WASHINGTON — Speaker Mike Johnson and Leader Hakeem Jeffries today announced the Members of Congress who will serve on the bipartisan House task force on the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.

“We have the utmost confidence in this bipartisan group of steady, highly qualified, and capable Members of Congress to move quickly to find the facts, ensure accountability, and help make certain such failures never happen again,” said Speaker Johnson and Leader Jeffries.

Republican Members of the Task Force:

Chairman Rep. Mike Kelly (PA-16) represents Pennsylvania’s 16th District and resides in his hometown of Butler, the location of the assassination attempt. He has longstanding ties to the local law enforcement community, is the author of the resolution creating the Task Force and will serve as its chairman.

Rep. Mark Green (TN-07) is a former U.S. Army major, combat veteran, and E.R. physician. He is the Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee. 

Rep. David Joyce (OH-14) served as an attorney and county prosecutor for 25 years and is former Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security.  

Rep. Laurel Lee (FL-15) is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney, a former judge for Florida’s 13th Judicial Circuit, and former Florida Secretary of State. She serves on the Homeland Security and Judiciary Committees.

Rep. Michael Waltz (FL-06) is retired from the U.S. Army Special Forces and is a former White House and Pentagon advisor. He serves on the Intelligence, Armed Services, and Oversight Committees.  

Rep. Clay Higgins (LA-03) is a former U.S. Army staff sergeant and former law enforcement officer who maintains an active commission and Peace Officer’s Standards and Training (POST) certification. He serves on the Homeland Security and Oversight Committees.

Rep. Pat Fallon (TX-04) is a former U.S. Air Force officer, and serves on the Oversight and Armed Services Committees, and their respective subcommittees dealing with Tactical Air and Land Forces and National Security. 

Democratic Members of the Task Force:

Ranking Member Rep. Jason Crow (CO-06) is a decorated former Army Ranger having served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Rep. Crow was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his heroism in Iraq. He is a Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Rep. Lou Correa (CA-46) is a senior Member of the House Judiciary and the House Homeland Security Committees, where he sits on the Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement & Intelligence Subcommittee. In that capacity, Rep. Correa recently traveled to Butler, PA to visit the site of the assassination attempt.

Rep. Madeleine Dean (PA-04) currently serves on the House Judiciary and House Foreign Affairs Committees and is a longtime Pennsylvania public servant, having served in the State House for six and a half years before coming to Congress. 

Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06) is a veteran of the United States Air Force and currently serves on the House Armed Services Committee and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

Rep. Glenn Ivey (MD-04) is a former Assistant U.S. Attorney and State’s Attorney for Prince George’s County who now serves on the House Judiciary, Homeland Security and Ethics Committees.

Rep. Jared Moskowitz (FL-23) is the former Florida Director of Emergency Management, where he oversaw both disaster response and after-action analysis. He serves on the House Oversight and Accountability and Foreign Affairs Committees.

Background on the Task Force:

The Task Force is empowered with all investigative authority of the House of Representatives, including subpoena authority. For the remainder of this Congress, it will assume control and jurisdiction over all pending House committee investigations regarding the Trump assassination attempt.

The goal of the Task Force is threefold: 

• To understand what went wrong on the day of the attempted assassination
• To ensure accountability
• To prevent such an agency failure from ever happening again

The Task Force will make recommendations for reform to the relevant government agencies and recommend any necessary legislation to implement the reforms.

Gimme an “E!” for “excitement!”

Go team!

It’s ‘that’ time of year, and the password is “excited!”

We can talk volleyball or soccer, and “certainly there is reason for excitement!” as most any coach would say, about the upcoming prospects on the court and on the pitch.

But the Kingpin of Autumn is football, so …

Pigskin Excitement!

Of all your excitements, the best and most contagious kind has got to be Pigskin Excitement! Optimism is rampant, hyperbole is free and easy.

And so — here we are. With August and the first days of (legal) practice knocking at the door, the only way to get in is to say you’re “excited,” or one of its cousins.

You can be “Eager!” or “Fired up!” or “Stoked!” or “Juiced!” or even, if you are light-headed due to excitement, “in a tizzy!”

It does not matter if you’re a Rhodes Scholar pulling guard or a quarterback with a rocket arm and chicken lo mein for brains, if you are not “EXCITED!” then buddy you’d better GET excited or get your butt OUT of this locker room and OFF this field!

These are exciting times!

But … what about the teams that SAY they’re excited but are NOT excited? What about the teams that are just flat-out depressed? Don’t they deserve some love too?

We’ve been around and can testify: there’s not always a lot of exciting joy in Mudville.

