By Royal Alexander

Biden Administration CPSC Commissioner Richard Trumka Jr. said last month that a ban on future gas-stove installations in homes and high-rises is on the table. “We need to be talking about regulating gas stoves, whether that’s drastically improving emissions or banning gas stoves entirely,” Trumka said. “And I think we ought to keep that possibility of a ban in mind because it’s a powerful tool in our tool belt, and it’s a real possibility here.” (N.Y, Post, 1-12-2023).

Democrat leaders in major cities across the country are moving forward with bans on natural gas stoves without regard to available infrastructure, the requirements of a reasonable transition, and the Law of Unintended Consequences.

Sensing a political catastrophe from the public response to this policy insanity, the Biden Administration quickly walked back the comments of its commissioner saying it had no plans to impose such a ban on the federal level.  We’ll see.

Meanwhile, various elected officials have responded in opposition to the proposed edict:

If the “maniacs in the White House come for my stove, they can pry it from my cold dead hands,” tweeted Ronny Jackson, a Republican Texas member of the U.S. House and a former White House doctor. 

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) tweeted Monday “the Biden Administration is once again going to extreme lengths to appease Green New Deal fanatics — they’re considering a national ban on gas stoves … The federal government has no business telling American families how to cook their dinner.” Senator Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, posted “I can tell you the last thing that would ever leave my house is the gas stove that we cook on.”

The American Gas Association responded by stating “any efforts to ban highly efficient natural gas stoves should raise alarm bells for the 187 million Americans who depend on this essential fuel every day pointing out that ‘natural gas utilities have reduced their greenhouse gas emissions by 69% since 1990 and help homeowners reduce their carbon emissions 1.2% every year.’”

Breitbart News observed that:

“Anyone aware of the past knows how absurd this latest hysteria is.  In a few short decades, we have gone from natural gas burning 24/7 in homes by way of pilot lights to natural gas only burning when the appliance is in use.  Additionally, most natural gas appliances are vented in some way, so there are no fumes at all.”

A Harvard Medical School study by Wynne Armand published Sept. 7, 2022, stated, “gas stoves affect air quality inside and outside your home, circulating pollutants that raise risk for asthma and other illnesses.”  But further in the same study, Armand wrote that “observational studies can’t prove that cooking with gas is the direct cause of asthma.”  That important detail is, unsurprisingly, being ignored by the national “media” and radical green groups.

The important point is that common sense and rationality have prevailed for the moment.

The lesson to take from this is, as stated by Gerard Baker of the Wall Street Journal, to remember this victory when future Leftist lunacies arise.

“The small triumph chalked up for common sense and normality is so rare these days it’s worth celebrating in itself.  It’s also a useful reminder that the inexorable march of government mandates, the endless effort by our rulers to enforce their “scientifically” unchallengeable dogma on what they see as a population of ignorant drudges, can be resisted.” (Emphasis added).

I close with a note of warning from Germany and the Rule of Unintended Consequences to the Climate Religionists.  Numerous news reports reveal that in Germany, the Worship at the Altar of Climate Change has been demoted by the desperate effort to keep the lights on and the heat flowing into the homes of Germans. 

 In order to provide power and heat to its citizens during this bitter German winter, the German government recently announced that Germany was reopening five power plants that burn lignite, a highly polluting type of coal which energy experts tell us produces more carbon dioxide than any other form of generation.

 The German government has also authorized that a large wind power project be dismantled to provide space for the expansion of a mine that produces lignite.

 And this is happening while China reportedly builds one new coal plant unit per week.

 We are nowhere near complete reliance on renewables, and we must diligently push back on this kind of policy insanity.

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North DeSoto Middle School gave a shout out to Deputy Cope who ran in the Louisiana Marathon and Half Marathon in Baton Rouge recently. He ran the Half, 13.1 miles. Way to go, Deputy Cope.

North DeSoto Upper Elementary’s SRO, Officer Freeman, is contributing to

efforts to ensure student safety as the number one priority. Thank you to the Desoto Parish Sheriff’s Department for always making sure our students, faculty, and staff are taken care of.

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Saturday night the Krewe of Demeter rolls through the streets of Mansfield.  The floats will  lineup at the old Walmart beginning at 5:00 pm and roll out at 6:00.

Get your spot on the route.  See the details below.  Back at the old Walmart there will be a spectacular fireworks show after the parade sponsored in part by the City of Mansfield.

Come to the parade.  Be sure to shout “Throw me something, mister!”

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This Week’s report covers a one week period as of 9:00 am Monday morning and includes of all arrests made in DeSoto Parish by the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office (DPSO), Mansfield Police Department (MPD), and Louisiana State Police (LSP.)

This report covers January 16-23, 2023.

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.

