A Festive Time

Last Saturday the merchants of Grand Cane put on their Autumn Market.  Merchants the Journal spoke with termed it a great success.

Rhonda Cox, owner of 4C Coffee House said, “We drew about 30 vendors from all over.  Some came from about 50 miles.  And the street was filled with folks shopping.”

Down the street from the coffee house is Gloria’s Sweet and Sassy.  There the Journal talked with owner Donna Tingle.  “It’s refreshing to see everyone enjoying themselves,” said Tingle.  She added, “They were learning more about Grand Cane as they shopped.  The visitors and vendors were so friendly.”

Both Cox and Tingle have reason to celebrate.  Not only was it a great Autumn Market but all of the buildings on the street are fully occupied.  Cox said, “We had the grand opening of The Loft on Saturday, and another merchant is preparing their space to open soon.”


Cattlemen’s Association Meeting

The DeSoto Parish Cattlemen’s Association will be having their next quarterly meeting on September 28, 2021, at 6:00 pm.  The meeting will be held at the DeSoto Parish Extension Office (4-H Barn) at 10117 Hwy 171 in Grand Cane, LA. 

Guest speakers at the meeting will be representatives of Mix 30 Liquid Feed, EZ Cattle Feed, The Branch Ranch, and Dixie Farms Angus.  We ask that you please RSVP to 318-872-0533 or jsalley@agcenter.lsu.edu by Friday September 24th for the meal count.


Next Week North DeSoto Homecoming

Attention all NDHS Alumni! We want to honor & include y’all in this year’s Homecoming festivities. Complete the Form online and share with other alumni to help us organize our events. Registration Form: bit.ly/3ArWkNo

The homecoming week activities include a parade next Thursday, September 30th.  There will be class get-together and tours on Friday, October 1st.  Tailgating is Friday from 5:00 to 6:30 pm.  The homecoming game kicks off Friday night at 7:00 pm against the Devils from Pickering.


Bond Commission Approves Financing Two Projects

The DeSoto Parish Police Jury was notified on September 16th that the sale of bonds to finance construction of a Justice Complex had been approved.  The $11,000,000 project will include a correctional facility with the ability to house male, female and juvenile inmates.  There will also be offices for the Sheriff.

Also on September 16th, DeSoto Parish, Waterworks District No. 1 received notice from the Bond Commission that the request for water revenue refunding bonds.  The amount is not exceeding $3,125,000 Water Revenue Refunding Bonds, not exceeding 3.25%, mature no later than August 1, 2041, (1) refunding Water Revenue Bond, dated August 7, 2001, and Taxable Water Revenue Bonds, Series 2010B and Series 2017 and (2) funding a reserve fund.


Can You Open This?

By Brad Dison

For centuries, humans have looked for ways to preserve food.  Common methods for preserving meat included salting, drying and smoking, which made it easy to store or transport.  Preserving other food varieties proved more difficult.

Warring parties struggled to keep their armies fed.  Battles were usually fought in the summer and early fall when food was easily replenished.  Both sides understood that winter battles were rare because of the lack of food.  In many cases, soldiers returned to their homes for the winter and regrouped in the spring.  Napoleon Bonaparte was largely responsible for changing that aspect of warfare.       

In the first decade of the nineteenth century, Napoleon’s French Army and its allies fought in what is referred to as the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815).  One of Napoleon’s main difficulties was keeping his quarter of a million soldiers fed.   It was Napoleon who said, “An army marches on its stomach,” which means that to be effective an army needs a constant supply of good food.  If Napoleon could find a way to keep his soldiers fed, they could continue to fight year-round.  This tactic would give Napoleon the advantage.

In the early years of the Napoleonic Wars, the French government offered a prize of 12,000 francs to anyone who could devise an inexpensive method for the preservation of large amounts of food.  In 1809, French confectioner Nicolas Appert displayed bottles of fruits and vegetables preserved in sealed glass bottles.  The food only spoiled if the seal was broken.  Appert, who is considered the father of canning, won the prize on the condition that he would share his process with the public.  The process was slow, expensive, and the bottles were easily broken.  The Napoleonic Wars ended before the canning process was perfected.

In 1810, British merchant Peter Durand patented the first process to seal food in cans rather than in glass bottles.  In 1811, a Londoner named Bryan Donkin bought Durand’s patent, developed Appert’s process further, and packaged food in sealed air-tight cans made from tinned wrought iron.  The process was still expensive as each can was made one at a time by hand at a rate of about six per hour.  Eating the expensive canned foods became a status symbol for the upper crust to flaunt their wealth.  Although canned food was too expensive for ordinary citizens, the British Army and Royal Navy provided canned food for its men.  Wars remained the main demand for canned food.

