Donald Ray Hubbard
May 2, 1941 — January 13, 2024
Service: Thursday, January 18 at 11am at Rose Neath Funeral Homes – Mansfield
Freddie Davis
August 25, 1950 — January 12, 2024
Graveside Service: Saturday, January 20 at 11am at Springhill Cemetery – Mansfield
BY MATT VINES, DeSoto Parish Journal
LAKE CHARLES – The North DeSoto girls 4×200 relay team had something to prove.
The foursome made the Class 4A Outdoor state championships this past season, finishing last and more than two seconds behind the field.
So the girls got an early start to their training and held player-led workouts.
Those workouts paid dividends as the 4×200 squad set a North DeSoto indoor record at the season-opening meet at McNeese State this past weekend.
The pairing of Taylor Clark, Nailah Delton, Roderia Whitaker and Jocelyn Seekford clocked a 1:53.58, placing fifth at the indoor meet and just three seconds off their state championship time, which is significant this early in the season.
The 4×200 relay was one of two North DeSoto entities to set indoor records as Macaylah Tingle put her name in the record book in the 800 meters with a 2:44.52, placing 16th overall.
“The girls 4×200 put in a lot of hard work this offseason with having team-led workouts this fall led by our seniors Nailah Delton and Jocelyn Seekford,” said North DeSoto coach Robert Madison, who has led the program for 16 years. “Last year did not end as well as we wanted it to, so the focus this year was to start early with training and really focus on speed.
“Mac Tingle is just an all-around athlete. She is part of the basketball team and played in a game Friday, got up and ran in Lake Charles on Saturday. She does many of her workouts on her own, and she really just wants to be good at everything she does.”
Tingle added a fifth-place finish as part of a 4×800 relay (11:00.53).
Two boys basketball players flexed their athletics variety as they finished highly in a slew of events.
Dale Howard and Javonte Taylor each placed seventh or higher in a total of five events.
Taylor, a jumper, garnered second in the triple jump (42-8) and third in the high jump (six feet).
Howard finished third in the 55-meter hurdles (8.62), fifth on a leg of the 4×200 relay (1:36.66) and seventh in the long jump (19-5).
Clark, a participant on the record-breaking 4×200 relay, contributed a seventh-place finish in the 55 meters with a 7.67.
The indoor track and field season is a short one with the state championships coming in just a month on Feb. 17.
But Madison said a handful of athletes have a solid chance to stand on the podium at the state meet.
“Indoor season is short, and it’s a tough season to be honest, especially with how qualifying for the state meet works,” Madison said. “But I think Javonte has a great opportunity to place at state in either the high jump or triple jump. I think Dale in hurdles and the girls’ 4×800 team also have good chances. The girls currently rank fourth in the state rankings right now.”
BY MATT VINES, DeSoto Parish Journal
STONEWALL – High school head football coaches, much like business owners, tend to hire who they know when filling out their coaching staffs.
One local football coach is championing the idea of widening those coaching circles through a freer flow of information.
North DeSoto offensive line coach Christopher Wilson started a Louisiana Football Coaches Free Agent Pool in an attempt to connect interested assistant coaches with head coaches looking to fill staff positions.
Assistant coaches, or anybody trying to break into coaching, can sign up to be in the free agent pool here.
Interested assistants names are protected from the general public with only participating head coaches able to see who has entered this coaching portal.
“The reason why is the apprehension,” said Wilson, who has been an assistant coach at various schools in the area and a head coach at Plain Dealing High in Bossier Parish. “There are a lot of jobs getting recycled among the same people, so my goal is to let people know that there are other guys out here that are interested.
“An assistant coach may not know head coaches in the area well enough to go up to them or give them a call. This is a portal that pairs interested assistant coaches with head coaches looking for staff.”
Wilson said 35 assistant coaches have entered the portal as of Saturday, which means they’ve submitted their names on Wilson’s Google Sheet along with basic information such as coaching experience and where in the state they are located.
Fifteen head coaches have signed up for access to the portal information.
He added that another 10-15 assistants didn’t want to sign up formally but wanted to be kept abreast of openings.
That’s just in the first two weeks of the portal being in operation. No actual hirings through the portal have occurred yet, but Wilson said he’s encouraging participants to inform him of hirings.
Wilson said that he’s received interest from all areas of the state with the fewest number of applicants coming from his own corner in northwest Louisiana.
“I’ve been an assistant coach looking for a job, so I just want to help others,” Wilson said. “Last year I connected three different coaches with new jobs through an informal process, and it ended up working out for them.
“This way is more accessible to a larger group of coaches from all over the state.”
Wilson said he got the idea from an ‘X’ (formerly known as Twitter) account called “Missouri Scoop.”
“This account tracks hirings and firings of open high school positions,” Wilson said. “Nothing like that has been done in Louisiana, and I thought it was a great idea.”
Outside of the traditional coaching circles and relationships, high school coaches could meet each other and form relationships at the annual coaching convention in July.
But many high school head coaches are hired in the winter and spring months following the end of football season, and waiting to identify and hire assistant coaches outside of one’s typical circle is often too late in the coaching cycle, particularly for coaches who would need to relocate.
Now those connections can be made year-round, connecting head and assistant coaches based on mutual interest.
It’s just one part of Wilson’s coaching platform, Mr. CoachWilson Sports, an entity seeking to help coaches by sharing insight and commentary into the Louisiana high school coaching world.
Wilson has made appearances on local television Friday Night football highlight shows as well as live-streaming games throughout this past football season.
“I’m just a regular coach trying to help other coaches be better coaches,” Wilson said. “A former Byrd teammate of mine Chad Lewis (former Green Oaks head coach) and I hosted an in-person clinic last summer and held a virtual clinic this past Sunday, and those are things we want to keep doing.
“This is a platform to educate and enlighten coaches and keep the public abreast of what’s going on in the coaching world.”
As an outdoor writer, my paths cross with interesting people. Some are adept at fishing; some at hunting; some that are just flat-out interesting.
A couple of years ago, I met just such a person in Anna Ribbeck. She lives in Baton Rouge, works at LSU Ag Center and just received her graduate degree in plant science including her thesis on invasive aquatic plants.
There are lots of folks who have done what she’s done scholastically, but it’s here where Anna Ribbeck sets herself apart from others, especially young attractive women. Meet Anna the Archer, someone who got hooked on archery and is carrying her knowledge and expertise to a pretty high level.
Introduced to archery at the beginning of her years as a student at LSU, she is accumulating a reputation, not only as being deadly on the archery target range but in carrying it another step. She is a serious bow hunter, having already taken several deer with her bow.
From hunting deer, she became interested in using her bow to try and put a dent in the burgeoning population of nutria, the orange-toothed rodents that are decimating the coast line habitat by uprooting and foraging on the valuable plants that hold the marshland together.
Upon learning that she would take her introducing women to archery to the Claiborne Parish Library a couple of years ago to present a seminar, I contacted her for material for my columns and for my radio program.
