Matt Vines

WOODVILLE, Miss. – The Riverdale girls basketball team has prided itself on balanced scoring.
When Briarfield Academy shifted most of its defensive focus to take away point guard Mary Claire Jones on Saturday, Riverdale’s balance sprung into action as the Lady Rebels won the Class 2A South Region title with a 60-42 win against Briarfield.

The Lady Rebels (30-5) built a 15-point halftime lead thanks to 11 points off the bench by Julie Grace Riggs.

“I can’t stress enough how big (Riggs’) play was because we faced some adversity early with fouls and shots not falling,” said Riverdale coach Trey Pittman. “Makayla Pickett picked up two fouls in the first three minutes, and that’s when Julie Grace came off the bench and played so well.

“We really do have five players who can score at any given moment.”

Saturday’s performance capped an impressive first week of the playoffs for Riverdale, who easily disposed of Tallulah Academy, 66-6, on Wednesday and Tensas Academy, 62-26, on Friday.

Makayla Pickett contributed 29 first-half points against Tensas Academy to help build a big lead Friday.
Saturday’s win against Briarfield was Riverdale Academy’s third against those Lady Rebels this season. Riverdale won district meetings, 56-34 and 64-26.

“Briarfield was ready for us the third time,” Pittman said. “Briarfield played a junk defense in an effort to stop Mary Claire, but it opened things up for the rest of our players.

“We’ve got to play some better defense, but offensively, we played well all week.”

The region title means that Riverdale will be one of two No. 1 seeds in the upcoming Class 2A state tournament at Briarfield Academy.

Riverdale faces No. 4 seed Delta Academy on Wednesday at 7:45 p.m.

The top two teams from the Class 2A state tournament will advance to the overall MAIS tournament, where teams from all classes face each other.

The Red River Parish Journal reached more than 538,000 views and over 245,000 visitors in 2024. The RRPJ is already on track to top those numbers in 2025.

Three days a week we strive to bring the news to our community for free and this is impossible without our community partners who advertise with us. We hope that you will consider joining with us.

Here are a few things you can do to partner with RRPJ:

Advertise your business with us! Our readers receive quality service of the best local news, sports and features completely for free. Our advertisers are in front of thousands of readers daily.

RRPJ reaches more viewers at better prices than other options in the area. To make it even more cost-effective, we are running a huge Winter Sale that makes advertising in RRPJ unmatched. If interested in learning more about our specials and how you can be a partner of the Red River Parish Journal email redriverparishjournal@gmail.com.

RRPJ has a variety of options for advertising space and its not just for businesses. Do you have an event that you want to publicize? How about a yard sale? Trying to sell your home or property? Want to announce your wedding or birth of a child? Our Event Package allows you to flood our readers with information and reminders.

Spread the word! Help us make sure people in the community know about the RRPJ. Send the link to friends and colleagues. Like us on Facebook and other social media.  You have responded to the stories and given feedback on the information you would like to see. We appreciate all of it and hope you’ll consider sharing RRPJ with others, too.

Subscribe to our email and make

Sure to read it! The most important measure that shows us how connected we are to our community is through email subscribers. We have over 3,000 people who receive the journal on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. It’s by far the best way to learn about all the things going on in Red River Parish. To subscribe for free, CLICK HERE.  

A special thank you goes out to all of our advertisers. As all of the analytics point to continued growth for our journal, we are assured of increased value for our advertising partners. Red River Parish Journal continues to be one of the area’s most affordable means of advertising.

Autumn McCoy

Thursday evening, the Red River Lady Bulldogs team held a night of introductions, team building, and fellowship to celebrate the beginning of the 2025 softball season.

Held at the First United Methodist Church in Coushatta, the girls began the night with introductions from questionnaires given before the event.

Before the introductions were over, the coaches had their own certificates to present. These awards ranged from “Most Likely to Smile in a Serious Situation” to “Most Likely to Make a Viral TikTok” to “Most Likely to Win an Emmy”.

Smiles and laughing were not in short supply.

The most common goal for the season from the vast majority of the girls was to grow as a team.

Next on the agenda, the team, along with parents and families in attendance, enjoyed food and refreshments.

The evening ended with more laughter through more games.

Whether the player is beginning her Senior season or a Freshman getting to know her team better off the field for the first time, a great time was had by all in attendance.

