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Kat Arnold Ministries will present ‘Fall in Love with Jesus – Through His Creation’ on Saturday, September 7 at the RB4 Event Center, 791 Nash Road in Logansport. Doors open at 4pm, dinner served at 5pm. Dress casually and join in for an unforgettable experience with God and girlfriends. Register here: https://www.katarnoldministries.com/event-list

Join the first Livestock Lunch & Learn to be held Saturday, September 7 from 11am to 1pm at 3610 Hwy 3276 in Stonewall. The goal of this event is to network with fellow livestock exhibitors & gear up for local shows. Topics of discussion are cattle, sheep, goats, swine & broilers. Participants should come prepared to ask questions in relation to livestock projects. Lunch will be provided. Exhibitors from any parish are welcome to attend.

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Red River Parish Schools will present all athletic teams at Meet the Bulldogs on Thursday, August 29. At 7 p.m., each sports group will take center stage—or field, in this case.

Before the student-athlete parade, RRHS/RRJH will hold a carnival under the pavilion from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. There will be games, food, a cakewalk, face painting, a dunking booth, raffles, a toy walk, and much more. Tickets for activities and food will be $1 each.

Admission is free. Gates will open at Pat Strother Memorial Stadium at 6:30 pm.

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The Red River Parish Journal is looking for an outgoing and energetic addition to our ad sales team! This part time opportunity allows you to make your own hours, reach goals, and join a great team that works hard to contribute to Red River Parish and its residents.

You’ll be a great fit if you are highly motivated, determined, and target driven while having the ability to interact on professional and personal levels. We are looking for someone who will commit the time and energy to building relationships with clients in an effort to pitch and sale ad opportunities.

The position is commission-based of secured sales and paid monthly. Previous sales experience is a plus but not required. If this sounds like you, what are you waiting for–reach out to us today!

Anyone interested should email redriverparishjournal@gmail.com or message us on Facebook.

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CHRISTUS Health is holding a blessing, dedication and grand opening at 10 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 23 for its new CHRISTUS Kids Clinic – Coushatta. The clinic will serve patients from newborn to age 21, providing physical, occupational and speech therapy two days a week initially, expanding as demand grows.

The clinic is made possible by funding from CHRISTUS Foundation Shreveport-Bossier. As a member of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, local donations benefit CHRISTUS Coushatta Health Care Center programs for kids, providing equipment and state of the art technology to help children reach developmental milestones.

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Enrollment for the 2024-25 school year is happening now! Students in grades K-12 can enroll now for
4-H, either online (https://v2.4honline.com) or completing a paper copy. Forms can be picked up from the 4-H office or each school. Dues are $3 for K-2 and $8 for 3-12^th grades. Families can also order t-shirts for $12. 

Red River 4-H has clubs in each school in Red River Parish and an At-Large club for homeschool students.  Once students are enrolled, they can join any project club for no extra cost. 

They are always looking for teen/adult volunteers to help with project clubs (Sewing, Crocheting, Knitting, Gardening, Shooting Sports).  If you have any interest in sponsoring a club or helping during monthly meetings, please contact the 4-H office at 932-4342. 

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I suppose we have all hoped to find a real message in a bottle, a note from some far away land just waiting to be discovered.  

On January 21, 2018, Tonya and Kym Illman, were walking along the beach’s sand dunes at Wedge Island on the west coast of Australia about 100 miles north of Perth.  Their original plan had been to drive along the beach and take in the sites, but they drove a little too close to the water and the car bogged down in the sand.  While waiting for help to arrive, Tonya and Kym walked along the beach.  As they walked, Tonya saw something glimmer in the sand.  She walked to the source of the glimmer and found a gin bottle which was three inches wide and almost nine inches tall with Daniel Visser and Zonen Schiedam stamped on it.  Tonya saw that something was inside the bottle and removed the stopper.  The paper inside contained a printed message which appeared to be a form letter in German with spaces that had been filled in.  Neither Tonya nor Kym could read German, so they took the bottle to the Western Australia Museum to see if it was historically significant or a hoax.