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Marvin R. Jackson

12/4/1961 – 1/17/2023

Service was held Saturday, January 21, 2023 at 1:00 pm at Shady Grove U. M. C. 1630 Highway 481 (Lula Road), Mansfield, LA.

Mary Mayweather

Funeral service Saturday, January 28^th, 2023 at 11:00 am at Higher Ground Ministries.

The DeSoto Parish Journal publishes paid obituaries – unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $70. The obituary will be included in the emails sent to subscribers.  Contact your funeral provider or DeSotoParishJournal@gmail.com. Must be paid in advance of publication. (Notice of Death shown above with no link to the obituary are FREE of charge.)

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Tuesday’s Logansport Junior High softball game vs Mansfield Middle School has been rescheduled for today at 5:00 pm at LHS. After the game the 8th graders will be recognized.

Also Tuesday’s Varsity Girls and Boys basketball games at Montgomery were cancelled due to a leak in their gym.   It has been rescheduled for next Monday, January 30th at 6:00 pm.

Louisiana Tech University’s Innovation Enterprise will host a forum focused on artificial intelligence (AI) at 3:00 pm January 26 in the gathering room at University Hall and online.

The forum will focus on AI, its impacts, applications, ethics, and implications in industry and for the human experience.

Do you have your tickets for “Anybody Out There?”  The latest production of the Back Alley Community Theatre debuts on February 3^rd.  The Journal sat in on rehearsals the other evening and this will be a great play.  PS your reporter has a bit part.  First to ID my role via email after February 3^rd wins a cheesy prize.  Sorry cast and crew are not eligible.

GET TICKETS HERE

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Donald Dean Stillwell passed away on January 19, 2023, in Shreveport, Louisiana. He was born January 13, 1948, in Logansport, Louisiana to W.J. and Ruby Wheless Stillwell. He served in Vietnam while he was enlisted in the United States Navy.

He is preceded in death by his parents; beloved grandmother, Allie “Big Mama” Hilton; sisters, Betty Jo Whitten, Patsy Kyle, and Sybil Whitten; son, Richard Stillwell; and stepdaughter, Marion Perkins.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Marlene Stillwell; son, Travis Stillwell and wife, Silke; sister, Sherri Dennis; brother, Jerry Stillwell and wife, Lavahn; grandson, Mason Stillwell; ten nieces and nephews; 15 great nieces and nephews; and 12 great great nieces and nephews.

A memorial service celebrating the life of Donald will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 28, 2023, at Cornerstone Ministries Cowboy Church, 494 Bethel Rd, Logansport, Louisiana. Rev. Frankie Mathis will be officiating. Visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service at the church.

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From the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office:

Tuesday at 4:03pm, a call was received through 911 of an individual who had forced entry into a relatives residence in what appeared to be a domestic situation.  However, during the call the dispatcher overheard statements that indicated that a firearm may be involved, and the suspect was possibly inside the residence. Deputies were immediately dispatched to the location. At the same time, a district ballgame was also beginning at the nearby Stanley High School. Deputies were already present at the school with more being dispatched until details of the situation could be obtained.

Upon arrival to the scene, deputies were able clear the residence to determine the subject was no longer inside. At this point there was no indication that the subject was armed or specific information on the direction the subject left the scene. The suspect was able to be identified as Jeffrey Cassels, a 43 year old white male, during that time. We immediately notified the public to be aware through the DeSoto Sheriff App and our Social Media. 

During a search of the scene, a van stolen during a church burglary in Sabine parish was also located.  Cassels had driven the vehicle to that location, although the direction or method of travel from that point remained unknown.  K-9s were deployed and continued searching the area until exhaustion set in.  It was at that time we updated the public that deputies would continue to circulate the area in search for more information on the suspects whereabouts, which continued throughout the night and into Wednesday.

Wednesday, at 1:30PM a call was received from a local business stating that a person believed to be the suspect had broken into their business off of Natural Gas Road in Logansport.  The suspect was still there, and due to the diligent actions taken by employees, deputies were able to respond immediately and take Cassels into custody. 

Jeffery Cassels was taken to the DeSoto Detention Center to be booked and charged according to the events from yesterday as well as this morning.  We thank the public for their patience and understanding as they shared our posts and offered information over the course of this investigation. 

Charges:

Statute Description   Level   Arrest Date                Arrest Agency            Bond Amount

BURGLARY – SIMPLE FELONY          11/08/2023  DPSO                          $30000

BURGLARY – SIMPLE FELONY          01/18/2023  DPSO                          $30000

ILLEGAL POSSESSION OF STOLEN THINGS (FELONY)    

                                                            01/18/2023  DPSO                          $5000

FUGITIVE FROM JUSTICE     FELONY         

01/18/2023  DPSO                          $0

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By Jeremy Evans, Clerk of Court

As Clerk, my staff and I always put the people first and will continue to do so! Since opening our Archives Office, 214 Washington Avenue, Mansfield, Louisiana, 71052, at 318-270-6225, it has relieved some of the inconveniences of the draconian order in place at the 42nd Judicial District Courthouse, which prohibits cell phones, smart watches, laptops, and other electronic devices in the courthouse.

