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Click Here to Get The Journal tomorrow morning.

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By Nicole Tull

These DeSoto Parish churches will be celebrating the Lord’s Resurrection with various services and community events:

Good Friday Services:

           Hunter Magnolia Baptist Church – 6:30pm service and fellowship

            Living Word Church in Mansfield – 6:30pm worship and glow in the dark egg hunt

            Mansfield First Baptist Church – 6pm worship and communion

Egg Hunts:

            Logansport First Baptist Church, April 1 at 11am
            Gloster Baptist Church E.G.G. event, April 2 at 5pm

            Fellowship Community Church, April 8 from 11am-1pm

            Salem Baptist Church at Stonewall Park, April 8 from 10am-1pm

            Grand Cane Baptist Church Eggstravaganza, April 8 from 10am-12pm

            Hunter Magnolia Baptist Church, April 8, 3pm games, 5pm food and service

Sonrise Sunday Service:

           Fellowship Community Church at 7am

            Salem Baptist Church at 6:45am

            Hunter Magnolia Baptist Church at 7am

            Mt. Olivet Baptist Church 6:45am

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Sheriff Jayson Richardson would like to update the public regarding a viral video that was recorded in DeSoto Parish depicting two semi-truck drivers on I-49.  We would like to give a timeline, what our office has done, and a bit of advice to the public.  At approximately 8am on Wednesday, March 29th, it was brought to our attention that a video had gone viral on Facebook showing two semi-truck drivers involved in what appeared to be a road-rage incident.  The video in question had been uploaded the previous Tuesday evening, March 28th.  We immediately made contact with dispatch and determined that no calls were received regarding this incident the prior evening.  By 9:30am on Wednesday, (1.5 hours after being notified) investigators had already identified both drivers and made one arrest.  Omar Berrios Martinez (44 year old Hispanic Male) was arrested and charged with Reckless Operation with No Accident, and Aggravated Obstruction of a Highway (Felony). He was transported to the DeSoto Detention Center and booked, and his semi-truck was towed (see picture).  Contact has also now been made with the driver of the other semi-truck from the video.  At the time of this post, the driver is being cooperative with law enforcement, and headed back to our area to turn himself in.  Matters as to why the incident took place remain under investigation.

The video itself greatly assisted in the identification of these drivers.  We also appreciate the many residents online who have shown support and faith in our ability to identify, locate, and make an arrest on these individuals.  It is concerning, however, that our office did not receive any calls regarding the incident at the time it was taking place.  A deputy may not be at the scene of such a random incident, but they can usually respond within mere seconds.  Instead, our office was repeatedly tagged in comments and posts of the video after office hours and well into the night.  Edited to note:  One citizen did reach out to Sheriff Richardson directly shortly after the incident had taken place.  Sheriff Richardson immediately contacted dispatchers, and it was at that time it was realized that no calls had been received.

We just want to remind the public that our social media is monitored by one person and is not usually monitored after office hours or on weekends.  Facebook/Messenger should never be used as a middleman to inform our office or to report a crime.  To do that, you should always call our office to speak with a dispatcher or dial 911 in the event of an emergency.  Facebook is a third party application that does not consistently, nor efficiently, notify us when we receive a new message, tag, comment, etc.  When time is of the essence in saving lives, we cannot rely or depend on social media to take its time in notifying us of a message.  So please, be sure that you are reporting crimes through the proper channels to ensure a swift and efficient response.

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Hazardous materials found around the house may be turned in on April 15^th at three locations in DeSoto Parish.  Collection will be from 9:00 am until noon. 

Items accepted include Used oil and automotive fluids, paint and painting products, tires, pesticides, electronics, gasoline and solvents, cleaning products and household, automotive and marine batteries.

Items not accepted include ammunition and explosives, fire alarms and smoke detectors, and fire extinguishers.

For a complete list, contact the police jury or check their social media posts.

The collection locations are the compactor site on Bethel Road at Logansport, the Road Department location on Liberty Lane in Grand Cane, and the Compactor site in Stonewall.

