Two of the three local boys basketball teams going into the playoffs won Friday night. The third lost. Victories were won by Logansport over Centerville 66 to 53, and Stanley defeating Monterey 54 to 33. Mansfield boys lost to Frederick A. Douglass 60 to 58.
Logansport will play Tuesday night in Lebeau against North Central High.
Stanley travels down the road to Zwolle for a game Tuesday night.
When the National President of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary visited northwest Louisiana recently, Jean Hamil visited Warrior Horse near Frierson. She came to review a program that is helping veterans deal with PTSD.
The Founder and Executive Director of Warrior Horse, Kevin Russell gave an impressive presentation centered on the relationship that develops between veterans and horses. Russell said, “I cannot explain what takes place in the arena. The program is magic. There is a bonding that takes place between the vet and the horse and the vet receives the benefit.”
Hamil observed that bonding between a horse and Army National Guard member David Fields. He is a veteran who suffered traumatic brain injury over a year ago in an auto accident in DeSoto Parish. Fields is also a member of the VFW. The horse Fields bonded with is named Bunny. Even seated outside the round pen arena spectators could feel the bond as Bunny followed Field’s non-verbal commands.
Kevin Russell summed it up, “A vet leaves his personal baggage outside the arena. The horse can sense if all is not right. When the horse senses all is OK, he will come up and touches the veteran.” And Russell added, “The purpose of this program is to get the vet some relief.”
There has been enough rainfall across Louisiana to relieve the dry conditions that resulted in a burn ban on outdoor burning. Now the State Fire Marshall has rescinded the burn ban.
The DeSoto Parish Police jury has cancelled the parish burn ban that was issued on February 9, 2020. Police Jury President Ernel Jones issued the cancellation
See the full order from the State Fire Marshall below.
Senator Bernard updates the public regarding his new Senatorial District and the process of how the lines for not only his district was redrawn but also how Natchitoches Parish was divided into 3 separate House of Representative Districts
A member of the Krewe of Aquarius pays a visit to children.
Princess Joye Malone is fulfilling her Princess Mardi Gras duties even in the hospital. She was able to spread the Mardi Gras cheers to everyone with Beads, Cups, Stuffed Animals and toys.
By Royal Alexander
As the Canadian government takes increasingly authoritarian steps, it is learning that at a certain point, people are no longer going to tolerate their liberty being denied and stifled.
I have been fascinated to watch over the last several weeks the development of the situation involving Canadian truckers who resolutely refuse to be told what to do by their government. This coalition of truckers and their supporters, the Freedom Convoy, have vowed to stay in place until Canada drops all of its harsh Covid-19 mandates including a mandate that requires cross-border truckers to either get vaccinated or quarantine for two weeks upon returning to Canada. This standoff is definitely making a statement given that the bridge being blocked, one of the busiest border crossings in North America, supports roughly 30% of yearly two-way U.S.-Canada trade.
The gist of the issue is that the Freedom Convoy is comprised of people who may lose or be banned from their jobs because they haven’t complied with draconian vaccine mandates. Individuals who have been fired include volunteer firefighters, trash cleaners, and manual laborers because they wouldn’t show their vaccine cards even though most of them are vaccinated! It is clearly the principle of the matter to these truckers whose collective attitude is “we may choose to be vaccinated but you aren’t going to force us to.”
This resistance, we should note, comes on the heels of two years of daily life in Canada that’s had severe Covid restrictions imposed upon it—including curfews, heavy fines, total shutdowns of gyms and theaters, as well as restrictions on international travel. Canadian psychologist, writer, and professor, Jordan Peterson, recently called on Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to “open the damn country back up,” stating that his country is “becoming increasingly authoritarian.”
Now, in what many worldwide are deeming a vast overreaction to a peaceful protest, Prime Minister Trudeau has invoked the Emergencies Act (typically used in wartime) to silence this resistance to the COVID mandates. By invoking these powers against his own people, he has granted himself and his government broad power to shut down political speech in his own nation. Among other powers, it provides the Canadian government authority to force private companies to perform services, freeze bank accounts, and fine and incarcerate those in violation of its orders.
Trudeau has apparently refused to meet with the protesters, who have asked him to repeal the vaccine mandates and other harsh restrictions.