Hungry people used varying methods to get into the cans with varying success.  The cans were so tough that manufacturers printed instructions on each can explaining the method to open them with a hammer and chisel.  Soldiers on the battlefield often cut their hands and fingers as they struggled with their bayonets and knives to open the cans.  Another common method was to smash the cans with whatever was handy, which usually resulted in spillage of most of the can’s contents.     

In the early 1850s, manufacturers began using steel rather than wrought iron in their cans.  The steel cans were thinner, lighter, and easier to open.  As the thinner cans became more common, clerks in grocery stores opened cans for customers to take home.

In 1858, Ezra J. Warner patented the first practical can opener, which was little more than a blade that cut into the lid.  The user repeated the cuts all the way around the can in a sawing fashion until the lid was able to be opened enough to get the contents out.  It’s hard to believe that the first can opener was invented almost 50 years after the invention of the tin can.  The standard toothed wheel can opener, the one found in most homes today, was invented in 1926, over 110 years after the tin can was first patented.

Sources:

  1. Eschner, Kat. “Why the Can Opener Wasn’t Invented Until Almost 50 Years After the Can.” Smithsonian Magazine. August 24, 2017. smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-can-opener-wasnt-invented-until-almost-50-years-after-can-180964590/.
  2. Wisdom Biscuits. “How Did People Open Cans Before Can Openers Were Invented?.” Accessed September 18, 2021. wisdombiscuits.com/how-did-people-open-cans-before-can-openers-were-invented/.

Daddy Duals

On October 07, 2021 at 7:00 pm, North DeSoto High School will be presenting their 4th Annual “Daddy Duals” Wrestling Match.  Tickets can be purchased for $5.00 each at the door, or from a High School wrestler. 

The Main Event this year will be between K9 Deputy Kelby Pearah and the North DeSoto Wrestling Captain Lance Ferguson!  Also Tuesday night there will be 10 dads competing against 10 student wrestlers.

The matches will be held in the NDHS gym.


Clara Springs Relief Efforts Continue

From Mandi Mills at Clara Springs Baptist Camp.

Thank you for donating supplies and money to help purchase item needed for First Baptist Larose.  This community was hit hard, and they are not receiving the help that the larger areas are. It may be weeks before they get electricity because it is that bad!

Bubba and I are thankful that we could be the delivery team again. Please pray for Bro. Gary and Mrs. Beverly Hanberry. They are doing an amazing job serving their community while their church is in need of repair.  They are exhausted for sure but are full of the joy of the Lord because of what all HE has done through this!


Biden Plan Includes Devastating Tax Increases on Family Farms

By Royal Alexander

The combined tax rate could add up to a fatal 61% on inherited wealth, eliminating family farms (and many other small businesses) and consolidating all American agriculture into a handful of very large corporate farming enterprises that are easier for government to control.  (As we know, Socialism forbids the age-old right of private property, which is what confiscatory taxation seeks to attain.  No better reference may be made than to Karl Marx himself who said in The Communist Manifesto that, “the theory of the communists may be summed up in the single sentence: abolition of private property.” (Heritage Foundation)).

American farmers, and farming, have been an integral and foundational part of our nation’s history and development since its founding.  The American farmer not only predominantly feeds our country but many parts of the world as well.  Why we would ever threaten medium and smaller-sized American farmers completely escapes me.  Why we would ever trust foreign food sources for our food—as idiotic as trusting foreign oil provided by foreign nations who despise us to supply our nation’s energy needs—is very difficult to understand.

In our beloved Louisiana, our agricultural industry is hugely important.  Louisiana farmers create and manage one of the economic pillars of our state economy.   In fact, Louisiana farmers are fabulous producers of corn, cotton, sugarcane, soybeans, beef, poultry, fish, sweet potatoes and rice among several others.  (LA. Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries).  Further, about 60% of Louisiana’s agricultural income is generated by crops while the other 40% is produced by livestock and livestock products.   In terms of income generated, the state’s top five agricultural products are sugarcane, rice, cattle and calves, soybeans, and cotton.  About 9% of Louisiana’s agricultural revenues are generated by cattle and calves.  Dairy products, aquaculture (farm raised catfish and crawfish), chicken eggs and hogs are also important sources of revenue.  Sweet potatoes and tomatoes are the most important vegetable crops, and peaches, strawberries and melons lead the fruit crops. (LA. economy/Netstate.com).

However, the critically important, generational impact of family farms across the nation and in Louisiana is threatened in President Biden’s $1.8 trillion so-called infrastructure bill.  How so? Well, in order to pay for his multi trillion-dollar expansion of social programs and Green New Deal projects, (or more accurately to create the illusion that it is being paid for), President Biden has included massive tax increases and one of them will impose a real hardship and likely the elimination of many of America’s approximately 2 million family farms.