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State police reported on Wednesday that Troopers arrested 42-year-old Charles Barker of Florien.  After a thorough investigation, Troopers obtained an arrest warrant and charged him with negligent homicide. He was booked into the DeSoto Parish Jail.

See below for the initial news release from January 26, 2023

On Wednesday, January 25, 2023, just before 3:30 p.m., Troopers assigned to Louisiana State Police Troop G began investigating a three-vehicle fatality crash on U.S. Hwy 171 near WPA Road.  This crash claimed the life of 35-year-old Christopher Gray of Lake Charles.

The initial investigation revealed that a 2021 International (empty log truck), driven by 42-year-old Charles Barker of Florien, was traveling south on U.S. Hwy 171.  At the same time, two Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) vehicles were stopped in the right lane of U.S. Hwy 171 as work crews made road surface improvements.  Barker’s vehicle struck the first DOTD vehicle, which was a 2018 Dodge Ram truck, causing it to leave the roadway.  After the initial impact, the International struck the second DOTD vehicle, which was a 2015 Ford dump truck.  Gray was standing behind the Ford and was also struck.  An additional DOTD worker was standing in the bed of the Ford and was ejected from the vehicle.

Gray suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead on the scene by the DeSoto Parish Coroner’s Office.  Barker and two other DOTD workers were transported to local hospitals with moderate injuries. 

Impairment is not suspected to be a factor in this crash; however, routine toxicology samples were taken and submitted for analysis.  The crash remains under investigation.

Troopers would like to remind all motorists to make good decisions, such as buckling your seat belt, obeying all posted speed limits, and avoiding all distractions while driving.  By remaining attentive to the roadway, motorists give themselves much needed time to react to changing road conditions ahead of them.

In 2023, Troop G has investigated six fatal crashes, resulting in six deaths.

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By Brad Dison

Britton set a goal for himself that would terrify the toughest of people.  He wanted to become the youngest person to climb the tallest mountains on each of the world’s continents, what mountain climbers refer to as the “Seven Summits.”  At the time, less than 100 people had ever accomplished this feat.  When asked why he would make such an attempt, Britton said, “I dreamed of throwing myself at a goal, at a challenge that seemed so insurmountable in the face of the odds, that I was willing to risk death in the name of success.”  By 2001, Britton had climbed Denali, Aconcagua, Elbrus, and Kilimanjaro, four of the seven highest mountains.  By 2004, Britton had conquered Mount Kosciuszko in Australia.  In January of 2004, Britton reached the summit of Vinson, the tallest mountain in Antarctica.  On January 23, on the day Britton returned home to Greenwich, Connecticut, his 76-year-old beloved grandfather, Bob, died.  Britton was crushed. 

Britton had just one more mountain to go to become the youngest person to reach each of the Seven Summits, Mount Everest.  Within weeks of tackling Vinson, as he began packing for Earth’s highest mountain above sea level, Mount Everest, Britton’s thoughts kept returning to his grandfather.  “His memory will be pushing me to strive even harder than I’ve ever strived before,” he said.  “He really just pushed me to push the boundaries and seek the outer limits of whatever I was doing.”  To honor his grandfather, Britton packed a photo of Bob to take to the summit of Mount Everest.

Finally, in March of 2004, Britton began his climb up Mount Everest with Bob’s photo in his pack.  For two months, Britton and his team struggled through winds which reached up to 125 miles per hour, had to use ladders tied to each other to cross 50-foot deep and 30-foot-wide crevasses, and, had to wear oxygen masks when the air became too thin to breath.  At one point, a falling boulder barely missed hitting his face by only a few inches.  On May 24, Britton became the youngest person at the time to reach the Seven Summits.  While atop the summit, Britton removed his grandfather’s photo from his pack and carefully buried it on Mount Everest.     

