What does one do with used motor oil, or solvents, or left over cleaning products or hundreds of household items that you cannot throw out in the garbage?  The DeSoto Parish Police Jury is sponsoring a Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day on April 30^th.

The three collection sites are compactor sites on Bethel Road in Logansport and Highway 3276 in Stonewall plus the Parish Road Department site on Liberty Lane in Grand Cane.  Collection hours are 9:00 am to 12:00 Noon April 30^th.

The full flyer at the bottom of this article gives the long list of acceptable items. They are also taking electronics.  The list also includes the items that will not be accepted.

---

The following arrests were made in DeSoto Parish between April 10 – April 16, 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.

---

Annie “Anna” Mae Herring

November 24, 1926 to April 18, 2022

View full obituary here:

https://desotoparishjournal.com/2022/04/19/annie-anna-mae-herring/

---

Girls soccer at North Desoto High had their End of Year Banquet this week.  It was a great celebration of their wonderful season.  Many awards were given and much reminiscing of memories of the season.  Congratulations to the girls and coaches on a successful season.

Scam Alert from DeSoto Fire District #1:  If you receive a text message from us regarding a T-shirt, THIS IS A SCAM! We do not send out text messages. Please do not open this!

Big night planned Thursday at North DeSoto High with lots of entertainment for Griffin fans.  NDHS will host the District Track Meet, baseball will host Minden and softball will host Rayne for Round 2 of the playoffs.  There will also be the NDHS Art Show at 6:30 pm.

---

---

Local students from North DeSoto High brought home trophies last week.

Students and staff that attended Skills USA competition had a great day.  It was the first time to compete for NDHS.  Two students earned a bronze in Web Design and 1 student earned a bronze in carpentry.  Congratulations!!

---

The DeSoto Parish Library held an Easter Egg Hunt this week.  Looks like it was a bunch of fun.

The Library posted:

Ms. Sharon stepped out of her comfort zone again. Story Hour/ Easter Egg Hunt was a success. Thank You so much to the staff for doing their thing. Thank you Salem Learning Center for attending.

---

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 past four 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 DeSoto Parish’s “Mansfield In Motion” with a $1,000 donation.

For those that aren’t familiar with what Mansfield In Motion does, we’d love to explain it to you. Initially funded by the tourism office, Mansfield In Motion is a cooperative endeavor between the DeSoto Chamber of Commerce and the Mayor of Mansfield.  They are a non-profit organization funded solely on donations, and their aim is to enhance your first impression of the City of Mansfield and its history. 

Mansfield In Motion is recently responsible for the murals of the B-52 bomber and DeSoto Graduates who went on to become famous athletes.  They have also planted Crape Myrtles around town, painted buildings, hosted Farmer’s Markets, Pop-Up Markets, and recently lined the main entrance onto Polk Street with American Flags.  ALL of this is done, at no expense to the tax-payers, to help beautify the City of Mansfield!  If you would like to learn more about Mansfield In Motion, or donate to their cause, you can reach out to the DeSoto Parish Chamber of Commerce.

Pictured are the Mansfield In Motion Chairperson Fran Norwood, Mansfield Mayor John Mayweather, and Sheriff Jayson Richardson. They are also accompanied by several of our “Bearded Ladies of DPSO” who participated in this month’s donation:  Dy. Shelby Scudder, Dy. Kaitlan Welborn, Dy. Balinda Lewis, Lt. Melody Holmes, and Lt. Tabitha Tucker. Committee Members of Mansfield In Motion are also Brenda Fleniken, Martha Sayers, and Bethany May.

* It is National Telecommunications Week, so our 911 Communication Ladies are decked out in their “Maui Monday” attire today!

---

By Royal Alexander

New York Times and Washington Post finally admit the story was true.

Many of us already knew the truth regarding the damaging and scandalous details of the Hunter Biden laptop story.  We knew it during the 2020 presidential election.  We knew it when the New York Post, one of the oldest and largest newspapers in the world, first broke the story, which was immediately suppressed by the Deep State and Big Tech, including Twitter and Facebook.  Why?  Because it not only contained sordid details of the corrupt dealings of Hunter Biden personally—leveraging his family connections with other nations in exchange for enormous sums of money—but also it directly implicated then-presidential candidate, Joe Biden, himself.