In simplest terms, the bill proposes taking away what is referred to for tax purposes as the “stepped up in basis” on inherited farms and businesses.  Some experts have concluded that a typical Iowa farm, for example, will be hit with $680,000 in new taxes—or a 40% tax, the payment of which may cost, and kill, the farm itself.  (Americans for Tax Reform).

Simply stated, this tax plan calls for nearly doubling the top tax rate on capital gains and eliminating a significant tax benefit on appreciated assets.  For example, if someone dies after starting a business decades ago that’s now worth $100 million, under the current tax law, the business would pass to family members with no capital gains tax because the cost basis of the business is “stepped up” to its current value at death.  However, under this Biden plan, the heirs would immediately owe a capital gains tax of $42.96 million based on the capital gains tax rate of $39.6 %, plus the net investment income tax of 3.8%, minus the $1 million estate tax exemption.  This proposal would reduce the estate tax exemption from $11.7 million to only $1 million!   When the estate tax is added and all the numbers are crunched and sorted out, these family farmer-heirs would owe a whopping $61.1 million on the original $100 million inheritance. (This, of course, does not include state capital gains and state estate taxes). (AP).  This is a staggering redistribution of wealth.

Even prominent Democrats are concerned about the death of family farms.  House Agriculture Committee Chairman David Scott (D-Ga.) sent a letter to Biden stating:

“I have serious concerns about proposed changes in tax provisions that could hurt our family farmers, ranchers and small businesses.

I am very concerned that proposals to pay for these investments could partially come on the backs of our food, fiber, and fuel producers.  In particular, “step-up in basis” is a critical tool enabling family farming operations to continue from generation to generation.  The potential for capital gains to be imposed on heirs at death of the landowner would impose a significant financial burden on these operations.   Additionally, my understanding of the exemptions is that they would just delay the tax liability for those continuing the farming operation until time of sale, which could result in further consolidation in farmland ownership.  This would make it more difficult for young, beginning, and socially disadvantaged farmers to get into farming.

While I appreciate that the proposal provides for some exemptions, the provisions could still result in significant tax burdens on many family farming operations.”

Further, consider the Wall Street Journal Op-Ed of Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley.  Grassley wrote:

 

“I introduced Arley Wilson, who schooled policy makers on the impracticality and inefficiency of the tax law… and explained how its application on top of the estate tax would be the ‘death knell’ for family farms and small businesses.  Among other issues, it would require complex reconstruction of the decedent’s assets, give rise to extended audits, and trigger litigation for next of kin.  Eliminating step-up in basis is another post-death tax grab, adding punitive taxes on thrift, savings and investments.  Congress (which tried to eliminate “step up basis” before in the 1970s) realized its mistake and voted in 1978 to suspend carryover basis and repeal it in 1980—both with then-Sen. Biden’s support.  He’s forgotten the lesson he should have learned.” (Parenthetical added).

Four decades later Democrats want to dismantle a century-old tax law that has stitched the economic and social fabric of American agriculture together for generations.  The 1921 Revenue Act codified step-up in basis at death.  It has allowed property and livelihoods to be passed on to the next generation without a confiscatory tax.” (Grassley, WSJ).

As noted by tax lawyer, Robert W. Woods, “under current tax law, assets that pass directly to your heirs get a step-up in basis for income tax purposes.  It doesn’t matter if you pay estate tax when you die or not.  For generations, assets held at death get a stepped-up basis—to market value—when you die.  Small businesses count on this. Biden’s proposal would tax an asset’s unrealized appreciation at transfer.  You mean Junior gets taxed whether or not he sells the business? Essentially, yes. The idea that you could build up your small business and escape death tax and income tax to pass it to your kids is on the chopping block.  Biden would levy a tax on unrealized appreciation of assets passed on at death.  By taxing the unrealized gain at death, heirs would get hit at the transfer, regardless of whether they sell the asset.” (Forbes, Robert W. Woods).

It is appalling; it is insane that President Biden would eliminate the stepped-up basis.  This is in addition to his desire to raise the federal corporate tax rate to a higher-than-China rate of 28% and to impose the highest capital gains tax since Jimmy Carter in 1977.  His plan would hit nearly 2 million family farms (and many, many other small businesses) while Americans are still reeling, struggling to recover from the pandemic.


Blood Drive at Logansport High

Logansport High will be having a blood drive in the multipurpose room on Tuesday, September 28th.  Please come by to save lives and help fund our senior scholarship.  Every donation will help to save 3 lives and put $5 in the LHS scholarship.  Not to mention, you will get a free T-shirt! 

You can sign up by going to this link:

https://forms.gle/1zwe1jxksSpNa1wBA

Thanks for everything you do for LHS and our community!


