We Have A “Lighthouse School”

Brandon Burback, Principal of North DeSoto Upper Elementary school said, “It’s official. NDUE Is officially a LIGHTHOUSE SCHOOL. We have much to be proud and celebrate.”

Burback termed it “a prestigious honor to be recognized for doing what’s right for kids as we consider the whole child. Also, we as a faculty are better equipped to serve and LEAD others around us.”

He also expressed appreciation to the district leadership, community, students and faculty for embracing this process as part of the school’s mission to provide opportunities for students to achieve their personal best, become responsible and productive members of society, and embrace lifelong learning in a positive environment.

Burback’s final word, “Enjoy your summer!”


Hurricane Season Begins

Today is the start of the 2022 hurricane season.  Above average hurricane activity is predicted again this year by the National Hurricane Center.  Many people in Louisiana are still trying to recover from storms last year including Hurricane Ida.  That storm was called the second-most damaging and intense hurricane ever to make landfall in the state behind Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center has issued its outlook for the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season. It’s predicting above-average hurricane activity this year — which would make it the seventh consecutive above-average hurricane season. NOAA’s outlook for the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, which extends from June 1 to November 30, is forecasting a likely range of 14 to 21 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher), of which 6 to 10 could become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including 3 to 6 major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5; with winds of 111 mph or higher). NOAA provides these ranges with a 70% confidence.


Desoto Principal Among State Teacher And Principal Of The Year Finalists

A DeSoto Principal is among finalists named by the Louisiana Department of Education.  The announcement was made during the 2022 Teacher Leader Summit. The 18 finalists are elementary, middle, and high school educators from school systems across the state.

From North DeSoto High School, Principal Tammie Phillips is among the finalists.  North DeSoto High posted, “Congratulations to Mrs. Phillips. We are excited to celebrate with her.”  Phillips is one of nine finalists still in the running for Louisiana Principal of the Year.

All Teacher and Principal of the Year finalists and semifinalists will be celebrated and honored at the 16th Annual Cecil J. Picard Educator Excellence Awards Gala, which will be held at the WWII Museum in New Orleans on the evening of July 30.

At home in Hattiesburg

By Teddy Allen

Good thing some of the Shreveport boys went with Louisiana Tech’s baseball team this weekend to Hattiesburg, Miss., where the Bulldogs won the CUSA Tournament and some home boys found themselves playing dramatic roles.

Sophomore utility infielder Riggs Easterling, in his first year at Tech after starring at Loyola College Prep and Mississippi Delta Community College, scored his third and most important run of the year, the game-winner in Sunday’s 9-8 championship game victory over UTSA. The speedy Easterling had come on to pinch-run for CUSA Defensive Player of the Year Logan McLeod, who got the winning rally started with an infield single.

Junior lefthander Jonathan Fincher of C.E. Byrd cleverly brought along his left hand and even his left arm and together, the gang combined for 10 innings. He threw three innings and just 36 pitches in relief in the 4-0 win over Charlotte Wednesday; he gave up two hits, struck out two and didn’t walk anybody.

He started Saturday night’s elimination game, pitched seven innings, threw 96 pitches, gave up six hits, five runs, struck out eight, walked one, and left the game with a 5-5 tie; Tech scored two in the bottom of the ninth for an 8-7 win and its first walk-off victory of the season.

It’s second was Sunday, and the final at-bat starred senior Steele Netterville, Fincher’s high school friend and teammate, part of the future Fincher & Netterville Doctors ’R’ Us duo. But before medical school, the two are trying to get to Omaha, the next hurdle being the Austin Regional that begins when Tech plays Dallas Baptist at 6:30 p.m. Friday.

Sunday’s hurdle was Step 1 and provided more drama than any appendicitis case Netterville might face down the road. The stage for Netterville: teammates on second and third, score 8-8, two outs, bottom nine. Righthanded hitter Netterville against righty reliever Braylon Owens.

Swing, foul ball, 0-1.

Outside and high, 1-1.

