Kenneth Earl Cunningham

November 4, 1935 to April 20, 2022

View full obituary here:

https://desotoparishjournal.com/2022/04/22/kenneth-earl-cunningham/

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Students graduating from Louisiana Tech University’s College of Business during the 2020-21 academic year achieved a record 97 percent overall placement rate within six months post-grad.  Data collected by the College’s Office of Student Services includes undergraduate, Master of Business Administration (MBA), and Master of Accountancy (MAcc) students who earned degrees for the Fall 2020, Winter 2020-21, Spring 2021, and Summer 2021 quarters.  “The fantastic placements of our recent graduates are a strong indicator that our market-responsive curriculum is preparing innovative and ethical leaders for success in today’s rapidly changing business environment,” said Dr. Chris Martin, Dean of the College of Business. “Additionally, we offer numerous opportunities for students to hone their career readiness skills through workshops, networking sessions, and employer receptions.”

Clara Springs Camp served 343 people last Friday night.  It was their fourth Friday fish fry and members of First Baptist Church Logansport did the cooking and serving.  Next fish fry will be May 27^th.

The Northwestern State University Steel Band will present a concert on Friday, April 29 at 6:30 p.m. on the Downtown Riverbank Stage in Natchitoches. Admission is free and open to the public. Dr. Oliver Molina will direct the Steel Band.  The Steel Band is comprised of instruments from the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. The unique timbre and infectious dance beats make it a fun and exciting concert. The program will include some island classics such as “Limbo” and “Jump in the Line” as well as other familiar tunes by Bruno Mars, Journey and Jimmy Buffet.

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First games will be Tuesday as all of the public schools in the parish have earned a berth in the state baseball playoffs.  One school finished high enough in the ranking to draw a bye for the first round.

In Class B, Stanley will travel to Holden for their first game.  Stanley finished the regular season ranked #21.  They play on Wednesday, April 27^th at 4:00 pm at #12 Holden.

In Class 1A, Logansport finished the regular season ranked #3 in the state.  Logansport drew a bye through to the regionals.  Their game will be played between April 28 and May 3.  Their opponent will be the winner on Tuesday of #13 Merryville and # 20 Arcadia.

In Class 3A, Mansfield will be on the road Tuesday, traveling to Iota.  Mansfield finished ranked #31 and Iota is #1 in 3A.  The game will be played at Iota at 5:30 pm on Tuesday, April 26.

And in Class 4A, North Desoto hosts #28 ranked George Washington Carver.  The Griffins are ranked #5 this season.  The game will be at North DeSoto on Tuesday April 26 at 5:00 pm.

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Funeral services celebrating the life of Kenneth Earl Cunningham, 86, of Joaquin, Texas will be held at 2:00 P.M. on Saturday, April 23, 2022, at First Baptist Church of Logansport with Rev. Shawn Thrapp and Rev. Charles Hall officiating. Visitation will be held from 1:00 P.M. until the time of service at the church.

Kenneth was born November 4, 1935, to John Thomas “Tom” Cunningham, Sr. and Ruby Lee Hensley Cunningham and entered into rest on April 20, 2022, in Shreveport, Louisiana.  He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.  He volunteered for over 30 years with the Logansport Volunteer Fire Department.

Kenneth is preceded in death by his wife, Ruth Laverne Lewis Cunningham; his parents; son, Kenneth C. Cunningham; brother, John Thomas Cunningham, Jr.; and son-in-law, Perry Pugh.  Those left to cherish his memory include his sons, Phil Cunningham and wife, Marsha, David Cunningham and wife, Kay; daughters, Sandy Mahan and husband, Johnny, Donna Pugh; ten grandchildren and seventeen great-grandchildren.

Honoring Kenneth as pallbearers will be Jake Pitts, Tony Pugh, Brock Pugh, Greg Cunningham, Tommy Cunningham, and Cole Fleming.

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Early voting ends Saturday evening at 6:00 pm.  There is one race on the DeSoto Parish ballot for April 30^th.  That is the runoff for Mayor of Mansfield.  And the DeSoto Registrar of Voters office said that early voting is only being done at their office in Mansfield.

