Clara Springs Fourth Friday Fish Fry will be held Fri, May 22 from 5-7pm. Cost is $15 ($10 for kids 10-17). Dinner includes All you can eat fried fish, coleslaw, french fries, hushpuppies, pinto beans, lemon bread pudding, homemade ice cream and drink. Martin Baptist Church will host.

A one night revival is scheduled for Sat May 23 at 4pm at the Hall Summit Community Center & Park. Worship will be led by New Light Church & New Light Baptist Church. Speaker is Marvin Leleux. Bring your chairs.

Grand Ecore bridge over the Red River going into Natchitoches is reduced to one lane through Friday for routine inspections.

The public is invited to the pastoral installation of Pastors Kalvin and Charlene Douglas May 31 at 2pm at Grace Assembly Church in Coushatta. Pastor Hurmon Hamilton from New Beginnings Community Church will be bringing the Word, and Apostle Sebastian Babers will be performing the installation ceremony in proxy of Apostle Lee Otis Sibley Sr. 

Northwestern State University’s Gallaspy College of Education and Human Development is seeking nominations for the 2026 Hall of Distinguished Educators, Outstanding Young Professionals and the Friend to Education Award. The Hall of Distinguished Educators is the highest honor bestowed by the School of Education. Nominees must have earned an education degree from Northwestern State University, must have a minimum of 30 years of service in the field of education and must have made significant contributions to the field of education and/or the larger community at a local, state, national or international level.  Nominees may be living or deceased. More than 100 educators have been honored with the Hall of Distinguished Educators award since 2000. Outstanding Young Professionals in Education must have earned an education degree from NSU and have a minimum of 10 years of service in the field of education. Nominees must have made significant contributions to the field of education and/or the larger community. Nominees must be 45 years old or younger. The Friend to Education award recognizes individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the field of education, the Northwestern State University School of Education, the Gallaspy College of Education and Human Development and/or the university as a whole. Nominees for this award are not eligible for consideration for the Hall of Distinguished Educators. Individuals may be nominated regardless of whether they are living or deceased. Applications are due by August 5, 2026, and are available now at 2026 Nominations. For more information, contact Dr. April Jessup Giddens at giddensa@nsula.edu. Individuals selected will be honored with a reception and induction program during Homecoming festivities Oct. 23-24.  

Sarah Marie Wood
May 27, 1961 — May 17, 2026
Funeral services will be held Wednesday, May 20, 2026 at 11am at Rockett-Nettles Funeral Home Chapel in Coushatta.

Donna Alexa Womack Dozar
December 18, 1956 — May 11, 2026 
A memorial service will be held at a later date.

A total of 1,208 voters cast ballots in Red River Parish for the May 16 election, including early voting and Election Day turnout.  The turnout represents approximately 22% of registered voters in the parish.

Early voting drew 364 voters across one or more ballot categories, with Republicans leading early turnout at 206 voters compared to 152 Democrats.

Overall, Republicans outpaced Democrats in the closed primary, with 674 Republicans participating compared to 463 Democrats. At least 71 independent voters chose not to participate in a party primary.

Here is the statistical breakdown for Red River Parish.  

Red River Parish Sheriff Glen Edwards announced the addition of Jackson Ellis and Cody Mathews to the sheriff’s office patrol division following their graduation from the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office Regional Training Academy.

Both deputies completed the academy on May 13, earning Level 1 Certification for Basic Law Enforcement Peace Officers through the Louisiana POST Council. A graduation ceremony recognizing the 16-member class was held May 14.

Deputy Cody Mathews received special recognition during the ceremony, earning the academy’s Academic Award for outstanding classroom performance.

The 14-week academy, directed by Captain Avery Leary, included more than 500 hours of training covering officer survival, active shooter response, firearms proficiency, defensive tactics, criminal law, patrol procedures, investigations, report writing, first aid/CPR, physical fitness and more.

