Funeral services celebrating the life of Bro. William Aaron “Toby” Shaw, Jr. were held on Monday, October 9, 2023, at Kilpatrick’s Rose-Neath Chapel, 943 Polk Street, Mansfield, Louisiana. Officiating the service will be Dr. Ron Thompson. Interment will follow at Mt. Heights Cemetery, Mansfield, Louisiana. Visitation was held on Sunday, October 8, 2023, at Kilpatrick’s Rose-Neath Funeral Home.

Toby was born on December 11, 1948, in Shreveport, Louisiana to Opal and William Shaw, Sr. and peacefully entered into rest on Friday, October 6, 2023.

Toby loved farming and the outdoors. He loved to fish and hunt but riding his horses was his favorite thing, especially with his kids and grandkids. He loved his family, church, and his members. He enjoyed his mornings with the coffee group. He also said, “he was a jack of all trades and the master of none.” He will be missed by so many.

Left to cherish his memory is his wife, Deloris “Sis” Shaw; daughters, Michelle Burr (Dale), Stephanie Locke(Chris) and Jennifer Hobbs(Gary); sisters, Linda Porter and Melba Shaw; granddaughters, Jessica Bolton(Blake), Madison Knippers(Jaylynn) and Sydney Martin(Richard); grandsons, Justin Burr and Silas Hobbs; great-grandchildren, Hallie Bolton, and Waylon Martin; and a host of nieces and nephews. Toby was preceded in death by his parents.

Honoring Toby as pallbearers will be Chris Locke, Blake Bolton, Dale Burr, Jaylynn Knippers, Richard Martin, Justin Burr, Bubba Locke, and Gary Hobbs. Honorary pallbearers will be the Men’s Coffee Club.

Sheriff Jayson Richardson will open the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office Rifle Range to public on October 21 from 9am until 3 pm. DeSoto Parish hunters will have the opportunity to sight in their rifles for hunting season. Sheriff Richardson is pleased to offer this service to residents free of charge in a safe environment. The service is designed to allow proper sighting without the worry of disturbing neighbors in nearby areas.

The Range will have shooting lanes open with targets at 100 yards. All stations will be equipped with a shooting bench and lead sled to assist hunters. Basic targets will be available at the range, but shooters are allowed to bring their own targets.

Residents will need to bring their own weapons, ammunition, hearing and eye protection. Limited hearing and eye protection may be available at the range if needed. A Range Instructor as well as other deputies will be on site and available to assist citizens to ensure safety. Registration is not required, however the range will only be open to DeSoto Parish residents.

DeSoto Parish Training Facility
120 Sprocket Ln., Grand Cane, LA

By: Rebekah Fatheree

Stonewall Library has all the books written by Jann Franklin. These items were put into a collection for the public to check out. Jann Franklin’s books were also the Stonewall staff picks of the month and had them displayed in front of the circulation area.

About the Author:
Jann Franklin lives in Grand Cane, Louisiana. Over three hundred other people also live in Grand Cane, and many of Jann’s chapters came from her weekly visits at the downtown coffee shop. She and her husband John enjoy Sundays at Grand Cane Baptist Church, dinner with family and friends, and watching the lightning bugs in their backyard. Their kids come to visit, when they aren’t too busy living their big-city lives.

She graduated from high school in Russellville, another small town in Arkansas. She obtained her accounting degree from Baylor University in Waco, Texas and moved to Dallas in 1989. She still dabbles in accounting but has taken up writing to satisfy her creative side. Like Jen Guidry, she never appreciated her small-town upbringing until she was encouraged to move back to one. Now she cannot imagine living any other way.

By Doug De Graffenried

My mother was correct!

She told me if I kept listening to that loud music, I would go deaf. It only took another fifty years for my mom’s prediction to come true. Lacking ego about wearing such things and with modern technology, I can hear fine now. Albeit my hearing is digitally aided. I enjoy watching the staff look at me, when I answer a phone call that only I can hear. Or when I’m holding my phone appearing to have a one-sided conversation. The digital technology allows the phone calls to go directly to my hearing aids. I also enjoy all the settings I have. I can turn on white noise in my head. I have settings for restaurants which allows me to hear what is in front of me. I even have a setting called wife. It allows me to hear instructions without asking for a repeat. There for a while I thought I had memory problems, just turns out that I couldn’t hear anything, especially anything said in the female vocal range.

