On Friday, March 25th, DeSoto Parish went green for Morgan’s Challenge 2022. Logansport High students & staff wore green shirts with jeans (within DPSB dress code).
To help student Morgan Pugh, raise awareness for Cerebral Palsy Month, DeSoto Sheriff Jayson Richardson and staff may or may not have cheated just a little. They wore green for two great reasons: To protect and serve, and to participate in Morgan’s Challenge.
The following arrests were made in DeSoto Parish between March 20 – March 26, 2022, over a one week period.
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
State offices in DeSoto Parish and across the state will be closed Wednesday ahead of expected severe weather. A cold front is moving through raising the possibility of severe storms on Wednesday. On Tuesday, Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne announced the all-day closures of 42 west Louisiana parishes. Another 22 parishes on the eastern side of the state will close at noon.
Grand Cane Merchants Association is spreading the word that the Easter Bunny will be in town next Saturday during their Spring Market. The bunny will meet kids and have their pictures taken with him from 10:00 am until 12:00 Noon.
The DeSoto Sheriff’s office said there are still a few spots left in the Youth Hunting Skills Camp. And remember, Hunter Safety Certification is no longer a requirement to attend this camp. We have incorporated a Hunter Safety Course within the camp for students who need certification!
DeSoto Parish residents went to the polls Saturday and cleaned house. Incumbent mayors running for re-election were turned down outright or forced into a runoff.
According to the unofficial vote count from the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office, DeSoto Police Juror from District 4D, Thomas Jones gathered the most votes in a three man race. Jones got 43% of the vote. Incumbent John Mayweather, Sr. came in second with 34%. And Joseph Hall, Jr. gathered 23% of the vote.
Challenger Ken Kaffka took the Mayor’s office in Stonewall. Kaffka gathered 58% of the vote to Mayor Randy Rodgers’ 42%.
And Longstreet Mayor Wanda Sue Lewis Fields lost to challenger Connie Jackson. Jackson overwhelmed Fields with 67% of votes cast.
Results from the four Alderman races in Mansfield show one incumbent victorious and one defeated. Christopher Washington Thomas, representing District B won. Kevin Campbell lost his District E seat. Districts C & D had newcomers and in District C Vicki Jackson won. In District D Antonio Washington was elected.
In the multi-parish Judge Court of Appeal race, Erin Leigh Waddell Garrett polled 57% of the ballots cast in DeSoto Parish while Craig Marcotte got 43% of the vote. District wide with all precincts reported, Marcotte had 58% to Waddell Garrett’s 42%. So Marcotte was elected to the Court of Appeal.
Story & Photo by Van Reech
Demolition is almost complete on the ole West Bros. building on Polk St. in old downtown Mansfield. Polk St. was closed to one west bound land and the part of Adams St. on the east side of the building was entirely closed.
A local businessman has purchased the adjacent corner lot on Polk and Washington (N.E. Corner) and is planning on building an office complex. There is talk that because the West Bros. building was condemned by the City that the demolition is to clear that lot for parking next to the office complex. Stay tuned for future information!
The Louisiana Department of Education (Department) announced the school systems that have been approved to receive funding from the $40 million allocated for the Reimagine School Systems program. In addition to financial resources, participating school systems receive technical assistance and targeted support to ensure the work is transformative and sustainable. DeSoto Schools are included in the grant program. The amount of the grant to DeSoto Schools was not included in the news release.
“When we launched the Reimagine School Systems program in 2021, we did so to encourage school systems to create new high-quality educational opportunities, to be innovative, to challenge themselves and their students,” said Dr. Cade Brumley, State Superintendent of Education. “We are extremely pleased with the quality of the applications we have received from school systems throughout the state, and I look forward to seeing how these programs expand possibilities for students.”
To date, 36 applications have been approved from 31 school systems. Allocations thus far total $10,800,000 for planning and $28,170,000 for implementation.