Experts at the museum deciphered the German message and learned that the message had been set adrift at the orders of the captain of a German ship called “Paula.”  The message in a bottle was a part of an experiment on ocean drift patterns implemented by German scientist George von Neumayer.  In the experiment, ship captains filled in the details on one side of the pre-printed slips before setting the bottle adrift, and the person who found the bottle was asked to fill out the back portion and return it to the German Naval Observatory in Hamburg or the nearest German Consulate.  Thousands of bottles containing pre-printed message slips had been set adrift in the experiment which lasted nearly seven decades, but only 661 had ever been returned.  Tonya’s find brought the number up to 662.

According to the coordinates printed on the message (32.49 South, 105.25 East), Tonya and Kym found the bottle less than 600 miles from where the bottle was set adrift in the Indian Ocean.  The distance in miles that the message traveled is not particularly impressive.  Messages in bottles have traveled much further before being found.  What is impressive is the distance in time that the bottle traveled.  In the year that the bottle was set adrift, Robert Louis Stevenson published his novella Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Karl Benz patented the first successful gasoline-driven automobile, Dr. John Pemberton invented Coca-Cola, President Grover Cleveland married Frances Folsom in the White House, (he is the only president to marry in the executive mansion), President Cleveland dedicated the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, and German inventor Friedrich Soennecken invented the office tool we know as the hole puncher.  The date on the message in the bottle was June 12, 1886, which meant the bottle was found after 131 years and 223 days.  According to the Guinness World Records, it is the oldest message in a bottle ever found.  

Sources:

1. Chicago Tribune, March 11, 2018, p.29.
2. “Oldest Message in a Bottle,” Guinness World Records, March 8, 2018, https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/oldest-message-in-a-bottle.

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Margie Alice Murphy Trichell, 86, passed away on August 20, 2024 and was reunited with her beloved husband of 50 years, James Trichell; her parents, John O. and Dora Murphy; her sister, Dale Cooper; her brother, O’Quin Murphy.

Margie is survived by her loving daughters, Kim Darnell and husband Butch; Kelly Beach; Kalette Delacerda and husband Lance. Six grandchildren who she thought the world of; Kade Darnell, Hunter Freeman and wife Morgan, Kaitlyn Ramsey and husband Jeffrey, Kaleigh Delacerda, Seth Freeman, and Lance Delacerda Jr. Seven great grandchildren; Kennedi, Bryson, Waylon, Indy, Mckenna, Mattie, and James; as well as her sister, Dannie Azlin.

Margie obtained her master’s degree in education from Northwestern State University and went on to become a dedicated educator of 35 ½ years where she taught in both Lake Charles, Louisiana and Fairview, Louisiana. After retirement you could often find her bugging James to go somewhere, spending time with her family or reading a good book.

The family would like to extend their sincerest gratitude to the staff at The Chateau at Montclair, Willis Knighton Intensive Specialty Care, and Gentiva Hospice for their excellent care.

Graveside services will be held at 11 A.M. Saturday, August 24, 2024 at Zion Cemetery with Bro. Ken McLaren officiating. Pallbearers will be Kade Darnell, Hunter Freeman, Seth Freeman, Butch Darnell, Lance Delacerda, and Lance Delacerda Jr. Honorary pallbearer will be Jeffrey Ramsey. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Zion Baptist Church Cemetery Fund. Dooley Litton, c/o Zion Cemetery Fund, 292 Watson Rd., Castor, LA 71016.

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For decades there has basically been one professional bass fishing organization, B.A.S.S. (Bass Anglers Sportsman Society) founded by Ray Scott. Then during the 1990s another organization appeared under the name of FLW, named after the late Forest L. Wood, the founder of Ranger Boats. But in 2011 MLF (Major League Fishing) bought out FLW and created major dissention as a huge portion of anglers left B.A.S.S for what they thought would be bluer water.

Both organizations have set a high bar for professional bass fishing over the years and allowed more anglers to pursue their dream of fishing for a living. But now there’s a new kid on the block making a lot of noise. 

Introducing the NPFL (National Professional Fishing League), an organization offering anglers another avenue to possibly fish for a living by offering top-level money of $100,000 for first place. Anglers are scrambling and sending in resumes applying for a spot in this new circuit. As of this article, there are at least 18 B.A.S.S professional anglers doubling their tournament commitments by fishing the NPFL.   

What does this mean for anglers looking to fish at the highest level? Is this another avenue for young anglers on the rise to have the opportunity to make a living fishing professionally? Is NPFL in it for the long term and are they ready to challenge B.A.S.S. and MLF? 