There is a proposition for Fire District #2 on the ballot, however the fire district withdrew it prior to early voting time.  Any votes there will not be tallied.

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By Nicole Tull

Eggs-travaganza on the Sabine drew in quite the crowd on Saturday. Not only did Logansport area flock to the riverfront, but several came in from far away places. Rory Bieber and his family were passing through from south Texas back to Wisconsin when they discovered the goings-on on the riverfront.

James Smith of Lafayette brought his wife and two small sons up especially for the occasion. He searched the internet for something to do and saw advertisements for the event. His son was delighted to trade in his metallic egg for a prize. Both families were grateful for the warm welcome and fun for their families.

Games with prize winnings kept long lines of kids busy while they waited for the Easter Bunny to arrive. Kids were also entertained with DFD1 firetruck and face painting. Snacks and drinks were a welcome relief in the muggy midday.

Kids and adults alike were restless as the clock neared 1pm. Empty Easter baskets swung on arms as they all waited for DPSO helicopter to arrive to dump out the rest of the easter eggs. Caution tape sealed the perimeter as the excited kids watched a Sheriff’s deputy finally pour the filled plastic eggs on the grass from the hovering helicopter.

Youth from FBC Logansport helped with the games and guarding the field of eggs. Once the okay was given that it was safe to venture, the youth cut the tape and children scrambled to fill their baskets. Chamber of Commerce President James Walker said the event was successful because of so much help from the community. He is looking forward to doing it again next year.

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By Royal Alexander

It has been both dizzying and fascinating to watch the back and forth these past days between billionaire businessman, Elon Musk, and Twitter.  Musk recently purchased a roughly 9% stake in Twitter—making him the largest single shareholder—and was offered a seat on the Board of Directors which he first indicated he would accept.

However, a few days later he reversed course and stated he would not be joining the Board.  He then indicated he would seek to increase his shares to as much as 15% or even attempt a hostile takeover, offering to buy the company for $43 billion.  Twitter is now scrambling to oppose Musk’s effort with a potential “poison pill”—a legal mechanism that prevents a stakeholder from increasing his stake in a company—thus preventing a takeover by Musk. 

However, according to Constitutional Law Professor Jonathan Turley, “federal law may force them to fulfill their fiduciary duties” to their shareholders and sell to Musk, even at the cost of supporting what is to the Orwellian Thought Police who run Twitter, the “nightmare” of free speech.

This is all interesting from a standpoint of corporate law but, what I find most hopeful is Musk’s statements that he was opposed to Twitter’s so-called “content moderation” practices and their negative effect on free speech.  Musk has stated that “I invested in Twitter as I believe in its potential to be the platform for free speech around the globe, and I believe free speech is a societal imperative for a functioning democracy.”  In fact, one Twitter user explained it this way “let me break this down for you.  Elon (just) became the largest shareholder for Free Speech…”

Musk’s comments are underscored by his tweet in late March that succinctly states the critical free speech issue at the core of the debate: “Given that Twitter serves as the de facto public town square, failing to adhere to free speech principles fundamentally undermines democracy. What should be done?” His attempted purchase of Twitter appears to be the answer to the suppression of free speech by Big Tech which, as a willing and eager tool of the Biden Administration, is promoting culturally toxic wokeness that is attacking the fundamental principles of our Constitution.

As Musk says, “Wokeness is a mind virus … it is arguably one of the biggest threats to modern civilization.”  Musk believes that “at its heart, wokeness is divisive, exclusionary and hateful.  It basically gives mean people a reason, it gives them a shield to be mean and cruel, armored in false virtue.”

As we know, Twitter often conducts purges of speech it doesn’t like by arbitrarily deeming (almost always conservative) speech to be “disinformation,” “hate speech” or “authoritative” speech.  Do you see how broad those categories are? Anything and everything could potentially be banned!  This double standard is implemented by the tweaking of complex algorithms to either filter out or prominently display certain content as the computer software directs.