High School Scorecard

None of the high schools in the parish got to taste victory Friday night.  They are hoping for greater success this coming weekend.

Mansfield fell to long-time rival Red River 54 to 44.  Friday the Wolverines will host Minden.

Logansport was defeated by the Bearcats from Bossier High.  Final 39 to 14.  The Tigers will be on the road Friday, traveling to Jonesboro for a game with Jonesboro-Hodge.

North Desoto was shut out by Many 50-0 last Friday.  This week the Griffins host Sterlington.


Scouting Really Does Pay Off

By Steve Graf

Not all tournaments are tough and not all tournaments are as hot as a fish fryer. BUT THIS ONE WAS! This event was held on Sam Rayburn in August which is the toughest month for bass fishing. As you have read in one my previous articles on July 16th of this year “Why I hate Summers…Now” this tournament reminded me of why I hate summertime fishing period. Temperatures reached the upper 90’s all three days but we got a little reprieve on Thursday’s pre-fishing with an occasional thunderstorm rolling across Sam Rayburn.

This event was a grind in all phases of summertime fishing, as the bite was super tough. Normally, summer events are won in the first two hours of the day, but we were under a full moon so that gave us a good mid-day bite. For me, I thought I had a great starting spot based on my practice the day before, as I had found a good group of bass that were schooling (feeding) at daylight. It was an area just off the main lake with a great supply of baitfish. But this, as it turned out, was not the case. My schooling fish disappeared or decided not to show themselves as I and my co-angler OJ (not the OJ your thinking) left this area after hour one with zero fish in the live well.

This is why you scout(pre-fish)! So, I had to switch to plan B and do something different. My next stop would be the 147 bridge which always has fish on it, but the bridge seems to be more of a timing thing. If you’re there at the right time, you can fill your live well pretty quick with good keepers. One thing that makes the 147-bridge productive, is if the Corp of Engineers is pulling water at the dam. This creates current around the lake and under the bridge which makes the baitfish more active, making the bass bite so much better. As we pulled up to the bridge, schooling bass showed themselves and I was able to catch my first two keepers of the day on a top water bait called a Yellow Magic. Schooling fish a lot of times are smaller in size and are not always keeper fish, but every once in a while, you can get lucky and catch a few good ones.

By now it’s close to 10 o’clock but I’m not in panic mode just yet, as I’ve got two descent fish in the boat and my co-angler caught a keeper fish as well, which would eventually keep him from zeroing. So, I pulled up the trolling motor and headed to an area where I had found some good keeper bass on cypress trees. It was a stretch of cypress trees that seemed to have a bass on every one of them the day before. With only two bass in the boat, I immediately started catching solid keeper fish (2 pounders) and got my limit of five in the boat by 11 o’clock. I actually culled one of my smaller fish as well. So now I’m ready to make a move and head for deeper water where I felt I had better fish in twenty feet of water. 

This was an area I was a little excited about because I had shaken off what I felt was three or four really good fish in practice the day before. One thing I’ve learned from a good friend of mine who is one of the best anglers I know, is that when scouting for a tournament, it’s a good idea to not hook fish two days before a tournament. So rather than use a hook on the big 10-inch worm I was throwing, I used what is known as a screw lock. This way you can fish the worm, but you don’t have to worry about hooking the fish. The bass still bite the worm, therefore revealing their location, allowing you to come back and catch them on tournament day. So, after a few casts, I set the hook on a 3.7-pound bass which got me a little excited. Ten minutes later I catch another 3 plus pound bass, but this would be the last fish I would catch off this spot, as the bite shut down.

So, with twelve pounds of fish in the live well, I still needed bigger fish in order to get a check. So, I decided to go back to the area where I started that morning because I felt the fish were there, but maybe they would bite better in the afternoon, which is not uncommon when you’re fishing under a full moon. The prime-time bite for this day based off the Isolunar chart, was from 11:00 AM till 2:00 PM. This chart has proven itself to be very accurate over my years of fishing. Now this does not guarantee you’ll catch fish at this time, but I try and make sure I’m in a good area during the prime feeding period. As I returned to this area, I noticed the baitfish were a little more active. So, I started fishing cypress trees located on a small point. On about the fourth tree, I pitched my V&M Baby Swamp Hog and my line slowly started moving off the tree. I knew it was a really good fish as I set the hook on a 4.96-pound bass that now gave me over sixteen pounds, which landed me in 2nd place for this event.

This turned out to be a great event for me, as things came together pretty much the way it played out in practice. Again, this is why you scout, because you never know how things will play out on tournament day. Oh, and don’t forget about the screw lock tip; this is a great way to scout and locate fish without hooking them. Till next time, good luck, good fishing and don’t forget to set the hook!