Players this year include Seniors Addison Bounds, Sarah Cormier, Shelby Pickett, and Tiyonna Drakes (not pictured), Junior, Gracie Stephens, Sophomores, Darcey and Destiney Bohannon, Ke’Asha Clark, Alissa Curry, Lauryn Bradley, and Freshmen, Gabi Bounds, Maddie Baxley, Kylie Hester, Ashlee Procell, and Hope Williamson (not pictured).

Coaches this year are Ginger Craig, along with Assistants Elizabeth Keith, Ethan Squires, and Lori Sullivan (not pictured).

The team and coaches would like to send a special thanks to Jana Bounds who headed up the event, along with all the parents and friends who helped and attended.

We all look forward to a great season, and in the words of Coach Craig, let’s “find it, like it, drive it” ladies!

Matt Vines

COUSHATTA – Big shoes to fill.

Red River baseball is coming off its best season in program history with a quarterfinals appearance and a 25-win season.

It’s a team that graduated six seniors, including four (Tyler Hughes, Jaxun Moore, Chris Carper and Bryce Hunt) that signed to play college baseball.

But when Red River steps back onto the field Monday to kick off the regular season of coach Todd Moore’s second campaign in Coushatta, the Bulldogs still have expectations to be a contender in Division III Non-Select.

Red River hosts Zwolle on Monday at 5 p.m. as the Bulldogs start with one game per week each of the first three weeks, followed by Converse and Captain Shreve.

“This team definitely has some big shoes to fill with the losses of a terrific senior group from last year’s team,” Moore said. “However, we do have a very solid senior and junior class that have logged a lot of varsity game time.”

Despite losing two of their top pitchers in Hughes and Moore (Hughes also caught and was picked to the LHSCA All-Star game as a catcher), Red River does valuable arms coming back.

Seniors Aston Hester and John Dickey IV spearhead what’s still a deep pitching rotation.

Dickey, who stands at 6-foot-5, has already committed to Bossier Parish Community College.

The Bulldogs will have to replace some of their top bats, but guys like Jake Pierce, Dickey, Hunter Tingle, Kade Martinez and Nolan Moore have plenty of quality at-bats under their belts.

However the bats certainly weren’t quiet Saturday in the team’s jamboree against Byrd in a 13-13 tie.

“Both Dickey and Hester came in clutch for us last season and should eat up a lot of innings on the mound,” Todd Moore said. “I actually feel very good about our pitching depth, defense and offense going into the season.

“We have some new coaches in different positions, and they’ve done a tremendous job this fall.”

Moore credited a strong offseason before the success of his inaugural campaign, and now Red River had the benefit of a full offseason under Moore before the 2025 slate begins.

Moore, who took St. Frederick and Sterlington to Class 2A championship games in his high school coaching career, aims to lead the Bulldogs on another deep playoff run.

Areas Mardi Gras parades:

Minden Mardi Gras Parade, Minden, rolls Feb 15 at 5pm.

Krewe of Aquarius, Logansport, rolls Feb 15 at 6pm.

Krewe of Harambee, Downtown Shreveport, rolls Feb 17 at 1pm.

Krewe of Centaur, Shreveport, rolls Feb 22 at 3pm.

Krewe of Demeter, Mansfield, rolls Feb 23 at 3pm.

Krewe of Gemini, Shreveport, rolls Mar 1 at 3pm.

Krewe of Dionysis, Natchitoches, rolls Mar 1 

Krewe of Highland, Shreveport, rolls Mar 2 at 1pm.

Coushatta Mardi Gras Parade rolls Mar 2 at 3pm.
More information will be shared as it becomes available.

Spring might be just right around the corner, but Mother Nature isn’t done with cool weather quite yet. 

An increasingly unsettled weather pattern is expected to bring multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms throughout the week. This may result in 3+ inches of rainfall across the ArkLaTex. 

Some areas might see some flooding.

Along with the rain, is a massive cool down which began yesterday and will continue throughout the week.

Highs will be in the 50s with lows dipping back into the 30s some nights.

Stay with RRPJ for any breaking weather updates.

The Red River Parish School Board will begin their monthly meetings on Friday mornings at 8:30am with this month’s meeting, Friday, February 14. Please note this day and time change for all months thereafter.