Twitter’s double standard cries out for correction.  For instance, Twitter bans Trump, but the murderous Iranian ayatollah, the violent and hateful Louis Farrakhan, the Wuhan/Chinese and American China Virus liars and propagandists, Porn Hub (the largest host of child porn and rape videos in the world) and Planned Parenthood (proudly performs most abortions in the U.S.) are all still free to post. 

Behemoth social media companies like Twitter occupy an enormous place in the public forum and in the daily lives of most Americans and function as state actors, or arms of the government and The Deep State, as the suppression of the Hunter Biden laptop story clearly proves. 

Of course, while the 1st Amendment applies to government suppression of speech, government censorship is not the only kind.   As such, though companies like Twitter are legally so-called “private” companies and not subject to the 1st Amendment, while they enjoy the enormous benefit of Section 230 legal liability protection from 3d party content under the Federal Communications Decency Act, they shouldn’t be allowed to selectively censor and to exercise editorial judgment.  Rather, they should function as neutral arbiters running information platforms and creating a marketplace of ideas for everyone—as intended by Congress. 

Whether his takeover bid is successful or not, Musk has done the country a great service by prominently raising a very important point: Twitter is the closest thing America now has to a traditional public square and its censorship of speech is a dangerous thing for our country and its democratic principles.

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Mansfield High School said, “In February, our Beta Club students traveled to Baton Rouge, LA to compete at the Louisiana State Beta Convention. They did not travel back to Mansfield High empty handed, but with a State Championship Award in Marketing & Communications. Winning this award qualifies them to compete at the National Beta Convention in Nashville, TN this summer (June 2022) against other Beta Clubs from all across the US.

Their only obstacle now is raising funds.  The school is asking for help raising money to get these young men to nationals.  Contribute by either (1) purchasing a spirit shirt, (2) making a donation, or (3) becoming one of our club sponsors.  Just go to this site:

customink.com/fundraising/mhs-beta

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By Van Reech

DeSoto Parish D.A., Charles Adams, spoke to the DeSoto Parish Chamber of Commerce at their April Lunch meeting on 4/19/22.  He gave chamber members an update on activities of the District Attorney’s office.

Adams told the members with a year and three months running his office has prosecuted two murders with both resulting in full convictions.  He said he has three more on this years schedule.  He said that convictions on these three look very good, too.  

Adams compared DeSoto Parish to a house under construction that will be only as good as a well-architected and clear set of plans.  Good and fair laws that are enforced and followed will produce law-abiding citizens that give back more than they are taking and have faith in our clear and transparent justice system. 

The DeSoto Parish Chamber meets on the third Tuesday of each month for lunch and a speaker or interesting program.  For information on the Chamber’s activities call 318-872-1310.

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By Van Reech

Demolition is complete on the old West Bros. building on Polk St. The lot has been cleared of all debris and salvageable materials. 

Local businessman and entrepreneur, Reginald Partner, had purchased the NE corner of Washington and Polk St. After the City of Mansfield condemned the old West Bros. building he was able to purchase that adjoining lot. 

Mr. Partner tells The Journal that he plans on building an office complex on the corner with a parking lot on the recently cleared area.  We always dread losing part of history but that old building was becoming a hazard. 

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By Steve Graf

Oh, the joy of fishing tournaments! They say half the fun of any trip is getting there. Well not for me!!! Every hobby or job has at least one thing that you probably don’t like to do…like yard work, where you have to clean out the flower beds or after mowing the yard, then you have to rake it. For me, the biggest drawback to tournament fishing is the road time. Today, I’ll tell you about my travel habits that have taken me from Oklahoma to the Carolina’s down to South Florida and all points in between.

These trips can be a grind with some being 8 to 12 hours away. The one exception, which was a nightmare, was my trip to Lake Okeechobee in South Florida. This was a 17-hour trip one way and one that I hope to never make again. A few other places I’ve traveled to for a tournament over the last 25 years include Lake Hartwell, South Carolina (12 hours), Lake Eufaula, Alabama (9 hours), Lake Pickwick, Alabama (9 hours), Kentucky Lake (8 hours), and Lake Chickamauga, TN (10 hours).