Growing older is not for cowards!

Last week we went out to eat twice. That is a rarity in the life plan. I was looking forward to a quiet meal. In both places, on Thursday and Friday, the restaurant decided to feature live music. My suspicion is they were targeting a younger audience. I will never tell you where I was dining! I will tell you that in both places the musician sucked! I wondered if they paid the house to play there. What were they singing? What was their genre? Was I moved by the music? In both places I was surrounded by large screen televisions showing sports. No other entertainment was necessary. I had table companions for conversation. What the heck restaurant people? Were your receipts up for the evening? If you’re going to do this, listen to the musician before saying, “Yes.”

I’m a grouch and I know it. I will say that in both dining establishments the musician took a long break. It was nice to hear quiet conversations again.

I know the musicians were glad to play in front of an appreciative crowd. I appreciated their break! I know the younger crowd probably loved the music and enjoyed their evening out. I hope it was great for business and I’m sure the owners made a strategic decision to have music in their establishments to enhance the atmosphere. I get it! I still hated it! Moving forward I will return to both places, but this time I’ll ask about the presence of live music and ask to be seated far-far away from the source of the noise, I meant the music.

In the last book of the Bible, the Revelation, we read, “The Lamb opened the seventh seal and there was silence in Heaven for half an hour.” I guess the seraphim went on break. That was a veiled reference to Isaiah 6, in case you are wondering.

How is the noise level in your life? Do you have to keep some form of noise going around you? Have you learned the spiritual discipline of stillness and silence? Does the thought of silence creep you out?

The Psalmist wrote, “For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation.”

The Psalmist was also correct!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 28, 2023

BATON ROUGE, La. – The Louisiana Center for the Book in the State Library of Louisiana is excited to announce the return of the Louisiana Book Festival on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023.

The 19th annual Louisiana Book Festival will be held 9:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. in downtown Baton Rouge at the
Louisiana State Capitol, the State Library of Louisiana, Capitol Park Museum, and the surrounding Capitol Park area. The Friday before the festival, Oct. 27, will also see the return of WordShops, writing workshops  with major authors as instructors. Details about the workshops will be released soon.

“We have one of the best book festivals in the country in our own backyard. The 2023 lineup is full of award-winning authors from near and far and features books highlighting all corners of this great state. We’ll also welcome some authors with their debut works,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. “As always, there will be various programs for readers of different age groups. There is something for everyone.”

The 24th Louisiana Writer Award ceremony will kick-off the festival with the presentation of the award to Maurice Carlos Ruffin. The festival’s One Book One Festival celebrates the 75th anniversary of Louisiana-born Truman Capote’s first published novel, Other Voices, Other Rooms, with the ever-popular Dr. Gary Richards returning to Louisiana to lead the reader discussion.

“Over 200 authors and presenters are taking part in this year’s festival. Some are homegrown, and others have name recognition on a national level. Their works are just as varied,” said Interim State Librarian Meg Placke. “What they all have in common are amazing stories to share. We can’t wait to welcome everyone.”

This year’s books highlight multiple topics, including the real-life story of a young Baton Rouge woman who battled cancer and became the youngest American to orbit Earth, the hidden history of Louisiana’s jazz age, the little-known origins of Delta Airline’s North Louisiana origins, and the civil rights protest that saved the New Orleans Saints.

A photography book from The Historic New Orleans Collection will make its debut and one of the first books from a new Library of Congress series will be featured during the Louisiana Book Festival.

“It’s always great for us to be able to debut a book, and it’s a pleasure to introduce the public to an excellent new series. We’re thrilled to feature these titles from these two esteemed institutions,” said Jim Davis, Executive Director of the Louisiana Book Festival.

The day will also include a focus on fiction, with a panel on “grit lit,” a genre of Southern literature that focuses on the unvarnished, rougher edges of life. The panel will feature some authors making their Louisiana debut. There will also be two panels of Louisiana poets hosted by the state poet laureate and programs for children and teens.

Cooking demonstrations return, as do more than 100 exhibitor booths and tables and sponsor tents. Featured books will be available for purchase and signing, made possible by Cavalier House Books of Denham Springs. The event is free to the public.

Each year the Louisiana Book Festival selects a Louisiana artist to provide the artwork for the festival. This year, Emily Roemer, a Shreveport native and LSU graduate, created the artwork.

