The community is invited to a pep rally and celebration for the Red River High School Boys Basketball team.
It will take place Thursday, March 13 at 5:30pm at the Front Street Pavilion.
Everyone is asked to come out and support the Bulldogs and their success this season.
In response to the announced closure of the International Paper Mill in Campti, the Natchitoches Parish Library (NPL) is expanding its support services to assist those facing job loss or displacement. Throughout March and April, the NPL will offer dedicated, one-on-one assistance to help individuals navigate employment and financial aid resources.
Patrons can schedule a dedicated, hourlong session with library staff by calling (318) 238-9224. Assistance is available for:
Appointments are available at 2:00, 3:00, and 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday, with additional staff available for shorter consultations throughout the day.
Beyond these services, NPL provides access to a range of online learning tools, including LinkedIn Learning for job skills training and Learning Express Library for exam preparation and adult core skills review.
Additional library services include:
The Natchitoches Parish Library is committed to supporting the community through this transition. Call today to schedule your personalized appointment and discover how our free resources can assist you.
Play hockey, give blood! LifeShare Blood Center and Shreveport Mudbugs are teaming up for a community blood drive on March 15th from 2:30pm-5:30pm at George’s Pond-Hirsch Memorial Coliseum.
“Every two seconds someone needs blood. In fact, nearly 30,000 units of whole blood and red blood cells are transfused each day in the U.S. Blood donors have the power to save lives when every second counts,” says Mandi Johnson, Director of Community Engagement.
LifeShare is excited to partner with Shreveport Mudbugs for this fun community event. The blood drive will take place March 15th from 2:30pm-5:30pm at George’s Pond-Hirsch Memorial Coliseum. Blood donors will receive a game day ticket to watch the Mudbugs take on the Odessa Jackalopes that evening at 7:11pm. As a bonus, the first 50 donors will also receive an exclusive t-shirt, a food and drink voucher, Sonic coupons, and will have the chance to share the bench with the team during warmups beginning at 6:30pm!
The Mudbugs want donors who are unable to attend this community blood drive to be included in the fun! Donate at the LifeShare Blood Center in Shreveport between March 10th and 14th and receive a ticket to the March 15th game when you use the code word MUDBUGS, while supplies last.
Anyone, 16 years of age or older, weighing 110 pounds or more, is likely eligible to give blood. Most people can donate even if they are taking medications, have diabetes, or are a cancer survivor. Any donor that is 16 must provide parent or guardian permission. To learn more about common questions regarding blood donation, visit http://www.lifeshare.org/donate. Appointments for this event are encouraged, but not required. To schedule a donation appointment, visit: http://www.lifeshare.org/give or call 800.256.5433.
I have sat in the U.S. House Chamber as a Congressional staffer several times for presidential addresses, and I never remember feeling more hopeful or moved by a speech than I did watching this one. The American people echoed my feeling with anti-Trump CBS’ Poll finding that a 76% Super-Majority Approved of Trump’s speech.
Trump announced that “America is back” and then detailed the dizzying pace of his first 6 weeks in office.
“I declared a national emergency on our southern border and deployed the U.S. military and Border Patrol to repel the invasion of our country. As a result, illegal border crossings last month were the lowest ever recorded.” Perhaps the best line of the night was when Trump stated “Democrats said that we needed new legislation to seal the border, but as it turned out, all we needed was …. a new president.”
He then explained he had “imposed a freeze on all federal hiring, all new federal regulations, all foreign aid and terminated the ridiculous green new scam. I withdrew from the Paris Climate Accord, which was costing us trillions of dollars that other countries were not paying. I withdrew from the corrupt World Health Organization and also from the anti-American U.N. Human Rights Council. I have also directed that for every new regulation, ten old regulations must be eliminated.”
He also stated that he had “declared a national energy emergency. It’s called drill, baby, drill.” Trump also emphasized the $1.7 trillion of new investment in America since his swearing in.
Let’s review these changes.
The freeze on federal hiring and the identification by DOGE of enormous amounts of waste, fraud and corruption have, alone, already saved several hundred billion dollars.