Remember, the 2020 New York Post story contained news of the discovery of emails revealing that Hunter Biden, clearly traded upon his dad’s then-position as Vice President by gaining favors solely by virtue of his last name that benefited the Ukrainian energy company, Burisma, and his family to the tune of millions from Ukraine, Russia, and China.  In fact, one 2015 email indicates that Vadym Pozharskyi, a Burma adviser, thanked Hunter Biden for “giving an opportunity” to meet former VP Joe Biden. Numerous other emails refer to Joe Biden as “the Big Guy.”

This revelation of influence-peddling by Hunter Biden just prior to the election was obviously newsworthy given that the former VP had repeatedly said he had “never spoken to my son about his overseas business dealings.”  The new emails strongly suggest that Joe Biden was not only aware of his son’s business dealings but actually participated in meetings to benefit him.   Thus, it is clear that Joe Biden lied directly to the American people throughout the 2020 campaign and in the Presidential Debates.

The Wall Street Journal recently noted that “Hunter Biden spent years entwining the family in questionable ventures in Ukraine, Russia, and China, even as his father’s biggest foreign-policy concerns are Ukraine, Russia, and China.  This history raises legitimate questions about counterintelligence and extortion, even as it puts a spotlight on how honest President Biden has been in claiming no knowledge of his son’s doings.”

But, again, the media and tech giants blocked access to this damaging news about Joe Biden and, only now, a year and a half after the presidential election, are the allegations confirmed as true.  What exacerbates this media dishonesty and complicity is the fact that polling reflects a full 16% of Biden voters would have changed their minds and not voted for Joe Biden for president had they known of the laptop scandal at the time. 

But they didn’t know because much of the national media—and social media—today are not objective gatherers of facts and truth.  Rather, Big Media is the mouthpiece of the Democrat Party and the national Left, and that is why they are not trusted.

According to Gallup, for example, TV news is the second least trusted institution in America, at 18 percent, barely edging Congress.

This media dishonesty matters because tight races in three key swing states had a big electoral impact as “just 44,000 votes in Georgia, Arizona and Wisconsin separated Biden and Trump from a tie in the Electoral College.”

If Biden and Trump had tied 269 to 269 in the Electoral College, the Constitution provides that the President be chosen in the House of Representatives with each state having one vote for president, with a candidate needing 26 states to win and the winner decided very likely by which party had a majority in each state’s delegation.   At the time, the Republicans had majorities in 26 state delegations with the Democrats in control of 23 and Pennsylvania with a delegation split between Rs and Ds.

So, with 16% of Biden voters changing their mind had they known about the laptop scandal, and only 44 thousand votes in three states being the difference between a tie in the Electoral College, and the majority of U.S. House (Republican) state delegations voting for Trump to break the tie, in quashing the laptop story the media may have changed the election result and, therefore, American and world history.

Whatever anyone thinks of Trump and his mean tweets, outlandish statements and over-the-top personality, he left the country in far better shape than the countless economic, foreign policy, and cultural disasters that Joe Biden has caused in barely over a year.

This, again, is why millions of Americans don’t trust these institutions.

---

This year marks the 48th year for the Melrose Arts and Crafts Festival! Vendors will display their wares beneath the gorgeous live oak trees of Melrose. Artists and crafters will show and sell their original paintings, gourmet foods, jewelry, clothing, plants, toys, woodworking products, and more! The festival is sponsored by the Association for the Preservation of Historic Natchitoches (APHN) and all proceeds go directly to the upkeep and preservation of Melrose Plantation.

Festival Hours are Saturday 9 – 5 and Sunday 10 – 4.

Tickets are $5 for adults and $2 for kids ages 6 – 12.

Tickets sold at the gate.

Pre-purchase tickets at Eventbrite.com…search Melrose Arts and Crafts Festival.

Also available:

– guided tours of our historic buildings for $5

– food and drinks

Hand sanitizer stations will be available. Our festival will abide by LA health guidelines applicable at the time of the festival.

---

By Nicole Tull

Happy birthday Whataburger in Joaquin! More than a dozen Logansport Chamber of Commerce members ventured across the river for the celebration of the restaurant. The community has been enjoying the famous burgers for 11 years now.

The party was celebrated with a strawberry cake, a vanilla cake, shrimp dip, cheese dip, chips, and fountain drinks. Mr. Jim Barron is the owner of the local store. He greeted all that attended as well as all that just happen to be stopping by for some lunch.