Rumor has it Sam’s Club has a new item at the food court for a limited time–the Be Mine Choco-Strawberry Sundae. The deliciousness consists of vanilla soft serve, strawberry filling, chocolate cold dip and curls, dried strawberries, and whipped cream. And the best part it’s under 2 bucks! Let us know if you partake of one!

KTBS 3 will host MEGA 3 Storm Team Weather Watchers School Saturday, Feb 15. It will start at 8:30am with coffee and donuts. The program will start at 9am and last until approximately 11:15am. At the conclusion of the program lunch will be provided. The school is FREE. Registration deadline is tomorrow, Feb 11. This year’s school will also include a SKYWARN class by the US National Weather Service Shreveport. Visit KTBS.com/weather to get signed up. There is limited seating. It will take place at Sci-Port Discovery Center at 820 Clyde Fant Parkway in Shreveport.

Cellist Paul Christopher will present a faculty recital on Thursday, Feb 20 at 5:30p.m. in NSU’s Magale Recital Hall. Christopher, an associate professor of low strings and music theory at Northwestern State University, will play works for unaccompanied cello by Sylvano Bussotti, Mark Prince Lee and Allen Shawn. Admission is free and open to the public. The recital will be live streamed at nsula.edu/capa/capalivestream. 

The Village of Hall Summit’s Hometown Festival and BBQ Cook-off is Feb 22. The BBQ cook-off features cash prizes totaling $3000.00. Proceeds from the festival will be allocated towards the construction of a playground at the park. For info contact Jason-hallsummit@outlook.com or call 318.932.5355.

Northwestern State University Professor of English Emerita Julie Kane will deliver a talk covering her latest volume of poetry, “Naked Ladies: New and Selected Poems” on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 5:30 p.m. in the Cammie G. Henry Research Center (Room 301) of Watson Library. Kane’s newest book includes the best poems from her five previous books along with some new and previously uncollected poems. “Naked Ladies” is published by the LSU Press. Admission is free and open to the public.

Vance “Buddy” Wilson
October 25, 1935 – February 7, 2025
Funeral services will be held Monday, February 10, 2025, at 2pm at Rockett Funeral Home Chapel in Ringgold.

The monthly meeting of the Red River Parish Police Jury included a visit from the DA, the Sheriff’s office, and District 5 Representative Dennis Bamburg.

District Attorney Julie Jones addressed the members about a possible contract for a cell tower on the Fairgrounds property. She advised the members that the contract was not in the best interest of the parish and petitioned them to reject it. They welcomed the advice and determined there would be no agreement with the company.

Representative Dennis Bamburg accepted Jury President Tray Murray’s invitation to the podium and spoke on the upcoming election Mar 29, 2025, including Constitutional Amendments for Louisiana. He stressed that it is crucial for voters to understand Amendment 2, which contains changes for teacher retirement, teacher pay raises, persons over 65, and lower income tax rates for everyone. He said the wording in the amendment is concise and understandable.

According to the SOS.la.gov website, a “yes” vote means that voters support an amendment to revise Article VII of the Constitution of Louisiana, including revisions to lower the maximum rate of income tax, increase income tax deductions for citizens over sixty-five, provide for a government growth limit, modify operation of certain constitutional funds, provide for property tax exemptions retaining the homestead exemption and exemption for religious organizations, provide a permanent teacher salary increase by requiring a surplus payment to teacher retirement debt, and make other modifications? (Amends Article VII, Sections 1 through 28; Adds Article VII, Sections 29 through 42).

Troy Murray, a representative of the Sheriff’s Office, addressed the police jury members next. Murray’s discussion centered on the proposed new construction of an administrative office building for the Sheriff’s Office and Police Jury. The two entities agreed to cooperate in the January meeting on the proposed project. The Sheriff needed the signed approved minutes from the previous meeting to draft a cooperative endeavor agreement for the project. If agreed upon and signed, this agreement would enable the groundwork to begin. Murray explained that this was the first step in the process. There would need to be a second agreement that establishes the percentages of financial commitment from each party. President Murray explained to the visitors that the building would be directly across the street from the courthouse. He said the Police Jury, 911, and Sheriff’s administration would be housed in the building. The new space would allow for an accessible Police Jury meeting room as well.

In other business, the CVU reported they collected $17,000 in permits and $3,000 in fines.
They also declared a surplus of equipment for sale in the near future.