Called strike, 1-2. Looked outside. Netterville reacted, as did Tech’s Taylor Young, who’d been intentionally walked and was on second; he went semi-nuts and spread his palms to suggest just how outside the zone the pitch had been.

The sophomore Netterville might have been dead meat. Though back then he led the Bulldogs in extra base hits, tied for the lead in homers and was third in RBI, his strikeouts were high and he gave a lot of at-bats away. And batting in the heart of the order, he was going to get pitched tough anyway; he had to learn how not to help the pitcher.

“Three years ago, it was harder for me to flush it and move on to the next pitch,” Netterville said. “I’d have likely swung at the next pitch and still been mad at the umpire. (Hitting) Coach (Mitch) Gaspard really helped me grow as a hitter and as a person, along with (head coach) Lane Burroughs; they’ve been the perfect combination. Then you add in all the positive energy from Coop (pitching coach Cooper Fouts).”

The perfect combination included lots of at-bats, lots of pitching machine sliders, lots of video studying. Work and patience.

“You know him,” Gaspard said of Tech’s 3-hole hitter. “He was going to work at it until he figured it out.”

He’s hitting .311 now for the 42-19 Bulldogs with 45 career homers and a program record 62 career doubles. That and lots of practice waited for the 1-2 pitch Sunday.

Slider outside. Laid off. 2-2.

Then … it appeared Owens balked which, if called, would have ended the game and scored Easterling from third then. Netterville’s reaction was semi-violent. He stepped back. Pointed toward the rubber. Glanced at the dugout. But just as quickly, he stepped back into the box and got ready.

“The umpire told me to focus, and that just made more mad,” Netterville said. “First, he strikes me on a ball, then misses a balk. So, I was a little heated on the 2-2.

“But,” he said, “I cleared my mind. I heard Coach Gaspard in the background telling me to make the pitcher get the ball up, to relax.”

The pitch was worth his wait. Fastball up and away. Netterville might have been a little late with his swing, but a little late was just right. He bounced the ball just inside the first base bag and into the safety of right field to end the at-bat.

And to end the tournament.

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu


UPDATE: Undecided 2022-23 student? Sign up for Journal’s $3,000 scholarships to NSU by June 8

Students who aren’t sure where they’ll go to college this fall have until midnight, June 8 to apply for the Journal Services NSU Scholarships, which will award three new Northwestern State University students up to $3,000 in the next school year.

A link to a simple online application form is available here:

APPLICATION:  To Apply – Click Here

The scholarships are designed to assist Class of 2022 high school students who haven’t settled on a college choice, as well as students currently enrolled at other higher-education institutions who are considering transferring to NSU in Natchitoches.

They are being provided by Journal Services, LLC, based in Natchitoches, which supports 12 locally-owned journals covering north central and northwest Louisiana.

“We know there are students who haven’t decided yet where they’ll go to college this fall. We know that in many cases, money is a key factor in making college accessible,” said Bill Vance, general manager of Journal Services, LLC. “We are providing three game-changing scholarships bringing eager students to NSU to take advantage of the excellent academic programs here, and to live in a community where there are plenty of opportunities to find part-time jobs and to have a great student experience.”

Applicants are asked to provide their high school GPA (and college GPA if applicable), and also, report their ACT score along with listing honors, extracurricular activities and other relevant information on the form. That information will provide a basis for selecting the three winners.

The scholarship awards are for $1,500 cash per semester in the 2022-23 academic year. To renew the scholarship for the Spring 2023 semester, winners must post at least a 2.7 Fall semester GPA at NSU.

Scholarship winners must live in Natchitoches Parish during the upcoming school year. They are also required to have in-person, face-to-face instruction for 75 percent of their classes in 2022-23.

Students who have already accepted financial aid awards from Northwestern are not eligible to apply.


Library Receives Book Donation

All libraries in DeSoto Parish have received a book donation from Cordell Boyd.  He is an alumni of DeSoto High School.