Britton grandfather was certainly an inspiration to his grandson Britton, but he also inspired and entertained millions of children on television.  From 1948-1952, he was Clarabell the Clown on the “Howdy Doody Show.” From 1953-1955 he was Corny the Clown on “Time for Fun,” and from 1954-1955 he was Tinker the Toymaker on “Tinker’s Workshop.”  From 1955 to 1985, Bob hosted a children’s television program for which he is most remembered.  The photo which remains atop mount Everest is of Britton Keeshan’s grandfather, Robert James “Bob” Keeshan, but you and I know Bob as Captain Kangaroo.

Sources:

1. Ledger-Enquirer, January 29, 2004, p.2.
2. The Sentinel, February 3, 2004, p.33.
3. Rutland Daily Herald, May 27, 2004, p.16.
4. Daily Record, June 10, 2004, p.1.
5. “Britton Keeshan ’00 Recounts Seven Summits Quest at All-School Meeting, The Phillipian, accessed March 25, 2023.phillipian.net/2005/10/25/britton-keeshan-00-recounts-seven-summits-quest-at-all-school-meeting/

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The latest economic impact report from the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana (TRSL) shows that retirement dollars are fueling regional economies across Louisiana.

In Fiscal Year 2022, TRSL provided $425 million in retirement income to retirees and beneficiaries in North Louisiana . Statewide, TRSL retirees took home $2 billion.

In DeSoto Parish there were 513 recipients in 2022. They got a total of $14,449,056.

Other highlights from the report:

TRSL pensions support approximately 15,507 Louisiana jobs and more than $719 million in income.

TRSL has invested more than $1.1 billion in companies that do business in Louisiana, supporting economic and job growth in the state.

Almost 90% of the retirement dollars TRSL pays out goes to individuals who live in Louisiana, where they buy local goods and services.

Less than a penny of every dollar spent at TRSL is for administrative expenses. TRSL provides a high level of service at a low cost.

More information on TRSL’s economic impact can be found in the 2023 Investing in Louisiana report.

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By Steve Graf

Bass fishermen are always dreaming of participating in a national championship. The ultimate event and goal of all anglers from the day they’re born are to be in the Bassmaster Classic…the Super Bowl of bass fishing, the crown jewel, and an event that draws anglers from all over the world. There are so many tournament trails of all levels, and most have a path by which you can qualify for either a regional or a national championship event. Today you’ll get to hear how I, and so many other anglers, prepare for a championship event.

Coming up the first week of April on the beautiful Red River out of Red River South Marina just south of Bossier, one such event will be taking place called the ABA Ray Scott National Championship. This is a tournament that an angler must qualify for by finishing in the top 5 in the Angler of the Year standings from one of 16 divisions nationwide from New York down to Florida over to Texas and all points in between. It truly is a national circuit with some great anglers.    

For the last month, anglers including myself have been on the unpredictable and ever-changing Red River despite the high, cold, and muddy water. Now, why would anglers be looking for fish two months in advance when the tournament doesn’t start until April 1st? With most major national championships, there’s what’s called a dead water period. This rule states that no angler can be on the Red River nor receive any information starting at sunset on March 1st till sunrise on April 1st. This rule is in place so that local anglers don’t have an unfair advantage over those coming from all parts of the country. So, before this dead water period begins, anglers are looking for good backwater areas that have some fairly clean water that might still be holding bass at the start of the tournament.

After the dead water period is over (sunrise on April 1st ), it’s tournament time. For this event, we’ll have 4 official practice days followed by four competition days. There are two schools of thought when it comes to practice. Some anglers go out and fish just like they would in a tournament by hooking all the fish they can and seeing how big they are. Then there are anglers like me who refuse to hook bass and will put some form of plastic tubing over their hooks to make sure they do not hook fish that they might catch during the actual tournament. There’s also a thing called “sore mouthing” fish which is when you hook fish a day or two before the tournament.  These fish probably will not bite for another three or four days unless it’s during the spawn when bass will bite multiple times in one day. It all depends on the time of year. 