Thomas Arrested on Drug Charges

UPDATED:  SUSPECT WAS LISTED ON APRIL 07, 2021, AND WAS ARRESTED ON SEPTEMBER 14, 2021.

WANTED SUSPECT:  WILLIAM THOMAS

William Thomas Smith, of Logansport, is currently a wanted suspect by the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office.  Tips submitted through Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 for information that leads to his arrest.  Please see attached photo for description.  William Thomas Smith is from the DeSoto Parish area and is currently wanted on the following charges:

– Two Counts of Distribution of Schedule II Drugs

Thomas was arrested on September 14, 2021.


Notice of Death – September 22, 2021


NATCHITOCHES:
Michelle Ann O’Donnell
May 09, 1969 – September 17, 2021
Service: Saturday, September 25 at 10 am at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home

Joseph Lynch
September 20, 2021
Arrangements TBA

James Clark
September 21, 2021
Arrangements TBA

James “J.C” Coutee, Sr.
March 12, 1962 – September 16, 2021
Service: Wednesday, September 22 at 2 pm at Bay Springs Baptist Church

Cyldia B. Groce
September 17, 2021
Arrangements TBA

John Jackson Sr.
September 15, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Ricky Lane Carpenter
May 27, 1961 – September 14, 2021
Service: Saturday, September 25 at 11 am at Fern Park Cemetery in Natchitoches

Gloria Shields
September 12, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Felenn Sowell
September 08, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Minnie Johnson
September 04, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Red River:

Stanley Derrell Horton

October 28, 1938 to September 19, 2021

Services 11:00 am Friday September 24, 2021 at Open Door Fellowship

Suzanne Marie Bumgardner

February 13, 1954 to September 18, 2021

Services 10:00 am Wednesday, September 22nd at Ashland Baptist Church

ETC… For Wednesday, September 22nd

Clara Springs Camp said, “Mark your calendars for our September Fourth Friday Fish Fry that will be held Friday, September 24th!”

This is the second issue of the DeSoto Parish Journal.  Your editor wishes to express a big thank you to the many businesspeople, public officials, and others I have met this week.  And thank all of you who have taken the time to join the growing list of subscribers.

The Journal is free, and we promise never to sell your information or spam you.  All we need is your name and email address to get it started.  Then you will get all of the local news each Wednesday morning delivered directly to your favorite device.

To join The Journal, CLICK HERE.


Welcome To The DeSoto Parish Journal

Introducing the DeSoto Parish Journal.  We are the digital newspaper for DeSoto Parish, and we will cover local news, sports and other happenings on a regular basis.  This is our first issue, and we will publish every Wednesday morning at 5:45 am.

The DeSoto Parish Journal is advertiser supported, therefore there is no cost to the reader.  We offer subscriptions emailed to your favorite device.  We come to you, so you do not have to go find us.  Click here to subscribe:  JOIN

News items and pictures may be submitted by clubs, churches, organizations and individuals in the community.  We do ask that you take pictures in “Landscape” mode or turn the phone sideways.  Digital pictures are wider than tall, so a landscape shot is better suited to the Journal.  We do reserve the right to edit submissions, and all become the property of the Journal.

No-Spam Promise:  The DeSoto Parish Journal only asks for your first and last name and email address.  We do not distribute your information to anyone.  In addition, the Journal does not have click-ons, pop-ups, redirects and other annoying web stuff.  You are never sent out of the Journal’s framework.  We are concerned about your web browsing experience and safety.

Contact Us:  Our email is DeSotoParishJournal@gmail.com.  Our phone is 318-564-3609.  You may call or text.  Please leave a message if we don’t pick up right away.  Someone will return the call.

Tell your friends and co-workers that the Journal is now available to them.  To subscribe, click here:  JOIN 

Welcome to DeSoto’s new digital newspaper, the DeSoto Parish Journal.


Weather Update – Nicholas

From the National Weather Service office in Shreveport:

Here is the latest update on what is now Tropical Depression Nicholas from the National Hurricane Center. Additional slow weakening is expected overnight, although periods of moderate to at times heavy rainfall will continue over Central and Southern LA.

And here is our local forecast through Saturday:

Wednesday-A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 82. Northeast wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Wednesday Night-A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 70. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.

Thursday-A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 84. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Thursday Night-A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 70. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Friday-A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Friday Night-A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 70. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Saturday-A slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. Chance of precipitation is 50%.


Dutch’s Boy

By Brad Dison

Dutch’s boy was born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. on New Year’s Eve of 1943 in Roswell, New Mexico.  Dutch, as his men called him because it was easier to pronounce than Deutschendorf, rose to the rank of major in the United States Army Air Force and was squadron commander of the B-58 Hustler bombers.  Dutch set three speed records in his B-58 which earned him a place in the Air Force Hall of Fame.  Dutch’s military career came before anything else.  His unwavering loyalty meant his family moved often.  