“I want to educate the public, especially women, on archery. I do a lot of You Tube videos on social media under the name, Anna the Archer and I visit bow shops to teach women about archery. I also participate in competitive archery and that has not only been lots of fun but getting to hang out with others in the sport has been a big help in developing my skills and my love for the sport,” she told me during our interview.
Her love for the sport has attracted another entity that may seem like something females would have little interest in, alligator hunting. She is now a vital part of the popular television series, Swamp People, aired every Thursday night at 7:00 on the History Channel.
“To get to do this with these well-known alligator hunters, like star of the show, Troy Landry, and to do it with my bow is like nothing else,” Ribbeck said.
She is a member of an all-girl team featured in the show. Her partner, Ashley Jones joins her to form the Double A team.
“I’ve lost count of how many alligators Ashley and I have taken. It’s in the hundreds, I’m sure,” she added.
Ribbeck is also involved in another venture that is featured on the show. Landry assisted her in starting the Swamp Mysteries portion of the show where she chases down and dispatches feral pigs with her bow.
“We have so many hogs on the landscape that are harming the environment down here, much like you have in north Louisiana. We go after them with bows, with guns and even hunting them from helicopters,” she said.
I have had the privilege of interviewing a wide variety of individuals over the years but have found few as interesting as Anna the Archer.
Visit her site on Facebook, Anna the Archer, for a veritable plethora of stories, photos and video clips of her chasing nutria, alligators and feral hogs. Mark your calendar to watch her in action Thursday nights at 7:00 on the History Channel. You won’t be disappointed.
So-called DIE (Diversity, Inclusion, Equity) initiatives are being challenged and opposed. As noted in the Wall Street Journal, “Texas became the second state, after Florida, to ban DIE initiatives at publicly funded colleges and universities. Texas A&M University had already announced in the fall that it closed its DIE office and reassigned the team’s staff members.” (WSJ, R. Smith, and L. Weber, 1-4-24).
Why would this be happening?
Several factors have likely contributed to the opposition. Among them the fact that the U.S. Supreme Court last year struck down affirmative action in colleges, removing a false but resilient justification for the policy, the testimony before Congress of the three college presidents of Harvard, UPenn and MIT who simply could not bring themselves to condemn calls for the murder of Jews or concede that such calls would violate school policies against hate speech, and the boycott of major American corporations for their Woke views.
It would be difficult to identify a more succinct description of such a corrosive policy than the one offered by New College school president Richard Corcoran in his article New College Is a Haven for Harvard Refugees:
“Our school … refuses to ostracize certain groups at the expense of others in the name of “diversity, inclusion, and equity”—a misnomer for offices whose purpose typically is the opposite of what their name suggests.” Harvard’s Office for Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity (DIE) says in its “DIE Commitment Statement” that it welcomes “people of color, women, persons with disabilities, people who identify as LGBTQIA, and those who are at the intersections of these identities.” In other words … Jews and others not on the list need not apply—unless they fit one of the delineated identity buckets. An organization truly dedicated to “diversity” and “belonging” shouldn’t establish such narrow parameters for inclusion. This regrettably is typical of DIE office charters, which often signal which groups are “worthy” of membership. We don’t tolerate that at New College. In February we dismantled our DIE office to ensure that no group is singled out for punishment or preferential treatment.”
In fact, “critics say colleges focused on the goals of DIE have cultivated an environment where students see the world as divided between the oppressed and their oppressors, leading to an anti-Israel or anti-Jewish sentiment on campuses.” (WSJ).
Further, Harvard professor Iris Bohnet stated:
“About $8 billion a year is spent on diversity trainings in the United States alone. Now, I tried very hard to find any evidence I could. I looked not just in the United States but also in Rwanda and other post-conflict countries, where reconciliation is often built on the kind of diversity trainings that we do in our companies, to see how this is working. Sadly enough, I did not find a single study that found that diversity training in fact leads to more diversity.” (Jonathan Butcher, The Heritage Foundation, 1-30-23).
At the very least, no taxpayer dollars should be used in connection with DIE and “state lawmakers should ensure that no teacher or student is compelled to profess or believe any idea (especially ideas that violate the Civil Rights Act of 1964). Such ideas would include the notion that individuals today are automatically guilty of racial crimes committed by others decades ago who happen to share the color of their skin. In public colleges and universities, lawmakers should prohibit school officials from using DIE statements to screen job applicants. Similar prohibitions on compelled speech should also apply.” (Id.).
But DIE is where we are with the Woke American Left. According to the brutal dictates of the Thought Police, there can be no diversity of opinion or viewpoint or thought itself. A citizen is either Woke, or silenced, driven out of a job, banned on social media, and more and more frequently threatened physically with retaliation, or worse.
As a culture and as a nation we are thankfully moving in the direction of ending discrimination based upon race, religion, ethnicity, or gender, and hopefully moving in the direction of building a ‘more perfect union’ based upon Dr Martin Luther King’s timeless principle that Americans should be judged only upon ‘the content of their character, not the color of their skin. ‘
In truth, the only way to end institutional discrimination based upon race, ethnicity, religion, or gender, is to end discrimination based upon race, ethnicity, religion, or gender.
DIE should be defunded and ended.
Royal Alexander
BATON ROUGE, La. – The First Extraordinary Session of 2024 convened at Monday, January 15 and included an address by Governor Jeff Landry to a joint gathering of House and Senate members as well as statewide elected officials. Legislators are set to consider redrawing congressional and Supreme Court districts to include additional minority districts for both, as well as closing Louisiana’s primary elections.
“The House and Governmental Affairs Committee met this morning to start educating themselves on the task of redrawing maps and they are set to start considering bills tomorrow,” said Speaker of the House Phillip DeVillier. “Redistricting is a function of the Legislature and we’ll do the work that needs to get done. That way, we can focus on the much larger issues voters sent us to Baton Rouge to tackle,” says DeVillier.
“The governor clearly told the Legislature that the people have sent us here to solve problems and that’s what we’ll do,” said Senate President Cameron Henry. “The Senate accepts that task and will be working diligently to redraw new congressional and Supreme Court maps.”
All legislative proceedings including committee meetings and chamber debate can be viewed at http://www.legis.la.gov. Additionally, the Louisiana Legislature has a smartphone app (LA LEGE) that combines information from the House and Senate websites into an easy to use format users can access from anywhere.
New to the app this year are daily committee agendas and the ability to search and read bills being considered. The LA LEGE app is available to download free of charge from the Apple or Google Play stores and does not collect any personal information.
Final adjournment for the eight-day special session must come no later than 6:00 p.m. on Friday, January 23rd.
It was one of those NFL playoff weekends that suggested someone put another log on the sideline bonfire.
The National Frozen League.
Consider the piercing minus-4 degrees in Kansas City Saturday afternoon when the Chiefs beat Miami, 27-7, easily a record for the coldest game at Arrowhead Stadium. That hard part was the 25 miles-per-hour wind gusts that equated to a tear-inducing minus-27.