Further, Trump’s termination of the green new scam and withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord will prevent further economic damage. It’s nonsensical to harm our economy to respond to so-called climate change when the major polluters across the world such as China and India are building new coal plants every week.
Also, Trump stated he ended the electric vehicle mandate, keeping his promise to traditional American automakers.
Trump’s mandate that for every one (1) new federal regulation imposed on American business and industry, ten (10) regulations be eliminated will powerfully strengthen and grow our national economy.
Trump also declared that federal workers must return to the office or be fired. He then stated he had also “ended weaponized government” a/k/a as ‘lawfare,’ “where a sitting president is allowed to viciously prosecute his political opponent, like me;” that he had halted “all government censorship and brought back free speech in America.” He also signed an order making English the official language; and he stated, “we’ve ended the tyranny of so-called Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies across the entire government.”
“You should be hired and promoted based on skill, competence, and merit, not race or gender. We have also removed the poison of Critical Race Theory from our public schools, and I signed an order making the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female.” He has also “signed an executive order to ban men from playing in women’s sports or the schools will lose all federal funding.”
As significant as these policy changes are, it’s the riveting way Trump portrayed them that is memorable.
Regarding the danger of allowing men to compete against women, Trump had sitting in the House gallery a young lady named Payton McNabb “who had been an all-star high school athlete preparing for a future in college sports. But when her girls volleyball match was invaded by a male, he smashed the ball so hard in Payton’s face, causing traumatic brain injury, partially paralyzing her right side and ending her athletic career.”
To emphasize the danger of illegal immigration, Trump reached two of the most emotionally compelling moments of the night as he recalled, with their mothers in attendance, Laken Riley and Jocelyn Nungaray, two young women who were murdered by illegal aliens.
I realize there are stark policy differences between the two parties, but I think Democrats damaged themselves with their disruptive, disrespectful behavior including when they could not even rise and applaud a 13-year-old boy who is battling brain cancer. They did stand and clap for Ukraine but not America.
We are not only inspired by this address, but I believe we will look back and realize it was a spectacular blueprint for the coming years.
Royal Alexander
March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and CHRISTUS Health recognizes this important campaign by providing crucial information about the second–deadliest cancer in the U.S., which can be detected with screenings.
“Colorectal cancer is cancer located in the colon or rectum. It frequently starts out as a noncancerous tumor or polyp,” said Dr. Christopher Snead, a medical oncologist/hematologist with CHRISTUS Highland Medical Center. “It is very important to recognize the signs and symptoms of the cancer, but even more important to detect cancer or precancerous polyps at the earliest opportunity.”
Snead said those symptoms can be changes in bowel movements, such as diarrhea or constipation; change in the consistency, color and even shape of the stool; and abdominal pain cramping or bloating.
“If symptoms persist, you should seek medical attention and speak with your primary care physician,” said Snead.
“A colonoscopy is needed to evaluate for colorectal cancer,” he said. “During that procedure, we will inspect the inside lining of the colon and rectum, and the sooner a polyp is found, the better.”
A colonoscopy is performed while a patient is sedated. A colonoscope, which is a small, lighted camera attached to the end of a long, thin, flexible tube, is inserted through the anus and advanced through the colon to the end. While advancing, the catheter pumps air into the colon to inflate it and the camera transmits video of inside the colon to a monitor.
Snead said treatment for colorectal cancer depends on the stage of cancer.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force now recommends adults start getting screened for colorectal cancer at age 45, five years earlier than the previous guidelines. The change in 2021 was based on the trend of growing cases among younger adults.
Experts are not sure why there is an increase in younger adults getting colon cancer, but point to poor diet, obesity, lack of exercise, tobacco and alcohol use as well as environmental impacts such as exposure to chemicals as possible factors. Family history also plays a role.
CHRISTUS Highland Medical Center and Coushatta Health Care Center offers colonoscopy screenings as part of its comprehensive medical services.
“Early detection increases the chance of a cure,” said Brandon Hillman, hospital administrator with CHRISTUS Coushatta Health Care Center.