As Dutch’s son, people called him Dutch’s boy.  Many of the people who attended school with him, albeit it briefly, described Dutch’s boy as being shy and a loner.  He struggled to fit in at school because his family moved so often.  Dutch and his family lived all over the United States.

Dutch’s boy was usually too shy to ask a girl out on a date.  Finally, he asked a girl out, and, to his amazement, she said yes.  Dutch’s boy arranged to pick up his date later that evening, after Dutch returned home in the 1950 Mercury, the car that Dutch’s boy was allowed to drive.  There was no sign of Dutch as the time drew near for Dutch’s boy to pick up his date.  Dutch’s boy had no choice but to cancel the date, which left him angry and upset.

Several hours passed before Dutch arrived home in a drunken state.  His commanding officer had invited him to “beer call” at the officer’s club, and Dutch, showing unwavering loyalty, eagerly agreed.  Dutch saw no reason to call home to let his family know he would be late.  Dutch’s boy was fuming.

Dutch and his son rarely got along well.  One summer, Dutch bought a ski boat for the family.  Dutch would only ski with his son driving the boat.  He was expected to drive the boat exactly to Dutch’s liking or Dutch would come down hard as if he was one of the men under his command.

On the night of the broken date, Dutch’s boy had no chance to speak with his father.  As soon as his father walked in the door, Dutch’s parents began arguing.  Dutch’s boy had never heard his parents argue before and this was a real humdinger.  The argument was so serious that Dutch’s boy thought his parents would surely divorce.  His broken date seemed less important than it had earlier in the evening.

Not wanting to be the cause of friction between his parents, Dutch’s boy came up with a plan.  He would run away from home.  Dutch’s boy usually worked a part-time job at a store on the weekends.  Early the next morning, while his parents were still asleep, Dutch’s boy loaded some clothes, some school papers, a drawing board, and a guitar into his father’s car.  He called the store and said his family was going to Oklahoma to visit a sick relative.  This would buy him at least eight hours before his family realized he had run away.    

On that Saturday morning, Dutch’s boy left Fort Worth, Texas, and headed for Los Angeles, California, where some of his parents’ old friends, the Harts, lived.  They had visited them several times in California through the years.  His plan was to get a job as a sailor on a boat and start his life anew.  After driving all day, spending the night in Tucson, Arizona, and finally making it into Los Angeles late the following day, Dutch’s boy was unable to find the Harts’ home.  Almost broke, Dutch’s boy spent the night in the car in a grocery store parking lot.

By Monday morning, Dutch’s boy was out of options.  He swallowed his pride and called home.  He did not mention running away but said he was just looking for serious work.  His father asked no questions but Dutch’s boy could tell he was concerned.  Dutch gave him directions to the Harts residence and told him to call when he arrived.  When he called his father from the Harts’ residence, Dutch asked if he would come back home.  Dutch’s boy reluctantly agreed.

Dutch flew to Los Angeles and the two spent some time together before they drove back to Fort Worth.  For the first time, Dutch’s boy realized that his father really cared for him but was unable to express his emotions.  Dutch was the type of man who kept his feelings deep inside.

Although the two continued to have disagreements, Dutch’s boy never ran away from home again.  After high school, Dutch’s boy had a successful career which, like his father, took him all over the world.         

Later in life, Dutch’s boy and his father bonded over a common interest.  They both loved flying.  Early in his career, Dutch’s boy wrote a song about flying, a song which was a number one hit for the folk group Peter, Paul and Mary.  Sadly, flying would end Dutch’s boy’s life.  On October 12, 1997, Dutch’s boy died when the experimental aircraft in which he was flying crashed.  His ashes were scattered high up in the Rocky Mountains.  He wrote a song about the Rocky Mountains too.  Some of his best-known songs include “Leaving on a Jet Plane”, “Rocky Mountain High”, “Annie’s Song”, and many others.  The world knows Dutch’s boy, Henry John Deutschendorf Jr., as… John Denver.

Source: Denver, John. Take Me Home. New York: Harmony Books, 1994.


DeSoto Blood Drives This Month

LifeShare is experiencing a very low blood supply this summer.  Spokesman Philip Maxfield told the Journal they have several blood drives scheduled in the parish later this month.  If you are able to donate, please check out the LifeShare social media pages to sign up to donate.  Or you may donate any day at their Shreveport location.