For this angler, I’ll be looking for areas holding several schools of bass while looking for quality. Having multiple schools in an area is great, but only if they are bass with good size that allows me to be competitive. Small bass, known as “dinks,” will not put you in the winner’s circle in any event. My tournament history on the Red River has shown that you need several areas that you can rotate to, especially with this event being four days. With over 100 anglers participating, there’s a lot of pressure on the fish and a lot of anglers will find the same schools. That’s why it’s important to find as many schools of bass as possible, in multiple locations, so that you don’t burn all your fish on the first or second day of competition.  

After four days of practice, it’s time to go to work. This is when all those long days on the water hopefully pay off. Bass fishing tends to reward those anglers who put in the long hours of practice and preparation…long days starting at 5:00 AM and fishing hard until the sun goes down. There’s a saying among all anglers, “There’s no substitute for time on the water.” Anglers that follow this golden rule tend to be the most successful.

The final challenge for any angler that has a major tournament on his home water is the mental side. The problem is that you have so much history and know too many places to go and catch fish. For example, if the spot you start on does not pay off, you start to second guess your game plan. It’s hard to win on your home water. There’s more self-inflicted pressure to contend with for the win because you’re the local favorite. My goal is to try and take it one day and one fish at a time and hopefully be in contention on the final day. Fish the moment!

If you get the chance, come out to the daily weigh-in starting at 3:00 PM April 5th – 8th at Red River South Marina located off Hwy 71 just south of Bossier. Looking forward to seeing you there and hopefully, you’ll see me standing in the winner’s circle. Good luck, good fishing, and wear your sunscreen!

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The State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFM) has arrested a Keithville man for allegedly setting his ex-girlfriend’s house on fire with her and five children inside.

Michael Sherrick, 44, was booked into the Caddo Parish Jail on Friday, March 24, on one count of Aggravated Arson and six counts of Attempted 2nd Degree Murder.

In the evening hours of Wednesday, March 22, Caddo Parish Fire District #4 responded to a report of a house fire located in the 14000 block of Johns Gin Road in Keithville. Firefighters learned there was a mother and five children inside the home at the time of the fire, but fortunately, all were able to escape safely.

Following an assessment of the scene and conducting witness statements, SFM deputies determined the fire started in the attic and was intentionally set.

During the investigation, deputies learned there had been an altercation between the homeowner and her ex-boyfriend, Sherrick, shortly before the fire occurred. The homeowner also reported seeing Sherrick come from the home’s attic and run out of the house around the same time she started smelling smoke in the home. A warrant was then obtained for Sherrick’s arrest.

When Sherrick was located back at the scene, he ran from arresting officers but was later taken into custody.

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The DeSoto Parish Library has published the April Newsletter.  It is packed with activities and adventures for everyone in the family.  There is a big page of events at every branch, Pelican, Logansport, Stonewall, and the Main Library in Mansfield.

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GET YOUR Natchitoches Jazz/R&B EARLY BIRD TICKETS NOW!!!

THIS WEEK IS YOUR LAST CHANGE to secure your 2023 tickets at the lowest price possible for the Natchitoches Jazz/R&B Festival on May 12^th & 13^th

The Early Bird sale ends March 31^st at 11:59pm!

Buy tickets and be entered into the Steel Magnolia’s Getaway Giveaway!

VIP ticket buyers will be entered into an exclusive VIP Giveaway to be announced! STAY TUNED!

Get your tickets here & enter in the giveaway here: 

https://www.natchjazzfest.com/

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Juan Whitaker

11/19/1960 – 3/27/2023

Service: Friday, March 31, 2023 @ 2:00 P.M. Jenkins Funeral Home Chapel

April Denise Edwards

11/5/1979 – 3/27/2023

Service: Saturday, April 1, 2023 @ 2:00 P.M. St. Elizabeth B.C. Grand Cane, LA

Charles Hewitt

10/8/1956 – 3/23/2023

Service: Saturday, April 1, 2023 @ 12:00 P.M. Desoto Multicultural Center Mansfield, LA

Juno Clark

3/28/1960 – 3/20/2023

Service: Saturday, April 1, 2023 @ 11:00 A.M. Mt. Zion B.C. Kingston, LA

Jewel Lee Taylor

7/27/1938 – 3/18/2023

Services Saturday, April 1, 2023 @ 11:00 A.M. House of Refuge Coushatta, LA

The DeSoto Parish Journal publishes “Remembrances of Loved Ones” with unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $70. The Remembrance will be included in the emails sent to subscribers.  Contact your funeral provider or DeSotoParishJournal@gmail.com. Must be paid in advance of publication.