Pelican Branch Library Manager, Kriston Newsom told the Journal Boyd donated a Reunion Chronicle yearbook.  DeSoto High School Alumni made a 1994 Reunion Chronicle: DeSoto High School 1962-1979, Reunion of all classes spanning 51 years from 1928 to 1979.

Mr. Boyd also held a luncheon in appreciation of Ms. Doris Ross, Branch Manager of Mansfield Main Library, for cataloguing the books for all branches.


Summer Reading Kickoff in Logansport

Waves of children rolled into Logansport Library  last week to discover “Oceans of Possibilities.”  The Logansport branch and all libraries in the parish are beginning their Summer Reading Kickoff. 

Everyone had a “Whale of a Time.”  The Logansport Library sent a great big shout out to the Logansport Junior High Cheerleaders.  These young ladies were a tremendous help with the program.  Abbie Kate,  Adiley, Ainsley, Anna, Briley, Jalaysia, Jezelle, Khaley, Marianna, McKenzie, and Natlie, Remi Cate, and Ms Codi Ward. Thank you so much!!  

Library staffers are super excited and can’t wait to find out how many books our children can read this summer!  They are looking forward to seeing everyone at upcoming programs this summer.


Erik Eyes Everest

By Brad Dison

Erik Weihenmayer liked to test his limits.  He was an angry, rebellious kid who eventually turned his fury into competitiveness and personal achievement.  He joined his high school’s wrestling team and, to everyone’s amazement including his own, he became a champion.  He became a skydiver, skier, long-distance biker, marathon runner, kayaker, and scuba diver.  There seemed to be no limit to what Erik could accomplish.

In 1987, Erik enrolled at Boston College.  Four years later, he graduated with a 3.1 grade point average and a degree in English.  Unable to land a job, Erik returned to college and earned a masters degree in education.  He finally got hired as a grade school teacher in Phoenix, Arizona.  It was while he was in Arizona that Erik became interested in mountain climbing.  In 1995, he joined a team of climbers who were determined to climb Alaska’s 20,310-foot Denali Mountain, also known as Mount McKinley.  After months of preparations, arduous training, and a difficult climb, Erik and his team summited Denali.  He and his team spent a total of 21 days on the mountain.  During that time, three climbers on other teams died while climbing the same mountain. 

In the five years that followed, Erik had summited the highest peaks of five of the seven continents, and had climbed the vertical 3,000-foot face of Yosemite’s El Capitan.  In the previous fifty years, 170 climbers had lost their lives trying to climb the mountains that Erik had bested.  In 2000, Erik set his sights on conquering Earth’s highest mountain, the 29,031-foot Mount Everest.  Family and friends tried to persuade Erik not to attempt Mount Everest because of the high number of climbers who had died trying to conquer the mountain.  Erik could not be dissuaded.

Finally, after months of training, Erik and his team began their ascent of the world’s highest peak.  Climbing Mount Everest took its toll on Erik’s body.  He suffered from bouts of dehydration and dysentery, but Erik continued to climb. His confidence grew with each step he took toward the towering peak.  At one point, Erik’s climbing partner stumbled and fell into a crevasse.  While falling, his partner’s ice ax accidentally cut Erik’s face.  After helping his partner regain his footing, the team treated Erik’s cut with the first aid kit they had brought along.  They continued to climb.

On May 25, 2001, Erik and his eighteen team members reached the summit of Mount Everest.  Erik and his team earned several records upon reaching the summit.  Erik’s team was the largest single group of people who had ever reached its peak.  64-year-old team member Sherman Bull, a Connecticut physician, became the oldest person to reach the summit.  The team reached the peak with the heaviest piece of equipment climbers had ever lugged up the mountain, a 25-pound high-definition camera used to document the climb. 

Erik and his team had little time to celebrate.  They spent a mere fifteen minutes at the peak before they began the dangerous task of descending the mountain.  When Erik completed his descent from the mountain he said, “I feel great,” and added “my next challenge will be to climb into bed.”