Bossier
Calcasieu
Central Community School District
Claiborne
DeSoto
East Baton Rouge
East Baton Rouge/KIPP Charter
East Baton Rouge/Recovery School District/Redesign Schools Louisiana
East Feliciana
Evangeline
Jackson
Jefferson
Lafayette
Orleans/Community Academies
Orleans/Morris Jeff Community Schools
Orleans/Einstein Charter Schools
Orleans – NOLA Public Schools
Orleans/Collegiate Academies
Orleans/FirstLine Schools
Orleans/KIPP New Orleans
Orleans/Algiers Charter School Association
Orleans/Hynes Charter
Orleans/Educators for Quality Alternatives
Orleans/Type 2 Charter – New Orleans Military & Maritime Academy
Orleans/Type 2 Charter – International High School of New Orleans
Rapides
St. Bernard
Tangipahoa
Vermilion
West Baton Rouge
West Feliciana
School systems participating in the program receive the following benefits.
Technical assistance: each system is matched with high-quality providers with expertise in selected Reimagine School Actions
Financial resources: each system receives two phases of funding–up to $350,000 in Phase I, and up to $1.5 million or more per grant in Phase 2
Capacity building: each system will develop new competencies to lead innovative school system work, building their overall skills to lead successful school systems
Louisiana Tech University has announced the names of students on its Winter Quarter President’s and Dean’s honor lists. Eighteen students from DeSoto Parish made the lists.
Students whose names are followed by an asterisk earned recognition as members of the president’s honor list. That distinction signifies achievement of at least a 3.8 academic grade point average on a minimum of nine semester hours completed (100-level or higher), with no grade lower than a B.
To be eligible for the dean’s honor lists, a student is required to earn at least a 3.5 academic grade point average with no grade lower than a C on a minimum of nine semester hours completed (100-level or higher).
Courses yielding satisfactory/failure grades and courses audited do not count toward eligibility for either recognition. Only undergraduates with no incomplete grades are eligible to make either list.
Honor students from DeSoto Parish are listed by their hometowns:
Frierson: Jazmyne D. Smith
Gloster: Jadyn Ross Falls
Grand Cane: Matylyn Marie Bagley, William Levi Bagley II, Bailey K. Lodrige*, and Lael Christine Penner
Keatchie: Brittney Abigail Burford, and Lauren Grace Niten
Logansport: Paden K. Deas, Jenna L. Hall and Elizabeth Danielle Register
Stonewall: Landry K. Burback, Rachael L. Coker, Victoria Elizabeth Evans, Kathryn Mackenzie Graner*, McKinley R. Tonsman, Gerardo Velazquez, and Ryder Houston Walters*
By Royal Alexander
It is an undoubtedly good and positive thing for America and the world to witness unvarnished courage and bravery. That’s what we are seeing from the Ukrainian people and their indomitable president, Volodymyr Zelensky.
From the beginning, President Zelensky has made clear his intent—and that of his countrymen—to fight the barbaric and unjustified invasion of his country by the Russians. When asked if he wanted a plane ride out of the country to safety for himself and his family he flatly refused saying “I don’t need a ride. I need anti-tank ammunition.” His strong, faithful wife also stated her position clearly. “My husband will never abandon his country and I’m not leaving my husband. And my children are not going anywhere without me.”
There are also a number of reports of Russian casualties due to the proud and ferocious resistance of the Ukrainian military and that Putin miscalculated how difficult his invasion of Ukraine would be.
As the situation worsens hourly—Zelensky this week witnessed Russian forces destroy a fully active Ukrainian maternity hospital as local officials use mass graves to bury thousands—he acknowledged that “the enemy has designated me as target number one, and my family as target number two,” he said of wife Olena Zelenska, their son, Kiril, and daughter, Aleksandra. He concluded a call with leaders of the European Union last week with the chilling statement that “this might be the last time you see me alive.”
Zelensky has also made clear he won’t accept a settlement on Russian terms which would mean the slavery and subjugation of his country and his people.
One writer, Steve Brown, describes the stark personal choice Zelensky faces as clearly and powerfully as I’ve seen:
When you know …
That likely you will not live to see your children grow up. …
That you will never be able to retire with your precious wife …
That you may well be dead before Christmas …
That no one from the Free World is sending military to help you or your people …
That your only hope is a prayer … And …
That prayer is that the Lord of Hosts will supernaturally intervene. …
And, that your will is set. You will not leave your people and will go down with the ship.