Sheriff Edwards said continued training remains critical in preparing deputies to serve the community safely and professionally.

Vacation Bible School season is almost here, and churches across our community are preparing to welcome children for a week of faith, fun, and fellowship. Kids will enjoy a variety of activities throughout the week, including interactive Bible lessons, music, games, and hands-on crafts in a fun and welcoming environment. Families are encouraged to take part as local churches open their doors for VBS programs across the area.

Red River Cowboy Church will kick off its M3 Kids Summer Buckle Series on May 24, offering a unique twist on Vacation Bible School. Described as “not your ordinary VBS,” the program takes place in the arena and combines fun, western-style activities with lessons about Jesus. Kids who attend three of the four events will earn a buckle.

Ashland Baptist Church will hold a one-day VBS, Illumination Station, on May 30 from 8am until 12pm.

First Baptist Church of Coushatta will host its Vacation Bible School, Illumination Station, June 1–5 from 5:30-8pm for Pre-K4-6th grade. The week will focus on shining a light on who Jesus really is.

Martin Baptist Church will host VBS, Illumination Station, June 8-12 from 5:30-8:20pm for COMPLETED PK-4 -6th grade (NO 3 yr olds). Register at https://forms.gle/vWCbZurjEqeraV3s5. Contact Brandi Jones or the church for any questions.

New Ebenezer Baptist Church, in Castor, will host Vacation Bible School, Illumination Station, June 22–26 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. each evening. Children in Pre-K through 6th grade are welcome to attend and enjoy a week of VBS fun.

All area churches may share their VBS dates/info with RRPJ at the following email redriverparishjournal@gmail.com

• B: Balance – Is there a sudden loss of balance or coordination?
• E: Eyes – Is there sudden blurred or double vision?
• F: Face – Ask the person to smile. Does one side of their face droop?
• A: Arm – Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
• S: Speech – Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is their speech slurred or strange?
• T: Time – If you observe any of these signs, call 911 immediately, as time is very important.

In accordance with Revised Statutes 3:667, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry hereby gives notice that Red River Livestock, L.L.C. has submitted an application for a livestock market charter in Red River Parish, to be located at 6066 Highway 1, Armistead, Louisiana, 71019. The Board of Animal Health will hold a hearing at its next regularly-scheduled meeting to consider the application. The meeting will be held on May 29, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. in the Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium in the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry headquarters building, located at 5825 Florida Blvd, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70806. The hearing will be open to the public.

Daniel Myrick, DVM
Assistant State Veterinarian
Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry

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Northwestern State claimed its third straight Southland Conference Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Championship and five out of the last six overall. 

The Blue Essence Dance Company will present its spring recital, “The Awakening,” on May 22nd at 6:30 p.m. at the Red River High School Auditorium. Doors will open at 6 p.m. for the evening performance, which will showcase a variety of dance routines highlighting the talent and hard work of local performers. Guest performances include the Red River High Cheer Team, The Legendary Rangerettes, Legacy Dance Studio, The Glamdolls and The Prancing J-Settes. Tickets are available for $20, which includes admission, an ad book, and a raffle ticket.

The rumors have been confirmed as true! Sea & Sirloin is opening its doors again. It is promised be just like old times–steaks, seafood and the salad bar. No opening date has been announced. 

Celebrate Recovery at Amazing Grace Baptist Church in Coushatta will host a special testimony night on May 27, featuring “Mr. R” sharing his journey from depression, anxiety and low self-esteem to a Christ-centered life of recovery and hope. A meal will be served at 5:30pm followed by the large group session at 6pm at the church, located at 7387 U.S. 371. For more information, contact Frank Rose, Virgie Rose or Pastor R. Joseph Carey.

Red River High School Ring Ceremony is Fri May 29 at 5pm in the school gymnasium.

The Great Louisiana Fair will be back at Louisiana Downs May 29-June16. There will be thrill rides, classic favorites and a midway full of fun.

Red River Junior High will host 8th grade Awards Ceremony June 3 at 1pm. 