Since the courthouse belongs to the DeSoto Parish Police Jury, they would have a right to challenge the district court’s order. It is unclear whether the Clerk of Court could assert a similar challenge.

This order is likely based on Rule 5.2 of the Uniform Rules for District Courts. The rule provides: The sheriff or his or her designated deputy shall provide security for the courtrooms, chambers, judicial offices, and hallways within the courthouse. Security procedures shall be approved by the chief judge of the District Court or other court.

Recently, the Second Circuit Court of Appeal had occasion to address the issue of security in the DeSoto Parish Courthouse. In re Courthouse Security, 52,787 (La. App. 2d Cir. 8/14/2019), 278 So. 3d 1061. In the cited case, the Second Circuit found that the chief judge of a district court has administrative authority over security measures implemented at the courthouse. However, judge’s orders are subject to challenge via either an injunction proceeding or declaratory judgment action.

Since the Order here is merely verbal, it is not clear as to who may and who may not bring electronic devices into the courthouse, nor is it clear how such an order protects the courthouse as a “security measure.” The verbal order does not include elected officials, court personnel and law enforcement. Your Clerk of Court has inquired with other judicial districts and have not found a similar order to be in place anywhere else in the state. Desoto Parish appears to be the only judicial district that prohibits electronic devices in the courthouse.

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By Brad Dison

During World War I, teenager Adolf Dassler became adept at repairing shoes in his parents’ home in Herzogenaurach, Germany.  Adolf was his given name, but family and friends called him Adi.  He scavenged the war-torn countryside for his supplies, and got his much-needed leather from belts, holsters, and worn-out shoes.  He took and modified abandoned machine parts and created a stationary bicycle powered leather milling machine.  Adi hired his first employee to pedal the bicycle so he could run the milling machine.  Following World War I, Adi’s business grew as he experimented and developed stronger, but more lightweight shoes.     

In 1923, Adi’s older brother, Rudolf, joined Adi in developing and manufacturing shoes.  One year later, they formed Gebrüder Dassler, Sportschuhfabrik (Dassler Brothers Sports Shoe Factory).  Their factory was the front room and, when not in use, the kitchen of their family home.  By 1925, their shoe line included football boots which had nailed studs and track shoes with hand-forged spikes, all of which were still made in the family home.  In 1927, the brothers sold enough shoes to allow them to move their operations from the cramped family home into a small factory.

Dassler Brothers shoes became popular with athletes early on.  In 1928, several athletes wore Dassler shoes in the 1928 Amsterdam games.  German middle distance runner Linda Radke won gold in the Amsterdam games while wearing Dassler shoes.  Another German runner won gold in the 1932 Los Angeles Games while wearing Dassler shoes.  In the 1936 Berlin Olympics, athletes from several countries competed in Dassler shoes.  American track and field star Jesse Owens won three gold medals while wearing Dassler shoes, which led to large international orders for sports shoes of different varieties.

In the early 1930s, Adi and Rudolf saw an opportunity to expand their shoe business through politics.  On May 1, 1933, Adi, Rudolf, and other members of their family joined the Nazi Party.  Adolph Hitler prioritized athletic teamwork and the Dassler brothers became a major supplier of shoes to the athletes.  Adi became a coach in the Hitler Youth movement and supplied those young athletes with footwear.  While members of the Nazi Party, Adi and Rudolf ended their letters with “Heil Hitler.”

World War II forever changed Dassler Brothers Sports Shoe Factory as tension within the Dassler family grew.  Adi and Rudolf and their wives and children all shared a single home, along with Adi’s parents and his siblings’ families.  To protect them from being drafted into the German military, several members of the family worked at the shoe factory, which often caused friction in the family. Adi and Rudolf struggled for control of the company.  In August of 1940, Adi was notified that he was being drafted into the Wehrmacht.  He reported for duty in December but was released two months later as his work with the Dassler company was deemed essential.  Rudolf became angry and more assertive when he learned that Adi claimed leadership of the Dassler’s shoe factory to secure his release from the Wehrmacht.  While Adi was away, Marie, their sister Marie tried to convince Rudolf to hire her two sons to keep them from being drafted into the German military.  Rudolf refused because he claimed there were already enough family problems within the company.  Marie was devastated.  Just as Marie feared, her two sons were drafted into the German army and never returned.  Marie never forgave Rudolf.  Ironically, in January of 1943, Rudolf was also drafted into the German military.  Unlike Adi, Rudolf was unable to secure his release for military service.  He blamed Adi and his connections within the Nazi party for his being drafted.  In a letter to Adi, Rudolf spitefully wrote that he would not hesitate to seek the closure of the factory so that Adi would be forced to fight in the war.  The Reich eventually shut down the shoe factory.  Rudolf, on leave at the time, decided to take some of the leather from the factory for later use.  Rudolf was angered when he learned that Adi had already removed the leather from the factory and reported Adi to his Nazi friends.