A day at the beach compared to Sunday afternoon in Buffalo, where the Wild Card Round matchup between the Bills and the Pittsburgh Steelers was delayed until Monday because of high winds and blinding snow.
“When I heard they were delaying it I told somebody that sets a bad precedent,” said Bo Harris, who starred at Captain Shreve and LSU before playing eight years for Cincinnati, including a start in Super Bowl XVI in 1982, a 26-21 loss to San Francisco inside the Pontiac Silverdome (while outside, a blizzard semi-paralyzed Detroit).
“Hours later I saw what was happening in Buffalo and had to call the guy back and say, ‘Check that,’” Harris said with a laugh. “My mind wasn’t understanding what was happening.”
What was happening was you couldn’t see the field. Visibility near zero. The team even hired fans to shovel show for $20 an hour Sunday to help clear the stadium. The online video of Buffalo crazies doing just that is as fun to watch as the game was, won by the Bills, 31-17, in a clear but cold Highmark Stadium.
Kyle Williams watched that game from the comfort of his couch in Lincoln Parish, six seasons removed from a 13-year career playing defensive tackle in Buffalo after four years starting for Ruston High (he was a hard-to-bring-down running back as a freshman!) and after helping the Tigers win a national championship at LSU. Grew up hot, but figured out quickly that life in the National Football League can be a cold business.
“In Cleveland my rookie year, during warmups it looked like just a normal winter day game,” said Williams, a father of five who helped coach Ruston High to a state football championship this fall in his semi-retirement. “Field was green … perfect. Twenty minutes later we come back and the whole field is snow.”
Then there was December 23, 2007, “the coldest I’ve ever been,” he said. Final regular season game, the Giants needing to win to get into the playoffs, New York at Buffalo, and it’s a first-half downpour, a storm front off Lake Erie. “After halftime, it drops down to 19 degrees and the wind starts blowing. It got colder the more we kept trying to hang on to (Ahmad) Bradshaw (151 yards rushing) and (Brandon) Jacobs (143 yards). We never got going.”
The Giants won, 38-21, and went on to upset New England in the ‘Helmet Catch’ Super Bowl. Good news?: Williams, a Class of 2022 Louisiana Sports Hall of Famer, lived to play another day.
“You can never really prepare, gear-wise, for the cold,” said the sneaky funny Williams, a master of understatement. “You’ve got Spandex pants, a Spandex jersey, cotton socks, and athletic shoes. Your attire’s not covering all your parts that need covering.”
There’s chicken broth on the sidelines, and those welcoming and lush heated benches thank the good Lord, but it’s a “never ending tango,” Williams testifies, of what to keep warm and just how warm to keep it, like managing your helmet’s insides so the plastic pads will stay warm and loose instead of getting too cold so they’re brittle or too hot so holes are burned in them.
“All kinds of issues,” said Williams, recalling from the warmth of his den a time of ice and mud, a calm man with a security blanket, a man who can now go to bed at halftime if he wants. “Easy for guys in those conditions to make a mistake doing what they’re needing to do to stay warm.”
This weekend when he heard about the delay in Buffalo, he knew how bad it must be. A decade-plus of living there coached him up on how prepared Erie County is for the worst. “The world does not stop,” he said, not for any ol’ storm; businesses and road crews are ready to counteract just about anything.
“In all my years up there, only one time did the weather affect us where we had to postpone or cancel,” he said, recalling a “wall of snow” halfway up the house he and wife Jill shared with their very young, very cold family.
Once the county got 80 inches of snow in a 48-hour period. The Bills Emergency Alarm went off — picture the Bat Signal above Gotham — and players were hiking to the interstate to get rides on snowmobiles to the airport so the team could fly to Detroit, practice a couple of days, and play a “home game” against the New York Jets in Ford Field. Weather won, the Bills won, the Jets lost.
If you’re in the mood to shiver, you can Google “Freezer Bowl” and watch Bo Harris and his Bengals teammates beat San Diego, 27-7, in Riverfront Stadium in January 1982 to win the AFC Championship. The temperature was between minus-8 and plus-5, but it was the wind chill — a mind-numbing minus-57 during gusts — that made it the coldest NFL game ever.
“San Diego came out during warmups with ski masks on under their helmets and defensive backs were backpedaling with their hands in their pants,” Harris said. “I looked at one of my guys and said, ‘Oh yeah. We’re winning today.’”
Dan Fouts. Gary Johnson. Louie Kelcher. Kellen Winslow. Wes Chandler. Charlie Joiner. Chuck Muncie. San Diego had a very good team. That Sunday in Cincinnati, they had a very cold team. And the Bengals had a secret weapon.
“Vaseline and panty hose saved the day,” said Bo, who coated himself in the stuff to protect his skin, then layered up with the hose. Any port in a storm; dude had one of Cincinnati’s two sacks in the win.
Also now retired in Lincoln Parish, Petey Perot is a Natchitoches Favorite Son and former Northwestern State Demon and Philadelphia Eagle. And like Bo, he played in a chillier-than-chilly Conference Championship game.
“1980 against Dallas in the Vet,” Perot said. “Minus-17. Santa Claus had gotten beat up in the stadium the week before,” (a true story illustrating that it’s cold in Philly in more ways than one; you can look it up).
“I don’t think it ever really bothered me,” said Perot, who was 23 at the time, an age of blissful unawareness. “I didn’t think about how cold it was. I didn’t even know how cold it was when we went out there. We wore fishnet jerseys and a half shirt and didn’t even try to do anything to keep from being cold. Our deal was, we were just focused on trying to get to the Super Bowl: who cares who cold it is?”
And if he had free tickets and great seats to the same kind of game today?
“I wouldn’t go,” he said with zero hesitation, almost offended at the suggestion, a man warm and wise.
At left guard, Petey and the gang sprang Wilbert Montgomery for a 42-yard touchdown run on the Eagles’ second play from scrimmage that icy day as Philadelphia beat the Cowboys, 20-7, and made it to Super Bowl XV. The bad news? They lost to Oakland. The good news? It was in the Superdome and 72 degrees with no wind.
This Sunday at 7:15 p.m., Kansas City will visit Buffalo in one of four Division Round weekend playoff games. The expected forecast is like Houston at Baltimore at 3:30 p.m. Saturday: 16 degrees with a 15 percent chance of snow and light winds.
Like taking a candy football from a warm baby.
Contact a very toasty Teddy at teddy@latech.edu
Clara Springs Fourth Friday Fish Fry will be Friday, January 26 from 5-7pm. It will be hosted by Fairview Baptist Church. Dinner includes: all you can eat fried fish, coleslaw, french fries, hushpuppies, pinto beans, lemon bread pudding, homemade ice cream and drink.
The 22nd Annual Krewe of Aquarius Mardi Gras parade rolls on Saturday, January 27, 2024 at 6pm. The theme this year is “Krewe of Aquarius Celebrates Louisiana”. Parade line up will begin at Logansport High School parking lot. Judging will begin promptly at 4pm. Parade applications are available on their Facebook page. The theme can reflect anything LA from your heritage, movies, actors, food, sports, entertainment, etc. Beads, Moon pies, cups, stuffed animals may be thrown. If your unsure ask the committee for approval. NO candy can be thrown. For more information contact Captain Teresa Stephens at 318.518.2775.