There is what you will read in the newspapers and hear on film clips — “After an inspired offseason, we’re excited about getting on the field and sending these seniors out as champions!” — and there is what you will hear when the depressed coach walks back to the training room and pours his soul out, sweaty hat in hand, to the equipment manager.

“We’re not worth donating to the homeless store. It depresses me to think that State U. is going to come in here in about eight weeks, right about the time we’re 2-5, and beat us like a rented mule.

“And ol’ Frankie Junior, he could be the best tight end in the league but I swear, if he was any dumber, we’d have to water that boy twice a day.

“We tried to put in a new system in the off-season and, Moses and Enoch themselves as my witness, it’s not going to be any better than the OLD system because we have the SAME players! We don’t need a new system; we need new players. Preferably ones with IQ’s higher than their shoe sizes.

“On top of that, our mascot is getting neutered Tuesday. Did you know that? Doesn’t even have a vote. We’ve got more problems than a little bit.

“And jock itch has infected the whole team. I’m telling you I’m so unlucky, I could reach in a barrel of silver dollars and pull out a penny.

“Only thing that can save us now is the NC Double A fining us and putting us on permanent suspension so we don’t have to play, but we’re too poor to have broken any rules. We couldn’t buy the toot off a whistle if they were selling for a nickel a pop. Boy if heartaches were commercials, I’d be all over everybody’s television sets…

“Meanwhile I’m having to tell the press and fans we’re ‘excited!’ Yesterday I even threw out a ‘SUPER-excited!’ Think they bought it?

“You know what excites me? That the season won’t last forever.

“But it’s sure gonna seem that way.”

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

On Saturday, August 10, Mansfield State Historic Site will host “Life Between the Battles” from 10am to 3pm. Visitors will have the opportunity to observe how soldiers lived during the long stretches of time between engagements. Taste the hardtack and coffee that made up a soldier’s daily fare, hear the sound of musketry during battle drills, and feel the weight of the wool uniforms that soldiers wore year-round.

Fairview Baptist Church will host a Back to School event on Wednesday, August 21 at 6pm. Illusionist Bryan Drake will perform. This is a family friendly event for all ages. 

The Village of Hall Summit announced a new date for their annual Hometown Festival & BBQ cook-off. Mark your calendars, it will be February 21-22, 2025. 

Frances Gilbert Baker
July 19, 1931 – July 29, 2024
Service: Thursday, August 1, 2024 at 2pm at Rockett-Nettles Funeral Home Chapel – Coushatta

The partnership of Dairy Queen, Christus Coushatta, and The Children’s Miracle Network fueled a lively competition in the hospital offices Thursday. Within the administrative offices, the bet was on which person could eat their treat the fastest. Hospital Administrator Brandon Hillman managed the win in just 1 minute and 14 seconds.

The partnership and participation in Coushatta were heartfelt for many families on Thursday. For every Blizzard sold on Thursday, July 25, a donation went to our region.  Several of our families with children with disabilities encouraged all of us to participate. 

Christus Coushatta announced several weeks ago that they are incorporating a children’s therapy clinic in Coushatta. This will include speech therapy, Physical and Occupational therapy, and more. To families in the area, the prospect of needed therapies so close to home is a miracle. Outside of the treatment and services provided by the public school system, the options of families for children with specific special needs have meant driving to Shreveport or Alexandria.

For some, Thursday was just a great day for a treat. For others, it was the beginning of a sweet respite from long travels.

In October, the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education approved the charter school application for one of the most unique schools in Louisiana. The Academy of Collaborative Education is a type 2 public school for K-5 that will serve children with autism in Ouachita Parish.

Maddie Worsham Cannon and Joellen Freeman are seeing their vision come to life. They envisioned a school where students could thrive with their abilities and the exceptionality they are diagnosed with. On Friday, Jul 26, 2024, a ribbon-cutting ceremony proved that determination and sheer motherly will can move mountains. Students from 8 parishes will be welcomed through the doors in August.

At the ceremony, Cannon expressed gratitude for everyone who helped make this school a reality. She thanked Freeman and the BESE member who helped them get approved. “The school is for our children and all of the children who come after them who will benefit.”

Cannon is the wife of Richard Cannon and the daughter of Richard and Jeannie Worsham of Coushatta. Richard is the son of Ricky and Liz Cannon of Martin.

Click the link to see the ribbon-cutting ceremony in its entirety.

A new era begins for Red River Parish. The expansion of Parish offices is commencing. The Registrar of Voters Office has moved to the corner of Front Street and Alonzo Street.

Registrar Debra Jones says this new location will house all the Parish’s voter needs, including early voting. All persons are encouraged to use the door on Alonzo Street (directly across from Bearing Service) to access the voters office.