Erik was not the first person to reach the summit of Mount Everest.  He was not the first person to complete the Seven Summits—at the time about 150 people had done it before.  He was not the first to reach the top of the Carstensz Pyramid, the Eighth Summit. He was not the first to climb up the 3,000-foot Nose of El Capitan in Yosemite, nor was he the first person to ascend Losar, the 2,700-foot vertical ice face in the Himalayas.  Although he was not the first to reach these peaks, Erik became something of a superstar among climbers.  He even appeared on the June 18, 2001 cover of Time magazine following his reaching the summit of Mount Everest, though he never got to see it.  In fact, he never got to take in the view from atop the world at Mount Everest.  Erik Weihenmayer is blind.

Sources:

  1. Daily Press (Victorville, California), June 7, 2001, p.6.
  2. Time Magazine, June 18, 2001.
  3. The Boston Globe, June 27, 2001, p.81.

Library Newsletter is Available

Oceans of Possibilities is the theme of the summer reading programs at all branches of the DeSoto Parish Library.  It is also the theme of the June newsletter.

Click the link below to read all of the activities planned for you and your children this summer.  The main branch in Mansfield is featuring robotics many days for children 9-15 years old.

The Logansport branch has a story hour each Wednesday at 10:00 am for pre-K students.  There is also a great lineup of programs for kids in grades 1-5 each Wednesday afternoon.

Tuesdays are STEM day for kids of all ages at the Pelican branch.  And Thursdays are teen day for kids 12 and up.  The program is at 1:00 pm.

And at the Stonewall branch every Friday in June is Teen Day.  Activities include a scavenger hunt and movie days.

Check out all of the DeSoto Parish Library’s June activities for every member of the family.  Click the document below.


Pressure Testing Day

By Joshua Salley of the DeSoto Parish Extension Office

We had a very successful Pressure Canner Testing Day at the DeSoto Parish Extension Office on May 26th.  Mrs. Abigail McAlister, Nutrition Agent, was available to perform visual inspections of the canners and was able to test the pressure gauges to ensure that they were working properly. 

Pressure canning is a great way to preserve foods such as vegetables, meat, fish, and poultry. They reach an interior temperature of 240 degrees, which is much higher than the 212-degree temperature of boiling water. They reach this temperature when pressure builds up to 10.5 pounds at 0 to 1,000 feet of altitude. This higher temperature kills microorganisms when applied for a sufficient period. It is important that your pressure canner is in adequate shape to perform properly to prevent food-borne illnesses such as the botulism-causing bacterium, botulinum.  For more information on food preservation techniques and food safety, visit the LSU AgCenter’s website: lsuagcenter.com .


ETC… For Wednesday, June 1, 2022

Thursday, June 2nd Men of Prayer meets at Stonewall.  Pastor, Dr. R. L. Morris from Higher Ground Ministries in Mansfield, LA, will be the guest speaker.

The weekly arrest report from the sheriff’s office is being delayed.  The report of arrests during the past week will be published next Monday along with the report for the current week.


Deputy Completes Instructor Training

Sheriff Jayson Richardson would like to acknowledge and congratulate Cpl. Donta Phillips for his recent completion of instructor training at IPTM, or Institute of Police Technology and Management.  This extensive training was held in Deland, Florida from May 2nd to May 13th, and consisted of 2 weeks (80 hours) of teaching students to become instructors in the Motors division. 

Cpl. Phillips currently serves in our DeSoto Sheriff Motors Division, and is now a certified Nationwide Motors Instructor, able to teach others in DeSoto Parish and abroad.  This instruction consisted of both on and off road maneuvers of a motorcycle in a law enforcement capacity.  Students were tasked to hold their own classroom instruction, as well as teaching in outdoor on-hand instruction. 

Having highly trained deputies is one thing but having deputies that are able to train and certify others is of great benefit to our parish, and surrounding parishes alike.  We thank Cpl. Phillips for his willingness to learn and grow in his position and congratulate him on his completion of this certification.