Krewe of Demeter will roll on Sunday, January 28, 2024 at 3pm, rain or shine. Parade will begin staging at the DeSoto Parish 4H parking lot from 10am – 1pm. Hwy 171 will be a NO THROW Zone so do not line up on Hwy 171. Masked Krewe members will be throwing beads and cups (NO CANDY) along the route. Staging at DeSoto Parish 4-H Barn turning right onto Independence Avenue then turning right onto Liberty Lane ending past the ballpark at Hwy 171. ALL DAY TAILGATING ENCOURAGED. Get there early, grab your grills, call your friends and family and set up your favorite spot. For more information contact Mandi Nash 318-453-5927.
NONE
Update: 8pm Tuesday
A Hard Freeze Warning remains in effect tonight through 11 AM Wednesday for the entire Four State Region. Look for overnight lows to bottom out to near 7 degrees above to near 15 degrees above.
Updated Closures/Delays for Wednesday, Jan 17
42nd Judicial District Court will resume proceedings at 1pm. All persons scheduled to attend Court should be present at 1pm.
DeSoto Tax Assessors Office closed
DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office closed (office staff in Mansfield, Stonewall & Logansport). Patrol, Dispatch & Detention Center will remain open.
DeSoto Regional cafeteria will remain closed. Outpatient services & clinics will open at noon.
Mansfield City Hall closed. Crews on standby to handle emergencies. Garbage pickup will resume on Thursday. For emergencies call dispatch at 318.872.0520.
DeSoto Parish Police Jury Office including Mundy Landfill & all compactor sites are closed.
DeSoto Parish Extension office closed
Update: 3:30pm Tuesday
Hwy 84 in Logansport is OPEN
DeSoto Parish Schools closed Wednesday, Jan 17
Central Christian Academy closed Wednesday, Jan 17
Update: 11:30am Tuesday
Hwy 84 in front of Logansport Truck Stop is currently shut down in both lanes due to an accident involving an 18-wheeler. Conditions are very icy and not safe for travel. Work crews are attempting to clear the roadway as quickly as possible.
Update: 8am Tuesday
Bitterly cold temperatures will continue today and tonight. With overnight lows once again falling into the single-digits to middle teens, a Hard Freeze Warning has been extended until 11am Wednesday. Today, temperatures will likely remain below freezing in most locations.
A Hard Freeze Warning continues until 11am Wednesday. Overnight low temperatures will range from the single digits in SE OK and SW AR to the lower to middle teens elsewhere. These temps will kill crops and other sensitive vegetation, and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing.
A Wind Chill Advisory continues through noon today. Bitterly cold wind chills ranging as low as -9 degrees north of I-30 will be possible. Below zero wind chills are still possible south of I-20. Hypothermia or frostbite is likely with prolonged exposure.
All roads in the area remain open at this time. Use extreme caution if you must travel.
Weather Update: 7pm
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SHREVEPORT:
While the winter precipitation begins to wind down tonight across the Four State Region, bitterly cold temperatures and dangerous wind chill temperatures will be felt areawide overnight. Look for low temperatures tonight in the single digits near and north of the I-30 Corridor of Northeast Texas, Southeast Oklahoma and Southwest Arkansas, with low temperatures ranging from near 10 degrees to the middle teens across the remainder of Northeast Texas, Northern Louisiana and South Central Arkansas. Combine these temperatures with strong northerly winds near 10 to 15 mph with higher gusts and wind chill values will fall to near 5 degrees below zero across portions of Southeast Oklahoma and Southwest Arkansas to near zero to the lower single digits further south near the I-20 Corridor of Northeast Texas and Northern Louisiana and points south of the corridor tonight. Temperatures across much of the Four State Region may not climb above freezing until midday Wednesday. This means that much of the ice and snow covered road surfaces will remain covered through at least the first half of Wednesday. Hazardous driving conditions will continue through at least Wednesday Morning across much of the region as a result. If melting is observed across portions of the region on Tuesday, then that melt on road surfaces will rapidly refreeze after sunset Tuesday evening, resulting in black ice conditions on area road surfaces that will impact travel Tuesday night through Wednesday morning. Road surfaces will not improve until temperatures can remain above freezing long enough to evaporate wet road surfaces, hopefully sometime later in the day Wednesday.
Update: 2pm
Closures:
DeSoto Regional Health closed Tuesday, Jan 16
The ER & Inpatient unit will remain open. Cafeteria & all clinics closed.
Mansfield City Hall closed Tuesday, Jan 16
42nd Judicial District Court closed Tuesday, Jan 16
DeSoto District Attorney’s Office closed Tuesday, Jan 16
DeSoto Tax Assessor’s Office closed Tuesday, Jan 16
DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Offices in Mansfield, Stonewall & Logansport closed Tuesday, Jan 16
Dispatch, Corrections & Patrol will remain on duty and available for emergencies
Update: 12:30pm
All Desoto Parish Schools closed Tuesday, Jan 16
Update: 10am Monday
Weather update:
A Winter Storm Warning remains in effect until 6pm this afternoon. A mix of wintry precipitation continues across the area but should start coming to an end from northwest to southeast around midday and finally ending completely late this afternoon.
A Hard Freeze Warning is in effect from 6pm tonight through noon Tuesday. Overnight low temperatures will range from the single-digits north of I-30 to the mid teens south of I-30. Make sure to protect sensitive vegetation and outdoor plumbing.
A Wind Chill Advisory is in effect from 6pm tonight through noon Tuesday. Bitterly cold wind chills ranging as low as -9 degrees north of I-30 will be possible. Below zero wind chills are still possible south of I-20. Hypothermia or frostbite is likely with prolonged exposure.
Closures: (as of 8pm Sunday)
Central Christian Academy closed Monday, Jan 15
All DeSoto parish Police Jury operations including Mundy Landfill and all compactor sites will be closed Monday and Tuesday.
All locations of DeSoto Parish Library closed Tuesday, Jan 16
All CHRISTUS Health North Louisiana clinics will be closed Monday, Jan. 15. All hospitals remain open.
DeSoto Parish Schools will make a decision on school closures by early afternoon on Monday, Jan 15.
The weather warnings for our parish have been updated to a Winter Storm Warning by the National Weather Service. Every person in Red River Parish should be preparing for extended freezing temperatures and a mixture of wintry precipitation.
Winter weather has begun its trek across much of the area. Expect conditions to get progressively worse throughout the night through Monday evening. A wintery mix of sleet/freezing rain/ice and possibly snow will begin later this afternoon until 6pm tomorrow. Accumulation of ice up to a quarter inch is expected on bridges and roadways. If at all possible, stay home.
Tuesday morning will bring the coldest temperatures and wind chill into the single digits. Extreme caution should be taken when out in these elements.