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The Logansport High Tiger Band competed recently at District Honor Band in Tioga.  They received a Superior in Sight Reading and a 3 on stage.

At district honor band in Tioga, the North DeSoto Griffin Band earned Sweepstakes receiving superior ratings in all categories.

There is an Easter Book Sale at the Logansport Branch Library.  Hardbacks, Paperbacks, Audio Books and DVDs are available at very reasonable prices.

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GET YOUR Natchitoches Jazz/R&B EARLY BIRD TICKETS NOW!!!

THIS WEEK IS YOUR LAST CHANCE to secure your 2023 tickets at the lowest price possible for the Natchitoches Jazz/R&B Festival on May 12th & 13th.

The Early Bird sale ends March 31st at 11:59 pm!

Buy tickets and be entered in the Steel Magnolia’s Getaway Giveaway!

VIP ticket buyers will be entered into an exclusive VIP Giveaway to be announced! STAY TUNED!

Get your tickets & enter the giveaway here:

BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE

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DeSoto Parish voters have defeated a ¼% sales and use tax proposition by a wide margin.  Final vote was 995 or 56% against and 773 or 44% in favor of the tax.  Again, voters have turned down a tax that would benefit the parish animal shelter and other entities.

The sales tax would have been a permanent tax that proponents estimated would produce $2,000,000 annually.  In additional to the animal shelter, the tax would have funded mosquito control and activities relating to nonprofit activities such as the DeSoto Council on Aging.

The other tax proposition on the ballot in Fire District 2 passed by a wide margin.  The vote was 115 or 57% in favor and 86 or 43% in opposition.  This was a ten year renewal of an 11 mill tax on all property n Fire Protection District 2.  It is estimated that the property tax will raise about $1,102,600 a year.

Around 12% of the registered voters in the parish cast ballots in Saturday’s election.

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From the Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday:

The following list of closures were provided to our office by outside agencies:

• March 29th – March 30th: Red Bluff Road will be closed between Hwy 171 and Long Road.
• April 3rd – April 6th: Nash Road will be closed between Woodsprings Road and the RB4 Event Center.
• For the next 30+ days: Railroad Avenue will be closed between addresses 625 and 665.

This is the limit of the information we have at this moment on these road closures.  Additional information may be available by contacting DOTD or other agency handling these closures. 

Signage should be in place to redirect traffic when/if necessary.

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The DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office hosted a Hunter’s Education Course on March 16th – 18th with over 30 students in attendance.  This course date was specially chosen for (but not limited to) 4H Shooting Sports competitors before their season began. 

Another Hunter’s Ed Course will still be hosted in the coming months, before hunting season.  In addition, the Sheriff will offer Hunter Skills Camp later in the year.

This was a three-day course where attendees were trained on hunting and firearm safety and certified in Hunter Safety as well.  Students and Instructors had a wonderful  time together learning more about the great outdoors and much more.

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By Teddy Allen

Standing in line for more than two hours in a receiving line at the funeral home, not just standing in line but moving in line and sharing in line and encouraging in line — living in line — gives you time to think.

For starters, even though you don’t know everyone in line and they don’t know you, you feel a part of a greater good, a part of the force that was this life and this family you are here to honor. This one life, in ways special to each of us, touched all these people and hundreds more who couldn’t be here.

The emotional mix is stunning: the uncomfortable feeling of loss and unfairness, and at the same time gratitude for being able to count among your friends this life that radiated a deep and unselfish goodness.

It’s early spring and yet so many are going through a storm. There will always be storms but if you live long enough, they will now and then come one right after the other and you can’t keep the pieces all picked up, for yourself or for your friends. You are tying but more pieces keep falling. Breaking.