Jessie Davis expounded on the need to update the personnel policy and bank resolution and award the President, Vice President, and Parish Manager authority to review and make pay adjustments in relation to budget needs and insurance rates.

Centenary’s baseball team begins its regular season at home this weekend, hosting the “Gents Classic” Friday through Sunday at Shehee Stadium. The lineup of games promises exhilarating play.  

Red River High School standout Tyler Hughes will take the mound on Sunday. In his freshman year of play with the Gents, Hughes secured this primary game’s pitching spot.  RRPJ will keep an eye on this athlete as the season progresses.  

Friday 

12pm Huntingdon vs. McMurry 

3:30am LaGrange vs Rhodes

Saturday

10am LaGrange vs. Centenary 

1:30pm McMurry vs. Rhodes

5pm Huntingdon vs. Rhodes 

Sunday

9:30am McMurry vs. LaGrange 

12:30pm Huntingdon vs. Centenary 

3:45pm Rhodes vs. Centenary

Matt Vines

WOODVILLE, Miss. – To say the Riverdale girls’ basketball team was locked in for the first round of the MAIS Class 2A South Regional might be an understatement.

The No. 1 seed Lady Rebels suffocated No. 4 Tallulah Academy, 66-6, on Wednesday night at tournament host Wilkinson County Christian Academy.

The victory assures Riverdale a spot in the Class 2A Tournament this coming week and advances the Lady Rebels to the regional semifinals where they’ll meet No. 2 Tensas Academy. That game is Friday at 4 p.m.

Tensas squeaked by No. 3 Claiborne Academy, 43-41, in the first round.

Riverdale (28-5) has won 21 games in a row dating back to Dec. 10.

The Riverdale boys’ season ended Wednesday in a 63-31 loss to Mt. Salus.

The No. 3 seeded Rebels (10-21) couldn’t channel their strengths to challenge No. 2 Mt. Salus, who advanced to the regional semifinals and punched their ticket to next week’s Class 2A state tournament.

A young Riverdale bunch has matured rapidly throughout head coach Ty Jones’ first season at the helm and will return the majority of their roster this coming season.

Red River boys’ winning streak now at 12
The Red River boys basketball team extended its winning streak to 12 games, and the last four games paint an accurate picture of how the Bulldogs season has went.

Red River (20-3) logged a win against district foe Winnfield in a 70-63 victory on Jan. 24, knocking off the No. 9 team in Division III Non-Select.

The Bulldogs continue to be ranked No. 1 in that division, leading by nearly 1.5 points over No. 2 Madison.

Red River then annihilated Lakeside (77-29) on Jan. 28 before avenging one of its three losses this season when they took care of Captain Shreve on Jan. 31 by a score of 56-53 in Coushatta. The Class 5A Gators won the first matchup by 11 points in Shreveport.

The Bulldogs demonstrated their district domination in a 72-27 win against Many on Tuesday.

Red River can secure at least a share of the district title with a win against Mansfield tonight at home. The Bulldogs took the first meeting, 79-61, on the road to begin district play.

Lady Bulldogs still in line for home playoff game
The Red River girls basketball team is slipping from district title contention with its loss at Many on Tuesday, but the Lady Bulldogs are still in line to host a playoff game.

Red River (10-14, 3-2) couldn’t pull off a sweep of Many this season as the Lady Tigers grabbed a 45-32 win after the Lady Bulldogs won the first meeting by nine points.

Many and Mansfield both have one loss in district play, and Red River has dropped a contest to each and will play Mansfield for a second time tonight (in Coushatta).

A win would insert Red River back into the district title discussion, but a loss would eliminate the Lady Bulldogs from contention. Mansfield won the first contest, 42-28, in Mansfield.

Red River does have a relatively comfortable margin at No. 16 in Division III Non-Select, owning a 1.15-point edge in the power rankings over No. 17 North Webster.

A late-season swoon could knock Red River out of a home playoff game in the last week, but one or two wins in the last three regular-season games should seal a top-16 slot.

Red River has already beaten next week’s opponents in Winnfield and Lakeside this season.

National Pizza Day, February 9, celebrates one of America’s all-time favorite foods. Whether it’s thin crust, Chicago-style, deep dish, or anything in between, pizza is an American favorite.