We Missed the Big Storms

Our parish has been spared a tornado thus far in 2022.  The National Weather Service in Shreveport issued the latest count for northwest Louisiana, east Texas, southeast Oklahoma and southwest Arkansas at 31.  The tornado northeast of Detroit, TX now brings our total to 31 tornadoes so far this year.

DeSoto and Red River parishes have had no tornadoes in 2022.  Hardest hit are Natchitoches and Caddo parishes with four tornadoes each.  Rusk County in east Texas has had five.


Don’t Zap The Bees!

The DeSoto LSU Ag Center office said to save the honeybees.  If you have an unwanted swarm, the Ag Center can help.

The Ag Center said, “We have been seeing a lot of social media posts about honeybee swarms this time of year.  Honeybees play an instrumental role in agriculture and life in general so please do not spray them.  There are plenty of beekeepers out there who will come out and remove the swarms for you.  Please find your area on the link below for a list of beekeepers.

lsuagcenter.com/topics/environment/insects/bees_wasps/honeybee-removal-and-swarm-collection


2000 Mules Documentary Substantiates 2020 Election Fraud

By Royal Alexander

A mere 42,918 votes sprinkled among Wisconsin, Arizona, and Georgia clinched the White House. (National Review, 12-15-2020).

Many have believed the 2020 presidential election was stolen on election night, Nov 4, 2020.

But now we have verifiable evidence that refutes The Big Lie of the Left that the election was “the most secure election in history.”  Criminal investigations must be opened now, and subpoenas issued, on the federal and state level to pursue this damming trail of evidence.

True the Vote founder, Catherine Engelbrecht, had the perfect response to the claim of the Left that the 2020 presidential election had no significant voter fraud.  “You don’t need a whole lot of fraud.  You just need a little in the right places over time.”  Her stunning and irrefutable observations jump off the screen in filmmaker and commentator, Dinesh D’Souza’s, compelling and unnerving new documentary 2,000 Mules.

The film premiered in selected cities in early May and is now being screened more widely across the country.

Using cutting edge technology, the film proves that the 2020 election was highly fraudulent and likely stolen—not just from Donald Trump but from the American people.

How was this unprecedented political theft accomplished? The old-fashioned way—by stuffing ballot boxes.

As outlined by Deroy Murdock in The Daily Signal, an affiliate of the Heritage Foundation:

“True the Vote researchers Engelbrecht and Gregg Phillips analyzed 10 trillion cell phone geo-tracking signals captured during the closing weeks of the 2020 general election campaign.”

What did the 10 trillion cell phone geo-tracking signals, the pings, and 4 million minutes of local government security camera video recordings of these drop boxes reveal?

According to Murdock, “This investigation’s results are staggering.  Cameras capture one mule after another traveling from box to box to deposit successive fists full of ballots.  One mule in Atlanta slid ballots into 28 different collection bins.  Most mules left just a few ballots in each box over several weeks, leaving eyebrows unraised.  But in Gwinnett County, Georgia, 271 people visited one box on Oct. 12, 2020.  That day, 1,962 ballots were inserted—10 times the normal number.

These mules were not just overzealous political operatives.  Corrupt activist groups reportedly paid them per ballot delivered, which is universally illegal.”  (The mules’ identities reveal that many have criminal records).

So, was there enough fraud to change the outcome? Unquestionably, YES.

Again, a mere 42,918 votes sprinkled among Wisconsin, Arizona, and Georgia clinched the White House. (NR)

And again, as Englebrecht points out, “You don’t need a whole lot of fraud.  You just need a little in the right places over time.”

True the Vote discovered that, in the five states, some 2,000 mules averaged 38 drop-box visits in the weeks before Election Day and estimates that 380,000 fraudulent ballots resulted.  Coming from heavily Democrat areas, these almost certainly were overwhelmingly pro-Biden ballots. 

—In Arizona, 200 mules typically approached 20 boxes each.  Disqualifying these 20,000 unlawful ballots would evaporate Biden’s 10,457-vote win in Arizona.