While the world celebrated the end of World War II, the Dassler brothers’ war for control of the company continued.  Adi and Rudolf were arrested and tried separately for their actions within the Nazi party.  The brothers testified against each other in a bid to save themselves.  Rudolf was not deemed a threat and was released in July of 1946.  Adi was found guilty of minor infractions and put on probation with the stipulation that he could not operate the Dassler shoe factory.  Rudolf saw this as his chance to take control of the factory.  Adi and Rudolf continued to make claims, some true some false, against each other.  Adi appealed the decision and, in February of the following year, was granted permission to resume management of the Dassler shoe factory.

Adi and Rudolf were unable to repair their relationship, and the rift spread throughout the family.  By this time, the Dassler company had grown to include two factory buildings.  Some family members sided with Adi and others sided with Rudolf.  Knowing that the rift between the brothers could never be repaired, Adi and Rudolf painstakingly divided the company’s assets one-by-one.  Adi took the original factory building and Rudolf took the other.  Employees were forced to choose which brother they would remain with.  Rudolf and the members of the family who sided with him moved out of the family home.  Adi and Rudolf never spoke again.

Following the separation and dissolution of the Dassler Brothers’ company, both brothers created new companies and continued to manufacture shoes and sportswear.  Both of their companies grew to international success.  Adi’s company is currently the second largest sportswear manufacturer in the world, second only to Nike, and Rudolf’s company is the third largest in the world.  Rudolf’s company name translates to cougar in several countries.  Rudolf named his company Puma.  Adi’s company name was comprised of a combination of his first and last names.  He called it Adidas.

Sources:

1. The Los Angeles Times, June 27, 1976, p.129.
2. The Ottawa Journal, May 13, 1978, p.104.
3. Asbury Park Press, November 1, 1978, p.45.
4. The Age, September 11, 1982, p.20.
5. The Miami Herald, April 11, 1987, p.115.
6. Chicago Tribune, April 11, 1987, p.8.
7. The Daily Telegraph, June 15, 1996, p.156.

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Last week the site was pleased to welcome Trace Adkins, his wife Victoria, and mother Peggy. Many of you may know that Mr. Adkins (whose North Louisiana hometown is Sarepta, where Ms. Peggy is mayor) is an advocate and supporter of Civil War battlefields.

The trio thoroughly enjoyed touring our museum, where they were well-served by site Interpretive Ranger Aaron Gates. Mr. Adkins informed us that an ancestor of his fought at Mansfield, so this was more than just a casual visit!

Thank you Trace, Victoria, and Ms. Peggy for your interest and support of our site and its history!

Photo Credit:  Aaron Gates, Mansfield SHS

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Louisiana Christian University announces the students from the northwest Louisiana parishes of Bossier, Caddo, De Soto, Webster, Bienville and Red River who earned placement on the Dean’s and President’s List for the fall 2022 semester. Two are from DeSoto Parish.

The following students have earned placement on the President’s List for the fall 2022 semester. The President’s List includes students who have earned a minimum of 12 hours in the designated semester with a 4.0 minimum grade point average.

Skyler Garza, of Stonewall

Bailey McMillian, of Stonewall

“These students are demonstrating the mission and vision of Louisiana Christian University as they love God with their minds as well as their hearts,” said LCU President Dr. Rick Brewer. “As both a Great Commandment and Great Commission university LCU’s graduates are equipped to face an ever-changing world as Christian learners, leaders, and servants.”

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St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Stonewall is excited to announce our 2nd Annual Mardi Gras Carnival. It will be held at noon on February 4^th.

The church said, “Mardi Gras has deep roots in our Catholic Faith, and we want to share that with our friends and neighbors. Join us for our 3rd Annual Gumbo Cook-Off, King Cake Walk, and live band.”

The Gumbo Cook-Off will sell bowls for $12 (Adults) and $8 (Children Middle School and Lower) each. Voting is by the public, so come and vote for your favorite chicken and sausage gumbo.

If you have any questions, please contact Alleigha Procell at 318-918-9116 or Ashley Duty at 318-426-5723.