Pizza has a rich history tracing back to ancient civilizations like the Greeks and Romans, who enjoyed flatbreads with various toppings.

The modern pizza we know and love, with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese, originated in Naples, Italy. Pizza gained popularity in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, thanks in part to Italian immigrants.

In 1905 a pizzeria in New York City called Lombardi’s was granted the first mercantile license in the US to make pizza. 

TOP 5 INSIGHTS ABOUT PIZZA
57% of Americans say they love pizza.
53% of Americans prefer restaurant over frozen pizza.
30% of Americans eat pizza at least once a week.
22% of Americans say they can each an entire pizza by themselves.
19% of Americans like to have beer with their pizza.

FUN FACTS

• Pepperoni is the most popular pizza topping in the United States.
• The world’s largest pizza, according to Guinness World Records, measured over 13,000 square feet and was made in Rome, Italy, in 2012.
• Pizza delivery was pioneered in the United States by a pizzeria in New York City in the early 20th century.
• The Margherita pizza, topped with tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil, was named after Queen Margherita of Italy.
• Pizza is enjoyed by people of all ages and is a universal comfort food.

A lot of us don’t go many days without having pizza. Celebrate National Pizza Day by heading over to your favorite pizzeria. Or get creative and host a pizza party at work or for friends. Or simply buy a frozen pizza and enjoy it at home.

Source: nationaltoday.com; awarenessdays.com

Dining out can get really expensive very quickly especially when the kids tag along. Check out the following restaurants that offer free or almost free kids meals so that you can enjoy eating out as a family without worrying so much about the bill. 

No need to remember which day of the week it is at IHOP, because kids under 12 eat free every evening from 4-10pm. Only available on dine-in orders.

Kids eat free every Tuesday at Denny’s with the purchase of a $6 entrée — this deal runs from 4-10pm.

Kids eat free at Waffle House from 3-8pm every day, but only when accompanied by an adult. The offer is limited to the kids’ menu, and senior meals are not included.

Zaxby’s offer a 99-cent kids meal on Wednesdays when you purchase an adult entree. They also have a Kidz Night on Tuesdays from 5-8pm, where kids eat free with the purchase of an adult meal.

Buffalo Wild Wings doesn’t offer free kids meals, but kids meals are 50% on Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays with adult purchase. Their kids meals come with an entrée, side and drink for around $8, so on a 50% off day you can feed your little one for just $4.

At Huddle House, you can get one free kid’s meal with every adult entrée purchase of $6 or more. This offer is valid on Mondays and Tuesdays for dine-in only.

Kids eat free on Sundays at Dickey’s Barbeque Pit. One Kids Meal with a $10 purchase per adult. Kids 12 and under. Not valid with any other coupons, offers, discounts or promotions. Dine-in only; offer not valid for online or app orders.

At Moe’s Southwest Grill kids 12 and under eat free on Sunday (dine-in only).

Kids 12 and under can eat for just $1.99 all day on Thursdays at Piccadilly. Kids’ meals include choice of entrée, like Chicken Tenders, Fried Fish, or Small Chopped Beef – plus two sides, kids’ drink, and dessert (limit two kids meals per adult meal purchase).

Be sure to verify details before you pack up and head out to eat. These promotions may vary significantly by region and franchise.

A Hope for Lydia fundraiser will be held tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 8 at 11 am at the Ashland Fire Department, located at 719 Highway 153 in Ashland. 

They will sell Bar-B-Que sandwich plates for $10 each. Pre-orders are welcome and deliveries will be made if local (Willing to travel further if 10 or more plates are ordered for one location). 

A Charbroil electric smoker donated by Fire District 2 in Goldonna will be raffled off as well (Winner does not need to be present to win). Tickets are $1 each. Contact an Ashland Fire Department member if you would like to purchase tickets.

There will be auction items to bid on that day as well.

Follow Ashland Fire District 8’s Facebook page for updates. 

All proceeds will go to Hope for Lydia. Lydia is the 2-year-old daughter of Kirk and Morgan Weaver Rachal who has been diagnosed with Sanfilippo, a disease known as Alzheimer’s in children. 

To donate to Hope for Lydia directly: www.gofundme.com/f/savelydia

There is a quote that reads, “one good thing about being young is that you’re not experienced enough to know what can’t be done.”