However, doing just the opposite, to block the efforts of this resistance, the Canadian government has employed several tactics, including confiscating the truckers’ fuel and directing GoFundMe to withhold nearly $10 million raised to support the Freedom Convoy. Further, news reports state that this past week an Ontario court ordered the U.S.-based Christian crowdfunding site GiveSendGo to freeze all access to the millions raised on its platform.
There are also reports that Canadian banks will receive the names of people involved in “Freedom Convoy” protests, serving as a first step in a promised financial crackdown on demonstrators. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has indicated that some accounts have already been frozen.
As the situation continues to escalate and the crackdown ramps up, there are news reports that Ottawa Police are clashing with truckers as they make mass arrests, including smashing in windows to forcefully remove individuals from vehicles. There are also reports of police snipers on rooftops. In one instance, dozens of brave peaceful protesters, many of whom are apparently veterans, stood their ground and refused to move as the wave of police officers bore down on them.
What we are seeing here is a classic and timeless example of people finally standing up and saying, “that’s enough.” It is a stark but necessary reminder that the final authority in a nation remains in the exact place it has always been—with the people.
What President Reagan warned about regarding America applies equally to the Leftist Canadian government of Trudeau: “America stands on four main values: Faith in God, Freedom of Speech, Family and Economic Freedom. If fascism ever comes to America, it will come in the name of liberalism.”
The regular, everyday people of Canada clearly cherish their freedoms and liberty and are simply not going to give them up. This incident reminds us yet again of the 10,000-year-old lesson that government must be tightly restrained, otherwise, by its inexorable nature, it usurps and crushes.
When the National President of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary visited northwest Louisiana recently, Jean Hamil visited Warrior Horse near Frierson. She came to review a program that is helping veterans deal with PTSD.
The Founder and Executive Director of Warrior Horse, Kevin Russell gave an impressive presentation centered on the relationship that develops between veterans and horses. Russell said, “I cannot explain what takes place in the arena. The program is magic. There is a bonding that takes place between the vet and the horse and the vet receives the benefit.”
Hamil observed that bonding between a horse and Army National Guard member David Fields. He is a veteran who suffered traumatic brain injury over a year ago in an auto accident in DeSoto Parish. Fields is also a member of the VFW. The horse Fields bonded with is named Bunny. Even seated outside the round pen arena spectators could feel the bond as Bunny followed Field’s non-verbal commands.
Kevin Russell summed it up, “A vet leaves his personal baggage outside the arena. The horse can sense if all is not right. When the horse senses all is OK, he will come up and touches the veteran.” And Russell added, “The purpose of this program is to get the vet some relief.”
The girls’ basketball playoff picture for this season has come to an end. Thursday night the Lady Wolverines lost to Albany 62 to 54. Mansfield was the final parish team in the playoffs.
Now the playoff spotlight shifts to the boys teams. Mansfield and Logansport both have first round games tonight, Friday February 25th. The 3A Wolverines are traveling south to New Orleans where they will face the Frederick A. Douglass Bobcats. Tipoff time is 5:00 pm.
Logansport got a home game for the first playoff. The 1A Tigers will host Centerville. Tip-off is 6:00 pm at Logansport High.
By Steve Graf
Let’s continue our conversation from last week on what anglers should and should not do. Some of these topics we’re talking about are things the younger generation of anglers coming up have not been taught. As great as high school bass fishing is for the sport, this group of anglers needs some undivided attention on things that are important, like boat management and fishing etiquette on tournament day.
First let’s talk about things you should never do with your boat. With so many anglers on the water today, which has increased by the hundreds over the last 15 years, confrontations are occurring at an alarming rate. Just like road rage, now you have water rage. It’s only a matter of time before someone takes matters into their own hands and hurts someone who is basically innocent due to the fact they’ve never been taught boating etiquette. You should always respect another angler’s area that he’s fishing by idling past or around him. So many times, I see anglers get on plane way too soon which creates a 3-foot wake, which can result in throwing another angler out of his boat. Always idle past or out of an area slowly if it is being fished by other anglers. This is called respect and all anglers appreciate this jester. To add to this, never run too close to another angler either. I’ve seen several near misses with boats traveling 60 MPH or faster within 10 feet of another boat.