Hillman said recognizing National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month is a way for people to learn about the cancer, how to spot it and when to be screened for it.
If you need to schedule an appointment at the Shreveport location, make sure you have a referral.
For a colonoscopy at the Coushatta location, a referral is not needed and you can call (318) 932-2081 or visit CHRISTUSHeatlh.org.
Courtesy of CHRISTUS Health Public Relations
The March 29 election will allow voters to decide on four constitutional amendments.
The more complex amendment is number 2 on the ballot. This amendment proposes to rewrite large portions of the Louisiana Constitution article dealing with revenue collections, the state budget process, savings accounts, and taxation rules.
First, if approved, the maximum income tax rate would be reduced from 4.25% to 3.25% and the standard deduction on income taxes for people 65 or older will double.
Secondly, it would remove the cap that limits how much severance tax revenue local governments can receive from the state for oil, gas and other mineral activity on their lands. For Red River Parish this amendment would potentially benefit the parish by more than $12,000,000. In the current law, the parish severance tax is capped at a $1,238,217 return on more than $67,551,917 of severance tax collection. Removing the cap will allow the parish to recoup 20% of severance taxes collected. Red River Parish is one of a handful of parishes to reap the full benefits of this amendment.
Thirdly, if passed, nearly $2 billion stored in education trust funds would be used to pay down retirement debt for employees of K-12 public school systems and public colleges. The funds would be eliminated, and public school systems would be required to use their retirement payment savings to provide up to a $2,000 permanent teacher pay raise and $1,000 school support worker pay raise. Teachers and support workers have been receiving those payments as one-time stipends that weren’t guaranteed to reappear year after year.
This amendment would also remove several protected trust funds from the constitution and place them in state law, allowing lawmakers to change the rules governing them. Additionally, it will enable local governments to lessen property taxes on business inventory or get a one-time payment if they stop charging those taxes; remove some property tax breaks from the constitution (not the homestead exemption); and make it more challenging to enact new property tax exemptions.
Amendments 1, 3, and 4 on the ballot are limited to singular issues. The first would grant the Louisiana Supreme Court jurisdiction to discipline out-of-state lawyers for unethical legal practices. The third asks voters to approve authority to determine which felony crimes committed by a juvenile may be transferred for criminal prosecution as an adult. If passed, the fourth would change the time requirements for filling a judicial vacancy.
It’s time for 4-H Achievement Day for K-8 grade students. RRES, RRAA, and Riverdale will have bus transportation available. Parents are also welcome to bring students. Registration forms are being passed out to those students who have attended club meetings at the schools. Registration forms are due Tuesday, March 11.
The Red River Lady Bulldog Softball team will host their annual tournament Thursday and Friday, March 13 & 14. The line up includes teams from Castor, Saline, Lakeview, Ringgold, Mansfield and the Lady Bulldogs. Games begin each day at 3pm. Come out and support your Lady Dawgs!
Northwestern Theatre and Dance will present the play “RoosevElvis” March 12-16 in Theatre West. Performance times are March 12-15 at 7:30 p.m. and March 15-16 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for children and senior citizens. NSU, BPCC@NSU and Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts students are admitted free with a current student I.D. Tickets can be purchased online at
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/roosevelvis-tickets-1242149274919?aff=ebdsoporgprofile.
Friday, March 14 at 2pm Carter Credit Union will hold their Building Dedication. The dedication will be in memory of Gary Elliott who was instrumental in creating the credit union after Sunbeam’s closure. The public is invited and light refreshments will be served.
Kathy Michell Conlay
September 11, 1978 – March 8, 2025
Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, March 12, 2025 at 2pm at Rockett-Nettles Funeral Home Chapel in Coushatta.
All Persons are presumed innocent until proven guiltyArrests have been made resulting from investigations of alleged abuse at the Red River 3-year-old program.
All three employees were arrested on simple battery charges and were released on own recognizance on Thursday.
The arrests came after intensive investigations by Red River School officials, Louisiana Child Protective Services, and the Red River Parish Sheriff’s Office as Superintendent Strong stated, “As soon as we became aware of the allegations, appropriate personnel actions were immediately taken to ensure the safety of our students. We launched a full investigation in accordance with district policies and state regulations, fully cooperating with law enforcement and child protective services.”