That phrase stands to be a rally point for the 2025 Northwestern State softball team.

No team in all of Division I softball has a higher percentage of underclassmen. The 2025 Demons consist of 17 underclassmen on its 18-player roster. Four of the five returners from a season ago are in just their second season of collegiate softball and none
of the 13 newcomers, 11 of them true freshman, have any Division I experience.

“We are really young,” first-year head coach Jenny Fuller said. “We’re one of the youngest teams in the country. But every single day we talk about how that doesn’t matter. We can go out there and compete with anybody if we just work hard, do the little things
and the big things will take care of themselves.”

The hard work the youthful Demons have put in throughout the preseason will begin to show itself on the field on Friday morning. NSU opens the 2025 season at the South Alabama Invitational where it will play five games over the course of three days.

Friday’s doubleheader begins at 9 a.m. against Murray State. Only the matchup with host South Alabama on Saturday afternoon will be available on ESPN+. The full weekend schedule is available at
http://www.nsudemons.com.

One other benefit to youth is having buckets of energy, something that has been infectious to the team’s lone upperclassman, Bailie Ragsdale.

The only senior on the team, Ragsdale has started more than 130 games at NSU, more Division I starts than all of her teammates combined. She has collected over 100 hits in her career, played multiple positions and done everything that’s been asked of her for
the past three seasons. Experience that she hopes will help make the transition to college softball easier for her teammates.

“They call me the grandma,”Radgsdale joked. “But I think it’s that I’ve kind of brought them under the wing so it’s not that stressful to them. They talk to me sometimes before the coaches and if they need anything they can come to me. I help them a lot but
they help me a lot too, it’s been a lot of fun so far.

“I feel like I’m a freshman or sophomore again. I’m just going day by day doing my best to try and teach them and show them what softball is like at this level and what it takes. Because it is hard, it is a challenge and you’re being asked every day to do something
you may not be used to doing. Just getting them up to speed on what to expect.”

There will no doubt be a learning curve for the handful of players that will make their Division I debuts this weekend. Acclimation to the speed of the game, the smaller margin of error and levels of focus that it takes to find success all will take some getting
used to for many of the Demons.

One thing that won’t be new, and something that Fuller has instilled in the team since day one, is the hard work mindset that it takes to find that comfort on the field, at the plate or in the circle.

“The biggest thing for this weekend is that we just want them to go out there and compete,” Fuller said. “Don’t worry about the results so much. Just go out there, have fun, play with energy and give it their all. If they do that hopefully we can come away with a few wins, but if not we know that we worked hard and did our best.”

Shared by Brad Welborn

Red River SWCD is having its 3rd annual Tree Sale. Trees will be available for purchase from February 19- 21, 2025.

Buyers can choose from assorted hardwoods and fruit trees on sale at the Coushatta office, located at 1311 Ringgold Ave. They will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Do not miss your chance to purchase.

Tree Sale
February 19-21, 2025
Red River SWCD
1311 Ringold Avenue, Coushatta, LA
8 AM to 3 PM

Paid content

A group of Northwestern State University students are preparing for the experience of a lifetime as NFL Teammate volunteers at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans on Feb. 9.

Students from the Health and Human Performance and Hospitality Management and Tourism programs were selected for positions that will include helping with guest experience, staff gear distribution and wayfinding, according to Dr. Haley Blount, the HHP professor who helped orchestrate the opportunity.

Twenty-three of the students will work a 3 a.m.-10 a.m. shift on Super Bowl Sunday while a select group of six students were selected as Coaches to work the 4:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. shift during the big game. They are a mixture of undergraduate and graduate students. All completed mandatory safety and security training in advance of participation.

Selected as Captains are Honor Camus of Baton Rouge, Julia Davis of Davenport, Florida, Justin Lee, Madison Brown and Maya Lucas of Natchitoches and Tyler Lewis of Palm Springs, Florida.

Teammates are Aaron Slayter of Colfax, Alyssa Nash, Jordan Nelson, Madeline Conlay-Mayfield, Madison Raymond and Mikhail Hornsby of Natchitoches, Andrew Hendry of Bossier City, Angelisa Dobbins-Taylor of Fort Johnson, Ava Brown and Earonia Smith of Many, Berenice Juarez of Longview, Texas, Chloe Whisonant of Winnfield, Curry King of Lecompte, Dakota Thomas of Dodson, Destiny Theriot of Gheens, Faith Hinds of Pelican, Katriane Creel and Nhan Ngo of Shreveport, Marvanesha Lewis of Winnfield, Ryan Villarreal of San Antonio, Texas, Tallen Earl of Leander and Ty Gary of Elton.