That courage calls for the Body of Christ worldwide to cry out to the God of all mercy to assign Angel Armies to be deployed and engage the forces of hell to save Ukraine and stop the slaughter of the innocents. So be it, dear Lord, so be it. … Thy kingdom come …Thy will be done … on earth AS it is in Heaven. Amen.
This kind of courage is simply breathtaking, and deeply inspiring.
While the U.S. and other Western countries have provided military equipment, munitions, and other aid, they can and should do more—such as sending Polish fighter jets, which will be flown by Ukrainian fighter pilots, to Ukraine. We could also quickly and easily provide S-300 surface-to-air-missile systems, helping Ukraine create its own “no fly zone” over its beautiful country and people.
In his powerfully emotional address to the U.S. Congress last week, President Zelensky stated that “the destiny of our country is being decided.” He implored America and the free world to “keep justice in history.”
It’s time for NATO and the west to move.
“Join us for another amazing event April 2nd,” said the Historic Grand Cane Association.
The Historic Grand Cane Association is hosting a spring market on April 2nd from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm.
Today is the deadline they set for accepting vendors. To sign up please email Brendale.bacque@yahoo.com and she can assist you.
The 2022 edition of the River City Fest will be held on the riverfront in Logansport the second weekend in April. The River City Fest Committee has released a revised listing of the events scheduled as part of the festival. The schedule is posted below.
For information about River City Fest, contact Kathi Wells 318-286-3751.
By Steve Graf
In a football game, you have four downs to make a first down. If you fail at getting a first down after three attempts, you have three choices: go for it, kick a field goal if it’s within your kicker’s range, or punt. Now most coaches choose the latter, depending on their field position. Bass fishing is like football in that it’s all about the decisions you make and when. Today let’s look at why these two sports are so similar.
A couple of weeks ago I was fishing at Toledo Bend with little to no success. It was too early for fish to be on beds and spawning, but there were a few buck bass (males) roaming around the shallows looking for a place to start preparing a bed for their chosen female. I tried all the typical baits an angler should throw this time of year, but I had zero bass to show for my effort. I threw the standard rattle-in-style baits like the SPRO Aruku shad, I slowly rolled a spinnerbait, drug a Carolina-rig off the points, and threw a crankbait as well. Nothing, no bites whatsoever, so I sat down and decided it was time to back up and punt by taking a totally different approach from a bait and technique standpoint.
Turns out this was the U-Haul move of the day, as I tied on a Reaction Innovations bait known as the “Sweet Beaver.” This bait falls into the category of what anglers call a “creature bait.” Over the years, this bait has proven itself to be one of the best lures an angler can tie on, as it has won its fair share of tournaments. Again, I tried every type of moving bait known to man with no results. So, I decided to slow down and try pitching or flipping brush tops and laydowns (basically wood). The results were immediate as I boated several fish which were holding mostly on brush piles.
Now this is not unusual for bass, especially during cold snaps, but I did let the bass tell me what and how they wanted a bait. The bass told me in no uncertain way (no bites) that they were not in the mood to chase a lure. They wanted a bait that was slow and dropped on their nose. My best 5 bass that day would have pushed the scales to around 15 pounds. Point being, that due to my desire to back up and punt, it made me adjust my approach and do something that the bass really wanted. So, the next time you’re struggling to get a bite, back up and punt, and try a totally different approach and you just might find the magic to make a bass bite. Till next time, good luck, good fishing and don’t forget to set the hook!
By Velma White
The National Association of University Women (NAUW), Mansfield Branch, is having its annual GLOW LUNCHEON FOR GIRLS on Saturday, April 2, 2022, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., at the Mansfield Elementary/Middle School Multipurpose Room. The luncheon is open to girls who are enrolled in grades 8th-12th grades.
GLOW stands for GIRLS LEADING, OPTIMIZING, AND WINNING. It is designed to encourage girls to reach their full potential, develop character, leadership skills, and assist them in career planning.
