In recognizing the incredible work of our hospital and Associates over the last year on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, CHRISTUS Coushatta Health Care Center is celebrating its amazing team with Hospital Week festivities.

CHRISTUS Coushatta Health Care Center has achieved many successes over the last year in fulfilling our commitment to the community to provide access to advanced care for everyone, here in the Coushatta community. Most notably, the CHRISTUS Coushatta family continues to grow with recent additions to OB/GYN and Behavioral Health services provided by new nurse practitioners. Patients now have the most advanced mammogram available-Digital 3D Mammography is available at the clinic. Improvements continue throughout the center, including the newly renovated Outpatient Clinic Waiting Area. The CHRISTUS Coushatta team also administered the COVID-19 vaccine to more than 3,200 individuals in the region helping deliver a dose of hope one shot at a time.

The last year was a very challenging time for health systems across the nation; reflecting on the journey, it is evident the CHRISTUS Coushatta team remained focused on fulfilling the CHRISTUS mission of extending the healing ministry of Jesus Christ in Coushatta and Red River Parish. Patient care by the numbers during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic (March 9, 2020-February 26, 2021) is proof our Associates worked tirelessly on every front, answering the call to provide compassionate care:

• Nearly 5,000 visits to the CHRISTUS Coushatta Emergency Room 
• Over 750Mammograms performed
• Nearly 13,000visits to the CHRISTUS Coushatta Clinic
• Over 2,000 visits to the CHRISTUS Coushatta Dental Clinic
• More than 3,400 patient hospital days

“On behalf of our leadership team, I would like to express our gratitude to each of our outstanding Associates for all they do every day for our ministry and the patients we are privileged to serve. We have made it through some unprecedented times; it’s our turn as leaders to serve this team as a token of our appreciation, said Brandon Hillman, Administrator, CHRISTUS Coushatta Health Care Center.

Hospital Week is celebrated daily with themes and special treats including donuts, Sugar Walk Popcorn, Streetcar Sno Balls, Nothing Bundt Cakes and Associate BINGO games for great prizes daily. Friday festivities culminate with a Crawfish Boil. 

“This is our chance to celebrate the work that we get to do for this community and the people that serve this community and this facility so well,” said Kay Sour, Administrative Director of Nursing, CHRISTUS Coushatta Health Care Center.

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The 2021 Women’s Conference “Explosion” is this weekend at Elizabeth Full Gospel Baptist Church.  First Lady Carma D. Logan is the host with Pastor Jacqueline Mason and First Lady Christy Burton presenting sessions Saturday and Sunday.  Check the church social media pages for details.

Northwestern State University’s nurse anesthesia program received full accreditation by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs.  The program is approved for five years, the maximum accreditation period for a new program, and was also approved to offer distance education didactic courses. 

The pool at the Northwestern State University Recreation Complex will open June 1.  Hours of operation will be 2-7 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. Daily rates are $8 for adults (16 years and up) and $5 for children (15 years and below).  All children must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.

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Many areas of Coushatta are without water Wednesday evening.  Crews are working to repair breaks in at least five places.

Mayor Johnny Cox said the repair work would go on all night “until all of the leaks are found.”  Cox says the water interruptions are in the Springville area, along US 71 east of town, and the Bogen Lane area.  These are areas serviced by the Coushatta water system including some areas outside the town limits.

The cause, said Cox, “People boring for fiber optic installation hit water lines.  One of those was in front of the Old Folks Cafe.”  In all Cox said they have water lines broken in five separate places.  Cox said they are getting some people to come in from Shreveport to assist with locating the leaks.

As of about 10:00 pm, Cox said, “We are still finding other leaks.  The town crews are working all night and into the morning to restore water service.”

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Following months of improvement in COVID-19 hospitalizations and with nearly three million vaccine doses administered, Gov. John Bel Edwards on Tuesday signed an updated public health emergency order that removes all remaining business capacity restrictions and the vast majority of masking requirements. This week, Louisiana hit its lowest level of COVID-19 hospitalizations since the very early days of the pandemic.