No one is impressed with your ability to run a bass boat like you’re in the Daytona 500. Always navigate your boat at a safe distance away (at least 20 yards) from other boats fishing that area. Now obviously there are times when this may not be possible, such as when anglers are fishing in a marina or a narrow creek channel. Even when you’re running in a creek channel and you come upon a boat that is fishing, shut down before you get to them. This eliminates a big wake that can throw the other boat up on the bank or into a dock or tree line. For the most part, just be respectful…it’s really just common sense or common courtesy.
The next issue I see all too often is the lack of respect for the area or a stretch another angler is fishing. Every day I see someone pull up on another angler, shut off their motor (way too close) and create a 3-foot wake! Then they jump up on the front deck and start fishing on the same side of the pocket (or stretch) within 20 feet of another angler going in the same direction! It’s as if they are wearing blinders like a horse in the Kentucky Derby! This is becoming a major problem today with guys competing for the areas that have proven to be productive over time. Every lake has popular areas that anglers know hold good quality fish. Not all areas on a lake or river are created equal, and good anglers who do their homework know where these are. If you’re going to fish the same area or stretch, fish away from me in the opposite direction. DO NOT go in front of me twenty yards and start fishing. This is called “cutting someone off” and it’s not right. It’s another one of those unwritten rules of bass fishing…. never cut someone off by fishing in front of them.
Now there is another situation that can occur, especially out on the open lake. All over most lakes there are brush piles that other anglers have put out in order to attract bass. With today’s electronic fish finders and forward-facing sonars, it’s easy to find these brush piles. This is where anglers get a little confused and frustrated. You have to understand that when you sink brush on a public body of water, it’s now considered community property and anyone can fish it. Unfortunately, the angler that has worked hard to put out that brush pile does not always see it that way and will go to extraordinary lengths to protect it. Many a feud has occurred on the water over who is entitled to fish it. The best advice I can give you on this…ask permission to share this area with the other angler if he got there first. If he says “no”, then move on to another area to fish.
I hope you gained some knowledge and understanding today on some of the hot topics we are experiencing on our lakes and waterways. Again, as our lakes and waterways become overcrowded, we need more anglers to step up and try to educate the next generation on the ethics of bass fishing and how to conduct themselves. So, if you’re on the water and see youngsters doing things that aren’t right, exercise patience and feel free to educate them on the unwritten rules of fishing. Till next time, good luck, good fishing and don’t forget to set the hook!
By Nicole Tull
The DeSoto Parish Police Jury met Tuesday evening at 5:00 pm. All jurors were present. A full gallery was present. The first item on the agenda was a retirement award to Wardell Bowie for his 12 years at the Mundy Landfill. (pictured)
Donna Curtis with Shreveport Green Hazardous Waste was a guest announcing the hazardous waste collection for DeSoto Parish as April 30. There will be collections at various sites around the parish. Linda Ray was also a guest in attendance speaking about the railroad crossing near her daughter’s house. She highlighted the reasons why it needs to stay open and not be closed along with other crossings.
Reggie Roe gave a report on business from his time as president. He said $1.8 million is designated to overlay Hwy 5 to Hwy 3015, Keatchi to Longstreet. This project will be complete within the year. Additional monies are secured for Hwy 3276 from Hwy 171 to I-49 roadwork. Roe continued by saying that the new president will need to nominate a person for Economic Development.
President Ernell Jones reported that there will be a someone come at the next meeting to talk more about a mill to convert methane gas to a usable gas at the landfill. Jones also wants to do a study to see if everyone in the parish has access to drinking water.
The administrator reported that Foster Campbell, Louisiana Public Safety Commission public entity energy efficient grant of $220,000 for the parish. He further reported that they have ceased taking applications for the treasurer. Out of the eleven applicants, none were CPAs, however, three will be interviewed.
April Freeman was introduced as the assistant treasurer. Malisa Lafitte will be vacating the seat as treasurer. Lafitte followed with the treasurer’s report.
There were several resolutions discussed. The one concerning the closing of railroad crossings was tabled until the next meeting. Juror Ross wanted to meet with KCS for further consultation.
There were several line items under budget and finance. Multi-Cultural Center was discussed at several points. Cooperative Endeavors with many entities including AmeriCorps Seniors, Logansport Christmas Festival, and Mundy Landfill were also discussed and voted on.
Under Personnel, there were recommendation for several people to attend various meetings on behalf of the parish. Lastly there were Road Items to discuss. Naming of Julia Pvt Ln in Frierson; speed bumps in Fox Trot and Forrest Subdivisions; drainage; and E Street in Frierson.