An open house/ribbon cutting is planned for a future date.

Week of July 28-August 3

First Baptist Church of Coushatta will host VBS July 28 – August 2. Supper begins at 5:20pm. Pick up is at 8pm. Students who have finished preschool (PK4) through 6th grade may attend. For more information or to register click here.

Dress up days are as follows:
Monday: come as you are and show your ‘real’ self
Tuesday: wear bright color or neon colors
Wednesday: wear mis-fit clothes
Thursday: wear sunglasses
Friday: come as a tacky tourist

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) hatcheries produced and stocked approximately 4.2 million freshwater sportfish into 50 waterbodies statewide during the spring 2024 stocking season. The stocked fish primarily consisted of Florida Bass and Hybrid Striped Bass but also included White Crappie, Black Crappie and Bluegill.

LDWF owns and operates Booker Fowler, Beechwood, Huey P. Long, and Monroe Fish Hatcheries. Hatcheries also partner with the USFWS’ Natchitoches National Fish Hatchery and the City of Shreveport’s Cross Lake Fish Hatchery to meet statewide fish production needs. Fish are requested annually by LDWF’s nine fisheries management districts primarily to enhance or improve sportfishing opportunities.

“We are proud to be able to stock such a large quantity of freshwater sportfish throughout the state for the benefit of our fisheries habitat and recreational anglers,” said LDWF Secretary Madison Sheahan. “Our goal for fish stockings is to have a healthy population of sportfish statewide and to provide ample opportunity for recreational anglers to try their hand at catching large trophy bass in our Sportsman’s Paradise.”

While Louisiana hatcheries support various fish stocking needs throughout the state, most of today’s hatchery resources are directed to the production of Florida Bass. The Florida Bass can grow larger than Louisiana’s native Largemouth Bass species. The two species readily hybridize, and individuals reaching or exceeding 10 pounds in Louisiana usually have some degree of Florida Bass genetic influence due to LDWF’s stocking efforts. Stocking this species into existing native populations of Largemouth Bass, where successful, increases the potential for anglers to catch quality and/or trophy bass. Below are a few examples of the Florida Bass genetic influence in some of our most notable bass lakes.

Lacassine Pool  96.4%

Indian Creek     36.7%

NOLA City Park  80.2%

Chicot Lake  32.5%

Poverty Point  71.0%

False River  29.6%

Cypress Lake  43.2%

Bundick Lake  26.5%

Toledo Bend  42.1%

Lake Claiborne  26.1%

Stocking of Florida Bass focuses hatchery resources on areas with the best likelihood for success. Stocking is no longer done in areas where introgression of the Florida gene into the native bass population has been unsuccessful or in habitats where bass do not generally live to an age where they can reach trophy size.

(Surplus Stocking*)

Source: https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/

All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty

HELLEN, SANAA
22 B F 7/21/2024 7/23/2024
DOMESTIC ABUSE BATTERY $5,000.00
ARRESTING AGENCY: RED RIVER PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE

CROCKER, DUSTIN
28 W M 7/22/2024 7/23/2024
FAILURE TO APPEAR – CRIMINAL TRIALS O.R. BOND
ARRESTING AGENCY: RED RIVER PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE

SPEED, LARRY
44 B M 7/22/2024 INCARCERATED
UNAUTHORIZED ENTRY OF AN INHABITED DWELLING $10,000.00
SIMPLE CRIMINAL DAMAGE TO PROPERTY (2 COUNTS) $1,000.00 (EACH)
ENTRY ON OR REMAINING ON LAND OR IN PLACE WHERE FORBIDDEN (2 COUNTS) $1,000.00 (EACH)
SIMPLE BATTERY $2,500.00
THEFT (MISDEMEANOR) $1,000.00
RESISTING AN OFFICER $5,000.00
FAILURE TO APPEAR – PRETRIAL $20,000.00
FAILURE TO APPEAR – PRETRIAL $10,000.00
FAILURE TO APPEAR – PRETRIAL $10,000.00
FAILURE TO APPEAR – PRETRIAL $5,000.00
CONCURRENT NEW CHARGES AND CONCURRENT BENCH WARRANTS RUN CONSECUTIVE : $30,000.00 Total
ARRESTING AGENCY: COUSHATTA POLICE DEPARTMENT

FORTSON, MICHAEL
66 B M 7/22/2024 INCARCERATED
DOMESTIC ABUSE BATTERY $5,000.00
ARRESTING AGENCY: COUSHATTA POLICE DEPARTMENT

PERKINS, CANNON
19 W F 7/23/2024 7/23/2024
FAILURE TO APPEAR – CRIMINAL TRIALS $1,000.00
ARRESTING AGENCY: RED RIVER PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE

WARD, DONNIE
20 W M 7/23/2024 INCARCERATED
FAILURE TO APPEAR – CRIMINAL TRIALS $1,000.00
ARRESTING AGENCY: RED RIVER PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE

GIBSON, JOHN
45 W M 7/23/2024 7/24/2024
FAILURE TO APPEAR – FINES & COSTS $130.00 OR 30 DAYS IN JAIL
FAILURE TO APPEAR – FINES & COSTS $130.00 OR 30 DAYS IN JAIL
FAILURE TO APPEAR – FINES & COSTS $130.00 OR 30 DAYS IN JAIL
FAILURE TO APPEAR – FINES & COSTS $390.00 OR 30 DAYS IN J AIL
(ALL BENCH WARRANTS RUN CONSECUTIVE) $780.00 OR 120 DAYS IN JAIL
ARRESTING AGENCY: RED RIVER PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE

WEAVER, TIMOTHY
24 W M 7/23/2024 INCARCERATED
SIMPLE CRIMINAL DAMAGE TO PROPERTY LESS THAN $1,000 $1,000.00
OUT OF PARISH FUGITIVE WARRANT – NATCHITOCHES POLICE DEPARTMENT
ARRESTING AGENCY: RED RIVER PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE

BRADLEY, RAYMOND
42 B M 7/23/2024 7/24/2024
BANK FRAUD $3,000.00
ARRESTING AGENCY: RED RIVER PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE

BRADLEY, TAWANNA
40 B F 7/23/2024 7/24/2024
BANK FRAUD $3,000.00
ARRESTING AGENCY: RED RIVER PARISH SHERIFF’S OFFICE

DAVIS, JASON
22 W M 7/23/2024 7/24/2024
FAILURE TO APPEAR – CRIMINAL ARRAIGNMENT $1,000.00
ARRESTING AGENCY: COUSHATTA POLICE DEPARTMENT

Castor Methodist Church, 153 Hwy 507, will host a Back to School Bash Saturday, August 3 from 9am until 12pm. Food, drinks, cotton candy, games, door prizes, and school supplies will be available. All kids are invited to attend. For more information contact Brad McCoy 318.475.9029 or Richard Twyman at 318.564.5160. 

Join the LSU AgCenter and Red River Parish Helping Hands on Thursday, August 8 at 1pm at the 4-H Office, 1919 Alonzo Street for a dynamic program aimed at boosting fruit and vegetable consumption and encouraging physical activity. Discover the joy of nutritious eating and the benefits of regular exercise in a welcoming environment. Don’t wait—take charge of your health journey now! For more details and to secure your spot, contact Jessica Salley at 318-461-2730. 

David Vogel will be in concert at Martin Baptist Church on Saturday, August 10 at 7pm. Doors open at 6:30pm. Enjoy a free evening of worship, encouragement and inspiration.

Michael “Mike” Murray
October 12, 1946 — July 26, 2024
Service: Monday, July 29 at 1pm at Pleasant Hill Methodist Church – Pleasant Hill

The Louisiana Department of Education released preliminary Leap 2025 scores for the state this week. Just like the LDOE, Red River Parish Public Schools saw fantastic improvements in some of their scores in grades 3-8.

A couple of areas to highlight are below. These are the percentages of our students who scored Basic, Mastery and Advanced on the Leap 2025 end-of-the-year exams. The scores show the growth between the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school year. There were no social studies scores this year, but this exam will return next school year.
Grade 3:
ELA saw an increase from 43.4 % to 51.5%
Science saw an increase from 39.9% to 48.4%
Grade 4:
Math had an increase from 68% to 71%
Science was an increase from 50% to 54.6%
Grade 5:
Math had an increase from 73% to 79.4%
Science was an increase from 43.9% to 53%
Grade 6:
Increases in all subject areas:
ELA saw a rise from 35% to 57.7%
Math saw an increase from 28.4% to 52%
Science had a rise from 19.4% to 41.6%
Grade 7:
Math saw an increase from 36% to 43.3%
Grade 8:
Science had an increase from 32.6% to 45.1%

Throughout the district, all 4 of our Red River Parish Public schools increased their assessment index on Leap 2025 assessments by at least 3 points and one school as much as 10 points.

The department will not release the entirety of school and district performance scores until mid-November. It is essential to note the LDOE has raised the letter grade scale scores again this year as to what makes up an A, B, C, D, or F school. The rise in the scores will make it even harder to maintain previous school/district letter grades. The LDOE raised these scores by 5 additional points and will raise them again by five more points next year.