These trips give a guy plenty of time to think, time to plan and reflect on life in general. Sirius XM Radio is the best thing that has happened to live radio in years. All I have to do to transport myself back in time is turn to the 70’s channel. I’m instantly back when times were simpler and slower, and listening to the best music ever made. But if I want a dose of reality, I can turn to channel 111 and hear Dr. Laura Schlessinger give her analysis and advice on people’s personal issues, or I can align my conservative self with Fox News on channel 114. But you have to be careful when listening to Fox News because too much of today’s news can send you into a deep depression and then you’ll have to call Dr. Laura for advice. If all else fails, I can find the Elvis channel with nothing but his greatest hits 24/7. Seriously, Sirius XM Radio is the best thing ever for road warriors! But these long road trips also give me time to try and put a game plan together on how I will attack the lake I’m headed for.

Nothing makes a road trip more enjoyable than snacks. This is a huge decision that requires a lot of preplanning. Do I want to go with sunflower seeds, peanuts, or cashews? Do I buy a trail mix with both nuts and dried fruit (which I really do like)? Or do I go with Oreo’s and chips which I have gotten away from now that I’m so health conscious. Just kidding! But out of necessity, I have taken a new approach to my daily intake of good food vs. bad food. You’re never too old for change.

There are definitely many things to consider when traveling to my tournaments. I probably don’t take advantage of all the places I’ve gone. I’m pretty much fishing focused when I’m headed for a tournament, and I don’t take the time to explore or sightsee. Another thing about me, when I hit the road, I have one thing on my mind…. get there. Whether it’s going to a tournament or going home. I’ll drive all night to get home after my final weigh-in. I actually do very well driving at night as long as I have my snacks. Now you have just a little insight as to what traveling to a tournament is all about for me. Other than a blown trailer tire every now and then, most of my trips are safe and uneventful; hopefully this trend will continue. Till next time, good luck, good fishing and don’t forget to set the hook!

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North DeSoto High Student Evan Howe has signed with Northwestern State University for his college education.  He will also be an angler.

In making the announcement, North DeSoto posted, “So excited for Evan Howe – future Demon angler.  He will join the fishing team at NSU in the fall. We celebrated his signing.”

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NDHS and LifeShare are partnering in a blood drive on campus today.  The drive is in support of Adam Purland, the father of an NDHS student, who was recently severely injured in an accident. 

Life Share will have a van at NDHS on Friday, April 22nd from 4:00-8:00 pm to give students and community members the opportunity to give blood.  Please keep the family in your thoughts and prayers.

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Robert John “Johnny” Peterson, Jr.

July 12, 1962 to April 16, 2022

View full obituary here:

https://desotoparishjournal.com/2022/04/20/robert-john-johnny-peterson-jr/

Theodis Whorton

March 9, 1955 to April 15, 2022

Services Saturday, April 23, 2022 at 11:00 am in the Frankie Paul Nelson Chapel.

Gerald Wayne Jones

February 12, 1970 to April 15, 2022

Services Saturday, April 23, 2022 at 1:00 pm in the Frankie Paul Nelson Chapel.

 

Lofton Shane Rogers

March 13, 1971 to April 17, 2022

A memorial service will be held at 10 am on Saturday April 23, 2022, at the Betty and Leonard Phillips Deaf Action Center of Louisiana.

Louis “L.C.” Mayweather

November 28, 197 to April 12, 2022

Saturday Services April 23,2022 at 1:30 pm at the Jenkins Funeral Home Chapel.

Helen Williams

August 18, 1951 to April 12, 2022

Family Hour Friday from 6:00-7:00 p.m. Will Of God Ministries West Campus (Old Elementary School Gym ) 315 East Carroll Street Coushatta, La.  Saturday Services April 23, 2022 at 1:00 pm at Will Of God Ministries West Campus (Old Elementary School Gym) 315 East Carroll Street Coushatta, La.

Bobby David Atkins

October 28, 1965 to April 6, 2022

Saturday Graveside April 23, 2022 at 11:00 am at Bethlehem B.C. Cemetery Gloster, La.