---

Lawanda Taylor

November 14, 1942 to April 12, 2022

View full obituary here:

https://desotoparishjournal.com/2022/04/13/lawanda-taylor/

Bradley Gillyard

March 3, 1949 to April 9, 2022

Saturday Services April 16, 2022 at 11:00 at Corinth Missionary B.C. Mansfield, La.

Catherine Ann White

March 12, 1944 to April 8, 2022

Saturday Services April 16, 2022 at 1:00 pm at Long Star B.C. Many.

---

Clara Springs Camp is in search of 40 old hymnals to use as table decorations for our 2022 Adult Day. If you have any that you can donate or lend to the camp please text/call Mrs. Mandi 318-453-6881.

Beginning Monday, 4-18-2022, Red Bluff Road will be closed from approximately 1/2 of a mile east of it’s intersection of Jessie Latin to Linwood Extension. This closure is expected to last until fall of 2022. The noticed was posted by the DeSoto Parish Police Jury.

---

Funeral services celebrating the life of LaWanda Taylor, 79, of Mansfield, Louisiana will be held at 2:00 P.M, Friday, April 15, 2022, at Kilpatrick’s Rose-Neath Mansfield Chapel. Rev. Alton Middleton, the pastor of Old Union Baptist Church, will be officiating the service.  A visitation will be held from 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. on Thursday, April 14, 2022, at Kilpatrick’s Rose-Neath Funeral Home.

LaWanda was born on November 14, 1942, to Marvin and Olga Shaw in Ringgold, Louisiana, and entered into rest on Tuesday, April 12, 2022.

LaWanda graduated from Spring Hill High School in Webster Parish in 1961. She attended Spencer Draughon Business School and graduated in 1962.

She met her future husband in 1960 while he was serving in the United States Army. They were married on October 25, 1963, in Sarepta, Louisiana. They resided in Webster Parish until they moved to DeSoto Parish in 1981.

LaWanda loved her Lord, her family, and her church. She was a faithful member of Old Union Baptist Church and served as treasurer until her health declined. She enjoyed singing in church and was a song leader for many years. Her failing health also forced her to give up singing.

One of her greatest joys during her cancer battle was the arrival of her youngest great-grandson, Barrett Anderson, in June 2021. He was the bright spot in her life. While her time with him was short he brought so much joy and happiness.

LaWanda was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Her family was everything to her.

She battled cancer while living at home with her husband as her caregiver. She moved to Mansfield Nursing Center where she passed away less than a week later. She lost her earthly battle with cancer, but she won the victory with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

She is preceded in death by her parents, and her sister-in-law, Joann Shaw.  Left to cherish her memory include her husband of 58 and a half years, Garrett Taylor; children, Brian Taylor and wife, Sonya; Sandra Taylor Anderson and husband, Kenny; Michael Taylor and Marisa; brother, Rev. Robert Shaw; grandchildren, Zach Taylor and wife, Tarrasa; Kody Anderson and wife, Tiffany; Madison Taylor Forbes; Keaton Taylor; Kasey Anderson and Megan; Grace Taylor; Ally Taylor; and five great-grandchildren.

Honoring the life of LaWanda as pallbearers will be Kody Anderson, Kasey Anderson, Randy Allen, Ronnie Latham, Mike Powers, and Larry Rhymes.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

---

Early morning weather update from the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office:

Good Morning everyone! We hope that you all weathered the storm well last night. Our dispatchers and patrol deputies worked tirelessly throughout the night, alongside other agencies, clearing up debris and trees in roadways to ensure your morning commute was as painless as possible. There are still reports coming in this morning, and crews are still out responding to certain areas, so please remain mindful as you get out and about.

We are still expecting strong storms for our area today. Damaging winds up to 80mph, a higher threat for tornadoes than last night, large hail, and possible flash flooding are all expected for later today. This storm had been projected to arrive sometime between 11am and 2pm, but we will get an updated time frame and bring that to you very soon. Remember, we will always bring you Warnings/Alerts immediately, but our office will not be posting that those warnings have been lifted until we have verified that it is safe with BOTH the National Weather Service AND our deputies on the ground around the Parish. Last night a Tornado Warning was lifted and danger was less than 10 minutes around the corner. So, we will wait. We will be patient. To ensure your safety, with accuracy. Stay Safe and Alert.

---

By Nicole Tull

The 38^th Annual River City Fest brought in lots of excitement to the Logansport Riverfront this past weekend. Folks lined up for corn dogs, funnel cakes and other concessions you expect to find in the brightly lit booths.