What does this mean for your child’s school? To maintain their current school/district letter grade status, your school must increase its school/district performance score by 10 additional points to keep its current letter grade. Additionally, the current school accountability system will be changing again over the next two years to a completely new system, making it even harder for rural community schools like Red River Parish Public Schools to maintain the growth our schools have seen over the last few years.

As the LDOE, BESE, and our Governor change the ways schools operate and are graded, Red River Parish Public Schools will meet the challenge. As the new system emerges, we will adapt and change with it, continuing to rise to the standards the state puts in front of us. Our job is to ensure all Red River Schools students enjoy the same opportunities to succeed as anywhere else. Red River Parish Public Schools will continue to grow because of our amazing community, parents, teachers, staff, and, of course, our students.

Student scores have been uploaded to the student progress center, and parents can log on today to see those. Schools will also mail out hard copies of those scores early next week. If you do not receive your child’s scores by Thursday, August 1st, please contact your child’s school and make sure all your information is correct in the system.

Red River Parish Sheriff’s Office
July 25, 2024

On July 17, 2024, at the 33rd Annual Louisiana DARE Officer’s Association (LDOA) Conference, Sgt. Michael Longino of the Red River Parish Sheriff’s Office (RRPSO) was recognized for twenty years of service as a DARE Officer. He was presented a special award by LDOA President Sgt. Jason Jones of the Shreveport Police Department.

After teaching the DARE curriculum for the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office for sixteen years, he has taught the last four years in the Red River Parish school system as a member of Sheriff Glen Edwards’ staff.

Throughout his twenty years in the DARE classroom, he has maintained a passion for teaching children about the dangers of drugs and alcohol and the benefits of making safe and responsible choices. More importantly, he has continued to build relationships and be a positive role model for the students.

Overall Sgt. Longino has served in law enforcement for twenty-six years, twenty-two of which have been as a School Resource Officer (SRO). As he continues to serve our local school district as a DARE Officer and SRO, we congratulate him on this award and look forward to seeing him in the classroom and hallways for years to come.

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development advised motorists that beginning Thursday, July 25, 2024, the LA 515 bridge over Four Mile Bayou in Red River Parish is closed for replacement of the structure.

The closure is scheduled to be in place for approximately three months, weather permitting.

This bridge is located approximately one mile south of the intersection with LA 514 near the community of East Point.  Click link for map

Restrictions/Permits: Total road closure at the specified location. All vehicles will need to utilize an alternate route.

Alternate Route: Detour signage will be in place.

This work will be performed WEATHER PERMITTING.

On July 23, 2024, Red River Parish Sheriff’s deputies had the privilege of speaking with participants of the Red River Parish Library’s Summer Reading Program.

Deputy Dean Allison brought along one of the departments’ boats, discussing boating and water safety with the interested onlookers.

Always popular with the crowd, Sgt. Lee Petersen was accompanied by K-9 partner Max. After explaining how Max helps fight crime in our community, Sgt. Petersen, Deputy Kevin Broadway, and Max all worked together to demonstrate his apprehension skills, which are impressive.

The NSU Music Academy is accepting students for the Fall 2024 semester.

The academy is under the direction of Northwestern State music faculty Dr. John Price and Dr. Francis Yang and offers piano, guitar, percussion and voice lessons for students from age six to adults. Lessons are taught face to face or online. Teachers at the academy are graduate and undergraduate music students studying at Northwestern State.

Last semester, students performed in an end-of-semester Spring Recital in Magale Recital Hall. Many students also participated in the NSU Music Festival held in March, where they could play for judges and participate in an honors recital. This upcoming semester students will have the opportunity to perform in a Monster Concert for Halloween and a Christmas Concert. Students in past years also took part in the National Federation of Music Clubs Festival, the Central Music Teachers’ Association Sonatina Festival and
the Louisiana Music Teachers Association Upper Elementary Auditions.

Fall lessons begin the week of August 25. To enroll or seek further information please visit http://www.nsula.edu/musicacademy. Any additional questions can be sent to Yang at yangf@nsula.edu or Price at pricejo@nsula.edu. 

Leonard Franklin Slye was born on November 5, 1911, in a tenement building on 2nd Street in Cincinnati, Ohio. His family and friends called him Len. Eventually, the tenement building where Len was born was torn down and the Riverfront baseball stadium was built on the location. Len always said that he was born at second base.

Within months of Len’s birth, Len’s father Andy, and his brother Will tired of their jobs and built a houseboat from salvaged lumber. In July 1912, Andy, his wife Mattie, and their three children, Mary, Cleda, and Len, along with Will, his wife Elizabeth, and their son Raymond, sailed east along the Ohio River from Cincinnati towards Portsmouth in the homemade 12-foot by 50-foot houseboat. The Slye families jointly purchased land near Portsmouth where they planned to disassemble their houseboat and build a house from the lumber, but mother nature altered their plans.