The school system’s actions met all mandatory reporter state guidelines and regulations. The Corrective Action Plan for State licensing, as reported by RRPJ, is a self-reporting plan in addition to any actions that may be or already have been taken by the School Board, Office of Child Protective Services, or the Red River Sheriff’s Office. This plan is a product of daycare licensing and not an indication of meeting state regulations.
The Red River Parish Police Jury is preparing to hold a Keep Red River Beautiful event during Louisiana “Love the Boot” week, which runs from April 5 to 13.
The plan is for a parish-wide cleanup and cookout day on Saturday, April 12, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
According to Jury Vice-President Ben Taylor, the Police Jury is asking the citizens of the parish to join them in working to clean up the highways and roadways. “We want churches, neighborhoods, civic groups, school groups, and families to help us make Red River Beautiful. Our highways and roads are filled with litter. When we clean up, we hope everyone will take pride in this area and help keep it clean.”
Sheriff Glen Edwards addressed the meeting to declare that he is making every effort to have a crew of workers who will assist in the cleanup and a road crew of inmates who will again work road cleanup. “We are hiring two more positions to oversee the operation, and we are doing everything we can to get DOC inmates who can and will volunteer to work. We have been hampered by individuals in our system who do not meet the requirements of the crews. We also have not had inmates who volunteer for a work detail. But we will be ready with some workers by the cleanup date.”
To sign yourself or your team up for the day, call the police Jury office or text your police jury member. Tell them your name, number of workers, and contact information. Teams will be assigned portions of highways and roads to work on, and the RRPJ will provide some cleanup materials to each group. Each team will work on one side of the highway, with no need to cross to the other side.
Police Jury Office (318) 932-5710 (Phone)
William Brown- District 1- (318) 663-4402
Brandon Hillman- District 2- (318) 461-0901
Shane Young- District 3- (318) 663-1509
Jessie Davis- District 4- (318) 470-4722
John “June Bug” Moore- District 5- (318) 471-5637
Ben Taylor- District 6- (318) 471-2005
Tray Murray- District 7- (318) 471-6969
February 27, 2025 marked a historic moment for the Red River Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Red River Parish Police Jury as Sheriff Glen T. Edwards and Police Jury Administrator Jessie Davis officially signed a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement for the construction of a new, state-of-the-art Sheriff’s Office, 911 Communications Center, and Police Jury Office building. This agreement lays the groundwork for a modern facility designed to enhance emergency response, law enforcement services, and local government operations for the citizens of Red River Parish. The new facility will be across the street from the existing courthouse on East Carroll.
Key stakeholders who have played an integral role in bringing this project to fruition attended the signing event. Present at the signing were Sheriff Glen T. Edwards and Police Jury Administrator Jessie Davis, District 4 Representative. Also in the back row (left to right) were Building Committee members John Moore, Jr, District 5 Representative; Office of Emergency Preparedness Director Shane Hubbard; Vice President Ben Taylor, District 6 Representative; RRSO Captain James Moseley, RRSO Lt. Troy Murray, and E911 IT Consultant Daniel Simpson.
Captain Moseley expressed the collective enthusiasm for the project, stating, “We are all excited about this new agreement as it paves the way for a facility that will serve the citizens of Red River Parish for generations to come.” He extended his sincere gratitude to the Red River Parish Police Jury board members: William Brown, District 1 Representative; Brandon Hillman, District 2 Representative; Shane Young, District 3 Representative; Police Jury President Tray Murray, District 7 Representative; and the Building Committee members for their dedication and hard work in making this vision a reality.
Construction updates will be provided as the project progresses. This partnership between the Sheriff’s Office and the Police Jury represents a shared commitment to public safety, efficient governance, and the well-being of all residents in Red River Parish.
Matt Vines
COUSHATTA – The road to the Top 28 comes through Coushatta as No. 2 Red River (25-5) prepares to take on No. 10 Westlake (16-8) in the Division III Non-Select quarterfinals Friday.