—In Georgia, 250 mules stopped at 24 boxes and inserted five ballots per encounter.  Rejecting these 30,000 illegal votes would eliminate Biden’s victory margin of 11,779.

—In Pennsylvania, 1,100 mules in Philadelphia alone encountered 50 boxes.  Vacating these 275,000 illegitimate votes would eradicate Biden’s 80,555-vote victory.

[I note that an AP “fact checker” on the movie suggested that perhaps the pings were FedEx drivers driving by every day on their route, but D’Souza states the pings are within feet of drop boxes and the mules went all over Atlanta, but only to drop boxes, not to other points, so it’s not plausible it was commercial drivers.  Also, they were going in the middle of the night which FedEx drivers don’t do.]

Undoing this political and constitutional evil would have removed these three states from Biden’s total.  The Electoral College count would have then shifted to 259 for Biden and 279 for Donald Trump.  This would have earned Trump four more years as president.

One of the core constitutional and political principles of America is that our government governs with legitimacy only by and with the “consent of the governed.”  The only power it has over us is power we have explicitly granted to it.

This means that, to ensure our God-given—not government given—fundamental rights, the U.S. Government was instituted by citizens to protect themselves from threats and dangers—both foreign and domestic—and from the government itself.

2000 Mules asks—and answers—serious political and constitutional questions concerning the legitimacy of the government that is now exercising power over us.

As all Americans can see from their daily struggles, this illegitimate government is now in the process of intentionally destroying our economy, robbing us of our energy independence, stealing from us our right to be safe in our neighborhoods and homes free of the surging crime wave, denying us freedom of speech, and refusing to protect us from a foreign invasion on our southern border.

And, at the same time, this government weaponizes the Department of Justice against parents—whom it labels “domestic terrorists”—for resisting the racism of Critical Race Theory; and refuses to confirm or deny—or condemn—reported plans to provide ‘gender reassignment surgery’ (also known as genital mutilation) to children, without parental consent; and supports a war on pre-born female (and male) children through taxpayer-funded dismemberment and saline poisoning abortion up to the moment of birth, going far beyond the legal scope of Roe v. Wade.

Numerous polls clearly establish that this is simply not the government to which the vast majority of Americans have consented.

I believe that the November midterm elections will begin the peaceful, constitutional process of restoring a “government by consent of the governed” to the American people. 

In the meantime, we must continue to speak out, resist and fight for the country we love.


Tour the Battlefield

Come to the Mansfield State Historic Site on Saturday.  The staff is offering a tour of the historic battlefield beginning at 2:00 pm.

This staff-guided program will lead guests on an in-depth tour of the battlefield, visiting key points on the field where some of the most significant action of the battle occurred. Tour will involve outdoor walking of approximately half a mile.  Appropriate footwear and clothing is recommended.

The Mansfield State Historic Site is an American Civil War Battlefield park located 3 miles south of the town of Mansfield, LA, on State Highway 175.


Dramatics Back Alley Academy

It’s time to register for Back Alley Theatre summer camp.  The Dramaniacs are excited to announce that this year’s show is PUFFS.

Camp will be 9:00 am to 3:00 pm Monday through Friday,  June 13-24.  Shows will be June 24 & 25 at 6:00 pm and June 26 at 2:00 pm. 

Visit their website for registration at Dramaniacs.com or use the google doc link:

forms.gle/QrnNep5f8X9B3P856

Dramatics is looking forward to many new and returning faces this summer.


Winner Winner Chicken Dinner Fundraiser

St. Ann’s Fundraising Committee is hosting a Chicken Charbroil Sunday, June 12th beginning at 10:30 am. Plates are $10 and include chicken leg quarter, beans, potato salad, bread and cookie. Food service will begin at 10:30 am.

St. Ann’s will host a Cornhole Tournament benefit for Adam Purland STRONG at 1:00 pm. Entry is $50 per two-man team. Overall team winners will win half of the split the pot.

Please pre-register for cornhole tournament here: forms.gle/v6FPqBKmPZcS2XZv9

Lifeshare Blood Center will also be onsite for blood donations in support of the cause.