Speaker for the morning session of the luncheon will be Dr. Ilene Harper, Executive Director of the Family Life and Community Resource Center in Richmond, Texas. The keynote speaker for the afternoon session will be Mrs. Bridgette Salsberry, Victims’ Advocate for DeSoto Parish District Attorney’s Office. Five panelists consisting of young women from various occupations, who are graduates of DeSoto Parish Schools and have achieved advanced degrees, will also be featured.
The National Association of University Women is a non-profit service organization dedicated to providing services to the community of Mansfield and DeSoto Parish. It was incorporated in 1924, in Washington, D.C. The Mansfield Chapter was chartered in 2014. NAUW has awarded scholarships to several senior girls to assist them in furthering their education. It has cooperated with national and local social and economic programs. It is affiliated with several local and national organizations.
Branch Manager Ms. Doris Ross, of DeSoto Parish Main Library, was recently recognized by Deacon Larry Heard, of Shiloh Baptist Church, for her 40 years of service at the DeSoto Parish Library. Ms. Ross was given a beautiful song entitled, “If I Can Help Somebody” and a bookmark inscribed with a lovely poem.
Drop by the main library branch and congratulate Ms. Ross. And be sure to thank her for serving the past 40 years.
Elizabeth Hudson
September 28, 1944 to March 19, 2022
Saturday Services March 26, 2022 at 1:00 pm Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Kingston.
Martha Jenkins
Passed March 19, 2022
Thursday Graveside service was held March 24, 2022 at 1:00 pm Union Cemetery Mansfield, La.
S.J. Patton, Jr.
July 6, 1956 to March 15, 2022
Memorial Service March 26, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. Jenkins Funeral Home Chapel.
Dorothy Thomas Spencer
December 2, 1941 to March 15, 2022
Saturday Graveside March 26, 2022 at 11:00 am in Hampton Cemetery Pleasant Hill, La.
Tomorrow is election day. If you did not vote during early voting, please go vote on Saturday.
The Northwestern State University Chamber Choir will hold its spring concert on Thursday, March 31 at 7:30 p.m. in Magale Recital Hall. Admission is free and open to the public. Those attending are asked to wear a mask, but they are not required. Director of Choral Activities Dr. Nicholaus B. Cummins will direct the choir in a program called “Love.”
North DeSoto High said, “Just wanted to let everyone know that might have noticed the sheriff’s office helicopter was on campus today (March 23rd) performing an exercise. No need for worry.
Warden Cotton, in the DeSoto Detention Center, has asked that we notify the public on the following:
In person visitation resumed on, March 22, 2022. Appointments for visitation can now be scheduled Monday through Friday from 1:00 p.m. – 3:40 p.m. All visits must end by 4:00pm. Advance notice must be given at least 24 hours prior to a scheduled visit.
A total of 1,787 DeSoto voters participated in the week of early voting that concluded Saturday. Of that number 1,325 voted in person and 462 cast ballots by voting absentee.
The demographic breakdown shows 1,025 Democrats voted, 521 Republicans and 241 registered as other. 983 black voters and 777 white voters cast ballots. There were 1,100 female and 686 male voters.
This coming Saturday is election day in DeSoto Parish. There is the Court of Appeal race on the ballot plus local races in several communities including the Mayors of Mansfield and Stonewall.
The candidates for Mayor of Stonewall met over lunch with voters last Thursday. The event was sponsored by the parish Republican party.
Incumbent Mayor Randy Rogers spoke first. He recalled his first days in office and the opportunity he had to shadow the prior mayor for a few weeks to learn the job. It was a rocky start, said Rogers, “Before I was installed a town councilman resigned. We filled that position. Then someone got elected to the Police Jury and we had to fill his spot.”
One of his first challenges dealt with streets. Rogers said, “At my first Town Council meeting a lady came in needing street work. I don’t recall details, but we got it rebuilt.” And he said there were always streets that needed work. “We will put out bids March 31st for Hall Road to be overlaid by the parish. We’re just waiting on the weather.”