The 6 p.m. game features two teams on a mission to advance to the Top 28, but if Westlake were going to pull off another road upset, it’ll have to do something that no team has done yet this season.
Win on Red River’s home floor in the Dawg Pound.
The Bulldogs are 12-0 this season at home, including a 74-53 win against No. 15 Rayville in the second round.
A strong second quarter allowed Red River to build a 15-point halftime lead as they pulled away from the visiting Hornets.
“We adjusted our defense, and once the adrenaline wore off, we regained our composure and found our rhythm,” said Red River coach Dadrian Harris. “Our solid defense transformed into effective offense.
“We forced Rayville shooters to take shots they weren’t comfortable with and rely on their half-court offense to beat us. The 10-day break (between the regular season and second-round playoff game) had its pros and cons, I don’t believe we played our absolute best.”
Red River used its depth of talented scorers to share the wealth as Warren Bowman led four double-digit scorers with 16 points. Malique Smith chipped in 14, Jayden Wells added 13 with Jomello McDonald scoring 12. Demarche Newton just missed double figures with nine points.
That type of offensive diversity will cause problems as defenses can’t key in on one or two top scoring options.
Westlake didn’t panic in their second-round game despite trailing No. 7 Loreauville for much of the way.
A late surge lifted the Rams to a 58-48 win, lengthening Westlake’s longest winning streak of the season to five games. Westlake handled business in the first round with a 69-41 win against No. 23 Crowley.
“I had the opportunity to travel and watch Westlake play at Loreauville,” Harris said. “They managed to secure that win in the fourth quarter.
“They are equally as athletic and resilient as that Rayville team we played, but I think we match up pretty well against them. Our strengths can be advantageous against their weaknesses.”
A win sends Red River to the Top 28 for the second straight season for the first time since then-Coushatta High played for three state titles from 1998-2000 (winning in 1999).
This winner will await the victor of No. 3 Marksville and No. 11 Avoyelles. Marksville is the reigning state champion that defeated Red River in the last five minutes of the 2024 state title game.
Pictured is Matthew Bowman of Elm Grove, LA with the 11.4 lb largemouth bass he caught on Grand Bayou Reservoir on March 1, 2025.
He plans to have a replica of the fish made under Grand Bayou Resort’s Lunker program.
The resort and Grand Bayou Reservoir District will pay for replicas of any fish caught at the lake over 10 pounds. If the fisherman wants a replica, the fish must first be officially weighed by resort personnel, then returned to the lake alive and in good condition.
Photo credit Mike Young, Grand Bayou Resort.
Shared by Faerie Sledge.
Matt Vines
Red River baseball sitting through long break
With Tuesday’s game against North Webster postponed after an active weather front produced tornado warnings across the area, Red River is currently in the middle of 10-day stretch of no games.
The Bulldogs are 6-4 after a Saturday split with a 10-9 win against Anacoco and a 6-1 loss to Loyola Prep.
Red River struggled against some of Shreveport’s finest with a 7-1 loss to Captain Shreve on Feb. 25, but the Bulldogs hammered Booker T. Washington (20-0 score) and recorded its second win against Zwolle (6-3 win).
The Bulldogs hit the diamond again on Tuesday at Class C Calvin before cranking up district play with a home doubleheader against Mansfield next Friday.
The district is shaping up to be pretty deep as Lakeside, Many and Winnfield all can count quality wins and tough losses against solid competition so far this season.
Riverdale baseball
Ben Moseley’s home run was part of an 11-run outburst against Bradley on Tuesday, but it wasn’t enough for the Rebels to log their first win as Bradley escaped in a 16-11 victory.
The Rebels (0-8) will play at Parkers Chapel tonight before taking another swing at Bradley on March 14.
A six-game district slate starts March 25 at Claiborne Academy.
Red River softball
The offensive-minded Red River softball team won six straight games before Tuesday’s loss to district power Lakeside.
Red River scored 13 or more runs in five of those wins – slugging out victories against Bossier (21-5 and 21-0), Saline (26-23), Ringgold (16-11) and Dodson (13-5 and 9-6).