Blount and Dr. Tara Tietjen-Smith, head of the Department of Health and Human Performance, and HMT faculty Rachel Marsh, Ashley Haire, Timothy Bratt and Dr. Valerie Salter, HMT program director, will accompany the students.

When selecting Teammates for Super Bowl week, the NFL looks for individuals who are friendly, reliable and team oriented. Captains provide leadership serving as a point of contact for each shift, assisting media, fans and other jobs as necessary.

The NSU students will be working inside the Superdome on game day. The early morning shift will be the first personnel in the facility, able to witness the revving up of activity that take place as media, tech support and others set up in the building. The Captains group working during the game will experience the big event from an inside perspective.

Thousands of fans are expected to converge in the blocks surrounding Caesars Superdome for fan events, tailgating and people watching. Super Bowl LIX is expected to draw a global audience of over 120 million TV viewers.

Blount said taking part in a massive event like the Super Bowl gives students experience with large scale event management and the opportunity to use skills in communication, professionalism and problem-solving while serving as a positive voice for the NFL and Northwestern State.

In seeking out the opportunity, Blount first reached out to Chuck Bourg, NSU’s former director of Physical Plant and Facilities, who is now director of Operations and Engineering at Caesars Superdome, Smoothie King Center and Champions Square. He connected her with the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, which led to a recommendation to participate in the NFL Teammate program.

Camus said she is looking forward to the large game day experience.

“I am a cheerleader here at Northwestern and gameday is kind of my thing,” she said. “I love interacting with fans and am excited to see that on a much larger scale, especially in the Superdome as I am considering auditioning to be a Saints Krewe cheerleader after college. I have experience entertaining fans as an NSU cheerleader at big events such as UCA Nationals and the Southland Conference Tournament, but never an event as large as the Superbowl, so I am super grateful for this opportunity.”

Dobbins-Taylor has worked at the Caveman Music Festival with the HMT Department for the past two years, so she has some experience with executing a large-scale event.

“I hope that I can see a similar process for the Super Bowl. We won’t be staying for the game itself, but we should see a lot of the background work and how a gigantic event like that is managed. Hopefully, we get lots of insight and get to talk to the people who put the show. There will be a lot to learn, I am very excited to go,” she said.

Super Bowl LIX kicks off at 5:30 p.m.

I’m not sure where to start to describe the impact bass fishing has had on my life. I think it’s safe to say that I have gotten a lot more out of bass fishing than probably any of my other hobbies combined. It’s a sport that has provided me a lifetime of great memories and has allowed me to make some of the best friends a man could ever ask for. 

Let’s start by going way back to my early days of fishing on our ranch in East Texas. What a great training ground it was! I was basically self-taught after being introduced to bass fishing by my best friend’s dad (who also sparked my interest in hunting as well).

By the age of 10 (in 1972), I was a subscriber to Bassmaster Magazine which really lit my fuse for basic bass fishing information. What a great publication full of tips and tricks with full scale color drawings on how, when and where to catch fish. I would literally sit by the mailbox with excitement, waiting on each issue. 

For a young boy who was not an avid reader and struggled with dyslexia, if it wasn’t for Bassmaster Magazine, I’m not sure I would have learned how to read at all. This magazine gave me a purpose and a reason to learn how to read! 

I remember the first tackle box I ever saw; it belonged to my Dad. I was enthralled with going through it and handling all the funny-looking baits. Some I had learned about through my Bassmaster Magazine, while there were other baits I had never seen before. 

Now many of these baits never made it back to Dad’s tackle box because I lost most of them on a stump or a log in one of our stock ponds on the ranch. Dad was never much of a fisherman, but he would do inventory occasionally to see just how many of his lures I had lost. 

He never really got upset about the lures lost in action, but I could tell he was disappointed that some were missing. I guess he was just happy I found something I was passionate about other than baseball. 