Wednesday morning will bring more cold temperatures but the area should warm above freezing by afternoon.
Prepare now for this weather event. Check your water pipes, wrap them now. Open cabinet doors under sinks. Drip your faucets slowly. Know how to shut off the main water supply to your home if needed. Take care of outside pets/animals. If they cannot be brought inside, provide some type of shelter and heat source for them.
The National Weather Service will release Wind Chill Advisories and Hard Freeze Warnings once the criteria is met. Both are expected to be released later tonight for the area.
News Release
January 11, 2024
Sheriff Jayson Richardson
DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office
Narcotics agents with the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office recently executed search warrant at 299 East Street in Logansport, LA that led to arrests of Reagan Golden (28yo W/M of Logansport) and Gina Bylock (33yo W/F of Logansport) on January 11, 2024. Items seized during this search consisted of 1.4 pounds of meth, vehicles, cash, weapons, body armor, gas masks and clandestine lab equipment. (Please see attached photo). This is an ongoing investigation that may lead to further arrests and/or information. Our office has no further information to provide at this moment in time.
Current charges are as follows:
REAGAN C GOLDEN
Creation/Operation of a Clandestine Lab
Manufacture/Distribution of a Controlled Dangerous Schedule II Substance
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Possession of a Firearm in the Presence of a Controlled Dangerous Substance
Possession of Marijuana
GINA BYLOCK
Manufacture/Distribution of a Controlled Dangerous Schedule II Substance
Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Possession of Marijuana
Booking photos and other information can be located in the DeSoto Parish Sheriff App, under “Inmates.” All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The US National Weather Service in Shreveport has released the following statement:
The likelihood of an Arctic air intrusion across much of the CONUS appears to be increasing for early next week. This may result in an extended period of sub-freezing temperatures across our region, in addition to some wintry precipitation starting late Sunday through Monday.
Temperatures will plummet into the teens in the region. A gusty north wind will accompany this Artic air, possibly resulting in single-digit wind chills.
An extended period of freezing temperatures will be possible beginning Sunday night through Tuesday. Snow/sleet/ice accumulations cannot be ruled out on Monday into Monday night.
Take precautions and begin preparations now for a hard freeze. Protect pipes, plants, and pets. Check on your elderly neighbors.
BY MATT VINES, The DeSoto Parish Journal
STONEWALL – After a tough loss to Stanley in which the Logansport boys basketball team missed a bushel of free throws, the Tigers bounced back in a big way Tuesday to log a 56-51 win against North DeSoto on the road.
Logansport (4-4) evens its record heading into its District 3-1 A schedule, which begins Friday with a trip to Division IV Select reigning champion Northwood-Lena. The Tigers play each district team twice and enters district play ranked No. 31 in the latest Division IV Non-Select power rankings (28 teams make playoffs).
North DeSoto (5-2), who had its best start in more than a decade by winning its first five games, is now on a two-game losing streak after losses to Doyline and Logansport.
The Griffins have two games – Friday at Doyline and Tuesday at home against Converse – before they head into the vaunted District 1-4A to face powerhouse Huntington. Sitting at No. 27, North DeSoto is on the playoff bubble.
Mansfield started off 2024 in a better way as the Wolverines are 2-2 this calendar year. The Wolverines started District 3-2A play with a big 69-40 win against Many after splitting games in the Bossier Tournament. Mansfield edged North Caddo, 69-65, before falling to Loyola, 49-46.
Mansfield (5-13) need a successful district season to move up from its No. 30 slot in the Division III Non-Select power ratings. The Wolverines host Jonesboro-Hodge on Tuesday and Winnfield on Friday.
With Stanley’s win against Logansport on Dec. 29, the Panthers (7-18) snapped an eight-game losing streak.
But Stanley couldn’t carry that momentum forward, dropping contests to Starks (60-58) and starting District 3-B play with a 65-28 loss to powerhouse Zwolle.
The Panthers, who are No. 34 in Division V Non-Select, have a busy week ahead with Pleasant Hill on Monday, Florien on Tuesday and Negreet on Friday.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
The Logansport girls logged the win of the week when they knocked off a 14-win North DeSoto squad in 41-35 fashion.
The Lady Tigers (8-6) start district play tonight when they head to Northwood-Lena. After a 2-4 start, Logansport has won six of its last eight contests.
Stanley is still looking for its first win of the new year after the Panthers dropped its district opener at Zwolle, 62-49.
The Lady Panthers (5-17) host Florien on Tuesday and head to Negreet on Friday.
SOCCER
After a five-match winning streak, the North DeSoto girls have skidded into the new year with an 0-2-1 mark in their last three matches.
The Lady Griffins (12-4-4) dropped contests to West Monroe, 1-0, and Episcopal, 4-0, before tying Parkway, 2-2, in the District II-1 opener.
After Thursday night’s match against Huntington, North DeSoto needs to pull out at least tie against district favorite Caddo Magnet to keep itself in the hunt for a district title.
The North DeSoto boys couldn’t break through in the new year, going 0-2-1 in their last three matches to lengthen their streak to nine matches without a victory.
The Griffins (4-9-2) haven’t been able to build on a 4-2 start.
North DeSoto tied Airline on Jan. 4 before dropping its first two matches of District II-1 play, losing to Parkway, 4-1, and Northwood, 4-0.
WRESTLING
The North DeSoto wrestling team placed third at the Allen Texas Outlaw Tournament this past week, an event which featured squads from all across Texas.
The Griffins tallied 425.5 points.
Spots are still available for the 9th Annual Don Burton Memorial Duals on Feb. 10. The event is hosted at North DeSoto Middle School and is for wrestlers K-8.
Weight classes start at 45 pounds and go up to 175+.
BY MATT VINES, The DeSoto Parish Journal
STONEWALL – Leave No Doubt.
That’s been the motto for the North DeSoto girls basketball team this season, and the Lady Griffins are leaving no doubt that the program is building into a contender under the guidance of first-year head coach Jalena Sanders.
North DeSoto is 14-5 with two more games – tonight at Doyline and Tuesday against Converse – before the Lady Griffins gear up for District 1-4A play.
NDHS was riding high on a five-game winning streak after Christmas before stumbling in their last contest, a 41-35 loss to Logansport that was plagued by turnovers.
“These girls have made such huge strides to bring excitement around the game of basketball in Stonewall,” said Sanders, who led Waskom High before crossing the border back to her native Louisiana. “My girls played hard, and every single person on the team makes a difference and is essential to our success.
“There are no superstars – just a bunch of girls who are growing and playing for each other.”
It wasn’t long ago that the North DeSoto girls could count their number of wins for an entire season on one hand.
But former head coach Patrece Carter started the upward trajectory of North DeSoto in her two seasons, combining to win 18 games in a program that had won just seven games in the previous two seasons.
Sanders inherited a group that may not have had much experience, but she said the players inherited Carter’s toughness. Carter left to be an assistant coach at Southern in Baton Rouge this offseason.