While only time will answer some of these questions, the one complaint professional bass fishermen had several years ago was the number one reason for 80 anglers jumping over to the MLF from B.A.S.S. The grip was anglers had no say on specific issues like where and when B.A.S.S. held a tournament. Anglers wanted their voices to be heard and as of today, it appears B.A.S.S. is still not listening. 

One thing different about the NPFL is the process anglers by which get accepted into their league. You must have established yourself as a credible angler with good sponsorship support and you must have had success on a high level. Just because you have the money to enter an event ($5,000), does not guarantee you a spot in the NPFL. 

So, what we are seeing now is that 18 pros have decided to double up on their schedule by fishing the new NPFL. One thing I’m seeing now is that more and more anglers are trying to stay independent, not wanting to commit to just one tournament organization. That’s a very smart move from an angler’s standpoint, an approach which offers them a better opportunity to provide for their families. 

Is the NPFL going to be just another failed attempt like so many organizations that have come before? Is there room for another professional bass fishing circuit? I say yes, but at some point, it could get similar to Louisiana’s high school football playoffs where just about everybody gets in. It’s just too watered down and not good for the sport. 

‘Til next time, good luck and good fishing. I want to say thank you for all of those who have reached out with comments about the articles I’ve written. Your feedback and input is greatly appreciated!

Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com

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Louisiana is implementing wide-ranging solutions proposed by State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley to help eliminate classroom distractions for teachers. The Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) approved new policies today based on recommendations from Dr. Brumley’s Let Teachers Teach workgroup. Set to take effect before the end of the school year, the policies will significantly reduce the number of trainings teachers are required to repeat every year, tighten student discipline, and give effective educators more freedom over lesson planning.

“Louisiana is making a stand to take the teaching profession back for educators, students, and parents,” said Dr. Brumley. “I applaud BESE for helping us remove disruptions so teachers can actually teach and students can actually learn.”

Let Teachers Teach is a workgroup of over two dozen teachers from across the state. They developed a set of 18 recommendations centered on reducing excessive training and paperwork, restoring the art of teaching, and removing classroom disruptions. Highlights of the policies approved by BESE during their August meeting include:

• Decoupling student behavior and the school accountability system. Student suspension rates will no longer be used to identify schools needing intervention.
• Ensuring teachers have the right to have a student removed from the classroom immediately when their behavior prevents the orderly instruction of other students or poses a threat. A new discipline policy impacts the Teacher Bill of Rights and changes how school leaders must respond to persistent disruptions during class.
• Streamlining and reducing dozens of non-academic trainings and lessons teachers had been required by the state to repeat annually. Most will shift to a “one-and-done” approach where teachers complete the training one time, while others will be folded into other resources or support opportunities.
• Increasing professional autonomy for effective educators. Teachers who consistently demonstrate success will be provided more freedom with teaching practices and lesson planning.

“Our unanimous decision today reflects an intentional approach to improve student outcomes,” said BESE President Ronnie Morris. “By eliminating redundant training and improving educator support, we are optimizing the environment for both teaching and learning, which are essential to academic success.”

The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) collaborated with multiple stakeholders in the development of the policies. The LDOE and BESE have outlined actions around all 18 recommendations. These range from new state laws, policy changes, and guidance for local school systems.

About the Let Teachers Teach workgroup

Dr. Brumley launched the workgroup in February to develop common sense solutions to unnecessary bureaucracies and classroom disruptions that keep teachers from doing what they do best — teaching students. Governor Landry joined Dr. Brumley and teachers from across the state to unveil the recommendations in May. The workgroup is the product of feedback the LDOE has received through formal channels such as the Superintendent’s Teacher Advisory Council as well as informal channels such as classroom visits and faculty meetings hosted by Dr. Brumley.

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Governor Jeff Landry has moved at a dizzying legislative pace since being elected governor and one very significant change made to Louisiana law is what is referred to as “Truth in Sentencing.”

What is Truth in Sentencing?

The long and short of it is that for years Judges, District Attorneys and Defense Attorneys have essentially had to estimate the actual amount of time a convicted individual would be incarcerated. Louisiana was said to have a “high rate of indeterminacy” in sentencing and the stated purpose of the new law is to simplify time computation by the Louisiana Department of Corrections.