Roemer, who most recently worked at The New Yorker as a senior designer, said the assignment to design the artwork for the Louisiana Book Festival was a natural fit. “I’m obsessed with typography and that’s where the idea for the poster originated. I love books. I collect vintage books because of the typography they used.”

She said there are countless typefaces that were done by hand that have never been digitized. Roemer said she scoured old magazines and books and scanned in unique fonts “that don’t exist in the modern-day computer world,” putting them into the artwork for the book festival.

As for the pops of color, Roemer said that’s her personality. “I feel like I was born with an eye for color. It’s a challenge if someone wants a black-and-white logo,” she said, adding that she was excited to be asked to work on a project for her home state’s premiere book festival. “I was so excited. It’s always nice to be do something for home. I’m really excited to see the poster come out into the world.”

For more information about the 2023 Louisiana Book Festival, visit www.LouisianaBookFestival.org.

The Louisiana Center for the Book was established in the State Library of Louisiana in 1994. Its mission is to stimulate public interest in reading, books, literacy, and libraries and to celebrate Louisiana’s rich literary heritage. It is the official state affiliate of the Library of Congress Center for the Book.

Day or night, Louisiana State Troopers are out patrolling in an effort to keep Louisiana’s road safe. Do you have what it takes to be a part of the Louisiana State Police?

LSP is now taking applications for Cadet Class 104. With an anticipated start date in April 2024, Cadet Class 104 will be a traditional full-length training academy for ALL qualified applicants. The deadline to apply is January 10, 2024.

Visit https://www.lsp.org/recruitment/ for more information on the hiring process, qualifications, physical fitness standards, and frequently asked questions.

LSP has also partnered with InterviewNow to provide a more modernized process to communicate with a recruiter. Simply text “JoinLSP” to 225-777-8162 to answer a few questions and get started. 
 
For additional questions and information, please contact LSP Recruiters at LSPRecruiting@LA.gov

I am no philosopher, scientist, or preacher.

I am, in fact, hardly a man.

But I do eat food, and even I know that if God had depended on the McRib as a starter-kit for the first female, women would have never been created.

Had he winged it and made Eve from a McRib, we’d be staring down the barrel of McWomen, hardly a suitable substitute for God’s greatest creation — dogs being a solid second, bacon cheeseburgers on soft fresh buns a-huggin’ third.

Heaven help.

Instead, God gave us the real thing.

No so on the McDonald’s front. No offense to millions of Americans’ favorite fast food burger joint. But don’t even think about calling something a Rib when it is McNot.

Our dogged reporter and longtime friend Donnie Golfgame has been on this story since 2020 when the McRib, not a menu staple, made a brief holiday-season return to the menu. And here we go again.

Early last week Donnie was reading “America’s newspaper, USAToday,” and ran across this headline:

“McRib is back at McDonald’s this November.”

“I almost spewed yogurt out of my nose,” Donnie told me. “This was published and delivered on doorsteps all over the country as a legitimate news story under a reporter’s byline. I spent 30 years in the newspaper business – all three decades with the parent company of USAToday, Gannett News Corp. I can only imagine the reporter’s reaction when the editor called him or her over and said, ‘I have an important assignment for you.’”

The aroused reporter whips out a notepad, pulls a ballpoint from behind their eager ear, only to hear his editor say, “Just in time for the holiday season, McDonald’s is making a menu change of epic proportions.”

And before the reporter can say, “You mean McDonald’s is going full-fledged Kato?!” the editor says, “The McRib: It’s BACK, babeeeee!”

Sigh … THAT’S the Big Story.

As Donnie is quick to point out, “a McRib is really nothing more than a perpetuated big fat McFib — ground pork shoulder shaped to look like a miniature rack of ribs, which it is not. ‘Meat restructuring’ is how the military classified it when it became an MRE for the U.S. Army,” he said. “It didn’t show up on the menu at McDonald’s until 1981, when I was a sophomore at Louisiana Tech University. It was the same year I ordered my first and only ever McRib.

“The fact I haven’t ordered another McRib since 1981 is all the firsthand food review from me you’d ever want, but I have taken note over the years that the McRib has become like your favorite rock band that goes into retirement only to come back for a ‘Last Hoorah Tour,’ then back again for a ‘Farewell Tour,’ followed by a ‘No, Seriously, We Mean It This Time Tour.’”

Since it’s a fake rib, can we pay for it with fake money? Maybe McMoney?