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Logansport Elementary and Junior High Pep Squad are planning a Mardi Gras celebration. Save the date, February 10^th.

Pre-K through second grade students will celebrate 5:pp to 6:30 pm.  Students in third through fifth grades will celebrate from 6:30 to 8:00 pm.

Admission is $1.00.  The King and Queen will be crowned.  Concessions will be sold.  And pictures will be available.

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Fairy Weber Sayers

March 20, 1932 to January 13, 2023

View full obituary here:

https://desotoparishjournal.com/2023/01/19/fairy-weber-sayers/

Johnnie Foster Gamble III

February 5, 1954 to January 15, 2023

View full obituary here:

https://desotoparishjournal.com/2023/01/17/johnie-foster-gamble-iii/

Hannelore Parker

December 16, 1942 to January 14, 2023

View full obituary here:

https://desotoparishjournal.com/2023/01/17/hannelore-parker/

Maple Lee Jefferson

01/23/1939 – 01/14/2023

Graveside Service: Saturday, January 21, 2023 – 11:00 A.M. – New Hope Cemetery – Mansfield.

Maron Thomas Drew, Sr.

10/08/1947 – 01/14/2023

Graveside Service: Saturday, January 21, 2023 – Negreet Cemetery, Negreet, La.

Joe Leamon Cooper

01/10/1949 – 01/06/2023

Funeral Service: Friday, January 20, 2023 – 11:00 A. M. – Jenkins Funeral Home Chapel – 601 Franklin Street – Mansfield, LA.

Larry D. Harris

October 23, 1965 to January 10, 2023

Funeral service Saturday, January 21, 2023, 1:00 pm at Patterson Purvis Mortuary Chapel.

Kenneth Washington

August 15, 1955 to January 15, 2023

Memorial Service at 11:00 am Saturday, January 21, 2023 at Patterson Purvis Mortuary Chapel.

The DeSoto Parish Journal publishes paid obituaries – unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $70. The obituary will be included in the emails sent to subscribers.  Contact your funeral provider or DeSotoParishJournal@gmail.com. Must be paid in advance of publication. (Notice of Death shown above with no link to the obituary are FREE of charge.)

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Ms. Rena had a great time with her kiddos at the Pelican Branch’s STEM program! Come out on Saturday at 10 am and join Ms. Rena for movie day! Wear your PJs and bring a comfy blanket to watch the Polar Express! Cookies, hot cocoa and popcorn will be served. All children in attendance will receive a special gift.

North DeSoto High Congratulated Mrs. Hall.  She was. Selected to represent them as NDHS Support Personnel of the Year.

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Fairy Weber Sayers, 90, of Shreveport, Louisiana entered into eternal rest on January 13, 2023. Fairy was born on March 20, 1932, in Mansfield, Louisiana to Herschel Brown and Nellie Jane Brown.

A visitation will be held on Friday, January 20, 2023, located at Rose-Neath Funeral Home-2500 Southside Drive, Shreveport, Louisiana 71118 from 11:00 a.m. until service time beginning at 1:00 p.m. Officiating the service will be Pastor Ron Johnson. Interment will be held at Hunter Magnolia Baptist Church Cemetery-173 Magnolia Ave, Mansfield, LA 71052.

Fairy always had a sharp memory and even managed her own checkbook down to the cent until her last day. She was very independent and always knew what she wanted. She always looked 20 years younger than her actual age! Fairy always kept herself an attractive lady and upkept her hairstyle weekly with Carolyn for many years. She was married to Billy Edward Sayers for many, many years until he passed in 2003. She worked for Sears Roebuck and worked for a custom-made drapery company. Fairy had a passion for singing with her church family and friends, and even traveled to several churches spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Fairy was preceded in death by her father, Daniel Weber; mother and stepfather, Nellie Jane Brown and Herschel Brown; son, Mark Sayers; and special friend, Tom Anderson. She is survived by her son, Mike Sayers and wife Nancy; granddaughter, Jessica Payne; great-grandchildren, Nate and Brelle; and niece, Patricia Grice and husband James.

Honoring Fairy as pallbearers will be Charles Byford, Jr, Mason Byford, and Christopher Madden. Serving as honorary pallbearers will be James Grice and Mike Sayers.

The family would like to express their thanks to the nursing and rehabilitation teams at The Bradford for all of their care, love, support, and fun times.

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From the DeSoto Sheriff’s Office January 17, 2023 at 6:50:10 PM CST

Update to our previous post (see below):

The suspect has not been located at this moment. Deputies will continue to circulate the area until the subjects whereabouts are determined. There is no indication that the individual is armed. If you see anything suspicious please contact us.