For more information on how to support Adam Purland and his family, please visit facebook.com/Adam-Purland-Strong-101367985897969/.


Brothers Reconnecting

By Steve Graf

Every year I make plans to meet my brother, Mike Comer, and my nephew, Chris, along with a host of characters from their past, for some offshore fishing for speckled trout, redfish and maybe a flounder or two. This is a welcome change from my constant chasing of largemouth bass. It’s a trip that has brought two brothers closer together and allowed for sharing of so many stories of our parallel pasts. Our parents divorced when our mother was pregnant with me. Mike was 5 years older than me and stayed with our dad, while I stayed with our mom after I was born. I never knew about Mike until it was revealed to me around the age of ten. Yes, it’s complicated and sad that we never got to meet each other until about 6 years ago, but we have taken full advantage of this opportunity and are trying to make up for lost time.

This annual fishing trip to Galveston, Texas, has great meaning for me as it allows us to reunite and share our family history and memories of years gone by, as well creating new ones. It’s a time when I get to sit and talk with Mike and hear stories about our dad and the grandparents who raised him, both of whom I never got to meet. At the same time, I get to share my memories of our mother who was not a part of his life. It’s kind of a sad story, but one we are both fortunate, in so many ways, to have been a part of. Our past has shaped both of us, in a positive way, into the people we are today. God has a funny sense of humor sometimes, but he always has a plan and knows your destination. We were both blessed with people who made sure we were given a chance to excel in life, people who took us in and raised us as their own. Mike was with his grandparents and I with my aunt and uncle.

Sports and fishing have played a huge role in both of our lives, creating opportunities that any young man would be lucky to experience. But nothing brings two brothers together more than going out on a body of water and picking up a rod with a topwater bait tied on and catching fish. There’s just something special about a bass, redfish or a trout blowing up on a walking bait like a Zara Spook. Yes, it is very competitive between us as to who caught the most or the biggest fish of the day. There’s a lot of picking and joking around as to who was the better athlete or who is the best fisherman….which by the way is me since I’m the one writing this article. I will make sure Mike gets a copy of this testimonial, so he’ll know the truth.

All jokes aside, Mike and I have only known each other for less than 6 years, but our connection with each other runs deep. Every time we get together, it’s an adventure on the water, but it’s also a time to reconnect and talk about the time we missed growing up together like brothers should. But neither one of us has any regrets or grudges. We recognize that this has been a small part of God’s plan for each of us. We recognize the blessing we have been given and that God has brought us together for a reason. One thing is for sure, we both love to fish and as long as we can both pick up a rod and make a cast, our brotherly competition will continue for whatever time we have left here on Earth. Till next time, good luck, good fishing and don’t forget to set the hook.


Journal Offering Scholarships

Students who aren’t sure where they’ll go to college this fall are encouraged to apply for the Journal Services NSU Scholarships, which will award three new Northwestern State University students up to $3,000 in the next school year.

Applications are being accepted beginning today through midnight June 8. A link to a simple online application form is available at the bottom of this story.

The scholarships are designed to assist Class of 2022 high school students who haven’t settled on a college choice, as well as students currently enrolled at other higher-education institutions who are considering transferring to NSU in Natchitoches.

They are being provided by Journal Services, LLC, the business that serves local and area residents by providing the framework for the DeSoto Parish Journal. Journal Services, LLC, is based in Natchitoches and supports 12 journals covering north central and northwest Louisiana.

“We know there are students who haven’t decided yet where they’ll go to college this fall. We know that in many cases, money is a key factor in making college accessible,” said Bill Vance, general manager of Journal Services, LLC. “We are providing three game-changing scholarships bringing eager students to NSU to take advantage of the excellent academic programs here, and to live in a community where there are plenty of opportunities to find part-time jobs and to have a great student experience.”

A successful applicant from DeSoto Parish will join 252 other local students who attend Northwestern. Among the university’s 81,000 alumni, 1,057 currently live in DeSoto Parish.