“I think McDonald’s saw the Rolling Stones released a new album and thought, “Why not?” my guy Donnie suggested. Which sounds entirely plausible.

I have friends who own McDonald’s franchises. Tip of the hat. They get along, let’s just say, really well. And McDonald’s breakfast has always been top shelf. But how they stay in the burger business is a mystery to me.

As is America’s fascination with the McRib, to which this bureau says, “McNeg.”

Contact Teddy atteddy@latech.edu

The Rick Rowe Morning Show be will live at North DeSoto High School Griffin Stadium on Friday at 6am. Come out early and support your Griffins!

Kickapoo Twist Winery & Vineyards will be open October 13 & 14 from 11am until 5 pm for wine tasting. Lunch, catered by Village Cuisine Catering and Cafe, will be available. Charcuterie plates and chocolate truffle plates will also be available. Must be 21 for tastings. 

Chamber Luncheon will be held Wednesday, October 18th at 12pm at the new DeSoto Parish School Board Office. Guest Speaker will be Clay Corley, Superintendent of DeSoto Parish Schools. The meal will be catered by Sunrise Cookies. Cost is $13.00 if paid in advance, $14.00 at the door or $15.00 if you RSVP and a no-show. Cash app: $desotochamber Venmo:@DeSotoChamber RSVP by 11am Friday, October 13th.

Elaine Whitten
April 19, 1943 — October 7, 2023
Service: Saturday, October 14 at 2pm at New Life Ministries Church, Mansfield

Bro. William “Toby” Shaw, Jr.
December 4, 1948 — October 6, 2023
Service held October 9

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.

The seventh edition of the Marketplace Chevrolet College Football Pickers Contest is underway.  The Journal is offering another $100 weekly prize to the person doing the best job of predicting the winner of ten college football games.

Here goes!  CLICK HERE to enter.

Time is growing short to enter this week’s Marketplace Chevrolet College Football Pickers Contest.  The deadline is 4:00 pm today.  So, what are you waiting for?

The $100 prize is waiting.  CLICK HERE to enter.  The person doing the best job of predicting the winner of ten college football games wins $100.  It is that easy.

October 3 was #blueoutday in memory of Aubrey Hubier of Stanley. Hundreds of people from all walks of life, business, and schools united to support Stanley High School and Aubrey’s family during their time of loss. Stanley High School sent out a call to remember Aubrey by dressing in blue. The response has been overwhelming. The Desoto Parish Sheriff’s Office Facebook page began collecting hundreds of comments from all over the parish with pictures attached of people dressed to remember.

Aubrey Hubier, a senior at Stanley High School, was killed September 23 in an ATV accident. Everyone in the community remarked on her love of life and her passion for softball. The school and the Desoto Parish School Board expressed the deep sadness felt by everyone.

Along with the Blue Out remembrance the faculty and staff of SHS also included information on a memorial bench that is being purchased. “Students would be able to sit on it at lunch and share good memories.” They also included ways to donate to the cost of the bench.

1. Send or drop off donations at the school to Amanda Caston and Keli Murphy
2. Donate at the Logansport Branch of Progressive Bank “In Memory of Aubrey”          

Click Here to view #blueoutday

NATCHITOCHES – Lyndia Vercher from Montgomery High School and Shariya Boykins, London Carter and She’Tavia Young of Logansport High School explored the makeup of dry ice during a lab experiment as Northwestern State University hosted STEM Day Sept. 29.

About 260 high schoolers from all over the Louisiana visited the campus to tour NSU’s School of STEM labs and learn about programs and careers in engineering, mathematics, natural sciences, ecology, veterinary science, chemistry, physics, biomedical and microbiology. Professors in the School led experiments that delved into radiology, plant pigments, extracting DNA, predicting tornadoes, identifying mammals, robotics and aspects of engineering, such as lasers, electronics, virtual design software, 3D printing and more.

To learn more about degree programs, upcoming events and other opportunities, visit https://www.nsula.edu/stem/,

Contact: Leah Jackson (jacksonl@nsula.edu)
Director of Public Information and Media Relations
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-4553

Congratulations to Brock McGee, winner of last week’s Marketplace Chevrolet College Football
Pickers Contest. We’re sending Brock a check for $100 for doing the best job of predicting the
outcome of college football games.