“For nearly 15 months, Louisiana has operated under necessary public health restrictions designed to save lives by slowing the spread of COVID-19,” Gov. Edwards said. “Thanks to the wide availability of vaccines and the 1.4 million Louisianans who already have gone sleeves up and after hitting a new low in hospitalizations, the order I have signed today contains the fewest state-mandated restrictions ever.”  The Governor’s announcement came during a live news conference carried by social media.

Masks will be required in educational settings until the end of the current academic semester at which time state and local oversight boards will set their own masking policies.

Under order of the State Health Officer, masks continue to be required in healthcare settings, which is a federal mandate. In addition, masks are required on public transportation and in jails and prisons, as per federal guidance.

Local governments and businesses may choose to have stronger restrictions than the state does and the Governor encourages Louisianans to respect all local or business mandates, especially when it comes to masking.

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Northwestern State University Awarded 964 degrees to 935 graduates during Spring 2021 commencement ceremonies. Five of them were from Red River parish.

Local grads and their majors were:

Erikka Johnson graduated with a Bachelor of General Studies.

Jameson Campbell, Abby Hubbard, Elizabeth Ross, and Jasmine Taylor graduated with Bachelor of Science.

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If you suffered damage from recent storms, it is time to report it.  Governor John Bel Edwards said to go online and fill out the forms.

Edwards said, “Homeowners & renters should report damage from last week’s severe weather go to damage.la.gov.”  More than 1,500 reports have been submitted & this information will help officials collect data to move forward with the recovery process.

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The last Riverdale Fishing Tournament for the 2020-2021 season took place last weekend. 

Nicki Caskey said, “What a great way to end the fishing season!! We have an amazing group of kids and it starts with the parents! We had lots of food, fishing, and fellowship.”

Caskey said, “We ended the weekend with an amazing church service at the park. I can’t even begin to tell you how amazing this service was! And they think they are just fishing…Fishers of Men in training!”

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The 1970 graduating class of Coushatta High held its 50 year class reunion on April 24, 2021, at the event center at Grand Bayou Resort. The reunion was originally scheduled for 2020 and postponed twice due to COVID.

Thirty-nine classmates graduated in 1970.  Seventeen attended the reunion in person and four others enjoyed taking part by Zoom meeting. Coushatta residents who attended with their spouses were William (Buster) Bailey and wife Fay, Jim Bethard and wife Florence, Joy Cox Cannon and husband Jerry, Lynette Kelone Giddings and husband Red, David McCoy and wife Barbara, and Faerie Lafield Sledge and husband Sammy.  Janet Bierden Rogers from Coushatta also attended.

Out of state residents enjoying the event were Deborah Ettredge Wells and husband Wayne from Franklin, TN,  and Henry McCurdy and wife Deana from Houston, TX. Shreveport residents attending were Donna Morgan Branch, and Claude Bundrick and wife Bethia.

Also present were Becky Robinson Trammel from Haughton, Ellen Gaddis Howell from Natchitoches, and Pat Ingram Brumley from Converse. Ginger Coleman Barker and husband Len came from Greenwood, LA.  

St. Francisville and Baton Rouge resident, Susan Stephens Lambert and husband Pal attended as well as   Greg Bolan from Roswell, GA, and Jupiter, FL.

Taking part by Zoom meeting were Kenny Anderson from Shreveport, Claire Lester Bausch from Frisco, TX, Julie Nelson (Dooley) from Milton, FL, and Becky Leysath Gourlay from Burns Lake, British Columbia, Canada, who coordinated the Zoom meeting.

Graduates who did not attend were Helen Barbo, Carol Bohannon Miciotto, Edgar Cason, Terry Cox, Danny Hester, Pam Jones Prothro, Linda Ebey Layfield, Dora Lester Herrington, Kendall Martin, Vernon Morgan, Jeanette Price Dupree, John Roberson, Eddie Smith, Kathy Tomme Young, and Sue Whatley Humphreys.