On March 23, 1913, heavy rain began to fall which continued for at least four days. Flooding from the rain killed an estimated 650 people in at least 13 states. Damages to property exceeded $330 million. This became known as the Great Flood of 1913. The majority of the deaths—somewhere between 422 and 470—happened in Ohio. In Dayton, Ohio, downtown streets were covered with water 10 feet deep. Fourteen square miles of the city were flooded. An estimated 123 people were killed in Dayton alone. In Hamilton, 35 miles downstream from Dayton, about 100 people were killed when water from 10 to 18 feet deep flowed through its residential districts. 93 people died from flooding in Columbus, Ohio.

As the waters rose near Portsmouth, the Slye families used the high water to their advantage and moved their houseboat onto the water which covered their property. They carefully positioned the houseboat and tied it off. As the water slowly receded, they placed foundation piers under the houseboat. The houseboat eventually rested perfectly on their land. There was another benefit in keeping the houseboat river worthy. If the river flooded again, their home would be protected from the water because it would float.

In 1915, Len’s sister Kathleen was born in the former houseboat. In 1919, Andy purchased farmland near Lucasville, Ohio, about 12 miles north of Portsmouth, where he built a six-room house. Despite his best efforts, Andy was unable to earn enough income from the farm for his family to survive. He took a job at a shoe factory in Portsmouth. During the work week, Andy stayed in Portsmouth. On weekends, he returned to the farm. While Andy was away, the rest of the family was pretty much isolated from the outside world. To communicate over long distances on the farm, Len and his mother used different yodels. The varying pitch of their voices carried much farther than yelling. Yodeling was a skill that helped Len later on.

In the days before electronic devices, television, or radio, the Slye family found ways to entertain themselves. Saturday night square dances were common on the Slye family farm. Len would often play the mandolin and call the square dances or sing. This began before Len was a teenager. By the time he turned 18, Len’s musical abilities were like a finely tuned machine. In 1929, Andy, Mattie, Len, and Kathleen drove in their 1923 Dodge to Lawndale, California to visit Len’s older sister Mary and her husband. In the spring of 1930, the Slye family moved to Lawndale permanently. Soon thereafter, Mary suggested that Len audition for a radio show called the Midnight Frolic. Producers of the show were surprised by Len’s talents. A few nights later, Len, dressed in his best western attire, played guitar, sang, and yodeled on the program.

Len was in demand from then on, and became part of several western musical groups. The most successful was the Pioneers Trio, which became the Sons of the Pioneers when a radio station announcer changed their name because he thought they were too young to be seen as pioneers. In 1934, the Sons of the Pioneers signed a recording contract and began recording material in August of that year. One of the songs to come out of that session was the western standard “Tumbling Tumbleweeds.” Their 1934 recording was selected by the Library of Congress as a 2010 addition to the National Recording Registry, which selects recordings annually that are “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.

In 1935, Len began working in western films using his real name Leonard Slye. Gene Autry was the king of western films, but he kept demanding more money for his work as the singing cowboy. Studios began looking for another singing cowboy that they could get for less money. Len fit the part perfectly… well, almost. Republic Pictures, who hired Len, thought Lenoard Slye was not a suitable name for a western star. The film company finally settled on a stage name for Len.

While working in Hollywood, Len’s alter ego taught lessons in fairness and gentleness. He was always on the right side of the law and respected the law. His was a positive character with unwavering principles. This was more than just a Hollywood-created persona, this was Leonard Slye. He was a positive role model, something that we could use more of in our modern times.

Republic Pictures chose Len’s stage name carefully. They thought Roy had a good western ring to it. At the time, Will Rogers was a popular western comic entertainer, and they wanted to take advantage of the name recognition. From that point on, the world knew Leonard “Len” Slye, the King of Cowboys, as Roy Rogers.

Sources:

1. Chicago Tribune, July 7, 1998, p.97.
2. The Cincinnati Enquirer, July 7, 1998, p.28.
3. Desert Dispatch, July 7, 1998, p.1.

BATON ROUGE, LA – The Louisiana Legislature announced today that it has contracted with Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in order to perform a comprehensive assessment of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD).

Earlier this year, Governor Jeff Landry issued an executive order mandating the optimization of DOTD’s operations. The order requires DOTD Secretary Joe Donahue to submit a comprehensive plan for the Department by January 15, 2025. To ensure Secretary Donahue has all necessary information, the Louisiana Coalition to Fix Our Roads (LCFOR) met with Boston Consulting Group (BCG) to provide the industry engagement portion of the DOTD reform assessment.