This week’s new pickers game is underway. CLICK HERE to enter. You could be the winner of
$100 from the Journal.

We could be congratulating you next week. Enter today. Entry deadline is 4:00 pm Friday.

Release Date:
August 3, 2023

WASHINGTON — FEMA, in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) this fall.

The national test will consist of two portions, testing WEA and EAS capabilities. Both tests are scheduled to begin at approximately 2:20 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Oct. 4.

The WEA portion of the test will be directed to all consumer cell phones. This will be the third nationwide test, but the second test to all cellular devices. The test message will display in either English or in Spanish, depending on the language settings of the wireless handset.

The EAS portion of the test will be sent to radios and televisions. This will be the seventh nationwide EAS test.

FEMA and the FCC are coordinating with EAS participants, wireless providers, emergency managers and other stakeholders in preparation for this national test to minimize confusion and to maximize the public safety value of the test.

The purpose of the Oct. 4 test is to ensure that the systems continue to be effective means of warning the public about emergencies, particularly those on the national level. In case the Oct. 4 test is postponed due to widespread severe weather or other significant events, the back-up testing date is Oct. 11.

The WEA portion of the test will be initiated using FEMA’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), a centralized internet-based system administered by FEMA that enables authorities to send authenticated emergency messages to the public through multiple communications networks. The WEA test will be administered via a code sent to cell phones.

This year the EAS message will be disseminated as a Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) message via the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System-Open Platform for Emergency Networks (IPAWS-OPEN).

All wireless phones should receive the message only once. The following can be expected from the nationwide WEA test:

• Beginning at approximately 2:20 p.m. ET, cell towers will broadcast the test for approximately 30 minutes. During this time, WEA-compatible wireless phones that are switched on, within range of an active cell tower, and whose wireless provider participates in WEA, should be capable of receiving the test message. 
• For consumers, the message that appears on their phones will read: “THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed.”
• Phones with the main menu set to Spanish will display: “ESTA ES UNA PRUEBA del Sistema Nacional de Alerta de Emergencia. No se necesita acción.”

Important information about the EAS test:

• The EAS portion of the test is scheduled to last approximately one minute and will be conducted with the participation of radio and television broadcasters, cable systems, satellite radio and television providers and wireline video providers.
• The test message will be similar to the regular monthly EAS test messages with which the public is familiar. It will state: “This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, covering the United States from 14:20 to 14:50 hours ET. This is only a test. No action is required by the public.

The burn ban which was imposed on July 26, 2023, by the President of the DeSoto Parish Police Jury will be modified and effective September 30, 2023 at 5:00 pm.

The modification for DeSoto Parish provides for anyone wanting to burn to contact their respective fire district. The fire districts will evaluate these requests on a case-by-case basis.

The President of the DeSoto Parish Police Jury reserves the right to fully reinstate the ban at a later date if conditions warrant. Anyone having questions concerning this matter should contact their fire districts.

Fire District #1 – 318-697-5150

Fire District #2 – 318-933-8799

Fire District #3 – 318-925-0087

Fire District #5 – 318-697-7304

Fire District #8 – 318-872-2453

Fire District #9 – 318-797-5673

Mansfield Fire Dept – 318-872-4246

If you are unable to reach any of your respective fire districts, please contact the burn permit line at 855-600-2876.

Thank you and God Bless,

Michael Norton
Parish Administrator
DeSoto Parish Police Jury
Work (318)872-0738
Fax (318)872-5343

DeSoto Parish Library recently shared a well-deserved celebration. The Logansport branch recognized the dedication and hard work Ms. Linda Foreman has given to the library for the past 42 years. She began serving the community at the DeSoto Parish Library on September 20, 1981. Congratulations Ms. Foremore!

Source: DeSoto Parish Library

As a concession to age, about five days out of seven for the past 10 years I’ve eaten, for breakfast, cottage cheese and yogurt mixed up together.

 It’s starting to get on my nerves. Not happening for me.

 It is not cottage cheese’s fault and it is not yogurt’s fault, though they are each be easy targets. Cottage cheese is good for you but it couldn’t run out of sight in a day and a half. So much for it being “healthy.”

 Cottage cheese is supposed to be just about the most perfect man-made (no offense to cows) food there is. A fistful of it is packed full of protein. It is low in fat and has carbs, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron ore and tin, and a four-ounce serving contains more than 12 percent the daily recommended helping of cottage.