Kids and adults alike enjoyed the rides. There were vendor booths of locals and newcomers filled with cute t-shirts, jewelry, crafty décor items and unique artists peddling their creations. The LHS Pep Squad even got out there to raise money for uniforms by selling cups, t-shirts, and such.

The various live bands set the mood for many that took to dancing right there on the riverfront. The competitions included cornhole, arm wrestling, car show and a treasure hunt. Mr. Bennie Owens was memorialized with a balloon release. He was a part of Logansport for so many years. The festival ended with a bang in the sky with a lovely display of fireworks.

---

By Scott Dearman, Mansfield SHS

April 8 and 9 marked the 158th anniversary of the Battles of Mansfield and Pleasant Hill, respectively. While these were not the largest battles of the war, they were no small affairs either, and represent two of the largest Civil War battles west of the Mississippi.

For perspective, Dyer’s 1908 Compendium identifies over 10,000 military encounters during the war, from large to very small (Dyer was obviously a bookish individual). Of these 10,000, Dyer ranks only 76 as rising to the level of “battles” (ranked second only to campaigns in size), of which Mansfield and Pleasant Hill rate.   

Including reserves, the battle of Mansfield involved over 28,000 troops. Factoring in the Missouri Division of Churchill’s Corps (CS), which entered the battle area at 6 p.m. (to form, along with Churchill’s Arkansas Division, a vital part of General Taylor’s tactical reserve), some 31,000 soldiers operated within the immediate area of operations during the Mansfield battle. Including units tactically available, Pleasant Hill would see over 30,000 troops involved, with almost 40,000 soldiers operating within a 5-10 mile radius of the battlefield. 

The matter of reserves is particularly relevant for Mansfield, which saw a fluid, north-south battle movement of four miles and three successive battle fronts. Each retrograde movement of the Union’s battle line brought supports moving up from the rear closer to the nearest front; specifically, these were mounted reserve units of the Army of the Gulf’s Cavalry Division and artillery batteries of XIII and XIX Corps, many of which were rushing forward in support. Likewise, regiments of XIII and XIX Corps (portions of 24 IA and 29 WI; 153 NY) performing guard duty for the forward trains (wagons) were certainly tactically involved, being only minutes from the nearest front.

For the Confederates, General Taylor’s immediate reserve, Tappan’s Arkansas Infantry Division, is often left uncounted though Tappan specifically states that he was placed by Taylor himself to support the left and rear of Taylor’s line. The Arkansas Division, along with Mosby Parson’s later-arriving Missouri Division (Parson would arrive in the battle area just as the Army of Western Louisiana began its assaults on XIX Corps at Chapman’s Creek), would form the critical rear and flank security for Taylor’s army as he rapidly advanced down the Stage Road, engaging the Army of the Gulf at successive positions.

Tactical supports or reserves referred to in the context of Mansfield and Pleasant Hill are defined as units within real and actual supporting distance of the nearest battle line—there are no randomly-counted troops with regard to these battles; none from local garrisons miles away, on detached service, or just passing through. Both armies and every soldier and unit in them were in the area for one purpose: to engage the opposing army in the only large-scale combat operations within 150 miles.

The size of battles aside, the ferocity of Mansfield and Pleasant Hill rank as intense and bloody as any of the War, a dubious and sad distinction to be sure. Union Colonel James Brisbin was in almost every large Eastern engagement from First Manassas to the Gettysburg Campaign, yet wrote of Mansfield, “We have had a great battle….The fighting was dreadful, and we lost terribly…. [I] thank God my life is spared.” James Tappan led the 13th Arkansas in repeated assaults on the Hornet’s Nest at Shiloh, but found his experience at Pleasant Hill even starker, stating flatly, “For an hour and a half my division was as warmly engaged with the enemy as it has ever been my experience to witness on any battlefield.” Veterans of the 14th Iowa, also heavily engaged in the Hornet’s Nest at Shiloh, agreed with Tappan, telling newcomer William C. Littlefield that Pleasant Hill “was a harder fought battle than the battle of Shiloh…my prayer is that I may never witness another such sight.”

---

Chances for thunderstorms will remain across the area on Wednesday ahead of cold front. Some of these storms may be severe, with all modes of severe weather possible.

Heavy rainfall will also remain a possibility, which could lead to localized flooding.

Dry weather is expected on Thursday, but thunderstorm chances will return by Friday and through the upcoming weekend.