“As the legislative bodies responsible for overseeing and ensuring funding for DOTD, we believe it is crucial to be deeply involved in this process,” said Senate President Cameron Henry. “Legislators are closest to the people, and it is our duty to engage now to ensure DOTD’s future success.”

“Our members are dedicated to getting this right, and we would be remiss to not fully engage in this process to reform and restructure DOTD,” said Speaker of the House Phillip DeVillier. “We look forward to collaborating closely with members of both chambers, LCFOR, and Secretary Donahue to develop a workable plan that addresses the Department’s needs and positions it for future success.”

Governor Jeff Landry, who initiated these efforts, commended both industry and the legislature for their involvement.

“The collaboration between private industry, both chambers of the legislature, and my office to address this issue is a positive sign for Louisiana, and a harbinger of success,” Governor Landry stated. “We are committed to improving DOTD’s operations and rebuilding our state’s infrastructure.”

“LCFOR members have diligently worked to identify pain points across various sectors and stakeholder groups that interact with DOTD,” said Erich Ponti, LCFOR President. “We appreciate the opportunity to provide BCG thorough analysis and feedback to address core issues.”

BCG’s assessment phase is scheduled to conclude in early fall, allowing Secretary Donahue time to review the recommendations and develop his comprehensive plan by the January 15, 2025, deadline.

NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State Director of Athletics Kevin Bostian announced on Wednesday the hiring of Jenny Fuller, winner of the 2024 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association Coach of the Year award, as the 13th head softball coach in program history.

“We went through an exhaustive search with a large pool of applicants,” Director of Athletics Kevin Bostian said. “Because of the investment that we are making into the softball program and what we see for the future of the program, this was a sought-after position with many high-quality candidates.

“As they say the cream rises to the top and that is exactly what happened with Jenny. She’s had success in her previous jobs revitalizing programs and is a proven winner. On top of that she fits in perfectly with the culture that we are building in our softball program. She is going to do great things at Northwestern State and we are excited to have her and her family here.”

Fuller spent the past three seasons at Pittsburg State where she won more than 100 games, produced four all-Americans, six academic all-Americans, seven all-region players and 18 all-conference players during her tenure.

“I would like to thank Kevin Bostian, the search committee, and President Genovese for the opportunity to coach the Demon softball team,” Fuller said. “We look forward to creating a winning softball culture and once again returning this team to the championship ranks.

“My family and I are excited about our move here, and we look forward to being involved in the many opportunities this university and community offer.”

In 2024 the Gorillas claimed a share of the MIAA regular season crown for just the second time in program history, coming 30 years after their first title, and set a program record with 53 wins, including an impressive 23-3 mark in conference play.

Fuller increased Pittsburg State’s win total by 10 from the previous season in her first year (2022), led them to their first winning season in six years the next and became the first head coach to win 50 games in a season. The Gorillas also hosted an NCAA Division II National Tournament regional for the first time in program history in 2024.

The Gorillas led the conference in six offensive categories on the year, including ranking fifth nationally with a .348 team batting average and 11th nationally with a .409 on-base percentage. Gorilla pitchers also led the league in strikeouts and ranked in the top five in the conference in four other categories.

PSU produced a pair individual award winners on the season with Heather Arnett, a consensus first-team all-American, being named Regional Player of the Year and MIAA Co-Player of the Year. Fuller used her expertise as a pitcher at Baylor for former NSU assistant Glenn Moore to guide freshman Ava Laurent to a 19-1 record, 8.3 strikeout/7 rate and MIAA Freshman of the Year honors as well.

“NSU is a very special place,” Moore said. “If a special leader is put in place, lives will be changed and the wins will come. Hiring Jenny Fuller assures this will happen. She is the perfect fit for NSU and Natchitoches. She and Brad (Fuller) are gifted at loving and leading young people. The community will embrace them quickly and they will rebuild NSU softball. Get your season tickets and jambalaya.”

In her three seasons at PSU, the Gorillas batted over .300 each year, improving by nearly 50 points from year one to year three. They also saw notable decreases in team ERA from the pitching staff, dropping by nearly three full runs per game with a 66-point drop in opponent batting average.

The team records set at Pittsburg State were just the latest in a list of program records established under Fuller’s direction.

Prior to her time with the Gorillas, she spent three seasons at Northern State in Aberdeen, S.D., where 17 different single game, season or career records were broken by players under her guidance. In 2020, the Wolves won their first 10 games of the season and had a program-best 15-4 record before the season was canceled due to Covid-19.