Mercy at the loss lately, and the threat of more loss. It all combines to remind me how little control we have, and how I am blind at times to things I do have control over. Which is pathetic. Sad. I am waiting in line to hug the family of a friend who was a master of doing the little things. I’m not sure he even thought so much about it. He just did them. He was aware that he had control over these little actions. He knew they made the difference.

And the difference is real, because all these people are around me. To thank him.

You can make someone happier today. You can. It might be paying for coffee for the person behind you in line at the drive-thru, or it might be calling an old friend, or thanking your Sunday school teacher, or the custodian who keeps your building clean, or the boss who signs the checks.

You ever color a picture and send it to someone for no reason? I do. It’s stupid. But it’s a surprise, and they’ll always call to thank you, because for one moment an ordinary day held a silly surprise for them, and only heaven knows how those kinds of things make a difference, but they do.

I’ve heard these things called “the smallest acts of love.” Remind someone how strong they’ve been. Compliment them for whatever makes them them. Praise. Encourage. Smile. These little things add up.

Our friend we lost, he did lots of big things. Beautiful things. He made the world prettier, literally. But when I think of him — and this has been for years, not just now — I am always left with how he made me feel. He had plenty to do but when we were together, he was present. Honest. Funny without meaning to be because he was just him. A friend.

We are all just people but somehow, we have the gift inside that, if we share it, has the potential to help a sister or brother over the next hill. The smallest thing, if it’s real, can be the thing that holds up, can be the stuff that works. The smallest thing can make a difference.

And that’s when, in the middle of the storms, the miracles show up. In the smallest, most sincere acts. One thoughtful moment, one honest ear to listen or hand to hold. Be present and be ready. We need you. You can make the difference that makes the difference for someone today, and the difference for today can make the difference for forever.

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu or Twitter @MamaLuvsManning

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The Alumni Association of DeSoto High School is holding a chicken and sausage lunch on April 6^th beginning at 11:00 am.  It will be held at the DeSoto High School Multicultural Center.

The menu is chicken and sausage, scrumptious potato salad and the best ever baked beans.  Gotta get Cha a plate!  Only $10.

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By Royal Alexander

We simply must not go down a road in which we are criminalizing politics.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson once described the tremendous power possessed by prosecutors and how critically important is the virtue of discretion in the exercise of that power, whether it pertains to a former president or any other American citizen.

“With the law books filled with a great assortment of crimes, a prosecutor stands a fair chance of finding at least a technical violation of some act on the part of almost anyone.  In such a case, it is not a question of discovering the commission of a crime and then looking for the man who has committed it, it is a question of picking the man and then searching the law books, or putting investigators to work, to pin some offense on him.”

The plan of the Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, to indict President Trump on these facts presents the most dangerous kind of legal abuse.  It’s the weaponization of our legal system against a political enemy when the majority of Americans would only support the indictment of a former president—who is also running for president again—for serious offenses based upon solid, indisputable evidence and within the statute of limitations.

We should note that DA Bragg’s potential indictment of Trump follows numerous campaign trail boasts during his pursuit of the DA position of his plans to prosecute Trump.  (NY Post).

The charge against Trump appears to be falsifying business records to pay an alleged mistress, a misdemeanor.  DA Bragg is threatening to increase it to a felony by alleging it was an illegal campaign finance donation to Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign because it somehow helped Trump’s campaign for the allegation not to be exposed.

That’s laughable.

Federal law allows a candidate to contribute an unlimited amount of money to their own campaigns and it’s a real stretch to suggest Pres. Trump, a multi billionaire, was hiding a campaign expenditure with the payment.  Much more likely is that Trump was trying to shush the alleged mistress to spare himself the public embarrassment of that allegation.

Recall that federal prosecutors already looked at this and didn’t indict and neither did the Federal Election Commission (FEC) find a campaign violation.  This alleged “crime” also occurred approximately 7 years ago which means that under the statute of limitations it’s too late to bring this charge anyway.