Wednesday’s forecast includes a 60% to 90% chance of severe thunderstorms for our area.

---

By Teddy Allen

It’s a long way to October, baseball people like to say. What happened on Opening Day this week will seem like a long time ago come autumn.

But it will still matter. Such is life: You win some, you lose some and some get rained out, but you dress out for all of them. And all of them count.

To give you something to ponder either today or between games of a lazy summer doubleheader, here are some baseball questions and observations. (The answers are at the bottom. Don’t peak. That’s like stealing signals illegally. Bad form.)

A couple of the questions are taken from George Will’s annual Baseball Quiz in Newsweek, a column I was alerted to by Big C, a Fair Park All-State first sacker in the 1950s and former Shreveport Sports bat boy. Big C likes to remind me that baseball is a very humbling game, and that life is much the same way. It pays in both to keep your eye on the ball, lest you get caught leaning. Just when you get cocky, the ball has a funny way of finding you…

Questions

1. How did a team hit into a triple play without any fielder touching the ball?
2. Who’s on first?
3. Name the Hall of Famer who, when asked if he had ever felt more pressure than when he pitched in the World Series, said, “Well, there was the Battle of the Bulge.”
4. What event in the life of what player provoked old-school wisecracking actor/composer Oscar Levant to say, “It proves that no man can be a success at two national pastimes”?
5. To what was Cesar Geronimo referring when he said he was just “in the right place at the right time”? (This is my favorite.)
6. What do most Little Leaguers do when, around age 8, they are told they have to wear protective cups, that it’s a league rule?
7. When do most Little Leaguers decide that a protective cup is actually a good thing?
8. When one team with a big lead kept stealing bases, two major league managers got in a fight at home plate in a game in July of 1985. (I saw it live and it was one of the great nights of my life.) Which manager said afterward, “If he promises to stop hitting home runs, I promise to stop stealing bases,” and which opposing manager was he talking about?
9. Who wins the 2010 World Series?

Answers

1. With runners on first and second, the batter hit a pop-up and was out under the infield fly rule. The runner on first passed the runner on second and was out; the falling pop hit the runner on second.
2. Yes. (What’s on secone.)
3. The Braves’ Warren Spahn.
4. Joe DiMaggio’s divorce from Marilyn Monroe.
5. He was both Bob Gibson’s and Nolan Ryan’s 3,000th strikeout victim.
6. The ones that don’t cry just look at you like you are Satan, Satan with a banana growing out of his ear.
7. Right after they recover from getting hit ‘on home plate’ that first time.
8. St. Louis manager Whitey Herzog about San Francisco’s Roger Craig, who was managing several former Shreveport Captains at the time.
9. In an all-wild card Series, Atlanta beats Boston.

(Editor’s Note: Wrong on the World Series. San Francisco beat Texas in five; Edgar Renteria was the Series MVP. Not at all hard to believe I was wrong but it is hard to think that was 12 years ago.)

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

A Teddy Classic from 2010

---

This is National Telecommunicators Week!  The DeSoto Sheriff’s Office said, “We appreciate all of our dedicated dispatchers who are the ones behind the scenes, keeping the calm in the midst of a storm.”

Whether it be bad weather, domestic disputes, a cow in the roadway, or an even worse tragedy, they are the first ones responding. They are there 24/7, and will always be there when you need them the most. 

Show your appreciation this week by highlighting and appreciating someone you know that is a dispatcher!

---

Outpatient Medical Center is recruiting a nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or a physician to provide primary care at its Natchitoches or Leesville location.  We are a federally-qualified health center offering weekday ambulatory primary care to anyone, but especially the underserved. 

A rewarding career serving those with greatest need, excellent benefits, no Holidays, and competitive pay for a workstyle that supports a family life. 

Anyone interest may contact us at hr@outpatientmedical.org or call 318-357-2071 (ext. 3202).

---

By La Tech Marketing student Sophie Edwards.

This June, Journal Columnist and Louisiana Tech University writer and editor Teddy Allen will be inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame for his work as a sports journalist and broadcaster.

“It’s an unexpected honor to be included with so many people I’ve admired for a long time and many I’ve gotten to know and grown to love,” Allen said. “Extra special since in high school I was voted ‘Most Likely To Dangle A Participle.’”

Every Wednesday, Allen’s columns are featured in this Journal and the other parish journals across northwest Louisiana.