Lakeside, which has three wins over Class 5A teams so far, logged a 15-0 win against Red River.
But the Lady Bulldogs should be well equipped to handle the rest of a schedule in which they don’t play a program larger than Class 2A the rest of the way.
From the day I started playing sports on a competitive level, I’ve always heard the expression, “Competition makes you better.” Is this fact or fiction, and can we prove this theory? Today we’ll break down this concept and determine for ourselves if this is true.
Growing up in East Texas, our community had a summer program called “Park Recreation” that was headed up by a former high school coach by the name of Sam Parker. The concept of this half-day program for ages 8-12 was to create competition through different types of physical games like tug of war, piggyback fights, and capture the flag. Then halfway through the morning after a short donut shop break, we would divide up and play a baseball game until noon.
This program was all about competition and instilling toughness. Yes, there were many days when boys went home with shirts half torn and a bloody lip, but the games were fun! Many times, you would have to compete with guys older than yourself, which makes you better.
This in my opinion is what made me better as an athlete — playing guys older than myself. These games brought out the competitive fire to show all your peers that you were tough and hated losing. It showed no matter who you were up against, you never gave up. It taught you how to compete!
Bass fishing, like other competitive sports, is no different. As far as I’m concerned, there are only two ways you can really get better as an angler. One is to fish and compete against guys better than yourself. Or two, spend as much time as possible on the water learning new techniques.
My philosophy has always been to learn as much as I can from every person I get in the boat with. No matter how good you think you are, there’s always room to improve. Over the years fishing with others, I’ve picked up a lot of information ranging from new techniques to organizing tips.
Obviously, you’re not always going to learn something from every single angler you fish with. But it’s important to keep an open mind to the idea of learning something new. You must leave your ego on the bank in order to become a better angler.
One thing that I have learned about the sport of bass fishing is that you never stop learning, even if you’ve been doing it for 30 years. It’s an ever-evolving sport as new technology and innovation continue to develop every year.
To answer the question, “Does competition really make us better?” The answer is a definite yes, but only if you’re willing to be open minded and are looking to get better. So, no matter the sport, competition makes us better.
‘Til next time, keep your hooks wet and your gun powder dry. Enjoy your time on the water and make every cast count.
Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com
Red River Parish 4-H held a Mardi Gras mask/shoebox float contest. With 14 4-Her’s making floats or mask. Great work done by all.
Red River Elementary School participants were Jamason Morse, Rex Morse, Taelynn Rae Garbert, Dawson McWhorter, Sarah Peterson, Ella Faith Tong, Tabias Kennedy, Nahla Wiggins and Corbin McWhorter.
Riverdale Academy participants were Nealy Kate Keith, Rowdy Green, and Ella Rae Pickett.
Magnolia Bend Academy Participants were Jessie Adams and Brantlee Desaider from who won first place with his shoebox float.
State Fire Marshal investigators determined the fatal house fire in the 900 block of East Carroll Street on February 24 began at the 220 volt dryer plug and was a result of an electrical malfunction. The home had a smoke alarm, but it’s unclear if it was working at the time of the fire.
“Smoke alarms are proven to save lives and are the best protection no matter what type of structure you stay in,” said Chief Bryan Adams, “That’s why it’s so devastating when someone dies in a residential fire without a working smoke alarm. We need every family in this state to invest in their safety by getting working smoke alarms for their homes today.”
If you need assistance obtaining smoke alarms for your home, Operation Save-A-Life can help. To learn more about Operation Save-A-Life, or to register for a free smoke alarm installation, visit their website at lasfm.org or contact your local fire department to request a free smoke alarm installation.
Source: Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshall Facebook page
Students of the Month at Riverdale Academy were recently recognized. They are for the months of December and January.
For December, from Riverdale Elementary was second grade student Jase Woodard. From the Middle School was seventh grader Trevor Bell. And from Riverdale High School was senior Lilly Guillot.
Students of the Month for January included fourth grader Hadley Brice representing the Elementary school. Middle schooler was Ansley Procell who is in the eighth grade. And the Riverdale High student was Julia Grace Riggs, an eleventh grader.