Another accomplishment Rogers cited was over $69,000 in repairs and painting at the Stonewall Community Center. “A hailstorm had messed up the roof,” said Rogers “And it was replaced along with work on adjoining buildings.”
Rogers opponent is Ken Kaffka, a longtime resident of Stonewall. Kaffka began, “I am so grateful to have had the opportunity of serving this community and its people for over 30 years working for UPS.” Kaffka recalled first moving to town 32 years ago and living in a trailer park. “We moved into a house in 1999 and have been there since,” added Kaffka.
He said his two children graduated from local schools in 1995 and 1999. He recalled his involvement with the North Desoto Booster Club and all kinds of functions for kids.
And Kaffka said he has been involved with the local fire department. He said, “I was a volunteer fireman almost 30 years, I was on the fire board for the past 13 years, and I have done EMT work too.”
As for the future, Kaffka said he would continue with the projects now on the books. “I have seen problems with roads as a member of the fir department. And I will continue with intersection improvement projects,” he added.
Kaffka concluded, “We’re still growing out of our britches. There are new neighborhoods and many new people coming. I would like to get new businesses such as a grocery store and fast food restaurants. We will have a bunch of children here and they need opportunities to work here.”
The election is Saturday. If you did not cast an early ballot, you may vote in person. The weather outlook is sunny with very little chance of rain.
Mark your calendars for March 29th. The Logansport Lady Tigers Softball team will have their home “opener” Tuesday at 5:00 vs St. Mary’s. Get ready to show up and be loud.
The school said, “These girls have been waiting on this day! Come out and being the noise as the Lady Tigers take it to the turf against St. Mary’s.”
Table scraps …
From the “You Really Aren’t Having A Bad Day” Files: It’s been nearly two weeks since several news services reported that two men at a Tennessee farm were killed by a “rampaging camel.” The farm housed several kinds of animals and no reason was given for the camel’s rampage. The bottom line is that, if you get attacked by a camel, and in Tennessee of all places, it ain’t your day…
A baseball team I follow has some long bus trips so I suspected it would be thoughtful and different to get them some playing cards along with some silly things, games children play with like Etch-A-Sketches and a magnetic checker set and some Wooly Willy drawing games, the ones where you put the “magic wand” against the plastic and it pulls little slivers of iron where you want them to go so you decorate the face of Willy. And then I thought how that was the stupidest idea I’d ever had—and it’s a long line—because all these dudes do is play on their phones and listen to music. Would have been a great idea—in the mid-80s…
Can’t give you the link here ’cause we don’t want you jumping to another site BUT in honor of these first days of spring, take 30 seconds and find “Welcome, Sweet Springtime: The Andy Griffith Show” on YouTube or the site of your choice and listen to Barney, very flatly, usher in the new season. Good ol’ 14A in your songbook. Never gets old …
To paraphrase Kris Kristofferson, my NCAA Tournament Bracket woke up Sunday morning with no way to hold its head that it didn’t hurt. Over the span of 48 hours, from the Opening Round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament through Saturday of the Second Round, my little black-and-blue bracket went from “tightness in the joints” to “full body cast.” …
BUT … to paraphrase singer-songwriter Travis Tritt, “Here’s a quarter, call someone who cares.” Because no one cares about your NCAA bracket. No one but you cares that you had Kentucky and flamed out on ascent or that you pulled a rabbit out of the hat and picked St. Peter’s. No one even cares if your bracket is leading in any of the groups you have joined, because everyone knew SOMEbody was going to win—somebody besides them. Nobody knows the trouble your bracket has seen—but no gives the slightest rat’s rip either. If it makes you feel any better, anything your bracket can do, mine can do worse. We might be enjoying the first days of spring, but it remains a cold, cold world. (Just ask anyone who’s been attacked by a camel, hard by the Tennessee River)…
Speaking of hoops, one good thing that’s come from the pandemic is that very few men’s basketball coaches wear coats and ties on the sidelines anymore. They dress down. They used to look like they were going to call time out, then take up offering. Most women’s coaches still dress up for games, but for them, dressing down is still dressing up when compared to guys. We like to think we’re dressed up if we have our shoes tied…
Country Music Hall of Famer and perpetual wonder woman Dolly Parton has teamed with bestselling author James Patterson to write a climbing-the-charts mystery, “Run, Rose, Run,” a novel about a young female singer with hopes to make it big, but a secret from her past might destroy her. I’m good as long as the secret isn’t that she killed Porter Wagoner…
For all you Bracket Folk, good luck this weekend in the Sweet 16 (and no, do NOT tell us who you’ve picked; it’ll save us both the embarrassment).