Five deceased class members were honored at the event with a “memorial” table. They were Cecil Almond, William Almond, Billy Joe Gray, Leslie Rachall, and Joe Tune.  The class was pleased to have William Almond’s wife Becky from Coushatta and their daughter Laura Almond from Shreveport at the reunion, too.  Fay Bailey who attended is the sister of Joe Tune.

Matt Huddleston (Hudd’s Grill) catered the event, serving fried fish and shrimp with all the trimmings. The class holds reunions every 10 years.

Article and Photo credit Faerie Sledge: 

Back row (men): William (Buster) Bailey, Claude Bundrick, Greg Bolan, Jim Bethard, David McCoy, and Henry McCurdy

Middle row (ladies):  Ellen Gaddis Howell, Lynette Kelone Giddings, Pat Ingram Brumley, Donna Morgan Branch, Becky Robinson Trammel, Ginger Coleman Barker, Deborah Ettredge Wells, and Susan Stephens Lambert

Front row: Joy Cox Cannon, Janet Bierden Rogers, Faerie Lafield Sledge

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A highlight of any student’s high school career is Prom.  Red River High held their prom last Friday night at Grand Bayou.  Faculty and staff put up the decorations.  Students wore their finest outfits to the memorable evening.

There was a special treat this year.  Valet parking was offered by the Prom Valet Crew.  Pictured are Principal JC Dickey, Assistant Principal Norman Picou and retired teacher and coach Earl Martin. They said, “We are a full service crew.  Drive up get out and we even bring it back to you when you are ready to leave.”

The King and Queen of the 2021 prom were introduced.  They are Prom King Joseph Steele and Queen Ariuna Johnson of the class 2021.

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By Brad Dison

Blowing Off Steam is an oft-used expression to describe someone who is doing or saying something to relieve built-up feelings or energy.  Sometimes the person exerts a sudden act of verbal or physical violence.  This expression has its roots with steam engines.  Steam engines use boilers to boil water.  The boiling water produces steam pressure, which, when channeled properly, can propel vehicles including pre-diesel train locomotives and water vessels.  When functioning properly, safety valves on the engines release or blow off steam to keep the boilers operating at a safe pressure.  When not functioning properly, the boilers are unable to release the built-up steam and the pressure increases until the boilers rupture which creates a massive explosion.

In the mid-1850s, steamboats which travelled along the Mississippi River were seen by many as romantic.  Children and teenagers idolized the crew of these large vessels, especially the pilots.  Steamboats were at the height of technology and offered thrilling adventure with a twinge of danger.  Like so many other young men, Henry dreamed of working on a steamboat and eventually becoming a steamboat pilot.  Henry’s older brother was a crewman on the sidewheeler steamboat Pennsylvania, and, in the first week of June of 1858, got Henry a job on the same vessel as a “Mud Clerk.”  This was an entry level position with no salary but would become a paid position once the crewman proved himself.  On June 5, 1858, Henry’s brother and the Pennsylvania’s pilot got into an altercation which resulted in Henry’s brother’s resignation.  Following his brother’s departure, Henry knew he would have to work even harder to impress the pilot.     

On Sunday, June 9, 1858, the Pennsylvania left New Orleans, Louisiana bound for St. Louis, Missouri.  It was Henry’s first trip as a member of a steamboat crew.  Although the work was grueling, Henry was ecstatic.  On June 13th, four days into the trip, the Pennsylvania neared Ship Island, about sixty miles south of Memphis, Tennessee.  The crew noticed that the steamboat’s boiler was building up pressure to a dangerous level.  The safety valves had failed.  The crew tried to manually open pressure release valves, but the pressure continued to climb.  At about 6:00 a.m., the Pennsylvania’s boiler exploded.  Within an instant, red-hot metal shrapnel, wood splinters, and scalding hot water violently shot in every direction.