Cadaryl Antowne Atkins
June 23, 1987 to February 15, 2022
Saturday Services February 26, 2022 at 11:00 am at Higher Ground Ministries.
The Mardi Gras Celebration in Grand Cane, including a Pop Up Market that was scheduled for Saturday has been rescheduled due to bad weather. The social media post from Grand Cane Village Hall did not say what the new date would be.
North DeSoto High School ACT Testing is coming in March. Mark your calendars for testing days.
Junior and Senior test day is March 8. Sophomore test day Freshman PreACT Review Day is March 9. And March 10 will be Make-Up testing.
“Faith & Fostering believes that every young person should feel safe & supported when entering adulthood. We serve homeless young adults (18-24) by providing housing, basic needs, and community volunteers to offer support to ensure their success.”
It’s that time again folks! Following the success of Sheriff Jayson Richardson’s commitment to donate whisker money to local charity, this month’s chosen charity is DeSoto Faith and Fostering. Today, Sheriff Richardson was flanked by numerous bearded deputies to present a check for $1,000 to Christi Robinson and Barbara Lewis, representatives with Faith and Fostering. Each month, deputies with the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office are donating cash in exchange for getting to grow out their beards! Sheriff Richardson will be picking a new local charity to send those donations to each month. We are grateful for all the wonderful work this organization provides to DeSoto Parish, and the compassion in which they lead with. You can find more info about Faith and Fostering by searching their name on Facebook!
Left to Right: Dy. Brad Lowe, Dy. David Boudreaux, Dy. Russ Jones, Barbara Lewis, Sgt. Luther Butler, Christi Robinson, Dy. Jacques Burton, Sheriff Jayson Richardson, Dy. Jarratt Palmer, Sgt. Mike Armstrong.
Not pictured: With the best overall beard (of course), Public Relations Deputy Mark Pierce. I mean, someone has to take the pictures around this place, but we can’t all look as cool as Sgt. Luther Butler.
Johnny Ray Greer Jr. is a 16 year old white male who was last seen at his home in Logansport on February 11th. He is currently considered a runaway juvenile and not believed to be in danger at this time.
Greer Jr. is approximately 5’3″ tall and 180 pounds, with brown/blonde hair and hazel eyes. If you have any information that may lead investigators to the whereabouts of Greer, Jr., you may call 318-872-3956.
Please join us for a Meet & Greet with Judge Erin Leigh Waddell Garrett on Thursday February 24th from 6:00 to 7:30 pm. the event will be held at the Clista A. Calhoun Center.
Judge Garrett is running for 2nd Circuit Court of Appeal and the District encompasses most of Caddo, all of DeSoto, and all of Red River Parishes.
Bring any family and friends to meet Judge Erin Leigh Waddell Garrett and enjoy some delicious food provided by Billy B’s!
The event is hosted by Joe Beauboef. Please RSVP to Ali Feaster Smith at:
AliSmith. RSVP@gmail.com
By Teddy Allen
How we made it through Mardi Gras parades without them, only our excretory systems know for sure.
Those were archaic and tawdry times.
Today, we are more civilized out there on the parade highways and byways, all thanks to the upright and rectangular 3-D miracles of translucent roofs and vents, and the miraculous pairing of high-density aluminum and polyethylene.
They are no question the MVPs of the Mardi Gras parade season.
Most Valuable Potties.
Look at them, will you? Admire them. Lay flowers and rolls of toilet paper at their feet, which is probably a worn spot in the grass where quick-stepping, over-served revelers hurried to take advantage of their favors.
They are the figurative port in the storm. Or the literal Port-O-Let in the storm.
A mere few feet off the parade route, they stand there as silent sentries, loyal soldiers, dutiful and dependable, ready if called upon, available but not obvious.
On the streets and in our ’hood they go by names like “Honey Bucket” or “Porta-Loo” or “Johnny-on-the-Spot.” The business community that makes a living renting, servicing, and supplying these crucial devices to the Great Unwashed call them portable toilets or chemical toilets.
But the way most of us first came to appreciate them was when we heard the phrase “Port-o-Let” or “Port-a-Jon” or “Porta Potty.” It should come as no surprise that each starts with a “P.”
Poetic justice is served.