Currently, the rule of thumb was that a conviction or plea that did not involve a Crime of Violence under Louisiana law would have an inmate serve approximately 1/3rd of their given sentence. So, for example, with a nonviolent crime like Simple Burglary, the accused could either plead to or be convicted of and sentenced to, hypothetically, 6 years in prison. The individual would serve approximately 1/3rd of the 6 years, or two years. On the other hand, if an individual pled to or was convicted of a crime of violence, they would serve approximately 2/3rds of the 6 year sentence, or 4 years.

That has now all changed.

In the 2024 Special Session of the Louisiana Legislature, the relevant statute, LA. R.S. 15:571.3, was amended and re-enacted. The relevant part of the statute is referred to as Diminution of Sentence for good time served. The new law changed the amount of good time credit (i.e. reduction) that can be earned to a maximum of 15% for all offenses except when the individual is what is known as an Habitual Offender or the crime involves a sex offense. (which are not allowed to earn any good time). Unlike before, the new law does not differentiate between violent and nonviolent offenses. Again, the declared purpose of this change is to provide truth, or greater accuracy, in sentencing.

So, what is the crux of the new law?

Well, these changes only apply to offenses that were committed on or after August 1, 2024, and the Good Time Rates after that date will be 85% for all offenses except, again, sex offenses and habitual offenders who will not be eligible for any good time served. Sex and habitual offenders will earn credit for any time served prior to their conviction but will not earn any additional good time credit. One caveat is that offenders may earn up to 12 months of additional credit for the completion of treatment and rehabilitation programming as provided for in LA. R.S. 15:828. Finally, the new law clarifies that when an offender has served 85% of their sentence they will be released on Unsupervised Parole for the remainder of their sentence.

Let me also share two other categories of offense that have been amended. The first is Drug Court Screening and Eligibility, with Act 572 providing that a defendant who meets the eligibility and suitability criteria can be offered by the court an opportunity to participate in the program and undergo treatment. Second, Act 648 provides that in a felony case, the court shall not/may not terminate probation early, or as “unsatisfactory,” and release the defendant if the conviction was for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, vehicular homicide, or First Degree vehicular negligent injuring.

One other issue I am asked about frequently. Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. The new law mandates that a consecutive (it’s usually concurrent) sentence be imposed if a person convicted was on probation or parole at the time of the new offense.

That’s quite a change!

I believe the goal of ensuring truth in sentencing is good public policy. I think a defendant, as a matter of due process of law, must be informed of what time they will actually serve for their offense. I also feel it is important, as a matter of both the legal process and judicial efficiency, that judges, DAs, and criminal defense attorneys know exactly what a sentence entails in order to know how to proceed in a case whether it be a plea or a trial.

I will be curious to see how these changes impact crime and incarceration in Louisiana. Whether additional statutory tweaks will be needed remains to be seen but the effort to increase both the constitutionally required ‘fair warning’ and notice of what is prohibited under law, resulting in what penalty, is laudable.

Royal Alexander

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Fairview Baptist Church would like for all parents/guardians of teenagers in grades 7-12 to participate with their teen on Wednesday, August 28 from 5:30-7:30pm. Parents will be given the opportunity to see the program, eat, fellowship and worship together. There will also be an important parent meeting after worship.

The Red River Parish Rodeo will take place September 20 and 21 at 7pm. There will be mutton bustin and a calf scramble for the kids. 

Louisiana Homesteader Conference is Oct. 11-12 from 12 pm to 5 pm at the LSU Research Station

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Lurlene Blanchard McElwee
September 8, 1932 – August 21, 2024
Graveside services will be held Friday, August 23, 2024 at 10am at Bethany Cemetery in Coushatta.

Dennis Clark
September 1, 1970 – August 18, 2024
Services will be held Saturday, August 24, 2024 at 11am at Elizabeth Full Gospel in Coushatta

Margie Murphy Trichell
April 26, 1938 – August 20, 2024
Graveside services will be held Saturday, August 24, 2024 at 11am at Zion Baptist Church Cemetery in Fairview Alpha.

Jaecinea Purnell
December 31, 2003 – August 12, 2024
Services will be held Saturday, August 24, 2024 at 11am at Eternal Peace Funeral Home in Natchitoches

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Are you ready for some football?!?

The bigger question is: Are you ready to win $100 in cash …? On Friday, September 6, we launch our Football Pick’em Contest.

Win $100 weekly just by picking the winners in ten high school football games. You must also pick the total number of points scored in tie-breaker games. You can win $100 with some knowledge and a little good luck. MUST BE 18 TO PARTICIPATE. All you need is an e-mail address.