In her first season there, Northern State finished with the second highest team batting average in program history at the time, and the first average over .300 in two decades.

Fuller’s first head coaching job came at NAIA-member Cardinal Stritch in Milwaukee, Wis., in 2016. There she compiled a 59-36 record in two seasons including a 30-13 mark in her first season.

In nine seasons as a collegiate head coach Fuller has a 249-171 (.593) record.

She began her coaching career as an assistant and pitching coach at her junior college alma mater McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas. She helped coach a pair of first-team all-conference pitchers and six other all-conference players. McLennan advanced to the 2011 NJCAA National Championship and in 2014 won the Region V North Conference title with a record of 46-8.

As a player for the Highlanders, Fuller was an NFCA First-Team All-American and NJCAA Second-Team All-American during her two seasons. She tallied a 29-6 record with a 0.97 ERA and 285 strikeouts during her sophomore season to earn Region V Pitcher of the Year honors.

In her final two playing seasons at Baylor, Fuller set a top 10 mark for single-season winning percentage with an 11-3 record during 2008 and has the second highest career winning percentage in program history at .813.

Fuller earned her associate degree in arts and business from McLennan and a bachelor of science in education and master of science in sport management from Baylor.

Jenny and her husband, Brad, have a daughter, Emma.

Now in the latter years of my life, I’ve developed a hatred for summers and the high temperatures that come with it. No longer do I look forward those hot summer days the same way I did as a youth.

But today we’re going to turn back the clock on what was one of the best periods of my life.

Growing up in my house, there was no such thing as “sleeping in.” Pretty much every day of my life the light switch was turned on in my room no later than 6:30 in the morning. Growing up on a ranch in East Texas was a great privilege of mine and it taught me so much about hard work and responsibility. 

But it was also my playground for hunting and fishing and is where my passion for the outdoors started. I literally spent hours and days transversing the woods and stock ponds of our ranch. This is where I learned to hunt squirrels and deer while our stock ponds were loaded with bass and catfish, my training ground for fishing.

Directly across the street from our house, a few miles out of town, was the property of Mr. Rayford Jones who was a cattle rancher with a couple of really good catfish ponds. This is where a good friend of mine (Malcolm Jones, Rayford’s grandson) and I spent the majority of those hot summer days fishing for catfish.

Since we did not have cell phones back in those days, we would make arrangements the night before to meet at the one of those catfish ponds just after daylight. We tried to beat the heat by getting out there early but most often we were there until around noon or until we got tired of catching fish. 

The worst part about catching catfish was that someone had to clean them, and it didn’t take long for us to make the decision to just enjoy catching and releasing the catfish back into the pond so we could catch them again on another day — or you could say, we were just lazy.

One thing about fishing for catfish: it requires much patience, but is a fun way to fish. In order to catch catfish, you need bait. Now bait can be in the form of several different things, as catfish will eat just about anything including the kitchen sink…. but that’s hard to get on a hook. Some people use what is known as blood bait, which is not only nasty, but stinks to high heaven as well. Frozen shrimp also make great catfish bait along with hot dogs and earthworms. 

We liked to double our fun by using what is known as cut bait. You first catch a few small bream with crickets or earthworms and then cut the tails off and use that for bait. Every now and then, we had so much fun catching the bream, we would just forget about the catfish. 

I’ve often wondered — is it hotter today than when were kids? Probably not, but we were just acclimated to the heat better since we spent every waking hour outdoors and not inside an air-conditioned house. Our parents insisted we stay outside even if we were thirsty. Thank the Lord for whoever invented the garden hose, because this was a survival tool for kids of my generation. 

Shade trees were not just a part of our front yard, they were a gathering spot to get some relief from the summer sun. The only thing better than a shade tree was a fruit tree. There were several pear and apple trees in the area along with a couple of fig trees — all used for survival. A lot of people back during the 1960s and ‘70s planted fruit trees, something you don’t see much any more.  

I miss thpse days. I really enjoyed growing up the way I did. If we weren’t fishing, we were playing baseball on a sandlot or any backyard we could find. Yes, there were a few broken windows, but our sandlot games were fun and a great training ground for developing our baseball skills. If was too hot to play baseball, we went to the local swimming pool in order to beat the heat. 

I know it was a different time, but back then we had freedom and the ability to go wherever our bikes could takes us. We did not need or have much favor towards babysitters. We also never complained about it being too hot. We beat it with a Wham-O Water Wiggle or a Slip-N-Slide. 

‘Til next time, good luck, good fishing and make sure to wear your sunscreen. Melanoma is the No. 1 killer of all cancers so take the time to protect yourself.

Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com