 When I am eating it I try not to think of the word “curd.” Curd does not sound good but, well, there is no getting around that those are the little things half floating around in the other stuff, which is, I suppose, curd runoff.

 It is not an especially ugly food – it is lumpy and white, like good homemade mashed potatoes – but it will win no beauty contest for you either.

 Never until I started eating cottage cheese and yogurt together had I eaten cottage cheese alone. It doesn’t taste like anything really, but if you had to say it DID taste like something, you would think of something bad.

 That is just my opinion.

 But mix cottage cheese and yogurt together – say a vanilla or strawberry yogurt, whatever you prefer – and bingo!, you have a healthy combo that does not taste bad at all. Drop some blueberries or bananas and/or granola in there and you’ve got a most decent leadoff hitter.

 Good, and good for you.

 There are only two drawbacks.

 One, after a while, curds and yogurt lose that sensual BAM!, you know, the one they never really had in the first place. After a decade, you have an excuse for waking each morning and crying over spoiled (spoilt?) milk.

 The second drawback: cottage cheese and yogurt is no bacon and eggs. And bacon and eggs is the flagship of the breakfast armada.

 You’ve got your French toast. Your waffle. Even your morning pork chop or sausage, patty or link. Outstanding all.

 But if the go-to breakfast foods were lined up and we’re choosing team captains, bacon and eggs would be my first selection. Cottage cheese is the kid who does not get picked.

 The multi-talented egg needs no introduction, and just smelling a home where bacon fries makes you feel like you can make it one more day, no matter how tough the sledding.

 Bacon is to meats what brown sugar is to sweets: it just makes everything better.

 Bacon makes people smile. Bacon beats cottage cheese in a footrace 10 times out of 10. I wish my name were Sir Teddy Bacon.

 My second draft pick: biscuit. The chef is key, but even a buttered canned biscuit will at least look at you in the eye.

 Third draft pick: grits. But only if someone who knows how to make them are in charge. Bad grits might as well be cottage cheese.

 Now you can come in with all your fillers, your pastries, Stuff With Syrup On It, fruit and hash browns. (I love hash browns.)

 Chocolate milk. Orange juice. Coffee. Eat all that and your day is made and you haven’t even left the house yet.

 (Originally ran February 2013. I’m still eating yogurt and cottage cheese, and it’s still good for you. AND it’s still not bacon.)

 Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

The 50 Mile Trail of Treasure is Saturday, October 14. 50 miles starting in Stonewall. follow highway 171 south to Gloster, Grand Cane, Mansfield, turn on Hwy 84 to Stanley and Logansport!

Enjoy 50 miles of all the one-of-a-kind treasures you’ve been searching for or the ones you never knew you needed. Lots of sales, Huge parking lot events in towns and churches!!

SCHEDULED ROAD CLOSURE: RAMBIN RD
The highway department has advised that RAMBIN Road will still be closed TODAY between Hwy 171 and Middleton. Please make plans to detour. 

By Doug De Graffenried

The Gibsland metroplex is a mixed bag for dog lovers. We have all sorts of canine inhabitants. There are bands of dogs that roam the streets looking for an opportunity to dumpster dive. They are not quite feral dogs. They are street wise, and people shy. There are other dogs that roam the streets. These dogs are pets. They have a family and a house, but their owners allow them to run free. I know most of the car-chasing dogs on the drive to and from work each day. I know where to show down and which porch will release a tire chasing bandit.

I know the dogs; other drivers are not aware of some of the canine characters that live near our streets.
Such was the case the other morning. I suspect this designer dog was officially known as a chiweenie. He was a cute white dog and roamed free. He would not necessarily chase cars or tires, but he didn’t look both ways before crossing the road. One day this cute puppy was called to cross the Rainbow bridge.
When she saw the puppy, my bride was devastated. She saw the dog roaming the streets earlier in the day and thought about catching it and taking it home. Since it had a collar, she suspected the dog was one of our unsupervised street roaming pets. I have this thing for stray dogs. The two dogs I spoil both have dumped dog pedigree. They are great dogs. She felt bad that she didn’t bring this free roaming puppy home and thus saved it. She asked me to bury the puppy.

I took care of picking the dog up and moving it to the place of burial. There is a field across the street from my house and that is where I have located a couple of dogs. I do my dog burial before sunrise. I must be quite a sight in the dark, with a headlamp digging a hole. There I was at 4:30 on a Saturday morning taking care of the puppy.