Applicants are asked to provide their high school GPA (and college GPA if applicable), and also, report their ACT score along with listing honors, extracurricular activities and other relevant information on the form. That information will provide a basis for selecting the three winners.

The scholarship awards are for $1,500 cash per semester in the 2022-23 academic year. To renew the scholarship for the Spring 2023 semester, winners must post at least a 2.7 Fall semester GPA at NSU.

Scholarship winners must live in Natchitoches Parish during the upcoming school year. They are also required to have in-person, face-to-face instruction for 75 percent of their classes in 2022-23.

Students who have already accepted financial aid awards from Northwestern are not eligible to apply.

To apply, CLICK HERE


Andersons Produce Is Now Open

It is time for fresh from the farm fruits and veggies.  Anderson’s Produce at Lake End is open for the 2022 season.  Anderson’s Produce said, “We have a great crop in store this year for you.” 

In addition to the freshest fruits and vegetables, Anderson’s has the farm raised fresh beef from Dan Cason farms.   Also, there is a great selection of flowers and ferns.

Anderson’s Produce is located halfway between LA 1 and I-49 at 110 Anderson Lane.  Phone 318-932-1432.  Farmer Anderson said, “Come on out and see us at the farm.”


Notice of Death. – Friday, May 27, 2022

Paula Denise Griffin

November 21, 1964 to May 22, 2022

Graveside Service: Saturday May 28,2022 @ 11:00 a.m. Benevolent Cemetery Mansfield, LA

Shirlyn Modica Bush

July 30, 1957 to May 20, 2022

Saturday Services June 4,2022 @ 1:00 p.m. Lie-in-State from 12:00-1:00 p.m. Jenkins Funeral Home Chapel in Many, La.

Ruby Woods Pullard

February 22, 1952 to May 17, 2022

Memorial Service: Saturday May 28,2022 @ 11:00 a.m. Morning Glory B.C. Mansfield, LA.


ETC… For Friday, May 27, 2022

A note from the Sheriff’s Office:  For those who attended the Sheriff’s Youth Hunting Skills Camp, Hunter Safety Certifications were emailed out to the email address provided during camp.  Please check your SPAM folders if you do not find them in your inbox.  Some have reported to have found them in their Spam or Junk folders.

Northwestern State University’s Office of Electronic and Continuing Education will offer a Pick Up Your Brush painting class on June 9 and 23 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on the second floor of South Hall. The fee is $45 per session. Each class is a separate session.

Mansfield Middle School said, “Sign up for Cursive Writing Classes.”  The classes will begin June 22nd, 2:00 to 5:00 pm at the Mansfield Library.


Market Debuts on Riverfront

By Nicole Tull

HomeTown Market in Logansport has begun. It will run for 6 months on the riverfront. Every third Saturday vendors will be peddling their wares. Homegrown produce vendors are highly encouraged. It can be fresh or preserved. Jams, jellies, and salsa was the feature this past weekend but pickles and vegetables in mason jars are also desired by customers. Dehydrated spices and herbal teas could be featured. Local honey items would be great.

Homemade items are in high demand as well. Leatherwork wallets, purses, keychains, and earrings were featured this past weekend. There were also kitchen items that were available. Sewn bowl cozies, towel boas, bag holders and potholders.

It is a farmer’s market, so let’s see some farm items like baby animals. Chickens, ducks, guineas, and turkeys are popular. Farms also have plants. Maybe you have an abundance of flowers, herbs or bushes needing to be thinned out and could sell. Fresh eggs are found on a farm. If you missed getting some on Saturday, you can plan on seeing them again.

Crafter’s market is the other part of this event. Folks would like to see woodwork pieces, painted items, home décor, handmade jewelry, hand crafted cups and t-shirts. Maybe you have a hidden talent that you like to try out on the public. Booth rent is pretty cheap for the duration of the market making it a tempting time to see what folks will buy. The Logansport Chamber of Commerce oversees this event, so contact them for more information.