Legendary soul singer Clarence Carter recently passed away at the age of 90. He’s known for classic hits like “Strokin'” and “Patches”. 

Are you planning a trip to Mississippi beaches? If so, Mississippi health officials have released a beach advisory urging everyone to stay out of the water at Gulf Coast beaches after recent tests found high levels of fecal bacteria. Beaches include Biloxi, Gulfport, Pass Christian and Bay St. Louis.

NONE

Louisiana voters are being reminded that all races and propositions scheduled for the May 16 election will continue as planned, with the exception of the U.S. House of Representatives races, which have been cancelled and moved to the state’s fall election cycle.

Matt Vines

PINEVILLE – The Red River spring football calendar has officially been completed after the Bulldogs competed in a four-way spring game Wednesday at Louisiana Christian.

Head coach Travis Gary said he was pleased with his team’s efforts, which wrapped up his second spring at the helm.

“We had a solid showing,” Gary said. “It took our guys a little time to settle down, but once we settled in, we competed well.”

Each team participated in a set number of plays against each opponent, providing different looks against different schemes and styles.

Coaches and fans got their first look at new quarterback Landon Wilson, who shined as a receiver this past season.

Wilson takes over under center after Malique Smith starred in the position for the past three seasons, which included multiple all-district performer who won the district’s Offensive Player of the Year honor in 2024.

“Landon shows great signs of being just as good,” Gary said about the senior. “The more experience he gets, the better he will be. He’s an exceptional athlete.”

Even with Wilson’s departure from the receiving corps along with the graduation of Warren Bowman and Carl Lewis, Red River still brings back Lathyn Lewis along with a crop of younger players.

Red River must also replace starting running back Cedric Moody, but the offensive line should be productive under all-district performers Ty Cole and Cole Pierce.

“We will always have good athletes in skill positions,” Gary said.

The defense continues to mature as that unit returns key players.

Linebacker Nathaniel Burton and defensive lineman Jarvis Whitaker are anchors up front, and defensive backs Ethan Lopez and Noah Adams will patrol the backfield.

“Our defense will be more experienced, and they showed how good they can be with some gritty goal line stands and forced turnovers,” Gary said.”

Perhaps the biggest spring football takeaway is the continuing adjustment to the culture Gary, a former Red River quarterback and college football player, wants to instill in his second season.

“We are headed in the right direction as a program, and you can see the shift in mindset and work ethic,” said Gary, whose Bulldogs went 6-5 with a first-round playoff loss at Many, a team that beat in the regular season. “We’ll have a better understanding of the game of football and will be a lot faster in real game time because of understanding the small details.”

Northwestern State University awarded 890 degrees to 860 graduates during Spring 2026 Commencement ceremonies May 13-14. 

Spring graduates from Red River Parish are:

Coushatta – Brett Danzy, Bachelor of Arts; Latoya Gray, Bachelor of General Studies; William Almond, Bachelor of Science

Hall Summit – Seth Wimberly, Master of Science

Louisiana is the only state to surpass pre-pandemic levels in both reading and math, according to a new report from Harvard, Stanford, and Dartmouth

BATON ROUGE, La. —Louisiana continues to lead the nation in academic improvement, according to the latest Education Scorecard released today by researchers from Harvard University, Stanford University, and Dartmouth College. The 2026 report shows Louisiana ranks first among states in reading growth and second among states in math. Louisiana is the only state where average student performance has surpassed 2019 levels in both reading and math.

“I’m proud of Louisiana students and grateful for the teachers who are driving these results,” said Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley. “These rankings are a point of pride for our state, but we are far from satisfied and will keep pushing for greater academic outcomes.”

“Today’s education scorecard results did not happen by accident. They happened because we changed the script in Louisiana. We returned our classrooms back to the basics, empowered teachers and families, and removed woke, DEI material from our curriculum,” said Governor Jeff Landry. “Louisiana is leading again, and this is only the beginning!”