Each student received a certificate of recognition from VFW Post and Auxiliary 7287 and a gift card from Lott Oil/Chevron. Each month during the school year the Students of the Month are recognized from each school in the parish. For more information on the program, call VFW Post 7287 at 318-932-6557.
Wallace Hartley’s father, Albion, was a mill manager in Colne, England. He served as choirmaster and Sunday school teacher at the local church in Colne. Wallace eventually joined the chapel choir that his father led. While a member of the choir, Wallace discovered his passion for music. A fellow choir member introduced Wallace to the Violin, and he took to the instrument with a fervent passion. With his violin, Wallace had the power to excite people, to energize people, and to even make them cry.
When Wallace was a teenager, he decided he wanted to become a professional violinist. Albion was a supportive father, but he insisted that Wallace pursue a more reliable profession. To please his father, Wallace became a bank clerk. The teenage Wallace was uninspired by the day-to-day transactions of coin and currency. He could eventually work his way up to become a bank manager someday, but his thoughts always wandered to his violin. Whenever he spoke of his desire to try to become a professional violinist, his father dissuaded him. When Wallace was 22 years old, his conversation with his father eventually returned to his violin, but this time, to Wallace’s surprise, his father gave him his blessing.
Wallace was thrilled. He quit his job and began playing violin in the Bridlington municipal orchestra. He then toured with the Carl Ross Opera Company and with the Moody Manners Company. When Wallace was 30 years old, he was recruited by the C.W. & F.N. Black talent agency of Liverpool as second violinist in a traveling troupe. Within three years, he became the band leader of the Mauretania Orchestra. When he was 33, Wallace fell in love with and proposed to Maria Robinson. Maria said yes without hesitation. To celebrate their engagement, Wallace gave Maria a yellow metal locket which contained his photograph. In return, Maria gave Wallace a violin with an inscription on its tailpiece which read, “For Wallace on the occasion of our engagement, from Maria.” Shortly after their engagement, Wallace was transferred to another traveling troupe where he was promoted to musical conductor. He hesitated to take the position because he did not want to leave his fiancé, but he could not turn it down.
Unfortunately, Wallace and Maria never married. While traveling with the band, Wallace was involved in an accident and drowned. When he realized his fate, at that last moment, he put the violin Maria had given him in its case and strapped it to his chest. When his body was found several days later, he was identified by the inscription on the violin. Three years after his death, a bronze bust of Wallace was erected on the grounds of the Colne public library. Streets in several English towns are named in honor of Wallace. His violin is on display in a museum in Dublin, Ireland. Wallace Hartley was just one of over 1500 people who died in the accident. To calm others, Wallace led his band in their last song, “Nearer, My God, To Thee,” as the Titanic sank.
Sources:
1. Wallace Hartley Memorial, Titanic Memorials, accessed March 2, 2025, https://www.titanic.memorial/post/memorial/wallace+hartley+memorial+colne/.
2. Hartford Courant (Hartford, Connecticut), April 1, 1912, p.14.
3. Huddersfield Daily Examiner, April 16, 1912, p.4.
4. North Mail, Newcastle Daily Chronicle, February 19, 1915, p.6.
5. South Wales Argus, April 20, 1912, p.3.
6. Biddeford-Saco Journal, April 27, 1912, p.6.
7. “The locket behind tragic Titanic love story,” Henry Aldridge & Son Ltd, April 9, 2021, accessed March 2, 2025, https://www.henryaldridge.com/about-us/news/the-locket-behind-tragic-titanic-love-story/.
8. Linton, Siena, “The miracle 110-year-old violin that survived the sinking of the Titanic,” Classic FM, December 19, 2022, accessed March 2, 2025, https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/instruments/violin/titanic-survived-history/
Daylight Saving Time (DST) begins this Sunday, March 9, at 2am. On Saturday night, clocks are set forward 1 hour to “spring forward.” Sunrise and sunset will be about 1 hour later and there will be more light in the evening.
DST will end Sunday, November 25.