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DeSoto Animal Shelter said supplies are running low, and we are asking for your support again.  We need to restock our food supplies.  Most urgent needs are kitten and cat food.  These can be picked up locally and or ordered from our Amazon page. 

On April 28^th, there will be a blood drive at Gloster Baptist Church in conjunction with their revival.  The hours are 2:00 to 6:00 pm on Thursday April 28^th.

This afternoon is the Fourth Friday Fish Fry at Clara Springs Camp.  Serving starts at 5:00 pm.  $15 for fish and all the trimmings.

April 21, 2022 at 10:38:36 AM CDT

The DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office and DeSoto Parish School Board have been made aware of numerous alerts/calls being sent through a third party application regarding “Bomb Threats” to local schools. DeSoto, Caddo, and Bossier Parish Schools have all received similar alerts, and Deputies have responded to all schools to ensure safety, as a precaution. We do not believe there is any merit to these alerts, and they appear to be a hoax at this time. These messages are currently under investigation. We want to alert the public as to avoid confusion and/or rumor.

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A memorial service celebrating the life of Johnny will be at First Baptist Church in Mansfield, Louisiana, on Thursday, April 21, 2022 at 12:00 p.m.  A visitation will be held from 11:00 a.m. until the time of service.  Officiating the service will be Dean Register.

On July 12, 1962, in Monroe, Louisiana, Robert John Peterson, Jr., was born to Robert John Peterson, Sr. and Betty Jean Prothro Peterson. On April 16, 2022, God said, “Son your work on Earth is done” and took him home to heaven where he was reunited with his parents and mother-in-law, Janis Wall, as well as a host of family and friends.

Those left to cherish his memory and the legacy he left behind are his wife of 20 years, Gina, son, Trenton of Rifle, Colorado, Brandon and wife, Caitlyn of Stanley, Louisiana, sister, Lea Anna, and Jack Guy, niece, Hayley Murphy and Matt; great nephew Bishop, all of Mansfield, Louisiana, grandchildren: Jackson, Karlee, Rylee, Charli, Grayson, Krue, Sarie, and Slade, all of Stanley, Louisiana, father-in-law, Kenny Wall of Grand Cane, Louisiana, and his extended family, Carrie Jo and Nick, Chance and Piper, Ryan, Ali, and Palin all of Stanley, Louisiana, as well as other family members and a very large circle of friends.

Johnny loved his family. He was by far the strong one and the glue that held us together. Johnny was a devoted husband, no matter how big or how small the problem Gina may have gone to him with, he took care of it, now that’s not to say that he didn’t have a sarcastic comment about it, but his love for her ran deep.

Johnny had the pleasure of watching Trenton grow into the man that he is, cheering him on from the sideline of whatever sport he was involved in, teaching him how to shoot a gun, a bow and arrow, taking him hunting and teaching him many other life skills as well.

Some of his greatest joys were spending time with his grandchildren, who all held a special place in his heart, as he did theirs.

Johnny worked most of his career in the energy field, with Cleco Power, here in Mansfield and Entergy Corp., in Perryville, Louisiana. On January 31, 2022, he retired from Entergy, and on February 7, 2022, he began training for the next chapter of his career with FieldCore.  Johnny had a work ethic like none other, he was a hard worker, he could fix most anything, and if he couldn’t, he could figure it out, he took pride in his work, and gave it 150% and then some.  Some of those that worked with him would tell you that there wasn’t a better person to work with, if there was a big project going on, he was right there in the mix getting his hands dirty as well, putting in long hours, because if there was something to be done—well, you just got it done.  Johnny has been known to work extra shifts so that a coworker could be home with their family on Christmas morning or be at their child’s birthday party or ball game.

Johnny had a huge heart. He never met a stranger and would give you the shirt off his back. If someone in need called him, he was there, or would make a few calls. He would say “Don’t worry man, I got it.” Over the years, he mentored many, not only at work, but at the deer lease, on a golf course, or on the lake fishing.  No matter where he was or what he was doing he left an impression. He was once the subject of a middle school students essay titled “Who I Admire the Most”.