Louisiana Leads the Nation, Again

Louisiana ranked first among states in reading growth and second in math in the 2025 Education Scorecard, which measured recovery from 2019 to 2024. The latest scorecard shows Louisiana is still leading the nation, this time for growth from 2022 to 2025.

Louisiana’s scorecard results include:

• Louisiana ranks first among states in reading growth and second among states in math growth.
• Louisiana is the only state to surpass 2019 levels in both reading and math.
• Louisiana is the only state to surpass 2019 levels in reading and one of two states in math.
• Statewide, chronic absenteeism, which is defined as students missing more than 10 percent of a school year, continues to be an issue, rising from 18.8 percent in 2022 to 22 percent in 2025.

“The pandemic was the mudslide that followed seven years of erosion in student achievement, and very few places have managed to dig out. Louisiana is the only state in the country that has climbed back above its 2019 levels in both math and reading,” said Tom Kane, Faculty Director of the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University. “To be the only state above its pre-pandemic levels in both math and reading shows what’s possible when state leaders stick with evidence-based interventions and give districts the support they need to follow through. Now the goal should be to ensure that the students in districts which are still behind 2019 levels finish their recovery.”

Ahead of National Trends
The national findings highlight why Louisiana’s results stand out. While the report says reading recovery is only beginning to turn around across the country, Louisiana students have already surpassed pre-pandemic reading levels. The report also points to evidence-based reforms, targeted academic support, and sharing successful local practices as priorities for education leaders. Louisiana has invested in many of these areas through literacy and math reforms, high-quality instructional materials, tutoring, school improvement supports, and the 2025 launch of statewide student attendance strategies.

Districts on the Rise
The report also recognized several Louisiana school systems as “Districts on the Rise,” a designation for school systems showing unusual progress compared with similar peers in their state. Natchitoches Parish was recognized for growth in both reading and math; West Baton Rouge, St. Martin, and Concordia were recognized for reading; and Lafourche, St. John the Baptist, and Webster were recognized for math.

About the Education Scorecard
The Education Scorecard is a collaboration between the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University, the Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford University, and faculty at Dartmouth College. It provides high-resolution, district-level data on academic recovery across the United States, combining state test results for roughly 35 million students in grades 3 through 8 with national assessment data.

Data note: The Education Scorecard’s national release lists Louisiana second in reading and third in math because the report also includes Washington, D.C. Among states, Louisiana is first and second, respectively.

Shared by the Louisiana Department of Education

Burger joints are as much a part of our American culture as the fish and chip shops are in England.  On April 25, 1960, Michael James “Jim” Delligatti opened a drive-in restaurant franchise in Uniontown, Pennsylvania.  Jim’s drive-in operated on a streamlined technique in which they could deliver a hamburger, French fires, and a milkshake in 50 seconds or less.  The menu consisted of just ten items: hamburgers, cheeseburgers, French fries, triple thick milkshakes, Coca Cola, root beer, Orangeade, milk, coffee, and hot chocolate.  By using their assembly line process, they could prepare 36 hamburgers in just 110 seconds.  Jim’s drive-in had the space to prepare 6,000 hamburgers a day.  At $.15 each, the profit margin per hamburger was small, but they made up for it in volume.  Customers flocked to Jim’s drive-in.  The food was inexpensive, quick, and tasted good.  A bright neon sign identified the drive-in.  The brightly lit food preparation area was enclosed by 900 square feet of quarter-inch plate glass so customers could see that their food was served quickly in spotless surroundings.  Business was so good that by 1971, Jim owned a dozen drive-in restaurant franchises in western Pennsylvania.  Jim eventually owned 48 restaurants in the drive-in restaurant chain.      