PREVIOUS POST:

Jeffrey Cassels:  W/M

Height: 6ft Weight: 150

DOB: 9-15-1979

Due to an active search going on in the area of Hwy 84 in Stanley, we want to alert the public of an increased law enforcement presence stemming from a domestic situation.  If you see this individual we ask that you please contact 911.  No further information will be provided at this time.

* We would like to add that there is also a large presence of law enforcement at Stanley School at this time, just as a precautionary measure.

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Mansfield Mayor Thomas Jones is looking forward to a strong area economy with the recent uptick in exploration activity in the Haynesville Shale.  The Wall Street Journal reported The Haynesville basin in Louisiana and Texas is humming with drillers. Among them is Chesapeake, a fracking pioneer that was in bankruptcy just two years ago.

Chesapeake Energy Corp. was one of the biggest stars of the fracking boom, riding high for years on its ability to tap vast troves of American natural gas.

By the summer of 2020, the pandemic and lockdowns had caused revenue to dry up, and the company, after a big, ill-timed expansion, filed for bankruptcy protection.

Yet last year, Chesapeake racked up $1.3 billion of profit in the first nine months. It sent its shareholders $800 million in dividends over that same period. Its stock has more than doubled since the company re-listed its shares in early 2021.

Thanks to a mix of events, from the Russian invasion of Ukraine to the U.S. economic recovery, fossil fuels are showing surprising resilience, despite President Biden’s push to transition to clean energy and the industry’s own history of boom-bust investing and heavy reliance on debt.

U.S. production of natural gas—Chesapeake’s focus—has hit record levels. The country’s crude oil production remains shy of the 2019 level but is otherwise at a peak. Exports of both gas and crude are hitting new highs, easily outpacing overseas sales of aircraft, pharmaceuticals, food and cars. Exxon Mobil Corp.’s shares rose 80% last year.

The Biden administration has limited drilling on federal lands, but oil and gas companies have tapped the nation’s vast private shale reserves to drive production higher.

As surging global demand for U.S. oil and gas has fueled high profit margins for producers, Mr. Biden has accused them of profiteering during a crisis. They take a different lesson from their fortune. “What’s really happened is the world has realized there is a need for hydrocarbons in energy policy,” said Domenic Dell’Osso, Chesapeake’s chief executive.

Chesapeake recently put a seventh drilling rig to work in the Haynesville basin, a giant natural-gas field straddling east Texas and northwest Louisiana that has also known booms in the past. In all, 69 drilling rigs were operating there in early January, compared with 32 in the summer of 2020. The local economy is cashing in.

This boom is different from earlier ones. In gas-production surges during the decade before 2020, many drillers expanded at a breakneck pace, loading up with debt to do so. They rushed into the Haynesville region when gas prices rose, but just as quickly packed up when prices fell, taking away the jobs, tax revenue and landowner royalties.

This time, domestic and international forces have the companies betting on steady demand for Haynesville gas for several years at least. In addition, their shareholders are insisting they return more of their profit to investors instead of using it to expand. It’s a strategy that has positioned them to better handle swings in commodity prices, executives and analysts say.

Another difference: The windfall for producers is largely coming from exports, which limits the extent to which the increased production translates into lower prices for American consumers.

In northwestern Louisiana’s DeSoto and Caddo parishes, roads are bustling with trucks, and workers have filled RV parks. “There’s a lot of work for everybody right now,” said Marcos Arellano, a worker on a rig operated for Chesapeake by Independence Contract Drilling.

Mansfield had roughly a 25% increase in sales-tax revenue in 2022, said Mayor Thomas Jones. The bounty enabled the town of 4,700 to afford a $2,000 payment to each of 62 municipal employees and to spend about $250,000 for a fire truck, he said.

At the local Comfort Inn & Suites, the influx of workers has meant $2,500 to $3,000 more monthly revenue than a year ago, said general manager Ba’Sha Adger.

And hefty royalty checks have started landing in the mailbox of Jim May, a 74-year-old landowner. On property he leases to Southwestern Energy Co. and Aethon Energy Management, the companies drilled 11 new wells in 2022 and re-fracked three aging ones.

Chesapeake produced 1.6 billion cubic feet of gas a day in the Haynesville during the third quarter of 2022 and says it plans to modestly increase production in 2023. Competitor Comstock Resources Inc., majority-owned by Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, has also said it was drilling more there.

Link to full story:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/oil-and-gas-are-back-and-booming-11673363006?st=x7gbb8k2bs43c2s&reflink=desktopwebshare§permalink

By Benoît Morenne and Jon Hilsenrath

Photographs by Rory Doyle for The Wall Street Journal

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By Teddy Allen

Shreve Memorial Library turns 100 this year, a celebratory occasion but bleak reminder that there could be a steep price to pay for that book you’ve been meaning to take back since 1926. 