Johnny always had a good story to tell, and he could retell a story that would definitely bring a big round of laughter. All those that knew him have a “favorite Johnny story” that is sure to bring a smile to your face and a good laugh or two.

Johnny was everybody’s friend, whether you knew him for years or just a few days. You always knew where you stood with him, as he had a way with words.

Johnny was an organ donor, a part of him will live on and he will forever be in our hearts, — till we meet again!

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105, of which he was an avid supporter, or to the charity of your choice.

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The DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office relayed a missing person alert from the Mansfield police department on April 19, 2022 at 4:33:09 PM.

The City of Mansfield has contacted our office and asked that we share a missing persons case they are currently working on a Kimberly Lewis, black female, estimated 39 years of age.  Kimberly was last reported seen on Kennedy St. in Mansfield, La.

For Kimberly’s safety we ask that anyone who may have information on her whereabouts contact Mansfield Police Department at 318-872-0520.  Dispatchers will be available to take your call/tip at any time.

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According to a recent statement, The Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana (TRSL) provided $2.3 billion in retirement income in Fiscal Year 2021.  North Louisiana retirees and beneficiaries took home $422 million.  Of that amount, $14,266,593 went to retirees in DeSoto Parish.  On average, this translates to DeSoto retirees in the teacher’s system getting just a little more than the federal poverty level for a family of four.

“As the largest public retirement system in Louisiana, we are proud of the positive impact we have on the state’s economy,” said Katherine Whitney, director of the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana. “TRSL’s benefit payments give more than 81,600 retirees and beneficiaries the buying power to support their communities. Their years of hard work are rewarded with a stable retirement income that allows them to invest in the local economy. Whether they’re buying groceries at the supermarket or picking up plants at the nursery, they are a powerful part of Louisiana’s economic engine.”

To see the local impact, check the chart below.  DeSoto recipients averaged less than $30,000 (average $28,083.84).  According to the US Census Bureau this is average for the state.  Louisiana’s per capita income is stated at $29,522.  The median household income was $50,580.  DeSoto retirees on the teacher retirement system on average have a lower income than the statewide per capita income, and they have an income just slightly higher ($333) than the Federal Poverty Guidelines for a family of 4 at $27,750.

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North DeSoto High

The North DeSoto Lady Griffins, ranked #1 in the state in 4A softball earned a shutout on Friday.  They defeated #32 Tara 15-0 to advance to the second round.

The Lady Griffins will be at home on Thursday hosting Rayne.  On Tuesday Rayne defeated Leesville 5-1 to advance.  The game will be Thursday, April 21 at 5:30 pm.

Stanley High

Stanley High’s Lady Panthers host their first softball playoff game of the year Saturday.  Stanley is seeded #3 in Class B, and they drew a bye last week.

On Saturday at 4:30 pm the Lady Panthers will welcome Elizabeth, the #19 seed.  Elizabeth defeated Doyline 13-10 on April 15^th to advance.

The Stanley Lady Panthers ended the year with 24 wins and 5 losses. Stanley finished the season ranked 3rd in the state in a very competitive class B.

Saturday afternoon begins Stanley’s quest for the state Class B softball championship.

Mansfield High

The Lady Wolverines were eliminated in their first playoff game. They were seeded 25 in 3A and they failed to score against #8 South Beauregard.  Final in that game was 20-0.

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By Teddy Allen

Maybe springtime made me think of it. Could have been the smell of fresh cotton on Easter.

Or my neck just hurt.

But in an instant, it was boyhood again, and with it the hazy memory of a red streak on your sweaty little neck, a sign of a rite of passage, long gone now thanks to all the modern conveniences.

In sports, getting “clotheslined” means getting knocked down by a guy’s outstretched arm at neck level. Your neck is just running along minding its own business when suddenly an angry arm hits it and stops it; the bottom part of your non-neck body keeps going, but obviously not for long.

This happens often in TV wrestling. Standard move. It is the cousin of the “lariat,” which is the classic clothesline, only with the offending arm moving forward like a hatchet.

Crowd pleaser.