Jim always paid attention to what his customers wanted.  After hearing that they desired a bigger sandwich, Jim went to work.  After a short time—speed was of the utmost importance—Jim created a bigger sandwich by using items already on his menu and adding a unique sauce made from salted egg yolks, mustard, onion, garlic, and relish.  In March of 1967, Jim used his Uniontown drive-in to test out his new sandwich.  Demand exploded and Jim added his new creation to the menus of his other drive-ins.  The results were the same.  Jim’s larger sandwich was a hit, but the parent company did not want to alter their original menu.  Jim explained, “they figured, why go to something else if (the original menu) was working so well?”  Eventually, Jim’s creation was added to the national chain’s menus with resounding success.  Since 1968, the chain has sold billions of Jim’s larger sandwiches.  In 2006, the parent company estimated that they were selling 550 million of them each year at a rate of 17 each second.            

Jim did not become wealthy off of his creation that is now sold in over 100 countries.  Jim received no payment and no royalties for the creation, but that was okay with Jim.  After more than six and a half decades, Jim’s Drive-In is still open.  From the menu at the drive-in restaurant at 575 Morgantown Street in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, you can still order the sandwich Jim created there by combining two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, and onions, on a sesame seed bun.  It is said to be the most popular sandwich on the planet.  Jim, the owner of a McDonald’s franchise, was the creator of the Big Mac.  …and it’s time for lunch.

Sources:

1.     The Evening Standard (Uniontown, Pennsylvania), April 12, 1960, p.7.

2.     The Evening Standard, March 2, 1971, p.69.

3.     Valley News (West Lebanon, New Hampshire), December 4, 2016, p.12.

4.     “Michael James Delligatti,” Devlin Funeral Home, accessed May 3, 2026, https://www.devlinfuneralhome.com/obituaries/michael-james-delligatti/.

5.     “Inventor of the Big Mac dies, aged 98,” BBC News, November 30, 2016, accessed May 3, 2026, https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-38162497.

The 29th annual Natchitoches Jazz and R&B Festival will take place May 15-16 on the downtown riverbank in Natchitoches, featuring live music across multiple stages and a lineup of national and regional performers.

Festival events begin Friday night at 7 p.m. with a “Tribute to Legends Night” featuring The Led Zeppelin Project and Waterloo.

Saturday’s lineup will be headlined by country artist Joe Nichols and will also include Louisiana native and former American Idol runner-up John Foster, Houston-area R&B performer Tiffany Rachal, and more than 20 bands performing on four stages throughout the weekend.

Local favorites Johnny Earthquake and the Moondogs are scheduled to perform on the main stage Saturday at 5:25 p.m., while The Amazing! Rhythm Disciples will perform on the Roque Stage at 1 p.m.

Festival organizers said VIP tickets are nearly sold out ahead of the weekend event.

Additional festival information and tickets are available through Natchitoches Jazz and R&B Festival.

I’ve always heard the saying that “some things never change,” but that would not be the case for bass tournaments. When you look back at tournament participation over the last 10 years, one thing is very apparent; anglers have walked away from bass tournaments. 

Let’s look at some of the reasons that might explain why participation is down. But understand this, you can’t point your finger at just one reason. First and foremost, we are living in a different time as compared to the hay day of tournament bass fishing that was the 1990s and early 2000s.

After the conclusion of the COVID outbreak in 2021, for some reason tournament participation has gone south. Tournaments were at full strength during COVID as anglers were looking for an escape from isolation. Bass boat sales were out the roof nationwide with people retreating to the outdoors. 

All the major tournament trails were filling up with a maximum number of entries anywhere from 200 to 300 boats or more. But a couple of years after COVID, for whatever reason, anglers quit showing up. 

That was about the time forward-facing sonar became an issue. Nothing in the last 40 years has had as much controversial impact than forward-facing sonar. 

Now I’m not pointing the finger at this alone because it may be just a coincidence that anglers were dropping out of tournaments. But for the last five years, anglers have come up with other reasons for not fishing competitively. 

Some say it’s the economy, but I’m not totally buying into this idea. One thing about bass tournament anglers, they will do whatever it takes to make sure they can still compete even if it means selling their youngest child or their wife getting a second job in order to save enough money for them to fish the next tournament. 