We have a doggy burial tradition where each dog is buried with a toy. I know it is goofy, but it is tradition. I was bugged that I didn’t have a toy for this dog. All the dog toys in our house are in use by our two mutts. They take inventory each night.

I walked back over to the grave with the puppy and said a few words. We ministers say words over dogs we are burying. When I finished saying the words, I gently lowered the dog into the grave. As I was reaching for the shovel, not three feet from the hole I dug, I saw a tennis ball. There is not a tennis court in Gilsland, what was a ball doing in the field?

I know the tennis ball was there the whole time, but why hadn’t I noticed it previously? I thanked God for providing a toy for the puppy and placed the tennis ball in the doggy grave.

Jesus said that God knows when a sparrow falls to the ground. God knows what we need before we do. My question is this, if God can provide a tennis ball for a puppy, why shouldn’t I believe that He provides for all my needs.

Do you worship a God who is big enough to help you with your stuff?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 10/3/23
Media Contact: Ted Beasley | ted.beasley@la.gov

(BATON ROUGE, LA) – The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) has been awarded $10 million to improve career opportunities for students with disabilities. Louisiana is one of 20 states to receive funding from the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) Pathways to Partnerships. The innovative project supports partnerships between state vocational rehabilitation agencies, state and local educational agencies, and centers for independent living to help individuals with disabilities seamlessly transition to life after high school.

“We are excited about this opportunity to further support students with disabilities as they transition to successful lives beyond high school,” said Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Dr. Cade Brumley. “Connecting more students with career opportunities is part of our broader efforts to improve the quality of special education programming statewide, providing greater access to information and services for families and higher quality programming for students.”

Louisiana will pilot a framework that facilitates collaboration between high schools and Louisiana Rehabilitation Services (LRS), streamlining the transition into a career for individuals with disabilities. The pilot will provide comprehensive training for students with disabilities in career exploration and job readiness. The pilot will focus on innovative activities that develop career opportunities such as internships and apprenticeships for students with disabilities.

Dr. Brumley issued a letter to system leaders in August outlining a number of steps the LDOE is taking to upgrade outdated special education systems and processes, provide greater support and oversight, and improve outcomes for students with disabilities. These include:

• Special Education Playbook: The LDOE’s Playbook has already earned the praise of education experts across the nation. It’s a set of best practices and a call to action to close achievement gaps for students with disabilities. This resource condenses years of research into three best instructional practices to support students with disabilities. The LDOE is hosting a statewide tour this month to support school systems with implementation.
• Enhanced Family Support: The LDOE will employ a Special Education Ombudsman with authority to hold confidential conversations with parents. The agency is also adding an additional complaint investigator.
• Enhanced Teacher and Leader Support: This includes technical support through statewide access to special education law and compliance training, staff to support school systems with special education compliance, and the possible placement of a special master with direct oversight authority over special educational programming within a system. This LDOE oversight tool would be reserved for systems with extensive, repeated, and/or high-level areas of concern.

Administered by the ED’s Rehabilitation Services Administration, Pathways to Partnerships is the largest discretionary grant of its kind. It strengthens Louisiana’s ongoing efforts to expand access to high school credentials, post-secondary education, or employment through multiple graduation pathways.

Pathways to Partnership recipients are awarded full funding for a five-year project period – meaning successful applicants receive all project funds at the beginning of year one. Through the five-year project period, award recipients will pilot, refine and implement their proposed projects while also collecting and analyzing project data.

Tournament bass anglers have all kinds of quirks and superstitions that they believe in. But one thing bass fishermen are not….is honest. They would rather lie than tell the truth especially when it comes to how they are catching their fish. Tournament anglers are constantly looking for an advantage over their competition. There are many ways they will try and deceive their fellow competitors. It’s very much like a disease that has no cure! Let me give my perspective on why.

The biggest thing affecting tournament anglers today is called greed. It’s all about the money and the hundreds and thousands of dollars tournament trails are offering. Ever since mankind started using currency, he has looked for ways to get more than the next guy. Over time we have learned, money makes people do strange things and is the root of all evil. Some tournament bass anglers look for ways to put the odds in their favor by deceiving other competitors.