Hemingway said once that Paris is “a moveable feast.” Had the outhouse of his day been mobile, he’d have said the same thing of the Port-o-Let.
The street where I live is perpendicular to the four-lane that marks the end of the route of Shreveport-Bossier’s two largest parades. By largest, I mean a quarter-million of our closest friends turn out to enjoy what krewes have worked (and played) all year to assemble. There are smaller parades in town and in the area, but these two pulled in the most bladders.
Thus, the Potty Patrol is needed. Down that otherwise unassuming street that marks the parades’ end, these portable must-haves stand stately for a quarter mile, maybe a bit more. They are rented by people who have reserved “spots” along the route, and the envied contraptions will be picked up next week. But right now, they are assurance and insurance for the renters, who can sleep well, knowing that on The Big Day, help will be just one opening of a plastic door away.
If you didn’t rent one and you need to “go,” well, you’ll find out who your friends are come parade time. You think you’re No. 1 and might just find out that you’re No. 2.
Sad, but such is the human condition. There will come a time when relief is demanded for the laboring kidney, the anxious bladder, the suspect colon. Those who fail to prepare are prepared to fail, and this is the kind of failure that does not go quietly into that dark night.
When Mardi Gras in our area was new, in pre-Port-o-Let days of yore, the make-believe portable potty was a shrub, a shadowed tree, the side of an unassuming garage.
That was rural fare. Tacky. We’ve since come a long way.
Who could have known then that instead of going to the bathroom, the bathroom would one day come to us? And usually, not a second too soon.
Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu
Monday night the Mansfield Lady Wolverines fought a very tough battle with Northwest from Opelousas. It was back and forth until the ladies took control in the fourth quarter and broke the game wide open for a 64 to 35 victory. Mansfield is now headed to the third round of the playoffs against Albany.
The Lady Wolverines came alive after the half time break. They out rebounded, out shot, and out controlled the ball and slowly spread the distance between them and Northwest. Cierra Taylor led the ladies with 17 points. She was the only player in double figures, but she got strong support from C. Malone with 8, L. Cannon with 7 and D. Scott with 6.
Looking at the playoff brackets, Mansfield will face Albany. Albany defeated Baker 78-21 on Monday night. Ahead of the match, Coach Kendra Jones told the Journal she anticipated Albany will win that game, which means Mansfield will be heading to south Louisiana for a game on Thursday.
Jones said, “Our girls said at the start of the season, we gotta get this. Let’s turn it up this year. And that is what they have done. They worked hard and it has become more of a team effort. Everyone does their part.”
Mansfield and Logansport boys basketball teams begin playoff games this week. Mansfield girls are headed to the third round. Marsh Madness is underway.
The Mansfield Wolverines are getting ready for a road trip to St. Claude Avenue in New Orleans on Friday. They play the Bobcats of Frederick A. Douglass, and the game starts at 5:00 pm. So, if you’re going, get an early start.
Logansport Tigers are at home for the first round of the boys basketball playoffs. The boys from Centerville High in St Martin Parish will make the trip for a Friday night contest. Play begins at 6:00 pm and the admission is $8.00.
Headed to the third round of the playoffs are the Lady Wolverines. It is a long road trip to Albany, La. See the article on the Lady Wolverines defeat of Northwest HERE.
Appeal Court Judge Candidate Erin Leigh Waddell Garrett was the guest speaker at the monthly meeting of the DeSoto Chamber of Commerce last week. She gave her thoughts on the job and how her career has prepared her for it.
Currently Garrett is a District Judge in Shreveport. She discussed the variety of cases that come before her every day. And she noted that the life experiences she had had have prepared her for the roll as an appeal court judge.
Of importance to Judge Garrett is that everyone in the courtroom feel that they are being heard. And she wants to bring innovation to the job. Garrett said, “If you like the ways things have always been done, I am not your girls.” And she added, “The reason I do everything I do is three little kids nine, seven and six years old.”
The race for Court of Appeal will be on the ballot in DeSoto, Red River and Caddo Parishes on March 26th.
By Brad Dison
Sam was born in Missouri in 1835, the sixth of seven children. His father, John, was an attorney and judge in Hannibal during Sam’s childhood. In 1847, when Sam was 11-years-old, his father died “after a protracted and painful illness,” which was later revealed as pneumonia. In the following year, Sam quit school and went to work for the Hannibal Journal, a newspaper owned by his older brother Orion.