A survivor of the explosion wrote, “The boilers seemed to be heaved upward and forward parting the cabin at the gangway and rendering the upper works of the boat from that point forward a complete wreck.  When the steam and smoke had cleared up from the wreck, there indeed was a mournful spectacle to be seen by the few survivors.  The boilers and smokestacks were twisted together like hungry serpents, locking in their hot embrace scores of human beings, dead and dying.  Some were killed instantly; others were buried beneath the rubbish to await the advance of the flames which as yet slumbered in the hold.”

Survivors scrambled to aid the wounded.  The pilot and some surviving crew members commandeered a local flatboat and, after nearly half an hour, returned to the drifting wreck.  The crew loaded survivors and victims onto the flatboat. Using buckets, survivors had nearly extinguished all of the small fires in the forward part of the Pennsylvania when a much larger fire suddenly erupted in the middle of the ship.  The heat from the fire was so intense that the crew on the flatboat had to abandon their rescue operation.  Survivors, many of whom were wearing cork life vests while others grabbed anything which would float, jumped into the swift current of the Mississippi River.  The fire aboard the Pennsylvania burned the steamboat down to the waterline.

The current carried the flatboat and the floating survivors down the Mississippi River.  Up ahead was Ship Island, which was mostly underwater due to high rainfall.  The crew aimed the flatboat toward the island.  Survivors who had enough energy swam to the island.  The burning steamboat, survivors who were too weak to swim, and others who were less fortunate, coasted down the river past the island.

Henry had survived the initial blast, but his body was scalded by the boiling water from the steamboat’s boilers.  Survivors loaded Henry onto the flatboat and transferred him to Ship Island.  Henry’s brother stayed with him in the hospital, but there was little hope for his recovery.  On June 21, 1858, eight days after the explosion, Henry died from his wounds.  He was just nineteen years old.

Henry’s brother regretted getting Henry the position on the Pennsylvania for the rest of his life.  He wrote, “My poor Henry — my darling, my pride, my glory, my all, will have finished his blameless career, and the light of my life will have gone out in utter darkness. O, God! This is hard to bear … ” 

Henry’s brother continued to work on steamboats until the Civil War crippled the shipping industry in the south.  Following the war, Henry’s brother entered into an entirely different career field.  Had Henry’s brother not argued with the ship’s pilot, he too would have been on the steamboat when it exploded, and he might not have lived to write the literary classics “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”.  Henry’s brother was Sam Clemens, who is known around the world as Mark Twain.

Sources:

1. The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, Louisiana), June 14, 1858, p.1.
2. The Greenville Journal (Greenville, Ohio), June 23, 1858, p.2.
3. WorldHistoryProject.org. “Henry Clemens (Mark Twain’s Brother) Dies While Working On Steamboat.” Accessed May 18, 2021. worldhistoryproject.org/1858/6/21/henry-clemens-mark-twains-brother-dies-while-working-on-steamboat.
4. Julia Keller, “Death of Sibling Crucial Moment,” Chicago Tribune, December 29, 2005, chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2005-12-29-0512280422-story.html.
5. Find A Grave. “Henry Clemens.” Accessed May 18, 2021. findagrave.com/memorial/21751/henry-clemens.

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Ladies Loving Christ of Red River Parish has issued an invitation to the June edition of Woman Church.  The date is June 8^th beginning at 6:00 pm.

Dovie Neal Beard is the organizer of Woman Church.  She distributed a flyer stating that the Speaker for the evening is Jodi Weatherall-Johnston.  The Worship Leader will be Becky Birdwell Kniffin.

Beard’s invitation states, “This is an invitation for women from all over the community to come together and worship with us in spirit and truth. 

Dinner will be provided.  And the LifeShare bus will be there accepting blood donations beginning at 6:00 pm.

Woman Church will be held at The Shop, 1942 Hwy 507.

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Eighth Grade students at Red River Junior High have begun the transition from middle school to high school.  They were given information folders this week to begin scheduling their classes for next year.