No matter.

The second most laughable part of this story is that a key witness in this case is Michael Cohen, a former Trump lawyer, who was previously convicted of perjury.  Of lying under oath.  Do you see the complete lack of credibility in the desperation to “get Trump” at all costs?

Let’s remember all of the efforts to destroy Pres. Trump:

Two failed impeachment efforts, the completely unjustified and unprecedented raid of President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Florida,   The Russia Collusion Hoax and the literal attempt by the top leadership at the FBI to remove a duly elected president based upon total fabrications that have since been conclusively proven to be lies.

What about the Steele dossier lie—the false and misleading information used to secure FISA warrants funded by Hillary Clinton with campaign donations—and the fraudulent and hugely distracting two-year, $32 million taxpayer-inquisition by Robert Mueller that yielded nothing?

You know what really highlights the great partisan dishonesty here?

First, the galactic double standard with respect to Hillary Clinton’s mishandling and destruction of classified information before her 2016 campaign for president: her wiping of her server and the destruction of her blackberries with hammers.

Yet, she was never prosecuted.

Second, the deliberate effort by the FBI to aid Joe Biden by suppressing the Hunter Biden “laptop from hell”—falsely deeming it “foreign disinformation”—even though we later learned that the FBI had been in possession of the laptop for about a year and knew it was credible.

Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz, a lifelong liberal Democrat who has voted against Trump every opportunity he has had, stated that this proposed indictment of Trump is the “worst abuse of prosecutorial discretion” in the 60 years he has practiced criminal law.

For the sake of the country this must stop.

Americans must come together to oppose leftist prosecutors who flout legislatures, who weaponize the law against their political opponents, and who attack our democracy as though they are the source of society’s laws, rather than We the People.

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Have you seen Rumors?  Do you like to laugh until your sides ache?  There are still three performances at the BackAlley Community Theatre in Grand Cane.  And a limited number of tickets are still available.

The play, written by Neil Simon and directed by Barry Larson, is a hilarious romp through an evening of mayhem. Not to give away the plot, but Rumors is just that and more.

So enjoy an evening of great entertainment produced right here in Grand Cane.  CLICK HERE to get tickets to Rumors at the BackAlley Community Theatre.

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This week Mansfield Elementary School introduced SkyQuinlar Jones, MES Principal of the Day.

The school said, “I He set a goal and worked hard to earn 50 PRIDE Bucks by being kind, persistent, respectful, independent, determined, and encouraging so that he could be Principal for the Day. He is dressed for success and was busy all morning with official school administrative duties.

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On Tuesday, March 21, 2023, Sheriff Jayson Richardson’s ‘Bringing Joye’ Program had the privilege of preparing and serving food during the DeSoto Parish JR/SR Prom for students with Special Needs! 

Students from all schools were in attendance, wearing their finest attire, to dance, eat, and have a fun time at the RB4 Center in Logansport.  Sheriff Richardson and staff prepared fried catfish, chicken strips, fries, green beans and desserts for dozens of students, teachers and parents!  This is an event we look forward to every year, and Bringing Joye is always happy to participate in any way possible.  Even Mansfield High SRO, Nathanial Anderson, jumped in to take a pic with his students as they were headed out to Prom. 

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Clara Springs Baptist Camp celebrated it’s 70^th anniversary this past weekend.  There was the March Fourth Friday Fish Fry on Friday night.  And there were great worship and other activities on Sunday.

The camp said, “Our 70th Anniversary Celebration for the families may have been a rainy one but it was still so much fun. We are so thankful for everyone that braced the storms to come out and enjoy the camp. We had an amazing time of Worship with Vine&Co with a devotion time led by Roger Greer of Overcoming Obstacles.

“Our staffers did a tremendous job from running all of the games to preparing and serving a meal to everyone that came. We are so thankful that the Lord has allowed us to serve at Clara Springs.”

Clara Springs is making preparations for a full slate of camps and activities over the summer of 2023.  And come April 28th they will have the next Fourth Friday Fish Fry.

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