Part of my feeble life has been marked by library intrigue. The smell of the books. The intent of its visitors, heads down in learning repose at neat and sturdy tables. That unique library quietness — not a still quietness like the cemetery but a very alive and purposeful quietness.  

Love the library. 

When it came to hero worship, while other first and second graders were locked in on their sports idols and television stars, I wanted nothing more than to meet Captain Kangaroo (another story for another time), Charley Pride, and Dewey Decimal. 

Mainly Dewey Decimal. 

I was a weird kid. 

But something about the library fascinated me, from the card catalog right on through the little packet glued to the inside back book cover that held a card with all the information concerning where that book had been and when. You could look on the little card and see that Lee Ann Rozier had checked this book out before you did, which meant that she had held it in her precious little second grade hands, and all you had to do was read it and you’d have a conversation starter next time you were lucky enough to sit by her in the lunch room. 

Who knows when I first heard the term “Dewey Decimal System,” but the alliteration alone must have made my tiny head spin. This meant that one day a guy sat down and figured out how to put All This Stuff in order, that General Works would go in the 000 section, Philosophy and Psychology would go in the 100s, and on like that. 

Must have took him a while. 

Investigation revealed that “Dewey” had figured out where all these books would go, and that his name wasn’t Dewey Decimal at all, but Melvil Dewey, a New York native born in 1851, lifelong librarian and founding member of the American Library Association (ALA). The Dewster could hit .300 while reading a Victorian novel and straightening up with Biographies section, (which is in the 900s, just for the record).  

Turns out Dewey was one of those books you can’t judge by its cover. He actually had to resign in 1905 from the ALA he helped found, due to allegations of sexual harassment and other things people in charge of the card catalog won’t allow. 

So, my library idol turned out to be a dud. Rascal could catalog a book though; you’ve got to give him that. You just didn’t want to share a study nook with him. Well, you didn’t even want to be in the same library branch with him. 

We haven’t come too far in improving human nature during the past century, but we sure have improved the library. Dewey wouldn’t even recognize the libraries he’d get thrown out of today. 

There are tutoring programs. Ways to look up your ancestry; (hope you aren’t kin to Dewey). Ebooks and audio books to check out. CDs. TV shows and music to stream. And some of these things you check-out digitally automatically check themselves back in. Correct: the library material is smarter than we are. 

Last month I went to get a new library card. Cost one dollar to replace my old card. I got a pin number so I can do online books now for free, minus my initial one whole dollar investment.  

There was one downside. Pam, the gracious librarian, looked at me like the doctor looks at you right before he says he’ll have to amputate your leg. 

“You do owe a fine,” she said. “Overdue book.” 

Me: “Oh lord. I’m sorry. How mu…?”  

Pam: “It’s from 2006.” 

Me: (Weak-kneed, calculating what I’ll have to sell to pay the fine on a book 17 years overdue…) 

Pam: “That’ll be dollar and thirty cents.” 

I love the library. 

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu 

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Painting, fixing up and other repairs have given downtown Grand Cane a bright new look.  Mayor Marsha Richardson told the Journal the refurbishing was paid for by a $19,600 grant from the Local Government Assistance Program.

The painting contractor, Alan Moreno of Pro Results Painting said, “I wanna thank the Mayor of Grand Cane, Mrs. Richardson for choosing us do there painting.  It took a while with the weather and holidays, but we got it done.  We painted three different businesses, twenty three light poles, a flagpole, a light, and three signs.  All letters were done by hand.”

Mayor Richardson said, “All seven historic buildings owned by the town benefited from the renovation.”

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By Royal Alexander

This week U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel after a second batch of classified documents was found inside the garage of President Biden’s Wilmington, Delaware, home.  The first documents were found inside the Washington, D.C., offices of the Penn Biden Center think tank.

What do we know?

Well, to begin with, what this latest Biden scandal underscores, yet again, is the corrupt nature of the FBI raid on President Trump’s Mar-A-Lago home in Florida on Aug 8, 2022.  A raid that reportedly included 30 agents—including SWAT teams—in 20 government vehicles swarming Mar-a-Lago in the Palm Beach darkness.

When can we expect the FBI raid on Biden’s Delaware home or his D.C. think tank to further investigate the mishandling of our National Security secrets, a discovery known by the DOJ several days BEFORE the midterm elections and yet covered up from the American people?

The FBI raid of Trump’s home was such a galactic injustice and legal error that even the leftist Washington Post has since concluded (WP, Nov 14, 2022) what millions of us knew from the beginning: that Pres. Trump never did or intended to do anything illicit with those documents and simply believed they were his property.    In the past, disputes like these were worked out between a former president’s lawyers and the government’s lawyers and, at the very worst, a subpoena could be issued to settle any dispute.