The general idea is that this allows us all to use natural daylight better: moving the clocks forward 1 hour in the spring grants us more daylight during summer evenings, while moving clocks back 1 hour in the fall grants us more daylight during winter mornings.
Many point to farmers when discussing why we change time but World War I actually led to the adoption of Daily Saving Time. The Germans were the first to officially adopt the light-extending system in 1915 as a fuel-saving measure. The government recognized the need to conserve coal for heating homes.
This led to the British Summer Time in 1916 which put clock ahead an hour from May 21 through
October 1.
The US followed in 1918 when Congress passed the Standard Time Act, establishing the time zones. In April 1917, President Woodrow Wilson declared war. Suddenly, energy conservation was paramount. The first observed date was March 31, 1918.
Back to farmers—they actually were some of the strongest opponents and resisted the change in the beginning. After the war ended, they demanded an end to DST claiming it benefited only office workers and the leisure class. It was repealed in 1920 due to their opposition.
For over 20 years the US proceeded with no DST. Then Pearl Harbor was attacked in December 1941 and the US was once again at war. During WWII, Daylight Saving Time was enacted, year round, again to save fuel.
For years after the war ended, some states observed DST while others did not.
Congress passed the Uniform Time Act in 1966 establishing consistent use of Daylight Saving Time. Clocks would be set ahead 1 hour on the last Saturday in April and 1 hour back on the last Saturday in October. In 1986, Congress approved a bill to increase the period of Daylight Saving Time, moving the start to the first Sunday in April.
The current daylight saving period was established with the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which went into effect in 2007. The US springs forward on the second Sunday in March and falls back on the first Sunday in November.
Source: Old Farmer’s Almanac
The inaugural Louisiana Moonshine Festival will be held March 7-8 at the Vernon Parish Fairgrounds in Leesville. The family friendly event will feature a variety of vendors, food (including Louisiana crawfish), live music along with a chance to meet master distillers as seen on TV and some other special guests. The event will include a celebration of our veterans and military with a special veterans tribute concert on Saturday night from 7 til 9 PM and is sponsored in part by Explore Louisiana, Vernon Parish Tourism along with Keeping It Country Live & AMVETS Veteran Tribute Series a 501(c)(19) Veterans Non-Profit. Find out more info here.
DOTD shared the Cane River Bridge(Church Street) in Natchitoches will be closed to all traffic for bridge maintenance Tuesday, March 11 from 8:30am until 3pm, weather permitting.
Northwestern State University’s Department of English, Languages and Cultural Studies will present a concert to celebrate “La Francophonie” on Friday, March 14. Les Amis du Teche, a Lafayette Cajun band, will perform from 6-8 p.m. at Collins Pavilion on the NSU campus. The month of March celebrates French speakers around the world, organizers said. Guests can learn the Cajun Two Step while enjoying food, music and dancing. Amis du Teche is a group of young musicians who grew up together in Breaux Bridge along Bayou Teche. They perform Cajun classics as well as their own original songs and recently released a self-titled album. The concert is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Christine Ferrell at ferrellc@nsula.edu.
Join the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans for the 2025 STEM Fest Saturday, March 15 from 10am-2pm at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. K-12 students, parents and teachers are invited to participate. The hands-on educational event will feature live performances, interactive demonstrations in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and Saints & Pelicans activities. Event Price: $20 (Includes STEM Fest access and a ticket to the Pelicans vs. 76ers game on Monday, March 24) For more information contact Eric Morris at 504-593-4880 or eric.morris@pelicans.com.
Gertrude Lynette Baggett
December 3, 2021 – February 10, 2025
Funeral services will be held Friday, March 7, 2025 at 2pm at Rockett Funeral Home Chapel in Ringgold.
Donnie Philip Womack, Jr.
April 4, 1967 – February 27, 2025
Graveside services will be held Friday, March 7, 2025 at 2pm at Springville Cemetery in Coushatta.
Ella Winn
November 30, 1954 – February 22, 2025
Celebration of Life service will be held Saturday, March 8, 2025 at 1pm at the House of Refuge Ministries
in Coushatta.
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