The contest will last 10 weeks.

If you are not a regular Red River Parish Journal reader, just visit redriverparishjournal.com. Click-JOIN. Your copy of RRPJ is delivered free of charge at 6:55am every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

The list of games to pick will come out in the Wednesday edition, and you will have until Friday at 4pm to make and submit your selections. The weekly winner will be announced in the following Wednesday’s edition of the Red River Parish Journal.

We are thrilled to welcome back American Bank as our title sponsor. Tyler Insurance Agency is this year’s Anchor sponsor. We also want to thank Better Finance for their Pick’em Partnership within the contest. If you want to be a Pick’em Partner, email redriverparishjournal@gmail.com for more details. Only a limited number of slots are available.

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Matt Vines

Red River football hosting scrimmage Thursday
The time has finally come for the Red River football team to hit somebody other than a teammate.
The Bulldogs will host Bossier High in a scrimmage Thursday at 6 p.m.
Red River is slated to play in the Bayou Jamb at ULM the next week before kicking off the regular season at Catholic-Pointe Coupee on Sept. 6.
Red River will attempt to build on a three-win season from last year, but one in which the Bulldogs held a 16-point halftime lead in the first round of the playoffs before an eventual loss to No. 7 seed Pine.

Riverdale softball heading into home stretch
The Riverdale Academy softball team is heading into the home stretch of its schedule with just five games left in the regular season.
Two of those will happen in the next week whenever the Lady Rebels head to Central School on Thursday and Claiborne Academy on Aug. 29.
Riverdale is 1-3 in games in which a score was reported, but three games in the past week are still missing scores.
The one recent reported score was a 10-9 loss at Tensas Academy, whom Riverdale is scheduled to play two more times in September.
The MAIS regional playoffs are set to begin Sept. 30 with the Class AA championships taking place the next week.

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Matt Vines

EAST POINT – Riverdale Academy will attempt to bounce back from a season-opening loss when the Rebels head to Tallulah Academy on Friday.

Riverdale is in a bit of an unfamiliar place given that the Rebels have won their first game in every season since 2019.

But the Rebels have plenty of lessons to learn from their 35-14 loss to Prairie View Academy, lessons they intend to load up for the trip east into the Mississippi River Delta.

“The beginning of the game showed the type of team we can be,” said Riverdale coach Nathan Edie. “I think our boys know what it will take for them to be the best they can be.

“And as coaches (Denver Williams and I) know what we need to do to be better also.”

Ashton Almond and Kaidyn Williams shared quarterback snaps as Edie sought to keep each guy as fresh as possible.

Almond’s 61-yard run set up a Williams’ short touchdown scamper as Riverdale raced to score on its opening drive against Prairie View, but the Spartans responded with 28 points over the next three quarters to take a commanding lead.

Almond led the way on the ground with 112 yards on 16 carries and a fourth-quarter touchdown. Williams completed Riverdale’s only two passes (2-4 for 52 yards) while Almond missed on both of his pass attempts.

Tanner Carlisle snagged a 44-yard pass while Almond added an eight-yard catch.

Defensively, Almond tallied a team-high seven tackles with Carlisle chipping in three.

Riverdale actually outgained Prairie View 252-250, but converting just 3-9 on third down slowed the Rebels.

Riverdale would love to control the clock on long, meandering drives, but Tallulah showed plenty of offensive pop in its opening week.

Tallulah enters Friday’s matchup at 1-0, using a strong second half to pull away from Tensas Academy in a 48-26 win.

The Trojans raced to a 28-6 lead before a pair of Tensas Academy scores sliced the lead to 10 at halftime.
But tight end Denton Ray caught two of quarterback Luke Moberley’s three touchdown passes as the Trojans proved to be too much.

Riverdale battled past Tallulah, 20-12, this past season.

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Red River Parish 4-H will hold an informational meeting for 4-H Shooting Sports September 10, 2024 at the LSU AgCenter Red River Parish 4-H Office (1919 Alonzo St) at pm.

This is a meeting for anyone interested in participating in Shooting Sports.

The meeting is open to students in grades 4-12 and students must be at least 9 years old. 

Disciplines include: .22 Pistol, .22 Rifle, Shotgun, Archery. There will also be BB if there is a volunteer who agrees to be trained as a coach.