And, if at all possible, stay away from camels: any one of them might have picked Kentucky or Wisconsin to win it all and be in a surly mood.
Welcome, Sweet Springtime.
Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu
Several students from North DeSoto High won recognition in the recent literary rally. Here is the listing from NSU on their accomplishments.
Results of the 2022 Northwest Louisiana District Literary Rally hosted by Northwestern State University have been released. Students from high schools in central and northwest Louisiana participated in the Rally, which is held each year to qualify academically talented students for the state competition at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge on April 9.
Medal winners from Division II are:
North DeSoto – Allen McMullen – Algebra I: James Herring – Civics; Logan Enloe – Computer Science; Noah Severin – English II; and Grace Youngblood – Journalism I.
State Qualifiers for Division II are as follows.
North DeSoto – Riley Hudnall – Advance Math-Precalculus; Brookelynn Austin – Agriscience I; Allen McMullen – Algebra I; Cheyenne Johnson – Chemistry; James Herring – Civics; Logan Enloe – Computer Science; Noah Severin – English II; Sara Lane – Fine Arts Survey; Katie Enloe – Health; Grace Youngblood – Journalism I; Katherine Springer – Principles of Business; Emily Jones – Spanish I; Brianna McDowell – Spanish II; Abigail Chen – Spanish III; Cara McDaniel – Spanish IV; and Alyssa Deason – World History.
In Division II, sweepstakes winners were Bolton High School, first place; Buckeye High School, second place, and North DeSoto, third place.
Congratulations were posted by North DeSoto High:
Congratulations to our literary rally participants. NDHS had 16 state qualifiers and 5 medal winners. They will travel to Baton Rouge to compete at state in April.
Recently Mrs. Cally Brumley, principal of Central School, received a check from the estate of Marjorie Heath. She remembered the library in her estate.
Marjorie graduated from Grand Cane High School in 1967. She was a librarian for her career and loved playing basketball for the Hoopaholics.
It is that time once again! Sheriff Jayson Richardson has gathered some bearded deputies together to present a donation to a local charity, here in DeSoto Parish! Over the last three months, deputies who want to grow out their whiskers can donate money that will in turn be given to a local charity of the Sheriff’s choosing. This month, Sheriff Richardson was able to provide the Foster Grandparents of DeSoto Parish with a $1,000 donation!
For those that aren’t familiar with what Foster Grandparents of DeSoto do, we’d love to explain it to you. Our local Foster Grandparents seek out seniors in the community, 55 years and older, to pair them with children in our school system who may need a little extra confidence or praise in the classroom. Schools will reach out to the Foster Grandparents when a special need arises in the classroom, and they will come out and offer a more one-on-one approach to learning, while following the direction of the teacher as well. This volunteer program keeps our Seniors active, and full of purpose, while helping the children of our community! Our local Foster Grandparents serve all of our local schools! They are a national program offered right here in DeSoto Parish and are hugely successful in their efforts to bring the community together. If you are 55 or older and would like to become a Foster Grandparent yourself, you may reach out to Mrs. Maidie McCray, Asst. Director and Coordinator, at (318) 732-6938. She says they would love to have more volunteers for this great service.
Pictured are Mrs. Maidie McCray accepting the $1,000 donation from Sheriff Jayson Richardson, accompanied by members of the Foster Grandparents program and bearded participants with the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office.