In Desoto Parish there will be a blood drive at Logansport High School on September 28th from 9:00 am until 2:00 pm.  Maxfield said, “This will be an ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE.  The goal is 25 units of blood.  Many teachers and staff will GET WET if the high school blood drive collects 25 units of blood!”  Note:  The photo is Mr. Maxwell getting soaked with freezing ice water following a record breaking blood drive at Red River High.  The JROTC Commander also was doused.

Also, during September, LifeShare will be at Jimmy Granger Ford of Stonewall.  The date is September 30th from 10:00 am until 3:00 pm.  Maxfield said, “I’m working on a FREE oil change for one lucky donor that Signs-up & Shows-up.


Pastor’s Installation

Members of Summer Hill Baptist Church at Evelyn, LA and several other area churches packed into the church Sunday afternoon for the Pastoral Installation for Martin Fitzgerald Washington, Sr.  There were many remembrances of Washington as a child, a young boy and young man growing up in Sumer Hill.

The installation sermon was from Dr. Clyde W. McCray.  McCray said, “I am honored to be asked to come and share in the installation of your pastor.”  But McCray was quick to add, “God sanctified and ordained Martin Washington as pastor of Summer Hill Church.”

McCray spoke on the characteristics of a true preacher.  He quoted Paul who wrote to churches when Christianity was less than 100 years old, advice McCray said is just as applicable today, 2000 years later.  McCray spoke of “two kinds of preachers, true preachers and false preachers.  And there are two kinds of spirits, the spirit of God and of the anti-Christ.” He added, “It’s not biblical, full gospel and the prosperity gospel.  There is just the Gospel.  There is no room for ‘I know what it says, but.  It is not open for my opinion.”

Speaking to Washington, Dr. McCray said, “The test of a man’s ministry is not what is popular, and it is not miraculous signs and wonders.  The test is his faithfulness to the word of God.”

Washington’s wife Angelia spoke of her and Martin growing up at Summer Hill.  She said, “This is just a blessing, this is where we grew up, we both accepted Jesus Christ on the same day.  Who knew we would come back as pastor and first lady?”

As the installation concluded, Martin Washington took the microphone.  “I am honored to see those I grew up with here.  They are the ones who really know you.” He humbly thanked the church and his other friends in attendance for welcoming him home.


Commercial Vehicle Crash Kills Shreveport Man

On Monday, September 13, 2021, just before 11:00 a.m., Troopers assigned to Louisiana State Police Troop G began investigating a fatality crash involving two commercial motor vehicles. The crash occurred at the intersection of LA Hwy 5 at LA Hwy 3015.  The crash claimed the life of 37-year-old Lakendrick Thomas.

The initial investigation revealed that 42-year-old Chad Sharpley, of Frierson, was driving northbound on LA Hwy 5, in a 2019 Peterbilt tractor-trailer. At the same time, Thomas was traveling southbound on LA Hwy 5, in a 2020 Kenworth tractor-trailer. Sharpley lost control of the truck. As a result of this, Sharpley’s trailer struck the cab of the Kenworth.

Sharpley was restrained and was not injured. Thomas, who was wearing his seat belt, suffered fatal injuries as a result of the crash.  Impairment is not suspected to be a factor; however, routine toxicology results were submitted for analysis.  The crash remains under investigation.

Troopers would like to remind motorists that speed limits are designed for optimal driving conditions. Inclement weather decreases visibility and increases a vehicle’s stopping distance.  In these conditions, drive with extra caution.

In 2021, Troop G Troopers have investigated 25 fatality crashes, resulting in 27 deaths.


Deputies Help With Hurricane Recovery

From the DeSoto Sheriff’s Office:

As soon as one day after Hurricane Ida hit south Louisiana, Sheriff Richardson has rotated several teams of DeSoto Parish Deputies to be on the ground helping residents and law enforcement.  They have been patrolling in an attempt to discourage looting, helping with rescue operations, cleanup, among many other tasks both on land and in the water.

Deputy Daniel Miller sent some images that have been taken over the last several days, and we thought we would share them with the public.  Most are from Grand Isle, Houma, and Golden Meadows.

To our residents in DeSoto Parish we humbly say, THANK YOU. 

Thank you for your generous donations that have been sent to help our brothers and sisters down south.  Our deputies may be the feet on the ground, but your generosity has assisted residents and deputies in numerous ways.  From feeding, providing a clean place to sleep, cooling with a fan, a clean diaper on a baby, and even feeding displaced animals….the list goes on and on. 

We are still there and will remain until we are no longer needed.  We ask that you continue to keep those affected by this disaster in your thoughts and prayers as we move forward.


A Clear Path To Fishing For A Living… Or NOT!

One question that the pros are asked more than anything else…”How do I become a professional bass fisherman?” Now this is a loaded question and one that I’ll try to answer for all you want-a-be professional anglers. I’ll give you not only my perspective but a dose of reality as well. For those of you trying to make it to the highest level, you might not like what you read in this article, but you’ll definitely have a greater understanding and appreciation for how difficult it is to make a living as a touring pro.