Well, baseball did take up much of my time up until 1985. It was then, during a routine physical, that my doctor randomly asked me what I was going to do to fill the void of my baseball playing days. I told him that I would probably play a little softball, a lot more golf, and bass fish.

Little did I know, it would be a friend of mine who would introduce me to tournament fishing by asking me to fish a night tournament on Lake Bistineau. This was life changing for me and ignited my passion for competitive bass fishing. 

After fishing local and regional team trails up until 1998, I decided to take my fishing to the next level by fishing the highest level on the FLW Tour as a co-angler. But I also jumped in the BFL’s (the lowest level of FLW) and fished as a boater/pro while also entering the FLW Everstart Series (now Toyota Series) and Bassmaster Opens, which for the last 20 years has been my passion.

For the last eight years, I’ve basically been dedicated to a couple of tournament trails within the American Bass Anglers Organization: one called the Solo 150’s (their highest level) and the other called the new Pro League. I have truly enjoyed both and still look forward to fishing. 

Over the years, I have made some lifelong friends and connections with some of the biggest names in the bass fishing world. These people, who have achieved so much, also introduced me to others who have had a huge impact on me as an angler and a person. 

There’s something about the bond anglers have that is so special. These are guys who will come to your rescue in time of need on and off the water. Guys you can share information with and that you can trust to keep that info to themselves. 

At each tournament, memories are made. Stories are told over and over of situations we have been in before along with stories of great days on the water both during practice and tournaments. But understand, anglers tend to exaggerate or stretch the truth occasionally. 

But the bonds you share with other anglers is what makes bass fishing such an enjoyable sport.

‘Til next time, keep on fishing and keep on setting the hook as you never know, the next fish you catch just might be the fish of a lifetime.

Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com

The 50th Annual Minden St. Jude Auction takes place this weekend at the Minden Civic Center in Minden, Louisiana. Last year’s auction raised $2.5 million with hopes of exceeding it this year. Over 170 raffle items are up for grabs also. Stay up to date through their website.

The Natchitoches-Northwestern Chamber Orchestra will present a concert on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m. in Magale Recital Hall. Admission is free and open to the public. The recital will be live streamed at nsula.edu/capa/capalivestream. The Chamber Orchestra is directed by Douglas Bakenhus and Andrej Kurti. 

Join in for a fun afternoon at the Red River Parish Library Wednesday, Feb 12 at 1pm for Mardi Gras Bingo! Lots of free fun, Mardi Gras prizes and refreshments. And don’t forget there’s Children’s Story Time every Friday at 10am.

Louisiana Christian University will offer high school students information about what opportunities await them at its annual Spring Preview Day on Saturday, Feb. 15. All high school students in public, private and home school are encouraged to preregister to attend the event on campus from 9am to 1pm. Registration the day of the event will be at 8:30am. Students and their parents will meet with faculty and current students and learn about academic programs, athletics and extracurricular activities. Attendees will also hear from current students about their experiences in major fields of study and what it’s really like to be a Wildcat. Interested students should sign up at the Preview Day registration form. Students who attend Preview Day will receive free lunch and LCU merchandise. All students who pre-register for Preview Day will have the $25 application fee waived.

Red River Parish Library will host the monthly meeting of RRPL Genealogists- Ancestor Hunters Wednesday, Feb 19 from 10am until 12pm. Dr. Virginia Webb and library staff will be available to help you research using library resources including Ancestry.com. You may bring your own laptop or use a library laptop if you wish. No registration is required. For more information, call 318-932-5614.

First Baptist Church Coushatta is hosting Basketball JAM Camp, a month long camp that consists of weekly age-group practices honing in on learning the skills and drills of basketball, devotional times at the end of each practice and Family day on the last Saturday with scrimmages to show off what the children have learned. The fun will take place throughout the month of March. Coach Mike McConathy will be helping us with the skills and drills. Registration is now open for children in grades PreK4-6.  

NONE

Reports of a serious wreck and stopped traffic at Highway 71 and 515 began circulating at 1:30 PM on Feb 4, 2025.

Witnesses said a car crashed into one of the machines in a construction zone. The vehicle reportedly had two individuals in it. The driver fled the scene on foot.

At least one employee on the crew was critically injured and required helicopter transport to the hospital.

The Highway was reopened following the completion of the medical transport.

RRPJ will provide updates as further information is available about the vehicle driver or the condition of the injured individual.