Beginning in 1859, newspapers reported the discovery of the Comstock Lode, a rich gold and silver ore deposit located in the Virginia mountain range in Virginia city, Nevada. The Comstock Lode was the first major discovery of silver ore in the United States. News of the find quickly spread across America and beyond. It created an excitement reminiscence of the California Gold Rush ten years earlier. Droves of prospectors flocked to Virginia City to make their fortune. The population quickly rose from a few hundred and peaked at around 25,000 residents. Businesses in Virginia City flourished and new businesses opened seemingly overnight with much success.
In March of 1861, during a two-hour Executive session, the Senate confirmed numerous nominations for office including Orion’s nomination as the Secretary of the Nevada Territory. Orion’s appointment required him to move to Nevada. Rather than going alone, Orion and Sam decided to move to Nevada together. As Secretary, Orion would work under Nevada’s governor, James W. Nye, and Sam planned to make his fortune as a prospector in the gold and silver mines. It would be an adventure.
Sam and Orion gathered their belongings and began the journey to Nevada. For more than two weeks, Orion and Sam rode in a dusty, bumpy, and swaying Concord stagecoach. Rather than a hard iron suspension, the Concord stagecoach had an improved suspension system which employed leather straps to produce a swinging motion when the coach was in motion. Sam later described the ride on the Concord stagecoach as being like “a cradle on wheels.” Another Concord stagecoach traveler described a “ride [which] will always live in my memory – but not for its beauty spots.” He and the other passengers were “jammed like sardines on the hard seats.” When traveling over rough terrain which required the stagecoach to creep along at a snail’s pace, the passengers would get out of the coach and “foot it” for relaxation. The coachman made frequent stops to exchange horses with fresh ones and the closer they got to Nevada, the more stories they heard about minors becoming wealthy. They trekked over 1700 miles from the Great Plains, over the Rocky Mountains, through Salt Lake City, and eventually arrived at the boomtown of Virginia City.
Almost immediately, Sam began working to unearth his fortune. He toiled for months at the backbreaking labor but never found his fortune. Unlike a lot of prospectors who continued searching in almost a maniacal fashion, Sam was smart enough to know that prospecting was not for him. He needed a job. His experience working for the newspaper owned by his brother enabled him to find employment at Virginia City’s Territorial Enterprise newspaper. Two years later, in 1865, Sam had his first significant success as a writer when he published “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.” He wrote a book called “Roughing It” based on his experiences in the American West. Sam is most well known for two books based on his own childhood entitled “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,” and “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” However, we know Sam under a different name. It was in 1863, in Virginia City’s Territorial Enterprise, the job Sam took when his prospecting career failed, where Samuel Clemens first used his pen name, …Mark Twain.
Sources:
A focus on traffic safety motivates Think First in the Ark-La-Tex. Bubba Fletcher should know the importance of safe driving. He is living proof of what can go wrong when you do not.
Fletcher was the guest speaker at Mansfield Rotary last week. He is confined to a wheelchair now, and he openly spoke of how he got there. He did not think about what could go wrong before he got behind the wheel. The crash that followed left him with traumatic injuries that doctors gave him only a 5% chance of surviving.
But Fletcher did survive. He now speaks to young people about the effects of unsafe driving. He said, “An auto crash has a tremendous effect on your family, the first responders, the doctors and nurses, on everyone you come in contact with.”
Fletcher told the Rotarians, “I have a story of how I was injured. How I ended up in this wheelchair. I do not want anyone else to go through what I have gone through.”
Northwestern State University’s ADVANCE Program for Young Scholars (ADVANCE), now celebrating its 34th year, will host its traditional residential program for academically motivated students July 10 – 30.
Students currently in grades 7 – 11 enroll in and complete one course during the three-week program. They attend 108.5 hours of class and cover an entire year’s worth of high school material or a semester of college level material. Course offerings include the humanities, mathematics, natural sciences with laboratory components and computer programming.
All applicants must provide a copy of their most recent report card and state standardized test scores to determine their eligibility. If scores have been misplaced, many schools provide that information on school transcripts, and transcripts may be submitted to ADVANCE. If applicants have taken an ACT or SAT, those scores may be submitted with their applications.