Today’s anglers actually have a more difficult time trying to become a pro than 30 years ago. There are a limited number of spots available on the two major circuits (B.A.S.S. Elite Series and Major League Fishing- MLF). But the rewards of making it on either of these two tours, makes it worth the gamble…or does it? What an awesome way to make a living….bass fishing! This is the dream and goal of so many youngsters growing up today. For me, my dream was to play professional baseball, and nothing was going to get in the way of me accomplishing that goal. I’ll use baseball as a comparison so you can see the similarities. In 1983 I was drafted by the Montreal Expos (now the Washington Nationals) and was sent to New York for minicamp along with 40 other draft picks. Our first meeting, the general manager of the Expos (Bob Gebhart) walked into the room and stood in front of all 40 draft picks and said, “Congratulations guys, each of you represent one out of every 10,000 baseball players in the country and only one of you will make it to the Major League level.” Turns out, he was exactly right…only one guy made it from our draft class: a fifteen-year-old shortstop from Dominican Republic by the name of Esteban Beltre. Now this was a dose of reality and it hit me at that point just how difficult it is to make it to the Major Leagues.

There’s an old saying in baseball, ”Baseball players are a dime a dozen.” Well, you can say the same thing about bass fishermen. They are everywhere and once again, there are only so many slots available. It used to be years ago, that the best path to becoming a professional angler, was to move south and become a guide at either Toledo Bend or Sam Rayburn. Make a name for yourself while learning how to catch bass in every condition imaginable. So many guys took this path like legendary pros Tommy Martin, Larry Nixon and Jack Hains to name a few. The other thing you had to do… quit your job and dedicate yourself to nothing but finding and catching bass. Becoming a guide makes you a better angler overall because it teaches you how to catch bass under various conditions. One of the toughest jobs you can have is guiding for a living. You have to learn to find and catch bass in order to make your customers happy. Now that’s a high-pressure job!

Your next option on pursuing a professional bass fishing career, is to fish the lower levels of bass fishing circuits and work your way up. For example, with B.A.S.S., there’s high school bass fishing circuits, college tours and what’s called The Open Series. The Open Series has three divisions nationwide (Southern, Central and Northern) and the top three finishers from each division’s points standings will receive an invitation to fish the 2022 Bassmaster Elite Series, as will the top three from the overall standings accumulated in all three divisions. We’re talking 716 anglers all across the nation vying for 12 spots in order to become a professional bass fisherman. This total does not include the over 850 college anglers who are trying for 1 spot on the Elite Series. Only one college angler (National Champion) from across the nation will get that opportunity.

Now let’s look at the other route you can take by fishing with MLF (Major League Fishing). They to have a difficult path but it is an avenue that’s available to anglers all across the country. They have what’s called the Big 5. This includes, Tackle Warehouse Pro Tour, Toyota Series, Phoenix Bass Fishing League, Abu Garcia College Fishing and the U.S. Army High School Fishing. It’s a series of tours that if you do really well, you can possibly advance to the highest level called the Bass Pro Tour. This tour has a unique format that allows anglers to catch, weigh and release their catch immediately while on board officials record their every fish that weighs two pounds or better.  Unlike B.A.S.S. in which anglers bring their best 5 bass to scales for weigh-in. Once again thousands of anglers nationwide are fishing the Big 5 Tours attempting to progress and advance to the Bass Pro Tour.         

Today’s angler has to be not only GREAT, but a businessman, speaker, road warrior, mechanic and put in long 10-to-12-hour days on the water. This level requires family sacrifices like missing birthday parties, school programs, recitals, holidays and athletic events. These guys are on the road for weeks and months at a time. I asked legendary Pro Shaw Grigsby one day when was the last time he slept in his own bed in Florida? He said he had only slept in his bed two days the entire month of March. 

So, you think you still want to be a professional bass angler? The odds of making it are really slim to none as you can see from the numbers above. You might have better odds of being struck by lightning! But I’m not here to discourage you from trying, I just want to make sure you understand how difficult it is to make it to the highest level of professional bass fishing. Many an angler have gone broke trying to make it to the highest levels, not to mention the number of divorce attorneys that have been hired. It can be very rewarding both from a personal standpoint and financially if you’re one of the lucky ones. Till next time, good luck, good fishing and don’t forget to set the hook!


Prepare To Take The ACT

The DeSoto Parish School Board posted that Advanced Virtual ACT Bootcamps are available.  High School Students who are targeting 27 or higher on ACT, please visit desotopsb.com/…/high-school-planning… for Advanced Virtual ACT Bootcamps.