But in unrehearsed arenas, most often on the football field and daily ‘way back when’ on the school playground, the clothesline was Standard Operating Procedure. Everyone’s neck knew this going in and, if you were a victim, you held no hard feelings … at least not at once you’d caught your breath and felt your neck pipe would live to breathe again.

But the saying itself — clotheslined — would be lost on the youth of today. We knew exactly what it meant and why it fit perfectly. We knew because our moms had clotheslines.

They are rare as an honest soul these days, the clotheslines of our youth. We all have inside clothes dryers now. Even in the 1960s, some people had electric clothes dryers inside their actual homes. Awesome.

But the rest of us had dryers, too. They were just non-electric and hung in the backyard.

The most basic of rural clotheslines were a pair of cross pipes about 20 feet apart, maybe 30, and three or four rows of heavy twine or light wire connected the two. On those were clothes pins holding up various blouses and socks and jeans and underwear.

Very few secrets in rural life concerning haberdashery.

The ends of the cross pipes were hollow, so we’d stick 6-ounce Dr Pepper bottles in the ends to keep the wasps from homesteading. There was a step stool, in case little sis had to help “hurry and get in the wash” before a brewing rain.

You didn’t want the clothesline right in the middle of the backyard because that would mess up playing, but you couldn’t hem it in; the wind needed a fair shot to dry the clothes. Our backyard was big enough so that our clothesline was pushed to the back third. Sweet. It just made the run to the back door a little longer if you were hurrying in under a sprinkle with a quickly gathered load.

The only problem with clotheslines came if you were playing around one you weren’t familiar with. You were the visiting team in another kid’s yard. The lines were high enough so we wouldn’t run into them unless … unless you were on your bike. If you hit a clothesline, it was like being whipped off your bike by an invisible and unforgiving, very healthy and surprisingly strong string.

What the…?!

The days you saw a buddy get clotheslined while on his bike — the bike would keep going and your friend would half somersault in the air before landing on his back — those days were the jewels of childhood.

It was always funny — when it happened to somebody else.

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

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The main branch of the DeSoto Parish Library is planning an outdoor movie night for Friday.  Bring the family and enjoy the show.

The featured film is Sing 2.  If the weather cooperates the movie begins at 7:45 pm.

And the library reminds everyone to bring their lawn chairs.  Temperatures are forecast to be pleasant with only the slightest chance of rain.

On Saturday, April 23^rd the Pelican Branch Library will screen the movie Rumble.  It begins at 10:00 am at the library.

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The organizers of the 2022 Juneteenth celebration are optimistic that they will draw crowds reminiscent of pre-pandemic proportions.  Save the date. The celebration will be June 24 through 26 and it will take place in downtown Mansfield. 

One of the organizers, City Council member Mary Green told the Journal vendor booths are available and organizers say they have a good number of vendors already signed up. 

Adding to the excitement, according to Green is Juneteenth is now a federal holiday.  She said to get ready for a four day weekend celebration.

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The 2022 Sheriff Youth Hunting Skills Camp has been a huge success, said the DeSoto Sheriff’s Office.  The storms did not deter us one bit. 

All students got to hone in their shooting skills, learn how to use game calls and cameras, plus much, much more!  Also, everyone in attendance who had not completed a Hunter’s Education Course will be certified by the end of the day today. 

We have thoroughly enjoyed getting to hang out with your kids this week and teach them the qualities of a Safe, Ethical, and Successful hunting future.  Every student went home with more than just one door prize, and one student even won a Lifetime Hunting License! 

We want to thank our Sponsors and Volunteers who donated some amazing door prizes, and several that came out to assist in safety, teaching, and lunches!  We hope everyone has a safe hunting season!

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By Brad Dison

Paul was born in Quincy, Illinois in 1915.  Five years later, Paul and his family moved to Davenport, Iowa, where Paul’s father became a candy wholesaler.  In 1924, Paul and his family moved to Hialeah, Florida, a principal city of the Miami metropolitan area.  By this time, Paul’s father was a partner in the Tibbets & Smith wholesale candy company.  Paul’s father’s work as a candy wholesaler put Paul in a situation which changed the trajectory of his and countless others’ lives.

