoflouisiana.com/4h. Proceeds from each ticket sale will go to the Red River Parish 4-H program. 

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days are back–October 7 & 8.

Fort Jesup will host Homestead Arts: Extracts, Teas and Spices Oct 11 at 2pm. Guests will learn how extracts were created, how herbs were gathered and processed for spices and how teas were often made on the frontier. For more information call 318-256-4117.

Pine Beetle Festival will take place Sat. Nov 1 in Castor. More information can be found here.

Joseph Scott Lee
February 17, 1975 – September 16, 2025
A memorial services will be held Saturday, September 20, 2025 at 11am at Rockett Funeral Home Chapel in Ringgold.

The Red River Parish 2025 Rodeo is dedicated to Mr. Henry Horton. Horton has been involved with the Red River Parish livestock world since 1963.

In his younger years, he began working with the Red River Livestock barn and spent many years traveling to rodeos and working cattle. Each of his four daughters was involved in barrel racing and 4-H endeavors.

Rodeo organizer Nancy Nettles says that Horton has been a friend of the rodeo for as many years as she can remember. “He drives the tractor, drags the arena for area riding clubs, lends a hand whenever needed, and always has a smile on his face”.

Many in this town remember Horton’s days as a deputy for the Red River Sheriff’s Office.

Fun Fact about Henry Horton: He is a sucker for baby horses!