Each folder contains a Welcome Letter,  Freshman High School Transition Pamphlet, Louisiana High School Diploma Options Pamphlet, and Individual Graduation Plan (IGP). The school asked students and parents to thoroughly review all of this information with your child. The Individual Graduation Plan and Freshman High School Transition Pamphlet MUST be signed by both the parent and student and returned to school by Thursday, May 27th for a 9th grade schedule to be created for your child.

Please ensure that all signature forms are signed and returned so that electives of choice and schedules can be created. If you have any questions about your child’s transition into high school, please contact us at 318-932-5265.

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By Royal Alexander

This past Monday the Supreme Court agreed to hear the legal defense by the state of Mississippi of its limit on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.  

Mississippi’s law prohibits abortion when “the probable gestational age of the unborn human being” is “greater than” 15 weeks “except in a medical emergency or in the case of a severe fetal abnormality,” which is defined in the law as a condition that is determined to be “incompatible with life outside the womb.”

We should note that polling over the decades since the Roe v. Wade abortion decision in 1973—that “found” a right to abortion in the 14^th Amendment—reflects that two-thirds or more of the American public believe an abortion should largely be illegal in the second trimester. 

We should also note that the Roe Court in 1973, in an “exercise of raw judicial power” as described by Justice Byron White in that decision, illegitimately federalized the abortion issue thereby removing from each state the determination of abortion.  In its arrogance, the majority of the RoeCourt thought it was “settling” the abortion debate.  The exact opposite has occurred.  The issue is as divisive and polarizing today as it ever was. 

This action by the Supreme Court in Roe violated our constitutional system of co-federalism that exists between the 50 states and the federal government.  In Roe, the Supreme Court purported to find a fundamental right to abortion in the liberty clause (i.e., “Life, Liberty or Property” may not be deprived from us “without due process of law”) of the 14^thAmendment.  One can understand how the liberty interest in the 14^thAmendment could reasonably allow for a “zone of privacy” free from state (or federal) intrusion regarding matters such as intimate adult, family or marital privacy and relations, sexuality generally, and contraception.  However, no plausible or credible reading of the liberty clause can be understood to confer a right to abort the life of a separate and distinct unborn baby.  

From a democratic and constitutional perspective, the correct outcome would be for the Supreme Court to allow each of the 50 states to decide the abortion issue for themselves as was the case before 1973.  Liberal states like New York or California would likely continue with virtually unlimited access to abortion while conservative states like Mississippi and Louisiana would place strict limits or ban the practice.

The Supreme Court, when agreeing to hear a case, carefully and precisely poses the question it will answer and the issue it will address.  This is particularly so in a case like this one that involves a constitutional issue.  The Court has stated that the issue in this Mississippi case is “whether all pre-viability prohibitions on elective abortions are unconstitutional.”  In past decades “viability” (being able to survive outside of the mother’s womb) was thought to occur no earlier than 23-24 weeks.  As noted below that view has changed.

The Mississippi law has likely chosen the 15-week time period because medical advances have determined that at 15 weeks an unborn baby becomes conscious of pain.  The state then has, its legal argument goes, a legitimate and compelling interest in protecting unborn babies who can feel pain.  By 15 weeks, Mississippi also argues, the unborn baby has had critical and undeniable physiological development.  

Mississippi, like Louisiana, is a state that views unborn human life as sacred, possessing intrinsic dignity and worthy of protection.  No doubt the amazing advances that have been made in the field of fetology (study of the fetus, which means “little one”) and sonography (use of sonograms during pregnancy) permanently put an end to the lie that we don’t know whether a baby is growing in the womb.  (There is, and at about 21 days has a heartbeat).  In fact, it is the powerful, graphic resonance of the unborn baby on the sonogram screen that often convinces the mother to keep her baby.