All shooters Age 10-18 must have completed Hunters Education.

Returning Shooters should attend this meeting to register for this year.

For more information contact us at 319-932-4342.

(Red River Parish Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness and the Red River Parish Sheriff’s Office are planning a La. Hunters Ed Class September 23-25 sign up at http://louisianaoutdoors.com/)

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Glenn Wheeler is a longtime friend of mine. As a fellow outdoor journalist, our friendship developed over the years through our association with outdoor writer conferences. In addition to being a journalist, Wheeler is also Sheriff of Newton County Arkansas and from time to time, his duties involve trying to locate a missing person. This is where Mellie Martin enters the picture.

Martin, who along with husband Jay, own and operate Dubach Heat and Air but her sideline involves raising and training hounds, not just any hounds. Her focus is on bloodhounds. A few weeks ago, Martin learned of a missing person in Newton County Arkansas and offered to bring her hounds there to assist. Here’s where I entered the picture. Martin conveyed a message from my friend Sheriff Wheeler that piqued my interest enough to try and learn about raising and training bloodhounds.

“As a member of the Delta Elite K9 Search and Rescue team, I have been involved in raising and training bloodhounds for the past eight years,” Martin said. “My interest in bloodhounds was the result of an incident where a special needs child left home and met with a tragic accident. I thought that if the child could have been found and rescued before the accident happened, the result would not have ended in tragedy.”

The more she learned about bloodhounds and what they can do, the more intrigued she became so she began raising and training bloodhounds some eight years ago. What she has learned about these remarkable dogs is fascinating.

“Bloodhounds have about 270 million scent receptors in their noses compared to about 5 million we humans have. These dogs can be trained to find a specific person even after they have been gone two or three days,” she said.

“Each person’s scent is individualized in the same way that no two people have the same fingerprint. Before a search begins, an article, such as a cap or pillow case that no one else has used is presented to the dog and it is homed in only on that one person.”

Martin says she is called on average about two times a month to bring her dogs to where a missing person has been reported. Not only do they search for run-aways but also criminals who may be on the run.

“We don’t compete with law enforcement agencies that utilize dogs; we work with them. Our area of responsibility involves serving all of Louisiana north of Alexandria over to East Texas and just south of Little Rock, AR as well as portions of Mississippi. We wait for law enforcement agencies to contact us before offering the services of our dogs,” Martin said.

Martin’s work with her dogs is on a strictly volunteer basis where no fee is charged. I am reminded of the similarity of what she does with her dogs and the organization deer hunters utilize to find wounded deer.
“My most rewarding event took place in south Arkansas when an elderly and sickly gentleman had been missing for 36 hours and family assumed he had probably passed away somewhere. My dogs were able to locate him, alive but dehydrated, and when we came back with him riding with us on a side-by-side, I joined with the family shedding happy tears. Just seeing that dog I have trained find someone in such a situation is so rewarding,” she said.

To learn more about what has been done and can be done with bloodhounds, go on-line to Delta Elite K9 Search and Rescue Team.

FISHING REPORT

BLACK BAYOU – Fishing is slow. A few crappie have been caught around the trees. Contact Honey Hole Tackle Shop 323-8707 for latest information.

BUSSEY BRAKE – Hot weather has slowed things a bit. Bass best early mornings on topwaters and big plastic worms later in the day. Crappie fishing has been fair fishing around deep brush. Bream fishing has slowed. For latest information, contact the Honey Hole at 323-8707.

OUACHITA RIVER – Crappie fishing has improved around deep brush in the river. Bass fishing has improved fishing shad imitation lures in the cuts. For latest information, contact the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.

LAKE D’ARBONNE –. Bass have been best early morning on topwaters. swim baits and square billed crank baits fished around the edge of the grass. Soft plastics and crank baits working best later. When lake begins drawdown, moving water should turn them on. Crappie are good on the flats in 12-14 foot water and along the edges of the channels and hitting shiners and jigs. Bream are off the beds and scattered. Catfishing is good fishing cold worms off the banks. For latest information, call Anderson Sport Center at 368-9669 or Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.

LAKE CLAIBORNE –Bass fishing is best at night fishing soft plastics and dark spinners and crank baits around lighted piers. Some have been caught early mornings on topwater lures fished along the edges of grass. Crappie are in deep water and are best around submerged brush on shiners and jigs. Bream are slow. No report on Stripers. For latest information, call Kel’s Cove at 927-2264 or Terzia Tackle at 278-4498.