While I’m joking about them selling their youngest child, there is one thing that seems to be a common variable to anglers not showing up: gas prices! Back in 2014 when a tank of gas cost you an arm and a leg ($4 a gallon), anglers decided to park their high-dollar bass boats.

While gas prices can have an influence on whether anglers fish or not, presently we are once again on the verge of anglers parking their boats as gas prices continue to rise due to the war with Iran. 

Here’s a major concern of mine that I think is having a negative effect on tournaments … cheaters! Over the last two years, there have been more anglers disqualified for rules violations and more people who have been caught cheating. 

This has given the sport a black eye and is just another reason anglers are thinking twice before entering a tournament. They just don’t trust that someone is not cheating! Even on local weeknight shootouts, there have been anglers caught cheating just to win a couple hundred dollars. 

So, even with all the reasons we’ve mentioned, one angler recently summed it up as to why tournament participation is down nationwide: “It’s just not fun any more!”

Very few of us fish for a living. We love tournaments because we enjoy the comradery and the competition. Most guys are perfectly happy if they just get a check to help cover their gas, hotel and food. 

But it’s sad that we live in a world today where there will always be a couple of bad apples that can ruin it for everybody. I just hope that one day anglers can look forward to fishing a tournament and not have to worry if someone is cheating. 

Hopefully the heyday of tournament bass fishing is not over. But it’s going to take time for some anglers to return to the sport they love. Tournament organizations are in a pickle today trying to figure out the formula that will encourage tournament anglers to return.

Every tournament trail is always attempting to get more anglers to enter their events. Their dilemma is trying to figure out who should be their target demographic group. Should they cater to the younger generation (18 to 34) or try to get the 35 and older anglers back? 

There’s one key component they’ll need to factor in when getting more anglers to return; they must gain their trust again.   

Dear Fellow Citizens, 

I’m John Fleming, your State Treasurer and Republican candidate for U.S. Senate.

This Saturday’s election is extremely important. DC lobbyists and Baton Rouge elites have poured millions into supporting their preferred candidate — NOT ME. 

At stake is the carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) industry’s push to use YOUR tax dollars to seize YOUR private land through eminent domain.  Estimates suggest that up to 75% of the nation’s CO2 emissions could be pumped beneath our lands, lakes, and rivers – ‘captured’ for eternity. The whole thing is a “Green New Deal” scam, which will make the elites wealthier at the expense of the rest of us.  I am the only candidate who is 100% opposed to this fraud and abuse.  

Don’t be fooled! The establishment and powers that be are trying to buy our Louisiana Senate seat. I can’t be bought, bribed, or bullied! 

Our future, and the future of our children and grandchildren, hangs in the balance. Please don’t sit this one out — vote this Saturday, May 16th.   Polls open at 7:00 a.m. 

Thank you,

John Fleming
Louisiana State Treasurer
Republican Candidate for the US Senate 

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Residents will have an opportunity to check in on their health during a Community Health Fair planned for Friday, May 15, 2026, at the Red River Council on Aging, 1824 Front Street in Coushatta. The event will take place from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

The fair will offer several basic health screenings, including blood pressure checks, weight and height measurements, and blood sugar checks. Organizers are also planning door prizes for those who attend.

A number of vendors are expected to take part, including representatives from home health, the resource center, CHRISTUS Coushatta, medical technology, rehab centers, hospice, LaCHIP, Acadian On Call, and blood sugar check services.

Blood work will also be available through CHRISTUS Coushatta Healthcare. The flyer lists a lipid profile for $10, a comprehensive profile (CMP) for $10, and tests including HGB A1C, TSH, and CBC for $5 each. The flyer also notes that some services are being provided at no charge through the MLK Health Center & Pharmacy / BHF Heart Program.

The health fair is designed to give local residents a simple way to access screenings, lab work, and information from health-related organizations all in one place.