Doug Davis was an aviation enthusiast.  In 1917, when Doug was eighteen-years-old, the United States entered World War I.  Doug quit school and enlisted in the United States Air Service, forerunner of the Air Force.  Doug excelled as a pilot and graduated at the top of his class.  His talents were such that, rather than sending him into combat, the Air Service determined that Doug’s talents would be better utilized as a flight instructor, a job he excelled at for two years.  In 1919, Doug was discharged from the Air Service, but was determined to keep flying.  He purchased a surplus Curtiss JN “Jenny” trainer biplane from the government and formed the Doug Davis Flying Circus.

Flying Circuses were a popular form of entertainment following World War I.  In flying circuses, daredevil pilots called barnstormers performed dangerous airplane stunts which seemed to defy the laws of physics.  Some of these death-defying stunts included spins, dives, loop-the-loops, barrel rolls, wing walking, stunt parachuting, target shooting, dancing on the plane’s wings during flight, midair plane transfers, and even playing tennis.

In 1924, Otto Schnering, owner of the Curtiss Candy Company, was looking for an innovative way to advertise his company’s new candy bar called Baby Ruth.  After witnessing the large crowds that gathered for the stunt shows, Otto decided to sponsor a flying circus.  He convinced Doug to merge the Doug Davis Flying Circus with another flying circus and formed the Baby Ruth Flying Circus.

As part of their flying circus show, Doug would select a spectator seemingly at random from the crowd to join him in a flight to perform a special task.  In reality, the spectators were preselected and were somehow connected with the Curtiss Candy Company.  In 1927, the Baby Ruth Flying Circus was scheduled to perform at the Hialeah Park Race Track, a dog racing and horse racing track near Paul’s home.  As the son of Curtiss Candy Company’s main wholesaler for the area, Paul was chosen to fly with Doug.  Before the show, Doug explained the task that Paul would perform.  Paul was excited but nervous because it was his first flight in an airplane.  Doug and Paul took off from the racetrack and flew a large sweeping turn over the racetrack.  As they flew over the crowd, Paul began throwing Baby Ruth candy bars from the biplane as he had been instructed.  Each candy bar was attached to a small parachute which enabled them to coast safely down to the cheering crowds.  Paul said later, “From that day on, I knew I had to fly.”

Paul wanted to become a pilot but Paul’s father wanted him to become a doctor.  In 1933, Paul graduated from Western Military Academy.  Paul went to the University of Florida to work on his undergraduate degree.  While there, with the encouragement of his mother, Paul took flying lessons.  To satisfy his father’s wishes, he began his pre-med studies at the University of Cincinnati, but, after a year-and-a-half, Paul decided against becoming a medical doctor.  Instead, he enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps to become a pilot.  

Paul had a distinguished military career.  In 1938, Paul was commissioned as a second lieutenant and received his pilot rating.  In 1940 and 1941, Paul served as Brigadier General George S. Patton’s personal pilot.  When the United States entered World War II, Paul was the commanding officer of a bombardment squadron of B-17s.  He captained numerous bomber aircraft during his military career, rose through the ranks, and retired in 1966 as a Brigadier General.  Paul is remembered for a single bombing mission he flew in the final year of World War II.  On August 5, 1945, eighteen years after Paul dropped Baby Ruth candy bars from an airplane, Paul Tibbets flew the Enola Gay, a bomber named after his mother, that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. 

Photo caption:  A Curtiss JN-4 “Jenny” in 1918

Sources:

1. SeattleTimes.com “Paul Tibbets, Pilot Who Bombed Hiroshima, Dies at 92.” Accessed April 10, 2022.seattletimes.com/nation-world/paul-tibbets-pilot-who-bombed-hiroshima-dies-at-92/
2. Scott Magelssen, Performing Flight: From the Barnstormers to Space Tourism (University of Michigan Press, 2020), p.38.
3. The Miami Herald, August 6, 1978, p.31.
4. The Miami News, August 6, 1982, p.6.
5. Dayton Daily News, November 28, 1989, p.25.
6. Chicago Tribune, February 2, 2003, p.1-17.

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