CANEY LAKE – Bass fishing has been fair early mornings fishing topwater lures around the grass. Some are also being caught at night on plastic worms and deep diving crank baits. During the day, deep diving crank baits and soft plastics fished on underwater humps is best. Bream fishing has slowed as the fish are scattered. Crappie are fair fishing jigs or shiners around submerged tops. For information contact Caney Lake Landing at 259-6649, Hooks Marina at 249-2347, Terzia Tackle at 278-4498 or the Honey Hole Tackle Shop at 323-8707.

LAKE POVERTY POINT – Catfishing has been good while others are slow. For latest reports, call Poverty Point Marina at 318/878-0101.

LAKE YUCATAN – The water is at a standstill with slow fall expected. Fishing overall is quite slow. For info call Surplus City Landing at 318/467-2259.

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The Red River Parish Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness and the Red River Parish Sheriff’s Office are partnering together to offer a Louisiana Hunter Education Course.

The three-day class will be held September 23-25, 2024 from 6:00 to 10:00 each night. The training is free and all necessary equipment will be provided.

APPLICANTS MUST CREATE AN ACCOUNT AND PRE-REGISTER AT: https://louisianaoutdoors.com/

Location:
Red River Parish Central Fire Station
205 Ringgold Ave
Coushatta, LA 71019

For more information, please contact Shane Hubbard at (318) 932-8502.

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An event is unfolding around us. Even readers of this article have a perspective on it.

For Educators this is an annual occurrence. They have prepared for this episode for weeks. They busy themselves with lesson plans, room decorations, seating charts, and wondering which student will thrive and which student will struggle because of this event. They are confident, even in the face of the unknown, of their skills and experience.

For parents the annual event is like a whirlwind. Parents have been praying for this event since the sounding of the last school bell in May. They have met the challenges of the summer taxi service. They have endured parties, sleep overs, and travel ball tournaments. They have refereed spats with siblings, negotiated time share for the video games, and prayed a healthy amount of prayers dealing with the length of the summer. They are actually happy this event is finally here.

I am a casual observer of this occurrence. I know it is happening because the front of Walmart is filled with school supplies. I note for you the school supplies have now been replaced with Halloween candy. I have observed an increase in traffic. I personally must decide which route to take to work. I must negotiate a left turn onto Cooktown Road from the Interstate. My time of arrival at the exit determines my direction of travel. I have enjoyed some philosophical thought and discussion about taking the left-hand turn chance or driving past the exit and backtracking.

The students are the ones most affected by this event. They slept with impunity all summer. They have relaxed and excelled at play and goofing off. They were kids all summer and now that summer is gone. Some will celebrate the start of their senior year. Some experience all the trials and tribulations of being a freshman. Still others are starting school for the first time.

One event, the start of school, and there are many perspectives about the same event depending on your frame of reference. The teachers are ready, the parents delighted, the children face it with mixed emotions. Even us casual observers see the event differently depending on traffic and the time of day.

When you are deep in the middle of an event in your life, remember there are numerous lenses through which you can view the event. Those lenses are called your mindset. The one event was going back to school. I only described four perspectives. Can you imagine how complex perspectives could become? In many cases the educator is both a parent and a student. The student might also be a parent. You see how quickly a simple thing becomes complex.

The next time an event is happening, it might mean taking a deep breath and being in that moment. In a moment of curiosity you might ask, what does Jesus want me to learn now? In His kingdom we are all students.

Doug de Graffenried is Pastor of Trinity Methodist Church in Ruston.

You can contact Doug at dougsponderings@gmail.com

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Northwestern State University is welcoming 21 new faculty for the 2024-25 academic year, according to Executive Vice President and Provost Dr. Greg Handel.

“Northwestern continues to attract excellent faculty who support our academic mission,” said Handel. “Their expertise, scholarly and creative activities, and their contributions will continue to provide students with excellent teaching, professional connections,
and top-notch advising as students navigate the university and move toward graduation. We are fortunate to have another stellar cadre of new faculty joining our Northwestern State Family.”

Joining the faculty in the College of Business and Technology are Ashley Haire, Timothy Bratt, David Horton and Douglas Moran.