Two very important things would be accomplished by the Supreme Court upholding and affirming the Mississippi law: one, we would be allowing our democratic system of co-federalism to function by returning the issue of abortion to the states where it belongs; and two, we would be taking another important step in reaffirming the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death.

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The River Parish School Board is accepting applications for the following position:

Red River Elementary Head Start Teacher.

Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree with coursework equivalent to a major relating to early childhood education or advanced degree in early childhood from an accredited university.

Deadline to submit applications is June 1, 2021, at 12:00 pm. All interested applicants should apply online at http://www.rrbulldogs.com.

For more information, you may contact Nicole Eason at 318-271-2150.

Nicole M. Eason

Red River Parish School Board

Human Resources Department

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The spring football scrimmage known as the Blue vs White game was held at the football stadium.  The white team got the win.

Red River High said, “Great job coaches and players tonight in the Blue vs White Spring game.  The White pulled off the win 28 to 21 but it was a great game.  Thank you to all the parents and fans that came out to support.”

The school also said, “Fall football can’t get here fast enough. The 2021-22 season will have a full Varsity and Junior Varsity season.”

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DESCRIPTION: Southern Fluid Solutions LLC is a locally owned and operated company with positions open for Vac/End Dump Operators. Responsibilities include operating a tanker or end dump truck to haul off oil field waste.

REQUIREMEMNTS:

• 2 years of driving experience
• Valid CDL
• Pre-employment drug screen

Benefits available after 90 days

CONTACT: For more information call 936-598-2500 or visit southernfluidtx.com

Southern Fluid Solutions, LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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Posted by Clara Springs Camp
Adult Day 2021 was amazing! Clara Springs Baptist Camp said, “We had over 270 in attendance! The DeLawder Family was incredible! Everyone that came enjoyed the singing and laughed until their sides hurt over Barney Fife! Then everyone enjoyed Burgers, curly fries, and ice cream at the Clara Springs Diner!”

This Friday is the Fourth Friday Fish Fry at Clara Springs.  $10 per plate for fish, fries and all the fixings plus a super desert.  Serving begins at 5:00 pm.

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Michael Wayne Cason

September 4, 1957 to May 24, 2021

https://redriverparishjournal.com/2021/05/25/michael-wayne-cason/

Elaine “T-Mama” Anderson Bierden

April 1, 1928 to May 22,2021

https://redriverparishjournal.com/2021/05/24/elaine-t-mama-anderson-bierden/

Richard “Ricky” Larris Cason

August 10, 1957 to May 19, 2020

https://redriverparishjournal.com/2021/05/21/richard-ricky-larris-cason/

Publication of the complete obituary with photo is available by contacting The Journal at 318-564-3609.

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Attention early risers today (Wednesday May 26th).  Dr. Land from Magnolia Bend Academy wanted to let all of his students know about the lunar eclipse coupled with a hunter/harvest moon happened today about 6:15am! Hopefully the clouds will be clear so everyone can get a good view.

Red River summer basketball kicks off next Tuesday, June 1, 2021 at Red River. Here is the schedule for Tuesday: 
4:00 pm — Anacoco vs Lakeview
4:45 pm — Homer vs. Red River
5:30 pm — Anacoco vs Homer
6:15 pm — Red River vs Lakeview
$5 Admission 
Masks required upon entry

The annual hurricane season officially starts next week.  Are you prepared.  This is the time to make sure your household has plenty of supplies.  Weather events in recent years have caused Red River residents to go a week or more at a stretch without electricity or water.

From the Louisiana Department of Health:  After five consecutive years of decreasing child drownings in Louisiana, 2020 was one of the deadliest in recent history. Louisiana experienced a 60% increase in the number of infant and child drownings (ages 0-14), from 15 in 2019 to 24 in 2020. As warmer weather arrives, it is important for parents and families to stay aware of the precautions they can take to prevent child drownings.

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Report from the Red River Sheriff’s Office for the week ending Sunday, May 23, 2021.  This is the revised arrest report issued Monday morning, May 24th.

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