“Success is not something that has been associated with this program in basketball, so this is a special group,” Sanders said. “They’ve grown under Coach Carter, and she left me with a hard-nosed group of girls.
“It’s been a work in progress, but I just came in and picked up in the direction the girls were already headed.”
Defense has been a staple for North DeSoto as the Lady Griffins have held 14 of their 19 opponents to 35 points or less. Those games are highlighted by virtual shutouts of Haynesville (52-4) and Lakeside (54-3) and include holding Class 5A member Byrd to 15 points.
“We are still finding what works for us defensively, but we have been able to switch from man to zone and do some pressing,” Sanders said. “That’s kept offenses on their toes.”
While the Lady Griffins shouldn’t have an issue with a Doyline team they beat by 36 points a week ago, the matchup with Class B Converse (21-7) should provide a nice test before district play begins.
That district slate starts with reigning champion Huntington, who advanced to the Division I Select quarterfinals this past season.
“Getting wins before district play would be huge, but you also want to look good doing it,” Sanders said. “Huntington has a great program with amazing guard play.
“Huntington is in a league of their own right now, but we want to limit turnovers and try to control the tempo to limit offensive possessions for Huntington. They are going to score, but we can’t get in a running game with them. They put up a lot of points.”
North DeSoto point guard Aja Douglas is “the engine to the team” as she runs the offense and is one of the team’s best defenders. Power forward Morgan Bates is a versatile inside-outside player who is comfortable in the post or on the perimeter.
The Lady Griffins have positioned themselves for a playoff berth for the first time since at least 2003 as North DeSoto is No. 14 in the Division II Non-Select rankings. LHSAA digital records go back to 2003.
But Sanders isn’t after just a playoff berth, she wants NDHS’s opponents to feel it after tussling with her squad.
“Opponents need to remember they played us and that at the end of the game, no doubt should be left that North DeSoto stepped foot on the court and was tough competition,” Sanders said. “I have been preaching peaking at the right time and being a high-caliber team no matter the opponent because that’s what we’re moving toward.
“We don’t walk in the gym hoping to win, we have to walk in knowing we can win. Even if we don’t win, it won’t be an easy win for our opponent.”
BY MATT VINES, The DeSoto Parish Journal
MANSFIELD – Sometimes, it just takes a little time.
The Mansfield girls basketball team features a roster with three seniors and two juniors, and two of those seniors are new to the program.
A 1-5 start to the season has quickly reversed itself as the Lady Wolverines are 10-2 in their last 12 contests.
That includes a 36-27 win at Many to start District 3-2A play, which continues tonight at Jonesboro-Hodge.
“The team is playing better defensively and executing plays better,” said veteran Mansfield coach Kendra Neal-Jones, who guided Mansfield to a 2019 state championship after Top 28 appearances in 2014 and 2015. “Those two new seniors had to learn the system.
“Our team’s strengths are aggressiveness, quickness and defense.”
Those are hallmarks of Neal-Jones teams, hallmarks that led Mansfield to a Class 2A state championship in 2019 and Top 28 appearances in 2014 and 2015.
Mansfield (11-7) has won three in a row, which included a 32-point win against a Logansport squad that upset North DeSoto earlier this week.
With 13 of Mansfield’s 18 players being freshmen and sophomores, not including the team’s new seniors, more time might be kind to the Lady Wolverines.
Key matchups against district contenders Winnfield (at home) and Lakeview (road) await this coming week after tonight’s hosting of J-Hodge.
“I hope to see consistency and teamwork throughout district play,” Neal-Jones said. “There mist be trust among the players, and trust between players and coaches. We’re working together to achieve one goal, and that’s to win.”
Mansfield has done plenty of that under Neal-Jones, who takes Mansfield annually to the playoffs and recently made a quarterfinals run in 2022.
Three players remain from that quarterfinals team two seasons ago, and that playoff knowledge could be crucial for a Lady Wolverines team sitting at No. 9 in the Division III Non-Select power ratings.
“Playoff experience plays an important part in the success of the team and how far the team goes during the season,” Neal-Jones said. “This team is excited about district play, especially the upper classmen because they have playoff experience.
“Throughout the season, I tell my girls to take it one game at a time. There are some good teams in our district, and this is a positive because it prepares you for the playoffs.”
Virginia was born and raised in Wareham, Massachusetts where she learned to play the piano and flute at an early age. By her teenage years, Virginia was so accomplished that she became the organist at her church. Popular in high school, she was the head cheerleader in her senior year. She attended New England College in Henniker, New Hampshire and transferred to Boston University, leaving there just a couple of credits shy of earning her degree.
Virginia moved to New York and found work as a salesclerk at the women’s specialty clothing store called Ann Taylor. Day after day, Virginia, dressed in Ann Taylor clothing, helped other women select just the right outfit from their collection. On one Saturday, Virginia, dressed in her Ann Tayler clothing, stopped by the Ann Taylor store with some of her friends. In the showroom window, they saw a couple of mannequins dressed in Ann Taylor apparel sitting at a little café table as if they were having lunch. Plastic food sat on the plates in front of them. A mischievous thought came over Virginia. She turned to her friends and said, “Hey, dare me to go and sit in the chair?” With wide grins, they replied, “Yeah, go ahead, do it.” When no one was looking, Virginia snuck into the showroom display window and sat down with the mannequins. She sat perfectly motionless. Her friends just stared from outside the store.
People passing by noticed the girls’ fixed stares at the showroom display. A crowd began to gather outside the showroom window. They were curious and asked, “What are you looking at.” The girls would only say, “Just wait, just wait.” Virginia’s friends knew that she would have to blink her eyes eventually. Finally, Virginia blinked her dry eyes. It was over in an instant. She made no other movement. The people in the crowd who saw her blink said, “Wooo!” The people who missed it asked the ones who had seen it what they missed. Some of those who saw her blink were second guessing what they had just seen. Did she really blink? Was she real or a mannequin? The crowd became larger. All eyes were fixed on Virginia’s eyes. Finally, another blink. The people in the crowd who saw her blink went wild. The crowd grew larger, as did the cheers, at every blink of Virginia’s eyes. Although no one in the crowd could tell, because she sat completely motionless except for an occasional blink which was over in an instant, Virginia was thoroughly enjoying her prank.
Finally, the manager noticed the noise coming from outside the showroom window and went to investigate. She looked at the crowd and looked at the mannequins sitting in the showroom window. Finally, Virginia blinked, and the crowd went wild again. The manager rushed back into the store and scoldingly told her to “Get out of the window!” As Virginia stood to remove herself from the window, the manager had a sudden realization. Their showroom window had never drawn so much attention before. “Stay in the window!” she said. Virginia sat back down and continued to pretend to be a mannequin. The large crowd was delighted and continued to watch in eager anticipation of every blink. The store hired Virginia every Saturday to be a mannequin.