The Dear School of Creative and Performing Arts welcomes new faculty members Sean Callander, Shane Thomas, Nhan Ho, Trevor Bailey, and Marisol Balderrama,

New faculty in the Department of English, Languages and Cultural Studies are Nahhas El, Shea Montgomery and Oona Zbitkovskis.

Joining the faculty in the College of Nursing and School of Allied Health are Jessica Love, Lakyn Aymond, Stephen Brandao, Jessica Ferguson, Albert Velvotta, Houston Lacobee, Ashley Bruzzell, Cynthia McDonald and Meryn Olivier.

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Sports Shock of the Day No. 1: Notre Dame has suspended its men’s swimming program for at least one academic year because investigations “both internal and external” (which we think are the only kinds of investigations?) have revealed a widespread gambling issue that violated NCAA rules.

Sports Shock of the Day No. 2: Notre Dame has a men’s swimming program?

Before any fans of Irish Swimming panic, know that the Notre Dame women’s team and both diving teams are not affected by the disciplinary action. 

Sports Shock of the Day No. 3. Notre Dave has a women’s swim team and TWO diving teams?!

What is NOT shocking is that the NCAA has picked on a swimming team. And in a big way.

The NCAA didn’t tell the student-athletes to just quit running on the concrete, as our moms did back in the day at the community cement pond.

The NCAA didn’t tell the student-athletes just to rest for 30 minutes after eating that Rice Krispie Treat to safeguard against cramps. 

The NCAA didn’t tell the student-athletes to powder dry after showers to hold down the possibility of a nasty itch problem in a delicate area.

Neg. Instead, the NCAA drained the program’s pool for a whole year.

A couple of things here: 

Competitive swimming is not football or baseball or hoops in terms of fanatical popularity. BUT … it’s as hard as any other sport and much harder than some, and fans who love it REALLY love it. (Remember how, just a couple weeks ago, we couldn’t wait to see what Katie Ledecky would do next? Anyone remember Michael Phelps? Mark Spitz? Uhh … YES.)

And that’s just the swimming. We haven’t even talked yet about diving, in which the student-athlete is required to do tricks in the air BEFORE hitting the water and swimming.

When you’re talking competitive swimming and diving, you’re not talking about dogpaddling in the kiddie pool.

But what swimming IS is an easy target for the NCAA if the organization — and we use that term loosely — wants to pretend it has more than only a couple of disciplinary teeth. 

In 2021, the transfer regulations were changed to allow students in some Division I sports to transfer schools without having to sit out a year. Those rules have been altered since, most significantly this past spring when it was ruled that athletes could transfer as many times as they wished, without penalty.

In other words, the NCAA didn’t think things through thoroughly, or at all, in 2021.

Same with NIL. No guardrails. Pitch ’til you win. “Yeah, we guess that’s OK, sure…”

So college sports have totally gotten out of the NCAA’s greedy little hands. Except … 

… except when it comes to Notre Dame’s men’s swimming program, which, after a long dry spell, surfaced with its first Top-10 finish at the NCAA championships in March, a first in program history.

And here is why the NCAA stepped in: the men’s team bet on each other’s swimming performances. Over/under lines and all that. 

ND swimmer No. 1 before practice: “I bet Ricky swims the 1000m freestyle in less than 49 seconds today. Five bucks.”

Other ND swimmer, (heretofore to be called ‘ND swimmer No. 2’: “No way!”

ND swimmer No 1: “Way.”

ND swimmer No. 2: “I’ll take it!”

ND swimmer named Ricky: “That’s a lot of pressure but … here goes!”

ND swimmer No. 1: “Anybody else want some of this?…”

So stupid.

I have never been around a swim team, but I have been around golf teams and, while the great unwashed might be blissfully unaware of this, I have never seen a college golf team that didn’t “bet” before practice. Usually on the first tee. Always very casually. Like as casually as breathing. Often with carryovers from the day before and the day before that. 

Now and then a bit of money might change hands, and sometimes a payoff might be in burger or Icee form, but “bets” are all part of the game in these semi-individual contests.

There is no official sports book for swimming. Or for golf practice. Same goes, as far as I know, for college bowling or archery. And there is no danger, as far as I can see, in wagering a buck to see how fast Ricky might swim on any ordinary Tuesday or whether or not I can get it closest to the pin on a par 3 to, you know, perk up a boring day.

That’s called fun. Makes perfect sense.

But when it comes to rhyme or reason concerning the NCAA, all bets are off.

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

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