Scott McKay, publisher of The Hayride, stated at the time: “There (were) no documents at Mar-A-Lago worth staging an FBI raid on a former president’s home. That’s the kind of provocative move that can start a civil war.” 

However, the critical difference between the Trump and Biden matters is that only a president can unilaterally declassify documents. Trump was the president and thus had the power to declassify any document or source of information he wanted and implicit in his act of removing those documents from the White House was a declassification of them.

But Joe Biden wasn’t the president at the time that these potential felonies—which weaken U.S. national security—were committed.  He was the Vice President.  And he had no power to declassify documents, much less take them out of the government chain of custody and protection and store them in his garage next to his corvette in Delaware, or his think tank in D.C.

Further, while this situation is still developing it appears that a number of the classified documents Biden had stashed potentially involve those reflecting payments to the Bidens of millions of dollars by Chinese “businessmen” connected with the Chinese Communist Party as well as documents covering U.S. foreign policy concerning the UK, Iran, and Ukraine.

Please recall that just prior to the 2020 presidential election the story of Hunter Biden’s “laptop from hell” was breaking universally before the top brass at the FBI and Big Tech conspired to suppress the story although the FBI knew the story was credible.

The laptop makes clear that the Biden Crime Family, including ‘the Big Guy,’ benefitted to the tune of millions of dollars from the Chinese government.  The laptop contained not only details of the corrupt leveraging by Hunter Biden of his family connections with other nations in exchange for multi millions of dollars, but it also directly implicated through emails and voicemails then-presidential candidate, Joe Biden, himself.  One of those nations was Ukraine.

Reasonably, many are speculating that VP Biden removed and kept these classified documents because they would expose the corruption he and his family were involved with, all of which has been corroborated and highlighted by, again, the Hunter Biden laptop as well as his former business partner, Tony Bobulinski, which has been entered into the Congressional Record for all to read and view.

It all stinks to high heaven!

I wish I had confidence that the special counsel would get to the bottom of this but AG Garland and the top appointees at the Department of Justice and the FBI have become so politically weaponized that I doubt it.

As the National Review summed it up:

“The document drama exposes Biden as a hypocrite…. It’s another headache for a president who has never been forthright about his relationship to his family’s lobbying and consulting business.  Biden finished 2022 and spent the first week of 2023 on offense.  Now he’s on defense once more. He doesn’t like the feeling.  But he better get used to it.” (NR, Continetti, January 14, 2023)

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Trinity United Methodist Church of Ruston is finding new ways to reach the community in regard to how the congregation serves and how members spread the word of God. One way this church reaches the community is through different lecture series each year. This year’s offering, which the church is opening to the public, is the Laskey Lecture Series with Dr. Sandra Richter.

Created by Virginia Laskey, the lecture series brings in dynamic speakers with a variety of topics including politics, spirituality, arts, the environment, and much more.

Three FREE sessions will be taught by Dr. Sandra Richter to speak on the bible’s Old Testament on Saturday, Jan. 21 beginning at 10 am until 4 pm. Dr. Richter is a leading expert on Old Testament knowledge. She will convey a complex understanding of culture, archeology, and language to the listeners in a way they can understand. She will address leadership and hope through examining the life of Debra in the Book of Judges.

Attendees will receive complimentary childcare services.

Other offerings to the community include regular Sunday worship and bible studies throughout the week. The congregation also invests in children and youth as they are the future. They also feed the community, which is a big part of the church’s mission because there is such a big need for feeding programs.

More recently, our outreach committee is exploring new and innovative ways we can fight hunger in the Ruston community and beyond

To find out more about the lecture series or to sign up for it, call (318) 251-0750 or go online to http://www.trinityruston.org/announcements/laskey-lecture-series.

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POSITION: Accounting & Fiscal Department

DESCRIPTION: The accounting & Fiscal Department has current positions open

including CFO, Senior Accountant, Revenue Cycle Director, and Fiscal Assistant.

All positions work collaboratively to build a culture of compliance and excellence.

Roles and responsibilities vary from upper-level financial oversight and

management to bank account reconciliations; journal and vendor file maintenance;

analyzing financial information and/or assuring collection revenue is maximal.

QUALIFICATIONS: Range from BS in Accounting to fiscal experience,

dependent on specific position. Federal experience is desirable for managerial

positions.

CONTACT: Human Resources Department at hr@outpatientmedical.org or

visit outpatientmedical.org Career Opportunities section for specific job descriptions and links to apply.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: Until filled

Outpatient Medical Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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Storms will come in two waves Wednesday.  On Tuesday the National Weather Service said, “They will start as isolated early on in the morning before becoming a line of storms  by the afternoon and evening.

See the graphic for timing of the storm waves arrival.

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