The mannequin prank led to bigger things for Virginia. A few Saturdays later, Virginia signed with New York’s Zoli modeling agency. From there she was cast in the 1982 film Tootsie. In jest, Virginia described her part in the film as “someone who’s going to be in their underwear a lot of the time.” She was cast in the short-lived television series Buffalo Bill, and guest-starred in Family Ties, Riptide, Remington Steele, and Knight Rider. Virginia appeared in the Chevy Chase comedy Fletch, and starred in Transylvania 6-5000, the Fly, Earth Girls Are Easy, Beetlejuice, Thelma & Louise, A League of their Own, and The Accidental Tourist, for which she won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. The list of films and television shows which Virginia has starred in continues to grow. Virginia Elizabeth Davis was given a nickname shortly after her birth by her older brother, Dan, to differentiate her from an auto also named Virginia. You and I know her as Geena Davis.
Source: “Geena Davis on Her Early Gig as a Living Mannequin,” National Public Radio, February 11, 2023, https://www.npr.org/2023/02/08/1155478251/geena-davis-on-her-early-gig-as-a-mannequin.
Message from the Administrator
With 2023 behind us and 2024 just beginning, I look forward to great things from the DeSoto Parish Police Jury and for the constituents of DeSoto Parish. 2023 ended with several road projects getting completed and nearing completion, new inventory scale construction at the Road Department, new construction beginning at the Mundy Landfill, $1.6 million dollars in funding from the states capital outlay program dedicated to roads and the completion of a new boat ramp at Garrett Park in partnership with the Sabine River Authority and the Town of Logansport, among other smaller no less important projects.
For 2024 the DeSoto Parish Police Jury has approved in their general fund budget new projects. Those projects include some upgrades to the Courthouse Annex, improvements to the splash pad at Alumni Park, improvements to the David Means 4-H Building, upgrades to HOOPLA Park, upgrades coming to our website and some upgrades to the sewer system in the KCS Community in partnership with the City of Mansfield.
The 2024 road projects include upgrades and repair work for Martinez and Delton Roads, improvements to Wallace Lake Road, Cook Creek Road, Bethlehem Road, First Street, Brown Road, Metcalf Road, upgrades to the I-49 N. Industrial Park – West Loop, some know this as Parks Road, and a few other road projects approved in the 2024 budget.
The 2024 solid waste budget includes capital expenditures for the construction of a new cell at Mundy Landfill. This cell will be 50% larger than any other cell constructed at the landfill and be able to supply the parish with at least 5 more years of viability. Future expansions at Mundy Landfill include construction of a new Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) Facility that will refine landfill gas to pipeline grade natural gas through a sophisticated cleaning process. In partnership with BioMethane Partners, sales of the renewable gas will result in revenue for DeSoto Parish as well as improved air quality, reduced odors, and climate change mitigation.
We saw the end of an era with several jurors leaving office. Mr. B.D. Mitchell served District 1-B for over 32 years. His successor is Mr. Bubba Clark. Bubba hails from Logansport, LA where he has established himself as an insurance agent for the State Farm Insurance Company. Mr. Reggie Roe served District 5 for over 20 years. His successor is Mr. Nick Rains of Frierson, LA. Nick was born and raised in Frierson, LA where he established himself as an electrician and contractor. Lastly, Mr. Kyle Kennington served District 2 for over three and half years. His successor is Mr. Robby Latham. Robby is a native of Mansfield, LA who now resides in Stonewall, LA where he has established himself as a well-known State Farm Insurance agent. On behalf of the employees of the DeSoto Parish Police Jury and all the current jury members, I wish to thank Mr. Mitchell, Mr. Roe and Mr. Kennington for serving this parish with honor and distinction. You will be missed. For the new jurors coming on board, Mr. Clark, Mr. Rains and Mr. Latham, welcome aboard. The DeSoto Parish Police Jury employees and I look forward to working both for you and with you.
I would like the good citizens of DeSoto Parish to know that the DeSoto Parish Police Jury is moving forward with improvements to this parish. It is important for you to know that those words that line the wall at the DeSoto Parish Police Jury office: Trust, Honesty, Integrity, are the values for which I try to steward this organization. Thank you all for your patience and for all your faith in me and this organization.
Michael Norton
Parish Administrator
DeSoto Parish Police Jury
INTRODUCING THE 2024 B.A.S.S. ON THE BEND FESTIVAL CONCERTS
Local and regional artists, along with the Grammy-award winning, Louisiana legend, Wayne Toups will perform during an unforgettable weekend on Toledo Bend!
Come out to Cypress Bend Park on February 24 & 25 during the Bassmaster Elite Series Tournament and enjoy these FREE events ahead of the live weigh-ins.
Saturday, February 24
12-1pm Derrick McLendon
1:30-2:30pm Wayne Toups
Sunday, February 25
11:30am-12:30pm Spencer Brunson
12:30pm-2:30pm Joey Greer
For more information checkout http://www.ToledoBendLakeCountry.com/BassElite
We all want to be a part of a group. We want to feel like we belong to something, someone, or somewhere. Even as kids, it is important for one’s self-esteem to have a bond with others. Nothing is worse than to be excluded from your friends or co-workers.
Today, we’ll talk about just how important it is for tournament anglers to be a part of a group and to have guys they can trust.
Trust is the key ingredient or the glue that all anglers must have within the crew they run with. To be successful on the pro level, it’s important that you have a handful of guys that you can talk to about anything. Anglers you can trust to tell you the truth about how they might be catching fish. Guys that aren’t trying to lead you astray and send you on a wild goose chase.
But one thing an angler must avoid during the course of a tournament is listening to what is called “dock talk.” This is where guys are standing around a boat ramp, weigh-in, or at dinner and spreading false information about how they are catching fish with the intention to lead another angler down the wrong path. The best advice I’ve ever been given as an angler is never trust an angler you do not know and proceed with caution on anything they tell you. It’s a game anglers play every tournament hoping to give themselves an advantage. Anglers are the best liars on the planet and will do or say anything to gain an advantage.
This is why it is so important that an angler find a group of guys he can travel with and trust. These are guys who will come to your rescue when you break down on the water or on the highway, guys who are willing to share their tackle when you need a bag of worms or a particular bait, guys you trust to tell the truth about what and how they might be catching fish.
Finding that right circle can be a challenge and it may take some time. But when you do, it can make your tournament experience so much more enjoyable and productive. Let’s face it, you’re never going to win every tournament, but your goal is always to finish in the money and collect a check.
But understand, there’s always competition within the group. Even within your own crew, you want to be the one that finished the highest. The best circles will help one of their own to win a tournament when they are in position to do so.
Tournaments today are highly competitive and it’s very difficult to be successful on your own. Anglers that have that circle of guys they can rely on, will have a greater chance for success. Even though pro fishing is not always a team sport, having guys you can share accurate information with is a huge advantage.
We’ve all heard how the key to success is to surround yourself with the right people. Professional bass fishing is no different and now you can see that being a part of the right group can lead to success on the tournament trail.
Til next time, good luck, good fishing, and when in doubt, set the hook!
Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com
With freezing temperatures forecasted in the coming days, it is time to start thinking about protecting our plants from cold damage. Freezing temperatures cause the water in plant cells to freeze, permanently damaging that area of the plant. Depending on the severity of the freeze, plants may have damage to just a few leaves, or the entire plant may be affected. Container plants are particularly susceptible to freeze damage because their roots are not insulated by the ground.
Covering damage prone plants is a common method of protecting from frost damage. Coverings increase the temperature around the plant and block cold, dry winds that are often associated with cold weather events. Sheets, blankets, or frost coverings are preferred. However, if a heavy blanket is being used, it is advised to have it supported instead of resting on the plant. If ice or snow accumulates on the covering, the additional weight can break plant stems. Some simple stakes that are slightly taller than the plant work just fine for supporting the covering and keeping it off the plant. If using plastic, be sure to keep the plastic off the plant because leaves can freeze to the plastic. To get the most benefit out of covering a plant, make sure that the covering reaches all the way to the ground and is weighted down. This allows heat that is released from the soil to warm the air under the covering.
Another recommended practice prior to a freeze is to thoroughly water plants. Freezes often include cold dry winds which dry out plants, causing damage. Having plenty of water in the soil available to the roots allows plants stay hydrated throughout the freeze.
Although Christmas has come and gone, Christmas lights can also help mitigate freeze damage to plants, especially when combined with a covering. The small lights put off heat. Under a covering, the slight increase in temperature can be more than enough to keep your plants comfortable, however, it is important to keep plastic coverings from resting against the lights.
For container plants, it is best to move them indoors or to a covered area. If that is not possible, group them together and put a blanket or other covering over them, making sure it is weighted down and covering the container. Since containers dry out quickly, it is recommended to water them thoroughly.
Fall gardens can typically handle our winter temperatures, but even these cold hardy plants suffer when temperatures get extremely low. Row covers are available in the event that temperatures get extreme. Again, a deep watering is recommended prior to freezing. If using a row cover, make sure to keep it out of contact with leaves if possible.
Randall Mallette
ANR Agent
Natchitoches & Red River Parishes
318-357-2224
Baton Rouge, La–Today, Governor Jeff Landry took action to maintain education standards, he issued a court required call for a redistricting special session, and he formally established the office of the First-Lady.
Today’s Executive Order, the Veto of Graduation Appeals Process, will ensure that students are adequately prepared for postsecondary education and the workforce by meeting minimum standards of proficiency in core subjects. (EO attached)
“Ensuring our children have a quality education is a top priority. Today’s Executive Order will maintain our education standards,” said Jeff Landry.
Today’s required call for a special session will redistrict the congressional districts of Louisiana along with the districts of the Louisiana Supreme Court, and make other election related changes. (Call attached)
“The courts have mandated that the state of Louisiana redraw our congressional districts. Redistricting is a state legislative function. That is why today, I followed the court order and made the call to convene the legislature of Louisiana into a special session on redistricting,” said Jeff Landry.
Today’s Executive Order to fund the office of the First Lady mirrors the actions of former Governor John Bel Edwards. It will establish and formerly recognize her office as part of the Office of the Governor. (EO attached)
“Our First-Lady, Sharon Landry, will be an incredible ambassador to Louisiana. I am proud to fund this important office, and I look forward to seeing the work she will do for folks across the state,” said Jeff Landry.
Clara Springs Fourth Friday Fish Fry will be Friday, January 26 from 5-7pm. It will be hosted by Fairview Baptist Church. Dinner includes: all you can eat fried fish, coleslaw, french fries, hushpuppies, pinto beans, lemon breadpudding, homemade ice cream and drink.
DeSoto Extension Office will hold a Horse Health Clinic on Thursday, February 1 starting at 9am. Registration is required. Contact your DeSoto Parish Agriculture Agent, Josh Salley at 318.872.0533 or jsalley@agcenter.lsu.edu
Tommy Lee Shahan
November 4, 1953 — January 8, 2024
Service: Friday, January 12 at 10am at Rose Neath Funeral Homes – Mansfield
Alice Roberts
May 5, 1945 – January 4, 2024
Service: Saturday, January 13 at 11am at Shiloh Baptist Church – Mansfield
Robert Manson Jr.
November 28, 1957 – January 7, 2024
Service: Saturday, January 13 at 11am at Zion Hill No.2 Baptist Church – Mansfield
Edna Foster
June 22, 1939 – January 4, 2024
Service: Saturday, January 13 at 1pm at Bethlehem Baptist Church – Mansfield
Apple iPhones now have a feature to detect if you have been in a car crash called “Crash Detection.” If you happen to drop your phone it can sometimes trigger this feature and call 911. The bottom line is, be sure to answer if you get a call back from the sheriff’s office. If it triggers, a dispatcher will call to ensure that you are safe.
Newly elected members of the Louisiana House of Representatives and Senate were sworn into office on Jan. 8 as required by the State Constitution. Each chamber held an Organizational Session to select officers including Speaker of the House, Speaker Pro-Tempore, Clerk of the House, President of the Senate, President Pro-Tempore, Secretary of the Senate and a Sergeant at Arms for each chamber.
In the House of Representatives elections resulted in Phillip Devillier (R-Eunice) being named Speaker of the House along with Mike Johnson (R-Pineville) as Speaker Pro-Tempore. Michelle Fontenot was re-elected Clerk of the House and a newly appointed Sergeant at Arms, Jaubert Ambeau was selected, after the retirement of his predecessor. Ambeau has been employed by the House for more than 38 years in various positions including assistant sergeant at arms.
Speaker DeVillier addressed a packed chamber of members, families and friends encouraging everyone to focus on understanding one another’s unique challenges in their districts and to act by finding solutions that improve Louisiana for the better.
“Let us not be content,” said Speaker DeVillier. “The people of Louisiana have waited long enough. With all the challenges our state faces we are left with one choice. A choice to act and help our state and keep the fire in our hearts so we do not fall short. If we trust in the Lord’s timing we can be successful and when we are successful, Louisiana succeeds, he noted.
Senators meanwhile elected Cameron Henry (R-Metairie) as their new President along with Regina Barrow (D-Baton Rouge) as President Pro Tempore. Yolanda Dixon was sworn in as the Secretary of the Senate and Louis W. Carral was elected by the body to serve as Sergeant at Arms. The Honorable Mike Johnson, Speaker of the United State House of Representatives, provided the invocation and benediction bringing greetings to Senators and congratulating his long-time friend and colleague President Henry. The two men served together in the Louisiana House of Representatives for two years from 2015-17.
“It’s a new day when Senate President Pro Tempore Regina Barrow is quoting Governor Jeff Landry,” said President Henry. “To move the state forward we’re all going to have to pull together. It won’t be easy, but the changes we need to make in Louisiana are not simple. Let’s get to work.”
Looking ahead, members of the 73rd Louisiana Legislature anticipate convening for their first Special Session focused on redrawing congressional district maps on Monday, Jan. 15. A special session on crime is also slated to be called by Governor Jeff Landry beginning on Monday, Feb. 19. The 2024 Regular Legislative Session convenes on Monday, March 11.