Allen graduated from Louisiana Tech with bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s degree in English. Today, he is still connected to his alma mater as the University’s senior writer in the Office of University Communications and as a broadcaster for Tech football.

“Teddy is truly deserving of this honor,” said Tonya Oaks Smith, Executive Director of University Communications for Tech. “If you’re talking about Louisiana Tech and sports – no matter where you are in this state – people will inevitably ask about Teddy Allen.”

Aside from his work at Tech, Allen has also written three books, served on the committee for the Sports Hall of Fame for more than 20 years, and worked as a columnist for the Shreveport Journal, Shreveport Times, and Times-Picayune.

“Teddy’s selection was inevitable,” Doug Ireland, chairman of Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, said. “He is one of Louisiana’s greatest journalism talents of all time. He has informed, entertained, and captivated thousands of people through his writing and has been a great encouragement and friend to those of us who are lucky enough to know him.”

Throughout his career, Allen has received awards including the Associated Press Sports Editors National Feature Writing Award, Louisiana Sports Writers Association’s Story of the Year, and the Ernie Pyle Award.

“I’m grateful for so many who trusted me and, without having a real good reason to, just gave me a chance to do this,” Allen said. “And there’s a deep appreciation for all the people I’ve worked with; this was always a team game.”

Teddy Allen is known in his field for being a “team player” who is always working to bring everyone together.

“Teddy’s a glue guy,” Ireland said. “He bonds together people of different backgrounds and makes everyone feel valued. He’s also a knucklehead; there’s not a pretentious bone in his body.”

While Teddy has served on the selection committee for the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, he has also used his comedy skills for almost 15 years as the master of ceremonies for the induction.

“He has had Payton Manning and Shaquille O’Neal rolling,” Ireland said. “But his impact stretches far beyond those few hours on a Saturday Night in June. He helped refine the operations and mission for both the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.”

“I am honored and privileged to just get to do this work,” Allen said, “to be around the arena and with people who care about what they’re doing and how they do it.”

The 2022 Induction Celebration will be held in Natchitoches June 23-25.

---

By Brad Dison

Mary Anne Kappelhoff was born on April 3, 1922, in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Her father, William, was a music teacher.  Her mother was a homemaker.  Perhaps it was because of her father’s musical influence, but Mary Anne wanted to be a professional dancer.  In the early 1930s, Mary Anne formed a dance duo with Jerry Doherty.  Together, they performed a variety of dancing and comedy skits in local hotels.  In 1937, Mary Anne and Jerry’s performances got the attention of a Hollywood agency which supplied dancers to movie companies.  They signed a contract and were due to leave on October 24 for what they hoped would be promising dancing careers on the silver screen.  Fate decided that Hollywood was not ready for Mary Anne.

Just before midnight on October 14, 1937, fifteen-year-old Mary Anne was riding through Hamilton, Ohio, about 25 miles north of Cincinnati with friends 18-year-old Marion Bonekamp, 19-year-old Lawrence Doherty (older brother of Jerry, Mary Anne’s dancing partner), and 20-year-old Albert Schroeder, the driver of the car.  The group chatted as Albert drove the car west down High Street.  As they approached the railroad crossing at Fifth Street, Albert slammed on the brakes, but he had not seen the freight train until it was too late to stop.  The car slammed into the train, whose force spun the car around.  Mary Anne and the other occupants were tossed around inside the car.  (It would be another twenty years before the invention of seat belts.)  Albert and Marion were knocked unconscious.  Marion received cuts to her face and one knee; Albert received cuts on his head and face; Lawrence, the luckiest of the bunch, received only a bruised knee; Mary Anne, who was due to leave for Hollywood in less than two weeks, cried “My leg is broken, my leg is broken.  Get my mother.”  Reporting on the car-train collision, one newspaper reported, “The shattered pieces of a Hollywood dream career lay around the bed of [Mary Anne] Kappelhoff, … at Mercy Hospital tonight, almost on the eve or realization.”  The newspaper reported, “Although the situation may not be as serious as it appears, a broken leg is a tragedy to a dancer.”  Mary Anne was depressed.

On the following day, Jerry arrived at the hospital to check on Mary Anne.  He had not been told the exact nature of her injuries.  Jerry asked Mary Anne how she was feeling.  She replied, “My leg is broken, Jerry.”  Mary Anne explained that hospital staff told her she would have to remain inactive for at least four months.  Jerry listened intently.  After a few seconds, when the consequences of Mary Anne’s injury sunk in, he broke down and sobbed uncontrollably.  “Don’t worry, I’ll dance again, Jerry,” Mary Anne said in an attempt to console Jerry.  Mary Anne’s mother tried to reassure Mary Anne and Jerry.  “Now we will wait until spring, dear, for that trip to Hollywood.” 