Let’s start with rods and reels. It’s very similar to shoes for women, you need one pair for every outfit and every occasion. But, on most occasions, when an angler has 10 to 12 rods on the deck of his boat, that usually means he is struggling and has no definite game plan yet. The angler you have to be afraid of, is the angler who only has three or four rods out on his deck especially the day before the tournament. This guy has a game plan that he feels very confident about. But if you see an angler with several rods laying on the deck of his boat, don’t be miss led.

To the untrained eye, it’s just a bunch rods with baits tied on. But to a tournament angler, it reveals the many possible techniques that a particular angler is using to catch his fish. One thing anglers are known to do; walk up to a fellow competitors boat and hawk eye the front deck in order to see what that angler might be using to catch their fish. They’re looking for what baits they’re throwing and possibly what colors they are using.

But when you approach another man’s boat, you need to be little warry. In some cases, it’s a smoke screen and an attempt to lead you astray. That’s right, some rod and reels on the front deck are there as decoys to make you think that’s how the angler might be catching his fish. It’s kind of like a magic show, there could be some deception going on. Certain rods stay in the rod locker until time to come in for the weigh-in. These are the decoy rods, and the rods that he is probably using to catch his fish, are put away in the rod locker before heading for the weigh-in. He’ll do whatever is necessary to protect everything he is doing.

But, there is one aspect of secrecy that a tournament angler/pro can’t control …. a loudmouth co-angler who he has fished with all day. I can’t tell you how many times a co-angler has ruined a pros day by revealing to his buddies or other competitors what, how and where that angler was catching his fish. In one recent tournament, I actually had a co-angler storing waypoints on his phone so he could come back and fish my spots later. This is a major tournament violation and states in the rules that a co-angler is not to share any information or locations of the angler he fished with that day. But most just can’t help themselves, they must tell someone or they will explode from a disease called “information concealment.”

On multi-day events, some tournament anglers/pros will go as far to pay off the co-angler they had that day to keep his mouth shut. Some will even offer the co-angler a package of their secret baits just to keep the co-angler quiet. They might even buy them dinner if necessary!

As you can see, tournament anglers are just like a great illusionist, they want you to think and see one thing, but they are really doing something else. So, the next time you hawk eye another competitors boat, be cautious as it goes without saying “Never trust another competitor or tournament angler if you’re looking for information.”

Till next time, good luck, good fishing and make sure to set the hook. You never know when you might catch that fish of a lifetime!

Steve Graf

An upcoming exhibit at the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum in Shreveport titled “Natchitoches Artists: Changing Landscapes” will feature photographs by Anna Tapia MacDonald, head of Information Literacy, Library Instruction and Reference at Northwestern State University’s Eugene P. Watson Memorial Library.  Also included will be work by Dr. Massimo Bezoari, a retired NSU professor, and William Beier of Natchitoches. The exhibit will feature large-scale acrylics, oils and photography.  

An opening reception will take place from 4:30-7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12 in the museum’s West Wing Gallery.  The exhibit will run through Nov. 13 

MacDonald previously worked in exhibitions and installations at the New Orleans Museum of Art and the St. Louis Art Museum. Those experiences allowed her to connect with contemporary artists and handle artwork from around the world, while still remaining passionate about her own photography and painting skills. 

“I draw inspiration from the world around me, whether I am exploring a peaceful garden, walking on a sandy beach, or traveling to new places. Themes in my work include unique architecture, ancient sculptures, nighttime scenes and hidden corners,” MacDonald said. 

Bezoari retired from teaching at NSU in 2020, after he served as the Richard Lounsbery Professor of Chemistry at the Louisiana Scholars’ College from 2006 to 2020. A mostly self-taught painter, he attended classes at the Glasgow School of Art as a child growing up in Scotland. 

Beier is a retired college professor, writer and artist who currently resides in north Louisiana.  He assembles his images from a variety of sources composed over the last several decades, attempting to exploit novel arrangements for stimulating cognitive experiences inhabiting the visual landscape. Exhibitions of his work include galleries in Los Angeles, New York City, as well as Louisiana. More information about his artwork can be found at http://www.abstractjourneyss.com. 

Visitors are invited to view the exhibit during regular museum hours Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The museum is located at 3015 Greenwood Road in Shreveport, between Hearne and Jewella Avenues. Admission is free and tours are available by appointment.  For more information about the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum, go to www.laexhibitmuseum.org  or call 318.632.2020. For the Secretary of State’s Museums Program, please visit www.sos.la.gov/museums.