By Brad Dison
Samuel Wilson was born in 1766 in Arlington, Massachusetts, then one of the North American colonies of the British Empire. Tension between the mother country and the American colonies was a topic of discussion in the Wilson home even before Samuel was born. In 1765, the year before Samuel Wilson was born, the Parliament of Great Britain imposed a direct tax on the American colonies. The Stamp Act required almost all printed materials including legal documents, newspapers, magazines, and even playing cards, to have an embossed revenue stamp. Printed materials not containing the revenue stamp were contraband and deemed illegal. More taxes and other forms of control followed including the Townshend acts, the Tea Act, Intolerable Acts, and the Quebec Act. The situation had reached a boiling point, and in February of 1775, nine-year-old Samuel’s home state was declared to be in a state of rebellion. Two months later, large-scale fighting erupted at the Battles of Lexington and Concord.
Samuel wanted to do his part, but he was too young. The fighting continued for six long years when, in March of 1781, fourteen-year-old Samuel joined the Continental Army. As a young soldier, most of Samuel’s responsibilities were focused on the Army’s cattle, their main supply of fresh meat. He mended fences, made sure the cattle were healthy and properly fed, and slaughtered and packed the meat for transportation. One of his most important duties was to guard the cattle against enemy saboteurs. It was common for enemies to steal or poison an enemy’s cattle as well as their supply of meat.
The War for Independence ended in October of 1781 when Cornwallis surrendered at the Siege of Yorktown. Following the war, Samuel and his brother moved to Troy, New York where they operated several successful businesses. In 1793, drawing on his experience in meat packing, Samuel and his brother, Ebenezer, opened what became a profitable meat packing business under the name of E & S Wilson on the Hudson River. Company profits increased when Samuel and his brother built a loading dock for ships on the river.
In June of 1812, America clashed with the British again in what is called the War of 1812. The United States Army was again in need of fresh meats. Samuel’s company received a one-year contract to supply 2,000 barrels of pork and 3,000 barrels of beef to the Army. When the contract expired, the Army appointed Samuel as meat inspector to ensure the meats were fresh and properly packed. He stamped each barrel of meat with a company insignia and the letters “U.S.” for United States. Soldiers in New York, many of whom were from the Troy area, recognized the company’s insignia and knew the meat had been inspected by Samuel. Local soldiers proudly nicknamed the U.S.-stamped barrels of meat after Samuel. Word quickly spread throughout the ranks and the nickname evolved to include anything which displayed the U.S. stamp. Samuel Wilson, a man who ensured that American soldiers received fresh, safe meat during two wars, was the origin of the image of a man which represents the United States itself. Because Samuel stamped each barrel of meat with “U.S.”, and because of the nickname the soldiers called him, on September 15, 1961, the United States Congress adopted the following resolution: “Resolved by the Senate and the House of Representatives that the Congress salutes [Samuel] Wilson of Troy, New York, as the progenitor of America’s National symbol of Uncle Sam.”
Sources:
Cpl. Roman Hanks discovered that there appears to be a few people gunning for his job as SRO at Stanley High School! Career Day at SHS allowed students to show off what they aspire to be when the grow up!
Word is, one of the students told Cpl. Hanks that he didn’t want to be an SRO. He wants to be the SROs boss. Better be careful out there Cpl. Hanks! They are coming for you!
While retirement planning isn’t just about saving. It isn’t just about tax planning. Social Security effects almost everyone.
Statistics show approximately 90% of those currently receiving Social Security did not maximize their benefits. Current regulations allow for close to 300 options for a married couple to draw these benefits. What is the right answer for you? Begin drawing early? Wait, but to what point to gain the most dollars? Can you still work and receive Social Security? Some of the answers to these common consumer questions may surprise you.
If you are a Louisiana state employee or a public educator, you and your spouse both maybe adversely effected by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) or Government Pension Offset (GPO)? Both WEP and GPO reduce the Social Security benefits you actually receive each month. What you don’t know really can hurt you.
An informed decision is always a better decision. Call for your own complementary Social Security retirement benefit analysis and personal consultation to select the best option for you and your family!
Contact Reinette Today!
rfoster@reinettefoster.com
318-481-6539