Mary Anne’s recovery was long and boring.  She spent a lot of her time listening to the radio, the height of entertainment technology in the late 1930s.  One day, while listening to the radio, she began to sing along.  Mary Anne discovered a new talent.  She especially liked to emulate Ella Fitzgerald.  Determined to reignite Mary Anne’s dream of a career in show business, her mother hired a singing coach who commenting that Mary Anne had “tremendous potential.”  By December, Mary Anne was performing again, this time as a solo singer.

By July of 1938, it became clear that the Mary Anne and Jerry duo were not destined for Hollywood.  They had lost their dancing contract.  Mary Anne and two of the other three people involved in the car-train crash sued the city of Hamilton and the Pennsylvania railroad.  They argued that buildings obstructed the view of the train and a watchman failed to signal.  Mary Anne sought the largest amount in damages, $20,000, and claimed that her injuries ruined her career as a dancer and entertainer.  The outcome of the lawsuit remains a mystery.

Mary Anne began a new career as a singer when she landed a job on the radio program Carlin’s Carnival.  In 1939, orchestra leader Barney Rapp was looking for a new singer.  He had heard Mary Anne sing on the radio program and invited her to audition.  Out of approximately 200 singers who auditioned, Mary Anne got the job.  Following her stint with Barney Rapp, Mary Anne performed all over the country with some of the most prominent bandleaders of the era including Bob Crosby and Les Brown. 

Mary Anne’s popularity soared while working for the Les Brown Band.  She performed as the vocalist with the Les Brown Band in three movies.  It was while performing with Les Brown that she recorded seven top ten hit songs. Songwriters Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn heard Mary Anne sing a touching rendition of “Embraceable You” and suggested her for a role in a musical they were writing entitled “Romance on the High Seas.”  She auditioned for the picture and, to her surprise, she got the role.  Then she got another, and another.  The roles kept coming.  She starred as the leading lady alongside such actors as James Stewart, Rock Hudson, and James Cagney in a career which spanned some three decades.  In addition to her movie career, Mary Anne had a successful recording career.  As a vocalist, she recorded twenty top ten albums. 

It is impossible to know what direction Mary Anne and Jerry’s careers could have taken had she not broken her leg in the accident in 1937.  Unfortunately, Jerry Doherty never “made it” in Hollywood.  At the suggestion of orchestra leader Barney Rapp, Mary Anne performed under a stage name which would be easier to fit on marquees.  We know Doris Mary Anne Kappelhoff as… Doris Day.

Sources:

1. The Cincinnati Enquirer, May 27, 1934, p.54.
2. The Cincinnati Post, December 7, 1936, p.6.
3. The Cincinnati Post, October 14, 1937, p.10.
4. The Cincinnati Enquirer, October 14, 1937, p.9.
5. The Cincinnati Enquirer, October 15, 1937, p.22.
6. The Cincinnati Enquirer, July 17, 1938, p.13.

---

This year marks the 48th year for the Melrose Arts and Crafts Festival! Vendors will display their wares beneath the gorgeous live oak trees of Melrose. Artists and crafters will show and sell their original paintings, gourmet foods, jewelry, clothing, plants, toys, woodworking products, and more! The festival is sponsored by the Association for the Preservation of Historic Natchitoches (APHN) and all proceeds go directly to the upkeep and preservation of Melrose Plantation.

Festival Hours are Saturday 9 – 5 and Sunday 10 – 4.

Tickets are $5 for adults and $2 for kids ages 6 – 12.

Tickets sold at the gate.

Pre-purchase tickets at Eventbrite.com…search Melrose Arts and Crafts Festival.

Also available:

– guided tours of our historic buildings for $5

– food and drinks

Hand sanitizer stations will be available. Our festival will abide by LA health guidelines applicable at the time of the festival.

---

Friday night it was very serious, but it was all for fun.  The faculty basketball team squared off with a student team at North DeSoto High.  The school said, “The Faculty/Student basketball game was a success.”

The student team put up a good fight, but the faculty came out on top. Final score was faculty 30 points to 28 for the student team.  They are already talking about a rematch next year.

---