While the academic program at ADVANCE is top-notch, the residential program sets ADVANCE apart from other similar summer programs. The residential staff offers a wide variety of social and recreational activities to assist students in forming lasting friendships, strengthen the ADVANCE community and help all students have a great time when not in class. Dr. Chris Hynes, director of ADVANCE, states that “ADVANCE combines the need to improve academically with the desire to spend summer break in the traditional way – having fun!”
A $250 discount will be granted to families with two or more students attending the program or to applicants who are dependents of NSU employees or students.
Applications are now being accepted. For more information visit advance.nsula.edu, call (318) 357-4500, or email palmerh@nsula.edu.
By Nicole Tull
It was a cool Saturday morning, February 19, 2022, that the Mansfield State Historic Site presented “A Walk with a Soldier.” The volunteer reenactor conducting the program was Mr. John “Red” Turner from Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Turner began his talk by referencing the eventful day of Friday, April 8, 1864.
He explained to those in attendance what it would have been like to be on the battle grounds and to be a soldier. As a soldier you would have been marching about sixteen to eighteen miles a day wearing leather shoes that where like little boots.
15 Texas Troop was the group Turner talked about. This troop was made up of men and boys ranging in age from fifteen to forty-nine. There was about 300 men in the 15 Texas Troop. There was a total of about 8,800 Confederate troops.
As the soldiers arrived at Honey Cut Hill in Mansfield, LA, General Taylor started lining men up around noon but held the start of the battle until a later time. As the visitors made their way across the battlefield they walked where the soldiers actually walked and fought. It was at 4:00 PM that General Taylor gave the order to start the battle.
Once the battle began it became very loud and confusing as all the orders, guns, and artillery started. It was noted that some would say “it sounds like bees coming by.” The bullets coming out of the guns would make a spinning sound when it passed by.
The average gun being used by the soldiers would have been a .577 which is equal to a .58 caliber. From the records it said that this battle was fiercer than that of Shiloh. General Taylor led his men to victory as they pushed the Union south towards Pleasant Hill.
Jennifer Anders
January 29, 1965 to February 19, 2022
View full obituary here:
https://desotoparishjournal.com/2022/02/22/jennifer-anders/
Wanda Patrick
October 6, 1933 to February 18, 2022
View full obituary here:
https://desotoparishjournal.com/2022/02/21/wanda-daugherty-patrick/
Robbie Hemphill
August 15, 1931 to February 17, 2022
View full obituary here:
https://desotoparishjournal.com/2022/02/21/robbie-hemphill/
Elizabeth Merle Hatcher Moore
July 28, 1934 to February 15, 2020
View full obituary here:
https://desotoparishjournal.com/2022/02/21/elizabeth-merle-hatcher-moore/
Cadaryl Antowne Atkins
June 23, 1987 to February 15, 2022
Saturday Services February 26, 2022 at 11:00 am at Higher Ground Ministries.
Griffin Estates Residents: We have received information from the developer regarding the turn lane construction at the entrance to your subdivision. Estimated Turn Lane Construction Scheduled for 2/21/2022 through 3/4/2022 with lane closure on Hwy 171 to do demo and construction. The entrance will be completely closed from 3/5/2022 through 3/11/2022 to pour the concrete and let it cure. During the closure you will be routed through the emergency exit that goes through Leanin’ Oaks Subdivision to Twin Oaks Road. Please give yourself extra time and drive safely to get through the traffic on Twin Oaks Road.
Friday is the Fourth Friday Fish Fry at Clara Springs Camp. Social Springs Baptist Church will be doing the cooking. Catfish and all the trimmings just $10 per plate. Serving begins at 5:00 pm.
DeSoto schools are closed for Winter Break. Teachers return Monday for professional development. Students will return on Tuesday.
Louisiana Tech welcomes alumni, future Bulldogs for Legacy Day. Nearly 200 Louisiana Tech University graduates and their children gathered on campus Saturday to learn more about the Tech Family and their options for college during the University’s annual Legacy Day. Despite the cold morning, about half of the guests also accompanied Dr. Les Guice on his Tech Family Walk for a special tour led by faculty, staff, and the President himself. Legacy Day offers Tech graduates and their children a special time to visit with academic advisors, tour residence halls, and explore the Tech campus. Parents also have the opportunity to learn about financial aid, scholarships, residential life, and alumni news.